Class Notes

MEMORIALS

49 Russell Whatley (’49, Industrial Science) died on October 6, 2022. Russell served in the U.S. Army with the 101st Airborne Division and the 401st Glider Infantry. He was a decorated soldier who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Russell worked as a machinist for Texas Eastman for 35 years until his retirement.

51 Robert “Bob” Scribner (’51, Industrial Science) died on September 11, 2022. Robert is survived in death by his wife, Nancy, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. A veteran of the USAF, Bob went on to work as an engineer with MTI in Latham and with General Electric at M&P Labs. Bob retired from General Electric in 1986 as a member of the G.E. Century Club.

57 James A. Marble (’57, Mechanical Engineering) died on July 25, 2022. James served in the USAF during the Korean War, as a member of a B-29 crew. After completing his work at LeTourneau, James worked as a petroleum engineer at Marathon Oil Company until his retirement in 1985.

58 Arlie L. Staggs (’58, Electrical Science) died on October 29, 2022. Born in Lockesburg, AK, Arlie served as staff sergeant in the USAF during the Korean War. He was a member of the Gideon’s Bible Society, deacon in his church, and loved serving in ministry as unto the Lord. 59 William “Bill” Delk (’59, Electrical Science) died on February 3, 2022. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Rowe Anne, whom he met after serving in the U.S. Army from 1954-1956.

59 Lowell Smith (’59, Electrical Science) died on March 14, 2022, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Lowell is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Ruth, and his three sons, spouses, grandchildren, relatives and friends. Lowell sang in the RG Aires quartet while attending LeTourneau, which traveled with “Pop” LeTourneau and sang at his speaking engagements.

59 Lawrence “Larry” Dalzell (’63, Industrial Engineering) died November 6, 2021. Larry served as the director of engineering for many years for YKK Universal Fasteners. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Eleanor, his son Thomas, two grandsons, and many friends.

63 John F. Vigna (’63, Aviation Technology) died on July 17, 2022. John is survived by his wife, Katherine, children and loved ones. John worked at the Monterey, CA, airport. He served on the church board and Monterey Bay Christian School Board. 65 Clifford A. DeSain (’65, Mechanical Engineering) died on September 3, 2022. Clifford helped to build the LeTourneau domes while working for LeTourneau Industries. Clifford made an impact in countless students’ lives as a staff member for the Pine Tree and Spring Hill Independent School Districts. Heavily involved in his church, Clifford left a lasting impact through his devotion to faithful prayer.

65 David S. Rowe (’65, Mechanical Engineering) died on September 12, 2022. David taught as a math professor for more than 37 years at Washington County Community College in Charlotte, Maine.

73 Bobby Ray Foster (’73, Aviation Technology) died on Sunday, May 29, 2022. Bobby served in the USAF during the Vietnam War. After his service, he completed his degree at LeTourneau College and went to work as an airplane mechanic for Continental Airlines, where he worked until his retirement.

82 Charles L. Hauder Jr. (’82, Electrical Engineering, ’98, MBA) died on May 18, 2022. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Charles worked at Control Technologies (Midland, TX) and attended Stonegate Fellowship Church.

92 Craig Robertson (’92, Accounting) died on July 17, 2021, in Quarryville, Pa., after

battling Glioblastoma. Craig was a licensed pilot/instructor and enjoyed hiking and fishing. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Alisa, his children, his parents, and his brother.

95 Timothy Turner (’95, Engineering & Aero Technology) died on January 19, 2022. Timothy is survived by his wife, Stephanie, children, immediate family, and friends. He worked as a senior engineer and product technical leader at Owens Corning since 2002. Timothy was a devoted husband, father, and follower of Christ, as well as a diehard Green Bay Packers fan.

13 Victoria Pilar McLemore (’13, Teacher Education) died on August 2, 2022. Victoria worked at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Austin, TX), before moving to Longview, where she taught at Trinity School of Texas. Victoria was heavily involved within the Longview cultural arts community, leading her to becoming, most recently, the education and outreach director at the Longview Symphony.

23 Jeanetta Barron Carson (’23, Christian Ministry) died on September 27, 2022. Jeanetta founded I Speak Life Ministries, Tender Baby, and World Academy. A longtime educator, Jeanetta taught for Fort Worth ISD, Clay Academy, and Gospel Lighthouse Christian Academy. Jeanetta was on track to graduate this academic year.

