Class of 1940
Maxwell “Mac” Sturtz, who turned 100 on Jan. 24, marked this special milestone with a grand party attended by more than 60 close friends and relatives who came from far and wide to celebrate with him at Primavera Restaurant in Croton Falls, N.Y. In honor of his centennial, the Westchester County board of legislators declared January 24, 2019, “Maxwell Sturtz Day.” Mac also received a number of letters and accolades, including a certificate from Brown University and the Brown Alumni Association. Congratulatory letters and toasts were presented by his daughter, Laura Sturtz Kleinman ’77, and his son, Ted Sturtz ’80. Attilio Cecchin ’78, recruited by Mac and who has stayed in touch over these many years, made a presentation to Mac from the Brown Football Association in recognition of his successful efforts in the 1970s to draft players for Brown football, including Eliot Warner ’76, and Kevin Webb ’78, both of whom played on the 1976 Ivy League Championship Team.
From the May/June 2013 Issue
George T. Urban celebrated 65 years of marriage to his wife, Lenore, on Christmas Eve. The pair married in 1947 in Rochester, N.Y., in a ceremony performed by Lenore’s grandfather. They have lived in Florida for almost 40 years, but still keep in touch with friends and relatives in the Northeast. They take pleasure in reading the BAM, and George has happy memories of his days at Brown.
From the September/October 2008 Issue
Jean Bruce Cummings celebrated her 90th birthday in June. Her family gathered in Greenfield, Mass., at the former family home, which had been sold three years ago and is now Poetry Ridge Bed and Breakfast. Her children attended, including Stan Cummings Jr. '67; Cappy Cummings Nunlist '70 and her husband, Mark Nunlist '70, '80 MD; and seven grandchildren. Jean and her husband, Stan '40, performed the Charleston as they had performed it 40 years ago in the town follies.
From the March/April 2008 Issue
Leon E. Rogers is living in Longboat Key, Fla. He is the oldest member of the Sarasota Brown Club. His daughter, Patricia Jo Rogers '68, is the director of the public library in Osterville, Mass.
From the July / August 2007 Issue
Class secretary Bernard Bell reports that he appeared with students at a phonathon on Apr. 23 calling Brown graduates, including some of the class of ’42. He also visited Israel with Claire in Apr. and returned just in time for Commencement. His annual Commencement report will appear in the Sept./Oct. issue of the BAM.
Norman Case writes: “I retired from the practice of law at the end of 2003 at the age of 86. My wife, Dorothy, died July 4, 1989, in Virginia. My three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren are all living in the Burlington, Vt., area, which is close enough to visit but far enough away. Having served my town as clerk, treasurer, town attorney, and on numerous other community functions, I now have taken to cruising. Last Nov. my sister and I went to the eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf, visiting countries on the shore and winding up in Dubai after visiting Kish Island, Iran. To my classmates approaching 90, I can only say, ‘Keep moving, time is getting short.’”
Jean Bruce Cummings writes: “I can’t remember seeing a single class note from the class of ’40 in several years—only obituary notices—a sad commentary! I moved from our big home when Stan had to enter a nursing home. I didn’t make our last reunion, the only one I ever missed, because it was the only weekend our whole family could gather for a last reunion in the big house before I moved into a much more manageable condo. Since Stan died, I have returned to some of my volunteer work—more than I intended—and I still do some traveling. Let’s hear from the rest of you!”
From the September / October 2006 Issue
Robert Beir has published Roosevelt and the Holocaust: A Rooseveltian Examines the Policies and Remembers the Times. In June, he gave a talk at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in New York.
From the March / April 2005 Issue
Sure you can make it? Plans are under way for a memorable 65th reunion May 27–29. The reunion will feature nonstop happiness and not much walking. Watch your mail for registration information, which will arrive in April. If you have not yet received a reunion mailing, please contact reunion headquarters at (401) 863-1947 or reunions@brown.edu.
