Obituaries
Wes Tutchings '61, the face of financial aid at Kenyon for many alumni, dies at sixty-three
Long-time Kenyon administrator P. Wesley Tutchings '61, the face of financial aid at the College for generations of students and their families, died Thursday, December 12, 2002, after a brief illness. He was sixty-three and a resident of Norwalk, Ohio.
Born in Norwalk on August 27, 1939, a son of Maxine Jacobs Tutchings and Paul R. Tutchings, Wes graduated from Norwalk High School in 1957 and entered Kenyon in the fall of that year as a member of the Class of 1961. As a student at the College, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi, the football and wrestling teams, and Student Council. During his senior year, Wes served as president of the Student Assembly.
Following graduation, Wes took a teaching position at Western Reserve High School near Wakeman, Ohio. Two years later, in 1963, he moved to Norwalk Junior High School in his hometown. In 1964, Wes returned to Kenyon, serving first as a member of the admissions staff and then as an assistant director of admissions. He soon took on the duties of financial-aid director as well, holding the titles of director of scholarships and student aid and director of student employment for many years. In his almost three decades of distributing scholarship funds, Wes saw the College's financial-aid budget increase from less than $500,000 to more than $3.5 million.
Wes retired in November 1990, after more than twenty-six years at Kenyon. The previous year had been a difficult one for him, with the death of his father and an uncle and health problems of his own, brought on in part by the stresses of his job, and he decided it was time to leave the post with which he had been so closely identified. In his letter of resignation, Wes cited his "declining degree of personal and professional satisfaction" and noted that he hoped to "devote time to family concerns and explore other professional opportunities."
The abrupt departure took many at the College by surprise. Former Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid John W. Anderson, who accepted Wes's resignation with "deep regret," called him a "mainstay of Kenyon's admissions and financial-aid operations" and said that "his diligence, his wit, and most of all his knowledge will be sorely missed." Former President Philip H. Jordan Jr. summed up Wes's distinguished career in one sentence: "Despite the restrictions imposed by the College's limited financial-aid budget, Wes labored mightily and quite successfully to meet the demands of an exacting personal tenet: No qualified student should be denied a Kenyon education for financial reasons."
After leaving the College, Wes worked at a market in Norwalk and at Huron County Services for the Aging. To the dismay of his many friends in Gambier, he failed to maintain ties even to those with whom he was closest. "Have you heard anything about Wes?" became a common refrain whenever his old friends met; any bit of news about him was eagerly received. The news of his death, from pneumonia, was greeted with real sadness and the sense, once again, of a great loss.
"As a prospective college student, as a student at Kenyon, as his colleague on the administrative staff, and most especially as his friend, I had the pleasure of getting to know Wes well over the years," says Donald J. Omahan '70, the College's dean of students. "At each point along the road, Wes was an extremely kind, considerate, and caring person. He was always willing to give of his time to others; you could always count on Wes to be there to lend a hand, offer an ear, or give good advice. No matter what the circumstances, you could always look forward to Wes's smile, to his wonderful sense of humor, to his knowing looks. So many of us will be forever indebted to Wes for what he gave to us and to Kenyon."
Wes is survived by a brother, Terry Tutchings; a sister, Sondra Schoenegge; and several nieces and nephews, including Donna Schoenegge Norfolk '78 and Paul W. Schoenegge '79.
Memorial contributions may be made to Kenyon College in care of the Office of Development, College Relations Center, Gambier, Ohio 43022-9623.
Former trustee David Jasper '38 dies at eighty-six
David Westwater Jasper Jr. '38 H'83, trustee emeritus and long-time benefactor and volunteer, died January 11, 2003, at the age of eighty-six. Dave, who retired as senior vice president of corporate planning and development of the Carrier Corporation, was a resident of Davidson, North Carolina. He had suffered from blindness and ill health in recent years.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Dave was born August 31, 1916, a son of Lottie Evans Jasper and David W. Jasper. He grew up in Washington, D.C.; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; and Glencoe and Winnetka, Illinois. Dave entered Kenyon from Winnetka's New Trier High School in the fall of 1934.
