Johnny Earl Hinton, age 79, of Florence, passed away Thursday, April 6, 2023.

Visitation will be Monday, April 10^th from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon at Williams Funeral Home. The service will follow at 12:00 in the funeral home chapel with Brother John Brock and Brother Chris Underwood officiating. Burial will be at Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Deborah Clanton Hinton; parents, Clifton and Wadean Hinton; brother, Samuel Wayne Hinton.

Survivors are his daughters, Adrienne Hinton Simmons (Chris) and Allison Hinton; siblings, Frankie Lynn Hinton (Marlene) and Martha Jane Hinton Agin (Brad); grandchildren, Sean Caleb Simmons, Alexis Rose Nokes and Archer John Nokes; brother and sister-in-laws, Charles and Carol Clanton, Randy and Sandy Clanton, and several nieces and nephews.

He was a graduate of Mars Hill Bible School, a member of Highland Baptist Church, a U.S. Air Force Veteran having served in Vietnam and was a retired Pipefitter with TVA and a retired member of Local # 760.

Johnny was an adventurous soul with a love for all things related to aviation. Starting at an

early age, from building rockets to model airplanes, that led to his joining the United States Air

Force becoming a pilot during the Vietnam War. This early love for flying even led to his taking

his future bride on a flight for their very first date. In 1980, he was labeled a “Shade Tree

Mechanic” after building his own single-seater KR-2 in his garage. Over the years he

transitioned to planes such as the Ultralight and the ParaPlane. He also enjoyed showing off his

skills with Radio-Controlled Aviation, such as planes and drones.

His passions did not stop with aviation, but also continued on to motorcycles, cross-country

adventures, and car racing. He even had a hidden love for Disney, which he passed on to his

daughters and grandchildren. He may have been a man of few words, but he was a wealth of

knowledge, and very respected and loved by those who knew him.