Oak Ridge Today

Obituary: Oliver Walter Russ Jr.

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oliver Walter Russ Jr.

Oliver Walter Russ Jr.

Oliver Walter Russ Jr., (“Russ”), of Oak Ridge, passed away on Friday, November 7.

“Joe Bob” was born April 18, 1923, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Oliver and Beulah Russ. The family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he attended Drury University for two years before being drafted to serve in World War II. He served at Fort Nix, New York, and France, Belgium, and Germany, before returning to complete his education at Birmingham Southern College.

He came to work in Oak Ridge initially as an instrument mechanic and then as a computer analyst. He met Dorothy (Dottie) Roark at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and they married July 15, 1950. They enjoyed their life together greatly until her death November 5, 2008, taking special pleasure in their home and garden. [Read more…]

Obituary: James Edward Gary

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

James Edward Gary

James Edward Gary

James Edward Gary, age 76, of Oak Ridge, departed this life on November 4 at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge due to complications caused by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). He was surrounded by his loving family.

Mr. Gary was born on April 7, 1938, in Sale Creek, Tennessee, to Walt and Irene Gary, both of whom proceeded him in death. He graduated from Oak Ridge High School and secured both a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Tennessee.

In more than 40 years serving as a Church of Christ minister, Mr. Gary served congregations in Tennessee, Indiana, and Georgia including Signal Mountain, Mountain Creek, Ringgold, Brainerd, and Harriman churches. Following retirement from the ministry, he worked as a counselor for Knox County Juvenile Court and as a client advocate for Emory Valley Center. Mr. Gary was an avid photographer and golfer. [Read more…]

Obituary: Robert James ‘Sarge’ Brown

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Robert James "Sarge" Brown

Robert James “Sarge” Brown

Robert James “Sarge” Brown, 84, of Oak Ridge, passed away at his home on October 24, 2014, surrounded by his closest family and friends.

Formerly of Harriman, Tennessee, Robert was born January 16, 1930, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Eleanor and Eugene Brown.

“Sarge” wanted to give one last shout out to all his buddies, friends, and acquaintances at the Throttle Down Daycare and the Dayshift crew.

Robert was of the Roman Catholic faith. He was born and raised in Milwaukee. Robert made a lifetime career serving more than 30 years in the United States Army. He served in the Korean and Vietnam wars before retiring in 1970. [Read more…]

Obituary: Simone Helen Farquharson

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Simone Helen Farquharson

Simone Helen Farquharson

After a courageous, three-year battle with cancer, Simone Helen Farquharson (née Jones) of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, went to be with the Lord at home in DeFuniak Springs, Florida at the age of 61.

A longtime resident of Oak Ridge, she graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1971 and worked as an LPN at Methodist Medical Center after receiving a nursing degree from Roane State Technical Community College. Later, she returned to school and graduated from Roane State’s Massage Therapy program. A gifted athlete, Simone was a proud member of the Oak Ridge Rower’s Association and competed in many regattas, where she won multiple medals.

She is survived by her life partner, Mark Lassen; her daughter, Courtney Nicole Farquharson; her son, Nathan Taylor Farquharson; daughter-in-law, Ashlie Blair Farquharson; granddaughter, Paisley Jayne Farquharson; her brothers, Larry and Greg Jones; and her sisters, Kathy Ewald and Evelyn Brackney. [Read more…]

Obituary: Elaine Berniece Gibson Thomas

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Elaine Berniece Gibson Thomas

Elaine Berniece Gibson Thomas

Elaine Berniece Gibson Thomas, 88, passed away on Wednesday, October 29.

She was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Cecil and Irene Cobb Gibson. When she was three, her father moved her family to a ranch south of Gordon, Nebraska, where he took up ranching. She graduated from Gordon High School in Gordon, Nebraska, in 1943 and from Colorado Women’s College in Denver in 1945.

She worked in Denver for Continental Airlines as a junior stenographer until June 1946, married Orrin Westley Thomas Jr. in the Gordon Presbyterian Church in Gordon, Nebraska, on August 9, 1946, and moved to Gainesville, Florida, where he started attending the University of Florida.

Orrin moved around in his work as a mechanical engineer, and Elaine went where ever his work took him. They finally moved to Oak Ridge in 1960 when he went to work at X-10 for Union Carbide. She went back to work in 1962 for a doctor who raised mice for research and then at AEC-Atomic Energy Commission (now DOE-Department of Energy). She retired in 1989 after 22 years. [Read more…]

Obituary: Clyde Collins Hopkins

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Clyde Collins Hopkins

Clyde Collins Hopkins

Clyde Collins Hopkins, age 85, of Oak Ridge, went to be with the Lord on October 29, 2014.

