Jonathan Bryan Pace, known as Jon, passed away at the age of 58 in his home in Germantown, TN, on March 20, 2025, following a courageous battle with glioblastoma (brain cancer).
Born on January 5, 1967, in Nashville, TN, Jon was the beloved son of Joyce Pace (Cantrell) and Alzo Bryan Pace Jr. He was raised in Plant, TN, alongside his sister, Marcia Joiner (Pace).
Jon’s childhood in Plant was filled with playful mischief, including memorable moments such as painting “Where’s the Beef?” on his grandmother’s barn roof with his cousin, Robbie Cantrell. He also spent a great deal of time teasing—and as his sister would say, “tormenting”—Marcia.
Jon pursued his undergraduate studies at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1989. It was during his time at Tennessee Tech that he met the love of his life, Christy Pace (Sibert). The couple married on August 18, 1989, in Hermitage, TN.
After their marriage, Jon and Christy relocated to Pittsburgh, PA, where Jon attended Carnegie Mellon University, earning a Master of Science in Industrial Administration in 1991. Upon completing his graduate degree, the couple moved to Memphis, TN, where Jon began his 34-year career at FedEx. Starting as an intern, he worked his way up to the position of Flight Operations Finance Manager.
In 1992, Jon and Christy purchased a home in Germantown, TN, where they raised their two children, Bryan and Katherine. When he wasn’t busy with family life, Jon generously dedicated his time to volunteer work. For 27 years, he served as a deacon at Germantown Church of Christ, contributing his technical skills almost daily. He also volunteered with Life Blood (now Vitalant), frequently donating blood and plasma while offering his tech support services.
Jon had many interests and hobbies that he passionately pursued, including hunting, fishing, solving puzzles, working on cars, playing video games, cheering for the Steelers, watching science fiction films and shows, researching family ancestry, building computers, and reading. As a participant in the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS), Jon achieved a remarkable accomplishment by discovering the 50th known Mersenne prime, 277232917-1, which, at the time, was the largest known prime number—over 23 million digits long.
Jon was preceded in death by his father, Alzo Bryan Pace Jr. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Christy; their children, Bryan (Sequoyah) Pace and Katherine (Riley) Pace; his mother, Joyce Pace; his sister, Marcia (Rickie) Joiner; and his extended family, including Brenton Davis.
The funeral service will be held on Friday, March 28, 2025, at 1:00 pm at Woodland Fellowship Church (formerly New Johnsonville United Methodist Church), located at 718 Woodland Dr., New Johnsonville, TN 37134. Visitation will be held from 11:00 am until the service begins. Burial will immediately follow at Jackson Cemetery, Old State Route 1, New Johnsonville, TN. Serving as pallbearers are Robbie Cantrell, Michael Carroll, Tony Cook, Kevin Duke, Collin Joiner, Tim Pace, Lee Uptain, and Tom Wyrick. Honorary pallbearers are Sampath Kumar and Daniel McClure.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the West Cancer Foundation at https://westcancerfoundation.org/support/ or to the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) at https://www.mersenne.org/donate/.
Arrangements are entrusted to Anglin Funeral Home in Dover, TN. Online condolences may be made at anglinfuneralhome.com.