Faculty and staff

Menachem Brinker, Henry Crown Professor Emeritus of Modern Hebrew Language and Literature, died August 11 in Jerusalem. He was 81. A founder of the Israel Philosophical Association, Brinker joined the philosophy faculty at Tel Aviv University in 1968 and helped found the university’s poetics and comparative literature department. In 1983 he moved to Hebrew University, where he taught philosophy and Hebrew literature. He came to the University of Chicago in 1995, establishing the Modern Hebrew Language and Literature program the same year. Brinker also helped expand the University Library’s collection in his fields of expertise. Known for his work on the relationship between philosophy, literature, and society, he was the author of numerous books and articles. In 2004 his Hebrew literature scholarship was recognized with the Israel Prize, one of the country’s highest honors. He retired in 2005. He is survived by his partner, Janet Aviad, and a daughter.

James W. Cronin, SM’53, PhD’55, University Professor emeritus of physics and astronomy and astrophysics, died August 25 in St. Paul, MN. He was 84. Cronin worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory and taught at Princeton before joining the UChicago faculty in 1971. He is best known as the codiscoverer of the charge-parity violation phenomenon, which describes nature’s preference for matter over antimatter and supports the big bang theory. For this work, he shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1992 Cronin cofounded the $50 million Pierre Auger Project, which uses its Auger Observatory in Argentina to detect powerful cosmic rays. He retired from UChicago with emeritus status in 1997 and received the University of Chicago Alumni Medal in 2013. His first wife, Annette Martin Cronin, EX’56, AM’88, former director of special events at UChicago, died in 2005, and his daughter Cathryn Cranston, LAB’73, died in 2011. He is survived by his wife, Carol McDonald; a daughter, Emily Cronin Grothe, LAB’78; a son; and six grandchildren. (For more, see “Big Thinker.”—Ed.)

Paul W. Friedrich, professor emeritus of anthropology, linguistics, and in the John U. Nef Committee on Social Thought, died August 11. He was 88. Friedrich served in the US Army and taught at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the UChicago faculty in 1962. His work encompassed cultural theory, language, and poetics, and ranged from analyses of Mexico’s agrarian reform to the connections between American transcendentalism and the Hindu scriptures. He also wrote poetry, producing seven volumes and gaining recognition for bringing together disparate poetic traditions in his work. He retired from the University in 1996, though he continued to teach, receiving the University’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring in 1999. Friedrich is survived by four daughters, including Su Friedrich, EX’75; two sons, including Peter Friedrich, LAB’79; and three grandchildren.

Halil Inalcik, University Professor emeritus of Ottoman history, died July 25 in Ankara, Turkey. He was 100. Born in Istanbul during the last decade of the Ottoman Empire, Inalcik taught in Turkey and at several US universities before he was recruited to UChicago by history professor William H. McNeill, LAB’34, AB’38, AM’39 (see below). He joined the faculty in 1972 and was later named one of the earliest University Professors. Inalcik is widely credited with elevating Ottoman history within the larger field of world history. He was known for his extensive use of source materials in exploring the empire’s social, political, and economic history, and his book The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300–1600 (1973) has become an essential text for Near East historians. After retiring from the University in 1986, he returned to Turkey and founded the history department at Bilkent University. In 1991 Inalcik received Turkey’s Meritorious Service Medal and Diploma for his contributions to the country’s history and culture. He is survived by his daughter and his grandson, Gokhan I. Tezgor, LAB’88.

Phil C. Neal, Harry A. Bigelow Professor Emeritus of Law and former dean of the Law School, died September 27. He was 97. Neal clerked for a Supreme Court justice and worked at a San Francisco law firm before joining the faculty at Stanford Law School in 1948. In the 1950s and ’60s he was appointed to several high-profile government bodies, including a White House task force on antitrust policy. Neal moved to UChicago in 1961 and, during his 21-year tenure at the Law School, taught a wide variety of subjects, including antitrust and constitutional law. He served as the Law School’s sixth dean from 1963 to 1975, during which time he hired many influential faculty members, including circuit court justice Richard A. Posner and professor Geoffrey R. Stone, JD’71. In 1986 he cofounded Chicago law firm Neal Gerber Eisenberg, where he litigated  antitrust, trade, and corporate governance cases as a senior partner. His son, Richard C. Neal, LAB’65, died in 2015. Neal is survived by his wife, Linda Thoren Neal, AB’64, JD’67; his sons Stephen C. Neal, LAB’66, Timothy Neal, LAB’70, and Andrew G. Neal, LAB’78; 13 grandchildren, including Harrison Neal, LAB’09, Samuel A. Neal, LAB’11, John Neal, LAB’14, Joseph Neal, LAB’16, and Laboratory Schools student Mary Neal; and one great-grandchild.

