IN MEMORIAM
1930
David P. Burton BSChE’39, Little Rock, Arkansas, Oct. 25, 2017. He farmed near Tupelo, Arkansas for 36 years as well as being involved in other agricultural businesses. He served on the Board of Trustees for Harding University for 25 years. Survivors: four sons, two step sons, two step daughters, seven grandchildren, six step grandchildren, and 28 great grandchildren.
1940
Austin H. Bacher BSME’43, Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 19, 1997.
Bruce L. Bates BSChE’43, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Nov. 14, 2017. Spend his career at Phillips Petroleum, beginning in 1943. Survivors: a daughter, three sons, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Ed D. Lilly BSChE’48 BSEE’49, Bellaire, Texas, July 17, 2017. He was a veteran of the United States Navy. He worked as an engineer, serving at several engineering companies in Houston. Survivors: three sons, a sister, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Robert H. Wilson BSChE’48, Lynchburg, Virginia, Jan. 13, 2018. He was a veteran of World War II and was a retired engineer with Babcock and Wilcox, Co. Survivors: a son, a daughter, a brother, two sisters, three grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Richard E. Anderson BSCE’49, Ennis, Montana, Oct. 22, 2017. He briefly served in the U.S. Army and later joined the U.S. Navy advancing through the grades to captain before retiring from military service. Following retirement from the Navy, he had a varied career including many years in the land and cattle business. Survivors: two daughters and a sister.
W. Charles Marak Sr. BSCE’49, Little Rock, Arkansas, Jan. 14, 2018. He was a WWII veteran and went on to become a Registered Engineer. Survivors: wife, Joyce; a son, two daughters, a granddaughter and two great grandsons.
William Curtis Dempsey Jr. BSEE’49, Midland, Texas, Sept. 9, 2017. He was a veteran of World War II. He later worked as an electrical engineer until he retired after 38 years.
1950
Andrew O. Wikman BSChE’50, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jan. 1, 2018. He retired from Ethyl Corporation after 43 years. Survivors: wife, two sons, a daughter, two brother, three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Alvin Chester Singer BSCE’51, Belton, Missouri, Oct. 24, 2008.
Phillip A. Marak BSME’51, Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 10, 2017. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army in combat in the Philippines. He earned the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Albert L. Fawcett BSCE’52, North Little Rock, Arkansas, Aug. 25, 2017. He worked in engineering for the Corps of Engineer, Little Rock Air Force Base and the V.A. from which he retired. Survivors: wife, Roma Staples Fawcett; a son, a daughter, two grandsons and a great grandson.
Billy B. Fortune BSIE’53, Pollock, Texas, Oct. 7, 2017. He was a retired colonel of the United States Air Force. He later worked in the oil and gas industries as an engineer.
Robert Irvin Emmert BSEE’53, Roswell, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2017. He was a retired aerospace engineer. Survivors: wife, Ruth Emmert; two sons and a grandchild.
Arthur V. Hope II BSCE’54, Little Rock, Arkansas, July 13, 2017. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He also worked for the Arkansas Highway Department and ARKLA Gas Company. Survivors: his wife, Barbara Wester Hope; three sons, a daughter, a sister, 11 grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
Douglas E. Hawkins BSAgE’54, Washington D.C./ Virginia, May 4, 2017. He was a United States military veteran and was selected as the state conservationist for the State of Delaware. Survivors: his wife, Joan Small Hawkins BA’56; a daughter, a brother, a sister, and two grandchildren.
William A. Townsend BSEE’54, Lake Worth, Florida, Oct. 26, 2017. He was a retired senior engineer. Survivors: four daughters, two sons, 13 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Charles W. Smith BSME’55, Crossett, Arkansas, Aug. 28, 2017.
