Lance Hartbarger

Freelen Lance Hartbarger, 74, of Smyrna, Tennessee passed away on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Lance was born in Red Bank, Tennessee, on August 24, 1951. He was a longtime resident of the Chattanooga area until relocating to the Nashville area in 2006. He took early retirement from TDOT in 2014 to become a “nanny” for his first grandchild. He was an avid fisherman all his life, enjoying countless fishing trips with his buddies.

Lance was preceded in death by his parents, Freelen Hartbarger and Esther Dyer; and his sisters Barbara, Shirley, and Judy. He is survived by his wife, Linda Hartbarger; his daughters Heather Kang (Hyuckjoon) and Jessica Hixson (Grant); and three grandchildren.

In honor of Lance’s love of fishing, memorial contributions may be made to the W.E.T. Foundation (https://mylakeguntersville.com), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the health of Guntersville Lake, his favorite fishing spot.

A memorial service will be held at a later date, and details will be shared here once they are finalized.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Woodfin Funeral Chapels and an online guestbook is available for the Hartbarger family at www.woodfinchapel.com.