Faculty
James R. Doty, of Los Altos Hills, July 16, at 69, of complications from a surgery. He was a neurosurgeon who specialized in tools to deliver targeted radiation treatments and founder of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research. CCARE was dedicated to research and training in compassion practices in medicine and everyday life. His book Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart was a New York Times bestseller. Survivors: his wife, Masha; and sons, Alexander and Sebastian.
Stanley E. Fischman, of Cupertino, Calif., March 27, at 90, of dementia and a hip fracture. He was an associate professor of psychiatry and a child and adolescent psychiatrist at El Camino Health. He served three terms on the foundation board of directors and also on the physician advisory commission of El Camino’s Genomic Medicine Institute. He helped create ASPIRE and MOMS, and supported the work of the Scrivner Center for Mental Health and Addiction Services. Survivors: his wife of 61 years, Linda; and two sons.
John Hurley Flavell, of Palo Alto, March 13, at 96. A professor emeritus of psychology and disciple of Jean Piaget, he coined the term “metacognition”—awareness of one’s own thought processes—and specialized in young children’s cognitive development. His work, cited nearly 20,000 times, helped reveal how children learn about appearance and reality. He served as president of the Society for Research in Child Development and received numerous awards from the American Psychological Association. He was predeceased by his wife, Ellie. Survivors: his children, Beth and Jim; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Antony Charles Fraser-Smith, of Los Altos, June 16, at 86. He was a professor emeritus (research) of electrical engineering and geophysics. He left his native New Zealand to work at Lockheed’s Research Laboratory in Palo Alto before arriving at Stanford in 1968. His work included groundbreaking insights into the fields of radio seismology and electromagnetic methods of submarine detection. He was predeceased by his son, Bill. Survivors: his wife of 57 years, Elizabeth (Birdsey, ’60, MA ’62); daughter, Julie; six grandchildren; and sister.
James Carter Van Horne, of Palo Alto, September 1, at 90, of liver cancer. The A.P. Giannini Professor of Banking and Finance, emeritus, he taught at the Graduate School of Business for more than four decades and was the first recipient of the MBA Distinguished Teaching Award. He examined issues such as capital budgeting, inflation, and financial innovation. He wrote five books and served as deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury. Survivors: his wife of 65 years, Mimi; sons, Drew, Stuart, ’89, and Stephen, MA ’97, MBA ’97; and grandchildren.
1940s
Nancy Tait Cox, ’48 (undeclared), of San Francisco, June 21, at 98. She attended the Katherine Delmar Burke School before enrolling at Stanford. She was predeceased by her husband of 64 years, Fred, ’42, son Warren, and grandson Joshua. Survivors: her sons Fred and William; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Paul Raymond Baker, ’49 (economics), of Glen Ridge, N.J., June 16, at 97, of heart failure. He earned a PhD from Harvard and joined NYU’s faculty in 1965, revitalizing its American studies graduate program and winning the Mary C. Turpie Prize for outstanding teaching, advising, and program development. A prodigious writer, he published two major biographies of American architects and received an author award from the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Survivors: his wife of 53 years, Elizabeth; daughter, Alice Baker-Roberts; and three grandchildren.
1950s
Rita Kathleen Chow, ’50 (nursing), of Arlington, Va., June 9, at 98. She earned a master’s in teaching surgical nursing from Case Western Reserve University and a PhD in education from Columbia University. She worked as a nurse, educator, and public health advocate with a focus on improving care for older adults. A leader in the Public Health Service and the Indian Health Service, and a captain in the Army Reserve, she was named a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing. Survivors include her nephews, Michael Lee and Daniel Wong.
Peter Albert Johnson, ’50 (political science), of Palo Alto, July 9, at 96, of pneumonia. With a master’s in Scandinavian area studies from the University of Minnesota and a master’s in library science from UC Berkeley, he spent more than three decades as a reference librarian at Meyer and Green libraries at Stanford, where he also taught library courses and freshman seminars on Scandinavia. He was a deacon at Palo Alto’s Covenant Presbyterian Church and a founding member of the Charles Schulz Museum. Survivors: his daughter, Jill Gold; and two granddaughters.
Richard Browne Kilner, ’50 (communication), MBA ’52, of Palo Alto, August 1, at 97, of Alzheimer’s disease. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi. His small Palo Alto business represented the operations of East Coast-based trade magazines on the West Coast. He was a Stanford football and basketball fan and loved Hawaii, surfing, and playing bridge. He was predeceased by his wife, Carol (Ackerman, ’50). Survivors: his partner, Marilyn Mahan McAdams, ’50, MA ’64; sons, Scott, ’74, and Brian; four grandchildren, including Derek, ’06, and Melinda, ’10; and three great-grandchildren.
David Duncan Elliott III, ’51 (physics), of Palo Alto, August 6, at 95. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda. He earned a PhD in high-energy nuclear physics from Caltech. He began his career as a research scientist at Lockheed Missile and Space Co. In 1970, he became the scientific adviser to the National Aeronautics and Space Council, and he later served as director for science and technology in the Executive Office of the President. He was predeceased by his wife, Arline. Survivors: his daughter, Laurie Elliott Croft, ’86; and granddaughter.
Dana Lovejoy Johnson, ’51 (economics), of Bellingham, Wash., August 27. He was a member of Theta Chi. He was an accountant who worked at firms in Honolulu and San Francisco before starting his own business and later buying a practice. He also launched a company that developed a machine to simplify harvesting and moving crops, particularly avocado trees. He was a longtime Rotarian and community volunteer. He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Christine. Survivors: his partner, Beverly Blom, ’53; children, Lynn, CeCe, and Doug; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Jean Yardley Charles D’Anneo Gansa, ’52 (history), of San Francisco, April 7, at 94. With a master’s degree in psychology from Lone Mountain College, she opened a private practice and worked with the Guild for Psychological Studies for many years. She wrote, hiked, and loved the outdoors, especially adventuring at Fallen Leaf Lake. Her daughter, Roberta D’Anneo, passed away in June. Survivors: her husband of 45 years, Alex; children, Drew, ’85, Allan, John, and Paul D’Anneo, and six grandchildren.
Hallett Mengel Luscombe, ’52 (education), of El Paso, Texas, September 1, 2024, at 92. She supported a variety of causes, including the arts, mental health, the advancement of medical research, environmental initiatives, human and animal rights, and organizations working to fight hunger and poverty. She served on the board of St. Margaret’s Orphanage of El Paso in the early ’70s. She was a wonderful cook, baker, and tennis player, and enjoyed sewing, bird-watching, and gardening. Survivors: her children, John, Sherod, and Hallett; three grandchildren, including Elliot, ’09; and great-granddaughter.
