TAPS TAPS Richard C. Wight Jr. ’30 Richard Cunningham Wight Jr. ’30 of Richmond, Virginia, died on Dec. 2, 2011. He was 101. Wight matriculated from Richmond and attended VMI for one year. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Virginia. He is survived by his son, Richard (Susan); stepson, Henry S. White; stepdaughter, Mary T. Gautreaux, and her four children; a number of nieces and nephews; and special caregiver, Delores Allen. He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Sampson Wight.
John D. Todd Jr. ’34 John Dickerson Todd Jr. ’34 of Greenville, South Carolina, died on Dec. 29, 2011. He was 99. Todd matriculated from Miami, Florida, and attended VMI for two years. He earned his bachelor of laws degree from the University of Georgia. He is survived by his daughter, Rosalind Tedards (Ted) of Greenville; son, John D. III (Joan) of Spartanburg, South Carolina; and three granddaughters, Emily, Susan and Anna Todd. Todd was predeceased by his wife, Mellicent McWhorther Todd, and a brother, Leonard M. Todd ’35, who died on Oct. 6, 2009.
George C. Freeman ’35 Former Class Agent Lt. Col. George Clifford Freeman ’35 of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died on Jan. 11, 2012. He was 96. Freeman matriculated from Norfolk County, Virginia, and earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He is survived by his wife, Clelia Thompson Freeman; his sons, George C. II of Portsmouth, Virginia, and Richard Robert Freeman of Richmond, Virginia; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Gilbert S. McCutcheon ’39 Gilbert Stanley McCutcheon ’39 of Alexandria, Virginia, died on Dec. 28, 2011. He was 95. McCutcheon matriculated from Petersburg, Virginia, and attended VMI for two years. He earned his bachelor of arts degree from the University of North Carolina. He is survived by his wife, Frances Palco McCutcheon, and daughter Bonnie.
Thomas W. Purcell Jr. ’40 Thomas Williamson Purcell Jr. ’40 of Richmond, Virginia, died on Dec. 30, 2011. He was 93.
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Purcell matriculated from Richmond and attended VMI for one year. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is survived by his sons and their wives, Tom (Liz), Bob (Jackie) and Riker (Ginny), and by his grandchildren, Brooke, Drew, Anne Riker, Peyton, Cassie and Emily. Purcell was predeceased by his wife, Martha.
William A. Willis ’41 Col. William Allen Willis ’41 of Edgefield, South Carolina, died on Sept. 24, 2011. He was 91. Willis matriculated from Augusta, Georgia, and earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from VMI. He is survived by his wife, Catherine Eve Nicholson Willis; children, Dr. William A. Willis Jr. (Phyllis) of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Elizabeth Bryan Willis of Edgefield, Pamela Davies Willis of Auckland, New Zealand, and Rhett N. Willis (Wayne) of Savannah, Georgia; and grandchildren, Dr. Rhett Willis Jr., George Willis, David Turpin, John Turpin and William Willis III. He was preceded in death by his brother, Ralph B. Willis ’36, who died on March 14, 1999.
James E. Cheatham ’42 James Elliott Cheatham ’42 of Appomattox, Virginia, died on Nov. 14, 2011. He was 89. Cheatham matriculated from Evergreen, Virginia, and earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from VMI and a master of science degree from the University of Illinois. He is survived by his son, Jack Hudson Cheatham; daughter, Nan Cheatham Edwards; grandsons, James Hudson Cheatham and Weston Dane Edwards; great-granddaughter, Addison Cortney Cheatham; and his sister, Jeanne Cheatham Stanley, and her daughter, Jan Comer. He was predeceased by his wife, Ruth.
Roger A. Milio ’42 Roger Angelo Milio ’42 of Columbia, Maryland, died on Oct. 10, 2011. He was 91. Milio matriculated from New York, New York, and was a Distinguished Graduate from VMI, earning a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. He earned his bachelor and doctor of laws degrees from Fordham University.
Milio is survived by his wife, Kathryn, and three daughters, Lorriane, Diane and Christine.
Wortham A. Spilman Jr. ’42 Wortham Anderson Spilman Jr. ’42 of Richmond, Virginia, died on Dec. 21, 2011. He was 91. Spilman matriculated from Richmond and earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from VMI. He is survived by his wife, Alice Taylor Spilman; three daughters, Isabel Spilman Bates (Malcolm), Margaret Spilman Crowley (Michael) and Alice Spilman Frankovitch (Eric); eight grandchildren, Alec Bates, Marshall Bates Rigby, David Crowley, Andrew Crowley, Mark Frankovitch, Taylor Frankovitch, Carl Frankovitch and John Frankovitch; and great-grandchildren, Thomas and Isabel Rigby.
Walter E. Woelper Sr. ’42 Walter Elliott Woelper Sr. ’42 of El Paso, Texas, died on Dec. 20, 2011, at the age of 90. His obituary appears in the front section of this Review.
Nimrod W.E. Long II ’43 Nimrod William Ezekiel Long II ’43 of Mountain Bark, Alabama, died on Sept. 27, 2011. He was 90. Long matriculated from Birmingham, Alabama, and attended VMI for one year, four months and 24 days. He continued his studies at Auburn University, earning a bachelor of science degree. Long is survived by his daughter, Joann Conzelman Long; son, Nimrod W.E. Long III (Nancy); and three granddaughters, Elizabeth McNeil Long, Martha Reese Long and Joanne Dunn Long. He was predeceased by his wife, Joan.
Robert S. Rucker ’43 Robert Saunders Rucker ’43 of Bedford, Virginia, died on Nov. 6, 2011. He was 91. Rucker matriculated from Bedford and attended VMI for two years. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Bayse Rucker; three children, Robert S. Rucker Jr., James L. Rucker and wife Anne, and Anne Rucker O’ Connor and husband Timothy; and four grandchildren, Hannah, Carmen, Edward and Henry.
Joshua C. Whetzel Jr. ’43 Joshua Clyde Whetzel Jr. ’43 of Harbor’s
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