Obituaries
Joseph M. Poe '28 on December 14, 2000. He was ninety-four and a resident of Canal Fulton, Ohio.
An English major at Kenyon, Joe was a member of Middle Kenyon Association, Nu Pi Kappa, and the staffs of Reveille and the Collegian, serving as editor of the latter. He also participated in debate and singing groups. Joe went on to attend Harvard Law School before receiving his L.L.B. from Western Reserve Law School in 1933. Formerly with the firm of Fowerbaugh, Poe, and Chesney, he continued to practice law part time for many years after his retirement. Joe served two terms as mayor of Rocky River, Ohio, from 1959 to 1963. He was active in the Singers Club of Cleveland and Cleveland Messiah Civic Chorus.
Joe had a life-long interest in the breeding and racing of pigeons. When he could no longer keep a pigeon loft himself, he established Poe Airline Surveys, a company that calculated airline distances for racing pigeon fanciers. His other love was the growing of exhibition roses.
Joe leaves no survivors.
Frank T. Fifield 1934 on May 27, 1998. He was eighty-five and a resident of Maricopa, Arizona.
Frank left Kenyon after two years and went on to earn a degree in dental surgery at the University of Minnesota. He practiced as a dental surgeon until his retirement.
Frank leaves no survivors.
Robert R. Rollins '38 on September 29, 2000. He was eighty-six and a resident of Iowa City, Iowa.
An economics major at Kenyon, Bob was president of the Kenyon Klan and Delta Kappa Epsilon. He played basketball for three years and served as captain of the team. After graduation, Bob joined Procter and Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. During World War II, he served in Milam, Tennessee, at the Wolf Creek Ordnance plant. After the war, Bob returned to Procter and Gamble, where he was a member of the development team that produced the detergents Dreft and Tide. For a time, he was in charge of production and packaging at the Procter and Gamble plant in Ivorydale, Ohio. In 1956, Bob was transferred to Iowa City, where he retired from Procter and Gamble as a personnel specialist in 1974.
Bob is survived by his wife, Susan Schumacher Rollins; a daughter, Debra Rollins Coellner; two sons, Bruce and Robert Rollins; seven grandchildren; and a sister, Martha E. Palmer. Memorial contributions may be made to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 502 East 9th Street, Wallace State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034; the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75231-4596, or online at www. pfk.com/aha/DonateOnlineMemorials.asp; or to a charity of the donor's choice. Robert L. Shipman 1939 on November 12, 2000. He was eighty-four and a resident of Atlantis, Florida.
Bob, who attended Kenyon for three semesters, was a member of Delta Tau Delta. He served as a tank commander in the Third Armored Corps, Spearhead Division, during World War II. Following the war, Bob was a retail merchant in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was also a building contractor and partner in Shipman Investment Company with his brothers, Jack and Dave. Bob moved to Florida in 1970, where he served as executive vice president of Robert Evans Building Company of Manalapan, Florida. He retired in 1979.
Bob is survived by his wife, Flossy Mager Shipman; a daughter, Susan Shipman; three sons, Robert and Richard Shipman and Martin Mager; ten grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two brothers. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida 33407, or the donor's local branch of the American Cancer Society.
Samuel D. Cureton 1940 on October 18, 2000. He was eighty-two and a resident of Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Sam served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Sam is survived by three cousins. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Knox County, 302 East High Street, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050.
John O. Konopak '42 on February 16, 2001. He was eighty-one and a resident of Nambe, New Mexico.
An English and Spanish major at Kenyon, Jack was a member of Alpha Delta Phi, the College Choir, the Fencing Club, the Kenyon College Dramatic Club, Nu Pi Kappa, the Photography Club, the Kenyon Singers, and the track team. Although he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1941, he was commissioned as an ensign in January 1943, following his May 1942 graduation from the College. Jack served for the duration of the war as a sea-going officer aboard a destroyer in the Pacific. After his discharge as a lieutenant in 1945, Jack worked first in sales and then in the insurance and transportation industries in Chicago, Illinois, and Lakewood, Ohio. In 1962, he moved with his family to New Mexico, the state of his birth, where, with a friend, he launched The Linen Shop. Later, Jack established a feed and ranch-supply store and the first coin-operated laundry in the Pojoaque Valley. In August 1968, he joined the faculty of Pojoaque High School, where he remained until his retirement in 1985. He was a board member and docent of the Friends of Bandelier.
