Honor Guard
Honor Guard
Easley Stone Smith ’45
1924 - 2021
Easley Smith died Feb. 2. He enrolled at Virginia Tech in 1941 and attended four quarters before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He completed a rigorous program to earn a commission as a second lieutenant and his wings as a B-24 Liberator pilot at age 19. He completed a tour of 25 missions. He completed his enlistment duty stateside and returned to Virginia Tech for the winter quarter 1946. He graduated in 1948 and began a career as a sales representative. He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen. He is survived by three sons.
Richard Borgee Blauvelt ’53
1930 - 2021
Lt. Col. Richard Blauvelt (retired) died Feb. 6. He was a member of the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1953. He commissioned into the U.S. Army, where he served for 21 years, including tours in Japan, Germany, and Vietnam. His awards include a Bronze Star, a Department of the Army Commendation, the Legion of Merit, and a Meritorious Service Medal. He retired in 1974 and started a second career in rural New Hampshire. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia, and survived by a daughter, two sons, and two stepsons.
Edward James Goodman ’55
1928 – 2020
Edward J. Goodman died April 22, 2020. He attended Virginia Tech from 1947 to 1951. He left college to enlist in the Army. Upon his discharge, he returned to Virginia Tech to finish his degree. He graduated in 1955 as a civil engineer and was hired by Bethlehem Steel in Dundalk, Maryland, as a blast furnace master mechanic. He retired in 1984. He also served as a second lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Margaret. Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Nina; a daughter; a son; a step-daughter; and two step-sons.
Franklin Delano Robertson ’56
1934 – 2021
Franklin “Red” Robertson died Jan. 17. He attended Virginia Tech, serving as a company commander and earning a degree in mining engineering. He worked in the mining industry until 1964, when he attended law school. He then practiced law, eventually forming a law firm. He helped found the Grundy (Virginia) Wrestling Club, coordinated SAT test prep, wrote recommendations for seniors, and founded the Buchanan County (Virginia) Apple Award for teachers. He a member of the Ut Prosim Society and the Academy of Engineering Excellence. Among his survivors are his wife, Bobbie Kern Robertson; their daughter; and three sons.
Robert Earl Scruggs ’56
1932 - 2020
Robert Earl Scruggs died Nov. 19, 2020. He was a graduate of Hopewell (Virginia) High School class of 1951, where he played on the football team that won three state championships. He then attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1956. He was a scholarship athlete in both football and baseball, as well as a member of the Corps of Cadets and Air Force ROTC. He served in the U.S. Air Force for three years, then went on to work for Verizon (formerly C&P Telephone Co.), retiring after 40 years. He is survived by his wife, Cora; a daughter; and two sons.
Robert Lamont Burkey ’57
1935 - 2020
Robert “Bob” Burkey died Dec. 16, 2020. He was a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in civil engineering. He was commissioned into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he served for two years. He then worked for the Virginia Department of Highways, and later joined Sanford Construction Co., where he worked his way up to president. He served in many areas of the North Carolina Road Builders Association and the Virginia Road Builders Association. He is survived by his wife, Louise Danner Burkey, and three sons.
Ernest William Zirkle ’58
1936 - 2021
Ernest William Zirkle died Jan. 30. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1958 and the University of Georgia School of Veterinary Medicine in 1965. He was the owner of the Wilwyn Animal Hospital from 1965 to 1979, when he joined the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, becoming the state veterinarian until his retirement in 2003. In 2000, he was elected president of the United States Animal Health Association. He was dedicated to serving his community. He is survived by his wife, Cindy; three daughters; a son; and two step-daughters.
Henry Arlington Long ’59
1937 - 2020
Henry Arlington “Hank” Long died Dec. 8, 2020. He attended Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. He went on to a career as a U.S. Air Force officer and pilot. After his military discharge, he worked in investment real estate and still flew in the Air Force Reserves. A co-founder of the Washington-area real estate company Long & Foster, he later launched his own development firm responsible for a number of major regional projects. Virginia Tech honored him with a University Distinguished Achievement Award in 2009. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Mae. Survivors include three daughters and a son.
