Obituaries
Dorothy Martin Pearce ’25, of West Linn, Ore.; Feb. 1, 1999. She was active in community service and local politics in southern California until her mid-eighties. She is survived by two daughters, including Nancy Holden, 1428 Burns St., West Linn 97068.
Rose Whelan Sedgewick ’25, ’29 Ph.D.,of Dunedin, Fla. June 7, after a heart attack. She was a retired assistant professor of applied mathematics at the University of Maryland. The first person to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from Brown, she had also been an assistant professor of mathematics at the universities of Connecticut, Hartford, and Rochester. She was a member of the Mathematics Association of America and the American Mathematical Society and was a life master of the American Contract Bridge League of Clearwater, Fla. Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. She is survived by two sons, Robert ’68, ’70 Sc.M., 139 Broadmead Rd., Princeton, N.J. 08540, and John ’62, 223 Eighth St., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003; and two daughters.
Ralph J. Hardy ’28, of Nashua, N.H.; Sept. 22, 1997. He worked for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts until retiring in 1969. A selectman in the town of Hollis, N.H., for twelve years, he was treasurer for six years and was honored in 1989 for his contributions to the town. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 to 1945. He previously worked for the Coca-Cola Co. in Providence and the Boston stock-brokerage firm of Whitney & Elwell. A member of the Appala- chian Mountain Club and the National Ski Patrol, he also enjoyed fly-fishing. By age 69 he had climbed all of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot mountains. Delta Kappa Epsilon. He is survived by his son, Thomas, 869 Main St., Norwell, Mass. 02061.
Mary T. Whelan ’29, of Dunedin, Fla.; April 20. She was a retired high-school teacher in Hackensack, N.J., and Baltimore. She was once named Teacher of the Year by the Theobald Smith Society of New Jersey. She is survived by six nephews and nieces, including Robert Sedgewick ’68, ’70 Sc.M.,139 Broadmead Rd., Princeton, N.J. 08540; and John Sedgewick ’62, 223 Eighth St., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003.
Walter A. Hagenau ’31, of Clearwater, Fla.; April 22. He was an engineer at BIF Industries in Rhode Island, retiring in 1976. A longtime volunteer with the Boy Scouts, he also organized senior citizens’ bowling leagues in Johnston, R.I. He is survived by two sons, Walter Paul Hagenau ’59, P.O. Box 2245, Lutz, Fla. 33548; and Steven ’73.
William H. Midgley ’31, of New Bedford, Mass.; Sept. 10, 1999. He was a retired teacher. Survivors include a cousin, Irving Cooper, 651 Forest Ave., Paramus, N.J. 07652.
Willard V. Thompson ’31, of Vulcan, Mich.; May 25. A physician and lawyer, he was associate director of graduate education at the American Medical Association (AMA), retiring in 1972. He was previously on the faculty at the University of South Dakota. After receiving his medical degree in 1944, he entered the U.S. Navy medical corps and served in the Philippines. During the Korean War, he served at a navy hospital in Oakland, Calif. He is survived by two nieces.
Forrest C. Pearson ’32, of La Jolla, Calif.; Jan. 23, 1999.
David H. Scott ’32, of Kennebunk, Maine; March 31. A retired freelance writer and editor, he was also a book-publishing executive at Harper Brothers and McGraw-Hill Book Co. in New York City from 1934 to 1966. He was previously vice president of Collins Communications International, assistant to the president at Lockwood-Greene Engineering, and an English instructor at the Horace Mann School in New York City. He was a former trustee at the Chappaqua (N.Y.) Public Library. At Brown, he was class president from 1942 to 1947. A U.S. Navy lieutenant during World War II, he is survived by a daughter, Judith Scott Korman, 7 Main St., #107, Delhi, N.Y. 13753.
Warren J. Smith Jr. ’32, of Greenwich, Conn., and Vero Beach, Fla.; March 20. He was an advertising executive at the Chicago and New York City offices of Tribune Co. for nearly forty years. A U.S. Naval officer, he served in the Atlantic and Pacific during World War II. He continued his service in the Naval Reserve for twenty-five more years, rising to the rank of captain. He is survived by a son, Warren "Jay" Smith III, 54 Valleywood Rd., Cos Cob, Conn. 06807.
Henry D. Burrage ’33, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine; June 10, 1999. He owned H.D. Burrage Co., an audiovisual equipment business, for many years. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he was a captain in the 15th Air Force in Foggia, Italy. He enjoyed spending time with neighborhood children. He is survived by his wife, Leone, 82 McKenney Pt., Cape Elizabeth 04107.
Frances Brown Light ’33, of Rye Brook, N.Y.; April 11. She and her late husband owned and operated the Lighthouse Bookstore in Rye, N.Y. She was a member of Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church, the Women’s Club, United Hospital Twigs, and the Rye Community Concerts. She was a direct descendant of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. She is survived by two sons, William, 1875 Sunset Blvd., San Diego, Calif. 92103, and John, 4715 S.W. Charlestown St., #205, Seattle 98116; and a niece, Ruth Anne Hutchinson Barker ’67.
