Category: Obituaries

Chalmers McNair Butler, Clemson University Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Clemson, S.C.

Butler began his Clemson career in 1985 and retired in 2011. He joined the Emeritus College in April 2015 and was rehired as an affiliate from July 2011 until his passing. During his time at Clemson, he was named Alumni Distinguished Professor and the Warren H. Owen Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also earned the Class of ’39 Award for Excellence, one of the University’s most prestigious faculty honors, in 1997.

An avid woodworker, Butler combined his woodworking and Class of ’39 endeavors to construct an artisan-esque, handmade mallet for striking the Guard House Bell in the Cadet Life Garden at the South Carolina Botanical Garden to honor deceased class members every year in the annual Class of ’39 Memorial Service. The mallet continues to be used to honor class members and, poetically, will be used to honor Butler himself.

Butler earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Clemson University and his Ph.D. (1962) at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 2 p.m. in the churchyard cemetery at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pendleton, S.C.

A festive celebration of life will be held in Clemson at a later date.

Chalmers Butler’s obituary is available online.

Raul Garcia Mora, retired agricultural/animal assistant at the Edisto Research and Education Center, passed away on June 2, 2025.

Mora began his Clemson career on August 23, 1996, and retired on April 1, 2019, totaling more than 22 years of service with the University.

Graveside services will be held Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 3 p.m. at the Swallow Savannah Cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 6-8 p.m. at Keith Smith Funeral Service, 128 Water Street, Allendale, S.C.

His online obituary is available online.

Mary Polen, retired administrative assistant with the National Dropout Prevention Center, passed away on April 21, 2025.

Polen began her Clemson career on October 28, 1977, and retired on July 1, 1994. She was then rehired from 1996 to 2011, totaling 32 years of service with the University. In addition to the National Dropout Prevention Center, she also worked for the computer center and provost’s office.

Mary Polen’s obituary is available online.

Clemson University mourns the death of Brenda Burk, University records officer for Clemson Libraries.

“Brenda will be deeply missed by everyone in the Libraries. She was truly passionate about archiving and preserving history, and she made a huge impact in her roles leading Special Collections and Archives and Records Management. She was dedicated to her work and was very good at engaging with the campus community,” said Clemson Libraries Dean Chris Cox. “My thoughts go out to Brenda’s family and friends during this difficult time, as well as to her colleagues here in the Libraries and across campus.”

Burk began her Clemson career on April 7, 2014, totaling more than 11 years of service with the University.

“We are deeply saddened to learn the news of Brenda’s passing. Brenda has been a valuable member of our University community over her 11 years at Clemson,” said Ariel Turner, associate dean of collections and discovery. “Her passion for preserving and interpreting our local history and her work on records management have been enormously impactful. We send our deepest condolences to her family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones.”

“Her passion for helping others related to history and Clemson has been beneficial to all with Clemson University,” said Rick Owens, historic preservation officer with University Facilities.

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

Her online obituary with service information will be updated when information is available.

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.

Daniel “Dan” Herr, retired University engineer with Facilities Maintenance Services, passed away on March 26, 2025.

Herr was a Clemson alumnus who began his Clemson career on September 27, 1971, and retired on January 3, 2003, totaling more than 31 years with the University.

Herr helped design the Outdoor Lab and the Class of 1944 Visitors Center, as well as laying out C-L-E-M-S-O-N on the upper deck of Memorial Stadium.

His daughter, Marianne Glaser, is a principal lecturer in the Department of Communication.

Daniel Herr’s obituary is available online (registration may be required). A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 21 at Grandview Cemetery Chapel in Maryville, Tenn., followed by a gathering at Springbrook Park in Alcoa, Tenn.

Hilliard Gregory Harvey, retired assistant extension director for Sumter County, passed away on May 5, 2025.

He began his Clemson career on September 5, 1983, and retired on July 1, 2009, totaling nearly 26 years of service with the University.

Hilliard Gregory Harvey’s obituary is available online.

George Milton Moore, retired Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations and Development and member of the Emeritus College, passed away on April 23, 2025.