Carolyn Elisabeth “Bee” Johnson McPhail, ’53, MA ’54 (education), of Monterey, Calif., June 29, at 93. She taught elementary school in London and Berkeley and later assisted her husband at his law practice in Santa Cruz, Calif. She was a talented musician and artist, and she wrote adventure stories starring her grandchildren and co-authored books with her husband on estate planning. Survivors: her husband of 65 years, Ian; children, Mary Meeks, Andrew, and Alex; four grandchildren; and sister, Christine Johnson Farquhar, ’56, MA ’61.
Thaddeus “Tad” Norman Taube, ’53, MS ’57 (industrial engineering), of Belmont, Calif., September 13, at 94. He was a member of Sigma Nu/Beta Chi and played rugby. A Polish immigrant who served in the Air Force, he became an entrepreneur and went on to become a philanthropic and civic leader. He was a primary benefactor of Stanford, co-founding the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and funding the Taube Family Tennis Stadium. Survivors: his wife of 28 years, Dianne; and children, Mark, Paula, Sean, Juddson, MA ’20, PhD ’23, Travis, and Zakary.
Beverly Ann Albright, ’54, MA ’55 (education), of Mountain View, April 6, at 92. She taught at Woodside Elementary before marrying Donald Wells, ’55, MS ’56, PhD ’63, and starting a family. Later, she worked at the Stanford Bookstore and helped establish Stanford’s Catholic community as a parish within the Dioceses of San Jose. Survivors: her children, Eric Wells, ’78, Valana Wells, ’79, MS ’81, PhD ’85, Vanessa Wells, ’81, Vanita Wells, ’82, MS ’84, Barrett Wells, ’86, MS ’90, PhD ’92, and Barton Wells, ’88; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Mary Baxter Harris Franks, ’54 (psychology), of Leverett, Mass., January 22, 2025, at 92. She earned a master’s degree in art history from the University of Massachusetts in her 50s and worked as the assistant curator of education at the Springfield Museums. She loved music-making, taking piano lessons, playing cello with Holyoke Civic Symphony, and learning the recorder with her daughter and playing with the Leverett Consort. She was predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Lewis, MS ’53, PhD ’57. Survivors: her children, Jan, Jill, and Dan; and three grandsons.
John Paul Hanna, ’54 (political science), JD ’59, of Palo Alto, August 6, at 93. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and played soccer. He served as a captain in the Army Reserve. He was a leading land use and real estate lawyer in California for 65 years, and a prolific author whose books include Teenagers and the Law. An adventurous spirit, he rode his Harley from Kentucky to California, raced Ferraris, spearfished, and dove for abalone. Survivors: his wife, Barbara; daughters, Katie Hanna Dickson, ’84, and Kristine; and three grandchildren.
Martha Nell Tucker Beatty, ’55 (social science/social thought), of San Francisco, August 21, at 91. She worked at Thomas Cook Travel, co-founded Unravel Travel in 1969, sold it in 1993, and continued working in the industry for Frosch Travel until retiring at 90. She visited 108 countries, wrote travel articles, and published a guidebook. She was predeceased by her first husband, Alden Crow; second husband, Denis; and son, Tucker Crow. Survivors: her daughter, Alana Crow; stepdaughters, Deirdri Gladwin and Victoria Campbell; six stepgrandchildren; and two great-stepgrandchildren.
Alan Clark Chapin, ’55 (economics), of Milwaukee, January 4, 2024, at 90, of Alzheimer’s disease. He served in the Navy and, after studying Arabic, worked as an attaché to the staff commander for the Middle East Force. He later worked for different companies in New York as a sales and marketing manager, with accounts around the world. He loved his pets, working with his wife to restore their Victorian home in Milwaukee, and taking French and singing lessons. He was predeceased by his wife, Janet. Survivors include his nieces, nephews, and friends.
Jed Arthur “Art” Cooper, ’55 (undeclared), of Panguitch, Utah, February 5, at 92. He was a weather observer in the Air Force. He was a faculty member at the University of Arizona and the University of North Texas. He was elected to the Utah State Legislature, worked in Panama for USAID, was mayor of Panguitch, and served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was predeceased by his daughter Carmen Joy Standiford. Survivors: his children, Carolyn Stacy, Christian, Clifton, and Carlton; 20 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and sister.
Mary Oliver Loomis Dorn, ’55, MA ’56 (education), of Edina, Minn., July 11, at 91. She opened her heart and family home to young single mothers. She also served as a spiritual director at the Cenacle Retreat Center, where she helped develop one of the country’s first credentialed spiritual director training programs. She was known for her passion for learning, dry humor, and keen ability to listen. She was predeceased by her husband of 67 years, Ernie, ’56. Survivors: her sons, David, Scott, Mark, and Rich; 16 grandchildren; and four great-grandsons.
John Reed “Hap” Easter, ’55, MA ’58 (education), of Medford, Ore., May 17, at 92, of prostate cancer. He played rugby. He was a high school science teacher and coach. He was also a school district supervisor overseeing computer-based teaching and learning programs and student data management. An avid follower of Stanford sports, he devoted part of his retirement to traveling to games throughout the western United States. Survivors: his wife, Peggy (Tatum, ’57, MA ’60); three children; three grandchildren; great-grandson; and brother, Jim, ’57, MA ’63.
Hugh Brasher Haskell, ’55 (physics), of Longmont, Colo., June 20, at 91. He earned a master’s degree and PhD in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School while serving in the military for 22 years, including in Antarctica. He was on the faculty of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for 18 years and coached the U.S. Physics Olympics teams. He was predeceased by his first wife, Elizabeth (Fell, ’57, MA ’58), and daughter. Survivors: his wife Diana; sons, Robert and David; stepchildren, Katherine and Bradley Queen; stepgranddaughter; and brother.
William Devereux McCarthy, ’55 (undeclared), of Santa Fe, N.M., January 16, 2025, at 91. He was on the crew team. He worked at General Mills and the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. In response to his wife’s interest in ceramics, they bought Minnesota Clay Company, and he later started Santa Fe Clay Company, selling potters’ supplies all over the Southwest. He helped found the Buck Hill ski area in Minnesota. He was predeceased by his wife, Marnie. Survivors: his children, Dan, Sarah Madrid, Molly McCarthy Lacy, and Laura; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Lucia Carole Cole Millhauser, ’55 (undeclared), of San Mateo, Calif., June 17, at 90. The parent of four by the age of 25, she juggled school activities, dinner parties, and volunteer work, including at the Coyote Point Junior Museum Auxiliary. She was an active grandmother, tennis player, and member of First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame. She was predeceased by her second husband, Robert. Survivors: her children, Mark Showen, ’77, Richard Showen, Scott Showen, and Nancy Showen, ’83; nine grandchildren, including Eric, ’09, Amy, ’12, and Kelly Showen, ’14; and two great-grandchildren.
