alumnotes
BirTHs
*pictures listed top to bottom left to right
2000 – 2010
David Adam ’00 and Jennifer E. Kelly* ’11/’12, Jacksonville, Ala., announce the birth of their daughter, Joy Elizabeth, October 2, 2012.
Michael Shane ’05 and Brandy Nicole Hammett Morrow ’05, Piedmont, Ala., welcomed the birth of their daughter, Mayley Shayne, July 19, 2012. The Morrows also have a son, Mason.
Thereasa Marie Baird Willis* ’06 and her husband Nathan, Gadsden, Ala., announce the birth of their first child, Luke Ray, July 27, 2007. Mrs. Willis was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi.
Dustin Mobley ’09 and his wife Dana, Piedmont, Ala., welcomed the birth of their daughter, Macie Paige, Feb. 13, 2012.
WeDDinGs
2000-2012
Tom Lacy Tolley ’02 and Anna Marie Ricks, August 4, 2012, Sylacauga, Ala. Mr. Tolley is employed by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts for the State of Alabama.
Brooke Lynn Bell* ’03/’09 and David Lyon, May 19, 2012. Mrs. Lyon was a JSU Ambassador, former Resident Assistant and member of Phi Mu. She is employed by JSU as Assistant Director of Student Development and Educational Programming, University Housing and Residence Life.
Kathryn Elisabeth Condit ’08 and Matthew Donald Brown, September 22, 2012. Mrs. Brown graduated summa cum laude from JSU. She has been employed by MDA Professional Group, P.C. as a certified public accountant since 2008.
Aubrey Ford Cowan ’04/’09 and Heather Marie Reaves, October 13, 2012. Mr. Cowan is pursuing his education specialist degree at JSU and is employed by The Learning Tree.
Jordan Leah Fowler ’05 and Michael Chad Humphries, May 19, 2012, Ft. Payne, Ala. Mrs. Humphries is employed by the Etowah County Board of Education and is pursuing a psychometry degree at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.
Brittany Shay Heath ’06 and Jeremy Phillip Cruse, June 2, 2012, Key West, Fla. Mrs. Cruse is employed by ABS Business Systems, Anniston, Ala.
Tara Lorai Herren ’07 and Lewis Alexander Payne, March 31, 2012, Anniston, Ala. Mrs. Payne is employed by Trinity Christian Academy and In His Steps Studio and Dance Arts.
Casey Leah Sandel ’07 and Kenneth William MacAllister, March 13, 2012. Mrs. MacAllister was a member of Delta Zeta and is employed by the Hampton Inn of Jacksonville, Ala., as general manager.
Will Ginn ’08/’10 and Maggie Nunnelly, March 24, 2012 at Janney Park. Mr. Ginn played basketball for JSU and is employed by the Calhoun County Board of Education at Alexandria High School.
Stacy June Hansen ’07 and Frederick Eugene Schroder III, August 18, 2012, Cedar Mountain, N.C. Mrs. Schroder was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. She is employed by Bon Secours St. Francis Health System as a registered nurse. They reside in Greenville, S.C.
Amanda Elizabeth Adcock ’09 and Brenton William Young ’09, August 11, 2012, Oxford, Ala. Mrs. Young is also a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law and will enter law practice. She was a member of Delta Zeta and was a JSU Ambassador. Mr. Young is employed by Grizzard Living Aids.
John Paul Madrigal ’09 and Courtney Brooke Hammett ’10, September 22, 2012, JSU Alumni House. Mrs. Madrigal is employed by the Calhoun County Board of Education. Mr. Madrigal is employed by the Jefferson County Board of Education.
Christopher Duke ’10 and Kristen Stinson ’10, August 18, 2012, JSU Alumni House. Mrs. Duke is employed by First Educators Credit Union. Mr. Duke played tennis for JSU.
Deborah Ann Gagnon ’10 and Dr. Christopher Alan Murdock. Dr. Murdock is an associate professor of biology at JSU.
Jennifer Leighann Noah ’10 and Christopher David Bright, May 5, 2012, Gadsden, Ala. Mrs. Bright is employed by Gadsden State Community College.
Lindy Baird ’11 and Alan Mange, March 24, 2012, Gadsden, Ala.
oBiTuaries
(Unless otherwise noted, the following information was taken from newspaper obituary notices)
jSu FaculTy/STaFF
James H.D. “Don” Allen, March 12, 2012, Gadsden, Ala. Mr. Allen taught computer science at JSU between 1983 and 1994.
Elmer Lee Chaney, March 4, 2012, Concord, N.C. Mr. Chaney had been a professor of psychology at JSU for over forty years. He had a great passion for music and was a collector of keyed musical instruments --- some dating as far back as the 1830s. Four of these instruments will be donated to the Smithsonian Institution. While living in Alabama, he gave many organ concerts throughout the South.
John Thomas “Tommy” Hulsey, July 24, 2012, Jacksonville, Ala. Mr. Hulsey retired from JSU after thirty-three years of service as a campus electrician.
Katherine Burns White, June 23, 2012, Chattanooga, Tenn. Mrs. White was retired from JSU. She also served on the Board of the Jacksonville Public Library and was an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville. Not many people know that in 1940 she flew solo at the Chattanooga Airport!
aTTended only or daTe oF graduaTIon unknown
John Wayne Culver, Warrior, Ala., died June 15, 2012, in an accident. He was an active member of the JSU Sixties Group.
Michael Marion Hutcheson, Gadsden, Ala., January 31, 2012. He had played football for JSU. The alumni office was notified by his wife of his death.
