Oak Ridge Today

Leona ‘Lee’ Wright Blanton

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Leona "Lee" Wright Blanton

Leona “Lee” Wright Blanton

Leona “Lee” Wright Blanton, age 95, formerly of Oak Ridge, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the Island Home Park Health and Rehab Center in Knoxville.

She was born May 8, 1918, in Knoxville, the daughter of William G. and Anice Ricker Wright.

Mrs. Blanton retired from the University of Tennessee, where she worked in the housekeeping department. In earlier years, she had also worked in the cafeteria at K-25 and in housekeeping. She was a member of Central Baptist Church.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Elbert Gordon Blanton; infant daughter, Billie Louise Blanton; and two sons, Robert “Bobby” Blanton and Ronald “Ronnie” Blanton. [Read more…]

James Robert Brunner

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James Robert Brunner

James Robert Brunner

James Robert Brunner, 69, of Knoxville, died Friday morning, Aug. 16, at Methodist Medical Center.

He was born Oct. 22, 1943, in Detroit, Mich., the oldest of five children born to George and Mary Louise Brunner. After graduation from Sacred Heart High School in Roseville, Mich., Jim served in the United States Marine Corps at the rank of sergeant.

Following military service as a Vietnam veteran, he received certification as an electronics technician and became service manager of Pecar Electronics in Detroit. Brunner went on to build a career in various areas of the audio-video industry in Los Angeles, California, and Knoxville. [Read more…]

Chester Stephen Morgan Jr.

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Chester Stephen Morgan Jr.

Chester Stephen Morgan Jr.

Chester Stephen Morgan, Jr., 91, of Oak Ridge, went to Heaven on Saturday, Aug. 17.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Helene Bartels Morgan.

He was born on Oct. 20, 1921, in Houston, Texas, the oldest child of Anna May Smith Morgan and Chester Stephen Morgan of Hillsboro, Texas.

After attending Hillsboro Junior College, he graduated from Rice University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in February 1944. Later that year, he started Naval Indoctrination School in Plattsburg, N.Y. Further training was in the new science of sonar in Key West, Fla. He then served on a destroyer escort patrolling in the Pacific. In 1946, as the highest ranking officer of a decommissioned ship, he was given the ship’s flag. In 1950, he graduated with a doctorate in physical chemistry from Rice and started working at the Celanese Research and Development Laboratory near Corpus Christi, Texas. [Read more…]

Jack William Moye

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Jack William Moye

Jack William Moye

Jack William Moye, age 58, of Clinton, a devoted husband, father and papaw, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, at Methodist Medical Center.

He was born Dec. 9, 1954, in Akron, Ohio, the son of Jack Walter Moye and Mattie Elizabeth Jones Moye.

Mr. Moye was a 1973 graduate of Central Hower High School in Akron, where he took machining classes. He was employed by B&W Y-12 for 33 years as a machinist. He was a member of IAM, Local #480, and served as chief steward for four years. He also volunteered as a poll worker. He was of the Baptist faith. [Read more…]

Robert ‘Bob’ Watson

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Robert Watson

Robert R. “Bob” Watson

Robert “Bob” Watson, 72, of Clinton, peacefully passed away in the company of his family at Parkwest Hospital on the morning of Friday, Aug. 9, from cancer.

He is preceded in death by his son, Colin Watson.

A lover of books and music, fiercely loyal to his family, generous with his humor, and intellectually curious his whole life, Bob passed away while his son and wife read him Hamlet, interspersed with folk music from the ’60s, which he loved. [Read more…]

Gary Maloy

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Gary Wayne Maloy

Gary Wayne Maloy

Gary Maloy, age 66, of Oak Ridge, passed away on Friday, Aug. 9, at his home.

Gary was a member of Alpha Lodge #376 F&AM, and Faith Lodge #756 F&AM. He also was a member at Pleasant View Baptist Church in Clinton, where he served as a deacon. Gary loved mission work and went on numerous mission trips. He also played Santa Claus many years at the community schools, churches, nursing homes, and day cares. Gary committed most of his time to giving to others and helping his family and friends.

Gary is preceded in death by his parents, George Franklin and Mary Nell Maloy, and brother-in-law, Tom Kiehl.  [Read more…]

Bruce Edward Williams Sr.

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Bruce Edward Williams Sr.

Bruce Edward Williams Sr.

Bruce Edward Williams Sr., 87, of Oak Ridge passed away on Aug. 10 at Parkwest Medical Center.

He was born Aug. 29, 1925, in Rewey, Wis., to parents Henry H. Williams and Mary Ruth Hackman Williams.

