In Memoriam
Alumni
John Aitken, ’54 Business Administration, on March 28, in San Francisco.
Marjorie Allen, ’45 French, on March 26, in Santa Barbara.
Dorothy Ames, ’48 Education, on July 5, in Sunnyvale.
Hazel Anderson, ’77 Accounting, on May 1.
M. Essam “Sam” Badawi, Electrical Engineering, age 77, on May 4, in Scotts Valley. A native of Cairo, Egypt, Badawi worked in the semiconductor industry for 50 years, principally at National Semiconductor.
George Baker, ’94 Philosophy, on March 29.
Robert Baker, ’60 Sociology, on March 27, in San Leandro.
Nicholas Barisich, ’58 MA Education, age 81, on April 29, in Southampton, N.Y. A native of Santa Clara, Barisich was an administrator and counselor in San Jose’s East Side High School District for 34 years. He was a member of SJSU’s Spartan Blazer Brigade and the Spartan Foundation.
Charles Battersby, ’50 Civil Engineering, age 90, on April 13. A native of Toronto, Canada, Battersby was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. He began his career at PG&E and later worked for Santa Clara County as assistant director of public works, county land surveyor and county road commissioner. He served as city engineer for the city of Hoquiam, Wash., from 1978 until his 1984 retirement.
Lee Mason Baxter, ’56 Industrial Arts, age 82, on April 26. A U.S. Army veteran, Baxter was founding director of the Regional Occupation Program (ROP) in San Mateo County.
Beverley Bontadelli, ’48 Business Education, age 91, on June 17, in Aptos.
Abel Braga, ’68 Economics, age 37, on May 31, in Santa Clara.
Shelby Blair Brewer, ’00 Criminal Justice Administration, on June 12, in San Jose. Brewer worked as deputy probation officer for the Santa Clara County Probation Department.
Anne Drew Carlson, ’80 MA Education, age 59, on June 25, in San Jose. Carlson taught for 35 years in the Berryessa School District at Majestic Way and Morrill Middle Schools.
Norman Carter, ’53 BA, ’61 MA, Education, age 85, on June 9, in Saratoga. A San Mateo native and U.S. Army veteran, Carter competed on the NCAA boxing team as a San Jose State undergraduate. During his 36-year career in the Santa Clara Unified School District, he worked as a fifth-grade teacher, principal, coordinator of curriculum and, for 19 years, as director of elementary education. He retired in 1992.
Charlotte Clore, ’53 Social Science, age 84, on March 9, in Visalia.
Edward Collins, ’76 Business Administration, on June 21.
Charles Crampton, ’51 Physical Education, age 86, on April 20, in Aptos. A native of San Luis Obispo, Crampton played guard for the Spartans and was named All-League for the 1949-1950 season. He accepted the head basketball coach position at Foothill Junior College in Los Altos in 1959 and was later dean of the Department of Physical Education and Athletics Director at De Anza Junior College, inducted into the college’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. A member of the SJSU Alumni Association, he was very active in the Santa Cruz area chapter.
James Crittenden, ’46 Art, age 94, on March 29, in San Rafael. A Seattle, Wash., native, Crittenden was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. He held an MFA from Stanford and was a founding member of Ladera (Calif.) Community Church. An accomplished painter, sculptor and trombonist, he collected and repaired cars, completing a full-body restoration of a 1930 Chrysler in the 1960s.
Edward Crowley, ’76 MPA, in February.
Katherine Cuclis, ’54 Recreation, age 82, on April 16, in Sonoma.
Diane Davis, ’88 English, on Feb. 6, in Olympia, Wash.
Frank Dinapoli, ’52 Engineering, age 89, on June 25, in Saratoga. A native of San Jose, Dinapoli was a U.S. Coast Guard and World War II veteran. He worked as an electrical engineer at Varian Associates for 37 years and held several patents for his microwave amplifier device designs.
James Downs, ’57 MA Social Science, on May 25, in Vista.
