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Lisa Kay McWhorter
Lisa K. McWhorter, CDR, MSC, USN (ret), 65 of Suffolk, VA passed away on October 21, 2021. She was the daughter of the late Martha “Hope” Byrd McWhorter and Thomas A. McWhorter of Oak Ridge, TN. She is survived by two sisters, Lessie Drabek of San Diego, CA and Barbara Whitt of Oak Ridge, TN, and an extended family. Lisa was born and raised in Oak Ridge, TN. She graduated from Oak Ridge High School, earned a BS in Biology from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, and an MS in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Ohio State University. After graduation, Lisa joined the Peace Corps, where, for 2 years, she taught nursing students in Zaire, in their official language, French. In 1984, Lisa joined the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. She attended Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, RI and was commissioned as a Lieutenant Junior Grade in the Medical Service Corps with a sub-specialty in biochemistry. Lisa’s naval career included, but was not limited to, 2 tours at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, Commanding Officer at the Navy Drug Screening Laboratories in Jacksonville, FL and San Diego, CA and 2 tours as the Navy and Marine Corps Drug Testing Program Manager in Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA. Lisa retired as a Navy Commander in 2012 after 28 years of service. In retirement, she continued to work as a civilian inspector for the National Laboratory Certification Program and remained active in The Society of Forensic Toxicologists. Lisa loved to travel and in 2015, she became a tour guide for Women Traveling Together (WTT), conducting tours in the US, Europe, and Central America. She was a supporter of all people and cared about preserving the planet for future generations. She was the “voice of reason” in her family and was highly respected for her diplomacy. In each of her endeavors, Lisa made life-long friends who share a deep love and respect for her. She will be missed by them all. A memorial service will be scheduled in Oak Ridge, TN at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to The Nature Conservancy or Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. www.sturtevantfuneralhome.comJune 6, 1956 - October 21, 202106/06/195610/21/2021
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Lisa Kay McWhorter