In Memoriam – Spring 2018

1930s

Rebecca Fay Foy Smith (’38) of Statesboro died March 8, 2017. The 99-year-old lifelong resident of Bulloch County was an active member of the Statesboro community.

Julia Miller Trapnell Kenan (.38) died June 5, 2017, at age 99, in Evans, Georgia. The retired elementary school teacher lived in Statesboro for 60 years.

1940s

Donnie Regan Swain (’46,’74) of Metter, Georgia, died March 6, 2017, at age 90, at a hospital in Augusta, Georgia. She had a 40-year career in south Georgia public schools as a teacher and guidance counselor.

Edna Brockett Hinstorff (’40) died April 2, 2017, in Madison, Wisconsin, at age 97. She was a retired middle school librarian.

Cordella Elizabeth McLemore (’41), a longtime resident of Sandy Springs, Georgia, died May 27, 2017. During World War II, she enlisted in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) of the U.S. Navy. She served as a pilot instructor at various naval air stations and after the war had a career as a high school teacher.

Ruth Hart Edwards (’46) died July 28, 2017, at age 95, at home in Athens, Georgia. She spent 34 years as an educator in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

Melba Huggins Chiles (’46) a longtime resident of Savannah, died Aug. 31, 2017, at age 92. She was an educator in the Wayne County school system.

1950s

Lyndon Carey (’56) died Jan. 11, 2017, at his home in Wagener, South Carolina. He was a retired Aiken County Public Schools educator and administrator.

Sanford Reid (’52) of Columbus, Georgia, died Feb. 2, 2017, at age 85. He retired after 34 years as an educator.

Kate Purvis Martin (’50) died in Statesboro Feb. 6, 2017, at age 90. In 1950, she was selected as the only married May Queen in Georgia Southern history. The retired science teacher was also a gifted seamstress, cook and gardener.

Eugene Baston (’58) of Augusta, Georgia, died Feb. 14, 2017, at age 79. The National Guard veteran and business executive managed and oversaw the construction and development of numerous golf courses.

Carrie Brannen Holmes (’54) died at age 84 in her home in Brunswick, Georgia, March 19, 2017. She left her career in education to become a stay-at-home mother of five children.

Margaret Hale Parker (’56) died at age 83 on April 20, 2017, in Marietta, Georgia, after a long fight with Type 1 Diabetes. She had a 43-year teaching career in the Savannah-Chatham County area.

Marcia (Punky) Allen Hancock (’58) passed May 5, 2017, in hospice care. She was a lifelong resident of Brunswick, Georgia.

Clarence Preston Sizemore (’59, ’64) of Augusta, Georgia, died at his home May 14, 2017. He was an educator, coach and the head of a family-owned security, staffing solutions and janitorial company.

Albert Murray (’56) of Hartwell, Georgia, died May 18, 2017, after a long illness. He was a teacher at Statesboro High School for 30 years.

Betty Reagan Parsons (’51) of Vidalia, Georgia, died May 19, 2017, following an extended illness. She retired as an educator in Vidalia.

Martin Vanover (’57) of Augusta, Georgia, died May 19, 2017. During his long career with Augusta College, he served as the athletic director, chair of the physical education department and coached basketball, golf, tennis and cross country. He was inducted into the inaugural Peach Belt Conference Hall of Fame class in 2016.

Reita Clifton Waters (54) of Millen, Georgia, died June 25, 2017, at Ogeechee Area Hospice. She finished her 43-year teaching career in Jenkins County.

Ralph Spurlock (’57), a native of Harlan, Kentucky, and a longtime resident of Alpharetta, Georgia, died July 7, 2017. He was a player for the Professors basketball team at Georgia Southern.

John Brannen (’50) of Memphis, Tennessee, died Nov.16, 2017, at age 88. The Korean War veteran was a retiree of International Harvester Corp., and Mid-America International Trucks.

Lowell Dasher (’52) of Rincon, Georgia, died at his home Nov. 29, 2017. The Korean War veteran was a retired Effingham County educator.

