The following people were among many well-known, well-loved and well-respected Chattanooga area community members who died in the past year:
-- Dr. Louis Carter Jr., a former surgeon with the Plastic and Hand Surgery Group, died Dec. 25, 2021. He also served as a medical missionary for SIM (Sudan Interior Mission) and later founded the Plastic Surgery Group for Missionary and National Doctors. The Vietnam veteran returned off and on to the medical mission field from 1996 to 2020 and received numerous awards for his service, including a distinguished humanitarian award for an alumnus from Wheaton College and the Surgical Humanitarian Award from the American College of Surgeons.
-- Willard Sisson, an Army and Army Reserve veteran who was a former commander of the local 4004th U.S. Army Garrison, died Dec. 31, 2021. In addition to numerous military awards, he also was given the 2012 Walker County Young Farmers J.C. Gober Community Service Award. He had been active in many Chattanooga and North Georgia organizations, including the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, Home Builders Association and Board of Realtors.
-- Hamp Barnett, who in a 30-plus-year career with TVA was known for developing the agency's electric vehicle program and became a worldwide expert in the subject, died Jan. 9. He was awarded the International Electric Vehicle Award, the TVA Employee Silver Award and was presented the key to the city in 1981. He also had been president of the Chattanooga Engineers Club, director of electric vehicle research for Electrotek Concepts Inc. and corporate president of B/W Engineering Enterprises.
-- Gene Hunt, who ran the Chattanooga offices for U.S. Rep. and U.S. Sen. Bill Brock and U.S. Rep. Lamar Baker, died Feb. 9. He later began a life and health insurance business, expanding into financial planning and investments. Hunt also served as vice president of the Chattanooga Jaycees and the Chattanooga Human Rights Commission and treasurer and vice president of the Moccasin Bend Girl Scout Council. He founded the Forward support group for widows and widowers, was a Navy veteran and was a 37-year member of the Naval Reserve.
-- Hayden Wagers, who was the coach for Dalton High School teams that won six state golf titles, died Feb. 18. The Army veteran, among other awards, was inducted into the Georgia Coaches Hall of Fame and was the 1990 National Golf Coach of the Year. He also had coached football at the school, and prior to entering education, was a Dalton policeman for six years.
-- Marsha Salter, a former president of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County League of Women Voters, died Feb. 22. She also had served on the board of Notre Dame School, as a swim referee for the Chattanooga Area Swim League, and as a softball and baseball umpire with the Tri-State Scorers and Umpires Association. She also had been a teacher.
-- Ruth O'Leary, a South Pittsburg resident and former Marion County commissioner, died Feb. 23. A member of the Marion County Democratic Women, she was voted "Democrat of the Year" several times. She also was the first woman to serve on the Committee of Boards of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. She and her husband were part owners of Swafford Furniture Co.
-- Grady Williams, a longtime accountant with Hazlett, Lewis and Bieter and indefatigable civic servant, died March 21. Among other contributions, he was a campaign lead and board president with the United Way of Greater Chattanooga, president of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, and co-chair of the expansion of Erlanger Children's Hospital. An Army veteran, he also was on the advisory board for Tennessee Tech University, where a scholarship fund was established in his name.
-- Kelly McCoy, longtime midday host on classic rock radio station KZ-106, died March 22. She also was frequently called on to introduce bands at local venues.
-- Freeman Cooper, a retired Chattanooga police chief, died March 24. An Air Force veteran of Vietnam, he served in law enforcement for 28 years. A graduate of the Chattanooga Police Academy and the FBI National Academy, he was appointed executive police chief in 2004, police chief in 2007 and served until retiring in 2010.
-- Dr. John Schaerer, a longtime local educator, died March 28. A teacher and principal in the former Chattanooga city schools system, he also served as the founding superintendent of the Albertville (Ala.) City Schools, in personnel and staff development for the Dalton (Ga.) Public Schools and as special assistant to the chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
-- Howard Roddy, the first Black administrator of the Hamilton County Health Department, longtime community volunteer and onetime mayoral candidate, died April 3. He also served as a vice president for Memorial Health Care System, where he was instrumental in opening three community-based clinics. A graduate of the first class of Leadership Chattanooga, he served as president of the Friends of the Riverbend Festival, two terms on the Tennessee Board of Regents, and chair of the Regional Health Council and the boards of the Chattanooga Area YMCA, the Salvation Army and the Chattanooga Urban League.
-- Jane McFarland, former director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library, died April 5. Locally, she served as the reference librarian at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 1977 to 1980, then head of reference at the local library from 1980 to 1986, and director from 1986 until her retirement in 2002.