Bertha F. Hill ’35 A.M., of Cranston, R.I.; Feb. 12, 1998. She was an English teacher at Cranston High School for forty years, retiring in 1971. A member of the Meshanticut Park Community Baptist Church, she is survived by a son, Thomas, 166 Meshanticut Valley Pkwy., Cranston 02920.
Lucian Drury ’36, of Ormond Beach, Fla.; Oct. 22, 1999. He worked in financial management for General Electric from 1936 until his retirement in 1976. A member of the Brown Alumni Association for most of his adult life, he served as president of the northeastern New York chapter. He was a board member and treasurer of his church in Schenectady, N.Y. He also served in such volunteer organizations as the United Fund. Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Chi. He is survived by his wife, Muriel C. Thacker Drury, 327 Hamlet Hills Dr., Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022; a son, David ’62; and a daughter.
Jeanette Spindle Connary ’37, of Plymouth, N.H.; Feb. 18. She was a homemaker for twenty-five years, later working as an accountant for a Plymouth business. She was a member of the Plymouth Congregational Church, for which she organized many charity programs. She is survived by three sons, including Gregg, 8389 Elaine Dr., Boynton Beach, Fla. 33437, and Stephen ’65.
Frank Fletcher ’37, ’39 A.M., of Amesbury, Mass.; April 9. He taught humanities and modern literature at Cornell, the University of Michigan, and Boston University until he retired in 1978. He was an editor of the Merriam Webster Dictionary for five years and wrote several carols as well as librettos for the operas Young Goodman Brown and The Five Dollar Opera. An amateur writer, he wrote mostly light verse and short stories. He was an advocate for the open waterfront in Newburyport, Mass., and sang in the Newburyport Choral Society. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, 2 Lonvale Ln. #34, Amesbury 01913; and three sons.
Vincent L. Benton ’38, of Vero Beach, Fla.; Jan. 16. He was a retired sales manager.
Frank P. Bibas ’38, of Bonita Springs, Fla.; Oct. 16, 1997. He was a writer, producer, and director who won the 1962 Oscar for best documentary. He was a U.S. Army Air Corps captain during World War II, piloting 107 missions and receiving five air medals, seven battle stars, and a presidential citation.
Thomas R. Serpa ’38, of Boca Raton, Fla.; Feb. 6. He retired as president of Sterling Drug International, based in New York City, after forty-one years with the company. He began his career with Sterling in Latin America. He is survived by his wife, Jean, 350 S. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton 33432; and two daughters.
Marguerite Coogan Dalton ’39, of Falls Church, Va.; May 22, of respiratory failure. She was chief health planner for the Washington, D.C., Department of Human Services, coordinating the city’s hospitals, mental-health facilities, and emergency agencies. Mayor Marion Barry awarded her a certificate of special merit when she retired in 1979. She was previously personnel officer for the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She served as a member of the Fairfax County (Va.) Planning Commission when the zonings of Dulles International Airport and the planned community of Reston were approved. She was elected president of the Northern Virginia League of Women Voters in 1949. During World War II she was a civilian personnel specialist for the U.S. Navy at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. At Brown, she served as a violinist in the orchestra and captain of the archery team. Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. She is survived by her husband, Terry; a son, Robert, 5709 Little Falls Rd., Arlington, Va., 22209; and a sister, Edna Coogan Snow ’43.
Henry G. "Dutch" Phelps ’39, of Greenbush, Mass.; Jan. 29. He was a retired sales engineer. He previously owned Phelps Engineering Services. On May 10, 1945, he was stationed in the Pacific on the U.S. aircraft carrier Bunker Hill when it came under fierce Japanese attack. On each subsequent May 10, Phelps would declare: "I’ve lived longer than I should have." From his kitchen windows, he enjoyed watching the sun rise over the ocean and set over the North River. Survivors include his wife, Elisabeth More-Phelps, Box 146, Greenbush 02040.
Philip Sacknoff ’39, of Fall River, Mass.; May 1. He owned the former Oakgrove Pharmacy and United X-Ray. A member of the board of directors of the University of Massachusetts, he had served as director of Providence Bank, Fairhaven Bank, and the Bank of Boston’s southeastern division. He was a member of Temple Beth-El, Adas Israel Synagogue, the Fall River Jewish Home, and the Narragansett-Massasoit Lodge of Masons. In 1984, BMC Durfee High School gave him its alumni award. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was a member of the Jewish War Veterans. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn, P.O. Box 2107, Fall River 02722; a son, Richard ’76 M.D.; and two daughters.
