Faculty and Staff
Morton Mitchner, of Menlo Park, September 9, at 76, of cancer. He was professor emeritus of mechanical engineering. After receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from the U. of British Columbia, he obtained his PhD in physics and mathematics from Harvard in 1951. He worked first as a consultant in operations research, then for Lockheed Research for four years, before taking a position as a visiting professor at Columbia U. He was hired as an associate professor at Stanford in 1964. A founding member of the High-Temperature Gasdynamics Laboratory, he co-wrote Partially Ionized Gases (1973), a book still used in graduate schools. Survivors: his wife of 42 years, Adelle; his son, Joseph, ’83; his daughter, Beth, ’86; five grandchildren; and his brother.
1920s
Phillips Thygeson, ’24, MD ’28, of Los Altos, July 27, at 99, of pneumonia. He was a basic medical sciences major and member of Kappa Sigma. After receiving a master’s in bacteriology and a doctorate in ophthalmology at the U. of Colorado, he researched trachoma, a leading cause of blindness. Together with his colleagues in the U.S. Indian Health Service, he found a cure in 1939. During World War II, he served as a colonel in the Army, then opened a private practice in San Jose and joined the UCSF faculty. He served as a consultant to the World Health Organization. His wife, Ruth, ’24, died in 1994. Survivors: his son, Fritjof, ’52; his daughter, Kristin; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Phillip H. Wells, ’29, MD ’33, of Argenta, British Columbia, August 10, at 94. He was a physiology major. He began his career as a country doctor in Lower Lake, Calif., before moving to Southern California in 1936. In the mid-1950s, he became an associate dean of Stanford’s School of Medicine, later returning to Southern California to practice as a psychiatrist until his retirement in 1970. He was a pioneer in the development of treatments for depression. A longtime Quaker, he helped found Pacific Oaks College and Children’s School in Pasadena. His wife of 64 years, Margaret, predeceased him. Survivors: two sons, John, ’56, and William; two daughters, Jane Lake and Martha Foster; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
1930s
Joseph H. Wales, ’30, MA ’32, PhD ’34, of Corvallis, Ore., August 21, at 94. He was a zoology major and studied at Hopkins Marine Station. In 1930, he published a description of a previously unidentified fish species, Cyprinodon diabolis, found in Death Valley. He later worked for the California Trout Investigation and was “fish doctor” for all California fish hatcheries. In 1957, he published a popular fish and game booklet, Trout of California. From 1959 to 1979, he served as a pathologist at Oregon State U., working on liver cancer in rainbow trout. Survivors include his wife, Brenda; his daughter, Linda Goldenberg; and his grandchildren.
George F. Farrier, ’31, of Yreka, Calif., April 7, at 93. A history major, he was a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda. He and his wife established a scholarship foundation for Africa U. in Zimbabwe and a foundation for Heifer Project International in Little Rock, Ark. Survivors include his wife, Grace; three daughters, Ann Nolan, Kathie and Carol; and two sons, Ray and Glen, ’71.
David Edward Brown, ’32, MD ’36, of Monterey, Calif., June 23, at 92. A preclinical medicine major, he studied at Hopkins Marine Station and was a member of El Capitan. He was a private-practice physician in Indianapolis until retiring to California in 1978. On the faculty of Indiana School of Medicine from 1944 to 1978, he chaired the department of otolaryngology there from 1962 to 1971 and developed one of the first microscopes used in surgical procedures. His wife, Rebekah, ’33, predeceased him by two months. Survivors include his son, David; and his daughter, Rebekah.
Rebekah “Betsy” VanNuys Brown, ’33, of Monterey, Calif., April 26, at 90. An economics major and member of Pi Beta Phi, she was a founding member of the first Pike Township School Board in Indianapolis, on which she served from 1960 to 1968. Survivors: her son, David; her daughter, Rebekah; her brother; and her sister.
