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Information about the deaths of the following alumni was received in the Office of Development. Please send information to University of North Texas, Alumni Records, P.O. Box 311250, Denton, Texas 76203-1250, fax to (940) 565-4519, send e-mail to giving@unt.edu or fill out the online form.

Click on the names for more information.

1930s

Alvis H. Bobo Adkins ('31)
Ivan E. Johnson Jr. ('32)
Robert P. McDonald ('32)
Joe B. Abernathy ('36)

Opal A. Douglas ('36)
Emma Orr Frank ('36)
Edwin Earl Read ('36)
William Rhoten ('38)
Doris Read Bogart
('39)
Meland Bagby Campbell ('39)
John H. Guyer ('39, '47 M.S.)

 

1940s

Golden Marguerite Atteberry Avery ('40, '53 M.Ed.)
John B. Davidson ('40)
William B. 'Bill' Grace ('40)
Elizabeth Barnett Grayson ('43)
Charlene Lindsey Kearns ('43)
Helen J. 'Peggy' Keen Wood ('43)
Sue Mathis Frost ('44)
Genevieve 'Gene' Faulk Hawley ('45)
Grady Melton Jr. ('45, '50 M.S.)
Lawson Garland 'Jim' Sitzes Jr. ('46)

LaVerne Timberlake Shannon ('47)
Henry A. Barlow ('48)
Billie Marie Emerick ('48)
Patricia Ann Patterson Gregory ('48)
James K. Highsmith ('48)
Glenn Allen Howard ('49, '57 M.Ed.)





 

1950s

John N. Desco Jr. ('50)
Lou Ellen Wright McKenzie ('50)
Colin E. McSween ('50)
Hawkins Scarborough ('50)
Frances Margaret McBryde ('51 M.A.)
Fred Gordon Erney Jr. ('53)
William 'Bill' Joseph McClendon ('53)
Joan Evonne Bottger ('54, '57 M.Ed.)
Mary Beth Norman Baird ('55, '57 M.S.)
Ximeno Xerxes 'Bill' Jay Jr.
('55)
Ernst Michael Davis ('56, '62 M.A.)
Peggie Jo Ross Farley
('56)
Ray Dawson Ferguson ('56)
Thomas O. Kirkpatrick ('57, '58 M.B.A.)
Joella Brownlee H. Moore ('57, '60 M.S.)
Martha Mathis Waldie ('57)





 

1960s

John William Herrera ('60)
Otho James 'Nick' Nitcholas Jr. ('60)
James R. Mielke ('61)
Hilton Casey ('62, '63 M.S.)
Bobby Ray Emberton ('62)
Birnam Royce 'B.R.' Tompkins ('62)
Robert 'Bob' Donald Porcher ('63, '68 M.A.)
James Russell Floyd ('65 M.A., '76 Ph.D.)
Steven L. Adair ('66, '68 M.Ed.)
Gerald Wayne 'Jerry' Langston ('66, '76 M.Ed.)

Edith Imogene 'Jean' Walker ('66)
Sue C. Tankersley ('67 M.M.Ed.)
Gayle Siegel Oberstein ('68)
Wendell O. Ware ('68 M.Ed.)




 

1970s

Herman E. Depold ('70, '71 M.S.)
Charlotte Washington McLaren Ament ('72)
Michael Lee Harlow
('72)
Charles Leon Johnson ('72)
James Melton Bailey ('73 Ed.D.)
J. Michael 'Mike' Bradford ('75)
Betty Jane Golson Bailey ('76)
Matthew Shelby
('76)







 

1980s

Jeannine Mobley Irwin ('81 M.S.)
John Lewis Morgan Jr. ('81)
David Fillmore ('84)
Gene Fuhrman ('86)






1990s

Matthew Harris Fletcher ('92)
Larry Sackman ('95 M.B.A.)





