In Memoriam
Photo: David Schmitz
Alumni
Jack N. Abbott, ’51 Business Administration, age 86, on July 6, 2015, in Gold Beach, Ore. A native of Bakersfield, Abbott worked for Standard Oil (Chevron) from 1952 until 1972, when he took early retirement. He later founded and served as president of J.N. Distribution, Inc., a company he sold to his sons in 1988. He served five years in the U.S. Army Reserves.
June Adams, ’72 Recreation, on March 25.
Oran Thomas Adams, MA Social Science, age 84, on Aug. 25, 2015, in Campbell. A native of Bisbee, Ariz., Adams served as a demolition expert in the U.S. Navy. A teacher and coach for many years, he retired as coordinator of San Jose High School’s international baccalaureate program.
William Adams, ’78 Theatre Arts, on Jan. 25.
Teri Adams-Jones, ’83 Public Relations, age 55, on Oct. 25, 2015, in Modesto. Adams-Jones worked as a communications marketing manager in Modesto.
James H. Ambler, ’60 Math, on Sept. 11, 2015.
Renard “Andy” Anderson, ’50 Music, age 92, on Sept. 8, 2015. A Turlock native and World War II veteran, Anderson served with the 10th Mountain Division Army Ski Troops, helping to drive the Nazis from Italy. He was a member of the San Carlos Masonic Lodge, Burlingame’s Scottish Rite and San Mateo’s Asiya Shriners.
Norma Jean Applegate, Social Work, age 67, on Nov. 19, 2015, in Santa Cruz.
Frances Gordon Archer, ’93 MLIS, age 64, on March 8, in Larkspur. A native of San Francisco, Archer was library director for the city of Larkspur from 1999 to 2016 and 2012 Larkspur Citizen of the Year.
Douglas Bacon, ’46 Art, age 95, on March 7, in San Jose. A World War II veteran, Bacon worked as a property tax assessor for Santa Clara County until his 1983 retirement. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.
Raymond Barboza, ’93 Biological Science, age 46, in Camarillo. Barboza worked at Abbott Laboratories.
Alessandra Alaine Barlas, ’10 Advertising, age 27, on Oct. 26, 2015, in San Jose. Barlas worked at San Francisco’s Skona Advertising before studying to become a nurse at Samuel Merritt Nursing School. She volunteered in the spinal cord and brain injury unit of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and was a health ambassador at San Jose’s Second Harvest Food Bank.
William Bates, ’99 Biological Science, on Feb. 6, in San Jose.
Jean Baxter, MA Home Economics, on Feb. 3.
Rosalie Becker, ’78 Accounting, age 75, on Sept. 29, 2015, in Redwood City. Becker worked for 35 years as business manager and accountant of Brittan Pharmacy. She was a member of the Palomar Park Garden Club, the Kiwanis Club of San Carlos and the St. Matthias Church Altar Society.
Helen Behar, ’94 MSW, on March 25.
Frances Vitanza Bertolone, ’55 Social Science, age 82, on Feb. 10. A native of Jamestown, N.Y., Bertolone’s teaching career spanned 30 years. She retired from the Moreland School District in San Jose.
Ray Bitterman, ’56 Business Administration, age 82, on Sept. 9, 2015, in Fair Oaks. A native of Streeter, N.D., and U.S. Army veteran, Bitterman worked as a computer systems salesman for more than 30 years, retiring from Hewlett-Packard in 1998. He was a volunteer and officer in the Country Club Optimists and a member of Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church.
Catherine Hannel Boardman, ’68 Social Science, age 69, on Aug. 22, 2015, in Felton. A native of Chatsworth, Boardman taught elementary school for more than 25 years in Santa Cruz.
Betsy Lee Bowen, ’83 MA Social Science, on Jan. 27.
Jack Brady, ’64 Chemistry, age 73, on Jan. 10, in Visalia. A Visalia native, Brady worked for Hughes Aircraft, Lawrence Livermore Laboratories, FMC and Crown Andersen during his career. He held numerous patents for air pollution control and hazardous waste incineration designs and was a charter member of the Society of Archimedes. In 2014, the American Chemical Society honored him for 50 years of service to the profession.
Joseph Bragdon, ’50 Art, age 99, on Feb. 29, in Shelburne Falls, Mass. A U.S. Army veteran, Bragdon retired from Hartnell College in Salinas after 30 years of teaching. In 2013, the National Steinbeck Center featured a retrospective exhibit of his photographs. He received a master’s degree in art from Stanford.
Martin Brenner, ’65 Human Resources Administration, age 73, on March 6, 2015, in Woodacre. A San Francisco native, Brenner became a stock broker in 1969 and worked for the San Francisco investment firm Pflueger & Baerwald for 26 years.
Ruth Brickner, ’78 MA, on Sept. 26, 2015.
Donald Brown, ’74 Aviation, Dec. 25, 2015.
Leon Bryant, ’54 Engineering, on Dec. 28, 2015.
Adrian Burgeson, ’77 Physical Science, on Oct. 2, 2015.
Barbara Deemy Burklo, Journalism, age 88, on Sept. 12, 2015, in Bend, Ore. Burklo wrote the column “Middleground” about the comic absurdities of everyday middleclass life for the Santa Cruz Sentinel and published a selection of those columns in a book, And It All Came True, in 2008. An accomplished watercolor artist, she was a member of the Congregational Church of Soquel and a Salvation Army volunteer.
Samuel Caldwell, ’55 Economics, on July 5, 2015.