William H. McNeill, LAB’34, AB’38, AM’39, the Robert A. Millikan Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in History, died July 8 in Torrington, CT. He was 98. McNeill served as a military attaché in Cairo during World War II before joining the UChicago faculty in 1947. A world historian who resisted the prevailing trend of focusing on Europe, McNeill studied interactions between continents and cultures. His most famous work, the National Book Award–winning The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community (1963), challenges the view that world civilizations developed independently and emphasizes the role of intercultural exchange from the Neolithic era to the 20th century. At UChicago McNeill helped design the History of Western Civilization Core sequence and received the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 1983. He retired in 1987. McNeill’s contributions to world history were honored in 1996 with the Erasmus Prize and in 2010 with the National Humanities Medal. He is survived by two daughters, Ruth J. McNeill, LAB’66, and Deborah J. McNeill, LAB’67; two sons, J. R. McNeill, LAB’71, and Andrew D. McNeill, LAB’75; and 11 grandchildren.

Arthur M. Sussman, former UChicago general counsel and vice president, died August 10 in Chicago. He was 73. Sussman served as captain in the US Army and as legal counsel for Southern Illinois University before joining UChicago in 1979. He was general counsel and vice president of administration and Argonne National Laboratory for 22 years, and also taught a seminar on higher education law at the Law School. In 2001 he became vice president at the MacArthur Foundation but stayed connected to the University, sitting on the board of the Seminary Co-op Bookstore and serving as interim director of the Marine Biological Laboratory from 2014 to 2015. He traveled extensively and supported many arts and cultural organizations in Chicago. He is survived by his wife, Rita P. Sussman, AM’68, PhD’79; a daughter, Joanna Ilfeld, LAB’92; a son, Eric Harel Sussman, LAB’87, JD’94; a brother; and six grandchildren.

Gary Toback, professor of medicine, was fatally struck by a car on July 20 in Chicago. He was 74. Toback spent a year in the US Navy Medical Corps before joining the UChicago faculty in 1974. He became an associate professor in 1980 and a full professor in 1985, and served as interim nephrology chief from 2008 to 2015. An authority on kidney disease, he conducted influential research on renal growth factors and, most recently, was collaborating with gastroenterology colleagues on finding proteins that could prevent damage or speed recovery in gastric epithelial tissues. Toback’s work led to multiple patents and a biotechnology company, NephRx Corporation, founded in 1995. He was a member of several professional organizations, and last year his influence in nephrology was honored with a symposium at the University. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; a daughter; two sons, David A. Toback, LAB’87, SM’95, PhD’97, and Jonathan Toback, LAB’94; and seven grandchildren.

Trustee

Barry F. Sullivan, MBA’57, University trustee emeritus, died August 11 in Bronxville, NY. He was 85. A Korean War veteran, Sullivan spent his career in finance, serving as an executive vice president at Chase Manhattan Bank, chair and CEO of First Chicago Corporation, and a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, among other positions. In 1992 he became deputy mayor for finance and economic development in New York City and was later COO of the city’s board of education. An active civic leader, he was president of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and supported education and arts organizations. Sullivan was elected to the University’s Board of Trustees in 1980, serving as chair from 1988 to 1992 and becoming a life trustee in 1996 and then a trustee emeritus in 2007. He is survived by a daughter; four sons, including Barry F. Sullivan Jr., MBA’86, and Gerry Sullivan, MBA’86; and 17 grandchildren.

