For every member who passes away, the Saint Andrew’s Society of the Middle South donates a book in the member’s name to the Emmett O’Neal Library in Crestline. Each book is about Scotland. This permanent remembrance of our brothers has allowed the library to amass an extensive Scottish collection.
Member Obituaries
William Frank Cobb, III, 80, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, formerly of Jasper, Alabama President of Cobb Lands, LLC., died on Aug. 14, 2024, at the Danberry in Inverness with his wife by his side.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara Lauren Taylor Cobb; daughter, Lauren Cobb Dancy and husband Lee of Redmond, Washington; son, William Frank Cobb, IV (Bill) of Grant-Valkaria, Florida; two granddaughters, Tallulah Taibi and Analise Dancy, and one grandson, Rye Dancy; sister, Tina Cobb of Virginia; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; father, William Frank Cobb, Jr. and stepmother, Mary Ross (Rossie) Cobb; mother, Blossom Bankhead Cobb Dil; and his son, Brian Bankhead Cobb.
Frank grew up in Jasper, Alabama, and then went to Baylor Military School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he graduated in 1962. Frank was very dedicated to his duties, as he would get up every morning to play Revelry for the school and then play Taps again every evening for a total of four years.
From Baylor he went to the University of Alabama where he graduated in 1966 with a degree in Commerce and Business Administration. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity (SAE 1962-2024).
He met and married the love of his love, Barbara, while at the University of Alabama.
Upon graduating college, he joined the Navy. He attended Naval Officer Candidate School in New Port, Rhode Island, where he was commissioned Ensign. He served as Line Officer aboard the USS Johnston DD-821 Destroyer. He was promoted to Lieutenant J.G. while serving Vietnam Duty. He was then promoted to full Lieutenant while serving as officer training officer at Damneck, Virginia. He received Medals for “Combat Action” and three Bronze Stars for “National Defense” Vietnam Service.
While on shore duty he attended night school at Old Dominion University from 1966-1970 and graduated with his Master’s Degree.
Returning to Jasper, he served as Vice President of Cobb Coal Company, Bankhead Mining, and Jefferson Coal Company from 1970-1982. He served as Vice President of Cobb Development Company, LLC and then President of Cobb Lands, LLC from 1997 until retiring.
He enjoyed flying and obtained his pilot’s license as a Pilot Commercial – Instrument Rating and Private Pilot in 1973. He flew his family on many vacations and frequently would fly over Cobb Lands property.
He took pride in being involved in civic duties. He was a member of the Rotary Cub since 1983, served on the Board of Directors of Jasper Area Chamber of Commerce 1975-1985, was chairman of the Walker County Planning Committee in 1990, member of the Alabama Forestry Owners Association since 1970 and he served as director of the Alabama Forestry Association from 1992-1995, a member of the Alabama Forestry Council from 1984 to present, and served as vice chairman from July 2001-July 2002. He was also a member of the Alabama Coal Association from 1970-1982 and was on the Jasper Airport Authority from 1979-1984.
Frank was a member of Musgrove Country Club since 1971, a member of the Mountain Brook Club, a member of The Scottish Heritage Foundation since 1993, member of the International Food and Wine Society since 1993, The Heritage Foundation 1993-1997, and board member of the Saint Andrews Society of the Middle South since 1993. He served as secretary in 2001 and became historian in 2004.
He was a member of the “Round Table” a group of men who have coffee together each morning at “Lady Bugs” in Jasper.
Frank enjoyed his friends and family and always loved Alabama Football!
Clifford (Lee) Reeves, age 78, died on October 10, 2023, after a long and wonderful life filled with family, friends, a distinguished legal career, and adventures spanning the globe.He was born in Birmingham, Alabama on August 17, 1945. He was preceded in death by his father, Clifford Roland Reeves, and his mother, Evelyn Byrd Boorse Reeves. Lee graduated from Shades Valley High School in 1963. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alabama in 1966, and graduated at the top of his class at the University of Alabama Law School in 1968, where he served as an editor on the Alabama Law Review. Lee received his LLM in International Law from George Washington Law School the following year. He was commissioned as a Captain in the United States Army and served in Vietnam from 1970-1971, where he was awarded the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf cluster for valor.
Lee practiced law in Birmingham, Alabama with the firm Sirote & Permutt for almost fifty years, where he served in a variety of leadership roles, including as Managing Partner. In his spare time, Lee enjoyed camping and hiking in the Sipsey Wilderness and the Grand Canyon with lifelong friends, and, in his later years, spending time with family and friends at his home in the mountains of North Carolina near Cashiers.
Lee was a man of widely varied tastes. One of his friends remarked that Lee was the only person whom he had ever known who could sing opera, smoke a cigarette, and paddle a canoe at the same time. Lee loved single malt scotch, especially when his sons purchased it. Camping trip fare included steaks grilled over the campfire as well as Oreos and sardines (sometimes one atop the other, unfortunately). All were accompanied by exuberant renditions of Buddy Holly songs and other Vietnam-era rock that Lee loved while serving at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and at the Army bases in Da Nang and Na Trang, Vietnam.
He is survived by his wife, the former Susan Reid Williams, to whom he was married for over 55 years. He is also survived by his two sons, Clifford Lee Reeves II (Mandy) of Alexandria, Virginia; and Hugh Davidson Reeves (Michelle) of Decatur, Alabama; as well as a sister, Nancy Ray (Michael) of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Lee was also the grandfather to four treasured grandchildren, William Middleton Reeves and Riley Katherine Reeves (Lee II); and Sarah Evelyn Reeves and Benjamin Hugh Reeves (Hugh). Lee was a brilliant litigator whose prodigious talent, integrity, and courtroom acumen benefitted his clients for decades. His loyalty and devotion to his friends and family remain an enduring testament to his character. He was much respected and loved and will be greatly missed by many. A family graveside service was held at Elmwood Cemetery on October 14, where Lee was buried alongside generations of his family. A memorial service will be held at Independent Presbyterian Church at a later date, to be followed by a celebration of Lee’s life at the Gardens Cafe at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorials for him be given to the American Leukemia Society or to the charity of your choice.
Frank Kitchell Bynum, 83, passed on January 14, 2022. He was born on July 17, 1938 in Birmingham, AL. His parents were the late Joe Hearn Bynum and the late Jean Lang Kitchell Bynum. He grew up in College Hills, AL and graduated from Shades Valley High School in 1956. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1962 and participated in the Chico State College Year Abroad Program. Frank was a member Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and Kappa Alpha college fraternity. He received his JD from the University of Virginia Law School in 1963. Frank married Ellis Parsons of Birmingham, AL in December of 1961. Frank and Ellis moved to Mountain Brook after his graduation from the University of Virginia. After clerking for Judge Seaburn Lynn, Frank, a real estate attorney, joined his father and brother in Bynum and Bynum law firm. Frank was a member of the Birmingham Country Club where he enjoyed working out with his friends in the exercise room. He was also a member of St Luke’s Episcopal Church where he ushered on Sundays at the early service. He was a member of the Saint Andrew’s Society of the Middle South and the General Society of Colonial Wars. Frank is survived by his wife Ellis Parsons Bynum, and three children, Frank Bynum Jr. (Nancy), Sophie deBondelis Willemsen (Lee) and Ellis Parsons Blevins (Joel), grandchildren Frank Kitchell Bynum III, Georgia deBondelis Bynum, Leila Parsons Bynum, Jacob Fitzhugh Willemsen, Caroline Cassidey Willemsen, Amelia Ellis Blevins and Gray Alexander Blevins. Frank enjoyed hiking in the mountains of North Carolina and Colorado and training for and competing in triathlons. Later, he explored the U.S. on motorcycle trips with his friends, including a couple of memorable rides to Sturgis.
Hall Williams Thompson, Jr., age 72, of Greystone in North Shelby County, passed away peacefully on August 28, 2021, surrounded by his family and friends. He was instantly received into the loving arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ. Born March 14, 1949, to Hall Williams Thompson, Sr. and Lucille Ryals Thompson, Hall grew up the second of five children. He lived his younger years in Nashville, Tennessee, and moved in 1957 with his family to Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Birmingham University School (BUS), where he won numerous medals competing in track and swimming. After graduating from BUS in 1967, he attended St. Andrews University in North Carolina. Hall then attended Samford University (Samford) in Homewood where he met the love of his life, Patricia Ann Shackelford. They were married in 1970 and celebrated 51 years of beloved marriage this year. While at Samford, Hall pledged Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and was active in a variety of other organizations, including the Samford Ministerial Association. He graduated from Samford with a B.S. in Management. Hall’s business career began with Thompson Tractor Company in Birmingham and then relocated with Thompson to Tuscaloosa, serving the surrounding area in parts sales and service. There in 1977, Hall and Patricia’s dear son Benjamin Hall Thompson was born. In 1981 the Thompsons moved to Fort Worth, TX, where he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological. While in Texas Hall became a real estate broker, obtaining the important GRI designation, and participating in the Texas Association of Realtors. During his time in Texas, he and his friend Bill French built a small trucking company called Thompson Transfer which still operates today. He also was a part of Thompson Communications in the telecommunications arena, and he founded Joshua’s Sword radio ministry, sharing Christian messages throughout Texas. Hall’s experiences in real estate formed the foundation for his career as a real estate investor when the Thompsons returned to the Birmingham area, where he also served on the Board of Directors of Thompson Tractor Company and the Thompson Foundation for charitable giving. He graduated, as well, from the Birmingham School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree. He was a member of the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, the Rotary Club of North Shelby/Inverness, and the Saint Andrew’s Society of the Middle South. A lifelong Republican, Hall actively served and supported both the state and national parties. He was honored with the Republican Senatorial America Spirit Medal and twice the Medal of Freedom, “the highest honor the Republican members of the U.S. Senate can bestow.” He was inducted into Who’s Who in America in 2008 and was a proud member of the Air Force Association, committed to protecting the greater good of our country. Hall was preceded in death by his well-known and distinguished father, Hall Williams Thompson, Sr., Shoal Creek, AL, and his beloved sister-in-law Nancy Stewart Thompson (George), Mountain Brook, AL. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Shackelford Thompson, Greystone; his son Benjamin Hall Thompson, Meadow Brook; his mother Lucille Ryals Thompson, Shoal Creek, AL; his sister, Judith Thompson, DeLand, FL; his brothers George Clinton Thompson and Michael DeWitt Thompson (Genie) and his sister Lisa Thompson Smith (Howard), all of Mountain Brook, AL. Very importantly he was a totally loving husband, father, and friend! He was also businessman and investor, a certified scuba diver, a pilot, a philanthropist, a patriot, a spiritual intercessor, and a selfless Kingdom Builder. The list of his Kingdom endeavors is too extensive to list; however, some were the Jimmie Hale Mission, the Lovelady Center, the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ), Wycliffe Bible Translators, Pacific Garden Mission, Revocation Radio, American Bible Society, The Nuns of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, Glen Shinn Evangelistic Association, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, American Leprosy Mission, Christian Aid Mission, Estonia Christian Radio and Catholic Relief Services.
The full and beautiful life of Charles Alexander “Scotty” McCallum, Jr., M.D., DMD, came to a close on this earth and has been renewed with our Lord, where his beloved wife Alice has been anxiously waiting. “Late as usual” we can hear her saying. He was a man of many names. “Chuck” to his parents, “Scotty” to his friends, “Professor” to his students, “Chief” to his residents, “Dr. McCallum” to his patients, “President” to his University, “Mayor” to his City, “Coach” to his little league teams, “Hon” to his wife, “Dad” to his boys, and most specially “Big Daddy” to the grandchildren he adored. His remarkable journey began on All Saints Day, 1925 in North Adams, Massachusetts where he was born to Mabel and Charlie McCallum. Always gifted academically, he developed a passion in all sports. A star hockey player, he also played college baseball against George H. W. Bush (#41), and while in Naval pre-flight school was coached in football by Paul “Bear” Bryant, who later became his patient. At the end of World War II, his parents convinced him to forgo Naval aircraft carrier flight training to pursue his academic interests. Scotty arrived in Birmingham in 1951 as an oral surgery intern and was told by the Chief Resident he would be paid $25 a month. “Don’t worry” the Chief Resident accurately predicted, “you won’t have time to spend it.” In addition to the DMD he previously earned, Scotty obtained a M.D. while also instructing in the Dental School, became a full professor of dentistry, was named Dean of the Dental School at the age of 37, and later served as Chair of the Oral Surgery Department. He didn’t stop there and ultimately became President of UAB in 1987. Scotty always attributed his popularity among the UAB students to his first act as President. He declared a “snow day.” In his early years at UAB he met a cute RN, Miss Alice Rebecca Lasseter from Albertville, Alabama. He instantly fell in love with Sweet Alice and her famous biscuits. They married in 1955, started a family and had 4 boys, almost perfectly spaced 2 years apart. When asked if this was family planning, Scotty joked, “Nope, I only get home every other year.” It was not really much of a jest. When a young McCallum boy was once asked “What kind of doctor is your dad ” the response was an “airport doctor.” Scotty’s “family” was not determined by bloodlines, and his table always had an extra chair. He recruited students and professionals from around the nation and world to come to UAB. He understood that exposing people to Birmingham would ultimately enhance the national and international image and relevance of UAB and Birmingham. Every holiday these “recruits” were invited into the McCallum home to partake in a feast prepared by Alice. He often insisted that an international student live in his own home and became so fond of one, “A” from Thailand, he called her his “adopted” daughter. In addition to being an educator, Scotty was an accomplished oral and maxillofacial surgeon who was referred patients with the most complex and difficult medical conditions. He operated on many thousands of Alabamians and treated every patient with skill, tenderness, and compassion. He held every leadership position of distinction in the field of dentistry and oral surgery. Scotty was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 1975 and into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in 1999. An avid supporter of all things athletic, a prized achievement in Scotty’s presidency was formally establishing UAB football. After helping to recruit the late, great Gene Bartow from UCLA to UAB they became dear friends. Coach Bartow once wrote Scotty was “the best college President any athletic director could ever have.” He loved the student-athletes and coaches on all the teams at UAB and frequently attended their games, as he believed athletics was integral to school spirit and the culture of the campus. For his efforts and support, he was inducted into UAB’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. Ever Faithful. Ever Loyal. Scotty’s civic, social and charitable contributions in Birmingham are legendary and too innumerable to recite here. It is enough to know that upon receipt of awards and recognitions for his efforts, Scotty always gracefully demurred and thanked those people who “really” made it happen. After retiring from UAB, a group of Vestavia Hills city residents encouraged him to run for mayor. His campaign sign was simple – “Go Scotty.” And go he did for 8 years: building sidewalks, acquiring property for recreational use, recruiting businesses, bringing fiscal responsibility, and leading the effort to annex the jewel of Cahaba Heights into Vestavia Hills. In 2010 the City honored his leadership by renaming Little Shades Creek Park to “McCallum Park.” Scotty’s place of replenishment and respite was Navarre Beach. It was there he taught his sons and grandchildren how to swim, fish and play with reckless abandon. After hard-fought horseshoe matches or hours of spirited card games, you could always find Scotty on the deck overlooking the Gulf with a “full pour” of chardonnay, marveling at the beauty of the world and the blessings that had been bestowed. A reflection upon Scotty’s life would not be complete without mentioning Kitty Robinson. A jaw surgery patient of Scotty’s at age 19, Kitty’s mother cajoled Scotty into giving Kitty a job. It is a job Kitty never left. Everybody who knows the McCallums know Kitty. Thank you Kitty for a lifetime of faithful support and friendship. The family would also gratefully acknowledge the loving caretakers who brought him peace and comfort in his final days. His often-stated mission in life was to “make the world a better place” and that he did. Well done Scotty! Scotty was preceded in death by his wife Alice, his parents Mabel and Charlie, his sister Edith, and his brother Bob. He is survived by his 4 “boys,” Scott (Donna), Chip (LaBella), Phillip (Kelley), and Chris (Suzy). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Alex, David (Sakia), Courtney (Jake Epperson), Caitlin, Indy, Parker, Savannah, and Murphy. He also leaves behind great-grandsons Brody, Miller, and Hayes.
