Faculty and Staff
Lyle Nelson, of Stanford, September 5, at 79, of heart failure. He was director of University relations, Thomas M. Storke Distinguished Professor of Communication emeritus and chair of the department of communication from 1972 to 1979. During World War II, he worked as a technical editor and information specialist for the U.S. government. In the late 1940s and early '50s, he held appointments at U. of Oregon, U. of Michigan and San Francisco State College and was active in the founding of San Francisco's public radio station, KQED. Nelson came to Stanford in 1961, and in 1966, he started the professional journalism program now known as the Knight Fellowship program. He was a national board member of the Nature Conservancy, a trustee of the Hewlett Foundation and the only American member of the Reuter Foundation board. He was also a three-time chair of the National Board of Foreign Scholarships, which oversees the Fulbright program. In 1984 he received Stanford's Cuthbertson award in honor of exceptional service to the University. Survivors include his wife, Corrine; two daughters, Gayle Green and J. Lee; and his sister, Leila Johnston.
1920s
Dorothy Mae Buffum Chandler, '22, of Los Angeles, July 6, at 96. While at Stanford, she met and married Norman Chandler. In 1944, she became her husband's assistant four years after he succeeded his father as publisher of the Los Angeles Times. She was instrumental in inaugurating the paper's Women of the Year awards, which were given to more than 200 women between 1950 and 1976. Her career as a civic fund-raiser began in 1950 when she undertook a successful drive to save the Hollywood Bowl. During the late 1950s and early '60s, she led the fund-raising efforts for the Music Center of Los Angeles, which opened in 1964. It is considered one of her greatest achievements; Time put her on its cover, and the center's largest auditorium, frequent home to the Academy Awards ceremonies, was named the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. She served on numerous boards and presidential commissions, devoting special attention to the U. of California system. In 1985, President Reagan included her in the first group of winners of the National Medal of Arts. Survivors include her son, Otis, '50; her daughter, Camilla Chandler Frost; eight grandchildren, including Norman B., '75, and Harry, '75; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Edward G. Harpoothian, '25, of Los Altos Hills, April 12, at 96. He was an engineer at McDonnell Douglas from 1935 to 1970, with a two-year research position at Boeing Structures from 1962 to 1964. Survivors include his wife, Anne.
Christian W. "Doc" Niemann, '25, MA '26, of Piedmont, Calif., April 10, at 93. He earned a PhD in chemistry in 1929 from the U. of Heidelberg, Germany. A resident of Piedmont since 1931, he was a chemistry teacher at Piedmont High School for 28 years. Survivors: his son, Fred; two daughters, Elizabeth Evans and Marie; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Louis L. Jaffe, '26, of Lexington, Mass., December 11. He was an attorney.
F. Carlyle Harmon, '27, Engr. '28, PhD '30, of Provo, Utah, March 25, at 92, after a lengthy illness. He began his career at Marathon Paper Co. in Wausau, Wis., and joined Johnson and Johnson in 1947. During his 23 years there, he became head of fabrics research and developed highly absorbent nonwoven materials. Among these was the material used in disposable diapers, which was developed from his research on the amoeba, an organism with remarkable absorption capability. He retired in 1970 with 39 patents to his credit. In 1973, after a stint at Brigham Young U.'s research department, he founded Eyring Research Institute, a company that developed a computer for the Minuteman missile, flight simulators for jet fighters, coal gasification products and communications equipment. He sold the company in 1985. He was married to Delta Arbon from 1929 until her death in 1987. In 1988, he married Cleo Carley. Survivors: his wife, Cleo; two children; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; nine step-grandchildren; and four step-great-grandchildren.
William D. Lawrence, '27, Gr '29, of San Leandro, Calif., April 5, at 93. During World War II, he served as an officer in the Marine Corps. He received his PhD from UC-Berkeley in 1936. He was employed by the Oakland Public School District for 34 years and was a stockbroker for 23 years with Protected Investors Brokerage of San Francisco. Survivors: his wife, Edna; and his sister, Dorothy Dudley.
Melville P. Steil, '27, MA '27, of Seattle, June 8, at 93, of respiratory failure. He was an entrepreneur, often working with his uncle, J.B. Simpson. Among their business ventures was the Monarch Brewery in Los Angeles, of which he was president. He moved to Seattle to serve as president of Alaska Arctic Furs for 20 years. While at Stanford, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Survivors: his son, Peter, '65; and two grandchildren.
Phebe Ward Bostwick, '28, Gr '29, of Portola Valley, July 6, at 88. She taught at Calistoga, Piedmont and Sequoia (Redwood City) high schools before joining the faculty of San Francisco City College. During World War II, she headed a U.S. Department of Employment program, counseling women into wartime training for aircraft jobs, and worked as job evaluation supervisor for Ryan Aircraft Co. of San Diego. After the war, she became principal of Galileo Adult School in San Francisco, a position she held for 25 years. She married Alan Bostwick in 1961. After retiring from school administration in 1974, she became active in politics, serving four two-year terms in the of the San Francisco Soroptimists service club and a former editor of the California Journal of Secondary Education. Survivors: her husband, Alan; stepchildren, Paul, Lynda Silva and Susan Spears; eight step-grandchildren; and seven step-great-grandchildren.