William M. Gwinn, ’33, MA ’39, of Aliso Viejo, Calif., June 8, at 93. He majored in English. He had roles on the television shows Day in Court and What’s the Name of that Song? and was a world traveler and avid fisherman. Survivors: his wife, Dorothea; two sons, Bill and Mike; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
James Shelby Farra, ’36, of Oxnard Shores, Calif., September 3, at 89. He majored in economics and was a member of Sigma Nu. His Stanford thesis, on prospects for a passenger airline industry, led to a distinguished 32-year career with Douglas Aircraft Corp. His first wife, Margaret, ’37, died in 1989. Survivors: his wife of 10 years, Irene; his daughter, Shelby Basso; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
George J. Ferris, ’37, MD ’41, of Sacramento, Calif., August 18, at 86. He majored in preclinical medicine and was a member of Phi Kappa Psi and the baseball team. During World War II, he served as a flight surgeon. He practiced medicine in Sacramento from 1946 to 1975, then for the next 10 years, until his retirement in 1985, he was a physician at the UC-Davis student health center. An avid sports fan, he could recite the scores of every Big Game. Survivors: his wife of 61 years, Peggy, ’35; four children, Michael, Peter, Noel and David; and four grandchildren.
Fredericka “Fritzie” Kolster Michaels, ’37, of Marysville, Calif., April 29, at 86. Her husband, Alan, predeceased her. Survivors: two daughters, Shelley Doll and Lourie Desmond; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Richard Joseph “Dick” Taylor, ’37, MBA ’39, of San Clemente, Calif., August 30, at 87. A social science and social thought major, he was a member of Zeta Psi and worked on the Chaparral. He began his Air Force career in 1941, serving through World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He received more than a dozen medals and citations and retired with the rank of colonel. Survivors: his daughter, Cynthia Fritz; and two grandchildren.
Eugene V. “Gene” Gear, ’38, of Sunnyvale, September 15, at 85, of a heart attack. A communication major and member of Alpha Sigma Phi, he was a newspaperman before serving in the Army during World War II. He worked as an executive in sales and marketing for Fiberboard Corp. until his retirement in 1979. An avid community and Stanford volunteer, he served as Stanford’s 1938 class correspondent until his death. Survivors: his wife, Peggy; his daughter, Carol Hoggard; his son, Hadley; five stepchildren; 19 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his sister.
Jean Faulkner Low, ’38, of Atherton, September 9, at 85, of complications from a stroke. She was a history major. Survivors include her husband, Remington Low, ’34, JD ’39; her son, Remington Jr.; and three grandchildren.
Florence McCormack Scarlett, ’38, of Rio Vista, Calif., July 3, 2001, at 85. She majored in social science and social thought and was a member of the Roble Club. Survivors: her husband, Samuel, ’37, MD ’41; and her brother, Wallace McCormack, ’29.
Margaret Cook, ’39, of Woodside, September 9, at 85. She majored in history and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After World War II, she and her husband bought and managed Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In the early 1950s, they moved back to the Stanford area. She was an active golfer and community volunteer. Survivors: her husband of 63 years, Albert, ’34, JD ’39; three sons, Robert, ’66, Bill and Gary; and her sister, Jean Smith, ’40.
Walter Fitch III, ’39, of La Jolla, Calif., August 2, at 86, of Alzheimer’s disease. He majored in economics and was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He received his MBA at Harvard before serving as a Navy pilot during World War II. In 1954, he founded Texas Oil & Gas Corp., which became a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. A philanthropist who gave millions to community causes, he sought to remain anonymous, refusing to have his name attached to the entities and projects he funded. Survivors: his sisters, Franke Duffey and Kathleen Stroop; and his brother, David.
John Milton Turner, ’39, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, April 30, at 83. An economics major, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta. He joined the Army in 1941 and later transferred to the Air Force, retiring in 1968 with the rank of colonel. Survivors include his wife, June; two daughters, Betsy Galfo and June, ’69; and his son, John.
1940s
Lyle Cook, ’40, of Tiburon, May 8, at 83, of Alzheimer’s disease. He was a history major and member of Theta Delta Chi. Before joining Stanford’s office of the general secretary in 1949 (now the office of development), he worked as a history instructor, a Lockheed methods and budget analyst and a securities analyst. In 1958, as associate dean for development at the Medical School, he led the fund-raising campaign to move the school from San Francisco. He left Stanford in 1966 but continued to work as a fund-raising executive until his retirement in 1987, receiving many awards for his commitment to the advancement of philanthropy. Active alumni volunteers, he and his wife founded the first Stanford Junior Alumni Club in 1946. Survivors: his wife of 61 years, Olive, ’40; three daughters, Mary Vaage, ’70, Ellen Otto, ’66, and Jane; his son, James; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
James N. Cutler, ’40, of Tacoma, Wash., August 26, at 84. He was a social science and social thought major, an editor of the Daily and a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. During World War II, he served as an officer in the Navy. He was vice president of TAM Engineering and later chairman and CEO of Arrow Transportation Co. His wife of 55 years, Dody, died in 2000. Survivors: his sons, Frank and James Jr.; his daughter, Merrill McCarthy; and five grandchildren.
