Charles Bruce Vaughn
Last Updated: May 12, 2015 at 2:09 PM
Charles Bruce Vaughn was born May 11, 1930, in Akron, Ohio, where he lived until he was 3 months old, when, in his own words, “I took my pacifier and came home.”
Bruce was the oldest child of Captain Rex Vaughn and Beulah Nell White Vaughn. His brother Clyde Terrell Vaughn of Walling , Tennessee, and sister Marilee Fern Vaughn Eaves, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, survive him. One brother, Rex Conway Vaughn, went to be with the Lord as an infant.
He is a graduate of White County High School, Class of 1948. He attended Carson Newman College where he played football. After his sophomore year, he joined the Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He returned to Tennessee and attended Tennessee Tech where he graduated with a degree in business, in 1954.
He married Martha Jo Broyles, on Sept. 1, 1954. After taking a job with Burroughs, the newlyweds moved to Louisville, Kentucky. While in Louisville, Bruce and Martha had two of their four children. Leah Jo Vaughn (Hunt) and Laura Ann Vaughn (Farris). Bruce was transferred to Bristol, Virginia where their third child, David Bruce Vaughn, was born.
In 1961, Bruce and Martha returned to Sparta to raise their family in their hometown. Bruce took over the management of Sparta Hardware and Furniture Co., the business started by his father Rex, his uncle Clyde Vaughn, and Charles Snodgrass in 1945. Their fourth child, Tracey Vaughn (Lowery), was born, and their family was complete.
Bruce was a dedicated member of First Baptist Church where he served as deacon, Sunday School teacher, Sunday School director, greeter, and in many other capacities over the years. He lived what he believed, and raised his children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord”.
When he had free time, he loved to spend it in the mountains hiking. Mount LeConte’s hiking register boasts the name of Bruce Vaughn over 80 times. He instilled his love of hiking in his family, loved to share stories about his time on the trail, and how being in the mountains always straightened out his “rectioptic nerve.”
Bruce and Martha retired from Sparta Hardware in 1999 and spent their retirement years enjoying their children – (Leah and Greg Hunt, Laura and John Farris, David and Melissa Vaughn, and Tracey and Jerry Lowery) and grandchildren (Erin Bumbalough Begley, Emily Bumbalough Cox, Anna Vaughn Benningfield, Kara Farris Johnson, Joshua Wade Lowery, Megan Raye Farris, and Caleb Rex Lowery).
Their family grew over the years to include nine great-grandchildren: Rex Vaughn Lowery; Cooper Rafe, Henry Isaac, and Quinn Vaughn Cox; Griffin Thomas and Samuel Hunt Begley; Sadie Belle and Emmie Elizabeth Benningfield; and Bruce Franklin Johnson.
Bruce made everyone he met feel special and loved. In addition to his own grandchildren, many children (and adults) call him “Papa Bruce.” His continuous pursuit to be Christ-like left a lasting impression on all who met him. Words can’t describe the man we call husband, Dad and Papa Bruce. Our lives are forever changed by his loving wisdom. He loved with all he had – all of us, and all of you.
We love you, too, Papa Bruce!
Services for Charles Bruce Vaughn will be 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 14, 2015, at Sparta First Baptist Church, with burial at 9 a.m., Friday, May 15, in Highland Cemetery. Bro. Dean Haun will officiate. The family will receive friends after 2 p.m., May 14, at the church.
Pallbearers will be Josh Lowery, Caleb Lowery, Michael Begley, Dustin Benningfield, Zac Cox, and Nathan Johnson. Vocalist and pianist will be Meg Eaves Manning and Shirley Acuff.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund.
Hunter Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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Thank you to so many for the sweet notes, comments, visits, flowers, and food. Papa's service was perfect and today we celebrated by dressing in our hiking gear and eating Hardee's biscuits! Our family has some wonderful friends and church family that has wrapped your arms around us and we are so grateful! Love to you all
— with Martha Vaughn.
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