Weakley County Commissioner Scott Fortner passed away Saturday evening following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Weakley County Mayor Jake Bynum called Mr. Fortner “an excellent representative of the county commission serving his district and his  constituents admirably.” Mayor Bynum went on to say, “Scott served as Chairman of the Public Safety Committee and on the Heed Committee taking great interest in all aspects of county government and provided excellent leadership in his position on the commission. He will be missed.”
Commissioner Fortner is the second Weakley County Commissioner to pass away while in office in recent years.
Commissioner Roger VanCleave passed away November 11, 2019.
Commissioner Fortner’s bio from the Weakley County Government website follows:
Matthew Scott Fortner was elected to the County Commission August 5, 2010. He was born January 22, 1962, and is the son of the late Dr. Wesley O. Fortner, Jr. (former UTM Accounting professor) and Doris C. Fortner (a retired 4th grade Martin school teacher). He is the husband of 25 years to Angela Jolley Fortner whom he met in High School. They also have three children, Matthew (Rachel) Fortner, Zachary Fortner, and Nicholas Fortner. They also have two grandchildren, Lily Beth Fortner and Sullivan James Fortner.
Scott is a lifelong resident of Martin and Weakley County except for a few years when work transferred them to Alabama. He attended the schools in Martin and graduated from Westview High School in 1980. He then went on to attend UTM. During his youth he was active in Boy Scouts, reaching the rank of Eagle Scout.
During the time he started college, Scott also began a career in retail by going to work for Wal-Mart stores. After being promoted from the hourly ranks to management, he spent almost 10 years in management in various stores in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. Scott later joined OfficeMax stores and spent 12+ years in various management positions at store and at corporate levels. During these years working in retail, Scott remained active in church and community activities. He coached numerous parks and recreation league basketball and baseball teams.
Scott and his family are members of Central Baptist Church in Martin where he serves as a Deacon.
In recent years, Scott returned to UTM to finish his degree he had postponed earlier to begin his retail career. He graduated from UTM with a Bachelors of University Studies degree in 2005. Scott is retired from retail and spends his time occasionally substitute teaching in the Weakley County Schools. His other activities include being active in support for the Agape House, starting up a small eBay internet company, being an avid reader, and spending time with his granddaughter.
“It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to seek and become elected to public office where I could serve and work to provide a better future for our children and grandchildren. I can think of no better place to raise them other than here in Martin, Weakley County, Tennessee. I appreciate the trust the voters of the 5th District have placed in me to accomplish that.”
Funeral services for Scott Fortner will be Tuesday at 11:00 at Cenral Baptist Church with burial in the East Side Cemetery.
