Guerry E. Cole of Columbia, Tennessee

February 20, 1943 - September 5, 2020

Mr. Guerry Elgan Cole, 77, of Columbia, passed away at home peacefully Saturday following an extended illness. He worked for Stauffer Chemical Plant / Rhône-Poulenc in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee for 34 years and then retired.

Funeral services will be conducted on Wednesday at 10:00 am at Heritage Funeral Home with Matt Bassford from the Jackson Heights Church of Christ officiating. Burial will follow at Polk Memorial Garden Cemetery. The family will visit with friends at the funeral home from 5:00-8:00 P.M on Tuesday, September 8th. The family would appreciate all memorials be sent to the American Diabetes Association.

Born February 20, 1943 in Columbia, he was son of late Herbert Elgan Cole and the late Mary Shires Cole. He was a graduate of Columbia Central High School Class of 1961 and then attended College in Nashville for Architecture. Top priorities in his life were the Jackson Heights Church of Christ, his wife of 56 years, Barbara Potts Cole, and his three boys: Rodney Cole of Columbia, Ryan Cole, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Bryan (Leslie) Cole, two grandchildren, Aniston Marie, and Joanna Grace Cole of Culleoka, Tennessee .

In younger years he was athletic and enjoyed the outdoors. His passion for all motor sports especially drag racing, custom Ford Mustangs and building race motors were his greatest life-long hobby. He participated in many drag races and car show events and won awards in both. He was a former President of the Columbia Automotive Association (CAA), and was instrumental in development of the former Big Oak Drag Strip in Columbia.

Pallbearers will be Danny Cole, Bobby Fox, Tim Remer, Richard Kemp, Jeff Duvall, Tracy Jones, Chris Parr and Darryl Jones. Honorary Pallbearers will be Rufus Clifford, Bradley Dugger, Lee Nicholson, Charlie Norman, Dennis Pickering and Derrick Cole, the elders from Jackson Heights Church of Christ, the Table of Knowledge at Bucky’s restaurant, and employees of Caris Hospice Care.

The family send a heart-felt and much appreciated special thank you to all who helped the family with health care and support during the extended illness period.