Alfred Ash ’38, a centenarian who attributed his longevity to rigorous daily workouts, died Oct. 2, 2018.
A gifted architect and pillar of the Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation in Connecticut, Alfred also played cello from ages 12 to 96, specializing in chamber music.
Rose Anderson Akerman ’44, who received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Pennsylvania, died Sept. 12, 2018.
Remembering Swarthmore, she looked back fondly on her philosophy, English, and biology classes, as well as her friendships.
Jane Reppert Jenks Small ’44, who finished her bachelor’s degree at Penn State and later spent time working in Swarthmore’s alumni office, died Aug. 26, 2018.
A longtime elementary school teacher, Jane was an active member of State College (Pa.) Friends Meeting for more than 50 years and of the League of Women Voters for 60.
Christopher Branda Jr. ’45, a respected Philadelphia lawyer and professor at Temple University’s School of Law, died Sept. 24, 2018.
A competitive tennis and bridge player, Christopher loved sailing off the southern New Jersey coast, his daily martini, and limericks.
Duncan Chiquoine ’47, a biology professor and one-half of a matchbox marriage with Isabel Kellers Chiquoine ’48, died May 5, 2016.
A pioneer in the field of electron microscopy, Duncan enjoyed chess, HAM radios, computers, and supporting public libraries in any town he visited, devouring mysteries and mathematical theory books.
William Frederick Jr. ’48, a landscape architect, artist, and gardening visionary, died Aug. 15, 2018.
Trained as a lawyer, Bill opted instead to follow his passion for plants, founding Millcreek Nursery in Delaware and becoming an acclaimed author, designer, expert, and patron. “There are very few who have done more to further the Scott Arboretum than Bill,” wrote Director Claire Sawyers in a tribute.
William Clark ’48, a World War II Navy veteran and devoted golfer, died Aug. 22, 2018.
An engineering major at Swarthmore, Bill went on to build a 35-year career at U.S. Steel.
Simon Goudsmit ’48, who lived in the Netherlands and was predeceased by his matchbox wife, Dona Carrington Goudsmit ’50, died Sept. 26, 2018.
Featured in a March 2001 Bulletin story about lifelong Swarthmore friends, Si was profiled for his enduring bond with Don Smith ’47 and Phil Gilbert ’48. “Years and distance are irrelevant: The friendship will stay constant,” the father of five was quoted as saying.
Rolf Valtin ’48, who married his matchbox sweetheart, Nancy Eberle Valtin ’47, and built a career in labor relations, died Aug. 1, 2018.
After fleeing to America from Nazi Germany with their family as children, Rolf and his brother Heinz ’49 were so inspired by the kindness they received from Quakers that they decided to attend Swarthmore. Rolf’s studies, however, were interrupted when he was drafted into the Army. He participated in the assault on Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion and was awarded both the Silver and the Bronze Star. He returned to Swarthmore and became a three-sport varsity athlete, ultimately earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic soccer team and induction into the Garnet Athletics Hall of Fame.
Mary Burnside Mangelsdorf ’48, a devout Quaker who served 17 years as the secretary of the Swarthmore Friends Meeting, died Oct. 24, 2018.
Predeceased by her husband, Paul Mangelsdorf Jr. ’49, the Morris L. Clothier Professor Emeritus of Physics, Mary loved to garden, study history, and work in the library of her retirement community.
Isabel Kellers Chiquoine ’48, who was devoted to making the world a better place and was also one-half of a Matchbox marriage with Duncan Chiquoine ’47, died Sept. 2, 2018.
After earning a master’s in microbiology from Cornell, “Ibby” went on to raise five children, volunteer tirelessly, and serve as an equality and peace activist. “It was never enough to simply hold a belief,” her loved ones wrote. “Turning beliefs into action was her guiding principle.”
Virginia Stern Brown ’49, a homemaker devoted to local political and environmental causes, died Oct. 7, 2018.
A math major and mother of two, Ginnie was predeceased by her matchbox husband, the world-renowned retinal physiology authority Ken Brown ’47, who died in 2014.
George Reller ’49, whose Swarthmore education was interrupted when he was called to active duty in 1943, died Aug. 9, 2018.
Decorated with two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, George ended up earning his bachelor’s degree from Earlham College. Going on to become a judge and partner in a law firm, he also served Earlham for more than 20 years as its legal counsel and won the award for outstanding alum in 2005.
Dorothy McCloskey Martin ’49, who majored in history at the College, died Aug. 20, 2018.
