Class Notes
’10s
Anastasiya Volkova '19 joined the Baltimore office of Quinn Evans Architects as a staff designer.
Tyler Page Ph.D. '18 received the Top Paper Award in public relations from the National Communication Association for his work on post-crisis communication. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Mississippi State University.
Arthur Moses '17 was a winner of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research 2019 Next Generation Fellowships in the public policy fellowship. The program supports graduate students from underrepresented communities in their careers as Earth system scientists. Moses is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and earned his undergraduate degree in geography.
Katherine Nerud '17 was accepted into the Peace Corps in North Macedonia and began 27 months of service in September.
William Tilburg M.P.H. '17 was named director of the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission. Tilburg previously served as the commission's director of government affairs and policy. He took over as acting executive director in September.
Jacques Benchimol '16 joined the Siegfried Group’s Florida market as a senior associate. Benchimol was most recently a senior audit associate at BDO.
Jennifer Kouo Ph.D. '16 was a recipient of the Daily Record's 2019 Leading Women Award. She is visiting assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at Towson University.
Alex Davidson '15 was named director of media relations for the Beer Institute, one of the nation’s oldest trade associations representing America’s brewers, beer importers and industry suppliers. Davidson most recently worked for U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell of Michigan as his communications director. Before joining Rep. Mitchell’s staff, Davidson worked for U.S. Reps. Blake Farenthold of Texas and Mike Bost of Illinois.
Thomas Luginbill MBA '15 was named director of TechPort UAS Business Incubator of Southern Maryland. Techport is a key component of the Aviation Technology Park at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport, located next to the University of Maryland Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site. Luginbill came from the College of Southern Maryland, where he served as director of the Entrepreneur and Innovation Institute, was a business administration program coordinator and assistant professor. He is also chairman and co-founder of Grey Ops, a technology transfer firm established from UMD’s National Science Foundation I-Corps program.
Marissa B. Parra '15 started a new reporting job at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 in Chicago. Parra previously worked for WSET, the ABC affiliate in Lynchburg, Va., and WUSA, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C.
Michael Zilber '15 joined the law firm Carlton Fields in Miami as a member of the firm’s business litigation practice. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Miami.
Tiffany Burba '14 was appointed to serve as a board member for the Friends of the City of Raleigh Museum. Burba is an associate at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, where she helps clients negotiate technology contracts and protect their intellectual property rights. She also counsels national companies on compliance with international, federal and state privacy regulations. In addition, she maintains an active pro bono practice that recently included assisting coastal residents with FEMA and disaster relief claims.
Jamie Hyrkas '14 married Alex Skippers in Crete, Greece, on Sept. 2. More than 25 UMD alumni attended the wedding.
Tara Gerke '13 married Marcus Tomaino on Sept. 21 at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township, N.J. Gerke is a registered dietitian at ShopRite in Succasunna, N.J.
Tiffany Lethabo King Ph.D. '13 is the author of "The Black Shoals: Offshore Formations of Black and Native Studies," published by Duke University Press. King uses the shoal, an offshore geologic formation that is neither land nor sea, as metaphor, mode of critique and methodology to theorize the encounter between Black studies and Native studies and its potential to create new epistemologies, forms of practice and lines of critical inquiry.
Mary Lynn Reed MFA '13 was appointed head of Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Mathematical Sciences. Reed joins RIT following a 19-year career at the National Security Agency, where she most recently served as the chief of the Mathematics Research Group from 2016–19. She has been recognized with prestigious awards including the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Senior Professional and the National Security Agency Director’s Distinguished Service Medal.
Robert Jacoby M.I.M. '12 is the co-author of “Never Stop Dancing: A Memoir,” with John Robinette. The book is based on their conversations during the year after Robinette’s wife, Amy, was killed in a pedestrian traffic accident.
Stephen M. Underhill Ph.D. '12, associate professor of communication studies at Marshall University, published his dissertation as a book with Michigan State University Press, "The Manufacture of Consent: J. Edgar Hoover and the Rhetorical Rise of the FBI." As a Maryland student, he served as the lead reference person for declassified FBI/Department of Justice records at the National Archives II at College Park, and the book came out of that experience.
Alexandra “Ali” von Paris '12 was a recipient of the Daily Record 2019 Leading Women Award. She is the founder of Route One Apparel.
Emily Arneson '11 was appointed director of government relations at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Arneson will advance the interests and mission of the organization through local, state and federal government affairs. She will also assist with the establishment and maintenance of corporate strategies, policies and plans to align with government laws, regulations and standards. Arneson’s most recent position was as a government relations consultant with Alexander & Cleaver in Annapolis.
Melissa Brenner '11 married Maxwell Roosevelt '10 on Nov. 9 at the Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, according to The New York Times. She received a law degree from Boston College and is in-house counsel for the investment bank of Barclays. He is the director of strategy at The New York Times.
Christina R. Catherine Ph.D. '11, M.D. joined Mount Nittany Health in its neurology group. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in biomedical engineering and mathematics, as well as her master’s degree in biomedical engineering, from the University of Michigan. She earned her doctorate in bioengineering from Maryland and her medical degree from Penn State.
Anjelica Dortch '11 was a recipient of the Daily Record 2019 Leading Women Award. She is a technology policy executive at IBM.
Samantha Fowler '11 got new life out of her Maryland T-shirts when her grandmother turned 62 of them into two queen-sized quilts.
LaKisha Greenwade MBA '11 was a recipient of the Daily Record 2019 Leading Women Award. She is the founder and CEO of Lucki-Fit, a platform that empowers individuals to look and feel their best to become lucky in life and business.
Sean Pearson Naron '11 was named press secretary for Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski Jr. Naron worked as communications director for Olszewski's campaign and communications director for the late Kevin Kamenetz's campaign for governor. He also served as deputy press secretary to former Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
David Olson '11 is the new managing director at Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia. Olson previously worked for six years at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., where he served as manager of the executive office and board engagement.
