In Memoriam – Summer 2021

1930s

Verna L. Beard (’37) died Dec. 17, 2020, in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, at age 105. Throughout her long life, she taught school, worked for an aircraft company and for other businesses. She lived 40 years in Tampa, 29 years in Atlanta, 20 years near Chicago and the last 15 years in Hawaii.

1940s

Cleo Edenfield Mallard (’41) died at her Statesboro home Dec. 25, 2020, in hospice care. The retired teacher was 101 years old.

Alice Jo Lane Giddens (’42) died Dec. 27, 2020, in Savannah. The Bulloch County native lived many years in Valdosta, Georgia, where she influenced the lives of kindergarten students for 35 years.

1950s

Warner “Clifford” Johnson Jr. (’58) died Nov. 13, 2020, at his home in Fernandina Beach, Florida. He coached football at Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, Georgia, for 30 years until he retired in 1987.

Frankie Bland O’Brien (’58) of Roswell, Georgia, died Nov. 20, 2020. She was an elementary school teacher before raising her two children. Later, she worked for the Georgia State Soccer Association to promote youth soccer.

Fayrene Sturgis Wilson (’55,’74) of Savannah died Dec. 14, 2020. She taught for several years in Savannah-Chatham public schools and also worked as a bookkeeper for various businesses. She was a longstanding member of the Adam Brinson I chapter of Colonial Dames and the NSDAR Savannah chapter.

Janice Louise Sapp Castles (’57) died Dec. 17, 2020, in Savannah. The Savannah native received a Sallie Maude Jones Scholarship to attend Armstrong Junior College where she earned an Associate of Arts degree. She continued her academic studies at the University of Georgia for a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree. She married the Reverend Charles Castles in 1965. Over the course of her life, she was employed as a counselor and school psychologist in Georgia schools and established a psychology practice in Atlanta that involved therapy and psychological assessment and diagnosis. Castles was a fellow in the Academy of Counseling Psychologists, a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Rorschach Society and several other professional organizations. Before her death, Castles and her late husband honored the Georgia Southern University Foundation with a $1.48 million estate gift named for her late parents. The gift honoring her parents will provide scholarships for students wishing to pursue a career in teaching. You can read more about that in the support section of Georgia Southern Magazine.

Baxton “Pete” Garland (’59) died Dec. 21, 2020, in Augusta, Georgia. He had a 41-year career in public education as a teacher and administrator. He also served five years as director of education for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Augusta.

Virginia Ragsdale Bragg (’55) of Augusta, Georgia, died Jan. 5, 2021. She was an educator for the Richmond County School System for more than
30 years.

Hamilton Lee Grant (’56) of Titusville, Florida, died Jan. 18, 2021. The U.S. Air Force veteran served as an anti-aircraft missile radar operator during the Korean War. He worked for NASA and retired from the Kennedy
Space Center.

Eleanor Brooks DeLoach (’54,’82) of Statesboro died Jan. 29, 2021. She was a public school teacher for two decades and also taught in the developmental studies program at Georgia Southern.

James McAleer Jr. (’54) of Savannah died at home Feb. 20, 2021. He joined the Marine Corps at age 17 during WWII. After returning home, he took law classes at night. In 1950, he was activated in the Marine Corps Reserve and served in the Korean War. He began his law practice in 1953 and retired in 2003. He was active in the Savannah community, serving as president of both the Savannah Bar Association and the Savannah Plaintiffs Trial Lawyers Club, chairman of the Chatham County Hospital Authority and Commandant of the Marine Corps League
of Savannah.

Billy Martin Jackson (’58) of Beaumont, Texas, died March 2, 2021. He was a teacher before entering the insurance industry where he retired as a manager in Ohio.

James Snooks (’56) of Springfield, Georgia, died at home on April, 20, 2021. He had a long career as a builder and developer in Effingham and Chatham counties and other areas. He was a past president and member of the Home Builders Association of Savannah, past director of the Home Builders Association of Georgia and a past director of the National Association of Home Builders.

1960s

Larry Duncan (’68) died Sept. 4, 2020, in hospice care in Albany, Georgia. During his 44-year career, he served in the Army Reserves, worked in the Georgia Department of Human Resources and had a private practice as a family therapist.

