Oak Ridge Today

Obituary: Shawn Franklin

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Shawn Andrew Franklin

Shawn Andrew Franklin

Shawn Franklin, age 54, of Oak Ridge, passed away Saturday, July 26, 2014, due to complications of a lengthy illness.

He was born October 2, 1959, in Oak Ridge.

Shawn was preceded in death by his father, Martin Franklin Jr., and his grandmother, Doris “Granny” Bartlett.

He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Sonya Willis Franklin and their son, Cody. He also leaves his mother, Jackie Franklin; brother, Kitric (Luty) Franklin; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He will also be greatly missed by the family pets, Gucci, Major, Sadie, and Hoss. [Read more…]

Obituary: Veronica Marie Stenglein Armento

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Veronica Marie Armento

Veronica Marie Armento

Veronica Marie Stenglein Armento, 79, of Oak Ridge, passed away on July 19, 2014, at Methodist Medical Center.

She was born June 27, 1935 in Queens, New York, to parents Frederick and Amelia D’Amico Stenglein.

Veronica was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oak Ridge.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick Stenglein and Amelia D’Amico Stenglein.

Her survivors include her husband, William Joseph Armento, of Oak Ridge; daughter, Maria Elizabeth Anne Armento, of Oak Ridge; sister, Virginia Marie Allen, of Oak Ridge; brothers, George Stenglein and wife Lynn, of Goodlettsville, and Fred Stenglein and wife Suzanne, of Crossville; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. [Read more…]

Obituary: Merilee ‘Mimi’ Whalen Parnell

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Merilee "Mimi" Whalen Parnell

Merilee “Mimi” Whalen Parnell

Merilee “Mimi” Whalen Parnell, age 52, a resident of New Market, Tennessee, passed away Monday, July 14, 2014, at her home.

Mimi was born April 16, 1962, in Oak Ridge. She grew up in Oliver Springs and continued to live here until after her high school graduation, in 1980. She later lived in Ohio, South Carolina, and most recently, she moved to New Market.

She was employed as a medical coder and she enjoyed pencil art, photography, and music.

Mimi was preceded in death by her parents, Alfred Young Whalen and Ruby Hazel Hill Whalen; by sisters, Lisa Gail Whalen and Nancy Jo “Jodi” Chavers; and by a brother, Lenny Whalen. [Read more…]

Obituary: Robert Jett Shannon

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Robert Jett Shannon, 88, a resident of Oliver Springs, was born August 30, 1925, in Springfield, Tennessee, and he entered into the Haven of rest on July 16, 2014, following a brief illness.

Mr. Shannon was a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946. While serving, he received several medals, ribbons, and citations. He was a staff engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and he retired after 42-plus years of company service.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge. He loved farming, and he farmed all of his life.

Mr. Shannon was preceded in death by daughters, Carol and Annette Shannon; by a grandson, Billy Wayne Blackburn III; by his parents, William Cook Shannon and Jennie Ruth Jett Shannon; by a sister, Martha Shannon Barnes; and by a special brother-in-law, Jerry Taylor. [Read more…]

Obituary: Dorothy Ellen Brashears

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Dorothy Ellen Brashears

Dorothy Ellen Brashears

Dorothy Ellen Brashears, age 89, a resident of Franklin, Tennessee, and formerly of Oliver Springs, passed away Friday, July 18, 2014, in Franklin.

Mrs. Brashears was born on November 4, 1924, in Tazewell County, Virginia. She moved to Oak Ridge in 1942 and later began employment at ORNL at the Y-12 federal plant. She continued her employment until her retirement in 1988, as a chemical operator.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry Cleveland Lockhart and Fannie Ann Rose Lockhart; by her husband, Arvel Brashears’ by a daughter, Carolyn Marie Dawson; by sisters, Leona, Edna, Sadie, Irene, and Aline; and by three brothers, Robert, William and Curtis. [Read more…]

Obituary: James Andrew ‘Papaw Jimmy’ Crain

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James Andrew “Papaw Jimmy” Crain, age 57, a resident of Briceville, passed away Friday, July 18, 2014, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Jimmy was born December 6, 1956, in Knoxville. He continued to live in Knoxville until his move to Briceville in 2009.

