Faculty and Staff
Kingsley Davis, of Stanford, February 27, at 88, of complications from Parkinson's disease. One of the world's foremost demographers, he coined the term "zero population growth." He was a senior research fellow emeritus at the Hoover Institution. Before his 1981 Hoover appointment, he served on the faculties of UC-Berkeley and USC. He was the author of some two dozen books and the first sociologist to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences. A descendent of Jefferson Davis, he represented the United States on the U.N. Population Commission and was a member of the Advisory Council of the U.S. Bureau of the Census. He also served as president of the Population Association of America and the American Sociological Association. Survivors: his wife, Marta Seoane; two sons, Jefferson and Alexander; two daughters, Jo Ann Daily and Laura; and two grandchildren.
Rolf Eliassen, of Palo Alto, March 14, at 86, after a fall. He came to Stanford from MIT in 1961 to establish what became one of the nation's leading environmental engineering programs. He also founded one of Stanford's most popular interdisciplinary engineering courses, Man and His Environment, now called Environmental Science and Technology. He was named Silas H. Palmer Professor of Civil Engineering in 1969 and retired in 1973 as Palmer Professor Emeritus. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, supervising all sanitary engineering facilities in nine Western states and achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served as adviser to the White House Office of Science and Technology under Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford. He also was a member of the general advisory committee to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and consultant to the U.S. Public Health Service, the departments of Interior, Commerce and Defense, and California's Department of Water Resources. In 1971, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He became a partner in the consulting environmental engineering firm, Metcalf & Eddy Engineers of Boston and Palo Alto, and served as chair of its board from 1973 until his retirement as chairman emeritus in 1988. Survivors: his wife, Mary; two sons, Thomas and James; and five grandchildren.
Wilbur Richard Knorr, of Palo Alto, March 18, at 51, of melanoma. He held a joint appointment as professor of philosophy and classics, and also served as director of undergraduate study in philosophy. A leading scholar in the field of ancient mathematics, he joined the Stanford faculty in 1979 and helped develop the program in history and philosophy of science. His books include The Ancient Tradition of Geometric Problems, Textual Studies in Ancient and Medieval Geometry and Ancient Sources of the Medieval Tradition of Mechanics. Survivors: his mother, Dorothy; his sister, Valerie Maione; his niece, Elizabeth; and his nephew, Alexander.
Fredrick Christian "Fritz" Kruger, of Woodside, February 9, at 84. He was professor emeritus of applied earth sciences and an internationally known economic geologist and engineer. He served as chair of the department of applied earth sciences from 1966 until his retirement in 1977. He also was associate dean for research in the School of Earth Sciences from 1972 to 1977. Before coming to Stanford, he was the chief geologist and vice president for the mining and exploration division of International Minerals and Chemical Corp. He also taught at Dartmouth College, Northwestern U. and the U. of Tennessee. Survivors: his wife, Helene; his daughter, Jan Christian Kruger Anderson; and two grandchildren.
1920s
Marian Lomax Wilson, '22, of Palo Alto, March 5, at 97. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in mathematics and taught high school in Nebraska City, Neb., and Everett, Wash. Survivors: her son, Harvard; her sister, Frances Lomax Kenny; two nephews, Harvard, '43, MS '47, and James Peterson, MBA '56; her niece, Gretchen Peterson; and her great-nephew, H.L. "Larry" Lomax, '67.
Della Taylor Hoss, '23, of Palo Alto, February 19, at 96. She was illustrator and co-author with Mary Curry Tresidder of Trees of Yosemite, published in 1932, with a revised edition in 1948. Survivors: her son, Peter, '55, LLB '58; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Laura Austin Munson, '23, Engr. '31, of Madison, Wis., January 18, at 93. She was the first woman to earn a civil engineering degree at Stanford. In 1931, she began work on engineering projects to develop the San Francisco Bay Bridge and Boulder Dam, now Hoover Dam. She lived in Washington, D.C., from 1940 to 1942, when she moved to Madison, Wis. She and her husband, Spencer, were active in woodland management on their tree farm in Adams County and they were twice named Tree Farmers of the Year. She was a founding member and remained active in Dale Heitz Presbyterian Church. She was active in the League of Women Voters and served as president from 1960 to 1962. Survivors: her son, Austin; two daughters, Louise Butler and Nancy Livingston; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Dorothy Verbarg Herz, '26, MA '33, of Washington, D.C., at 91, of Alzheimer's disease. She taught at Aptos (Calif.) Junior High School from 1927 to 1940 and, following the death of her husband during World War II, at Mayfield and Garland schools in Palo Alto from 1945 to 1969. Survivors: three daughters, Constance Adler, Julianne Smith, '63, and Jean Felger, '65; and five grandchildren.
