Robert Waltz “Bob” Eisenmenger ’48
Robert Waltz “Bob” Eisenmenger died on May 24 at age 91.
After graduating from Amherst High School, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a navy radio technician at Pearl Harbor during World War II. He returned and entered Amherst College, receiving his undergraduate degree in economics. At Amherst, he belonged to Theta Xi.
Bob received his first master’s from Yale in 1951 and then joined the U.S. Forestry Department in Oregon. There, he met and married Carolyn Slaver. He also developed a timber appraisal system in Oregon.
Bob, Carolyn and a baby daughter returned to Massachusetts to attend graduate school at Harvard. Bob received a master’s degree in public administration in 1955 in preparation for a career with the forestry service in Washington, D.C. Instead he was hired by the Federal Reserve Bank as research economist. He returned to Harvard, receiving a Ph.D. in economics in 1963.
His doctoral thesis, published as a book, is The Dynamics of Growth in New England’s Economy 1870–1964. Carolyn and Bob moved to Natick in 1955.
Bob spent 36 years at the bank, ending as first vice president and chief operating officer. He retired in 1992.
Following retirement Bob worked as a consultant. Projects included work in banking reform for the Republic of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union and reviewing the payment system in Bosnia for the U.S. Treasury.
Bob also spent several years on the board of the Five Cents Bank in Cape Cod, the Natick Planning Board and the New England Board of Higher Education, which he served as chairman. He was a trustee of New England Natural Resources, the Educational Resources Institute and the Massachusetts Congregational Fund.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Carolyn; three daughters, Anne, Katherine and Lisa; and eight grandchildren.
He will be missed. —Celeste Ringuette W’48
Norman J. Monks ’48
Norman died suddenly on Nov. 16, 2016, at age 90.
Born in Worcester, Mass., he attended Worcester South High School. He was a champion in track, field and cross country, accomplishments earning him a scholarship to Amherst.
After one year at Amherst, he was offered a full scholarship to Rhode Island State College (now the University of Rhode Island). As co-captain he led his team to the track and field championships in 1948. He ran in the 1948 Olympic Trials and was added as an alternate to the Olympic Track Team. He graduated from Rhode Island State in 1949.
He served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant during World War II and in U.S. Army counterintelligence during the Korean Conflict.
In the 50th reunion book, Norm reported, “Hired as boys’ physical director at Worcester YMCA in September 1949, then joined an automobile dealership as salesman in 1951, becoming general manager, then owner. Closed the business in 1966. In September of that year became a junior high science teacher and coach in basketball, track and cross-country.
“Later coached high school track and cross-country, winning many class, division and state championships. Also won five junior high basketball state championships in my 27 years of coaching.”
Norm received an M.S. from the University of Rhode Island in 1974.
In retirement, he became a national official for track and field and cross country and spent time with his family and the family business, Dapper Dan Farm, managing horse shows for 42 years. He was a member of the Rhode Island Horseman’s Association and the New England Horseman’s Council for more than 50 years.
He did horse show night watch at shows from New England to Wellington, Fla. In 1966 he was asked to join the night watch for the U.S. Equestrian Team at the Olympics in Atlanta.
He will be missed. —Celeste Ringuette W’48
Ralph E. Gould ’49
We have just learned that Ralph died in July 2015 and regrettably have little information about the sad event. He played freshman football, received his ’49 numerals and served on the Olio and the HMC. He joined Kappa Theta and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a senior. We believe that he had military service from 1943 to 1946 and after college earned an M.B.A. at Harvard.
He joined the family company and spent most of his life in the New Haven area. He was married in 1951 and had two children and one granddaughter. His wife, Isabelle, predeceased him.
He died in the Connecticut Hospice in Branford from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. We are endeavoring to gather more information about Ralph, who was age 90 and living in Woodbridge, Conn., prior to his illness. —Gerry Reilly ’49
George C. Pendleton JR. ’49
Perhaps quieter than some and brighter than many, George died Jan. 13 at age 92 after a distinguished career as a petroleum geologist and independent producer.
He came to Amherst after serving in the U.S. Army Airborne Division from 1943 to 1946. Some of you may have heard him discuss his military experience. Regrettably I did not, but I would imagine that he saw his share of action. A European history major, he graduated with a B.A., magna cum laude, and continued his education at the Harvard Business School, earning an M.B.A. in 1951.
Next he went to the University of Oklahoma from 1954 to 1956 to attain his degree in petroleum geology and was a scholastic geological member of Sigma Gamma Epsilon and then settled into his career. By the time of our 50th reunion, he had already logged 43 years in the oil and gas business, centered mainly in southern Oklahoma and northeast Texas, where his work led to the discovery of several very significant fields, and he had an equity position in some of them.
He was very active overseas, primarily in the United Kingdom, where he again made prominent discoveries including a few in the coalbed and methane gas fields in North Staffordshire. He traveled in Western Europe more than 250 times and along the way collected English 18th-century furniture and additional pieces from the Biedermeier period in central Europe.
