Faculty and staff

McKim Marriott, AM’49, PhD’55, professor emeritus in the Department of Anthropology, of Chicago, died July 3. He was 100. After studying several languages at Harvard, Marriott served as a translator of Japanese radio transmissions in India during World War II and later concentrated on India as a doctoral student in anthropology. In 1955 he joined the UChicago faculty and published Village India: Studies in the Little Community, an edited volume of anthropological studies that foregrounded Indian ways of thinking about kinship and caste. For over four decades, Marriott educated generations of ethnographers who would become influential scholars of South Asia; he also taught and shaped Self, Culture, and Society, a social science sequence in the Core curriculum. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; four children; four stepchildren; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Harry Trosman, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, of Chicago, died August 27. He was 99. With his MD from the University of Toronto, Trosman joined UChicago’s faculty in 1952. He served in the US Navy Reserve for two years, returning to the University to direct the psychiatry department’s outpatient clinic from 1956 to 1968 and later serving as acting department chair. He spent 70 years on the UChicago faculty. Trosman’s research dealt with the psychoanalytic theory of dreams, and many of his books and articles applied psychoanalysis to the study of the arts and humanities. He taught a course for psychiatry residents on the concept of psychodynamic psychotherapy, which explores the psychological roots of emotional suffering. He also was an active member of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute and the American Psychoanalytic Association. Survivors include a daughter, Elizabeth Trosman, LAB’71; sons Michael Trosman, LAB’78, and David Trosman, LAB’79, AM’86; four grandchildren, including Seth Aaron Samelson, AB’08; and three great-grandchildren.

Howard “Howie” Aronson, professor in the Departments of Slavic Languages and Literatures and Linguistics, the Committee on Jewish Studies, and the College, died October 26 in Chicago. He was 88. A renowned linguist, Aronson championed the study of Slavic, Balkan, and Caucasian languages, with a focus on Bulgarian and Georgian. One of the first American scholars to specialize in Caucasian languages, Aronson founded the Biennial Conference on Balkan and South Slavic Linguistics, Literature, and Folklore and published influential works on Georgian and Bulgarian grammar. Throughout his more than 40 years at UChicago, Aronson pioneered the integration of the indigenous languages of the former Soviet Union into linguistics programs, served as chair of both the Department of Slavic Languages and the Department of Linguistics, and established the first intradivisional dual-degree doctoral program. He is survived by extended family.

Ralph A. Austen, professor emeritus in the Department of History, of Chicago, died August 23. He was 87. Educated at the University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard, in 1967 Austen became the first tenure-track historian of Africa hired at UChicago. His scholarship focused on the dynamics of historical change in Africa and how these related to wider global processes. Among his eight books and many scholarly articles were pathbreaking studies in economic, imperial, and cultural history; comparative analyses of Africa with Europe and India; and examinations of Tanzania, Cameroon, the Mande world of West Africa, the Saharan desert, and the Atlantic world. Austen was pivotal in establishing the University’s African Studies Workshop and in shaping the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences. He is survived by his wife, Ernestine; two sons; a sister; and four grandchildren.

James Rylie Hietbrink, of Chicago, a retired facility director at UChicago Medicine, died August 15. He was 73. After attending what is now Calvin University, he earned a degree in industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan. During his 27-year career at UChicago Medicine, he served as the principal planner for the Center for Care and Discovery, the 1.2 million-square-foot hospital pavilion in Hyde Park that opened in 2012. He was an audiophile who loved electronics and music. Survivors include his husband, Verasak “Vee” Kongdanpai, and two sisters.

