Alumni 1939
James M. (Jim) Brown was honored by the city of Irving, Texas, in March 2013. The ceremony at City Hall included a presentation of the Bronze Star Medal for Brown’s World War II service that included landing at Utah Beach on D-Day. During an artillery barrage in the Saar River Valley on Dec. 11, 1944, he lost his left arm and two fingers on his right hand. After medical treatment, Brown quietly returned home, vowing “to do the best that I can to go on with my life.” Now 95 years old and still quite active, Brown was described by his wife, Ruth: “He is my hero and was all the way from Day One.”
1949
It was nice to hear from Guy F. Fain Jr. He is living at White Oak Estates assisted living in Spartanburg. We send our best wishes to this retired executive and World War II veteran.
1950
Our condolences to the Rev. Robert G. Strother on the death of his wife, Betty Roper Strother, who died on March 13, 2013. They had been married for nearly 62 years. Mrs. Strother took a number of graduate courses at Wofford during her 23-year teaching career. She was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church in Spartanburg.
1951
Col. (Ret.) Bob Burgess and his wife, Margaret, live in Melbourne, Fla.
1959
Attorney Wallace Sink is commissioner of accounts for the Circuit Court of the City of Hampton, Va. Sink lives with his wife, Betty, in Newport News, Va.
1963
Larry Dent and his wife, Florence, live in Moore, S.C. Dent is owner of Piedmont Photography and Video.
1965
Mac Dillard lives in Pawleys Island, S.C. He has three daughters and eight grandchildren. Thomas F. McDow and his wife, Lucy, live in Rock Hill, S.C. McDow is owner of the Law Office of Thomas F. McDow. Dan Montgomery and his wife, Kiyoko, live in Japan. Montgomery is a retired educator.
1967
Reunion Chairs, Stewart Johnson and Donnie McDonald Roland Jones is a career path consultant at Charleston School of Law. He lives with his wife, Charlene, in Charleston, S.C. Richard Unger, a partner at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, has been elected to the Charleston County Bar Association’s Executive Committee. Unger is one of 10 Charleston-based lawyers who are members of the committee, which serves as the governing body of the Charleston County Bar. He and his wife, Katherine, live in Edisto Island, S.C.
1969
Class Chair, Richard L. Myers Joe Bullington and his wife, Georgia, live in Duncan, S.C. Bullington is a retired project manager in Spartanburg School District 2. Jimmy Jacobs and his wife, Deborah, live in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Jacobs is a retired executive from Computer Sciences Corp. John Lunday recently retired as president of Architectural Specialty & Consultants. He lives with his wife, Kathleen, in Naples, Fla. Buddy Seay and his wife, Benni, live in Pauline, S.C. Seay is retired from the Army.
Clair Walizer, a retired executive for Spiegel Brands, and his wife, Carol, live in Poquoson, Va. The couple has two adult children.
1971
Class Chair, Kenneth E. Smith Capt. (Ret.) Jan Shekitka and his wife, Amelia, live in Tallahassee, Fla.
1972
Class Chair, Allen S. Guignard Vic Spigener is director of college guidance at Brookwood School, working with seniors and parents in the college application process. He lives with his family in Thomasville, Ga.
1973
George Hodges, former transportation manager for the Davidson County Transportation Department, received North Carolina’s top state citizen award, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, on Feb. 22, 2013. He worked for the department for 25 years, retiring at the end of 2012. Hodges lives with his wife, Wanda, in Greensboro, N.C.
1975
Class Chair, John O. Moore The Rev. Bill Greeley is therapist, chaplain and director of the family care center at York Place, an Episcopal Church home for children in South Carolina. Greeley earned a master’s degree in counseling/psychology in 2011 from Prescott College.
1976
Class Chair, John W. Gandy Buddy Corn has joined Roebuck Buildings
Co. Inc. as a project manager. He and his wife, Susan, live in Inman, S.C.
1977
Dennis Tate and his wife, Pamela, live in Gaffney, S.C. Tate is self-employed in the real estate/construction business.
1979
Class Chair, Wade E. Ballard Turner Padget Graham & Laney P.A. have announced that John E. Cuttino has been inducted into membership of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Membership is by invitation only, and fewer than 7,000 trial attorneys nationwide hold membership in the organization. Cuttino and his wife, Sarah, live in Columbia, S.C.
1980
Class Chair, Paul D. Kountz Jr. Reece Wrenn has joined South Carolina Bank and Trust as vice president and loan officer. Previously, he was with Wachovia Mortgage. Wrenn and his wife, Judy, live in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
1981
Class Chair, G. Patrick Watson Henry Orvin is senior vice president of national accounts at Allianz Global Investors. He lives with his family in Chicago, Ill.
1983
Class Chair, W. Scott Gantt A sales representative at Western & Southern Life Insurance, Shannon Tyler lives with his family in Gaffney, S.C.
1984
Class Chair, Kenneth M. Kirkpatrick Mike Fisher and his wife, Erin, live in Columbia, S.C. Fisher is the chief financial officer at Consolidated Systems Inc. Carolina Alliance Bank announced on May 6, 2013, that Steve Rush will be its new senior vice president and commercial lender. Rush has 29 years of bank experience and also is co-founder of the East Side Rotary Club and Palmetto Men’s club, as well as a board member of the Wofford Terrier Club, Junior Achievement and the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Board. He and his wife, Elena, live in Spartanburg. Allyson Smith is the senior product manager at Interactive Data Corp. She lives in Marblehead, Mass. Tim Walter is a real estate agent at Carolina One. He lives in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
1986
Class Chair, Brand R. Stille Steve McCarter works in sales and marketing for Argo Cement. He and his wife, Gwen, live in Roswell, Ga. The couple has two children. Rhonda Watt Tobias is vice president of finance at Pulliam Investments Co. Inc. She and her husband, Dean Tobias, live in Spartanburg. They have three children. Beverly Wilkerson, a teacher for Polk County Schools, lives in Columbus, N.C.
