James Clyde Peoples, age 79, of Shelbyville, TN, passed from this life on January 22, 2026, at Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro from an extended illness.
Born September 3, 1946, in Manchester TN, to Ostell Benton “OB” and Winona Harmon Peoples. He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter Dr. Brenda Lynn Peoples Daniel of Ardmore, TN; brothers Ostell Carl Peoples and Thomas Dewayne “Wayne” Peoples of Shelbyville; sisters Wanda Marie Peoples Hartley of College Grove, and Nancy Diane Peoples Meador of Huntland; grandparents Jim and Anna Hittson Harmon and Benton and Minnie Rowe Peoples, all of Shelbyville.
Clyde met Lizzie Mae West of Lewisburg, in August 1965, at a square dance in
Fayetteville and they married on December 11, 1965. They lived and made a life in Shelbyville, with their two daughters Brenda and Tracie. He was member of Victory Baptist Church, a Master Mason and a Scottish Rite with the Shelbyville Benevolent Lodge #122, a member of the Al Menah Shriners, a 30-year member of the Teamster Local Union 480, a former TN Walking Horse Judge, and a former Bedford County Utility District Commissioner.
Clyde was working for the Sealtest Milk Company delivering milk to homes while getting his racing career started in 1966 at Winchester. He later became a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver, winning many races in Talladega, Bristol, Nashville, Huntsville, and Charlotte. He loved to tell stories of racing and working with such greats like Bobby Allison, Donne Allison, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmy “Smut” Means, Coo Coo Marlin, Harry Gant, Buddy Baker, Junior Johnson, Marty Robbins, and Darrell Waltrip. His success was achieved with the help of his friend and crew chief Bobby Gregory. After retiring from racing, Clyde and Lizzie started Peoples Trucking Company hauling steel for the Mason Dixon Company. In the early 80’s Clyde started working for Yellow Freight in Nashville, where he worked up until October 6, 2003. On this day he suffered a massive stroke coming back from Atlanta. If you saw Clyde since his stroke, you knew the stroke took his speech. But he always had a smile on his face,
and didn’t allow it to take his passion or spitfire for life and could always get his point across.
Clyde, along with being a NACAR fan, was also an avid University of Tennessee
Football fan. He could have been heard for miles cheering them on either at home, at Neyland Stadium or in a hospital room, he loved his Vols. He was especially proud of his daughters for graduating college, Brenda from UT Knoxville and Tracie from MTSU.
He also took pride in his grandchildren Kirk and Abby for graduating from MTSU and his grandson Bailey for currently attending Motlow State Community College. Clyde was always a giver and expected nothing in return. His hobbies included restoring his Hit-n-Miss Engines, attending Antique Engines shows, collecting John Deere memorabilia and being anywhere his grandchildren were. The three of them had Poppaw wrapped around their fingers, knowing if their parents said no, that Poppaw would always say
Yes.
Clyde is survived by his wife of 60 years, Lizzie Mae West Peoples of Shelbyville; daughter Tracie Anne (Michael Peacock) Peoples of Shelbyville; son-in-law Max Daniel of Ardmore, TN; grandchildren (twins) Kirk Harmon Daniel and Abigail Paige Daniel of Murfreesboro, and Bailey Jackson Peacock of Shelbyville; his grand-dogs Coco, Brady, Chewie, Bruce Wayne and Spock. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends he considered family.
Funeral Services will be held at 12 noon, Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Victory Baptist Church in Shelbyville with Pastor Loyd Warren officiating. Burial will follow at the Wheel Cemetery on Highway 64 West in the Wheel Community.
Visitation with the family will be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, January 30, 2026, at Doak-Howell Funeral Home.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society at
www.donate.cancer.org in memory of his daughter Dr. Brenda Lynn Peoples Daniel, the American Stroke Association at www.stroke.org or the American Heart Association at www.heart.org.
Doak-Howell Funeral Home is serving the family.
www.doakhowellfuneralhome.com
