{"id":7943,"date":"2020-08-07T15:12:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T19:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/?p=7943"},"modified":"2023-02-15T11:03:14","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T16:03:14","slug":"in-memoriam-spring-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/2020\/08\/07\/in-memoriam-spring-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"In Memoriam – Summer 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

1940s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Merle Craven Cockfield<\/strong> (\u201948) of Jesup, Georgia, died Jan. 5, 2020. The retired English teacher loved playing bridge, traveling and staying at her second home on St. Simons Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sue Breen Waller<\/strong> (\u201944) of Augusta, Georgia, died Jan. 7, 2020, at age 95. In retirement, the elementary school teacher continued to teach by volunteering in adult literacy programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Fritts<\/strong> (\u201948) of Savannah passed away March 29, 2020, at age 97. The World War II U.S. Army veteran was a retired attorney. In his private practice of 57 years, he specialized in civil and family law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1950s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Myra Newton Fountain<\/strong> (\u201959) of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died May 3, 2019, at a health and rehab facility in Macon, Georgia. She was an elementary school teacher in Fitzgerald for nearly 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barbara Hamilton Riley<\/strong> (\u201959) of Savannah died July 3, 2019, at St. Joseph\u2019s Hospital. She was a retired teacher having taught in Chatham and Effingham County schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Brock McKinnon<\/strong> (\u201955) of Folkston, Georgia, died at home Oct. 12, 2019. She was a dedicated middle school English teacher for 37 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judge Tom Edenfield Sr.<\/strong> (\u201959) of Savannah died Oct. 15, 2019, at St. Joseph\u2019s hospital. The lifelong Savannah resident was the assistant district attorney for Chatham County in his early career. He had a private practice and later served as a municipal court judge in Chatham and Effingham counties for 30 years. He was active in numerous community organizations and loved history, genealogy and Georgia Southern football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Wilhite Craik<\/strong> (\u201953) of Louisville, Kentucky, died Oct. 27, 2019, at age 95. As a military spouse she lived in 10 states and two countries while pursuing degrees and careers in education. A fiber artist, feminist and faculty member, she created a psychology of women course and developed a women\u2019s studies program at a Minnesota university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peggy Ann Marsh Weatherford<\/strong> (\u201959), formerly of Twin City, Georgia, died Nov. 4, 2019, in Greensboro, Georgia. She taught school in Charlton County, Georgia, and retired from the Nassau County, Florida, court system after 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latha Phillips Tyson<\/strong> (\u201952) of Soperton, Georgia, died Nov. 11, 2019, at age 97. She was a retired teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raymond Hutchinson<\/strong> (\u201951) of Pooler, Georgia, died Nov. 30, 2019, at a Savannah hospital. At the end of WWII, he served as a seaman first class in the U.S. Naval Construction Battalion \u201cSeabees\u201d in Guam. After the war, he worked for Southern Railroad Company and later became an original Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Betty Long Brown <\/strong>(\u201958) of Williamson, Georgia, died Dec. 8, 2019, at age 87. She was a teacher in Chatham County schools for many years. She enjoyed traveling abroad and to all 50 states in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dorothy Holbrook Leary<\/strong> (\u201953) of Washington, Missouri, passed away Dec. 21, 2019. She was a former school teacher and established a day care center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sue Kennedy Warren<\/strong> (\u201953) of Pulaski, Georgia, died Dec. 21, 2019, at an assisted living facility in Statesboro. The former home economics and science teacher in Chatham County schools and Armstrong, was a past president of the National Council of the Garden Club of Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cherrell Williams Rose<\/strong> (\u201955) died Dec. 24, 2019, in Smithville, Texas. She served on the Smithville School Board and was a volunteer for the Boy Scouts and Smithville Heritage Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donald Thornhill<\/strong> (\u201958,\u201966) of Augusta, Georgia, passed away Dec. 29, 2019. The lifelong educator served as a coach, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent of Columbia County schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eugene Collins<\/strong> (\u201957) died Jan. 1, 2020, at his home in Appling, Georgia. The U.S. Air Force Korean War veteran taught shop and vocational education for 30 years in Georgia public schools. The skilled carpenter and craftsman also co-owned a cattle farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joel Stowers <\/strong>(\u201953) of Athens, Georgia, died Jan. 19, 2020, at the age of 87. He was director of the University of Tennessee Library at Martin, and retired after 29 years. In retirement, he played the piano at churches and nursing facilities