Guy L. Wadley (’51) died Oct. 27, 2010, at his home in Milan. He was a campus leader, president of the T Club, captain of the football team and one who proposed the first football recruitments and scholarships to get more skilled players. Jim Henson and Vincent Vaughn, who were his football coaches, and Paul Meek, dean of the UT Martin Branch, were his mentors. Guy was inducted into the UT Martin Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

 

He began work at the Milan Army Ammunition Plant in 1951 and retired in 1994 as operations director for the plant. He was active in First Baptist Church of Martin for nine years, where he was elected the youngest deacon at that time. The family moved to Milan and became active there with church, schools and baseball. Guy coached little league both in Martin and Milan, and as his son, Mark, grew into older leagues. The Babe Ruth Wadley Field in the Milan City Park is named in his honor.

 

Dr. Robert Mainord Todd (‘53), of Dallas, Texas, died March 9, 2011, in Dallas. Dr. Todd completed his undergraduate studies at UT Martin and his doctorate of medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. After completing his service as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, he returned to Dallas in 1962 to begin his private OB/GYN practice of 36 years. (Courtesy of The Jackson Sun)

 

Ernest E. Watson (‘61) died July 29, 2010, in Shelbyville, Tenn. He was a 1961 graduate with a major in agriculture.

 

Robert “Bob” Herron Holmes II (‘67), of Trenton, Tenn., died on March 22, 2011. He had many different careers over the years, but his love was the outdoors. He participated in the outdoors sports industry in many capacities. He wrote for and was written about in regional and national magazines, books and newspapers, hosted West TN Outdoors on FM stations 101.5 and 98.7 and was featured fishing and cooking on Channel 3’s Mid-South Outdoors. He fished professionally, was a professional guide and conducted seminars and fishing demonstrations. He also was a UKC field trial judge and led his own dogs to UKC titles. (Courtesy of The Jackson Sun)

 

Harry R. Owen (’73, ’74), 83, of Charlotte, died April 19. A native of Dickson County, he received his master’s degree in supervision, administration and counseling, from the University of Tennessee at Martin. Owen was a retired school teacher with 26 years of service in the Tennessee School System and was a retired Church of Christ minister. (Courtesy of The Tennessean)

 

John Hinson Jr., (’73,’76) assistant director of Henry County Schools, died May 27 in Paris. His funeral was May 30 at First Baptist Church in Paris, with burial in Bethel Cemetery.

 

Hinson, who was born in Buchanan, was a member of the class of 1969 at Buchanan High School, the last class before Henry County High School opened, consolidating all county schools. He earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from UT Martin in 1973 and began working as a teacher and coach at Springville School. In 1976, he earned his master’s degree in education administration and supervision from UT Martin and became principal of Springville School. In 1979, Hinson became principal of Henry County High School and served in that capacity until 1998, when he moved to his position as assistant director of schools. At age 28, Hinson was the youngest principal in the state for any AAA high school, when he assumed his job at HCHS.

 

Sally Baker (‘83), of Collierville, Tenn., died Feb. 16, 2011. Mrs. Baker was a registered nurse and received an associate degree from UT Martin and later a bachelor’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. She worked as a clinical pharmaceutical research associate until her retirement. She was a longtime resident of Fulton, Ky., and South Fulton, Tenn., and also lived in Nashville and the Gulf Coast. (Courtesy of Collierville Funeral Home)

Valerie Jane Harmon Griffin (’91) , of Nashville, Tenn., died Feb. 23, 2011. She worked in the pharmaceutical sales field 11 years for companies including Johnson and Johnson, Organon and TEVA. She was an active member of Forest Hills United Methodist Church in Brentwood.

 

Joey W. Guest (‘00), of Martin, died Feb. 20, 2011, at Volunteer Community Hospital, Martin. Mr. Guest was a graduate of Westview High School and UT Martin. He originated the Press Box #1 website and was an employee of Servall. He was a former sports editor of the Weakley County Press and also was a former sports writer for the Union City Daily Messenger. (Courtesy of Murphy Funeral Home and The Tennessee Press)

Lori Michelle Pearson, of Huntingdon, Tenn., died Nov. 7, 2010, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Huntington. She was 39.

 

Born in Memphis, she was a member of First Baptist Church in Huntingdon, a teacher at Jackson State Community College and a former softball coach at Jackson State and McKenzie High School. She also played softball and was a graduate assistant coach at UT Martin.

Gavin Snow (‘02), of Brooklyn, N.Y., died Feb. 17, 2011. He was a Henry County native and graduate of Henry County High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance from UT Martin.

 

Coach Bennie Hollis, former UT Martin athletics director, died March 12 at his home in Monroe, La. He was 71.

 

Hollis earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northeast Louisiana University. His basketball career covered both the high school and college levels, including coaching positions at Louisiana Tech and Northeast Louisiana. He also served as athletics director at Northeast Louisiana before holding the same position for six years at UT Martin. During his time at UT Martin, he led efforts to change the team name from Pacers to Skyhawks.

 

Career honors included Mr. Louisiana Basketball (1982), Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame (1988) and the University of Louisiana at Monroe Hall of Fame (2003).

 

Dr. Kenneth Donald (Don) McCracken, age 80, died Feb. 7, 2011, at Oakview Rehab and Nursing Center in Calvert City, Ky. He was UT Martin professor emeritus of education, a member of Pawnee United Methodist Church in Pawnee, Kan., and was part of the First United Methodist Church family in Martin. A graduate of Pittsburg State University and the University of Arkansas, Dr. McCracken was a veteran, U.S. Army-Korea.

 

Kasey Ted Kessler, 23, of Bolivar, Tenn., died Feb. 19, 2011, at Lauderdale Community Hospital in Ripley, Tenn. He was a 2006 graduate of Bolivar Central High School and was a UT Martin senior majoring in education. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. His diploma was presented posthumously during commencement ceremonies, May 14, at the university. (Courtesy Shackelford Funeral Directors)

 

James Brennan Duke, 19, of Darden, Tenn., died March 26, 2011, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was a 2010 graduate of Riverside High School and a member of the Corinth Baptist Church. He was a UT Martin freshman majoring in natural resources management. (Courtesy Pafford Funeral Home)

 

Dr. Ernie Harriss, former chairman of the Department of Music, died April 12 at his Martin home. He was 71.

 

Dr. Harriss, professor emeritus of music, was a three-time graduate of Vanderbilt University. He joined the UT Martin faculty in 1970 and served as department chairman from 1970-76. He was a musicologist and an internationally known specialist in 18th century music. As a Humboldt Fellow, he spent a year in Germany working with faculty at the University of Hamburg. He was a member of the American Musicological Society and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He retired from the university in 2003.

 

Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Dr. Elaine Harriss, longtime UT Martin Department of Music faculty member who became department chair July 1.

 

Sadie Cook, 20, of Gleason, Tenn., died Nov. 7, 2010. She was a UT Martin sophomore majoring in marketing. (Courtesy Williams Funeral Home of Gleason)

 

Travis Austin Taylor, 22, of Union City, Tenn., died Jan. 1, 2011, at Volunteer Community Hospital following a single-car automobile accident. He was an Obion County Central High School graduate and a senior exercise science and wellness major. He attended Lake Road Baptist Church. (Courtesy Union City Daily Messenger)

 

Correction:

The following corrections need to be made in the Mitchell Lynn Darnall obituary that was published in the Winter/Spring 2011 Campus Scene. Mr. Darnall’s son, Michael Darnall, lives in Lawrence, Kan., and his brother lives in Huntingdon, Tenn.