Arkansans we lost in 2023
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It is a good time to recall those we have lost this year as Arkansans prepare to ring in 2024.
The list includes famous names from sports, the arts and politics, all of whom made a mark on our world.
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The names are listed by date of their passing:
? Author, attorney and historian Grif Stockley (b. 1944) died Jan. 5 in Virginia. He spent his early years in Mariana, before graduating from Rhodes College in Memphis in 1962. After being drafted into Vietnam, Stockley returned to Arkansas and graduated from UA Arkansas Law School, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
? Seven-term Arkansas Congressman Marion Berry (b. 1942) died May 19 in Little Rock after a long illness. The son of a delta rice farmer, his political career began as a city alderman in Gillett. A series of appointments followed by Governor-then-President Bill Clinton. In 1996 he ran for the House, ultimately serving seven terms before he chose not to run again. He retired to Gillett, carrying on the family farm business.
? Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Robin Wynne (b. 1953) died June 21. An Arkansan, he was born in Warren and raised in Fordyce. He returned to Fordyce to raise a family and be the city attorney after earning a bachelor’s from Harvard and a Juris Doctor from UA School of Law. He served in the state legislature, became a district judge in 2004, and won a seat in the court of appeals in 2010. He won the election for his Supreme Court seat in 2014 and then for his second term on the court in 2022 where he served at the time of his death.
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? Razorback football great and White Hall head coach Ryan Mallett (b. 1988) died June 27 by drowning in Florida. Born in Batesville, he had success as a high school quarterback before joining Michigan as a freshman. In his sophomore year, he became a Razorback and set several records that still stand, skipping senior year play to enter the NFL draft. After a seven-year NFL career, he was the head football coach at White Hall High School at the time of his passing.
? Political and community activist Robert “Say” McIntosh (b. 1943) died June 26. McIntosh was also known as the “Sweet Potatoe Pie King of Little Rock” for his restaurant’s infamous fare. He was active in community projects in his home city, including creating Little Rock’s Black Santa Claus to distribute toys to children in need, an event that continues to this day. McIntosh was also known for very vocal and very public political activism with an emphasis on civil rights. The Say McIntosh Foundation continues his legacy.
? Former Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels (b. 1939) died July 9 in Little Rock. Flags were ordered to half-staff after the passing of Daniels, one of the longest-serving government officials in Arkansas history. He was the Commissioner of State Lands beginning in 1984, a position he held for five four-year terms. In 2002, he was elected secretary of state, where he served for two terms, being elected state auditor in 2010.
? State Treasurer Mark Lowery (b. 1957) died July 26. Entering government service in 1994 as then Lt. Gov. Mike Huckabee’s chief of staff, he went on to represent the state’s 39th District in its House of Representatives for 10 years beginning in 2013. He then won the election for state treasurer in 2022, but announced he would retire in September 2023 due to health problems.
? Former Razorback basketball great Charles Balentine (b. 1963) died Aug. 2. He played for the Razorbacks from 1981 to 1985 after high-school success in Newport. A high point for the Razorbacks was his hitting a winning shot with four seconds left on the clock against the UNC Tarheels (with an up-and-coming player named Michael Jordan) in February 1984. His shot allowed a single-point victory for the Hogs. He was drafted into the Sacramento Kings in 1985.
? Former Razorback and NFL running back Alex Collins (b. 1994) died Aug. 14 after a motorcycle accident near his home in Florida. Collins was with the Razorbacks from 2013 to 2015, skipping his senior year to enter the 2016 NFL draft, where he was a fifth-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks. In 2017, he went to the Baltimore Ravens, returning to the Seahawks in 2020. In Jan. 2023 he signed with the Memphis Showboats, a United States Football League team.
? The live mascot handler for the UA Arkansas mascot Tusk, Keith Stokes (b. 1964), died Aug. 18. He was the agriculture project manager for Sen. Tom Cotton and a farmer but is remembered for his care of Tusk, the Razorback’s live mascot.
? Former Razorback basketball player Reggie Chaney (b. 1999) died Aug. 21. The Tulsa native played for Arkansas for two seasons, from 2018 to 2020, before playing for the University of Houston from 2020 until his 2023 graduation. Chaney was slated to play for Greece’s professional AE Psychiko team this year.
? Community leader the Rev. Hezekiah Stewart (b. 1942) died Sept. 20. A charitable activist, he formed the Watershed in 1978 with the Mt. Nebo African Methodist Episcopal Church, impacting lives throughout the region. The Little Rock-based Watershed continues to provide food, clothing, utility assistance, transportation and outreach to those in need. Stewart also led efforts to give out Thanksgiving meals and collect bicycles for children during Christmas.
? Hall of Fame baseball player Brooks Robinson (b. 1937) died Sept. 26. A Little Rock native, Robinson played for the entirety of his 23-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, including for the team’s 1970 World Series win. Robinson played in 18 All-Star Games, won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and earned the 1964 AL Most Valuable Player award after batting .318 with 28 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBIs. The third baseman was remembered for having a strong work ethic matched by a folksy manner.
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? Former North Little Rock mayor Patrick Henry Hays (b. 1947) died Oct. 4. Hays was mayor of North Little Rock from 1989 to 2013 and prior to that, a member of the Arkansas House from 1987 to 1989. A North Little Rock native, he received his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Arkansas. He continued to practice law in the city after leaving the mayor’s post. The Patrick H. Hays Senior Citizens Center on Pershing Boulevard is named after him.
? The former chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party and former Racing Commission Director Ron Oliver (b. 1946) died Oct. 11 at his North Little Rock home. Oliver served as the party chair from 2001-2005, then served 15 years as the director of the Arkansas Racing Commission. Party representatives said many in the state could trace their start in politics back to the Hampton, Arkansas, born Oliver’s generosity and his keen eye for talent.
? Longtime Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore (b. 1966) died Oct. 14. He had been city manager since 2002, and served in the role under three mayors. Sources state he was the longest-serving city manager in the history of Little Rock. The El Dorado native first began working for the city as an intern in 1994.
? Former Little Rock Mayor and Pulaski County Judge F.G. “Buddy” Villines (b. 1947) died Oct. 21. His start in politics was his election to the Little Rock Board in 1984. This led to vice-mayor of Little Rock in 1987 and 1988, then mayor from 1989 to 1990. He was elected Pulaski County Judge in 1991, where he served until his 2014 retirement. A graduate of Hendrix College and the UA Little Rock School of Law, he held a bronze star, awarded for his service in Vietnam.
? Arkansas Tobacco Control Board Director Greg Sled (b. 1964) died Dec. 17. He had been a member of the board since 1998, and director since 2020. He was a native of Crossett.
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KARK 4 / FOX 16 News had two losses of its own in 2023.
? Reporter Haven Hughes (b. 2000) died suddenly Jan. 16. A recent Henderson State graduate and Little Rock native, she was beginning her career in broadcast journalism.
? Producer Chris Scott (b. 1977) died Jan. 17. A Little Rock native and multi-Emmy Award-winning talent, his broadcast career began in 1999.
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