Obituary of Jay Dee Kilgore

Jay Dee Kilgore, 78, was surrounded by his children and loved ones on May 17, 2024 when he passed away after suffering complications from a recent surgery. Jay Dee was born in Whitwell, Tennessee on December 29, 1945 to Zona and Dee Kilgore.  He was a 1965 graduate of Whitwell High School.  Out of high school he began working at Combustion, where he retired. In 1974, he married his childhood sweetheart, Marion. They had two children who they loved and supported until their last breath.  After his retirement from Combustion, he fulfilled a longtime dream of becoming an on the road truck driver and also worked as a carpenter.  Jay Dee had an unmatched work ethic, loved his family without waiver, especially his four grandsons, and enjoyed woodworking and “piddling” outside.  In his younger years, he was an avid fisherman and hunter.   He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Marion J. Kilgore, his aforementioned parents, his sisters, Catherine Cartwright and Mary Phillips, and his brother, Howard Kilgore.  Left to cherish his memory are his two children LeAngela (Ross) Rogers and Andy (Ann) Kilgore; the four “apples of his eyes”: Cooper and Tate Rogers and Kase and Cash Kilgore; his two brothers: James “Buddy” Kilgore and Wade (Scarlette) Kilgore; along with several nieces and nephews and extended family.  A special thank you to his extraordinary neighbors, Bill and Laura Lind and Donnie and Evelyn Rogers who have taken extra care of him, especially this past year. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Legacy Funeral Home on Thursday, May 23, 2024 with the Rev. Eugene Kilgore officiating. Burial will follow in the Hamilton County Memorial Park. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Thursday, May 23, 2024 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the funeral home. Please share your memories, stories, and photos at legacyfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are by Legacy Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8911 Dallas Hollow Road, Soddy-Daisy, TN (423) 843-2525.