In Memoriam

Dr. Stanley Gerald Alexander, professor of English, passed away March 29. Alexander joined SFA’s faculty in 1968 and taught at the university until his retirement. Alexander enjoyed folk music, played the guitar and formed the East Texas String Ensemble with other music-loving SFA faculty members. He was active in Nacogdoches politics, and he loved spending time with his family.

Lecturer of Business Communication Judith Lynn Biss passed away June 24. Biss began teaching at SFA in 1999. She volunteered her time as host for the SFA International Friendship Program and was a past recipient of the Marlin C. Young Outstanding Teacher Award. Biss was a member of Grace Bible Church, Beta Gamma Sigma, Association for Business Communication, and Texas Business and Technology Educators Association.

Roy M. Blake Sr. of Nacogdoches passed away March 4. Blake received his bachelor’s degree from SFA in 1950 and later established Roy Blake Insurance. Blake began a distinguished career in public service in 1951, as he completed his brother’s term as district clerk. He served on the Nacogdoches City Commission for three terms beginning in 1965, and he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1972 where he served until 1977. In 1978, Blake was elected to the Texas Senate, serving until 1989. While a member of the Senate, he served as chairman of the Senate Administration Committee and as a member on numerous other committees. Blake’s civic service included president of the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce, Piney Woods Country Club, Booster Club and Region 16 Texas Municipal League. He served as director of Fredonia State Bank, and he was a member of the SFASU Foundation and Rotary Club. Blake served on SFA’s Board of Regents from 1989-94.

Elton Lannie Chaney, assistant professor of mathematics at SFA for 38 years, passed away May 21. Chaney received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SFA in 1957 and 1963, respectively. He taught high school in Arp, Buna and Tyler before moving his family back to Nacogdoches to teach. In 1973, SFA President Ralph W. Steen appointed Chaney to serve as a faculty representative to the Lone Star Conference Athletic Council. He remained in that position for eight years, serving two as president.

A. Wayne Corley, a 1963 SFA accounting graduate, passed away Jan. 31. Corley graduated from Garrison High School and went on to play football at SFA on scholarship. After graduation, he worked for Price Waterhouse in Houston. He later moved to Lufkin and began a 35-year career at Axley & Rode where he worked as a CPA and served as a partner of the firm. After retirement, he served as executive director of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation and on the foundation’s investment committee. Additionally, Corley served as a board member for Hospice in the Pines. He was a big supporter of SFA, Hospice in the Pines, Ellen Trout Zoo, Boy Scouts and Angelina College, among others. He was a member of First Christian Church of Lufkin.

Jack H. and Jo Beth Dickerson, friends of SFA, passed away May 14 and March 24, respectively. The Dickersons were the parents of Robert D. Dickerson, a 1991 SFA graduate who died of cancer in 1994. The annual Robert D. Dickerson Memorial Golf Tournament held in Nacogdoches benefits the Robert D. Dickerson Memorial Sigma Phi Epsilon Housing Fund and adds to the Robert D. Dickerson Memorial Scholarship. The Dickersons resided in Quitman.

Dr. Kirby L. Duncan, former SFA professor of English, passed away March 5 at his Nacogdoches home. A member of SFA’s faculty for 40 years, Duncan served as chair of the English department and as a lower-division coordinator. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. He also was a prolific gardener. Although he had many interests, his greatest love was teaching. Duncan was a principled man who understood that his greatest work in life was spent in service to others.

Lecturer of Business Communication and Legal Studies Carl “Henry” B. Dunn ’04 passed away April 22. Dunn was born in Bryan, Texas, and later lived in Tennessee. He moved back to Texas with his wife and children in 2002, taking up residence in Nacogdoches. Dunn completed his Master of Business Administration at SFA and remained at the university teaching in the College of Business. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and the outdoors.

Lumberjack letter winner Spike Dykes ’59, who played center for the SFA Lumberjacks from 1956-58, passed away April 10. Dykes later became a legendary football coach throughout Texas at both the high school and collegiate levels. He was named head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders in 1986, and he led the team to an 82-67-1 record during his tenure in Lubbock. He was the three-time Southwest Conference Coach of the Year and was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1996.

Former SFA Professor Dr. Carolyn B. Mitchell passed away May 21 in Nacogdoches. Mitchell came to SFA to teach kinesiology in 1976 and retired in 2002. During her tenure at SFA, she had many articles published. Mitchell received the National Women’s Business and Professional Association Woman of the Year Award and the City of Nacogdoches Woman of the Year Award. She was named Director of the Year for the Nacogdoches Treatment Center, served as a board member for the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce and received many additional professional and civic awards.

Charles Raymond “Ray” Mize ’50 passed away March 13. A lifelong resident of Nacogdoches, Ray and his wife, Gayla, had great influence on the city, establishing many beautiful gardens. After Gayla’s death in 2009, Ray worked to establish the Gayla Mize Garden in her honor. Agriculture was of great importance to Ray, and he spent much of his life involved in cattle ranching. He generously hosted numerous FFA field days, and for almost 40 years, he served on the Soil and Water Conservation Board. He was an original member of the Lake Naconiche Board. In 2001, Ray was presented with the Pete Smith Agricultural Pioneer Award. He was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church of Nacogdoches and enjoyed membership in the Rotary Club of Nacogdoches.

Former Professor of Management Dr. Joseph G. Ormsby passed away April 13 in North Carolina. Ormsby was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and spent his life in pursuit of education. He served in the Army as a member of the Chemical Corps and later attended the University of Arkansas where he earned his doctoral degree in management. He enjoyed golf, carpentry and fishing.

Mary “Dorothy” Wisely ’40 of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away March 5. She was the only child of Ruby May and Byron H. Mize. The Mizes established Mize Department Store, a downtown landmark that served Nacogdoches for decades. Dorothy married Harold Wisely, the son of J.H. and Allie Wisely. The first SFA residence hall was named in honor of Dorothy’s father-in-law. After earning a doctoral degree at Northwestern University in Chicago, Harold became the first industrial psychologist at Eli Lilly. Dorothy endowed the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden on the SFA campus in memory of her mother and the Wisely Honors Scholarship to encourage student achievement. Dorothy enjoyed tending her own garden and traveling the world. She excelled in ballroom dancing, beginning with lessons in her 50s and going on to win more than a dozen competitions. She was an active volunteer and benefactor and a loving daughter, wife, mother and grandmother. Her generosity and spirit touched all who knew her.