J. Byron Crosman ’40, of Arlington, Va.; March 15. He was a retired special representative of the C.I.A. He was a U.S. Army Air Corps captain in the Pacific during World War II. Delta Upsilon. He is survived by his wife, Leila, 3906 N. Woodstock St., Arlington 22207; a daughter; and a son.
George W. Poland Jr. ’40 A.M., of Raleigh, N.C.; April 28. He retired as head of the department of modern languages at North Carolina State University. He won several honors, including the Bellini Award, the Weddell Fellowship, and the Roosevelt Fellowship. A former member of the faculty senate at North Carolina State, he spoke out in favor of allowing more foreign students into the university. He was a past president of the Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Symphony Society and the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild. He served as civil attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid during 1940 and 1941 and was in the intelligence service of the U.S. Navy for four years. An instructor in Spanish and Italian while an undergraduate, he also taught Spanish at Brown. He is survived by a brother, Robert, 5610 Vantage Point Rd., Columbia, Md. 21044; and a sister.
Kathryn Bertram Sandager ’40, of Westport, Mass.; Jan. 8. She was a homemaker. She enjoyed reading, gardening, and bird watching. She is survived by two daughters, including Judith Neville, 477 Spring St., N. Dighton, Mass. 02764.
George P. Sawyer ’40, of Natick, Mass.; May 30. He was a retired assistant vice president at Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, 3 Leland Rd., Natick 01760; three sons; and two daughters.
William H. Briggs Jr. ’42, of Puyallup, Wash.; May 28. He was the retired president of Dreher Advertising in New York City. An avid fisherman, he was a member of the Ira A. Beck Masonic Lodge and the High Cedars Golf Club. Delta Upsilon. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Richardson Briggs ’44, Weatherly N, 6016 N. Highlands Pkwy., Tacoma, Wash. 90406; a son; and two daughters.
Francis R. Guyott ’42, of Palm Beach, Fla.; Dec. 7. He was CEO of Tri-Mount International of Boston, a paving company that specialized in airport roads. He had also been owner of the Guyott Co. of New Haven, Conn., which sold bituminous products and oil to homes, and was a two-term town moderator in Milford, Conn. A tennis player, he ranked first in the seventy-and-over age category for two years. He was a member of the Civic Association of Palm Beach, St. Edward’s Finance Committee, the DeToqueville Society of Palm Beach, and the Fellowship of Christians and Jews. He was also a member of New Haven’s Beach Club, Country Club, Quinnipiac Club, and Lawn Club. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Mulloy Guyott, 4 La Costa Way, Palm Beach 33480; a daughter; and a son.
Josephine Sheehan Raymond ’42, of New York City and East Hampton, N.Y.; Feb. 4, of a ruptured brain aneurysm. She was a full-time volunteer with charitable and cultural groups for the past forty years. An honorary lifetime trustee of Guild Hall, she served on its board of trustees for more than thirty years, becoming chair in 1991. As chair of the John Drew drama committee at Guild Hall in 1963, she was credited with bringing some of its most successful programs to the stage. She was also a trustee and board secretary for the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution, for which she organized trips for art enthusiasts. She served on the boards (in many cases as president) of the Legal Aid Society’s civil support division, the Children of Bellevue Hospital, the James Welden Johnson Community Center, the Time-Life Alumni Society, the Spence School Parents Association, and the Cosmopolitan Club, where she established a tap-dance program in the 1980s. She was also on the host committee of the 1976 New York City Democratic National Convention. In the 1950s, after serving as assistant chief of research at Life magazine, she worked on special projects and publications at Time-Life. She was previously an executive trainee at Macy’s. She is survived by her husband, Dana Merriam Raymond, 14 E. 90th St., New York City 10128; two sons; and a daughter.
Bernard G. Ziobrowski ’42, of Queensbury, N.Y.; Feb. 5. He was a retired research chemist at Ciba-Geigy. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he served as a pharmacist’s mate. He is survived by his wife, Marcia Philbrick Ziobrowski, 13 Bullard Ave., Queensbury 12804; two sons, including Stephen ’79; and three daughters.
Paul Eberhart ’43 Ph.D., of Boulder, Colo.; Feb. 18. He was a professor emeritus of mathematics at Washburn University. He previously taught at Brown and the University of Kansas. Survivors include a daughter, Jean Dubofsky, 1000 Rose Hill Dr., Boulder 80302; a son, Allan ’66; and a grandson, Matthew Dubofsky ’00.
Salvatore P. Gemmellaro ’43, of Essex, Mass.; Dec. 3. A staff physician at Beverly (Mass.) Hospital for many years, he also worked in the emergency rooms of Salem, Malden, and Addison Gilbert hospitals and was involved in developing emergency-room services in the area. He was a member of the Brown Alumni Association, the American Medical Association, and the Emergency Room Physicians Association. He was a past member of the Knights of Columbus and a past president and lifetime member of the Kiwanis Club of Beverly, the National Italian American Foundation, and the Cigar Smokers of America. An avid golfer and antiques collector, he also enjoyed playing cards. He was a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II. He is survived by four daughters, including Paula Polvika, 26 Story St., Essex 01929.
