In Memoriam
1938
Laurence E. Clark Jr., York Harbor, Maine, Feb. 5, 2014. Clark worked as a chemist for numerous companies and was a member of the American Chemical Society and the Forest Products Society. He is survived by two sons, three grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
1940
Robert Shoemaker, Stockton, Calif., June 13, 2014. Shoemaker served in the U.S. Navy and was a commander of the Naval Communications Station. After World War II, he served on the staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Command Atlantic in Norfolk, Va., until 1950. During that time, Shoemaker gained some national attention for his coaching of the two-time All Navy Basketball Champion Norfolk Navy Flyers. After retiring from the Navy, he took on the role of athletic director in the Stockton Unified School District. He is survived by three children and two grandsons.
1942
Edward Leech, April 24, 2014. Leech served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Leech had a long career in education before retiring in 1975. He served in the military for more than 35 years, retiring as captain from the Naval Reserves. Leech was active in many volunteer groups, and volunteered with the Civil Air Patrol for 13 years following his retirement. He is survived by a loving family.
George Linck, Glens Falls, N.Y., May 5, 2014. Linck served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he began coaching and teaching at SUNY Cortland (N.Y.), before becoming associate professor of physical education for the Army cadets at West Point. He was named the first director of the West Point Ski Slope, and during his time there he instructed cadets in more than 20 different athletic activities. In 1956, he established Camp Lynx, which offered wilderness canoe trips in the Adirondacks and Canada. Linck is survived by his sons, 13 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.
1944
William N. Goodwin (G’54), Hartford, Conn., March 19, 2014. Goodwin served in the U.S. Air Corps during World War II and was awarded the Air Medal with six bronze stars. After his service, Goodwin spent his professional career working with the YMCA, eventually retiring as the director of counseling service of the Metropolitan Hartford YMCA. He is survived by his three children, his brother, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
1947
Wilbur G. Renken (DPE ’55), Wyomissing, Pa., April 24, 2014. Renken served as the physical education and athletic director for Albright College from 1955 until 1988. He served as the chairman of the committee that selected the 1976 Olympic gold medal winning basketball team. Renken was the first non-Division I coach named president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is survived by his son and four daughters, seven grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
1948
James L. Kopp (G’49), Auburn, N.Y., June 21, 2014. Kopp joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and was a member of the 17th Airborne Division through basic training. He then served in Europe in the 4th Armored Division 37th Tank Battalion, and was part of the 3rd U.S. Army that invaded France. Upon arriving home, he returned to his job at Penn Yan, before moving on to teach at Corning, the Ovid Central School, King Ferry, and finally to the Southern Cayuga Central School. For 19 years he served as superintendent of schools for Southern Cayuga Central Schools, retiring in 1979. Kopp is survived by his wife Donna, eight children, 23 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
1949
Roberta “Bobbie” Mason Ellison, May 9, 2014. Ellison served as an English second language teacher and was a reader for the Connecticut Talking Books program. She is survived by her husband Mason ’49, four children, and 11 grandchildren. Ellison and Mason served on the Class of 1949 reunion committee.
José Esperón (NG), May 22, 2014. Esperón served as the director of the physical department for the Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes in Montevideo, Uruguay. He also was responsible for the development of the Solymar Country Club Project, and became general secretary of the Montevideo YMCA in 1965. His connection with sports led him to become the coach of the national volleyball team in a South American championship that took place in the 1950s.
1950
John Delegan, Middletown, Conn., June 10, 2014. Delegan served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He taught in the Middletown (Conn.) school system for 25 years, and was a lifelong member of the YMCA. He is survived by his wife Jean, two children, and his siblings.
Martin Silverman, Scarborough, Maine, Dec. 26, 2012. Silverman received a Master of Social Work degree from Case Western Reserve University. Together with his wife Silvia, Silverman founded Camp Kippewa for Girls in Maine. Silverman also served as executive director of the Cambridge Jewish Community Center, chief consultant for the Quincy Secondary Schools, and as an adjunct professor at Boston University School of Social Work. He is survived by a daughter, two sons, and six grandchildren.
Walter J. Simcock, Waterville, Maine, Jan. 28, 2014. Simcock served in the U.S. Navy in the Philippines during World War II. For 42 years he owned and operated Colonial Distributors. Simcock leaves a legacy of community involvement, from mentoring young people to building playgrounds for local children. He is survived by his children and loving family.
