AJC Notable Deaths 2005
Hyfler/Rosner
January 1, 2006 Sunday
Notable deaths in 2005: GEORGIA DEATHS
A
NEIL EUGENE AKERS, 75, Carrollton: postal worker, mandolin
player, old-time country and bluegrass music expert; March
2.
CHARLES L. ALLEN, 92, Houston: Methodist minister, author,
radio personality; Aug. 30.
BUCK ANDEL, 83, Atlanta: longtime head trainer for Georgia
Tech sports; Feb. 13.
THOMAS J. ANDERSON, 62, Sandy Springs: conducted DeKalb
Symphony Orchestra since 1978; Oct. 29.
BEN APFELBAUM, 63, Dunwoody: Curator and folk art expert,
Sept. 23.
HERB ARCHER JR., 82, Atlanta: minister of music at First
Presbyterian Church for 20 years; Aug. 17.
GLEN ARMSTRONG, 80, Lawrenceville: gardening enthusiast
known as the King of Compost; Jan. 9.
GENEVIEVE ARNOLD, 77, Atlanta: curator, landscape artist;
Sept. 3.
B
JANE BAIRD, 72, Atlanta: 34 years with the Episcopal
Cathedral of St. Philip's bookstore, authority on religious
research; Sept. 29.
RICHARD BELL, 85, Decatur: retired state Supreme Court
justice; Nov. 28.
GEORGE BENTLEY, 77, Marietta: featured on HGTV for refusing
to sell his 300-acre farm; Jan. 25.
TOM BIRD, 91, Roswell: hall of fame tennis champ, won a
national doubles title in 1955; Feb. 4.
JANE BLAKELY, 56, Dunwoody: award-winning volunteer ; April
18.
DEBRA J. BLUM, 44, Atlanta: lawyer who helped mentally ill
defendants; March 4.
RUSSELL BOBBITT, 87, Sandy Springs: world-class doubles
player enshrined in Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame; June 16.
DOROTHY BOLDEN, 80, Atlanta: political activist founded the
National Domestic Workers Union in 1968, was an adviser to
presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter; July 15.
WILLIAM BOOTLE, 102, Macon: federal judge who ended 160
years of segregation at the University of Georgia by
ordering the admission of two black students in 1961; Jan.
25.
QUENTIN BRADFORD, 27, Atlanta: as DJ OX, spun hip-hop
records at clubs; Jan. 17.
GRADY BROWN, 88, Villa Rica: coon-hunting hosiery producer
whose mills turned out 1.8 million socks a week; March 28.
GABRIEL BUOL, 25, Atlanta: a Lost Boy of Sudan who overcame
Holocaust-like conditions in his homeland to forge a new
life in Atlanta; Jan. 25.
BARBARA ANN MORRISON BURNETT, 81, Atlanta: managed
multimillion-dollar buyout for her Peachtree Dunwoody
neighborhood; April 2.
BRAD BURNS, 50, Lawrenceville: globetrotting drummer equally
at home in rock, blues and jazz; April 8.
GLENN W. BURTON, 95, Tifton: world famous agronomist
improved the food staple of 90 million people, developed
athletic field grasses; Nov. 22.
MILTON ALEXANDER BYARD, 75, Atlanta: in 1950 set a state
high school rushing record that still stands; May 15.
JASON BYCE, 60, Marietta: actor who said "Would ya please
pass the jelly?" in Polaner All Fruit commercials; Feb. 13.
C
BETTY CANTOR, 84, Savannah: fought racism, bigotry and
injustice through the Anti-Defamation League; April 28.
JOHN CAPOZZOLI, 58, Atlanta: owner of Capo's Cafe, a cozy
Virginia-Highland restaurant; Feb. 2.
JOSEPH EDWARD CARPENTER, 64, Grayson: influential guitar
teacher played for the Platters, Drifters, Dionne Warwick,
Otis Redding; May 17.
ANNE CARR, 88, Atlanta: avid gardener, gardening book
collector; Aug. 26.
BILL CHENAULT, 76, Young Harris: AT&T exec became a top
American Red Cross disaster volunteer; Feb. 5.
DAVID CLARK, 95, Tucker: sent messages off in bottles,
oldest member of Atlanta Flute Ensemble; Sept. 19.
VICKIE CLARK, 52, Decatur: poster child for the Muscular
Dystrophy Association, spokeswoman for neuromuscular
diseases; July 12.
