GS Class of 1963

Bettina Havens Letcher ’63 AM, of Kingston, R.I.; Jul. 16. She was an ESL teacher, taught creative writing to prison inmates, wrote poetry, and was coeditor of the Northeast Journal. She was involved in South Providence ministries and enjoyed exploring hiking trails locally and around the world. She is survived by her husband, Stephen ’64 PhD; a daughter and son-in-law; a son and daughter-in-law; three grandchildren; and a brother.

Thomas A. Kuhlman ’63 AM, ’67 PhD, of Omaha, Neb.; Sept. 16. He joined the English department faculty at Creighton University in 1967 and taught courses in literature, composition, creative writing, American studies, and American architecture. He retired in 2005 as associate professor emeritus. After retiring, he continued to teach independent study courses at Creighton for several years. He wrote scholarly journal articles, book chapters, fiction, and creative nonfiction. He wrote, produced, and acted in plays performed in local community theaters. He was president and board member of Landmarks, Inc., and served on the boards of many other organizations, including Architectural Foundation of Nebraska, Irish American Cultural Institute, and Douglas County Historical Society. He also volunteered at the Durham Museum and St. Cecilia Cathedral. He is survived by his wife, Mary Haynes Kuhlman ’63 MAT; a daughter; a son; a brother; and a niece.   

Lois Shuler Meighan ’63 MAT, of Lansdale, Pa.; Nov. 21. She taught at a private school for girls for two years and then raised a family. Later she was a chemical technician. She also taught home-bound students and offered piano lessons. She was a member of a local chamber quartet, performed in the Ambler Orchestra and the North Penn Orchestra, and sang with the Norristown Chorale. Active in her church, she played instruments for worship and taught Sunday School. She enjoyed weaving table centerpieces, knitting, reading, and camping. She is survived by her husband, Richard ’64 PhD; five children and their spouses; 14 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Carol E. Jenson ’63 MAT, of Minneapolis; Nov. 25. She received her PhD in American History from the University of Minnesota in 1968 and began teaching at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. She retired in 1980,  moved to Minneapolis, and enjoyed reading, quilting, and gardening. She is survived by her husband, Thomas, nieces, and nephews.

James D. Smith ’61, ’63 ScM, of Boulder, Colo.; May 2, 2021, of thyroid cancer. He worked as a research assistant at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute before being recruited by the University of Washington as associate professor, eventually becoming chair of the oceanography and geophysics departments. In 1990, he moved to Boulder to work for the U.S. Geological Survey National Research Program, leading work on controlled floods in the Grand Canyon. He was a world-renowned specialist in fjord studies, sedimentary geology, and marine and estuarine sediment transport. He received numerous accolades, including the 2007 Hans Albert Einstein Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was an avid hiker, explorer, traveler, mountain climber, and opera enthusiast; most recently, he added nature photography with an emphasis on grizzly bears. He is survived by his wife, Mary; three children and their spouses; three grandchildren; and his former wife, Pamela Cromarty.

Loretta Marsella ’63 MAT, of Philadelphia; Sept. 29, of cancer. She spent her career in administration, teaching, and as the former director of House of Industry Community Service. She was also past president of the Italian Folk Art Federation of America. 

Susan Heller Anderson ’63 AM, of Barrington, R.I., formerly of Philadelphia and Providence, R.I.; Oct. 3, 2020. It was in Philadelphia that she found her true calling working at Independence National Park in 1976. She researched and reproduced a replica of the carpet that had adorned the floor of the Senate in Independence Hall; the new carpet was re-installed with much fanfare where it had originally lain, and she wrote a 96-page book about her work titled The Most Splendid Carpet. While pursuing her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, she became assistant curator of costumes and textiles at the Philadelphia Art Museum. In 1985, she moved to Providence with her second husband and became the curator of costumes and textiles at the RISD Museum. There she produced many beautiful exhibitions and wrote or edited catalogues for them, including A World of Costume and Textiles; Patterns and Poetry: No Robes, a catalogue and narrative of Lucy Truman Aldrich’s collection of Japanese robes; and the story of the Tirocchi dress-making sisters told in the exhibition and book From Paris to Providence. In retirement, she enjoyed gardening and continued to contribute to art, textile, and historical exhibits at the Barrington Preservation Society Museum. She is survived by a son and a sister.

