Harold Dean Lambert

Harold Dean Lambert passed away Friday, July 15 in his hometown of Maryville, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Jean Teffeteller Lambert. The two of them had three children: Kathy and her husband, Tom Howard, Randy and his wife, Laney, and Sherry and her husband, Karl Miller, who all reside in Maryville. Harold embraced his family and was quick to love and cherish each of his children and their families. He loved his time with his seven grandchildren and their families: Kevin (Amanda) Painter, Shannon (Andrew) Johnson, Kami Russell, Jason (Morgan) Lambert, Wes (Kelsey) Lambert, and Ty and Paige Miller. He continued his admiration and interaction with his seven great grandchildren. He lived for family get-togethers, outings, and vacations. During these outings, you could find him manning the grill, playing a yard game, or sharing a story or two with the children. He always found time for each one of them. Harold was born on May 15, 1928 in Knoxville. He and his three siblings: Joe Lambert (Nancy), Linda Crant (Bruce), and Becky Faulkner were the children of Walt and Kate Lambert. They grew up on farms in South Knoxville and the Montvale area of Maryville. Harold or "Sonny", as his friends and family called him, graduated from Tennessee Military Institute in Sweetwater, Tennessee. He thought he wanted to be a doctor, but after a short stint at Tulane University and some challenging science classes, he quickly returned home and entered into the family "rock crushing" business. Lambert Brothers owned and operated a few limestone quarries in the immediate area and Harold began to learn the trade from his father and uncles. He made it a career and was one of the instrumental parties in the acquisition of Lambert Brothers by Vulcan Materials. In 1994, Harold retired as the President of the Mid-South Division of Vulcan. During his tenure as a highly successful businessman, he was able to positively influence and mentor many young men and women in the profession. Harold enjoyed being with his friends and had quite a sense of humor. He could come at you with a satirical jab, a funny story, or a joke. He loved going to eat lunch with his buddies and was known for sharing stories of past experiences. As an adult, he enjoyed playing golf, tennis, snow skiing and hunting. He liked to spend his weekends at Mountain Homes in Walland and was instrumental in the redevelopment of hiking trails and bridges along the mountainside. Over the last few years, he enjoyed working in his backyard, shooting pool, and riding his three-wheeled bicycle. Harold was a caring, loving person who was always ready to contribute to a worthy cause. He believed in supporting his church and numerous educational and athletic programs benefitting the community. Over the years, he generously supported several building programs at First United Methodist Church. He was always a major benefactor to the Boys and Girls Scouts, the Clayton Center, the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer's Tennessee, PJ Parkinson's Support Group, The Maryville City School Foundation, Pellissippi State Community College, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Maryville College. Harold loved going to watch UT and Maryville College games. He would often sit in on MC basketball practices and cherished interacting with the players, fans, and coaches. If you were lucky, he might even give you one of his highly coveted MURVUL caps. Harold Lambert was a kind and generous man who loved people. If you treated him "right," you had a friend for life. He touched so many people in his life in a very positive way. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Maryville College Athletic Department, c/o Harold Lambert Memorial, 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, Tennessee, 37804-5907 or Maryville First United Methodist Church, 804 Montvale Station Road, Maryville, Tennessee, 37803. A graveside burial will be held at Grandview Mausoleum in Maryville on Monday, July 18th at 1:00 pm. A memorial service will be at 3:00 pm at First United Methodist Church of Maryville with the receiving of friends to follow from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The family would like to thank Millie Poe, all of the dedicated caregivers of HomeWatch, the staff at Shannondale, and the nurses and doctors of Blount Memorial Hospital.