Rev. John H. Evans writes that Rev. Fred Jellison, Episcopal rector of St. James Church in Woonsocket, R.I., was honored on the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
From the January / February 2004 Issue
Margaret Fico Capasso writes: “I hope to make my 65th reunion in 2005.”
Edward W. Hale and his wife, Elsie Hurst Hale ’41, celebrated their sixty-first wedding anniversary on June 20. Ed turned 85 on Oct. 29. Edward joined Westinghouse Atomic Power in 1957 and has been retired for twenty years. He has published community newsletters in three states since then and now lives in Rio Rancho, N.Mex.
From the September / October 2004 Issue
John H. Evans, an Episcopal clergyman, observed the 60th anniversary of his ordination at Church of the Holy Cross on June 6 in Middletown, R.I. Curtis Warren gave a tribute.
From the July / August 2004 Issue
Harlow L. Paul Jr. writes that since retiring he has been active as a Red Cross volunteer at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Tex. He adds: “Ruth and I live in an assisted living facility operated by the Lutheran Church. We see Bob Rosen ’63 and his wife, Jane, occasionally. Bob was our ophthalmologist for many years. George Rose ’42 and his wife, Bette, attend All Saints Episcopal Church with us, and we see them there quite often.”
Elizabeth Hunt Schumann writes: “I’m enjoying retirement in Providence. Fellow residents include Brown alums Bob Kenyon ’36 and Libby Goodale Kenyon ’39, Dorothy Rawcliffe Brown ’37, Betty Rice Smart ’37, and Muriel Port Stevens.”
From the May / June 2004 Issue
Bob Homma writes that he enjoys attending Brown football games, often with his grandchildren. He writes: “My wife, Marian, and I live in a continual-care residence along with classmate Bob Handy.”
Leon Rogers writes: “During my wonderful time at Brown, I was sports editor of the Brown Daily Herald and a contributor to Sir Brown, as well as a member of the Owl & Rain Society, the freshman track and baseball teams, and the small group of students who started the Brown Radio Network. I broadcast baseball games from Aldrich Field to dormitory rooms. My daughter, Patti Rogers ’68, lives in Corning, N.Y., and is head of the Rakow Research Library at the Corning Museum of Glass. This summer Patti visited us at Longboat Key with her two beautiful adopted daughters Ming, 11, and Baie, 6.”
From the March / April 2004 Issue
Helen Starrett Peterson, of Newport, R.I., writes that the Rev. David E. Evans ’39 and his younger brother the Rev. John H. Evans observed the sixtieth anniversary of their ordinations as Episcopal clergymen in October during a service at the Church of the Holy Cross in Middletown, R.I.
From the July / August 2002 Issue
Margaret Butterfield writes: "I'm traveling to Syracuse to see daughter Judi Wilson and grandchildren Kate, Christopher, and Tim."
Dorothy Daw Powers writes: "I moved in May 2001 to the Fountains of Lake Point Woods, an independent living facility here in Sarasota, Fla. I would love to hear from friends living in the area."
From the May / June 2002 Issue
The Rev. John H. Evans wrote in January that he recently sang some of the same folk songs on a Rhode Island television station that he sang regularly on the Brown radio station. He still owns the same guitar pictured in the yearbook.
From the November / December 2000 Issue
Class secretary June Purcell Beddoe reports: “The women’s class of ’40 enjoyed a delicious, convivial luncheon at the Faculty Club during Reunion Weekend in May. Attending were Shirley Roberts Barbour, Jean Bruce Cummings, Anne Mikolajewski Curtis, Barbara Porter DeLuca, Polly Tirrell English, Isabelle Stone Hofstein, Margaret Butterfield Hyde, Esther Bourne Manning, Althea Hall McAlleer, Anne Keenan McCaffrey, Elizabeth Ibell Medbury, Alice Kutz Oster, Ruth Campbell Pratt, Betty Hunt Schuman, Hope Smith Sterrett, and me. We were joined by the daughters of Isabelle and Margaret.
