Category: 1959

John William Denham, 86, passed away on December 30, 2022 at Salemtowne Retirement Community. He was born on October 3, 1936 to Chester and Louise Lowrance Denham in Mooresville, NC. John was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Julia Carr Denham.

He is survived by his daughter, Ellen Denham and her husband, Stephan Laurent-Faesi, his daughter Amy Denham and her husband, Jonathan Simmons, and his brothers Robert Denham and William Denham.

John was a beloved physician in Winston-Salem for many years until he retired due to a debilitating stroke in 1992. His clinical work included serving on the faculty in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, as the medical director of Whitaker Rehabilitation Center at Forsyth Hospital, and as a primary care physician at Winston-Salem Health Care.

He was a member of Christ Moravian Church, where he sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, and served on the Board of Elders. His family remembers his compassion for all people and animals, his love of classical music, and his strength and good humor in facing more than thirty years of life after his stroke.

A memorial service will be held on January 14, 2023 at 2 p.m. at Christ Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, with a reception immediately following at the church fellowship hall. Memorials may be made to Christ Moravian Church, 904 W. Academy St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Online condolences may be sent to www.salemfh.com.

Dr. James Frosst Alexander died peacefully in his home on December 29th, 2022, surrounded by his loving family.

Jim was a Charlotte native, born April 28, 1938, the first child of James Moses and Stella Frosst Alexander. He attended Charlotte public schools, was an Eagle Scout, and he graduated from Woodberry Forest School in 1956. He obtained a Bachelor of Science from Davidson College in 1959. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1963 with a MDCM degree. After completing his residence in Internal Medicine at Montreal General Hospital, Jim did a fellowship in Gastroenterology at Emory University, then served in the United States Navy at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, obtaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander and earning the National Defense Service Medal. In 1970, he returned to Charlotte to begin his practice of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology with his father in what became the Mecklenburg Medical Group (MMG).

Dr. Alexander brought the first flexible upper gastrointestinal endoscope to Charlotte in 1970 (keeping it in the trunk of his car!). Early in his practice, he initiated the development of the first endoscopy centers at both Atrium (Carolinas Medical Center) and Novant (Presbyterian Hospital).

During his practice, Jim was an active leader in his community, state and nation. He was the President of the Charlotte Society of Internal Medicine, the National Society of Children of Alcoholics, and the Drug Education Center of Charlotte. He was Treasurer of Mecklenburg County Medical Society and lifelong member of the Rotary Club of Charlotte and the Charlotte Country Club.

At the time of his retirement from MMG in 2009, the organization had grown from 6 to 90 physicians. He was President of MMG during the late 80s and 90s when vertical healthcare integration began and led MMG in joining the Carolinas Physician Network of Carolinas HealthCare System.

In retirement, he and his wife, Denise David, moved to Kennebunk, Maine, where he continued his volunteer work as a board member of Maine Behavioral Healthcare for over a decade.

Dr. Alexander’s parents and sister, Susan Alexander Boone, predeceased him. He is survived by his wife, Denise David Alexander, his brother, John William Alexander (Judy) and his sister, Stella Alexander Harman, his children with Martha Bedell Alexander, Tasse Alexander Little (Rich) and James Chester Alexander (Tracy), his stepchildren, Sylvie Paule Demers (Don Lary), Laurence Andre Demers (Sam Smithwick) and David Paul Demers, his grandchildren William Glenn Little (Samantha), Jacob Alexander Little, Benjamin Frosst Little (Claire), Samuel Bedell Little, Samantha Mechele Alexander, Lucas Demers Butterfield, Philip Demers Butterfield, Simon Demers Butterfield, Owen Demers Wadlington, Shay Demers Smithwick, Sabine Demers Smithwick, and his great grandchild Leo Glenn Little.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Compassionate Care ALS (CCALS): P.O. Box 1052, West Falmouth, MA 02574.

CCALS is a nonprofit organization with a mission to support people diagnosed with ALS, their families, health care providers, and communities, as they navigate the complexities, both physical and emotional, associated with the disease.

Memorial services to remember Jim’s life will be held in soon in Charlotte, NC and in the spring in Kennebunk, ME. They will be announced by Bibber Memorial Chapel, Kennebunk. Interment will be private.

To leave a message of condolence, please visit Dr. Alexander’s Book of Memories at www.bibberfuneral.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St. Kennebunk, ME.

Henry Buckner Dennis Jr., 84, passed away at home on Saturday, September 17.

“Bucky” was born in 1938 in Hollywood, CA to H.B. Dennis Sr. and Elizabeth Triplett Dennis. When he was six, they moved to Morehead City, NC. Along those shorelines and docks is where he learned many secrets of catching North Carolina fish. His boyhood roaming at times alarmed his mother, but led to his lifelong passion for the coast.

The family moved to Winston-Salem when Bucky was in the 5th grade, where his father opened up Dennis Inc. an iconic snack food company making popcorn and other products. Bucky attended Reynolds High School then Davidson College.

Bucky became an expert golfer based at Old Town Club. He was on the golf team at Davidson winning the Southern Conference Individual Championship in 1958 only one of six Davidson players to win it in the last 64 years. Bucky was known as a student of the swing.

