| Sources |
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 13 Jul 2001.
Jeffery C. Hatcher obituary
- [S142] Newspaper Article, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug 1967.
Wanda K. Amburn obituary
- [S27] The Daily Times, http://www.thedailytimes.com/, (Blount County, Tennessee), 2 Jul 2011.
Dena Y. Early obituary
- [S110] Stevens Mortuary, http://www.stevensmortuaryinc.com, 23 Aug 2005.
Early, James (Jim) L.—age 72 of Knoxville, passed away Tuesday, August 23, 2005 after a courageous battle with old age. If anyone ever lived by the golden rule, it was Jim Early, and he departed this life with the most friends and a totally dedicated family. Born in Somerset, KY, he moved to Knoxville as a youth and maintained a love affair with the city and its people until his death nearly seven decades later.
Early’s footprint is forever secured in the Knoxville media landscape having served as news director of two Knoxville TV stations and president of his own advertising firm for the past thirty-plus years. But it was his involvement and love of television that east Tennesseans will perhaps remember best. Early’s appointment to lead WBIR’s radio and television news operations in 1961 corresponded with a golden era in that medium. Early’s commitment to hard, local news proved to be the perfect compliment to other unique and successful local programming of that time such as the “Cas Walker Show” and “Star-Time.” Early was even known to appear in his own programming outside of news, having debuted Knoxville’s first country music show which featured his band, “Jim Early and the Westerneers.”
Having found success in advertising merely as a hobby, he dove full-time into that profession in 1973 by founding “Jim Early & Associates,” a full-service audio/video/print production firm which still thrives today. Early was the creative conscience behind numerous marketing campaigns, including a twenty-five-year run as director of local promotion for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. In 1996, Early received the Robert McCabe Silver Medal Award from the Knoxville Advertising Federation. It is the highest award a Knoxville advertising executive can receive.
His commitment and love of community were quite evident in the many charitable efforts in which he took part and through his involvement in a number of local civic clubs. A long-time member and past elder of the New Hope Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Early also served on the East Tennessee Children’s Rehab Center board for over twenty years and was heavily involved in many past efforts of the American Heart Association. He took great pride in the beauty and uniqueness of the east Tennessee region and played a key role in persuading American Honda’s “Honda Hoot” to converge its twenty thousand motorcycles onto Knoxville’s roadways and economic bi-ways each year. In addition, his love of boating on east Tennessee lakes was highlighted by a twenty-plus-year career with the Knoxville “Flying Boatmen Club.” Early was a past commodore of this precision drill team which put on water shows on all east Tennessee lakes as well as throughout the United States.
Preceded in death by: parents, LeRoy and Josephine Early.
A most approachable and entertaining individual, he leaves behind a million corny jokes, an immeasurable number of good friends, and a family that will miss him terribly. Included in this are his most prized possessions: his wife of 52 years, Dena Y. Early, daughter, Jama Early Wall and son-in-law, Bob Wall of Naperville, IL; son, Steve Early of Knoxville; son, Chris Early and daughter-in-law, Christa Early of Knoxville; grandchildren, Jeff Ward, Jenny Ward, Ryan Wall, and Nolan Early; aunt, Lillie Jewel Smith; sister, Suzi Hatcher; and one faithful four-legged companion, Rocky.
The Early family wishes to thank all of the incredibly gifted doctors and nurses who contributed to our husband and dad having the long and quality life that he did, with a special nod to Dr. Billy Pruett. We will forever be indebted to modern medicine and the wonderful results it can bestow on a family. In addition, the family would like to thank Mr. Sam McGill and Ms. Bertha Beeler for the in-home care and companionship they lent to such a special man.
Friends are welcome to send flowers or make contributions to Macular Degeneration, in care of New Hope Presbyterian Church, 1705 Merchant Drive, Knoxville, TN 37912.
A funeral service will be held 6:30 p.m. Friday, August 26 in Stevens Chapel. Rev. Al Pierson and Rev. J. Robert Mellgard officiating. The family will receive friends following the service.
Family and friends will meet at Stevens Mortuary at 9:45 a.m. Saturday to go in procession to Grandview Cemetery in Maryville for an 11:00 a.m. graveside service and interment. Serving the family, Stevens Mortuary, Oglewood Avenue at N. Broadway.
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Abt 1935 - 2005 (~ 70 years)
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