Dr. David Hatler Webb, 75, passed from this life on April 29, 2024, after a brief illness. He is survived by his devoted wife of 49 years, Brenda Hainley Webb; son, John Morgan Webb (Lauren); daughter, Rebekah Anne Askins; brother, Jack Richard Webb (Sarah); grandchildren, Rylan Elizabeth Askins, Kailey Brooke Askins, Henry Morgan Webb, and Louis Avery Webb; four nieces and six nephews. Deceased relatives include father, Joseph Erastus Webb; mother, Nettie Rea Hatler Webb; sister, Jo Anne Webb Neyland (Robert) and one nephew.
Dr. Webb was a proud graduate of Cottage Grove High School in Henry County, Tennessee. He earned a B.S. from The University of Tennessee at Martin; a M.S., from Murray State University; and a Ph.D. in Botany at The University of Tennessee. Dr. Webb’s career at TVA spanned 34 years as an aquatic botanist managing invasive plants in TVA reservoirs; he worked as a contractor at TVA for 10 years following retirement. He was a contributing author to Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee as well as several botanical articles. Dr. Webb considered himself a “roamer” as he studied wildflowers, shrubs, and trees in native settings. He collected and prepared thousands of plant specimens for deposit in herbaria at major and regional universities. He enjoyed finding fossils and observing relationships within botanical and geological landscapes. For several years he led groups through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as part of the annual Wildflower Pilgrimage.
Dr. Webb served as president of the Mid-South Aquatic Plant Management Society. He received the W. Kelly Moses Award for Environmental Education, and he spent many hours teaching youth about environmental science.
He was a member of the Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ for over forty years—serving as a deacon and then as an elder there for 16 years.
The visitation will be at Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ in Florence on Monday, May 6, 11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. Funeral services begin at 1:00 P.M. A second visitation is planned for Wednesday, May 8, in Paris, Tennessee at McEvoy Funeral Home from 11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. Funeral services begin at 1:00 P.M. with burial in Walker Cemetery in Cottage Grove, Tennessee. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ or Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
