Miriam Wight Cheesman MacKenna ’40Miriam, a librarian who enlisted in the Naval Women’s Reserve during World War II, serving as a communications officer, died Dec. 31, 2019. Writes son Gordon Cheesman ’75: “At Swarthmore, Mimi reportedly received at least one prize for having the best student book collection — probably due to her early efforts to collect editions illustrated by N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, and Arthur Rackham. Fitting for a future librarian.” A music lover, Mimi managed the chorus while at Swarthmore, and she sang in choruses, chorales, and church choirs well into her 80s. Read more.
Helen Zentmyer Kreykenbohm ’40Helen, a professor emerita at Hagerstown Community College in Maryland and a 100-year member of John Wesley United Methodist Church, died Feb. 1, 2020. A French major at Swarthmore, Helen spent her junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris. After receiving a master’s degree from Columbia, she taught high school French before joining Hagerstown in 1946, retiring as chair of the humanities department in 1988. Read more.
Walter Steuber ’41A scientist known for his curiosity, Walter died Jan. 30, 2020. Walter was a chemist during World War II, improving octane levels in airplane fuel. After earning a nuclear physics Ph.D., Walter joined DuPont’s textile labs, where he contributed to the inventions of Tyvek, Lycra Spandex, and Teflon. Read more.
Bent Boving ’41A doctor who spent many years conducting embryological research at the Carnegie Institute in Baltimore before teaching at Wayne State University, Bent died Nov. 15, 2019. Bent spent his summer months at Swarthmore assisting in biological research on campus and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass. An Army veteran, Bent completed assignments at Walter Reed General Hospital and the U.S. Army Medical Museum in D.C. and received an M.D. from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Read more.
Alice Lightwood Doerr ’43A former researcher at Cornell University, Alice died Dec. 24, 2019. Alice held several journalistic jobs in New York before earning a master’s from Cornell in 1971. A mother of three, Alice later retired to a Nova Scotia farm before marrying her second husband, Herbert, and settling in Maine. Read more.
William McNagny ’44William, who was named a “Legendary Lawyer” by the Indiana State Bar, died Jan. 27, 2020. William attended Swarthmore for two years before serving as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Cavalry from 1942 to 1945. After graduating from Indiana University School of Law and joining the firm of Barrett, Barrett & McNagny, William participated in numerous professional and civic organizations, including the Indiana Defense Lawyers Association, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and Scottish Rite. Read more.
Suzanne Forwood Kistler ’44A literature professor and chair of freshman English at William Paterson University in New Jersey, Suzanne died Oct. 20, 2019. After the death of her husband, Suzanne retired to New York City, where she thrived on the urban culture and enjoyed playing bridge, attending theater, and writing plays. “What distinguished her most, however,” her loved ones wrote, “is the example she set for living life as it was meant to be lived, helping others through her tireless volunteerism in shelters for homeless and for battered women, fundraising for UNICEF, registering voters, and generally caring for her family.” Read more.
Robert Lillie ’44Robert, who researched animal husbandry in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, died Nov. 10, 2019. Born bilaterally deaf, Bob was taught as a child to read lips and speak. He spent two years at Swarthmore before transferring to Penn State, where he majored in poultry husbandry; he later earned a Ph.D. in poultry nutrition from the University of Maryland. In 1976, Bob was recognized with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol as the Outstanding Handicapped Federal Employee, for his “exceptional achievements in spite of severely limiting physical factors.” Read more.
Judy Brott Katz ’44Judy, a longtime community activist and volunteer, died Jan. 18, 2020. A resident of Roeland Park, Kan., for more than 70 years, Judy was the town’s first elected female council member, as well as its first female mayor. She served for several years as president of her local Friends of the Library group, was a member of the Johnson County Museum Council, and rose to editor of the twice-weekly Sun Newspapers. Read more.
Harry McCloskey ’45A Navy veteran and mechanical engineer who worked for Bethlehem Steel, Harry died April 14, 2019. At Swarthmore, Harry played football and was a First-Team All-American in lacrosse. Described as quiet, humble, smart, and generous by his loved ones, Harry enjoyed golfing, bowling, fishing, hunting, crabbing, and spending time with relatives. Read more.
