Alan Coulter England, 92, died peacefully at home on March 4, 2024,surrounded by his daughters. He was an active resident of Oak Ridge and a member of ORUUC since the 1960s. He continued to attend church services on Zoom up to his last full day of life and was an active member of the ORUUC Buddhist Study Group and a member of one of the ORUUC Circles of Trust.

Alan was an experimental plasma physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory(ORNL) for 35 years. He authored or co-authored more than 90 scientific papers and over 100 conference papers and reports and served on foreign assignments that included work in Russia and Germany. Following his retirement from ORNL, he worked as a guest professor in Japan for a year, and then spent thirteen years working in South Korea, where he conducted research on fusion at the Pohang Institute for Science and Technology and the National Fusion Research Institute (Korea Institute of Fusion Energy).

His full life included many volunteer activities, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Reading for the Blind, and serving as a CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate). He supported several ORUUC efforts, such as tutoring second graders and delivering Fresh Fruit for Kids. Alan enjoyed running and was a member of track clubs in Oak Ridge and Knoxville, as well as being part of hiking and caving groups in Oak Ridge, Japan, and Korea.

Alan is survived by his three daughters, two adopted sons, and four grandchildren. Condolences may be sent to the family c/o Jean Reese, 861 West Outer Drive, Oak Ridge 37830. Memorial contributions in Alan’s honor may be made to ORUUC or to the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge.

A memorial service for Alan and his ex-wife Nancy England will be held at ORUUC on Saturday, June 8th at 2 p.m.

Blessings,
Rev. Lisa Romantum Schwartz
Interim Minister
Oak Ridge UU Church