Obituaries

Frances Norman “Sis” Miller, BA’50, of Lake Mary, Fla., May 19, 2024. At Vanderbilt she earned a degree in English and was a cheerleader and president of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She married Russell M. Faulkinberry, BA’51, who had been captain of the football team, in 1954. They moved to Lafayette, La., where they had two daughters. She stayed home with them in their early years before having a long career as a teacher and supervisor with the school board. Frances was a devoted Christian and a lifelong member of the Baptist church, where she taught Sunday school and led Bible studies.  She was also involved in many professional and community organizations throughout her life. After retirement she moved to Florida to be near her daughters and two grandchildren who survive her.

Katherine Anderson “Katy” Terry, BA’50, of Birmingham, Ala., July 15, 2024. At Vanderbilt she studied English, graduating magna cum laude, was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She also was involved in the Student Christian Association, the editorial staff of the The Commodore and of The Vanderbilt Hustler, where she served as headline editor. She joined the A Capella Choir, the Women's Panhellenic Society and was president of the Tri Arts Club. She met her husband, Charles Roden Terry, BA’50, at Vanderbilt. For many years she was an active member of Canterbury United Methodist Church and the Junior League of Birmingham and served in many other civic organizations. She was predeceased by her husband of 68 years. She is survived by two daughters and a son, numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Charles Howard Davis Sr., MA’52, PhD’68, of Bethesda, Md., May 24, 2024. At Vanderbilt, he studied economics. He taught economics at Mercer University and University of Memphis before he began a 30-year career at the U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Health and Human Services, retiring in 2007. Howard and his wife of 44 years, Mary K., were active members of Bethesda Friends Meeting. He served diligently on the board of Friends House Retirement Community and remained a steadfast presence in his community until his move to Florida in 2011. He is survived by his son and two grandchildren.

Henry Dalton Drennan, BS’52, MA’56, EdS’63, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Sept. 19, 2024. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Drennan took a job with IBM in Atlanta when he was asked to teach at a local community college. It was there that he found education to be his calling. He was hired as a guidance counselor and teacher at Southwest High School, where he was head of the Business Education department, eventually becoming the state supervisor of business education for the State of Georgia. For more than four decades, he taught at Middle Tennessee State University, where he was awarded emeritus status and eventually retired. One of his greatest delights was his farm, where he grew organic produce and raised all sorts of animals. He was a certified beekeeper. Survivors include his wife of nearly 64 years, Cynthia Belcher Drennan, MMus’65; four children, including Miriam Drennan, MAS’99; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Lou Carol Bearden Henderson, BA’53, of Nashville, July 30, 2024. At Vanderbilt she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta. After graduation she taught school at Fall Elementary in Nashville. In 1968 Carol founded the Westminster School, now Currey Ingram Academy. In 1972 she was awarded the Service to Youth award by the Middle Tennessee YMCA. Carol and her husband, Bobby, were active supporters of children with learning differences. After the passing of their son Britt in 1994, they founded the Britt Henderson Training Series with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, an ongoing educational program for teachers in public and private schools in Middle Tennessee. She is survived by three children, five grandchildren and two nieces.

Martha Crowe Davis, BA’54, MS’60, of Nashville, March 29, 2022. At Vanderbilt she studied history, received her certificate to teach and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. She returned to earn a master’s in speech pathology and worked at the Bill Wilkerson Center and later as a speech therapist with Metro Nashville Public Schools. She was a Girl Scout leader for many years and a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church. She is survived by her daughter, Ready Davis Bateman, BS’84; son, James Joseph Davis Jr.; five grandchildren, including Yates Bateman, BE’14, and his wife, Alexandra T. Bateman, BA’12, MSN’14, DNP’16, and three great-grandchildren.

