To send us information about the deaths of North Texas alumni, fill out and submit the online form, send e-mail to north_texan@unt.edu, fax to (940) 369-8763 or mail to The North Texan; University of North Texas; University Relations, Communications and Marketing; P.O. Box 311070; Denton, Texas 76203-1070.

Click on the names for more information.

1920s [ top ]

• Kathryn Daffron Thompson ('29), Davenport, Wash. She taught for 26 years in Texas, most of those years at Hyer Elementary School in Highland Park, before her retirement in the early 1970s.

1930s [ top ]

• Margaret Stapper ('35, '45 M.S.), San Antonio. She taught physical education for 42 years at the high school and college levels. She retired from Incarnate Word University.
• Lowell Dean Bennett ('36, '41 M.S.), McKinney. He graduated from the North Texas Demonstration School as well as North Texas and was a teacher and elementary school principal. He retired from the McKinney ISD in 1978, and in 2002, he and his wife were honored with the dedication of the Mildred and Dean Bennett Elementary School in McKinney.
• Lucile Vaughn Shoemaker ('37), Lubbock. She earned her degree in elementary education from North Texas and taught school at St. Jo, De Leon, Cross Plains and Rankin.
• Carroll Wilson ('37, '41 M.A.), Sherman. He was a radar technician in the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving aboard the U.S.S. Randolph in the Pacific. He taught math at Eastern New Mexico University
  from 1946 until his retirement in 1984.
• Aldene 'Jiggs' Hudson ('38), Hereford. He was a lifelong educator and coached in several Texas communities, including Gatesville, Penelope, Hereford, Jacksboro, Haskell, Seminole, Lubbock and Lewisville, as well as in Fairbanks, Alaska.
  

1940s [ top ]

• Maxine Clarke ('40), Aledo. She earned her North Texas degree in history and served as an aeronautical engineer for General Dynamics from 1943 to 1973.
• Ralph Havenhill ('40), Denton. He was a U.S. Naval Air Force pilot and a Marine Air Force navigator during World War II, then served 27 years in Big Lake as a coach and administrator. At North Texas, he played on the 1937-38 basketball team that won the Lone Star Conference and competed in the national tournament in Kansas City.
• Irene Evans Helton ('40), Commerce. She worked as an administrator and educator for more than 40 years, primarily at schools in Buda and Hays.
• George Lincoln Barber ('41), Jacksonville. He served as a supply sergeant in the Army Air Force in North Africa and Italy. He was a past president of the Jacksonville Savings and Loan and had worked in the real estate industry and as an appraiser.
• Opal Brundage Tate ('41), Dallas. She taught in the Dallas ISD and was a member of the Coronet Book Club for many years.
• Juanita Browder O'Connor ('42, '56 M.Ed.), Ballinger. She joined Consolidated Vultee in Fort Worth in 1942, building airplanes including B-52s. After the war, she taught school and then worked as a home demonstration agent for the Texas Agriculture Extension Service in Kerr and Runnels counties, retiring in 1983.
• Wilma Yeats O'Neal ('42), Dallas. She was employed by Baur & Black and by Paramount Pictures, and with her husband later owned a Western Auto Store in Pecos.
• James Rowland Townsend ('42), Dallas. He was a legal clerk for the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He later worked for several oil companies and the Mercantile National Bank before opening his private law practice. Bow ties were his trademark.
• Warren G. Harding ('43), Dallas. He studied political science at North Texas, then served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served 33 years as a treasurer, first for Dallas County and then for the state of Texas from 1977 to 1983.
• Sarah Ferguson Reavis ('43), Arlington. She was a teacher for more than 10 years with the Arlington ISD and an avid traveler.
• Mary Frances Spencer ('43), Lakeland, Fla. She earned her degree in home economics and chemistry and worked with many Florida organizations, including the Polk County youth fair and PTA, Florida West Coast Educational TV and the Florida Citrus Commission. She was a social worker for the state of Florida from 1969 to 1989.
• Dorothy Marie Goodenough Eimstad ('44), San Diego, Calif. She was a Navy wife who taught school for more than 20 years. She began her career teaching servicemen in Texas to read in World War II and taught in elementary schools in California and Virginia.
• Mable Hawley Sikes ('44), Austin. She earned her bachelor's degree in library science and worked in numerous libraries, including the U.S. Army Library at Camp Livingston, La., the Panhandle County Library, the Carnegie Library in Bryan, the Texas A&M University library and the Austin Public Library.
• Julia Brown Ayres ('48), Wichita Falls. She earned her degree in clothing and textiles from North Texas.
• Esta L. Linton ('48 M.A.), Sherman. She taught English and served as a counselor at Sherman High School from 1946 to 1981.
• Aaron Ray 'Barney' Barnhill ('49), Abilene. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II as an airplane electrical mechanic. He and his family owned Barnhill Office Equipment Inc., from which he retired in 1997.
  