Woodrow “Woody” Davis Jr. (’66) of Warner Robins, Georgia, died Nov. 7, 2020. The longtime certified public accountant also served as a paratrooper in the
U.S. Army.

Currey Gayle (’69) of Marietta, Georgia, died Nov. 20, 2020, after an aggressive cancer diagnosis. He had a successful career in the insurance industry for over 40 years.

Maude “Beth” Rigdon Fletcher (’61) died in a hospital in Ocala, Florida, Nov. 21, 2020. She worked as a teacher and was the co-owner of a drug store.

John Cook Sr. (’65), of Franklin, Tennessee, passed peacefully on Dec. 3, 2020. He was the owner of a refrigeration equipment company.

Jean Arlen Hester Harris (’60) of Buena Vista, Georgia, died of cardiac arrest after undergoing treatment for lung cancer on Dec. 7, 2020. She was a retired educator and administrator, spending 30 years with the Marion County, Georgia, school system.

Gwendolyn Ferguson Hoffman (’62) of Grovetown, Georgia, died Dec. 17, 2020, at a hospital in Augusta. The lifelong resident of Grovetown retired as a teacher with the Columbia County Board of Education.

Aubrey James Kline Jr. (’64) of Aiken, South Carolina, died Dec. 26, 2020. He served in the Marine Corps and had a long and distinguished career as a college professor.

James Terry Gordon (’65) of Norcross, Georgia, died unexpectedly Dec. 30, 2020. He was the founder and owner of a small accounting practice. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and volunteered his time with numerous charitable and community organizations. He was a board member of Zoo Atlanta and for Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.

Jayce Ramage Jr. (’67) of Savannah died at home Jan. 2, 2021. He served in the U.S. Army before a 36-year career with Allstate.

William Richard Dennard (’66) formerly of Milledgeville, Georgia, died at his Statesboro home Jan. 2. 2021, after battling pulmonary fibrosis. As a packaging and transportation manager in the kaolin industry, he traveled extensively for Engelhard/BASF Corporation as their liaison, trouble-shooter and problem solver.

D. Maynor Dykes (’61) of North Augusta, South Carolina, died Jan. 3, 2021. After 43 years of service, he retired from SRS and had a second career as an engineering consultant.

Anne Edwards Coppock Browning (’62) of Midway, Georgia, died Jan. 7, 2021. She worked as an art teacher, sales representative and as a real estate broker.

John Carlisle (’69) of Wilmington Island, Georgia, died after a brief illness Jan. 16, 2021. He served his country in the U.S. Air Force before establishing Savannah Marble Company
in 1981.

Melinda Waters Roberts (’69) of Richmond Hill, Georgia, died Jan. 25, 2021, at her residence. She loved summers and spending evenings on her dock watching the sun set.

Ann Folger Hurford (’68) of Lilburn, Georgia, died peacefully Feb. 6, 2021, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. She was a legal secretary and stay-at-home mom.

Rebecca Ray Lock (’69) of Aiken, South Carolina passed Feb. 9, 2021, following an extended illness. She taught physical education for 25 years and owned a store in downtown Aiken.

Carol Mobley Tibbles (’62) died Feb. 11, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida. As a Georgia Southern student, she was on the women’s gymnastics team. She taught the sport in Atlanta and was a physical education and health teacher at schools in Atlanta.

Oliver Russell (’62) of Keysville, Georgia, died Feb. 14, 2021, after battling Alzheimer’s disease. He is remembered as an influential coach to many high school athletes in the CSRA.

Jeanette Cribbs Griffin Martin (’63,’89) died Feb. 14, 2021, in hospice care in Statesboro. She was a full-time instructor for 32 years at Savannah Technical College.

Joseph Mitchell (’68) of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, passed Feb. 22, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida. He served as a teacher and principal in the Duval County School System for 34 years.

Wallace Culpepper (’69) of Columbus, Georgia, died Feb. 25, 2021, in hospice care.

Maxine Sheppard Saunders (’64) of Louisville, Georgia, died at her residence March 9, 2021. She enjoyed antiquing, cooking and spending time with family
and friends.

