Leon High School
Tallahassee, Florida
Class of 1961
Lost Classmates
If you know of any others or have corrections on those dates, please send email to rjhoffman@yahoo.com
If underlined, click for dedication page.
Class Members Deceased
John Alexander
Jo Linda Allen Wilson
Jo Ann Anderson
Jane Barnes
Particia Bell
Roger Bickley
Ben Boyer (2016)
James Boykin
Judith Ann Brainerd
Jimmie Carlos
Maurice (Bubba) Council
William Currie
Sarah Dawkins
Kermit Dixon
Sue Ellen Edwards
Pat Eubanks
Joan Frieden
Harry Friedman
Charlie Glasgow
Jimmie Golden
Dianna Graves Searcy
Don Hall
Mary Ann Hall
Patricia Hane Green
Kay Head
Orrin Herrin
Jerry Hicks
Curtis Holland
Bonnie Jean Hoskins
Billy Jaillet
Curtis "Buddy" Johnson
Ishmael Johnson
Patsy Johnson
Bryon Kirkland
Cecil Lett
Sarah Jo Long Brown
John Thomas Maloney
Thomas McCulloch
Janie Merritt Brannon
Linda Metcalf
Wayne Moody
Herbert Morgan
Robert Murphy
Carolyn Myers
Jack Parker
Eugene Patronis
Everett Perkins
Melba Revels
Gordon Roberts
Kitty Rooks
Lynn Ryder
Mack Sessions
Gail Smith Allen
Sylvia Stabler
Sharon Thompson
John Turnbull
Rita Vickery
Monroe Wade
Robert Yon
IN MEMORIAM
Death in the Family
Notices on deaths of classmates' family members
(and others we knew, like teachers). Classmate name in each is highlighted with bold text.
Joseph Jerome Kairis
(Our Chemistry Teacher)
Joseph Jerome Kairis, 82, died Saturday, April 2, 2005. The service will be at 2 p.m. EDT Sunday at Beggs Funeral Home Apalachee Parkway Chapel (850-942-2929), with full military honors. Memorial contributions may be made to a favorite charity. A native of Worcester, Mass., and former resident of Alaska, Mr. Kairis had lived in Tallahassee since 1954. He retired as a physics teacher for Leon High School and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Worcester. He was also a lifetime member of the Elks Lodge in Tallahassee; a 32nd-Degree Mason with Quinsigamond Lodge in Worcester, which was his home lodge; a member of Phi Delta Kappa; a member of the FMCA; and a member of American Legion Post No. 13. He also retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Air Force. He was an avid motor- home enthusiast and a professional photographer. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ruth Kairis; two sisters-in-law, Hope Johnson of Waltham, Mass., and Elizabeth Thulin of Monroeville, Pa.; two nephews, Donald and Charles Thulin; three nieces, Donna Johnson, Gail Browne and Carla Garrison; five great-nieces; six great-nephews; and three great-great-nieces.
Wilda Larson Clowers Lundrigan
(Our English teacher)
Wilda Larson Clowers Lundrigan, 79, who retired after 41 years as an English teacher at Leon High School, died Thursday, September 25, 2008 in Tallahassee. Service arrangements will be announced later by Bevis Funeral Home.
Published in the Tallahassee Democrat on 9/26/2008.
Marjorie C. Dillingham Ph.D.
(Our Spanish teacher)
INVERNESS - Marjorie C. Dillingham Ph.D., 87, died Thursday, May 22, 2003. She is survived by her husband of 10 years, Mr. Henry F. "Jack" Blake of Tallahassee. Inurnment will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Palatka. Hooper Funeral Homes & Crematory in Inverness (352-726-2271) is handling arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL, 60601-7633. Born Aug. 20, 1915, in Bicknell, Ind., she moved to Inverness from Tallahassee in 2002. Dr. Dillingham was a Spanish teacher who once taught at Duke University and Florida State University, the same universities where she earned her master's and doctorate. By 1971 she had lived, studied and taught in every Spanish-speaking country in the world. She was a member of Alpha Omega Pi in Tallahassee and a past president of Florida Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. She was a Methodist. Other survivors include a son, Dr. Robert C. Dillingham (and wife Marilyn) of Winchester, Va.; a daughter, Dr. Sharon D. Martin (and husband Dr. Randy) of Inverness; a sister, Mrs. Doris Price of Austin, Texas; six grandchildren, William Martin, Elizabeth Martin, Joseph Martin, Lenora Toms, Robbie Dillingham and Analisa Dillingham; and two great-grandchildren, Irie Toms and Bette Toms. She was preceded in death on Nov. 11, 1981, by her husband, Dr. William P. Dillingham.
