09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
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Applied Spectroscopy, and he was<br />
a pioneer in Hadamard<br />
spectroscopy. He was founder<br />
and president of D.O.M.<br />
Associates, a research and<br />
development firm, and he was<br />
co-founder of Plain Sight<br />
Systems, a company developing<br />
applications for spectroscopy.<br />
He received many awards for<br />
his work including an honor<br />
for helping develop a new type<br />
of diabetes glucose monitor.<br />
He wrote for more than 350<br />
publications, including his<br />
humorous memoirs, Science or<br />
Fiction (the 10% solution). In <strong>20</strong>08,<br />
he was recipient of the <strong>Franklin</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong> Distinguished Alumni<br />
Award for his professional<br />
accomplishments. He was a<br />
resident of Green Valley, Ariz.<br />
Survivors include his wife,<br />
Wanda, three children and 11<br />
grandchildren.<br />
Leon W. Babcock, Jr. ’54 died<br />
April 15, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He was a retired<br />
Major General of the U.S. Air<br />
Force. He entered into service<br />
in 1954 and became a pilot.<br />
In 1969, he was assigned to the<br />
433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron<br />
in Thailand and flew 500 combat<br />
hours while on assignment. He<br />
returned to the U.S. in 1971 as<br />
chief of the <strong>20</strong>th Air Division<br />
weapons branch at Fort Lee Air<br />
Force Base in Virginia. The<br />
following year he served on the<br />
Joint Chiefs of Staff, as chief of<br />
the North American Branch,<br />
Western Hemisphere division,<br />
and took command of the<br />
Keflavik Naval Air Station in<br />
Iceland in 1978. In 1982, he<br />
was named deputy commander of<br />
the 6th Allied Tactical Air Force.<br />
He was a resident of Bainbridge,<br />
Ga. Survivors include his wife,<br />
Valda Ann, two sons and three<br />
grandchildren.<br />
Roland R. “Rudy” Barron Jr. ’54<br />
died Aug. 13, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. While at<br />
<strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong>, he played<br />
football and baseball and was a<br />
member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.<br />
He was a veteran stationed in<br />
Germany. He was co-owner of<br />
Borden Veneer in Charlestown,<br />
Ind. He was also a partner at<br />
Stemwood Inc. in New Albany,<br />
from where he retired. He was an<br />
active member at Redeemer<br />
Lutheran Church, and he loved<br />
to fish and be with his family.<br />
He was a resident of Clarksville,<br />
Ind. Survivors include his wife,<br />
Sandra, two sons, and three<br />
grandchildren.<br />
Francis E. “Gene” Spahr ’57<br />
died Dec. 10, <strong>20</strong>08. He was a<br />
U.S. Navy veteran who served<br />
from 1948–52. Over the years,<br />
he worked for RCA, P.R. Mallory,<br />
Emhart and the Naval Surface<br />
Warfare Center, from which he<br />
retired in 1996. In his later years,<br />
he enjoyed doing crossword<br />
puzzles. He attended Community<br />
Congregational Church. He was<br />
a resident of Whiteland, Ind.<br />
Survivors include his wife of<br />
55 years, Beverly, two sons, a<br />
daughter and two grandsons.<br />
The ’60s<br />
Robert F. Carpenter ’60 died<br />
June 21, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He was the son<br />
of Floyd and Artie Carpenter<br />
and was born in Indianapolis.<br />
He worked as a broker for the<br />
Indiana Grain Division of Farm<br />
Bureau for many years after<br />
serving in the Korean War. He<br />
was an avid Chicago Cubs fan<br />
and had a lifelong passion for<br />
baseball; he coached the<br />
American Legion teams for many<br />
years. He also enjoyed listening<br />
to music and was very fond of<br />
Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.<br />
Survivors include his wife of 50<br />
years, Shirley, a son and three<br />
grandchildren.<br />
James Bennett ’62 died July 19,<br />
<strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He was a retired attorney,<br />
judge and former assistant<br />
prosecutor for Gallia County,<br />
