Oak Ridge Today

Obituary: George Richard Martin Sr.

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George Richard Martin, Sr.

George Richard Martin, Sr.

George Richard Martin Sr., age 68, of Oliver Springs and formerly of Clinton, passed away suddenly Saturday, March 1.

George was the owner of Martin’s Towing and was well-known in Anderson County and the surrounding area for driving his tow truck.

In his spare time, he enjoyed working on cars, fishing, playing spades, going to yard sales, buying scratch offs, and spending time with his grandkids. George was always there when you needed him, and he will be missed by all who knew him. [Read more…]

Obituary: John Richard Trabalka

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John Richard Trabalka

John Richard Trabalka

John Richard Trabalka, Ph.D, 71, of Oak Ridge, passed away on Feb. 23, 2014, at Methodist Medical Center.

He was born to parents John Peter Trabalka and Marguerite Schmidt Trabalka on Oct. 30, 1942, In Ancon, Panama Canal Zone.

A published author, avid marathon runner, animal lover, and outdoorsman, John spent more than 31 years at Oak Ridge National Laboratories in the Environmental Sciences Division.

He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, American Geophysical Union, and the University of Michigan Alumni Association. [Read more…]

Obituary: Marion Ann ‘Connie’ Eversole

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Marion Ann "Connie" Eversole

Marion Ann “Connie” Eversole

Marion Ann “Connie” Eversole, 83, of Oak Ridge, passed away on Feb. 22, 2014, at NHC in Oak Ridge.

She was born to parents Anthony and Sophia Kowalski Koncewicz on March 2, 1930, in Shenandoah, Penn.

Connie received her educational training at St. Mary’s School of Nursing in Philadelphia and her schooling to become a nurse anesthetist at Mt. Carmel Mercy in Detroit.

A veteran with the U.S. Air Force Medical, she met Dr. Earl Eversole, a flight surgeon, while both were serving in Kimpo, Korea, during her assignment as a nurse anesthetist. They became close and married six months later. She later worked in her field at the University of North Carolina. [Read more…]

Obituary: Audrey Lee Johnson

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Audrey Lee Johnson

Audrey Lee Johnson

Audrey Lee Johnson, age 89, of Oak Ridge, died Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, at her home.

She was born June 27, 1924, in Lee County, Va., one of seven children born to Milburn and Lola Nida Hall.

Mrs. Johnson came to Oak Ridge in the early years to work on the Manhattan Project, where she was secretary to Dr. Hurd. She met her future husband, Eric Edward Johnson in Oak Ridge. They married and moved to Chicago, returning to Oak Ridge in about 1955 to raise their family.

She was a longtime member of New York Avenue Church of Christ and the Sweet Adeline’s. She had a large circle of friends and enjoyed being a part of the Yum-Yum Sisters, a group of women who met on a regular basis. She enjoyed life and people and never met a person she didn’t like. Her family describes her as a wonderful wife, mother, and homemaker, and her demeanor was always one of love and happiness. She was also an avid fan of the Lady Vols. [Read more…]

Obituary: Dorothy Turnage Hightower

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Dorothy Turnage Hightower

Dorothy Turnage Hightower

Dorothy Turnage Hightower, of Oak Ridge, passed away Feb. 26, 2014, surrounded by family and friends.

She was born May 29, 1941, in Kosciusko, Miss., and later moved to Lake, Miss., and then to Newton, Miss. She graduated from Newton High School and attended the University of Mississippi, Tulane University, the University of Tennessee, and Roane State Community College. She was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity at Ole Miss. She earned an associate’s degree in respiratory therapy from Roane State.

She married her husband of 52 years, J. Robert Hightower, on June 24, 1961.

Dot, as she was known by her friends, moved to Oak Ridge from New Orleans in 1964. A powerful and beautiful force of nature, she was active in many organizations and roles in the community. She was one of the early members of Planned Parenthood Association of the Southern Mountains. She served as president of the Oak Ridge Art Center from 1991-1993 and as president of Ossoli Circle in Knoxville from 1999-2000. She was a graduate of Leadership Oak Ridge, Class of 1993. [Read more…]

Obituary: Mary Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Jackson

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Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Jackson

Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Jackson

Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Jackson, age 88, of Oak Ridge, went to meet our Lord on Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, at the Methodist Medical Center.

She was born Jan. 2, 1926, in Louisville, Tenn., the daughter of Burl and Lula Renfro Jarnigan.

Mrs. Jackson was an avid golfer and former member of the Oak Ridge Country Club, where she won the championship for several years in Ladies Golf. She also won championships in the Knoxville area and the Tennessee Senior Championship. As much as she loved golf, her greatest passion was singing soprano in the Celebration Choir and the Senior Choir of Central Baptist Church of Oak Ridge, where she was a faithful member for 30 years. Her life was a witness to others for the Lord.

Mrs. Jackson was an avid dog lover and enjoyed her summer vegetable gardens. [Read more…]

Obituary: James W. ‘Red’ Halsey

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James W. "Red" Halsey

James W. “Red” Halsey

James W. Halsey, of Oak Ridge, entered the Church Triumphant on Saturday. After battling bravely and persistently for several years, “Red” died of his relentless disease early on Feb. 22, 2014. A native of Wytheville, Va., born in 1927, James and his late wife, Peggy moved to Oak Ridge in 1954. He worked for 34 years at Y-12, retiring in 1988.

As a youth in Wytheville, Red played football at Wytheville High School. He married Lula Maglin “Peggy” Pannell before heading to the Army. He was stationed stateside during World War II.

James loved bowling, fishing, and golfing. He was a pitcher in the slow-pitch leagues in Oak Ridge. His sports career highlights include a hole-in-one in 1983 and a 296 bowling score. He was inducted into the Wythe County sports Hall of Fame in 1989. [Read more…]

Obituary: Lester Branham

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Lester Branham, age 88, of Clinton, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, at Norris Health and Rehabilitation Center in Norris.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening.

Lester was preceded in death by his parents, Shirley and Martha Branham; wife, Betty Branham; daughter, Janet Cox; and brothers, Fletcher Branham and Leaburn Branham. [Read more…]

Obituary: Willis Edwin ‘Bill’ Jackson

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Willis Edwin “Bill” Jackson, age 87, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Briarcliff Health Care Center in Oak Ridge.

Mr. Jackson was born Sept. 23, 1926, in Chevrolet, Ky. He and his family moved from Kentucky to Coalfield in the early ’30s. In 1934, the family moved to Loudon, and in 1937 they moved to Oliver Springs where they continued to live.

Bill was a retired heavy equipment operator who worked in the strip mining industry. His first employment was at the Oliver Springs Brick Yard when he was 14 years old. He later worked as a heavy equipment operator during the construction of the K-25 federal plant in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Obituary: Fred W. Postma Jr.

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Fred W. Postma Jr. went home to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014.

He was a faithful member of Central Baptist Church of Oak Ridge, where he served many years as deacon and Sunday school director, and played in the Central Baptist Church Orchestra.

Following service in the U.S. Army, he attended Troy State University and graduated from Mississippi College and from The University of Mississippi. He was a chemist and worked at both Y-12 and K-25 in Oak Ridge. He had a lifelong and fervent love of learning, and was active in the Oak Ridge Institute of Continued Learning as well as being an Oak Ridge High School mathematics tutor. He played in the Oak Ridge Community Bank and Wind Ensemble. [Read more…]