Obituaries
F. Beale Betts II '41, on May 9, 2006. Beale, eighty-eight, lived in Houston, Texas.
Frederick was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and was the manager of the basketball team. He joined the Navy in 1941 and served until 1947, including duty on warships during World War II. He advanced to the rank of lieutenant commander and was assigned to the public relations staff of the Navy secretary. Frederick then worked in sales and public relations for General Motors, became vice president of the Saratoga (New York) Harness Racing Association, and launched two businesses in Santa Fe, New Mexico: the Betts Motor Car Company, a Cadillac dealership, and the Turquoise Trading Company.
Hallock B. Hoffman '41 P'66, on December 13, 2006. The resident of Desert Hot Springs, California, was eighty-eight.
Hallock was a speech major who graduated magna cum laude and was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa. He was editor of the Kenyon Collegian and a member of Delta Tau Delta, Flying Club, Philomathesian, and Student Council. After graduation, Hallock returned to Kenyon to manage the airport and teach flying. He entered the Army Air Forces in 1942 and left the service as a captain in 1945 after flying overseas cargo missions during World War II. After several years as the owner and manager of Hoffman Sound Recording in Pasadena, California, Hallock went to work for the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization dedicated to community service projects. Hallock later worked for the Fund for the Republic, a think tank that challenged McCarthyism in the 1950s, and its spin-off organization, the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, where he filled various roles, including director of the study of politics and coordinator of studies. In 1964, Hallock became president of the Pacifica Foundation, a network of commercial-free radio stations, and was a frequent on-air commentator.
Developing his career path as an educator, Hallock joined the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia in 1970, rising to the role of dean of the School of Critical Studies. In 1974, Hallock co-founded the Fielding Institute, a graduate school in psychology and human development, which is now the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. He became chair of the board of trustees at Fielding. Hallock joined Human Solutions, a software-development firm, as executive vice president in 1987. He joined the faculty of the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute in 1988 and served as board chairman at the institute in the early 1990s, before retiring.
Hallock was married four times. He had a lifelong interest in aviation and was an active pilot into his eighties. He cultivated intellectual friends and met often with a peer group to discuss art, film, and the written word, said his daughter Nina Kiriki Hoffman of Eugene, Oregon, a fantasy-fiction writer. Hallock also went on "really cool" volunteer neighborhood crime-watch patrols well into his retirement, she said. "He was very thoughtful and always curious," she said. "He was forward-thinking."
Hallock is survived by his wife, Frances; daughters Nina Hoffman and Valley Reseigne; sons Paul, Erik, Kristian, and Kaj Hoffman and Nikolas Boshco; and six grandchildren.
Roger G.B. Morgan '41, on July 12, 2007. The Marshall, Texas, resident was eighty-nine.
Roger served in the Army Air Forces in World War II. He became a high school teacher and then a psychologist. Roger earned a master's from East Texas State University in 1969. In recent years he was a mentor for children in a Marshall elementary school.
He is survived by a daughter, Celeste Hagaman; sons Roger and David Morgan; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Fred S. Henschel Jr. '42, on June 9, 2007. The Reseda, California, resident was eighty-six.
Fred competed on the swimming team and was a member of Sigma Pi. He graduated with a degree in economics. On a training trip to Florida with the swimming team, Fred was driving near a canal and spotted a person struggling in the water. Fred saved the person from drowning.
In 1942, Fred joined the Navy and served in World War II. Fred then sold steel tubing and other metal products for twenty-eight years in the Chicago area. Fred flew private planes and enjoyed golf. He was a founding member and first president of Temple Jeremiah, a reform synagogue in Northfield, Illinois. In 1980, he moved to Encinitas, California, to do metal finishing for the Vulcanium Corporation, a titanium-products company. Fred eventually became the West Coast representative for Vulcanium as a sales manager and professional consultant. He wrote several articles on metal finishing.
Fred is survived by a daughter, Peggy Henschel; sons Tom Henschel and Jim Hart; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Contributions in Fred's memory can be made to the Jewish Home for the Aging, 18855 Victory Boulevard, Reseda, California, 91335.
