metapixel

Class Notes

The information below is an archive of submissions received through May 31, 2024. All new submissions received as of June 1, 2024 are located here.

Learn the latest news about your former classmates! Search the database below for class notes, births, memoriams and marriages reported by fellow alumni. If no filters are selected, all submissions are shown alphabetically by last name of alumni.

Please contact alumni@maryvillecollege.edu with any questions.

Browse Class Notes:

(Default list is alphabetical of all notes – sort by year or category to filter the list)

Name
Note
Kim Koehl Sullivan
Class of 1998
All Notes General Notes

Prior to the 2016-2017 academic year, Blount County Schools named Kim Koehl Sullivan ’98 as principal at Walland Elementary School. She completed a Masters Degree in Instructional Leadership and an Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.

Sharon Sullivan
Class of 1969
General Notes

An Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph in Maple Mount, Ky., who earned a degree from Maryville College prior to entering religious life, is celebrating an anniversary of religious profession in 2022.

Sister Sharon Sullivan is celebrating 40 years as an Ursuline Sister. She was born in Austin, Texas, raised in Houston, but her family moved to Owensboro, Ky., when she was 13. Prior to becoming an Ursuline Sister, she earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Maryville College in 1969.

She also earned an associate degree from Christian College in 1967, an elementary and special education teacher certification from Brescia College (Owensboro, Ky.) in 1975, and a master’s degree in education from Western Kentucky University in 1982. She earned her doctorate in special education from Purdue University in 1993.

Most of her ministry has been at Brescia College/University. She served as director of residential life (1984-87), professor of education and special education (1987-90, 1993-2009, 2017-present), chairwoman of the Social and Behavioral Studies Division (1999-2004), chairwoman of the School of Education (2004-2007) and coordinator of special education (1999-2007, 2017-present). She was academic dean and vice president for Academic Affairs (2007-2010).

From 2010-16, Sister Sharon served as the congregational leader for the Ursuline Sisters. Today, she continues to serve in special education at Brescia.

Jubilee congratulations may be sent to 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.

Young Jung Sung
Class of 1990
All Notes General Notes

Betty Messer Surrett
Class of 1956
Memoriam

Betty Messer Surrett died at home on January 15, at the age of 88. Betty was born April 28, 1934, in White Pine, Tennessee.  She was the daughter of the late Roy J. Messer and Florence Mitchell Messer.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Earl Lee Surrett, sisters Margaret Jane McClure and Jean Messer Williams, and grandson Nathaniel Seth Allen.

Betty is survived by four children, Kathryn Leah Surrett, Madisonville, Louisiana; William Roy (Janet) Surrett, Silver Old PoncSpring, Maryland; Anne Mitchell Surrett Nebel, Emmaus, Pennsylvania; and Lydia Ruth Surrett (David) Warbrick, Souderton, Pennsylvania; twelve grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Betty earned a Bachelor of Arts from Maryville College in 1956 and attended Scarritt College for Christian Workers.  Betty was very active in her community of North Wales where she has lived for 55 years.  She loved family, promoted neighborhood friendships and civic engagement.  Betty took an active role in the family business and in our church congregations including St. Luke’s United Church of Christ, Sanctuary United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church of Ambler.  Over the years she served on numerous committees and regularly led small groups and women’s retreats.  Betty served as a census taker, worked at the polls, and registered voters.  She loved to travel.  When she wasn’t picking apples in Lancaster, she enjoyed visiting her children and grandchildren and traveling to Bermuda, the United Kingdom and Turkey.

