Obituaries
John Andrew Williams '31 , on December 26, 2006. He was ninety-eight and a resident of Essex Junction, Vermont.
Jack was born on August 6, 1908, at Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, the son of Charles L. and Henrietta Moore Williams. At Kenyon, where he earned a degree in economics, cum laude, Jack was a member of the track team and Delta Tau Delta fraternity. A member of Alpha Pi Kappa senior honorary society and Nu Pi Kappa literary society, he also worked in the bookstore, as a waiter, and as a laboratory assistant in the geology and botany departments.
Immediately following graduation, Jack began work at the Central National Bank of Cleveland--the only bank in the city not to close during the Depression--where he remained for ten years. He volunteered for the Army in September 1939 as a member of the 107th Cavalry of Cleveland. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1942, Jack served in Italy during World War II. Over the course of a distinguished military career, he graduated from Armor Officer Candidates School, Fort Knox, Kentucky; Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and Weems School of Navigation, Washington, D.C. While on assignment at the Pentagon after a brief tour of Germany, Jack met and married Joyce Fife, his wife of fifty-five years. He served in the Korean War; in Fort Hood, Texas; and as headquarters commandant of the NATO base in Naples, Italy, among many assignments. Jack also taught military history at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, where he was promoted to full colonel.
In 1963, Jack retired from the Army and was appointed Vermont's state historian, editor of state papers, and archivist, positions he held from 1963 until 1974. He edited eight volumes of the State Papers series, including the public papers of Thomas Chittenden, Vermont's first governor. He spent much of his time in retirement writing articles and a book, The Battle of Hubbardton: The American Rebels Stem the Tide . Other retirement interests included Planned Parenthood, Vermont Hospice, Ecumenical Council, the Senior Volunteer Program, and development of an arts and crafts exhibit of treasures collected over his ninety-eight years. He catalogued the books for the Vermont Militia Museum; today its library is called the Colonel John A. Williams Library. A founding member of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Jack was an avid boat, canoe, and sailboat owner and served as commodore of the Lake Champlain Yacht Club in 1968 and 1969.
For his fiftieth Kenyon reunion, Jack recalled, "My most memorable experience at Kenyon was upon the opening of the new Commons in Peirce Hall, in all of its old English grandeur, with the student body singing those never-to-be-forgotten college songs and making the great rafters overhead ring, as they have been ringing ever since. I loved that building. It seemed so appropriate for Kenyon. I watched its construction from the very beginning, and climbed into the lofty tower many times to gain inspiration from the magnificent view down the Kokosing and all around the horizon."
Jack was predeceased by his wife, Joyce, in May 2006. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Leslie Williams; daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Steven Parmer; and grandsons Andrew Williams and Jack and Christopher Parmer; and various nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may be made to Catamount Outdoor Family Center, 592 Governor Chittenden Road, Williston, Vermont, 05495.
Thomas Curtis Gray '33 , on November 1, 2006. He was ninety-four and a resident of San Pablo, California.
A member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, Curtis graduated cum laude from Kenyon with a degree in economics. Following graduation, he worked as a social science analyst with the Social Security Board in Washington, D.C., before moving to San Francisco as a price economist with the Office of Price Administration. Curtis retired in Richmond, California, where he worked as an economist with the Powell Company. Among his interests were golf, tennis, and duplicate bridge. He also held a patent related to motion picture theaters.
In 1991, at age eighty, Curtis wrote to the alumni office that he had built a second home in the country on the Yuba River in Northern California. "It is great for canoe trips, horseback trips, and panning for gold."
Eric Alexander Hawke '39 , on January 10, 2007. He was eighty-eight and a resident of Brunswick, Maine.
The son of Alexander Ernest Hawke and Zella (Nichols) Hawke, Eric was born in Parsons, Kansas, but spent his youth in Mount Vernon, Ohio. At Kenyon, where he graduated cum laude with a degree in English, he was active in drama and chorus and was a member of the Middle Kenyon Association. In later years, he was a generous and consistent supporter of the College, and served as class agent for the Class of 1939.