Ronald Ellis Nunn, ’55 (undeclared), of Brentwood, Calif., August 8, at 92. He was a member of Sigma Chi. He played semi-pro football for the Antioch Hornets before being drafted into the Army. He ran farming operations in Fresno and Contra Costa counties and created Blackhawk Nunn, a real estate venture that developed more than 5,000 homes. He served on the Brentwood school board and, in 1991, a new grammar school was named after him. Survivors: his wife, Shirley; children, Lindsey, Laura, and Bob; and three grandchildren.
Richard Alfred Scramaglia, ’55, MA ’57 (education), of Healdsburg, Calif., August 3, at 92. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and the first Stanford freshman to play varsity baseball. He played professional baseball in three different leagues with the Oakland Oaks, Stockton Ports, and Tri-City Braves. He left his baseball career to serve in the military. He taught middle and high school for more than two decades and coached varsity baseball. Survivors: his wife, Joyce; children, Richard, Rina Gerstley-McCarthy, Nora Bulloch, and Maria Smith; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
William John “Jack” Welch, ’55 (physics), of Berkeley, March 10, 2024, at 90. A professor at UC Berkeley and co-founder (with his wife) of the SETI Institute, he was a pioneering astronomer whose work in radio astronomy advanced the search for extraterrestrial technology. He was known for starting the field of millimeter-wave interferometry, and his research led to discoveries in star formation. He directed Berkeley’s Radio Astronomy Laboratory for 25 years. He and his wife built the first and only observatory created specifically for SETI research. Survivors include his wife, Jill Tarter.
Eleanor Lee Evans Willms, ’55 (English), of Medford, Ore., May 14, at 92. She was born in Honolulu and lived with her parents in Argentina for two years. After marrying, she and her husband lived in Texas, California, New Jersey, and Tennessee before retiring to Oregon. Survivors: her husband of 69 years, Fredric, ’55, MS ’61; daughters, Lindsay Pavel, Claire Cantu, and Kura Maidana; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Janet Ruth Stein Wright, ’55 (sociology), of Palo Alto, June 15, at 92. She was an administrator in the computer science department at Stanford and later served as the geology department’s lead administrator. She had a lifelong love of travel and visited numerous countries, as well as much of the United States. She sang in the chorus for West Bay Opera and collected California art. She was predeceased by her daughter Elizabeth. Survivors: her daughter Lesley, MA ’85, PhD ’93; two grandchildren; stepgranddaughter; and two great-granddaughters.
Ernest Edward Hunt III, ’56, MA ’65 (history), of Dallas, May 29, at 91. He was a member of Theta Xi. He was an ordained Episcopal priest, rector, and Army chaplain who went on to earn a doctor of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was the dean of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Cathedral in Dallas and later of the American Cathedral in Paris, France. He was the author of more than a dozen books. Survivors: his wife of 66 years, Elsie; children, Elizabeth Hunt-Blanc and Ernest IV, ’81; four grandchildren; and great-grandson.
Eileen L. Toothaker Lehmer, ’56 (art), of Portola Valley, Calif., November 27, 2024, at 90, after a stroke. She earned a master’s in art education at Cal State Long Beach. She served on PTAs, taught Sunday school, and hosted neighborhood and church get-togethers before becoming the accountant, treasurer, office manager, and HR director for her husband’s structural engineering firm. Survivors: her husband of 68 years, Gerald, ’55; children, Brenda Lehmer Robinson,’86, Ken, MS ’82, and Jeff, ’83; eight grandchildren, including Joy Robinson, ’18, and Larisa, ’08, MA ’09; and three great-grandchildren.
Donald Howard Nichols, ’56 (electrical engineering), of Queensbury, N.Y., June 14, at 94. He spent 35 years at General Electric’s offices in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, marketing industrial electrical equipment. In retirement, he and his wife operated the Saratoga Sleigh inn for 21 years. He was a Boy Scout leader and loved boating and camping. He was an expert woodworker, skied beautifully into his 80s, and would sing goofy songs on the ukulele. Survivors: his wife of 67 years, Cynthia; children, David, Jeffrey, and Leslie; two granddaughters; and great-granddaughter.
Marilyn Lee Stanton Scruggs, ’56 (French), of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., July 21, at 91. She was predeceased by her husband, Richard, ’56. Survivors include her daughters, Karen Wilkinson and Catherine Rooney.
Richard Mitchell Scruggs, ’56 (civil engineering), of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., May 24, 2024, at 90. He was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma. He served in the Navy as a jet pilot for 30 years. His wife, Marilyn (Stanton, ’56), died in July 2025. Survivors include his daughters, Karen Wilkinson and Catherine Rooney.
Richard Spencer Woodward, ’56 (history), of Sherwood, Ore., August 28, 2024, at 90, of cancer. He was a member of Theta Xi. Survivors include his wife, Mary; and sons, Brendan and Ryan.
Richard Allen Foster, ’57 (electrical engineering), of Fullerton, Calif., August 4, at 90. He began his career in the defense industry at Interstate Electronics in Anaheim, Calif., while simultaneously working toward his MBA from UCLA. He retired as president in 1991. He was predeceased by his children, Susan and Kenneth. Survivors: his wife of 71 years, Cynthia; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and sister.
Lynn Lowenson Marks, ’57 (education), of Portland, Ore., September 5, at 89. She participated in Ram’s Head. She taught at Multnomah Elementary School in Portland. She loved the beach and vigorous walks and enjoyed more than 70 trips with the Stanford Travel/Study. She and her husband were active philanthropists and established the M and L Marks Family Fund through the Oregon Community Foundation. She was predeceased by her husband, Milton “Mickey”; and daughter, Lianne Klein. Survivors: her sons, Michael, ’85, and Leland; and brother.
Theodore Joseph Templeton, ’57 (civil engineering), of Fremont, Calif., January 28, 2025, at 90, of multiple myeloma. He served in the Air Force. He worked as a civil engineer with CalTrans and Alameda County Flood Control. He took pride in landscaping his backyard, tending to his fruit trees, researching home projects, and fixing things himself. Survivors include: his wife of 57 years, Elizabeth; children, Laura Willson, Victoria Henderson, and Bruce, ’94; and eight grandchildren.
Thomas King Wyatt, ’57 (biological sciences), of Palo Alto, May 29, at 89. He had a distinguished career as a bilingual dentist, serving patients and multiple generations of their families over nearly 50 years. A skilled pilot, mariner, and engineer, he found his greatest joy in the air, on the water, in a duck blind, and in his workshop. He was a masterful guitar and ukulele player. He was predeceased by his wife, Sheila. Survivors: his children, Kelly Atkinson and Mike, ’90, MBA ’94; and three grandchildren, including Morgan, ’25.
