Oak Ridge Today

Obituary: William Franklin ‘Bill’ Bunch

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William F. "Bill" Bunch

William F. “Bill” Bunch

William Franklin “Bill” Bunch, age 83, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Thursday, August 28, 2014, at his home.

Mr. Bunch was born September 25, 1930, in Clinton. During his early childhood, he lived in California before moving back to Tennessee in 1942. He graduated from the Oliver Springs High School in 1949. While in high school, he played football, and he served as the team captain.

Following his high school graduation, he entered into the United States Army, and he served his country during the Korean War.

After his military discharge, he returned back to Tennessee and began employment at Martin Marietta, where he continued his occupation as a machinist until his retirement in 1988.

He was a faithful Christian who loved the Lord and he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Kellytown Baptist Church for 35 years. He later continued his service to the Lord as a member at New Fairview Baptist Church. [Read more…]

Obituary: Tom D. Fritts Sr.

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Tom D. Fritts Sr.

Tom D. Fritts Sr.

Dr. Tom D. Fritts Sr. joined his Savior, Jesus Christ, in Heaven, on Wednesday, August 27.

Dr. Fritts was born in Kingston on November 27, 1926, to Dr. John L and Georgia (Cate) Fritts. He was the former pastor of Deerbrook Baptist Church and First Baptist Church of Humble, Texas.

Dr. Fritts is survived by his son, Tom D. Fritts Jr. and wife Glenda of Harriman; grandchildren, Marty Fritts of Lenoir City, Justin Fritts and wife Milicent of Wartburg, Amanda (Fritts) Jones and husband Wendell of Oliver Springs, Rodney L. Sampsel Jr. and wife Susan of Watford City, North Dakota, and Tanya (Sampsel) Williams and husband Roy of Dickson, Tennessee; and great-grandchildren, Zachary Fritts, Kayman Fritts, Silas Fritts, Andrew Sampsel, Fallon Sampsell, and Grace Williams. Special mention of his dear friend and confidant Helen Smith of Humble, who has stood with and supported him since the death of his dear wife. [Read more…]

Obituary: Amy Nichole Hall

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Amy Nichole Hall

Amy Nichole Hall

Amy Nichole Hall, age 23, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Tuesday, August 26, in Oliver Springs following an accident.

Amy was born August 1, 1991, in Oak Ridge. She was a lifelong resident of this area and a member of the New Life Apostolic Church.

Amy is survived by her father, James Edward “Jamie” Hall and wife Donna McMillian of Oliver Springs; by her mother, Donna Kay Goddard DeMore and husband Jim of Crossville; by sons: Nathan Allen Jones and Ethan Bray Jones of Clinton; by a brother, Travis Leroy Butler of Coalfield; by a sister, Angel Dawn Goddard of Oliver Springs; by her grandmother, Betty Helen Hall of Oliver Springs; by the grandparents of her children, Renda Arlene Gunter and husband Willie of Clinton; by the father of her children, Terry Allen Jones of Oliver Springs; by an aunt, Carolyn Jane Byrge of Oliver Springs; by the uncles of her children: Derek Jones of Oliver Springs, Bradley Jones of Clinton, and Bryan Gunter of Clinton; by a cousin, Justin Butler and wife Renee of Oliver Springs; and by special friends Tiffany Mayberry and Melissa Melton. [Read more…]

Obituary: Donald Andrew Gardiner

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Donald Andrew Gardiner

Donald Andrew Gardiner

Donald Andrew Gardiner died peacefully at home on Saturday, August 23.

Born February 2, 1922, in Buffalo, New York, he attended public schools in that city and subsequently received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Buffalo. Upon graduation from college, he entered Midshipman’s School, and after completion of his training, was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. Before deployment overseas, he married the love of his life, Marie Tropman, to whom he was married for 59 years, until her death in 2003.

During the war, Don served as skipper of an ARB (Air-Sea Rescue Boat) in the Adriatic and Mediterranean. He was recalled during the Korean War and served as regimental commander at the Naval Training Station in Bainbridge, Marylan. He later served in the Naval Reserve, retiring as a lieutenant commander in 1956. Though he rarely spoke of it until his later years, he was justifiably proud of his naval service, and he was the recipient of a number of medals and commendations.

In 1956, after receiving his doctorate in statistics, Don, Marie, and their three young children moved to Oak Ridge. Don worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, eventually becoming director of statistics and mathematics research at ORNL. He retired from that position in 1986. He was a longtime adjunct professor of mathematics at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He was a fellow of the America Statistical Association, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, chairman of the Committee on Statistics of the Southern Regional Education Board, and editor of “Technometrics,” a journal for scientists and mathematicians. [Read more…]

Obituary: Janet Nichols

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Janet Lee Nichols

Janet Lee Nichols

Janet Nichols, age 73 and a resident of Oak Ridge, passed away Tuesday, August 26, at Parkwest Medical Center.

Janet was a long time resident of Coalfield before moving to Oak Ridge. She was retired from Methodist Medical Center, where she served as unit secretary for 25 years. She was a proud member of Big Mountain Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband Neil Nichols and her parents Joe and Elaine Rudder Whittaker. [Read more…]

Obituary: Lorraine Pilloud

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Lorraine Freiji Pilloud

Lorraine Freiji Pilloud

Lorraine Pilloud died August 26 at Greenfield Senior Living, where she had lived the last five years.

