Terry Michael Brewer, age 69 and of Woodbury passed away suddenly on August 31, 2024 at St. Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville. He was the son of the late Shirley Adeline Dockery Brewer and the late Robert Carl Brewer of Smyrna.
Mr. Brewer is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Cynthia Bowen Brewer; a daughter, Cynthia Claire Brewer O’Kain and her husband, John O’Kain; a son, Rhett Michael Brewer and his wife, Brittany Curtis Brewer; two beautiful grandchildren, Beckett Michael and Noa Katherine Brewer; mother-in-law, Sybil Thompson Bowen; brother-in-law, Charles Ashley Bowen; sister, Kitty (Steve) Waggoner; step-mother, Marilyn Gannon Brewer; step-siblings, Dr. Brian (Michele) Gannon and Melanie (David) Varner; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Along with his parents, Mr. Brewer was preceded in death by his sister, Sherry Brewer Johnson; his brother, Mark Brewer; and grandparents, Zonie Claire Hesson Dockery, Willie Robert “Red” Dockery, Lola Ruth Young Brewer, and Ellis Moore Brewer.
A member of the First Baptist Church in Woodbury for more than 35 years, Mr. Brewer served as a deacon and, along with his wife, the director of the Children’s and Youth Choirs for over 20 years. Having met Cynthia at the age of 15 as members of the Rutherford County Square Dancers, Terry knew the value of group activities for young people and also the organization it required. Mr. Terry single-handedly planned and organized Youth Choir tours that branched over a considerable portion of the eastern United States and Texas with performances at The Alamo, Staten Island, Cincinnati Zoo, Library of Congress, Washington National Cathedral, and Statue of Liberty. Mr. Terry worked tirelessly and joyfully to organize these trips and made sure the itineraries were strictly kept, with the sole exception of foregoing a subsequent tour after an emotionally taxing afternoon at The Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.
In his retirement, Terry revived a long-time love of antiquing. He thoroughly enjoyed estate auctions and almost always had at least one auction pickup appointment scheduled per week. This resulted in being on a first name basis with several auction companies in the Middle TN Area. He and Cynthia opened a booth at a local antique mall which gave him a perfectly reasonable excuse for continuing to purchase antiques, though few of the better pieces actually made it to the booth. Terry took a special interest in the landscaping outside their home in the last few years and was able to see his vision come to fruition with the help of friend, Harvey Hall.
Though he enjoyed his hobbies, Terry’s greatest joy was undoubtedly his grandchildren. Being Papaw to Beckett and Noa was a title he wore with greatest pride, both figuratively and literally as several of his t-shirts said just that. He loved watching Beckett play soccer, excel at math (just like Papaw), and be a wonderful big brother to Noa. He strongly suggested that Noa Katherine take dance classes, loved watching her be a little ballerina, and fully supported and enabled that everything she owns must be pink.
While his family is devastated in the wake of his sudden departure from this world, they are aware of the immeasurable blessing that his life was to each of them.
Funeral Services will be at 11 AM Friday, September 6, 2024 at First Baptist Church of Woodbury with Bro. Dean Anderson officiating. Interment will follow at Riverside Gardens Cemetery. His family will receive friends for the visitation from 4 pm to 8 pm Thursday, September 5, 2024 at Woodbury Funeral Home and from 10 am until time of the service Friday at First Baptist Church of Woodbury.
Pallbearers will be Matthew Brewer, Zachary Brewer, John Braxton Brewer, Greg Johnson, Jake Wilder, Justin Lewis, Alex Sears, & Justin Allison.
Woodbury Funeral Home, 615.563.2311