-- Charles A. "Pat" Rose, former two-term mayor of Chattanooga, died May 30. Prior to becoming mayor, he had been commissioner of public works on the old Chattanooga City Commission and later, after a stint as a Realtor, he was elected commissioner of public utilities. Prior to joining the commission, he had been Chattanooga's traffic engineer and then city coordinator. His wife, Carolyn Rose, first lady of Chattanooga during her husband's two mayoral terms (1975-1983), had died Jan. 5. She had been active in a variety of community projects, including Meals on Wheels.
-- Don Rodgers, a retired three-star Army general who married astronaut widow June Scobee, founding board chair of the Challenger Center, died June 9. In Chattanooga, he helped organize the annual Armed Forces Day Parade and was president of the Cherry Street Townhome Homeowners Association. Prior to his retirement, he was a commander in every level of the Army, lastly serving as director of the Defense Information Systems Agency and manager of the National Communications System.
-- Greg Brown, a former six-year mayor of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., where he shepherded the sidewalk connection between Georgia and Tennessee and oversaw the restoration of Natural Bridge Park, died June 25. A CPA and formerly a professor of accounting at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he also launched a business, River City Graphics. He had been president of the Lookout Mountain Golf Club, Chattanooga Investors Club and Blue Springs Club.
-- Walter Ruby Jr., a longtime area psychologist in school and clinical settings, died June 26. At either the University of Chattanooga or University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he taught in the psychology and education departments and started the school's counseling center. He also did work for Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute and was a school psychologist for the Bradley, Franklin and Hamilton County schools, and later supervisor of school psychology for Hamilton County Schools.
-- Howard Levine, a longtime attorney with the Miller & Martin firm, died June 29. Active in the community, he was named a distinguished alumni of McCallie School and served as general counsel to Memorial Hospital for many years. An Army veteran, he also was president of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga and Team Evaluation Center, trustee of McCallie School and Bright School, and board member of Children's Home/Chambliss Shelter and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.
-- Lester Barnette, a former Red Bank mayor and city commissioner for more than 20 years, died July 12. He was a member of the Red Bank Lions Club and a recipient of its Melvin Jones Award for volunteerism. Retired from Combustion Engineering, he also was a World War II Army veteran.
-- Wes Cash, a two-time selection as Chattanooga Athlete of the Year, died July 18. After a successful local high school and then college tennis career, he played on the ATP professional tour, where he teamed to win three doubles tennis titles. He later teamed to win 21 senior national titles. A tennis teaching pro at Manker Patten Tennis Club, he was named to the Tennessee Tennis, Baylor School and Greater Chattanooga Sports halls of fame.
-- Quenston Coleman, a longtime community activist, died July 20. As a member of the Unity Group, he was the longtime chairman of the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, where he established a prayer breakfast and birthday celebration for children. He also was president of the Greater Chattanooga Jaycees, JFK Club of Chattanooga, and the PTAs for Barger Elementary, Chattanooga School for Paideia and Performing Arts, and Chattanooga High School Center for the Performing Arts. A frequent candidate for public office, he retired from the state Department of Correction, Probation and Parole.
-- Blake Moore, a former attorney in the local firm of Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams, died July 24. A onetime president of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association, he also had been a board member of the Westside Development Corp., board member of the former Chattanooga Cares and trustee of Bachman Home. A woodworking artist, his chainsaw sculptures may be seen at places such as the Chattanooga Zoo, the Signal Mountain Golf & Country Club and Marion County High School.
-- Samuel Gooden, an area native who became a member of the singing group The Impressions, died Aug. 4. He also served an auxiliary police officer for the city of Chattanooga and was an Army veteran.
-- Larry Wallace, the only person in state history to serve as both the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and colonel of the Highway Patrol, died Aug. 6. His 40-year law enforcement career also included two terms as sheriff of McMinn County, designation as Sheriff of the Year by the Tennessee Sheriffs Association and an appointment as deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety. Following that career, he founded the criminal justice program at Tennessee Wesleyan University and later was named that school's senior vice president, served on its board of trustees and was given an honorary doctorate and had a square at the school named in his honor.
-- Sam Miles, an active community volunteer, died Aug. 22. He had served as president of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, longtime treasurer of the Hunter Museum of American Art, vice president of the Siskin Foundation and a founding board member of the new Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation, as well as in leadership capacities for other organizations. A retired vice president of Provident Life and Accident Insurance Co., he served on the board of governors and executive committee of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America.
-- Ernestine Eldridge, a longtime Hamilton County teacher and coach, died Aug. 23. An inductee in the Chattanooga Sports and Soddy-Daisy High School Alumni halls of fame, she also was inducted into the Kappa Gamma professional sorority's Order of the Rose at the state level. The music room at Sale Creek High is named in her honor.
