Eleanor Powers

Eleanor M. Powers, 75, of Kingsport, after a long and courageous struggle against a complicated illness, joined her departed loved ones in the early hours of Sunday morning April 29, 2012.

Born in the Bronx in New York City, Eleanor was the second of three children born to Gustave Alfred Brown and Eleanor Marie Kinney. At just few years old, Eleanor and her family moved to New England and settled in Providence, Rhode Island. When Eleanor was thirteen, her mother passed away and she turned to the obligations of taking care of her baby sister Sharon. A few years later her father remarried and their family welcomed Maron Chandler as their new stepmother. During the summer, she spent time with her family at Watermen's Lake where she met James L. Powers, Jr. who would later become her husband of 51 years. During their first few years of marriage, Eleanor and Jim welcomed four children into their family.

In 1976, Eleanor and Jim moved their family to Kingsport where Jim worked for Holliston Mills in Church Hill and Eleanor focused her attention on raising her children and enjoying her close friendships with the ladies of the Plantation Manor Craft Club. In later years, Jim and Eleanor purchased the Massey's Dry Cleaners/Clean-N-Save chain and together they successfully operated the business for over 20 years before selling the company to spend more time with family in Kingsport.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, James L. Powers, Jr., her son, James L. Powers, III; and by her brother, Alfred Brown.

Surviving are her three children, Mark Powers and wife, Christiane of Frederick, MD., Kristyn Powers of Kingsport, Scott Powers and wife, Melissa of Kingsport; her sister, Sharon Poirier of Providence, RI; her daughter-in-law, Mary Vest Powers of Kingsport; her four grandchildren, Sarah Parker and husband, Ken, James L. Powers IV, Christopher Powers and Nicholas Powers; and two great grandchildren, Rowan Parker and Dylan Parker.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes, Kingsport.

Services will be conducted at 10 a.m., Thursday, May 3, 2012, at St. Dominic Catholic Church with Father Mike Cummins officiating.

Burial will follow at Oak Hill Memorial Park. Family members will serve as pallbearers.

Those desiring to make contributions should donate to The Bridge Home No Kill Animal Shelter in Kingsport.