Sandra Walpole Handler, ’58 (hearing & speech sciences), of San Francisco, June 18, at 88. She earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard and worked with hearing-impaired children in the San Francisco Unified School District. She later became the dean of behavioral and social sciences at City College of San Francisco. She loved gin (the card game and beverage), long walks, movies, and the New Yorker. She was predeceased by her husband, Louis. Survivors: her children, Daniel and Rebecca; and three grandchildren.
Rodney L. Bailey, ’59 (economics), MBA ’61, of Salem, Ore., June 15, at 87, of pancreatic cancer. He built Evergreen Services Corporation, a thriving landscaping company, and was a founding member of the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals, where he helped to shape the professionalism and growth of the industry he loved. He later became a business management and financial consultant at Alder Springs Enterprises. He was predeceased by his wife, Sue (Pullin, ’61). Survivors: his children, Elizabeth Earls, Will, and Ben; and three grandchildren.
Patrick Weems Hurley, ’59 (mechanical engineering), of Los Ranchos, N.M., July 15, at 88. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He served in the Army. He was an engineer at Sandia National Laboratories before shifting his focus and earning a law degree. He specialized in real estate transactions and estate planning for more than 50 years and founded The Hurley Law Firm. He loved the mountains and New Mexico artists. Survivors: his wife of 65 years, Elois “Nannette” (Greenwood, ’60); children, Suzanne Hurley McCombs, ’83, Patrick, and Davis; and five grandchildren.
1960s
Bridget McColl Hursley Dobson, ’60 (English), MA ’64 (communication), of Atlanta, January 3, 2024, at 85. She and her husband were a prolific writing team, working on General Hospital, Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and Santa Barbara, and winning multiple daytime Emmy Awards. She earned an MBA from Harvard as a member of the first class to include women. In retirement, she wrote a musical and her paintings were featured in multiple museums. Survivors: her husband, Jerome, ’60; and daughter, Mary, ’84.
Thomas Little Jeffries, ’60 (history), of Pacific Palisades, Calif., January 13, 2023, at 85. He was a member of Zeta Psi and the gymnastics team. He worked for the family business, Jeffries Banknote (founded in 1894), and later became CEO of Pandick Technologies. He and his second wife enjoyed decades of adventures around the world; biking, hiking, skiing, and fly-fishing. He was predeceased by his daughter Jennifer, ’82, MA ’83. Survivors: his wife of 43 years, Mary; children, Julianne and Billy; and three grandchildren.
Donald Gene Peter, ’60, MA ’61 (education), of Burlingame, Calif., July 14, at 87. He was a member of Zeta Psi and played football and rugby. For 36 years, he taught history and coached football at Downey, Mills, and Burlingame High Schools. He founded and coached the national championship-winning Burlingame Rugby Club. He was an active member of St. Ambrose Episcopal Church. He was predeceased by his first wife, Sally Blevins. Survivors: his wife of 26 years, Elizabeth; children, Carolyn, Brian, and Elizabeth; stepsons, Robert and William Bradford; 10 grandchildren; and two brothers.
Harry Arnold Ratner, ’60 (biological sciences), of Monte Sereno, Calif., May 6, at 87. In addition to Stanford, his education included the Army Navy Academy, UC Berkeley, and San Jose State, where he earned his CPA degree. He built his life around family and was the devoted, kind, and generous patriarch of four generations. He was a source of quiet strength with a limitless reservoir of unconditional love. Survivors: his wife of 62 years, Marcia; children, Julie Ratner Sachse, ’02, Mimi, Maralissa, Morris, ’88, and Dawn; six grandchildren; and great-grandchild.
William Albert Clark, ’61 (economics), of Falfurrias, Texas, September 25, 2023, at 84. He was a yell leader and played golf and soccer. He earned an MBA from Harvard and devoted his professional life to helping people in his community as a local banker. He traveled widely and was an accomplished hunter and photographer. He regaled friends and family with stories and pictures from across the Americas, Europe, and Africa. He was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Peggy. Survivors: his daughter, Kittie; and two grandsons.
Mary Anne Dolen, ’61 (nursing), of Thomasville, Ga., December 28, 2024, at 85. After receiving her nursing license, she entered and served with the Dominican Nuns in San Rafael. During a 50-year career in nursing, she served as an educator and patient advocate. She earned a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Colorado and a doctorate in public health from the University of Texas. Later she taught at Thomas University, Florida State University, and the University of Phoenix.
Mary Allen Griffing Spindler, ’61 (history), of Lincoln, Mass., July 11, at 85. She played basketball. She earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard. She was an elementary school teacher at Hanscom Air Force Base, where she would ask students to listen to music and draw what came to mind. She also tutored reading at the Carroll School in Lincoln and worked at the Lincoln Library. She sang in her church choir for decades. She was predeceased by her husband, James. Survivors: her sons, David and Henry; and five grandchildren.
Catherine Scott Wolfe Tennican, ’61, MA ’63 (hearing & speech sciences), of Los Angeles, November 16, 2024, at 84, of heart failure. She participated in student drama. She was an audiologist and speech pathologist who also worked in teleconferencing, retail, and commercial real estate before devoting most of her time to supporting community and charitable organizations. An avid athlete, she played tennis, squash, and golf and liked to ski and windsurf. She enjoyed adventures around the world. Survivors: her children, Liz, ’90, MBA ’97, and Geoff; grandson; former husband, Mike, ’60; and sister.
Susan Melinda Artero Basso, ’62 (international relations), of Menlo Park, January 7, 2024, at 82. She earned a teaching credential at Notre Dame de Namur University and taught history at the high school level. She loved to read, swim, and play piano, and she was an astute and self-trained stock investor. She found joy in helping to raise her grandchildren who called her “Granny Sue.” Survivors: her husband of 60 years, Lawrence; children, Stephanie, Cristy Barnes, and Tony; five grandchildren; a sister, Mary Louise Artero Bava, ’76, MS ’78; and brother.
Kathryn Jane Burke, ’62 (English), of San Francisco, July 28, at 85. She lived in Germany, Bellingham, Wash., and New York City, where she worked in university administration and student organizing at CUNY. She was a founding member of the District 3 Democratic Club of San Francisco and served as voter registration chair. A champion of progressive causes, she supported organizations like the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, and NAACP. She was active in Alcoholics Anonymous for more than 40 years and cherished cold-water swimming. Survivors include her brother, Bob.
Robert B. Harrington, ’63 (undeclared), of Palo Alto, June 8, at 84, after a short illness. He played golf. He was in the Marine Corps Reserve. During his 25-year investment career with Dean Witter (now Morgan Stanley), he created the Immediate Sale Program and was a radio and television commentator for over 20,000 business reports. He was a civic leader and supporter of community projects. Survivors: his wife of 64 years, Margaret, ’80; children, Melissa Whiting, Elizabeth Kristofferson, Steven, and David; 10 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and sister.
