Obituaries

1925
Harriet Vardis Brown Schwager, Jan. 23, 2006
In many ways, Harriet Vardis Brown Schwager helped the light shine into Moravian churches where her husband, Joseph Schwager, was pastor. She wrote Bible studies, taught Sunday school, wrote a column for The Moravian church magazine — and, if needed, washed church windows. After Bates, she won a study-abroad fellowship from Hartford (Conn.) Theological Seminary, from which she earned her bachelor’s degree and doctorate in 1928 and 1931, respectively, traveling to the Univ. of Marburg in Germany. Her language expertise was reflected in her doctoral thesis, parts of which she wrote in Greek, German, and Hebrew — “the languages that clarified the message.” While she and Joseph lived in the Philadelphia area, she was executive director of the women’s department of the Greater Philadelphia Council of Churches and served as adjunct professor at Temple Univ. They lived many years in Wisconsin, where she was lay pastor of three Moravian churches, director of Christian education at Lake Mills (Wis.) Moravian, and president of the Moravian Women board. She volunteered with the Girl Scouts, YWCA, the American Assn. of University Women, and the League of Women Voters. In 1977, she represented the Moravian Church and traveled to Eastern Europe to meet with other religious leaders. She played the piano and organ, and is survived by three daughters.

1929
Mary Pendlebury Walker, April 3, 2006
The restless audience was ready for the play to begin. But backstage in Hathorn, Mary Pendlebury and others waited on some of the actors — trackmen late getting back from a Bowdoin meet. Edwin Wright, head of the English department, told Mary, “You’ve got to go on, Miss Pendlebury! Do something!” and pushed her onstage. “I was supposed to be doing Shakespeare,” she later recalled. “I don’t know what I said or did, but I kept them entertained.” Not often did Mary have to wing it. In 1938, she and her husband, H. Brooks Walker, an osteopath, moved to Nantucket, Mass., where she taught high school and served as principal — the first Massachusetts woman to hold that position. She served for 34 years and was credited with bringing high academic and social expectations to her school. “Thank you for making me couth,” a former student wrote to her during World War II. Upon her retirement, the auditorium was named for her. She was also a member of the Bates Key. Survivors include sons Stephen P. Walker of Nantucket and Florida and David B. Walker of Dartmouth, N.H.; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

1931
Loton R. Pitts, March 25, 2006
In wartime, Loton R. Pitts tried to be kind. As a U.S. Army medic he was assigned to a POW camp, and after his death letters were discovered from former prisoners who had thanked Loton for treating them well. Before the war he served as Naples, Maine, postmaster. After the war he taught English in Jonesport and Freeport, and then became an antiques dealer. Poetry was his passion, and one of his proudest achievements was winning a poetry contest offered by the Maine Sunday Telegram. Predeceased by siblings Marjorie and Orland, he is survived by sisters Ruth Pitts and Mary Bennett.

1932
Carroll B. Foster, Jan. 2, 2006
A physics major, Carroll Benjamin “Ben” Foster’s career followed advances in technology. In the 1930s, he completed a correspondence course in radio repair and ran his own radio sales and service business in South Duxbury, Mass. Then he was a communications engineer with Pan American Airways for 20 years, followed by 16 years as an aerospace engineer with Martin-Marietta, in Colorado, working on the Apollo, Atlas space booster, and Viking programs. He retired to Belleview, Fla., where he was a past president of the Lions Club and a former city commissioner. He was predeceased by wife Elizabeth and son Steven. Survivors include daughter Judith Foster of Belleview; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

1933
Dorothy Wills Morrison, Feb. 4, 2006
Dorothy Wills Morrison taught for 43 years, first at the Auburn School of Commerce, then at Stanley High School in Kingfield, where her husband owned a pharmacy and she was president of the PTA. She taught in Winslow and Ogunquit, where she drove her son’s 1933 Plymouth street rod to work, and at Bristol and Boothbay. A French and English major, she used Bates-honed talents in drama and speech — she won the sophomore prize for speaking — to coach cheering and lead school drama teams to many winning competitions. President of the Maine Federation of Women’s Club, she had a monthly radio broadcast with WGAN. In Bates affairs, she was vice president and secretary of her class in the ‘70s. Predeceased by husband Fred, she is survived by children Jean M. Strollo of Pembroke, N.H., Barry W. Morrison of Las Vegas, Nev., and Bradford W. Morrison of South Portland, Maine; and six grandchildren.

1935
Miriam Knapp Kramer, Feb. 11, 2006
Miriam Knapp married Bates sweetheart Robert Kramer ‘35, and they moved to West Hartford, Conn. A German major, she earned her master’s from the Univ. of Hartford in 1960 and taught second grade in the West Hartford schools. With family, she spent summers at a family cottage in Marblehead, Mass. She had memories of the Red Sox winning the 1918 World Series and told her family she was “very grateful” that they finally won again in 2004. In Bates affairs, she served as secretary of the Hartford Bates Club, 1965–1968. She was a gardener, birder, and collector of antiques and family heirlooms. Survivors include sons David Knapp Kramer ‘63 of Nobleboro, Maine, and Robert Peirce Kramer ‘65 of Enfield and Oquossoc, Maine; and four grandchildren.

1936
Matilda Barattiero Deuson, Feb. 1, 2006
Just 16 when she entered Bates, Matilda “Tillie” Barattiero was old enough to know her calling: to be a teacher. A French major, she taught in Mars Hill and Skowhegan, Maine, in Nantucket, Mass., and in Berlin, Conn., retiring in 1973. Christian faith was a constant, and she served as deacon of the Berlin Congregational Church, the Kensington Congregational Church, and, after her move to Florida, the Poinciana Christian Church. In recent years, she was a member of the First Church of Christ, in Clinton, Conn. She was predeceased by her husband, Leonard Deuson, whom she met on Nantucket during World War II. Survivors include children Thomas Deuson of Henderson, N.Y., and Lona Jortner of Old Saybrook, Conn.; and sister Edith Barattiero.

Archie Peabody Jr., April 22, 2006
Archie Peabody Jr. majored in chemistry and worked for wholesale grocer John P. Squire Co. in Boston and Lewiston. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific theater as a PT boat captain. After returning, “Arch” started as a circulation representative for Time, becoming an expert in computerized subscription lists and retiring as vice president of circulation and distribution. He retired to Boxford, Mass., where he served on the Boxford Conservation Commission and enjoyed gardening and building stone walls. Later, he was a charter resident of Riverwoods Retirement Community in Exeter. He was predeceased by wife Alma. Survivors include children Betsey Mechachonis of Londonderry, N.H., Meredith Peabody-Hathaway of Prescott Ariz., Charles Peabody of Bradenton, Fla., and Sanford Peabody of Portland; six grandchildren; and sisters Phyllis Ross and Katherine Matson.