Arthur Weir McConnell “Art”, 90 passed away quietly at home in Homewood, November 13, 2020. Art was born on February 5, 1930, in Pittsfield MA, as the first child to Douglass and Ruth McConnell. The family moved to Birmingham when he was 10 years old. He attended Shades Cahaba High School and excelled academically. He then went to Duke University, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He was inducted into two academic honor societies at Duke, Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi. He was jokingly accused by his fraternity brothers of “collecting” Greek letters. He spent two years in the Navy during the Korean War and was the navigator on aircraft carrier based flights. He met his future wife of more than 60 years, Joanne Ellis while in California, and moved to Homewood in 1954. Art was a Professional Engineer at McConnell Sales and Engineering, serving as President for decades. McConnell Sales built the iconic Homewood Star that hangs above 20th street each holiday season. Art was very active in All Saints Episcopal Church and served on the vestry for many years. He was also active in civic clubs and became the national vice president of the National Exchange Club. He was inducted into the National Exchange Club Court of Honor in 2013, following decades of commitment to the organization. Art was one of only 90 people receiving that honor in the club’s 100+ years. Family meant everything to Art, and he and Joanne had 4 children, Cheryl Lawson, Michael McConnell (Beatrice Files), Douglass McConnell (Sara Baldwin) and Melissa Vaughn (James). He had 5 grandchildren, Andrew McConnell (Katy Stokes), Carolyn McConnell Wright (Robert), Philip Lawson (Morgan), William Lawson (Amanda) and Katlyn Vaughn. Art also had 4 great grandchildren. We all loved family gatherings at his Homewood house, where Art grew up and continued to live for almost 70 years. Fourth of July and Christmas Eve parties were legendary, with family and friends gathering to enjoy Art and Joanne’s warm hospitality. Art loved golf, travel, Alabama football, dancing with Joanne, and stamp collecting. He especially enjoyed attending National Exchange Club conventions with Joanne and often included a grandchild or two. Art’s smile and genuine love of people brightened every room he entered. Art was predeceased by his parents, Douglass and Ruth, his wife Joanne, sister Hilda Yost, son-in-law Ron Lawson, and granddaughter Katlyn Vaughn.
Donald Hardon Monroe of Young Harris, Georgia passed away peacefully on September 22, 2020. Don was born in Emerson, Georgia on May 8, 1935, graduated from Georgia Tech with industrial and mechanical engineering degrees in 1959 and followed that with a Masters in Business Administration from Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management in 1981. He was proud of his career as an Army Reserve officer, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1993 . For the majority of his professional career he worked at Stockham Valves & Fittings in Birmingham, Alabama, from which he retired in 1990, having risen to the position of Vice President of Engineering. Following his retirement from Stockham, Don worked for a number of years as an industry consultant for Sepco in Alabaster, Alabama. Don’s interests were many and varied, and he invested himself deeply in them. He was an avid firearm collector, hunter, and expert marksman. A member of the 3rd Army Rifle Team, he competed locally, regionally, and was proud to compete at the National Matches in Camp Perry, Ohio. He was a passionate sailor and enjoyed margaritas aboard a number of vessels he owned throughout his lifetime. He had a great love for antiques, handmade knives, old western movies, Scottish traditions, and dogs. He and his wife, Ann, enjoyed the craft of jewelry making and were widely known as experts in silversmithing. For a number of years, they taught at the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in Young Harris, Georgia. In that vein, he was quite active in the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, where he rose to the position of President. His love for his Scottish heritage ran deep. He was a member of the St. Andrews Society of the Middle South, where he served as Sergeant at Arms, the Caledonian Society of Alabama, and Clan Munro USA, where he rose to the position of clan President. Don was predeceased by his parents, Oertel Hendricks (O.H.) and Laura Durham Monroe. He is survived by his wife, Ann Crocker-Monroe, brother, Bob Monroe (Cherry), sister, Ann Owen (Andy), children, Daniel (Pam), Evelyn Neill (Bruce), and stepson, Tom Crocker (Bethann), grandchildren, Jessica, Abby, and Emma Neill, Sam Monroe, and Sara Beth Harrell.
Jasper Dowe Bynum died peacefully at home on Friday, July 17, 2020 in Birmingham, Alabama, surrounded by his loved ones. Dowe was born in Birmingham on January 13, 1978 and is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and Princeton University. A year after his graduation, Dowe and his lifelong friend, Richard Cook, co-founded Cook and Bynum Capital Management in 2001. Dowe loved his career because it allowed him to meet people, travel the world, and most importantly, feed his insatiable desire to learn.
A devoted Alabama football fan, Dowe fittingly met the love of his life, Emily West Bynum, at the final regular season game held at Legion Field. The couple married on August 13, 2005, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Their three children, Ann Margaret Nelson Bynum, Elizabeth (“Eliza”) Lucille Bynum, and Jasper (“Jack”) Young Bynum, were his greatest source of joy.
An avid golfer, Dowe spent many hours perfecting his skill and became a scratch golfer the year his eldest child was born. Dowe was also an Eagle Scout and loved being outdoors, camping and fishing with his family, especially with his uncle in Alaska.
Always the best dressed and the life of the party, he was often found telling jokes and carrying on the most interesting conversation in the room. He was passionate about helping others and served on the board of directors and advisors at Glenwood and at the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation and was a member of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club. Proud of his Scottish heritage, Dowe was an active member of the St. Andrew’s Society.
As a testament to his personal fortitude and the unfailing support of his wife, children, family and friends, Dowe waged an unwavering battle with brain cancer for three years. His legacy is one of inspiration to research the facts and find truth; the ability to see humor in the mundane (“I’ll have a steak sandwich and a … steak sandwich.”); being passionate about the things you love and letting go of that which does not bring joy; and loving fully and completely.
Dowe leaves behind his parents, Stanley Dowe Bynum and Lucille Mason Bynum; his wife and children; his brother, Julian Mason Bynum (Jillian), and their children, Mason, Knox and Willa; and his sister, Mary Eugenia Bynum Barrow (Charlie), and their daughter, Virginia. His father- and mother-in-law, Burton and Katherine West, eight West family brothers- and sisters-in-law and ten West nieces and nephews will affectionately remember him as “Uncle Ask Dowe,” a name bequeathed by one of his nephews because Dowe always had a definitive answer-and was correct most of the time. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Julian Lee Mason, Jr. and Mary Knox Mason; Ralph Moore Bynum and Sibyl Cole Bynum. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2020, at 6:30 pm at The Jeffries Place in Hale County, Alabama. For more information, please visit: http://evite.me/ehUMjF4Dqs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Glenwood, UAB Department of Neuro-Oncology, or Canterbury United Methodist Church.
Wiley Kemp Livingston, Sr., M.D. died peacefully at home on February 13, 2019. He was born March 21, 1921, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was preceded in death by his wife, Minnie Lee Barker Livingston, his parents, Dr. James A. Livingston and Hazel Wiley Livingston, his brother, James A. Livingston, Jr., and his sister, Alida Livingston Wilkinson. He attended Lakeview Elementary School, Ramsay High School (where he was President of the senior class), Birmingham-Southern College and the University of Michigan, where he received his A.B. degree and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He attended the University of Alabama Medical School (President of Gorgas Medical Society) in Tuscaloosa for basic medical sciences and received his M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (as did his father) where he was a member of Nu Sigma Nu medical fraternity. He interned at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and served his Ophthalmology Residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at John Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Livingston was certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and elected a Fellow in the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and later a Life Member and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Livingston began the practice of ophthalmology with his father, Dr. James Livingston, Sr., in Birmingham. During the Korean Conflict he served as Chief (Captain), Eye Section, U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Following this, he returned to Birmingham where he practiced ophthalmology until his retirement in 1987. During his practice he served on the staffs of several area hospitals, including UAB, for a time as Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. In 1977 he served as a short-term missionary in the Kano Eye Hospital (Evangelical Churches of West Africa), Kano, Nigeria. He was a member of the Jefferson County Medical Society, Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the Birmingham Clinical Club, The Club, The Country Club of Birmingham, St. Andrews Society, Sons of the Revolution, and the Monday Group. He was also a past member of the Downtown Rotary Club and Rex Lake Sportsman Club. He was a long-time member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church. Dr. Livingston is survived by three sons: Dr. Wiley Kemp Livingston, Jr., of Birmingham, Dr. David Barker Livingston, Blacksburg, Virginia, and John Hartridge Livingston, II (Connie) of Birmingham; his sister-in-law Margaret Gresham Livingston, brother-in-law Dr. Frank M. Barker, Jr., and many beloved nieces and nephews. He is also survived by six cherished grandchildren: William Brown Livingston, Ariana Shepherd Livingston, Mary Lee Bard Livingston, Alida Miller Livingston, all of Birmingham; Brianna Schoen of Abingdon, Virginia, and Bryce Fitzgerald (Alexandrea) of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Charles Swift Northen III, 80, of Mountain Brook, Alabama died on July 1, 2017. He was born January 25, 1937. Survivors include his wife, Betty T. Northen; daughter Margaret Allen Northen; sons Charles S. Northen IV and Bryce R. Northen; stepdaughter Vicki Lee Taylor; stepsister Elizabeth McDavid Farnsworth; grandchildren Charles S. Northen V, George Todd Northen, Jo Northen, Daisy Bryce Northen and Emmett Wallis Northen. He was predeceased by his father, Charles S. Northen, Jr., mother, Jennie Hood Hunt Northen and sister, Margaret Northen Whaley. Mr. Northen was a Presbyterian Elder, member of Independent Presbyterian Church and former president of the congregation. He was an Eagle Scout, a graduate in the first class of Indian Springs School and an honors graduate of Vanderbilt University. He was a member of several civic and social organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham (Honorary Life Member), Mountain Brook Club, Society of Colonial Wars, Society of the Revolution in the State of Alabama, St. Andrews Society of the Middle South and The International Churchill Society. He was an enthusiast and supporter of The American Village in Montevallo. His vocation was investment management, practiced primarily at banks. He retired as Senior Investment Officer of Regions Financial Corporation and later served as a Managing Director of Sterne, Agee & Leach. He was a Chartered Financial Analyst, and first President of the Alabama Society of Financial Analysts. He was the author of numerous articles on investments and other subjects, and editor of All Right Let Them Come: The Civil War Diary of An East Tennessee Confederate.
Jan. 30, 1960 – Nov. 29, 2016 After a sudden illness, Charly Lynn died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends on Tuesday evening. A native of Vancouver, Charly moved with his family to Birmingham in 1961. He was raised in Forest Park, attended Avondale Elementary, Birmingham University School and The Altamont School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama in 1983 – and shortly thereafter entered the investment banking profession he served in for the rest of his career. Charly was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church, where he and his wife Sandra were married in 1992. A devoted church servant, Charly was selected as the 2016 recipient of the Service Award at St. Mary’s – which he supported in numerous roles over the years, from Usher and Sunday School Teacher to Hospitality Network volunteer. Charly also served in the Cursillo community which he held dearly in his heart. Charly’s community activities centered around (but were far from limited to) his role as father to sons Baker and Jackson. He served as an active Boy Scouts leader (Troop 97) for more than a decade and coached a number of his sons’ sports teams. Charly was a community leader in Homewood, a member of the Saint Andrew’s Society, Alumni Board Member of The Altamont School and a registered bond principal of MSRB. An extraordinarily gifted raconteur, Charly had the rare ability to elevate even the smallest story to epic proportions. His larger than life personality will be deeply missed by the countless lives he touched as a dear and genuine friend.
Dec. 3, 1921 – May 3, 2015 Ted Randolph passed away on May 3, 2015, in Birmingham, AL, at the age of 93.
Ted was born on December 3, 1921, the only son of the late Theodore Fitz Randolph, II and Serena Kirkpatrick Fitz Randolph. He is survived by his sister Serena Chesnut MacRae Crosby, of St. Augustine, FL. and preceded in death by his sister, Jane Randolph Casey, of Birmingham. Ted is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Jane Scruggs Fitz Randolph and by his five children: Serena Randolph Smith (Paul) of Banner Elk, NC; Jane Randolph Peklenk (Steve) of Charlotte, NC; Theodore Fitz Randolph, IV (Diane) of Richmond, MA; Mary Randolph Hanson (Victor) of Birmingham; and James Douglas Kirkpatrick Fitz Randolph, of Salisbury, NC. Ted has eleven grandchildren: Douglas Smith (Margaret); Katharine Smith Spradling (Jason); Nathaniel Smith, Mary Chesnut Smith; Caroline Peklenk; Eleanor Randolph, Sophia Randolph, Thomas Randolph; Virginia Hanson Apple (Benjamin); Victor Hanson, IV (Linley); John Hanson (Clair). His great-grandchildren are: Amelia Spradling, Wesley Spradling, Savannah Apple and Emma James Hanson. He is also survived by many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews as well as dear friends.
