October 2023

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.

1940s

’47 BS HE—Enid Levine Alpern of Englewood, NJ, August 6, 2023; homemaker; lover of art and music; enjoyed reading, good recipes, floral arranging, the New York Philharmonic, and attending Broadway shows; active in alumni affairs.

’47, BA ’46, MBA ’48—Jay I. “Jim” Vlock of Woodbridge, CT, April 22, 2023; business consultant; chairman and CEO, the Fox Steel Co.; veteran; philanthropist; co-founder of the Towers, New Haven’s first and premier affordable senior living complex; advocate for expanding access to devices and services for the visually impaired to increase independence and quality of life; member of numerous civic, educational, healthcare, and humanitarian boards and organizations; enjoyed international travel, theater, walking, and going to ballgames; active in community, religious, and alumni affairs. Pi Lambda Phi.

’48 BA—Barbara Bookstein Brandt of Westborough, MA, and Roslyn Heights, NY, August 19, 2023; social worker at a child guidance clinic, working primarily with children and mothers; also taught English to Chinese immigrants; enjoyed travel, painting, reading, and bridge; active in alumni affairs. Alpha Epsilon Phi.

’48, BS CALS ’50—James H. Howell of Post Falls, ID, July 7, 2022; minister of the Presbyterian Church USA; developed Christian education programs, new churches, and new ministers throughout the Idaho Panhandle; veteran; licensed pilot, member of the Civil Air Patrol, and, at retirement, the last mobile missionary in the lower 48 states; philanthropist; enjoyed travel, boating, swimming, teaching baseball, opera and symphony performances, and watching the lunar eclipses; active in professional and alumni affairs. Cayuga Lodge.

’48–50 GR—H. Irwin Levy of West Palm Beach, FL, July 31, 2023; attorney, businessman, and award-winning Jewish community patriarch; founder, CEO, and chairman, Cenvill Communities, developing several Century Village 55+ properties in South Florida; founder, Levy, Kneen, Mariani, Curtin, a business and real estate law firm; veteran; founding leader of a network of Jewish organizations in the Palm Beach area, including a community center, prep school, geriatric center, and fellowship center for Christians and Jews; also involved with numerous Jewish advocacy and educational organizations in the U.S. and Israel.

’49 PhD—Martha Fuchs Ferger of Dryden, NY, June 24, 2023; lecturer and researcher in biochemistry, Cornell University; homemaker; bookkeeper for the family medical practice; social activist, tax resister, and advocate for human rights; Camp Fire Girl leader; enjoyed international travel, canoeing, hiking, and downhill skiing; active in community, humanitarian, political, and religious affairs.

’49, BArch ’50, MRP ’54—Robert J. von Dohlen of Bloomfield, CT, formerly of West Hartford, CT, May 18, 2023; architect and president, Russell Gibson von Dohlen Inc., which specialized in corporate office design in the Hartford area, including land planning, landscape design, and interior planning and design; veteran; served on numerous local and national boards to advance best architectural practices; enjoyed international travel, fly-fishing, and wine collecting; active in alumni affairs. Tau Beta Pi.


1950s

’50 BS CALS—James W. Cropsey of New City, NY, July 21, 2023; farmer and owner, Cropsey Farm Inc., a produce and garden center; veteran; Rotarian; president, New City Chamber of Commerce; active in community, historical, professional, and alumni affairs. Alpha Chi Rho.

’50, BEE ’51—William Gombash Jr. of Newfield, NY, July 29, 2023; program director, in private industry, designing electro-optical systems for the military; veteran; member and commodore, Ithaca Yacht Club; active in alumni affairs. Phi Kappa Tau.

’50 BA—Herbert A. Steinberg of Armonk, NY, July 28, 2023; CAD/CAM, solid modeling, and computer graphics professional; created the computer code for the light cycle race in the 1982 movie TRON; math and physics developer on the Mathematical Applications Group Inc. SynthaVision team, implementing the concept of light ray-tracing for making CG images and films; enjoyed discussing math, physics, and history; active in Democratic political affairs.

’51 BS CALS—Robert J. Giebitz of East Berne, NY, July 1, 2023; life insurance agent to farm families; member, Kiwanis; accomplished musician and storyteller and amateur geologist; active in alumni affairs.

’51 BS HE—Nancy Koehler Hansen of Sewickley, PA, and Naples, FL, June 18, 2023; homemaker; home demonstration agent, Nassau County; avid athlete and accomplished seamstress and cook; member of several business, community, humanitarian, and social organizations; enjoyed international travel, fashion, tennis, golf, skiing, gardening, music, reading, and entertaining; active in civic, religious, and alumni affairs. Kappa Alpha Theta.

