Spire Summer 2020

class notes

Roger F. Whitt of Bluefield, West Virginia, passed away on February 6, 2020. He served in the United States Air Force and was a civil engineer at Norfolk Southern Railway. Roger was a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Brushfork Baptist Church. 1948 Spencer T. Branham of Belleville, Illinois, passed away on March 30, 2019. He served in World War II and the Korean Wars. Spencer had a passion for operating the Ham Radio. Robert A. Bruch of Bluefield, West Virginia, passed away on September 3, 2019. He served in the United States Army, was a Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Naval Reserve, and a West Virginia Blue and Gold Officer for the US Naval Academy, where he mentored young service members in their military career paths. Bob was an Eagle Scout and retired from Norfolk Southern Railroad. William P. Eaton of Greenwood, South Carolina, passed away on May 10, 2011. He served as a Commissioned Officer in the Air Force. Bill was a pioneer in the infant television broadcasting industry beginning as a salesman selling TV advertising, growing to sales manager, TV Station General Manager, Operations Vice President for two different major Broadcasters, and ultimately to President and Owner of his own Radio Stations. Jean Smith Felts of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away on Jan. 25, 2020. She was a nurse at Maguire Veterans Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Sandra Godsey Torquato of Boca Raton, Florida, passed away on January 4, 2019. She self-funded her undergraduate degree at Bluefield College through her modeling career. Sandy was employed in the medical field and was an accomplished artist in painting and sketching. 1949 George L. Evans of Princeton, West Virginia, passed away on July 25, 2013. He was a veteran of the United States Army and mechanical engineer with Appalachian Power Company. Oscar Price ‘Pete’ Johnson of Florence, South Carolina, passed away on April 28, 2017. Pete served in the United States Navy. He was employed with Union Carbide Corporation and British Acheson Electrodes, Limited (in Sheffield, England), Vice President of UCC’s Linde Division, and President and Chief Operating Officer of L-Tec, which later became known as ESAB North America. Pete was elected Business Person of the Year by the Florence Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Francis Marion Foundation, the local United Way and Rotary Club, Advisory Board Member of the of the Francis Marion Business School, Director of Sales for the Hogan PGA Golf Tournament, and member of the Florence Museum Board of Trustees. Helen Price Maberry of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away on March 20, 2015. She was a receptionist for Boone & Co./Long & Foster and a member of the former Roanoke Valley Chorus. Robert W. Dilcher of Simpsonville, South Carolina, passed away on March 25, 2017. William R. Gardner, Jr. of Summerfield, North Carolina, passed away on August 17, 2013.

Shirley Branch Ring of Thaxton, Virginia, passed away on March 3, 2012. She was a travel clerk with the Department of Defense.

