Sigma Chi - University of Mississippi

3 W hile attending Ole Miss, Chris Newcomb '89 did his best to take advan- tage of the opportunities presented to him. Once becoming a member of Sigma Chi, Chris realized his passion for interacting with others and how hard work can make a difference. "Being in Sigma Chi was a big deal," Chris says. "People looked up to you and the values you held as a member." Friendship, justice and learning—those are the values of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. As a mem- ber of Eta Chapter, Chris did his best to live out these beliefs. While Chris did not end up ob- taining a degree from the University of Missis- sippi, the friendships and lessons learned from his Sigma Chi days are the ones he holds most dearly and still uses today. "My father would say my degree was in Sigma Chi," Chris jokes. "What I remember most was the camaraderie with my brothers, sitting on the back porch, and especially Derby Days." When Chris' father decided he wanted to open up a restaurant in the Oxford area, Chris le Ole Miss early to join him. In the begin- ning, it was simply survival, but Chris wanted the restaurant to be a success. "My dad said I needed to get more se- rious. I learned from everyone in the industry. I did my research, read, and asked questions," Chris explains. Nearly 30 years later, the hard work Chris and his father put into their small deli in Oxford, Miss., is what we know now as McAlister's Deli. e restaurant grew to have over 100 locations and Chris and his dad were proud to see the growth that came from their once small-time business. e two sold McAlis- ter's in 2001 wanting to try something new. Aer working in the service and restaurant in- dustry for as long as Chris has, he's learned quite a few things. His passion for people started with his Sigma Chi experience and that continues to this day with his work. "I just enjoy working with peo- ple and helping my employees achieve life goals," he says. "I want to help make them successful." Chris describes himself as being in the people business, and from Sigma Chi, he's learned to be one of the best when it comes to that industry. As Chris' new restaurant concept, Newk's Eatery's, continued to grow, he never forgot the core prin- ciples from his time at Eta Chapter. "I learned from Sigma Chi how to interact and get along with everyone. e fraternity instilled good val- ues and a belief system that I still follow," he says. A small-town restaurant owner turned franchise owner isn't something that just happens over- night. Chris admits he doesn't know the secret to success, but what he does believe in is persever- ance and hard work. "Do what you love and you will be passionate about it," he says. While Chris may have taken a short hiatus from his involvement in Sigma Chi, he's still connect- ed with his pledge brothers and now has his son continuing the Sigma Chi legacy. Chris lives in Ridgeland, Miss., with this wife, Lori, and their three children, Madison, Blair, and Hayes '21, a freshman in Eta Chapter. He en- joys cooking for his family and traveling. He says the values of Sigma Chi are never far from him. "I have the Jordan Standard next to my phone right now!" CHRIS NEWCOMB '89, FOUNDER OF MCALISTER'S DELI AND NEWK'S EATERY'S, THANKFUL FOR SIGMA CHI Eta Chapter Provided Strong Values and People Skills (Continued on page 4) Chapter Eternal Raymond Brown '58 unexpectedly entered the Chapter Eternal in December while walking the trails of his property with his dog, Bebe. He was looking forward to being inducted into the inaugural class of the Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame. Raymond was already an inductee of the Ole Miss Law Alumni Hall of Fame. e law alumni chapter produced a full biography of his lifetime professional and other accomplishments for the induction in March 2017. Raymond lived in Gautier, Miss., and is survived by three children. Tom F. Kirkpatrick Jr. '87 entered the Chapter Eternal on December 10 at his residence in Brookhaven, Miss. He served in the United States Army as 1st Lt. and was a former member of the Mississippi National Guard Reserves. Tom spent most of his adult life in Jackson, Brookhaven, and Starkville. He had an undeniable love for his two daughters, Indie and Mallory, and a passion for Texas country music. He also leaves behind his father, Tom Kirkpatrick Sr., Gamma Upsilon '55, his sister, brother-in-law, and niece. Tom had many friends amongst his Sigma Chi brothers, spanning over a decade of classes at Eta Chapter. He is missed and mourned by many. All honor to his name! Alumni Updates Ralph Barber '51 shares that his late wife, Joyce, a Chi Omega from Clarksdale, was the Eta Chapter Sweetheart in 1951 and 1952. eir daughter, Anne, was a Chi Omega at William Woods College in Fulton, Mo., in 1973. Ralph is retired from two outstanding aerospace companies, Gen Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) in Ft. Worth, Texas, and McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Aircra) in St. Louis, where he was employed as substation manager and project engineer in design and development of military aircra. He makes his home in St. Louis, Mo. Arthur Lewis Jr. '54 retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1985. He served as a research physicist for the Civil Service until 1988 and retired as a research physicist from the University of Dayton Research Institute in 2001. He returned to Oxford, Miss., in January 2015, with his wife, Eloween. E-mail: eolabl@donet.com Rush Abbott Peace '57 was named Humanitarian Doctor of the Year by Central Georgia Medical Society in 2016. He is retired as a pediatric and special care dentist. He lives in Macon, Ga., with his wife, Julia. ey have two children, Rush Jr. and Catherine. E-mail: rushpeace456@aol.com Hon. Edward Butler Sr. '58 is a retired federal judge and lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, Robin. e two traveled to Spain in 2010 where they had an audience with King Felipe VI. During the encounter, Alumni News

• Cover