Jerry Carothers Colley

  View Funeral WebcastJerry Carothers Colley, age 91, longtime Columbia attorney, died Friday, November 23, 2018 surrounded by his family.              A Celebration of Life service will be conducted Tuesday at 11:00 A.M. at First United Methodist Church with Reverend Lee Stevenson, Judge Bobby Sands, and Judge Robert Jones officiating.  A private burial will follow in Centerville Cemetery in Hickman County with military honors provided by the Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19.  The family will visit with friends Monday from 4:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.              The family suggests memorials to First United Methodist Church, 222 West Seventh Street, Columbia, TN 38401.  Condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com.             Born July 31, 1927 in Centerville, Tennessee, he was the son of the late John Shackelford Colley, Jr. and the late Mabel Carothers Colley, who both died at the age of 42.  He and his siblings were reared by their wonderful “Grandmammy”, the late Elizabeth Shouse Carothers, who took them in at the age of 75; and she became the most influential person in his life.             Jerry was a 1945 graduate of Hickman County High School, where he was on the regional champion debate team in 1943 and played football and basketball.  He was the paper boy of The Hickman County Times, Nashville Tennessean, and Nashville Banner.  He also worked in the Post Office and was projector operator at the Rex Theater in Centerville.  Jerry served in the U.S. Navy from 1945 – 1946.            He received his BS degree from Peabody College in 1949 and his Law Degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1951. Having a great passion for the Law, Jerry was hired by Lon MacFarland in 1951 and practiced with State Senator Ed Blank IV, Circuit Judge Robert L. Jones, and Beverly Douglas.  Having practiced law in Columbia for sixty-five years, he loved going to work every day; and during his career as a criminal lawyer, he had many major criminal defense trials, including Irene Kelley, Jimmy Hoffa on federal jury tampering charges, and Jerry Lee Lewis in a motor vehicle accident case in Illinois in the mid 1950’s.              Jerry served as Chairman of the Maury County Democratic Party from 1975 – 1985; and for the past seventeen years, The Jerry Colley True Democrat Award has been given in his honor.  He had served on the Tennessee Supreme Court Board of Professional Board of Responsibility from 1984 – 1990, was a member of the Maury County Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, American Bar Association, and American College of Trial Lawyers.             Jerry trained and raced Steeplechase horses; and his mare, Dream Cottage, won an Iroquois Race in 1972.  He was an avid fan of thoroughbred horse racing and had visited twenty-five tracks in the U.S., as well as one in Canada, three in England, and one in Paris.  He and his wife Linda attended every Breeders’ Cup Race from 1988 - 2015.              Jerry loved traveling with family and close friends, Diane and the late Judge Jim Weatherford.  They had traveled worldwide including several cruises.             An avid sports fan, Jerry was a member of the TSSAA football and basketball Officials Team from 1950 – 1985.  He was also a fan of Vanderbilt athletics.  Jerry was a member of First United Methodist Church of Columbia.              He is survived by his loving wife, Linda Grimes Colley; and they were fortunate to experience thirty-two years of adventures together.  Jerry was treasured and so loved by his children and step-children: daughter Leslie Colley of Santa Fe, NM; son John (Elizabeth) Colley of Columbia, son Drake (Susan) Colley of Columbia, daughter Sarah (Mike Mikula) Colley of Atlanta, GA, son Jerry (Lauren) Colley, Jr. of Tuscaloosa, AL; step-children, Kim (Todd) Curry of Shady Grove and Jason (Cynthia) Fogg of Spring Hill, Melinda Milam of Alabama; many grandchildren and step-grandchildren; one great grandchild; sister, John Elizabeth (Charlie) Wells; and numerous nieces and nephews.             In addition to his parents and “Grandmammy”, he was preceded in death by a grandson, John Shackelford Colley, IV; his brother, Sam Colley at the age of 29; and many other loved ones including his cousin Sarah Ophelia Colley “Minnie Pearl” Cannon.             Active pallbearers will be Ashley Brown, Judge Bobby Holloway, Travis Jones, Bart Kelly, Delk Kennedy, Richard Matthews, Judge Russ Parks, and Kile Patrick.  Honorary pallbearers will include Doug Bates, III, Bill Clark, Judge Jim T. Hamilton, Judge Stella Hargrove, Judge Tom Higgins, Tiny Jones, Betty Kennedy, Henry McCall, Jim McEwen, Sandy McLain, Gina Robertson, Sam Smith, Jim White, members of First United Methodist Church Bruce Strothers Sunday School Class and Ayers Whitney Sunday Class, Maury County Bar Association, and Maury County Democratic Party.             The family would like to express a special thank you to his caregivers, Tina Au-Be, Maribel Castillo, Shane Delk, Susan Hennessy, Roleen Kerr, staff of NHC and Hospice Compassus.             Jerry always strove to do his very best, to live life to the fullest, and to appreciate the richness of human experience.  He loved his family; he loved the law; and he never failed to see the best in people.  We mourn his death and we celebrate the way he lived his life.