Mary Alice Mcnutt

Mary Alice McNutt, age 86, of Crossville, TN, passed from this life peacefully on December 9, 2024, in Jacksonville, Florida. She was born on July 19, 1938, to Billie Mills Breeding, Sr. and Zula (Elrod) Breeding in the Cumberland Homesteads of Cumberland County. Mary Alice grew up enjoying a large family and loving community of neighbors and friends. At age 13, Mary was diagnosed as a Type 1 (Juvenile) diabetic. She did not let the dire predictions of that time get the best of her. Mary focused her attention on maintaining good health with diet, exercise, and regular check-ups with her doctor. She often helped others manage and understand the ups and downs of living with diabetes. Mary was a community and family historian. She loved learning about the connections between people, asking questions until she discovered a connection or point of commonality, and reminiscing about her time growing up in the Cumberland Homesteads. Mary was a member of Crossville First Methodist Church. She worked at Trade-A-Plane until her early retirement. Once retired she and her husband, Joe, spent much of their time making day trips to enjoy scenery and lunch or longer trips to visit their blended family of children and grandchildren. As Mary spent more time at home in Crossville she enjoyed University of Tennessee football, phone calls and visits with friends and family, and updates on the antics of her granddog Cookie. Mary is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Lynda Bell (Kile) of Amelia Island, Florida, and daughter, Sherry Doran of Tallahassee; 9 grandchildren; sister, Ruth Beason (Harry) of Knoxville; and sister-in-law, Sue Myers Breeding (wife of Robert). All of these she loved deeply. In addition to her parents, Mary is preceded in death by her first husband, Ralph Hedgecoth and second husband, Joseph McNutt; sister, Francis Marie Breeding, and brothers, Billie Breeding, Jr.(Glena), General Wirt Breeding, Bobby Joe Breeding, and Robert Breeding. A graveside service will be held in the spring, Friday, April 4, 11 am, at Green Acres Memory Gardens, Crossville. Please sign the online guestbook. Memorials or donations may be made to Dominion Senior Living at 887 Woodlawn Road, Crossville, TN 38555.