Kathleen Lusignan Jones, ’64 (French), MA ’66 (education) of Berkeley, February 8, at 82. She played tennis. She studied Chinese, learned to cook a variety of cuisines, and opened a successful Mexican restaurant in Toledo, Ohio. She loved skiing, backpacking, tennis, film, theater, and spending summers in Telluride, Colo. She visited every continent, often cycling hundreds of miles through the mountains, villages, and countryside. Her husband of 58 years, Henson “Hans,” MBA ’65, died in April. Survivors: her children, Cameron, Leland, MBA ’00, and Tegan; and six grandchildren.
Fred Haruz Altshuler, ’65 (history), of San Francisco, November 20, 2024, at 81. He was a member of Delta Chi. He was a lawyer with California Rural Legal Assistance before joining the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan special staff looking into the possible impeachment of President Richard Nixon. He co-founded Altshuler Berzon, a law firm focused on social and economic justice that helped restore health insurance to retired miners and restore the San Joaquin River. Survivors: his wife of 41 years, Julie Cheever; children, Norma and George; and three grandchildren.
Mary Louise Dederer, ’65 (English), MA ’66 (education), of Palo Alto, April 23, at 81. She taught English at the high school level for many years and later at San Jose State. She worked with California Poets in the Schools and published two books of poetry. She lived in the Santa Clara area for her adult life, maintaining close friendship with many fellow Stanford grads. Survivors include her brother, Thomas.
Dale Roy Herspring, ’65 (political science), of Wichita, Kan., July 15, at 84. He earned a master’s degree in government and a PhD in political science. He served with distinction in the Navy for 32 years. He was later hired at the National War College in D.C. and then Kansas State University, Manhattan, where he was a political science professor and department head. He played a pivotal role in pre- and post-Soviet block policy. Survivors: his wife of 60 years, Maureen (Phillip, ’65); children, Larissa, Kurt, and Kyle; and seven grandchildren.
Gary Ralph Severson, ’65 (economics), MBA ’67, of Gig Harbor, Wash., August 20, at 81, of Parkinson’s disease. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omicron. He served in the Air Force. He held leadership positions at Bank of America, Security Pacific, and First Interstate Bank. Later, he held directorship positions on over 30 nonprofit boards, universities, and foundations. He was predeceased by first wife, Madge, and son Matthew. Survivors: his wife, Kit; second wife, Cheryl; children, Robert, Carley Kahn, and Elin; stepchildren, Nevis and Kya Granum; five grandchildren; and three siblings.
Judith Lynn Werner, ’65 (anthropology), of Parma Heights, Ohio, April 2, at 81, of lung cancer. She earned a master’s degree in Middle East studies from Harvard. She worked for the U.S. Department of the Army and U.S. Department of the Navy, developing curricula and writing medical and health manuals. She ardently supported the Humane Society, PETA, and other animal welfare agencies; cared deeply about the environment; and loved reading, classical music, and in-depth phone calls. Survivors include her friends, Irma Laszlo and Lynn Liontos, and caregiver, Diamond Porter.
Gwendolyn Beryl Shumway Wharton, ’66 (nursing), of Boulder, Colo., February 1, at 81, from an injury suffered in a fall. She worked as a pediatric nurse and visiting public nurse and ended her career as a school nurse. She made friends wherever she went, in her community, at church, and through her many hobbies. A committed volunteer, she supported the League of Women Voters and National Alliance on Mental Illness, to name a few. Survivors: her husband of 57 years, William, ’65; children, Ruth McMillan, Kenneth, ’92, and Paul; and granddaughter.
Duane Roger Iverson, ’67 (history), of Lake Oswego, Ore., April 05, 2024, at 79, of acute myeloid leukemia. He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. He earned his medical degree from Northwestern and completed his residency at Oregon Health & Science University. He practiced internal medicine at Cascade Physicians and was affiliated with Good Samaritan hospital in Portland, Ore. He was kind and affable, and loved golfing, fly-fishing, travel, reading, and classical music. He was predeceased by his wife of 40 years, Patricia. Survivors: his wife, Lani Bidgood; daughter, Kristen; and brother.
1970s
Barbara Elva Rust Berring Ward, ’71 (German studies), of Nipomo, Calif., June 25, at 75, cancer. She played tennis. She earned her master’s degree in German at UC Berkeley and taught high school before attending dental school at Tufts and practicing as a dentist. She was active in the Stanford Women’s Alumni Organization, was a certified Zumba Silver instructor, and traveled widely in Europe and Asia. Survivors: her husband, Cameron; children, Kate Berring, Daniel Berring, ’09, and Simon Berring, ’06, MS ’07; stepchildren, Shannon and Owen; and former husband, Robert Berring.
Frederic Timothy Clock, ’72 (political science), of Palo Alto, May 1, at 76, of a ruptured aorta. He was a member of Theta Xi. He moved to Israel after graduating from Stanford and then to Geneva as an intern with the United Nations. He earned an MBA at the Monterey Institute and a master’s degree in political science at UC Irvine. He was a member of Mensa, a substitute teacher, and Safeway employee for 26 years. He enjoyed motorcycle trips and family genealogy. Survivors include his brother, Charles, ’69, MBA ’75.
Bruce Philip Nethercut, ’73 (history), MA ’76 (communication), of Los Angeles, August 13, 2024, at 73, of cardiac arrest. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue screen writing. He also worked as a high school tutor, was an active volunteer at the food bank, and frequently helped serve charity-provided Thanksgiving meals. He enjoyed the Southern California climate, the Angels more than the Dodgers, and Korean street food. He kept his family current on all genres of music and animation studio innovations. Survivors include his sisters, Gail and Anne.
Theodor Charles Albert Jr., ’75 (history), of Orange, Calif., May 5, at 72, of cancer. He was a member of Sigma Chi and the Stanford Daily staff. He co-founded Albert, Weiland & Golden and, 10 years later, was appointed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the ninth circuit as a bankruptcy judge. In 2022, he was named chief bankruptcy judge for the Central District of California. He wrote a treatise on the Roman origins of bankruptcy law. Survivors: his wife, Deborah; and sons, Brendan, Brian, Sean Van Braden, and Casey Braden.
Christopher Brian Ponce, ’77 (human biology), of Redding, Calif., July 13, at 69, of liver failure. A skilled higher education fund-raiser, he worked in Stanford’s Office of Development for 19 years, directing the Stanford Fund and individual giving. As the vice president for advancement at Pomona College, he was instrumental in raising $316 million, and he later served as associate vice president for development at Whitman College. He loved playing soccer and distance running, but reading sustained him. Survivors: his wife of 44 years, Lisa (McPherson, ’79); daughter, Avery; and sister.
