After graduating from ACU, he worked for Phillips Petroleum Company for 40 years. He married Gloria (Grindstaff ’53) in August 1952; she preceded him in death in 1981. Ralph married Karen Davis Oct. 17, 1986. She survives him, as do three sons, Chris, Mark and Dr. Curtis Williams (’07); three stepsons, Mark Davis (’88), Brooks Davis and Clint Davis; a sister, Marilyn (Williams ’59) Nickerson; 15 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Jerry Wood Hill, 82, died Sept. 12, 2011. He was born Oct. 2, 1928, in Sabinal and grew up in Pleasanton. He served in the Air Force from 1946-49. After graduating from ACU, he served as a missionary and evangelist in Latin America for 43 years, much of it in Guatemala. He is survived by his wife, Ann (Roberts ’53) Hill; two daughters, Barbara (Hill ’97) Kirk and Linda (Hill ’77) Barriger; a son, David Hill (’89); six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Mary Emmeline Desper Sutton, 82, died May 8, 2011.
1953 Wesley Charles Reagan, 79, died Feb. 22, 2011. He was born March 27, 1931, and grew up in West Texas and New Mexico. After graduating from ACU, he began his long career as a minister. He served churches throughout the U.S. and in Winnipeg, Canada. Wes is survived by his wife, Linda Harrist Reagan; a brother; a sister; four sons; two daughters; 15 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
1955 James Albert “Jim” Moss, 76, died May 20, 2010. He was born Oct. 5, 1933, in Roswell, N.M., and grew up in Carlsbad. After graduating from ACU, he served in the Army for several years and then worked for the Duval Company in various capacities, and later for Pennzoil. He retired in 1992 after 35 years with the company. Jim is survived by his wife, Lucy (Hawkins ’58) Moss; two sons, Randy (’80) and David Moss (’82); a daughter, Diane (Moss ’88) Johnson; and 12 grandchildren.
and six great-grandchildren. His daughter, Carolyn (McCurdy ’66) Close, preceded him in death.
1962 Fred Willard Patty, 75, died Dec. 21, 2011, in Odessa. He was born Oct. 8, 1936, in George West. He enrolled at ACU in 1958 after serving four years in the Army, and devoted his working life to the oil industry in West Texas and New Mexico. He married Karon Lasater on Feb. 23, 1973. She survives him, as do a son, Sean Patty (’89); a brother, Max Patty; and two grandchildren.
1963 Stanley Reed Baker, 70, died July 26, 2011. He was born July 22, 1941, in Abilene. After earning his J.D. from St. Mary’s University, he practiced law in Dumas for 42 years. He married Charlyn Baer (’68) on April 23, 1966. She survives him, as do a son, Brent Baker (’90); a daughter, Sundaye (Baker ’93) Speed; five grandchildren; and a sister, Donna (Baker ’67) Hooker.
1964 Thomas B. Murray died Oct. 16, 2011, after a brief illness. He played football for four years while attending ACU and was a member of Sub T-16. He is survived by his wife; his mother; a brother, Jack Murray (’68); four children; and other relatives.
1969 Vicki Sharon Maden, 64, died Aug. 4, 2011. She was born Sept. 24, 1946, in Dallas. She worked at the Mexia State School and the Mexia Daily News, and also in her family’s jewelry business, Vic Maden Jewelry. Among survivors are a daughter, Merrianne Maden Hughes; and three grandchildren.
1982
Charles W. “Chuck” Smith, 78, died Dec. 26, 2011. He was born April 6, 1933, in Sweetwater. While attending ACU on a football and track and field scholarship, he met Anne Smith (’57), and the couple married Sept. 30, 1956, when he was a rookie NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers. He went on to serve a 36-year career as a coach, athletics director, teacher and administrator in the San Angelo ISD. Among survivors are his wife, Anne; sons Carl Smith (’80) and Vin Smith (’83); a daughter, Deanne (Smith ’83) Goen; a sister, Carla Sue Phillips (’62); and two grandchildren.
Lisa Ann Ward Cross, 51, died Feb. 16, 2011. She was born Dec. 29, 1959, in Searcy, Ark., and grew up in San Marcos. She earned all-America honors in doubles tennis at ACU, and married Ty Cross (’81) May 23, 1981. She is survived by her husband, Ty; a son; a daughter; and a brother. Sandra “Sandy” Lynn Brown Mack, 51, died Sept. 25, 2011, after a battle with breast cancer. She was born Dec. 31, 1959, in Oklahoma City and grew up working at her family’s bakery. She is survived by her husband, trustee Steve Mack (’82); two sons, Ryan (’05) and Will (’14) Mack; two daughters, Katie (Mack ’09) Browder and Julieanne Mack (’13); a sister, Brenda (Brown ’84) Bailey; two brothers, Michael (’81) and Billy Brown (’84); and other relatives.
1960
1985
Jones Lewis Daugherty, 74, died April 13, 2011, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was born Feb. 5, 1937, in Amarillo. Jones worked in the aircraft industry for many years and served as a deacon at the Midlothian Church of Christ. He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn (Bonner ’62) Daugherty; two sons, Scott (’86) and Michael (’86) Daugherty; a daughter, Lezlee (Daugherty ’90) Tadlock; a sister, Nell (Daugherty ’54) Lucas; seven grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. Thomas Chaney Anderson, 73; died Sept. 30, 2011, in Pasadena. He was born Dec. 25, 1937, in Dallas. He married Jo Jean McGraw (’61) on Aug. 19, 1961. Chaney worked at the University of Houston-Downtown from its inception in 1974 until his retirement in 2005, serving as vice president for adminstation and finance, and CFO. He also was an elder in his church for 25 years. Anderson was preceded in death by a son, Jay Anderson (’82). He is survived by his wife and a son, Jeff Anderson.