Elizabeth Holcombe Merrill, St. Louis, Mo., April 12, 2012. Mrs. Merrill was employed by the law firm of Merrill, Merrill, Vardaman & Williams and later by the Tax Assessor’s Office in Anniston, Ala. She was a member of Alpha Xi Delta.
Millard F. Penney, Fort Collins, Co., August 8, 2012. He was employed for twenty-eight years with the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare and was instrumental in improving national health care by creating special projects in burn medicine and problem oriented medical records. While at the National Institute of Mental Health he helped create rehabilitation programs for national comprehensive community mental health centers. After retiring, he and his wife served in the Peace Corps in the Solomon Islands.
Willard D. Smith, Pell City, Ala. The postal service advised the alumni office that Mr. Smith is deceased.
Charles T. “Charlie Tom” Wright, Gadsden, Ala., October 5, 2012. Mr. Wright was active in the JSU Sixties Group and loved attending JSU Homecoming events every year. He was a retired AAA travel agent, specializing in international tours.
Joan Bassett Wynn, Ashland, Ala., June 2, 2012. She taught in the Talladega County School System for several years before becoming a businesswoman, owning and operating Bassett’s Dry Goods store in Ashland.
1930-1939
Virginia Bell Watters ’36/’41, Sylacauga, Ala., April 28, 2012. The alumni office was notified by her niece that Ms. Watters is deceased.
Frances J. Sheppard ’39, Gadsden, Ala. The alumni office was notified by the post office that Ms. Sheppard is deceased.
1940-1949
Helen Pate Landers ’45/’60, Anniston, Ala., September 16, 2012. She was a retired teacher with the Calhoun County Board of Education.
Ovelle Edith Benefield ’47, Rainsville, Ala., March, 2009. The alumni office was notified by a family member that Ms. Benefield had died in 2009.
William J. “Bill” Farrell ’47/’59, Anniston, Ala., May 4, 2012. Mr. Farrell played football for JSU. He was selected JSU’s Alumnus of the Year in 1978, was a life member of the JSU Alumni Association and was elected to the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Susie Cochran Whitmore ’47, Cary, N.C. July 9, 2012. The alumni office was notified by a family member that Mrs. Whitmore is deceased. She was a retired high school guidance counselor.
George P. Hendrix ’48, Piedmont, Ala., August 10, 2012, following a short illness. He served in the Air Force during World War II. He was employed by the Army Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal where he received various distinguished service awards during his years of service. Mr. Hendrix served as mayor of the City of Piedmont from 1996 to 2000.
Paul Eugene Boozer ’49/’60, Jacksonville, Ala., August 7, 2012. Mr. Boozer taught school and was assistant principal at Oxford High School and served as principal at Oxford Middle School.
1950-1959
Terry H. Hodges ’50, Anniston, Ala., April 25, 2012. Mr. Hodges served in the Army in World War II. He coached at various schools in Alabama and Georgia until his retirement in 1983. In 1990, he was inducted into the JSU Athletic Hall of Fame and was selected one of the 100 greatest athletes in the first 100 years of the university. He was also selected as a member of the All-Century Football Team. Mr. Hodges, or “Shakey” as he was known to his teammates, played football for JSU between 1946 and 1949 and was a member of the football J-Club. His wife, Doris “Dot” Gray Hodges, passed away on August 11, 2012, shortly after her husband.
James Paul “J.P.” Cain ’51, Hartselle, Ala., April 7, 2012, after a brief battle with cancer. Mr. Cain served in the Army during the Korean War. He played football for JSU, earning Little All-American honors as a center. Mr. Cain coached at Hartselle from 1957 to 1968, served as Hartselle Junior High’s first principal from 1969 to 1980 and was principal of Hartselle High from 1981 until he retired in 1988. He was honored by being inducted into the first Hartselle High Hall of Fame, the first honoree for the John Frank Parker Freedom Award, Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame, Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame, JSU Hall of Fame, and was selected Citizen of the Year by the Civitan Club.
Lucille Walker Gibbs ’51, Arab, Ala., February 21, 2012. She was a retired teacher. The alumni office was notified by her son that she is deceased.
Rubye Hall Edge Sisson ’51/’70, Ragland, Ala., August 7, 2012. Mrs. Sisson taught school in Anniston, Ala., Atlanta, Ga., Cobb County (Ga.), and St. Clair County.
Charles D. McGeehon ’52, Orange Beach, Ala., February 10, 2012. Mr. McGeehon was a retired teacher from the Birmingham City Board of Education. The alumni office was notified by a family member that Mr. McGeehon is deceased.
Frances Treadaway Arrington ’53, Cleveland, Tenn., August 2, 2011. She served Lee University for almost fifty years, including twenty-four as Director of Lee College Library/William G. Squires Library. She was instrumental in the expansion of the library, including several phases of automation. After she retired, Mrs. Arrington volunteered with the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center where she focused on organizing the archives of Lee University.
Reginald Dewey Carlton ’53, Sylacauga, Ala., January 7, 2012. Mr. Carlton and his wife, Mabel Weaver Carlton ’55, had been in a bad car accident shortly after Christmas, 2011. Airlifted to UAB Hospital, Mr. Carlton died several days later. Mrs. Carlton was severely injured but has recovered. Both retired from the Talladega County Board of Education in 1985, he as a teacher and she as a counselor. Mrs. Carlton notified us of her husband’s death.
Ruth Lowrey Garrett ’53, Opelika, Ala., August 14, 2012, at the age of 97. Mrs. Garrett was retired from the Gadsden City School System. The alumni office was notified by her daughter that she is deceased. Niles Howard Graham ’53, Northport, Ala., August 20, 2012. Mr. Graham played basketball for JSU. He was a retired enforcement officer with the State of Alabama Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau. The alumni office was notified by a family member that Mr. Graham is deceased.