Alan Carmain, ’78 Advertising, in December 2015.
Linda Schafer Carmichael, ’77 MA English, age 69, on Sept. 1, 2015, in San Jose. A native of San Jose, Carmichael managed the Department of Internal Communications for LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company, until her retirement at age 51.
Albert Carrion, ’56, age 85, on Feb. 7. A native of Albany, Calif., Carrion was a U.S. Navy veteran and member of the Sigma Nu fraternity at SJSU. He retired as administrator of Palm Drive Hospital in 1977. A pilot, he was also instrumental in the planning and development of the Sonoma County Airport.
Richard Cavalli, ’64 Social Science, age 75, on Jan. 14, in Oakland. An Oakland native, Cavalli retired as president of the International Longshoreman and Warehouseman’s Union (ILWU) Local 34 in 2010. He marched with civil rights activist Cesar Chavez and protested the Iraq War in 2008. He was a member of the Apostleship of the Sea and the Sierra Club.
Ralph Cebulla, ’58 Psychology, age 82, on Nov. 2, 2015. A U.S. Army and Korean War veteran, Cebulla taught psychology at Hiram College in Ohio for 43 years. His research specialties were stress and learned helplessness. He worked with the victims of the Kent State shootings in 1970 and helped to found an ACLU chapter in Kent.
Nathan Choate, ’55 Business Administration, age 85, on Oct. 6, 2015, in Stockton. A native of Idaho, Choate was a U.S. Army and Korean War veteran. The founder of Northern California Realty, he retired as regional vice president of appraisals at World Savings and Loan.
Bob Chow, ’73 Mathematics, on Jan. 1, age 68, in San Diego. A native of Shanghai, China, Chow taught mathematics for 33 years at Grossmont College in El Cajon.
Jeff Cole, ’66 Business, on March 18.
Robert James Cole, ’88 MBA, on Oct. 25, 2015.
Helen Bailey Cone, ’47 Psychology, on Feb. 5, in San Jose. A San Jose native, Cone was the original director of the Mountain View Parent Nursery School and an active member of the Foothills Congregational Church in Los Altos for more than 30 years.
David Conley, ’75 Geology, age 69, on Nov. 30, 2015, in Santa Rosa. Conley worked as a geologist for oil companies in the United Kingdom before returning to California and working as an environmental consultant in Sonoma County. He retired in 2012.
Gowhar Sorayya Cook, ’92 Mechanical Engineering, on March 17.
Ashley “Buck” Cox, ’59 Geography, age 80, on Sept. 24, 2015, in Mountain View. A native of Palo Alto, Cox received the city of Cupertino’s Volunteer of the Year in 2009. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Mountain View.
Charles “Chuck” Crannell, Biological Science, age 77, on Jan. 3, in San Jose. Crannell taught for 38 years, primarily at Piedmont Hills High School and Independence High School. A Sacred Heart Community Center volunteer, he was a life member of the San Jose Elks Lodge #522.
Mary B. Crenshaw, ’53 Elementary Education, on Feb. 4.
Phyllis Jones Crockett, ’47 Education, age 89, on Dec. 26, 2015, in Carmel Valley. A native of Sebastopol, Crockett was a teacher, coach and counselor at Carmel High School for 33 years. A leadership volunteer for the American Red Cross for 65 years, she received the Clara Barton Award from the organization in 1989. In 1964, she was honored with the Carmel Valley Citizen of the Year Award.
Daniel Dahlen, ’66 Social Science, on Jan. 30, in Moraga.
Thelma Hillgrove Davidson, ’42 Education, age 96, on Oct. 12, 2015. Davidson taught in the North Sacramento School District for 31 years.
Robert Doerr, ’64 Electrical Engineering, on Sept. 15, 2015.
Michael Dorn, ’90 Economics, on Dec. 11, 2015.
Dennis Doud, ’68 Health Science, age 70, on Oct. 27, 2015, in Greenwood, S.C. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Doud was a U.S. Army and Vietnam War veteran. A dermatologist, he received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska and served as president of the Greenwood County Medical Society. He competed in the Boston and New York marathons and was an avid golfer.
Harold Drake, ’59 Mathematics, age 76, on July 8, 2015, in San Carlos. During his career, Drake taught high school math at Willows High School, San Carlos High School and Menlo Atherton High School.
Wayne Dundore, ’50 Management, age 91, on Dec. 29, 2015, in Camarillo.
Harlan Dunning, ’76 Psychology, on May 5, 2015.
Donald Eager, ’52 Recreation, on Sept. 4, 2015.
Noel Eberz, ’85 MS Geology, age 81, on Feb. 5, 2015, in Discovery Harbor, Hawaii.
Martha Edwards, Health Care Administration, age 75, on Nov. 20, 2015, in Santa Clara.
Patricia Gough Eldred, ’83 MA Music, age 81, on Nov. 1, 2015, in Mountain View. A piano teacher for 30 years, Eldred was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mountain View.
John Robert Ellis, ’63 Mechanical Engineering, age 81, on Sept. 12, 2015, in Rancho Bernardo. A Santa Monica native and U.S. Navy veteran, Ellis worked at Hewlett-Packard in San Diego for 30 years. He served as an elder at Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church.
Oreese Elmore, ’78 MPA, age 81, on Nov. 28, 2015, in San Jose. A U.S. Army veteran, Elmore ran track as an undergraduate at San Francisco State and was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. The owner of Elmore Banquet Hall in Santa Clara, he was a 20-year volunteer for the South Bay sickle cell program.