Allen Webb (58) died Dec. 9, 2017, in hospice care in Statesboro. He was a high school teacher, furniture maker, builder and a devoted volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

Carroll Edwards (’50), a native of Claxton, Georgia, died Feb. 5, 2018, at his home. He was 93. The U.S. Navy World War H veteran retired from Union Camp Corporation after 30 years of service.

Sarah Ann Jordan Fennell (’57) died Feb. 7, 2018, in her hometown of Bartow, Georgia. She was a teacher for 37 years in Georgia public schools.

Ralph Walton (’57, ’72) died Feb. 13, 2018, at his home in Orlando, Florida. During his 51-year educational career, he served as a high school science teacher, principal, headmaster and positions in higher education including professor.

1960s

Jolane Rawl Guske (’63) of Tifton, Georgia, died Oct. 19, 2016, in Albany, Georgia. She had a teaching career of more than 25 years, and was awarded teacher of the year for Worth County in 1984.

Myles Golden (’63) of Greenville, South Carolina, died Feb. 8, 2017, of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He had a long career with the Ivan Allen Company and was the founder of a career transition/development consulting firm.

Carlton Walton (’61) of Vidalia, Georgia, died Feb. 21, 2017. He retired after 36 years in public and private education as a coach, teacher and principal.

Paul McClure (’62) of Dahlonega, Georgia, died Feb. 28, 2017. He is remembered for his tenure as an English professor at the University of North Georgia and his love of bluegrass music.

Mary Cantrell Trusdell (’65) of Richmond, Virginia, died March 26, 2017. An educational administrator, she was a recognized expert in the treatment of dyslexia and other reading disabilities.

Anne Tootle Browning (’68) died April 15, 2017, in hospice care in Statesboro. She was a retiree of Savannah-Chatham County Public School System and Mental Health Management of Vienna, Virginia. She was also an artist and musician.

Joe Kieve (’66) of Newnan, Georgia, died April 19, 2017. A gifted woodworker, he taught industrial arts, and he retired from Delta Air Lines carpenter shop.

Arthur “Lee” Hill (’64) of Toledo, Ohio, lost his fight to cancer on April 21, 2017. He served eight years in the U.S. Air Force and later became a high school teacher and coach.

Randall “Randy” Woods (’68) died May 26, 2017, in hospice care in Statesboro. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and had a private accounting practice in Statesboro for many years.

Ronnie Braziel (’67) of Lawrenceville, Georgia, passed June 18, 2017. The Vietnam War veteran was a retired engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation.

John Dekle (’65) of St. Simons Island, Georgia, died June 23, 2017, in hospice care. He was retired from Rich Products.

Dan Stiles (’68, 72), of Thomaston, Georgia, died July 7, 2017 at his residence. The veteran of the U.S. Air Force was a teacher for Savannah-Chatham County Public School System for more than 30 years. An avid tennis player, he was a three-year letterman in tennis at Georgia Southern.

Barbara Driver Kennedy (’69) of Claxton, Georgia, died July 22, 2017, at Evans Memorial Hospital. The retired music and English teacher taught for 35 years in the Georgia towns of Collins, Jesup and Claxton.

Margaret Lie-Nielsen (66) of Broxton, Georgia, died July 22, 2017, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was a retired teacher and school administrator.

Frances Bird (’66) died in hospice care in Statesboro July 29, 2017, after a long battle with cancer. She was a retired mathematics teacher, having taught throughout the U.S. and Europe.

James Askew (’65) of Columbus, Georgia, died Aug. 7, 2017. He was the purchasing director for the Muscogee County School District when he retired in 2007.

Ronnie Hayslip (’68) of Grovetown, Georgia, died Aug 31, 2017. He was a teacher, coach and athletic director at several Georgia high schools. He also had a career in the insurance profession.

Patricia Smoak White (’64) of Inverness, Florida, died in hospice care Oct. 21, 2017. She taught school early in life, and later touched the lives of young people through her work at Step N Time dance studio.

Judy Murray (’66, ’74, ’78) of Statesboro died Oct. 22, 2017, in hospice care. She was a teacher at Diamond Elementary School at Fort Stewart.

Ralph Cook (’61) of Albany, Georgia, died Oct. 28,2017, in hospice care. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict, served as a high school coach, and was employed in the agribusiness industry until his retirement.

