In Memoriam

1940s

Frank Walton Wetmore Jr. ’42, Southlake, Texas, June 10, 2016. A swimming and diving coach, he produced 17 All-Americans and one National Champion, and was inducted into the Vallejo Sports and the Solano Junior College halls of fame. He served in the U.S. Air Force and founded Wetmore Swimming Pool Co.

Roscoe Brown ’43, EdD. New York, N.Y., July 2, 2016. Brown, 94, was a Tuskegee airman in World War II who, after the war, was told that he couldn’t be a commercial pilot because the airline didn’t “hire Negroes.” He was the cover story of the summer 2012 issue of Triangle (Vol. 83, No.3). Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Brown boarded a train south, transferring to a segregated one to take him to Mississippi.

After a few weeks of training, he travelled to Tuskegee, Ala., where he entered a program to train African-American pilots created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Part of the Tuskegee 332nd Fighter Group, Brown and the others painted the tails of their P-51 Mustangs red, coming to be known as the Red Tails that would later be featured in George Lucas’ movie of the same name. Brown, who shot down a German Messerschmitt jet over Berlin on one of his 68 missions, was a consultant to Lucas on the film.

Brown received his master’s and PhD from New York University (NYU), where he would begin his career as an educator. He would rise through the ranks at NYU, becoming a full professor, and ultimately directing the school’s prestigious Institute of African-American Affairs. In 1977, he began a 16-year stint as the President of Bronx Community College, from which he stepped down in 1993. He continued, however, as the director of the Center for Education Policy at the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, and, in 2012 when, at 90, he was photographed by Triangle, it was there that we met him.

In 2007, he and surviving Tuskegee Airmen were invited to Washington by President George W. Bush to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. Throughout his lifetime, he was a voice of reason and advocacy regarding issues of race, advising black elected officials and organizing to improve the lives of African-Americans.

He ran the New York City Marathon nine times, the last time at the age of 80.

Rudolph Benedetti, G’49, Pittsfield, Mass., June 18, 2016. Benedetti, 96, served in the U.S. Army Air Corps flying and training pilots during World War II. He coached track and field and skiing, winning numerous championships, and was named Berkshire County’s Coach of the Year and inducted into the Massachusetts Track and Field Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.

Charles E. Anderson ’44, Virginia Beach, Va., May 22, 2016. Teacher and coach, Anderson, 93, had a long career teaching and coaching in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, and New Mexico.

Mary Homicki Stachowicz, G’44, Sept. 10, 2016. Stachowicz, 99, was a teacher, principal, and taught at Springfield College and American International College.

Donald Frederick Sinn ‘47, San Jose, Calif., Oct. 2, 2016. Sinn, 96, served as 1st Lt. commanding officer, 310th Counter Intelligence Corps Det. 1st Marine Div. during the Battle of Okinawa. He was the director of recreation and parks in Concord, N.H., superintendent of recreation and parks in Flint, Mich., and professor emeritus from the San Jose State University Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. He studied for his doctorate at UC Berkeley.

Landis M. Stetler ’48, G’51, EdD, Tallahassee, Fla., Oct. 26, 2016. Stetler, 92, served in the Navy during World War II. He earned his doctorate at Syracuse University. He began teaching in 1949, and, in 1960 joined the Florida Department of Education, eventually becoming bureau chief in the Dept. of Special Education. He was the recipient of many state and national awards.

Kenneth W. Barton ’49, Easton, Md., June 18, 2016. Barton, 95, served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a radioman on a Troop Transport participating in invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, and Southern France. His career was served with YMCAs in Torrington and Waterbury, Conn., and Easton, Md., where he established the Talbot County YMCA, where he served as director.

Jay Widdoes ‘49, Wilmington, Del., Aug. 16, 2016. Widdoes taught physical education and health, served as athletic director, and coached, played, and refereed soccer, wrestling, baseball, basketball, and football, helping to produce multiple state champions. He served in the U.S. Navy, in the Pacific Theatre aboard the Acontius and Varuna during World War II.

Robert I. Wakeley ’48, MPH, La Jolla, Calif., Sept. 22, 2016. Wakeley served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, transferred to the Navy, and trained to be a pilot and served as a pilot instructor. He worked in public health, retiring as executive vice president for the California Division of the American Cancer Society in 1988.

