i N MEMORY

CORRECTION TO LAST ISSUE:

Robert Curley, Ph.D., died Nov. 5, 2017 in Oklahoma City. He retired in 2013 after teaching for 29 years, not 19 as previously reported.

corp. Along with his wife, he was a member of various metro Baptist churches, where he taught Sunday school and was an ordained deacon. Most recently, he was a member of Quail Springs Baptist Church.

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Linda McPherson Hamm Byrd (BSEd ’52) died Jan. 24, 2018, in Bossier City, Louisiana. She taught for 30 years in Oklahoma City Public Schools — at Westwood, John Adams and Heronville elementary schools. She retired in 1985, later moving to Shreveport, Louisiana, to retire with her sister.

Billy Coy (BA ’62) died Dec. 17, 2017. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force as an electronic technician. He worked as a bank vice president for almost five years before retirement. Later, he worked with his wife in the retail cosmetics business, then attended real estate school and worked in that industry for more than one year.

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Donald Abbott (BS ’54), died Jan. 27, 2018. He served in the U.S. Air Force, later working for the Oklahoma Department of Public Welfare. He also was active in the civil rights movement and was instrumental in the opening of Taliaferro Community Mental Health Center. In 1977, he was named social worker of the year by National Association of Social Workers. He became a board member of the University of Oklahoma School of Social Work in 2007.

Kathleen Longaker (BSEd ’63, MEd ’69), of Oklahoma City, died Feb. 9, 2018. She was a teacher in California and in Germany, later moving back to Oklahoma City. There, she taught until retirement and was recognized as Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

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Joyce Douglas (BSEd ’64, MEd ’77) died Jan. 6, 2018. She was an elementary school teacher until leaving to raise her family. She was an artist, singer and special education volunteer.

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Billy Long (BAEd ’58), of Yukon, died March 7, 2018. He was a teacher and coach at Putnam City and Carl Albert high schools. Later, he worked as a claims manager for Preferred Risk Insurance Co. He ended his career as an independent oil and gas producer under Long Royalty Co.

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George Baker (BAEd ’60) died Feb. 16, 2018, in Edmond. He was a member of the U.S. Air Force, serving as an airplane mechanic and prop specialist. He also participated in the drum and bugle

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Warren Griffin (BS ’65) died Jan. 6, 2018. From 1960-62, he served in the U.S. Army. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma Law School, he started his law practice in Midwest City and served as the city attorney. He traveled the western half of the United States to defend clients.

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George Dixon (BA ’68) died Dec. 28, 2017. After college, he began his career with Carpenter Paper Co. He retired as a sergeant from the Oklahoma City Police Department, where he worked as a park and lake ranger for 25 years.

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Norma Brooks (MEd ’72) died Dec. 31, 2017. She was employed at North American Insurance Co. for several years. Later, she served as the manager of the premium department at Reserve National Insurance Co.y. For three years, she worked at the Norman Municipal Court as the court clerk, then worked with her husband at his law firm for the rest of her career.

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Mickey Hoy (BSEd ’65), 75, died Sept. 9, 2018. Hoy played on Central’s 1962 national championship football team and was in the UCO Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2010, he received the UCO Distinguished Alumni Award. A teacher, coach and principal, he served in Tuttle, El Reno and Davis before returning to Marlow in 1988 as high school principal. Having won numerous state championships as a coach, he was also a member of the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

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Richard Carllson (BBA ’72) died March 15, 2018, in Dallas. He served in the U.S. Army, honorably discharged as a first lieutenant. During college, he began his career selling insurance. Later, with his wife, they started Mutual Assurance Administrators in 1975.

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Edward Hedrick (BAEd ’73, MEd ’76) died Jan. 13, 2018 in Harve de Grace, Maryland. He joined the U.S. Army at age 16, serving more than 21 years. During that time, he completed two tours in Korea and two tours in Vietnam, achieving the rank of first sergeant and receiving several awards and decorations. He later worked as a teacher for El Reno Public Schools.

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Michael Mappes (BA ’74), of Midwest City, died March 6, 2018. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War as a crew chief on a B-52. He later retired after 19 years of service at the Oklahoma Department of Welfare, where he worked as a child welfare and adult protective services investigator.

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Don Gammill (BA ’75) died Nov. 28, 2017, in Edmond. Working for Enid Publishing Co. as a writer, he covered northwest Oklahoma sports. He then served as managing editor, city editor and assistant city editor at the Enid Daily Eagle. Later, he worked for the Oklahoma Publishing Co. as state editor, special projects editor, columnist and online communities’ editor. During his journalism career, he received many awards for his work. He also taught News Room 101 and enjoyed helping high school students develop their skills.

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Donna Vontungeln (MEd ’76), of El Reno, died April 18, 2018. Retiring in 2001, she spent 30 years as an instructor, counselor and director of student services at Canadian Valley Technology Center. She was one of the first women elected to the Oklahoma Farm Bureau state board of directors and the first woman president of the El Reno Chamber of Commerce. She was active in several organizations including Mobile Meals of El Reno, Kappa Delta Sorority and Canadian County Lions Club.