“There is a healthy balance in our treasury. It was agreed that after paying expenses, we will add $1,000 to the Brown Annual Fund. Our appreciation is due to Betty Schuman for her diligence over many years. Thanks also to Jean Cummings, who represented our class at the candle-lighting ceremony during the memorial service.
“My son, a civil engineer at Dimeo Construction, was the project engineer during the recent renovation of the Pembroke dorms.
“Shirley Roberts Barbour is still working for world peace. She writes a column on legislative action for a local newsletter and is an organic gardener.
“Jean Bruce Cummings’s son, Stanley Jr. ’67, is executive director of the Orange County Marine Institute. Her daughter, Cappy Cummings Nunlist ’70, and her son-in-law, Mark ’70, ’80 M.D., attended their 30th reunion in May. Cappy is a lawyer. Jean is still a downhill skier.
“Anne Mikolajewski Curtis has just returned from a trip to Alaska with members of her Duplicate Bridge Club. She now lives at 75 Minnesota Ave., #310, Warwick, R.I. 02888.
“Polly Tirrell English is an enthusiastic gardener. She is proud of her peas, which were blossoming as of May 10. Early?
“Isabelle Stone Hofstein is one of three generations of Brown graduates. Her daughter is Natalie Hofstein Mendelsohn Matus ’73. Her granddaughter is Kira Mendelsohn Matus ’04. Isabelle received an M.S.W. from Columbia and has worked in family and children’s social-service agencies. She has also taught social work and sociology at two colleges.
“Esther Bourne Manning is an accomplished organist. She is associated with a church in Attleboro, Mass.
“Miriam O’Brien Meehan lives at Hallworth House, 66 Benefit St., Providence 02906. Her health is not good.
“Alice Kutz Oster’s granddaughter Laura Mullen ’96 earned a degree in computer art at Brown. She also took courses at RISD.
“Helen Starrett Peterson was not able to join us for the reunion. She and her husband were on a cruise from Florida to Warren, R.I.
“Ruth Campbell Pratt, who recently retired from a part-time job with a physician, writes that she is now anticipating the joy of leisure. She lives on Cape Cod.
“Betty Hunt Schuman lives at Laurel-mead, 355 Blackstone Blvd., #318, Providence 02906, where she remains active, especially with the library committee.”
From the May / June 2000 Issue
George R. Keller writes: "I live in San Diego, which is about as far as one can get from Providence and still be in the contiguous United States. I live on a sand spit called Mission Beach, which separates Mission Bay, an aquatic playground, from the rollers of the Pacific Ocean. Each summer day I and two other retired men (the Geezers Three) spend our afternoons sunbathing, body surfing, and bikini watching on the beach. As the sun is quite strong, one needs protection for the head. Under considerable pressure from the other geezers, I purchased Brown baseball caps for each of us. We wore these caps all summer. After sitting in the same spot each day for many years, we’ve become friendly with the lifeguards and the San Diego city police. In fact, our relationship with the police is so good that the policemen, wishing to honor our visible commitment to Brown, one day cried in unison, ‘Yeah, rah-rah, Cleveland!’ (For non-sports fans, Cleveland’s football team is the Browns.) Such is fame."
Fred King reports that after a new Ronald McDonald House opened on Feb. 16 in Mobile, Ala., he was able to resume his volunteer work. Before moving to Mobile, Fred was volunteer coordinator at WUNC public radio in Chapel Hill, N.C., for eight years, and a volunteer at Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill for three years. He writes that the climate in Alabama is about the same as in Hong Kong, where he spent three years as managing director of Jockey Far East.
From the March / April 2000 Issue
Class president John McLaughry and the reunion committee report: “Plans for a memorable and enjoyable 60th reunion are complete. We will begin the celebration with a welcoming reception and the Brown Bear buffet. On Saturday, the Pembroke luncheon will be at Laurelmead, and the Brown luncheon at the Faculty Club. Saturday night will feature a class dinner and the Commencement concert. Thanks to the Brown Alumni Association, many of the events and facilities will be offered at a discount. Watch your mail for registration information.”