Allen W. Rider, ’40, of Chapel Hill, N.C., July 23, at 83. He majored in social science and social thought and was a member of Sigma Nu. During World War II, he served as a pilot in the Marine Corps. He was president and general manager of Alcor Envelope Co. in Buffalo, N.Y. His first wife, Sylvia, died in 1958. Survivors: his wife of 43 years, Margaret Rublee; six children, Lawrence, Parke and Charlotte Rublee, Richard and Janet Rider, and Debora Radke; 11 grandchildren; and his brother.
Julia “Judy” Hart Davis, ’41, of Menlo Park, August 25, at 83. She majored in graphic arts and was a member of Delta Gamma. She was a homemaker and worked for the University as well as Stanford Hospital. She was active in the Stanford Museum and the Junior Auxiliary of the Stanford Convalescent Home. Her husband, Ferrien, predeceased her. Survivors: two sons, Alan and Scott; two daughters, Catherine Giurlani and Linda; nine grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; and her sister.
Sam Beard, ’42, of Carmel Valley, Calif., June 11, at 82. He was an economics major and member of Kappa Sigma. During World War II, he served in the Navy. He began a career in labor relations in 1946 with the San Francisco Employers Council and later co-founded the Peninsula Employers Council. In 1980, he returned to the San Francisco Employers Council and served as its president until his retirement in 1991. His wife of 50 years, Hester, ’43, and his son, Charles, predeceased him. Survivors: his daughter, Catherine Shender; his son, Jim; and five grandchildren.
Theresia Hart Crary, ’42, of Lodi, Calif., July 30, at 81, of heart failure. A graphic arts major, she created a private portfolio of her work over a period of 60 years. She served on the boards of the San Jose Art League and San Jose Friends of the Library. Her husband, Paul, ’35, died in 1983. Survivors: one daughter, Theresia Sandhu; seven sons, Paul Jr., Scott, ’68, Ralph, Ward, Blakely, Bruce and Hart; 17 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and her sister.
Roy F. McClory, ’42, MBA ’48, of Tempe, Ariz., August 21. He majored in economics and was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. Survivors: his wife, Delores; five children; and one stepchild.
James R. Frolik, ’43, JD ’54, of San Francisco, August 31, at 81, of leukemia. He was a political science major and member of Breakers. During World War II, he served in the Army. He joined the San Francisco firm of Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro, then formed Frolik, Filley and Schey. For the past 10 years, he maintained his own practice in international commercial law. A ranked tennis and squash player, he competed twice at Wimbledon. He participated in diverse civic organizations and served as president of the Northern California Tennis Association. Survivors: his wife, Ashka; his son, James; his stepdaughter; and his sister.
Donald Earl Craig, ’44, PhD ’52, of Swiftwater, Pa., August 18, at 80. He was a biological sciences major and a member of El Capitan and the Band. During World War II, he served as an officer in the Army. After receiving his PhD in bacteriology, he worked at the U. of Michigan School of Public Health, where he performed laboratory studies for the Salk vaccine trials. He moved to Swiftwater in 1962 to work for the Salk Institute, retiring in 1987. He was a member of numerous community service and religious organizations. Survivors: his wife, Jean; his son, Donald; his daughter, Catharine Wild; three grandchildren; his brother; and his sister.
Volney F. Van Dalsem Jr., ’44, MA ’46, of Los Gatos, Calif., July 6, at 79. He majored in biological sciences and was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma. He served in the Army during both World War II and the Korean conflict. He earned his medical degree at St. Louis U. School of Medicine and practiced general and thoracic surgery in San Jose for 30 years. Survivors: his wife of 54 years, Mary Anne, ’48; two sons, Volney, ’71, MD ’75, and William, ’82; and his daughter, Mary Elizabeth Ruso.
