Obituaries

William Delavon “Bill” Baxter, PhD On July 29th, William Delavon “Bill” Baxter died peacefully at his home at age 89 years after a short battle with Leukemia.

Archibald ‘Archie’ Woods Collins IV, age 80 of Belvidere, Tennessee, passed away on Friday, August 7, 2026. He was born on October 3, 1945, to the late A.W. and Louise Hinkle Collins. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Donna Jean Bailey; brother, Bobby Collins and great-grandson Henry Wiseman.

The untimely passing of former Tullahoma resident, Amy Zaccardi Yerka, occurred on July 22, 2026, __________ __ ______ _____ ____ over a year against cancer. Born July 13, 1975, Amy was the daughter of Vincent and Anita Zaccardi; the wife of Dr. Stephen J. Yerka, archaeologist with Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI), the mother of Maia Lucy Yerka, nurse at Parkwest Hospital in Knoxville; and sister to Brett, entrepreneur in New York, with a delightful wife, Jocelyn, and two young boys, Noah, 7, and Benny, 3. Amy was a respected psychologist, most recently working with the senior citizens of the Cherokee tribe.

The untimely passing of former Tullahoma resident, Amy Zaccardi Yerka, occurred on July 22, 2026, __________ __ ______ _____ ____ over a year against cancer. Born July 13, 1975, Amy was the daughter of Vincent and Anita Zaccardi; the wife of Dr. Stephen J. Yerka, archaeologist with Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI), the mother of Maia Lucy Yerka, nurse at Parkwest Hospital in Knoxville; and sister to Brett, entrepreneur in New York, with a delightful wife, Jocelyn, and two young boys, Noah, 7, and Benny, 3. Amy was a respected psychologist, most recently working with the senior citizens of the Cherokee tribe.

Mary Gay Bacon passed away peacefully on July 11, 2026, at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of faith, love, kindness, and quiet strength. Though our hearts are broken, we are comforted by the countless lives she touched and the enduring example she leaves behind.

David Larry Pickering, 85, of Piperton, Tennessee, died on July 9, 2026, at Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital from complica- ______ ______ _________ __ ______ attack.

Jul 6, 2026

David Matthew Pless, formerly of Hopkinsville, KY, passed from this life on Friday, June 19, 2026, at Alive Hospice in Nashville, TN, at the age of 66. Born on November 9, 1959, in Tullahoma, TN, David lived __ _____ _______ ___ ____ _____

Heather Rae Damron of Tullahoma passed away on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at Unity Medical Center at the age of 50. Heather was born in Tullahoma to Jackie and Edith Ray Damron.