During these sojourns, he developed a particular fondness for the art, music and cuisine of Vienna. He lived a wonderful, successful life with genuine achievements in his chosen field. I wish that I had gotten to know him better along the way. A real plus for our class. —Gerry Reilly ’49
G. Alan Steuber ’50
Al Steuber died from complications of prostate cancer on Feb. 19 at age 88. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, his moving memorial service in Savannah, Ga., was available online.
Al came to Amherst from Brighton High School in Rochester, N.Y. He joined Alpha Delta Phi and had many friends in the class.
Al was a fine lineman on the Amherst football team. He was good enough to be drafted by the Baltimore Colts.
Al, the late Fred Hollister ’50 and I toured the West one college summer in an old car, with sleeping bags and little money. You could not have had a more companionable traveler than Al.
After Amherst he went to Harvard Business School and served as a gunnery officer on a destroyer in the U.S. Navy. —John W. Priesing ’50
John W. “Moose” McGrath ’51
During our first afternoon in 1947, I heard the shout “Go, Moose!” from a group of classmates throwing a football in the freshmen quad. Little did we realize at the time that Moose would become an icon in our class, with multiple letters in football, wrestling (New England intercollegiate wrestling champion) and baseball (captain). Other achievements include: Sphinx, Scarab (president), Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, Mossman Trophy and class president.
After graduating from Yale Law School and serving two years in the U.S. Navy, he decided to give up law as a career and join a law school friend with the successful development of a resort, Sea Pines Plantation, in South Carolina, located on 4,500 acres on Hilton Head Island. In 1963 he worked for a company of Laurence Rockefeller’s as director of land development, designing and building resorts.
In 1969 he joined International Management Group, which was headed by a law school classmate, Mark McCormack. With this new position he became heavily involved in the design and construction of golf courses, including some for Arnold Palmer.
During the ’70s and ’80s Moose had several periods of employment in the resort and real estate field with a Denver company and the Rockefeller Foundation. His fine reputation in the fields of resort and golf course design and development led to an honorary membership in the Urban Land Institute.
In retirement he enjoyed gardening, golf, travel and welcoming classmates and relatives to Hawaii.
We will remember his many qualities, including that warm smile, his modest manner, his ability to connect with people and his passion for Amherst.
Moose died at his home in Honolulu, on June 27. He is survived by his wife, Mary Philpotts; a sister; seven nieces and nephews; and a godchild. —Hobie Cleminshaw ’51
Frederic T. Nugent ’51
Ted Nugent died peacefully on July 23 at a hospice facility in his hometown of Holland, Mich. He had fallen several times in previous months, the last of which occasioned what proved to be fatal head injuries.
Ted came to Amherst from Brooklyn, N.Y., where he graduated from Friends School along with Will Weeks ’51. Following Amherst, Ted matriculated at Columbia University School of Architecture, graduated in 1955, married and moved to Madison, Wis. That year, Ted received his registration as an architect and started a small firm with two others, designing buildings for Wisconsin and its university. His marriage failed in 1965.
Ted moved to Michigan to join an architectural firm in Grand Rapids. Now being not far from Lake Michigan, Ted acquired a cruising boat and participated in local and long distance races, including several “Chicago to Mackinac.” Ted remarried in 1971 and moved that year to Holland, Mich., where his new wife lived, and started his own one-man firm designing residences large and small, industrial buildings and a large marina complex.
Ted displayed his love of automobiles during his days at Amherst, where he drove his Cadillac the long way to Mount Holyoke by way of the Connecticut River roads to avoid the potholes of Route 116 at the top of the Notch.
His lifelong hobby was restoring older Mercedes-Benz sports cars and convertibles, which he drove to antique car shows or for fun on bright sunny days.
He is survived by Donna, his wife of 46 years; a son; two daughters; two grandchildren; two stepsons; two step-grandchildren; and two pet pooches. —Everett E. Clark ’51, with input from Gary Holman ’51
David Chaplin ’53
Dave Chaplin died July 27 at a nursing home in Freeport, Maine, at age 86. Dave, who had his home in Brunswick, Maine, had been ill for several years. He reported in 2015 that he had survived a bout with bone and blood cancer but had mostly lost the use of his left arm.
Dave came to Amherst from Portland, Maine, and Millbrook School in the Hudson Valley area of New York State. On campus, he took part in the Christian Association, the Foreign Student Committee, the Outing Club and the Square Dance Committee. He was a member of the Lord Jeff Club and majored in American studies.
Mike Palmer ’53 remembered Dave as a “studious, serious and conscientious” person and as an avid sailor who enjoyed taking his boat out on Maine’s Casco Bay. He was deeply interested in the history of transportation in Maine and wrote several articles about its once-thriving trolley systems.
After Amherst, Dave earned a doctorate in sociology from Princeton. He worked in the sociology department at the University of Wisconsin from 1964 to 1972 and headed the sociology department at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo from 1972 to 1989. He returned to Maine in 1992.
Dave is survived by his wife, Joyce; three children, Duncan, Scott and Alexandria; and four grandchildren. —George Gates ’53
Alexander Lee Munson ’53
Lee Munson, who combined a career in business finance with major civic responsibilities, died in his sleep in San Francisco on July 9. He was 85.
