Faculty and Staff
Robert C. Minnick, of Pueblo, Colo., June 10, at 73, of cancer. A senior research engineer at the Stanford Research Institute from 1960 to 1966, he spent much of his early career working on the world's first computers. He taught at Stanford and at Rice and Montana State U. Survivors: his sister-in-law, Jo Minnick; and two nieces.
1910s
Margaret Nagel Newsom, '19, of Menlo Park, June 10, at 103, of cardiac arrest. She was the last surviving female member of the Class of 1919. At Stanford, she majored in graphic arts and was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. She worked as an interior decorator and traveled extensively around the United States and the Federated Malay States with her husband, Branner Newsom, '20. In 1945, they settled in Menlo Park, where he died in 1988. Survivors: three nephews, Edgar McDowell, '26, Carl McDowell, '31, and Robert Elliott.
1920s
Robert J. Tennant, '24, of Colusa, Calif., May 18, at 98. At Stanford, he was a member of the track team and majored in pre-med. A farmer until his retirement in 1993, he served on many civic boards and was very active in his community. He was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Della. Survivors: his son, Robert; two daughters, Nancy L. Potts and Susan T. Rohles; 11 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Fred R. Muhs, '26, of Pebble Beach, Calif., May 21, at 95, after a brief illness. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a civil engineering degree and was active in Tau Beta Pi, El Campo Eating Club, and Hammer and Coffin. A varsity high jumper, he earned the Block "S" Honors award as the athlete with the highest grade-point average. He later created the first endowed athletic scholarship at Stanford. He was vice president and chief operating officer of the San Francisco Bridge Co., supervising major West Coast harbor projects until his retirement in 1957. A world traveler, he also was an accomplished photographer and painter. Survivors: his wife of 62 years, Nini, '31; two sons, Ted, '60, MBA '62, and Peter, '71; his daughter, Molly Harris, '61, MS '62; and four grandchildren.
Charles Omar Barker Jr., '29, of Claremont, Calif., in February, at 91. He studied economics at Stanford and was active in the Glee Club. A community leader, he was president of the local water company, a volunteer fireman and a member of Kiwanis for more than 50 years. He also managed the family ranch, was involved in the savings-and-loan business in Riverside County and helped plan the California Water Project.
Martha Jean Blackwelder Merk, '29, of Portola Valley, in July, at 91, of thrombosis. She came to Stanford in 1924, when her father was named head of the geology department, and earned a BA in classics. An avid environmentalist and outdoorswoman, she backpacked in the high Sierra, hiked through Scotland and assisted with research on primates and on Polynesian cultures of the South Pacific. She was predeceased by her husband, James, in 1974. Survivors: her daughter, Emily Danford; two sons, Eliot and Richard; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two sisters, Lois Fuller, '36, and Margery Alden, '28; and her brother, Richard Blackwelder, '31, PhD '34.
1930s
Earle K. Snider, '30, MA '35, of Oakland, May 23, at 91. He was a retired Navy captain. At Stanford, he earned degrees in economics and education and was a member of Theta Chi. Survivors include his wife, Ruth.
Gustav Ernst Giesecke, '31, MA '34, PhD '39, of Springfield, Ill., at 90. He was a retired professor of German studies. Survivors include his wife.
John Page Hoover, '31, MA '32, of Bethesda, Md. He was a history major at Stanford. Survivors include his wife.
Ruth Lenore Miner Anderson, '32, of Walnut Creek, Calif., in February, at 86. She will be remembered by many as the manager of the "Hole," a snack bar in the basement of Roble. She majored in sociology and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Cap and Gown. Survivors include her husband, Arnold.
Peter Clyde Jurs, '32, MA '34, PhD '36, in State College, Pa., June 18, at 88, in his sleep. At Stanford, he was a member of Kappa Alpha and two honorary chemistry fraternities. He was president of Shand & Jurs Co. in Berkeley until 1965, and then a chemistry instructor at Merritt Junior College in Oakland. He was a world traveler, fly fisherman, outdoorsman, golfer and member of Rotary International and the Claremont Country Club. His wife of 60 years, Julia, predeceased him. Survivors: three children, Peter, '65, Laurie and Stephanie, '73; five grandchildren; and his twin brother, Eugene, '32.
James Wells Jordan, '33, Engr. '37, of Greenbrae, Calif., June 27, at 87, of a heart attack. At Stanford, he was a member of Kappa Sigma and majored in engineering. During World War II, he served in the Navy. He was a member of the Founding Grant Society. Survivors: his wife, Amy, '36; two children, John and Caroline; and his sister.