Robert Milton Salisbury ’49, Wooster, Ohio, July 26, 2016. Salisbury, 91, was a YMCA director in Dayton, Ohio; Lakewood, St. Louis, Mo.; and Springfield, Mass. He enjoyed barbershop group singing, glee club, choir, playing golf and the guitar.

Edward S. “Mr. K” Kolnaski ’49, Groton Conn., Sept. 10, 2016. Kolnaski, 96, attended Villanova on a football scholarship before enlisting in the Navy during World War II. He returned to Springfield to complete his degree after the war. He was drafted to play professional football with the Buffalo Bisons. He taught in the Groton School system for 40 years as a physical education teacher, retiring in 1989. The gym at West Side Middle School was dedicated in his name in 2002. He had helped start the City of Groton Recreation program and also the Washington Park tee shirt baseball league prior to Little League.

John D. Mimnaugh Sr. ’49, Simsbury, Conn., July 17, 2016. A naval aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, he served in the South Pacific and China. He served in Marine aviation during the Korean War. A decorated serviceman, he had a career in commercial aviation with Sikorsky Aircraft as a test pilot, Kaman Aerospace as liaison to the U.S. Military, and later to the U.S. and Foreign Military Services.

1950s

Lt. Col. Nicholas Theochares ’51, USAF Retired, Nashua, N.H., Aug. 21, 2016. A pilot, navigator, and career officer of 22 years in the U.S. Air Force, he served in Vietnam, flew 95 missions, and was awarded the Bronze Star. He later was a professor of aerospace studies for the ROTC program at Lowell Technological Institute. He had a successful second career in business.

Robert Ellsworth ’52, Putnam, Conn., Sept. 14, 2016. He was an Army Air Corp sergeant in World War II in the China Burma India Theatre as a communications specialist. He was a physical educator, then principal at schools in Maryland and Connecticut.

Nathan Charles Hanson ’52, Caldwell, Idaho, Sept. 16, 2016. A long-time resident of Upper Arlington, Ohio, he served in the U.S. Merchant Marines and later the U.S. Army. His career was spent as program director for the American Heart Association in Milwaukee, Wis., Chico, Calif., Cheyenne, Wyo., and Columbus, Ohio.

Mary M. Frederick, G’55, DPE’61, July 22, 2016. During World War II, she joined the Women’s Marine Corps. After teaching physical education at high schools in Vermont, she obtained her doctorate and taught at Seton Hill College in Greensburg, Pa. She served as a volunteer teacher in South Korea.

Clarence Edward Thornton ’50, MD, Middleton, Mass., Oct. 19, 2016. Thornton, formerly of Falmouth, Mass., attended medical school at McGill University. Dr. Thornton served in the U.S. Navy for four years in the Pacific offensive of World War II as a medic. He practiced at Hunt Memorial Hospital in Danvers for more than 30 years. He also was the doctor at the Masconomet Regional High School in Boxford for more than 20 years. He also worked for several years at Falmouth Hospital’s Mashpee Medical Associates.

Ricardo Pizarro Jr. ’51, G’51, Parkland, Fla., July 12, 2016. Pizarro taught physical education in Baltimore County before teaching in Germany for three years. He returned to teach and coach in New York and Maryland. His passion was soccer and he invested many hours as a coach, a player, and a referee promoting soccer in the Baltimore area. He was inducted in the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame.

John Michael Dorsey ’51, Sun City Center, Fla., Aug. 26, 2016.

Janice Evelyn Wheeler ’52, Dallas, Texas. July 3, 2016. She taught physical education at East Hartford (Conn.) and Longmeadow (Mass.) high schools and was a director at Stony Brook Acres Summer Sports School in Wilbraham, Mass. She implemented and instructed the first adaptive physical education program at Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham, Mass., established the second Project Adventure Ropes course in New England, and was a certified professional ski instructor, a certified scuba diver, certified cross-country ski instructor, accomplished rock and ice climber, and took up snow shoeing at age 60. She was a nationally ranked canoe and kayak paddler, competing in the 1980 Olympic trials earning second place for women’s C2 kayak. An accomplished sailor, she won many races on her 470 and laser sailboats. She enjoyed tennis and brought home a medal for women’s doubles in the Mass. Senior Games. She leaves her three children, Jill Wolcott Samaniego ‘81, Jeffrey Frank Wolcott ‘82, and Joy Jennifer (Wolcott) Chisholm ‘84.