William S. Sawyer '42, on August 7, 2007. The resident of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was eighty-seven.
William was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. He was a political science major. William joined the U.S. Army Air Forces after graduation and served until 1946 in the Pacific theater, leaving the service as a first lieutenant. While still in the service, he wrote a letter to Kenyon saying that he enjoyed receiving the Alumni Bulletin, which was forwarded to him by his parents. "The only thing that detracts from that pleasure is the news that some of the men I knew there are casualties," William wrote. "It just doesn't seem right that it should happen to them." William earned a master's in political science at the University of Michigan in 1948. He went on to a career in the Central Intelligence Agency.
William is survived by a daughter, Joan Berghane, and a son, William "Buzz" Sawyer. Memorial donations may be made to the American Lung Association of Maryland, Executive Plaza One, Suite 600, 11350 McCormick Rd., Hunt Valley, Maryland, 21031.
William C. Wilson '42 GP'06, on June 3, 2007. The resident of Wheaton, Illinois, was eighty-seven.
William was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma. He was involved in many activities at Kenyon, including football, track, and the Pre Med Club. He graduated cum laude and received the first Robert Bowen Brown Prize for original work in biology. William later attended Northwestern University, where he earned a master's and a medical degree in 1945. During World War II, he served as captain in the Army Medical Corps. After the war, William began his medical practice in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. In addition to his practice, he served as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. William was also the director of the Fox Valley Mental Health Clinic. He was a pioneer in working with children and learning disabilities and was the co-author of Minimal Brain Dysfunction.
William and his wife, Marjorie, retired to Venice and Nokomis, Florida, in 1985. After fifteen years, they moved to Wheaton, Illinois.
William is survived by a daughter, Melissa Coons; sons Michael, Scott, and Christopher Wilson; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Anthony G. Pizza '44, on June 19, 2007, of pancreatic cancer. The resident of Holland, Ohio, was eighty-five.
Anthony was a World War II veteran, serving as a navigator with the Army Air Forces in the Pacific theater and leaving the service as a second lieutenant. He graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1950 and took a job as an assistant prosecutor in Lucas County, Ohio. Anthony built a reputation as a crime-fighter and was elected Lucas County prosecutor in 1976. During his tenure, the number of assistant prosecutors grew to fifty, from ten, and the number of felony trials grew to three thousand, from six hundred. He became known as the "maker of judges" in Lucas County because many of his protégés went on to serve on the bench. He tried six cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Anthony established the Toledo/Lucas County Victim-Witness Assistance Program in 1990. In 1991, he successfully filed suit in U.S. District Court to prevent the state of Michigan from developing a hazardous-waste dump that could have led to waterways pollution in northwest Ohio. He retired from public life after forty-five years and developed a private practice for ten years.
"Toledo has lost one of its elder statesmen and a pillar of the legal community," Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner told the Toledo Blade.
Anthony is survived by his wife, Madlynn; sons, Michael and Toby Pizza; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and brother, Francis Pizza. Memorial donations may be made to the University of Toledo College of Law, 801 West Bancroft, Toledo, Ohio, 43606, and the St. Vincent DePaul Society, 1001 Washington St., Toledo, Ohio, 43602.
Edward P. Bruch Jr. '45, on June 11, 2007. The resident of Peachtree, Georgia, was eighty-five.
Edward was a member of Alpha Delta Phi. He left the College in 1942 to enter World War II as a pilot for the Civil Air Patrol and engaged in antisubmarine patrol duty over the Gulf of Mexico. He also flew with a tow-target group out of San Jose, California. He was awarded the Presidential Medal for meritorious achievement and was discharged as a captain in 1945. Edward began a career in sales in Cleveland after the war. He moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1963, and started a charter sailboat business and operated the Bahai Mar Marine Store for twenty-eight years.
