Category: 1972

Ronald W. Crockett Jr., age 72, of Bristol, Tennessee passed away on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at Bristol Regional Medical Center. Ron was a native of Bristol, Tennessee.

He was a graduate and valedictorian of Tennessee High School. After graduation Ron attended Davidson College and continued his education at Vanderbilt University where he received his Bachelor of Engineering degree. He then went on to earn a Master of Science degree in engineering from the University of Illinois.

Ron was an employee at Bristol Steel and Iron Works, Inc. from 1973 until 1988. He was then employed with American Bridge Company where he worked as a civil engineer and Vice President for many years. Ron proudly served as project manager for many notable works including the Tagus Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal, Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, Canada, and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California. He retired from American Bridge Company in 2016.

Ron was an Eagle Scout, as well as a Scout Leader which allowed him to embrace his love for the outdoors. He was an active member of his community and was involved in many organizations: United Way of Bristol (Board of Directors), The Salvation Army, Family Promise, The Community Development Advisory Committee, and Help for Haiti Children’s Shelter. He was also an active member of State Street United Methodist Church.

Ron is survived by his wife of 42 years, Lois Tudor Crockett; mother, Joan Z. Crockett; daughter, Jennifer L. Lawson; son, Philip J. Lawson; sister, Jennifer Deal (Preston); niece, Andrea Powell (Jason) and children; nephews, Brian Deal (Jessica) and children, Brad Deal (Bethany) and their daughter.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, October 2,2022, at State Street United Methodist Church, 650 Valley Drive Bristol, VA 24201 at 2:00 P.M with Rev. Laura Rasor officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to United Way of Bristol, P.O. Box 696, Bristol, TN 37620 or Help for Haiti Children’s Shelter payable to State Street United Methodist Church, stating “Haiti” in the memo, 650 Valley Drive Bristol, VA 24201. Condolences and memories may be left for the family at akardfuneralhome.com. Akard Funeral Home, (423-989-4800) is honored to be serving the Crockett family.

Dr. Allen Rasheed, age 72, died at home surrounded by his family on June 17, 2022, after battling glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer, for over seven months. Allen worked for more than 30 years in private practice as a periodontist and taught as a clinical professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. He devoted himself to training and mentoring aspiring periodontists, while unfailingly bringing warmth, compassion, and humor to his practice.
Allen’s true joy in life, however, was his family. Friends and colleagues have said that Allen’s favorite pastime was lovingly bragging on the achievements of his children, Elizabeth and Richard. But he loved being there to support and encourage his kids through every step of life even more than he loved talking about them afterwards. An Eagle Scout himself, Allen relished volunteering with Richard’s Boy Scout troops and cooking on campouts. He was a dedicated “prop pop” through Elizabeth and Richard’s years in high school marching band and became a regular attendee and amateur videographer of every home football game, basketball game, and jazz concert at Furman University at which Richard performed on the bass guitar. Allen was also an avid fan of Elizabeth’s Duke Blue Devils.
Allen was born to Rateeba and Rasheed M. Rasheed on January 25, 1950, and grew up in Georgetown, South Carolina. While he was less keen to brag on his own achievements, Allen had a decorated academic and military career, graduating with a B.S. from Davidson College, an M.S. from Clemson University, a D.M.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina, and a Certificate and M.S. in Periodontics from the Medical College of Georgia. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve at the rank of Colonel after 38 years of service.
Allen is survived by his wife Kathie Rasheed, his children Elizabeth and Richard Rasheed, his sister Nadia Rasheed Black and brother Kamile Rasheed, and his loving in-laws and nieces and nephews, as well as his numerous Lebanese cousins.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Georgetown Presbyterian Church on Monday, June 20, at 11:00 a.m. Officiating will be the Rev. Dr. Corey Ingold. Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University, DUMC 3624, Durham, NC, 27710.
Please sign a guestbook at: www.mayerfuneralhome.com.
The Georgetown Chapel of Mayer-Ethridge Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Dr. John Lacy Mclean III late of Marshall MO, (Johnny to family and Doc to students) passed away at the age of 71 on Dec 30, 2021.  John was a beloved English professor at 9 Universities / Colleges and taught over 10,000 students during his career.  John thoroughly enjoyed teaching and never viewed it as work. His main goal, as a teacher, was to make college fun for his students. Socratic discourse drove spirited discussion in the classroom. Those discussions carried over into a decades long poker game where Doc forged lifelong friendships. Free time was spent as an amateur historian with a keen focus on presidential succession and particular focus on the Kennedy assassination. 

John was preceded in death by his Mother Edna Adams McLean and his Father, John Lacy McLean Jr both of Greenville SC.  He is survived by his Sister Mary Tyner of Suwanee GA, Brother Tom McLean of Hoschton GA, two nephews Will Tyner of Nashville TN, Thomas Tyner of Birmingham Alabama, two nieces Perrin Mayne of Nashville TN, and Morgan Shelly of Commerce Georgia.

