Obituary Information

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Obituaries - 03/22/01

Fomer WCU administrator, Yvonne Phillips, dies at 75

A retired educator and key administrator at Western Carolina University whose career in higher education spanned five decades, she was a central figure in WCU's administration from 1973 to her retirement in June of 1986. She served 13 years as Western's assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs, and one year, 1985, as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs.

A native of Louisiana, she joined the WCU faculty in 1969 as professor of geography after retiring from Northwestern State University in Louisiana. In 22 years of service at Northwestern State, Phillips held major teaching and

Phillips had extensive experience in research as a writer, editor and translator. Her two-volume "Introduction to Social Sciences"was published in 1961. Five other textbooks were written for travel-study courses, and a seventh book appeared after she came to WCU. She authored many scholarly papers during her academic career.

She established and was editor of the journal Louisiana Studies (later Southern Studies). From 1967 until joining the WCU faculty, she was director of the Louisiana Studies Institute.

Phillips was a graduate of Northwestern State (1947) and held master's (1951) and doctoral (1953) degrees from Louisiana State University. Her undergraduate major was in social sciences, with minors in education and Spanish. At the graduate level, she earned a major in geography, a minor in anthropology, and did additional coursework in history, geology, sociology and political science.

She graduated from Fair Park High School in Shreveport, La., in 1943. She held membership in several honor societies, including Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Delta Pi, and was involved in more than a dozen local, state and national professional organizations.

Phillips earned a Faculty Fellowship Award and was presented with the Ewing Journalism Award for Historical Writing while at LSU.

She had traveled extensively in the United States, as well as the West Indies, Central and South America, and Western Europe. She was the guiding force behind WCU's first Jamaican commencement exercises in 1986 as 61 Jamaican teacher-students made history as the first Jamaicans to be graduated in their homeland by an American university.

John Edwards

Graveside services were held at 11 am. Tuesday, March 20, at Highlands Memorial Park. Memorial services followed at 2 p.m. at Cashiers Baptist Church. The Revs. Warren Rice and Walter Wilson officiated.

A native of Horse Cove in Macon County, he was the son of Mack and Perditta Bolick Edwards. In 1935 he married Corinne Paul, who died in 1992. He married Frances Lombard in 1993. He was preceded in death by his son, Ben Edwards, who died in January.

Over the years, he worked as a farmer on his land in Horse Cove, a forester with the Civilian Conservation Corps and the U.S. Forest Service, a logging supervisor for Zickgraf Hardwood Co. in Franklin and a powerhouse operator for Nantahala Power and Light Co. at the Thorpe Plant, retiring in 1977.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, are two sons, Paul Edwards of Brevard and Terry Edwards of Lenoir; two daughters, Dale Appleton of Hillsboro, Ohio, and Jane Edwards of Fairfax, Va.; one stepson, Randy Lombard of Whiteside Cove; two stepdaughters, Freda McCall of Sylva and Sandy Bryson of Whiteside Cove; one sister, Bertha Girard of Horse Cove; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; four stepgrandchildren; and four stepgreat-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the W.T Potts Scholarship Fund, c/o Brenda Keener, Box 1871, Highlands, N.C. 28741.

Bryant Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Lewis Baradley

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 18, at Melton-Riddle Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Clifford Parker and Ray McCall officiated. Burial was in the Bradley family section of Old Savannah Baptist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers were Kevin Bradley, Eddie Hodgins, Dustin Buchanan, Jason Buchanan, Bob Bradley, Larry Bradley, Tim Bradley and Wesley Allison.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was a son of the late Harrison and Elba Deitz Bradley.

He was preceded in death by his twin sister, Lois Bradley, and three brothers, Hampton, Albert and Morris Bradley.

He was owner and operator of Bradley General Store in Dillsboro for 30 years and was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.

Surviving are his wife, Juanita Wykle Bradley; one daughter, Kathy Buchanan of Sylva; one son, Lewis Bradley Jr. of Sylva; one sister, Jeanette Hall of Sylva; two brothers, Deral Bradley of Sylva and Guy Bradley of Blairsville, Ga.; six grandsons and two great-granddaughters.

Memorials may be made to WestCare Home Health, 66 Hospital Drive, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

Thelma Moody

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at Love's Chapel United Methodist Church, of which she was a member. The Revs. Dan Stiles and Loy Kennedy officiated. Burial was in Fairview Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Paul Cowan, Clyde Bumgarner, Vernon Hoyle, Ralph Davis, Gary Frye, Dean Wykle, Bud Clayton and Johnny Buchanan.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, she was a daughter of the late Johnny and Minnie Ward Monteith.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Edith Russell; one brother, Lewis Monteith; and one grandson.

Surviving are her husband of 60 years, Frank W. Moody; one daughter, Glenda Vann of Chattanooga, Tenn.; one son, Jerry Moody of Sylva; one sister, Bonnie Cope of Andrews; two brothers, Lauriston Monteith of Darrington, Wash., and Millard Monteith of Sylva; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Love's Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, 801 Ashe Loop Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779 or to one's favorite charity.

Melton-Riddle Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Mary McAllister

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

A native of New Mexico, she lived in Florida and Ohio before settling in North Carolina. She was a graduate of Western Carolina University, with a master's degree in science technology, and a bachelor of science degree in electronic engineering technology.

She was on the dean's list 1989-91, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society 1990-92, Tau Alpha Phi, charter member 1991-92, outstanding senior in electronic engineering tech 1991. She received an academic scholarship 1990-92 and was a graduate assistant 1991-92.

She was a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In 1993, she joined the WCU staff as an assistant professor teaching undergraduate courses in manufacturing engineering technology and electronic engineering technology.

She was the daughter of the late Harold Eugene Hixenbaugh.

Surviving are her husband, Charles McAllister of the home; her mother, Laura J. Warner of Franklin; two sons, Eugene Charles McAllister of Greenville, S.C., and Marcus Dale McAllister of Jacksonville; one brother, Peter Dale Warner of Portland, Ore; and four grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mary Lee McAllister Scholarship Fund, c/o Western Carolina University Development Fund Dean's Office, College of Applied Science, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723.

Moody Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

"Buddy" Stillwell

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) in the chapel of Melton-Riddle Funeral Home. The Revs. Eddie Stillwell and Earl Holden will officiate. Private burial will be held in the family cemetery.

A native and lifelong resident of Jackson County, he was owner and operator of Cope Creek Enterprise. He was a son of the late Earl Stillwell Jr. and Sophia Bishop Van Schaick and a member of Scotts Creek Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Freida Earline Stillwell Payne.

Surviving are his wife of 54 years, Jacqueline Galloway Stillwell; five daughters, Gail Stillwell Cooper and Cathy Stillwell Gibson, both of Whittier, and Jane Stillwell, Dolores Joan "Flea"Stillwell and Lisa Armenda Stillwell, all of Sylva; one son, Frederick Earl "Rick"Stillwell III of Sylva; six sisters, Jo Stillwell Garner of James, Ga., Sue Stillwell of Atlanta, and Jeannie Kelley, Libby Hall, Margie Lewis, and Paula Dowdle, all of Sylva; five brothers, Coloman Stillwell of Atlanta, and Bill Stillwell, George Stillwell, Warren Stillwell and Richard Stillwell, all of Sylva; 10 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

The family was to have received friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, at the funeral home.

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