Lee was born in Hempstead, N.Y., and came to Amherst from Port Washington High School. On campus, he majored In American studies, was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and served as editor of the Sabrina humor magazine.
His fraternity brother, Bob Kiely ’53, remembered Lee as “handsome, but not vain or self-conscious, always affable, easy-going and ready for a good time. I often wished I could be as suave as he was without even trying.”
After service as a U.S. Coast Guard officer, Lee went to Harvard, where he earned a master’s degree in business administration in 1960. Subsequently, he used his talents in finance and management positions with Cresap, McCormick & Paget, Mobil Oil and Fairchild Camera, followed by a decade as vice president–treasurer of Crown Zellerbach.
Finally, he opened his own management consulting firm, A. L. Munson & Co., specializing in finding management solutions for troubled firms. He also taught finance at Golden State University.
In San Francisco, Lee was an important contributor of the municipal government. He was a member of the Mayor’s Fiscal Advisory Committee from 1976 to 2007. He served on the San Francisco Civil Service Commission for 16 years, including terms as vice president and president. As an eight-year member of the Library Commission, he helped oversee major renovations of San Francisco’s libraries.
Lee loved to sing and ballroom dance. He traveled extensively, had a great interest in his Norwegian roots, was an avid photographer and enjoyed fishing.
He is survived by a son, Eric; two daughters, Genevieve and Anna; and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Merla Zellerbach. —George Gates ’53
Willard J. “Pete” Morse Jr. ’54
Though Pete was with our class for only one year, once he reestablished contact with the College in 2010, he affirmed his regard for classmates and remained in touch until his death on Dec. 2, 2016. Pete is survived by three children and one grandson.
After leaving Amherst, he served for two years in the 82nd Airborne, and then earned a B.A. from the University of Vermont, moving to its medical school for his M.D. He interned at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City and held residencies at St. Luke’s and at the Hartford Hospital while becoming board certified in obstetrics and gynecology.
For several years, Pete practiced all over the Key West archipelago, piloting his own plane. His interest in flying led him to become an FAA examiner, and to include flight medicine in the practice he later opened in Pembroke, Maine.
He lived with his life partner, Helen Swallow, on a saltwater farm on Cobscook Bay.
At Amherst, I knew Pete as an enthusiastic fellow member of our freshman football team and as a fellow pledge to Psi Upsilon. In the last few years we corresponded about a number of things, including a mutual interest in Shakespeare. In one of his class letter contributions, Pete mentioned sharing a phone call with Jeff Keener ’54, talking about their experiences with Parkinson’s and their success in living a full life despite the diagnosis.
I regret my failure to make good on a plan to get to Pete’s corner of far northern Maine to extend the conversations we had on email and to learn more of what had clearly been an adventurous and accomplished life. —Thomas H. Blackburn ’54
R. Donald McDougall ’55
Don McDougall died unexpectedly on June 17 at his home in Vero Beach, Fla.
Don came to Amherst from the Haverford School. He was an excellent squash player, ranking number one on the squash team and winning almost every match he played. He pledged Phi Psi, where I was fortunate to be his roommate. Don had a cheery smile, always looking at the positive side of life, and was a true friend and loving person. He loved to play bridge. He was also an excellent tennis player and loved classical music.
Dixon Long ’55 writes: “Don gave me something I never thanked him enough for—the love of classical music.” He had a large selection of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms recordings in his diverse collection. That was part of my Amherst education that was never recorded in the dean’s office but has lasted just as well as Charlie Morgan’s “These Great Sights.”
After graduation Don entered Navy OCS at Newport, serving for three years. He spent his business career at Towers Perrin Foster and Crosby, much of it in management positions, until his retirement in 1990.
Don was active in the Episcopal Church, serving as warden or vestryman in every parish where he and his wife, Leigh, lived. He was chairman of the personnel committee and the insurance board for the Diocese of Connecticut for 20 years, as well as several other boards for the diocese. He also served as treasurer for 10 years for the Overseas Ministries Study Center.
In 1993 he was on the search committee for the bishop of Connecticut. At St. Augustine in Vero Beach he was lector and on the finance and outreach committees.
Don is survived by his beloved and devoted wife of 62 years, Leigh, and two children, Donna Leigh and James Andrew. —Ted Ruegg ’55
Douglas W. Hawkins ’56
Douglas Hawkins of Parsonsfield, Maine, died on Nov. 21, 2016, after a long illness. Military honors took place Dec. 5 of that year at the Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery in Springvale.
He was born in Kansas City, Mo., Dec. 27, 1933, to Frank and Margaret Hawkins. Doug came to Amherst from Winchester (Mass.) High. After graduating from the College in 1956, he received a master’s in education from the University of Southern California.
He served 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a colonel. In Vietnam he was an air commando, flying combat.
After his time in the Air Force, Doug moved to Parsonsfield in 1980 and commuted to work for 15 years at the Mitre Corporation in Bedford, Mass., where he was a project head for R&D. Doug always enjoyed flying and even had a flight simulator in his home.
