Faculty and Staff
Clyde Louis Barker, of Santa Clara, Calif., March 28, at 55, of an apparent heart attack. He was a principal installation technician at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) who coached the Stanford racquetball team to the collegiate nationals in the 1990s. He arrived at SLAC as a summer student in 1969 and, throughout the years, installed countless miles of cable, including computer, instrumentation and power wiring for two of the center’s three major endeavors, the BaBar experiment and the SPEAR3 facility. In addition to racquetball, he took part in youth and adult basketball programs at the Community Center in East Palo Alto. Survivors: his wife of 12 years, Shyla; two sons, Andre Avant and Rahsaan; and one granddaughter.
Elizabeth G. Cohen, of Stanford, March 12, at 73, of cancer. She was appointed an assistant professor in the School of Education in 1966 and became a full professor in 1975. She later received a joint appointment in sociology. In 1979, she founded Stanford’s program for complex instruction, which she directed until her retirement in 1999. Her groundbreaking teaching methods use special strategies and support for teachers whose classes are culturally and academically diverse. She wrote many books and articles, including Designing Groupwork: Strategies for Heterogeneous Classrooms. She received the 1998 Presidential Citation of the American Educational Research Association. She served as vice president of the Sociology of Education Association and as trustee of Clark University. Survivors: her husband of 50 years, Bernard; her daughter, Anita Cohen-Williams, one son, Lewis; and one granddaughter.
William Gregory Craig, of San Diego, March 7, at 90, of pneumonia. He was associate dean of students and associate professor of education from 1954 to 1962. He served in the Navy during World War II and directed training for the Peace Corps in the early 1960s. He served as dean of students at Washington State and Kansas State universities. He was chancellor of the California community college system from 1977 to 1980 and of the Vermont State Colleges from 1973 to 1976. He later served as president of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Survivors: his wife, Lorenza; four sons, Gregory, James, Thomas and William; one stepson; and
10 grandchildren.
J. Myron “Mike” Jacobstein, of Stanford, March 25, at 85. After working at several universities, he came to Stanford in 1963 and worked as a law professor and director of the law library until his retirement in 1987. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He wrote a number of books and articles on legal research and law librarianship. He served as president of the American Association of Law Libraries, which honored him with a distinguished service award in 1987. Survivors: his wife of 55 years, Belle; one daughter, Ellen Gilmore; one son, Bennett, ’79; and three grandchildren.
1920s
Grace Fletcher Read Hooper, ’25 (social science/social thought), Gr. ’34 (education), of Piedmont, Calif., March 10, at 100. A member of Alpha Omicron Pi, she did graduate work in drama and taught drama at Barnard College in New York City. Later she taught at the Katherine Branson School in Ross, Calif., and served as social director and director of resident at Pomona College. She was president of the Foothill Philharmonic Association and vice president of the League of Women Voters. She was predeceased by her husband, Frederick, and her son, Robert.
Frank Hogeland Day, ’28 (general engineering), of Great Falls, Mont., January 25, at 99. He was the smelter superintendent for the Cananea Consolidated Copper Co. from 1928 to 1956. For the next 15 years, he managed the Anaconda Co. Reduction Works. He served on the board for Norwest Bank in Butte, Mont. He was honored as a 50-year member of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society in 1991. His wife of 68 years, Helen, died in 2003. Survivors: one daughter, Andrea Greene; one son, Frank “Paco”; 14 grandchildren and stepgrandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; and six step-great-great-grandchildren.
1930s
Bernice Woodard Behrens, ’32 (political science), of Portola Valley, April 20, at 94. For 30 years, she worked in San Francisco as a public relations officer with General Mills and then as an events coordinator for a national millinery company. In 1968, she founded American Women for International Understanding, a nonprofit whose mission is to create a global community of women promoting peace among nations and respect toward other cultures. In 1969, she was named director of the U.S. State Department Reception Center in San Francisco, where she hosted an average of 3,000 guests per year, and later served as deputy chief of protocol. She spent the rest of her life traveling to more than 100 countries, lecturing on women’s rights. Her second husband, Earl Behrens, ’14, died in 1985. Survivors: one daughter, Diane Dalton; and three grandchildren.
June Aileene Reynolds Davidson, ’33 (psychology), of Santa Barbara, Calif., February 18, at 93. In the 1940s, she worked as a social worker and policewoman in Palo Alto. Later she volunteered as a school librarian and for the Girl Scouts. Her husband of 58 years, Donald, died in 1994. Survivors: her two daughters, Gale Busch, ’64, and Jean; two grandchildren; and one sister.
William Arneill Reppy, ’34 (history), of Santa Barbara, Calif., January 1, at 92, of congestive heart failure. A member of the track and field team and Chi Psi, he served in the Army during World War II. In the 1950s, he was appointed to the Superior Court bench in Ventura County. Seventeen years later, Gov. Ronald Reagan appointed him to the California Court of Appeals, Second District, where he served until his retirement in 1974. He was a member of Stanford Associates and served on the board of visitors for the Law School. Survivors: his wife of 65 years, Margot Brownrigg, ’36; and two sons, William Jr., ’63, JD ’66, and Michael, ’67.