BIRTHS

09 Dustin Haisler (’09, Business Administration) and his wife, Amanda, welcomed Maverick Tate in July 2021. 18 Covenant Olatunde (’18, Aviation) and his wife, Addison, welcomed Keon Jireh on October 14.

20 Patrick Millsap (’20, Aviation) and his wife, Katie, welcomed Grayson Michael on April 18, who joins his big sister, Eden.

WEDDINGS

18 Seth Briley (’18, Business) married Sarai Menjivar on October 8, 2022.

19 Taylor Zimmerman (’19, Chemistry) married Benjamin Witol on October 2, 2022.

20 John “Mikey” Guynn (’20, Communication) and Mackenzie Guynn married on October 8, 2021.

CLASS NOTES

69 Dale Hill (’69, Welding Engineering) and partners at Proterra Operating Co. received United States Patent no. 11,345,245 in May 2022. The invention of “overhead charging systems for electric vehicles” will help revolutionize the electrical and hybrid vehicle charging route.

74 Keith Wyckoff (’74, Welding) retired in February after 46 years of welding and manufacturing experience, including 16 years in racecar fabrication. Keith is now volunteering with JAARS in Waxhaw, NC, where he is machining, fabricating and welding various components for JAARS aircraft and training. 75 Martha “Marty” Miller (’75, Mathematics) retired in December after 20 years of service as an IT specialist for the State of California. She now lives in Roseville, CA.

95 Ramona Bivins (’95, Business Management) was unanimously voted in by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners as the new chief financial officer of Douglas County.

96 J. David Cohen (’96, MBA) retired this summer after 10 years as a special education instructor for the Collin County Juvenile Detention Facility in McKinney, TX. Previously, J. David served in the U.S. Marine Corp, at Proctor and Gamble in Production Engineering, and as an educator in Plano and McKinney, TX.

96 Steven Rundus (’96, Mechanical Engineering) was accepted into the Systems Engineering PhD program at Arizona State University. Steve will continue working full-time as a senior systems engineer at Boeing in Mesa, Arizona.

01 Phillip Dean (’01,Computer Science, Electrical Engineering) was accepted as a tech fellow in project engineering with a focus on program execution methodologies at Collins Aerospace.

02 Les Baker Jr. (’02, MBA) joined the Washington State Department of Health in June 2021 as the new chief of innovation.

02 Andrew Branch (’02, Accounting) was appointed to chief operating officer of the Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) in August.

03 Michael Kramm (’03, Business Administration) was appointed as the new police chief for Texarkana, Arkansas in October 2022. Previously, Kramm served as a police officer in League City, TX, for 24 years.

06 Lisa Brantley (’06, Business Administration) joined the U.S. Team for Mercuri Urval, a global sciencebased leadership acquisition and advisory firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, as head of client consulting and executive search.

06 Edward “Eddie” Priefert (’06, MBA) was appointed to the board of directors of Guaranty Bank & Trust. Edward is the president of Priefert Mfg. Co. Inc., a leading manufacturer of rodeo and ranch equipment in the world.

03 Jay Brooks (’03, Business Administration, ‘09 MBA) received the 2022 W.T. “Doc” Ballard Award for Excellence in Public Health. Brooks, a former Lindale police officer and member of the Lindale Volunteer Fire Department, was appointed as the Smith County fire marshal in 2014 and in 2019.

09 Stephanie Martin (’09, Education) is now the senior vice president of retail banking and operations for American Bank. 11 Keith Bowles (’11, Business Administration) was named a Forty Under 40 for his role as senior vice president; regional branch administrator at Arvest Bank in Bentonville and Bella Vista, Arkansas.

13 Burton Rhodes, Jr. (’13, Materials Joining) began as a chief manufacturing engineer with GKN Aerospace Defense this Fall after working at the McNair Aerospace Center at the University of South Carolina.

16 Melanie Dittmer (’16, Biology) is a wildlife and conservative medicine intern at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife. Melanie earned her doctorate at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences in 2021.

17 Shawn Scott (’17, Criminal Justice) was sworn in as the new Chapel Hill ISD police chief. His goal is to keep safety as the top priority while also promoting community involvement.

20 Jessica Gehman (’20, Christian Ministry & Media Management) is the new marketing and communications specialist for Grace Management, Inc., a nationwide senior living property management company.