Lewis G. Jacobs Jr., '28, MD '32, of Los Altos, June 16, 1996, at 88, of Parkinson's disease. A former San Francisco resident, he moved in with his nephew in Los Altos in 1993. Survivors include his nephew, Chris.
Newton F. Wheeler, '28, Pacific Palisades, Calif., in December. While at Stanford, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. Survivors include his son.
Mary Virginia Cooper White, '28, of Pacific Grove, Calif., January 12.
Hally F. Jones Eastman Irving Pixley, '29, MA '30, of Eureka, Calif., November 1, 1995, at 89. She married Phil Eastman in 1931 and taught math at Eureka Junior High School from 1939 to 1961. In 1946, she married David "Charley" Irving and taught at Roger Fitch Junior High on the Fort Ord Military Reservation, retiring in 1971. She married Wayne R. Pixley in 1972; they lived in Rohnert Park until his death in 1987. Survivors: her son, George Eastman; her daughter, Lynn Bowdish; her brother, Herman Jones; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Malcolm Joseph Renton, '29, of Avalon, Calif., August 1, at 89. He was the former manager of the Santa Catalina Island Co. and helped develop the island resort 26 miles off the coast of Southern California. During his 42 years with the company, he served as assistant to island proprietor and chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, and later as corporate secretary and director. He was also president and director of the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy and vice president of the Wrigley Memorial Garden. He retired in 1975. While at Stanford, he was a member of Los Arcos. Survivors: his third wife, Carolyn Bostrom; a son; and four grandchildren.
John H. Singer, '29, of Lafayette, Calif., June 30, at 90. While at Stanford, he was a member of Sigma Nu/Beta Chi. He was a comptroller with Chevron in San Francisco for 42 years. He also was a member of Free and Accepted Masons, Berkeley Lodge 363, and treasurer of Heather Farms Garden Club. Survivors: two daughters, Susan Mast and Nancy Tyler; his son, John; two brothers, Lewis and Donald, '37; and six grandchildren.
1930s
Frank W. Erlin Jr., '30, of Palo Alto, June 24, at 88. While at Stanford, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He married Elizabeth Folger in 1935 and joined his father-in-law to form the insurance brokerage firm Folger & Erlin. He retired in 1971. He was a member of the Family, a men's club in San Francisco, for 45 years. Survivors: his wife, Elizabeth; twin sons, Peter, '61, and Michael, '61; his sister, Elizabeth Cullinan, '33; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
George E. Moore, '30, Gr '32, of Aptos, Calif., April 14, at 88, after a brief illness. While at Stanford, he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and the tennis team. During the Depression, he worked at the Lodi Sentinel, and in 1935, he and his brother founded the Lodi Times. Following the death of his first wife, he entered the Navy in 1942. He served in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, earning three battle stars, and was honorably discharged with the rank of lieutenant commander. After the war, he managed the Petri Wine Co.'s winery and vineyards in Escalon, Calif. From 1951 to 1973, he owned a series of newpapers, moving from the Concord Transcript to the County News (Aptos) to the Tillamook Headlight Herald in Oregon. In 1973, he and his wife sold the Oregon paper and moved back to Aptos. Survivors: his wife, Beverly; two sons, G. Jeffrey and John, '63; his stepdaughter, Sheilah Siegel; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
John H. Revell, '30, of Indio, Calif., July 9, at 90. While at Stanford, he was a member of Theta Xi. He served in the Army from 1932 to 1937 and the Army Reserves from 1942 to 1946, retiring as a major. He married Catherine Gerrard in 1936. He received his doctor of dental science degree from U. of Southern California Dental College in 1941 and was an instructor there in 1941 and 1942. He had a private practice of dentistry, oral surgery, maxillo-facial and plastic surgery in Shafter, Calif., from 1946 to 1979. A staff member at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield from 1948 to 1979, he was a member of numerous professional associations. Survivors: his wife, Catherine; three daughters, Mary Margaret Goodwin, Maureen Brown and Kathleen; two sons, Timothy and Dennis; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Ward Holm Tanzer, '31, MA '50, of San Francisco, July 21, at 87. While at Stanford, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. In 1942, he returned from a stay in Tahiti and served as an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserve in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, he earned his master's degree and moved to Washington, where he worked for the federal government. He retired to Rehoboth Beach, Del., and became chair of the English department at Delaware Technical and Community College, Owens Campus. In 1984, he returned to San Francisco. He also was a pianist and a published author. Survivors: his wife, Virginia, '34, Gr '50; his daughter, Catherine; and his granddaughter.
Neil Brogger, '32, of San Rafael, Calif., May 17, at 91, after a brief illness. While at Stanford, he was a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda/Lambda Nu. He began working at Bank of America while at Stanford. Rising through the ranks, he was head of corporate finance and president of small business enterprises from 1959 to 1964. In 1963, he directed the bank's Northern California division of equipment finance and leasing, and, two years later, he became the bank's co-representative in New York. In 1969, he returned to San Francisco, where he served in the bank's national division until his retirement in 1971. He sat on the board of directors of Memorex Corp., United Foods Inc. and John Inglis Frozen Foods. He also was a member of numerous professional organizations. Survivors: his daughter, Margot Richardson; two brothers, Harold and Carl; and his sister, Ruth Wahlborg.
William A. Shaw, '33, of Oakland. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi at Stanford. Survivors include his wife.