1950s [ top ]

• Robert I. Irby ('50, '57 M.M.E.), Harlingen. He taught music in Littlefield, Perryton and Pampa and for 29 years was director of choral activities at Harlingen High School. After his retirement in 1986 he organized and directed the Cadet Chorus at the Marine Military Academy. He also served 12 years as part-time music director of the First Baptist Church in Harlingen.
• S. Auston Kerley ('50 M.S.), Bryan. He was Director Emeritus of the Academic Counseling Center and Professor Emeritus of educational psychology at Texas A&M University.
• Mildred Bell ('51 M.S.), Searcy, Ark. She was the chair of the home economics department at Harding University for 31 years.
• John Holloman ('51), Kerrville. During the Korean War, he served as a photo reconnaissance pilot. He worked as a pharmaceutical representative for Ross Laboratories and Wyeth Laboratories before retiring in 1989. At North Texas he was a member of the Trojans, the Chapel Choir and the Grand Chorus.
• James B. Settle ('51 M.M.E.), Littlefield. He worked as a chemist at the Pentagon during World War II, then taught band and science and served as an administrator in Texas public schools for 34 years. After retiring he worked as a piano tuner.
• Connie Beeson Allensworth ('52), Runaway Bay. She earned her degree in business education from North Texas. She was a retired purchasing agent for Rockwall International in Dallas.
• Maydell Matthews Laney ('52), Denton. She was the daughter of UNT's eighth president, James C. Matthews (1951-68). She spent 35 years in elementary education, having taught the children and grandchildren of some of her first students.
• L. Lyle Baker ('53,'54 M.S.), Mineola. He taught industrial arts for more than 40 years, including 21 years at W.H. Gaston Middle School in Dallas. He was a ham radio enthusiast and played the violin.
• Pat Cain ('53), Austin. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. At North Texas, he played basketball all four years on a scholarship. He served in the House of Representatives from 1962 to 1968 and retired from the Texas Attorney General's Office as an administrative law judge in 2003.
• Herbert Corder ('54), Van. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and wrote for Stars and Stripes. He was a Katy Award-winning editor for the Tyler Morning Telegraph, working for the T.B. Butler Publishing Co. for more than 40 years.
• Donald Franklin Learner ('54, '74 M.A.), Dallas. He received his degrees in sociology from North Texas. He worked with the Deaf Action Center and served the elderly for 26 years at Dickinson Place.
• James Bryant ('55), Krum. He earned his degree from North Texas in general business.
• Leonard Duffy ('55), Houston. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was a veteran of the Korean War. He taught at the South Texas College of Law from 1967 to 1997. At North Texas he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.
• Louise Mullens ('55), Burkburnett. She taught school for more than 35 years, most of those in Burkburnett. She was awarded an honorary life membership from the National Congress of Parents and Teachers Association.
• Bill Rigsby ('55), Dallas. He worked at Texas Instruments from 1959 until his retirement in 1996.
• Roy Rosson ('55), Longview. He joined the Brown, Bronstad and Habenicht accounting firm in 1955 and was made partner in 1963. He was president and a major shareholder of the firm at the time of his death.
• Raymond Hardy Knight Jr. ('57), Sanger. He received a bachelor of arts degree from North Texas and was a farmer.
• Donald D. Kopecky ('59, '66 M.M.E.), Fort Worth. He served in the U.S. Army, performing as a pianist for military programs in El Paso and Washington, D.C. He taught band and orchestra in the El Paso ISD for 24 years and was an organist for Trinity Presbyterian Church in El Paso for 25 years. He was of Czech descent and enjoyed playing in polka bands. At North Texas he played in both the band and orchestra.
• William L. 'Dub' Robertson ('59), Wimberley. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was a longtime banker. He retired as vice president of Southwest Bank in Fort Worth in 1997.

