Emily Marshall Owens, 57, of Tullahoma, passed away peacefully on Nov. 28, 2023, surrounded by family and in her home after a long, courageous, and hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer.

A lifelong resident of Tullahoma, Emily was born in Manchester on Jan. 26, 1966, to the late Dr. Charles Robert Marshall and Sarah Shapard Marshall. In 1984, Emily graduated from Tullahoma High School, where she dominated the basketball court as a Tullahoma Lady Cat and was voted “Most Athletic” by her graduating class. She continued her basketball career at Motlow State Community College before hanging up the sneakers to attend the University of Tennessee. While pursuing her B.S. in Education at UTK, Emily was a member of the Chi Omega Fraternity and continued to feed her competitive nature through intramurals. Following graduation, she traded the shoes for a whistle to coach girls’ high school basketball at Oak Ridge. Emily moved back to Tullahoma in 1990 to continue her teaching career and start her family.

Emily loved being outdoors and enjoyed walking, kayaking, or hiking with her pets and family. She loved to travel to warmer destinations, and you could always find her loudly cheering on her Tennessee Volunteers on Saturdays in the fall. Emily was an active member of the Normandy Presbyterian Church, and enjoyed volunteering for various church and community events.

Emily is lovingly remembered for her unwavering devotion and care for her husband, children, and friends. She selflessly loved and served her community, and she was always there to lend her ear or send a sweet message. Her nurturing and supportive nature was appreciated by her husband and children as she always made sure that they had more than what they needed to be happy. More than anything, Emily sought peace for herself and attempted to bring it to those around her.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving dog, Lola. She is survived by her devoted husband, Danny Owens and her two children, Natalie (Grant) Schumacher of Houston, TX, and Jill Rayfield of Somerset, NJ. She is also survived by her sister Marilyn (Marty) Gulley, brothers Bob (Lea Ann) Marshall and Bill (Michelle) Marshall, and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation for Mrs. Owens will be held on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Kilgore Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. in the Kilgore Funeral Home chapel with the Reverend Tom Bagley officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Tullahoma. For those who wish, the family asks that donations in Emily’s memory be made to: The American Cancer Society- PO Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718 or Normandy Presbyterian Church – 108 Center St. Normandy, TN 37360.

Kilgore Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Tullahoma News – Dec. 3, 2023