William Richard "Bill" Conlin, '34, of Sacramento, Calif., June 9, at 84, after a series of strokes and cancer. While at Stanford, he was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi and an editor at the Daily. After graduation, he was a social worker in Sacramento for a year before he was hired by the Sacramento Union. During World War II, he served in the Navy as a junior officer stationed in the Aleutian Islands. In the 1950s and 1960s, he served as host on several radio and TV programs. He worked for 39 years at the Union as a reporter, sports editor, sports columnist, editor and assistant to the publisher. In 1976, he began working for the Sacramento Bee; in 1985, he retired as sports editor, but his nostalgia column continued to run every Sunday through 1996. Survivors: his son, William III; and his grandson.
George Z. Wilson, '34, Gr '53, of Mill Valley, Calif., February 1, 1996. While at Stanford, he was an editor at the Daily. He taught English, drama and humanities at Hayward High School. During the summers, he produced plays at San Francisco State, San Jose State, Stanford and the Community Playhouse in Carmel. He is survived by his son, Alan.
H. Malcolm Witbeck, '34, Engr. '37, of Sacramento, Calif., June 26, at 85, of cancer. During World War II, he served in the Army Corps of Engineers in the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia. He was a Palo Alto city engineer from 1950 to 1973. He also was a colonel in the Honorary Army Reserve and a member of several engineering and social organizations. Survivors: his wife, Ruth; two daughters, Anne Schriefer and Cynthia Jackson; and four grandsons.
Frank H. Bowles Jr., '35, MD '39, of Oakland, Calif., March 19, at 84, of lung cancer. While at Stanford, he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi and the gymnastics team. During World War II, he served as an Army Air Corps flight surgeon. After decades of private practice, he joined the medical staff of the student health service at UC-Berkeley. His specialty was family practice, and he later spent 11 years with Western Physicians Registry until failing health forced his retirement two years ago. Survivors: two sons, Frank III, and David; three daughters, Barbara Holt, Joanne Hill and Nancy Havessy; his brother, William, '52, MD '55; five grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
George Blanchard Fry, '35, of Oakmont, Calif., July 8, at 85, of lymphoma. While at Stanford, he was a member of the water polo team and of Chi Psi. He worked for Matson Navigation and later for Honolulu Oil Corp. He also worked as the Northern California manager for Diners Club for seven years and then for Telecredit in San Francisco. He retired in 1984 as head of the land department of Hillard Oil and Gas. Among his volunteer activities, he served on the board of directors of the University Club of Palo Alto, helped raise funds and did financial planning for St. Albert the Great School in Palo Alto, and was a senior volunteer at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Survivors: his sons, George III and David; his daughters, Susan, Marta, Muffin, Pauline Simmersbach and Taffy Dahl.
Robert R. Gros, '35, Gr '36, of Atherton, April 21, at 82, after a lengthy illness. In 1937, he joined Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s advertising and publicity department and was named the department's manager in 1944. He was appointed vice president of public relations in 1955 and retired in 1976 to pursue his lifelong interests in world affairs. He twice rode the military airlift supply operations into blockaded Berlin after World War II, served several U.S. presidents and was commended by President Eisenhower in 1956 for his services to the American Council on NATO. He was San Francisco's official escort when Premier Nikita Khrushchev visited the Bay Area in 1959. He delivered more than 3,000 lectures to audiences around the world and was a five-time winner of the Freedoms Foundation award for memorable speeches. He was national director of the Navy League of the United States from 1949 to 1972 and a member of its national advisory committee from 1973 to 1982. He also was active in a wide range of community affairs and professional and service organizations. Survivors: his wife, Emily; two daughters, Barbara Hughes and Elizabeth Ann Andrews; and eight grandchildren.
Betty Hansen, '35, of San Mateo, March 14, at 83.
Kathleen Thorburn White, '35, MA '36, of Los Altos, May 29, of a stroke. While at Stanford, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She met Glenn White, MA '36, at Stanford and they married in 1937. She was a member of the P.E.O. sisterhood and the Los Altos United Methodist Church. While living in Marietta, Ohio, she helped found the Friends of the Museum in Marietta. Survivors: her husband, Glenn; her son, Ed, '60; her daughter, Valerie Peterson; seven grand- children; and one great-grandchild.
Marie Louise "MaLou" Dobbs Young, '36, of Ogden, Utah, June 4, at 83. An accomplished dancer, she taught at the Reed School of Dance for many years. She was a member of the Ogden Symphony Guild, St. Joseph's Catholic Church and the Ladies Association at the Ogden Golf and Country Club. She also was a Head Start volunteer. Survivors: two sons, Richard and Stuart; her daughter, Trixie Johnson; her sister, Deirdre Stokes, '37; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Mary E. "Dolly" Burke Fowler, '37, of Santa Monica, Calif., May 25, at 81, of pulmonary disease complications. While at Stanford, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She received her master's degree from Radcliffe in 1939. During the 1940s and '50s she was active in community affairs in Long Beach and served as a board member of Burke's School in San Francisco. She lived in Libya and Iran from 1958 to 1966. Survivors: her husband, John, '34; her daughter, Susan; her son, Bill; and five grandchildren.
