John P. Witherspoon Jr., age 85, died on Feb. 4, 2017.
He was born on Feb. 28, 1931 in Hamlet, N.C. He went to elementary school in Jacksonville, Fla. and to high school at Porter Military Academy, a boarding school in Charleston, S.C., from which he graduated in 1949. As a result of his years there, John had a life-long love of Charleston and Porter, and the surrounding area, to which he always enjoyed returning.
John met Ulilla Treon when his parents moved to Atlanta, Ga., while he was at Porter. They became high school sweethearts, and dated for several years before they wed. A marriage that lasted nearly 63 years, ending only with Ulilla's death in 2015.
John received both his B.S. and M.S. from Emory University in Georgia, the latter in 1954. He then served in the scientific service in the Army for two years in Maryland. After that, he embarked on his Ph.D. in 1957 at the University of Tennessee, on the effects of radioactivity in forests. When he started graduate school, John and Ulilla already had two children; by the time he graduated in 1962, they had five. He spent his entire professional career at ORNL as an ecologist, using radioactive isotopes as a tool for ecological analysis and studying the effect of radiation on plants, which he loved. Later he wrote environmental impact statements, which he enjoyed less. He supervised many students during his time at the lab, often bringing them home for barbecues with his family, and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee for many years.
John loved Oak Ridge. He and Ulilla were active members of First United Methodist Church for over 55 years and subscribers to the Oak Ridge Playhouse for over 42 years. They held season tickets for the Oak Ridge Wildcats football season, with the same reserved seats for 41 years, and John continued attending these, despite failing health, through part of the most recent season. In his early adulthood, he loved hiking in the Smokies (often supporting his daughters' Camp Fire Girl troops) and early in his retirement he took up fishing at various spots in East Tennessee, which he loved partly for the quiet companionship it brought. He shared a love of birdwatching as well as travel with Ulilla; they took part in over 40 Road Scholar programmes in Europe and the United States. He played the clarinet to solo standard in his youth, and was self-taught on keyboard and ukulele.
John was predeceased by the love of his life, Ulilla, and is survived by his five children and their spouses, Michael (Robyn), Sharon, Susan Reed (Rick), Robert (Judith) and Trish Spore (Richard). He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Marco Jowell, Adam Jowell, Stephanie Reed, Shannon Tiezzi, Travis Reed, Zachary Witherspoon, Hayden Witherspoon, Kelsey Frix and Caroline Spore. He learned of the birth of his first great-grandchild four days before he died.
After his wife died, John's Oak Ridge neighbours gave essential support in walking his dog Lucy, so that he could keep her. Susan Shor initiated this, and Betty and Pat McKinney continued it. The family would like to thank them particularly, as well as all the other loving kindnesses shown by many Oak Ridgers to John when he was widowed. His last week at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge was exemplary, allowing him to die with dignity.
Services will be held on Friday, Feb. 10, at First United Methodist Church, with visitation at 2 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m., and a reception with light refreshments after.
The Oakridger
Contributor: Anita Greenlee (49459033)
He was born on Feb. 28, 1931 in Hamlet, N.C. He went to elementary school in Jacksonville, Fla. and to high school at Porter Military Academy, a boarding school in Charleston, S.C., from which he graduated in 1949. As a result of his years there, John had a life-long love of Charleston and Porter, and the surrounding area, to which he always enjoyed returning.
John met Ulilla Treon when his parents moved to Atlanta, Ga., while he was at Porter. They became high school sweethearts, and dated for several years before they wed. A marriage that lasted nearly 63 years, ending only with Ulilla's death in 2015.
John received both his B.S. and M.S. from Emory University in Georgia, the latter in 1954. He then served in the scientific service in the Army for two years in Maryland. After that, he embarked on his Ph.D. in 1957 at the University of Tennessee, on the effects of radioactivity in forests. When he started graduate school, John and Ulilla already had two children; by the time he graduated in 1962, they had five. He spent his entire professional career at ORNL as an ecologist, using radioactive isotopes as a tool for ecological analysis and studying the effect of radiation on plants, which he loved. Later he wrote environmental impact statements, which he enjoyed less. He supervised many students during his time at the lab, often bringing them home for barbecues with his family, and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee for many years.
