Vital Statistics: Fall 2009

Deaths

Obituaries from the Fall 2009 issue of Bates Magazine. Edited by Christine Terp Madsen ’73

1934
Charles Everett Whipple II, Feb. 20, 2009
It looked to everyone as if Charles Whipple was headed for a life in politics. As a teenager, he started a newspaper campaign to build a new school. The campaign was successful, and a picture of him rests inside the school’s cornerstone. He also was a familiar sight at the town hall in Hamilton, Mass., where his family was involved in town government. At Bates, he was active in the Politics Club, president of the model Pan-American Conference, and a board member of the model League of Nations. And so his announcement that he had been called to become an Episcopal priest surprised everyone. He studied at the Cambridge Episcopal School (now part of Harvard) and spent at year at Nashotah House, from which he received a bachelor’s of divinity. He was the rector at St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church in Falmouth Foreside and served the Maine diocese in many ways. In 1953, he left the ministry for health reasons, returned to school at NYU, and earned a doctorate in education. He joined the faculty of Brooklyn College, part of City Univ. of New York, where he also was a counselor and pastor to students. A student group designated him an honorary Orthodox Jew. He founded and served as director of the student center there for 24 years. In 1988, the college awarded him its Presidential Medal and established a fund in his name to enhance and improve the student center “in keeping with the elegant standards that Dr. Whipple has set and sustained.” He returned to the ministry in retirement, and spent every summer on Fire Island, assisting at summer services and conducting the Memorial Day programs. He was passionate about environmental issues and administered the Dunes Fund there. He also was president of the Cherry Grove Civic Fund and chaplain to its fire department.

1936
Cecil Albert Bradley, March 17, 2009
Cecil Bradley attended the College for one year before joining the Navy, from which he retired in 1953. He worked for the state of Oregon and the Seattle school district, helping to develop Seattle Community College. Survivors include wife Betty Lou, four children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Pauline Hanson Hansen, May 17, 2009
With the change of just one vowel, Polly Hanson dropped her Norwegian name for the Danish one of her husband, Axel Hansen. But she remained proud of her Norwegian roots, traveled to Scandinavia, and enjoyed Norwegian knitting. She attended Bates for two years before the Depression forced her to drop out. She earned a degree from Maine School of Commerce and worked as a bookkeeper after her children were grown. Her husband and daughter, Linda Hansen, predeceased her. Survivors include son Stephen Hansen, two grandchildren, and sister Jane Starling. Another sister was Dorothy Hanson Allison ’30.

Edith Jordan Anderson, May 27, 2009
The first in her family to attend college, Edith Jordan Anderson made the most of it. She was active in the Outing Club, the Women’s Athletic Assn., Lambda Alpha, and the Heelers. She acted in plays and chaired the Lambda Alpha Tea Dance as a senior. She considered herself lucky to come from Auburn, because she didn’t need to pay room and board at Bates during the Depression. Her degree in history and government led her to a career as a social worker, primarily in northern Maine. In 1965, she became the executive director of the Abnaki Council of the Girl Scouts of America, a position she held until she retired in 1980. Always an avid reader, she turned that into a second career of sorts, by advocating as a friend of not only her local library but as a member of the Friends of Maine Libraries, for which she organized conferences at the Blaine House and served as president. She was a longtime class agent, served on her Reunion Committee, and was secretary of the Aroostook Bates Club. She and her husband, William W. Anderson, who had landed on Utah Beach, traveled to France for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. He survives her, as do four children from her first marriage, Laurie Liscomb, Warrena Trichka, Rae Cousins, and Warren Baldwin, and one from her second, Mark Anderson; nine grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Her first husband, Warren Baldwin, died in 1947.

Israel Harry Keller, March 11, 2009
“Finally,” Harry Keller wrote in 1991, “after 37 years, I have been awarded the Age Shooter Certificate by Golf Digest magazine for shooting a round of golf below my age!” Golf became his sport of choice in the 1960s, after he had played on championship softball teams and coached Little League and basketball teams. At Bates, he played football and ran track, serving as captain his senior year. He also was active in the Jordan Scientific Society and the Varsity Club, serving both as treasurer his senior year. His degree was in biology, which led him to Harvard Dental School, from which he graduated in 1940. Following service in dental clinics during World War II, he settled in Plymouth, Mass., where he maintained a dental practice until he retired in 1985. A Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary, he visited all the elementary schools in Plymouth to examine children’s teeth and administer fluoride treatments. He served Congregation Beth Jacob as its president and chaired its remodeling committee after the war, pledging his Army separation pay to the project. He and his wife, Adeline, enjoyed dancing, gardening, and bridge. She survives him, as do children Jacqueline Winokur and Joseph Keller, two sisters, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. His late brother was A. Samuel Keller ’44.

1937
Doris Howes Parmenter, May 29, 2009
Doris Howes Parmenter had the distinction of being the first Bates woman to solo in the Civil Aeronautics Authority’s pilot course during World War II. She and her husband, George Parmenter ’42, went on to own and operate Cape & Islands Flight Service on Cape Cod, which flew the “paper plane” that delivered newspapers to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. She lived her entire life in Dennis, Mass., where she traced her heritage back to the town’s original settlers. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate, she worked in the fledgling news bureau at the College for several years and was its second director. She left to marry her husband, with whom she raised four children (a fifth died in childhood). After the death of her husband in one of the worst air traffic accidents in Cape history, she retired from the aviation industry in 1971 and became the manager of the thrift shop at Cape Cod Hospital. She also volunteered at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. Survivors include children George Jr., Richard, Robert, and Andrea; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Norman Harry Taylor, March 27, 2009
When Norm Taylor graduated with a degree in mathematics, his family thought he was crazy to turn down a sure job as a teacher in favor of continuing his studies at MIT. But Norm followed the advice of a Bates professor and enrolled at MIT, which led to his long and innovative career in the nascent science of computer technology. His degree from MIT was in electrical engineering, and he spent the war years at Bell Labs designing radar-driven augmentation to bomb sights. He returned to MIT after the war and joined the Whirlwind project as the lead of the systems engineering group, which built the first fully parallel electronic computer. This computer became an integral part of the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) System, an early bomber intercept system that pioneered computer graphics and the use of modems, and led directly to the National Airspace System. Portions of Whirlwind along with a photograph of him can be seen at the Smithsonian. During his years at MIT’s Lincoln Labs, he led the development of the TX-0 and TX-2 computers, the first built with transistors rather than vacuum tubes. In 1957, he was asked by President Eisenhower to join the Gaither Panel, which developed a report about the USSR’s intercontinental missile capabilities that had a fundamental impact on air defense strategies of the 1960s. Later, he worked at Itek Corp. and Control Data Corp., continuing work on early computer graphics. Always a sportsman, he especially enjoyed sailing and skiing. He also was known to sit in for pianists on break at nightspots in New York. His survivors include wife Lucille; children Robert Taylor and Meredith Hession; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Norman Bower Wight, May 21, 2009
Norm Wight was at Bates for two years before transferring to the Univ. of Pennsylvania. He held advanced degrees in education and was a teacher for 40 years. He also ran Maine Canoe Trips, first with his father, Lawrence N. Wight 1907, and later with his son, John Wight. Survivors include wife Ruth; son John; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. His uncle was George A. Bower 1907, and his cousin was Donald G. Wight ’21.

