Funeral services for Mr. James Ralph “ Jim” Reeves, Jr., age 84 of Manchester will be conducted Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 1:00 PM at Trinity Baptist Church in Manchester with Dr. Scott Parkison and Dr. Kerry Walker officiating. Interment will follow at 3:30 PM at Sequatchie Valley Memorial Gardens, 3042 Hwy 41, Jasper, TN 37347 with military honors. Visitation will be held Monday, December 7, 2015 from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Coffee County Funeral Chapel. Mr. Reeves departed from this life for his heavenly home Friday, December 4, 2015 surrounded by his loving family.
He was born February 12, 1931, in Guild, TN the son of the late James Ralph Reeves, Sr., and Sadie Morgan Reeves. He grew up in the Haletown community and graduated high school in nearby Jasper where he was an athlete lettering in four sports. Also, Jim earned two Golden Gloves Boxing awards by being undefeated in the ring in the Chattanooga region. He joined the United States Navy in March 1951 and was honorably discharged in February 1955 with the rank of Aviation Electronics Tech Second Class, USN-1. He married his high school sweet heart, the girl of his dreams, Peggy Jane Tate, during his first leave home from the service. After moving to Manchester, with the help of friends and colleagues, Jim went to MTSU full time while working full time at AEDC, earning an engineering degree. Jim retired from AEDC as a senior engineer after 38 years of service in February 1993. He was a founding member of Trinity Baptist Church where he served as a deacon and in many other dedicated positions through the years. Jim felt that service to the Lord should come first in one’s life and he led by example. An avid football fan, he also loved listening to gospel music and encouraging those who made it, fishing and playing pool with his friends. Jim touched many lives through the years and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a daughter, Carol Lee Reeves, a grandson, James Ralph Reeves, IV, and four sisters.
Survivors include his loving wife and best friend, Peggy Tate Reeves; three children, Gaylynn Cheatham and husband, David, James Ralph “Jay” Reeves, III and wife, Delilah, and Penny Howe and husband, Page; seven grandchildren, Amber Sanchez (Rob), Joshua Warren (Andrea), James Warren, Alisha Rader (Brett), John Morgan Reeves, Jania Howe and Julie Howe; four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and loving friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Baptist Church, 1513 McArthur Street, Manchester, TN 37355
Coffee County Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the family of Mr. James Ralph Reeves, Jr.