R. Bruce Ward, Williamsburg, Va., June 5, 2014. Ward’s career began with the YMCA — first in West Roxbury, Mass., followed by Meriden, Conn. Following 18 years of work for the Y, Ward joined the fundraising firm of Ward, Dreshman and Reinhardt. In 1989, Ward took a solo bicycle ride from Seattle to Meriden, Conn. Following this, he hiked up to 18,400 feet in Nepal, and canoed 140 miles up the Maine coast. An ardent Springfield College volunteer, he is survived by his wife Nancy, daughters, a son, a brother, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
1951
Edward Clifford Kilpatrick (G), Oneonta, N.Y., March 19, 2014. Kilpatrick served in the U.S Navy in World War II before earning a master’s degree in education. He worked as a teacher in New York and served in numerous roles including physical education teacher, basketball coach, and athletic director.
Morton Meltzer, Oceanside, N.Y., July 2, 2014. Meltzer, an avid supporter of Springfield College football, was 84.
Donald Edward Ross (G), June 18, 2014. Ross taught math for many years at Irondequoit (N.Y.) High School, from which he retired as head of the math department. Ross is survived by his wife Kitty, daughters, grandsons, and great-grandsons.
Edmund Skiffington, Jr. (G), Moncton, N.B., Canada, March 24, 2014. Skiffington served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He taught physical education at Moncton High School before becoming the director of athletics, a position he held for almost 30 years. He is survived by his wife Lois, four children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Eugene F. Slason, Middlebury, Vt., April 3, 2014. Slason served in the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant. He worked as a teacher at Watertown High School for 36 years, during which he served as the head of the science department. Slason is survived by his wife Evelyn, five children, 13 grand children, one great-grandchild, and many other loving family members.
Sherrill Bronson Smith Jr., Orleans, Mass., March 18, 2014. Smith was a priest, sailor, fisherman, lobsterman, and an extension agent for the Division of Marine Fisheries. Beginning as an Eagle Scout, he was active in community service for his entire life, which included work with Senator Kennedy to draft legislation creating a 200-mile fishing limit. He is survived by his wife Jean and his loving family.
1952
Benjamin Gordon (G), Staten Island, N.Y., March 24, 2014. Gordon served in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific during World War II and was awarded the Bronze star for his service. Gordon had a long career as a physical therapist. He is survived by his wife Betty and a son.
E. Gordon Ozelius, Manomet, Mass., March. 6, 2014. Ozelius served in General Douglas MacArthur’s Honor Guard in the U.S. Army Occupation of Tokyo following World War II. He eventually owned his own package store and Dutchies Greenhouses in Manomet. Ozelius is survived by his wife Connie, his brother, five children, and three grandchildren.
George Benjamin Sherman Jr., Lewes, Del., March 30, 2014. Sherman served in the U.S. Coast Guard in the Mediterranean during World War II. He worked as a swimming instructor before taking a position as a machine foreman with Titeflex in Springfield. Sherman worked in other jobs involving machinery until he retired. He is survived by his wife Linda and a large, loving family.
1953
Norman Eugene Hiersche (G’53), May 1, 2014. Hiersche served in the U.S. Army in the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns during World War II, and was awarded the Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars. Throughout his life, he served as a physical education teacher and director of physical education for the Portland School Systems, before becoming dean of men and later dean of students at Westfield State College. At Springfield College, he was class president and co-founder of the modern-day Veterans Day celebration program. He is survived by his wife Mildred, three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
1954
Stanley K. Dean, Windham Center, Conn., March 6, 2014. Dean served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and Korea before his lifelong career as an educator. He began his career as a physical education teacher and coach in Otisville, N.Y., then became a guidance counselor at Brian McMahon High School in Norwalk, Conn., director of guidance at Parish Hill High School, and concluded his career as a regional recruiter for Johnson and Wales University. Dean is survived by his son, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Jay E. Gernand, March 28, 2014. Gernand served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was an All-American soccer player who went on to become the principal at Loch Raven High School in Baltimore County and the supervisor for Baltimore County physical education. He is survived by his wife Patricia, two children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Charles “Charlie” Kenji Kitaoka, Pearl City, Hawaii, Jan. 3, 2012. Kitaoka worked as a personnel officer at the Department of Education. He is survived by
wife Winifred, two sons, and two grandchildren.