John Lawson (’65) of Jackson, Mississippi, died March 17, 2021. He had a long career in the steel industry, primarily working for Bethlehem Steel Company.

Georgia Marshall Dickerson (’68,’80) of Savannah died March 21, 2021, having celebrated her 99th birthday in December. She was a retired educator from the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System where she enjoyed a career as a teacher and an elementary principal.

Betty L. Morgan (’61) of Savannah died at her home March 26, 2021. She retired from Savannah-Chatham Public Schools as a librarian after 30 years of service.

Kathryn Owens Tankersley (’65) died April 2, 2021, in hospice care in Statesboro. She directed a church choir, played the piano and was a Sunday School teacher.

Richard (Dick) Baker (’60) of Stone Mountain, Georgia, died of cancer April 15, 2021. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served a combat tour in southeast Asia. The avid runner was also an educator and counselor in Dekalb County
high schools.

Marie Brennecke Rogers (’64) of Austell, Georgia, died April 17, 2021 at Presbyterian Village. She had a long career as an educator in elementary schools and for the
U.S. Army.

1970s

Donna Jones Story (’71) of Matthews, Georgia, died at home July 14, 2020. She was a teacher for 45 years in the Augusta area.

Jessica “Beth” Waldrop Harris (’74,’79) of Savannah died Aug. 2, 2020. She worked in education in several states and was an active church member.

Lillian Korfhage McCrea (’70) of Alma, Georgia, died at home Oct. 9, 2020, after a short illness. She retired from the Bacon County Board of Education after many years as a teacher and counselor.

Larry Johnson (’71) of Millen, Georgia, passed away Oct. 11, 2020. He was a football coach in Chatham, Columbia and Jenkins counties, a principal, a vice principal and a farmer.

Thomas Groover Sr. (’75) of Tybee Island, Georgia, died suddenly at home Oct. 12, 2020. He was a history teacher, a JV boys’ basketball coach, boat captain and a master shipbuilder, a career that would take him all over the world.

Herbert “Hub” Powell Jr. (’73) of Statesboro died Nov. 5, 2020, after a battle with cancer. The lifelong resident of Bulloch County retired from the Georgia Department of Corrections where he served as a chief probation officer.

John Cresswell (’76) of Columbia, South Carolina, died Nov. 18, 2020. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and worked for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for more than 40 years.

Robert Bergbom (’70) of St. Augustine, Florida, died Nov. 21, 2020, after a long battle with brain cancer. He was recruited to Georgia Southern on a basketball scholarship. He retired from Pier 1 Imports after 35 years in management.

Raleigh A. Bryant Jr. (’71) of Savannah died Dec. 18, 2020. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he achieved the rank of major, and served in World War II. He was a retired principal of the Chatham County Public School System. He was deeply involved in the culture of Savannah, serving as a past member of several boards including the Savannah Symphony Society and Savannah Science Museum.

Beverley Cratty McCraw (’79,’94) of Savannah died Dec. 27, 2020, at home after a six-year battle with metastatic breast cancer. For the last 23 years, she worked in the neonatal unit with Memorial Health Medical Center. Over the years she fostered 43 children and adopted two of them.

Ann Sinnott Considine (’74,’76) of Savannah passed on Dec. 30, 2020. She was a Special Education administrator for the Georgia Learning Resources System, Southeast Region. And was named Georgia Special Education Administrator of the Year in 1991.

Eugenia (Jeanie) Salter Frost (’78) of Hinesville, Georgia, died at home January 13, 2021. The lifelong native of Liberty County retired as an adult probation officer with the state of Georgia.

Mary Will Marchman Long (’70) of Springfield, Georgia, died at home Jan. 21, 2021. She taught and retired from Springfield Elementary School.

Dennis Waters Jr (’73) of Allenhurst, Georgia, died Jan. 27, 2021, at Candler Hospital due to complications from COVID-19. He had a long career in residential and commercial real estate in coastal Georgia.

Dudley “Burr” Bachler (’76) of Waleska, Georgia, died unexpectedly Jan. 28, 2021, from complications associated with coronary heart disease. A publisher of Grier’s Almanac, he is remembered as a carefree, Southern gentleman whose curiosity led him off the beaten paths.

