James Graves

Coach James W. Graves, age 87, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019, at Jackson Madison County General Hospital. Funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Martin.  Burial followed in East Side Cemetery in Martin with Murphy Funeral Home of Martin in charge of the arrangements. Pallbearers were Dr. Huey Claybrook, Paul Kelly, Richard Boyte, Bobby Joe Graves, George Graves and John Reynolds.  Honorary pallbearers were all former students and athletes. Coach Graves was born Sept. 21, 1932, the oldest son of James Paul and Ophelia Copely Graves. He graduated from Trenton Peabody High School where he also began to play a game unknown to him until that time, called football. He played all four years under his late teacher/mentor and friend, Coach Walter Kilzer. He joined the Navy in 1952. Declining an offer for Officer Training School at Vanderbilt University and a Navy career, he left the service in 1956. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee Martin Branch and played football there as well. Following college graduation, he began his teaching/coaching career at Milan High School in 1960 as assistant coach and then at Paris Grove High School. Coach Graves assumed his first head-coaching job at Martin High School in 1963 and remained there until 1968. He continued his high school teaching/coaching career at Union City High School, Westview High School and Trenton Peabody High School. He received his master’s degree from UTM. He served as an assistant football coach at UTM and taught math classes, as an adjunct, part-time until he fully retired in 1999. He served his community in civic organizations and called Martin his “hometown.” He was an active member of First Baptist Church in Martin. He is survived by his daughter, Pam (William) Daniel of Martin; sister, Linda Alley of Trenton; brothers, Bobby Joe (Sue) Graves of Corinth, Mississippi and Leon (Rita) Graves of Greenfield; two grandsons, James Neal (Laura) Daniel of Pegram and William Allen (Andrea) Daniel of Linden; and three great-grandchildren, Andalyn Weatherly, Asher Daniel and Cullen Daniel. Coach Graves was preceded in death by his wife, Glenda Cole Graves; his parents, James Paul Graves and Ophelia Copely Graves; and three sisters, Ruby Brown, Elizabeth Duncan and Betty Castleman. Memorials requested to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, American Cancer Society, Heart Association or the charity of one’s choice. Online tributes may be left at murphyfuneralhome.net.