Dr. Henry Dalton Drennan, 94, passed away peacefully at his home on September 19, 2024, surrounded by his beloved family.
Dr. Drennan was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, a devoted husband, and wonderful father. Born in Gladeville, Tennessee, Dr. Drennan attended elementary school in Gladeville and graduated from Lebanon High School. From there, he graduated from Martin Methodist Junior College (Pulaski, Tennessee); Peabody College (now part of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee); and the University of Mississippi (Oxford, Mississippi). With the latter two, Dr. Drennan always felt a bit torn when Ole Miss played Vanderbilt each year in football, since he was a fan and alumnus of both. He loved watching baseball, basketball, and football in his spare time.
After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Dr. Drennan took a job with IBM in Atlanta when he was asked to teach adjunct at a local community college. It was there that he found his calling: education. He was hired as a guidance counselor and teacher at Southwest High School, where he was head of the Business Education department, eventually becoming the State Supervisor of Business Education for the State of Georgia. For more than four decades, he taught at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tennessee), where he was ultimately awarded emeritus status, and eventually retired. He also served as department chair for Business Education at MTSU.
One of his greatest delights was his farm, where he grew organic produce and raised all sorts of animals. Dr. Drennan was also a certified beekeeper. He believed in giving back and spent many years providing Christmas trees, farm fresh eggs, vegetables, nuts, and fruit to many of Murfreesboro’s most vulnerable. His benevolence and kindness also extended to a number of elderly friends and charities, local and national. Sundays would find him worshipping at First Baptist Church Murfreesboro, where he had faithfully attended since 1962, and was a member of the Zaccheaus Sunday School Class.
Dr. Drennan’s ultimate pride and joy was his family.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Henry Clark Drennan and Effie Lannom; daughter, Melanie Drennan French; and grandson, Calvin French.
He leaves behind his loving wife of nearly 64 years, Cynthia Belcher; daughters Anne Thaxton (James), Alicia Wall (William), Miriam Drennan; son, Henry “Hank” Dalton Drennan, Jr. (Caroline); grandchildren Clay Thaxton (Andrea), Drew Thaxton (Michelle), Luke Thaxton (Brooke), Keagan Thaxton, Millie Thaxton, Laurel Wall, Liesal Wall, Lyndsey Wall; and great-grandchildren, Charles Henry Thaxton and Elizabeth Thaxton.
The family would like to extend deep appreciation for Adoration Hospice; special caregivers Aimee Taylor, Tara Elder, Reyna Carlton; and the staff and caregivers at HoneyHill HomeCare services, who added so much to Dr. Drennan’s quality of life.
Services will be graveside on Sunday, October 6, 2024, 1:30 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro.
Please leave online condolences for the family at www.jenningsandayers.com Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, 820 South Church Street, Murfreesboro, TN. 37130. 615-893-2422.
For more obituaries visit https://rutherfordsource.com/obituaries/
Please Join Our FREE Newsletter!