Algirdas C. Poshkus, March 5, 2006
If you avoid frozen pipes because you installed pre-formed pipe insulation, give a cosmic shout-out to the late research chemist Algirdas C. “Al” Poshkus, inventor of the familiar Armaflex brand of plastic insulation during his career with Armstrong World Industries. A Walter Lawrance disciple at Bates, he graduated with honors in chemistry and ran track. A researcher at International Nickel Co. in Bayonne, N.J., he then served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II. Earning his doctorate in organic chemistry from Chicago in 1951, he joined Armstrong, twice taking leaves to work for NASA at the Ames Research Center in California. In 1975, he was a technical information scientist at Armstrong, reviewing company scientific and technical literature. Memberships included the American Chemical Society, National Academy of Sciences, and Sigma Xi. In Bates affairs, he established the Walter A. Lawrance Research Fund and, with sister Casimara Poshkus McIntire ‘40, who survives him, the Charles and Ann Poshkus Fund. He was predeceased by wife Barbara Fink Poshkus. Other survivors include children Raymond C. Poshkus and Bernice Scheetz of Lancaster, Pa.; two grandchildren; and sister Ellen Poshkus McDonald.

1937
Edna Canham Priest, May 24, 2006
Edna Canham Priest earned her M.Ed. from UMaine in 1955 and taught school for 18 years in Maine (Wilsons Mills, Stonington, Kents Hill, Auburn) and 14 years in Windsor Locks, Conn., retiring in 1970. She was a member of teachers associations, Friends of the Library in South Windsor, the American Rock Garden Society, the American Rhododendron Society, the Connecticut Horticultural Society, and the South Windsor Historical Society. She was predeceased by husband Norman Priest ‘34. Survivors include nephews Robert Harmon of Virginia, Richard C. Diehl ‘53 of Vermont, Gerald Harmon and William Diehl of Maine, and niece Ruth Harmon Leipold of Maine. Her cousin is Alfred C. Webber ‘28. Her late relatives include uncle Erwin D. Canham ‘25, sister Ruth Canham Diehl ‘27, and nephew Robert M. Diehl Jr. ‘53.

Ruth Springer Rodgers, April 27, 2006
A French major, Ruth Springer Rodgers was a New England Telephone service representative, 1937–1941, then married Walter P. Rodgers ‘27. Raising their family in the 1940s and ‘50s, she then taught kindergarten in East Brunswick, 1955–1972, earning her M.Ed. from Rutgers along the way. Civic memberships included the English Speaking Union, the New Jersey Education Assn, the East Brunswick Education Assn., which welcomed her to its Wall of Honor in 1989, the local historical museum board, and the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick, for which she served on the diaconate. She was a PTA president and executive board member. In Bates affairs, she was vice president of the New Jersey Bates Club, 1961–1965. She was predeceased by husband Walter P. Rodgers ‘27 and daughter Anne Rodgers ‘66. Survivors include son Walter Rodgers Jr. ‘71 of Blairstown, N.J.; two grandchildren; and brothers Marinor Springer and Edward Springer.

Millicent Thorp Pendleton, March 18, 2006
Millicent “Millie” Thorp Pendleton and her husband, the Rev. Charles Pendleton ‘36, opened their doors to others. While living in a South Dakota boarding house, for example, they were given the best room. “There was only one problem,” she recalled. “The other boarders needed to go through our room to reach their own!” After graduating with membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Millie worked for Junior Welfare Workers in Manchester, N.H., the New Hampshire Department of Public Welfare, the Red Cross, and the Perkins Institute for the Blind. After her marriage in 1942, she shared in the ministry in churches in South Dakota, Michigan, and New England, studying for a time at the Univ. of Chicago. A longtime social worker in the Hartford, Conn., area, she chaired the employee’s council of Hartford Hospital. In Bates affairs, she was a member of the College Key. Predeceased by her husband, she is survived by children Paul, Joe, Charles, Sarah, and Elizabeth; nine grandchildren; and brother Pete Thorp. Her brother was the late Rev. Almus Thorp ‘34.

1938
Allen C. Hutchinson Jr., May 15, 2006
A history major who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II as a B-24 navigator, Allen C. Hutchinson Jr. was a POW after his plane was shot down over the Brenner Pass in 1944. He earned his master’s in Latin American studies from Montclair Univ. and doctorate in administration and government from UTexas–Austin. He taught at the Univ. of Bridgeport, was dean of Jacksonville (Fla.) Univ., vice president of the Univ. of New Haven (1954–1972), provost of Post Univ., and professor and dean of the Ancell School of Business at Western Connecticut State Univ. Active in civic organizations, he served as district governor for New England Civitan, board member for Recording for the Blind, school board member for Wallingford, and president/treasurer of the North Haven Library Assn. Recently, he was president of the Mary Wade Nursing Home board of managers, vice chair of the advisory council of the Area Agency on Aging, and treasurer of the New Haven Assn. of the United Church of Christ. In Bates affairs, he was steering committee co-chair for the Southern Connecticut Bates Club in the ‘80s. Survivors include wife Lucile Rayzor Hutchinson; children Richard of Northford, Conn., James of Wallingford, Conn., and Anne Gahl of Litchfield, Conn.; four grandchildren; a great-grandchild. His father was Allen C. Hutchinson 1899.

Charles W. Smyth, April 22, 2006
Charles W. Smyth served in the Army during World War II and was with Liberty Mutual Insurance in Cleveland, Boston, and Andover, Mass., as a claims adjuster and supervisor for 38 years. He lived in Andover, Mass., for more than 25 years before moving in 1978 to Largo, Fla. In Andover, he was a member of St. Matthew’s Masonic Lodge. In Florida, he was a member of the Church of the Isles Congregational in Indian Rocks Beach, Men’s Club, and the diaconal ministry. In Bates affairs, he served on Bates Club and Reunion committees. He was predeceased by his wife, Constance Redstone Smyth ‘36, and their Bates bequest established a library acquisitions endowment in their names. Survivors include children Charles Jr. of Riverview, Fla., and Joan Clayton of Englewood, Colo.; two grandchildren; and a niece, Sara Smyth Booth ‘65. His late brother was Fred Smyth ‘36 and late sister Hazel Smyth ‘43.

1939
James A. Aloupis, Feb. 11, 2006
James A. Aloupis majored in economics and was vice president of Phil-Hellenic. He earned his B.D. and S.T.M. degrees from Holy Cross Theological Seminary in Brookline, Mass., served as pastor of the Holy Trinity Church in Clarksburg, W.Va., until 1949, and then became priest at the St. Constantine and Elene Greek Orthodox Church in Reading, Pa. In 1954 he became priest of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Newark, N.J., where he remained for 47 years and earned honorary titles, including Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne in 1969. He cultivated interfaith relationships, efforts recognized by B’nai B’rith and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In 1958, he was elected to serve on the council of the highest administrative body of the Greek Orthodox Church of North and South America. He also was a mentor and volunteer with the Boys Clubs of America. Predeceased by his wife, Georgia Helen Kesaris, he is survived by daughter Constance Angelica.

