Marilyn Scruggs Kennedy
KNOXVILLE - On the evening of January 3, 2024, Marilyn Scruggs Kennedy passed away after a brief illness. Born on May 20, 1940 to parents Delmas and Pauline Childress; Marilyn was a lifelong and proud South Knoxville native as well as a proud supporter of the University of Tennessee. The school where she and her father were both employed, and where all of her children and several of her grandchildren graduated. Marilyn was a force to be reckoned with.
Her work ethic ensured that she was successful in her pursuits; early in life managing several businesses and raising a family, and later in life traveling the world with her friends and family. Her love for travel and adventure took her all across the Caribbean, through Central America, to Russia and all over the North American Continent. It was not uncommon later in her life to find Marilyn spending six months of the year beach side somewhere you might not have heard of. She was a vibrant woman; strong, independent, and caring, she was known affectionately as Babe, Mamoo, and Nana. When she wasn’t pursuing adventures, Marilyn loved to be in South Knoxville, often absorbed in a good book while watching over the Tennessee River, cheering UT Basketball, listening to the Knoxville symphony orchestra, or watching over her fleet of hummingbirds and squirrels. She was a kind woman who never met someone she couldn’t befriend, and never missed an opportunity to share a margarita with a friend (something she was in no short supply of). Family lore tells that Marilyn holds the distinction of having the record for having the same phone number for the longest period of time in Tennessee history, and also being the only woman of her generation to ground-up rebuild a Volkswagen in pristine nail polish and eyeliner (she would also be proud of us for not letting any facts get in the way of a good story).
Marilyn was preceded in death by her aforementioned parents, her husband of 42 years Paul “Buddy” Scruggs, her husband of 14 years Lawrence Kennedy, as well as her brother John S. Childress. She is survived by her siblings; twin sister Connie McColloch and husband Robert, brother Fred Childress and wife Judy, and sister Martha Harris and husband Jeff; her three children Del Scruggs and wife Marte, Luann Duren and husband Jon, Jennifer Switzer and husband Bryan; her seven grandchildren Vade Scruggs, Bryson Leftwich, Madison Duren, Alden Duren, Emilee Duren, Ben Switzer and Luke Switzer; one great-grandson Kaiden Duren and her devoted partner Wayne Baker.
A receiving of friends and family will be held at Berry Funeral Home Saturday, January 13 from 12-2pm.
The family would ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in honor of Marilyn Scruggs Kennedy to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Thank you in advance for your contribution.