(Nashville Tenn). Roy Herron, a former longtime lawmaker and past chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, has died from injuries sustained in a jet ski accident on Kentucky Lake. He was 69.
Here is a statement from Herron’s family.
Roy Brasfield Herron, our beloved spouse, father, and sibling, died peacefully this morning at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones.
Roy was seriously injured July 1 in a jet ski collision on Kentucky Lake in Stewart County.
“Roy loved his family with all his might,” said the Rev. Nancy Carol Miller-Herron, Roy’s spouse of 36 years. “He passed doing what he loved most—spending time with our sons and their friends in the Tennessee outdoors where his spirit was always most free.
“Roy was defined most by the love and care he showed so many. We know his thoughts and prayers would now be with our friend, Kayla McDonald, who was also injured in the collision and who is recovering from her injuries.”
Sen. Herron served 26 years in the Tennessee State Senate and House from 1986 to 2012, representing the people of his hometown of Dresden, along with many other rural West Tennessee communities. He was chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party from 2013-2015. He is the author of four books and numerous articles. He was an Eagle Scout and an alumnus of the University of Tennessee-Martin and Vanderbilt University.
Roy was 69. In addition to Nancy Carol, Roy is survived by his three sons, John, Rick, and Benjamin; his brother, Ben; and many beloved cousins, nephews, and nieces. Funeral arrangements are pending, but services are expected to be held on Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Martin, Tennessee.
The 69-year-old Herron, who spent 26 years in the state House and Senate, was a candidate for governor in 2010 before switching races when U.S. Rep. John Tanner (D-Union City) decided against seeking another term in the 8th Congressional District.
Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Martin, Tennessee on Friday, July 14, and from 12-2 p.m. on Saturday, July 15. The service will take place at the First United Methodist Church in Martin at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The address of the church is 225 Main Street in Martin.
Burial will be at Sunset Cemetery in Dresden. Arrangements are being made by Murphy Funeral Home in Martin.
Mc Kenzie, TN
