John L. Tucker

John L. Tucker passed away Tuesday, June 30th, 2009, at Hillside Hospital. John L. Tucker was born and lived all his adult life in the Conway community of Giles County. He attended high school at Elkton High School and was a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Agriculture and the Officer's Candidate School at Fort Still, Oklahoma. He entered World War II in 1942 as a private and rose to the rank of Major. He served in the European Theater in Patton's Third Army across France, Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia. His military service was in field artillery and military government in the Army of Occupation in Germany after World War II. During his service he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action in Luxembourg and the Bronze Star Medal for outstanding heroism. He was a supervisor for the Farm and Home Administration and taught high school science and agriculture at Giles County High School, Elkton High School and Prospect High School. He operated a turkey farm for twenty years and was a retired cattle farmer. Among the organizations that he was affiliated with were director to the National Turkey Federation form Tennessee for ten years, President of the Giles County Farm Bureau for 13 years, President of the Tennessee Poultry & Egg Association, Officer of the Giles County Farmers Co-op, a member of the American Legion, and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Giles County and served as its Chairman of the Board. In 1988 he was given the Tennessee Cattleman's Association Businessman of the Year Award. He was a Trustee for Elkton United Methodist Church. He was always active in local government and public service. He served as magistrate in the Giles County Quarterly Court for twenty-five years, was a Giles County School Board member for over twenty years and was a delegate to the Tennessee constitutional Convention of 1971 which helped farmers, homeowners, and small businesses to have tax assessments at lower rates than large corporations. He is preceded in death by his mother, Stella Scott Tucker and his father, John William Tucker. Survivors include his wife, Kittie Mangum Tucker; five children, John Lamar Tucker Jr., Peggy Widener and her husband Mike, Betty Foster and her husband Doc, Tex Tucker and his wife Angela, Sylvia Wilmer and her husband John; his sister, Elise Tate; ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Visitation will be Thursday, July 2nd from 4:00 until 8:00pm at Bennett-May-Giles County funeral Home in Pulaski, Tn. Funeral Service will be Friday, July 3rd at 11:00am in the Chapel of the funeral home with John Ives and William Suddarth officiating. Burial will follow on the Tucker Family Farm Cemetery, Tucker Bend Rd, Conway Community. Memorials are suggested to, the charity of your choice. Bennett-May-Giles County Funeral Home in charge of arrangements for Mr. John L. Tucker. 931-363-0828

John L. Tucker

June 21, 1913 - June 30, 2009