Eric served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 until 1946, in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He earned an MA in English from Columbia University in 1952. Eric taught at Kenyon, Hobart College, and Columbia University before pursuing a career in New York City with Exxon. In 1957, when his work took him to England, Eric began writing his renowned weekly letter to friends; he continued writing it uninterrupted until the week before he died. Eric was a master at investing in relationships and keeping connected to people all over the world. His gift for communication and relationship-building made him someone really special.
After eighteen years at Exxon, he took early retirement and moved to Vermont. Beginning in 1969, he taught in the English department at Castleton State College, and was also active with the drama department. He married his wife, Margot Heathcock Stinson, in December 1987, and retired from Castleton in May 1989.
Eric was a member of Mission Farm Church in Sherbourne, Vermont, for many years, and of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Brunswick at the time of his death. He had a firm belief that his good fortune should be shared, to support education, the arts, and those less fortunate than himself. Not just financial support: he was active on the boards of many organizations that brought music and the arts to Vermont, giving generously of his time as well.
He is survived by his wife, Margot Stinson Hawke; sister, Eleanor Sullivan; and a niece. Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 27 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, Maine 04011.
Edward M. Schuller Jr. '40 P'73 , on November 30, 2006. He was eighty-seven and a resident of Sylvania, Ohio.
Ed was born January 11, 1919, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Edward M. and Mary Gertrude "Mayme" (Forster) Schuller, Sr. He was a member of the first graduating class of DeVilbiss High School in Toledo, Ohio, in 1936.
In 1940, Ed earned his BA from Kenyon, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and of the football, track, and golf teams. He loved golf and was a member of the Toledo Inverness Club during his high school and college years.
In 1942, Ed earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School; married Mary Alice Ferguson in Mount Vernon, Ohio; and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served as a supply officer in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II. After the war, he served for thirty-five years for Sun Oil Refinery in Toledo, retiring in 1981 as materials manager.
After Mary Alice died in 1973, Ed became reacquainted with fellow DeVilbiss graduate Cherie A. Peckinpaugh, and in 1981, they were married. Cherie died in 1991. Ed was a member of St. Rose Catholic Church in Perrysburg, Ohio, where he lived from 1957 until 1981; and St. John the Evangelist in Naples, Florida. He was a member of the Belmont Country Club in Perrysburg and the Royal Poinciana Country Club in Naples.
Ed is survived by his daughter, Linda A. Schuller '73 , PhD, of Perrysburg; son, Bradley J. Schuller, PhD, of Mount Vernon, Ohio; sister-in-law, Barbara Packard of Mount Vernon; brother-in-law and his wife, John and Alice Ferguson, of Winter Park, Florida; three stepchildren and their families; and several nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Northwest Ohio, 30000 East River Road, Perrysburg, Ohio 43551.
Knowles Livingston Pittman '45 , on April 28, 2005, of heart failure. He was eighty-two and a resident of Ipswich, Massachusetts.
Knowles was born April 19, 1923, in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Kenyon after serving in the Navy aboard the carrier USS Bonhomme Richard during World War II. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Knowles worked as a newspaper reporter and editor of the Galena (Illinois) Gazette . In the early 1960s, Knowles was a founder of One-Design Yachtsman , now Sailing World . The magazine was born in the burst of growth of sailboat racing in the 1960s and 1970s. These racing fleets were populated by a host of talented sailors, including Lowell North, George O'Day, Tom Blackaller, Bill Flicker, Bruce Kirby, Dennis Conner, and Ted Turner, many of whom went on to become stars in Americas Cup world competition. As editor of the magazine, Knowles was known for his enormous insider's knowledge of the sport of sailing, a gentleness of spirit, and a graceful writing style. He sold the magazine to the New York Times Magazine Group in the 1970s, and turned to publishing Horticulture magazine in Boston, Massachusetts. He also worked as a freelance writer until recently, and was an active member of the Ipswich Town Democratic Committee.