Robert P. Braddicks, March 4, 2006
The dangers of asbestos inhalation became known by the ‘70s, so Robert P. “Bob” Braddicks, a Union Carbide research and development scientist in Tarrytown, N.Y., went to work, earning a patent for his method of creating a nonasbestos floor tile composition. A scientist who could communicate his ideas, he was later editor of the highly respected Journal of Vinyl and Additive Technology. A member of the American Chemical Society and Society of Plastics Engineers, he received awards for his professional contributions. A longtime Mount Vernon, N.Y., resident, he was trustee and past president of the public library and member of the First Presbyterian Church, teaching Sunday school and serving as ruling elder. Survivors include wife Eleanor; daughter Carolyn Gaumer; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Neil M. Rice, April 5, 2006
Neil M. Rice attended Bates briefly, leaving to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He attended Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y., and then became supervisor of laboratory services for Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp., retiring in 1980. He and his wife retired to his hometown of Eastport, where he was active in the community, then moved to Florida and to Wallingford, Conn. Survivors include wife Marjorie; daughter Brenda Lunny of Wallingford; and siblings Holman Rice and Ruth Morgrage.

1940
Carolyn Hayden Hoag, March 26, 2006
All eyes were on Carolyn Hayden Hoag, but not because she was at the head of her classroom. In 2001, she was the featured quilter at the annual Oregon Coast Quilters Guild Show, displaying 39 quilts, wall hangings, table runners, samplers, and Barbie outfits. A flower-garden quilt was her first effort, Carolyn told Coast Impressions, started in the ‘40s but not picked up again until she retired from teaching. At Bates, she majored in government and history and then taught English at Warren (Maine) High School; Stuart Hall in Stanton, Va., Williams Institute in New London, Conn.; and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Saratoga, Calif. She was married to Richard Hoag ‘41, and they retired to Lincoln City, Ore., in the 1970s, where she was a volunteer reader to elementary school students. She belonged to the League of Women Voters and the Guild of St. Martha at St. James Episcopal Church. In Bates affairs, she served on her Reunion Social Committee in 2000. She was predeceased by her husband in 1991. Survivors include children Rush of Eugene, Ore., Clarke of Citrus Heights, Calif., Richard Jr. of San Jose, Calif., and Nancy Avery of Chestnut Hill, Mass. Her sister-in-law is Virginia D. Hayden ‘42, nephew Thomas D. Hayden ‘66, grandnephew Thomas M. Hayden ‘04, and grandniece Monica M. Hayden ‘07. Her brother was Thomas S. Hayden ‘42.

1941
Erna Hahnel Schutt, Feb. 9, 2006
A lifelong resident of the Lewiston-Auburn area, Erna Hahnel Schutt majored in German and married Kenneth Schutt of Lewiston in 1942. She was office manager for Hahnel Bros. Co. of Lewiston for 40 years, the family business in industrial roofing and sheet metal ventilation. She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Auburn, serving as organist for 50 years, and the Woman’s Literary Union. She enjoyed horseback riding, rug braiding, and needlework. She was predeceased by her husband, and her survivors include daughter Eleanor Sassano of Poland, Maine; and siblings Gladyse Hahnel Donsbach ‘43 of Connecticut and Oscar R. Hahnel Jr. of Lewiston.

Frances Hubbard Thompson, Jan. 17, 2006
Frances Hubbard Thompson and husband Robert ‘41 lived and worked in New England, Alabama, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas. “Thanks to Frances,” wrote Robert, “we have progressed professionally while applying a broad spectrum of the liberal arts to our careers.” An English major, she earned a master’s in library science from Louisiana State and was a public school librarian before becoming librarian of South Texas College of Law in Houston. She was predeceased by her husband and by a son, Joel Thompson. Her survivors include children Rodrik Thompson of Hilo, Hawaii, Peter Thompson of Missouri City, Texas, and Beth Thompson Jackson of Greenville, S.C. Her aunt was Elsie Leach Faulkner ‘18.

Mary-Jean Sealey Janssen, Jan. 25, 2006
Mary-Jean Sealey Janssen attended Bates for two years, earning her undergraduate degree from New Jersey College for Women and master’s in nursing from Yale. She taught nursing at Mountainside (N.J.) Hospital, Northern Virginia Community College, and the Univ. of Utah. She and husband Richard retired to Palm Harbor, Fla., where she was a member of the Presbyterian Church. A history buff, she and Richard participated in archeological digs, including one close by their 150-acre farm in Benson Vt., the Valcour Bay research site, where in 1776 Benedict Arnold’s naval forces faced the British. “Cheer up — tomorrow may be awful,” was her philosophy. Survivors include her husband and children Sue ‘68, David, Laura, and Peter.

1942
Elden L. Boothby, Dec. 5, 2005
Saco, Maine, native Elden L. Boothby spent only a short time at Bates before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps and serving in the Aleutian Islands and Japan. He retired in 1990 from Naval Air Systems Command in Washington, D.C. Survivors include wife Dorothy; children Angela Nida of New Orleans, La., Elden Lord Boothby Jr. of Stafford, Va., Debralee Mifflin of Antigo, Wis., and Terry Wahl of Springfield, Va.; and two sisters.

Marion Ludwick Hewett, March 23, 2006
Rockland, Maine, native Marion Ludwick Hewett was a French major and member of the honorary language society Phi Sigma Iota. She taught French and English in Rockland, Belfast, Auburn, and Winthrop. She served as secretary to the Rev. Frederick D. Hayes ‘31 of High Street Congregational Church in Auburn and was later member of Winthrop Congregational Church, where she taught Sunday school and served as a deacon. She married her Rockland (Maine) High School sweetheart, Russell Sprague Hewett, in 1946. After retiring, she and Russell supported and cared for people suffering illness or loss. She wrote, “I would wish for no greater joy than the life I have lived — surrounded by people I loved and who loved me.” Survivors include her husband; children Charles Hewett of Holden, Maine, and Martha Hewett of Minneapolis, Minn.; three grandchildren, including Samuel Hewett ‘09; and five nephews.

Barbara Moore Lucas, Dec. 25, 2005
Barbara Moore Lucas taught physical education in Maine at Fryeburg Academy, Lawrence High School (Fairfield), Valley High (Bingham), and Madawaska High. She retired to Bethel, Maine, and was an avid bridge player, enjoyed being a member of the Frisky Fours, and joined family gatherings at camp in Embden. She had a booklet published, Hell You Can Drive. She married Robert Edwin Lucas in 1949, and they later divorced. Survivors include daughter Kim Vicneire of North Anson, Maine; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Her late uncle was Wilder Kimball Jr. ’31.