Mary Thygeson Shepardson, '26, MA '56, of Palo Alto, at 90, after a long illness. She was professor emeritus at San Francisco State U. An anthropologist and nationally recognized expert in Navajo studies, she authored several books on the Navajo. Survivors: her brother, Phillips Thygeson, '24, MD '28; and her stepdaughter, Barbara Shepardson, '46.
Harris Newmark, '28, of Los Angeles, February 28, at 89. A businessman in Los Angeles for 60 years, he worked as vice president of RCA and later as a stockbroker with Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. Survivors: his wife, Ellen; his daughter, Margo Rosenbaum; his son, Harris III; his stepdaughter, Dale Weitzman; his sister, Eleanor Scharff; and three grandchildren.
Alexander T. Ross, '28, of Hot Springs, Ark., January 14, at 88. He was professor emeritus of neurology at Indiana U. School of Medicine and was the first chair of the department, serving from 1948 to 1971. In recognition of his contributions, the A.T. Ross annual awards were established by the department of neurology. He was a co-founder of the American Academy of Neurology and later served as its vice president. A member of many professional organizations, he served as an officer of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and on NIH advisory councils. In 1971, after his retirement, he was named the first honorary member of the Indiana Neurological Society. During World War II, he served in the Army, part of that time in the surgeon general's office. Survivors: his wife, Ardis; his son, Thomas; his daughter, Judith Ross Thompson; three granddaughters; and three great-grandchildren.
1930s
Jack M. Barbour, '30, of Paradise Valley, Ariz., April 15, 1996, at 87, after a long illness. While at Stanford, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. During World War II, he served as lieutenant commander on the aircraft carrier USS Belleau Wood in the Pacific. After the war, he lived in San Marino and ran his own brokerage and investment firm in Los Angeles. In 1991, he and his wife, Catherine, retired to the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley. Survivors: his wife, Catherine; his daughter, Mary; and his son, Philip.
Mervin L. Hutcherson, '30, of Chandler, Ind., January 10, at 88.
DeWitt Krueger, '30, of Danville, Calif., January 24, at 90. After serving as assistant to Berkeley's city manager and as assistant director of the California State Research Bureau, he formed the state Board of Equalization's Division of Research and Statistics and worked there for 13 years. He then became the head of the property tax department of Safeway Stores, where he worked for 13 years, and then formed his own property tax consulting firm, Krueger, Chandler & Associates. He helped establish the John Muir Medical Center and was a founding director for the hospital's John Muir Medical Center Foundation. He also served on boards of directors of the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the Walnut Creek Elementary School District. He was a founder and vice chairman of the board for the Bank of Contra Costa and a former director of Hibernia Bank. He was one of the founding sponsors of the Regional Center for the Arts. Survivors: his son, Peter; his sister, Evalyn Bell; and two grandchildren.
Milton Silverman, '30, PhD '38, of Woodside, Calif., January 18, at 86, after a long illness. At Stanford, he was an editor of the Daily. He was a science writer for the San Francisco Chronicle while a graduate student and continued working for the Chronicle as a science editor until a heart attack in 1959 forced him to resign. An award-winning journalist, he was renowned for an expedition to the remote Sichuan province in China where he and a paleontologist partner discovered the "dawn redwoods," long thought to be extinct. In 1966, he served as a special assistant to Assistant Secretary of Health Philip R. Lee in the Johnson administration; three years later, he went with Lee to UC-San Francisco, where he wrote a series of books indicting the international marketing practices of major pharmaceutical companies. He served as a researcher for the California Wine Institute and also served a term as president of the National Association of Science Writers. Survivors: his daughter, Lynn Rieke; and his son, Richard, '66.