At Davidson, he majored in English and was in the SAE fraternity. Following graduation in 1959 he attended the US Army language school in Monterrey, CA. Afterwards he was stationed in Germany as an intelligence officer through 1964. He rose to the rank of captain, working in one of the hotbeds of Cold War espionage.

While overseas he kindled his relationship with Nancy Gwaltney of Virginia, herself an intrepid traveler who was working in Denmark. They returned home to the US and were married in 1966. They settled in Winston-Salem where Bucky began learning the ropes of Dennis, Inc. In 1967 their daughter Elizabeth Gwaltney was born, followed by Charles Triplett Dennis in 1969 and Laura Buckner Dennis in 1973. The family lived primarily at Arbor and then Roslyn Roads.

Bucky was known throughout Winston-Salem for many things including golf, expert bridge, and popcorn. In addition, he was widely appreciated for his work in the community. He was dedicated to the power of AA, NA, and Alanon to transform lives and helped many others who like himself, had been in danger of losing everything. Later in life he was a reading tutor at the South Fork Elementary School, work he said was the most rewarding thing he had ever done. Bucky was dedicated to the arts of all kinds. He loved MerleFest and the Kruger Brothers.

One of the manifestations of his belief in people was how he helped to jumpstart the Jarrett Bay Boatworks, now a famous builder of fishing yachts. Bucky and his good friend Gene Vogler were approached by the founders in 1986 and asked if they would purchase the first boat of the new venture. The gentlemen agreed and the Sensation was built, Jarret Bay number 1 active still on the waterfront in Morehead City, NC.

Bucky and Nancy shared a great sense of adventure. They traveled throughout their lives frequently taking their children – and often friends and friends’ children – to National Parks, the coast, and far-off places such as the Amazon and Andes.

A remarkable aspect of their lives are the family friends he and Nancy kept. Their house was a comfortable gathering place, almost a salon type atmosphere full of books. They had friends for a half century or more, and others, just as dear, they made recently.

Without a doubt the greatest love Bucky held was for his wife Nancy, their three children, and four grandchildren. Bucky was a world class parent, able to listen, reflect, and be firm. He showed his support for his kids by visiting them in the far-flung places they lived, including the continent of Antarctica where Trip was employed.

Bucky was curious about the natural world. He kept track of moon phases, studied the ways of the fish, and read field guides. He learned much about the natural world from the fishermen he met along the coast, and patiently transmitted that knowledge to anyone who wanted to learn.

Characteristic of Bucky’s world view was the belief that he practiced that every person was worth his attention and respect. He was a true gentleman, passing from this world in a time when such examples are needed.

Bucky was predeceased by his son Trip. He is survived by his wife Nancy and his daughters Elizabeth (Betty) and Laura and their husbands Rob Baldwin and Thomas Hyland, and his daughter in law Gillian Dennis. He leaves four grandchildren, Ella and Julian Baldwin, and Jack and Henry Dennis.

A service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 11 am on October 7th with a reception following at the Church.

The family asks that donations be made in Bucky’s memory to the Davidson College Golf Program https://community.davidson.edu/gift-form. Select “I want to support Athletics”, then “Golf”, then at the bottom “This gift is a tribute” and enter Bucky’s name. Or, mail to: Davidson College, Box 7170, Davidson, NC 28035-7170. 

Condolences may be made online at www.salemfh.com.

John Arthur Nix, son of Jettie Ward Nix and Bernice Roscoe Nix, who predeceased him, was born on May 17, 1937 in Atlanta. He died at age 85 on August 18, 2022.

He was an attorney, who practiced law in the Atlanta area from 1964 until 1996, when he moved to Peachtree City. In his years as an attorney, he prepared Wills for over 3,800 clients. He specialized in probate and estate matters and was respected by attorneys, judges, and clients. After moving to Peachtree City, John became a partner in the Fayette Law Group with Mary Lynn Kirby, Bridget Palmer, and Victoria Fairell. He was recognized as a “Super Lawyer” in 2008 and 2009. John was happy that in his lifetime, he had encouraged many of his clients to leave in their wills or give away some of their assets to worthy charitable causes.

John was an active and charter member of the Peachtree-Atlanta Kiwanis Club, as well as being a member of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, and the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He was a member of the Fayette County Bar and Georgia Bar Associations.

A graduate of Tucker High School, class of 1955, he graduated from Davidson College in 1959 and Emory Law School in 1964. He served in the US Army in Okinawa in 1960 and 1961. He ultimately retired from the Army Reserves as a captain.

He was a very active member of Central Presbyterian Church, Atlanta where he had served as Deacon, Elder and Trustee. He also helped establish the non-profit, Children’s Literature for Children, and traveled to Kenya a number of times in that capacity.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Kemie Richards Nix; his brother, Joe Nix; his daughter, Mary Evelyn Nix Hollowell; his son, John Arthur Nix and his wife, Abi Joy Nix. John took great pride in his grandchildren, Sophie and Kate Hollowell, and David, Mateo, and Eden Nix.

A memorial service will be held at Central Presbyterian Church, Atlanta on Sunday, August 28, 2022 at 2:00 PM. Burial will be in the church’s memorial garden. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts are requested for Children’s Literature for Children, 2017 Woodland Brook Ln. Atlanta, GA 30339, https://childrensliterature.org/. Mowell Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Peachtree City – www.mo wells.com