1930s

Edith M. Spencer, LAB’32, SB’36, died May 20 in Bozeman, MT. She was 100. Spencer worked with Jane Addams at Hull House in Chicago and was a preschool teacher in Vermont. She loved the arts, animals, and outdoor activities. Her husband, Robert C. Spencer, AB’43, AM’52, PhD’55, died in 1999. She is survived by three daughters, two sons, a sister, a brother, 11 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Joan Lorr, SB’39, SM’41, of Takoma Park, MD, died April 21. She was 98. Lorr was involved in civil rights and social and environmental advocacy while raising a family. In her 50s she earned a PhD in psychology and then worked as a neuropsychologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs for many years. Her husband, Maurice Lorr, PhD’43, died in 1998. She is survived by a daughter, a brother, two grandsons, and a great-granddaughter.

George H. Sahler, AB’39, died August 13 in Richland, WA. He was 98. Sahler served in the US Navy during World War II before joining General Electric, and later worked for Isochem, Arco, and Rockwell in employee and public relations. He enjoyed playing golf and, in retirement, bridge. He is survived by a daughter, a stepdaughter, two stepsons, two granddaughters, two grandsons, and seven great-grandchildren.

1940s

Ann (Baumgart) Gianelli, AB’41, of Pebble Beach, CA, died April 5. She was 96. Gianelli was an active volunteer, giving her time to Oakland Public Schools, the Del Monte Forest Foundation, and a local aquarium. She enjoyed golf, bridge, and bird-watching. Her first husband, Paul Baumgart, AB’42, died in 1988. Gianelli is survived by her husband, Bill, and two sons.

Benson Earl Ginsburg, PhD’43, died August 17 in Storrs, CT. He was 98. A pioneer in behavioral genetics, Ginsburg was the William Rainey Harper Professor of Biology at UChicago from 1943 to 1968, receiving a Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Undergraduate Teaching in 1947. He then founded the behavioral sciences department at the University of Connecticut, where he taught until 1997. Ginsburg is survived by three daughters, including Judith Meyer, AB’67, and Deborah Szajnberg, AB’70; three granddaughters; three grandsons; and three great-grandchildren.

Frank Johnson, SB’43, died July 30 in Benzonia, MI. He was 100. Johnson was an officer in the US Navy Medical Corps during the Korean War, and in 1954 established a pediatric surgery practice in Hinsdale, IL. He served as an attending surgeon at several Chicago-area hospitals and was a charter fellow in the American Pediatric Surgery Association. He is survived by two daughters, a son, three granddaughters, four grandsons, and three great-grandchildren.

Dorothy Helen Duncan Storer, LAB’41, AB’43, SM’45, died July 22 in Shoreline, WA. She was 92. Storer taught at the Laboratory Schools in Chicago, tutored veterans in California, ran for office in Tennessee, and golfed in Connecticut. She also enjoyed scuba diving and playing bridge. Her husband, Edward H. Storer, SB’43, MD’45, died in 1983. She is survived by a daughter and a son.

Katherine (Adams) Wenban, SB’43, died June 25 in St. Paul, MN. She was 97. Wenban worked as a legal secretary and elementary school teacher and was an amateur real estate investor. She enjoyed hosting friends and family, and her interests ranged from liberal politics to boat rides on Lake Wisconsin. She is survived by three daughters, including Barbara W. Busca, SM’69, and Beatrice A. Murray, AB’69; a sister; a brother; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Kenneth S. Axelson, LAB’39, AB’44, died May 23 in Rockport, ME. He was 93. Axelson worked as an accountant at two firms before joining J. C. Penney in 1963, where he rose to executive vice president and CFO. During New York City’s 1975 fiscal crisis he was recruited as the city’s first deputy mayor for finance and implemented a successful recovery plan. After retiring to Maine in 1981, he enjoyed sailing and participating in philanthropic activities. He is survived by four sons, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Alice Victoria Sklansky, BSS’46, AM’49, died June 6 in Wilmette, IL. She was 92. Sklansky taught social work in the Chicago area, retiring as a consultant and mentor at the House of the Good Shepherd. She was a patron of the arts and enjoyed learning about other cultures. She is survived by a daughter, two sons, a brother, and three grandsons.