1938
Ralph Augustus Goodwin Jr., April 24, 2009
“Spood” Goodwin knew the Bates campus well: His father, Dr. Ralph A. Goodwin Sr. 1908, was the College physician for more than 25 years. He followed his father into medicine, graduating from Bates with a degree in chemistry and from Tufts with a medical degree. After service as a medic during World War II, he studied at Northwestern Univ., specializing in ophthalmology. He opened his practice in Auburn in 1952 and served as an ophthalmologist and surgeon at Central Maine Medical Center until 2002. An avid skier, he was one of the first directors at Sugarloaf. He also sailed Casco Bay from his summer home on Bailey Island; his father had a summer home on neighboring Orrs Island. Survivors include second wife Jeanne; children Gus Goodwin, John Goodwin, Rolande Allaire, Linda Higgins, and Dot Fraser; 13 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. His granddaughter is Rebecka Ramage ’99 and his cousin is Daniel E. Woodman ’80. His first wife, Edith, and another son, Thomas Goodwin, predeceased him. Two late uncles also graduated from the College: Harold M. Goodwin 1908 and Virgil H. Goodwin ’19.

1939
Lucy Perry Thompson, March 6, 2009
Lucy Perry Thompson transferred from Ricker Junior College to Bates as a junior, and she hit the ground running. She immediately became involved in debating and the Ramsdell Scientific Society, serving as president her senior year. A chemistry major, she earned certification as a clinical pathologist and chemist within two years. After marriage to the Rev. Donald Thompson, she plunged into the life of the American Baptist Church. She served the Maine chapter of the church’s women’s ministries in many capacities, including as its president in the late 1950s. She also was active in the national organization, and served two terms as treasurer and one as president. Having earned a teaching certificate from the Univ. of Maine in 1966, she taught science and English for five years in Calais. In retirement, she was the organist at the Pembroke United Methodist Church. She also continued her work in the Baptist church, trying to improve the climate for women at local churches. She was predeceased by her husband. Survivors include children Gwendolyn Archambault, Otis Thompson, and Don Thompson; six grandchildren, including Seth Thompson ’98 and Adam Thompson ’00; and three great-grandchildren.

Raymond Norbert Renaud, March 22, 2009
Born and raised in Lewiston, Ray Renaud graduated with a degree in economics and sociology and left Maine for a career centered in Washington, D.C., adding a master’s in government administration from Catholic Univ. in 1941. He joined the Social Security Administration and, in 1945, became a personnel and training specialist at the Department of Labor, where he remained until retirement in 1973. He and wife Ruth settled in Rehoboth Beach, Del., where he worked in real estate part time. He joined the American Legion in 1978, and was active in Kiwanis, serving as president and lieutenant governor of the local chapter. He served Bates as a class president and president of the Washington, D.C., Bates Club. Besides his wife, survivors include children Janine Burns, Celeste Sweeney, Denise Ligon, and Anita Gray; 13 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

1941
Donald William Russell, March 25, 2009
Don Russell completed a master’s in education at Boston Univ. before being drafted into the Air Force. After the war, he returned to BU to complete a doctorate in education while also serving as an assistant professor there. Five years as dean at Hillyer College (now the Univ. of Hartford) prepared him for three decades at the Univ. of North Carolina, where he became dean of the school of education. His writing, teaching, and consulting focused primarily on the education of gifted children. His duties included two tours in Jamaica with the Agency for International Development and a year in New Zealand as a research scholar at the Univ. of Canterbury. Always a rock hound, he and his second wife, Dorothy, herself a wine connoisseur, planned many trips around what he called their “hobbyish interests.” She survives him, as do three children by his first marriage, which ended in divorce: William, Lois, and Jerry-Lee. The late Ernest H. Bishop III ’43 was his cousin.

1942
Claire Greenleaf White, May 8, 2009
Claire Greenleaf White married her high school sweetheart, Wallace H. White III ’42, and settled in their hometown, Auburn. Together they raised two children, became ski patrolmen at several Maine ski resorts, operated ham radios, and taught science at Lisbon High School. “We were the science department for a few years,” she recalled in her 50th Reunion reminiscence, “so we used to say we White-washed the kids.” They also were the coaches of the ski teams there. Her Bates degree was in biology, and she set out after graduation to become a medical technician, plans that were set aside when their children were born. She recalled that during that time they got along on Wally’s salary of $25 per week—“and we banked money too!” College tuition put her back in the workforce as a teacher, from which she retired in 1980. She continued to ski, even after a hip replacement made Lost Valley a challenge. She was a member of the College Key, the West Auburn Congregational Church, and the Auburn Art Club. She served as president of the Lewiston-Auburn Girl Scout Council, and as treasurer of the Androscoggin Chapter of the March of Dimes. Wally passed away in 1992. Survivors include children Andrew P. White and Sue DeRoche; five grandchildren, one of whom is Toby White ’94; five great-grandchildren; sister Helen Greenleaf Cook ’41; many nieces and nephews, including William F. Stoddard ’75 and Cynthia Byrkit ’75; and many in-law Bates relatives.

