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.

1930s [ top ]

• Elizabeth Edwards Eure ('37), San Marcos. She was a retired teacher who earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from North Texas.
• Samuel Ingram, Sun City, Ariz. He served in the U.S. Navy and in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Joint Chiefs of Staff for 32 years. He was a consultant to NASA as well as an artist, political cartoonist and photographer. In 1952, he wrote, designed and illustrated the program for the inauguration of President Dwight Eisenhower. He came to North Texas in 1938.
• J.C. ‘Red' Mitchell ('39), Victoria. During his 40-year career in education, he taught in Quitman, Mesquite, Pearsall, Carrizo Springs and Refugio. He directed junior high and high school choirs and bands and had also performed in jazz and swing groups throughout Texas and New Mexico. At North Texas he played with the Aces of Collegeland. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Laura Reagan Mitchell ('46).

1940s [ top ]

• Ruth Dawson Lawler ('40), Dallas. She taught in Port Arthur and at elementary schools in Dallas. She retired in 1976.
• Jessie Marie Riddle ('40), McKinney. She first taught in a three-room school in Hackberry and then taught at the Lake School of the Lewisville ISD before beginning a 35-year teaching career in Frisco. Frisco's Riddle Elementary School was named for her in 2003.
• Rebecca Thomas Plunkett ('42), North Richland Hills. She traveled and liked to fish, camp and play golf. She helped found Diamond Oaks Women's Golf Association.
• Walter Dunkelberg ('46), Austin. He practiced psychiatry for more than two decades at the Austin State Hospital and worked with the Colorado West Mental Health Center and Austin-Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation. He earned his M.D. from Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.
• Ruth Henderson Truncale ('46, '47 M.M.), Beaumont. In 1947 she became one of the first women faculty members at Lamar University, and in 1955 she became the first organist of Trinity United Methodist Church in Beaumont. She also taught elementary and high school music. She and her husband, the late Joseph Truncale ('47), helped develop the Beaumont Civic Opera and the Lamar Opera Workshop.
• Wayne E. Swick ('47), Denton. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After returning to North Texas and earning his degree, he went into business with his father-in-law. He retired after 51 years with United Finance Co.
• Carl Benjamin Montgomery ('48), Dallas. "Catfish" served in the U.S. Naval Air Corps during World War II. In 1953 he launched a janitorial supply company and later opened Carl's House of Furniture and Appliances. He also officiated football games and was a longtime Shriner. At North Texas he lettered in football and was a member of the Geezles.

1950s [ top ]

• Robert E. Knight ('50, '51 M.A.), Lubbock. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force. During his 41-year career in public schools, he served as a teacher, golf instructor, student activities director, assistant principal, principal and the first director of personnel for the Lubbock ISD. He later was executive director of the Texas Computer Education Association. He taught art while working on his master's degree at North Texas.
• Charlotte Johnson Rayzor ('50), Denton. She taught in the Denton ISD and at the Denton State School before her retirement.
• Don Robert Swadley ('50, '55 M.A.), Denton. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He was a professor of English at the University of Texas at Arlington for 29 years and a member of the Texas Folklore Society. He earned his Ph.D. from LSU.
• Thomas Welch ('51), Marble Falls. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He earned his bachelor's degree from North Texas in industrial arts education.
• Billy J. Griffin ('52 M.S.), Richardson. He served in the U.S. Navy on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Suwannee. He spent 40 years coaching and teaching for the Dallas ISD. He also coached at Olney High School and Weatherford Junior College.
• William J. Barton ('54), Center. He was employed by a number of companies as CEO and traveled the world before opening his law office in Center in 1980. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order.
• Bill E. Hood ('56), Fort Worth. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a staff sergeant during the Korean War. He was a retired estimating engineer for General Dynamics and did volunteer work for the Fort Worth Police Department.
• Jack Edward Stone ('56, '66 M.Ed., '77 Ph.D.), Helotes. He served in the U.S. Army Security Agency in the 1950s. At North Texas he played trumpet in the One O'Clock Lab Band and taught trumpet. He also taught at Eastfield College and at Richland College, where he conducted the early brass group. He was the academic vice president at Richland before leaving to become president of Galveston College. He later returned to the Dallas County Community College District to serve as vice chancellor of academic affairs and interim president of Brookhaven College.
• Charles Floyd Rhea ('57), Manitowoc, Wis. In 1974 he moved his family from Fort Worth to Manitowoc. He worked at Fisher Hamilton in Two Rivers, Wis., until his retirement in 2001 as senior project manager.
• Annette Marie Zeck Stevens ('57), Dallas. She was a teacher and librarian for the Dallas ISD for 38 years, retiring from Atwell Middle School in 1991.
• Robert Plummer ('58, '59, '63 M.Ed.), Hurst. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was a commissioned officer in the Air Force Reserve. For 27 years he was an administrator for the Fort Worth ISD, retiring in 1997. He taught at North Texas in 1966-67 and also taught at Texas Wesleyan University and was summer dean at the University of London in England. He was named Citizen of the Year for Leadership by the city of Hurst in 2003. At North Texas he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity.

