Fall/Winter 2018: In Memoriam

 

Alumni

Dwight Aikins, ’60 Business Administration, on Jan. 18, in Las Vegas, Nev.

Agnes Allison, Accounting, age 103, on March 27, in Sunnyvale.

Stanley Anderson, ’67 MA Theatre, age 78, on June 24. A versatile actor of stage and screen, Anderson’s best-known roles include Drew Cary’s father, George Carey, on “The Drew Carey Show” and Judge Arthur Vandelay in the series finale of “Seinfeld.” A major voiceover talent, he narrated numerous documentaries for the Discovery Channel, the History Channel and PBS.

Patricia Arata, ’64 Music, age 74, on Sept. 13, 2017, in San Carlos.

Pearl Bailey, ’56 Education, age 86, on Dec. 26, 2017, in Lakewood, Colo.

Brian Bauldry, ’90 MS Civil Engineering, on June 1, in Santa Cruz. A U.S. Army and Vietnam War veteran, Bauldry founded Bauldry Engineering in Santa Cruz, which he later sold to Pacific Crest Engineering.

Bernice Behling, MA English, age 91, on May 1, in Portola Valley. A native of Aurora, Ill., Behling was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at SJSU and taught English as a Second Language for almost a decade.

Susan Berlinghieri, ’79 Computer Science, on April 25, in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Dorothy Roberts Bertz, ’53 Education, age 88, on April 13, in Salem, Ore. A San Francisco native who taught at Garfield Elementary in San Leandro early in her career, Bertz was a member of Salem First Baptist Church.

Wayne Biondi, ’66 Geography, on July 14, in Santa Cruz.

June Bloxham, ’47 Physical Education, on June 8, in Orangevale.

Ernest Bontadelli, ’50 Economics, age 92, on June 22, in La Selva Beach. A native of Watsonville, Bontadelli was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. A farmer, he served on the Santa Cruz County Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission and was named Farmer of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau in 1984. At SJSU, he was a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Lynne Boortz, ’50 Education, age 78, on June 23, in Fort Collins, Colo. A native of Long Beach, Boortz taught elementary school early in her career and in retirement penned the “Meet Your Neighbor” column in TWATL, the magazine of The Landings community on Skidaway Island, Ga.

Vernon Bozman, ’78 Corrections, age 85, on Oct. 29, 2017, in Paris, Texas.

Lynn Brokenshire, ’73 Sociology, on Feb. 26, in Soquel.

Karen Buesing, ’58 Sociology, age 81, on May 5, in Los Gatos. A native of Muncie, Ind., Buesing worked as a math analyst at Lockheed Missiles and Space on the Polaris and Agena-D rocket development programs.

Charles Caldwell, ’57 Education, age 86, on April 23, in Scotts Valley. A U.S. Army and Korean War veteran, Caldwell earned his doctorate in education from Colorado State University.

Robert Campbell, ’55 Social Science, on June 19, in Martinez.

Jean-Pierre Canabou, ’69 Philosophy, age 71, on April 13, in Modesto. A native of southern France, Canabou joined the Sutter Gould Medical Foundation in 1982, where he worked as a family physician until his 2010 retirement.

Susan Canavarro, ’95 MFA Art, age 71, on Jan. 10. An artist and author, Canavarro wrote Fragments: Growing Up Bohemian Poor in Dementia’s House (Xlibris, 2008) and illustrated several other books. She received her BFA in art from CSU Chico.

Valerie Carlson, ’65 Education, age 75, on March 24, in Corte Madera.

William Childers, ’71 Industrial Technology, age 72, on April 2, in Morgan Hill. A native of Bremerton, Wash., Childers worked at IBM as a mechanical engineer for 32 years and retired in 2008 from Hitachi.

Susan Merritt Coates, ’70 Sociology, age 69, on March 10, in Monte Sereno. A native of Port Chester, N.Y., Coates began her career working at the San Jose Chamber of Commerce and later joined her husband in the property management business.

Warren Cooper, ’71 Sociology, age 69, on March 1, in Manteca. Cooper began his career with the Livermore Police Department and retired as a juvenile probation officer in Santa Clara County.

