1949
Dr. Marion Peter Holt, Aug. 15, 2021, New York, N.Y. Holt was a professor emeritus of theatre at CUNY Graduate Center and of Spanish at the College of Staten Island. He had been a visiting professor at the Yale School of Drama, Hunter College and Barcelona's Institut del Teatre. His translations of contemporary Spanish and Catalan plays have been staged in New York, London, Australia and by regional and university theatres throughout the United States. He continued to translate after his retirement and had several recent published translations. In 1986 he was elected a corresponding member of Spain’s Real Academia Española. He authored the book “Magical Places: The Story of Spartanburg's Theatres and Their Entertainments: 1900-1950,” which was published in 2004.
William Benjamin Hynds, Dec. 5, 2020, Signal Mountain, Tenn. A native of Sumter, S.C., Hynds taught math for 12 years, during which time he earned two master’s degrees. He became head of the high school math curriculum for the South Carolina Department of Education, where he worked until retiring in 1993. He was an officer in the Glee Club, and he lettered in rifle while at Wofford. He was a U.S. Army veteran and was skilled in counted cross-stitch, once winning a blue ribbon at the state fair. He was an avid fly-fisherman, and one of his favorite things to do was to drop his hand-tied flies into streams in Colorado. He loved full moons, Edisto Island, seashells, sunflowers and family reunions.
Dr. Robert Lee Kernell, Jan. 22, 2021, Norfolk, Va. Kernell was a physics professor at Old Dominion University for 26 years and was the university’s first faculty member to be named Virginia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He retired in 1994 but stayed on as director of ODU’s Young Scholar Program until 1997. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the infantry during the Korean War. He traveled extensively after he retired, visiting all seven continents and every state in the U.S.
Carl Wesley Wilson Jr., May 27, 2021, Lyman, S.C. Wilson was a former president of Moretex Chemical Products in Spartanburg. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving as a petty officer and electrician’s mate during World War II. He continued in the Navy Reserve after the war.
1951
Edward Henry Atkins Jr., July 10, 2021, Columbia, S.C. A U.S. Army veteran, Atkins worked as a real estate appraiser for 20 years. While at Wofford, he was No. 1 in doubles and No. 2 in singles on the tennis team. He enjoyed laughing and singing, and he always whistled when he walked.
1952
James Hardin “Buddy” Fridy, Aug. 3, 2021, Winston-Salem, N.C. Fridy served two years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He spent his career with GMAC, first in Columbia, S.C., then in Winston-Salem, where he retired in 1986. He was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church, including 40 years of service as an usher. He also was a member of the “Clemmons Executive Club,” where coffee was served and golf games were arranged.
1955
The Rev. R. Richard Blocker Jr., June 16, 2021, Charleston, S.C. Blocker was a retired minister in the United Methodist Church. He was a graduate of Duke Divinity School. While at Wofford, he was active in ROTC.
1956
Paul Estus Lytle, Jan. 19, 2021, Concord, N.C. Lytle served in the U.S. Navy as a combat airman during World War II and the Korean War. He was employed by Duke Power for 37 years and never took a sick day. He retired in 1984 as the district office supervisor in Lancaster, S.C. He was a life member and past master of Converse Masonic Lodge No. 343, a member of the American Legion and a past president of the Kiwanis Club.
1958
Joseph Hester Gooch Jr., June 28, 2021, Satellite Beach, Fla. A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Gooch grew up dreaming of living in Florida. He made it, spending 32 years as a State Farm agent. He lettered in rifle at Wofford and was a U.S. Army veteran. He spent his summers with his family in Colorado or driving around the country in an RV.
Dr. Royce Abbott Justice, June 27, 2021, Columbia, S.C. Justice spent his career in education. He served as a teacher of physics and chemistry, a principal, a professor and as an administrator with the Kentucky Department of Education. He earned his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his doctorate from the University of Kentucky. He also taught Sunday school at a number of churches.