Jack is survived by his daughters, Joan Konopak Eng and Cary Ann Dirlam; two sons, John and Peter Konopak; and five grandsons, Nils and Eric Eng and John, Peter, and Andrew Konopak. Memorial contributions may be made to Victory Home Health, 2810 Hot Springs Boulevard, Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701; Sangre De Cristo Animal Protection, 102 West San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (or the donor's local animal shelter); the American Red Cross, 475 20th Street, #108, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544; or the Friends of Bandelier, P.O. Box 1282, Los Alamos 87544.
William E. Lewis '43 on September 26, 2000. He was seventy-nine and a resident of Cleveland, Ohio.
Bill, who graduated from Kenyon with honors in history, was a member of Sigma Pi. During World War II, he served with the U.S. Army in the South Pacific before completing officer's candidate school in Brisbane, Australia. Bill won his commission in 1945 and went on to further service in New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. After the war, he earned a master's degree in business administration at Western Reserve University. Bill retired in 1978 as president and chief executive officer of the Walter E. Boos Company, a food brokerage. He taught business courses at John Carroll University and Lakeland Community College after his retirement. Bill was vice chair of Forest City Hospital's board of trustees.
Bill is survived by his wife, Beverly Smith Lewis; four daughters, Linda A. Lewis, Diane E. Lewis, Sally K. Whalen, and Wendy Lewis Hall '76; and four grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
Harold Stanley Johnson Jr. '44 on March 4, 2000. He was seventy-eight and a resident of Sanibel Island, Florida.
At Kenyon, Stan was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Stan moved to Florida in 1973, where he was president of Learning Laboratories in Fort Myers. He was a former board member of the Sanibel Community Association, the Sanibel Library, and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.
Stan is survived by his wife, Nancy Brock Johnson; a daughter, Hilary Johnson Isacke; two sons, Harold Stanley Johnson III and Brock Farwell Johnson; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
William H. von Hacht Jr. 1945 on December 4, 1998, of esophageal cancer. He was seventy-seven and a resident of Fernfield, near Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
An English major, Bill attended Kenyon for two years and joined Psi Upsilon. He went on to become a well-known radio and television performer, beginning his career as Bill Hart with WCAU radio in 1945 and moving to WCAU-TV three years later. During the next twenty-two years, he hosted such local shows as "Cinderella Weekend" and "TV-10 Around Town," as well as the CBS show "Beat the Clock." Bill also did children's programs, political interviews, sportscasts, and sometimes acted as master of ceremonies for Philadelphia's Mummers' Parade. He returned to WCAU (now WGOL) radio in 1970 and remained there until his retirement in 1986. Besides having a reputation as a multitalented announcer who could handle any assignment, Bill was known as the region's "tallest voice." He was six feet, nine inches tall and "broomstick thin." His height sometimes made cameramen grumble because they had to keep moving back to get all of him in the picture.
Bill is survived by his wife, Chelsa Prutzman; four daughters, Belinda Glennie, Lisa Caputo, Maggie Knapp, and Liz von Hacht; two sons, Mark and William von Hacht III; a brother; and eight grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the donor's local chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or Humane Society.
Jack W. Vrieze '46 on November 11, 2000, following a lengthy illness. He was seventy-six and a resident of Frostburg, Maryland.
Following his graduation from high school, Jack completed V-12 training and Midshipman School. He was commissioned an ensign in the U. S. Navy and served in the Pacific until the end of World War II. At Kenyon, where he majored in psychology, Jack was a member of Psi Upsilon and the Kenyon College Dramatic Club. He went on to earn a doctorate in speech and dramatic arts at the State University of Iowa. Jack was director of theater at Wisconsin State University in Whitewater until 1966, when he joined the faculty of Frostburg State University as chair of the speech and theater department. During his career in educational theater, he directed and produced more than one hundred plays; he frequently designed the sets and costumes as well. Roundabout Theatre, which has toured schools in Maryland's Allegheny and Garrett counties for the past thirty-four years, was founded under his guidance in 1966. Jack, who also founded the Allegheny Festival Summer Theatre, which ran from 1967 through 1972, was active in many professional associations and community groups.