JOYCE CLEMENTS, 65, Roswell: volunteered to keep supplies
stocked at the Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children;
Jan. 30.
JASON COLLIER, 28, Atlanta Hawks center and former Georgia
Tech star; Oct. 15.
JOHN CONANT, 81, Atlanta: overcame polio to raise millions
for charity; March 16.
KEN COOGLE, 98, Sandy Springs: after 10 years, at 95,
completed a 22-foot wooden screw used in a historic
restoration; Sept. 23.
BILL CORRIGAN, 84, Marietta: peace activist served time in
jail, protested weekly in the Marietta Square against the
war in Iraq; Feb. 25.
RUTH CRAWFORD, 86, Atlanta: lawyer and celebrity as half of
Atlanta's legendary Crawford twins; Oct. 3.
GREG CURBOW, 48, Morgantown: hand-crafted custom guitars and
basses; Aug. 13.
D
JIM DAVIS, 65, Atlanta: as a senior vice president, was
Georgia Power Co.'s highest ranking black executive when he
retired in 2003; Dec. 12.
OSSIE DAVIS, 87, New Rochelle, N.Y.: born in Cogdell in
South Georgia, his elegant bearing made him a giant of the
stage, screen and civil rights movement; Feb. 4.
DINO DeROSE, 49, Loganville: Widespread Panic roadie created
lighting for tours of every band from Ozzy Osbourne to
Travis Tritt; Sept. 25.
ADOLPHUS S. DICKERSON, 91, Atlanta: first black district
superintendent of the North Georgia United Methodist
Conference; Aug. 14.
GERRY DOKKA, 70, Atlanta: peace advocate, former lingerie
shop owner who ran for president; Aug. 21.
BRUCE DORTIN, 62, Atlanta: public radio journalist and
broadcaster; Aug. 15.
MYRON G. DUBIN, 79, Decatur: won 230 age-group running
awards; July 13.
WILBUR DUNCAN, 94, Athens: University of Georgia botanist
wrote field guides, in 1939 discovered an oak he dubbed the
Oglethorpe oak; March 25.
E
MARTHA EAVES, 88, Con- yers: advocate for Georgia's elderly;
Aug. 13.
FRANK EDWARDS, 85, Atlanta: legislature's chief bill-drafter
for nearly 40 years; Feb. 3.
ELMO ELLIS, 86, Sandy Springs: WSB-AM radio program director
transformed the station, solidifying it as No. 1; June 24.
TOM ENRIGHT, 68, Stockbridge: nationally recognized highway
safety expert; Oct. 6.
MICHAEL EVANS, 61, Atlanta: personal photographer to
President Ronald Reagan; Dec. 1.
MARY EYLES, 88, Atlanta: lively Druid Hills High School
biology teacher; Aug. 29.
F
SIDNEY FELDMAN, 84, Atlanta: made fortune in scrap iron
business, benefactor to Jewish philanthropies, played key
role in development of Morehouse School of Medicine; June 2.
ELIZABETH FEW, 74, Atlanta: Elementary teacher became a
pastor, was chosen by Smithsonian Institution as a Pioneer
Women in Ministry; May 4.
TOMMY FLAGLER, 90, Atlanta: contractor involved with the
renovations of the Fox Theatre and Margaret Mitchell House;
March 9.
JEAN FOCKELE, 82, Gainesville: spearheaded civic, cultural
efforts; Aug. 27.
IRVING FLINT "BUD" FOOTE, 74, Atlanta: folk-singing Georgia
Tech English professor, founded Tech's popular science
fiction studies program; March 12.
LEON B. "LANNY" FRYE, 79, Powder Springs: saxophone player
led the Lanny Frye Combo; Sept. 10.
THOMAS FULMER, 79, Atlanta: as chief of psychiatry at the
Veterans Affairs hospital, pioneered the diagnosis and
treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans;
Feb. 27.
G
BO GINN, 70, Augusta: former U.S. representative of
Georgia's 1st district, served prison time for bank fraud;
Jan. 6.
HOMER GOUMENIS, 78, Atlanta: spiritual leader of Atlanta's
Greek community; Jan. 2.
MALCOLM GREEN, 85, Conyers: third-generation master
craftsman at Trinity Furniture Shops, restored historic
pieces; Dec. 11.
MARSHALL GREEN, 71, Douglasville: master carpet installer
used by celebrities, top designers, White House, Governor's
Mansion; Oct. 13.
