Margie Ison, local television icon, dies after battle with cancer
Margie Ison
Margie was born in Brotherton, Tennessee, on July 7, 1940, to the Rev. Samuel Ernest (S.E.) Wood and Daisy Jewell Jernigan Wood.
She was a remarkable woman who will be remembered for her kindness, devotion to her family, and deep love for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Margie attended Church Street United Methodist Church and was a member of the Parable Sunday School Class.
Margie was voted “Most Talented” for three consecutive years at Central Cookeville High School.
She loved singing and was the soloist for the high school orchestra, performing at numerous church events and community organizations. While in high school, she produced her own radio show on WHUB in Cookeville. She met the love of her life, Jim, while singing with the orchestra at a church event, and they married in Ringgold, Georgia, on Dec. 28, 1957.
Margie’s television career began in Chattanooga in the 1960s, where she sang on the Roy Morris Variety Show on WRCB and worked as entertainment support during Chattanooga’s 150th-anniversary celebration.
In 1965, Jim’s work with TVA moved the family to the Claxton community in East Tennessee, where Margie worked as an executive secretary for the Dogwood Arts Festival with the Greater Knoxville Chamber of Commerce.
During her 33-year news career, Margie worked for both WBIR-TV 10 and WATE-TV 6. In addition to forecasting the weather at WATE, she hosted the variety show “Ladies Day with Margie.” Her signature “wink and smile” at the end of each weathercast made her a beloved East Tennessee figure, and her catchphrase, “Margie Said It Would,” became a certainty rather than just a saying.
She later transitioned to entertainment reporting with “Margie on Location,” covering music and art throughout East Tennessee, from Dollywood to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the CMA Awards, Fan Fair, and even the Cowboy Gold International Bluegrass Music Festival in Kumamoto, Japan, in 1990.
Margie established the Area Weather Spotter Network, which remains in effect today, utilizing ham radio operators and the National Weather Service to gather accurate weather data.
Some of Margie’s fondest career highlights included speaking at local schools, churches, and community events, singing at Market Square’s Dogwood Arts Festival, flying with the Blue Angels, and hosting weather segments on “Good Morning America.”
She was an active keynote speaker and performer throughout Knoxville and East Tennessee. She received the Sertoma Service to Mankind School Bell Award for her work with special-education students, and was honored for her contributions to Goodwill Industries, the Teen Board of Knoxville, and the Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service, which presented her with the “Southern Diva Award.”
Margie served on the board of directors for Goodwill Industries of Knoxville for more than 20 years, and was a member of the advisory board for the Caswell Boys & Girls Club and the Interfaith Health Clinic. She participated in fundraising telethons for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, the March of Dimes, the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, and PBS Channel 2. Margie also sang with the Museum of Appalachia Band during their annual homecoming celebration for 27 years.
Margie enjoyed traveling with her husband, spending time with friends, and cherishing moments with her family. She will be deeply missed and forever in the hearts of those who loved her.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, James Ira “Jim” Ison; her parents, the Rev. S.E. and Daisy Wood; and siblings, Judy Wood and Samuel E. Wood. She is survived by her daughters, Debbie (Jeff) Williams and Jill (David) McMillan; grandchildren, Alex Stidham, Josh (Kalie) Stidham, Brigitte (Caleb) Stair, and Brittany (Taylor) Benziger; great-grandchildren, Eli, Ezra, and Jude Stidham, with twin girls due in June, as well as Eliana, Josiah, Michaela, and Isaiah Bond, and Judy and Gene Benziger. She is also survived by her brother, Dr. Albert Wood; special godson, Larry (Lori) Cannon and family, Brent Cannon and Alexa Kaye (Derek) Lusby, Ellie Britt, and Rowen Lusby; and several nieces and nephews.
A call of convenience will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at the funeral home.
The funeral will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home, followed by a graveside service at Lynnhurst Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sertoma of Knoxville at sertoma.com.
