Darrell Ray Holmes, age seventy-eight, passed away on January 22, 2024 at NHC Healthcare Murfreesboro.
He was born in unincorporated Friendship, Missouri on October 21, 1945 and has lived in and around Nashville, Tennessee for the past forty years.
His formative years were filled with the welcome distractions of the farm, planting and the harvest, driving his first John Deer tractor at the age of eight.
In his teens, Darrell developed a deep respect and love of horses, entering into and sometimes winning the local rodeo barrel races. During the hot and muggy summer months which often settled over the “boot heel” of Southeast Missouri, Darrell could be found in the field pitching watermelons during the day and drag racing his car at night; that is until he met the love of his life, Rhonda Crockett, whom he married in 1964.
He continued farming and served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. While stationed in Germany, he and Rhonda traveled across Europe. After his completion of service, Darrell graduated from college and began a career with Holiday Inn as a Corporate Internal Auditor in Memphis, Tennessee, visiting almost every state in the Union.
For 25 years Darrell drove his beloved “ol’ Red” no more than 656,000 miles all over the Middle Tennessee area, utilizing his gentle and agreeable personality while working in industrial sales with Barnes Distribution and achieving great success in the many awards and company vacations he and Rhonda enjoyed together.
Darrell was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Holmes and Lois Cross Holmes; sisters, Shirley (Joe) Lacy and Patsy (Don) Caldwell; brother-in-law, Joe Statler; nephews, Randy Caldwell and Ben Holder; father-and-mother-in-law, Dale and Juanita Crockett; sister-in-law, Monita Neal; and brother-in-law, Les Edwards.
He is survived by his wife, Rhonda Crockett Holmes; son, Christopher Crockett Holmes (James Manning); sister, Carmilita Statler; nieces, Janet Lacy, Lisa Wayne, Kelly Miller, Rhonda Clayton, Jodie Holder, and Paula Caldwell; brother-in-law, Richard Neal, sisters-in-law, Marta (Terry) Brumley and Denise Edwards; nieces and nephews, Ricky (Teresa) Neal, Karen (Rick) Reeves, Steve (Tammy) Brumley, Leanne Casebeer (Louis), Bethany Edwards, and Matthew Jeffers; many great and great-great nieces and nephews, and many friends.
Visitation will be from 1:00 PM until the time of chapel service at 2:00 PM, Saturday, January 27, 2024 at Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, 820 South Church Street, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37130, with Phillip Camp, John Mitchel, Tip Curd and Paul Ladd officiating. Interment will be at Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetary, 7931 McCrory Lane, Nashville, Tennessee 37221, the following Monday, January 29, 2024 at 11:00 AM. Pallbearers will be Joe Vaughn, Troy Williams, Mark Patrick, Tim Camp, Robin Kendrick, and James Manning.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association in honor of Darrell Ray Holmes at Lbda.org to help find better treatment and a possible cure. Please use the drop down menu in the upper right corner of the website.
Online condolences can be given at www.jenningsandayers.com. The family would like to convey a special thanks to the caregivers at NHC Murfreesboro and CARIS Healthcare Hospice who have taken such good care of Darrell during his last few months. In addition, the family would like to express their sincere gratitude for all of the thoughts, prayers, and condolences extended to them during this time.
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