Robert A. Parent, Sept. 23, 2005
Robert A. Parent majored in economics, married Anna Bendtsen ‘43, served in World War II with the U.S. Army, and returned to Lewiston to run his firm, R.A. Parent Insurance Agency until his retirement. Postcollege interests included umpiring softball games at Farwell School, tutoring, volunteering for Cub Scouts, flyfishing, and his Lewiston church, St. Patrick’s. Survivors include his wife; children Muffett Dulac of Auburn, Robert A. Parent Jr. of Colorado, and William F. Parent of Connecticut; and seven grandchildren. His sister was Doris Parent Lawrence ‘35.

Elizabeth Roberts Barrett, Feb. 5, 2006
“My love is music,” Elizabeth Roberts Barrett wrote, and she used music to share her generous soul, whether that meant singing to a daughter at her wedding, playing the violin for the College of Marin Symphony Orchestra, or singing with the College Choir during its goodwill performances in Eastern Europe, China, and Tibet. Music, as well as poetry, was finally “for me, not for my ego,” she realized. At Bates, the psychology major was a member of the Orphic Society and MacFarlane. After Bates, she worked as a claims examiner for Prudential Life Insurance in her hometown of West Orange, N.J., as a teacher at a city-run preschool for children of working mothers, and as a construction cost estimator for Bell Telephone in San Francisco, Calif., where she and her husband, Geoffrey Barrett, settled and raised their family. She was predeceased by her husband. Survivors include children Peter Barrett of Woodbury, Conn., Janet Giles of Moreno Valley, Calif., and Marilyn Barrett of Pacifica, Calif.; granddaughters Jennifer and Sara Barrett; and a brother, John Roberts.

AliceTurner Francis, March 21, 2006
Alice Turner Francis and husband Bernard “Red” Francis ‘42 renewed their wedding vows in 2003 at Hyannis (Mass.) Skilled Nursing Care. Not that their love had to be renewed. “My husband and I are still so much in love,” she said. “He still treats me as though I am a freshman at Bates.” Alice, a history and government major, taught history in Plymouth, Mass., then she and Red married in 1943, settling in Simsbury, Conn., where she raised four children, did volunteer work, and, with the family, trained and raced thoroughbreds from their farm in the ‘60s. Children grown, she was a substitute teacher, taught a life-education course to seventh graders, mentored at-risk teenagers, and was financial secretary of the First Church of Christ, Simsbury. In Bates affairs, she was a member of the College Key, served as class agent and class officer, and was on Reunion committees. Survivors include children Carol Francis Salerno ‘66 of West Yarmouth, Mass., Susan Francis Coiner ‘67 of Harwich, Mass., Robert Francis of New Britain, Conn., and Steven Francis of Williamsburg, Va.; 10 grandchildren, including Abigail Francis ‘99; and six great-grandchildren.

1943
Rose M. Gross, April 15, 2006
Rose M. Gross earned her M.S.W. from Boston College and was a psychiatric/clinical social worker in Hartford, Conn., and Norristown, Pa., serving as a board member of the Colonial Neighborhood Council, an assistance program in Conshohocken, Pa. She retired to South Wellfleet, Mass., worked at Elder Services, and was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes in North Eastham, where she taught children’s religion classes. Survivors include brother William H. Gross Jr. ‘43; 10 nieces and nephews; and several grandnieces and grandnephews, including Whitney Alison Macdonald ‘97 and Bradford S. Macdonald ‘94. Her late siblings were Katherine Gross Walker ‘39 and John W. Gross ‘35.

Muriel Small Treadwell, May 9, 2006
An English major, Muriel Small Treadwell began her teaching career with confidence, recalling how she survived as the only woman in Brooks Quimby’s argumentation course. “With the help of good friends and teachers, and through hard work, you can be successful,” she wrote. She taught school in Buckfield, Raymond, Kittery, and Sanford, retiring in 1977. She was a member of the honorary association for women educators Alpha Delta Kappa as well as the Maine Teachers Assn. She was past president of the PTA and past Noble Grand of the Rahmah Rebekah Lodge No. 53 in Sanford. In Bates affairs, she was class secretary, 1964–1968. Survivors include husband Philip W. Treadwell of York; children William P. Treadwell of Virginia Beach, Va., Jeanne Treadwell Baker ‘69 of Browns Mills, N.J., and Nancy L. Douglas of Wells; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and brother Earl Small. Her father was Elmer O. Small ‘15.

Albert B. Wight, Jan. 29, 2006
Physics major Albert B. “Albie” Wight served in the U.S. Army on the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Washington Univ. in St. Louis. His business career was aligned with the defense industry as well. He was a junior engineer then manager of engineering at the Laboratory for Electronics in Boston, Mass. In 1967 he joined Sanders Data Systems, later known as Sanders Associates, a developer of electrical systems for the defense industry, retiring as president and chief operating officer in 1987. He was a trustee of Nashua Memorial Hospital, now Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, and New Hampshire College, now Southern New Hampshire Univ., at whose business school he delivered the commencement address in 1986, emphasizing the importance of education and people skills in business. In Bates affairs, he established the Albert B. Wight Scholarship. He was predeceased by his wife, Margaret, in 1998. Survivors include children Donald Wight of Nashua, N.H., Thomas Wight of Castle Rock, Colo., and Barbara Darby of Litchfield, N.H.; and four grandchildren.

1944
Elizabeth Corsa Weber, Feb. 12, 2006
Elizabeth Corsa waited twice to marry Frederick Weber: first while he served in World War II, the second after he returned and had the mumps. They married in 1946, and he pursued his Ph.D. in microbiology while she pursued the PhT — “Pulling Husband Through,” as she described it. They lived in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, and Louisville, Ky., where they settled. A sociology major, she earned a teaching certificate from the Univ. of Louisville in 1966 and M.Ed. in 1972, then taught first grade and kindergarten at Stonestreet Elementary School for 20 years. She was a member of Faith Presbyterian Church, Valley Women’s Club, and Southwest Community Ministry. She was predeceased by her husband and a son, David Weber. Survivors include children Bruce Weber and Judy Weber; and grandchildren Amanda and Steven.

William J. Lewis, Dec. 22, 2005
William J. Lewis attended Bates briefly before becoming a newspaperman with The Boston Globe. As the paper’s political reporter, he wrote simple, understandable prose but also had “tremendous knowledge and tremendous contacts,” said a former colleague. In a highly competitive newspaper era, he was nevertheless generous with fellow reporters, offering his own sources and tips to colleague struggling with a story. Survivors include his wife, Marilyn; children Jonathan of Boston, David of Beverly Hills, Calif., Oliver of Norwood, Mass., and Deborah Metrick of Boca Raton, Fla.; three grandchildren; and brother Elliot of Frederick, Md.