Surviving him are his wife of almost 50 years, Joan Hawkins of Parsonsfield; three sons: Stephen Hawkins and wife Kristina, of Sugarland, Texas; Gregory Hawkins and wife Bernadette, of Rocklin, Calif.; and Robert Jeffrey Hawkins (retired U.S. Marine Corps) and girlfriend Erin Washburn, of South Portland; and four grandchildren.
He was well-informed on world issues and town politics, as well as on the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox.
A Theta Delt at Amherst, Doug will be remembered as a very crisp U.S. Air Force ROTC commander on the parade grounds and as (at maybe a towering 6 feet, 6 inches) the center and captain of the Lord Jeff basketball team.
A check of the College’s website reveals that 61 years later Doug amazingly still holds three Amherst all-time rebounding records. Details are in ’56 class notes in this issue. —Peter Levison ’56
James S. Jenkins ’56
Jim’s wife, Carole, advised me of his passing on June 26 in Plymouth, Mass., after an undisclosed serious illness. Jim was a very private person and thus evidently did not want an obituary, so this short summary will have to suffice. He had four kids and nine grandchildren. One son is a general in the U.S. Army. Jim worked his entire life at IBM. He and Carole married before graduation and, in fact, had their first child prior to graduation, in April of 1956. Jim came to Amherst from Hingham (Mass.) High School.
He was a member of Alpha Delt and a four-year outstanding running back on Lord Jeff’s football teams, which can forever boast four straight victories over Williams. He was called Amherst’s most consistent ground gainer in our senior season. —Henry Pearsall ’56
Peter M. Saybolt ’56
Our dad, who pursued his passion for new and evolving technologies throughout his career as salesman, commodities broker and IT expert, died of cancer May 21, at his home in Ruxton, Md.
Pete grew up in the Drexel Hill section of Philadelphia, graduating from Episcopal Academy in 1952 and Amherst College (Theta Xi) in 1956. His father was president of Saybolt & Cleland, Philadelphia furniture manufacturers. Pete elected not to join the family business, attending the Wharton School instead, then leaving to join the U.S. Navy in 1958 as a navigator, patrolling the Pacific from Hawaii to Midway Island to Alaska.
He married Frances H. Patton (Smith ’60). The couple lived in Honolulu until his discharge from the Navy in 1962. After short stints elsewhere, they moved to their current home in Ruxton in 1966. There they raised three children: David ’85, Rebecca ’87 and Robert (Bates ’92). Strong family traditions included annual trips to Fenwick Island, Del.; family sing-alongs led by Pete, an accomplished pianist; and backyard fireworks.
Trained as a chemist, Pete delighted in assisting customers with the formulation of new products. In 1971, he changed careers—becoming a commodities trader specializing in volatile markets. As he developed programs to predict market moves, Pete fell in love with computer technology.
He became an early aficionado of Apple Computer and invested astutely in the company, following with more early investments in Google, Tesla and other emerging firms. In his later years, he monitored friends and family on all matters technological.
Pete retained his love of music, traveling widely to hear Dixieland jazz. He was devoted to his family and never missed an opportunity to visit with cousins at the family cottage in Fenwick Island.
He is survived by his wife, Frances; three children; five grandchildren; and a sister. —David Saybolt ’85, Rebecca Bainum ’87
Carl H. Andrus ’57
We are sad to report the death of Carl Andrus on July 11 in Rochester, N.Y. At Amherst Carl was a Renaissance man, majoring in English and singing in the Glee Club and DQ, in addition to completing his premedical requirements.
Classmates will remember his quiet intelligence and friendly, modest demeanor. His interest in music was lifelong. He loved classical and opera, played many instruments, built a clavichord in his 40s and took up cello at 70.
After Amherst Carl attended the University of Rochester Medical School. Next he interned in surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian in New York City.
In 1963 he volunteered for the U.S. Navy and spent a year in Antarctica. (In recognition of his service as officer-in-charge of Byrd Station, an Antarctic volcano was named Mt. Andrus.) In 1965 he returned to Rochester for his surgical residency and remained there for the rest of his career, except while holding an immunology fellowship at Duke from 1968 to 1970, where he received a master’s degree.
At Rochester Carl met Noelle, an R.N. completing her bachelor’s degree. They married in 1966 and enjoyed 50 rich years together. They had two children: Michael ’91 and Jennifer (Rochester ’92).
After his residency Carl entered private practice but eventually shifted to full-time academic medicine due to his love of teaching. He enjoyed a superlative reputation as a caring, expert physician, teacher and mentor.
Carl was also an avid outdoorsman. On one European trip shortly after Amherst, he combined visits to the great museums with a climb of the Matterhorn, not a trivial endeavor back then. He continued to climb in the Adirondacks, eventually becoming a 46-er, and loved to canoe, fish and birdwatch, particularly at his beloved summer place in northern Vermont.
Carl confronted his final illness with grace and courage and remained active professionally until the end—an inspiration for us all.
—Mike Andrus ’91, Len Prosnitz ’57
George L. Hacker ’57
George L. Hacker of New York, London and most recently Scottsdale, Ariz., died on June 11 while on holiday in the United Kingdom. A proud graduate of Amherst, he enjoyed a full and successful life both personally and professionally.