Dave majored in chemistry and English at the College, graduating summa cum laude and winning election to Phi Beta Kappa. One of the founding editors of the literary magazine Hika, he served as president of Student Assembly, Senior Council, and Beta Theta Pi. Dave played baseball, basketball, football, and tennis and, in his senior year, served as co-captain of the football team. He won the E. Malcolm Anderson Cup in 1937 as the student who had done the most for Kenyon during the previous year.
After graduation, Dave went on to earn his law degree from Northwestern University in 1941. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946, with assignments as an instructor at the Fort Benning Infantry School, as a military intelligence officer at the Chinese Language School, and as a staff trial judge advocate in the Judge Advocate General Corps.
Dave was an associate with the Chicago, Illinois, law firm of MacLeish, Spray, Price, and Underwood (later Scott, MacLeish, and Falk) from 1941 to 1953. He joined the Carrier Corporation in Syracuse, New York, in 1953, where he rose to vice president and general counsel and head of the law division before taking on his responsibilities in corporate planning and development. Dave retired in 1978.
Active in community life throughout his career, Dave was a director or trustee of numerous corporations, groups, and institutions, including the Carrier Foundation, Manlius Pebble Hill School, the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse, Onondaga Savings Bank, the Republican Citizens Committee of Onondaga County, and Wells and Coverly Company. His interest in health-care issues led him to take volunteer leadership roles with the Central New York Health Planning Agency, Community Health Information and Planning Services, the New York State Health Planning Council Advisory Board, and Syracuse Community General Hospital.
In 1962, Sports Illustrated presented Dave with a Silver Anniversary All-American Award in football in recognition of his accomplishments in college and during his subsequent career. The selection committee wrote to Dave, "You have done and continue to do your chosen work quietly and well." Among the others honored that year was U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White, who played college football at the University of Colorado.
Dave won election to the College's Board of Trustees as an alumni trustee in 1967. After his second three-year term ended in 1974, he became a trustee at-large until his retirement from the board in 1980. Dave also served as president of the Kenyon Alumni Association of Central New York in 1962, as a member of Alumni Council, and for many years as agent for the Class of 1938.
At Honors Day in 1983, the College conferred on Dave an honorary doctor of laws degree in recognition of "a life of achievement." The citation for the degree noted, "You illustrate so well the ideal of liberal education that the College might well be accused of fabrication if the evidence were not so clear."
Dave is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Eleanor Osborn Jasper; two daughters, Sara Jasper Cook and Mary Jasper Walter; two sons, David W. Jasper III and Kenneth Jasper; eleven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Kenyon College, Office of Development, College Relations Center, Gambier, Ohio 43022-9623.
Clifford Resor Jr. 1928 on August 25, 1992. He was eighty-seven and a resident of Tucson, Arizona.Clifford attended Kenyon for one semester. He was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity.
No information regarding survivors is available.
Rev. Dr. Frank G. Ireland '35 on November 11, 2002, of a heart attack. He was ninety-five and a resident of Escanaba, Michigan.
After receiving his bachelor's degree from Kenyon, Frank went on to attend Seaberry Western College in Evanston, Illinois, and Bexley Hall in Gambier, where he received his bachelor of divinity degree. He earned a master's degree in psychology and a doctorate in education at the University of Michigan.
Frank taught at Kent State University, Akron University, and Ferris State University as a professor of psychology. In addition, he was the minister of several Episcopal churches and in retirement served as a substitute minister in Michigan churches. A sports fan, Frank was a sports writer for the Flint Journal and a scorekeeper for basketball games at Ferris State.
Frank is survived by his wife, Dorothy; two daughters, Patricia Wildey and Lori Ireland; two sons, Richard and John Ireland; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Merlin E. Ake Jr. '37 on December 13, 2001. He was eighty-six and a resident of Pensacola, Florida.
At Kenyon, Merlin played polo and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II in Europe and the Pacific. He earned a Bronze Star and was discharged with the rank of captain.
After a career in manufacturing management, Merlin retired to Florida and a second career as a management consultant.
He is survived by three sons, Merlin E. III, Richard T. and Robert W. Ake.
Walter E. Kirijan '37 on September 15, 2002, of congestive heart failure. He was eighty-seven and a resident of Waverly, Pennsylvania.