Edie McMillan Sutton
Class of 1953
All Notes Memoriam

Edith McMillan Sutton, 84, died Tuesday, November 29, 2016, following a hospitalization from a stroke. “Edie” graduated from Marrietta, GA high school, Maryville college TN, and did post graduate studies at the Kent School of Social Work in Louisville KY. She had served as a medical social worker, high school teacher, a librarian at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and as an office manager in the Recruiting department of the Presbyterian Church World Mission. As a volunteer she had been active in PTA, Girl Scouts, and served as a docent for the Farmington Plantation (the home of the Speed family in Louisville) and as a leader in women’s activities in the Presbyterian Church USA. She was a child of George Huie and Evelyn Longley McMillan, born in 1932 in Acworth Georgia. After high school and college she served as Youth Director for the First Presbyterian Church in Charleston WV, where she met her future husband Walter Sutton. They were married in 1956, and after his graduation from Seminary she served as an active partner in pastoral charges in Eminence, Elizabethtown, and Maysville KY. She was an active Elder and leader at Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church She is survived by her husband, her son Harold (Mary), her sisters Nancy McPherson (Bob) and Lilouise Disharoon (Garland), and two granddaughters: Katie and Evelyn. She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Stephanie Jean Sutton, her sisters Emma Josephine Mize (Clyde) and Martha Somoza (Pete). A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary of Harvey Browne Presbyterian Church, 311 Browns Lane. Suggestions for memorial gifts include Presbyterian World Mission, Doctors without Borders, or a charity of the giver’s choosing.

Barbara McDonald Swain
Class of 1952
Memoriam

Barbara McDonald Swain, 84, of Marietta passed away on Wednesday, April 20, 2016. Her parents, Kermit and Ruth McDonald, and her husband William T. Swain preceded Barbara in death. She is survived by her brother Paul McDonald and his wife, Connie; daughter, Allison Becker and her husband, Bill; son John K. Swain and his wife, Pam; grandson Mark Becker; grandson Philip Becker and his wife, Emily; and great granddaughter Lucy Ann Becker. Barbara was a beautiful Christian woman who loved her family, church, and friends. She was an active member of Marietta First Baptist Church for over 50 years where she volunteered as a preschool teacher and a leader in Woman’s Missionary Union. She was also a Mother’s Day Out teacher at First Baptist for 20 years. Barbara was a square dancer, ballroom dancer, and tap dancer who enjoyed friendships in several dance organizations. Her giving spirit and ready smile were a blessing to her friends, family and many others. Funeral Services were held in the Chapel at First Baptist Church of Marietta with Dr. Bill Ross officiating. Interment took place at Kennesaw Memorial Park in Marietta. Contributions may be made in loving memory of Barbara to First Baptist Church of Marietta, 148 Church Street, Marietta, Georgia 30060.

Corita Erwin Swanson
Class of 1958
All Notes General Notes

received a 2014 Spirit of Good Neighbors lifetime achievement award for her work with Blount County Good Neighbors, which she started in 1996 and served as director for nine years.

Anthony M. Swartz
Class of 2016
All Notes Memoriam

age 21, of Maryville, passed away Wednesday, July 20, 2016. He graduated from Maryville College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. He loved kayaking, hiking, camping, rock climbing and outdoor adventures. He was a leader among his friends and will be greatly missed. Preceded in death by mother, Sara Latham, and grandmother, Kathy Latham. Survivors include; uncle, Perry Latham; aunt, Olive Clore; uncle, Eddie Carmichael; great-grandmother, Evelyn Latham; aunts, Vickie Latham, Betty Latham, and Regina Segars. The family received friends Friday, July 29, 2016 with a memorial servicefollowing at 7 pm at Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home, 2300 Adair Dr. with Rev. Mike Vandergriff officiating. Condolences may be offered at www.berrylynnhurst.com

Joe Gilliland T.
Class of 1955
Memoriam

Joe Terry Gilliland, aged 89, died October 23, 2022, in Birmingham AL. Joe had lived at Brookdale Assisted Living in Birmingham since 2017.

He was born outside of Harriman, TN in 1933 and graduated from Harriman High School He attended Maryville College in Maryville, TN (class of 1955) and married Joan Frei Gilliland the same year. A few years later, he received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

Mr. Gilliland spent his working life in journalism and communications roles, most of it as an associate editor at the Tullahoma News in Tullahoma, TN and then as a public affairs officer for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s offices in Atlanta, GA, Arlington, TX, and Rockville, MD.