F. Audley Hale, '37, of Sacramento, Calif., May 15, at 82.
Wilma "Willie" Pettker Harworth, '37, of Waianae, Hawaii, in May. She met Keith Harworth, '37, Gr '40, at Stanford, and they married after graduation. They lived in Menlo Park and later moved to Redwood City. An active volunteer, she also helped in the family business of manufacturing medical and veterinary instruments. She loved travel and authored seven volumes of her memoirs. Survivors: her husband, Keith; two sons, David and Bill; and three grandchildren.
Harrison Sumner Standley, '37, of Oceanside, Calif., July 4, at 81, of natural causes. After graduation, he attended various art schools. During World War II, he was stationed in Iceland and then was transferred to the Army Section of Military History. He recorded the war on canvas throughout Europe. His finished paintings are stored in the Historical Section of the Pentagon and were displayed during the 50th anniversary of the war. He married Maud van der Klip in 1946. After the war, he taught art in Paris, New York and Connecticut and did advertising work and illustrations for various publications. In 1974, he retired to Oceanside, where he continued to paint. Survivors: his wife, Maud; two nieces; and his nephew.
Katherine Kennedy Qualls, '38, of Los Altos, May 11, at 80. While at Stanford, she was a member of Delta Gamma. Born in Palo Alto, she lived there for 40 years and in Los Altos for 40 years. After graduating, she started her own business, Katherine Kennedy Interiors. She was a volunteer with Stanford Hospital and Stanford Foreign Students and was a member of Palo Alto Congregational Church and the Los Altos Garden Club. She is survived by her husband, Ralph, '37, Gr '39.
John F. P. Brahtz, '39, MS '47, PhD '51, of Carmel, Calif., at 78. While at Stanford, he was a member of Zeta Psi. A commander in the Navy during World War II, he received a commendation for his work in aeronautical engineering. After serving as an associate professor at UCLA, he became a research engineer at Stanford. He was appointed later to the White House Commission on Marine Research and Engineering and was director of engineering at J.H. Pomeroy & Co. in San Francisco. Known for his work in ocean engineering, he co-authored a book series on ocean and coastal zone management and engineering. He was a member of numerous professional and social organizations. Survivors: his wife, Lise; three stepchildren; and eight grandchildren.
Carl Ludwig Hansen, '39, of San Francisco, February 23. While at Stanford, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. Survivors include his wife, Norma.
Harold F. "Hal" Saunders, '39, of Carmel, Calif., October 28, 1995, at 78, of pancreatic cancer. While at Stanford, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and the football and boxing teams. He was a lieutenant commander in the Navy, serving as a pilot during World War II, and was stationed aboard the USS Helena during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After the war, he worked as a broker for North Western Mutual Life in Monterey. In 1949, he started his own mortgage brokering firm, The Saunders Co. He was a board member of First National Bank of Monterey since its opening, a founder of the Pacheco Men's Club, and a member of the Old Capital Club and the Stanford Buck Club. He also was a sponsor of Little League for more than 40 years. Survivors: his wife, Yvonne; three sons, Frank, John and Henry; his daughter, Suzanne Shaw, '74; his brother, Ernest; his sister, Hazel Faber; and 10 grandchildren.
1940s
R. E. Gene Jordan, '40, MBA '42, of Brawley, Calif., June 20. While at Stanford, he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma. He was president of Jordan Implement Co. He also was a member of the 1995 Reunion Homecoming Committee. His wife, Hetty, '42, died in 1996. Survivors include his son, Stephen, '70; and his brother, Merrell, MBA '39.
Betty Jane Poole Coats, '41, of Yuba City, Calif., May 19, at 77. She was a descendant of pioneer families in Yuba and Sutter counties. She worked as a real estate broker, developer and farmer. She was chair of the board of directors of the Yuba-Sutter Campfire Girls and member of the board of directors of the Yuba College Foundation, Peach Tree Golf and Country Club, Alta Regional Center and Sutter Buttes Regional Theater. She was president of the Gamma Chapter of the Alpha Sigma Sorority and a member of many other social, political and educational organizations. A religious instructor for the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine at St. Isidore Catholic Church, she also was a leader with Cub Scouts, Blue Birds and Campfire girls. Survivors: her husband, Robert; two daughters, Betty Starr Heian, '66, and Robin J. Walther, '67; three sons, Francis, '72, Robert, '71, JD/MBA '75, and Thomas; and nine grandchildren.
Martin Seaver, '41, of Mill Valley, Calif., April 20, at 80, of cancer. While at Stanford, he was a member of Delta Chi. He served in the Navy from 1942 to 1946 and, during World War II, was commanding officer of three Naval vessels in the Pacific. After his discharge, he worked in Tokyo as an economic analyst for the U.S. occupation forces. He also helped reorganize the Japanese Boy Scouts from a wartime militaristic youth unit back to a civilian organization. In 1951, he was awarded the Boy Scouts' highest honor, the Silver Beaver, for his efforts. In 1949, he returned to San Francisco and earned a degree from Hastings College of Law in 1952. He joined the U.S. Small Business Administration in 1958 and was regional counsel in charge of Western states until his retirement in 1972. In 1984, he began martial arts studies and earned his first-degree brown belt last year, at the age of 79. Survivors: his daughter, Keven Ann Seaver; and his granddaughter.
