Inside Clemson

Author: rreal

Amos David Crooks, retiree – January 2, 2026

January 5, 2026

Amos David Crooks, retired building/grounds specialist for the Student Health Center, passed away on January 2, 2026.

Crooks began his Clemson career on January 1, 1993, and retired on June 18, 2004, totaling more than 11 years of service with the University.

A service will be held Thursday, January 8, at 11 a.m. at New Hope Baptist Church in Clemson. The family will receive family and friends on Wednesday, January 7, from 6-7 p.m. at Adams Mortuary in Seneca.

Amos David Crooks’s obituary is available online.

George Cavender, Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences

December 4, 2025

Clemson University mourns the death of George Cavender, associate professor in the Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences.

George Cavender.

“Dr. George Cavender was an exceptional faculty member and a steady, compassionate presence in our Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences (FNPS) department,” said Ramesh Babu Jeganathan, chair of the Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences. “His deep commitment to teaching, his expertise in food science and his genuine care for students shaped the lives of countless young scientists. George approached every aspect of his work with sincerity, humility, and a quiet strength that earned the respect and gratitude of colleagues, students and industry partners alike. His sudden passing leaves a profound void in FNPS and the Clemson community, and we will remember him with great admiration and heartfelt appreciation for all he contributed.”

Cavender began his Clemson career in July 2021 as an assistant professor and was named an associate professor in 2025.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is providing grief counseling to students. Any student who wants to speak to a counselor should contact CAPS at 864-656-2451. After-hours counseling is available by calling 864-656-2451 and selecting option 2 from the menu.

Counseling services are also available to faculty and staff through ComPsych, the University’s Employee Assistance Program provider, at 866-365-0813.

A celebration of life will be held at St. Paul Methodist Church, 14 Martin’s Ford Rd., in Dahlonega, Ga., on Sunday, December 14, at 2 p.m. George Cavendar’s obituary is available online.

Clemson University Obituaries

Obituaries for active employees, retirees and current students are issued by Inside Clemson once we are able to confirm the information. Since faculty and staff live and work throughout the state, we depend on university departments, colleagues or friends to notify us of the deaths of active employees and retirees.

Jordan Elizabeth Rights, student

November 30, 2025

Elizabeth Rights, 33, passed away on Nov. 22, 2025. She was a graduate student from Brewster, New York in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.

“We were blessed that Elizabeth’s journey brought her to Clemson,” says John Lopes, dean of the Graduate School. “She will forever be a part of our family.”

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is providing grief counseling to students. Any student who wants to speak to a counselor should contact CAPS at 864-656-2451. After-hours counseling is available by calling 864-656-2451 and selecting option 2 from the menu.

Counseling services are also available to faculty and staff through ComPsych, the University’s Employee Assistance Program provider, at 866-365-0813.

View Elizabeth’s full obituary online.

Clemson University Obituaries

Obituaries for active employees, retirees and current students are issued by Inside Clemson once we are able to confirm the information. Since faculty and staff live and work throughout the state, we depend on university departments, colleagues or friends to notify us of the deaths of active employees and retirees.

Robert ‘Bob’ Lawrence Wiggins, Sr., retiree – November 4, 2025

November 7, 2025

Robert “Bob” Lawrence Wiggins, Sr., retired systems manager for the Division Of Administrative Programming Services, passed away on November 4, 2025.

Wiggins began his Clemson career on September 11, 1967, and retired on September 30, 1993, totaling 26 years of service with the University.

During his time at Clemson, he computerized the circulation system of the Clemson University Libraries.

A memorial service will be held at University Lutheran Church of Clemson on Sunday, November 23, at 2 p.m.

Robert Lawrence Wiggins’s obituary is available online.

William Doyce Graham, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Plant and Environmental Sciences – November 2, 2025

November 7, 2025

William Doyce Graham, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Plant and Environmental Sciences, passed away on November 2, 2025.

Graham was hired on October 1, 1966, and he retired on June 20, 2003, totaling nearly 37 years of service. He then served in the Emeritus College for 19 years from 2005 to 2024.

In a testament to his contributions, Clemson University released the “Graham” oat in 2012, and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station released “Doyce,” a type of hulless winter barley, in 2003.

He received his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Texas Tech before earning master’s and doctoral degrees from Purdue University.

A memorial service will be held at Clemson United Methodist Church on Wednesday, November 26 at 2 p.m.

William Doyce Graham’s obituary is available online.