John loved Oak Ridge. He and Ulilla were active members of First United Methodist Church for over 55 years and subscribers to the Oak Ridge Playhouse for over 42 years. They held season tickets for the Oak Ridge Wildcats football season, with the same reserved seats for 41 years, and John continued attending these, despite failing health, through part of the most recent season. In his early adulthood, he loved hiking in the Smokies (often supporting his daughters' Camp Fire Girl troops) and early in his retirement he took up fishing at various spots in East Tennessee, which he loved partly for the quiet companionship it brought. He shared a love of birdwatching as well as travel with Ulilla; they took part in over 40 Road Scholar programmes in Europe and the United States. He played the clarinet to solo standard in his youth, and was self-taught on keyboard and ukulele.
John was predeceased by the love of his life, Ulilla, and is survived by his five children and their spouses, Michael (Robyn), Sharon, Susan Reed (Rick), Robert (Judith) and Trish Spore (Richard). He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Marco Jowell, Adam Jowell, Stephanie Reed, Shannon Tiezzi, Travis Reed, Zachary Witherspoon, Hayden Witherspoon, Kelsey Frix and Caroline Spore. He learned of the birth of his first great-grandchild four days before he died.
After his wife died, John's Oak Ridge neighbours gave essential support in walking his dog Lucy, so that he could keep her. Susan Shor initiated this, and Betty and Pat McKinney continued it. The family would like to thank them particularly, as well as all the other loving kindnesses shown by many Oak Ridgers to John when he was widowed. His last week at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge was exemplary, allowing him to die with dignity.
Services will be held on Friday, Feb. 10, at First United Methodist Church, with visitation at 2 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m., and a reception with light refreshments after.
The Oakridger
Contributor: Anita Greenlee (49459033)
John P. Witherspoon Jr., age 85, died on Feb. 4, 2017.
He was born on Feb. 28, 1931 in Hamlet, N.C. He went to elementary school in Jacksonville, Fla. and to high school at Porter Military Academy, a boarding school in Charleston, S.C., from which he graduated in 1949. As a result of his years there, John had a life-long love of Charleston and Porter, and the surrounding area, to which he always enjoyed returning.
John met Ulilla Treon when his parents moved to Atlanta, Ga., while he was at Porter. They became high school sweethearts, and dated for several years before they wed. A marriage that lasted nearly 63 years, ending only with Ulilla's death in 2015.
John received both his B.S. and M.S. from Emory University in Georgia, the latter in 1954. He then served in the scientific service in the Army for two years in Maryland. After that, he embarked on his Ph.D. in 1957 at the University of Tennessee, on the effects of radioactivity in forests. When he started graduate school, John and Ulilla already had two children; by the time he graduated in 1962, they had five. He spent his entire professional career at ORNL as an ecologist, using radioactive isotopes as a tool for ecological analysis and studying the effect of radiation on plants, which he loved. Later he wrote environmental impact statements, which he enjoyed less. He supervised many students during his time at the lab, often bringing them home for barbecues with his family, and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee for many years.
John loved Oak Ridge. He and Ulilla were active members of First United Methodist Church for over 55 years and subscribers to the Oak Ridge Playhouse for over 42 years. They held season tickets for the Oak Ridge Wildcats football season, with the same reserved seats for 41 years, and John continued attending these, despite failing health, through part of the most recent season. In his early adulthood, he loved hiking in the Smokies (often supporting his daughters' Camp Fire Girl troops) and early in his retirement he took up fishing at various spots in East Tennessee, which he loved partly for the quiet companionship it brought. He shared a love of birdwatching as well as travel with Ulilla; they took part in over 40 Road Scholar programmes in Europe and the United States. He played the clarinet to solo standard in his youth, and was self-taught on keyboard and ukulele.
