Aerial scene of Bailey Hall in autumn

November 2024

The University recently learned of the passing of these Cornellians

Editor’s note: Please submit notification of alumni deaths—including an obituary, if possible—to the University at cubio-deceased@cornell.edu. Once the University records an alumni death in its database, the relevant information is forwarded to Cornellians for inclusion in a future In Memoriam section; deaths are generally listed three to four months after the University receives notice. If you have questions, please contact Alexandra Bond ’12 at abb83@cornell.edu.

’42 BS CALS—George E. Story of Ghent, NY, June 28, 2024; owner, Story’s Nursery; Mason; member, Elks Club; enjoyed golf and bowling; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Alpha Zeta.

’47 BA—Joyce McClusky Zweibel of North Greenbush, NY, June 27, 2024; chemist, Winthrop Laboratories; organist and choir director, St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church; enjoyed duplicate bridge, playing piano, attending ballet and symphony performances, and following national politics and the New York Mets; active in civic, religious, and alumni affairs. Alpha Omicron Pi.

’49–50 GR—Charles H. Jefferson of Ottawa, ON, July 7, 2024; director, Plant Products Division, Agriculture Canada; consultant; veteran; avid hunter and fisherman; enjoyed travel, outdoor sports, gardening, bridge, chair caning, mysteries, and the Ottawa Little Theatre; active in community and professional affairs.

’49 BS HE—Antoinette Hallinan Ottobre of Toms River, NJ, June 24, 2024; taught nutrition to student nurses at Somerset County College; avid reader; enjoyed travel, cooking, ice skating, swimming, waterskiing, and horseback riding; active in alumni affairs.

’49 BS HE—Margery Rubin Frank Slavin of Glen Cove, NY, June 23, 2024; assistant to the director, Willie Ross School for the Deaf; active in professional and alumni affairs. Alpha Epsilon Phi.


’50 JD—Lloyd Frank of New York City, July 28, 2024; attorney; senior counsel, Troutman, Pepper LLP; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’50 BS HE—Elizabeth Alexander Weis of Osprey, FL, formerly of Wilmington, NC, June 28, 2024; attorney; specialist in elder law, estate planning, and disability law; home economics teacher; also worked as a professional Girl Scout; enjoyed travel, reading, gardening, and trying new recipes; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs.

’51 BEE, PhD ’57—David H. Blauvelt of Hopewell, NJ, July 3, 2024; technical director, ITT Defense Communications; also worked for Bendix Corp.; avid swimmer and tennis player; active in professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Sigma Pi.

’51 BA—Michael Cohen of Wynnewood, PA, June 30, 2024; co-founder, Aspen Center for Physics; professor of physics, University of Pennsylvania; postdoctoral student of Richard Feynman and J. Robert Oppenheimer; author; enjoyed mountaineering and rock climbing; active in professional affairs.

’51 BS HE—Theodora Frizzell Frick of Charlotte, NC, July 1, 2024; oncology charge nurse, Carolinas Medical Center; also taught high school home economics and nutrition; Girl Scout leader; Habitat for Humanity volunteer; avid gardener; enjoyed international travel, the outdoors, dancing, swimming, sailing, mah-jongg, and bridge; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Chi Omega.

’51 BS HE—Doris Paine Kirchner of Niskayuna, NY, July 7, 2024; homemaker; active in alumni affairs. Surviving spouse: Paul H. Kirchner ’50.

’52 BA, JD ’56—Bernard S. Berkowitz of Paramus, NJ, July 28, 2024; attorney; veteran; author; enjoyed travel, golf, opera, and classical music; active in civic, community, professional, and alumni affairs.

’52 BS ILR, MEd ’55—Robert S. Chabon of Cincinnati, OH, July 24, 2024; human resources manager; active in alumni affairs. Sigma Alpha Mu. Surviving spouse: Judith Resnik Chabon ’53.

’52 BS HE—Gertrude Serby Gildea of Columbus, MS, July 26, 2023; violin teacher; reading teacher; arts consultant; volunteer, League of Women Voters; active in civic, community, religious, and alumni affairs.