George “Bud” Cliff “Woody” Woodward, ’44, of Dana Point, Calif., June 6, at 80. He majored in economics and was a member of Alpha Delta Tau. After serving in the Naval Air Corps, he worked first for his family’s business, the Woodward Bennett Packing Plant in California, then for Scowcroft and Sons Wholesale Grocers in Utah, before establishing the retail grocery chain Food King Stores with a business partner. Survivors: his wife of 57 years, Joanne, ’45; two daughters, Jan Stevenson and Jill Condon; his son, John; and five grandchildren.
Lewis Vincell Boyle III, ’45, MA ’47 (economics), MBA ’50, of Mesa, Ariz., July 30, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He graduated with the Class of ’44 and served in the Navy. He worked for Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh from 1950 until his retirement. Survivors: four nieces, including Amy Arai, ’66, and Laura Alpert, ’68; a grandniece, Leslie Arai, ’94; and a grandnephew, Daniel Arai, ’97, MS ’98.
Thomas Allan Morton, ’45, of San Francisco, June 29, at 78, of cancer. He was an economics major and member of El Toro. During World War II, he served in the Navy. He co-founded McMorgan and Co. in 1969 and chaired its board from 1979 to 2001. He was an avid golfer and generous philanthropist. Guide Dogs of America honored him with its national Gift of Sight award in 2001. Survivors: his wife, Helen; four sons, Michael, Brian and Paul, and Kevin Kleczka; five daughters, Pegi Young, Kathleen Deeringer, ’72, Judith Davidson, Mary Ann Wolkomir and Sally; 16 grandchildren, including Michael Deeringer, ’04; and one great-grandchild.
Francel Shaw, ’46, of Stanford, July 12, at 82. She was a humanities major and member of Delta Delta Delta. She was active in several philanthropic organizations. Survivors: her husband of 59 years, Herbert, MA ’42, PhD ’48; two daughters, Kathleen and Karen; her granddaughter; and two sisters.
Robert Stanley Spalding, ’46, of Anaheim, Calif., September 10, at 81. A biological sciences major, he was a member of Los Arcos. He served as an Army officer during World War II and the Korean War. He graduated from the U. of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and was a practicing veterinarian in California for 55 years. Survivors include four sons, Robert Jr., Norman, James and Kenneth; and his daughter, Margaret.
Ruth Virginia “Jinny” Soper Sterling, ’46, of San Diego, July 30, at 78. She was a humanities major and a Tri Delt. In 1952, she moved to San Diego, where she was an elementary school teacher and homemaker. Survivors: her husband of 50 years, George; her son, Clark, ’78; and two brothers.
Karl Leslie Brown, ’47, MS ’49, PhD ’53, of Menlo Park, August 29, at 76, of heart failure. A physics major, he began his career at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center as a senior research associate and retired as professor emeritus. An expert in beam optics, he was awarded the Prize for Achievement in Accelerator Physics and Technology at the U.S. Particle Accelerator School in 1989. Survivors: his wife of 25 years, Vera; four sons, David, ’76, MS ’77, Dennistoun, ’79, Jeremy, ’83, and Andrew; his daughter, Adriana Cassani; and 14 grandchildren.
Rose Marie Wallis Lawson, ’47, of Dana Point, Calif., at 76. She majored in economics and co-founded the Stanford Polo Association with two other students. After working as a CPA in Beverly Hills, Calif., she joined Davis Insurance and became one of its principals. Survivors include her former husband, Robert Lawson, ’48.
Dewey Edward Turner, ’48, JD ’50, of Miami, Fla., August 28, at 82. He majored in law and served in the military during World War II. After practicing law in Fort Bragg, Calif., for 11 years, he returned to Palo Alto, where he continued his practice until 1995. He was active in Democratic politics throughout his career. Survivors: his wife of 35 years, Grecia Turner; five children, Scott, David, ’74, Tracy, Andrew and Michelle; and 14 grandchildren.
Courtland Albyn Blake, ’49, of Pasadena, Calif., July 20, at 76. A biological sciences major, he was a member of El Tigre. He received his MD degree from the USC School of Medicine, practiced urology in Pasadena and was a member of the Huntington Hospital medical staff. He was an emeritus professor at the USC School of Medicine. Survivors: his daughter, Barbara; his son, Courtland; two grandsons; and his former wife, Barbara Anderson Blake.
1950s
Joseph J. Defibaugh, ’50, MA ’59, of Hayward, Calif., August 21, at 82. During World War II, he served in the Army. A physical therapy major, he spent most of his career as a physical therapist with the Veterans Administration health care system. Survivors: his partner, Arthur Martin; two nephews; and two nieces.
