PAUL M DENNINGTON (FMHS 1946)
Unidentified and undated newspaper article fm Knoxville TN: Funeral services will be held at 10 am tomorrow at Arlington Baptist Church for Rev. Paul M. Denington [sic], pastor of the church who died yesterday of a self inflicted pistol wound. Mr. Denington, 39, reported to have been mentally and emotionally depressed for some time, was found dead in the basement of the church. Knox County Coroner Ira Pierce and Homicide Cap. Nal Long said the wound in the heart was from a .38 caliber Derringer pistol. Mrs. Clara Willis, secretary of the church, found Mr. Denington's body about 11 am in the boiler room section of the basement. She told Long she didn't hear the shot. The boiler room is sound-proofed. Captain Long said he found a note next to the body which indicated the pastor had been in a depressed state of mind. He declined to reveal further contents of it. He said the note was intended for Mrs. Denington. Long said his investigation revealed that Mr. Denington, long a counselor of troubled persons in his congregation, had himself been a counseling patient for several months under the care of a psychiatrist. He said Mrs. Willis told him she had talked with Reverend Denington about 10:15 and had then returned to her office. He said she told him Mr. Denington had told her he would be "in various parts of the building", but would return to his office later. Mr. Denington lived with his wife, Sara; son, Eric, 13, and daughter, Margaret, 9, at 1926 Fairmont Blvd. The church is next door. He had been pastor of the 1100-member church since August 1959, coming here from First Baptist Church of Newberry Florida. In February of this year he was presented an outstanding citizenship award by the North Knoxville Civitan Club for "services rendered in the field of pastoral counseling and betterment of race relations." ---- [Comment: This news clipping was provided by Perry Snell (FMHS 1944). I think this is from Knoxville TN. I also think the Denningtons spelled their name with two N's, not one... If he was 39 years old when he died, that would be about 21 years from his FMHS graduation in 1946, which would make the year of his death about 1967. Transcribed: 10/05/03 tgs]
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