Gilbert Cuevas, ’58 Social Science, age 83, on March 20, in Ventura. A native of Santa Paula, Cuevas worked in the Oxnard Union High School District and founded Future Leaders of America, a youth leadership development program, in 1982. He retired as executive director of FLA in 2002.

Walter Dabel, ’64 Physical Education, on April 7, in San Jose.

Gerald Davey, ’62 Physical Education, age 80, on April 1, in San Jose. A native of Grass Valley, Davey served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal early in his career. Later, he joined the United States Agency for International Development as an advisor in the Civil Operations and Rural Development Support Program in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. He also headed an International Voluntary Agency in the Philippines.

Kenneth Decher, ’88 History, age 71, on May 6, in Watsonville.

Sharon Tucker DeLorenzo, ’67 Sociology, age 73, on Nov. 23, 2017, in Carlsbad. DeLorenzo was a Santa Clara County social worker for 20 years.

Ernest DeMartini, ’70 MA Education, age 75, on Jan. 19. A San Mateo native, DeMartini taught in San Jose’s East Side Union High School District and at Acalanes High School in Lafayette. He retired from teaching in 2004.

Elwood Deras, ’51 Industrial Arts, age 92, on Nov. 25, 2017, in Monterey. A native of San Francisco, Deras was a U.S. Navy and World War II veteran. A member of the Masons and Shriners in Monterey and Carmel, he ran the Del Monte Center Union 76 Station on Munras Avenue from 1972 to 1994.

Doris Donatelli, ’82 Creative Arts, on March 4.

Stanley Dowell, ’63 Art, age 88, on Jan. 29, in Foley, Ala. A U.S. Army and Korean War veteran, Dowell taught and coached for 30 years in the San Jose East Side  Union High School District and received California High School Coach of the Year honors. He retired from teaching in 1989 but continued his coaching career at the University of Southern Alabama.

Thomas Dusek, ’49 MBA, age 95, on April 10, in San Jose. A native of Ennis, Texas, Dusek was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. At SJSU, he served as charter president of Theta Chi fraternity and president of Pi Omega Pi, a business education fraternity. One of the original faculty members at James Lick High School, he was appointed dean of Student Activities in 1957. He retired in 1983.

Michael Fjelstad, ’69 Accounting, age 70, on May 22, in Los Gatos. A native of Rapid City, S.D., Fjelstad worked for the Internal Revenue Service early in his career. He received an MBA from UCLA and his law degree from Santa Clara University in 1977.

Richard Funk, ’64 Human Resources Administration, on Jan. 9, in San Bernardino.

Jerry Gach, ’85 Management, age 56, on July 4, in San Jose.

Richard L. Garcia, ’64 Social Science, age 77, on June 21, in Santa Clara. A native of Pomona, Garcia received his doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco and championed educational opportunities for the Hispanic community through the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the League of United Latin American Citizens and UNIDOSUS.

William Garetson, ’86 Management, age 70, on Jan. 26, in Willow Glen. A U.S. Army Reserve veteran, Garetson worked as a carpenter and general contractor.

Betty Jean Fussel Getz, ’51 Education, age 88, on March 7, in Sunnyvale. A native of Bakersfield, Getz taught in the Sunnyvale School District for more than 40 years.

Neville Griffin, ’60, age 81, on June 29, in Sunnyvale. A San Francisco native and U.S. Air Force veteran, Griffin worked in computer marketing and sales in the Bay Area. After retiring, he volunteered with SCORE (Senior Corp of Retired Executives), mentoring small business entrepreneurs.

Kathleen “Kay” Gulney, ’45 Education, on Feb. 24, in Novato. A native of Bakersfield, Gulney retired from teaching at Marin County’s Kent Middle School in 1983. She was member of St. Vincent’s School of Boys Women’s Auxiliary, the Marin Garden Club and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Novato.

Dorothy Weller Halverstadt, ’44 Music, age 95, on April 2. During her career, Halverstadt worked as a librarian at UC Berkeley and Fresno State.

Richard Hankins, ’72 Political Science, on June 3.

Patrick Hart, ’77 MA Education, on Jan. 19. A San Francisco native and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve veteran, Hart taught and coached for 42 years in Nevada and at San Jose High School.

Sandy Hart, ’79 Accounting, on April 6, in Modesto.