Ruth Parkhurst Stirling, May 7, 2006
Ruth Parkhurst Stirling loved the outdoors, and not from afar. Beginning in 1962, she and husband Bill Stirling ‘43 embraced nature at the family camps at West Branch Pond in northern Maine; a member of the Blue Water Sailing Club, she and Bill sailed the Maine coast in their Bald Eagle. Skiing enthusiasts, they enjoyed New England slopes, including New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley with the Silver Streaks when in their 70s. Ruth was a longtime member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, and they hiked the southwest coast of England several years ago. A sociology major, Ruth won the Albion Morse Stevens Prize as a freshman for her Greek studies and earned her master’s in education at Massachusetts State College, Boston, in 1964. A longtime resident of Needham, Mass., she taught third grade at the Hillside School, retiring in 1974. A guide at the Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, she attended the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Needham, and was librarian of the Christian Science Reading Room. In Bates affairs, she was a volunteer, Reunion committee member, class agent, inaugural representative, and College Key member. Survivors include her husband of Needham; four sons; 11 grandchildren, including Eric Stirling ‘97, who operates the West Branch Pond Camps; and four great-grandchildren.

1947
Martha F. Wagner, March 10, 2006
Martha F. “Marcy” Wagner grew up on Long Island and was an accomplished pianist who studied under Alfred Freckelton in Brooklyn and performed her first recital at Steinway Hall in Manhattan. After Bates, the history and government major taught school back home in Stewart Manor and in Michigan before becoming an executive secretary for the Arabian American Oil Co., now Saudi Aramco, in Manhattan and concluding in Houston, Texas, where she lived with her mother, Martha, and sister, Charlotte. Her survivors include cousins Ada Nelson, Ethel Ray, Joe Acker, and Marion Lind.

1948
Robert S. Alward, April 20, 2006
Robert S. “Bob” Alward, minister in the United Church of Christ, strived to find ways to serve his fellow man, and the gender reference is intended. Beginning in the late 1980s, he joined other UCC ministers in developing ways the church could better serve the needs of men as societal expectations changed. The result was a resolution approved at the 22nd General Synod in 2002 supporting “men as they seek growth in their relationship with God and to discover alternatives to relationships based on patriarchy and dominance.” Bob earned his bachelor of divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary, which awarded him an honorary doctor of divinity degree in 1978 and named him life trustee in 1990. His first pastorate was at the First Congregational Church in Port Washington, Wis., in 1953, followed by the First Congregational Church in Fort Atkinson, Wis. In 1963 he became senior minister of Countryside Community Church in Omaha, Neb., then served 18 years as senior minister of Glenview (Ill.) Community Church. He served on a number of church-related boards and councils in Wisconsin and was a member of Rotary International. In 1990, he and wife Edith retired to Marco Island, Fla. Survivors include his wife; children Pamela of Naples, Fla., and son David of Litchfield, Ariz.; and five grandchildren. His late uncle was James A. Howell ‘26.

Harry A. Jobrack, Feb. 5, 2006
Editor of The Bates Student his senior year, Harry A. Jobrack and staff, aiming for rapid publication after big campus events, managed to publish the paper, with photos, just 30 minutes after coronation of the 1948 Winter Carnival queen. Harry began in sales with Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. in New York City before running his own insurance company in Norwalk, Conn. Moving to Lynnfield, Mass., in 1954, he worked in sales for the Chelsea, Mass., tobacco wholesaler William Rodman & Sons. In civic affairs, he served as president of the Norwalk Junior Chamber of Commerce and, in Massachusetts, of the Peabody Jaycees and the Lynnfield Pro Musica group. In Bates affairs, he was active in Alumni-in-Admissions and on Reunion committees and served a term as class secretary/treasurer. Survivors include wife Marjorie Rodman Jobrack ‘49; children Steven R. Jobrack of Vermont, and Robert L. Jobrack ‘81 and wife Judith Dolan Jobrack ‘81 of Virginia; and four grandchildren. His brother was Leonard Jobrack ‘39.

Vaino J. Saari, Feb. 4, 2006
Vaino J. Saari majored in mathematics. Following military service he worked in sales for 34 years for General Electric in Schenectady, N.Y., and Minneapolis, Minn. He was a member of the Holy Nativity Lutheran Church of New Hope, Minn. Survivors include wife Mary Lou; children Stephanie Feldstein, Matthew Saari, Amy Saari, and Mary Borchardt; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

1950
George M. Gamble, May 31, 2006
Most of the attendees at Milton Lindholm’s 90th birthday gathering, at Reunion 2001, were solicitous of the dean emeritus; Milt himself sought out George Gamble ‘50 to deliver kind greetings. Such was the reverence people of all ages felt for George, whose people skills, great integrity, and quiet competence made him an invaluable citizen, professional, and family man. George attended Yale Univ. briefly before serving in the U.S. Navy. He majored in English and served as Bates alumni secretary, 1951–1954, and was a radio announcer on WLAM in Lewiston. His career was in public relations and advertising career, first with General Electric then, in 1966, in New York City with General Cable, a manufacturer and distributor of wire and cable products for industry. He later became director of corporate communications for Raytheon in Massachusetts, and, in 1973, was appointed director of creative services at United Brands. He spent 20 years as corporate director of communications at AMCA International in Hanover, N.H., an engineering and construction products manufacturer. In Hanover, he served as town selectman, president of Rotary and United Way, revived the town’s Fourth of July parade, and sang with the North Country Chordsmen. Throughout his life, George used his communications skills in helpful ways: reading books on tape for the blind, telling stories to children with many accents. A wood carver, he created personal signs for friends and family. His organizational skills were legendary, and the plan he executed to transport, house, and feed more than 40 friends and family members at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, where a niece was on the U.S. cross country team. In Bates affairs, he was a member of College Key, president of his class for more than 50 years, and served on Reunion committees and as class agent. In November 1951, he married Virginia Hastings ‘50, and they retired to Bethel, Maine, in 1999. Survivors include Virginia; children Laurie Gamble Flanagan ‘76 of Sudbury, Mass., Rebecca Gamble Dalke of Shrewsbury, Mass., and Alan Gamble of Newburyport, Mass.; five grandchildren; and brother Gordon.

John F. Markham, May 24, 2006
Transferring from Norwich Univ. after service with the Army Corps of Engineers, John F. Markham graduated in two years with a history major. He earned his master’s in political science from Clark Univ., then was with the CIA, working clandestine overseas operations in Cairo and New Delhi, among other posts, retiring in 1980. He loved his time at Bates, he said, though did not remain close to classmates through Reunions or club events in part because he could not answer the simple question “What do you do?” — he was not permitted to say he worked for the CIA until after his retirement. He was a member of the Chevy Chase Club and St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Washington, D.C. Survivors include wife Evelyn “Polly” Markham of Washington, D.C.; and a brother.

1951
Janet Clark Anderson, March 9, 2006
Bates didn’t prepare Janet Clark Anderson to be a Spanish teacher — she majored in government — but living abroad with her professor husband, Gerald F. Anderson, in Madrid, Spain, gained her the knowledge and skill to begin teaching Spanish, at first in their home in Eugene, Ore., then at Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Fla., and finally at Stetson Univ. in Deland, where she also taught methods of teaching foreign languages. Survivors include her husband; daughters Carol Anderson of Ormond Beach, Fla., and Sally Copps of Tallahassee, Fla.; and two grandchildren.

