OBITUARY: Lisa Renee Whitaker Wells

Lisa Renee Whitaker Wells, age 67, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on Saturday, August 3rd.

Born in West Nashville on January 18, 1957, to parents Fletcher and Joyce Whitaker, Lisa moved to Burns with her family in the 1960s, making Dickson County her lifelong home.

Together with her siblings, Trevenia Whitaker Jones and Glenn Whitaker, Lisa grew up making memories that she would fondly share with her children and grandchildren as often as she could. The love for her siblings was always at the forefront of her mind, even in her last days. Lisa also cherished the bond she had with her aunts, particularly Aunt Becka Goins, Aunt Dorothy Martin, and Aunt Janet Belch, who provided her with endless love and guidance.

Lisa was the beloved wife of Kenneth Wells, with whom she shared 47 years of marriage. Together, they raised two daughters, Nikki Holland and Sammi Nelson, who fondly remember their mother’s warmth, her unwavering faith, her creative talent, and her love for music and learning.

Lisa had a tender heart. A devoted grandmother, she cherished her time with her grandchildren: McKenzie and Everette Nelson, and Zach and Whitney Holland. Their favorite memories of their grandmother include her personality and humor, the way she could always make them laugh, her snuggles, and her soft hands. She made sure they knew that her children and grandchildren made her the proudest in her life.

She loved challenging her mind up until her last days, constantly inquisitive with an impressive vocabulary. There wasn’t a day that she didn’t learn something new, whether through research or watching informative television programs. She passed this love of learning along to her children, often encouraging them to “look it up” when they had questions. Her intellectual side was fed by her career with the TBI, where she often brought home stories of the cases she worked on.

While Lisa was smart enough that she could have been an engineer, had she chosen to be, she was equally creative. She cherished the ceramic business she and her mother owned in the 80s, loving the creative outlet and the opportunity to socialize with ladies from all walks of life. She spent the last few years learning to knit, keeping her mind occupied and her creative side fueled.

She loved music. Her children remember hearing her play piano late into the night, practicing for Sunday services at Eastside Baptist Church, where she served as the organist for many years. And singing—Lisa sang or hummed through her last days, finding comfort in Elvis’s voice.

Lisa’s favorite place on earth was the beach. She loved fishing in the canal in her family’s beloved Mexico Beach, FL, where she spent time fishing with her father later in his life. Most people would make sure they had a bathing suit and beach towel when packing for the beach, but Lisa made sure her fishing pole was the first thing packed into the car when preparing for a beach trip.

Her circle was small, mainly consisting of family, but she loved her closest friends, Kathy Booker and Marque Ann Tidwell McCutchin, like they were her sisters. She often said she could barely remember a time in her life when they weren’t in it.

Lisa’s legacy of love, faith, and music will live on in the hearts of her family and friends. She will be deeply missed but forever remembered by those whose lives she touched.

Loved ones who mourn her loss are her husband, Kenneth Wells; daughters Nikki Holland (Jeremy) and Sammi Nelson (Jon); grandchildren McKenzie and Everette Nelson, and Zach and Whitney Holland; her sister Trevenia Whitaker Jones (Steve); nieces Lanae Goad (Geoffrey), Glenna Burge (Chris), Catlin Jones; nephew Bo Jones; and numerous aunts and uncles who call East Tennessee home.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Fletcher and Joyce Whitaker, and her brother, Fletcher Glenn Whitaker.

Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday morning, August 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. from the chapel of the Taylor Funeral Home. Steve Jones will officiate. Visitation will be on Tuesday evening, August 6 th from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Wednesday beginning at 9:00 a.m. until time of service. Place of rest will be in the Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens. https://taylorsince1909.com

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