Orvin Lee Shiflett, 68, of Greensboro, N.C., died on May 27, 2016, after a five-month battle with small cell lung cancer.

He was born on Aug. 1, 1947, in Melbourne, Fla., the son of James Winfield Shiflett and Elsie May Davis, now both deceased.

He grew up in Malabar, Fla., and was a 1965 graduate of Melbourne High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education from the University of Florida in 1969, a Master of Library Service from Rutgers University in 1971, and was awarded a doctorate in Library Science from Florida State University in 1979.

Dr. Shiflett launched his professional career at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse as an Acquisitions Librarian and later Coordinator of Library Technical Services.

After receiving his PhD, he began his work in library education as an Assistant Professor at the Louisiana State University School of Library and Information Science.

He was awarded the rank of Professor in 1994 and retired from LSU as Professor Emeritus in 2001. He then moved on to UNC Greensboro where he served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Library and Information Studies until 2009 when he returned to fulltime teaching.

In 2014, he became Interim Chair of the department and was serving in that capacity when he became ill.

He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Mary Ellen Hebert Shiflett; his two children, Christopher Benton Landry, married to Valerie Gover, and Lauryn Landry Schenker, wife of Christopher Kurt Schenker; and his grandchildren, Khalen Brooks Landry, Bianca Morgan Gover, Brooklyn Kate Schenker, and Christian James Schenker. He has one sister, Judy Millar, of Palm Bay, Florida, and two nephews, Stephen Millar and Michael John Millar.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 4 at 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greensboro. The family will receive friends after the service.

Hanes-Lineberry North Elm Chapel is assisting the family.

Memorial gifts may be made to the UNCG Library and Information Studies Alumni Endowment, which was established to honor Dr. Shiflett upon his retirement from the university.

Contributions should be mailed to LIS Alumni Endowment in honor of Orvin Lee Shiflett, University Advancement, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402.