GS Class of 1964

Gino Mecarini ’64 ScM, of Scarsdale, N.Y.; May 1, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. After Brown, he continued his graduate studies in oceanography at URI. He then joined what is now known as Alpine Ocean Seismic Survey in 1966, eventually purchasing the company. His son assumed the helm and Gino retired in 2014, but not before he had started a geophysical survey company in Italy. He was an avid traveler and enjoyed skiing, biking, and hiking. He is survived by his wife, Sandra; a son and daughter-in-law; and two grandchildren.

Lee Hackler Gough ’64 ScM, of Bethesda, Md.; Feb. 26, following a stroke and a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. After working in many labs, she earned her teaching certification and became a science resource teacher for English as a Second Language students at an elementary school in Washington, D.C., and later in the Arlington, Va., school system, from which she retired. She was active in her community and enjoyed reading and cooking. She is survived by her husband, Michael Gough ’63 ScM, ’66 PhD; daughter Laura Gough ’90; a son; and five grandchildren.

Carole E. Crate ’64 AM, of Clive, Iowa; Mar. 14.

Pamela White-Stevens Lakey ’60, ’64 AM, of Florissant, Mo.; Dec. 21, of non-COVID long-term respiratory illness. After Brown, she married, started a family, and taught art history at Gordon College (Mass.). After divorcing, she moved to Texas and provided for her sons as a draftsman in the oil and gas industry, followed by a position as a middle and high school art and science teacher. She survived a head on collision with a drunk driver and was in a coma for four weeks, then had to learn to walk and speak again; she needed to be in a nursing home from her early 60s on, where she taught arts and crafts to the residents and to her grandchildren. She is survived by two sons, three grandchildren, two brothers, and many nieces and nephews.

Norman D. Smith ’64 ScM, ’67 PhD, of Denton, Neb.; Sept. 9, of cancer. He was a University of Nebraska earth sciences professor committed to the study of rivers and advancing science literacy. He was internationally known for his research and teaching and gave of his time to professional and public service. He headed the department of geological sciences at the University of Illinois–Chicago and the department of earth and atmospheric sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He was a Fulbright scholar, fellow of the Geological Society of America, and a Francis J. Pettijohn medalist for his scientific contributions to sedimentary geology. He also served as editor of the Journal of Sedimentary Petrology. For more than two decades he led Nebraska Citizens for Science, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to advancing science literacy in the state. He enjoyed performing arts, sports, traveling with his wife, and tending to the woodlot in the Adirondacks where he built a log cabin by hand with his brother. He was a gifted musician and volunteered playing weekly piano sessions for the Bryan Medical Center East and West campuses. He is survived by his wife, Judith; two sons and daughters-in-law; three grandchildren; a sister; three sisters-in-law; and several nieces and nephews.

Mary Small Hughes ’53, ’64 AM, of Lewisport, Ky.; May 16. She and her husband moved to Detroit in 1964 and she worked as an academic advisor at Wayne State University and volunteered at the Detroit Institute of Art. She later moved to Lewisport to care for her ill sister. She contributed to countless charities and enjoyed animals, reading, and listening to classical music. She is survived by her friend Sherry Snyder.

Nathaniel B. Atwater ’64 AM (see ’58).

Nathaniel B. Atwater ’58, ’64 AM, of Little Compton, R.I.; Feb. 11. He earned a PhD in medieval literature from Exeter University in England and taught English at UMass Dartmouth. He retired in 1991. In retirement he served two terms as president of the Little Compton Historical Society. He enjoyed working in his vegetable garden, Indian artifact hunting, and fishing. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; a daughter and son-in-law; a son and daughter-in-law; two grandsons; a sister; and several nieces and nephews.

Elizabeth Ballantine Gardner ’64 ScM, ’65 PhD, of Wellesley, Mass.; Dec. 1. She taught at Queens College in Flushing, N.Y., and Wellesley College before settling into a 50-year career teaching at Pine Manor College, where she also chaired the science department. She endowed a wildlife viewing site at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Florida and established a scholarship for nurse practitioners at Newton Wellesley Hospital. Her interest in her mother’s family’s well-documented history led her to oversee the distribution of family papers, objects, and photographs to institutions where they could be used for research by the public. She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Paul Kechijian ’64 ScM (see ’61).

