Mary Crawford Tinkler
Mary Crawford Tinkler, 84, of Chattanooga, died on Monday, August 6, 2018.
Mrs.Tinkler was born in Birmingham, Al., the oldest daughter of Dr. J. Michael and Frances Linn Crawford. She grew up in Arab, Al., and showed Tennessee Walking Horses and played saxophone while attending Arab High. She graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1955, with a B.A. in English and received an M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Florida in 1957.
She married John Tinkler in 1956, and they both attended Stanford University for doctoral studies. She went on to teach English at Castilleja, an all girls school in Palo Alto, Ca.
Mrs. Tinkler was later an instructor at U.T. Knoxville and then briefly at the University of Chattanooga, but she was not allowed to teach in the same department as her husband when the Tennessee system took over UC in 1969. She sought other employment at the university and was hired in 1970, by athletic director and head football coach Harold Wilkes as the first academic advisor for athletes. Over 28 years in the Athletic Department, she grew the initial position from tutoring and advising the football and basketball scholarship athletes to running the NCAA and Conference compliance programs as an Associate Athletic Director and working with all men’s and women’s sports.
She was also a founding member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletes and represented the southeastern region on its executive board. In 1998, she was given the Gordon Davenport Award for outstanding commitment to the Mocs athletic program and in 2003, she was inducted into the UTC Athletic Hall of Fame. Her former student athletes established a scholarship in her honor in 2006.
Mrs. Tinkler was an avid gardener, an enthusiastic bridge player and a serious genealogist. After retirement, she enjoyed volunteering for the Friends of the Library and served on its board. From 2005, she held several offices in the Nancy Ward Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was also a member of the Colonial Dames of America, Chapter VI, Nashville, Tenn.
She was pre-deceased by her husband, John Douglas Tinkler.
She is survived by her son, Michael Crawford Tinkler, Ph.D., and her daughter, Cate (Catherine) Tinkler Mueller, Capt., U.S. Navy, ret., and her husband Dan Mueller and four grandchildren: Mitchell Mueller, Patrick Mueller, Caroline Mueller, and Mary Elizabeth Mueller. She is also survived by two sisters: Jane Crawford (Ward) Welty and Patricia Crawford (Dick) Norton, and two sisters-in-law: Sarah Tinkler (John) Montgomery and Helen Tinkler (Thomas) Snaith and a number of nieces, nephews and relations, all of whom she delighted in charting on genealogical software before the days of Ancestry.com.
The family would like to thank the caregivers of Home Instead, particularly Taneca, Pat, Libbie and Melissa, for their devoted care and love over the last two years and for Hospice of Chattanooga for easing the end.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10, at Hamilton Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. at Rivermont Presbyterian Church on Saturday, Aug. 11, with Lina Hart officiating.
Interment will follow at Arab Memorial Cemetery located at 740 N. Main St., Arab, Al.
Memorial contributions may be made to the UC Foundation, with Mary Tinkler Scholarship in the memo line and mailed to Mocs Club; 615 McCallie Ave.; Dept. 3503; Chattanooga, Tn. 37403.
Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 4506 Hixson Pike, Hixson, Tn., 423 531-3975.