Shay Youngblood, 64, a novelist and playwright who worked at UNT between 2014 and 2018, died June 11 in Peachtree City, Georgia. Her obituary in The New York Times credits her work with inspiring a generation of young Black women.

At UNT, Youngblood was employed at the Career Center, the College of Visual Arts and Design, and the Department of Geography and the Environment. When she was named to the Dallas Observer’s list of 100 Dallas Creatives in 2015, she spoke about her “career advisor to creatives” day job: “Every day I help artists, writers and musicians plan their careers and help them transition from student to professional and prepare creatives to navigate the job market and learn the art of connecting (aka networking).”

She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Clark Atlanta University and later a master’s in creative writing at Brown University. Between degrees, she joined the Peace Corps as an agriculture information officer in Dominica, then got her start as a writer working at Charis Books, a feminist bookstore in Atlanta.

She was raised by her grandmother, great-grandmother and their friends after her mother died. She made them the subjects of her first book, The Big Mama Stories, which was adapted into her first play, Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery. Her novels include Soul Kiss and Black Girl in Paris, which is being developed as a feature film. The Times called it “a touchstone for many.”

Her honors included a Pushcart Prize for fiction, NAACP theater awards and a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts. In 2022 and 2023, she published the illustrated children’s books Mama’s Home and A Family Prayer. At her death she was working on a book about her mother.

William ‘Willie’ Hernandez, 51, of Sanger, lead technical supervisor of fire safety in UNT Facilities, died July 17. He had worked at UNT since 1993.

In 2006, after serving in several different shops in Facilities, he joined Fire Systems, which was then UNT Risk Management Fire and Safety. He began as an entry-level fire alarm technician and soon began maintaining and inspecting the fire sprinkler systems and kitchen hood systems. Those became his primary focus as the campus grew.

In his 31 years at UNT, he worked in every building on campus and interacted with many staff and faculty members. He’ll be remembered for his easy-going attitude and his humor — always trying to put a smile on someone’s face — as well as his dedication to his work. He was known for being willing to pitch in whenever he was needed to ensure the fire systems were functional and the campus was safe.

He was a native of Louisiana and enjoyed traveling, hunting and also spending time with his family and friends. He and his wife, Melissa, celebrated their 20th anniversary in June, and their family includes five children and several grandchildren.

Visitation is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. July 25 at Bill DeBerry Funeral Directors, 2025 W. University Dr. in Denton. The funeral will take place there at 11 a.m. July 26, followed by a celebration of life at the Sanger Community Center.

Roy Grisham (’81), 65, of Rhome, executive director of estate and planned giving at UNT, died April 16. He had worked in UNT Advancement since 2003.

A UNT business alum with a CPCU (chartered property casualty underwriter) designation, Roy had a successful career in insurance, risk management, finance and international business. In addition to his UNT work with estate gifts and planned gifts, he taught courses on estate planning and charitable giving at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNT. He’s remembered as an exceptional leader with a passion for his work and the university.

Survivors include his wife, Lisa Grisham.

A graveside service is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. May 11 at Thurmond-Fairview Cemetery, next to the Fairview Baptist Church, 969 Illinois St., Rhome.

Jennifer Marie Aglio, 43, executive assistant to the dean in the College of Visual Arts and Design, died March 22 at her home in Denton.  

Joining UNT in 2013, she also had served as an adjunct in the Department of Communication Studies and had worked in the Jewish Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies programs.

Jenn earned her bachelor’s degree in English at Elon University in 2003 and her master’s degree in communication studies from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, in 2006. A talented poet and creative writer, she went on to earn her terminal degree, a Master of Fine Arts in writing and poetics, from Naropa University in 2010. 

She advocated for social justice issues and always cheered on those she loved. Her family and friends will remember her clever wit, her snark, her passion for music, her unique ability to make others feel welcome and included, and her deep and abiding love of her family, including the dogs who lived with them over the years (Fig, Raisin MF Anne, Indigo and Kona).

