1920s
Josephine Flumere Geisel ’23, of Wellesley, Mass.; March 2. She taught Spanish at Dana Hall School for thirty-five years. She is survived by two daughters, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Benjamin A. Church ’29, of Clinton, Conn.; Feb. 24. He was an engineer at Southern New England Telephone for forty-one years until he retired in 1970. After that, he and his wife sailed the intercoastal waterway between New England and Florida on a houseboat for many years. He was a member of the Branford Yacht Club and the Southern New England Telephone Pioneers. He won various amateur tennis and yachting championships. He won his final tennis match at age 89. He enjoyed carpentry. A U.S. Coast Guard veteran of World War II, he is survived by his wife, Gladys, two daughters, seven grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren.
A. Wilson Whitman ’29, ’55 AM, of Plainville, Mass.; Dec. 23, 2000.
1930s
E. Kent Allen ’31, of Pompano Beach, Fla.; Feb. 19. He retired after a career at Smith Barney Harris Upham and Co. He was previously treasurer and CFO of Abbot Worsted Co. He was a member of the Historical Society of Hingham, Mass.; the Boys Club of Lowell, Mass.; and the Westford (Mass.) Volunteer Fire Department. He enjoyed playing tennis and stamp collecting. Phi Beta Kappa. He is survived by his wife, Harriet, four children, thirteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Margaret Wolfenden Condon ’32, of Providence; Feb. 26. She had been a social worker at the Catholic Welfare Bureau, where she placed Cuban refugee children in homes in Miami. She was previously a teacher in the North Attleboro, Mass., school system until she enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. A second lieutenant, she served as chief of medical social work at several bases in the United States and Tokyo. Her last assignment was as schools officer at the headquarters of the Army Communication Zone in Orleans, France; she retired from the military in 1961. She was a communicant of St. Sebastian Church. She enjoyed reading, playing bridge, and gardening. She is survived by two sisters.
Rosa Rieser Schlossbach ’33, of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.; Nov. 6, 2002.
Harry H. Daw Jr. ’34, of Worcester, Mass.; Feb. 25. He worked at the former Wuskanut Mills. He was a U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II and a member of Union Congregational Church. He is survived by two sisters, Marjorie Daw Morrissey ’34 and Dorothy Daw Powers ’40.
Louise Laviolette Yohe ’34, of Isle La Motte, Vt.; Dec. 24. She was an active member of the Old Stone United Methodist Church and the Order of the Eastern Star. She was a trustee of Isle La Motte Public Library. She and her late husband, a minister, served many Methodist parishes throughout Vermont and New York State. She is survived by a caregiver and several nieces and nephews.
Frederic H. Kass Jr. ’35, of Williamsport, Md.; Feb. 6. He was an investment adviser on Wall Street for fifty-five years before he retired in 1998 as a senior vice president at Salomon Smith Barney. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. He is survived by a daughter, a son, four grandchildren, and a friend, Virginia Mollenkopf.
Dorothy Abeshaus Segool ’35, of Suffield, Conn.; Jan. 31. A public health nurse, she served as a visiting nurse in Providence and in New Haven, Conn. She enjoyed reading, swimming, studying flowers and birds, and listening to concerts and operas. She was a member of Temple Anshe Sholom in Illinois and the Jewish Community of Amherst. She was active in the League of Women Voters and promoted health education in the Amherst school system. She is survived by a daughter, a son, and five grandchildren.
Ruth Goldberg Levine ’35, of Fall River, Mass.; March 12. She was former owner of Simons Supply Co. in Pawtucket, R.I., Fall River, and New Bedford, Mass. She was on the board of Temple Beth-El and its school committee and was former president of its sisterhood. She was former president and life member of the Fall River chapter of Hadassah and the Hebrew Ladies Helping Hand Society, serving as chairwoman of the society’s annual fashion show and rummage sale. A life member of the Brandeis Women’s Committee, she coordinated its annual book drive. She had been a Parent-Teacher Association leader at the Highland and Tansey schools. She enjoyed cooking and is survived by two sons, including Alan ’67; four grandchildren, including Max ’05; and two step-grandchildren.
