In Memoriam: 1980s
Notices sorted by graduation date
Kurt Davis Prister (Col ’80 CM) of Rochester, New York, died May 3, 2023. While earning his bachelor’s in economics at UVA, he was an Echols Scholar and a member of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago. He worked in commercialization at companies including Eastman Kodak Co. and Carestream Health. He remained involved with UVA throughout his life, serving as president emeritus of the UVA Club of Western New York and organizing reunions for Echols Scholars. Survivors include his son, daughter and sister.
Julia Kavanagh Schoettle (Col ’81 CM) of San Francisco died May 12, 2023. While earning her bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and communication studies at UVA, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. After graduation, she embarked on a career in technology sales and marketing. She became one of the pioneering women in tech sales/account management in Silicon Valley with Hewlett-Packard and NetApp. Outside of work, she earned certificates in mindfulness facilitation from UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Duke University’s Koru Mindfulness program; she taught mindfulness to elementary students across San Francisco public schools. Her favorite volunteer role was caring for harbor seals at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, from 2016 to 2023. She loved running and completed 28 marathons. Survivors include her husband, Bob Schoettle (Com ’80 CM), two daughters and three granddaughters.
T. Tucker Echols (Col ’84 CM) of Kensington, Maryland, died Dec. 1, 2022. At UVA he was an Echols Scholar, a member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, a member of the UVA Rowing Association, and was a Lawn resident. He spent four years as a member of the glee club (including stints as business manager and president) and one year as a Virginia Gentleman. His varied talents and interests led him to almost 10 years in mortgage banking with BF Saul Mortgage company followed by 20 years in broadcast journalism (most of it at WTOP radio and WUSA television for The Washington Business Journal) and eight years as a management consultant. He loved skiing, music, crossword puzzles, camping and being a scoutmaster. An avid sports fan, he rooted enthusiastically for UVA, the Washington Nationals and the Capitals. Survivors include his wife, Sheila; two children; three siblings, including R. Carter Echols (Col ’79 CM); and 20 nieces and nephews.
Rachel Davis Fowlkes (Educ ’84 CM) of Abingdon, Virginia, died April 1, 2023. She earned a doctorate in education at UVA after receiving a bachelor’s from Millsaps College and a master’s from Mississippi State University. She worked as an elementary school teacher, a special education teacher, and the supervisor for special education for Washington County, Virginia. After completing her doctoral work, she shifted to post-secondary education and became the director of UVA’s division of continuing education in southwest Virginia and then the state coordinator of UVA’s education programs. She served as founding executive director and state agency head of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center for 24 years before retiring in 2015. She was an active member of the Rotary Club and a board member of many local organizations, including the Radford University Board of Visitors, the Virginia Creeper Trail Advisory Committee and Johnston Memorial Healthcare Foundation. She was an avid gardener, reader and self-described lifelong learner. Survivors include two children, three grandchildren, a brother, and several nieces and nephews.
Sally Ann Sledge (Com ’88 CM) of Virginia Beach and Richmond, Virginia, died April 29, 2023. While studying at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She received her M.B.A. from William & Mary’s Mason School of Business and her doctorate in international business and strategic management from Old Dominion University’s Rutgers School of Management. She was an associate professor at Norfolk State University, where she taught business management. She was a member of the Rotary Club, Academy of Management, American Association of University Women and Daughters of the American Revolution. She loved spending time outdoors, especially at the Outer Banks, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, and Busch Gardens. Survivors include her husband, Gary; her mother; her sister, Susan Sledge Vaughan (Nurs ’84 CM); and two nieces, including Elizabeth S. Vaughan (Col ’19 CM).