Gerald Francis Twist, '30, of San Jose, February 7. While at Stanford, he was a member of Delta Upsilon. Survivors include his wife, Martha, '32; two sons, Thomas, '58, MBA '62, and Robert, '60; and his brother, Basil, '41.
Matt Lehmann, '31, MS '54, Engr. '55, of Ventura, Calif., March 24, after a long illness. As a junior at Stanford, he became a member of the "Immortal 21," which recovered the Stanford Axe from UC- Berkeley, whose students originally stole it in 1899. He worked as a consulting engineer for Walt Disney Studios from 1938 to 1942. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1942 and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He made a number of films for Stanford and KQED-TV in the 1960s, then joined a group of Stanford scientists as a photographic research engineer to investigate laser holography applications and became an expert on the use of lasers to produce three-dimensional images. Survivors: his wife, Madge; two daughters, Leslie Braun and Suzanne Parnell; his son, Matthew; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Lester A. Waller, '33, MBA '35, of Palo Alto, March 30, at 85. He was an industrial real estate manager with Renault-Handley from 1955 for 41 years. He was active in the town government of Los Altos Hills, where he resided from 1950 to 1996, and was a longtime member of the Northern California Mercedes-Benz Club. Survivors: his son, Arthur F.; and his grandson, Reed.
Louise Hudson Wilson, '33, MA '34, Gr '58, of Ventura, Calif., February 11, at 85, after a long illness. While at Stanford, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi and was president of Cap and Gown. After teaching high school in Watsonville for a year, she moved to Ventura and taught at Ventura High School during the 1950s. In 1959, she moved to Los Angeles and taught at Beverly Hills High School. After her retirement in 1975, she returned to Ventura. She served for many years as organist, choir director and youth leader at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Survivors: her husband, Emmet Jr., '33; two sons, Richard "Dick" Gould, MA '59, and Robert Gould, '63; her daughter, Jean Gould Bryant, '61, MA '62, PhD '73; two stepsons, James M. Wilson and Emmet H. Wilson III; eight grandchildren, including Sheryl Gould Blaisdell, '84, Richard S. Gould, '90, MBA '95, Colin Gould, '92, and Scott Gould, '93; and nine great-grandchildren.
L. Beecher Kellogg, '34, of Palo Alto, March 6, at 84. While at Stanford, he was managing editor of the Daily. His first job was working as cub reporter for his hometown newspaper, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. He later worked for the Burlington Advance, the Palo Alto Times, the San Francisco News, the San Francisco News Call-Bulletin and, finally, the San Francisco Examiner where he worked as news editor until his retirement in 1977. Survivors: his wife, Alice; two daughters, Susan Harris and Claire; and four grandchildren.
Robert L. Cody, '36, MBA '38, December 28, of Carmel, Calif., at 81, of cancer. He was a pioneer in the mutual fund industry. While at Stanford, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta. He worked at the Commonwealth Group of Funds in San Francisco for 25 years, starting in 1938, and then moved to Los Angeles where he became a senior officer, and later president, of Capital Research and Management Co. He served as director of the Investment Company of America for several years and was the first person from the mutual fund industry to serve as governor of the National Association of Securities Dealers. At the time of his death, he was director emeritus of American Balanced Fund. After retirement, he served as trustee of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the UC-San Diego Foundation. Survivors: his wife, Bettie, '40; his daughter, Carol Shall; his son, William; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Michael Ibs Gonzalez, '37, of San Diego, February 1, at 80, after a brief illness. While at Stanford, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi and the track and field team. During World War II, he served as a lieutenant j.g. in the Navy. He joined the San Diego law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton and Scripps in 1940 and worked there as a probate lawyer and senior partner for nearly 40 years. In 1981, he received the Volunteer of the Year award from the National Society of Fundraising and, in 1982, the Humanitarian Service Award from Senior Adult Services. He served on the development board of Children's Hospital and directed the Rest Haven facility for youths. He was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, former chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, past president of Episcopal Community Services, and a founding member and longtime board member of St. Paul's Episcopal Home Inc. He served as a member and officer of many arts and cultural organizations. Survivors: his son, Michael Jr.; four daughters, Elizabeth Farr Gonzalez, Victoria Harding Gonzalez, Georgiana McShane and Cynthia Hellmann; stepchildren, Betsy Kennedy, Margret Stankovsy, Mary Stuart Fox, Sally Gonzalez, Harvey White, Charles White and Fred B. Snyder; six grandchildren; and 16 step-grandchildren.
