Services will be Monday, April 28, 2025, for Dr. Lula C. Powell, retired principal of Green Magnet Academy and owner/board chair of Unity Mortuary in East Knoxville. The family visiting hours are 3-4 p.m. at Rogers Memorial Baptist Church, where Mrs. Powell was a member and lay leader, with a Homegoing Celebration at 4 p.m. and a repast to follow at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center.

Dr. Powell passed away on April 22, 2025, in her home of 62 years. She was married to two-term Knoxville City Council member William V. “Bill” Powell Jr. who predeceased her. Both Lula and Bill graduated from Knoxville College and later acquired advanced degrees from the University of Tennessee. Their son, Alwyn Powell, graduated from Harvard.

Alwyn Powell and William V. Powell Jr. at the groundbreaking for Unity Mortuary

Mr. Powell founded Unity Mortuary in 1979 with friends. Upon his death in 2009, Dr. Powell assumed the role of owner and board chair. Her transition from running an elementary school to managing a mortuary seemed seamless.

On October 2, 2015, Mayor Madeline Rogero proclaimed “Lula Powell Day” and unveiled a new street sign at the corner of Lula Powell Drive and Summit Hill Drive near Green Magnet Academy.

Dr. Powell spent her career in education, retiring in 2001. Her obituary includes numerous honors and leadership roles she played. Hers was a live well lived.