Dr. Douglas Cole, 76, of Elizabethton, passed away Sunday evening, November 11, 2018, at Johnson City Medical Center following a lengthy illness. Dr. Cole was born June 3, 1942 in Elizabethton and was the son of the late A C and Olive Rey Davis Cole.
Dr. Cole was a 1961 graduate of Elizabethton High School, a graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and the University of Tennessee Dental School-Memphis. He was the past president of the First Tennessee Dental Society and a recipient of the Tennessee Dental Association Fellowship Award in 1983.
Dr. Cole was a member of First Baptist Church of Elizabethton and had served as a deacon and chairman of the Deacon Board. He was a former member of the church choir and taught Sunday School.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving in the Dental Corps on the USS Franklin Roosevelt in the Mediterranean Sea.
He was a former member of the Elizabethton City Council and the Elizabethton Rotary Club. He was a member and past Worshipful Master of Dashiell Masonic Lodge #238 F&AM, and a York Rite and Scottish Rite Mason.
He had many hobbies, including wood-working, hunting, sailing, golf, stained glass artistry, painting, and loved to travel. Dr. Cole was well known for his culinary skills.
Dr. Cole loved to have family and friends in his home, the more the merrier.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Betty Sue Hahn.
He is survived by his wife, Vickie Graybeal Cole, of the home; four daughters, Kelly (Dustin) Walters and Emily (Erik) Morganstern, both of Johnson City, Tenn., Melissa Graybeal of Atlanta, and Daphne (Shane) Seybert of Grayson, Ga.; and seven grandchildren, Cole Morganstern, Caroline Morganstern, Kate Walters, Emma Walters, Parke Walters, Sam Seybert and Sawyer Seybert.
A service to honor the life of Dr. Douglas Cole will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, November 16, in the Chapel of Peace of Tetrick Funeral Home with Rev. Todd Hallman and Rev. Brent Seals officiating. Music will be under the direction of John Bunn, soloist, and David Arney, organist. Interment will follow at Happy Valley Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be Erik Morganstern, Dustin Walters, Cole Morganstern, Parke Walters, Jeff Anderson, Joby Conger, John Porter Conger and Josh Conger. Honorary pallbearers will be Joel Conger, Richard Tetrick, John Crockett, Lannie Epperson, Dr. Larry Proffitt, Dr. Steve May, Dr. David Wetzel, Dr. Gene Galloway, Dr. Jack Holly, Dr. John Hathaway, Dr. Woodson Carter, Dr. Jerry Cole, Bob Graybeal, Dr. Arnie Hopland, Will Hahn, Jeff Hahn, Bob Shelton, Jerry Stevens and Dr. Harold Lane. The family will receive friends Thursday, November 15, from 4 until 7 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to First Baptist Church Youth Program, 212 East F Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643 or East Side Elementary School PTAC for Student Support Services, 800 Siam Road, Elizabethton, TN 37643. The family extends a special thank you to the nurses of Davita Clinic, Dr. Kenny Hopland, Dr. Laura Kfoury and Dr. Kamishka Chakrabory for their many acts of kindness during Dr. Cole’s illness, his staff and patients and to Vickie Emory, Claudia Ensor, Brenda Shorter and Teresa Hinkle. Words of sympathy may be sent to the family through our website, www.tetrickfuneralhome.com.
Tetrick Funeral Home, Elizabethton, is honored to serve the Cole family.