Category: 1948

Joseph C. Watkins, Jr. ’48 of Gray, Tenn., died August 18, 2006, at Bristol Regional Medical Center. Following a year at Davidson, he earned a B.S. from N.C. State University. He served in the U.S. Navy. Later he was a chemical engineer with Mead Corp. Surviving are his wife, Jacquie Watkins, 157 Lois Dr., Gray, Tenn. 37615; one daughter, Joy Bolea and husband, Steve, of Watertown, Minn.; two sons, Joe Watkins and wife, Jean deLong, of Tucson, Ariz., and Fred Watkins, of Kalamazoo, Mich.; ten grandchildren, Daniel, Matthew, Andrew, Valerie, Laurel, Patrick, Hilary, Nicole, Emily, and Sean; one sister, Ruth Norton; two brothers, Howard Watkins, Bob Watkins; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Fred and Edith Zucker; nieces, Pam, Sharyn and Karen; and nephews, Robert, Mike, Terry, Brad, Peter and Phillip.

O.G. Allen, Jr. ’48 passed away August 8, 2006. His higher education included both a bachelor’s degree in biology from Davidson College and a master’s in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served in China during World War II. He served as secretary and treasurer of Hine-Bagby Co. from 1954 to 1982. He was on the board of the Menswear Retailers of America and also served as president of the North and South Carolina Men’s Retail Association. He was also a member of the Jaycees and the Civitan Club. He used his gift and love of music by singing in the First Baptist Church choir for forty years and by singing in the Winston-Salem Singer’s Guild for several years. While he was able, he attended Sunday school and served on the board of deacons. He was an avid golfer, and one of his joys was a good round of golf. Survivors include his wife, Emily Hine Allen, 1466 Old Town Rd, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27106; two daughters, Betsy Hood and her husband, William, of Raleigh and Marty Cook and her husband, Jim, of Winston-Salem; grandsons David Hood and wife, Lauren, Ben Hood and Preston Cook; and granddaughter Lesley Cook. He was predeceased by his brother, R.Worth Allen; and is survived by several nieces and nephews.

Robert E. Cline ’48 of Hickory, died July 12, 2006, from complications of pneumonia. He was a veteran of World War II. As a businessman, he served as president of Southern Elastic Corporation and J.A. Cline & Son, Burke County’s oldest hosiery mill. He served on the boards of First National Bank of Catawba County, Bank of Granite, Frye Regional Medical Center, First Security Co. and Ridgeview Mills of Newton. He also was a fifty-year Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow. He was deeply involved with the Hickory Museum of Art, Catawba Science Center, Catawba Arts Council, Sipe’s Orchard Home, CPCC, Western Piedmont Symphony, N.C. Symphony, N.C. Dance Theatre, Hickory Soup Kitchen, the Salvation Army, Hickory Community Theatre, United Way, March of Dimes, North State Academy, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and, most recently, The Montessori Children’s House of Newton. Survivors include his daughter, Mary Helen Cline, 419 West 6th St., Hickory, N.C., 28658; a son, Robert Eugene Cline, Jr. of Charlotte; and two sisters, Nancy C. Shuford of Hickory and Martha C. Cobb of Hay Market, Va. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marion Gaither Cline of Hickory.

Dr. John Angus Wheliss ’48 of Raleigh, died July 7, 2006 of complications following surgery and an ensuing stroke. His Davidson education was interrupted by WW II service in Europe, where he served in the 7th Army, 3rd Division, 30th Infantry, 1st Battalion, Hq Company. After being discharged, he returned to Davidson, graduating in 1948. He then entered Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where he received his doctor of medicine degree. He interned at Charlotte Memorial Hospital in Charlotte and served a rotating residency at Bluefield Sanitarium in Bluefield, W.Va. From there he went to Rockingham for several years of general practice. In 1957 he went to Duke University Medical Center for his residency in ophthalmology. He came to Raleigh in 1961 where he established his practice, which he continued for forty years. Most of his surgery was performed at Rex Hospital. He took great joy with his dogs throughout his life. Survivors include his wife of fifty-six years, Barbara Brown Wheliss, 1416 Springmoor Cir., Raleigh, N.C 27615.; sons, John A Wheliss, Jr. and Charles R. Wheliss, both of Raleigh; a granddaughter, Ann Marguerite Wheliss, also of Raleigh; brother, Joseph D. Wheliss ’55 of Southern Pines; a beloved cousin, Ms. Julia Marshall Ratliff of Rockingham; niece, Victoria Couse and nephew, William Boswell, both of Georgia; niece, Sarah Wheliss ’89 of Greensboro; nephew, Josh Wheliss ’91 of Nashville, Tenn.

Elmo M. Sellars, Jr. ’48 of Greensboro, N.C., died Feb. 11, 2006. He was a retired engineer with M. Michael Ellis Company. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Carolyn Biard Sellars, 3240 Horse Pen Creek Rd, Greensboro, N.C. 27410.