| Graduation Year | Class of 1950 |
| Date of Birth | May 05, 1932 |
| Date of Passing | Dec 12, 2015 |
| About | George O. Haggard, Jr., 83, born May 5, 1932, in Charlevoix, Michigan, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, December 12, in Dallas, TX, en-route to visit family for the holidays. He was preceded in death by his parents, George O. and Polly K. Haggard; his wife, Shirley; his teenage daughter, Katherine; infant daughter, Karen; and infant son, Sean. Survivors include his daughter, Carol (Bob) Wood; sons, George O. "Chuck" Haggard III (Pam), and John (Tammy) Haggard, Jefferson City; grandchildren, Shawn (Julie) Wood, Culver City, CA; Jennifer (Doug) Martinez, Ojai, CA; George O. "Kyle" Haggard IV, twins, Terra Haggard, Richmond, VA, and Tesha Haggard, Knoxville; and Andrew Haggard, Kalamazoo, MI; step-grandchildren, Justin and Chasity Dalton; great-grandchildren, Isaiah and Otis Wood, and Nova and Cosima Martinez; brothers, Jim (Ken) Haggard, Hawaii, John (Phyllis) Haggard, Charlevoix, and Bill (Lori) Haggard, Beaver Island, MI; and his fiancée, Julie Leonhardt. A graduate of Michigan State University, George served in the Army as a Military Policeman at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, where he met Shirley; he was honorably discharged with the rank of Corporal. He worked at Kroger in Toledo as an accounting supervisor before moving to Tennessee to work for Gluck Brothers as the office manager. He went to Shelby Williams as comptroller, and left as vice president of finance, to become a business partner at The Bean Station Furniture Company, which was later sold to Dolly Madison. At the time of his death, he was president of Haggard Enterprises, in Morristown, and was a partner with several close friends in numerous private business endeavors. George was a prominent businessman, a generous philanthropist, an avid supporter of the arts, and a loyal fan of UT athletics. He devoted his life to God and his church, his family and friends, and to working tirelessly to make Morristown a better place in which to live, work and play. He was a longtime member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, where he was a lector and a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He chaired the building committee which built the current facility and is now preparing for the renovation of the building and property. On the diocesan level, he was a member of the St. Mary's Legacy Foundation board. He developed the Shirley and Katherine Haggard Palliative Care Unit at Morristown Hamblen Healthcare System, and was a member of the Morristown Hamblen Healthcare Foundation board of directors. He was also an active member of the Walters State Community College Foundation, and served on the executive committee of its workforce development board. He loved the theatre, and was involved years ago in the Morristown Theater Guild, both as an actor onstage and a longtime board treasurer; more recently, he has actively supported Encore Theatrical Company. He was involved with the establishment of the Lakeway Achievement Center several years ago; at the time of his death, he was a member of the First Tennessee Bank board of directors, and president of the Helping Hands Clinic board of directors. The family will receive friends on Friday, December 18, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, followed by the funeral mass, with Bishop Richard Stika celebrating. Following the service, interment will be in Hamblen Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Morristown Hamblen Healthcare Foundation, 1621 W. Morris Blvd., Suite D, Morristown, TN 37814, or to Helping Hands Clinic, 1111 Watercrest Street, Morristown, TN 37814-3837, or to any other charitable organization of the donor's choice. Arrangements by Stetzer Funeral Home, Morristown. |
