A memorial service for Wilson Roger Posey, age 75, of Signal Mountain, TN will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Signal Mountain, TN. Graveside service will be held at 3 pm on Sunday, June 26, 2022, at Bevills Chapel Cemetery in Hazel Green, AL.
Wilson Roger Posey was born April 4, 1947, in Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee.
Roger was an accomplished musician, playing piano, organ, and guitar. He loved all types of music and throughout his life, amassed a large collection of records and CDs. His love of music started early in life. He studied piano for ten years. Early on, people recognized his talent and asked him to play for them. His first paid job was for a local funeral home when he was in elementary school. He was promised an ice cream as payment. During his teenage years, he played piano for a gospel singing group, The Stevenson Sisters. He also served as music director for the Lincoln Baptist Church, Flintville First Baptist Church, and Donaldson Grove Baptist Church. Those who were fortunate enough to witness his abilities were astounded by his talent. He required no music to play an instrument, nor did he need an instrument to sing any song. He could simply hear the music in his head and play or sing it. He gladly and freely shared his gift of music with everyone.
Roger was never afraid of hard work. As a young child, he started working alongside his dad at the sawmill and on the farm. In 1965, he began a career at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. He worked in the Test Lab during the Saturn V Testing, the Apollo Program and Shuttle Program until 1977, and then joined The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as an instrumentation technician in the nuclear program. He was employed at Brown’s Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Alabama, and Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Scottsboro, Alabama. In 1995, Roger was transferred to the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant near Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he worked until his retirement in 2003. During his tenure at TVA, he served as Union Steward to fight for the rights of others on the job.
Throughout his life, Roger served his community. For years, he transported instruments for the Hazel Green High School Marching Band. He chaperoned band trips such as the one to the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, and hosted social events at his home. He visited those in the nursing and veterans’ homes and sang in the First Presbyterian Church choir for a number of years. While at First Presbyterian in Fayetteville, Roger served on the Board of Deacons. He was a member of several Masonic fraternities including York Rite, Scottish Rite, and he was a 32nd degree member of the Alhambra Shrine. He was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. After retiring, he and Laura remained in Chattanooga where he served as a volunteer at Martin Boyd Christian Home, Memorial Hospital, and The American Red Cross. Roger was a regular performer at Arnold Air Force Base Lakeside Club in Tullahoma, Tennessee. In the last years of his life, he was a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Signal Mountain, Tennessee.
Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Beatrice Shelby Walker Posey and A. C. Posey and his only sibling, Eddy Dean Posey. He is survived by his beloved wife of over 50 years, Laura Ann Hayes Posey, two cherished daughters, June Ann Posey Howard (Bruce Max Howard) and Penny Louise Posey Wood (Ryan Lance Wood), four grandchildren: John Morgan Howard of Atlanta, Georgia., Mary Katherine Howard of Columbus, Georgia., Jack Ryan Wood of Hazel Green, Alabama and Hannah Shea Wood of Birmingham, Alabama and several nieces and nephews.
The Posey Family would like to thank all of the doctors and nurses at Memorial Hospital, the nursing staff at Alexian Healthcare, Travis Smith from Hospice of Chattanooga and the caregivers from Sitters on Site, Kimberly Powell, Kynsie Powell, Kimberly Vaughan, and most especially, Annette Grzybowski for their care and compassion.
In lieu of flowers you may make a contribution to the music program of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 630 Mississippi Avenue, Signal Mountain, TN 37377, Hospice of Chattanooga, 4411 Oakwood Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37416 or Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131.
Higgins Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Wilson Roger Posey.