Richard Currier Hitchcock, Aug. 26, 2007
Richard Hitchcock left Bates with a degree in history and went straight into the Navy. He captained a landing craft onto a beach at Normandy on D-Day; he once estimated that he made over 30 landings in Italy (including the invasions of Salerno and Sicily) and 40 in France. He rose to the rank of lieutenant commander by war’s end. He met his first wife, Muriel, while on shore leave in England. He took his GI pay and bought a rooming house in Cambridge, Mass., which supported him while he earned a master’s in history and government at Boston Univ. He was recruited by the FBI in 1947, but returned to school at Columbia two years later to pursue a doctorate in political science. Again, he was recruited away from his studies, this time by the Office of Special Investigations of the U.S. Air Force, where he spent the rest of his career. He served as vice president and then president of the Washington, D.C., Bates Club during the 1960s. His first marriage ended in divorce, and he remarried in 1985. His second wife, Dorothy, survives him, as do children Barrie Hitchcock and Victoria Dion; stepsons Steven Baggiero and Alan Baggiero; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Raymond Bradbury Kimball, June 14, 2009
Like classmate Dick Hitchcock (see previous obituary), Ray Kimball found himself in a landing craft on D-Day. He was commissioned an ensign in the Navy after completing ROTC at Columbia and entered the amphibious fleet. He received a Bronze Star for combat in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy in addition to Normandy. When he visited the World War II museum in New Orleans in 2001, he prepared an oral history of his experiences. After the war, he joined Procter & Gamble as a district sales manager and retired in 1978. In retirement, he helped his son run Kimball’s Kitchen, a restaurant in Scarborough. In Bates affairs, he was a Career Services and Alumni-in-Admissions volunteer and served as president of the Buffalo (N.Y.) Bates Club. Survivors include wife Ruth; children Russell B. Kimball, Ranae Cate, Janet Kelewae, and Nancy Gianino; 15 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

1943
William Hall Buker Jr., March 4, 2009
Bill Buker called his move to Maine from Connecticut in retirement “the best move we ever made.” He and his wife, Shirley, lived close enough to campus that he swam and played tennis at the College three or four times a week. He entered military service before he received his degree, serving in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War, earning the Bronze Star and the Medical Combat Badge. He squeezed dental school into those years, graduating from Tufts Dental School in 1945. A longtime member of the Lions, he was awarded life membership, one of the organization’s highest awards, from the New Milford (Conn.) club in 1979. He was lauded by the International Assn. of Begg Study Groups (orthodontists using the most popular technique for braces in the latter half of the 20th century) as a “most distinguished member.” He had served on the group’s board of directors; he also was president of the Connecticut Society of Dentistry for Children. In addition to his wife, survivors include children William H. Buker III and Neal Adams Buker; and a niece, Joyce Brown Stewart ’70. His parents were Alice Foss Buker 1909 and William H. Buker Sr. 1910. His late brother and sister were Wayne A. Buker ’34 and Barbara Buker Brown ’39.

Horace Wood Jr., June 14, 2009
Whatever Woody Wood did, he embraced fully. When he retired in 1985, he threw himself into everything the city of Saco had to offer or needed to be done. He became the unofficial historian of the city, chaired its conservation commission, and became a city councilor. He recognized early on the disastrous impact a planned development would have on a local marsh and spearheaded the effort to cancel the development. Eventually he helped turn 600 acres of it into the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, and he received the Paul Janson Environmental Award in 2000. He was vice president of the board of trustees at the Dyer Library-Saco Museum, and active in the Congregational Church there. He graduated with a chemistry degree, married Phyllis Hicks Wood ’43, and joined the Navy. He was assigned to meteorological school at MIT, where he completed a two-year program in nine months and stayed on to teach the next batch of recruits. This program, combined with his chemistry degree, made him well suited for work on chemical weapons, which rely on the weather for their effectiveness. The Navy sent him to the desert for further training, and then to Pearl Harbor, for training in tropical weather. He was then assigned to the Marshall Islands — where the weather never changed. Following the war, he worked for several chemical companies. He also served 20 months in Morocco during the Korean War. At Bates, he sang in every group available, and continued to sing throughout his life. In Bates affairs, he was president of his class and of the Boston Alumni Club and the Ocean Park Bates Club. Along with his wife, survivors include children Robert Wood and Judith Wood Bunting; and three grandchildren.

1944
Alfred Joseph Gragnolati, March 22, 2009
Al Gragnolati left Bates after two years. He worked for Rancari Industries for many years and served as a grand knight in the Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the Connecticut State Legislature. Survivors include children Brian Gragnolati and Susan Kopp; and four grandchildren. His wife, Marion, died in 2007.

Barbara Moulton Scott, March 19, 2009
Always a scientist, Barbara Moulton Scott wrote in her 50th Reunion Book that she wanted to study again. She also predicted she would live to be 84, a prediction she beat by three years. After graduation with a degree in biology, she worked in geology and drosophila (fruit fly) research. When her husband, the late Rev. Robert E. Scott Jr. ’43, began studies for the ministry, she discovered her love of teaching, particularly at the college level. She continued teaching at all levels, from middle school through college, until the 1970s. She held a master’s degree in education from Northeastern. After retirement, she started to write — a text on environmental science, poetry for note cards, and articles for magazines. She was also an accomplished painter and singer. Her survivors include children Gweneth Boyington and Barbara Jo Turner; a granddaughter; and a great-granddaughter. Among many Bates relatives are sisters Marjorie Moulton Perkins ’41 and Peggy Moulton McFadden ’51 and her late parents, the Rev. Joseph Moulton and Florence Hooper Moulton, both Class of 1915.