Henriette Blinder Preiss, AB’47, died June 2 in Grass Valley, CA. She was 88. Preiss spent her career teaching children with disabilities and published many works on special education. A devoted patron of the arts, she read the entire New York Times daily. She is survived by her companion, Jerome; two sons; a sister; and a granddaughter.

Edmund “Ted” L. DuBois, SM’48, died August 13 in Sonoma, CA. He was 97. DuBois spent 30 years in the US Army, serving in the South Pacific during World War II and later with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO’s Paris command, and then as commander of missile defense for the West Coast. He retired as a brigadier general in 1971 and later worked at the Stanford Research Institute. He enjoyed skiing and writing historical novels. DuBois is survived by his partner, Lucinda Hamilton; a daughter; three sons, including John William DuBois, AB’73; a brother; and five grandchildren.

Lawrence Howe, JD’48, died July 31 in Evanston, IL. He was 94. A US Navy veteran, Howe was a partner at Vedder Price, a legal executive at film machinery maker Bell & Howell, and then chief financial and legal officer and later vice chair at Jewel Companies. He was also the founder and executive director of the Commercial Club of Chicago’s Civic Committee, where he advocated for airport expansion and school reform. He is survived by two daughters, two sons, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Thomas R. Magorian, PhB’48, SB’49, SM’49, PhD’52, died June 17 in Maryland. He was 87. A petroleum geologist and geophysicist, Magorian worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Shell Oil, Calspan, and Tipco, and spent the last 30 years of his career as an independent consulting geologist. He helped determine the location of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in the 1970s, advised the US Department of Energy and Exxon, and drilled his own successful oil fields. His wife, Roslyn (Luben) Magorian, EX’52, died in 2014. He is survived by a daughter and a son.

Barbara Jacobson “BJ” Seymour, PhB’48, AM’62, of Portland, OR, died May 22. She was 86. Seymour spent the first 18 years of her career in Oregon’s public welfare department. She moved into public relations at the state’s new Department of Environmental Quality in 1971, later lobbying for several other organizations. In 1986 she began teaching social work and English at Pacific University and working part time as a gender identity counselor. She is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.

Paul E. Weiss, PhB’48, died August 25, 2015, in Santa Fe, NM. He was 90. Weiss earned five distinctions, including a Bronze Service Star, for his Navy service during World War II. After the war he joined his father’s (Morton B. Weiss, PhA 1917, PhB 1918) Chevrolet dealership, later starting his own in Palo Alto, CA. Weiss enjoyed traveling and volunteering. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; a daughter; two sons; a sister; and two grandsons.

Aryeh Blumberg, AB’49, AM’51, PhD’73, died January 7 in Montclair, NJ. He was 87. A student of Milton Friedman, AM’33, and Harry Johnson, Blumberg was a professor of economics at Montclair State University from 1979 to 1999. He also taught at Harvard Summer School, where he spent 20 years as the director of the summer economics program. A Korean War veteran, he offered free courses and did other pro bono work for the military throughout his career. He is survived by his wife, Broeck.

William F. Conner, AM’49, of Greenwich, CT, died July 31. He was 91. Conner was a college instructor, workers’ compensation insurance salesman, social worker, and journalist before becoming a lawyer in 1971. He then spent most of his legal career adjudicating employment claims for the State of Missouri. He is survived by three daughters, a son, 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

1950s

John R. Coleman, AM’49, PhD’50, died September 6 in Washington, DC. He was 95. Coleman was the president of Haverford College from 1967 until 1977, resigning when the board of directors refused to make the college coed. While on sabbatical in 1974, he secretly held a series of blue-collar jobs, experiences that became an autobiographical book and then a TV movie. In 1986 he moved to Vermont and opened an inn, later operating a local weekly newspaper and presiding over one of the country’s first same-sex civil unions as a justice of the peace. Coleman is survived by a daughter; two sons, including John Michael Coleman, JD’78; and seven grandchildren.

William J. Kirwin Jr., AM’51, PhD’54, died August 4 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. He was 91. Kirwin served with the US Army Corps of Engineers during World War II and joined the English department at Memorial University in Newfoundland in 1959. An expert on the language of the province, he coedited the Dictionary of Newfoundland English (1982) and developed the university’s English Language Research Centre. He became a professor emeritus in 1987 and continued to work and teach until 2012. He is survived by a sister.

