Erich William Lorenz of Cedar Hill, Tennessee, passed away from this earthly life at the age of 82 at Brookdale Goodlettsville – Alzheimer’s & Memory Care in Goodlettsville, Tennessee on Thursday, January 2, 2025.
Erich was born November 30, 1942, to Carl August Henry Lorenz and Mary Johanna Holtzmann Lorenz in Wise, North Carolina. After graduating in 1961 from Norlina High School in Norlina, North Carolina, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was a C-130 loadmaster, stationed at Sewart Air Force Base in Smyrna Tennessee. In 1963, he met his beloved Joyce in Nashville, Tennessee. They were married on November 21, 1964. He attended night school for two years at the University of Tennessee at Nashville. He then began his career working for US Airways in various customer service roles for over 38 years. After his retirement from US Airways, he worked as a bus driver for the Robertson County Board of Education for 10 years.
Erich was a Christian and member of Memorial Boulevard church of Christ in Springfield, Tennessee. Erich loved Jesus Christ. He strove to love Him with all his heart, soul and mind, and often invited those he met to church services and to study the Bible. Simply put, his goal was to go to Heaven and to help as many as he could to become fellow followers of Jesus Christ. Erich loved his family and people. He was known by many as “Big Erich”. He loved hosting an annual Fall “bonfire, wiener roast, volleyball and hayride” event on the family farm. He rarely had a lazy day and enjoyed cutting firewood, bushhogging, cleaning out fence rows, buying/selling/trading anything with wheels, boating, running, skydiving, observing nature and wildlife or just soaking up the sun. Erich also had a life-long passion for aviation and earned his private pilot’s license in his mid-40s.
Erich was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his loving wife and caregiver, Mary Joyce Kenning Lorenz of Cedar Hill, Tennessee; son, Erich William (Ursula) Lorenz II of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee; daughter, Jennifer Leanne Lorenz (Ryan) Hasty of Auburn, Alabama; three grandchildren, Nathan Lorenz (Bianca) of Portland, Tennessee, Lexi Lorenz and Emily Lorenz both of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee; his beloved little sister, Patricia Ann Lorenz of Graham and Wise, North Carolina; his rescue Siamese cat, “Hershey” and many other extended family members and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org/) or to the Robertson County Humane Society (www.robertsoncountytn.gov).
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 in the chapel of the Austin & Bell Funeral Home (509 Walnut Street, Springfield, Tennessee 37172) with Brother Tol Burk officiating. Military graveside services will follow in the Bellwood Cemetery in Adams, Tennessee.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 11:00 am until the time of service at the funeral home.
Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield is in charge of these arrangements.