Idamyrtle “Teddy” Klepinger Bing Wilcox, ’34 (economics), of Sacramento, January 12, at 91. A member of Chi Omega and a former class correspondent, she belonged to the American Association of University Women and the World Affairs Council. She worked as a secretary and associate consultant with various members and committees of the California State Legislature from 1947 to 1981. Her first husband, D. Gerald Bing, ’29, died in 1987. Her second husband, Paul Wilcox, died in 1977. Survivors: one son, Gerald Bing, ’59; one daughter, Diana McLaughlin, ’62; five grandchildren, including Jennifer Daves, ’85, MA ’86; and seven great-grandchildren.
Margaret Patricia “Peggy” Place Ferris, ’35 (economics), of Sacramento, February 2, at 91. She taught at her mother’s secretarial school in Sacramento. Her husband of 61 years, George, ’37, MD ’41, died in 2002. Survivors: her children, Michael, Peter, Noel and David; and four granddaughters.
Howard Walter Campen, ’36, JD ’40, of San Jose, March 31, at 90. A member of Phi Gamma Delta, he served as skipper of a destroyer escort in the South Pacific during World War II. He was named county executive for Santa Clara in 1957, a post he held until retiring in 1976. He is credited with steering the county through dramatic population growth and the transformation from an agricultural valley to Silicon Valley. His wife of almost 60 years, Betty Jane, died in 1999. Survivors: three sons, Stephen, Gary and Jeffrey; one daughter, Gayle; and five grandchildren.
Julian “Bud” Lesser, ’36 (social science/social thought), of Palm Desert, Calif., March 22, at 90. He was a member of the gymnastics team and went on to become a member of Stanford Associates and to serve as class correspondent for nine years. In the Marine Corps during World War II, he supervised military training films. During the 1940s and 1950s, he produced motion pictures and television series and served on the documentary committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He also enjoyed a career in real estate. In later years, he wrote and lectured on Hollywood and the arts, sought to preserve motion picture history as a board member of the Hollywood Heritage Museum, volunteered at the Living Desert Museum in Palm Desert, and served on the board of the Palm Desert Historical Society. Survivors: his wife, Helene; two sons, Stephen, MA ’65, and David; one daughter, Belinda; two stepchildren; six grandchildren and stepgrandchildren; and one sister.
George S. Livermore, ’36 (graphic arts), of San Francisco, March 3, at 90. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he served in the Army during World War II. He worked as an architect. He was a trustee for San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral for 12 years and served on many boards, including the San Francisco Opera, Civic Light Opera, Town School for Boys and Marin Academy. Survivors: his former spouse, Janet Clifton; three sons, Richard, Thomas and William; five grandchildren; and three brothers, Norman, ’33, MBA ’36, Putnam and John, ’40.
Phyllis June Steffan Windeler, ’36 (biological sciences), MA ’56 (education), of Cottage Grove, Ore., January 13, at 90, of breast cancer. She worked as a school counselor at Mountain View High School and Awalt High School. Survivors: her husband, Robert, ’35; two sons, Robert Jr. and Peter; and one grandson.
Clement E. Smoot Jr., ’37 (history), of Coronado, Calif., February 6, at 91. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he served in the Marine Corps during World War II. He worked for his father’s business, Smoot-Holman, an industrial lighting company, for 30 years. Survivors: his wife, Elizabeth; one son, Peter; and four grandchildren.
Randall Emory Brown, ’38, Gr. ’38 (geology), of Kennewick, Wash., March 17, at 87, of pneumonia. He was a member of Theta Chi and played clarinet in the Band. He worked for the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 1947, he began a long career as a research geologist with General Electric and later with Battelle Memorial Institute. He was a fellow of the Geological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and he served as president of the Northwest Scientific Association. His wife, Helene, died in 1992. Survivors: two sons, Derek and Kevin; and four grandchildren.
Warren H. Buell, ’38 (chemistry), MBA ’40, of Los Angeles, February 14, 2004, at 90. He was a member of the Los Arcos eating club. He worked for the UNOCAL Corp. for 60 years, serving as a chief economist. He was active in the Hancock Historical Society. Survivors: his wife of 63 years, Marjorie; two daughters, Diane Nordell, ’67, and Pamela Erselius; and four grandchildren.
Byron Francis “By” Forderhase, ’38 (economics), of Seattle, December 31, at 88. A member of the Band, he served in the Navy during World War II. He worked for Price Waterhouse for almost 40 years, retiring in 1976. Survivors: his wife of 54 years, Bobbie; two daughters, Katie Potter and Barbara; one son, John; and two grandchildren.
Sanford Philip “Sandy” Lowengart Jr., ’38 (social science/social thought), of Portola Valley, February 14, at 87. A member of the water polo team and Sigma Chi, he served in the Army, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He worked as an investment counselor in San Francisco for more than 50 years. Survivors: his wife, Eleanor “Lynn” Hill, ’48; three sons; Philip, John and Sanford III; three grandchildren; and one sister.
Francis Beveridge DuBois, ’39, of Davis, Calif., February 20, at 91, of cardiac disease. A member of the El Capitan eating club, he worked for the state of California as a statistician and enjoyed a long career in rice farming. He served on the boards of the California Crop Improvement Association and the Rice Growers Association, and he was a founder of the Tomato Growers Association. He also served on the boards of the Carmel Bach Festival, the Monterey Institute of International Studies, the Sacramento Symphony and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. His first wife, Dorothy Evans, ’38, died in 1968. Survivors: his wife of 33 years, Nancy Griffin Neal, ’44; one daughter, Ruth Silverberg; two sons, Miron Neal III and Edward Neal; and one grandchild.