His career included roles at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as a newspaperman, as adjunct professor at Columbia University, as director of research at Blyth Eastman Dillon in New York and as partner/senior managing director at Bear Stearns in London. George was a generous and genial man, loved and admired by many and large in both heart and spirit. Travel, cruises, poker and model trains were among his interests.
He will be greatly missed, especially by his five children: Mark, Laura, Scott, Neil and Georgina, as well as his daughters-in-law and son-in-law and two grandchildren. At George’s request, a celebration of his life will be organized for later this year.
George always spoke fondly of his time at Amherst. In May he attended his 60th class reunion and enjoyed time in the dorms with his classmates. He commented at the reunion that he thought he still has the class record for the youngest offspring (twins).
One of George’s favorite quotations was from Teddy Roosevelt, which George wrote in his 50th reunion book: “The credit belongs to the man who was actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat, and dust, and blood, who tries and fails and tries again, for this man, when he wins, knows the most glorious of triumphs; and when he fails, can at least take solace in the knowledge that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory or defeat.” —The Hacker Family
Boris Baranovic ’58
Boris Baranovic lived a noteworthy life, ending in his native Yugoslavia (Serbia) in 2016. The exact date and cause are not known. Boris joined our class junior year but remained something of a mystery to most of us then and after.
Born in Sibenick, Yugoslavia, he studied at the University of Zagreb (philosophy) and specialized in history and art history. In September 1952 he went on a student excursion to Italy and decided to defect to the West. He ended up in Naples in a center for defectors and started taking courses in scene design and art history at the University of Naples.
Boris loved Naples, where he “learned how to live and grow differently from the patterns of Communist rule.” Setting the stage for his life to come, Boris said, “Music and laughter and culture were part of my every moment; in the freedom of those four years, I grew into a young man with a new sense of future and possibility.”
A small exhibition of work for a display at the American Consulate serendipitously led to a scholarship to Amherst. Kirby Theater Masquers and the Glee Club became his family. He later attended the Yale University School of Drama and earned a master’s degree.
His first job was at the University of Buffalo, where he met American composer and critic Virgil Thompson. Boris designed sets for one of Thompson’s operas. Thompson also helped Boris study with the Wagner family in Bayreuth and at Spoleto festivals with Giancarlo Menotti. Thompson composed one of his Piano Portraits about Boris. (It is titled “Whirling.”)
From 1966 to 1993 Boris was in the performing arts department at American University in Washington, D.C., designing more than 100 productions.
Retiring as professor emeritus, he moved to Baltimore, where he housed a large collection of paintings and sculpture. For our 50th, Boris donated 128 caricatures by Honoré Daumier to Mead Art Museum. —Allen M. Clark ’58
Boniface Wadors ’59
Bon Wadors died in December 2016. Bon’s path to Amherst was very different from that of almost anyone in our class. He came from a modest immigrant home. He was “signed” in 1948 to play football for then powerful Tulane, but, after a semester of football and not seeing much in the way of academics, he left.
During the three years he spent in the U.S. Army, he became a driver for a general and traveled all over Europe. After his discharge he worked as a big band singer and later sold used cars. A chance encounter with a high school classmate and Amherst graduate led him to become a freshman at age 26, older and certainly more worldly than the rest of us. Bon played freshman football and later took soccer as his fall required PE class; he was referred to as the “siege gun” for the power of his kicks. He became a member of the DQ. He roomed with Rick Abeles ’59 and Stan Lelewer ’59 as a freshman, and they became roommates again when all three joined DU. He was a great roommate and companion.
Following graduation he went to work for IBM and roomed with Stan in Greenwich Village. He worked for IBM for 35 years, and in 1989 he was a senior manager in Paris. Eventually he moved to Walnut Creek, Calif., where he and Rick reconnected. Rick reports that “he still had the same wonderful outlook and sense of humor.”
He contracted liver cancer and relocated to the West Bay, nearer to son David. He was there for a year and stopped driving two months before his death. Bon left three children—two daughters and one son—all three in California. He was a wonderful friend and will be greatly missed. —Rick Abeles ’59
Harry Talbot Neimeyer ’61
It is my sad duty to report that Harry Talbot Neimeyer died on May 23. Harry was a Minnesotan through and through. He spent his whole life there except for four years at Amherst.
Harry was born in Duluth on May 25, 1939, and graduated from St. Paul Academy and Summit School in 1957. At Amherst, Harry was a beloved fellow brother at Alpha Delta Phi and was on the College’s varsity hockey team, serving as co-captain with John Turner ’61 our senior year. Harry majored in American studies.
He had a dry wit and was known as “Night Train Harry.” This came from his being in a car returning from a night hockey scrimmage with Dartmouth; while crossing railroad tracks, he was awakened by a train to see its light bearing down upon him.
Harry practiced law at the St. Paul law firm of Stringer & Rohleder for more than 40 years, specializing in probate and litigation. He served as mayor of the city of Afton, Minn., in the early 1970s. Harry was an avid tennis and hockey player. His loves were long walks along the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers, Duluth and Lake Superior, where he was a master at skipping stones.
