T.J. Wakefield was born Sunday, December 22, 1935 in Cookeville, TN, and departed this life on Friday, May 20, 2022 at the age of 86 as a result of Lewy Body Disease.
T.J. is survived by his wife, Flora Mae Davis Wakefield, to whom he had been married for more than 60 years. They have three sons, Mark, Jeffrey, and Thomas; two daughters-in-law, Suzanne Wakefield and Christy Wakefield; as well as dearly loved grandchildren. Additional survivors are two sisters: Sandra and brother-in-law, Doug Bowman of Murfreesboro, and Anna and brother-in-law Ron Ryan of LaVergne.
He is preceded in death by his parents, H.C. and Eula Davis Wakefield; and a sister and brother-in-law, Reba Faye and Ray Tomberlain.
T.J. graduated from Smith County High School where he was a captain of the basketball team during his senior year. That year, Smith County’s team went to the state tournament for the first time in the school’s history. Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and spent part of his three-year term in Germany. After being honorably discharged, he joined his parents and sisters who were living in Murfreesboro.
T.J. retired after working 47 years in the food service industry for Wonder Food Service, Bill’s Institutional Commissary, and Institutional Distributors/GFS in positions of sales and management. Those positions resulted in moving his family to Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Ohio (twice) before returning to Tennessee in the Memphis area. After retiring, T.J. and Flora Mae returned to Murfreesboro in 2004 to be near their children, grandchildren, and their extended families.
T.J. was a member of the Church of Christ for over 60 years. Upon moving to Murfreesboro, he and Flora Mae became faithful members of the Lascassas Church of Christ. He became an elder there in 2007 and served in that position until 2021 when his health declined to the point he was not able to physically perform his duties as he felt an elder should.
Visitation with the Wakefield family will be Sunday, May 22, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Woodfin Memorial Chapel. Funeral service will be held on Monday, May 23, 2022 at 10:00 AM at Woodfin Memorial Chapel with visitation one hour prior to the service. Cody Boston will officiate. https://www.woodfinchapel.com A private family burial will follow at Hopewell Cemetery in Coffee County.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in T.J.’s memory to the Lascassas Church of Christ Building Fund, 6402 Lascassas Pike, Lascassas, TN 37085, or to Disaster Relief Effort, Inc., 410 Allied Dr., Nashville, TN 37211.
For more obituaries visit https://rutherfordsource.com/obituaries/