’51–53 SP CALS—John B. “Holly” Hollingsworth of Ithaca, NY, August 20, 2023; owner/operator, Holly’s Surplus, selling government surplus clothing, equipment, and tools; also worked at Allen Tractor, Mohawk Airlines, Milliken Station, Ithaca Motors, and NCR; veteran; spearheaded the cleanup and rededication of Dewitt Park in Ithaca with other members of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 377; along with community volunteers, enjoyed packing and mailing hundreds of boxes to active troops around the world; active in religious affairs.

’51 BS CALS, MS ’52—Judith Diamant Joy of Centralia, IL, January 11, 2022; award-winning farm editor, feature editor, and travel column writer, Centralia Sentinel; pioneer in the field of agriculture; advocate for animal rescue; enjoyed international travel; active in community and professional affairs.

’51, BME ’52—Fred E. Knapp of Pompton Plains, NJ, March 8, 2023; engineer and scholar; accomplished pianist and avid gardener; active in alumni affairs. Pi Kappa Phi.

’53 LLB—Merwin J. Carnright of Orangeburg, NY, June 8, 2014; senior assistant county attorney, Rockland County; also worked for National Bulk Carriers and the Liberian Maritime Authority; veteran.

’53 BA—Roberta Friend Downey of Ashland, OR, January 26, 2023; co-owner/operator and trail boss of the 2,000-acre family cattle ranch in California; environmentalist, conservationist, and Audubon Canyon Ranch Preserve docent; avid sailor, equestrian, and birder; lover of all animals; enjoyed hiking and choral singing; active in community and alumni affairs. Pi Beta Phi.

’53—E. Fair Caldwell Meeks of Fargo, ND, September 2, 2022; ordained Baptist minister; associate pastor, First Baptist Church, Fargo; also pastored in Methodist churches in Minnesota; teacher of American literature at Nanjing University (Beijing) and at Moorhead State University; enjoyed international travel, cruising, and birding trips.

’53 BA, MBA ’54—Stuart Warshauer of Naples, FL, April 15, 2023; businessman and administrator, Pierre Frozen Foods, International Playtex, and Procter & Gamble; veteran; co-founder and president, the Resident Home Corp. and chair, State Board for Developmental Disabilities in Ohio; band leader and fiddler, Naples Klezmer Revival Band; active in alumni affairs. Sigma Alpha Mu.

’54 LLB—Frederick W. Danforth Jr. of North Haven, CT, June 13, 2021; attorney and legal services consultant; head and senior partner, the Travelers Insurance Co. law departments in Hartford and New Haven; deputy corporation counsel and head of litigation, City of New Haven; executive director, New Haven Legal Assistance Association, where he was instrumental in the establishment of law offices in inner city neighborhoods; professor of law, American University, and visiting lecturer, Yale School of Law; member, U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division; assistant U.S. attorney, WDNY; veteran; author; editor, Connecticut Bar Journal; avid sailor, enjoyed tennis, squash, and discussing politics, current events, and sports; active in professional affairs.

’54 JD—Gordon A. Evans of Guilford, CT, October 17, 2012; attorney; founder and principal, Gordon Alan Evans & Associates; also founded DiSesa & Evans and Adams, Blanchette & Evans; veteran; legal specialist to the Office of the Navy Judge Advocate General; assisted in writing the first published book on the laws of outer space; served on several artistic, environmental, and humanitarian boards; volunteer radio news reader; commodore, director, and member of the executive committee, Sachem’s Head Yacht Club; enjoyed skiing, sailing, tennis, and golf; active in charitable, civic, and religious affairs.

’54 LLB—Edward T. Hanley Jr. of Naples, NY, April 12, 2022; real estate, business, and general practice attorney in Rochester and Canandaigua, NY.

’54 JD—Arthur E. Hornburg of Plant City, FL, formerly of Olean, NY, November 2, 2020; attorney and president, Hornburg Diggs Backhaus & Simon; avid golfer; active in religious affairs.

’54 LLB—F. William Meservey of Palm Harbor, FL, April 25, 2022; estate planning, probate, corporate, and real estate attorney.

’54—Harvey B. Sarles of Minneapolis, MN, July 2023; award-winning humanities educator; professor of cultural studies and comparative literature and associate professor of anthropology, University of Minnesota; advocate for educational reform and co-founder/director, John Dewey Center for Democracy and Education; author of numerous books on humanist philosophy; accomplished violinist and lover of classical music.

’55, BS CALS ’56—Donald E. Hake of Elbridge, NY, April 2, 2022; worked at New Process Gear, an automotive gear, transmission, and transfer case manufacturing company; teacher, Middlesex, NY; veteran; Mason; avid flower, vegetable, and water gardener; active in religious affairs.

’55, BS Hotel ’56—Frederick A. McFarlin of Kingsland, GA, formerly of Havelock, NC, and Fernandina Beach, FL, December 4, 2021; active in alumni affairs. Phi Gamma Delta.

