In Memoriam: 1950s

Notices sorted by graduation date

Lynwood Leonard Coiner Jr. (Col ’50) of Gordonsville, Va., died June 15, 2010. He went into business with his father at Coiner’s Hatchery in Gordonsville. In 1964, Mr. Coiner bought the local Ford dealership and operated Coiner Ford until he retired in the mid-1980s. He was recently honored for his 60 years of service as a member of the Gordonsville Volunteer Fire Company, where he served as chief for 23 years.

William Verner Daniel (Col ’50 L/M) of Richmond, Va., died July 4, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was recruited from First & Merchants Bank to become the first president of the newly organized Metropolitan National Bank in Richmond, Va. He also served as president of First Virginia Bank, McLean, Va.; and Southern Bank, Richmond, Va.; before joining Wheat First Securities as managing director and board member of WFS Financial Corp., from which he retired in 1994. He was an early and longtime member of the board of the James River Corp. and its successor, Fort James Corp. He served on many committees, including the Richmond City Council (1970-72), the Citizens Legislative Committee, the Richmond Human Relations Commission and as moderator for the multiyear series “Dialogues on Racial Relations” sponsored by the Metropolitan Richmond Chamber of Commerce. He was a former member of the board of trustees of the University of Richmond; Howard University, Washington, D.C.; St. Catherine’s School and The Collegiate School, both in Richmond, Va.; and the Board of Managers of the University of Virginia Alumni Association. Mr. Daniel was on the board of trustees of the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., the high school from which he graduated in 1946. He was also inducted into the Episcopal High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Especially interested in the fraternity system at the University of Virginia, Mr. Daniel was appointed by President Robert M. O’Neil in 1988 to head the newly formed Fraternity Alumni Council and later by President John T. Casteen to the ad hoc Committee on the Future of Fraternities and Sororities. He was a founding member of the Historic Renovation Corp., established to facilitate the restoration of fraternity houses at the University. An alumni adviser for more than 40 years to St. Elmo Hall, he provided continuity and guidance to generations of undergraduates, oversaw two major renovations and raised the funding to permanently endow the fraternity house. At the 100th anniversary of St. Elmo Hall in 2008, its back courtyard was permanently dedicated in his name. He was additionally recognized by both President Casteen and the Seven Society with proclamations for his significant service to the University of Virginia. He was the author of Young at Heart, a personal memoir written 12 years ago, following his successful heart transplant surgery at the age of 69. Survivors include a son, William Verner Daniel Jr. (Col ’80, GSBA ’88 L/M); a daughter, Helen Hampton Daniel Carey (Col ’85); brothers Channing W. Daniel Jr. (Col ’40 L/M) and Peter V. Daniel (Col ’49 L/M); nephews Peter V. Daniel Jr. (Col ’73 L/M) and Channing W. Daniel III (Col ’77 L/M); and cousins James R.V. Daniel III (Engr ’57, GSBA ’59), Robert W. Daniel Jr. (Col ’58 L/M), James R.V. Daniel IV (Engr ’82, GSBA ’86 L/M), the late Robert W. Daniel III (Col ’86) and William Penn Daniel (Col ’11 L/M).

Samuel E. Miller (Med ’50) of Abingdon, Va., died June 3, 2010. He was a member of the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of major in the horse cavalry, and was later assigned to investigate and test equipment for the motorized cavalry. Dr. Miller worked as a chemist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He taught at New York University, Columbia University and the Virginia Military Institute. After medical school, Dr. Miller returned to his hometown of Abingdon and practiced medicine, starting in 1952. In 1971, he returned to University of Virginia and was co-founder of the Medical Family Practice Unit. Dr. Miller published a book of poetry called Second Sight in 2004. He held honorary doctorates from Tusculum College, where he initiated the funding of the Acts, Arts, Academia series. Survivors include a nephew, Donald M. Ault (Educ ’67).

Nancy Smith Sellers (Law ’50) of Murfreesboro, Tenn., died June 1, 2010. She and her husband began practicing law in Murfreesboro in 1950 and, with her father, Ewing Edward Smith, founded the Smith & Sellers law firm. Her law career spanned 57 years, and she had the distinction of being the first, and for many years of her career the only, female attorney in Murfreesboro. Ms. Sellers was an expert in tax and probate law, and served on various boards and commissions within the community and with the Tennessee and American bar associations. In 2001, she was recognized by the Tennessee Bar Journal as one of the pioneers of female lawyers in Tennessee. Survivors include her husband, William T. Sellers (Law ’50 L/M).

Frank C. Shore (Com ’50 L/M) of Punta Gorda, Fla., died April 15, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. At the University, he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. He was an industrial engineer, computer programmer, systems analyst, data processing manager and eventually owned his own business in Fort Myers, Fla., which provided garage service as well as retail and wholesale tires and bicycles.

