In Memoriam – Fall 2022

1930s

Charles Waldrop Jr. (’39) of Savannah passed away Oct. 20, 2021, at age 102. The 1939 Armstrong Junior College graduate served four years in the U.S. Army and spent 18 months in the European Theatre with the Eighth Air Force during World War II. A registered pharmacist for 50 years, he co-owned Crumbley’s Pharmacy.

1940s

Kate Kennedy Pate (’49) of Statesboro died Nov. 18, 2021, at age 92. A teacher for several years, she returned to Georgia Southern as an employee in the film library department. She later transferred to the Registrar’s Office as assistant to the registrar where she was affectionately known as the “Graduation Lady.”

1950s

Willard “Muff” Martin (’54) of Americus, Georgia, died Feb. 8. 2021, in Albany, Georgia, at age 88. He served two years in the U.S. Army and later had a 34-year career with the Department of Defense in Warner Robins, Georgia.

Hudson Ayers (’58) of Lake City, Florida, died Dec. 3, 2021. During his career, he worked as a school psychologist with the Columbia County Florida school system.

Jean Brown Lambert (’54) of Warner Robins and Bonaire, Georgia, died Dec. 6, 2021, in hospice care. She had a long career as a teacher and principal. She served as the first female president of the Houston County Association of Educators and was inducted into the Houston County Teacher Hall of Fame in 2009.

Paul Kerr (’54), a retired U.S. Army major in Hinesville, Georgia, passed away on Dec. 20, 2021, in hospice care. During his distinguished career, he served two tours in Korea and two tours in Vietnam where he was awarded four Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. After retiring from the Army, he owned several businesses and became a master gardener.

Tallulah Lester Peterson (’52) of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away Jan. 3, 2022. A teacher in Savannah for several years, she moved to Roanoke after her marriage and for many years, served as a substitute teacher in Roanoke City, Roanoke County and Salem Public Schools.

Elizabeth South Penney (’59) of Augusta, Georgia, was surrounded by her family when she passed away on Jan. 5, 2022. The lifelong educator spent many years as a physical education teacher at Butler High School and finished her career as a media specialist.

Evanthia “Eva” Karatassos Dukakis (’54) a longtime resident of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully Jan. 9, 2022, at age 86. The Armstrong graduate was a home economics teacher in Savannah and for many years in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Mims Edward “Ed” Mitchell (’53) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, passed away Feb. 13, 2022. The U.S. Army veteran had a 26-year career with Provident Insurance followed by 17 years with Chick-fil-A.

Martha Brantley Bacon (’59) of Statesboro died peacefully at home on Feb. 20, 2022, after a battle against Parkinson’s disease. She was a co-owner of the Plunderosa vintage and antique shop for almost 20 years. She was also very active in the Georgia Southern Alumni Association, serving on its board of directors for six years.

Milton Norras (’57) of Blackshear, Georgia, passed away March 3, 2022, at age 87. Affectionately known as “The Band Man,” he had a 30-plus year career as a band director and social sciences teacher. He spent most of his career working for the Pierce County Board of Education.

Shirley Hanson Overstreet (’55) of Avondale Estates, Georgia, died March 4, 2022, at age 87. She was a devoted wife and mother.

James “Don” Avery (’58) of Elberton, Georgia, passed away March 17, 2022, at an assisted living facility in Athens, Georgia. He retired as a major in the U.S. Marine Corps. His wife Linda also attended Georgia Southern and both were active in the 50s alumni group and T-Club activities. She died a month before he passed away.

Sandra Hanson Griffin (’59) of Augusta and Decatur, Georgia, passed away at home on April 15, 2022. She retired after 30 years of teaching, mostly 3rd grade, at National Hills Elementary School.

1960s

Judith Habas Harrison (’61) died March 3, 2021, at her home in Atlanta. She enjoyed employment with the Archdiocese of Atlanta for many years as a school cafeteria manager and as a school receptionist. She loved and was loved by generations of children.

