Jimmy Lott | Collierville Independent

Collierville Alderman Jimmy Lott passed away on Jan. 13, 2015. He was a soft-spoken, gentle man of great warmth, faith and inner strength. He made you welcome, made you laugh, made you think, made you care. His mama, Nell, had only one son and she set out to make him a gentleman who cared about his fellow man.
He learned those lessons well while was growing up in Selmer, Tenn. during the 50s. From that All-American country background he continued learning more lessons in school at Memphis State and U.T. Martin.
On Oct. 14, 1958, he jumped at an opportunity to learn the glass business. Once established in his career, he married Dot in 1959 and they began their life together in Memphis. Shortly after, there was a two-year hiatus when Jimmy joined the Air Force Reserve, Active Duty and served during the Cuban Crisis.
Once back in civilian life, their only son, Allen, was born, followed by their final move to Collierville in 1971.
In Collierville, they started building their own business, Tull Glass Inc. As time passed, the family increased in size when Alan and Hollee were married and then added three grandchildren, all boys James and wife Kelly, Christopher and Austin, all whom live nearby.
Jimmy Lott had a strong history of sharing his time and talents with his fellow man, both as a volunteer and elected official. Whether it’s carrying the down markers for the high school for 30 years, serving on the Football Boosters, being a Rotarian for 40 years or being an active member of the First Baptist Church of Collierville’s Board of Trustees and Building Steering Committee, he was generous of his time here at home. In the broader sense, he was drawn to participate in World Changers International in 1991.
Part of each summer since then, he continued to work on church missions as a carpenter in such places as Michigan, New York State, Chile, Honduras and Belize, Missouri, Arizona and Alaska. As the leader of a growing company, Jimmy recognized the value of true leadership in his community and agreed to serve on the first Board of Zoning Appeals from 1975-1979 and then the Planning Commission from 1979-1987. First elected to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen as an Alderman in May 1987 he served until June 1999, and again from May 2003 to the present in his current Alderman term.
Additionally, he’s been a long-time active member of the Collierville Chamber of Commerce and in 2009 was honored for his achievements as ‘Collierville Chamber Person of the Year’. In 2006 he was awarded Collierville High School Lifetime Dragon Award and that same year became a Leadership Collierville graduate. In 1999, he was named Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club