William Dresser, ’52 Business Administration, on June 5, in Cayucos. A native of Paso Robles, Dresser was a U.S. Air Force veteran and worked for the State Board of Equalization until his retirement.
Leland Dugan, ’58 MA Education, on May 3, in Los Gatos. A U.S. Army Air Corps and World War II veteran, Dugan was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. During his civilian career, he taught elementary school and high school and also served as a probation officer.
Laura Carrillo Duran, ’91 Criminal Justice Administration, age 50, on March 17. Duran worked for Santa Clara County for more than 25 years.
Gary Eldridge, ’74 Engineering, age 85, on April 27, in Grass Valley. A native of Hibbing, Minn., Eldridge was a U.S. Navy veteran. He taught electronics at Monterey Peninsula College for 28 years and was a volunteer firefighter in Marina.
Patrick Emory, ’67 Journalism, age 73, on April 5, in St. Petersburg, Fla. A native of Tampa, Fla., Emory was an award-winning news anchor. After a 33-year career, he retired in 2003 from WFTS in Tampa.
Margaret “Meg” Euwer, ’56 English, age 80, on Dec. 12, 2015, in Parkdale, Ore. A native of Oakland, Euwer was a pianist and sang in the choir at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. She worked with her husband in their orchard business and for several years worked as a librarian in Parkdale.
Helen Falconi, ’77 Business Administration, on May 1.
Robert Feliciano, ’53 Education, age 85, on May 4, in Livermore.
Donald Ferrera, ’68 Sociology/Criminology, on April 26.
James Forder, ’69 Recreation, on June 12.
Steven Forestieri, ’86 MS Electrical Engineering, age 54, on April 24, in Santa Clara.
George Fowler, Geography, age 89, on March 22, in Sun City West, Ariz. A 20-year U.S. Navy veteran, Fowler participated in the World War II invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and received a Purple Heart. After retiring from the Navy, he began a second career as a teacher at Yerba Buena High School in San Jose.
Mary Garfield, ’58 Occupational Therapy, on March 27.
Tiffany Gin, ’73 Finance, age 67, on May 10. A native of San Francisco, Gin received her MBA from the University of San Francisco. She founded and served as president of Magna Capital, Inc., a real estate firm.
James Golden, Aeronautical Engineering, age 81, on May 11, in Sunnyvale. A native of Bangor, Maine, Golden was a U.S. Air Force veteran. He worked as an engineer at Lockheed Missiles and Space Corporation, contributing to Cold War surveillance in West Germany and Star Wars Missile Defense projects.
John Gundershaug, ’63 Social Science, age 77, on April 30, in Pacific Palisades. A native of Vallejo, Gundershaug worked in human resources and labor relations and retired from Witco Chemical Corporation. He received the Silver Beaver Award in honor of his service to Boy Scouts of America in Southern California.
Terry Gustavson, ’75 Nursing, age 79, on June 21, in Sacramento. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Gustavson’s first civilian career was in law enforcement with the Sacramento City Police Department. After returning to school at SJSU to obtain a degree in nursing, he worked for Sacramento County for 26 years, retiring in 2001.
Burton Hancock, ’52 Engineering, age 91, on April 9, in Campbell. A U.S. Army and World War II veteran, Hancock was a real estate developer with real estate holdings in eight states. With his father, he drilled the discovery gas well in Paradox Basin, Utah, and was at one time the largest independent natural gas operator in the state of Utah.
Donald Haskell, ’64 BA, ’66 MA, Social Science, age 73, on June 25, in Ventura. A native of San Francisco, Haskell taught at Ventura High School for 36 years. He retired in 2003.
Howard Hawkes, ’56 History, age 82, on May 19, in Santa Barbara. A native of Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., Hawkes was a U.S. Air Force veteran. He began his real estate career as a broker in the early 1960s and later restored homes.
David Heagerty, ’50 Journalism, age 88, on July 7, in Cupertino. An Alameda native and U.S. Army veteran, Heagerty served as society editor of the Spartan Daily and was a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity at SJSU. A partner in the San Jose-based advertising/public relations firm Coakley Heagerty, he worked on the iconic “Pet Rock” campaign, among many others. He retired in 2006. An active Rotarian, he served as president of the San Jose club and later Rotary District Governor of Northern California.