1940s
Martin Mackey, ’40 (general engineering), of Greenbrae, Calif., March 24, at 87. A member of Delta Upsilon, he served in the Navy during World War II. He worked as the West Coast sales manager for H.H. Robertson. During the political and social turmoil of 1968, he quit his corporate job and dedicated his life to finding housing for low- and moderate-income residents of Marin County. He co-founded the Ecumenical Association for Housing (EAH) and was its driving force for two decades. EAH, which has grown from a single employee to 325 has more than 4,500 housing units in 62 projects as far-flung as Hawaii. Survivors: his wife of 61 years, Mary; one son, Haig; one daughter, Muffie Conover; and four grandchildren.
Zelda Reafa Jolin Eisenberg, ’41 (English), of Chico, Calif., April 4, at 84. She started a gourmet cooking school in Burlingame. Survivors: her husband of 59 years, Walter; two sons, George and Geoff; one daughter, Joan Rea; five grandchildren; and two brothers.
Robert Lee Mills, ’41 (preclinical medicine), MD ’44, of Sisters, Ore., December 24, at 83. A member of Los Arcos eating club, he spent 23 years in private practice in the Bay Area until 1974. He served as a plastic surgery consultant in Vietnam on several tours between 1972 and 1975. He then served as a professor of surgery for Stanford until his retirement in 1987. During this time he was also chief of staff and chief of surgery at Santa Clara Medical Center. He was on the boards of the California State Crippled Children’s Service and Interplast and worked as a consultant to the Department of Corrections at San Quentin. Survivors: his two daughters, Catherine Moen and Camra; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
James Richard “Dick” Taylor, ’41 (political science), of Everett, Wash., March 11, at 86. He was a member of the basketball team and Phi Kappa Psi. He and his brother co-owned the family business in Mukilteo, Wash., from 1945 until it was sold in 1991. He served as Mukilteo’s mayor for eight years during the 1950s and early 1960s and was elected to the state house of representatives in Olympia for several terms. His wife of 57 years, Irene, died in 2002, and his son, Stephen, died in 1981. Survivors: his two daughters, Tiffanie Pearson and Sarah; four grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and one brother.
Douglas D. Ordahl, ’42 (chemistry), of Saratoga, Calif., February 17, at 83. A member of El Capitan eating club, he worked as a rocket research scientist and research and development manager for the Navy at China Lake, Calif. He joined United Technologies in 1960, running the propulsion research department for the development of lunar landing systems, booster rocket motors and automobile safety bag inflation. Survivors: his wife, Lorraine; one daughter, Pamela Fox; one son, Rick; and seven grandchildren.
David George Patterson, ’42 (general engineering), MBA ’48, of Alamo, Calif., April 12, at 83. A member of Sigma Nu/Beta Chi, he served in World War II as a combat veteran pilot. After working for 12 years as an engineer for U.S. Steel, he took over the leadership of Patterson Ranches, his grandfather’s properties in Fremont and Livermore, Calif. He was a Boy Scout leader and a member of the John Muir Hospital Foundation. Survivors: his wife, Joan; his children and stepchildren; and many grandchildren.
Ralph Taylor Thompson, ’42 (chemistry), MBA ’47, of Issaquah, Wash., April 4, at 84. A member of the El Toro eating club, he served in the Navy during World War II. After working for Standard Oil Co. for seven years, he formed Gas Processors, where he served as CEO until 1970. He then moved in London and started Ameron Process Systems, a company specializing in engineering and project management. Once back in the United States, he worked as a consultant in the oil business and served as board chair of Petroleum Industry Consultants Inc. Survivors: his wife of 62 years, Dean; one son, Ralph Jr.; and two daughters, Terry and Karen.
Sidney E. Henderson, ’43 (general engineering), of Darien, Conn., February 9, at 82. A member of Chi Psi, he served in the Navy during World War II. He worked as a regional sales manager for Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. from 1958 to 1987. Survivors: his wife, Virginia; three daughters, Lisa Rosenbloom, MA ’70, Cia Marion and Leslie, ’78, PhD ’82; one son, Sidney III; eight grandchildren; and one brother, John, ’51, MD ’55.
Nathan Russell Vail Jr., ’43, of Santa Barbara, Calif., March 31, at 83. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he served in the Merchant Marine during World War II. He was a cattle rancher and partner in the Vail Co. and Vail & Vickers Co. Survivors: his wife of 56 years, Jean Betts, ’47; two sons, Nathan and Timothy; one daughter, Diana; two grandchildren; and one sister.
Helen Dorothy Ahrens Wobermin, ’43 (nursing), of Los Osos, Calif., March 18, at 87. She worked as the school nurse at Lincoln School, Wilson School and Exeter Union High School during the 1950s. Her husband, Arthur, died in 1952. Survivors: her daughter, Elberta Kerr; one son, Stanley; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Betty Anne Brown Lohman, ’44 (nursing), of Menlo Park, February 23, at 83. She and her late husband, John, ’34, lived on a ranch that became the site for Foothill College. They developed the Carmel Valley Golf and Country Club and Quail Lodge. She had many philanthropic interests, including the Peninsula Volunteers and the Meditation Garden at El Camino Hospital. Survivors: two daughters, Jeannette Lawrence, ’72, and Meg Young; and three grandsons.