1954
John C. Dalco Sr., Feb. 8, 2006
John C. Dalco Sr. was a Massachusetts physician with the self-awareness to recognize his human failings. After struggling with alcoholism, he became a national expert in working with impaired physicians, earning certification in addiction medicine. He began this work in the ‘80s, when alcoholism or drug addiction was often viewed, even by medical professionals, as a question of will power. “It is very difficult to convince a doctor that this is a disease,” he said in a 1987 interview with the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, Mass. “They think that they’re morally weak.” He majored in biology and earned his medical degree at Tufts. He served as a lieutenant in the Navy Medical Corps before going into internal medicine in Scituate, Mass. He was a member of the American Medical Assn., the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Maine Medical Assn., and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He also enjoyed wood carving and model ship building. Survivors include wife Claire; son John C. Dalco Jr., of Norwell, Mass.; and two grandchildren.

1955
David R. Higgins Jr., May 29, 2006
Winning wasn’t enough for David R. Higgins Jr.; he also wanted to give back to the games he played and to the communities in which he lived. At Bates, the economics major was a football quarterback and baseball pitcher. After working at IBM in Portland until 1959, he went into business for himself, owning Shepard’s Inc. in Richmond and then moving the business to Augusta and then Portland, renaming it Higgins Office Products. He retired in the 1990s to Port Charlotte, Fla. Living in Cumberland, he coached Little League and was active in Boy Scouts. A low-handicap golfer, he was the original director of Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland and, later, a member of Kingsway Country Club in Lake Suzy, Fla. An owner, trainer, and breeder of standardbred trotters and pacers, including Deeper In Debt and Doctor Mark, winners of a combined 89 races, he served as president of the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association. He served as president of the board of trustees at Maine Central Institute and the Greater Portland Council of Governments and was active in Cumberland town affairs. He boxed with the Golden Gloves. Survivors include his wife, Marilyn Higgins; children David III and Peter of Cumberland and Lisa Siegal of New Hampshire; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his siblings, Bill, Gene, and Dorothy.

David R. Kelley, Sept. 25, 2005
David R. Kelley left Bates early and served in Korea with the Navy and then with the Marines as a pilot. He was an expert in aviation safety, retiring in 1990 as chief of the operational factors division of the National Transportation Safety Board. He joined Mitre Corp., a McLean, Va., systems engineering research and development center, then fully retired to Homosassa, Fla. Survivors include wife Betty Jean Kelley of Homosassa; daughter Betty Lyne Kelley of Herndon, Va.; and two brothers. His late parents were Thomas F. Kelley ‘22 and Barbara Gould Kelley ‘21.

1956
John J. Godin, Dec. 22, 2005
John J. Godin attended Bates and the Univ. of Maine briefly before serving in the Korean War as an Army military policeman and also with the First Army Honor Guard stationed at Governors Island, N.Y. He earned his degree at New York Univ. in 1962. His career was in communications for IBM World Trade. Survivors include wife Connie; daughter Tawny Little Welch, who was Miss America 1976, of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; and three grandsons.

Betty-Ann Morse, Dec. 22, 2005
In 1963, The Seattle Times profiled oceanographer Betty-Ann Morse, who led researchers aboard the Univ. of Washington’s vessel Brown Bear. What was it like, the paper asked, to be the only woman aboard, being tossed around in 35-knot winds? “Your job is as difficult as you make it,” she said. “Bam” came to Bates from Woods Hole, Mass., majored in physics, and worked summers back home at the famed oceanographic institution. An oceanographer into the 1970s when budget cuts ended her position, she switched careers and trained to help physically handicapped children use computers, which she did until a stroke in 1999. She lived on a Lake Union houseboat in Seattle for 40 years, remaining there, after minor renovations, while using a wheelchair. Her plucky life inspired the essay “Wheeling Around” in a book about houseboat life called Staying Afloat. In Bates affairs, she and her sister, Trish Morse ‘60 of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, who survives her, established the Morse Family Scholarship Fund. She is also survived by relatives Fay and Ernie Linger and their children, David, Kathryn, and Steven.

1957
Neil D. Jackson, April 5, 2005
Neil D. Jackson attended Bates until 1955, graduated from Tufts, and earned his M.D. from Boston Univ. He spent 12 years as a Navy physician, receiving his medical education in obstetrics and gynecology. He practiced at Salem (Mass.) Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital for 20 years, then directed the Center for Women’s Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery at the Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, R.I. An accomplished singer and pianist, he was a member of the Corinthian Yacht Club of Marblehead. His first wife, Ann, predeceased him. Survivors include his wife Patricia Balfour; children Pamela Jackson, Jennifer Jackson, Kimberly Henry, David Jackson, Christopher Jackson ‘87, and Elizabeth Nadich; 10 grandchildren; and brother Doug Jackson.

1958
Peter M. Meilen, June 30, 2005
A history major, Peter M. Meilen was an executive with Record Press, a law and financial printing firm, before establishing Meilin Press Inc. in the 1970s, then becoming president of Baraka Books Ltd. He established Golden Communications, publisher of law books and producer of cable television content. He was divorced twice, from Jean Meyer ‘60 and Susan Lamson. He is survived by son Robert A. Meilen.

1959
Anna Johnson Ayasse, April 19, 2006
Anna Johnson Ayasse was an administrative assistant and town clerk and tax collector in Hiram, Maine. She loved animals, had many cats and dogs over the years, and bred Labrador retrievers and raised Arabian horses on her farm. She was a member of Calvary Bible Church of Kezar Falls, Maine, and DAR. Her marriage to Wilbur R. Stone Jr. ‘57 ended in divorce. Survivors include children Marcy A. Johnstone of Burlington, Vt., and Samuel G. Stone of Kezar Falls, Maine; and seven grandchildren.

1960
Charles E. Burrill, Jan. 24, 2006
Charles E. Burrill left Bates in 1958 and joined the Navy. He served during Vietnam aboard the USSVulcan and Topeka. He was sales manager for Radio Shack and electrical designer for Bath (Maine) Iron Works, from which he retired in 2005. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Mayflower Society. Survivors include wife Nancy of Topsham; children Steve of Topsham, Rebecca of West Bath, and Leeanne of Brunswick; three grandchildren; brother Fred; and relatives including cousin Elizabeth Burrill Allard ‘59. The late Meredith “Pete” Burrill ‘25 was his uncle. His parents were Richard O. Burrill ‘24 and Alberta Hutchinson Burrill ‘24.

1961
Joan Bell Rogers, Aug. 22, 2005
Joan Bell Rogers transferred to Arcadia Univ. after a semester at Bates but kept in touch with her roommate, Helen Wheatley Dalrymple ‘61, who described her as “a lovely person.” She was an educator, homemaker, and, after going back to school, a registered nurse. She lived in the Dallas, Pa., area. Survivors include husband Kenneth; daughter Amy Rogers Crawford of Ellicott City, Md.; two grandchildren; her mother, Doris Bell; and brother Taylor.

