Obituary of Tilden Fleming

Tilden Fleming, age 89, passed away peacefully at his home in Kingsport on Tuesday morning, April 15, 2014. Tilden was born on December 22, 1924 in Clintwood, Virginia, a son of A.A. "Fox" Fleming & Susan Hughes Fleming. He served in the 455th Bombardment Group of the 15th U.S. Army Air Force in Cerignola, Italy during World War II. Upon returning from war, he met the love of his life, Katie Burchfield, in Kingsport and they were married September 5, 1948 and their first son, Larry, was born September 24, 1949. Shortly thereafter, he was deployed by the U.S. Navy to serve in the Korean War. Upon returning to Kingsport, they established Tilden's Esso (later Exxon) on the corner of Wilcox & East Sevier Avenue and later Lynn Garden Drive until his retirement. He was a member of Higher Ground Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his son Larry A. Fleming; his parents, A.A. "Fox" Fleming & Susan Hughes Fleming; and his brother, David "Dee" Fleming; brother in law, Cline Franklin. He is survived by Mary Kathryn "Katie" Fleming, his wife of 65 years, of the home; son Tilden J. "Jeff" (Cristi) Fleming of Kingsport; daughter-in-law Linda Addington Fleming of Knoxville; grandchildren Betsy (Aarron) Gray, Julie (John) Slautterback, and Mindy (Chad) Thomas of Knoxville, Tilden Joseph Isaacs "Zack" Fleming and fiancé Sarah McFalls of Jefferson City; Katelyn Fleming of Kingsport; and great grandchildren Mackenzie Fleming, Sierra Slautterback, Drew Korzybski, Savanna Slautterback, Sydney Slautterback, Corbin Thomas, Piper Thomas, and Sutton Thomas of Knoxville. He is also survived by siblings Paul (Pauline) Fleming of Indian Harbour Beach, FL, Betty Fleming Franklin of Nashville, and Jim (Pat) Fleming of Kingsport. Visitation will be held on Thursday April 17 in the sanctuary of Higher Ground Baptist Church, 1625 Lynn Garden Drive from 4:00-6:00 pm. Funeral services will follow with Dr. Phil Hoskins officiating and eulogy by Jeff Fleming. Military graveside service will be held at 9 a.m. on Good Friday at Oak Hill Memorial Park with Dr. Shannon Salyer officiating with American Legion Post 3/265. Pallbearers will be Zack Fleming, Drew Korzybski, Andrew Fleming Wiles, John Slautterback, Aarron Gray and Chad Thomas. The family requests memorial donations be directed to the Higher Ground Baptist Church Care House, 1601 Lynn Garden Drive, his mother's former residence. Carter-Trent Funeral Home, downtown Kingsport is serving the family of Tilden Fleming