Christopher Lane Vessell went to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at the age of 72 as a result of cancer. He was a resident of Flintville, Tennessee where he was raised and lived most of his adult life.
Chris was born to the late L.B. and Judith Vessell on March 12, 1951, at Lincoln County Hospital in Fayetteville, Tennessee. He is survived by his wife Debbie Vessell, sisters Pamela Weeks and Donna Dye, daughter Monette (John) Hancock, son Christopher (Shalina) Vessell II, and seven grandchildren John Brevin Hancock, Elijah Hancock, Athena Vessell, Skylar Vessell, Grayson Vessell, Claire Vessell, and Emma Vessell.
As a graduate of the University of Tennessee, he held a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. By trade, Chris was an electrical power systems engineer and highly regarded among his colleagues for his thorough and precise skill at designing power systems.
Chris’s talent led him to Europe where, as a recent graduate, he inspected substation generators for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) prior to those generators being shipped to the U.S. for installation. After moving back home to Middle Tennessee, he worked for Duck River Electric, Pulaski Power, and Utility Service and Company. Upon shifting his career to Huntsville, Alabama, he worked at AJT & Associates where he designed electrical support systems for the NASA Space Program, and later joined the Huntsville Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support power systems projects throughout the United States.
Aside from his trade, he greatly enjoyed working on his family farm where, for many years, he raised commercial and registered beef cattle and occasionally grew row crops. During his brief retirement, he had a strong passion for logging and managing his timber acreage. However, his greatest joy was being around his grandchildren with whom he enjoyed engaging in conversation and many good laughs.
A memorial service will be held at Higgins Funeral Home in Fayetteville at 7 PM on Friday, March 24, 2023, with Troy Green officiating. Visitation with the family will be from 5 PM until the time of service on Friday at Higgins. His cremated remains will be scattered during a private family service later on the family farm.
Memorial donations may be made to Gentiva Hospice, 305 S Jackson Street, Suite B, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Higgins Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family of Christopher Lane Vessell.
