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Class Notes
1973
RON TRAVIS ’73 co-owner of Re/Max Alliance Group, an independently owned franchise with 13 offices and 350 agents on the Florida Gulf Coast, was ranked No. 1 in Florida and 11th in the United States.
1977
RICHARD E. HYMAN ’77 became the chairman of GreenIRR in September 2022. GreenIRR is a software-based carbon-management service that helps businesses measure their greenhouse gas emissions and track progress toward reduction targets. The initial target market is trucking, with marine and aviation to follow.
L.D. “LARRY” RUSSELL ’77 retired after 30 years of teaching religious studies at Elon University. Upon his retirement, he was awarded emeritus status for his dedicated service to the institution, making him Elon’s first senior lecturer emeritus.
1982
JOHN RILEY ’82 retired after 32 ½ years as a physics professor at the University of South Carolina Upstate.
1984
LAUREN COBB JOSEPH ’84 was promoted to vice president of marketing at Brookgreen Gardens.
1998
WILLIAM BRONEILL ’98 was hired by Kahan Kerensky Capossela, a law firm in Vernon, Connecticut, to head up its real estate department.
2003
JESSICA LIGHTBURN ’03 was named a Class of 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholar and made the Top 50 Women Leaders of DC for 2023 by Women We Admire.
2008
TEMIDAYO AGANGA-WILLIAMS ’08, former senior investigative counsel for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, joined litigation firm Selendy Gay Elsberg as a partner.
CLAIRE MARIE WOLCOTTSTAM ’08 was named director of the Addiction Medicine Center at Prisma Health, where she will play a key role in overseeing the development and execution of research and programmatic activity as it relates to addiction treatment, prevention and recovery.
MICHAEL WISE ’08 was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to be the director of the S.C. Department of Insurance.
2011
CHRISTINE BROAD ’11, senior vice president at Edelman Smithfield, made the Top 50 Women Leaders of DC for 2023 by Women We Admire.
2018
MADISON BROWNE ’18, a Ph.D. candidate in behavioral and systems neuroscience at University of California Berkeley, won the 2023 University of California Berkeley Graduate Student competition.
Three Generations of Quaternions
JOHN ROPER ’23 was inducted into Quaternion Senior Order, a leadership organization. He follows his father, DAVID ROPER ’81, and grandfather, JOHN ROPER JR. ’47. This year Furman combined Quaternion, a society previously reserved for men founded in 1903, with Senior Order, a society reserved for women founded in 1937. The youngest Roper’s aunt, KEREN ROPER WILLMON ’78, was inducted into Senior Order in 1978.
Births & Adoptions
COREY ALLEN ’13 and ARLEY TURNER-ALLEN ’13, Beckett Nathaniel Allen, May 25, 2021
STEVEN ROWE ’08 and AMBER SIMON ROWE ’08, Frances Elaine Rowe, May 12, 2022
Marshall and ADAIR (MARTIN) SMITH ’13, Sarah Margaret Smith, Oct. 3, 2022
KATHERINE SCHICHTEL ROGERS ’10 and Brad Rogers, Meredith Allen and Charlotte Reece, Oct. 3, 2022
CAROLYN CALDWELL PETERS ’06 and Craig Peters, Edison Roan, Dec. 29, 2022
Marriages
JOHN BROWN ’92 and Amy Streetman, Nov. 2, 2022
ELIZABETH ROACH-SMITH ’07 and Brian Smith, Nov. 12, 2022
Obituaries
RUTH WALDREP REEVES ’43, Jan. 12, 2023, Sachse, Texas
CAROLYN SKELTON COCHRAN ’44, Dec. 24, 2022, Seneca, S.C.
FRANCES KINSEY PATE ’45, Feb. 16, 2023, Charlotte, N.C.
LEILA NIXON BABB ’46, Dec. 10, 2022, Hendersonville, N.C.
ALICE WELBORN GENTRY ’48, Feb. 26, 2023, Inman, S.C.
RALPH BROWN ’49, Feb. 8, 2023, Greer, S.C.
BETTY CASKEY ROBERTSON ’50, Jan. 9, 2023, Richfield, N.C.