Knowles was married to Patience Wales, the editor of SAIL magazine. They bought and built cruising sailboats together, and with their crewmates, Bebe and Kenneth Wunderlich, sailed around the world aboard their fifty-one-footer, Boston Light, from 1986 until 1988.
Knowles is survived by his daughters, Carrie Pittman, of Norwalk, Connecticut, Lucia Ratner of Southborough, Massachusetts, and Ann Pittman, of Fairbanks, Alaska; two grandsons; and two granddaughters. He was predeceased by his son, Freeman Pittman. Memorials may be sent to the Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037.
Charles William Ayers '47 , on December 29, 2006. He was eighty-four and a resident of Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Charley was born July 15, 1922, in Mount Vernon to Elizabeth and Lawrence Ayers, and was a lifelong resident of Knox County. He graduated from Mount Vernon High School and after military service during World War II, attended Kenyon, where he was captain of the golf team in 1946 and 1947. He earned his BA in Spanish in 1947 and a law degree from Case Western Reserve Law School in 1950.
Charley became a member of the Knox County Bar Association and entered into law practice with Jay S. McDevitt. Later, when McDevitt was elected common pleas judge of Knox County, his son, Robert McDevitt, joined the practice. In 1952, Charley was elected prosecuting attorney of Knox County, a post he held until he was appointed Common Pleas judge in 1968. He served as judge until his retirement in 1982.
He was married to his beloved wife, Alice, for fifty-nine years, until she passed away late last year. He enjoyed a wide range of music and was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, where he sang in the choir for many years. Charley was a diehard Cleveland Indians fan and an accomplished golfer. Throughout the years, he competed in many golf tournaments, in Knox County and throughout Ohio, and won several Knox County and Mount Vernon Country Club championships.
Charley is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Will and Marlene Ayers of Marlborough, Connecticut, and Andrew and Karen Ayers of Maumee, Ohio; daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Richard Ford of Mount Vernon; four grandchildren and their spouses, Erin and Brian Humphrey of Mount Vernon, Patrick Ford of Ashland, Ohio, Amanda Ayers of West Hartford, Connecticut, and Nicholas and Rachael Ayers of Westerville, Ohio; as well as three great-grandchildren, Noah and Anna Humphrey of Mount Vernon and Alexis Ayers of Westerville. A fifth grandchild, Elizabeth Ayers, is deceased. Memorial donations may be made to Interchurch Social Services of Knox County, 114 East Gambier Street, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050.
Stanton Emmett Deeley '49 , on June 12, 1992. He was seventy-two.
Bud was born on July 3, 1919, in Mount Vernon, Ohio, where his father was a physician. In 1937, he enlisted in the Army. Due for a discharge in 1940, Bud remained in the service once war was declared, serving thirty-nine months in India and Burma as an aerial photographer and navigator. He began his college studies at the University of Wyoming, then transferred to Kenyon, where he earned a degree, cum laude, in chemistry. He was married to Johnnie and had a son, Stanton Jr.
Rev. Dr. Charles F. Schreiner '49 , on November 25, 2006. He was eighty-five and a resident of Port Orchard, Washington.
Charlie was born on September 30, 1921, in Blades, Delaware. He attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in January 1942. He served as a bombardier-navigator during World War II.
A member of Delta Phi fraternity, Charlie graduated from Kenyon in 1949 and from Bexley Hall in 1950. He was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1951. Charles was canon of the Cathedral Church of St. John in the Diocese of Delaware; rector of St. James in Newport, Delaware; and rector of Christ Church in Winnetka, Illinois. He was the author of several books, including two on the history of the Diocese of Olympia, and was a columnist for the Peninsula Gateway newspaper in Gig Harbor, Washington, for more than thirty years. He was also the chaplain of the Marine Corps Support Group in Seattle, Washington.
Charlie is survived by his wife, Ada Schreiner; son, Page Schreiner; daughter, Leslie Brooke Schreiner; son and daughter-in-law, Steven and Ronna Schreiner; and grandchildren, Matthew, Kristina, Stephanie, Adrienne, Jessica, Samantha, and Wriley. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Pamela Schreiner; and a son, Cole Schreiner. Memorials may be made to the Washington National Cathedral Association, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW, Washington, D.C. 20016.
