Jeffrey Herc Bolton

Jeffrey Herc Bolton, 67, retired State of Tennessee Director of Economic Development, died unexpectedly Sunday, April 14, 2019 at St. Thomas West in Nashville. A graveside service will be conducted Saturday at 1:30 P.M. at McCains Cemetery with Joe Barker and Houston McCandless officiating. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given for an educational/college fund for his grandchildren, which were the biggest part of his heart. Send to Tennessee Teacher Credit Union, c/o Trish Pedrosa, 7527 Highway 70 South, Nashville, TN 37221. Condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com. Born December 25, 1951 in Columbia, he was the son of the late Herc Bolton and the late Harriette Sharpe Bolton. After graduation from high school in 1969, he attended UT Martin and played baseball. He then transferred to MTSU where he met and married his college sweetheart of 45 years, the former Debia Burkett Bolton. While at MTSU he majored in business and was an affiliate of Sigma Nu fraternity. He had worked for the state of Tennessee for over twenty-plus years as Director of Economic Development. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Jeffrey Brent (Camille) Bolton of Tuscaloosa, AL; daughters, Rebecca (James) Poole of Spring Hill, Bettena (Justin) Witherspoon of Murfreesboro; grandchildren, Batch Bolton, Willa Witherspoon, Wesley Deane Witherspoon, Wren Witherspoon, Wyatt Witherspoon; and step grandchildren, Cambria Witherspoon, Maddie Poole, Myla Poole, and Jace Poole. Active pallbearers will be Jeffrey Brent Bolton, Brian McCandless, Justin Witherspoon, James Poole, Jim King, and J. D. Ryan. Honorary pallbearers will include Mike Sharpton, Richard Burklew, Ron Neal, Mike Ketchum, Houston McCandless, Joe Barker, members of Economic Development for the state of Tennessee, former members of all Columbia’s Baseball teams that he played with while growing up in Columbia; and his first cousins: Richard Blalock, Freddie Blalock, Jimmy Blalock, Jerry Blalock, and David Walker.