Judy Thorne Howell Blalock ’68 of Shelby on December 26. A math major and member of Kappa Delta at BSC, she earned a master’s degree from Auburn University in Montgomery and graduated from Alabama Banking School. Blalock moved to Bainbridge, Ga., in 1987, where she served as CFO and COO of First Port City Bank. After retiring in 2006, she moved home to Alabama to be close to family.

Mary Hart Thompson Brown ’85 of Huntsville on December 10. A lifelong Huntsville resident, she graduated from BSC with a nursing degree and was a member of Kappa Delta. She worked in many areas of nursing throughout her career and especially enjoyed working alongside her father, Dr. Ira Duke Thompson, and her sister, Dr. Melinda Thompson.

Dr. Guy Dalto of Birmingham on December 8. Born in Paterson, N.J., he attended Rutgers University and then earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Dr. Dalto taught at Wayne State University before coming to BSC, where he taught sociology until 2015. He had a passion for teaching inside and outside of the Hilltop classrooms – whether it be editing his children’s school papers or teaching them to drive.

Daphne Diane DeBardeleben ’73 of Durham, N.C., on November 12. An education major at BSC, she was both a student and teacher of contemporary art, working as the assistant curator of education at the Birmingham Museum of Art in the late 1980s. After moving to North Carolina in 1991, she began working at City Gallery of Contemporary Art, where she created many new art education programs. She then founded a public relations firm in the area. A passionate artist, she traveled to Italy several times to study Renaissance art and architecture. Her family and friends gathered in Yeilding Chapel on Jan. 3 for a celebration of her life that was coordinated by her BSC Kappa Delta sister Tina Cummings Huggins ’73 of Nashville

Joanne Hayes Miner ’00 of Birmingham on December 11. She was a longtime staff member of the BSC financial aid office, retiring as its associate director. Her survivors include daughter Lori Miner Martin ’86, son Todd Miner ’00, and granddaughter Kennedy Anne Martin ’20.

George Glenn Smith ’60 of Jacksonville, Fla., on December 3. A Birmingham native, he was a member of Kappa Alpha during his time on the Hilltop. After graduation, he began a career in insurance in Hartford, Conn., before opening his own agency in Jacksonville, where he worked until retirement. Smith was an avid boater, fisherman, golfer, and sports fan.

John Taylor Thorington ’52 of Tampa, Fla., on November 4. A Birmingham native, he majored in business at BSC, then completed Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I. From 1953-1956, he served as Lt. (j.g.) aboard the U.S.S. Dashiell, completing an around-the-world cruise during the Korean Conflict. Thorington returned to Birmingham to work at U.S. Pipe and Foundry Company. In 1969, he was transferred to Tampa, where he retired in 1992. Thorington and his wife were active members of Palma Ceia Methodist Church in Tampa for more than 50 years, and loved leading nursing home Bible studies together. His survivors include his brother and sister-in-law, Rev. J. Fletcher Thorington and Betty Clem Thorington, both Class of 1950, and their daughter, Leigh Thorington Fetcher ’75.

Dr. David W. Ullrich of Birmingham on December 5. A native of Chicago, he earned his undergraduate degree from Marquette University, then completed a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin. In 1986, Dr. Ullrich and his wife moved to Birmingham, where he would teach at BSC for 36 years. A renowned scholar, he published articles on the works of Blake, Coleridge, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald and served on the editorial board of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Review. In addition to his talents as an academic, Dr. Ullrich was an accomplished poet and sculptor.