Henry Cumming Twiggs, Jr. (September 6, 1924-December 20, 2014) died peacefully at an assisted living facility in Lenoir City, Tenn. where he resided for the past three years.  Henry is survived by his wife of 68 years, Joan Mary Twiggs; their five children; Ann M. Twiggs, Martha E. (Genie) Murphy, Joan E. Twiggs, PhD, David James Henry Twiggs, and The Rev. Frances R. Twiggs; their spouses; a cousin, Margaret Jackson; four grandchildren, Aileen, Caroline, Robert and Katie Twiggs; and one great-grandchild.

Although Henry lived 54 years in East Tennessee, he was not a native to the region.  He was born in Havana, Cuba to Henry C. Twiggs, Sr. and Bernice Lawson Twiggs. Henry was a veteran of the US Army and served in both WWII and the Korean War.  During WWII while in England he met and married British subject, Joan Mary Akerman. When serving in the Army during the Korean conflict, Mr. Twiggs and his family were stationed in Canada, Germany and the United States. Mr. Twiggs received his undergraduate and master’s degree at Clemson University. They settled in Kingsport, Tenn. in 1960 when Henry accepted a position as an organic chemist at Tennessee Eastman Kodak Company retiring in 1986.

Henry was an avid rock hound enjoying collecting, cataloging and photographing mineral specimens. He also collected stamps from around the world. Throughout his life, Henry spent his summers at the family’s summer home in Saluda, N.C. and recently contributed to an oral history of the area, a video of which can be viewed on You Tube. Mr. Twiggs volunteered with Meals on Wheels and as a Spanish interpreter when needed.

Henry and Joan were active members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Kingsport and then attended Church of the Resurrection Episcopal Church when they moved to Lenoir City in 2004.

A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Resurrection, 917 Pond Road, Loudon, Tenn. on Dec. 30 at 3 p.m., reception to follow.  In lieu of flowers the family requests that a donation be sent to Episcopal Relief and Development http://www.episcopalrelief.org.