Born in Birmingham, Ted attended Lakeview School and graduated from Ramsey High School. He was on the Dean’s List at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1944 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. While at MIT, Ted joined the US Navy, as Ensign, and received further graduate training at Cornell and Columbia Universities for Electrical, Diesel and Naval engineering. Later he served as Chief Diesel Engineer on a minesweeper in the Pacific Theater. Returning to Birmingham after the war, Ted worked at several local companies before joining Harbert Construction in 1949. As a Vice President at Harbert and its Chief Engineer, Ted engaged in a myriad of projects from heavy roadwork and bridges to water and sewer systems, pipelines and coal mining. In 1979, Ted and Jane moved to Eilat, Israel for two years, where Ted helped oversee Harbert’s construction of an underground Israeli airbase in the Negev Desert as part of the Camp David Accords. He retired from Harbert after 36 years. Ted was a faithful member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church where he was on the Building Committee for the current Acton Road campus and new sanctuary. Ted grew up as an active member of St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church serving in many capacities including vestry membership. He was also involved in the Episcopal Cursillo movement, and along with Jane, was on the staff of Alabama Cursillo #1. Every year of his life Ted traveled to Linville, NC with his family to enjoy hiking, rock climbing, swimming and picnics around the summer home his grandparents built in 1920. Ted especially loved the trails of Grandfather Mountain, last hiking to MacRae Peak a few months short of his 91st birthday. Ted was a long-time member of the Linville Golf Club. Ted was a member of the Mountain Brook Club, where he took up tennis after he retired and enjoyed the 59 Forever Tennis group. He was also a member of the General Society of Colonial Wars. He was a founding member and past president of the St. Andrew’s Society of the Middle South. Ted loved sharing a good story and possessed a dry wit. He was great at solving problems of all kinds, and was always ready to offer an unconventional perspective. When stranded on the west coast due to the lack of transportation available for members of the armed services after the surrender of Japan, he bought a second-hand Culver Cadet and was soon flying home. Ted enjoyed his family and friends, his career and many adventures, but the bedrock of his life was Jesus Christ. He accepted Him as his Lord and Savior. Evident to anyone who knew him were these gifts of the Spirit: love, patience, kindness and gentleness. One of Ted’s favorite Bible verses was: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
Robert (Bob) Wharton Creveling, Sr. was born on February 24, 1936 and went to live with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on January 9, 2014. He was 77 years old. Bob was the son of Gordon and Isabel Creveling. He was born in Birmingham, AL., but his early days were spent in Bolivia and Mexico. He returned to Birmingham, graduated from Mountain Brook Elementary School and Ramsey High School and was a member of Alpha Sigma Delta fraternity. He graduated with a BA from the University of the South, Sewanee, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta and a Gownsman. He began law school at Duke University, left to serve in the Army Intelligence Corps and later received his law degree from Emory Law School. Bob started his career at the First National Bank of Birmingham as a Trust Officer and subsequently spent a long career in the insurance industry before joining the American Cancer Society as a Planned Giving Officer. Bob later became the Director of Probate and Trust Management for the ACS National Office in Atlanta, GA. He moved to Oklahoma City, working as the Associate Chief Counsel for the ACS, where he lived some of the best years on his life. While there he served as President of the Board of a non-profit organization, Urban Impact, devoted to assisting in the education of disadvantaged youth. After retiring, he returned to his home in Birmingham where he practiced mediation. In 2009 he was acknowledged as the Pro-bono Mediator of the Year by the Alabama State Bar. Recently, Bob enjoyed serving in many professional roles including as an Adjunct Professor for the Birmingham School of Law, as the Secretary for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) section of the Birmingham Bar Association, the Treasurer of the Alabama State Bar ADR section and as the mediation coordinator for Judge John Amari. During his career span, Bob was able to celebrate over 50 years as a member of the Alabama Bar. He was a member of the Mountain Brook Club for 50 years and also a member of The Club, the St. Andrews Society, and the Baronial Order of the Magna Charta. Bob was a devoted member of St. Lukes Episcopal Church where he served as a Stephen Minister and on the Leadership Team, as well as a Sunday school teacher, a Lay Eucharistic Minister, and as a Lector. He looked forward to visiting weekly with his Cursillo reunion group. Bob cherished and was cherished by his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Sarah Smith Creveling, his sons Robert Wharton Creveling Jr. and Clay Wilburn Creveling, his grandchildren, Kristen Estes Kacker, Isabel McCormick Creveling, Andrew Shumate Creveling, and Sally Reed Creveling.
Roy Richard Robertson Jr. Nov. 25, 1942-Oct. 20, 2013 Roy Richard Robertson Jr. went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on October 20, 2013. He was born in Arlington, VA on November 25, 1942. He was preceded in death by his father, Roy Richard Robertson, Sr., a native of Roanoke, VA. Roy grew up in Prince Georges County, MD, where he graduated from Suitland High School. He went to the School of Banking and Finance at the University of Maryland. After graduation, he served as Budget Officer in the United States Air Force, where he attained the rank of Captain and was stationed in California, England and Vietnam. On November 23, 1968, while in England, Roy met and married Lynda Lera Grier of Birmingham, who was teaching school at Upper Hayford Royal Air Force Base. Thus began more than forty-four wonderful years of marriage. Roy was stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base during the Vietnam War. After returning from Vietnam, Roy and Lynda moved to Durham, N.C., where he attended Duke University School of Law. In 1972, he clerked with the firm of Balch, Bingham, Hawthorne & Williams in Birmingham. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1973 and began a career in Natural Gas and Energy law, which took him from Birmingham to Hinsdale, IL, Long Beach, IN, and back to Birmingham, where he was a Partner with Balch & Bingham, LLP. Roy ardently represented his clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C., earning the respect of practitioners throughout the United States.Frank Kitchell Bynum, 83, passed on January 14, 2022. He was born on July 17, 1938 in Birmingham, AL. His parents were the late Joe Hearn Bynum and the late Jean Lang Kitchell Bynum. He grew up in College Hills, AL and graduated from Shades Valley High School in 1956. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1962 and participated in the Chico State College Year Abroad Program. Frank was a member Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and Kappa Alpha college fraternity. He received his JD from the University of Virginia Law School in 1963. Frank married Ellis Parsons of Birmingham, AL in December of 1961. Frank and Ellis moved to Mountain Brook after his graduation from the University of Virginia. After clerking for Judge Seaburn Lynn, Frank, a real estate attorney, joined his father and brother in Bynum and Bynum law firm. Frank was a member of the Birmingham Country Club where he enjoyed working out with his friends in the exercise room. He was also a member of St Luke’s Episcopal Church where he ushered on Sundays at the early service. He was a member of the Saint Andrew’s Society of the Middle South and the General Society of Colonial Wars. Frank is survived by his wife Ellis Parsons Bynum, and three children, Frank Bynum Jr. (Nancy), Sophie deBondelis Willemsen (Lee) and Ellis Parsons Blevins (Joel), grandchildren Frank Kitchell Bynum III, Georgia deBondelis Bynum, Leila Parsons Bynum, Jacob Fitzhugh Willemsen, Caroline Cassidey Willemsen, Amelia Ellis Blevins and Gray Alexander Blevins. Frank enjoyed hiking in the mountains of North Carolina and Colorado and training for and competing in triathlons. Later, he explored the U.S. on motorcycle trips with his friends, including a couple of memorable rides to Sturgis.
Hall Williams Thompson, Jr., age 72, of Greystone in North Shelby County, passed away peacefully on August 28, 2021, surrounded by his family and friends. He was instantly received into the loving arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ. Born March 14, 1949, to Hall Williams Thompson, Sr. and Lucille Ryals Thompson, Hall grew up the second of five children. He lived his younger years in Nashville, Tennessee, and moved in 1957 with his family to Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Birmingham University School (BUS), where he won numerous medals competing in track and swimming. After graduating from BUS in 1967, he attended St. Andrews University in North Carolina. Hall then attended Samford University (Samford) in Homewood where he met the love of his life, Patricia Ann Shackelford. They were married in 1970 and celebrated 51 years of beloved marriage this year. While at Samford, Hall pledged Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and was active in a variety of other organizations, including the Samford Ministerial Association. He graduated from Samford with a B.S. in Management. Hall’s business career began with Thompson Tractor Company in Birmingham and then relocated with Thompson to Tuscaloosa, serving the surrounding area in parts sales and service. There in 1977, Hall and Patricia’s dear son Benjamin Hall Thompson was born. In 1981 the Thompsons moved to Fort Worth, TX, where he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological. While in Texas Hall became a real estate broker, obtaining the important GRI designation, and participating in the Texas Association of Realtors. During his time in Texas, he and his friend Bill French built a small trucking company called Thompson Transfer which still operates today. He also was a part of Thompson Communications in the telecommunications arena, and he founded Joshua’s Sword radio ministry, sharing Christian messages throughout Texas. Hall’s experiences in real estate formed the foundation for his career as a real estate investor when the Thompsons returned to the Birmingham area, where he also served on the Board of Directors of Thompson Tractor Company and the Thompson Foundation for charitable giving. He graduated, as well, from the Birmingham School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree. He was a member of the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, the Rotary Club of North Shelby/Inverness, and the Saint Andrew’s Society of the Middle South. A lifelong Republican, Hall actively served and supported both the state and national parties. He was honored with the Republican Senatorial America Spirit Medal and twice the Medal of Freedom, “the highest honor the Republican members of the U.S. Senate can bestow.” He was inducted into Who’s Who in America in 2008 and was a proud member of the Air Force Association, committed to protecting the greater good of our country. Hall was preceded in death by his well-known and distinguished father, Hall Williams Thompson, Sr., Shoal Creek, AL, and his beloved sister-in-law Nancy Stewart Thompson (George), Mountain Brook, AL. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Shackelford Thompson, Greystone; his son Benjamin Hall Thompson, Meadow Brook; his mother Lucille Ryals Thompson, Shoal Creek, AL; his sister, Judith Thompson, DeLand, FL; his brothers George Clinton Thompson and Michael DeWitt Thompson (Genie) and his sister Lisa Thompson Smith (Howard), all of Mountain Brook, AL. Very importantly he was a totally loving husband, father, and friend! He was also businessman and investor, a certified scuba diver, a pilot, a philanthropist, a patriot, a spiritual intercessor, and a selfless Kingdom Builder. The list of his Kingdom endeavors is too extensive to list; however, some were the Jimmie Hale Mission, the Lovelady Center, the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ), Wycliffe Bible Translators, Pacific Garden Mission, Revocation Radio, American Bible Society, The Nuns of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, Glen Shinn Evangelistic Association, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, American Leprosy Mission, Christian Aid Mission, Estonia Christian Radio and Catholic Relief Services.
The full and beautiful life of Charles Alexander “Scotty” McCallum, Jr., M.D., DMD, came to a close on this earth and has been renewed with our Lord, where his beloved wife Alice has been anxiously waiting. “Late as usual” we can hear her saying. He was a man of many names. “Chuck” to his parents, “Scotty” to his friends, “Professor” to his students, “Chief” to his residents, “Dr. McCallum” to his patients, “President” to his University, “Mayor” to his City, “Coach” to his little league teams, “Hon” to his wife, “Dad” to his boys, and most specially “Big Daddy” to the grandchildren he adored. His remarkable journey began on All Saints Day, 1925 in North Adams, Massachusetts where he was born to Mabel and Charlie McCallum. Always gifted academically, he developed a passion in all sports. A star hockey player, he also played college baseball against George H. W. Bush (#41), and while in Naval pre-flight school was coached in football by Paul “Bear” Bryant, who later became his patient. At the end of World War II, his parents convinced him to forgo Naval aircraft carrier flight training to pursue his academic interests. Scotty arrived in Birmingham in 1951 as an oral surgery intern and was told by the Chief Resident he would be paid $25 a month. “Don’t worry” the Chief Resident accurately predicted, “you won’t have time to spend it.” In addition to the DMD he previously earned, Scotty obtained a M.D. while also instructing in the Dental School, became a full professor of dentistry, was named Dean of the Dental School at the age of 37, and later served as Chair of the Oral Surgery Department. He didn’t stop there and ultimately became President of UAB in 1987. Scotty always attributed his popularity among the UAB students to his first act as President. He declared a “snow day.” In his early years at UAB he met a cute RN, Miss Alice Rebecca Lasseter from Albertville, Alabama. He instantly fell in love with Sweet Alice and her famous biscuits. They married in 1955, started a family and had 4 boys, almost perfectly spaced 2 years apart. When asked if this was family planning, Scotty joked, “Nope, I only get home every other year.” It was not really much of a jest. When a young McCallum boy was once asked “What kind of doctor is your dad ” the response was an “airport doctor.” Scotty’s “family” was not determined by bloodlines, and his table always had an extra chair. He recruited students and professionals from around the nation and world to come to UAB. He understood that exposing people to Birmingham would ultimately enhance the national and international image and relevance of UAB and Birmingham. Every holiday these “recruits” were invited into the McCallum home to partake in a feast prepared by Alice. He often insisted that an international student live in his own home and became so fond of one, “A” from Thailand, he called her his “adopted” daughter. In addition to being an educator, Scotty was an accomplished oral and maxillofacial surgeon who was referred patients with the most complex and difficult medical conditions. He operated on many thousands of Alabamians and treated every patient with skill, tenderness, and compassion. He held every leadership position of distinction in the field of dentistry and oral surgery. Scotty was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 1975 and into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in 1999. An avid supporter of all things athletic, a prized achievement in Scotty’s presidency was formally establishing UAB football. After helping to recruit the late, great Gene Bartow from UCLA to UAB they became dear friends. Coach Bartow once wrote Scotty was “the best college President any athletic director could ever have.” He loved the student-athletes and coaches on all the teams at UAB and frequently attended their games, as he believed athletics was integral to school spirit and the culture of the campus. For his efforts and support, he was inducted into UAB’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. Ever Faithful. Ever Loyal. Scotty’s civic, social and charitable contributions in Birmingham are legendary and too innumerable to recite here. It is enough to know that upon receipt of awards and recognitions for his efforts, Scotty always gracefully demurred and thanked those people who “really” made it happen. After retiring from UAB, a group of Vestavia Hills city residents encouraged him to run for mayor. His campaign sign was simple – “Go Scotty.” And go he did for 8 years: building sidewalks, acquiring property for recreational use, recruiting businesses, bringing fiscal responsibility, and leading the effort to annex the jewel of Cahaba Heights into Vestavia Hills. In 2010 the City honored his leadership by renaming Little Shades Creek Park to “McCallum Park.” Scotty’s place of replenishment and respite was Navarre Beach. It was there he taught his sons and grandchildren how to swim, fish and play with reckless abandon. After hard-fought horseshoe matches or hours of spirited card games, you could always find Scotty on the deck overlooking the Gulf with a “full pour” of chardonnay, marveling at the beauty of the world and the blessings that had been bestowed. A reflection upon Scotty’s life would not be complete without mentioning Kitty Robinson. A jaw surgery patient of Scotty’s at age 19, Kitty’s mother cajoled Scotty into giving Kitty a job. It is a job Kitty never left. Everybody who knows the McCallums know Kitty. Thank you Kitty for a lifetime of faithful support and friendship. The family would also gratefully acknowledge the loving caretakers who brought him peace and comfort in his final days. His often-stated mission in life was to “make the world a better place” and that he did. Well done Scotty! Scotty was preceded in death by his wife Alice, his parents Mabel and Charlie, his sister Edith, and his brother Bob. He is survived by his 4 “boys,” Scott (Donna), Chip (LaBella), Phillip (Kelley), and Chris (Suzy). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Alex, David (Sakia), Courtney (Jake Epperson), Caitlin, Indy, Parker, Savannah, and Murphy. He also leaves behind great-grandsons Brody, Miller, and Hayes.
Arthur Weir McConnell “Art”, 90 passed away quietly at home in Homewood, November 13, 2020. Art was born on February 5, 1930, in Pittsfield MA, as the first child to Douglass and Ruth McConnell. The family moved to Birmingham when he was 10 years old. He attended Shades Cahaba High School and excelled academically. He then went to Duke University, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He was inducted into two academic honor societies at Duke, Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi. He was jokingly accused by his fraternity brothers of “collecting” Greek letters. He spent two years in the Navy during the Korean War and was the navigator on aircraft carrier based flights. He met his future wife of more than 60 years, Joanne Ellis while in California, and moved to Homewood in 1954. Art was a Professional Engineer at McConnell Sales and Engineering, serving as President for decades. McConnell Sales built the iconic Homewood Star that hangs above 20th street each holiday season. Art was very active in All Saints Episcopal Church and served on the vestry for many years. He was also active in civic clubs and became the national vice president of the National Exchange Club. He was inducted into the National Exchange Club Court of Honor in 2013, following decades of commitment to the organization. Art was one of only 90 people receiving that honor in the club’s 100+ years. Family meant everything to Art, and he and Joanne had 4 children, Cheryl Lawson, Michael McConnell (Beatrice Files), Douglass McConnell (Sara Baldwin) and Melissa Vaughn (James). He had 5 grandchildren, Andrew McConnell (Katy Stokes), Carolyn McConnell Wright (Robert), Philip Lawson (Morgan), William Lawson (Amanda) and Katlyn Vaughn. Art also had 4 great grandchildren. We all loved family gatherings at his Homewood house, where Art grew up and continued to live for almost 70 years. Fourth of July and Christmas Eve parties were legendary, with family and friends gathering to enjoy Art and Joanne’s warm hospitality. Art loved golf, travel, Alabama football, dancing with Joanne, and stamp collecting. He especially enjoyed attending National Exchange Club conventions with Joanne and often included a grandchild or two. Art’s smile and genuine love of people brightened every room he entered. Art was predeceased by his parents, Douglass and Ruth, his wife Joanne, sister Hilda Yost, son-in-law Ron Lawson, and granddaughter Katlyn Vaughn.