After his first wife’s death in 1997, Mr. Gilliland married his second wife, Janet Thompson of Asheville NC. After her death, Mr. Gilliland married Lois Speaker of Peachtree City, GA. After his third wife’s death, Mr. Gilliland moved to Birmingham to live near his son.

Survivors include children Anne Gilliland (Eric Conrad) of Durham, NC and Don Gilliland (Pat Taylor) of Birmingham, AL; grandchildren Patrick Flint (Lesley Cline) and Charlotte Gilliland; brother-in-law Mitchell Carnell;; brother Ralph Gerald Gilliland (Gail); sister-in-law Shirley Gilliland; and nieces, nephews, and stepchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Laura Gilliland of Harriman, TN and his brother David Gilliland, also of Harriman.

Joe was an avid reader and writer and a born storyteller. He had a gift for making life-long friends, and he kept in touch with them via email through the humorous stories and news items he wrote. His interests included politics, energy policy, music, and the First Amendment, especially freedom of speech and of the press. He was a member of the Episcopal Church throughout his adult life and worked in support of equitable issues within the church.

 

Ann Killebrew Taddie
Class of
All Notes Memoriam

Ann Killebrew Taddie, age 76 of Alcoa, passed away Thursday, November 12, 2020 surrounded by family after a long illness. Ann grew up in Moultrie, GA, and graduated from Moultrie High School. After early study at Florida State University and Peabody Conservatory of Music, she earned her BA and MA in music at the University of Iowa. She made her career as a college voice teacher and professional performer. Preceded in death by her parents, James Herschel Killebrew, DDS and Louise Farley Killebrew. Survived by her husband, Daniel Taddie; daughters, Elena Cadle (Tommy), Betsey Bishop (Jeff); grandchildren, Hayley Cadle, Henry Bishop, Claire Bishop. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, 136 Harvest Ln, Maryville, TN 37801, Heifer International, 1 World Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72202 or a local food bank of your choice. No services are planned at this time. Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, 865-983-1000, www.SmithFuneralandCremation.com

Widner Talbird
Class of 1962
All Notes Memoriam

Laura Josephine Widner Talbird, known to most as “Jo,” passed away on November 5, 2018, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Jo was 78 and living in Alabaster, AL near her youngest son, Chris, his wife, Cindy, and her beloved granddaughter, Ainsley. The oldest child of Lloyd and Louise Widner, Jo was born in Knoxville, TN on February 23, 1940. She has a younger sister, Margaret “Marge” Seymour, who lives in Knoxville, TN, and had a younger brother, Lloyd, who pre-deceased her. Jo studied elementary education at Maryville College and, after graduation, she moved to Alexandria, Virginia where she began her brief teaching career. She soon met her future husband, John D. Talbird, Jr., who was a student at the Virginia Theological Seminary. After they married, they relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where, in 1966, they had their first of three children, John D. Talbird, III. They briefly lived in Tallahassee, Florida where they had their daughter, Laura, and soon after, they settled in Gainesville, Florida, where Chris was born. Jo was a stay-at-home mother until her divorce, after which she found work at the University of Florida Library. Jo discovered that she loved mentoring college students and helping them reach their goals. As a single mother, she went to night school to obtain her Master’s Degree in Library Science from Florida State University. When Jo was not working and taking care of her three children, she was volunteering to help others in her community. Jo was an active Board Member with Alachua Habitat for Humanity. Her advocacy on behalf of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Gainesville (a precursor to Family Promise of Gainesville, which helps homeless families secure permanent housing) was critical in getting her church, Trinity United Methodist Church, to participate in the program. After retiring from the library in 2005, Jo moved from Gainesville to Alabama to live closer to her grandchild, Ainsley. Jo is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Marge and Gerald Seymour of Knoxville, and Jo’s niece and nephews, Rena Selke, Todd Lay and Lloyd Lay. A memorial service is set for 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home at 2300 West Adair Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918. Visitation will be from 12:00-2:00 p.m. that day. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at Michaeljfox.org. Condolences may be offered at berrylynnhurst.com.