Warren Ellsworth Sladky '49 , on September 23, 2005. He was seventy-seven and a resident of Akron, Ohio.
Warren, who was blind from birth, majored in mathematics at Kenyon, where he graduated magna cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and program director for WKCG. He earned an MA from the Ohio State University in 1955. An amateur radio enthusiast, Warren transcribed two volumes on fundamental radio and electronics into Braille to allow students at the Ohio State School for the Blind to learn to be "ham" operators and pass the FCC licensing tests. He also worked as a securities salesman and established his own company, Wessian Specialties, selling equipment to ham operators, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Oscar Emmett Williams '49 , on February 14, 2007. He was eighty-one and a resident of Berlin, Germany.
Emmett was born in Greenville, North Carolina, and grew up in Newport News, Virginia. He joined the Army in 1943 and taught celestial navigation in Florida during World War II. Graduating from Kenyon in 1949 with a degree in English, he went to Paris that same year for his honeymoon and decided to live in France and later Switzerland. He eventually settled in Darmstadt, Germany, where he worked as the features editor of Stars and Stripes , the United States military newspaper.
A poet whose transposition of words into visual art and performances made him one of the founding artists of Fluxus, a performance-oriented avant-garde art movement of the 1960s, Emmett became a prominent part of the European faction of the Fluxus movement when its first performance festival took place in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1962. Fluxus sprang from a group of international artists, writers, and musicians who began working together to stage happenings and performances. There was never an institutional base for Fluxus, and it never even defined itself as an art movement because it was anti-authoritarian in nature. Nevertheless, it helped give birth to video art, performance art, and conceptual art.
Emmett was living in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1962 when he began correspondence with George Maciunas, the originator of Fluxus. He joined Maciunas and several other artists, most of them European, in performing his poetry, which Fluxus artists would later refer to as a "score."
In 1966 he took a job as editor-in-chief of the Something Else Press, a publishing house in New York City founded by Dick Higgins, another pioneer of Fluxus. By 1967 Emmett had edited The Anthology of Concrete Poetry and written Sweethearts , two of his most widely recognized works. He went on to write many essays and musings on Fluxus.
Emmett taught at the California Institute of the Arts and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. He had been an artist-in-residence at Harvard and the University of Kentucky. After fourteen years in the United States, he won a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service and in 1980 moved to Berlin, where he worked up until his death.
In addition to his wife, Ann Noël, Emmett is survived by his son Garry, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, from his marriage to Noël; and his children from a previous marriage, Eugene, of Honeydew, California, Laura, of Darmstadt, Germany, and Penelope, of Frankfurt, Germany.
Lloyd Clifford Parks '50 , on August 11, 2006. He was eighty-four and a resident of Fort Worth, Texas.
Lloyd was born on January 30, 1922, in Chicago, Illinois. He served three years in the Navy prior to entering Kenyon, where he earned a degree in English, cum laude. He also studied French, German, Greek, and Latin literature, and worked on Hika . Lloyd earned his MA and PhD from the University of Washington, and was a member of the Modern Language Association. He retired in May 1996 as a full professor of English at North Texas State University in Denton, Texas, to devote himself "to reading, gardening, translating, and grandfathering."
Lloyd is survived by his wife, Genevieve Parks; son, Louis Parks; daughter, Rachel Alma Malone; grandchildren, Alexis and Ingrid Anderson; brother, Edwin Parks; and sister, Alice Munro. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Cecilia. Memorials may be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 27106, New York, New York 10087-7106.
David Thomas Crawford '54 , on November 30, 2006. He was seventy-four and a resident of Oakland, Maryland.