Mary Phil Thomas Hamilton, BA’54, of Nashville, Aug. 21, 2024. At Vanderbilt, she graduated magna cum laude, was a member of Mortar Board and president of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She also met her husband, Madison Hayne Hamilton, BE’54, at Vanderbilt. After graduation, they married, and his career as a naval aviator took them to Norfolk, Va.; Pensacola, Fla.; Kingsville, Texas; and Lakehurst, N.J. In 1958, they relocated to Chattanooga before moving back to her hometown of Nashville in 1965. Hayne and Mary Phil moved back to Chattanooga in 1991, where they resided until Hayne’s death in 2021 when Mary Phil returned to Nashville. She is survived by three children, including M. Hayne Hamilton Jr., BA’79, MBA’84, Mary Phil Hamilton Illges, BA’82; eight grandchildren, including Whitfield Hamiton Jr., BA’14; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Samuel Ledcreigh Vance, BE’58, of Huntsville, Ala., Aug. 22, 2024. He joined Thiokol Chemical Corporation in 1959, where he worked on propellants and explosives. Sam and his wife, Dolores, welcomed two sons: Ledcreigh Stuart in 1963 and William Huntoon in 1966. Early in his career, Sam brought home strips of propellant and on July 4, shot them out of a homemade launcher. The strips fired off at great speed, and being flexible, performed exciting aerobatics before burning out. This practice ended in 1969, when one of the strips rocketed into a neighbor’s bush, vaporizing it on contact. Fortunately, their home exterior was brick, so the damage was limited to the foliage. After that, his boys were allowed only sparklers. He is survived by his son, Stuart, and Stuart’s wife, Teri, a granddaughter and two great-grandsons.

Bernard “Bernie” Edwards Akin, BA’59, of Herndon, Va., March 18, 2024. At Vanderbilt, he was a member of Phi Kappa Alpha. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and attained the rank of captain. He was a personnel chief with the U.S. Forest Service and earned a master’s in public administration from American University. He is predeceased by his wife of 57 years, Lois Murphy Akin. He is survived by two children and three grandchildren.

Gary O. Cohen, BA’59, of Chevy Chase, Md., Aug. 27, 2024. At Vanderbilt he was president of Zeta Beta Tau and editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He was Don Elliott’s first hire for Vanderbilt’s nascent development office and continued to produce fundraising materials after entering Harvard Law School (JD’63). After an Air Force stint and five years at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary entered private practice focusing on federal securities, variable annuities and investment companies. He addressed legal conferences and, until his death, wrote for The Investment Lawyer, which he helped found. In 2019 he was inducted into the Vanderbilt Student Media Hall of Fame. In 2023 his geometric paintings and assemblages merited a prominent D.C. gallery showing. At 87, still an active attorney with Carlton Fields, he was stricken while traveling abroad. He leaves wife, Jean Lawlor Cohen, MAT’63, two daughters and three grandchildren.

Lucia Flowers Gilliland, BA’59, of Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 1, 2024. She graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She and her husband, Jim Gilliland, BA’55, LLB’57, first met at Vanderbilt. After graduating, she was hired as a financial secretary in the Rockefeller Center office of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. Afterwards, in Memphis, she entered the executive training program at First National Bank and reconnected with Jim Gilliland, whom she married in 1964. They raised three children and used their professional and social connections to work for a more progressive and inclusive Memphis. She chaired the Center City Commission (now the Downtown Memphis Commission), was a founder and director of the Grant Center (now the Tennessee Nonprofit Network), and was president of Junior League Memphis. She also was on the boards of the Greater Memphis Chamber, the University of Tennessee Board of Regents, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Tennessee Bicentennial Commission and the Memphis Development Foundation among others. In 1992, after the Clinton-Gore ticket was elected, she took a White House position as adviser to Tipper Gore. She is survived by a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren.

David L. Watson, BA’59, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, May 19, 2024. He entered Duke University, then served in the U.S. Army as a radio operator in Germany. He completed his bachelor’s at Vanderbilt and earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Yale. He joined the faculty at the University of Toronto, eventually becoming a full professor at the University of Hawaii, Manoa campus. In more than 32 years at UH, Dave taught many courses, conducted numerous research studies, chaired the department for a time, and published many articles and books, including a very influential text—Self-Directed Behavior, now in its 10th edition—in the field of behavior modification. He is survived by his wife, two children, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.

