Edward Underwood Elam
d. January 22, 2019
Edward Underwood Elam
Edward Underwood ?Ned? Elam died early Friday morning, February 2, 2007, at his home.
He was born August 14, 1922, in Prince Edward County, Virginia. At the age of 15 he graduated from Darlington Heights High School, and at age 16 entered Virginia Polytechnic Institute graduating at age 19. He entered the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and served four years in the Coast Artillery, being discharged as a Captain in March of 1946.
Mr. Elam went to work at Tennessee Eastman Company as a Research Chemist on April 1, 1946, and retired as a Research Associate on April 1, 1986. He was the author of several patents during this period and was instrumental in the development of Eastman?s Optical Brighteners.
Ned was a communicant of St. Paul?s Episcopal Church where he had served as a vestryman and an usher and was a past treasurer of the day school. Most recently, he assisted in a minor capacity with the St. Paul?s food pantry.
He was a 60-year member of the American Chemical Society and a full member and past president of the East Tennessee Society of Sigma Xi.
Other accomplishments include serving on the Board of Bays Mountain Park Association and for several years serving as treasurer of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. He volunteered for the Kingsport Public Library and was a dedicated driver for the Shepherd Center of Kingsport.
Preceding him in death were his parents; a daughter, Barbara Brooks Elam West; and a grandson, Richard West.
Surviving are his wife of 60 years, Betty Deuel Cock Elam of Kingsport; three daughters, Mrs. Malcolm Anne Deuel De?Ath of Harrow, England, Mrs. Al Betsy Lookofsky of Shelbyville, Illinois, and Mrs. Jim Judy Skelly of Northolt, England; seven grandchildren, Walt and Alice Lookofsky, Jacqui and Jean Skelly, Sarah De?Ath, Edward Brooks West and his wife Lauren, Stuart West and his fiancée Hilary Smith; a great-grandson, Samuel Edward West; a granddaughter-in-law, Tobee Douglas West; and a step-great-granddaughter, Jessica Douglas.
Services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Sunday at St. Paul?s Episcopal Church with The Rev. Edward J. Mills III and The Rev. Margaret Zeller officiating. The family will receive friends in Berndt Hall at the church immediately following the services.
Graveside services will be conducted at 4:00 p.m. Monday at Olive Branch United Methodist Church Cemetery, Prospect, Virginia by The Rev. Michael B. Ferguson.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul?s Episcopal Church, 161 E. Ravine Road, Kingsport, TN 37660 or to Netherland Inn Association, P. O. Box 293, Kingsport, TN 37662 or the Shepherd Center, 1701 Virginia Avenue, Kingsport, TN 37664.
He was born August 14, 1922, in Prince Edward County, Virginia. At the age of 15 he graduated from Darlington Heights High School, and at age 16 entered Virginia Polytechnic Institute graduating at age 19. He entered the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and served four years in the Coast Artillery, being discharged as a Captain in March of 1946.
Mr. Elam went to work at Tennessee Eastman Company as a Research Chemist on April 1, 1946, and retired as a Research Associate on April 1, 1986. He was the author of several patents during this period and was instrumental in the development of Eastman?s Optical Brighteners.
Ned was a communicant of St. Paul?s Episcopal Church where he had served as a vestryman and an usher and was a past treasurer of the day school. Most recently, he assisted in a minor capacity with the St. Paul?s food pantry.
He was a 60-year member of the American Chemical Society and a full member and past president of the East Tennessee Society of Sigma Xi.
Other accomplishments include serving on the Board of Bays Mountain Park Association and for several years serving as treasurer of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. He volunteered for the Kingsport Public Library and was a dedicated driver for the Shepherd Center of Kingsport.
Preceding him in death were his parents; a daughter, Barbara Brooks Elam West; and a grandson, Richard West.
Surviving are his wife of 60 years, Betty Deuel Cock Elam of Kingsport; three daughters, Mrs. Malcolm Anne Deuel De?Ath of Harrow, England, Mrs. Al Betsy Lookofsky of Shelbyville, Illinois, and Mrs. Jim Judy Skelly of Northolt, England; seven grandchildren, Walt and Alice Lookofsky, Jacqui and Jean Skelly, Sarah De?Ath, Edward Brooks West and his wife Lauren, Stuart West and his fiancée Hilary Smith; a great-grandson, Samuel Edward West; a granddaughter-in-law, Tobee Douglas West; and a step-great-granddaughter, Jessica Douglas.
Services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Sunday at St. Paul?s Episcopal Church with The Rev. Edward J. Mills III and The Rev. Margaret Zeller officiating. The family will receive friends in Berndt Hall at the church immediately following the services.
Graveside services will be conducted at 4:00 p.m. Monday at Olive Branch United Methodist Church Cemetery, Prospect, Virginia by The Rev. Michael B. Ferguson.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul?s Episcopal Church, 161 E. Ravine Road, Kingsport, TN 37660 or to Netherland Inn Association, P. O. Box 293, Kingsport, TN 37662 or the Shepherd Center, 1701 Virginia Avenue, Kingsport, TN 37664.
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