Ralph Leonard Champion, 78, of Knoxville, passed away on Friday, July 13, 2018. He was the son of the late Oliver Charlie and Neva Taylor Champion.
Ralph spent his work career as a color specialist for a variety of companies in the furniture industry. He was of the Baptist faith and a member of Dixie Lee Baptist Church in Lenoir City, Tenn.
Ralph is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Norma Jean Cannon Champion; daughter, Melissa Frazer (Lewis) of Knoxville, Tenn.; two grandsons, Andrew Lewis Frazer (Elizabeth) of New Orleans, La., and Aaron Smith Frazer of Knoxville, Tenn.; great-granddaughter, Madeleine Annette Frazer of New Orleans, La.; two sisters, Ms. Betty Carden of Elizabethton, Tenn., and Ms. Evalena Meredith of Johnson City, Tenn.; along with two nieces and one nephew.
Graveside services for Ralph Leonard Champion will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Happy Valley Memorial Park with Rev. Frank Osborne officiating. Friends may come by the funeral home to sign the book for Mr. Champion on Friday, July 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on Saturday before time for the graveside service. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Dixie Lee Baptist Church, 14650 Old Stage Road, Lenoir City, TN 37772 or Bible Baptist Church, 1215 Broad Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Family and friends will assemble at the funeral home at 12:20 p.m. Saturday to go to the cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family on our website: www.memorialfcelizabethton.com
Memorial Funeral Chapel, 212 N. Main Street, Elizabethton, Tenn., is serving the Champion family.