JUANITA GLASS ALEXANDER ’50, Nov. 23, 2022, Laurens, S.C.
JOSEPH LEAPHART ’50, Nov. 16, 2022, Greer, S.C.
HUGH MOATES ’51, Jan. 5, 2023, Americus, Ga.
BANKS ADAMS ’51, Feb. 10, 2023, Williamsburg, Va.
WALTER COOK ’52, Jan. 10, 2023, Clemson, S.C.
LEONA ELLISON TYNER ’52, Nov. 15, 2022, Anderson, S.C.
LENA DOT ARNOLD TEMPLETON ’52, Nov. 15, 2022, Atlanta, Ga.
BILLIE MULLAN FARRIS ’53, Jan. 23, 2023, Augusta, Ga.
JOHN HUNTER ’53, Nov. 12, 2022, Honea Path, S.C.
BOBBIE NICHOLSON ’53, Feb. 13, 2023, Hendersonville, N.C.
ELSIE BLACKWELL POLLOCK ’54, Feb. 13, 2023, Pawleys Island, S.C.
POLLY WOOD LINEBERGER ’54, Dec. 3, 2022, Ware Shoals, S.C.
FRANK CAPEHART ’55, Jan. 1, 2023, Winfield, W.Va.
LYNN CATER THOMAS ’55, Jan. 16, 2023, Monett, Mo.
DEMETRIUS LINDLER HINNANT ’55, Feb. 19, 2023, Anderson, S.C.
CLAUDE CARNELL ’56, Jan. 30, 2023, Charleston, S.C.
NANCY HARRIS LANDIS ’56, Feb. 20, 2023, Union, Mo.
CLARENCE SEIGLER ’57, Jan. 13, 2023, Ruther Glen, Va.
DONALD R. BATSON ’57, Feb. 23, 2023, Fountain Inn, S.C.
MARY JANE MCCUEN ASHMORE ’58, Feb. 1, 2023, Greer, S.C.
ROBERTA HARRIS ASHLEY ’58, Nov. 21, 2022, Pacolet, S.C.
THOMAS WALL ’59, Jan. 11, 2023, Travelers Rest, S.C.
ROBERT CARTER ’59, Jan. 14, 2023, Fayetteville, N.C.
RUTH WILSON NORRIS ’59, Feb. 17, 2023, Belton, S.C.
RUDOLPH CHASTEEN ’59, Nov. 1, 2022, Ware Shoals, S.C.
RONALD SALYER ’59, Nov. 4, 2022, Greenville, S.C.
JOHN BEAN ’60, Dec. 22, 2022, Mill Spring, N.C.
MARY FAYSSOUX GARNER ’61, Jan. 8, 2023, Brevard, N.C.
EDYTHE CROUT NEWTON ’61, Dec. 9, 2022, Greenville, S.C.
ROBERT LEWIS ’61, Dec. 16, 2022, Longs, S.C.
LUBETH KELLEY SCOTT ’62, Feb. 5, 2023, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
PATRICIA HOLLIFIELD WHEELER ’62, Dec. 4, 2022, Taylors, S.C.
JOAN SAMMONS HEINIS ’62, Dec. 9, 2022, Travelers Rest, S.C.
ROBERT RASMUSSEN ’63, Feb. 5, 2023, Champaign, Ill.
ARNOLD ARROWOOD ’64, Jan. 16, 2023, Canton, N.C.
HENRY ROSS ’66, Jan. 12, 2023, Gaffney, S.C.
WINIFRED GAINES GRAY ’66, Nov. 28, 2022, Greenwood, S.C.
ELEANOR CUNNINGHAM ’68, Jan. 27, 2023, Greenville, S.C.
BARRETT ALEWINE ’69, Dec. 15, 2022, Greenwood, S.C.
ANN GILLILAND BURROUGHS ’69, Feb. 3, 2023, Greenville, S.C.
JAMES BOSWELL ’72, Nov. 23, 2022, Charleston, S.C.
CAROLYN MCCALL WILLIAMS ’72, Jan. 16, 2023, Charlotte, N.C.
