Category: 1959

Douglas Stewart, 89, of Carol Stream, Illinois, passed away September 26, 2026. Beloved husband of the late Marilyn Stewart; loving father of Elizabeth (Jamie), Mary (Angel), and Helen; proud grandfather of Daniel, Mariana, Isabel and Emma.

Douglas was born in Charlotte, NC on February 23, 1937, the youngest child of Helen and Joe Stewart. Douglas graduated from Myers Park High School in 1955 and went on to complete a degree in History and Greek from Davidson College in North Carolina. In 1970 he completed a master’s degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois in New Testament Studies.

He was in the service of Christ for over 50 years, serving alongside his wife, with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, in Bolivia, Argentina, Mexico and the United States. He came to love Latin America deeply. He was respected as a mentor, teacher and pastor. He was passionate about ministering to college students and young adults. 

He enjoyed birdwatching, bicycling, and traveling. He was an avid sports fan, he especially loved the Chicago Bears, Cubs and Bulls, and his beloved Tar Heels. He enjoyed sharing a good meal with family and friends, going to the movies, getting to know people, and serving God with his wife, Marilyn, to whom he was married for 54 years. He took great delight in being with his children and grandchildren doing things to bring joy to their lives.

He lived a life led by his love of Christ and commitment to serving others. He was deeply loved and respected by family and friends and will be greatly missed. With his passing, heaven has gained, and earth has lost. 

Visitation will be at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main Street, Wheaton, from 3:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M on Friday, October 2, 2026. 

The Memorial Service will be held at Gary United Methodist Church, 224 N Main St, Wheaton at 12 pm, on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Douglas’ honor may be directed to Compa, IFES in Mexico. US donors; Outside of the US

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.

Walter Herbert O’Briant of Austell, GA died peacefully in hospice care at age 88.

He was born March 22, 1937, in Durham, North Carolina, to the late Ira David O’Briant and Ruth Annie McCollum O’Briant. His older brother, David Walker O’Briant, died before Walter was born. After moving throughout the upper Piedmont region of North Carolina due to his father’s work, the family settled in Reidsville when Walter was in the fourth grade.

He graduated from Reidsville High School in 1955 and from Davidson College, A.B. cum laude, in 1959, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from Emory University and taught college and university students for thirty-three years. He and his wife Mary lived in Athens from 1965-2009.

After retiring in 1995, he began a second career in computer technology. He taught at two technical schools and later founded a business providing on-site tutoring and technical support. He closed the business in 2009 and moved with Mary to Presbyterian Village in Austell, Georgia. There, he continued to provide technical help to those in his local community.

Walter was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 61 years, Mary Prevette O’Briant, who died in August 2023. He is survived by his daughters: Kathryn O’Briant Roper (Tracy), of Cumming, Georgia; Jennifer O’Briant Portnick (Jim), of Milwaukie, Oregon; and Erin Quinn O’Briant Heller (Laura), of Haarlem, the Netherlands.

He is also survived by his grandchildren: Callie Laird (Brian), Jace Roper (Diana), Mitch Roper (Sarah), and Jaynie Griffie (Jonathan); and by his great-grandchildren: *Alia and Ahrora Laird; Nolan Roper; and James and Luke Griffie.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Class of 1959 Fund of Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina. To do so, visit davidson.edu/makeagift.

Samuel Clarke, age 88, died on January 4, 2026 in Columbia, South Carolina. The oldest child of Marion Walker Clarke of Columbia and Samuel Laffitte Clarke of Estill, South Carolina, Sam was educated in Columbia’s public schools. He was graduated in 1955 from Dreher High School and in 1959 from Davidson College with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Chemistry. At Davidson, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society, and a member of Davidson’s first intercollegiate soccer team. He served as Cadet Colonel, Commander of ROTC. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Artillery at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 101st Airborne Division, serving under General W.C. Westmoreland. Returning to Columbia in 1963 after a 3-year tour of duty, he entered the family business of Joseph Walker and Company Cotton Merchants and, thereafter, The Standard Warehouse Company, subsequently Standard Corporation, all headquartered in Columbia.

