Deaths

This is a list of deaths reported to us since the previous issue. Full obituaries, usually written by the class secretaries, may appear in this or a later issue.

Donald Cushing Hunt '25 • Sept. 7 Allan Julian Stinchfield '27 'June 17 Arnold Wheeler VanBenschoten '28 • Sept. 7 Walter Rex Johnston '30 • Sept. 6 Harrison Copp Baldwin '31 • Sept. 20 Robert Wellington Fraser '31 • Sept. 10 Robert Solberg Wagner '31 • Sept. 18 Edwin Robinson Davis '34 • July 4 William Waldron Baxter '38 • Dec. 19,1997 David Vander Veer Rugen '38 • Aug. 17 Jacob Benjamin Courshon '40 • Oct. 5,1998 Beckett Jones '44 • June 8 George Peter Pulakos '44 • April 27 Robert Waram Hacker '45 • July 18 Theodore Cowden Seiler '46 • July 12 John H. Conlin '48 • Sept. 11 William A. Bryan '52 • Sept. 26 Harry Cecil Millar '55 • July 25 Charles George Farnum '67 • July 11 Arianna Pagani '93 • June 10

1925

Robert F. Weinig of Naples, Fla., died on June 27,1999, according to his son Robert '52. Bob established the Radio Club here at Dartmouth and went on to follow his interest as president of the Windcharging Co., a subsidiary of the Zenith Radio Corp. In college he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. While living in Sioux City he was a 32degree Mason, elder in the First Presbyterian Church, past president of the YMCA and past president of the Dow Manufacturers Association.

1929

Harold Howard Beloin died in Bristol, Conn., on Aug. 14, 1999. He came to us from New Britain High School and Suffield Preparatory School and belonged to Sigma Phi Epsilon. He majored in English and attended Tuck School. He was an alumni interviewer and was secretary of the Dartmouth Club of New Britain. His wife, Kathleen, predeceased him, and he leaves children Gail Judith, Kathleen and Dr. Philip.

Carlos Shafter Countryman offt. Lauderdale, Fla., died on July 15,1999. He came from Rockford (III.) High School and belonged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He left us early and was associated with the Borden Milk Co. in Ft. Lauderdale. He leaves his wife, Edna, and daughter Suzanne.

Alfred Page Downing died of cancer early this year in Lexington, Ky. He came from Brooklyn Friends School and majored in psychology. He worked with Ernst and Ernst, then with Air Reduction Cos. all around the country, finally in Emeryville, Calif. He served two years in World War II. After retiring he raised tobacco and fed catde in Lexington and was a happy participant in reunions in Hanover. He leaves his wife, Marie (Buder), and children Henry and Susan.

Phillip Edgar Fitzpatrick died at his home at Pittsburgh, N.Y., on June 11, 1999. He came from Plattsburgh High School and was a member of Sigma Chi and The Dartmouth editorial board. He majored in economics and was a class agent and an admissions interviewer. He became president of the Merchants National Bank of Plattsburgh and organized the opening of the Main Midland Bank, where he was president until retirement. He was cherished at reunions for his loving wit and humor and in Plattsburgh for his leadership in community organizations and causes. He leaves his wife, Carolin, daughters Carol and Sheila and son William '68.

Armer Lloyd Johnson died on April 30, 1999, at home in Rockford, Ill., of heart failure. He came from Rockford High School and majored in history. He graduated from Harvard Business School, then worked for the Free Sewing Machine Co. He served in India in World War II as a weather forecaster. He leaves his wife, Donna May.

Herman Henry Richardson died of cancer in Laconia, N.H., on Sept. 4,1999. He came from Manchester (N.H.) High School, belonged to Sigma Phi Epsilon and majored in French. He was a class agent and a loyal member of' 29 at reunions. He was a teacher-coach in East Haddam, Conn.; junior high school principal in Sterling, Mass.; superintendent of schools in Hartford, Vt, and Sharon, Mass.; and a teacher in Bratdeboro, Vt. He was especially active in Boy Scouts of America. He leaves his wife, Margaret (Thomas), daughter Mary Elizabeth and brother-inlaw Arthur Nighswander '29.

1930

Theodore Rudolph Wolf died June 28,1999, of renal failure. He came to Dartmouth from New York City by way of Choate School and played football and water polo and boxed. He is survived by wife Elizabeth and sons Peter, a Superior Court judge in Washington, and Roger '60, a lawyer. He was a member of Tri-Kappa and served the class as head agent, class agent, vice president, and president. He had an illustrious business career with several large corporations, and then became an independent consultant, and in this capacity traveled all over this country and to many European locations. In his later years he won many tennis championships in senior divisions (some while in his 80s).

