Oak Ridge Today

Gene Caldwell—retired pediatrician, former state representative—dies at 84

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Photo courtesy Amanda Caldwell

Photo courtesy Amanda Caldwell

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:40 a.m.

Dr. Gene Caldwell, a retired pediatrician and former Tennessee state representative, died Saturday, March 4. He was 84.

Caldwell, a beloved pediatrician who often said he was the luckiest guy in the world, died at NHC of Oak Ridge from congestive heart failure, according to his obituary. He would have turned 85 in 10 days.

Caldwell, a Democrat, served three terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing the 33rd District from 1996 to 2002.

“Gene Caldwell was a great public servant and did much for our community,” said Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican. “He will be missed, but his contributions will live on.”

The district lines have changed a bit since then, but at the time, the 33rd District included part of Anderson County, including Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Norris, said Jim Hackworth, who is also a former state representative in District 33. Caldwell preceded Hackworth.

“He was a good friend and will be sorely missed,” said Hackworth, who served the district for eight years.

Caldwell and his family had moved to Oak Ridge in 1966, when he began his practice with the Children’s Clinic of Oak Ridge. He retired in 1994 after 27 years. [Read more…]

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…]

Survivor of fatal crash released from hospital

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County High School student injured in a Monday afternoon traffic accident in Norris that left his friend and classmate dead was released from the University of Tennessee Medical Center on Tuesday.

Evan Weaver was injured in Monday’s wreck at the intersection of Andersonville Highway and Norris Freeway and flown to UT Medical Center. He reportedly suffered a broken pelvis in the crash, which occurred shortly before 4:30 p.m. Monday, when his Ford Escort crossed over a concrete traffic island and collided with a Ford F250 pickup truck.

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