1940s

Ernestine Tabrah, AB’47, died May 20 in Scottsdale, AZ. She was 96. Tabrah was a social worker in Bellingham, WA, before starting a family; in 1972 she moved to Hawaii, where she resided for 50 years. A longtime docent at the Honolulu Museum of Art, Tabrah also served her condominium association as a board member and president. She was passionate about music and architecture and also enjoyed skiing, scuba diving, and tennis. She is survived by three children, three grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Geraldine “Gerry” Kuntz, AB’48, of Glenview, IL, died August 4. She was 95. Kuntz worked alongside her husband at the family printing business for many years. A supporter of Women’s American ORT and a patron of the arts, she enjoyed the theater, ballet, and opera. Survivors include a daughter, two grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Phyllis Ehrlich, AB’49, of Miami, died July 26. She was 95. Ehrlich was a social worker, community organizer, and professor whose work in gerontology bridged theory and practice. Her research and activism focused on the marginal elderly and related topics, such as single-room occupancy housing, elder abuse, and midlife women caregivers. After teaching at St. Louis University, the University of South Florida, and Southern Illinois University, Ehrlich retired to Miami and became a volunteer ombudsman to investigate nursing homes as well as a guardian ad litem for children. She is survived by two children, three grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

1950s

Judith “Judy” Genesen, LAB’47, AB’51, AM’66, of Chicago, died August 1. She was 92. With her master’s in library science, Genesen served as director of information services for the Chicago Transit Authority and executive director of the American Association of Law Libraries. She played active roles in the American Library Association, American Society of Association Executives, and Special Libraries Association, which inducted her into its Hall of Fame in 1994. Genesen’s husband, Louis Genesen, PhB’50, died in 2022. She is survived by two daughters, including Deborah Kovacs Sullivan, LAB’71; two sons, including David Kovacs, LAB’69; seven grandchildren, including Jacob Kovacs, LAB’06; and seven great-grandchildren.

Charles John “Chaz” Erickson, AB’52, AM’54, of Tucson, AZ, died May 27. He was 92. Trained as an anthropologist, Erickson entered the then-new field of systems analysis, holding positions with Northrop Aircraft, the Stanford Research Institute, and North American Aviation’s Apollo program. Transitioning to the federal government in 1970, he joined the Indian Health Service and focused on providing health care to remote populations. In retirement he worked with the Tucson visitor’s bureau and volunteered as a docent with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Survivors include his wife, Pat; three daughters; and a great-grandchild.

Lloyd Rogers, AB’54, of Naperville, IL, died September 16. He was 89. Rogers studied archaeology in the College, doing fieldwork in New Mexico and Arizona. A US Army veteran, Rogers worked in the insurance industry and retired in the early 2000s; he and his wife, Catherine, were longtime Naperville residents. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Matthew Enos, AB’55, AM’60, PhD’01, died May 17, 2020, in Chesterton, IN. He was 86. A US Army veteran, Enos taught high school and later joined the social sciences faculty of the fledgling City Colleges of Chicago’s Loop Junior College (now Harold Washington College), serving for 25 years as a teacher and administrator. He retired in 1998 and later earned a doctorate in education. He authored study guides to accompany college psychology textbooks and advised graduate students. His wife, Marci Morrow Enos, LAB’50, AB’58, AM’69, PhD’01, died in 2024 (see below). Survivors include two stepdaughters, a sister, a step-grandchild, and a step-great-grandchild.

Marci Morrow Enos, LAB’50, AB’58, AM’69, PhD’01, died May 17 in Pasadena, CA. She was 89. Enos began her career as an elementary school teacher and in 1970 became the first therapist of color at the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School, under director Bruno Bettelheim. She later was an assistant professor of education at Roosevelt University and did a clinical psychology internship at Michael Reese Medical Center. For more than 40 years, Enos treated families and individuals in her private clinical psychology practices in downtown Chicago and Glenview, IL. Her husband, Matthew Enos, AB’55, AM’60, PhD’01, died in 2020 (see above). Survivors include two daughters, a half-sister, a step-grandchild, and a step-great-grandchild.