Howard Hammond Jr., '34, MD '38, of Greenbrae, Calif., April 5, at 86. A member of Sigma Nu and the medical fraternity Nu Sigma Nu, he served as an Army flight surgeon in World War II and was Marin County's first specialist in obstetrics and gynecology. He and his partner delivered more than 6,500 babies before he retired in 1984 after 35 years of practice. He led several medical societies and was a partner in the San Rafael Medical Group. He also was a renowned silversmith. Survivors: his wife of 60 years, Elizabeth; two daughters, Ann Clark, '62, and Penn Payne, '66; two grandchildren; and his brother, Owsley, MBA '36.
Rollin Edwin "Woody" Woodbury, '34, of Pasadena, Calif., June 8, at 85. A member of El Tigre, he studied economics and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. After attending Harvard Law School, he became an associate counsel at Southern California Edison Co. and then vice president and general counsel in 1967. Survivors: his sons, Richard and Roger; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Mary Eleanor Carlton Bark, '35, of Palo Alto, July 5, at 87, following a brief illness. At Stanford, she was president of Delta Gamma sorority and later of the Stanford Women's Club. She was assistant director of financial aid for Stanford graduate students, Palo Alto city historian in 1955-58 and a founding member of the Stanford Historical Society. Her husband of 59 years, William, '31, MA '32, died in 1996. Survivors: her sons, Dennis, '64, and Jared, '66; and five grandsons.
Claire Mabel Burke Cramer, '35, of Los Altos. A biological sciences major at Stanford, she was predeceased by her husband, Harold, '30. Survivors include her daughter, Kate Cox.
George C. Downing, '35, MD '40, of LaConner, Wash., July 14, at 86. A member of the track-and-field team at Stanford, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. After serving as a captain in the Army Medical Corps during World War II, he moved to Palo Alto to raise a family and practice medicine, delivering more than 5,000 babies before retiring in 1984. He volunteered with the Boy Scouts, the American Red Cross and the medical aid ship Hope. Survivors: his wife, Patricia; four daughters, Nancy Rinehart, Lucy Foster, Virginia, MA '91, and Mary Lou Hanske; two sons, Earl and George; and 11 grandchildren.
Mary Aurel Flor Siegfried, '35, JD '38, of San Francisco. She was a history major at Stanford. Survivors include her daughter, Jill.
Ruth Marie Matschullat Artero, '36, of Menlo Park, July 7, at 84, after a brief illness. She graduated with a degree in biological sciences and worked in Argentina for three years. She was a bridge life master and a volunteer for the PTA and the American Association of University Women. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Claude; two daughters, Susan Basso, '62, and Mary, '76; her son, James; and five grandchildren.
Roberta Claire Laughlin Burke, '36, of Medford, Ore., at 84, after a lengthy illness. She was a social science and social thought major at Stanford. Survivors: her husband, John, '34, MBA '34; and her brother, Jack Laughlin, '39, JD '42.
Katherine J. Fuller Gabbert, '36, of Riverside, Calif., June 26, at 83, of cancer. She majored in psychology at Stanford. A resident of Riverside for 61 years, she was a member of numerous civic and community organizations. Survivors: her husband, John; two daughters, Sarah Schmerl, MA '63, and Katie Smith; her son, Scott; six grandchildren; and her sister, Rosamond Shelton.
Bernard N. "Penn" DeRoche Jr., '37, MBA '39, of Walnut Creek, Calif., July 19, at 83. In the Navy during World War II, he rose to the rank of lieutenant commander. He was a magazine editor, writer, photographer and creator of the Northern California Industrial Exposition. Survivors: his wife, Margaret; his daughter, DeeDee Cross; his son, Dave, MA '73; three grandsons; his sister, Constance Davis; and his brother, Dave.
Helen Alice C. Long, '37, of Naples, N.Y. After graduation, she studied at the London School of Economics and the Kathryn Gibbs School in Boston. During World War II, she joined the WAVES and advanced to the rank of lieutenant. Later, she worked for her family's insurance agency and spearheaded a campaign to open a library in Naples, where she devoted much time to community service with her husband, Anton. Survivors: her son, Frank; one grandson; and her sister.
Carolyn Hartwell Moore McCue, '37, of Richmond, Va., in April. At Stanford, she was president of Lagunita, junior Phi Beta Kappa, member of Mortar Board, and a summa cum laude graduate in history. She was first in her class at the U. of Virginia Medical School and the first woman elected president of the 130-year-old Richmond Academy of Medicine. She practiced as a pediatric cardiologist for 42 years. Survivors: her husband of 58 years, Howard; her daughter, Carolyn Osteen; and her son, Scotty.