Georgia Hebron, ’04 MLIS, on April 11.
Kathleen Hofvendahl-Clark, ’03 MPH, age 67, on Jan. 29, in Santa Cruz. A San Jose native, Hofvendahl-Clark was a public health educator for Santa Cruz County.
Ruth Hogen, ’48 Education, age 90, on May 2, in Bend, Ore.
Jean Hollands, ’76 MS Psychology, age 83, in April. An executive coach who worked with Silicon Valley companies for 27 years, Hollands was the author of six books, including The Silicon Syndrome: How to Survive a High-Tech Relationship (Bantam Books, 1985). She frequently appeared as a guest on “Oprah” and “Good Morning America.”
Elda Button Holmes, ’44 Home Economics, age 93, on April 7. A 50-year member of the Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary to Stanford Children’s Hospital, Holmes was also a member of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church.
Steven Holt, ’85 Special Major, on June 24.
Anoeil Joseph, ’13 Mechanical Engineering, on April 22.
James D. Kennedy, MPA, on March 18.
Robert Krebs, ’81 MS Civil Engineering, age 72, on March 31. A native of Saginaw, Mich., Krebs practiced intellectual property law for more than 45 years and was an active partner at Nixon Peabody in Palo Alto at the time of his death. A member of the University of Colorado’s School of Engineering Advisory Board, he was also instrumental in creating the Nixon Peabody Patents for Humanity Foundation.
Roy Kuwahara, ’76 Social Science, age 75, on May 8, in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.
Edward Lau, ’11 MS Electrical Engineering, on April 27.
Andrew Locatelli, ’67 MA Physical Education, age 82, on April 16, in San Jose. A Santa Cruz native, Locatelli lettered in varsity basketball at SJSU and spent 30 years on the coaching staff of Santa Clara University, retiring in 2000. He co-founded the Santa Clara Boys Basketball Camp.
Barbara Lopossa, ’86 Mathematics, on Nov. 17, 2015.
Judith Ann MacMillan, ’93 Social Work, on April 11.
Ann S. Martin, ’76 Psychology, on Jan. 18, in San Jose.
Stanley Mazur-Hart, ’71 MA Psychology, age 70, on May 23, in Salem, Ore. A native of Oakland, Mazur-Hart began his career as a professor of psychology at Saginaw Valley State College. He served as chief psychologist at Oregon State Hospital from 1981-1987 and as superintendent of the Oregon State Hospitals in Salem and Portland from 1991-2003. A lector at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, he was a board member of Catholic Community Services.
Warren McDonald, ’56 Public Relations, age 88, on April 18, in Twain Harte. A Modesto native, McDonald’s 30-year career in education began as a teacher at Twain Harte Elementary School, where he later served as vice-principal.
Helen McMullin, ’67 Criminal Justice Administration, age 72, on May 14, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. A San Jose native, McMullin worked as a law enforcement park ranger at Grand Canyon National Park and Yellowstone National Park. In Idaho Falls, she worked as a computer specialist for the Bureau of Land Management. She was a member of the Bonneville Historical Society and Daughters of Utah Pioneers.
Michael McNulty, ’73 Management, on June 8.
Tharrell Dean Ming, ’60 Business, on May 15, in Bakersfield. A Bakersfield native, Ming worked for Alliance Appraisal Company for 50 years, eventually buying the company. He served as national president of ASFMRA, chaired the United States Appraisal Foundation and was a founding member of the Bakersfield College Foundation.
Alan Joseph Morrison, ’66 Advertising, on Jan. 28.