Edwin Hass, ’51 Physical Education, age 89, on April 4, in Davis. A U.S. Navy veteran, Hass taught and coached track at Davis High School. He retired in 1986.

Jack Hawkins, ’50 Industrial Arts, age 93, on Jan. 13, in San Jose.

Wanda Lewis Hayford, Education, age 89, on June 16, in Santa Cruz. A native of Seminole, Okla., Hayford trained as a beautician and owned Wanda’s Salon of Beauty in Capitola. After receiving her teaching degree, she taught for more than 32 years in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

Marie Hill, ’82 MS Psychology, on May 10, in Gilroy.

Evan Howard, ’64 MA English, on May 21, in San Francisco. Howard taught at Bakersfield College for more than 30 years. He retired in 2000. At SJSU, he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity.

Reginald Howard, ’58 Business Administration, age 86, on Jan. 21, in Santa Cruz. A native of Chicago, Howard was a U.S. Navy and Korean War veteran. In 1961, he opened Howard’s Shoes for Children in Santa Clara.

Kevin Hughes, ’80 Industrial Arts, on March 22, in La Verne. A native of Okinawa, Japan, Hughes worked in circuit board design.

Clifton Hurt, ’51 Engineering, on March 16, in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Barbara Nowell Jackson, ’70 Occupational Therapy, age 89, on Jan. 25, in Cary, N.C. An occupational therapist, Jackson served as president of the Northern California OT Association and co-authored the AOTA national guidelines for occupational therapy home care.

Suzanne Jackson, ’61 Education, on July 5, in Sahuarita, Ariz.

Donna M. Johnson, ’00 MLIS, on Dec. 12, 2017, in Santa Cruz.

Nils Eric Johnson, ’60 Journalism, age 81, on April 23, in Redondo Beach. A Chicago native, Johnson began his career as Falstaff Brewery Company’s public relations manager in San Jose. After a 35-year career with Northrop Corporation in Southern California, he retired as vice president of human resources, Aircraft Division. He was a member of the El Camino College Foundation Board of Directors.

Stacy Joy, ’17 MLIS, age 41, on April 6, in Augusta, Ga.

John Kearney, ’49 Marketing, age 91, on April 6, in Walnut Creek. A San Mateo native and U.S. Navy veteran, Kearney worked for the federal government for 54 years, retiring in 2001.

Olive Ebersole Keats, Liberal Studies, age 92, on April 22, in Sunnyvale.

Donald Kemp, ’55 Physical Education, age 89, on March 28, in West Covina. A native of El Dorado, Ark., and U.S. Navy Reserve veteran, Kemp taught and coached at Covina High School for 35 years. After retiring from teaching, he served as a Tri-Community Adult Education counselor for 24 years.

Paul Kemp, ’67 Public Administration, age 72, on July 1, in Los Gatos. A trial attorney for 48 years and wine connoisseur, Kemp founded the Loma Prieta Winery in Los Gatos. He received his law degree from Santa Clara Law School.

Dorothy M. Kilian, ’55 Education, on Jan. 2, in San Rafael.

Diane Kinzli, ’61 Advertising, on Jan. 28.

Stanley Koehler, ’66 Industrial Management, age 74, on Sept. 16, 2017, in Bass Lake. A native of Vallejo, Koehler worked for Madera County for 37 years and retired in 2008 as chief assistant county administrative officer.

Paula Ann Kuklinski, ’56 Education, on May 22. A native of Tulare, Kuklinski taught kindergarten in Visalia for many years and was honored as Teacher of the Year in 1997. At SJSU, she served as president of Delta Gamma sorority.

Neatha Finch Lefevre, ’86 Occupational Therapy, age 77, on April 27. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Lefevre worked for more than 20 years as an occupational therapist in the Vancouver School District, specializing in autism spectrum disorders. In 2003, she received the Autism Society of Washington’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mark Leon, ’86 Electrical Engineering, in April 2018, in Sunnyvale.

Robert Lewis, ’61 Marketing, age 82, on Jan. 11, in Rancho Mirage. A Chicago native, Lewis was a U.S. Army and Korean War veteran. During his 50 years in the car business, he owned dealerships in Santa Cruz, San Diego and Newark, Calif., and later founded what came to be known as the Bob Lewis Automotive Family. He also served on the Silicon Valley Automotive Association Board of Directors.