Dianne Branch Clark (’67) of McRae, Georgia, died March 5, 2021, in hospice care. She was a retired principal with Wayne County School Systems and was an active member of the Retired Teachers Association.

David Varnedoe Sr. (’66) of Hinesville, Georgia, was surrounded by family when he died July 19, 2021. He had an early career as a high school science teacher but later became an employee at Hinesville Bank. After 32 years of service, he retired as its vice president of regulatory compliance.

John Norman Howard III (’69) of Savannah was surrounded by family when he died on Nov. 26, 2021. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran had a 44-year career with the chemicals company, Natrochem Inc., retiring as CEO of the company. He was active in the Rotary Club of Savannah West and several bowling associations, which included the Southeast Bowling Association, the Georgia Bowling Association and the Savannah Bowling Association. He was inducted into the Halls of Fame of each of those organizations.

Barbara Mills Newton (’61) of Atlanta died Dec. 22, 2021, less than two weeks after the passing of her husband Gene Newton, a Statesboro native. She began her career with the Southern Regional Education Board and then transitioned to a career at a legal services firm and finally worked as the legal assistant for Superior Court Judge Wendy Shoob before retiring in 2015.

John D. Shuman (’65) of Reidsville, Georgia, passed away at home Jan. 2, 2022, in hospice care. He served in the U.S. Army and later worked for 34 years in the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. The pecan and pine tree producer also served 16 years as a Tattnall County commissioner.

Richard Murray Sr. (’66) of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, died on Jan. 4, 2022, from complications related to a heart condition. He had a career in the retail industry as a buyer, manager, and owner of a men’s clothing store, two children’s clothing stores and a gift store. He later began a real estate career as the founding partner of a realty company. He served as president of the Hilton Head Association of Realtors and on the Association Board. The alumnus also served on the trustee board of the Georgia Southern University Foundation.

Wendell West (’63) of Metter, Georgia, died Jan. 5, 2022, at home following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. During his career, he worked at Equifax, was an engineer for the City of Savannah, and was the director of personnel at Candler General Hospital. He served for a decade on the Candler County Board of Education.

Arthur Linton “A.L.” Freeland (’68,’72) passed away on Jan. 8, 2022, at his residence in Sylvania, Georgia. The veteran teacher and principal left his mark in Screven County as the principal of Central Middle School. An advocate for teachers, he is remembered for the creation of the “A Walk Through Time” living history project, which garnered accolades from the National Middle School Association and later served as a model for other schools.

John Wesley Bowen Sr. (’69) of Kathleen, Georgia, died in hospice care on Feb. 4, 2022. He had a long career with AT&T where he served as manager of the Y2K project for Southern Bell.

Bruce Brumfield, DBA (’69,’70) of Haddock, Georgia, passed away on Feb. 5, 2022. He chaired the business administration department at Jackson State University and spent most of his career as a professor and director of graduate studies in business at Georgia College and State University. He pastored the historic Methodist church in Bolingbroke for over 30 years and his collection of early Disney memorabilia was featured in several news articles and a television show.

Carolyn Dent O’Neal (’65) of New Braunfels, Texas, died Feb. 13, 2022, at age 78. She taught school for 28 years. During her family’s military service, they were stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia, Ft. Hood, Texas, and Freidberg, Germany.

Brooks Buford Deal (’65) of Statesboro passed away Feb. 16, 2022, in hospice care after battling a lung condition. He had a passion for teaching people his knowledge of printing and retired as a high school technical educator in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He also operated a printing company for
18 years.

Lenecia Bruce (’68) of Atlanta died Feb. 20, 2022, at age 99. During World War II, she was an air traffic communications specialist at the old Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta and at the airport in Bristol, Tennessee. She lived many years in Savannah where she returned to college at Armstrong for her bachelor’s degree. She joined the League of Women Voters in Savannah in 1963 and later worked for the Georgia League of Women Voters where she wrote numerous historical and policy reports for the League. In her mid-80s, the voting rights activist continued to volunteer for the DeKalb County League and received an award for her years of service to the voters of DeKalb County.

Sammy Lee Andrews Sr. (’63) of Fayetteville, Georgia, passed away Feb. 24, 2022. He served in the U.S. Army for five years and was a teacher, coach and business owner. He was a member of the Georgia Southern gymnastic team.

Terry Norman (’67) of Hanover, Virginia, was surrounded by family when he died March 17, 2022. He retired from IBM after 30 years of service, then had a 20-plus-year career in the insurance industry.

1970s

Rozan Baldwin Gerken (’75) of Savannah died June 16, 2020, at age 90. The longtime educator retired after 30 years as a 4th-grade teacher at Julia P. Bryant Elementary School in Statesboro.

Theresa Nelson Williamson (’77) of Sycamore, Georgia, passed away March 5, 2021. The educational specialist retired from the Turner County Board of Education where she touched the lives of many students for 37 years in her role as an educational specialist and FCCLA advisor.

John (Jack) Lauder (’78) of Thomasville, Georgia, passed away at home Nov. 30, 2021. He had a wide and varied assortment of passions and interests through the years, including waterskiing, boating, snow skiing and his all-time favorites, scuba diving and traveling.

Arline Puckett Patterson (’78) of San Antonio, Texas, died Dec. 10, 2021, after a bout with pancreatic cancer. She was an elementary school teacher for many years but found her true path in teaching adults. She was the manager of the first Adult Learning Lab in Savannah and later assembled a team of outstanding women to strengthen the adult/community education program for a San Antonio school district, which gained national recognition for its excellence.

Vivian “Vicki” Sullins Kline Hunter (’76) of Brunswick, Georgia, passed away Dec. 27, 2021, two months short of her 78th birthday. She was a teacher for 23 years in the English department at Glynn Academy.

Madge Jones Comer (’79,’90) of Brunswick, Georgia, died at home on Jan. 12, 2022, one day after her 86th birthday. She taught middle school in the Glynn County school system for over 30 years before retirement.

Lana Funderburke McCarthy (’74) passed away Jan. 14, 2022, in Savannah under hospice care. She taught in the Chatham County School System for 31 years. She always believed teaching was her greatest achievement and kept track of many of her students through the years.

Myrtle Leigh Collins Kennedy (’74) of Brooklet, Georgia, died Jan. 17, 2022, at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. She was employed for many years with Savannah area hospitals and Bulloch Memorial Hospital as a registered nurse.

Donna Langford (’73) of Brunswick, Georgia, passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on Jan. 20, 2022. A CPA, she opened her own public accounting firm and was a managing real estate broker.

Anne Hood Cooper (’74) of Concord, North Carolina, passed away in the hospital on Jan. 23, 2022. A realtor for more than 30 years, she served clients in Durham and Orange County, North Carolina.

Charles Hunter Warner Jr. (’77) of Savannah was surrounded by loved ones when he died Jan. 25, 2022. The U.S. Navy veteran had a long career working in the railroad industry. He retired as a CSX executive sales manager after 44 years and then began a new chapter in his career with American Port Services. He was a past president of the Transportation Club of Savannah and past president of the local CSX Railroad credit union.

Gary Oglesby (’79) of Statesboro died peacefully in hospice care on Jan. 28, 2022. The Vietnam War veteran retired from the Georgia State Patrol after serving more than 20 years. He enjoyed spending time with his family, cruising in his classic cars, fishing and serving his community.

Jim Rickenbacker (’78) of Winter Park, Florida, died suddenly and unexpectedly, Feb. 25, 2022. For several years Jim was a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel and later became a freelance journalist and a radio announcer.

Debra Smith Pease (’78) of Statesboro passed away March 4, 2022, after a brief illness. She was a teacher in schools in Statesboro and Claxton, Georgia. She also had a leather shop in Statesboro where she created and sold beautiful pieces such as saddles and tack. She was very involved in the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro, where she played a key role in the fair and livestock program. She also was the first woman to chair the fair.