Clarence H. “Bud” Gifford Jr. ’36, of Key Largo, Fla., and Nantucket, Mass.; March 23, of heart failure. He was president and chairman of the board of the former Rhode Island Hospital Trust from 1963 until he retired in 1974. He served on the boards of several other corporations—including Hasbro, Textron, and Pacific National Bank, where he was chairman—as well as charitable organizations. A wine expert, he wrote the book One Man’s Wine and received an honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales Univ. After graduating from Brown he joined his father in a small real estate business before serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He then joined Phoenix Bank, which was later bought by Rhode Island Hospital Trust. He and his family survived the sinking of the luxury liner Andrea Doria in 1956 as they returned home from a trip to Europe. He watched his wife and children depart on a lifeboat, then found a seat on a later lifeboat and reunited with them aboard the Ile de France. He is survived by his wife, Priscilla; three sons, including John ’63; a daughter; thirteen grandchildren, including Clarence III ’89 and Elizabeth ’90; and eleven great-grandchildren.
Robert L. Macdonald ’37, of Poland, Me.; March 28. He retired after more than forty years at the W.T. Grant Co. Department Stores, where he had been a longtime store manager. He was a U.S. Navy lieutenant during World War II. An avid golfer, he was a member of Fairlawn Country Club. He also enjoyed fishing and watching football. He is survived by his wife, Anne, two sons, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Edward A. Pysz ’37, of Barrington, R.I.; Feb. 13. He was an inspector for the Rhode Island health department for thirty-three years before he retired. He previously taught physics and chemistry at Central High School in Providence. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and served as a sergeant in the 407th Signal Aviation Co. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, 9 Lafayette Rd., Barrington 02806; three brothers; and three sisters, including Albina Pysz Jablecki ’38.
Arline Schaap Strauss ’37, of White Plains, N.Y.; Feb. 19, 2003.
Grace Harris Knox ’38, ’44 AM, of Bremerton, Wash.; Feb. 7. She worked for the astrophysics department at the California Institute of Technology from 1966 until she retired in 1986. She previously retired after twenty-four years in the civil service, where she was chief of the data analysis branch at Edwards Air Force Base. She was an active volunteer at the First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena. She is survived by a son, a daughter, and five grandchildren.
Sherwood C. Haskins ’38, of Wrentham, Mass.; Dec. 23, after a long illness. He retired as a purchasing agent at the Kendall Co. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he served as a staff sergeant in the 24th infantry division and was stationed in the Pacific and occupied Japan. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie, and a son.
Barbara Gilbert Campbell ’39, of Worcester, Mass.; Feb. 27, after an illness. She retired in 1979 after many years as business manager at Campbell Magnetic & Machine Co. in Worcester. She previously worked at Rhode Island Bank & Trust. She was active in Girl Scouting and was an avid reader. She is survived by her husband, Peter, 65 Briarwood Cir., #302, Worcester 01606; a son; a daughter; and three grandchildren.
Betzy Christensen Killam ’39, of Noank, Conn.; Jan. 10. She retired after many years as guidance director at Cutler Middle School. She was previously a teacher at the Old Noank School. She was a member of the Noank Baptist Church for more than seventy years. She was also a member of the Noank Historical Society, Retired Teachers of Connecticut, the Connecticut Education Association, and the AARP. She was the past matron of Charity Chapter No. 61, Order of the Eastern Star, and was a member of Friends of Mystic Noank Library and Mystic Seaport Museum, where she volunteered for twenty-two years. She enjoyed reading, gardening, traveling, and knitting sweaters. She is survived by a son, a grandson, a great-grandson, and a sister.
1940s
Walter R. Hall ’40, of Culpeper, Va.; Sept. 1, after a lengthy illness. During a long career in the federal government, he worked for the War Assets Administration, the U.S. Navy, and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, rising to a senior executive position. He received many distinguished service awards. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he served in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters; during the D-Day assault his ship was sunk. He also served in the Korean War and retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve as a commander. He is survived by his wife, Geneva; a daughter, Debra ’73; two sons; and five grandchildren.
