February 2023

The University recently learned of the passing of these Cornellians

1940s

’44, BA ’43, MD ’47—Carol Brach Hyman of Beverly Hills, CA, November 12, 2022; pediatrician and pioneer in the field of pediatric hematology oncology; on the medical staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, specializing in thalassemia, sickle cell, and other blood disorders; also worked at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, focusing on childhood leukemia and complex genetic anemias; tenured faculty, USC Keck School of Medicine; member on numerous medical boards and committees; author of articles, book chapters, and abstracts on children’s blood disorders; enjoyed international travel; active in religious and alumni affairs. Alpha Phi.

’44 BA—Ephraim C. Lewis of Rochester, NY, November 4, 2022; dentist; veteran. Tau Delta Phi.

’46 BA—Barbara Schaefer Colbert of Ithaca, NY, November 18, 2022; co-manager of the family real estate business; also worked for the Grange League Federation and the Department of Natural Resources’ forestry programs; animal lover and environmentalist; community volunteer; avid reader and New York Yankees fan; enjoyed international travel, boating, hiking, birding, gardening, and following local and national politics; active in civic, religious, and alumni affairs. Alpha Xi Delta.

’46, DVM ’47—Estelle Hecht Geller of Rockville/Vernon, CT, formerly of New York City, November 27, 2022; veterinary medicine pioneer; first woman board certified in laboratory animal medicine and veterinary pathology; founding director, Animal Institute at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; advocate for veterinary outreach and for women’s progress in the field of veterinary medicine; conservationist; enjoyed international travel, museums, live theater, and studying nature and the cosmos; active in professional affairs.

’47, BS CALS ’49—Sherwin H. Cooper of Lincoln, MA, formerly of Concord, MA, November 23, 2022; certified radio officer, U.S. Merchant Marines; professor of historical geography, Boston University, University of Cincinnati, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; veteran; naturalist and advocate for wildlife preservation; enjoyed international travel, classical music, literature, photography, and meetings of the Thoreau Society; active in community and professional affairs.

’47 BA—Lester M. Geller of Vernon Rockville, CT, formerly of Queens, NY, August 29, 2021; neuropathology researcher, teacher of pathology, and student counselor, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University; enjoyed the symphony, the theater, and lively conversation.

’47 BA—Naomi Strumer Samkoff of Harrisburg, PA, January 10, 2021; science teacher and analytical technician; avid figure saker and swimmer; enjoyed photography; active in community, religious, and alumni affairs. Husband, Jacob S. Samkoff ’47, BEE ’46.

’47 BA—Caroline M. Wood of Fredonia, NY, December 11, 2022; elementary-school teacher, Fredonia Central Schools and S.G. Love School, Jamestown; co-owner/operator of the family grape farm; enthusiastic dog owner and lifetime member, Affenpinscher Club of America; enjoyed travel, farming, gardening, sewing, playing the organ, and Buffalo Bills football; active in agricultural, professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Alpha Omicron Pi.

’48 BA—Marian Young Bradley of Black Mountain, NC, formerly of Boone, NC, November 6, 2022; homemaker; licensed pilot; community volunteer and heart health advocate; enjoyed travel, flower and vegetable gardening, entertaining, and life on her farm; active in religious and alumni affairs. Delta Delta Delta.

’48 BA—James M. Jacobson of Berkeley, CA, March 2022; attorney.

’48 BME—Robert L. Kosson of Easthampton, MA, formerly of Massapequa, NY, October 22, 2021; mechanical engineer, Grumman Aerospace Corp.; inventor and patent holder; active in alumni affairs.

’48 BA—Richard S. Landsman of Lake Worth, FL, November 8, 2022; publishing professional; VP, Greystone Corp. in Manhattan; veteran; avid sailor; enjoyed travel, golf, horseracing, gardening, model railroading, and Cornell football; active in civic, cultural, and alumni affairs. Tau Delta Phi.

’48 BS CALS—John P. Van Zandt Jr. of Winston-Salem, NC, formerly of Cape May, NJ, November 18, 2022; director of rural resources, New Jersey Department of Agriculture, where he managed the federal Farmland Protection Policy Act; co-owner, J. Percy Van Zandt Co., sellers of International Harvester farm and construction equipment; veteran; member, Kiwanis; Scout leader, volunteer firefighter, and school board president; enjoyed vegetable gardening, camping, and sailing; active in civic, religious, and alumni affairs. Alpha Gamma Rho.

’49 BS CALS—Chester N. Roistacher of Riverside, CA, September 29, 2022; worldwide consultant and lecturer on citrus disease, World Bank, U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, USAID, Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen (Bari, Italy), and other organizations; virologist, University of California, Riverside, Citrus Clonal Protection Program; also worked as a plant pathologist at UCLA; veteran; author of more than 200 professional publications; memoir writer; avid folk dancer and folk music record collector; accomplished guitar, banjo, and mandolin player and teacher; enjoyed international travel, camping, fishing, hiking, and square-dance calling; active in environmental, humanitarian, political, professional, and alumni affairs.


