Category: 1950s

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, gifted preacher and pastor Pinckney Chambers Enniss, Jr., passed away October 8, 2024, in the presence of his wife of sixty-nine years, Jane Enniss.

Pinckney Chambers Enniss, Jr. was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 16, 1931, to Pinckney Chambers Enniss, Sr. (1894-1972), and Minnie Paschal Enniss (1902-2002). He graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1949 and attended Davidson College where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in economics in 1953. Following college, he fulfilled two years of active duty service in the United States Army and during that time met, fell in love with and married Martha Jane Wildman (m. June 11, 1955). After that service, the young couple moved to Decatur, Georgia, where “Buddy,” as he was known to his friends, entered Columbia Theological Seminary in the fall of 1955 and earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1958. He would complete another eighteen years in the Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

While still a student at Columbia Theological Seminary, he was invited to serve as a student pastor for the newly formed Hillside Presbyterian Church in a rapidly growing part of DeKalb County. On graduation from Columbia, he was ordained and served as Hillside’s first pastor, and he served in that role from 1958-1967. It was a period of great social change, and, following the bombing of the Atlanta synagogue The Temple, he was one of the signers of the Ministers Manifesto, “Out of Conviction: A Second Statement on the South’s Racial Crisis,” calling for interracial dialogue and understanding. He led Hillside in an inclusive manner during a period of segregation and invited Lawrence Bottoms, the first African American Moderator of the General Assembly, PCUS, to preach, and hosted the Stillman College Choir from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Known for his powerful preaching, he consistently challenged his congregations to live up to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, vision of the beloved community.

Their first son, David (b. 1956), was born during the seminary years and Stephen (b. 1959), following graduation while the family’s life revolved around the congregation of the “the church on the hill,” as it was called. During his ministry, Hillside undertook three building programs, and the congregation grew to more than five hundred members.

From 1967-1970 he served as pastor of Meadowview Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, before accepting a call to be senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee, Florida (1970-1976). The year he and his family moved to Tallahassee, 1970, he received his Masters of Theology degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, where he wrote his thesis on The Sources of Martin Luther King’s Theology.

In 1976 he answered a call to serve Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Atlanta. During his thirteen-year ministry at Central he advocated for the church’s vital role in the life of the city. He opened pathways for women to serve in leadership roles, and Central was the first large church in the Atlanta Presbytery to call a woman, Joanna Adams, as Associate Pastor in 1978. He was invited by Mayor Andrew Young to serve on a Civilian Review Board examining charges of police use of excessive force, long before the Black Lives Matter Movement. He, with the support of Joanna Adams, opened the church’s gymnasium as a homeless shelter, and he was a founding member of Congregations for Affordable Housing, and Chair of the Atlanta Presbytery’s Campaign for Compassion. During his ministry, His alma mater, Davidson College recognized him with an honorary Doctorate of Divinity in 1988, and the following year he received the Martin Luther King, Sr., Community Service Award for service to the city.

After thirteen years of loyal service to the church in the city, he accepted a call to serve as Senior Pastor of The Reformed Church of Bronxville, New York (1989-1997). In each church he served, he brought an ecumenical spirit to his ministry, and in Bronxville he worked to bring together Westchester’s Christian and Jewish communities. After a swastika was found on the wall of the Bronxville train station, he and Bronxville mayor, Sheila Stein, invited the Jewish community to hold a Holocaust Interfaith Service at the Reformed Church. The Bronxville community packed the church for that first-of-its-kind service, and he served on the Westchester Holocaust Commission for the next six years.

Upon retirement, he and Jane returned to Atlanta, where he held the appointment of Theologian in Residence at Trinity Presbyterian Church (1997-2010). Over the years, he held numerous volunteer service roles and served on the Boards of Eckerd College, Queens College, Union Theological Seminary, and Columbia Theological Seminary. In 2002, Columbia Theological Seminary honored him with its Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service to the church. His was a prophetic voice during a time of great societal change and the ongoing pursuit for social justice.

To his family, he was a beloved husband, father and a loving grandfather to Harris Pinckney Enniss and Rebecca Clare Enniss. His family’s grief is too large for words.

He is survived by his wife, Jane, his life partner, and co-pastor in each of their church homes; by his two sons and their wives, David and Jane, and Stephen and Lucy; and by two grandchildren, Harris and Rebecca.

The world is a better place for his presence in our lives, for his intellect, his humor, his moral grounding, and his unwavering commitment to social justice. His family is most grateful for his love and his example of a life lived in search of wholeness in a broken world.