Philip E. Goodrich, ’51, MS ’52, MBA ’53, of Saratoga, Calif., September 20, at 74. An electrical engineering major, he was a member of Sigma Nu, Tau Beta Pi and Phi Beta Kappa. He was a Navy veteran. During his high-tech career, he was president of Quantex Corp., Loredan Biomedical, Heart Interface and Camino Electronic Publishing. An active sportsman, he climbed Mount Shasta at age 70. Survivors: his wife of 44 years, Susan; his son, Scott Goodrich; three daughters, Patricia Hasbrouck, ’84, Bonnie Redman and Joan Gosser; six grandchildren; and his brother.
Joan Yvonne “Joannie” Harris Irwin, ’51, of Carmel, Calif., June 28, at 73. She was an education major and played on the women’s volleyball team. A teacher for several years, she later was part owner with her sister of the French Ranch in Hollister and active in its management. She was involved in many community organizations and served as president of the Monterey Bay Stanford Club. Survivors: her husband, Martin, ’50; three sons, David Jordan-Irwin, Mike and Jim; two daughters, Holly McKinley and Kathy Kurihara; nine grandchildren; and her sister, Holly Harris McMahon, ’53, MA ’54.
Mae-Jeanne P. McGanney, ’51, of Atherton, at 72. She was a social science and social thought major. She was past chair of the board of trustees of Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton and regional vice president of Junior League of America. Her husband of 45 years, Daniel, ’46, predeceased her. Survivors: two sons, Daniel, ’74, and Peter, ’83; her daughter, Karen, ’75; and four grandchildren.
Peter Sargent, ’51, MD ’55, of Los Angeles, November 21, 2001. A biological sciences major, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. He practiced internal medicine, specializing in nephrology, in Los Angeles until 1995. Survivors: his wife, Sue; two sons, Peter and Sam; and one granddaughter.
Lawrence A. Rowton, ’52, MS ’53, of Orinda, Calif., July 8, at 83. An electrical engineering major, he worked for PG&E for 31 years, retiring as special projects manager for the East Bay. Survivors include his wife, Marjory; two daughters, Suzanne Rosso and Carla; two sons, Loren and Leland; and one grandson.
Andrew C. Thompson, ’54, of Oshkosh, Wis., April 14, at 69, of cancer. He majored in history and was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. After receiving his law degree from the U. of Wisconsin, he practiced law for 45 years in the family firm in Oshkosh. Survivors: his wife, Nancy, ’55; two daughters, Nanette Garrison and Wendy Bertelsen; his son, Stephen; one granddaughter; his sister, Susan Lee, ’50; and two brothers, Robert, ’51, and Craig.
Greg A. Danninger, ’56, of Del Mar, Calif., February 11, at 67, of cancer. He was a mechanical engineering major and member of Kappa Sigma and Tau Beta Pi. He completed AFROTC and served three years at Edwards Air Force Base. His career continued at Lockheed Propulsion and General Dynamics. In 1994, he retired to golf and travel. Survivors: his wife of 47 years, Nancy; three sons, Brent, ’80, Paul and Eric; and five grandchildren.
Gerald F. Lowell, ’56, of Arroyo Grande, Calif., August 7, at 67. He majored in mining and was a member of El Capitan and the wrestling team. He worked as a mining engineer in Utah and later as an aerospace test engineer for Hercules Inc. In 1991, he retired and moved to California. Survivors: his wife of 46 years, Sharon; two daughters, Beth Summers and Barbara; his son, Steven; five grandchildren; and his sister.
Helen Ellsworth Chamberlin Heyden, ’59, of Los Olivos, Calif., July 8, of lung cancer. She majored in geography. After graduating from the National College of Chiropractic, she was in private practice for 15 years. Travel and horsemanship were among her many interests; she explored places such as Kenya and Mongolia on horseback. She was active in civic and agricultural organizations in California’s Santa Ynez Valley. Her husband, Bill, died in 1983. Survivors: her daughter, Mary; her mother, Elizabeth Chamberlin; two sisters; and two brothers.