Joy Elizabeth Kelly (left), Luke Ray Willis (middle), Brooke Lynn Bell (right)
Marlene Boozer Pyron ’53, Mexico Beach, Fla., July 31, 2012. Mrs. Pyron was a retired teacher. She had been married to the late Steve Pyron ’53. The alumni office was notified by her son that she is deceased.
Lecil N. Smith ’53, Cullman, Ala., October 11, 2012. Mr. Smith was retired from the Cullman County Parks and Recreation Board.
Dr. Donald H. Henderson ’54, Birmingham, Ala., January 17, 2012. Dr. Henderson was a professor emeritus at the University of Alabama Birmingham. The alumni office was notified by his wife that he is deceased.
James Barney Hood ’54, Birmingham, Ala. The alumni office was notified by the postal service that Mr. Hood is deceased. He played basketball for JSU.
Loree Yates Teal, ’55, Gadsden, Ala., December 26, 2011. The alumni office was notified by her daughter that she is deceased.
Larry L. Lyda ’56, Birmingham, Ala., April 18, 2012, after a long illness. Mr. Lyda owned and operated Golf Headquarters, also known as Lyda’s Golf Shop, with his two sons for twenty-five years. He lettered in baseball and tennis at JSU and was commissioned through the JSU ROTC program. Mr. Lyda was married to Ann Parker Lyda ’60.
Ronal Dennis Kirkpatrick ’57, Fernandina Beach, Fla., October 27, 2011. Mr. Kirkpatrick played tennis for JSU. The alumni office was notified by his wife of his death.
Jack Lanier McClendon ’57, Weslaco, Tex., May 5, 2012. Mr. McClendon served in the US Army during the Korean War. He was retired from J.P. Stevens as a system engineer responsible for the computerization of dye and finish operations.
Clarence B. Oaks, Jr. ’57, Ohatchee, Ala., July 9, 2012. He was an Army veteran with twenty-five years of service. Col. Oaks was commissioned through the JSU ROTC program.
Dean Akin ’58, Gadsden, Ala., September 20, 2012. He was retired as the Assistant Director of the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation. Mr. Akin played football for JSU. He was married to Wanda Lou Roberts Akin ’60.
Barbara Ann Leach McFall ’58, Huntsville, Ala., April 15, 2012. She was a retired teacher from the Huntsville City Board of Education. Mrs. McFall was a member of the Marching Southerners at JSU. The alumni office was notified by her husband that she is deceased.
Crawford B. Pike ’58, Section, Ala., April 6, 2012. Mr. Pike was a retired librarian with the Muscogee County Schools in Columbus, Ga. The alumni office was notified by the funeral home, at the family’s request, of his death.
1960-1969
Iva M. Sherrard ’60, Atlanta, Ga. The postal service notified the alumni office that Ms. Sherrard is deceased.
Therman Leslie Smith ’60/’63/’75, Anniston, Ala., March 21, 2012. Mr. Smith served in the Air Force. He taught at Wellborn High, Bynum Elementary, and served as principal at Bynum and then Wellborn Elementary.
Millard H. Handley, Jr. ’61, Gadsden, Ala., January 30, 2012, from lung cancer. The alumni office was notified by his wife that he is deceased.
Wilka Evans Neighbors ’61, Alexander City, Ala., May, 2012. She was a retired teacher from the Coosa County Board of Education. The alumni office was notified by Mrs. Neighbors’ former JSU roommate of her death.
Charles S. Patterson ’61, Gadsden, Ala., May, 2012. The alumni office was advised by family members during the annual Phonathon that Mr. Patterson is deceased.
Robert K. Edwards ’62, Roanoke, Ala., April 30, 2012. Mr. Edwards served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He had been a practicing CPA in Roanoke from 1968 until his retirement in 2010.
Margaret Truitt Harrison ’62, Ohatchee, Ala., May 13, 2012. She was retired after thirty years as a teacher, ending her career as a special education teacher at Ohatchee.
Billy George Kuykendall ’62, Clermont, Fla., April 14, 2012. He taught and coached in North and Central Florida for twenty-seven years, ending with Ocoee High and Ocoee Middle Schools. Mr. Kuykendall played football for JSU.
Marjorie Deason McKleroy ’63, Tampa, Fla. The alumni office was notified by the postal service that Mrs. McKleroy is deceased.
Alice Deakins Carpenter ’65, Knoxville, Tenn., September 24, 2012. Mrs. Carpenter was a retired teacher from the Sevier County Board of Education. She had been a Marching Ballerina at JSU and was married to the late Tommy Carpenter, who played football for JSU. The alumni office was notified by a friend that Mrs. Carpenter is deceased.
Sandra Kay Geer Bush ’66, Huntsville, Ala., June 24, 2012, after a battle with kidney cancer. She had been married to Morgan Bush, Jr. ’68 who notified the alumni office of her death.
Elizabeth McCauley Cook ’66, Anniston, Ala., August 30, 2012. She was a teacher for more than twenty years, having spent seventeen of those years as a home economics teacher at Ohatchee High School.
Phillip Ray Hart ’66, Elizabethton, Tenn., April 20, 2012, of pancreatic cancer. He was head of the Music Department at Wharton County Junior College, Wharton, Tex., for thrity-four years, retiring in July 2008. Mr. Hart was a member of the JSU Marching Southerners and the Baptist Campus Ministry. The alumni office was notified by his wife of his death.
Jane Davis Fry ’67, Montgomery, Ala., November 21, 2011, after a battle with cancer. The alumni office was notified by her husband that she is deceased.