1950s

’50 BS HE—Jane Humphreys Dieck of Rochester, NY, November 16, 2022; homemaker; lifelong volunteer for the Meals on Wheels program, Visiting Nurses Association, University of Rochester Medical Center; supporter of healthcare, historical, scientific, and social organizations; accomplished at knitting, needlepoint, and designing and making fine clothing; enjoyed travel and music; active in cultural, educational, religious, and alumni affairs. Pi Beta Phi.

’50, BA ’49—Judith Goldstone Joseph of New York City, formerly of Teaneck, NJ, November 6, 2022; associate attorney, Joseph & Feldman, Fort Lee, NJ; philanthropist; active in religious and alumni affairs. Sigma Delta Tau.

’50 BS Hotel—Arthur V. Palmer Jr. of Stillwater, MN, November 12, 2022; second-generation innkeeper, Lowell Inn Hotel & Restaurant; also worked in the cattle business importing South Devon cattle from England to the Stillwater ranch; veteran; enjoyed travel, skiing, boating, flying planes, watching football, and telling stories; active in alumni affairs. Chi Phi.

’50 BS CALS, PhD ’53—Donald W. Richter of Greenwood, IN, November 25, 2022; self-employed financial consultant, Corporate Finance Associates; sales, management, and mergers and acquisitions professional, Armco Steel; enjoyed international travel, experiencing new cultures, and sharing his knowledge of engineering, finance, and nutrition; active in religious and alumni affairs. Phi Kappa Psi.

’50 MS—Martha Wright Suter of San Antonio, TX, formerly of West Lafayette, IN, November 25, 2022; self-employed residential designer of more than 500 new or remodeled homes; avid seamstress. Husband, Robert C. Suter ’45, BS ’47, PhD ’51.

’51 MS—Doris M. Anderson of St. Peters, PE, October 16, 2022; professor emeritus and founder, University of Prince Edward Island home economics program; expert in celiac disease; appointed member of the Senate of Canada and of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to education and mental health in PEI; founding member, PEI chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women; avid gardener, enthusiastic sports fan, political junkie, and admirer of the British Royal Family.

’51 BS CALS, PhD ’54—William M. Herr of Carbondale, IL, December 10, 2022; professor, interim dean, and chair of the Department of Agribusiness Economics, College of Agriculture, Southern Illinois University; also served at the Agricultural Finance Branch, USDA, at the Farm Credit Administration, and as a trainer and researcher for international cooperative development and assistance programs; agricultural economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; prolific academic writer; avid collector of Australian stamps; enjoyed international travel, tennis, hiking, bicycling, bridge, and live orchestra and opera performances; active in environmental, professional, and alumni affairs. Alpha Gamma Rho.

’51 BA—Arnold D. Pickar of Portland, OR, November 29, 2022; professor of physics, Portland State University; veteran; enjoyed the outdoors and mountaineering in the Cascade Range; active in religious affairs. Phi Epsilon Pi.

’51, BME ’52—Richard D. Rippe of Denver, CO, formerly of Williamsburg, VA, and Westfield, NJ, December 7, 2022; assistant general manager of engineering, Public Service Electric & Gas, Newark, NJ; managed the building and licensing of the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plants; field engineer, Babcock and Wilcox, Akron, OH; veteran; community volunteer and member of humanitarian boards; avid reader; enjoyed travel, golf, tennis, opera, crossword puzzles, and coaching wrestling, football, and baseball; active in alumni affairs. Phi Delta Theta. Wife, Marianne Aber Rippe ’53.

’52, BME ’57—Horace I. Bush of Hilton Head Island, SC, formerly of Xenia, OH, November 5, 2022; director, Turbine Engine Division, Wright Laboratories, Aero Propulsion Laboratory; veteran; accomplished pilot and sailor; captained vessels for helicopter rescue training missions, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; enjoyed hiking, camping, skiing, and swimming. Sigma Pi.

’52, BArch ’53—Philip C. Henderson of Dallas, TX, December 4, 2022; award-winning architect and urban planner; owner, Philip C. Henderson Architect; co-founder, Pratt, Box & Henderson, a contemporary architecture firm; chair, Oak Lawn Forum, co-developers of the Katy Trail, a rails-to-trails park in Dallas; founding chair, Area Agency on Aging; active in community and alumni affairs.

’52 MS, PhD ’54—Arthur A. Muka of Ithaca, NY, December 7, 2022; professor emeritus of entomology, Cornell University; developed insect control strategies for the NYS vegetable, field, and forage crops industries; founder and executive secretary, Cornell’s Northeast Agriculture Aviation Conference Program; assistant professor and associate researcher, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Virginia Polytechnic Institute; veteran; Rotarian, Scout leader, volunteer fireman, and VISTA volunteer; flying enthusiast; enjoyed international travel, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, gardening, and working around the home; active in religious affairs. Wife, Betty Oakes Muka, MS ’53, MBA ’70.

’53 BA—Robert J. Appel of New York City, November 19, 2022; investment manager and philanthropist; president, Appel Associates; partner, Neuberger Berman, investment and securities brokers; foremost benefactor and trustee emeritus, Cornell University; vice chair, Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Fellows; recipient, Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award; served on numerous academic, charitable, cultural, and healthcare boards and organizations; avid storyteller; active in alumni affairs. Phi Sigma Delta. Wife, Helen Harrison Appel ’55.