Survivors include her partner of 17 years, Megan Elizabeth Morrissey, associate professor of communication studies at UNT (pictured on the left in the photo with Jenn), and their daughter, Quinn Olivier Morrissey Aglio.

As Jenn grew weaker in her two-and-a-half-year battle with uterine cancer, she communicated that she wanted her community to throw a party to remember her when she was gone and to model joy and love to her daughter. Please join them for a celebration of Jenn’s life from 4 to 8 p.m. March 30 at Denton County Brewing Company.

Boyd Kimbell Herndon, who served 13 years as director of research compliance at UNT before retiring in 2015, died Feb. 8 in Argyle. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University and a juris doctor from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Prior to joining UNT, he worked as corporate counsel for Allianz Life, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Southwestern Life. He enjoyed visiting state and national parks, spending time with his daughters and grandsons and was an avid sports fan.

Bonita White-Coffey, 59, of Denton, a senior administrative coordinator for donor engagement, died Nov. 26. She had worked in the Division of Advancement since August 2022. Previously, she had served as an administrative assistant for the men’s and women’s basketball programs in Athletics, working alongside coaches, staff members and student-athletes since 2010.

A graduate of Denton High School, Bonita was on the board of directors of the Denton High School Family Assistance Foundation, which assists current and former students, faculty and staff and their families during crises. She’s remembered for her kindness and for always having a smile on her face. Her husband, Robb Coffey, who is completing his UNT degree, has been a public address announcer for Mean Green sports since he was first a student here in the 1980s.

A celebration of life ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 9 at First Baptist Church, 1100 Malone St., in Denton.

Kimberly ‘Kim’ Ledesma (’03), 53, a licensed vocational nurse who had worked at UNT’s Student Health and Wellness Center since 2014, died Aug. 26 in Denton.

She was born in Santa Clara, California, and her family moved to Denton in 1981. She graduated in 1988 from Denton High School and earned a general studies degree at UNT before completing a nursing program to become a licensed vocational nurse.

A memorial service is scheduled at 6 p.m. Sept. 12, with rosary at 6:30 p.m., at DeBerry Funeral Directors, 2025 W. University Drive in Denton.

Edgar Douglas Dukes, 77, a member of the Eagle Post team, died May 19. He worked for Canon Solutions America as a mail clerk in the University Union for more than a decade. A native of South Carolina, he attended the College of Automation in Des Moines, Iowa, and had many professions, including working at a bank, department store and cleaning service and as a bartender before his work as a mail clerk. He joined Macedonia Ministries in Lewisville in 1990, where he was a member of the Brotherhood Ministry, served in the men’s choir and worked in the kitchen. Caring for his hundreds of plants was his passion, and he enjoyed fishing, traveling and entertaining friends and family. He’s remembered as a kind and caring person who had an unforgettable smile and unfailingly positive attitude.  

James Alfred Simpkins (’70), 81, of Denton, a business alumnus and staff member from 1977 to 2004, died June 6.

James worked in construction while attending North Texas, moving to retail management before starting a career with the university in what was then known as the Physical Plant. He served for 27 years, where his management and computer programming skills greatly helped foster innovation. He was an automation systems operator and plant engineer who transitioned into a supervisory position in the micro-maintenance shop, which built and repaired the desktop computers and servers used across campus. His sharp wit, generosity and humorous nature will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.

Survivors include Gail, his wife of more than 60 years, who also worked at UNT.

Dr. Henry “Hank” Lamar Eaton, 90, Professor Emeritus of history who taught at UNT from 1966 to 2010, died Nov. 27 in Tigard, Oregon. During his long career, he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in American and Russian history, Russian language, and Holocaust studies. He created and taught the Great Books course, a 12-credit-hour course in the great works of Western literature, philosophy and history, alongside instructors from the philosophy and English departments. He wrote The Origins and Onset of the Romanian Holocaust, a book exploring the history of anti-Semitism in Romania and the atrocities inflicted on its Jewish community during World War II. Beyond his teaching and scholarly work, he was a Korean War-era veteran, a draft counselor to North Texas students during the Vietnam War, and an editor, cartoonist and cover artist for the community newspaper Denton Voice in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.