Charles Leigh "Charlie" Wheeler, '42, of San Gregorio, Calif., June 28, at 77, of respiratory failure. During World War II, he served in the Army as a weather reconnaissance pilot in the Pacific. He worked as a city planner throughout California and also supervised the modernization of the Navajo Forest Products tribal plant in New Mexico. An avid equestrian, he was a founding member of the Los Altos Hunt and rode in the Tevis Cup cross-country horse race that follows the old Pony Express trail. He served on the San Mateo Country Agricultural Advisory Board and the San Gregorio City Council. Survivors: his wife, Emily; his son, Charles III; his stepdaughters; and three grandchildren.
Charles Dixon Hamilton, '43, of Palm City, Fla., November 17, 1996 at 74, after a lengthy illness. While at Stanford, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. During World War II and the Korean War, he served in the Navy as a lieutenant junior grade. He worked for St. Joseph Packaging Inc. in St. Joseph, Mo., for 43 years, retiring in 1986 as CEO and chair of the board. Survivors: his wife, Nancy, '44; two sons, Charles and Steven, '77, BS '80; two daughters, Teresa H. Baker and Trudy H. Tarkington; and nine grandchildren.
Allyn Scarborough Heehs, '43, of Gladwyne, Pa., May 19, at 75, of pneumonia. While working in the offices of a naval architecture firm in New York, she met Richard Heehs and they were married in 1956 in Beverly Hills, Calif. They settled in Chicago while Richard earned an MBA and, in 1956, they moved to Valley Forge, Pa., where they lived until 1996. She gave most of her time to raising her sons but also participated in community activities and hosted foreign exchange students. Survivors: her husband, Richard; four sons, Rick, Peter, Jeffrey and Alec; and four grandchildren.
Curtis Gephart Maynard, '43, of Albuquerque, N.M., October 4, 1996, at 74, of cardiac arrest. While at Stanford, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. During World War II, he served in the Navy for four years as a lieutenant aboard the USS Oakland in the South Pacific and the submarine USS Tusk in the Atlantic. He married Alice Mayne in 1946, and they moved to Albuquerque, where he became manager of the family's wholesale hardware and building materials business for 15 years. He then worked for 35 years as a stockbroker with Minor/Mee and later E.F. Hutton and retired as a technical analyst with Smith Barney Inc. He was a trustee of the First Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund Foundation and served on the Boy Scouts executive council. Survivors: his wife, Alice, two sons, Mark and Charles; his brother, John; and five grandchildren.
Dorothy May "Dottie" Redman Miller, '45, of Lodi, Calif., December 13, at 73. While at Stanford, she was active in sports and recently received a retroactive Block S award from Stanford. She met George Miller at Stanford, and they married in 1945. An active member of Grace Presbyterian Church, she was an ordained deacon and a choir member. She participated in many local activities, including the library literacy program and the reading program at Vinewood School. She also was a member of the Stockton Chorale choir for many years. Survivors: her husband, George; three daughters, Patricia Thompson, Barbara Zibell and Margaret; her son, George; two sisters, Mary Lou Baldra, '40, and Anna Nell Vorkoeper, Gr '46; her brother, James; and six grandchildren.
John U. Anderson Jr., '47, of Pittsburgh, November 7, 1996, at 75. While at Stanford, he was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi.
Alan Logan, '48, MA '51, of Essex, Conn., April 24. He also lived part time in France. He served as a Naval officer during World War II. His diplomatic career spanned 31 years and included 14 postings in Asia, Africa, the U.S.S.R., the Middle East, Europe and Washington, D.C. His last assignment was as acting ambassador in Gambia in 1983 and 1984. During his Foreign Service career, he specialized in political and economic analysis; his articles and letters have been widely published. From 1983 to 1996, after retirement, he sailed his yacht more than 70,000 miles and was dedicated to opening Russian inland waterways to foreign sailboats in an effort to help promote economic development. In the summer of 1996, he and a large flotilla of foreign boats sailed from the White Sea to St. Petersburg during the 300th anniversary celebration of the creation of the Russian fleet. He was presented with a special award by the President of the Russian Republic of Karelia in gratitude for his achievements. Survivors: his wife, Nicole, MA '52; his son, Philip; three daughters, Sylvia, Diane and Karen; five brothers; and seven grandchildren.
Barton E. "Bart" Merrill, '49, of San Marino, Calif., May 17, of cancer. While at Stanford, he was a member of Theta Xi. Survivors: three daughters, Linda Haas, '81, Karen Gallup and Bonnie Card; and five grandchildren.
1950s
Eileen McCarthy Cliburn, '50, of Pearce, Ariz.
Jerry L. Stanley, '50, of Santa Cruz, Calif., March 29, at 72, of congestive heart failure. During World War II, he served on a Navy P.T. boat in the South Pacific. While at Hastings College of Law, he was stricken with polio but completed his degree. He practiced law in Santa Cruz for 40 years, serving as deputy district attorney early in his career. A lifelong member of the First Congregational Church, he served as moderator and trustee. He was founding secretary and honorary director of the Cabrillo College Foundation, and a member of the Santa Cruz Rotary Club, a Paul Harris Fellow and honorary life member of the Elks Lodge. Survivors include his children and grandchildren.
