Jannie Fay Vibbart Speck passed away December 28,2023 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Lebanon, Tennessee after an injury and chronic illness. She was 81 years of age as she was fond of reminding anyone who tried to convince her to do something she didn’t want to do without success. She is survived by the love of her life and husband of 64 years, Harold Ray Speck. She lived in Lebanon Tennessee, most of her life except for the times that she followed her husband, Harold, tugging along four small children to California to seek a better life only to find their heart was here in Middle Tennessee. She is also survived by the four children and their spouses Randal Ray Speck (Lita), Tina Fay Speck- Kellow (Champ) Sonia Jeanene Sutton, (Larry, deceased), and Christopher Scott Speck (Malinda) she leaves behind 11 grandchildren, Lauren Leigh Speck- Durbin (Whayne), Lindsay Rae Speck-Vooys (Xander) Thomas Randal Speck (Libby) Brian Dale Enoch (Tammy), Tiffany Nicole Enoch, Joshua Caleb Cole (Mendy) , Anthony Matthew Benjamin Ray Thompson (Kristina), Jonathan Christopher Gabriel Lee Thompson (Chrystelle) Cassie Elizabeth Rebecca Paige Thompson-Laidlaw (Eric), Christopher Kyle Speck (Bethany), Kevin Michael Speck (Blair), 27 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild, and two brothers. James Edward York (Beverly, deceased) of Lebanon, TN and Ben W. Vibbart (Debbie) of Ventura California.
Jannie was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in a coal shed and her life was filled with adventure from the very beginning. Later in life, through hard work and sacrifice, she helped her husband build and run a successful business which remains family owned and operated by her youngest son, Scott and his two sons, Kyle and Kevin.
Jannie was known for her sharp mind and a quick wit. She loved to laugh and there is a piece of her in each of her family members. She was the matriarch of a large family, who by her example, learned to love each other as fiercely as she loved them. She was her husband‘s biggest fan and her children’s and grandchildren’s’ biggest cheerleader. She was devoted to a life of family, loyalty, and unconditional love.
She was passionate about her family and spent most of her adult life and hundreds of Sunday afternoons keeping her family close cultivating her passionate family values. She is lovingly remembered for her wisdom and witty banter. The Sunday dinners ended with riotous laughter, fun and full bellies. She used this time to pass down valuable nuggets of wisdom.
“Be happy where you are!”
“If money will fix it, it is not worth worrying about.”
“This too shall pass!”
“Plain talk is easy understood.”
“The days are long, but the years are short”
“If you’re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly!
And when asked how to have a long happy marriage Jannie’s reply was “ADJUST! ADJUST! ADJUST!”
We will forever cherish and pass down her stories of family times past. Her legacy is a family that has been touched and forever changed by her single-minded, and often, stubborn determination to keep her family close and to teach them to nurture one another. Jannie may not have changed the whole world, but she’s changed our world forever. Her life was simply too short for those who knew and loved her.
Mema, we will miss you beyond reason and understanding until we meet you again…have fun storming the castle.
The Funeral Service, conducted by Pastor Gordon Lee and Pastor Johan McGregor, is 2 p.m. Sunday, December 31, 2023 in the chapel of Sellars Funeral Home, Lebanon TN. Interment in Conatser Cemetery will follow the service. The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home on Sunday from 11 a.m. until the service at 2 p.m.