’53 BS Nurs—Pearl Greenberg Berg of Louisville, KY, December 17, 2016; held degrees in nursing, English, and law; taught adult education classes at Bellarmine University Veritas Society; enjoyed international travel, reading, tennis, dancing, and the arts; active in religious affairs.

’53, BCE ’54—Clifford F. Evans of Lebanon, NJ, November 6, 2022; president and CEO, Henderson Construction, a design/construction firm whose clients included Fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies; also worked as a construction management professional at Wigton-Abbott, James G. Davis Co., and Procter & Gamble; licensed pilot who flew organ donor missions on the East Coast; avid Pittsburgh Pirates fan; enjoyed international travel and oysters on the half-shell; active in community, religious, and alumni affairs. Phi Sigma Kappa.

’53, BEE ’54—Donald N. Ewart of Fort Mill, SC, November 7, 2022; manager of consulting services, Power Technologies Inc.; manager, transmission and distribution, responsible for the Electric Power Research Institute’s High Voltage Transmission Research Center, Lenox, MA; manager, systems engineering, Utility Systems Engineering Department, General Electric; also worked in the GE Transformer Department’s Lightning Research Lab; veteran; author of numerous technical articles and papers; avid sailor; enjoyed international travel, boating, motorcycling, bicycling, bridge, photography, and woodworking; active in professional and alumni affairs. Triangle.

’53 BA—Joseph F. Martino Jr. of Spring Lake, NJ, October 28, 2021; active in alumni affairs.

’53 LLB—James J. McNamara of Burlington, VT, November 27, 2022; attorney; member, Vermont House of Representatives, serving on the Transportation Committee; co-founder, McNamara, Fitzpatrick, and McCormick; justice of the peace and assistant city attorney, Burlington; also served multiple terms on the Vermont District 4 Environmental Commission and on the board of Trinity College; veteran; enjoyed golf, skiing, and choral singing; active in religious affairs.

’53, BME ’54—Robert A. Vanderhoek of DeWitt, NY, December 5, 2022; manager of TR2 (concrete sampling and testing), Carrier Corp.; veteran; music lover who rebuilt and restored player pianos; active in community and religious affairs. Acacia.

’54 BA—Iris Melter Bell of Killingworth, CT, December 12, 2022; real estate broker, William Raveis Real Estate, serving on the Stamford Board of Realtors and the CT-MLS Board; “Binky the Clown” volunteer at Stamford Hospital and in local parades; enjoyed crossword puzzles, knitting, and live theater.

’54 BS CALS—Glenn D. Chaplin of Turnersville, NJ, December 5, 2022; adjunct professor, Rutgers Extension Service of Union County, where he taught classes on stress management; Gloucester County 4-H agent, working with youth and young adults; 4-H assistant extension agent in Rochester and Warrensburg, NY; veteran; member, Washington Township Board of Education.

’54 BS CALS—Joan Sams Goland of South Setauket, NY, November 20, 2022; instructor in microbiology, SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine; research scientist, Brookhaven National Laboratory; also did early work in the field of genetics; lifelong volunteer, Guide Dog Foundation; avid ballroom dancer; active in alumni affairs.

’54 MEd—Mary E. Harris of Shelby, NC, November 2022; award-winning district extension program leader and associate professor emeritus of family resources, Virginia Tech; home demonstration agent and district home economics agent, North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Services; Kellogg consultant, Irish Extension Service; active in professional and religious affairs.

’54 PhD—Malcolm E. Kenney of Cleveland Heights, OH, November 28, 2022; award-winning professor emeritus of chemistry, Case Western Reserve University; expert on photodynamic tumor therapy compounds; veteran; held 30 patents; author of 200 scientific papers; philanthropist and patron of the arts; enjoyed international travel; active in religious and alumni affairs.

’54, BA ’55, MA ’56—Valdis Leinieks of Edmonds, WA, formerly of Lincoln, NE, October 31, 2019; professor emeritus of classics and chair of the department, University of Nebraska; expert on Homer, Greek tragedy, and the incorporation of linguistics into the analysis of classical Greek literature; developed a new analytical and logical method for learning Latin; prolific academic writer and scholar; enjoyed studying theoretical linguistics; active in alumni affairs.

’54 BS ILR—Robert A. Mendelsohn of Milwaukee, WI, November 27, 2022; clinical psychologist in private practice; professor of clinical psychology, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay; chair, UWGB Community Human Services master’s program; clinical psychologist and researcher, LaFayette Clinic, Detroit; published numerous articles on the societal issues that led to urban disturbances in Detroit; veteran; enjoyed classical music, opera, racquetball, vegetable gardening, and Milwaukee Brewers baseball; active in community affairs. Alpha Epsilon Pi.

’54 BS CALS—Richard D. Reading of West Falls, NY, November 15, 2022; fifth-generation crop and chicken farmer, Reading Farm; supplied eggs to supermarkets and restaurants throughout Western New York; veteran; president, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County; pilot; community volunteer; enjoyed travel, bicycling, tennis, and cross-country skiing; active in military, professional, and alumni affairs. Alpha Zeta.

’55 BA—Gerald T. McDonald of Rome, NY, November 9, 2022; award-winning attorney; partner, O’Shea, McDonald & Stevens; mediator, guardian, and member of the Peacemaker Program, providing conflict resolution training, mediation, and local child advocacy services; avid skier; enjoyed golf, tennis, racquetball, and swimming; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Sigma Phi Epsilon.