James Edwin Smith ’60
1938 -2021
James E. Smith died Feb. 10. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where he was in the Highty-Tighties. In 1960, he married his high school sweetheart, Diane Lester, and began three years of service in the U.S. Air Force. He then launched his 40-year mechanical engineering career with DuPont in Waynesboro, Virginia. In addition to work and travel, he sang in various classical choirs, played bridge, volunteered as Little League umpire, and square danced. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, and a son.
Leon Thomas Vaughan III ’60
1937 – 2020
Lt. Col. Leon T. “L.T.” Vaughan (retired) died Dec. 17, 2020. He was a graduate of Virginia Tech and was a member of C Squadron. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 23 years. He earned his silver pilot’s wings in 1962. He was a troop carrier transport pilot and flew missions in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the United States and, during the Vietnam conflict, he spent 3 1/2 years in southeast Asia. After he retired from the Air Force, he worked as a substitute teacher. He was preceded in death by a son. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patricia Lail Vaughan, and a daughter.
Claude Swanson Stowers Jr. ’62
1940 – 2021
Claude Swanson “Buck” Stowers Jr. died Jan. 3. He was a 1963 graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He retired after 27 years of service with the Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Home Administration. He enjoyed woodworking, loved animals, and also enjoyed mission work, serving in Africa, Haiti, and the Bahamas, as well as helping with Hurricane Katrina clean-up and serving weekly meals to the homeless in Richmond, Virginia. He was preceded in death by his wife, Donna. He is survived by his two daughters and three sons.
Joseph H. Vipperman Jr. ’62
1940 – 2021
Joseph H. Vipperman Jr. died Jan. 23. He graduated from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and served on the regimental staff his final year. He served three years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Air Command. He then joined American Electric Power, where he would spend a 40-year career and retire as executive vice president of AEP Shared Services. He was inducted into Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering’s Academy of Engineering Excellence, and the Smith Mountain Lake (Virginia) Visitor Center is named in his honor. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Pat; a son; and a daughter.
Hugh Crabtree ’64
1943 - 2021
Maj. Hugh L. Crabtree (retired) died Jan. 10. He graduated from Virginia Tech as a member of the Corps of Cadets. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, where he served for 22 years. He flew B-52s, as well as various rotary-wing aircraft, and he completed several missions during the Vietnam War. After his retirement, he started a second career at ERA Aviation, where he flew helicopters for 20 years. He was preceded in death by a daughter. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jacqueline; a daughter; and two sons.
Allie Lee Waldron ’64
1942 - 2021
Lt. Col. Allie Lee Waldron (retired) died Jan. 18. He graduated from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, in 1964. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1976. He continued his service in the Maryland National Guard and retired as a lieutenant colonel after 25 years. He worked for AAI Corporation as director of international programs, retiring in 2006 after 27 years. He was a director on the Southern York County School Board and on the board of the Southern York County YMCA. In addition to his wife of 56 years, Barbara, he is survived by a son and a daughter.
Joseph Reed Green ’76
1954 - 2021
Joseph Reed Green died Jan. 30. He was an Eagle Scout and Civil Air Patrol ground search-and-rescue team leader. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace and ocean engineering and was commander of D Company. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a B-52H electronic warfare officer. He and his crew were an integral part in the attempted rescue mission of the Iranian hostages in the early 1980s. As a civilian, he worked as a defense contractor. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Susan Shifler Green, and their daughter.
Daniel Edward South ’85
1962 – 2020
Daniel Edward South died Nov. 27, 2020. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and joined the U.S. Air Force. After leaving the Air Force in 1991, he began a long career as an environmental scientist. He moved into a 1920s farmhouse with his wife, Brenda, and spent four years carefully renovating it and creating trails through the property’s oak forest. He was also a writer and took an active leadership role within the Writers Alliance of Gainesville, Florida. He is survived by his wife, a son, and daughter.