John Roger Munger, '37, of Oxnard, Calif., December 11, at 81, after a long illness. While at Stanford, he was a member of the football team's "Vow Boys" and played in two Rose Bowls. During World War II, he was stationed in England as a flight surgeon with the U.S. Army Air Force. He then became the first doctor with a dermatology specialty in Ventura County, where he practiced until his retirement in 1983. Survivors: his wife, Cynthia; three sons, William, David and Daniel; his daughter, Ann Elizabeth Bonson; his sister, Elizabeth Blanchard; and four grandchildren.
Robert Walter Wynne, '38, Gr '38, of Mercer Island, Wash., January 12, at 81. He worked for the Arabian American Oil Co. for 15 years as one of the first American engineers in the Saudi Arabian oil fields. In 1962, he left the Middle East to work for the Boeing Co. as an engineer until his retirement in 1985. He also worked on a variety of defense related construction projects in the Arctic and Greenland. He was a member of a Santa Clara Valley pioneer family. Survivors: his wife, Mildred; three daughters, Geraldine Durkin, Patricia Daugherty and Laurie Gonzalez; his son, Robert; and eight grandchildren.
1940s
Don J. Black, '40, of Boise, Idaho, May 16, 1996, at 78, of natural causes. While at Stanford, he was a member of Theta Chi. He managed several Bay Area engineering and manufacturing firms, including Pabco Products. He returned to Idaho and, from 1957 to 1970, worked as development director for Boise Cascade. He then formed Devco Inc., a real estate and property development company, and served as president and partner until his retirement. Survivors: three daughters, Cynthia Bambic, Patricia von Blumroeder and Kathleen Schendl; his brother, John Tapson; and four grandchildren.
Charles Norman Moss, '40, of Westchester, Calif., at 81. He attended U.S. Army Medical Field Service School from 1944 to 1945 and the U.S. Air Force School of Aviation Medicine. He served in Shanghai and Beijing until 1947, when he was assigned to a special mission in Germany. In 1950 and 1951, he served as team physician for the world champion American Weightlifting Team and also was on the medical staff that helped train the first seven U.S. astronauts. In 1965, he retired from the military with the rank of lieutenant colonel and became medical director at North American Rockwell Corp.-Los Angeles Division. From 1970 to 1981, he was a physician for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. He was a charter member of the Association of Oldetime Barbell and Strongmen. He was a member of 22 professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, and contributed to numerous publications in the medical field. Survivors: his wife, Marge; his son Eric; two daughters, Gail and Lorie Anne; his sister, Mildred; and four grandchildren.
Stanton Swafford, '40, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., March 6, at 78. While at Stanford, he was business manager of the Chaparral and a member of Phi Delta Theta and the soccer team. During World War II, he served in the Navy from 1941 to 1945 and saw action in the Pacific as commanding officer of a gunboat in the battle of Okinawa, and retired as a lieutenant commander. He was internationally recognized as an authority on importing hardwood lumber products and worked from 1960 to 1994 as vice president and sales manager of E.J. Stanton Co. Inc., a lumber company started by his pioneer grandfather. Survivors: his wife, Meri; his son, Stanton Arms; two daughters, Robyn Merino and Katya; two sisters, Virginia David, '37, and Janet Lenihan; and six grandchildren.
Robert Carlton Warren Sr., '40, of Palm Springs, Calif., February 24, at 78, of heart failure. While at Stanford, he was a member of Chi Psi. During World War II, he worked as chief expediter for Henry Kaiser at the Kaiser Shipyards. In 1943, he started Cascade Manufacturing Co., now Cascade Corp., a major manufacturer of hydraulic attachments and accessories for lift trucks. He retired as chairman in 1992, but remained with the company as a director and chairman emeritus. He served on the boards of Esco Corp., the National Association of Manufacturers and Lewis & Clark College. He was past president of the Portland Art Museum. In 1981, he was appointed to President Reagan's Export Council. Survivors: his wife, Nani; two sons, Robert Jr. and William; three daughters, Catherine, Wendy and Elizabeth; and 11 grandchildren.