Lou Mozzini, ’61 Physical Education, age 89, on May 26. A San Jose native, Mozzini grew up in St. Helena, where his father was a winemaker for Christian Brothers’ Winery. A U.S. Marine Corps and World War II veteran, he taught elementary school for 37 years and was past president of California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Grace DeForest Niemcziek, ’42 Education, age 96, on May 9, in Castro Valley. A native of Chico, Niemcziek began her teaching career in Mountain View and retired in 1980 as assistant principal of Castro Valley High School. She was a member of the Castro Valley United Methodist Church and SJSU’s Heritage Society. She set up an endowment in honor of her parents and brother in SJSU’s College of Education to help students become teachers.
Phyllis Oswald, ’71 Art, on April 11, in Rancho Mirage. A native of Portland, Ore., Oswald worked as a magazine layout artist, textbook salesman and administrative assistant during her career. She was president of the California Garden Clubs, Luther Burbank District, and an active member of the Coachella Valley Quilt Guild and the Knitting Guild of the Desert.
Ernest Palacios, ’88 Liberal Studies, age 61, on April 4, in San Jose. A San Francisco native, Palacios taught at Rainbow Montessori School in Sunnyvale for 18 years.
Chris J. Panopulos, ’49 Business Administration, age 91, on May 1, in San Jose. A San Jose native, Panopulos was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. He worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation for 33 years until his retirement. He established trust funds at both SJSU and Stanford and was founding president of the San Jose City College Trust. Former president of Friends of the Guadalupe River Park, he also served on the board of directors of San Jose Medical Center Foundation.
Joan Perrone, ’62 Education, age 74, on April 6. A native of Washington, D.C., Perrone was a member of Alpha Phi sorority at SJSU. A member of the Los Gatos chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, she volunteered at Martha’s Kitchen and the Paws for Purple Hearts program. She was an active member of Sacred Heart Church in Saratoga.
William Phelan, ’68 Library Science, on June 7.
Jay Prall, ’79 Public Relations, age 69, on June 5, in Winchester, Tenn. A native of Los Angeles, Prall worked for 25 years as a public relations specialist and was a member of the Decherd Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Loren Redington, ’56 Industrial Arts, age 82, on May 29, in Redwood City.
Maryellen Richards, ’54 Education, age 85, on April 27. A native of Bakersfield, Richards was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority at SJSU. She taught at Bakersfield’s Highland Elementary School for 53 years.
Elsie Riddle, ’74 MA Education, age 76, on March 25, in Santa Clara.
Judith Woodward Simkin, ’65 Speech Pathology, age 72, on March 22, in Walnut Creek. A native of Twentynine Palms, Simkin was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at SJSU. For more than 30 years, she worked as a speech pathologist and special education teacher in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. She was also the owner of Learning Dynamic, a tutoring center in Danville.
Henry Smith, ’64 MA Music, on June 22, in Monterey.
Christine Mansfield Sowards, ’42 English, age 95, on May 11, in Tucson, Ariz.
Peter Douglas Starr, ’91 Liberal Studies, age 61, on April 21, in Oakland. Starr taught elementary school in Fremont for 21 years.
Patricia Stowe, ’85 Nursing, age 67, on March 24, in San Jose.
Marcella Stull, ’64 MA, age 93, on April 10, in Pacific Grove. A Gilroy native, Stull was a naturalist and avid hiker. She supported the Steinbeck House in Salinas, the American Field Service and the Salinas chapter of P.E.O, a philanthropic organization that promotes educational opportunities for women.
Barbara Detrick Swedlow, ’02 MA Music, age 85, on Feb. 14, in Santa Clara. A native of Colfax, Wash., Swedlow received her second graduate degree from SJSU at age 72. During her teaching career, she taught at Santa Clara University, UC Santa Cruz and Cupertino Junior High School.
Jim Thompson, ’65 English, age 73, on May 1, in San Jose. An Oklahoma native and U.S. Navy veteran, Thompson’s 32-year teaching career included posts at Bret Harte Middle School, Steinbeck Middle School and Leland High School.
Nicholas Tobey, ’71 Social Science, on Feb. 25, in Carson City, Nev.