Austin Adams Jr. ’41, of Newburyport, Mass.; Nov. 26, 2001. Survivors include a daughter.
Robert W. Braithwaite ’41, of Pompano Beach, Fla.; March 25, 2000.
John B. Crosby ’41, of Yarmouthport, Mass.; March 14. Until his retirement in 1990, he was president of Barnstable County Supply Co., which he joined as a salesman in 1959. After retiring he became a consultant. He was president of the Hyannisport Golf Club for six years, and served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Carol; two sons, including John Jr. ’67; three daughters, including Cynthia ’82; and eleven grandchildren.
Henry P. Eldredge ’41, of East Greenwich, R.I.; Feb. 3. He was president of Charles C. Eldredge Inc., a heating firm, from 1956 until he retired in 1981. A lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he trained pilots in the United States and flew shipments to the North African campaign. Before the war he flew for Pan American Airlines, where he pioneered the route across Africa to Cairo and Tehran. He also flew for Northeast Airlines. He was a trustee of Industrial National Bank, Kent Memorial Hospital, and Rocky Hill School. He was a founding member of the East Greenwich Rotary Club and the Academy Players. He was a vestryman and treasurer at St. Luke’s Church. A member and former commodore of the East Greenwich Yacht Club, he began competing in sailing regattas on Narragansett Bay as a teenager. He was also a member of the Potowomut Golf Club. He is survived by a son, a daughter, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Theodore Maheras ’41, of Chicago; May 12, 2001.
John Skerry ’41, of Barrington, R.I.; Sept. 8, 2000.
David Golner ’42, of Berkeley, Calif.; Feb. 23. He was a partner of Belilove Co. Engineers (founded by his friend Saul Belilove ’40) from 1956 until he retired in 1981. He previously worked at the former Hammel-Dahl Co. in Rhode Island. A community volunteer, he was president of his synagogue in Berkeley and vice president and campaign chair of the Jewish Federation of East Bay in the Berkeley area. He was a director of the Judah L. Magnus Museum and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. An avid golfer, he was a longtime member of Mira Vista Golf and Country Club. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Robinson Golner ’44; a son, Geoffrey ’67; and a daughter.
Henry W. Hayes ’42, of Springfield, Mass.; March 26. He was president of Mutual Insurance Agency of Springfield. He was previously an insurance executive at Liberty Mutual for twenty-five years. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he served in North Africa and Italy. He was active in St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Longmeadow, Mass., and had been on the vestry of St. Barnabas Church in Springfield. He was on the board of Camp Bement and had been treasurer of East Forest Park Nursery School. He is survived by his wife, Jean; three sons, including Jeffrey ’66; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Stanley W. Allen ’43, of Hilton Head Island, S.C.; Feb. 27. He retired in 1983 as vice president of INA Reinsurance Co. in Philadelphia. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific theater. He enjoyed sailing, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay and off the coast of Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife, Shirley Buckingham Allen ’44, two daughters, two sons, seven grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and a brother.
Leonard Geller ’43, of Palm Beach, Fla.; Oct. 26.
Carol Jenckes Meyer ’43, of Darien, Conn., and East Falmouth, Mass.; March 9. She volunteered with the Visiting Nurse Association of Falmouth. She was a former member of the Garden Club of Barrington, R.I., the Handicraft Club of Providence, and the Auxiliary of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Barrington. She is survived by her husband, Kingsley ’43, two daughters, a son, and five grandchildren.
Thomas M. Sneddon ’43, of Barrington, R.I.; Feb. 16. He was an architectural landscaper at Brown for thirty-six years before he retired in 1983. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, serving under General George MacArthur. He was a member of the Barrington Presbyterian Church and the West Barrington Men’s Club. He enjoyed gardening and playing golf. He is survived by his wife, Charlotte, 14 Cedar Ave., Barrington 02806; and a daughter.
J. Davis Spalding ’43, of Arlington, Va.; Feb. 16, 2003.
Thomas W. Christopher ’44, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Oct. 14. He was a retired physician.
