Category: 1947

U. Boyce Helms ’47 of Winston-Salem, N.C., died September 4, 2006. During World War II, he served in the Tenth Armored Division in the European Theatre of Operations. He was wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart. His career included thirty-seven years with General Motors Acceptance Corporation, where he retired as district sales manager in 1985. While at GMAC, he worked in Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Winston-Salem. Upon retirement, Boyce embarked upon a second career as a deposition recorder for a court service in Winston-Salem. He was a member of Parkway Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem. He served at various times as an elder, deacon, adult Sunday school teacher, and choir member. Survivors include his wife Evangeline Carpenter Helms, 3248 Robin Hood Rd., Winston-Salem, N.C. 27106; son David Helms and wife Kathy; daughter Sharon Helms-Dulin and husband Max Dulin; and grandchildren Adam and Katie Helms.

Charles DeLaney ‘47, an internationally renowned flute teacher and Florida State University music professor emeritus, died July 8, 2006. He taught at FSU from 1976 until his retirement in 2000. Before that, he spent twenty-five years as a flute professor at the University of Illinois. He was also a composer and performer who spent many years as the principal flutist of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. He helped found the Florida Flute Society and served as president of the National Flute Society, which honored him in 1998 with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He earned degrees from Davidson, Colorado University, and the Conservatory of Lausanne (Switzerland). He spent sixteen summers as flutist and conductor at the Brevard (N.C.) Music Center. He published several flute compositions and composed two film scores. He recorded albums of contest flute pieces that were used by students nationwide to prepare for competitions. As a young musician, he sneaked into a closed rehearsal of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, where he wound up comparing notes with another young intruder, future conductor Leonard Bernstein. He was friends with Boston Symphony Orchestra flutist Doriot Anthony Dwyer, the first woman appointed to a major symphony orchestra. A member of the Army Signal Corps, he landed in Europe the day World War II ended—because, as he learned later, he’d been repeatedly moved to the end of the transfer lists by his former music teacher, who worked as an Army clerk. Survivors include his wife, Sue Delaney, 914 Ivanhoe Road, Tallahassee, Fla. 32312; two sons and a daughter.

Robert Thomas Amos, Jr. ’47 died peacefully at High Point Regional Cancer Center on February 18, 2006. He was a lifelong member of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, serving as chairman of the board of trustees, lay leader, chairman of the administrative board, conference delegate, Sunday School teacher, chairman of pastor-parish relations, and the commission of missions. At Davidson, he was senior senator, member of the ODK Leadership Fraternity, Scabbard and Blade Military Fraternity, a member of the varsity football team and president of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He remained involved with Davidson College as a trustee and president of the Alumni Association, and he was a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. During World War II, Bob interrupted his college years by enlisting in the infantry. He served for 44 months and fought for two years in Europe, attaining the rank of captain with the 100th Infantry Division. For heroic action in Germany, Bob was awarded the Bronze Star with clusters. He worked in the hosiery industry for almost fifty years, retiring as president of Amos Hosiery Mills when the company was sold in 1988. He served as a two-term president of the Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the YMCA, chairman of the United Way, chairman of the Haggai Foundation and chairman of the High Point Historical Foundation. He was a member of the Wachovia Bank Board in High Point for 43 years and served as its chairman. Bob was also very involved with High Point Regional Hospital, where he was chairman of the Board of Trustees and co-chairman of two building campaigns. In addition, he was founding member of the Hospital Endowment Board. Bob was a trustee for life at High Point University, and served as a trustee of Davidson College and Greensboro College, a trustee of the Methodist Children’s Home in Winston-Salem, and a trustee of the Evergreens Polio Hospital in Greensboro, by appointment of the governor of North Carolina. He was inducted into the YMCA Hall of Honor in 1987. In recent years, he became involved with Hospice of the Piedmont and served on its Board of Directors. Bob was honored to serve as co-chairman with his life-long friend, Jim Millis, in what would be their last fund raising campaign together for the new Hospice Home of High Point. He was preceded in death by his wife Martha of fifty-six years, his sister Eleanor Amos Idol, and his brothers, Harold Lindsay Amos and Wray McMichael Amos. Survivors include his three children, daughter Carolyn Amos Yokley and husband John of Atlanta, Ga., son Robert Thomas Amos III ’75 and his wife Laura, 424 Edgedale Dr., High Point, N.C. 27262; and Mary Amos Krick ’78 and her husband Michael of Greensboro. He has eight grandchildren, Martha Avery Cook ’98, Mary Katherine Cook, Thomas Ross Cook, Katherine Hayden Amos, Robert Thomas Amos IV, Charles Connor Amos, Martha Amos Krick, and Emily Chambers Krick.

Richard Hicks O’Hair, Sr. ’47 of Knoxville, Tenn., died December 4, 2005, following surgery for pancreatic cancer. His college education was interrupted for three years by World War II, and as a 2nd lieutenant in the infantry he saw action in France, Austria, and Germany. At Davidson, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, football, wrestling and track teams, ODK, and the 1946 All-State Football Team. He also played for the Charlotte Clippers semi-pro football club. He was self-employed for many years in the insurance and estate planning field in Charlotte, and worked for several years as a substitute teacher at Oak Ridge High School. In 1997, he earned his M.B.A. from Tusculum College. He was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church and later of First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge, serving as an elder and teacher. Survivors include his caregiver and daughter, Bonnie O’Hair Murray, 205 Engert Rd., Knoxville, Tenn. 37922; Amy O’Hair-Smith; a son, Richard O’Hair, Jr.; the children’s mother, Harriette Grice O’Hair; grandchildren, Sydney Murray III, Richard O’Hair III, Colin Smith, Ashley O’Hair and Keely Smith; a brother, Ralph M. O’Hair, Jr.