Bill E. Denkins ’68, Jacksonville, Ala., May 14, 2012. He had been an industrial engineer in the apparel manufacturing business.
Larry D. Musick ’68, LaGrange, Ga., February 28, 2012. He was a retired principal with the Troup County Board of Education. Mr. Musick was a proud former member of the JSU Marching Southerners. The alumni office was notified by his wife that he is deceased.
Lt. Col. Marion Miller Monk ’69, Jacksonville, Ala., August 12, 2012 at age 97. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. LTC Monk served in the US Army for twenty-one years, serving in World War II, Korea and Vietnam before retiring in 1963 after the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Terry W. Owens ’69, Decatur, Ala., October 27, 2012. After signing a football scholarship with the University of Alabama, he transferred to JSU and played for the Gamecocks in both football and basketball. After graduation he was drafted by both the NFL’s Chicago Bears and the AFL’s San Diego Chargers. He joined the Chargers and played eleven years until a back injury forced him to retire. After his football career, Mr. Owens became a State Farm insurance agent for over thrity-five years until his illness forced him to retire in March of 2011. He has donated his tissue to the Boston University School of Medicine and the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. By participating in this research, Mr. Owens will be able to create knowledge and awareness that will make sports safer for all athletes at all levels of play, as well as facilitate research that will generate treatment and eventually find a cure for chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Ophelia Monzia Stamps ’69, Gadsden, Ala., died several years ago. She was a retired teacher with the Gadsden City Board of Education. The alumni office was notified by her husband that she is deceased.
1970-1979
Lonnie Nelson Acton ’70, Griffin, Ga., July 1, 2012. He was retired from the Georgia Department of Labor. The alumni office was notified by his wife, Mabel Joyce Bates Acton ’61, that he had died. She said she will always remember his great laugh!
William G. Davis ’70, Gretna, La., November 7, 2011. He was a retired human resources consultant with Entergy in New Orleans. The alumni office was notified by a family member that he is deceased.
Cathy Paulette Anderson ’71/’75, Grant, Ala. The postal service notified the alumni office that Ms. Anderson is deceased.
Robert Norton Keathley ’71, Jacksonville, Fla., date of death unknown. Mr. Keathley was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. The alumni office was notified by his wife that he is deceased.
Thomas Michael Oliver ’71, Attalla, Ala., February 1, 2012. He taught school at General Forrest and Cory Middle Schools and was retired from the Gadsden City Board of Education after thirty years of service.
Thomas Bryan Townsend ’71, Talladega, Ala., September 29, 2012. Mr. Townsend was self employed as a motivational speaker. He had been married to Judy Solley Townsend ’74.
Sammie Owen Mayben ’72, Gadsden, Ala., date unknown. She had been a teacher with the Etowah County Board of Education. The alumni office was notified by a family member that she had died in 2011.
Charles Michael Beale ’75, Ashland, Ala., July 22, 2012, in a car accident. The alumni office was notified during the annual Phonathon that Mr. Beale is deceased.
Patricia Thacker Gillilan ’76, Albertville, Ala., July 30, 2008. She had been a teacher with the Albertville City Board of Education. The alumni office was notified by her husband that she is deceased.
Robert J. Reynolds ’76/’79, Spotsylvania, Va., August 27, 2010, from complications from a 2003 stroke. Mr. Reynolds was an educator and taught in various colleges and universities including the Fort Bragg campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Campbell Methodist College and Fayetteville Technical Community College. The alumni office was notified by his sister that he had passed away in 2010.
Vivian Marie Hodges ’77/’89, Cave Spring, Ga., September 2, 2012. She had taught special education at Coosa Middle School and retired from the Floyd County Board of Education after twenty-two years of service. The alumni office was notified by her husband that she is deceased.
William Earl Tucker ’77, Northport, Ala., April 30, 2012. Mr. Tucker had been an educator. The alumni office was notified by his wife that he is deceased.
Wanda Jean Pruitt Williams ’78, Piedmont, Ala., August 19, 2012. Mrs. Williams had taught school and served as an assistant postmaster.
Robert Taft Holt ’79, Jacksonville, Ala., September 30, 2012. A member of Carpenters for Christ, he had been on several mission trips throughout the United States and in Honduras, Mexico and Israel.
Vicki Clark Patterson ’79, Adamsville, Ala., date unknown. The postal service advised the alumni office that Mrs. Patterson is deceased.
1980-1989
Mildred Smith Laney ’80, Oxford, Ala., August 20, 2012. Mrs. Laney had worked for many years as a registered nurse but another passion was genealogy. She had written many books on the history of Calhoun and surrounding counties and also helped others to research their own ancestry.
Paul Heflin Savage III ’80, Spring Garden, Ala., August 20, 2012. Mr. Savage served in the National Guard for thirty years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He was a member of the Spring Garden Volunteer Fire Department. An avid photographer, he owned Savage Photo and Studio Labs of Cherokee County before retiring and assuming the postmaster position at the Spring Garden Post Office, which had been run by his family for the past ninety-nine and a half years!
Jo-Ann Bailey Harper ’81/’83, Heflin, Ala., August 28, 2012, after a long illness. She taught for over thirty years in the Cleburne County School System.
Tamara Curvin Norton ’81/’84, Lawton, Okla., April 15, 2012. She was a member of the Baptist Campus Ministry at JSU.
Patti Dianne Aaron Howard ’82, Albertville, Ala., April 27, 2012. She had been a teacher with the Albertville City Board of Education.
Isaac “Butch” Kohen, Jr. ’84/’87, Anniston, Ala., September, 2012.