Donald Empringham, ’76 Management, on May 21, 2015.
Paul Martin Engle, ’71 Management, age 67, on Nov. 5, 2015. Engle won a scholarship to play football at SJSU and after graduation began his sales career in the South Bay.
Ignacio Enriquez, ’76 Management, on Sept. 9, 2015, in San Jose.
Leonard Espinosa, ’67 MA Education, on March 1, in Tubac, Ariz.
Wesley Fachner, ’00 MS Taxation, age 53, on Dec. 28, 2015. A Montana native, Fachner owned Fachner Accounting Group in Campbell and served as president of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce in 2014.
Nicholas Ferentinos, ’64 Language Arts, age 73, on Jan. 25, in Saratoga. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Ferentinos taught at Homestead High School for 35 years. He received a Fulbright to work with journalism teachers in New Zealand in 1993 and was co-author of The Islands: A Personal Portrait of the San Juans (Evergreen Publishing Company, 1975). In retirement, he worked as a mentor for the New Teacher Center in Santa Cruz.
Margaret Fernandez, ’86 Social Science, age 83, on Sept. 13, 2015, in Grants Pass, Ore. A native of Omaha, Neb., Fernandez worked at Stanford Hospital for 15 years. She performed with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of San Jose and was choir member, choir director and organist at the First United Methodist Church in Sunnyvale.
Spencer Fine, ’59 Social Science, age 86, on Sept. 19, 2015, in Fresno. A San Jose native and U.S. Air Force veteran, Fine attended Santa Clara University on a football scholarship before graduating from SJSU.
Kaaren Fladager, ’79 Art, on Oct. 19, 2015.
Noel Folsom, ’67 Civil Engineering, age 78, on Jan. 8, in San Jose. A native of Brooken, Okla., Folsom was a member of the Choctaw Tribe and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He retired as regional director of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Michael Foudy, ’71, age 67, in September 2015. Foudy settled in Carmel in 1973 and served as a counselor at Hartnell College before his promotion to dean of Workforce and Community Education.
Jean Downey Frank, ’49 Physical Education, age 88, on Jan. 1, in San Mateo. A member of Chi Omega sorority at SJSU, Frank taught high school in San Mateo and served as president of the California Association of Neurologically Handicapped Children.
Leonard Frizzi, ’49 Social Science, age 87, on Sept. 14, 2015. A native of Hollister, Frizzi taught history and journalism at San Juan, La Sierra and Mira Loma High Schools and was a member of the Sac-Joaquin Hall of Fame. Known as the “Golden Voice of Mira Loma” because of his legacy as a sports announcer, he was a lifetime member and past president of the Dante Club.
Donald Frost, ’53 Education, age 84, on Oct. 20, 2015, in Sebastopol. A Monterey native and U.S. Army veteran, Frost received his graduate degree in speech pathology from San Francisco State and worked for many years in the field of speech pathology in Santa Rosa.
Richard Gailbreath, ’50 Business Administration, age 91, on Jan. 10. A native of Martinez, Gailbreath was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. During his career, he worked for the family business, Gailbreath Petroleum, as well as at Aerojet and Cleveland Pneumatic Tool. A former member of the Auburn Planning Commission and city council, he also served as mayor of Auburn for one term in 1981.
William Gannon, ’66 Library Science, on Jan. 10, 2105.
Hugh Gardner III, ’68 English, age 73, on Feb. 25, in Hermosa Beach. A native of Long Beach, Gardner served in the U.S. Army National Guard and received his law degree from Stanford in 1971. A superior court judge, he presided over both criminal and civil cases in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. Appointed to the bench in 1992, he retired in 2006.
Tamilynn Garrison, ’90 Child Development, age 48, on Oct. 23, 2015, in Gig Harbor, Wash. A native of Santa Clara, Garrison worked as a paraeducator in Gig Harbor’s Peninsula School District and at the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound.
Joseph Gensiracusa, ’58 Industrial Technology, age 88, on Feb. 8, in Tulare. A native of San Jose, Gensiracusa was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. He retired as director of Central Santa Clara Occupational Center in 1986 and was a member of the California Rare Fruit Growers.
Charles Gill, ’86 MA History, on Nov. 24, 2015.
John Gillis, ’73 MBA, on Sept. 22, 2015.
Maureen Girard, ’86 MA English, age 75, on Jan. 13, in Pacific Grove. Girard was an English professor at Monterey Peninsula College for 25 years and also served as chair of the English Department.
Robert Glotzbach, ’80 MA Sociology, on Aug. 16, 2015.
Irving Goldwater, ’65 Electrical Engineering, age 82, on Sept. 28, 2015, in San Jose. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Goldwater’s career in aeronautics included posts at Northrop, Lockheed and Kaiser Electronics. While at Lockheed, he invented a multichannel shock spectrum analyzer, patented in 1968. In the 1990s, Apple hired him to build and manage their shake and vibration lab for the Macintosh. He retired in 1998.
Elizabeth Bartle Greulich, ’49 Elementary Education, age 90, on Dec. 28, 2015. A San Jose native, Greulich worked for the U.S. Navy at Moffitt Field during World War II and taught for 18 years in Whittier’s Lowell Joint Elementary School District. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Patricia Gulbranson, ’83 MSW, on March 17.
David Gutierrez, ’86 Spanish, age 61, on Sept. 5, 2015, in San Jose.
Eva Hall, ’57 Music, age 80, on Jan. 1, in Redding.
