John Dennis Crowder of Franklin, Tennessee, passed away on August 14, 2026, at the age of 77. Born in Portland, Tennessee, on May 9, 1949, Dennis and his wife, Jan, met at Tennessee Technological University before marrying in 1972. After living in Nashville, Fairview, and Knoxville, they moved to Franklin in 1981, where they raised their family and have called home ever since.

Dennis is survived by his wife of 54 years, Jan; his sons, Chris Crowder (Daphne) of Portland, Tennessee, and Greg Crowder (Allison) of Nashville, Tennessee; and his grandchildren, Kristina, Corinne, Hatcher, Andrew, and Penny. He is also survived by countless other family members and friends whose lives he touched throughout his 77 years, including a church family that meant so much to him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Hatcher Crowder and Myrtle Catherine Crowder.

Dennis worked hard throughout his life to provide for his family, spending 50 years in the sign industry, where he held various sales and leadership roles and eventually established his own business. He was hardworking, generous, honest, and always willing to help others whenever he was able.

His faith was at the center of his life, and his church family was deeply important to him. His relationship with God and the personal relationships he formed through the church were among the greatest blessings of his life. Dennis was a thoughtful and devoted church leader who served as a deacon and then elder at Berry’s Chapel Church of Christ for nearly 20 years. He later became a member of Heritage Church of Christ.

Dennis had a gift for turning a work trip into an adventure for his family. Many hours were spent on the side of the road making sales calls from pay phones, with the family waiting patiently before continuing on to the next destination, often ending the day at a nice Holiday Inn with a swimming pool. Those trips became some of the family’s favorite memories.

Dennis and Jan also shared a love of travel and were fortunate to visit many wonderful places together, including Europe, Mexico, various parts of the United States, and the Caribbean. Of all the places they traveled, nothing quite compared to their time in Hawaii, where Dennis and Jan always enjoyed the islands—and even happened to grace Harrison Ford and David Schwimmer with their presence while the two were there filming a movie in Maui.

For Dennis, travel was never just about seeing a new place. It was about sharing the experience with the people he loved and creating memories that would stay with them.

Dennis leaves behind a legacy of faith, hard work, generosity, and service to others. Most of all, he leaves behind a family, friends, and church community who loved him deeply and will miss him dearly.

Visitation will be held from 3:00PM until 7:00PM on Friday August 21, 2026 at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Saturday August 22, 2026, at Heritage Church of Christ, 1056 Lewisburg Pike, Franklin, Tennessee with visitation beginning at 11:00AM. Interment will follow at Williamson Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be considered to World Christian Broadcasting (www.worldchristian.org), an organization very dear to their hearts.