Clyde Curry Smith, DB’54, AM’61, PhD’68, of River Falls, WI, died August 5. He was 86. An ordained minister and expert in ancient history, Old and New Testament studies, and Semitics, Smith joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–River Falls in 1965 and was promoted to full professor in 1972. After retiring in 1990, he was on the board of the River Falls Library Foundation and a supporter of UChicago’s Disciples Divinity House. He is survived by a daughter; a son, Harald Smith, AB’82, AM’82; and seven grandchildren.

Thomas Jenkins, AM’55, died April 11 in Hilliard, OH. He was 93. Jenkins was a professor of sociology and planning at the University of Cincinnati, retiring with emeritus status. He was a planning adviser for numerous US cities and donated regularly to many charitable causes. He is survived by a sister.

Judith J. (Sensibar) Glasser, LAB’52, EX’56, of Trout Lake, NY, died November 23, 2015, in Valladolid, Spain. She was 79. Glasser enjoyed reading, cooking, traveling, and spending time with family. She is survived by her husband, M. Lawrence Glasser, AB’53, SM’55; two daughters; two sons; a sister, Minda Rae Amiran, LAB’48, AB’51; a brother, David Sensibar, LAB’57; 12 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Martin “Marty” Krasnitz, AB’57, AB’58, of Chicago, died in July. He was 80. A US Navy veteran, Krasnitz worked with his father and brother at the Sewing Machine Exchange. He enjoyed studying World War II history, sailing, traveling, and reading. He is survived by his wife, Betsy; a sister; and a brother, Ron Krasnitz, MBA’66.

Edward S. Hintzke, AB’58, JD’60, of Winnetka, IL, died April 7. He was 78. Hintzke was a US Air Force veteran, serving first in active duty and then retiring as a lieutenant colonel from the Air Force Reserves. He later worked in US Citizenship and Immigration Services and as assistant general counsel for the US Railroad Retirement Board. He retired in 1993. He is survived by his wife, Teresa; a daughter; a son; and two granddaughters.

Rae Dezettel Perls, AB’59, of Albuquerque, NM, died July 30. She was 79. One of the first women to become a licensed clinical psychologist in New Mexico, Perls ran a private practice for more than 35 years, specializing in women’s and family issues. She also mentored other therapists and was active in community organizations. She is survived by her husband, Stephen R. Perls, AM’59; a daughter; a son; three grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.

1960s

Marvin Gittler, JD’63, died September 8 in Union Pier, MI. He was 77. A labor lawyer, Gittler worked for the National Labor Relations Board before entering private practice. He negotiated contracts for Chicago police officers, Chicago Public Schools employees, and McCormick Place construction workers, and represented Chicago Tribune staffers during an extended strike. He retired in 2015. He is survived by his wife, Carol; four daughters, including Debra L. Gittler, LAB’98; a sister; two brothers; and eight grandchildren.

Kit Susan Kollenberg, LAB’59, AB’63, AM’68, of Los Angeles, died March 31. She was 74. Kollenberg was active in early childhood development and education issues, and cowrote The Working Parents Handbook (1996). She was involved with planning the first Folk Festival at UChicago in 1961 and returned to campus annually for the festival weekend. She is survived by her husband, Gary Blasi; two sons; and a granddaughter.

P. Donald Herring, AM’61, PhD’64, died July 5 in Indianapolis. He was 79. Herring taught at the University of Chicago before becoming chair of the English department at Wabash College in 1971. He was promoted to full professor in 1980 and served as Wabash’s dean from 1993 to 1999, retiring in 2007. He is survived by his wife, Johanna; a daughter; a son; a granddaughter; two grandsons; and three great-grandchildren.

Frederick Bayard Hoffmann, AB’64, died August 21 in Springfield, IL. He was 74. Hoffmann practiced law for almost 50 years, first with Hoffmann and Hoffmann and later with Sorling Northrup. He enjoyed traveling and the arts and was active in community organizations including the Abraham Lincoln Association and the Sangamon County Historical Society. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; two daughters; three brothers, including George C. Hoffmann, AM’56, PhD’61; and four grandchildren.