Dr. Joseph Charles Flynn Jr. (’79) of Orlando, Florida, died at home on Feb. 4, 2021. He was a board certified orthopedic spinal surgeon at the Spine and Scoliosis Center.

Marguerite Lockhart Thurmond (’72), formerly of Macon, Georgia, died Feb. 19, 2021, in Atlanta. The nursing graduate loved to sing and was active in University chorus, music clubs, church choirs and civic chorales.

Freiya Wester Brown (’72) of Statesboro died at Cartersville Medical Center Feb. 20, 2021. She was a teacher in Bulloch County schools for 27 years and a pianist at the church where her husband served as pastor.

Julia Easterling Gooding (’76) of Savannah, died Feb. 27, 2021. She retired after 34 years of teaching.

Andrew Jackson McLemore III (’75) of Savannah died peacefully March 5, 2021. The U.S. Army veteran later retired from Savannah State University as a librarian and began practicing law.

H. Gerald Jowers (’72) of Winter Garden, Florida, passed March 6, 2021. He worked for the family’s battery business and created other business ventures through the years. He served in numerous civic organizations and was an outdoorsman and turkey hunter.

William “Bill” Hodges Jr. (’73) of Millen, Georgia, died March 27, 2021. He was a comptroller at Brooks Instruments in Statesboro and worked at Claude Howard Lumber Company, for 20 years until his retirement in 2016.

Nancy Ann Heffernan (’74) of Savannah died at home April 6, 2021, from complications of liver cancer. Friends say the artist was a free spirit, outspoken and a great photographer. The former Savannah Morning News photographer is remembered for the now famous photo of former President Jimmy Carter standing on the bar at the infamous Pinkie Master’s tavern. According to her family, the Smithsonian displayed one of her pieces of artwork.

Ralph Nix (’70) of Macon, Georgia, died April 13, 2021. He served in the U.S. Air Force and for 43 years worked for the Middle Georgia Regional Commission serving as executive director from 2006 to 2016.

Stephen Sweat (’72) formerly of Atlanta, died April 17, 2021, while resting at home in White Oak, Georgia. He spent his entire career in sales working in the apparel business.

Charlene Cromer Heyward (’75) of Gilbert, Georgia, was surrounded by family when she died April 21, 2021. She was a teacher, wife and mother.

Earle MacDonald (’71,’74) of Savannah died April 28, 2021, under the care of Signature Health Nursing Home and Candler Hospital. After leaving the priesthood, he worked for Georgia DFACS before joining the faculty of a public high school in Savannah where he taught world history and Latin for decades.

Parker Davis (’76) of Bainbridge, Georgia, passed away May 28, 2021, at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. He was the registrar emeritus of Macon State College and the “Voice of the Mustangs” at Macon State’s basketball games when the college had intercollegiate sports. The U.S. Army veteran retired from the University System of Georgia having served at Armstrong Atlantic University, Waycross College and Macon State College.

1980s

Mary Stubbs Tyson (’81) of Savannah died Dec. 3, 2020, in the hospital. She had an extensive career in education as an elementary school teacher and later as an elementary librarian with the Chatham County Board of Education.

Bunny Crawford Hatchett (’82) of Dublin, Georgia, died Dec. 5, 2020. She was a teacher for 39 years.

C. L. Neil Hollomon (’84) of Warner Robins, Georgia died at home Dec. 21, 2020. During his 60-year career in real estate, he was a developer, broker, general contractor and consultant. He later became an educator and coach in Houston
County schools.

Tara Lasseter Guise (’80) of Pensacola, Florida, died Dec. 31, 2020. A wife and mother, she enjoyed scrapbooking, family activities and mentoring young women who needed guidance.

Martha Crouthers Grindler (’81) of Statesboro died at home on Jan. 29, 2021. She taught in the Georgia Southern College of Education for 10 years and served two consecutive terms on the Emanuel County Board of Education.

Robin Maddox McCorkle (’82) of Hinesville, Georgia, died Feb. 22, 2021. A wife and mother, she loved to cross stitch, grow roses and camping.

