IN MEMORIAM 1932 Darwin “Troy” Crockett Sr., 101, died Feb. 12, 2012 in Lampasas. He was born Sept. 10, 1910, in Callahan County and married Maxine Ford June 1, 1935. He is survived by two sons, D.T. Crockett Jr. (’58) and Larry Crockett; 11 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.
1934 Earle Robert Brown died Dec. 22, 1999, in Longview. He is survived by a son, Robert Brown (’60).
1940 Roland Johnson, 99, died July 29, 2012, in Abilene. He was born Oct. 15, 1912, in Laredo and graduated from Arlington High School. He served in the Cavalry and the Army for 24 years, attaining the rank of major. After retiring from the military, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in religious education from ACU. He preached for Churches of Christ in Kansas and Texas, and worked for the Christian Service Center in Abilene. Roland is survived by four daughters, Myrna (Johnson ’59) Johnson, Shirley (Johnson ’67) Evans, Teresa (Johnson ’78) Terry and Pamela Johnson (’82); two sons, Philip Johnson (’64) and Michael Johnson (’93); 12 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
1941 Elmer Womack, 97, died April 30, 2012, in Killeen. He was born May 12, 1914, in Ratcliff. He ran track at ACU and married Ardis Sprott before serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He taught world history and physical education, and coached tumbling at Killeen High School. His wife preceded him in death. He is survived by two daughters, Bennie (Womack ’64) Manis and Rebecca (Womack ’67) Wilks; a son, Mack Womack (’78); five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
1943 Dr. James Franklin Cox Jr., 90, died June 4, 2012, in Tyler. He was born Nov. 6, 1921 in Abilene. He served in the Navy and earned his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He contracted polio from a patient, but recovered and practiced medicine for 54 years. Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Ruth (Pettigrew ’44); two daughters, Phyllis (Cox ’69) Crawford and Donna (Cox ’70) Mullins; two sons, James Cox III and Russell Cox; 13 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
1947 Bert Laviel Powell Jr., 89, died Jan. 18, 2012. He was born Sept. 14, 1922, in Sinton, Texas, and grew up in Freeport. He earned a B.S. in chemistry from ACU and a master’s degree in public health from The University of Texas at Austin. He served as a medic in the Army Air Force during World War II and later worked for the Texas Department of Health. Powell was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jane (Poe) Powell, and is survived by a daughter, Dena (Powell ’64) Moore; three sons, Bert Powell III (’67), Richard Powell (’70) and Stephen Powell (’75); three brothers, Maurice Powell (’49), Kenneth Powell (’51) and Foy Powell; 16 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
1948 Cecil “Milton” McWhorter, 89, died April 18, 2012. He was born May 19, 1922, in Westover and graduated from Olney High School. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ACU, and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He worked as a teacher and school counselor. Milton is survived by his wife, Geneva (Marshall ’41) McWhorter; two sons; and two grandsons.
1950 Dr. Norman Cecil Whitehorn, 85, died Feb. 22, 2012, in Houston. He was born Nov. 19, 1926, in Myrtle, Miss. He served in the Army during World War II and later attended Freed-Hardeman University and ACU. He earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M University. He
worked for Shell Pipeline Corp. for 14 years and at Texas A&M for 27 years, retiring as associate professor emeritus. He is survived by his wife, Darlene (Emberlin ’51) Whitehorn; two sons; two brothers, Wallace Whitehorn (’50) and George Whitehorn; three sisters; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Johnny J. Johnston, 83, died Sept. 5, 2012, in San Antonio. He was born Dec. 23, 1928, in Farmersville. He played football in 1948 for the Wildcats. He entered the Army in 1952 and retired in 1988 as commander of the Second Army. He also served as a tactical training advisor to the South Vietnamese Army. In 1984, he was the leader of an American military training delegation to China, the first such group invited by that nation since it began normal relations with the U.S. in 1979. He was the author of Nec Aspera Terrent: No Fear on Earth, the story of the 27th Infantry Division. Johnston also was an elder for the Sunset Ridge Church of Christ in San Antonio. Among survivors are his wife, Beverly (Hale ’51); a son, Greg Johnston (’77); a daughter, Katherine Pittman; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
1953 Melvin Lee Atwood, 83, died Jan. 18, 2012. He was born July 15, 1928, in Graham, Texas. He married Marie Hunter (’54) in March 1953. They lived in Carlsbad, N.M., and Colorado Springs, Colo. He worked as an upholsterer and insurance broker. Melvin is survived by his wife, Marie; five daughters, Rebecca (Atwood ’81) Craddock, Teresa Dodd, Angela (Atwood ’84) Owen, Cynthia Black and Nancy (Atwood ’90) Hawkins; two sisters; 16 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
1954 Arthur “Dean” Morgan, 79, died June 29, 2012. He was born Oct. 30, 1932, in Liberal, Kan., and grew up in Perryton, Texas. He married Beverly Hale (’54) in 1953 and later served in the Army. He taught Bible courses at ACU, Western Texas College in Snyder and Amarillo College. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; a son, Derryl Morgan; two daughters, D’Lynn (Morgan ’81) St. John and Deneane Morgan (’83); two sisters; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
1956 Dr. Roy Bowen Ward Jr., 77, died May 20, 2012, in Oxford, Ohio. He was born Oct. 10, 1934, in Jacksonville, Fla. After graduating from ACU, Roy received S.T.B. and Th.D. degrees from Harvard Divinity School. He was a professor of religion at Miami University in Ohio from 1964-2007. He published scholarly papers and participated in many community organizations throughout his career. Ward is survived by three sons; a daughter; and nine grandchildren.
