Charles Thomas Cannon was born on the 18th of February, 1921 to Earnest
Eugene and Betty Gates Cannon of Graves County Kentucky. He attended South Fulton High School and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Agriculture. After graduation, he was commissioned in the U.S. Navy. During WWII he spent 3 1/2 years on a Mine Sweeper in the Pacific. After the war he transitioned to the U.S. Navy Reserves and retired after 21 yrs combined active and reserve service.
Upon returning to South Fulton, he married Virginia Ann Hill in 1947, who preceded him in death in 1993. They have three children, Charles Eugene (Gene) Cannon (wife-Margie), George Thomas (Tommy) Cannon (wife-Ginny) of South Fulton, TN and Mary Jane Murphree (husband-Terry) of Paris, TN and seven grand children, Renee (Cannon) Parker (husband -Jim) of Silver Spring, MD; Claire (Cannon) Wolcott (husband-Jeremiah) of Edgewater, CO; Elizabeth Cannon of Oxford, MS; Bonnie Cannon of Rural Hall, NC; Julie (Cannon) Riddell (husband-Michael) of Frankfort, KY; Mitchell Murphree (wife-Krista) of Murfreesboro, TN; and Mollie Murphree of Nashville, TN. Charles has seven great grandchildren, Courtney and Kelly Parker; Abigail and Jackson Wolcott; Joseph Riddell; Cannon and Fineas Murphree.
He spent most of his life in the Twin Cities of South Fulton, TN /Fulton, KY in the insurance and real estate business (Cannon Agency) and farming. Charles retired from the Cannon Agency after 31 years (1955 to 1986) and from farming (1947 to 1994) and moved to Mount Dora, FL. He married Mary Ellen Lowe Simmons in May 1994. In Mount Dora, he was active in Community Volunteer Service, Men’s Garden Club and the Audubon Society.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Virginia Ann Hill Cannon, his sisters, Rosa Ferrell of San Diego, California, Francis Lydia Cannon of South Fulton, TN and his brother Leroy Cannon of Memphis, TN.
