Delma Eugene Presley

Delma Eugene Presley, 86, died on January 8, 2026, at home with his family after a courageous journey with Parkinson's disease. He was Professor Emeritus of English and a former museum director at Georgia Southern University.

Delma, known locally as "Del," was a native of Tallulah Falls, Georgia. He spent most of his youth in Toccoa, Georgia, where he was active in church, school, and sports activities. He was the town's first Eagle Scout and attended the World Scout Jamboree in Ontario, Canada, in 1955. He was a 1957 graduate of Toccoa High School. During his senior high school and college years at Piedmont College and Mercer University, Del worked at radio station WNEG ("Wonderful Northeast Georgia" in Toccoa) in various roles, including as disc jockey. This experience equipped him with valuable communication skills that he utilized throughout his life.

After receiving the BA degree from Mercer University in 1961, Del married Beverly Bloodworth of Columbus, Georgia, also a Mercer graduate. In 1964, Del received a Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Del then focused on literature, religion, and history at Emory University's Institute of the Liberal Arts where he received the Ph.D. in 1969. Del and his growing family moved to Statesboro in 1969 where he began his career as an English professor. He was named Professor of the Year in 1980. Awarded a yearlong research fellowship by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1974, Del received an NEH grant to conduct research and plan public programs for residents of the Altamaha River Valley of Georgia. In 1986, Del was one of the recipients of the first Governor's Awards in the Humanities from Governor Joe Frank Harris.

From 1982 until his retirement in 1999, Dr. Presley organized and managed a teaching museum of natural and cultural history at Georgia Southern. Active in professional organizations, he was a founding member of the Bulloch County Historical Society and served as chairman of the Jack N. and Addie D. Averitt Foundation. He was author, co-author, and editor of books, essays, and documentaries. During his retirement, he wrote his university's history, The Southern Century. In 2013, he was inducted as a Legend of the Arts by the Averitt Center for the Arts in Statesboro. The Bulloch County Historical Society honored him as a Distinguished Fellow in 2015. Del was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Statesboro, where he served as an Elder, a choir member, and a Sunday school teacher.

Del was preceded in death by his parents, Willie Freeman Presley and Addie Franklin Presley; and by his younger brother, Anthony Freeman Presley.

Del is survived by his wife of 64 years, Beverly Bloodworth Presley; his son Jonathan Worth Presley; his daughter Susan Franklin Presley; and his son Edwin Brockman Presley (Traci), all of Statesboro. He is also survived by his brother Bob Presley (Susie) of Toccoa, Georgia; his sister-in-law Donna Patterson Presley of Clayton, Georgia; and his aunt, Margaret Ralston Franklin of Oxford, Georgia. Del is also survived by his grandchildren: Amy Peterson (Herbie), William Presley (Johnna), Brockman Presley (Kelsey), and Chandler Presley.

A graveside service was held at Eastside Cemetery on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 11:30 am. The service was officiated by the Rev. Lainie Jenkins.

Memorial contributions may be given to the First Presbyterian Church of Statesboro, the Georgia Southern University Museum or the Special Collections of the Library, c/o the Georgia Southern University Foundation, P.O. Box 8053 Statesboro, GA 30460.