'One last tour of Tennessee': Former Gov. Don Sundquist remembered for a life of service

State and federal officials, friends and family of former Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist celebrated his life on Tuesday, praising him for his decades-long service to the Volunteer State.

Sundquist, a former congressman and two-term Republican governor, died in Memphis on Aug. 27 surrounded by family following surgery and a short illness. He was 87.

Dignitaries and family members paid respects on Tuesday morning as Sundquist's body lay in state in the Rotunda of the Tennessee Capitol, flanked by an honor guard of Tennessee Highway Patrol.

A memorial service at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nashville began with each of Sundquist’s three children, Deke, Tania, and Andrea, sharing a tribute to their father.

“Dad loved every thing, every part and all the people in Tennessee,” Tania Williamson said. “Last Thursday and today and tomorrow, it feels like dad is taking us on one last tour of Tennessee for him across the state. At least this time, we’re not trying to help him win the race – he’s already won the ultimate race.”

Deke Sundquist said while his father did not leave many specific instructions for his memorial services, one consistent request was for Christian pop artist Amy Grant to sing.

“Every time he would start feeling like it may not be going correctly, he would look at me and say, ‘call Amy Grant...’ He’d say, call her and tell her I want her to sing at my funeral and I want her to sing that one song,” he said. “I'd say, ‘Okay, what’s that one song?’ He’d say ‘Martha? Martha, what’s that one song?’ My mom would go ‘Don, I have no idea. Not a clue.'”

“I don’t know what 'that song' was, but I'm going to sing,” Grant said, smiling, before singing “Trees We’ll Never See,” and leading the congregation in singing “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

Four Tennessee governors sat on the first row during the service: Gov. Bill Lee, and former Govs. Bill Haslam, Phil Bredesen, and Lamar Alexander, also a former U.S. senator.

Lee recalled a warm relationship with Sundquist, saying the former governor would often write him notes of encouragement “seemingly right when I needed it.”

“This was a man who, even in the very latest years of his life, never stopped reaching out to serve other people,” Lee said.

U.S. Rep. David Kustoff, R-Germantown, also shared a tribute.

“I may be the only person in this church who can say this, but Don Sundquist was a mensch,” Kustoff said. “A mensch is a person of honor and integrity, who is respected and dignified. Don Sundquist lived as a mensh, governed and he acted in his public service life as a mensh, and he passed away as a mensch.”

Kustoff also read letters of tribute from former Vice President Mike Pence and former President George W. Bush, who recalled calling Sundquist by the nickname “Sunny.”

“Early on, I was drawn to Don because of his enthusiasm for the offices he held, his respect for the institution of government, and willingness to work with folks to achieve important goals,” Bush wrote. “I hope the example he set of public service will inspire a new generation.”

Country music artist Jeff Steele performed his song,“Friend,” with musician Tony Harrell.

The Rev. Jimmy Latimer of Redeemer Evangelical Church in Memphis offered a sermon. Latimer is a Sundquist family friend and said the inaugural prayer during Sundquist’s inauguration in 1995.

Sundquist led Tennessee during a time of dramatic changes to its social safety net and a fight over a state income tax.  His “Families First” welfare reform package in 1996 sought to save taxpayer money while improving care for needy children, and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services was created during his administration. He also spearheaded an unsuccessful tax reform effort aimed at raising more revenue for the state.

Sundquist will be interred in Townsend, Tennessee, where he and his wife lived for several years.

Reach reporter Vivian Jones at vjones@tennessean.com. 

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Don Sundquist funeral: Former governor remembered for life of service