Thomas Eugene Hartman

Thomas Eugene "Gene" or "Geno" Hartman, peacefully passed away on March 21, 2026 at his home in Knoxville, TN at the age of 97. Gene was born on August 8th, 1928, in Nashville, TN, to Willie Anderson Battle Hartman and Roy Lee Hartman. Gene was the fourth of six children. Gene graduated from Antioch High School in 1946 after lettering in football, basketball, and baseball. He then met the love of his life, Annie Rebecca Harris on a blind date and they were married at Grand View Baptist Church in Nashville. Gene and Becky were married for 70 years. After 10 years of marriage, they welcomed their only daughter, Sheree Diane Hartman. Gene worked as a salesman in Nashville and later moved to Knoxville in 1955 and built their family business, Duo-Fast Inc., which grew to have offices in Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga and Johnson City. Duo-Fast gave the family endless opportunities. Not only did he make new friends from all over the country, but many of those friendships turned into lifelong bonds. His family was fortunate to travel on yearly Duo-Fast Convention trips. The owner of Duo-Fast, John Torstenson, offered many hunting trips to Spain, Denmark and Ocean Reef to mention a few. Gene served President of the Duo-Fast Distributors Organization for many years. Gene and Becky both were passionate about the game of golf, being members of Deane Hill Country Club, Holston Hills Country Club, Cherokee Country Club, The Honors Course and Wexford in Hilton Head Island, SC. Their beach house in Hilton Head Island sits on the 9th green of the Shipyard course, a place that their family has called their second home for decades. Gene participated in numerous golf tournaments, Member-Guest, and many Pro-Am events. They loved going to the Heritage and the Masters tournaments. He was not only an active player but also a dedicated organizer. Gene helped organize and played in every Chet Atkins Celebrity Golf Tournament at Deane Hill Country Club. Gene was proud of making three holes-in-one. He had the joy of playing more golf courses than he could even remember - a true testament to his love of the game. In 1983, Gene purchased his hunting property in Ten Mile, Tennessee from the Jack & Bushy Hanna family. Through the years he built a beautiful hunting lodge, built numerous deer stands, and dug out ponds to stock them for fishing. Year after year, cover and food plots were planted for deer, quail, pheasant, turkey, & dove. The farm was, and still is, a place for hunting friends, family gatherings, and fundraisers. Many enjoyed his annual southern style 'Dove Shoot' every September. The majority of the land is held in a Conservation Easement. Gene became a one man fundraising show for Quail Unlimited, raising money for the waterfowl project in Tennessee. He hosted several Quail Unlimited banquets, where kids were always free. In 2004, Gene was named Tennessee Wildlife 'Conservationist of the Year'. In 2006, he was runner-up for the 'National Conservationist of the Year". He was a life time member of Quail Unlimited, Quail Forever and Ducks Unlimited. Gene sat on the board of Quail Unlimited for many years. He worked closely with the TN Fish and Wildlife Habitat, TN Wildlife Resource Agency and University of Tennessee School Agriculture. His greatest joy was introducing young people to hunting and fishing. At the age of 96, Gene could still be seen on his favorite air-conditioned John Deere tracker driving all over the farm. Gene was a life-long fan of the University of Tennessee, attending most (If not all) games, no matter the sport. They had season tickets for Tennessee football, Men's basketball, Lady Vol basketball, and baseball. As an avid supporter, you could spot him at the games sporting his signature Orange fedora. Family was everything to Gene, his only daughter married Butch Johnson, who later joined Duo-Fast and currently serves as President. Later came his three grandchildren, Jeffrey, Clark, and Annie, who he claimed were his proudest accomplishments. Gene had the privilege of seeing all three grandkids marry and even welcome two beautiful great-granddaughters. Gene was a proud member of Central Baptist Church of Bearden for almost 70 years. He had a quiet but strong faith that sustained him through the passing of Becky and his failing health. Gene made the most of his 97 years of his life by being an amazing friend to all. Gene was proceeded in death by his wife of 70 years, Annie Rebecca Harris Hartman, his parents, Willie Anderson Battle Hartman and Roy Lee Hartman, his five siblings Roy Battle "Brother", Frances Hartman Beasley "Sis", Charles Harold, Claude Edward "Corky", Billy, and numerous sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law. Gene is survived by his favorite (and only) daughter, Shereé Hartman Johnson (Butch), his three grandchildren Jeffrey Eugene Johnson (Jess), Clark Harris Johnson (Cali) and Annie Johnson Sampson (Michael), his great-granddaughters Addison Grace Johnson and Lily Banks Johnson. And a host of special nieces and nephews. Caregivers - A very special thanks to Carvin DuPonte, who assisted Gene for almost 5 years. There aren't enough words to describe the special bond that they had. Also, for the last four months, Jackie Daniels, Sarah Griffin, Kimeka Boatwright assisted Carvin with the great care of Gene. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 28th, 2026, at Central Baptist Church of Bearden, 6300 Deane Hill Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919 with officiated by Reverend Mark Moreland at 3 pm. Immediately followed by a gathering of family and friends at the Overlook at Cherokee Country Club. Pallbearers - Butch Johnson, Jeffrey Johnson, Clark Johnson, Michael Sampson, Ricky Hartman, Stewart Hartman, Shelby Hunton and Jack Bailey. Honorary Pallbearers are Tommy Overton, Mickey Crowell, Stanley Griffin, Mac Dove, and Bob Whittaker. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley, 967 Irwin Street, Knoxville, TN 37917 or Central Baptist Church of Bearden, 6300 Deane Hill Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919.

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Thomas Eugene Hartman

August 8, 1928 - March 21, 2026