Dr. Gladys Johnson Hildreth, 92, of Denton and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a former senior lecturer in UNT’s College of Education, died April 15.

Dr. Hildreth was a Certified Family Life Educator, and she taught and conducted research on family development and human relations throughout a higher education career that spanned more than 65 years. She taught at UNT from 2006 to 2015, and had also served as a department chair for the School of Human Ecology at LSU, where she was Professor Emeritus; as a chairperson for the School of Human Environmental Sciences’ Department of Family Studies at the University of Kentucky; and as a faculty member at TWU.

Dr. Hildreth was a Golden Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta and a member of the National Council on Family Relations. She published her first book, Leaving No One Behind, An African American Family’s Story of Achievement Through Education, at the age of 91. She was devoted to her faith and to her family, who say she believed that education was the answer to most problems. She also was known as an impeccable dresser and never lost a game of Scrabble.

She earned her bachelor’s degree at Southern University, her master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin and her doctoral degree at Michigan State University. 

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Dr. Bertina Hildreth Combes, who was vice provost for faculty success and professor of special education at UNT.

Memorials may be made to The Drs. Eddie and Gladys Hildreth Scholarship through the UNT Division of Advancement, 1155 Union Circle #311250, Denton, TX 76203-5017 or by calling 940-369-8200.

Vernon Fisher, 80, of Fort Worth, Professor Emeritus of art and one of the leaders of post-modern painting, died April 24.

Fisher was a nationally renowned artist whose work has been displayed at the Whitney Biennial, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, as well as many other museums and galleries around the country and internationally. He received numerous prestigious grants, including the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship and three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Fisher’s works came of age at the dawning of post-modernism, as a group of artists transitioned from abstract expression to post-modern irreverence, humor and representation.

His works often featured a complex mix of elements, with subjects that often don’t mix together. His pieces could include cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Olive Oyl, landscape vignettes, maps and grids, and words.

“My work comes off as ambiguous because it was created to do so,” he said in a 1997 North Texan article. “I want people to think about what they’re seeing, so that they leave not with a factual understanding of what they saw, but rather with a feeling of ‘getting it.’”

Fisher taught at UNT from 1978 to 2009, where he was a Regents Professor known for mentoring and inspiring his students. They included Celia Alvarez Muñoz (’82 M.F.A.), Texas State 2D Artist for 2022, and musician Sara Hickman (’86).

In 2019, UNT featured an exhibition of Fisher's paintings and sculptures called Words and Pictures, which featured his work from 1980 to 2019.

A documentary about his life, Breaking the Code, made by UNT M.F.A. media arts student Michael Flanagan, premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival April 29 and also was screened at Denton’s Thin Line Film Fest on April 30.

Fisher received his bachelor’s degree from Hardin-Simmons University and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois. Before coming to UNT, he served as associate professor of art at Austin College from 1969 to 1978.

Dr. Charles “Chuck” Bimmerle, 84, of Double Oak and Cincinnati, Ohio, an associate professor of management who taught from 1976 to 1999, died April 8.

Originally from Ohio, he apprenticed with his father, Charles Sr., as an electrician. He also learned how to fix cars from books at the library, a hobby that helped him begin his career at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan.

He moved back home to pursue a degree at the University of Cincinnati, where he found his calling for higher education and teaching others. He earned his Ph.D. in 1976 and shortly after accepted a position at UNT. Along with his wife, Deak, and their nine children, he moved to Double Oak, where he served as mayor in the mid-1980s.

In a 2022 North Texan article, Wilson Jones (’85) credits him as the reason he decided to stay in school. Jones had wanted to drop out to save money since he was struggling to manage his job on top of his courseload, but his professor’s encouragement and similar story changed his mind. Wilson retired as CEO of Oshkosh Corp. and created The Wilson Jones Career Center — focusing on student internships — with the second-largest gift in the history of the G. Brint Ryan College of Business.

Dr. Bimmerle's legacy continues through the many lives he touched and the passion he ignited in students, family, friends, neighbors and strangers alike. He spent much of his retirement volunteering within his community, at his church and local nursing homes.

Don Schol, 82, of Argyle, Professor Emeritus of visual arts and design and founder of the photography program, died Feb. 2. He worked at UNT for 41 years, joined the art faculty in 1969 and retiring as associate dean for administrative affairs in what was then the School of Visual Arts and Design.

He was hired to create the photography department and he was a sculpture faculty member. His primary work was in wood sculpture, which frequently involved Honduran mahogany, hand carving chisels and techniques from the Middle Ages. His work often touched on faith and was commissioned by churches throughout the DFW area and in Nigeria. Students and colleagues remember him for his mentorship.

Before coming to UNT, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army infantry. He also was a team leader for U.S. Army Combat Artist Team V for a short time in Vietnam. The sculptures and drawings he created for the U.S. Army are archived at the Smithsonian Institution. He published War Cuts, a book of woodcut prints and commentary about his experiences, and the original woodcut prints are on display at the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire, New Mexico.

He received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Dallas and his Master of Fine Arts in sculpture and drawing from the University of Texas at Austin.

He is survived by his wife, Pamela B. Burnley-Schol (’89 M.F.A.).

Mildred Catherine “Katy” Dawson (’48, ’49 M.S.), 93, of Denton, who had served as an adjunct professor of Spanish and was a member of the President’s Council for her generous donations, died April 1.

She was a longtime member of the UNT Alumni Association and former president of the Women of UNT.