At Kenyon, Walter was an All-American Honorable Mention football player and a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Walter was an industrial engineer with Owen Illinois Glass Company before moving to the Scranton area, where he was vice president and general manager of Arlington Industries for more than thirty years.
Walter is survived by his wife of sixty-five years, Beatrice Caruso Kirijan; a daughter, Arlene Kirijan Spinka; two sons, Walter R. and Fred J. Kirijan; four grandsons and one granddaughter; two sisters, Jeannette Kirijan Novak and Dorothy Kirijan Jones; and several nieces and nephews.
Frederick W. Doepke '38 on September 22, 2002. He was eighty-six and a resident of Greenwich, Connecticut.
An English major at Kenyon, Fritz was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity.
Following his graduation from Kenyon, Fritz was employed by Carson, Pirie, and Scott department store in Chicago, Illinois. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II.
After the war, Fritz returned to his hometown of Cincinnati to join with his brother in founding the Charles Wm. Doepke Manufacturing Company, which produced nationally known toys under the registered trademark of Model Toys. The steel toys were miniatures of off-the-road construction equipment and fire-fighting equipment, as well as popular foreign sports-car kits. As his company prospered, it acquired Nebel Machine Tool Company, and Fritz became executive vice president in charge of marketing. The parent company expanded its operations to include the manufacturing and marketing of a line of small-parts-materials handling equipment.
Fritz was president of the Toy Manufacturers Association and served for nine years on its board of directors.
After the toy company was sold, Fritz moved to Connecticut, where he was assistant to the president of the Diamond-Gardner Corporation. In 1965, he was cofounder of the Pension Selection Corporation in New York City and in 1975 a founding partner of Webber and Doepke, an affiliate broker-dealer doing business as
W&D Equities Corp. He was chairman of both firms and a general partner in a number of real-estate partnerships. From 1990 until his retirement in January 2001, Fritz was a partner emeritus of the financial consulting firm Jefferson Financial Group of Stamford, Connecticut.
Fritz was a trustee of the First Congregational Church of Old Greenwich and on the boards of the Red Cross, the Greenwich Symphony, and Greenwich Health.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-six years, Margaret Lillard Doepke; three daughters, Margaret Van Hook, Diane Voigt, and Page D. Flournoy; a son, Frederick W. Doepke II; and five grandchildren, Emily S. Van Hook '01, John F. Voigt, Caroline S. Voigt, Andrew L. Flournoy, and Lindsay P. Flournoy. He was predeceased by two brothers, Charles W. and Robert P. Doepke '36.
Memorial contributions may be made to Greenwich Hospital Home Care or Cardiac Rehab, 5 Perryridge Road, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830.
Robert A. Gulick Jr. 1938 on August 26, 2002, of congestive heart failure and complications following a stroke. He was eighty-five and a resident of Pacific Palisades, California.
Robert spent one year at Kenyon. He was a member of Psi Upsilon and played football during his brief stay at the College. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.
Upon graduation from the Naval Academy in 1939, Robert received his commission as ensign and began his military service in the prewar Hawaiian Detachment aboard the heavy cruiser USS Minneapolis. In 1941, he was posted to Pensacola, Florida, where he received flight training. His wartime duty was served with Squadron 9 aboard the carrier USS Essex, first as a torpedo bomber, and later as flight-deck officer and assistant air officer.
Following the war, he changed the focus of his naval career to business and finance and spent two years earning his M.B.A. at Harvard.
After twenty-seven years in the Navy, Robert retired in 1962 with the rank of captain. He worked for Aerojet General before joining Dean Witter and Company in Santa Monica, California. He retired in 1987.
Robert is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Sally Iredell Gulick; a son, Robert A. Gulick III; two daughters, Susan Curry and Sally Ann; two grandchildren, Dana Gulick Barker and Ryan Gulick; and two brothers, George W. Gulick and John E. Gulick. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice.
John A. Silver '40 on October 27, 2002. He was eighty-four and a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio.
John served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was active in the Winton Place VFW. He served as a volunteer at the Cincinnati Zoo for eighteen years.