William Lewis, Industrial Design, age 74, on Sept. 15, 2017, in San Jose. A Vietnam War veteran awarded the Purple Heart, Lewis worked in Silicon Valley for 43 years, teaching and conducting research in STEM fields of study.

Deveda Littauer, ’81 MA Education, age 73, on Feb. 11, in Los Altos Hills. Littauer received her undergraduate degree from Stanford and served as a psychologist at Davis Intermediate School in San Jose for 35 years.

Ronald Gary Lohr, ’92 Management, age 50, on June 18, in San Jose.

Joseph Lopez, ’78 Human Resources Administration, age 81, on March 3, in Santa Clara. A New York City native, Lopez was a U.S. Navy, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran, serving his country for 20 years. During his civilian career, he worked in technology manufacturing in Silicon Valley.

Nancy McFadden, ’84 Political Science, ’14 Honorary Doctorate, age 59, on March 22, in Sacramento. A native of Wilmington, Del., McFadden served as SJSU’s student body president and received her law degree from the University of Virginia. At the time of her death, she was Gov. Jerry Brown’s executive secretary, who called her “the best chief of staff a governor could ask for.” Earlier in her distinguished career as a legal, political and policy adviser, McFadden, a senior member of the Clinton administration, served as Deputy Associate Attorney General, Department of Transportation general counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff for the Vice President. In her address to SJSU’s Class of 2014, she urged graduates to “climb (the mountain) so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”

Lawrence McRae, ’72 Industrial Arts, age 89, on May 29, in Redding. A native of Rochester, N.Y. and U.S. Air Force veteran, McRae served at Burtonwood Air Base in England during the Berlin Air Lift. As a civilian, he worked as a private pilot.

Brian Milano, ’93 Art/Design, age 49, on May 20. A native of Sonoma, Milano worked as a graphic and industrial designer in the South Bay and, later, in Seattle.

Eva Seko Milovina, ’41 Physical Education, age 97, on Aug. 9, 2017, in Cupertino.

Sarah Model, ’73 Economics, age 77, on Jan. 10, in Los Gatos.

Marc Mullaney, ’89 Geology, on June 15, 2017, in San Jose. A native of Deadwood S.D., Mullaney worked in the environmental geology field, most recently for San Mateo County. For more than 20 years, he also taught scuba diving.

Bernard Naworski, ’62 Political Science, age 81, on June 28, in Bakersfield. A native of Natona Heights, Pa., and U.S. Air Force veteran, Naworski began his career in insurance with New York Life and in 1977 founded Stockdale Insurance Agency in Bakersfield. He was a member of the Bakersfield Country Club, the Elks Lodge and the UCLA Baseball Booster Club.

Robert Nichols, ’73 MA Social Science, on July 10, in San Jose.

Brian O’Connor, ’72 Psychology, age 69, on July 8, in Aptos. A member of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department for nearly 30 years, O’Connor retired in 2001.

Mary O’Leary, ’75 Speech Pathology, on July 2.

Mary Patterson, ’57 Elementary Education, on March 30, in Cupertino.

Stanley Phillips, ’74 Biological Science, on April 22, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

William Irvin Phillips, ’59 Journalism, age 81, on April 30, in San Mateo. A Fresno native, Phillips began his career at the San Jose Mercury News as a copy boy in 1955 and retired as an editor in 2000.

Beatrice Pilaria, ’52 Art, on April 14, in Koloa, Hawaii.

Melvin Reiley, ’65 Marketing, on Jan. 16, in San Jose.

Elaine Williams Rexroad, ’50, age 89, on Feb. 28, in Aptos. A San Jose native and member of Alpha Phi sorority, Rexroad worked as a secretary for the San Jose Unified School District and the Pajaro Valley School District. She also served as a docent at Sea Cliff Beach’s Visitor Center.

Norton Reynolds Jr., ’63 Accounting, on June 1, in Bellevue, Wash. A native of Huntington Park and U.S. Army Reserve veteran, Reynolds worked as a management consultant with Ernst & Ernest in Seattle and joined Seattle First National Bank in 1976 as manager of EDP Auditing. He was a past Master of Mercer Island Masonic Lodge and president of the Seattle chapter of the Association for Systems Management.