Among her Swarthmore connections were daughter Jennifer Martin Fallon ’75, sister Margery McCloskey Laws ’53, nephew Michael Laws Jr. ’78, and late brother-in-law Michael Laws ’53.
Ann Winsor Killough ’49, an accountant, teacher, and writer, died Aug. 1, 2018.
A founding member of the New View co-housing community in Acton, Mass., Ann enjoyed reading, gardening, crocheting, and—perhaps most of all—investing.
Ruth Merson Neleski ’50, who went on to earn a master’s in Spanish from Columbia, died Aug. 23, 2018.
Whether she was teaching school, raising her three children, or traveling around the country with her husband, Ruth was an ever-optimistic and adventurous spirit.
Egist Faccioli '50, a Navy veteran and longtime engineer, died Oct. 26, 2018.
In retirement an avid landscape gardener and boater, Eg loved spending time with his family, singing in his church choir, and doting on his rescue dogs, Marni and Marty.
Joan Hosking Jensen ’51, who “exemplified that love and duty are the primary achievements in this world,” died Sept. 19, 2018.
The longtime secretary of St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Portland, Ore., Joan was loved and respected by countless friends and community members for her kindness and consummate professionalism.
Barbara Bruce Rutledge '51, an accomplished private secretary and homemaker, died Aug. 14, 2018.
Among Barbara’s Swarthmore connections were husband Joseph Rutledge ’50, who died in 2016, and daughter Wendy Rutledge Eck ’77.
Stephen Clark ’52, a proud Marine who worked for the National Security Agency for 33 years, died Aug. 28, 2018.
A lifelong athlete who coached Little League, excelled in doubles tennis with his wife, and enjoyed sailing, Steve was also a history-loving reader, an intellectual with a great sense of humor, and a dependable, loving friend.
William Stockton M’53, who spent a year at Swarthmore as a philosophy graduate student, died Aug. 7, 2018.
A lifelong learner who spoke French, Farsi, Arabic, Korean, and Norwegian, Bill built a career in the U.S. government in intelligence and retired as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve.
William Newitt ’54, an IBM engineer and executive, Air Force veteran, active pilot, and “flying octogenarian,” died Sept. 5, 2018.
Half of a matchbox marriage with Jane Boetcher ’55, Bill was proud that they raised three children while both pursuing full-time careers.
William Gilleland ’54, who transferred from Swarthmore to the University of Pennsylvania, died Aug. 21, 2018.
After serving in the Army, “Woody” built an impressive career at Mellon Bank (now BNY Mellon), where he retired as a senior vice president.
Sara Richards Nicolai '54, an “athletic, fiery, and active” force of nature, died Oct. 26, 2018.
Beloved by her family and friends, “Sally” was a master beachcomber, ace cook, and tireless advocate for animal welfare.
Caroline Barrera Matzen ’54, who majored in psychology at Swarthmore, died Aug. 4, 2018.
Becoming a librarian, Caroline served for 25 years as director of the Kingston (N.Y.) Area Library.
Martha Pierpont Robinson ’55, who studied at Swarthmore before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, died Aug. 6, 2018.
Graduating summa cum laude with a degree in mathematics, “Peggy” was a prodigiously gifted needlepoint artist. After winning first place in a national competition for designing and creating a cross-stitch sampler depicting the tree of liberty, she co-founded The Needle Tree, a needlework store and home to classes she taught on knitting, crocheting, sewing, and related arts.
John Hutton Jr. ’55, who drew inspiration from The New York Times as well as the Vermont landscape, died Aug. 24, 2018.
In addition to building an impressive and varied legal career, John was also an advocate for land-use controls, an avid concertgoer, and a scholar of history.
Ann Fryer Van Fossen ’55, who traveled so widely as a child she especially valued time at home with her family as a wife and mother, died Aug. 11, 2018.
In addition to pursuing her doctorate, Ann worked for the University of Toronto, rising to become assistant to the president. A private person who enjoyed deep conversation, she loved hosting dinner parties and relished nature, particularly the beautiful brooks of Vermont.
Suzanne Gilbert Hubbell Sieverts ’56, a former beekeeper and fearless adventurer who reinvented herself many times over, died Oct. 13, 2018.
An acclaimed author who frequently wrote for the New Yorker, The New York Times, and Smithsonian, Sue also penned many books, including A Country Year: Living the Questions, A Book of Bees, and Waiting for Aphrodite.
Gordon Follett ’56, who transferred to Swarthmore to follow in the footsteps of more than a dozen of his alumni family members, died Aug. 5, 2018.
