Thelma Gill Word

Thelma Gill Word, of Knoxville, TN, went to be with the Lord on May 7, 2016, at Beverly Park Place. She was preceded in death by her father Norman Faye Gill, mother Foy Bryant Gill, her brother Howard Gill, and husband E. Prentys Word, Jr. Thelma is survived by her brother, Lynnus Gill, her sons Richard and David, their wives Jennifer and Ella, and her grandchildren Christopher and Brandon. Thelma was born in Powell, Tennessee on May 3, 1924. She grew up in Powell and attended Carson Newman College and the University of Tennessee, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She worked briefly as a clerical secretary in the top secret Manhattan Project at the Oak Ridge Laboratories. She also worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority and helped with bookkeeping at N. F. Gill and Sons, the construction company owned by her father and brothers. She had many interests: gardening, flower arranging, solving crossword and jigsaw puzzles and doing both crochet and fine needlepoint work. Thelma loved to read about travel and faraway lands and was able to take several overseas trips. She loved the study of genealogy and the history of the east Tennessee area. Thelma also was a long time member of Central Baptist Church of Fountain City, where she did volunteer library work and was active in the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) programs. She was an accomplished pianist and organist, and enjoyed singing in the adult choir and later, in the senior adult choir, the JoyMakers, with her husband. The family will receive friends on Friday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home, 2300 Adair Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37918. Funeral services will be held Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Bob Robinson officiating, also at the Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Lynnhurst Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her memory to Central Baptist Church, Fountain City. Condolences may be offered at www.berrylynnhurst.com