He is survived by former wife Helene (Lenie) Smith, whom many of us remember; daughter Sarah Neimeyer; sons Slater Tai and Charlie Neimeyer; and five grandchildren. John Turner attended Harry’s memorial service and reports that Sarah spoke, attesting to the close and wonderful relationship Harry had with his grandchildren. —Ted Ells ’61
Philip Edward Gossett ’62
Philip Gossett died on June 13 at his home in Chicago. The New York Times described Philip as “a musicologist whose shoe-leather detective work in musty archives and Italian villas helped bring long-lost operas back to the stage.”
Many have said that Philip was the world’s leading authority on the performance of Italian opera. The University of Chicago published Philip’s book Divas and Scholars: Performing Italian Opera in 2006, truly a treasure for opera lovers.
In June, Riccardo Muti devoted the final series of the Chicago Symphony 2016–17 subscription concerts to excerpts from Italian operatic masterworks and dedicated them to Philip, his late friend and colleague.
Philip grew up in New York City. He studied piano at age 5 at Juilliard’s preparatory division. At Amherst he studied physics and math for three years, changing directions as he approached his senior year by taking a year off to study music at Columbia University. Returning to Amherst, he changed his major to music and graduated summa cum laude. He earned his doctorate from Princeton University and immediately joined the faculty of the University of Chicago.
At retirement, he was both a distinguished service professor in music at Chicago and professor of music at the University of Rome, Italy. The Andrew M. Mellon Foundation awarded Philip its lifetime achievement award, and the Italian government gave him its highest civilian award in 1998.
Philip is survived by his wife, Suzanne; sons David and Jeffrey; and five granddaughters.
My wife and I spent several wonderful days with Philip and Suzanne in Rome in 2006. Perhaps the first classmate I met at Amherst, he was a brilliant man whose scholarship will be a lasting legacy to music and opera. I will miss his personal notes and his friendship. For other tributes, see www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/magazine/in_memory/1962/philipgossett. —Sandy Short ’62
Theodore Schuker ’62
After graduation, Ted earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in comparative literature, then settled in France, where he taught at the Sorbonne and became a highly sought-after freelance interpreter, working for international organizations, major companies and European world leaders. Francophile and francophone, world traveler, violist and pianist, distance runner and spiritual seeker, Ted was far more than the sum of his parts. His intellectual curiosity and lively conversations with friends and relatives continued until his death from a heart attack on May 31, 2016. —Sandy Short ’62
William Jackson Lewis II ’64
William Jackson Lewis II died on Aug. 19 after a long illness. An obituary has been posted at www.amherst.edu/amherststory/magazine/in_memory/1964/williamlewis.
Terry Segal ’64 remembers, “Bill was bigger than life: at 6 feet 4 or 5, with a very athletic build (he was an outstanding defenseman on the Amherst lacrosse team), Bill looked right out of central casting. He came from Harlan, a small town in Iowa, where his father was president of the local bank. Not surprisingly, he spent most of his career in banking. After freshman year, Bill stayed at our house in Newton as we sought summer employment.
Years later, he and his wonderful wife, Kathy, came to my house in Gloucester to celebrate my 65th birthday. Bill got up and recounted how he had stayed at our house that summer for “two weeks” more than 40 years ago. My mother, then 87, chimed in “Two months, not two weeks.” My sense is she was more accurate than Bill.
Bill was from a solid Protestant Midwestern family; his son Chris married a Jewish woman who aspired to be an opera singer. She did not succeed but has had a great career as a temple cantor—something Bill was very proud of. “Bill was always a lot of fun to be with.” This latter sentiment of Terry’s was confirmed by Ray Battocchi ’64: “Bill and I were fraternity brothers at DKE. He was intelligent and likable, had a good sense of humor and loved to laugh. We spent many hours together, along with other friends, either discussing serious issues or just having fun.” —Terry Segal ’64, Ray Battocchi ’64
David Pellegrin ’64
David Pellegrin, for decades a media institution as chairman and owner of Honolulu Publishing Co., died Aug. 5 of cardiac arrest following knee surgery. He was 74. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; a son, Adam “Konti” Pellegrin; and a brother, Jonathan Pellegrin.
He was born in Woodstock, Ill., and had a lifelong ambition to be a journalist. His dream of becoming a foreign correspondent in China brought him to Hawaii for postgraduate Asian studies via an East-West Center grant, and he later got a job with the Honolulu Advertiser as an editorial writer and then a reporter.
In 1977, together with the Wisconsin publishing company where his father was president and minority owner, David purchased the magazine established by King David Kalakaua in 1888 as Paradise of the Pacific, and Honolulu Publishing Co. was born.
Over the years David improved the magazine, built circulation, added titles and eventually acquired sole ownership. His staff grew from six to more than 90. “Dave helped raise the bar for journalists in Hawaii,” wrote Richard Borreca, whom David hired in the early 1980s.