Paul E. Ryan ’53, G’54, Sarasota, Fla., Oct. 21, 2016. Ryan began his career in New Rochelle, N.Y., as a physical educator and retired as the athletic director and administrator of physical education for the New Rochelle school system. He won New York State’s Coach of the Year Awards for golf, basketball, and football. He was inducted into the New Rochelle Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

Lloyd Thomas Snapp Sr. ’53, Castine, Maine, Nov. 19, 2016. Snapp ran away from home and enlisted in the Navy at 16 years old and became a gunner on his first cruise to Europe. He walked on the beaches of Normandy to recover the injured and dead and always said “war was hell.” He went to work for the YMCA in Delaware, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maine. He was a very caring and personable executive director at the Camden YMCA who created numerous camps, teams and programs. He loved his Y kids as much as he loved his own. He slipped dimes to kids who had none and ensured that the YMCA was home for all. He was top salesman for Down East magazine, before working in real estate at Salt Meadow Properties. In Castine, he was well regarded as a first selectman for six years and a Sunday school teacher. He smiled every day and remained positive through the changes in his life. Lloyd lived with cancer for 40 years and you would never know it. Emphysema finally took him at age 88. He died comfortably with his family by his side, never having to leave his home.

Kenneth Widlake ’56, Baltimore, Nov. 29, 2016. Widlake was program director and, later, executive director with the Anne Arundel County YMCA, as well as at YMCAs in Fitchburg and Gloucester, Mass. Widlake served in the U.S. Army and was an active and committed community volunteer.

Thomas Jenner Berry Jr. ‘54, MD, Scituate, Mass., Nov. 13, 2016. Berry, 84, was chief of orthopedics at Brockton Hospital. In retirement, he headed the volunteer program at Boston Museum of Science. He enjoyed sailing, skiing, and was an avid runner. He completed the Boston Marathon 25 times, and, for years, was Fleet Surgeon at the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club.

Elizabeth (Brusnicki) FitzGerald ’55, East Longmeadow, Mass., July 5, 2016. She was among the first women graduates of Springfield College. She was an elementary school teacher in East Longmeadow and then went on to work at MCS for 28 years as a caregiver where she was dedicated to the mentally and physically disabled, until her retirement.

Jane Elinor Borden, NG’57, Bennington, Vt., July 8, 2016. After a long career as a human resources director first at Emerson Hospital and then Samson Rope, Borden was a co-owner of The Bird Place in Manchester, Vt.

Charles W. Humes, Jr., G’56, EdD, Fountain View, Ariz., Nov. 1, 2016. Humes, 92, enlisted in the Army in 1943, being trained with the Armored Forces driving tanks, and then assigned to the Army Specialized Training Program, also known as “Scholars in Foxholes.” He retired as professor emeritus from Virginia Tech Northern Virginia Graduate Center.

John M. Chevrette ’56, Montgomery, Texas, July 18, 2016. He retired from Texas A&M University as a professor in the field of kinesiology in 1998.

Raymond I. Weiner ’57, G’58, York, Pa., Sept. 16, 2016. Formerly of East Longmeadow, he served in the U.S. Navy and went on to become a special education, physical education and track coach for many years in the Agawam, Springfield, and East Longmeadow school systems. In retirement, he continued to work in the East Longmeadow school system as a guidance counselor and adaptive physical education instructor. He was predeceased by Dorcas E. Weiner ’54 and is survived by his four children, including Meredith Mowen ‘81.

John R. Savoia ’59, DDS, Springfield, Mass., July 15, 2016. Savoia, of Ludlow, served his country during the Vietnam War as a captain in the U.S. Army. Upon his return from his Army service, he established his dental practice in Ludlow. He served the townspeople for 50 years, owning his final practice on Winsor Street from 1976 until his retirement in 2014.

Dr. Savoia was very active in the community and touched many lives through his service in many organizations and local committees such as: Director of the Ludlow Chamber of Commerce 1986-92, President 1988; Ludlow Boys & Girls Club 1991-98; Corporator of Springfield College 1993-99; Shriner – Member of Melha Temple – Springfield; Italian Cultural Center of Western Mass; Longmeadow UNICO; and Worshipful Master of the Ludlow Masonic Lodge. He was a recipient of both the College’s Tarbell Medallion and the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Norman M. Rouette ’53, Woonsocket, R.I., Sept. 2, 2016. He began his career in education as an elementary school teacher in Coventry and retired as a principal for the Woonsocket School Department in 1996. He was very involved in athletics, serving as a softball umpire and basketball and football referee, as well as volunteering for the Woonsocket Recreational Youth Basketball program.

