Est. March 31, 2000 40,038 Previous Hits May 26, 2003 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly , Joy Rubins Morris, Cherri Polly Massey, Paula Spencer Kephart, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran, Collins (CE) Wynn Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
Fulton Hamilton, Educator and Coach, Remembered Fondly 05/21/03 By MIKE MARSHALL Times Staff Writer mmarshal@htimes.com The death of Fulton Hamilton on Sunday marks the loss of the last survivor among the top education administrators in Huntsville during its most explosive period of growth. Hamilton was the principal at Lee High School from 1962-71, when the school was transformed from a middle school to the city's third high school. He also had been an original faculty member of Butler High School, the city's second high school, which opened in 1951 on Governors Drive. After his funeral this morning at First Presbyterian Church, where he was a member for 55 years, he was buried at Maple Hill Cemetery. He was 81. Hamilton was the first head football coach at Butler, largely a consolidation of mill village kids from Joe Bradley, West Huntsville and Rison schools. In its second season of football, Butler advanced to the state championship game against Bessemer, the state's perennial power in the early '50s. Glenn Nunley, then a sophomore, was Hamilton's star quarterback on that state runner-up squad. Nunley, later the head football coach at Lee and Madison Academy, remembers one of Hamilton's pre-game rituals: driving the Butler quarterbacks to Goldsmith-Schiffman Field in Hamilton's Studebaker while the rest of the team rode in buses. In the front seat were Hamilton and Grady Reeves, the Rebels' play- by-play announcer on WBHP-AM. Nunley and the reserve quarterbacks rode in the back seat. "He was very low key and real nice," Nunley said. "He knew other people had feelings, too." Nunley and former Lee basketball coach Jerry Dugan were among a group of former Butler students who spent part of Tuesday morning reminiscing about Hamilton. Over breakfast at Mullins Drive-In, one of the city's chief centers of nostalgia, the group recalled Hamilton's sensitivity in a profession known for spicy language. An exception was Hamilton's speech before a game against Decatur. One of the members of the group at Mullins, Jerry Campbell, a former Butler lineman nicknamed "Moose," told Dugan and the others that among Hamilton's parting words were: "All right, let's give 'em hell." The Butler players were shocked. "You'd never hear a cuss word out of him," Dugan said. "He was tough, but he did it the right way." After the 1953 season, said Nunley, Hamilton left coaching to enter the insurance business. By the late 1950s, he had returned to coaching at Butler. His record and reputation were such that in 1991 he was in the second class inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame. "He was one of the nicest men I've ever met in my life," Dugan said. "If he had to get on you, he'd always apologize first." Nunley, Dugan and Keith Wilson were to be among Hamilton's pallbearers. Hamilton hired Wilson in the spring of 1964 to be Lee's second head football coach. Wilson came to Lee from Jones Valley High in Birmingham. Like Wilson, Hamilton was a native of Birmingham, where he graduated from Shades Cahaba High School, now known as Shades Valley High. In the 1960s, Hamilton was part of an influential group of local educators that included Butler Principal J. Homer Crim and Huntsville High Principal Allen Hyatt. In 1971, he left Lee for the Huntsville City Schools administrative office, where he became an assistant superintendent in charge of middle schools. Before retiring in 1982, Hamilton hired Wilson to be the assistant principal of Whitesburg Middle School and the principal of Westlawn Middle. "He's one of the most important people in my life," Wilson said. "He was a smart person, but also gentle and easygoing. He was very fair." Hamilton is survived by Lenora Elizabeth Carter Hamilton, his wife of 57 years; sons, Fulton Sherwood Hamilton of Huntsville and Huey Carter Hamilton of Madison; a daughter, Layne Hamilton McDougal of Birmingham; and nine grandchildren. ______________________________________________ |
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Est. March 31, 2000 40,038 Previous Hits May 26, 2003 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly , Joy Rubins Morris, Cherri Polly Massey, Paula Spencer Kephart, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran, Collins (CE) Wynn Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
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Last Week's Mystery Building Bob Alverson Class of '65 I believe the correct name for the place was "Wimpy's Hamburgers and Billiards." I remember some friend of mine and I would stand by the wall at the courthouse a night blowing bubbles and watching the reactions of the drunks who came out of Wimpy's. Seems kind of dumb now but was great fun them. ______________________________________ Wimpy's Grill ! says Don Blaise, Class of '64 _____________________________________ Butch Cryder Is this weeks mystery bldg The little Gem or Wimpys grill? ________________________________ Karen Tucker Oliver I believe that the building is Wimpy's Grill(?). I remember as a child my grandparents taking me to eat "the best hamburgers in town" there. It was a long counter with stools and a billard/pool hall in the back, but I was not allowed to watch them play pool. We did not move back to Huntsville until I was ready to start high school and some summers I was able to visit my grandparents who lived in Fayetteville. This was