Moore earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Clemson in 1958. He entered Clemson College as a freshman ROTC Cadet in September 1949, but left to enlist in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He served with the 12th Fighter Wing, 8th Air Force, out of Austin, Texas, with extended duty at Manston RAF in England and Misawa AFD in Japan.

Moore returned to Clemson on August 17, 1959, and retired on June 30, 1988, totaling 29 years of service. He received the University’s Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1975.

George Moore’s obituary is available online.

Herman Senter, Associate Professor Emeritus of Mathematical Sciences, passed away on April 25, 2025.

Senter began his Clemson career on August 15, 1974, and retired on December 20, 2007. He was rehired in 2008 and was hired as a Named Professor in 2009-2011, joining the Emeritus College on July 30, 2015. Senter totaled more than 36 years of service with the University.

He earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University in 1965, followed in 1967 by a Master of Science in Textile Technology from the Institute of Textile Technology in Charlottesville, Va.  He returned to NC State to earn his Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences in 1973. 

Senter played a key role in establishing the Foothills Group of the South Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club, serving as its interim chair. His environmental advocacy also extended to active involvement with the Coastal Conservation League, The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina, Upstate Forever, and the Chattooga Conservancy.

His online obituary and memorial information will be shared when available.

Clemson University mourns the death of Melvin Dwight Hartley, systems engineer for CCIT’s Medicaid IT Services (MITS) team.

“Dwight was a brilliant mentor and friend,” said Lee Currington, senior director with Institutional Excellence. “Dwight was literally the cornerstone of my career. He believed in me and saw something I didn’t see in myself. He took a young girl with a newly earned Biology degree and tutored me to become a systems engineer. I am eternally grateful for the wisdom, humility, unwavering friendship, and humor he always shared. He will be truly missed.”

“Dwight and I worked together at three different companies,” said Don Parrott, MITS systems administrator. “He had a wide range of expertise in current IBM disk and tape architecture, but was also a veteran ham operator and was part of the South Carolina State Guard. In all the years working with him he was always helpful and courteous in any situation – willing to help anyone. He would go beyond the call of duty to help others. He shared the story many times how the Lord guided his steps during the Vietnam War. We had many great times working together which included multi-day disaster recovery drills and going to ‘hamfests’ together. He was always concerned for his family and our nation. He was confident in his Creator’s promises of life eternal and he trusted in them. He will be sorely missed.”

Hartley began his Clemson career on May 2, 2016, totaling nearly nine years of service with the University.

Dwight Hartley’s obituary is available online. The family will receive friends from 12-1:45 p.m. on Friday, April 11, at Gray Mortuary in Pelzer, with the funeral service following at 2 p.m. in the mortuary chapel.

Clemson University mourns the death of Dale Morris, adjunct faculty teaching in the Master of Resilient Urban Design program at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston.

“Dale Morris will be deeply missed for his significant impact on resiliency thinking and how Charleston could live with water for a sustainable future,” said Bradford Watson, director of the Clemson Architecture Center Charleston and Master of Resilient Urban Design program. “His enthusiasm and passion for climate resiliency was inspiring, and we at the Clemson Design Center greatly benefited from his generosity of time and support for our students and programs. We will continue to see the impact of his knowledge and efforts through the planning implemented with the city and the future work of students that he inspired.”

“We were very fortunate to know and work with Dale Morris at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston,” said David Pastre, director of the Clemson Design Center Charleston. “Dale was always available to join classes and reviews when asked as the city of Charleston’s Chief Resilience Officer and we were thrilled when he joined the faculty this year. His unique ability to inspire our community, and our students was rooted in his genuine love of the Lowcountry and concern for its future. He will be greatly missed.”

Morris began his Clemson career on January 1, 2025. Morris, the former chief resilience officer for the city of Charleston from 2021-24, enjoyed an extensive career in policy and design working with low-lying urban areas combat flooding and manage water more effectively. A Post & Courier article about Morris is available for free with registration as well.

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.

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.