Lest We Forget
Henry H. Ferneyhough ‘37, Gainesville, Florida, 10/15/2020
Richard D. Kern ‘42, Winchester, Virginia, 10/1/2020
Edwin B. Carter ‘44, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2/23/2021
Robert A. Summers ‘45, Brick, New Jersey, 9/26/2020
Howard V. Yarus ‘45, King George, Virginia, 9/7/2020
Frank P. Nelson ‘46, Columbia, South Carolina, 10/14/2020
Louis Collier ‘47, Glen Allen, Virginia, 11/4/2020
Gilbert L. Faison ‘47, Mechanicsville, Virginia, 2/8/2021
George L. Fischer ‘47, Midlothian, Virginia, 9/26/2020
Irving Weinstein ‘47, Newport News, Virginia, 10/5/2020
William B. Martin ‘48, Roanoke, Virginia, 1/25/2021
Harry L. Brown ‘49, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 11/25/2020
Trever A. Carter ‘49, Salem, Virginia, 12/27/2020
Hugh F. Dailey ‘49, Winchester, Virginia, 2/4/2021
Charles E. Dressler ‘49, Covington, Virginia, 1/5/2021
John F. Flanagan ‘49, Lakeland, Florida, 12/18/2020
Robert F. Lane ‘49, Rockville, Virginia, 12/30/2020
George B. Vockroth ‘49, Terry, Mississippi, 9/2/2020
John K. Butler ‘50, Winchester, Virginia, 10/19/2020
Warren E. Johnson ‘50, Des Moines, Iowa, 1/20/2021
Julian H. Skinker ‘50, Allentown, Pennsylvania, 1/21/2021
William B. Conner ‘51, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, 10/8/2020
Robert L. Gravatt ‘51, Doswell, Virginia, 1/11/2021
James W. McElroy ‘51, Chesapeake, Virginia, 10/1/202
Russell H. Moore ‘51, Gladstone, Virginia, 11/8/2020
Donald L. Runyon ‘51, Easley, South Carolina, 12/30/2020
Earl L. Shaw ‘51, Winter Park, Florida, 11/4/2020
Robert M. Sumpter ‘51, Durham, North Carolina, 11/5/2020
Lawrence Thompson ‘51, Naples, Florida, 1/10/2021
Thomas W. Waldrop ‘51, New Holland, Pennsylvania, 2/20/2021
Charles E. Fry ‘52, Saint Albans, West Virginia, 12/7/2020
Archie C. Holliday ‘52, North Chesterfield, Virginia, 10/20/2020
Gerald W. Ledger ‘52, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, 11/29/2020
David L. Lipps ‘52, Gloucester, Virginia, 2/21/2021
George A. Miller ‘52, Columbus, Ohio, 2/13/2021
Leslie T. Richardson ‘52, Charlottesville, Virginia, 9/9/2020
John S. Wayland ‘52, Warrenton, Virginia, 9/30/2020
George H. Ross ‘53, Waverly, Tennessee, 12/31/2020
William D. Stark ‘53, Huntington, West Virginia, 2/18/2021
J. Eugene Justice ‘54, Norfolk, Virginia, 11/4/2020
Raymond F. Obenshain ‘54, Christiansburg, Virginia, 11/25/2020
John T. Pruner ‘54, Lebanon, Virginia, 11/3/2020
Lawrence W. Boitnott ‘55, Roanoke, Virginia, 9/4/2020
James H. Haren ‘55, Sarasota, Florida, 11/20/2020
Atwood J. Huff ‘55, Roanoke, Virginia, 12/29/2020
Forrest H. King ‘55, Nashville, Tennessee, 10/20/2020
John M. Lineweaver ‘55, Sarasota, Florida, 11/8/2020
Adolphus L. Lotts ‘55, Knoxville, Tennessee, 11/19/2020
James D. Oliver ‘55, Blacksburg, Virginia, 2/24/2021
James J. Duke ‘56, Wilmington, North Carolina, 1/16/2021
Douglass H. Frazier ‘56, Palmyra, Virginia, 1/14/2021
Charles W. Matt ‘56, Richmond, Virginia, 10/28/2020
James H. White ‘56, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1/21/2021
Kenneth R. Wolfe ‘56, Westport, Connecticut, 12/8/2020