Tom was born in Charleston, West Virginia, on August 8, 1932, to David William and Gladys (Mitchell) Crawford. He was raised in Patriot, Ohio, on a rural dairy farm, and married his high-school sweetheart, Mary Ann Hoyt, in June 1951. In 1995, Tom wrote to the alumni office, "My wife of forty-four years and I lived full-time in Gambier. Back then, there were only twenty-two to twenty-five married students. The wives had their own organization, and most of them felt like they were going to Kenyon. They just didn't get a degree."
Tom graduated in 1954 with a degree in biology. He was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and worked on the Collegian . Inspired by the childhood illness of his sister, Tom decided on a career in medicine. Following his graduation from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1958, Tom completed a two-year surgical residency at University Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He completed his public service as a commissioned officer and physician between 1960 and 1962 at the Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Maryland, before returning to Baltimore for a residency at University Hospital in 1964. In the same year, Tom joined the general surgery practice of Dr. Ross Pierpont and Dr. Donald Hebb in Baltimore. In addition to practicing general surgery, in 1965 Tom became director of medical education of Franklin Square Hospital, where he served twenty-two years as medical director and thirteen years on the board of trustees. Tom was instrumental in facilitating the relocation of Franklin Square from Baltimore City to Essex, in Baltimore County, Maryland, where he oversaw its growth into a dynamic teaching hospital. Tom also served fifteen years as the medical director for Broadmead, a lifetime-care institute in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
A forthright man, Tom championed persistence, self-reliance, independence, and education. An avid reader, he was a scholar of Winston Churchill and Thomas Jefferson. He read widely, from biographies to physics to philosophy to the mysteries of mankind. Beyond books, Tom loved being outdoors, where he planted trees and cultivated tomatoes with the precision of a scientist. He was a member of many local and national medical organizations; served as physician to the St. Andrew's Society of Baltimore; and served over ten years as the president of the WISP condominium owner's association in McHenry, Maryland. He valued family, friends, simple pleasures, hard work, and a good joke.
Tom is survived by his devoted wife of fifty-five years, Mary Ann Crawford, of Oakland; daughters and son-in-law, Mary Cacia Masser of Frederick, Maryland, and Kristin C. Trueblood '83 and Neil Trueblood '82 , of Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania; son and daughter-in-law, Gregan Thomas and Donna Crawford, of Oakland; brother, Melton Crawford, of Marion, Ohio; and seven grandchildren, Olivia, Rosemary, and Mitchell Masser, Kelsey and Leise Trueblood, and Cameron and Lindsay Crawford. He was preceded in death by a sister, Gladys Lee Crawford. Memorials may be made to the Kenyon College Development Office, Gambier, Ohio 43022, or to the Southern Garrett County Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 378, Oakland, Maryland 21550.
Salvatore Joseph Capozzi '56 , on May 8, 2006. He was seventy-one and a resident of Wilmington, North Carolina.
Sal was born in Glen Cove, New York, on April 25, 1935, to Peter and Angelina Capozzi. At Kenyon, he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity and played basketball and golf. He earned his BA in political science at Kenyon, and an MBA at Long Island University in 1996.
Sal's career spanned five decades, including employment with Xerox Corporation, Shearson Lehman Hutton, and Smith Barney. He reinvented himself many times. His drive and ambition were an inspiration to all who came into contact with him. Sal was an avid reader and had a great interest in history. His retirement years were spent researching the genealogy of his family, which he was able to trace back to the 1700s. He encouraged people to find their roots, lecturing on the subject. Sal never stopped enriching his mind, and took classes at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington every semester. His last class was probably his first incomplete.
Sal married Trudy Whyte in 1960. They called Trumbull, Connecticut, home for many years, and chose Wilmington, North Carolina, for retirement. His memorial service was held in the First Presbyterian Church in Glen Cove, the very church where he and Trudy were married. He was a wonderful husband, a respected father, and a loving grandfather.
Sal is survived by his wife, Trudy; sons and daughters-in-law, Peter Capozzi, of San Diego, California, Robert and Shari Capozzi, of Charleston, South Carolina, and James and Katie Capozzi, of San Francisco, California; grandchildren Lauren and Alexza, of Charleston; brothers Nicholas Capozzi, of Rochester, New York, and Peter Capozzi, of Ansonia, Connecticut; and sisters Elizabeth Coffin, of Albany, New York, and Marie Capozzi, of New York City.