Kristine R. Tallent
Class of 1996
All Notes General Notes

Maryville budget director appointed to national committee City of Maryville Management and Budget Director Kristine Tallent has been appointed to serve on the 25-member Government Finance Officers Association Committee on Governmental Debt Management. Tallent is one of four appointees in the class of 2019, GFOA President Marc Gonzales announced. She was selected from a pool of applicants based upon the potential members’ fields of expertise, related experience and size and type of governmental unit. “I am honored and truly humbled to have been selected to serve on the GFOA Debt Committee,” Tallent told The Daily Times on Friday. “As the only new appointee from the Southeast, as well as my having served as staff to both large urban and more suburban communities, I look forward to the opportunity to bring the financial perspective of local governments similar to the city of Maryville to the committee.” The GFOA Committee on Governmental Debt Management promotes sound financial practices for local, state and provincial governments. The committee works on best practices, actively engages participants in the market to help develop guidelines and updates for its members, and monitors legislative and regulatory activities that impact the ability of state and local governments to continue borrowing in an effective manner. “Kristine’s appointment to this national committee charged with providing sound financial practices for local and state governments is a perfect fit with her expertise,” said City Manager Greg McClain. “Her work on the city of Maryville’s debt has been outstanding. She led the effort beginning in 2007 to eliminate variable rate debt and shorten long-term debt obligations. Her knowledgeable steadfast approach to these efforts is expected to achieve more than $28 million in interest savings over the life of the debt.” Started with city in 2007 Hired by the city of Maryville in 2007, Tallent previously served as budget director for Gwinnett County, Ga., where she administered an annual budget of $1.6 billion and a long-term debt portfolio of $1 billion. She began her career with a national financial advisory firm coordinating issuance of municipal bond transactions and developing long-term capital plans for state and local governments. Tallent earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Maryville College and a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management with a concentration in Public Finance from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. A member of the Tennessee Government Finance Officers Association since 2007, Tallent is the legislative representative for the association and a member of its Executive and Program Committees. Locally she serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Maryville College, where she is also chair of the Building and Grounds Committee. Tallent also is chair of the Finance Committee for First United Methodist Church of Maryville. For more information about the GFOA and the debt committee, visit www.gfoa.org. http://m.thedailytimes.com/news/maryville-budget-director-appointed-to-national-committee/article_2d77ff5a-705c-5ecb-8e30-606d75b457e9.html?mode=jqm

Kristine R. Tallent
Class of 1996
All Notes General Notes
John E. Talmage
Class of 1961
All Notes Memoriam

John Edward Talmage, Jr. age 81, of Oak Ridge passed away July 27, 2020 at his home surrounded by family. He was born March 15, 1939 in Kunsan, Korea of Presbyterian missionary parents John E. Sr. and Roslin Thorne (Arnold) Talmage. Due to potential war with Japan in 1940, the Talmage family moved to the United States where his father served several churches in the southeast. In 1949, the family returned to Korea but had to evacuate to Japan in 1950 due to the Korean Conflict. Following high school at Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan, John returned to the United States for college, first at Rice University and then Maryville College in Tennessee. He received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Maryville and Masters and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Kentucky, Lexington. He taught physics for several years at Berea College in Kentucky and later moved to Oak Ridge where he completed his doctoral work at ORNL. He became technical director at Elographics in Oak Ridge where he was part of a team that invented transparent touch screens. When Elographics/EloTouch was sold to Raychem and moved to California, John worked for Comstock, another small startup company in Oak Ridge. From early childhood, John was a stamp collector, focusing on stamps of Korea and Japan. For several years, he was president of the Oak Ridge Stamp Club, and for many years served as secretary-treasurer of the international Korea Stamp Society. In addition to stamps, John’s other interests were genealogy, history, and travel. In 1962, John married his Maryville College sweetheart, Sylvia Smith of West Lawn, PA. They were blessed with two daughters, Heidi Lynn Talmage, wife of Christopher Nagorka of St. Albans, WV and Elaine Elizabeth Walker, wife of Tim Walker of Oak Ridge. Survivors include two grandchildren, Larry Reece Walker and Tia Talmage Walker; a brother Robert Harold Talmage of Statesville, NC; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother William Emerson Talmage of Maryville, TN. Family and friends will meet on Friday, July 31, 2020 at 11:30 AM at Oak Ridge Memorial Park for a graveside service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Christian Friends of Korea, 129 Center Avenue, Black Mountain, NC 28711. Weatherford Mortuary is handling the arrangements. An on-line guest book can be signed at www.weatherfordmortuary.com.

