Robert Preston Maynard

Robert Preston Maynard, age 89, departed on May 9, 2022. Survived by his wife Cherie, daughter Beth Maynard (Mark Dirksen), stepsons Jeff Smith (Sara), Eric Smith (Beth) and Bryan Smith, as well as multiple step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife Jane and his parents Stella and Cordell, former owners of the Loveless Café.

Born in 1933, Bob graduated in 1950 from Bellevue High School where he was an athlete, and in 1954 from Vanderbilt University. He served in the Army in Korea, and after his discharge lived and worked in New York City for several months before returning home to Middle Tennessee. After being set up with her on a blind date, he married Jane Cole in 1960 and they had their daughter Beth in 1962. After working for a car dealership and for American Marine and Machinery Company, he made his first forays into entrepreneurship by purchasing Teko restaurant in East Nashville and a BBQ spot called Pig in a Poke. Finally, he purchased in 1971 the company then named Horrell Refrigeration, which he continued steadily building into a trusted supplier of commercial refrigeration and HVAC while acquiring other local companies until his retirement in 2011. Today, service trucks representing the “Maynard Man” are familiar all over Middle Tennessee. Known for his dedication to customer service and his attention to his employees, Bob loved to work.

Jane died of amyloidosis in 2001, and Bob married Cherie Smith in 2011. Having come from a small family, he welcomed the unexpected opportunity to experience a large one late in life, and greatly enjoyed following the careers and exploits of his stepchildren and step-grandchildren.

Bob was passionate about Vanderbilt sports, holding season tickets for football and basketball, and constantly honed his own golf game, playing at the Richland Country Club with friends as well as on many renowned courses worldwide. He eventually racked up 11 hole-in-ones, which he consistently attributed solely to good luck. His fascination for travel saw him taking regular trips to Mexico in early years, visiting Africa, Asia, and Europe, and going around the world with Cherie in 2013 after his retirement. Playing the stock market was another favorite hobby, and he was constantly checking the numbers on his latest picks.

He was pragmatic, polite, and taciturn, focused more than anything else on data and facts, which he had an amazing power to retain and share with others, even after his diagnosis with Lewy Body Dementia in 2020.

Visitation will be Tuesday May 17, 2022 at Marshall Donnelly Combs, with a memorial service to follow at 2 PM and a private inurnment. The family would like to thank the staff of the Club at Abe’s Garden, the staff of the Woodcrest at Blakeford, and Senior Helpers, in particular Rhonda Gordon and Vicki Nicolas, for their care and support during Bob’s illness. In lieu of flowers, they request memorials to Alive Hospice or Abe’s Garden.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.marshalldonnellycombs.com for the Maynard family.