Jack B. Humphreys

Jack B. Humphreys, age 88, went home to be with our Lord on January 10, 2022. A member of Monte Vista Baptist Church since 1984, he formerly belonged to First Baptist and Wallace Memorial Baptist churches of Knoxville. He graduated in the last class of old Knoxville High School (1951) and received a BSCE from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1955, when he was also commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the USAF. He taught civil engineering at UTK in 1955-1956, then served in the Air Force as an intercept controller in New Mexico and Labrador from 1956 to 1959. In 1959, he returned to teaching at UTK and also received an MSCE in 1962. From 1962 to 1964, he was an assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Jack then studied at Texas A&M University from 1964-1966, worked as a research assistant with the Texas Transportation Institute, and received a Ph.D in 1967, specializing in traffic engineering and highway safety. In 1966 he returned to UTK where he was a professor of civil engineering until 1992, when he retired as professor emeritus. During his undergraduate years, Jack worked as a student engineer with the KUB Gas Engineering for 3 years. Other work activities included summer and part-time work with the Mid-South Engineering Company, Harland Bartholomew and Associates, and the Tennessee Highway Department. in 1972, he served as acting Director of Traffic Engineering for the City of Knoxville. During his tenure at UTK, Jack either directed or was involved in several major research projects in the area of highway safety and accident causation. From the late 1960s until 2012 he also served as a forensic engineer, working as a consultant and expert witness in many highway crash investigations and court appearances in over 40 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. As a result of his activities, he was a frequent speaker at local, regional, and national meetings. Jack published over 60 papers and reports, many peer reviewed, and taught well over 150 seminars nationwide in the areas of traffic engineering, accident reconstruction and risk management. He was a registered professional engineer in several states and a member of the Transportation Research Board, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Honors Jack received include membership in Sigma Xi and the Chi Epsilon Honor Society. He also received the 1966 Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award and the 1972 Allstate Safety Crusade of Commendation. He was a 1980 Tennessee Tomorrow Professor and was the ASCE Faculty Man of the Year in 1982. Jack was an avid outdoorsman and involved in playing softball and semi-pro baseball, water-skiing, and fishing. In later years he spent many hours shark fishing in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, where he was known at “Tennessee.” Jack was preceded in death by mother Margaret E. Miller, father John S. Humphreys, daughter Cindy Humphreys, brother Lynn Humphreys, brother-in-law Felix Knight, and step-son Rodney Shore.

Survivors include wife Judy M. Humphreys, sons Don and Wesley (Peggy) Humphreys, step-son Brad (Judy) Shore, step-daughter Beth Pankratz; sister Helen Knight. “Poppy” had 3 grandsons, Bailey Humphreys, Brody and Samuel Pankratz, and 6 granddaughters, Courtney Humphreys, Brennan (Alex) Pilgreen, Emily (Jeffery) Burgess, Sarah and Allison Shore, and Ellen Pankratz. Poppy also had a great grandson Aiden and his baby brother Oliver is due in March.

Receiving of friends will be Friday, January 14, 2022, between 1:00 and 2:00pm at McCammon Ammons Click Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 2:00 pm with Rev. Jerry Mantooth officiating. Interment will follow the service at Grandview Cemetery. Friends and members of the community are also welcome to stop by McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home between Wednesday - Friday and sign the book.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Monte Vista Baptist Church in Jack’s honor. He loved serving in his church and his community.

www.mccammonammonsclick.com 865-982-6812