John C. Easley Sr.

John C. Easley, was born February 14, 1949, to the late John (Marshall) and Neely Addie Lee Easley. He was the second of six children. He started school at the age of five at Cooper’s Grove Church and attended for about two years and then was moved to Montgomery School. After John graduated, he started working at Slant and Slant in Lexington, TN. In the fall of 1966 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he took a job at Tennessee State University where he later enrolled and was a student for 2 ½ years. John was drafted by the United States Army in 1969 and was a highly decorated Veteran. After training he was sent to the Vietnam War for a year, receiving Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons; (NDSM – VSMW3Bronze Service Star, CIB, VCM M/60 DVC-1 o/s Bar, GCK DL). He received an Honorable Discharge with the Rank of Sergeant E5). In 1972 John owned and operated his own nursery, located on Hwy 412 in Lexington, TN and completed several landscaping projects across Lexington, TN and surrounding cities. In 1974, John succeeded his father Marshall Easley as the Funeral Operator and Assistant to Owner & Operator, Eva Pafford Helms, responsible for digging and setting up graves, transporting flowers to the grave site, and completing additional tasks as delegated by Mrs. Eva Pafford Helms. During that time, he was also, a night watchman at Decaturville Sportswear and Reeds Chapel Funeral Home owned and operated by Mr. Wayne and Virginia Lewis. Pafford Funeral Home and Reed’s Chapel were his last places of employment for 48 years until his transition. He was preceded in death by his wife LaRuth B. Easley, a son John C. Easley Jr., his parents, John (Marshall) and Neely Addie Lee Easley and a brother Raymond Eugene (Gwen) Easley and a sister, Cassandra R. Easley. He leaves to cherish his memory, a daughter, Felicia Lee Easley -Thomas (Earnest Ray Thomas, Jr.), a grandson Jacob Hughes whom he shared a special bond, one stepdaughter, Andrea Hart, two stepsons, Eddie Fitzgarld Teague (Robin), and Lee Anthony Teague, one sister, Virginia Easley, two brothers, Dennis Easley (Gladys), and Cecil Easley, 12 grandchildren, and 22 great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services will be on Sunday, January 29 at 3PM at St. Paul Baptist Church with Rev. Rodney Campbell officiating. Burial will follow in Coopers Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday from 1:30PM until service at St. Paul Baptist Church.

John C. Easley Sr.

February 14, 1949 - January 25, 2023