In Memoriam

Barry Nelson, a 1971 graduate of SFA and secretary of the university’s Board of Regents, passed away Nov. 8 in Dallas. Nelson was born June 18, 1949, in Billings, Montana.

Nelson began his commercial real estate career in Houston. In the early 1980s, he moved his family to Dallas, where he developed some of the city’s most iconic office buildings, including Fountain Place and Spectrum Center.

In 2013, Nelson was appointed to the Board of Regents, a position for which he had great passion, pride and commitment. As chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee, Nelson’s expertise was invaluable during the planning stages of the Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building, which is currently under construction.

Nelson served as an executive advisory board member for the SFA Nelson Rusche College of Business. He was a board member for the Dallas Business Development Corporation and a past executive committee member for the Dallas Real Estate Council.

Greg Talton Harber, a 1979 and 1994 SFA graduate and computer science instructor, passed away Sept. 2. Harber was born on Nov. 1, 1957, in Lufkin. He taught a variety of courses at SFA focusing on computer architecture, networking, system administration, computer literacy, web development and ethics. Before arriving at SFA, he taught at secondary schools, managed restaurants and hotels, and was a drilling fluids engineer in the oil industry.

Gary Bob Workman of Spring passed away March 16, 2016. Workman was born April 5, 1950, in San Angelo. He graduated from Spring Branch High School in Houston and was a 1972 graduate of SFA with a degree in management. Workman completed certifications from Texas Tech School of Banking and The American Institute of Banking.

His career began in East Texas as the manager of a credit union. Later, he served as vice president of Fredonia State Bank in Nacogdoches and president of Victoria Bank and Trust in Bastrop until he changed career paths and entered the insurance business with Texas Farm Bureau. He began as an agent and quickly advanced to become agency manager and then district sales manager, a position he acquired in 1998.

Workman received several notable achievements during his career, including being honored as a member of the Century Club, Round Table and as a Master Agent. In 1998, the Bastrop Chamber of Commerce named Workman “Man of the Year.” Workman served for many years on the SFA Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. A member of the Jaycees, he served as president, vice president and director. He was awarded “Outstanding Jaycee of the Year” twice. Workman also served as program director for the Nacogdoches County Civic Center and was instrumental in raising funds for the construction of the Nacogdoches Rodeo Arena. He was a Calvary Episcopal Church Vestry member and Ministries in Worship committeeman.