• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds




Obituary: Mavis Vanderpool Kohler

Posted at 9:10 am September 10, 2020
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Mavis Kohler

Mavis Vanderpool Kohler of Oak Ridge died peacefully Sunday morning, September 6. She was 99 and a veteran of World War II.

She was predeceased 10 years ago by her husband of 62 years, Peter Bogart Kohler, and earlier by her parents, Laura Hall Vanderpool and John Vanderpool.

Born in the small mountain town of McDowell, Kentucky, she was one of six children. Although her parents had only grade-school educations, she was graduated from Pikeville College (now University of Pikeville) with a teaching degree. She vividly remembered the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, sitting in her dorm room listening to the President’s speech on the radio. She returned home to McDowell and Floyd County, where she took a one-year teaching job in a two-room schoolhouse; she served as principal and taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grades.

With her two older brothers enlisting in service, she also answered the call to duty and became among the first group of women to enlist in the U.S. Navy’s WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). Leaving eastern Kentucky for the first time in her life, she boarded a train and reported to Hunter College in New York City for basic training. Following basic and advanced training, she served as a Pharmacists Mate in the Medical Corps and was based in Washington, D.C., working in U.S. Navy clinics and hospitals.

After her honorable discharge, she moved to Oak Ridge, where she worked in an administrative position for the Atomic Energy Commission at the Castle on the Hill. There she met Pete Kohler, another World War II vet who was from New York State, and they married in 1948 in Clinton, Tennessee. After a relocation to Hanford, Washington, and other cities, they moved back to Oak Ridge in 1953, where they lived the rest of their lives.

Extremely proud to have served her country in World War II, she had been recognized with a Quilt of Valor and as an honoree in the annual Veteran’s Day parade. She and her husband participated together in an Honor Air Flight to Washington, D.C., in 2009.

Until retirement, she was an employee of the Oak Ridge school system, working as a substitute teacher and as a teacher’s aide, primarily at Woodland Elementary School. In addition, she served several terms as President of the Republican Women’s Club and was active in Republican events. She looked forward to basketball season every year and loved pulling for her University of Kentucky Wildcats. During the off-season, she enjoyed working in her yard and was honored as Yard of the Month more than once. She doted on her family and grandchildren and enjoyed time with friends and relatives.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her sisters, Magia Vanderpool Carver and Shirley Vanderpool Emory, and her brothers Ralph, Ottis, and Rayce Vanderpool. She is survived by her daughters, Deborah Kohler Woolley of Nashville and Laurie Vanderpool Kohler of Clinton, and her son, Peter Bogart Kohler II of South Carolina. She is also survived by her half-sister, Joanna Vanderpool Griggs of Humboldt, Tennessee, two grandchildren, several cousins, and numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

The family would like to say a special thank you to her medical team—Dr. Andre Churchwell and Dr. Sara Martin, both of Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville—who took exceptional care of her for the past 10 years. Most of all, the family says a heartfelt thank you to Rhonda Teague, her private nurse of almost four years, who gave her both professional and loving care.

Because of the pandemic, there only will be a graveside service where people can easily attend and socially distance. She will be buried in Oak Ridge Memorial Park with full military honors. It will be held Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. in The Garden of Valor, the veteran’s section of the cemetery. Both the Patriot Guard Riders and the East Tennessee Veterans Honor Guard will participate.

Weatherford Mortuary is handling the arrangements. An online guest book can be signed at www.weatherfordmortuary.com.

Filed Under: Obituaries Tagged With: Mavis Vanderpool Kohler, obituary

Advertisements

 

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Obituaries

Obituary: Trenda Lynn Howard

Trenda Lynn Howard, age 79, went to be with the Lord on Saturday February 12, 2022. She was of the Baptist faith and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star #390. Trenda was formerly employed by Oak Ridge Schools … [Read More...]

Obituary: Harold ‘Hal’ Lloyd Davis

Harold “Hal” Lloyd Davis, 91, of Oak Ridge, went to be with the Lord, December 7, 2021. He passed surrounded by his family following a short illness. Hal’s legacy of love for his family and passion for learning will stay … [Read More...]

Obituary: Laura Ann Jernigan

Laura Ann Jernigan, age 73, passed away peacefully August 2, 2021. She was originally from Pennsylvania but has called East Tennessee home for more than 35 years. Her late husband Richard Jernigan III introduced her to … [Read More...]

Oak Ridge Public Works director dies after short illness

Oak Ridge Public Works Director Shira McWaters died Saturday after a short illness, the city said. She was 60. “Today we have lost a colleague and a friend,” Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said. “Our hearts are … [Read More...]

Obituary: William Taylor (‘T’) Henry Jr.

William Taylor (‘T’) Henry, Jr. passed away on April 24, 2021, two weeks before his 92nd birthday. The second son of William and Nell Hardie Henry, Dad was born in a coal camp in Gatliff, Kentucky on May 6, 1929. His … [Read More...]

More Obituaries

Recent Posts

  • Rocky Top woman pleads guilty to murder, sentenced to life
  • REAC/TS welcomes new team members: John Crapo, Josh Hayes and David Quillen
  • NASA Postdoctoral Program seeks early career and senior scientists for prestigious fellowships at its locations across the U.S.
  • ORAU names Brandon Criswell associate general counsel
  • Update on downtown Oak Ridge Tuesday
  • TVA has virtual open house for Clinch River Nuclear Site
  • Science and supercomputers at ORNL topic of Mar. 8 talk
  • First Presbyterian offers free meals & groceries on Mar. 10
  • Secret City Academy student charged with terrorism after alleged shooting, bomb threats
  • ORHS Masquers presents ‘Into the Woods’

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2022 Oak Ridge Today