Edwin Lee Wilson, BE’59, of Rome, Ga., Oct. 27, 2022. At Vanderbilt he studied chemical engineering, which he put to use in a long career in the pulp and paper industry. He retired as vice president Environmental Engineering at Georgia-Pacific. He is survived by four children, two grandchildren and two sisters.

William Lee Downey, BA’60, MD’63, of Nashville, July 30, 2024. In 1960 he married Danya Kendall, BA’60, and served two years at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. He was engaged in the private practice of otolaryngology for 31 years. After retirement, he continued to use his medical knowledge for another nine years, working at the Disability Determination Section of Social Security. He is survived by his wife; four sons, including William Kendall Downey, BA’86; 13 grandchildren, including Thomas Burrus Cox, BS’17; and one great-grandchild.

Linda Windrow Veirs, MALS ’62, North Granby, Conn., Jan. 16, 2024. She was born in Brownsville, Tenn., and earned her bachelor’s from Centre College in Danville, Ky. Linda was the head librarian for the East Granby Public Library for 15 years. She was named as the East Granby Citizen of the Year in 2002 for her significant contribution to the new library. She took great pride in the contribution of the new library to the community. She and her husband, Jim Veirs, BE’62, MS’67, married in 1962 and moved to Connecticut in 1970, where they raised two children, Helen Veirs Rice of Granby and Walter Veirs of London, U.K. She was the admired grandmother of James Rice, Will Rice, Henry Rice, Sanna Veirs and Ian Veirs.

Louis Ira Levy, BA’63, MD’66, of Columbus, Ga., July 28, 2024. As an undergraduate he majored in chemistry and played football, and he remained an avid Commodore fan throughout his life. He celebrated every Vanderbilt football team win with a Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit No. 1 combo. He completed his pediatrics residency at Babies Hospital of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and was chief of pediatrics at the USA Air Force Hospital in Azores, Portugal, for three years. He completed a fellowship in neonatology at Duke University and then moved to Columbus, where he started his pediatric practice and Columbus’s first neonatal intensive care unit. He served on multiple state boards for maternal and infant health in Georgia. A lifelong learner, he was a mentor and leader in Columbus’ Jewish community. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Laura, five children, seven grandchildren and his sister.

R. Clark Williams Jr., BA’63, of Newnan, Ga., Aug. 17, 2024. At Vanderbilt, Clark majored in political science, joined the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, played football for the Commodores and enrolled in the ROTC program. After graduation, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. At Vanderbilt, Clark also met Love Beavers, BA’63, and they married six months after graduation. In 1964, he was called to active duty at Fort Sill, Okla., then completed his military service in Paris, France, at NATO’s SHAPE Headquarters. In 1967, he was discharged with the rank of captain, and he and Love moved back to Newnan. Clark worked for various flexible packaging companies, and in 1983, he formed his own flexible packaging company, Plastex Industries Inc., from which he retired many years later. In addition to his wife of 60 years, he is survived by two children, four grandchildren and a sister.

Joe V.W. Gaston, JD’64, of Springfield, Tenn., Feb. 9, 2024. Joe earned his bachelor’s from Duke University. While at Duke he won the Atlantic Coast Conference tennis singles and doubles championships. Joe practiced law in Chattanooga with a firm that became Chambliss Bahner Crutchfield Gaston & Irvine. He also served in the U.S. Air Force and the Tennessee Air National Guard as a navigator. In 1967 he married Kay Baker, BA’62. They lived on Signal Mountain, where they raised daughters K. Healan Gaston and Josephine W. Larson. He and his wife retired to an 18th century farm in Robertson County, Tenn., near Springfield, where they raised cattle. He is survived by his wife, daughters, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Sandra Farmer Goble, BSN’64, of Brevard, N.C., June 12, 2024. She earned a master’s in psychiatric nursing from the University of Maryland, where she taught on staff for a brief time. She loved school and at one point in her working career obtained two other degrees for fun from University of North Carolina, Charlotte, while working as a nurse in the infirmary. Her passion was mental health advocacy, speaking on behalf of NAMI on the state and national levels.