Claire Lou Cooper Little ’84, Birmingham, Ala., August 14, 2012. Mrs. Little spent many years living abroad and traveling the world. Returning to Birmingham, she pursued her passion for bowling, belonged to several leagues and toured the country competing in national tournaments.
Gordon Ray McKinney ’84, Heflin, Ala., March 16, 2012. Mr. McKinney was retired from the U.S. Navy as a chief petty officer in 1975 and retired from A.G. Edwards in 2005 where he had worked as a financial consultant.
Beverly Gwyn Self ’84, Equality, Ala., date unknown. The alumni office was notified by the postal service that Ms. Self is deceased.
Joyce Marie Mayse ’89, Piedmont, Ala., June 11, 2012. Mrs. Mayse had been employed by the Calhoun County Department of Human Resources as a social worker. She had been married to the late David Lee Mayse ’89.
1990-1999
M. Sgt. Oswald “Wally” O. Madrid ’90, Anniston, Ala., October, 2012. He was retired from the U.S. Army and from JSU.
Jonathan Todd Paris ’91/’96/’03, Anniston, Ala., August, 2012. He was a magna cum laude JSU graduate.
Karen Wilson Cobb ’93/’95, Alexandria, Ala., April 16, 2012. She was a teacher at Alexandria High School for twenty-three years.
Brent Grimek Kulig ’94, Houston, Tex., January 18, 2012. He had been a systems administrator.
Cassie Lee Lipham Brown ’95, Heflin, Ala., date unknown.
2000-2012
Theresa Elizabeth Wolfert Lowery ’01, Fyffe, Ala., June 7, 2012.
Frederic Lajohn “Coach T” Taylor ’03, Piedmont, Ala., October 28, 2012. Coach Taylor had served on the football coaching staff at Cherokee County High School as well as Piedmont High School. He was a former football player at JSU.
Judy Penn Biggs ’05, Attalla, Ala., May 24, 2011. Mrs. Biggs had been a teacher in the Attalla City Schools. The alumni office was notified by her husband that she is deceased.
Leo Christopher “Chris” Searcy ’09, Oxford, Ala., October 14, 2012. He enjoyed serving as an umpire for the Oxford Baseball for Youth program.
2nd Lt. Matthew Alexander Blount ’11, Jacksonville, Ala., March 10, 2012, of cancer. He served in the Army for thirteen years and was deployed during the first Iraqi invasion, specializing as a field medic. He had wanted to be commissioned into the Army as an officer after ROTC but his cancer halted the plan. After a discussion of his case with the U.S. Army Reserves Accessions Branch on March 6, an endorsement was received for a direct commission into the USAR. On March 7, dressed in his uniform one last time, his brother administered the oath of office and Matt signed the paperwork, his father saluting him next to his bedside.
alumnoTes
*pictured below
aTTended only or daTe oF graduaTIon unknown
Ralph Keith Battle, Huntsville, Ala., has been inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a four-year letterman at JSU, a two-time All-Gulf South Conference selection at JSU, and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. He is now a neighborhood programmer for the City of Huntsville’s Recreation Services.
Cedric Wayne Brownlee, Huntsville, Ala., has been inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame. He played football for JSU, leading the team in rushing in 1979 and 1980 and named the team’s MVP. He signed as a free agent with the New York Giants. He is now retired from Federal Express and B & J Landscaping and Excavation Company.
Maurice A. Dupree, Leesburg, Ala., was recently named the Professional Indoor Football League 2012 Offensive Player of the Year. He plays for the Columbus Lions and had a record-setting year in his second season in the league. Mr. Dupree played football for JSU. He was a multiple All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) selection in 2008 where he was a first-team wide receiver and a second-team specialist for the Gamecocks. He set a JSU record after catching ten touchdown passes as a senior in 2008, while finishing the season with 799 yards on forty-nine catches and averaged 72.6 yards per game. As a return specialist, he led the OVC in kickoff returns and was second in punt returns.
Gary Lett, Hattiesburg, Miss., has a new novel just out titled Sideline In the story, Northeast Alabama University is JSU and references are made to former JSU Coach Charley Pell and former JSU players E.C. “Baldy” Wilson and Lyle Darnell. Dr. Lett played football and golf at JSU. The book can be ordered at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Authorhouse or from Dr. Lett at chirolett@aol.com or through his web site at www.garylett.com. Dr. Lett is a practicing chiropractor.
David Luttrell, Cedar Bluff, Ala., was inducted into the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame this past June. He rushed for more than 1000 yards in each of his four high school seasons, was first team all-county his last three and state Class AA back of the year as a senior. The 322 points he scored in his career stood as the county record for many years. He went on to play football at JSU.
Anthony “Lefty” Perry, Hazel Green, Ala., has been inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame. He originally signed with Alabama and was a member of the 1973 national championship team there. He then transferred to JSU and was a Division II All-American. He is now an ordained and licensed minister in Hazel Green.
Julia Harwell Segars*, Anniston, Ala., vice president, Eastern Division, Alabama Power Company, was honored by the Girl Scouts as a 2012 Women of Distinction with the Frances E. Couch Award, the highest adult recognition for a lifetime of leadership and service in the East Alabama Area. Mrs. Segars currently serves as president of the JSU Foundation Board.
1960-1969
Thomas Edward Bailey* ’69, Birmingham, Ala., has created Alabama Roots, a biography series for young readers that so far has told the story of forty-five men and women who have shaped the state of Alabama. Alabama students can learn the stories of remarkable Alabamians, their childhood triumphs and tribulations as well as the trails they blazed. Mr. Bailey worked for the Anniston Star while a JSU student. He later moved to Birmingham and became managing editor or the Birmingham News. He also founded Seacoast Publishing. Since 1999, about five hundred schools have used some or all of the forty-five Alabama Roots titles in their classrooms and libraries.