Charles McDonald (’67) of Gainesville, Georgia, died Nov. 9, 2017. He served as a teacher, coach, principal and administrator in the Gainesville City School System.

Richard Lifsey (’62) of Lancaster, South Carolina, died Nov. 16, 2017, in hospice care. The Vietnam War veteran was an educator and administrator in Georgia and in South Carolina.

Paul Inglett (’66) of Augusta, Georgia, died in the hospital Dec. 9, 2017. He was a talented football player, and in 1962, Sports Illustrated named him a preseason All-American. He was a high school coach in the Augusta area until his retirement.

Elizabeth Greene (64) passed away Dec. 11, 2017, in hospice care in South Georgia. She was a retired educator with the Wayne County and Long County school systems, and a three-time recipient of the STAR Teacher Award.

Donald Adler (’67) of Eastman, Georgia, died Dec.14, 2017. He was a basketball player while at Georgia Southern, and a retired teacher and coach in the Dodge County School System.

Ralph Turner (’60) of Hiawassee, Georgia, died Dec. 15, 2017. He played baseball for Georgia Southern, and retired as a manager of Georgia state parks.

Ruby Gay Lane (’65) of Millen, Georgia, died Jan. 19, 2018 at age 94, in hospice care in Statesboro. She began her teaching career after her first year in college when she was issued an emergency teacher certificate due to World War II.

John “Johnny” Shuman (’68) was surrounded by family when he passed away Feb. 9, 2018, at Hospice Savannah. He was a retired band director and music teacher.

Dr. Curtis Hames Jr. (68) of Claxton, Georgia, died Feb. 20, 2018, following a battle with leukemia. He earned a pharmacy degree, medical degree and served as a family practice physician for 30 years. In 2009, he retired as the chief of the medical staff at Georgia Southern Health Services.

1970s

Lt. Frank Roach (’75) of Statesboro died Feb.11, 2017, after a brief illness. He was a Vietnam War veteran and worked in law enforcement with the Statesboro Police Department for 27 years until his retirement in 2010. He was employed as the certification manager for Georgia Southern University police.

Steve Chester (’70, ’72, ’73) of Statesboro died Feb.15, 2017, at his residence. He worked as a school psychologist for First District Regional Educational Service Agency and had his own private practice. Chester was a gifted musician and writer who produced three CDs of his original music.

Gloria Strickland Pope (’71) of Morganton, North Carolina, died Feb.17, 2017. She was Miss Georgia Southern 1967.

Frances Westberry Reddish (’70) of Jesup, Georgia, passed March 7, 2017. She was a retired high school English teacher, and was named Wayne County High School Teacher of the Year.

Carey Rountree (74) of Marietta, Georgia, lost his battle with cancer March 21, 2017. He had a long career in the hospitality industry and retired from the Georgia Aquarium in 2016.

William (Bill) Mendoza (74) died March 16, 2017, surrounded by family in suburban Atlanta. He owned and operated ServiceMaster of Roswell for 35 years.

Ron Marshall (’76, ’82) of Atlanta died April 13, 2017, after a brief illness with strep pneumonia.

Jean Henderson (’72) died May 3, 2017, at age 96 in Half Moon Bay, California. The longtime Augusta, Georgia, resident had a career as a vocational counselor for the state of Georgia.

Janet Waters Hunton (’76) died peacefully May 17, 2017, at Hospice House in Savannah. She had a long career as a staff member for Museum homes in Savannah.

Rachel Mitchell Archer (’74), a longtime resident of Atlanta, died June 7, 2017, in Abingdon, Virginia, at age 91. She was a retired banker and music teacher.

John Collins (’73) died May 20, 2017, in Brisbane, Australia. The U.S. Air Force veteran owned Savannah Coffee Roasters.

Linda Kea (76, ’81) of Vidalia, Georgia, died in hospice care July 7, 2017. She is remembered for her many years of service as the social studies teacher and leader of the high school chorus at Montgomery High School.

Roy Ammann (’72) of Marietta, Georgia, died July 31, 2017. He was a gifted athlete and a charter member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity chapter at Georgia Southern.