In 1991, David’s first-born son, George, was killed in traffic at age 18. The Compassionate Friends, a national nonprofit bereavement support organization, provided the help David needed, and he became a volunteer for the group. “He was at one point the president of the national board of directors, and he also started the Compassionate Friends Foundation and was Honolulu chapter leader. … He did it all in memory of his son.” David was also a jazz enthusiast and drummer. “We went to the Monterey Jazz Festival every year,” said Kathleen.
Going back perhaps 20 years, he played in a band, the Psychedelic Relics, composed of daytime professionals and wannabe musicians when they could find a gig. —Kathleen Pellegrin
Brian Taylor ’65
Brian Taylor died April 15. I learned this through a mutual friend, Tony Schuman (Wesleyan ’65), who knew him fairly well during the latter part of his life.
Brian and I lived on the second floor of Morrow our freshman year, and, while memories can be slippery things when looked at 56 years later, I remember a bright, engaged person who enjoyed some antics but seemed serious about the intellectual side of our daily pursuits.
Brian always sought the interesting challenge—the challenge that might bring an additional insight or new way of looking at the world. This was true academically as well as personally. I remember that he convinced Bill Kates ’65 to join him during the summer after freshman year on a drive across the country to Alaska, where they fished salmon commercially.
Brian received a doctorate in architectural history from Harvard and was a professor in Paris and New York. Tony Schuman adds: “Brian was a longtime professor of architectural history at New York Institute of Technology, where he was a beloved figure. He was widely respected as a scholar, notably of the works of Le Corbusier.
His knowledge of French language and architecture led to his role as associate editor of l’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui, the preeminent French architecture magazine, and a teaching position at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville.”
According to Tony, Brian was a scholar of Pierre Chareau, who designed the Maison de Verre (“Glass House”), an iconic early modern residence in Paris. Brian played a significant role in the recent sale of the house to new owners dedicated to its preservation.“His interests in world culture led to his cofounding of Mimar, a magazine devoted to the architecture of the developing world. He was the author of several monographs on non-Western architects.”
A resident of Montclair, N.J., Brian is survived by his wife, Teresa; two sons, David and Leith; and a brother, Kerry. —Chris Reid ’65
Stephen H. Gunnels ’71
Steve Gunnels died June 22 of a heart condition complicated by Parkinson’s. He leaves his wife, Claire; three children Patrick, Barbara and Rebecca; and his mother, sister and brother.
Steve was proud of being born in Port Arthur, Texas, Janis Joplin’s hometown. He grew up across the West and Midwest, learning to make new friends easily.
I met Steve in Baird’s freshman English course. Baird once printed up his essay on the dark sun in the College logo. Steve imitated Baird hilariously and affectionately: “Now, boys …” and “Mr. Gunnels, what do you mean by that?” I got to know Steve better sophomore year in Valentine and appreciated his empathetic laughter at others’ foibles. During our last two years, Steve lived in Phi Psi and majored in English. His senior thesis with Professor Pritchard concerned a Ford Madox Ford novel (I believe The Good Soldier).
In fall 1971, Steve married Claire Braunstein (Mount Holyoke ’71). He graded papers at Harvard Business School and sold gold and silver while Claire earned a library degree from Simmons. He was assaulted in Cambridge in 1976 for wearing a Reagan button. I remember Steve’s delivering gold to a client in a briefcase that was chained to his wrist.
In 1978, Steve, Claire and the newborn Patrick moved to Houston. We kept in touch by mail and very occasional visits. In the 1990s, Steve got into web hosting early and initiated the class’s discussion list, allowing for new—virtual—friendships.
Patrick praised Steve’s optimism, positive attitude, mental toughness and unfailing support for family. After evening dinners, he and Claire regularly announced three things they were grateful for.
Amherst was significant in Steve’s life. He was an important part of my Amherst experience and that of several classmates. He was one of us, and we will miss him. —Tom Smith ’71
Kenneth E. Glover ’74
Ken Glover died July 2 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. At his funeral, George Johnson ’73 described him as: “Smart. Brash. Loyal. Funny. Confident. Stubborn—all the things Amherst thought it taught you. Truth be told, Kenneth was all those things long before he came to Amherst.”
Ken graduated top of his class at Fairmont Heights (Md.) High School. He and I were among those to enroll in the Common Studies program, the last gasp of a core curriculum at Amherst. Ken took his studies seriously. He also played basketball and regaled us with many stories in the Annex at Valentine. Tom Leach ’74, Ken and I were roommates in Pratt sophomore year. Joined by Chuck Donaldson ’74, we spent many nights strolling into town on pizza runs.
Ken spent his senior year in Washington, D.C., and wrote his thesis on home rule for the District of Columbia. This laid the foundation for a robust career in urban finance, politics, governance and economic development.
He was deputy campaign manager for Harold Washington’s historic campaign as Chicago’s first black mayor and campaign chair for his re-election.
He advised several first-time African-American mayors and was principal financial adviser to the Washington Convention Center Authority. In Prince George’s County, he was chief administrative officer and chair of the Hospital Authority, playing a pivotal role in reorganizing how healthcare is delivered.
The highlight of Ken’s life was his family. He always felt lucky to have met and married Lauren Dugas. He was very proud of their two sons, Evan Joseph Glover and Jonathan Taylor Glover.