From the January / February 2000 Issue
Jill Rossi, senior assistant director of alumni relations, reports: "Plans are under way for a memorable and enjoyable 60th reunion on May 26-29. Events include the traditional Brown Bear buffet, the campus dance, the Pembroke luncheon, the class dinner, the pops concert, and, of course, the Commencement march. Thanks to the Brown Alumni Association, many events will be offered at discount prices, and campus housing will be complimentary. If you have not yet received a reunion mailing, please call reunion headquarters at (401) 863-1947.
From the July / August 1999 Issue
Barbara Allen Bliss, Madison, Wis., writes: "For the last seventeen years I have been teaching dyslexic adults and youth how to read and spell. I have also been teaching teachers what I've been doing. This makes my life exciting and beneficial to others. I hope Brown is keeping informed and preparing teachers to teach our increasing numbers of semiliterate students."
Samuel Gourse and his wife, Bernice Markoff Gourse '41, Osprey, Fla., were feted by their families on their wedding anniversary in October. The gathering included son Richard Gourse '71, daughter-in-law Wilma Ross Gourse '69, daughter Judith Gourse Hoffman '76, and son-in-law Andrew Hoffman '87 Ph.D. Also attending were Samuel's sister, Natalie Gourse Prokesch '44, and Bernice's sisters, Dorothy Markoff Nelson '35, and Gloria Markoff Winston '49.
Frederick K. Jellison, Lincoln, R.I., was elected secretary of the Rhode Island Council of Community Mental Health Centers. He is also on the council's executive committee.
From the May / June 1999 Issue
Margaret Fico Capasso, North Provi-dence, writes: "I now am blessed with two great-granddaughters, Brittany Capasso and Olivia Hayley Chappell. I have survived two hip replacement operations, still sing in my church choir, and am active in my town's Friends of the Library organization."
Robert I. Homma and Robert T. Handy, who had been out of touch since graduation (though they had attended several of the same reunions), recently found them-selves living across the hall from each other in a retirement community in West Caldwell, N.J. "With our wives, Marion Homma and Barbara Handy, we are enjoying talking about the years at Brown, our children, grandchildren, and various travels and experiences over six decades. Some 'coincidences' are very pleasant indeed," Robert writes.
From the January / February 1999 Issue
Margaret Butterfield Hyde, Southbury, Conn., writes: "A quiet, non-travel year. Daughter Judi Wilson and grandsons Chris and Tim spent a very short weekend with me in July. We went to the Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, N.Y., to see World War I planes flying. If any of you wish to escape the woes of the 1990s, you could surely escape to the first decades of this century by visiting and observing a farce of World War I."
From the September / October 1998 Issue
Sister Mary Christopher (formerly Frances O'Rourke) has been recuperating from surgery. Friends may send her cards at 31 Farnsworth Ave., Tiverton, R.I. 02878.
Margaret Butterfield Hyde, Southbury, Conn., visited her daughter, Judi Wilson, in Syracuse, N.Y., in May. While there, Margaret attended the graduation of her granddaughter, Katie Wilson, from SUNY-Oswego, and watched grandson Christopher play in a high-school lacrosse game. Margaret's younger grandson, Tim, is in seventh grade.
Betty Jencks Smoot has not been well, according to her friend, Margaret Hyde. Betty and her husband would appreciate receiving cards at Mayo Assisted Living, 1 Richard Ave., Northfield, Vt. 05663.
Curtis Warren (see Craig Warren '69).
From the March / April 1998 Issue
Edward H. Jones, North Kingstown, R.I., writes: "We had an interesting cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in May. In July, we celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary with a big family reunion at our summer home on Chappaquiddick."