William James Rampey Sr., June 27, 2021, Columbia, S.C. Rampey retired in 1995 after a 35-year career in finance. He was a U.S. Army veteran and served in the Army Reserve as a captain in the infantry for nine years. While at Wofford, he was a guard on the football team. He was a Little All-America selection in 1957. He enjoyed scuba diving, the outdoors and playing cards. He also was an avid historian, who was particularly interested in U.S. and World War II history.
1959
The Rev. Lonnie Lee Cook, June 9, 2021, Raleigh, N.C. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Cook lettered in baseball his senior year at Wofford. He spent the early part of his career in sales before earning his master’s of divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. He served at several churches in Pennsylvania before returning to North Carolina. He retired from the North Carolina Department of Corrections after 21 years as chaplain.
Dr. Gerald Wray Gibson, May 20, 2021, Maryville, Tenn. Gibson was inaugurated as Maryville College’s 10th president in 1993, a position he held until his retirement in 2010. He served as a member of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps before joining the faculty at the College of Charleston in 1965 to begin his 45-year career in education. He was a poet, painter, woodworker and author of several books. He enjoyed singing and playing tenor guitar, tending to his hosta garden and researching genealogy.
1961
Harold Benjamin Palmer, Dec. 5, 2019, Columbia, S.C. Palmer had a 32-year career with the IRS, retiring as manager of the Columbia office. He was a certified master gardener and master naturalist. He was once named volunteer of the year by the Lexington County Master Gardeners. He was a Shriner and served as potentate of the Jamil Temple in 1994.
1962
Douglas Leslie Porter, Aug. 3, 2021, Boise, Idaho. Porter was a rancher and real estate investor. He made lifelong friends and earned the nickname “Mad Dog” while at Wofford. He was lured to Boise by the skiing, hiking and backpacking opportunities. He lived an analog life in a digital world — banking in person with tellers and never using an ATM machine; writing to different chambers of commerce for maps and brochures; and cutting out the TV guide from the newspaper. He loved spending time on the water, whether it was the ocean, Payette Lake or Lake Lure. He loved his trees and tried to sprinkle a little bit of his stubbornness into each one he planted to help them grow in climates and conditions that were only suited for dust and sagebrush.
1964
Dr. James Arthur “Jimmy” Brown, Aug. 21, 2021, Beaufort, S.C. Brown’s career in public education spanned more than 40 years. He served as a teacher, principal and administrator. He also served as an adjunct professor at The Citadel and Morris College, as an educator at the Sumter County Detention Center and as a night administrator at Sumter Technical College. He was active in the Kiwanis Club of Sumter, serving as its president in 1992-93 and attending every weekly meeting for 25 years. As part of his service with Kiwanis, he regularly volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. He loved antiquing, and he figured out that things other people threw in the trash might bring value and joy to others with a little work.
Alfred Martin McGaha, June 21, 2021, Gaffney, S.C. McGaha retired from the Cherokee County School District as an elementary school principal. He earned a master’s degree in education administration from Furman University and an education specialist degree from Winthrop University. He also was a retired real estate agent. He was a member of the Gaffney Sertoma Club and the Gaffney Rotary Club. He volunteered with PeachCenter Ministries and Cherokee County Literacy, and was a member of West End Baptist Church.
1965
Harvey Moore Grasty, July 18, 2021, Charlotte, N.C. A native of Charlottesville, Va., Grasty started his career with Hit Attractions, booking bands at Charlotte venues. His favorite job was working in logistics at Apple Computer in the 1980s. Later in life he started his own business, selling nautical decor and gifts online, reflecting his love of the water, fishing and boats. He enjoyed trips to the beach with his family, and pulling his grandchildren behind the boat on an inner tube or skis. He also was an avid fisherman and enjoyed golf.
