Dr. Carl William Asp, age 89, passed away the evening of Sunday Dec 6, 2020 in his Knoxville home with his family by his side. He was born August 14, 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio.A survivor of polio as a child, Carl served during the Korean conflict and went on to complete his undergraduate and doctorate degrees at the Ohio State University. He was a professor of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the University of Tennessee for over 40 years and served another decade as professor emeritus. His pioneering work in the Verbo Tonal method led him to form Listen Inc., publish several books in over a dozen languages, and consult with schools all over the world helping the speech and hearing impaired. As a former standout athlete at Brookside High School in Lorain, OH, he excelled at basketball and football. He also played for the traveling Army basketball team and remained a loyal fan of Cleveland sports. A coach of many teams, he also grew to become an avid supporter and administrator of Tennessee sports serving for several years as Faculty Representative and Board Chair of the University of Tennessee Athletic Department. But perhaps his biggest accomplishment was his ability to make people around him feel special Those who knew him as “Doctor”, “Coach”, “Husband”, “Dad”, “Brother”, “Uncle Bill”, or “Papa” knew he was always in their corner and he was generous with his positivity and encouragement. He had a kindness and humanity that transcended across all walks of life, whether he just met you or knew you his whole life. His favorite person was...everyone. Preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Astrid Asp of Cleveland Ohio. He is survived by his wife, Janet, children Jessica (Sam) Mell of San Mateo, CA, Kathy (Mike) Samples of Knoxville, Patrick (Holly) Brogan of Santa Fe, Shannan (Roger) Gibson of Knoxville and Bill (Tera) Asp of Atlanta, Sister Nancy Asp Parker of Avon Ohio, grandchildren Aspen, Gloria, Lilly, Layla, Audrey, Matthew, Megan, Alexis, Bryce and Cheri (Jacob) Ruble, great grandchild Rylan, and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. An outside cemetery service open to the public with military honors will be held Monday December 14, at 2:00pm at the East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery located at 2200 E Governor John Sevier Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920. Arrangements by Berry Highland Memorial Online condolences can be made at www.berryhighlandmemorial.com
In lieu of flowers, friends may make memorial donations to Sertoma International at www.sertoma.org/makeagift, or University of Tennessee Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology Foundation in memory of Dr. Carl W. Asp 1525 University Avenue Knoxville, TN 37921.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18