In Memoriam: 1940s
Notices sorted by graduation date
Gordon Beale Dunnington (Engr ’41 L/M) of Franktown, Virginia, died Sept. 22, 2017. After graduating from the University, he received a degree in naval architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology before working during World War II for Newport News Shipbuilding, where he met his wife, Babbie. He also served as an engineering officer in the Merchant Marine. After the war, he worked for more than 35 years as a mechanical engineer for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. in Wilmington, Delaware. Upon his retirement in 1982, he and his wife moved to Bush Hill, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where they lived for many years. Mr. Dunnington spent his time building and sailing boats on Warehouse Creek, renovating and maintaining the house, outbuildings, docks and his tennis court. He also built furniture, decorated by his wife, and frames for her many paintings. Survivors include three children, 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Ray Winton Brown Sr. (Col ’48 L/M) of New Orleans died Aug. 24, 2017. At the University, he earned the nickname “All-the-Way Ray” as an accomplished running back for the football team. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Z Society. After graduating, he coached briefly at Davidson College before moving to New Orleans in 1956. There he spent more than 50 years in the insurance industry, first with Connecticut General and then with Standard Mortgage Insurance Agency, where he served as president until his retirement in 2014. Throughout his life, Mr. Brown remained an avid supporter of UVA, working with the UVA Alumni Association in recruiting dozens of students and serving on the board of managers. He was a lifelong athlete and enjoyed decades of playing bad golf with good buddies, a group affectionately known as “The Blue Bloods.” He was also a devoted Saints fan and Tulane basketball booster, and he served on the Metropolitan Crime Commission. He was a stranger to no one, always quick to shake a hand, listen to a story and share a joke. He was a loving and loyal husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend to many. Survivors include his wife, Peggy; three children, including Ray W. Brown Jr. (Col ’73); two stepchildren; six grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
George Edward “Pat” Case Jr. (Com ’48) of Spartanburg, South Carolina, died Sept. 14, 2017. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a fighter pilot. Color-blind, he memorized in advance the answers to the color-related questions on the Navy pilot test. At the University, he played varsity basketball and was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He was a lifelong piano player, having won a state piano championship in high school, and returned to his hometown of Spartanburg after graduation to join his father in a music business, Case Brothers, selling, tuning, rebuilding, and refinishing pianos and organs. After roughly five decades of company leadership, Mr. Case turned solely to tuning pianos, which he continued for almost two more decades. He was known as a man of faithful love: of music, of athletic competition, of work, of America, and most of all his wife, family and friends. Survivors include his wife, Jean; sons Ned Case (Col ’76), Randy Case (Engr ’79), and Rob Case (Col ’82 L/M); and six grandchildren, including Andrew Case (Col ’10) and Emily Case (Nurs ’12).
James Sidney Parsons (Grad ’48, ’50 L/M) of Lexington, Virginia, died July 17, 2017. After attending Washington and Lee University, Mr. Parsons received his master’s and doctorate in analytical and organic chemistry from the University. He served as a principal research chemist with American Cyanamid Company in Bound Brook, New Jersey. He had recently visited Grounds to view Varsity Hall, where he lived as a student, and the Chemistry Building, where he taught medical and undergraduate students. Mr. Parsons was a proud member of the Thomas Jefferson Society. He is survived by a son and a daughter.
Alice M. Auciello (Nurs ’49) of Charlottesville died July 26, 2017. At the University, she was in the drama club. She worked at UVA Medical Center for 50 years, retiring as a night supervisor. She was known to all she worked with as a caring and skilled nurse. As a member of the School of Nursing Alumni Association, she hosted international nurses working at the hospital, and she hosted international students through the international club at the University. She also supported the UVA Alumni Association and enjoyed attending events such as the Thomas Jefferson Society dinners. Ms. Auciello was active in the community through the Charlottesville-Albemarle Senior Center, where she made many friends and found adventures. She was a member of the center’s Silver Steppers tap-dancing group, the Second-Wind Band, Primetime Fitness and Barbershop Belles, among others. She loved to travel, one highlight being a trip to the Vatican. She also loved tennis. Survivors include two nieces and four nephews.