◆ John Alexander Stedman (’ 44, ’ 47 AB), 89, of
Murrells Inlet, S.C.; Oct. 4, 2011. Until retirement,
Stedman lived in Marion, S.C., where he was a part-
ner in an auto company, owner of a hardware store
and active in many community activities. In WWII, he
served with Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army. His unit
was captured and sent to a POW camp in Germany.
He belonged to Phi Kappa Sigma at UNC. ◆ J.
Harvey Stewart (’ 49), 83, of Lancaster, S.C.; Oct.
30, 2011. Stewart was a public school teacher and
coach for 30 years. He retired as owner of a trophy
company in Lancaster. ◆ Francis T. Taliaferro (’ 44
AB), 89, of Santa Monica, Calif.; Nov. 26, 2011.
Taliaferro was founder and former chairman of an
architectural design firm. One of his specialties was
converting old retail strip centers into shopping
malls. In WWII, he was a Marine. ◆ Bonner Havens
Thomason Jr. (’ 41 BSCOM), 91, of Fayetteville; Nov. 6,
2011. Thomason’s career was with his family’s busi-
ness, Thomason Industries. He was founder and
first president of the Southern Plywood Manufacturers
Association. In WWII, he served in the Army Air Corps.
At UNC, he belonged to Kappa Alpha Order. ◆
Leonard Kieth “Tommy” Thompson (’ 49 AB), 88, of
Durham; Oct. 11, 2011. Thompson was a hospital
administrator who then became a teacher. He sang
in his church choir and volunteered with Habitat for
Humanity. He served in the Navy and joined the Air
Force Reserve. At UNC, he was active in Playmakers
and performed in The Lost Colony. ◆ Dr. Charles
Walter Tillett Jr. (’ 42 AB, ’ 44 CMED), 91, of Charlotte;
Oct. 19, 2011. Tillett and his wife, also a physician,
operated the Tillett Eye Clinic until their retirement in
the late ’80s. He is credited with being the first
physician to use and document a cutting-edge
GAA FILES
corneal transplant procedure. An annual lecture
series at Wilmer Eye Institute bears his name. His
many activities at UNC included election to Phi Beta
Kappa, editor of the Yackety Yack, and member of the
wrestling team, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Golden Fleece
and Order of the Grail. ◆ Thomas Mizell Urquhart
(’ 46, ’ 50 BSCOM), 88, of Ahoskie; Nov. 9, 2011.
Urquhart, a CPA, was a partner in an accounting firm.
He served in the Army Supply Corps in WWII. At UNC,
he belonged to Kappa Alpha Order and the wrestling
team. ◆ Harry Eugene “Sid” Varney (’ 49 AB, ’ 51
MAEd), 83, of Columbia, S.C.; Nov. 25, 2011. Varney
had a long career at the University of South Carolina,
most of which was as dean of applied and professional sciences. He received the Order of the Palmetto.
At UNC, he was on the football team and played in
two Sugar Bowls. He was named an All-American as
a baseball player. He was a member of NROTC. ◆
C. Scott Venable Jr. (’ 49 BSCOM), 87, of Raleigh;
Nov. 17, 2011. Venable’s career was with the
American Lung Association of North Carolina, serving
as its executive director for nearly 40 years. He was
a radio operator in the Navy in WWII. He was a former
member of the GAA Board of Directors. His many
UNC activities included Sigma Nu, Golden Fleece and
Order of the Grail. ◆ Elizabeth Cheatham Vogler
(’ 47 AB), 85, of Raleigh; Nov. 24, 2011. Vogler
belonged to Alpha Delta Pi at UNC. ◆ Elizabeth
Petesch Vogtle (’ 47 AB), 86, of Birmingham, Ala.;
Oct. 15, 2011. Vogtle taught history and physical
education at the Brooke Hill School. She belonged
to Chi Omega at UNC. ◆ Hugh Woodrow Watts (’ 48
BSCOM), 88, of Shelby; Nov. 1, 2011. Watts retired
as manager of J.C. Penney in Shelby. He served in
the Army in WWII and belonged to Delta Sigma Pi
at UNC. ◆ Dr. T. Franklin Williams (’ 42 BSCH), 89,
of Rochester, N. Y.; Nov. 25, 2011. Williams was professor of medicine at the University of Rochester and
longtime director of Monroe Community Hospital. An
early proponent of geriatric medicine in the U.S., he
was director of the National Institute on Aging at the
National Institutes of Health. He served on the UNC
medical faculty early in his career and received UNC
medical school’s Distinguished Service Award in 1984.
In WWII, he was a communications officer in the
Navy. At UNC, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and
belonged to Glee Club and Alpha Chi Sigma. ◆ George
Thomas Willis (’ 41), 91, of New Bern; Oct. 16, 2011.
Willis retired as chief purchasing agent of a construction company. In WWII, he served in the Army
and earned five Bronze Stars in such major battles
as Normandy and Ardennes. ◆ Betty Bridgforth
Young (’ 45 MAEd), 88, of Charlotte; Oct. 18, 2011.
In celebration of 100 years of the Carolina Alumni Review, we now offer
For anyone who loves The University of North Carolina, a Carolina Alumni Review cover
reproduction is the perfect way to commemorate a graduation, reunion or just to
enhance your home or office. These are high-resolution scans made directly from the
original covers, printed on quality paper and professionally matted and framed.
Collectible Covers
To view covers and to order, visit
alumni.unc.edu/go/collectiblecovers
