Paul C. McLeod Jr.

Paul C. McLeod, Jr. of Sheridan, Arkansas was born October 12, 1933 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the son of the late Paul C. McLeod, Sr. and Betty Deal McLeod. He was a member of First Southern Baptist Church, and a member and past president of the AAME (Arkansas Association of Mechanical Engineers), Texas Woodcarver Guild, Grant County Library Board, GLPGA President and the Hardees Coffee Club. Paul died at Sunday, October 30, 2016 at Arkansas Hospice in Hot Springs at the age of 83. Paul's lifelong career in education began in 1954 as a research lab assistant at the U of A Fayetteville, earning his BSME in 1958. He moved that year with other engineers and scientists to Little Rock to open the Graduate Institute of Technology in the university's old medical center building at MacArthur Park. There Paul earned his MS in 1967 while teaching graduate courses in GIT's Dept. of Electronics and Instrumentation. He spent the next two years in industry at Corning Glass, returning to GIT in 1969 as Assistant Professor. Countless graduate students, classes, publications, patents, and grant awards in biomedical research were the hallmarks of McLeod's distinguished teaching career. Paul retired as Associate Professor in 1998. He was an accomplished wood carver, wood worker, webmaster and musician and had multiple patented inventions. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his former wife, Jo Ann Drake McLeod and his sister, Betty Jo Rankin. Survivors: wife and best friend of 26 years, Betty McLeod of Sheridan; sons, Scott McLeod (Becky) of Madisonville, La., Michael McLeod (Ida) of Austin, Texas, Tommy Drake (Susan) of Fort Worth, Texas, David Workman (Buffy) of Sheridan, Chris Workman of Magnolia; step-mother, Stella McLeod of Hot Springs; grandchildren, Sean McLeod, Meghan Drake, Kevin McLeod, Thomas Drake, Chord Cantrell, Tyler Cantrell, Alicia Workman and Laura Workman. A Memorial Service will be 2 p.m. Thursday, November 3, 2016 at Memorial Gardens Funeral Home Chapel with Chris Workman and Feral West officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Grant County Library, 210 North Oak, Sheridan, Arkansas 72150. Arrangements by Memorial Gardens Funeral Home of Sheridan (870) 942-1306. www.memorialgardenssheridan.com.