Andi Perelman '11 was named a Rising Star 2019 by the Business Journals. Perelman is the Pittsburgh Penguins' senior director of new media.
Melissa Twist '11 is the new director of field hockey at AstroTurf Corp., the inventor of synthetic turf. Twist was part of three national championships and three ACC championships as a Terp. Twist coached at American University and Georgetown University, where she earned a master’s degree in sports industry management. Before coming to AstroTurf, she gained experience in managing sales and fostering growth while representing an elite level sports equipment company.
Diana Zhong '11 M.D. married Benjamin Morgan on Nov. 15 on the 41st-floor rooftop lounge of the Cirrus apartments in Seattle, according to The New York Times. Zhong is a hospital medicine physician at the University of Washington Medical Center. She received a medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Wanika Fisher '10 is the new assistant majority leader of the Maryland House of Delegates. Fisher represents District 47B in Prince George’s County.
Robert Klemko '10 joined The Washington Post as an investigative reporter in the sports department. Klemko previously worked at Sports Illustrated as a senior staff writer focusing on coverage of the National Football League, and at USA Today.
James McGarry '10, M.P.P. '11 married Hannah Kim on Sept. 14 at the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, Calif., according to The New York Times. McGarry is a senior renewable energy analyst with the California Public Utilities Commission.
Alexander Meyer '10 married Samantha Chassin on Oct. 26 at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a restaurant in Tarrytown, N.Y., according to The New York Times. The couple met at Case Western Reserve University, where each received a law degree. Meyer is the director for business development in the group practice for doctors at the hospitals and clinical operations of Jefferson Health in Philadelphia.
Joseph Rothleutner '10 is the new director of horticulture and facilities at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. He previously served as the director of horticulture at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Under his tenure, the zoo achieved accreditation as an arboretum.
’00s
Joy Lee '09 was named counsel for the 2020 Republican National Convention. She oversees the legal operations of the convention and ensures full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Prior to this role, Lee served as counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration.
Robyn Loube '09 was named vice president of East Coast operations for Sensis, the agency of record for the nation’s largest independent federally qualified community health center. Loube oversees offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Little Rock, Ark.
Shan Rajiv Shah '09 joined Outten & Golden LLP’s Washington, D.C., office. Prior to joining the firm, Shah represented private and public sector employees victimized by discrimination and whistleblowing retaliation. Shah earned a law degree from Temple University.
Romney Smith M.Jour. '09 joined WKYC in Cleveland. Smith joined WKYC from WTOC in Savannah, where she served as an anchor/investigative reporter.
Francis V. Bonanno MBA '08 was named the Baltimore Business Journal’s Best in Finance, CFO Awards Recipient. He is the CFO of Urban Teachers, a four-year teacher training program that involves a year of teacher residency and three years of classroom teaching.
Dan Igo '08 is director of content for Round of a Lifetime Foundation, which was established to honor the memory of Andrew Maciey '08. The foundation provides the opportunity for those suffering from congenital heart disease and their loved ones to play a round of golf at a world-class course. The ninth recipient was Edward Johnson, who went to Scotland in October to play Carnoustie Golf Links with his father, brother and best friend.
Meletios Roussis '08 was appointed business development manager for pharmaceutical development services at Smithers, a provider of testing, consulting, information and compliance services. Roussis obtained a master’s degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins.
Jennifer Arminger '07 was a recipient of the Daily Record 2019 Leading Women Award. She is a partner at Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman, P.C.
Jaimee Holmes '07 was a recipient of the Daily Record 2019 Leading Women Award. She is a lawyer in private practice. Prior to opening her own practice, Holmes interned in the Charles County Office of the Public Defender.
Gregory Kahn '07 joined Boyd & Jenerette as partner in its construction law group. Based in the Miami area, Kahn is board-certified in construction law by the Florida bar and has been recognized by Florida Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” in the area of construction litigation every year since 2016.
Tiffani Otey '07 joined the Winston-Salem office of Kilpatrick Townsend as an associate in the firm’s intellectual property department, focusing on trademark and copyright. Otey earned her J.D. from Wake Forest University.
Mark Williams MBA '07 was named CEO of Magna Legal Services. Williams holds a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a B.A. in political science from the University of Illinois.
Mahmoud Abdelkader '06 is the co-founder and chief executive of Very Good Security, a data security startup that raised $35 million in its latest round of funding. Its Series B was led by Goldman Sachs, with participation from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz and Vertex Ventures US. Very Good Security stores user data in its secured vault and gives business customers the tools to access, edit and process it without liability.
Matthew Bosley '06, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management financial advisor, was recently named on the 2019 Forbes “Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” list, which recognizes advisors who represent the future of the industry. Bosley is a senior vice president at his firm, Merrill Lynch.
Francis “Hall” Chaney III '06, M.RED '11 was promoted to CEO of Chaney Enterprises, a Maryland company that produces ready-mix concrete, sand and gravel.
James Hogen '06 is senior vice president of asset management at Southern California–based NB Private Capital, a real estate firm specializing in student housing.
Bryant Lee '06 is co-founder and CEO of Cognition IP, which closed a $2.8 million funding round for its legal services AI. Its tools help startups obtain patents and search existing intellectual property claims.
Robert Richards MBA '06 is a 2019 Washington Business Journal C-Suite Award honoree. He is the chief financial officer at Centauri.
Jason Rizkallah '06 joined the financial planning team at McLean Asset Management as a lead adviser. He has been a practicing certified financial planner since 2014.
Junius Gonzales MBA '05, M.D. received a 2019 Diversity in Business award from Long Island Business News. Gonzales is the New York Institute of Technology’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. The awards highlight the outstanding achievements of business leaders of diverse ethnic backgrounds and those with disabilities, as well as those who actively support the growth of diversity and equality in the community.
Laurie Latuda Kinkel M.P.M. '05 joined the Baltimore Community Foundation as vice president of strategy. Most recently, Kinkel served as program officer at the Goldseker Foundation, where she oversaw nearly 350 grants totaling more than $22 million and managed an annual grant portfolio of more than $4 million. She holds a master’s degree in theology from the Catholic University of America and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton.
