Winter 2007

In Memorium: Alumni

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In Memoriam: Alumni

x’76 Richard L. Wagar, Wadsworth, Ohio, Oct. 26, 2003. An electrical engineer, he was active in fraternal organizations and the Sharon Township Heritage Society. Surviving are his wife, Theresa Flohr Wagar, a son, two stepdaughters, two stepsons, his parents, Don and Rita Jean Wagar, two siblings, and a stepgranddaughter.

’68 Stephen E. Garner, Ithaca, N.Y., May 27, 2006. At Wooster Steve earned a degree in biology, was a member of both the Fighting Scots basketball and track teams, and held the school’s triple jump record. Steve was a member of the Sixth Section during his time at Wooster and served as “The Sigs” president. Upon graduation he married his childhood sweetheart, Kathleen Martin, and began his banking career in Rochester, N.Y., in 1969 with Lincoln First Banks.

Steve spent the next 19 years with Lincoln First, holding senior positions in Westchester County with the NBW division, later acquired by Chase Manhattan Bank (1969-88). He then became executive vice president of Hudson Valley Bank (1988-94). In 1994 Steve became president and CEO of The Mahopac National Bank (a subsidiary of Tompkins Trust Co.). Since 2003 he served as president and CEO of Tompkins Trust in Ithaca.

Steve served on many boards in his communities and had a lifelong devotion to supporting higher education, the United Way, the American Heart Association, and his local church. He also served on Wooster’s Alumni Board (1979-81). He will be remembered for his humor, integrity, dedication to building community, leadership, and playful spirit. He is survived by his wife, two sons, including Trevor ’93, a daughter, and four grandchildren.

’64 Janice Hickey Carlson, Hockessin, Del., Apr. 19, 2006, of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Jan participated in the Chemistry and German Clubs and Sphinx and sang in the concert choir and Westminster Presbyterian Church choir. She majored in chemistry and earned an M.S. at the U of Michigan in analytical chemistry (1966). Jan worked for the Upjohn Co. in Kalamazoo, Mich., briefly before she married Norman A. Carlson, an organic chemist, in 1967. They moved to Wilmington, Del., and began working for the DuPont Co. Jan later left DuPont to raise her family.

In 1974 she joined the Winterthur Museum as museum chemist. She worked in the scientific research and analysis laboratory there for nearly 30 years, retiring as senior scientist and lab head in 2003. Jan lectured nationally and internationally, served as adjunct faculty with the Winterthur/U of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, and authored or co-authored more than 30 publications. She belonged to the American Chemical Society and the American Institute for Art Conservation.

At the Red Clay Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Jan served as a deacon, choir and bell choir member, and Sunday school teacher. She enjoyed reading and traveling. Survivors include Norman, two sons, a grandson, her mother, Eleanor Hickey, a sister, and a brother.

’64 Lisbeth “Libby” Jane Roman, Kansas City, Mo., May 3, 2006. At Wooster Libby was a member of Kappa Theta Gamma, the National Collegiate Players, Women’s Self-Government, and Westminster Presbyterian Church choir. She graduated with honors in speech and theatre and earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in theatre from the U of Illinois. Libby taught in the theatre department at the State U of New York and acted in the Colonnades Theatre Lab and the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City. In 1982 she became associate professor at the U of Missouri, where she worked until retiring in 1996. Libby belonged to many acting groups, including the Missouri Repertory Theater, and professional associations, including the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

H’63 Norman P. Auburn, Akron, Ohio, July 21, 2003. Norman was president, emeritus, of the U of Akron and presided over the Herman Muehlstein Foundation from 1965 until its dissolution in 2002. He did educational consulting in retirement, serving as acting president of several institutions, and was director, emeritus, of Charter One Bank. Norman’s local service earned him the Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award from the Akron Community Foundation in 1997. He held several other honorary degrees besides the one from the College. Norman’s first wife, Kathleen Montgomery Auburn, died in 1974. In 1977 he married Virginia Kirk Thomas. She died in May 2006. Survivors include four children, two stepchildren, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

’62 Kenneth Kay Kauffman, Katy, Tex., Mar. 1, 2006. He majored in economics and was a member of the Men’s Association at Wooster for four years. His wife, Bobbie, survives.

