Violette M. Pleasant

Violette Maxine Morris Solt Pleasant, age 89, of Knoxville, closed her eyes here and opened them to the face of Jesus and the embrace of all her family who have been waiting for her in Heaven. Beloved daughter, loving wife, eldest of seven much-loved brothers and sisters, cherished aunt, and special friend, Vi lived a full and storied life, passing away peacefully on July 12, 2023.

She was born on Jan. 1, 1934, in Inman, SC. Vi began school there, and later moved with her family to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, when her father began his work in support of the Manhattan Project. She graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1952. She held several summer internships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory between college terms at Berea College in Kentucky. She was utterly fascinated by the science, and she supported research teams in the Solid State Division at ORNL, documenting various experiments in radiation shielding. She graduated from Berea with a degree in English.

Vi grew up in a large family household of modest means, and in her youth, as the oldest, her mother relied on her to be the caregiver for her six younger brothers and sisters. She recalled telling her mother once that she spent so much time being a sitter for her siblings that she didn’t have time to make friends for herself, and her mother reminded her that being a caregiver for her brothers and sisters would make her the best of friends to others for the rest of her life. And it was true. While Vi had no children of her own, her nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews and many others became her adopted children who loved her dearly, and she held numerous roles for them, from being a second mom and grandmother, to special aunt, confidante, mentor, and good friend.

Vi was fiercely intelligent and curious, passionately devoted to her family and friends, a highly disciplined writer, an admirer of the arts, and an ardent lover of the natural world. She saw her fair share of adversity throughout her life, and she got through every challenge with composure, grace, and a determined spirit.

She began her career as an English teacher in Ohio, where she coached her students with great care in the art of the written word. She held a love of language for the rest of her life, editing with care and clarity anything she put her pen to. One of her strongest passions was advocating for the creatures of the natural world, making sure that particularly children learned about and appreciated the incredible biodiversity that was all around them.

She was one of the first women to become a public information officer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and later for the Department of the Interior, where she wrote detailed literature about endangered animals and habitats, including advocacy for strategies that would ensure their survival. One of her keynote advocacy projects was in support of the creation of the Endangered Species Act, which passed in 1970. In support of that new policy, she designed a series of outreach pieces for the endangered Black-Footed Ferret, as well as other animals threatened by habitat loss and other challenges. She sent many of these information packages to her nieces and nephews. These pieces came in the mail in beautifully illustrated and written mimeographed publications, rich with information and next steps children could take to become advocates themselves. She leaves a strong legacy of wildlife supporters throughout the U.S. because of this caring work. She was a longtime member of the National Audubon Society, and she particularly followed the lives of bird species across many biomes, globally.

Vi loved the arts and relished the music-making in her childhood home. Her younger sister played the piano, and she and her siblings would sing together. She loved beautiful clothes and home furnishings and cherished the pieces of art and pottery handmade by friends and artisans local to Colorado and Tennessee. As a devotee of the arts, she worked in her later years for an interior design firm in Colorado. She spent the majority of her life in Golden, Colorado, where she lived with her first husband, Merl Solt. She adored the Rocky Mountains and traded them for a renewed love of the Great Smoky Mountains, when she moved back to Tennessee to be closer to family later in her life.

Vi was always rooting for the underdog and found great satisfaction in turning life’s difficult situations into positive ones. She could be counted on to always maintain an optimistic outlook. She was witty, charming, and loved a good conversation, particularly about politics and world events. She loved curling up with good books, and she was a self-described news hound. She regularly called her family and talked for hours about the latest news or anything going on of importance in the lives of those closest to her. She was an adventurous foodie with a strong sweet tooth – probably in part because of the amazing home-cooked meals she enjoyed in her family home – and she whipped up her own recipes at home or enjoyed fine cuisine in some of the world’s best restaurants. She loved to travel and visited many places across multiple continents during her lifetime, including trips to Europe and Asia.

Vi was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, and shared Bible verses, a prayer of hope and encouragement, or even a favorite hymn or song to help others in need. A masterful storyteller, she wove the most interesting and vivid detail into even the most mundane of topics, and she could always be counted on for great conversation. She was such a thoughtful, generous heart and was quick to send a note or card with deeply felt sentiments, a simple update on life, a story or memory, or just encouragement and praise for those she loved. She was an enthusiastic gardener, growing hybrid iris, heirloom daylilies, and prize-winning roses in her yard. Her favorite season was fall with all of the beautiful colors of the turning leaves, and she loved all things Celtic or Irish, especially the Irish Tenors, the Celtic cross, and anything made from warm Irish wool.

After her first husband Merl’s passing in 2007, Vi returned to Knoxville to live near family. She reconnected with and ultimately married her high school sweetheart, Norman Pleasant, in 2010, and they spent several happy years together until his passing in 2018.

Vi is preceded in death by her father and mother, Richard Marion Morris and Bonnie Faye Miller Morris, husbands Merl Solt and Norman Pleasant, brothers Olin F. Morris, Preston Edward (Ed) Morris, C. John Morris, Sr., and Douglas L. Morris, sisters Jamie Faye Thompson and Carole Marie Morris, and nephew Lindle Morris. She is survived by sisters-in-law Sandi Morris, Judy Morris, and Barbara Morris, brother-in-law Clyde Thompson, nieces and nephews Bo Morris (Deb), Carla Morris (Mark), Alison Morris, Stacy Morris, Brad Morris (Debbie), Charles John (Chuck) Morris, Jr., Rick Morris (Elaine), Kevin Thompson (Michelle), Wendy Morris West (Joey), and Kelli Thompson Piper (Danny), her great nieces and nephews, and her first great-great niece.

The family will hold a graveside service at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at 11:00 am at the Whispering Waters hilltop garden. Memorials may be made to the Sacred Ground Hospice Home in Powell, Tennessee, to honor and support the many wonderful staff there who were so caring to Vi in her last days.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.berryhighlandmemorial.com for the Pleasant family.