Edward's interests and achievements were many. Taking advantage of his pilot training, Edward became an aerobatic pilot, participating in air shows and competing at the national level until he was seventy-three. He organized the 1990 Fort Lauderdale Air Show. Also a musician, he played in a Cleveland-area jazz band for many years. He raised and trained Labrador retrievers, was president of the Buckeye Retriever Club, and became a national field-trial judge. He was an avid woodworker in his retirement and created distinctive furniture.
Edward was an athlete who competed in marathons and qualified for the Boston Marathon. He rode a bicycle well into his eighties.
Edward is survived by his wife, Devereaux; three of his four children, Lynn Bruch Baker, E.P. Bruch III, and Marguerite Bruch; three stepchildren; eleven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, Florida, 32224.
M. Richard Marr '47, on December 3, 2006. The resident of Bellaire, Michigan, was eighty-three.
A political science major, Richard enrolled with the Class of 1945 but his college career was interrupted by World War II. He served in the Navy as an officer in the South Pacific and then returned to Kenyon, graduating in 1947. Richard was a member of Sigma Pi and was part of equestrian and polo clubs at Kenyon. He became an independent insurance agent and owner of the Marr Insurance Agency in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and later sold real estate for Vacation Properties Network. Richard retired in 2003.
While in the Navy in 1944, Richard sent a contribution to the College with a letter that read, in part, "Kenyon means a great deal to me, and I'm very anxious to help her, even in my limited way."
Richard is survived by sons William, Cam, and Richard Marr, and six grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to the Meadow Brook Foundation, 4543 M-88 Highway, Bellaire, Michigan, 49615 or to the Church in the Hills, 6401 Shanty Creek Road, Bellaire, Michigan, 49615.
John "Jack" D. Safford 1945, on May 2, 2007, in his home of fifty years and surrounded by his family. The Bloomfield, Connecticut, resident was eighty-six.
Jack was a member of Psi Upsilon. He attended Kenyon for one year and was then drafted into the Army Air Forces in 1942. He served as an aerial gunner in the European theater. He left the service in 1945 and began a thirty-year career as a buyer for Sage-Allen, a department store chain based in West Hartford, Connecticut. Jack also cofounded the Tri-State Detective Agency. As a young man he had played drums with Zeke Safford and the Delta Rhythm Boys, which sparked his life-long love of jazz. Jack became an avid tennis player in middle age.
Jack is survived by a daughter, Mary Curtin; sons Duncan and Stewart Safford; and three grandchildren.
Robert J. Erman 1946, on December 4, 2006. The Cincinnati, Ohio, resident was eighty-two.
Robert enrolled at Kenyon in 1942 and was a member of the Middle Kenyon Association. His time at Kenyon was interrupted by World War II, and he enlisted in the Army Air Forces in 1943. After the war, Robert continued his education at the University of Cincinnati and graduated in 1949. Robert developed a career in real estate at P.G. Graves, Inc., where he became vice president. Robert later joined the Cincinnati firm of Jerry Devitt & Associates, where his specialty was industrial and commercial properties. He was active in the Cincinnati community as the business manager of Cincinnatians, a sixty-five voice male chorus.
Robert is survived by his wife, Patricia.
Frederick L. Gratiot '46, on July 10, 2007. The resident of Hoboken, New Jersey, was eighty-three.
Frederick was part of the Kenyon Choir and worked for the Kenyon Collegian. His college career was interrupted by service in the Army during World War II, during which he rose to the rank of second lieutenant and served in the Army of Occupation at General Headquarters in Japan, where he was a translator for General Douglas MacArthur. A master of languages, Frederick was fluent in Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, German, and Esperanto. He also spoke Korean and Thai. After graduating from Kenyon, Frederick earned a master's in Chinese languages at the University of Chicago. He taught courses in the languages and culture of East Asian countries at Yale University and C.W. Post College before taking a job as a housing assistant for the New York City Housing Authority. Frederick retired from the housing authority after twenty-five years and began a twenty-five year teaching career at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Frederick is survived by his brother, Richard Gratiot '50.
Robert H. Zimmerman 1946, on August 12, 2006. The Bingham Falls, Michigan, resident was eighty-one.
