GS Class of 1985

Thomas E. Leary ’85 PhD, of Youngstown, Ohio; Oct. 29. While obtaining his doctorate at Brown, he was curator of Slater Mill in Pawtucket. Upon graduation, he settled in Buffalo, N.Y., and was director of interpretation for the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. While there, he coordinated a survey of Buffalo industry, along with the National Park Service’s Historical American Engineering Record, and he and his wife wrote a history of Bethlehem Steel’s Lackawanna plant. They also organized exhibits documenting the area’s industries titled “Made in Buffalo.” In 1988, the couple formed Industrial Research Associates, a consulting firm doing mitigation and other research for government and private agencies, including the Youngstown Museum of Industry and Labor. In 1999 he was hired by Youngstown State University as a history professor. He taught American architectural and industrial history and trained students in the art of public history documentation and museum practices. He retired from teaching in 2021 but continued to work at the museum until his death. He is survived by his wife,
Elizabeth Sholes.

Thomas E. Leary ’85 PhD, of Youngstown, Ohio; Oct. 29. While obtaining his doctorate at Brown, he was curator of Slater Mill in Pawtucket. Upon graduation, he settled in Buffalo, N.Y., and was director of interpretation for the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. While there, he coordinated a survey of Buffalo industry, along with the National Park Service’s Historical American Engineering Record, and he and his wife wrote a history of Bethlehem Steel’s Lackawanna plant. They also organized exhibits documenting the area’s industries titled “Made in Buffalo.” In 1988, the couple formed Industrial Research Associates, a consulting firm doing mitigation and other research for government and private agencies, including the Youngstown Museum of Industry and Labor. In 1999, he was hired by Youngstown State University as a history professor. He taught American architectural and industrial history and trained students in the art of public history documentation and museum practices. He retired from teaching in 2021 and continued to work at the museum until his death. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Sholes.  

Virginia Copes Tenzer ’85 PhD, of New Haven, Conn.; Feb. 6, of cancer. She taught art history at UConn and curated exhibits at UConn’s Benton Art Museum. In retirement she volunteered at St. Thomas More Chapel Soup Kitchen and Yale New Haven Hospital. She is survived by her husband, Morton; a daughter; a son; a granddaughter; a sister; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Joyce Benjamin McKay ’85 PhD, of Hampton, Ill.; Feb. 22. Her career was spent as an archaeologist and architectural historian. She was the recipient of the 2010 Preservation Achievement Award from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. In retirement she volunteered at the Rock Island County Historical Society and the Hampton Historical Society. She is survived by her husband, Tom; two sons; a daughter-in-law; a grandson; a sister; and a brother.

Rebecca Stiles Hinkle ’85 ScM, of Kiawah Island, S.C.; Apr. 27, 2022, from pancreatic cancer. She is survived by her husband Eric ’84; two children; her parents; and a sister.

Robert R. Meyer ’85 MAT, of Moscow, Idaho; Nov. 22, from complications of throat cancer. He lived in several U.S. cities and worked as a disc jockey and radio talk show host. After earning his masters, he worked as an English teacher in Massachusetts before moving to the Midwest. He is survived by a brother, a stepsister, and several nieces and nephews, including Nancy Matchett Kubik ’89.

Judith Covey Carson ’70, ’85 PhD, of Skokie, Ill.; Jan. 6. She worked as a software designer/architect at Anchor HMO, Comdisco, the Bradford Exchange, and the Acxiom Corp. Always concerned for others and the less fortunate, she was active in helping organizations that promoted social justice. She was a gifted piano player and enjoyed exploration and learning. She is survived by her husband, Thomas ’75 AM, ’77 PhD; a daughter and son-in-law; a son; two sisters; a brother; a sister-in-law; a brother-in-law; and several nieces and nephews.

Paul D. Tolbert ’85 AM, of Indian Hills, Colo.; Aug. 2. In Denver he worked initially at Tattered Cover Book Store, then moved to become bookstore manager at Community College of Aurora and then at Arapahoe Community College, where he worked for more than 20 years. He composed and recorded his own music, performed in bands, and enjoyed cooking, playing Scrabble, and solving crossword and Sudoku puzzles. He is survived by his wife, Laura; two sons; two sisters; a brother; and many extended family members.