Dwight McConnell

Born on May 18, 1945 to the late Raymond Lafayette and Susie Lee Marlow McConnell, Dwight was the youngest child in a family with 15 siblings. He was preceded in death by his wife, Judy Kieff McConnell, and 14 of his brothers and sisters.

Survivors include his son, Tony McConnell and wife Shauna of Murfreesboro; his brother, Leon McConnell of Lawrenceburg; and his grandchildren, Jessica McConnell, Andrew McConnell, and Emma Rigsby.

He will be remembered for his love of his wife of 57 years, his son, his grandkids, his dog and his favorite soda, Sun Drop.

Dwight rose from humble beginnings to leadership positions professionally and in the community, mostly because of his work ethic and his natural ability to connect with people. After graduating from Minor Hill High School in 1963, he went to work at Genesco, gluing soles on shoes. By the 1970s, he was selected to be in an industrial engineering program with the company. Though he didn’t have a degree, he ended up training many college-educated employees and eventually ran plants in Waynesboro, Lewisburg and Fayetteville.

As an athlete who played basketball and baseball in high school, Dwight coached Little League baseball for many years, often picking up and taking home kids in his truck. He would shoot free throws for hours and played softball well into his 40s.

After retiring, he worked a lot of odd jobs, mostly because he loved being social and spending time with people. In his last years, he worked at the gymnasium at UT Southern, where he checked IDs and took a lot of pleasure in talking with people.

Dwight and Judy were always active. They enjoyed attending events for their grandchildren and spending time with friends. Dwight remained close with many of his high school classmates and had gone out to dinner with some of them the week he went into the hospital.

A visitation for Dwight will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, March 29, 2024 at Carr & Erwin Funeral Home, followed by a Funeral Service at 2 p.m.

Dwight will be laid to rest in Giles Memory Gardens.