Rick Herold ('84, '85 M.S.), 67, of Grand Prairie, who won the highest national recognition for his parks and recreation programs, died April 8.

He served as a parks and recreation director for 38 years, leading innovative projects for 16 years in Euless -- where he helped create a golf course, conference center and other facilities -- and for 16 ½ years in Grand Prairie. There he spearheaded The Epic, one of the nation’s biggest and most versatile recreation centers, and other facilities aimed at specific groups, such as a center for Baby Boomers and an inclusive playground. He retired in 2018 after a career in which he was named a fellow of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administration, won two National Recreation and Park Association Gold Medals, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society.

He was a mentor to students and others in his field and had served as a guest speaker for many of UNT's recreation, event and sport management classes. A member of the board of directors for the North Texas Alumni Association for five years and a member of the President's Council, he received several awards for his service to UNT. He was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation, and he received the university’s Ulys Knight Spirit Award in 2002. He spoke at the 2006 and 2017 commencements. He also was a member of the Chilton Society and was a very devoted Mean Green basketball and football fan.

He was known for being a prankster and for years attended John Cougar Mellencamp concerts around the country. He was featured in the Summer 2016 issue of the North Texan.

Memorials may be made to the Rick Herold Parks and Recreation Endowed Scholarship, UNT Division of Advancement, 1115 Union Circle #311250, Denton, Texas 76203-5017. He also founded the Julia Wakeley Scholarship in the KHPR department.

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.

Simon Harrist (’22), Sunnyvale. He was a graduate student in the College of Education with the goal of becoming a college professor. Simon wrote songs and poetry, played chess and guitar, spoke fluent German and enjoyed visiting art museums.

Harris Miers Jr. (’63, ’65 M.B.A.), Dallas. A lifelong entrepreneur, he founded the consulting firm University Management Services and served as dental division president of American Medical International; president of Lifemark; and CEO of Joint Venture Entity. He later established The Miers Group, a health care and insurance company, with his son Harris Miers III (’90). A former football player at other colleges, Harris was an avid Mean Green football fan.

Patsy Scott Franklin, Denton. She attended North Texas in the 1960s and ’70s and taught career and technology at Denton ISD schools. She liked knitting, watching the Dallas Cowboys and working with technology and computers.

Ini Ekpoenyong (’85), Chicago. An immigrant from Nigeria, she became a chiropractor and owned and operated a chiropractic medicine clinic. Ini received her master’s degree in neurophysiology from Texas Woman’s University, attended University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and earned a doctorate in chiropractic medicine from Texas Chiropractic College.

Rose Marie Brown (’07), Dallas. She worked for the United States Postal Service and was a masseuse and real estate agent. Rose also was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, National Association of Retired Federal Employees and the UNT Alumni Association, and she was active in her church.

Jose Guadalupe Calderón (’91 M.S., ’94 Ph.D.), of Denton, 62, died Feb. 21. He was the instructional lab manager in the Department of Chemistry from 1998 until his retirement in 2022.

A native of Mexico, he attended Texas Southmost College in Brownsville before transferring to Sul Ross State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1987. He then moved to Denton where he completed his graduate degrees in analytical chemistry.

As lab supervisor he provided training and assistance in the use of the equipment and is credited in many theses and dissertations over the years, especially for his expertise in mass spectrometry.

Jose and his wife, Alicia Re Cruz, professor of anthropology and director of women’s and gender studies, met at UNT, and their three sons are current and former UNT students: Samuel (’20 M.A.); Gabriel (’22), chemistry graduate student; and Daniel, an urban policy and planning major. Over the years, the family created and supported many programs that serve students, UNT and the Latino community.

A memorial service is scheduled at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 5, in the DeBerry Funeral Directors Chapel, 2025 W. University Dr. in Denton.

Margaret “Bette” Perot (’58 M.Ed.), Dallas. She served as vice president of the Perot Foundation and was a longtime educator who worked as a teacher, counselor and vice principal for schools in Fort Worth ISD. She served as a board member and leader for numerous boards, including North Texas Food Bank. She was active in her church, a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and an avid golfer, gardener and traveler.

Jay Powell (’93, ’93 M.S.), Denton. He worked for 29 years in the Lewisville Police Department, working in various departments, receiving numerous awards and serving as assistant police chief. He met his wife, Rhonda Powell (’95), at UNT during the first week of pre-season band. Jay loved Halloween, serving 1,000 pieces of candy to neighborhood children and dressing up as “The Chainsaw Man.”