Robert, a member of Alpha Delta Phi, enrolled in 1943 and left later that year to join the Navy, where he served during World War II in the Pacific theater and on Yangtze River patrol in China. He returned to Kenyon in 1946. The Eagle Scout later worked in the construction business.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-eight years, Lillian; son, Craig Zimmerman; daughter, Sarah Michael; and two grandchildren.
George R. Benner '49, on March 20, 2007. The resident of Laguna Woods, California, was eighty-eight.
Before applying to Kenyon, George worked as an assistant to a bookkeeper and then joined the Army, where he served from 1941-45 during World War II. At Kenyon, George was a member of Sigma Pi. He graduated with a degree in economics. George went to work for IBM and was promoted to senior systems engineer in 1969. He retired from IBM in 1980 and began what he called "a new career" in fishing, golfing, and hiking. He was active in Kenyon alumni affairs, serving on the San Francisco Regional Association steering committee as both president and secretary. In 1989, George was given the Kenyon Distinguished Service Award, presented to alumni who have made significant contributions to Kenyon through their alumni activities.
George's wife, Fran, died in 1994. George is survived by his daughters, Marilyn and Barbara Benner.
Robert J. Himmelright Jr. 1950 P'82, and a former College trustee, on June 29, 2007. The eighty-one-year-old Delray Beach, Florida, resident died after a stroke.
An English major, Robert participated in the Kenyon Singers and was a member of Alpha Delta Phi. He enrolled in Kenyon after serving in the Navy during World War II. Robert served on a destroyer escort in the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. He attended Kenyon from 1946 through 1948. Robert continued his education at the University of New Mexico, graduating in 1951 after pursuing an accelerated course of study. He was recalled to active duty in the Navy during the Korean War.
Robert joined the Monarch Rubber Company, later Teledyne Monarch Rubber, in Hartville, Ohio, and eventually became president and then chairman. The company had been founded by an uncle and his father, among others. In 1986, Robert and other family members established the Himmelright Professorship in Economics at Kenyon, funded by a gift of $1 million. Robert served Kenyon as a trustee from 1985-91 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1987. Presenting the degree, Philip H. Jordan Jr., College president, said, "You represent the spirit of American enterprise at its best."
Robert was active in alumni affairs throughout his life and was chair of the Kenyon Fund and vice chair of the Campaign for Kenyon in the 1980s. He was active in Ohio Republican politics and served as an alternate and delegate at Republican national conventions.
Robert is survived by his wife, Suzanne; daughters Christina Hickman and Anne Deweese Himmelright; sons Robert J. Himmelright III and George H. Himmelright; and four grandchildren. Donations in his name may be made to Kenyon, Office of Development, College Relations Center, Gambier, Ohio 43022, and Trinity Lutheran Church, 415 Tuscarawas St. W., Canton, Ohio, 44702.
John "Jack" D. Mooney Jr. 1950, on October 24, 2007. Mooney, eighty-seven, had divided his time between Fort Pierce, Florida, and Madison, Ohio.
After serving in the Navy during World War II, Jack attended Kenyon from 1946-49. He graduated from Ohio State University after transferring. While at Kenyon, he shared a room with Paul Newman '49. Jack loved golf and horses. He owned trotter and pacer racehorses and worked for several race tracks.
He is survived by his wife, Audrey "Joan;" daughters Virginia Withrow and Jennifer Court; son, John D. Mooney III; and five grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the Western Reserve, 5786 Heisley Road, Mentor, Ohio, 44060.
Robert C. Shutt '50, on August 6, 2007. The resident of Mentor, Ohio, was eighty-seven.
Robert was a physics major who won the Ingham Prize in physics, graduated magna cum laude, and was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa. He was an Army veteran who served in World War II. Robert went on to a thirty-four-year career in engineering with the Lincoln Electric Company in Euclid, Ohio, where he became chief engineer and then vice president of the Electrode Division. Robert was an avid reader and had a great interest in historical fiction, particularly novels related to World War II. Involvement in church activities and horseback riding also filled his time.