Dr. William J. “Bill” Ward, June 23, 2021, Columbia, S.C. Ward was a physiologist for 33 years for the South Carolina Department of Mental Health at G. Weber Bryan Psychiatric Hospital and C.M. Tucker Center. He used his experience and expertise to train hundreds of people working for nursing homes, mental health centers and various other locations serving those diagnosed with mental health illnesses. He was part of the choir at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral for more than 25 years.
1966
Walter Harvey Hendley III, July 12, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Hendley enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduation, reaching the rank of lieutenant. He worked for the Boy Scouts of America after his military service before returning to Spartanburg, where he worked as an accountant until retirement. He was a charter member of Fernwood Baptist Church and taught Sunday school. He was a member of the Lions Club and a lifelong history buff.
1967
Jerry Michael Green, Aug. 10, 2021, Estill, S.C. Green was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Korea. After retiring from T.O. Plastics, he managed Longfield Plantation. He had a gift for knowing how things worked and the ability to fix anything. He had served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher and director of Sunday school for over 25 years at Lawtonville Baptist Church. His grandchildren were the joy of his life, and when they wanted to go shopping, to the movies or out to eat, he made it happen.
Milton Perry Moore, June 22, 2021, Columbia, S.C. Moore earned an MBA and a master of accountancy from the University of South Carolina, where he later served as an adjunct professor of finance and taxation. He also was CEO of Employer HR Group in Columbia. While at Wofford he was active in ROTC, and he served in the South Carolina National Guard as a military police officer. He was a member of Ducks Unlimited, the Columbia Rotary Club (Paul Harris Fellow) and the Irmo Navy. He was active in the state Republican Party and head usher at Eastminster Presbyterian Church for more than 20 years. He floated almost every river in South Carolina.
1968
Barry Adrian Miller, July 30, 2021, Cliffside, N.C. After working at Milliken and Co. for several years, Miller began a career in government, first as the finance officer and then as the county manager in Polk County, N.C. He rose to become director of North Carolina’s Child Support Enforcement Program. The National Office of Child Support Enforcement in 2004 named his program the nation’s best. Upon his retirement in 2010, he was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the state’s top civilian awards. He was an avid reader who was extremely interested in the history of the Cherokee Nation and other tribes. One of his favorite authors was Ernest Hemingway.
1969
Marion Singleton “Kirk” Carrison, July 6, 2021, Hillsborough, N.C. Carrison spent his career in historic preservation, having worked for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Preservation North Carolina for many years. He enjoyed philosophy, music, art and gardening.
Paul Loren Yarborough, July 16, 2021, Georgetown, S.C. After teaching elementary school math, Yarborough began a career in insurance with South Carolina Farm Bureau in 1972. He started a residential construction company in 1997, focusing on custom home building in Lexington and Georgetown counties. He also was a licensed realtor. He retired in 1990 from the South Carolina Army National Guard Field Hospital Unit in Columbia with 22 years of service. He was a junior warden at All Saints Church in Pawley’s Island, sang in the choir and was a Stephen minister. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Georgetown for 17 years and served as president from 2011-12. He served on the board of Teach My People in Pawleys Island and was a current board member of Focused Living Ministries in Columbia. He was a Corvette enthusiast and a Harley rider.
1970
John Charles Layton, Aug. 6, 2021, Lakeland, Fla. Layton owned and operated several successful businesses over his lifetime, most recently Layton-Walker Auto Brokers in Mulberry, Fla. He enjoyed any day on the golf course, a frosty beer and a good cigar.
Hubert Michael Spivey, June 24, 2021, Greenville, S.C. Spivey was a U.S. Army and Army Reserve veteran. He was elected to three terms as chairman of the Greenville County Republican Party and served on the Greenville County Council from 1979-84, as chairman from 1980-1982. He served three terms as president and two as treasurer of the Mauldin Lions Club. An attorney, he served one term as prosecutor for the City of Mauldin. He also practiced with his daughter, Melissa. While at Wofford he was a member of the concert, pep and ROTC bands, as well as a member of the mixed ensemble.