My last conversation with Ken was when he called in May to wish me a happy birthday. In the end, he was chiding, encouraging and generous. Grateful for all that life has brought his way. We will miss him. —Richard Ammons ’74
Richard J. Kelly ’79
Little did I know when I last saw Richard “Juice” Kelly at the celebration of the life of Tom Barquinero ’79 that ALS would take him from us just over a year later.
Juice was fondly nicknamed by Coach Ostendarp for his steadfast and enthusiastic role as manager of the Amherst College football team, which included the daily provision of mixing many gallons of “juice” to keep the team hydrated!
His hyperkinetic enthusiasm for all things Amherst created a larger-than-life persona that endeared him to so many in our college community. It was quite common to see Rich in the stands at many sporting events boisterously leading the cheers by spelling out AMHERST with his body. Juice bled purple and white!
We became fast friends freshman year and were roommates at the DU fraternity house sophomore and junior years.
After college, we kept in touch regularly, and while he would always enjoy updating me on his investment banking activities, he really was most enthusiastic and proudest about updating me on the growth and progress of his beloved children: Brian, Meghan and James. He loved to attend their many athletic activities, and I’m sure he led the cheers.
One of our most enjoyable moments together was meeting up with his son Brian after an Amherst event and hearing about his impressive college football experiences.
We can all be comforted that the pain and sadness of saying goodbye to Juice way too soon will ultimately be replaced by the fond and enduring memories of a wonderful person, a great guy with an infectious zest for life and a passion for the people and things that he held dearest! —Russell Isaac ’79
Professor John Pemberton III
John “Jack” Pemberton, the Stanley Warfield Crosby Professor of Religion, Emeritus, died on Nov. 30, 2016. An expert in the art and rituals of the Yoruba of Nigeria, he published and lectured widely in this area.
Born in 1928, in New Brunswick, N.J., he received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton in 1948. He went on to receive a bachelor’s in divinity in 1952 and a doctorate in 1958 from Duke University. Before arriving at Amherst, Pemberton was an assistant professor of religion at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Virginia.
He was a professor of religion at Amherst from 1958 to 1998, serving as the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities from 1985 to 1998 and the Crosby Professor of Religion from 1975 to 1998.
He was an associate fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University Ibadan, Nigeria, from 1981 to 1982. He was a visiting research associate, Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 1986. During 14 research trips to Nigeria, his research continued in Ila Irangun, Nigeria.
Pemberton served on the board of advisers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. He was consulting curator of African art at the Smith College Museum of Art from 2000 to 2015.
He chaired the Working Group in African Studies in the Humanities, Social Science Research Council/American Council of Learned Societies. He also served on the Smithsonian/Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship Committee of African Art and on the council for International Exchange of Scholars’ Advisory Committee in Religion.
Pemberton was a longtime member of Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst. He is survived by his wife, Jane; two sons, John Pemberton IV (Marilyn) and Robert Barker (Karin); four daughters, Nanci Church (Thomas), Susan Winslow (Daniel), Debra Reehoorn (Robert) and Lynn Barker (Mark); 12 grandchildren; and two sisters, Barbara Smith and Jane Buckley.
Mary Carlson
Mary Carlson died on Sept. 16 after a long illness. She was 80 and lived in Amherst. She came to the College in 1978 and worked as a staff assistant and admissions specialist in the admission office. She retired in 2005.
She graduated from Upsala College in 1958 and settled in Amherst in 1964. Very active in the Lutheran church, she was a member of Immanuel Lutheran in Amherst since 1967, where she held several leadership positions. Also an accomplished musician, she was a singer and played the trumpet, organ and piano.
She is survived by her husband, David; four children; five grandchildren; a brother; a sister; and many nieces and nephews.
Lorraine Tully
Lorraine Tully died on March 25 at Mont Marie Health Care Center in Holyoke. She was 74. She came to the College in 1978 as the secretary to the librarian and became the library’s business manager in 2008. She retired from the College in 2010.
Born in Holyoke, she received her bachelor’s degree from UMass in 2004. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, reading, gardening and traveling. She is survived by two sons and three grandchildren.
Francis “Jim” Osborn
Francis “Jim” Osborn died on Dec. 13, 2016. He was 85. He came to the College in 1959, joining the buildings and grounds department, and worked at Amherst until his retirement in 1994.
Born in Northampton, he was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving in Korea from 1952 to 1954. He enjoyed traveling and spending time with his family. He is survived by his beloved Dorothy Andrew; a sister-in-law; a nephew; a niece; and extended family and friends.
Elizabeth “BettyAnn” Kelly
Elizabeth “BettyAnn” Kelly died Dec. 9, 2016. She came to the College in 1977 as a slides curator in the fine arts department. In 1983 she became the fine arts librarian, and in 1987, she combined that position with head of circulation. She retired in 1996.
A 1970 graduate of Boston University, she moved to Amherst with her family in 1970. She later received her M.L.S. from the University of Rhode Island.
In retirement she was active in the arts community in and around Amherst. She is survived by a son, three nephews and four grandchildren.