1962
Nathaniel Aikins-Afful, July 2, 2002
Nathaniel “Nat” Aikins-Afful came to from Ghana, Africa, thanks to the support of philanthropist Paul Mellon, who worked with Dean of Admissions Milton Lindholm ‘35. A biology major, he earned his M.D. from Howard and did internship and residency work in obstetrics and gynecology in Baltimore, Md., at Mercy Hospital and the Univ. of Maryland Hospital, becoming an OB/GYN there. He married Josephine T. Brown in 1963, and they had two children, Viola and Aimee. The College became aware of his death in December 2005.

1963
Marcia Rogers Nelson, Feb. 3, 2006
A dean’s list chemistry major, Marcia Rogers Nelson was a chemist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Boston and with J.T.Baker Chemical Co., now Mallinckrodt Baker Inc., in California. After serving as an Upward Bound counselor in Guam, where then-husband Ralph Nelson ‘61 was a Navy physician, she earned her M.S. in educational psychology from California State Univ.–Hayward, in 1971 and worked as a guidance counselor at Mount Diablo High School in Concord, Calif. In 1980, she joined Chevron Oil Co. as a technical writer. She received a certificate in business data processing from UC–Berkeley extension school. She traveled upon retirement and was active with her breast cancer survivors’ support group. In Bates affairs, she was a volunteer for Alumni-in-Admissions. Her marriage ended in divorce. Survivors include mother Calphurnia Rogers of Wilmington, N.C.; sisters Becky Nesbitt of Kenansville, N.C., and Lynne Farrington of Novato, Calif.; and two nephews.

1968
Jonathan Jewett, Nov. 17, 2005
Jonathan Jewett attended Bates for a year, later graduating from Yankton College. He was a junior high school teacher in Attleboro, Mass., then ran his own general contracting firm, Tri-J Enterprises, in Buxton, Maine, for 30 years. He was a town selectman and a member of the Taxpayers Assn., the National Rifle Assn., and the Republican National Committee, and served in the National Guard. Survivors include children Josh Jewett of Buxton and Jennifer Granillo of Arizona; a granddaughter, Gabrielle; parents Frank H. Jewett ‘39 and Ruth Arenstrup Jewett ‘42; and siblings Frank Jewett III and Meredeth Libby. His grandfather was Frank H. Jewett ‘13.

1971
John C. Pacheco Jr., March 6, 2006
With a pastry in one hand and cup of coffee in the other, John C. “Chuck” Pacheco began his day at the Harvard Book Store in Harvard Square by scouring book reviews in the daily papers. As manager and buyer, he was incredibly well read and also gifted at understanding what people would read and wanted to read. “He enjoyed matching the customer to the book and had this way of knowing what people’s interest were if they were having trouble articulating it,” Rusty Drugan, executive director of the New England Booksellers Assn., told The Boston Globe. “He was tuned into the culture at large,” added Craig Sonnenberg, his partner. A speech major, he earned a M.F.A. from Brandeis in theater and sold books by day and directed plays for the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. He managed the Little Professor store in Waltham, then supervised Darrow Bookstore in Lexington. He managed Reading International in Belmont, joining Harvard Book Store in 1993, first at the cafe on Newbury Street. He enjoyed gardening and cooking, taking joy in preparing special holiday dinners for good friends. He died of a brain tumor. In addition to his partner, he is survived by brother Christopher of Pennsylvania.

1972
Todd S. Trevorrow, Nov. 3, 2004
Todd S. Trevorrow directed the Lamson Library at Plymouth State Univ. from 1993 until his death from injuries in a single-vehicle car crash caused by an aneurysm he suffered. An articulate and collegial champion of the Lamson Library, he oversaw its renovations and rebuilding in the 1990s, and colleagues praised his “easy style of leadership…the genuine caring, patience, goodwill, and sense of well-being he spread among us.” In 2005, Plymouth State renamed its library Tower Room for Todd. “We need to keep him in our library,” said university president Donald Wharton. He was a member of national and state library committees, associations, and councils, chairing the state College and University Council’s Libraries Committee. Previously, he was library director at Olivet (Mich.) College and Westbrook College (now part of the Univ. of New England), earning his master’s in library science from Simmons. In Bates affairs, he submitted a class note in 1983 that said, “Todd S. Trevorrow would like to hear from other [alumni] who are gay or lesbian. It is statistically improbable that I am the only gay person from my era at Bates.” With that note, he announced creation of a gay and lesbian alumni group, the first of its kind at Bates. Survivors include his partner, Craig Cote. The College learned of his death in 2006.

1989
R. Scott Drayer, Dec. 27, 2005
R. Scott Drayer enrolled in a Japanese course at Bates, sparking an interest in Asian culture that would send him on semesters abroad to Japan, Sri Lanka, and China. A dean’s list student, he graduated cum laude with a major in Asian studies and later lived in Kanazawa, Japan, for many years, working to understand the role of the geisha, collecting geisha-related art, and preserving former geisha houses in Kanazawa. In 2004, he was the traveling companion of a geisha-in-training, Meiko Miyake, who took part in the exhibit “Geisha: Beyond the Painted Smile” at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., an exhibit to which Scott contributed artifacts. A tea ceremony master, he held a black belt in aikido and was accomplished in Japanese dance. At the time of his death he was living in Ao Nang, Thailand. Survivors include parents Calvin and Sandra Drayer; and sisters Mary Moran and Barbara Drayer.

1991
Richard D. Courtemanche, Nov. 4, 2005
Richard Courtemanche spent a year at Bates before joining the Marines. He earned his bachelor’s from Babson and M.B.A. from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and was a self-employed futures trader in San Diego, Calif. He had bipolar disorder and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Austin, Texas.

Faculty
Robert F. Kingsbury, April 6, 2006
Professor Emeritus of Physics Robert F. Kingsbury, a member of the Bates faculty from 1964 to 1978, was born in Ithaca, N.Y., in 1912 and graduated from Bowdoin College in 1934. After teaching high school science in Sanford, Maine, upstate New York, and Ithaca, he earned his master’s from Cornell and taught at Bowdoin, Bates (in the V-12 program), and UMaine–Orono during the World War II era. He earned his Ph.D. from the Univ. of Pennsylvania and taught physics at Trinity College for 14 years, joining the Bates faculty in 1964. At Bates, he rebuilt the physics department and is credited with giving students more responsibility for their own learning. “Bob’s educational philosophy assumed that students are responsible for their education and that effective teaching assists, rather than controls, the learning process,” said Professor of Physics John Pribram. “For junior faculty, Bob was an ideal chair. He maximized the opportunity to develop courses and professional activities based on our personal motivation and strengths.” Author of the textbook Elements of Physics, he used book royalties to expand the Bates physics library. A skilled woodworker, he built lab benches and storage cabinets in the optics lab and machine shop. He set an example by doing sabbatical research, and at weekly physics luncheons and department meetings, students and faculty together participated in policy decisions. He and his wife, Mary, helped make the department and College a collegial place, hosting dinners for majors and new faculty at their house. In his copy of the College directory, he would pencil in the names of faculty partners, later convincing the College to include partners in the directory. Mary died shortly after his retirement, but he built again a long and rewarding life, going back to his woodworking, traveling to visit children, sightseeing, and playing golf. He translated an important 1920s physics paper from German into English and presented the information and its significance in a talk to the department. Survivors include children Robert, Martha, Mary, and Rita; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