Robert Caldwell Stewart '56 , on February 5, 2007. He was seventy-five and a resident of Corinth, Texas.
Bob was blind from the age of twelve. In his application to the College, he wrote, "I think most people have two ambitions--one that they admit to everybody and work for, and one that is a kind of secret and that they daydream about doing someday. For me, the first type of ambition is to be a professor, and the second is to be a poet or writer. I believe that Kenyon can do a good deal in fitting me to fulfill one or both of these ambitions."
A member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa, Bob won the E. Malcolm Anderson Cup in 1956. He earned his MA in 1959 and PhD in 1968, both at Yale University. Bob was an English professor at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut. Following his retirement, he and Shirley, his wife of twenty years, moved to Texas in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Shirley.
According to his classmate and friend, Peter Keys '56 , "Bob was a published author of elegant stories and sublime poetry… Every single person who knew Bob will miss the ebullient presence of 'The Batman'! His blindness was less a liability to him than being sighted is to those of us who, supposedly, see."
Robert Charles Weidenkopf '61 , on November 28, 2006, of a heart attack. He was sixty-seven and a resident of Prosper, Texas.
Bob was born on August 18, 1939, in East Cleveland, Ohio, to Robert Gorman and Erna (Reinke) Weidenkopf. At Kenyon, where he majored in economics, Bob played baseball, basketball, and football, and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. His post-Kenyon career took him to Texas, where he raised his family. He was a financial consultant, most recently helping people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. He continued to love sports and participated in competitive sports all his life.
"Bob was quite a catch for Kenyon," classmate Hutch Hodgson recalled. "He was an accomplished high-school quarterback from Cleveland, Ohio. We all met for the first time in the bottom of Rosse Hall to begin two-a-day workouts in late August. Bob always had a ready smile, but had the necessary toughness and skills to command respect in the huddle. For the next four years, Bob was the man on the football team, and his athletic ability served him well on the baseball diamond as well. A Beta, Bob waited tables and joined in the formation of a Kenyon hockey club that competed wherever they could find a match.
"For such a talented athlete, he could not swim. In those days at Kenyon, it was a requirement to graduate that one must swim 100 yards. We were never quite sure how Bob accomplished this feat, but in the last days of his senior year, he miraculously fulfilled this requirement under the direction of the baseball coach and athletic director.
"He was a good friend, and his great smile was appreciated by all who knew him. He always had time to listen, and he never met a stranger," Hodgson said. "His sudden death after our wonderful forty-fifth reunion was such a surprise, because he was so active in planning and executing our get-together. The miracle of e-mail has allowed many of his classmates and other friends from Kenyon to share memories and stories of Bob. Even Bob probably did not realize that he had such an impact on so many people."
He is survived by his life partner and fiancée, Mary Jo Parvin; daughters and son-in-law, Bethany and Fabian Franco, and Diane Weidenkopf, all of Austin, Texas; daughter-in-law and son, Deborah and Robert Weidenkopf Jr.; grandchildren Katherine and Sasha; and sister, Sharon Chalmers, of Lynchburg, Virginia. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, William James Weidenkopf. A memorial service was planned at Kenyon for family and friends, and his final resting place is Gambier, Ohio, the place he loved most.
Charles Dwight Wood Tindle 1972 , on November 13, 2006, after a brief but aggressive battle with cancer. He was fifty-six and a resident of Phoenix, Arizona.
Dwight was born January 13, 1950, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to Charles Wood and Nancy Tindle. He graduated from Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pennsylvania, in 1968, and attended Kenyon, where he was a member of Alpha Lambda Omega.