Clyde was a native of Brownsville, Tennessee.

He joined Union Carbide in Oak Ridge as an accountant in 1952. He moved to Paducah, Kentucky, in 1972 to manage its Gaseous Diffusion Plant, but returned to Oak Ridge in 1978 as the executive director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In 1984, Clyde was named senior vice president of Martin Marietta Energy Systems when the company became the U.S. Department of Energy’s managing contractor in Oak Ridge. He was named president of Martin Marietta Energy Systems in 1988 and corporate vice president of Martin Marietta Corporation in 1991. In 1993, he became president of Martin Marietta’s Energy Group, one of six business units created within the corporation. [Read more…]

Obituary: John Henry Anderson Jr.

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

John Henry Anderson Jr.

John Henry Anderson Jr.

John Henry Anderson Jr., of Oak Ridge, passed away November 1, 2014, at his home.

John was born July 14, 1925, in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, the son of John Henry Anderson Sr. and Maggie Elizabeth Anderson.

He retired from Oak Ridge City Schools. He was an avid gardner and fisherman, as well as a talented musician and storyteller.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Drewery Anderson;
daughter, Saundra Anderson Duncan; and siblings, Louise Webster, Dee Anderson, Frank Anderson, Jim Anderson, and Cora Hixson. [Read more…]

Obituary: Marie Theresa ‘Terri’ King

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Marie Theresa King

Marie Theresa King

Marie Theresa “Terri” King, 83, of Oak Ridge, died Wednesday, October 29, at Methodist Medical Center.

She was born July 22, 1931, in Warwick, Rhode Island, the daughter of Arie Ploeger and Rose Choquet.

Terri received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Rhode Island in June 1954 and moved to Oak Ridge from Rhode Island later that year. [Read more…]

Obituary: Nanna Lou McLemore

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Nanna Lou McLemore

Nanna Lou McLemore

Nanna Lou McLemore, age 91, of Oak Ridge, died Tuesday, October 28, at NHC Health Care. She passed away four days before her 92nd birthday.

She was born October 31, 1922 in Persia, Tennessee, the daughter of Robert R. Coward and Maude A. Rowland Coward.

“Nan” was an avid bowler and belonged to several leagues. She worked at Mother’s Day Out programs and volunteered at NHC Health Care, where she entertained by putting on skits and visiting with patients. She was a devoted member of Robertsville Baptist Church and a writer of poems. She was very generous with her friends and family and helped with many charitable causes. She will be greatly missed by her friends and family, who enjoyed her funny spirit and zest for life. [Read more…]

Obituary: Barbara Marie Windfield Dedrick

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Barbara Wingfield Dedrick

Barbara Wingfield Dedrick

Barbara Marie Wingfield Dedrick, of Oak Ridge, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Wednesday, October 29, at the home of her daughter, Leslie Dedrick Haag, who resides in Sharpsburg, Georgia.

Mrs. Dedrick was born in Martinsville, Virgina, the daughter of Alonzo Washington Wingfield and Laura Delancey Wingfield.

She was a graduate of Martinsville, Virginia High School and attended Madison State College for Women, now known as James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. [Read more…]

Obituary: Brenda Louise Johnson

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Brenda Louise Johnson

Brenda Louise Johnson

Brenda Louise Johnson, age 67, of Clinton, passed away Tuesday, October 28, at Golden Living Center-Windwood in Clinton.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Douglas and Etta Austin; husband, Charlie Johnson; brother, Jimmy Austin; and sister, Jackie Sue Weaver.

Brenda is survived by her son, Larry Johnson and wife Kim of Oliver Springs; brothers, David Austin and wife Mary Lou of Clinton, Glenn Austin and wife Marie of Chattanooga, and Eddie Austin of Indiana; sisters, Pat Maxfield and husband Jay of Clinton, Kathy Hatmaker and husband Randall of Briceville; grandchildren, Matthew and Nicholas; and her special friends, David and Rhonda Kesterson. [Read more…]

Obituary: Etta Phillips Patterson

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Etta Phillips Patterson

Etta Phillips Patterson

Etta Phillips Patterson, age 95 , a resident of Harriman, went home to be with the Lord, Tuesday, October 28, at the home of her daughter Faye Russell, while surrounded by her family.

Mrs. Patterson was born December 26, 1918, in the Stainsville Community in Anderson County. She is a lifelong resident of this area.

She was primarily a homemaker; however, in the early years, she was employed at the former Whiteway Restaurant in Harriman and Palm Beach Textile Industries.

She was a faithful Christian and a member of the Big Mountain Baptist Church in Oliver Springs.  [Read more…]