Richard Harlow Laing died Dec. 23 in Greenville, N.C. Laing was recruited by Cora Stafford to join the art department at North Texas in 1960 and later served as chair of art education and developed courses in printmaking. Sculptures he created were installed in many locations around Denton and one was used in a logo for the music department. His work also was included in a 2011 exhibition at UNT on the Square, Laying the Foundation: UNT Art Faculty, 1890-1970. Laing was a member of the National Art Education Association, the Western Arts Association and the Michigan Art Education Association. After serving as head of art departments at Ball State University and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, he became dean of the School of Art at East Carolina University in 1979. In 1992, he was named Distinguished Art Educator of the Year by the North Carolina Art Education Association. He retired from East Carolina in 1999 and was named Professor Emeritus. Laing received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University, a master’s from Wayne State University and his doctorate from Pennsylvania State University. During the Korean War, he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve and served for eight years. Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Penelope Gamble Laing (’66).

Robert J. 'Bob' Rogers, pianist and Professor Emeritus of music, died May 14. He never missed a note when it came to being a volunteer, philanthropist, educator, mentor and fixture in the Denton community. Rogers first arrived at North Texas in 1939 on a double bass scholarship and studied piano, but he was drafted into the U.S. Army three years later. After graduating from the Juilliard School of Music and Columbia Teachers College, he returned to campus in 1948 to teach piano pedagogy and remained until 1984, serving as assistant dean in the College of Music from 1969 to 1975. He served as chair of a committee charged with remodeling the Music Building and as a charter member, province governor and chapter advisor for the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. In 1990, the fraternity named the Robert J. Rogers Lifetime Service Award in his honor.Roger's legacy of service and volunteerism at UNT continued long after he left his teaching post. He was the pianist at countless fundraisers and campus events, and he and his wife, Daisy, were known for tirelessly volunteering at the UNT Music Library and supporting students through scholarships. In 2012, he was honored with UNT’s Outstanding Alumni Service Award, he shared that UNT also brought out the best in him. Memorials may be made to the Robert J. Rogers Piano Scholarship in the College of Music. Donate at giving.unt.edu.

Bobbie L. Wilborn, Professor Emeritus of education who taught at North Texas from 1971 to 1994 died Nov. 10 in Denton. She was a Meadows Honors Professor and chair of the Department of Counselor Education, and then the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Development. She previously taught high school in Bellville and Silverton and was a teacher and counselor in Dallas schools. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, a master’s from the University of Colorado and a doctorate from the University of Missouri. Wilborn was a frequent speaker and a widely published author. She served as president of the North Central Texas Personnel and Guidance Association, the Texas School Counselor Association and the Texas Classroom Teachers Association, and was active in the American Counseling Association, among many other organizations. She was a member of the Texas State Board of Examiners for Teacher Education and the National Commission for Teacher Education and Professional Standards. Memorials may be made to the Bobbie Wilborn Scholarship at UNT.

Robert Daniel Dooley (’58), Dallas :: He earned his degree in accounting at North Texas and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He and Sandra Weldon ('60), who was a member of Chi Omega, met as students and were married in 1959. A resident of Dallas for 50 years, he was in charge of the Dallas office of KMG Main Hurdman and after its merger continued to work for KPMG Peat Marwick. He taught continuing education classes and supported the UNT accounting department and Peat Marwick fund. He enjoyed golf, fishing, vacationing in Bar Harbor, Maine, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Leta Jean Pennington, retired admissions office service coordinator, died Sept. 14. She lived in Little Elm and had retired in 2006 from her job in the Eagle Student Services Center after more than 25 years of ushering students through the enrollment process at UNT. She was born in Arkansas, graduated from high school in Oklahoma and moved to Denton in 1972.