CLAUDE T. GRIZZARD JR., direct mail pioneer, co-founded the
Southeast's first professional fund-raising consulting firm;
May 17.
AUBRAE GUNDERSON, 15, Covington: Heritage High School star
athlete; Sept. 26.
H
JIM HARDIN, 57, Brooks: Secret Service agent protected King
Hussein of Jordan and three presidents, coached football,
taught dyslexic children; May 15.
ED HARRIS, 75, Atlanta: accounting firm executive gave
Georgia its education foundation; Jan. 30.
MARIE HAYNES, 93, Douglasville: conducted pauper burials for
Fulton County; Sept. 1.
DAVID CLYDE HEATH, 65, Blairsville: gallery owner raised
Atlanta's profile as an art center; Sept. 30.
EDITH HENDERSON, 94, Atlanta: landscape architect known for
elegant, simple designs; Oct. 12.
LOU HERTZ, 73, Atlanta: animator for "Mr. Magoo," other
classic 1950s cartoons and for the Cartoon Network; July 4.
DONALD L. HOLLOWELL, 87, Atlanta: attorney, helped free the
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. from prison, desegregate
Atlanta's public schools and the University of Georgia; Dec.
27, 2004.
ROBERT A. HOOD, 66, Marietta: former Equifax executive
helped Fernbank Museum of Natural History wipe out its $21
million debt in 1996; March 19.
RAND HOPKINS, 59, Clarkston: Peabody-award winning
playwright of "The Boy King;" Jan. 1.
HELEN HOWARD, 86, Atlanta: attended President Johnson's
White House Conference on Civil Rights; Dec. 7.
J
LENWOOD A. JACKSON SR., 61, Atlanta: traffic court judge for
the city of Atlanta; cautious driver; Civil War buff; May
18.
CARROLL JACOBS, 86, Atlanta: electronics expert, Chastain
Park advocate; Aug. 6.
PETE JENSEN, 79, Atlanta: created Georgia Tech's first
computer center, founded its College of Computing; Feb. 6.
KENNARD JOHNSON, 53, Jonesboro: blues drummer for Ike and
Tina Turner, Steve Miller, toured Africa for the State
Department; March 19.
JOSEPH W. JONES, 92, Atlanta: right-hand man to Coca-Cola
magnate Robert W. Woodruff, made his charities the South's
most influential ; July 22.
MARTHA W. JONES, 99, Atlanta: Presbyterian Bible study
teacher since 1937; Oct. 12.
VIVIAN MALONE JONES, 63, Atlanta: prompted Gov. George
Wallace's infamous stand in the schoolhouse door when she
integrated the University of Alabama in 1963; Oct. 13.
K
HAROLD KELLING, 60, Atlanta: founding guitarist for
Atlanta's Hampton Grease Band, wrote lyrics, designed album
covers; May 12.
YE-SOON KIM, 56, Dunwoody: first Korean to practice
dentistry in metro Atlanta, helped establish free medical
clinic; May 3.
CHRISTINE KIVETTE, 96, Atlanta: tulip expert pioneered
organic gardening; May 18.
WAYNE KLINE, 55, Atlanta: fine-art lithographer, Rolling
Stone Press founder; Jan. 15.
ALBERT E. KOCH, 81, Decatur: ran the Elks' children's
hospital near Emory, then turned an orphanage into a model
foster home ; April 22.
IRVIN KOCH, 59, Lithonia: quirky science fiction fantasy
promoter; Nov. 18.
L
GEORGE W. LANGFORD, 67, Rockmart: first Republican to be
elected a Cobb County commissioner; Sept. 21.
LOUIE P. LATHEM JR., 84, Atlanta: owned clock business,
hand-made elaborate cathedral-style clocks; July 22.
ARTHUR LINTON, 75, Atlanta: Georgia highway designer,
environmental law regulator; Aug. 1.
PEGGY LUPTON, 61, Atlanta: Grant Park community leader;
Sept. 11.
GEORGIA LYONS, 84, Lithonia: wise housekeeper, pastor at
Decatur's Tabernacle of God Missionary Holiness Church; July
30.
M
GEORGE MAGUREAN, 89, Lithonia: sold and repaired musical
instruments; July 11.
ANDREW MANAGO, 97, Atlanta: sharp-dresser, oldest deacon at
West Hunter Street Baptist Church; Sept. 11.