Frederick DeWitt ’46Frederick, an engineering major and soccer player at Swarthmore, died Oct. 28, 2019.
Arthur Scoby NVArthur, a former Navy V-5 aviation cadet who also attended the University of Kansas, died Nov. 6, 2019. A farmer, Art raised three children near Sabetha, Kan., with his wife, Helen. He was active in his local community and a member of the First Congregational Church and the NorthRidge Church in Sabetha. Read more.
Zara Shakow Steiner ’48A leading scholar of the international relations in Europe between World War I and World War II, Zara died Feb. 13, 2020. Zara, who had a long academic association with the University of Cambridge, received a master’s from Oxford and a Ph.D. from Harvard, and was elected a fellow of the British Academy in 2007. As noted by The Washington Post: “Perhaps her most acclaimed work came late in her career, with two volumes in the Oxford History of Modern Europe series. … Each book was about 1,000 pages long and demonstrated an encyclopedic knowledge of European history, economics and diplomacy.” Read more.
Irving Dayton ’48A physics professor and higher education administrator in Montana, Irving died Nov. 4, 2019. Irv earned a Ph.D. from Cornell University and was well-known throughout his career for his progressive ideas, including unwavering support for the advancement of women’s education. His travels took him to all seven continents and 57 countries, and he enjoyed long-distance cycling, hiking and mountaineering, and playing the bassoon. Read more.
Stephen Barker ’49A professor at Johns Hopkins University who worked to make philosophy accessible to a wider audience, Stephen died Dec. 16, 2019. Stephen earned a philosophy doctorate from Harvard University and taught at the University of Southern California, the University of Virginia, and Ohio State University before joining Hopkins in 1964. Among his numerous writings about the logic, theory, and history of philosophy was The Elements of Logic, a textbook still used in classrooms today. Read more.
Howard Frankel ’49Howard, an optometrist who also served as the founding father and acting rabbi of his community’s synagogue, died Nov. 5, 2019. A Navy veteran of World War II, Howard was a Jewish chaplain in the Marshall Islands and Pacific Theater. He was an avid boater and a talented violinist, as well as an accomplished tennis player, advancing to Davis Cup competition and playing into retirement. Read more.
Wood Tate ’50Wood, a civil engineer who delighted in technical challenges, died Jan. 14, 2020. After Swarthmore, Wood served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, designing air bases in Morocco. He spent most of his career as a management consultant, where he enjoyed the strategic side of business projects and the international connections he made working on projects that took him to 23 countries. Read more.
Sally Hale Bowen ’50A physical therapist who spent more than 50 years caring for infants and toddlers in her church’s nursery in the Philadelphia suburbs, Sally died Feb. 12, 2020. Sally earned her physical therapy certification from Bouvé-Boston School at Tufts College and worked at Walter Reed and George Washington hospitals before marrying in 1954. A woman of abiding faith, Sally hummed and sang her favorite hymns as she went about her days, and she penned encouraging words to friends and family through her prolific letter writing. Read more.
Rudolph Hirsch ’50Rudolph, a computer security consultant to the federal government in the 1980s and ’90s, died May 6, 2019. An economics major with a master’s from George Washington University, Rudy spent his early career with IBM, Price Waterhouse, and Citibank. He was a past volunteer for the White House comment line and a driver for the senior nonprofit Capitol Hill Village, and was author of the book Computer Literacy for Middle Management. Read more.
Ralph Roy ’50An ordained United Methodist minister who served parishes in Harlem, Brooklyn, and Connecticut and was active in the Civil Rights Movement, Ralph died Feb. 3, 2020 Ralph was jailed as a Freedom Rider in Tallahassee, Fla., in 1961. The following year, while working with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he led a “prayer pilgrimage” to Albany, Ga., resulting in the largest simultaneous incarceration of clergy in American history. He penned numerous articles, including a regular column for 20 years for the Record-Journal in central Connecticut, and his “minute messages” were aired on multiple radio stations. Read more.