1960s [ top ]

• Joe Brooks ('62, '67 M.Ed.), Denton. He was a store manager for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and an elementary school teacher in Grapevine and Denton before being appointed the first principal at Denton's J.L. Ginnings Elementary School in 1967.
• William Benjamin Lyons III ('62 M.Ed.), Dallas. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War. He taught school in Dallas and McKinney for 13 years and then spent 25 years as a Manpower development specialist for the U.S. Department of Labor, retiring in 1990. Survivors include his wife of more than 50 years, Delia Gilstrap Lyons ('62).
• Louis B. Robinson ('62), Denison. He was a former Texas Instruments executive who worked in Dallas, Europe and Sherman, retiring in 1996. He and his sons, Brady Robinson ('93) and Eric Robinson ('94), were active members of the Kappa Alpha Order. Survivors also include his wife, Judy Cooksey Robinson ('62), and daughter, Tisha Robinson Beaird ('91).
• Jim T. Jolly ('63), Houston. He was a psychologist for the Gatesville State School for Boys and director of juvenile services for the city of Lubbock. He began a private psychology practice in 1970.
• Charles Moran Olson ('63), Cranfills Gap. He worked for the American Red Cross as an assistant field director and was an insurance claims specialist for 27 years. He retired in 1996 and continued working as an independent claims adjuster and in antique sales.
• Martha Ann Rowland Bowlin ('64), Weatherford. She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from North Texas. After a nearly lifelong battle with cancer, she asked that her epithet read, "She was fun while she lasted." Survivors include her husband, Michael Bowlin ('65, '68 M.B.A.).

1970s [ top ]

• Doris Hart Dundas ('70), Denton. She taught English at Denton High School until her retirement in 1992.
• Ken Watts ('70 M.S.), Austin. He served in the U.S. Navy for four years. From 1974 to 1991 he was a consultant in school transportation for the Texas Education Agency.
• Wilma Mozingo Leverton ('71 M.S.), Denton. She was employed with Verizon. She earned her graduate degree in library science from North Texas.
• Thomas L. Ray Jr., Fort Worth. He served in the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s and attended North Texas from 1966 to 1972. He was an officer of Kappa Sigma fraternity and was one of the original disc jockeys for KNTU under the direction of Bill Mercer ('66 M.A.).
• Susan Kendrick ('73 M.S.), Waco. She was a law librarian at Baylor Law School for 35 years. Baylor honored her with the Susan Kendrick/ Della Geyer Reading Room in the law library.
• Michael Andrew Miles ('75), Fort Worth. He was a partner at CPA firm McCaslin and Co. LLP, where he specialized in oil and gas tax accounting. Listed in Who's Who in 1996, he was a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Alpha Chi and the Fort Worth Petroleum Club. 
• Thomas Overton ('77), Cleveland. He worked as a journalist and in public relations, joining the University of St. Thomas as director of public affairs in 2001. He was also a former Texas Public Relations Association director.
• Ronna Jo Dickson Soults ('79), Azle. She earned her bachelor's degree in drama from North Texas and was active in a number of productions at Casa Mañana. She was proud of her Scottish and Choctaw heritage.

1980s [ top ]

• Sheila Smiddy Zummo ('81), Weatherford. She was assistant vice president of institutional advancement at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. She previously had worked at the American Heart Association office in Fort Worth for more than 20 years, serving as executive director from 1990 to 2002.
• Diane Dudley Tschanz ('86), Orlando, Fla. She was an accountant for Lockheed who earned her degree in business control systems from North Texas.
• Emory Gregg Mays ('87), Irving. He was a career administrator for the city of Irving and earned his degree from North Texas in emergency administration and planning.
• James Thomas Embrey ('89), Euless. He earned his degree in counseling associate studies.

1990s [ top ]

• Wallace Richard Rike Jr. ('96), Mabank. He taught at Aubrey High School before moving to Canton High School, where he taught speech and debate and was serving as UIL coordinator. He served on the legislative committee of the Texas Speech Communications Association and was a member of the National Forensics League.

2000s [ top ]

• Jaime Regen Rea ('00), Allen. She graduated from UNT with a degree in fashion merchandising and was employed by Fossil in Richardson for a year. For the past five years she was active as an independent jewelry designer, specializing in awareness bracelets for melanoma, a disease she was diagnosed with at the age of 20.
• Matthew Michael Tredway ('00), Tempe, Ariz. He was a sales manager in the cellular industry. He also liked to travel and was an accomplished high school soccer player who enjoyed watching sports.
• Joshua Romberg ('01), Seattle, Wash. He earned his bachelor's degree in biology from UNT.
• Dorothy O'Bar Killebrew, Dallas. She raised six children and had a successful real estate career before resuming her education. First enrolled at UNT in 1994, she had completed her doctoral studies in sociology when her dissertation research was interrupted by ill health.
• Christopher Michael Melton, Keller. He attended North Texas from 2001 to 2006 and was completing his bachelor's degree in geography.
• Monica Hinojo, Mesquite. She was a student majoring in education, first attending UNT in Fall 2006.
• Gregory Rossiter, Dallas. He was in his first semester at UNT this spring. He worked in dining services in Kerr Hall.
• Micah Beth Vaughn, Lewisville. She began attending classes at UNT this spring.