Colleen Sanders (’72) of Statesboro passed away March 7, 2022. She retired as an executive with AT&T in order to fulfill her lifelong dream of serving in the Peace Corps. She had teaching assignments in Bulgaria and in Romania and was active in many other service-oriented and educational organizations.

John Pafford Sr. (’75,’83), of Brunswick, Georgia, passed away at his home on March 13, 2022. The U.S. Army veteran served a tour of duty in Vietnam before earning a bachelor’s degree at Georgia Southern. He had a 34-year career as a marine biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Bradford James (’71) of Stockbridge, Georgia, passed away on March 28, 2022. He had a long career as a principal with the Henry County Board of Education.

1980s

Bradley Bowen (’89) of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, passed away hunting red stag in the Highlands of Scotland on Oct. 13, 2021. He worked in the greater Jacksonville area as a superintendent and project manager in commercial construction for eight years, prior to starting his own construction company. He played football under Coach Erk Russell.

Shannon Smith (’85) of Flowery Branch, Georgia, died at home Dec. 6, 2021. She worked for KPMG in New York City where she experienced both 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy.

Karen Glover Martin (’86) of Statesboro died Jan. 1, 2022, following an extended illness. She spent more than 20 years teaching at Stilson Elementary where she earned the distinguished Teacher of the Year Award.

James Bird III (’81) of Tullahoma, Tennessee, passed away unexpectedly at his residence on Feb. 6, 2022. An avid reader and researcher, he held various positions in communications and edited medical journals.

The Rev. Remer “Brad” Brady III (’81) died at home Feb. 7, 2022, in Statesboro. He served in the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church for 41 years and retired in June 2021 as senior pastor of Perry United Methodist Church. Prior to his appointment in Perry, he served at churches in Savannah, Macon, Jesup and Statesboro. A gifted leader, he held numerous leadership roles in the United Methodist Church on the district, conference, jurisdictional and general church levels.

Michael “Mike” Rollins (’81,’90) of Statesboro passed away suddenly Feb. 17, 2022, at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. He was devoted to his family and passionate about serving the Statesboro-Bulloch County Community as director of the Statesboro-Bulloch County Parks and Recreation Department. He was instrumental in the development of Mill Creek Regional Park, Splash in the Boro waterpark, the S&S Railroad Bed Greenway, Agriculture Arena and many other community projects throughout the years.

Florence “Flo” Whitfield Jackson (’83) of Darien, Georgia, passed away March 6, 2022. She had a decorated career as a chemist in the toxicology laboratory and the biochemical genetics and metabolic disorders laboratory for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also had a career as a teacher and served multiple terms as a McIntosh County Board of Education member.

Dale Reagan (’81), a longtime resident of Savannah, died of complications from a heart attack in Gainesville, Georgia, on March 15, 2022. He taught music and technology and had a career as an IT specialist in the tech industry.

Byron Nelson (’87) of Claxton, Georgia, died on March 24, 2022. He owned and operated an auto parts business for 20 years before finding a new career in local banking. The dedicated Eagle fan participated routinely in the Georgia Southern Coaches Caravan.

Delma Dewey Dimsdale Jr. (’82) of Savannah died unexpectedly May 28, 2022, while playing tennis with friends. He had a long career in food service and advertising sales and in 2020 found a new home professionally with InventureIT. He was a member of many Savannah civic organizations, and as a proud Georgia Southern alumnus, he was an active supporter of Eagle Athletics and a member of the Savannah Eagle Club.

1990s

Cynthia “Cindy” Hutcheson Riner (’91) of Swainsboro, Georgia, died unexpectedly Aug. 25, 2021, in Savannah due to a heart-related illness. She taught Pre-K and 2nd grade and was newly retired after 31 years of teaching in Emanuel County.

Marla Calame Fisk (’93) formerly of Alton, Illinois, died Nov. 13, 2021, in Monterey, California. She was an accomplished media sales professional, serving as a senior account manager in digital advertising for hospitals and health care providers in the West Coast region. She served as a linguist in the U.S. Army and learned the Persian language of Farsi at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in California.

