Carolyn Dennison Gregory

Carolyn Dennison Gregory, whose values were planted firmly in a large farming family in Newbern, Tennessee, and whose heart was deeply rooted in sports, died Monday, May 27, 2024 at Methodist North Hospital following a brief illness. A resident of Oakland, Tennessee, she was 77.

Mrs. Gregory, who had seven sisters and four brothers, grew up in Newbern and graduated as valedictorian from Trimble High School in 1964. She received an academic scholarship to Bethel College in McKenzie, Tennessee, where she graduated in 1968, then went on to receive a Master’s Degree at Memphis State University.

At Bethel, she was a member of Beta Theta Sigma, co-director of intramurals, cheerleader, and selected homecoming queen. She was a teacher and coached basketball briefly in Georgia and later in the Shelby County School System. It was while coaching that she met her future husband, James Darryl Gregory, formerly of Mantachie, Mississippi, and they were married for 52 years until his death in 2021.       

After teaching and coaching, Mrs. Gregory, who was an active participant in several sports, including softball, basketball and volleyball, began a career in real estate and later worked for the Memphis Area Association of Realtors.

Coming from such a large family, she cherished the value of the family unit. This was demonstrated by the sacrificial love shown to her husband; son, Joshua Alan Gregory of Dallas, TX and grandson, James Gregory of Augusta, GA.

In retirement much of her enjoyment came from her life-long love of rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and the joy of watching her son, Josh as an accomplished amateur golfer and coach at the college and professional tour levels. She looked forward to every opportunity to visit with grandson, James, and seeing photos of his latest trophy catch of a largemouth bass and her granddaughter, Maxine's theater performance and mock-trial appearance.

Her greatest recent sports-related thrill came last December. She traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to see Josh, who coached Augusta (Georgia) State University to back-to-back national championships in 2010 and 2011 and earned consecutive national coach of the year honors, formally inducted into the college Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Gregory was preceded in death by her parents, JP and Annie Lou Dennison and brothers, Jerry Dennison of Jacksonville, FL and David Dennison of Newbern, TN.

In addition to her son and grandchildren, she is survived by her daughter-in-law, Ashley Gregory of Dallas, TX; two brothers, Paul Dennison (Susie) of Burns, TN and Jimmy Dennison of Forney, TX; seven sisters, Faye Seboly of Cordova, TN, Kay Miller of Newbern, TN, Janet Keedy (Dave) of Newbern, TN, Patsy Whitworth of Little Rock, AR, Wanda Mott (Ronnie) of Kutawa, KY, Polly Dennison of Bartlett, TN and Mary Milam (David) of Bartlett, TN; and her sister-in-law, Teresa Dennison of Newbern, TN.

Funeral Services were held on Friday, May 31, 2024 at 11 A.M. at First Baptist Church Fisherville, where she was an active member. The officiating minister was Dr. Jeff James. Burial followed in Fairview Cemetery in Newbern, Tennessee.

The family requests that memorials be directed to First Baptist Church Fisherville, 11893 Macon Road, Eads, TN, 38028.