Elaine Gowen Gaughf -Smith (’75, ’90) of Brunswick, Georgia, died July 14, 2017, after a courageous fight against cancer. During her career, she was a teacher, instructional technology specialist and founder of the Brunswick Summer Arts camp.

Col. Donald Hancock (’74) of Saluda, South Carolina, died Aug. 2, 2017, in hospice care. The Marine Corps member retired as the Commanding Officer of the 4th FSSG Forward East in 2005, completing 30 years of military service.

James (Jimmy) Darsey (’71) of Hinesville, Georgia, died Aug. 19, 2017. An advocate for children, he served as a high school teacher, counselor and social worker. He held executive positions in agencies supporting children and was a writer with the Coastal Courier.

Broadus Marshall Jr. (’74) of Macon, Georgia, died Aug. 28, 2017. He was the owner of an independent insurance agency and was a volunteer with Vine-Ingle Little League and the Middle Georgia Soccer Association.

Ronald Casey (’72) of Simpsonville, South Carolina, died Sept. 9, 2017. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he spent more than 30 years as a business leader in Birmingham, Alabama.

Wallace “Rowe” Brogdon Jr. (’75) of Statesboro passed Oct. 20, 2017, at Ogeechee Area Hospice. He had a long career as an attorney in Savannah, Claxton and Statesboro.

Brooks Sorrier Ill (73, ’77) died at his Statesboro home Oct. 21, 2017. He retired as a teacher from the Effingham County Board of Education in 2011.

Vera Vollenweider (’77) of Hazlehurst, Georgia, died Nov. 28, 2017, after a short illness. She was a Special Education teacher.

Albert Hopkins Jr. (’72) died at his Forsyth, Georgia, home Dec.11, 2017. He was 72. The Vietnam War veteran was an ordained minister and a professional accountant.

Cynthia Crane Doyle (’74) of Savannah died Dec. 20, 2017, after battling cancer. She had a long career in the travel industry.

Cynthia (Ann) Bell Smith (’75) of Eastman, Georgia, died Dec. 25, 2017, in hospice care in Anderson, South Carolina. She was 64.

Randy Turner (’75) of Portal, Georgia, died Dec. 27, 2017, in hospice care. He retired as the assistant director of Bulloch County Emergency Medical Service after nearly 42 years of service.

Monte Tillman (’78) of Pulaski, Georgia, died Jan. 7, 2018, at a hospital in Augusta. He was the mayor of Pulaski and a retired Candler County Schools educator and high school football coach.

Dr. James Budder (’71) of Johns Creek, Georgia, died fan. 8, 2018. He finished his basketball career at Georgia Southern as the seventh-leading all-time scorer and was a founding member of the Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity. He had a dental practice in the Atlanta area.

Terry Welborn Sr. (70) died Feb. 21, 2018, at his home in Folly Beach, South Carolina. He was a Vietnam War veteran, earning a Purple Heart and many other commendations. He later worked in the real estate industry.

Jamie Patterson (76), an educator for more than 30 years, died Feb.23, 2018. She was a teacher in the Atlanta area.

1980s

Gaynell Purvis Anderson (’89) of Glenville, Georgia, died in hospice care at home Feb. 26, 2017, at age 78. She was a retired teacher.

Guy Kirby (’80) died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Bakersville, North Carolina, March 17, 2017. He had a 36-year career with Motion Industries.

Kathryn Richardson Jones (’84, ’89, ’92, ’01) of Charleston, South Carolina, died April 5, 2017, at age 54. She was a college professor at The Citadel Zucker Family School of Education.

Claire Kirby Hughes (’82) died of ovarian cancer at her home in Pittsboro, North Carolina, April 25, 2017. She had a career in medical sales.

David Olson (’88) of Statesboro died May 2, 2017, after battling radiation-induced heart disease. He financed his way through college restoring vintage Jaguars and opened University Imports, an import auto repair shop.

Robert Kicklighter Jr. (’86) of Claxton, Georgia, died June 5, 2017. He was employed at Zach S. Henderson Library at Georgia Southern University.

John Hall (’82) of Charlotte, North Carolina, died suddenly July 13, 2017. He spent over 30 years in the financial printing industry.