 

University Community

Nora Kizer Bell
James V. Cooke ('28)
W. James Davidson
Nina Moody Macklin Escue

Forest Sidney 'Sid' Hamilton ('37, '37 M.S.)
Terry Gilbert Jordan
Jack Roberts ('51, '52 M.A.)
Grant Barthe Williams








 

1930s [ top ]

  • Alvis H. Bobo Adkins ('31), College Station. She taught for more than 35 years at Irving ISD and was named Teacher of the Year in 1971. In 1978 she moved to Bryan and taught first grade at Allen Academy.
  • Ivan E. Johnson Jr. ('32), Tallahassee, Fla. He was Professor Emeritus of art education and constructive design at Florida State University, where he had been chair of the art department. He served in the Coast Guard and Navy during World War II.
  • Robert P. McDonald ('32), Fort Worth. A physician, he served in the Navy during World War II. He opened his own practice in 1946 and served on the staffs of Harris and All Saints hospitals for more than 50 years. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from UNT in 1986.
  • Joe B. Abernathy ('36), Mineral Wells. He was a special agent with the FBI from 1942 to 1976 and was one of the investigators in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He met his wife, Vallie K. Abernathy, on her first day on the North Texas campus.
  • Opal A. Douglas ('36), Dallas. She taught school for 37 years in Big Spring, Sherman and Dallas. She sang with a group called the "Lottie Bees," which performed at various nursing homes and retirement centers.
  • Emma Orr Frank ('36), Fort Worth. She was a school teacher in Hill County for more than 30 years, retiring in 1978. She was also part owner of W. W. "Ollie" Frank Newspaper for 45 years, distributing the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Edwin Earl Read ('36), Merkel. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After coaching track and basketball, he served as high school principal at Merkel from 1941 to 1972.
  • William Rhoten ('38), Azle. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After 40 years as an educator, he retired in 1974 as principal of David K. Sellars Elementary School in Fort Worth. He then spent his time taking care of his farm, cattle and horses.
  • Doris Read Bogart ('39), Houston. She received her bachelor's degree from North Texas in home economics.
  • Meland Bagby Campbell ('39), Albuquerque, N.M. She worked for the federal government in Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, Oklahoma City and Amarillo. From 1959 to 1976, she was the office manager for a group of orthodontists.
  • John H. Guyer ('39, '47 M.S.), Denton. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He worked for the Denton ISD for more than 30 years, serving as a coach and principal at Denton High School and as assistant superintendent for the district before retiring in 1981. He is the namesake of Denton's John H. Guyer High School, which is scheduled to open in 2005.

1940s [ top ]

  • Golden Marguerite Atteberry Avery ('40, '53 M.Ed.), Sherman. She taught special education for more than 45 years in Texas, Florida and Oregon.
  • John B. Davidson ('40), Belton. He was Professor Emeritus of religion at Baylor University. Before joining Baylor in 1957, he was the pastor of Baptist churches in Greenville, Fort Worth, Montague and Austin.
  • William B. 'Bill' Grace ('40), Wichita Falls. He owned a Buick dealership through the late 1950s and was a loan officer with Wichita National Bank from 1963 until his retirement in 1984.
  • Elizabeth Barnett Grayson ('43), Houston. She taught for more than 29 years in schools in Tennessee, Texas and Naples, Italy. She retired from the Houston ISD in 1977.
  • Charlene Lindsey Kearns ('43), Dallas. She was a teacher with the Selwyn Academy and a concessions owner at the State Fair of Texas.
  • Helen J. 'Peggy' Keen Wood ('43), Midland. She taught school and was a librarian in Brownfield and Van Horn. After moving to Midland, she worked for Exxon for 36 years, retiring in 1986.
  • Sue Mathis Frost ('44), Emory. She earned her degree from North Texas in health education.
  • Genevieve 'Gene' Faulk Hawley (45), Midland. She taught special education for 17 years in Midland and Lee high schools, retiring in 1985. She helped create programs that allowed pregnant students to continue attending high school and special education students to receive special diplomas by holding jobs she helped obtain for them.
  • Grady Melton Jr. ('45, '50 M.S.), Longview. He graduated from the demonstration school at North Texas and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. His teaching career spanned 34 years in Texas and New Mexico schools. He also raised shorthorn cattle and won state awards for cattle breeding and contributions to agriculture.
  • Lawson Garland 'Jim' Sitzes Jr. ('46), Pilot Point. He earned his degree from North Texas in economics and served in the Air Force.
  • LaVerne Timberlake Shannon ('47), San Angelo. She earned her North Texas degree in library science and taught in Fort Stockton, Levelland, Wall and San Angelo.
  • Henry A. Barlow ('48), Denton. He was in the Army and the Marine Corps in Okinawa during World War II and received a Purple Heart. He studied economics at North Texas.
  • Billie Marie Emerick ('48), Bartlesville, Okla. She earned her bachelor's degree from North Texas in secretarial administration.
  • Patricia Ann Patterson Gregory ('48), Corsicana. She was an executive director in Shaklee and was active in several community programs, including mentoring at Corsicana ISD.
  • James K. Highsmith ('48), Farmersville. He was the former superintendent for the Farmersville ISD and served several terms on the Farmersville City Council after retiring. He served in the Army during World War II.
  • Glenn Allen Howard ('49, '57 M.Ed.), Amarillo. He started the driver's education program at Amarillo High School and was the first basketball coach at Travis Junior High there. He served in the Air Force during World War II.