Kenneth R. Ronco ’59, Lewiston, Maine, July 17, 2016. He pursued a 25-year teaching career eventually retiring from Lisbon High School, where he also coached basketball and was a driver’s education instructor. Throughout his life, he held many positions in the harness racing industry, including executive secretary of the Harness Horseman’s Association.

Robert Alan Rule, G’57, High Point, N.C., July 16, 2016. Former chief executive of the High Point YMCA, Rule had visited a Y for the first time at the age of eight. He served Ys in Charleston, West Virginia, and New Jersey. Rule received national awards for his professional writing and distinguished service to YMCA physical education.

Robert George Bowman ’57, DO, West Olive, Mich., July 22, 2016. He served on staff as a board-certified anesthesiologist at Metropolitan Hospital until his retirement in 2002. During that time he served as the chairman of the department of anesthesia, resident trainer, department of anesthesia, chief of staff, and numerous community and professional boards.

Deborah Carroll, G’63, Tucson, Ariz., Aug. 27, 2016. She retired as registrar, Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey, California.

Donald Edward Darling ’58, Tallahassee, Fla., Aug. 27, 2016. Darling had a career in education that spanned more than 40 years with the Florida Department of Education with student services and public education as a teacher and basketball coach.

Martin George Decker G’59, EdD, Wakefield, R.I., Aug. 17, 2016. Decker grew up on the family dairy farm. He served in the U.S. Army before completing his education, including a doctorate from Boston University in education. Decker worked as a psychologist and taught psychology at Trinity College.
John C. Lowry ’59, Cortland, Ohio, Aug. 28, 2016. Lowry served in the U.S. Navy and went on to teach history.

Betty Anita Wiesner, G’58, CPS’68, Glastonbury, Conn., Aug. 23, 2016. She chose her career because she believed in the importance of good physical development in the lives of young students. She was a physical educator at public and independent schools, and as assistant professor of physical education before she became a school guidance counselor.

Ralph Angelo Merullo ’59, Longmeadow, Mass., Aug. 23, 2016. He was an industrial designer for Pratt & Whitney and worked on the lunar landing module. He then followed his passion and became a teacher and coach at Agawam High School.

John D. Henderson ’59, April 20, 2016. His career consisted exclusively of community service, including with the YMCA, the Arthritis Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, and the American Cancer Society including 10 years as the executive vice president of the Ohio Division.

1960s

Leo S. Palmer Jr. ’60, of Braintree and Leigh Acres, Fla., in Ludwigsburg, Germany, June 26, 2016. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, and worked at Stuttgart American High School as a teacher, coach, and athletic director.

Don Fort ’61, The Villages, Fla., March 2015. He directed community mental health centers in Florida and Kansas.

Ellsworth L. Sharpe, G’62, Newport News, Va., July 11, 2016. He was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force as an officer to fulfill his aspiration to be a pilot. While serving in the Air Force, Sharpe sustained an injury that left him legally blind. Despite this disability, he persevered and taught high school before pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked for NASA as an aerospace engineer and the Food and Drug Administration as a biomedical engineer.

Raymond A. McCrann Jr. ’63, New Providence, N.J., July 27, 2016. He was a physical education teacher and football coach for his entire career.

Paul M. Sopchak ’64, Aug. 29, 2016. He lived in Morocco (in the Peace Corps), Lebanon, Connecticut, Yemen, Seattle, and Alaska.

Ron Todd ’64, Anchorage, Alaska, Oct. 9, 2016. A gymnast, he competed in the 1964 Olympic Trials. Drafted into the Army, he served in Vietnam. He worked for Ys in Ohio, New York, and Alaska. He taught science, physical education, and wilderness recreation classes, and also coached gymnastics, tennis, and diving, twice earning the distinction of Alaska Coach of the Year.

George E. Lincoln ’65, Westmoreland, N.H., Nov. 3, 2016. Lincoln was an auditor for the State of Connecticut for many years. He was Past Master of Sequin Lodge #140, A.F. & A.M. and treasurer of the Newington Shrine Center.

David J. Holmes ’67, Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 5, 2016. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard, became a dealer in rare books and manuscripts and ran a small publishing company, focusing on books relating to the trade.

William F. Kelly ’67, York, Maine, July 18, 2016. He had three careers, as a physical education teacher, a lineman for New England Power, and a field investigator for the Mass State Lottery.