1972
Leonard “Boogie” Ayers, May 30, 2021, Marietta, Ga. Ayers worked with the Boys Club of America before becoming certified as a master electrician. He enjoyed coaching youth soccer, playing and repairing guitars, composing music and whittling walking sticks. He was a member of GracePointe Marietta Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon. While at Wofford he was a member of the football team.
Watson Carl Wharton, Aug. 5, 2021, Tryon, N.C. Wharton worked as a plumber and then as a cotton farmer before moving to Tryon in 1986 to begin a career in real estate. He founded Thousand Pines Co. in 1994. He was a founding organizer of the Blue Ridge BBQ and Music Festival, and he managed the competition cookers for more than 25 years. He liked to hang out at the Tryon Coffee Shop and enjoyed talking about music, sports, politics and food. He was surrounded by family when he died, with loud music playing and the summer sun shining.
1975
John McCarten Hilliard III, July 16, 2021, Georgetown, S.C. Hilliard graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1980 and worked as an assistant solicitor in the 15th Judicial Circuit. In 1991, he was the first lawyer from South Carolina to become board certified in criminal trial law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He spoke at trainings for magistrate judges, police officers, prosecutors and victim advocates in the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault. In 1997, he received the Silver Scales of Justice from the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network. He was a founding member of the Horry Georgetown Rape Crisis Center. He entered private practice and opened the Hilliard Law Firm in 2000. Recently he’d been working as a correspondent for CourtTV.
1976
Dr. Daniel Scott Cleland, Nov. 9, 2020, Columbia, S.C. Cleland received a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Georgia in 1979. He worked at clinics in Virginia and in Charleston, S.C., before opening his own office in Columbia. He was the owner of South Latitude, a company that served the computer needs of veterinary clinics transitioning into the digital age. One of his favorite hobbies was horseback riding.
1978
Keith Taylor Collins, May 31, 2021, Sandy Springs, Ga. Collins was owner of Corporate Search International/Corporate Partners in Atlanta. He enjoyed spending days at the pool, smoking cigars, drinking small-batch bourbon and listening to music cranked all the way up. He liked to travel and frequently vacationed in Key West or Destin, Fla. He was a member of the football team during his days at Wofford.
1981
André Finley Perroneau, June 11, 2021, Rockville, Md. Perroneau worked as an investigator in the Department of Public Safety at Georgetown University for more than 30 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a master’s from Webster University. He enjoyed watching good movies and eating his favorite foods, hot dogs and pork and beans.
1982
James Stockton “Jimmy” Smith, June 13, 2021, Frankfurt, Germany. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Smith joined his father in the family business, JM Smith in Spartanburg, S.C., where he served as a member of the board of directors. He was an Eagle Scout and a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church. He loved to travel, finding destinations that were “flip-flop friendly,” and was an avid bodysurfer always searching for the perfect wave. He was devoted to the Spartanburg Humane Society. When he learned that nearly 16,000 animals a year were being euthanized, he took immediate action to shift the organization’s mission from being a holding facility for unwanted animals to being an adoption center. His efforts saved the lives of over 100,000 animals.
1983
Robert Raymond “Buddy” Stoccardo Jr., May 9, 2021, Los Angeles, Calif. A writer and actor, Stoccardo appeared in numerous movies, television shows and commercials. He also appeared in the Broadway production “The Tempest,” as well as several off-off-Broadway productions. He arrived in L.A. in 1993 with 59 cents in his pocket. He wrote the play “Contents Under Pressure” while living in his car and later starred in the production when it was produced in North Hollywood. He was eulogized in an article on the website Stage Raw.
2019
Timothy Kirton Phillips, Aug. 11, 2021, Lubbock, Texas. A native of Cayce, S.C., Phillips received a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Converse University and had just moved to Lubbock to begin a Ph.D. program at Texas Tech University. He loved to teach and was looking forward to becoming a professor and continuing as a therapist. He enjoyed reading, had a fondness for learning languages and was fluent in French. He enjoyed creative writing and theater. He was a foodie who enjoyed cooking and baking for his friends and family. He was extremely active in the church, often leading children and youth ministries.