MARTHA SCHINDLEDECKER PARRIS ’73, Dec. 3, 2022, Pickens, S.C.
LAWRENCE SOUTHERLAND ’73, Jan. 29. 2023, Anderson, S.C.
JEAN PERRIN DERRICK ’74, Jan. 11, 2023, Lexington, S.C.
B. SPELL ’75, Dec. 7, 2022, Cullowhee, N.C.
DONALD COOK ’77, Feb. 10, 2023, Charlotte, N.C.
MARY YOUNGBLOOD ELLISON ’77, Feb. 16, 2023, Easley, S.C.
JOHN GARRETT ’79, Dec. 19, 2022, Hudson, Ill.
NANCY CULBERTSON ’80, Jan. 30, 2023, Greenville, S.C.
CALVIN HARKLESS ’81, Jan. 21, 2023, Edmond, Okla.
CATHERINE FERGUSON ARDREY ’83, Jan. 15, 2023, James Island, S.C.
LEE LEPPER ’83, Nov. 25, 2022, Bethesda, Md.
CHARLES OWENS ’83, Jan. 10, 2023, Duncan, S.C.
PAUL CRAVEN ’89, Dec. 16, 2022, Graham, N.C.
CLAY HARDIN ’91, Nov. 23, 2022, Franklin, Tenn.
CHARLES REINEY ’91, Feb. 9, 2023, Charlotte, N.C.
STACEY SIMPSON DUKE ’93, Feb. 27, 2023, Ann Arbor, Mich.
DAVID REID ’99, Dec. 11, 2022, Simpsonville, S.C.
SHIRLEY LEE ’02, Jan. 18, 2023, Orlando, Fla.
EDGAR GERTSCH ’04, Dec. 29, 2022, Columbus, Ohio
LAURA WILSON ’10, Dec. 7, 2022, Birmingham, Ala.
Courtesy Photo
JANET KWAMI
1974-2023
JANET KWAMI died May 5, 2023. She became a professor of communication studies at Furman in 2009, served as an informal and formal mentor to countless international students and led many study-away programs to Ghana. As the founding advisor to Baba Africa, the African Student Society, she was known for her kindness and generosity to Furman students. She won the Alester G. Furman, Jr. and Janie Earle Furman Award for Meritorious Teaching in 2017, and the South Carolina Council of Independent Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award in 2021. She was also the recipient of a multi-year National Science Foundation research grant to study the ways in which marginalized communities in Africa and China self-organize with digital tools.
Courtesy Photo
DICK SHERIDAN
1941-2023
Furman football coaching legend DICK SHERIDAN died July 6, 2023, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020 and inducted on Dec. 7, 2021, Sheridan began his collegiate head coaching career at Furman in 1978 and won 69 games over eight seasons, posting a 74.4 winning percentage, the best in school history. During his first season in Greenville, he guided the Paladins to the program’s first Southern Conference football championship. Sheridan’s Furman teams would win six SoCon titles under his direction, becoming the second program in league history to win four in a row (1980-83). A native of Augusta, Georgia, Sheridan graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1964.
Courtesy Photo
ALAN SCOTT DAY
1944-2023
ALAN SCOTT DAY died April 17, 2023, in Greenville, South Carolina. He was a visiting professor and lecturer at Furman in the chemistry department from 2012-2019, a department head at Greenville Technical College and also spent several years teaching chemistry at the Sherman College of Chiropractic. He delighted his students by referring to himself as “Professor DumbleDay” and used pop culture references to help teach.
Courtesy Photo
DR. RALPH JAMES BROWN ’49
1925-2023
DR. RALPH JAMES BROWN ’49 died Feb. 8, 2023, in Greer, South Carolina. After serving in the U.S. Navy during WWII, he graduated from Furman and the Medical College of Virginia, and became a dentist serving the Greer community for more than 35 years. Brown was also a member of the Furman University Board of Trustees and Greer First Baptist Church, where he served for many years as a deacon, Sunday school teacher and basketball coach. He served on the original board of directors for Greer Community Ministries, the General Board of the SC Baptist Convention, Board of Greenville Hospital System, and was a member of the Greer Lion Club.
About Class Notes
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