Kenneth E. Calvert ‘57, Danville, Virginia, 9/27/2020
Carl M. Hylton ‘57, Kingsport, Tennessee, 10/12/2020
Oscar W. Kennedy ‘57, Ashland, Virginia, 11/10/2020
Joseph R. Morris ‘57, Richmond, Virginia, 2/22/2021
Randall C. White ‘57, Bridgewater, Virginia, 10/27/2020
James P. Boone ‘58, Charlotte, North Carolina, 11/17/2020
Richard E. Harris ‘58, Charleston, West Virginia, 12/3/2020
Arthur T. Hart ‘58, Stafford, Virginia, 11/2/2020
Robert C. Jones ‘58, Souderton, Pennsylvania, 11/8/2020
Thomas H. Korte ‘58, San Antonio, Texas, 9/19/2020
Donald G. McCants ‘58, Glen Allen, Virginia, 11/22/2020
Dominick D. Ruggiero ‘58, Mamaroneck, New York, 12/1/2020
Edward J. Skrobiszewski ‘58, Perry, Utah, 1/19/2021
Robert R. Cosby ‘59, Powhatan, Virginia, 12/5/2020
Leroy T. Gravatte ‘59, Springfield, Virginia, 2/15/2021
William N. Martin ‘59, Fayetteville, North Carolina, 12/9/2020
David A. Paddock ‘59, Asheville, North Carolina, 12/7/2020
David L. Caudill ‘60, Roanoke, Virginia, 2/25/2021
Robert G. Dow ‘60, Winchester, Virginia, 1/18/2021
Brownell N. Ferry ‘60, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, 12/22/2020
Carter Fleming ‘60, New Castle, Virginia, 1/5/2021
Raymond P. Howell ‘60, Boone, North Carolina, 12/1/2020
William R. May ‘60, Staunton, Virginia, 9/14/2020
Thomas W. Arthur ‘61, Danville, Virginia, 11/22/2020
David L. Cooksey ‘61, Thomasville, Pennsylvania, 10/26/2020
Edward P. Drudge ‘61, North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, 10/29/2020
Kenneth V. Herndon ‘61, Big Stone Gap, Virginia, 10/28/2020
C. J. Hudson ‘61, Richmond, Virginia, 2/17/2021
William I. White ‘61, Glen Allen, Virginia, 2/6/2021
Wallace H. Goode ‘62, Shipman, Virginia, 1/27/2021
David W. Jackson ‘62, West Hartford, Connecticut, 9/26/2020
Samuel S. Koedel ‘62, The Villages, Florida, 2/3/2021
Carl A. Mann ‘62, Covington, Virginia, 9/4/2020
John R. Nesselrodt ‘62, Hanover, Virginia, 12/16/2020
Randolph L. Turner ‘62, Blacksburg, Virginia, 11/2/2020
Gordon T. Chamblin ‘63, Belmont, West Virginia, 1/6/2021
Lindsay W. Coffman ‘63, Glen Allen, Virginia, 1/30/2021
James D. Gilbert ‘63, Irvine, California, 12/29/2020
William H. May ‘64, Villa Park, California, 10/10/2020
John C. Allison ‘65, Wytheville, Virginia, 2/8/2021
Alfred R. Butler ‘65, North Garden, Virginia, 11/21/2020
David G. Drawbaugh ‘65, Williamsport, Maryland, 1/1/2021
Michael R. Johnson ‘67, Omaha, Nebraska, 10/2/2020
Robert S. Miller ‘67, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 12/3/2020
Robert G. Wingfield ‘67, Vinton, Virginia, 12/25/2020
Sterling L. Morrison ‘68, Chapin, South Carolina, 11/30/2020
Walter S. Reggel ‘68, Pinson, Alabama, 11/1/2020
Dan E. Weatherly ‘68, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 2/25/2021
Nicholas J. Proferes ‘70, Hawthorndene, Australia, 1/28/2021
Douglas L. Horton ‘71, Mechanicsville, Virginia, 1/17/2021
William A. Bath ‘72, Overland Park, Kansas, 1/5/2021
Michael A. Moses ‘75, North Port, Florida, 1/28/2021
William J. Boylan ‘85, Alexandria, Virginia, 2/1/2021
Gil R. Flores ‘93, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1/9/2021