Obituaries
Henryk J. Bukowski ’40, of Falls Church, Va.; Apr. 18, just shy of his 104th birthday. A first generation American and true patriot, after graduating he entered the Army and was sent to to fight in the European theater during World War II. He was fluent in French, Polish, and English and was a helpful interpreter. He spent time in Siberia, Poland, France, and Germany training and learning. He served as an officer during the Korean War as well, and as a civil servant during the Vietnam War. As a veteran of three wars, he was appointed to the inaugural Senior Executive Services during the Carter administration. He retired from civil service and continued a daily regimen of running, push-ups, and sit-ups into his 90s. He also ran marathons and played tennis. He is survived by seven children and their spouses, 15 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren.
Catherine Schatz Brant ’40, of Washington, D.C.; Jan. 7, 104 years of age. While attending Brown, she met her lab partner, Earl Brant ’42, who would eventually become her husband of 60 years. After graduating, she worked as an order clerk at a machinery company in Boston supplying pumps and motors to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Manhattan Project. She married Earl in 1943 and they moved to Philadelphia for him to attend medical school. While he was serving in Korea, she returned to Boston and resumed her previous job. After his military service, they moved to Ohio and then New York. She worked at Mamaroneck High School as a reading specialist and enjoyed helping teenagers read. In 1992, they moved to Washington, D.C., to be closer to their daughter. She became a volunteer at Heurich House Library and with the library committee of the National Presbyterian Church, where she was a member. She was honored four times by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living. Her daughter, who survives her, says, “She was sharp even in her advanced age and still proud to be a Brown graduate.”
Reade Y. Tompson ’40, of Hockessin, Del.; Apr. 3, at 103 years of age. After Brown, he received a PhD in organic chemistry from Duke University. He was employed by the DuPont Company from 1948 to 1980 and spent most of his career in personnel work with the textile fibers department. He was active in the Wilmington Power Squadron for more than 60 years as an educational officer, a commander (1957-1958), and as instructor in the squadron’s member and public education programs. He was a trustee, usher, and a member of the Fixit Corps, and as a member of the Brandywiners, Ltd., he was on the makeup committee for 55 shows. Other avocations included square dance—calling and dancing with the Pi-R Squares Dance Club from 1948 to 1973—sailing, RVing, and gardening. He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church from 1950 to his passing in 2022. He is survived by three daughters, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Maxwell A. Sturtz ’40, of Somers, N.Y.; Nov. 11, at 101 years of age. While at Brown he participated in baseball, football, and crew, in addition to working at WBRU. After graduation, he attended Columbia Law School, was drafted, and completed his degree at NYU Law School after serving five years with the 8th Air Force as a Judge Advocate and as a captain in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps running motor transportation for all of Europe. An attorney in private practice, he retired at the age of 97. He was an active alum, conducting student interviews through the Brown Club for many years, and was a fixture with his older classmates on the upper deck of the stands at Brown football games for more than 50 years. He lived in Roslyn Heights, N.Y., for 45 years and served as a Little League commissioner and coach, cochaired the Race and Education Committee in the Roslyn School District, sang with his synagogue’s choir and performed in local theater. In 2001, after moving to Somers, he was involved with various education committees and was a perennial player in the Heritage Hills Community Theater for more than 18 years, performing, writing and directing, and building complex stage sets. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed gardening and traveling with his wife. He is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter Laura Sturtz Kleinman ’77; son Ted ’80; and three grandchildren.
Sydney William Skoler ’40, of Milton, Mass.; Jan. 1 at 101 years of age. After graduating from Boston University School of Law, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Later, with his brother, he joined the family business, B. Skoler Company, a retail store and wholesale supplier of uniforms and equipment to hospitals and other institutions. He had a distinctive style, which was highlighted by his bow tie collection and many convertibles. He is survived by a sister-in-law and several nieces and nephews.
Maxwell A. Sturtz ’40, of Somers, N.Y.; Nov. 11, at 101 years of age. He was a retired attorney and World War II veteran. He enjoyed singing, fishing, and performing in community theater. He is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter Laura Sturtz Kleinman ’77; son Ted ’80; and three grandchildren.