Mr. Williams retired from Martin Marietta Energy Systems in 1992 as a machinist after 30 years of service.

He was a veteran with the U.S. Army and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

He was a kind and loving gentle man who loved his family and all things nature. [Read more…]

Raymond Miller (Ray) Clark

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Raymond Miller (Ray) Clark, passed away Saturday, Aug. 10, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge. He was 67 years old.

Ray was born in Ringgold, Ga., to Ralph Robinson and Gertrude Gibson Clark. He attended Ringgold High School and joined the U.S. Navy after graduation.

For most of the next 50 years, he served his country. Ray served 15 years in the Navy, serving throughout the duration of the Vietnam War. His military service was followed by 28 years working with various government contractors. He spent three years with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in Saudi Arabia and 25 years with the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control in Oak Ridge.

He attended school at the University of Idaho and the University of Louisville. [Read more…]

Dorothy Merle Gunderson Alford

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Dorothy Gunderson Alford

Dorothy Gunderson Alford

Dorothy Merle Gunderson Alford, age 83, of Oak Ridge, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 7, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Dorothy was born Aug. 17, 1929, in Minneapolis, Minn., to the late Lloyd and Ellen Millington Gunderson. She received her bachelor’s degree in home economics at the University of Minnesota and was last employed by Millers Department Store as a clothing buyer. Dorothy was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church, where she served as a reader, usher, was in many church circles, volunteered at the fairs, sold trade coffee, and was instrumental in starting the Ecumenical Store House and served since 1982.

Dorothy, along with her husband David, was an avid motorcycle touring enthusiast, having traveled coast to coast in the United States and Canada. Her family has many fond memories and great stories of traveling to many of the national parks where they enjoyed camping and all that the parks had to offer. She was everything to her family, especially her husband, and enjoyed watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in school soccer, football, chorus, dance recitals, and scouting. Dorothy was a member of the Garden Club of Oak Ridge, Panhellenic, and served as a leader and held may other positions for the Campfire Girls for many years. [Read more…]

Thelma Elizabeth Rink

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Thelma Elizabeth Rink

Thelma Elizabeth Rink

Thelma Elizabeth Rink, better known as Terry, age 84, of Clinton, passed away Thursday, July 25, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.

Terry enjoyed life to the fullest, loved her cat Patches, and loved playing bingo. She worked at Ace Hardware on Market Street in Clinton from 1993-2007.

Terry was preceded in death by her husband, Erick George Rink; parents, William T. Bulmer and Iva Margaret Matilda Newman Bulmer; brothers, Earl Hughes, Mossam (Lucky) Hughes, and Rae Abbey; sister, Margaret Della Marie Keusch; and brothers-in-law, George Keusch and Frank Crisologo. [Read more…]

Daws Bridges

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Daws Bridges, age 88, a resident of Harriman, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, Aug. 8, at the Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.

Mr. Bridges was born April 11, 1925, in LaFollette. In 1934, he moved to this area before serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps and the U.S. Navy. He began employment with Union Carbide at K-25 in the maintenance department and then with the University of Tennessee Experiment Station working with animals, plants, and waterways. He also worked as a heavy equipment operator in Clinton. Before his retirement, he owned and operated Bridges’ Town and Country Nursery in Oak Ridge from 1972 until 1996.

Daws was a faithful Christian, and he attended the Beechfork Holiness Church in Wartburg. [Read more…]

Edward C. Kirstowsky

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Edward Charles Kirstowsky

Edward Charles Kirstowsky

Edward C. Kirstowsky, 92, a longtime Oak Ridger, passed away at his home on Memorial Day, May 27.

Born in Detroit, Mich., on Aug. 13, 1920, Edward was the fourth child of Frederick W. and Frieda Ehlow Kirstowsky, German immigrants who settled in the Detroit area. He wed Mary Grace (Marigrace) Weeks from Clarksdale, Miss., on June 28, 1947. They spent 64 happy years together before her death in September 2011. They were both longtime members of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge.

Edward grew up in Saginaw, Mich., graduating from Arthur Hill High School in 1938 with honors. He earned his B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Michigan. He attained his master’s degree from the Chrysler Institute of Engineering. During the war, he was assigned to the K-25 uranium isotope separation plant in Oak Ridge, from which he retired in 1984 after 39 years of service.

His memberships included the American Society for Metals, American Institute of Metallurgical Engineers, American Welding Society, Charter Member of Oak Ridge Country Club, and before his death, he was the longest living member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge #1684. [Read more…]