Nima Cleon Negahban '05 was honored with a 2019 Washington Business Journal C-Suite Award. She is the chief technology officer at Kinetica.
Vincent L. Stephens Ph.D. '05 is the author of “Rocking the Closet: How Little Richard, Johnnie Ray, Liberace, and Johnny Mathis Queered Pop Music,” published by University of Illinois Press. Stephens is director of the Popel Shaw Center at Dickinson College.
Pritpal R. Kalsi '04 is CEO of SC&H Group. He previously led the firm's business performance management practice.
Khari Parker '04 was an honoree of the Baltimore Business Journal’s 2019 40 Under 40. He is co-owner of Connie’s Chicken and Waffles.
Sarah M. Richardson '04 will be recognized at the 2020 Association for Women in Science Innovation and Inclusion Summit and Awards Dinner. Richardson, CEO of MicroByre, leads an effort she describes as using DNA to train bacteria to do tricks on command.
Mike Aziz '03 AIA, LEED AP was elevated to partner at Cooper Robertson. He is an expert on large-scale planning efforts, smart city strategies and waterfront revitalization. Aziz serves on several advisory groups focused on waterfront planning, water quality and resilience. As a partner, he joins Cooper Robertson’s management committee. A graduate of the University of Maryland and Savannah College of Art and Design, he is a registered architect in New York.
Aydin H. Harston '03, Ph.D. '07 was promoted to partner at Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C. in Washington, D.C. Harston specializes in intellectual property law with a focus on pharma and biotech patents.
Timothy Adelman MBA '02 is general counsel and chief legal officer of Luminis Health. He came from Indianapolis-based Hall, Render, Killian, Heath and Lyman, P.C., where he served as managing partner. Adelman also served on the Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors. He holds a J.D. with honors from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He earned his B.A. with honors from Franklin and Marshall College.
Ketan Babaria M.S. '02 joined Roofstock, a marketplace for investing in real estate, as chief product officer. He is formerly the head of product for LifeLock and Capital One’s D3 incubation unit. Babaria earned an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.S. in ocean engineering and naval architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology.
Danielle Dumerer M.L.S. '02 is vice president of technology at the Chicago-based Shedd Aquarium. She was previously the city of Chicago’s CIO and commissioner.
Mike Kerwin '02 was named one of Real Estate Weekly's 2019 Real Estate Dealmakers. Kerwin is senior vice president of investment sales at commercial real estate brokerage Rosewood Realty Group in New York City.
Paul Monteiro '02 was appointed assistant vice president of external affairs at Howard University. Monteiro had served as Howard’s chief of staff since 2017. He previously was associate director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement and coordinator of the White House Mentorship Program for young men attending local high schools. President Obama later appointed him as the national director of AmeriCorps VISTA. In 2015, he became head of the Community Relations Service at the U.S. Department of Justice. Currently, Monteiro serves as an appointed member of the Prince George's County Public Schools Board of Education. Monteiro is a graduate of the Howard University School of Law.
Colleen Vacelet '02 was one of Baltimore Business Journal’s 2019 40 Under 40 honorees. She is president of Intreegue Design Landscape Architecture.
Jennifer Storipan '01 was promoted to executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Washington, D.C. Storipan previously served as director of government affairs. Before that, she worked for U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty as a legal and legislative adviser and for Lowenstein Sandler LLP, and is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia. She studied law at the Ohio State University.
Allen Wolff MBA '01 is interim CEO of NTN Buzztime, a company that produces interactive entertainment across different platforms. Wolff joined Buzztime in 2014 as chief financial officer. Most recently, he was chief financial strategist at PlumDiggity. Wolff graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan.
Brian Slipakoff '00, special counsel in the Philadelphia office of Duane Morris LLP, received the 13th annual Duane Morris Pro Bono Award. Slipakoff was chosen for his successful appeal in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court of an improper juvenile resentencing, in which he clarified the legal standard for such cases in Pennsylvania. Slipakoff earned his J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center.
’90s
Bryan Lewis '99 was named chief investment officer of Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corp. He has an MBA from the University of Miami.
Akash Palkhiwala MBA '99 was named executive vice president and CFO of Qualcomm. He had been acting as interim CFO since August. He previously served as senior vice president and finance lead for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. He has worked with the company since 2001, and been part its senior finance leadership for 10 years. Prior to joining Qualcomm, he served as an analyst for KeyBank.
Margaret Pfaff Ed.D. '99 is coordinator of the master’s degree program in curriculum and instruction at McDaniel College.
Austin Smith '99 joined Houlihan Lokey, the global investment bank, as vice president in the health care group. Smith came from JMP Securities, where he advised health care clients on M&A, recapitalizations and growth equity investments. Smith holds an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University.
Eric Dahl '98 joined the Chicago office of Baird’s Private Wealth Management as vice president and financial adviser. He most recently served in the same role at UBS.
Jeffrey Rosen '98, MBA '05 was recognized by The Daily Record as one of the 2019 Most Admired CEOs. He is CEO of Rosen, Sapperstein & Friedlander, a business consultant and CPA firm.
Vandana Sinha '98 was named editor-in-chief of the Washington Business Journal. She joined the Washington Business Journal in 2006 as a reporter before becoming managing editor.
Sue Subocz M.S. '98 was named chief academic officer and provost of Walden University. She most recently served as Walden's vice provost for curriculum, product strategy, innovation and design. Subocz earned a Ph.D. in education and instructional design for online learning, as well as an M.S. in education from Capella University. She also earned an M.S. in civil engineering from UMD and a B.S. in civil engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
M. Farooq Anjum M.S. '97, Ph.D. '99 is co-founder of farming tech startup GroGuru, which raised $2.9 million in seed capital from a mix of investors, including San Diego-based Longley Capital and contributions from the San Diego Angel Conference. The Yield Lab, Mentors Fund and Right Side Capital also joined the round. GroGuru was founded by ex-Qualcomm engineer Anjum and soil scientist Jeff Campbell in 2014. It makes sensors and software that help farmers know how much water and fertilizer their crops need.