Bobby M. Junkins ’69/’72, Gadsden, Ala., probate judge of Etowah County, has been selected as one of the icons of The Central Carver Foundation for Outstanding Achievement. He was selected because he has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate, the qualities taught by the Central and Carver High Schools such as integrity, perseverance, vision, quality and achieving success in his career.
1970-1979
Charlie D. Waldrep* ’71, Birmingham, Ala., has recently been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (2013 edition). He was recognized for his work in government relations practice. Mr. Waldrep is a founding partner of Waldrep, Stewart & Kendrick, LLC. He represents public agencies with a primary emphasis in civil litigation and governmental relations. He has been recognized for his accomplishments as an attorney by the Birmingham Business Journal and Alabama Super Lawyers and was honored in 2004 by the Alabama State Bar for his twenty-five years of service as a part-time municipal attorney and prosecutor. Mr. Waldrep is a former president of the JSU National Alumni Association and served on the JSU Foundation Board.
Dr. William Meehan ’72/’76 and Sandra Fox Sudduth ’75, both of Jacksonville, Ala., were honored at the New Alabama Voters League in June. Dr. Meehan, JSU president, was given the Community Covenant Award. He was a member of Delta Chi at JSU. Mrs. Sudduth received one of the Women of Excellence Awards. She is retired from JSU.
Charles Ronnie Gaddis ’73, Dalton, Ga., has successfully completed his designation as a certified property and casualty licensee. Employed by the Ronnie Siniard Insurance Agency, Inc., Mr. Gaddis also holds Life and Health Insurance licenses for the states of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. Mr. Gaddis was a member of the JSU Marching Southerners and the Baptist Campus Ministry.
Deborah Little Young ’73, Hokes Bluff, Ala., has been promoted to auditor and vice president of Farmers & Merchants Bank in Anniston. She began her banking career with Farmers & Merchants in 1981 as a teller and has been the internal auditor for the bank since 2001.
Cathy Acker Lanigan ’74/’77, Piedmont, Ala.., has retired after thirty-seven years of teaching at Spring Garden. She follows in the path of a long line of teachers in her family---her great-grandfather, her grandmother and her own mother who taught for more than thirty years. Mrs. Lanigan’s own daughter is now teaching in Centre, Ala. She had planned to retire last year but had the opportunity to have her own grandchildren in her school and classroom so she stayed to spend more time with them.
Dr. Robert Edward Blackwelder ’75/’76, Piedmont, Ala., will donate his collection of data on criminology and serial killers, such as Charles Manson and Ted Bundy, to JSU. He has studied serial killers for more than fifty years and has developed much of the collection through personal interaction with these killers. The collection will be one of the most extensive and significant collections of primary data on the subject held at any academic institution in the nation. Dr. Blackwelder and his wife are also donating a scholarship to JSU for a student majoring in social work.
Larry K. Deason ’77, Anniston, Ala., has been named president of Farmers & Merchants Bank in Anniston. He has been with the bank since 1988, but began his banking career in 1974 with Anniston National Bank. Mr. Deason opened the first branch for Farmers & Merchants in Anniston in 1988 and has held the title not only of a senior lender, but also of executive vice president and chief operations officer.
Dr. Mary Looney Harrington ’77/’90, Anniston, Ala., has been appointed interim superintendent of the Cleburne County Board of Education. She is married to Joe Nathan Harrington ’03.
Charles Lowery Stewart ’78, Ooltewah, Tenn., recently became Health Management Associates’ Missouri Market chief executive officer at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He is also responsible for HMA’s Twin Rivers Medical Center at Kenneth, Mo. He has been in administrative positions at for-profit and non-profit hospitals in Birmingham, Ala., Raleigh, N.C., Amory, Miss., Oxford, Miss., Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga.
1980-1989
Vickie Ledbetter Saxon ’80, Birmingham, Ala., has been appointed senior vice president, enterprise resources for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. She has more than twenty-five years of experience with Blue Cross.
Susan Camilla Howard Lockridge* ’80, Huntsville, Ala., has been appointed to the TRS/PEEHIP Board of Control for The Retirement Systems of Alabama.
Brenda Lindley Anderson ’81, Huntsville, Ala., is now a system safety representative on the Safety Assessment Team at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. She has also been the recipient of two awards this year – the Individual Time Off Award for outstanding efforts in the development and delivery of the Space Launch System, System Safety Analysis Report in support of the SLS System Requirements Review/System and the Group Achievement Award for outstanding support to the Safety and Mission Assurance Review Team for the Space Launch System Systems Requirement Review and Systems Development Review.
Kelly Mangus Maltagliati ’81, Burtonsville, Md., is a special agent in charge of the Archival Recovery Team with the Office of Inspector General at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). She was instrumental in establishing NARA’s Archival Recovery Team eight years ago. Thousands of historical documents have disappeared over the years from the National Archives and her team seeks to recover them. She has set up recovery programs, sting operations, engaged in old-fashioned
police work, visited memorabilia and Civil War shows, used social media to reach the public, established a hot- line for information and built a network of “sentinels” throughout the nation to be on the lookout for stolen documents.