He was a disabled truck driver and he enjoyed fishing in his spare time. [Read more…]

Obituary: Robert Ramsey Bigelow Jr.

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Robert Ramsey Bigelow Jr.

Robert Ramsey Bigelow Jr.

Robert R. Bigelow, age 67, died peacefully after a lengthy illness on Friday, June 27, 2014. He was the son of the late Dr. Robert and Marlys Bigelow.

Robert leaves four siblings and their families: Mary Bigelow Huntoon of Wenham, Massachusettes, her husband Daniel, and their four sons; William Bigelow of Verona, Virginia, and his three children; Anne Bigelow of Atlanta, Georgia; and James Bigelow of Missoula, Montana, his wife Mary Ann, and their three children. He also leaves his aunt, Joyce Hintz, and numerous cousins.

Robert was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Oak Ridge, finishing at the high school and graduating from Valparaiso University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

He returned to Oak Ridge, where he worked for Union Carbide at Y-12 as a software engineer. Robert was certified as a professional engineer and was a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He was recognized for technical achievement by Y-12 in 1993. Robert retired in February after 45 years at the plant. [Read more…]

Obituary: Larry Norman Hildreth

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Larry Norman Hildreth

Larry Norman Hildreth

Larry Norman Hildreth, age 51, passed away Thursday, July 10, 2014, at his home following an extended illness.

He was born April 13, 1963, in Oak Ridge, and was preceded in death by his parents, Louise and Norman Hildreth.

He is survived by his twin brother Gary Hildreth, wife Virginia and children Brittany, Breanna, and Robert; and his sister Rebecca Hildreth Cooper, husband Perry and daughters Christina, Lindsey, and Sydney. He graduated from Oak Ridge High School.

Larry had been medically disabled for a number of years and enjoyed spending time with his family, friends, and his faithful German Shepard, Jasmine. He made many good friends during his years in Oak Ridge, with special friends Louise Thomas, Bill Heaton, and Orie Rice.

The receiving of friends will be Saturday, July 19 at 11 a.m. at Weatherford Mortuary with a memorial service to follow immediately afterward. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter.

Obituary: William Benjamin Chambley Jr.

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William Benjamin Chambley Jr.

William Benjamin Chambley Jr.

William Benjamin Chambley Jr., age 71, of Kissimmee, Florida, and formerly of Oak Ridge, died Sunday, July 13, 2014.

He was born October 2, 1942, in Grenada, Mississippi, the son of William Benjamin Chambley and Sarah Long Chambley.
He was a member of St. Stephens Episcopal Church.

Mr. Chambley worked as a lifeguard in Oak Ridge from 1959-1965. He was a member of the Elks Lodge for 39 years and served as past exalted ruler of the Elks from 1983-1984. He was chairman of Local Chapter of Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). He was also a member of Pi Sigma Kappa at the University of Tennessee from 1960-1966.

He enjoyed scuba diving and teaching swimming lessons. He worked with Union Carbide and Martin Marietta Energy Systems in Oak Ridge at the K-25 plant prior to transferring to the Orlando Missile Systems as the plant electrical engineer. He retired in 2007.

He enjoyed going to bluegrass festivals, spoiling his granddaughters, and weekly dinners with Lucia and his close friends. [Read more…]

Obituary: Mildred ‘Millie’ Lydia Strandberg

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Mildred "Millie" Lydia Strandberg

Mildred “Millie” Lydia Strandberg

Mildred “Millie” Lydia Strandberg passed away on July 6, 2014.

Millie was born in Joliet, Illinois, on June 9, 1918.

In Illinois, Millie married Elmer Strandberg (a World War II veteran), and she worked with special needs students for many years. Millie and Elmer were married for 45 years before Elmer’s passing.

Millie enjoyed playing cards, was an avid golfer, able to “golf her age” later in life, and even hit a hole-in-one in a golf tournament.

Millie later moved to Tennessee to enjoy retirement with her husband Elmer. She was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]