Earl Thomas (BS ’80), of Edmond, died March 14, 2018. He began working for Tinker Air Force Base in 1968 and worked there for 32 years before retirement. He was passionate about serving at Edmond Church of Christ, where he was a member for more than 50 years.

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Bill Holyfield (BA ’80, MA ’85), of Edmond, died Jan. 22, 2018. He served as an Oklahoma highway patrolman for 30 years, retiring as assistant chief with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

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Robert Bartrug (BS ’85), of Oklahoma City, died Feb. 16, 2018. Throughout his career, he worked for the Oklahoma Tax Commission as well as the Internal Revenue Service.

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David Puente (BA ’88) died March 26, 2018. He spent his career working in the criminal justice field, including as a federal correctional officer at El Reno Federal Prison. He was an active volunteer for many organizations and received a lifetime achievement award from the Oklahoma Universal Rights Alliance.

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Roy McNeely (BS ’88) died April 17, 2018. He served four years in the U.S. Army. He also operated, with his father, B&M Farm Supply in Oklahoma City. He worked in the farming industry throughout his career.

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Joseph Beckham (BS ’96) died Dec. 16, 2017. During his career, he worked in technology support at Raytheon in Wichita, Kansas. Later, he worked as a self-employed oil/gas landman.

Richard Stringfellow (BBA ’97) died April 12, 2018. He worked at Oklahoma City Community College for 25 years, retiring in 2017. He began his career there as a part-time employee, later serving as registrar and an adjunct professor.

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Rodney Brown (BA ’00) died Feb. 20, 2018. He was a graduate of Westmoore High School where he played on the 1994 state championship basketball team. He earned an economics degree from Central.

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Carrie Fischer (BSEd ’09) died Nov. 20, 2017. Recently, she was a fifth-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary School.

’13Memorial services for Jeffrey London (BA ’13) were March 1, 2018, in Edmond. He served in the Oklahoma National Guard for six years, including an active duty tour in 200607. After graduating from Central, he embarked on a two-month solo canoe trip down the entire Mississippi River. He also was ordained as a wedding officiant and performed many weddings.

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Devin Dymkowski (BS ’17), died Aug. 21, 2018. With a degree in industrial safety and management information systems, he worked for Air Comfort Solutions.

FACULTY/STAFF

Jack Beeson died Dec. 19, 2017, at age 92. He was director of admissions and records at Central from 1973-86.

Lillian Boland died Jan. 25, 2018, at age 99. She taught Spanish and humanities at Central for 30 years. She joined the Central faculty in 1958.

James Dechter, Ph.D., died Feb. 24, 2018. He taught chemistry and was a chair of the chemistry department during his 22 years at Central. He retired in 2016.

Kent “Doc” Kidwell, D.M.A., died July 22, 2018. He joined UCO in 1969 and pioneered the Jazz Studies program at Central in 1974, helping to further the development of jazz across Oklahoma while developing a national and international reputation for the UCO program. He was a member of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and was the principal trombonist for the Oklahoma Philharmonic for 20 years. In 1993, he was named Oklahoma Musician of the Year by the Oklahoma Federation of Music Cluns. Contributions in his memory may be made to the UCO Jazz Studies Division Support Fund to finance student scholarships, travel, instruments and guest artists/ educators. Contact the UCO Foundation.

David Martin, Ph.D., died Feb. 28, 2018. He taught physics at Central for 34 years, retiring in 2016.

Reeder Remembered

Dale Blaine Reeder (BA ‘63, MT ‘68), 80, died Aug. 22, 2018, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Reeder was a principal for 30 years in the Oklahoma City school system. After retiring, he came to Central as an adjunct faculty member working with future teachers from January 1993 until May 2010. An active alumnus, he helped restore the dorm room in Thatcher Hall, home of the UCO Museum of Residential Life that he helped establish. The first Central Family of the Year Award was given to the Reeder family in 2001. At that time, they had 21 UCO college graduates dating back to the first enrolling in 1939. (See Chickering piano photos on page 35 for more on Reeder’s work.) Above, Reeder posed in fall 2012 for a cover of Old North magazine. He was showing young Billy Vega how he would type letters home while a student living in Thatcher Hall. He joked that “send money” was his No. 1 letter home.

Magazine Earns State Recognitions

UCO’S Old North magazine claimed several state awards at the 2018 Oklahoma College of Public Relations Association competition. The spring 2018 issue of Old North claimed second place in the magazine division. Three articles in 2017-18 Old North publications won recognition. Remembering T.C. Cannon claimed third place in the featurette category, while Bee Curious claimed third in the full-length feature division. Both were written by Old North editor Gypsy Hogan (BS ’74). The article “Health on Track” by Adrienne Nobles received third place in the full-length feature, human interest category.

Fall Flair —

Autumn arrived at Central seemingly all at once, leaving traces of color across campus. UCO students Stockton Duvall and Victoria Archer embrace the changing weather, with a joyful walk through Plunkett Park.