Jack is survived by his wife, Valerie Greey Vrieze; four daughters, Patience E. Vrieze-See, Emily C. Glueck, Jannetje A. Vrieze, and Julie M. Murtha; a son, John Michael Vrieze; and nine grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the donor's branch of the American Cancer Society or to Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 16 Washington Street, Cumberland, Maryland 21502.
Rev. George W. Kaulfuss 1948 on September 5, 2000. He was seventy-five and a resident of Lake Pleasant, New York.
During his three years at Kenyon, George was a member of Delta Phi. After leaving the College, he worked as an accountant for the State Bank of Albany in Albany, New York, while studying for the priesthood. Ordained in 1955, George served missions at Hermon, Pyrites, and Star Lake and assisted in Potsdam, all in New York's St. Lawrence County. He and his father, also an Episcopal priest, started a summer chapel at St. Hubert's of the Lakes, Lake Pleasant. After the death of his father in 1961, George took over as rector of the church. In 1969, he moved to St. Luke's Church in Mechanicville, New York, and Trinity Church, Schaghticoke, New York. George retired to the position of supply pastor at Trinity Church in Gloversville, New York, in 1987 after thirty-two years of service. He was instrumental in starting Trinity Angelical Mission in Speculator, New York, in 1991, now known as St. George's Episcopal Mission. His civic contributions included membership in the Lake Pleasant and Mechanicville fire departments, which he served as chaplain, and the chaplaincy of the Saratoga County Fire Police Association. George was also chaplain at Nathan Littauer Hospital and Samaritan Hospital.
George is survived by his wife, Marilyn Van Slyke Kaulfuss; a daughter, Margery Avery; two brothers, Walter and Harold P. Kaulfuss Jr.; two grandchildren; a sister, Dorothy Andrist; and several nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Speculator Ambulance Corps, Speculator 12146; Lake Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, South Shore Road, Lake Pleasant 12108; or Trinity Church, 14 Grand Street, Gloversville 12078-2348.
C. Randall Lybarger 1948 on December 15, 2000. He was seventy-eight and a resident of Gambier, Ohio.
A chemistry major at Kenyon, Randall was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He worked as a manager in the Flexible Packaging Division of Continental Can Company in Mount Vernon, Ohio, for thirty-eight years.
Randall is survived by his wife, Judith Burns Lybarger; two sons, James Randall and Stephen Andrew Lybarger; three grandchildren; and a sister, Jane Ellen Peterson. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mulberry Street United Methodist Church Youth, 205 North Mulberry Street, Mount Vernon 43050.
Merron "Rusty" Latta Jr. 1951 on November 12, 2000, of congestive heart failure. He was seventy-one and resident of Rockville, Maryland.
Rusty attended Kenyon before going on to graduate from the Ohio State University. He served in the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps from 1951 to 1953. Rusty began his civilian government career in 1957, serving as a political officer with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) until retiring in 1981. Over the years, he served overseas tours in Europe and Saigon, Vietnam, and received the CIA's Career Intelligence Medal.
Rusty is survived by his wife, Ames Montgomery Auburn Latta; three daughters, Lucretia Latta Tyckoski, Kathleen Latta Hofherr, and Elizabeth Latta Renalds; and three grandchildren.
Frederick A. denBroeder 1957 on July 8, 2000. He was sixty-four and a resident of Tucson, Arizona.
At Kenyon, Fred was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and the Philosophy Club. He left Kenyon after two years and entered the University of Michigan, where he received a bachelor's degree in history. After teaching history for a time at the Ransom School in Coconut Grove, Florida, Fred studied for several years at the Courtauld Institute in London, England. He subsequently was a senior curator at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. Fred then became an active dealer in old master drawings, retiring ultimately to Tucson. At the time of his death, Fred was senior director of the Henfield Foundation of New York City.
Fred leaves no suvivors.
J. Thomas Hall '61 on November 16, 2000, of complications relating to diabetes. He was sixty-one and a resident of Arlington, Virginia.