’53, BA ’54—Richard H. Moore Jr. of Essex, CT, February 13, 2024; senior vice president, Manufacturers Hanover Trust; veteran; enjoyed international travel, golf, and computers; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Seal & Serpent.

’53 BS HE—Barbara Mestel Schaeffer of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, July 11, 2024; pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teacher; CAAAN volunteer; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs.

’54 BA—William D. Terry of Chestnut Hill, MA, July 14, 2024; vice president for corporate sponsored research and licensing, Partners HealthCare System; senior vice president, research and ventures, Brigham Medical Center; CEO, Damon Biotech; chief, immunology branch, National Cancer Institute; helped establish the Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Cardiology Division, at Brigham Medical Center, and the Wilmot Fellowship Program at the University of Rochester; enjoyed art, classical music, Broadway musicals, reading, sailing, and playing tennis; active in community and professional affairs. Beta Sigma Rho.

’55 JD—Vito J. Cassan of New York City, June 30, 2024; attorney; assistant general counsel, New York Power Authority; adjunct professor of environmental law, Fordham University; enjoyed international travel and watching sports; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’55 BS CALS, MS ’57—Eugene Donefer of Kingston, ON, June 10, 2022; auxiliary professor, Queens University; director, office of McGill University International; professor emeritus of animal science, McGill University; expert in international agriculture and global food security; active in professional affairs.

’55 BA—Astrid Pfeiffer Gettier of Hagerstown, MD, February 22, 2024; attorney; worked for Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, Chubb & Son Inc., and J.P. Mattimoe; corporate secretary, FPL Group Inc.; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’55—Ralph T. Kloser of Missoula, MT, December 17, 2022; worked in the dairy industry; pub owner; entrepreneur; veteran; active in professional affairs.

’55, BME ’56—James E. Liedell of Norwalk, CT, July 4, 2024; engineer, plant manager, and manager of manufacturing at General Electric; co-founder, Clean Power Now; veteran; Rotarian; enjoyed sailing, tennis, and bridge; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Sigma Phi Epsilon.

’55 BS CALS—Alfred J. Patane of San Mateo, CA, October 12, 2015; worked for Briggs & Stratton. Sigma Pi.

’55 MS—Sylvia Hand Pott of South Orleans, MA, June 23, 2024; early childhood teacher; enjoyed nature, playing tennis and paddle tennis, swimming, music, and singing; active in community, religious, and alumni affairs.

’55 BA—Lawrence W. Way of Larkspur, CA, December 1, 2022; professor of surgery, chief of the Foregut Surgery Service, and director, videoscopic training programs, University of California, San Francisco; pioneer in minimally invasive surgery; chief of surgery, San Francisco V.A. Medical Center at Fort Miley; veteran; author; editor; enjoyed international travel, landscape and wildlife photography, gardening, geology, hiking, camping, playing squash, and reading; active in community and professional affairs. Delta Tau Delta.

’56 JD—M. Richard Asher of Boca Raton, FL, July 25, 2024; attorney; music industry executive; worked for CBS Records, Columbia Records, Warner Communications, and Polygram Records Inc.; adjunct professor of commercial music, Florida Atlantic University; veteran; active in professional and religious affairs.

’57—Campbell A. Harlan Jr. of Clarkesville, GA, November 16, 2022; truck driver, Blue Circle; author; enjoyed golf and reading. Delta Tau Delta.

’57 BS CALS—Leonard E. Mindich of New York City, July 30, 2024; virologist; professor, Public Health Research Institute; enjoyed tennis, windsurfing, and scuba diving; active in professional and alumni affairs. Watermargin.

’57—John B. Pope of Berkeley, CA, December 4, 2016. Delta Tau Delta.

’57 BA—Harold E. Swinson of Gloucester, MA, July 4, 2024; worked for Continental Can, Coca-Cola USA, and the Bostik Division of Total Chemical; veteran; enjoyed international travel, history, and word games; active in professional affairs. Sigma Nu.

