GS Class of 1968

Jan, 2023

Larry Robert Smith ’68 ScM continues to work part-time as a forensic and consulting engineer and stays active in a number of engineering societies, including being a National Governor of the Order of the Engineer, the group that bestows Engineers Rings, and a director of the National Institute of Engineering Ethics (NIEE); serving on the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Honors and Awards committee; chairing the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) finance committee; and being a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He completed his 30th year as the senior advisor to the R.I. Section of ASCE.

Nov, 2022

“On Sunday, May 29, Jim Gardner ’68 ScM represented the class in the Commencement procession. On the march down the hill he carried a sign, “Class of 1965,” and was granted a space between the Classes of 1962 and 1967. Like all classes, our class was recognized and cheered during the procession. He writes: ‘It was wonderful to see the traditional Commencement procession happening again.’”

Nov, 2021

Stan Schretter ’68 ScM (see Judy Drazen Schretter ’68).

Nov, 2021

Judy Drazen Schretter and Stan Schretter ’65, ’68 ScM, joined in celebrating the bar mitzvah of their youngest grandchild, Eli Benjamin Kahn, in New Jersey,  in April. They write: “We were delighted to be able to share Eli’s special day in person. Eli is the son of our daughter Mindy and her husband Arlen. Our daughter Robin, along with her husband Matt, and sons Tyler and Luke also joined in the celebration. Our granddaughter McKenna, who is studying at Ohio State Univ., joined the service via Zoom along with other family and friends. In January 2020, we were lucky enough to have been able to travel to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia before everything was shut down. We are looking forward to resuming travel again very soon.”

Aug, 2021

Raoul Smith ’64 AM, ’68 PhD, former professor of Slavic Language and Literatures at Northwestern University, gave four lectures to the Beacon Hill Seminars in Boston on Orthodox Iconography. He is the former research fellow and editor of the Journal of Icon Studies at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Mass.  

Jun, 2020

Ed Benson ’68 AM, ’71 PhD, writes: “Oscar Dupuy d’Angeac ’17 and his mates made a splendid 40-minute documentary, called Providence Lost, about a family harassed and then evicted by a landlord seeking to convert their building into student housing. The film turned into an effective tool for activists organizing around the housing crisis. One elderly parent died from living in their car during the filming, while the house remained vacant a year later.”

Jun, 2020

Oscar Dupuy d’Angeac (see Ed Benson ’68 AM, ’71 PhD)

Obituaries

Nov, 2023

Raymond Wilson ’68 PhD, of Glastonbury, Conn.; June 10, of complications of surgery. He had a 55-year career at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford. He played the cello with the Manchester Symphony Orchestra and the Connecticut Valley Symphony Orchestra, serving as first cellist for both orchestras for a number of years. He attended the Kent Music summer workshops for many years. He was an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Hartford, where he served as treasurer and warden. He enjoyed reading, cooking, and traveling, and he was a Red Sox fan. He is survived by his wife, Katie Sandford Wilson ’67; two daughters and sons-in-law; a grandson; a brother and sister-in-law; and a niece and nephew. 

 

Nov, 2023

Lawrence C. Shears ’68 MAT, of Toledo, Ohio; May 29. He was a mathematician and taught at Napoleon High School, Ottawa Hills High School, McCord Junior High School, Southview High School, and the University of Toledo, from which he retired in 2011. He was active in his local Emmanuel Baptist community. He is survived by his wife, Margo; three daughters; a son; a son-in-law; two granddaughters; two sisters; and a brother. 

Nov, 2023

Philip J. Pondiscio ’68 ScM, of Livingston, N.J.; June 29, of Parkinson’s and dementia. He was a chemist at Lever Brothers before becoming a quality assurance engineer at Becton Dickinson and Nexcore Technologies. He retired in 2013. He was awarded for 30 years of service to the Boy Scouts and was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church, where he served as deacon, council president, and youth group leader. He enjoyed woodworking, gardening, photography, and skiing at Jay Peak, Vt. He is survived by his wife, Dianne; a daughter; a son; two grandsons; a sister; a brother; and several nieces and nephews. 

