Tech Topics - Fall 2008 - (Page 47) BURDELL & FRIENDS 1980s Thomas Edward Gaston Jr., Cls 85, of Gastonia, N.C., on May 5. A musician and entrepreneur, he performed on many stages, most recently at Southminster Presbyterian Church as part of the music ministry. Jeff Golmitz, AE 87, of Macon, Ga., on June 1. Mr. Golmitz managed a tool design engineering group at Robins Air Force Base. An Eagle Scout, he was a co-leader of Cub Scout Troop 222. Survivors include his wife, Marianne Golmitz, CE 87. Harry Leslie “Butch” Ikner Jr., IM 87, of Gadsden, Ala., on June 10. Mr. Ikner was a division manager at Waffle House. An Eagle Scout, he was the Georgia state wrestling champ in 1982. Paul Michael Jean, M CP 84, of Atlanta, on April 20. He was a PhD candidate of sociology at Emory University, where he also worked as a research analyst for strategic planning within the provost’s office. He also was a musician and played throughout the Atlanta area for nearly 30 years. Brock Stanton, EE 82, of Duluth, Ga., on July 12. A member of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, he was the owner of Bravura Bioventures of Duluth. He received a master’s degree from Emory University. service parts product engineer with the Saturn Automotive Plant. He participated in the Saturn STAR mentoring program and served as a math tutor for outreach programs at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Tennessee. He received a bachelor’s degree in general science/pre-engineering from Morehouse College. At Morehouse and Georgia Tech, he was a Ronald E. McNair NASA Scholar and a member of the Pi Tau Sigma and Golden Key honor societies. He received the Georgia Tech Tower Award of Academic Excellence and was a member of the National Society of Black Engineers. Field. He was buried in a Georgia Tech polo shirt and hat, and “The Ramblin’ Wreck” fight song was played at his funeral. Survivors include his cousin, Marsha Segraves, a program coordinator with the Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech. Ronnie Spencer Roberts, 65, of Ocean Springs, Miss., on June 22. Dr. Roberts retired from Georgia Tech as an emeritus professor of chemical engineering in 2002. Barry Rosenberg, 72, of Atlanta, on July 4. Born in Sydney, Australia, he moved to In Memoriam Jake Rudolph Known for Big Tackle T hough Jake Rudolph went on to coach high school football teams to 302 victories over his 39-year career, he was best known by the Georgia Tech community for one tackle in a 1952 game against Alabama. He died July 6 after suffering a stroke. Mr. Rudolph, IM 53, was nicknamed “Mouse” as one of the smallest players on coach Bobby Dodd’s defense. But it was “Mouse” who up-ended hefty running back Bobby Marlow when Alabama faced fourth-and-goal, turning the tide in what would become a 7-3 Tech win. Tech went on to the Sugar Bowl that season, beating Ole Miss 24-7 to complete an undefeated 12-0 season and claim the Institute’s third national championship. After leaving Tech, Mr. Rudolph served in the Air Force in Germany before returning to the United States and getting back into football, this time as a coach. He led Memphis University School from 1959 to 1997 and compiled a record of 295-119-4, winning one state championship and 10 district championships. 1990s Christian “Shawn” Allen, Arch 95, of Sugar Hill, Ga., on May 7, after a five-year battle with brain cancer. By the age of 29, he owned and operated Allen Architects LLC, and at 35, his work was published in Dream Homes of Georgia. A volunteer for Junior Achievement, he enjoyed flying and completed his first solo flight shortly before he was diagnosed with cancer. At Georgia Tech, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and the Ramblin’ Reck Club. One of his fondest Tech memories was driving the Ramblin’ Wreck to The Varsity for lunch. Kevin Kit McCallum, MS Mgt 91, of Draper, Utah, on June 10. He received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984 and served five years in the Navy before attending Tech. He worked for nine years at Procter & Gamble before joining 1-800 CONTACTS as chief marketing officer. A member of the Naval Academy’s varsity soccer team, he coached soccer teams for boys and young men in Cincinnati and Draper. Melvin Earl Walker III, ME 96, of Fort Valley, Ga., on July 19, in a motorcycle accident. A mechanical engineer with Warner Robins Air Force Base, he previously was a 2000s Kira Michelle Alston Grimaldi, M Arch 00, of Plainfield, N.J., on May 23. She was a teacher at the Nysmith School for the Gifted in Herndon, Va. She gave birth to a daughter, Maya Celina, on May 20. the United States in 1989 to work at Georgia Tech, where he established and served as director of the Office of Technology Licensing and the Industry Contracting Office until his retirement in 2001. Frances Adair Lott Sowers, 86, of Atlanta, on July 20. Educated as a mathematician, she was working for the Tennessee Valley Authority during World War II when she met her husband, George Frederick Sowers. A Regents professor at Tech, Dr. Sowers died in 1996. Mrs. Sowers was a volunteer with Inner City Ministries and Action Ministries. Survivors include her son, George F. Sowers Jr., APhys 80. Marie Louise Elliott Stiner, 81, of Smyrna, Ga., on May 11. Mrs. Stiner retired from Georgia Tech Student Health Services as director of nursing. Survivors include her husband, Walt G. Stiner, AE 58. Joseph B. Testa, 53, of Pflugerville, Texas, on March 21, from pancreatic cancer. He was a banker, attorney and professor for Central Michigan University. While a student at Mercer University, Dr. Testa would attend Tech football games. He later was a season ticket holder for many years. Friends Appiah Amirtharajah, 68, of Atlanta, on April 26. A professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tech since 1986, he was coordinator of the Institute’s environmental engineering program from 1997 to 2001. Memorials in his name may be made to the Georgia Tech Foundation for the Amirtharajah Graduate Fellowship in Environmental Engineering. Luther “Snoogie” Earnhart Jr., 64, of Monroe, Ga., on July 11. Doctors said that Mr. Earnhart, who was born with polio, would never be able to walk or perform any type of manual labor, yet he took his first steps at the age of 8. He worked for many years with Colorgraphics and swam 50 laps daily, up to the day he died. He could be found most Saturdays in the fall at Grant TechTopics | Fall 2008 47
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