’60 Carol Riemer Cummings, Suchitoto, El Salvador, April 10, 2006, just before her 68th birthday. Carol spent her junior year in Tokyo at the International Christian University. She participated on The Voice staff and in the International Relations Club and concert choir. After graduating with an English major, Carol earned an M.A. in New Testament studies from Union Theological Seminary/Columbia U.

Carol moved to Cambridge in 1964 to work for the Journal for Biological Chemistry and joined Old Cambridge Baptist Church. There she met Frank Cummings. The couple married in 1967 and moved to Atlanta, where they lived for 34 years. Frank and Carol began to attend the Atlanta Friends Meeting. The focus on nonviolent solutions to conflict led Carol to protest the Vietnam War and influenced the rest of her life. She worked with Title I in her children’s elementary school and with several organizations, including Physicians for Social Responsibility, to help change the U.S. nuclear weapons policy. From 1985-2001 Carol held a series of positions in Emory U’s School of Public Health, including a post promoting AIDS education. At her retirement, one colleague called Carol the “conscience of the school.”

In the mid-1980s Carol took a lead role in the area’s movement to give sanctuary to Central American refugees. Her home became a way station for people fleeing the wars in Central America, with Carol as organizer and social worker. She visited El Salvador in 1991, and after annual trips there, the Cummings retired to Suchitoto in 2001. Carol was heavily involved in the community, working especially with the children. Frank survives, as do two sons, three grandchildren, and two siblings.

’59 Mark “Rick” Richard White II, Rush, N.Y., Mar. 3, 2006. Rick belonged to the Young Republicans and Eighth Section, sang with the Men’s Glee Club, and majored in chemistry. He attended the Rochester Institute of Technology and worked as a chemist and manager for Strasenburgh Laboratories in Rochester. His wife, Beth, two sons, three grandchildren, and a sister survive.

’57 Robert A. O’Meara, Rome, N.Y., Apr. 10, 2006, of a heart attack while scuba diving in Mexico. Bob was a philosophy major, a member of the Philosophy Club, and class president in his senior year. He was also active in Eighth Section, student government, and the David Brainard Society and sang with the Men’s Glee Club and Westminster Choir. Bob graduated in 1961 from Union Theological Seminary and was the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Syracuse for 12 years. There he coordinated the merger of two churches, worked with the urban ministry task force, and taught at Syracuse U.

Bob spent the next 33 years as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Rome, N.Y., before retiring in 2005. He helped prepare candidates for the ministry in his presbytery and worked with children’s day care and the Rescue Mission. Bob was active in many professional and community groups and received several honors, such as the City of Rome Citizenship Award, Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, and Shirley Waters Award for public service. A great adventurer, he loved to ski on both snow and water, to sail and canoe, to watch football games, and to tell stories. His wife, Selma Hokanson O’Meara ’57, survives in addition to two sons, one daughter, 10 grandchildren, and a sister.

x’56 James E. Witchell, Pinehurst, N.C., June 25, 2003. James was vice president of his junior class and president in his senior year. He worked as a sales representative for Prentice Hall. A son and a brother survive.

’53 George W. Breakwell, Uniontown, Pa., Feb. 24, 2006. A music major at Wooster, George sang in the choir, concert choir, and Madrigal Singers. He played in the concert band and belonged to Fourth Section. George earned an M.A. at Columbia U (1963), and studied at the Westminster Choir College, Stanford U, and the New England Conservatory of Music. He taught in Peterborough, N.H., before joining the Lynbrook schools on Long Island, N.Y., in 1956 as a choral and musical instrument teacher. He directed the Lynbrook Chorale before retiring from Lynbrook in 1984 as the director of music. George’s dedication to music earned him recognition from the State of New York. In 1990 he became director of the music program at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Uniontown, where he was an organist and a member. He served as guest conductor for several groups, including the orchestra at Chautauqua Institution, and directed the Alumni Choir at several Wooster reunions. George held fond memories of studying with R. T. Gore (music). Three brothers died previously. Two brothers and nieces and nephews survive.

