Davidson College – In Memoriam
Davidson College Alumni & Friends Obituaries
Mr. Levi Anthony Jordan, II made his eternal transition on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
Sarah L. Carter’s Funeral Home Northside is serving the Family.
On February 10, 2023, there will be a viewing at Northside Chapel of Sarah L. Carter’s from 5 pm to 7 pm. The address is 6665 New Kings Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32219.
On Saturday, February 11, 2023 there will be a Home Going Service at 10 am at Southside COGIC. The address is 2179 Emerson Street, Jacksonville, Florida, 32207.
Janet Morris Jones was delivered into God’s hands on January 4, 2023 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by family. Janet was a strong woman who lived life to the fullest and will be lovingly remembered as a devoted wife, mother, daughter, and friend to all who knew her.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm on Monday, January 30, 2023 at the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, NC. A graveside inurnment service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, January 27, 2023 at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Greensboro, NC.
Janet was born January 30, 1964 in Boston, MA to Mary Gertrude Lanergan and George Edward Morris, Jr. She graduated from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, CT in 1981 and Davidson College in Davidson, NC in 1985. While at Davidson, Janet participated in a study abroad program, Semester at Sea, that allowed her the privilege of visiting 11 countries. It sparked her lifetime love of travel that she later shared with her husband and children.
After college, Janet moved to New York City to work as an Institutional Equity Sales Trader at Cowen & Co. During that time, she met the love of her life and husband, Tim. They met in 1987 and married in 1990 at Christ Church in Greenwich, CT.
Janet left the investment industry to attend Pace University Law School in White Plains, NY, graduating in 1993. Janet and Tim moved to Dallas, TX in 1993 and Janet joined International Concepts Group as General Counsel. Their three children were born in Dallas: George Ryan Jones, Graham Stansel Jones, and Charlotte Mary Jones.
In 2003, Janet and Tim moved their young family to Chapel Hill, NC to be closer to family and friends. Janet joined the management of a closely held family investment partnership to help with investment strategy, corporate governance, charitable giving, and succession planning. She was a member of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and, through the business, a member of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE).
In 2021, Janet and Tim retired and bought a home in Wilmington, NC on the Intracoastal Waterway and split their time between Chapel Hill and Wilmington. Janet loved being on the water, walking the beach, enjoying the birds, dolphins, and other wildlife, as well as participating in her favorite water sports.
Janet was very involved as a community volunteer. Beginning in 1998, she was a Guardian Ad Litem, representing abused, neglected, and dependent children, giving them a voice in court. For years she was a school and church volunteer where her children attended. Until her sudden illness, she was on the board of directors and served as Secretary of the Landfall Foundation in Wilmington, NC.
In addition to her husband Tim, Janet is survived by her children, Ryan, Graham, and Charlotte; her mother Mary Morris and father George Morris of Chapel Hill, NC; her brother Edward Morris and his wife Nancy of Hingham, MA, and their children Charles Edward, Hilary Jane, and Avery Ann.
Janet felt closest to God when in nature. She asks when remembering her, that you hold those you love tight and take time to hike the mountain, dive the coral reef, take a walk in the woods and on the beach, and explore our beautiful world. Enjoy every moment. Life is precious.
Memorial gifts may be made to UNC Lineberger Pancreatic Cancer Center.
Tracy Karen Koogler, MD, of Chicago, Illinois, daughter of Linda Rosen Koogler and the late William Mangus Koogler, II, died on December 28, 2022 at the home of her mother in Raphine. She was born on July 15, 1966 in Richmond. She is survived by her brother, William Todd (Royanne); nieces, Lindsay Ryan and Madison Bailey; step-nieces, Josephine Emilia Rose Dell and Frances Victoria Brooks Dell; uncles, Melvin E. Rosen, Jr. (Peggie) and Fred P. Rosen, Ph.D.; and aunt, Betty Lou Harlow Koogler; several cousins and a special friend, Mark Schimmelpfennig. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her grandparents, Melvin E. and Nina Bell Brubeck Rosen, William Vincent and Mildred Earhart Koogler; uncle, Douglas Wayne Koogler, and aunt, Margaret Whittle Rosen.
Tracy graduated from L. C. Bird High School, Chesterfield, in 1984; Davidson College in 1988; and the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1992. She trained in Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She began her career at the University of Chicago as an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics section of Anesthesia and Critical Care. She completed the MacLean Ethics Fellowship and became active in ethics consults. During her career, she was promoted to associate professor, a co-director of the Clinical Ethics Consultation Service, and an assistant director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She was also active in Pediatric Research in Medical Ethics (PRIME). Tracy was the doctor caring for pediatric patients in the burn unit as well as her assignment in the PICU. In addition, Tracy was passionate about protecting the results of human subjects in research and served as vice-chair of the University of Chicago Institutional Review Board for many years. In 2020, Tracy was named the Distinguished Clinician in the Distinguished Faculty Awards at the University of Chicago.