Jim “Slim” Simmons (’87) of Statesboro died March 12, 2021, after a battle with bladder cancer. He was a history teacher and high school baseball and softball coach.

William “Chip” Herrington (’89) of Loris, South Carolina, died March 22, 2021, after a brief illness. He had his own construction business.

Mary Dutton Evans ’84) of Glennville, Georgia, died at home April 20, 2021, in hospice care. She was an educator for over 32 years before retiring from Diamond Elementary School on Fort Stewart.

James “Bud” Johnston Jr. (’87), a retired Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army, died in Statesboro April 30, 2021. He worked at Griner’s Cricket Farm and at the Cooper-Wiss plant before a second career teaching world geography at Statesboro High.

David Akin (’80) of Blackshear, Georgia passed away May 24, 2021, following a brief illness. He served in the U.S. Army before he attended Georgia Southern University. During his career in education, he was a teacher and administrator.

1990s

Retired Maj. John H. Williams III (’96), who grew up in North Augusta, South Carolina, died Nov. 1, 2020. He served with distinction in the U.S. Marine Corps and had multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq during his years of service.

Kevin James Trainor (’93) passed away Nov. 13, 2020, at his residence in the Savannah suburb of Wilmington Island.

Paul Coleman (’92) of Mableton, Georgia, passed away in the hospital Nov. 16, 2020. He was the owner/operator of a car wash.

Annie Birnbaum Owston (’97) of Savannah was surrounded by family when she died Dec. 20, 2020. The native of Bordeaux, France, worked for many years as a substitute teacher in Chatham County.

Kimberly “Kim” Skadan (’96) of Everett, Washington, died unexpectedly at home Dec. 27, 2020. She was a dedicated teacher at Gold Bar Elementary School for 24 years.

Zita Hall Baine (’93), of Sarasota, Florida, died Jan. 3, 2021. She was a catering adviser and event planner in the hospitality industry.

Sandra Lewis Calhoon (’95) of Memphis, Tennessee, died Jan. 19, 2021, at Methodist University Hospital. She worked as a nurse in pediatrics and home health care.

Rev. John “Tom” Edwards Jr. (’91,’95) of Port Wentworth, Georgia, died at home March 6, 2021. A member of the South Georgia United Methodist Conference, he served churches in the Waycross, Columbus and Dublin districts and retired as the pastor of Port Wentworth United Methodist Church in the Savannah District.

Brett Herrin (’90) of Savannah died March 17, 2021. He worked as a farmer, concrete contractor and in recent years was a long-haul truck driver.

Emily Hope Smith Daniel (’95) of Metter, Georgia, died May 5, 2021, in Augusta. She was a kindergarten teacher at Langston Chapel Elementary School in Statesboro.

Susan Arnold Creasy (’94) of Brooklet, Georgia, died at home May 5, 2021. She was a schoolteacher in Effingham, Screven and Bulloch counties.

2000s

Vern Mamon (’12) died March 25, 2020, in Louisiana. He was an educator.

Timothy Hendrix (’00) of Lyons, Georgia, died April 2, 2020, after an extended illness. He retired from Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant as a reactor operator after 35+ years of service.

Rebecca Lynn Peterson (’16) of Ridgewood, New Jersey, died unexpectedly July 25, 2020, in Florida. The psychology major was making plans to continue her education in South Carolina.

Mark Case (’04,’11) of Savannah died peacefully Nov. 2, 2020, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He worked as a counselor and served as the athletic director at Oglethorpe Charter School for
many years.

Kayla Waggoner Everett (’05) of Midland, Texas, died Feb. 16, 2021. The fashion and business degree major was a wife and mother.

Anthony Stuckey (’10) of Dublin, Georgia, died tragically in a car crash along with his pregnant wife and their 3-year-old son March 14, 2021. Their car caught fire in a four-vehicle crash on I-16 in Bulloch County. Stuckey was the principal of Dublin High School.

Sergio Miguel Ortega-Gonzalez (’19) of Hinesville, Georgia, died March 27, 2021. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Sheila Claxton McKee (’05) died in hospice care in Statesboro, April 6, 2021. She taught K-12th grade music at Bulloch Academy from 2001-2013 and served as pianist for First Baptist Church Statesboro from 1993-2018.