Adam Dubeck '97 was one of 10 attorneys recognized for pro bono service to the community by the state of New Jersey. He is the managing partner at the law firm of Dubeck & Miller in Morristown. Dubeck graduated from Rutgers School of Law.
Amanda Kramer '97, former assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, joined Covington's white collar defense and investigations practice in New York as a partner. Kramer served for more than 11 years as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. Most recently, she served as a senior member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Kramer graduated from Fordham University Law School.
Alicia O'Brien '97 joined King & Spalding as a partner in its government matters practice group in Washington, D.C. She was previously a partner in the Washington office of Venable. Prior to private practice, O’Brien held senior positions at the U.S. Department of Justice. O’Brien received her J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law.
James Bell MBA '97 was appointed executive vice president and chief financial officer of GameStop Corp. Bell most recently served as CFO of Wok Holdings, the parent company of P.F. Chang’s, Pei Wei and True Food Kitchen restaurants.
Pamela J. Suzadail '97 was named associate dean and executive director for online learning at the College of William and Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business. Suzadail is an alumna of UMD and Syracuse University.
Ann McCallum Staats M.Ed. '96 is the author of “Women Heroes of the U.S. Army,” published by Chicago Review Press. The book highlights the courageous, gender-defying role of 14 women soldiers—legal and not—throughout our nation’s history.
Shruti Abbato '95 joined MaxCyte, the global clinical-stage, cell-based therapies and life sciences company, as executive vice president, business development for CARMA cellular therapies. Before joining MaxCyte, Abbato served as vice president of business development at Celdara Medical. Abbato holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Troy R. Anderson MBA '95, CPA, joined Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI) as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Anderson will lead financial strategy and oversee the company's financial operations. Anderson has more than 25 years of experience in accounting, financial planning and analysis, external reporting, investor relations, expense management and financial strategy. Most recently, he was vice president and corporate controller for Conduent.
Jennifer Christman '95 married Brian Cia on Nov. 9 at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, Ark. Christman is associate editor for Arkansas Living, a magazine for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.
Francisco Gonzalez '95 was named a 2019 Washington Business Journal C-Suite Award honoree. He is co-managing director of the architectural firm Gensler.
Trina Lawrence '95 was promoted to director, business development for Navy systems and services at SRC. Most recently, she served as director, counter-UAS business development. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and studied aeronautical science and pilot training at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
Keith Nalepka '95 was appointed executive member of the board of directors of BioElectronics Corp. He was also named vice president, sales. Before entering the retail sales industry 18 years ago, he played professional baseball for several years with the Texas Rangers. He also completed a Harvard Executive Management certificate program and was a Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Innovate Scholar winner, selected by the National Science Foundation.
Brett Schulman '95 was named to the Washington Business Journal's Power 100 class of 2019. Schulman is the CEO of Cava Group.
James Benjamin Jr. '94 is the new Baltimore County attorney. He was previously a member of the Business, Litigation and EMERGE Teams at Gordon Feinblatt LLC. He is a graduate of UMD and University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
Betty Collins '94, a computer scientist at the Naval Information Warfare Center, received the Technology All-Star award for managerial leadership during the 24th Annual Women of Color Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Conference Oct. 4 in Detroit. She was recognized for her leadership of a 35-person team, which made significant contributions to Marine Corps cybersecurity.
Stacy Kula '93 joined the Steptoe & Johnson PLLC business department, practicing in the firm’s Lexington, Ky., office. She leads the firm’s hospitality and resorts team. She earned her law degree from North Carolina Central University and her LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida.
Anjula Singh '93 was promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer of SoundExchange. Singh has served as chief financial officer since 2014.
Tina Cappetta '92 is the new superintendent of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. She held the same post at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Hampton National Historic Site and Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail since 2011. Cappetta previously served as superintendent at Women’s Rights National Historical Park and was chief of interpretation and resources management at Booker T. Washington National Monument, education specialist at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve and park ranger at Colonial National Historical Park and Gettysburg National Military Park. Cappetta holds certificates in environmental policy from the George Washington University and legislative studies from the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University.
Jennifer Felix '92, CPA joined ASRC Federal as executive vice president and chief operating officer. She previously held senior executive management positions at SAIC, Vencore, Sotera and General Dynamics.
Sang Oh '90 was named to the board of directors of the University System of Maryland. Oh is a graduate of UMD and the University of Baltimore School of Law and is managing partner at Talkin & Oh LLP.
Karen Pallotta MBA '90 was appointed to the board of directors of Stewart Information Services. She retired in 2011 from Fannie Mae as executive vice president, single-family mortgage business. Pallotta most recently served as president of KRP Advisory Services. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University.
Scott Roza M.S. '90 was appointed president and global head of customer operations for TIBCO Software. Roza was formerly president of worldwide field operations at Clearwater Analytics, a privately held global fintech firm, and before that served as chief business officer at Guidewire Software, a publicly traded technology company serving the insurance industry. Roza holds a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering from the Naval Academy, an additional M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management.
Leslie Shoemaker Ph.D. '90 was promoted to president of Tetra Tech, where she has worked for 28 years. She was most recently executive vice president and business segment president. She earned her Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from UMD, a master’s of engineering from Cornell University and an undergraduate degree from Hamilton College.
Philip Wiser '90, chief technology officer at CBS, was named chief technology officer for the combined ViacomCBS.
’80s
Jose Antonio Tijerino '88 was named to the board of directors of the University System of Maryland. Tijerino is president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and executive producer of the Hispanic Heritage Awards at the Kennedy Center.
Elissa Buie MBA '87, co-founder and CEO of Yeske Buie, received the 2019 Alexandra Armstrong Lifetime Achievement Award as part of InvestmentNews' Women to Watch initiative. The award celebrates female pioneers in the financial planning profession who have had long careers as advisers, a record of leadership in the profession, and a commitment to serve as a role model or mentor to other women. Buie sits on the board of trustees of the Foundation for Financial Planning and is a past chair. She is also a past chair of the Financial Planning Association and a dean for the FPA's Residency Program.