FRIENDS
Nina Elizabeth “Liz” Syfan Chapman, June 22, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Chapman was the widow of William Marshall Chapman, a former Wofford trustee and board chairman. She graduated from Converse College in 1953. She was an active member of First Presbyterian Church as an elder and chair of the Purnell Committee. As a member of Circle 7, she led the Bible study for a number of years. She also provided greens for the chapel from her garden until she was in her 80s. She served her community as president of the Music Foundation of Greater Spartanburg and as scout leader and board member of the Piedmont Area Council of the Girl Scouts. She received the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award from Wofford College in 1995.
William George Goforth, July 23, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Goforth was a former Wofford physical plant staff member. He also established Lock Doc, a lock business he ran until he retired to spend more time with his wife of 64 years.
Jean Lee Ivey, June 2, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Ivey was a 50-year supporter of Wofford College Athletics, and she was known as the players’ mother away from home. She did interior design for Bobby Ivey Construction and Realty. She was a longtime member of First Baptist Church Spartanburg, where she sang in the choir.
Margaret René Pegues “Peggy” Kinney, July 31, 2021, Bennettsville, S.C. Kinney was a longtime journalist and copy editor at the Marlboro Herald-Advocate, the newspaper she owned and operated with her husband, William Light “Bill” Kinney Jr. ’54. They both retired from the newspaper in 2014. In 1999, the Kinneys established the William Light Kinney III ’91 Endowed Scholarship in memory of their son. He was a fourth-generation Wofford student who died in an automobile accident in 1989. A sculpture in his memory stands in front of the Sandor Teszler Library on Wofford’s campus. Peggy Kinney was active in her church and community, including as a former president of the Marlborough Historical Society. She also held a variety of statewide positions, including as past chair of the South Carolina Mother of the Year selection committee and former board member of the South Carolina Museum Foundation and South Carolina Governor’s Mansion Commission.
Ann McCaskill Leonard, May 31, 2021, Charleston, S.C. She was the widow of Walter Raymond Leonard, former professor and chair of biology. She was a 1951 graduate of Converse College. In the 1960s, she and her husband and a few other Wofford couples formed Club 25, named for the traditional payday at Wofford, on which they gathered monthly at a local restaurant for dinner and fellowship. The club added new members as the years went by and is still active to this day. She served for many years on the Altar Guild and was active at Central United Methodist Church. In 1968, she joined the Chancel Choir, with whom she sang for nearly 50 years. In the 1980s she went to work at the dental practice of her son, Dr. Walt Leonard ’77, serving as his receptionist, a position that suited her always welcoming and outgoing personality.
Prudence Sandifer Scott, July 26, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Scott was involved with Wofford through the Lifelong Learning program and through the John B. Cleveland 1869 Endowed Scholarship Fund. She and her sister, Jennifer Haas, donated nearly 300 acres off Bryant Road to the Spartanburg Area Conservancy in 2009.
Kurt Zimmerli, May 30, 2021, Spartanburg, S.C. Zimmerli founded Zima Corp. in Spartanburg in 1969, and it became the largest textile and carpet wet-processing sales firm in the United States. In 1974 he co-founded Küsters Corp. He became chairman of Küsters in 1994 and in 2000 was elected chairman emeritus. His philanthropic work has brought numerous parks and spots of natural beauty into the city of Spartanburg. His love of nature and his generosity inspired several fountains, statues and landscaping projects in the city. Projects have included the interactive fountain at the entrance to Barnet Park and the Zimmerli Amphitheater in that park. He loved music and was a staunch supporter of the Spartanburg Philharmonic and the Petrie School of Music. In 1997, he received Wofford’s Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.