’53 Harry R. “Bob” Walter, Crossville, Tenn., May 1, 2006. Bob enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944 and served for two years. At the College he majored in psychology. Bob worked in sales and for the U.S. Post Office before finding his calling in education. He established the automotive engineering program at Stark Technical College in Canton, Ohio, and served as the department head for over a decade. A master mechanic, Bob enjoyed creating art with metal and wood. Survivors include his wife of 10 years, Patricia Mae Burgess Walter, four children, three stepchildren, and several grandchildren. Siblings Eugene ’40, Joyce Walter McCutcheon ’38, and Lucille Walter Fike ’36 died previously.

’52 William T. Garber, Fort Worth, Tex., May 8, 2006, while visiting Ohio. Bill majored in theatre and studied drama at Texas Christian U. With other young thespians, he organized the Fort Worth Community Theatre, which performed at Scott Theatre beginning in 1966. He was director of the company for more than 30 years, performing in more than 100 productions. Many credited Bill with the success of the theatre group, and actors whom he directed fondly recalled the experience. Several went on to direct other live theatre companies in Fort Worth.

Bill retired in 1993, after being honored regionally and nationally for his work with the American College Theatre Festival. He was popular on the local lecture circuit and performed non-singing roles in opera as well as in drama. He enjoyed his 60th high school reunion in Strasburg, Ohio, and a little theatre performance in New Philadelphia just before his death. A brother survives.

x’51 Charles S. Warne Jr., Altoona, Pa., Mar. 18, 2003.

x’50 Gladys Aldridge “Hap” Lauback, Toledo, Ohio, Apr. 13, 2006. Gladys left Wooster after her junior year to work as an accountant for Owens-Illinois, where she met John Lauback. They married in 1953. Gladys did substitute teaching, worked with the PTA, and served as a scout leader when her children were in school. She also served her Congregational church as a trustee and moderator and organized the first library there. Gladys appreciated the people she met at Wooster and the lifelong friends she made. John died in 2002. Three children and four grandchildren survive.

’50 Richard D. Lupke, Mesa, Ariz., Jan. 11, 2006, of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Dick transferred to Wooster after three years at New York U. He participated in Eighth Section, choir, the swim team, and the Philosophy Club. Dick earned an M. Div. from Union Theological Seminary (1954). He was a Presbyterian minister, serving with the Chippewa Indian tribe in Wisconsin for eight years, with urban Indians in Chicago for 10 years, and as director of missions on a Navajo reservation in Arizona. Dick was instrumental in helping urban and national Indian organizations affirm their rights and promote economic development. He also worked as the clerk of the Superior Court in Apache County, Ariz. His wife, Suzanne, and three children from a previous marriage survive.

x’50 John H. McQuigg, Wooster, Apr. 16, 2006. John served in the U.S. Air Force during WWII before coming to Wooster. He transferred to Ohio State U after two years. John was a deputy auditor in the Wayne County Auditor’s office for 16 years and part owner of the Wooster Appliance Center for eight years before retiring in 1991. He belonged to Wooster Lions Club and St. James Episcopal Church and loved golf. His wife, Virginia Hartman McQuigg, died previously. A son and two sisters survive.

’50 Verne K. Snyder, Wooster, June 16, 2006. Verne served with the U.S. Navy in WWII before attending the College, where he majored in economics, belonged to Seventh Section, and enjoyed acting. He spent two years with the Cleveland Playhouse during the early 1950s, performing with the company at Chautauqua Institution as well as in Cleveland. Verne was active with Arena Fair at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in the 1960s and acted in the first College/community theatre production, Three Men on a Horse, in 1964. He and his wife, Juanita Cornelius Snyder, owned and operated the Snyder Camera Shop in Wooster for many years, retiring in 1989. Juanita died previously. Surviving are four children, including Charles M.’77 and Susan Snyder Beno ’72, and eight grandchildren, including Beth Ann Starling ’02.

’49 Mary Ellen Cadwell Wobbecke, Cleveland, Ohio, Jan. 16, 2004. She majored in English and French and taught middle and high school English for four years. Mary Ellen married Kenneth Wobbecke, and they established and managed a campground near Loudonville, Ohio. The couple later divorced. Mary Ellen earned an M.A. in psychology from Cleveland State U (1975) and completed a three-year program at the Gestalt Institute. She worked as a psychologist for the Cleveland Public Schools, retiring in 1993. Mary Ellen sang tenor in the choir of her Unitarian church and other choral groups and enjoyed traveling. A son, two daughters, and several grandchildren survive.

