Born March 30, 1937, in Elbert County, Georgia, he was the son of the late Roy Frank and Elsie Haynes Gunnells.
Most of his life was devoted to education. The valedictorian of his 1955 graduating class at Bowman High School, Bowman, Ga., he earned his B.A. degree at Carson Newman College, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1959. He later received his master's degree from Memphis State University, and his doctorate from the University of Mississippi at Oxford, where he was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and was the first student at Ole Miss to be granted a Doctor of Arts degree in English.
He taught at North Clayton High School near Atlanta before entering the U.S. Army. He served three years in Army Intelligence and Security, attaining the rank of SP-5. Following his honorable discharge, he worked three years as Head of Receiving Control at the Army Defense Depot in Memphis while he earned his master's degree.
Dr. Gunnells' 35 years of teaching included positions at several colleges and universities, both public and private. His longest tenure, 18 years, was at Tennessee Temple University where he served as chairman of the English department for 14 years, was promoted to professor, and was later named head of the Division of Communications, including English, Modern Languages, Broadcasting and Interdisciplinary Studies. He taught his final eight years at Lee University in Cleveland. He had been a member of a number of professional organizations, including the Tennessee College English Association and the Tennessee Philological Association.
A member of the John Sevier Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, Dr. Gunnells had served as vice-president and as registrar. He was likewise a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and a former member of the Brainerd Kiwanis Club.
An active member of Ridgedale Baptist Church, he had been one of the team teachers of the Genesis Sunday School Class. He had also been a volunteer for the past few years at HaCoBACare Ministries in St. Elmo, a benevolent ministry of the Hamilton County Baptist Association, where he served as a correspondence secretary, acknowledging all gifts and deeds of kindness to the mission.
In addition to his parents, Dr. Gunnells was preceded in death by a sister, Williette Gunnells Hulme, and brothers Roy Eldon Gunnells and Jarrell D. Gunnells.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 61 years, Mary Louise Gross Gunnells; two daughters, Laura (Kerry) Miller, of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, and Sandra (Chip) Park, of Hixson, Tennessee; grandsons, Andrew Miller, Damon (Emily) Miller, Chad Miller, William Park, and David (Kasia) Park; sister, Evelyn (Bob) Lockhart of Auburn, Alabama; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Visitation will be Sunday, August 11, 2024, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the East Brainerd Chapel and Monday, August 12, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Ridgedale Baptist Church with funeral services to begin at 12:00 p.m. at the church with Dr. Jim Price officiating. Burial will follow at Chattanooga National Cemetery with the grandsons and a son-in-law serving as active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be the Genesis Sunday School Class.
Memorial contributions may be made to HaCoBACare Ministries, 4501 Virginia Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37409; Tennessee Baptist Children's Homes, Inc., P.O. Box 2206, Brentwood, TN 37024-2206; or Good News for India, P.O. Box 7576 La Verne, CA 91750-7576.
Arrangements are by the East Brainerd Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist, 8214 East Brainerd Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37421.
