Category: 1960

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David LeGarde McCullough ’60

David LeGarde McCullough, 84, passed away on October 17, 2022, at Arbor Acres Retirement Community. He fought a long, courageous battle.

Dave was born in Chattanooga, TN, on February 11, 1938, to the Reverend Doctor Henry Antine McCullough and Katherine Johnston McCullough. The son, grandson, and nephew of Lutheran ministers, Dave’s life values of faith, integrity, fairness, humility, and a strong work ethic emerged early in life.

Dave attended public schools in Columbia, SC and Lincolnton, NC. While at Lincolnton High School, he excelled in academics, football, and basketball. Earning a full scholarship in football to Davidson College, he studied Pre Medicine and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Cum Laude with a BS in 1960. In addition, Dave was awarded a full academic Reynolds Scholarship to Bowman Gray School of Medicine (now Wake Forest University School of Medicine), where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha.

Summers during college and after his first year of medical school, Dave worked at a resort in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, where many Southern students were employed. The summer of his fourth year, he met a fellow staff member, Carroll Lisenby, from Alabama. Theirs was an immediate attraction and a serious relationship developed. At the close of the summer season and time to return to separate schools, these two instead chose to elope. Even though the courtship was brief, this loving, devoted partnership lasted 61 years and included moves to seven different states.

Dave and Carroll lived in Winston-Salem until Dave graduated from med school in 1964. During that time, they formed many close relationships and experienced celebrations and sadness with the death of their first child, David L. McCullough, Jr., at one-month-old.

Following medical school, Dave served a surgical internship and first-year surgical residency at University Hospital (Case Western Reserve) in Cleveland, Ohio. After that, he entered the US Air Force serving as Captain in General Surgery for two years in Tampa, FL. Following military service, he was a Urologic Fellow at Baylor in Houston, TX, and then completed his residency in Urology at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard program in Boston. Following residency, Dave joined the faculty in Urology at the University of California San Diego and served as Chief of Urology at San Diego Veterans Hospital. During his time in California, daughters Meredith and Caroline were born.

In 1975, Dave accepted the position of Professor and Chair of Urology at the new University of South Alabama School of Medicine, where he served for five years. While in Mobile, their son, Jay, was born. In 1983, Dave’s alma mater called him back to Wake Forest to be Professor and Chair of Urology, a position he held for 21 years. Following retirement, he served as Professor Emeritus. This period of time was marked by great joy for the family and later profound sadness with the untimely death of their eighteen-year-old daughter, Caroline in 1992.

Throughout his career, Dave achieved great admiration and success in his field, both nationally and internationally. Recognition includes President of the American Board of Urology, President of the American Association of GU Surgeons, American Urological Association (AUA) Board of Directors, President of the Southeast Section of the AUA, Chair of the first national Lithotriptor Committee, Chair of Education with the AUA, selected to represent the AUA in Europe in the exchange program with the European Association of Urology, Distinguished Alumnus Award at Davidson College, Hendrix Award recipient which is presented to a Davidson football letterman who achieves outstanding success in his chosen profession, Medical Association Distinguished Achievement Award at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Hugh Hampton Young Award (one of the top two awards presented by the AUA), and many other accolades. In addition to editing and publishing book chapters and textbooks, scientific articles, and journals, he participated in numerous visiting professorships.

Of course, these awards recognized Dave’s contributions to the medical community, but one of his most significant accomplishments was his title of “World’s Best Grandfather.” Nothing pleased him more than teaching his grandchildren the finer points of making ham and cheese omelets, a perfect batch of homemade popcorn, or enjoying a breakfast spread. Times together at the beach provided many opportunities for storytelling (with eye rolls from Meredith and Jay), jokes, and life lessons. He emphasized the importance of learning new things. His “grandfather name” was Mac, and nothing thrilled him more than when the grandkids could finally say his name and call out to him! He was his grandchildren’s biggest fan and served as a cheerleader from the sidelines in many athletic competitions. He treasured watching his grandchildren play sports. He was a wonderful father, and he was an even better grandfather.

Dave wore many different hats: surgeon, teacher, mentor, leader, family man, and friend. He felt that patient care was a privilege and enjoyed his association with the residents in the Urology program. As a good leader, he taught by example. Even when enduring obstacles, he did so with grace and resolve. He was Dave, Doc, Dr. Dave, Mac, “Muletrain” to his football teammates, and “Good Deal” to his classmates and friends for his ability to find the best bargains. Dave enjoyed learning about his Scottish heritage, history, all things World War II, traveling with family, tennis, investments, life on the water at Mobile Bay, Wake Forest and Davidson athletics, the Panthers, participation in Downtown Rotary, and cheering on his grandchildren.