University Community [ top ]

• Mark Lee Elder, Essex Junction, Vt., associate vice president of research, 1986 to 1997. After serving in the U.S. Army, Elder earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Oklahoma and an M.B.A. from Newport University. He served as director of research administration at the University of Oklahoma for more than 15 years and held the same position at Arizona State University before joining North Texas. He was the author of three published novels including The Prometheus Operation, which in 1981 was nominated for the Edgar Award presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America.
• Hiram J. Friedsam, San Antonio, Dean Emeritus of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service, 1948 to 1983. Friedsam, who served in the Army during World War II, earned his bachelor's degree from Baylor University and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Texas. He taught at UT before joining North Texas as an assistant professor of sociology. He accepted the position of director of the Center for Studies in Aging at North Texas in 1967 and helped in the formation of the center. He was named the first dean of the School of Community Service in 1973. In 1983 he was honored by national leaders in gerontology and the North Texas community with the H.J. Friedsam Graduate Student Professional Development Fund.
• Frank Douglas Mainous, Denton, Professor Emeritus of music, 1947 to 1983. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky and his master's from the Eastman School of Music. He was in the U.S. Army during World War II, directing Army bands throughout the United States and serving in the infantry in Europe. After the war he taught at the Brooklyn Conservatory and worked as an arranger and a conductor on radio shows. At North Texas he served as coordinator of music theory, acting dean and assistant dean of music. He was married to Jean Harris Mainous, former longtime lecturer of music at UNT. A concert in his memory was performed on campus in April. Memorials may be made to the Frank D. Mainous Memorial Orchestral Scholarship, payable to the UNT Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 311250, Denton, Texas 76203-1250.
• Evelyn Messmore, Dallas, assistant professor of music, 1962 to 1980. She earned her bachelor's degree from Ball State University and a master's from Indiana University in Bloomington. She was on the music faculty at Peabody College in Nashville when she left in 1954 for a one-year sabbatical in Munich that turned into an eight-year stay. She taught typing to U.S. troops stationed in Europe and worked at schools for American military dependents. At North Texas she taught music education and took a leave of absence in 1971 to study the Kodaly method of music instruction in Budapest, Hungary. When Kodaly hand signals were adopted for a scene in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, she provided informal technical advice for the production. Memorials may be made to the Evelyn D. Messmore Music Education Scholarship Fund, payable to the UNT Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 311250, Denton, Texas 76203-1250.
• Raymond D. Nasher, Dallas, founding chair of the advisory board of the School of Visual Arts and recipient of an honorary doctor of fine arts from UNT in 2002. Nasher received his bachelor's degree from Duke University and a master's from Boston University. As founder and chair of the board of the Nasher Co., he became one of the first developers to regularly include art in commercial and retail buildings. He and his wife amassed one of the world's best collections of modern sculpture. The Nasher Sculpture Center, a museum and sculpture garden he built in downtown Dallas, opened in 2003. Nasher had served as chair of the SOVA advisory board for 16 years and was a UNT President's Council fellow. The Raymond D. and Patsy Nasher Lecture Series in SOVA, endowed by their daughter Nancy and her family, has presented speakers in sculpture and criticism since 1998.
• Lloyd C. Parks, Fort Worth, poet and Professor Emeritus of English, 1967 to 1996. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he earned his bachelor's degree from Kenyon College and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington. He also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris on a Fulbright student grant. Before joining the North Texas faculty, Parks taught at the State University of New York College at Cortland and Ohio State University. He later received Fulbright grants to lecture at universities in France and also taught in Malaysia. Subjects he taught at North Texas included Victorian poetry and modern British and American poetry. Many of his own poems were published, and he translated numerous French works into English.
• Lilian Phillips, Muncie, Ind., associate professor of music, 1945 to 1956. In addition to earning her bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and her master's from Columbia University, she studied under renowned harpist Carlos Salzedo at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and for nine summers at his Summer Harp Colony of America in Maine. She also studied under Pierre Jamet in Fountainbleau, France, Alice Chalifoux in Cleveland and Lucile Lawrence in New York. Phillips was director of the harp ensemble at North Texas before leaving to begin a 24-year career at Ball State University. She taught harp to young children as well as to college students and also enjoyed traveling.
• Edgar Albert Schlueter ('42), White Settlement, Professor Emeritus of biology, 1962 to 1984. After earning his bachelor's degree from North Texas, he served as a frontline medic in the 104th Infantry Division during World War II and later earned master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin. He taught at Michigan State University and Wisconsin State College before joining the faculty at North Texas, where he introduced freshman biology students to the field of zoology and taught parasitology to pre-med students. His interests included fish parasites, and his research contributed to the aquatic biology program that was instituted by J.K.G. Silvey.
• Irving Donn Schwartz, Dallas, visiting associate professor of art, 1987-1991. He and his wife were owners of the Dallas architecture and interior design firm IDS/B. He served as national treasurer and president and was a fellow of the American Society of Interior Designers and was a founding member of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois.