Obituaries

Patrick Francis “Pat” Keyes, BE’50, of Huntsville, Ala., Sept. 5, 2025. Before his time at Vanderbilt, he joined the U.S. Navy for two years and was assigned to the USS Bunker Hill and transported American servicemen home from the Pacific after World War II. Discharged in 1946, he enrolled at Vanderbilt and studied chemical engineering. After graduation, he and his new bride, Mary Lou Tubb, moved to Huntsville when Pat was recruited to join Wernher von Braun’s rocket team at Redstone Arsenal, which evolved into the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. He later joined NASA, where he participated in the Saturn V, Apollo and space shuttle programs. He retired from NASA in 1982. Survivors include three daughters, including Kathleen “Katy” Keyes Prince, BSN’79; four grandchildren, including Greg Prince, BA’10, MBA’13, and one great-grandchild.

William Ray Lucas, MS’50, PhD’52, of Huntsville, Ala., Feb. 10, 2025. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he studied chemistry at Vanderbilt under Professor Waite Fishel. A charter member of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, he was center director from 1974 until 1986. His career extended from the early days of the U.S. rocket program through the foundation of the Space Station. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and received the Dr. Wernher von Braun Space Flight Trophy from the National Space Club for his distinguished career in rocketry and science. He was active in many professional and community organizations. His wife, Polly Torti Lucas, and a son, William Ray Lucas Jr., BA’77, predeceased him. Survivors include daughter, Donna Lucas Watts, BA’74; son, Michael Lee Lucas, BA’79, JD’82; six grandchildren, including Kenan Holmes Lucas, BA’07; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Sovern John Larkins, BA’52, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., June 5, 2025. Before college, S.J. was in the Army, serving in the occupation of Japan. He loved to show visitors a picture of himself marching in formation in Tokyo before Gen. Douglas MacArthur. At Vanderbilt, S.J. was a member of Theta Chi. He met his wife, Betty Gardner Larkins, BA’53, at a Vanderbilt football game, and they enjoyed Vanderbilt sporting events throughout their lives, attending the SEC Basketball Tournament yearly with their VU friends, Ed Davies, BA’53, and Betty Davies, BA’53, MA’75. S.J. had a long career in the securities industry and enjoyed fishing, golfing and walking on the beach. He is survived by his daughter, Lyda Larkins Astrove, BA’80, and two grandchildren.

Winfield Maxwell Baird, BA’54, of Birmingham, Ala., Sept. 10, 2025. He graduated magna cum laude and was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. He enjoyed a very successful career in investments and was managing partner of J.C. Bradford & Company’s Birmingham office for 28 years. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Barbara Brunson Baird;  daughters, Catherine Baird Hooper, BA’82, and Elizabeth Baird Crawford, JD’94; son, Winfield Malone Baird; and seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Arthur Edgar Malone, BA’62.

Jean Finnie Casson, MA’54, of Wheat Ridge, Colo., Oct. 23, 2025. Jean taught fifth grade for several years in Fort Worth, Texas, before earning her master’s and teaching at the Demonstration School, which was part of Peabody College at the time. In Nashville, she met Lt. Cdr. Robert M. Casson, MA’62, who taught Navy ROTC at Vanderbilt. They were married in 1963 in Naples, Italy, during his tour in the Mediterranean and moved to Wheat Ridge in 1966, where Jean continued a life of volunteering. She was intellectually curious and remained a lifelong educator, researching and sharing her knowledge through formal presentations and informal storytelling. Her husband predeceased her. She is survived by two nieces, three nephews and an extended family of 15 great-nephews and great-nieces and four great-great nephews.