He is survived by his wife, Minerva Barrowcliff Silver; two daughters, Dorothy Cotter and Martha Torrance; a son, Jay Silver; a son-in-law, Robert Martin; and grandchildren Kelly and Jenny Silver, Matthew and Brendon Cotter, Elizabeth and Amy Martin, and Katie, Emily, and Molly Torrance. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, Ohio Valley Chapter, 5455 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43214 or St. Stephen's Episcopal Church memorial fund, 9191 Daly Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231.
Edward J. Whitcher Jr. '40 on November 17, 2002. He was eighty-four and a resident of Leawood, Kansas.
At Kenyon, Ed was a member of the varsity track team and played intramural basketball and golf. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.
Ed was an insurance sales manager with Wausau Insurance Companies until his retirement in 1980. He was active in civic affairs and served on the board of directors of the homeowners association in both Leawood and his winter home in Sun City, Arizona.
He is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Margaret Wright Whitcher; two daughters, Sheridan Wobus and Margaret Whitcher; a son, Edward W. Whitcher; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kenyon Fund, Kenyon College, Office of Alumni and Parent Programs, Gambier, Ohio 43022.
James G. Jenkins 1941 on August 28, 2002. He was eighty-three and a resident of Greeneville, Tennessee.
At Kenyon, Jim was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. He transferred to the University of New Hampshire, where he earned his degree. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps reserves during World War II.
Jim was a retired loss-control engineer with Continental Insurance Company.
He is survived by his wife, Jean Howard Jenkins.
Rev. Sanford C. Lindsey '48 on September 19, 2002, of coronary artery disease. He was eighty-eight and a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Sandy left Woodward High School in Cincinnati at the age of fifteen to help support his mother and siblings during the Great Depression. He served with the Army Air Corps during World War II, suffering significant hearing loss. After the war, the rector of Christ Church Parish in Cincinnati drove him to Kenyon to take an admission test even though he possessed no high-school diploma. He passed the test and was admitted.
While at Kenyon, Sandy was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He was the recipient of the E. Malcolm Anderson Cup in 1947. Sandy went on to graduate from the Episcopal Theological School at Harvard in 1950 and received a master of science in education from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., in 1964.
In addition to assignments as rector for several parishes in Ohio and Florida, Sandy served as chaplain at Phillips Andover Academy in Massachusetts in 1950 and assistant to the dean and museum curator of the Washington National Cathedral from 1964 to 1971. He was curator of the Mary Johnston Museum in London, Ohio, from 1973-1975. He retired in 1995 from St. Luke's Parish in Sayler Park, Ohio.
Sandy is survived by nieces and nephews.
Stanley R. Day '48 on June 15, 2002, unexpectedly while attending a family reunion in San Diego, California. He was seventy-seven and a resident of Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
At Kenyon, Stan was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity and enjoyed intramural sports.
For twenty-six years, Stan was chairman of Michigan-based Champion Home Builders, the world's largest producer of manufactured homes. He retired in 1992. Prior to joining Champion, he was president of the Aluminum Alloy Company, a family business in Detroit, which was sold in 1966. With his three sons, he founded SRAM Corp., now the world's second-largest bicycle-component manufacturing company. Stan was on the board until his death.
He also served on the boards of Comshare, Convergence Technology, the Northwest Paper Company, the Michigan Forestry Association, and Ducks Unlimited. He was a trustee of the University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.
He is survived by a daughter, Vivian Day; three sons, Lincoln W., Frederick K., and Stanley R. Day Jr., and two grandchildren, Christopher and Elizabeth Stroh. Memorial contributions may be made to the Forest History Society, 701 William Vickers, Durham, North Carolina 27701, or LocalMotion, an environmental group, 343 South Main Street, Suite 206, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104.
Alva B. Van Dyke 1948 on October 2, 2002. He was seventy-five and a resident of Nappanee, Indiana.
Al attended Kenyon for one year and then transferred to Purdue University, where he earned a degree in forestry. While at Kenyon, he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Al was retired as a real-estate salesman for Hopewell Realty Company.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanette Bowser Van Dyke; three daughters, Karen Stichten, Jane Shevlot, and Ann Bivans; and a son, David Van Dyke.
Charles W. Moorman III '49 on May 3, 1996. He was seventy and a resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas.