Alan M. Weintraub, MD’56, of Potomac, MD, died July 20. He was 94. Early in his career, Weintraub joined the Navy Medical Corps and provided care to US senators while stationed at the Capitol in Washington, DC. As a cardiologist, he practiced at Georgetown University Medical Center and Sibley Memorial Hospital and cared for patients who underwent some of the first artificial heart valve operations performed by Charles Hufnagel, who pioneered this technology. In his free time, Weintraub competed in carriage-driving events and became a certified scuba diver. He is survived by three children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Lubert Stryer, SB’57, died April 8 in Stanford, CA. He was 86. A professor emeritus of structural biology and neurobiology at Stanford Medicine, Stryer was known for his pioneering discoveries in fluorescence spectroscopy, human vision, and high-speed genetic analysis. He also wrote a popular biochemistry textbook, now in its 10th edition, used by students worldwide. Among his many honors, Stryer received the National Medal of Science in 2006 and an honorary doctorate from UChicago in 1992; he was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. He is survived by his wife, Andrea Stenn Stryer, LAB’53, AB’57, AM’58; a son; and four grandchildren.

Seth Leslie Wolitz, AB’58, died August 11 in Austin, TX. He was 86. Wolitz studied Romance languages in the College and at Yale, centering his early scholarship on French literature—especially Proust’s works. He also began researching Yiddish and Jewish culture, and in 1980 he joined the University of Texas at Austin faculty as the Marie and Edwin Gale Chair of Judaic Studies. A specialist on the Yiddish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer, Wolitz expanded UT’s Jewish studies program to include more courses on modern and diasporic topics, and he organized many lectures, symposia, and performance events.

1960s

Robert E. Porter Jr., MD’60, died September 10 in Gainesville, FL. He was 89. Porter served as a US Air Force flight surgeon before joining Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Hanover, NH, as an orthopedist in 1972. He later became an associate professor of surgery at Dartmouth Medical School and led the Federation of State Medical Boards and other professional organizations. A graduate and former trustee of Beloit College, he retired to Florida 20 years ago. He enjoyed sailing and skiing and scuba diving. He is survived by his wife, Betty; six children; two sisters; a brother; 13 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Janetta Evangeline Webb, LAB’54, AB’60, of Oklahoma City, died in early September. She was 85. Webb had a lengthy teaching career in Illinois, Nebraska, New York, and Washington, DC. A community and PTA leader, Webb also volunteered with Jack and Jill of America. Survivors include four sons and three grandchildren.

Anthony Cordesman, LAB’56, AB’61, died January 29, 2024, in Alexandria, VA. He was 84. Cordesman worked as an intelligence analyst at the Pentagon, the State Department, and NATO before serving as national security assistant to Senator John McCain (R-AZ). In 1995 he joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies—where he was emeritus chair in strategy—and became a prominent commentator on US foreign and defense policies. Cordesman contributed op-eds to news outlets and analyses to ABC News; he wrote or cowrote more than 50 books. He also contributed equipment reviews to several audiophile magazines. Survivors include a daughter and two sons.

Conrad Kulawas, AB’62, of East Greenwich, RI, died August 12. He was 91. A Korean War veteran who served in the US Army Signal Corps, Kulawas studied English in the College. Early in his career he worked as a mill supervisor at US Steel in Chicago and served from 1964 to 1969 as editor of The University of Chicago Magazine. Moving to Brown University in 1969, he established the university’s publications department as well as its award-winning graphic services department. Kulawas received many national awards for editing, writing, design, and photography throughout his career. Survivors include his wife, Grazina, and two daughters.

James L. Spiker, MBA’62, died August 10 in Eagle, CO. He was 93. Spiker majored in journalism at the University of Colorado and worked for newspapers in Wyoming, Texas, and Montana. After 25 years at Illinois Bell Telephone in Chicago, in 1985 he began leading Farmers and Merchants State Bank in Bushnell, IL, the town where he grew up, and retired from the bank in 2000. Spiker was active in educational and media organizations in Chicagoland and later, in retirement, with Eagle River Presbyterian Church in Colorado’s Vail Valley. He is survived by a daughter; a son, Scott Spiker, MBA’84; and five grandchildren, including Margaret Spiker, AM’15.

