Month: September 2007

Thomas McLean Inman ’60, of Farragut, Tenn., went to be with the Lord Sept. 16. Tom was a charter member and elder of Faith Fellowship Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He was retired from Norfolk Southern Railway claims department with 27 years of service. Tom was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jim and Ethel McLean Inman, and sister, Patsy Gardner. Tom is survived by his wife of 46 years, Cindy Inman, 12122 Valley Trail, Knoxville, Tenn. 37922-1519; children, Ken Inman (Dee) of Maryville, Anne Yarbrough of Charlotte, and Scott Inman (Glenda) of Knoxville; grandchildren, Christy Yarbrough, Shane Strunk, Jessica Strunk, Tyler Strunk, Katie Starnes, Tori Inman, and Carrie Inman; brother, Robert “Bobby” Inman ’52 (Hope) of Montgomery, Ala.; brother-in-law, Grady Gardner of Laurinburg, N.C.; and several nieces and nephews.

William V. Youkey ’71 died September 13 in Birmingham, Ala., after a courageous battle against Gillain-Barre Syndrome. A graduate of Davidson College and Central Michigan University, he retired from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Col. with 21 years of active service. He was employed with DRS-Test and Energy Management Inc. for the last thirteen years. He was an active volunteer in the community, providing hours of service to churches, to The Ark, a local animal shelter, and to the South Hampton Nursing Home. Through the years, he supported the First Presbyterian Church of Huntsville, the Big Cove Presbyterian Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville. He had many interests and hobbies including golf, racquetball, music, writing, and Alabama football, but the most important thing to him was spending time with family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Carol Youkey, 2970 Hampton Cove Way, Owens Cross Roads, Ala. 35763-9330; sons, Dec Youkey (Leslie) and Steven Youkey; daughter, Stafford Youkey; grandson, Declan Youkey; mother and stepfather, Dorothy and Robert Gruen; sister, Marti Hawkins; niece, Jennifer Whyte; and nephew, Chad Hawkins.

Reginald Michael Harding ’75, of Virginia Beach, Va., passed away on Sept. 11, 2007

Gray W. Hampton, Jr. ’51 died September 10 in Huntington, W.Va. He was born on April 10, 1928, in Huntington, W.Va., son of Gray Watson Hampton and Lucile Benn Kilby. He graduated from Woodberry Forest Prep School in 1947 and Davidson College in 1951. Later that year, Gray joined the U.S. Navy Reserve. He was called to active duty in December 1952 and graduated from Navy Officer Candidate School shortly thereafter. He continued his active service with the Navy until late 1956, including tours of duty in both the Far East and the South Pole, and was in the reserves through 1959. After completing his active service, he attended both the Presbyterian School of Christian Education and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va., and graduated in 1960. The year before graduating, Gray married Julia Long Rolston. His first call to the pastorate was to Sunset Hills Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C., in 1960. In late 1962, he became pastor of Buffalo Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, N.C. In 1968, he returned home to become associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church, where he served for the next eleven years. After that, Gray continued his ministry by serving as an interim pastor for several other local churches, while also selling commercial and residential real estate. In 1981, he joined the Foster Foundation Board of Directors, and in 1988 he became the administrator of Foster Memorial Home. He retired in 1997. Gray had long dreamed of having a retirement community in Huntington and proposed the idea to the Foster Foundation in 1988. In August 1996, Woodlands Retirement Community opened and within a few months every apartment was occupied. Gray served as trustee of the Huntington Symphony Orchestra, president of the Family Service Board, a member of the Ethics Committee at Cabell Huntington Hospital, and a member of the West Virginia Personal Care Task Force which assisted with the development of enabling legislation passed by the West Virginia Legislature in 1997. In recent years, he was also a parish associate at First Presbyterian Church and made many pastoral calls. He is survived by his wife, Julia R. Hampton, 33 N. Bradley Foster Dr., Huntington, W.Va. 25701-9457; his children, Gray W. Hampton III ’83 (Lauren), David R. Hampton, Mary Lou Daly ’88 (Michael ’88), and Jacqueline R. Hampton; and his grandchildren, Michael G. and Tyler J. Daly.

Robert K. Richards ’46, of Hendersonville, N.C., died September 6 at his residence after a long battle with emphysema. He was born in Scranton, Pa., to the late Richard and Anne Kiser Richards. He worked as a building contractor for most of his life. Among those that he did work for were the playwright Arthur Miller and television variety show host Ed Sullivan. He received a bachelor of science degree from Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. Prior to attending Springfield, he took courses at Davidson College. He was a Navy veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific Theater. He is survived by his loving wife of fifty-three years, Shirley B. Richards, 1210 Maple St., Hendersonville, N.C. 28792-3770; two sons, David T. Richards and Robert W. Richards; and daughter, Sandra J. Peschl.