’55 BS HE—Priscilla Rice Oehl of Pittsburgh, PA, and Fort Pierce, FL, November 12, 2022; newspaper columnist for community papers in Pittsburgh and Fort Pierce; speech pathologist and audiologist; worked with language-delayed and learning-disabled children; author; accomplished tennis player; active in community and alumni affairs. Kappa Alpha Theta.

’55 BS CALS—Adrian S. Phaneuf Jr. of Homosassa, FL, November 26, 2022; partner and investor, Sweetwater Homes of Citrus County; manager, Farnworth’s Gifts and Cards, Los Gatos, CA; VP of international marketing in animal health, Syntex Corp., Palo Alto; veterinary pharmaceuticals professional, Merck & Co.; veteran; enjoyed international travel; active in alumni affairs.

’55 BS CALS—Charles S. Stubbe of Pottstown, PA, November 12, 2022; lighting consultant and business owner; lighting engineer, Gilbert Associates; member, Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council; advocate for preserving the dark sky by preventing light pollution; active in professional and alumni affairs. Phi Kappa Psi.

’56 PhD—Robert H. Fosen of Chico, CA, November 3, 2022; lecturer in criminal justice, American University; expert witness for cases involving prison mismanagement and prisoner abuse; worked at the State Department of Corrections in Sacramento, CA, and Albany, NY; professor of sociology, Oklahoma State University; enjoyed travel, outdoor chores, and Washington football.

’56, B Chem E ’57—Gary N. Kirby of Lansdale, PA, formerly of Pennington, NJ, November 22, 2022; materials science engineer; expert in corrosion and coatings; author and worldwide speaker; enjoyed golf and singing with La Boheme Opera Co. in Trenton, NJ; active in alumni affairs. Triangle.

’56, BME ’57—Richard T. Plummer II of Stone Lake, WI, formerly of Atlanta, GA, November 27, 2022; home builder and developer, the Plummer Co., designing and building homes throughout the Atlanta area and in the North Georgia mountain community of Big Canoe using minimally invasive environmental techniques; vice president, Trane Co., La Crosse, WI; veteran; patented several inventions; naturalist and animal lover; enjoyed travel, planting evergreen trees, making Christmas ornaments, and sharing stories of his flying career in the Air Force and Naval Reserve; active in alumni affairs. Alpha Delta Phi.

’57 BS CALS—Christopher A. Hansen of Catonsville, MD, October 29, 2020; attorney in private practice; active in alumni affairs.

’57 BA—Samuel F. Mazella of Shady Side, MD, December 11, 2022; physician and general surgeon; owner/director, Farragut Medical Inc., a travel medicine clinic that offered vaccinations and medical services to tourists and D.C. locals; chief of the medical staff, Southern Maryland Hospital; veteran; avid hunter and fisherman; enjoyed golf, raising cattle and horses, and breeding and training Labrador retrievers. Alpha Delta Phi.

’57 BA—Ann Leonard Reitz of Wyoming, OH, November 15, 2018; professor of English literature, University of Cincinnati. Kappa Kappa Gamma.

’57, BArch ’58—Clarence C. Whitney of Germantown, MD, formerly of Baldwinsville, NY, November 9, 2022; architect, King & King Architects; owner, Crandall Associates Architects, Rutland, VT; veteran; Rotarian; avid sailor; enjoyed woodworking and reading. Theta Delta Chi.

’58 JD—Harry Issler of New York City and Middleburgh, NY, November 3, 2022; trial attorney; owner, Harry Issler PLLC; judge advocate general, New York Army Reserve National Guard; enjoyed entertaining; active in community affairs.

’58 BA—Robert M. Snyder of Stone Mountain, GA, December 2021. Delta Tau Delta.

’58 BA—William W. Standen of Bluffton, SC, formerly of Elyria, OH; November 10, 2022; president, Standen & Guthman Insurance Agency Inc.; veteran; Rotarian; enjoyed the symphony and marshaling at golf tournaments; active in charitable, civic, religious, and alumni affairs. Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

’59 JD—Walter Black of Boca Raton, FL, formerly of Port Washington, NY, December 3, 2022; attorney in private practice in Great Neck, NY; veteran; patron of the arts.

’59—John A. Ekstrom of Cape Coral, FL, formerly of Bedford, VA, November 7, 2022; designer, builder, and co-owner/operator, Big Easy Registered Hereford Ranch; manager of control systems, NYSEG; chairman, Broome Community College Industrial Advisory Committee; enjoyed international travel, farming, and entertaining; active in civic and professional affairs.

’59 MS—W. Stephen Lewellen of Morgantown, WV, November 24, 2022; research professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, West Virginia University; also worked at Aeronautical Research Associates of Princeton; associate professor of aeronautical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Drexel University; expert in fluid dynamics; veteran; author of numerous research publications; environmentalist; enjoyed international travel, the outdoors, hiking, and racket sports; active in professional and religious affairs.

’59 MS—Donald S. Luce of Niagara Falls, NY, November 17, 2022; public relations director, Community Missions of Niagara Frontier; sociology teacher, Niagara County Community College; director, International Voluntary Services, Washington, DC; also directed humanitarian work throughout Asia, raising awareness and money for HIV research; author; enjoyed international travel, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and reading.