’48 Helen M. Heitmann, Plainfield, Ill., Apr. 7, 2006. Helen played basketball, volleyball, tennis, and swam at Wooster. She was on The Voice staff and belonged to Trumps and the Women’s Athletic Association. In 1946 she presented a bust of Henrik Ibsen to the College. She majored in history and minored in physical education.

Helen used that minor, beginning at Niles Township High School East in Skokie, Ill., as a physical education teacher and department chair. She helped to develop innovative teaching methods and curriculum. Helen earned an M.A. from Northwestern U (1955) and a Ph.D. from Springfield College (1967).

That year she began her tenure at the U of Illinois-Chicago’s College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. She chaired the department, one of the first women to serve in that role, and won several awards. She was active in professional organizations at all levels and led the state effort to allow girls to participate in interscholastic sports. A published author, she was sought after as a speaker and consultant. Helen retired in 1988 and traveled with a friend to all seven continents. Several cousins survive.

x’45 Dorothy Marie Neff Pollock, Akron, Ohio, Apr. 29, 2006, after battling Alzheimer’s disease. Dottie also attended Ohio State U, where she majored in retail advertising. She married James H. Pollock in 1944; the couple moved to the Akron area in 1950. Dottie belonged to First Congregational Church in Akron and was active in the Mothers and Others program. She was a seamstress and a quilter and enjoyed needlepoint and birdwatching. Her husband, four children, and 10 grandchildren survive.

’45 Marian Riebe Ronsheim, Hopewell Junction, N.Y., Apr. 5, 2006. Marian belonged to the Art, German, and International Relations Clubs and Darts and majored in art. Graduating cum laude, she won the Netta Strain Scott Award in art, allowing her to study at the Art Students’ League, Columbia U. She married Samuel Ronsheim ’45 in 1946.

A potter, Marian produced functional and abstract pieces and attended workshops and conferences into her 80s. She worked on archaeological digs in Israel and Jordan, reconstructing pots from the past. In pursuit of these interests, she took courses in Arabic, Hebrew, and Greek and attended biblical archaeological conferences.

Marian was a die-hard baseball fan, avidly following the Cleveland Indians and the New York Mets. She loved card games, mysteries, dogs, and good food. Sam and Marian moved from their Dansville, N.Y., home of many years to an extended care facility near Poughkeepsie. Sam died in Aug. 2006. Surviving are a son, four daughters, including Martha Ronsheim Butler x’72, eight grandchildren, and a sister. Memorial contributions may be made to the Ronsheim Fund at the College.

’44 Robert William Bricker, St. Petersburg Beach, Fla., May 27, 2006. He belonged to Fourth Section and served on Student Senate. Bob graduated with a double major in philosophy and German and attained a B.D. from San Francisco Theological Seminary (1948). After being ordained, he served as the organizing pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Canton, Ohio, and also served Ohio churches in Willard and Warren. He moved to Florida in 1966 to become associate pastor at Garden Crest Presbyterian Church. Bob later was pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lake Alfred and interim pastor of Trinity Presbyterian in St. Petersburg before retiring in 1978. His wife of 61 years, Betty Jean Meffan Bricker, a son, and two grandsons survive. A daughter died previously.

x’43 Marion Carleton Sancetta, Moreland Hills, Ohio, June 30, 2006. She attended the College for two years before entering the U.S. Navy. Her parents, Richard J. and Marion Fulton Carleton, both in the Class of 1915, met at Wooster as missionary children. When Marion’s paternal grandparents retired from the mission field, they settled across the street from the College, and Marion visited them often as a child. 

Marion served as chief pharmacist’s mate at the naval hospital in Portsmouth, N.H. (1943-46), where she established and ran the occupational therapy ward. Back in civilian life, she completed a B.A. in art and design at the U of Michigan (1948) and returned to her hometown as the artist for the Cleveland (Ohio) Health Museum.