A celebration of his life will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 11:00. Gifts in his memory may be directed to the Central Presbyterian Church Outreach and Advocacy Center, Columbia Theological Seminary, or the Agape Youth and Family Center.

Good night sweet prince, flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

Auburn Cleatus Lambeth Jr, Jackson, Mississippi, passed away on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the State Veterans Home in Oxford, Mississippi, at the age of 94.

He was born June 23, 1930, in Decatur, Georgia, to Frances (Hamilton) Lambeth and Auburn C. Lambeth Sr. His early years in Decatur were spent playing baseball with his three sisters and picking tobacco with his relatives in North Carolina. He was an excellent student and well loved by all his classmates. Auburn excelled in sports especially baseball, basketball, and football. The Atlanta Journal dubbed him the “boy with the golden arm”. Auburn attended Davidson College on a football scholarship where he played quarterback. He chose Davidson over offers from larger universities because of Davidson’s academic excellence. Auburn was admitted into the Davidson College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994. After graduation, he went on to play professional football as quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Hamilton,Ontario.

Auburn was a proud Korean War veteran, having received a bronze star for his bravery and valor. He was honorably discharged and returned to marry Nancy Timberlake whom he had met at Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina. They went on to have a son Charles Anderson and a daughter Linda Louise. Nancy passed in 1980 after a long battle with cancer. On January 7, 1984, he married Rebecca Linda Johnson (Brent).

Auburn was the manager of Lincoln National serving many clients in the Jackson area. He was involved in many civic clubs and activities including the North Jackson Kiwanis club which he served as president. He enjoyed worshiping at Covenant Presbyterian Church, teaching Sunday school, singing in the men’s choir, and was the longest serving active elder, serving 31 years.

He was a true Renaissance man. He loved reciting poetry, singing around the piano, and traveling with friends, especially to the Cotswolds in England. He was known and admired for his kind strength and genteel spirit. Most of all he dearly loved his family, and will forever be known as a wonderful husband, loving father, grandfather and brother and friend to many.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Rebecca Linda Lambeth (Jackson, MS); son, Andy (Jennifer) Lambeth (El Paso, TX); his daughter, Linda (Robert) Fisher (Powder Springs, GA); his two stepchildren Gene (Shelli) Brent (Germantown, TN); Sarah Frances (John) Hardy (Oxford, MS). Also, surviving are nine grandchildren, Mary Catherine Lambeth, Robert (Chelsea) Lambeth, Wilson Lambeth, Christina Brent, Preston Brent, Caroline Brent, Anne Hardy, Sallie Hardy, and Julia Hardy. He was preceded in death by his first wife, and his three sisters Virginia, Margaret, and Lynda.

When asked, Auburn said he wanted to be remembered for “putting other people first, giving them love and affection, and my faith in God.”

Auburn’s life will be celebrated with a funeral service at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 4000 Ridgewood Rd, Jackson, MS 39211 and officiated by Josh Cole. Friends and family may visit an hour prior to the service from 1:30–2:30 p.m. A graveside service will follow at Parkway Memorial Cemetery.

Memorial Donations may be directed to “Canopy Children’s Solutions”, 1465 Lakeland Dr, Jackson, MS 39216, “French Camp Academy” 1 Fine Pl, French Camp, MS 39745, or Covenant Presbyterian Church, 4000 Ridgewood Rd, Jackson, MS 39211.

Rufus Eugene Reid, Jr. (Gene) of Charlotte, NC passed away peacefully at his home on September 20, 2024 surrounded by his loving family.

Gene was born August 21, 1935 to the late Rufus E Reid, Sr. and late Helen Goodrum Reid in Davidson, NC. After graduating from North Mecklenburg High School in 1953 as a student athlete, Gene attended Davidson College for two years. He then earned his BS and MA in Mathematics at Appalachian State University in 1957. He taught math for 12 years at East Mecklenburg High School and 28 years at CPCC. He was awarded CPCC’s Teacher of the Year in 1989 before retiring in 1997. His retirement years were spent working at the Family Life Center at Hickory Grove Baptist Church. All that knew Gene will remember him fondly for his gift to make others laugh and his enthusiasm for trains. He was deeply loved by his family and will be truly missed!

He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 46 years, Hilda Lynn Reid. He is survived by his four children Parks Reid, Kelly Reid, Jody Reid and Marty Reid, two sister-in-laws, JoAnn Cecil and Barbara Mamer and nieces and nephews.

A celebration of his life will be held at the home Saturday, October 12, 2024 between 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Zell A. McGee, age 88 passed away September 20. His parents were James (“Spike”) Lloyd McGee ’28 and Laura Green Heard (McGee) (later Lambe).

