Faculty and Staff
Agnes Fischer Peterson, of Los Altos, September 1, at 85, of heart failure. She served as reference librarian and curator of the Central and Western European Collections of the Hoover Institution for 41 years. She earned her undergraduate degree in history from the U. of Toronto and her master’s in history from Radcliffe. While at the Hoover Institution, she facilitated the acquisition of some of its most valuable archival collections, including Himmler’s early diaries and videos and posters relating to German reunification. She was involved in the founding of the German Studies Association, now the preeminent professional organization for the study of Germany in the United States. In 1986 she was appointed Hoover Institution research fellow, and in 1990 she received the Distinguished Service Award of the Stanford University Library Council. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Professor Louis John Peterson.
1930s
Gustaf Carl “Gus” Malmquist, ’30 (economics), of Walnut Creek, Calif., September 28, at 102. He was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy during World War II and was awarded the Silver Star. A rancher in Walnut Creek for many years, he was the former director of both the California Farm Bureau and the Walnut Growers Association. His wife of 50 years, Phyllis, predeceased him in 2002.
Henry Edwin Robison, ’34 (history), MBA ’36, of Los Altos, October 22, at 95. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. During World War II he served in the Army and received the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster. He worked for Stanford Research Institute (SRI) from 1953 until his retirement in 1986 in positions including vice president and senior director-international. In 2000 he received SRI’s Gibson Achievement Award for his advocacy of foreign and domestic investment in developing countries and societies. He had served as chair of the Committee for Art at Stanford as well as on the advisory board of the International Center for the Advancement of Management at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was predeceased by two wives; a daughter, Ann (Nancy) Harrington; and a son, Thornton, ’64. Survivors include a daughter, Margaret “Mimi” Robison McCarty, ’76; and six grandchildren.
J. Lowell Groves, ’36 (history), of San Francisco, September 17. He was a member of Zeta Psi fraternity. He served in the Army during World War II. A designer and world traveler, he was awarded the Swedish Vasa Order. He lived on Telegraph Hill for more than 50 years and was a vice president of Telegraph Hill Dwellers. He is survived by a sister.
Bertha McElrath “Betty” Bakewell Harding, ’36 (social science/social thought), of Rutland, Vt., October 6, at 93, of heart failure. She worked as an executive secretary at the University of California Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley until the end of the Manhattan Project. She was predeceased by her husband, John Marion Harding, and a granddaughter. Survivors: one daughter, Lucy Harding Schumer, ’75; and two grandchildren.
Catherine Mary Bates Waltz, ’37 (social science/social thought), of Los Altos, October 13, at 92. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She was a homemaker and volunteer in San Francisco. Her husband of 46 years, Dale Waltz, predeceased her. Survivors: two daughters, Patricia Walkup, MA ’65, and Christine Bebb; one son, Bill Hagbom, ’66; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
George Douglas Albert, ’38 (general engineering), of Portola Valley, January 7, 2008. He was a member of Chi Psi fraternity and earned a master’s in aeronautical engineering from MIT. While working for Kaiser Industries and Hughes Aircraft, he was involved in the design of B-24 and B-25 bombers. He also started his own firm, Albert Air Conveyor, and invented techniques and equipment that resulted in six patents. He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Mary “Muffie” (Valentine, ’38).
Mary Ethel “Muffie” Valentine Albert, ’38 (social science/social thought), of Portola Valley, October 30, 2007. She was a member of Alpha Phi sorority and participated in track and field. As a 42-year resident of Piedmont, Calif., she served as a volunteer for many organizations and charitable institutions. Her husband of 66 years, George Douglas Albert, ’38, died in 2008.
Madeline Albers Burnham, ’39 (psychology), of San Antonio, Texas, October 7, at 90, of cancer. After graduation, she worked at Stanford as a research assistant on Lewis Terman’s gifted children study. A military officer’s wife, she lived in many places, including Japan, France and Germany. She volunteered with the Military Civilian Club of San Antonio and several women’s clubs. Survivors: her husband, Col. Perry Burnham, JD ’40; daughters Marilyn “Rusty” McBride, Cynthia McBride and Nancy Burnham; son Peter Burnham; fifteen grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Thad Barrow McCarty Jr., ’39 (communication), of Vista, Calif., October 27. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and editor of the Daily. After serving in the Army during World War II, he enjoyed a successful career in advertising. Survivors: one brother; and one sister.
