James Norfleet Luton, Jr. "Jim"

James Norfleet Luton, Jr (“Jim”)

1/31/1934 - 6/15/2026

Age 92

Jim Luton passed into glory on June 15, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky after a short illness. He rejoins these loved ones who went ahead: his wife of 64 years Norma Kenney Luton, daughter Barbara Phifer (Mark), and parents Colonel Norfleet and Edith Luton.

Jim was well known for being cheerful and young at heart. He was devoted to his wife Norma and their four children. He knew how to have fun and make memories without spending a lot of money. Family activities included caving, ATVing, and rappelling. With a station wagon, a fold-out camper, a wife and four children, he drove out to California one summer, and up to New England another summer. He taught each of his kids to ride a bike and later, to drive a four-on-the-floor.

Jim wanted as many grandchildren as possible, and he was eventually blessed with six exceptional ones. When they started coming, to celebrate, Jim climbed onto the roof of the church and launched giant soap bubbles into the air.

Jim’s formal education consisted of Junior Military Academy in Bloomington Springs TN, Cookeville Central High School (1951), Tennessee Polytechnic University (BS Electrical Engineering, 1955), University of Illinois (MS Electrical Engineering, 1957), and University of Tennessee (PhD Engineering Science, 1970). His informal education continued for 50+ years, fueled by his endless curiosity about how the world worked.

Jim spent his engineering career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he worked on superconducting magnets designed to confine plasma reaching 180 million degree Fahrenheit — hotter than the center of the Sun. He received three patents for his inventions, and his work helped lay the scientific foundation that modern fusion energy research continues to build upon.

Jim was a rational man, yet, he was equally a man of faith. He and Norma had the family in church every Sunday at the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge TN, where he was a Sunday School teacher, and a member of the Session and the choir. He didn’t talk much about his faith but he lived it. During a work trip, he smuggled Bibles into the Soviet Union. Miraculously, he never uttered a single negative word about any person (except politicians).

Jim leaves behind a family that loved him deeply. He is survived by his children Karen Yeager of Lexington KY (Wayne), Alan Luton of La Plata MD (Karen), Neil Luton of San Mateo CA (Hynd); cousin Maxine Deberry Vaden of Oak Ridge TN; grandchildren Andrew Phifer of Wagener SC (Rachael), Rebecca Ball of Simpsonville SC (Jack), Ben Phifer of Ogden UT, Ashley Luton of Salisbury MD (Preston), Brandon Luton of Greensboro NC, Ella Luton of La Plata MD; great-grandsons James Phifer of Wagener SC, and Jesse Ball of Simpsonvile SC; niece Tammy Greene of Greeneville TN (Daniel) and nephew Steve Kenney of Knoxville TN; faithful church friend Meg Schreiber of Oak Ridge TN; friends and caregivers at Sayre Christian Village in Lexington KY, along with cherished extended family members.