Walter R. McKee ’43, of San Diego, Calif., and Mesa, Ariz.; March 15. He was a retired superintendent of agencies at Jefferson National Life Insurance Co. He enjoyed traveling, playing tennis, and silversmithing, as well as fishing with his grandchildren. After World War II he was a flight instructor for the U.S. Marine Corps. During the war he flew thirty combat missions with the First Marine Air Wing dive-bomber squadron known as the Wild Hares. He is survived by his wife, Betty, 1526 Leisure World, Mesa 85206; and two daughters.
Ralph S. Washburn Jr. ’43, of West Dennis, Mass.; July 28, 1999, of cancer. He was a retired vice president of sales at Cliff Compton Inc., where he had worked for more than thirty years. A pilot in the Naval Air Flying Corps, he flew a Liberator in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Theta Delta Chi. He is survived by his wife, Martha Thompson Washburn, 25 Thornton Way #311, Brunswick, Maine 04011; and two daughters, including Virginia Hopcroft ’69.
Arline Kotite Bateman ’44, of Tucson, Ariz.; April 26, of lung cancer. She was the first female editor of the Brown Daily Herald. Active for many years in Seniors’ Achievement and Growth Through Education and the Tucson Press Club, she was a writer and performer for the press club’s Gridiron Show. She traveled to five continents. In the 1980s she edited a magazine for the Southern Arizona Home Builders’ Association. She previously worked for Nordensson Lynn Advertising and at the city desk of the Tucson Citizen. She coined the name of the Tucson band Jazzberry Jam. Phi Beta Kappa. She is survived by a daughter, Doris Anthony Bastiampillai ’80, 6501 E. Santa Aurelia, Tucson 85715; a son, Ryan Anthony ’79; a stepson; and a stepdaughter.
Charles G. Carpenter ’44, of Oconomowoc, Wis.; Feb. 8, 1996. He was a lawyer at Fox, Carpenter, O’Neill & Shannon. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he served in the Pacific and earned two battle stars. Psi Upsilon. He is survived by his wife, Margarethe, 34821 Valley Rd., Oconomowoc 53066; three daughters; and two sons.
William N. Ross ’44, of Livermore, Calif.; April 7, of heart failure. He was a manager of many defense- and energy-related projects at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory until his retirement in 1984. Also a laboratory engineer, he previously worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Columbia Steel. A volunteer with the California Nature Conservancy in San Francisco, he also enjoyed working on his family’s genealogy. With his wife he traveled frequently to their ancestral homelands in Scotland. He was a U.S. Army Air Corps lieutenant during World War II. Sigma Chi. He is survived by his wife, Marie, 4262 Drake Way, Livermore 94550; a daughter; and two sons.
Mildred Munro Underwood ’44, of Tucson, Ariz.; March 7, of cancer. She was a retired secretary at the University of Arizona College of Nursing. She was a member of the Munro Clan U.S.A. and the Seven Pipers Scottish Society of Tucson. An avid reader, she enjoyed traveling with family and friends, especially to England, Scotland, Ireland, Alaska, and Hawaii. She is survived by two daughters, including Carol, 3851 W. Red Wing St., Tucson 85741; and two sons.
Beverly Bolotow Foss ’46, of Narragansett, R.I., and Palm Beach, Fla.; March 7. She was a fund-raiser, activist, and volunteer for the League of Women Voters, Providence’s Miriam Hospital, and Brown. A former publicity chair for the Jewish Federation, she was a member of the Brandeis University women’s committee in Florida, the Old Port Yacht Club in North Palm Beach, and the Narrow River Preservation Association in Rhode Island. Early in her career, she wrote and produced two radio programs at former Providence station WDEM, and worked in New York City for cartoonist Al Capp. She is survived by two daughters, including Beth Wolfe, 6211 Kennedy Dr., Chevy Chase, Md. 20815; and a son.
Joseph F. Dolinski Jr. ’47, of Lavallette, N.J.; April 6, of lymphoma. He retired as a manager of AT&T in Morristown, N.J., in 1985, after more than thirty-seven years with the company. He started his career as an engineer at Western Electric. A member of St. Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church and its Holy Name Society, he was a lector and eucharistic minister. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus Third Degree Seaside Council 8415. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was a first lieutenant. He is survived by his wife, Gerry, 104 New Brunswick Ave., Lavallette 08735; a son; and six daughters.
Norma F. Borthwick ’48, of New York City; February 1, of cancer. She had been with the United Nations Development Programme for thirty-two years, serving in New York City, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and the Gambia until she retired as assistant resident representative sixteen years ago. A memorial service attended by family and friends was held at the U.N. Chapel on Feb. 11. She is survived by a sister, Joan Cummings, Port St. Lucie, Fla. 34952.