’59–60 SP Ag—Chester A. Mazer of Beverly, MA, November 19, 2022; head of security, Cummings Center business campus; deputy, Essex County Sheriff’s Office; also worked as a manufacturer’s sales representative; veteran; avid fisherman and sailor; enjoyed vintage cars and local car shows; active in community and veteran affairs.

’59, BArch ’62—Jonathan C. Meigs of Ithaca, NY, November 10, 2022; Ithaca city planner; enjoyed choral singing, gardening, and Jack Russell terriers; active in civic, community, religious, and alumni affairs. Alpha Phi Delta.


1960s

’60, BS CALS ’61, DVM ’63—Richard H. Coburn of New York City, November 5, 2022; veterinarian; owner, Montague (NJ) Veterinary Hospital; member, Lions Club; enjoyed travel, choral singing, theater, and hosting visitors from around the world; active in humanitarian, professional, and alumni affairs. Phi Kappa Tau.

’60, BCE ’61—Peer Ghent of Valley Glenn, CA, September 26, 2022; senior management analyst, City of Los Angeles; owner, Peer Ghent & Associates management consultants and strategic planners; lecturer, UCLA Anderson School of Management; active in alumni affairs. Alpha Tau Omega.

’60, BCE ’63—William P. Henry of Castle Pines, CO, formerly of Sequim, WA, November 26, 2022; civil engineer and water resources planner in Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, Fairfax, VA, and Boulder, CO; author, training developer, and conference speaker on preventing corruption in the worldwide engineering construction industry; veteran; avid New York Yankees fan; enjoyed international travel, sailing, camping, backpacking, fishing, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and softball; active in professional and alumni affairs. Sigma Chi. Wife, Joan Kather Henry ’64.

’60, BA ’67—Dorothy A. Schlater of San Antonio, TX, November 28, 2022; high school teacher, St. Gerard High School and other Catholic schools in the East and Southwest.

’61, BEE ’62, ME ’63—David L. Boardman of Byron Center, MI, formerly of Wyckoff, NJ, October 31, 2022; electrical engineer, ITT, working on military contracts; enjoyed travel, music, and investing; active in religious affairs.

’61 BA—Robert A. Fineman of Delray Beach, FL, formerly of Detroit, MI, November 10, 2022; trial attorney and head of litigation, Honigman law firm; avid reader; enjoyed softball, golf, and building model ships and railroads; active in religious affairs. Pi Lambda Phi.

’61 MPA—Gary A. Gambuti of New York City, November 24, 2022; president, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center; member or officer of numerous professional hospital and healthcare organizations; enjoyed formal piano studies; active in alumni affairs.

’61—Barbara DeYoung Gibson of Webster, NY, November 5, 2022; home equity professional, Chase Manhattan Bank; case manager, coordinator, and director of personnel, Visiting Nurse Service, National Home Nursing, and Monroe County Long Term Care Ombudsman program; community ambulance volunteer; enjoyed motorhome travel, hot air balloon festivals, Buffalo Bills football, music, and large family gatherings; active in religious and alumni affairs. Alpha Omicron Pi. Husband, Bruce D. Gibson ’60, BS CALS ’61.

’61 BS Hotel—Karl A.M. Lehmann of Bonita Springs, FL, November 15, 2022; proprietor and owner, Maxl’s Rathskeller, the family German Bavarian restaurant; avid New York Giants and Yankees fan; enjoyed travel, golf, coaching Little League, beaches, cooking, and entertaining. Sigma Chi.

’62, BS HE ’63—Helen Rabinowitz Anbinder of Dobbs Ferry, NY, November 8, 2022; manager, Inter-Village Continuing Education Program for Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, and Irvington, NY; also ran a seminar program for a marketing organization; homemaker; advocate, fundraiser, and board member, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; avid reader; enjoyed international travel, cooking, museums, and live music and dance; active in community and alumni affairs. Delta Phi Epsilon. Husband, Paul Anbinder ’60.

’62, BA ’63—Sara Renninger Chevako of New Woodstock, NY, November 26, 2022; aide and resources director, Office of NYS Senator Nancy Larraine Hoffmann; freelance bookkeeper; chemist, Bristol Laboratories; rode, bred, and showed Tennessee walking horses; enjoyed travel, singing folk music, genealogy, and her 100-acre farm; active in historical affairs. Husband, Robert J. Chevako, ME ’64.

’62 MS, PhD ’68—Albert J. Nyberg of Middle River, MD, November 27, 2022; consultant to the World Bank in China, Vietnam, and Nigeria; senior agricultural economist, World Bank, implementing projects in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East; program administrator and visiting economics lecturer, Rockefeller Foundation program in Nigeria and at Gadjah Mada University in Java, Indonesia; veteran; enjoyed international travel, coin and stamp collecting, and rose gardening; active in religious affairs.

’62 LLB—Richard H. “John” Pille of Binghamton, NY, November 16, 2022; partner, Hinman Howard & Kattell; principal attorney in the formation of United Health Services and Finger Lakes Health System; owner, Chester B. Lord Carriage House; member of several community boards; enjoyed international travel, reading, volleyball, tennis, golf, and bridge; active in historical and religious affairs.