Marjorie Ann Lewis, '41, of Portola Valley, April 11, at 77, of cancer. While at Stanford, she was a member of the Pi Beta sorority and Cap and Gown Honor Society. She worked as a real estate agent for 25 years, primarily for Fox & Carskadon. She was a member of the Junior League of San Francisco and of Palo Alto as well as the Family Service Agency of San Mateo County, where she was past president of its auxiliary. She also was an elder of Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley. Survivors: three sons, Mark, Rick and Craig; her daughter, Terri Judy; her sister, Barbara Levandoski; her brother, Ted Tight; and 12 grandchildren.
Charles Stimson Jr., '41, of Pasadena, Calif., December 8, at 76. While at Stanford, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He was a lawyer with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Los Angeles. Survivors include his wife.
Arthur C. Wells Sr., '41, of La Jolla, Calif., January 22, at 78, of heart failure. While at Stanford, he was a member of Sigma Nu/Beta Chi. During World War II, he flew test planes in the Army Air Force. After serving 25 years, he retired from the Air Force Reserve as a lieutenant colonel. He directed loan services in San Diego and Imperial counties during his 17 years with the real estate division of Prudential Insurance. He joined San Diego Federal Savings & Loan, now Great American Bank, where he worked for 15 years, specializing in loans, until his retirement in 1979. From the mid-1950s to late 1960s, he officiated high school, junior college, college and military football games as a member of the San Diego Football Officials Association. He also coached youth sports in Point Loma, sang in the Sun Harbor Barbershop Harmony Chorus and was active in humanitarian and civic organizations. He served on the boards of directors of Farmers and Merchants Bank of Long Beach, Shelter Island Inc. and the Chatsworth Adult Center. Survivors: his wife, Jacqueline; three sons, William, Arthur Jr. and David; his sister, Katherine Pederson; and eight grandchildren.
Alfred C. Dildine, '42, of Sacramento, November 23, at 77, of heart failure. During World War II, he served in the Navy as a civil engineer with the Seabees in the Aleutian Islands. He remained in the Navy Reserves after the war and was recalled to serve in the Korean War, during which he oversaw Navy construction projects in Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. He retired in 1979 with the rank of captain. He worked 29 years for Caltrans, retiring in 1978 as a supervising civil engineer overseeing maintenance operations on the state's freeways and highways. He designed and built a home on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, where he participated in numerous civic and social organizations. Survivors: his wife, Margaret; two sons, Robert and Richard; his sister, Marjorie Tanana; and three grandchildren.
William A. Smith, '42, JD '48, of Solvang, Calif., November 1, from complications of Parkinson's disease. While at Stanford, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. Survivors: his wife, Carol, MS '47; his son, Steven; and his daughter, Shelly H. Richardson.
Ralph Swickard, '42, Gr '52, of Los Angeles, February 14, at 86, of stomach cancer. While at Stanford, he played violin and viola in chamber music ensembles and the Stanford student orchestra, played French horn in the Stanford band, and was a member of the track and field team. After three years of service in World War II, he worked briefly in engineering in the Bay Area. He then moved to Southern California and helped produce a film about the Hollywood String Quartet, as well as The Trumpet, starring Rafael Mendez. He independently produced the documentary A Visit With Darius Milhaud, the composer with whom he later studied. He also composed music for dance and theater performances. During the 1970s, he taught electronic music at Santa Barbara City College and was an instructor of music theory at San Jose State U. From 1980 to 1994, he participated in the annual summer Adirondack Festival of American Music. In 1995, he produced the CD Milhaud in Midi and, in 1996, The Gregg Smith Singers Perform Choral and Vocal Music of Ralph Swickard. Survivors: two daughters, Daryl Swickard Russo and Claudine; and two grandchildren.