Janice Rockwell, ’70 Nursing, age 80, on March 31, in San Jose. During her nursing career, Rockwell worked at El Camino Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital and with the Visiting Nurses Association.

Charles Rogers, ’66 Biological Science, on March 16, in Auburn.

Brian Rose, ’88 Political Science, on May 30, in Saratoga.

Betty Jo Rudolph, ’51 Education, age 97, on June 16, in Los Altos. A native of Anaconda, Mont., Rudolph worked as a draftsman during World War II and was a member of the Teamsters Union. She was a long-time member of Christ Episcopal Church in Los Altos.

Marilee Davies Russell, ’66 Education, age 74, on Jan. 18. Russell retired from the Moreno Valley School District in Riverside County as a first-grade teacher in 2005.

James Salazar, ’91 Political Science, age 51, on June 20, in Milpitas. Salazar worked as a software engineer and program manager in the tech industry.

George Sandoval, ’77 Human Resources Administration, age 91, on April 1, in Ventura. A native of Vermejo Park, N.M., Sandoval was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. He worked for the Atomic Energy Commission at White Sands, N.M. and retired as a quality engineer in the Westinghouse Marine Division in Sunnyvale. He ran the Los Angeles Marathon at age 75.

Lisa Horwitz Sapone, ’59 Social Work, age 81, on Feb. 25, in Oceanside. A native of Berlin, Sapone and her family were imprisoned by the Japanese after escaping Germany in 1939. In the U.S., she transferred from San Francisco City College to SJSU and after graduation started a real estate firm with her husband. During her career she also worked as a parole officer and as a social worker in Santa Clara County.

Barbara Schmidt, ’55 Education, on July 5, in San Francisco.

Effat Shahhosseini, ’77 Economics, on Nov. 1, 2017, in Sunnyvale.

Joseph Silva, ’68 Criminal Justice Administration, on May 27, in Pebble Beach.

Georgelyn Simon, ’51 Education, on Nov. 17, 2017, in Millbrae. A member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Burlingame, Simon taught kindergarten in Campbell, Redwood City and Burlingame during her career in education.

Peter B. Smith, ’62 MA Aeronautics, on May 26, in Morgan Hill.

Daniel Spencer, ’55 Education, age 81, on July 3, in Bethany, Okla. After 45 years in the food service industry, Spencer retired from Sysco Foods in 2001. He was a member of Bethany’s Council Road Baptist Church.

George Stephens, ’76 Mathematics, on March 19, in Los Gatos.

Margaret Steunenberg, ’83 Art, on June 11. A native of San Diego, Steunenberg was a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the American Society of Botanical Artists. An instructor at the Yellowstone Association Institute for many years, she illustrated two books, Plants of the East Bay Parks and California Plant Families.

Kelly Stuart, ’92 Aviation, age 49, on June 28.

Dennis Suit, ’75 English, age 67, on Jan. 26, in San Jose. A native of Washington, D.C., Suit’s 36-year career with SJSU started immediately after graduation when he signed on as a groundskeeper. He retired as grounds supervisor and manager of the university’s recycling program.

Rod Swearengin, ’49 Music, age 94, on March 11. A native of Hanford, Calif., and World War II veteran, Swearengin was a music instructor and administrator in the Stockton Unified School District and the Lincoln Unified School District for more than 30 years. He played French horn with the Stockton Symphony and conducted the Stockton Concert Band at summer concerts in the park.

Elizabeth Sweeney, ’00 MA Child Development, on April 20, in San Francisco.

Nancy Burke Sylva, ’61 Elementary Education, age 77, on May 11, in Campbell. A Stockton native, Sylva began her career teaching in the Cupertino School District and received her law degree from Santa Clara University. She was a member of the San Jose Art History Club and a docent at the San Jose Museum of Art.

Barbara Bitticks Titchenal, ’70 MA Art History, age 97. A native of Tyrone, N.M., Titchenal was a model and competitive bowler while an undergraduate at UCLA and was later invited to join the Sonja Henie Ice Skating Troupe. She continued to skate in ice shows well into her seventies and taught skating at the Winter Club in Palo Alto and also at the Eastridge Ice Rink.

