Ronald Stewart Alford

Ronald S. “Butch” Alford, 75, of Germantown, retired creative services director for The University of Memphis, departed this temporal life for life eternal on Saturday, September 10, 2016. Visitation will be held at Memphis Funeral Home on Poplar from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 14. A celebration of his life will be held Thursday, September 15 in the Sanctuary at Bellevue Baptist Church where he had been a devoted member since coming to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in January, 1984. Visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the service to follow at 12 noon.

Mr. Alford, the beloved husband of Kathy Cummings Alford, leaves a daughter Dana Kimberly Alford of Las Vegas, a son Sean Lewis (Hillary) Alford and a granddaughter, Hadley Alford of Southaven, MS. He also leaves a sister, Patricia A. (Dan) Yancey of Guy, AR, and a brother, Michael L. Alford of Wilton, CA, as well as nieces Dana Payne of Guy, AR, Deborah (Bart) Pickens of Conway, AR, Rachel (Scott) Davis of Lake Zurich, IL, nephew Jesse Alford of Sacramento, CA, and three lifelong friends, Brian (Jeanne) Bland of Santa Monica, CA, Dorothy Butts of Memphis, and Lenard Hackel also of Memphis. He was predeceased by his parents Lewis and Mary Lou Alford.

Mr. Alford, a 1959 graduate of Christian Brothers High School, earned B.S. and M.Ed. Degrees from U of M. He spent 37 years in Tennessee higher education public relations at the U of M, Shelby State Community college (now Southwest Tennessee Community college) and Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

He served his church in numerous ministries including guest services, nursery, benevolence, campus safety, car care and new member ministry. He was a former board member of the University of Memphis Journalism Alumni Association, the University of Memphis Association of Retirees, the MIFA editorial board, the Dixie Homes Boys & Girls Club board and was a member of the old Memphis Board of Review. He received the Herbert Lee Williams Outstanding Career Accomplishment Award from the U of M Journalism Alumni Chapter and the Chuck Branch Lifetime Achievement Award from the Memphis Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, both in 2003.

The family suggests that any memorials be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/donate. Please indicate that it is in memory of Ronald “Butch” Alford.