Herbert Coleman Church, Jr.

Herbert Coleman Church Jr, 74, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, July 10, 2026 at NHC Columbia. Complications from Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson’s took him way too soon.

Herbert was a Southern Renaissance man, excelling at everything he set his mind to. He was an avid deer and turkey hunter, taxidermist, metal detected for civil war treasures, some of which he cast replicas for rings and necklaces. He collected and mounted arrows, designed websites, loved golf, taught himself to paint and write poetry. He loved to cook for his friends. He canned juices, vegetables, probiotic pickles, and kraut. His chili won many awards.

Herbert was born on December 5, 1951 in Columbia, Tennessee and was a 1969 graduate of Columbia Central high school where he played all positions of football. He graduated from Columbia State Community College and then joined the National Guard Reserves where he served for six years before going into professional rodeo.

Herbert loved the rodeo! His love of rodeo started around 15, when he and his brother Bill would ride the steers where they worked at the stockyard. He rode bareback horse and bull, placing second at the 1974 IRA rodeo in Madison Square Garden. He was tenth in the world at the height of his career. Herbert was the first Tennessee cowboy to make it into the International Rodeo finals. After he retired from rodeo, he worked many years for Nissan until he retired in 2007.

Pre-deceasing Herbert is his father Herbert Coleman Church, Sr and mother Ann Carter Bills Church. Herbert married Sherri Ann St John on April 27, 2013  who cared for him until his passing. He has two sons from his 1976 marriage to Kathy Turner: Herbert Coleman Church III (Amanda) and Joshua Barksdale Church (Melissa);  four grandchildren, Landon Church, Hope Love, Jeremy Church, Natalee Church and Raelynn Gates (Amanda); two great grandkids Brynlee and Carson; two brothers William Carter Church (Jan) and John Harding Church (Brenda); nephews Justin Church (Blaine), Corey Church (Tara), Joey Church (Leigh Anne) and niece Kelli Church Glenn (Todd.)

No funeral will be held, but a Celebration of Life will be at DBs Pizza and Wings in Columbia, TN on Saturday, July 25th from 1:00 to 4:00.

A special thank you to The Shop, who helped until Sherri retired.

Herbert lived life to the fullest and will be truly missed by all who knew and loved him.