Bennett “Bumpy” Baldwin, BA’65, of Nashville, July 13, 2024. Bumpy attended Vanderbilt on a football scholarship and was drafted by the Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders). He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. After graduation, he served in the Tennessee Air National Guard and worked for Ambrose Printing Co. for more than 30 years. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and escaping to his house on Anna Maria Island, Fla. He is survived by his three children—Ben, Emily and Helen—and eight grandchildren.

David D. Early, BE’65, MS’67, of Seattle, Wash., April 13, 2024. After graduating from Vanderbilt, Dave and his wife, Pat, moved to Seattle, Wash. As a metallurgic engineer, his career spanned 40 years, highlighted by numerous new airplane programs dedicated to supplier quality and field operations, including composite fuselage on-site support to the groundbreaking 787 program. Dave loved coaching Little League and also Scouting America, including hiking at the renowned Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. An outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing, skiing, hiking (summiting Mount Rainier) and spending time on his East Tennessee farm. He was married for 58 years to Pat, who predeceased him. He is survived by two children and three grandchildren.

Joe Curry Peel, BA’65, MAT’69, of Nashville, June 19, 2024. Joe taught at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, and at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn. After graduating from University of Tennessee Law School and working in private practice, he served for 39 years in the Tennessee Attorney General's Office. He was a recognized expert in the fields of state and local taxation, interstate commerce and constitutional law. He handled many of the most significant cases about Tennessee's revenues, involving many millions of dollars and crucial principles of taxation, often appearing in the chancery and appellate courts in Tennessee. The matters that Joe handled set many important precedents in the areas of banking, insurance and telecommunications. He is survived by his wife of 46 years and soul mate, Mary Margaret Alsobrook Peel, BA’71, and their daughter, Margaret Elizabeth Peel-Shakespeare (Lyndon).

Renee Price Smith, BA’65, of Lexington, Ky., March 24, 2024. At Vanderbilt, she met her husband, William Clifton Smith, BA’65. Renee was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority and majored in chemistry and biology seeking a medical career. Instead, she married Clifton and moved to St. Louis where he attended Washington University School of Medicine, and she enrolled in the Central Institute for the Deaf as a graduate student. They lived in Augusta, Ga., for three years before moving to Lexington. She was very active in several groups, including the Lexington Ballet, Ronald McDonald House, Philharmonic Foundation, Medical Auxiliary and First Presbyterian Church where she was a deacon and choir member. She co-managed Heinsmith Galleries a family-owned interior design and furniture store. In addition to her husband of 58 years, she is survived by four children, Christopher Roland Todd Smith, BA’90, Jennifer Smith Erickson, BA’92, Melanie Smith Leach, BA’95, Caroline Elizabeth Smith, BS’02, and seven grandchildren.

Wallace Spurgeon Briggs, ’66, of Stone Mountain, Ga., Jan. 12, 2024. After finishing his bachelor’s at Millsaps College, joined the Peace Corps and served in Colombia, South America for two years. He began his career at the Mississippi Research and Development Center, one of his favorite jobs. For most of his career he was involved with GIS or Geospatial Information Systems. He focused on consulting and project management in the U.S. and overseas. He is survived by his wife, two children, two grandchildren and two brothers.

