Cecil Hicklyn Clendenen

Cecil Hicklyn Clendenen, 69, died March 1, 2016. He passed away on his farm, land he loved deeply and spent time on daily. He was born on May 28, 1946. Cecil's farm has been shared by his family for five generations and was recently certified as a Century Farm, having been occupied for over 100 consecutive years by the same family. He graduated from Rye Cove High School in 1964 and attended Hiwassee College and graduated from Tennessee Technological University in 1969.

Cecil taught for the Lee County school system for 30 years. He often referred to his FFA students as his own children. He especially loved teaching woodworking and welding and all the things that went along with the field of Vocational Agriculture. He enjoyed many terms of endearment from his students.

Those most loved will hopefully smile and remember some of these. After retirement from teaching, he worked for ten years for the US Forest Service, Department of Agriculture in Wise, Virginia, another job that he loved wholeheartedly, especially because he was working outdoors and with people who shared his passions. Cecil also traveled to California, Idaho, Wyoming and other western states, as well as locally, to fight forest fires, sometimes as a volunteer and other times with the Forest Service. He was a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He collected a variety of items throughout his life, both useful and useless, but always having special meaning to him.

He enjoyed bass fishing. He recently spent the day on Norris Lake fishing and was considering diving back into this hobby more often. He kept a campsite on Douglas Lake and returned there regularly for special peaceful moments. Cecil was a member of the Christian Motorcycle Association and loved traveling with his "gang" on his Goldwing trike. Some of his best memories were spent on the Salmon River in Idaho with his friends, Greg and Sue who were homesteaders and treated him like just another family member when he visited.

Cecil was a member of Kingsport First Assembly of God, where he especially loved the time he spent in his Fellowship Sunday School classes. There, he shared great conversations about God's goodness and always a good plate of food, make that "plates" of food.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Maurice Clendenen and Maye Myers Clendenen, both retired teachers and passionate about farm life, like their son.

Cecil is survived by his loving wife, Sharon Kern Clendenen; sister, Joyce Clendenen Gilbert; 3 devoted daughters and their spouses, Jaclyn Clendenen and Steve Mayo, Jennifer Clendenen Gibson and Dallas Gibson, Julie Clendenen Potts and Schaun Potts; nephews and spouses, Greg and Dawn Gilbert and Guy and Lorie Gilbert; great-niece, Kayla Gilbert; loving grandchildren, Madison Fortner, Jake Fortner, Dani Gibson, Luke Gibson, Jaden Potts, Dace Potts, Jacob Mayo and Alexis Mayo; one great-grandchild Harrison Vengchiem. He also leaves behind his most special pal, Duke, who was with him when he passed on to Heaven.

There will be a memorial visitation on Friday, March 4 from 3-5:00 pm at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home, Kingsport, with a private family service to follow at 5:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of the deceased to Girls Incorporated of Kingsport, P.O. Box 981, Kingsport, TN, 37662; or to Kingsport First Assembly of God, 2213 Brandon Lane, Kingsport, TN, 37660.