At Kenyon, Tom was a political-science major and a member of Phi Kappa Sigma. He participated in the Glee Club, the International Relations Club, and the lacrosse and wrestling teams. Tom received a master's degree from the International Service School of the American University in 1965 and then began a career as a political researcher. He later managed Coca-Cola plants in Brazil before joining the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor as an economist in 1970.
Tom is survived by a daughter, Karyn Hall Ewart, and a granddaughter. Memorial contributions may be made to the General Scholarship Fund, Office of Development, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio 43022-9623.
David Barrows Weber '62 on July 12, 2000. He was fifty-nine and a resident of Daytona Beach, Florida.
A French major at Kenyon, David was a member of Delta Phi. He went on to receive a master's degree from Ohio State University. At the time of his death, David was a self-employed journalist.
David is survived by his father, Harold Weber.
James N. Brown III '63 on November 10, 2000. He was fifty-eight and a resident of Medina, Ohio.
At Kenyon, Jim was a political-science major and a member of Phi Kappa Sigma and the Pre-law Club. He attended the Western Reserve University School of Law, where he earned his J.D. in 1966 before joining the Old Phoenix National Bank as a trust officer. Jim retired from the bank in 1979 and became associated with the firm of Laribee and Cooper in Medina, in the practice of law. He retired from the firm, then named Laribee, Hetrick, and Bougher, in 1997. An avid outdoorsman, Jim was a member of the Medina County chapter of the Izaak Walton League
Jim is survived by his mother, Louise Ainsworth Brown; his wife, LoraLee Ballinger Brown; a daughter, Elizabeth Albrecht; two sons, Robert Dale and James N. Brown IV; three grandsons; and two sisters, Margery Creek and Louesa Brown. Memorial contributions may be made to the Izaac Walton League, 581 South Broadway, Medina 44256, or to Hospice of Medina, 797 North Court Street, Medina 44256.
Roger R. Waters '68 on August 12, 2000. He was fifty-four and a resident of Blair, Nebraska.
An economics major at Kenyon, Roger was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He went on to earn an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. In 1989, Roger was named a vice president for marketing at ConAgra Pet Products Company of Omaha, where he was employed at the time of his death. He had previously been a product-line manager with General Electric, a group marketing manager for Pillsbury, marketing manager with Georgia-Pacific, and product manager for household products at Lever Brothers.
Roger is survived by his wife, Cathryn M. Waters. Memorial contributions may be made to the National Cancer Institute Head and Neck Cancer Research, c/o Financial Management Branch, Building 31, Room 11A16, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
William E. Baubie III '75 on August 10, 2000. He was forty-six and a resident of Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
At Kenyon, Bill was a member of Delta Phi. A biology major, he completed his degree magna cum laude with departmental honors. He earned his medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School and completed a family-practice residency at St. John Hospital in Detroit. He then completed a second residency in emergency medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics, where he was chief resident. From 1986 to 1989, Bill practiced in Michigan as emergency physician and director of emergency medical services for St. John Hospital as well as medical director of America's Family Doctor family practice and management care network and as chief of medical affairs and director of managed care and occupational medicine for clinic management systems. In 1990, he was named director and chairman of the emergency medical department at the Kingston Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York. At the time of his twenty-fifth reunion just a few months before his death, Bill reported he was an emergency physician with the Henry Ford Medical Group in Detroit.
Bill is remembered by friends and family as someone who "was always quick to share his medical knowledge in any way he could with family members and friends. He found joy in helping others."
Bill is survived by his father, William E. Baubie II '40; his wife, Cynthia Candler Baubie; two daughters, Kathleen Elisabeth and Marjorie Edith Baubie; and a sister, Virginia Baubie Whitney. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bill Baubie Memorial Fund, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, University Liggett School, 1045 Cook Road, Grosse Pointe, Michigan 48236.
Other deaths. We have been notified of the deaths of the following alumni for whom no further information was available. Readers who can supply details are encouraged to send the information to the attention of Linda Michaels, Office of Public Affairs, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio 43022-9623.
Wilfred C. Hoffman 1943, date of death unknown. He was a member of Middle Kenyon Association.
Verne Nazarek 1947, date of death unknown. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon.
Bradford J. Smith 1974 on January 25, 2000.
Thomas B. Queen '79, date of death unknown. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta.
Lisa L. Schuessler '78 on April 22, 1999.
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