’58 BA—Michael J. Berger of Sausalito, CA, September 29, 2023; attorney; author; board member, Delancey Street Foundation; active in community affairs. Phi Sigma Delta.

’58 BA—Karin Jones Bull of Durham, NC, February 11, 2024; English teacher, Lyons Township High School; volunteer, League of Women Voters; enjoyed international travel, reading, knitting, registering voters, feminism, and progressive politics; active in community and alumni affairs.

’58, BME ’59, MBA ’60—Kenneth T. Derr of Orinda, CA, July 12, 2024; CEO, Chevron Power & Energy Management Co.; president, Chevron USA; worked on the Save the Cable Cars Campaign; philanthropist; enjoyed international travel, golf, and playing bridge, gin rummy, hearts, and dominos; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Sigma Phi Epsilon. Surviving spouse: Donna Mettler Derr ’60.

’58 MA—Kathleen B. Jacklin of Ithaca, NY, July 2, 2024; archivist, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University; enjoyed international travel and cats; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs.

’58 BA—John S. King of Kingwood, TX, June 24, 2024; geologist; division manager, the Anschutz Corp.; also worked for Texaco, Clark Oil, Nord Petroleum, Challenger Minerals, and Howell Petroleum; competed in the Millrose Games; enjoyed international travel, golf, square dancing, bowling, and fine dining; active in community, professional, and religious affairs. Phi Kappa Sigma.

’58 BA—Carol Collins Matheson of Delaware Water Gap, PA, September 5, 2023; substitute teacher; enjoyed international travel, knitting, playing piano, birdwatching, and cooking; active in community, religious, and alumni affairs. Delta Gamma. Surviving spouse: Philip D. Matheson ’57.

’58 MBA—J. Scott Rambach of Columbia, SC, July 6, 2024; bank manager in California, Oregon, and Washington; avid Red Sox fan; enjoyed gardening; active in professional affairs.

’58 BS HE—Lois Tuttle Spurney of Rehoboth Beach, DE, formerly of Chevy Chase, MD, July 4, 2024; travel agent; program manager, Friendship Heights Community Center; co-hosted the American Freedom Train in 1976, the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY, and World’s Fairs in Spokane, WA, and New Orleans, LA; enjoyed international travel; active in community affairs. Kappa Kappa Gamma. Surviving spouse: Petr L. Spurney ’57, BME ’58.

’58, BME ’59—Herbert V. Whittall of Vero Beach, FL, July 8, 2024; service engineer, Caterpillar Tractor Co.; consultant, EGSA; veteran; tutored high school students; sailing secretary, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club; enjoyed international travel, fishing, sailing, soccer, tennis, squash, and skiing; active in civic, community, professional, and alumni affairs. Alpha Chi Rho.

’59 BS HE—Mary Searles Clayton of Lizella, GA, December 6, 2022; school district assistant; active in alumni affairs.

’59 BA—Ann Sundermeyer Hill of Potomac, MD, formerly of Gaithersburg, MD, July 29, 2024; librarian; active in alumni affairs. Kappa Delta.

’59, B Chem E ’60—W. Kenneth Menke of Glendale, MO, July 10, 2024; founder, Learning Products Inc., CODE 3-Public Safety Equipment, Fire Products Co., and Fire Service Research Institute; also worked for Monsanto and Mobay Chemical Co.; volunteer firefighter; enjoyed international travel, riding trains, and collecting antique fire engines; active in community and professional affairs. Theta Chi.

’59 MS—Brad Schneller of Mississauga, ON, June 21, 2024; worked for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food; enjoyed travel, gardening, woodworking, curling, collecting antiques, family genealogy, and history; active in community and professional affairs.

’59 BA—Barbara Curit Thorp of Cohoes, NY, formerly of Ithaca, NY, July 22, 2024; director of operations, Sciencenter; manager, Triangle Steel; also worked in the Department of Zoology, Cornell University; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Pi Beta Phi.