John’s cremains will be buried in Greenville SC at Woodlawn Cemetery next to his mother.  No formal service is planned. 

Donations can be made to Missouri Valley College Institutional Development either by Mail at 500 East College, Marshall MO 65340 or online at MoVal.edu.  Please put John L Mclean Donation in the appropriate places.

Frank Soos, of Fairbanks, Alaska, creative writing professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and former Alaska State Writer Laureate, died in a solo bicycle accident on August 20. The accident occurred in Maine, where he and his wife Margo Klass spend a portion of each summer. He was 70 years old.

Frank was raised in Pocahontas, Virginia. His southern voice comes through in essays and stories that often refer to his hometown. There his parents, Frank and Genevieve Soos, ran a grocery store where Frank and his brother Tom learned the value of community and hard work.

After graduating from Davidson College in 1972, Frank taught at Mooresville Senior High. In 1981 he graduated from University of Arkansas with an MFA before teaching for five years at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. In 1986 he moved to Alaska to teach creative writing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He retired as professor emeritus in 2004.

Frank was a consummate educator and mentored a generation of students. Among his greatest joys was seeing their work published. As Alaska State Writer, 2014-2016, Frank promoted these richly talented Alaskan writers.

Frank published two volumes of short stories, Early Yet (1998) and Unified Field Theory (recipient of the Flannery O’Connor Award, 1998), as well as two collections of essays, Bamboo Fly Rod Suite (1999), and Unpleasantries (2016). With Kes Woodward he co-edited Under Northern Lights: Writers and Artists View the Alaskan Landscape (2000). A collaborative work, Double Moon, combines mini-essays with the work of his wife, artist Margo Klass. The Team We Got, an unpublished work, features the 1962-63 Pocahontas High School basketball team. A new collection of stories, The Getting Place, will soon be published.

Frank was close to his brother Tom Soos and his wife Anna Rice of Cornelius, North Carolina, and to Margo’s children and their families, Wil Klass and his son Quinlan of Amherst, Massachusetts, and Dan and Ingrid Torinus and their daughter Molly of Middleton, Wisconsin.

Memorials will take place in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Corea, Maine.

Contributions in Frank’s honor may be made to Davidson College: Box 7170, Davidson, NC 28035 or davidson.edu/makeagift

The Frank Soos Creative Writing Scholarship has also been established at the University of Alaska Fairbanks: Box 755080, Fairbanks, AK 99775 or http://engage.alaska.edu

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William Howard Boyd, Jr., 70, born July 5, 1950, died on June 20, 2021.

Howard is survived by his wife of 45 years, Susan Sherer Boyd, his son William Howard Boyd, III, his son Thomas Beattie Boyd, Sr., his daughter-in-law Jamie Leigh Boyd, his grandson Thomas Beattie Boyd, Jr., his sister Betty Anne Domm (Terry), his brother Jim Boyd (Joanie), his brother-in-law Tom Sherer (Judy), and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was predeceased by his father, William Howard Boyd, Sr., his mother Anne Paisley Boyd, and his sister Margaret Maguire.

Howard graduated from Davidson College in 1972. After serving two years in The United States Army, he attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, and graduated cum laude in 1977 as a member of the Order of the Wig and Robe. He was also Editor of the Law Review. Howard then practiced law as an attorney for his firm Gallivan, White and Boyd for over 40 years, where he was a partner and shareholder.

In this capacity, he led the business and commercial litigation team, handling over 200 jury trials and numerous appeals. Howard was a member of the American Bar Association, American Board of Trial Advocates, South Carolina Bar Association, Greenville County Bar Association, South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association, the Defense Research Institute, and he was also recognized by Best Lawyers in America in several practice areas.

Howard was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he served as an Elder, taught Sunday School, and served on various committees. Additionally, Howard was passionate about working for the Greenville community. He worked diligently for United Way of Greenville County as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chair of the Palmetto Society, and the Campaign Chair. Howard was a Riley Fellow, a graduate of the Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative at Furman University.

Howard further served the community as General Counsel for the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Leadership Greenville Alumni Association, President of the Greater Greenville Davidson Alumni Association, Chairman of the Board for the Upcountry History Museum, Board Member for the Boy Scouts of America, and Chairman of the Board for Coaches for Character.

Howard also served as President of the Downtown Sertoma Club, and was once selected as Sertoman of the Year.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, June 27th, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2310 Augusta St., Greenville, SC 29605.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2310 Augusta St., Greenville, SC 29605, and also to United Way of Greenville County, 105 Edinburgh Court, Greenville, SC, 29607.

Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.thomasmcafee.com.

Published by The State on Jun. 25, 2021.