George S. Coxon died May 16,1998. The location and cause are not available. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and majored in chemistry/zoology. He was employed by Metropolitan Life Insurance Cos. He is survived by his wife, Virginia, daughters Nancy and Sheila and son William.

George P. Hill died March 25,1999. The location and cause of death are not available. He came to Dartmouth from Butte (Mont.) High School, was a member of Kappa Sigma, and attended Tuck School and the law school of Gonzaga University. He was an officer in the trust department of Seattle First National Bank and in 1960 joined the Beverly Hills office of the California Bank as trust officer. We have no information regarding his marital status, and there appears to be no survivors.

James Dennis North died May 28, 1999, in San Francisco after months of declining health. At Dartmouth he was a cheerleader and a member of Alpha Delta Phi and Dragon. He graduated from Tuck School and joined General Foods in 1937. In WW II he was an officer in the U. S. Army Air Forces. In 1947 he joined an advertising agency, then became general manager of Western Sugar Beet Production Association. In 1954 he returned to General Foods and became a vice president before retiring in 1969 to San Francisco, where he lived until his death. Jim was a marketing executive with this company in the formative years of radio and television, and helped make Jell-o and other brands household words. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, son Daniel, grandson Evan and sister Mrs. William Davis '32.

1931

Samuel Mills Taylor died July 22, 1999, at St. Vincent Memorial Hospital in Taylorville, Ill. Coming from Taylorville High School, Sam majored in economics and was a member of Le Cercie Francais. He received his LL.B. from the Lincoln College of Law in Springfield, Ill., after doing graduate work at the University of Michigan. As a partner in the firm of Flesher and Taylor he practiced in Taylorville until retirement in the late 1980s, with specialization in drainage law. He had been president of the Christian County Bar Association and of the local Kiwanis club. Over the years Sam's hobbies changed from tennis to golf, current novels to the classics, poker to bridge, and smoking to Haig and Haig. He kept up his non-resident membership in the N.Y.C. Dartmouth Club, and in his area interviewed applicants for admission to the College. Sam was predeceased by his wife, Augusta, and by two sons. He is survived by son Leslie, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

1932

William Hobart Sumner died Sept. 10, 1999, in Miami, Fla. He came to Dartmouth from his birthplace of Palo Alto, Calif. At college he joined Delta Kappa Epsilon and participated in cheerleading and The Dartmouth. It was at Dartmouth that he met his future wife, Jeanette Swenson. His business career was with New England Tel. & Tel., where he became vice president of salary administration. Prior to his retirementin 1975 he was presented with an award for dedication to the human aspects of business. In retirement he and Jeanette moved to Hopkinton, N.H., where they played golf as well as the stock market and rooted for the Red Sox. In 1993 they relocated to Miami, where the weather was more amenable to the pursuit of their outdoor activities. He is survived by his wife, son William Jr. and four grandchildren.

1934

Harry Ellis McCann died Aug. 20,1999. The place and cause are not available. Harry came to Dartmouth from Arlington (Mass.) High School and was active with the band, orchestra, Ledyard Canoe Club and Dartmouth Outing Club. His major was economics. After leaving school he had a tour of jobs with Lever Brothers, General Foods and General Crystal Corp., and then 20 years with the Sanforized division of Cluett Peabody and Co. in New York City, first as assistant sales manager and later as director of marketing. He was active in civil affairs, as treasurer of Meals-on-Wheels in Huntington, N.Y., trustee and chairman of the board of deacons of his church, volunteer with the Red Cross and Boy Scouts and vice president of Southern Nassau Communities Hospital Auxiliary. He is survived by his wife, Heather-Ann, sons Joseph and Charles '76 and daughters Barbara Jennifer and Nancy.

1936

Sturges "Dick" Dorrance died Feb. 19,1999. A biography of Dick cannot be condensed into our available space, but to start with, most of us knew him as the managing editor of The Dartmouth. He had built up to this via a whole career in juvenile joumalism before college. Once in Hanover he never let studies interfere with his sideline efforts for the Associated Press, Boston Herald-, or Philadelphia Enquirer. Not one to be stultified, he branched out into broadcasting, advertising, marketing and world travel, and preferred having his own company to working for other modest enterprises such as clients General Electric, Mobil and others. A "long illness" is given as his exit ticket, but that didn't prevent him from out of the ordinary accomplishments in business, community and family and service to Dartmouth. Our sympathies to his lovely Brazilian wife and two children, who should know that his classmates were proud of him.