One-half of a matchbox marriage with Catherine “Jimmie” James Follett ’57, Gordon followed his impressive career in steel and construction all the way to California, where he ultimately formed his own consulting company. A track and field star back in his Swarthmore days, he officiated many meets as an adult and was one of 150 officials at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Christopher Lehmann-Haupt ’56, a giant in the field of literary criticism, died Nov. 7, 2018.
Famed for his more than 4,000 reviews and essays in The New York Times as well as for his own masterful books, Christopher was eulogized by the Times thusly: “Readers and colleagues called him a judicious, authoritative voice on fiction and a seemingly boundless array of history, biography, current events, and other topics, with forays into Persian archaeology and fly fishing.”
Carol Edelstein Weichert ’57, a beloved pediatrician, mother, and mentor in living a joyful life, died Oct. 4, 2018.
Inspired by her professional research into the psychological aspects of breastfeeding, Carol went on to complete a residency at Tufts University and become a psychiatrist as well, first at the Boston Veteran’s Administration and then in private practice.
Linda Zeller Willard ’58, a strong-minded adventurer with an amazing memory who hiked much of the Appalachian Trail, sailed the Chesapeake, and traveled the world, died Sept. 12, 2018.
The first woman to achieve certain pay scales at the Defense Contract Audit Agency, where she worked for more than 20 years, Linda also performed pro bono accounting and legal services. She loved to play bridge with other mothers she met while her boys were in nursery school; she played her last game with them the week before she died.
Layeh Aronson ’58, who found joy in Swarthmore’s classes, “bull sessions,” and playing Hearts in the social hall, died Oct. 2, 2018.
A poet, teacher, and mother of three daughters (including Marian Bock ’80 and Deborah Bock ’82), Layeh went on to earn her Ph.D. from Stanford, writing her dissertation on Imagist poetry.
James “Jody” Hudson ’61, an electrical engineer and self-described lifetime iconoclast, died Sept. 6, 2018.
Rosalie Berner Fedoruk ’63, a devout Buddhist and force of nature who earned two master’s degrees as well as Ph.D., died July 30, 2017.
“No matter what the subject, she was an intellectual explorer, dancing on the edge,” wrote Kathie Kertesz ’63 in tribute. “I used to tell Rosalie that if she had been a man in our era, her strong-mindedness and leadership qualities would have made her head of a corporation or maybe president.
“Yet her happiest moments were being with her grandchildren or working in her garden,” Kertesz added. “Now, when I feel sad, I imagine her dancing through some beautiful landscape with darling Nick [Fedoruk ’62], both of them arguing and smiling at each other. It gives me solace.”
Helen Heitmann Ives ’63, a globetrotting librarian with a smile for everyone, even to her last day, died Sept. 14, 2018.
Championing the library arts in Japan, Italy, and the U.S., Helen was tenured at American University and beloved for her sense of adventure and fun.
John Warner Jr. ’64, who went on to earn a master’s and Ph.D. in economics, died Feb. 10, 2018.
Suzanne Lorant ’65, who went on to earn a master’s degree in economics from New York University, died Aug. 15, 2018.
After Swarthmore, Suzanne built an impressive career that included serving as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s economics editor.
Eric Nelson ’67, a developmental economist dedicated to improving the working and living conditions of people throughout Africa and Asia, died Oct. 24, 2018.
Beloved for his “engaging stories, unique wit, sarcastic humor, and great intellect,” Eric volunteered for the Peace Corps and immersed himself and his family in adventure, unique foods, and the arts.
Terrence Hicks ’73, who built a successful financial career as well as a life guided by his strong faith, died Oct. 18, 2018.
Named “Man of the Year” by his church for his good works, Terry also loved to build model ships, go crabbing, write movie reviews, listen to music (gospel or Earth, Wind, and Fire), and work magic with ribs and chicken on the grill.
Anthony Kampling ’81, owner and president of the Vertical Drop Ski and Patio Store in St. Charles, Ill., died Sept. 4, 2018.
A loyal, caring person and devoted friend, Tony was famous for his love of golf, dry sense of humor, and passion for cooking.
Michelle Kellman ’93, who majored in English literature and went on to teach elementary school, died June 18, 2018.
William Lee NV, who ultimately earned his undergrad degree from Haverford, died July 31, 2018.
A World War II Navy veteran who served in the Pacific Theater, Bill went on to earn his MBA from Wharton and later served as either president or senior vice president for several banks. In retirement, he volunteered with Meals on Wheels and taught young children.