Kathleen Hansell, MS Nursing, age 79, on Dec. 4, 2015, in San Jose. A native of Wales, Hansell worked at Kaiser Permanente and Hospice of the Valley before her retirement.
Paul Hansell, ’51 Aeronautics, age 89, on Jan. 12, in Los Altos. A native of San Francisco, Hansell was a U.S. Navy and World War II veteran. During his civilian career, he worked at Hiller Aircraft, Randtron, Dalmo Victor and Ford Aerospace/Loral.
Maureen Lovett Hansen, ’76 MA Education, on Sept. 22, 2015.
Carol Leilani Hansson, ’76 MA Education, age 73, on Nov. 19, 2015, in Mukilteo, Wash. A Louisiana native, Hansson was raised in Pasadena and in 1959 served as Pasadena Rose Princess. During her teaching career, she taught in the San Jose Unified School District, at the American International School of Stockholm and at Castillero Middle School. She retired in 2005.
David Hargens, ’60 Medical Technology, age 84, on Nov. 7, 2015, in San Jose. A U.S. Navy and Korean War veteran, Hargens worked as a medical technologist at San Jose’s O’Connor Hospital.
Robert Harreschou, ’64 Human Resources Administration, age 94, on Feb. 11, in Tigard, Ore.
Edna Harrison, ’51 Recreation, on Dec. 7, 2015.
Virginia Harvey, ’60 Art, age 76, on Aug. 16, 2015. A native of Monrovia, Harvey worked in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District for 15 years.
C. Douglas Hayward, ’43 History, age 94, on Feb. 13. Hayward attended seminary at Boston University, where he received his doctorate in social ethics in 1950. During his career, he served United Methodist Churches in San Mateo, Berkeley, Stockton, Palo Alto and Walnut Creek. A passionate supporter of racial and social justice, he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala.
Mary Pastre Heitz, ’38 Business Administration, age 99, on Nov. 21, 2015, in Calistoga. A native of San Jose, Heitz was a member of the SJSU Alumni Association and the Native Daughters of the Golden West.
Barbara Hendrickson, ’82 MA Art, age 83, on Oct. 17, 2015. While earning her first master’s degree in English at CSU Hayward, Hendrickson helped create one of the campus’s first women’s studies classes. For many years Hendrickson taught English at Ohlone College.
Cathy Jean Hickle, ’06 MLIS, on April 6.
Jean Kernan Hodges, Social Science, age 87, on Oct. 8, 2015, in Scotts Valley.
Roger Holden, ’56 Business Administration, age 81, on Oct. 6, 2015. A native of Redlands, Holden owned Redlands Paint Store before his retirement in 1992. He was a member of the Redlands Noon Kiwanis and the Redlands Good Guys Motorcycle Club.
Roger Holway, ’59 Accounting, on Nov. 17, 2015.
D. Roxanne Hood, ’02 MA Counseling, age 63, in Hollister. A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Hood worked as a contracts administrator at United Technologies and later as a contracts administrator/senior purchasing agent at SJSU. She was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jane Moore Houghton, ’49 Education, age 86, on Dec. 24, 2015, in Pebble Beach. A native of Palo Alto, Houghton was a member of Alpha Phi sorority at SJSU. She taught at Carmel Woods School and was a 25-year volunteer at the Monterey Bay Acquarium.
Lonnie Houston, Social Science, age 76, on Oct. 10, 2015, in Pacific Grove. A native of Stockton, Houston taught at Ellis Elementary School in Sunnyvale before her retirement.
Peter Hubert, ’70 Political Science, age 67, on Nov. 3, 2015, in San Jose. In the 30 years he practiced law, Hubert specialized in family law, criminal law and personal injury lawsuits. A member of the American Bar Association, he also volunteered as a law teacher at the California Youth Authority Correctional Institution in Ben Lomond.
Nancy Hunter, ’85 Kinesiology, age 56, on Sept. 14, 2015, in Encinitas. A native of San Carlos, Hunter was director of tennis and recreation at the Rancho Valencia Resort in Encinitas.
April Hyden, ’01 Political Science, on Dec. 13, 2015.
Josephine Jackewicz, Human Resources Administration, age 72, on Oct. 5, 2015, in Campbell. A native of Utica, N.Y. Jackewicz retired from Digital Power and was a member of St. Thomas of Canterbury Church.
Robert Jackowitz, ’60 Recreation, age 82, on Aug. 26, 2015, in Foster City. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Jackowitz taught for 29 years at Sunnybrae Elementary School in San Mateo. He was the official scorekeeper for the adult softball league in Foster City for more than 30 years.
Joan Jackson, ’63 Journalism, age 73, on Dec. 15, 2015, in Santa Clara. A native of Redwood City, Jackson was the first female editor of the Summer Times, the summer edition of Spartan Daily. After graduation, she joined the San Jose Mercury News and became the paper’s first garden editor, spearheading local efforts to “Plant a Row for the Hungry,” a campaign that inspired readers to grow and donate produce for San Jose’s Second Harvest Food Bank.
Patricia Jackson, ’75 MA Speech Communication, on Sept. 13, 2015.
Nina Jean Jensen, ’94 MLS, age 46, on Sept. 24, 2015, in Olivehurst.
Edward Jeskey, ’83 Industrial Design, age 58, on Nov. 14, 2015, in Greeley Hill. A Michigan native and U.S. Air Force veteran, Jeskey owned and operated Exhibit Services Company in Merced for more than 27 years.
