James Wayne Crutcher

James Wayne Crutcher, 68, of Readyville, passed away on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.  He was born in Springfield, TN on June 5, 1955.  He was preceded in death by his parents, James Wesley Crutcher and Roynell Dickens Crutcher, his wife, Deborah Turner-Crutcher, brother, Richard Dean Crutcher; nephew, John “Johnny” Barrett Melton, III; and sister-in-law, Martha Melton.
Survivors include his brothers, Tim (Robin) Crutcher and Wesley Mark Crutcher; sister, Teresa Lynn Elliott all of Nashville; niece, Susan Melton of Woodbury; great niece and nephew, Jason (Kristy) Melton of Murfreesboro, Emily (Brent) Hargrove of Manchester; two nephews and a niece on the Crutcher side of the family; close friends, Dale Richardson and James Burt; as well as several great-great nieces and nephews. 
He was born the oldest of five children, and those to follow were born in quick succession. Shortly after he was born in Springfield, his parents made the move to East Nashville. Their off time as a family usually consisted of a weekend camping trip to the lake for boating and water skiing.
Early on, Wayne wanted to take the reins for which direction his life was going to go. What called him the most at the time was the high seas adventure and the excitement of serving in the Navy. The Vietnam War was still ongoing but was in the latter stages, so he and his best friend joined the Navy. He was assigned in short order to serve as an ordinance mechanic for torpedoes with a crew in Southeast Asia.
Following his Naval service, he came back to Nashville and found work with Oscar Meyer for over a decade. Leaving there, he migrated to a few other shorter-term jobs until he landed a job at General Electric in Murfreesboro as a tool and die repairman for about another decade.
He and his wife, Deborah, didn't have any children of their own, but they both had a deep love for their surrogate children — their fur babies. They loved the cocker spaniel breed and had a number of them over the years. As Wayne’s health deteriorated, he was comforted by the companionship of his last remaining dog, Max.
Graveside services will be held on Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 2 pm in Riverside Garden. Herb Alsup will officiate. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the ASPCA in honor of his love for animals.  Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com  Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337. Because every life has a story.