Category: Obituaries

Clemson University mourns the death of Scott Greene, shuttle driver for Clemson University Parking and Transportation Services.

Greene began his Clemson career on April 24, 2025, after a long career in banking. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University in 1980.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 2 p.m. at The Wood Mortuary in Greer, S.C., with internment to follow in Hillcrest Memory Gardens. Visitation will be held 1-1:45 p.m. prior to the memorial service.

Scott Greene’s obituary is available online.

Paul K. Gable, retired assistant director in the Agriculture Business Office, passed away on January 30, 2026.

Gable began his Clemson career on October 27, 1967. He retired on June 27, 1996, totaling more than 29 years of service with the University.

Paul Gable’s online obituary will be shared when available.

Garnett Lowell Bradford, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Sciences, passed away on December 30, 2025.

Bradford began his Clemson career on August 1, 1988, and retired on March 30, 2001, totaling more than 12 years of service with the University. He joined the Emeritus College on July 12, 2017.

Bradford earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky and earned a Ph.D. in applied economics and mathematical statistics from North Carolina State University.

Garnett Bradford’s obituary is available online.

Richard (Dick) Allan Underwood, Professor Emeritus of English Language and Literature, passed away on January 3, 2026.

Underwood began his Clemson career on August 16, 1970, and retired on June 26, 1998, totaling 28 years of the service with the University. He joined the Emeritus College on July 26, 2017.

He was an internationally noted scholar and the author of several books on Shakespeare, and earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan.

Richard Allan Underwood’s obituary is available online.

Don “Doc” Frederick Keller, Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology and Counseling, passed away on December 31, 2025.

Keller began his Clemson career on August 15, 1973, and retired on March 1, 2006, totaling nearly 33 years. He then joined the Emeritus College in March 2017, a span of nearly nine years.

Keller earned his a bachelor’s degree in business from Southeast Missouri State in 1962, followed by a master’s degree in counseling in 1968. He earned his Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Counseling from Indiana University.

Don Frederick Keller’s obituary is available online.

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.

Ronnie Eugene Hood, retired multiskilled facilities main master for University Facilities and Athletics, passed away on December 18, 2025.

Hood began his Clemson career on October 13, 1970, and retired on January 5, 2006. He returned to work in Faciltiies from 2010 to 2017, working in Athletics from 2013-14 as well. He totaled more than 43 years of service with the University.

Ronnie Eugene Hood’s obituary is available online.

Willie Mae Green, retired building and grounds supervisor for University Housing, passed away on December 25, 2025.

Green began her Clemson career on July 30, 1979, and retired on April 24, 2003, totaling nearly 24 years with the University.

Willie Mae Green’s obituary is available online.

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

“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.

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.