Nancy Pierce Tankersley
Class of 1964
All Notes General Notes

was installed as moderator of the Presbytery of West Kentucky on February 10, 2015. Her mother, Ellen Macrae Pierce, class of 1933, was installed as the first women moderator of the same Presbytery in 1974.

Helen Pratt Tapp
Class of 1942
All Notes Memoriam

Helen Lucille Pratt Tapp, born in 1919 in Sheklung, China, passed away peacefully in Springfield on July 16, 2019 at the age of 99. Helen lived a long and fulfilling life, witnessing a century of incredible changes, maintaining friends all over the country, and raising three children with love and wisdom. Helen went to high school in Westerville, Ohio and graduated from Maryville College in Knoxville, Tenn. In 1943 she married Roland W. Tapp, Jr., who was about to leave to fly combat missions in Italy. After the war, Roland graduated from seminary in California, and the young family embarked on a series of moves, serving in Presbyterian churches, including Garberville, California, San Diego, California, and Menlo Park, California, and Centre College in Kentucky, before eventually settling in Springfield, PA, where Roland became Associate Editor of the Westminster Press in Philadelphia. Their three children, Gary, Janis, and Neil, all graduated from Springfield High School. In Springfield, Helen was active in the Princeton Presbyterian Church, teaching Sunday School, serving as an elder, and also for a time working as secretary at the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. After Roland retired they moved to the Morganwood retirement community in Swarthmore. She spent her last few years at the Springfield Senior Commons assisted living facility at Harlee Manor in Springfield. Helen was a loving mother and grandmother who kept her mind open as the world changed dramatically from her Depression childhood. Her legacy of love and caring will be carried on by her children (Gary, Janis, and Neil), their partners (Robey, Michael, and Maureen), her grandchildren (Alexis, Caitlin, and Susannah), Alexis’ husband, Tyson Weise, and great-grandchildren (Ryason, Jordan, and Corbin). Services private.

Robert Tarpinian
Class of 1970
All Notes Memoriam

York, Maine – Robert Tarpinian, Jr, 72, passed away on Sunday, April 12th, 2020. Robert was born in Springfield, MA son of the late Robert and Marguerite (Baronian) Tarpinain. He spent his childhood in Enfield, CT where he graduated from Enfield High School (Class of 1966). After earning his BA from Maryville College in Maryville, TN (Class of 1970), he worked as a loan officer for Allstate and Morgan Stanley. His career provided him the opportunity to experience life in a variety of parts of the country including Chicago, IL and Murrietta, CA. After retirement, he continued to enjoy life in California for a few years before relocating to York, Maine in 2006 to enjoy, year-round, the town which he and his family had traditionally visited each summer as a favorite vacation spot. He is survived by his sister, Diane Hover and her husband, Gary; his nephew, Robert Hover and his wife, Britney Fox with their two children, Ainsley and Callum; and his nephew, Jonathan Hover and his husband, Kyle Poyar. A burial and private gravesite ceremony will take place in Enfield, CT at a later date. Memorial donations can be made to the York Volunteer Fire department or the York Ambulance Association.

