Justin "Cole" Hammontree

Justin “Cole” Hammontree passed away on August 30th at the age of 40 in Chatsworth, Georgia, after a struggle with Covid-19. Cole was born to Marti and Tim Hammontree on January 9th, 1981, in the small coal mining town of Harlan, Kentucky. He would become the oldest of five children, leading the way through new experiences as the family settled in Maryville, Tennessee. Cole was adventurous, fearless, energetic, industrious, and determined as a child. In his teens, he found himself a part of a close-knit group of friends and athletes that would later make history on the football field. Off the field, he always had a smile on his face and a joke to tell. After graduation, Cole took his love of both cars and taking things apart and turned them into a successful career as a mechanic. In his early 30s, he welcomed his first and only child, Colton. Cole faced indescribable challenges as a young adult. Many who knew him knew that he wrestled with addiction. He never gave up; always striving for the life he knew he wanted to live. With help from a couple of extremely generous friends, he received the treatment he needed and went on to tell his story of survival to others. The family is forever grateful for this gift of recovery. His path to betterment led him also to his love, Cristina Pressley. They shared a life and a home, with Cristina’s two children, and their ever increasing brood of cats. Cole could fix any car, catch a fish (and fry it!), renovate a bathroom, give a cat a manicure, use up all your hot sauce, and love you no matter what. Cole is survived by his long-time girlfriend, Cristina Pressley of Dalton, GA (Ethan and Loralei); son, Colton Hammontree (mother Andrea Clotfelter) of Lenoir City, TN; parents, Tim and Marti Hammontree of Maryville, TN; grandmother, Virginia Hammontree of Greenback, TN; sister, Casi Hutchings (Nicholas) of Arlington, VA; sister, Cori Howell (Corey) of Milledgeville, GA; sister, Cris Stewart of Maryville, TN; brother, Cain Hammontree (Summer) of Maryville, TN; and eight nieces and nephews. Cole is preceded in death by grandfather, Reverend R.L. Hammontree (11/11/2002), and grandmother, Kerma L. Ryan (12/12/2020). Celebration of Cole’s Life will be from 2:00 until 5:00 PM on Saturday, October 2nd, 2021 at Grandview Pavilion, 2316 Graves Road., Maryville, TN 37803. Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, 865-983-1000, www.SmithFuneralandCremation.com To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Justin "Cole" Hammontree please visit our Sympathy Store.