passed away on March 19, 2017. Robert served in the United States Air Force and was a criminal investigator for the United States Department of Treasury. He was a charter member of Gethsemane Baptist Church. 1952 James Ted Blankenship of Valencia, California, passed away on January 24, 2020. Ted was an accountant for Douglas in his early career and traveled to Europe on a “secret” assignment. Ted and three other people that he met at Glendale Baptist Church formed a quartet and sang for entertainment. He was the principal to several elementary schools, including, Saugus, Sky Blue, Cedar Creek, Honby, Emblem, Seco Canyon, and Foster and eventually closed Honby Elementary in the Sangus Union School District of California. Ted was also a supervisor to many student teachers. Ronnie E. Graham of Wytheville, Virginia, passed away on February 13, 2020. Ronnie served in the United States Air Force. He was an Assistant Principal, Principal, and then Director of Personnel in Prince William County Schools. James B. Haymes, Jr. of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, passed away on July 11, 2019. He served in the United States Army. James was the CFO for several corporations, retiring from Woolrich. Billy R. Price of Pensacola, Florida, passed away on May 1, 2020. He served in the United States Navy and was employed with American Cyanamid. Billy Ray’s hobbies included golfing and woodworking. 1953 John T. Anderson of Richmond, Virginia, passed away on August 6, 2014. David B. Camden of Appomattox, Virginia, passed away on February 16, 2019. Dave began as a minister in the Southern Baptist denomination and then moved to the United Methodist Conference where he served until his retirement in 1993. Loomis H. Gibson , of Forest, Virginia, passed away on January 26, 2019. Loomis served in the United States Army Air Corps and in missions over Rhineland, Rome-Arno, Northern and Southern France and air combat in the Balkans. Loomis was employed with Limitorque (now Flow Serve). 1954 Rev. David M. Armbrister , of Princeton, West Virginia, passed away on June 9, 2020. He pastored churches from Blairtown, Kentucky to Charlottesville, Virginia and was the youth director at Graham Christian Church and Trinity United Methodist Church in Bluefield. David was listed as a noteworthy minister and religion educator by Marquis Who’s Who. He was an associate professor at Bluefield College and was acting chairman in the Division of Social Sciences. David was the author of Dr. Charlie: The Life and Works of Dr. Charles Lee Harmon, 2006 and Lighthouse on the Hill: The Bluefield College Story, 2007. He was a former trustee at Oak Hill Academy, member and past president of the Lions Club, member of Phi Theta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa, and Kappa Delta Pi. Robert J. Johnston, Jr. of Bluefield, Virginia, passed away on October 27, 2015. Bob had served in the United Stated Navy, was Vice President of

Joseph D. Van Dyke of Chesterfield, Virginia, passed away on April 5, 2016.

1950 Samuel S. Evans of Beckley, West Virginia, passed away on August 17, 2012. 1951 Charles J. Arrington, Jr. , of Courtland, Virginia, passed away on October 12, 2015. He was a captain in the United States Air Force. Charles was a partner in Southampton Tractor Company and Cogsdale Implement Company. He served on the Board of Directors and was previous President for the Virginia Farm and Industrial Equipment Association. Charles was a teacher, deacon, and superintendent at Courtland Baptist Church and a member of many civic clubs. Charles O. Godsey, Sr. of Chester, Virginia, passed away on August 5, 2013. Charles was a Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He worked in civil service at Bellwood. David A. Jones of Cocoa Beach, Florida, passed away on January 27, 2017. Dave was a Chief Chemist in the United States Air Force and Head of Sanitary Engineering for Pan American World Airways. He served as Brevard County Administrator of Utilities, and consultants for Smith and Gillespie Engineers and Post, Buckley, Shuh, and Jernigan. Dave served as a deacon and elder at Riverside Presbyterian Church. George C. Kitts of Moneta, Virginia, passed away on January 12, 2019. He was a sales engineer with Gulf Oil and Chevron, where he was known as an expert on lubricant products. Carter appeared in several Gulf Oil print media publications, such as the ‘Pro from Gulf.’ Arnold ‘Mitch’ R. Mitchem of Hillsville, Virginia, passed away on August 29, 2019. He served in the United States Army and retired as a lab technician from R.J. Reynolds. Walter Johnson Reynolds of Blacksburg, Virginia, passed away on July 21, 2018. He was a charter member of the Longshop-McCoy Volunteer Fire and Rescue and previous Chaplin of Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads (VAVRS). Arthur E. Riley, Sr. of Princeton, West Virginia, passed away on March 1, 2020. Art was known as ‘Mr. Bluefield,’ and President of the Downtown Merchant Association and the Downtown Neighborhood Association. He was the owner of Landmark Antique Mall in Bluefield, West Virginia and Southwest Holdings in Bluefield, Virginia. Art was a member of the Ridge Runner Committee (preservation of locomotives). Shirley E. Rountree of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away on August 14, 2016. She taught for the Department of Defense in Germany. Shirley was an Assistant Principal at Kellam High School and Green Run High School and was named Assistant Principal of the Year. She was the Mayor of 75th Street.

Robert E. Widener, Sr. of Cedar Bluff, Virginia,

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