Thompson N. Spear, ’44 (social science/social thought), of Hanford, Calif., September 12, at 81. A member of the golf team and Beta Theta Pi, he served in the Air Force during World War II. He worked as the general manager of five California Dodge dealerships before becoming owner-manager of the dealership in Hanford. He served on the board of Hanford Community Hospital from 1958 to 1965 and was a member of the Hanford Planning Commission for roughly the same period. Survivors: his wife of 57 years, Barbara Jean King, ’47; one daughter, Dianne Hooton; four grandchildren; and two sisters, Winifred Sampsell, ’41, Gr. ’42, and Janet Taubman, ’47.
Beverly Myrtle Duncan Tucker, ’44 (social science/social thought), of Los Altos, March 3, at 83. She taught at Castro School in Mountain View for several years. Her husband, P. Usher, ’41, died in 1991. Survivors: three sons, Kirk, Jay and John; seven grandchildren; and one sister.
Neva June Haight Woodbury, ’44 (humanities), of Los Gatos, Calif., April 5, at 82.
Jane Ann Horrall Stempel Coldiron, ’46 (psychology), of Sonoma, Calif., April 1, at 80. She was a member of the Tri Delta sorority. She was the president of Stempel’s Bakery from 1972 to 1975. She was also the president of Catholic Social Services of Marin and served on the board of Marin Charitable. Her first husband, George Stempel Jr., ’44, died in 1970. Survivors: her husband of 30 years, Gene, ’40, MBA ’48; four sons, Mark, Greg, Terry and Bob Stempel; one daughter, Tracy Hogan; two stepdaughters; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and one brother.
Alfred W. Baxter, ’47 (philosophy), of Berkeley, March 7, at 78, of heart problems. A World War II veteran, he was a founding member of the Stanford Alpine Club. He taught at UC-Berkeley and served as an assistant to Chancellor Clark Kerr, MA ’33 from 1954 to 1958. He then started a management-consulting firm in San Francisco, Baxter McDonald and Co. In the late 1960s, he started making wine in the Oakland hills, and the operation evolved into Veedercrest Vineyards, an award-winning winery. His first wife, Gail Fleming, ’52, died in the Berkeley Hills fire of 1991. Survivors: his wife, Mary Sherrill Mead, ’50; three sons, Andy, Eric and Willard; and four grandchildren.
Myrna Lee Strock Danforth, ’47 (Spanish), of Boulder City, Nev., March 16, at 78, of multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome. She taught in the San Francisco Unified School District until 1990. Survivors: two daughters, Lauren Dixon and Darcy Keeling; one son, Richard Snell; two grandsons; two great-granddaughters; and one sister, Merrie Lou Strock Hongola, ’50.
James Evert Denebeim, ’47 (undergraduate law), JD ’49, of Belvedere, Calif., February 27, at 88, of pneumonia. He served in the Marines during World War II and was a member of the El Tigre eating club. Along with his two brothers, he founded Liberty National Bank. He served as president of First National Bank of Vista, Liberty National Bank, Chartered Bank of London, Union Bank and the Pacific Bank. Survivors: his wife of 48 years, Helene; two sons, Steve, ’81, and Mark; two daughters, Suzanne Atherly and Ellen; four grandchildren; and one brother.
Kathleen W. “Pat” Ackerson Foote, ’47 (social science/social thought), of Lincoln, Neb., February 22, at 78. She was the first woman elected to the Nebraska unicameral legislature in 1954. She spent $81 in the campaign and ran unopposed for re-election two years later. During her four years as a senator, she was a champion of outdoor recreation, education and women’s rights. In 1969, she joined the Game and Parks Commission as an outdoor recreation planner and retired in 2001. Survivors: two daughters, Kathleen Durham, ’71, and Karen; two sons, John and James; five grandchildren; and two sisters.
William Edward Minette, ’47 (communication), of Falls Church, Va., March 11, at 84, of renal failure. A Navy pilot during World War II, he served as editor-in-chief of the Quad and was on the staff of the Stanford Daily. He worked for NBC radio in San Francisco, Radio Free Asia in the Philippines, UPI in London and as an overseas broadcast consultant, primarily in the Middle East. After retiring to Arizona, he was elected in 1991 as the first state Democrat party chair from Southern Arizona in 30 years. His wife of 45 years, Marthagrace Powell, ’43, died in 1989. Survivors: his two daughters, Charlotte Kaplow and Mary, ’86; two sons, Michael and Gordon; and five grandchildren.
James William Kozy, ’48 (communication), of Palo Alto, April 23, at 86. A member of Theta Chi, he served in the Air Force during World War II. He enjoyed a long career in real estate. Survivors: his wife of 53 years, Della; two sons, Anthony and Craig; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Shelly Cottrell Burwell, ’49 (social science/ social thought), of San Marino, Calif., January 13. Survivors: her husband, Lucius, ’49; two daughters, Lisa Gustafsson and Kimberly Cabrera; two sons, Gregory and Phillip; 11 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Glen Douglas Holtby, ’49 (economics), MA ’72 (education), of Cupertino, February 22, at 79. A member of the track and field team, he belonged to Phi Kappa Psi and Theta Chi. He served in the Army during World War II. He taught math at Blackford and Westmont in the Campbell Union High School District for many years. Survivors: his wife of 54 years, Ally Aitken, ’49; one son, Doug; three daughters, Susan Harris, Kim Miller and Claire Gibson; eight grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
Robert G. Kirby, ’49 (psychology), of Montecito, Calif., April 13, at 80. He spent 40 years as a senior executive of the Capital Group Cos. and helped found the Capital Guardian Trust Co., managing billions of dollars in tax-exempt retirement and other institutional funds. He served on President Reagan’s five-man Brady Commission investigating the causes behind the October 1987 stock market crash. He was a trustee of the College Retirement Equity Board and Harvey Mudd College. He was also a member of the board of governors of the Pacific Stock Exchange and a director of Lockheed Corp. Survivors: his wife, Marvel; eight children, including Robin, ’85; and 13 grandchildren.