1960s
Bruce William Mitchell, ’62, MBA ’67, of New York, September 10, at 63, of lung cancer. He was an English major and member of Alpha Tau Omega. He worked as a manager of corporate finance accounts, retiring in 1999 as general auditor for Bank of America. An avid patron of the arts, he served on many boards and foundations. Survivors: his wife, Carol, ’60; two sons, Sean, ’84, and George; his daughter, Jennifer Johnson; and five grandchildren.
Roger Curtis Ray, ’62, of Visalia, Calif., June 28, at 61. He majored in mechanical engineering and was a member of El Tigre. After graduating in 1963 from Cal State-Fresno, he served as a Naval officer during the Vietnam War. At the time of his death, he was assistant general manager for the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District and manager of the Kaweah River Power Authority. Survivors: his wife, Susie; his son, Carl; his daughter, Gina Wise; three grandchildren; and his sister.
1980s
Janine Elise Sprowls, ’86, of New York, in June, at 38. An economics major, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She worked for Winterland Productions, American Express Foundation, Clorox Co. and Price-Waterhouse Foundation.
2000s
George D. Curts, ’02, of Overland Park, Kan., August 17, at 22, in a hiking accident. A religious studies major, he threw shot put for the men’s track and field team, tutored at Kaplan Educational Center in Palo Alto and served as president of Alpha Delta Phi, a literary society. He was scheduled to return to campus as a graduate student for the 2002-03 academic year. Survivors include his fiancée, Lorraine Rossi; his parents, Douglas and Hana; two brothers, Richard and Joshua; his sister, Luisa JayTo; and his grandparents.
Business
Donald Earl Spencer, MBA ’50, of Los Altos Hills, August 13, at 77, of liver cancer. During World War II, he served as an officer in the Navy. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1948 in mechanical engineering. He worked for Safeway as a market research analyst and was a Los Altos Hills planning commissioner from 1965 to 1975. His volunteer activities included Interplast and Stanford’s Committee for Art. Survivor: his wife of 47 years, Anne.
Earth Sciences
George Beaumont Horsley, MS ’66 (applied earth sciences), of Kempton Park, South Africa, June 4, at 65, of cancer. He worked for Hunter Engineering, a division of AMAX Aluminium in Riverside, Calif., then joined Leon Tempelsman & Son in New York for 10 years, becoming technical director, a position that took him to Africa and South America. He worked for Fluor Corp. from 1977 to 1982 and was based in New York, London, Paris and Johannesburg. Survivors include his cousin, Jeremy Martin.
Education
Harold M. Weaver, MA ’40, of Auburn, Calif., June 15, at 96. He graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1931. After teaching at Reedley Junior College, he became president of Auburn Junior College in 1946. Renamed Sierra College and relocated to Rocklin, Calif., the school’s enrollment grew from 4,400 to 19,000. After retiring in 1971, he served for more than 21 years on the Placer County Board of Education. His wife of 58 years, Gertrude, died in 1986. Survivors: his daughter, Marna; and his son, Duane.
Edwin Harry Harper, MA ’51, of Sacramento, May 5, at 84. He received his bachelor’s degree in science and mathematics from San Jose State. During World War II, he served in the Army. In his 36-year career in education, he was a teacher, high school principal, district superintendent and deputy superintendent for administration for the state of California. He also served as liaison to the California Association of School Business Officials. His first wife, Mary, died in 1977; his second wife, Dorothy, died in 1996. Survivors include his children and grandchildren.
Engineering
Clarence G. Carlson, MA ’46 (electrical engineering), of Pacific Palisades, Calif., July 6, at 82. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from the U. of Alberta in Canada. Awarded a fellowship in microwave engineering, he was part of the four-man team that developed the first linear accelerator at Stanford. He then joined Hughes Aircraft Co., retiring after 39 years as senior VP. Survivors: his wife of 57 years, Nora; two daughters; four grandchildren; and two brothers.
James M. Sachs, MS ’79 (mechanical engineering), of Atherton, August 15, at 47, of lymphoma. He graduated from the U. of Michigan in 1977. Best known as the co-designer and patent holder of the Macintosh mouse, he was a principal at the Palo Alto product-development company IDEO. He was co-founder, in 1995, of Softbook Press. Before that, he served as VP and general manager of Hasbro’s Playschool Technology group and as VP of engineering at Worlds of Wonder. He was also co-founder of Elfin Technologies. Survivors: his wife of 22 years, Suzanne; two daughters, Jessica and Elizabeth; his son, Christopher; his mother; two sisters; and three brothers.