Elizabeth Hunt Schumann ’40, of Providence; May 6, at 102 years of age. She lived for eight years in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., and five years in Swarthmore, Pa., before moving back to Providence in 1962. Upon her return, she earned a master’s in library science from URI in 1968 and worked as a reference librarian at Brown in the 1970s and 1980s. She was active in the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity and attended the 1963 March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. She was also active in the League of Women Voters. While living in Laurelmead Cooperative, she helped establish and manage its library. She knit and crocheted hats and blankets for newborns in hospitals as well as for friends and family, and she loved to read, especially biographies and books about history. Phi Beta Kappa. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law; a son and daughter-in-law; six grandchildren, including Thomas Schumann ’06; three great-grandchildren; sister Constance Hunt Del Gizzi ’51; a sister-in-law; and six nephews.
Elizabeth Gleason Caldwell ’40, of Port Royal, S.C.; Nov. 6. She worked in the U.S. State Department Foreign Service and served as executive secretary to several ambassadors in Latin America until her marriage in 1950 in Caracas, Venezuela. She and her husband, who was a career civil engineer with the U.S. State Department, continued to reside in various locations throughout Latin America and in Washington, D.C., before retiring in 1969 to South Carolina. She is survived by three nephews.
Leone B. Fagan ’40, of Melrose, Mass., formerly of Newport, R.I.; June 21. After settling in Melrose in 1947 and raising her family, Lee enjoyed working for more than 10 years at the Melrose Public Library in both the archive and catalog departments. She was a member of Community Associates of Melrose and the American Association of University Women, and she was active with the Melrose Historical Society. At the time of her death she was the longest and oldest member of the Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church. She had a passion for genealogy and enjoyed returning to her hometown of Newport for yearly summer vacations. She is survived by four children and their spouses, six grandchildren, and four great-granddaughters.
Herbert G. Nahas ’40, of Hanover Township, Pa.; Apr. 6. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer assigned as an interpreter to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower’s staff in Algeria prior to being ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1949. He was first assigned to St. George parish in Danbury, Conn., where he remained until 1951; he was later assigned to St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., from which he retired in 1986 after 35 years. In 1961, he was elevated to the rank of archpriest with the title of exarch. During his tenure at St. Mary’s, he oversaw a campaign to build a new church, rectory, and parish hall; they were completed in 1968. He founded Father Nahas’s Senior Citizens and was involved in many local groups, including the United Way, the American Heart Assoc., the Boy Scouts of America, and the Masonry. He is survived by three children, five grandchildren, and a brother.
Isabelle Stone Hofstein ’40, of Pittsfield, Mass.; Apr. 6. She was a social worker for many years. She volunteered at the Berkshire Museum and was active with Berkshire Hills Hadassah and Temple Anshe Amunim. She is survived by two daughters, including Natalie Matus ’73; a son-in-law; two granddaughters, including Kira Matus ’03; and two great-grandsons.
Dorothy Daw Powers ’40, of Venice, Fla., formerly of Berkeley Heights, N.J.; Nov. 24. She worked as a school nurse in Berkeley Heights for many years before working for the State of New Jersey evaluating nursing home compliance for Medicaid. She was an early member of the Stoney Hill Players and active in its development. She is survived by three sons, including William R. Powers Jr. ’66; 10 grandchildren, including William R. Powers III ’93; and 21 great-grandchildren.
Shirley Gratenstein Biers ’40, of San Mateo, Calif., formerly of New York City; Jan. 17. She worked in the New York publicity office of British singer Gracie Fields before moving to Coral Gables, Fla., where she was a homemaker and volunteer. In 1968, after moving to California, she became a photographer and volunteered writing for Stanford Univ.’s Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition newsletter. Among her many interests were horseback riding, hiking, playing piano, traveling, and art, specifically collage and watercolors. She exhibited her work in 2005 at Focus Gallery in San Francisco. She is survived by two daughters, a son-in-law, a niece, and three nephews.
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