Tammy Jo Mclaughlin

Tammy (my sweetest bride) was the most unselfish person I have ever known. She and I hit it off from the start which was December 23, 1983, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Tammy and I enjoyed camping in the mountains of Tennessee and Georgia State Parks, watching horror movies, and spoiling the fire out of our two grandchildren, Hailee, 12, and Waylon, 8. She also spoiled our daughter-in-love, Staci, and me for sure. Tammy and I married September 8, 1984, just before her 20th birthday on September 17th. I was 18. Yeah, we made jokes about her robbing the cradle. :) Tammy and I had a baby boy, John C. McLaughlin, on December 27, 1989, and she was an amazing mother for him. She was a rockstar of a wife, and I cannot believe I am now sitting here writing her eulogy and preparing for her memorial. If Tammy loved you, you knew it. She would always let you know each time she saw you. Looking back, I can’t remember one person that truly knew her that didn’t love her back. Tammy literally saved my life when we married, and likely more than once through the 38 years we were married. She was as sharp as a tack, witty, and really enjoyed cutting up with friends and family to make folks laugh, especially her brother Tim.
Tammy started the spoiling with our nephew, Timmy Rutledge, Jr. He was commonly referred to as our first born. Then came our son, JC, then shortly thereafter came Kimberly, our niece, and some years later, our niece Harley came along; all of which were spoiled by Tammy. She loved every minute of it too. Tammy’s sister Ivy had two sons, Dylan and Eli Ingram, which couldn’t escape the spoil train she engineered. Tammy always made herself available for friends and family that needed anything at all. Early in our life, she and I enjoyed going out jukin and dancing. We mostly went out with my mom and dad that enjoyed the same, which she is together with in heaven now probably dancing on the streets of gold rejoicing. I have to mention the person that taught Tammy how to spoil, her Granny, Velma Rutledge. She always talked about how much she missed her Granny and now she’s right there with her. Until we meet again my Love, Tony.

This obituary was carefully prepared with love and affection by Tammy’s beloved husband, Tony.