 

Aug, 2023

Vaughn D. Fuller ’54, ’68 MAT, of Scarborough, Me.; Feb. 15. He attended Brown through the ROTC program, married, graduated, and began his naval career in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was a flight instructor and a pilot flying off aircraft carriers during the Korean War. After the Navy, he and his wife returned to Maine and he taught for a short time at Erskine Academy. He reenlisted and later continued his teaching career at Lincoln Academy (Me.), but the majority of his teaching career was spent in Yarmouth teaching and coaching at South Portland High School, where he remained for 26 years. After retiring, he taught for a few years at North Yarmouth Academy, then headed to Dover Foxcroft, where he and his wife opened the Foxcroft Bed and Breakfast. He enjoyed canoeing, camping, fishing, and annual motorcycle trips. He had a passion for flying and spent summers flying helicopters over potato fields in northern Maine and delivering anglers to remote Maine lakes via float planes, as well as crop dusting. He also enjoyed painting, photography, and reading. He is survived by his wife, Marie; six children and their spouses; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jun, 2023

Nicholas E. Pingitore ’68 ScM, ’73 PhD, of El Paso, Tex.; Oct. 24. He was a professor of Earth, Environmental, and Resource
Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso for 45 years. Previously, he was on the faculty of Brooklyn College for five years. He was a geoscientist and analytic geochemist. He was director of the geosciences Electron Microprobe Laboratory and a founding partner and science editor of Scientific American Discovering Archaeology until 2002. He was also on the board of directors of Texas Mineral Resources Corp. During his career, he was awarded more than $17 million in research grants and published 136 manuscripts. He conducted important particle work at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource in Palo Alto for many years and was frequently consulted locally, nationally, and internationally for his expertise in science. He served as adjunct professor in the College of Nursing and the College of Health Sciences. He received the 2008 UTEP Distinguished Professor in Research Award, and the 2007 and 2008 UT System STAR awards and was a member of several professional organizations. He is survived by his life partner, Maria Alvarez Amaya.

Jun, 2023

Mary P. Hupfauf ’68 MAT, of Green Bay, Wisc.; Dec. 31. She was a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross. She entered the convent in 1950, professed her vows in 1953, and celebrated her 70th jubilee in religious life in 2021. She served as a teacher and principal at several schools, including the former Abbot Pennings High School in DePere. After certification in clinical pastoral education, she served as chaplain and director of pastoral care at St. Vincent and St. Mary hospitals in Green Bay. She is survived by the sisters and associates of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross, her sister, a sister-in-law, and several nieces and nephews.

Jan, 2023

John H. Huntington ’68 PhD, of Deming, N.Mex.; June 22. After Brown, his career as a scientist culminated in his cofounding of Astron Research and Engineering in Sunnyvale, Calif. After closing Astron, he found God at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in San Jose, and attended the Berkeley School of Theology, where he studied to become an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. He was ordained and accepted a position as rector of Saint Andrews Episcopal Church in Cripple Creek, Colo., where he served until moving to Deale, Md. After several years in Deale, he converted to Catholicism and moved to Deming. He flew airplanes, read, played tennis and golf, hunted and fished, and sailed boats. He is survived by his wife, Judith; three sons; two stepdaughters; an adopted daughter; grandchildren; and two brothers.

Aug, 2022

Natalie A. Rabinovitz Robinson ’68 AM, of Providence; Mar. 12. She was a teacher at the former ALP School and School One in Providence for many years before retiring. She was involved politically in the community and volunteered with the League of Women Voters. An avid reader, she also enjoyed practicing and teaching yoga and going to the theater. She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-laws, and three grandchildren.

