In Memoriam
Longtime Trustee Ben B. Brown, Former Board Chairman, Dies at
83
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Benjamin Blaine Brown, Jr., of Birmingham, a member of the
Samford University Board of Trustees for 33 years and former
chairman of the board, died Oct. 4. He was 83.
Brown was retired vice president of South Central Bell, having
served the company 40 years in North Carolina, Florida and
Alabama. A community leader, he was former president of the
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Alabama Symphony, Salvation
Army Advisory Board, Birmingham Festival of Arts and Birmingham
Downtown Rotary Club.
He was an active member of Mountain Brook Baptist Church,
where he was chairman of trustees, life deacon, chairman of
deacons and men's Bible teacher. He was a World War II veteran
with service in the South Pacific.
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"Mr. Brown was an exceptional individual, widely respected
in the community and deeply devoted to Samford," said
University President Thomas E. Corts. "I can tell you
that in my years here, every initiative for improvement--whether
curricular innovation, higher standards, better pay and benefits--always
had his complete and total support. The University has lost
one of its most ardent supporters, and many of us have lost
a dear friend."
Brown is survived by his wife of 60 years, Frances, sons
Benjamin Blaine Brown III and Charles Randall Brown and their
wives, and five grandchildren. The family suggested memorials
to the Ben B. Brown Music Scholarship Fund at Samford or to
Mountain Brook Baptist Church.
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TALMADGE M. ALLEN '61, age 73, of Hoover died Oct. 29, 2001.
Employed in the transportation industry, he was president of the
Birmingham chapter of the National Defense Transportation Association,
the Birmingham Motor Truck Club and the Birmingham Traffic and Transportation
Club, Inc.
JOHN GEORGE BASS '27, age 95, died Sept. 10, 2001. He was
a retired assistant collector of customs, U.S. Government. He lived
for many years in Louisville, Ky., before retiring to Linden. He
was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
WILLIAM A. COLLIGNON '58, age 82, of Sheffield died Oct.
14, 2001. He was retired from U.S. Steel as an industrial engineer.
WILLIAM DOUGLAS DAVIDSON '44, B.S.B.A. '53, age 77, of Austin,
Texas, died Sept. 24, 2001. He was assistant pastor and minister
of music at various churches, and was a hospital administrator.
He was field surveyor for the Joint Commission on Accreditation
of Hospitals when he retired in 1980. He was a Lifetime Fellow in
the American College of Hospital Administrators.
CHARLES JOHNSON DONALD, Jr., '36, age 88, of Mountain Brook
died Oct. 20, 2001. He received his M.D. at Tulane Medical School
at the age of 23. He studied thoracic surgery at Mayo Clinic with
pioneers in the field. He was a pioneer in infant surgery and a
founder of the heart surgery program at the University of Alabama
at Birmingham. He also owned Donald Real Estate and Insurance Co.,
Inc., in Fairfield.
DENNIS C. EARLY '36, age 87, of Adamsville died Oct. 10,
2001. He was retired from the Jefferson County Board of Education.
MARY CHARLES FAULKNER '59, age 83, died Oct. 27, 2001. She
was an art educator in Jefferson County schools and at the University
of Alabama at Birmingham and at Samford. She was an art critic for
the Fort Myers, Fla., newspaper, and later was active in the art
community in the Fort Walton Beach, Fla., area.
ORRIS HOOD FLORENCE '43, age 86, of Mountain Brook died
Sept. 4, 2001. He held many offices in Jefferson County, including
associate and probate judge for 25 years.
DAVID LOUIS LANE '58, age 68, of Birmingham died Oct. 18,
2001. He was a member of the varsity football team and Sigma Nu
fraternity. He retired after a 35-year sales career in the automotive
industry.
GLADYS COOPER LEMERON '60, age 82, of Birmingham died July
6, 2001. A registered medical technologist, she worked at Baptist
Hospitals for 24 years.
LORENE ALSBROOKS MCFILLIN '41, age 81, of Montgomery died
Oct. 14, 2001. She was a retired teacher, having taught in the Montgomery
public school system and at Montgomery Academy.
STEVEN H. MINOR '69 of Alabaster died April 11, 2001.
DAVID EDWARD MULLEN '71, age 52, of Vestavia Hills died
July 7, 2001. He was a salesman for Jordan Manufacturing Company.
CHARLES HURT MURPHY, Jr., '60, age 79, of Mt. Pleasant,
S.C., died Aug. 18, 2001. He was an Episcopal priest, serving parishes
in Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina. He was also an author,
pianist, composer and entertainer.
KELLY JOSEPH O'BRIEN L'80, age 46, of Homewood died Aug.
4, 2001. He was a title attorney and vice president of Surety Land
Title.
HORACE "Pete" PETERSON '47, age 79, of Birmingham
died June 7, 2001. He was retired as principal of Jess Lanier High
School, Bessemer. At Samford, he was a standout basketball player
and led the team in scoring in the school's victory over the original
Celtics pro team in 1943.
HUGH LANGDON QUIN, Jr., '43, age 78, of Fairfield died Aug.
1, 2001. He was retired from U.S. Steel.
WILLIAM HOUSTON SIMS '38, age 85, of Birmingham died July
30, 2001. He was retired as claims manager of Service Fire Insurance
Company.
WALTER R. SMITH '38, age 98, of Gardendale died Aug. 25,
2001. He taught and coached in Cullman, Blount and Jefferson counties.
ALISTER SINCLAIR '43 of El Paso, Texas, died July 12, 2001.
FRANCES N. "Dutchie" STONE '26, age 98, died Nov.
4, 2001. She was a charter member of Delta Zeta sorority and lifelong
resident of Birmingham.
LORETTA REES WATKINS '42, age 83, of Richmond, Va., died
Aug. 12, 2001. She was a missionary teacher in Nigeria and served
Virginia Baptists for 50 years in various positions with the Woman's
Missionary Union and the Virginia Baptist Historical Society. She
retired in 1998 at age 80.
HAROLD P. WILLIAMS L'37 of Martinsville, Va., died May 1,
2001. He was a retired contractor/owner. He was a member of the
Virginia Military Institute Baseball Hall of Fame.
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