Tracy is a member of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago serving as Deacon and Elder. She visited South Africa in 2018 as part of a choir trip. Her two greatest loves for fun are sailing on Lake Michigan and watching the Davidson Wildcats and UVA Wahoos play basketball. She attended multiple ACC tournaments and was present when UVA won the National Championship in 2019.
She requests memorial donations be made to The Fund for Davidson (Diversity and Inclusion), Box 7170, Davidson, NC 28036-7170; Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 East Chestnut Street, Chicago, IL 60611-2014; or Northwestern Memorial Foundation, attn: Lou and Jean Maluati Brain Tumor Institute, 541 North Fairbanks Court, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60611. Tracy requests cremation with ashes returned to Chicago. The family will receive friends from 4:00-5:00 and from 6:00 until 8:00 on Monday, January 2, 2023 in the Henry Funeral Home, Staunton, Virginia. A memorial service will be held at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago at a later date. Condolences may be made online to the family at www.henryfuneralhome.net.
Dr. James (“Jim”) E. Bowsher, PhD, 64, of Durham, NC, passed away suddenly and peacefully on December 3, 2022 in Kunshan, China. Jim grew up in Augusta, GA and graduated from Evans High School in 1976. He completed his under graduate degree at Davidson College and obtained his doctorate degree in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His extensive career with Duke Medical University spanned more than thirty years with a focus in medical physics, research and academia.
At the time of his passing, Jim was an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Medical Physics program at Duke Kunshan University located in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China. He was one of the longest serving faculty members and was highly respected by his students from across the world, his colleagues, friends, and family. Jim was extremely instrumental in the development and success of the graduate program and because of his deep commitment to the program, his students and the teaching profession, he received honors at Duke Kunshan University and beyond, including the university’s Teaching of Excellence award and the Foreign Scholar Award from the Jiangsu Provincial Government.
Outside of work, Jim enjoyed a love of music, playing guitar, spending time with friends and family, hiking and supporting environmental conservation. He was incredibly kind with a great sense of humor, optimistic view of life and zeal for helping others. He will be dearly missed.
Jim is survived by his loving father and stepmother, Dr. H. Fred Bowsher, Jr. (Linda), two adoring sisters, Jennifer Baden (Joe), Janet B. Howser (Onley), six nieces and nephews, and his partner, Linda Anderson. He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Dr. Juanita Bowsher.
In celebration of Jim’s life, a memorial service will be held in Augusta, GA at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Road on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 3:00pm. Visitation with the family will take place one hour preceding and one hour following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Nature Conservancy.
Gary Allen Sims Jr., 62, of Salisbury, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022, at Novant Health Rowan Medical Center.
Born Sept. 17, 1960, in Cabarrus County, he was the son of Ada Fink Sims and the late Gary Allen Sims Sr. Gary graduated from Concord High School’s Class of 1978, where he played football and baseball and from Davidson College’s Class of 1982. He played football at Davidson and was proud to be a Wildcat. He began his career as a teacher at Concord Middle School and serving a few other schools. He later worked for the NCDMV as a driver education specialist and retired as supervisor.
Following his retirement, he worked in the TMU Unit at Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and was an on-campus transportation driver at UNC Charlotte.
Gary loved his family, watching his nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews play sports. He loved watching sports on TV and playing golf. Gary also loved going to the beach with Lisa for special getaways. He was an Eagle Scout and taught himself to play the bass guitar and serve on the Praise Band at Salem Lutheran Church.
Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 39 years, Lisa Vanderford Sims; mother, Ada Fink Sims; sister, Donna Sims; cousin, Jeff Bowling; mother-in-law, JoAnn V. Alessandrini; two sisters-in-law, Judy (Kenny) Jones and Linda (Brian) Corcoran; nieces and nephews, Natalie Morgan, Wesley (Meredith) Jones, Anna (Zeb) Winslow; Brianna Corocran and Erin Corcoran, and Chrissy (Marshall) Braden, Katie (Vince) Ewell; and 10 great-nieces and -nephews.
The family will receive friends Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., at He’s Alive Church, 1310 N Cannon Blvd. in Kannapolis. The celebration of life service will begin at 11 a.m., in the church sanctuary, with Pastor Bill Coleman and Pastor Doug Hardin officiating.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741 or the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231.