Robert J. Watson (Grad ’50, ’53 A/M) of Washington, D.C., died July 1, 2010. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a cryptologist involved in re-encrypting decoded Japanese naval ciphers. Mr. Watson spent more than 40 years writing histories for the National Security Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Myrick Canfield Clark (Col ’51 A/M) of Raleigh, N.C., died April 2, 2010. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Mr. Clark worked as a chemist with Dr. Jonas Salk at a rhesus monkey farm in Beaufort, S.C., assisting in developing the polio vaccine. Later, he had a career with B&O Railroad in Baltimore and with the U.S. government. Mr. Clark spent 11 years working for Fisher Scientific Co. as a technical sales representative in Charlottesville. He moved to Raleigh in 1971, where he began working at Dorothea Dix Hospital. After his retirement in 1982, Mr. Clark began an in-home pet-sitting service in Raleigh, Critter Care, which he operated until 1998.

Eldon H. “Took” Crowell (Law ’51 A/M) of Washington, D.C., died May 23, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. At the University, Mr. Crowell was on the editorial review board of the Virginia Law Review. After working with several major Washington law firms, he was instrumental in founding Crowell & Moring, a law firm that became known for its government contracts practice. Mr. Crowell retired as a partner and became senior counsel in 1990 and took great interest in the firm’s pro bono program. His efforts resulted in the firm twice receiving the D.C. Bar’s award for Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year. He served on the boards of numerous community organizations, including the City Lights School, Equal Justice Works, the Conservation Research Foundation, the Judiciary Leadership Council and the Constitutional Accountability Center. In 1997, Mr. Crowell established the Took Trust, a private charitable foundation, which assists at-risk youth.

Walter M. King (Law ’51) of Virginia Beach died May 5, 2010. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. At the University, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Mr. King practiced law in Washington, D.C., until 1998 and was a longtime member of the Metropolitan Club.

William Harold Lilly (Med ’51 L/M) of Ocala, Fla., died May 30, 2010. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Dr. Lilly taught biology in Winchester, Va., before medical school. After interning in Raleigh, he began his career as a medical doctor in 1954 in Dunn, N.C., where he had a general practice for 12 years. In 1966, Dr. Lilly began general practice in Ocala. He was instrumental in founding a medical complex and retired in 1987.

Jo Desha Lucas (Law ’51) of Chicago died May 9, 2010. He joined the University of Chicago Law School faculty in 1953 as an assistant professor and dean of students. Mr. Lucas became a full professor in 1961 and was named the Arnold I. Shure Professor of Urban Law in 1984. He was former chairman of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee and served as reporter to the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules for the federal courts. Among his publications are Cases on Admiralty and Admiralty Cases and Materials. Mr. Lucas was the major reviser of work that James W. Moore first wrote in the 1930s, Moore’s Federal Practice, one of two standard works on federal civil procedure. For many years, Lucas wrote annual supplements and later served as its chief editor.

William P. Wharton (Med ’51) of Rochester, Minn., died May 28, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. At the University, he was a member of the Raven Society. In 1955, Dr. Wharton became a member of the staff at the Lexington Clinic in Kentucky, and from 1962 to 1966 was plant medical director for IBM in Lexington. He was appointed to the staff at Mayo Clinic in 1966, as a consultant in preventive and internal medicine. He retired in 1986. Dr. Wharton was a member of the American Medical Association, the Industrial Medical Association and the American Society of Internal Medicine, among other professional and honor organizations.

Ruth Elizabeth Cornett Payne (Grad ’52 L/M) of Charlottesville died April 14, 2010. She was an elementary schoolteacher in Charlottesville at Clark Elementary School and in Ann Arbor at Dicken School. Ms. Payne wrote a kindergarten mathematics book published by Harper and Row. Her training as a librarian at Virginia Intermont led her in 1947 to request money from the Grayson County supervisors to open a library in a log house located behind the old courthouse. In Ann Arbor, she was a member of the Thrift Shop and the Faculty Women’s Club. Survivors include her husband, Joseph N. Payne (Med ’51, Grad ’55 L/M).

F. Mather Archer II (Col ’53, Law ’58 L/M) of Richmond, Va., died May 23, 2010. He served in the U.S. Navy and Army. Mr. Archer began practicing law in 1960. Later, he served as a mediator for the Christian Legal Society and founded the Christian Conciliation Service in Fairfax, Va. Mr. Archer also served as a Virginia Supreme Court hearing officer. Survivors include a daughter, Heather C.A. Mackey (Arch ’86).