Sam was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia. He was a member of the Columbia Rotary Club, and Springdale Hall Club in Camden. Sam was predeceased by his sister Claudia Clarke “Toddie” McNair and by Ann Lindsey Clarke, mother of their two sons. He is survived by his wife of 30-years, Cynthia; his brother Joseph Walker Clarke and brother-in-law E. Chandler McNair; two sons, Dr. Samuel Lindsey Clarke (Kelley Maghan) of Greenwood, S.C. and Brandon Holmes Clarke (Jane Stirling) of Columbia and seven grandchildren: Samuel Robert Clarke (Hannah), Elijah John Clarke, Micah Ann Clarke, David Lindsey Clarke, Joseph Biedler Clarke, all of Greenwood; and Ann Douglas Clarke and Marion Wylly Clarke of Columbia.

Sam took great interest in helping young people find work and achieve goals through hard work and determination. As a lifelong resident of Forest Hills, Sam also dedicated himself to the care and preservation of the neighborhood which his maternal grandfather Joseph Walker developed in 1925.

Memorials may be made to the Minnie Lowry Walker Fund of First Presbyterian Church (1324 Marion Street, Columbia SC 29201) and to the Hammond Student Athlete Fund (854 Galway Lane, Columbia SC 29209), both of which encourage academic excellence, athletic attainment, and character.

A Memorial Service will be held graveside in the churchyard of First Presbyterian Church at 11 o’clock on Tuesday, January 13th with receiving and refreshments immediately thereafter. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.

Joseph Robert Cole, Sr. “Bob” was born in Atlanta, Georgia on November 16, 1937, to Kenerly O’Rear and Edith Mable Cole. His family moved to Savannah, Georgia and then to Newnan, Georgia. Bob graduated from Newnan High School in 1955 and Davidson College in 1959. At Davidson he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and editor of the Davidson literary magazine, “Scripts and Pranks”. After graduation from Davidson, he served in the U.S. Army as a platoon leader and executive officer in D Battery, 3^rd Missile Battalion, 65^th Artillery. Upon completing his military service in 1962, he took a job with what was then The Union Bag-Camp Paper Company, and the company moved him to Charlotte as a sales representative. Bob had met Joe Anne Smith in the summer of 1959, and for him, it was love at first sight. When Bob went into the army the two went their separate ways, but when he moved to Charlotte in 1962, they got together again and were married in 1963. He took a job with Package Products, a Charlotte company, and was sent to Atlanta as a sales representative. Along with their 3 children, the Coles moved back to Charlotte in 1970, when Bob took the first of several management positions at Package Products. After a successful run at Package Products, he resigned in 1980, took a second mortgage on his house, and started his own company manufacturing packaging materials in Charlotte. J.R. Cole Industries, Inc. grew substantially over the years and is recognized today as a quality producer of packaging for customers all over the United States, Mexico and Canada. Bob was always quick to acknowledge that the company’s success was due to the skills and dedication of its employees and loyalty of its customers in a very competitive environment.

Bob was a life-long Presbyterian and served as a Deacon and Elder in three Presbyterian churches, most recently Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian. He loved to read and had an extensive library on a variety of subjects. He was a long-time member of Charlotte Country Club and DeBordieu Club in Georgetown, SC. He cherished his time with Joe Anne and family at the beach overlooking the marsh and enjoying many beautiful sunsets.

Bob is survived by his wife Joe Anne; children Joseph Robert Cole, Jr. (Shannon), Justin Wright Cole (Michele) and Scott Cole Bryan (Russell). He was a fun and loving grandfather to 7 grandchildren Scotty Bryan, Pheriby Bryan, Marett Cole, Edie Cole, Lydia Cole, Jake Cole and Amelia Cole. Bob is also survived by his sister, Jane Scott of Aiken, SC and sister-in-law Becky Hyman of Mount Pleasant, SC. He is also survived by five nephews and nieces, all of whom he cherished.

