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…]