In Memoriam

Alumni

Jesse Andrew DeTienne (’17 BS, University Studies) passed away in Arlington on Sept. 9, 2024, at the age of 37. DeTienne was an avid fan of UTA basketball and worked at The Shorthorn providing game coverage. He also started coverage of wheelchair basketball. A beloved figure in the Maverick sports community, his articles can be found on Nolan Writin’ and MuckRack.

Terry Ray Little (’66 BS, Mathematics) passed away Nov. 23, 2022, at the age of 77 at Johns Island, South Carolina. His professional titles included executive director of the Missile Defense Agency, director of the Kinetic Energy Interceptor Program, and director of the Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence. He headed seven major programs for the Department of Defense.

Michael John Shropshire passed away Sept. 19, 2024, in Fort Worth at the age of 75. He worked as the human resources manager for Darr Equipment Co. for 35 years. Michael and his wife, Barbara, are generous donors to UTA; the couple created the Katherine Elizabeth Shropshire Endowed Scholarship in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

1950s

Mary Ann Weaver
(’53 BA, Business) 90, Jan. 13, 2024, Arlington.

1960s

Jon Carol Carsey
(’64 BA, Microbiology) 81, April 2, 2024, Dallas, Texas.

John Robert Allen
(’65 BS, Mechanical Engineering) 82, March 7, 2024, Lubbock, Texas.

Richard Morgan Bowers
(’65 BS, Physics) 78, May 28, 2022, Weatherford, Texas.

Dan Roles
(’66 BS, Biology) 83, Jan. 17, 2024, San Antonio, Texas.

Charles Ray Billing
(’67 BBA) 79, June 18, 2024, Frisco, Texas.

1970s

Margret Huckabee Tomlinson
(’70 BA, English) 93, April 18, 2024, McKinney, Texas.

Harold “Dwayne” Currie
(’72 BS, Architecture) 75, May 8, 2024, Woodstock, Georgia.

1980s

Melba Jean Steele
(’82 BSN) 83, May 18, 2024, Fort Worth, Texas.

Dennis Harmon
(’83 BBA, Marketing) 70, Jan. 21, 2024, Irving, Texas.

1990s

Imad Abou-Hamdan
(’90, BS, Mechanical Engineering) 63, June 17, 2024, San Marcos, Texas.

Patrick Lee Laverenz
(’93, BBA, Management) 57, June 27, 2024, Garland, Texas.

2000s

Rochelle Noga Ross
(’00 BFA, Theatre Arts) 56, Jan. 23, 2024, Bedford, Texas.

2010s

Donald Gene Sheffield
(’10 MBA) 51, Jan. 25, 2024, Euless, Texas.

Eric Hasmer Counts
(’18 BSN) 60, April 19, 2024, Fort Worth.

Faculty and Staff

Honoring the Legendary Allan Saxe

Beloved longtime University of Texas at Arlington Professor and Arlington philanthropist Allan Saxe passed away June 18, 2024, at the age of 85. Saxe began his career as a faculty member in the Department of Political Science in 1965, when this University was known as Arlington State College. He became known as a must-take professor who led passionate discussions and inspired students with his humor and kindness.

When UTA Magazine asked Mavericks a few years ago to share their favorite Allan Saxe memories, hundreds of alumni submitted entries. Among them was Eliamaria Crawford (’14 BFA, Theatre Arts), who took class notes on one side of her notebook and jotted down some of her favorite Saxe quotes on the other. She later turned those notes into a 76-page book titled Humans Really Irritate Me. One former student, Tim Neathery (’91 BS, Economics), wrote, “By far, Dr. Saxe was my absolute favorite professor while at UTA. He was engaging, funny, smart, and made you think about things in new ways. I enjoyed my time in his class more than any other.”

Saxe’s classes frequently garnered long waitlists, and other political science professors’ classes scheduled at the same time as Saxe’s had trouble finding students, a phenomenon that Rebecca Deen, senior associate dean of UTA’s College of Liberal Arts, called the “Allan Effect” in an interview with the Fort Worth Report. Dr. Deen said that the Allan Effect was particularly noticeable since Saxe insisted on teaching as many classes as possible. He taught extra classes so that he would have more money to pour into the community.

Saxe received an inheritance from his mother in the early 1990s and donated it all to nonprofits and scholarship funds. The donation kickstarted Saxe’s decades-long giving streak, and by 2017, more than 20 businesses and city institutions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were named after him thanks to his philanthropy. This includes a lasting legacy at UTA through the creation of the Allan Saxe Intramural Field, Ruthie Brock-Saxe Patio at the Library, Allan Saxe Circle at the Planetarium, and various other philanthropic investments.

Saxe’s community service extended beyond financial contributions. Roles he took on include board member of the Humane Society of North Texas, chairman of the Arlington United Way, and founding member of the Arlington Life Shelter, a nonprofit organization helping homeless individuals find self-sustainability.

In a statement, UTA President Jennifer Cowley wrote, “Saxe’s legacy of overwhelming generosity and kindness is visible across our campus and our region—with parks, gardens, softball fields, patios, and traffic circles bearing his name. My condolences go out to his family and friends—of which he had many. We at UT Arlington are forever grateful that he made our campus his professional home for 54 years.”

Norma Cole passed away in Dallas on May 30, 2024, at the age of 74. She began working at UTA in 1979, taking on roles in various departments during her time here, including the Office of Admissions, Records and Registration, the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, and the Office of Undergraduate Recruitment. She consistently made generous donations to UTA, one of which established the Richard L. Cole Memorial Graduate Fellowship that provides scholarships for graduate students in the Department of Public Affairs. After she retired from UTA in 2013, her desire to help the Arlington community continued, and she spent many hours volunteering at Arlington Memorial Hospital.

Ron E. Wommack passed away on June 30, 2024 in Farmers Branch, Texas, at the age of 73. He opened his own architecture firm, Ron Womack Architecture, in 1990. He held a few roles, including lecturer, specialist, and adjunct assistant professor, at UTA throughout his career, which begin in 1998.

Jack Elmer Fairchild passed away on March 12, 2024, in Brookshire, Texas, at the age of 95. A U.S. Navy veteran, he flew nearly 90 combat missions in the Korean War and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and multiple Air Medals. He started at UTA as a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1964 and continued teaching as an associate professor and lecturer in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering until 1989.