Anne Martineau Moulton, ’39 (French), of Los Angeles, September 20, at 90. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. In the early days of World War II, she worked as secretary in the top-secret planning department of Douglas Aircraft Company. Of her many volunteer jobs, she found the years spent as a docent of the L.A. County Museum of Art to be the most rewarding. Her husband, Donald Wachter Moulton, ’37, predeceased her. Survivors: one daughter, Marily Moulton Demere; three sons, Donald, Royal and Lawrence; and eight grandchildren.
Robert S. Reis, ’39 (economics), MBA ’41, of Palo Alto, October 22, at 91. During World War II, he served as a staff weather officer in the Army Air Force. He and a partner purchased City Transfer and Storage Co. of San Francisco, which was later part of the Allied Van Lines network. He later served as chair of the board and chief executive officer of Allied Van Lines. In 1980, the company was renamed DataSafe and refocused on records storage and management. During his career, he served as president of the National Furniture Warehousemen’s Association and president of the San Francisco Better Business Bureau. He was a bridge player and attained the rank of life master. He received a 20-year service pin from the Stanford Alumni Association for his volunteer work with the University. Survivors: his wife, Kato Mendelssohn; four sons, Ron, Tom, Brian and John; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Rolfe W. Salin, ’39 (pre-clinical medicine), of Avila Beach, Calif., July 12. A native of Denmark, he graduated from Boston U. School of Medicine. He became a licensed pilot and flight surgeon, serving during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He completed residencies in both internal medicine and dermatology and was in private practice as a dermatologist after the Korean War until his retirement in 1976. Later he was assistant to the Surgeon General U.S. Coast Guard and also served as a dermatologist at the Vacaville (Calif.) State Hospital. Survivors: his wife of 66 years, Ruth (Dunbar, ’40); a son, Eric Dunbar Salin; a daughter, Dunbar Salin Garman; two granddaughters; and a sister.
1940s
Janet W. Collom, ’40 (speech and drama), of Palo Alto, November 17, at 89. She met her husband, Edward ’40, MBA ’42, while attending Stanford. She worked for 20 years in the department of communications. Survivors: her husband; a daughter, Victoria, ’77; three sons, Edward Jr., Martin, ’71, and Douglas, ’74; and eight grandchildren.
Paul James Lundbeck, ’40 (social science/social thought), of Oakland, October 16, at 90. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He served in the Navy as an anti-submarine net defense officer during and following World War II, and he also served in the Korean War. He was a sales and marketing executive with William Volker & Co. and Mohasca Industries before retiring in 1976. A dedicated swimmer, he was a longtime member of The Hills swim club in Oakland. Survivors: his wife, Maribelle; four stepdaughters; six step-grandchildren; and one step-great-grandson.
Mary Jeane Chambers Bulotti, ’42 (English), of San Mateo, September 30, at 87. She was a member of Cap and Gown honor society and Alpha Phi sorority. She was an active volunteer throughout her life, and as chair of the Junior League’s San Mateo unit, she was a founding member of what is now Coyote Point Museum. She was predeceased by her husband, Charles Bulotti, ’40, MBA ’42. Survivors: two daughters, Suzanne Sutherland and Carla Newbre; one son, Richard; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Robert Cushing Kennedy, ’42 (political science), MBA ’46, of Murray, Utah, October 24, at 88. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and was elected president of the Associated Students while at Stanford Business School. He served in the Marines and was wounded in World War II. He opened a floor-covering business in 1952 and eventually founded Floor Coverings by Bob Kennedy, Inc., in Reno, Nev. He was predeceased by a daughter, Laura. Survivors: eight sons, Bart and Josh Woodcook, Thomas, Bruce and David Mathews, and Robert III, Thomas and John Kennedy; two daughters, Sarah Kennedy-Smith and Hilary Mathews; 30 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and a sister.