’56 BA—Steven Alexander of Wayne, NJ, August 16, 2023; urologist in private practice and on the medical staff at Passaic General, Passaic Beth Israel, St. Mary’s, and Mount Sinai hospitals; consulting urologist, Daughters of Miriam Center for the Aged; assistant professor of urology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; veteran; member of Congressman Bill Pascrell’s healthcare advisory committee; accomplished jazz pianist, performing in the North Jersey/New York area and affiliated with the jazz music department at William Patterson University; enjoyed travel; active in professional, religious, and alumni affairs.

’56—Diana Dudley of Albion, NY, December 3, 2022; treasurer and church organist, pianist, and guitar player, Pullman Memorial Universalist Church; community volunteer; advocate for gun control legislation and safer schools; active in alumni affairs.

’56 BS Hotel—William G. Goodnow of Sarasota, FL, July 12, 2023; founder, Goodnow and Associates, a commercial real estate appraisal firm; trader, New York Stock Exchange; manager, Locust Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY, and the Lake Tahoe Ski Resort; sales executive, Eastman Kodak Co.; member of several recreation and social clubs; enjoyed international travel, bicycling, skiing, golf, fly-fishing, collecting books, and following the Boston Red Sox; active in alumni affairs. Delta Kappa Epsilon.

’56 BS CALS—Shaun A. Seymour of New Holland, PA, May 22, 2023; agricultural design engineer, New Holland Machine Co.; held more than 60 patents, most notably for his work on the round baler; zoning officer, East Earl Township; award-winning community volunteer and fundraiser; board president, New Holland Community Memorial Park; volunteer manager on the construction of the New Holland Library, Farm Show Building, and Historical Society Museum; active in alumni affairs. Kappa Delta Rho.

’57 MD—Blake Cady of Brookline, MA, July 15, 2023; professor of surgery, Brown University Medical School and Harvard Medical School; chief of surgical oncology and member of the Harvard surgical faculty, New England Deaconess Hospital; also served on the surgical staff of the Lahey Clinic Foundation; veteran; international consultant, lecturer, and mentor in the fields of surgical oncology and public health; award-winning public health advocate for tobacco control; author of more than 300 publications and book chapters; founding editor, Surgical Oncology Clinics of North America; enjoyed skiing and sailing; active in environmental and professional affairs.

’57 LLB—Lewis J. Gould of Canandaigua, NY, July 24, 2023; attorney in private practice and at Gould, Peck, Metzler & Cognata, a matrimonial, family, and adoption law firm; enjoyed golf, skiing, fishing, and rowing workouts at the gym; active in civic, community, educational, and religious affairs.

’57 JD—Peter R. Sprague of Jamestown, NY, formerly of Waverly, OH, and Cuba, NY, May 4, 2023; Allegany County judge; attorney in private practice; also served as Allegany County assistant district attorney and Allegany County legislator; veteran; founder, Allegany County Area Foundation; Mason; active in charitable, community, educational, and religious affairs.

’57 PhD—James B. Wilkens of Titusville, PA, May 5, 2017; attorney specializing in patent, copyright, and trademark law; patent administrator, the Ohio State University Research Foundation. Wife, Maryalice Spencer Wilkens ’56.

’58 BS CALS—Stephen M. Bank of Cary, NC, January 22, 2022; librarian, Wake County (NC) Public Libraries; practicing dentist in New York State; veteran; career counselor and STEM advocate; softball coach, player, and fan; also enjoyed tennis and hockey; active in community and alumni affairs.

’58 BA—Noel P. Bonacci of Yarmouth Port, MA, July 28, 2023; director of personnel, acting director of the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, and administrator in the Center for Community Health, NYS Department of Health; also worked as a teacher/counselor in a state prison and as assistant director of a state facility for troubled youth; youth baseball coach and Meals on Wheels volunteer; enjoyed jogging, New York Yankees baseball, and playing golf, basketball, baseball, and tennis; active in religious affairs.

’58 BA—Robert B. Johnston of Lutherville, MD, July 22, 2023; pediatrician, WellSpan York Hospital, and assistant professor of pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; assistant dean of the BA/MD programs at Johns Hopkins; coordinator of training, Kennedy Krieger Institute; expert in the medical considerations in ADHD and learning disabilities; veteran; Masters swimmer and accomplished wildlife and flower photographer; enjoyed international travel and telling jokes. Phi Kappa Psi.