Susan Verne, ’71 MA Political Science, age 68, on May 23, in Sacramento. A San Jose native, Verne began teaching in the Elk Grove Unified School District in 1972 and retired in 2004. In 1994, she was selected GATE Teacher of the Year for the Capitol Region.
Sharon Waite, ’61 Education, age 77, on June 4. A Sacramento native, Waite taught elementary school in Colusa for 48 years.
Robert Weiss, ’57 Radio/TV/Film, ’63 MA Education, on May 20.
John Wood, ’67 Geology, on Feb. 8.
Donald Yates, ’75 History, on May 4.
Victor Yick, ’60 Civil Engineering, age 85 on June 15. A native of San Francisco, Yick was a U.S. Navy and Korean War veteran. During his career, he worked at Bay Toll Crossings and BART.
Faculty
Dennis E. Brown, age 83, on March 15, 2016, in Salem, Ore. A native of Marshaltown, Iowa, and a U.S. Army veteran, Brown received his undergraduate degree from Harvard in 1955 and his doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1970. He joined SJSU’s Department of Journalism and Advertising as an assistant professor in 1978, served as department chair and retired as full professor in 1992.
John “Jack” Crane, age 74, on June 10. A native of New York, Crane received his undergraduate degree in 1963 from St. Louis University and his doctorate in 1966 from Pennsylvania State University. He served as dean of SJSU’s College of Humanities and the Arts from 1988 until 1998.
Gordon Greb, age 95, on Sept. 13. A native of California, he taught in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications for 34 years before retiring in 1990. In 1957, he founded the broadcast journalism program, the first Bachelor of Arts degree program of its kind in California.
William Gustafson, age 90, on June 22, in San Jose. A Chicago native, Gustafson was a U.S. Navy and World War II veteran. He received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and doctorate from the University of Iowa. In 1955, he joined SJSU’s Department of Physical Education. During his 32-year career with the university, he also served as chair of his department and dean of the School of Applied Arts and Sciences.
Andrew Hughey, age 77, on May 23. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Hughey received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He joined SJSU’s Department of Counselor Education in 1980 and retired in 2012. His alma mater honored him with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012.
Gus Lease, age 93, on Sept. 4. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Lease taught at SJSU for 66 years, joining the Department of Music in 1950 as a lecturer and serving as chair of the department from 1982 to 1989. He helped organize and direct the 350-voice choral ensemble as well as the glee club and produced the first on-campus Broadway show. For 17 years, he also produced “The Gus Lease Show,” performed on military bases throughout the world.
Howard “Gene” Menges, age 90, on June 6, in San Jose. A native of Los Angeles, Menges was a U.S. Navy and World War II veteran. From 1948 to 1950, he played quarterback for the Spartans and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1951. He received his master’s degree in physical education, also from SJSU, in 1957. A member of the SJSU Sports Hall of Fame, he served as assistant football coach for the Spartans for 17 seasons and as head baseball coach from 1953 to 1986. A member of the Department of Physical Education faculty, he was promoted to professor in 1969.
Robert Ramonda, age 91, on Aug. 11, in San Jose. A California native and World War II veteran, Ramonda received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from San Francisco State University and his doctorate from UC Berkeley in 1960. He joined SJSU’s Department of Elementary Education in 1959, specializing in reading instruction and language arts. He retired from teaching in 1993.
Helen L. Stevens, age 75, on June 22, in San Jose. A native of Weeksbury, Ky., Stevens received a bachelor’s degree in French/French literature from Georgetown College in 1962 and a master’s degree, also in French language and literature, from the University of Kentucky. She began her career in international studies as assistant director of International Programs at her graduate alma mater. She served as director of International Student Programs at SJSU from 1998 until her 2012 retirement.
Charles Whitcomb, age 70, on July 15, in San Jose. A native of Seaside, Whitcomb received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from SJSU and a doctorate in education from Northern Colorado University. During his 40 years at SJSU, he was a professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and twice served as department chair. He also served as University Ombudsman for four years and University Athletic Representative for 20 years. He retired as vice provost, Academic Administration and Personnel, in 2012.