’60, BA ’62—Bryant Andrews of Columbia, CT, June 29, 2024; president, Integrated Custom Software Inc.; technical writer, Pratt & Whitney; developed office automation tools; avid pilot; enjoyed sailing and playing piano and organ; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’60 BA—James A. Hodges of Williamsburg, VA, formerly of Lake Forest, IL, 2023; CEO, Intellispace; senior vice president and CFO, Option Care Inc.; senior vice president, Pansophic Systems Inc.; consultant; active in professional and alumni affairs. Pi Kappa Alpha.

’60, BS CALS ’63—Henry G. Holmgren Jr. of Worcester, MA, July 6, 2024; junior high school math and science teacher; feed salesman; farmer; veteran; performed with the Mendelssohn Singers and Worcester County Light Opera; enjoyed reading, gardening, teddy bears, theater, and concerts; active in community and professional affairs.

’60 BA—Frederick L. Ikenson of Potomac, MD, July 4, 2024; attorney; partner, Blank Rome; international trade and customs attorney, U.S. Department of Justice; junior high school English and Spanish teacher; also worked for Air France; soccer and basketball coach; veteran; active in professional affairs.

’60 PhD—Gerald A. Peterson of Middle Haddam, CT, April 28, 2024; senior principal scientist, United Technologies Corp.; senior theoretical physicist, Theoretical Physics Research Center; taught at Wesleyan University and Harvard University; author; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’61 BA, MD ’65—James P. Baden of Hilton Head Island, SC, July 14, 2024; general surgeon; veteran; barbershop singer; Rotarian; enjoyed international travel, fine wine, jazz, bridge, and cooking; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

’61, BArch ’62—L. Michael Schenker of Powder Springs, GA, December 24, 2023; regional manager, Casco Corp.; president and CEO, Claxton Manufacturing; active in alumni affairs. Beta Sigma Rho.

’61 BS CALS, MS ’63—Allen E. Shapley of Malahat, BC, January 24, 2023; professor of agricultural economics, Michigan State University.

’61 BA, JD ’64—Roger J. Weiss of Purchase, NY, July 14, 2024; attorney; founding partner, Weiss, Peck & Greer investment firm; taught at Stanford University Law School; trustee emeritus and presidential councillor, Cornell University; lifetime trustee, Weill Cornell Medicine; inductee, Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame; endowed Cornell’s head football coaching position; helped finance a cable deal between the Ivy League and SportsChannel America; awarded a 1970 Super Bowl ring as advisor to the Baltimore Colts; philanthropist; enjoyed golf, Thoroughbred racing, and football; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Beta Sigma Rho.

’62, BS CALS ’82—Duane H. Buman of Hendersonville, NC, July 4, 2024; worked for the Afton (NY) Central School System.

’62, BS CALS ’63—Russell C. Cherry of Elgin, TX, May 15, 2022; economist; consultant; active in alumni affairs. Alpha Delta Phi.

’62 BS HE—Linda Prentice Rice of Tampa, FL, June 23, 2024; director of development and nursery school founder, Temple Beth El, Great Neck, NY; chapter president, Maccabi USA Sports for Israel; enjoyed international travel and photography; active in community, religious, and alumni affairs.

’63 PhD—Charles O. Crawford of Clearfield, PA, formerly of State College, PA, July 6, 2024; professor emeritus of rural sociology, Penn State University; director, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health; professor, University of Connecticut; director, Division of Behavioral Science, Pennsylvania Department of Health; veteran; enjoyed amateur radio and collecting antique pocket watches; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs.

’63 BS CALS—Edward F. Hoerning of Cherryville, NC, June 25, 2024; poultry scientist, USDA; active in professional, religious, and alumni affairs.

’63—Ernest L. Manchin of Dripping Springs, TX, formerly of West Monroe, NY, June 30, 2024; mechanical engineer, Carrier Air Conditioning; New York State child safety seat technician; Scoutmaster; enjoyed travel, model trains, and hiking; active in civic, community, and professional affairs.

’64 BS CALS—Rowland T. Devereaux of Manhattan, KS, July 2, 2024; 4-H youth development cooperative extension agent; veteran; enjoyed riding tractors, gardening, and watching baseball. Alpha Gamma Rho.

