Irene R Fanning

Irene Reynolds Fanning, 95, passed away Sunday, November 13, 2011 in Chattanooga, TN. Irene was born in Cleveland at the home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ney Hall. She was a member of First Baptist Church. She graduated from Bradley Central High School and then Carson Newman College with BS degree. She taught at Bradley High School until she married Woodrow W. Fanning. They moved to Bristol, TN where she was employed with Sullivan County School System. After thirty years they moved back to Cleveland to retire. She was a member of the Tennessee Teachers Association of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia Home Economics Association, the DAR, Gleaners Sunday School Class and the Women’s Missionary Circle. She was a life long member of First Baptist Church of Cleveland and First Baptist Church of Bristol, Virginia. Mrs. Fanning was the daughter of the late O.U. Reynolds and Ruth Hall Reynolds and was preceded in death by her husband, Woody Fanning who passed away on January 3, 2011. They have three children, Sarah Fanning of Sedona, AZ, David Fanning of Memphis, TN and Dianne Jeffries of Kingsport, TN; three grandchildren, Alex Willey of Washington, DC, Aaron Willey of Kingsport, TN and Alaina Fanning of Cleveland, Mississippi; several nieces and nephews also survive. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 19, 2011 in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with Reverend Tom Wickes officiating. Interment will follow in Hilcrest Memorial Gardens with a white dove release ceremony concluding the service. Alex Willey, Aaron Willey, Bill Ventress, Tom Gray, Dr. Hall Reynolds and Dr. David Fanning will serve as pallbearers. Her family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the funeral home prior to the service. Memorials may be made to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Gift Processing Administrator, 18251 Quantico Gateway Drive, Triangle, VA 22172 or The Harbor Safe House, 3680 Michigan Avenue, Cleveland, TN 37320.om. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Fanning family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.