one of their favorite places to eat when they came to the big city of Huntsville every Saturday. At that time you could sit on the square and see everyone you knew, or so my daddy always said. ____________________________________ Andrea Gray Roberson Class of '66 I did not know this building but I talked with a friend and she said her father told her it might be Wimpy's Pool Hall. He told her he went to a place around the square and played pool but could not remember for sure how the building looked. ____________________________________ Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly Class of '64 I know the mystery photo for sure this week! That fellow is Wimpy, Popeye's hamburger-loving buddy. I was certain I knew the name of the place exactly, since I passed it so often, until you asked how many really knew the name! My guess is that this is the complete name: Wimpy's Bar and Grill. I wrote in one of my stories (I think it was the Courthouse story) that, when I was young, I thought Wimpy really lived inside the place. Truthfully, every time I passed the building I looked as deeply into it as possible -- probably still hoping to catch a glimpse of Wimpy! |
Sorry Classmates, its been a busy week and a lot has been going on so this week's issue might be a little shorter than normal. I was taking care of business and was not at work this week, so I was not able to spend my lunch hours putting together this issue of Lee's Traveller. Next week we should be back to normal. It's been a bad week for our Fami-Lee. Since Friday of last week I have lost my mother, Patricia Torzillo Stolz lost her father, Kenneth Martz lost a brother, and we all lost Mr. Hamilton, our former principal. So many of you have sent me e-mail condolences about my mom and I hate to even try to name all the names for fear that I will leave someone out. I do want each of you to know that I am truly touched by your concerns, and will try to answer your e-mails when I get a little more time. Thanks to all of you, you are my Fami-Lee for sure. For Pat and Kenneth, I am sorry to hear of your losses. I know you know how I feel. Perhaps next week we can get back to fun and some of the good memories. If I left out any letters or comments this week we'll catch up with them next week. T. Tommy _____________________________________ |
John W. Torzillo May 10, 1919 May 17, 2003 John W. "Jack" Torzillo, age 84, of Huntsville died Saturday. A native of Pennsyvania, he served in the Army during World War II and has lived the past 50 years in Huntsville. He was retired from the Army Missile Command. He is survived by his wife Marjorie Clark Torzillo; daughter- Patricia Stolz of Madison; son, John Torzillo of Anchorage, Alaska; sister, Virginia Catlin of Stroudsburg, Pa.; and 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Arrangements are being handled by Spry Funeral Home of Huntsville, where the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today. Funeral service will be at graveside, Valhalla Memory Gardens at 1 p.m. Tuesday with Bishop Richard Allegood officiating. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or Kidney Association. Published in The Huntsville Times on 5/19/2003 ________________________________________ |
Dolores R. Kleier Died May 16, 2003 Dolores Roden Kleier, 80, of Memphis, Tenn. formerly of Huntsville died Friday. She was a retired Dental Assistant. She was a member of St. Timothy Methodist Church, Ladies of the Moose, and VFW Ladies Auxillary. She was predeceased by her husband, Clozell E. Kleier. She is survived by a daughter, Kim Sharp of Cumming, Ga.; sons, Don Towery of Huntsville and Tommy Towery of Memphis, Tenn.; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday from Munford Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Memory Hill Gardens. Published in The Huntsville Times on 5/18/2003. _______________________________________ |
Leroy Martz July 2, 1944 May 17, 2003 Mr. Leroy Martz born July 2, 1944 in Mobile, died Saturday at the age of 58. Mr. Martz was a member of Moores Mill Church of Christ. Saturday, also marked his 35th wedding anniversary with his wife Anita. Survivors include his wife, Anita Martz; one son, Jason Martz of Huntsville; one grandson, Zachary Martz; two sisters, Sandra Swaim and Cynthia Rugart, both of Huntsville; and one brother, Kenneth Martz of Huntsville. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at the Chapel of Valhalla Funeral Home with burial following in Valhalla Memorial Gardens with Tommy Rosenblum officiating. Published in The Huntsville Times on 5/19/2003. ____________________________________ |
From Our Mailbox Subject: Lee alumni Jeanne Clutts Hill JHILL1119@aol.com Class of '66 I thought some of our former classmates might be interested in an upcoming event at our church, Jackson Way Baptist Church. I guess it is was the closest church to Lee High while we were all there and can remember when it burned down when known as Second Baptist Church. At any rate one of our classmates, Sammy Gilbreath, Class of '66, will be preaching there on Sunday June 1st at a Bikers Sunday. Sammy is a Harley rider and plans to preach in his leathers and we will have a motorcycle blessing following the service. Anyone is welcome but if you ride a motorcycle you are encouraged to ride it to church. Thanks for the continued great work. We all appreciate your efforts. _______________________________________ Subject: Address? Mike Husmann Bolivar, MO mhusmann@microcore.net Got an e-mail address for Mike Weisman? _________________________________ |
This Week's Mystery Building __________________________________ |
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