The family would like to express its deepest gratitude to Dr. Jason Brancato for his expert and attentive care.

A service to celebrate Bob’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday January 15, 2026, at Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, 2929 Selwyn Avenue, Charlotte NC 28209, followed by a reception at the church.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Bob may be made to Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, The Salvation Army or Children’s Hope Alliance, www.childrenshopealliance.org.

Smith Murphey IV, 88, passed away on December 16, 2025, in his home in Sumner, MS. Smith will be remembered as a man of service who gave tirelessly to his family, church, and community. He lived a full life of joy as a son, husband, father, uncle, grandfather, lieutenant, scoutmaster, Rotarian, hunter, farmer, mayor, and church elder.

Smith was born on December 1, 1937, to the late Eva Bledsoe Murphey and Smith Murphey in Sumner. He spent most of his childhood in Sumner until he attended, like his father, The Webb School in Bell Buckle, TN, graduating in 1955. Smith went on to earn a BA in business and economics from Davidson College in 1959, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. In 1965, Smith graduated with a MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

He was commissioned second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Security Agency, serving in Germany 1960-1963. Granted the highest security clearance in the armed services, he inspected cryptographic installations and made recommendations for increased security systems throughout Europe.

Following military service, Smith was employed as a systems engineer for IBM in Atlanta. There he met the love of his life, Sylvia Lillian Shields, who he proposed to within months of meeting. The two eventually returned to Sumner so Smith could tend to the family farm. For nearly 30 years, he managed Wildwood Farms growing cotton, soybeans, and wheat. After his retirement and up until his passing, Smith worked as a field representative for the U.S. Census Bureau. His unique combination of curiosity and persistence helped him close nearly every case.

Smith’s community impact went far beyond his career. After earning the rank of Eagle Scout in 1953, Smith later dedicated his time to the Boy Scouts of America where he served as a scoutmaster for Troop 27 for 42 years. He attended national and world jamborees and helped many young men achieve their Eagles, including his son, Smith, and two grandsons, Archer and Webb. For his service to BSA, Smith was awarded the Silver Beaver Award.

As a Paul Harris Fellow, Smith’s dedication to the Rotary Club was likewise lifelong with 56 years of perfect attendance, often achieved by visiting clubs across the world whenever he traveled. He was active in organizing the Rotary youth exchange program, hosting students from Switzerland, Australia, Denmark and Germany in Sumner.

Smith served his community as an alderman and mayor of the town of Sumner and as a volunteer firefighter. He was an appointed representative on the Tallahatchie County Soil and Water Conservation Commission and a founding board member of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission. He also served as a trustee for The Webb School as well as elder and treasurer for the Sumner Presbyterian Church.

In addition to his parents, Smith is preceded in death by his brother, Joseph Bledsoe Murphey. Smith is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years Sylvia; his son Smith Murphey V and his wife Carole; his daughter Margaret Murphey Slattery and her husband Bob; six adored grandchildren Addison, Bobby, Archer, Webb, Devin, and Brooke; his sister-in-law Becky Murphey and nieces Missy and Beth; and many cousins.

Perhaps nothing could capture his love for the Mississippi Delta quite like sunrise in a duck blind or sunset in a deer stand. Hunting was his way to commune with nature and share great camaraderie with friends and family.

We are all saddened by the sudden passing of this icon in a small town, but we’re grateful he left this world better than he found it. From birthdays to sporting events, from tournaments to graduations, Smith was a “man who showed up”-one you could always count on. In his later days, Smith spent his time with his beloved Sylvia watching hummingbirds on the patio, his weekly calls with his daughter Margaret, always ending with “love you more” and countless hours with his son Smith in a duck blind. Smith lived each day to the fullest and by the imperative of “Carpe Diem.” Rest in Peace.

A celebration of life service, including military honors, will be held Monday, December 22 at the Sumner Presbyterian Church. Visitation with family begins at 1:00, followed by the service at 2:00. Meredith Nowell Funeral Home in Clarksdale, MS, is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Sumner Presbyterian Church or a charity of the donor’s choice.