’58 BA—Albert L. Waldo of Cleveland Heights, OH, August 17, 2023; cardiologist, award-winning research scientist, and pioneer in the field of heart rhythm disorders; professor of cardiology and of biomedical engineering, Case Western Reserve University, and founder and head of the Adult Cardiac Electrophysiology Program at Case Western and University Hospitals Medical Center; associate professor of medicine in electrophysiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham; published over 500 articles and helped map and describe cardiac entrainment, which led to dramatic changes in the pacemaker industry and the treatment of atrial fibrillation and flutter; served on multiple advisory boards, NIH clinical trials, and drug trials; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’59 BS Hotel—Lawrence E. Mitchell of Traverse City, MI, August 6, 2022. Sigma Phi Epsilon.

’59, BArch ’63—Donald A. Stone of Virginia Beach, VA, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA, July 23, 2023; architect in private practice, specializing in residential and commercial projects; accomplished painter, poet, photographer, and cellist; enjoyed adventure, skiing, hiking, mushroom hunting, fine wine, and classical music. Theta Delta Chi.


1960s

’60 BS CALS—Lois Lundberg Carter of Burdett, NY, July 21, 2023; homemaker; advocate for women’s education; accomplished stained glass artist and quilter; enjoyed international travel, kayaking, birding, gardening, creating scrapbooks, genealogy, and hosting exchange students; active in community, cultural, humanitarian, and religious affairs.

’60 BA—Joanne Isaacs Froelich of New York City, April 12, 2023; media researcher for the Katz Agency and similar firms; high school English teacher, Westchester County; active in religious and alumni affairs. Phi Sigma Sigma.

’60 BS Hotel—Joyce Kastner Holden of Princeville, HI, October 11, 2021; hotel management professional at the Sheraton Hotels’ Royal Hawaiian Hotel; enjoyed swimming and the outdoors. Kappa Alpha Theta.

’60, BS CALS ’61—D. Neil MacDougal of Glenwood Springs, CO, formerly of Manlius, NY, April 4, 2023; dentist in private practice; enjoyed golf, downhill skiing, and membership in the 100 Club; active in alumni affairs. Delta Upsilon.

’60 PhD—Björn Sigurbjörnsson of Reykjavik, Iceland, May 26, 2023; director, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which worked with the United Nations to research using nuclear energy techniques in food and agriculture in the developing world; contributed to global food security and sustainable agricultural development worldwide; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’60, BA ’61—W. Scott Walls III of Bainbridge Island, WA, formerly of Eden, NY, January 29, 2023; obstetrician/gynecologist, Hamburg OB/GYN Group; affiliated with South Buffalo Mercy Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, and Buffalo General Hospital; veteran; docent, Buffalo Zoo; accomplished photographer, aviation aficionado, amateur ornithologist, and avid gardener; enjoyed travel, sport fishing, collecting, and following Buffalo professional sports. Theta Chi.

’61 BA—David J. Cantor of Rockville, MD, June 27, 2023; dentist in general practice; oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Northern Virginia Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates; active in religious and alumni affairs. Phi Epsilon Pi.

’61 BA—Raymond L. Gottlieb of Northampton, MA, July 25, 2023; psychiatrist in private practice; medical director, BHN Carson Center, Westfield, MA; veteran; art and antiques collector; avid 5K and marathon runner; enjoyed the outdoors and nature photography. Pi Lambda Phi.

’61, BA ’67, MBA ’69—Arthur G. “Buzz” Stillinger of Riva, MD, July 26, 2023; airline industry professional, Northwest Airlines Air Cargo Division; voice interceptor in Berlin during periods of the Cold War; veteran; fluent in German; advocate for equality in education; Rotarian; accomplished conductor, tenor, cellist, arranger-composer, and guitarist, and leader of the von Stillinger Family Singers; avid golfer; enjoyed international travel; active in community and religious affairs. Alpha Chi Rho.

’61, BA ’66, JD ’69—Robert K. Wrede of Los Angeles, CA, June 24, 2023; dispute resolution and international trial attorney; adjunct professor, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University, and member, Los Angeles County Superior Court pilot program for neutral evaluation; veteran; conservationist; member on several educational, medical, and military boards; avid volleyball player and ocean kayaker; active in professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Psi Upsilon.

’62 BA—Terry R. Baker of Truckee, CA, August 16, 2023; ophthalmologist in private practice; also performed sight-restoring operations throughout the world; accomplished downhill and heli skier; lover of Newfoundland dogs; enjoyed international travel, gourmet cooking, painting, photography, and studying history; active in alumni affairs. Zeta Beta Tau.

’62 BA—LeRoy W. Carlson of Gardiner, NY, June 8, 2021; associate VP of finance and administration, SUNY New Paltz; built the Employee Assistance Program for SUNY New Paltz employees with substance abuse issues, which was later expanded for all NYS employees; supervisor, Town of Gardiner; life member and EMT, Gardiner Fire Department; Scout leader; avid genealogist who was nationally recognized for assisting families in tracing and verifying lineage to the American Revolution. Pi Kappa Phi.

