October 19, 2026
BJ Skelton Sr. passed away on October 14, 2026. Skelton began his Clemson career on March 1, 1962 and eventually went on to serve as Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions and Registration.
He was selected as the faculty representative to the Atlantic Coast Conference from 1982 to 1983, and later served in NCAA positions for several years. Skelton retired from the University in 1992 after 35 years of service.
September 16, 2026
Dr. Henry Lewis Suggs passed away on Friday, September 4, 2026. Suggs began his Clemson career on May 4, 1984, where he served as a professor of the Department of History. Suggs retired from the University on August 1, 2003, where he served Clemson for 19 years.
Funeral services for Suggs will be held this Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Good Hope FWB Church in Winterville, North Carolina. A full obituary is available online.
September 16, 2026
Woodrow Ford, Jr., passed away on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Ford began his work at Clemson on April 7, 1989. He served as a field specialist supervisor for 18 years until his retirement on June 21, 2007.
September 11, 2026
Erick Ross, 25, has passed away. He was enrolled as a Ph.D. student in mathematical sciences, the same program he earned his master’s degree in last December. The Greenville, South Carolina native was a graduate teaching assistant as well.
“The Clemson Family is heartbroken by the loss of Erick,” says John Lopes, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School. “We hope his family, friends and loved ones find solace in the cherished memories of time they spent with Erick. He will always be remembered.”
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 funeral service will be held at Faith Baptist Church in Delco, North Carolina, on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m., followed by a private interment with family. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13 at University Baptist Church in Clemson to celebrate his life. A full obituary is available online.
July 14, 2026
Luther Stephen Cash, Professor Emeritus of Accounting, passed away on June 25, 2026. After a prominent fifty-year career practicing tax law in Tennessee, he moved to Clemson and taught accountancy at Clemson University.
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Cash served in the United States Army and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Accounting from the University of Tennessee and his J.D. degree from the University of Tennessee School of Law, and a L.L.M. in Law and Taxation from the Washington University School of Law. He practiced tax law at Frantz, McConnell & Seymour. On June 19th, 2015, the Tennessee Bar Association honored Cash as a senior counselor for his 50 years of practice.
Steve moved on to Clemson University, where he taught in the Accountancy Department and co-authored and published numerous legal and accounting article. Steve was awarded Professor Emeritus status in the Accountancy Department.
He is survived by his wife, Anne Cash; daughter, Maria Tyler and husband Corey; grandchildren, Jackson Tyler and Shelby Tyler; sister, Patti Fain; niece, Angela Fain.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 1 p.m. in Berry-Lynnhurst Funeral Home, 2300 Adair Drive, Knoxville, TN. The family will receive friends following the service.
July 14, 2026
Antonio “Tony” Craig, Hazardous Materials Supervisor in the Occupational and Environmental Safety Department, passed away on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Craig began his career at Clemson in 2021.
“Tony was an exceptional person and staff member. There was never a time he wasn’t wearing a smile and had an infectious laugh that brought a smile to everyone he met. He was always willing to help and went above and beyond the call of duty for not only his job but for lending a hand around the office,” Jim Grieger, executive director of Occupational and Environmental Safety, said.
“If something needed to be moved or lifted or some other odd ball department need he was willing to help. There wasn’t a spill he hasn’t cleaned up. He also volunteered in his community with the Spartanburg Search and Rescue. He was a person who put others before himself and was a proud military veteran. I will especially miss his positive attitude and dedication to OES. He will be greatly missed.”
An obituary for Craig is available online.
The Clemson University EAP is available to employees seeking additional resources during this time. For more information and assistance, please call (866) 365-0813 or visit the EAP website.
June 29, 2026
Leonard Joseph “Skip” Spooner, 80, of Greenville, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Spooner joined Clemson University as a faculty member in the Management program on August 15, 2011, after retiring from his law practice. During his time in the management program at The Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, Spooner’s real-world experience was essential in connecting with students and colleagues alike.
“Skip’s generosity, professionalism, and ability to connect real-world experience with the classroom made a lasting impact on our department, college and our students,” Carl Hollingsworth, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, said.
“Skip is going to be dearly missed by everyone who knew him. He was a gentleman’s gentleman and wanted to help everyone he met – his colleagues, his clients, his friends, and his students,” Department Chair Craig Wallace said.
“I am especially going to miss our banter concerning college sports. Skip loved Clemson, but also his Georgia Bulldogs. Here’s one for you, Skip ‘Go Dawgs’!”
Skip is survived by his loving and devoted partner, Leanne Fuller of Greenville, SC; his son, Casey Spooner of Berlin, Germany, and his mother Carole Raines Spooner; his brother, Charles (Deborah) Spooner of Jacksonville, Florida; his brother-in-law, Larry Shoemaker of Donalsonville, Georgia; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Pat Shoemaker.
A graveside service for immediate family and close friends will be held on Friday, July 10, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Friendship Cemetery in Donalsonville, Georgia.
June 22, 2026
John Thomson Acorn, Professor Emeritus of Visual Arts, passed away on June 14. Acorn was a founding faculty member in the Department of Art, joining Clemson University’s faculty in 1961 after graduating from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Acorn retired from Clemson in 1997 after 36 years of service and joined the Emeritus College on July 7, 2017.
Acorn served as Department Chair for many years and was a cornerstone of Clemson University’s artistic community. In recognition of his extraordinary service and impact, Clemson named the Acorn Gallery in Lee Hall in his honor. Acorn’s “Friday Flyers”, the six oversized, aluminum paper airplanes scattered across main campus, were originally part of a larger art project Acorn developed in 1996 when he was the chair of the Department of Art.
Memorial service arrangements are being finalized. Details will be announced as soon as available.
May 28, 2026
Stuart Silvers, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and inaugural Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Clemson, passed on April 11, 2026.
Silvers began his Clemson career on June 30, 1989, and retired on January 31, 2011. He joined the Emeritus College in 2015 and was later named an I. Dwaine Eubanks Emeritus College Fellow. He totaled 22 years of service with the University.
Silvers attended college at Michigan State, graduating with an interdisciplinary Social Science Divisional degree in 1958, followed by an master’s in Philosophy in 1960 and a PH.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1963.
Mere information is available on the Emeritus College’s In Memoriam page.
May 21, 2026
John O. Black Jr., retired department head of Seed Certification, passed away on April 25, 2026.
Black began his Clemson career on February 1, 1962, and retired on July 1, 1989.
Black graduated from Clemson University in 1957 and earned a master’s degree from Clemson in 1961.