Dave is preceded in death by his beloved parents, children David and Caroline, and his brother, William McCullough. He is survived by his wife, Carroll, daughter Meredith (Win Welch), son Jay (Nacole), his sister Katherine Trexler (Robert), his sister-in-law Jeanette McCullough and seven grandchildren: Caroline, Edwin, and Henry Welch, Logan Hall, and Eli, Jace and Asher McCullough.

Dave was known for his humble nature, wit, wisdom, and belief that all people were worthy of respect. A celebration of life will be held on October 26 at 11:00 am at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 520 Summit Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, with a reception following at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Wake Forest University School of Medicine and reference the McCullough Scholarship Fund in the memo line. Mail to: Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, P.O. Box 571021, Winston Salem, NC 27157-1021. Gifts may also be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church or to a charity of one’s choosing.

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Daniel McAlister ’60

Daniel Kenney McAlister (“Dan”) died at daybreak on Sunday, October 9, 2022 where he met the sunrise and the great mystery beyond in peace and without distress with his wife of 61 years, Martha “Bonnie” McAlister, by his side. Those who knew Dan recall the ever-present twinkle in his eyes – a spark that did not diminish despite a fierce and valiant battle against the Acute Myeloid Leukemia to which he ultimately succumbed.

Dan was born in New York City in 1938, the son of James Schubal McAlister (Spray and Greensboro, North Carolina) and Elizabeth “Betty” Sloan McAlister (Franklin, North Carolina). He grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey and graduated from Columbia High School, Davidson College, Duke University Law School, and the University of North Carolina Executive Program, having married his beloved wife Bonnie along the way. They lived in Charlotte, North Carolina (twice) and Greensboro, North Carolina (twice) and loved their time in both. Over the course of two decades, Dan and Bonnie grew their family by five children, each of whom carry with them the intentionally instilled values of humility, the pursuit of life-long learning, community involvement, service to others, and above all, humor. Anyone who spent more than a few moments with Dan can attest to the way he wove humor into the otherwise ordinariness of life, leaving in his wake laughter and joy.

Dan spent most of his career with Jefferson-Pilot Communications Company (JPCC), the radio/tv/sports production arm of Jefferson-Pilot Corporation, as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. JPCC owned and operated a nationwide group of radio and television stations and was an innovative force in the production and syndication of college sports telecasts. While Dan’s humility precluded him from divulging his integral role in crafting the contracts central to JPCC’s place in the evolution of college sports broadcasting, the fact remains that his role was significant and left its mark in the advancement of televising both the Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference games we enjoy to this day.

Dan believed strongly in community service. His lifetime of service began as an Eagle Scout while still in High School. He later served as an Elder at First Presbyterian Church (Greensboro, North Carolina) and at Myers Park Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, North Carolina). He spent many years as Board Chair of the Greensboro Cerebral Palsy Association and had a significant role in the creation of Gateway Education Center, a public school for orthopedically handicapped and medically fragile children; served as Board Chair and was a co-founder of Bell House, a group home for orthopedically handicapped adults; served as Board Chair of Eastern Music Festival, the Bel Canto Company, and the Greensboro Public Schools Excellence Fund; served as a Director of the Greensboro History Museum, Triad Stage, United Arts Council, Carolina Theater Commission, and the Charlotte Oratorio Society; was an United Arts Fund Chair; and served on the WFDD and WDAV Advisory Boards. In addition to these community-facing roles, Dan valued the benefit of anonymous service to others. To that end, he spent many years hidden behind a portable puppet stage as “Aarvy the Aardvark” in a hospice puppet show about grief and loss presented by the Kids Path Program for third graders across the Guilford County School System. Over the years, he helped thousands of young children explore the reality that loss is a part of life.