Elizabeth Pariseault Gersuk ’44, of South Bend, Ind.; Feb. 22. She cofounded the seniors program at St. Luke’s Church in McLean, Va., and volunteered at soup kitchens in Washington, D.C. She had been a social worker many years ago. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, and playing bridge. She is survived by a daughter, four sons, fourteen grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a brother, and a sister, Anita Pariseault Ball ’41.
Henry Popkin ’44, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Oct. 24, 2002. Phi Beta Kappa.
Milton R. Machlin ’45, of New York City; April 3. He was editor of Argosy magazine and the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, including 9th Life, Libby, The Search for Michael Rockefeller, and Pipeline. He received an Edgar Allan Poe Special Award from the Mystery Writers of America for The Setup. A U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II, he served in the Pacific theater and received a Presidential Unit Citation. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, a stepson, and a brother.
Justus P. Seeburg ’45, of Santa Barbara, Calif.; July 26, 2002.
Elizabeth Gates Gibson ’46, of Chatham, Pa.; March 12, after a long struggle with cancer. She taught elementary school in Wilmington, Del., for fifteen years before her marriage. A founder of the Elk Creek Preservation Society, she was a member of the London Grove Township Historic District Commission, Faggs Manor Presbyterian Church, the National Society of Colonial Dames of America, and the Society of Mayflower Descendents. As a youth she helped manage her family farm, Broadlands, which was known for its purebred Jersey cows. She enjoyed traveling. She is survived by a sister and five stepchildren.
Mary Bello Chatalian ’47, of North Providence; March 1. She taught in the Scituate, R.I., public schools for thirty-five years until she retired in 1996. She was named District Teacher of the Year and Lifetime Critic Teacher and received four federal grants. After retiring she volunteered at St. Augustine and North Scituate elementary schools. She served on the board of the Northwest Reading Association. A communicant of St. Augustine Church, she was a member of Our Lady of Knock Praesidium. She enjoyed collecting books. She is survived by a brother, John ’51, and a sister, Eva Bello Grant ’46.
Harold M. Cooper Jr. ’47, of South Dartmouth, Mass.; Feb. 22, unexpectedly. He was founder and president for more than fifty years of the Cooper Insurance Agency in New Bedford, Mass. He was active in many local organizations, including the New Bedford Kiwanis Club, the Interchurch Council of Greater New Bedford, New Bedford Child and Family Services, the YMCA, the Masons, and the Country Club of New Bedford. He served as a lieutenant, junior grade, in the U.S. Navy and was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church. He is survived by two sons, a daughter, five grandchildren, and two brothers.
Ramon J. Elias ’47, of Jefferson, Ohio; March 12. He was an interior designer and president of Dezign House, which he established in 1962. Known for his hand-painted wallpaper, he did design work at the Cleveland Play House Club, as well as at restaurants, other public places, and private homes. He wrote an interior design column and book reviews for the Cleveland Press. He also wrote plays and was a theater-arts lecturer at Case Western Reserve Univ. He previously headed the English department at the Berlitz School of Languages. He served in the U.S. Navy. He is survived by his wife, Margery Moore Elias ’48, two daughters, a son, three grandchildren, and a sister.
John V. Donlon ’48, of Blackstone, Mass.; March 18. He was a serviceman at the Valley Gas Co. for thirty-three years until he retired in 1982. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he served in the Pacific and was a member of Fairmount American Legion Post 85 in Woonsocket, R.I. He was a former youth baseball and basketball coach. A hunter and shellfisherman, he is survived by his wife, Dorothea, two sons, a daughter, eight grandchildren, and two sisters.
Harold J. Fromm ’48, of Rochester, N.Y.; Feb. 5. He retired after forty-two years at Eastman Kodak Co., where he was recognized nationally and internationally for his work in microfilm standards. A veteran of World War II, he was also a contributor to NASA’s Skylab team. He is survived by his wife, Yolanda, three daughters, seven grandchildren, and a brother.