Blaine Jozefowicz, ’69 Business Administration, age 69, on Jan. 12, in Palm Springs. A native of British Columbia, Jozefowicz was a realtor in Cupertino for 30 years.
Jack J. Kelley, ’79 Liberal Studies, on Feb. 1.
Lawrence King, ’63 Chemical Engineering, on Oct. 10, 2015.
Searcy Dianne King, ’82 BFA Art, on Sept. 25, 2015.
Willie King, ’77 Criminal Justice Administration, on Oct. 5, 2015.
Kenneth Kocina, ’69 Psychology, age 78, on Jan. 13, in Capitola. A native of Verdigre, Neb., Kocina was a U.S. Army and Vietnam War veteran. He worked for the San Jose Police Department for 24 years, retiring in 1988 as sergeant of the air support unit.
Maxwell Keonona Kubo, ’72 Industrial Arts, age 71, on Nov. 3, 2015.
Donna Lai Kuwada, ’73 Teaching Credential, age 65, on Oct. 4, 2015, in Milpitas. Kuwada taught for 34 years in the Cupertino and Berryessa School Districts and was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.
Elaine Laflin, ’54 Mathematics, on Oct. 6, 2015.
James Lajoie, ’70 Mathematics, on April 20, 2015.
Francis Lickwar, Drama, age 90, on Nov. 28, 2015, in San Jose. A native of Connecticut, Lickwar was a U.S. Navy and World War II veteran. After graduation, he was hired to start the first drama program for the San Jose Parks and Recreation Department and served as first director of Happy Hollow Park. He was also part owner of the San Jose Packers football team.
Bruce Little, ’59 Physical Education, age 81, on Nov. 25, 2015. Little attended SJSU on an athletic scholarship and was a member of both the Spartan football and baseball teams. He taught and coached at Orinda Intermediate School for 32 years.
David Loo, ’69 Marketing, on Aug. 24, 2015.
Daniel Lowry, ’55 Engineering, age 80, on Dec. 29, 2015, in Canby. A native of Eureka, Lowry’s career in construction spanned more than 50 years. He founded Grade-Way Construction in 1976 and RGW Construction in 1990. In 2005, he moved to Modoc County, where he operated a cattle ranch and raised alfalfa. He served as founder and president of the Association of Engineering Construction Employers and was president of Life Elder Care for 15 years.
Ruth Webster Lynch, ’94 MLIS, age 63, on April 8, 2015. A native of San Mateo, Lynch was a reference librarian for the city of Whittier.
Virginia Ann Malbon, ’83 Accounting, age 68, on Feb. 3, in Santa Cruz. Malbon worked as an accountant and database programmer for several Silicon Valley companies. She spent two years in Chile as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Melvyn Maltzman, ’51 Accounting, age 87, on Jan. 21, in Walnut Creek. A native of Oakland, Maltzman was a U.S. Army veteran and had a CPA practice in Lafayette.
Ann S. Martin, ’76 Psychology, on Jan. 18.
Roger McCandless, ’60 MA Physical Education, age 81, on Sept. 27, 2015, in Sacramento. A native of Whittier, McCandless coached swimming and water polo and was an alternate to the U.S. Olympic water polo team in 1956. A lifelong music lover, he was a 50-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Robert McCormack, ’49 Physical Science, on Sept. 13, 2015.
Virginia McCue, ’45 Home Economics, age 91, on Jan. 8, in Saratoga. A native of Oakdale, McCue was a member of St. Andrews’s Church and an Echo Shop volunteer.
Leroy McLaren Jr., ’49 Physical Science, age 91, on Nov. 12, 2015. A U.S. Army and World War II veteran, McLaren earned a doctorate in microbiology from UCLA, where he taught microbiology and virology. In the 1960s, he became the first chair of the Microbiology Department at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. He retired in 1990.
Mary McMahon, ’56 Liberal Studies, on Sept. 11, 2015. A native of Sacramento, McMahon held a master’s degree in psychology and was the author of Renate’s Journey, a novel chronicling her time in Germany after World War II. In Europe, she worked as a teacher and later as an administrator in U.S. Department of Defense schools.
Donald McNerny, ’70 Chemistry, age 73, on Jan. 1. A native of Seattle, Wash., and U.S. Army veteran, McNerny worked for the California State Air Resources Board for 30 years and was instrumental in laying the foundation for air quality improvements in Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley. He retired in 2002.
Virginia McNett, ’48 Art, age 88, on Dec. 29, 2015, in Walnut Creek.
John Meadows, ’62 Business Administration, on Feb. 26.
Curtis Mettler, Physical Education, age 79, on Feb. 15. A native of Lodi, Mettler taught for 31 years and coached wrestling for 14 years at Elk Grove High School. He retired in 1994.
Donna Miguelgorry, ’72 Nursing, age 81, on Nov. 5, 2015, in San Jose. Miguelgorry retired as supervising public health nurse in the Santa Clara County Health Department in 1994.
Martha Miller, ’53 Biochemistry, on Dec. 31, 2015, in Salinas.
Roberta Miller, ’53 Education, on Sept. 22, 2015.
James Minor, ’59 Mathematics, age 77, on Sept. 14, 2015, in Santa Clara. A Texas native, Minor joined the staff of Eastside San Jose Union High School District after graduation from SJSU. During his 35-year career in education, he taught and served as associate principal at Andrew Hill, Yerba Buena and Oak Grove High Schools.