Donald Hardon Monroe of Young Harris, Georgia passed away peacefully on September 22, 2020. Don was born in Emerson, Georgia on May 8, 1935, graduated from Georgia Tech with industrial and mechanical engineering degrees in 1959 and followed that with a Masters in Business Administration from Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management in 1981. He was proud of his career as an Army Reserve officer, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1993 . For the majority of his professional career he worked at Stockham Valves & Fittings in Birmingham, Alabama, from which he retired in 1990, having risen to the position of Vice President of Engineering. Following his retirement from Stockham, Don worked for a number of years as an industry consultant for Sepco in Alabaster, Alabama. Don’s interests were many and varied, and he invested himself deeply in them. He was an avid firearm collector, hunter, and expert marksman. A member of the 3rd Army Rifle Team, he competed locally, regionally, and was proud to compete at the National Matches in Camp Perry, Ohio. He was a passionate sailor and enjoyed margaritas aboard a number of vessels he owned throughout his lifetime. He had a great love for antiques, handmade knives, old western movies, Scottish traditions, and dogs. He and his wife, Ann, enjoyed the craft of jewelry making and were widely known as experts in silversmithing. For a number of years, they taught at the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in Young Harris, Georgia. In that vein, he was quite active in the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, where he rose to the position of President. His love for his Scottish heritage ran deep. He was a member of the St. Andrews Society of the Middle South, where he served as Sergeant at Arms, the Caledonian Society of Alabama, and Clan Munro USA, where he rose to the position of clan President. Don was predeceased by his parents, Oertel Hendricks (O.H.) and Laura Durham Monroe. He is survived by his wife, Ann Crocker-Monroe, brother, Bob Monroe (Cherry), sister, Ann Owen (Andy), children, Daniel (Pam), Evelyn Neill (Bruce), and stepson, Tom Crocker (Bethann), grandchildren, Jessica, Abby, and Emma Neill, Sam Monroe, and Sara Beth Harrell.
Jasper Dowe Bynum died peacefully at home on Friday, July 17, 2020 in Birmingham, Alabama, surrounded by his loved ones. Dowe was born in Birmingham on January 13, 1978 and is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and Princeton University. A year after his graduation, Dowe and his lifelong friend, Richard Cook, co-founded Cook and Bynum Capital Management in 2001. Dowe loved his career because it allowed him to meet people, travel the world, and most importantly, feed his insatiable desire to learn.
A devoted Alabama football fan, Dowe fittingly met the love of his life, Emily West Bynum, at the final regular season game held at Legion Field. The couple married on August 13, 2005, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Their three children, Ann Margaret Nelson Bynum, Elizabeth (“Eliza”) Lucille Bynum, and Jasper (“Jack”) Young Bynum, were his greatest source of joy.
An avid golfer, Dowe spent many hours perfecting his skill and became a scratch golfer the year his eldest child was born. Dowe was also an Eagle Scout and loved being outdoors, camping and fishing with his family, especially with his uncle in Alaska.
Always the best dressed and the life of the party, he was often found telling jokes and carrying on the most interesting conversation in the room. He was passionate about helping others and served on the board of directors and advisors at Glenwood and at the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation and was a member of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club. Proud of his Scottish heritage, Dowe was an active member of the St. Andrew’s Society.
As a testament to his personal fortitude and the unfailing support of his wife, children, family and friends, Dowe waged an unwavering battle with brain cancer for three years. His legacy is one of inspiration to research the facts and find truth; the ability to see humor in the mundane (“I’ll have a steak sandwich and a … steak sandwich.”); being passionate about the things you love and letting go of that which does not bring joy; and loving fully and completely.
Dowe leaves behind his parents, Stanley Dowe Bynum and Lucille Mason Bynum; his wife and children; his brother, Julian Mason Bynum (Jillian), and their children, Mason, Knox and Willa; and his sister, Mary Eugenia Bynum Barrow (Charlie), and their daughter, Virginia. His father- and mother-in-law, Burton and Katherine West, eight West family brothers- and sisters-in-law and ten West nieces and nephews will affectionately remember him as “Uncle Ask Dowe,” a name bequeathed by one of his nephews because Dowe always had a definitive answer-and was correct most of the time. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Julian Lee Mason, Jr. and Mary Knox Mason; Ralph Moore Bynum and Sibyl Cole Bynum. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2020, at 6:30 pm at The Jeffries Place in Hale County, Alabama. For more information, please visit: http://evite.me/ehUMjF4Dqs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Glenwood, UAB Department of Neuro-Oncology, or Canterbury United Methodist Church.
Wiley Kemp Livingston, Sr., M.D. died peacefully at home on February 13, 2019. He was born March 21, 1921, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was preceded in death by his wife, Minnie Lee Barker Livingston, his parents, Dr. James A. Livingston and Hazel Wiley Livingston, his brother, James A. Livingston, Jr., and his sister, Alida Livingston Wilkinson. He attended Lakeview Elementary School, Ramsay High School (where he was President of the senior class), Birmingham-Southern College and the University of Michigan, where he received his A.B. degree and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He attended the University of Alabama Medical School (President of Gorgas Medical Society) in Tuscaloosa for basic medical sciences and received his M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (as did his father) where he was a member of Nu Sigma Nu medical fraternity. He interned at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and served his Ophthalmology Residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at John Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Livingston was certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and elected a Fellow in the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and later a Life Member and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Livingston began the practice of ophthalmology with his father, Dr. James Livingston, Sr., in Birmingham. During the Korean Conflict he served as Chief (Captain), Eye Section, U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Following this, he returned to Birmingham where he practiced ophthalmology until his retirement in 1987. During his practice he served on the staffs of several area hospitals, including UAB, for a time as Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. In 1977 he served as a short-term missionary in the Kano Eye Hospital (Evangelical Churches of West Africa), Kano, Nigeria. He was a member of the Jefferson County Medical Society, Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the Birmingham Clinical Club, The Club, The Country Club of Birmingham, St. Andrews Society, Sons of the Revolution, and the Monday Group. He was also a past member of the Downtown Rotary Club and Rex Lake Sportsman Club. He was a long-time member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church. Dr. Livingston is survived by three sons: Dr. Wiley Kemp Livingston, Jr., of Birmingham, Dr. David Barker Livingston, Blacksburg, Virginia, and John Hartridge Livingston, II (Connie) of Birmingham; his sister-in-law Margaret Gresham Livingston, brother-in-law Dr. Frank M. Barker, Jr., and many beloved nieces and nephews. He is also survived by six cherished grandchildren: William Brown Livingston, Ariana Shepherd Livingston, Mary Lee Bard Livingston, Alida Miller Livingston, all of Birmingham; Brianna Schoen of Abingdon, Virginia, and Bryce Fitzgerald (Alexandrea) of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Charles Swift Northen III, 80, of Mountain Brook, Alabama died on July 1, 2017. He was born January 25, 1937. Survivors include his wife, Betty T. Northen; daughter Margaret Allen Northen; sons Charles S. Northen IV and Bryce R. Northen; stepdaughter Vicki Lee Taylor; stepsister Elizabeth McDavid Farnsworth; grandchildren Charles S. Northen V, George Todd Northen, Jo Northen, Daisy Bryce Northen and Emmett Wallis Northen. He was predeceased by his father, Charles S. Northen, Jr., mother, Jennie Hood Hunt Northen and sister, Margaret Northen Whaley. Mr. Northen was a Presbyterian Elder, member of Independent Presbyterian Church and former president of the congregation. He was an Eagle Scout, a graduate in the first class of Indian Springs School and an honors graduate of Vanderbilt University. He was a member of several civic and social organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham (Honorary Life Member), Mountain Brook Club, Society of Colonial Wars, Society of the Revolution in the State of Alabama, St. Andrews Society of the Middle South and The International Churchill Society. He was an enthusiast and supporter of The American Village in Montevallo. His vocation was investment management, practiced primarily at banks. He retired as Senior Investment Officer of Regions Financial Corporation and later served as a Managing Director of Sterne, Agee & Leach. He was a Chartered Financial Analyst, and first President of the Alabama Society of Financial Analysts. He was the author of numerous articles on investments and other subjects, and editor of All Right Let Them Come: The Civil War Diary of An East Tennessee Confederate.
Jan. 30, 1960 – Nov. 29, 2016 After a sudden illness, Charly Lynn died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends on Tuesday evening. A native of Vancouver, Charly moved with his family to Birmingham in 1961. He was raised in Forest Park, attended Avondale Elementary, Birmingham University School and The Altamont School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama in 1983 – and shortly thereafter entered the investment banking profession he served in for the rest of his career. Charly was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church, where he and his wife Sandra were married in 1992. A devoted church servant, Charly was selected as the 2016 recipient of the Service Award at St. Mary’s – which he supported in numerous roles over the years, from Usher and Sunday School Teacher to Hospitality Network volunteer. Charly also served in the Cursillo community which he held dearly in his heart. Charly’s community activities centered around (but were far from limited to) his role as father to sons Baker and Jackson. He served as an active Boy Scouts leader (Troop 97) for more than a decade and coached a number of his sons’ sports teams. Charly was a community leader in Homewood, a member of the Saint Andrew’s Society, Alumni Board Member of The Altamont School and a registered bond principal of MSRB. An extraordinarily gifted raconteur, Charly had the rare ability to elevate even the smallest story to epic proportions. His larger than life personality will be deeply missed by the countless lives he touched as a dear and genuine friend.
Dec. 3, 1921 – May 3, 2015 Ted Randolph passed away on May 3, 2015, in Birmingham, AL, at the age of 93.
Ted was born on December 3, 1921, the only son of the late Theodore Fitz Randolph, II and Serena Kirkpatrick Fitz Randolph. He is survived by his sister Serena Chesnut MacRae Crosby, of St. Augustine, FL. and preceded in death by his sister, Jane Randolph Casey, of Birmingham. Ted is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Jane Scruggs Fitz Randolph and by his five children: Serena Randolph Smith (Paul) of Banner Elk, NC; Jane Randolph Peklenk (Steve) of Charlotte, NC; Theodore Fitz Randolph, IV (Diane) of Richmond, MA; Mary Randolph Hanson (Victor) of Birmingham; and James Douglas Kirkpatrick Fitz Randolph, of Salisbury, NC. Ted has eleven grandchildren: Douglas Smith (Margaret); Katharine Smith Spradling (Jason); Nathaniel Smith, Mary Chesnut Smith; Caroline Peklenk; Eleanor Randolph, Sophia Randolph, Thomas Randolph; Virginia Hanson Apple (Benjamin); Victor Hanson, IV (Linley); John Hanson (Clair). His great-grandchildren are: Amelia Spradling, Wesley Spradling, Savannah Apple and Emma James Hanson. He is also survived by many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews as well as dear friends.
Born in Birmingham, Ted attended Lakeview School and graduated from Ramsey High School. He was on the Dean’s List at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1944 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. While at MIT, Ted joined the US Navy, as Ensign, and received further graduate training at Cornell and Columbia Universities for Electrical, Diesel and Naval engineering. Later he served as Chief Diesel Engineer on a minesweeper in the Pacific Theater. Returning to Birmingham after the war, Ted worked at several local companies before joining Harbert Construction in 1949. As a Vice President at Harbert and its Chief Engineer, Ted engaged in a myriad of projects from heavy roadwork and bridges to water and sewer systems, pipelines and coal mining. In 1979, Ted and Jane moved to Eilat, Israel for two years, where Ted helped oversee Harbert’s construction of an underground Israeli airbase in the Negev Desert as part of the Camp David Accords. He retired from Harbert after 36 years. Ted was a faithful member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church where he was on the Building Committee for the current Acton Road campus and new sanctuary. Ted grew up as an active member of St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church serving in many capacities including vestry membership. He was also involved in the Episcopal Cursillo movement, and along with Jane, was on the staff of Alabama Cursillo #1. Every year of his life Ted traveled to Linville, NC with his family to enjoy hiking, rock climbing, swimming and picnics around the summer home his grandparents built in 1920. Ted especially loved the trails of Grandfather Mountain, last hiking to MacRae Peak a few months short of his 91st birthday. Ted was a long-time member of the Linville Golf Club. Ted was a member of the Mountain Brook Club, where he took up tennis after he retired and enjoyed the 59 Forever Tennis group. He was also a member of the General Society of Colonial Wars. He was a founding member and past president of the St. Andrew’s Society of the Middle South. Ted loved sharing a good story and possessed a dry wit. He was great at solving problems of all kinds, and was always ready to offer an unconventional perspective. When stranded on the west coast due to the lack of transportation available for members of the armed services after the surrender of Japan, he bought a second-hand Culver Cadet and was soon flying home. Ted enjoyed his family and friends, his career and many adventures, but the bedrock of his life was Jesus Christ. He accepted Him as his Lord and Savior. Evident to anyone who knew him were these gifts of the Spirit: love, patience, kindness and gentleness. One of Ted’s favorite Bible verses was: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
Robert (Bob) Wharton Creveling, Sr. was born on February 24, 1936 and went to live with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on January 9, 2014. He was 77 years old. Bob was the son of Gordon and Isabel Creveling. He was born in Birmingham, AL., but his early days were spent in Bolivia and Mexico. He returned to Birmingham, graduated from Mountain Brook Elementary School and Ramsey High School and was a member of Alpha Sigma Delta fraternity. He graduated with a BA from the University of the South, Sewanee, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta and a Gownsman. He began law school at Duke University, left to serve in the Army Intelligence Corps and later received his law degree from Emory Law School. Bob started his career at the First National Bank of Birmingham as a Trust Officer and subsequently spent a long career in the insurance industry before joining the American Cancer Society as a Planned Giving Officer. Bob later became the Director of Probate and Trust Management for the ACS National Office in Atlanta, GA. He moved to Oklahoma City, working as the Associate Chief Counsel for the ACS, where he lived some of the best years on his life. While there he served as President of the Board of a non-profit organization, Urban Impact, devoted to assisting in the education of disadvantaged youth. After retiring, he returned to his home in Birmingham where he practiced mediation. In 2009 he was acknowledged as the Pro-bono Mediator of the Year by the Alabama State Bar. Recently, Bob enjoyed serving in many professional roles including as an Adjunct Professor for the Birmingham School of Law, as the Secretary for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) section of the Birmingham Bar Association, the Treasurer of the Alabama State Bar ADR section and as the mediation coordinator for Judge John Amari. During his career span, Bob was able to celebrate over 50 years as a member of the Alabama Bar. He was a member of the Mountain Brook Club for 50 years and also a member of The Club, the St. Andrews Society, and the Baronial Order of the Magna Charta. Bob was a devoted member of St. Lukes Episcopal Church where he served as a Stephen Minister and on the Leadership Team, as well as a Sunday school teacher, a Lay Eucharistic Minister, and as a Lector. He looked forward to visiting weekly with his Cursillo reunion group. Bob cherished and was cherished by his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Sarah Smith Creveling, his sons Robert Wharton Creveling Jr. and Clay Wilburn Creveling, his grandchildren, Kristen Estes Kacker, Isabel McCormick Creveling, Andrew Shumate Creveling, and Sally Reed Creveling.
Roy Richard Robertson Jr. Nov. 25, 1942-Oct. 20, 2013 Roy Richard Robertson Jr. went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on October 20, 2013. He was born in Arlington, VA on November 25, 1942. He was preceded in death by his father, Roy Richard Robertson, Sr., a native of Roanoke, VA. Roy grew up in Prince Georges County, MD, where he graduated from Suitland High School. He went to the School of Banking and Finance at the University of Maryland. After graduation, he served as Budget Officer in the United States Air Force, where he attained the rank of Captain and was stationed in California, England and Vietnam. On November 23, 1968, while in England, Roy met and married Lynda Lera Grier of Birmingham, who was teaching school at Upper Hayford Royal Air Force Base. Thus began more than forty-four wonderful years of marriage. Roy was stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base during the Vietnam War. After returning from Vietnam, Roy and Lynda moved to Durham, N.C., where he attended Duke University School of Law. In 1972, he clerked with the firm of Balch, Bingham, Hawthorne & Williams in Birmingham. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1973 and began a career in Natural Gas and Energy law, which took him from Birmingham to Hinsdale, IL, Long Beach, IN, and back to Birmingham, where he was a Partner with Balch & Bingham, LLP. Roy ardently represented his clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C., earning the respect of practitioners throughout the United States.Frank Kitchell Bynum, 83, passed on January 14, 2022. He was born on July 17, 1938 in Birmingham, AL. His parents were the late Joe Hearn Bynum and the late Jean Lang Kitchell Bynum. He grew up in College Hills, AL and graduated from Shades Valley High School in 1956. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1962 and participated in the Chico State College Year Abroad Program. Frank was a member Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and Kappa Alpha college fraternity. He received his JD from the University of Virginia Law School in 1963. Frank married Ellis Parsons of Birmingham, AL in December of 1961. Frank and Ellis moved to Mountain Brook after his graduation from the University of Virginia. After clerking for Judge Seaburn Lynn, Frank, a real estate attorney, joined his father and brother in Bynum and Bynum law firm. Frank was a member of the Birmingham Country Club where he enjoyed working out with his friends in the exercise room. He was also a member of St Luke’s Episcopal Church where he ushered on Sundays at the early service. He was a member of the Saint Andrew’s Society of the Middle South and the General Society of Colonial Wars. Frank is survived by his wife Ellis Parsons Bynum, and three children, Frank Bynum Jr. (Nancy), Sophie deBondelis Willemsen (Lee) and Ellis Parsons Blevins (Joel), grandchildren Frank Kitchell Bynum III, Georgia deBondelis Bynum, Leila Parsons Bynum, Jacob Fitzhugh Willemsen, Caroline Cassidey Willemsen, Amelia Ellis Blevins and Gray Alexander Blevins. Frank enjoyed hiking in the mountains of North Carolina and Colorado and training for and competing in triathlons. Later, he explored the U.S. on motorcycle trips with his friends, including a couple of memorable rides to Sturgis.
Hall Williams Thompson, Jr., age 72, of Greystone in North Shelby County, passed away peacefully on August 28, 2021, surrounded by his family and friends. He was instantly received into the loving arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ. Born March 14, 1949, to Hall Williams Thompson, Sr. and Lucille Ryals Thompson, Hall grew up the second of five children. He lived his younger years in Nashville, Tennessee, and moved in 1957 with his family to Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Birmingham University School (BUS), where he won numerous medals competing in track and swimming. After graduating from BUS in 1967, he attended St. Andrews University in North Carolina. Hall then attended Samford University (Samford) in Homewood where he met the love of his life, Patricia Ann Shackelford. They were married in 1970 and celebrated 51 years of beloved marriage this year. While at Samford, Hall pledged Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and was active in a variety of other organizations, including the Samford Ministerial Association. He graduated from Samford with a B.S. in Management. Hall’s business career began with Thompson Tractor Company in Birmingham and then relocated with Thompson to Tuscaloosa, serving the surrounding area in parts sales and service. There in 1977, Hall and Patricia’s dear son Benjamin Hall Thompson was born. In 1981 the Thompsons moved to Fort Worth, TX, where he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological. While in Texas Hall became a real estate broker, obtaining the important GRI designation, and participating in the Texas Association of Realtors. During his time in Texas, he and his friend Bill French built a small trucking company called Thompson Transfer which still operates today. He also was a part of Thompson Communications in the telecommunications arena, and he founded Joshua’s Sword radio ministry, sharing Christian messages throughout Texas. Hall’s experiences in real estate formed the foundation for his career as a real estate investor when the Thompsons returned to the Birmingham area, where he also served on the Board of Directors of Thompson Tractor Company and the Thompson Foundation for charitable giving. He graduated, as well, from the Birmingham School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree. He was a member of the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, the Rotary Club of North Shelby/Inverness, and the Saint Andrew’s Society of the Middle South. A lifelong Republican, Hall actively served and supported both the state and national parties. He was honored with the Republican Senatorial America Spirit Medal and twice the Medal of Freedom, “the highest honor the Republican members of the U.S. Senate can bestow.” He was inducted into Who’s Who in America in 2008 and was a proud member of the Air Force Association, committed to protecting the greater good of our country. Hall was preceded in death by his well-known and distinguished father, Hall Williams Thompson, Sr., Shoal Creek, AL, and his beloved sister-in-law Nancy Stewart Thompson (George), Mountain Brook, AL. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Shackelford Thompson, Greystone; his son Benjamin Hall Thompson, Meadow Brook; his mother Lucille Ryals Thompson, Shoal Creek, AL; his sister, Judith Thompson, DeLand, FL; his brothers George Clinton Thompson and Michael DeWitt Thompson (Genie) and his sister Lisa Thompson Smith (Howard), all of Mountain Brook, AL. Very importantly he was a totally loving husband, father, and friend! He was also businessman and investor, a certified scuba diver, a pilot, a philanthropist, a patriot, a spiritual intercessor, and a selfless Kingdom Builder. The list of his Kingdom endeavors is too extensive to list; however, some were the Jimmie Hale Mission, the Lovelady Center, the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ), Wycliffe Bible Translators, Pacific Garden Mission, Revocation Radio, American Bible Society, The Nuns of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, Glen Shinn Evangelistic Association, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, American Leprosy Mission, Christian Aid Mission, Estonia Christian Radio and Catholic Relief Services.
The full and beautiful life of Charles Alexander “Scotty” McCallum, Jr., M.D., DMD, came to a close on this earth and has been renewed with our Lord, where his beloved wife Alice has been anxiously waiting. “Late as usual” we can hear her saying. He was a man of many names. “Chuck” to his parents, “Scotty” to his friends, “Professor” to his students, “Chief” to his residents, “Dr. McCallum” to his patients, “President” to his University, “Mayor” to his City, “Coach” to his little league teams, “Hon” to his wife, “Dad” to his boys, and most specially “Big Daddy” to the grandchildren he adored. His remarkable journey began on All Saints Day, 1925 in North Adams, Massachusetts where he was born to Mabel and Charlie McCallum. Always gifted academically, he developed a passion in all sports. A star hockey player, he also played college baseball against George H. W. Bush (#41), and while in Naval pre-flight school was coached in football by Paul “Bear” Bryant, who later became his patient. At the end of World War II, his parents convinced him to forgo Naval aircraft carrier flight training to pursue his academic interests. Scotty arrived in Birmingham in 1951 as an oral surgery intern and was told by the Chief Resident he would be paid $25 a month. “Don’t worry” the Chief Resident accurately predicted, “you won’t have time to spend it.” In addition to the DMD he previously earned, Scotty obtained a M.D. while also instructing in the Dental School, became a full professor of dentistry, was named Dean of the Dental School at the age of 37, and later served as Chair of the Oral Surgery Department. He didn’t stop there and ultimately became President of UAB in 1987. Scotty always attributed his popularity among the UAB students to his first act as President. He declared a “snow day.” In his early years at UAB he met a cute RN, Miss Alice Rebecca Lasseter from Albertville, Alabama. He instantly fell in love with Sweet Alice and her famous biscuits. They married in 1955, started a family and had 4 boys, almost perfectly spaced 2 years apart. When asked if this was family planning, Scotty joked, “Nope, I only get home every other year.” It was not really much of a jest. When a young McCallum boy was once asked “What kind of doctor is your dad ” the response was an “airport doctor.” Scotty’s “family” was not determined by bloodlines, and his table always had an extra chair. He recruited students and professionals from around the nation and world to come to UAB. He understood that exposing people to Birmingham would ultimately enhance the national and international image and relevance of UAB and Birmingham. Every holiday these “recruits” were invited into the McCallum home to partake in a feast prepared by Alice. He often insisted that an international student live in his own home and became so fond of one, “A” from Thailand, he called her his “adopted” daughter. In addition to being an educator, Scotty was an accomplished oral and maxillofacial surgeon who was referred patients with the most complex and difficult medical conditions. He operated on many thousands of Alabamians and treated every patient with skill, tenderness, and compassion. He held every leadership position of distinction in the field of dentistry and oral surgery. Scotty was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 1975 and into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in 1999. An avid supporter of all things athletic, a prized achievement in Scotty’s presidency was formally establishing UAB football. After helping to recruit the late, great Gene Bartow from UCLA to UAB they became dear friends. Coach Bartow once wrote Scotty was “the best college President any athletic director could ever have.” He loved the student-athletes and coaches on all the teams at UAB and frequently attended their games, as he believed athletics was integral to school spirit and the culture of the campus. For his efforts and support, he was inducted into UAB’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. Ever Faithful. Ever Loyal. Scotty’s civic, social and charitable contributions in Birmingham are legendary and too innumerable to recite here. It is enough to know that upon receipt of awards and recognitions for his efforts, Scotty always gracefully demurred and thanked those people who “really” made it happen. After retiring from UAB, a group of Vestavia Hills city residents encouraged him to run for mayor. His campaign sign was simple – “Go Scotty.” And go he did for 8 years: building sidewalks, acquiring property for recreational use, recruiting businesses, bringing fiscal responsibility, and leading the effort to annex the jewel of Cahaba Heights into Vestavia Hills. In 2010 the City honored his leadership by renaming Little Shades Creek Park to “McCallum Park.” Scotty’s place of replenishment and respite was Navarre Beach. It was there he taught his sons and grandchildren how to swim, fish and play with reckless abandon. After hard-fought horseshoe matches or hours of spirited card games, you could always find Scotty on the deck overlooking the Gulf with a “full pour” of chardonnay, marveling at the beauty of the world and the blessings that had been bestowed. A reflection upon Scotty’s life would not be complete without mentioning Kitty Robinson. A jaw surgery patient of Scotty’s at age 19, Kitty’s mother cajoled Scotty into giving Kitty a job. It is a job Kitty never left. Everybody who knows the McCallums know Kitty. Thank you Kitty for a lifetime of faithful support and friendship. The family would also gratefully acknowledge the loving caretakers who brought him peace and comfort in his final days. His often-stated mission in life was to “make the world a better place” and that he did. Well done Scotty! Scotty was preceded in death by his wife Alice, his parents Mabel and Charlie, his sister Edith, and his brother Bob. He is survived by his 4 “boys,” Scott (Donna), Chip (LaBella), Phillip (Kelley), and Chris (Suzy). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Alex, David (Sakia), Courtney (Jake Epperson), Caitlin, Indy, Parker, Savannah, and Murphy. He also leaves behind great-grandsons Brody, Miller, and Hayes.
Arthur Weir McConnell “Art”, 90 passed away quietly at home in Homewood, November 13, 2020. Art was born on February 5, 1930, in Pittsfield MA, as the first child to Douglass and Ruth McConnell. The family moved to Birmingham when he was 10 years old. He attended Shades Cahaba High School and excelled academically. He then went to Duke University, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He was inducted into two academic honor societies at Duke, Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi. He was jokingly accused by his fraternity brothers of “collecting” Greek letters. He spent two years in the Navy during the Korean War and was the navigator on aircraft carrier based flights. He met his future wife of more than 60 years, Joanne Ellis while in California, and moved to Homewood in 1954. Art was a Professional Engineer at McConnell Sales and Engineering, serving as President for decades. McConnell Sales built the iconic Homewood Star that hangs above 20th street each holiday season. Art was very active in All Saints Episcopal Church and served on the vestry for many years. He was also active in civic clubs and became the national vice president of the National Exchange Club. He was inducted into the National Exchange Club Court of Honor in 2013, following decades of commitment to the organization. Art was one of only 90 people receiving that honor in the club’s 100+ years. Family meant everything to Art, and he and Joanne had 4 children, Cheryl Lawson, Michael McConnell (Beatrice Files), Douglass McConnell (Sara Baldwin) and Melissa Vaughn (James). He had 5 grandchildren, Andrew McConnell (Katy Stokes), Carolyn McConnell Wright (Robert), Philip Lawson (Morgan), William Lawson (Amanda) and Katlyn Vaughn. Art also had 4 great grandchildren. We all loved family gatherings at his Homewood house, where Art grew up and continued to live for almost 70 years. Fourth of July and Christmas Eve parties were legendary, with family and friends gathering to enjoy Art and Joanne’s warm hospitality. Art loved golf, travel, Alabama football, dancing with Joanne, and stamp collecting. He especially enjoyed attending National Exchange Club conventions with Joanne and often included a grandchild or two. Art’s smile and genuine love of people brightened every room he entered. Art was predeceased by his parents, Douglass and Ruth, his wife Joanne, sister Hilda Yost, son-in-law Ron Lawson, and granddaughter Katlyn Vaughn.
Donald Hardon Monroe of Young Harris, Georgia passed away peacefully on September 22, 2020. Don was born in Emerson, Georgia on May 8, 1935, graduated from Georgia Tech with industrial and mechanical engineering degrees in 1959 and followed that with a Masters in Business Administration from Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management in 1981. He was proud of his career as an Army Reserve officer, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1993 . For the majority of his professional career he worked at Stockham Valves & Fittings in Birmingham, Alabama, from which he retired in 1990, having risen to the position of Vice President of Engineering. Following his retirement from Stockham, Don worked for a number of years as an industry consultant for Sepco in Alabaster, Alabama. Don’s interests were many and varied, and he invested himself deeply in them. He was an avid firearm collector, hunter, and expert marksman. A member of the 3rd Army Rifle Team, he competed locally, regionally, and was proud to compete at the National Matches in Camp Perry, Ohio. He was a passionate sailor and enjoyed margaritas aboard a number of vessels he owned throughout his lifetime. He had a great love for antiques, handmade knives, old western movies, Scottish traditions, and dogs. He and his wife, Ann, enjoyed the craft of jewelry making and were widely known as experts in silversmithing. For a number of years, they taught at the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in Young Harris, Georgia. In that vein, he was quite active in the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, where he rose to the position of President. His love for his Scottish heritage ran deep. He was a member of the St. Andrews Society of the Middle South, where he served as Sergeant at Arms, the Caledonian Society of Alabama, and Clan Munro USA, where he rose to the position of clan President. Don was predeceased by his parents, Oertel Hendricks (O.H.) and Laura Durham Monroe. He is survived by his wife, Ann Crocker-Monroe, brother, Bob Monroe (Cherry), sister, Ann Owen (Andy), children, Daniel (Pam), Evelyn Neill (Bruce), and stepson, Tom Crocker (Bethann), grandchildren, Jessica, Abby, and Emma Neill, Sam Monroe, and Sara Beth Harrell.