A lifelong watercolorist and lover of nature, Marion was an active member of Garfield Memorial Church and its Esther Circle in Pepper Pike. An over-50-year member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, she presided over its Cleveland chapter (1955-58). She was active in civic groups and a lifelong volunteer. But most of all, Marion dedicated her life to her family and her friends. She passed along her love of art, birds, flowers, and nature to her children, and in turn, to their children. She was a truly gentle soul and is missed every day. Surviving are a son, two daughters, including Amy x’81, and four grandchildren. Marion’s husband, Salvatore Sancetta, died in 1966; two brothers died previously. —Amy Sancetta x’81

’42 Ruth Lamborn Silverthorn, Morgan Hill, Calif., Jan. 3, 2006. Ruth wrote the play for the Color Day pageant in 1940 and was crowned May Queen in 1941. She participated in Wooster tennis, basketball, swimming, modern dance, and the Classics Club and majored in French. Ruth presided over both the French Club and Trumps. She married high school classmate Merwin H. Silverthorn in 1942.

After traveling with the U.S. Marine Corps to places like Hawaii, the family settled in Japan, where they lived for more than 20 years. Ruth took care of their thatch-roofed farmhouse and wrote for and edited Shimbun, the naval base magazine. She and Merwin retired to Hawaii in 1987. Ruth enjoyed painting, Ikebana flower arranging, piano, and writing poetry. She and her husband had just moved from Austin, Tex., to Morgan Hill when she died after a fall. Merwin, two sons, and two daughters survive.

’41 Frank A. Grenert, Wooster and Ft. Myers, Fla., Apr. 28, 2006. One of the best basketball players at Wooster, Frank also played Scot baseball. He majored in history and served for 36 months overseas in the U.S. Air Force as a cryptographer during WWII. Frank married Shirley Howell ’44 in 1945. He attended Ashland College and earned a master’s in school administration at Kent State U (1951). Frank taught and coached in Killbuck and Apple Creek, Ohio, and became principal of Northwestern High School (1952) and superintendent of the Northwestern Board of Education (1964). He retired in 1979.

Frank was inducted into the “W” Association and the Wayne County Sports Halls of Fame. He belonged to the Wooster United Methodist Church. Frank was an exceptional golfer and enjoyed playing bridge. His wife survives, along with two sons, including Michael ’72, a daughter, seven grandchildren, including Julia Snoddy Chace ’97, four great-grandchildren, a brother, and three sisters. Six other siblings died previously.

x’41 Donna Myers Hagle, Erie, Pa., Apr. 5, 2006. Donna attended Wooster for two years before she headed back to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa., to work for Westinghouse Avenue Broke Co. She married Robert Mitchell in 1943; the couple had three children. Donna moved to Chicago in 1968 and worked for Scott Foresman Co. as international supervisor. Robert died in the early 1970s. Donna moved to Erie, where she married Robert Hagle in 1976. She enjoyed boating, fishing, golfing, and playing bridge. Donna belonged to the local historical and art societies. She kept up friendships with Wooster classmates throughout her life. Robert died previously.

’41 Bertha Rowe Jones, Culver, Ind., May 5, 2006. Bertha was one of five sisters to attend the College; she and her twin, Bessie Rowe Herlinger x’41, were roommates. Bertha married Jack T. Jones in 1942. She earned a master’s in library science from the U of Pittsburgh (1964) and worked as a teacher and librarian in the Pittsburgh area. After she and Jack moved to Indiana in 1967, Bertha was a librarian at Culver Girls’ Academy, where she held the W. A. Moncrief Jr. Chair of Humanities and was selected as an honorary member of the school’s Cum Laude Faculty Members. She belonged to Wesley United Methodist Church in Culver. Jack and a brother died previously. Surviving are two children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, in addition to Bertha’s sisters, Bessie, Ruth Rowe Fern ’46, Esther Rowe Jones x’41, and Ellamae ’44.