Natalie Boyle Alpert, '43, of Urbana, Ill., January 20, at 73. She was a faculty member at the U. of Illinois teaching landscape history and planting design in the department of landscape architecture. She served as an assistant department head directing alumni relations and coordinating undergraduate studies. She also maintained a private practice as a residential landscape designer. She was active in the American Society of Landscape Architecture and in community environmental work. The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture honored her with a Special Award of Recognition in 1990 for counseling and supporting women students and faculty. Survivors: her husband, Daniel, PhD '42; two daughters, Amy Arai, '66, and Laura, '68; her brother Lewis; and two grandchildren.
Robert "Oak" Millington, '43, JD '50, of Gridley, Calif., February 13, at 75. While at Stanford, he was a member of Delta Upsilon and the track and field team. He also was a member of the football team and played in the 1941 Rose Bowl. During World War II, he served in the Pacific as a Marine pilot, and in addition to many Air Medals, he earned a Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, he joined the family law firm, Millington & Millington, where he practiced for 46 years. He served as city attorney for Gridley and for neighboring Biggs. He was active in many civic, arts and community organizations and was an active member of his church. Survivors: his wife, Alice; five children, including Terry Millington Storey, '68, and Robin Millington Schaap, '80; and four grandchildren.
Ralph R. Thrift, '43, of Eugene, Ore., October 12, at 75, of respiratory failure. He served in the Army during World War II. He worked as a wholesale wine and beer distributor in Coos Bay. He enjoyed his farm and the outdoors. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Coos Bay Elks Lodge. Survivors: his wife, Madalyn Henninger; three sons, Clyde, Ralph Jr. and Mark; his daughter, Pamela Thrift Hudson; his brother, Hamilton, '36; two sisters, Florence Galla and Katherine Files; and four grandchildren.
Jean Larson Cranmer, '44, of Redlands, Calif., November 17, at 74. She was an award-winning oil and watercolor painter and taught art classes at Redlands Adult School. She was a member of Watercolor West transparent watercolor society, served on its board of directors for 10 years and chaired two of its national shows. She also was an officer and director of Redlands Art Association, a member of the National Watercolor Society, and served on the board of directors of the San Bernardino County Museum's Fine Arts Institute. She donated a number of paintings to community cultural and charitable organizations to raise funds in support of their activities. She was a member of Redlands Country Club Women's Golf Association and won several club tournaments, including the Ladies President Cup in 1981. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Redlands. Survivors: her husband, Rex, '40, LLB '43; two daughters, Joyce Frank, '68, and Dana Tornquist; her son, David; two sisters, Virginia Jellison and Ruth Clark; and six grandchildren.
Sebelle Harden von Hafften, '44, of San Francisco, March 12, at 74, of cancer. A great-grandniece of Leland Stanford, she served on boards and committees for several organizations, including the Stanford Alumni Association and the Fine Arts Auxiliary. She was an avid supporter of the San Francisco Opera. During World War II, she volunteered for the Red Cross Motor Corps in Palo Alto. Survivors: her husband, Alexander, '34, MBA '39; two daughters, Katharine "Kitsi" Loveland, '71, and Sebelle "Cindy" Poole, '77; two sons, Alexander Jr., '79, MS '83, and Robert; and seven grandchildren.
Helen "Sonnie" Nielsen Snedecor, '46, of Tigard, Ore., January 22, at 72. She was a homemaker and a 1972 Rose Festival Court chaperone. Survivors: her husband, Estes "Pete," '45, three daughters, Barbara Stalick, Joy Moran and Diane; her twin sister, Barbara; her sister, Marion; two brothers, Carl and Norman; and three grandchildren.
William W. Hunt, '49, of Sacramento, Calif., January 4, of cancer. He was a retired engineering instructor at American River College. Survivors: his wife, Joan, '50; and three sons.
1950s
John S. "Jack" Kimball, '53, JD '55, of Piedmont, Calif., November 27, at 65, of complications from a long-term pulmonary dysfunction. While at Stanford, he was a member and, for a year, president of Kappa Alpha. After serving in the Army in Kentucky and Germany, he practiced law in San Francisco. He joined Safeway Stores in 1958 as a real property lawyer. He developed a specialty in international food retailing and founded and administered numerous international Safeway operations. He retired as international regional manager and senior vice president of Safeway in 1987. He was co-founder of the Hamburg Players, an English-language theater company in Germany. He also taught international management at John F. Kennedy U. in Orinda, Calif. He was a board member of the Episcopal Homes Foundation and Chaparral House and chaired the board of St. Paul's Episcopal School. Survivors: his wife, Mary, '53; his daughter, Lisa, '80; his brother, Roger, '60; and his sister, Pam O'Donnell, '63.