Raleigh McDonald Hussung, ’66, of Nashville, June 9, 2024. At Vanderbilt she studied nursing and was a member of Tri Delta sorority. She met her husband, Buck Hussung, BA’65, on a blind date in 1962. She was an accomplished businesswoman who managed a successful catering business, an import business and authored a cookbook. She was predeceased by her parents and brother, John P. McDonald, BA’64. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, three sons, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Faye Allen Hale, BA’67, of Nashville, Aug. 3, 2024. An honor graduate at Vanderbilt, her outgoing personality resulted in her election as Miss Freshman. She was a member of the Honor Council and proudly supported the Commodores as a cheerleader. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. Faye was past chairman and president of The Allen Co., a real estate investment company. Throughout her life, she was active in many civic and charitable organizations, including the boards of Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, Family and Children’s Services and Harpeth Academy. She was a member of St. George’s Episcopal church. She is survived by her husband, daughter, son, stepdaughter and five grandchildren.

Richard Jordan Lyon, LLB’68, of Lexington, Ky., Dec. 31, 2023. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and serving in the Army Reserves, he attended Vanderbilt Law School where he worked on the Race Relations Law Review. After graduating Rick worked at Miller Martin Law Firm in Chattanooga before going to work for Ashland Oil as house counsel in Ashland, Ky., Columbus, Ohio, and Lexington, Ky. He then served as in-house counsel at First Security/Bank One, before going to the Private Client Group at National City Bank and retiring there as department head. Rick volunteered as church administrator at Tates Creek Presbyterian Church, where he was named Elder Emeritus.  He was involved in Bible Study Fellowship in Lexington serving as the substitute teaching leader. Rick is survived by his wife, Kathryn Ingram Lyon, MS’70, three sons and six grandchildren.

Richard Neill, BA’68, Oak Ridge, Tenn. March 27, 2024. Growing up in Oak Ridge, he treasured memories of the “Secret City.” At Vanderbilt, he played saxophone in the marching band and hung around the Department of Biology. After graduation, he began graduate work at the University of Georgia in forestry. He was drafted for military service during the final years of the Vietnam War, where he served in the U.S. Army Intelligence Agency. He returned to Georgia and earned a master’s in forest ecology and a Ph.D. in forest genetics. His career included college-level teaching, agricultural/forestry research, regulatory compliance and environmental restoration. He retired from the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Frankenfield Neill, BA’68, his daughter, son-in-law and grandson.

Philip Lawrence “Larry” Hester, BA’69, of Virginia Beach, Va., Sept. 3, 2024. At Vanderbilt Larry earned his bachelor’s in economics and was awarded a scholarship to the first class of the Owen Graduate School of Management. Before completing his degree, he was asked to become assistant to the provost at Vanderbilt. He found a true home where he had previously been a student and was soon Vanderbilt’s director of fiscal planning. He later joined the University of Massachusetts system in Boston, then moved to H.U.D. as a university consultant and finally into a private consulting partnership working with more than 35 universities. When health problems ended his career, he addressed a long-standing interest in Edgar Cayce's work and the Association for Research and Enlightenment. He served on the boards of the Edgar Cayce Foundation and Atlantic University for 12 years. Though sadly predeceased by all his immediate family, his friendships were, and are, numerous and ingrained.

Morris H. Morgan III, BE’69, of Williamsburg, Va., Feb. 25, 2022. After graduating from Vanderbilt, Morris received a master’s in chemical engineering from the University of Dayton and was the second African American to receive his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After a research stint at General Electric, he returned to RPI and became the engineering school’s first tenured African American professor. Morris served as the dean of the Hampton University School of Engineering and Technology. He published 96 research articles and six book chapters and held four patents on designing industrial spouted bed systems, a field in which he earned world-class prominence. He received Vanderbilt’s Legacy Award as a pioneering African American degree recipient, and in April 2022 he was posthumously inducted into the Vanderbilt School of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Bradshaw, BA’69,  his son and daughter.

