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Shirl Greer Funeral Arrangements
| POSTED: 2010-03-15 11:05:00 |  EMAIL TO A FRIEND |
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Wilmer Shirl Greer, 75, of Kingsport, Tennessee, passed away Friday, March 12, 2010, after a brief illness at James H. Quillen DVAMC in Mountain Home, Tennessee. He was born on May 11, 1935, in Scott County, Virginia (Gate City), moved to Kingsport, then to Warner Robbins, Georgia, before returning to Kingsport.
Shirl began racing cars in 1951 while serving in the Air Force as a mechanic and eventually turned his hobby into a profession. He helped pioneer the Funny Car class and many innovations that are still in use in drag racing today. Shirl was the first NHRA Funny Car World Champion in 1974, in the most dramatic and courageous race ever. During qualifying, there was a terrible fire in his Mustang Funny Car that left him with third degree burn on his hands and his car burned almost beyond repair. While in the hospital, his crew, with the help of a multitude of other racers and friends worked through the night rebuilding his car for Sunday's eliminations. Shirl, against doctors orders, checked himself out of the hospital, went to the race track and won the first round, giving him enough points to clinch the championship. Shirl went on to win many Divisional and National Events in NHRA, IHRA and AHRA and numerous other match races all across the county. He was inducted into the Southeast Drag Racing Hall of Fame, the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame and was the Grand Marshall at the 2009 Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, TN.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Orbin B. Greer and Maude G. Stallard Castle.
Survivors include his wife, Deborah Greer of the home; sons, Rusty Greer and wife, Rachel of Florence SC, Van Greer and wife Christy of Kingsport and their mother, Dee Greer, Brian Greer and girlfriend, Kellie Tester of Kingsport and his mother, Connie Greer; a great-grandson, Dylan Reese Blount and several other family members.
The family will receive friends from 5 - 7 pm Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at Carter-Trent Funeral Home, 520 Watauga Street, Kingsport.
Military graveside services will be held at 11 am on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at Mountain Home National Cemetery, Mountain Home, TN, conducted by the American Legion Post # 3 / 265. Those who wish to attend are asked to meet at the funeral home at 9:30 am. Pallbearers will be family and friends.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Shirl Greer Memorial Fund, C/O First Tennessee Bank, 1101 North Eastman Road, Kingsport, TN 37664.
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Shirl began racing cars in 1951 while serving in the Air Force as a mechanic and eventually turned his hobby into a profession. He helped pioneer the Funny Car class and many innovations that are still in use in drag racing today. Shirl was the first NHRA Funny Car World Champion in 1974, in the most dramatic and courageous race ever. During qualifying, there was a terrible fire in his Mustang Funny Car that left him with third degree burn on his hands and his car burned almost beyond repair. While in the hospital, his crew, with the help of a multitude of other racers and friends worked through the night rebuilding his car for Sunday's eliminations. Shirl, against doctors orders, checked himself out of the hospital, went to the race track and won the first round, giving him enough points to clinch the championship. Shirl went on to win many Divisional and National Events in NHRA, IHRA and AHRA and numerous other match races all across the county. He was inducted into the Southeast Drag Racing Hall of Fame, the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame and was the Grand Marshall at the 2009 Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, TN.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Orbin B. Greer and Maude G. Stallard Castle.
Survivors include his wife, Deborah Greer of the home; sons, Rusty Greer and wife, Rachel of Florence SC, Van Greer and wife Christy of Kingsport and their mother, Dee Greer, Brian Greer and girlfriend, Kellie Tester of Kingsport and his mother, Connie Greer; a great-grandson, Dylan Reese Blount and several other family members.
The family will receive friends from 5 - 7 pm Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at Carter-Trent Funeral Home, 520 Watauga Street, Kingsport.
Military graveside services will be held at 11 am on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at Mountain Home National Cemetery, Mountain Home, TN, conducted by the American Legion Post # 3 / 265. Those who wish to attend are asked to meet at the funeral home at 9:30 am. Pallbearers will be family and friends.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Shirl Greer Memorial Fund, C/O First Tennessee Bank, 1101 North Eastman Road, Kingsport, TN 37664.
