Maria De La Luz Compere

Compere, Maria de la Luz, 97, of Knoxville, TN passed away peacefully on the morning of January 24 at home surrounded by family members. Born in Monterey, Mexico, October 30, 1915 she came to the United States to study biochemistry at Louisiana State University where she met her future husband and love of her life, Edgar L. Compere. In 1951, the family moved to Oak Ridge, TN where her husband was a nuclear scientist at ORNL. In 1955, the family moved to Knoxville. A beautification activist throughout her life, one of the first things Maria and her husband did when they moved to Knoxville was to initiate the development of a horticulture department as Knoxville did not have one. She was also instrumental in establishing the early dogwood and beautification programs. In the mid 1980s, Maria and Edgar co-founded Knoxville Green Organization which led to the Pellissippi Beautification Committee. The Pellissippi Beautification Committee has planted nearly two million daffodil bulbs along the Pellissippi Parkway alone. Her organization has donated over $100,000 bulbs and trees annually to the community. In 2004, she participated in the creation of an outdoor classroom as well as landscaping improvements for the Laura Cansler Boys and Girls Club. She also chaired a project in conjunction with the Council of Garden Clubs and the Knoxville Garden Club that would include outdoor recreation facilities for the blind and disabled. With the help of the East Tennessee Community Design Center, she developed the Serendipity Trail at the Ijams Nature Center which is wheelchair accessible. In 2007 she was selected as First Lady of Knoxville by Beta Sigma Phi sorority. In 2010, working with the UT Medical Center Cancer Institute and Ossoli Circle, she completed the "Healing Garden" for cancer patients and her lifelong beautification work was honored by receipt of a Covenant Platinum Award. Recently she had been working with Knox County to develop a horticulture program for female inmates at the detention facility. She facilitated the contribution of a greenhouse for the detention center, and was working on designing a certification program for horticultural education for female inmates. She was a member of Ossoli Circle, Knoxville Green and Beta Sigma Phi sorority. Maria was preceded in death by her husband, Edgar L. Compere and daughter, Teresa Henry. She is survived by her daughters, Alicia and Suzy Compere; five granddaughters: Tita and Alicia Compere and Alyx, Amanda, and Rebecca Henry; and her son –in-law, John Henry. Her life will be celebrated from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Friday, February 1, 2013 at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. Online condolences may be sent to www.rosemortuary.com. Arrangements provided by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel.

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Maria De La Luz Compere

October 30, 1915 - January 24, 2013