Joe L. Modisette BSME’57, Little Rock, Arkansas, Aug. 5, 2017. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was awarded the Purple Heart Combat Decoration. He went on to become a mechanical engineer and was later inducted into the University of Arkansas Mechanical Engineer Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Academy for Mechanical Engineers in 1989. Survivors: two daughters, a son, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Billy O. Hurt BSCE’59, Little Rock, Arkansas, July 31, 2017. He was a professional civil engineer. Survivors: wife, Sheila; a daughter and a granddaughter.
Bob Lamb BSEE’59, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, July 31, 2017. He started two very successful businesses, Automation Engineering Company and North American Hydraulics. He was also a Korean War Veteran, serving in the Air Force. Survivors: wife, Hasseltine “Tina” Lamb; two daughters, a son, two sisters, a brother, and six grandchildren.
Gene Sullivan BSAgE’59, Little Rock, Arkansas, Sept. 4, 2017. He was employed as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service and later retired from the same agency. Survivors: wife, Carrie Sue Kelly Sullivan, a daughter, a son, two sisters, a brother, seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
1960
Jerry D. Black BSChE’60, Bonita Springs, Florida, Sept. 14, 2017.
Jim D. Bissell BSCE’65, Ozark, Arkansas, June 14, 2019. He was retired from the Army Corp of Engineers. Survivors: wife, Judy Faught Bissell; one brother, John and wife Emily Bissell of League City, Texas; and beloved nieces and nephews in Arkansas & Texas.
Jerry Wayne Hobbs BSEE’60, Savannah, Georgia, Jan. 10, 2018. He retired from the telecommunications industry after 30 years. Survivors: wife, Nellie Jo Roth Hobbs; a daughter; two grandchildren and a great grandson.
Leonard R. Biggs BSME’60, Little Rock, Arkansas, July 8, 2017. He worked as a mechanical engineer for the Georgia Pacific Paper Company and served as an officer in the Air Force National Guard. Survivors: wife, Marsha Jones Biggs BA’60; two sons; a daughter; and nine grandchildren.
Jack W. Sanders BSME’61, Saint Louis, Missouri, Jan. 9. He was a veteran of the U. S. Army achieving the rank of captain. He retired from Procter and Gamble after working as an engineer for 33 years. Survivors: wife, three sons, one brother and six grandchildren.
James Wiley Reed BSME’61, Independence, Missouri, Aug. 26, 2017. He was employed by Hallmark Cards. Survivors: wife, Ruth; two sons and two sisters.
Louis H. Seiter Jr. BSchE’61, College Station, Texas, Aug. 4, 2017. He served his country for 10 years both on active duty and in the Reserves. His professional career spanned over 31 years in the Industrial Carbon Black Business, and he retired as a district sales manager for Engineered Carbons, Inc. Survivors: wife, Barbara; three daughters, four brothers and four grandsons.
Jack Curtis Hammett Jr. BSEE’62, Paeonian Springs, Virginia, Jan. 1, 2018. He was in the U.S. Army Signal Corps for over 20 years, achieving the rank of colonel. He also served as a senior vice president for the Science Applications International Corporation for over a decade. Survivors: his wife, Sharon Long Hammett; two daughters; two step sons; a step daughter; three grandchildren and nine step grandchildren.
Henry L. Cooper BSchE’63, North Little Rock, Arkansas, Sept. 9, 2017. He spent 30 years working for Johnson and Johnson before retiring in 1994. Survivors: his wife, Anna; a daughter, a son and four grandchildren.
Leonard E. McKinney BSIE’63, Magnolia, Arkansas, Dec. 22, 2017. He was an industrial engineer with Firestone and Amfuel for most of his career, and he retired from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Survivors: wife, Patsy Ann Reid; four daughters; five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Toshio Oishi BSEE’63, Herndon, Virginia, Mar. 22, 2017. He worked for the navy department within the Department of Defense. He later started his own consulting business. Survivors: wife, Pamela Oishi; a son, a daughter, four brothers, two sisters and three grandchildren.
