Faculty and Staff
Karl G. Blume, of Palo Alto, January 9, at 75. He was head of the department of bone marrow transplantation at the City of Hope in Southern California before being recruited to Stanford in 1987. He served as the director of the University’s then newly created division of bone marrow transplantation until 2000 and as the associate chair for research in the department of medicine from 2000 to 2002. The following year he dedicated himself to achieving National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center status for the Stanford Cancer Institute, which would afford greater access to NCI resources, funding and clinical trials. The designation was awarded in 2007. Survivors: his wife, Vera; children, Caroline Mirtich and Phillip; and five grandchildren.
Linden Barnett “Lindi” Press, ’67 (English), MLA ’03, of Menlo Park, December 31, at 66, of pancreatic cancer. She worked at Stanford in the chemical engineering office for 20 years before transferring to the Registrar’s Office in 2001, where she served as academic committee coordinator. Two years after joining the Registrar’s Office, she won the Amy J. Blue Award, which honors staff members who are exceptionally dedicated, supportive of colleagues and passionate about their work. She was also an actress and inveterate fan of the stage, and she acted and directed in Bay Area theaters for more than 40 years. Survivors: her daughters, Patience Reynolds and Katie Bauman, ’99; two grandsons; her father; and two siblings.
1930s
Burton E. Adams, ’37 (basic medical sciences), MD ’41, of Alameda, Calif., November 30, at 98. He was called up into active duty in the U.S. Army Medical Corp in 1942, where he served in France and Germany and received five bronze service stars and an EAME Campaign medal. He practiced general surgery in the East Bay for 41 years and was on the founding committees of two hospitals, San Leandro Memorial and Eden. He was chief of staff and a member of the board of directors at Children’s Hospital in Oakland and started the surgery resident program there. Survivors: his wife, Anne; four daughters; and 11 grandchildren.
George Irvin Wilde, ’37 (general engineering), of Santa Paula, Calif., December 3, at 97. After graduation, he began working for the U.S Bureau of Reclamation as a civil engineer. This led to a job with Bechtel Corp., and for the next several years he and his growing family moved to various job sites in Canada, Northern California and Mexico. In 1951 he went to work for the newly formed United Water Conservation District, becoming general manager in 1981 and retiring six years later. He was active in the civic life of Santa Paula and was a devoted member of the Rotary Club for 60 years. A true outdoorsman, he was never happier than when hiking and fishing in the Sierra. He was predeceased by his wife of 52 years, Delphine (Joy, ’39). Survivors: his children, Joy Finley, Christine Jones, Patricia Anderson, Alice Hahn, Roger and Mary, ’77; 14 grandchildren, including Emma Botta, ’14; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Giles Stevens Porter, ’39 (basic medical sciences), of Bend, Ore., November 23, at 95. He was a member of the baseball team and Delta Chi, and he served as a medical officer on a Navy destroyer during World War II. After the war he established a medical practice in Eugene. Ore., and in later years he worked as a trauma specialist in the emergency department of Sacred Heart Hospital. In the 1970s he moved to Sunriver, Ore., and worked at the emergency department at St. Charles Hospital until his retirement. He was predeceased by his wife, Elaine, and one granddaughter. Survivors: his children, Sandra Randels, Michael, John, Earl, Susanne Monk and Steven; seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one sister.
1940s
Marian Louise Schutt Barker, ’40 (political science), of Napa, Calif., December 24, at 93. During World War II, she was a field social worker for the American Red Cross. After marrying and raising three daughters, she worked at the Napa County Library, retiring in 1986. Her love, kindness and generosity were unfailing, and her courage was remarkable. She was predeceased by her husband, Gerald. Survivors: her daughters, Robin, Alison and Jean; one granddaughter; and one great-granddaughter.
Edwin F. Lawrence, ’40 (communication), of Waitsburg, Wash., September 14, at 93. He was a reporter for the Stanford Daily, was the music review columnist for the Chaparral, played trumpet in the Band and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He became a wheat farmer in the hills of southeastern Washington and was a pioneer in using soil conservation methods. Journalism remained in his blood, though, and he wrote a column for two local newspapers. He had a lifelong interest in words and writing, and reading and crossword puzzles were favorite pastimes. He was predeceased by his wife, Gloria. Survivors: his daughter, Susan Lawrence Talbott, ’66; two grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
John Joseph Lodato, ’41 (history), MA ’59 (education), of San Andreas, Calif., June 18, 2012, at 93. He lived at the Firehouse at Stanford and hashed at Union Cellar. A member of Army ROTC, he trained with horse-drawn artillery for four years, entered the Army in 1941 and never saw another horse in five years of service. During World War II, he served in the 3rd infantry division, received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart and was discharged as a major in 1945. He worked as a building contractor for 12 years before switching to teaching. He taught English for 17 years and wrote the Hip Pocket Handbook of Grammar, Usage and Composition. Stanford Associates awarded him a 25-year service pin. He was predeceased by his wife, Blanche Dwelle, ’43, and his daughter Janine Lodato Rakoczi. Survivors: his children, Jack, ’65, Jennifer Lodato Brock, and James, ’72; seven grandchildren, including Ashley, ’91; and seven great-grandchildren.
Mary Etta Farrell Segerstrom, ’41 (communication), of Sonora, Calif., September 13, at 92, of a heart attack. As an undergraduate she was a member of Cap and Gown and a member of the staff at the Stanford Daily. She then worked as a reporter for the San Francisco Call-Bulletin and as a stringer for the Wall Street Journal. After getting married in the Stanford Chapel in 1943, she and her husband moved to Sonora and she became active in the Tuolumne County Historical Society, serving as its president twice. She was also one of the founders of the Tuolumne County Parent Nursery School. She was predeceased by her husband, Donald, and her son James. Survivors: her children, Ann, Donald, David and Steven; and seven grandchildren.
Jeanette Boynton Humber, ’42 (biological sciences), of Hollister, Calif., August 22, at 91. She was an avid and enduring member of the “Wiskin’ Wabbits” intramural team from Lagunita Court, played field hockey and was belatedly awarded a Block S in 1995. She had a lifelong and prodigious love of reading, classical music and opera. Solving crossword puzzles, travel and cheering for Stanford and Bay Area sports teams were her favorite hobbies. She was predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Merrill. Survivors: her children, John, MS ’68, and Richard, ’69; four grandchildren; and a growing number of great-grandchildren.
Richard E. Kendrick, ’42 (basic medical sciences), MD ’45, of Sacramento, November 29, at 92. A member of Sigma Chi, he served as a lieutenant in the Navy during World War II and served at the Naval Hospital in San Diego during the Korean War. After settling in Sacramento, he joined an orthopedic surgery practice and particularly enjoyed helping children. Throughout his life, he loved watching sports, playing golf and tennis, taking photographs and listening to symphonies and musicals. He was an ardent supporter of Stanford and received a five-year service pin from Stanford Associates. He was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Alice. Survivors: his sons, Rich and Doug; three grandsons; and one great-grandson.
Edith Marguerite Borman Schamber Lucas, ’43 (social science/social thought), of Danville, Calif., December 22, at 90. She worked briefly at Hewlett-Packard before joining Syntex, where she eventually became the executive secretary to the chief financial officer, retiring in 1993. She loved art, music, books, contract bridge and crossword puzzles. She was predeceased by her first husband, Everett Derrenthal, her second husband, Dale Schamber, and her third husband, Walter Lucas. Survivors: her son, James Schamber; stepdaughter, Heidi Lucas Page; and one step-granddaughter.
Bruce Alden McClelland, ’43 (economics), of San Jose, December 10, at 91. He served as a naval officer in the Pacific during World War II. He was involved in several businesses and a veteran member of the investment club the Piledrivers. An avid volunteer, he was president of San Jose Jaycees, a member of Rotary International and helped found Happy Hollow Park. He was predeceased by his wife, Jane (Sudekum, ’44). Survivors include his sons, Bruce and Kirk.
John Olerich “Jack” Steiny, ’43 (general engineering), of Los Angeles, November 11, at 90. He was a member of Zeta Psi. In the early 1950s, he founded Steiny and Co., now one of California’s principal electrical contracting companies. A risk taker and charismatic leader, he loved everything about doing business. Survivors: his wife of 63 years, Nancy (Thorp, ’47); children, Julia, MA ’99, Nancy Borris, Susan and John; and eight grandchildren.
Madge Neill Weber, ’43 (letters), of Laguna Niguel, Calif., December 17, at 91. The daughter of a Presbyterian minister, she lived in four states before moving to Alhambra, Calif. She raised her children in Southern California and Wilmington, Del. She was a member of PEO and a community volunteer, an artist and a musician. She was predeceased by her first husband, Hugh Moran, ’35, JD ’39, and her second husband, Donald Weber. Survivors: her children, Winnie Moran Jasper, ’70, Pauline Moran Reed, ’73, Hugh, Robert, Trixianna Weber Van Anglen and Donna Weber Farrar; 14 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
John Walter Weymouth, ’43 (chemistry), of Lincoln, Neb., December 20, at 90, of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was a member of the Band. He taught and did research in physics at the U. of California, Vassar College, Clarkson U. and the U. of Nebraska, where he retired in 1989. He was recently recognized by the Geological Society of America for lifetime achievement in the field of archaeological geology. He loved puns and silly stories and was a huge fan of opera. He was predeceased by his first wife, Patricia. Survivors: his wife, Laura; children, Terry, Daniel and Evelyn; stepdaughter, Victoria Pearlstein; four grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and four step-great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth Jane Poole Barber, ’44 (social science/social thought), of Palo Cedro, Calif., January 4, at 89. Beginning in the late 1940s, she worked at the Vallejo Times Herald as a beat reporter. She then joined the San Mateo Times, where she was the “Talk of the Times” columnist and Weekend/Special Editions/Travel/Food Editor (even though she disliked cooking). She retired in 1992. She ventured down the Amazon River, trading clothing for bark paintings, saw Iran pre-1980, circumnavigated the world and had two 50th birthdays crossing the international dateline. Survivors: her daughter, Betsy Bivin; one granddaughter; and two great-grandchildren.
James Carlisle Barringer, ’44 (economics), of Santa Paula, California, January 12, at 90. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and served in the 104th Infantry Division during World War II. After the war ended, he moved to Santa Paula and joined Barringer & Botke, general contractors. He joined the Santa Paula Rotary Club and served as president from 1960 to 1961. He also served as president of the chamber of commerce and was named Citizen of the Year for 1981. He was a Santa Paula city councilman and mayor for two terms. Survivors: his wife of 64 years, Cathy (Morris, ’48); children, Christine Early, Richard, William and Robert; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Marie A. Gauger Eyraud, ’44 (school of nursing), of Bakersfield, Calif., November 24, at 92. She worked for the Kern County Heath Department as a public health nurse for 20 years. She was predeceased by her husband, Louis. Survivors: her children, Janice Lundy, Charlotte Burror, Leslie and John; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Florence Weaver Rollins Steen, ’44 (English), of Stamford, Conn., November 30, at 90. She held numerous leadership positions in First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Bronxville, N.Y. She was also an avid gardener, gaining a wealth of knowledge in the identification of trees and flowers, and she was active in her Bronxville and Scarsdale communities. Survivors: her children, Deborah, Erick, Gordon and Leslie; four grandchildren; and one sister.
Frank Raymond Wheeler, ’45 (basic medical sciences), MD ’48, of Palo Alto, December 21, at 90. A member of Sigma Chi, he spent 37 years in private practice in internal medicine, retiring in 1989. He loved the outdoors, fly-fishing, downhill skiing, tennis and golf. He was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Marty (Dodds, ’47). Survivors: his daughters, Barbie Breneiser, Anne Wheeler-Waddell and Joan Griffin; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two sisters.
Clare Antoinette Kester Berlin, ’46, of Monterey, Calif., October 19, at 87. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta. She served on the board of the Salvation Army of the Monterey Peninsula, was past president of the Carmel-by-the-Sea Garden Club, and co-founded the Friends of Hopkins Marine Station. Stanford Associates awarded her a 10-year service pin. She enjoyed painting, quilting, gardening and family. She was predeceased by her husband, Dick. Survivors: her children, Peggy Campbell and John; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Mary F. Bridge, ’46 (humanities), of New York City, October 1, at 88. She practiced medicine in Washington State until she moved to New York. She was affiliated with the pathology departments of Lutheran and Long Island hospitals in Brooklyn, and she wrote articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine. She was a patron of the arts and was curious about everything from space to philosophy to watch repair.
Mark Richard Greene, ’47 (economics), MBA ’49, of Athens, Ga., December 16, at 89. He was a professor of risk insurance at the U. of Oregon until 1970. He then joined the U. of Georgia, where he served as Distinguished Professor of Risk Management and Insurance for 18 years. He wrote seven college textbooks and served as an expert witness in insurance cases. He received a Fulbright Commission travel award to Colombia and the Distinguished Research Award from the U. of Georgia. He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Fanne. Survivors: his children, Erik, Robert and Irving; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Walter Howard Harrington Jr., ’47 (general engineering), of Redwood City, October 19, at 86. A World War II veteran, he started his legal career as a deputy legislative counsel in Sacramento. Relocating to Redwood City, he became a deputy district attorney for San Mateo County. He then transitioned to private practice, devoting himself to civil and business litigation for 22 years. In 1984 he was appointed judge for the San Mateo County Municipal Court, and four years later he was elected to the San Mateo County Superior Court. When he retired in 1996, he was commended by the San Mateo Board of Supervisors for his contributions as president of the San Mateo County Bar Association, chair of the San Mateo County Criminal Justice Council, and president of the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society. Survivors include his second wife, Hertha, and children, Stacey and Sara.
Wayne C. Sargent, ’48 (communication), of Carmel, Calif., November 3, at 87, after a sudden illness. He was on staff at the Stanford Daily and then joined UPI in 1948 and worked as a correspondent in San Francisco, Las Vegas and Sacramento. He moved to the business side of the wire service in 1960 and spent eight years as senior vice president for marketing in New York. He returned to daily journalism as editor of the San Bernardino Sun, retiring in 1986. Before his health declined, he was a dedicated golfer, mostly at Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley. He was predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Marybeth.
Doris Irene Ryan Stephenson, ’48 (chemistry), of Bend, Ore., December 1, at 87, after a long illness. She was a Phi Beta Kappa student and worked at Moffett Field in Mountain View after graduation. In the 1970s and 1980s, she was instrumental in helping her husband establish the W.W. Stephenson Construction Co. She and her husband enjoyed bicycling and they traveled throughout the world, visiting China, Japan, New Zealand and Europe. She was predeceased by her husband, Bill, ’49. Survivors: her children, Kathleen Menzies, Doreen Hagelin, Don, William, ’76, and John; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and one sister.
Alvera Charlotte Kahn Welsh, ’48 (psychology), of Walnut Creek, Calif., April 1, 2012, at 84, after a brief illness. She loved Stanford sports and enjoyed golf, bridge, jazz and her computer club. She was predeceased by her husband, Willis. Survivors: her daughter, Karen; three grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
Arthur A. Allen, ’49 (political science), of Coupeville, Wash., November 13, at 84. A member of Sigma Chi, he was drafted into the Army and stationed at Fort Ord, Calif., in the mid-1950s. He enjoyed a 36-year career at United Pacific/Reliance as an underwriter in Seattle and Tacoma. In 1971 he was named “Boss of the Year” by the Insurance Women’s Association of Seattle. When he retired, his position was senior VP of marketing and agency operations. Among his many activities, he served on the board of the Tacoma Boy’s Club and was past president of the Tacoma Gyro Club. He was predeceased by one grandson. Survivors: his wife, Darla; children, Alby, Marion, Henry, Mara, George, Theresa and Tina; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one sister.
Alison Joan Aitkin “Ally” Holtby, ’49 (social science/social thought), of Cupertino, January 12, at 84. She earned a master’s in library science and worked at the Cupertino Library, continuing to volunteer long after retirement. She also spent many years volunteering at Sacred Heart Community Services Center and at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. She loved to attend operas and visit museums and belonged to both a walking and hiking group. She was predeceased by her husband, Glen, ’49, MA ’72. Survivors: her children, Sue, Kim, Claire and Doug; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Beverly Jane Bunds Kimball, ’49 (education), of San Jose, December 1, at 84. She earned an elementary teaching credential and taught all the elementary grades in several school districts in the Bay Area. She also taught in USAF dependents schools in France and Italy and at Ruston Academy in Havana. When her husband joined the Ford Foundation as an education specialist, she taught in the Philippines and became an expert on African trade beads in Nigeria. She had many fascinating adventures traveling in more than 120 countries, meeting ambassadors, artists, religious leaders and wonderful people from all walks of life. Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Merritt, ’49, MA ’50, EdD ’65, and daughter, Nelia Reynolds.
Antonia Vidor “Toni” Merz, ’49 (psychology), of Kapaa, Hawaii, September 17, at 84. She was the eldest daughter of renowned film director King Vidor and silent screen star Eleanor Boardman, and she grew up in the heyday of Hollywood, surrounded by many celebrities. She taught yoga and sang in the choir with the Santa Monica Opera Company. An accomplished equestrienne, she won the Regional Horse and Rider of the Year award in 1951. She was also an avid skier and helped establish Mount Baldy as a ski area in the early 1950s. In 1962, she opened the first health food store in Malibu. She became a natural healer, lived in India and wrote a spiritual autobiography called Beyond the Illusion. She was predeceased by her first husband, Egon Merz, and her second husband, Kerwin Whitnah. Survivors: her children, Gina Merz-McCloskey and Chris Merz; stepson, Joe Whitnah; five grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and her sister.
John E. “Jack” Young, ’49 (biological sciences), MD ’54, of Hillsborough, Calif., November 24, at 87. He served in World War II as a laboratory technologist in the Navy and subsequently in ROTC with the Army, achieving the rank of second lieutenant. He interned at San Francisco General Hospital and did his specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was a well-respected ob-gyn in San Mateo for more than 27 years, also serving as chief of the OB-GYN service at Mills-Peninsula Hospital in the 1980s. He enjoyed camping, hunting and biking, and in retirement he liked to travel and fly-fish. Stanford Associates awarded him a 15-year service pin. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Violet. Survivors: his children, John, ’76, MS ’79, Diane, Bret, ’82, and Tamara; seven grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.
1950s
James B. Bolen Jr., ’50 (undergraduate law), JD ’52, of Walnut Creek, Calif., December 1, at 88. He served in World War II and enjoyed a 30-year career as a corporate lawyer with Safeway Stores Inc. After retiring, he and his wife traveled the world and visited every continent except Australia. He was predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Betty, and his son Michael. Survivors include his sons Brent and Mitch.
Orrin Fleming Finch, ’50 (economics), JD ’53, of Sacramento, October 28, at 85, of lymphoma. After serving in the Air Force during World War II, he worked as an attorney in the Sacramento area for more than 50 years. He received a five-year service pin from Stanford Associates. He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Rosa. Survivors: his children, Michael and Anne Marie; and one grandson.
William Reynolds “Bill” Larmer, ’50 (history), MBA ’55, of Walnut Creek, Calif., October 8, at 84. He was the 1950 Stanford Quad editor and a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. He served three years in the Navy during the Korean War before returning to finish business school. He and his son had their own business, Cal Crystal, from 1984 to 2012. He was active in the Walnut Creek Rotary Club and the Diablo Valley SIRS. He was also a devoted Dixieland jazz fan, traveling up and down the West Coast to attend music festivals. Survivors: his wife of 59 years, Nancy (Mallett, ’50); sons, John, ’78, and Andy; two grandchildren; and his brother, Peter, ’54.
Donald C. Nystrom, ’50 (history), of Foster City, Calif., December 14, at 85, of bladder cancer. During World War II, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, and at Stanford he joined the Chi Psi fraternity. He worked for a title company as an escrow officer and then founded Nystrom Construction Corp. and began a long career as a building contractor and real estate developer. He was a longtime member and president of the Foster City Rotary Club and a volunteer at Samaritan House. He traveled extensively and pursued his passion for ballroom dancing well into his 80s. Survivors: his sweetheart, Jan Reini; children, Karen, Sandra and Mark; four grandchildren; and one sister.
Forrest N. Shumway, ’50 (undergraduate law), JD ’52, of La Jolla, Calif., December 4, at 85, of cancer. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta and received a 15-year service pin from Stanford Associates. He worked in the legal department at the L.A. County counsel’s office until his uncle hired him at Signal Oil & Gas Co. He soon rose to the rank of president and expanded the company from a local operation into one of the country’s most powerful, diverse business conglomerates. Elected to USC’s board of trustees in 1968, he served as its chair between 1990 and 1995. Survivors: his wife, Patsy (Kelly, ’51); children, Garrett, ’82, JD ’86, and Brooks, JD ’83, MBA ’83; two grandchildren; and one brother, Doug, ’53, JD ’56.
Rosemary Olivia Boezinger Lewis, ’51 (speech and drama), of Red Bluff, Calif., November 7, at 81, after a two-year battle with cancer. She worked as a buyer for the White House in San Francisco before returning to the Red Bluff area, where she ran several local businesses and became a successful Realtor. She was active in TOPS, her church, a singing group and the Red Hat Society. She never lost her love for her alma mater. Survivors: her daughters, Jennifer Chel and Rosemary Beam; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
John Corwin Rule, ’51, MA ’52 (history), of Columbus, Ohio, January 12, at 83. After earning a PhD at Harvard, he joined the faculty at Ohio State U., where he worked until retiring as professor emeritus in 1995. He was a legendary teacher and a leading historian of 17th- and 18th-century French history. He held visiting teaching appointments at Western Reserve U. and Johns Hopkins, and in 1979 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in Great Britain. He served as associate editor of the journal French Historical Studies and was a member of the editorial board of the Ohio State University Press.
James Hewlett Stannard Jr., ’51 (mechanical engineering), of Vineland, N.J., December 10, at 85. He served in the Merchant Marine during World War II followed by a brief stint in the Army. After graduation, he worked for Pacific Gas and Electric as a gas engineer in San Francisco. In 1961 he left PG&E to found his own engineering consulting firm and he remained an active consultant until his death. He became known as an expert on Liquefied Natural Gas, having devised the concept of the expander cycle for the production of LNG, and he also was involved with the safety and design review of several nuclear power plants. He was predeceased by his wife, Adeline (Walker, ’52), and son Frederick. Survivors: his children, James, Carol Albert, Ronald, Sarah and Virginia Cameron; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Joan DeSailles Harris Talbot, ’51 (English), MA ’76 (education), of Burlingame, Calif., November 14, at 83. She worked for many years at Hillsdale High School in the math department as a teaching assistant and also at Mills and San Mateo high schools as a substitute teacher. She loved working with students, reading interesting literature and cooking family meals. She was predeceased by her husband, Donald, ’50, MD ’55. Survivors: her children, Richard, Catherine Charles, Susan Tudoni and Robert; seven grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and one step-great-grandchild.
Marianna Wieder van Erp, ’51 (social service), of Mountain View, December 10, at 83. After graduating from Stanford and attending the social work program at UC-Berkeley, she raised five children. She entered the paid workforce in her early 50s, where she discovered a love of computers and computer teaching that stood her in good stead during a five-year stint in Seoul, South Korea, in the 1980s and gave her great pleasure for the rest of her life. In retirement she was a dedicated volunteer at the Mountain View Public Library. She was predeceased by her husband, Dirk, ’51, MA ’53, her daughter Ruth, and one granddaughter. Survivors: her children, William, ’75, Janna Mori, Joanne Montague, ’81, and Mary Bythell; 12 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Walter Gawne Watters, ’51 (economics), of Corona Del Mar, Calif., November 4, at 83. He played freshman football and rugby and was a member of Zeta Psi. Survivors: his wife, Jeanette (Powell, ’52); children, Diane Joslyn and John; and four grandchildren.
Leon King, ’52 (education), of Westlake Village, Calif., October 30, at 82. He played in the 1952 Rose Bowl, which was the first nationally televised college football game. He then attended San Francisco Theological Seminary and pursued advanced studies at the World Council of Churches in Geneva and at the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem. In 1956 he began his ministry at Bidwell Memorial Presbyterian Church in Chico, Calif. Later he enrolled in a doctoral program for college administration at USC. He joined CSU-Northridge as director of financial aid, where he continued his ministry by working to help students pursue their education regardless of financial ability. Survivors: his wife of 53 years, Ida; two sons, Aaron and Brian; three grandchildren; and one brother.
Harold Albert “Bert” Page, ’52 (industrial engineering), of Palo Alto, November 8, at 87. He worked on classified projects in various companies before retiring from Lockheed at age 73. He then volunteered at Hiller Aviation Museum and Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He was an active member of Sons in Retirement and enjoyed Foothills Congregational Church men’s breakfast group. He was predeceased by his son Bob. Survivors: his wife of 18 years, Linda Anderson, ’59; her daughters, Kristin and Karen; his son, Tom; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Mary Alberta Wright Shaw, ’52 (psychology), of Palo Alto, November 30, at 93. She studied nursing at Massachusetts General Hospital and served as a lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corp in World War II. In 1961 she took a job as the school nurse for Mountain View High School, which began her long and distinguished career in public health and education. In 1968 she started serving on the Mental Health Commission of Santa Clara and later joined the boards of Social Advocates and the Red Cross. In 1971 she was promoted to director of health services for the Mountain View/Los Altos School District. She loved sports and was an exceptional athlete. For two decades she was a fixture in the Stanford Golf Club’s ladies group and played well into her 80s. She was predeceased by her husband, Norman, ’49, MS ’50. Survivors: her children, Mary, Norman, Peter, George and John; and eight grandchildren.
Clotean Helm Brayfield, ’53 (social service), of Shelburne, Vt., December 16, at 81. After Stanford she earned a master of social work at Columbia U. In addition to a long career as a clinical and school social worker in New York City and Connecticut, she volunteered countless hours to local and national education, community, civil rights and political causes, including the desegregation of the Hartford region public schools. As a program administrator for CREC in Hartford, she helped design and oversee regional special education programs that served infants through adults. After retiring, she became a special education surrogate parent, advocating tirelessly for foster children in Connecticut public schools. She enjoyed traveling, gardening and volunteering at the Humane Society of Chittenden County, which named her Adult Volunteer of the Year in 2010. She was predeceased by her husband of 43 years, Bill, ’52, MA ’60, and her daughter Beth. Survivors: her daughters Liesse, Maris Brayfield-Kittell and Mary-Elizabeth Sciorra; 11 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Joanne Edith Hixson Saeta, ’53, MA ’54 (education), of South Pasadena, Calif., April 5, 2011, at 79, after suffering a fall at home. She taught in an El Paso, Texas, elementary school, the Stanford Demonstration School, Jackson Elementary School in Pasadena and in the South Pasadena Unified School District first as a volunteer coordinator and then as a reading specialist. She finished her professional career as a grants administrator and curriculum director, retiring in 1989. She was on the board of Pacific Oaks College and the South Pasadena Chinese-American Club. She and her husband loved to travel, and she shot thousands of pictures on their visits to more than 100 countries and all seven continents. She was predeceased by her son Stephen. Survivors: her husband of 56 years, Phil; children, David, Peter and Sandra; and eight grandsons.
Robert R. Barsanti, ’54, of Dallas, October 16, at 80, of complications due to Parkinson’s disease. He worked as a hasher and as a lifeguard at the campus pool, and he served in ROTC with great pride. His spent his career at Continental Insurance Corp., where he rose to become a senior executive. Survivors: his wife of 59 years, Diane; children, Candace Becker, Valerie McDonald and Bob; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Jane D. Reed Cohen, ’54 (English), of Sacramento, February 26, 2012, at 79, after a short battle with lung cancer. She had a lifelong love of literature and writing, which she passed on to three decades of high school students. She began teaching in 1963 at Luther Burbank High; later she moved to Kennedy High as chair of the English department. As part of her PhD program at UC-Davis, she taught English there as well. In her retirement she liked going to plays and art exhibits, discussing news and politics, working in her garden and being with friends and family. Survivors: her husband of 11 years, Herbert; four stepchildren; and two siblings.
Elena Bosworth Eaton-Budge, ’54 (history), of Hillsborough, Calif., December 4, at 79. She worked for the San Francisco Chronicle before moving to the East Coast in 1982. There she worked at Mystic Seaport for 15 years, and in 1989 the town of Stonington, Conn., declared a “Elena Eaton Day” for her significant contributions. A lifelong Democrat, she had strong beliefs in equality, land conservation and social justice. She was predeceased by her first husband, Howard Eaton. Survivors: her second husband, William Budge; and daughter, Brooke.
Morton Lee Wayne Friedman, ’54 (undergraduate law), JD ’56, of Carmichael, Calif., December 5, at 80. He was a lawyer, businessman and philanthropist who shaped the culture in Sacramento from law and medicine to the arts and retailing. He built a fortune litigating some of the most important personal injury cases in the country and by investing in real estate development, including the Arden Fair and Town & Country Village. He and his wife gave generously to many civic and charitable causes, including the Crocker Art Museum, the Sacramento Symphony, Democratic politicians, and the Capital Unity Center to promote racial and ethnic understanding. Survivors: his wife of 57 years, Marcy (Lichter, ’56); sons, Mark, JD ’83, MBA ’84, Philip, JD ’87, and Jeff, MD ’93, PhD ’93; and eight grandchildren.
Ann Davis Therrien, ’54 (history), of Redmond, Wash., January 4, at 80, after a 10-month battle with lung cancer. She was a devoted mother, loved tennis and was active in the Junior League. She was a co-founder of the Options Program for high school-aged students with developmental disabilities at Eastside Catholic High School. In 1996 she and her husband founded Community Homes Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing residential housing and oversight for adults with developmental disabilities. For 10 years, she acted as resident care provider of the first home and later served as a respite care provider in all six homes. Survivors: her husband of 56 years, John; children, Marc, Betsy Squires, Laurie McCloskey, Mary Kay Thompson, Michel and Jennifer; 17 grandchildren; and one sister.
Susanne Jane Shumaker Brown, ’55 (history), of Bainbridge Island, Wash., December 22, at 78, of cancer. She raised her family in San Marino, Calif., and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, hiking and fishing in the summers, skiing in the winter. Her children were taught to “worm” a fishhook, pack a backpack, and, most importantly, kindness and generosity towards others. Survivors: her husband of 57 years, Kenneth, ’55; children, Dana Goodburn-Brown, Kevin and Lauren Kozlosky; six grandchildren; and one sister.
Laine Bennett Cohen Harris, ’55 (history), of San Francisco, December 20, at 78, of lung cancer. She and her husband lived in Honolulu while he was in the Navy and later in Toledo, Ohio, and finally in San Francisco, where they raised three children. Her interests included traveling, cooking, playing bridge and gardening. She had a large library and was a voracious reader. Survivors: her husband of 58 years, Ronald, ’54; children, Linda, Danny and Jonathan; two grandsons; and one brother.
Sharyn Lee Crevin Olsen, ’55 (history), of Twin Falls, Idaho, January 7. She took riding lessons as a child and got her first horse when she turned 13. As an adult she taught English riding, judged horse shows and rode in competitions. She also volunteered for years with the Salvation Army, receiving the Others Award in 2003. She loved the Utah Jazz and the Oakland Raiders, her Saab cars and watching her children and grandchildren play sports. She was predeceased by her first husband, Jack Chilcote, and her second husband, Bruce Olsen. Survivors: her children, Kristi Chilcote, John, Martin, Grant and Gregg; four grandchildren; and one brother.
Miriam Elizabeth Whipple Wehrend, ’55 (psychology), of Palo Alto, October 23, at 79. She volunteered at the Palo Alto Senior Center and a local thrift shop. She and her husband liked to travel and enjoyed trips to Germany, Scotland, Spain, London and Canada. Survivors: her husband, William, MS ’55; children, William, Stephen and Kathryn; six grandchildren; one great-grandson; and two brothers, including Stephen Whipple, ’57, MS ’58.
Patricia Larene “Laurie” Hale Feeney, ’56 (history), of Alexandria, Va., November 14, at 78, of sepsis and aplastic anemia. She came to Stanford as a Ford Scholar and joined the Red Cross after graduation. She accompanied her first husband to Cuba and was one of the civilian evacuees of the Cuban Missile Crisis. She later moved to Washington, D.C., and worked as a technical writer for the FAA. After retiring, she wrote two books. She was predeceased by her former spouse, William Kendig, and her son John Kendig. Survivors: her husband, Dennis Durham; children, Colleen Hollenbeck and William Kendig Jr.; and six grandchildren.
Ray Speier Hausler, ’56, of Portland, Ore., October 15, at 74, of complications due to diabetes and cancer. He was a senior audit manager for the General Accounting Office in Portland, Seattle and Washington, D.C. He was awarded the GAO distinguished service award for his work on northwest energy and electric power policies for Congress. He was also a captain in the Army Reserves Medical Corp. His interests ranged from telecommunication stocks and Northwest art to duck hunting and the Duke U. Blue Devils. Survivors: his wife of 44 years, Virginia; children, Victoria, Stephanie and Graham; and seven grandchildren.
John Ross Lynden III, ’57 (economics), MBA ’59, of San Jose, December 23, at 77, of cardiac arrest. After service in the Army, he worked for Wells Fargo Bank for 47 years in many roles, from branch manager to business trainer, retiring in 2010. Survivors: his children, Jennifer Marcum, Dede Lindheimer and Sean, ’88; six grandchildren; and two brothers.
Luther Jay Rossi, ’57 (economics), MBA ’62, of Portola Valley, November 8, at 77. He enjoyed a decade of Bodega Bay weekends and long-standing Big Game bets against Cal rivals. An innovative marketing man, his business career was a source of great pleasure. Bay Area native and fourth-generation Californian, he was grateful for his full and happy time on earth. Survivors: his wife, Marjorie (Nye, ’57); children, Merilee, Lizabeth Schuetz, ’79, Craig, Janeen Rossi Tuitupou, MA ’91, and Safford; and 12 grandchildren, including Nicole Schuetz, ’06, and Marjorie Schuetz, ’10, MA ’10.
Eleanor Anne Buckwalter Gropper, ’58 (French), of Los Altos Hills, November 3, at 76, of lymphoma. She worked for Stanford’s National Accelerator Laboratory in the 1980s, but her passions were astrology and numerology. Other interests included her gardens and hiking near her second home in Mount Shasta. She was known to family and friends as a vibrant, witty and outspoken free spirit. She was predeceased by her ex-husband, Lee Gropper, and son Roger. Survivors: her son Craig; three grandchildren; one sister; and her longtime companion, John Sennett.
Joan Catharine Safajek (formerly Safarik), ’58 (English), of Felton, Calif., November 20, at 75, after battling a brain tumor for eight years. She received a master’s in English literature from UCLA, and her first career was teaching. After becoming interested in psychology, she went back to school and became a licensed marriage and family therapist. She trained at the San Francisco Jung Institute and worked as a psychotherapist in private practice for many years. She moved to Hawaii in 1994 for health reasons and started writing poetry with a group of local women. She received the Mary Lonnberg Smith poetry award in 2002, and a collection of her poems was published last year. Survivors: her sons, Wendell, ’78, MBA ’87, Eric and Steven Birkhofer; five grandchildren, including Wiley Birkhofer, ’09, and Elise Birkhofer, ’12; and her ex-husbands, G. Wendell Birkhofer, ’55, Robert Tyler, ’49, and Thomas Davis.
Robert Eugene Shafer, ’58 (physics), of Los Alamos, N.M., November 11, at 76, of an internal hemorrhage. He earned a doctorate at UC-Berkeley and postdoctorate at MIT before joining the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill. A recognized expert in beam instrumentation for charged-particle accelerators, he finished his career as a scientific staff member in the accelerator technology division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He also served as a consultant at the CERN, Brookhaven and SLAC accelerator facilities. He loved mentoring younger physicists and even in retirement he mentored students on the online Physics Forum. Before developing muscular dystrophy, he enjoyed hiking and exploring the national parks and monuments throughout the southwest. Survivors include his wife, Ann, and one sister.
Susan Rickey Platt Burnett, ’59 (history), of Lafayette, Calif., December 31, at 75, of a heart attack. She first worked in New York City at Bloomingdale’s and then for Stair & Co. as a sales specialist in 18th- and 19th-century English antiques. After returning to the Pasadena area, she volunteered for the Huntington Hospital, helping to develop the Huntington Collection and using her finance and furniture appraisal skills to establish an estate sales program. She eventually received her certificate in personal property and was an active appraiser for many years. She was also very active in the Pasadena Art Alliance and served on the board of directors of Casa de las Amigas, a recovery home for women. She was predeceased by her husband of 45 years, Ted, MBA ’59. Survivors: her children, Cindy Burnett-Newton and Chip; four grandchildren; and one sister.
Clay Francis Lindus, ’59 (history), of Santa Barbara, Calif., June 5, 2012, at 75, after a long illness. He served in the Navy and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. He enjoyed a 35-year career at Mobil Oil Corp., which included moves to Washington, D.C., and London, retiring in 1995. He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Jo (Sweeney, ’60). Survivors: his children, Scott, ’88, and Stephanie; five grandchildren; and two brothers.
Robert Russell Nolte, ’59 (electrical engineering), of Los Altos, November 4, at 75. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and worked as a research scientist in the defense industry. His favorite activities were fishing, skiing and camping with the family. Survivors: his wife, Helen; sons, Rob and Jamie; two grandsons; and three brothers.
Janice Sue Benninger Riley, ’59 (biological sciences), of Maui, Hawaii, and Mount Vernon, Va., December 1, at 75. During her career in laboratory medicine, she managed immunology departments at several hospitals, including Alexandria Hospital, where she spent 25 years. She played tennis at Stanford and won numerous tournaments and trophies. In her later years, she enjoyed traveling, reading, bicycling and doting on her grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, William. Survivors: her children, Nancy Okeson and William; four grandchildren; and two siblings.
Theodore T. N. Slocum, ’59 (economics), of Sacramento, November 5, at 75, of prostate cancer. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi and served in the Army as a counterintelligence officer in Washington, D.C. After earning a JD in 1964, he started his legal career as a California deputy attorney general. He then entered private practice as a civil litigator and arbitrator. In 1997 he became an administrative law judge with the Social Security Administration, retiring in 2011. He enjoyed Stanford sports, the San Francisco Giants, history and politics, and his daily walk with his cat. Survivors: his wife of 42 years, Virginia; children, Elizabeth Jensen and Douglas; one grandson; and one sister.
1960s
Joan Irene Gustafson Haworth, ’60 (economics), of Tallahassee, Fla., November 1, at 73, of metastatic colon cancer. She played in the University orchestra and was active in student government. After completing a doctorate in economics, she took a faculty position at Florida State U. She and her husband later formed a consulting firm, Economic Research Services, which grew to 200 employees in Florida, Washington, D.C., and California. During her 40-year career, she provided some of the landmark statistical analysis in employment litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants. Adventurous and curious, she earned a private pilot license and enjoyed hot air ballooning. Survivors: her husband, Charles, ’59; children, Stuart, MA ’91, Ann Haworth Kolman and David; and seven grandchildren.
Ernest Barger Miller III, ’60 (chemistry), of Houston, January 14, at 74, of heart failure. A member of Kappa Sigma, he spent his career in energy-related business, beginning at the Humble Oil and Refining Co., where he specialized in catalytic reforming. He ultimately started E.B. Miller & Co., raising capital for projects in the United States and South America. A particularly challenging and satisfying accomplishment was designing and building a small refinery in Bolivia. He was a longtime member of and occasional Sunday school teacher at St. Philip Presbyterian Church, and his favorite place of all was the family lake house in northern Minnesota. Survivors: his wife of 47 years, Dale; children, Ernest IV and Margaret Miller Culp; four grandchildren; and one brother.
William Frederick Drum Jr., ’61 (biological sciences), of Piedmont, Calif., January 11, at 73. After receiving his MPH from the UC School of Public Health, he spent most of his career in administration at various Northern California hospitals and the hospital services industry. He loved his family, friends and community and his pastimes of skiing, bridge, gardening, traveling and music. Survivors: his wife of 50 years, Joan; daughters, Fredericka and Francesca; four grandchildren; and one sister.
John Frederick Fossette, ’61 (political science), of Sacramento, October 5, at 73. He was the legal officer while in the Navy in Portsmouth, N.H. He spent 25 years as legislative counsel for the state until he retired early because of a major hearing loss. Survivors: his wife, Madlyn; and one sister.
Keith Gordon Dahl, ’62 (economics), MBA ’67, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, December 9, at 72. He moved to Samoa in 1975, working as treasurer for a local company, but his real passion was photographing the people of American Samoa. In 37 years he took and shared more than 780,000 photographs and was in the process of transferring them to the Polynesian Photo Archives in Pago Pago, which will be named in his honor. Active in the Baha’i faith, he taught children’s classes to generations of American Samoans, and he was an avid Stanford sports fan, returning to California for at least one football game each year. Survivors: his three brothers, including Arthur, ’64.
William Raymond Noyes, ’62 (political science), of Tucson, Ariz., December 20, at 71, after years of battling lymphoma and leukemia. His first job was at the U. of Arizona as an assistant professor of history. In 1971 he joined the administration and over the next 21 years assumed a wide range of responsibilities. He retired in 1994 to pursue another dream. He established Magellan U. to bring education to anyone with access to the Internet, a forerunner to online education. His other interests were sailing and golf, and on his last round in October, he had his first hole in one. Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Ginny.
Douglas Albert Stocks, ’62 (psychology), of Bryan, Texas, January 6, at 72. He served in the Navy during the Korean War. He worked for TWA as an airplane mechanic and engine inspector for 35 years, as an airplane mechanic for the state of New Mexico for five years and then as a teaching assistant and substitute teacher. He was a strong supporter of progressive causes and both a great storyteller and great listener. Survivors: his wife, Marianne; children, Mignon Demma, Marguerite Cague and George; a grandson; and half-brother.
John Alan Macdonald, ’63 (biological sciences), of Wellsford, New Zealand, December 14, at 71, of cancer. After Stanford, he spent a year in the Antarctic as part of Dr. Wohlschlag’s team, setting the stage for his career in biology. After a PhD at the U. of Texas and postdoc work at UCLA, he accepted a position at the U. of Auckland, where he continued his Antarctic research over the next 34 years. In 2006 he retired to pursue his interest in grapes and wine but continued his Antarctic involvement by becoming part of the Orion team on trips to the Southern Ocean. The New Zealand government awarded him the Polar Medal in 1992. Survivors: his wife, Linda; children, Ruth, James and Peter; a grandson; and three brothers, including Duncan, ’72.
Michael Robert Saks, ’63 (communication), of Rockville, Md., October 24, at 71, of bladder cancer. After Stanford, he earned a master’s degree from the Columbia School of Journalism. He taught English as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo and then as a high school teacher in his hometown of Gary, Ind., before joining the foreign service. He served tours of duty in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Ghana and then transferred to the United States Information Agency in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the African and European press divisions. As USIA was about to merge with the State Department, he retired and worked part time at Borders Books. Survivors: his wife, Judith; children, Jonathan and Nora; and a sister, Nancy Shapiro, ’66.
William Hector Boncher, ’64 (economics), of Tucson, Ariz., November 17, at 71, of cancer. He was a member of Sigma Nu and after college spent two years studying in Freiburg, Germany. He earned a doctorate in economics at Indiana U., started teaching at Adelphi U. and earned tenure from Seton Hall U. in 1980. He taught microeconomics and the History of Economic Thought. Survivors: his daughters, Heidi and Kirstin; four grandchildren; and brother, John, ’62.
David B. Meredith, ’64 (mathematics), of El Sobrante, Calif., December 11, at 69, of complications during heart valve surgery. He was a professor at San Francisco State U. from 1972 until he retired in 2012. His area of research was in the field of algebraic geometry, and he served as graduate adviser and chair of the math department as well as on the academic senate. He volunteered for the BAADS disabled sailors, the Compassionate Friends and the Bay Area Orienteering Club. He was predeceased by his son Donald. Survivors: his wife, Idell; son Clark; two granddaughters; and two siblings.
Ann Marie Stark DeFraga, ’65 (political science), of Martinez, Calif., December 28, at 68. She received a master’s of library science from UC-Berkeley and worked as a librarian for Contra Costa County for 30 years before retiring in 2005. She was an avid supporter of Stanford sports, particularly the women’s basketball team, and the San Francisco Giants. She was a life master in bridge and member and former president of her local PEO and AAUW chapters. Survivors: her husband, Allan, ’62; son, Matt; three grandchildren; and four siblings.
Jan Arnold Johnson, ’65 (industrial engineering), of Sooke, B.C., September 29, at 69, of lung cancer. He worked as a transportation economist in Southeast Asia and was a metal sculptor. Survivors: his wife, Mary Alice; and son, Carl.
Peter Russell Voll, ’65 (political science) of Palo Alto, December 14, at 69. After working in a number of political campaigns, he joined the Stanford Alumni Association as a marketing executive and soon became the business and advertising manager of Stanford magazine. In 1974, he became director of the fledging Travel/Study program, where he spent the next 18 years. Committed to opening roads to understanding different cultures through tourism, he left Stanford in 1992 to devote himself to Peter Voll Associates, which merged in 2002 with another educational tour operator. He launched many travel industry firsts, including tours to the People’s Republic of China, and in 2007 he organized the first Global Warming and Climate Change Symposium in the Russian Arctic on an icebreaker. In 2009 he designed the first World Leaders Symposium in the Arabian Gulf. Survivors: his wife of 34 years, Suzanne; children, Vicki and Sara; two stepchildren, Jay Backstrand and Kendall Nash; seven grandchildren; his mother; three brothers; and a stepsister.
Jonell Friedkin Monschke, ’68 (political science), of Miranda, Calif., November 18, at 76, of a brain aneurysm. While her children were growing up, she was very active in the Salmon Creek Community School in Humboldt County. She also ran the business side of her husband’s land restoration company. But it was late in life that she found a job she truly loved, working with the Heart of the Redwoods Community Hospice. She liked to surround herself with beauty, often beauty of her own making, such as scenes painted on kitchen cupboards. She was a talented watercolorist and had her first art show in 2012. She loved to dance and was a choreographer and costumer as well as a dancer for the Feet First dance troupe. She danced as part of a community fund-raiser the night she collapsed. Survivors: her husband, Jack, ’66; and children, Joel, ’00, Kasara and Elise.
1970s
G’Bandu Tso Avedadawo, ’73 (human biology), of Hampton, Va., January 14, at 61. His love of animals led him to a career as a zoologist at the Los Angeles Zoo. He shared his interest in animals through a program that partnered with the L.A. public school system. Survivors: his mother; and three siblings.
1980s
Michael Craig Lengel III, ’84 (industrial engineering), of Fairfield, Conn., December 7, at 50. He was founder and president of Autus Strategy Consulting and previously held executive positions at Peppers and Rogers Group, Monitor Group and the Michael Allen Co. Most recently, he founded a strategic services practice firm called Buffalo Strategy Services, where he was a senior vice president. He was a loving and devoted father and a fiercely loyal friend, and when not traveling to faraway destinations for business, he immersed himself in books that gave him a deeper world perspective. Survivors: his friend and ex-wife, Barbara Lisi; daughter, Alexandra; his parents; and a sister.
Roderick A. J. “Derek” Leith, ’87 (economics), of Stanford, November 26, at 47. Shortly after graduation, he opened a restaurant, the Stanford Pub and Grill, in downtown Palo Alto. He sold the restaurant in 1997 and for a few years went into financial consulting. In 2000 he took a job at the Stanford Blood Center, working with information systems, then in donor recruitment and finally as the coordinator of the bone marrow program. He was very happy in this role and cared deeply for the connections he made to the people he helped. He loved basketball and golf and had a loving, generous nature. Survivors: his parents; and two brothers.
2000s
Aaron Swartz, ’08, of Highland Park, Ill., January 11, at 26, of an apparent suicide. He was a genius programmer who as a teenager helped develop RSS, a tool that allows users to access online content, and who later became a crusader committed to making information freely available. He was a Fellow at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard, and he co-founded Demand Progress, a group that promotes online campaigns on social justice issues. In July 2011 he was indicted on federal charges of gaining illegal access to JSTOR, a subscription-only service for distributing scientific and literary journals. Charges in the case were pending at the time of his death. Survivors include his parents and two brothers.
Business
Edward John Costigan, MBA ’37, of St. Louis, January 14, at 98. His career in investment banking spanned more than six decades beginning in 1937, when he was an analyst at Whitaker & Co. In 1943 he became a partner at Edward D. Jones & Co., when the two companies merged. In 1972 he was recruited by Stifel Nicolaus and served as president through 1979. He was a member of the board of governors of the National Association of Securities Dealers and the Midwest Stock Exchange. He was known throughout for his integrity and high ethical standards. He was predeceased by his first wife, Sara, his second wife, Millie, and two of his children, James and Betsy Jordan. Survivors: his children, Sally Coleman, Edward, Robert, David, Louise Kennedy; stepchildren, Mildred Fabrick and Patricia Disbrow; 26 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and one sister.
David Hugh Montgomery, MBA ’52, of Camden, Maine, December 8, at 84. He took over his father’s business, the Allen Agency, an insurance and real estate firm, which he owned and operated until his retirement. He was a longtime member and past president of the Camden Rotary Club and a trustee of Thomas College. He served as a board member of the committee that planned the merger of the Knox County General Hospital and the Camden Community Hospital, creating Penobscot Bay Medical Center. He skied at the Camden Snow Bowl and Sugarloaf from their earliest days and loved biking along the shores of Lake Megunticook. Survivors: his wife, Ann; daughters, Sara, Lee and Holly Rutland; one granddaughter; and one brother.
James Sabey Winn Jr., MBA ’70, of Tucson, Ariz., December 10, at 70. He served in the Korean and Vietnam wars, achieving the rank of captain and receiving the Army Commendation Medal. He spent his entire career at First National Bank of Chicago, joining the bank in 1970 and retiring as senior credit officer in 1998. He volunteered his time to the Westside Habitat for Humanity and New Trier Citizens League. He enjoyed playing with his grandchildren, art and music, and sharing his love of astronomy with family and friends. Survivors: his wife, Bonnie; children, Alison Winn Floyd and James; two grandsons; and one sister.
Walter Niemasik Jr., MBA ’82, of Atherton, December 7, at 64, of pancreatic cancer. He pursued a career in investment management, founding a small firm. In 1986 he joined Concord Capital and three years later joined Snyder Capital Management, where he rose to become chair and CEO. He served the GSB as class agent, mentor to students and admissions interviewer, and he and his wife received the Governors’ Award in 2012. After his cancer diagnosis, he was asked to join the patient advisory council at Stanford Medical Center. He had a fondness for playing tennis and an unusually strong attachment to the ’88 Camry he drove for more than 20 years. Survivors: his wife, Julie Kaufman, MBA ’82; sons, Jamie, MBA ’12, and Thomas; and two brothers.
Earth Sciences
Alan R. Jager, MS ’56 (geology), of Claremont, Calif., January 1, at 83. He served in the Korean War and had a 40-year career as a mining engineer, working in the Philippines, Morocco, Mexico, Niger, Chile, Zaire, Kenya, Jordan, Scotland and several western U.S. states. Once retired, he enjoyed traveling and the 1929 Model A Ford he owned and restored. He was passionate about his black Labs and volunteering at elementary school reading programs. Survivors: his wife of 18 years, Mary Anne Lewis; his ex-wife, Melissa Woodring Jager, ’57; children, Cooper, Amy Jager Ramsey and Jenny Jager French, MS ’87; two grandchildren; and one sister.
Education
Lawrence Denmark “Lodi” Harrison, Gr. ’46, of Patterson, Calif., September 19, at 101. He was a teacher and coach at Patterson High School. During World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served with the Eagle Squadron stationed in Debden, England, returning to the United States when he was selected for officer candidate school. After the war he was manager of the West Stanislaus Irrigation and Del Puerto Water Districts. He and his wife were adventurous travelers and introduced the American Field Service international student exchange program to Stanislaus County. After her death, he became a popular guest columnist for the Patterson Irrigator. He was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Doris. Survivors: his children, Laurie Harrison Dayton, William, ’70, and Adele Connors; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
Helen Vestannie Hawkes Thompson, MA ’47, of Pacific Grove, Calif., January 13, at 90. She attended Whitman College and later funded a chair there in marine biology because she loved the ocean and believed that education is the key to prosperity. She taught high school in Selma, Calif., and after moving to Monterey served as dean of girls at Salinas High School. She loved to travel, cook and embroider, and she was a member of the Eastern Star. She was predeceased by her first husband, Nelson Walling, and her second husband, Howard Thompson.
Barbara June Cassidy Anderson, MA ’51, of Hollister, Calif., November 26, at 83, after a two-year battle with cancer. She taught English and reading for a number of years at San Benito High School. After completing a school psychology credential, she became
a counselor at the high school. In 1995 she founded Wood Stove Kitchens, a company that made watermelon pickles, red bell pepper jelly and her signature Grannyola. She loved the people she met in the food business and was active in the San Francisco Professional Food Society and the Bakers Dozen. She also loved gardening, travel and watching sports, especially the Giants and Stanford football and basketball. She was predeceased by her husband, Bob, and her son, Keith. Survivors: her daughters, Martha Anderson Cliff and Susan; and four grandchildren.
Martha Clute, MA ’54, of Northampton, Mass., January 12, at 85. She began a teaching career as a physical education instructor at Kimberley Academy in Montclair, N.J. In 1955 she returned to Smith College, her alma mater, and became an associate professor in 1974. Between 1971 and 1978, she coached varsity basketball for seven winning seasons. After retiring, she began a second career as a travel agent. Before Title IX, when female athletes were few, she excelled at tennis, swimming, basketball and golf. She won the Elmira, N.Y. Country Club Championship 12 times, and a tournament, the Martha Clute Invitational, is held each year at the club in her honor. Survivors include her sister.
Gurdon Frederick Smith, EdS ’60, of San Antonio, January 18, at 89. He served in World War II and was captured by the German Army in November 1944. He was interned in a POW camp in northern Germany until May 1945. He was honorably discharged from the Regular Army and joined the Army National Guard and later the Reserves, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1976. In the 1950s he worked in Germany, serving as an assistant principal and teacher at the U.S. Army Elementary School in Gaffenwoehr and as the principal of the U.S. High School in Wuerzburg. After Stanford he began his career in school facilities planning. He worked as director of planning and construction for the Los Rios Community College District, overseeing the construction of the American River College and Consumnes River College along with the construction of Rhodda Hall at Sacramento City College. He was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Mary Ann, and his daughter, Juneal. Survivors: his son, Gurdon III; and
a sister.
Francis Marion Trusty, EdD ’60, of Knoxville, Tenn., November 24, at 86. He served in the Army Air Corps Cadets and the Air Corps ROTC. After teaching in Oregon, he served as principal of Glenbrook High School in Chicago, was an assistant professor in the College of Education at the U. of Rochester and became department head of educational administration in the College of Education at the U. of Tennessee. He received a Danforth Foundation grant to study conflict resolution and a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Bangkok. He spent considerable time working with educational organizations facing racial divisions and worked with at-risk students in Grainger County, Tenn. He received the Quill E. Cope Award for outstanding teaching and was the 1983 Distinguished Professor of the National Academy of School Executives. Survivors: his wife of 63 years, Phyllis; children, Bob, Joan Moore and David; five grandchildren; and three siblings.
John Chesnutt Flesher, MA ’63, of Los Altos, January 4, at 95. During World War II, he was a pilot, navigator and flight instructor in the Army Air Corps. After the war, he and his wife bought and worked a chicken ranch in Chico, Calif., before moving to Palo Alto in 1951. In the late 1960s he started teaching at Jordan Middle School and retired in 1982. He took up painting and art, and he was an avid fisherman and hunter. He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Geane. Survivors: his children, Jahna Holmes, Stephanie Hockinson and Jack; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
William Glen Bushnell, MA ’67, of Saint George, Utah, January 11, at 87. He was a proud Army veteran who served in the Philippines. He spent 40 years as an accounting instructor, counselor and administrator at both Foothill and DeAnza colleges in Los Altos. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as ward clerk in Sunnyvale and Los Altos. He was predeceased by his first wife, Velma, and daughter Sheri. Survivors: his second wife, Beth; children, Lamar, Ron and Vicki; nine grandchildren; and one sister.
Clifford A. Coon Jr., MA ’68, of Salt Lake City, January 8, at 82. He lived most of his adult life in Menlo Park, where he taught elementary school until his retirement in 1990, in addition to serving as a councilor in the Menlo Park bishopric for many years. An accomplished pianist and painter, he was also an expert collector of majolica, early American pottery and Renaissance furniture. Survivors include his niece and great-nephew.
Charles Dennis Minahen, MA ’69 (education), MA ’81, PhD ’83 (French and humanities), of Columbus, Ohio, February 23, 2012, at 63, of stomach cancer. He spent his post-Stanford career at the U. of Ohio, where he rose to assistant professor and chair of the French department. He specialized in 19th-century French symbolic poetry. He enjoyed bike rides on the Farm, trips to France, wine and classical music. Survivors include his sister.
Thomas Edgar Holland, MA ’02, of Santiago, Spain, November 9, at 57, of brain cancer. He was born in Palo Alto and grew up in Portola Valley. Before enrolling at Stanford, he spent more than 20 years in the hospitality industry as a restaurant server and manager, the last eight with the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons chains. After earning his graduate degree, he spent 20 years as a teacher at various high schools in Texas, Massachusetts and Spain, before ending at the Centro de Linguas in Galicia, Spain, where he was happiest. Survivors: his wife, Maria Eizaguirre Altuna, and three brothers.
Engineering
Thomas Anthony Lambe, MS ’58 (engineering science), PhD ’68 (engineering-economic systems), of Victoria, B.C., December 7, 2011, at 80, of Parkinson’s disease. In 1968 he joined the department of industrial engineering at the U. of Toronto and six years later he joined the faculty of the School of Public Administration at the U. of Victoria. Over the course of his career he was known for his analytic mind, scientific rigor and steadfast encouragement of his students. While he greatly enjoyed his research, he devoted the greatest amount of time and energy to his family and friends. Survivors: his wife, Frances; daughter, Evelyn, ’93; one grandchild; and one sister.
William Francis Egan, MS ’60, PhD ’67 (electrical engineering), of Cupertino, December 16, at 76. He worked as the principal engineer at GTE Sylvania and ESL. He was an SCU instructor and author of several technical books. Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann; and sons, Bill, Dan, John, Mike and Tom.
Donald Emery Trull, MS ’65 (civil engineering), of San Antonio, January 13, at 85. He worked for the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (now the Federal Highway Administration) for 30 years until his retirement in 1982. He was the recipient of several awards, including the FHWA Administrator’s Award for Superior Service and the USDOT Secretary’s Award for Meritorious Service. After retiring, he took what he considered “fun jobs,” including working at a hardware store on and off for 15 years and running a locksmith business for about 10 years. He was predeceased by his wife of nearly 61 years, Thelma, and his son, Donald. Survivors: his daughter, Susan; and one grandson.
Allan Irvin Michaels, MS ’68, PhD ’71 (materials science and engineering), of Seattle, December 24, at 87. A World War II veteran, he worked at Argonne National Laboratory. He was predeceased by his son, David. Survivors: his wife of 66 years, Phyllis; daughter, Robin; and one granddaughter.
David George Goodwin, MS ’80, PhD ’86 (mechanical engineering), of Pasadena, Calif., November 11, at 55, after a five-year struggle with brain cancer. He spent two years working at the Max Planck Institute in Munich before joining the Caltech faculty in 1988 as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and applied physics. He became a full professor in 2000 and retired in 2011. He had traveled the world, was an accomplished artist, enjoyed woodworking and took classical guitar lessons. Survivors: his wife, Frances Teng; children, Timothy and Erica; his parents; and two sisters.