Henry Hideo Nonaka, AB’64, died July 2 near Tule Lake, CA. He was 73. Nonaka worked for Corn Products International (now Ingredion) for 44 years and held two patents for food chemistry advances. An avid traveler, he spent part of his career living in Bangkok and visited all seven continents. He enjoyed Chicago Cubs baseball and the wisdom of Yoda. He is survived by his wife, Gail; a daughter, Fawn Nonaka Galbraith, JD’07; two sons; two brothers; and four grandchildren.

Cynthia Samaras, AB’64, of Boston and Cranston, RI, died on June 29. She was 74. Fluent in more than five languages, Samaras directed the Berlitz School of Languages in Boston and provided language and translation services to clients around the world. In 1984 she became the owner, CEO, and executive director of the Inlingua School of Languages and Boston Translation Company. She is survived by her mother, a sister, and a brother.

David P. Backus, LAB’58, DB’65, of Schwangau, Germany, died December 21, 2015. He was 75. Backus held a doctorate in philology and a medical degree; he was a doctor in Chicago before moving to Europe to pursue his interests in the humanities. He studied Marcel Proust in France and was later an organist in Germany, performing in local and international concerts and competitions. He is survived by his wife, Roberta.

Peter Lindberg, MD’65, died September 13 in Albuquerque, NM. He was 76. Lindberg spent two years in the US Air Force and almost 45 years practicing medicine in New Mexico. Since 1992 he focused primarily on treating prostate cancer, and presented regularly at urological and oncological conferences. He enjoyed bicycling, gardening, and singing in his church’s choir. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and two daughters, including Kirstin E. Lindberg, MD’04.

Michael J. Schneider, PhD’65, of Ann Arbor, MI, died August 15. He was 77. Schneider taught biology at Columbia University before joining the University of Michigan–Dearborn faculty in 1973. A botanist, he served as chair of the natural science department five times and also served as associate and interim provost before retiring in 2003. He is survived by his wife, Janet; a son; and two grandchildren.

Joel I. Beck, AB’66, AM’71, PhD’78, of New York City, died January 28. He was 71. A psychoanalyst and psychotherapist, Beck was the residence director at a mental health and housing solutions nonprofit for 11 years while maintaining the private practice he ran for nearly five decades. He is survived by a daughter, a son, a sister, and four grandchildren.

Geoffrey B. Heron, AB’66, MD’71, of Boulder, CO, died August 20. He was 72. A psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Heron worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings and taught at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis. He was a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the president of the Denver Psychoanalytic Society. An avid outdoorsman, he scaled many of Colorado’s mountain peaks and enjoyed skiing and playing basketball. He is survived by his wife, Joan; a son; two stepsons; and a sister.

Paul G. Stimson, SM’66, of Sugar Land, TX, died July 31. He was 84. A former US Navy hospital corpsman, Stimson taught oral pathology and forensic dentistry at the University of Texas’s dental school for 32 years. Later he was a forensic odontologist for the Harris County medical examiner’s office and was a member of the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team in New York City following the September 11 attacks. He is survived by his wife, Ardell; two daughters; a son; a brother; and three granddaughters.

John “Jack” Tossell, SB’66, died April 25 in Rockville, MD. He was 72. Tossell joined the University of Maryland faculty in 1973 as a professor of chemistry. He was a founder of a new field, computational geochemistry, and published more than 200 papers. Tossell retired from UMD with emeritus status in 2009 and in 2011 was awarded the American Chemical Society’s Geochemistry Medal for his work in computational quantum chemistry. He is survived by his wife, Julia; a daughter; a son; and a sister.

Richard R. Beeman, PhD’68, of Philadelphia, died September 5. He was 74. A constitutional historian, Beeman was on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania for 43 years, during which time he chaired the history department and served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He was a trustee of the National Constitution Center and an avid marathoner. Beeman is survived by his wife, Mary Cahill; a daughter; a son; a brother; and two grandchildren.