1955
Arthur A. Benoit (G), South Hadley, Mass., June 3, 2014. Benoit served in the U.S Army during World War II. He began his career in education as a teacher in biology and chemistry, and retired from teaching in 1987. Benoit worked for 58 years in various pharmacies, until his retirement in 2012 from Center Pharmacy in Granby, Mass. He is survived by his wife Claire, four children, five grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
William Bock, Mar. 26, 2014. Bock served in the U.S. Army as an officer in the 101st Airborne Division. Bock had a 49-year career as a professor at Ball State University. He is survived by his wife Marianne, four children, 10 grandchildren, and a sister.
George William Harunk (G’57), Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., June 6, 2014. Harunk was an orthopedic surgeon who practiced in the South Bay area for more than 40 years. He is survived by his wife Patricia, children, and nieces and nephews.
1956
John J. Mulligan, St. Petersburg, Fla., April 1, 2014. Mulligan taught history at Saratoga Springs High School for more than 25 years. Mulligan later became president of the Hotel/Restaurant Employees Union. He is survived by five children, 10 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
1957
Fred C. Peck II, Woodstock, Vt., March 31, 2014. Peck, internationally known for developing a successful rehabilitation for troubled youth, worked as the director of the Masonville Youth Opportunity Camp at Camp Brace and worked with the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, Cape Cod Adolescent Treatment Center. He served as the director of the Robert F. Kennedy School. He is survived by a large and loving family of children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends.
1959
Verne Slack, Reading, Mass., Jan. 13, 2014. Slack served in the Korean War as a medic, receiving the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for bravery. He had a long career in real estate, eventually opening his own agency. He is survived by his wife Shirley, two children, four stepchildren, nine grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
1960
Richard Bowen (NG), Plaistow, N.H., June 21, 2014. Bowen served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served his country during the Korean War. He spent many years employed at MIT-Draper Labs in Cambridge, Mass., and was involved in design projects for the Apollo Space Program. He was a founding member of the Plaistow Historical Society. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
1963
Earlene (Hurdle) Draines (G), Hartford, Conn., June 7, 2014. Draines worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services Bureau of Rehabilitation. She dedicated 37 years to helping others to work and live independently despite living with disabilities. She is survived by her daughters, stepsons, grandchildren, and many others.
Robert W. Myco (G), Westfield, Mass., March 20, 2014. Myco joined the 131st Tactical Fighter Squadron with the Massachusetts Air National Guard as a senior in high school in 1955. He went on to serve his country for 55 years and received numerous medals and awards during his service. He had a 35-year career with Westfield Public schools, retiring as the director of guidance in 1998. He is survived by his mother, a sister, two sons, and a niece.
1964
Gregory Burr Sanders, Newington, Conn., May 24, 2014. Sanders had a long career in sales and was a lifelong member of Center Church in Hartford. He is survived by his parents, three brothers, two children, two grandchildren, and former wives Barbara and Amy.
1965
Donald F. Blumenthal (G), Boca Raton, Fla., June 6, 2014. Blumenthal spent 39 years working at Quinnipiac University, retiring as senior associate dean of student affairs. He is survived by his wife Elaine, four children, seven grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, as well as his brother and sister.
Carolyn Heald, May 23, 2014. Heald taught physical education, owned her own bookstore, and went on to operate her own home-based business. She is survived by a sister, two nieces, three nephews, 12 great nieces and nephews, and eight great-grandnephews and nieces.
1966
Karen (Rovecamp) Hoffman, April 21, 2014. Hoffman leaves behind her husband Hugh, one child, and two siblings.
1967
Anne Dryden, Springfield, Mass., June 12, 2014. Dryden was an educator in the Springfield (Mass.) public school system for 53 years. She served as principal of Indian Orchard Elementary School, and retired in 2010 as principal of the Mary A. Dryden Veterans Memorial School, named in honor of her late sister.
1969
Joseph Kane, Dracut, Mass., March 31, 2014. Kane leaves behind a legacy as a coach and educator in the Merrimack Valley, where he was also born and raised. Known as the “Father of Gryphon Football,” Kane was a man who loved every aspect of coaching. Kane was awarded the Norma Lee Murphy Award in 2002 for
his dedicated work to end domestic violence. He is survived by his wife Eileen, and his two children.
