Teresa Lynne Elam

 Teresa Arnold Elam, age 69, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 8, 2024, after a long illness. Born in Jackson TN on July 22, 1954, Teresa was the first-born child to the late William Paul and Lottie Demoss Arnold, who welcomed her with open arms to her heavenly home. 

   She dedicated her career to serving others. A lifelong Jacksonian, she spent many years at the Podiatry Clinic before joining The Jackson Clinic, where she worked tirelessly for 20 years until her well-deserved retirement in 2017.
 
   Teresa's warm and caring nature extended beyond her professional life. She was a proud and active communicant at St. Mary's Catholic Church, finding solace and joy in her faith. Her love for her family knew no bounds, and she found immense happiness in spending time with her loved ones.
 
   In her leisure time, Teresa found delight in gardening - surrounded by the beauty of flowers - and in her younger years, she enjoyed the time spent bowling with her mother.
 
To forever cherish her memory are Bobby, her husband of 36 years; children Catherine Valliere (Jay) of Savannah, GA and Mike Sanford (Mindy) of St. Louis, MO; grandchildren Micah, Hunter, Brook, Chloe, Matthew, Will and Emma, and 6 great-grandchildren. Her brothers David Arnold (Sherry) of Wildersville, TN and Todd Arnold of AZ; sister Charlotte Arnold of Westover, TN; nephews Dave, Austin, John T. and Tyler; nieces Bailey, Shelby, Sydney, Maggie, Rosie and Gracie, brother-in-law Steve Elam (Carol) as well as her sister-in-law Lin, will also miss her.

    Other than her parents, Teresa was preceded in death by a brother, Bill Arnold, who was a proud recipient of the Kansas City BBQ Hall of Fame.
 
SERVICE: Teresa’s Memorial Service will be held on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Arrington Funeral Directors with Deacon Dale Brown and Rev. Mark Irvin officiating. Visitation with family and friends will be from 11:00 a.m. until the service time at 1:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for all who knew Teresa to come together to honor her memory and share stories of her life.

   Honorary pallbearers are Austin Arnold, Dave Arnold, Sheree Collins, Steve Elam, Don Marcon, Eddie Osborn, Celia Rodenbaugh and Woody Williams.

   The family requests that any memorial donations be directed to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1665 US-45 Bypass, Jackson, TN 38305 or online at www.stmarys.tn.org, or to the Pat Summit Foundation, 520 W. Summit Hill Drive SW #1101, Knoxville TN 37902, or online at www.patsummitt.org. 

      A special thanks to Elaine Northern and E. and Sandra Rogers and others with St. Mary’s Ministry to the Sick; Shannon Blair and Lee Johnson and staff at Maplewood Health Care Center, as well as the many friends who visited and offered prayers of support to Teresa and her family.

   In her last generous and selfless act on earth, Teresa was an organ donor to forever impact others, improving their quality of life. She was a brilliant light in this world and is now shining down on all of us. Tonight, pick out the brightest star in the sky – for that will be her.

Arrington Funeral Directors    148 W. University Parkway    Jackson, Tn

731-668-1111   www.arringtonfuneraldirectors.com

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