Jasper Dowe Bynum died peacefully at home on Friday, July 17, 2020 in Birmingham, Alabama, surrounded by his loved ones. Dowe was born in Birmingham on January 13, 1978 and is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and Princeton University. A year after his graduation, Dowe and his lifelong friend, Richard Cook, co-founded Cook and Bynum Capital Management in 2001. Dowe loved his career because it allowed him to meet people, travel the world, and most importantly, feed his insatiable desire to learn.
A devoted Alabama football fan, Dowe fittingly met the love of his life, Emily West Bynum, at the final regular season game held at Legion Field. The couple married on August 13, 2005, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Their three children, Ann Margaret Nelson Bynum, Elizabeth (“Eliza”) Lucille Bynum, and Jasper (“Jack”) Young Bynum, were his greatest source of joy.
An avid golfer, Dowe spent many hours perfecting his skill and became a scratch golfer the year his eldest child was born. Dowe was also an Eagle Scout and loved being outdoors, camping and fishing with his family, especially with his uncle in Alaska.
Always the best dressed and the life of the party, he was often found telling jokes and carrying on the most interesting conversation in the room. He was passionate about helping others and served on the board of directors and advisors at Glenwood and at the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation and was a member of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club. Proud of his Scottish heritage, Dowe was an active member of the St. Andrew’s Society.
As a testament to his personal fortitude and the unfailing support of his wife, children, family and friends, Dowe waged an unwavering battle with brain cancer for three years. His legacy is one of inspiration to research the facts and find truth; the ability to see humor in the mundane (“I’ll have a steak sandwich and a … steak sandwich.”); being passionate about the things you love and letting go of that which does not bring joy; and loving fully and completely.
Dowe leaves behind his parents, Stanley Dowe Bynum and Lucille Mason Bynum; his wife and children; his brother, Julian Mason Bynum (Jillian), and their children, Mason, Knox and Willa; and his sister, Mary Eugenia Bynum Barrow (Charlie), and their daughter, Virginia. His father- and mother-in-law, Burton and Katherine West, eight West family brothers- and sisters-in-law and ten West nieces and nephews will affectionately remember him as “Uncle Ask Dowe,” a name bequeathed by one of his nephews because Dowe always had a definitive answer-and was correct most of the time. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Julian Lee Mason, Jr. and Mary Knox Mason; Ralph Moore Bynum and Sibyl Cole Bynum. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2020, at 6:30 pm at The Jeffries Place in Hale County, Alabama. For more information, please visit: http://evite.me/ehUMjF4Dqs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Glenwood, UAB Department of Neuro-Oncology, or Canterbury United Methodist Church.
Wiley Kemp Livingston, Sr., M.D. died peacefully at home on February 13, 2019. He was born March 21, 1921, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was preceded in death by his wife, Minnie Lee Barker Livingston, his parents, Dr. James A. Livingston and Hazel Wiley Livingston, his brother, James A. Livingston, Jr., and his sister, Alida Livingston Wilkinson. He attended Lakeview Elementary School, Ramsay High School (where he was President of the senior class), Birmingham-Southern College and the University of Michigan, where he received his A.B. degree and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He attended the University of Alabama Medical School (President of Gorgas Medical Society) in Tuscaloosa for basic medical sciences and received his M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (as did his father) where he was a member of Nu Sigma Nu medical fraternity. He interned at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and served his Ophthalmology Residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at John Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Livingston was certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and elected a Fellow in the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and later a Life Member and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Livingston began the practice of ophthalmology with his father, Dr. James Livingston, Sr., in Birmingham. During the Korean Conflict he served as Chief (Captain), Eye Section, U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Following this, he returned to Birmingham where he practiced ophthalmology until his retirement in 1987. During his practice he served on the staffs of several area hospitals, including UAB, for a time as Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. In 1977 he served as a short-term missionary in the Kano Eye Hospital (Evangelical Churches of West Africa), Kano, Nigeria. He was a member of the Jefferson County Medical Society, Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the Birmingham Clinical Club, The Club, The Country Club of Birmingham, St. Andrews Society, Sons of the Revolution, and the Monday Group. He was also a past member of the Downtown Rotary Club and Rex Lake Sportsman Club. He was a long-time member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church. Dr. Livingston is survived by three sons: Dr. Wiley Kemp Livingston, Jr., of Birmingham, Dr. David Barker Livingston, Blacksburg, Virginia, and John Hartridge Livingston, II (Connie) of Birmingham; his sister-in-law Margaret Gresham Livingston, brother-in-law Dr. Frank M. Barker, Jr., and many beloved nieces and nephews. He is also survived by six cherished grandchildren: William Brown Livingston, Ariana Shepherd Livingston, Mary Lee Bard Livingston, Alida Miller Livingston, all of Birmingham; Brianna Schoen of Abingdon, Virginia, and Bryce Fitzgerald (Alexandrea) of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Charles Swift Northen III, 80, of Mountain Brook, Alabama died on July 1, 2017. He was born January 25, 1937. Survivors include his wife, Betty T. Northen; daughter Margaret Allen Northen; sons Charles S. Northen IV and Bryce R. Northen; stepdaughter Vicki Lee Taylor; stepsister Elizabeth McDavid Farnsworth; grandchildren Charles S. Northen V, George Todd Northen, Jo Northen, Daisy Bryce Northen and Emmett Wallis Northen. He was predeceased by his father, Charles S. Northen, Jr., mother, Jennie Hood Hunt Northen and sister, Margaret Northen Whaley. Mr. Northen was a Presbyterian Elder, member of Independent Presbyterian Church and former president of the congregation. He was an Eagle Scout, a graduate in the first class of Indian Springs School and an honors graduate of Vanderbilt University. He was a member of several civic and social organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham (Honorary Life Member), Mountain Brook Club, Society of Colonial Wars, Society of the Revolution in the State of Alabama, St. Andrews Society of the Middle South and The International Churchill Society. He was an enthusiast and supporter of The American Village in Montevallo. His vocation was investment management, practiced primarily at banks. He retired as Senior Investment Officer of Regions Financial Corporation and later served as a Managing Director of Sterne, Agee & Leach. He was a Chartered Financial Analyst, and first President of the Alabama Society of Financial Analysts. He was the author of numerous articles on investments and other subjects, and editor of All Right Let Them Come: The Civil War Diary of An East Tennessee Confederate.
Jan. 30, 1960 – Nov. 29, 2016 After a sudden illness, Charly Lynn died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends on Tuesday evening. A native of Vancouver, Charly moved with his family to Birmingham in 1961. He was raised in Forest Park, attended Avondale Elementary, Birmingham University School and The Altamont School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama in 1983 – and shortly thereafter entered the investment banking profession he served in for the rest of his career. Charly was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church, where he and his wife Sandra were married in 1992. A devoted church servant, Charly was selected as the 2016 recipient of the Service Award at St. Mary’s – which he supported in numerous roles over the years, from Usher and Sunday School Teacher to Hospitality Network volunteer. Charly also served in the Cursillo community which he held dearly in his heart. Charly’s community activities centered around (but were far from limited to) his role as father to sons Baker and Jackson. He served as an active Boy Scouts leader (Troop 97) for more than a decade and coached a number of his sons’ sports teams. Charly was a community leader in Homewood, a member of the Saint Andrew’s Society, Alumni Board Member of The Altamont School and a registered bond principal of MSRB. An extraordinarily gifted raconteur, Charly had the rare ability to elevate even the smallest story to epic proportions. His larger than life personality will be deeply missed by the countless lives he touched as a dear and genuine friend.
Dec. 3, 1921 – May 3, 2015 Ted Randolph passed away on May 3, 2015, in Birmingham, AL, at the age of 93.
Ted was born on December 3, 1921, the only son of the late Theodore Fitz Randolph, II and Serena Kirkpatrick Fitz Randolph. He is survived by his sister Serena Chesnut MacRae Crosby, of St. Augustine, FL. and preceded in death by his sister, Jane Randolph Casey, of Birmingham. Ted is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Jane Scruggs Fitz Randolph and by his five children: Serena Randolph Smith (Paul) of Banner Elk, NC; Jane Randolph Peklenk (Steve) of Charlotte, NC; Theodore Fitz Randolph, IV (Diane) of Richmond, MA; Mary Randolph Hanson (Victor) of Birmingham; and James Douglas Kirkpatrick Fitz Randolph, of Salisbury, NC. Ted has eleven grandchildren: Douglas Smith (Margaret); Katharine Smith Spradling (Jason); Nathaniel Smith, Mary Chesnut Smith; Caroline Peklenk; Eleanor Randolph, Sophia Randolph, Thomas Randolph; Virginia Hanson Apple (Benjamin); Victor Hanson, IV (Linley); John Hanson (Clair). His great-grandchildren are: Amelia Spradling, Wesley Spradling, Savannah Apple and Emma James Hanson. He is also survived by many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews as well as dear friends.
Born in Birmingham, Ted attended Lakeview School and graduated from Ramsey High School. He was on the Dean’s List at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1944 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. While at MIT, Ted joined the US Navy, as Ensign, and received further graduate training at Cornell and Columbia Universities for Electrical, Diesel and Naval engineering. Later he served as Chief Diesel Engineer on a minesweeper in the Pacific Theater. Returning to Birmingham after the war, Ted worked at several local companies before joining Harbert Construction in 1949. As a Vice President at Harbert and its Chief Engineer, Ted engaged in a myriad of projects from heavy roadwork and bridges to water and sewer systems, pipelines and coal mining. In 1979, Ted and Jane moved to Eilat, Israel for two years, where Ted helped oversee Harbert’s construction of an underground Israeli airbase in the Negev Desert as part of the Camp David Accords. He retired from Harbert after 36 years. Ted was a faithful member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church where he was on the Building Committee for the current Acton Road campus and new sanctuary. Ted grew up as an active member of St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church serving in many capacities including vestry membership. He was also involved in the Episcopal Cursillo movement, and along with Jane, was on the staff of Alabama Cursillo #1. Every year of his life Ted traveled to Linville, NC with his family to enjoy hiking, rock climbing, swimming and picnics around the summer home his grandparents built in 1920. Ted especially loved the trails of Grandfather Mountain, last hiking to MacRae Peak a few months short of his 91st birthday. Ted was a long-time member of the Linville Golf Club. Ted was a member of the Mountain Brook Club, where he took up tennis after he retired and enjoyed the 59 Forever Tennis group. He was also a member of the General Society of Colonial Wars. He was a founding member and past president of the St. Andrew’s Society of the Middle South. Ted loved sharing a good story and possessed a dry wit. He was great at solving problems of all kinds, and was always ready to offer an unconventional perspective. When stranded on the west coast due to the lack of transportation available for members of the armed services after the surrender of Japan, he bought a second-hand Culver Cadet and was soon flying home. Ted enjoyed his family and friends, his career and many adventures, but the bedrock of his life was Jesus Christ. He accepted Him as his Lord and Savior. Evident to anyone who knew him were these gifts of the Spirit: love, patience, kindness and gentleness. One of Ted’s favorite Bible verses was: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
Robert (Bob) Wharton Creveling, Sr. was born on February 24, 1936 and went to live with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on January 9, 2014. He was 77 years old. Bob was the son of Gordon and Isabel Creveling. He was born in Birmingham, AL., but his early days were spent in Bolivia and Mexico. He returned to Birmingham, graduated from Mountain Brook Elementary School and Ramsey High School and was a member of Alpha Sigma Delta fraternity. He graduated with a BA from the University of the South, Sewanee, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta and a Gownsman. He began law school at Duke University, left to serve in the Army Intelligence Corps and later received his law degree from Emory Law School. Bob started his career at the First National Bank of Birmingham as a Trust Officer and subsequently spent a long career in the insurance industry before joining the American Cancer Society as a Planned Giving Officer. Bob later became the Director of Probate and Trust Management for the ACS National Office in Atlanta, GA. He moved to Oklahoma City, working as the Associate Chief Counsel for the ACS, where he lived some of the best years on his life. While there he served as President of the Board of a non-profit organization, Urban Impact, devoted to assisting in the education of disadvantaged youth. After retiring, he returned to his home in Birmingham where he practiced mediation. In 2009 he was acknowledged as the Pro-bono Mediator of the Year by the Alabama State Bar. Recently, Bob enjoyed serving in many professional roles including as an Adjunct Professor for the Birmingham School of Law, as the Secretary for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) section of the Birmingham Bar Association, the Treasurer of the Alabama State Bar ADR section and as the mediation coordinator for Judge John Amari. During his career span, Bob was able to celebrate over 50 years as a member of the Alabama Bar. He was a member of the Mountain Brook Club for 50 years and also a member of The Club, the St. Andrews Society, and the Baronial Order of the Magna Charta. Bob was a devoted member of St. Lukes Episcopal Church where he served as a Stephen Minister and on the Leadership Team, as well as a Sunday school teacher, a Lay Eucharistic Minister, and as a Lector. He looked forward to visiting weekly with his Cursillo reunion group. Bob cherished and was cherished by his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Sarah Smith Creveling, his sons Robert Wharton Creveling Jr. and Clay Wilburn Creveling, his grandchildren, Kristen Estes Kacker, Isabel McCormick Creveling, Andrew Shumate Creveling, and Sally Reed Creveling.
Roy Richard Robertson Jr. Nov. 25, 1942-Oct. 20, 2013 Roy Richard Robertson Jr. went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on October 20, 2013. He was born in Arlington, VA on November 25, 1942. He was preceded in death by his father, Roy Richard Robertson, Sr., a native of Roanoke, VA. Roy grew up in Prince Georges County, MD, where he graduated from Suitland High School. He went to the School of Banking and Finance at the University of Maryland. After graduation, he served as Budget Officer in the United States Air Force, where he attained the rank of Captain and was stationed in California, England and Vietnam. On November 23, 1968, while in England, Roy met and married Lynda Lera Grier of Birmingham, who was teaching school at Upper Hayford Royal Air Force Base. Thus began more than forty-four wonderful years of marriage. Roy was stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base during the Vietnam War. After returning from Vietnam, Roy and Lynda moved to Durham, N.C., where he attended Duke University School of Law. In 1972, he clerked with the firm of Balch, Bingham, Hawthorne & Williams in Birmingham. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1973 and began a career in Natural Gas and Energy law, which took him from Birmingham to Hinsdale, IL, Long Beach, IN, and back to Birmingham, where he was a Partner with Balch & Bingham, LLP. Roy ardently represented his clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C., earning the respect of practitioners throughout the United States.
Dr. Cecil Morgan, age 91, of Birmingham, Alabama died on September 6, 2024, after a life filled with adventure and a passion for his work and family. Dr. Morgan was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He graduated from The Darlington School, then Tulane University where he majored in English and belonged to the fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon. Following graduation, he went to Tulane University School of Medicine where he was a member of Nu Sigma Nu medical fraternity. He completed his residency in Urology at the Ochsner Medical Center historically known as the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. From there he moved to Birmingham to be on the staff of UAB Hospital, subsequently joining Urology Associates of Alabama and practicing at St. Vincent’s Hospital of Birmingham, and Children’s of Alabama. He served as Medical Staff Chief of St. Vincent’s, and was the recipient of The St. Vincent’s Distinguished Physician Award, 2012. His unwavering dedication to The Crippled Children’s Clinic was a lifelong commitment born out of profound compassion. He served as the National President of the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association and was the founder and president of the Alabama Urology Society among other medical associations.