It was with that same focus on acceptance of loss that he met his most recent journey with cancer. Through messages to friends across the country, meaningful conversations with his family, and posts penned to his CaringBridge site, he reminded those who loved him that the impending end of his own life is a loss to be met with gratitude for the fullness he packed into 84 years. In a recent letter to neighbors Dan mused “to my mind, this [terminal illness] is not bothersome in the least. I am 84, I am perfectly comfortable with the fact that I will die and, compared to any number of alternative exits, this one really is pretty good. Plenty of time to get things in order, somewhat of a schedule, and no sudden surprise ending.” His family and friends take great comfort in knowing the deep spiritual peace with which Dan met his final sunrise. To live a life to be emulated is an admirable feat; to walk bravely towards death while still modeling to those you leave behind that each moment given to us is a gift to be savored is an accomplishment few can claim. The life lessons Dan leaves in his wake will reverberate for generations through his children, grandchildren, and countless others whose lives were made brighter by his presence. His spark is not dulled by death but, instead, grows brighter through the lives of those left behind.

Dan is survived by his wife Bonnie and their children Sloan McAlister Dudley (Jimmy; children Will, Woodson, and Hallie; Charlotte, North Carolina), Mollie McAlister Jones (Greg; children Jack, Riley, and Cooper; Greensboro, North Carolina), Alec McAlister (Nancy; children Hank, Macy, and Eli; Greensboro, North Carolina), Katie McAlister Wangelin (Chris; children Lily, Siler, and Kenney; Greensboro, North Carolina), and J.D. McAlister (Liz; children Worth and Coeburn; Huntersville, North Carolina), brother Jim McAlister (wife Jane; Redding, Connecticut) Sister-in-Law Amy Gardner (husband Charlie; Silver Spring, Maryland), numerous cherished cousins, nieces, and nephews, and his adoring cat Sylvia. He is predeceased by many beloved family members and friends, which is natural given his age. Additionally, he is predeceased by pets Ralph, Professor Gabel, Bruce, Charcoal, Silver-Bullet the fish, Gator, Jigsaw, Mason, Dixon, Yankee, Boris, Boo, Maggi, Vito, and other animals whose names escape the family at this time.

A celebration of Dan’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 16th at First Presbyterian Church, located at 617 N. Elm Street, Greensboro, North Carolina 27401. The service will be followed by a reception in the Mullin Life Center at First Presbyterian. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.haneslineberryfhorthelm.com. The family wishes to thank the medical team members from the Cone Health System, the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical System, WellSpring Life Plan Community, and AuthoraCare Collective for their caring support of Dan during his illness. In lieu of flowers, the McAlister family requests that you consider a memorial contribution to First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro. The family is also delighted to learn of anonymous acts of service you perform in honor of Dan’s spark.

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Alfred F. Mackay ’60

Alfred F. Mackay of Oberlin, Ohio, was born October 1st, 1938 in Ocala Florida, and died on September 29th, 2022.

He graduated from Ocala High school in 1956, and later from Davidson College. He served in the US Army Airborne for two years before attending the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he earned a PHD. He was hired to serve Oberlin College in 1967and retired in 2011. For most of those years he taught Philosophy. For one decade he served as the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, and later served a few years as Provost.

Philosophy was a field that just suited him. He could think thoughts in many directions and write about most of them. He enjoyed sharing these with his students and was a gifted teacher. Alfred loved music and was a singer, a generally quiet person with a quick sense of humor. And he was kind.

His immediate family, wife Ann; sons Douglas (Nury) of Charlotte and Robert (Susan) and grandchildren Sophie, Max and Stella of Portland, Oregon miss him and cherish the time they had with him. His siblings George (Lynn), Buddy (Anne), and Elizabeth Fisher (Bob) survive him.

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William Sutton “Sutt” Alexander ’60

Sutt Alexander’s business card in retirement read “Will respond to gardening, golf, fishing.” Sutt passed away at his Sharon Towers home on August 3, 2022. He was the son of William Sutton Alexander, Sr. and Louise Dunavant Alexander. Born in 1938 in Charlotte, he graduated from Myers Park High School in 1956, where he led the Mustang State Championship Golf Team. A graduate of Davidson College, Sutt also led the Wildcats to win the Southern Conference Championship Golf Tournament in the same year. He was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He married his high school sweetheart “Dotty” in 1961 at Myers Park United Methodist Church, where he remained a lifelong member. Sutt was an honorary member of the Carolina Golf Club and a past member of the Charlotte Country Club. He grew up in a golfing family. His grandmother Louise Wert Dunavant built the Carolina Golf Course in 1929 and Sutt grew up working at the course helping his father. He worked in management at New York Life Insurance Company for forty years and retired to the family farm on Old Providence Road (now Sutton Hall). He spent his retirement gardening, enjoying Caswell Beach and Lake Norman. His silver queen corn flanked by sunflowers and his pop-up vegetable stand became a summertime favorite for all.