Jun, 2022

James C. Minor ’68 ScM, ’71  PhD, of Rochester, N.Y.; Dec. 27. He worked at Kodak, was granted two patents for copier technologies, and became an international consultant on project management. In 1999 his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and he retired to be her caregiver. He remained active in retirement, including acting as leader of the New York Forest Owners Association. Before his passing, he placed a conservation easement on his farm property. He maintained the NYFOA website, was an enthusiastic investor, and enjoyed repairing things. He taught graduate math courses at the University of Rochester and, in recent years, tutored inmates of the Monroe County Jail. He is survived by a daughter and son and their spouses, four grandchildren, two brothers and sister, and a brother-in-law.

Jun, 2022

James R. Maggart ’68 MAT, of Hamden, Conn.; Nov. 19. He obtained an MBA from Stanford and pursued educational administration in the U.S. and abroad. He was head of school at Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey; St. John’s School in Houston, Tex.; and Hamden Hall Country Day School. In Istanbul, he appointed women to key school positions and started the first girls’ basketball team and led them to a Turkish national championship. He was a partner at Educators’ Collaborative and a leader in international school accreditations for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. He worked and volunteered to improve the lives of students and educators. Later in life he began woodworking and created furniture that fills the homes of his family and his summer home in New Hampshire. He is survived by his wife, Kaye; three children, including daughters Stephanie Johnson ’88 and Aylin Flanagan ’93; a son; five grandchildren; and a sister.

 

Jun, 2022

William I. Grosky ’68 ScM, of Novi, Mich.; Nov. 13. He taught at Georgia Tech, then at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he was a founding faculty member of the department of computer science. In 2001, he joined the faculty at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he was chair of the computer and information services department and assisted in constructing UM’s PhD program. He traveled the world. He is survived by his wife, Roslyn, a daughter, and son.

Apr, 2022

Gregory L. Fowler ’68 PhD, of Lake Oswego, Ore.; Sept. 19, from complications of Parkinson’s. After Brown, he moved to Oregon for postdoctoral studies at the University of Oregon, where he researched the genetics and biology of drosophila. After a Humboldt Fellowship took him to the University of Düsseldorf in Germany, he returned to Oregon in 1976 to teach at Southern Oregon University as a professor of biology, and later he was also the founder and director of the Churchill Scholars honors program there. He received grants from the National Institutes of Health, Fulbright, Department of Energy, Collins Medical Trust, and other funders to support his work and collaborations with researchers at the City of Hope, UC San Francisco, the University of Turku (Finland), and at Dartmouth. He retired in 1998 and created Geneforum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting dialogue on genetics, ethics, and values. Geneforum took part in the state’s debate on genetic privacy, culminating in the passage of the country’s first law to protect an individual’s rights in genetic information. He was an affiliate associate professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University and a senior research associate in the School of Community Health at Portland State University. He was also a Chautauqua Scholar of the Oregon Council for the Humanities, where he worked annually with high school students and traveled to communities throughout the state to lead public discussions on the societal implications of genetics. He was most proud of his work developing a curriculum for science teachers called Genomics for Everyone. Years of classical piano training in his youth laid the foundation for his lifelong passion for music. He was a bass baritone singer and soloed with the Catholic University Choral Society and Orchestra while in Washington, D.C.; with the Chamber Music Society of Schloss Benrath in Düsseldorf; and at the Sibelius Museum in Finland. He was a guest soloist with the Rogue Valley Chorale and made numerous solo and ensemble recital appearances at the Britt Music & Arts Festival. He sang in the Rogue Valley Opera productions of La Traviata and Pagliacci. He founded Chamber Music Concerts in Ashland, overseeing 15 seasons as the organization’s artistic director. He enjoyed the outdoors and worked as a ranger in Glacier National Park in his earlier years. Among his favorite activities were cross country skiing and backpacking in Oregon. He is survived by his wife, Janet; two sons, including Alexander ’91; four grandchildren; a sister; and two nephews. 