Thomas David McDonald Sr. (Med ’53) of Grundy, Va., died April 17, 2010. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Dr. McDonald was the chief of pediatrics at Grundy Hospital from 1954 to 1964 and had a pediatric practice at the Edgewater Clinic from 1964 to 1968. He went on to have a family practice at the Grundy Hospital from 1968 to 1984. Dr. McDonald worked at Buchanan General Hospital from 1984 until his retirement in 1997. He also served Buchanan County for several years as medical examiner. Dr. McDonald participated in the White House Conference on Nutrition, was chairman of the Appalachian Review Commission and served on several boards of directors. For his service to his region and profession, Dr. McDonald was listed in Personalities of the South and received the AMA Physician Recognition Award. He also had numerous writings published.

Luther W.F. Oehlbeck Jr. (Med ’53) of Labelle, Fla., died May 31, 2010. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima in 1945. A specialist in pathology, Dr. Oehlbeck practiced at Ashe County General, Marion General and Caldwell Memorial hospitals.

Jamison Pate Jr. (Col ’53) of Virginia Beach died May 6, 2010. He was employed by CIT Credit Corp. for more than 20 years. Mr. Pate began the second phase of his career with Virginia National Bank. He retired in 1992 from NationsBank as it was being merged with Bank of America.

Earl E. Sommers (Grad ’53) of Wilmington, Del., died May 18, 2010. During World War II, Mr. Sommers served as a corporal in the U.S. Army Air Forces. At the University, his master’s thesis was on thermal properties of synthetic lubricants, and he was elected to Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, based on that research. He worked at the DuPont Laboratories, where he performed patented research on Krytox and other high-performance lubricants, synthetic oils and gasoline additives. While at DuPont, he consulted for other companies on end-use applications for DuPont products and helped revolutionize the corrugated paper industry by developing solid lubricants to take the place of dangerous and polluting liquid oils. He had a pilot’s license and flew a Piper Cherokee plane. A railroad enthusiast as well, Mr. Sommers was a member of the Hagley Museum Model Railroad Club, where he helped build the layout and house models and served as the group’s electrician. He was also a member of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers and the American Society of Lubrication Engineers.

Elbert H. Watts (Col ’53, Grad ’53 L/M) of Atlanta died March 23, 2010. During World War II, he was a pilot for the U.S. Army Air Forces in the Pacific theater. Mr. Watts received two Air Medals and three Battle Stars during his service. He worked as a senior executive with the CIA, retiring in 1981. Survivors include a daughter, Ellyn Watts Foltz (Grad ’77 L/M).

Frank W. Barham (Col ’54 A/M) of Greenbank, Wash., died Sept. 22, 2009. He taught English at a language school in Washington, D.C., and then at several colleges. Mr. Barham’s specialty was English as a second language. Survivors include a brother, Charles Barham III (GSBA ’58).

Emory Gibbons Evans (Grad ’54, ’57) of Beltsville, Md., died Sept. 20, 2009. He served in the U.S. Army during and after World War II. His academic career began with teaching history at the University of Maryland in 1956. Later, Mr. Evans joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh. From 1964 to 1974, he was history department chairman at Northern Illinois University and then a professor there until returning to the University of Maryland in 1976, where he was a scholar of Colonial American history and history department chairman until 1986. After his tenure, Mr. Evans returned to the classroom and taught American history until his retirement in 1996. He wrote two books—Thomas Nelson of Yorktown: Revolutionary Virginian and A ‘Topping People’: The Rise and Decline of Virginia’s Old Political Elite, 1680-1790—and numerous articles on Colonial-era Virginians. His memberships included the American Historical Association, the Southern Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians.

John V. Garland (Col ’54 L/M) of Charlottesville died May 2, 2010. He was a stockbroker and investment manager for Anderson and Strudwick for 52 years, serving as branch manager and senior vice president. Mr. Garland twice served as president of the United Way.

Frances Turner Martin (Nurs ’55) of Bonifay, Fla., died April 30, 2010. She had a 52-year career in nursing and practiced in Virginia, California, Alaska and Florida. Ms. Martin was a staff registered nurse at the Doctors Memorial Hospital in Bonifay starting in 1978 and rose to director of nursing in 1981. She served as director of nursing at Bonifay Nursing Home from 1984 to 1985 before returning to Doctors Memorial Hospital, where she worked the night shift in the special care unit until her retirement in 2007.

Norman Wesley Skinner (Engr ’55) of Shorewood, Minn., died Jan. 3, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and participated in major battles, including D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and the crossing of the Rhine as part of a crypto decoding unit. At the University, Mr. Skinner was a member of Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies. An early developer of the computer industry, he worked as a research scientist at NASA, an executive at Burroughs and a senior group vice president for Control Data, managing plants in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Israel. Mr. Skinner was a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the National Academy of Science and many other professional organizations.