Patricia Waller Lloyd (’92,’94) of St. Simons Island, Georgia, died Nov. 21, 2021, at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. She was a math teacher, coach, and sponsor, and in 1994 began service as a school psychologist for several schools until retiring from the McDuffie County Board of Education in 2005.

Bonnie DeLoach Price (’98) of Bluffton, South Carolina, passed away Dec. 2, 2021. She was an aerobics instructor, physical fitness director and personal trainer for over 20 years in Hilton Head and Bluffton.

James “Brett” Franklin (’91) of Metter, Georgia, passed away Dec. 5, 2021, at his family home. He was a supervisor for UPS in Swainsboro, Georgia, then joined the family business at Jimmy Franklin Chevrolet, Inc., in Metter.

Lori Ann Bolden Boatright (’91) of Blackshear, Georgia, passed away Dec. 27, 2021, following a short illness. She was a dental hygienist.

Kristen May Young (’94,’99,’06) of Bainbridge, Georgia, passed away Jan. 13, 2022. A social studies teacher, she was fascinated with animals and fostered many strays over the years. She devoted her life to instilling a love of learning with her students and served as their advocate on many fronts.

Patricia Barker Bradley (’95) of Claxton, Georgia, passed away Feb. 2, 2022, in hospice care. She taught at Evans County Elementary School Pre-K for 25 years and received the first Teacher of the Year award for Evans County.

John “Tom” McGalliard II (’91) of San Marcos, California, passed away March 19, 2022, from a traumatic brain injury. He was a 24-year veteran, having served both in the U.S. Army and Navy, retiring in 2008 as a naval commander. He served as a military critical care nurse and was deployed and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 as a Naval FRSS team member. As a civilian, he worked as a critical care, catheterization and vascular access nurse.

Nancy Mulherin Owens (’91) of Ludowici, Georgia, passed away March 21, 2022, in hospice care. She taught 6th-grade science in Long County and adult students in the local GED program.

Darrell Williams Sr. (’97) of Millen, Georgia, passed away March 23, 2022. He was an assistant superintendent at Augusta Utilities Department.

2000s

Steve Tarter (’02) of Kingsland, Georgia, passed away Jan. 16, 2021, at the Camden Campus of Southeast Georgia Health System.

Derek Thornberry (’08) of Marietta, Georgia, passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack July 24, 2021. He was previously employed as a regional sales manager at Central Payment Systems, a physical training manager at LA Fitness and as a loan specialist.

Elizabeth “Bess” Rivers Dedwylder (’17) of Columbus, Georgia, died of natural causes at home on Oct. 31, 2021. She fulfilled her lifelong dream of living in New York City but moved back home during the pandemic to work remotely as a medical staffing recruiter. She loved to travel and visited many countries in her short life, including a safari in Tanzania with her family just two weeks before her death. Her mother says she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and loved every minute of her college years at Georgia Southern.

Kelly Greene (’05,’07) of Richmond Hill, Georgia, died Jan. 14, 2022, after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She began her teaching career at Liberty Elementary in Midway, Georgia, and went on to instruct, mentor and advocate for students for over 15 years.

James Lanier (’13) of Statesboro died Jan. 25, 2022, at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. An excellent high school athlete, he was an inductee into the Bulloch Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. He owned and operated Lanier Millworks until his death.

Charles “Chas” Standridge (’13), who grew up in Statesboro, passed away suddenly on Jan. 26, 2022. For the last seven years, he worked as a national systems consultant for Stage Front Presentation Systems. The avid golfer and saltwater fisherman cherished his time on the water with family and friends.

Kelley McGonnell Lash (’00,’06) of Houston, Texas, died suddenly Feb. 21, 2022, of a blood clot in the heart. She had served as director of student media at Rice University since 2010. Prior to that, she held the same position at her alma mater, Georgia Southern from 2007 to 2010. She had come full circle after serving in multiple roles as an undergraduate in student media, including as editor-in-chief of the university’s student newspaper, The George-Anne, from 1998–2000.