1950s [ top ]

  • John N. Desco Jr. ('50), Leonard. The owner of J. Desco & Sons, he was in the ceramic tile and terrazzo business until he retired in 1975. He was an officer in the Air Force Reserves and the Texas Air National Guard from 1948 to 1956, and was especially proud of his 45 years of perfect attendance in the Rotary Club.
  • Lou Ellen Wright McKenzie ('50), Amarillo. She taught first grade in Byers for three years before moving to Amarillo. There she sold real estate and later worked as a homebound teacher for 19 years.
  • Colin E. McSween ('50), Sanger. He was a B-24 pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He later worked for American Airlines and retired as a captain.
  • Hawkins Scarborough ('50), Cedar Park. He received his bachelor's degree from North Texas in industrial arts education.
  • Frances Margaret McBryde ('51 M.A.), Denton. She taught English and music until 1931, when she met and married North Texas biology professor James B. McBryde. She was a member of the Ariel Club for 70 years, where she played piano solos and duets. She was recognized by the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs for being a member longer than anyone in the history of that organization.
  • Fred Gordon Erney Jr. ('53), Denton. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He worked in the paper industry in Dallas, Los Angeles and Houston and belonged to the Houston World Affairs Council.
  • William 'Bill' Joseph McClendon ('53), Denton. He served in the Air Force and the Air Force ROTC, receiving his commission as first lieutenant. His career as an executive with Murphy Corp., Mobil Oil and Ingram Industries gave him the opportunity to live and travel throughout the world.
  • Joan Evonne Bottger ('54, '57 M.Ed.), Edmond, Okla. She taught health and physical education and coached girls sports for 14 years in Texas public schools. For 23 years she was a professor of health and physical education at the University of Central Oklahoma.
  • Mary Beth Norman Baird ('55, '57 M.S.), Austin. After graduating from North Texas, she worked in medical research and maintained her interest in medicine throughout her lifetime.
  • Ximeno Xerxes 'Bill' Jay Jr. ('55), Clayton, N.C. He was a graduate of the North Texas demonstration school and served in the Korean War. He studied general business at North Texas.
  • Ernst Michael Davis ('56, '62 M.A.), Sugar Land. He earned his degrees from North Texas in biology and in 1979 was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
  • Peggie Jo Ross Farley ('56), Lafayette, La. She taught in Dallas and then in Louisiana schools. She retired from the Lafayette Parish School Board in 1997.
  • Ray Dawson Ferguson ('56), Wayne, N.J. He was a retired professional golfer. He studied business education at North Texas.
  • Thomas O. Kirkpatrick ('57, '58 M.B.A.), Missoula, Mont. He earned his bachelor's degree in personnel management and organizational behavior and his master's in personnel and industrial relations from North Texas.
  • Joella Brownlee H. Moore ('57, '60 M.S.), Grandview. She received her bachelor's in education and a master's in elementary education supervision from North Texas.
  • Martha Mathis Waldie ('57), Dallas. She taught English in the Dallas ISD for several years before becoming an antiques dealer. Most recently she was a dealer at Lovers Lane Antiques Market.