-- Catheran Burney, the first woman elected to the city council of LaFayette, Ga., died Aug. 27. The former chief executive officer of the Walker County Telephone Co., she had served as secretary and treasurer of the Georgia Independent Telephone Association, president of the LaFayette Women's Club and was honored as Woman of the Year for the 7th District of the Women's Club of Georgia.
-- Randy Nelson, city attorney for Chattanooga for 19 years (1990-2009), died Sept. 13. He also had been president of the Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association and a member of the Chattanooga Industrial Development Board, where he delayed retirement to work out the legal details for the development of the Volkswagen manufacturing plant. Nelson was an Army veteran and had been a member of the Army Reserves JAG Corp.
-- Ann Walldorf, a dedicated community volunteer, died Oct. 5. Among other things, the former teacher was president of the Chattanooga Junior League, president of the Kidney Foundation, a longtime member of the Court Appointed Special Advocate board, president of the Chattanooga Book Review Club, board member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library, and held leadership positions at First Presbyterian Church and the Little Brown Church.
-- Jim Shull, who worked tirelessly on behalf of military veterans in his retirement, died Oct. 13. Among other service, he was past chairman of the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council, past senior vice commandant of the Marine Corps League, past vice president of the Tennessee Vietnam Veterans of America State Council, state district commander of an American Legion post, president of a local Vietnam veterans association and past commander of another post. His numerous awards include Marine of the Year by the Marine Corps League, the Charles H. Coolidge Veteran of the Year award by the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council and Legionnaire of the Year by the state American Legion. He was a Navy veteran.
-- Erskine Peoples, a community volunteer and musician, died Oct. 16. His community service included being a member of the Hamilton County Board of Education, the Erlanger board of trustees, the Siskin Hospital board of trustees and the Bessie Smith Hall board. An Army veteran, he also lent his talents to the Chattanooga Gospel Orchestra, the Spectrum Band and the Chattanooga Community Orchestra.
-- Tyler Deierhoi, history professor at the University of Chattanooga and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (and head of the department for six years), died Oct. 18. His community involvement included service on the boards of the Chattanooga Regional History Museum, Friends of Chickamauga Park, Interfaith Hospitality Network and the UTC Blue-Gold Club. Deierhoi was a Korean War-era Army veteran.
-- Leslie Jordan, a Chattanooga native and Emmy Award-winning actor, died Oct. 24. At the time of his death, he was an actor in the Fox series "Call Me Kat," but his 2006 Emmy came for his work in "Will & Grace." Jordan was the grand marshal for the Riverbend Festival earlier this year and had made many appearances in Chattanooga since moving to Hollywood, Calif., in the 1980s. He was the author of two memoirs, the most recent, "How Y'all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived," had released a gospel album and had become an online sensation for his 60-second updates on his Instagram account during the COVID-19 pandemic.
-- John Henry, founder and creator of Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, died Nov. 1. He was an internationally known sculptor, artist and activist.
-- Mel Tryon, a longtime insurance executive and community volunteer, died Nov. 25. Among his community activities, he was president of the Signal Mountain Lions Club, district governor, and a member of the Tennessee Lions Hall of Fame; was a board member of Signal Mountain Youth Baseball and Hamilton Futbol Club; served on the boards of the Mountain Education Fund and Mountain Recreation Inc.; and was treasurer and later president of the Signal Mountain Middle School Sports Boosters.
-- Mary Ruth Stone, a former director of women's ministries for the Church of God denomination, died Dec. 7. A teacher by occupation, she wound up her career as instructor and director of faculty development at Lee University and was the school's first female commencement speaker. An author and co-author with her husband, she also served on the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) Board of Administration, as vice president of the NAE's Women's Commission and on her denomination's benevolence department board.
-- Elizabeth Akins, the first town clerk and later mayor of Walden, Tenn., died Dec. 10. Among her proudest achievements was guiding the town to purchase and open McCoy Farm and Gardens. She had a previous career in laboratory technology.
-- Sonia Young, Chattanooga's inimitable "Purple Lady," died Dec. 22. An adjunct professor in the theater and speech department of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for 34 years, she also penned a column in several area publications, authored a children's book and wrote a children's play, all purple-related. Young, among other honors, was the recipient of the Holmberg Arts Leadership Award and was selected a Tennessee Woman of the Year and Tennessee Woman of Distinction. She had served as president of the boards of the Chattanooga Theatre Centre (where she founded the youth theater), Chattanooga Ballet and former Chattanooga Opera Association.
— Compiled by staff writer Clint Cooper