Ron Parr
age
55 of Lenoir City, cared about his family, friends, county, and
work. His death on January 22, 2008 is a loss that is being
felt throughout the area. Ron began roaming the back roads of
Loudon County when he was nine after his family moved to Lenoir
City from Terre Haute, Indiana where he was born. He graduated
from Lenoir City High School in 1970 and from Tennessee Wesleyan
College in 1974 with a B.S. in Math and teaching certification
for secondary education. Ron served Group Leader in Information
Technology Services Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
He had over 30 years experience in the information technology
field. After graduation from Tennessee Wesleyan University, Ron
began work at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant in July 1974
as a computer programmer analyst. He worked initially on
software applications associated with DOEs uranium enrichment
program. In 1982, Ron transferred to the Y-12 Plant where he
worked on a number of software applications associated with the
Y-12 Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) project. He also
served as the manager of Y-12s Database Administration Section
for several years. Ron left Y-12 in 1990 to return to the K-25
site as the section manager of a staff of software applications
developers supporting multi-site cost accounting and property
management applications. In late 1998, Ron transferred to ORNL
to assume responsibility for the Labs newly formed software
applications development organization. He led a group which has
been very successful in client/server and World Wide Web
technologies. In 2006, he became Group Leader of the new
Software Application Services group where he managed over 80
staff members. Under Ron's leadership this organization has
grown and prospered. Over the years, Ron's exceptional people
skills allowed him to attract, retain and grow an exceptionally
strong and loyal staff. The people were always Ron's number one
concern and priority. After learning of the accident, one of
his former employees wrote that Ron was simply the most honest,
kindest, caring supervisor and friend that anyone could know. He
influenced and helped the careers of many, many people.With his
dad, Jack Parr, he also owned and operated Parr Tool Company in
Lenoir City for the past 17 years. Ron graduated from the
Leadership Loudon County Class in 2003. This experience led to
his interest in land use planning in the county resulting in an
appointment to the Loudon County Planning Commission. He
continually worked to promote healthy, planned growth within
Loudon County and he had the ability to mediate by listening to
opposing views and assisting in finding mutually beneficial
solutions. When not working, Ron loved riding his Harley with
special friends to different parts of the U.S., including a
cross-county ride to the California coast this past summer. He
was most proud, though, of his children. Robert, 23, is a
second-year law student at Nova Southeastern University in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida. Elizabeth, 17, is a senior at Oak Ridge
High School. His wife, Pat, is the Natural Resources Manager
for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Other survivors include his
parents, Jack and Wilma Parr, of Lenoir City; sister and
family: Pam and Don Breazeale and their children, Adam, Jason,
and Amanda of Lenoir City mother and father-in-law, Bob and
Betty Dreyer of Oak Ridge; sisters- in-law and families, Nancy
and Jeff Kile and their children, Keith and Jessica of Oak
Ridge; Dottie Dreyer and Jane Houston of Gainesville, FL.
Grandparents (all of Terre Haute, Indiana and deceased), Elmer
and Phila Parr, Merlin and Ellen Jones, and Fern and Raymond
Jones. Friends may call at their convenience Friday at Click
Funeral Home in Lenoir City. The family will receive friends
from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Saturday, January 26, at First United
Methodist Church in Oak Ridge. Funeral services will follow at
11 a.m. at the church with Rev. Stella Roberts, Rev. Troy
Forrester, Rev. Mayhen Archer and Mr. Carl Thomas officiating.
Family and friends will gather at 2 p.m. Saturday in the
Lakeview Cemetery in the Lenoir City Park for graveside services
and interment. Serving as pallbearers will be: Robert Parr,
Jason and Don Breazeale, Keith and Jeff Kile, Neal Bell.
Honorary pallbearers will be: Terry Jones, Adam Breazeale, John
Drake, Carl Thomas, Mike Goggin, Phil Mason and Gene Chrusiel.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations to one
of the following be considered: Tennessee Wesleyan College
(Information Technology Program), 204 East College St, Athens,
TN 37303; United Way of Loudon County, 1301 Hannah Ave,
Knoxville, TN 37921, attn. Mary Sue Jordan; Oak Ridge First
United Methodist Church Youth Program, (designate Ron Parr
memorial) 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.
Click Funeral Home, 109 Walnut Street, Lenoir City
is serving the Parr family. |