George William McCleary died Feb. 16, 1999. He was one of the most cheerful men on campus. He was not given to wisecracks, witticism or worldly wisdom. He was just plain cheerful, and we remember always being glad to see him around. This attribute made him a mainstay of Jack-O-Lantern. He went to Tuck School in 1937, but that bored him and he then entered real life with Hearst, Curtis and finally Olin Matthieson. He served in both the Army and the Navy in WW II; only a person with a great sense of humor could have done that successfully. He also served his community of Asheville, N.C., in the best tradition of our times. Parkinson's took him away from Nancy. He put up a good fight, and his three sons and six grandchildren will always have before them a superb role model.

1937

Dana Carroll Douglass died July 30, 1999, in Bethel, Maine, where he was an outstanding community leader. He founded a sound equipment company and reopened two quarries to provide scarce materials in World War El. Dana and his wife, Barbara, recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Also surviving are four daughters and six grandchildren. Although he was confined to his bed for more than a year, Dana was determined to take a trip to Alaska on the inland sea, says classmate Fran Fenn.

Edward Francis Ryan died in Annapolis, Md., on July 25, 1999. He had worked for the Washington Post Co. from 1937 until his retirement in 1983. Ed received two Front Page Awards for his newspaper writing, and a 1958 Distinguished Achievement Award for hisradioand TV work. In 1980 he was awarded an Emmy for lifetime achieve ments in broadcasting. He was a past president of his local United Way and served on the Board of the National Day Care Association. He belonged to the National Press Club. At Dartmouth he was editor-in chief of The Dartmouth, and a member of Green Key, Paleopitus and S.A.E.

Vincent Charles Turecamo died at the Patchogue Hospital in his hometown of Southampton, N.Y., on Sept. 15, 1999. He was president of a construction company that worked on several major projects in the New York City area. His son Robert phoned in the sad news, and reported that his father would be buried wearing his favorite Dartmouth tie. Vince prepped for Dartmouth at Exeter and served in World War II as a lieutenant commander.

1938

Robert Norwood Bott a graduate of Arlington (Mass.) High School, he entered Dartmouth from Phillips Exeter Academy. In college his major was English and philosophy. He played freshman football and hockey. During WW II he served as a B17 pilot in the Army Air Force and was discharged as a first lieutenant in 1945. His business was with Remington Rand in various sales assignments. There is no information as to die date of his death, the cause or the location. He leaves no survivors. Abrother, Morell, was a member of die class of 1929.

Robert Lewis Deery who is survived by wife Lois and sons Bruce '53, Roger '67 and Craig, died in Sarasota, Fla., on Aug. 29,1999, of cancer. He came to college from Medford (Mass.) High School, majored in economics and was a member of Chi Phi fraternity. In 1946 he received a degree from Harvard. He spent most of his business career in paperboard manufacturing, serving as vice president of the Cartharge (N.Y.) Paper Makers and president of the Climax Manufacturing Cos., from which he retired as president in 1977. He is also survived by a brotherin-law, two nephews and one grandnephew who were graduates of Dartmouth.

1940

Frank E. Agar Jr. died in April 1999 at home of heart failure. He came to Dartmouth from Scarsdale High School, was managing editor of The Jack-O-Lantern and a member of Chi Phi. During WW II he edited a couple of newspapers in Baltimore and Texas and was assigned to Starsif Stripes with the Persian Gulf command. Frank was a photographer and teacher until he retired in 1982. He is survived by his wife, Ruth.

Jacob Benjamin Courshon Jr. died Oct. 5,1998, in Forest Park, Ill. J.B. came to Dartmouth from University of Chicago High School. He majored in political science, was secretary of the flying club and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from MIT and served in U.S. Air Force. He was in heavy industrial construction in basic metals industries and airport expansion construction. He was a registered sructural engineer in Illinois. He is survived by his wife, Cleo.

Iver Manual Olson died July 2 3,1999, after a long illness. Iver came to Dartmouth from Winchester (Mass.) High School, received a M.C.S. from Tuck and was a member of the Glee Club. During WW II, he was a lieutenant commander, landing craft in the Pacific, and training officer in Little Creek, Va. Iver was chariman of the marketingdepartment of the College of Commerce at DePaul University, vice president of Marketing Facts and executive vice president and chief economist of the American Footwear Industries Association. He retired in 1980. He was honored by the National Honor Society for graduate studies in M.B.A. and doctoral work. He is survived by his wife, Ida, son Iver and daughters Martha and Linda.