Robert T. Ross ’47, of Huntington Valley, Pa.; June 10, 1997. Survivors include his wife, Lillian, 2950 Sycamore Rd., Huntington Valley 19006; and a nephew, Jeremy ’74.
Theodore A. Hirt ’49, of Warren, Ohio; Feb. 1, of heart failure. He was director of research and development at Thomas Steel, retiring in 1983. Known for his knowledge of strip-steel technology and applications, he acquired several patents and was a consultant to various companies after his retirement. He was former president of the Trumbull County chapter of the American Society of Metals. He was also a treasurer and founding member of the National Packard Museum, at which his two Packard automobiles were displayed. A lecturer and trustee of the Trumbull County Historical Society, he was a member of the Warren Genealogy Society, the National Railway Historical Association, Sons of the American Revolution, and the First Families of Ohio. He was a Warren city councilman in the 1970s and was past president of both the Gidding Republican Club and the Warren Library Association. A sixth-generation member of Warren First Presbyterian Church, he served as church historian, deacon, elder, and trustee, as well as president of the endowment fund. He belonged to many groups, including the Trumbull County Country Club and the Warren Elks Lodge 295. He was a 32nd degree Mason. He is survived by his wife, Thelma, 609 Perkins Dr., N.W., Warren 44483; a daughter; and a nephew, Ted ’72.
Clifford J. Parisi ’49, of Troy, Mich.; March 5, 1999, following heart surgery. He worked for the former Royal Metal Corp., retiring in the early 1960s. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was injured three times. He is survived by his wife, Florence, 3060 Glouchester Rd., Troy 48084; two daughters; and a son.
Flora Grillo Parisi ’49, of Norwood, Mass.; April 9, 1996. She was a teacher and tutor in French, Spanish, Latin, and English. She also had a master of education in guidance counseling and was a Spanish interpreter at a Boston teaching hospital. She is survived by her husband, Andrew, 35 Orleans Rd., Norwood 02062; a daughter; and two sons.
James Whittle Jr. ’49, of Wakefield, R.I.; April 9. He was a construction manager for Hallinall Associates in East Providence, retiring in 1984. He previously worked for Stone & Webster Engineering Corp., where he was a senior construction engineer and on-site contracts administrator when the company built a nuclear power plant in Waterford, Conn. He had also worked for the former Grinnell Corp. in Providence. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he served as an aerographer’s mate. He was a member of the American Legion, the Pawtucket (R.I.) Elks Lodge 920, and the South County Hospital Corp. A founder of the Pineview Little League in Pawtucket, he was a former committee member of the Boy Scouts of America in the Darlington section of Pawtucket. Sigma Nu. He is survived by his wife, Susan, 131 Kenyon Ave., Wakefield 02879; a son; a daughter; a stepson; and two stepdaughters.
Harold E. Batley Jr. ’50, of Sharon, Pa.; Oct. 22, 1999. He was sales manager of the steel conduit division of what is now AK Steel, retiring in 1990 after more than fifty years in the steel industry. A member of the First Presbyterian Church in Sharon and the Century Club of Pymatuning, he was also past president of Toastmasters International in Lakewood, Ohio, and a former member of the Sharon Country Club. He enjoyed sailing, fishing, golf, and antiques and was active at the Valley View Antique Mall. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he is survived by his wife, Marcia, 1313 Ashton Rd., Sharon 16146.
William F. Littlejohn Jr. ’50, of West Lebanon, Maine; May 19, of complications following a stroke. He was director of security for the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare until his retirement in 1980. He was previously an international-security specialist at the Voice of America. He began his career as a special investigator for the U.S. Information Agency. A U.S. Army veteran who served in the Pacific during World War II, he was past commander of American Legion Post 270 in McLean, Va., where he had been a longtime resident. He was a member of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Bethesda, Md. He is survived by his former wife, Barbara, 642 Shapleigh Rd., West Lebanon 04027; three sons; and three daughters.
Richard W. Nason ’50, of Providence; May 4; of emphysema. He was a poet, literary critic, and journalist. His book-length poem, A Modern Dunciad, published in 1978 and acclaimed as an underground classic, attacked the modern literary establishment, especially New York poets. More recently, he published two volumes of verse and criticism about the Roman poet Horace and had started a third volume. He previously worked for forty years in New York City as a movie reviewer for the New York Times and a reporter for the television-news section of United Press International. He was also a freelance medical writer, a contributor to Pulp Smith and the Generalist, and the author of a serial novel, The Soforth Saga. At Brown he was class poet. A U.S. Army Air Corps officer during World War II, he served from 1943 to 1946 as a navigator for the Air Transport Command. He is survived by a sister, Rosalie Fairman, 132 Marine Dr., Narragansett, R.I. 02882; a brother, Robert ’46; a daughter; and his former wife.
