Oak Ridge Today

Obituary: Scarlette Melanie McCollum

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Scarlette Melanie McCollum

Scarlette Melanie McCollum

Scarlette Melanie McCollum, age 75, of Oak Ridge, died Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, at NHC Health Care Center.

She was born Dec. 12, 1938, in Pocahontas, Va., the daughter of Lawrence E. and Josephine Scales McCollum.

Ms. McCollum graduated from Morristown Community College. In the early 60s, she worked as a legal secretary in New York. She retired from Martin Marietta Energy Systems, where she was in records management at the K-25 plant. She was a member with Haven Chapel United Methodist Church and had also been active with New Vision New Covenant Ministry. As a basketball player in college, her love of the game continued, and she greatly enjoyed watching basketball games. She enjoyed writing poetry and was an accomplished seamstress, making most of her clothes. [Read more…]

Obituary: Manuel Humberto Valdez

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Manuel Humberto Valdez

Manuel Humberto Valdez

Manuel Humberto Valdez, age 71, of Oak Ridge passed away Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013, at Methodist Medical Center after a brief illness.

Humberto was a surveyor and also had his own landscaping enterprise. He was an avid hunter and fisherman who loved to catch “the big one” off the coast of Western Mexico, where he grew up.

He is survived by his wife, Beatriz; three sisters, Norma Sheen and husband Dexter, Irma Valdez, Mireya Carnes and husband Roger; brother, Javier and wife Blanca; three sons, Martin H. Valdez and wife Nelly Gpe Gutierrez, Joel Valdez and wife Beatriz I. Gonzalez, and Giovanni Valdez (deceased); one daughter, Angelical M. Valdez; and Humberto and Beatriz have eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. [Read more…]

Obituary: Beverly Sue Wilson

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Beverly Sue Wilson

Beverly Sue Wilson

Beverly Sue (O’Neal) Wilson, age 50, of Oak Ridge, passed away suddenly, at her residence, on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014.

Beverly enjoyed playing games and spending time with friends and family.

Beverly was preceded in death by her father, Earl Nelson O’Neal. [Read more…]

Obituary: Shannon Sampson

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Shannon Sampson

Shannon Sampson

Shannon Lynn Sampson, age 55, of Clinton, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.

Shannon was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved Christmas and flower gardening. Her joy in life was her children and grandchildren. Shannon was a member of Edgemoor Baptist Church in Clinton.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Odell and Ollie Wright, and brother, Danny Douglas Wright. [Read more…]

Obituary: Riley Goodman

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Riley Goodman, age 90, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, at his home.

Mr. Goodman was born Nov. 24, 1923, in Anderson County. He is a lifelong resident of this area.

Riley was a retired machinist from the Y-12 Federal Plant in Oak Ridge. He retired in 1985 following 28 years of employment.

Mr. Goodman served his country in the United States Army during World War II. [Read more…]

Obituary: Gladys Ernestine Bates

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Gladys Ernestine Bates, age 86, of Oak Ridge, passed away Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, at Summit View Health Care Center in Knoxville.

She was born April 1, 1927, in Hatchechubbee, Ala., the daughter of Mattie Bell King and Harry Perry.

Mrs. Bates retired from the Oak Ridge Hospital, where she worked in the dietary department. She was a member of Oak Valley Baptist Church. She was an avid reader and enjoyed gardening and cooking.

She was preceded in death by husband Bill Bates and son Dewayne Bates. [Read more…]

Obituary: David Edward Riker

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David Edward Riker

David Edward Riker

David Edward Riker, age 40, of Oak Ridge, passed away Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, at Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville.

He was born Aug. 8, 1973, in Oak Ridge, the son of Brooksie Lea Lindsey and Richard Bertrand Riker, both of whom preceded him in death.

David graduated from ITT Technical Institute in 2001. He enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons and Power Grid, and every Saturday he was active with Dragoncon—groups that he had played with for many years. [Read more…]

Obituary: Wanda Juanita Freeman Massey

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Wanda Juanita Freeman Massey

Wanda Juanita Freeman Massey

Wanda Juanita Freeman Massey, age 91, of Oak Ridge, passed away Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, at the Ben Atchley Tennessee State Veterans Home in Knoxville.

She was born April 9, 1922, in Van Lear, Ky., the daughter of William and Goldie Chandler Hawley.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Lillian Scott; brothers, Willis, Charles, and James Hawley; stepsons, Malcolm and Harold Massey; and husbands, Ernest Freeman and Charles Fairbanks Massey.

Her first husband, Ernest Freeman, passed away in 1955. After his death, she enrolled in nursing school and graduated from Fulton Vocational Tech in Knoxville. She retired in 1986 from Oak Ridge Hospital, where she worked for 27 years as a licensed practical nurse. She was the recipient of the very first Employee of the Year Award at the hospital. She also served for many years as a volunteer with the Methodist Medical Center Volunteer Organization. [Read more…]

Obituary: Eddy G. Palmer

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Eddy G. Palmer, age 73, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, following an automobile accident.

Mr. Palmer was born on Feb. 17, 1940, in Adamsville, Tenn. He lived in and grew up in Oliver Springs. Following his high school graduation, he moved to Dayton, Ohio. While in Dayton, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he proudly served his country. Following his military discharge, he returned back to Dayton and began his profession as a builder and contractor.

In 1977, he and his family moved back home to Oliver Springs. He and his business partner, Jerry Johnson, founded P & J Builder, a successful home building business. He continued operating the business until his retirement in 2003.

He loved his family and friends and he enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening. Additionally, he loved animals and attending local flea markets. [Read more…]

Obituary: Donald Frederick Alderman

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Donald Frederick Alderman, 87, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, at Park West Medical Center in Knoxville.

Mr. Alderman was born on June 5, 1926, in Rushford, N.Y. Before moving to Tennessee, he lived in Rushford and Olean, N.Y.

He was a retired machinist and believed in the Baptist faith. Mr. Alderman had a great passion for writing. He was a published author, of both a novel and a book of poems.

Donald served his country bravely in the Second World War. While serving, he received several medals, citations, and ribbons. [Read more…]