’64 BA, MBA ’66—Wayne Mezitt of Hopkinton, MA, July 18, 2024; horticulturist; worked for Weston Nurseries; recipient, New England Botanical Garden Carey Award, and gold medals from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, and the Massachusetts Chapter Rhododendron Society; enjoyed travel, gardening, skiing, golf, woodworking, reading, cooking, and fine wine; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Lambda Chi Alpha. Surviving spouse: Elizabeth Pickering Mezitt ’65.

’65 MA—E. Josephine Leach Lewis of San Rafael, CA, July 2024; ESL teacher and director of courses, Alemany Adult School; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’65 MPA—Frank A. Nicolai of Fort Washington, MD, July 6, 2024; co-founder, CFO, and head of human resources, American Management Systems Inc.; veteran; enjoyed international travel, gardening, reading, and baseball; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs.

’66 BS Nurs—Mary Woods Byrne of Yonkers, NY, July 6, 2024; professor of clinical healthcare for the underserved and of clinical anesthesiological sciences, Columbia University School of Nursing; researched ways to improve the lives of infants born to HIV-positive mothers, seriously ill children, children raised in prison, and those receiving primary care in low-income neighborhoods; recipient of the Emily Fenichel Award for Leadership in the Zero-to-Three Field and the Audrey Hepburn Award for Contributions to the Health and Welfare of Children; enjoyed international travel and gardening; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs.

’66 PhD—Michael T. D’Elia of Hingham, MA, July 5, 2024; founder of Money, Time, and Data Management Inc.; professor, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; professor of statistics, University of Maine; developed statistical programs for Texas Instruments; consultant, software companies and Andover Public Schools; managed the Carnegie Commission grant “Leadership in Education”; taught at the Cornell Reading and Study Skills Center; also worked for IBM; enjoyed international travel, chess, reading, opera, Italian cuisine, the beach, and sports; active in community and professional affairs. Surviving spouse: Susan Norman D’Elia, MEd ’64.

’66 BA—Nancy Farnsworth Downs of Bainbridge Island, WA, formerly of Alfred, NY, July 11, 2024; attorney; teacher, Island School; also taught at the Mather School; enjoyed travel, reading, photography, and cross-stitching; active in community and alumni affairs. Surviving spouse: Thomas C. Downs ’65.

’66, DVM ’68—John A. Nerenberg of Eatontown, NJ, June 22, 2024; veterinarian, Belmar Wall Animal Hospital; girls’ basketball coach; enjoyed playing tennis and basketball; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Alpha Psi.

’66 LLB/MBA—Bernard Zucker of New York City, July 13, 2024; intellectual property attorney; vice president, intellectual property business, and general counsel at Bell Labs; enjoyed playing and watching basketball; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’67 MBA—Lloyd F. Christianson of Rocky Mount, NC, June 28, 2024; CPA, North Carolina State Treasurer’s Office; marketing director; taught business and finance at community colleges; veteran; enjoyed choral singing; active in professional, religious, and alumni affairs.

’67 BS CALS—William R. Romig of Collingswood, NJ, formerly of Hammondsport, NY, June 23, 2024; plant physiologist, General Foods; researched the Colombian coffee bean; founder, Moorestown Lacrosse Club; mentor; enjoyed riding touring motorcycles; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Delta Tau Delta.

’68, BA ’71—Richard G. Birchall of North Adams, MA, formerly of Westfield, NJ, and East Orleans, MA, August 9, 2024; tax attorney; active in community and alumni affairs. Phi Gamma Delta.

’68 BS Hotel—Robert A. Cantor of Haverford, PA, July 20, 2024; president and CEO, Insinger Machine Co., a commercial dishwasher manufacturing and innovation company; active in professional and alumni affairs. Beta Sigma Rho. Surviving spouse: Joyce Moye Cantor ’67.

’68—Gregory D. Hood of Concordia, KS, April 20, 2024; owner and vice president, Hood Construction Co.; also worked for Coonrod & Associates; veteran; enjoyed midget car racing; active in community and professional affairs.