John was predeceased by the love of his life, Ulilla, and is survived by his five children and their spouses, Michael (Robyn), Sharon, Susan Reed (Rick), Robert (Judith) and Trish Spore (Richard). He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Marco Jowell, Adam Jowell, Stephanie Reed, Shannon Tiezzi, Travis Reed, Zachary Witherspoon, Hayden Witherspoon, Kelsey Frix and Caroline Spore. He learned of the birth of his first great-grandchild four days before he died.
After his wife died, John's Oak Ridge neighbours gave essential support in walking his dog Lucy, so that he could keep her. Susan Shor initiated this, and Betty and Pat McKinney continued it. The family would like to thank them particularly, as well as all the other loving kindnesses shown by many Oak Ridgers to John when he was widowed. His last week at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge was exemplary, allowing him to die with dignity.
Services will be held on Friday, Feb. 10, at First United Methodist Church, with visitation at 2 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m., and a reception with light refreshments after.
The Oakridger
Contributor: Anita Greenlee (49459033)
He was born on Feb. 28, 1931 in Hamlet, N.C. He went to elementary school in Jacksonville, Fla. and to high school at Porter Military Academy, a boarding school in Charleston, S.C., from which he graduated in 1949. As a result of his years there, John had a life-long love of Charleston and Porter, and the surrounding area, to which he always enjoyed returning.
John met Ulilla Treon when his parents moved to Atlanta, Ga., while he was at Porter. They became high school sweethearts, and dated for several years before they wed. A marriage that lasted nearly 63 years, ending only with Ulilla's death in 2015.
John received both his B.S. and M.S. from Emory University in Georgia, the latter in 1954. He then served in the scientific service in the Army for two years in Maryland. After that, he embarked on his Ph.D. in 1957 at the University of Tennessee, on the effects of radioactivity in forests. When he started graduate school, John and Ulilla already had two children; by the time he graduated in 1962, they had five. He spent his entire professional career at ORNL as an ecologist, using radioactive isotopes as a tool for ecological analysis and studying the effect of radiation on plants, which he loved. Later he wrote environmental impact statements, which he enjoyed less. He supervised many students during his time at the lab, often bringing them home for barbecues with his family, and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee for many years.
John loved Oak Ridge. He and Ulilla were active members of First United Methodist Church for over 55 years and subscribers to the Oak Ridge Playhouse for over 42 years. They held season tickets for the Oak Ridge Wildcats football season, with the same reserved seats for 41 years, and John continued attending these, despite failing health, through part of the most recent season. In his early adulthood, he loved hiking in the Smokies (often supporting his daughters' Camp Fire Girl troops) and early in his retirement he took up fishing at various spots in East Tennessee, which he loved partly for the quiet companionship it brought. He shared a love of birdwatching as well as travel with Ulilla; they took part in over 40 Road Scholar programmes in Europe and the United States. He played the clarinet to solo standard in his youth, and was self-taught on keyboard and ukulele.
John was predeceased by the love of his life, Ulilla, and is survived by his five children and their spouses, Michael (Robyn), Sharon, Susan Reed (Rick), Robert (Judith) and Trish Spore (Richard). He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Marco Jowell, Adam Jowell, Stephanie Reed, Shannon Tiezzi, Travis Reed, Zachary Witherspoon, Hayden Witherspoon, Kelsey Frix and Caroline Spore. He learned of the birth of his first great-grandchild four days before he died.
After his wife died, John's Oak Ridge neighbours gave essential support in walking his dog Lucy, so that he could keep her. Susan Shor initiated this, and Betty and Pat McKinney continued it. The family would like to thank them particularly, as well as all the other loving kindnesses shown by many Oak Ridgers to John when he was widowed. His last week at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge was exemplary, allowing him to die with dignity.
Services will be held on Friday, Feb. 10, at First United Methodist Church, with visitation at 2 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m., and a reception with light refreshments after.
The Oakridger
Contributor: Anita Greenlee (49459033)
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