He is pre-deceased by his wife, Rosalind Toy Johnson McGee (1937-2015). He married Roz on June 3, 1961 in Chapel Hill, NC. Their children are Laura Green McGee ’86, Scott McGee, and Alexandra McGee. Grandchildren are Clara and Lucia McGee (Scott and Diane, parents).

His siblings are Laura Lambe Bernstein, Robert Lambe, Jim McGee, Eddie McGee, and Dave McGee ’85 (deceased 2013).

Since 2017 he enjoyed a close and loving relationship with Donna Hart.

Zell grew up in Winston-Salem, NC, and Charleston, WV, with summers in Asheville and Greensboro, NC and Virginia Beach, VA. He graduated from Davidson College in 1957 and the University of North Carolina Medical School in 1961. He did his residency at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, military service at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and completed his Internal Medicine residency and Infectious Diseases training at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. He served on the faculty there until 1982, including a research year in London. He was recruited by the University of Utah School of Medicine in 1981 to be the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He found a calling in teaching bedside medicine to medical students, housestaff and fellows, and he also authored many research papers in infectious diseases. In 1984, he had a stroke and became paralyzed on his left side. Despite this setback, he resumed teaching medical students, won teaching awards, and took joy in photographing petroglyphs and flowers. Even after retiring in 2002, he continued to be active in teaching etiology-based medicine.

Zell and Roz enjoyed over 50 years of marriage, sharing in family life, community service, church leadership, and travel. In 2009, he and Roz moved to Carol Woods, a retirement community in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In his final years of receiving daily care from the staff there, he enjoyed sharing witty rapport and getting to know each person. Our family is grateful for the holistic approach and genuine care from the attentive team at Carol Woods.

He was well loved for his philosophical approach to the world, and known for his charm and wit. He was deeply concerned about justice issues in medicine, especially as relate to environmental health and access to care. He loved the outdoors: sailing in his youth, skiing as an adult, and photographing nature in his later years.

He requested his body be donated to medical research. Ashes will be placed alongside Roz’s at Ghost Ranch, a conference center affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, where he found hope and meaningful summer activities after his stroke and for many decades that followed.

A memorial service is expected to occur in at Carol Woods in November.

Donations in his honor may be made either to the National Ghost Ranch Foundation, Attn: Development Office, 280 Private Drive 1708, Abiquiu, NM 87510; or to the Carol Woods Charitable Fund, 750 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

Gerald Wilson was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on April 22,1936 to Kitty Lee Thomas Wilson and Thomas Woodrow Wilson. He died on September 12, 2024.

After graduating from Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, he earned his undergraduate degree from Davidson College. In 1958 Gerald came to his forever permanent home, Durham, to attend Duke Divinity School and then Duke Graduate School completing two master’s degrees. His Ph.D. in History was from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Gerald served Duke University for over 50 years as an Academic Dean, Pre-Law Advisor, Senior Associate Dean of Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and Associate University Marshall. In addition, he loved teaching his American Dreams/American Realities course, named a “must take class,” and his seminar on Leadership in American History.

While pursuing his career at Duke, Gerald, as an ordained Presbyterian minister, served three churches in Vance County for 24 years.

For his faithful service Duke first awarded him the Presidential Award for Executive Leadership; in 2013 the University Medal, the highest Duke award for service; in 2019 the Brodhead Service Award. Recently, OLLI at Duke presented Ginger and Gerald the Bill Wright Award for service.

The National Pre-Law Association named its annual service award the Dean Gerald Lee Wilson award. Gerald spent many happy hours with his Pre-Law students and the Pre-Law organizations.

Gerald is survived by his loving wife, Virginia “Ginger” of 60 years, his daughter Holly Schrader (Scott) of Naperville, Illinois, and two grandchildren Clayton Douglas Schrader and Sydney Arden Schrader, a brother John Christian Wilson (Marianne) of Chapel Hill, a sister Nancy Miller of Wilmington and many nieces and nephews. Gerald was predeceased by his parents and brother Thomas Woodrow Wilson, Jr.

Gerald loved his family, friends, students, colleagues and pets.

No Memorial Service is planned.

Gifts to his memory can be made to the Virginia S. and Gerald Lee Wilson Scholarship Fund. Checks can be made payable to Duke University with the memo line reading: Virginia S. and Gerald Lee Wilson Scholarship Fund and mailed to Duke University, Alumni and Development Records, Box 90581, Durham, NC 27708-0581.