1960s [ top ]

  • John William Herrera ('60), Corpus Christi. A composer, he was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame in 1993. He had won multiple awards for his music and was the owner of the House of Music in Corpus Christi.
  • Otho James 'Nick' Nitcholas Jr. ('60), Plano. He was a Navy veteran, an independent businessman and active with the Texas Baptist Men disaster relief organization.
  • James R. Mielke ('61), Dallas. He was in the Army and in 2002 retired from the Department of Defense after more than 30 years of service.
  • Hilton Casey ('62, ' 63 M.S.), Beeville. He taught and coached for 26 years at schools in Sherman, Tom Bean and Denison, and he operated Casey's Crawfish Farm near Denison after retiring. He served in the Texas National Guard and the Army Reserve from 1953 to 1960.
  • Bobby Ray Emberton ('62), Carthage. He taught school at Carthage for 18 years while running Bluebonnet Cleaners. He also owned and operated Emberton Motor Co. and sang with a bluegrass band.
  • Birnam Royce 'B.R.' Tompkins ('62), Plano. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in physics from North Texas.
  • Robert 'Bob' Donald Porcher ('63, '68 M.A.), Livingston. He was a former Marine, school teacher and real estate appraiser. He was also a member of Mensa.
  • James Russell Floyd ('65 M.A., '76 Ph.D.), Fort Worth. He was head of the math department at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth for several years and later taught at Tarrant County College.
  • Steven L. Adair ('66, '68 M.Ed.), Dallas. He coached baseball at SMU and Trinity Christian Academy. He was named the American Amateur Baseball Association's Coach of the Year in 1994 and the Dallas Morning News Coach of the Year in 1999.
  • Gerald Wayne 'Jerry' Langston ('66, '76 M.Ed.), Gainesville. He spent 33 years in public education as a teacher, principal and girls basketball coach. He was an elementary principal at Valley View, Callisburg and Thackerville schools.
  • Edith Imogene 'Jean' Walker ('66), Dallas. She was co-owner of one of the largest women-owned businesses in Dallas, which included 10 title companies and Safeco Land Title. She received her accounting degree from North Texas.
  • Sue C. Tankersley ('67 M.M.Ed.), Houston. She taught general music in the Houston ISD and private piano lessons for more than 30 years. She was active with the Metro Group of International Cultural Arts, for which she traveled internationally.
  • Gayle Siegel Oberstein ('68), Dallas. She was a real estate agent with Ebby Halliday Realtors for 25 years after teaching in the Dallas ISD.
  • Wendell O. Ware ('68 M.Ed.), Big Spring. He was a teacher and principal with the Big Spring ISD from 1962 to 1991.

1970s [ top ]

  • Herman E. Depold ('70, '71 M.S.), Lake George, N.Y. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He was a professor at Wharton County Junior College for 15 years and owned his own business, Grandma's Backporch Restaurant, from 1978 to 1995.
  • Charlotte Washington McLaren Ament ('72), Bastrop. She was a kindergarten teacher in Irving and received local and statewide Teacher of the Year awards. She was also a founding member of the Irving White Oak chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
  • Michael Lee Harlow ('72), Springtown. He served in the Air Force in Thailand and as a fighter pilot. He was a professional sculptor.
  • Charles Leon Johnson ('72), Austin. He retired from Libbey Glass, where he had worked his way up to territory manager. He received a degree in marketing from North Texas.
  • James Melton Bailey ('73 Ed.D.), Bartlesville, Okla. He served in the Marine Corps during World War II before beginning his teaching career, which spanned more than 40 years. He retired in 1987 as superintendent with the Fort Worth ISD.
  • J. Michael 'Mike' Bradford ('75), Beaumont. He served as a district court judge in Jefferson County and in 1994 was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District. His notable cases included defending the government in the Branch Davidian civil trial and helping lead the prosecution in the James Byrd Jr. dragging death trials.
  • Betty Jane Golson Bailey ('76), Kaufman. She studied history at North Texas and was an educator in Dallas and Kaufman counties.
  • Matthew Shelby ('76), Tucson, Ariz. He was a computer programmer with America Online and had lived in Tucson for 25 years. He received his North Texas degree in psychology.