Robert Boole Legge, '54, of Los Altos, March 28, at 64. He was director of finance and administration at Optivision Inc. As an engineer in the 1970s, he spent four years in Liberia helping build a radio navigation system for the U.S. government. A retired U.S. Coast Guard Reserve captain, he was a 33rd degree Mason and a member of the Palo Alto Elks, the Naval Order of the United States and The Queen's Club. Survivors: his wife, Frankie; three sons, Robert and Devon Legge and Larry Barnett; two daughters, Katherine Bronwen and Amanda; and three grandchildren.
1960s
Diane Vivell Delevett, '63, LLB '66, of Vancouver, Wash., March 2, at 55, of heart failure due to cancer treatment. She worked for Legal Services in Mississippi and California, as deputy public counsel for the Interstate Commerce Commission, and as Missouri state coordinator for the Equal Rights Coalition. She was an attorney with Newberger and Vossmeyer and in private practice in St. Louis. In 1993, she became a licensed realtor with Stan Wiley Inc. in Vancouver. She served as class correspondent for Stanford magazine since 1990. Survivors: her daughter, Simone Claire, '93; and two sisters, Judith Vivell and Claire Nail.
1980s
Diana Dobbs-Melton, '85, of Mill Valley, Calif., March 14, at 33, of complications during childbirth. She was vice president for merchandising and financial planning at Gymboree, the children's clothing chain based in Burlingame. She also was a Sunday school teacher at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. While at Stanford, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi and of the Dollies. Survivors: her husband, Jon; her infant son, Jackson; her parents, Larry and Kathe Dobbs; her brother, Craig; and her sister, Vicki Beck.
1990s
Henry Chih-Hao Tien, '97, of Irvine, Calif., March 24, at 21, of head injuries and severe blood loss after suffering a fall while hiking in Yosemite National Park. He was chief advising associate in an all-freshmen residence in Florence Moore Hall. He also served as liaison between premed student volunteers and clinic staff at the Arbor Free Clinic in Menlo Park. Survivors include his mother, Marjorie, and his sister.
Business
Edward L. Weinberger, MBA '40, of Palo Alto, January 23, at 78. A longtime supporter of Stanford athletics, he was a certified public accountant whose Palo Alto practice served individuals and small businesses. He was a founding member of Temple Beth Am in Los Altos Hills and served as its treasurer. Survivors: his son, Mark, '70; his daughter, Kathy, '72; and two grandchildren.
Education
George Clayton Dirks, MA '50, of San Carlos, Calif., March 5, at 83. He was an elementary school principal in the city of San Mateo for more than 30 years. He served in the Navy during World War II, landing with the troops on D-day and later serving in the Pacific. Survivors: his wife, Reyma; two daughters, Jane Hirtle and Susan; and two grandchildren.
Walter Simonson, MA '52, of Sacramento, Calif., January 26, at 79. During World War II, he served as a captain in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific. He taught school in Woodland, Calif., and Mount Vernon, Wash. In 1955, he moved to Sacramento where he taught for the San Juan Unified School District until retiring in 1975. During retirement, he worked for Haggin Oaks Golf Course and was an active member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Carmichael. Survivors: his wife, Jeanette Brennan; three daughters, Ann Parks, Linda Parks and Jenny Karkas; his son, John; two stepdaughters, Janet Ankley and Judy Wickun; his stepson, Jim Brennan; three sisters, Martha Johanson, Ellen Sanford and Gertrude Rinell; his brother, Ted; 11 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Engineering
Ralph J. Smith, PhD '45, of Stanford, February 11, at 80, of cancer. He was professor emeritus of electrical engineering. He joined the faculty at San Jose State in 1945, helped found the school's engineering department and served as chairman of the division of engineering, mathematics and aeronautics. In the 1950s, he served on San Jose's Planning Commission, both as a member and as chair. He taught summer courses at Stanford before becoming a full professor in 1957. He retired in 1982. A scholarship has been established in his name to support outstanding co-terminal electrical engineering students who demonstrate promise in teaching. He authored several textbooks, including Engineering as a Career, Electronics: Circuits and Devices and Circuits, Devices and Systems. Survivors: his wife, Louise; two sons, Kent and Dan; two daughters, Nancy Anderson and Elaine Culverwell, '80; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Roy Francis Hooley, MS '48, PhD '54, of Vancouver, Canada, in fall 1996. He was a professor of civil engineering at the U. of British Columbia. While at Stanford, he was active in the Stanford Alpine Club.
