Kathy Turner-Jeffries, who worked as a master control operator at NPT for 37 years, died earlier this week at the age of 60. She was a “sunshine in the cave” as one NPT employee phrased it, a bastion of optimism and brightness in an area of the building most would consider cave-like. Anyone who’s ever volunteered for our pledge drives as a phone bank operator or on-air talent would have likely met her coming out of master control, and certainly would have heard her assured voice telling us it was “ten” or “five minutes to the break.”
“Television is often a chaotic business where lots of things can go wrong at any second and tempers often flare,” said Beth Curley, NPT president and CEO. “But not Kathy’s. She was the calm in the storm and her peace was infectious. And she kept us calm too.”
Kathy will be greatly missed. But we are fortunate that we have so many fine memories and stories that will help us through our daily grief.
You can read Kathy’s full obit in the Tennessean.