William Francis Brower, '38, MBA '40, of Eugene, Ore., July 4, at 81, of a stroke following hip-replacement surgery. A certified public accountant, he had his own firm in San Jose for many years. Survivors: his daughter, Judith Bond; his son, Steven; and two grandchildren.
James Bowmar "Bow" Rodgers, '38, of Atherton, June 21, at 82, after a brief illness. At Stanford, he was a member of the football team and Delta Upsilon. During World War II, he served as naval officer and pilot. A well-known figure in the Bay Area insurance business for four decades, he was past president of the Guardsmen in San Francisco and a director of the Avery-Fuller-Welch Children's Foundation. His wife, Carol, predeceased him. Survivors: two sons, Bow Jr. and Robert; and three grandchildren.
Phillip Lloyd Olsen, '39, MBA '69, of Saratoga, Calif., July 1, at 82, after a short illness. At Stanford, he was a member of Sigma Nu and played on the soccer team. He worked for the FMC Corp., a military supplier, and was a leader in area charities and business, receiving the 1958 San Jose Distinguished Citizen Award. After retiring in 1981, he was an avid supporter of the Stanford athletics and Lively Arts programs. Survivors: his wife of 60 years, Dorothy, '39; two sons, Eri and Lou; four grandchildren; and his brother, Ben, '47.
1940s
Norman Juney, '40, of Willows, Calif., March 11, at 80, of a heart attack. At Stanford, he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and the gymnastics team, and captain of the baseball team for two years. After serving in the Army during World War II, he became a rice grower in Willows. In 1986, he was inducted into the Northern California Old-Timers Sports Association Baseball Hall of Fame. Survivors: his wife, Frances; his daughter, Diane Bush; two sons, Mike and Ron; seven grandchildren; and his sister, Doris Killebrew.
Robert Millard Butler, '42, of Stanford, July 5, at 79. A lifelong Stanford sports booster, he was business manager of the athletic department from 1964 to 1973 and then financial manager of the Medical School, retiring in 1983. He also was a volunteer with the Sports Hall of Fame and the Historical Society. After his wife's death in the early 1980s, students boarded with him at his campus home. Survivors: five nieces and a nephew.
Patricia E. Halbriter Doheny, '45, of Beverly Hills, Calif., June 19, at 75. A community leader and supporter of schools and libraries, she served on civic boards and was president of Las Madrinas support group. Survivors include her husband, Patrick, '45.
Douglas N. Jenks, '45, MD '48, of Menlo Park, July 1, at 73. After interning in Stockholm, Sweden, and Modesto, Calif., he served as a medical officer in the Navy during the Korean War. He had his own medical practice in Palo Alto for 18 years, then joined the Palo Alto Medical Clinic. He was a leader in his church for 45 years. Survivors: his wife of 48 years, Charlotte; his son, John; two daughters, Marilyn Nelson and Elizabeth Hammer; seven grandchildren; and his brother, John, '47.
Jacqueline J. Canfield Landale, '46, of San Diego, May 30, at 72. She majored in biological sciences at Stanford. Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Donald, '45, MD '48; and two children.
Merrill Kilbourne Steele, '46, of Vista, Calif., July 12, from complications following a heart attack. At Stanford, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and earned a degree in engineering. He owned businesses in Iowa and was an orange grower and general contractor in California. Survivors: his daughter, Kathleen Rubenson, '69; his son, William; his stepdaughter, Sheryl Luttringer; his stepson, Steve Thompson; seven grandchildren; and his brother, Gordon.
1950s
Alan Dale Parker, '56, of Carlsbad, Calif., June 17, at 69, in an accident. He studied international relations at Stanford and served with the Air Force in Germany. A longtime Stanford fund-raiser, he worked as a financial development officer for educational institutions, museums and other nonprofit organizations. Survivors: his wife, Hjordis; his children, Joakim, '88, Douglas and Jenny; and his sister, Laurel.
1960s
David Christian Evans, '61, MA '69, PhD '78, of Richmond, Va., June 11, at 59, of biliary cancer. At Stanford, he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the El Campo Eating Club and studied abroad in Germany. He spent three years in the Naval Reserve. A scholar of Japanese and naval history, he was appointed in 1973 to the faculty at the U. of Richmond, where he became an associate dean and won two awards for outstanding teaching and leadership. His book, Kaigun, on the imperial Japanese navy was named 1999 Distinguished Book of the Year by the Society for Military History. Survivors: his wife, Carolyn; and three sons, Andrew, Peter and Daniel.
