Maxine Gulley Towns

Maxine Gulley Towns of Knoxville, Tennessee passed away quietly on March 20, 2026 at the age of 98. A daughter of the late Etta and W.C. Gulley; Maxine was born September 26, 1927 in Saint Clair, Tennessee. As one of six siblings, Maxine was educated in a one room schoolhouse before graduating from Bulls Gap High School. After her formal education she moved toWashington, D.C. where she worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and proudly lived in the shadow of the United States Capitol Building. Upon returning home to East Tennessee, she would marry Hickman A. Kite; a man whose work ethic she forever admired. With the birth of their only child, Karen; Maxine pivoted to the role of homemaker and mother in Rogersville, Tennessee. Maxine’s love and hopes for Karen remained strong her entire life. Maxine found passion in a multitude of endeavors and approached living with an uncommon zeal. Cooking for family, competitive shopping, meticulous landscaping, attention to her personal health and appearance, watching the stock market, and a late in life infatuation with President Trump kept her active, engaged and joyful. Later in life Maxine married her second husband, James F. Towns, who she always admired as a true gentleman. Over the years they enjoyed many vacations together. Maxine took on the new name of “Oggie” with the birth of her only grandchild, Jeff Jennings. She found great joy in providing adventure, laughter and many firsts for not only Jeff, but for her great-grandsonswhom she loved dearly, Boone Jennings and Hutch Jennings. Vivacious and strong-willed, Maxine made quite the impression on all she met during her long life. In addition to her parents Etta Elizabeth Berry Gulley and William Calvin “W.C.” Gulley of Morristown, Tennessee she was preceded in death by her first husband, Hickman A. Kite of Rogersville, Tennessee; her second husband, James F. Towns of Knoxville, Tennessee; her siblings, Willard “Quentin” Gulley, Juanita Gulley Talbot, James Bedford “J.B.” Gulley, Mildred Irene Gulley, and William Calvin “Junior” Gulley, Jr.; and her son-in-law, Ralph Cecil Jennings, Jr. of Signal Mountain, Tennessee. Survivors include her daughter, Karen Kite Jennings of Knoxville, Tennessee; grandson, Jeffrey Brian Jennings& great grandsons William “Boone” Jennings and Henry Crutcher “Hutch” Jennings all of Signal Mountain, Tennessee; and numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank Jeannie Bowers, Linda Robinson and Kari Muncey for their compassionduring the end-of-life transition. A visitation will be held from 12pm – 1pm EST on Thursday March 26, 2026, at Rose-Mann Funeral Home located at 6200 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919 with a burial following immediately at Hamblen Memory Gardens, 5421 E Andrew Johnson Highway Morristown, TN 37814. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society.

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Maxine Gulley Towns

September 26, 1927 - March 20, 2026