She met her husband, the late David Dawson ('47, '48 M.S.), during her first year as a student, and all six of their children earned degrees from UNT. In fact, she was part of five generations of her family with ties to campus, beginning with her grandfather W.N. Masters, founder of the chemistry department. Read more about the family in our 2017 article.

In addition to earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Katy took postgraduate classes at UNT, the University of Texas at Austin and Instituto de Filologia Española in Saltillo, Mexico.

Her husband served on the math faculty at North Texas for 27 years, and after all their children were in school, Katy taught Spanish as an adjunct. In 1986, she received the Honor Professor Award from the Meadows Foundation for helping to develop a Spanish program for the students in the Meadows Excellence in Teaching Program.

After David’s death in 2011, Katy established the David F. Dawson Endowment for Student Excellence in his memory, to provide scholarships to high-performing mathematics students.

She was passionate about philanthropy and volunteering. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church and its adult handbell ensemble, and she served as president of the Denton Benefit League and Ann’s Haven Hospice/VNA Auxiliary.

Wesley W. Wenrich, 90, of Highland Village, Professor Emeritus of psychology, died Nov. 30, 2022. He joined UNT from Roanoke College in 1970 to help build the clinical psychology program and taught in the Department of Psychology until his retirement in 1993.

The department added many graduate programs during his time at UNT. He taught a practicum in psychotherapy, new courses in psychopathology and was one of the creators of what became the health psychology/behavioral medicine doctoral program in the department. He co-wrote one of the earliest textbooks in that area to use the term “Behavioral Medicine” in its title.

He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, a master’s at Michigan State University and a doctorate at the University of Minnesota. His wife, the late Lindsey Paulson Wenrich, studied art, biology and English at UNT.

J.B. Spalding, 79, of Denton, who taught business statistics from 1970 to 2005 as an associate professor of information technology and decision sciences, died Nov. 6.

His specialty was statistical analysis of data and he consulted in statistical analysis in discrimination cases. He also served as associate dean for student affairs in what is now the G. Brint Ryan College of Business. In 1975-76, he was president of the Southwest Decision Sciences Institute. In 1986, he won the 'Fessor Graham Award, the highest honor given by the student body for outstanding faculty members.

Students recalled his talent for helping them to understand difficult material. But he earned his reputation as “The Count,” dressing up as a vampire to encourage blood donations at campus drives. He donated more than 10 gallons during his lifetime. His license plate even bore the word “Kount.”

He earned his bachelor’s degree at Fort Lewis College and his master’s degree and doctorate at Texas Tech University. He loved to travel and tell jokes, and his family says he did not have the gene for being embarrassed.

A celebration of life — “to honor his love of life, constant joyful attitude and love of all things silly” — will take place at 2 p.m. Jan. 14, 2023, at Faith United Methodist Church, 6060 Teasley, in Denton. You’re asked to wear colors that bring you joy.

Solveig Olsen, 82, of Denton, Professor Emerita who taught German in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures (formerly Foreign Languages and Literatures) for 37 years, died Dec. 25.

She was named an Outstanding Honor Professor at UNT and received the President’s Council University Teaching Award. She founded and directed the UNT chapters of the foreign language honor society, Phi Sigma Iota, and the German honor society, Delta Phi Alpha, as well as directing an annual exchange between UNT and the University of Luneburg, Germany.

She served as department chair, participated in a number of committees and wrote numerous books, papers, presentations and articles. Dr. Olsen retired in 2005 and has since established several annual scholarships for the department, including the Edist/Solveig Olsen Scholarship and the Martha A. Olsen Memorial Scholarship.

She earned an M.A. in German from the University of Oslo and a Ph.D. in Germanics from Rice University.

The service will take place at 2 p.m. Jan. 18 at Roselawn Memorial Park, 3801 Roselawn Drive in Denton.

John Paul Eddy, 90, of Denton, Professor Emeritus of counseling, development and higher education in the College of Education, who taught at UNT from 1978 to 2000, died Dec. 6.

He took on the position after a lifetime of activism in the civil rights movement. In his early 20s, after receiving his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture at the University of Minnesota, he served as missionary in the Philippines and studied at the Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Along with his wife Betty, Dr. Eddy served as a campus minister with the Wesley Foundation, which led to his involvement with the civil rights movement – including hosting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at his church and attending the March on Washington.

In 1965, Dr. Eddy pursued a career in higher education, earning a Ph.D. at Southern Illinois University. He taught at Johnson State College in Vermont, New Mexico Tech in Socorro and Loyola University in Chicago and served as an educational fellow at NASA in Huntsville, Alabama, before coming to UNT.

He was a frequent writer and speaker – producing nearly 40 books and more than 400 journal articles – and served as a mentor for doctoral students. He was a frequent traveler for professional conferences and made visits to former students. He co-wrote one textbook with a former student, Sang-Kil Kim (’90 Ph.D.) for South Korean universities. He received the Notable Achievement Award from the Association of Counselors and Educators in Government in 1998 for his work. During his retirement, he hosted a public access TV show, ran for local office and volunteered for the Salvation Army.

Robert Desiderato Jr., 83, of Denton, Professor Emeritus of chemistry who worked at UNT from 1966 to 2004, died Dec. 30. Dr. Desiderato joined UNT to initiate research in X-ray studies of compounds to elucidate chemical structures. His research carried him frequently to the Oak Ridge Science Center during summer months.

At UNT — where he was known to his students as “Dr. D” — he was active in Alpha Chi Sigma, the national professional chemistry society, and served as the Beta Eta chapter advisor for more than 30 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and his doctorate at Rice University. He enjoyed pizza, crossword puzzles, trivia, his Get Classy with Bob music hour and helping people in need.