Jess Melton Tate
Class of 2010
All Notes General Notes

began work as an Outpatient Therapist at Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital in December 2014.

Elizabeth Lufkin Tate
Class of 1974
All Notes Memoriam

Elizabeth lufkin Tate passed away July 14, 2011.

Morgan Goodman Taylor
Class of 2012
All Notes General Notes

Graduated with a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from Milligan College in 2014. Now works as an OTR.

Lee N. Taylor
Class of 1977
All Notes Memoriam

Lee Nesbitt Taylor, 65, passed away unexpectedly early Saturday, April 4, 2020 in his home in Longwood, FL. Lee was born in Amsterdam, New York, February 27, 1955 to Manning Taylor and Nancy Nesbitt Taylor. His family settled in Cocoa Beach, Florida for the remainder of his school years. He was a graduate and football star at Cocoa Beach High School from 1970-1973, earning the honor of team captain and MVP in his senior year. Lee earned a scholarship to Maryville College, attended from 1973-1977. His football stardom continued as a defensive lineman – one of the Fighting Scots greatest football careers. Lee was inducted into the Maryville Scots Wall of Fame in 2012 as one of its all-time strongest leaders and defensive linemen. From 1977 on, Lee had a lucrative career in business and sales in the Orlando area for the remainder of his life. Lee was loved and respected by so many in his small, close community of Longwood for over 25 years where he raised his family. He eagerly shared his tenacious love of people and of life itself. Lee is survived by his wife Inna Taylor, his children Clay, Courtney, Lindsey, Jeff, and Egor, his brothers Mickey and Coleman, and sister Nancy, and five grandchildren Austin, Hunter, Jake, Ella, and Simon. A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Diabetes Association at https://diabetes.org/donate or 4Ocean beach clean up initiative at 4Ocean.com/about in honor of Lee.

Sherrie Martin Taylor
Class of 1958
All Notes Memoriam

Sherrillyn Ann Taylor,79, of Fairbury, IL, formerly of Normal, IL, passed away at 2:30 a.m. on Monday, September 12, 2016 at her residence with her daughters by her side. Her funeral service will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, September 16, 2016 at St. Luke Union Church, Bloomington, IL. Rev. Dr. Andrew Gifford will be officiating. Burial will be at Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, IL. Visitation will be 5-8p.m. on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington, IL. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be made to St. Luke Union Church or Home Sweet Home Mission both of Bloomington, IL. Please mail your memorials to daughter Susan Popejoy 203 S. Tenth Street, Fairbury, IL 61739. Sherrillyn was born November 19,1936 in Bloomington, IL, the daughter of Alvin Joseph and Maretta M. Mapes Martin. She married Roger P. Taylor on August 9, 1958 in Bloomington, IL. He passed away April 12, 2015. Surviving are her daughters, Kathy L. (Kirk) Boyer, Jefferson City, MO; and Susan T. (Ray) Popejoy, Fairbury, IL; two grandchildren, Joshua Boyer, Towson, MD; Michelle Boyer, Jefferson City, MO; two step-grandchildren, Dustin (Tess) Popejoy, Fairbury, IL; Beau (Jodi) Popejoy, Fairbury, IL; Four step-great grandchildren; one sister, Sandra (John) Edwards, Cushing, Texas; one brother, Stephen (Georgia) Martin, Bloomington, IL; sister-in-law, Juanita “Skeet” Taylor, St. Charles, MO. She is preceded in death by her parents, one brother in-law, Barry Taylor; two sister in-laws’, Janet Gasser, and Nancy Hanawalt. She was a graduate Bloomington High School in 1954. She received a degree in Business Education from Illinois State University, Normal in 1971 after raising her daughters. Sherrie was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She loved gardening and traveling. Sherrie was the secretary and bookkeeper for her husband Roger Taylor Plumbing & Heating for 38 years. Sherrie was the Children’s Choir Director for the First Presbyterian Church, Normal and Girl Scout Leader both for 6 years. She will be deeply missed.