Jacqueline Jones ’59, ’63 MAT, of Wethersfield, Conn.; May 23, 2020, of cancer. In addition to her Brown degrees, she received a master’s degree in French and French Studies from Sorbonne University in 1973. She began her teaching career at Lincoln School in Providence, later relocating to Greater Hartford, where she taught Spanish in the Wethersfield public school system elementary and middle school levels before joining the faculty of Wethersfield High School in 1968. In 1985, the school system recognized her dedication and commitment to instructing, inspiring, and guiding her students by naming her Teacher of the Year. She retired in 1998 but her passion for teaching led her to resume her career a few months later at Central Connecticut State University, where she held an adjunct professorship before finally retiring in 2005. In retirement, she remained engaged with Spanish and French conversation groups at West Hartford Senior Center. She regularly attended events at Alliance Française de Hartford and the Town and Country Club, where as a member she helped organize book readings and art shows. She was a volunteer at the Wethersfield Historical Society and sat on the board of the Brown Club of North-Central Connecticut. She is survived by several nieces and nephews.

Kenneth V. Anderson Jr. ’63 ScM, ’65 PhD, of Brandon, Fla.; Feb. 24. He was an educator and researcher. He worked at Emory University in Atlanta as an associate professor and then full professor from 1966 to 1979. He was chairman of anatomy and professor of neurosurgery research at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss. from 1979 to 1984. He was the recipient of the Research Scientist Development Award from the National Institute of Mental Health and a member of many professional associations. He published more than 60 research papers. Later he worked as a teacher, head track coach, and then headmaster of Brandon Academy. He is survived by his wife, Ann; a daughter; and three grandchildren.

Catherine Rodgers Myers ’63 PhD, of Wellfleet, Mass.; Jan. 27, of complications from a stroke. After teaching at Bryn Mawr College, she joined the English department of Manhattanville College in 1968, retiring in 2005. Over the years she served as dean of students, dean of faculty, and twice as provost. She volunteered with the Wellfleet Harbor Actors’ Theater, giving lectures introducing productions of the Metropolitan Opera. She volunteered at the Massachusetts Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. She is survived by two daughters, a son-in-law, two grandchildren, and a nephew. 

Darnell C. McCauley ’63 MAT, of New Haven, Conn., formerly of Providence; Jan. 16. During his senior year at Livingstone College he became the pastor of Stewards Chapel in Rural Hall, N.C. Upon his return to Providence, he served as pastor of A.M.E. Zion Church and was ordained into the Christian Church on Sept. 3, 1953. He obtained further degrees, such as as a bachelor of sacred theology from Boston University and doctor of education from Nova University. His many educational positions culminated in retiring as vice principal at Roger Williams Middle School in 1989. In 1971, the local chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity named him Rhode Island Educator of the Year. He is survived by seven siblings and several nieces and nephews.

Joan C. Kauttu ’63 ScM, of North Canaan, Conn.; June 17, 2020. She taught anatomy to medical school students and then helped her husband run a resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. After divorcing, she returned to North Canaan to care for her parents.

Donald P. Wei ’63 ScM, of Monroeville, Pa.; Aug. 1. He worked as a senior systems analyst at Westinghouse Research and Development for 36 years. Donald was an avid reader and Steelers fan and enjoyed cooking, gardening, and traveling. He is survived by his wife, Yuling Li Wei; three sisters; and many nieces and nephews.

Neil B. Tame ’63 MAT, of Standish, Me.; June 5. Prior to attending Brown, he taught two years at Limington Academy (Me.), one year at Greely Jr. High (Me.), and after his army service, six years at Monmouth Academy (Me.). After Brown, he was a Shell Merit Fellow at Cornell University and attended Michigan State University. ln 1965 he became the head of the math department at the new Oxford Hills High School and for several years was curriculum coordinator for math throughout the school district, helping teachers and students with innovative math programs. He conducted many workshops and conferences throughout the state and was one of the founders of PiCone Math League. He was proud of his math teams as Oxford Hills was very dominant in competitive math competitions in Maine and New England. He was a member of the Association of Teachers of Math in Maine and the first secretary for the Maine Association of Math Leagues. He was awarded the Maine Presidential Award in 1983; the meeting at the White House with the president was one of the highlights of his life. Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce named him citizen of the year in 1985. ln retirement he volunteered in schools with fun after-school math sessions. He enjoyed landscaping and winters in Florida. He is survived by his wife, Martha; three daughters and their spouses; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; two sisters; two brothers; and several nieces and nephews.

Gilbert H. Smith ’63 ScM, ’65 PhD, of Bethesda; July 6, of pancreatic cancer. He joined the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute as a fellow in the viral biology branch in 1965 and became senior investigator in the laboratory of biology in 1970. He most recently served as senior investigator in the basic research laboratory and head of the mammary stem cell biology section. In 2005, he received the National Institutes of Health Merit award. Gil was also a two-time nominee for the E.B. Wilson Medal, the highest award from the American Society for Cell Biology, and in 2008 was a finalist for the Nobel Prize for medicine. He retired June 30, 2020, and was named an NIH Scientist Emeritus. Gil is considered a pioneer in the biology of mammary/breast cancer and stem cells involved in mammary development and cancer. He lectured across the globe and authored 180 research publications while serving on several editorial boards and as scientific advisor for the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation. While at NCI, he devoted his time serving as a mentor to hundreds of junior scientists around the world. He received the NCI Mentor Merit Award in 2003 and the NCI Outstanding Mentor Award in 2019. In addition to his brilliant scientific career, Gil was a well-respected soccer coach and youth soccer advocate in Northern Virginia, and one of several authors of the original McLean Youth Soccer bylaws. He was also a staff coach for the Virginia Olympic Development Program at the district and state levels from 1983-1990. He is survived by five children, eight grandchildren, a sister, and a brother.

Richard H. Robillard ’63 PhD, of Boucherville, Quebec, Canada; Aug. 29. For 30 years he was a professor of American Literature at the University of Montreal. Following his retirement, he pursued his interest in the study of Biblical Greek and Latin to more fully analyze the translations and interpretations of the New Testament. He enjoyed hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and playing cribbage. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; three children; and two grandchildren.

Earl G. Alexander ’63 PhD, of Amarillo, Tex.; Aug. 28. He joined the technical staff of Texas Instruments in Dallas, where he was employed in the area of research and development in semiconductor devices. In 1975, he and his family moved to Hawaii and became involved in Youth with a Mission. That was followed with a move to Texas in 1978, where he was employed by Arrowhead Mills, a whole foods company. In 1984, he returned to Youth with a Mission and moved to Guatemala, Central America. There he directed a bilingual school of evangelism and oversaw a mercy ministries team. In 1988, he returned to Texas and worked for General Dynamics until his retirement in 2003. He enjoyed singing in the Schola Cantorum of Texas chorus. He also enjoyed gardening and became a certified master gardener and was a member of both the Tarrant County and Randall County master gardeners associations. He is survived by his wife, Olive Jeanfreau Alexander ’60; a daughter and son-in-law; a son and daughter-in-law; 10 grandchildren; a sister; and several nieces and nephews.   

Richard H. Pierce ’57, ’63 PhD, of Westwood, Mass.; June 1, of a heart attack. He was a Classics and Egyptology professor at The University of Bergen, Norway. He traveled frequently back to the United States and was active working in Sudan and Egypt, was an adviser for numerous Sudanese PhD students as well as Norwegian students, and worked with colleagues in a variety of disciplines at the university. He is survived by his wife, Wenche, and a son.
 

John A. Worsley ’56, ’63 MAT, of Lincoln, R.I.; Aug. 4, after a long illness. He taught at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and at the Community College of Rhode Island for 49 years. Early in his career he worked as a reporter for the Pawtucket Times and for the last twenty years he wrote a column about jazz and jazz musicians for the Times. Additionally, he was the primary grant proposal writer for the City of Central Falls School Department. He served on the executive board of the Providence Federation of Musicians from 1998 until his death and was a life member of the Musicians Union. He produced several jazz concerts at the Providence Marriott hotel and the University Club, and he was a strong supporter of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. He also was on the board of directors of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, Rhoda; and a cousin.
 