James Owen White Jr., ’42 (economics), JD ’48, of San Marino, Calif., October 17, at 88. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He was a forward observer in military campaigns in Italy, France and North Africa and was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. A founding partner in the law firm of Cummins and White, he had served as president of both the American Trial Lawyers Association and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Survivors: his wife, Elizabeth; two sons, Carter and Stewart; and two sisters.
Barbara Colquhoun Mordecai Myers, ’43 (letters), of Charleston, S.C., September 30. She was a member of Phi Beta Pi. During World War II, she served with the Red Cross in Africa. She was predeceased by her husband, deRosset Myers. Survivors: one daughter, Caroline Bailey; two sons, Brooke and deRosset; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and two sisters.
Marion Carolyn Marks Baer, ’45 (sociology), of San Francisco, November 10. She was an avid athlete who met her husband of 52 years, Harold, on the courts of San Francisco’s California Tennis Club. Harold died in 1999. She served on the board of the Institute on Aging. Survivors: two daughters, Carol Mandour and Janet Broude; one son, Hal, ’70; seven granddaughters; two great-grandsons; and a brother.
James Eubank Armstrong, ’47 (general engineering), MS ’48 (mechanical engineering), of Crosby, Texas, October 24. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. A pioneer in the offshore oil and gas industry, he became one of the world’s foremost drilling and workover rig designers for both land and offshore. He was founder and president of IMI Engineering Company. He was predeceased by his first wife, Dorothy, ’47, and youngest daughter, Dede. Survivors: his wife, Barbara; daughters Erica Gade, ’70, and Mary Jane Wilson, ’72; one son, James; three stepsons, Darrell, Barry and Byron Bell; and 33 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Robert J. Fisher, ’47 (English), MA ’49 (education), EDD ’52, of Traverse City, Mich., October 14, at 84, of congenital heart failure. He worked on the Daily. He served in the Navy during World War II, and after completing his doctorate, he spent 34 years teaching at Eastern Michigan U. in the College of Teacher Education. Survivors: his wife, Lolita; a daughter, Chana LeBowitz; a son, David; three stepdaughters, Debbie, Anne and Carol; six grandsons; and a sister, Ruth Henoch, ’49.
Martha Binns Paddock, ’48 (humanities), of Palo Alto, October 1, at 80. She studied Russian and worked as a Russian translator, dealing primarily with scientific writings. She was a volunteer for the Friends of the Palo Alto Library. Her husband, John, ’44, MS ’48, Engr. ’63, predeceased her. Survivors: one daughter, Caroline; three sons, Randy, Richard and John; and seven grandsons.
John W. Shuler Jr., ’48 (electrical engineering), MS ’49 (electrical engineering), of Seattle, September 24, at 85, of Parkinson’s disease. A member of the 1946 NCAA championship golf team, his college career was interrupted by World War II. He worked in the aerospace industry for 30 years, until his retirement from TRW. Survivors: his wife, Mary (Kennedy, ’49); three sons; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Jean Burnet, ’49 (social science/social thought), of Menlo Park, November 7, at 81. She was a member of Cap and Gown and volunteered with that honor society for 50 years. At the 2000 Stanford Associates Award Ceremony, she was recognized for her 35 years as the Class of 1949 correspondent for Stanford. She also served as events chair for her 20th and 25th class reunions. For almost 30 years she was conference and food services manager at Stanford Research Institute International. Survivors: one daughter; one grandson; and a brother.
1950s
Hobert Warren Burns, ’50 (political science), MA ’51, EDD ’57, of Los Gatos, October 14, of cancer. He served in the Coast Guard in World War II and was a Fulbright scholar in Chile. He held many teaching and administrative posts in academics during his lifetime, including dean of the College of Education of Hofstra U. and academic vice president and acting president of San Jose State U. In 1983 he was appointed interim president at Sonoma State U. He published nine books and 99 scholarly articles, and he received the Exemplar Scholar Award in recognition of outstanding teaching. Survivors: his wife of 54 years, Patricia (Rowe, MA ’57); two daughters, Carol and Janifer, ’78; one son, Charles, ’83; and four grandchildren.
Jane Allen Bush Miller, ’50 (English), of Palo Alto, October 25. She volunteered at the Cantor Arts Center for more than 40 years, including a term as chair of the Committee for Art at Stanford.