’68 BS ILR—Stanley S. Jaspan of Milwaukee, WI, July 27, 2024; attorney and managing partner, Foley & Lardner LLP; adjunct associate professor, Marquette University Law School; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’68, BS HE ’69—Jane Sivers Lavoy of Tupper Lake, NY, July 1, 2024; substitute teacher, Long Lake Central School; teacher, Sunmount Developmental Center; also taught boating safety; 4-H Club leader; Scouting volunteer; active in civic, community, professional, and alumni affairs. Kappa Delta.

’68 MA, PhD ’72—William A. Scoones of Nokomis, FL, formerly of Ithaca, NY, July 8, 2024; assistant and interim provost, dean of Allied Health Sciences and Human Performance, acting dean of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education, interim dean of the Business School, director of Institutional Research and Planning, and founding director of the Center for Teacher Education at Ithaca College; high school history teacher; coached the Big Red freshman hockey team; president, Ithaca Youth Hockey Association; enjoyed live music and dancing; active in community and professional affairs.

’69 MS, PhD ’71—Ann Rothenberg Delmastro of Prescott, AZ, July 4, 2024; worked for Idaho National Laboratory; tax preparer; analyzed specimens from the first moon landing; AARP tax volunteer; enjoyed international travel, camping, and hiking; active in community, professional, and religious affairs.

’69 BS Hotel—Robert W. Horgan of Boca Grande, FL, July 29, 2024; hotelier; founder, Newmarket International; worked for Marriott; also managed independent hotels and resorts; active in professional affairs.

’69 BS HE—Jean Morin Novotny of Newark, DE, June 21, 2024; partner, Meadowood Mobil; communications director, University of Delaware SEA Grant; enjoyed travel, sailing, and flying.


’70 BS CALS—Bob P. Gordon of Wayne, NJ, July 17, 2024; veterinarian; owner, Oakland Animal Hospital; cared for search and rescue dogs at Ground Zero; collected vintage trains; enjoyed cycling, skiing, tennis, hiking, and fishing; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Zeta Beta Tau.

’70 MST—Ernest M. Hess of Lancaster, PA, July 15, 2024; teacher, administrator, and guidance counselor, Lancaster Mennonite School; missionary, Eastern Mennonite Missions and Mennonite Central Committee; substitute teacher; hiked the Appalachian Trail, Jesus Trail, and Camino de Santiago; enjoyed international travel and gardening; active in community, professional, and religious affairs.

’70 MD—Robert M. Quinlan of North Grafton, MA, June 23, 2024; chief patient experience officer and chief of surgery, Memorial Hospital, Worcester, MA; expert in breast cancer care; helped establish Memorial Hospital’s Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center; trustee, Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research; veteran; author; enjoyed international travel, golf, sailing, and skiing; active in community and professional affairs.

’72 BS CALS—Janice Beeler Soohoo of La Cañada Flintridge, CA, November 13, 2021; oceanographer and research associate, University of Southern California; enjoyed choral singing, crafting, and scrapbooking; active in civic, community, and professional affairs.

’73 MS—Huey D. Reynolds of Tulsa, OK, July 11, 2024; civil engineer, Meshek & Associates; manager of engineering and planning, City of Tulsa Stormwater Management; served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; pilot; enjoyed international travel, bicycling, hiking, and square dancing; active in civic, community, and professional affairs.

’75, BS CALS ’76, DVM ’78—Joanne M. Bicknese of Cream Ridge, NJ, June 27, 2024; regulatory documentation lead, Bristol-Myers Squibb; director of communications, Merial, an animal health business; associate director of worldwide professional services, Merck; also worked with Standardbred horses, Seeing Eye for the Blind, and the Cornell University Baker Institute for Animal Health; breeder of championship Boer goats; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Pi Beta Phi.

’75 BS CALS—James L. Marks of Delmar, NY, July 23, 2024; laboratory researcher; avid musician; enjoyed international travel, hiking, biking, bird watching, and gardening; active in community and alumni affairs.

’79 PhD—Emmanuel A. Atayi of Togo, July 6, 2024; agricultural economist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; active in community and professional affairs.