in Athens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Betty Parrish Lee<\/strong> (\u201953) of Brooklet, Georgia, died in hospice care Feb. 29, 2020. The educator and active community volunteer, was a Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Award recipient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rev. Claude \u201cTed\u201d Bass<\/strong> (\u201956) of Macon, Georgia, died March 1, 2020. He joined the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1956 and served churches in south Georgia for 44 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peggy Burke Daniell Ferguson<\/strong> (\u201953) of Statesboro and Metter, Georgia, died April 14, 2020. The former teacher was an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and an advocate for the arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shirley Avis Bragg McClellan<\/strong> (\u201955) passed away May 26, 2020, at her home in Waynesboro, Georgia. She was a retired educator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1960s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wilmer Sheffield <\/strong>(\u201965) of Acworth, Georgia, died June 13, 2019, in hospice care. He was a retired Georgia State Patrol corporal and a civil service employee at Robins Air Force Base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard \u201cDickey\u201d Collins Sr.<\/strong> (\u201960) of Cobbtown, Georgia, died at home July 19, 2019. He was a farmer and worked as a federal contract specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry Hughes III <\/strong>(\u201969) of Dexter, Georgia, died Sept. 24, 2019, at a hospital in neighboring Dublin. He was a retired computer programmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dinah Tucker Everhart<\/strong> (\u201969) of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, died Oct. 3, 2019, after battling lung cancer. She retired from a 30-year career with Bell South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michele \u201cMickey\u201d Peterman Creel<\/strong> (\u201964,\u201994) of Savannah died Oct. 11, 2019, after an extended illness. She had a lifelong career as a mathematics educator who taught for many years at Savannah Tech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walter Vollenweider Sr.<\/strong> (\u201960) of St. Simons Island, Georgia, died in hospice care Oct. 15, 2019. A former mayor of Waycross, Georgia, he was active in his church and several civic organizations. He also served in the U.S. Air Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert Sikes<\/strong> (\u201967) of Bluffton, South Carolina, passed away Oct. 30, 2019. The U.S. Navy veteran was an entrepreneur who owned several businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nancy Edenfield Kerves<\/strong> (\u201965) of Savannah and Columbia, South Carolina, died Nov. 5, 2019. The wife and mother of two taught adult education classes for several years and mentored foster families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruth Bray Brown<\/strong> (\u201968) died at home in Statesboro on Nov. 7, 2019, after an extended illness. She had a 31-year teaching career in Georgia school districts. She was married to her husband, the Rev. William Brown, for more than 67 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly Hardwick III<\/strong> (\u201967) died Nov. 22, 2019, at his home in Bartow, Florida. He practiced law in Bartow for 39 years and retired from the Florida Army National Guard as a lieutenant colonel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donald Turknett Sr.<\/strong> (\u201967) of Cochran, Georgia, died at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, Dec. 24, 2019. He was a teacher, coach, principal and school superintendent in Bleckley County, Georgia. He had 33 years of service in Georgia\u2019s public school system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bobby Todd <\/strong>(\u201965) of Fayetteville, Georgia, died Dec. 31, 2019, at age 83. The retired educator served as an administrator in several Georgia public school districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anne Blount Sawyer<\/strong> (\u201961) of North Augusta, South Carolina, passed away Jan. 2, 2020. The English teacher and library assistant enjoyed collecting antique dolls, and for more than 30 years appeared in adopt-a-pet segments on television stations in the Augusta area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Bowen Hendrix<\/strong> (\u201968,\u201985) of Metter, Georgia, died Jan.4, 2020, at Candler County Hospital. A former elementary school teacher, she also worked for the Candler County Department of Family and Children\u2019s Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wendell Tanner <\/strong>(\u201966) died Jan. 7, 2020, at his home in Augusta, Georgia. He served in multiple Georgia school districts as a social studies teacher, guidance counselor and administrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Hendrix <\/strong>(\u201962) of Clermont, Georgia, died at home Jan. 7, 2020, after battling cancer. He was an educator for 30 years serving in the roles of teacher, principal and superintendent in Chattahoochee, Muscogee, Whitfield and Newton counties in Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward Bugg<\/strong> (\u201969) of Forsyth, Georgia, passed away Jan. 14, 2020. He served as a correctional and criminal psychologist for nearly 30 years at the Georgia Diagnostic
State Prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve Wright IV<\/strong> (\u201963) of Craftsbury, Vermont, died at home Jan. 16, 2020. The former Sterling College president and commissioner of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department had battled Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olyvia Deal <\/strong>(\u201966) of Wytheville, Virginia, was surrounded by family when she died at home Jan. 18, 2020. She had a degree in nursing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ann Crawford Smith<\/strong> (\u201960) was surrounded by family when she died at home in Novato, California, Jan. 26, 2020. She was a native of St. Marys, Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dennis \u201cCoach\u201d Burau <\/strong>(\u201960,\u201964) of Augusta, Georgia, passed away Feb. 14, 2020. He played basketball at Georgia Southern for legendary Coach J.B. Scearce. As a graduate student he was an assistant to Coach Scearce and coached the Georgia Southern freshman team. He later became a
coach and professor at
Augusta College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otis Cook <\/strong>(\u201965) of Cocoa, Florida, died Feb. 21, 2020. For many years, he lived in Louisville, Kentucky, where he was a leader in the food industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timothy Mizzell<\/strong> (\u201962) of Harleyville, South Carolina, died in the hospital Feb. 25, 2020. He served in the U.S. Army, and was a retired teacher and guidance counselor in Chatham County, Georgia, and Richland School District No. 1 in Columbia, South Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sally Whitten Wells<\/strong> (\u201964, \u201967) of Savannah died on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, at a memory care facility in Pooler, Georgia. She was a teacher in her early career, then spent several years in Europe where she was an information officer in the insurance industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judy Nunn Mason <\/strong>(\u201964,\u201966) of Savannah died in an automobile accident March 9, 2020. After a teaching career of more than 30 years, she retired from Calvary Day School working as the elementary school librarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Christopher Fairey<\/strong> (\u201969) of Titusville, Florida, died peacefully April 8, 2020. He started his career as an engineer at NASA in 1969 and served in many capacities while at Kennedy Space Center, ultimately retiring as the director of spaceport services in 2002. He received many accolades during his tenure at NASA including the Silver Snoopy Award, the Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal, the Exceptional Service Medal, and the Vice President\u2019s Hammer Award for leadership. He was also the recipient of the National Space Club Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Frances Griner<\/strong> (\u201962) passed away April 13, 2020, at her home in Orlando, Florida. She taught fifth grade in various Florida schools for 40 years and was an avid supporter of nature, animals and environmental groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard Van Brunt Jr.<\/strong> (\u201965) of Goose Creek, South Carolina, died of complications from cancer April 22, 2020. He was a coach and educator for 43 years. He also served with the National Guard from 1965-73.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linda Cason Cartee <\/strong>(\u201966) of Statesboro died May 8, 2020, at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. She taught in the Bulloch County School System for over 33 years and was the administrator of the QUEST Program for gifted and talented students. The Georgia Southern University football fan spent many Saturday afternoons at Paulson Stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jesse L. Petrea Jr.<\/strong> (\u201965) of Hagan, Georgia, died because of an automobile accident May 22, 2020. He had a general psychiatry private practice in Eastman, Georgia, and worked with the Eastman Youth Detention Center through the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Federal Correctional Institute in Jesup, Georgia, and with many nursing homes in middle Georgia serving as medical director caring for geriatric patients. More recently, he worked with Pineland Mental Health and the Southern Counseling Center of Baxley, Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orita Resseau Tonkens <\/strong>(\u201967,\u201974) of St. Simons Island, Georgia, died peacefully May 24, 2020. After a lifelong career in education, she retired from the Glynn County Board of Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1970s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Retired Lt. Col. Eugene Neville Jr.<\/strong> (\u201975) of Statesboro died Jan. 17, 2019, after a short illness. The U.S. Army veteran retired after more than 26 years of military service and later served as the human resources manager for Claude Howard Lumber Company in Statesboro. He was the co-founder of a nonprofit organization that served as a health care purchasing alliance to 130 businesses in south Georgia. In 1998, he received the Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Award in 1998 for his unselfish service to the people of Bulloch County Georgia. An avid supporter of Georgia Southern, each fall he could be found cheering for his beloved Georgia Southern Eagles. He was a longtime contributor to A Day for Southern and he cherished his membership in the 1906 Society, the oldest donor recognition society at Georgia Southern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linda Woodall Lang<\/strong> (\u201978) of Brunswick, Georgia, died Sept. 17, 2019, in hospice care. She was a retired elementary
school teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Tassey Jr<\/strong> (\u201974) of Bulloch County, Georgia, died at home Sept. 30, 2019, in hospice care. The veteran of the U.S. Army retired as a public school teacher in Savannah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groover \u201cClint\u201d Crosby Jr. <\/strong>(\u201972) of Jesup, Georgia, passed away Oct. 1, 2019. The former vice president with SunTrust Bank lived in Brunswick, Georgia, for many years where he had a 33-year career in the banking industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patricia \u201cPatti\u201d Shy Bartlett<\/strong> (\u201971) of Fort Valley, Georgia, died Oct. 4, 2019, after an extended illness. The retired educator lived for many years in Griffin, Georgia, and taught for 25 years in Pike County schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rufus Miley Jr.<\/strong> (\u201971) died Oct. 8, 2019, at his home in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. He retired from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. In addition to a successful banking career, he served on the Concord Township. Planning Commission for more than 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glenn Stiegman Jr.<\/strong> (\u201971) died unexpectedly Oct. 9, 2019, on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. During his career, he was the chief financial officer in South Carolina\u2019s Greenville County School District, Spartanburg District 7 and the Charleston County School District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry Swaim<\/strong> (\u201971) of Eatonton, Georgia, died suddenly Oct. 16, 2019. He was in the electrical business and traveled around middle and south Georgia for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William Doyle<\/strong> (\u201970) lost his battle against cancer Oct. 29, 2019, at his home in Jacksonville, Florida. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves for six years and had a 50-year career with State Farm Insurance Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dana Brown<\/strong> (\u201973), a native of Savannah, passed away Nov. 1, 2019. He lived in Bulloch County the last 13 years of his life. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and retired after 30 years of service in the Savannah Police Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penny Crittenden Kozee<\/strong> (\u201977) of Macon, Georgia, died Nov. 11, 2019. The wife and mother of five was a former member of the Lady Eagles basketball team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laura Turner Worrell<\/strong> (\u201970) of Savannah died Nov. 19, 2019, in hospice care. A retired federal service employee of 40 years, her lifetime passion was advocating for the equal and fair treatment of women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gary Sanders<\/strong> (\u201978) died in hospice care in Statesboro Nov. 20, 2019. He began his teaching and coaching career at public schools in Brooklet, Georgia, and after finishing a 20-year career in computer services at Georgia Southern University, he returned to teaching and coaching at Statesboro High School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tommy Kemp Jr. <\/strong>(\u201977) of Savannah died at home Nov. 23, 2019, after battling Parkinson\u2019s disease. He was a computer consultant and retiree of Union Camp\/International Paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rev. Edna \u201cEddie\u201d Adkins<\/strong> (\u201975) of Tybee Island, Georgia, was surrounded by loved ones when she died at home Nov. 30, 2019. A deacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, she was also a teacher and high school media specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Johnson<\/strong> (\u201976) of Marietta, Georgia, died Dec. 10, 2019. He married his Georgia Southern sweetheart, Jonella Payne Johnson, and had a 40-year career in medical sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jane Bacon Barrett<\/strong> (\u201976) of Augusta, Georgia, died Jan. 9, 2020, at age 92. She was a retired educator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earl Eugene \u201cGene\u201d Lang <\/strong>(\u201973) of Springfield, Georgia, was surrounded by loved ones when he passed away Jan. 24, 2020. The U.S. Army veteran served during the Vietnam War and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat. As a civilian, he had a 34-year career with the Effingham County Board of Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jean Stanley Oldag<\/strong> (\u201976) of Blythe Island near Brunswick, Georgia, died Feb. 8, 2020. A teacher for 32 years in several school systems, she retired from the Glynn County School District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Blackston<\/strong> (\u201970,\u201974) of Savannah was surrounded by family when he died Feb. 22, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gordon Gregory Colson<\/strong> (\u201970) died March 17, 2020, at his home in Greensboro, Georgia. He was a partner in a successful accounting and advisory firm in Atlanta before retiring in 2010. He also served in the Air Force Reserves from 1970-76.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Richard \u201cRick\u201d English<\/strong> (\u201971,\u201973) of Forsyth, Georgia, passed away Friday, March 20, 2020. The veteran of the Georgia Army National Guard was a business owner and high school educator for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garey Lambert Simpson Sr.