Lowen Berman, AB’63, of Portland, OR, died September 10. He was 82. Berman was part of a student group that occupied the UChicago president’s office in 1962 to demand integration in University-owned housing. Active in the civil rights and antiwar movements, he became a union and community organizer and joined a political theater group. Moving to Portland in 1982, Berman ran a machine shop at Oregon Health Sciences University and continued his activism; he later worked for the American Friends Service Committee and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. He is survived by his spouse, Kepper Petzing, and two daughters.

Ron Kaye, AB’64 (Class of 1963), died August 16 in Orange, CT. He was 83. With his College anthropology degree, Kaye became a journalist at The Plain Dealer (Cleveland), served briefly in the US Army, and later worked as a reporter and editor in the United States and Australia. In 1985 he joined the Los Angeles Daily News, eventually rising to editor in chief. A self-described “radical centrist,” Kaye was known for civically inspired muckraking and for boosting the San Fernando Valley. He is survived by his wife, Deborah; a son; and two grandchildren.

William Edward Gibson, AB’64, AM’65, PhD’67, of Dallas, died August 23. He was 80. Gibson served as a senior staff economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Richard Nixon. He later held senior executive positions in banking and worked in real estate. He is survived by his wife, Shannon; nine children; and a grandchild.

Robert B. “Bob” Austin, JD’65, of Olympia Fields, IL, died in September. He was 84. Austin, a graduate of Denison University, worked for 40 years as an attorney at Lord, Bissell & Brook and at Anderson Rasor & Partners, primarily specializing in medical malpractice defense. A member and director of the Society of Trial Lawyers, he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers and served on the board of Illinois School District 161. Survivors include two children; two brothers; two grandchildren; and his partner, Sandy Haggman.

Richard E. Dooley, MBA’65, of Centerville, MA, died July 30. He was 90. A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Dooley served as a vice president of the First National Bank of Chicago, taught in the Graduate School of Business at Illinois Institute of Technology, and worked at Colonial Penn Group before starting his own consulting firm in 1973. The Dooley Group provided counsel and seminars on management and leadership development until 2018. Dooley also was a founder and lifetime member of the Society for Information Management. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; five children; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

David Barrett Williams, JD’65, died September 4 in Lake Geneva, WI. He was 85. Williams, a University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate, practiced law in Delavan, WI, prior to his firm’s merger with a Janesville, WI, law firm. In 1979 he was elected as the first municipal judge for the village of Williams Bay, WI, and served for 36 years, through 17 election cycles, until retiring in 2014. Active in the local community, Williams cofounded the Lake Geneva chapter of Lyric Opera of Chicago and was passionate in his love for Geneva Lake. Williams is survived by two sons, two brothers, and three grandchildren.

Robert Coover, AM’65, died October 5 in Warwick, England. He was 92. A pioneer of postmodern writing, Coover wrote celebrated fiction, plays, poetry, and essays. He served in the Navy during the Korean War before receiving his master’s degree in the humanities. His debut novel, The Origin of the Brunists (1966), examined religious cultism, and his 1969 collection, Pricksongs and Descants, introduced the fragmented narratives and reimagined fairy tales that defined his work. For more than 30 years he taught at Brown University, where he mentored several prominent writers. He was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1987. Survivors include his wife, Pilar Sans Coover; two daughters; a son, Roderick Coover, PhD’99; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Irwin Feldinger, PhD’68, of Scarsdale, NY, died March 20. He was 86. A clinical psychologist, Feldinger practiced at Albert Einstein Hospital and Bronx State Hospital. He served for 32 years as the chief psychologist at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre, NY, and was on the adjunct medical staff at Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, NY, from 1975 to 1989. Feldinger retired from his private practice in Bayside, NY, in 2020. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; two daughters; and three grandchildren.