Susan Annette Lovell, 48, died June 25, 2011, in Overland Park, Kan. She was born Dec. 29, 1964, in Greenville. She taught reading and drama in Shepherd and Bridgeport and was a school librarian in Missouri. For the past 18 years, she served in the drama ministry and as a minister’s assistant at the Overland Park Church of Christ. She is survived by her parents, Sam and Kay (’55) Lovell; a sister, Mindy (Lovell ’82) Lisa; and other relatives.
1956
1961 J.C. McCurdy, 94, died Oct. 21, 2011. He was born July 15, 1917, in Greer County, Okla. He attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma State University before earning his master’s degree at ACU. He taught at public schools and at ACU, served as a volunteer fireman, and ran a CPA practice in Abilene for more than 40 years. He married Arlyene Stout Dec. 27, 1939. She survives him, as do a daughter, Janey (McCurdy ’64) Mims; a sister; three grandchildren;
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1986 Dale Leighroy “Scooter” Phillips Jr., 48, died in a plane crash Feb. 20, 2012, near Albany. He was born March 3, 1963, in Midwest City, Okla. He completed post-graduate studies in physical therapy at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Phillips owned and operated Rebound Sports and Physical Therapy for more than 17 years in Abilene, and also opened Steps 2 Strides, a provider of rehabilitation services for special-needs children. He served on the board of Enterprise Investments, Inc., and Old Surety Life Insurance Company. During his senior season of 1985, Phillips set the ACU single-game record for touchdown receptions with four against the University of Northern Colorado. Among survivors are a son, Brendan; a daughter, Grace Ann; and their mother, Linda Phillips (’86); his father, Dale Phillips Sr.; his mother, Karen Phillips; two sisters, Mary Kay Hixson and Darsi (Phillips ’86) Graham; and a grandmother, Mahala Brown.
2006 Sunday Ibok, 32, died Sept. 29, 2011, after suffering
a brain aneurysm four days earlier. He was a graduate of ACU’s theatre program, taking part in “Seussical,” “Jekyll and Hyde” and the Centennial Pops Concert. Ibok worked in New York City as an actor and a fashion consultant and was an integral part of Trinity Grace Church.
2014 Samantha Machel Bahl, 21, died Nov. 23, 2011, in Grandville, Mich., after a two-year battle with cancer. She was born April 13, 1990, in Big Rapids, Mich. Among survivors are her parents, Franklin (’11) and Jacklyn (Johnson ’07) Hughes, and Jchon Sr. and Wendy Bahl; and five brothers, Jchon II (’10), Isaac, Langston, Dalton and Noah; and a boyfriend, Joshua Ruiz (’12).
OTHER FRIENDS Dale Blackburn Higginbotham, 58, died Sept. 24, 2011, in Abilene. He was born Feb. 24, 1953, in Dallas and married Doreta Sooter May 15, 1982, in Abilene. A former co-owner of Arrow Ford, Higginbotham owned and operated Lueders Limestone Quarry, which provided the stone for the Jacob’s Dream sculpture site at ACU. The quarry also provided stone for the trailheads, benches and markers along the Lunsford Foundation Trail, and the rock around Faubus Fountain Lake. Higginbotham was a former trustee of Abilene Christian Schools and a member of the Taekwondo Olympic Committee who served two years as a referee at the Taekwondo World Games in Seoul, Korea. He was a deacon at First Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his wife, Doreta; two daughters, Brittany (’08) and Tiffany (’11) Higginbotham; and two brothers, Seaton and Vincent Higginbotham. Willie “Ruth” Blasingame, 81, died Feb. 3, 2012, in Abilene. Born Jan. 18, 1931, in Lubbock County, she married Ross D. Blasingame (’58). Ross and Ruth helped begin the deaf ministry at South 11th and Willis Church of Christ in 1971. Among survivors are her husband of 64 years, Ross, a former longtime maintenance supervisor at ACU; three sons, Raymond Blasingame (’71), Thomas Blasingame (’77) and Guy Blasingame (’79); two daughters, Belinda (Blasingame ’77) Clare and Marilyn (Blasingame ’84) Lewis; a brother, Cecil Armstrong; 11 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren. James B. Rives Jr., 77, died Dec. 13, 2011, in Abilene. Born April 19, 1934, in San Antonio, he graduated in 1956 from The University of Texas in Austin with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering. Rives married Barbara Anna Sunderland on Dec. 17, 1966. He had a 38-year career with DuPont, and was a longtime church elder and civic leader. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Sunderland Rives; two daughters, Elizabeth (Rives ’92) Colwell and Marcia (Rives ’93) Straughn, ACU adjunct flute instructor; and five grandchildren. An endowed scholarship in his name has been established in the new Department of Engineering and Physics at ACU. Dr. Thomas K. Kim, 83, died March 12, 2012, in Abilene. The longest-tenured president of McMurry University (1970-93), he later served ACU as economist-in-residence and adjunct visiting professor of economics in the College of Business Administration. He was a frequent featured speaker at the Economic Outlook Conferences sponsored in part by COBA. Kim was born to Korean parents in 1929 in Shanghai, China, who spent much of his early life fleeing the colonial Japanese army. After World War II, he worked as a translator for the U.S. military in South Korea. Kim earned a B.A. degree and an honorary doctorate from Berea (Ky.) College, an M.B.A. from Indiana University and a doctorate from Tulane University. He was named 1986 Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, and helped found the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas. Kim taught economics at Berea, Tulane, the University of Akron, and Texas Tech University. He is survived by his wife, Martha; a son, Larry; a daughter, Cathy Fowlkes; brothers Lawrence Kim and Kenneth Kim; a sister, Pearl Wittig; and six grandchildren.