- 30 -

Obituaries published in the November 2022 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

MIKE BROWN
ROCKDALE – Mike Brown, who retired two years ago after a 46-year career with The Rockdale Reporter, died Sept. 27. He was 72.
A native of Alvin, Brown's family moved to Rockdale in 1952. He graduated from Rockdale High School in 1968 and went to the University of Texas, where he graduated in in 1972 with dual degrees in Early Western Civilization and English.
He started with The Rockdale Reporter part time, helping cover the Rockdale Centennial in 1974. He was soon hired full-time and advanced through the years from reporter to news editor and then editor, according Reporter Publisher Emeritus Bill Cooke.
He was known as "the man behind the camera capturing your child’s most memorable school sports moments. He was always a happy hello and an extra fifteen minutes spent chatting – no matter where he was or what he was in the middle of," according to his stepdaughter Kayla Wieczorek Offield. 
He was also known for his deep knowledge of Milam County history and the people of Rockdale.
An award-winning writer and devoted local historian, he spent his entire career with the same newspaper, but his writing was also published in other publications over the years. He won many Texas Press Association and South Texas Press Association awards for his personal writing as well as for coverage he directed as editor.
A subscriber to the National Review since his college days when he saw William F. Buckley speak at UT, Brown has had several letters and other items published in the Review. Not long before he retired, Brown and the Rockdale Reporter were subjects of a major feature in the magazine, heralded for their roles in community journalism.
He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Sue Brown, a son, two stepdaughters and three grandchildren.
Memorial service was held Oct. 15 at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home in Rockdale. 
Memorials may be made to Milam Touch of Love, P.O. Box 543, Cameron, Texas 76520 or The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

SANDRA STAPLES CHRISTIAN
PARIS – Sandra Staples Christian, 88, a community leader and former women's editor of the Paris News, died Aug. 25 at her home.
A native of Paris, she married fellow Paris Junior College student Jerry Reece Spruell in 1953. They had two daughters.
She was widowed in 1967 and raised her daughters in Paris, working full-time as the Women’s Editor of The Paris News. She earned national recognition for her work covering society new and news for women. She also taught history.
She was a frequent guest speaker for numerous service clubs for men, women and students. She also served in leadership roles with many organizations such as the Business & Professional Women’s Club, Lamar County Historical Society, BSP-Xi Beta Omicron, BSP-ETA Delta, BSP-Zeta Mu Chapters, the Heritage Garden Club, Crepe Myrtle for Paris, Paris Council of Garden Clubs, Texas Garden Club, Texas Press Women, East Paris Aiken Elementary and Crockett Jr. High School Volunteer Clubs. She was a Girl Scout troop leader and a member of the Paris and Lamar County Jaycee-Ettes. She was also involved with the United Fund, March of Dimes, Cancer Crusade, Heart Fund, Easter Seal Foundation, ‘Dolls for Darlings’, Lamar County Chapter of Commerce ‘Operation Sparkle’ Planning Committee, Texas Salvation Army, Lamar County 4-H Club, PHS Alumni, and Paris and Lamar County Young Women’s Christian Association.
For generations her family has been active in the First United Methodist Church of Paris, where they all held numerous volunteer positions and sponsored activities.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter and two great grandchildren. She is survived by her eldest daughter, five grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and other relatives.
Memorial services were held Oct. 9 at the First United Methodist Church of Paris.

GROVER HUDEAN SMITH
CORPUS CHRISTI – Grover Hudean (Dean) Smith, 79, of Kingsville, died Sept. 26 in Corpus Christi.
Smith was a contributing photographer for the Frio-Nueces Current newspaper and a former Dilley ISD English teacher. Smith was responsible for school, sports and community news photography for many years at the Current and earned recognition for his photojournalism throughout a long career, beginning with his coverage of the civil rights movement in Alabama in the 1960s.
Smith had his work published in Southern Living magazine over many years and served as photojournalist for the Orlando Sentinel, the Montgomery Advertiser Journal and the Beaumont Enterprise. In his final years, Smith contributed to the Kingsville Record.
Smith’s contributions to the Current for more than two decades garnered recognition from newspapers across the region. In 2021 he was invited to speak on his career and offer advice on photojournalism to the South Texas Press Association at its annual convention in Uvalde.
He and his wife Virginia moved to Dilley in the late 1980s and worked for more than 25 years at the high school, where he served as head of the English department and also taught English at the college level through Southwest Texas Junior College. Virginia served as district librarian and high school art teacher. Upon retirement from the school district, he continued college instruction through Coastal Bend College and in the Texas A&M University System.
In later years they enjoyed traveling, showing horses and working with animals on their farm.
He is preceded in death by his wife Virginia (Jenny) Spicer Smith. He is survived by two daughters, two granddaughters, a great granddaughter and other relatives.
Funeral services will be announced at a later date.