1970
Prabhaker Anand Bannikatti (G), Jan. 15, 2014. Bannikkati retired in 2000 from a long career as a special education teacher in the Des Moines Public Schools. He is survived by his wife Padma, son, many nieces and nephews, and by two sisters.
1972
Barbara A. Baker, Danbury, Conn., June 3, 2014. Throughout her life, Baker served as CEO for various nonprofit organizations, as an adjunct professor with the City University of Seattle and Western Washington University, and as a holistic counselor in private practice. She is survived by her three siblings, four nephews, several grand nieces and nephews, and her dog Wickett.
1973
William Jinks, Commack, N.Y., May 16, 2014. Jinks served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. He was a commercial pilot for Continental Airlines and United Airlines. During his time at Springfield College, he was a varsity gymnast and class president. He was a beloved friend to many.
1979
Glen D. Marinelli, May 30, 2014. Marinelli served in the sports medicine department of Marist College for 32 years. Marinelli was a multiple recipient of the Springfield College Distinguished Athletic Training Award, and recipient of the Marist Athletic Department James E. Pizzani Award. He is survived by his
wife Angela, two daughters, one son, one brother, one sister, and his father.
Ronald W. Sawyer (G), Longmeadow, Mass., March 30, 2014. Sawyer served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He worked for eight years as the director of employee assistance at Belchertown State School, as well as having directed advertising and sales promotions at MassMutual. Sawyer is survived by his companion Ruth, two children, and two grandchildren.
1981
Deborah Ann (Nee) Donohue (G), May 6, 2014. Donohue worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor, and later taught young children at Medlock Bridge and Longlake Associations. Donohue and her husband David were active in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Boston and Atlanta. She is survived by her husband and many loving friends and family members.
1984
Annette Marie Velotto (G’86), May 14, 2014. Velotto worked as assistant director of student activities at Northeasten University before beginning work as a meeting planner. Velotto was vice president of operations at ActiveIntellect, L.L.C. She is survived by her fiancé and partner of 14 years Mike, two sisters, goddaughter, niece, two nephews, and her mother.
1985
Thomas E. Berger, January 30, 2015, Gardiner, N.Y. Tom is survived by his wife, Jillian, two daughters, Jordan Mary Berger and Quinn Elizabeth Berger, both of his parents, and his siblings, Michael Berger, Ellen Berger, and Katherine Berger Morrissey. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution may be made to a charity of ones choice in memory of Tom.
2004
Sami Eladhari, Arlington, Mass., June 18, 2014. Eladhari’s love for sports — specifically soccer — found him serving as a coach for numerous Boston area camps and teams, including AC Milan, Sachems FC, FC Greater Boston Bolts in Revere, Mass., and the Soccer 101 Academy. He served as the Lexington High School boys’ varsity soccer coach. Eladhari is survived by his loving family and friends.
Trustee
John C. Scully, Vero Beach, Fla., Oct. 21, 2014. Scully joined the John Hancock Life Insurance Company in Boston shortly after graduating from college. In 1954, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. Upon his return, he took a supervisor role at John Hancock. During his time at the company, Scully served as the field vice president, John Hancock general agent for the Indianapolis, Ind., office, senior vice president, executive vice president — individual operations, and finally, president of the retail sector, a position from which he retired in 1991. Following his retirement, he was appointed president and CEO of LIMRA International, followed by his appointment to the board of directors for American United Life Insurance in Indianapolis. In addition to service as a trustee of Springfield College, Scully held the role of chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial committee for Massachusetts, and was a director of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and served on other committees and boards. Scully is survived by his wife, Barbara, siblings, children, 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Administration and Staff
John M. Wilson, Holyoke, Mass., February 13, 2015. John was the assistant dean of students and director of the Multicultural Affairs Center at Springfield College. John was part of the Springfield College administrative team for 38 years, beginning with his appointment as assistant director of undergraduate admissions and coordinator of multicultural recruitment in 1976. He was the recipient of numerous awards. He leaves his wife Mary Lou, and many dear siblings, friends, students, alumni, and colleagues. A celebration of John’s life was held on the campus March 28. Donations in memory of “Mr. Wilson” may be made to Springfield College.
Note: Due to incorrect information, in the In Memoriam section of Triangle, Vol. 85, Issue 2, Robert S. Burford ’68 was listed rather than his father, Robert E. Burford ’44, and Bruce A. Keator ’84 was listed rather than his father, Richard R. Keator ’49, G’50.