Published in the Tallahassee Democrat on 5/30/2003.
Elva White Grow Clark
(LIbrarian)
Elva White Grow Clark, 94, died in Tallahassee Saturday, Jan. 3, 2004, after a brief illness. She was born Elva Geneva White on Dec. 3, 1909 in Pearson, Ga., to James Owen White, Sr., and Lila Corbitt White. Her near-death from the flu of 1918 made her into someone who was hardly sick another day in her long and active life. She attended Norman Park Junior College, began teaching high school in Atkinson County, Ga. at age 17, then graduated from Tift College. She began a long career of teaching high school at Colquitt, Ga., where she married William Alton Grow, Sr., in 1931. She earned a Master's Degree in Education from FSU.
In 1955, she and her family moved to Tallahassee, Fla., where she taught English and history at Leon High School. After earning a second Master's Degree from FSU, in Library Science, she became librarian at Leon High, and later at Tallahassee Community College. In the years before retirement, she traveled throughout Florida as a consultant for improving school libraries.
Survivors include stepdaughter Sherrie Grow Flynn of Atlanta, sons William A. Grow Jr. and Gerald Owen Grow of Tallahassee, sisters Eula Kirkland of Rome, Ga., Edwina Corbett and Evadelle White of Pearson, Ga., 12 grandchildren,16 great-grandchildren, and many cousins. She was preceded in death by her son John David Grow of Atlanta.
A memorial website is posted at www.longleaf.net/elva/.
Claude "Coach" Stoutamire
Claude "Coach" Stoutamire, born in 1924 and member of a 4th generation Leon County pioneer family, died October 7, 2013. He graduated from Leon High School in 1943 where he was a standout in basketball and track, holding the state records for many years in the high jump. Following high school came three years of military service in the Army during WWII. His service to his country was one of his proudest accomplishments.
After college, he coached one year in Louisiana and then returned home to Tallahassee to teach and coach at Leon High School. He is best known as the beloved head basketball coach from 1951-1973 where in the first five years he produced two conference championships. He was also a fearless drivers education teacher and loveably tormented P.E. teacher. more ...
Marian W. Mayo
(Girls' Physical Education Teacher)
Marian W. Mayo, 86 of Tallahassee passed away, Monday, January 18, 2010 at Big Bend Hospice. She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 60 years, William D. (Bill) Mayo. Visitation will be held 5 to 7 p.m. EST Wednesday, January 20th at Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, Riggins Road Chapel (850-877- 8191). Funeral Services will be 11 a.m. EST Thursday, January 21 at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church with interment to follow at MeadowWood Memorial Park. Mrs. Mayo was born in Eau Gallie, Florida and grew up in St. Augustine where she was an accomplished dancer. She left St. Augustine to attend Florida State College for Women. Mrs. Mayo taught Physical Education at Leon High School until her retirement in 1962. She is a member of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church. Survivors include a son, David (Jane) Mayo of Chaires, Fl; a daughter, Lynda (Gary ) Gray of Tallahassee; one brother, James Welch of Honolulu, Hawaii; three grandchildren, Brooke, Tanner and Brennan Gray of Tallahassee. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Children's Home Society of Florida.
Harold Everett Chapman Jr.
(Our Choral Director)
Harold Everett Chapman Jr., 88, who retired as choral director for Leon High School, died Thursday, April 17, 2003. Born July 31, 1914, in Indianapolis, he spent his early years in Evanston, Ill. He attended the University of Illinois and graduated from Northwestern University's School of Music in Evanston. His post-graduate studies in music education were taken at Northwestern and Florida State University. He taught for four years in Crystal Lake, Ill., where he supervised all music in the elementary school and taught all instrumental and vocal music in the junior high school. World War II brought him and his wife, Ruth Brindley Chapman, to Florida. After the war they came to Tallahassee, where he was choral director at Leon High from 1946 to 1967. more ...
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