<\/strong> (\u201975) of Savannah died at home April 9, 2020, following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer three weeks prior. The geologist, environmentalist and co-owner of an environmental consulting firm, was a professor of environmental science at Kennesaw State University for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nola LaBudde<\/strong> (\u201971) of Kennesaw, Georgia, passed away April 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 disease. She was a retired elementary school teacher and a founding member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leonard (Len) Shelton Jr.<\/strong> (\u201972) of Atlanta died April 26, 2020. The U. S. Army veteran retired after more than 32 years from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1980s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Janette Pusha Scott <\/strong>(\u201980) of Savannah, died June 9, 2019, in Lanham, Maryland. She was a retired media specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachel Armstrong Curtis<\/strong> (\u201981) of Tucker, Georgia, died Aug. 17, 2019. She was a retired teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lisa Simcox Morin<\/strong> (\u201981) of Ellabell, Georgia, was surrounded by her family when she died Oct. 16, 2019, in Baltimore after a long-term illness. She retired from the Mediation Center of Savannah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret \u201cCricket\u201d Lewis Amason<\/strong> (\u201984) of Statesboro was surrounded by family when she passed away Nov. 14, 2019. She was the wife of Allen Amason, dean of Georgia Southern\u2019s Parker College of Business. The former teacher had a heart for service, and served as a volunteer for church-led mission trips, Meals on Wheels and various community outreach centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marion Rines Stanford<\/strong> (\u201981) of Savannah died Nov. 18, 2019, at the hospital where she worked for many years. She was a registered nurse at Memorial Health University Medical Center for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Harney<\/strong> (\u201982), a television icon in the Savannah community, died at home Nov. 20, 2019, after a short battle with cancer. The longtime employee of WTOC-TV was the station\u2019s creative services director. Last October, he was inducted into the Junior Achievement Savannah Business Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeffery Chezem<\/strong> (\u201989) of Dunwoody, Georgia, passed away Nov. 29, 2019. He had a long career in senior-level sales, and loved movies, music and fly fishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tracy Evans Sauers<\/strong> (\u201980) of Savannah died unexpectedly Dec. 6, 2019. She had a career in international shipping and logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wanda Evans Lloyd<\/strong> (\u201985) of Douglas, Georgia, did not recover from a stroke and died Jan. 2, 2020. She worked in Georgia Southern\u2019s business office from 1973-89, before joining the staff of South Georgia State College where she retired in 2011 as vice president for business affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deborah Johnson<\/strong> (\u201980) of Statesboro died at home Jan. 29, 2020. She was a retired teacher with Bulloch County Schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Betty Jones<\/strong> (\u201988), formerly of the Statesboro area, died Feb. 13, 2020, in Decatur, Georgia. For many years, she taught English and drama at Southeast Bulloch High School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheryl \u201cCherry\u201d Hargrett<\/strong> (\u201987) of Savannah was surrounded by family and friends when she died Feb. 18, 2020. An expert markswoman, she was the first female deputy sheriff in Wayne County, Georgia. She completed her career with the Norfolk Railway police department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas (Trey) Allen Strock III<\/strong> (\u201989,\u201992) of Charleston, South Carolina, died March 18, 2020. He was president of Strock Enterprises Design and Remodel, LLC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conrad Mills<\/strong> (\u201983) of Atlanta passed away April 18, 2020, of complications from diabetes. He taught high school industrial arts for several years before establishing a career in architectural design in the San Francisco Bay area. In later years, he returned to Georgia and focused on the preservation and renovation of historic buildings, including a hotel and a 100-plus year-old general store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1990s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mike Minix<\/strong> (\u201990) of Brunswick, Georgia, died Sept. 20, 2019, at age 59. An avid golfer, he worked for many years as director of marketing for a medical center pharmacy in
his hometown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kenneth Smith<\/strong> (\u201994) of Statesboro lost his life in a home invasion March 27, 2020. He was 49 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Yarbrough<\/strong> (\u201998) of Port St. Joe, Florida, died Oct. 22, 2019, at a hospital in Tallahassee, Florida. The construction company owner grew up in Moultrie, Georgia, and was known for saying, \u201cAll roads lead to Moultrie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mona Herrin Collins<\/strong> (\u201998) of Pooler, Georgia, died Oct. 23, 2019, at age 52. An animal lover and artist, she served as an ER nurse, traveling nurse and worked at the Savannah VA Clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly Stephens<\/strong> (\u201992) died Dec. 15, 2019, at a hospital in Duluth, Georgia. He owned and operated Shane\u2019s Rib Shack for 10 years in Norcross, Georgia, and later opened his own catering business,