1950s
Beverley Katharine Newman Donaca, ’50 (political science), of Portland, Ore., January 6, at 75, of cancer. She was a member of the Junior League of Portland. Survivors: her husband of 53 years, Thomas, ’50; two daughters, Susan Mace and Leslie Petroff, ’77; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and one sister, Ann Collings, ’56.
John David “Jack” Miller, ’50 (social science/social thought), JD ’53, of Long Beach, Calif., December 30, at 77. A member of Phi Delta Theta, he served in the Army during the Korean War. In 1969, he was appointed by Gov. Ronald Reagan to the Law Revision Commission of California. He was a former partner of Miller, Bronn, Brummett & Porter, a firm that pioneered class-action aviation litigation. Later he became counsel to the partnership of Ball, Hunt, Hart, Brown and Barowowitz until he retired in 1995. He served on the board of trustees for St. Mary’s Hospital and worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach. His wife, Barbara Decker, predeceased him. Survivors: his two sons, Thomas and Timothy; two daughters, Jennifer Olsson and Karen Harris; and five grandchildren.
Michael Graham “Mickey” Titus, ’50 (economics), of Arroyo Grande, Calif., February 8, at 76. He was a member of the football team and Phi Kappa Psi. He worked in the wholesale drug industry with Coffin-Redington Co. of San Francisco, Brunswig Drug Co. of Los Angeles and as owner and president of Marketing Programs Inc. He served on the board of Camp Fire USA and as chairman of the board of governors of the 28-branch Los Angeles metropolitan YMCA. Survivors: his wife of 55 years, Lynn Cox, ’49; three daughters, Sue Prock, Colleen Martin and Kathleen; two sons, David and Patrick; and seven grandchildren.
Mary Ann Walters Robbins, ’51 (history), of Mill Valley, Calif., April 6, at 75. She worked for various causes including juvenile justice and child abuse prevention. Her former husband, Dick, predeceased her. Survivors: her four daughters, Marya Bell, Page, Catherine and Marsha; four grandchildren; and her brother, Sumner Walters, ’49.
Shirley Carr Dalton Schieber, ’51 (education), of Corona del Mar, Calif., December 24, at 75, of a cerebral hemorrhage. She taught at Cal State-Fullerton and at Orange Coast College. She also wrote poetry and children’s books. Survivors: her former spouse, Norman, ’48; one daughter, Harmony Gates; two sons, Michael and Craig; and one granddaughter.
Leonard Lincoln Sherman, ’51, of Auburn, Wash., March 3, at 81. He served in the Air Force during World War II. He worked for the Boeing Airplane Co. for 30 years as staff engineer in the flutter and dynamics group. He was a longtime member of the Society of Antique Modelers and the Eagle Squadron of Flying Aces. Survivors: his wife, Marion; one daughter, Virginia Weaver; one son, David; two grandchildren; and one sister.
Duncan P. Davidson, ’52 (undergraduate law), JD ’54, of Fremont, Calif., February 17, at 77. He worked for the state of California for 25 years as a workers’ compensation judge. Survivors: his wife, Anne Marie; two daughters, Janet Miller and Patty; one son, Duncan Scott; four grandchildren; and one brother.
Erle Rodney Kirk, ’52 (psychology), MA ’53 (education), of Los Altos Hills, in April, at 81. He served in the Army during World War II. He was a probation officer for the county of Santa Clara until 1962. He taught psychology at Foothill College for 25 years, was the school psychologist for a number of years and ran a private marriage and family counseling practice for more than 40 years. His wife, Dorothy, predeceased him. Survivors: his daughter, Sue Williams; one son, Ken; and three grandchildren.
Charlotte Kempner Davis Beyers, ’53 (English), MA ’70 (communication), of Palo Alto, March 10, at 73, of lymphoma. She was an award-winning filmmaker and journalist whose work explored social issues including poverty, drug abuse and fear of AIDS. During her career, she produced 15 documentaries and wrote for publications ranging from the Times of London and Nature magazine to the New York Times. Her husband of 32 years, Robert Beyers, who directed the Stanford News Service for 30 years, died in 2002. Survivors: three daughters, Pamela Kivelson, Nancy Stewart and Cynthia Kanner; one son, Alan Davis; three stepchildren, including Robbie Beyers, ’80, MS ’82, PhD ’89; 13 grandchildren and stepgrandchildren; and one sister.
John Murray Huneke, ’53 (mechanical engineering), MBA ’55, of Atherton, January 8, at 75. A member of the tennis team and Phi Kappa Psi, he was a senior executive with Bechtel Investments in San Francisco. Survivors: his wife, Pencie; one son, Murray, ’83; two daughters, Christine Kremer, ’84, and Lorraine; five stepdaughters; four grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; one brother; and two sisters.
