Oak Ridge Today

Obituaries: Jan. 20-Jan. 22, 2023

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Michael Robert Ford, 49, of Knoxville, formerly of Oliver Springs, June 8, 1973-January 22, 2023. Born in Oak Ridge, graduated from Clinton High School in 1991, and an avid Tennessee and Atlanta Braves sports fan. Read his obituary here.

Catherine Wallace Rutherford, 91, of Clinton, January 6, 1932-January 22, 2023. Born in Anderson County, worked in the Anderson County Clerk’s office for 16 years. Read her obituary here.

Andre Dominique Fritts, 37, January 19, 1986-January 22, 2023. Served in the U.S. Army Reserve, a loving son, grandson, brother, uncle, and father. Read his obituary here.

Robbie Thomas “Robbie” Marth, 29, August 25, 1993-January 21, 2023. Family gives special thanks to the doctors and nurses in the CCU at Parkwest Medical Center, especially Ryan T. Read his obituary here.

Jennifer Lyn Smith, age 34, of Clinton, October 5, 1988-January 21, 2023. Jennifer loved the Lord and was a faithful member of Redemption Church in Knoxville. Read her obituary here.

Sue Worthington White, age 82, March 28, 1940-January 21, 2023. Graduated from Oak Ridge High School, Class of 1958, and worked as a substitute teacher in the 1980s and 1990s, mostly at Clinton High School, where she was fondly known as “Momma White.” Read her obituary here.

Virginia Lee Tokes, age, 89, of Clinton, June 24, 1933-January 20, 2023. Joined the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, worked for BF Goodrich Tire Co. and later Roadway Trucking Co. after leaving the service, moved to Clinton after retiring to be close to her siblings. Read her obituary here.

Obituary: Trenda Lynn Howard

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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 as a cafeteria worker.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, James William Howard, Jr.; mother, Myrl Catherine Edwards; father, Isaac Henderson Tackett, Jr.; grandson, Joseph William Howard Tunkel; sisters, Beverly Lee Mitchell and Andra Long; brother, Timothy Tackett; brother-in-law, Donald Wayne Gullett; and nephew, Earl Russ Long.

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Obituary: Harold ‘Hal’ Lloyd Davis

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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 with his family and friends forever.

Harold was born at home on September 18, 1930, to Bertha and Ray Davis in Portage, Ohio, and he grew up in the Buckeye State. From the very beginning, Harold had a strong passion and aptitude for education. He attended Portage Elementary School in Ohio, a school with three classes in one room and no indoor plumbing. In high school, he was bused from Portage to Bowling Green. He graduated in 1948 and started his college education at Bowling Green State University that fall.

In 1952, he interrupted his education to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He performed personnel duties at the regimental level and was in charge of the regimental Morning Report; after all, he could type! He was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant in 1953 and returned to Bowling Green State University where he was awarded a B.S. (cum laude) in Physics in June 1954.

Never one to sit still, he spent the summer as a bricklayer working for various contractors in the vicinity of Bowling Green before enrolling as a physics graduate student at Ohio State University that fall. His drive to learn led to Harold passing a two-day test that allowed him to continue his studies toward a Ph.D. at Ohio State without taking time for a master’s degree. His formal education ended with Ohio State awarding Harold a Ph.D. in theoretical materials science on Friday June 12, 1959.

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Ardo Ba named Oak Ridge electric director

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Ardo Ba

The City of Oak Ridge has named Ardo Ba as its new electric director.

Ba, who previously served as Oak Ridge Electric Department’s electric operations manager, has served as interim electric director since former Director Jack Sugg’s promotion to deputy city ,anager in March. Ba begins this role immediately.

“I’ve been with the Oak Ridge Electric Department since 2009, when I started as an electrical project manager,” Ba said in a press release. “We have a great group of people working together to keep the lights on and life running, and I am ready to move our department forward as its next director.”

Ba was promoted to electric operations manager in 2017. In that role, he directed and managed Electric Department crews, including contract crews. He made sure departmental staff were up to date on training and ensured compliance with all safety-related practices, laws, and regulations, the press release said.

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

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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 family grew up poor and hard and bounced around Appalachian coal mining camps until the family settled in Oak Ridge in early 1944. Due to all the moving, he was two years behind in school, but he quickly caught up and graduated on time from Oak Ridge High School in 1948.

Dad proudly served in the U. S. Army 4th Infantry Division from 1950-1952 and then returned to Oak Ridge. He never lived anywhere else or had any desire to. He was proud of Oak Ridge and its history, and he was always full of ideas of how to improve and promote his beloved hometown.

In February 1955, he married Billie Sue Looper of Hickory, North Carolina, and they had two sons. Dad was a hot cell operator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for over 30 years before retiring—but he definitely did not slow down. He enjoyed whittling, traveling, working in his yard, collecting old tools, and spoiling his grandkids. He enjoyed listening to old-time country and bluegrass music, and he was an avid reader of Appalachian literature and classic poetry. His keen intellectual curiosity and interests were alive and thriving to the very end.

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Obituary: Joseph Walter Fortenberry

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Submitted photo

The Fortenberry family is sad to announce, Joseph Walter Fortenberry, age 76, quietly passed away on Sunday, June 7, 2020. He had suffered from a long illness with multiple sclerosis and brain damage from strokes. His official cause of death was respiratory failure caused by COVID-19. The family would like to remind friends and colleagues that, as our cities and states lessen quarantine restrictions, please remember to protect our elder and infirm populations. Hand washing, personal distancing, and the wearing of masks are a few of the precautions we can take for our elders—even when it seems a little inconvenient for the rest of us.