’62 MFA—Mariann Loveland of Ithaca, NY, August 19, 2023; photorealism, surrealism, and mural artist; exhibited paintings, collages, and drawings nationally and internationally, including a 20-year retrospective at the Johnson Museum at Cornell University and at the Nicholas Roerich Museum in NYC; taught in the art departments at Cornell, University of Cincinnati, University of Tulsa, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and Savannah College of Art and Design; enjoyed international travel, designing the renovation of her house and formal gardens, and her Afghan hounds.

’62 BS CALS—Erwin A. Tschanz of Rochester, NY, May 5, 2023; president, Tschanz Landscape Service, the family business; co-founder, Gen-Nis-He-Yo Trading Co., providing handcrafted goods to American Revolution reenactors and historical sites; veteran; student of Native American culture, American history, muzzleloading, the mountain man period, and traditional crafts in horn, bone, leather, and wood; winter backpacking and camp cooking workshop leader, Adirondack Mountain Club; enjoyed canoeing, camping, hiking, birding, and gardening; active in professional and alumni affairs. Pi Kappa Phi.

’63 BS Nurs—Lucy Simon Levine of Piedmont, NY, October 20, 2022; musical theater composer, popular songwriter, and Grammy-winning recording artist; received a Tony nomination for her work on the long-running Broadway musical The Secret Garden; member of the 1960s folk duo the Simon Sisters with her sister Carly Simon.

’63 JD—M. Bruce Miner of Sarasota, FL, August 6, 2023; executive VP and COO, Brown Brothers Harriman Trust Co.; head of Florida trust offices in Naples and Palm Beach; veteran; active in alumni affairs.

’63 BS CALS—Michael E. Sangaline of Newberry, SC, formerly of Lakewood, CO, March 19, 2023; environmental health specialist, Jefferson County Health Department; health and radiation safety inspector, Denver Department of Health; veteran; enjoyed travel, motorcycling, horseback riding, swimming, playing the harmonica, collecting antiques, and living on a farm; active in religious affairs.

’64 BA—John T. Cederholm of Marion, MA, July 3, 2023; financial advisor, Bank of America; adventurer and competitive road, track, and trail runner; philanthropist to more than 80 environmental, wildlife, humanitarian, and arts charities; enjoyed international travel, collecting crafts, music, and recipes in different cultural locales, hiking, mountain climbing, and sailboat racing. Theta Delta Chi. Wife, Theresa Dickason Cederholm ’67.

’64—Stuart S. Jeffery of Los Altos, CA, December 16, 2020; senior executive and consultant to several Silicon Valley and Israeli companies developing standards and technology for digital phone service; director, Electronic Warfare Group, GTE; developed classified communications countermeasures systems for various government agencies, Sylvania Electronic Defense Laboratory; technical advisor to the U.S. Navy in Japan and Washington, DC; also researched ionospheric disturbance caused by solar activity, in Antarctica and Boulder, CO, as part of the space weather forecasting system formed in anticipation of a manned lunar landing; amateur radio aficionado and member of the local radio emergency service; enjoyed international travel, hiking, bicycling, and Stanford football; active in alumni affairs.

’64 BS HE—Nancy Dunhoff Mills of Manhattan Beach, CA, June 15, 2023; entertainment journalist, magazine editor, and freelance writer; interviewed actors and directors for national and international publications; food blogger and co-author (with her son) of four best-selling cookbooks; life member, Cornell University Council and recipient, Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award; also active in local and regional alumni affairs. Husband, Barton A. Mills ’64.

’64 BS ILR—Michael L. Wachter of Berwyn, PA, September 3, 2022; deputy provost and professor emeritus of corporate and labor law, corporate finance, and economics, Carey Law School, University of Pennsylvania; also taught at the School of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School, using a cross-disciplinary approach to legal education and other fields of study; director, Penn’s Institute for Law & Economics, the preeminent U.S. corporate law center; also served as economic consultant for the National Science Foundation, Council of Economic Advisors, Congressional Budget Office, and Federal Reserve; prolific author and editor; enjoyed lively debate; active in civic, professional, and alumni affairs. Alpha Epsilon Pi.

’65 MS—Isaac Rabino of Great Neck, NY, November 22, 2016; award-winning scholar of science, politics, and society; professor emeritus of biology and health sciences, SUNY Empire State College; expert on the social policy implications of genetic research and engineering; advisory council member, Atlantic Legal Foundation; active in alumni affairs.

’65 JD—Frank L. Wiswall Jr. of Castine, ME, May 31, 2023; consultant, attorney, and award-winning professor of international admiralty and maritime law, IMO International Maritime Law Institute; expert in the legal affairs of Liberian-flagged merchant shipping; taught at the World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden, and at the law schools of Cornell University, Tulane University, and the University of Virginia; president, Liberian Services Inc., a subsidiary of International Bank; contributing editor, Matthew Bender & Co. legal publishers; member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Town of Castine harbormaster; lover of the sea, of Maine, and of science fiction; active in professional and religious affairs.