Humanities and Sciences
Esther May Frazer Kerrick Gravance Stevens, MA ’20 (German studies), of Lancaster, Calif., August 18, at 105. She received her bachelor’s degree at College of the Pacific. She taught high school physical education, Spanish and German for 45 years. She also taught at San Jose State during the summers. After taking up aerobics in her 90s, she taught an aerobics class in Saratoga, Calif. She was active in charitable and religious organizations and was an avid gardener, cook and traveler, visiting every continent except Antarctica and, in 1986, climbing the Great Wall of China. Survivors: two sons, Eugene Kerrick and John Gravance; 10 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
John C. Clark, PhD ’35 (physics), of La Jolla, Calif., July 20, at 98. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Ohio Wesleyan U. and his master’s at the U. of Chicago. He taught physics at Lehigh U. and Michigan State. During World War II, he began research in military weaponry in the Army and afterward worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he helped develop a test division for nuclear explosive devices. In 1956, he went to work on the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at General Dynamics, which led to work at Kennedy Space Center, where Atlas—modified for use as a space launch vehicle—sent John Glenn and Alan Shepard on their historic missions. In 1963, he was appointed a foreign service officer and became a scientific attaché for several Middle East countries. He retired in 1966.
William H. “Bill” Symons, MA ’48 (communication), of Denver, September 10, at 81, of bone cancer. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the U. of Wyoming. He worked at the Salt Lake Tribune, the Wyoming Eagle and the Wyoming State Tribune. He ended his long newspaper career at the Denver Post, retiring in 1985 as medical writer. Survivors: his wife, Clé; two daughters, Amy and Katie; and his sister.
Eade Jordan, MA ’51 (Latin American studies), of Santa Cruz, Calif., July 26, at 77. He earned his bachelor’s degree at San Jose State and served in the Army during World War II. He was a teacher for 33 years, 31 of them at Santa Cruz High School, where he taught Spanish, driver’s training and tennis. His wife of 48 years, Betty, predeceased him. Survivors: three sons, Christopher, Eade Glenn and Kevin; and one granddaughter.
Bruce Bradford Frye, PhD ’53 (history), of Fort Collins, Colo., April 14, at 79. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the U. of Oregon. During World War II, he served in the Army. He joined the Colorado State U. faculty in 1953 and retired as Emeritus Centennial Professor of History in 1993. An authority on modern European history, he chaired CSU’s history department from 1961 to 1963 and helped establish the university’s honors program. Survivors: his wife, Carolyn; two sons, Tom and Brad; his daughter, Susan; and eight grandchildren.
LAW
John W. Broad, JD ’42, of San Francisco, September 16, at 88. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Northwestern U. A senior partner at the San Francisco law firm of Broad, Schultz, Larson & Wineberg, he was counsel to the firm of Hanson, Bridgett, Marcus, Vlahos & Rudy. He was active in the San Francisco Bar Association and on the Saint Mary’s College of California Board of Regents. His wife of 51 years, Marie, died in 1992. Survivors: his son, John; his daughter, Pamela; two grandchildren; two great-granddaughters; his brother; and his sister.
Jack L. Robertson, JD ’52, of Palo Alto, August 13, at 85, of a stroke. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1938 and worked for Pan American World Airways before serving in World War II. With two colleagues, he filed the landmark Tinsley desegregation lawsuit against the state of California and 10 school districts in 1976. One of the nation’s first suits seeking to integrate schools across district boundaries, the Tinsley case ended after a decade of pro bono litigation with a settlement allowing several hundred children per year from troubled schools in East Palo Alto to opt to attend schools in surrounding affluent communities. A leader in Bay Area educational, legal, philanthropic and religious communities, he was a member of more than two dozen professional and civic organizations. His wife of 59 years, Helen, died in 1999. Survivors: two sons, Dave and Tom; three grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.
Edwin A. Heafey Jr., JD ’55, of Oakland, July 11, at 71, of cancer. He received his bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara U. After passing the California bar, he joined Hager, Crosby & Rosson (now Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May), of which he later became chair. He was a trustee and regent emeritus of Santa Clara U. and served on the board of fellows at Stanford Law School. He also taught at UC-Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. An expert in business law and personal injury litigation, he wrote California Trial Objections, considered among the best books on trial practice in California. Survivors: his wife; and three children.