Thomas Lyle Shawver, ’50 (political science and journalism), of Lansing, Mich., July 25, at 81, of renal cell carcinoma. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and feature editor and writer for the Stanford Daily. He worked for the Associated Press in Chicago, Detroit and Lansing, and in 1962 he became the politics writer for the Detroit Free Press. While there, he was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 1967 Detroit riots. From 1968 until his retirement in 1992, he was public information administrator for the Michigan Department of Transportation. Survivors: his wife, Jean Jenvey Shawver; and a sister, Marian Delp.
George Sylvester Starrett, ’50 (education), MA ’50 (education), of Foster City, Calif., November 6, at 83. He served in the Army during World War II and received his EDD from UCLA. After a number of years as a high school and college instructor, he joined the staff of the California Teachers’ Association and served in a variety of positions during his 34 years there. He also organized the Los Angeles College Teachers’ Association and became its first executive director. Survivors: his wife of 59 years, Jackie; a daughter, Sandy Hawley-Odessky; two sons, Randy and Scott; and six grandchildren.
Alan G. Marer, ’55 (history), of Palo Alto, September 19. He was on the Stanford Daily staff. After two years in the Army, he attended Columbia U. Law School and graduated in 1961. From 1961 until 1967, he worked for the civil rights division of the Justice Department. In 1974 he served as a supervising attorney on the impeachment of President Nixon. The latter part of his career was spent practicing appellate law with his brother, Gerald Z. Marer, JD ’63, who predeceased him. Survivors: his wife, Alison (Cherry, ’58); two sons, Jeffrey and Stephen; and two grandchildren.
Frances Lee Tedesco Thomson, ’55 (psychology), of Palo Alto, October 10, at 75. She traveled the world with Stanford Travel/Study and enjoyed attending Stanford athletic events. She worked for more than 30 years for Trendata & Seiko Instruments in Silicon Valley. She was an enthusiastic patron of the San Francisco Opera and Symphony. Survivors: a son, Eric; a grandson, Alex; and a brother, Joseph.
Edward A. Bucher, ’58, MS ’59 (civil engineering), of San Jose. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and served on the AOHC Sigma Chi fraternity board at Stanford. He was a member of the football and rugby teams. He had a long career as a structural engineer with Malcolm Drilling Co., where he served as vice president. Survivors: his wife of 51 years, Rosemarie; a daughter, Jeanmarie Reahl; three sons, Chris, Ken and Jim; and six grandchildren.
1960s
James E. McLennan, ’62 (chemistry), of Providence, R.I., September 30, at 68. He graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed a neurosurgery residency at Peter Bent Brigham and Children’s Hospital in Boston. From 1980 until 2008, he was a neurosurgeon at Miriam Hospital in Providence and a clinical associate professor at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine of Brown U. His father, Charles McLennan, was chief of obstetrics and gynecology for 30 years at Stanford’s School of Medicine, and his mother, Margaret, was an associate clinical professor in the same department. Survivors: his wife, Karen; two daughters, Jill and Alison; two sisters, Nancy McLennan King, ’64, and Jane McLennan Stearns, ’68; and a brother, Thomas, ’70, MS ’72, MBA ’74.
Kay Rivers Hamilton Evans, ’63 (history), of Bowdoinham, Maine, November 1, at 67, of ovarian cancer. She received a master’s in special education from Columbia U. and a law degree from U. of Maine. She served in several key positions for the state of Maine, including assistant attorney general from 1977 until 1983 and executive director of the Maine State Retirement from 1997 until her retirement in 2005. In 2005 she was appointed to the board of directors of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Survivors: her husband, Richard; two daughters, Morgan Suta and Leah, ’97; two grandsons; and a sister.
Wildene Kay Stafford Palthe, ’63 (architecture), of San Carlos, Calif., October 27, of cancer.
Elizabeth Kelso Ormond, ’68 (Japanese), of Grass Valley, Calif., September 17, at 62, of heart disease. She was a member of the Band. She taught English in Japan and later earned a law degree from Hastings College of the Law. Instead of becoming an attorney, she chose a career in legal research. She served on the board of directors at the Peace Center of Nevada County. Survivors: her stepmother, Rosetta; and her brother, Kenneth Ormond.