1970s

Cheryl Evans Barabani, G’70, Mentor, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2016. She lived and traveled around the world, and was an English teacher, a technical writer, a software engineer, and a reporter and photographer.

Martha Ayres, G’76, Northampton, Mass. Ayres moved to Massachusetts because she’d heard about Boston Marriages. She had a private psychology practice combining her work in dreams with her feminism for four decades. Beyond her therapeutic practice, she helped people find and claim their bodies, voices, and stories through her Kripalu Yoga classes and the writing group for women she led.

Margaret (Wyatt) Paar ’71, G’73, Longmeadow, Mass., Aug. 5, 2016., Paar was wife of late psychology Professor Henry J. Paar, PhD. Margie moved with Henry from Springfield to New York to Nashville while Henry pursued his education, eventually returning to the Springfield area. She filled her life with many passions, including art, music, politics, flowers, and antiques. Margie attended the New York School of Interior Design in NYC, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in art, and taught art at Springfield College. A founding member of the Indian Orchard Mills Art Gallery, Margie was known for her beautiful oil encaustic paintings. She kept a copy of the Congressional Directory by her bedside, often calling elected officials to express her opinion. She was a longtime member of the National Organization of Women and the ACLU and, at one time, had a small antique business. She was the program director at the Holyoke YWCA, volunteered at a local HeadStart program and was approached by the Democratic Party to run for State Senator. She leaves behind her children, including psychology Professor Rick Paar, grandchildren, and many friends and fans.

Edwin F. Harrington CAS’70, Westfield, Mass., June 13, 2016. He was employed by Southwick Consolidated School as a math teacher, then as principal. Later, he was the assistant superintendent of schools at Gateway Regional School District, superintendent of Pioneer Valley Regional School, served in the Massachusetts Department of Education, and then school facilities consultant to many school systems, architectural firms, building and school committees, contributing to the planning, construction, and renovation of 80 school buildings across the Commonwealth.

Michael R. Patrylo ’74, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Dec. 13, 2016. He lived in Jim Thorpe, Pa., with his wife of 33 years, Marianne (Kness) Patrylo. Born Oct. 15, 1952, in Aschaffenburg, Germany, he was the chosen son of the late Rudolph and Anne Masley (Mikitovitz) Patrylo and the long-lost and recently rediscovered son of Helga Hildegard (Gotz) Lefebvre and the late Joseph Lefebvre.

Patrylo earned a BS in psychology from Springfield College and continued his education at Syracuse University, earning a master’s in experimental psychology. Passionate about the next generation of students, Patrylo spearheaded fundraising and foundation programs for the betterment of Springfield College, which embraces the principles of Humanics, community partnership, and academic excellence. Patrylo recently made a donation to the college in honor of late psychology professors Henry Paar and John Cox, in whose name a classroom was dedicated.

Patrylo had a 27-year career with Citigroup, managing various areas such as information security. He retired in 2006 as director for crisis management, including overseeing internal risk and control programs, and all global audits. Patrylo successfully resolved issues on a global scale and played a key role in the bank’s recovery from 9/11. In retirement, he enjoyed playing golf and driving his Mustang. A naturally gifted musician with an ear for harmonies, he loved playing music with his close friend and musical partner of more than 40 years, Keith Naylor. If not on stage or on the golf course, Patrylo could be found skiing down the mountains of Pennsylvania, Colorado, or Utah.
Memorial contributions may be made to the ’74 Scholarship at Springfield College, in care of Gift Records.

David F. Osborn, G’74, Goffstown, N.H., Sept. 30, 2016. He was a guidance counselor in Lowell, Milford, N.H., and Goffstown, N.H. He worked as an adjunct professor in the psychology department at Nashua Community College and as a tennis instructor during the summer months for the Nashua Parks and Recreation Department.

Bernard B. Shaw, CAGS’74, Springfield, Mass., Nov. 9, 2016. Shaw, 82, was a teacher and administrator in Chicopee, Mass., for 32 years, as well as a leader in numerous community organizations. He served on the West Springfield School Committee and was a town meeting member. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Kent A. Goodchild, G’75, CAS’75, Springfield, Mass. He was employed with the Mass Rehabilitation Commission in Springfield, and as Director of Counseling at Springfield Technical Community College. Goodchild was a strong believer in education and was instrumental in so many others furthering their own.