After graduating from Kenyon, Charles went on to earn master's and doctoral degrees in English at Tulane University. He joined the faculty of the University of Southern Mississippi in 1954. At USM, he served as chairman of the English department for twelve years, was dean of the USM graduate school for two years, and then served as academic vice president for twelve years before stepping down in 1980 in order to return to full-time teaching and research. He retired in 1990.
Charles was married to Ruth Glindmeyer and had two sons, Charles W. Moorman IV and Joseph R. Moorman. It is not known if they survive him.
Rev. Canon James C. Wattley 1949 on July 23, 2002. He was seventy-six and a resident of Mandeville, Louisiana.
Jim graduated in 1947 from Tulane University under the Navy V-12 program with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He trained at Allis Chalmers Corporation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but soon realized that engineering was not the career path he wanted to pursue. He then enrolled at Kenyon to prepare for admission to seminary. He chose Kenyon on the advice of his father, Rev. Donald H. Wattley 1917.
At Kenyon, Jim was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. After two years at Kenyon, he entered Nashotan House Episcopal Seminary in Nashotan, Wisconsin, to prepare for the priesthood.
For the ten years prior to his retirement in 1991, Jim served as Canon to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Long Island, New York.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia; two daughters, Evelyn A. Terrebonne and Catherine C. Robb; and a son, Geoffrey J. Wattley.
Paul K. Conn '51 on October 16, 2002. He was seventy-three and a resident of Clayton, North Carolina.
Paul was a member of Delta Phi fraternity and the Kenyon Klan, and he played both football and lacrosse. Paul went on to earn a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at Kansas State University.
He began his career with General Electric in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1954. In 1969, he moved to Lewiston, New York, where he worked for Bell Aerospace until his retirement in 1991.
Survivors include his wife, Janice; two daughters, Kathryn Finkbeiner and Laura Conn; a son, David K. Conn; four grandchildren, Christopher and Sarah Conn and Stephanie and Julie Finkbeiner; a sister, Bernice Smalley; and two brothers, Richard and Jacob Conn. Memorial contributions may be made to Kenyon College, Office of Development, Gambier, Ohio 43022-9623 or Horne Memorial United Methodist Church building fund, 121 East Second Street, Clayton, North Carolina 27520.
James H. Gray 1951 on June 30, 2000. He was seventy-three and a resident of Payson, Arizona.
Jim was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity during his two years at Kenyon. Douglas W. Downey '51 recalls, "Jim was my roommate during the fall semester of 1948. He was a pilot and took me on my first airplane ride ever. I was fully confident of his abilities until we left the ground. Then I was terrified."
After working for Corning Glass Works for twenty-four years, Jim and his family moved to New Hampshire, where he worked for a number of ham radio magazines as editor, writer, and advertising manager. In 1987, they moved to Arizona, where Jim edited and published his own magazine.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy; one daughter, Linda Gray; and one son, James Gray.
Malcolm I. MacGregor Jr. 1952 on June 25, 2002, of myotonic muscular dystrophy. He was seventy-three and a resident of Richmond, Kentucky.
Malcolm attended Kenyon for one year. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University.
He was retired as a teacher with the Oxford Community Schools. Survivors include his wife, Betty; a daughter, Jean A. MacGregor-Knight; and a grandson, Scott MacGregor-Knight. Memorial contributions may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, P.O. Box 78342, Phoenix, Arizona 85062-8342.
Tildon H. McMasters 1953 on November 14, 2002. He was seventy and a resident of Louisville, Kentucky.
Til came to Kenyon on a George F. Baker Scholarship. He served as president of his first-year class and later was rush chairman for Delta Tau Delta fraternity. A varsity tennis player for three years, he also was on the debate team and was editor of The Collegian. He majored in English and graduated magna cum laude, winning the Henry Dalton Fellowship for graduate study. He went on to earn a law degree from Harvard University. He served in the U.S. Army.
Til worked for many years as an insurance adjuster in Florida. In 1999 he retired to Louisville, where he practiced law and continued to play tennis in senior competitions.
Survivors include his wife, Muriel Richburg McMasters; two daughters, Michelle McMasters and Meredith McMasters Dreher; and one grandson, Bryce Allen Dreher. Memorial contributions may be made to the Junior Tennis Program, Kentucky Tennis Association, 3703 Taylorsville Road, Suite 103, Louisville, Kentucky 40219 or to the Shamrock Foundation, Greyhound Placement, P.O. Box 99811, Louisville, Kentucky 40269-0811.
Allen F. Murphy '53 on August 19, 2002, of a brain tumor. He was seventy and a resident of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
Allen was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. He played varsity lacrosse and various intramural sports. Allen went on to earn master's and doctoral degrees from Ohio State University. He served with the U.S. Navy for three years in the 1950s and remained in the Naval Reserve, retiring with the rank of lieutenant commander after twenty years.
He was a professor of languages and culture at Bloomsburg University from 1972 until his retirement in 1991. Previously, he was a Spanish professor at Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana, and he taught at several other colleges and universities in Ohio.
From 1985 to 1989 and again from 1992 to 1994, he and his wife served as educational missionaries in Caracas, Venezuela.
At the time of his death, Allen was serving as vicar of Family of Christ Lutheran Church in Bloomsburg, a position he held since 1997. He delivered his last sermon on July 21, 2002, just a month before his death. Allen was a member of the Distance Education Leading to Ordination (DELTO) program of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
He is survived by his wife of almost forty-nine years, Gene Russell Murphy; a daughter, Margaret L. Murphy; three sons, Allen F. III, Russel S., and John S. Murphy; five grandchildren; and a sister, Lillian G. Vickers. Memorial contributions may be made to Family of Christ Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 202, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815, or Loving Choices, 300 Chestnut Avenue, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 17815.
Philip C. Nunn III 1955 on October 19, 2002. He was sixty-nine and a resident of Comstock Park, Michigan.
Phil was a student at Kenyon from 1951-1953, leaving to enlist in the Air Force. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. Phil later earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at Aquinas College and did graduate work at Western Michigan University.
He worked for Lear Siegler as a project coordinator and then for National Sanitation Foundation as a social-systems analyst. In the 1980s he joined DeVry Institute of Technology as associate academic dean and master of project management systems. He joined Planned Technologies of Detroit in 1990, retiring in 1993. In retirement, Phil concentrated on writing fiction centering on Native American culture and the history of the Great Lakes.
Phil is survived by his wife of forty-nine years, Hildegarde Bauer Nunn; three daughters, Annette Guirlinger, Catherine Trasky, and Margaret Anthonijis; a son, Christopher Nunn; and grandchildren Matthew Trasky, Scott and Ryan Guirlinger, and Samantha Anthonijis.
Eugene L. Miller H'77 on May 14, 2001. He was eighty-two and a resident of Brenham, Texas.
Eugene was the chairman of Cooper Industries Inc. He joined the company in 1946 as a project engineer, holding various positions as an engineer until 1956, when, at the age of thirty-seven, he was named general manager and elected to the board of directors. He became president in 1957, chief executive officer in 1959, and chairman of the board in 1967. Eugene served as a director of Buckeye International, Inc., and HydroTech International, Inc. as well as on the boards of various nonprofit institutions.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, he earned his bachelor of science degree in engineering from Oklahoma State University. During World War II, he served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the European Theater and was discharged with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was inducted into the Oklahoma State University Engineering Hall of Fame in 1967. Eugene was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree by Grove City College in 1969 and an honorary doctor of laws degree by Kenyon in 1977.
Eugene is survived by his wife, Doris.
Mary H. McGowan on November 22, 2002. She was ninety-five and a resident of the Country Club Retirement Campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
A poetry lover, McGowan was the widow of Stuart Rice McGowan '28, a professor in the College's history and political science departments from 1930 through 1971.
"I've had a love affair with Kenyon College for sixty years," wrote Mary McGowan in a 1995 letter to the Alumni Bulletin. She recalled with fondness horseback rides with William F. Peirce while he was Kenyon's president, playing badminton in Rosse Hall, and performing in many drama department productions before women were admitted to the College.
She is survived by her son William H. McGowan '53, and six grandchildren including Richard S. McGowan '75 and Lynn M. McGowan '76, as well as six great-grandchildren. Another son, Ronald, died in 1976.
Do you have feedback on this page?