Mr. Ned Cleveland Irwin, 87, Jonesborough, passed away Friday, April 19, 2013. A native of Fountain City, Tennessee in Knox County, he was born May 25, 1925, the oldest son of the late Clyde Edwin Irwin, Sr. and Uneka Haynes Irwin. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother, Clyde Edwin Irwin, Jr.; his grandparents
J. Ned and Minnie Morgan Haynes and Francis and Hiley Ousley Irwin, all of Knoxville.

He was a 1943 graduate of Knoxville Central High School, where he was an All-City basketball player on the 1942-1943 championship Central team. At age 17, he joined the U.S. Navy with his mother’s consent, serving during World War II for three years, serving as a machinist mate aboard the escort aircraft carrier U. S. S. Takanis Bay (CVE 89). For his war service, he received the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic Navy Occupation Service Medal-Japan. He was called back into service with the U. S. Navy during the Korean Conflict, serving in Bremerton, Washington.

After his World War II military service, he attended Tennessee Wesleyan Junior College, lettering in basketball and earning an associate degree. He then attended East Tennessee State College, where he lettered in basketball and obtained a B.S. degree. He later earned a master’s degree from George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville. He was a teacher, coach, and athletic administrator at Lamar High School, Karns High School (Knoxville), Jonesboro High School, and David Crockett High School, where he served as the school’s first athletic director and from which he retired in 1990. From 1959-1967 he worked in recreation and corrective therapy at the Veterans Administration, Mountain Home.

Mr. Irwin was a member of Jonesborough United Methodist Church.

Mr. Irwin is survived by his wife, Mary Alice Irwin, of the home; son, Ned L. Irwin and wife, Amy; son, Gary Irwin; grandson Allen Haynes Irwin, all of Jonesborough; and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be nephews Mike Irwin, Steve Irwin, Doug Irwin; Dr. Mark Beard, Albert “Bit” Keys, and Tony Grindstaff. Honorary pallbearers are nieces Cathy Irwin Holland, Charlotte, NC, and Martha Irwin Butler, Greensboro, NC; special cousins Dan Morgan and Anne Smith of Knoxville; Jake Gadd, Baltimore, Maryland; and special World War II shipmate Harry Konshuk, Spangle, Washington.

Graveside services will be conducted by the Reverend Douglas Grove-DeJarnett at 1:00 PM, Monday, April 22, 2013 at Fairview Cemetery, Jonesborough, TN.