Dr. Madalyn (Shannon, '60) Long was inducted into the Bethany Public Schools Hall of Honor on October 24, 2008. She has served the Bethany Public Schools for over 20 years, including as counselor, middle school principal and elementary principal. She was in charge of the Drug-Free Education Program, head of the Curriculum Committee and oversaw the Gifted Program. Dr. Long was the first woman to join the Bethany Kiwanis Club, a liaison that has proved very beneficial to the school. She is currently the grant writer for Bethany Public Schools Foundation. She and her husband, James ('61), make their home in Oklahoma City. (1/09)
James Turner ('60) joined the US Navy after his Freshman year at BNC. He served as a Flight Engineer on a R6D transport aircraft at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. He worked for IBM for ten years. He then worked in construction for many years. He finished his BS and MS in Construction Management at Texas A&M. He continued to work until June, 2008. He says, "I am unemployed, not retired yet!" (9/08)
Karen (Peer/Robertson, '62) Kennedy and her husband, Garth are both retired. They enjoy volunteering at the Visitor's Center at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. (9/08)
Roberta Steininger Reed ('62) passed away August 19, 2007. She was a resident of San Diego, California. (1/09)
Nelda Charm Thomas ('62) passed away October 17, 2008. She was a resident of Hamilton, Montana. Nelda was a popular speaker at Bible conferences, retreats, seminars and Bible camps. She maintained a full schedule of speaking engagements and additionally, taught two Precept-Upon-Precept Bible classes each week. Nelda was first and foremost a Bible teacher who brought joy, inspiration and encouragement to the hearts of thousands. With her contagious passion for the word of God she communicated in such a clear and understandable way as to cause her students to want to dig deeper and learn more about God and His ways. (1/09)
Clifton O. Wooldridge ('63) passed away Saturday, December 13, 2008. He married
Hermione "Billie" Mayfield on her high school graduation day. After
serving in the U.S. Army, he worked in the oil field service business.
When he received his call to preach, he attended Bethany Nazarene
College (now Southern Nazarene University) where he received his
bachelor's degree in 1963. Wooldridge served pastorates in Nocona,
Texas; Amarillo, Texas; West Memphis, Arkansas; and Lubbock, Texas,
before his final church, Fort Worth, Texas, Northside Church of the
Nazarene, where he pastored for more than 26 years. (1/09)
After 16 years managing Student Finance departments in college and universities, Jo (Alexander, '65) Leopard has accepted a position as a SFA Compliance Auditor in which She audits colleges and universities to ensure federal funding is processed according to the US Department of Education regulations. She lives in Gulfport, Mississippi with her ShihTzu puppy, Alex. (9/08)
Laverne R. Wilson ('65) passed away in September. He was a resident of Frederick, Oklahoma. (10/08)
Linda (Ladd, '66) Nicholson is the University Fund Director at Northwest Nazarene University. She makes her home in Nampa, Idaho. (9/08)
Patricia (Gentry, '67) Brown is working for the US Department of Homeland Security. She makes her home in Austin, Texas. (1/09)
Walter “Rusty” Smith (’67) has retired after 37 years with Texaco and Shell Oil Companies. During his career Rusty held various marketing positions with Texaco in Oklahoma and Texas. He was the founding CEO and President of the Texaco National Bank in Omaha, Nebraska, and served as the Managing Director of Texaco’s Credit Card Center for the US, headquartered in Houston, Texas. Following a partial merger of Shell and Texaco in 2002, Rusty was an employee of Shell Oil until his retirement in 2004. Since retirement he has been a private consultant in the credit card industry. He is married to Jane (Clifton,’66). Jane has had a very rewarding career as a teacher for 32 years in Oklahoma and Texas. They have two grown children, and are currently living on Lake Conroe, in Montgomery, Texas. (10/08)
Lois (Wallis, '67) Woodcook worked at Boise State University as trainer for social workers. She is now retired. She and her husband, Dale, make their home in Meridian, Idaho. (11/08)
Wendell Thompson ('68) retired last July from the Oklahoma Wesleyan University. He had been the Library Director there for 34 years. He and Amelia (Coose, '59) have been happily married 41 years and have a doctor son and a pastor's wife daughter. They are living in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Wendell plans on competing in the Seniors/Masters Croquet Tournament at West Palm Beach, Florida in November. He was the champion of this tournament in 2005 and he hopes to repeat! (11/08)