Elizabeth Spining Taylor
Class of 1961
Memoriam

Elizabeth Spining Taylor was born in Ganado, Arizona at Sage Memorial Hospital. Her parents served at Ganado Mission as Christian missionaries to the Navajo people. At age 15 she was enrolled at Wasatch Academy, a Presbyterian boarding high- school in Mt. Pleasant Utah. After briefly attending Maryville College in Tennessee, she subsequently obtained a teaching certificate from what was then Arizona State Teachers College, now Northern Arizona University. There she met her future husband, Lloyd Taylor, one of 6 brothers from Holbrook, Arizona. They were married in 1961 at the Ganado Presbyterian Church where she was baptized and grew up. Numerous teaching positions followed in Southern Arizona and New Jersey. A teaching position for Lloyd in Page brought them back to Arizona, and in 1975 they moved to Flagstaff to assist Lloyd’s brother in restoration of the historic Weatherford Hotel. During those years a daughter, Ann Marie was born, followed by twins Christopher and Christine. Her husband subsequently left the Weatherford Hotel partnership and established a southwestern tour company, “Seven Wonders Tours”. Libby was an active partner in that enterprise, and as her family often said, she had “a gift for gab”, a skill that enhanced the enjoyment of “Seven Wonders” clients as they traveled in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Libby more recently moved to Phoenix to be closer to family, and passed away at the Beatitudes Campus in February 2024. She was 84 years old.

Saray Roman-Gonzalez Taylor-Roman
Class of 2008
All Notes General Notes

Saray Taylor-Roman ’08, a Knoxville-based portrait photographer won 1st place in Teen & Senior category at The 2019 Portrait Masters Awards. Out of 8609 worldwide entries, she took the top six spots. This year she earned a total of 10 silver awards in three different portrait categories. It’s important to mention that only 2% of all entries received a silver award. Each images is judged anonymously by a panel of 11 international photography judges. Then, their scores are averaged, and the images are ranked. Saray received her Associate’s with The Portrait Masters in 2017. And in the summer of 2018, she was one of five photographers worldwide to receive their Master’s Accreditation. What set her apart was the fact that she reached her Masters with all silver awards. As of now, no other photographer with The Portrait Masters Accreditation can claim to have done the same. Currently Saray is working to achieve her Grand Masters title by the end of this year. Her clients, both abroad and local, can’t say enough about the images she creates for them. Check out her Google Reviews Page. Saray is a Maryville College graduate, a board member of teh MC Alumni Association, a first-generation immigrant, and has called Knoxville home for the last 14 years. She is involved in her local church and loves to volunteer around town. She graduated in 2008 with a double degree in Education and International Studies, was a recipient of the Dean Award several times as well as one the top 4 Seniors of her class. She took a couple of photography courses at Maryville College. And this video shows an excerpt from the Awards Ceremony this year held in Los Angeles, CA. https://youtu.be/dMcfEZorJIU.

Carl Teague
Class of 1941
All Notes Memoriam

J. Carl Teague passed away in a local hospital on August 1, 2015 at the age of 97. Carl was born and raised in Monroe County, TN. He earned a BA degree from Tennessee Wesleyan College. He worked for a short time as an educator, then for 21 years as a salesman for Investor’s Diversified Services. He retired after 15 years with the State of Tennessee as a supervisor for Vocational Rehabilitation. He was a member of Brainerd Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Iley and Mary Teague; brothers Charlie and Lem Teague; and sisters Ruby Bowers and Sue Hamby. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Lena M. Teague; daughters Linda (Tom) Bowden, and Rosemary (Bryan) Rhodes; son Jack (Hazel) Teague; and grandson Travis Bowden.

string(11) "class-notes"
Faculty & Staff
Director of Alumni Affairs
Jennifer Triplett
Director of Alumni Affairs
View More
Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs
Carol Clark
Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs