Faculty
Donald Rudolf Laub, of Redwood City, April 26, at 89. He was chief of plastic surgery at the School of Medicine from 1968 to 1980 before entering the private sector. He founded Interplast, Inc. (now ReSurge International), which pioneered the concept of surgical teams working in developing countries to help the medically underserved, giving rise to dozens of humanitarian medical organizations around the world. He accepted a Citation for Private Sector Initiative from President Ronald Reagan. He also received recognition for his charitable work from Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama. In the 1970s, he pioneered techniques of gender affirmation surgery. Survivors: his wife, Judy; children, Don Jr., MS ’85, Raymond, Julie, Mary, and Louise; and seven grandchildren.
1940s
Raymond Macdonald Alden Jr., ’44 (general engineering), of Santa Rosa, Calif., March 18, 2023, at 101. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda. He served in the Navy in China and the Pacific as a communications officer and an electrical engineer. His career in the telephone industry began with Hawaiian Telephone Co. and continued at United Telephone (now Sprint Corporation), where he rose to become president and chairman of the board. He loved gardening, woodworking, church activities, and writing. He was predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Sara (Wills, ’46). Survivors: his children, David, ’70, Merritt, ’73, and John, ’74; seven grandchildren, including Genery Booster, ’02; and nine great-grandchildren.
Edward Allen Free, ’46 (medicine), MD ’49, of Prescott, Ariz., February 9, at 100, of congestive heart failure. He served in the military. He founded Pediatric Surgical Associates of the East Bay, was a founding member of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons, and helped establish the American Pediatric Surgical Association. He trained doctors in neonatal surgical techniques as part of Heart to Heart, an organization started during the Cold War to treat children in the USSR born with heart defects, and he received a lifetime achievement award from the Children’s Hospital of Oakland. He was predeceased by his first wife, Gretchen; and children Johnathan, Amelia, and Heidi. Survivors: his second wife, Carol Evans; children Ashby and Ledger; stepchildren, Kira and Shawn; and grandson.
Betty Lucile Terry Lawrence, ’46 (political science), of Pebble Beach, Calif., April 20, at 99. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She had passions for golf and collecting and was an accomplished genealogist with many publications to her credit. She belonged to numerous genealogical organizations, including the Society of Mayflower Descendants, National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, and Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a longtime member of the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. She was predeceased by her husband, Dick, ’46; and son Terry. Survivors: her son Alex; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Rona Hsu Lee, ’48 (social science/social thought), of Los Altos, May 16, at 99. She immigrated to the United States from China after WWII. After studying at Stanford, she and her husband started a family and, in the late 1950s, they moved back to China. In 1980, they returned to the States, where she devoted herself to the family while her husband worked at SLAC. She loved classical music and played piano. People were drawn to her beautiful and warm play, and her kindness and smile were touching. She was predeceased by her husband, Terry, ’49. Survivors: her children, Theresa Yih, Jane, Catherine, MS ’85, Helen, and Ronald; and three grandchildren.
Patricia Ann Hoagland McEwen, ’48 (English), of Palo Alto, March 16, at 100. A longtime member of the American Association of University Women, she developed her prodigious memory and pedagogical skills teaching AAUW classes on California history. She was also a member of the Palo Alto Historical Association and served on the board of the Children’s Theatre, where she raised funds for its new stage in the 1980s. She spent 30 years producing two volumes tracing her and her husband’s lineages, one of which won a prize from the Ohio Genealogical Association. She was predeceased by her husband, Dick, MS ’50, PhD ’52. Survivors: her children, Todd and Kirsty.
Elaine Louise Rosenblum Morgan, ’48 (music), of San Francisco, June 8, at 97. With a gift for playing piano, perfect pitch, and a passion for classical music, she taught music at the City College of San Francisco for many years. While there, she championed the preservation of the campus’s 1940 Diego Rivera mural Pan American Unity. She was a fan of the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony, and she traveled overseas to visit the homes and museums of her favorite composers. She was predeceased by her companion, Warren Goldberg; former husband, Melvin; and daughter Marilyn Ann. Survivors: her children Robert and Janet; and two grandchildren.
1950s
Joanne Berg Hendrick, ’50 (speech & drama), of Norman, Okla., April 26, at 95. She participated in Ram’s Head and Gaieties. She oversaw the creation of the Santa Barbara City College Children’s Center in 1972. She was an associate professor of early childhood education at the University of Oklahoma, and the only woman in the College of Education to receive a tenured chair. She authored six textbooks, including The Whole Child. She was predeceased by her former husband, Roy Jr., ’47, MS ’51, PhD ’56. Survivors: her children, Nancy Hendrick Miracle, ’73, Roy III, Joanne Hendrick Puckett, and Allison Hendrick Bristow; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Robert Lowell Karlin, ’50 (economics), of New York, January 4, at 94. He was in the Stanford Band. He earned an MBA from NYU and ultimately became president of Star Corrugated, retiring in 2001 as a highly regarded force in the corrugated box industry. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, a gifted musician, and a lover of musical theater, fine dining, and his dogs. Survivors: his wife of 68 years, Miriam; children, Steven, Josh, Willy, Rachel, and Sam; and seven grandchildren.
Harriet Lucile Heming Simpson, ’50 (political science), of Berkeley, April 19, at 94. She earned a master’s degree in special education from San Francisco State University and taught children with learning disabilities in Berkeley public schools. She served on the board of the Merola Opera Program in San Francisco. She was politically active, a talented artist, and an intrepid traveler, whether on the Trans-Siberian Railway, in small boats on the Amazon, or visiting pre-1979 Iran. She was predeceased by her husband, Dwight, ’47, MA ’48, PhD ’50; son Charles; and granddaughter. Survivors: her children Anthony, David, and Margaret; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
William Bernard Warren, ’50 (economics), of Cambria, Calif., May 24, at 97. He was a member of Kappa Sigma and played basketball. He served in the Navy. He worked at Northrup King Seed Company for 27 years as a warehouseman, salesman, and regional sales manager. He served as president of the California Seed Association. In retirement, he was involved in community activities and in the North Coast Advisory Committee for Cambria and San Simeon. He enjoyed traveling and playing tennis, and he had his pilot’s license. Survivors: his wife of 70 years, Barbara; daughters, Renee Harrigan, Lorrie Warren-Hoyt, and Linette Harris; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Barbara Metzger Baxter, ’51 (political science), of Menlo Park, May 25, at 94. She contributed to the Stanford Daily and was in the ski club. After marrying William Baxter, ’51, JD ’56, and raising three children on the Stanford campus, she worked at Hewlett-Packard as a technical editor. She played competitive bridge, worked every year as an election official, and traveled the world on Elderhostel trips. She was passionate about scuba diving, community theater, books, the ocean, and gardening. She was a lifelong Stanford sports fan. Survivors: her children, William III, ’78, Marcia Baxter Bearman, and Stuart, ’82; three grandchildren, including Morton Bearman, ’04, MS ’05, and Katherine Baxter Bearman, ’06, JD ’11; and great-grandchildren.
Charles Edward Brandner, ’52 (biological sciences), of Petaluma, Calif., April 18, at 93. He was a member of Sigma Chi. He earned a doctor of veterinary medicine from Colorado State University and pursued a master’s degree in bacteriology at Iowa State University. He was a beloved veterinarian who cared for large and small animals and left a lasting legacy in Petaluma, where the hospital he established still bears his name. He was an expert woodworker, avid sailor, Morse code enthusiast, and skilled banjo player. He was predeceased by his wife of 48 years, Carol (Libby, ’53). Survivors: his children, Kathleen Gillis, Stacia Brack, Greg, and Michael; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Nancy Elizabeth Newbury Tuck, ’52 (history), of Portola Valley, Calif., January 29, at 93. She was predeceased by her husband of 52 years, Douglas, ’50. Survivors: her children, David, Joanne, Carolyn Tuck Dewey, and Julie Tuck Doyle; and grandchildren.
Helen Lillian Matson Armstrong, ’53 (undeclared), of Dana Point, Calif., January 20, at 91, of heart disease. She was born to Finnish immigrant parents and grew up in a remote Alaskan fishing village. While raising three children in California, she lived at various times in La Verne, Claremont, Bishop, Riverside, and Running Springs. She spent most of her professional life working for the University of California in administrative positions. She enjoyed her retirement days in the mountains, staying active with friends and family, traveling, and volunteering. She was predeceased by her husband, Glenn. Survivors: her children, Katie, Kim Scanlan, and Marc; and four grandchildren.
Lawrence Barrows Carr, ’53 (biological sciences), of Ross, Calif., April 4, at 92. He was a member of Chi Psi. After attending medical school at George Washington University, he became an associate clinical professor in the department of pathology at UCSF. He enjoyed a long and successful career at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, where he was the director of clinical laboratory and nuclear medicine. In retirement, he became a rancher in the Central Valley. He was an avid skier, sailor, hunter, and athlete. Survivors: his wife of 65 years, Marilyn; children, Eliza Lape, Danny, Amy, Tony, and Sarah; nine grandchildren; and brother.
John Huntington Farnworth, ’53 (English), of Vida, Ore., May 2, at 90, of septicemia and pneumonia. At 19, he was the youngest graduate in his Stanford class. During a career in the travel industry, he spent 25 years with British Airways and later worked with cruise lines. He was an ardent fan of classical music and served on the board of directors of the Oregon Bach Festival. He also wrote reviews of classical music performances and CDs for the Eugene Register Guard. He loved his family, friends, cats, and Tanqueray gin martinis. Survivors: his wife of 41 years, Carol; six children; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
James Henry Price, ’54 (history), of Pleasanton, Calif., June 12, at 91, of Parkinson’s disease. After graduating from the Pacific School of Religion, he began working for Alameda County political campaigns. He became the assistant to the mayor of Oakland and the western regional director of HUD. Leaving HUD to spend more time with family, he worked with his wife on housing projects in California and to invest in properties from Washington state to Texas. Always ready to take a leadership role, he served on a succession of boards and committees for banks, schools, and theater companies. He was predeceased by his wife, Jane. Survivors: his daughters, Kristin Price-Wilson and Lisa Price-Sims; grandson; and brother.
Martin Warren Debenham Jr., ’55 (philosophy), of Kennsington, Calif., April 16, at 91. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and the crew team. He received a master’s degree from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley and served as the pastor of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale and St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Albany. He later had a neighborhood ministry and assisted at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Oakland. He was a nationally known collector of comedy and novelty sound recordings and served as a consultant for comedy radio programming for Dick Cavett, The Comedy Hour, and Dr. Demento. His wife of 66 years, Sally (Kuechler, ’56), passed away six days before he died. Survivors: his children, Susie, Steve, ’84, and Patty, ’85; and six grandchildren.
Maxine C. Rosenberg Schulman, ’55 (history), of San Francisco, March 28, at 90. She was a homemaker for many years and later became a travel agent. She and her husband lived in Newport Beach before moving to San Francisco in 2000. A third-generation San Franciscan, she was a volunteer at Juvenile Hall, a regular at Le Central and Il Fornaio, and a skilled tennis player. She and her husband had season tickets to the Giants, saw three World Series championship teams, and regularly attended Stanford football games. She was predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Marshall. Survivors: her children, Douglas and Julia; and four grandchildren.
Hugh Russell Wilks Jr., ’55 (communication), of Carmel Valley, Calif., December 31, at 90, of complications from cancer. He was a member of Chi Psi and contributed to the Stanford Daily. He served in the Army. He was a newspaper reporter before pursuing a career in public relations, first at Pfizer, then at Syntex Corp. He later opened his own public relations company in London, Academy International. He loved golf, dinners with friends, and volunteering at the Chartwell School. He was predeceased by his first wife, Marianna (Harding, ’55). Survivors: his children, Hugh III, Douglas, Ann Wilks Taylor, and Susan Wilks Wynn; stepsons, Gregory Miller and Christopher Miller; and sister.
Sally Foster Kuechler Debenham, ’56 (history), of Kennsington, Calif., April 10, at 88. Considered one of America’s five most chic women by designer Bill Blass, she used her fashion experience while working with Bay Area teen girls in the Girl Scouts, the Girls Club of Menlo Park, and the Episcopal Church of San Francisco. A fifth-generation San Franciscan, she was civically active through organizations like Peninsula Volunteers, the Junior League of Palo Alto, the San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary, and the Oakland Children’s Hospital Foundation. Her husband of 66 years, Warren, ’55, passed away six days after she died. Survivors: her children, Susie, Steve, ’84, and Patty, ’85; and six grandchildren.
John Lloyd Richardson, ’56, PhD ’64 (chemical engineering), of Portola Valley, Calif., May 13, at 89. He played water polo and contributed to the KZSU radio station. He began his career at Ford Aeronutronic and Occidental Petroleum and later led companies across the country in industries like seawater purification, biotech, and consulting to public utilities. He was predeceased by his first wife, Thora (Bergsteinsson, ’57). Survivors: his wife, Alice Sheinberg Schenk, ’63; children, David, ’80, MS ’81, MBA ’85, Eric, ’83, Karen, ’85, Kristen, and Thomas; stepdaughters, Debbie Schenk and Suzy Schenk; 10 grandchildren, including Warren, ’12, and Katherine, ’18, MA ’19; and sister, Mary Richardson Davis, ’58.
Frances Karen Saum, ’56 (history), of Belfast, Maine, May 9, at 89, of heart disease. She contributed to the Stanford Daily. In the 1960s, she taught history at Brooklyn College, Manhattan College, and the University of Maine. A longtime political activist, she protested against the Vietnam War, for civil rights, and on behalf of women’s rights, and made efforts to organize the University of Maine faculty. She later worked for the H.O.M.E. of Orland, Maine, a low-income housing cooperative which offers employment and other services to community members. Survivors: her sons, Peter Reichard, Lawrence Reichard, and Stephen Reichard; four grandchildren; two great-granddaughters; and brother.
Claudette Yeoman Wittenberg Shaw, ’56 (history), of Newport Beach, Calif., May 4, at 89. She led a life of generosity and service, and was particularly active in supporting the arts. She served as president of the Laguna Beach Art Museum and helped to raise funds to construct the Orange County Performing Arts Center. She was a fierce pickleball player and a talented painter, sculptor, writer, and gardener. She always chose adventure, whether waterskiing at 75 or hiking through the Canadian Rockies for her 83rd birthday. She was predeceased by her first husband, Eric Wittenberg, ’56; and second husband, Don. Survivors: her children, Eric Wittenberg, Carla Wilson, and Tom Wittenberg; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.
Henry Robert Dulik, ’57 (economics), of Palo Alto, January 26, at 88, after a long illness. He started Hak-Mil Products, which built custom furniture for restaurants. He was a “foodie” before the term was invented, and he loved nothing more than exploring the Bay Area for new restaurants. His huge, annual Big Game tailgate party, held in the Eucalyptus Grove outside Stanford Stadium, became the stuff of legend. He designed and built the furniture for the Phillips Brooks School’s nursery school, which his wife launched in the late 1970s. He was predeceased by his wife, Barbara (Neal, ’56, MA ’57). Survivors: his children, Beth Gardiner, Gregg, and Tom; and nine grandchildren.
Paul Bernhardt Hanson, ’57 (economics), of Bellingham, Wash., March 24, at 88. He was the president of Mount Baker Mutual Savings Bank and later helped hundreds of clients manage their investments as a stockbroker for Dain Bosworth. He gave his time to organizations like the Rotary Club of Bellingham, Whatcom Community Foundation, and the Mount Baker Ski Area, and served as a trustee for Western Washington University. He was proud of his efforts to fund-raise for the Arne Hanna Aquatics Center and to establish Boulevard Park. He was predeceased by his wife of 46 years, Ann (Cilley, ’62). Survivors: his sons, Max and Thor; and three grandchildren.
Sam Frederick Radelfinger, ’57 (economics), MA ’58, EdD ’63 (education), of Healdsburg, Calif., April 15, at 89, of congestive heart failure. He joined the San José State faculty as an associate professor in 1969 and became department chair within six months. He taught at the university for nearly 40 years, designing and implementing the curriculum for the master’s degree in public health, developing numerous courses, and overseeing countless student placements with community health agencies. His support for improving community health and well-being was a lifelong passion, and he actively engaged with organizations dedicated to family planning, AIDS awareness, and public health education. Survivors: his wife of over 40 years, Rita Scardaci; five daughters; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Peter Edmund McCourt, ’58, MS ’59 (mechanical engineering), of Chatsworth, Calif., March 19, at 87. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi. Upon graduation, he became an officer in the Air Force and served at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M., during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He started his career at Atomics International, an aerospace company that was eventually acquired by Boeing. He rose to become vice president and retired after 35 years of developing space-age nuclear power and rocket engines. He was a square dancing aficionado with a mischievous sense of humor. Survivors: his wife of 65 years, Suzanne (Mutuberria, ’59); children, Christine, John, Benjamin, and Matthew; seven grandchildren; and sister, Sue Cobb (McCourt, ’59).
John Thomas Hansen, ’59 (history), of San Francisco and Atlanta, March 25, at 86. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he clerked for California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk and enjoyed a five-decade-long legal career. He defended conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War and won one of those cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He also won many employment discrimination class action suits and became a bankruptcy law expert. He never lost his interest in politics or his passion for justice, equality, and civil rights. Survivors: his wife of 25 years, Holland; children; and grandchildren.
Howard Winston Herron, ’59, MS ’61 (industrial engineering), of San Jose, April 7, at 86. He participated in ROTC and served in the Army Ordnance Corps for three years. He devoted his career to IBM, helping to transform mainframe computers from giant machines to “servers” a fraction of the size. One of his greatest accomplishments was working on the team that developed DB2 software. He loved power boating, trains, and traveling along the West Coast. He was predeceased by his son, Stephen. Survivors: his daughter, Jennifer Meharg; two granddaughters; and brother.
Robert MacRae Linneman, ’59 (history), MBA ’61, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., April 19, at 86. He was a business executive with a passion for process improvement. He supported youth sports and built a baseball program and playing field for the Hopi Tribe in Arizona. He initiated numerous men’s ministry programs in Pennsylvania and South Carolina, including Bible studies and mentoring at a local correctional institution. He loved traveling with his wife, scouting with his son, and running with his daughter. Survivors: his wife of 56 years, Carol; children, Doug and Doreen; and grandson.
Maureen Anne O’Brien Sullivan, ’59 (philosophy), of San Francisco, April 10, at 86, of pancreatic cancer. She was a member of the Dollies. She worked for the Social Security Administration, then in the travel industry, leading cycling trips in Europe, and later earned a degree in clinical psychology and grief counseling. She served on numerous boards and endowed a chair in Irish studies at Boston College and an undergraduate scholarship at Stanford. She was predeceased by her first husband, Jack Levitan; and second husband, Craig. Survivors: her daughters, Meagan Levitan, ’87, and Kristin Levitan Dickerson; stepchildren, Annie, Katie, and Mark; 10 grandchildren; and three siblings.
Thomas Manhardt Wilson, ’59, MS ’67 (civil engineering), of Haines City, Fla., September 20, 2022, at 85. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He served in the Navy Reserve as an engineer, retiring as a captain after 28 years. He spent 26 years working for the Vista Irrigation District, retiring as general manager and chief engineer. He volunteered at his local church and for Habitat for Humanity. Survivors: his wife of 54 years, June; daughters, Yvonne Dover, Darcy Durio, Jenifer Huebner, Louise Dover, and Elizabeth Harkins; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and first wife, Jean Ballagh, ’60.
Raymon Alan York, ’59 (industrial engineering), of Phoenix, January 24, at 86. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi and participated in student government. After working at his family’s meatpacking plant in Idaho, he and his wife, who met at Stanford, returned to the Bay Area and took over her father’s business, Ewing Outdoor Supply and Landscape Products. He eventually became president and CEO and helped the company expand from two brick-and-mortar stores to a 100-year-old, fourth-generation national distribution powerhouse with branches across the country. Survivors: his wife of 63 years, Sue (Ewing, ’60); sons, Douglas, David, and Richard; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and sister.
1960s
Joan “Pinky” Bagott Glass, ’62 (nursing), of Pullman, Wash., January 2, at 84. She attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., and joined the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. After a short stint as a civilian nurse, she returned to the Navy. Over her 28-year career, she worked in naval hospitals in California and Florida, served on the hospital ship USS Repose during the Vietnam War; and was department head of nursing services on the humanitarian voyage of the USS Mercy in the Philippines. She received a number of awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal. She was predeceased by her first husband, Glen “Bill” Bowles; and second husband, Larry Glass. Survivors include her brother, John, and his family.
Barbara Leckey Jackson, ’63 (Spanish), MA ’64 (education), of Palo Alto, March 27, at 82. She taught Spanish for several years at Sequoia High School in Redwood City. She was active in the PTAs at her sons’ schools and did everything she could to support, protect, and educate them. She later taught at the Adult School for the Palo Alto school district, specializing in ESL courses. She enjoyed meeting and maintaining friendships with these students, learning from them and sharing experiences. Survivors: her husband, Robert, MS ’63; sons, Carl and James; and three grandsons.
Larimore Dean “Larry” Jensen, ’63 (undergraduate law), of Kawasaki, Japan, April 6, at 91. He served in the Navy for six years, becoming a lieutenant commander and Korean War veteran. He later worked in international business and sales. He devoted time to charitable causes, including fund-raising for Shriners Hospitals. He and his wife moved to Japan in 2011 to enjoy the country he experienced as a naval aviator. He was an ardent fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and a member of the Foster City Lyons Club and the Peninsula Masonic Lodge. He was predeceased by his first wife, Jan (Critchfield, ’59, MA ’60). Survivors: his wife, Noriko; children, Dirk, Brooke, and Nels; and three grandchildren.
Anthony Allyn Monroe, ’63 (economics), MBA ’70, of Belmont, Calif., November 2, at 82. He was a member of Zeta Psi and served in the Marine Corps. He worked for Singer-Friden and subsequently spun off a company dealing with computer parts. He and his wife enjoyed traveling in Europe and Africa and especially loved visiting archaeological sites, eating good food, and watching life go by while sitting in small cafes. They raised three Great Pyrenees dogs, a myriad of Maine Coon and feral cats, and two pot-bellied pigs. Survivors: his wife of 53 years, Bunny; and siblings, Pamela Murphy, Patrick, and Jeffery.
Peter Sutherland Race, ’64 (political science), of Alexandria, Va., December 2, at 82. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He graduated from law school at the University of Michigan. He worked for 42 years at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., ultimately becoming an assistant general counsel and leading the enforcement of HUD’s consumer protection programs. He enjoyed coaching his daughters’ sports teams, serving on the board at the Hollin Meadows Swim & Tennis Club, and spending time at his home on Little Traverse Lake in northern Michigan. Survivors: his wife, Kristen; daughters, Katie Race Brin and Elizabeth Terborgh; and four grandchildren.
Robert George Herriot, ’65 (mathematics), of Palo Alto, April 10, at 80, of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He played clarinet in the marching band and helped to computerize the Stanford Card Stunts. He earned a PhD and taught computer science at the University of Washington before returning to Palo Alto and working as a software engineer at several start-ups. He also worked for Sun Micro Systems and Xerox. He loved travel, music, design, language, construction, and family life most of all. Survivors: his wife, K. Patricia Landman-Herriot; children, Jennifer Herriot-Hatfield and Nicholas; and three grandchildren.
Mary Margaret Mihelich Hutton, ’65 (classics), of Seattle, March 7, at 80, of lung cancer. She contributed to the Stanford Daily and the Chaparral. She was a technical writer who rewrote 386/287 Assembly documentation for Intel. She wrote OS/2 and Windows NT device driver documentation for Microsoft. She was a longtime volunteer for MEOW Cat Rescue. Survivors include her sister.
Stephen Eller Burrin, ’66 (physics), of Manhattan Beach, Calif., February 21, at 80, of lung cancer. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Early in his career, he worked on a high-security Star Wars system at Aerospace Corp. and served as an adviser in advanced space projects for the Air Force. Later, he became a vice president at Aerospace in charge of space programs operations, which included military satellite communications. He had a passion for the arts and a love of music, and he was an avid reader, runner, and woodworker. Survivors: his wife of 49 years, Jan; son, Scott; two grandchildren; and two sisters.
Bruce Herbert Howe, ’66 (history), of Hollister, Calif., April 26, at 79. He earned an MBA from UCLA and worked in sales for large companies before becoming the owner of the HouseMaster Home Inspection franchise for Oregon, Washington, and California. He stayed with the company for 27 years and received recognition as HouseMaster’s most successful franchise. He was an avid sports fan who loved jogging, playing tennis, and watching Westerns and old television shows like Lawman. Survivors: his wife of 52 years, Donna Guerra Howe; daughter, Christine; and sister, Marcia Howe Adams, JD ’78.
Robert Edward Pearce, ’66 (psychology), of Waseca, Minn., November 7, at 79. He was in the marching band. He left Stanford to enlist in the Coast Guard and was quickly promoted to chief electronics technician. He served in the military for 21 years, received the Coast Guard Medal for Heroism, and was honorably discharged as a commander in 1987. He later taught seventh-grade math at Parks Junior High and engineering at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, and he worked as a technician at Onan and a test engineer for Itron. His wife, Teri, died two days after he passed away. Survivors: his sons, Gregory, Jonathan, and Mark; and six grandchildren.
Robert Charles Webster, ’66 (political science), of San Francisco, February 4, at 78. He participated in student drama. He served in the Navy, including aboard the USS Hornet aircraft carrier in Vietnam and at a remote radar base on Adak Island. He graduated from law school at UC Davis, then spent 10 years working at the State Bar of California. In 1985, he founded The Lawsmiths, a company that placed high-quality lawyers with firms on a temporary basis. He later earned his real estate brokers license and worked as a team with his wife. Survivors include his wife, Carla; and siblings, Abby Hilson, Debby Trotter, and Ben Webster.
Jeffry Mindlin Diefendorf, ’67 (history), of Kittery, Maine, March 23, at 78, of primary progressive aphasia. He received a PhD in German history from UC Berkeley. He joined the faculty of the history department at the University of New Hampshire and served as department chair and as a faculty fellow in the dean’s office. He wrote two books while editing or co-editing seven others and publishing countless articles. His second book, In the Wake of War: The Reconstruction of German Cities after World War II, pioneered a still growing field of research into wartime destruction and postwar rebuilding. Survivors: his wife, Barbara; and sister, Gail Diefendorf Devine, ’71.
Donald B. Brown, ’69 (economics), of Long Beach, Calif., April 14, at 77. He earned an MBA from UCLA, became an executive with the Wrather Corp., and was instrumental in bringing the Spruce Goose to Long Beach and building the dome where it was housed. He was also in charge of renovating the Queen Mary. More recently, he was president of Kenyon Group, a mergers and acquisitions company. He was an avid Stanford football fan and attended Stanford Sierra Camp for many years. He was predeceased by his son, Keith. Survivors: his wife, Lenore; daughter, Devyn, ’09, MA ’10; and grandson.
James Balfour Greer, ’69 (history), of Menlo Park, March 30, at 76, of lung cancer. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and played the trombone in the Stanford Band. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany. After earning an MBA from UCLA, he worked as a CFO for companies on both coasts, near Annapolis, Md. and the San Francisco Bay Area. Toward the end of his career, he worked with several nonprofits and wrote an entertainingly caustic chapbook about government accounting. His passions included sailing, automobiles, and the environment. Survivors include his wife, Tracy Stewart; and sister, Adelia.
1970s
Gene Ellen Kreyche Pratter, ’71 (political science), of Bryn Mawr, Penn., May 17, at 75, of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She contributed to the Stanford Daily. She received her JD from the University of Pennsylvania, where she later served as an overseer and adjunct professor. An authority on ethics and professional conduct, she was one of the first female partners at Duane Morris in Philadelphia, where she worked for nearly 30 years and focused on civil litigation and professional liability. In 2004, President George H. W. Bush appointed her to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Survivors: her husband of 46 years, Robert; children, Paige and Matthew; two grandchildren; brother; and former husband, Charles Bruton.
Wayne Alan Raffesberger, ’73 (history), of San Diego, 2024, at 72, of esophageal cancer. He received his JD from the University of San Diego in 1977 and worked as corporate counsel for family businesses in North County. He was active in downtown San Diego planning and land use efforts and represented the Point Loma community during years of development oversight for what is now Liberty Station. He enjoyed writing op-eds, travel articles, and pesky letters to magazine editors. Diagnosed with polio as a child, he never let it restrict his activities, from skiing and scuba-diving to climbing the Matterhorn. Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Kaye Hobson.
Sarah Elizabeth Haugh Holt, ’74 (art), of San Diego, December 20, at 71, of fallopian carcinoma. She studied architecture at UC Berkeley and later became an owner of Holt & Haugh Development Corp. She developed a planned community near Portland, Ore., called Fairview Village, which became a beacon of excellence and won numerous awards. A sailor since childhood, she logged over 26,400 nautical miles in the South Pacific, the Gulf of California, and every corner of the Caribbean. Survivors: her husband of 32 years, Rick; children, Carl Boehm and Ashley Punzalan; and brothers, Jess Haugh, ’73, David Haugh, ’77, and Chris, ’81.
Rae Jeanine Groy, ’79 (general engineering), of Finleyville, Pa., May 16, at 67. She retired after a distinguished career as a manager at Bettis Atomic Laboratory. In her free time, she was a world-class hostess who loved to entertain and cook fantastic food. She had many passions, but her favorites were animals, antiquing, and sewing, and she volunteered with AARP, preparing taxes for older adults. She traveled extensively, but her favorite place was her own backyard. Survivors: her husband of 20 years, Robert Bookmiller; daughter, Amanda Ingwerson; granddaughter; and three sisters.
1980s
Ian James Allan, ’82 (art), of Palo Alto, April 11, at 65. Born in Berkeley, he excelled at academics, athletics, and making many friends. After his family moved to Palo Alto, he attended Addison Elementary, Jordan Junior High School and Palo Alto High School, where he graduated in 1976. Survivors include his siblings, Barbara deGery, Peter, and Thomas.
1990s
Erina Kaoru Miyoshi Sumida, ’92 (microbiology and immunology), of Folsom, Calif., May 2, at 54, of cancer. She participated in dance. After earning a PhD in microbiology and immunology from UCLA, she worked for the biomedical giant Baxter in Thousand Oaks, Calif., where she helped to get FDA approval for Advate, a drug for managing hemophilia. She helped her husband create Nuance Cosmetic Surgery. She was an incredible baker, an avid reader, a creative scrapbooker and journal writer, and she loved to travel, especially to Disney properties, Hawaii, and Japan. She was a loyal friend and fiercely determined advocate. Survivors: her husband, Kenneth; and son, Ryan.
Tracy Airrion “Trey” Pruitt, ’96 (industrial engineering), of Los Angeles, April 8, at 49, of colon cancer. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and played football. After earning an MBA and a master of engineering management from Northwestern, he became a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group, a finance manager for Intel, and a vice president at Visa. As a partner and head of corporate finance at Ares Management Corp., he was the founding member of the Ares diversity, equity and inclusion council and a champion with the Ares philanthropy team. Survivors: his wife, Monica (Hoggatt, ’96); sons, Elias, Caleb, and Jacob; and parents, Ken and Jackie.
2010s
Konner Kent Robison, ’18 (management science and engineering), MA ’18 (public policy), of Reno, Nev., November 13, at 28, of osteosarcoma. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, was on the crew team, and played basketball. He completed the accelerated MBA program and two years of law school at Cornell University prior to his cancer diagnosis. Passionate about social justice from a young age, he raised over $140,000 in high school to provide students in need with sophisticated calculators, was a mentor with Kids with Dreams at Stanford, and did public interest work during law school. He enlisted as a Navy reservist in 2020 and was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal in 2024. He traveled to over 60 countries. Survivors: his wife, Claire DeAngeli; parents, Tonya and Kent; grandparents, Judy and Tony Thompson; and siblings, Tera and Jason.
Education
Ann Maureen Zemke Graham Ehringer, MA ’67, of Los Angeles, March 6, at 85. She attended the University of Michigan, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii, and a PhD from the University of Southern California, where she joined the faculty. Survivors: her children, Wade Graham and Lakin Crane; four grandchildren; and two sisters.
Francis Brewster “Bruce” Reeves IV, MA ’71, of Walnut Creek, Calif., April 13, at 90. From 1958 to 2013, he taught English at the high school and college levels, educating thousands of students at Pittsburgh High School, Acalanes High School, Las Lomas High School, and Diablo Valley College. He developed and taught classes in English, writing, critical thinking, the Bible as literature, mass media and propaganda, and drama. He was his teachers’ union president and a volunteer at St. Paul’s Episcopal. His many passions included music, cloud formations, and studying historic gravestones. He was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Carlene; and son Matt. Survivors: his children, Wendy Reeves-Hampton, Bruce, and Tim; four grandchildren; and sister.
Engineering
Wallace Ralph Schaefle, MS ’61 (mechanical engineering), of Fillmore, Calif., May 16, 2023, at 91. Before attending Stanford, he worked at Edwards Air Force Base as a flight test engineer, joined the Air Force in 1954 and earned his pilot’s license. He worked for Lockheed from 1956 to 1988, followed by five years at Hughes. He loved the Lord and encouraged his children to live according to God’s word. He also enjoyed working, reading, playing tennis, and flying. Survivors: his wife of 67 years, Carolyn; children, Eric, Linda Suttle, Janet Crawford, and Brian; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
William Clark Mills, MS ’90, PhD ’01 (electrical engineering), of Palo Alto, May 3, at 65, of dementia. He was a member of the College Republicans. Before attending Stanford, he spent eight years on active duty in the Navy, serving as a search and rescue helicopter pilot on the USS Independence during the invasion of Grenada and touring the Indian Ocean. He was later in the Naval Air Reserves. After graduate school, he worked as a software engineer at Silicon Genetics/Agilent Technology, designing bioinformatics software. He loved running, movie nights, and camping trips, and was a renowned baker. Survivors: his parents, Carol Works and Robert; and sisters, Kathryn Mills Gestri, ’83, and Sara.
Humanities and Sciences
Mary Louise Giraudo Beck, MA ’47 (English), of Ketchikan, Alaska, January 13, at 99. Orphaned as an infant, she was the first member of her family to attend university. Recruited to be one of the first teachers at Ketchikan Community College, she taught there for nearly 30 years, retiring as an associate professor at the University of Alaska. She was passionate about writing and about Tlingit and Haida cultures, recording some of their oral literature tradition in written form. She wrote several books, including Heroes and Heroines in Tlingit-Haida Legend and Potlatch. She was predeceased by her husband, George; and son Doug. Survivors: her children Katherine and Steven; and granddaughter, Laura Chopp.
Kenton Lee Chambers, PhD ’56 (biological sciences), of Corvallis, Ore., May 22, at 94. He was a member of Yale’s botany department faculty before joining Oregon State College (now OSU). During his 30 years there, he studied several genera of Asteraceae flowering plants and earned the OSU Alumni Distinguished Professor Award. He chaired the Systematic Biology Program for the National Science Foundation, contributed to an Oregon state task force on rare and endangered plants, and was president of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists. In retirement, he contributed to the Oregon Flora Project and published many papers on ancient flowers embedded in amber from Mexico, Dominican Republic and Myanmar. Survivors: his wife, Henrietta; children, Elaine Rea and David; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Lambert Tyler Dolphin Jr., Gr. ’56 (physics), of Santa Clara, Calif., January 1, at 91, after a brief illness. He worked at SRI International for 30 years, part of a team that used ground penetrating radar to explore pyramids in Egypt, mines in California and Nevada, and the land beneath the ocean. He left SRI as a senior research physicist to pursue small-scale independent geophysical consulting and devote his time to Bible studies, writing, and Christian counseling. A longtime member of the Peninsula Bible Church, he eventually created Lambert Dolphin Ministries under ldolphin.org to house his content and to share his life experience, his understanding of the Bible, and the work of the church’s pastor, Ray Stedman.
James Sutter Kason, MFA ’70 (speech & drama), of Redwood City, April 12, at 89, after a two-year illness. He was an artist, a musician, a singer, an actor, and a composer. He lived in Los Angeles and New York City, pursuing his career for 30 years, before returning to Redwood City to care for his grandmother. He performed at local theaters in the Bay Area and taught for 17 years at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School, where he also shared his beautiful voice in the choir and as a cantor at Mass. He loved to travel and captured his nine trips to Europe in brilliant photos. Survivors include his sister, Corinne.
Spencer Alan Pugh, PhD ’86 (chemistry), of West Chester, Ohio, April 17, at 65, while hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. He worked for Eastman Kodak, Battelle, Michelman, and MagPlasma. Most recently, he was teaching a series of classes with Innovation Research Interchange while running his own consulting business, Prospect Ridge. He earned his Eagle Scout award as a child, served as scoutmaster for his son’s troop, and earned a Wood Badge, an award given to adult leaders. He was a licensed lay preacher and loved woodworking, the outdoors, and travel. Survivors: his wife of nearly 43 years, Beverly Hawk Pugh; children, Laura Pugh Wallace, Gavin, and Jennifer Pugh Howell; five grandchildren; and two sisters.
Law
Lewis Hanchett Butler, LLB ’51, of San Francisco, May 24, at 97, of heart failure. He was a member of Zeta Psi and class president. He served in the Navy. He joined the Peace Corps in 1961, the year it was established, and became director for Malaysia. He was an assistant secretary in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare during the Nixon administration, and became one of the first officials to resign in protest over the Vietnam War and bombing of Cambodia. He helped form Butler & McCloskey, said to be the first environmental law firm in California, and wrote legislation for the Environmental Protection Agency. In 1984, he founded California Tomorrow to focus on the state’s future as a multiracial, multilingual, and multicultural society. He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Sheana (Wohlford, ’53). Survivors: his children, Serra Butler Simbeck, MA ’92, Lucy, ’78, and Lewis, ’79; and five grandchildren.
Michael Charles Gessford, LLB ’66, of Fair Oaks, Calif., December 27, at 85, of heart failure. He wrestled while at Stanford and went on to become a trial attorney in the Sacramento area. He was predeceased by his granddaughter Courtney. Survivors: his wife, Cindy; son, Marc; and two grandchildren.
Alexander B. Reisman, JD ’69, of Brisbane, Calif., May 13, at 79. He was a highly skilled and respected criminal trial lawyer, a career he chose out of a desire for social change. He enjoyed mentoring and teaching other attorneys, sharing his commitment to hard work, persistence, and preparation. He was a trustee of the Brisbane Elementary School District for 12 years, and he learned to play the stand-up bass in his mid-40s. He was generous, a straight shooter, and the ultimate cheerleader, and he loved entertaining his grandsons. Survivors: his wife of 44 years, Nancy Colman; children, Jonah, Eli, and Arielle; and three grandsons.
Medicine
Loyal Martin Griffin Jr., MD ’46, of Belvedere, Calif., May 22, at 103. He helped found Ross Valley Medical Clinic and was chief of medicine at Marin General Hospital and Ross Hospital. He was president of the Marin Audubon Society and fund-raised to protect the Martin Griffin Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch. He earned a master’s in public health from UC Berkeley in his 50s. He was predeceased by his former wife, of 25 years, Mary (Murray, ’43, MD ’46); and granddaughter. Survivors: his wife, Joyce; daughters, Linda Griffin Henke, ’69, Anne Lynn Oliver, Carol, and Joan; stepson, Brian Nielsen; five grandchildren; step-granddaughter; and four great-grandchildren.
