He was the son of the late Beatrice Jordan Tatum and Bruce Tatum. He was preceded in death by his brother, James Tatum.
“Taterbug,” as he was affectionately called, was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean conflict. He was a truck driver most of his life working for Leamon Trucking and retiring from Cardinal Trucking.
He loved the outdoors and enjoyed working in his vegetable and flower gardens. For many years, “Taterbug” was a car detailer. He enjoyed working on antique cars.
He was a member of the Cleveland Masonic Lodge No. 134 F&AM and was also a member of Clingan Ridge Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Tatum, of Cleveland; son, Michael “Mike” Tatum and his companion, Judy LaBella; his grandchildren: Shalea Donegan and her husband, Josh, of Memphis, Megan LaBella of Nashville, Joseph LaBella of Niota; his sisters: Charlotte Casteel and her husband, Jimmy, and Arwana Johnson, all of Calhoun, Brenda Silvers and her husband, Terry, and Georgia Milen, all of Old Fort; brother, the Rev. Roy Tatum and his wife, Gail, of Cleveland, Randall Tatum and his wife, Norma, of Calhoun; sister-in-law, Brenda Bentkowski and her husband, Dale, of Cleveland; and several nieces and nephews.
The Remembrance of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, from the North Ocoee Chapel of Jim Rush Funeral Homes with the Revs. Leroy Elliott and Roy Tatum officiating.
Interment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Gardens with James Blevins, Jimmy Robinson, Joey LaBella, Patrick Dalton, Curtis Johnson and Brad Brown serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Doyle Withrow and John Robinson.
Military honors will be given.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 this evening at the funeral home.
The memorial book may be viewed and signed at www.jimrushfuneralhomes.com.