CLAIRE MANNERS, 90, Decatur: taught archery, founded a book
club, ran the Keep Atlanta Beautiful campaign, was DeKalb
County's 1958 Woman of the Year; July 28.
JANE MARSHALL, 80, Chamblee: civil and criminal law attorney
helped found all-female law firm in the early '60s; April 5.
DUDLEY MARTIN, 86, Decatur: as DeKalb's fire chief for 20
years, brought in new protective clothing and safety
equipment, beefed up training. revamped emergency medical
service; July 16.
ETHEL MAE MATTHEWS, 72, Atlanta: folk artist, civil rights
activist, championed the poor and disadvantaged; March 14.
C. J. MATHIS, 82, Sugar Hill: ran quirky little Mathis
Airport in Forsyth County; Sept. 19.
JOHN McCALL, 64, Atlanta: passionate supporter of the Peace
Corps, VISTA, other anti-poverty programs; Jan. 12.
POPE McINTYRE, 80, Atlanta: attorney, saved Georgia
taxpayers millions of dollars through general obligation
bonds, devised strategy to finance the Omni and
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium; July 3.
BILL MELEAR, 84, Palmetto: owned famed Melear's Barbecue
Restaurant; Aug. 2.
ALFRED MESSER, 82, Atlanta: pioneer of family psychiatry,
newspaper columnist; Dec. 29, 2004.
HELEN MILLS, 75, Arlington, Va.: political activist
campaigned tirelessly for Jimmy Carter's presidential bid
and reelection; April 14.
BOB MONTAG, 82, Temecula, Calif.: home run leader for the
Atlanta Crackers; March 21.
MACK A. MOORE, 79, Sandy Springs: Georgia Tech economics
professor peppered The Atlanta Journal-Constitution with
letters to the editor for 40 years; Feb. 12.
GERALDINE MORRISON, 70, of Dallas: gospel singer appeared on
60 albums; Sept. 10.
CHET MORSE, 89, Decatur: donated seven-acre wooded property
to the Decatur Preservation Alliance for a public garden;
Jan. 20.
BEVERLY MURPHY, 55, Alpharetta: interior designer, author,
TV personality, Jan. 2.
N
BETTY WEINSTOCK NATHAN, 84, Atlanta: ran her family's flower
shop to perfection, appeared in "Driving Miss Daisy" movie;
Oct. 7.
LOUIS W. NEWELL SR., 92, Atlanta: barbershop owner played
the musical saw, was featured on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour;
April 16.
WILEY T. NIXON, 62, Carrollton; legendary postmaster for
Georgia House of Representatives more than 30 years; April
8.
O
MARY OAKES, 82, Atlanta: helped run the mom-and-pop LaVista
Ace Hardware store; Feb. 17.
MICK O'DOWD, 52, Atlanta: eccentric Cabbagetown-based
performance artist, spoken-word artist, experimental
musician; March 25.
P
CAROLYN ANDERSON PARHAM, 97, Atlanta: was a founder of the
Atlanta Negro Women's Voter League in 1952; Nov. 3.
HERTA PARK, 78, Stone Mountain: climbed Stone Mountain daily
for 30 years, including 24 times in one day to celebrate her
60th birthday; Oct. 31.
NANCY FRASER PARKER, 72, Atlanta: made the High Museum of
Art a showcase for decorative arts; Nov. 6.
JACK E. PATTON, 77, Stockbridge: invented Jack's Juice fish
attractant; Aug. 7.
T. P. PERKINS, 86, College Park: 55-year pastor of Greater
Fortress Baptist Church; Sept. 24.
OTIS POPE, 73, Decatur: road manager for The Tams who made
sure they got paid, wore the right outfits, arrived for
their shows on time; Feb. 6.
WALLACE PRATHER JR., 51, Decatur: co-founder of the Atlanta
Celtics AAU basketball program, coached NBA players; June
18.
R
MAMIE M. RANDOLPH, 87, Atlanta: former state legislator,
advocate for older people; Oct. 28.
CARL REITH, 91, Atlanta: powerful businessman, eulogized
Mayor Ivan Allen; Nov. 8.
FRANK ROBERTS, 77, Marietta: every October packed up his
dental tools, headed for his native Jamaica and worked at a
free health clinic; Oct. 18.
SADIE ROBERTSON, 89, Locust Grove: created Locust Grove's
first teen center, led the hospital auxiliary, was first
city council member, constructed elaborate miniature
buildings; July 3.