’66, BA ’67, MBA ’69—Carl J. Borning of Manlius, NY, July 6, 2023; founder and president, Proven Software Inc., a computer software development and systems design company; enjoyed international travel, gourmet food, and classical music; active in cultural, religious, and alumni affairs. Pi Kappa Alpha. Wife, Alice Illg Borning ’68.

’67—Stephen A. Black of Dublin, NH, July 2, 2023; chief, Peterborough Fire Department; chief, Wellesley Fire Department, the youngest fire chief in Massachusetts at the time; veteran; member, Kiwanis; avid outdoorsman; enjoyed travel and summer camping trips.

’67 SP CALS—Frank G. Brown of Massena, NY, July 22, 2023; electrician, General Motors Powertrain; also worked at the family farm; veteran.

’68 BEE, MS ’71, PhD ’75—John A. Paton of Madison, CT, December 14, 2021; academic computing administrator, Yale University School of Medicine and Quinnipiac University; through his neurobiology studies, developed an optical method to measure the movements of the eardrum; also discovered that new adult brain cells are functioning neurons that are integrated into existing circuitry; avid reader; enjoyed photography, chess, and book club; active in community and humanitarian affairs. Phi Gamma Delta.

’69 DVM—Robert D. Brofee of Millerstown, PA, December 2, 2022; veterinarian, Millerstown Veterinary Associates and in Juniata County; veteran; member and president, Lions Club; enjoyed hunting, camping, and working in his woods; active in community and religious affairs. Alpha Psi.

’69 DVM—Edgar T. “Tom” Clark III of Eldred, PA, formerly of Portville, NY, July 20, 2023; veterinarian and co-founder, Portville Veterinary Clinic; avid reader; enjoyed travel, skiing, hunting, fishing, and being out in nature.

’69 BA—Sarah Wunsch of Brookline, MA, August 17, 2023; attorney, mentor, and advocate for civil rights and civil liberties; deputy legal director, American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, where she brought challenges before the courts on issues of constitutional law, from panhandling and tattooing to LGBTQ+ rights, marital rape, and racial profiling; director, Cambridge Human Rights Commission; also worked as a lawyer for the Union of Electrical, Radio, and Mechanical Workers and for the constitutional rights center in NYC; avid Red Sox fan; active in community and alumni affairs.


1970s

’70 BS CALS—Thomas L. Hoy of Queensbury, NY, June 11, 2023; president, CEO, and chairman, Glens Falls National Bank and Arrow Financial Corp.; veteran; philanthropist; Rotarian; recipient of several community service awards; enjoyed travel, hunting, fishing, golf, his vintage MG, and vacations on Lake Champlain; active in civic, cultural, professional, religious, and alumni affairs. Sigma Phi Epsilon.

’70—Janet O. Lanphier of New York City and Greenport, NY, July 3, 2023; transportation planning professional in bus and rail operations, NYC Transit Authority; consultant to Siemens in the use and placement of video equipment in NYC buses; deputy assistant commissioner, NYC Department of Transportation, and manager of the Staten Island Ferry; also worked for Pearson Publishing in the college textbook division; art lover and tour guide for the Metropolitan Museum of Art; enjoyed gardening on the family farm and vacations on Payette Lake in Idaho. Kappa Kappa Gamma.

’70 BS CALS—Vicky Bovee Ramakka of Aztec, NM, July 22, 2023; award-winning author of articles, short stories, and mystery novels; adult education and literacy professional; director of university programs, San Juan College, Farmington, NM; founder of Project Read, the first volunteer literacy program in San Juan County; adult education state director, Nevada Department of Education; community academic credit coordinator, University of Nevada, Reno; Adult Education & Academic Skills Center coordinator, Western Nevada Community College; Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia; lover of animals; enjoyed international travel, photography, birdwatching, and mentoring and assisting other writers; active in alumni affairs. Husband, James M. Ramakka ’69.

’71 BA—James Lamport of Garberville, CA, January 21, 2023; paralegal and legal document assistant, Lamport Legal Documents; owner, Piercy Craft Works, a home woodworking business; mediator, Humboldt Mediation Services; also worked as a chef and designer of sandals; enjoyed collecting, poker games, reggae and jazz music, and building his own A-frame home using hand tools; active in civic, community, environmental, and political affairs.

’71 BA, MS ’91—Emoretta Yang of Ithaca, NY, May 14, 2023; musician, songwriter, and visual artist; ukulele teacher and co-founder, Ithaca Ukes; also played guitar, piano, and flute; graphics editor, Diacritics, a journal of literary criticism; French to English translator; co-author with artist Kumi Korf on the book Silk and Secrecy; active in cultural, humanitarian, and political affairs.