’79 BS Nurs—John E. Bezjak of Easton, MD, July 8, 2024; worked for the U.S. Public Health Service; served with the Indian Health Service in Arizona; professor of nurse practitioner programs in Maryland and Delaware; enjoyed music and tennis; active in professional affairs.

’79 BS Hotel—Thomas M. Smith of Stamford, CT, formerly of Philadelphia, PA, July 25, 2024; senior vice president of real estate investments, Starwood Hotels; veteran; master chef; enjoyed international travel and the outdoors; active in professional affairs.


’80 BS Hotel—Suzanne B. Snyder of Chapel Hill, NC, July 22, 2024; worked in marketing and strategy for Sodexo Marriott; philanthropist; enjoyed travel, culture, and art; active in professional and religious affairs.

’81 BS Hotel—J. Michael Cline of Greenwich, CT, July 16, 2024; entrepreneur; managing partner, Accretive LLC; founder, R1 RCM, Everspring, and Insureon; executive chairman, Juxtapose; chairman, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs. Phi Sigma Epsilon.

’81 MS—Maura M. Flatley of Nepean, ON, July 19, 2024; worked at AT&T, Siemens, Nortel, and Ciena; researched robot control systems, process control software for chip manufacturing factories, database design and implementation, internal messaging infrastructure for complex telecommunications gear, and debugging tools; enjoyed international travel; active in professional and alumni affairs. Surviving spouse: Daniel R. Zlatin, MS ’80.

’83 BS HE—Shira Diane Brafford Kronenberg of Boise, ID, November 25, 2023; early childhood educator; jewelry maker; printmaker; clothing and textile designer; Judaica artist; voting poll worker; avid cross-country skier and instructor; enjoyed hiking, kayaking, biking, dogs, and gardening; active in community and religious affairs.

’88 MBA—John W. LeVan of Leesburg, VA, June 26, 2024; owner, the Property Doctor/Comfenergy; general manager, Belfor USA; vice president, Emerson Electric; also worked for IBM; mentor; enjoyed bicycling, boating, hiking, hunting, fishing, dogs, coaching girls’ soccer, and working on home projects; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs.

’88 MS, PhD ’90—Shawn C. Sendlinger of Durham, NC, July 2, 2024; professor and department chair of chemistry, North Carolina Central University; enjoyed travel, hiking, paddleboarding, making artisan beer, reading, studying history, cracking jokes, marksmanship, and bicycling; active in community, professional, and religious affairs.


’93 BS CALS—Eric R. Smith of Fernandina Beach, FL, July 13, 2024; attorney; partner, Venable LLP; active in professional and alumni affairs. Alpha Tau Omega.

’94 BA—Antonio L. Soler Garcia of Fishers, IN, March 14, 2024; associate, GE Capital; assistant financial director, Powell & Jackson law offices.

’95 BA—Justin L. Ochs of Bethesda, MD, July 30, 2024; attorney and partner, WilmerHale; enjoyed travel, golf, and watching football; active in professional affairs. Delta Upsilon.

’96 MPS—Jack R. Clarcq of Victor, NY, June 22, 2024; professor and administrator, Rochester Institute of Technology; enjoyed skiing, reading, and writing; active in community, professional, and alumni affairs.


’11 BA, JD ’14—Bradley H. Bartlett of Federal Way, WA, July 4, 2024; attorney; prosecuting attorney, State of New Mexico, and for Snohomish County and Benton County, WA; enjoyed travel, music, cooking, art, and the outdoors; active in community, professional, religious, and alumni affairs.


Editor’s note: Please submit notification of alumni deaths—including an obituary, if possible—to the University at cubio-deceased@cornell.edu. Once the University records an alumni death in its database, the relevant information is forwarded to Cornellians for inclusion in a future In Memoriam section; deaths are generally listed three to four months after the University receives notice. If you have questions, please contact Alexandra Bond ’12 at abb83@cornell.edu.

Top: Photo by Ryan Young / Cornell University.

Published November 1, 2024