’64 BS CALS—Joseph C. Bowen of Wayzata, MN, November 8, 2022; grain business professional, International Multifoods Corp. and Bunge Corp.; president, Minneapolis Grain Shippers Association; raised Polled Shorthorn cattle; Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania; enjoyed travel, bridge, rugby, tennis, and coaching youth sports; active in professional and religious affairs. Beta Theta Pi.

’64 BS HE—Evelyn Silsby Brown of Kihei, HI, September 10, 2022; adult educational teacher; accomplished quilter and potter; enjoyed outrigger canoeing and Buffalo Bills football; active in religious and alumni affairs. Husband, Philip R. Brown ’63.

’64 MST, PhD ’66—Boyd D. Collier of San Diego, CA, March 14, 2022; professor emeritus of biology, San Diego State University; active in alumni affairs.

’64 BS CALS—Ruth Odin Grunspan of Gaithersburg, MD, November 9, 2022; editor of the membership directory, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology; avid tennis player; enjoyed music, puzzles, movies, and reading.

’64 BS CALS—Kenneth H. Hull of Binghamton, NY, November 19, 2022; training and development professional, United Health Services; also worked as a microbiologist; published poet; nature enthusiast, wildflower photographer, and member, Upstate Orchid Society; enjoyed travel, national parks, and Toastmasters; active in alumni affairs. Pi Kappa Alpha.

’64 BA—Stephen E. Newton of Corona Del Mar, CA, formerly of Newport Beach, CA, November 3, 2022; co-owner, healthcare-related businesses AtlantiCair and Home Helpers Orange Coast; corporate attorney, Heller Ehrman; partner, Kindel & Anderson; co-founder, La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation; member or officer on several academic and scientific boards; enjoyed travel, boating, jazz and classical concerts, the Los Angeles Dodgers, investing, and entertaining; active in community, religious, and alumni affairs. Phi Kappa Psi.

’64, B Chem E ’65, ME ’68—M. John Sterba Jr. of New York City, October 29, 2022; chairman and chief investment officer, Investment Management Advisors Inc.; venture capital professional; also practiced investment securities law with Sullivan & Cromwell; author; active in professional and alumni affairs. Tau Kappa Epsilon.

’64 BS CALS—Rodger E. Weismann Jr. of Medfield, MA, formerly of Lincoln, MA, November 7, 2022; chief financial officer, the Forum Corp.; avid golfer and VP of finance, Marlborough Country Club board of directors; enjoyed running marathons, skiing, and Thoroughbred horseracing; active in community and religious affairs. Phi Delta Theta.

’65 LLB—M. Joseph Levin of New York City and West Stockbridge, MA, December 7, 2022; elder law attorney in private practice in Elmhurst, NY; also practiced law for the Legal Aid Society; enjoyed Democratic politics, pickleball, puns, word puzzles, and New York Yankees baseball; active in community and religious affairs.

’66 MA—Leo Chosid of Nyack, NY, November 15, 2022; professor emeritus of applied mathematics and statistics, NYC College of Technology; avid amateur theological philosopher; enjoyed dancing, show tunes, jazz vocalists, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, lively debate, and contemplating the applications of probability.

’66 BA—Gwendolyn Gartland Scalpello of Vail, CO, November 25, 2022; guest service host, Vail Mountain; Master Gardener; board secretary, gift shop manager, and tour program coordinator, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens; longtime condo association president; active in community, cultural, and alumni affairs. Kappa Delta.

’66 MS, PhD ’71—William R. Schaffner of Interlaken, NY, November 11, 2022; lecturer and research associate in limnology, Cornell University departments of Natural Resources and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; expert in the taxonomic identification of zooplankton and phytoplankton; veteran; member, Nautical Research Guild and Interlaken Historical Society; avid stamp collector; enjoyed crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and birdwatching.

’66 BME, ME ’67—Kermit L. “Chip” Stofer of Weston, MA, December 4, 2022; entrepreneur, advisor, and fundraising consultant; CEO of two technology companies and founder/CEO of two startups, including Strategic Partners Inc.; volunteer and board chair, Big Brothers Big Sisters; enjoyed international travel, mountaineering, skiing, golf, tennis, and fly fishing; active in alumni affairs. Phi Kappa Psi.

’67 BA—Peter D. Christiana of Syracuse, NY, December 9, 2022; corporate finance and investor relations professional, Stratus Technologies, Maynard, MA; enjoyed international travel, RV road trips, hiking, and his Harley-Davidson. Phi Sigma Kappa.

’67 BS CALS—Kim M. Howell of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, October 1, 2022; biodiversity inventory researcher, consultant, and professor of zoology, Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, University of Dar es Salaam; author of numerous books, chapters, and scientific papers on amphibians and reptiles of East Africa; active in alumni affairs.

’68 JD—Colin S. Brooks of Old Greenwich, CT, March 24, 2022; CEO, International Languages & Services, providers of language instruction, translation, and interpretation.