’41 Montford W. Smith, Santa Barbara, Calif., Apr. 27, 2006. Monty majored in chemistry and belonged to the Physics and Math Clubs. He pursued graduate study in physics at Ohio State U before heading to California. He worked as a research physicist at the U of California-Berkeley and Livermore Laboratories and then on the atomic bomb at the laboratory in Los Alamos, N.Mex. Monty rubbed shoulders with J. Robert Oppenheimer, Edward Teller, and others in the field. He is survived by a brother and a sister, Emily Ravinia Smith Fish ’38. Another brother, R. Elberton Smith ’35 died in 1991.

’40 Virginia “Ginny” Weisenstein Correll, Wooster, June 13, 2006, of Parkinson’s disease. Ginny sang in the choir and participated in the Classical Club and modern dance at Wooster. She majored in Latin and graduated with honors. For several years she taught high school in Independence, Ohio, and Butler, Pa. In 1942 she married Arthur Correll ’40; they raised their family in the Wooster area. Ginny resumed teaching in 1964 in the Northwestern Schools. She taught third grade before retiring in 1977. She continued to tutor students.

Ginny belonged to Eastern Star, Chester Grange, Nearby Neighbors, and Emanuel Old Stone Church. Survivors include her husband, sons Charles ’73 and James and Philip, ’75s, a daughter, two granddaughters, and a sister. A daughter, a sister, and a brother died previously.

’40 Helen Sproul Halbeck, St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 11, 2006. She died at her son’s home in Arizona after a brief illness. Helen played in the Scot band and enjoyed classes in her major with Howard Lowry (English). After graduation, she earned an R.N. at White Cross Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and served as a nurse in the U.S. Navy Reserves with the rank of lieutenant (JG). Helen also volunteered during the 1947 polio epidemic in North Carolina. While a campus nurse at Knox College, she met and married Charles J. Halbeck in 1948. She retired from Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill., in 1983. Helen encouraged her twin sons to enter the medical field; both are practicing physicians. They survive, in addition to a sister, Mary Isabelle Sproul Bear ’36, and brother, John B. Sproul ’44. Charles died previously.

’39 Marion Bristol Bridge, Monterey, Calif., Apr. 6, 2006. Marion spent her early years in France and Turkey; her mother, Lois Neff Bristol, was in Wooster’s Class of 1912. Marion studied history at Wooster, participated in modern dance, and belonged to the Women’s Athletic Association and International Relations Club. She also attended Mt. Holyoke College. Marion worked as a librarian for many years in Monterey. She moved to Berkeley, Calif., in 1969 and was a public school librarian there. She also opened her home to international students. In retirement Marion returned to Monterey. She loved to spend hours at her desk, reading and writing. Surviving are two children, three grandchildren, and two siblings, including Betty Bristol Wick ’44. A sister and brother died previously.

’39 Esther Hilty Bucher, Bluffton, Ohio, Dec. 17, 2005. She majored in music, sang with the Women’s Glee Club, and played with the Wooster Symphony. Esther taught elementary school music, gave piano lessons, and directed the choir at First Presbyterian Church in Columbus Grove for 55 years. She also served as a deacon and elder. Esther firmly believed in lifelong learning and attended Learning in Retirement sessions at Bluffton College from the program’s beginning until her death. She volunteered for the Lima Memorial Hospital for more than 20 years and assisted at the Et Cetera and Ten Thousand Villages Shops in Bluffton. Surviving are a son, three daughters, and five grandchildren.

’39 Albine Farges Petrignani, Marseilles, France, May 10, 2006. Albine attended Wooster as a junior and senior and was among the first Babcock Hall residents. She later wrote that she enjoyed her professors, the pool, and ice cream sundaes in the cafeteria. Albine moved back to France after graduation. In 1941 she married Francois Petrignani, an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine. During WWII Albine worked for British intelligence and once hid an officer from the Gestapo between two mattresses. He escaped to complete his mission. After the war, the officer visited her in Marseilles. Francois died previously. A brother, Michel Farges ’50, three sons, and a daughter survive. Another daughter died shortly after her mother.

x’39 Dorothy Geesamen Thomas, Youngstown, Ohio, Jan. 30, 2005. Dorothy attended the College for two years before transferring to the U of Toledo. She married James A. Thomas ’37 in 1936 and earned a B.S. in education. The couple was active in the Wooster Club while in Toledo.