Che C. Chow ’64 PhD, of Penfield, N.Y.; Nov. 26. He worked for the DuPont Company in Delaware for several years. In 1970, he accepted a position at Xerox Corporation in Rochester, N.Y., where he would spend the next 28 years as a research chemist. He was awarded numerous patents. During his time in Rochester, Che and his wife provided active support and assistance to international college students who came to the United States to study there. He spent many years serving as a deacon and singing in the choir of his local church. He is survived by his wife, Betty; a daughter; a grandson; a sister; a brother; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Paul Kechijian ’61, ’64 ScM, of Manhasset, N.Y.; Nov. 30. He was a dermatologist in private practice in Great Neck, N.Y. He also held titles of clinical associate professor of dermatology at NYU School of Medicine and dermatology consultant at Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School. He was affiliated with North Shore University Hospital and New York Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. He has authored several papers and is listed in Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare. He served in the U.S. Army and was the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Brown Medical Alumni Association from 1976 to 1993, serving as president from 1982 to 1984. He enjoyed running, playing the banjo, and antique car restoration. He is survived by his wife, Janice; daughter Lisa Kechijian Aber ’06; son Douglas ’02; a daughter-in-law; a son-in-law; and three grandchildren.

Nathaniel A. Friedman ’64 PhD, of Albany, N.Y.; May 2, from complications of COVID. After appointments at the University of New Mexico, Westfield College, and the University of London, he settled into a tenure-track position at SUNY Albany in 1968. He wrote An Introduction to Ergodic Theory (1970), one of the early textbooks on the topic, and helped lay a foundation in ergodic theory and dynamical systems that continues to have a broad influence on many areas of mathematics to this day. In 1992, he started the international, interdisciplinary Art and Mathematics Conference, which convened annually in Albany. In 1998 he founded the International Society for the Arts, Mathematics, and Architecture to further interdisciplinary education in these fields, with international conferences in the U.S. and Europe. His newsletter HYPERSEEING became a quarterly magazine covering a lively mix of art/math articles, news, reviews of books and exhibits, even cartoons. He retired as full professor in 2000. He enjoyed sculpting and ballroom dancing. He is survived by six cousins.

Tomas Feininger ’60 ScM, ’64 PhD, of Quebec, Canada; Nov. 26. An eminent geologist, he first worked in Ecuador, where he founded the department of geology at the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (National Polytechnic School). In 1978 he relocated to Quebec City to become a researcher at the department of geology and geological engineering of Université Laval. He went on to work as a geologist in the department of global physics for the Geological Survey of Canada before returning to teaching as an adjunct professor at Université Laval. At the same time, he initiated and participated in the geological mapping of territories in South and North America, notably in Quebec, and published numerous articles in specialized scientific publications. He served as president of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec from 1993 to 1998. He is survived by his wife, Johanne; three daughters; and six grandchildren.

Francis H. Barron ’64 ScM, of Raleigh, N.C.; Dec. 9. He attended the U.S. Army Infantry Officer basic course, graduating in 1964 as a second lieutenant. After serving two years of active duty as an intelligence officer at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, discharged with the rank of captain, he earned a doctorate in operations research at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1970. He began a career at the University of Kansas, where he worked from 1970 to 1982, rising to the rank of professor. He then worked as a professor and department chair at the University of Alabama from 1982 to 2000. He was published in numerous journals and a consistent contributor to the Subjective Probability Utility and Decision Making Conference. Phi Beta Kappa. He is survived by his wife, M.K. Sibylle Janssen Barron ’64; a daughter, three sons, nine grandchildren, two sisters, and a brother.

George Monteiro ’54, ’64 PhD, of Windham, Conn.; Nov. 5. He taught American literature at Brown for 42 years, retiring in 1998. He authored more than 30 books and hundreds of articles on American and Portuguese literature and culture and was an accomplished poet. He was knighted by the Portuguese Government with the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator for distinguished contributions to the study and dissemination of Portuguese culture. He was an avid supporter of the UConn women’s basketball team and a fan of both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. He is survived by his wife, Brenda Murphy ’75 PhD; two daughters; son Stephen ’90;
three grandsons; a brother; and several nieces and nephews.