Rajeev Mehta '87 joined the board of directors of Qualitest, the world's largest independent quality assurance and engineering company. Mehta most recently served as president of Cognizant. He has an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University.
Christine Merdon '87, M.S. '99 joined McKissack and McKissack as chief operating officer, overseeing operations, business development and marketing for the architecture, design, project and construction management firm. She is the former acting architect of the Capitol/COO of the Architect of the Capitol. She was previously senior vice president of program and construction management at McKissack and McKissack.
Daniel J. Schrider '87 was named a member of the Washington Business Journal's Power 100 Class of 2019. He is president and CEO of Sandy Spring Bank.
Anil Agrawal M.S. '86 is CEO of Burlington-based smart city solutions maker CIMCON, which raised $33 million in a Series C round led by Digital Alpha. Energy Impact Partners also participated in the round. CIMCON started in 2012 by offering outdoor lighting technology to make street lights more efficient.
Guy J. Guzzone '86, MPM '88 replaced state Sen. Nancy J. King as head of the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. Guzzone, who represents Howard County, is in his second term in the Senate. He previously served eight years in the House of Delegates, as well as eight years on the Howard County Council and as a staffer and advocate in the State House.
Joseph Asuncion '85, M.D. was appointed to the board of directors of Healthcare Solutions Management Group. Asuncion received his Doctorate of Medicine at the Perpetual Help College of Medicine in the Philippines.
David Kessler '85 was elected CEO of CohnReznick LLP and will assume the role on Feb. 1. Kessler is currently the managing partner for the real estate practice and a member of the executive board; he led CohnReznick’s commercial real estate practice for many years. CohnReznick sponsored two of Maryland Athletics’ largest events of the year: Homecoming football vs. Michigan and basketball senior night vs. Michigan.
Kellie Kim '85 was appointed CFO of WidePoint Corp., which specializes in telecommunications lifecycle management, identity management, and digital billing and analytics solutions. She has served in a range of senior finance roles throughout her career, including as CFO of Witt O’Brien’s, a subsidiary of Seacor Holdings, CFO of Opus Group and CFO of Astrium Services Government. Kim is a Certified Public Accountant in Maryland and Virginia and a founding board member of the Washington Women’s Leadership Initiative. She holds a certificate in strategic thinking and management for competitive advantage from the Wharton School.
Ted Graef '84 joined Penn State’s School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs as the director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship (E-SHIP) program. He is the co-founder of All Traffic Solutions, a traffic- and parking-equipment manufacturing company based in State College. He previously worked as the director of manufacturing engineering at Simco Electronics and a senior project engineer at Lutron Electronics. Since 2017, Graef, who earned an MBA at Penn State, has served as a lecturer for its E-SHIP and Engineering Leadership Development programs.
Katharin Dyer MBA '83 was appointed to the board of directors of Liquidity Services. She is the founder and chief executive officer of PivotWise, a strategic advisory firm focused on digital transformation. Dyer holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky.
Michael Field '83 is a senior policy adviser for the office of Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. Field was previously county attorney, a role in which he drafted every major piece of legislation introduced by any county executive since 2005. He is overseeing efforts to put the Code of Baltimore County Regulations online.
Sally Painter '83 has joined the International Advisory Board of GLOBSEC, a global think tank based in Bratislava. Painter is co-founder and chief operating officer of Blue Star Strategies, where she provides corporate, institutional and public sector clients with foreign and security policy guidance and global business development strategies. From 1993–95, Painter was a senior adviser in the Clinton administration, providing strategic advice and advocacy to U.S companies bidding on overseas contracts. Painter serves on the board of directors of the Atlantic Council and as a senior adviser to its Future Europe Initiative.
Dennis Andrucyk '82 was named acting director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. A 31-year NASA veteran, Andrucyk has held a number of positions, including 26 years at Goddard. He was previously deputy associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters.
Michael Martirano '81, M.Ed. '92 was recognized by The Daily Record as one of 2019’s most admired CEOs. He is CEO of the Howard County Public School System.
Dana Rosenfeld '81 was appointed managing partner of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, where she has been a partner and served as chair of the privacy and information security practice for nine years.
Allen Wainger M.S. '81 joined the project management team of AXIS GeoSpatial. He comes from Michael Baker International, where he was directly responsible for growing a GIT Services and information systems department in the federal and state sectors. Wainger holds a master of science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland and a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Lehigh University.
Carl Elefante '80, FAIA, FAPT, LEED AP, retired as a principal with Quinn Evans Architects and a renowned leader in historic preservation practice. Elefante, who was with Quinn Evans since 1996, is now principal emeritus and continues to consult on selected design initiatives, including the firm’s ongoing work to preserve and restore the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He served as the 94th president of the American Institute of Architects in 2017-18, and earned fellowship stature there and in the Association for Preservation Technology International. Last year, Elefante received the Clem Labine Award from Traditional Building magazine in recognition of his pioneering work in applying sustainable design concepts to complex historic preservation projects and advocating for beauty in the public realm.
’70s
Walt Gragg '77 is the author of "The Chosen One," a novel about the fight between a fundamentalist Islamic army and allied forces led by the American military. Gragg is an attorney, former state prosecutor and a Vietnam veteran whose first book was "The Red Line."
Thomas Kapsidelis '77 is an inductee into the Communications Hall of Fame by Virginia Commonwealth University. Kapsidelis is a journalist and author of “After Virginia Tech: Guns, Safety, and Healing in the Era of Mass Shootings.” Kapsidelis was an editor at The Richmond Times-Dispatch for 28 years and left to complete his book through a fellowship.
Willie May Ph.D. '77 was elected a 2019 American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow. May, who serves as Morgan State University’s vice president for the Division of Research and Economic Development, was selected for his international leadership in the measurement and standards infrastructure of science and technology. He previously served as the U.S. undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and director of major research and training activities at UMD. His research is described in more than 90 peer-reviewed publications. Recently, he joined the Consumer Reports Board of Directors.