Bruce Robertson Park, Feb. 21, 2009
In Bruce Park’s family, if you wanted to learn you found a book to teach you. That’s how he learned the high jump, eventually becoming champion at Melrose (Mass.) High School, and how he took up woodworking, learning to make cubes for vinyl records, a rolltop desk, Shaker chests, and guitars for his friends. He began piano lessons in grammar school but here he went outside the lesson books to learn dance music and its real attraction for him, jazz. In high school, he was given a certificate of “perpetual permission to play boogie-woogie on the grand piano” in the school auditorium. At Bates, he was pianist for the famed Bates Bobcats dance band, and in 2001 he wrote about his experiences for this publication. “For a fearful, acnoid freshman, being a Bobcat meant instant status,” he wrote. “In Rand Hall’s reception lounge, some pretty girl I didn’t even know would spot me and conduct me to the piano to play ‘Stardust’ or ‘Sophisticated Lady.’” He served in the Navy in World War II and earned a doctoral degree in English literature from Columbia, where he met and married his first wife, Lucy “San” Pritchard. He taught at Cornell, then moved to Brooklyn College, part of CUNY, where he retired in 1983. He published articles on jazz and English literature, including one anthologized by the Chicago Review. His first wife predeceased him. His survivors include his second wife, M. Lucy Del Mastro; sons Robertson Park and Britt Park; and two grandchildren.

Richard Edward Sorenson Sr., April 6, 2009
During World War II Dick Sorenson fought in Europe and received the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman Badge. He returned to Maine to continue work on his degree in economics at Bowdoin, but ultimately decided to complete his degree where he started it, at Bates, where he managed the baseball team and played intramural sports. He worked briefly at Liberty Mutual in Boston before joining Dun & Bradstreet, where he was manager for the state of Maine and for western Massachusetts. He retired in 1983. He was active in the Masons and the Shriners. He served as a trustee at Portland’s Emmanuel Baptist Church and as a deacon at the First Congregational Church, Westfield, Mass. There, he also chaired the Noble Hospital Advisory Council and the Republican Town Committee, and coached youth sports. Following retirement to Cape Cod, he became active in the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Survivors include wife Agnes; children Laurel Sorenson and Richard Sorenson Jr.; and two grandchildren. His great-niece is Lauren Young ’00. His late brother was Walter F. Sorenson ’49.

1945
Leonard Marino, May 16, 2009
Leonard Marino left Bates after three years. He worked as a wire and cable engineer for U.S. Rubber and Kaiser in Portsmouth, R.I., for 34 years, and then for Victor Electric in West Warwick, R.I., as a quality assurance manager. Survivors include wife Viola; son Gregory Marino; and one grandchild. Another son, Leonard H. Marino, predeceased him.

Elaine Stimson Warren, March 24, 2009
When asked by the College if she had any advanced degrees, Timmie Stimson Warren answered, “Educated four children instead — three are attorneys!” Her work as the assistant director and then director of the Girls Club in Worcester, Mass., as well as her long-term work as a substitute teacher in Scarborough, Maine, certainly helped in this regard. She also volunteered as a Girl Scout leader, Sunday school teacher, and member of the Scarborough Democratic Committee. She served as a trustee and director of the Scarborough Land Conservation Trust and was a member of the women’s fellowship at Black Point Congregational Church. Her degree from the College was in sociology, and she was active in both The Bates Student and the Mirror. Her husband, C. Harvey Warren ’49, survives her, as do children Rebecca Seel, Andrew Warren, Cindy Warren, and Dan Warren. Other survivors include six grandchildren.

Leslie Helen Wight, March 18, 2009
To the people who live at Bear Pond in North Turner, Leslie Wight was known as “the little lady who could.” In fact, she did so much for the pond and its surroundings that the homeowners’ association named its nature preserve after her. Volunteering was paramount to her. She was active in the Mary Dillingham Chapter of the DAR and served as the state regent for several years. She was on the board of the North Auburn Cemetery Assn., was treasurer of the Barker Arms Tenant Assn., and was active in the Androscoggin County Historical Society. A descendant of the original Pilgrims, she was a member of a broad range of historical organizations concerning the early settlement of Maine and New England. In Bates affairs, she was a class agent and Reunion Committee member and served terms as secretary of the Lewiston-Auburn Bates Club and treasurer of the College Key. In addition to her degree from Bates in history and government, she held a master’s from Boston Univ. She taught for several years in Newcastle and Gorham before joining the family business dealing with motor supplies. She retired in 1987. Survivors include a number of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

1946
Margery Macaulay Hirschler, May 18, 2009
A year at Bates was long enough for Margery Macaulay Hirschler to meet the man she would marry, the late Peter Hirschler ’43. They moved to Newport, R.I., in the early 1950s, where she worked as a technical editor before becoming a mother. In Newport, she supported liberal causes and managed the McGovern for President office there in 1972. She enjoyed sailing, literature, art, and music, and was a member of the Redwood Library, the Newport Art Museum, and the Newport Yacht Club. She volunteered at the Newport Music Festival for several decades. An accomplished pianist, she often could recreate a piece of music she had heard only once. Survivors include children John Hirschler and Barbara Barry, and a granddaughter. Her late mother- and father-in-law, Max Hirshler and Helene Hirshler, were prominent local physicians and friends of the College.

1947
Henry Seiki Inouye, March 7, 2008
Hank Inouye came to Bates directly from an internment camp during World War II. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in chemistry and earned a medical degree from the Univ. of Chicago. In 1953, he co-authored a paper on storing plasma that is still cited today. A few months later, he was drafted into the Army and served in Korea as a “one-man medical operative,” as he put it, in an intelligence unit. He returned to Chicago for a surgery residency and spent the rest of his career there, eventually serving as the assistant medical director at Illinois Bell. He retired in 1991. While at the College, he was president of the Publishing Assn., vice president of the Outing Club, president of the Lawrance Chemical Society, and editor-in-chief of the Mirror. In retirement, he traveled widely, including a cruise that followed Odysseus’ journey from Troy to Ithaca. He saw no lotus eaters, he reported, but he did reread both the Iliad and the Odyssey. Survivors include wife Tomiko and daughter Mariye Inouye.

Ruth Olfene Strickholm, March, 11, 2009
Cricket Strickholm made up her own career and her own life. She turned her degree in economics into work as a computer consultant — she called herself a troubleshooter — and a horse trainer. She and her husband, the late George Strickholm, took Mother Earth News to heart, left the corporate life, and turned their Vermont home into a guest house for skiers and horse enthusiasts, reflecting her passion for skiing and horses, especially Morgans. Their income was below the poverty line, her husband told one guest, “but Ruth has six horses and you don’t have any.” She skied and hiked well into her 70s, conquering trails in Colorado after she moved there in retirement, and hiking parts of the Appalachian Trail. Survivors include children Norman Strickholm and Phyllis Strickholm, and two grandchildren. Her niece is Karen Strickholm ’80.