Helen McCauley Norton ’48, of Narragansett, R.I.; March 20. A teacher, she retired from the Cranston, R.I., school system in 1986. She previously taught in Providence and Warwick, R.I. She was a member of the Pembroke Club in Providence and Kent County. A communicant of St. Francis Church, she is survived by her husband, Ray ’49, two sons, five daughters, nine grandchildren, two brothers, and a sister.
Jean R. Tartter ’48, of Arlington, Va.; April 2, of cancer. He retired in 1980 as an officer in the U.S. Foreign Service. After retiring he contributed to country studies for a series published by the Library of Congress. During his career he served as chief of the economic section of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, officer in charge of East European economic affairs, deputy director of East-West trade in Washington, D.C., and officer in charge and economic counselor at the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. He had also been a consular officer in Austria, Scotland, and Canada. He advised U.S. businesses and investors about export and import rules, and represented the United States at world security and trade conferences. He helped define a U.S. licensing policy for computers, semiconductors, and advanced machine tool exports to Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and China. He also resolved a financial dispute with the Polish government, allowing Americans on Social Security who retired to Poland to get a better exchange rate without affecting the U.S. balance of payments. He was a diplomat in residence at the University of Nebraska in 1979 and 1980. A master gardener and president of a seniors’ tennis club, he is survived by his wife, Jean Walker Tartter ’46; two sons, including Paul ’73, ’77 MD; and three grandchildren.
Charles H. Farnum ’49, of Worcester, Mass.; Aug. 4, after a short illness. He was an outside salesman for American Plumbing before he retired. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he served as a navigator in the South Pacific. Survivors include a niece.
Betty Shoemaker Gibson ’49, of Blue Bell, Pa.; Feb. 13, 2003.
Kathleen Mather Johnson ’49, of Nahant, Mass.; April 15, 2003, of pneumonia.
David Laurent ’49, ’53 AM, of Smithfield, R.I.; March 25. He retired after fifty years as a vocalist and a professor in Brown’s music department, which he chaired for ten years. A bass baritone, he began singing professionally in his teens and was perhaps best known for his performances from the oratorio, German lieder, French melodie, and American song repertoires. He performed in Verdi’s Requiem at the Imperial College in London and received the coveted Grand Prix du Disque for his role as the Christus in an early-1950s recording of Alessandro Scarlatti’s St. John Passion. He performed recitals at the Music Mansion and performed with the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Rhode Island Singers, which he had also conducted. He appeared with major East Coast symphony orchestras and had been the featured artist at Bach festivals in Providence, Rochester, N.Y., and Winter Park Beach, Fla. His last full-length recital was in 1987. He was past president and former governor of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, a member of the American Association of University Professors, and former president of the Brown Faculty Club. The University established a scholarship in his honor. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he served in the United States and Europe as combat liaison officer for the 101st Infantry and as assistant special service officer for the 8th Armored Division under General George Patton. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Carew Laurent ’48; a daughter, Miriam ’73; two sons, four grandchildren, and three sisters.
John F. Prendergast ’49, of Orleans, Mass.; Feb. 26. He was a sales manager at Soundscriber Sales Corp., regional manager of Blanchard Lumber Co., forest production manager at Barnstable County Supply, and a sales representative at Mellco Inc. A former guest lecturer in the advanced management program at Harvard Business School, he had been a selectman in the town of Walpole, Mass., and past president of the Brown Club of Boston and the New England Wholesale Lumber Association. He was a member of Walpole Country Club, the American Legion, and the international Hoo Hoo Club. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he served in the 417th regimental combat team and received the Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge. He is survived by his wife, Eleanor, Box 1802, Orleans 02653; a daughter, Julie Prendergast Dorsey ’80; a son; two grandchildren; and a sister.
Robert M. Spenceley ’49, of Oxford, Ohio; Dec. 14, 2002.
