Staff

Michael Abernethy

Michael Abernethy, 63, of Little Elm, who had served as senior director of procurement services for the UNT System since 2016, died Dec. 9 in Grandview. He worked for universities as a director of purchasing and procurement for 27 years and served in the U.S. Air Force, including a stint during Desert Storm, for 12 years. He enjoyed biking, hiking and jogging and served as a church elder and teacher for many years.

Michael Abernethy

Elinor Hughes

Elinor HughesElinor Hughes, 88, of Denton, who was the director of the mini-course program and the Center for Continuing Education and Conference Management in her 21 years at UNT, died Dec. 16. She also served as the coordinator for UNT’s Education Opportunity Center, manager of the Inmate Rehabilitation Program and coordinator of the Elderhostel Program. She retired in 1994 and received a special recognition award for her contributions to CCECM. She served on the Denton City Council for two terms and served as Denton’s first woman mayor in 1976 and 1977. She was the pioneer of the idea that led to Serve Denton, a one-stop center for human services. Survivors include her sons Robert (’84 M.S.) and David (’89). Her husband, the late Bob Hughes, was a faculty member in UNT’s English department.

Marycarl Mackey

Photo of Marycarl MackeyMarycarl Mackey, 90, of Denton, who served in the UNT Student Health and Wellness Center from 1964 to 1995, died Dec. 29. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University and went on to work as a medical technologist. She is survived by her husband of more than 60 years, Jim Mackey, Professor Emeritus of physics. They moved to Denton in 1964, when Jim joined the faculty and Marycarl began work as a lab technician for Robert Croissant and the health center.

Helen Hudspeth

Photo of Helen HudspethHelen Hudspeth, 83, of Forestburg, who was employed in Housing from 1985 to 1997, died Nov. 2 in Forestburg. She served as a custodian in the residence halls. Before working at UNT, Helen served in the grocery store business for 20 years.

Walter Raymond Jones, Jr.

Picture of Walter Jones Jr.Walter Raymond Jones, Jr., 61, who served in various jobs at UNT from 2011 to 2016, died Oct. 29 in Dallas. He worked as a cook at Kerr Hall and in the housing/custodial area during his time at UNT. Known as “Old School” to friends, he enjoyed cooking, collecting watches and making people laugh.

Billy Tubbs

Billy TubbsBilly Tubbs, 85, of Norman, Oklahoma, who served three seasons as an assistant basketball coach for UNT, died Nov. 1. Tubbs played basketball then launched into his coaching career in 1960 at his alma mater, Lamar State College of Technology, now Lamar University. He went on to serve as head coach for Southwestern University and coached at UNT from 1973 to 1976, aiding the team in achieving a turnaround from a 6-20 record in 1975 to 22-4 in 1976. He later coached at the University of Oklahoma and Texas Christian University and was only the ninth coach in the NCAA to record 100 wins at three different schools. Tubbs was highly regarded as a “fun-loving coach.”

Raymond Loyd Moran

Raymond Loyd Moran, 76, who retired from UNT Facilities in 2013, died Oct. 2. He was born in Sherman and was a longtime business owner of the Glass Center in Denton. He enjoyed riding motorcycles when he was growing up and later traveling in his RV with his family around the country.

A memorial service is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at DeBerry Funeral Home Chapel in Denton.

Molly Pitcher

Molly Pitcher, Denton. She was an administrative assistant in the College of Science since 2012. In her free time, she was an artist, and received an honorable mention for her drawing in the On My Own Time exhibit.

Thomas Schrimsher

Thomas 'Tom' Schrimsher, 72, who worked on electronics in the Department of Physics from 1984 to 2004, died Aug. 23 in Denton. He served in the Vietnam War as a member of the U.S. Air Force and was an instructor at Sheppard Air Force Base. While working at UNT, he repaired malfunctioning equipment and designed printed circuit boards. Tom's interests also included ham radio and television and radio repair. He was a firearms instructor for the state of Texas and a gifted musician — he built and played his own theremin and was especially skilled in playing the hand saw and guitar. He is survived by his wife, Rheta, who worked at UNT with Housing custodial services.

Tom Schrimsher

Donald Joe McNabb

Donald Joe McNabbDonald Joe McNabb, 77, who worked in the UNT Physical Plant from 1989 to 2004, died Aug. 3 in Aubrey. He owned and operated McNabb Tile for more than 30 years and was a member of the Aubrey ISD School Board for more than 10 years.

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