Tom A. MacKenzie, BA’54, of Sugar Land, Texas, July 6, 2025. When Tom enrolled at Vanderbilt in 1950, he was the only freshman nonscholarship starting guard on the basketball team. He earned a full scholarship and was the starting point guard for the next three years (1951–54) and was the alternate captain his senior year. Tom was a member of the SAE fraternity and graduated with a double major in business administration and history. He served in the U.S. Army Special Services at the 9th Corps Headquarters in Sendai, Japan. Tom’s business career included 39 years in the corporate fidelity and surety business (25 years with The Hartford and 14 with CNA.) He was predeceased by his wife, Doris, of 52 years. He is survived by his son, two daughters, their spouses, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Gerald “Jerry” Ralph Powers, BA’59, of Anniston Ala., Sept. 7, 2025. At Vanderbilt, Jerry was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He worked at the Jacksonville Paper Co., Merrill Lynch in Tampa and Lakeland for 36 years, and at Hansberger Global Investors in Fort Lauderdale. He also lived and worked in Sydney, Australia, for several years. He loved his family and traveling the world, and he had many close friendships and a good sense of humor throughout his adventurous life. He was a devout G.O.P. Republican and Christian. He is survived by his former spouse, four children and five grandchildren.

Jane Poston Spainhour, BA’64, of Concord, N.C., July 23, 2025. At Vanderbilt, she majored in Latin, served as president of the Women's Student Government Association, was on the Honor Council and received the Lady of the Bracelet award, an honor given in recognition of service and leadership. After graduating in 1964, Jane began teaching Latin and art history at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C., where she met her husband. After moving to Concord, where her husband practiced law, she taught Latin at Cabarrus Academy and later, after earning her master’s in middle grades education, she taught at Concord Middle School. She was deeply involved in her community, assisting anti-poverty, domestic violence prevention and education charities. She is survived by three children and four grandchildren.

Robert Edmond “Bob” Parker, BA’65, JD’67, of Nashville, April 2, 2024. His life was closely and enduringly interwoven with Vanderbilt, where he met his wife of 58 years, Adrienne Morgan Parker, BA’65. Bob served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1965 to 1970, attaining the rank of captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, including a legal tour in Vietnam. He later clerked for Chief Judge Harry Phillips of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit before beginning a distinguished career in civil litigation with the firms Goodpasture Carpenter Woods & Sasser, Speight & Parker, and Parker Lawrence Cantrell & Dean. Bob was deeply committed to service, including at Westminster Presbyterian Church, at Vanderbilt and in other civic organizations. A lifelong athlete, he remained a devoted fan and supporter of Vanderbilt athletics and academics. He is survived by his wife; two children, Adrienne Campbell Parker and Morgan Grey Parker, BA’97, MD’02; daughter-in-law, Katy Noyes Parker, BS’97; two grandchildren and a sister, Mary Lee Parker Ward, BA’62.

J. Randall Wyatt Jr., JD’66, of Nashville, Aug. 11, 2025. He was the longest serving criminal court judge in Nashville history when he retired after 35 years on the bench in 2017. His judicial career numbered 43 years in all, counting his previous tenure as a general sessions court judge. After four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, he returned to Nashville and worked full time at night for seven years as a police officer with the Nashville Police Department while earning his bachelor’s from Middle Tennessee State College, now MTSU, and his J.D. from Vanderbilt. Afterward, he was a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also was an assistant district attorney and a legal adviser for the Nashville Police Department before being elected to General Sessions Court. During his time as a judge, he taught Criminal Law and Evidence at Aquinas College from 1969 to 1992. He served on the boards of numerous community organizations, and he was a longtime parishioner at St. Henry Catholic Church. A lover of Vanderbilt Athletics, he was a season ticket holder who regularly attended football, basketball and baseball games. He is survived by five children, including Vince Wyatt, BA’96, 13 grandchildren, and a sister, Lynda Wyatt Mayo, who previously worked for Vanderbilt.

