60 / 64
In
Memoriam
Friend
Duane Pontius Sr.
, who taught
physics on the Hilltop for many years,
passed away May 26 in Gardendale, Ala.,
at the age of 75, soon after finishing a
series of bronze sculptures of classical
ballet poses.
From 2000-08, Pontius regularly
taught physics at BSC, where he worked
alongside his son, T. Morris Hackney
Professor of Physics
Duane Pontius Jr.
’81
.
Pontius Sr. taught full time at BSC
for two years, then six more years in a
part-time position.
Upon retirement in 1998, he took
great joy in exploring his artistic side,
including piano playing, drawing, and
fine woodworking. His large scale
models of wooden ships—constructed
one plank at a time—were displayed in his home. He produced sculptures made out
of a synthetic material in collaboration with his wife, Sue, a former ballerina and dance
teacher.
“He was very modest; a lot of people had no clue about the breadth and depth of
what he did,” his daughter, Jennifer, said. “He did the things he did because he wanted
to, not because he wanted to impress people.”
In his early years, Pontius enlisted as a seaman in the U.S. Navy and was selected for
its Enlisted Scientific Education Program, which provided support for sailors to receive
undergraduate degrees in science. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Auburn
University in 1962.
In 1964, after completing Naval Officer Candidate Training School, Pontius received
his commission as a lieutenant. He served his country at sea aboard the U.S.S. McCard
and the U.S.S. Wright and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.
Pontius then returned to Auburn to earn his master’s and Ph.D. in physics. While
working on his Ph.D., he handcrafted two violins. He taught at the University of West
Florida from 1973-75 as an assistant professor of physics before accepting a position at
Southern Research Institute, where he became director of the physical processes section.
In addition to his artwork, Pontius loved classical music, mentally challenging
puzzles, Russian literature, chess, and most of all, his family. He is survived by his
wife, his son and daughter, and one granddaughter.
CLASSNOTES
58 / ’southern
Rev. Elmer J. O’Brien ’54
of
Boulder, Colo., on May 2, 2014.
O’Brien retired from United
Theological Seminary (UTS) in
Dayton, Ohio, in 1996. He served
as librarian and professor
of bibliographic information
and founding director of United’s
Center for the Evangelical United
Brethren Heritage. His most
recent publication,
The Wilderness,
the Nation, and the Electronic Era:
American Christianity and Religious
Communication, 1620-2000: An
Annotated Bibliography
(Scarecrow
Press, 2009), was listed by the
American Library Association as
an outstanding reference work for
the year. In 2011, he was honored
for his 27 years at UTS with
the naming of the Elmer J. and
Betty A. O’Brien Library. Among
survivors is his wife.
Rev. Kenneth Roderick Franklin
’54
of Warwick, R.I., on March
20, 2014. He graduated Phi Beta
Kappa from BSC. After service
in the U.S. Army, he earned two
graduate degrees in theology from
the General Theological Seminary
in NewYork. Franklin was ordained
a deacon in 1959 and a priest
the following year. He served
Episcopal parishes in Alabama and
Connecticut before being called to
be rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal
Church in Warwick. He worked
faithfully for 33 years, retiring
in 2001, at which time he was
named rector emeritus. Survivors
include his daughter and three
grandchildren.
JoAnn Boyd Pappas ’54
of
Birmingham, on March 18, 2014.
After college, she taught piano at
the BSC Conservatory of Music
and later taught private lessons for
many years at her home. Pappas
married her husband, Alonza, in
1955 and moved to Enterprise
where they made a home and
raised their children. She was
an active member of Enterprise’s
Church of the Epiphany, where
she was organist and choir
director. She continued to sing
in the Episcopal choir when she
moved to Mobile and later back
to Birmingham. Pappas loved to
entertain, cook, travel, read, and
spend time with her family. She
is survived by four children and 13
grandchildren.
M.C. “Chris” Boner ’58
of
LaGrange, Ga., on May 7, 2014.
Boner was educated in public
schools in Alabama. He earned
additional college degrees from
Vanderbilt University and Emory
University and did advanced
academic studies at the University
of Alabama, Jesus College,
Wadham College, and Oxford
University. Boner taught English
at Marion Military Institute
for 18 years. He was the first
headmaster at LaGrange Academy
in the early ’70s. He worked 20
years for the Callaway Foundation
as director of Coleman Library
and of the Callaway Educational
Association. He had been
resident manager at the Bellevue
antebellum home in LaGrange
since 2005. Survivors include a
brother and several nieces and
nephews.
AnnWalker Harrison ’58
of
Trussville, on July 2, 2014. Harrison
worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield
until meeting and marrying her
husband, Frank. She accompanied
him to numerous conventions
and events for his job at Southern
Natural Gas, where they made
many lifelong friends. They were
longtime members of First Baptist
Church of Center Point. After
retirement, she and her husband
enjoyed traveling the world. She
enjoyed the great outdoors and
nature and instilled that love in
her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by a daughter,