John H. Jeffers ’56, ’63 MAT, of Melbourne, Fla.; Feb. 18. He was a science teacher, department head, and coach at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa for more than 20 years. Later in his career he was head of Holy Trinity Episcopal School and also worked at Brevard Learning Clinic in Melbourne. He was active in his community and enjoyed camping, sailing, lapidary work, and silversmithing. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; son, David ’82 and his wife; and granddaughter Rachael Jeffers ’12 AM.

Richard S. Allen ’63 AM, of Trumbull, Conn.; Dec. 16, 2017. He was a professor of English and director of creative writing at the Univ. of Bridgeport from 1968 to 2001. He was an acclaimed public speaker and poetry reader. He led poetry workshops and seminars and served as a judge for various competitions and selection committees in Connecticut. In 2010 he was named Connecticut’s poet laureate. He published in premier journals, including Poetry, the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Hudson Review, and New Criterion, as well as in scores of national anthologies. He won numerous awards, including a Pushcart Prize, the Robert Frost prize, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and Ingram Merrill Poetry Foundation. His collection, Present Vanishing: Poems, received the 2009 Connecticut Book Award for Poetry. He was a member of the Academy of American Poets and the Modern Language Assoc. He is survived by his wife, Lori; a daughter; and son.

Susan T. Hamamoto ’63 ScM, of San Carlos, Calif.; July 24. She taught English in Germany. She moved to California in the 1970s and worked as a researcher in various labs at UC Berkeley until her retirement in 2011. An avid runner and hiker, she finished the Honolulu Marathon, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, did yoga at Machu Picchu and was an active member of the Orinda Hiking Club. She also studied Ikebana at the Buddhist Church of Oakland. She enjoyed cooking and gardening. She is survived by a sister and nieces and nephews.

William G. Shade ’61, ’62 MAT, of Bethlehem, Pa.; June 17. He taught history at Temple Univ. before joining the faculty at Lehigh Univ. in 1966, where he served as director of American Studies for 25 years. He also taught at Lafayette College, the Univ. of Virginia, the Univ. of Limerick in Ireland, the Univ. of Nottingham in England, and most recently at Lomonosov Moscow State Univ. in Russia. He was the author and/or co-author of numerous scholarly papers, articles, and reviews, including Lawrence Henry Gipson: Four Dimensions; Seven on Black: Reflections on the Negro Experience in America; Our American Sisters: Women in American Life and Thought; Democratizing the Old Dominion: Virginia and the Second Party System 1824–1861; and Banks or No Banks: The Money Issue in Western Politics, 1837–1865. He was editor of the Pennsylvania History Journal from 1968 to 1973 and served on the advisory board to the Secretary of the Interior on National Parks, Historic Sites, Monuments, and Buildings. He was a member of the American Historical Assoc., the Pennsylvania Historical Assoc., the Social Science History Assoc., and the American Assoc. of University Professors. He enjoyed jazz music and traveling the world. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou; a daughter; a son; a daughter-in-law; a son-in-law; and four grandsons.
 

James A. Bradley Jr. ’52, ’63 MAT, of Easton, Md.; June 12. He had a 40-year career in education as a teacher, was a department head in five independent schools from Rhode Island to Florida, and was the first headmaster of Independent Day School in Tampa, Fla. He retired in 1997. In 2007 he founded and served as executive director of Rebuilding Together Caroline County. He was a volunteer at St. Martin’s Ministries, served on the board of Tuckahoe Habitat for Humanity, worked in the education and docent department of the Chesapeake Maritime Museum, and was a founding force behind Voice of the Homeless. He and his wife were inducted into the Maryland Senior Citizen Hall of Fame and received the GERI Award in 2017. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Crabtree Bradley ’54; five children and their spouses; 13 grandchildren; and seven nieces and nephews.