Larry Clark '75 was a winner of the 2019 Presidential Rank Award, the highest award bestowed on civilian federal employees for exceptional long-term accomplishments. He is director of the APHIS-Wildlife Services’ National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, Colo.
Katie McCabe '72, M.A. '75 is co-author of “Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights,” the memoir of the late lawyer Dovey Johnson Roundtree.
’60s
Virginia State Sen. Richard Saslaw '65, D-Fairfax, was elected majority leader in the General Assembly’s upper chamber. He has served in the Senate since 1980 and has led the Senate Democrats since 1998, with five stints as majority leader in the past two decades.
An author of a would-be biography of the late New York City sculptor and draftsman Jene Highstein '63 is seeking information about him. Highstein commuted to class from Baltimore to pursue a degree in philosophy and does not appear in college newspapers or yearbooks of his time. Anyone with information about Highstein at the University of Maryland can reach Victor Cassidy at victorcassidy@yahoo.com.
Passings
Amy Lenae Rehder Harris Ph.D. '00 died of lung cancer on Nov. 15 at the age of 46. Harris was born on April 24, 1973, in Hawarden, Iowa, to Orville and Carol (Ranschau) Rehder. She was raised on the family farm in Sioux County and graduated as the valedictorian of West Sioux High School. While attending the University of Northern Iowa, she married Clifford Paul Harris on May 28, 1994. Harris received her B.A. in economics from the University of Northern Iowa in 1995, then earned a Ph.D. in economics from UMD. She served as a long-term modeling analyst for the Congressional Budget Office in Washington, D.C. In 2006, the family returned to Iowa, and Harris worked for the state Department of Revenue for 13 years, ultimately serving as deputy director. Harris attended St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Urbandale, where she led the children in Sunday School and choir. She wrote and directed its children’s Christmas program, served on the worship and music committee, and sang in the praise band in her spare time. She is survived by her husband, Cliff, and their daughters, Teagan and Heidi; her father, Orville; her brothers, Steve, Jeff and Kevin; her sister, Vicki Lanier; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and a great-nephew. Harris was preceded in death by her mother, Carol.
Keir K. Lyles '97 died Oct. 3 at the age of 45. Lyles was born on Sept. 20, 1974, in Birmingham, Ala., to Louis V. Lyles and Cynthia Patterson Lyles. He was baptized at Sardis Baptist Church at 12 and became Catholic in 2018. In 1988, his family moved to Waldorf, Md., next door to the girl who became his wife, Meegan Noyes. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and UMD, graduating with a degree in psychology. He was a teacher, social worker, counselor and case manager. In 2005, he launched Apocrypha Comics Studios to fulfill a lifelong dream of making comic books. Lyles was preceded in death by his grandparents, Milton Solomon, Erlese Solomon, Ruby Lyles and Louis Lyles, and his father, Louis V. Lyles. He is survived by his wife, Meegan Lyles; his son, Christian Lyles; his mother, Cynthia Lyles; his sister, Khedra Lyles; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Richard S. Quigg Jr. '88 of Leonardtown, Md., died Dec. 15 at age 53. Quigg was born on March 29, 1966, to Vivian Worch and the late Richard Samuel Quigg Sr. He was a lifelong resident of St. Mary's County, Md., and graduated from Leonardtown High School. He was the vice president of sales, Eastern Division for Kurin. Quigg is survived by his fiancée, Renee Reining; children, Lauren Oliver, Brad Quigg and Colin Quigg; one grandchild, Camden Oliver; his brother, Jay Worch; and a niece and nephew.
George P. Moskowitz '84, a veteran police officer, died of a medical emergency while on duty with the Fairfax City Police Department Dec. 31. He collapsed at police headquarters, where EMS medics were unable to revive him. Moskowitz worked with Fairfax City Police since 2011 after retiring from the Fairfax County Police Department following a distinguished career of more than 25 years, reaching the rank of second lieutenant. In Fairfax City, he first served as a school resource officer then was in charge of the Community Services Division, where he managed school resource officers, crossing guards and the department's motorcycle units.
Robert P. Ernst '82 died Nov. 9 at age 59. Ernst was born on June 27, 1960, in Cheverly, Md., to George and Lillian (Gaither) Ernst. He met his future wife, Tracey, in band class at Beltsville Junior High School, and graduated from High Point High School. Ernst received his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from UMD and immediately began his career working for Naval Air Systems Command. Over the next 37 years, he held a variety of positions there; he worked on the F-14 class desk, became the S-3 chief engineer, was tapped to head the Joint Council on Aging Aircraft working across multiple military branches and private industry, and most recently was the senior chief engineer for the Navy's unmanned air systems. He also was asked to serve on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident Review Board. At Chesapeake Church in Huntingtown, Md., Ernst led the Edge drama ministry when it began, served as a deacon, taught all age groups of the children’s ministry, cut firewood for families, refereed Upward Soccer, served on the parking team and park production teams, and more. Ernst was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Carol Ann Matters. He is survived by his wife, Tracey Ernst; his daughter, Allison; his son, Ryan; his brother, Michael; and several nieces and nephews.
Steven C. Gladhill '81 died Sept. 9 at his home in Falling Waters, W.V. He was 60. He worked in the construction industry for 40 years. He was an avid wrestler and volunteered as a wrestling coach for 30 years at the YMCA in Hagerstown, Md. He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Gladhill, and grandmother, Dorothy Lillard. He is survived by his wife, Dawn Gladhill; mother, Shirley Gladhill; sisters, Sheila Gladhill and Renee Kesner, and brother, Stacy Gladhill; and his sons, Stephen, Sebastian and Sinnjinn Munson.