1980s
Henry Allen Hartman II, ’81 (chemical engineering), of Cary, N.C., May 8, at 66, of brain cancer. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi. With an MBA from NYU, he enjoyed a decades-long career in the computer and networking industries at IBM, Enterasys, and Extreme Networks. In retirement, he was a tax preparation volunteer for AARP and co-owned the Great Yarns store with his wife. Survivors: his wife of 38 years, Pamela (Wright, ’82); children, Samuel, Grace Parce, Joshua, and Benjamin; and two sisters, including Amy Hartman White, ’82, MS ’84.
Renee Richards, ’81 (communication), of San Francisco, March 9, at 65, of lung cancer. She played lacrosse and was in student government. A lawyer at Hassard Bonnington, she was a trial attorney with expertise in patient privacy and provided invaluable advice to psychiatrists and other physicians during her career. She was a member of the San Francisco-Marin Lawyer Referral and Information Service Committee for over 20 years. She was a vital, vibrant, inspirational force in the office and in court. Survivors: her husband, John Hill; and son, James Hill.
Bret Eugene Fuller, ’83 (mathematical and computational science), of Roxborough, Colo., August 10, at 64. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta. His successful career in software and IT, at Ask and then Oracle, was marked by numerous achievements and an extraordinary ability to lead and manage. He was a hunting and fishing enthusiast, an enormously proud father, and a devoted Stanford Cardinal and ISU Cyclones fan. Survivors: his wife, Roxanne Green; daughters, Morgan Fuller Kolsrud, ’12, and Kelly Fullmeyer; stepchildren, Payten and Austen Green; four granddaughters; and father, Wayne.
Ricardo L. Ortiz, ’83 (economics and English), of Washington, D.C., August 18, at 63, of a heart attack. An English and American studies professor at Georgetown University for more than 25 years, he expanded humanities departments and helped institutionalize the Latine and queer studies departments. He frequently taught in the Community Scholars Program for first-generation and low-income students and was a faculty sponsor of many programs supporting underrepresented students. He published two books on Latine studies. Survivors: his partner of four years, Paul O’Neill; and sisters, Ana and Ana.
Kimberley Anne Sankey Martinez, ’84 (economics), MBA ’88, of Kensington, Calif., July 25, at 63, of Alzheimer’s disease. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After a career in investment banking and investment management, she left finance to devote herself to parenting, filling the family’s home with music and other enriching activities. She was board chair of Kid’s Turn, a nonprofit that helps children of divorce, and served on the board of directors of her children’s school. Survivors: her husband, John; children, Alex, Miles, and Tara; father, Noel; and two brothers.
1990s
Jamie Donald Peña Williams, ’97 (psychology), of Vallejo, Calif., October 9, 2024, at 49. He earned a master’s in computer science and information technology from CALMAT University of Management and Technology in 2012. He was a senior college adviser with USNCA, an educational consultant in the Bay Area, and a director of marketing and business support at Stanford, where he worked for eight years. He traveled widely, including to Scotland, Brazil, Japan, Mali, Turkey, and China, which he first visited as an undergraduate to teach English. Survivors include his mother, Barbara.
2000s
Jeffrey Port Winter, ’02 (history), of Ione, Calif., July 30, at 45, of esophageal cancer. He was in the Stanford Band. He earned a master’s degree in history from UC Davis. After finding sobriety in 2010, his love for the outdoors brought him to a job at REI. He welcomed his first daughter in 2022 and became a stay-at-home father and part-time farmer on his family’s cattle farm. He loved road-tripping, skiing, and introducing his daughters to nature. Survivors: his wife, Anina; daughters, Charlotte and Juniper; parents, Susan and Dan Port; and sister.
Ali Jamal, ’06 (mathematical and computational science), of San Francisco, June 16, at 40. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta, student government, and the College Republicans. He was the founding partner at First Check Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. His career as a product director, data scientist, corporate strategist, and investment banker took him around the world, with much time spent in Silicon Valley, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. He was a thoughtful friend and generous adviser. Survivors: his parents, Kassamali and Salma; and brothers, Habib and Omar.
2010s
Edwin Arthur Howell II, ’10 (human biology), of Carlsbad, Calif., July 19, at 37, of bile duct cancer. He was a member of Kappa Alpha and played volleyball. After teaching middle school with AmeriCorps, he earned his JD and a master’s degree in bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania. A beloved senior associate at Jones Day, he had a gift for making anyone laugh and finding common ground. He loved surfing, the Padres, and spending time with loved ones. Survivors: his wife, Alexa; sons, Quinn and Gio; father, Carl; and three siblings.
Business
John Alan Young, MBA ’58, of Portola Valley, Calif., May 26, at 93. He served in the Air Force. He succeeded the eponymous founders of Hewlett-Packard as CEO, a title he held from 1978 to 1992 while increasing annual revenue from $1.3 billion to $16 billion. As chairman of President Reagan’s Commission on Industrial Competitiveness, he played a key role in strengthening America’s position in technology sectors. He was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Rosemary. Survivors: his children, Gregory, MBA ’83, Peter, and Diana, ’83; and four grandchildren.
Jerome Walter Carlson, MBA ’61, of Atherton, Calif., September 11, at 88. He served in the Army Reserve. During his decades-long business career, his roles included corporate controller at Hewlett-Packard and chief financial officer at Triad Systems. He helped found his local bank’s board of directors and served as mayor of Atherton. He was predeceased by his son Craig and former wife Sally Wells. Survivors: his wife of over 30 years, Shirley Cummings; children, Alisa, Steve, Sheila, and Kristy; stepchildren, Jennifer and Matthew James; three grandchildren; stepgranddaughter; and former wife Lois Hastain.
Phillip Douglas Phythian, MBA ’62, of Mill Valley, Calif., June 22, at 91. He served in the Navy on the USS Scanner. His career in management included roles at Calaveras Cement, Memorex Corporation, Westco Pump, and the Lawrence National Laboratories, where he was the chief budget officer. He co-founded and briefly ran RAM Lighting. A competitive runner, he completed 28 marathons and 30 Dipseas. He enjoyed the opera, literature, camping, trout fishing, and travel. Survivors: his wife, Ann Hardham; children, Elizabeth Dorfman, Phillip, and Charles; four grandchildren; and sister.
Henson Leland “Hans” Jones Jr., MBA ’65, of Berkeley, April 30, at 87. He served in the Navy. He was the president of his father’s Commodore Perry Company before joining The North Face as an executive and board member. He later started Telecam Partners in Telluride, Colo., which developed affordable housing and light-industrial space. He was a serial entrepreneur, an outdoorsman, and a contagious bon vivant. He was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Kathleen (Lusignan, ’64, MA ’66). Survivors: his children, Cameron, Leland, MBA ’00, and Tegan; and six grandchildren.
