Marilynn Pless Barker
March 16, 2014
Date of Service: March 20, 2014
Interment Location: Garden of Gethsemane
Marilynn Pless Barker, age 58 of Elizabethton passed away Sunday morning, March 16, 2014 in the Johnson City Medical Center following an illness of four weeks.
Marilynn was born in Elizabethton June 13, 1955. She was the daughter of Carolyn Rose Burrell Pless and the late Paul H. Pless. Marilynn was a member of the First Christian Church. She was a 1973 graduate of Elizabethton High School and a 1977 graduate of East Tennessee State University with a BS in elementary education.
Marilynn taught for 30 years in the Carter County School System. She taught first or fourth grades at Unaka Elementary for 28 years and taught one year at Cloudland Elementary and one year at Central Elementary School. She was teacher of the year in 1989 at Unaka Elementary.
She loved working with flowers and truly had a green thumb. Throughout her life she loved music and was a member of the Elizabethton Choral Club.
Besides her father she was preceded in death by her grandparents; Mr. and Mr. E L Burrell, Charles Pless and Rhoda Murray.
Survivors include; her husband Richard Barker of the home, her mother Carolyn Rose Burrell Pless of Elizabethton, her sister and brother-in-law Susan Lee Hodge and Kevin Hodge of Denver, CO, two nieces Madeline and Andrea Hodge of Denver, CO, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Debbie Barker Alexander and Joe Alexander of Elizabethton, her mother-in-law Betty Barker of Elizabethton, an aunt Barbara Pless of Johnson City, and several cousins.
A funeral service for Marilynn Pless Barker will be conducted at 10:00 AM Thursday, March 20, 2014 in the Tetrick Funeral Home Chapel of Peace with Mr. John Smith, minister officiating. Music will be under the direction of Scott Reynolds, organist. Interment will follow in Happy Valley Memorial Park with Father Dennis Kress officiating at the graveside service.
Active pallbearers who are asked to assemble at the funeral home at 9:45 AM will be; Eddie Pless, Gary Sparks, Leonard Febuary, Bo Pless, Richard Myers, Tyler Fleming, Wayne Williams, Dale Schmitt, Harry Ford, Hugh Buckles, John L. Bowers, III and Greg Bowers. Honorary pallbearers will be; Fred Burrell, Tony Tabor, former fellow teachers at Unaka Elementary and the Staff of Elizabethton Federal Savings Bank.
The family will receive friends from 4:30 PM till 7:30 PM Wednesday, March 19, 2014 in the Fireside Room of the funeral home. Friends may also call at the home of her mother, Carolyn Pless and the home of her mother-in-law, Betty Barker.
Those who wish to make donations in memory of Marilynn may donate to the Elizabethton-Carter County Imagination Library, 201 North Sycamore Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643.
Words of sympathy may be sent to the family through the funeral home website, www.tetrickfuneralhome.com.
Tetrick Funeral Home Riverside Chapel Elizabethton is in charge of the arrangements.