Ohio. He was involved in his<br />
community as past president of<br />
the Gallia County Bar Association,<br />
member of Fortville and<br />
Gallipolis Lions Club and<br />
vice-president of the Classic<br />
Ragtime Society of Indiana.<br />
He also was an active member of<br />
Mount Comfort United Church<br />
in Greenfield, Ind., and formerly<br />
Grace United Methodist Church<br />
in Gallipolis, Ohio. Survivors<br />
include his wife, Kathryn, two<br />
children and two grandchildren.<br />
Mildred M. (Delks) Hollins ’64<br />
died May <strong>20</strong>, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. She had been<br />
an elementary school teacher<br />
and a homemaker. She enjoyed<br />
reading, doing crossword puzzles,<br />
knitting and gardening. She was a<br />
member of Eastern Star and The<br />
Circle. She was of the Methodist<br />
faith. She was a former resident<br />
of Indianapolis and Columbus,<br />
Ind. She was preceded in death<br />
by her husband, George.<br />
Survivors include three children,<br />
six grandchildren, two stepgrandchildren<br />
and two great-grandchildren.<br />
Rex E. Richards ’64 died Sept.<br />
15, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He was a farmer first in<br />
White River Township and later<br />
in Plymouth, Ill. He was a member<br />
of First Christian Church in<br />
Beardstown, Ill., and a former<br />
member of Mount Pleasant<br />
Christian Church, where he was<br />
a deacon and trustee. He served<br />
on the White River Township<br />
Advisory Board and White River<br />
Township Fire Department<br />
Board. His family was his passion.<br />
He was a resident of Plymouth,<br />
Ill. Survivors include his wife,<br />
Sheila, two children and seven<br />
grandchildren.<br />
Thomas C. Bryant ’65 died<br />
June 17, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He attended<br />
<strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong>, where he<br />
was a member of Sigma Alpha<br />
Epsilon. He graduated from<br />
Indiana University School of<br />
Law and studied engineering<br />
at Purdue University. He was an<br />
attorney and later worked in real<br />
estate. He enjoyed traveling and<br />
being active in many Christian<br />
organizations. He was a resident<br />
of Juno Beach, Fla. Survivors<br />
include two brothers.<br />
The ’90s<br />
Timothy Lee Robison ’90 died<br />
June 27, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. While at <strong>Franklin</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong>, he was a member of<br />
Sigma Alpha Epsilon and a<br />
Grizzlies’ football halfback<br />
known for his blocking skills.<br />
He coached football, cross<br />
country and track and field at<br />
Brown County schools before<br />
becoming the athletics director<br />
at Indian Creek High School in<br />
Trafalgar, Ind. He was pursuing<br />
his principal’s license at Indiana<br />
University. He was an avid<br />
bicyclist and weightlifter. He was<br />
a resident of Morgantown, Ind.<br />
Survivors include his wife,<br />
Cathee, and two daughters.<br />
Friends of the <strong>College</strong><br />
The Rev. Edwin Tuller died<br />
Aug. 26, <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong>. He served as<br />
general secretary of American<br />
Baptist Churches USA from<br />
1959–70, and during that time<br />
was heavily involved in the civil<br />
rights movement. He helped<br />
open the doors for greater<br />
participation by people of color<br />
in ABC USA. His public advocacy<br />
efforts also included sitting<br />
behind Dr. Martin L. King Jr.<br />
at his famous “I Have A Dream”<br />
speech at the Lincoln Memorial<br />
in 1963. Tuller was a graduate<br />
of Brown University and Colgate<br />
Rochester Divinity School and<br />
did graduate work at La Faculte<br />
Libre de Theologie Protestante<br />
in Paris, France. He also held an<br />
honorary doctorate of divinity<br />
from Brown University and an<br />
honorary doctorate of laws from<br />
<strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong>. He was a<br />
resident of Pittsburgh, Pa.<br />
WWW.FRANKLINCOLLEGE.EDU AUTUMN <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong> 69