Charles Edward Benham, Sr., age 61, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Thursday, May 23, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.
Mr. Benham was born July 20, 1951, in Oliver Springs. He was a lifelong resident of East Tennessee.
He was a self-employed residential building contractor, and his hobby included restoring antique autos. [Read more…]
Paul Roger Stevenson, age 68, of Powell, passed away Tuesday, May 21, at Golden Living Center–Windwood in Clinton.
Paul was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He enjoyed fishing, camping, and boating. Paul was preceded in death by his father, Wilbur Stevenson. [Read more…]
Mary Prater Stout
Mary Prater Stout, 88, of Nashville, passed away peacefully Wednesday evening, May 22, at Trevecca Nazarene Health Care Center in Nashville.
She was born Feb. 13, 1925, in Knoxville to Dr. Hugh Blair and Netta Butler Prater, who predeceased her.
She married Fred Walter Stout, Jr. on Aug. 27, 1949, and they moved to Oak Ridge in 1954. They were longtime and very active members of First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]
Johnnie Lee Byrd
Johnnie Lee Byrd, age 85, of Oak Ridge, passed away Thursday, May 23, at Methodist Medical Center.
He was born May 27, 1927, in Lancing, Tenn., to Andrew and Ibbie Byrd. John retired from the U.S. Navy as a senior chief petty officer after serving his country for 27 years. He served during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars, and later retired from Union Carbide. He was a long time member of the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge and Fraternal Order of Eagles in Oak Ridge.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Esther Willene “Billie” Byrd; sisters, Ruthie Slaven, Jean Booth, and Mary O’Conner; and brothers, Lewis, Glen, Robert, and Roland Paul “Buddy” Byrd. [Read more…]
Philmore T. Jubb, Jr., age 34, passed away Thursday, May 30, at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.
He is survived by his parents Philmore T. Sr. and Anne Jubb, brother and sister-in-law James C. “Chris” and Mary Jubb, grandmother Frances Laing, nephew Ben Jubb, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A funeral service was held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 1, in the chapel of Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home with receiving of friends following the service until 1 p.m.
Michael Kennerly Wilkinson
Michael Kennerly Wilkinson, 92, a scientist internationally known for his pioneering neutron scattering investigations of materials and for his leadership in solid state science at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, died at his home in Oak Ridge on May 22.
He was a former director of the ORNL Solid State Division and helped to build that division into an outstanding research organization.
The son of Ridley and Lucille Wilkinson, Mike was born in Palatka, Fla., on Feb. 9, 1921, and attended public schools in that city. He was always interested in sports and participated in high school baseball, basketball, and golf. He was also an excellent student and graduated as valedictorian of his senior class in 1938. He attended college at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., where he received a B.S. degree in physics in 1942. He was president of his senior class and was the first honor graduate (valedictorian) of that class.
As was true for nearly all members of the graduating class of 1942 at The Citadel, Mike became an officer in the U. S. Army immediately after graduation. Because of his science background, he was sent to special training courses in radar at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. After receiving this training, he spent most of his career in the Army as radar officer and intelligence officer for the Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles. [Read more…]
John Mart Dale
John Mart Dale went to be with his heavenly Father on May 27. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family.
He was born in Wichita, Kansas, on Jan. 31, 1930, to Arnold and Ruth Dale.
He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Shirlene Dale, and three daughters and their husbands, Sheri (Marty) Bryan, Kim (Ricky) Mead, and Julie (Hank) Hodge; and seven grandchildren, Cayce Bryan, Emily Bryan, Katie Ann Bryan, Kevin Mead, David Mead, Conner Hodge, and Caitlyn Hodge. [Read more…]
James Melvin Burchfield
James Melvin Burchfield, age 97, a resident of Clinton, passed away Tuesday, May 21, at the Briarcliff Health Care Center in Oak Ridge.
Mr. Burchfield was born July 15, 1915, in New Tazewell. He worked in the CCCs before entering into military service. While in the United States Army, he served his country in World War II, where he received several medals, decorations, and citations, including the WWII Victory Medal and the American Defense Service Medal.
Before his retirement, he was employed as a supervisor at Canteen Services. He was a member of the Tri-County Tabernacle in Oliver Springs, and he attended the Eagle Bend Apostolic Church in Clinton. His hobbies included wood crafting and fishing.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Djlmar Juanita Burchfield; by his parents, George L. Burchfield and Effie Lee Davis Burchfield; by sisters, Maureen Mangum and Velma Burchfield; and by brothers, Everett and Clifford Burchfield. [Read more…]
Randy Lee Holt, age 54, a resident of Harriman, passed away Monday, May 20, at his home.
Mr. Holt was born Oct. 8, 1958, in Lancing, Mich. At the age of three, he and his family moved from Lancing to Claiborne County, Tenn. During his early adulthood, he moved to Louisiana, where he continued to live until his move back to Tennessee in 2000.
Before his disability, he worked as a roofer in the constriction business. His hobbies included attending flea markets, yard selling, outdoor activities, and fishing.
Randy was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil Holt and Clearitta Sinkhorn Holt. [Read more…]
Viola S. Ergen
Viola S. Ergen, a longtime resident of Oak Ridge, peacefully passed at home with family on Tuesday, May 21.
Born Sept. 10, 1915, in Minneapolis, Minn., daughter to Otto and Anna Siebenthal, Viola began her early career by typing recipes for Betty Crocker. She went on to become the first woman to graduate with a BBA in accounting from the University of Minnesota in 1936. Viola then became senior accountant for the university and later worked as a statistician for the Gallup Poll in Princeton, N.J.
Viola enjoyed being a member of the Minneapolis Hiking Club, which is where she met her husband, Dr. William Krasny Ergen (deceased 1971), a physicist known internationally for his work in nuclear reactor safety, for his coining of the phrase “China Syndrome” in 1967, and for his tenure on the Nuclear Reactor Safety Board. In 1947, they settled in Oak Ridge, where they raised their five children. [Read more…]