in Duluth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd Aldrich<\/strong> (\u201996) of Statesboro died suddenly Dec. 17, 2019. The lifelong resident of Statesboro worked as director of IT Business Services at Georgia Southern University. Over the course of his career, he was the business manager for Tim Durden Construction and a partner in an antique store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Lafortune Jr.<\/strong> (\u201992) of Bellingham, Washington, lost a long battle with cancer Dec. 29, 2019. The former salesman fulfilled a dream of owning a business by becoming a partner in a legal document services company in Orlando, Florida, before selling his portion and working for Michael Business Machines, Inc. in Bellingham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter Moore<\/strong> (\u201998) of Lakeland, Georgia, died Jan.3, 2020, at a hospital in Tallahassee, Florida. He was a high school teacher who participated in mosquito research, sea turtle studies, and water quality testing and education for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Evans<\/strong> (\u201996) of Milan, Georgia, died Jan. 17, 2020. He was a former jeweler in McRae, Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dana Deal Thomas <\/strong>(\u201992,\u201994,\u201905) died Feb. 21, 2020, at her home in Bulloch County, Georgia. She was an educator, counselor and homemaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William Otis Lacefield III<\/strong> (\u201999) of Atlanta passed away March 23, 2020. He was a mathematics professor
at Mercer University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen Candler Pritchett III<\/strong> (\u201991) of Powder Springs, Georgia, passed away unexpectedly March 24, 2020. He worked as a business development manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Paige<\/strong> (\u201994) passed away April 22, 2020, at his home in Statesboro. He worked as a victim\u2019s advocate for a domestic violence shelter, as a CNA at a nursing home, as a trainee caseworker for Rural Home Health Services and as a volunteer for rape crisis advocacy. He was a craftsman and artist who enjoyed carpentry, drawing, sculpting and cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2000s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Johnny Carmack <\/strong>(\u201901) of Brunswick, Georgia, was surrounded by his family when he died July 23, 2019. The 23-year veteran of the U.S. Navy was also a retired educator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Hesling<\/strong> (\u201912) and Brittany Trowell Hesling<\/strong> (\u201911) of St. Marys, Georgia, died Nov. 16, 2019, in an automobile vehicle accident that also claimed the life of their 4-year-old son. Their 6-month-old daughter was the only survivor. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver of another car was heading the wrong way on State Road 24 outside Gainesville, Florida, when it collided head-on with the Hesling family\u2019s car. Chris Hesling was a marketing director at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. Brittany Hesling was a Pre-K teacher at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay Naval Base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aaron Rachels<\/strong> (\u201914) of Augusta, Georgia, passed away Nov. 22, 2019, at an Atlanta hospital. The civil engineering major loved the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Atlanta Braves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles \u201cChuck\u201d Ricks II<\/strong> (\u201911) of Ivey, Georgia, passed away Nov. 27, 2019. The U.S. Air Force veteran served in Operation Desert Storm during the first Gulf War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer Wedincamp Meinhardt<\/strong> (\u201906) of Statesboro died in hospice care Jan. 8, 2020. A wife and mother, she was involved in various breast cancer organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amanda Stevens van der Linden <\/strong>(\u201906) of North Augusta, South Carolina, died Jan. 17, 2020. She was a former member of the equestrian team at Georgia Southern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Coble<\/strong> (\u201918) formerly of St. Simons Island, Georgia, died Feb. 4, 2020. He was employed by C.H. Robinson in Atlanta at the time of his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Leigh Sundem<\/strong> (\u201912), a former member of Georgia Southern\u2019s Center for Addiction Recovery passed away April 14, 2020. She overcame her struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction to graduate with honors and later earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Her family and friends have created a memorial fund in her honor through the Georgia Southern University Foundation, Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eagle Nation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Professor Emeritus James Hood<\/strong> (\u201956) of Statesboro died Feb. 12, 2020, in hospice care. The U.S. Army veteran was an assistant professor of educational psychology and counseling. He retired after 18 years of service to Georgia Southern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Emeritus and Associate Dean Emeritus Fred Page Jr.