William Henry McCaffrey Jr., ’53 (chemical engineering), of Encinitas, Calif., November 30, of lung cancer. A member of the crew team and Alpha Kappa Lambda, he worked in sales management in the chemical industry. Survivors: his wife of 51 years, Gloria Griffith, ’54, MA ’55; one son, Michael; one daughter, Alice Meyers; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one sister.
Louise Butler Wright, ’53 (geography), of San Jose, April 19, at 73, of a stroke. She was involved in various organizations, including P.E.O., the Art History Society, and the Master Gardeners. Survivors: her husband of 52 years, Richard; two sons, Jon and Jeff; one granddaughter; one brother; and one stepsister.
Elizabeth Littler Diether, ’54 (psychology), of Palo Alto, April 8, at 72. She was a teacher in local schools and a Girl Scout leader. Survivors: her husband, Philip, ’58; two daughters, Gretchen and Ingrid; and one son, Jeff.
Margot Bernstein Kohen, ’54 (sociology), of Alamo, Calif., November 20, at 71, of breast cancer. She was active in East Bay cultural affairs and served for 20 years as a history docent at the Oakland Museum. Survivors: her husband, Joseph; one daughter, Susan Decker; one son, Douglas; four grandchildren; and one brother.
Karel Laurens Koke, ’56 (economics), of Santa Clara, Calif., April 17, at 75. Survivors: his wife, Gladys; one daughter, Cynthia; two sons, Kellan and Anthony; four grandchildren; and two sisters.
Carole Deane Moody Gledhill, ’59, of Orinda, Calif., March 26, at 67, of pancreatic cancer. She was involved in many charitable activities and volunteer services at church and other nonprofit organizations. Survivors: her husband of 46 years, Bob, ’55; one daughter, Susan; one son, Scott; one grandson; and one sister.
Annette Clyde Rose, ’59 (social science/social thought), of Montecito, Calif., April 5, at 68, of cancer. Active in the community, she served as president of the Ventura Concert series, and spent time doing photography and interior design. Survivors: her three sons, Kevin, Jack and David; eight grandchildren; her mother; three siblings; and her former spouse, Ron Rose, ’57, MBA ’61.
1960s
Suzanne Kerr Duerden, ’62 (international relations), of Stinson Beach, Calif., February 11, at 64, of cancer. She taught U.S. history and Spanish at St. Rose Academy through the 1970s. After earning a law degree, she worked as a prosecuting attorney in the office of the Marin County District Attorney for 20 years. Survivors: her husband, Mark White; two daughters, Kathy Rogers, ’85, MS ’86, and Jennifer Nolan, ’86; three granddaughters; and one sister.
Jeanne Vanpatten Murray Veasey, ’65 (history), of Phoenix, March 25, at 61, of breast cancer. A member of the women’s swimming team, she worked in publishing in Boston and as a systems analyst in New York City. Survivors include her sister.
Peter Donnell “Don” Knecht Jr., ’67 (general engineering), of Aptos, Calif., March 6, at 60. He was a member of El Cuadro eating club. He served in the Navy before joining General Electric, where he worked in nuclear services as an engineer for almost 30 years. Survivors: his two sons, Peter and Russell; two granddaughters; his mother, Janet Biby Knecht, ’38; two sisters, including Carolyn Longstreth, ’70; and one brother.
1970s
David Wayne Young, ’72, MS ’72 (civil engineering), of Alamo, Calif., January 7, 2004, at 59. He was president of D.W. Young Construction for 25 years. Survivors: his wife of 35 years, Barbara; one daughter, Jennifer; and his sons.
Sherri Lynn Brown, ’76 (biological sciences), of Agoura Hills, Calif., February 13, at 50, of multiple sclerosis. She was the medical director for oncological products and international safety at Amgen for many years. Survivors: her husband of 26 years, David Braun, ’75, MD ’79; one son, Eric; one daughter, Elisabeth; her parents; one sister; and one brother.
1990s
Celeste Campbell, ’91 (communication), of Willingboro, N.J., March 12, at 34, of scleroderma. She worked in Hollywood, Calif., as a post-post-production assistant on the television show I’ll Fly Away. After returning to New Jersey, she worked for Barnes & Noble as a department manager. Survivors: her mother and father; her stepfather; one brother; and two stepsisters.
Jeanie Lauer, ’95 (human biology), of Menlo Park, March 28, at 31, of a brain tumor. She was a member of the women’s water polo team, a Robinson House staff member and a windsurfing instructor, and she worked at Stanford Sierra Camp for two seasons. After earning a master’s of environmental management from Duke U., she worked as a land manager for the Peninsula Open Space Trust, where she focused on protecting open lands in coastal San Mateo County. Survivors: her parents, Allen, ’59, and Kathleen; and one brother.
2000s
Eric Groff, ’00 (English and history), of San Diego and Troy, Mont., February 25, at 26, in a car accident. A member of the rugby team and Phi Delta Theta, he was working as a high school English teacher and coaching football and basketball. Survivors include his mother.
Business
Vance Edward Miller Jr., MBA ’63, of Portola Valley, November 21, at 75, of multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. He served in the Navy, managing modernization and repair projects on World War II-era aircraft carriers, ships and submarines. In 1965, he joined the logistics systems research group at Stanford Research Institute, working as a consultant all over the world. He later pursued a career in retirement planning, becoming a certified financial planner and an IRS enrolled agent. He served as a member of the San Mateo County committee on school district organization and was a director of the Ladera recreation district. Survivors: his wife of 47 years, Jacquelyn Harris, ’52; one son, Darrell; two daughters, Kerstin, ’81, MA ’82, and Trynne; five grandchildren; and one sister.
