Richard Preston Savage

Richard Preston Savage, 91, of Baxter, Tennessee, passed away September 29, 2021, following a lengthy illness.

He was born February 17, 1930, in Grundy County, Tennessee, living as a child in the Barker’s Cove community. He taught in the Sequatchie County school system, served in the Army from 1951 to 1953, and then returned to the Sequatchie County school system. In 1956, he was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to pursue graduate work at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), where he earned his Master’s degree. He would go on to earn his doctorate, also at Oklahoma State, in 1968. He was on the faculty of Tennessee Wesleyan for one year, worked two years at Union Carbide in Oak Ridge, and then served 30 years on the faculty of Tennessee Tech in the Mathematics Department until his retirement in 1992. In retirement, he owned and operated the first and largest Christmas tree farm in Putnam County. A man with a dry sense of humor, he always kept his family smiling at home or on one of the many family adventures, traveling to 49 of the 50 states.

  He was preceded in death by his parents Jesse Lawson and Pearl Stockwell Savage; his brother Donald; and son, Bob.

  He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Anna Ross Swafford Savage; sons, Richard, Michael, and Steve; daughter, Linda; nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, one nephew, and three nieces.

  Funeral services were held Sunday, October 3 in the funeral home chapel, with burial in the Browns Chapel Cemetery with military honors.

  Layne Funeral Home of Palmer was in charge of arrangements, www.laynefuneralhome.com.