Randall Hearn (’84) of Claxton, Georgia, died July 18, 2017, at age 63. He served in the U.S. Navy and worked with the Department of Agriculture.

Joseph Fouts (’86) of Atlanta died July 20, 2017, after a brief illness. He had a career as a restaurant manager.

Stephanie Godwin (’89) of Canton, Texas, died July 31, 2017, in Dallas. She was a consultant to preserve Katy Trail in Dallas and was the executive secretary for Relocation Appraisers and Consultants.

Jane Prince Seckinger (’83) of Lake Harding, Alabama, died Aug. 4, 2017. She was president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers and CEO of affiliate Power Works Industries headquartered in Columbus, Georgia.

James Parris (’81) of Greenville, South Carolina, died at his home Nov.16, 2017. He worked in the insurance industry and in social services for many years.

Ludlle Pace Lee (’84) passed away Dec. 4, 2017, at her residence in Sylvania, Georgia. She was a retired teacher.

Julia Bass (’84) passed away Dec.17, 2017, in Helena, Georgia, after battling breast cancer. She was a teacher at Telfair County High School in McRae, Georgia, for nearly 30 years.

Brunetta Bacon-Couch (’83) of Durham, North Carolina, was surrounded by her family when she died at home Jan. 12, 2018.

Cinda Ortiz-Robledo (’86) of Macon, Georgia, passed Jan. 15, 2018. She was a teacher in the Henry County School System.

1990s

Barbara Bragg Kindle (98) of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, died Feb. 6, 2017, after a short battle with cancer. She had a career as a nurse.

James Wynn Jr. (’95) died in hospice care in Statesboro on March 29, 2017. He was a self-employed electrician and plumber for over 40 years.

Mary Ida Driggers Cowart (’94) died March 29, 2017, at a hospital in Savannah. She was a retired educator and school counselor.

Chris Calhoun (’95) of Vidalia, Georgia, died in a vehicle accident July 23, 2017. He was an educator and soccer coach in the Jeff Davis County School System.

Daniel Bernard (’96, ’99) of Irwin, Pennsylvania, died at his residence Sept. 2, 2017. He was an educator in the Pittsburgh Public School System.

Gary Cochran (’96) of Fernandina Beach, Florida, died Sept. 19, 2017, in Jacksonville. During his career, he held positions with the Cancer Society, the Georgia Department of Human Services and the Ritz Carlton.

Donald Moore Jr. (’90) of Brevard, North Carolina, died Oct.16, 2017. Before retiring to Brevard, he was the owner of a real estate development and construction company for 37 years in Savannah.

Anthony Lee (’91), a lifelong resident of Bryan County, Georgia, died Dec. 3, 2017. He owned and operated a glass supply company near Savannah.

Reggie Eakin (’92) died in hospice care at his home in Metter, Georgia, Feb. 23, 2018.. During his career, he worked as a purchasing agent and logistics manager, but singing was the joy of his life.

2000s

Mychael Knight (’02) of Atlanta died Oct. 17, 2017, at age 39. The fashion designer was a contestant on the reality television shows, “Project Runway,” and “Project Runway All-Stars.” He earned a bachelor’s in Georgia Southem’s apparel design and merchandising program. In 2017, Knight was honored with the College of Health and Human Sciences Alumni Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in his industry. The 39-year-old fashion star launched his own clothing and lingerie labels and designed a line of custom T-shirts for Starbucks.

Philip Eyrich (’15) of Statesboro died March 16, 2017, from automobile accident injuries. He was employed by University Hospital in Augusta.

Ricky Lee Frawley (’09) of Jesup, Georgia, died June 11, 2017, at his home following a short illness. He held various jobs over the years, until finding his true passion as a nurse.

William “Rusty” Beasley (’00) of Metter, Georgia, died June 11, 2017, at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro. He was a teacher and coach at Toombs County High School.

Jessica (Jessi) Jenkins Pennington (’03), a lifelong resident of Bulloch County, Georgia, passed on July 5, 2017. She worked for her family business in Statesboro as operations manager and co-owner.

Michael Cole Dasinger (’15) of Fortson, Georgia, and Scaly Mountain, North Carolina, passed on Aug. 6, 2017. He was the project manager for a construction company.

