Wilbur Jesse Fesmire passed away on February 22, 2015 at
the age of 87. He was born in Sardis, TN on Easter Sunday
to the Reverend William Jesse Fesmire, a Methodist
minister, and Eula Gay Hoy Fesmire. Rusty, as he was known
to family and friends, courted and married the love of his
life, Ann Goodwin Graham, whom he met at college and who
passed away in 1992. Rusty was the fourth of six children,
all of whom preceded him in death. Having served in the
United States Navy during World War II, Rusty earned a BA
and MA from George Peabody College, a BE from Vanderbilt
University, and a MS from the University of Tennessee. In
early years, he taught mathematics and coached several
sports in various Tennessee high schools before embarking
on his career as an electrical engineer. In subsequent
years, he divided his time between teaching industrial
technology at the college level and working as a eld
engineer in safety, utilities, and petrochemical
technologies. Among Rusty's greatest joys in life were his
children and grandchildren. He leaves behind daughter,
Julia Ann Fesmire (Paul Alexis) of Nashville; her son,
Michael Graham Lane (Ashley) of Huntsville, AL; and son,
William Murray Fesmire, M.D. (Karen Thomas) of Memphis and
their children, Margaret Fesmire Canter (Ted) New York, NY
and William Thomas Fesmire of Memphis. Rusty, along with
both parents and several siblings, su ered from dementia,
prompting him to donate his body to Vanderbilt Medical
Center for research. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations
may be made to further Alzheimer's research or to a charity
of your choice.1
Sources:
- The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) 1 Mar 2015, Sun Page A17