William Lewis Kelley, MS '62, of Danville, Calif., January 24, at 64. He was a civil engineer and senior vice president of Morrison- Knudsen International for 19 years. Specializing in dam construction, he worked in Iran, Morocco, Senegal, Venezuela and China. He was involved in the planning of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China, and worked on domestic projects in California and Washington. Survivors: his wife, Mae Lee; his daughter, Kathy; two sons, Mike and Patrick; and his sister, Roberta Mae Mooers.
Norman Vanderplaats, MS '64, of Alexandria, Va., January 5, at 59, after open-heart surgery. He was an electrical engineer at Washington's Naval Research Lab for 25 years. He was a Boy Scouts leader, junior high youth adviser, Little League coach and host to exchange students through the Foreign Student Service Council. He also was a member of the Fort Belvoir chapel and was active in civic organizations. Survivors: his wife, Barbara; his son, Kenneth; his daughter, Karen Gregory; and five grandchildren.
Humanities and Sciences
Scott G. Nelson, Gr '31 (English), of Scottsdale, Ariz., January 10, at 91. He was a journalism and English teacher for two years, in Delta, Utah, for three years in South Pasadena, Calif., and for 35 years in Phoenix. As director of publications in the Phoenix Union High School system, 1936 to 1971, he won 23 All-American Awards for best yearbook as well as All-American and International Awards for the excellence of his school newspapers. He was also an editorial assistant for the Arizona Republic and the Phoenix Gazette from 1944 to 1969. He was co-founder of the Phoenix Press Club. The Arizona Scholastic Press Association named him Teacher of the Year in 1970; and in 1971, he was honored by the Arizona Press Association for his contributions to journalism in the state. Survivors: his wife, Edith; two daughters, Joyce Matock and Marcia Cummings; his son, Gary Gemmell; two brothers, Karl and John; nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Maria Eduarda Somavia Moore, MA '33 (Spanish), of Carmel, Calif., January 2, at 87. A descendent of a pioneer California family, she was active in the Catholic Church in Salinas, Carmel and Carmel Valley. Survivors: her husband, Louis, '32, LLB '35; two sons, Louis and Jose; her sister, Juanita Somavia Marihart Hudson; and three grandchildren.
D. Theodore McAllister, MA '43 (English), of Salem, Utah, January 20, at 88, after a brief illness. He taught English at Hangchow Christian College and the National University of Chekiang, and worked in the American Consulate in Shanghai prior to the American involvement in World War II. He was a technical editor at the California Institute of Technology and later became curator of the Michelson Museum, at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station/Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, Calif. He established a chapter of the Society of Technical Writers and Publishers, now the Society for Technical Communications, and served as national president. He also was active in social and arts organizations. Survivors: his wife, "Mef"; his son, Robert; his brother, James, MA '36, PhD '51; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Stanley G. Hawks, Gr '57 (physics), of Santa Maria, Calif., December 1, at 61, of a heart attack. He was a faculty member of Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria. Survivors include his wife, Margaret, and his son, Timothy, '87.
James Edmond Collins, MA '58 (economics), of Menlo Park, April 6, at 79. He was a retired professor of economics. He taught at the U. of Santa Clara from 1948 to 1956; the College of San Mateo from 1956 to 1968; and Cañada College, where he was foreign student adviser, from 1968 to 1986. He worked as a volunteer during his retirement at the Padua Dining Room of St. Anthony's Church in Redwood City. Survivors: his wife, Margarett; four children, Tim, Maura, Catie O'Leary and Rowan Andrews; two grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.