Earth Sciences
Jacob Johannes Piet “Jaap” Eerligh, MS ’67 (petroleum engineering), of Austin, Texas, December 31, at 68, of melanoma. He spent his entire career working as an engineer for Exxon in California, Alaska, Indonesia, England, Norway and the Ivory Coast. Survivors: his wife of 38 years, Els; one daughter, Christina Mason; and one granddaughter.
Education
James Arthur “Art” Boland, MA ’50, of Fairfield, Calif., April 2, at 86. He served in the Navy during World War II. During his 27-year tenure at Abraham Lincoln High School, he was a science and math teacher and coach of football, basketball, baseball and tennis. He retired in 1978. Survivors: his wife, Anna; three daughters, Susie Wilson, Kathy Rose and Louanne Wasserman; one son, Jim; nine grandchildren; and one sister.
Eugene E. Whitworth, MA ’51, Gr. ’52, of San Francisco, December 28, at 93. He served in the Marine Corps during World War II. He spent almost 40 years at Pacific Gas and Electric Co., working in customer service and public relations until his retirement in the mid-1970s. He also founded Great Western Brotherhood, a loosely formed San Francisco university that concentrated on the study of metaphysics and religion. He is the author of 10 books. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Ruth.
Clay S. Andrews, EdD ’57, of Menlo Park, April 23, at 83. He served as an Army medic in North Africa and Italy during World War II. He worked as a teacher and administrator at San Jose State for almost 40 years. In retirement, he was a volunteer at Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Survivors include his wife, Jane.
James Bert Carpenter Jr., MA ’58, of San Diego, March 2, 2004, at 85. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1940 and retired 29 years later as a colonel. He then worked for San Diego city schools as a naval science instructor. Survivors: his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth; one daughter, Mary Ellsworth; one grandson; and one sister.
Joan Haw, MA ’65, of Sacramento, February 4, at 72. A member of Sigma Kappa, she taught kindergarten for 11 years in the Monterey School District. After earning her master’s degree, she taught kindergarten in the West Sacramento School District for 27 years until her retirement. Survivors include her brother.
Douglas Ross Fertig, MA ’74, of Alexandria, Va., April 2, at 54, of kidney cancer. He was management services administrator for the city of Columbus, Ohio, and director of personnel for Windsor, Conn. He settled in the Washington area in 1988 and spent the next eight years as director of personnel services for Alexandria. In 1996, he became director of human resources for the U.S. Senate. Survivors: his wife of 23 years, Susan Hepler; one daughter, Emily; one son, Andrew; and one brother.
Marilyn Joan Benton, Gr. ’92, of Sausalito, Calif., February 26, at 66. Survivors: two daughters, Bonnie Goldstein and Alisa; one son, Scott; her father; and one brother.
Engineering
John Keith Hayes, Engr. ’40 (mining), of Provo, Utah, May 6, 2004, at 87, of a cerebral hemorrhage. In 1940, he accepted a job in the mining and raw materials division of the United States Steel Corp., where he remained until 1981. He served in the Army during World War II and retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves Corps of Engineers. Survivors: his wife of 58 years, Lillian; three daughters, Margaret Allen, Geraldine Lasater and Bonnie Callis; three sons, John Jr., Frederick and Richard; 26 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two sisters; and one brother.
Michael Christian Holt, MS ’91 (electrical engineering), of Redwood City, March 5, at 35, in an auto accident. Survivors: his wife of five years, Flora Lu; his mother; and one sister.
Humanities and Sciences
Miriam Drum Gray, MA ’35 (French), of San Francisco, April 16, at 91. During World War II, she worked as a censor with the U.S. Office of Censorship in San Francisco. She was president of Catholic Charities and was a writer for the Catholic Monitor newspaper. She was also president of the Bay Area chapter of the American Cancer Society. Survivors: her husband of 62 years, Tom; three daughters, Ann Miller, Kathleen Johnson and Janie Burtch; one son, Bill; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Daniel Walter Machon, MA ’42 (Spanish), of Palm Beach, Fla., March 14, 2004, at 90. He served in the Marine Corps during World War II. He taught Spanish at Yale and at the Choate School in Wallingford, Conn. He left the profession to begin a long career in the mining industry. He retired as a principal and vice president of Univest Corp. Following his retirement, he taught international business and marketing at Florida Atlantic U. Survivors: his wife, Elizabeth; one son, Marc; three stepdaughters; and four grandchildren and stepgrandchildren.
Mitchell William Kerr, MA ’45, PhD ’51 (history), of Annapolis, Md., February 24, at 87. He retired from Towson U., where he was a history professor. Survivors: his wife, Rose Grimes-Kerr; one son, Michael; and one stepdaughter.
Thomas Matthew “Matt” Rees, MA ’51, Gr. ’52 (Latin American studies), of Odessa, Texas, May 25, 2004, at 85. He served in the Army as an interpreter following World War II. He taught Spanish at Purdue U. and English at the Instituto Cultural Brasileiro dos Estados Unidos in Brazil, as well as serving for two years as its director. He was a longtime foreign language teacher at Odessa College. Survivors: his wife of 57 years, Celestia; two sons, Brigham and Joel; four daughters, Sharla, Laurie Bush; RaeLynn Shattuck and Ginette Rogers; 18 grandchildren; one great-grandson; and one sister.