Roswell Park III ’50, of Lyons, N.Y., and Sodus Bay, N.Y.; Feb. 10, of complications from cancer. He was a retired food-industry executive who established several companies. When he retired as chief executive officer of Park Packaging in 1993, he and his wife established a marine-supply business, Lake County Boat Docks. A deacon and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Lyons, he was on the interchurch council. He served as a Seabee in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Zaida, P.O. Box 70, Lyons 14489; three sons; and a daughter.
Ralph J. Wirtz ’50, of Andover, Mass.; June 11, 1999. He was a retired engineer of AT&T Bell Laboratories. A member of St. Augustine Church, he was also a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, 31 Morton St., Andover 01810; and three sons.
Henry R. Hahn ’51, of New York City; June 16. He was a retired employee of Cosentini Associates in New York City. He designed specialty lighting for many New York bridges, including the George Washington Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge for its 100th-year commemoration. A member of the Illuminating Engineers Society, he previously worked for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War, attaining the rank of lieutenant. He is survived by three daughters and three sons.
Sefton Stallard ’51, of New Vernon, N.J.; Sept. 14, 1999. A certified mortgage banker, he was a retired general partner of North American Venture Capital Funds. He was previously president and chief executive officer of Jersey Mortgage Co., for which he worked for more than thirty-two years. Under his guidance, the company became the largest independent mortgage-banking firm in the state. He was also board chairman of Hamilton Investment Trust and partner in the private development of several office buildings in the Morristown, N.J., area. He began his career as a real-estate finance executive with T.J. Bettes in Houston. A former president of the New Jersey Mortgage Bankers Association and its education foundation, he was active in the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. He was also finance-committee chair of the Union Council of the Boy Scouts. At age 45, he became the youngest member of the board of directors of First National State Bank. He was also board chairman and treasurer of the Elizabeth General Medical Center, as well as trustee and finance-committee chair of Morristown Memorial Hospital. He served in Korea with the 8th Field Artillery Battalion of the 25th Infantry Division. A member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown for forty-four years, he was a former member of its vestry. He is survived by his wife, Ann Wesson, P.O. Box 281, New Vernon 07976; a daughter; and a son.
Margaret LaPointe Steiger ’51, of Longmeadow, Mass.; April 17. A teacher certified in Connecticut and Massachusetts, she tutored the learning-disabled at Wilbraham-Monson Academy from 1977 to 1985 and in Wilbraham (Mass.) public schools from 1970 to 1976. She was president of the Junior League of Springfield, Mass., and a former board member of the YMCA, the Children’s Study Home, the Northern Education Service, the Adult Education Forum, Meadow Group Homes, Genesis II, the United Fund budget committee, the Springfield Day Nursery, the Center for Human Development, and Chestnut Knoll, all in Springfield. She also volunteered at the Baystate Medical Center and the Willie Ross School for the Deaf, and provided pet therapy at the Ring Nursing Homes. She was a member of the Longmeadow Country Club, the Blandford Club, and First Church of Christ. She is survived by her husband, Philip C. Steiger Jr. ’50, 34 Deepwood Dr., Longmeadow 01106; three sons; and a daughter.
Paul R. Jennings ’52, of Hingham, Mass.; March 27, 1998. He owned and operated Northeast Technical Sales in Boston. He was also a partner of Stearns, Perry and Smith of Boston, a draftsman for Boston Gear Works, and a sales representative for Northeast Technical. A life member of the Squantum Yacht Club, he was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, 15 Windsor Dr., Hingham 02043; two sons; and a daughter.
Mary B. Sheehan ’52 A.M., of Belmont, Mass., May 3, 1998. She was a teacher at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School until she retired in 1994 after forty years. She was active in the League of Women Voters and enjoyed studying archaeology. She is survived by her brother, Charles, 14 Preston Dr., Barrington, R.I. 02806.
Louis J. Sayegh ’53, of Cumberland, R.I.; June 11. Although stricken with multiple sclerosis at an early age, he received a bachelor’s in chemistry from Brown and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Princeton, where he was also a Harvard Fellow on the faculty. Unable to work in his profession due to illness, he was a private tutor at his home. He is survived by two brothers, including Lawrence, 1 Sunset Ave., Cumberland 02864; and two sisters.
Alonzo F. Tredwell ’53, of Marblehead, Mass.; April 28, 1996. He owned Regional Publishing and Advertising Corp.
Carl J. Wust ’53 Sc.M., of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; March 31, 1999. He was a microbiology professor at the University of Tennessee. He was previously a biochemist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a postdoctoral fellow at Yale.