1970s

David Strong Flight, PhD’70, died January 14 in Middlebury, VT. He was 89. A US Navy veteran, Flight taught and served as a principal in elementary schools in Connecticut and Missouri. He was later on the education faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and at Nova University in Florida. Flight enjoyed singing and volunteering in his community. He is survived by his wife, Vera; two daughters; a son; a sister; a brother; a granddaughter; and two grandsons.

Robert Steven Pomerance, EX’72, died of cancer on June 23 in Washington, DC. He was 69. A tax lawyer, Pomerance served with the appellate section of the Justice Department’s tax division and was later counsel to the US Tax Court’s chief justice. He was also an adjunct instructor at several Washington, DC–area law schools, continuing to teach after his retirement in 2011. Pomerance is survived by his wife, Betty Ferber, AB’68, AM’72; two daughters; a granddaughter; and a grandson.

Paul Green, AM’66, PhD’75, of Chicago, died September 10. He was 73. A political scientist, Green was the director of the Public Policy Institute at Governors State University before becoming a professor and then director of the Institute of Politics at Roosevelt University. He also served as chair of the City Club of Chicago, wrote books and articles on Chicago politics, and appeared as a pundit on local and national media. He is survived by his wife, Sharon; a daughter; and a brother.

Gayle Harvie Sirkin, AM’76, died of cancer on August 3 in Hamden, CT. She was 64. A psychotherapist who specialized in trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, Sirkin treated more than 6,000 patients during her career. She also taught psychotherapy at Yale University and at local high schools. Sirkin is survived by her husband, Ryszard Szczypek; two sons; a granddaughter; and a grandson.

Peter Bromley, AB’79, died September 2 in Jacksonville, FL, following a brief illness. He was 60. An avid tabletop gamer, in 1981 Bromley cofounded Mayfair Games, the US publisher of Settlers of Catan, and remained involved with the company until earlier this year. He traveled frequently, often to play or demonstrate games, and enjoyed hosting friends and family. He is survived by his mother and three brothers.

Marilou McCarthy von Ferstel, AM’79, died August 31 in Chicago. She was 78. Von Ferstel was a society columnist for the Chicago Tribune before becoming one of the first two women elected to Chicago’s city council in 1970. She later held positions with Chicago’s Zoning Board of Appeals and the Democratic National Committee, and then was an executive at two public relations firms. She is survived by her husband, Baron Henry von Ferstel; a daughter; a son; three stepdaughters; six grandchildren; and five step-grandchildren.

1980s

Anne E. Patrick, AM’76, PhD’82, of Silver Springs, MD, died July 21. She was 75. A nun and feminist theologian, Patrick became the first tenured woman professor in Carleton College’s religious studies department in 1980. She was a staunch advocate of women entering the priesthood, working with national Catholic organizations and writing extensively to promote gender equality. She retired from Carleton in 2009 and in 2013 received the Catholic Theological Society’s highest award for her scholarship and service. She is survived by four sisters and a brother.

1990s

Robert Wells Carton, AM’90, died August 15 in Evanston, IL. He was 95. A physician, Carton ran an internal medicine practice and taught at the University of Illinois medical school and later at Rush Medical College. After resigning his Rush faculty appointment in 1987, he attended the Divinity School and then taught medical ethics as a member of Rush’s Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values from 1990 to 1994. He is survived by three daughters, a son, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Deborah Shiu-Lan Jin, SM’92, PhD’95, died of cancer September 15 in Boulder, CO. She was 47. An atomic physicist at the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Jin was an expert and pioneer in matter that only exists in temperatures near absolute zero. She received a MacArthur Fellowship, the Comstock Prize in Physics, and many other awards for her work. She is survived by her husband, John Bohn, SB’88, SM’92, PhD’95; a daughter; her mother; a sister, Laural Shiu-yah Jin O’Dowd, AB’92, JD’97; and a brother.

2000s

Jack Hsu, MBA’00, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease January 31 in Chicago. He was 61. The first foreign student accepted to Case Western Reserve University’s medical school, Hsu was a cardiothoracic surgeon and codirected the heart transplant program at University Hospital in Cleveland before moving into private practice. After his Parkinson’s diagnosis Hsu attended Chicago Booth and joined a medical device firm focused on helping heart failure patients who do not qualify for transplants. He is survived by his wife, Sharlene Young; a sister; and a brother.