Obituary of Stuart Wilson Sechriest

STUART WILSON SECHRIEST 1914-2011 He has showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 Stuart Sechriest, former newspaper man, journalism teacher, and Army officer, passed away on October 13, 2011. He believed in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. He was born in Davidson County near Thomasville, North Carolina, February 5, 1914, the son of John Franklin and Carrie Fouts Sechriest. He was the last survivor in a family of nine brothers and sisters. He was graduated from the public schools in Davidson County and from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Forces in September 1942 while on the staff of the Greensboro News-Record. He was discharged from the Air Force in 1946. In 1948 he was commissioned in the Army Reserves and was assigned to General Lewis B. Hershey's staff as a Selective Service officer. He was assigned to the unit in Raleigh, where he became public information officer for the Selective Service in the state of North Carolina. He worked for the National Guard and Army Reserves until his retirement with the rank of colonel in 1974. After World War II, he was hired to teach journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill by the legendary O.J. (Skipper) Coffin. He taught news-editing and photography and served as a General College advisor. He brought wire services to the classroom so that students could get experience editing live copy. He also taught the first course in press photography at UNC-Chapel Hill. After teaching 32 years, he retired in 1977. He was widely known for his sense of humor and was much beloved by those who knew him. His students have gone on to excel at newspapers around the U.S., and many have entered the field of law. He was married for more than 50 years to the former Carolyn Frazier Tuck of Virgilina, Virginia. She died in August 2001. Both were communicants of the Episcopal Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill. Surviving are two daughters, Mary Pauline Sechriest of Chapel Hill, and Elizabeth Sechriest Cornella of Boone. Also surviving are his son-in-law, Dr. Rick Cornella and three grandchildren, Scott, Valerie and Kimberly Cornella of Boone. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, October 16, at 3 pm at the Chapel of the Cross, 304 East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. The family will receive at Walkers Funeral Home in Chapel Hill on Saturday, October 15 from 4 to 6 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the UNC-Chapel Hill Journalism Foundation, CB #3365, 117 Carroll Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC 27599-3365. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16