Donald C. Bryant Jr., '64, of Burlingame, June 27, 1998, of cancer. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and the basketball team, and majored in industrial engineering. As senior counsel for the Legal Aid Society, he championed the rights of the underprivileged. Survivors: his wife, Helga; his son, Kevin; his stepson, Sven; his father; and his sisters, Kathleen Richardson and Barbara Briscoe.
1970s
Shari Paula Greenberg McCormick, '71, of Hayward, Calif., May 11, of breast cancer. She majored in psychology and studied overseas in France XIX, then earned an MA in social work from Portland State U. She worked as a counselor in vocational rehabilitation, marriage counseling and women's support groups, and established a private practice. Survivors: her husband, Michael; and her mother, Betty Greenberg.
Business
Fook-Tai Li, MBA '46, of Vancouver, British Columbia, February 2, at 81. Survivors include his wife, Alice; and his daughter, Diane, MA '75.
Engineering
George Harmer Holdaway, MS '56, of Palo Alto, July 14, at 77, of cancer. An aerospace engineer, he held many positions at NASA, retiring in 1980. He served on the Stanford-area board of the Boy Scouts of America for 27 years. Survivors: his wife, Lorna Lee; three sons, Larry, Steven and G. Lee; his daughter, Sherri Baie; his sister, Ortell Boelter; two brothers, David and Richard; and 11 grandchildren.
Gregory C. Minor, MS '66, of Telluride, Colo., July 20, at 62, of cancer. He joined General Electric in San Jose in 1960 and became manager of advanced control and instrumentation, resigning in 1976 to bring attention to safety concerns about nuclear plants, which became his life's crusade. He did volunteer work for the California Nuclear Safeguards Initiative and formed MHB Technical Associates, a consulting firm that evaluated nuclear plants across the country. He also served as technical adviser on the movie The China Syndrome.
Patrick Chi-Fang Hu, MS '68, of Los Altos, June 9, at 54, of cancer. After earning an MBA from the U. of Santa Clara, he joined Sun Microsystems, where he was director of Asia/Pacific operations. He also was an active volunteer for the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. Survivors: his wife, Christina; his daughter, Caroline; his son, Gregory; and his father.
Humanities and Sciences
Laurel H. Turk, PhD '33 (Spanish), of Greencastle, Ind., June 23, at 95. He was professor emeritus of Romance languages at DePauw U., where he taught Spanish for 40 years and headed the department for five until his retirement in 1968. Author of 39 Spanish-language textbooks, he won many honors for outstanding teaching, including being named Knight Commander of the Order of Civil Merit by the Spanish government. He was predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Esther. Survivors: his son, Thomas; his daughter, Jane Schlansker; and two grandchildren.
John Atlee Gilbert, MA '46 (history), of Palo Alto, June 28, at 84. During World War II, he served in the Army and received a Purple Heart. He taught history and political science at San Jose State U. for 24 years and won a distinguished teaching award in 1969. Survivors: his wife, Diana; and his daughter, Charlotte Lebeau.
David Bowman Nicodemus, PhD '46 (physics), of Corvallis, Ore., June 19, at 82. After working on the development of the atomic bomb and teaching for four years at Stanford, he joined the faculty at Oregon State U. in 1950. There he earned many teaching awards and served as dean of the College of Science and dean of faculty before retiring in 1986. His wife, Janet, died in 1981.
Charles Peterson Hoyt, MA '49, PhD '52 (biological sciences), of Dunedin, New Zealand, December 8, 1998, at 77. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army. He later worked as an entomologist for various organizations across the globe and published numerous scientific papers, eventually settling in New Zealand as a senior lecturer at Lincoln U. Survivors: his wife, Moira; his son, James; two daughters, Rosemary and Miriam; and two grandsons.
Denis de Coteau, DMA '64 (music), of San Francisco, July 23, at 70, of cancer. The San Francisco Ballet's renowned music director and conductor for 23 years, he also worked with youth orchestras around the world and taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He won many awards and appeared as guest conductor with dozens of orchestras. Survivors: his wife, Lee Ming; three daughters, Michele, Nadine, MS '92, MBA '99, and Nicole; his stepchildren, Kevin and Yueh Chou; his sister, Shirley; and his twin brother, Norbert.