Ernest "Ernie" Richard Wood, '50, of Palo Alto, July 17, at 77. During World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was a self-employed structural engineer, retiring in February 1997. A member of the Palo Alto Art Club, he did wood sculpture. He also was involved in support groups for the blind and visually impaired. Survivors: his son, Timothy; his daughters, Katherine Rader and Jennifer Wood; and seven grandchildren.
Richard V. De Witt, '51, of South Gate, Calif., April 25, at 67. He served in the U.S. Army. While at Stanford, he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi. A longtime surfer, he was in Class 11 of Los Angeles County Underwater Instructors classes. A member of the Adventurers' Club since 1962, he was known for his offshore racing experiences. Survivors: his wife, Sally; his daughter, Elizabeth Alice; his son, John Holliday; his sister, Mary Sarah Bradley, '54; and two brothers, Douglas and William.
Doris Ellen "Debe" Stoner Lush, '51, of Dingy-St-Clair, France, June 9, at 68, of a heart attack. Survivors: her husband, David, JD '49; her children, Robeen, Ted, Edith, Brett and Marie-Claude; and her grandchildren.
Robert Edward Mansfield, '52, of San Mateo, February 8, at 66, after a stroke. He was an accounting consultant. Survivors: six children, Robert Jr., Joy Mattos, Susan Mattos, Jade, Brooke Atherton and Matthew; his aunt, Mitty; 12 grandchildren; and two former wives, Carolyn Mansfield and Joan Rodoni.
James V. Pollock, '52, MS '54, of Bothell, Wash., May 7, at 67, of gastric cancer. While at Stanford, he was a member of Zeta Psi and lettered in track and basketball. Starting with Signal Oil and Gas after graduation, he pursued a successful career in oil and finance, culminating with the sale of his company, Pollock/Pangea Petroleum in 1988. Survivors: his wife, Susan, '55; three sons, Douglas, Stephen and Bruce, '83, MA '84; and three grandchildren.
Robert T. "Bob" Stimson, '52, of Petaluma, Calif., April 1, at 66. While at Stanford, he was a member of Delta Chi. He served in the Navy and then entered the insurance business in Petaluma in 1956. He sold his agency in 1990 but remained active until his semi-retirement a few years ago. He served two terms on the Petaluma Board of Education. He served on the curriculum committee for Petaluma City Schools and on the first general plan committee. He was an assistant Boy Scout leader, a member of the Petaluma Host Lions Club and a member of the One Grand Club. Survivors: his wife, Joann, '52; three children, Nancy, Jennifer Stimson de Rodriguez, '80, and Jesse; his sister, Joan Green; and two grandchildren.
Elizabeth "Betty" Cramer Collis, '53, of Oakland, May 4, at 66. In 1960, she moved to Alturas, Calif., where she worked as a public health nurse. She married Roger Collis in 1968, and they lived in Galt and Vacaville, Calif., where together they established Collis Suffolk and Dorsets Sheep. In 1980, they purchased a ranch in Oakland and raised sheep. Active in 4-H and FFA, she also was a longtime consignor to the Roseburg Ram Sale and was named "Outstanding Consignor." Survivors: her husband, Roger; three nieces; and her nephew.
Marie L. Telich, '55, MA '56, of Washington, D.C., July 13, at 62.
George W. Ralph, '56, of Holland, Mich., May 18, at 63. While at Stanford, the style of the movie The Wild One as he led a motorcade of motorcyclists through the campus. He ran on a platform to eliminate student government but, despite his victory, it continued. After completing graduate school, he joined the Hope College faculty in 1966, became a full professor of theatre in 1982 and retired in 1997. He served multiple terms as chair of the theater department, was dean for the arts and humanities in 1974-75 and was named Hope Outstanding Professor Educator by the 1971 graduating class. His haiku and tanka poems received international recognition and publication. He served Hope Church as deacon and worship team leader. Survivors: his son, Steve; his daughter, Kim McGraw; his parents, Philip and Louise; his sister, Mary K. Gillard; and a granddaughter.
Sigvart Sande, '56, of Fairfax, Va., March 12, at 63. He was chief operating officer of J. L. Associates Inc.
Hellmut "Karl" Schulze, '57, of Goldendale, Wash., January 15, at 67, in a car accident. He received a Pharm.D. degree from UCSF. He was director of pharmacy at Klickitat Valley Hospital in Washington and also had worked in the pharmaceutical profession in California and Florida. An avid runner, he ran 10K races each Saturday. Survivors: his wife, Patricia; six sons, Kenneth, Anthony, John, Howard, Thomas and Peter; and two daughters, Diana and Susanne.
Janice Ruth Merwin Williams, '58, Gr '66, of Sunnyvale, October 22, 1996, at 59. While at Stanford, she was a member of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and Cap and Gown. She taught at The Music School in Sunnyvale. Survivors include her husband, Paul, '58, MS '59, PhD '73; her son, Matthew; and two brothers, Dennis and Gregory.
1960s
Eleanore "Ginger" Crowell, '63, of Portola Valley, July 9. She was an interior designer and painter whose projects included the Stanford Park Hotel and the Beach House in Half Moon Bay. Survivors: her husband, William '62; three sons, Bhagirit, Talbott and Aubin; her daughter, Liza; her mother, Doris Hale Barry; her sister, Jean Coleman; her brother, Stan Hale; and one grandson.