In 1971, Dwight relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where he became the founder and principal owner of radio stations KDKB AM and FM. At that time, he was the youngest person in America to own a radio station. His legacy in Arizona began because he appreciated the creativity and authenticity of a small but popular underground radio station, KCAC, known as "Radio Free Phoenix." Dwight's enthusiasm and ability to share a bold vision with friends led him to bring the tight-knit staff of KCAC to KDKB. KDKB received broadcasting's highest honor, the prestigious Peabody Award, for its innovative programming and in-depth news coverage. For the next decade, KDKB remained Phoenix's number-one station. In 1998, along with Danny Zelisko, Dwight hosted a freeform radio program called "Radio Free Phoenix." The show was named Best Radio Show by New Times magazine's Best of Phoenix 1998.
After selling KDKB, Dwight became involved with the American Film Institute, serving as associate producer on Violet , which received the Academy Award for the Best Live Short Subject. He produced a fifteen-volume compilation project for a leading international label and for Clear Channel's KEZ radio station. Next, he worked with music publishers on master use, licensing, and creative research for the placement of music in Guthy-Renker infomercials. In 2003, Dwight served as vice president in charge of business development for Integrated Solution Professional, a global telecommunications firm that is nationally headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska.
Dwight joined the Camelback Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Phoenix in 1977, dedicating his time and talent by becoming chief sound operator and technician for the church. He spent countless hours perfecting the sound system and assisting guest speakers and musicians with his radio-trained ear. Dwight's kindness and generosity touched many lives. He was instrumental in the careers of many radio personalities. In recognition of his contributions, he was inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. Dwight is survived by his mother, Nancy Tindle-O'Reilly, of Scottsdale, Arizona; and brothers Allen Egan O'Reilly, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Peter Dawson O'Reilly, of Prescott, Arizona. Memorials may be made to the Dwight Tindle Memorial Fund at Camelback Seventh Day Adventist Church, 5902 East Camelback Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85019.
Linda Urban Sears '73 , on February 18, 2007, of metastatic breast cancer. She was fifty-five and a resident of Ithaca, New York.
Linda was born August 18, 1951, in Ravenna, Ohio. She grew up in nearby Kent and then attended Kenyon, where she worked on the Collegian . Linda was a member of the first class of women admitted to Kenyon. More than half of the women in her entering class left early. Linda did her utmost to represent the women as a student representative on the board of trustees. An honors student, after taking two sets of comprehensive exams, Linda earned a BA with a double major in history and political science in 1973.
She spent the following year in Bergamo, Italy, training at the Centro Internazionale di Studi Montessori, where she received her elementary certification in 1974. Linda took her first job at the Ravenhill Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She met her future husband, Stan Sears, in November 1974. They moved to Chicago in 1975 and were married on July 31, 1976.
Linda taught at the Maria Montessori School in Hometown, Illinois. Seeking to expand her teaching opportunities, Linda earned her master's in sacred theology from the University of Chicago in 1981. She was invited to stay on for a PhD, but chose the classroom and set up the first public Montessori classroom in the Chicago public schools.
While in Chicago, Linda began training and mentoring prospective Montessori teachers. She continued doing this following their move to Burbank, California, in 1982, for Stan's first parish as a Unitarian Universalist minister. There, Linda took a position at the Sequoyah School in Pasadena, California. In 1985, Linda and Stan moved to Victoria, British Columbia, where she taught at the Pacific Montessori School until their first son, John, was born, in 1986. Their second son, Louis, was born in 1989.
Linda stayed at home with the boys during their preschool years, putting her Montessori materials to use in the home. In 1990, the family moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where there were no elementary Montessori schools. In 1995, Linda took a preschool position at the East Shore Montessori School, where she taught until the family's move to Ithaca, New York, in 1998. In Ithaca, Linda established her own tutorial program for a small group of students, which she continued until she was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of breast cancer in 2001. She was diagnosed in Stage IV.
For nearly six years, Linda dedicated herself to battling breast cancer. Using her computer and telephone, she corresponded regularly with researchers, pursuing information on possible treatments and clinical trials. Linda spent much of her time with fellow breast cancer patients, who frequently contacted her for both emotional support and advice on the latest treatments. Meanwhile, Linda endured the vicissitudes of the parish with her husband. She enriched every congregation that Stan served. Linda's compassionate heart, indomitable spirit, and magnetic personality drew both children and adults to her.