He was a member of the Country Club of Birmingham, The Rotary Club of Birmingham, The Boston Club of New Orleans and the Krewe of Comus, the Southern Yacht Club, Birmingham Sailing Club, The Beaux Arts Krewe, St. Andrew’s Society, Newcomen Society, Society of the Cincinnati, the Foreign Relations Committee, Ducks Unlimited, and served as Chairman of the Aviation Committee of the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce and was instrumental in championing the Terminal Modernization Project at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.
Cecil had a real love of tennis and playing with the 59 Forever group. He became an accomplished pilot and CFI rated Flight Instructor. When he wasn’t casting a line with his buddies affectionately named “The Mullets”, he could be found in a duck blind in the Louisiana marshes. In other words, basically hunting something, whether it was a ball, a fish, a duck, or just defying gravity. We can’t forget to add scuba diving, racing sailboats, amateur ham radio operating, champion duck calling, expert skeet shooting, becoming Lt. Col. in the Civil Air Patrol and in the United States Power Squadron. Many also remember his enchanting model train Christmas village, where he wore one of his many hats, while delighting all with his festive spirit and joy. He didn’t sit still often!
Cecil was predeceased by his parents Judge Cecil Morgan and Margaret Geddes Morgan, his son Cecil Morgan, III (Lise) and his niece Anne Morgan Harbison. He is survived by his wife Jane Headley Morgan, his sister Margaret Morgan Harbison (James) and his children Phillipa Howell Mulryan, Alison Lochridge Bruhn, Dorothea Sharpe Morgan, Delia Morgan Carr, and nephew James Wesley Harbison, III and by his grandchildren, Morgan Priest Grant (Amanda), Elizabeth Arzt Beatty (Alex), Hunter Allan Morgan, Joshua Calef Morgan, Delia Thornton Folk, Alexandra Patricia Hale, Jane Margaret Carr, and Andrew Thornton Carr. He is also survived by four great-grandchildren. His endless energy and zest for life will be missed by his family and friends forever.
Dr. Thomas G. Amason, Jr. passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones, on November 25, 2022. Tommy was born March 28, 1940, to Thomas Gilbert Amason and Emily Starr Kirksey Amason. He grew up in Ozark, Alabama and moved to Auburn, Alabama, with his family when he was 17. Tommy graduated from Auburn High School in 1958 and then attended Auburn University. At Auburn, he was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity and the Auburn University Marching Band. After graduating from Auburn in 1962, Tommy attended the Medical College of Alabama, (now known as UAB) where he earned his Doctor of Medicine in 1966. He was a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy, serving from 1967-1970. He served aboard the USS Nathanael Greene, in addition to working at the Naval Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. Mutual friends introduced him to Yates Middleton in 1968. They each separately and secretly asked to be set up with the other for the next event. They were married at St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church and enjoyed decades together until Yates’ death in 2021. They moved to New York for his last year of medical residency at Montefiore Hospital, part of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. He and his family moved to Birmingham in 1972. He joined Mayfair Medical, a private pediatric practice in Homewood. During his 43 years at Mayfair, with his humor, compassion, and gentle nature, he touched the lives of countless families. Many young parents felt comforted by his counsel, expertise, warm smile, and positive attitude. Not only did he help to heal the children’s illnesses, but he also helped the parents feel comfortable in their role as a parent. After retiring from Mayfair Medical, he worked for the State of Alabama as a medical consultant.
Tommy was a kind, fun, caring man. As a hobby, he and Yates enjoyed creating and tending gardens together, but he was also great at nurturing people, friendships, and fun. He was loved by so many and will be greatly missed. He lived out his Christian faith in his daily life with us here, and now he is absent from the body but present with the Lord in a new way. Dr. Tommy contributed positively to his community in his volunteer positions and hobbies, too. He was a founding board member of the Discovery Place, the forerunner to Birmingham’s McWane Science Center; a founding member of Societe Academique for Auburn University; a Master Gardener; a Board Member for Friends of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens where he was a Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Directors 2008-2010; past President of the Medical Staff at Children’s of Alabama; a member of The Beaux Arts Krewe and 2016 King of the Krewe, raising money for the Birmingham Museum of Art; a Board Member for the American Horticultural Society; a member of St. Andrew’s Society of the Middle South; a member of St. Mary’s on the Highlands Episcopal Church where he served on the vestry, as a chalice bearer, and as a lay reader; a member of The Country Club of Birmingham; a member of the Alabama Medical Association; a member of the City of Mountain Brook Landscaping Board; and also wrote and presented papers on Horticultural Therapy.
He is survived by his son Thomas Gilbert Amason III (Virginia), and their children Edith King Amason, Thomas Gilbert Amason IV, and Emily Browning Amason; his daughter Caroline Yates Amason Adams (Russ); his sister Emily Amason Sparrow (Tom) and their son Thomas Sparrow; his brother-in-law Frederick S. Middleton (Chita) and their children Ashley Middleton and Chita Middleton. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. Mary’s on the Highlands, Garden Unit, 1910 12th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205, or Friends of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham, AL 35223.
Dr. John Alexander Smith, Professor of Pathology at UAB School of Medicine, passed away on September 19, 2021, at the age of 74.
Born April 3, 1947 to Noble Macbeth Smith and Johanna Rau Smith, Dr. Smith was raised in St. Charles, Missouri. He earned degrees from Purdue University, University of Melbourne, University of Missouri School of Medicine, and Tulane University. Prior to joining the UAB faculty, he was Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School; Associate Molecular Biologist and Associate Pathologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital; and Executive Director, Autoimmune Diseases Research and Molecular Immunology at Merck & Company.
Dr. Smith’s career at UAB included roles as: Professor of Pathology; Director, Division of Laboratory Medicine (20 years); Assistant Chief of Staff, UAB Hospital; Chair, Promotions and Tenure Committee, UAB-School of Medicine; Chair, UAB Faculty Senate; and UAB Faculty Representative to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, and Medical Director, UAB Health System.
His early research involved the invention of solid-phase combinatorial chemistry, the elucidation of the molecular presentation of peptide antigens to helper T cells, and the purification of important enzymes involved in protein processing. He was a Founding Editor of the Current Protocols, an extensive series of technical guides for the branches of the biological sciences. He co-edited the flagship of the series, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, from 1986-2016. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Purdue University in 2005 for his research in protein science and his contributions to molecular biology education. He published more than 200 papers, dealing with proteins, immune recognition, and health services research.
During his career as a scientist, he worked with some of the world’s leading scientists, including Christian Anfinsen (Nobel Prize, National Academy of Sciences (NAS), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS)]; K. Frank Austen (Gardiner Prize, NAS, National Academy of Medicine (NAM), AAAS); Edgar Haber [NAM, AAAS, Chief of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital]; and John E. Walker [Nobel Prize, Fellow of the Royal Society). He was a Rotary Internal Fellow for International Understanding (University of Melbourne); a National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) Fellow (University of Melbourne); Senior Research Associate, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Harvard Medical School); Milton Fellow (Harvard University); Wellcome Trust Fellow (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, England); and a Visiting Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Celera Genomics, and European Bioinformatics Institute (Cambridge, England). He co-founded the Protein Purification and Characterization course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (New York).
Dr. Smith’s honors include: Eagle Scout Award; Pro Deo et Patria Award; The Distinguished Young Physician Award (Missouri Medical Alumni Organization); Distinguished Alumnus Award (School of Science, Purdue University); Fellow, College of American Pathologists; Fellow, American College of Physician Executives; Award of Excellence, UAB Hospital; Visiting Scholar (Wolfson College, Cambridge, England), Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science; James E. West Fellow, Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America; Heritage Award, Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America; Alpha Omega Alpha (national honorary medical society); and Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary International).
Dr. Smith served on numerous national and local committees and boards including: Founding Member and Treasurer (American Peptide Society); Board of Directors, Science Policy Committee, and Vice President for Science Policy (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); Standing Committee on Biodefense for the U.S. Department of Defense (National Academy of Sciences); St. Andrew’s Society of the Middle South; and Rotary Club of Birmingham.
Dr. Smith is survived by his wife of 38 years, Dorinda Miles Smith. He is also survived by a sister, Jane Rau Smith, brother-in-law Franklin Beardsley Miles, Jr. (Nancy), and nieces and nephews: Cort Macbeth Smith, Graham Alexander Bascomb Smith, Todd Robert Liscombe, Blake Smith Liscombe, Paige Claire Liscombe, Deborah Miles Czech, and Lisa Hastings Miles.
On Friday March 5th, 2021, Edward Lamar Thomas Sr. passed away at the age of 81. Lamar was born on April 2, 1939 in Birmingham, AL to James Hugh Thomas and Rosalie Kuhne Thomas. After graduating from Tuscaloosa High School in 1956, he attended The University of Alabama and The Medical College of Alabama receiving his Medical degree in 1963. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1966, then completed his Orthopedic Residency at The University of Alabama Hospital from 1966 – 1970. Lamar began private practice in 1970 at Montclair Orthopedic Surgeons and through the years was a member of many Orthopedic Surgery Societies including the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery and many state and local associations. He held offices in many of these organizations and served as the President of Medical Staff at Baptist Medical Center Montclair for 1998 -1999. Lamar also served for 15 years on The University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences Leadership Board. He was an elder of Briarwood Presbyterian Church where he was a member for over 50 years. Lamar was preceded in death by his parents Hugh and Rosalie Thomas. He is survived by his wife of 58 years Carole McAdams Thomas, children Edward Lamar Thomas Jr. (Lucretia), Emily Thomas Grigsby and grand children Drew Grigsby and Elizabeth Grigsby all of Birmingham.
Charles Mixson Miller passed away on December 25, 2020. A graveside service will be held with immediate family in Tuscaloosa at the Tuscaloosa Memorial Park. The Reverend Dr. John B. Hartman II will be officiating. Charles was born on July 11, 1927 in Valdosta, Georgia, grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and then moved to Alabama where he spent the rest of his life. From a young age his love of God, through his faith in his Savior Jesus Christ, guided his life. His deep love for family and friends, the fun he brought to the life of those around him and his faithful service to his Church were reflections of this faith. He attended The Citadel Military College and graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1949. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Charles served our nation during World War II in the United States Marine Corps from 1945-1946, received the World War II Victory Medal and is a member of the Marine Corps League. He had a distinguished 43 year career with Wyeth Laboratories, retiring in 1992 as District Sales Manager. A devoted member of Independent Presbyterian Church, Charles served as a Deacon, Elder and President of the Congregation. He was a loyal member of the Saint Andrew’s Society, the Sons of the Revolution, and the Society of the Colonial Wars. Charles is survived by his wife of 66 years Elizabeth Palmer Miller, daughter, Elizabeth Miller Hartman (John), daughter, Georgia Mixson Miller, son, Charles Mixson Miller Jr. (Chappell); grandchildren, John Blair Hartman III (Taylor), Charles Miller Hartman (Angie), Gordon Palmer Hartman, Palmer Corinne Miller and Adelaide Miller Niketas (Jackson), and five great-grandchildren. Charles was most proud of his role as husband, father, and grandfather and great-grandfather to those who lovingly called him “Pops.” In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Independent Presbyterian Church (3100 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL 35205), The Citadel Military College (171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409), Kirkwood By The River (3605 Ratliff Road, Birmingham, AL 35210) or the Montreat Conference Center (P.O. 969, Montreat, NC 28757). The family is thankful for the incredible love and care he received at Kirkwood by the River.
Joseph Graham Gamble, Jr. was born in Des Moines, Iowa on June 12, 1926 and died from complications related to COVID-19 on September 25, 2020. Jane W. Gamble, his wife of 38 years, his parents Joseph Graham Gamble and Ella Theolian Hildreth Gamble, his brother Christopher and sister Elizabeth Gamble Davis predeceased him. He is survived by his nephews Philip Christopher Davis (RoseMary) of Montgomery, George Graham Davis of Birmingham, Joseph Gamble Davis (Anna) of Eugene, Oregon, James Conrad Davis (Jennifer) of Birmingham, and John Edward Davis (Liz) of Williamsburg, Virginia, ?ve great nieces and nephews including his God-daughters Jennifer Elizabeth Davis (Eike Bierwirth) of Wiesbaden, Germany and Katherine Rebecca Davis (Creighton Tynes) of Coker, Alabama, and several cousins including his father’s and his namesake, Joseph Graham Gamble II. Until 1937, he lived full time in Des Moines, where his father practiced law from 1916 until his death in 1946. In 1937 his parents, who were raised in Alabama, bought a retirement home near Monticello, Florida, and he and they lived there part of each year until his father’s death. He attended public elementary schools in Des Moines and Monticello, was graduated from high school at Riverside Military academy in Gainesville, Georgia, in 1944 from the University of Florida in 1948, and from the University of Alabama Law School in 1950, where he served on the Law Review. Joe practiced law in Birmingham at Spain, Gillon and Young from 1950 until 1960, at Liberty National Life and Torchmark Corporation from then until 1986, serving as their Corporate Secretary from 1976 until 1986 when he retired, and as a solo practitioner until 1998. He was an active member of the Tax Section of the American Bar Association. He was among the eleven Alabama and Iowa lawyer descendants of his grandfather John Gamble, who was admitted to practice law in Alabama in 1871. He was a member of the chapters of Phi Gamma Delta at the Universities of Florida and Alabama, serving on the Alabama chapter’s House Corporation, and a member of St Andrew’s Society of the Mid-South. He was a lifelong Episcopalian, active in St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands as a Sunday School teacher, member of the Outreach Committee and the vestry, Junior and Senior Warden. He served as a director and President of the Travelers’ Aid Society in Birmingham, a United Way agency, and as a director of the Birmingham Hospitality Network (now known as Family Promise), which hosts homeless families for a week, on a rotating basis among a network of a synagogue and fourteen churches. He spent most of his career as a desk lawyer writing, reading or commenting on documents. His hobby of model trains offered a complete change of pace, allowing him to enjoy building and operating a layout depicting a part of Alabama in 1915, and to serve as an active member of the National Model Railroad Association and its Southeastern Region.
Richard Rutherford Randolph III, 80, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones, on June 27th, 2020. He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma September 7, 1939 to Lillian Fant Randolph and Richard Rutherford Randolph, Jr. After WWII, in which his father served in the rank of Major as Post Engineer in the Army Air Corps, the family returned to Birmingham, Alabama. Richard’s families were pioneers in Birmingham. Richard grew up in Mountain Brook, attended Crestline Heights Grammar School and Shades Valley High School. In 1955, he transferred to the Sewanee Military Academy from which his grandfather, Richard Rutherford Randolph, Sr., graduated c1879. After graduation from SMA, Richard attended the University of the South-Sewanee 1957-1958 then transferring to the University of Alabama where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business, class of 1961.
He entered the United States Air Force as an officer in 1962 and from Hunter Air Force Base, Savannah, Georgia, flew all over the world with Military Air Transport Command in C-124 “Globemaster” aircraft, including combat time in Viet Nam.
In 1963, Richard married Natalie “Natasha” Blinov of Eufaula, Alabama and Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1966, they returned to Birmingham with their newborn son, Richard Rutherford Randolph IV and Richard went to work for United States Pipe and Foundry Company as a Sales Representative. In 1969, he founded and was President of the Central Trane Air Conditioning Company. Then in 1974 he became a partner and Vice President of Norville-Randolph Realtors. In 1996 they merged into LAH Real Estate where he was CFO and Senior Vice President. While at Norville- Randolph Realtors, Richard was also a General Partner in the Recolonization of Blount Springs, a Duany-Plater- Zyberk designed development.