Ray Francis Dykes Jr., MDiv’70, DMin’73, of Oklahoma City, Okla., Sept. 7, 2023. Ray served as pastor of Presbyterian churches in Sparta and Lebanon, Tenn., before serving for more than 11 years as senior pastor of Central Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City. Ray was elected moderator of Middle Tennessee Presbytery and Indian Nations Presbytery twice. He served as moderator of the Synod of the South, Standing Committee of the Presbyterian General Assembly and vice-moderator of the Counsel on Administrative Services of the General Assembly. Ray founded and served as president of the Personal Faith Program for 25 years, providing spiritual counseling for people who chose not to be involved in the institutional church. Ray believed the most satisfying aspect of his ministry was walking with and beside individuals who were experiencing spiritual death and celebrating with them their resurrection to spiritual life in the world. Ray is survived by his wife of 56 years, Donna Stokes Dykes, MA’70, PhD’76; son, Dave; sister, Ann Hazelwood; niece, Tiffany Hazelwood; multiple cousins and endless numbers of others whose hearts and lives he touched.

Jeffrey T. Barth, BA’71, MA’74, PhD’76 of Charlottesville, Va., March 8, 2025. Jeff was a member of ATO fraternity. He was a pioneer in clinical neuropsychology and is often referred to as the father of sports neuropsychology. His efforts to understand mTBI through studying concussion in athletes became the basis of the Sports as a Laboratory Assessment Model, which was used to inform symptoms and recovery. After serving 35 years at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Jeff retired in 2015 as a professor emeritus. He is survived by his wife Pamela Barth, BE’73, son, Adam Barth, BE’06, and daughter Kellie and four grandchildren.

William Phillip “Phil” Hatcher, BA’71, of Nashville, Oct. 5, 2024. After graduating from Vanderbilt, he worked in IT at National Life and Accident Insurance Company, which later became American General Life and Accident Insurance Company. He found his life’s work  in 1995 when he and Kacky Fell, BA’73, MS’85, established Hatcher & Fell Photography, a portrait photography studio based in Nashville’s Historic Germantown. For 29 years Phil created beautiful photos. He loved capturing compelling images, enjoyed the freedom of having his own business and serving the larger Nashville community though his work. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Akin Hatcher, ’74, and his son, Ben Hatcher, ’95, as well as his daughter, Rachel Anderson, son-in-law, Doug Anderson, grandson, Austin Douglas Anderson, and daughter-in-law, Stacee Venanzio.

Jannette Williams Chambers, BSN’73, of Nashville, Sept. 30, 2025. Jannette was a member of the concert choir at Vanderbilt and was a registered nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for more than 37 years. She also was a master gardener and an obedience dog trainer. She is survived by her husband, Stephen K. Chambers, BA’73.

B. Irene Koerner, BA’73, of Chevy Chase, Md., Feb. 6, 2025. After Vanderbilt, she graduated from the George Washington University Law School and worked as an attorney for various federal agencies, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She served as a deacon at National Presbyterian Church and was an active member of the Rotary Club. She is survived by devoted friends, including many from her childhood summers at Camp Greystone in Tuxedo, N.C.

Jeffrey A. Levingston, JD’73, of Cleveland, Miss., July 24, 2025. In 1973, he returned to Cleveland, Miss., to practice law alongside his father. Over his distinguished legal career, he served as the Cleveland City Judge for 48 years, earning the respect of peers and residents alike for his fairness, integrity and compassion. In recognition of his years of service in this capacity, a courtroom in the Cleveland City Court was named after him and a longtime colleague in 2024, the “Johnston-Levingston Courtroom.” He also served for many years as a bankruptcy trustee for the Northern District of Mississippi as well as the Shelby city attorney while maintaining a robust private law practice, most recently with his law partner, next door neighbor and friend, David Norquist. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves for six years and was a pillar of the Adath Israel Congregation in Cleveland, where he served faithfully for many years as secretary-treasurer. He is survived by his wife, three children, seven grandchildren and two brothers.

Katherine T. Osten, BSN’73, of Nashville, Oct. 15, 2025. She earned a master’s in health services administration from the University of St. Francis. For 40 years she worked at St. Thomas Hospital, where she was a critical care nurse and a cardiac case manager. She traveled to more than 50 countries, put her feet on six continents and visited all 50 states and 39 U.S. National Parks. Kathy loved nature and God’s creation, especially those places where water flowed. She is survived by her co-journer in life, Sharon L. Shields, PhD’76, professor emerita of human and organizational development, cousins and members of the Shields family.