Lucy Hanks Gabriel (’06) of Morven, Georgia, died Sept. 13, 2017, at a hospital in Valdosta, Georgia. She was a retired teacher.

Lauren Moran Pike (’08) of Smyrna, Georgia, died suddenly Oct. 20, 2017. She was an elementary school music teacher.

Kirstie Bailey (’09) of Brunswick, Georgia, died peacefully Nov. 14, 2017.

Hannah Butsch (’17) from the Atlanta area died Dec. 17, 2017, of injuries she sustained in a car accident in San Diego.

Nathan Tingen (’08) of Grovetown, Georgia, died Jan. 17, 2018. He played tennis at Georgia Southern and worked as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit in the Augusta, Georgia, area.

John Jones (’02) of Marietta, Georgia, died Jan. 30, 2018. He was an Eagle Scout and was employed with ParkingSoft in Norcross, Georgia.

Heidi Kirby Akins (’10) of Marietta, Georgia, passed away Feb. 21, 2018. She returned to college after raising four children and worked as a hospitality manager.

EAGLE NATION

Ebenezer Chinedum Ogorji, Ph.D., of Statesboro died March 12, 2017. He was a professor of American government at Georgia Southern.

Walter Fraser Jr., a professor emeritus and chair emeritus in the Department of History at Georgia Southern, died March 24, 2017, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a scholar of the American South. In his books, he often examined the social and racial inequities that influenced the history of the complex region that he loved deeply.

Sarah Fain (’98), a valued colleague within Georgia Southern’s Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Division, died in hospice care in Statesboro April 3, 2017. She was the intramural sports director for Campus Recreation and Intramurals for 15 years.

Avid Eagle football fan, Morris Lee Lupton of Greensboro, Georgia, died Feb. 20, 2018, in Athens, Georgia. The former Statesboro resident was instrumental in the drive to revive Georgia Southern’s football program in 1981. Lupton helped in the recruitment and subsequent hiring of Erk Russell, was active in a caravan tour of south Georgia to drum up support for the fledgling program and gave considerable time, labor and funds for site preparation of Paulson Stadium and construction of the Lupton Building in the west end zone. Lupton was inducted into the Georgia Southern Hall of Fame in 2000 and into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon, Georgia, in 2016, where he and former University President Dale Lick were recognized with the Erk Russell Spirit Award.

Saul Laskin, a professor emeritus of mechanical engineering technology, died at his Statesboro home May 20, 2017. He retired in 1997, but a few years before his death, Laskin reconnected with students from the Class of 1982. They went out to eat, went to Eagle football games and walked around campus together, reminiscing and visiting the Carruth Building, where all their classes were held 35 years ago.

James Donald Hawk, Ed.D., died at his Statesboro home Sept. 15, 2017. He was a professor emeritus and chair emeritus in the Department of Educational Foundations and Curriculum at Georgia Southern.

Lewis Randolph Selvidge Jr., a professor emeritus in industrial technology, died Sept. 17, 2017, in Columbus, Georgia. He was the author of two textbooks and a master woodworker, building many Colonial Williamsburg reproductions in addition to his own custom designs.

James Pugh, Ph.D., a former psychology professor, died Oct. 24, 2017, in Atlanta after a long illness. Former students may remember seeing him walking his two enormous Anatolian Shepherds on the Statesboro campus.

Robert Martin, a professor emeritus in school psychology, died at his Statesboro home Oct. 21, 2017. He was a member of the Georgia Southern faculty for 34 years until he retired in 2006.

Candy Schille, Ph.D., died Nov. 19, 2017, in Statesboro. The English literature professor taught at Georgia Southern University for more than 30 years. Schille was an active member of the faculty senate, a writer, artist and poet who loved animals and a longtime supporter of the Bulloch County Humane Society.

John Karrh, a professor emeritus of civil engineering technology, died Dec. 5, 2017, in hospice care in Statesboro.

David Mathew Ill, a professor emeritus of music and chair emeritus of the Department of Music, died at his Statesboro home Jan. 15. The professor composed the music for the Georgia Southern University alma mater.

This listing is only Georgia Southern alumni. Future issues will have listings for both Georgia Southern and Armstrong alumni.