Vanessa A. Jackson Austin* ’82, Harvest, Ala., recently published a new non-fiction, inspirational book entitled Cries in the Wind which chronicles her 2009 cancer journey. She is a poet, writer, greeting card designer, and jewelry and stained glass designer. She has also published two poetry and quotation books entitled Live On and Refreshments for the Heart Mrs. Austin also owns and manages CABBIT Designs, where she sells handcrafted and one-of-a-kind inspirational items. An excerpt of her book can be viewed at www.westbowpress.com or www.barnesandnoble. com. Her website is www.cabbitdesigns.net.
Robin Thomas Volker ’82, Delaware, Oh., is the first Unity minister to be ordained in Delaware County, Ohio. She teaches Unity’s philosophy of positive thinking in popular weekly classes and Sunday morning services. She began as a dedicated volunteer in Unity churches. She launched her speaking and teaching ministry in Blairsville, Ga., in 2001.
Jim Epik* ’83/’87, Weaver, Ala., former special agent turned author, once again opens the dialogue on our nation’s failure to be proactive in its security planning with his second novel, 12th and D: Al Qaeda’s Revenge. In this book he examines the devastating effect a terrorist attack on an unprotected fuel depot located in downtown Washington D.C. could have. In Jim’s first novel, Phantom Controller he articulates his twenty year battle with the FAA to secure air traffic control tower communications with passenger aircraft. Jim’s stories are inspired by over twenty years of work as one of the nation’s leading security experts and his tireless effort to remove the vulnerabilities that threaten every American. His novels can be purchased through Amazon.
Susan Camilla Howard Lockridge (left), Vanessa A. Jackson Austin: Cries in the Wind (middle), Jim Epik (middle)
Julia Harwell Segars (left), Thomas Edward Bailey (middle), Charlie Waldrep (right)
James Willet Ackley ’85, Savannah, Tenn., has published his first book with Westbow Press, Footprints Into Your Faith, to help people of the Christian faith examine their own personal walk of faith. The theme of each chapter has a scriptural basis and is centered around personal events. The book is available at most outlets in paperback and hardback formats. Mr. Ackely was a member of the Delta Phi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order.
Christa Davis* ’85, Centre, Ala., has been honored with a resolution by the Alabama State Senate with its highest commendation for helping shed light on the medical condition suffered by her mother, Patricia Davis Harton. Medical professionals in orthopedic and neurological specialties agree that hers is a rare and unique case and the research Ms. Davis initiated will benefit many people suffering from similar symptoms. Steel Standing, shares the true story of Mrs. Harton’s extraordinary journey from suffering to recovery which connected a new link between metal allergies and muscle inflammation when joint replacements, or any type of metals, are implanted in the body. Her mother was diagnosed with Inflammatory Myopathy in 2009 and Ms. Davis gave up her job to be a full time caregiver. At that time she initiated her own medical research, hoping to find a cause for her mother’s unexplained symptoms. This research helped to link her mother’s muscle problems with her knee and hip replacements. Ms. Davis’ theory was considered unlikely and far-fetched by specialty physicians in orthopedics at the time. However, once her mother’s allergyinducing implants made of cobalt-chromiumnickel were replaced with titanium ones, Mrs. Harton’s body began to grow new muscle tissue and she completely recovered. A large part of Ms. Davis’ career has been spent working in medical centers with primary care and specialty physicians in clinical and non-clinical settings.
Hugh Stephen Camp ’86, Douglasville, Ga., was recently appointed coaching ministries director in Douglas County, Ga., for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He served as editor-in-chief of the Chanticleer and was the radio voice for Gamecocks Baseball at JSU. Mr. Camp is a member of Kappa Sigma.
Emily Sides Bonds* ’87, Mountain Brook, Ala., has recently been included in The Best Lawyers in America 2013, the definitive guide to legal excellence. Mrs. Bonds is an attorney with Jones Walker and, for the sixth consecutive year, the firm has sat atop the annual peer-review attorney rankings among Louisianabased firms. Ratings are based on peer-review surveys where thousands of attorneys cast more than two million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice area. It is the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice. Mrs. Bonds was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. She was a Ballerina in the Marching Southerners and a member of the Baptist Campus Ministry at JSU. Mrs. Bonds is serving on the JSU Alumni Association Board of Governors as the immediate past president of the Board.
Debra Rena Creed Burroughs ’87/’93, Jacksonville, Ala., has been selected by the Jacksonville City School System as Teacher of the Year for Kitty Stone Elementary School. She teaches sixth grade.
Lynn Renee Johnson Greene ’87, Lawton, Okla., has completed her degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.
1990-1999
Dr. Jesus Mario Aguilar ’90, Jacksonville, Ala., has been selected to receive a Teledyne Scientific & Imaging 2011 Recognition Award. He was recognized for his contribution as both a technical innovator and a business development leader. He was team leader of Teledyne’s Neurotechnology for Intelligence Analysts (NIA) Team which won Team of the Year, continuing to secure Teledyne’s position as a world leader in neurotechnology research and technology. Dr. Aguilar was a member of the JSU International House Program. He is married to Jennifer Smith Aguilar ’89.
James Robert Newell ’91, Sevierville, Tenn., has been appointed by Alabama Governor Bentley to the State of Alabama Independent Living Council. A former resident of Deatsville, Ala., he previously served on the JSU Alumni Board of Governors as president of the Central Alabama Alumni Chapter and recently moved to Tennessee to accept a position there.
Shane McGriff ’91, Norcross, Ga., has joined the global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal, as a managing director. He has more than fifteen years of experience in providing enterprise risk management solutions to financial services institutions. In his new role, he will advise clients on the development of stress testing infrastructure, risk analytics services and capabilities and the implementation of economic capital solutions.
