OBITUARIES
Moorestown, N.J., where she taught English from 1952–55. In India, she was on the teaching faculties of the Eastern Theological College and the School of Nursing of the Jorhat Christian Medical Centre, teaching English and psychology. She was editor of The [Assam] Baptist Leader and edited the 125th anniversary publication of the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India. From 1984–96, she was director of communications at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Rochester, N.Y.; and from 1996–98, she served as assistant to the president for institutional research. Sally wrote and spoke in support of racial and economic equality, demonstrated for peace and against the death penalty, was active in interdenominational and interfaith dialogue, tutored refugees and was active in children's reading programs. She was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Church Women United Valiant Woman Award; the Justicia-Community Activism Award from the Judicial Process Commission of Rochester (2010); with Jean Bartlett, the Helen Barrett Montgomery Women of Vision Award (2001); and, with Kenneth, the Franklin College Distinguished Alumni Award (1962) and the Howard Moody Award of the Coalition for Baptist Principles of American Baptist Churches, USA. She received an honorary doctorate from Franklin College in 2005 and the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015. She was a donormember of the Franklin College President’s Club. Survivors include her spouse, three children and five grandchildren. She resided in Rochester, N.Y.
completed her undergraduate education at Indiana University. She became an elementary school teacher and taught for more than 20 years in Indianapolis’ Perry Township. She was preceded in death by her spouse of 64 years, Harry. Survivors include two children, five grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren. She resided in Osprey, Fla.
Patricia J. (Judkins) Montel ’51 died Feb. 19, 2017. She attended Franklin College and was a member of Tri Delta sorority but
Franklin Hiday ’58 died Feb. 23, 2017. He majored in biology, played basketball and participated in Phi Delta Theta fraternity at
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Lee E. Jurras ’56 died April 24, 2017, after battling cancer. He played football and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Franklin. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marines. His Involvement ln the shooting sports while growing up, then in military firearms training and through participation in target pistol competition significantly shaped his life. After trying a variety of professions, he started a business, Super Vel Cartridge Corp., through which he developed high-performance handgun ammunition for police officers, hunters and others. After the sale of Super Vel, he partnered with the makers of Auto Mag and designed and assembled his own custom version of their gun. He later also designed a pistol for Thompson Center Contender. His gun designs are prized by collectors. He was preceded in death by his spouse of 60 years, Alecia, and their grandchild Jacob Manning. Survivors include two children, three grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. During his last hours he was attended by good friend Mike Hatfield and loving caregiver Llsele (Bockes) ’56; she and Lee met at Franklin College and remained lifelong friends. He resided in Columbus, Ind.
Franklin College. He became a donor-member of the college’s Blue and Gold Club. He earned master's degrees from Michigan State University and Indiana University. He taught high school in Whiteland and Richmond, Ind., prior to relocating to Michigan, where he taught at Albion High School for 31 years prior to retiring in 1996. At different periods, he also was the athletic director and the assistant principal. His career included serving as the school’s head boys’ basketball coach for eight years and helping start the girls' basketball program. He also coached girls’ track. Survivors include his spouse, Milli, two children, six grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. He resided in Albion, Mich.
The ’60s Don Paul Hicks Sr. ’60 died May 21, 2017, with his three sons by his side. He began at Franklin College as a music major. He was a jazz fan and often quipped he wanted to become the next Frank Sinatra. After his freshman year of college, he joined the U.S. Army, serving during the Korean War. As a military police officer, he would often ferry soldiers in a Jeep to the front line. Upon receiving his honorable discharge, he resumed studies at Franklin College as a journalism and history major. He also was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Early in his journalism career, he worked for The Plainfield Messenger newspaper and then was recruited to establish a weekly newspaper in Port Charlotte, Fla. After that, he served as an editor in Colorado, then took the helm as publisher of two merged newspapers, the Charlotte News Herald, owned by Thomson Newspapers. From there, he grew a long career with Thomson, which would purchase small community papers and
overhaul them into sustainable business models. At the time of Hicks’ retirement in 1992, he was senior vice-president and chief operating officer; he oversaw all U.S. operations for the largest holder of small-town papers in the country. During retirement, he was an active community volunteer, serving as the fundraising chair on the board of governors for the Charlotte County (Fla.) YMCA and on the board of Hospice of Southwest Florida for several years. He was preceded in death by his spouse of 52 years, Carol. Survivors include three children and seven grandchildren. He resided in Punta Gorda, Fla., where he generously hosted many Franklin College alumni events during his lifetime. He was a donor-member of the college’s President’s Club. Four generations and 14 members of Hicks’ family have graduated from Franklin College, dating back to his great-great-grandfather in 1850 to his son, Damon ’96. Michael E. Alexander ’62 died May 19, 2017. He was a cofounder of the Indiana Collegiate Press Association as a student at Franklin College in 1959 and made a career in communications after he graduated. He was editor of The Star-Register Newspapers in the 1970’s and also held positions over the years with various Indiana newspapers, including the Indianapolis News, The Herald-Bulletin (Anderson) and The Muncie Star. His career also included serving as public relations director in 1982 for the National American Legion. He also served in public relations positions across Indiana, including at Ameritech in Indianapolis, Northern Indiana Public Service Corp. in Hammond, Monroe County Community Schools in Bloomington, School City of Hammond and Muncie Public Schools. Most recently, he had
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