1980s [ top ]

  • Jeannine Mobley Irwin ('81 M.S.), Dallas. She worked for the Dallas Public Library and was recently working with the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski. She was a past president of the Dallas Association of Law Librarians.
  • John Lewis Morgan Jr. ('81), Plano. He received his degree from North Texas in marketing.
  • David Fillmore ('84), Irving. He was a lifelong resident of Irving and a salesman for the Dallas branch of the SMC Corp. His sister, Jan Fillmore Scott ('80), says he had always regretted not buying a class ring when he attended North Texas and just last spring was able to find one from a company that still had the NTSU mold.
  • Gene Fuhrman ('86), Denton. He graduated from North Texas with a degree in business computer information systems and was the chief operating officer of Nortex Communications Co. in Muenster. He and his college roommate, Brian Bearden ('86) of Houston, lived in the same room in West Hall for their entire 4 1/2-year stay at North Texas.

1990s [ top ]

  • Matthew Harris Fletcher ('92), Dallas. He earned his bachelor of science degree from UNT in criminal justice and worked in the computer technology field.
  • Larry Sackman ('95 M.B.A.), North Richland Hills. He was employed by Bell Helicopter-Textron as an engineer for more than 17 years.

University Community [ top ]

  • Nora Kizer Bell, Roanoke, Va., professor of philosophy and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, 1993-1997. She received her bachelor's degree from Randolph-Macon Woman's College, a master's from the University of South Carolina and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She left Denton to become the first female president of Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga. In 2002 she became president of Hollins University in Roanoke.
  • James V. Cooke ('28), Denton, Professor Emeritus of mathematics, 1937-1974. He earned his bachelor's degree in math from North Texas and a master's degree and doctorate from Peabody College in Nashville, Tenn. Before joining North Texas, he taught math in public schools and at colleges in Texas and Kentucky. He left North Texas to serve in the Air Corps during World War II and returned after the war.
  • W. James Davidson, Fort Worth, Professor Emeritus of English, 1954-1986. He took pilot ground lessons on campus and lived in Chilton Hall before serving in Hawaii and the Philippines during World War II. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Utah and his doctorate from New York University. He wrote creative as well as scholarly works, was a painter and pianist, and was also well known for walking to work, a round trip of 10 miles a day between his Denton home and campus.
  • Nina Moody Macklin Escue, Denton, teacher at the North Texas Lab School, 1955-1967. She also taught in the Denton school district and was active with the National Education Association.
  • Forest Sidney 'Sid' Hamilton ('37, '37 M.S.), Denton, Professor Emeritus of psychology, 1936-1973. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from North Texas and his doctorate in psychology at New York University. He served in the Navy during World War II and also served in the Korean War. At North Texas, he was the faculty sponsor of Psi Chi, the national psychology honor society, and served on the organization's national council.
  • Terry Gilbert Jordan, Austin, professor and chair of the Department of Geography, 1969-1982. He earned his bachelor's degree at Southern Methodist University, his master's at the University of Texas and his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin. He taught at Arizona State University before joining North Texas and later served as the Walter Prescott Webb Professor of History and Ideas at the University of Texas.
  • Jack Roberts ('51, '52 M.A.), Denton, professor of music, 1957-2004. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from North Texas as a student of Silvio and Isabel Scionti and received his doctorate from the University of Michigan. A designated Steinway artist, in 1984 he began serving as piano coordinator at North Texas and chaired the division of keyboard studies until 1999. He also enjoyed a successful career as a concert performer. For many years, he was an official pianist for the G.B. Dealey Competition in Dallas.
  • Grant Barthe Williams, Farmers Branch, Professor Emeritus of music, 1966-1994. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the Juilliard School of Music and performed as a tenor soloist for opera companies throughout the United States. He recorded music for RCA Victor, MGM and Lyrichord Records. At North Texas, he directed the Chapel Choir and was the sponsor of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national music fraternity. For the past 10 years he had worked with the Dallas Symphony Chorus as a vocal technique coach and consultant.

 

 
   
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