John Verlin Cabage, Sr., was born on December 30, 1935 in a house built by his great grandfather, James E. Newman, on Henegar Street, Knoxville, Tennessee. He died July 29, 2024. He was a former member of Dante Baptist Church and attended Milan Baptist Church. John proudly served in the United States Air Force for 21 years and retired as a Master Sergeant. He taught school in Knox County for over 20 years. Two years during his employment with Knox County, he served as President of the Knox County Education Association. He was a member of the Blazing Star #450 Masonic Lodge and a member of the Royal Arch Council Commandry Knights Templar. He was Past Master of Wakkanai Centennial Masonic Lodge, Wakkanai, Japan and Past Master of J. C. Baker Masonic Lodge #720, Maynardville and American Legion and VFW. John served over 29 years on the Board of Laurel Point Resort, Gatlinburg and was on the Board of the Cabage/Cabbage Cemetery Association and the Hamilton Cemetery Association. He was Past President and a member of the Cabage/Cabbage Family Association, which has had yearly reunions for over 47 years. Growing up John had limited school education, quitting in the seventh grade. He said he learned “his smarts” by the school of hard knocks. He was very intelligent and “was always right”. His first day attending high school was when he started teaching Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, a trade he learned in the military. John received his GED in the Service and got a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. John loved the Cabage/Cabbage family. He traveled all over the United States researching cousin connections, visiting many distant relatives, and visiting numerous courthouses and cemeteries. He visited all 48 continental states and landed in Alaska and Hawaii. He served in the military in Pakistan, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines and Okinawa.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Stacy Browning Cabage and Isaac E. N. Cabage; and sister, Dorothy Mae Cabage Johnson Moore. He was a beloved husband to Mary Anne Nickles Cabage for 63 years and a beloved father to John
V. Cabage, Jr. (Sue Ellen); Stacy Anne Cabage and James R. Cabage (Brenda). He loved his 15 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Saturday, August 10, 2024 at Trinity Funeral Home, Maynardville with the service immediately following. A graveside service will be held at Cabbage Cemetery in Black Fox, Washburn following the service. Everyone is invited to the home after the service to celebrate the life of John. Trinity Funeral Home, Maynardville, has the honor to serve the family of John Cabage. 865-992-5002 www.trinityfuneralhome.net