Oak Ridge Today

Gail Martin—former AC school board member, county election administrator—dies at 75

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Shirley Gail Martin

Shirley Gail Martin

Note: This story was updated at 2:37 p.m.

Shirley Gail Martin, a former longtime member of the Anderson County school board who served two years as county election administrator, died Wednesday, September 7. She was 75.

Martin, of Claxton, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, her obituary said.

“She was an education activist who gave 24 years to the Anderson County Board of Education, as well as being a devoted Democrat,” the obituary said.

Former Anderson County School Director Larry Foster, who retired at the end of June, said Martin will be missed as a personal friend and also as a community leader. She worked for excellence in education in Anderson County, Foster said, and her long service on the school board indicated that.

Martin stayed involved in the educational area even after she left the school board, and she would attend meetings, call Foster from time to time to ask what was happening, and bring issues of concern to him.

“She wanted excellence,” Foster said Friday. [Read more…]

Obituary: Sheila Judith Saltmarsh

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Sheila Judith Saltmarsh

Sheila Judith Saltmarsh

Sheila Judith Saltmarsh, 74, of Oak Ridge, passed away Wednesday, August 24, 2016, at Methodist Medical Center.

She was born November 13, 1941, in Woodford, Essex, England, the daughter of Leonard Arthur Bone and Constance Ivy Gale Bone.

Passionately interested in birds, she was a long-time volunteer at the Clinch River Raptor Center in Clinton, and she photographed birds around the world. In Oak Ridge, she supported the Holiday Bureau, particularly by making doll clothing and bedding.

Sheila enjoyed sailing and was a member of the Concord Yacht Club and the Swimmin Wimmin of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Obituary: Janet Cosby Scott

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Janet Cosby Scott

Janet Cosby Scott

 

Janet Cosby Scott, 82, of Oak Ridge, passed away on July 25, 2016.

Janet was born in Homewood, Alabama, to Daniel Milton Cosby and Elizabeth Beavers Cosby on December 21, 1933.

She attended and graduated from Sarasota Florida High School. She graduated from Auburn University and was a loyal alumni and fan. While at Auburn, she was president of the Women’s Student Government Association and president of Kappa Delta Sorority.

On March 27, 1955, she married Thomas H. Scott. She was an elementary school teacher for five years prior to becoming a fulltime and a dedicated mother of her two children, Jan and David. Typical of her commitment, she served as Girl Scout leader for Jan’s troop, leading a trip to Mexico, and attended 130 of the 132 college basketball games played by her son, David.

Janet was a strong supporter of the Oak Ridge High School sports programs and regularly attended football and basketball games. [Read more…]

Obituaries for June 6, 2016

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Justine Martha Reagan, age 90, passed away May 31, 2016, at her home in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. She worked at Millers Department Store and was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Oak Ridge. Visiting, funeral service, and lunch will be at St. Mary’s Church starting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 08, 2016. Read the full obituary here.

Sallie Francis Morris, 92, reunited with all her siblings and entered into the Lord’s rest on Thursday, June 2, 2016. She lived in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Visitation was Monday, June, 2016, from 12 to 1 p.m. at Christ Community Church in Oak Ridge, followed by the funeral at 1 p.m. Read the full obituary here.

Ruth M. Ritter, 96, of Oak Ridge passed away on Saturday, June 4, 2016. She came to Oak Ridge from Kentucky during the war and was of Baptist faith. She was the general manager of Clark Jones Music for many years until she was transferred to the main headquarter in Cincinnati. While working in Oak Ridge, she was a member of the Downtown Business Council. The family will receive friends Wednesday, June 8, 2016, from 6-8 p.m. at Weatherford Mortuary. A private burial will be held on Thursday in DeKalb County. Read the full obituary here. [Read more…]

McCulley, supervisor of court deputies, dies of cancer

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Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Corporal John McCulley, who was supervisor of court deputies, died Friday after a courageous battle with cancer, Sheriff Paul White said Monday. McCulley was 51.

McCulley began his law enforcement career with the Sheriff’s Department in April 1991. He served first as a corrections deputy and worked in court security the last several years, White said. He was promoted to corporal in November 2011 and was supervisor of the court deputies.

“John was a big man with a big smile and a big heart,” White said. “He always had a smile for everyone.”

Known as “Joe” to his family and “Big John” to his law enforcement friends, John is preceded in death by his father, Johnny McCulley; his late wife, Mary McCulley; and brother, Lynn McCulley. [Read more…]

Obituary: Thomas West Alexander

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Thomas West Alexander

Thomas West Alexander

Thomas West Alexander, a native of Oak Ridge, died at Oak Ridge Methodist Medical Center on February 19, 2016.

