BAXTER, Zeland (“Zeke”) Lee, passed from this life into the arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ, after a brief battle with leukemia on January 29, 2025 at Summit Medical Center. Born on February 23, 1944, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he was the youngest son of the late Virgil and Addus (Long) Baxter. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Charles Joseph Baxter. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Jean, and sons, Joshua and Nathan.
Prior to relocating to Middle Tennessee, Zeke entered the U.S. Army at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1965 to 1971 where he held the rank of PVT. E-2.
Known by most as “Coach Baxter,” Zeke was a public-school teacher for 41 years, 39 of which were spent in Mt. Juliet Schools, where he taught health and physical education, coached soccer, drove school busses, and taught the Tennessee Wildlife Hunter Education Safety course.
Zeke also led a very active spiritual life. He was a youth group leader and Sunday school teacher for decades at Green Hill Baptist Church and Victory Baptist Church. After retirement, he actively participated with the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief teams.
A memorial service for Zeke will be held on Saturday, February 8 at 2PM at Laguardo Baptist Church, 8585 TN Hwy 109, Lebanon, TN 37087. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Gideons International (gideons.org).
This obituary was published by Sellars Funeral Home.
This obituary was published by Obituaries provided free for the community.
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