Charline E. Nash Kilpatrick
Ms. Charline E. Nash Kilpatrick, age 90, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. She was preceded in death by her father Frederick, her mother Henrietta, and her brothers Charles and Frederick Jr.
A native of South Pittsburg TN, she attended Mc Reynolds High School and McKenzie Business College. Charline had a lifetime of compassion for, commitment, and dedication to the improvement of the Chattanooga Community through her efforts to assist organizations and individuals of differing ages and varying social and economic backgrounds. Her career of activism most likely began with her being a longtime active member of the NAACP. She attended National Conventions throughout the nation on their behalf. She retired from the Chattanooga Electric Power Board after 21 years where she was the first Black non-custodial employee. She served as a teller. She was a dedicated member of the Democratic Party, having served as Precinct Party Officer, Assistant Executive Director of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, President of the Greater Chattanooga Democratic Women Club, and Vice Chair of the Hamilton Co. Democratic Party. For 16 years she served as an elected member of the State Democratic Executive Committee, representing the 10th Senatorial District. She was founder of the Chattanooga – Hamilton County Foster Parents Association. The organization secured grants and financial contributions for the benefit of Foster Children, their health, safety, welfare, and overall development. In August of 1995, Ms. Kilpatrick organized a committee and held a fundraising drive-in order to take 35 foster kids on a five-day trip to Disney World in Orlando Florida. Three years later she duplicated her efforts and achieved the same goal. She was the founder of the Glenwood Neighborhood Watch Program. They worked with the Chattanooga Police and Hamilton County Sheriff’s office in a cooperative effort to provide a safe community from crime and urban blight in Historic Glenwood. In the year 2000, she attended the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles as a delegate for Al Gore. In 2004 she attended the Convention in Boston as a Delegate for John Kerry. And in 2008 she had the distinct privilege to go as a delegate to Denver for then Senator Barak Obama.
She had a host of awards and honors: a few included the UnBought and UnBossed award from Girls Inc. and the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Certificate of Excellence. She was inducted into the 100 Black Women Pioneer Women of Excellence Hall of Fame. And she was a winner of the National Jefferson Award for Public Service, where she had the privilege of being escorted throughout the Capitol in D.C. by Congressman Zack Wamp and Senator Lamar Alexzander. She was honored by being nominated for the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Great Public Service. She was a longtime appointee of the Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs Advisory Board. In 2011 she was involved in the fight against voter suppression by assisting elderly voters in the acquisition of Voter Identification Photo I.D.s mandated by the state. While assisting Ms. Dorothy Cooper, a 96-year-old woman denied the right to obtain an ID, she received national attention on the Tom Joyner Show, MSNBC, with Rev. Al Sharpton and Rachel Meadow. For this effort and many others, she was awarded the Estes Kefauver Award. A former member of Phillips Temple CME Church, she has been a dedicated and active member of Second Missionary Baptist Church, serving as corresponding secretary of the Missionary Outreach Ministry.
She is survived by her four sons; Korlon, Johnny, Keddrick (Donna), and Floyd; her grandchildren; Korlon II (Roxanne), Azize (Oscar), Frederick, Madison, and Matthew; devoted nieces, Robyn, Evelyn, and Tanya; five greatgrandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Public viewing will begin at 2pm Thursday, March 23, 2023 and the family will receive friends from 4:00 – 6pm at the funeral home. The funeral service will be held at 12 noon Friday, March 24th at Second Missionary Baptist Church. Interment: Forest Hills Cemetery.
Arrangements by John P. Franklin Funeral Home, 1101 Dodds Avenue, 423-622-9995.