Sutt is survived by his wife, Dotty; daughters, Chris Fitzgerald and her husband, John and Anna Jacobs and her husband, Jay; grandchildren; Lydia Gailey and husband, Jake, Ben Fitzgerald and wife, Mary, Louisa Jacobs, Alex Fitzgerald, and John Jacobs IV. He had four great-grandchildren; William Wesley and Anna Brooks Gailey and Thomas Arthur and Raelyn Christine Fitzgerald.

A memorial service will be held Friday, August 12, 2022 at 2:00 PM at Myers Park United Methodist Church with a reception following in Jubilee Hall. The Reverend Bill Roth will officiate.

Those wishing to remember Sutt are invited to donate to the Wesley Warriors Foundation Fund supporting families facing childhood cancer. Visit https://www.ngcf.org/wesleywarriors/.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC; 28204 (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.

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Charles A. Engh ’60

On May 30, 2022, Charles A. Engh, Sr., of Alexandria, VA and most recently of Stuart, FL. passed away peacefully. Born September 13, 1938, in Alexandria, VA and preceded in death by his parents Otto and Sara Engh.

“Dr. Charles”, as he was fondly called by his patients, was an internationally renowned total hip arthroplasty surgeon and a pioneer in the development of the porous-coated cementless implant for hips; an innovation that has changed the nature of joint replacement surgery worldwide. He received his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College in North Carolina and attended medical school at the University of Virginia. He completed his orthopaedic residency at Johns Hopkins and a fellowship at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC.

He practiced at National Hospital for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation in Arlington, Virginia from 1972 through 1993, which was started by his father, Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic founder, Otto Engh. From 1993 until his retirement in 2010 he practiced at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital in Alexandria Virginia.

Throughout his career he focused on patient care pathways to improve the quality and consistency of the hip replacement experience.

At the start of his practice, he was one of two surgeons in the Washington, DC area with an FDA license to use bone cement. Failures of cemented implants fueled his desire to find another method. In 1985 his work with cementless femoral fixation led to the first implant approved by the FDA for use without cement. He was an ardent advocate for biologic fixation even when most leading hip replacement centers in the United States were just using cement. He believed that cementless implants would provide long-term fixation and his autopsy studies proved that his theories were correct.

Charles established the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute (AORI) in 1972. It continues to provide ground-breaking research relating to total joint arthroplasty. Reviewing data collected on his patients enabled him to understand what contributed to the success of hip replacement. He was the first in the country to have data on the outcomes from cementless hip implants. Throughout his career the goal of his research was to develop a hip replacement that would serve patients for their entire lives. Along with his clinical and research work, he was instrumental in the development of the Anderson Clinic Post-Graduate Medical Education Foundation which has trained over 100 hip and knee arthroplasty fellows since 1983. He took great pride in mentoring fellows to support the next generation of orthopedists.

He was the winner of several prestigious awards including, The Hip Society’s John Charnley and Otto Aufranc awards, the AAHKS Lawrence D. Dorr award twice, and in 2013 – The Hip Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He published over 190 articles in orthopedic journals and 19 book chapters, as well as a book on joint replacement.

All who knew Charles will remember him for his love of sailing and spending time at his home on St. Leonard’s Creek in Lusby, Maryland. Charles was an avid sailor, a passion he developed as a boy sailing on a small pond at Effingham, his family’s farm in Virginia. He enjoyed spending time on the water, whether it be sailboat racing on the Chesapeake Bay or sailing in the Caribbean during the winter.

When not racing his sailboat or on the water Charles could be found at his home in Maryland. He had an eye for beauty and making his surroundings a place for all to enjoy. He had a passion for antiques, architectural and landscape design. He spent much of his free time at antique auctions or designing and planting at his Maryland home.

Charles is survived by his brother, Gerard A. Engh and sister, Sally E. Reger; former wife, Eleanor B. Engh; children: Charles A. Engh Jr. (Anna), Eleanor “Rusty” Golden (Kevin), Elizabeth E. Ware (Dudley); six grandchildren: Catherine and Charlie Engh, Emily Golden, Liza, Guil and Cate Ware; and Cassandra Robbins.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute at http://www.aori.org/