Billie Lucille Shelton Parker, former UNT regent, died Jan. 30 in Fort Worth. She was appointed to the UNT Board of Regents by Gov. Bill Clements and served from 1987 to 1993. Her husband, the late Earle Parker, was a board member of the UNT Foundation. They were known for their philanthropy and highly successful fundraising events for causes such as the March of Dimes, the Air Force Association’s Military Ball, the Taste of Fort Worth, U.S. Olympics and the Christian Arts Museum. In 1990, she co-chaired UNT’s Centennial Extravaganza fundraiser with fellow regent Lucille “Lupe” Murchison. Proceeds from the event, which took more than a year to plan and execute and attracted more than 20,000 people, helped endow student scholarships. She first volunteered in high school — to help with the effort on the homefront during World War II — and never stopped.

William A. Luker (’57 M.Ed., ’63 Ed.D.), Dean Emeritus of the School of Community Service, died June 25 in Denton. He retired in 1991 as dean of the school, which is now the College of Public Affairs and Community Service, and is credited as a major force in its development. He earned his graduate degrees at North Texas while working as a business instructor and assistant registrar. After teaching at Texas A&M University, he returned in 1968 to join the economics faculty. He was the founding director of the Center for Economic Education and executive director of the Texas Council on Economic Education, which he helped organize. Both centers focused on the teaching of economics and its integration into Texas schools. Named dean in 1984 after serving as acting dean for two years, he helped create a master’s degree program in behavior analysis and other academic programs that dramatically increased enrollment in the school. He was chair of the committee that planned the UNT Centennial Celebration in 1990 and received the President’s Award for his contributions to the university. Upon his retirement as dean, an endowed fund for student scholarships was established in his name. He continued to teach as a professor of applied economics and in 1994 received the Hiram J. Friedsam Faculty Community Service Award of Distinction. He served in the U.S. Army in the 1950s and married Geneva Jo Wimberley (’74), who died in 2009.

Zachary C. Tucker (’92 M.Ed.), Denton, who served as student activities coordinator from 1984 to 1996, died May 1. Known as a devoted mentor, university supporter and Mean Green fan, Tucker received the UNT Alumni Association’s 2004 Ulys Knight Spirit Award, given to alumni for their efforts to sustain spirit among the UNT family. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Wesleyan University and a master’s in adult and continuing education from UNT.He had served on the University Union board of directors, the Honors Day committee, and parking and housing appeals boards. He also was named an outstanding alumnus of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity multiple times and served as an officer of the fraternity’s alumni association. He continued mentoring students and employees as the manager of the Wells Fargo branch in the University Union before moving to PointBank, where he was a vice president and branch manager.

James R. Miller, Denton, Dean Emeritus of education and founding dean of the Emeritus College, died Dec. 5. Miller retired from full-time teaching in 1991 after spending 14 years as an administrator in the College of Education, including serving as dean from 1985 to 1991. He continued on modified service until 1996, serving in 1995 as interim dean of what is now the College of Information. While dean of education, he established the Quality Assurance Program and helped establish one of the first academic programs in computer education and cognitive systems in the country. He also developed the concept and wrote the proposal for the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at UNT. In 2009, he was named founding dean of the Emeritus College, which provides travel and classes for adults older than 50 and is part of UNT’s Center for Achievement and Lifelong Learning. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, a master’s from Bowling Green State University and his doctorate from Kent State. Memorials may be made to UNT’s E. LaMar Hoke Memorial Scholarship, Dean Emeritus James R. Miller Scholarship or James R. Miller Emeritus College Scholarship.

Jean Mainous, Denton, who served on the College of Music faculty from 1949 to 1952, 1955 to 1957 and 1975 to 1997, died Jan. 23. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University with majors in piano and violin, and then attended Yale University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in violin and a master's degree in piano, and received the Charles Ditson Fellowship for foreign study and travel. She received a diploma from the Juilliard Graduate School of Music, where she studied piano with Olga Samaroff Stokowski.She taught at the Manhattan School of Music and at Juilliard and was a faculty member at the Summer Music Institute in Taiwan. She appeared as featured soloist with orchestras, in chamber music ensembles and as a duo-pianist with her longtime friend and fellow piano faculty member Mary Nan Mailman (’50, ’56 M.M.). She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Mainous, Professor Emeritus of music. Memorials may be made to the Dean’s Camerata — Jean Mainous Piano Scholarship in the College of Music.