In addition to her husband and her sons, John, who is a sophomore at Carleton College, and Louis, an eleventh grader at Ithaca High School, Linda is survived by her parents, Dan and Marcella Urban, of Kent, Ohio; sister, Diana Eichler and her husband, Thomas Eichler, of Reston, Virginia; brother David Urban, of Fairfax, Virginia; her late brother Steve's widow, Margot Urban Morrisey, and her husband, Bill Morrisey, of Columbus, Ohio; and countless friends and family members who will miss a cherished raconteur.
The family would appreciate any anecdotes that classmates may wish to share about "Urbs." Linda took pride in being one of the women in that groundbreaking class and requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Kenyon in her memory. Memorials may be made to the Rena Rowan Breast Cancer Center Educational Fund, c/o Dr. Kevin Fox, 14 Penn Tower, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Kenyon College, Office of Development, Gambier, Ohio, 43022; or Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance, 612 West State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.
Charles Thomas Pariano '76 , on January 3, 2007. He was fifty-two and a resident of Westlake, Ohio.
Chuck was born November 6, 1954, raised in Fairview Park, Ohio, and graduated from Fairview High School. At Kenyon, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and participated in track and wrestling. He earned a BA in economics from Kenyon and an MA from Case Western Reserve University in 1981. Chuck was former president of Midland Aluminum Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio.
He is survived by his daughters, Natalie and Nicole, and their mother, Kim; his parents, Charles P. and Nancy Pariano, of Westlake; sisters and brother-in-law, Jeanne and Thomas Burns, of Orlando, Florida, and Diane Craig of Glenview, Illinois; sister-in-law and brother, Alexis and Michael Pariano '81 ; eight nieces and nephews; and his beloved dog, Hook. Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Association, 5000 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio 44131.
Amanda Westfall Block '05 , on February 3, 2007, in a car accident. She was twenty-three and a resident of Morristown, New Jersey.
Amanda graduated from Chatham High School in 2001. For her senior art show at Kenyon, Block displayed a collection of eight larger-than-life oil paintings depicting cropped images of both horses and humans. A vibrant young woman, Amanda had a flair for the dramatic and was filled with boundless artistic talent.
After graduating from Kenyon with a degree in studio art, Amanda went on to earn a master's degree in art history and connoisseurship from the University of Glasgow in Scotland through Christies Education in London. After graduation, she worked as a freelancer at film production companies in New York and New Jersey.
Amanda is survived by her parents, Nancy and Stephen Block '75 ; siblings, Elizabeth and Garrison; aunt and uncle, Ida and Mark Block '74 , of Maplewood, New Jersey; and grandparents, Edward and Shirley Block of Key West, Florida, John Garris of Budd Lake, New Jersey, and Anne Garris of Ridgewood, New Jersey. Donations in memory of Amanda may be made to the Kenyon Fund, Office of Alumni and Parent Programs, College Relations Center, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio 43022.
Deceased alumni for whom we have no additional information
Paul D. Graebner '39 , on February 19, 2007. He was eighty-nine and a resident of Delray Beach, Florida.
Robert A. Stewart '48 , on July 25, 1999. He was seventy-two and a resident of Redding, California.
Guy Grant Wedthoff Jr. '49 , on February 15, 2007. He was eighty-one.
Albert Wickham '52, on February 18, 2007. He was seventy-six and a resident of Marshfield, Massachusetts.
Richard Henry Grimm '54 , on June 28, 2006. He was seventy-four and a resident of Lathrup Village, Michigan.
Arthur Mark Wolman '56 , on May 15, 2006. He was seventy-three and a resident of Revere, Massachusetts.
James Snell '67 , on January 11, 2007. He was sixty-one and a resident of Libertyville, Illinois.
Daniel Wayne Reasor '70 , on December 24, 2006. He was fifty-eight.
Diego F. Panqueva-Barajas '03 . He was twenty-four and a resident of Cucuta, Colombia.
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