Derrick Jordan* ’92, Birmingham, Ala, is a senior district sales manager for Watson Pharmaceuticals and has recently started the Hope Everlasting Ministry in Birmingham. On Labor Day weekend, the doors opened to the first service and with the mission of encouraging people to pursue and live out the plan, the purpose and the will of God. Mr. Jordan met his wife LaTanya at Rowan Hall while at JSU and they have been together ever since. To learn more about his ministry, contact him at hempastor@ yahoo.com
Jimmy Dewayne Bowen ’93, Calhoun, Ga., is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Calhoun. He was elected chairman of the Board of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce in 2011 and is also an elected school board member with his term running through 2014. Mr. Bowen was a member of Pi Kappa Phi.
James Kevin Riffey* ’93, Tampa, Fla., has been hired by American Momentum Bank as a senior vice president and business banking manager. He manages the bank’s system-wide small business banking department and two key Small Business Administration lending programs. He previously served in a similar capacity at Florida Bank and at Capstone Capital as a managing member. Mr. Riffey has seventeen years of financial services experience. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Order.
Gregory Mikell ’95, New York, N.Y., is a professional actor and has formed his own entertainment production company, Acclaim Theatricals. His first film on racial profiling is in production. Mr. Mikell has done work with many top stars including Kristin Wigg, Sam Rockwell, Helen Hunt and Brian Dennehy and has done voiceover work for ABC 20/20 and National Geographic.
Chris F. Latta ’99, Jacksonville, Ala., has been promoted to vice president and chief financial officer with Farmers & Merchants Bank in Anniston. He has been with the bank since 2002, but began his banking career in 1999 at National Bank of Commerce in Birmingham. Mr. Latta is married to Kelly Susan Creswell Latta ’05/’09.
2000-2012
Maria Seale Dresser ’00, Ashville, Ala., is now the full time director of the Blount County office of the state Department of Human Resources. A licensed graduate social worker, Ms. Dresser has served ten years with the DHR, specializing in child welfare, and has had assignments in St. Clair and Calhoun County DHR offices. She previously served as director/assistant director over child welfare in Calhoun County.
Taylor Larry Wiggins* ’00, Gadsden, Ala., has been recently honored by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance with a national Top 20 Award in recognition of an exceptional year of helping clients achieve financial security.
Jennifer Cobb Murrell ’00/’03, Munford, Ala., is living the struggle along with her husband, James. He was born with a transposition of the great vessels of the heart, the major vessels go into the heart in reverse, and he is waiting for the gift of life on the transplant list. Please keep the Murrell family in your thoughts.
Burton S. Lavender ’04/’08, Hokes Bluff, Ala., has been recognized as Jacksonville’s Teacher of the Year for Jacksonville High School. He teaches advanced math.
Jennifer Lynn Brenneman Neville ’05, Cincinnati, Oh., is an internal medicine chief resident at University of Cincinnati Hospital. Mrs. Neville graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 2009 and completed a training program in internal medicine at the University of Cincinnati. She plans to apply for a PulmonaryCritical Care Fellowship. Mrs. Neville was a member of the JSU volleyball team.
Erin Chupp Sintos ’05/’09, Atlanta, Ga., has started Tin Can Photography along with her husband Bryan ’09 (a former Marching Southerner). She also works part time at Miss Mamie’s Bakery in Marietta and appeared on the Food Network’s hit show Cupcake Wars in March AND WON! She loves her career in photography and both she and Bryan often put in fifteen hour days. While at JSU, Mrs. Sintos showcased her writing talents on the staff of the Chanticleer and in the Office of Public Relations, which included writing articles for the GEM of the Hills
Krystle Nicole Lange ’07, Colby, Wis., has completed her degree at the Des Moines University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Ryan Alan Youngblood ’07, Cedar Bluff, Ala., has completed his degree at the Des Moines University School of Osteopathic Medicine. He is in the field of Health Care Administration.
Andrew Russell Christie ’08, Knoxville, Tenn., has completed his degree at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tenn.
Ashley Elizabeth Ward ’08, Winston-Salem, N.C., has completed her degree in pharmacy from Campbell University in Dunn, North Carolina.
Michael Wayne Finn ’11, Washington, D.C., recently served as a graduate intern with the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget Minority Office under Sen. Jeff Sessions. He was accepted as a degree candidate for the Master of Science in Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University’s Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Advanced Academics Program and began his studies in May.
Dustin Gerald King ’11, Ponca City, Okla., has joined The Bass Federation’s staff as the digital sales and marketing manager. He’s right in his element as Mr. King is an avid angler and promoter of all things related to fishing.
Jennifer Aiken ’11, Delmar, N.Y., is continuing her education in radiation therapy at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. This is a great field for her since she is in remission with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Ms. Aiken was a member of Alpha Xi Delta.
IF you would lIke To SubmIT InFormaTIon concernIng a weddIng, bIrTh announcemenT, new job or promoTIon, an obITuary noTIce, awardS or oTher recognITIon, pleaSe emaIl alumnI@jSu.edu or maIl The InFormaTIon To jSu alumnI relaTIonS oFFIce, 700 pelham road norTh, jackSonVIlle, al 36265.
Do you know someone who should be nominated for an outstanding alumnus of the year for 2013?
Visit the alumni website at www.jsu.edu/alumni and submit a nomination form online or contact the alumni relations office for more information.
Nomination deadline for Homecoming 2013 is May 1, 2013.
James Kevin Riffey (left), Taylor Larry Wiggins (middle) SprInG
Christa Davis (left), Emily Bonds (middle), Derrick Jordan (right)
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Jacksonville State University held it’s annual JSU In Lights ceremony at the Presidents’ House, where students, faculty and staff gathered for hot beverages and the countdown to the campus Christmas lights being turned on.