Frank A. Lovelock Ph.D. '81 died Sept. 23 after a long battle with ALS. He was 76. Lovelock was born on Aug. 16, 1943, in Newport News, Va., the son of the late Liddelle and Francis Alexander Lovelock Jr. He graduated in 1966 from the University of Richmond with a B.A. and in 1972 with an M.A. in English, then his doctorate in literature from UMD. He served in the U.S. Army as a language specialist, 5th Class from 1969–71 and taught English over the years at UMD, the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University and Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, Va. Lovelock is survived by his wife, Jeanne; their daughter, Leslie Watson Harris; a brother, Johnny Lovelock; and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, a sister and his daughter, Kimberly Lovelock Butler.
Dr. Donald F. Evans '79 died unexpectedly on Nov. 3. He was 63. Evans had a thriving private practice of podiatric medicine in Nags Head, N.C., for more than 30 years. He was a graduate of UMD and Temple University's School of Podiatric Medicine. His hobbies included fishing, music and his extensive collection of “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” memorabilia. He was an avid fan of the Washington Redskins, Washington Nationals and Maryland Terrapins; he became an honorary Virginia Tech Hokie by marriage. Evans is survived by his wife, Susan Ruiz-Evans; sisters Nina Eisenberg and Diane Castle; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ellis and Gilda Evans, and brother, Matthew.
David P. Seyler '78 of Kill Devil Hills, N.C., died at his home on Oct. 30 at age 64. He was born on Nov. 25, 1954, in Lock Haven, Pa., and grew up in Clinton, Md. Seyler graduated from Surrattsville High School in Surrattsville, Md. After completing his degree in music education at UMD, Seyler started as a music education teacher, but quickly found his calling as editor of several radio and TV trade publications. He began as manager of Broadcasting Yearbook, then spent 22 years working for Radio+TV Business Report. Seyler relocated with his family from Northern Virginia to the Outer Banks in June 2008. While there, he made many friends as a customer service manager at Walmart. During his last few years, he was the star trumpet and flugelhorn player for the band Just Playing Dixieland. Seyler is survived by his wife of 26 years, Amy Lynne (Thewes) Seyler, and children Sarah Ashley Seyler and Paul Andrew Seyler.
Louise M. Blauvelt M.A. '74 died Nov. 2 at her home. She was 84. She was born Jan. 24, 1935, in Montgomery County, Md., the daughter of the late Victor Murdock McAlister and the late Mildred Robinson McAlister. She received a master’s degree in administration from UMD. She was the wife of the late Peter DeWitt Blauvelt. She is survived by her children, Michael Field Blauvelt and the Rev. Laura Blauvelt; sister, Victoria Lynn McAlister Cahoon; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son, Jeffrey Blauvelt.
Carol Lynn Wilson '75 died Dec. 17 at her home in Mt. Airy, Md. She was 69. Born April 7, 1950, in Minneapolis, she was the daughter of the late Robert and Ester Struxness Magladry. Wilson majored in dance at UMD, then taught dance at McDaniel College in Westminster. She and her husband were owners of Elk Run Vineyards, and she was a co-founder and former president of the Maryland Winery Association. She enjoyed gardening and traveling. In addition to her husband of 50 years, Fred Wilson, Wilson is survived by her children, Julian Wilson, Wim Wilson and Jessamyn Iman; seven grandchildren; and siblings, Bruce, Nancy, Mary, Jean, Lisa, Peter and Ross. She was predeceased by a daughter, Katherine, and a brother, Hugh.
Dawn S. Murr '75, a retired landscape designer, gardener and artist, died of vascular dementia Sept. 12 at Springwell Assisted Living in Mount Washington. She was 86. Born in Atlanta, she was the daughter of Dr. Calvin B. Stewart, an oncologist, and his wife, Pearl Buchanan. She attended Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga. As a student, she married Brown L. Murr, who went on to join the chemistry faculty of the Johns Hopkins University. They lived in Virginia, Indiana and Cambridge, Mass., before settling in Baltimore’s Chinquapin Park community in 1962. Murr later earned a bachelor’s degree in urban planning at UMD. She joined the Baltimore City Department of Planning, where she worked in landscape design for neighborhoods designated for urban renewal and community revitalization. She later lived in Stoneleigh in a 1920s-style home that she surrounded with a garden she designed. Murr also had a private landscape design business and did floral arrangements. She was an active member of Towson Unitarian Universalist Church, where she served on the caring committee, designed landscaping and managed Gallery Unicorn, the church’s art gallery. Murr also served on the church memorial garden committee. She loved travel and spending time in old cities and art museums. She also studied French and Chinese cooking and devoted time to entertaining. In addition to her two sons, Peter and Andrew, survivors include a brother, Boardman Stewart; five grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. Her marriage ended in divorce.
Michael H. Yourishin '74 of Dunkirk, Md., died Nov. 26 at the age of 72. He was born on Dec. 28, 1946, in Hazleton, Pa., to Leona Yourishin. Yourishin was a veteran of the U.S. Army; he earned his master’s degree from Bowie State. He taught special education for over 30 years at Northern High School, retiring in 2005. He enjoyed basketball and spending time with his children and grandchildren. Michael is survived by his wife, Mary M. (McLaughlin) Yourishin; children Michael J. Yourishin and Elizabeth Yourishin; two grandchildren; and two sisters, Theresa Segari and Patricia Carter, He was predeceased by two brothers, Walter and John Yourshin.
John Joseph Gallagher Jr. '71 died Dec. 26 at his home in Lexington Park, Md. He was 75. He was born in Philadelphia on Oct. 13, 1944, to John Joseph Gallagher and Marion Rosalie Bonner Gallagher. He enlisted in the Navy after high school and served as an aviation fire control technician. He earned the National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device and Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars. He went on to earn a B.S. in electrical engineering at UMD and was employed for over 42 years by the U.S. Department of Defense and various government contractors. He was an avid reader and enjoyed fishing and travelling to the mountains, especially in North Carolina. He coached St. Mary's County Special Olympics for 12 years and helped to manage its accounts. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Marianne "Anne" Gallagher; daughters, Kelly C. McCallister and Caryl A. McElhenney; brother, Chris Gallagher; and four grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Brian Gallagher, and brother, Michael Gallagher.
