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Jerry David Nave, 83, passed away peacefully on October 28, 2024, after a long battle with dementia.

Jerry was born June 4, 1941, in Elizabethton, Tenn. He grew up on the Nave family farm in the Siam community of Carter County with his beloved parents, four brothers, and a multitude of relatives and friends. Jerry and his family attended Siam Baptist Church, a place he always considered his home church.

Jerry was a 1958 graduate of Elizabethton High School and a 1962 graduate of King College with a degree in Economics. While at King, Jerry was a member of the basketball and soccer teams.

Jerry began a 51-year career in Carter County Schools in 1963 as a teacher and coach at Hampton High School. He taught math and economics courses and was the assistant basketball coach to Walter “Buck” VanHuss from 1963-1967. He was the head basketball coach from 1967-1971 and enjoyed great success on the court as well as forming lifelong relationships with his players.

Jerry also served as the Maintenance Supervisor for the school system before becoming the Transportation Supervisor, the position in which he spent the majority of his years of service. He retired in 2014.

Jerry was a man of great faith and served roles in his churches for several decades. He was a deacon at both Hampton First Baptist Church and Union Baptist Church at different times. He taught Sunday School classes at both churches as well and those were times he cherished.

Jerry was a wonderful cook and an avid outdoorsman. He farmed in Siam, having cattle and horses, and grew tobacco for years. He loved taking “walks in the woods,” fishing and frog hunting, and growing his masterful garden each year.

Jerry had a profound impact on many people throughout his life. He was a selfless man who lived by example. His compassion and generosity for others were traits for which he was known. 

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, William Gale and Opal Bare Nave, as well as his four brothers, Howard Allen Nave, Edward “Bud” Nave, Norman Douglas Nave, and Horace Glen “Cotton” Nave.

Those left to cherish his memory include his two daughters, Jerri Beth Nave of Piney Flats and Juli Gale Nave of Hampton. His grandson, Jake Nave Lyons, was the light of his life and will also carry on his memories. Jake lives in Washington, D.C. along with his wife, Meredith Kirby Lyons.

The family would like to express extreme gratitude to the entire staff at The Waters of Roan Highlands. While there, Jerry received not only exceptional care but also an abundance of compassion and love. 

A service will be held on Monday, November 4, at 1 p.m. at Siam Baptist Church with Pastor Mike Stout officiating. The family will receive friends from noon until 1 p.m., prior to the service. A graveside service will be held at Nave Cemetery following the service. Pallbearers are family and friends. Condolences may be sent to our website at www.memorialfcelizabethton.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory to Alzheimer’s Tennessee (alztennessee.org) or to the Memory Springs Fund at The Waters of Roan Highlands (146 Buck Creek Road, Roan Mountain, TN 37687). 

Memorial Funeral Chapel is serving the Nave family.