Marsha Kay Whitlock Moorehouse

Marsha Kay Whitlock Moorehouse, 74, passed away on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, educator, and a staunch advocate for children.

A celebration of life will be held on Monday, November 25, at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home in Kingsport. Visitation begins at 5 p.m., and the funeral service will start at 6:30 p.m. In accordance with her wishes, Marsha will be cremated. We also ask, in honor of Marsha’s devotion to Vol athletics and the football team in particular, that those attending the celebration of life wear their Tennessee Orange and White. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Grace House. Send any cash or check donations to P.O. Box 1125, Kingsport, TN, 37660. You can also contribute online by visiting www.kpthm.org/donate. 

Marsha was born on April 30, 1950. She is preceded by her father, John H. Whitlock; mother, Dorothy Marshall Whitlock; cherished uncle, G. Payne Marshall; her grandparents, Charlie and Virginia Marshall; as well as several uncles, aunts, and cousins. 

Marsha is survived by her husband of 51 years, Robert Earl Moorehouse Jr.; son, John Moorehouse and his wife, Sandi Larkins Moorehouse; grandchildren, Kaylee Slagle-Moorehouse, Emilee Slagle-Moorehouse, and Kevin Espinoza; and many beloved cousins and friends. 

Marsha graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School, then attended Carson-Newman College before she transferred to the University of Tennessee, where she graduated in 1972 with a degree in Elementary Education. Teaching children was her passion, and she dove into that work immediately. She taught first grade at West View Elementary in Sullivan County, and then taught for several years at Halls Primary School in Knoxville. When Marsha and her husband returned to Kingsport in 1976, she resumed teaching for Sullivan County Schools before taking a sabbatical from teaching to focus on motherhood. 

When she resumed her career she joined Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency, Head Start, where she worked for three decades. Marsha served in a variety of different administrative roles, each of them holding an increasing amount of responsibility culminating in Children's Services Supervisor, a position she held until she retired. She dedicated her entire career to child welfare and ensuring that children were taken care of.

Marsha was an animal lover and had dogs throughout her life, including her current poodle, Tinkerbell. She loved to travel while physically able. She was extremely devoted to her family and being both a mother and grandmother. The family would like to thank the following for providing amusement and comfort as her health began to decline in recent years: Lenny Kravitz, Josh Heupel, Victor Newman, Squirrel White, the 2024 UT baseball team, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair, and the whole gang at MSNBC.