EAGLE NATION

Professor Emeritus Kenneth Relyea, Ph.D., of Savannah died August 5, 2020 at home. He was a member of the biology department on the Armstrong Campus from 1990-2006, and he provided leadership as head of the department for several years. He was selected as a favorite faculty member by Armstrong alumni during the consolidation and his name is listed on the Wall of Honor in the Alumni Center on the Savannah campus.

Martin NeSmith, (’70) of Claxton and Shellman Bluff, Georgia, died at home Nov. 17, 2020. He served in the National Guard and began a long career in the automotive industry. At age 24, he became the youngest auto dealer in the U.S. after purchasing a Chevrolet dealership in Claxton. He expanded his holdings to include dealerships in Hinesville and Jesup, as well as a used car dealership in Statesboro and a rental car company in Claxton. In 2001, he received the highest honor an automobile dealer can achieve, the Time Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year Award. He served on multiple state and national boards including the Georgia Southern University Foundation Board and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. A philanthropist, he provided Georgia Southern with financial support and he contributed his time, money and talents to countless civic organizations, churches and other organizations. He died at age 72.

Jeanne McGowan, director of counseling on the Armstrong Campus, died unexpectedly Jan. 3, 2021. While McGowan served the campus community, she also devoted her time to building her skills as a counselor. She received multiple awards for her campus collaborations and work in the field of college student mental health. She was a certified trainer for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills and she founded and oversaw the peer education team, Peers Educating Peers (PEP) on campus.

Theodore Pierce Dickens, DMA an adjunct instructor of organ, piano and music theory, died Jan. 9, 2021, in Statesboro. He joined the faculty of Georgia Southern University in 2010 and was active in the community as a church musician, accompanist and clinician.

Professor James Stephens, DHA, of Statesboro died Feb. 4, 2021, in hospice care. The former hospital president and CEO had been a faculty member in the Department of Health Policy and Community Health in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH) since 2007. He was the founding program director of the Master of Healthcare Administration program, one of the most popular academic programs in the JPHCOPH. He died at age 73.

Professor Emeritus Frederick Brogdon, Ph.D. (’63) of Lyons, Georgia, died at home Feb. 10, 2021, following an extended illness. He was a professor of history at Georgia Southern from 1965 until his retirement in 1998. For many years, he served as the assistant head of the history department. He will also be remembered for his devotion to the Georgia Southern athletics program. During football season, his Saturdays were spent tailgating at Paulson Stadium or on the road following the Eagles wherever they played.

Professor Emerita Kitty Burke Williams, (’70,’81) died Feb. 15, 2021, following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. For 26 years, she taught accounting at Georgia Southern. After taking medical disability retirement due to her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, she and her husband moved to Tybee Island, Georgia. She died at age 73.

Professor Emeritus John Gutknecht, died March 27, 2021, at the William F. Green Veterans Home in Bay Minette, Alabama. He served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and after 28 years retired from Kaiser Aluminum. He then joined the Georgia Southern faculty as a professor in the Parker College of Business and director of the Master of Business Administration program.

Professor Francis “Frank” M. Thorne III, Ph.D., a longtime member of the biology department on the Armstrong Campus passed away. He joined Armstrong College in the fall of 1965 just in time to help move the department from its original facilities on Bull Street to its current location on Abercorn. He was the original caretaker of the Armstrong Campus greenhouse and, with the help of plant taxonomy students, established an herbarium. He retired in 2010. He was selected as a favorite faculty member by Armstrong alumni during the consolidation and his name is listed on the Wall of Honor in the Alumni Center on the Savannah campus.

Professor Emerita Sandra Tindol Franklin (’59) of Metter, Georgia, died at home June 18, 2021. The professor in middle grades and secondary education served two terms on the Candler County Board of Education. She retired in 1993 after devoting 32 years to her career in public education.

Professor Emeritus Thomas Parker Bishop of Statesboro died June 19, 2021, following a brief illness. He began his Georgia Southern career in the physics department in 1967 and transferred to the education department near the end of his 30-year career. The astronomy professor had a passion for HAM radio, and was known as “N4PB”.