John T. (Jack) Whitehead ’76, Darien, Conn., June 26, 2016. Whitehead was a longtime employee of the Town of Darien, a special police officer with the Town of Darien Police Department, and a member of the Darien Representative Town Meeting and the Republican Town Committee.

Myra Weinberg Wiedman, G’76, Atlanta. She worked for MassMutual before retiring to raise her family. She was president of the Hamden District Medical Society Women’s Auxiliary, and a social worker at Springfield’s South End Community Center, as well as a patron of the arts.

Carol (Smith) Resnick, G’78, Springfield, Mass., Oct. 30, 2016. She taught math at Longmeadow High School, and previously was a substitute in the Springfield school system. Resnick was a member of Hadassah, the Jewish Nursing Home, the Springfield JCC and its Foxes & Belles, the Sunshiners, and the theater group, and Temple Beth El and its Sisterhood and choir for over 50 years. Her husband, Dr. Robert Resnick, predeceased her in 2010.

Edward George Keefe ’79, East Brookfield, Mass., Oct. 4, 2016. Keefe succumbed to complications from stage IV melanoma. Keefe’s life focus and work was toward the physical health and wellbeing of himself and others. He worked for the YMCA in Northampton, Salem, Brockton, and Southbridge in various capacities, retiring as executive director.

Kevin Toomey, G’79, Lee, Mass., July 26, 2016. Toomey was a senior probation officer for the Clark County Juvenile Court Services in Las Vegas, Nev., the senior psychologist at the Nevada Youth Training Center in Elko, Nev., a school psychologist in Canaan, N.Y., and owner of a cast iron restoration business called That Pan Guy.

Marc R. Ellington ’78, G’79, Wilbraham, Mass., June 7, 2016. He was the water polo, diving and swimming coach at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington for 30 years and retired in 2011.

1980s

Dorothy Coleman, G’80, Huntington, N.Y., Sept. 16, 2016. Coleman was known as a strong voice for racial and gender equality, as someone with a true sense of community, and as someone who always found ways to help children. She was an employment specialist with the Suffolk County Department of Labor.

Paula King Gaynor G’81, Pocasset, Mass., Oct. 28, 2016. As a foods and nutrition teacher, Gaynor brought out the culinary imagination of thousands of students. She taught at East Junior High School (Andover, Mass.), Minnechaug Regional High School (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Wilbraham Middle School.

Marylyn Frances (Hodgens) Killackey Gironda Humphrey, G’81, Oct. 13, 2016. After raising her family of five children, she returned to school in her 40s to obtain a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a master’s degree from Springfield College.

Beth Andrea (Reeves) Davis ’82, Plano, Texas, June 3, 2016. She worked for DuPont and Baxter Pharmaceuticals and more recently Wal-Mart Pharmacy.

Walter F. Reiser ’83, G’84, West Long Branch, N.J., July 16, 2016. He became one of the first full-time athletic trainers in New Jersey at Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School, later being named athletic director.

Salvatore Pepitone ’89, Hartford, Conn., Nov. 3, 2016. He spent more than 20 years as a physical therapist with Suburban Physical Therapy in Rocky Hill and Cromwell, Conn.

1990s

Mathew J. Ciechon ’90, Bedford, N.H., Sept. 24, 2016. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, an owner of Muntz Auto in Manchester, owner of Mart’s Sunoco on Elm Street in Manchester, and later employed by New England Telephone and Telegraph Company.

Douglas Harmon Sprague ’90, South Tahoe, Calif., July 19, 2016. His career experiences included YMCA director and camp leader, and computer and video production teacher at STHS.

Carol Anne Leroux ’95, G’99, Franklin, N.H., July 23, 2016. Prior to becoming ill, Leroux held jobs at the City of Concord and the Tommy Hilfiger Outlet Store. Leroux had a great fondness for the ocean and enjoyed each trip spent there. She enjoyed reading, cooking, and a good bottle of wine, and she loved animals.

Ana D. Roman ’96, Meriden, Conn., Nov. 23, 2016. Roman was employed by the Meriden Board of Education for 20 years as a paraprofessional. She was an avid reader and loved to cook and spend time with her family.

Teresa Connelly Fitts, G’97, DPE’99, South Hadley, Mass., July 2, 2016. From 1978-89, she was a part of the religious community at St. Scholastica Priory in Still River and later Petersham, Mass., taking the name Sr. Teresita Maria. Fitts taught exercise science at Westfield State University until her diagnosis of thymic carcinoma in 2013. She became a fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine in 2011.