Adan Trejo, ’74 Sociology, age 81, on Dec. 28, 2017, in Edinburg, Texas.

Ernesto Vasquez Trujillo, ’79 Electrical Engineering, age 79, in June, in San Jose. A Tulare native and U.S. Army veteran, Trujillo worked for nearly 40 years in the aerospace industry at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View and Lockheed Martin in Palo Alto.

James Van Houten, ’52 Industrial Arts, age 87, on May 10, in La Selva Beach. A member of Theta Chi fraternity at SJSU, Van Houten joined the U.S. Navy in 1953 and, released from active duty, continued in the Navy Reserve until retiring at the rank of captain in 1982. In his civilian career, he worked as a civil engineer for various Bay Area cities in the areas of public works and community development. Active in a number of civic and environmental causes, he designed the Kirby Park Trail and boardwalk in Elkhorn Slough. In honor of his contributions to the preservation of wetlands, Watsonville Mayor Felipe Hernandez proclaimed February 2 “Jim Van Houten Day.”

Orville Vick, ’50 Mathematics, on May 8, in Sacramento.

Edward Wilson, ’65 Physical Science, on March 15, in San Francisco.

Oliver Woodworth Jr., ’55 BA, ’56 MA, Industrial Education, age 85, on June 17, in San Jose. A native of Gilroy and U.S. Army veteran, Woodworth taught in the San Jose East Side Union High School District for 35 years.

Ethel Worn, ’82 Creative Arts, age 90, on Jan. 14, in Los Gatos. Worn was past president of the San Jose Opera Guild, director of the Cupertino Historical Museum and director of History Museum of Los Gatos.

John Zunino, ’75 Business, age 65, on Jan. 15, in Lodi. A native of Stockton, Zunino worked as vice president of agricultural loans at Union Safe Deposit Bank in Stockton, retiring at age 40 to become a full-time grape farmer in Lodi. He also served on the San Joaquin County Planning Commission.

Faculty

John “Jack” Bunzel, age 94, on July 19, in Mount Pleasant, S.C. A New York City native, Bunzel was a U.S. Army and World War II veteran. He received his undergraduate degree in political science from Princeton and his doctorate from UC Berkeley. During his 1970-1978 tenure as SJSU’s president, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories were expanded, the Steinbeck Center opened and programs in religious studies, Jewish studies and women’s studies were established. After leaving SJSU in 1978, Bunzel was a senior research fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institute and in 1983 was appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. A frequent contributor to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times on political subjects, he performed his stand-up comedy routine, “From Here to Hilarity,” for the last time in 2016, age 92.

Harvey Sharfstein, age 89, on Feb. 22. A New York City native, Sharfstein received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1951 and his master’s degree in 1960, both from Brooklyn Polytech. A National Science Foundation Faculty Fellowship brought him west to Stanford in 1961. In 1964, he joined SJSU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and served as department chair for four years and as associate dean of the School of Engineering for 11 years. An expert in design and stress analysis, he also served as a consultant to the U.S. Navy, NASA and Lockheed. He retired from teaching in 1992.

Amy Strage, age 62, on Sept. 13. SJSU’s assistant vice president for faculty development and director of the Center for Faculty Development, Strage received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Barnard College in 1977 and her doctorate, also in psychology, from UC Berkeley in 1984. She began her 31-year career at SJSU in 1987 as an assistant professor in the Child Development program and was promoted to full professor in 1996. She received the university’s 2009-2010 Distinguished Service Award.

José Villa, age 87, on June 27, in La Villita, N.M. A native of Clovis, N.M. and U.S. Air Force veteran, Villa received his bachelor’s degree in Inter-American Affairs from the University of New Mexico, a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University and another master’s degree in education from SJSU in 1975. A prominent Mexican-American activist, he was the first faculty member hired to teach in SJSU’s School of Social Work and served as the school’s interim dean for two years. In the 1970s, he developed the Mexican American Community Services Agency in San José and also directed SJSU’s Mexican American Graduate Studies program for two years. After retirement in 1992, he returned with his family to New Mexico and continued his activism, co-organizing Española Valley/Los Alamos Habitat for Humanity and advocating for the designation of the northern Rio Grande as a National Heritage Area.