David J. Handel, MBA’68, of Fishers, IN, died July 31. He was 78. A Cornell University graduate, Handel had a 42-year career in health care that began with senior management positions at Northwestern and Vanderbilt University Medical Centers. As the CEO of Indiana University Hospitals, he oversaw the consolidation that created Clarian (now Indiana University Health). He later directed Indiana University’s Master of Health Administration program, served on hospital boards, and founded the Executive Volunteer Services program to help retired senior executives provide pro bono assistance to local nonprofits. He is survived by his wife, Julia; a daughter; a son; a brother; and four grandchildren.

Michael D. Schechtman, AB’69, died August 7 in Helena, MT. He was 77. After studying environmental advocacy at the University of Michigan, Schechtman began his career by directing the Ann Arbor Ecology Center and cofounding the Illinois South Project. Moving to Montana, he led the Northern Rockies Action Group and later founded and served for 22 years as executive director of the Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits. Before retiring in 2023, he launched a grant-making endowment to support Helena area nonprofit organizations; he was also active in the Montana Jewish Project. Survivors include a sister and a brother.

Steven Landsman, EX’69, died August 2 in Eugene, OR. He was 76. While a student in the College, he founded the storied Students for Violent Non-Action. He moved to Oregon in the mid-1970s, where he worked as a phlebotomist and later as a computer programmer. He is survived by two stepdaughters, a sister, and five grandchildren.

1970s

Timothy Ennis, AB’70 (Class of 1969), of Waukee, IA, died September 10. He was 77. Ennis grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm and studied economics in the College, where he was a wrestler and Psi Upsilon fraternity member. He spent his career at National Farmers Organization in Corning, IA, and led the Adams County, IA, Extension Council for a decade. A Rotary Club and Knights of Columbus member, Ennis chaired the Adams County Democratic Party for over 30 years and volunteered at Johnny Carson’s birthplace in Corning. He is survived by his wife, Kathy; three children; 10 siblings; and four grandchildren.

Jeanne Wikler, AB’70, died March 24 in Staatsburg, NY. She was 75. At UChicago Wikler starred in many University Theater productions and was a cofounder and coeditor of The Chicago Maroon’s weekend magazine, The Grey City Journal. After graduation she embarked on a varied career in journalism, film, and diplomacy that began with her studying with Marcel Marceau in Paris. Moving to the Netherlands with her husband, she worked as a TV journalist and then as director of Amsterdam’s Binger Film Institute. From 2001 to 2007, Wikler was a cultural attaché for the Dutch government in New York City; she later served in the same role in Paris. In retirement she wrote personal essays and was working on a fictionalized version of her grandparents’ lives on the Lower East Side and in Queens. Survivors include her son Jef Klazen, AB’01; a sister, Marjorie Senechal, SB’60; a brother; and a grandchild.

Thomas D. Hanson, JD’70, of Des Moines, IA, died April 3. He was 79. As an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, Hanson studied political science and served as student body president. After practicing law in Chicago, he joined Hanson, Bjork & Russell, leading the firm for nearly 40 years, and later Dickinson Bradshaw in Des Moines. Hanson was president of the Iowa Defense Counsel Association and a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers; outside of his legal work, he enjoyed working on his farm near Rippey, IA. He is survived by his partner, Patricia Kehoe, and five siblings.

Thomas F. Mullaney Jr., MBA’70, of West Hartford, CT, died August 26. He was 85. A Beloit College graduate, Mullaney served as a US Navy officer before earning a master’s in economics at Northwestern University in 1965. He began his career at the First National Bank of Chicago, eventually moving to senior executive positions at Hartford National Bank and the Shawmut Banks of Connecticut and Massachusetts. In 1993 Mullaney retired but went on to found the investment advisory firm Mullaney, Keating & Wright in West Hartford, where he was active in many civic and business organizations. He is survived by a daughter; a son; a sister; a grandchild; and his partner, Gene Schaefer Flynn.