In a letter to a College official, Robert wrote, "I am certainly glad I went to Kenyon. I believe I have an understanding of fundamentals which many engineers never had."
Robert is survived by a daughter, Debbie Pulman, and sister, Annabelle Hume. The family suggested contributions in Robert's memory be made to St. Andrew Episcopal Church Memorial Fund, 7989 Little Mountain Road, Mentor, Ohio, 44060.
William E. Strasser 1950, on July 8, 2007. William, of Atlanta, Georgia, was eighty-one.
William was an economics major at Kenyon for two years before transferring to the University of Minnesota, where he completed his undergraduate degree. While at Kenyon, William was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and was the business manager for the yearbook and the Kenyon Collegian. William served for two years in the Army Air Forces. He went on to a career as an investment banker and became president of Telegraph Saving and Loan in Chicago, Illinois, before retiring from the Allied Mortgage Company. William had been a deacon at the First Presbyterian Church in Evanston, Illinois. He had an interest in competitive sailing. He also served as a park commissioner in Evanston.
"My uncle adored Kenyon and was very proud to be among the school's alumni," said his niece, Sarah Van Oosterhout Shannon '85.
William is survived by son William Strasser; daughters Hannah Strasser and Amy Kistulinec; eight grandchildren; and a sister, Joanna Van Oosterhout.
David N. Scourfield 1952, on September 21, 2007. The resident of Franklin, Indiana, was seventy-seven.
A member of Beta Theta Pi, David was enrolled for two years at Kenyon before spending four years in the Air Force during the Korean War, when he was stationed in Saudi Arabia. In a note sent from Saudi Arabia to the College, David mentioned "local uprisings" and forced abstinence from "Beta Brew." He added, "I am quite ready to return to the Hill." But David went on to graduate from Miami University, in 1956.
David worked for twenty years in management positions
for manufacturing companies in Indiana. In 1975 he became an entrepreneur, opening Mike's Grill Bar in Franklin.
In a 1986 alumni note to Kenyon, he wrote, "We had fun!"
David is survived by his wife, Annette; daughters Susan Scourfield-Murphy, Rebecca Scourfield-Curry, and Megan Scourfield-Hearin; five grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to the Shriner's Children's Hospital, 1900 Richmond Rd., Lexington, Kentucky, 40502.
Albert P. Wickham '52, on February 18, 2007. He was seventy-six and a resident of Marshfield, Massachusetts.
Albert was a member of the swimming team and Delta Kappa Epsilon. He graduated from Kenyon with a degree in physics and served in the Navy as a lieutenant commander. He went on to the University of Michigan, where he earned a degree in naval architecture and marine engineering in 1954, and Northeastern University, where he earned a master's in engineering management in 1969. Albert began his career as a naval architect for Bethlehem Steel, which later became General Dynamics, and he became chief of project engineering for the Quincy Shipbuilding Division in Massachusetts. He later did consulting engineering work for M. Rosenblatt and Son. Albert also served on the Conservation Commission for Marshfield, Massachusetts.
He met his future wife, Miriam Titus, in Gambier. Miriam was the daughter of Paul Titus, a long-time faculty member and the Edwin Stanton Professor of Economics. In the 1980s, Albert and Miriam founded Wickham Books, an out-of-print bookstore in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Tracking long-lost books for customers became a welcome challenge for the Wickhams. "The most fun is the interesting people we meet," Albert wrote in a 2005 note to the College. Albert enjoyed overseas travel with his family, as well as boating and fishing.
Albert is survived by daughters Ann and Jennifer '89 Wickham; sons William and Jeffrey Wickham; and nine grandchildren. Memorial donations may be sent to First Parish Church, P.O. Box 1764, Duxbury, Massachusetts, 02331.
Charles Douglas Waters '52, on July 4, 2007. The resident of Cleveland, Ohio, was ninety.
Charles joined the Army in 1942. He worked in a laboratory in England before he attended Cleveland College in 1937-38. He enrolled at Kenyon in 1951 and became a member of the Archon Society. Charles gradated cum laude with a degree in philosophy. In 1957, he earned a master's in education from Western Reserve University and became a teacher. His wife, Margaret, died in 1977.