John B. Thayer ’49, of Providence; Jan. 14. He was a retired orthopedic surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital, assistant chief of orthopedics at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, and clinical assistant professor at Brown. He was a member of the AOA Honor Medical Society, the American Medical Association, the Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, the Board of Orthopedic Surgery, and the National Board of Medical Examiners, as well as the Brown Faculty Club, the Pawtucket (R.I.) Country Club, the Edgewood Yacht Club, the University Club, and the Hope Club. He was an honorary ambassador for the Palestine Shrine for more than twenty-five years. He enjoyed golfing, sailing, and raising English mastiffs, and was distantly related to the poet Emily Dickinson. A U.S. Navy veteran, he is survived by his wife, Lucille, five daughters, two sons, and seventeen grandchildren.
1950s
Edgar D. Beacham ’50, of Chatham Township, N.J.; Jan. 23. He retired fifteen years ago as an investment banker at Dominick and Dominick in New York City. He previously worked at Halsey Stuart & Co. and Slone & Webster Securities Corp., both in New York City. At Brown he was former chairman of BASC. He enjoyed playing tennis, paddle tennis, and bridge. He is survived by a son, a daughter, two grandchildren, and a sister.
Richard J. Dee Jr. ’50, of Salisbury, Conn.; March 10, of heart failure. He retired as a sales marketing consultant at Richard Dee Associates after twenty-three years. He was previously a promotion director at McCall’s magazine, and creative manager in the advertising sales promotion department at Life. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Robin, two sons, three stepsons, a stepdaughter, two sisters, and three brothers.
William J. DeNuccio ’50, of Warwick, R.I., and Melbourne, Fla.; April 1. A retired brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force, he was former assistant adjutant general of the Rhode Island Air National Guard and liaison officer to the Air Force Academy for Rhode Island and Massachusetts. While serving in the guard he was a fiscal expert for the State of Rhode Island, working over the years as chief budget analyst of the budget division and first director of the Legislative Council. He retired in 1980 as fiscal adviser to the House Finance Committee. After retiring he was executive vice president of the Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and director of the Lakecrest Group, a consulting firm. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, he served as an airborne gunner in the Pacific. He joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1949 as an intelligence specialist and was later commissioned as an officer in the Air Force Reserve. He was recalled to active duty in 1961 as a captain with the 102nd Aircraft and Warning Squadron to serve as a weapons officer in northern Germany. He received many military awards, including the Legion of Merit. He had been a guest lecturer in government studies at Brown. In 1999 he was named one of the ten most successful graduates of Brown’s Veterans College. He was inducted into the Cranston Hall of Fame. A golfer, he had been treasurer and board member of the Potowomut Country Club. He is survived by his wife, Anne, four sons, nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and two sisters.
Ann Longstreth Hall ’50, of Spray Beach, N.J.; Feb. 16. She worked in banking before she retired. She was active in many organizations, including the Spray Beach Yacht Club, the Long Beach Island Historical Association, and the League of Women Voters. A member of the First Presbyterian Church of Tuckerton, N.J., she is survived by her husband, W. Harrison Hall Jr., 106 E. 23rd St., Spray Beach 08008; three sons; two stepsons; ten grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
John J. Hurley ’50, of Riverside, R.I.; March 15. He was principal of Edward Martin Junior High School in East Providence until he retired in 1986. During his thirty-six years in the city’s school system, he also served as principal, vice principal, and head of the math-and-science department at Riverside Junior High School, where he coached baseball and ran the after-school bowling league. The auditorium at Riverside was named in his honor. He had also been principal of Orchard Street School, where he helped design two pilot programs for immigrant children. He was a member of the Rhode Island Principals’ Association, the Principals’ Committee on Junior High Athletics, and the East Providence Athletic Council. He was inducted into the East Providence Hall of Fame. He served on the East Providence City Council for two terms and later served on the Rhode Island Supreme Court’s disciplinary board for three years. He served in the U.S. Army. A member of St. Brendan’s Church, he was a trustee, lector, and finance-committee member and taught CCD classes for ten years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Pine Valley and Silver Spring Golf Leagues. A Red Sox fan, he enjoyed bowling and gardening. He is survived by his wife, Catherine, 28 Burnside Ave., Riverside 02915; five sons; three daughters; twenty grandchildren; and a sister.