JOHNNY ROBINSON, 55, College Park: civic leader, former city
councilman; Feb. 17.
ADRIAN ROGERS, 74, Memphis: three-time Southern Baptist
Convention president in the '70s and '80s; Nov. 15.
RUTH RICE, 80, Atlanta: toured and recorded in the 1950s and
'60s with the Mayfield Gospel Singers; Jan. 21.
ARNOLD ROSENFELD, 72, Atlanta: retired Cox Newspapers
editor-in-chief wrote eloquent series on his cancer, founded
Genesis Shelter for homeless newborns; July 1.
NIPSEY RUSSELL, 80, New York City: Atlanta native and former
Varsity carhop who gained fame as a rhyming comedian; Oct.
2.
CONNIE RUSSELL-MIDURA, 71, Roswell: the very definition of
grass-roots politics for Georgia Republicans; Sept. 29.
S
LINDA SALTZMAN, 55, Atlanta: wrote seminal publications on
family violence and violence prevention; March 7.
IRIS SANDHAM, 79, Snellville: horseshoes champion, first
woman inducted into Georgia Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame;
July 6.
DALE SCHMIDT, 63, Atlanta: 24-year bassist with the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra; July 21.
STEVE SCHMIDT, 88, Atlanta: B-29 bomber pilot earned his
fortune making novelty bicycle and automobile tags, was a
major donor to Oglethorpe University where he was a football
star; May 8.
EMORY SEWELL, 76, Acworth: football coach, namesake of North
Cobb High School stadium; Jan. 2.
TILLIE SHAPIRO, 100, Atlanta: ran Triangle Poster Printing
Co., established scholarship fund at Greenfield Hebrew
Academy, prime benefactor of Congregation Beth Jacob; April
19.
GEORGE SMITH, 67, College Park: sang for royalty, at the
White House, at Carnegie Hall with jazz legends, soul
singers and the Ink Spots; Oct. 11.
MORGAN STANFORD, 87, Decatur: cigar-smoking labor lawyer who
spent 41 years fighting for workers' rights; June 26.
SCOTT STEPHENS, 48, Atlanta: prop master for feature films
and TV shows; Sept. 19.
CHARLES L. STOKES, 75, Atlanta: pastored Grace Covenant
Baptist Church 25 years, co-founded Concerned Black Clergy
of Metropolitan Atlanta; Aug. 21.
LAWRENCE SWARTZ, 98, Conyers: oldest monk of Conyers
monastery; Sept. 26.
T
BETTY SHINGLER TALMADGE, 81, Atlanta: former Georgia first
lady known for her elaborate parties, which she called
magnolia suppers, shrewd businesswoman who ran a
country-cured ham business; May 7.
BOYSA STEPHENS TATUM, 66, Atlanta: Stax recording artist
turned school crossing guard; Nov. 3.
HARVEY CARTER TAYLOR III, 61, Dunwoody: helped develop the
first plastic soft drink container, created a can that
enabled Russian cosmonauts to drink Coke in space; April 8.
JAMES "BUD" THEODOCION, 70, McDonough: championship high
school football, basketball, baseball coach, Georgia Dugout
Club Hall of Fame member; July 29.
ALMA THORPE, 63, Atlanta: laid bare her Southern Gothic life
for the award-winning independent movie, "Alma": Dec. 15.
ED TILLIRSON, 59, Jonesboro: Corvette enthusiast, founded
Peach State Corvette Association in 1979, often served as
its president; March 4.
V
CORKY VALENTINE, 76, Canton: pitcher who helped lead the
Atlanta Crackers to two straight Southern Association
championships; Jan. 21.
W
RAYMOND WAINWRIGHT SR., 92, Atlanta: guided Atlanta high
school athletes through integration, scouted officials for
the National Football League; Dec. 11.
EUGENIA WALLACE, 89, Marietta: ran a trucking firm,
Southeastern Transfer and Storage Co., for 44 years; July
11.
JOY GROSSMAN WARNER, 68, Smyrna: for 30 years designed sets,
costumes, exhibits for Cobb County Youth Museum and for Cobb
Children's Theatre; April 6.
BEVERLY WOLFF, 76, Lakeland, Fla.: founding member of
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra who forged a distinguished
operatic career; Aug. 14.
Y
CHARLIE YATES, 92, Buckhead: amateur golf champ raised multi
millions for the arts; Oct. 17.