Obituaries

Obituary: Richard Lynn Smalley – Middleton, Tennessee

Richard Lynn Smalley, age 72, resident of Middleton, Tennessee, departed this life Thursday evening, September 29, 2022, at Bolivar General Hospital in Bolivar, Tennessee. He was born October 6, 1949, in Middleton, the son of the late Marlin Laverne Smalley and Ruby Luttrell Smalley. Richard graduated from Middleton High School, Miller Hawkins Business College in Memphis, and Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. He served his country in the United States Army and was a paratrooper from 1969 until 1971.

Mr. Smalley was employed as a real estate broker for many years. He also worked on the pipelines in Montana and was a manager and caregiver at Quinco in Bolivar before his retirement. He built his own house out of cedar cord wood and enjoyed pottery, jewelry, and stained glass. Mr. Smalley was an avid reader, especially of history and military books, and was an outdoorsman who loved camping, canoeing, and collecting arrowheads.

Mr. Smalley is survived by two sisters, Dianne Mumford (Howard) of Hornsby, Tennessee, Denese Smalley of Memphis, Tennessee; two brothers, David
Smalley (Barbara) of Middleton, Tennessee and Jimmy Smalley of Hornsby, Tennessee; two nieces, Bridget Smalley Roberts (Paul) of Saulsbury, Tennessee and Sara
Smalley of Memphis, Tennessee; and his nephew, Mark Smalley (Christina) of Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Brenda Kay Smalley; his brother, Dwaine Smalley; and his nephew, Howie Mumford III.

A Celebration of Mr. Smalley’s life will be Saturday, October 8, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 10330 Highway 125 South, Middleton, Tennessee 38052. The family requests memorials be directed to St. Jude Memorial Giving, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105-9959 or New Hope Church of Christ Cemetery Fund, 1770 New Hope Road, Middleton, Tennessee 38052.

Arrangements will be provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center and condolences may be left on its online guestbook.


Courtesy of Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center, Somerville, Tennessee.


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