George E. Hotton ’55, of Marietta, Ga.; March 8, after a two-year battle with cancer. He was an associate broker at Buckhead Brokers. He was previously a sales associate at Coldwell Banker, a senior-level consultant at William M. Mercer Inc., and former president of Hotton and Associates. He was former president and board chairman of the American Compensation Association. Delta Tau Delta. He is survived by his wife, Peg Speer Hotton ’57, 3917 Ardsley Dr., Marietta 30067; a daughter; and a son.
A. Barbara Cummings Pilon ’55, of Concord, Mass.; Feb. 20, of complications from kidney failure. She was a professor emeritus of English at Worcester State College, from which she retired in 1994 after twenty-two years. She taught poetry and language arts for the gifted at the University of Connecticut Confratute summer sessions for more than fifteen years. A director and secretary of the National Association for Gifted Children, she also established and directed a gifted-child center at Worcester State. She was previously an elementary teacher and reading consultant in Warwick and Johnston, R.I., for many years. She served for two years as a professor of reading at Indiana University—Purdue University. An author and lecturer, at the time of her death she was marketing manuscripts on poetry and wordplay. She is survived by her husband, Albert, 266 Old Pickard Rd., Concord 01742.
Edward B. "Ted" Latulippe ’56, of Johnstown, Pa.; Feb. 16, of a heart attack. An electrical engineer, he was a retired foreman in the powerhouse of Bethlehem Steel Corp. A member of the East Hills Recreation Commission, he was active in Boy Scouts and had been a Little League coach. An avid sports fan and billiards player, he also enjoyed working with electrical equipment. At Brown, he was the 1955 straight-rail and three-rail billiards champion. He is survived by his wife, Helen, 215 Freeman Dr., Johnstown 15904; a son, Steven ’87; and a daughter.
Robert T. Stevenson Jr. ’57, of Peoria Heights, Ill.; April 28, 1999, in a small-plane crash. He was regional president of First of America Bank. He is survived by three children, Kathleen, Rob, and Jamie, 4849 Grandview Dr., Peoria Heights 61614.
Gilbert P. Cohen ’58, of Cranston, R.I.; March 23. He owned G.P. Cohen Realty Inc. from 1978 until he retired in 1995. He previously owned Excel Distributors. A member of Temple Sinai, he served on its board in 1986. He was also on the board of the former Temple Beth Israel and was a former vice president of Temple Torat Yisrael’s men’s club. He was scoutmaster of Troop 20 at Temple Emanu-El and was a past chairman of its scouting committee. A member of the Rhode Island Builders Association, he was a former member and director of the commercial investment division of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. He was also a Mason with the Redwood Lodge No. 35 of Rhode Island. He is survived by his wife, Lois, 455 Meshanticut Valley Pkwy., #314, Cranston 02920; and two sons.
Paul E. Prindle ’58, of Boston; April 9, after a long illness. A publisher, he was also an activist in the revitalization of Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. He was vice chairman and past president of Jones and Bartlett Publishers. An active member of the American Association of Publishers, he was previously group executive at International Thomson. Before that, he cofounded the firm of Prindle, Weber & Schmidt, which was later acquired by Wadsworth Publishing. He also owned the Stephen Greene Press for several years. He began his career as a college-textbook salesman at Allyn and Bacon. In Boston’s Back Bay, he initiated annual neighborhood alley cleanups, lobbied to improve pedestrian lighting, and helped create the Clarendon Street Playground. He also helped implement building-height limitations to preserve the residential scale of the neighborhood. A board member of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, he played a key role in defeating a proposal to build five high-rise towers next to Boston’s Public Garden. He also worked on local political campaigns and helped establish the Learning Project Elementary School. An active member of Boston’s University Club, he coached youth hockey and Little League, and held season tickets for the Boston Red Sox and Celtics. A craftsman, he built a family home in Vermont, model boats, and a wine cellar. He served in the U.S. Army for several years. He is survived by his wife, Susan Dwight Prindle, 140 Marlborough St., Boston 02116; a son; and a daughter.
Michael L. Gershman ’61, of Westport, Conn.; Jan. 4. He owned Sports Extra. He is survived by his wife, Suzy, 177 Compo Rd. South, Westport 06880; and a son.
Bruce Clayton Hackett ’61, of New York City; March 10, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). He was a managing director of Wasserstein Perella, an investment bank. He previously worked for thirty years at Salomon Brothers, most recently as a managing director and a member of the management board. He had also worked for Citibank and the Bank of New York. He is survived by his wife, Joann; a son; and two daughters.
David G. Waterman ’60, of Lincolnville, Maine; Sept. 15, 1999. He had cancer and a rare liver disease. He worked at Brown and Sharpe Manufacturing Co. in Rhode Island for more than twenty years, serving as supervisor of training, manufacturing manager, and director of industrial relations. He was a junior achievement leader and belonged to several professional organizations. With his wife he owned and helped run the Islesboro Inn until 1991. He enjoyed sailing, skiing, farming, and gardening. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, P.O. Box 208, Lincolnville 04849; his mother, Rachel; and two daughters.
