Robert Ell Hurt

Completed arrangements are being announced for Robert Ell Hurt, 77, of Trimble, who died on Saturday, September 7, 2019 at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee.

Services will be 3:00 PM on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at First Baptist Church Trimble, with Dr. William B. Oakley and Dr. Rick Isbell officiating.

Burial will follow in Poplar Grove Cemetery in Newbern.

The family will receive friends on Monday, September 9, 2019 from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM and on Tuesday from 2:00 PM until 3:00 at the church.

Pallbearers will be his seven grandchildren: Katelyn, Cooper, Emiline, Nick, Conner, Christopher and Luke.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Robert Fitts of Tuscaloosa, AL; Jerry Rochelle of Dallas, GA; Keith Burke of Cookeville, TN; Greg Coggin of Lookout Mt. TN; Mike Allan of Jackson, TN and Perry Nichols and Chuck Benjamin of Trimble.

The family request that memorials be made to First Baptist Church Trimble Building Fund, P. O. Box 187, Trimble, TN 38259.

Johnson-Williams Funeral Home in Newbern is in charge of arrangements.

He was born October 30, 1941 in Trimble, son of the late Ell Dawson and Wretta Parnell Hurt.  He married the former Nancy Bunch on June 10, 1966.  (She survives.)  He was a 1959 graduate of Trimble High School.  As a 1963 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education.  He was a member of the Tau Tetarton Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa, was active in the Baptist Student Union, was president of the Student National Education Association, member of the honorary dramatic fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega, and was chosen for Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.  In 1970 he received a Master of Science degree from the University of Tennessee.  He served in the Tennessee Army National Guard during the Vietnam War and was a member of the Ridgeway Post 92 of the Tennessee American Legion since 1993.  He taught school at Obion County Central High School in Troy for four years following his graduation from college and served as Tennessee State Supervisor of Special Needs in Vocational Education in Nashville for four years before being hired by Thoroughbred Financial Services in Nashville.  He returned home to Trimble and opened a branch office in Jackson.

Hurt was past president and long-time secretary of the Trimble Lions Club where he was a member since 1978.He served the District 12L of Lions International as District Governor in 2005-2006.He received the District Lion of the Decade in 2002, the Virginia Lindsey Award in 2004, the Melvin Jones Award in 2005 and the Dolstrom Award in 2012.

He served as a member of the UT Alumni Association Board of Governors from 1978-81 and 1991-93.He was also twice president of the UTM Alumni Association, member of the Past Presidents Association, and the 2010 recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for University Service.

He was a member of the Trimble First Baptist Church where he served as a deacon since 1980, taught the Open Door Sunday School Class for many years, directed the Royal Ambassador program for boys for eighteen years, was choir director for ten years and served in many other capacities.

He chaired the Trimble High School Alumni Association and was instrumental in organizing several school wide reunions.Hurt was a charter member and past president of the Dyer County Master Gardener Association.

He was a member of the Bell’s Partisans Camp of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans having had two great grandfathers who fought for the Confederacy.

He is also survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Chris Payne of Gallatin; a son and daughter-in-law, Rob and Debbie Hurt of Trimble; seven grandchildren, Emiline Payne, Christopher Payne and Luke Payne of Gallatin, Cooper Hurt and Conner Hurt of Union City, Nick Hurt and Katelyn Hurt and one great grandson, Dayton of Trimble.

He was also preceded in death by a sister, Helen Hurt Nicholas and a brother, William A. Hurt.

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