Alumni

BIRTHS:

Gloria Reese DiCostanzo was born on October 20, 2021, to Sara Kirkland DiCostanzo (‘05) and her husband, Andrew. She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 18.5 inches long. Her big sister, Nora, is so proud.

Gregory Mitchael Wilkins was born on September 10, 2021, to Abbey Orr Wilkins (‘11) and her husband Mark.

Elaine Margaret Overbey was born on September 29, 2021, to Hillary Ross Overbey (‘10) and her husband Jake Overbey (‘11).

Austin Orr (‘14) and wife Amber welcomed baby girl, Parker Jo, on December 16, 2021. She weighed 6 lb 13 oz.

Jon Chesley Dennison, II was born December 17, 2021, to Jenny Dennison (‘01) and her husband Chesley (‘00). He weighed 9.5 pounds. Big sister Sophie is a student at USJ and is so proud.

Poppy George Hayes was born to

Melissa Morrison Hayes (‘06) and Brad Hayes (‘94) on November 3, 2021. She weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was 9 1/4 inches long. Her big brother, Hart, is currently at

USJ. Poppy is enrolled to start USJ in August.

WEDDINGS:

Olivia Hughes (‘12) married John Spencer Pickering on October 16, 2021, at The Estate at Cherokee Dock. The couple met while attending dental school at the University of Tennessee. They now reside in Memphis, Tennessee.

Margaret Jones (‘13) and Conner Adkins (‘13) married on Oct. 23, 2021, at the bride’s grandparents’ home in Humboldt, Tennessee. After both graduating from USJ in 2013, Margaret and Conner attended Southern Methodist University and Ole Miss, respectively. The couple now lives in Dallas, Texas, where Conner works as a financial analyst for CBRE Capital Advisors and Margaret is a senior integrated marketing specialist for Mary Kay Inc.‘s U.S. market, supporting the company’s consumer advertising and public relations efforts.

Garrett Guymon (‘16) married Madalyn Coulston on October 9, 2021. They dated for the better part of eight years. Garrett graduated from USJ in 2016 while Madalyn graduated from Crockett County the same year. They became reacquainted at Union University where Madalyn received her nursing degree. Garrett now works as a preload supervisor at UPS, and Madalyn is a nurse at Faith Family Medical Clinic in Brownsville. They reside in Jackson with their two fur babies, Josie and Honey.

Darby Kate Douglas (‘13) married her college sweetheart Austin Turner on October 17, 2021, in Pisgah, Alabama. Darby works as a Reliability Engineer at the U.S. Army DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center. The couple reside in Huntsville, Alabama. with their pup, Dorothy.

Former board member of USJ, David William Horton, age 77, died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family, on the morning of November 19, 2021. David was born October 19, 1944, in Memphis, Tennessee to Rev. Robert Yandell Horton and Willie Mae McAlexander Horton. He was the youngest of four sons. He is survived by his wife, Laurie Smith Issler Horton, daughter Amy Horton Bunton (Michael), son Bart Wilbur Horton (Neka), and their mother, Jo Horton O’Cain. He is also survived by his “bonus” son Philip F. Issler, Jr (Lisa). His children blessed him with eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. He was a very proud grandfather and bragged about his grandchildren often. David is survived by two brothers, Curtis Horton of Madison, Ala., and Charles Horton (Dixie) of Memphis, Tennessee He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins who have long stayed connected through the Horton Family Reunion held in Milan, Tennessee each July. David was preceded in death by his parents and his oldest brother, John Robert Horton.

Coach Jimmy Carey, age 50, died Friday, November 26, 2021, in his home surrounded by his loving family. He was born August 11, 1971, in Huntingdon, Tennessee, the son of Jimmy Carey, Sr. and Martha Phiffer Carey. Jimmy was very athletic and loved baseball and golf. He played collegiate baseball at Jackson State Community College and at the University of Tennessee Martin. He was the conference player of the year in 1992 and team captain in 1994. He became head baseball coach at the University School of Jackson in 1996, winning the state championship in 1999, 2001, and 2002. He was inducted into both the Carroll County Hall of Fame and Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame. Wanting to spend more time with his family, he began selling pharmaceuticals. He started playing golf in early 2010’s and never looked back. He fell in love with the game, working as hard to improve his game as he did coaching baseball to others. While successful in every avenue, his true passion was people. His joy came from seeing others success and helping people reach whatever goal they set out to. Jimmy was preceded in death by his father. Other than his mother, survivors are his wife Jenny McGee Carey and sons, Logan Reed Carey (‘16) and Caleb Mac Carey (‘19), all of Jackson, Tennessee.