Janet “Caroline” Montojo, ’86 Political Science, age 51, on Dec. 7, 2015, in San Jose. A native of the Phillippines, Montojo worked in the high tech industry and served as a lector at St. Victor’s Church.
Stanley Moore, ’55 Physical Science, age 81, on Nov. 28, 2015, in Los Gatos. A U.S. Naval Reserves veteran, Moore served as a communication technician at the U.S. Naval Radio Station in Kamiseya, Japan. As a civilian, he worked as an electrical engineer in the nuclear energy division of General Electric for 33 years. He retired in 1995.
Craig Murchison, ’49 Business Administration, age 91, in Santa Maria. A U.S. Navy and World War II veteran, Murchison was a native of Stockton. During his civilian career, he worked for Sacramento’s Weinstock, Lubin & Co., Aeroject in Rancho Cordova and at the McClellan Air Force base in Sacramento.
Eugenia Murray, English, age 76, on Oct. 24, 2015, in San Jose. A New York native, Murray grew up in Michigan. During her career, she worked in administration at De Anza College in Cupertino and Foothill College in Los Altos Hills.
Frank Musso, ’54 Business Administration, age 82, on Oct. 17, 2015. A native of San Jose, Musso worked in the corporate office of Del Monte Foods in San Francisco early in his career and later at the company’s corporate office in the Philippines. He retired from Hewlett-Packard in 1991.
Joseph Neander, ’72 Aviation, on Oct. 5, 2015.
Douglas Newell, ’59 Marketing, age 81, on Aug. 2, 2015. An Oakland native and U.S. Navy veteran, Newell specialized in corporate real estate. He ran for city council in San Leandro in 1970 and was past president of the San Leandro Jaycees.
Robert Nickerson, ’59 Business Administration, age 87, on Sept. 18, in Lodi. A native of Lynn, Mass., Nickerson was a teacher and baseball coach in the Gilroy Unified School District for 30 years. He also coached baseball at Gavilan College and De Anza College.
Joyelene J. Norman, ’80 Art, on July 22, 2015.
Terence “Terry” Obrien,’62 Business Administration, age 75, on Dec. 2, 2015, in San Leandro.
Carl O’Gwin, ’60 Engineering, age 79, on Jan. 15. A native of Cupertino, O’Gwin worked as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry and retired as project manager of the Hubble Space Telescope operations group. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kenneth Ohlfs, ’78 Accounting, age 65, on Sept. 19, 2015, in Gainesville, Fla. A native of Santa Cruz and U.S. Air Force veteran, Ohlfs served as a linguist in Vietnam. He owned an accounting practice in California before moving to Florida in 2004. He was a member of the Christian Heritage Church.
Carl Olsen, ’04 MLIS, age 37, on Jan. 1. A native of Corvallis, Ore., Olsen worked for the USPS.
James Olson, ’55 Creative Arts, age 82, on Jan. 26, in Mountain View.
Patrinella Osbey, ’99 MLIS, age 65, on July 29, 2015.
Michael Palmer, ’75 Aviation, on Jan. 9.
Ann Bidlake Patrick, ’68 Speech, age 70, on March 30, in Fresno. A native of Seattle, Wash., Patrick taught school in the Fresno Unified School District. She was a member of St. Paul Catholic Newman Center for 37 years.
Ernesto Paredes, ’76 MA Education, age 86, on March 10, in Santa Barbara. A native of Del Rio, Texas, Paredes taught for 47 years. He worked 28 years in the Santa Barbara School District and retired from San Marcos High School.
Charles Peach, ’37 Business Administration, age 100, on Nov. 8, 2015, in Castro Valley. A native of Washington state, Peach owned and operated a machine shop in Oakland for 50 years.
Katherine Krasno Pehrson, English, age 75, on Aug. 11, 2015, in Sacramento. A native of North Tonawanda, N.Y., Pehrson worked as a technical editor and was a member of Faith Presbyterian Church, where she sang in the choir.
Karen Daum Pelham, ’64 Education, age 73, on March 2, in Bowie, Md. A native of Gilroy, Pelham taught for 50 years at schools in California, England, Hawaii, Germany, Virginia, Colorado and Maryland.
Dolores Peoples, ’89 MLIS, on Nov. 17, 2015.
Janet Espinola Pessagno, ’80 Linguistics, age 60, on Dec. 5, 2015, in Salinas.
George Phillips, ’75 Journalism, on Dec. 26, 2015.
Charles Poston, ’64 Civil Engineering, on Nov. 18, 2015.
Margaret Powell, ’70 Business Education, age 72, on Dec. 17, 2015, in Newport Beach.
Ruth Powers, ’76 Radio/TV/Film, on Dec. 5, 2015, in Cedar Ridge.
Grace Praisewater, ’43 Education, age 93, on Oct. 23, 2015. A native of San Jose, Praisewater taught second grade at Campbell Elementary School prior to marriage. She was a member of United Methodist Church.
Bruce Prather, ’48 Business Administration, age 92, on Oct. 16, 2015, in Santa Cruz. A native of Santa Cruz and U.S. Navy veteran, Prather served in World War II and the Korean War. As a civilian, he managed Santa’s Village Park in Scotts Valley before developing Mercer’s Caverns in the Sierra foothills as a tourist destination.
James Rackerby, ’57 Biological Science, age 87, on Sept. 1, 2015, in Oroville. A Santa Rosa native and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, Rackerby worked during his career as an environmental sanitarian, personnel manager and labor negotiator in Butte County. He was a member of the Kelly Ridge Fire District Board of Directors and also sat on the Butte County Hospital board.