Patricia Wakeman Bresnahan, Feb. 12, 2009
Economics major Pat Wakeman Bresnahan was president of the Women’s Athletic Assn. and a member of the Queen’s Court during Winter Carnival her senior year. She also sang in the choir, played basketball and baseball, and was active in the Outing Club. She worked briefly before her marriage to William Needham ’45, from whom she later was divorced; he died in 1973. Survivors include husband William Bresnahan, son Richard Needham and daughter Jennifer Needham ’75, and one grandchild.

1948
Mary East Geer, June 10, 2009
Betty East Geer completed an A.B. in nursing education in 1948 and received an R.N. degree the following year, part of the College’s five-year nursing program. She worked at hospitals in Vermont and upstate New York until retirement. A member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in New Hartford, N.Y., she was a member of the DAR and the Colonial Dames. For many years, she operated an antiques shop at her farm. Her husband, Leslie Geer Jr., died in 2001. Survivors include children Deborah Falco, Gail Colton, and Leslie Geer III; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Harry Forrest McMurray Jr., June 12, 2009
Harry McMurray served in the Navy in World War II and came to Bates afterwards. His degree in economics stood him in good stead during his long career in the world of finance, especially with Merrill Lynch and its family of companies. There, he was a enthusiastic mentor to young employees and eventually became a vice president. A talented artist, he drew posters for a number of College events and was active in the Outing Club and the Robinson Players. He was a member of The Bates Student, The Garnet, and The Mirror. As an alumnus, he was president of the Hoosier Bates Club in the 1960s. His wife, Joan, died in 2006. His late brother was James McMurray ’42. Survivors include children James McMurray, Susanne Ryan, William Keeley, and Nancy Fairbanks; and 10 grandchildren.

1949
Burton Gowen Hammond, March 6, 2009
Burt Hammond took time between high school and college to serve in the Navy in Brazil during World War II. At the College, he majored in sociology and played basketball. He also was on the student council, serving as vice president during his senior year. He married Barbara Bartlett ’48 before he graduated; she is among his survivors. His career was in insurance, and he was a partner in the Lehr-Hammond Insurance Agency in Pittsfield, Maine, where he grew up. He combined his business interests with civic ones, serving on Pittsfield’s town council and its planning board and chairing its school board. He coached Little League and was the treasurer at First Baptist Church. He was a founding member and director of Sebasticook Valley Hospital. As an alumnus, he was class president during the late 1950s. Along with his wife, survivors include children Jean Watts, Katrina Peppard, Stephen Hammond, Scott Hammond, and James Hammond ’81; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A granddaughter predeceased him.

Emilie Greenough Stehli Knoerzer, May 20, 2009
A writer and editor, Emilie Stehli Knoerzer started a newsletter in her hometown, Upper Montclair, N.J., to boost small businesses when suburban malls threatened to take over. She was a member of the Master Gardeners of Essex County and established a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm based on organic gardening principles. She grew “mini-trees” that were easy to take to people who otherwise would not have one. The farm was also a haven for the plants and wildlife native to New Jersey. A singer, she was active in Montclair’s Unity Concert Course, studied music at Montclair State College, and directed the choir at the Unitarian Universalist Church in town. She also served as president, youth director, and education director at the church and as a trustee of United Way of Northern Essex County. Her Bates degree was in English and psychology. She was editor of The Garnet, sang in several choral groups, and was part of the Robinson Players. During World War II, she worked with the Women’s Emergency Farm Service on vegetable farms in Maine and in Holland. Survivors include daughters Emilie Knoerzer and Christine Glickson, and two grandchildren. Her son, Edgar Knoerzer, predeceased her.

Arline Sweet Noss Murray, May 31, 2009
Asked to sum up her Bates experience in one word, Arline Sweet Noss Murray chose “privilege.” Growing up in Auburn she dreamed of attending Bates but had to work for four years after high school until she could afford the tuition. “The day I received my acceptance letter was one of the happiest days of my life,” she wrote in 1987. A math major, she also held a diploma from Bliss Business School, earned during those four years. Shortly after graduation, she married Richard Noss and moved to Connecticut, where she spent most of her life. He passed away in 1988. Two years later, she married the Rev. Frank S. Murray ’34; he too predeceased her. She and her second husband were very active in The Kingdom, the church started by Frank Sandford 1886 in Durham, Maine, and known in the area as Shiloh. She taught piano for many years and was the secretary of the Connecticut State Music Teachers Assn. Survivors include sons Dale Noss, Wayne Noss, and Scott Noss, and a grandchild. Her sister is Winifred Sweet Register ’49 and stepson Timothy Murray ’68.

1951
William François Paradis, Nov. 14, 2008
William Paradis joined the Navy before he finished high school, serving three years, then spent a year at Maine Central Institute before matriculating at Bates and marrying Norma McLeod. A history and sociology major, he decided early on to become a teacher, and served as president of the Future Teachers of America his senior year. He received a master’s degree from the Univ. of Connecticut in 1959. He had moved to Connecticut from his native Lewiston shortly after graduation, teaching at several high schools there before becoming assistant principal at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs in 1964. Two years later, he became its acting principal. In 1968, he joined the staff of Project Concern, Hartford’s voluntary school desegregation program (regarded as one of the most successful of its kind), and was its director from 1969 until he retired in 1982. He lived on a farm in Ashland, Conn., and was active in the state’s farm bureau and a consultant to agricultural programs in high schools. For many years, he was director of a primitive camp in Sturbridge, Mass. His wife predeceased him. His late brother-in-law was John McLeod ’41. He was also related by marriage to the late Beatrice Childs Dyment ’24.