1957 James Henry Nixon, 81, died April 3, 2012, in Temple. He was born April 19, 1930, in Llano County, Texas, and served in the Navy during the Korean War. He worked at the Texas State Comptroller’s office, and also taught World Bible School for more than 20 years. He is survived by his wife, Shirley Nixon; a daughter; a stepdaughter; a son; a stepson; two sisters, Nina Moore and Marjorie (Nixon ’59) Farrar; two grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Ted Travis Stewart, 77, died Feb. 22, 2012. He was born May 28, 1934, in Albuquerque, N.M., and earned his B.A. and M.A. from ACU. He married Dorothy “Dot” McAfee (’59) May 28, 1957. He was active in debate and student government and played basketball at ACU. After graduation, he and Dot served as missionaries in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for 13 years. Ted then served as minister of Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene and taught at ACU. From 1976-94, he taught at the Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock. Ted is survived by his wife, Dot; a son, Kevin Stewart (’81); a daughter, Trina (Stewart ’88) Muehring; and a brother, Robert Stewart (’59).
Winston Hamby, 76, died Feb, 25, 2012, in Benton, Ark. He was born Oct. 21, 1935, in Port Arthur. He married Mardell Bittick in 1963. He worked in public accounting and banking before becoming one of the first youth ministers in the Church of Christ. He served several churches in New Mexico and Texas, and volunteered at ACU Leadership Camps. Winston is survived by his wife, Mardell; a son, Brian Hamby (’89); a daughter, Deana (Hamby ’93) Nall; a sister, Ann (Hamby ’52) King; and two granddaughters.
1958 Robert “Bob” Leslie Hays, 76, died April 30, 2011, in Fort Worth. He was born Nov. 20, 1934, in Clyde. He served two years in the Army and married Pamela Sue Wrinkle March 18, 1960. She survives him, as do two sons, Robert Hays II and Terry Hays; a daughter, Kimberly (Hayes ’86) Easdon; a brother, Keelon Hays (’60); two sisters, Peggy (Hays ’55) Norris and Ann Prather; and three grandchildren.
1960 Ima Nadine Chambers Ferguson died Dec. 13, 2011, in Jacksonville, Fla. She was born in Albany, Texas. Ima is survived by her husband, Jon Ferguson; two daughters; a son; two sisters; and three grandchildren. Gary Max McKeel, 73, died Jan. 19, 2012. He was born July 30, 1938, in Ada, Okla., and married Mary Vaughn Aug. 15, 1959. She survives him, as do two sons; a daughter; and four grandchildren.
1961 Dr. Kenneth Sherron Brown, 70, died July 22, 2009, in Kilgore. He was born June 9, 1939, in Wichita Falls. He taught business and mathematics courses at several universities, community colleges and high schools, most recently Kilgore High School. He is survived by his wife, Brenda Brown; two sons; a daughter, Shera (Brown ’02) McNeely; a brother, Robert Brown (’60); and eight grandchildren.
1962 Dr. Richard H. “Dick” Mathews, 72, died May 14, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Clovis Terry Mathews (’63); a son, David Mathews (’94); a brother, William Mathews (’65); and other relatives.
1963 Donald “Don” Foster Goodwin, 70, died Aug. 4, 2011, in Conroe. He was born Oct. 1, 1940, in Fort Worth. Goodwin played baseball at ACU and participated in annual alumni baseball games in the 1990s. He served as a minister in the Church of Christ for 28 years, continuing to teach, speak and serve as an elder after his retirement. Among survivors are his wife, Peggy (White) Goodwin; a daughter, Tamaria (Goodwin ’88) Tuttle; and three grandchildren.
1965 Gwendolyn Ruth Brown died June 8, 1998, of complications from breast cancer. She is survived by a brother, Robert Brown (’60).
1966 Marinell (Mason) Watts, 67, died May 14, 2012, in Abilene. She was born Aug. 14, 1944, in Beeville, Texas. She married James Watts (’66) May 28, 1965. She earned a bachelor’s degree from ACU and a master’s degree in education from Southern Methodist University, and taught school for 27 years in Texas. She is survived by her husband, James; a son, Dr. Paul Watts (’93); two daughters, Heather (Watts ’99) Tidmore and Holly (Watts ’01) Grant; and eight grandchildren.
1970 William Gaston Welborn Jr., J.D., 64, died May 12, 2012, of complications from ALS. He was born Jan. 30, 1948, in Munday and earned his B.S. from ACU, where he won the state championship in debate two consecutive AC U TO D AY
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