Category: 1954

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Wyatt Albion “Nabby” Armfield, Jr. ’54

Wyatt “Nabby” Armfield, of Petoskey, Mich., formerly of Winston-Salem, N.C., passed away quietly in the company of his family on February 12, 2014 after a period of declining health. He was born in Winston-Salem to the late Wyatt Albion and Lucy Follin Armfield, and was the oldest of four children. He was a 1950 graduate of The Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, VA, and a 1954 graduate of Davidson College in Davidson, NC. He additionally attended the Romance Language graduate program at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1954-1955.

“Nabby”, as he preferred to be called, enjoyed a successful career in private equity sales within energy and real estate investments, and was a published author on investing in these markets. He enjoyed foreign travel to both Europe and Asia, and had a special fondness for the Spanish language and Latin American culture. After his retirement from the investment business, he resided in Mexico for a period of time and taught English. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his brothers Edward Millis Armfield, and Robert Follin Armfield.

He is survived by his son Arthur and wife Michelle, grandson Jason, granddaughter Jessica Sterly and husband Mike, all of Alanson, MI, and sister Lucy Armfield Bleau of Naples, FL. He is also survived by a great grandson, Levi Jason Sterly, whom he adored, and was blessed to spend the final days of his life in the company of.

There will be a private service for the immediate family, and arrangements are being handled by Charles G. Parks Funeral Home of Petoskey, Mich.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers a memorial be made to the charity of the donors choice.

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Mason Dillard Field, Jr. ’54

Dr. Mason Dillard Field, Jr., a resident of Dothan, died early Wednesday morning, April 10, 2013, at his home. He was 81.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday, April 12, 2013, in the Calvary Baptist Church with Dr. Ed Wright, Reverend Henry Johnson, and Reverend Charles Uptain officiating. Burial will follow in Gardens of Memory, between Headland and Dothan. Holman-Headland Mortuary is in charge of funeral arrangements. The family will receive friends from 12:30 until 2:00 P.M. Friday in the Calvary Baptist Church sanctuary.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Calvary Baptist Church, 901 Montezuma Avenue, Dothan, AL 36303.

Dr. Field was born in Wadesboro, North Carolina, son of the late Mason Dillard Field, Sr. and Mary Bunn Field. After graduating from high school, Dr. Field attended Davidson College where he obtained his Pre-Med Degree. He graduated in June 1958 with an M.D. Degree from the University of North Carolina. Dr. Field’s post graduate training included internships in Internal Medicine, Metabolism, and Endocrinology at the University of Alabama Hospital and Medical Center in Birmingham.

He moved to Dothan in 1966, where he practiced medicine for thirty-six years. Dr. Field also practiced at Lyster Army Hospital at Fort Rucker for four years, and was staff physician at the Diversion Center in Dothan for ten years. From 1990 until his retirement, Dr. Field was a member of the Southeast Alabama Medical Center and Flowers Hospital honorary staff.

Dr. Field was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church and the Instrumental Music Ensemble. He was also a member of the Kiwanis Club, Wiregrass Civic Band, and the Wiregrass Mental Health Board. Dr. Field loved music, his trumpet, and was delighted in participating in his church orchestra.

Surviving relatives include his wife, Judy West Field; a son, Dr. Benjamin Field and wife, Amanda; a sister-in-law, Sylvia Clarke; brothers-in-law, Clark West and Elliott Mitchell; several nieces and nephews; and his special canine friend, “Bangles.”

Serving as active pallbearers will be Dr. Frank Crockett, Clark West, Elliott Mitchell, John Wallace, Young Folsom, and John Downs.

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William Robert Owens, Sr. ’54

William Robert Owens, Sr. ’54, age 80, of Fayetteville, N.C., went home to be with his Lord Jesus Christ on Nov. 27, 2012, at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Owens was born May 5, 1932, in Charlotte to the late Vennie Edgar Owens and Leila Hart Owens. He grew up in Louisburg, N.C., and graduated from Davidson College and the University of Maryland Dental School. He practiced general dentistry in Fayetteville for 25 years. In 1984, following surgery, he moved to Oak Island and lived there until returning to Fayetteville in 2005. He lived to do the will of his Lord Jesus Christ and complete the work the Lord had given him. Surviving are his wife of 55 years, Kathryn Geisler Owens, 3410 Sugar Cane Cir., Fayetteville, NC 28303; sons, William Robert Owens, Jr. (Marion), David Van Owens (Margaret), and Stephen Todd Owens (Debra); former daughter-in-law, Amy Beene; three granddaughters, Kathryn Hyatt Owens, Martha Eastman Owens, and Maria Dawn Owens; and grandson, Brandon Haire. He was preceded in death by his brother, Edgar Hart Owens.

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Malphus Leroy Bradbury, Jr. ’54

Malphus Leroy Bradbury, Jr. ’54, of Raleigh, N.C., died Aug. 10, 2012, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was born on Nov. 10, 1931, to Malphus Leroy and Maggie Harris Bradbury in Wilson, N.C., where he grew up. He was a star athlete and after attending Davidson for a year on an academic and athletic scholarship, he entered the U.S. Air Force, and served at Clark Field in the Philippines. He received an engineering degree at N.C. State and earned the M.B.A. degree in the first class awarded that degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Bradbury joined Carolina Power and Light Company and worked as district manager in several locations, then for several years as executive assistant to the CEO. His entrepreneurial spirit directed him into successful businesses of his own, and his love of learning lead him back to education. He taught at Hardbarger Junior College, and ended his career there as director of the school. In his retirement he began to write, and eventually he published two books of poems. Bradbury’s brother, Edward Earl Bradbury, and a sister, Joan Frances Bradbury, preceded him in death. He is survived by his sister, Thelma B. Barnes, 2601 Canal Dr. NW, Wilson, NC 27896-1214, and his sister-in-law, Louise Bradbury; by four nieces, Kim Hartley (Herb), Diane Smith (Marvin), Lynn Askew (Phil), and Traci Bradbury; by two nephews, Michael Bradbury (Sharon) and James Barnes; by great-nieces, Heather Smith, Emily Askew-Lovett (Scott), Rhonda Godwin (John), Maggie Hartley, Elizabeth Hartley, and Sydney Bradbury; by a great-great-niece, Emma Carolina Godwin, and a great-great-nephew, Sam Lovett; and his devoted friends remain to mourn his death, and remember him in life.

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William “Bill” Tazewell Morris, Jr. ’54

William “Bill” Tazewell Morris, Jr. ’54, 80, a native and lifelong resident of Asheville, N.C., died at his home on June 23, 2012. The cause was lung cancer. Morris was the son of the late William Tazewell and Evelyn Bailey Morris, and husband of the late Sara Martin Morris. He attended Davidson and the University of North Carolina, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Morris retired in 1997 after 24 years as a salesman for Southern Pump and Tank Company of Charlotte. Morris was active in the Asheville Rotary Club, the Asheville Jaycees, and the Rhododendron Brigade of Guards. Survivors include his wife, Arlene Pulley Morris, P.O. Box 8732, Asheville, NC 28814; two sons, William Tazewell Morris III (Penny Morris) and Joseph Maryon Morris (Eve Gartner); five grandchildren; a brother, Augustus R. Morris, Sr.; and a nephew and niece. Well known for his love of animals, Morris rescued dozens of sick and injured dogs and cats over the years and brought them into his home.