Duke electrical engineering Professor Emeritus John Leslie Artley, Ph.D., of Hot Springs passed away Thursday on his 84th birthday from the effects of a stroke suffered on June 12, 2007. He was born on September 27, 1923, in Rockwood, Mich., the son of Kenneth and Ruth Janney Artley.
He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 and studied for a year at the University of Michigan and was then sent to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis for a year where he received his commission in 1944. He then served nine months aboard the USS Maury combat destroyer as electrical officer and also served for 10 months aboard the USS Dennis J. Buckley combat destroyer as electrical officer and assistant engineer. Both tours of duty were in the Pacific.
He was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of ensign. He then resumed his studies at the University of Michigan and received a master's degree in electrical engineering in 1948. In 1955 he received his doctorate in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He then joined the faculty of Duke University and taught electrical engineering for 25 years.
One of his academic accomplishments was the publication in 1965 of a book entitled Fields and Configurations and, at the time of his retirement in 1980, he had helped obtain funding for the experiential learning lab. Until the time of his death, he lived on Hap Mountain in Madison County near Hot Springs.
Artley is survived by the mother of his children, Mildred Butt Artley of Waynesville; daughter Christine Artley Hutchinson; sons John Craig Artley, Brian Paul Artley and Stephen Alan Artley; two sisters, Edna Artley Howard and RuthAnne Artley Raulerson; and six grandchildren. John is also survived by Anne Whitefield, recently of Hot Springs and now of Asheville.
A private celebration of John's life will be held at a later date. He will be remembered by his family and friends as a humble genius who loved and protected our valuable environment. In lieu of flowers or donations, the family requests that you live your life by the Golden Rule as John Leslie Artley tried to do.