Andrew Resendez, ’69 Aeronautics, on March 17.
Michael Rivera, ’50 Art, age 91, on Dec. 11, 2015, in Santa Clara. A Stockton native, Rivera taught Spanish and art at San Jose’s Woodrow Wilson Junior High School. He retired as ombudsman at West Valley College.
Ray Robinson, ’56 Music, age 82, on Oct. 9, 2015, in Columbia, S.C. A native of San Jose and U.S. Army veteran, Robinson served in the Korean War. He began his teaching career at Cascade College in Portland, Ore., then served as dean of the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Md. The president of New Jersey’s Westminster Choir College for 18 years, in his final academic post he headed Palm Branch Atlantic University’s choral department in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Katherine Romero, ’09 BFA Art/Photography, age 29, on Aug. 16, 2015.
Donna Lo Rooney, ’60 Education, on June 21, 2015, in San Jose.
Robert Rosengard, ’67 Social Science, age 70, on Nov. 12, 2015, in Santa Cruz. A native of Boise, Idaho, Rosengard taught social studies at Aptos High School for 38 years, retiring in 2006.
Richard Rounthwaite, ’61 Speech Communication, on Sept, 16, 2015, in Ontario, Canada. A native of Glendale, Rounthwaite worked in human resources for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company for 35 years and served on the Civil Service Commission for the city of Santa Clara for almost a decade. After retiring from Lockheed, he formed Butternut and Blue, a purveyor of antique firearms.
Sherwood Rupp, ’65 Social Science, age 77, on Nov. 16, 2015. A U.S. Army veteran, Rupp taught in the Roseville Joint Union High School District for 32 years and was a member of the Auburn Aviation Association.
Mary Ellen Rusch, ’76 MS Sociology, age 86, on Dec. 18, 2015, in Mountain View.
Karen Savage, ’87 Marketing, age 50, on Nov. 28, 2015. A native of San Jose, Savage worked as national accounts manager at Avion Pharmaceuticals.
Jack Schaefer, ’70 Recreation, age 70, on Dec. 4, 2015, in Fresno. A native of Amarillo, Texas, Schaefer served as director of parks and recreation for the city of Atwater for 20 years and was an independent studies teacher in the Merced Union High School District for a decade.
Norman Schneidewind, ’89 MS Electrical Engineering, on Dec. 27, 2015, in Monterey. A San Francisco native, Schneidewind was a professor of information systems at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey from 1971 to 2005.
Don Seaton, ’61 Business Administration, age 76, on Sept. 25, 2015, in Colorado. A native of Albany, Calif., Seaton built, owned and operated four hotels in Florida and Colorado. Among his honors: Florida Hotel/Motel Association’s Hotelier of the Year and Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He served two terms as president of the Greater Clearwater Innkeepers Association.
Maxine Mazzanti Shanahan, ’52 Education, age 85, on Aug. 20, 2015.
Melinda Shaw, ’69 Social Science, on Nov. 26, 2015.
Ken Sheets, ’48 Social Science, on Oct. 14, 2015, in San Jose.
Eugene Silver, ’60 Industrial Technology, on Dec. 15, 2015.
Arthur T. Smith, ’81 Education, on Sept. 21, 2015.
Ernestine Smith, ’56 MA Biological Science, on Aug. 12, 2015.
Eva Smith, ’53 Biological Science, on Dec. 26, 2015.
Jimmy Smith, ’72 Marketing, on Nov. 12, 2015.
Sherron Smith, ’81 Business, age 77, on Sept. 11, 2015, in Los Altos. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Smith lived overseas while her husband served in the U.S. Army and returned to college after settling in Los Altos. She worked as a Coldwell Banker real estate broker and was active in the Children’s Home Society.
Ernest Speno, ’61 Business Administration, age 75, on Aug. 25, 2015, in Gilroy. A native of San Jose, Speno operated Mission Valley Ford for 29 years. He was an active member of the San Jose Rotary Club and the Amici d’Oro Club of San Jose.
Ryan Starnes, ’11 MA Kinesiology, age 29, on Nov. 4, 2015, in San Jose. A native of Santa Clara, Starnes was the owner of Integrative Personal Training in Los Altos.
Douglas Stemler, ’52 Economics, on Nov. 13, 2015.
Wesley Keith Storm, ’56 Business Administration, on Sept. 22, 2015.
Emily Stratton, ’77 Library Science, on July 28, 2015.
David Summers, ’61 Accounting, on July 18, 2015.
Mary Ann Summers, ’53 Recreation, age 84, on Nov. 9, 2015.
David Suppiger, ’52 Business Administration, on Oct. 5, 2015.
Sonya Swick, ’69 Home Economics, age 74, on Sept. 27, 2015, in Salinas. A native of Shelbyville, Ind., Swick worked at El Gabilan Elementary School for 20 years. She was a member of United Methodist Women and American Field Service Intercultural Programs and delivered Meals on Wheels.
Alfred Syvertsen, ’59 Education, age 85, on Nov. 23, 2015, in Saratoga. A native of Klickitat, Wash., Syvertsen was a U.S. Marine Corps and Korean War veteran, earning a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. He taught at Trace Elementary, Lincoln Glen Elementary and Markham Middle School before retiring from teaching in 1991.
Pamela Tate, ’77, on Feb. 12, in Healdsburg.
June Temme, ’41 Education, age 96, on Oct. 26, 2015, in Auburn, Wash. Temme taught elementary school in Ripon before working for the family business, Temme’s Delicatessen, in Stockton. She was an active member of the Military Officers Association of America.