1941

John Joseph O'Connor died on April 22, 1999, after a prolonged illness following surgery in April 1998. Since 1988 Red and his wife, Agnes, had divided their time between New York and Palm Court, Fla. At Dartmouth he was a member of Zeta Psi and he played baseball for Jeff Tesreau. In WW II Red served as an infantry officer in the Aleutians and then in Normandy with the 30 th Division until his imprisonment for nine months as a POW. He later attended Fordham University School of Law and began a long career as a lawyer, including 23 years as general counsel for the March of Dimes. Red was an active Dartmouth alumnus in the New York area for many years and served as class secretary from 1956 to 1964. He is survived by his wife, daughter Debra and '45 brothers Robert and Harrison.

1942

Richard Thomas Wigginton died June 13,1999, of leukemia in Osterville, Mass. Dick had been in the insurance business all of his working life and retired as branch manager for Reliance Insurance Co. in 1979. In commenting on that, he once said that early retirement and a move to Winter Haven,Fla., in the winter and Cape Cod in the summer, "was the smartest thing I ever did." He had originally been an underwriter, field representative and manager of property underwritingfor Standard Accident Insurance Cos., which merged with and became part of Reliance Insurance. Dick is survived by his two "wonderful and successful" children, daughter Betsy and son Richard Jr.

1943

Frank Edwin Williams died July 20,1999, in Thomasville, Ga. Frank grew up in Rockville, Md., attending St. Andrews School prior to attending Dartmouth. A member of Zeta Psi fraternity, Frank majored in political science and was active in three sports: wresding, swimming and crew. During WW II he was a volunteer with the British Army in North Africa, then served with the U.S. Army in France Belgium and Germany. He received a law degree from the University of Maryland in 1948 and joined the family automobile business, Rockmont Chevrolet, and was its president for many years. Frank was a former president of the Automotive Trade Association of the area, a bank director and a past president of Rockville Rotary. He also served on the Rockville City Council. Survivors include his wife, Marianne, son Frank, daughters Emily and Marianne, sister Alice and eight grandchildren.

1944

Frederick "Fritz" Lorenz Hier beloved class secretary for 30 years, died of brain cancer at home in Cornish Flat, N.H., on Aug. 18,1999. His campus activities included boxing, the Outing Club, swimming, freshman football and the Dragon Society. Following a stint in the U.S. Naval Air Corps, Fritz earned a master's degree in journalism at Syracuse University. In 1949 he embarked on an 18-year foreign service career in Europe and Asia, serving in a variety of key positions. Returning home in 1967, he worked 17 years for the College as director of public programs, retiring in 1984. Fritz was the personification of the spirit of his class and the College, both of which he loved and served long and loyally. His Class Notes were classic, his easy prose always aimed at knitting the group closer together. His gift with words was never more apparent than in the Alumni Award citations he wrote for the College after his retirement. Fittingly, Fritz received his well-earned Dartmouth Alumni Award in 1994. He was predeceased by his first wife, a brother and a sister. He is survived by his wife, Anne; sons Rob '75, Gar and Fred; and five grandchildren.

David Tilden Sanders III died of prostate cancer at his home in Las Vegas on Aug. 4, 1999. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dave came to Dartmouth from Lake Forest (Ill.) Academy. Leaving the College at the end of his freshman year, he enrolled in Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill, in September 1941. Two years later he joined the American Field Service, seeing duty in the India-Burma theater. He also served in the Merchant Marines in the Pacific. Returning to Northwestern in 1945, he graduated from the Kellogg School of Management in 1946. After a year in the trust department of the Continental Bank in Chicago, Dave joined Vance, Sanders & Cos., a Boston investment underwriting firm, where he spent the rest of his business career, retiring as a vice president and director. He leaves his wife and three daughters.

1945

Robert Hardy Haffenreffer died at his home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on June 23, 1999. During WW II service as an officer in the U.S. Army he earned the Silver Star for heroism and bravery in Italy. He returned to graduate from Dartmouth in 1948. In the same year he married the former Virginia Kent and entered upon a life-long career in the paper products industry. After a three-year stint with the Great Northern Paper Co. in northern Maine, "Haff joined Ellis Paperboard Products in Portland. Over a 40-year course he rose from salesman to president and CEO by the time he retired in 1990. For many years he participated in such local activities as Rotary Club, the Maine Fisheries Association, and as a deacon in the State Street Church. He leaves his wife, daughter Judith, son R. Kent and six grandchildren.