Barrett L. Myers BSEE’64, South Charleston, Ohio, Aug. 30, 2017. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force and later went on to found and serve as president for Sytronics, Inc. Survivors: wife, Carla Myers; four sons, one daughter, a sister and 11 grandchildren.
Ted K. Nakamura BSEE’66, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 22, 2017. He worked as an electrical engineer.
Hugh M. McCastlain BSchE’68, Friendswood, Texas, Oct. 12, 2017. He was a talented chemical engineer and was president of Arkla, Inc. Survivors: two daughters, a son, three sisters and a granddaughter.
1970
John P. Nutt Jr. BSEE’73, Benton, Arkansas, Nov. 29, 2017. He was a U.A. Air Force veteran. He retired from Alcoa. Survivors: wife, Annette Prince Nutt; two stepsons; two sisters; and a step grandson.
1980
Bob G. Coleman BSCE’80, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Nov. 22, 2017. He retired from the U. S. Naval Reserve as a lieutenant commander. He retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Muskogee, Oklahoma where he served as regional environmental scientist and division chief for Environmental Safety and Cultural Resources. Survivors: wife, Martha A. Coleman; two sons; one brother and two grandchildren.
Jennifer Jesson Karber BSIE’83, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Dec. 4, 2018. She fostered a 34 year career as an engineer with Whirlpool Corp. She joined the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineering in 2005. Survivors: her mother, a son and three sisters.
Deon Edward Cable BSME’85, Little Rock, Arkansas, Nov. 28, 2017. Survivors: a daughter and a son.
Tracy Klun BSEE’85, El Dorado, Arkansas, Sept. 11, 2017. She was employed by Texas Instruments as a process engineer. Survivors: husband, Mike Klun; her mother, two daughters and a sister.
Mo Nellum BSIE’87, Lonoke, June 27, 2018. Survivors: his wife, Cassandrea Nellum; his father, two daughters, three brothers, six sisters, and two grandsons.
Jennifer Jackson Eads BSCSE’88, Vancouver, Washington, Jan. 12, 2018.
1990
Mark Lewis Alexander BSChE’99, Little Rock, Arkansas, Sept. 10, 2017. He worked for over 20 years at the Eureka Pizza Company. Survivors: his father, his mother and a sister.
2010
Joseph Louis Denny Fantinel BSCmPE’17 PSTH’18, Springdale, Arkansas, July 31, 2017. He was an Army Veteran, serving two terms in Iraq. Survivors: his father, a son, two brothers and two sisters.
CLASS NOTES
1960
Jim D. Bissell BSCE’65, Nashville, Arkansas, was inducted into the Corps of Engineers St. Louis District Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Engineers.
1970
Larry S. Lloyd BSCE’73 MBA’91, Fayetteville, was appointed to serve on the Nutrient Water Quality Trading Advisory Panel by Governor Asa Hutchinson.
1980
Gregory Mills, PE, CEM, LEED APBD+C, BSME’82 was promoted to associate vice president at Dewberry in Raleigh, North Carolina.
1990
Kevin Warren BSCE’94, Joelton, Tennessee, is the senior director of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
2000
Marco Javon Barker BSIE’00, Salt Lake City, Utah, is the inaugural vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will also hold the appointment of associate professor of practice for education administration at UNL.
Dr. Wenping Jiang post-doctoral fellow in mechanical engineering’02, was a named 2019 Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. Parash Kalita Ph.D.’09 earned the 2019 Society for Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineering Award.
2010
Bobby Gene Hampton III BSChE’15, Boston, Massachusetts, is an associate at Fish & Richardson, a global intellectual property law firm.
Luke Osborn BSME’12, was named to Forbes’ 2019 list of 30 Under 30 in science for his work on a prosthetic limb that can recreate the feelings of pressure and pain.
Dr. Wenyang Zhang MSME’10, Ph.D’16 earned the 2019 Society for Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineering Award.
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