Coach Tommy Browder departed this life on September 15, 2021 in Lexington, Tennessee, at the age of 70 years. Tommy was born June 3, 1951, in Selmer, Tennessee the son of Dortha Walker Browder Naylor and the late Bill Browder. Browder graduated from University of Tennessee at Martin with Bachelor of Science degree in Education. His coaching career spanned more than 35 years and began at Michie Elementary School in the early 70’s. While at Michie, he coached football and girls’ softball. He landed his first head football coaching job at Adamsville High School, coaching from 1977-84. From ‘85-’88, he crossed the river to be the head coach at Hardin County High School. He came home in 1989, to coach at McNairy Central High School for the next 20 years (‘892008). His record at MCHS was 142-82; he was inducted into the McNairy Central Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. He left Tennessee to coach in Long Beach, Miss., for three years (‘09’11) before retiring. After a short retirement, Coach started in Scotts Hill (‘15-’16) as offensive coordinator and has been at USJ since 2017 as offensive coordinator. He was passionate about the game of football and making a difference in the lives of the young men he coached. As much as he loved football, he also loved ELVIS. His Elvis impersonations began with the yearly production of Hee Haw. He would perform at local festivals, charity events, and even made it to the finals in Branson, Mo. His voice and likeness of Elvis brought many smiles and laughter to his audiences. Browder enjoyed traveling to the beach, cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals, and Ole Miss Rebels. He exercised regularly often running six miles before school and participated in marathons. He is survived by two sons, Bart Browder and wife Kendra of Gallatin, Tennessee, Blake Browder and wife Shannon of Nashville, Tennessee; mother, Dortha Browder Naylor of Bethel Springs, Tennessee; a brother, Jeff Browder and wife Mary Lu of Clarksville, Tennessee; two grandchildren, Kellen and Mills Browder; companion, Marsha Milam of Lexington, Tennessee; and a host of extended family and friends.

John S. Pearson, Jr. (‘80) passed away Wednesday, November 10, 2021, from a heart attack at his home in Memphis. John was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 4, 1962, to Dr. and Mrs. John Spellings Pearson, Sr. While he was born in Memphis and returned there later in life, he spent his childhood years in Jackson, Tennessee John attended Old Hickory Academy and graduated from there in 1980. During his time in West Tennessee, you could find him on many frigid winter mornings duck or goose hunting with his father until his father’s death in 1976. He always spoke so fondly of those times later in his life. After graduation from high school, John moved to Memphis and began his lengthy career in the culinary arts realm. If you ever had a favorite fine dining restaurant in Memphis over the last 40 years, John probably cooked your meal there at least once. Many key culinary institutions in Memphis have been lucky enough to have John work on their line, and he was a living, breathing oral history of the Memphis fine dining scene. John was the anchor of many kitchens, working the grill station, helping with the pantry, and occasionally at his most recent restaurant as the saucier- one of the most skilled and respected jobs in any kitchen. Many have said that John was an absolute joy to work with. Maybe you will recall his grandmother’s Oc’s Peas from the Squash Blossom, Crawfish Pie, Mussels in Jamaican Run Down Sauce, Snapper with Black Bean Buerre Blanc or Shrimp and Habanero Vanilla. His extensive experience and unflagging work ethic made him an incredible teammate, but his greatest quality was the sense of camaraderie and pride he brought to the kitchen and instilled in his colleagues. John was also the rare kind of individual who made his living with his hands, but whose curious mind thrived on every sort of intellectual pursuit. John was a fan of music, film, and writing, particularly of jazz and the works of Terrence Malick, David Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Michel Houllebecq. He loved to discuss his passions with others, and many were the nights when John would be leading a post-shift seminar about the merits of his favorite cinematographers. John is survived by his son, Connor Willis Pearson, and sister, Amy Pearson Griffin (Will).

Alumni Spotlight: Audrey Davis Finishes in 1st Place at St. Jude Marathon

University School of Jackson alumna and former Union University women’s cross country standout, Audrey Hazlehurst Davis, finished first in the 2021 St. Jude Women’s Marathon.

Davis was the only female with a time under three hours at 2:59:38. Her time put her 21st overall among men and women participants.

Audrey Hazlehurst Davis is married to Jared Davis, also a USJ alumnus and baseball standout.

The St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon is a 26.2-mile run through the heart of downtown Memphis benefiting the kids of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The hospital is leading the way in how the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

WALKWAY BRICKS - CREATE A LASTING LEGACY

Are you looking for a way to celebrate this special time in a senior’s life?

Do you want to recognize a special teacher or loved one? Consider purchasing a brick in his or her name.

These bricks leave a lasting legacy as they line the walkway of the entrance to the Upper School.

They are engraved with a personal message and/or a selected design. The 8” x 4” bricks are $100 each and include a mini replica of the original for you to keep.

We hope you and your family will want to be a part of something special at USJ. A link to the order form can be found in the give section of usjbruins.org. For more information contact Elizabeth Atkins at eatkins@usjbruins.org.

CLASS REUNIONS

The Class of 1976 could not have had a more beautiful night for their 45th reunion. Twenty-four classmates attended at Frank and Darlene Lawrence’s Barn in Huntersville. The Barn was decorated perfectly with fall decor, along with a fire pit outside surrounded by hay bales for roasting marshmallows and catching up with old friends and classmates. The class will have their next gathering in two years when they all celebrate turning 65! A huge thank you goes out to Molly (Woodruff) Hymers, Benita (Knight) Barkley, Mary (Hill) Powell, and Dr. Molly (McLemore) Rheney for all of their efforts in planning such a successful event.

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL of JACKSON

232 McClellan Rd. | Jackson, TN 38305

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