Mary Lillian Pullig Schatz, MD’69, of Nashville, June 10, 2024. Mary was an anatomic and clinical pathologist with Associated Pathologists, West Side Hospital, Centennial Medical Center and assistant clinical professor at Vanderbilt School of Medicine. She was elected medical staff president at Centennial Medical Center in 1991 and was certified by yogi B.K.S. Iyengar to teach and to certify his method of yoga. She was the author of numerous medical journal articles and was on the editorial board of Yoga Journal. She authored Back Care Basics, a best-selling yoga book for back pain solutions using gentle yoga techniques. Fluent in French, she loved to spend time in Quebec, Canada, with her late husband, Walter, and her two dogs, Katie and Havoc. She is survived by her sons David and Douglass Schatz, MS’96, three grandchildren and her sister.

William Wayne Teegarden, BA’71, of Atlanta, March 31, 2024. After graduation he moved to Atlanta, where he met his wife of 50 years, Caye Carden Wilbanks, at the Atlanta Ski Club. There he began a 40-year career in the banking industry, beginning with First National Bank of Atlanta. He retired in 2017 from SunTrust. He was a member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church and Ansley Golf Club. Thirty-three years ago, he suffered a near-fatal car accident that impacted his walking ability and introduced him to Atlanta’s Shepherd Center, where he used his experiences as a patient to volunteer his time as part of their Peer Support Team. Bill’s efforts as a Shepherd Center volunteer were recognized when he was selected to carry the Paralympic Torch during its journey to the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. Survivors include his wife, two sons, a sister and six grandchildren.

Patricia Ann Kiser, BA’73, of Farmington, Conn., March 21, 2024. She studied French at Vanderbilt and earned degrees in library science and music from Long Island University and the University of Hartford’s Hartt College of Music. She worked for the libraries of the University of Hartford and Trinity College before spending more than two decades at the Capitol Region Library Council and Library Connection Inc. She was a voracious reader and a devoted fan of opera and Broadway musicals. She sang with the Sweet Adelines, Farmington Valley Choral and the Avon Congregational Church choir, where she was a member for more than 40 years.

Henry McCardell Troth Jr., PhD’74, of Houston, Sept. 12, 2024. He was a respected and skilled chemical and control systems engineer whose career spanned several prestigious companies, including DuPont, ARAMCO, Rohm & Haas, S & B Engineering and Jacobs Engineering. Henry was a lifelong learner, completing his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering at Louisiana State University and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University. His passion for learning was matched by his enthusiasm for his hobbies. He became a private pilot in the late 1970s, was an avid photographer and collector of cameras, books, model trains and enjoyed travel. He is survived by three daughters, three siblings and eight grandchildren.

William Henry Jackson Jr., JD’75, of  Hillsborough, N.H., July 13, 2024. Born in Lockport, New York, Hank attended Princeton University on a Navy ROTC Scholarship majoring in English. He was a Vietnam vet, entering Vanderbilt Law after his military service. He moved to New England and after a brief stint as town prosecutor for Hanover, N.H., he began a decades-long career as an antitrust and product liability attorney. He and his wife, Susan, settled in Woodstock, Conn., and raised two children, Sarah and Benjamin. Hank also had a son from his first marriage, William III. At Princeton Hank fell in love with Mark Twain who said “I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.” He died from complications of Alzheimer’s, a cruel disease that robs us of our stories. He is survived by his children, four grandchildren and two brothers.

Sandra Windsor Mathiesen, MLS’75, of Washington, D.C., Aug. 10, 2024. After graduating from Peabody College, she taught elementary school and was the librarian at Harpeth Academy in Franklin, Tenn. After moving to Washington, D.C., with her husband, Mark J. Mathiesen, JD’75, in 1982, she became a congressional aide to Speaker of the House, Thomas S. Foley, for 10 years, and then a governmental consultant for Denny Miller Associates. She was a very active member of numerous branches of the Church of Christ, Scientist. She was a gifted pianist and tap dancer. She enjoyed swimming, horseback riding, writing poetry, traveling around the world with family (especially visiting Greece numerous times), caring for pets and spending time at the beach. A detailed tribute may be found at Legacy.com. She is survived by her husband of 52 years and her daughter, Sarah Elaine Mathiesen.