Nov, 2021

John M. Pawelek ’68 PhD, of Hamden, Conn.; May 31, of a heart attack. He was a member of the research faculty in the department of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine for four decades. He authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed papers and was a cofounder and past president of the Pan American Society for Pigment Cell Research (PASPCR). His research examined factors regulating skin pigmentation and, in later years, the mechanism driving metastasis in melanoma skin cancer. He won several awards for this work, including the PASPCR Career Achievement Award, the International Federation of Pigment Cell Societies’ inaugural Henry Stanley Raper Medal, and the Japanese Society for Pigment Cell Research Takeuchi Medal. He lectured frequently at scientific conferences in the U.S. and abroad, including a recent tour of medical schools in Iran. He was active in his church, the Unitarian Society of New Haven, where he sang in the choir, acted in plays, and taught Sunday school. He enjoyed singing in the New Haven Chorale and after-hours piano jams at pigment cell conferences, and had fond memories of playing piano once with Fats Domino and marching the last five miles of the Selma to Montgomery march behind Dr. King. He is survived by his wife, Linda; three sons and daughters-in-law; and five grandchildren.

Nov, 2021

Rita Goldberg ’68 PhD, of Canton, N.Y.; June 17. She was a professor emerita of Spanish and founded and directed St. Lawrence University’s study abroad program in Madrid. She lived in Spain for part of every year and was a lifelong researcher in Spanish language and culture, particularly literature. She created an online resource connecting high school students with university faculty called “Ask the Prof” and she coordinated many gatherings, in person and online, of retired colleagues. She worked developing the AP Spanish Language and Culture exams for many years and served as a moderator for the College Board’s AP Spanish Teacher Community. In 2006, she established the St. Lawrence University Spanish Teacher Fellowship to support teachers who would benefit from spending time in a Spanish-speaking country. She was the recipient of the Charles A. Dana Professorship of Modern Languages and Literatures in recognition of her exemplary scholarship and won the Maslow Award in 1982 to honor her commitment to her students. At the time of her retirement in 2001, she was the longest-serving faculty member, having begun her teaching career there in 1957. She is survived by nieces and nephews.

Aug, 2021

Sarita Gattis Schotta ’68 PhD, of Fort Worth, Tex., formerly of Alexandria, Va.; Aug. 5. She is survived by a sister-in-law and 12 nieces and nephews. 

Jun, 2021

Andrew C. Twaddle ’68 PhD, of Columbia, Mo.; Dec. 2, of COVID. In 1971, he joined the University of Missouri with a joint appointment in sociology and behavioral science. He previously served on the faculties of College of the Holy Cross (sociology), Harvard Medical School (preventive medicine), Massachusetts General Hospital (medicine), and the University of Pennsylvania (sociology and community medicine). He also held visiting faculty appointments at Northeastern Univ., University of Western Ontario, various universities in Sweden, and Colby College in Maine. He retired in 2001. He was an avid sailor and amateur photographer, sang in the University of Missouri’s choral union, and enjoyed researching ancestry. He is survived by his wife, Sarah; two daughters and their spouses; five grandchildren; a sister; and nieces and nephews.

Jun, 2021

Sarita Gattis Schotta ’68 PhD, of Fort Worth, Tex.; Aug. 5. She is survived by a sister-in-law and 12 nieces and nephews.

Jun, 2021

Richard C. Drey ’68 MAT, of Bethlehem, Pa.; Jan. 11. He taught for two years at Reading High School and then attended Brown on a National Science Foundation Grant, receiving his master’s in mathematics. Richard then joined the faculty at Northampton Community College and served for 32 years as a professor of mathematics. He was treasurer for the East Allen Twp. Volunteer Fire Dept., coached East Allen soccer, and was a fan of the Cincinnati Reds. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann; two daughters; a son-in-law; four grandchildren; a sister and brother-in-law; a niece; and two nephews.

