In Memoriam – Fall 2013

Chester Curry
Basketball standout Chester Curry (‘60) died at his home in Coleman, Ga., on July 30. A player for the Professors under Coach J.B. Scearce, Curry was a four-year starter for Georgia Teachers College from 1956-60. During his college career he scored 2,008 points to rank second in all-time scoring. He was a member of the ‘58-’59 team, which reached the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City, Ms. After leaving college, Curry taught and coached in Mitchell and Clay counties. In 1993, he was inducted into the Georgia Southern Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jacob Elisha (J.E.) Rowe
Jacob Elisha Rowe (‘61), former Eagle athlete and head basketball coach, died in September. He played both baseball and basketball at Georgia Southern, earning All-American first team honors in baseball. Rowe played briefly with the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers before returning to Georgia to coach high school basketball. He coached the Eagles for four seasons in the early ’70s, compiling a 57-46 record as the team moved to NCAA Division I. Mr. Rowe was inducted into the Georgia Southern Athletic Hall of Fame and was named the 2013 Alumnus of the Year of the College of Health and Human Sciences. In 2011, the decorated amateur golfer and his family established the Coach J.E. Rowe Scholarship to support students in the Department of Health and Kinesiology who pursue a career in the coaching field.

Annette Slater Branch
Annette Slater Branch (‘83,’87), the wife of Professor Emeritus of Sociology Roger Branch, died in June. She was a double major in anthropology and sociology and was the first person to receive a B.A. degree in anthropology from Georgia Southern. She also earned the Master of Education degree from the University. Slater’s husband, Dr. Branch, chaired the Department of Sociology and Anthropology for 18 years.

James “Jim” William Long
Former basketball star and retired high school basketball coach James “Jim” William Long (‘62) passed away at age 77. The 6’7” center played for Georgia Teachers College’s Professors under famed coach James Boyd (J.B.) Scearce. He is remembered for grabbing 22 bounds in just one half in a game against Mercer University. He later spent nearly 30 years coaching basketball at Georgia’s Effingham County High School. Coach Long won 454 games and was presented the Scholastic Coach magazine superlative plaque.

Esther Raines Mallard
Esther Raines Mallard (‘73), a retired history teacher, passed away in July. A Columbia, S.C. native, Mrs. Mallard was a Statesboro resident for 46 years. After her retirement from Statesboro High School, she worked with Special Collections in the Zach S. Henderson Library. Mrs. Mallard earned a master’s degree in history and an education specialist degree from Georgia Southern.

Martin Parris
Men’s soccer alumnus Martin Parris (‘08) was killed in an October automobile accident in Fayetteville, Ga. The 31-year-old played for the Eagles from 2001-03 and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in information technology.

Tommy Dee “Doc” Smith
Former assistant professor of health and head athletic trainer Tommy “Doc” Smith, passed away in October in Statesboro, Ga. A native of Huntingburg, Ind., Mr. Smith was awarded basketball scholarships to Indiana University and Indiana State Teachers College. He served in the United States Army and spent 15 years teaching and coaching in cities across Indiana. During this time, he earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling and a master’s degree in sports medicine and athletic training. Mr. Smith moved his family to Statesboro in 1971, when he took the position of head athletic trainer, and officially became known as “Doc.” He was well-known as a trusted healer, counselor, mentor and friend to many Eagles.

During his career, Mr. Smith was honored to work with many sports legends including Georgia Southern University head coach, Erk Russell and Georgia Southern University head baseball coaches, Ron Polk and Jack Stallings. He also traveled with the baseball team when they played in the NCAA 1973 World Series in Omaha, Neb., and in the Intercontinental Cup Baseball Tournament in Cuba in 1979.

The Eagle Football Alumni Association awarded two student scholarships from the Tom “Doc” Smith Athletic Fund endowment shortly before his passing.