1952
Ruth Russell Quinn, Feb. 25, 2009
“Rufus” Russell Quinn was a mathematics major with interests in journalism and science. She was news editor of The Bates Student, secretary-treasurer of the Ramsdell Scientific Society, and a library assistant. Each interest came into play during her life. Immediately after graduation, she worked as a mathematician at the Springfield (Mass.) Armory. She returned to Maine to work at the Univ. of Maine’s library before marrying John Quinn in 1954; he passed away in 2008. She lived near Philadelphia for over 37 years and raised her four children there. She returned to work first as a proofreader at the Bucks County Courier Times and later as its head librarian. She was active in the United Christian Church in Levittown, Pa. Survivors include children Thomas Quinn ’77, David Quinn, Carol Quinn, and Deborah Hamilton; and four grandchildren.

1953
Richard Horace Boutelle, April 19, 2009
Physics degree in hand, Dick Boutelle started a career in the relatively new field of nuclear science at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York as its health physics supervisor. Six years later, he and his wife, Norma Sturtevant Boutelle ’53, moved to Maryland, where he worked for Martin Marietta’s nuclear division as chief of radiation protection. He worked on several programs there, including the radioisotope power program, the Antarctic power reactor program, and the Gemini booster project, for which he served as system safety supervisor. He later managed the materials laboratory for the company’s Baltimore division. He also served as chief of radiological service for Suffolk County (N.Y.) Civil Defense. In 1968, he became the quality engineering manager at ITT Corp. in California, then director of quality for ITT Europe. His wife survives him as do children David Boutelle, James Boutelle, and Karen Boutelle Sopper ’78. His late parents were Horace and Blanche Smith Boutelle, both Class of 1919.

Nancy Braverman Kaplan, Jan. 8, 2009
When her daughter became interested in raising goats as a 4-H project, Nancy Braverman Kaplan was surprised at how interested she herself became — in fact, she was the director of the Middlesex (Mass.) Dairy Goat Breeders Assn. for several years. Certainly her degree in biology helped, and at Bates she was also a biology assistant and chemistry assistant, a member of the Ramsdell Society, and a board member of the Outing Club. She continued her studies at NYU and Brandeis. She found part-time work as a researcher at Bellevue Medical Center in New York City, Boston City Hospital, and Boston Univ. Medical Center. She and her husband, the late Kenneth Kaplan ’54, enjoyed many outdoor pursuits. In 1990, three years after his death, she was instrumental in forming a chapter of the Mosaic Outdoor Mountain Club, one of several dozen affiliated clubs for Jewish outdoor enthusiasts. A year later, a lawsuit she and her brother-in-law, Elvin Kaplan ’57, had brought against New England Power for her husband’s drowning during an unexpected release of dam water on the Connecticut River was settled, and the Kaplans chose to establish a safety program on the river with part of the money. Survivors include children Charles Kaplan, Janet Kaplan, and Deborah Schermer; and five grandchildren.

Kenneth Cole Cary, May 22, 2009
Kenneth Cole Cary left Bates after one year and graduated from Rutgers. He and his brother owned and operated a restaurant in Fairfield, N.J., before he retired to Orrs Island. His wife, Susan, predeceased him, as did his daughter, Carolyn Cary Haskell ’70. Survivors include children Bob Cary, Cynthia Hammond, and Kenneth Cary; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

1954
Phyllis Sawyer Williams, April 7, 2009
Phyl Sawyer Williams never stopped learning, never stopped teaching, and never stopped writing. Her last book was published posthumously, and she was enrolled in a graduate program in the 1990s. A five-year nursing student at the College, she received a master’s in counseling and education from the Univ. of Maine. Her early career centered around prenatal care and nutrition, and she founded the Maternal and Child Health Council in Bangor in 1964. It offered childbirth and nutrition classes, at the time an innovative approach to prenatal care. She taught seminars on nourishing babies and children and was a passionate supporter of LaLeche League. In the early 1970s, she co-authored two books that received wide attention: Nourishing Your Unborn Child and The Natural Baby Food Cookbook. She found time to teach English and coach basketball and dramatics at Cape Elizabeth High School for a year. In the 1990s, she joined with co-author Margaret Kenda again to publish four Wizardry for Kids books on cooking, science, geography, and math. The books received a Parent’s Choice award, and Julia Child plugged the cooking one. Her husband, Anthony Williams, predeceased her. Survivors include children Wesley Williams, Jeremy Williams, Beth Ntacyo, and Rowena Griffin; 14 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Audrey Louise Flynn, June 20, 2009
Audrey “Irish” Flynn left Bates to join the Air Force, then moved to Florida and received a bachelor’s and master’s from Florida State Univ. She was a professor until 1996 at Florida Community College and a driving force in the Jacksonville women’s community in the 1980s. Survivors include her brothers, grand-nieces and -nephews, and a family of friends in Florida.

1955
Nancy Wilkes Bubel, June 20, 2009
Nancy Wilkes Bubel was a five-year nursing student at the College who found that she liked gardening a whole lot more. An accomplished writer, she turned her avocation into her vocation in 1965, becoming a columnist for Horticulture and Country Journal magazines. She was a recognized authority on organic gardening and published more than 200 articles and eight books, at least two of which are still in print: Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables and The New Seed Starter’s Handbook. She happily admitted her gardening mistakes in her column, offering insight into how to correct them next season. On their 90-acre farm in Pennsylvania, she and her husband, Michael, grew vegetables, nuts, and fruits; they kept chickens, goats, pigs, sheep, and ducks for dairy products and meat, enough to feed their family of four. At Bates, she sang in the Choral Society, served on the Outing Club Council and Board, and was active in the German Club. She was a bit prescient on that last one: Her late husband was a Polish native who spent several postwar years in Germany as a displaced person. Both fluent in several languages, they traveled extensively and spent three months in Mexico each year. Survivors include children Mary Grace Boerio and Greg Bubel, and four grandchildren. Her late brother was Milton Wilkes Jr. ’57.

