Lynn Franklin Denton passed away March 22, 2026 in Knoxville at age 81. He departed the surly bonds of earth and is now touching the face of God, enjoying perfect health and peace.

He was born on September 14, 1944, in Knox County to the late Charles Hughes Denton and Barbara Woods Denton. He was married to Lyndsey Ann Steadman for 57 years prior to her death in 2022. Together, they traveled to 91 countries over 30 years. He married Teresa Lynne Ownby King in 2023, whose presence in his life brought great fulfillment, care, happiness, and joy. Unconditional love, gratitude, a smiling spirit, and a willingness to help others personify his life and now define his legacy.

He was actively involved in churches in our area, directing music in Oliver Springs, Knoxville, and Clinton for 25 years before retiring to the back row of the sanctuary choir at Clinton First Baptist Church.  He was especially grateful for the opportunity to organize and teach two classes for young married couples at New Salem Baptist and Clinton First Baptist called BYKOTA (Be Ye Kind One To Another).  Many of these young couples moved on to take leadership positions in churches throughout our area.  At Clinton First Baptist, he served committees and taught Sunday School.  In the early 1990's, he served as member and chairman of Clinton Utilities Board. He participated in the Clinton Community Chorus.  When his children were in elementary school, he was active in PTA and school projects.

His hobbies included traveling and experiencing new adventures and collecting over 350 elephants from all over the world for over 40 years. He was an amateur genealogist and enjoyed searching for ancestors in his family creating a data base of over 4000 names.

He graduated from Carson-Newman University in 1966 with a degree in accounting, serving as Treasurer of Student Government in his senior year.  He was active at the University serving on Alumni boards and chairing the 50th anniversary celebration of his 1966 graduating class. Upon graduation, he began his career with Union Carbide at K-25 and Y-12 in Oak Ridge. He had more than 40 years of diverse management, supervisory, and analytical experience in Information Technology (IT) project management, operations and support services, systems engineering, and enterprise analysis with large computerized information systems and modern large-scale computer and networking operations. As a certified Project Management Professional, his project management activities spanned such functions as data center, migration and consolidation; disaster recovery planning and execution; IT policies and procedures; IT strategic planning; systems management; multi-site operations infrastructure environments; and applications. He happily completed his 51-year career working for 26 weeks in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 2013, Lynn and Lyndsey were honored by Carson-Newman University President, J. Randall O'Brien and their son, Franklin Clark Denton, with naming the Lynn and Lyndsey Denton Gallery in the college library housing the St. John's Bible and artifacts from the Holy Land.

He is survived by his Wife, Teresa Lynne Ownby King of Knoxville, TN; Daughter, Whitney Suzanne Denton of Clinton, TN; Son, Franklin Clark Denton of Knoxville, TN (Suzanne Cates Denton, wife); Brother, Gary Michael Denton of Clinton, TN (Veronica Frances Yodzukinas Denton, wife); "Special Sister" Patsy Taylor Calway of Oak Ridge, TN (Robert Calway, husband); Grandchildren, Caleb Denton Clement of New Kensington, PA (Mackenzie Pugh Clement, wife), Rachel Lindsey Heston of Oak Ridge, TN (Scott Heston, husband), Emma Grace Denton of Knoxville, TN, Olivia Suzanne Denton of Knoxville, TN, Phoebe Ella Denton of Knoxville, TN; Great Grandchildren, Zoey Danielle Heston of Oak Ridge TN, Lucy Jane Clement of New Kensington, PA, and Beau Thomas Clement of New Kensington, PA.

Lynn was predeceased by Wife, Lyndsey Ann Steadman Denton; Father, Charles Hughes Denton; Mother, Barbara Woods Denton; Grand Parents, James Edward Woods and Ella Georgia Ryan, Frank Edwin Denton and Maggie Lola Poteet; Great Grandparents, James F. Woods and Anna Elizabeth Whitt, James Arthur Ryan and Patience Annie Brooks, John Marshall Denton and Temperance Elizabeth Poteet, Elam Haywood Poteet and Mary Elizabeth Hawkins; Great Great Grandparents, Larkin Whitt and Annie Hayes, Peter Ryan and Sarah Rose, George Washington Brooks and Elizabeth Caroline Craig, Anderson Denton and Jane Eliza Baxter, Sidney Ervin Poteet and Mary Ann Hawkins, Harrison Brittain Hawkins and Lucinda Hawkins.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Clinton First Baptist Church Music Library Fund or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation at t2t.org. The family will receive friends from 10:00am to 1:00pm at First Baptist Church in Clinton on the 25th of March, 2026 followed by funeral services at 1:00pm. Dr. Danny Chisholm, Dr. Michael Prince and Rev. Jim Tomlinson will lead the service.

Graveside services will be at Woodhaven Memorial Gardens in Claxton following the funeral service.

Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton (www.holleygamblefh.com) is in charge of arrangements.