Marilyn Louise (Moody) Reiter, MAT’71, died September 12 in McHenry, IL. She was 81. Reiter studied German and education at Macalester College and UChicago, and for 30 years she tutored students and taught German in Chicago-area schools. With her husband, Helmut Reiter, AM’68, AM’74, who died in 2022, she enjoyed travel, hiking, and bird-watching. She also painted and created pottery. She is survived by a sister and two brothers.

Joseph Betz, AM’64, PhD’73, of Bryn Mawr, PA, died April 11. He was 84. With his doctorate from the Committee on the Analysis of Ideas and the Study of Methods, Betz taught philosophy at Villanova University for 45 years. Committed to social justice causes, he served as the faculty adviser for Amnesty International for 30 years and taught philosophy in a maximum-security prison. Honoring his legacy of service and community activism, Villanova’s Center for Peace and Justice Education annually recognizes a graduating senior with the Joseph Betz Solidarity Award. He is survived by his wife, Antoinette; four children; a sister; and six grandchildren.

James Drake, MBA’73, died September 17 in Houston. He was 81. Drake served as an intelligence officer in the US Navy during the 1960s and earned his bachelor’s degree from American University. After working at the US Department of Agriculture and later for the Heinz Corporation, he moved to Houston to pursue a career in real estate. His passions included running, photography, music, and food. He is survived by two sons and four grandchildren.

Ronald L. Montgomery, MBA’73, of Hilton Head Island, SC, died September 22. He was 84. With his business studies and undergraduate degree in dairy technology, Montgomery worked in the grocery industry. He held management positions at Jewel Food Stores before launching a successful food brokerage firm, Cheese and Deli Sales. Retiring in 1999 and moving to Hilton Head, Montgomery was an elder at Providence Presbyterian Church and gardened at the community plot in Hilton Head Plantation, donating most of his produce to a local food pantry, neighbors, and friends. He is survived by his wife, Geraldine; three daughters; and four grandchildren.

Barry Scherr, AM’67, PhD’73, died September 12 in Lebanon, NH. He was 79. Scherr discovered a passion for Russian literature as a Harvard undergraduate; he continued that exploration at UChicago, conducting dissertation research in the former Soviet Union. For 38 years he taught at Dartmouth College in the Department of East European, Eurasian, and Russian Studies, and also served as provost. Scherr’s scholarship focused on poetry and poetics as well as 19th- and 20th-century Russian fiction, comparative literature, film, and linguistics. Survivors include his wife, Sylvia; a daughter; and a son.

Robert Kossack, EX’76, of Las Vegas, died January 18, 2024, of cancer. He was 69. A Tucson, AZ, native, Kossack spent a year at UChicago before attending the New College in Sarasota, FL, and then the University of Arizona, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a JD. He spent his career as an attorney in Las Vegas, practicing personal injury, criminal, family, and civil rights law. He published a book and enjoyed performing and writing about karaoke.

Mitchell R. Meisner, AM’68, PhD’77, died June 20 in Huntington Woods, MI. He was 80. Meisner was a real estate attorney and partner at the Honigman law firm in Detroit, where he worked for more than 40 years. An Amherst College graduate, he studied political science at UChicago and later earned his JD at the University of Michigan. Meisner participated in the 1963 March on Washington; he later served as a volunteer judge in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and did pro bono legal work. He is survived by his wife, Marcia; three children; a brother; and seven grandchildren.

Gregory Gene Henry, SM’74, PhD’78, of Arlington, VA, died August 26. He was 73. Prior to attending the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Henry taught himself physics and calculus, subjects that weren’t offered at his high school. With his doctorate in physics, he worked at Fermilab and later moved to Washington, DC, where he was an operations research analyst at the US Office of Management and Budget from 1979 to 2011. Beyond his professional pursuits, Henry took organ lessons and was involved in humanitarian, environmental, and pro-democracy causes. He is survived by a sister and two brothers.