Halton Axtell '53, on August 18, 2007, surrounded by his four children. The Salinas, California, resident was seventy-five.
Halton transferred to Kenyon after two years at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He served in the Army in 1953 and 1954. He went on to earn a law degree from New York University in 1956. Halton then joined the Ford Motor Company in New Jersey and worked in industrial relations for many years, relocating to Michigan and then California. He learned Spanish and helped establish a Ford automotive plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, working for five years there before retiring in 1994. An animal lover, Halton was particularly fond of dogs. He was athletic throughout his life and played tennis or golf on most days during his retirement.
Halton is survived by daughters Carolyn Hornberger, Valerie LaCommare, and Kate Walker; son, Dean Axtell; eleven grandchildren; brothers Silas '52, Dan, and Ashley; and several nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73123.
Edward G. Koran '53, on September 22, 2007, of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. Edward, seventy-five, lived in Phoenix, Arizona.
Edward was a political science major and played varsity baseball. He served two years in the Army after being drafted in 1953. Edward moved to Phoenix and prospered in a long career with Merrill Lynch & Company, retiring as a senior financial consultant. Edward wrote poetry and short stories and was a master joke teller. He also enjoyed fishing, golf, scuba diving, tennis, and water skiing.
In an e-mail to the College in 2000, Edward wrote, "I found myself humming some old school songs, and recalled my dismay when the kids at the alumni gathering said that they don't sing at Kenyon as much as we used to. Well, of course, when the student body was all-male, what else was there to do … but sing like lonesome tomcats?
"Still, I think something good has been lost."
Edward is survived by his wife, Ann; daughter, Tiffany Marsitto; sons Jeffrey and James Koran; two grandchildren; and sister, Millie Gange.
James M. Soden '57, on September 1, 2007. James, who lived in Walla Walla, Washington, died in his sleep at seventy-seven.
James was a member of the Archon Society. A German major, he earned a master's degree in the language from Harvard University after graduating from Kenyon. While at Kenyon, he described his principal recreation as music, and he was a talented pianist. James was a professor of foreign languages and literatures (German) at Whitman College in Walla Walla from 1964 until he retired in 2005. He had been a department chair and was active in many college committees. He continued to teach independent studies courses in philosophy and literature after his retirement. James was a dog lover and a bird watcher with a keen interest in the natural world. He supported efforts to restore natural habitats in Walla Walla County.
A friend and colleague, Robert Tobin, Cushing Eells Professor and chair of the Department of Humanities and Arts at Whitman, said, "His undergraduate education was at Kenyon College, where he was deeply inspired by the intellectual and creative energies that the small liberal arts college can unleash. I believe he always wanted to re-create that spirit here." James played piano for hours a day and loved to attend opera performances in Seattle, Tobin said.
James is survived by his brother, Pat, and a niece and nephew. Contributions in James's memory can be made to the Blue Mountain Humane Society, 7 E. George Street, Walla Walla, Washington, 99362, and to the Cagley Fund at Whitman College, 345 Boyer Avenue, Walla Walla, Washington, 99362.
Barton Hoexter '58, on June 3, 2007. The resident of Great Neck and Manhattan, New York, was seventy.
Barton was a member of Phi Delta Epsilon. He graduated with a degree in biology and went on to George Washington University School of Medicine, where he earned an M.D. in 1962. Barton undertook his internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and remained there for residential work. From 1964-66, he served in the U.S. Public Health Service as a surgeon. Upon his return to Mount Sinai to continue residency, Barton became interested in the specialty of colon and rectal surgery and began a practice in that field in 1970 in Great Neck, New York. Barton contributed to education on colon and rectal surgery though video presentations, book chapters, and forty-one publications. He was president of the New York Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Northeastern Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Barton served on the board of directors of the Nassau-Suffolk Division of the American Cancer Society for fifteen years. He was repeatedly named a "best doctor" by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. and Town & Country. He retired in 2005 but remained active in his field.