Carlos Luria ’50Carlos, who was recruited by the CIA during the Cold War, died Jan. 24, 2020. Carlos fled Nazi Germany with his family as a child, immigrating to New York City. After attending Swarthmore and graduating from the University of Bridgeport, Carlos joined the CIA, serving first as a case officer in Berlin, and then as executive director of the Office of Technical Services in Washington, D.C. Read more.
Clarke Conway ’51Clarke, who served as press director for Carnegie Hall for 35 years, died Nov. 18, 2019. Clarke earned a master’s degree in arts and teaching from Yale before serving honorably in the Army during the Korean War. Clarke was later the resident expert on Russian ballet for the New York City Public Library System, and he was the last surviving cast member of the original production of West Side Story. Read more.
Marie Lenfest Schmitz ’52An art historian and volunteer who enjoyed gardening and cooking, Marie died Jan. 30, 2020. Marie’s art history background led to jobs at such institutions as the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Yale University Art Gallery, and St. Louis Art Museum. She taught art history courses in St. Louis before joining the Missouri Historical Society and later volunteering with the Missouri Botanical Garden. Read more.
Lucia Langthorn Sutton ’52Lucia, a retired English professor at the College of DuPage, died Aug. 26, 2019. An Illinois resident, Lucia devoted her time to the Ministry Board and Social Issues Committee at the Union Church of Hinsdale and the West Suburban Faith-Based Peace Coalition. She also served as president of the Oak Brook Library Association and member and treasurer of the Oak Brook Library Foundation. Read more.
Laurie Seaman ’52A civil engineer with a passion for photography and the outdoors, Laurie died May 4, 2019. Laurie completed graduate studies at MIT before moving to Australia, where he was born and enjoyed his early school years before following in his father’s and paternal grandparents’ footsteps and attending Swarthmore. He had an eye for 3-D photography, enjoyed playing tennis, and stayed involved in community and philanthropic activities at a grassroots level.
David Potter ’52David, the Robert Winthrop Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, died Feb. 11, 2019. David joined the medical school in 1959 after earning a Ph.D. from Harvard College and completing a postdoc at University College London. He was well-known for his research contributions, his inspired teaching, and his dedication to affirmative action, advocating on behalf of minority and female students. Read more.
David Lemke ’52A civil engineer and loving father of two, David died Dec. 27, 2019. David majored in engineering at Swarthmore, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Sigma Xi scientific fraternity. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and later worked in steel fabrication. Read more.
Clark Mangelsdorf ’53An engineering professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh, Clark died Dec. 20, 2019. Clark served in the Army Air Corps before Swarthmore, receiving an honorable discharge as a staff sergeant in 1949. After earning a master’s and a doctorate in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Clark taught at Swarthmore and the University of Illinois before accepting a position at Pitt, where he divided his time between the civil and mining engineering departments. Read more.
Michael Wallach ’54A professor emeritus of psychological and brain sciences at Duke University, Michael died Jan. 16, 2020. Michael, who earned a psychology Ph.D. from Harvard, made seminal contributions to topics as diverse as creativity in childhood, effects of groups on decision-making, and interventions for people with serious mental disorders. A gifted teacher and a prolific writer, Michael authored or co-authored nine books and more than 120 papers and articles, and he was a fellow in multiple divisions of the American Psychological Association. Read more.
Hannah Thomas Morehouse ’54Hannah, a proud founder of the Roxbury-Weston Preschool, the longest-running voluntarily integrated educational program in the country, died Feb. 6, 2020. After receiving a master’s at Tufts University, Hannah devoted her career to early childhood education. She was a longtime teacher/director of Roxbury-Weston in Massachusetts, and she loved music, dogs, and spending summers in Isle of Springs off the coast of Maine.
Sara Walker Filemyr ’55Sara, a beloved teacher of reading and English as a second language, died Nov. 29, 2019. With a master’s in elementary education from Temple, Sara instilled in her young students a love for books. She served on the board of Lakeview Community Library in Random Lake, Wis., and for many years taught ESL to migrant workers, assisting them with securing housing, driver’s licenses, and other related needs. Read more.