1980s

Ronnie Bouldin, MBA’81, of Flint, TX, died September 25. He was 86. With a business degree from East Texas State University, Bouldin worked for Kraft Foods, first in Texas and later at the company’s Chicago headquarters. He lived with his family in Arlington Heights, IL, until his retirement in 1996. Returning to Texas, Bouldin was active in Green Acres Baptist Church and volunteered for Meals on Wheels of East Texas. Survivors include his wife, Peggy; two sons; and his grandchildren.

David Rubin, SB’81, of Ewing, NJ, died May 9. He was 64. An enthusiastic learner and reader of history and biographies, Rubin could often be found at synagogue educational events. He took an active role at Adath Israel Congregation, serving for many years as treasurer. He enjoyed playing card and board games. He is survived by his wife, Holly; two children; his mother; and two brothers.

Dennis L. McCaughan, PhD’82, died August 4 in Suttons Bay, MI. He was 80. McCaughan grew up in Honolulu and attended Boston University before serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Iran. A US Army veteran, he served at the Pentagon and later earned a master’s in education at Stanford. McCaughan later trained as a clinical psychologist and had a decades-long career as a psychotherapist, teacher, consultant, and mentor in Chicago before settling on the Leelanau Peninsula in northern Michigan. He is survived by his wife, Sally; three children; two grandchildren; and a brother.

Richard E. Denison Jr., AM’82, DMin’85, of Mechanicsburg, PA, died July 19. He was 65. A pastor, Denison served United Methodist Church congregations throughout central Pennsylvania for nearly 40 years. He was also a Harley motorcycle enthusiast, a Christian radio host, and a lifetime member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. As a chaplain with the 193rd Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, he served multiple tours overseas, including during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Survivors include his wife, Barbara; a daughter; a son; a sister; and three grandchildren.

Althea Nagai, AM’78, PhD’86, died August 21 in Rockville, MD. She was 70. Nagai taught political science at Smith College and coauthored several books on topics including public opinion formation and adoption laws with her first husband, Robert Lerner, AM’82, PhD’84, who died in 2010. Over three decades, as a senior research fellow at the Center for Equal Opportunity, she published writing that helped lay the groundwork for the 2023 US Supreme Court decision banning racial preferences in college admissions. Nagai was a lifelong member of her hometown Buddhist temple in Kea’au, HI, as well as a pianist and guitarist. She is survived by her husband, Ken Masugi; a son, Joshua Yoshio Lerner, AB’12; a stepdaughter; and a grandchild.

Sean P. Elliott, AB’89, of Tucson, AZ, died suddenly on May 19. He was 56. Elliott, who received his medical degree from Columbia University, was a pediatrician, infectious disease specialist, professor, and administrator. At the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Banner–University Medical Center Tucson, his varied roles included directing the pediatrics residency program; he later worked at Tucson Medical Center and helped develop the curriculum at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. Elliott also was a talented musician, carpenter, and woodworker. Survivors include his wife, Kim, and daughter Meghan Elliott, AB’19.

2000s

Carl S. Nash, AM’02, died July 21 in Las Vegas. He was 47. Nash grew up in the Denver suburbs and graduated from the University of Colorado before studying history at UChicago under adviser George Chauncey. Nash contributed the entry “Gay and Lesbian Rights Movements” to the Encyclopedia of Chicago (2004). As director of events, senior director of programming, and later assistant dean of external relations for the Division of the Humanities, he transformed the University’s annual Humanities Day celebration. He also served on the board of the Chicago Public Art Group. He is survived by his parents, his stepmother, and two half-brothers.

To request an obituary for a faculty member, staff member, or former student, please send a previously published obituary or a note that includes their accomplishments, surviving family members, and significant facts care of the Alumni News Editor, The University of Chicago Magazine, 5235 South Harper Court, Chicago, IL 60615, or by email: uchicago-magazine@uchicago.edu.