Stanley Lawson "Butch" Cocks Jr., '66, MBA '68, of Piedmont, Calif., February 4, at 52, of complications following heart and kidney transplants. He was a volunteer fund-raiser for Stanford and an avid Stanford football fan. He was a CPA with Haskins & Sells before serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army in military intelligence and receiving the Army Commendation Medal. In 1972, he joined the Union Fish Co., a family business founded in San Francisco in 1864, and succeeded his father as president of the company, now located in Oakland. He was a past president of Piedmont Community Church, a founding board member of the Lake School and a member of Rotary International and the Claremont Country Club. Survivors: his wife, Pamela; his daughter, Lizzy; his son, Charlie; his parents, Stanley and Dorothy; and his sister, Ashleigh.
Bruce A. Kehrli, '66, of Newport Beach, Calif., May 12, 1996, at 51, of multiple myeloma. While at Stanford, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta and the football and rugby teams. He joined the White House staff in 1970 as a Marine Corps captain and later became special assistant to President Nixon and staff secretary. He returned to Los Angeles in 1974 and worked for home builder Kaufman and Broad Inc. He held executive positions in the real-estate divisions of Bateman, Eichler, Hill Richards Inc. and Pacific Savings Bank, and was an operating partner of the Linpro Co. In recent years, he was executive vice president and director of corporate development for Sasco Electric. He served as executive director of the Children's Education Opportunity Fund and coached many youth baseball and soccer teams. Survivors: his wife, Sterling; his sons, Christopher and Todd; his daughter, Hilleary; and his brother, Peter.
David A. Spence, '67, of Mission Viejo, Calif., June 21, of metastatic melanoma. While at Stanford, he was a member of Theta Chi and the baseball and football teams. From 1968 to 1971, he served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia, where he met his wife, Judy. He worked as a structural engineer for 18 years for several companies in Tulsa, Okla. In 1995, he began working for Wallace/SC Inc. in Irvine, Calif., a consulting engineering office that he opened and managed for Wallace Engineering of Tulsa. Survivors: his wife, Judy; his daughter, Connie; two sons, Kyle and Randy; his parents; and two brothers.
Susan E. Kremser Bunker, '69, of Boulder, Colo., March 4, of complications following heart surgery. She was associate dean in charge of the University of Colorado Executive Programs. Survivors: two daughters, Sarah and Amy; her brother, Paul; two sisters, Pam and Caroline; her mother, Lorraine; and the father of her children, William, '67, MS '68.
Diana E. Forsythe, '69, of Palo Alto, August 14, at 49, of drowning while backpacking in Alaska. A scholar who studied the culture of science and technology, she was the daughter of George Forsythe, founder of Stanford's computer science department, and Alexandra Forsythe, whose teaching specialty at Stanford was the use of computers in education. Though she got her undergraduate degree from Swarthmore, she studied at the Stanford-in-Britain program during the 1967-68 year. After teaching anthropology and computer science at the University of Pittsburgh, she returned to Stanford in 1995 with a fellowship from the System Development Foundation; she was also a visiting scholar at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. Her paper on the hidden cultural assumptions in the way computer systems are designed was published in December 1996. She joined the UCSF faculty this year as an associate professor in the medical anthropology program. Survivors include her husband, Bernard Shen.
1970s
Bryan Keith Devendorf, '71, of Ashland, Ore., April 13, at 49, in an airplane crash. He worked in the securities industry. He was a member of the Jackson County Airport Advisory Board and a lifelong flying enthusiast. Survivors: his mother, Maria; and two sisters.
Gregory James Naff, '76, of Tujunga, Calif., May 19, at 42. He worked for 19 years at Highland Plastics Inc. in Pasadena, where he was a partner and vice president. He is survived by his parents.
1980s
Jennifer Lee Newman-Parker, '84, of Santa Cruz, July 19, at 35. She worked as a youth coordinator for the Braille Institute in Santa Barbara and later was active in Bosnian refugee work in England. Survivors: her husband, John Parker; her parents, Lee and Merrill, MA '55, Newman; and her brother, Jeffrey.
Michelle "Shelly" Wilder, '85, of San Jose, June 21, at 33, of lymphoma. Since graduating, she worked as associate ticket manager in the Stanford athletics department and in the 1990s traveled with the Stanford team to the Final Four in basketball, where she helped accommodate Stanford ticket holders. She helped coordinate the Stanford Centennial Celebration as events and operations manager from 1989 to 1991. In 1996, she took a six-month leave to handle ticketing for the boxing venue at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Survivors: her life partner, Margaret "C.J." Greene; her parents, Carolyn Merovick and John Wilder; two sisters, Tori and Christie; and her brother, Sean.
1990s
Kirsten Lori Frohnmayer, '95, of Eugene, Ore., June 19, at 24, of leukemia. While at Stanford, she was a member of Cap and Gown. She was diagnosed in 1983 with Fanconi anemia and, in 1995, with leukemia. She received a bone-marrow transplant in February 1995 at U. of Minnesota Hospital and was able to attend graduation. She traveled to Milan, Italy, with her mother for an experimental therapy, which was cut short by a lung infection. Returning to Eugene to live with her parents in the spring of 1996, she attended conferences on Fanconi anemia and helped create her own web page to inform people about the disease. She had been helping to develop a new health curriculum at her former high school in south Eugene at the time of her death. Survivors: her parents, David and Lynn, '64; her sister, Amy; and two brothers, Mark and Jonathan.