Alfred Liveright II ’55An international economist and newspaper publisher, Alfred died Jan. 14, 2020. Al earned a master’s in international relations from Johns Hopkins before joining the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 1971, he moved to central Florida, where he published the award-winning weekly newspaper The Mount Dora Topic and later served as executive vice president of the Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce. Read more.
Welles Reymond ’57Welles, an engineer whose “fair reed switch” invention led to the first digital telephone network, died Jan. 14, 2020. Over the course of his long career, during which he held numerous patents, Welles worked at RCA, Bell Laboratories, and Stelma Inc., retiring from General DataCom Inc. in 1996. He was a past fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a member of Phi Delta Theta. Read more.
Lawrence Howe ’58Lawrence, who managed AAA offices in Boston and Newton, Mass., died Sept. 16, 2019. After Swarthmore, “Lanny” served in the National Guard, before joining AAA and later working as a writer and editor for a small Christian magazine, The Intercessor. A lifelong lover of nature and the outdoors, Lanny was also an avid reader with wide interests, especially in historically accurate accounts. Read more.
David Jackson ’58David, an attorney named one of the best real estate lawyers in Connecticut, died Dec. 7, 2019. Born in Puerto Rico, David lived in Cuba during World War II before moving to Philadelphia. He spent 35 years as managing partner of Pullman Comley before retiring to his many interests, including flying, traveling, and building boats and airplanes. Read more.
Willis Wick ’59A Navy veteran and longtime dentist in Sheboygan, Wis., Willis died Jan. 23, 2020. “Woody” attended Swarthmore for two years before transferring to Northwestern University Dental School, where he received a doctor of dental surgery degree. He then joined the U.S. Navy as a 1st Lieutenant, Senior Grade, and served with the Fleet Marines at Camp Pendleton, Calif., before joining his father’s dental practice. Read more.
Georgia Sommers Wright ’59An independent scholar with a Ph.D. from Columbia and an MBA from Berkeley, Georgia died Dec. 20, 2019. Georgia combined her expertise in medieval art with her business degree through her company Video Monuments, which produced award-winning educational films including Light on the Stones: The Medieval Church at Vezelay. She was newsletter editor for the Bay Area-based Institute for Historical Study and co-founder of the National Coalition for Independent Scholars, through which she advocated for broader respect for the work done by scholars outside of academic settings. Read more.
Yvonne Schaelchlin Palka ’60Yvonne, a professor emerita at Antioch University and a skilled artist of the Asian brush painting sumi-e, died Nov. 30, 2019. After earning a Ph.D. from UCLA and conducting research at Baylor Medical School, Yvonne joined the University of Washington, where she researched animal behavior and helped launch courses in the women’s studies. Among her many creative contributions during 23 years at Antioch was the development of a pioneering program in ecopsychology. Read more.
Kenneth Starz ’60A physician with great expertise in science, math, classical music, and religion, Kenneth died Jan. 4, 2020. Ken left Swarthmore for Manhattan School of Music, where he majored in piano. After attending New York University and Jefferson Medical College, he was an associate clinical research director in central nervous system development of sleep and psychiatric drugs at Upjohn, receiving the W.E. Upjohn Award for special accomplishments. Read more.
Luken Potts ’61Luken, who spent 40 years with VIZ Manufacturing in Germantown, Philadelphia, died Nov. 10, 2019. Luken’s work on meteorological instruments and components such as an early airbag switch led to global travel and four patents. Luken also enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, and canoe poling, winning the National Canoe Poling Championship in the early 1980s. Read more.
Jean Lennox Baierlein ’61Jean, a retired mental health counselor, died Dec. 14, 2019. A chemistry major at Swarthmore, Jean received a biochemistry Ph.D. from Boston University and a master’s in counseling from St. Joseph’s College.
Elisabeth Potts Brown ’61Elisabeth, a birthright Friend who was bibliographer for Haverford Library’s Quaker Collection, died July 6, 2018. After working for several years at the American School in Saigon, Vietnam, Betsy finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania and received a master’s in library science from Drexel. She worked in several Philadelphia-area academic libraries before joining Haverford, where she spent the final 20 years of her career. Read more.