William P. DeHan (Col ’56) of Toledo, Ohio, died July 8, 2010. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. Mr. DeHan worked for American Warming and Ventilating as well as Danberry and Gerdenich commercial realty companies. He served on the Salvation Army’s advisory board and chaired its property committee.

Virginia Dixon Good (Educ ’56) of Roseland, Calif., died May 26, 2010. She was a guidance director and schoolteacher for the Norfolk Public Schools for many years and taught private piano lessons.

Paul J. “Joe” Jenkins (Educ ’57) of Charlottesville died on June 1, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In the early 1950s, Mr. Jenkins became the director of personnel for the University of Virginia. In 1969, he became dean of administration for the Piedmont Virginia Community College, where he was instrumental in planning and establishing the educational institution. Mr. Jenkins published PVCC: The First 25 Years. He also wrote an extensively researched manuscript on the property transfers from the early Monticello properties of Thomas Jefferson.

Quigg Lawrence (Col ’57 L/M) of Richmond, Va., died April 14, 2010. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and held a master’s license in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Mr. Lawrence was an instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University and created teaching materials for Harvard Business School. He was a member of the team at the Martin Agency that developed the “Virginia is for Lovers” campaign, and he served as a consultant to 12 of the country’s largest advertising agencies. He was a founder of Alpha Recording Corp. and Candyapple Productions in Richmond, where he employed well-known rock musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Pat Benatar, Robbin Thompson and others. He also served as vice president of the Gavin Group in New York City. Mr. Lawrence was a past president of the Richmond Jaycees and the Richmond Society of Communicating Arts. He was an accomplished mandolin player and founding member of Blue Ridge, a regional bluegrass band. Survivors include son Raymond Quigg Lawrence Jr. (Col ’81 L/M) and daughter Leslie Lawrence Downs (Com ’81 L/M).

Patricia Griffith Rinker (Nurs ’57) of Lynchburg, Va., died May 28, 2010. She was a nurse. Survivors include her husband, Dennis B. Rinker (Col ’59 L/M).

John M. Cloud (Law ’58) of New York City died June 6, 2010. He practiced law for many years.

Harry Randolph “Bud” Graham Jr. (Educ ’58) of Orange, Va., died May 3, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. At the University, he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Mr. Graham began a 40-year career in public education as a government teacher and coach at Eagle Rock School in Botetourt County, later becoming principal. In 1958, he was appointed principal of Maury Elementary School in Fredericksburg, Va., a position he held until 1965. Mr. Graham was instrumental in establishing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools at Maury, and later served as a state representative for SACS. In 1997, he received the Distinguished Educator Award from SACS. Mr. Graham joined Orange County Public Schools in 1965 as assistant superintendent and worked there until his retirement in 1989. He also served on the board of the Orange County American Heart Association and the Orange County Library.

Edwin “Ned” Logan (Educ ’58) of Richmond, Va., died July 11, 2010. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Mr. Logan began his career teaching physical science in Catonsville, Md., and served as a public school principal in Charlottesville. He served as a graduate professor and department head of instructional technology at Towson University, where he had established the IT department and its related graduate program. Mr. Logan was the executive assistant for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts and coordinated their training, professional, technical and public relations activities and made the first NASA film about astronaut training. Later, he served as the education program administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor and worked in Saudi Arabia developing vocational education and training programs. After retirement, Mr. Logan served U.Va. as a Curry School Foundation board member, and was a member of the Curry School’s Dean’s Council. He coordinated the Jamestown 2007 Stamp and Cachet Project.

Thomas Herbert Parry (Educ ’58, ’67 A/M) of Poquoson, Va., died July 12, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He retired in 1986 from Clemson University, where he was a professor for 20 years. Survivors include his wife, Frances Ellen Coley Parry (Educ ’58 L/M).

Gerald P. Sigal (Law ’58 A/M) of Bowers, Pa., died July 4, 2010. His law career spanned 50 years, beginning in New York City and continuing in Berks County from 1966 to 2008, including a term as assistant county solicitor. Mr. Sigal was a founder of Tri-County Legal Services, which now serves 18 counties in Pennsylvania. He served on the boards of the Reading Regional Airport Authority and the Berks County Municipal Authority. He was treasurer and president of the Reading Public Library and the Reading Public Library Foundation. His community service in retirement on Ocracoke Island, N.C., included volunteering for the Service Corps of Retired Executives, chairing the Ocracoke Board of Adjustment and representing Ocracoke on the Regional Library Board. Survivors include a son, Peter Alan Sigal (Col ’90).
Elizabeth Genette Stallard (Educ ’59, ’63 L/M) of Roanoke, Va., died April 10, 2010. She taught in various public school systems in Virginia and elsewhere and spent more than 40 years as a full-time volunteer for the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible educational program.