Dr. C. Fitzhugh Spragins [Click to enlarge]

Dr. C. Fitzhugh Spragins, 69, a longtime leader in education, church and civic affairs in Batesville, died Thursday, March 10, 2005, at White River Medical Center in Batesville after a brief illness.

He was born Sept. 4, 1935, in Pine Bluff, the son of John D. Spragins and Mary Fitzhugh Spragins.

Dr. Spragins was a 1957 graduate of Arkansas College, now Lyon College, who eventually became a professor of religion at Lyon and served for 30 years before retirement in 1995. He was then appointed professor emeritus of religion.

After graduating from Lyon, Fitzhugh Spragins earned a master of divinity degree at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia and a Ph.D. at Aberdeen University in Scotland. He also did post-doctoral work at Yale University. He served in the U.S. Army from 1958-60.

He became one of the college's first endowed professors when he was appointed the Josephine Emily Brown Professor of Religion, the title he held upon retirement.

He was an ordained Presbyterian minister and was actively involved in First Presbyterian Church in Batesville. He served as moderator of the East Arkansas Presbytery in 1993 and was a commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. in 1992.

He was a member of the Independence County Historical Society, Batesville Preservation Association, the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature.

He was preceded in death by his parents and infant brother.

He is survived by his wife, Hope Elder Spragins of Batesville; stepson, Clint Parton of Jonesboro; daughters, Stacey Spragins Rhoades of Hardy and Melissa Spragins Qualls of Batesville; stepdaughter, Kelly Purtee of Jonesboro; brothers, John D. Spragins of South Carolina and Joel F. Spragins of North Carolina; sister, Mary Maxfield Kuykendall of Tucson, Arizona; grandchildren, Laura Purtee, Rachel Purtee, Mallory Parton, Clara Rhoades, Tressie Rhoades, April Ann Qualls, Hanna Qualls and Jill Qualls.

Memorial services were held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 13, 2005, in Brown Chapel at Lyon College in Batesville; in addition, graveside services were held at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 14, 2005, at Oaklawn Cemetery in Batesville under the direction of Roller-Crouch Funeral Home of Batesville.

Roller-Crouch Funeral Home of Batesville was in charge of the arrangements.

Memorials may be made to Lyon College Flute Choir or Lyon College Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 2317, Batesville, AR 72503; Old Independence Regional Museum, P.O. Box 4506, Batesville, AR 72503

Online guestbook may be signed at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/batesville