1957
Mary Lou Townley Swasey, June 19, 2009
Not long after graduating with a sociology degree, Mary Lou Townley Swasey boarded the Queen Mary to start a journey through Europe, the first of many travels throughout her life. Between international tours, she taught for 36 years in public schools in Connecticut, California, and Massachusetts, at a college in New York, and in private schools in Hawaii. It was there that she met Kenneth Swasey, whom she married 30 years later, in 1995. She welcomed classroom innovations, and packed her lesson plans with projects rather than rote lessons. In 1961, she was awarded a master’s in education from Lesley Univ., and studied further at Boston Univ. In retirement, she lived in Damariscotta, where she was active with the Maine Botanical Gardens, the Edgecomb Congregational Church, and the Cooperative Extension. At Bates, she edited The Mirror and was active in the Outing Club. Survivors include her husband, stepsons Brian Swasey and Ronald Swasey, and three step-grandchildren. “Life has been good,” she wrote shortly before she died, “the way life should be — new friends, new experiences, new organizations.”

Joanna Witham Leathem, April 22, 2009
Jo Witham Leathem taught high school English in New York and Massachusetts before becoming a technical writer for Sun Life of Canada in Wellesley. Part of the Robinson Players while at Bates, she worked with youth theater groups in Massachusetts for many years. She also was a member of the Chapel Choir and the Choral Society, and graduated with a degree in speech. Her interest in music continued, and she taught piano for several years. Her marriage to Douglas Leathem ’57 ended in divorce. Survivors include children Douglas Leathem Jr. and Jill Bishop, and six grandchildren.

1959
David William Jefferson, June 26, 2009
David “Gentleman Jeff” Jefferson was the last mayor of Bates, elected in 1958 at the conclusion of the spring Mayoralty campaign, a tradition that had obsessed the entire College each year for a quarter century. (Mayoralty went on hiatus in 1959 after campus hijinks turned into off-campus petty theft, then it just faded away.) Some classmates claim that he remained mayor for life, since no mayor succeeded him. An Army veteran, he served two tours of duty, the second coming just weeks after he married Nancy Strong. His career was in petroleum distribution, and he held management positions at ARCO, Mercury Oil, and General Oil during his 36-year career, during which he developed a chain of self-service gas stations that became a multi-million dollar corporation. A history major, he spent years restoring a 1706 house in Glastonbury, Conn., and secured its place on the National Historic Registry. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. Along with his wife, he is survived by children David Jefferson and Linda Jefferson and two grandchildren.

Priscilla Schummrick, April 21, 2009
In 2003, the National Animal Control Assn. awarded Priscilla Schummrick its award for outstanding volunteer service in animal welfare. She volunteered at two animal shelters and a cat sanctuary near her home in Orange, Conn., and lived with multiple “rescue” dogs. She was especially fond of Boston terriers; she aided in their rescue and was a member of three Boston terrier clubs. She was a founding member of For the Animals Inc., dedicated to the rescue and care of abandoned and abused animals. Her career was in medical technology, building on her Bates biology major and a degree in medical technology through then-Central Maine General Hospital in Lewiston. She worked for many years at Middlesex Memorial Hospital in Middletown, Conn. She was a member of the UCC churches in Middletown and Orange. Survivors include many nieces and nephews.

1961
Evelyn Yavinsky Biddle, April 30, 2009
“What seems over-committed to others is good for me,” Evy Yavinsky Biddle told a local newspaper when she was named Realtor of the Year in Vermont in 1985. “I never do anything halfway.” Real estate was at least her fourth career. A history major, she started off as a history teacher in Connecticut, then became a manager with Tupperware Co. By 1972, she was an administrative assistant in a coronary care program in Burlington, Vt., and entered real estate two years later. She served one term as president of the Vermont Assn. of Realtors and two terms as president of the Northwestern Vermont Board of Realtors. In 2008, the latter group awarded her its distinguished service award for her dedication and contributions to her profession and community. Volunteer work included Special Olympics, American Heart Assn., and March of Dimes. She was a board member of the local Meals on Wheels program and past president of the Burlington Business and Professional Women’s Club. In Bates affairs, she served as class co-president and president of the Vermont Bates Club. She chaired her 45th Reunion Committee and volunteered with Career Services. Survivors include children Carter Biddle and Ellen Biddle, and one grandchild. Her marriage to Arthur Biddle Jr. ended in divorce.

1962
Dennis Clinton Sweetser, June 16, 2009
Any child who played Little League baseball in Auburn over the last four decades benefitted from Dennis Sweetser’s love of the game. He devoted 42 years to the Auburn Suburban Little League as coach, manager, and board member, managing the 1979 team to the semifinals of the Little League World Series. In 2008, he was inducted into the Auburn-Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame. A chemist, he taught at Edward Little High School for 33 years after nine years at Bridgton and Hall-Dale. He also worked 16 summers for International Paper, monitoring the water quality of the Androscoggin. In retirement, he became an instructor at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn Senior College, and served on its board of directors. He turned himself into an expert on the Civil War and gave talks to local groups on the topic. As a longtime member of the Court St. Baptist Church in Auburn, he served as Sunday school superintendent, chaired the board of trustees, and chaired the board of diaconate. In tribute, Sun Journal columnist Kalle Oakes wrote, “In this epoch of people who hide behind screen names and flex their keyboard biceps, Dennis was a refreshing dose of honesty at all times…. He had the courage to confront you if he thought you’d tipped out of your rocker, and he had the kindness and courtesy to shake your hand and offer up an ‘atta-boy’ when you’d hit a literal or figurative home run.” Among his survivors are wife Donna; daughters Deborah Kirk, Karen Lewis, and Mary Beth Galway; five grandchildren; and sister Roberta Sweetser McKinnell ’48.

1966
Peter Christian Haberland, June 6, 2009
“Having had two companies shot out from under me,” wrote Peter Haberland on an alumni survey, “we still survived.” The two companies — Digital and Polaroid — closed their doors while he was employed by them as a financial analyst and finance manager. He went on to a successful career with Parker Hannifin in the Nichols Aircraft Division as the cost accountant. “Long hours,” he wrote, “but I love it.” An English major, he taught for a year before moving into finance. That same year, he married Carol Stone ’66, who survives him. A life member of the NRA, he was a past president of the Northborough (Mass.) Fish & Game Club. He also was a history buff, especially military history. Along with his wife, his survivors include children Cathy Fogarty and Jason Haberland, and two grandchildren. His late father was Roy Haberland ’39.