’72 BS Hotel—James R. Kinsella Jr. of Dover, DE, December 13, 2022; private country and city club management professional, Dover Downs Hotel & Conference Center and at other locations in the Northeast and Florida; coach of the men’s diving and women’s swimming teams, Colgate University; veteran; member and president, Kiwanis; avid sailor; enjoyed downhill skiing and golf; active in professional and alumni affairs. Delta Chi.

’72 BS CALS—Philip J. Michalak of Cheektowaga, NY, July 19, 2023; import specialist, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; enjoyed golf, bowling, and Buffalo Bisons baseball games; active in alumni affairs.

’72 BS Hotel—Normand L. Peckenpaugh of Trumansburg, NY, July 20, 2023; hospitality consultant; assistant dean of finance and administration, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, and managing director, Statler Inn; also served as director of procurement for the building of the Statler Hotel and the Executive Education Center; commissioned officer and aide to the Surgeon General, U.S. Navy; enjoyed international travel.

’72 BA—Sana Flanders Shtasel of Cabin John, MD, July 17, 2023; attorney and public servant; founder and CEO, Shtasel Consulting, advising on governance, organizational transformation, program development, finance and operations management, strategic growth, and media relations; also served in the U.S. Department of Justice and as director of federal affairs for AARP, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, and executive director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace; advocate for women’s rights, civil rights, and disadvantaged populations; served on several community and humanitarian boards; active in alumni affairs.

’73, BArch ’75—Abraham A. Lee of Ithaca, NY, July 12, 2023; government and African American history teacher, Ithaca High School; rehabilitation specialist, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services; staff architectural designer, Cornell University; architect/designer, Beardsley and Beardsley Architects + Engineers, Auburn, NY; co-director, Saturday Science and Mathematics Academy, Ithaca’s oldest community-based STEM program; board president, Southside Community Center; Mason; avid reader of history and student of ancient Egypt; enjoyed international travel, Creole cuisine, live music, his eclectic vinyl collection, and African art, jewelry, and fashion; active in religious and alumni affairs. Alpha Phi Alpha. Wife, Denise Dendtler Lee ’73.

’75 BA—Kathleen Bragdon-Brown of Williamsburg, VA, June 29, 2023; scholar of Colonial-era American society; professor of anthropology and department chair, College of William & Mary; also taught at MIT and George Washington University; expert in the history and culture of Indigenous peoples in New England and on the written form of regional Algonquian languages; award-winning author of several books on ethnohistory; accomplished decorator; enjoyed international travel, gardening, and reading crime novels. Delta Gamma.

’75 BA—James A. Dorskind of Oakland, CA, August 12, 2023; general counsel at the Department of Commerce during the Clinton Administration; also served as general counsel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and deputy assistant to the President and director of correspondence; attorney at Friedman, Ross & Dorskind and at Morrison & Foerster; board chair, St. Paul’s School; active in philanthropic and alumni affairs.

’77—Henry J. Coz of Grafton, MA, April 26, 2023; entrepreneur and environmentalist; founder, Coz Group Inc., a pioneering plastics recycler in Northbridge, MA; accomplished waterskier and president, Nipmuc Water Ski Club, a competitive Massachusetts ski program; award-winning windsurfer and avid bicyclist; enjoyed international travel, hiking, downhill skiing, Motocross, and running the Boston Marathon; active in religious and alumni affairs. Psi Upsilon.

’77 JD—Jonathan W. Cuneo of Washington, DC, and Vineyard Haven, MA, July 26, 2023; award-winning attorney and public servant; founder, Cuneo, Gilbert La Duca LLP, specializing in antitrust and consumer protection litigation; represented defrauded investors in the Enron scandal and recovered $7 billion, the largest amount ever recovered in securities litigation; co-founder and general counsel, National Association of Securities and Commercial Law Attorneys; general counsel and legislative representative to the U.S. House Committee to Support Antitrust Laws; published articles in newspapers and law journals; enjoyed athletics and recreational boxing; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’77—Jonathan S. Emerson of Cuernavaca, Mexico, formerly of Hood River, OR, May 15, 2021; development, gift planning, and administrative professional; COO and hospital administrator, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center; director of professional support services, Providence Newberg Medical Center; associate administrator, Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital; philanthropist; founder and education advocate, Becas Para Prepas in Morelos, Mexico.

’77 BA, PhD ’06—Carol Bliss Griggs of Alpine, NY, August 17, 2023; senior research associate in the fields of archaeology, geology, and dendrochronology, Cornell University; worked in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean parts of Asia, and throughout New York State and the Midwest; provided weather data to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network every day for 14 years; enjoyed the outdoors, camping, hiking, gardening, choral singing, and playing the fiddle; active in religious affairs.

