Lubbock and West Texas lost trailblazers, heroes and others who touched the lives of many across the area and beyond in 2024.
Here are some of the stories the Avalanche-Journal shared about people who passed on last year but were remembered for their lasting impact.
Former Texas Tech football coach Steve Sloan
Steve Sloan, the youthful coach who led the Texas Tech football program to a 10-win season in 1976 and jolted the Red Raiders a year later by returning to his Southeastern Conference roots, died April 14 in Orlando, Florida, where he had lived in retirement.
Steve Sloan, who coached Texas Tech to a 10-2 season in 1976, died Sunday at age 79. Sloan is pictured on the cover of the 1975 Tech football media guide when he was starting the first of his three seasons with the Red Raiders.
More: Steve Sloan, coach of Texas Tech football’s 10-win team of 1976, dies at 79
According to an obituary written by former Alabama sports information director Wayne Atcheson, Sloan had been in memory care the past three months and died at Orlando Health Phillips Hospital. He was 79.
Sloan’s 1976 Tech team won its first eight games and was ranked No. 5 before a loss to Houston. The Red Raiders lost to Nebraska 27-24 in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, finishing 10-2 and No. 13 in The Associated Press final poll.
On Dec. 1, 1977, with the Red Raiders still to play Florida State in a bowl game, Ole Miss hired Sloan to his third head-coaching job in five years. At the local press conference arranged by Tech, Sloan choked up to the point publicist Ralph Carpenter read Sloan’s prepared statement.
Sloan, an Austin native, grew up in Tennessee. He was the starting quarterback and Orange Bowl MVP on Alabama’s 1965 national championship team.
Radio personality Amy O
Amy O
Longtime Lubbock radio personality Amy Garza was 44 when she died April 20 after a motorcycle accident in San Antonio.
She was most recently known as Amy O to fans of Lubbock’s hip-hop station KBTE, 104.9 The Beat. Investigators at the time said they believe she was a passenger on a motorcycle being operated by an intoxicated driver.
More: DJ Amy O remembered by coworkers for having ‘electric’ personality, dedicated work ethic
Though gone from the airwaves, her legacy and memory still live on with those who worked with her over the past decade and a half, friend and colleagues told the Avalanche-Journal in the weeks after her passing.
“She could always just put a smile on people’s faces and in their hearts,” Damon Scott, content director for AlphaMedia, said in an A-J story in May.
Over the past 15 years, Garza’s voice became synonymous with the Lubbock community through her presence at events around the Hub City.
While Garza’s main job was to be on air, she also worked as an account rep for the media outlet and was praised for her constant professional and endearing attitude.
Former Texas Tech college dean Linda Hoover
Dr. Linda Hoover, a former longtime dean of Texas Tech’s College of Health and Human Sciences, died May 12. She was 72.
The Temple, Texas native has strong family ties to Texas Tech, where she came to study nutrition in the College of Home Economics.
After teaching in nutrition at TCU, Hoover returned to Lubbock in 1990 where she was on faculty for 30 years, and Dean of Human Sciences for 19, according to her obituary. She was praised as a great source of inspiration for many and worked closely with her colleagues to create and grow new programs within the college.
West Texas music icon, promoter Don Caldwell
Don, left, and Terri Caldwell perform in this undated photo.
Friends of Don Caldwell remembered the longtime Lubbock musician, producer and civic icon for his lasting impact on music and entertainment in the Hub City and beyond after he died May 24 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
He was 79.
More: Lubbock musician, producer and civic icon Don Caldwell dies
Caldwell was a catalyst in the Lubbock entertainment and music scene, said Leslie Cranford, a former Lubbock radio disc jockey and current media specialist who worked with Caldwell as a member of the 4th on Broadway steering committee that he oversaw in his role as President and CEO of Broadway Festivals Inc.
The founder of the Caldwell Entertainment talent promotion group that he ran with his wife and their family, Don Caldwell helped identify and cultivate up-and-coming musical stars and spearheaded events like Lubbock’s 4th on Broadway Independence Day festival, along with past events like Lights On Broadway, The Buddy Holly Music Festival, and Lubbock Centennial Celebrations. He was named by the Avalanche-Journal as one of Lubbock’s 100 most influential people during the city’s centennial in 2008.
Lubbock city councilwoman Carolyn Jordan
Carolyn Jordan, the first woman to serve on the Lubbock City Council, died June 6.
She was 88.
More: Carolyn Jordan, first woman on Lubbock City Council, dies at 88
Jordan made Lubbock history on May 2, 1972 when she defeated her male opponent Harvie M. Pruitt in a city council runoff election. She received about 52 percent of the vote to become the city’s first councilwoman. In total, 28,764 voters turned out for that 1972 runoff.
According to Avalanche-Journal archives, Jordan was sworn in the next day at a simple but well-attended ceremony, during which a supporter placed a sign on the dais designating her “The First Lady.” She served until 1980.
Jordan’s successful campaign centered on opposing an electric rate hike that had already been passed on the first reading by the previous council, the A-J reported at the time.
The City of Lubbock offered condolences in a statement after her passing, acknowledging Jordan’s groundbreaking achievements.
“She shattered the glass ceiling of our local government when she became the first woman City Councilmember in 1972,” the statement reads. “This groundbreaking achievement paved the way for future generations of women leaders, and Carolyn’s contributions can still be felt today and will continue to shape our city for years to come.”