Thomas is survived by his son, John Alexander; his sister, Liza Alexander; and many friends.

Donations in memory of Thomas may be made to:

PROJECT HEALING WATERS FLY FISHING
[email protected]
Clinch River Trout Unlimited

Jean Holden Cole—Leader in community arts, health, education

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Jean Cole

Jean Cole

Jean Holden Cole, 95, an early founder and enthusiastic supporter of Oak Ridge and surrounding community programs died early on New Year’s Day at Canterfield of Oak Ridge after several years of declining health.

Jean Cole was a 70-year resident of Oak Ridge, arriving with her husband Thomas Earle Cole when he joined the Oak Ridge Laboratories’ Physics Division in 1946. Jean’s involvement in Oak Ridge and the surrounding community reached from women’s and children’s health, to art and pottery programs, to early desegregation and education support efforts, to program and curriculum development for continuing education and senior learning.

Mrs. Cole is survived by two sons, Henry Earle “Hank” Cole and his wife Jennine Anderson of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Edmund  Platt “Ted” Cole and his wife Nancy of Bradenton, Florida. There are three grandsons: Thomas Earle Cole, Brandon Bryant Cole, and David Christopher Anderson, and two great grandchildren, Felix Cole Anderson and Tallulah Bean Cole. Jean is also survived by her nephew Benjamin Bates, grandnephew Marshall Bates, and grandniece Morgan Bates, all of Houston, Texas, and by grandnephews John Perrine deNoyelles III and Richard Scott deNoyelles, grandniece Denise Martiel Tormey, four great-grandnephews and three great-grandnieces, all of the Orlando, Florida area. [Read more…]

Obituary: William G. ‘Billy’ Sewell

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William G. "Billy" Sewell

William G. “Billy” Sewell

Former Recreation and Parks director, helped start ORRA

William G. Sewell, affectionately known as “Billy,” passed away peacefully on October 2, 2015, at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. The cause of death was acute myeloid leukemia. He was 72.

Billy was born May 24, 1943, to the late Frances and Bill Sewell, in Ravenna, Ohio. His family moved to Oak Ridge when he was very young, and Billy grew up in the Oak Ridge school system.

He is survived by his lover, confidant, his best friend, his beautiful wife of 47 years, Gail. He is also survived by three children: daughter Molly Sewell Tillyer, her husband Mike, and grandchildren Matthew Tillyer (21) and Nolan Tillyer (16); son Russell Wayne Sewell, and grandchild Logan Sewell (7); and daughter Amy Kathryn Sewell Torres, her husband Michael, and grandchildren Allison Arriola (15), Austin Arriola (13), Sophia Torres (3), Aaron Torres (15), and Annalyse Torres (14). Billy is also survived by a sister, Mary Lou Sewell Murphy, her husband John, and their children Mike, Melinda, Marsha, and Matt; brother Frank Sewell, his wife Pam, and their three children, Rachel, Thomas and Daniel; and brother Joe Sewell, his wife Mary (deceased), and their children Jessica and John. [Read more…]

Family of Hannah Morris has receiving of friends, celebration of life on Sunday

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Hannah Kopp Morris

Hannah Kopp Morris

The family of Hannah Kopp Morris, a 20-year-old Oak Ridger who died after an accident in Pennsylvania on Thursday, will have a receiving of friends and celebration of Hannah’s life in Oak Ridge on Sunday.

Morris was a junior at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. She was fatally injured when she was hit by a sport utility vehicle while crossing North Main street in Meadville at about 10:44 p.m. Thursday, according to the Meadville Tribune newspaper.

Morris, a neuroscience major, was taken to Meadville Medical Center for treatment, but was pronounced dead at 12:40 a.m. Friday, the newspaper reported. Her death was ruled accidental due to multiple blunt force trauma. [Read more…]

Hayes, a former RMS principal, City Council member, dies at 76

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Tom Hayes Gym Dedication

On Thursday, January 16, 2014, Robertsville Middle School recognized former Principal Thomas W. Hayes, third from left, by naming the school gymnasium in his honor. (Photo by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Tom Hayes, a former middle school principal and city council member in Oak Ridge, died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, according to his obituary. He was 76.

Hayes, who lived in Oak Ridge, was a former principal at Robertsville Middle School and a former member of the Oak Ridge City Council.

A native of Parsons, Tennessee, Thomas Warren Hayes was born November 2, 1938, and he graduated from Riverside High School. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in social studies and a master’s degree in education supervision from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. [Read more…]