Allen Morris

Funeral services for Allen Morris, Lead & Family Minister at First Christian Church Cookeville, age 50, will be held Tuesday, June 21st at 12 p.m. at First Christian Church. Pastor Chris VandeLinde and Hillier Duke will officiate. Private interment will be in Crest Lawn Cemetery. Allen's family will receive friends Monday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Cookeville chapel of Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home and again Tuesday from 10 a.m. until service time at the church. Allen died suddenly, Friday, June 17, 2016 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was born January 11, 1966 in Roanoke, Virginia to Jimmy and Judy Akers Morris. He was a 1984 graduate of New Castle (VA) High School. Allen loved Jesus and lived his life in service to Him, His church, and to countless youth and families in His name. He attended Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, TN where he met his wife Dani and graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Bible & Family Counseling. He spent five years ministering at New Hope Christian Church in Virginia. Allen and his family moved to Cookeville in 1993 to serve as youth minister at First Christian Church. He has served as Lead & Family Minister for the past 3 years. His kind, gentle, goofy and loving nature endeared him to his family, church family, community and to his many friends. Whether he was eating at Chick-fil-A, serving his church, serving on the board at Heart of the Cumberland and with other ministries, or coaching youth sports teams, Allen had a positive influence on everyone he was around. He had the heart of a minister wherever he went. He was a founding member of Tennessee Christian Teen Convention (TCTC), an annual meeting held in Gatlinburg that has grown to minister to over 5,000 teens each year. He loved going on mission trips, especially to the Tijuana Christian Mission in Mexico. He was an avid Kentucky Wildcats fan. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his adoring family, his wife of 29 years, Dani Seybold Morris (whom his married May 23, 1987 in Logansport, Indiana); son, Isaac Morris; daughter, Olivia Morris, both of Knoxville; brother, David Morris of Vinton, VA, sister, Robin Sampson and husband Scott of Salem, VA; and by nieces and nephew, Samantha Sampson, Hunter Sampson, Christina Gill and Whitney Morris. Family and friends at First Christian Church will serve as pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Morris Family, c/o First Christian Church, 780 Fairground St., Cookeville, TN 38501 or at https://www.fcc-cookeville.org/online-giving Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements (931)526-6111. You may share your thoughts and memories at www.hhhfunerals.com