Slaton police officer, teacher Dave Smith
Dave Smith
The Slaton Independent School District and community mourned the loss of one of its police officers, Dave Smith, following an accident June 26.
In a social media post, the district offered its condolences to the family of Officer Smith, who served in the Slaton ISD Police Department and taught principles of law at Slaton High School.
More: Slaton ISD mourns police officer, teacher Dave Smith
“We are thankful for his service to Slaton ISD. Please join us in offering our condolences and praying for his family, friends, and our district,” the post reads. “Rest in peace, Mr. Smith.”
The district released a statement saying Smith had been with SISD for seven years, serving as a police officer and classroom teacher, teaching law enforcement.
“We are thankful for the time spent with not only this hardworking police officer and teacher, but an amazing man,” the statement reads.
Former Texas Tech President Robert Lawless
Former Texas Tech President Robert Lawless, who led a decades-long career in academia before serving as Tech’s 11th president and later President of the University of Tulsa, died Aug. 10 at age 87.
Robert Lawless served as the President of Texas Tech and Texas Tech Health Sciences Center from 1989-1996. He died on Aug. 10, 2024 at the age of 87.
Lawless, a Texas native who served as Tech’s president from 1989 to 1996 following a career in academia and time as Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines, was praised for leading Tech through a time of change and advancement.
Lawless, who earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the University of Houston and a Ph.D in industrial engineering (Operations Research) from Texas A&M University, had an academic career spanning 32 years.
More: Robert Lawless, who led as president at Texas Tech and Tulsa, dies at 87
During his career, Lawless served as a faculty member at A&M and Houston. He also served as an executive vice president and COO of Southwest Airlines until 1989, when he was selected to serve as the 11th president of Tech and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
During his seven-year tenure as president, Lawless oversaw growth in the school’s endowment from $40 million to $150 million. Enrollment numbers held steady at around 24,000 students at Texas Tech, with a drop in undergraduate enrollments but an increase in graduate and law students.
Near the end of his tenure at Tech, Lawless oversaw the establishment of the International Cultural Center.
Justice of the Peace Jim Hansen
Lubbock County Justice of the Peace Jim Hansen was remembered for his dedicated service to the county after the longtime judge died Nov. 30 following a battle with cancer. He was 69.
More: Lubbock County Justice of the Peace Jim Hansen dies, remembered for decades of service
Betty Dills, a longtime civil chief for the precinct, had been serving as the temporary justice of the peace since Nov. 18 when the county announced Hansen would be away from the bench. At the time, Hansen recommended Dills to take over the court while he was away. In December, County Commissioners appointed her to serve through the remainder of Hansen’s term through the end of 2026.
Hansen was first elected as the Justice of the Peace for Lubbock County’s Precinct 1 in 1990 and was among the longest serving elected officials in Lubbock County history.
Hansen was a lifelong West Texan and a proud Red Raider, graduating from Texas Tech in 1978, according to his biography on the Lubbock County website.
Jim Hansen
Before taking office, Hansen worked as an award-winning television reporter in Lubbock for 13 years. In 1990, several community leaders asked the Hansen to run for Justice of the Peace, and Hansen was elected to the bench.
During his tenure, Hansen handled close to 200,000 cases, including civil, criminal, evictions, inquests and a variety of ancillary and adjunct matters required of the office.
Former Lubbock fire chief Don Stevens
Don Stevens, the fifth Fire Chief of Lubbock Fire Rescue, died Dec. 4. He was 86.
Stevens, a native of Dimmitt, joined Lubbock Fire Rescue as Fire Chief in August of 1986 and retired in May of 1996.
He was a 1956 graduate of Springlake-Earth High School. After graduating, he enlisted in the Army and served six months at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri before separating from the Army reserve as a sergeant in 1966.
Prior to leading Lubbock Fire Rescue, Stevens was the Deputy Chief of the Training Division at Dallas Fire-Rescue, where he served for 26 years.
Plainview firefighter Samantha Alwan
Samantha LaDale Alwan, a Plainview firefighter, Lubbock medical worker and mother of two, died after a traffic accident involving a wrong-way driver Dec. 15 just north of Lubbock. She was 29.
Alwan, who also worked as a lab tech at Covenant Children’s, graduated from the Wolfforth Fire Academy in September 2023 and joined the Plainview Fire Department as a cadet shortly afterward. She was promoted to probationary firefighter in March and was working on her advanced EMT license.
Born in Lubbock, Alwan grew up in Dumas. Her father a police chief and her mother a 911 dispatcher, she said she always felt drawn to life as a first responder, the A-J reported after her funeral.
More: ‘She ignited hope’: Family, colleagues remember late Plainview firefighter Sammie Alwan
“The fire side of first responders always intrigued me more — the trucks, the adrenaline, the bond you make with the public,” Alwan told the Plainview Herald in an October story.
As one of only two women in the Plainview Fire Department, Alwan knew she could face some challenges in a male-dominated field, but she met those challenges with grit and confidence.
Plainview Fire Chief Bobby Gipson said Alwan made a marked impact on PFD and the Plainview community despite her short time with the department.
“From that very first day, she exemplified what it meant to serve with honor,” Gipson said. “She didn’t just extinguish fires; she ignited hope in those that she helped. She didn’t merely respond to emergencies; she brought calm amidst chaos and reassurance to the most vulnerable people in their most vulnerable moments.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Remembering those who Lubbock, West Texas lost in 2024
