Mr. Jerry Lee Cauthen, age 71 of White Bluff, TN, passed away on August 27, 2026, at TriStar Horizon Medical Center of Dickson.
A funeral service will be conducted on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. in the Chapel of the Taylor Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Taylor Town Cemetery in White Bluff. Visitation with the family will take place on Monday, August 31, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and on Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service.
He was born on February 11, 1955, in Nashville, TN, to the late Edward Clifton Cauthen, Sr. and the late Mary Susan Pickney Cauthen. Jerry shared over 48 years of love with his wife, Lynn Quinn Cauthen. He was also a Union worker for Ford Motor Company as a carpenter for many years.
Jerry was a Christian first and foremost, and he loved Jesus deeply. His faith was at the heart of who he was and how he lived his life.
Jerry also had a great love for music, especially bluegrass. He was a talented musician who played the guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and several other instruments. He could often be found at the Barn in White Bluff, picking bluegrass and sharing his love of music with others.
Jerry also enjoyed watching Westerns and spending time away from home in the Smoky Mountains and at the beach. But perhaps no place held a more special place in his heart than Montgomery Bell State Park, where he and Mrs. Lynn spent many happy days together, making memories they treasured.
Jerry was a gifted storyteller and joke teller, and he had a way of bringing a smile and a laugh to those around him. He was a very generous man who was almost always happy and smiling. In fact, that joyful spirit earned him the nickname “Smiley” early in life—a name that suited him perfectly and stayed with him through the years.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother: Eddie Cauthen.
Survivors include his loving wife: Lynn Cauthen of White Bluff; his children: David Matthew Cauthen (Amy) of White Bluff and Jennifer Dunnewold (Luke) of Maryville; his brothers: Joe Cauthen (Jayne) of Pegram and John Cauthen (Machelle) of Nashville; his sisters: Mary Anne Mujica (Mario) and Joan Poskevich (David), both of Fayetteville, GA; his two grandchildren: Alice Cauthen and Judah Dunnewold; and his “second son”: Adam Griffin – “He Has Problems”; as well as a whole slew of nieces and nephews.