James Dillon, Jr.

James A. Dillon, Jr., was born April 18, 1928, at the family home on West Main Street, McMinnville, Tennessee. He died July 12 in Franklin, Tennessee, at the age of 96. James was the only son of James Aud, Sr., and Elizabeth Lester Dillon. He was educated in Warren County schools and, upon graduation in 1946, went to the University of Tennessee. When he finished his time in Knoxville in 1950, he had a BS in Agricultural Engineering, a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Engineering Reserve, and a lifelong love for the Tennessee Vols. 

After his college years, he came back to McMinnville and joined his father’s business as a junior partner in the J. A. Dillon Insurance Agency, but, within the month, the North Koreans invaded South Korea, and he was called to active service in February of 1951 where he first taught infantry and engineer basic training at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, before being sent to Inchon, Korea, where he served as Supply Officer, Port Engineer and Area Real Estate Officer. He was discharged from active service in June of 1953, but continued in the Army Reserve until his retirement as a Colonel in 1981. 

He married Sammye in 1955, and together they began life on the fifty-acre farm, soon called Dillondown, just west of the Warren County Airport where they lived sixty-two years and raised girls, Hereford cattle and some of the best tomatoes in Warren County. James is survived by his wife of sixty-nine years, Phyllis “Sammye McGregor Dillon; two sisters, Alice Cooper and Bettye Koonce; four daughters, Beth (Tom) Moore, Dele (Randal) Wilcher, Bonnie (Brent) Nikolaus and Laura (Mike) Brown, all of the Brentwood/Franklin area; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. 

James had a strong love for his local community and was always very involved in church and civic activities. A highlight for him was being appointed Warren County Historian in 1978 where he could embrace the research of dusty memoirs, old cemeteries and distant relatives. He leaves a legacy of faith, family, hard work and integrity. 

Visitation will be Saturday, July 20, at 11:00 a.m. at High Funeral Home, with a service at 12:30 p.m. and burial at Mt. View Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Church of Christ Disaster Relief Fund (disasterreliefeffort.org), Samaritans Purse (samaritanspurse.org) or Franklin Christian Church (franklinchristianchurch.com).

Online condolences may be left at www.highfuneralhome.com.

High Funeral Home and High’s Cremations, Inc. are in charge of arrangements.