James Pryor Crutchfield, 79

Published 11:10 am Monday, February 1, 2021

James Pryor Crutchfield, 79, of New Tazewell, passed away Friday, January 29, 2021 at home. He was born December 8, 1941 in Knoxville, TN. Growing up he lived in Fork Ridge, TN, Harrogate, TN, Coral Gables, FL, and Hazard, KY. In June 1962 he married Dorthea Ann Cooper in Ft. Lauderdale Beach, FL where her father, Rev. J. Burch Cooper married them. They moved to Memphis, TN in the fall of 1962 where Jim attended the Southern College of Optometry. After Optometry school, he moved with his young family to New Tazewell, TN where he began his 55-year Optometry practice. Jim was a graduate and 2X football state champion of Hazard, KY high school. He also graduated from Carson-Newman College before being accepted to Optometry school. Jim loved the Tazewells. He was President of PTA when his children were young, the voice of the Claiborne Co. Blue Devils for 25 years through their high school years and beyond, and always a member and deacon of First Baptist Church New Tazewell, where he supported and served the body and ministries faithfully. Jim was preceded in death by his mother Leslie Irene Crutchfield and his father Thomas Ezra Crutchfield. Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 59 years, Dorthea Ann Cooper Crutchfield; his daughters, Jennifer Crutchfield Mabe and husband James Frederick Mabe, Tazewell, TN and Tracy Crutchfield Watts and husband Robert Gregory Watts, Maryville, TN; his grandchildren, Ann Elizabeth Cole and husband Zachary Tyson Cole, James Cooper Mabe, Leslie Watts Asplund and husband Griffin Carberry Asplund, John Robert Watts and wife Taylor Hayes Watts; and his great-grandchildren, namesake Zachary Pryor Cole and Mabery Ann Cole. The Celebration of Life will be Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at Fairview Cemetery, New Tazewell, TN at two o’clock in the afternoon. Pallbearers include James Cooper Mabe, John Robert Watts, Robert Burch Jackson, Philip Cooper Jackson, Henry Guy Jackson III, Robert Lionell White II, Zachary Tyson Cole, Griffin Carberry Asplund, and Michael Minton. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in Jim’s honor be made to either: The Reverend J. Burch and Dorothy Ware Cooper Endowed Scholarship Fund Carson-Newman University 1646 Russell Avenue Jefferson City, TN 37760 or First Baptist Church Sunday School Ministry 814 Buchanan Road New Tazewell, TN 37825 Our words are inadequate to express the love and appreciation we are experiencing in the loss of our husband, daddy, uncle, mentor, and friend. The family lovingly requests everyone in attendance wear a mask.