Rev. Jesse “Jay” B. Blythe III, 58, of Paris Crossing, Ind., went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 7, 2015, in Indiana, following an extended illness.
A native of Carter County, Tenn., he was a son of Jesse Ben Blythe Jr. and Ramona Sue Price Blythe of Elizabethton. Rev. Blythe received an Associate Degree from Penn State University, attended Alderson Broaddus College in West Virginia and received his Masters of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. He was ordained into the ministry on May, 31, 1987.
Rev. Blythe pastored the following churches: “N” Street Baptist Church in Kentucky; Bethany Baptist Church, Crothersville, Ind.; Vienna Baptist Church, Scottsburg, Ind.; Coffee Creek Baptist Church, Paris Crossing, Ind.; and Freedom Road Baptist Church, Elizabethton, Tenn. He was a member of Coffee Creek Baptist Church in Paris Crossing, Ind. Rev. Blythe enjoyed photography and fishing; he was a collector and reader of books and loved working in his flowers. He also loved playing Santa at Christmas.
Rev. Blythe was preceded in death by his son, Jesse Benjamin Blythe IV; his grandparents, Herman and Hattie Price and J.B. and Edna Blythe; and a brother, Thomas Christopher Blythe.
Survivors, in addition to his parents, include his wife, Judy Whitehead Blythe, of the home; his daughter, Sarah L. Blythe-Davis and husband Joseph, of Elizabethton; a step-son, Larry L. Moreland and wife Becky, of Elizabethton; grandchildren, Lauren E. Davis, Rowdy J. Davis, Gillian E. Davis, Kendal M. Davis, Olivia G. Moreland and Evan W. Moreland; his brother, David Lynn Blythe and his fiancée Lori Ross, of Pennsylvania; and his sisters, Susan Blythe Scheestel and husband Mark, of Pennsylvania, and Karen Blythe-Snyder, of Elizabethton. Several nieces and nephews also survive.
A service to honor the life of Rev. Jesse “Jay” B. Blythe III will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 11, at Immanuel Baptist Church, Elizabethton, with Rev. Travis Biller officiating. A special reading will be given by his daughter, Sarah L. Blythe-Davis. Music will be under the direction of Jerry Barnett, Emily Whitehead and Lauren Davis. Rev. Blythe will lie in state from 1 until 2 p.m. at the church, prior to the funeral service. The graveside service and interment will follow the funeral service at Happy Valley Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be Joseph Davis, Rowdy Davis, Seth Snyder, Nathan Snyder, Norman Potter, Tommy Blythe, David Blythe, Larry Moreland, Dennis Stevens and John Anderson. Honorary pallbearers will be Manuel Price, Louie Price, Jerry Price, Larry Price, Tony Price, Matt Barranti, Ed Carroll, Tom Snell, associates of the Seymour Wal-Mart, cousins and nephews, and deacons and past deacons of Coffee Creek Baptist Church. The family will receive friends at Hathaway-Percy Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 10, from 5 to 7 p.m., or at the home of his parents, 361 Holston Mountain Road, Elizabethton, at other times. Those who prefer memorials in lieu of flowers may make donations to the D.A.V., 111 South Wateridge Avenue, Elizabethton, TN 37643 or to the Missions Programs of Immanuel Baptist Church, 205 Hunter Avenue, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Online condolences may be sent to the family and viewed by visiting our website at www.hathawaypercy.com.
Hathaway-Percy Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the Blythe family. Office (423) 543-5544.