1960s [ top ]

• Elizabeth Hendon Stokes ('60 Ed.D.), Austin. She was a member of the psychology department of Austin Peay State University from 1960 until her retirement in 1987.
• John Wester ('60), Houston. He earned his degree in business from North Texas.
• Jack Fryar ('66), Tarzan. He worked 35 years in public education, 30 years for the Midland ISD. He began as an English teacher and retired as senior principal.
• Clarece Reynolds-Bell ('66), Fort Worth. She was a retired investigator for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and volunteered with numerous organizations, including the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and YWCA.
• Edward Demetri ('67), Dallas. He served on the board of directors for Terlingua Ranch and as judge advocate for the American Legion Post 653.
• Thomas Alexander ('68), Garland. He was a staff journalist at the Dallas Times Herald for many years and had worked in public relations for the Anatole Hotel.
• Patricia Coffee ('68 M.Ed.), Lubbock. She taught elementary school for 36 years in Texas and Georgia.
• Penny Moyers ('69), Beaumont. She earned her degree in English from North Texas.
  

1970s [ top ]

• Diane Padden Kirkbride ('72, '75 M.Ed.), Mishawaka, Ind. She taught in public and private schools in the Dallas area for several years and was a realtor in South Bend, Ind., for 20 years. She had co-owned a gift shop in Bradford, Pa., and was active in the Junior League, the Red Hat Society and her church.
• Marcia Cumbie McKenna ('73, '74 M.Ed.), Wautauga. She taught in the Keller and Birdville ISDs and loved to travel, visiting Perth, Australia, the most frequently.
• Virgil Temple Bentley ('75 M.A.),  Dallas. He wrote books on aging and directed Temple Publishing Co. for many years. He was an administrator and minister to the aged at the Christian Care Center in Mesquite and served as an elder of the Highland Oaks Church of Christ. 
• Juanita Kay Glasscock Tabb ('77 M.S., '87 Ph.D.), Dallas. She taught in the Richardson ISD for many years.

1980s [ top ]

• Deborah 'Debbie' Wester Jacob ('83 M.Ed., '94 Ph.D.), Dallas. She worked for the Garland ISD for 30 years, beginning as an English teacher at North Garland High School and retiring in 2004 as the district's director of secondary schools.
• Mary Abigail 'Abbie' Buxton ('88 M.Ed.), Richardson. She began teaching in Rockville, Md., and taught special education in the Plano ISD. In 1992 she entered private practice as a counselor. She served in the Dallas Metro Counseling Association.
• George Riefler, Jacksonville, Fla. He studied jazz at North Texas from 1985 to 1989 and was a well-known bass player in the Jacksonville area.
• Barbra Sears ('89 M.A.), Arlington. She worked as a secretary for Martin Luther King Jr. at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and joined him in the march to desegregate Georgia State University. After moving to Texas, she worked as an urban planner and community affairs manager.
  

1990s [ top ]

• Roland Schilder ('90 M.S.), Houston. He earned his master's degree in physical education and was a tennis instructor at UNT. He worked on the faculty at the central campus of Houston Community College.
• Benjamin Tiger III ('97), Fort Worth. He earned his degree from UNT in literature and was in Wroclaw, Poland, to teach English as a second language at the time of his death.
  

