Athens, Ga. – Twenty-six University of Georgia faculty, staff and students who died since last April will be honored at the university’s annual candlelight memorial service April 29 at 7 p.m. inside the Chapel.
UGA President Jere Morehead will lead the service, called “Georgia Remembers . . . a Candlelight Memorial.” Names of each of the 13 students and 13 faculty and staff members will be read aloud, followed by a toll of the Chapel bell and the lighting of a candle.
Names will be read by Silvia Giruado, chair of the executive committee of University Council; Jerry Daniel, chair of the Staff Council; and Drew Jacoby, president of the Student Government Association.
Members of the university’s Arch Society will light candles as each name is read aloud. Franklin Scott, minister for Baptist Collegiate Ministries, will deliver an opening prayer and Renee Dubose, pastor for Our Hope Metropolitan Community Church, will deliver a closing prayer. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the flames from the Arch Society members’ candles will be passed to attendees so they can light their own candles of remembrance.
The Southern Wind Quintet from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music will provide music, and the university’s Air Force ROTC will present the colors and ring the bell.
Faculty and staff whose names will be read along with the positions they held are:
• Doug Bachtel, professor emeritus, department of financial planning, housing & consumer economics
• W. Paul Cassilly, director of design and construction in the Office of University Architects;
• Ronald L. Claxton, research technician in the College of Engineering;
• Jonathan Liston, building services supervisor in graduate studies;
• Jason Michael Manthorne, an instructor in the history department;
• Lucian Mitchell May, public service associate in the Cooperative Extension Service;
• Jenny Penney Oliver, faculty member in counseling and human development services within the College of Education;
• Glenn Owens, programmer in the Office of the Vice President for Research;
• Bettye J. Pearson, building services worker in athletics;
• Bernard Richie, grounds keeper in facilities management;
• Norman Thomson, associate professor in mathematics and science education;
• Margaret Sloan Collins Totty, assistant director in the Disability Resource Center; and
• Yongchen Wang, associate research scientist in the department of marine sciences.
Students whose names will be read along with their hometowns and the areas of study they were pursuing are:
• David Peacock Braun, a senior from Marietta majoring in computer science;
• Zachary Daniel Cowart, a graduate/professional student from Douglasville studying veterinary medicine;
• Rebecca Elaine Greene, a senior from Hortense majoring in chemistry;
• Yuzhi Hu, a graduate student from Changzhou, China studying cellular biology;
• George Y. Kuei, a senior from Alpharetta majoring in psychology;
• Zachariah Jones McConnell, a graduate student from Dahlonega studying business administration;
• William “Will” O. Morriss, a freshman from Tucker majoring in marketing;
• Yong Kyu (Kevin) Nam, a senior from Suwanee majoring in Spanish;
• Alexi Julian “A.J.” Owens, a junior from Lawrenceville majoring in fisheries and wildlife;
• Dylan Cane Parker, a sophomore from Toccoa majoring in pre-business;
• Snizhana Radzetska, a doctoral student from Athens studying in public administration;
• Brian David Riggenbach, a senior from Marietta majoring in chemistry; and
• Catherine Leigh Wilson, a junior from Atlanta majoring in anthropology.
The candlelight memorial service is coordinated by Student Support Services, a unit within UGA Student Affairs.
UGA Student Affairs
The Division of Student Affairs comprises 20 campus departments that enhance the learning environment for students at the University of Georgia by stimulating the learning process, integrating the in-class and out-of-class experiences, promoting an environment conducive to growth and discovery and facilitating intellectual, spiritual, social, occupational, physical, cultural and emotional development. For more information, see http://studentaffairs.uga.edu.
**Note to editors: Updated 4-29-14 to reflect location change due to weather.