Dabney Scales Wellford
Memphis, TN
Dabney Scales Wellford was born on July 28, 1926 to Robert Yates Wellford and Anne Scales Wellford. He loved God, family, tennis, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tennessee Volunteers. He was the great-great-grandson of General James Winchester, a founder of Memphis. Dabney graduated from Germantown High School and the University of Tennessee. He was a UT Torchbearer-the highest honor bestowed for leadership.
Dabney was an active member of First Presbyterian Church. He joined in 1935--his grandfather had joined in 1866. He spent many hours in Christian service as an officer, trustee, teacher, and choir member. He served on committees of the Memphis Presbytery, as Clerk of the Presbytery and a delegate to the General Assembly.
Dabney was well known in farm circles serving as a Farm Bureau Director for many years. After farming for several years, he worked at the National Cotton Council as an economist and Assistant to the Executive Vice President. He focused on speech and legislative writing and represented the Cotton Council at Congressional Committee sessions.
After selling his cattle farm in Cordova (now part of the Bellevue Baptist Church campus), Dabney took up the game of tennis and tried hard to keep up with his local and state-ranked Wellford cousins. He served as President of the Memphis Tennis Association and was inducted into the Shelby County Sports Hall of Fame. He regularly played on USTA teams and in the Senior Olympics. He played his last match on June 26, 2018.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, whom he loved dearly and met at First Presbyterian, and three children: Dabney, Jr. (Carolyn), Brandon (Charissa), and Evelyn (Jon) Walker. He has five grandchildren: Diana (Jason) Turner, Nicole Wellford, Robert Wellford, Anne Wellford and Mac Walker; and one great-grandson: Brisbane Turner.
On Friday, July 13, visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 6 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 166 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103. The family requests memorials, in lieu of flowers, be directed to First Presbyterian Church.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
4 Entries
Paul Williford
July 14, 2018
Paul Williford
July 11, 2018
Love to all the Wellfords - and thanks for sharing your father with us! He was such a warm, thoughtful, patient, caring person. Church picnics and other events where your father and mother welcomed us are cherished memories. God bless all of you!
Paul Williford
July 11, 2018
Paul Williford
July 11, 2018
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