She grew up as the youngest of four children born to William and Sadie Freije in Binghamton, New York, all of whom have preceded her in death.

She was born in Binghamton, New York, on May 30, 1924. She attended Binghamton Central High School, followed by Wilson Memorial Hospital Nursing School, where she graduated as a registered nurse. She worked for many years in both hospital and industrial environments.

She married Frank Pilloud in 1945, and until his death 64 years later, provided a loving home for their family. Frank worked for IBM, and his career took them to Endicott, New York; Rochester, Minnesota; and Raleigh, North Carolina, where he retired after 30 years. After retirement, they moved to Oak Ridge to be near their daughter and her family. [Read more…]

Obituary: Mary Kathryn ‘Kay’ Barger

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Mary Kathryn Kay Barger

Mary Kathryn “Kay” Barger

Mary Kathryn “Kay” Barger, age 90, of Oak Ridge, passed away Wednesday, August 27, at Briarcliff Health Care Center.

She was born June 15, 1924, in Cookeville, the daughter of Mack and Nevada Stone Vickers.

She was a life-long member of Robertsville Baptist Church. Mrs. Barger enjoyed flower gardening and was known for her “green thumb” and success of beautiful gardens. She also enjoyed traveling and taking trips.

Her main focus in life was nurturing her family, which she loved dearly. In earlier years, she was active with many area bowling leagues. She was a loving, caring, and dedicated mother, grandmother, and friend and will be sadly missed. [Read more…]

Obituary: Saharra Bayleigh Daugherty

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Saharra Bayleigh Daugherty, our little angel “Bay,” infant daughter of Johnathan and Megan Daugherty, left her family too soon on Tuesday, August 26.

She is preceded in death by her great-grandfather, Robert Daugherty.

In addition to her parents, Saharra is survived by her grandparents, Judy Daugherty, Donna Lowe, David and Robin Bales, and John Wells all of Clinton; great-grandmothers, Jewell Daugherty and Naomi Boley of Clinton, and Joyce Bales of California; brother, Colby Demarcus Daugherty; sister, Airabella Jewel Daugherty; aunts, Amanda Daugherty of Jacksboro, and Kimberly Lowe and Heather Lowe of Clinton; uncles, Timothy Daugherty and Nickolas Wells of Clinton; and a host of cousins and friends.

Saharra’s family received friends on Friday, August 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jones Mortuary. Her funeral service followed at 1 p.m. in the chapel of Jones Mortuary with Rev. Kelvin Stokes officiating. Saharra’s interment immediately followed the funeral service at Woodhaven Memorial Gardens in Powell.

Obituary: Edmund Ashley Nephew

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Edmund Ashley Nephew

Edmund Ashley Nephew

Edmund Ashley Nephew, age 86, of Oak Ridge, died Wednesday, August 20, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

He was born April 26, 1928, in Kinsman, Ohio, the son of Seward Ashley Nephew and Carrie Bascom Nephew.

Mr. Nephew was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in the Korean War. He retired from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he was a physicist. He was very interested in local politics, serving on the Planning Commission for four years, serving as a City Council member, and serving as mayor of Oak Ridge for two years. He enjoyed participating in the Sister City Support Organization and attending concerts of the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association. [Read more…]

Obituary: Mary Regina ‘Gene’ Banick

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Mary Regina Gene Banick

Mary Regina “Gene” Banick

Mary Regina “Gene” Banick, age 84, died on Wednesday, August 20, at the Courtyards at Briarcliff in Oak Ridge, where she and her husband, George, have lived since January 2013. She was 84 and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

Regina was born January 19, 1930, in Atlanta. She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1947 and earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Agnes Scott College in 1951.

She married George C. Banick on July 19, 1952. They lived in various places in Massachusetts and upstate New York before returning south, first to Chattanooga, then finally to Oak Ridge in 1958. The Banicks lived in their home on Westover Drive for 53 years. [Read more…]

Obituary: Iris Eunice Thomas Lay

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Iris Eunice Thomas Lay

Iris Eunice Thomas Lay

Iris Eunice Thomas Lay, age 84, of Oak Ridge, passed away Friday, August 22, 2014, at the Methodist Medical Center.

She was born March 14, 1930 in Oneida, Tennessee, the daughter of Leland and Nancy Terry Thomas.

Mrs. Lay graduated from the Tennessee School of Beauty. She was the owner/operator of Adorn Beauty Shop and the Vogue Beauty Shop until her retirement, at which time, she continued working at Woodland Beauty Shop.

Mrs. Lay was of the Baptist faith. She was an avid bridge player and enjoyed participating in the bridge games at the Senior Center. [Read more…]

Obituary: Norman E. Morgan

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Norman E. Morgan, age 89, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away, Thursday, August 14, 2014, at his home.

Mr. Morgan was born March 5, 1925, in Oliver Springs. He was a lifelong resident of this area. He was a member of Union Baptist Church in the Joyner Community of Morgan County and the Omega Masonic Lodge # 536 F&AM in Oliver Springs.

Norman served his country in the United States Army during World War II. He was a heavy mortar crewman and a expert carbine marksman. While serving, he received several medals and ribbons, including the AP Theater Ribbon with three Bronze Service Stars and the Philippines Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Star.

Before his retirement, he was employed at the Y-12 federal plant as an electrical foreman. He was also a ham radio enthusiast and operator for several decades. [Read more…]