Joe was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended East Tennessee State University, where he studied mechanical engineering. He had a long career with IBM in Knoxville and later owned his own company, InfoTech, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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Obituary: Dorothea Elisabeth (Kummer) Busch

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Dorothea Busch

Dorothea Elisabeth (Kummer) Busch, age 84, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee passed away on May 2, 2020, at her home.

Dorothea (Dore) was born on December 23, 1935, in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Germany, to Hans Erich and Pauline (Laible) Kummer. She was the eldest of three children and graduated from gymnasium (high school) with a concentration in business skills.

Wanting to see more of the world, Dore moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1956. She lived with her aunt and uncle and worked as a bookkeeper. Dore married Helmut Busch on October 21, 1961, and the family grew to include three children.

In 1972, the family moved to Jones, Michigan, where Dore was employed as an accountant, eventually starting her own firm.

She and Helmut enjoyed traveling the world and took vacations to Hawaii, Russia, the Canary Islands, and made many trips to Germany to visit family. Always fascinated by aircraft, Dore was a private pilot and enjoyed flying her plane around southern Michigan. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, she participated in search and rescue operations throughout southwestern Michigan. 

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Obituary: Wesley Davis Arnold, Jr. (Bill)

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Wesley Davis Arnold, Jr.

Wesley Davis Arnold, Jr. (Bill), age 89, died on December 8, 2019, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

He was born on September 30, 1930, in Pisgah, Alabama, to Wesley Davis Arnold, Sr., and Lillian Johnson Arnold, both deceased. A graduate of Pisgah High School and the University of Alabama, he was employed by Pennsalt Manufacturing Company in Calvert City, Kentucky, for two years before moving to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 1954. He was a chemist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Materials Chemistry, Chemical Technology, and Chemistry Divisions for 38 years before retiring in 1992.

Mr. Arnold is survived by three children, Wesley Arnold III (Patricia) of Alexandria, Alabama; Melinda Arnold-Fletcher (Adrian) of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Susan Fallon (Pat) of Goodyear, Arizona; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. His stepsons, William Barnett (Wendy); Scott Barnett (Regina); and Elliott Barnett (Crystal) all of Kingston, Tennessee; 10 step-grandchildren; and three step-great-grandchildren also survive him.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Matt Arnold; grandson, Geoffrey Fallon; Iula C. Arnold (mother of his children); and Barbara Arnold (mother of his step-children).

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Obituary: Verner Anderson

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Verner Anderson

Verner Anderson, age 94, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, passed away Thursday, October 31, 2019, at the Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.

Verner was born December 22, 1924, in Independence, Kansas, the son of August and Amanda Lonn Anderson. He grew up in Ormsby, Pennsylvania, where his family moved from Independence. After graduation, Verner attended Alabama University and then graduated from the University of Tennessee.

Since 1946, Mr. Anderson had made his home in Oak Ridge. Working as a mathematician initially for the Manhattan Project, his later work supported many of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s research programs until he retired in the 1990s. ORNL is our nation’s largest science and energy laboratory, and Mr. Anderson is credited with many important scientific contributions which have greatly benefited society over his five decades of service.

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Obituary: David Wayne Presnell

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David Pressnell
David Wayne Pressnell

David Wayne Pressnell, 58, of Oak Ridge, passed away Tuesday, August 27, 2019, at Methodist Medical Center.

He was born May 28, 1961, in Oak Ridge, the son of Jerry Dwight Pressnell and Peggy Jo Sutton Pressnell.

David graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1979 and earned his
bachelor’s degree in operations management from the University of Tennessee. He was employed with Information International Associates Inc. (IIA), where he was a technical recruiter.

David was a long-time member of Central Baptist Church of Oak Ridge and attended Crossroads Christian Church in Claxton, where he was active in church fellowship. He was an avid golfer and fisherman. In earlier years, he loved playing racquetball. David also enjoyed coaching at Girls Inc. and the Boys Club. Most precious to him were his four grandbabies.

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Obituary: Helen Louise Sklad

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Helen Sklad
Helen Louise Sklad

Helen Louise Sklad: Daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother

Helen Louise Sklad, nee Muniak, passed away on Saturday, August 23, 2019, at the Alexander Guest House in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1923 to Joseph and Anna (Prozeck) Muniak. She was one of nine children—John, Joseph, Walter, Louis, her twin sister Mary, Chester, Edward, and Stella. She attended Saint John Cantius Catholic School and graduated from Jane Addams High School. During World War II, she worked at Jack and Heinz Inc., making airplane parts to aid the war effort. In the 1950s, she worked at Sklad’s Grocery Store in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where, among other things, she ran the soda fountain, and she later worked for the Catholic Cemeteries Association in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Obituary: Emma Lou Gallaher-Kline

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Emma Gallaher Photo
Emma Lou Gallaher-Kline

Emma Lou Gallaher-Kline, age 82, of Harriman, Tennessee, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 3, 2019, at Parkwest Medical Center.

Emma was born on May 23, 1937, to the late Remus and Mary Magdalene Gallaher.

Emma was preceded in death by her husband Reverend James Leroy Kline Sr. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Johnny, Remus, Andrew, Fred, Glenn, and J.B. Gallaher; sisters, Mary Elizabeth and Ethel Gallaher; and a special aunt, Minnie Love.

Emma was a devout follower and lover of the Lord. She loved to cook, garden, and spend time with her family and church family. Emma was affectionately known as “Granny” to all; she was simply the definition of love.

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