<\/strong> (\u201971,\u201973,\u201977) passed away peacefully April 8, 2020, after being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2016. He had a 31-year career at Georgia Southern as a professor and associate dean in the College of Education. For 14 years, he coordinated the college\u2019s field experience programs which involved all levels of preservice teaching. He also served as an elected executive board member of the Georgia Accrediting Commission and as a resource for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission on Education. In 1982, Coach Erk Russell asked Page to develop and coordinate a chain crew for Georgia Southern\u2019s home football games. He remained on the chain crew until 2001 and continued hosting game officials until 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Emeritus Osmos Lanier Jr.<\/strong> died April 2, 2020, at home in Savannah. He arrived at Armstrong State College in 1965 and taught history until his retirement in 1997. He returned in 2000 and taught part time for another 15 years. The Lanier Conference Room in Hawes Hall was dedicated in his honor in 2015. The history professor also was recognized on the Armstrong State University Wall of Fame in Burnett Hall. Lanier was an Eagle Scout, a singer, an athlete and a passionate supporter of social justice and
equal rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harriet Kanter Konter<\/strong> died at her Savannah home Oct. 13, 2019, at age 94. She was active in the real estate industry for more than 50 years. Konter served as president of the Savannah Board of Realtors and was the first woman to serve as president of the Georgia Association of Realtors. She was inducted into the Georgia Association of Realtors Hall of Fame in 2012. She served as president of the Armstrong Atlantic State University Alumni Association and received both the Distinguished Citizen Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Armstrong Atlantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Dr. Irving Victor<\/strong> (\u201941) died peacefully after a brief illness Jan. 8, 2020, at age 97, Savannah lost a medical giant. He graduated from Savannah High School in 1939 and from Armstrong Junior College two years later. He earned his medical degree from The Medical College of Georgia and served two years in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Victor completed his residency at hospitals in St. Paul, Minnesota, under the supervision of Dr. Frederic Foley, the famous inventor of the Foley catheter. Upon his return to Savannah, he built a thriving urology practice, and served as chief of staff of St. Joseph\u2019s Hospital, Candler Hospital and Memorial Hospital. One of his biggest accomplishments was creating Emergency Medical Services in Chatham County in 1973. After retiring from his urology practice of 41 years, Victor had a second career as a physician and administrator with St. Joseph\u2019s Hospital and helped organize the merger of St. Joseph\u2019s\/Candler. Active in Savannah\u2019s civic and business communities, he co-founded the restaurant Vic\u2019s on the River. Dr. Victor was chairman of Armstrong State University\u2019s Board of Trustees and president of the Armstrong Alumni Association. He received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Armstrong State University in 2001 and in 2017, Armstrong awarded him with its second-ever Eminent Alumni distinction, which recognizes extraordinary merit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chester Webb<\/strong> (\u201956) of Elberton, Georgia, and a star basketball player for Georgia Southern when it was known as Georgia Teachers College, died Jan. 29, 2020, at age 85. The veteran of the U.S. Army was a well-known coach and educator in Appling And Elbert counties. He was an assistant superintendent in Elbert County. Webb is the Georgia Southern basketball program\u2019s all-time leading scorer with 2,542 career points and rebounding leader (1,685). In his senior year in 1956, Webb scored 883 points, with an average of 30.5 points per game for the best single season scoring in school history. He led the team known as the Professors to the NAIA national tournament his last two seasons. Webb was inducted into the Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame in 1959, and his number 22 was retired in 2010. In 2014, he was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melvin \u201cMel\u201d McBride Jr. <\/strong>(\u201992) passed away June 4, 2020, in Marietta, Georgia. He attended Georgia Southern University to pursue his lifelong dream of playing football for the Eagles under Coach Erk Russell. The middle linebacker was on the 1989 and 1990 NCAA Division I National Championship teams. He had a marketing career in Florida and later established McBride Merchandising. He was an executive at Apollo Retail when he died. He was a member of the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation Board as well as past president and member of the Eagle Football Alumni Association executive board. His passion for football will continue with the establishment of The Mel McBride Scholarship Fund which will be awarded each year to a Georgia Southern football player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1940s Merle Craven Cockfield (\u201948) of Jesup, Georgia, died Jan. 5, 2020. The retired English teacher loved playing bridge, traveling and staying at her second home on St. Simons Island. Sue Breen Waller (\u201944) of Augusta, Georgia, died Jan. 7, 2020, at age 95. In retirement, the elementary school teacher continued to teach by volunteering in adult literacy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":9937,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[64],"class_list":["post-7943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-memoriam","tag-summer-2020"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}