Those close to Barton describe him as a role model for many surgeons who are in practice today, an indefatigable professional with a kind and generous spirit.
Barton is survived by his wife, Nadya; children, Kenneth, Jill, and Laura Hoexter; and stepson, Leland Snaider.
John A. McCurdy '59, on September 14, 2007. The St. Louis, Missouri, resident was seventy.
John, a history major, joined Beta Theta Pi and played baseball, basketball, and golf. Later in life he played golf, tennis, and volleyball, and held a membership in the United States Volleyball Association. He built a career as president and owner of the Shield Packaging Company in St. Louis. In a note to the College in 1991, John, then retired, said, "Kenyon gave me the background, and hard work (gave me) the results."
John is survived by his wife, Sharon; daughters Stacey Wyett and Whitney Schroder; son, John McCurdy; and ten grandchildren.
Thomas R.B. Waylett '63, on May 10, 2007, of cancer. He was sixty-six and lived on Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
Thomas was a member of Delta Tau Delta. In 1966, Thomas began a thirty-five year career with Marsh & McLennan Companies, a professional-services business in New York City. In 1982, Thomas was named managing director of budget and finance of the Consulting and Financial Services Group of Marsh & McLennan. He was later named chairman of Mercer Consulting Group, a Marsh & McLennan subsidiary, and became responsible for all mergers and acquisitions for all Mercer companies. Thomas served on the board of Marsh & McLennan, and was credited with building the management consulting arm of the company. Upon retirement in 1998, he and his wife moved to Kiawah Island, where he was able to pursue his true passion, golf.
Thomas is survived by his wife, Karen; son, Matthew Waylett; daughter, Cherie Waylett Merryman; four grandchildren; and his mother, Frances Waylett.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Charleston Breast Center, 1930 Charlie Hall Boulevard, Charleston, South Carolina, 29414; the Hospice of Charleston, 3870 Leeds Avenue, Suite 101, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29405; or the Kiawah Island Conservancy, 23 Beachwalker Drive, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, 29455.
Dwain McKinzie '65, on July 21, 2007. The resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sixty-four.
Dwain was a member of Delta Phi. He graduated with a degree in English. In 1969, Dwain became the production coordinator in the consumer electronics division at RCA Corporation, where he worked for several years. Later, he joined the Buehler Corporation as production control expeditor. Dwain continued to be active in his fraternity's affairs after graduation.
William F. Heinlen '66, on September 3, 2007. William, sixty-six, was a resident of Bois Blanc Island, Michigan.
William was a history major at Kenyon and went on to earn master's degrees at the University of Michigan, in history, and at Case Western Reserve University, in library science. He became a reference librarian at the Henry Madden Library at California State University, Fresno, in 1970 and was, for a time, head of the reference department before he retired in 1998.
A former colleague at Fresno, librarian Colleen Mitchell, said William was an innovative administrator who helped modernize the library. "Bill was good with everybody," Mitchell said. "He was definitely the most well-educated and intellectual person on the staff. Kenyon College was important to him. I heard a good deal about it."
One of his passions, she said, was "clear, functional prose." Another was sailing. He built a boat and was skilled at single-handed sailing and once sailed to Hawaii. He wrote Celestial Navigation in Plain English, which was published in 1991. After retiring, William often spent winter months in Ireland, taking time to visit Paris, France, a city he loved.
Barry W. Bellinger '67, on July 3, 2007. The Washington, D.C., resident was sixty-three.
Barry was a member of the Archon Society. He graduated with a degree in music. In 1967, he began a career at the Library of Congress as a searcher-trainee. He later became co-editor of LCPA Broadside, a publication of the Library of Congress Professional Association, and then senior editor of the classification editorial section. Barry was a member of the Daniel A.P. Murray African-American Culture Association, an employee organization at the Library of Congress for which he did writing and editing. Barry's longtime friends note that he frequented Washington galleries and was well known in the contemporary arts scene.
Barry is survived by his mother, Lenore Bellinger. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73123.
