Dr. Michael D. Raper

Dr. Michael D. Raper, 56, of Carrollton, Georgia passed away Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at Atlanta Medical Center. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia the son of Mrs. Ruth Yancey Raper and the late Mr. Willard Raper. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Mableton. Dr. Raper received his B.S. in Textiles from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1972. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity while at Georgia Tech. He later went on to earn his MBA and Ph.D. in Economics from Georgia State University. His area of specialty in research was urban and regional economics. He has been a Professor of Economics at the University of West Georgia since 1984. He was a member of the National Association of Business Economists. He was considered to be the foremost expert on the economy of the West Georgia area authoring numerous studies on the region. He also received many awards for his service to the university and for his teaching ability. He especially loved teaching the Business Statistics Course. He was known for his keen sense of humor and for the individual attention he devoted to his students. He is survived by his mother, Ruth Yancey Raper of Mableton; 4 aunts and several cousins also survive. Funeral Services will be conducted Saturday, July 23, 2005 at 4:00 PM at the Douglas Chapel of Jones-Wynn Funeral Home with Dr. Marion H. Beaver officiating. Interment will follow at Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Paulding County. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday, July 23, 2005 from 2:00 PM until the funeral hour. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Michael D. Raper Scholarship Fund at the University of West Georgia. Please mail donations payable to The University of West Georgia Foundation, Alumni House, 1601 Maple Street, Carrollton, Georgia 30118. Messages of condolences to the family may be sent to www.jones-wynn.com. Jones-Wynn Funeral Home, Douglas Chapel is in charge of arrangements.