1967
William Lewis Garfield, June 9, 2009
Bill Garfield earned a psychology degree, then a law degree from Western New England Law School in 1977. He practiced law in California. A sports enthusiast and an intramural athlete as well as a varsity basketball player at the College, he especially enjoyed tennis, basketball, and billiards. He also coached some of his children’s youth teams. Survivors include wife Rita and children Brian and Kristen.

1969
Pamela Green Kyker, Aug. 21, 2007
Pam Green Kyker graduated magna cum laude with a degree in psychology. She was a Dana Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her interest in dance never waned, she wrote several years before her death. She especially enjoyed contra dance, and took tap dancing lessons as an adult. In 2003, she and her daughter founded a nonprofit organization, Tariro, to provide school fees for girls orphaned by AIDS in Zimbabwe. (Tariro is the Shona word for “hope.”) She first became interested in this area when her daughter spent a year in Zimbabwe on a Fulbright. While at Bates, she spent her junior year abroad in the International Honors Program, where she met her husband, William Kyker. They later divorced. Survivors include daughter Jennifer Kyker and son Rob Kyker.

1970
William Webster Jackson, March 17, 2009
Bill Jackson worked with youth in Maine for nearly 28 years, first at the Department of Corrections and then at the Department of Probation and Parole. He created and supervised an innovative program for seriously troubled boys at the Maine Youth Center, the Security Treatment Unit, which combined a structured behavioral and learning environment with carefully selected staff. His ability to establish rapport with young people was put to good use even in retirement, when he became an assistant in his wife’s math classes, tutoring math and finding creative ways to reach each student. His Bates degree was in sociology. A week after graduation, he married Martha Collier ’71. She survives him, as do children Bryan Jackson and Emily Jackson Sanborn ’94 (whose husband is Jim Jackson Sanborn ’96); four grandchildren; and his father, Webster Jackson ’43.

1975
Peter Eastman Cate, March 26, 2009
Peter Cate earned a degree in English, played in the marching band and concert band, built scenery for the Robinson Players, worked on The Garnet, and served in student government. In 2000, he received an M.B.A. from Providence College and worked for Kent County (R.I.) Visiting Nurse Assn. until illness forced him to retire in 2005. Shortly after graduation, he was the proprietor of a book and record shop in Barrington, R.I. Survivors include wife Elaine and children Sarah, Christopher, Matthew, and Nicholas.

Elizabeth Mury Meyer, Dec. 9, 2008
Betsy Mury Meyer took advantage of all Bates had to offer when she was a student. She played varsity field hockey and basketball, bowled, and was named All-Around Senior Woman Athlete. She sang in a number of choral groups, including Collegium Musicum, and performed solos in several concerts. She was photography editor of both The Mirror and The Bates Student and a biology assistant. She worked for the News Bureau and was a newscaster for the radio station. A Dana Scholar and magna cum laude graduate in biology, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She took a year off to work for the Lewiston Sun Journal before starting graduate school at Penn State, where she earned a doctorate in zoology. In 1980, while a doctoral candidate, she received an outstanding teaching award from the biology department. Since 1993, she was an instructor of biology at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill., and was a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, its choir, and the Waukegan Chorus. Survivors include husband Michael and children Kimberly Hammond, Katie Meyer, and Steven Meyer.

Friend
Ann Cobean McIlhenny Harward, June 18, 2009
As the wife of Bates’ sixth president, Ann Cobean McIlhenny Harward served the College and community with integrity and understatement, always responsive to the needs and interests of others while expressing her own professional and familial identity. Born April 12, 1941, in Gettysburg, Pa., she studied at Maryville College in Tennessee, receiving a degree and certificate as a medical technologist, and earned a dual degree in biology and music at Milliken Univ. in Illinois. When she and her family moved to the Univ. of Delaware, she worked with the League of Women Voters, competed as a ranked area tennis player, directed an internship program for life-science majors, and coordinated the university’s Center for Science and Culture. In 1982, the Harwards and their two young children moved to Wooster, Ohio, where she helped to establish and direct the first county-wide hospice program. She participated in coaching the men’s tennis team — highly unusual for a woman — prizing her inclusion in team photos and the implicit message that conveyed. In 1989 the family moved to Bates, where the tenor of her contributions is reflected in a story told by Meagan Burrichter Hawkes ’92. One night, acting in a small play in Gannett Theater, she saw the Harwards in the audience. Afterwards, with typical student pluck, she and a friend dropped in on the Harwards at home. As the door opened, Hawkes was suddenly aware that “maybe we hadn’t made the smartest decision.” They stammered a thank you, to which Ann smiled with delight and encouragement, welcoming the two students into her home to discuss the show. “She gave us a magical gift that night, making me feel like a real artist who’d done real work that really mattered. And I know she gave that gift to countless other actors, athletes, and students of all sorts over the years, no matter who they were or what gifts they brought to the table.” She supported community programs like the Lewiston Public Library and Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary. On campus, she took particular delight in hosting trustees and their spouses and partners. Honoring her service to the College and its people, the Board of Trustees established endowment funds upon the Harwards’ retirement. She was also an honorary member of the Class of 2002. In retirement, Ann and her husband divided their time between Washington, D.C., and Corea, Maine. Her pleasure and delight in many things — her gardens and wildflowers, family pets (especially dogs), summer getaways to the Delaware and South Carolina beaches, the serene beauty of Schoodic Peninsula, and the culture of Down East Maine and its people — were surpassed only by the pride she had in her family, children, and grandchildren, who they had become or who they were becoming. Survivors include her spouse of 49 years, Donald West Harward; daughter Sharon Harward Dorr and husband Darryl, and son Brian McIlhenny Harward and wife Ashley; three grandchildren; and brothers Robert McIlhenny and James McIlhenny. A memorial concert took place at Bates on Oct. 11, 2009.

Emeriti
Thomas Hedley Reynolds, Sept. 22, 2009
Known for his nearly three decades of transformational leadership at Bates and at the University of New England, President Emeritus Thomas Hedley Reynolds died at his home in Newcastle, Maine, after a long illness. His obituary will be in the Spring print issue, and is online now.

Correction
The obituary for Sally Gove Caterine ’49 (Summer 2009) wrongly listed Richard Gove ’53 as a late brother. He is neither deceased nor her brother. The editors apologize for the error.