John Atkins Ruch died Sept. 9,1999, at the Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center Hospital after a long battle with cancer. A graduate of Albany Academy for Boys, John entered Dartmouth prior to serving in the U.S. Navy during WW II. He later graduated from Manhattan College. John established Ruch Distributors Inc. in 1957 and sold the firm 25 years later prior to retirement. He was an avid golfer with a passion for the game that included memberships in four different country clubs. John was the husband of the late Patricia Shaw Ruch. Fie is survived by children Kyle, James, Barbara, Matthew and Megan and their families, including five grandchildren.

1950

John F. Knapp died on Aug. 5,1999, in Alexandria, Va. He had lived in the D.C. area for more than 30 years, with a career in research and development contract services for an electronics company. John was an avid singer, involved with several amateur groups, including the Augmented Eight with Ort Hicks '49, and with an annual Spring Sing, which usually included classmate Tom Ruggles. At Dartmouth John majored in history and was a member of Delta Tau Delta. John leaves his wife, Leila, and children and stepchildren Phillip, Lucy, Mary, Amy, John, Jane and Anthony.

William S. West died on Aug. 8, 1999, in Boca Raton, Fla. of Parkinson's disease, having retired with his wife Jean, to Delray Beach some years ago. Bill's career was with West Pharmaceuticals, a Pennsylvania manufacturing company founded by his father, and where, as Bill said, he worked his way up from the top. He retired in 1985 as chairman, having overseen the company's growth from $12 million to more than $350 million in sales with plants located throughout the world. Bill was an avid golfer, had become active in South Florida harness racing and was a longtime volunteer and supporter of the YMCA and the Paoli (Pa.) Hospital. At Dartmouth he played varsity baseball, was a member of Psi U and Sphinx and attended Tuck School. Bill's Dartmouth relatives were his son Stuart '80 and brothers Jim '53 (deceased) and Frank '43. In addition to his wife, son and brother, he is survived by daughter Nancy and sons Doug and Tim.

1955

John T. Harlor died Aug. 10,1999, at his home in Friendship, Maine, of brain cancer. He prepared for Dartmouth at Bexley (Ohio) High School and Hebron Academy. While at Dartmouth he was a member of Psi 'Upsilon and the Casque & Gauntlet senior society. He was captain of the track team and held the Heptagonal championship record for the long jump. He played competitive tennis throughout his life. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering and business from the Thayer and Tuck schools. After service in the U.S. Army Reserves, John started his career as an engineer with West Virginia Pulp and Paper Co., later joining Polaroid in Boston for a 30-year career, retiring early as vice president of human resources. He then spent ten years in management consulting. He is survived by his wife, Dawn, son David, daughter Alison Maire, granddaughter Emily and twin Doug. He was predeceased by daughter Tracy.

1960

Leonard W. "BUI" Schmitz died on Sept. 27, 1999, in Virginia of a series of heart attacks. Since retiring 15 years ago as head of Illinoisbased Polysystems Inc., a computer company he founded that did actuarial studies for insurance companies. Bill lived with his wife, Ruth, in the woods outside Charlottesville, Va., where he environmentally husbanded the land and followed his love of nature. Late in life, he became a Buddhist. He came to Dartmouth, where he majored in sociology, from Elgin, Ill, and started out living in Massachusetts Hall. He is survived by his wife, children Cameron Scott Schmitz and Gwendolyn Loehr, seven grandchildren, mother Betty Schmitz and sister Deborah Schmitz.

1990

Jason Sheppard Greer and his wife, Lucy, died on July 27, 1999, in a tragic accident while fishing commercially off the coast of Kodiak Island, Alaska. Jason was a valedictorian of his Bloomington (Ind.) High School North class. At Dartmouth he rowed with the varsity heavyweight eight crew team and majored in creative writing. After graduation he taught English in Japan for almost two years and then spent several months traveling in Papua New Guinea. Upon returning to America, he focused on his writing and attended several writer's workshops around the U.S. In 1995 he married Lucy Kim (Barnard '83), and shortly thereafter moved to Korea. In 1997 they relocated to Hawaii, where Jason began working on a novel. Jason is survived by his parents, Susan and Charles, sister Genevieve, grandparents Wilson and Emily Wilmarth, and friends around the world. A foundation has been formed in honor of the couple: Jason & Lucy Greer Foundation for the Arts; P.O. Box 6321, Bloomington, IN 47407.