Richard enjoyed being a part of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club; The Sewanee Club; Mensa International; The Club; Jefferson County Historical Association, Past Director; The King’s Ranch/Hannah Homes, Past Board Chairman; Newcomen Society; Birmingham Historical Society, Trustee Emeritus; English-Speaking Union; Oak Hill Memorial Association, Past President; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Viet Nam Service, and The American Legion. He is listed in Social Register and Marquis Who’s Who. Richard was an active church liaison to Boy Scouts of America Troop 53, where each of his three grandsons earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
Richard retired from the real estate business in 2001. He and Natasha have doted on their grandchildren, traveled and enjoyed their family home on Brushy Face Mountain in Highlands, North Carolina.
Retirement gave Richard and Natasha the opportunity to broaden their calling to a life in service to Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord, through Bible study and teaching, and through the healing prayer counseling/ministry as members of the Metropolitan Church of God, where he was an Elder, and St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Mountain Brook.
Retirement also gave him opportunity to further pursue his family’s genealogy. Eleven of his ancestors were signers of the Magna Carta. He is a lineal descendant of Charlemagne; of the Family of Robert the Bruce, First Scottish King of Scotland; John Rolfe and his wife, Pocahontas, were his 9th great grandparents. This led to his participation in the Society of Magna Carta Dames and Barons; St. Andrew’s Society of the Middle South, Past President; Order of Descendants of Ancient Planters, Chaplin; Jamestowne Society; Order of First Families of Virginia; Society of Colonial Wars; Sons of the American Revolution; Society of the Revolution in Alabama; Society of the War of 1812; First Families of Alabama; Order of First Families Alabama Territory and others.
Preceding Richard’s death were his parents and brother John Nevitt Randolph. Richard’s is survived by his wife Natasha, his son, Richard Rutherford Randolph IV, wife Patricia Ann Farmer Randolph, grandchildren Richard Rutherford Randolph V, Robert Carter Randolph, Brett Edward Randolph, Jessica Lee Randolph all of Birmingham; and son Ryland MacKenzie Randolph, wife Aubra Gateley Randolph of Mobile, Alabama and sister-in-law Virginia Randolph of Shelby County.
Dr. Dan Edgar Douglas, 91 of Mountain Brook, Alabama passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, March 18, 2019. He was preceded in death by his parents Lois Boozer Douglas and Howard Gray Douglas. He attended Birmingham-Southern College and The University of Alabama where he was a member of several Honor Societies. He received his AB, MA and DMD degrees from the University of Alabama. After graduation he worked at US Steel Dispensary for 2 years before being called into the Navy where he served 2 years active duty at Parris Island, SC, and then in the Reserves, attaining the rank of Lt. Commander. He opened his own private dental practice in 1956 and practiced in the Southside area for 34 years. He loved the Methodist Church, The US Navy, his dogs, travel, the performing arts, and Alabama Football! He will be lovingly and fondly remembered by anyone that ever met him.
Brian Thomas Keith of Homewood, AL passed away October 4, 2018 at age 67. A native of Houston, TX, he was born August 2, 1951 to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ross Keith. He was a graduate of Samford University and a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Brian was President and owner of Walter S. White Auto Parts, and served many years as an officer and board member of the Automotive Aftermarket Association Southeast. Brian was also on the Board of Managers of the Saint Andrews Society of the Middle South. Brian is predeceased by his wife of 42 years, Anna Rogers Keith, and is survived by his children Kevin Patrick Keith (Maibeth) and Lindsay Rogers Keith Kessler (David); grandchildren George Bradley Crook Keith, Maibeth Margaret Keith, and Henry Thomas Kessler; sister Pamela Keith Parrish (Allen), and numerous other family and friends.
Lt. Col. John Hawkins Napier III, USAF Ret., 91, December 27, 2016 (St. John’s Day on the Anglican calendar.)
He was born in Berkley, CA February 6, 1925 as his late father, Dr. John Hawkins Napier, Jr. was earning his PhD at Stanford University. His mother was the late Lena Mae Tate Napier of Picayune, MS. He attended Pomona College before enlisting into the Marine Corps in 1943. During WWII he served as a sergeant in the Pacific Theater, was one of the first marines into Nagasaki after the bomb and served during the Occupation of Japan.
He entered the University of Mississippi, becoming a member of Sigma Chi. He graduated in 1949 with a BA in history, with many honors, and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force.
A veteran of three wars and two occupations, he was a precursor and advocate of unconventional warfare, serving in intelligence, psychological warfare, communications intelligence in the NSA in Germany and Pakistan. He was one of the five founders of the Counterinsurgency Course at Maxwell AFB which later moved to Hurlbert AFB and became Special Operations.He lectured there for many years.
He was the unconventional warfare plans officer General Westmoreland’s staff in Vietnam in 1964-65. He served in the Pentagon as special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force. He returned to Montgomery in 1971 to serve on the faculty of the Air War College as their unconventional warfare expert. From 1974 until 1977 he was Air University Command Historian. He retired in 1977 as a Lt. Col.,having earned a MA from Auburn University and doctoral studies at Georgetown University.
After retirement, he served on the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, was a columnist of the Montgomery Advertiser, and was an adjunct instructor at Auburn Montgomery.
In 1991, during the Gulf War, he joined the Alabama State Defense Force, became its deputy commander the the state rank of brigadier general and retired again in 1999.
His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Joint Service, Air Force and Army Commendation Medals, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, British Order of St. John, Alabama Distinguished Service Medal and he wore the Parachutist Badge.
His first wife, the former Harriet Elizabeth McGehee of Jackson MS, whom he married in 1950, and two infant sons died.
On September 11,1964 he married Cameron Mayson Freeman of Montgomery at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Life took them to Saigon, Bangkok, Washington DC and around the world before returning to Montgomery in 1971. Both have been deeply involved in the civic, cultural and historical life in their beloved city.
In 1984 he founded Clan Napier in North America and was designated its Lieutenant to the Chief by the then Lord Napier and Ettrick of England.
He was a “clubabble” man. He was a member of hereditary patriotic, private, social, military, veterans and civic organizations around the world for many years, including the Society of Cincinnati, Society, Society of Pioneers and the Montgomery Country Club.
Of his many honors, he received a Doctor of the University, Napier University, Edinburgh (D. Univ.): Fellow, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSA); Commander Most Venerable Order of Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (OSTJ);a Grant of Arms, Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland and was on the Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors, University of Oxford, England.
He was the author of three books and many articles.
Robert McLester Ramsay passed away March 7, 2016 in Middleburg, Virginia at the age of 94. With his death, another member of “The Greatest Generation” has been lost. Born in Birmingham, Alabama on July 26, 1921 to Andrew Carnegie Ramsay and Mary Ruth McLester Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay attended Avondale Elementary School, Ramsay High School and graduated from Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana. He attended the University of Virginia where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and played varsity golf. In 1942 he enlisted in the United States Army. Serving in World War II as a 1st Lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry Division, 5th Cavalry Regiment, Mr. Ramsay saw action in the Pacific Theater from February 1944 through June 1945. He participated in the Admiralty Islands Campaign, the invasion of the Philippines at Leyte, and the liberation of Luzon. For his service he was awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal and the Army Combat Infantry Badge. After the war he completed his education at the University of Alabama where he received a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1948. He also attained his Professional Engineering license. Upon his return to Birmingham, Mr. Ramsay began his career as a design engineer for James A. Evans Engineering. In 1951 he founded Banks, Ellett and Ramsay, Inc., a mechanical engineering and contracting company, where he served as President for thirty years. In 1958 he purchased Birmingham Lead and Smelting Company and served as President. In 1972 his company purchased Shook and Fletcher Air Conditioning, Inc. and Banks, Ellett and Ramsay became the largest mechanical contractor in Alabama. In 1982 he and his son, Erskine Ramsay II, founded Superior Mechanical, Inc. where he served as President and CEO for 17 years until his retirement. At the time of his death, Mr. Ramsay was Chairman of the Board of Ramsay-McCormack Land Company. Predeceased by his parents, brother Andrew Carnegie Ramsay, Jr., daughter Mary McLester Ramsay Fikes, and his wife of 59 years, Rhoda Hale Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay is survived by his wife Joan Faville Ramsay of Middleburg, Virginia; his children Erskine Ramsay, II (Laura), Robert McLester Ramsay, Jr. (Betty), Charles Hale Ramsay, Rhoda Ramsay Abdo, and Richard Gibson Ramsay; grandchildren Christopher Charles Clegg (Melissa), Erskine Ramsay, III, Robert McLester Ramsay, III (Denny Alexander), Laura Ramsay Mitchell (Mike), Shepherd Noojin Ramsay, Martha Ramsay Thrasher (Joe), Rebecca Ramsay Parrish (Ross), Rachael Ramsay Allen (Chris), Mark Ramsay, Sarah Abdo Metee (Michael), Jordan Abdo, Artley Ramsay, Michael Fikes and fifteen great grandchildren. One of Mr. Ramsay’s many interests was genealogy. He was a 2nd generation American on his paternal side. His grandfather immigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1863. His maternal ancestors can be traced back to Colonial Virginia in the early 1600s. Honoring his ancestors, Mr. Ramsay was former President of The St. Andrew’s Society of the Middle South; former President of the Sons of the Revolution in Alabama and former Governor of the Society of Colonial Wars in Alabama. Being the nephew of Erskine Ramsay, noted industrialist and philanthropist of early Birmingham, Mr. Ramsay was acutely aware of the importance of service to the Birmingham community. Among his many civic contributions were: former President, Mountain Brook Exchange Club; former Chairman, Birmingham Area Chapter of the American Red Cross; former Board Member, Boys and Girls Club of Central Alabama; former Board Member, Pearson Hall, Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Facility, and Cub Scout Leader, Troop 363, for 10 years. Mr. Ramsay also endowed the Ramsay Family Scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College. Mr. Ramsay was a lifelong member of Canterbury United Methodist Church, Monday Morning Quarterback Club, the Country Club of Birmingham where he served as Golf Chairman for many years, and the Mountain Brook Club. An avid equestrian in his younger years, Mr. Ramsay was a member of the Birmingham Polo Club and the Branchwater Hunting Club. For many years he was Vice President for Junior Golf in the Southern Golf Association, and for his lifelong dedication to golf, he was inducted into the Birmingham Golf Hall of Fame. For his service to the Birmingham area Boy Scouts, Mr. Ramsay was awarded the Silver Beaver Award.
Aug. 8, 1918 – Feb. 5, 2015 James Archibald Livingston, junior died on February 5, 2015. He was born August 8, 1918 in Macon, Georgia, where his father, a doctor in the Medical Corp of World War I, was stationed. When he was four years old his family moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where his father practiced medicine.
James is predeceased by his father, Dr. James Archibald Livingston, senior, his mother, Hazel Wiley Livingston, his step-sister Alida Livingston Jeffries Wilkinson (Mrs. Edgar) of Selma, and his daughter-in-law Susan Bevill Livingston. He is survived by his devoted wife of sixty-seven years, Margaret Morrow Gresham Livingston. He is also survived by his children, Dr. Mary Margaret Livingston Hindman (Brian Ward) of Ruston, LA, James Archibald Livingston III, Katherine Wiley Livingston Rutledge (Paul Edmund III) of Charlotte, NC, Dr. Elizabeth Gresham Livingston of Durham, NC and his grandchildren, Katherine Dewes Rutledge Nelson (Thomas Reagan, Jr.), Margaret Suzanne Rutledge Beal (Christopher Lucas) of Chapel-Hill, NC, James William Hindman, Sarah Livingston Weiner of Durham, NC, Margaret Livingston Hindman of Ruston, LA, Paul Milton Livingston Weiner of Durham, NC and Patricia Elizabeth Livingston, and great-grandson, Paul Livingston Nelson. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. Wiley Kemp Livingston (Minnie Lee Barker) and nephews, Dr. Wiley Kemp Livingston, Jr., Dr. David Barker Livingston, and John Hartridge Livingston (Constance) and niece Rev. Hazel Wilkinson of Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Mr. Livingston received an A. B. degree and a M. B. A. with distinction from the University of Michigan majoring in Actuarial Mathematics, and started his career in the Actuarial Department of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. in New York. To be nearer his home in Birmingham he accepted an actuarial position with the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in Nashville, Tennessee.
During World War II he volunteered with the U.S. Navy Reserve in the V7 Ensign training program in Chicago.
He returned to National Life, and from there he was recruited to become Actuary of Liberty National Life Insurance Company, in Birmingham, Alabama, where he remained the rest of his business career. His rise in the ranks of Liberty National was steady from Actuary to Vice President and Actuary, Senior Vice President and Actuary, and Executive Vice President and Chief Actuary.
He was a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a founding member and past president of the Southeastern Society of Actuaries. He was also a member of the boards of directors of Liberty National, Brown Service Funeral Homes, and Liberty National Fire Insurance Company. He served on the vestry of the Episcopal Church of the Advent, the boards of the Metropolitan YMCA of Birmingham, the English Speaking Union as past president, and The Jefferson County T. B. Board as a past president (now Lakeshore Hospital). He was a member of Mountain Brook Club, The Country Club of Birmingham, The Club, the Rotary Club, (a Paul Harris Fellow), the Redstone Club, The Monday Club, the St. Andrews Society of the Middle South as a founding member, and the Society of the Revolution.
His interests were many and included American history, genealogy, and the history of Scotland and England. The Falkirk Library in Scotland, an early home of the Livingstons, makes use of the books that he researched and wrote on the Livingston family as references for those seeking Livingston information.
Known as Mac, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2013 at the age of 86. Mac was born in Nashville, Tennessee and grew up in Franklin, Tennessee. He was a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University School of Law, and served in the U.S. Navy. Mac practiced law in Nashville, served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and served as legal counsel for two insurance companies before moving to Birmingham, Alabama in 1964 to work in the legal department at Liberty National Life Insurance Co., from which he retired in 1985. In the third grade, Mac met the love of his life, Mary Taylor Williams. At the time of his death, they had been married 63 years. In addition to his wife, Mac is survived by four children: daughter, Carter Gant Cooper (Lee), and sons Andrew M. Gant, III (Sue), Paul T. Gant (Sherry), and John A. Gant; ten grandchildren: Kathryn, Nancy and John Cooper; Lorien Gant Glisson (Nicholas), Megan and Victoria Gant; Katie, Carrie, Paul Taylor (Kt), and Andrew Gant; two sisters: Ann Eberle (Bill) and Betty Smith; a brother-in- law, Carter Williams, Jr. and a sister-in-law, Margaret Grimes. He is preceded in death by his mother, Elizabeth Gant, and by his parents, Alexine and A.M. Gant, and by two brothers, John W. Grimes and Edward S. Gant. Mac was an active member of Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, where he served as an Elder, sang in the choir, and particularly enjoyed his long tenure as Head Usher. Mac’s passion was the Boy Scouts of America. He served as a Scoutmaster for many years, with over 150 Scouts reaching the rank of Eagle during his leadership of Troop 86. Mac also served in a variety of Scouting roles on the unit, district, and council levels and received many awards, including the Silver Beaver award. He was also a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and the St. Andrew’s Society.