Earth Sciences
M. Darroll Wood, PhD '69, of Cary, N.C., December 16, at 59. He earned his undergraduate degree at U. of Redlands. He worked at the National Earthquake Center, U.S. Geological Survey, in Menlo Park in the fields of earthquake prediction and preparedness. He founded a successful geophysical service company in the oil and gas exploration and development industry. In recent years, he founded and was president/CEO of ECO-SCAN Inc., an environmental service company in Cary. Survivors: his wife, Janet; three sons, Douglas, Dennis and Dean; his stepson, Michael Kirst; two sisters, Wilma Nunn and Jeanne Adler; and his brother, George.
Education
Charles Wesley "Buddie" Shelburne, MA '49, of Kerrville, Texas, June 10, at 84. He was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1935 and served in the Pacific, China and Iceland, earning a Navy Cross for bravery in combat on Okinawa. He retired as a brigadier general in 1956 and joined Texas Eastman Co. in Longview as superintendent of the engineering department. He became head of the purchasing department in 1964. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and active in many civic and professional organizations. Survivors: his wife, Wilma Kathleen "Katchie"; two daughters, Carol Sue Cunningham Tune and Kathleen Anne Swope; and four grandchildren.
Richard Setsuo Takemoto, MA '56, of San Jose, July 29, at 78. A World War II veteran, he was a retired teacher and administrator with the Palo Alto Unified School District. He also was a swim coach with the Palo Alto Swim Club. Survivors: his wife, Amy; his sons, Steven, Leland, Scott and Paul; his daughter, Lynne Ghiorso; his brothers, Takeshi and Mike; and two grandchildren.
Engineering
Nicholas J. Hoff, PhD '42, of Stanford, August 4, at 91. He was professor emeritus of aeronautics and astronautics and a pioneer in research on the stability of thin-shelled structures. Among his many contributions to the field is his work on aluminum fuselages, common in today's jetliners. He came to Stanford from Hungary in 1939 as a graduate student and then taught at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. In 1957, he returned to Stanford to start an aeronautical engineering department, which developed into one of the leading U.S. centers of teaching and research in aeronautics and astronautics. His published work comprises more than 200 papers and six books, including the widely used text The Analysis of Structures. He served as a consultant to both industry and government and was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the Hungarian Academy of Science, the French Academy of Sciences, the French National Academy of Air and Space and the International Academy of Astronautics. Survivors: his wife, Ruth; his stepdaughter, Karen Brandt; and his brother, George.
Humanities and Sciences
Nicholas Allen Draklich, Gr '51 (political science), of Playa del Rey, Calif., April 14, at 70. He began his career at age 16 as a radio announcer in Fresno, Calif., booking big-band performers. In 1959, he went to work in Los Angeles as associate producer of the animated Chipmunks show and was involved in merchandising the show-related products. In 1967, he began work for Bozo the Clown. He joined Nostalgia Merchant in 1977 and became a key player in setting up the distribution of classic films. From 1982 to 1988, he was a senior vice president of NTA, now known as Republic Pictures. Survivors: his wife, Betty; three daughters; his sister, Barbara Beasley; his brother, Bob; and two granddaughters.
Herman "Pete" Edward Bateman, PhD '53 (history), of Tucson, Ariz., May 23, at 80. He received his undergraduate degree from San Jose State U. in 1937 and his master's degree from UC-Berkeley in 1939. During World War II, he served in the Coast Guard. He was a professor of history at the U. of Arizona for more than 30 years and also served as associate dean of the graduate school. He was a member of several professional and political organizations. He received awards and citations for excellence as an educator and devotion to his profession. Survivors: his wife, Arlene; his daughter, Ann Justison; his son, Thomas; and five grandchildren.
George Augustine Myles, MA '63 (food research), of Lakewood, Colo., at 68, of brain cancer. During the Korean War, he served as an Army captain. After earning his master's degree, he worked for Whirlpool Corp. and then was on the faculty of the U. of Nevada-Reno for eight years. He finished his career with the U.S. Forest Service as an economist and timber taxation specialist. Survivors: his wife, Florence; two sons, Tim and Lee; three daughters, Julie, Delisa and Sheri; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Herbert P. DeRockere, MA '69 (art), of Mill Valley, Calif., July 1, at 55, after a long illness. He was an artist, teacher and pioneer in multimedia who was interested in the aesthetics of chance. He exhibited his paintings at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and at numerous West Coast galleries. Survivors: his wife, Christine Klampe; and his mother, Margaret Hammer.
Law
Thomas C. Hetherington, Gr '54, of Corona, Calif., January 12. Survivors include his wife, Barbara, '54, MA '55.
Russell L. Van Patten, JD '58, of Stateline, Nev., July 8, at 65, of leukemia. He practiced law in Willows, Calif., at the office of Hubbard, Van Patten and Garner. He retired in 1994 and moved to Stateline. Survivors: his wife, Patricia; his son, Russell, '83; his daughter, Jocelyn Cortese; his mother, Bernice; his brother, Irving; and three grandchildren.
Medicine
Harold Y. Yanamura, MD '53, of Santa Ana, Calif., at 83. He was a pathologist. Survivors include his wife and his son, Arthur.
