OBITUARY: Leonard Lee Spann

Our cherished Leonard Lee Spann crossed over April 12. He was born on September 8, 1948, to our dear (late) parents, Phoebe Jane Harris Spann (Cheatham County girl) and William Lee Spann (Dickson County boy).

Teenage Daddy crossed the Cumberland River Bridge, saw our teenage mother in the front yard of Cumberland and Vine, and not long after that, they married and brother would be their first born, followed by me (Holly Spann) and sister Robin Spann McLaughlin (Shane), and an adopted brother Bob Derryberry (Sandra).

In Lee’s younger days, when our granddaddy Leonard Harris and Nell Morris McMillon Harris ran Harris Grocery on Main Street in Ashland City, Lee loved being in and around the store, which also included living above it. He was the apple of Grandaddy’s eye, and it was Twister (granddaddy) who gave Lee the nickname Jabbo.

Lee and our cousin Steve Wall (and cousins Sissy, Rory, Thalia, and Laurel) spent a lot of time at the farm in Cheap Hill owned by our great-grandparents William Henry Washington Wall and Nannie Emma Shearron Wall.

Lee, like Daddy, was also a horseman and spent an enormous amount of time during his teen years at the State Stove Farm (River Road) owned by the Lindahl family. Daddy was a State Stove man and Lee was too. He worked nights at State during high school and college.

While playing football for Cheatham County High School, Coach Spangler considered him one of his beloved “Boys.” After graduating from high school, Lee attended Austin Peay State University. Since this was also the Vietnam War era, he joined the Army Reserve.

Lee’s first wife was Patricia “Trish” Groves (Hunter). State Industries was his lifelong employer. When State opened what we called “the west coast facility” in Henderson, Nevada (the suburbs of Las Vegas) in the early seventies, Lee moved to Henderson as the plant manager and worked there until the facility closed.

It was there that he married Sherrie Biggerstaff in the mid-seventies, and she too would eventually go to work for State-Henderson. They were a State Industries Team. Lee and Sherrie adopted two boys, Jason and Jacob. Life was grand on the outskirts of Las Vegas, and they had all the accouterments to be happy in that neck of the woods.

They loved boating and overnighting on Lake Mead, skiing, hiking, and traveling. Adventure was their way of life.

When the plant closed, Lee, Sherrie and the boys moved back to Ashland City and Lee continued to work at the Ashland City manufacturing facility as an operations manager until he retired. Sherrie passed away in 2009.

Lee has one grandchild, Colton Spann. He also had a love in this life, Joanne Scarborough, who brought him so much happiness as a dating and travel companion.

To the “Bros” who are also Coach Spangler’s “Boys,” Robin and I can’t thank you enough for your lifelong friendship with brother; the get-togethers and keeping tabs on him. He loved y’all so much and spending time with you over the years was one of his greatest pleasures.

We know you will always remember his love of laughter and glaringly carefree spirit. Lee also loved his motorcycle buddies and all those backroad trips. And his companion animal Mia, who was always by his side and a source of boundless joy and comfort.

And to all his friends who made special efforts to visit him and stay in touch with him during the end stages of his pulmonary disease, you lifted him up and he was so thankful to have you as friends.

Lee’s wishes were to be cremated. Robin and I will plan a fitting “Celebration of Life” down the road.

Cheatham County Funeral Home LLC online condolences cheathamcountyfh.com