Julie Bass Sikes (’04) of Claxton, Georgia, died March 14, 2022, from injuries she sustained in an automobile accident. She began her career in education in 2012 teaching history at Claxton High School. A volunteer advisor for the Claxton Chamber of Commerce’s Junior Board of Directors, she also led students on various trips overseas and to presidential inaugurations.

Sylvia Sasser Higgins (’00) of Rincon, Georgia, passed away on March 25, 2022, after a long battle with breast cancer. She had a career in administrative management.

EAGLE NATION

Professor Emeritus Benjamin Zellner III of Culloden, Georgia, passed away at his residence on Dec. 6, 2021. He spent several years conducting research for the University of Arizona before working on NASA projects including the Hubble Space Telescope. He spent the final years of his career as an astronomy professor in the physics department at Georgia Southern.

Larry Bruce Yawn, a longtime Georgia Southern supporter, died suddenly after heart complications on Jan. 20, 2022, in Statesboro. The business and community leader was best known as the owner of Snooky’s Restaurant, which closed in 2012. Throughout its existence, Snooky’s was a regular eating spot for the Eagle Nation community including Coach Erk Russell. Yawn was a founder and supporter of the Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind awards. He was a recipient of the award in 1990 and received the Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2001.

Assistant Professor Emerita Charlene Kimbro Stewart of Statesboro died Feb. 22, 2022, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was a teacher at Marvin Pittman Laboratory School and later became an assistant professor in the College of Education at Georgia Southern University. An avid supporter of the Georgia Southern football program, she hosted Coach Erk Russell and many players for meals. The professor of middle grades and secondary education retired in 1997.

Professor Emerita Sharon Tracy of Statesboro passed away March 23, 2022, in hospice care. The criminal justice and criminology professor joined Georgia Southern in 1989 and retired in 2014. Her scholarship focused on understanding young offenders, particularly their participation in gangs, leading her to collaborate with local agencies to understand gang membership in Georgia. A perennial favorite of students, her courses, which included gangs, drugs, and criminal justice, as well as hate and bias crimes, among numerous others, were popular draws on campus.

Associate Professor Emeritus Wilmer Grant Jr. of Statesboro passed away on March 27, 2022, at a hospital in Savannah. The physics professor was a Georgia Southern faculty member from 1982 to 2002. He received the Professor of the Year Award in 1986. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army and was active in many community organizations and activities. He served as a board member and board chair of the Statesboro Parks and Recreation Society and was instrumental in the development of Splash in the Boro! Waterpark and Aquatics Center.

Associate Professor Emeritus Harley Robert “Bill” Cheshire of Statesboro passed away March 29, 2022, after a long illness. The vocational education professor retired from Georgia Southern as an associate dean in the School of Education. He was a lifetime member of the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro.

Debra Cogell Akins, an avid Eagle supporter, and spouse of alumnus Richie Akins, director of Stores and Shops at Georgia Southern, passed away in hospice care in Statesboro April 21, 2022. She worked in the college textbook industry for 23 years and enjoyed attending Georgia Southern home and away football games.

Willie “Bill” Golden, a beloved figure on the Georgia Southern University campus died peacefully in hospice care in Statesboro on April 24, 2022. He spent his entire profession in the fields of economic development and higher education. For many years, he held faculty and leadership positions within the UGA Cooperative Extension Service and extension agricultural programs at Clemson University. In 1989, he became director of corporate and foundation relations at Georgia Southern. His role expanded in 1991 when he was appointed director of governmental relations at Georgia Southern, as well as president of the Georgia Southern University Foundation and director of development. When he retired in 2007, the Georgia House and Senate honored him with a resolution for his long service to the state. He was married to the late Dorothy Smith Golden for 42 years. They had two children, Jennifer and Jeff. He spent the last 10 years of his life happily married to Barbara Christmas Golden.