Jerry Stephen Williams, BA’80, of Nashville, Feb. 19, 2024. He played baseball and was named 1978 First Team All-SEC, 1978 All-South Region and 1980 SEC All-Tournament Team. Jerry completed his teaching certification at the University of Kentucky. For 32 years, Jerry taught and coached at Franklin Road Academy in Nashville. He loved teaching U.S. history and working with students to help them prepare for college. At FRA he took on different roles in the athletic department but being an assistant coach in baseball was what he truly loved. While at FRA they won three state championships in baseball, but more importantly Jerry built great relationships with the players and fellow coaches. He retired in 2017 from FRA, in 2019 he was inducted into the FRA Hall of Excellence and in 2023 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame with the 1988 State Champion Baseball team.

David “Dave” James Barie, BA’81, of Bethesda, Md., Oct. 12, 2024. A gifted researcher, he used these skills in his 30+ year career with The Washington Post until retirement in July 2021. At Vanderbilt, Dave studied economics, sociology and psychology and was general manager of campus radio station, WRVU. Under his leadership, he improved the station’s reach and technology. He spoke fondly of his days in Nashville, staying close to his Vanderbilt family until the end. After Vanderbilt, he made a home for himself near Washington, D.C., always living life to the fullest. He was an avid world traveler who thrived on meeting new people and experiencing other cultures. Dave was also a cycling enthusiast, even taking international trips to explore new countries via bike. He is survived by many loving friends around the world who wish they could share one more pint together.

Christine Stoykovich Van Dongen, PhD’85, of St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 29, 2024. Born in North Conway, N.H., Christine earned her B.A. from Smith College and her M.S. from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A noted expert in the field of sensory evaluation, she worked as an experimental psychologist at Warner-Lambert, Colgate, Best Foods and Nestle Health Science. In 2017, she joined University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, as a Sensory Center Fellow. She was a member of the Society for Sensory Professionals, the Institute of Food Technologists, the American Psychological Association, Sigma Xi, the Sensometric Society and ASTM International, who awarded her their top annual award in 2024. She was an avid skier, gardener, chef, world traveler and Scrabble player who was known equally for her outspokenness and for her generosity. She is survived by her husband, her son, a brother, two sisters and other family and friends.

Larry Dean Eldridge, MA’86, PhD'90, of Sherman, Texas, July 14, 2024. After time in the U.S. Marines, Larry attended East Texas State University where he met his wife of 46 years, Virginia Lee Eldridge, MLS’85. They moved to Nashville for his graduate work in history and welcomed their daughter, Emily. Larry loved teaching, writing and travel.

Gail Standish Ward, BA’87, MEd’90, of Franklin, Tenn., Aug. 24, 2024.  Gail taught fine arts, English and art instruction in Nashville and Franklin for more than a decade. She also tutored the young members of the Jump5 band, served as curator of C.S. Lewis’ private home, “The Kilns”, in Oxford, England, catered at Franklin establishments, and guided hikers at Timberland State Park. Gail lived on her dream homestead, Kelmscott Farm, where she conducted workshops in art, writing, book studies, traditional crafts, gardening, canning and cooking. She was a busy background actor, appearing in numerous films and television series, and she enjoyed traveling the world, worshiping in her faith and participating in political causes. She is survived by her siblings and their spouses, nieces, nephews, extended family, and her beloved cats.

James Alexander Kemp, BE’92, of Pensacola, Fla., June 9, 2024. At Vanderbilt, he studied chemical engineering and won top honors in his graduating class. In 1993, Jim took a job at Monsanto Chemical Co., allowing him to move to Florida to pursue his dream of playing golf. Jim loved to play competitive golf and sought out every opportunity he could to play competitively in individual and team events. His greatest golf accomplishment was qualifying for the 2003 USGA Mid-Amateur played at the Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. As much as he loved golf, his greatest passion in life was people. His ability to forge a connection with anyone anywhere was legendary. Jim's humor and enjoyment of life were infectious. There was no greater friend. He is survived by his mother, five siblings and 13 nieces and nephews.