He began his career with Texaco Oil Company in Greeneville, TN. He joined the Greeneville Police Department in August 1951 where he was promoted to Chief in August 1968, a position he held until his retirement on October 31, 1977. During his tenure as Chief of Police he also served as Chief of Greeneville Fire Department for a brief period. He then joined Greene County Bank as vice-president of Agriculture Lending until his retirement in 2009. Wells was chairman of the board of the Greeneville Housing Authority for more than 30 years. He also served as chairman of the Greene County Civil Service Board, served on the Tennessee Law Enforcement Planning Commission, and the Tennessee Association of Chiefs’ of Police. He served as a member of the Greeneville Exchange Club for over 60 years where he was awarded the Book of Golden Deeds in 2013. He also served as a longtime member of Greeneville – Greene County Chamber of Commerce where in 1980 he was awarded Outstanding Committee Chairman. Mr. Wells served as chairman of the March of Dimes where he was presented the Outstanding Leadership Award by the March of Dimes National Foundation. He served in several roles with the Future Farmers of America Organization, was a member of the Greeneville Masonic Lodge # 3 F & AM, Greeneville Shrine Club, was longtime treasurer of the Greene County Livestock Association, member of the Greene County Fox Hunters Association, as well as, a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. He served in the U. S. Army Reserve and the U. S. Navy Reserve. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served in various leadership roles. Mr. Wells was a graduate of Greeneville High School, a graduate of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy and the FBI National Academy in Washington, DC. He had a love for baseball that began in early childhood and carried on for a lifetime as a player, coach and fan. He was an avid coon hunter and fox hunter as long as his health permitted. He had a love for auctions and was a licensed auctioneer who served throughout Greene County as an auctioneer for numerous Lord’s Acre Sales and other charitable events. Mr. Wells had a lifelong passion for farming and agriculture where he was involved in raising beef cattle, corn, soybeans and tobacco. While overseeing the agriculture department at Greene County Bank he was arguably one of the greatest advocates and proponents of agriculture in our county’s history. In recent years, Mr. Wells loved spending time at the lake with family enjoying fishing, boating, and cookouts.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years: Rosetta Ramsey Wells; a brother and sister-in-law: Bobby and Carol Wells of Greeneville; sister-in-law: Marty Hafer and husband, David, of Charlotte, NC, Mary Ramsey of Midway; special nephew: Bobby Wells, II and wife, Angie; special niece: Kimberly Shepard and husband, Chris, all of Greeneville; other nieces and nephews: Terry Lee and Mary Wells of Georgetown, KY, Dama Lynne and husband, Rusty Barkley of Concord, NC, Lisa Hite and husband, Keith, of Charlotte, NC, Nick Collins and wife, Mindy, of Fall Branch, Steve Collins and wife, Cindy of Mosheim, Gary Ramsey and wife, Bonnie, Larry Ramsey, all of Midway; special great niece: Kaci Wells Greene and husband, Seth of Knoxville, three special great nephews: Austin Shepard, Bradley Wells and Cooper Shepard; several other great nieces and great nephews and cousins.
He was the son of the late Charles Arthur and Flora Eunella Fillers Wells and was preceded in death by a brother, Howard Wells; a sister-in-law, Leland Wells.
The family will receive friends 2-4 and 6-8 pm Friday at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home.
The funeral service will be held at 12 noon Saturday in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Dr. Dan Donaldson and Rev. Greg Cartwright officiating. Interment will follow at GreeneLawn Memory Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Bobby Wells II, Chris Shepard, Drew Wells, Shorty Harmon, Alfred Shaw, Lowell
Collins, Stan Puckett, Terry Wells and Tony Ricker. Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Charles
Montgomery, Dr. Dharmon Patel and staff, members of the Greeneville – Greene County Law
Enforcement, members of the Greeneville Housing Authority, former Greene County Bank officers and
employees, members of the Greeneville Exchange Club, members of the Greene County Livestock
Association, members of the Laughlin Healthcare Foundation, staff of Laughlin Healthcare Center and
members of First Presbyterian Church as well as his many special friends.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Department Honor Guard will be in charge of the graveside service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 110 N. Main Street, Greeneville, TN 37743 or to Ballad Health Foundation, 1420 Tusculum Blvd., Greeneville, TN 37743 or to the American Cancer Society / Relay for Life of Greene County, 871 Weisgarber Road, Knoxville, TN 37909.
