Orval Ferman Karr

Orval Ferman Karr, 88, of Soddy Daisy, Tenn.; passed away Friday, July 25, 2025. He was born in Skidmore, Mo., on May 29, 1937, to Ferman and Ellen Karr.

He graduated from Kings Point, the US Merchant Marine Academy in 1959. He served in the United States Navy and six years in the Merchant Marines. While traveling abroad, he loved discovering other cultures and ways of living.

Orval followed his years of service overseas with three decades of public service working as an engineer for TVA. Many of those years were spent working on the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project - a design that sought to use nuclear waste as fuel. He finished his TVA career doing research and development.

He was a master of many skills and crafts: air plane piloting, SCUBA diving, welding, machine shop and others.

Orval was preceded in death by his wife, Florene, their son, Oliver; his brothers, Joseph and David; and is survived by his siblings, Jo Ann, Maxine, Karen, Audrey, Lettie and Billy; his sons, Michael (Teena), James (Diane), and seven grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and cousins who he loved very much.

Visitation is 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at Williamson & Sons Funeral Home with services following at 2:00 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Interment will be in Hamilton Memorial Gardens with Military Honors.

Condolences and memories may be shared at www.williamsonandsons.com.

Arrangements are by Williamson & Sons Funeral Home, 8852 Dayton Pike Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379.