2000s [ top ]

• John Bryan Abbott Jr. ('00 Ph.D.), Wilmington, N.C. He taught at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the University of South Carolina at Beaufort.
• Lisa Marie Hendricks ('01), Carrollton. She received a heart transplant in 1994 and was active with the Southwest Transplant Alliance. She worked for AVSC Corp.
• Jean Marie Morne ('01 M.A.), Newburgh, N.Y. He served in the French Army and was a Roman Catholic priest in Dominica for 20 years before leaving the priesthood and coming to the United States. He owned two homes for the elderly in New York.
• Andrew Gabriel Harbour, Fort Worth. He attended UNT from 2002 to 2004, studying sociology and management and competing as a power lifter at the national level. In high school he was a state champion power lifter and earned awards for football and track.

University Community [ top ]

• Nancy Westphal Berry, Dallas, Professor Emeritus of visual arts, 1991-2002. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and two master's degrees from SMU. At UNT she was instrumental in developing the museum education certification program and worked closely with the North Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts. Memorials may be made to the UNT-Nancy Berry Scholarship in Art Education, UNT Office of Development, P.O. Box 311250, Denton, Texas 76203-1250.
• Mary Middleton Boswell ('41, '58 M.S.), Dallas, home economics faculty member, 1957-1968. She joined the North Texas faculty in 1957 as a part-time teacher and within a year was teaching full time. After leaving North Texas, she began an 18-year career at Texas Tech University. She also taught at public schools in Coahoma, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Richardson and Dallas.
• David William Duncan ('46, '47 M.S.), Denton, Professor Emeritus of education, 1950-1984. A U.S. Army Air Force veteran of World War II, he earned his degrees in industrial arts education from North Texas. He joined the Falcons fraternity before the war and was its first member to be inducted into the Epsilon Upsilon chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity when the Falcons affiliated with the national organization. The chapter recognized him as “Man of the Year” in 2002 to honor his commitment and many years as national and chapter adviser.
• William 'Vernon' Eady, Murrieta, Calif., Professor Emeritus of education, 1951-1979. While serving in the armed forces during World War II, he traveled extensively in China, Korea and Japan. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from East Texas State Teachers College and attended George Peabody College for Teachers and the University of California at Los Angeles. He was known for his expertise in special education. After moving to California in 1985, he helped establish the Vernon Eady Psychoeducational Clinic at the University of California at Riverdale.
• Everett M. Gilmore Jr., Dallas, adjunct professor of music, 1992-1997 and 2003-2004. After earning his bachelor's degree from Lebanon Valley College, he played in the Army Field Band in Washington, D.C., and the NORAD Command Band in Colorado Springs. He held the principal tuba position with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for 30 years, making about 50 recordings during his tenure. The Everett M. Gilmore Orchestra Tuba Scholarship at UNT was named in his honor.
• Christine Pough, Denton, clerical assistant in the Department of Housing and Residence Life since 2002. She worked in Clark Hall. A memorial service was held April 20 at the Goolsby Chapel on campus.
• Winnie David Robbins ('43), Richmond, Va., assistant professor of business, 1947-1952. He graduated from North Texas with a bachelor's degree in business, earned his master's degree from Northwestern University and his doctorate from Ohio State University. He retired from the University of Richmond as Dean Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the E.C. Robins School of Business.
• E. Bruce Street, Graham, honorary alumnus and former regent. He served as a member of the UNT Board of Regents for almost 20 years (from the 1970s to the 1990s), serving as the regents' vice chair and secretary and as a member of the board's executive committee. In addition, he helped create the UNT Foundation and served as one of the first members of its board. In 2002, he and his wife, Virginia Owens Street, gave the UNT College of Education a deferred gift valued at $8 million to support the elementary education program. The university awarded Street an honorary doctor of educational leadership degree in 1991.