’68 BA—Catherine “Tina” Forrester Cleland of Kensington, MD, November 4, 2022; owner and award-winning independent consultant, Catherine Cleland Consulting, analyzing foreign healthcare systems and advising governments on healthcare reform; project director, U.S. Agency for International Development; senior analyst for performance measurement and evaluation; also worked at the Department of Health and Human Services and as assistant to Arthur Flemming and Donald Rumsfeld; member or officer on several healthcare boards and advocate for breast cancer survivors; avid rower; active in civic, professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Kappa Kappa Gamma.

’68 BA—Thomas G. Cook of Franklin Lakes, NJ, November 8, 2022; document control professional at Sanofi and other pharmaceutical companies; Scout leader; active in religious affairs. Kappa Delta Rho.

’68 BA—Peter T. Mitchell of Charlotte, NC, November 20, 2022; studied chemistry and business; worked at IBM; veteran; active in religious affairs. Alpha Sigma Phi.

’68, BEE ’69, MS ’69—David C. Riley of Vista, CA, October 2, 2022; electrical engineering research and design professional, Eneron Corp., where he worked on innovations in fluorescent lighting; professor, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; also worked on projects at NASA for its Stellar Tracking Rocket Attitude Positioning System, identifying sources of energy outside our solar system; music lover who enjoyed listening to ’50s and ’60s band music; accomplished trumpet player and co-founder/manager of a 10-piece dance band, the Crystalairs; active in professional affairs.

’68 BA—Carla Chrzan Sweeney of Homer, NY, November 7, 2022; mathematics teacher, Homer Junior High School; enjoyed genealogy, crocheting, cocker spaniels, and Cape Cod; active in alumni affairs.

’69 BA—Linda M. Johanson of Ithaca, NY, November 4, 2022; managing editor, Administrative Science Quarterly; traveled internationally to teach academic writing to junior university faculty; translated the papers of the Marquis de Lafayette, published in three volumes; co-founder, Infant Daycare Center, the first in Ithaca; gifted artist; board chair, Women’s Opportunity Center; enjoyed international travel, cooking, entertaining, walking, classical music, and the Rolling Stones.

’69 BS CALS—James A. Taverner of Southern Pines, NC, November 3, 2022; strategic marketing planner; CFO, Draka Elevator USA, Rocky Mount, NC; active in religious affairs.

’69 BS HE—Adele Gordon Trested of Brentwood, NH, formerly of East Hampstead, NH, December 6, 2022; first- and second-grade teacher, Hampstead Central School; special-education teacher, Perkins School for the Blind (Watertown, MA), Pike School (Andover, MA), and other educational institutions; accomplished and prolific crafter; enjoyed travel, reading, writing, baking, and the outdoors. Kappa Delta. Husband, Warren C. Trested Jr. ’67, ME ’68.


1970s

’70 BS ILR—Alexander G. Gillett of Philadelphia, PA, November 22, 2022; owner/manager, Little Home Repairs, providing affordable services to poor and working-class Philadelphians; chair, Philadelphia Green Party; theater enthusiast and Barrymore Award nominator; active in alumni affairs.

’71, BS CALS ’72—Robert J. Rule of Block Island, RI, November 6, 2022; history teacher and lacrosse coach, Manhasset (NY) High School; training book author; served as backup goaltender on the 1969–70 NCAA championship ice hockey team and starting goaltender on the 1971 NCAA championship lacrosse team, making him the only Cornellian to play on national champion teams in different sports; Team USA world lacrosse champion; inductee, National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame; holder of several U.S. patents for new goalie-stick designs; active in alumni affairs.

’72—Rebecca L. Harber of Ithaca, NY, November 16, 2022; herbalist, lecturer, and seminar leader on herbal medicines; owner, Red Eft Herbals; also worked at GreenStar Food Co-op; feminist, environmentalist, and advocate for social justice and workers’ rights; enjoyed the outdoors, guiding nature walks, singing, and playing guitar, piano, and Native American flute.

’72 BS CALS—Robert R. Hildebrand Jr. of Owego, NY, November 23, 2022; housing services director, Tioga Opportunities; enjoyed gardening and the outdoors. Zeta Psi.

’72 BA—Joseph R. Masci of Manhasset, NY, November 15, 2022; award-winning physician and humanitarian; director of medicine, Elmhurst Hospital Center and founding chairman, Global Health Department; also founded Elmhurst Hospital’s AIDS program; professor of medicine, infectious disease, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai; also led multi-year projects to improve AIDS care in Russia and Ethiopia; author of several books on HIV care, bioterrorism preparedness, and Ebola; consultant to the United Nations; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Wife, Elizabeth R. Bass ’72.

’73 JD—J. Paul Robbins of New York City, December 31, 2014; attorney in civil litigation, antitrust, and employment law, McLaughlin & Stern; co-founder, Nitkin, Alkalay, Handler & Robbins; enjoyed sharing his literary, musical, and historical knowledge.

’73 BS ILR—Steven F. Schaeffer of Ithaca, NY, December 16, 2022; business consultant; co-owner, human resources manager, and financial officer, Wagner Lumber Co., Owego, the largest hardwood company in the Northeast; philanthropist; avid stamp and postcard collector; enjoyed international travel, boating, basketball, and Cornell sports; active in humanitarian and alumni affairs. Sigma Nu.

’74—Robert G. Glassberg of Hamilton, OH, November 25, 2022; worked in the medical field; advocate for women’s rights; enjoyed sports, music, and playing guitar. Wife, Bonnie Nadler Glassberg ’74, BS ’76.