Howard A. Levy '67, on September 26, 2007, of complications from cancer. The Shaker Heights, Ohio, resident was sixty-two.
Howard was a member of Beta Theta Pi and worked on the Kenyon Collegian. He graduated cum laude in English and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Howard began his coursework for a law degree at the University of Chicago Law School but decided to teach at a Cleveland middle school. He earned a master's in education from John Carroll University in 1969. He later resumed law studies and graduated from Case Western University Law School in 1972. Howard became a partner at the Persky Marken Koenigsberg and Shapiro firm before joining the Benesch Friedlander Coplan and Aronoff firm about twenty-five years ago. At Benesch Friedlander, Howard was chair of the labor and employment practice group for more than twenty years. Howard was an outspoken critic of prejudice and discrimination in employment and was involved in the Anti-Defamation League. He served as chair of the ADL civil rights committee for six years before being elected chairman of the ADL for the Ohio/Kentucky/Allegheny region in 1999. Howard's daughter, Erica, married television journalist Geraldo Rivera.
Howard is survived by his wife, Nancy; son, Joshua Levy; daughter, Erica Rivera; three grandchildren; mother, Joan Levy; and brother, Kenneth Levy. Contributions in Howard's memory may be made to the Anti-Defamation League/Cleveland Chapter, 505 Terminal Tower, Cleveland, Ohio, 44113; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065; or Temple-Tifereth Israel, 26000 Shaker Boulevard, Beachwood, Ohio, 44122.
Rev. Christopher T. Connell '68, on April 23, 2007. The Miami, Oklahoma, resident was sixty.
Christopher was a member of Sigma Pi. He graduated cum laude with a degree in drama. At Kenyon, he was on the board of directors of the Kenyon College Drama Club and an active member of the Hill Players. He was involved in seven productions, including The Old Glory, as Endicott, and directed The Dumb Waiter, among others, and also participated in the Gambier Summer Playhouse. Christopher joined the special services division of the Air Force and completed basic training in 1969. He received a master's in theater arts at the University of Michigan in 1973. Christopher continued his education at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was ordained after receiving a master's in divinity in 1974. Christopher then began work as curate at the Parish of Christ Redeemer in Pelham Manor, New York. In 1975, he left Pelham for Metuchen, New Jersey, where he was named associate minister. He continued his career as a minister at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Hammonton, New Jersey; St. Raphael's the Archangel Church in Brick, New Jersey; and All Saint's Episcopal Church in Great Neck, New York. While at St. Mark's, he served the Diocese of New Jersey as director of Youth Ministries. After retiring from full-time parish ministry, he served as collections manager for the Museum of the American Numismatic Association in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In Oklahoma, he served as supply priest to St. Martin of Tours in Pryor and St. Basil's in Tahlequah. Christopher's interest in drama never faded, and he joined the Miami Little Theater and appeared in several productions.
Christopher is survived by his wife, Susan; son, Adam Connell; daughter, Garie Connell; mother, Vivienne Connell; and sisters Meris Connell Sparrow and Tara Connell Zuckerman.
B. Leslie Koch '72, on October 26, 2007. The Cincinnati, Ohio, resident was fifty-seven.
An English major, Leslie embarked on a career in international publishing after he earned a master's in marketing from the University of Michigan in 1979. Leslie traveled widely, lived in cities around the globe, and spoke several languages. He was European sales manager at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich; Asia/Pacific regional manager for John Wiley and Sons; executive vice president of Thomas Nelson Australia; and director of international sales and marketing for Houghton Mifflin Co. Much of his work in publishing involved working with international education ministers to help create strategic alliances and develop reorganization plans for academic-publishing companies. He most recently was a sales manager in the hospitality industry.
Leslie appreciated books, fine wine, and music. He favored classical compositions when playing the piano.
Leslie is survived by sons Brian and Cameron Koch; mother, Evelyn Koch; father, Robert Koch; sisters Bobi Jean Donathan and Lisa Joan Smith; and a brother, Tobin Koch.
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