E. Thomas Kearney Jr. ’50, of Whitefield, N.H.; Aug. 24, 2002. For forty years he operated a horse farm, Dancer Farm, where he trained jumpers and which was a satellite farm for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
Richard S. Larson ’50, of Wakefield, R.I.; Feb. 5. He was an assistant vice president at Amica Insurance Co. for thirty-three years, retiring in 1991. He attended Central Baptist Church in Jamestown and was a former member of Greenville Baptist Church, where he chaired the boards of trustees, deacons, and missions. He volunteered at Camp Canonicus of the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island and participated in four mission tours to La Romana in the Dominican Republic to help build the Good Samaritan Hospital. He was a member of the Masonic Veterans of Rhode Island, the Snug Harbor–East Matunuck Civic Association, and the Friendly Mixers Square Dance Group. He enjoyed wood carving. A veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve, he is survived by his wife, Nancy Cyr-Larson, 80 Bayfield Dr., Wakefield 02879; two sons; three daughters; a stepson; a stepdaughter; twelve grandchildren; and a brother.
Charles Shapiro ’50, of Woodland Hills, Calif.; Dec. 18. He is survived by four daughters, six grandchildren, and a brother.
Theodor P. von Brand ’50, of Locust Hill, Va.; March 15. He retired as an administrative law judge at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he presided over whistleblower cases concerning issues such as the rights of employees complaining of health risks in the workplace and the rights of California farmworkers to adequate working conditions. During his career on the bench he also worked at the Social Security Administration, where he presided over black-lung disability cases brought by Appalachian coal miners. At the Interstate Commerce Commission, he ruled on the need for oversight of credit bureaus. He previously worked on antitrust cases for almost fifteen years at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. A native of Germany, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later returned to Germany to serve with the post-war occupation. A dog trainer, he kept breeds including Norwegian elkhounds, Newfoundlands, and mastiffs. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, two sons, a daughter, and five grandchildren.
Shirley O’Connell O’Herron ’51, of Darien, Conn.; March 27, of cancer. She was on the board of Fordham Univ. from 1996 to 2002, when she was named trustee emerita. She previously worked at Harvard and at the Stone and Webster Corp. She was on the board of the Education for Parish Services. She also supported St. Margaret Mary School in Bronx, N.Y., and St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City. She enjoyed cooking and art. She is survived by her husband, Jonathan, a son, two daughters, and eleven grandchildren.
Mason B. “Pete” Williams ’51, of Barrington, R.I.; Feb. 25. He was general manager of Purington Building Systems until he retired in 1992. He was previously chief field engineer at Stone and Webster Engineering in São Paulo, Brazil. He was current secretary and past president of his Brown class and had been active on the class executive committee since 1964. He was also a member of the Brown Sports Foundation and the Brown Football Association. A direct descendant of Roger Williams, he was a member of the Roger Williams Family Association, the Nooseneck Hill Club, the National Rifle Association, the East Providence Rotary Club, and the Society of Mayflower Descendants. He chaired the building and grounds committee of the Squantum Association for many years, served on the board of the 100 Club of Rhode Island, and was past president of Inland Steel Builders. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and world traveling. He is survived by his wife, Jane, 17 Starbrook Dr., Barrington 02806; four daughters; seven grandchildren; and a sister.
Arturo “Arky” Gonzalez Jr. ’52, of Clermont, Fla.; March 11, of melanoma. He was a journalist for forty years, writing for such publications as Life, Reader’s Digest, Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, the New York Times Magazine, and the Washington Post. He also wrote for publications of the American Medical Association. He datelined one of his more than 3,500 published text-and-photo features from the South Pole, and covered wars in Vietnam, Northern Ireland, Lebanon, and Rhodesia. A correspondent for Life, he also headed promotion, circulation, and marketing and sales staffs for Time, Life, Fortune, Reader’s Digest, the International Herald Tribune, and USA Today International in London, as well as for publications of McGraw-Hill and Ziff-Davis. He cofounded Asia Magazine in Hong Kong. He served as a press officer at the United Nations in Geneva. He returned to the United States in 1988 after almost twenty years in Europe as a foreign correspo