William Carl Roe, MBA ’67, of Davis, Calif., April 21, at 83, after a bicycle accident. In 1972, he co-founded Tandem Properties, which remains a successful business and deeply rooted community partner. For championing countless community initiatives, he and his wife were named Davis Citizens of the Year in 1987 and won numerous awards from UC Davis for their efforts. In 2020, he was honored with the Rotary Club Lifetime Achievement Award. Survivors: his wife, Nancy; children, Whitney Roe Thornburg and Eric; five grandchildren; and two siblings.
Henry Edward Ericson, PhD ’75 (business administration), of Atherton, Calif., January 30, 2024, at 81, of pulmonary fibrosis. He earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA at Harvard before coming to Stanford. For 39 years, he worked at San Francisco State, where he was a professor of economics, ethics, and management and the chair of the department of management. He chaired the board of trustees for the Peninsula French American School, now Silicon Valley International, where his daughter was a student for seven years. Survivors: his wife, Linda; and daughter, Liz, ’03.
Mary Ellen Martin Zellerbach, MBA ’76, of San Francisco, June 18, at 74, after a fall. She helped introduce what is believed to be the first international index fund, was integral in growing Mellon Capital Management’s assets to $33 billion, and served as managing director of the majority women-owned Martin Investment Management. Pensions & Investments named her to its inaugural list of Most Influential Women in Institutional Investing in the past 50 years. Survivors: her husband of 47 years, John, MBA ’75; children, Elizabeth Rufer and Joseph; three grandchildren; and four siblings.
Kristi Louise Smith Hernandez, MBA ’80, of Saratoga, Calif., June 21, at 74. She was an inspector/investigator and a public affairs officer for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a product manager at General Mills and Del Monte before transitioning to forensic accounting and spending over 20 years at a San Jose practice. She was an active philanthropist and a founding member of Project Redwood, a nonprofit that raised millions for poverty alleviation. Survivors: her husband, Laurence; children, Leslie Hernandez Dinneen, ’06, and Mark; five grandchildren; and two siblings.
Education
Mabel Helen Fulker Korbitz, MA ’65, of Colorado Springs, Colo., February 16, at 97. She spent one year as a Fulbright scholar in Peru and 26 years as an elementary school teacher in Colorado, Arizona, and California. A longtime docent at Glen Eyrie, she conducted research on its history and the history of Colorado Springs. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs. She was predeceased by her husband of five years, Norman, and longtime boyfriend, Jim Edgar. Survivors: her stepson, John Davison; and six nieces and nephews.
Joseph Isaac Castro, PhD ’98, of Long Beach, Calif., August 24, at 58, of colon cancer. A first-generation college graduate, he became a trailblazer in higher education and student access. He increased graduation rates and shrank achievement gaps as president of Fresno State, and was a critical partner in the founding of UC Merced. He then became the first person of color to lead the California State University system, serving as its eighth chancellor. He taught at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Survivors: his wife, Mary; and children, Jess, Isaac, and Lauren.
Engineering
Donald Spray Griffin, MS ’53, PhD ’59 (mechanical engineering), of Pleasant Hills, Pa., June 3, at 95. He served in the Navy. He was an expert in structural mechanics in the nuclear power field, working primarily at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. He was a fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He loved to race his sailboat and cruise larger sailboats in tropical destinations. He was predeceased by his wife, Susan, and second wife, Barbara. Survivors: his children, Abbie, Margaret, David, and Frederick; three stepdaughters; six grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Robert R. Barber, MS ’65 (electrical engineering), of Raleigh, N.C., August 19, 2023, at 83. He spent his entire career at IBM. Survivors include his wife, Carol Ann.
Ronald Frank Krasovec, MS ’66 (electrical engineering), of Reading, Mass., August 4, at 88, of Parkinson’s disease. He served in the Army National Guard and the Marine Corps. He spent most of his career as a systems and reliability engineer, including on the Central Artery Tunnel (Big Dig) project. He was also a member of and instructor in the Minute Man Power Squadron and a recipient of the Arlene Hunt Memorial Award for outstanding educational performance or service. Survivors: his wife of 62 years, Helen; sons, Scott and Jeff; and five grandsons.
Velimir Mihajlo Ristic, MS ’66, PhD ’69 (electrical engineering), of Phoenix, September 30, 2023, at 86, of cancer. He earned his first master’s degree from the University of Beograd. He became a Fulbright scholar and had the opportunity to spend several days with Professor Fulbright. He spent 31 years as a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Toronto. His places of happiness and peace were along the shores of Georgian Bay and in the ochre sands of Arizona. Survivors: his wife, Jelica; daughter, Milica Hymus; and two grandchildren.
Samuel Wyatt Swan, MS ’72, Engr. ’74 (mechanical engineering), of Albany, Calif., June 19, at 76, of myelofibrosis. He was an earthquake engineer whose advances in the field of seismic engineering helped fortify structures for the future. He visited earthquake sites in places like India, Mexico, Japan, and Alaska, and assessed damage at power plants, recommending retrofits that likely saved power consumers millions of dollars. When it came to his own home repairs, he traded structural integrity for duct tape. Survivors: his wife, Sandy; daughters, Rachel and Emma; five grandchildren; and brother.
Rangadhar Dash, MS ’84 (general engineering), of Arlington, Texas, April 18, 2023, at 82. He earned six degrees, including two PhDs and three master’s degrees, in fields including aerospace and mechanical engineering, mathematics, and computer science. He worked for NASA Ames Research Center, Hughes Helicopter, McDonnell Douglas, LTV, and Bell Helicopter before joining the faculty at UT Arlington. He was a passionate teacher of acoustics, mathematics, databases, and computer networks, and he published more than 30 research papers. Survivors: his wife, Kalyani; and children, Trivikram, Sany, and Neeta.
John Marvin Earl Chachere, MS ’94 (computer science), MS ’07, PhD ’07 (management science and engineering), Engr. ’07 (civil and environmental engineering), of Berkeley, February 25, at 55. He was a management consultant at Oracle, NASA, and Bridgewater Associates. Deeply inspired by encounters with Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama, he was a committed vegan and a dedicated supporter of reproductive rights, LGBTQIA rights, and the Palestinian cause. Generous and humorous, he was brilliant at synthesizing ideas and solving problems. Survivors: his sons, Logan and Luke; mother, Joan; brother; and stepbrother.
Stefan Hadjis, MS ’21, PhD ’21 (computer science), of Toronto, May 19, at 33. He developed the first open-access software tools and techniques that improve the accessibility and efficiency of artificial intelligence systems. As part of his doctoral work, he co-authored 14 papers with over 1,000 citations. He was dedicated to advancing knowledge while collaborating with and helping his team. He loved classic rock and stage musicals, writing, nature, learning, and the arts. Survivors: his parents, Maria and Tony; grandmothers, Kathy Tzamtzis and Georgia; and siblings, Alex and Georgia.