’74 BS CALS—Glenn I. Strahs of Chevy Chase, MD, March 1, 2021; physical scientist and technology manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Industrial Technologies Program; active in alumni affairs.

’74 BA—Steven A. Wasser of Staatsburg, NY, formerly of Wellesley, MA, November 2, 2022; entrepreneur, teacher, and mentor; owner, Verne Q. Powell Flutes Inc., global manufacturers of professional flutes and piccolos; held several U.S. patents; veteran; founder or facilitator of several CEO peer groups; accomplished woodwind musician; avid art collector, donor, and philanthropist; hockey and baseball fan and player; enjoyed bicycling, hiking, and running; active in professional and religious affairs. Zeta Beta Tau.

’75, BArch ’76—Bruce D. Batkin of New York City, December 12, 2022; commercial real estate professional; co-founder and CEO, Terra Capital Partners, providers of middle-market non-bank financing to U.S. developers and property investors; also held management positions at Merrill Lynch, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, and ABN AMRO Bank; active in alumni affairs.

’79 BA—Stephen C. Komor of Ithaca, NY, November 2022; hydrogeochemist, U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Ithaca; hydrology research crew member on several deep-sea drilling voyages; enjoyed reading, music, building computers, home improvement projects, and political discourse; active in alumni affairs.


1980s

’80 BS MSE—Richard A. Bickford of Worcester, MA, and Delray Beach, FL, November 8, 2022; high school physics and chemistry teacher, Claremont Academy; computer chip designer, Digital Equipment Corp.; volunteer elementary school math tutor; enjoyed Lake Winnipesaukee, boating, golf, skiing, cooking, and live music; active in alumni affairs. Delta Kappa Epsilon.

’81 JD—Gary E. Humes of Washington, DC, November 12, 2022; real estate and telecommunications attorney; partner, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP.

’81, BA ’83—Fernando R. Lopez of New York City, November 8, 2022; managing director, Credit Suisse; musician, composer, conductor, director, filmmaker, photographer, writer, technologist, and mathematician; enjoyed fine food and wine.

’83—James E. Prevor of Boca Raton, FL, November 8, 2022; produce industry professional and award-winning business journalist; CEO, Phoenix Media Network Inc.; founder, Produce Business and other buyer-oriented publications in the fresh food arena; global speaker, columnist, and commentator; created and launched several recurring produce industry events including the New York Produce Show and Conference and the Global Grape Summit; active in alumni affairs. Sigma Phi. Wife, Debra Hodes Prevor ’86.

’84 MA—Kathryn Bambrick of Ithaca, NY, October 7, 2021; NICU nurse, Arnot Ogden Medical Center; avid reader of crime, science fiction, and fantasy novels, as well as historical and public policy nonfiction. Wife, Belinda Thompson ’77, DVM ’81.

’85 MS—Robert T. Gast Jr. of St. Paul, MN, September 23, 2022; professor, Department of Plant Biology and Plant Molecular Genetics Institute, University of Minnesota.

’85 PhD—J. Edward Kautz of Schenectady, NY, November 5, 2022; wildlife biometrician, Game Management Unit, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; also worked for the Colorado Division of Wildlife; nature lover and environmentalist; advocate for peace and human justice; accomplished yodeler; enjoyed skiing, climbing, bicycling, and Swedish dancing.

’88 JD—Henry C. Granison of Ithaca, NY, November 5, 2022; attorney; legislator, Tompkins County; worked in admissions at Cornell and Pace law schools; adjunct professor, Tompkins Cortland Community College; also practiced law in Boston and Minneapolis; advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in law school recruitment and law firm hiring; Tompkins County Library volunteer; avid Mets fan; enjoyed musical theater, pop culture, and social discourse; active in civic, community, and professional affairs. Wife, Mary Beth Grant, JD ’88.


1990s

’90 MS—Paul E. Ciszek of Evergreen, CO, November 4, 2022; worked in the field of photovoltaic solar energy conversion; documented the efficiency of solar cell materials as they were being developed, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; enjoyed studying geology, hiking, singing, photography, computer technology, and science fiction.

’95 MS—Bruce P. Tillapaugh of Perry, NY, October 16, 2022; program leader and crop specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming, Erie, and Herkimer counties; also worked summers for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation on eradicating hog weed; Scout leader; enjoyed cross-country travel, hunting, fishing, camping, and gardening; active in civic and religious affairs.

’98 DVM—Jennifer L. Collins of Robbinsville, NJ, December 1, 2022; veterinarian; owner, Home Pet Mobile Veterinary Services; also worked at Foxmoor Animal Hospital and Lawrence Animal Hospital.


2000s

’04 BS ILR—Manjula Venkataramani, of New York City, October 16, 2022; licensing, immigration, intellectual property, and brand management attorney; IT contracts specialist, New Jersey Transit; legal counsel, Global Licensing Audit Services Inc.; also worked at Tata Consultancy Services and Ostrolenk Faber LLP. Husband, Binoy A. Dharia ’04.


Please submit notification of alumni deaths to: cubio-deceased@cornell.edu.


Top: Photo by Sreang Hok / Cornell University.

Published February 1, 2023