Jan, 2021

M. Gene Taylor ’65 ScM, ’68 PhD, of Kingston, Pa.; June 6, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease and COVID-19. He was long employed as a physics professor at Bloomsburg University (Pa.) and was previously a physics professor at the American University in Cairo and Wilkes University (Pa.). He held a pilot’s license and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. He avidly followed the stock market and enjoyed traveling with his family around the world, especially to Egypt. He also enjoyed Ohio State University football, NASCAR, skeet shooting, tinkering with his cars and computers, and following the weather. He is survived by his wife, Wagiha Abdel-Gawad Taylor ’62 AM; three daughters and their spouses; eight grandchildren; and a sister.

Apr, 2020

Louis R. Bedell ’68 ScM, ’71 PhD, of West Monroe, La.; Oct. 31. He taught physics at the University of Louisiana Monroe. He was a devout Catholic and enjoyed singing in the church choir. He also enjoyed fixing cars and repairing household items, spending time with his grandchildren, square dancing, and traveling. He is survived by his wife, Rosemary; five children and their spouses; 12 grandchildren; a brother; and two sisters-in-law.

 

Jan, 2020

Renata M. Sharan-Olearchyk ’68 AM, of Cherry Hill, N.J.; Sept. 14. She was a professor of sociology at Marywood College in Scranton, Pa. After marrying, she moved several times before settling in Cherry Hill, where she assisted her husband’s growing medical practice. She was proud of her Ukrainian heritage and became a member of the CYM (Ukrainian Youth Assoc.). She taught at the Ukrainian School in Jenkintown, Pa., and worked as an instructor at CYM summer camps for many years. She enjoyed trips back to her ancestral homeland and taking care of her family members. She is survived by her husband, Andrew Olearchyk; three children and their spouses; and 10 grandchildren.
 

 

Sep, 2019

Aloke K. Das ’68 ScM, of Warwick, R.I.; Apr. 14. He was a quality control engineer for Cherry Semiconductor Corp. and North East Safety Training Co. before retiring. He enjoyed sports and cultural activities and was an avid fan of tennis. He also enjoyed Bengali and English literature and Bengali cuisine. He is survived by a son, three sisters, and a brother.

 

May, 2019

Antonia Helen Donnelly ’68 AM, of Providence; Nov. 4. She taught foreign language at Tolman High School in Pawtucket for many years. She was a competitive ballroom dancer and a supporter of the arts, serving as a docent at the Rhode Island School of Design. She is survived by a sister-in-law and nieces.

May, 2019

Robert M. Reymers ’67, ’68 ScM, of Cary, N.C.; Dec. 18. After graduating with a master’s in engineering, he joined Westinghouse Nuclear, then EDS Nuclear, which then launched a 45-year career with Impell Corp. He worked in sales and marketing as senior business development manager. He enjoyed sports, especially rugby and tennis, and was a rock guitarist, jazz enthusiast, and singer with his local Doo Wop Club. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; two daughters and their spouses; and three grandchildren.

May, 2019

Shirley Gorlick Ebenstein ’51, ’68 MAT, of Boca Raton, Fla., formerly of West Hartford, Conn.; Oct. 9. She was a retired reading and math specialist at a learning center in Hartford. For 50 years she worked alongside her husband as an officer and director of the family company, Capital Commercial Properties. She enjoyed reading, especially biographies, and traveling and cruising. Phi Beta Kappa. She is survived by a daughter; son, Douglas ’75 and his wife; and two granddaughters, including Lori Ebenstein ’17.

Jan, 2019

Alexander P. Reisbord ’68 MAT, of Alameda, Calif.; Sept. 10. In the early 1960s he joined the Peace Corps and went to Kenya, where he trained mathematics teachers at Kenyatta University in Nairobi. After returning to the U.S., he taught at Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif. He ran three marathons, completed two California AIDSRides, and enjoyed traveling. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; five children; and five grandchildren.

 

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