In Memoriam: 1950s
Notices sorted by graduation date
R. Allan Wimbish (Col ’51, Law ’55 CM) of Atlanta died Dec. 10, 2025. At UVA, he was a member of Delta Upsilon and Army ROTC. While in law school, he was elected to the Virginia Law Review editorial board. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War as a captain in the Transportation Corps and remained in the Army Reserves until his honorable discharge in 1964. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal, among other honors. He made his career as an attorney for the Southern Railway and later the Norfolk Southern Railway. He lived in McLean, Roanoke and Virginia Beach, Virginia, before moving to Atlanta in retirement. In his later years, he enjoyed golfing, reading history, keeping up with the Cavaliers and volunteering. He loved his dogs and his loyal cat, Tux. Survivors include two children; two stepchildren; 12 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
James “Chief” Davant Latham (Col ’53 CM) of Memphis, Tennessee, died Sept. 15, 2025. At UVA, he ran on the track team, served as Student Council president, and was a member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Eli Banana and the IMP Society. After graduation, he spent three years as a junior officer in the U.S. Navy, serving on the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea and at Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Japan. After his naval service, he moved to Memphis, where he became a successful commercial mortgage banker. Loved ones remember him as a man defined by service to others and being a founding member of the Boys and Girls Club of Memphis. He and his wife, Natalie, enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing and playing tennis. He loved his family and enjoyed sharing the great outdoors with them. He was predeceased by his brother, Swayne Latham Jr. (Com class of ’48). Along with Natalie, survivors include three children, including James Davant Latham Jr.(Col ’84 CM) and Swayne Latham II (Col ’94 CM); and seven grandchildren.
Harry Hudnall Ware III (Col ’54, Med ’58 CM) of Richmond, Virginia, died Nov. 25, 2025. At UVA, he was a member of St. Anthony Hall (Delta Psi), the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, the IMP Society, T.I.L.K.A., Student Council and Eli Banana. He lived on the Lawn his fourth year and competed on the swim team. After serving as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Colorado, he returned to his hometown of Richmond in 1966. He co-founded the Virginia Women’s Center, one of the largest medical practices devoted to women’s health care in the state, and was president of the Richmond Obstetrics and Gynecological Society. At a time when obstetrics and gynecology were still practiced largely by men, he mentored and hired female doctors. He was a voracious reader and an avid runner and swimmer. He was predeceased by his son, Hudnall Ware IV (Col ’82 CM). Survivors include his wife, Betty; four sons; two stepchildren; 12 grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; and a sister.
Henry “Hank” James Browne (Arch ’55 CM) of Afton, Virginia, died Nov. 26, 2025. At UVA, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, the Honor Committee and Army ROTC. Throughout his career as an architect, he contributed to numerous landmark restoration projects, including the U.S. Treasury Building, Virginia’s Executive Mansion, and the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. In Charlottesville, he contributed to the design of the Downtown Mall as an adviser and president of the Downtown Merchants Association. He also worked on the 1960s reconstruction of Monticello’s wine room and numerous projects at the historic Michie Tavern. A founding member of Grigg, Wood and Browne, he mentored generations of young architects and advocated for historic preservation. He was also a writer and an accomplished painter. Survivors include three daughters, including Kari Browne (Col class of ’88); three sons-in-law, including Clark Gathright (Engr ’93 CM); two grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews, including Andrews Browne (Com class of ’98).
David Brownrigg Dillard (Engr ’57 CM) of Palm Beach, Florida, died Sept. 11, 2025. He was raised in Charlottesville, staying in town to study chemical engineering at UVA. He lived on the Lawn his fourth year. He continued his academic career after graduation, earning a Master of Science from MIT in 1961 and an MBA from Harvard Business School the following year. His professional journey took him to the World Bank Group and Lazard, where his sharp mind and global perspective left a lasting mark. He had a philanthropic spirit, serving as a board member and supporter of several institutions, including Dillard University, the Santa Fe Opera and Earthjustice. He also was a longtime financial supporter of UVA. He loved the ocean, music and adventure, and was an accomplished sailor and passionate world traveler. Survivors include his wife, Anna-Karin, and their three sons, including Christopher Dillard (Col class of ’91, Educ class of ’96).