Theresa Terrio, English, age 79, on Jan. 16. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Terrio worked at GE Nuclear Energy for 20 years and retired in 1998. She was a member of the St. Rose of Lima Church and the Roseville Emblem Club.
Janet M. Thomas, ’75 History, on Aug. 28, 2015.
Frank Thompson, ’57 Business Administration, on Jan. 4.
Carla Thornton, ’54 Physical Education, on Dec. 19, 2015, in Moraga.
Laura Toms, ’83 Geography, on Jan. 5.
Mary Pat Tormey, Art, age 79, on Feb. 14, in Santa Rosa. A member of Alpha Phi sorority at SJSU, Tormey was an early member of the San Francisco Food Society. She founded the Dynamite Mousse Company, a catering business, and later worked as an interior designer.
Barbara Van Buren, ’48 Occupational Therapy, on Nov. 28, 2015.
David Voss, ’57 Industrial Arts, on Jan. 5.
Gasper Vultaggio, ’60 Philosophy, age 81, on Oct. 13, 2015, in Roseville. A native of Monterey, Vultaggio was a U.S. Army and Korean War veteran. For most of his career in education, he taught at Gertrude Abel Elementary School and Rancho Junior High School in the Milpitas Unified School District.
Paul Weese, ’69 Business Administration, age 68, on Dec. 18, 2015, in San Jose.
Lois Weil, ’47 Education, on Sept. 28, 2015.
Audrey Weller, ’59 Education, on Sept. 28, 2015.
Monique Wetten, ’68 Art, on Oct. 3, 2015.
Larry J. White, ’75 Chemistry, on Feb. 13.
Claire Williams, ’80 Liberal Studies, on Sept. 27, 2015.
Betty Jane Wood, ’47 Elementary Education, age 90, on March 25, in San Jose. Wood was an elementary teacher in Santa Clara County for 27 years.
Timothy Woods, ’53 Physical Education, on Dec. 15, 2015.
Gilbert Zaballos, ’61 Accounting, age 77, on Aug. 26, 2015, in Pleasanton. A native of Hayward and member of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, Zaballos was a partner in R. Zaballos & Sons and a member of the Valley Community Church in Pleasanton.
Faculty
Ralph Fessenden, age 82, on Oct. 4, 2015, in Missoula, Mont. Fessenden received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana and his doctorate in organic chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1958. That same year, he joined SJSU’s Department of Chemistry as an assistant professor. Promoted to full professor in 1967, he resigned in 1968 to teach at the University of Montana.
Gail Fullerton, age 88, on Jan. 1, in Coos Bay, Ore. A native of Lincoln, Neb., Fullerton received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Nebraska and her doctorate in sociology from the University of Oregon in 1954. She joined SJSU’s Department of Anthropology and Sociology as an assistant professor in 1963 and served as dean of Graduate Studies and Research from 1972 until her appointment as executive vice president in 1977. In 1978, she became the university’s 21st president, the first woman to serve as president and the first faculty member to be promoted to the presidency since 1900. She retired as president in 1991.
William Geis, age 75, on Nov. 20, 2015. Geis received his BFA and MFA from San Francisco Art Institute and taught in SJSU’s Department of Art as a visiting lecturer from 1974 to 1975. A sculptor, his awards included a Guggenheim Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. The Oakland Art Museum, the Whitney Museum and the Crocker Art Museum in New York are among the museums that collected his work.
Annette Macdonald, age 76, on March 6, in San José. An Oakland native, Macdonald received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance ethnology from UC Berkeley. A dance professor at SJSU for 33 years, she toured internationally with the San José State Jazz Dance Ensemble and retired from teaching in 2000. An award-winning choreographer, dance historian and filmmaker, in 1982 she collaborated with Allegra Fuller Snyder on the film When the Fire Dances Between the Two Poles: Mary Wigman, 1886-1973 and followed up with a second film seven years later, Dances of Mexico: Animal Origins. In 2001, she served as a consultant and researcher for the PBS series Dance in America.
Helen Stapley Ross, age 94, on Jan. 2. A native of Utah, Ross received her undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and her graduate degree in public health from UC Berkeley. She joined SJSU’s Department of Health Science in 1970 at the rank of assistant professor and was promoted to professor in 1976. She retired in 1992.
Thomas G. Schultz, age 81, on April 20, in Morgan Hill. A Michigan native and nationally known traffic and safety engineering expert, Schultz received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and his doctorate from Purdue University. He joined SJSU’s Department of Civil Engineering in 1965 and retired as professor in 1993. He also served as the College of Engineering’s associate dean for Academic Affairs.
Rameshwar Singh, age 78, on May 1. Singh received his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and his doctorate from Stanford in civil engineering. A faculty member in SJSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for more than 40 years, he joined the faculty in 1967 and was promoted to professor in 1977. He also served as a College of Engineering representative in SJSU’s Academic Senate. Past statewide president of the California Society of Professional Engineers, he worked as a consultant for Lockheed, General Electric and other companies during his career.
Sam Smidt, age 84, on Jan. 12. A native of Peabody, Mass., Smidt was a U.S. Navy and Korean War veteran. A graphic designer and artist, he owned and operated Sam Smidt Associates in Palo Alto prior to joining SJSU’s Department of Art in 1965. He retired from teaching at the rank of professor in 1997. In 2013, he received the AIGA Fellows Award, honoring designers who have raised the standards of excellence in the field.