Dorothy taught the second and fourth grades for Liberty Local Schools for 20 years before retiring in 1977. She then tutored children with learning disabilities and volunteered in kindergarten classes. She was active at First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, where James served as associate pastor before his death in 1966. She served as an elder, deacon, and Sunday school teacher and participated in the women’s group. A daughter and two sons, including John P. ’62, survive. Another son, Richard x’60, died previously.

x’38 Mildred Wise Strack, Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 27, 2005. She graduated from Cleveland College of Western Reserve U in 1959. Four sons and several grandchildren survive.

x’37 Ruth Ferris Smith, Salem, Mass., Apr. 7, 2006. She earned a B.A. from Wayne State U. Ruth married Vernon T. Smith ’35 in 1936 and assisted him in pastorates in New York, New Jersey, and finally, Wisconsin. She earned a teaching certificate from the U of Michigan and taught for many years in Michigan and Wisconsin before moving to Punta Gorda, Fla., when her husband retired. She continued to teach as a substitute despite vision problems. Ruth and Vernon summered in Plattsburgh, N.Y., for 10 years, where they were docents and caretakers of the Narcissa Prentiss Historical Home. Ruth moved to Massachusetts after the death of her husband to be close to a son. Three children and seven grandchildren survive.

’36 Donald S. Baker, West Lafayette, Ind. (formerly of Galion, Ohio), Feb. 17, 2006. Don majored in history. He also attended Itasca Junior College and took home study courses with LaSalle U. Don began working for North Electric Co. in 1937 and held various positions, including manager and inspection superintendent, retiring in 1979 as auditor. Don married Leona Windbigler in 1940. He was a member, elder, and Sunday school superintendent at the First Presbyterian Church of Galion. Don enjoyed golf, baseball, stamp collecting, and his grandchildren. Leona survives, as do two children, two grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and two sisters. Three other sisters died previously.

x’36 Helen Frederick Gibson, Longwood, Fla., Feb. 22, 2006. She sang in the choirs at the College, played in the Scot band, and participated in Women’s Self Government. Helen transferred to Carnegie Technical Institute and graduated in 1938 with a B.S. and an R.N. from West Penn Hospital. She married her high school sweetheart, Glenn V. Gibson, the same year and moved to Tusca-loosa, Ala. Helen worked as director of nursing and head of the school of nursing at Druid City Hospital there and practiced nursing in Denver and Chicago before she and Glenn settled in Bethesda, Md.

Helen helped design, build, decorate, and landscape their new home. She worked in Washington, D.C., as a school, private, and public nurse, retiring in 1974. That year the couple moved to a retirement community in Longwood. With a passion for life, Helen continued to enjoy music, as well as bridge, travel, gardening, genealogy, and entertaining her children and grandchildren. Glenn and a sister died previously. Surviving are a brother, children June Gibson Dale ’70, Carol Gibson Smith ’68, and Wade Gibson ’66, eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

’36 Anne “Antoinette” Walters Losie, Gainesville, Fla., Apr. 25, 2006. Antoinette married Marvin J. Losie in 1953. They lived in Toledo, where Antoinette taught school, assisted in school libraries, and worked as an executive secretary. In retirement she enjoyed reestablishing the library of Zion United Methodist Church and tutoring students in reading. She was an active member of AAUW. The Losies moved to Gainesville in 1989, and Antoinette joined First Presbyterian Church. She enjoyed travel and reading. Marvin and a daughter died previously. A son, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren survive.

x’36 Owen F. Patterson, Walnut Creek, Ohio, May 27, 2006. Owen had fond memories of Wooster—playing in the Scot band, running track, and meeting his future wife, Mildred Senff ’37. He earned a B.A. (1936) and M.D. (1940) from Ohio State U. Owen married Mildred and served as a major in the U.S. Air Force until 1946. A flight surgeon in India and Burma, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal and the Pacific Theater Ribbon. He began a solo medical practice in Millersburg, Ohio, after the war.