Dayle (Wiedenheft) Moulton, G’98, Londonderry, N.H., July 29, 2016. She had a long and varied career as a registered nurse in medical centers in Vermont and Maine, including cardiac, burn, and then part-time in the psychiatric unit at the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, which afforded her precious time with her young children. She later was a nurse educator at the Elliot Hospital and then the first director of the Paris Nurse Program at Catholic Medical Center.

2000s

Linda A. Decormier ’01, Southington, Conn., Oct. 3, 2016. She was an academic supporter with the Roxbury program at Cheshire Academy for 20 years, where she was passionate about working with her students.

Kevin Robert Marquis ’02, Bolton, Conn., Sept. 2, 2016. He worked or volunteered at March Inc., the CT Works Career Team, 1AM Cares Disability Employment Service Rushford Center Inc., and Connecticut Association for Human Services VistaFinancial Coaching. Marquis went into social work helping others, due in part to his own spinal cord injury. He wanted to share with others his own perseverance and successes.

Ryan Patrick Curran ’07, Newport News, Va., Sept. 23, 2016. He played offensive line for the Pride and was a member of “The Roach.” He was a tree service technician, most recently with Cut Knuckle, Inc.

2010s

William “Kyle” Regan ‘10, Annapolis, Md., July 20, 2016. Regan passed away after an accident at Swallow Falls in Deep Creek Lake. He worked as a legal clerk at the District Court in Annapolis.

Faculty and Staff

Professor Gordon Michael Robinson, PhD, Northampton, Mass., Nov. 15, 2016. Robinson was a sociology professor at Springfield College for 19 years. Early in his career he developed Springfield College’s criminal justice major. He loved working with students, specifically challenging students to think critically about the world and issues of social justice. As an active member in the Northampton community he was well known by many who lived and work in Northampton because he was a champion of local businesses.

Professor Linda Smith, Nov. 6, 2016. Smith was a professor in the School of Social Work from 2001 until her retirement in 2015.

James G. Duffy, Wilbraham, Mass., Monday, Aug. 29, 2016. Duffy taught in the psychology department.

Former First Lady of Springfield College Maria Locklin

Olga “Maria” (Osterwald) Locklin, Longmeadow, Mass., Nov. 3, 2016. She was the beloved wife of 58 years to Wilbert E. Locklin, president of Springfield College from 1965 to 1985, who predeceased her in 2006. Locklin, 95, always gracious and elegant, was the consummate first lady.

Devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, she was a lifelong lover of art, a painter, and a sculptor, an active gardener, seamstress, hostess, and world traveler. Born March 26, 1921, in Washington, D.C., she was the daughter of Rudolf and Dagmar (Kuastad) Osterwald. She graduated from Central High School in Washington, D. C, and earned her bachelor’s degree in art from Springfield College, summa cum laude.

Locklin was a longtime resident of Springfield and Longmeadow and spent weekends in the Berkshires. She was always active in her communities. She combined her love of art with her desire to give back as a docent at the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum in Springfield. She was an active member of the Colony Club, Longmeadow Country Club, and treasurer of the Longmeadow Gardeners Club. She was past president of the Women’s Symphony League and a member of the Springfield Cosmopolitan Club.
As First Lady of Springfield College she spent her time working with and entertaining the College community, and always ensured that the international students had a place at the Locklin’s table, especially at Thanksgiving.

Locklin loved to travel. Her favorite vacation spot was Caneel Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I. She was fortunate to travel extensively with her husband throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. She was especially fond of Paris and Norway, where she has relatives. In her travels she was always eager to learn new things, and not shy about coaxing secret recipes from chefs for especially delicious desserts.

She loved ice cream, children, and gardening, and often said that working in the garden was where she felt closest to God.

Locklin is survived by her children and their spouses, Kenneth R. Locklin and Helene Weiland of Reston, Va., Patricia L. and Ron Bauman of Honolulu, and Randall W. and Susan B. Locklin of West Springfield, Mass., five grandchildren Kayla, Conner, Kelsea Marie, Russ and Sarah Anne, her “adopted” son Frank Luo of Orlando, Fla., and her sister Dolly “Paddy” Murphy of Charlotte, N.C.
Locklins’s inurnment is at Arlington National Cemetery alongside President Locklin. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wilbert and Maria Locklin Scholarship Fund at Springfield College.