Episcopal Churchmen of Tennessee

Episcopal Churchmen of Tennessee Building a stronger community of Episcopal laymen who belong to one of the three Tennessee dioceses.

This is the Hamby family! Morris, Melissa, and James. Morris is the Music director for the Episcopal Churchmen of Tenne...
09/27/2024

This is the Hamby family! Morris, Melissa, and James. Morris is the Music director for the Episcopal Churchmen of Tennessee’s annual conference and friend. He also teaches music for Rutherford Co Schools.
His son James was born extremely premature and not expected to live. He made it almost to 18, he died last night peacefully at Vandy Children’s and his pain and suffering is gone.
Morris and Melissa never faltered on their faith despite the numerous surgery’s (40+) and Hospital stays that were close to 200 if not more. They just kept loving their son unconditionally, despite being in diapers and unable to walk or feed himself, the faith in God and love for James never was questioned.
They were truly the most dedicated parents I knew of, I mourn for the tremendous loss of a son who provided them with so much joy. The faith in God that they exhibited from day one was a great example for all. Please pray for my friend James Morris Hamby III and his wife Melissa for this tremendous loss. No parent should ever have to lose a child.

O GOD, whose most dear Son did take little children into his arms and bless them; Give us grace, we beseech thee, to entrust the soul of this child to thy neverfailing care and love, and bring us all to thy heavenly kingdom; through the same thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In 1988, my dad moved to Fayetteville. While participating in EYC, I was fortunate enough to become part of a close knit...
10/21/2023

In 1988, my dad moved to Fayetteville. While participating in EYC, I was fortunate enough to become part of a close knit group - one of which was Vena B. Champion. In 2002, while working for Enterprise, I met my good friend Greg Champion. And not until 2005/2006, when we went to a celebration at St. Mary Magdeline Episcopal in Fayetteville, I ran into Greg, and asked “what are you doing here?” He explained that he was there with his wife who grew up there - and it was Vena. Such a small world!!

A few years later, when Maggie was old enough to attend Camp Gailor Maxon, Vena was the camp director that summer, which gave Larissa great comfort knowing that a trusted friend would be looking out for her. By then, I was on the Board for The Epicopal Churchmen of Tennessee. I invited Greg to the conference, and by the next year, I recruited him to the Board. We started rooming together at the conference weekends. I was an advisor to his presidency, where we had Inky Johnson as a speaker, and Greg was a trusted adviser to my presidency 2 years later. We agreed at that point to play devil’s advocate on issues that came up in our presidencies. And would argue the opposite points which created some very heated conversations, but created more successful conferences. We worked closely together and talked 3-4 times a week over that 3 year period. Greg became a very good friend. Our kids went to camp together, and played together. Then Vena got cancer.

Greg and I would occasionally meet when he would take Vena to Vanderbilt for hospital stays or treatments. In July 2022, Greg lost Vena. We talked often after that. Greg was heartbroken , but somehow God brought Dominique into his life - something he was not expecting, looking, or prepared for. In February they got engaged.

Earlier this month, while driving with Dominique, he had a massive heart attack and died behind the wheel. Currently, Larissa and I are driving to Chattanooga for Greg’s memorial and tomorrow we’ll be in Fayetteville where his ashes will be laid to rest next to Vena. They both died at 48. He met her when they were 15 & 16 at an Episcopal youth meeting in Colorado.

Please keep his boys, parents, family, friends and especially Dominique in your prayers. I am beyond words. It’s one thing to bury someone older, but this is the first close friend, close in age that has left us. And this is the first time I’ve been able to put into words my grief, my sorrow, my loss and love for my friend Greg. I hope he and Vena are at peace together.

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635 College Street
Monteagle, TN
37356

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