During 45 years in practice, Owen delivered more than 3000 babies and made countless house calls. He belonged to several professional groups and was president of the medical staff at Pomerene Memorial Hospital. Owen was an elder at Millersburg Presbyterian Church, where he also taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. He was a 50-year member, president, and Phil Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club, among many other community efforts. Surviving in addition to Mildred are a son, three daughters, eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a sister. Two grandsons and five siblings died previously.

x’35 Ruth Call Lininger, Youngstown, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2002. Ruth married Donald Lininger in 1934; he died previously. A son and daughter survive.

’35 David H. G. Robertson, Boise, Idaho (originally of Vancouver, B.C., Canada), Feb. 4, 2006. He belonged to Sixth Section and majored in political science at Wooster. In 1936 David began a 42-year career as a teletype operator for United Air Lines in Chicago. He quickly became an officer of the company. David served for 14 years as a district manager of passenger service in Los Angeles and as a regional vice president in Denver and Atlanta. He also was vice president of United Air Lines in London. He married Margaret Dux in 1941. In 1946 David attended Harvard Business School.

In retirement David volunteered with the American Arthritis Foundation in Atlanta, before he and his wife moved to Boise. There he volunteered with SCORE, business leaders who assist small enterprises. He enjoyed swimming, sailing, and tennis. Margaret, four children, and five grandchildren survive.

’29 Marylyn Crandell Wyse, Kennett Square, Pa., May 21, 2006. Marylyn was involved in sports at the College, including basketball, field hockey, swimming, and diving, and represented athletics on the Women’s Self-Government Association. After graduation she worked at a private hospital and organized the first Girl Scout Troop in Wooster. In 1934 she married Arthur Wyse ’29. After his death in 1942, Marylyn moved with her toddlers to live with her sister, Abbie Crandell Enders ’24, in Swarthmore, Pa., and earned a teaching certificate from Temple U.

Marylyn taught at the Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia and returned to Wooster in 1946 to teach second grade. She married Louis Robinson in 1947, who also died previously. Marylyn enjoyed worldwide travel and kept up with family and many friends. She is survived by two sons and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Abbie and a brother, C. Archie Crandell ’23, died previously.

’28 Ann Mae Evans, Avon Lake, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2003. She earned a master’s from Western Reserve U in 1942 and taught in the Cleveland Public Schools for many years. She chaired the mathematics department there. Ann also was a notary public. She built a house on Lake Erie and enjoyed hosting Wooster friends.

’25 Elizabeth “Betty” Herpel Kadyk, Lee’s Summit, Mo., Mar. 29, 2006. While attending the College, Betty enjoyed picnics and events at the Conservatory, birthday celebrations in the dorms, a literary club, and discussions with classmates. She spent two years as a church secretary and two years as a Girls Reserve Leader in the YWCA before marrying her college sweetheart, J. Merion Kadyk ’25, in 1929. Betty occasionally filled in as church secretary at her husband’s Presbyterian churches. They lived in several towns, spending 15 years in Garden City, Kans. After her children were grown, Betty became a Red Cross Grey Lady and volunteered at Lee’s Summit Community Hospital. In 1978, seven years after her husband’s death, she moved to John Knox Village, a retirement community, where she played in the hand bell choir and knitted for the Salvation Army. Five sons, 11 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren survive.

In Memoriam: Staff

John B. Plummer '64, who served in the College business office for 36 years, died at his Wooster home on June 20, 2006. An Ohio native, he majored in economics at Wooster and belonged to the Chemistry and German Clubs, THE Corporation, and Second Section, which he served as treasurer. He graduated in 1964 and married Shirley Wright ’64 two years later. The couple later divorced.

Plummer worked for Arthur Andersen in Detroit and earned an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. He taught in the College’s economics department, beginning in 1966, before joining Wooster’s business office staff as accounting supervisor in the summer of 1969. Plummer continued to teach at Wooster on a part-time basis for the next nine years. In 1999 he assumed the position of assistant treasurer of the College, a post he held until he retired in 2002.

John Plummer dedicated a significant portion of his life to the College and enjoyed working with faculty and staff regarding departmental accounts and other business office matters. In addition, he served as Campus Council treasurer for over a decade, working closely with various student organization officers. Two of his favorite pasttimes included attending Ohio Light Opera performances and following Cleveland Indians baseball. He also enjoyed traveling and doing genealogical research.

Several cousins survive.