20 Natalie (Dottle) Mitchell (’20, Engineering) is now working as a global health fellow at the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, Houston, Texas. Her husband, Andrew Mitchell (’18, Nursing) started his master’s degree at University of Texas at Arlington (online) in September. They live in Houston.

20 Ryan Rosen (’20, Engineering) “bumped out” of his Disney College Program, becoming a part of the Walt Disney World Water Sciences team as a project specialist. This is a full-time, professional role in project management and engineering on projects at The Seas aquarium at Epcot and the water systems at Animal Kingdom.

21 Jasmine Smith (’21, Marketing) opened Gymdaze Studio in October, offering one-onone gymnastics training in Longview, TX. She also serves as the director of marketing for Longview World of Wonders, a children’s discovery center in downtown Longview.

22 Emily Hogenson (’22, Aviation) began as a first officer for Sierra West Airlines in August. Emily received the 2022 Upset Prevention and Recovery Training Scholarship from Aviation Performance Solutions LLC (APS), the global leader in Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT).

22 Madilynne Lindsey-Halling (’22, MA Counseling) and husband, Spencer Halling, are the newest owners of the Bodacious BBQ across from LeTourneau’s main campus, where Spencer serves as the pitmaster. Madilynne is the grandchild of Bodacious founders Roland and Nancy Lindsey.

The loss of a loved one, friend or colleague often inspires us to ensure that their memory lives on. Many people find that supporting LETU is an ideal way to honor someone who has passed away. Gifts made "in memoriam" offer lasting honor to a loved one while providing family and friends with the satisfaction of knowing they have helped others. If you would like to give a memoriam to LETU, please call 1-800-259-5388 or donate online at www.letu/give. The family will be notified of your generosity when a memoriam is made.

A Look Back

Published in 1974, Evelyn LeTourneau’s Recipes for Living grants readers with what its author provided students in the flesh: warm guidance, practical wisdom, and a way to fill up on both physical and spiritual sustenance. Alongside her recipe for cranberry nut bread, she reminds us:

“Often, when preparing a dish and following a recipe, it makes me think how much that is like living my life. Some of the ingredients of a recipe aren’t very tasty in themselves. There isn’t any appeal in taking a spoonful for flour, pepper, and baking soda, or shortening into your mouth. Any one taken alone can hardly be called a wonderful taste experience. But when blended in right proportions and subjected to the process of cooking or baking, the result is a wonderful taste experience, plus nourishment.

Isn’t that the way with the events or experiences of life? Some in themselves seem rather ‘hard to swallow.’ They are not pleasant to our taste. We don’t accept them readily. In times of failure we forget successes we have experienced; in times of sorrow we forget the many joys of life; in days of financial problems we forget the experiences of prosperity; and in sickness we forget the many years of health. Life, however, is a blending of all these ingredients. Some are not ‘tasty’ in themselves, but when blended with all the ingredients of life they prove themselves vital to fullness of life.

Honestly now, isn’t it true that we could not properly appreciate rest without having known weariness, joy without knowledge of sorrow, light without the experience of darkness, or gain without familiarity with loss. This blending of experiences aids us in our own relationship to life and also makes it possible to enter sympathetically into the circumstances of our fellow men. Galatians 6:2 puts it in these words: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Are you in the midst of a time of testing? If so, look back upon your life and see if this may not be just one of the ingredients—not pleasant now, but one which will finally prove to be a necessary ingredient of satisfying a ‘tasteful’ life. Through your experience you can become a more helpful burden-bearer for someone else.”

As we experience the pause, the rest, of a holiday season, and reflect back on the year, may we remember to be grateful for the bitter with the sweet, accepting and appreciating the full blend of God’s plan in our lives—so we may more fully and nourishingly support one another.

LeTourneau NOW P.O. Box 8001 Longview, TX 75607

PROGRAMMING EXCELLENCE - 4TH IN THE NATION

This fall our electrical & computer engineering and computer science students finished 4th among 99 universities in the U.S. at the IEEEXtreme global computer programming competition. Over 20 LETU students participated in the event, which presents teams with unique challenges to test their program design and analysis skills. Over 13,000 students from 62 countries participated in the competition. IEEEXtreme is a global challenge in which teams of IEEE student members compete in a 24-hour time span against each other to solve a set of programming problems.

letu.edu/LeTourneauBuilt

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