Mary Anna Campbell Bloch ’63, of Silver Spring, Md.; Feb. 23, of complications following a kidney transplant. She was a former public-school librarian and a member of Heart of Maryland, a women’s barbershop singing group. She had also been an editor at the Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation. A member of the National Presbyterian Church, she is survived by her husband, Peter, 14221 Burning Bush Ln., Silver Spring 20906; and a son.
Terence E. Base ’64 Sc.M., of London, Ontario; Feb. 20, of complications after cancer surgery. He was a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Western Ontario from 1970 until this year. He was an alpine skier, a cyclist, a camper, and an accomplished ballroom dancer. At Brown he was a member of the rugby team. He is survived by his wife, Irene, of London, Ontario; two sons; and a daughter.
William L. Thorson ’66, of Oakland, Calif.; June 28, 1995. He was a physician in general practice.
Robert A. Thorley ’71, of Walpole, Mass.; June 16. He was director of materials management at Bayer Diagnostics in Walpole. A retired U.S. Navy lieutenant, he served as an assistant baseball coach at the U.S. Naval Academy. He was a member of the Foxboro (Mass.) Country Club and coached youth soccer, basketball, and softball in Walpole. At Brown, he played football and baseball, earning All-Ivy and Eastern Intercollegiate honors as a pitcher. He was inducted into the Brown Hall of Fame in 1976. He is survived by his wife, Pamela, 16 Mulberry Ln., S. Walpole 02071; three daughters, including Sarah ’03; a brother, Francis ’57; and a sister, Sylvia Thorley Blakeley ’58.
Shimon-Craig A. Van Collie ’72, of Berkeley, Calif.; Feb. 28, of cancer. He was a writer, sailor, and accomplished dancer. He adopted the name Shimon after a trip to Israel in 1975. He published four books on sailing, tennis, and banking, and also wrote more than 700 articles on subjects ranging from sailing to finance to interracial relationships. In 1972 he placed fifth at the U.S. Olympic trials for sailing and in 1980 he became the only person to windsurf out to, around, and back from the Farallon Islands (about fifty miles off the California coast); he was raising money to ease world hunger. He was named "king of carnival" and grand marshal of the 1998 Solano Stroll in Oakland, Calif. Survivors include his parents, Ruth and H.A. Van Collie, 14 Comstock Ln., Wilton, Conn. 06897; and a son.
Patti M. Stein ’73, of River Vale, N.J.; Dec. 25, 1998, of complications from colon cancer. She was a lawyer. She is survived by a neice, Catherine Simpson Bueker ’00 A.M.
Roger M. Hulley ’78, of New Paltz, N.Y.; Aug. 11, 1997. He was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City.
Christian Benno von Toll ’88, of Belen, N.Mex.; Feb. 13, 1996. He was information-systems manager at Opencourt Publishing in Chicago. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; and his parents, George and Mary Radcliffe.
Earl Bethel ’94, of Henderson, Nev.; March 17, of complications from diabetes. An electric-guitar and bass player, he recently joined the Blue Man Group, with whom he performed at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas on March 1. He is survived by his mother, Bonnie Price Taylor, 29 Clark Rd., Kingston, N.H. 03848; his father, John E. Bethel, 43 Epping Rd., Exeter, N.H. 03833; his grandmother; and a sister.
FACULTY
John J. Coughlin, of Warwick, R.I.; April 18, of cancer. He was a clinical associate professor of medicine. An obstetrician and gynecologist, he delivered an estimated 10,000 babies during his thirty-nine-year career. He was also a noted advocate for the poor. He worked in private practice with Partners in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He also practiced at Rhode Island Hospital, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, St. Joseph Health Services, and Women & Infants Hospital, where he taught medical residents. He was a member of many professional organizations, including the American Medical Association and the Rhode Island Medical Society. He treated patients in Providence’s community health clinics at a time when few doctors in private practice did such work. To honor his service to the poor, he received the Community Service Award from the Providence Medical Society in 1991 and the Medical Staff Award from Women & Infants in 1999. Last year, Rhode Island governor Lincoln Almond proclaimed Jan. 5 as John J. Coughlin M.D. Day. Coughlin was a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, president of the Providence Medical Society from 1986 to 1987, and past president of the medical staff at St. Joseph Hospital. An active member of the John "Duffy" Dwyer Scholarship Fund Committee, he was also a fan of Providence College basketball and a commissioner in the Friar Front Court Club. He was a sponsor of Mount Pleasant Girls Softball and a lifetime communicant of St. Pius V Parish. He served in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps from 1967 to 1969, rising to the rank of commander and serving a tour of duty in Cuba. He is survived by his wife, Patricia L. Brown-Coughlin; a son; three daughters; two stepsons; and a stepdaughter.