’79 PhD—Florence Cohen Berger of Charlottesville, VA, formerly of Ithaca, NY, July 13, 2023; award-winning professor of organizational behavior, human relations, and hospitality training, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration; also served as assistant dean of students; successful amateur matchmaker for more than 40 years; academic author.

’79 MFA—Mary Ann Malinchak Rishel of Ithaca, NY, July 25, 2023; award-winning professor emerita of writing, Ithaca College; also served on several college governance and professional development boards; published author of short stories, nonfiction writer on humor and the comic mind, and international lecturer; professor of medical humanities, critical analysis, and moral epistemologies, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar; enjoyed international travel and visited all 50 U.S. states; active in professional affairs. Husband, Thomas W. Rishel, GR ’73–74.


1980s

’80, BArch ’81—Bruce H. Salvo of Westport, CT, September 7, 2022; architect, BSalvo Architects; enjoyed gardening, petsitting, and membership in the local YMCA; active in community and professional affairs.

’82 BS HE—Christine A. Griffin of West Groton, NY, March 28, 2023; manager, Center Ithaca; also held positions at the Women’s Community Building and Johnson Art Museum; certified gemologist, Patten’s Jewelry in Ithaca and at jewelers in Hartford, CT; accomplished handcrafter and designer; founding member, Friends of the Groton Public Library and president, Finger Lakes Library System; enjoyed gardening and flower arranging.

’82 BS ILR—Shelton L. McCall of West Orange, NJ, June 26, 2021; attorney; assistant prosecutor, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office; active in religious and alumni affairs.

’83 PhD—Jerome T. Dijak of Papillion, NE, August 5, 2023; vice president, First National Bank of Omaha; pioneered the technology required to place custom photos onto credit cards; commissioned officer, U.S. Air Force; licensed private pilot; enjoyed travel, sailing, scuba diving, amateur radio, tinkering, and telling stories.

’84 PhD—Sharon Adair Meyer of Monroe, LA, July 24, 2023; professor of toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana, Monroe; assistant research professor, North Carolina State University and Duke University Medical School; research scientist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; expert in skin tumor growth and the toxicity risks of exposure to certain compounds; enjoyed telling stories of her upbringing as a Midwestern farm girl; active in professional affairs. Husband, Robert E. Meyer, DVM ’80.

’86 MS—Mary G. Williams of Boston, MA, February 29, 2000; associate teaching professor, Northeastern University Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.


1990s

’91–92 GR—Joan A. Heffernan of Ithaca, NY, October 29, 2022; executive administrative assistant to the dean of engineering, Cornell University, and field representative in theoretical and applied mechanics; case worker, South Lansing Center, NYS Division for Youth; member on numerous educational, humanitarian, and historic preservation boards; wine enthusiast and lover of cats; enjoyed international travel, regional theater, attending figure skating events, and studying history; active in civic and community affairs.

’92 JD—David A. Pierce of Beverly Hills, CA, July 29, 2023; entertainment attorney and founder, Pierce Law Group LLP; taught an annual course at UCLA Extension on running a motion picture production company; adjunct professor, Elon University and Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television; guest lecturer, St. Petersburg University in Russia and at film festivals and seminars throughout the U.S. and the world; columnist, MovieMaker Magazine; active in professional and alumni affairs.


2000s

’01 MBA—Denise Fessler of Zurich, Switzerland, August 2023; executive search professional in the commerce, food and consumer goods, and construction supplier industries; partner at Dr. Rosenfeld Executive Search, Swisselect Group, SMART Recruiting, and InnoPark SA; managing director in the construction supply industry at Robert Aebi and CRH Swiss Distribution; head of management services, Globus Industries; fluent in German, English, French, and Italian; active in professional and alumni affairs.

’02 BA—Nyles R. Fitzgerald of Brooklyn, NY, May 6, 2007; professional washtub bass player, songwriter, and recording artist in the funk, hip-hop, folk, rock and roll, blues, and swing styles; also played drums, piano, guitar, and bass; worked at the Beyer Blinder Belle architecture firm; filmed the documentary A Busker’s World, about the Lost and Wandering Blues Band and the wider Paris busking scene; turned his group, the Crooners, into a unique blues and swing busker band that enjoyed tours in the U.S. and summertime club and street concerts in Europe.


2020s

’22 MHA—Krystal P. Cascetta of Somers, NY, formerly of Brooklyn, August 5, 2023; oncologist/hematologist with a clinical focus on the treatment of sarcomas and breast, gynecologic, and gastrointestinal cancers; assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; also served as site chief, Mount Sinai Queens Infusion Center; began her medical career as a nurse; community outreach volunteer; active in charitable and professional 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.

Top: Photo by Cornell University.

Published October 1, 2023