Russell Elliott Wiley, BA’73, of Alexandria, Va., Nov. 4, 2025. At Vanderbilt, she studied psychology and also met her husband, Russell B. Davis, BA’73. She also studied sociology at Vanderbilt Graduate School. In 1979, she moved with her husband to Alexandria, for his job with the U.S Census Bureau in Suitland, Md. She served with her husband as a member of the Alexandria Democratic Committee for many years and on the ADC Labor Caucus, of which he has been the co-chair. She was named an honorary member of the American Federation of Government Employees, her husband’s union, which she served faithfully for many years. She is survived by her husband of 53 years.

Sarah Tillery Caldwell, BA’76, of Atlanta, May 21, 2025. At Vanderbilt, she studied psychology and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She earned a master’s and doctor of education from the University of Georgia. At the UGA’s Wesley Foundation, she encountered lifelong friends, including future husband Bill Sim Caldwell. They married in 1978 and had two sons, Benjamin (Mary) and Jesse (Gerlyn Henry), and one grandson, Charles, who all survive her. She was a lifelong Methodist, a Democrat, an educator, Bridge Life Master, knitter, volunteer with Amnesty International, Indivisible and more.

Janelle Lunette Cooper, MD’86, of La Crescent, Minn., July 19, 2025. Janelle was a retired neurologist in 2012. Always strong. Always beautiful. Always bold. Janelle’s braveness, wit and generosity will never be forgotten. Janelle would often refer to her father, “Desert Rat’s”, generous spirit as a guiding example in her life. She is survived by her wife, Kathleen K. Hanson; her daughter, Lena; her son, Nicholas, her grandchildren, Jonah, Robert, Miriam, Theodore; and her sisters, Anne Cooper and Patricia Cooper.

George T. Gore, BS’88, of Morris, Ill., Sept. 6, 2025. He attended Vanderbilt on a  Navy ROTC Scholarship, and he studied engineering science and economics. He served as a supply officer in the Navy from 1988 to 1994, attaining the rank of lieutenant. He was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, for two years with the USS Reeves. He was also based in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Edsel, Scotland. He returned to Illinois and taught at middle and high schools in Waverly and Bloomington. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Morris, the Grundy County Historical Society and the Illinois Audubon Society. He is survived by his mother, sister and two nephews.

Vivian Gay Deitrich-MacLean, PhD’90, of Laramie, Wyo., July 10, 2024. While at Vanderbilt, Gay met William E. MacLean Jr., MS’78, PhD’80, at a Halloween party. They were married for 39 years. Gay practiced clinical psychology in Nashville, Laramie, Wyo., and Madison, Wis. She was a gifted clinician whose warmth and empathy touched countless lives in her private practice. She enjoyed the outdoors, particularly bicycling, hiking and camping. At home she loved gardening, reading and solving puzzles. But most of all, she loved her dogs. Gay is survived by her husband, two sons, two sisters and two grandchildren.

William Rountree Otte, BS’05, MS’08, PhD’11, of Edina, Minn., Sept. 15, 2025. At Vanderbilt, he studied computer science and for a time was an adjunct assistant professor. In 2016, he moved to Minneapolis to become a software engineer at Nevelex (a DirectTV affiliate) designing improvements to set-top boxes and satellite connectivity. He was an avid gamer and well known in the Destiny online community. He enthusiastically espoused the science and making of mead and became a serious devotee of the beverage around Minneapolis, including acting as taster-judge in several national competitions. He is survived by his wife, daughter, mother, two siblings and extended family.

Clinton Camp, ME’09, of Nashville, May 21, 2025. While he took great pride in the foundation of his education and success as a civil and constructional engineer, that did not compare to the honor and joy he found being a father. He was loving and dedicated to his children, Eliza and Sam, who survive him, ensuring that they had everything they needed. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work and determination. Other survivors include his parents, two brothers and an uncle.