1987
Timothy Powers and his wife, Stephanie, live in Inman, S.C. Powers is a vice president at Regions Bank.
What’s so special about Wofford College?
T
here is a mystique about the phrase “The Wofford Way.” I have had the question asked of me many times: What is so special about Wofford College? Let me explain. There was once a hillbilly from the mountains of Virginia. He was an athlete and dated a good-looking cheerleader, and they eventually married. Wofford recruited this youngster from the mountains, and he agreed to matriculate and play football. This was the beginning of a love story with Wofford that has never faltered or changed. The young man learned that there were no shortcuts to academic success. One must work diligently, but with the understanding that one can ask for and receive help from professors as well as other students. He developed relationships that still exist today — rock solid relationships. The young man learned that athletics were secondary to academics, and that labs and chapel were not to be missed (Coaches Snidow and Brakefield). This strong push of academics first is still a part of athletic life at Wofford. The young man learned that fire extinguishers were not to be played with (Dean Frank Logan ’41); in fact, he had to stay at Dean Logan’s home to study for his history exam, which happened to be given by Dean Logan. This was part of the tough love that some students had to learn. (Dean Logan eventually gave the young man a job running a dormitory and told him he had to send money home to his wife every month.) The young man began to develop an understanding of how important the diversity of a liberal arts education is and how it affects one’s life. He began to appreciate the Glee Club concerts, Ebenezer Scrooge (Dr. Norton) in chapel at Christmas, poetry (Dr. Green), religion (Dr. Bullard), and reading quality books (Dr. Secondi). All of these helped to broaden and enlighten the life of the young man. The young man learned that civic responsibility is a part of a successful life. There were mentors from the faculty who modeled for all students. There were students who were constantly involved in activities on campus and in the Spartanburg community. These persons helped others have a better lifestyle, and they were involved with others in order to teach them civic responsibility. The youngster learned from Wofford what it really means to be a man. He learned that loyalty, respect, integrity, responsibility and courage are the bedrocks of success. He learned that, when bad times come, you stand up and face them. He learned that you are your brother’s keeper (Dr. Leonard). The final lesson learned was no matter who you are, where you came from, what your socio-economic status, the “Wofford Way” would enable you to compete and be effective no matter what path you chose (Dr. Scheerer). My relationships with God, Wofford College and my wife have been the reasons for any success that I have had in my life. Wofford College is so very special. Visit the campus, see the folks, and you won’t want to leave. It’s that special. Is there any other way?
16 • Wofford Today • SUMMER 2013
“The Hillbilly,” Todd Heldreth ’65
1988
Class Chair, C. Lane Glaze Daphne Reeves Strong Wagner and her husband, Gray, live in Sherrills Ford, N.C. Wagner is owner and sales manager of Mrs. W’s Old Time Candy Inc. The firm has multiple locations in the Carolinas. The couple has three children.
1989
Class Chair, Michael R. Sullivan Jason Hill has been promoted to logistics supervisor at RR Donnelly in Spartanburg. He previously worked in the firm’s human resources department. Hill and his wife, Dr. Jameica Hill ’88, Wofford professor of chemistry and department chair, live in Spartanburg. The couple has two children. Philip Merry won a seat on the Aiken City Council on March 13, 2013. He works for the insurance firm Hutson-Etherredge. Merry also has served 10 years on the Aiken Design Review Board, six of those as chairman. He and his wife have two children. Laticrete International and Six Sigma Academy have announced that Ron Munnerlyn has completed the requirements for certification as a “Six Sigma Gold Belt.” Six Sigma is an internationally recognized problem solving methodology that helps enhance business operations. Munnerlyn, director of manufacturing at Laticrete, has responsibility for the company’s seven U.S. facilities. He lives in Bennettsville, S.C.
1990
Class Chair, Scott W. Cashion Ingrid Hutto Palmquist and her husband, Mark, live in Frederick, Md. The couple has two children, Cayden and Skyler. Palmquist is a self-employed attorney. Dr. Charlie Scordilis-Kelley is director of analytical chemistry at Sion Power. He and his wife, Tracy, live in Tucson, Ariz.
1991
Class Chair, Leslee Houck Page Rodl Langford de Kock LLP has announced the promotion of Stephen Shaughnessy to partner of the firm. He has been with the firm since 2006 and will continue to manage the Greenville office’s tax compliance and consulting services. Shaughnessy and his wife, Faye Martin Shaughnessy ’89, live in Greenville, S.C. They have two children. Leanne Bell Sheffield and her husband, Cary, live in Powder Springs, Ga. Sheffield is an accountant at Tortilleria El Maizal Inc. The couple has one daughter, Courtney.
1992
Class Chair, Nicholle P. Chunn Dr. Chris Hall, senior pastor of Clearview Baptist Church in Travelers Rest, S.C., was profiled in the March 13, 2013, issue of the Greenville News. He has served the church since 2004. Hall and his wife, Lisa, live in Greenville, S.C. They have three children. Lynn Hannah Watson has joined SynTerra Corp. as a senior environmental scientist. The firm specializes in environmental studies, design, transportation/civil, and management for industry, government and commercial clients. Watson and her husband, Daniel, live in Simpsonville, S.C. They have two children.
1993
Class Chair, Sarah C. Sawicki Jules Savko Bryant was honored on April 24, 2013, when the Leadership Spartanburg Alumni Association (LSAA) awarded her the 2013 LSAA Champion Award. She was recognized for giving significant time, energy and service to LSAA. Bryant designated her gift of a $250 donation go to the Children’s Advocacy Center.