Leon Charles “Lee” Mulling, PhD ’60 (hearing and speech), of Ashland, Ore., March 2, at 90. He served in the Navy during World War II. He was head of the English department at Southern Oregon U., where he taught English, speech, drama and journalism and served as adviser to the college newspaper. He retired in 1979 and assumed the presidency of the emeritus faculty. He helped establish the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Association and served as secretary to its board of directors.
George James Laird Gibson, Gr. ’65 (history), of Fallbrook, Calif., April 15, at 69. He served in the Army from 1952 to 1956. He moved in San Diego to teach at Grossmont College, where he remained until 1980. For the past 20 years, he worked as a public works construction project manager. Survivors: his wife, Sheila; two daughters, Amy and Edie; three sons, John, William and Russell; five grandchildren; and one sister.
Bruce Edward Palmer, MA ’65 (food research), of Tucson, Ariz., February 26. He served two years in the Army as an analyst at the National Security Agency in the mid-1950s. He taught economics at Pima Community College in Arizona, where he became head of the social sciences department and was elected to the board of governors. He left academia in the early 1970s to work in Brazil as South American director for Great Plains Wheat Ltd. Later he joined Caleb Brett, a group of agricultural commodity inspectors, and served as worldwide vice president for agricultural services. Survivors: his daughter, Lisa; one son, Cary; two granddaughters; and one brother.
David Frantz Bradford, PhD ’66 (economics), of Princeton, N.J., February 22, at 66, of burns suffered in a fire at his home. He was a professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. He also held positions with the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass., the American Institute for Public Policy in Washington, D.C., and New York U. School of Law. An authority on taxation, he served under presidents Ford, Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He was a member of Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors from 1991 to 1993 and was deputy assistant secretary for tax policy in the Treasury Department in 1975 and 1976. Survivors: his wife, Gunthild; one son, Theodore; one daughter, Lulu; four grandchildren; and one sister.
Claire Thomas Dedrick, PhD ’66 (medical microbiology), of Sacramento, April 8, at 74, of cancer. She was the founder and first director of the Peninsula Conservation Center, created to bring together disparate environmental organizations to provide a more cohesive voice. Founded in 1970 in Menlo Park, the center relocated to Palo Alto and is now known as Acterra. She was a former vice president of the Sierra Club and was picked by Gov. Jerry Brown to run California’s Resources Agency in 1975. She later became the first female member of the state Public Utilities Commission and served on the state’s Air Resources Board and as executive director of the State Lands Commission. Her former husband, Kent, died in 2004.
Andrew Irving Rematore, PhD ’68 (Spanish), of San Jose, March 3, at 80, of leukemia. A World War II veteran, he taught Spanish in the department of modern languages at Santa Clara U. for 40 years. Survivors: his wife of 51 years, Irene; and two daughters, Andrea and Laurel.
Gloria Jean Davis, PhD ’76 (anthropology), of Washington, D.C., February 21, at 62, of breast cancer. After working as director of clinics for Planned Parenthood in San Francisco, she joined the World Bank in 1978. She became director of the bank’s social development department, working to promote projects aimed at helping the poor. She retired in 2000 but continued to work part time. In 1985, she wrote “Indonesia: Forests, Land and Water,” a report that has since been used as a guide for setting environmental protection priorities. Survivors: her husband, Robert Crooks; her mother; one brother; and one sister.
Jeffrey A. Krautkraemer, MA ’78, PhD ’82 (economics), of Pullman, Wash., December 10, at 50, of cancer. He was a professor at Washington State U., where he specialized in natural resource and environmental economics. He was chair of Save Our Summers, a Spokane-based group that advocates for clean air standards. He was a member of the American Economic Association and the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. Survivors: his wife of 19 years, Patti Gora; one son, Tim; one daughter, Annie; his mother; and one brother.
Kristine Louise Fraser Ames, MS ’92 (geophysics), of Santa Clara, Calif., March 26, at 46. Survivors: her parents, two sisters; and one brother.
Stephan Ted Poulos, MA ’96 (English), of Belmont, Calif., February 9, at 56.
Law
George E. Paras, JD ’50, of Carmichael, Calif., April 16, at 80, of pulmonary fibrosis. He served as an infantryman during World War II and as an intelligence officer during the Korean War. As a lawyer in private practice, he specialized in civil cases until 1969, when Gov. Ronald Reagan named him to the Sacramento Superior Court. He was elevated to the appellate court in 1974. After leaving the court in 1981, he became a partner in Greve, Clifford, Diepenbrock and Paras in Sacramento and served on the state’s Little Hoover Commission. Eight years later, he left the law practice and became a private judge, handling arbitration, mediation and trial counseling. His son, Jason, ’73, MA ’76, died in 1982. Survivors include his daughter, Danae.
Medicine
Glenn Elwin Austin, MD ’52, of Beaverton, Ore., April 11, at 83. He served in the Army during World War II. He practiced pediatrics in Los Altos for 48 years. He was instrumental in establishing guidelines for testing and treating children with ADHD. He served a two-year term as president of the American Academy of Pediatrics in the early 1980s. Survivors: his wife, Olive; three daughters, Carla Thompson, Starr Clare and Linda; one son, Glenn; and seven grandchildren.