John A. Tagliabue, May 31, 2006
Professor Emeritus of English John A. Tagliabue, a member of the Bates faculty from 1953 to 1989 and author of six books of poetry, including New and Selected Poems, 1942–1997, died in Providence, R.I., where he had lived with his wife, Grace, since 1998. John Tagliabue was born in Como, Italy, in 1923, and came to America with his family at age 4, growing up in New Jersey. A 1997 profile in The Bates Student described Tagliabue the child “as a wanderer” who enjoyed taking the 42nd Street ferry to New York City, where he said he would “walk all day” on the city streets. He attended Columbia Univ., where he was encouraged to write by the poet Mark Van Doren. He also pursued dance. “The most natural actions for me are dancing and writing poetry,” he once said. “Otherwise I feel a little awkward.” After graduating from Columbia in 1944, he taught at the American Univ. in Beirut. He subsequently studied in Florence and won a Fulbright grant to teach at the Univ. of Pisa (it was one of several Fulbrights, his final one coming in 1993–94 to lecture and give readings in Indonesia). He later would teach in Tokyo and at Fudan Univ., in Shanghai. Prior to his appointment to the Bates faculty, he taught at the State College of Washington and Alfred Univ. At Bates, he taught “Cultural Heritage,” “World Literature” (which introduced Asian literature into the Bates curriculum), “The Short Story,” and “Writing on the Maine Scene,” as well as courses focusing on Shakespeare, major American writers, and modern poetry. Of his generous spirit with his students, Tagliabue once said, “I love to sound off with praise…a way of lifting the self and the world…as if it’s a holiday.” He welcomed students into his and Grace’s home regularly, hosting what became known as “United Nations of Poetry” gatherings of students who read their poetry. He published thousands of poems, and he once called his poetry “on-the-spot lyricism. My poetry is not sedentary or academic ­­— there’s a lot of song and dance to it.” As there was in his Bates career. In 2003, upon the dedication of the John Tagliabue Prize in Creative Writing, fellow poet Rob Farnsworth noted Tagliabue’s “passionate dedication…to his writing and to his teaching, as well as the example of his omniverous imagination, by which all his travels, in body and mind, come together in praises wry and joyful, ecstatic and generous.” Tagliabue elicited laughter by replying, “Oh, Rob, you know how I love to be loved.” Tagliabue studied at Columbia alongside Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, yet pursued a much different style than those Beat Generation peers. Ginsberg, a friend of Tagliabue’s, “tried to get me into that group,” he told The Bates Student in 1997. More inclined to hang out with friends in the dance community in Greenwich Village, Tagliabue would decline. “I instinctively wasn’t interested,” he said. Tagliabue’s poetry, Booklist noted, “demonstrates a certain eclecticism in his approach, uniting an almost old-fashioned technicality…with Eastern philosophy and culture, and an acute interest in and absorption of the natural world.” He was something of a poet of record for Bates, composing and sharing many poems reflecting campus or personal milestones, or events in the lives of friends. He would say, of his poetry written during times of controversy, “All art is political. All art reveals values.” In addition to Grace, whom he married in 1946, he is survived by two daughters, Francesca Tagliabue and Dina Tagliabue; and four grandchildren, Phoebe and Alexander Gould, and Juniper and Terra Tagliabue. The family held a private memorial gathering in Providence on July 1. His family and the College have initiated funding for the John Tagliabue Poetry Fund to support poetry at Bates, by bringing poets to campus, for residencies and teaching by poets, and by offering support to students and faculty involved in the composition of poetry.

Friend
George E. Ladd III, April 25, 2006
George E. Ladd III for many years served as a director of the Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation in Boston and of the Helen and George Ladd Charitable Corporation in Wayne, Maine, the charitable arms of a family whose generosity has touched every aspect of Bates. He is survived by his wife, Evelyne J. Ladd; sons G. Michael Ladd ‘76 of Wayne and David J. Ladd of Waynesboro, Va.; four grandchildren; and brothers Lincoln F. Ladd, trustee emeritus, and Robert M. Ladd.

V-12
Gerald M. Tabenken, April 13, 2006
Gerald M. Tabenken earned his undergraduate degree from the UMaine–Orono before training with V-12 at Bates. He was the longtime president of the Tabenken Corp. in Bangor, a wholesale distributor and importer of wine and malt beverages, and active in civic, philanthropic, educational, and political arenas. He served as Maine campaign chairman for President Jimmy Carter, Sen. George Mitchell, and his friend, Edmund S. Muskie ’36. He served as a member of the president’s advisory committee for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and, in 1980, was appointed by President Carter as the President’s Special Ambassador to Saint Lucia in the West Indies. He was a trustee of Hebron Academy, Unity College, and the Maine State Retirement System. A philanthropist, he supported the airlifting of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. An ardent supporter of the arts in Maine, he chaired the Maine Advocates of the Arts and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, served on the Maine Arts Commission, and was president of the Susan M. Curtis Foundation. Besides his wife, Ruth, he is survived by two sons, Matthew Tabenken of Milford, Mass., and Lee Tabenken of Falmouth, Maine, and their wives and children.

Benjamin Tucker Jr., April 2, 2006
The journalism professor certainly had a lot to write about. Benjamin Tucker Jr., graduated in 1943 from Norway High School, entered the V-12 naval officer training program at Bates, and later trained at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center on the north side of Chicago. He served as gunnery mate on several Liberty ships, visiting Cuba, and several European countries during his World War II service. When he was discharged, he entered the Univ. of Maine–Orono. He married Marion Allen in 1951, and a few months later earned his degree in journalism. He became associated and advertising editor for the Presque Isle Star Herald, The Boothbay Register and eventually returned to Norway to work at his hometown weekly, the Advertiser Democrat, where he eventually became the managing editor. In 1964, he began work as public information director for the Maine Department of Agriculture and later on for the Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries, the Department of Commerce and Industry, and the Department of Human Services. He taught journalism at UMaine–Farmington in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He lived in Readfield until the death of his wife of 48 years in 1999. He was a member of the Norway Universalist Church and the Norway Fish and Game Assn., and a charter member of the Norway Jaycees. A Red Sox fan, he was known for an amazing recollection for baseball statistics from the 1930s to 1950s. He is survived by his children, Ben III, Steven, Mark, Roxanne, and Robert; and many other relatives.