Violet Akard Ketron, 94, peacefully “slipped the surly bonds of Earth” into the arms of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ on December 26, 2020, at Asbury Steadman Hill Assisted Living under the care of the loving and dedicated staff who cared for her the past 12 years.
She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 61 years, Fred W. Ketron; her parents, Guy and Mary Alice (Elsea) Akard; and her brother, Hal Akard.
She was born September 8, 1926, in Bristol, TN and graduated from Blountville High School in 1944. She played guard on the Girls’ Basketball Team and retained a lifelong love of basketball, enjoying the career of Michael Jordan and cheering the Tennessee Vols, especially the Lady Vols.
Violet discovered she loved teaching while working with Linda and Betsy, her first students. She began substitute teaching when they began elementary school and pursuing over several years her degree in education by taking night and summer classes. She started teaching full time in 1960 on a provisional license until she graduated from ETSU in 1968. From substitute teaching, she decided fourth grade was the “perfect” grade to teach and she taught that grade until her retirement in 1987. Violet loved teaching and watching the progress made by her students.
She has been a member of Kingsley United Methodist Church since 1947 and served in many capacities there over the years. She was an active member of the United Methodist Women.
She is survived by her daughters, Linda Jackson and husband Tony and Elizabeth (Betsy) Pease and husband Jimmy; by granddaughters, Juli McCary and husband Preston and Erin Wallen and husband Matthew; and great-granddaughters, Hadley, Jordan, and Brooklyn; sister-in-law, Betty Potts Ketron; nephews, Frank, Don, and Charles Ketron and Andrew Akard; and nieces, Pam Darnell and Penny Miller.
A graveside service at East Lawn Memorial Park in the Garden of Love will take place Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 1:00pm with the Rev. Adam Love and Rev. Amy Sumrall officiating. Those attending are asked to wear masks and exercise safe distancing practices.
There are no words to express how thankful we are for the care given to Violet by Tammy McKinney, Director, and her staff at Steadman Hill. She felt safe and loved there. We also thank Sun Crest Hospice for their care of Violet in her last weeks.
The family requests anyone who desires to make a memorial contribution in Violet’s name to do so to Kingsley United Methodist Church, 2828 Bloomingdale Road, Kingsport, TN 37660.
