June 17, 2024
77-year-old Don Wallace (Donnie) Hearn of Alexandria died at home Friday, June 14. During his elementary school years, his family moved to Murfreesboro where he attended Mitchel Nielsen Elementary and Murfreesboro Central High School before his family moved back to Alexandria. He graduated from Watertown High School and attended Cumberland University and Middle Tennessee State University.
Hearn served four years in the US Navy during the Vietnam War, aboard the nuclear- powered ballistic missile submarine, the USS Nathan Hale, SSBN623, and was plank owner of, and served aboard, the nuclear fast attack submarine, the USS Hammerhead, SSN663.
He was a lover of vintage cars, and 18-wheeler trucks. His first jobs were truck driving jobs working for his dad. He never lost his love of the road. He hauled milk from farms across Middle Tennessee to local milk plants. Later he transported milk over the eastern portion of the US from Northern Michigan to South Florida, from Wisconsin and Kansas, to North and South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Hearn served as Manager of the State of Tennessee Motor Pool under the Blanton Administration. He owned and managed Parkview Apartments. Donnie was a charter member of West Main Baptist Church. In his final years, he was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, that robbed him of his ability to move and eventually took his life. Donnie was part of Johns Hopkins research study’s effort to learn more about PSP for which there is no treatment or cure.
Donnie is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carol Butterbaugh Hearn, and his son Rob Charles Hearn; his brother and sister-in-law Ben and Kathy Hearn, sister-in-law Tammy Hearn, sister-in-law Judy Butterbaugh Morgan, sister/brother-in-law Kay and Ricky Vantrease, niece Mary Katherine Keltner, nephews Timothy and Tyler Hearn, Brady and John Bratten Hearn, Paul and John Vantrease, and Jacob Wiloth.
Donnie is predeceased by his parents, Edward and Katherine Hearn, his precious daughter Dana Carol Hearn, his brother Joe Hearn; his nephew Adam Hearn, parents-in-law Millard and Lucille Butterbaugh.
The funeral is at 12:30 p.m. The family will receive friends at Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria Wednesday, June 19 at 9:30 a.m. until the funeral. A graveside service with military honors will be held at Hearn Hill Cemetery following the visitation. Memorial donations are encouraged to be sent to Cure PSP to find a cure for his horrific disease. Anderson Funeral Home accepts these donations or visit psp.org.