Chester H Cole

Mr. Chester Cole, age 96, of Greenbrier, Tennessee, passed away on Thursday, January 1, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. Chester was born February 11, 1929 in Trenton, Tennessee. He was the first child born to parents Elizabeth Mae and Chester Floyd Cole.

Chester always laughed when he read a letter that he received from the U.S Army in 1950 which said, “your friends and your neighbors have requested that you be invited to join the military service”. He was drafted and entered the Army on December first, 1950. At the time he entered, he was not serving the Lord. Later, he came to church and turned his life over to God. When he entered the military, he was scheduled to be sent into the Korean conflict.

He wondered how he could go there and kill someone since he was serving the Lord. This bothered him and he prayed and cried. Then the time came and his unit was called out to be sent. Name after name was called, but never his name. He was left standing there, and he was advised to go back in and wait for his orders. When the new orders were issued, they were not for him to go to Korea but instead he was sent to Berlin, Germany and there was no fighting there. He knew then and God had answered his prayers. He received the “Occupation Medal (Germany)” at the end of his service there.

When he was young, he and his brother always worked at service stations to help support their disabled father. After returning home, he and his brother, Clarence, bought a service station in Nashville and they worked together there for a number of years before selling it and going to work in the private sector.

Chester was an avid reader and loved the outdoors. He was a man of the soil and loved gardening. He grew up as a farmer and never lost interest in growing crops. He planted a large garden at his home and grew enough tomatoes to feed the neighborhood! At one time, they grew so tall, you had to stand on a ladder to pick the top tomatoes. He enjoyed golfing, hunting, fishing and anything outside, even lawn mowing! At one time, he was on a company golfing trip and was fortunate enough to get a hole in one! His company flew a gift from Nashville and presented it to him in Florida which made him very happy!

Chester also enjoyed country music, and although not a great musician, he enjoyed playing his guitar and even played it at the Church of the Firstborn which he attended. He served the church in many capacities. Over a period of time, he was a Sunday School Teacher, Boy Scout Leader, Youth Leader, Choir Director and Trustee. Chester was also appointed as a Deacon and served in that capacity for a number of years. He served as director of the Campground, Camp Le’Prat, which was owned by the Church. He was known as the “Hot Dog Man” because he enjoyed taking his grill to the Campground, cooking the hot dogs and serving the children. They all said he could cook better hot dogs than anyone else!

He was known as a person who could do most anything and one who enjoyed imparting that knowledge to others. He was one you could call on if you were in trouble and be sure he would be there to assist you with whatever problem you had. He was by far, not a college graduate, however he was able to rise to the highest level with his company in the Health and Beauty Aids Division of Malone and Hyde Grocery Company in Nashville.

Chester was preceded in death by his parents, Elizabeth and Floyd Cole, brothers Charles and Clarence Cole, sister Jannice Cole Wynn, and nephew Tommy Ray Wynn.

He is survived by Evelyn Hardin Cole, his wife of 72 and one half years, daughter Elaine Cole Slagle (Tom), granddaughter Alaina Nicole Suttle, and two great grandsons, Nicklaus Cole Suttle and Parker Suttle, brother Bobby Cole, and a host of nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Sunday, January 4th from two to six, and Monday, January 5th at eight o’clock with a Celebration of Life at ten o’clock. Burial will be at the Garden of Meditation, Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.

Serving as pallbearers will be Nicklaus Cole Suttle, Parker Suttle, Chris Cole, J.T. Vaughn, Randall Marshall, and Skylar Tackett.