1980s
Heather L. Pfotenhauer Wimmer, ’83 (human biology), of Los Altos Hills, of brain cancer. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She was executive director of the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation Investment Fund at Stanford. Survivors: her husband, Gary, ’83; two daughters, Rachel and Kelly; her parents, Norman and Dorothy Pfotenhauer; and four sisters.
Jennifer Lynn Pokluda Peterson, ’88 (economics), of Flower Mound, Texas, August 27, at 42, of brain cancer. She led the Cardinal swim team in the backstroke. She worked at Procter & Gamble in national account management for 12 years before transitioning her energy entirely to her family. Survivors: her husband of 17 years, Erik; a son, Erik Jr.; a daughter, Karly; her parents, Jim and Maria Pokluda; her grandmother, Mary Pokluda, two brothers; and a sister.
2000s
Njuguna Njoroge, ’01 (electrical engineering), MS ’03 (electrical engineering), of Los Altos Hills, November 7, at 29. He defended his doctoral dissertation in electrical engineering at Stanford in 2008. He was born in Kenya, lived in many places throughout his life, and spoke four languages fluently. He served as president of the National Society of Black Scientists and Engineers and participated in a variety of Christian groups. Survivors: his wife, Stephanie (Lane, ’03); his parents; and one sister.
Earth Sciences
Deane Oberste-Lehn, MS ’70, PHD ’76 (geology), of Menlo Park, August 26, at 75, of cancer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from UCLA and worked for Rand Corp. before attending Stanford. After completing her PhD, she was a consulting geological engineer and worked for R&D Associates in Marina Del Ray, Calif. After retirement, she participated in organizations dedicated to the protection of marine mammals and horses.
Education
Leon P. Minear, MA ’41, EDD ’47, of Wyomissing, Pa., October 15, at 93, of pneumonia. He was an assistant professor of education at Denver U. in Colorado and president of Stockton College in California before moving to Portland, Ore., in 1952. He served as superintendant of public instruction in Oregon and was also commissioner of vocational-technical education for the U.S. Office of Education. He retired as a regional commissioner in Denver. He was predeceased by his wife, Dolores. Survivors: his son, Roger, PhD ’70; and two grandchildren.
Edith Catherine “Edie” James Karas, MA ’51, of Gilroy, Calif., November 13, at 87. She was an instructor of English and the humanities at Monterey Peninsula College for more than 20 years, and she authored three college textbooks. She and her late husband, Sam, were known for their commitment to public service on the Peninsula. She co-founded the Alliance on Aging Auxiliary, and she and Sam led the first “Adopt-a-Minefield” campaign in Monterey County to remove unexploded mines from a village in Bosnia. The couple also was invited by Clint Eastwood to have bit parts in his movie The Unforgiven. Survivors: three daughters, Penelope Lockhart, Rachel Holz and Judith; and four grandchildren, including Grant Holz, ’07.
Engineering
Charles R. Kirkley, MS ’68 (computer science), of Mountain View, November 7, at 70, of cancer. He worked at the Stanford Research Institute in the late 1960s and later served as an instructor at Foothill College. Survivors: a daughter, Sondra Glider; a son, Tom; his companion, Susan Edwards; three grandchildren; and a brother.
Humanities and Sciences
Leslie Elliott Knapp, MS ’58 (statistics), of San Antonio, Texas, September 27, at 83. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps at age 18, and after serving in World War II, he attended Upper Iowa U. He later served in the Air Force and retired in 1972 as a lieutenant colonel. He was a command pilot and received many medals and citations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, and Air Medal with four silver clusters. Survivors: his wife of 55 years, Lois; two daughters, Deborah and Rebecca; two sons, Gregory and Douglas; 10 grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.
Gerald Allen Wright, MA ’69 (economics), JD ’69, of Menlo Park, October 5. He was a National Merit Scholar and earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard, and he received a Navy Vietnam Service Medal. He taught law at UCLA and had a private practice in Menlo Park. He was also a successful amateur bike racer and raced in Russia representing the United States. Survivors: his wife, Kim Johnson; his mother; and his sister.