Edward LeBel Jr. ’61Edward, a former systems analyst for IBM, died Nov. 27, 2019. A history major at Swarthmore, Edward enlisted in the Army upon graduation and served two years with training as an intelligence officer. His career in the private sector led him to work in Chicago, Paris, Boston, and New York City, where he later spent retirement. Read more.
Sally Vexler Klein ’62Sally, a nutrition counselor and mother of two, died Nov. 13, 2019. A French major at Swarthmore, Sally went on to receive a master of arts in teaching from Johns Hopkins and a master of social work from Florida State University. Read more.
William Steelman ’63William, a former Board of Managers member who had a 32-year career in New York City banking, died Feb 4, 2020. A political science major at Swarthmore, Bill rose to become executive vice president of U.S. Trust Co. of New York; he also served a term as mayor of Mendham Borough, N.J. After retiring from banking, Bill attended divinity school and became an ordained minister at the First Congregational Church in Nantucket, Mass. Read more.
David Fleischaker ’65A casual intellect and father to many, raising a blended house of eight children, David died Oct. 10, 2016. David started his career in inner-city youth education, and continued helping people by assisting first-time homebuyers and working to increase affordable housing opportunities. He penned a weekly newspaper column in the 1980s focused on his kids’ antics, and he enjoyed playing games and sports, especially bridge and racquetball. Read more.
Charles Zuckerman ’66Charles, who spent the bulk of his career working in a civilian capacity for the federal government, died Oct. 31, 2018. An academic at heart, Charles received a history Ph.D. and produced several scholarly monographs focusing on medieval Europe. He then subsequently worked in procurement for the Air Force and the Department of Defense, and for a series of government contractors. Read more.
David Jacqmin ’69A longtime research engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center, David died Dec. 12, 2019. David earned a B.S. from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an applied physics Ph.D. from Harvard. He played French horn in a community orchestra, and he enjoyed the outdoors, traveling, reading, and eating ice cream. Read more.
William Barton ’70A professor of social work at Indiana University for more than 20 years, William died Sept. 9, 2019. Retirement afforded Bill the opportunity to pursue his first love: music. He was accomplished on guitar, fiddle, and octave mandolin and was a prolific tunesmith. Bill’s Swarthmore experience was pivotal in shaping his adult life, to which he was forever grateful.
Charles Clifford ’70Charles, a lawyer who loved political debate, died Oct. 24, 2019. Known as Mike to his family, Charles finished his bachelor’s at the University of Tennessee, where he also received a law degree. A lifelong Tennessee Volunteers fan, Charles also enjoyed photography, participating in community theater, and taking in theatrical performances across the country. Read more.
Celeste Alston-Carter ’76Celeste, a psychologist in California, died April 13, 2019. Celeste attended Columbia University after Swarthmore, earning master’s degrees in education and psychology. She later earned a Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology. Read more.
Ann Mitchell Cowie-Bozner ’77An engineer and a natural problem solver, Ann died Sept. 24, 2019. “Her life was enriched through her deep love and connection with her children, her time with extended family and friends, her passion for politics and social justice, the community of a long-standing book club, her time with her companion dogs and cats, and more,” reads her obituary. “She was passionate about increasing access to health care, creating a community response to the opioid crisis, and electing progressive candidates to office.” Read more.
Luisa Lehrer ’81Luisa, a doctor with a passion for singing, died Jan. 3, 2020. An anesthesiologist, Luisa received an M.D. from Jefferson Medical College. She was a photographer for the Halcyon and a member of the college chorus at Swarthmore, and later sang with multiple choirs, including the Philadelphia Chorus.
Kevin Lull ’08Kevin, a psychology major at Swarthmore, died Dec. 9, 2019. An Alaska native, Kevin was known for his sense of humor. As his loved ones wrote: “His extended family and friends mourn Kevin but have many funny stories that will keep them laughing forever.” Read more.