Norma Cassell Thomas ’64 MAT, of West Richland, Wash.; Aug. 18, after a long battle with dementia. She enjoyed a variety of jobs throughout her life, including teaching high school math, selling real estate, doing taxes, and secretarial work at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She also enjoyed knitting, quilting, reading, and bird watching. Along with her husband, she traveled to various locations to view interesting birds and various cultures and environments. She is survived by her husband, Montcalm Thomas ’66 PhD; a daughter; two grandsons; a sister; a brother; and several nieces and nephews.
 

James P. Malmfeldt ’64 AM, of Osprey, Fla., formerly of Wayland, Mass.; July 10 of cancer. He retired from the John Hancock Life Insurance Company after nearly two decades. He actively volunteered with the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, the Presbyterian Homes and Housing Foundation of Florida, and the Masonic lodges in both Florida and Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife, Marcia; a daughter and her spouse; a son and his spouse; and three grandchildren.

Richard A. Derrig ’64 ScM, ’70 PhD, of Providence, Feb. 8. He was a visiting professor at Fox School of Business at Temple University and was an adjunct professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He taught graduate and undergraduate mathematics at Villanova University, Wheaton College, and Brown University for a total of thirteen years. In 2004, he established and was president of OPAL Consulting LLC, providing research and regulatory support to the property-casualty insurance industry. Over the course of his career he authored more than 60 books and papers and conducted professional presentations at universities across the globe. He was the recipient of several prizes and awards. Only just recently fully retired, he was senior vice president of the Automobile Insurers Bureau and a vice president of the Insurance Fraud Bureau, both of Massachusetts. Through the years, he remained a loyal alumnus of Brown and an avid Brunonian sports fan attending Brown football and hockey games since 1967. He was also a dedicated commencement forum attendee, an avid participant in the Brown Travelers Program, and honored to be an alumni marshal for the Graduate School in the 2003. By far, his favorite Brown moment was his granddaughter becoming a member of the Brown Class of 2020. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; two children; a son-in-law; and granddaughter Tess Rossi ’20. 

(Below image of Richard A. Derrig ’64 ScM, ’70 PhD and granddaughter Tess Rossi ’20 in front of Van Wickle Gates)
 

John J. DeLuisi ’64 MAT, of Boulder Colo.; Feb. 26. He spent most of his career at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Boulder. With NOAA he traveled the world collaborating with international atmospheric scientists and organizations. He was considered an expert in the study and investigation of the interaction of solar radiation with the Earth’s atmosphere and initiated and developed the U.S. SURFRAD network, which has become NOAA’s longest running and most successful surface radiation network. He also mentored many young scientists. He was a U.S. Navy Korean War veteran and is survived by five children; nine grandchildren; a sister; a sister-in-law; and 12 nieces and nephews.

Roberts W. French ’64 PhD, of Santa Fe, N. Mex.; Nov. 26. Following service in the U.S. Army, he attended Brown and then taught literature at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the following 29 years. During his tenure at UMass Amherst he received the University’s Distinguished Teacher Award and published numerous poems, reviews and critical articles on the works of John Milton and Walt Whitman. He was an active hiker and mountaineer throughout his life and, in 1958, he and three companions pioneered a route through the Purcell and Selkirk mountains of British Columbia. Following that, he started guiding professionally with Exum Mountain Guides in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. After retiring from teaching, he remained an avid backpacker. He hiked and supported the formation of Santa Fe’s Dale Ball Trail System. He also contributed to the eighth edition of Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area. He served on the board of New Mexico Literary Arts and the Santa Fe Arts Commission for the selection of the city’s Poet Laureate, and he wrote a regular poetry column for New Mexico CultureNet. He enjoyed attending the Santa Fe Opera. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer; two sons and their spouses; four grandchildren; a sister; a brother; and niece Jennifer W. Corbet ’87.

John M. Walker ’64 AM, ’67 PhD, of Lincoln, Neb.; Nov. 19. He taught philosophy at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and then at Nebraska Wesleyan University from 1969 until his retirement in 2002. He was the author of What the Hoops Junkie Saw: Poems, Stories, and Reflections on the Passing Scene. He was a long-time traveler with the Nebraska Arts Council Touring Artists program and performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He also founded the independent music label Prairie Dog Music, featuring recordings by regional artists. He is survived by Dena Zimmer; a daughter; a son; two granddaughters; and a sister.