Humanities and Sciences
Joseph Henry Eberly, MS ’59, PhD ’62 (physics), of Rochester, N.Y., April 30, at 89. A longtime and pioneering professor of physics and of optics at the University of Rochester, he made seminal contributions to quantum entanglement, spontaneous collapse and revival phenomena, and the behavior of non-diffracting light beams. He co-founded the open-access journal Optics Express and served as president of Optica, the international optics and photonics society. Survivors: his wife, Shirley (Smith, ’60, MS ’61); daughters, Virginia Eberly Harvey, ’87, Becky, and Lynn; seven grandchildren, including Vienna Harvey, ’16; and sister.
Celia Ann Buchan Morris, MA ’64 (English), of Washington, D.C., April 17, at 89, of complications from Parkison’s disease. She earned a PhD in English from the City University of New York and worked as an editor at Change Magazine and an assistant professor at Pace College. An accomplished writer, she was a National Endowment of the Humanities grantee and published numerous books, including the memoir Finding Celia’s Place. She was predeceased by her first husband, Willie; and second husband, Bob Eckhardt. Survivors: her son, David; granddaughter, Uma Dietzel; and brother.
Sven Hermann Arnold Bruntjen Jr., MA ’66, PhD ’74 (art), of San Rafael, Calif., August 4, at 84, of pneumonia and complications from cancer. After serving as assistant director and chief curator at the Stanford University Museum of Art, he became an art dealer, consultant, and appraiser. He was respected for his expertise in fine art and rare books, and counted the Richard Diebenkorn Foundation and Getty Research Institute among his clients. He was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Sabine. Survivors: his daughter, Nicole; two grandsons; and partner, Paulina Paczkowska.
Robert Taft Olmstead Jr., MA ’66, PhD ’70 (English), of Sacramento, Calif., May 26, at 85, of pneumonia. He majored in English at Yale as an undergraduate and earned a bachelor of philosophy from St. Andrews University before attending Stanford. He was a professor of American literature at CSU Sacramento for 35 years. He was a passionate fly fisherman and edited two books about the sport. Survivors: his wife, Chris (von Saltza, ’65); and sons, Robert and Philip, ’01.
Allen Eugene Johnson, MA ’67 (music), DMA ’71, of Knoxville, Tenn., March 10, at 84. He served in the Air Force Reserve. A professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for 25 years, he taught music theory and composition and composed orchestral, instrumental, and vocal works. He completed a residency at the Charles Ives Center for Contemporary Music, was an associate at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and twice received an ASCAP Award for composition. He was interested in architecture, classic cars, and gemstones. Survivors include many cousins and close friends.
Constance McClintock Barrett, MA ’69 (Russian, East European and Eurasian studies), PhD ’75 (Slavic languages and literatures) of Victor, N.Y., January 3, 2025, at 83, of congestive heart failure. She was a graduate of Harvard. She taught Russian literature at Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) and worked as an analyst at the FBI. She earned a master’s degree in literacy education at George Mason University and taught English as a second language. Survivors: her husband of 56 years, Terence, PhD ’67; children, Josephine, James, and Nathaniel; and five grandchildren.
Roger William Kaye, MA ’69 (English), of Chico, Calif., August 2, at 82, after a stroke. He contributed to the Stanford Chaparral magazine. After teaching English literature at the University of Pennsylvania for six years, he spent the rest of his career at CSU Chico fostering a love of literature, language, and critical thought. His greatest joy was helping students enroll in graduate and doctoral programs across the country. He loved books and shared his personal library of over 10,000 volumes with students and colleagues. Survivors include his sister, Nancy Koons.
Steven Douglas Bryan, Gr. ’78 (applied physics), of Tucson, Ariz., April 24, at 72, of a stroke. He was in the orchestra. He was a computer programmer whose work included the development of early precursors to the Portable Document Format, as well as encryption and peer-to-peer file sharing. While at Stanford, he lived in quarters attached to (and helped operate) the solar observatory. He was a cellist in several Tucson community orchestras and performed in local choirs. Survivors: his wife, Natalie Synhaivsky; children, Alex, Andrew, and Athena; two grandchildren; and brother.
Nina Rosita Menendez, MA ’86, PhD ’93 (Spanish), of Oakland, August 5, at 69, of colon cancer. She taught at the University of Florida before leaving academia to become a flamenco singer. She founded Bay Area Flamenco and produced the group’s main event, the annual Bay Area Flamenco Festival/Festival Flamenco Gitano, for 15 years. Later she dedicated herself to promoting the legacy of her mother, singer Barbara Dane; she executive-produced a documentary, managed a six-concert tour, and edited Dane’s autobiography. Survivors: her brother, Pablo; and half brother, Jesse Cahn.
Law
Sirje Puusepp Weldon, LLM ’68, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 14, at 84, of heart failure. She was an Estonian refugee and, in 1974, became the youngest person and only woman on faculty at Dalhousie Law School in Halifax. She directed the legal aid clinic and worked for the City of Halifax, arguing two cases before the Supreme Court of Canada. She later advised and directed several Canadian trade groups. She was predeceased by her life partner of 30 years, Donald Walker. Survivors: her children, Kaljo and Laurel; and two grandchildren.
James Charles Kitch, JD ’72, of Menlo Park, Calif., July 18, at 78, of Lewy body dementia. He was on the Law Review. After clerking for Justice John Paul Stevens, he helped open the Silicon Valley office of Cooley Godward, where he spent his entire 44-year legal career. He was a longtime member of Holy Trinity Church and served as chairman of the Child and Family Institute for over 35 years. He loved golf, puzzles, and the Weather Channel. Survivors: his wife, Chris; children, Peter, Drew, and Cindy; and three brothers.
Medicine
Jean Mackey Ertwine Disterdick, MA ’56 (physical therapy), of Gardnerville, N.V., May 1, at 99. She served in the Army Air Corps and the Air Force, treating soldiers wounded in the Korean War and retiring as a captain. She later worked in several hospitals and discovered a passion for treating children through the Elks organization. She enjoyed skeet shooting, competitive target shooting, softball, and tennis. In retirement, she became an expert in making decorative folk art. She was a world traveler and fisherwoman. Survivors include her daughters, Patti Graf and Damian.
Ronald Nicholas Gibson, MD ’90, of Honolulu, July 19, 2023, at 62. An OB-GYN on Maui, Hawaii, he was known for his generosity, intuition, reference for life, and calm, caring nature. He was a member of the American Medical Association and a certified diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He authored several journal articles, abstracts, and book chapters. For the past 20 years, he was a member of Olivet Baptist Church. Survivors: his wife of 43 years, Susan; daughter, Cindy; mother, Margaret West; and brother.
