Dolores “Dee” Kress, 90

Dolores “Dee” Kress was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, on September 13, 1935, and passed away peacefully on March 14, 2026, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 

She now joins her beloved husband, Tom “Tommy” Kress, who preceded her in death on July 2, 2025. Together, they shared seventy-one blissful years together. Dee and Tom, both natives of Kingsport, built a life rooted in love, family, and community. 

They were the proud parents of three children: Reid (Cheryl), who preceded her in death on March 5, 2023; Wendy (Charles); and Tyler. She was also a devoted grandmother to ten grandchildren: Ryan, Lindsey (Zak), Jessica (Peter), Adam, Taylor (Jessica), Kurtis (Shae), Bob, Kacie, Gavin, and Fletcher. Dee and Tom made their home in Oak Ridge beginning in 1959, where they planted roots that would grow into a lifetime of family, friendships, and community. 

Dee was a devoted homemaker extraordinaire until her children left for college. In the years that followed, she and Tom shared a love of travel and enjoyed visiting many parts of the world, including France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Turkey, Japan, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. At her core, Dee was a natural caretaker. Long before she became a mother, she cared for others, helping her working parents raise her younger brother at just ten years old, cooking, mending clothes, and supporting her family during challenging times. Because she remembered how much she missed her mother when she had to work, Dee’s greatest wish was to be a stay-at-home mom; she and Tom made that dream a reality, giving their children a loving and idyllic upbringing. Later in life, she brought that same dedication to her work as Executive Assistant to the President and Vice Presidents at Methodist Medical Center, where she served faithfully until she retired in 1997, earning her 20-year service pin.

But even beyond her work, her impact on the Oak Ridge community was extraordinary. A passionate and dedicated community member, Dee served on numerous boards, including the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame, Oak Ridge Recreation & Parks, the Miss Knoxville Pageant, and the Anderson County Fairest of the Fair. She played and coached slow-pitch softball and basketball in city and church leagues from 1962 to 1995. She also helped organize multiple youth and adult leagues, including women’s intermediate, junior, and masters’ slow-pitch softball, as well as girls’ basketball programs. She also served in leadership roles as Treasurer for several athletic associations and as Secretary for the Youth Softball Association. In recognition of her dedication to youth and recreation, she received two citations (in 1973 and 1979) from the State of Tennessee Recreation and Parks and was inducted into the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

Dee was a tireless volunteer, always willing to help with school events, fundraisers, and community initiatives. She was also active in the PTA at Woodland Elementary School, serving as President. Dee found joy in life’s simple pleasures. She loved hot dogs, a fond memory from childhood when her father would come home late from work and wake her, gently waving one under her nose. She also loved to sing, beginning in childhood through church and school. At just four years old, she sang “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” on a local radio station at Christmastime. As an adult, she continued to share her voice in the church choir. She was also a gifted storyteller, blessed with an extraordinary autobiographical memory. Her loved ones cherish her many stories—vivid, detailed, and full of her love for life and family. She could recall people, names, dates, and events from as early as two years old—a gift she retained throughout her life. Most importantly, Dee loved God. 

She accepted Christ at the age of seven during a church revival on April 13, 1943, and remained a faithful Christian throughout her life. She served her church in numerous ways, including singing in the choir, working in the nursery, and teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. She lived a life defined not by what she had, but by what she gave to others. Her values, her love, her care, her presence—these remain. Her life was a gift to all who knew her, and her love will continue to guide those she leaves behind. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church, 130 Providence Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Visitation will be held from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. prior to the service. A reception will follow from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

 In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Ridge—an organization that reflects Dee’s lifelong commitment to giving to and caring for others (https://bgcor.org/donorssponsors/).