Humanities and Sciences
Evan S. Connell Jr., Gr. ’48 (art), of Santa Fe, N.M., January 9, at 88. A novelist, short-story writer and poet, he was the author of 19 books, including his twin novels, Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge, which were made into a movie starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. He was a National Book Award finalist, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a finalist in 2009 for the International Man Booker Award for lifetime achievement.
Michael I. Aissen, PhD ’51 (mathematics), of Santa Cruz, Calif., January 7, at 91. He served in the Army Medic Corps during World War II. After earning his doctorate, he taught at a number of universities, including Fordham and Rutgers. He moved to the Monterey area after retiring and taught at the Naval Postgraduate School. He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Mildred. Survivors: his children, Judith, Louis and Claire Deem; five grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
Harry Wyman Freeman, PhD ’51 (biological sciences), of Mount Pleasant, S.C., November 11, at 89. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he served during World War II and was chaplain aboard his ship. He taught biology at the U. of South Carolina for nine years and the College of Charleston for 29 years, where he served as chair of the biology department for 18 years. He loved teaching, especially field trips, and mentored hundreds of students. He was an avid bird watcher and enjoyed time at home in his garden. Survivors: his wife of 68 years, Margaret; children, Margaret Carswell and Harry; and three grandchildren.
Peter James Duignan Jr., MA ’53, PhD ’61 (history), of Cupertino, November 17, at 86.
In 1957 he was awarded a Ford Foundation grant to study native policy in Africa. He took his family to Rhodesia to research what would be his life’s work, the study of colonial Sub-Saharan Africa. In 1959 he was named curator of the African collection at the Hoover Institution and director of its African studies program from 1965 onward. In 1966 he was appointed curator of Africana of the entire University and built a collection of African letters and documents that still ranks among the top five African research archives in the country. Two years later he was named to the Stella and Ira Lillick Curatorship at Hoover, the first endowed chair in the United States devoted exclusively to the study of Africa. A prolific writer, he wrote or edited more than 45 books. He is remembered for his spirited arguments, studious habits and devilish sense of humor. Survivors: his wife, Frances; children, Kathleen, ’72, Patricia, ’74, Peter, ’78, Claire Duignan Day, ’78, Rosie and Sheila, ’81; and 10 grandchildren.
Robert Darrell Hicks Jr., MA ’59 (international relations), of Middletown, R.I., April 2, 2012, at 91. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and in the Air Force during the Korean War, ultimately achieving the rank of colonel. After his military retirement he worked as a civilian professor at the Naval War College in Newport. For this work he received the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award for outstanding and sustained leadership in initiating and developing the Naval War College Off-Campus Graduate Seminar Program in Strategy and Policy. He was predeceased by his wife, Pauline. Survivors include his sons, Robert III and William.
John Joseph “Jack” Tenge Jr., MA ’61 (communication), of Rocklin, Calif., September 26, at 89, after a battle with cancer. He taught marketing and advertising for 23 years at San Francisco State, where he retired as professor emeritus. He loved to travel to Europe and led many educational tours there. He was a man filled with kindness and a deep commitment to his family. Survivors include his two siblings.
Jerrold Fried, MS ’60 (electrical engineering), PhD ’64 (biophysics), of Bethesda, Md., November 12, at 75, of cancer. In 1987, he joined the staff at the National Institutes of Health, where he convened scientific panels to review grant applications in the field of hematology. He was an associate professor of developmental therapy and clinical investigation at Cornell U.’s Graduate School of Medical Sciences in New York and an associate member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute for 22 years before moving to Bethesda and joining the NIH staff. Survivors: his wife of 47 years, Shirley; sons, Andrew and Daniel; one granddaughter; and two siblings.
Rob Lorenzo Bennett, DMA ’65 (music), of Fresno, Calif., December 5, at 89. He appeared as piano soloist in concerts throughout the United States and Europe, and he toured extensively as an accompanist for Columbia Concerts Management. He performed at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in New York and he was accompanist for the San Francisco Opera Company for auditions and rehearsals. He was also on the faculty of CSU-Fresno, where he taught, conducted and performed over a period of 33 years. He served as president of the Music Teachers’ Association of California and toured Japan with the Fresno Buddhist Betsuin Choir. Survivors: his wife, Susan; son, Brian; two grandsons; and one brother.
Catherine “Kitty” Houghton, MA ’70, PhD ’84 (linguistics), of Novato, Calif., January 28, at 70, after a random stabbing at a hotel in New Hampshire. She served in the Peace Corps in Nepal and worked as an international officer for Bank of America and for DuPont before joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1979, working at embassies all over the world during her 28-year career in public service. A member since 1966 of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots, she was working on a film about the group’s Nepali chapter when she died. She volunteered for Angelflight, which provides free transportation for people with medical needs, and for Lighthawk, a nonprofit that provides flight transportation to conservation organizations. She spoke 14 languages. She was in New Hampshire attending board meetings at the White Mountain School, her alma mater, where she delivered the commencement address in 2011. Survivors include two sisters and a stepsister.
Sean Robert Hoare, PhD ’75 (English), of Springfield, November 11, at 65. He joined the English department faculty at Marymount U. in Arlington, Va., in 1980. His teaching and research interests included theory of autobiography, the literature of the American 1930s and the works of James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville and Jack London. He was also a scholar of popular culture, keenly interested in hardboiled detective literature, film noir and western novels. Survivors: his wife of 42 years, Roxanne; and one sister.
Eileen Hadidian, MA ’76, DMA ’79 (music), of Albany, Calif., December 14, at 64, after an 18-year battle with breast cancer. She was a well-known professional recorder and baroque flute player in the Bay Area. She appeared in concert and taught workshops throughout the western United States. In addition to serving on the music faculty at Mills College, she directed the Hausmusik concert series in Albany for 20 years before founding Healing Muses, a nonprofit organization that brings music to medical centers. Her involvement with music for healing grew out of her own experience with cancer. After using music for her own healing and pain management, she began to play for other cancer patients. She loved to read, watch foreign movies and get together with friends for good meals and philosophical discussions. Survivors: her husband, Peter Tichenor; and daughter, Melia Tichenor.
Law
Randolph “Randy” Jacobs, JD ’38, of Missoula, Mont., January 1, at 99. After law school, he joined the Missoula County Attorney’s Office and worked as a deputy county attorney until 1942, when he entered private practice at Pope and Smith. In 1943 he enlisted in the Navy and served as a combat information officer on aircraft carriers in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. When the war ended, he returned to Missoula and joined his older brother in managing the family bank, the First National Bank of Missoula, and worked there for more than 30 years until retiring in the late 1980s. Deeply involved in civic efforts in Missoula, he served on the board of Missoula United Way and the Missoula Symphony, and he was one of the organizers and crew that built the first set of Little League baseball fields at the fairgrounds. He was predeceased by his second wife, Betty Gordon, and his daughter, Julie Jacobs Hood. Survivors: his sons, Randy Jacobs Jr., George Gordon and Bob Gordon; and eight grandchildren.
Paul Eugene Beckman, JD ’50, of Carmichael, Calif., September 11, at 89. He served in World War II and, after earning his law degree, worked as a judge advocate general in the Panama Canal Zone. He received a posting as foreign claims commissioner in Korea and worked at the Office of Chief Counsel, Department of Water Resources, until he retired from the Army in 1968. He volunteered for a variety of people and agencies, including the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program. He was predeceased by his first wife, Wilma. Survivors: his second wife, Lynne; children, Linda and Steven; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one sister.
Donald Morgan Layne, JD ’57, of Carmel, Calif., December 11, at 82. He started the law firm of Layne, Brodie and Germino and practiced in Palo Alto for 31 years. After moving to Carmel, he continued practicing law for an additional 24 years. Survivors: his wife of 32 years, Barbara; children, Kendall, JD ’81, Lisa, Susan and Julie McLain; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; two sisters; and his former spouse, Laurie (Frisbee, ’53).
Medicine
James Call Low, MD ’53, of Salt Lake City, January 10, at 88. A World War II veteran, he established a family practice in Mariposa, Calif., moving the practice to Fullerton, Calif., and finally to Preston, Idaho. He enjoyed serving in a variety of callings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including a mission in the Family History Mission in Salt Lake City as the mission “doc.” Survivors: his wife of 60 years, Betty; children, Cydney Cox, Jeff, Stacey Workman and Scott; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Gerald Kenneth Masover, PhD ’73 (medical microbiology), of Oakland, November 29, at 77, due to complications of pneumonia. He built a successful career as a pharmacist before entering a master’s program at the U. of Illinois to pursue his interest in biological sciences. After graduating from Stanford, he launched a fulfilling career as a research scientist. He retired from Genentech in 2004. He was predeceased by his first wife, Bonnie. Survivors: his second wife, Lee; children, Steven, Laurie and David; two grandchildren; and one brother.