Ret. Air Force Col. Mark E. Swomley '71 died Nov. 6 at his home in Bel Air, Md. He was 71. Born in Hagerstown to the late Edward Lease and Ethel Munshour (Hockensmith) Swomley, he went on to become a C-130 pilot in the U.S. Air Force, serving for 23 years. He was also a substitute teacher for several years in Harford County Public Schools. Swomley graduated from North Hagerstown High School, and held a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UMD and a master's from the University of Arkansas. In Bel Air, he was a member of the American Legion Harford Post 39, where he was known as "Air Force Mark." He also was a member of Bel Air United Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Barbara (Johnson) Swomley; son, Matthew B. Swomley; daughter, Rebecca S. Griffin; grandson, Chase E. Griffin; sister, Patricia K. Freedy; four nieces and a number of cousins.
Philip Stephen Dubey '70 died Oct. 22 at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He was 72. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dubey was the son of Philip J. Dubey, an insurance executive, and his wife, Dorothy, who sold real estate. He was a graduate of Calvert Hall College High School and earned a degree in business administration from UMD. In 2016, he attended Christ Church College, Oxford University. Dubey became the personnel manager of Mars Supermarket stores in Baltimore, where he worked from 1970 to 1985. He became personnel manager with the College of Physicians at the University of Maryland Medical School, a post he held until 1991. He then opened an antique store at 807 N. Howard St., a building he shared with his brother, Brian Madden Dubey, an architect. Dubey’s business expanded and became Dubey’s Art and Antiques and the Antique Row Stalls, which included nearly 30 smaller displays owned by other dealers. Dubey frequented New England auction houses and shopped for his inventory throughout the Mid-Atlantic. He was renowned as an expert in Chinese export porcelain. In addition to his brother, survivors include another brother, William Mark Dubey.
James R. "Bob" Reigle '70 died June 19 at his Towson home. He was 73. He was a retired accountant and had been deputy treasurer for the Maryland State Treasurer's office. Born in Baltimore and raised in Towson, Reigle was the son of Ellsworth Reigle, an accountant, and his wife, Mary Louise Willis Reigle, a registered nurse. Reigle was a graduate of Towson High School. He attended Ohio State University, and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from UMD. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1967–72, and was a Price Waterhouse-certified public accountant from 1970–72, when he joined the Maryland Department of Budget. He also worked for the state Department of Planning and Department of Transportation and as deputy treasurer in the Treasurer’s Office. At the time of his retirement in 2006, he was an auditor in the state Department of Education. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity and had been treasurer of the Fellowship Forest Community Association for four years. Reigle enjoyed doing yardwork, reading and studying the Civil War and World War II. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, the former Nancy Nastasi; a son, Robert A. Reigle; a daughter, Jennifer Reigle Cook; and a sister, Patricia Reigle Benoist.
Brenda L. Holmes '68 died Nov. 17 at the age of 76. Holmes grew up boating on the Chesapeake Bay, and spent many happy summers water skiing, sailing and crabbing. Holmes began her career as a home economics teacher, and later became a part-time real estate agent and real estate investor. She was a proud homemaker and cook. Holmes is survived by her two children, Tiffany Holmes and Skip Holmes; four grandchildren; her partner of 23 years, Carroll “Bernie” Ruark; and her brother, Fred Lutes.
Charles M. Shub '67, M.S. '68 died Nov. 20. Shub was born on Feb. 11, 1941, to George Joseph and Ruth Marcelle Shub in New York. He was the oldest of three children. Shub started his collegiate career at Cornell University. Before graduation, he joined the Army and served just under three years. He then earned two degrees in electrical engineering at UMD and his Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Kansas, where met his wife, Clara Shub. They later divorced. Shub was a career educator. He was a professor at the universities of Maryland, Kansas, Wyoming, Vermont, Colorado at Boulder and Colorado at Colorado Springs, where he earned the title professor emeritus. Briefly, Shub ventured into the business world at Bell Labs, first in New Jersey and later in Boulder, only to return both times to education. Shub loved hockey, soccer and football and was a hockey season ticket holder at the Air Force Academy and Colorado College. Shub went to the NCAA Hockey Frozen Four every year. Shub was also well known in the soccer community, officiating at all levels from the youth leagues to high school plus club collegiate soccer and serving as board member for the local adult soccer club and on the Colorado High School Soccer Officials Board. Shub was preceded in death by his son, Wesley Shub. Shub is survived by his brother, Michael Shub; his daughter, Sarah Shub; his son, Jonathan Shub; and five grandchildren.
Ronald G. Elasik '66 of Chester, Md., died of cancer at age 74 on Oct. 9. Besides his numerous careers in the restaurant, boating and retail industries, Elasik also played on the University of Maryland football team. Elasik loved being with family, doing everything from fishing to cooking. He was also involved in many local activities and causes in Queen Anne’s County. He was dedicated to walking the dogs of his community and enjoyed both the view and bounty of the Chester River. He is survived by his wife, Suanne Slye Elasik; daughter, Lauren Elasik Goodwin, and stepdaughters, Jennifer Slye Aniskovich, Jill Slye King, Juliana Slye Valentine and Joelle Slye Flynn; 10 grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Elasik was predeceased by a son, Patrick, and brothers Robert Elasik and Richie Elasik.
Nahketah Gregory Johnson M.Ed. '66, died in Dakar, Senegal, where she lived with her daughter, at age 93, according to The Baltimore Sun. She was born in 1926 in Knoxville, Tenn., the second of the three daughters of Douglass and Dolly Baskerville. She grew up in the Jim Crow South, and followed in her parents’ footsteps and attended the historically black Knoxville College, where she earned a teaching degree and met her future husband, Clarence Gregory. They settled in Baltimore a few years later, and Nahketah Gregory initially taught math. She then earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from UMD. She retired in 1986 as director of Eastern High School’s Guidance Department. Johnson brought her drive to community service efforts that ranged from her church (a lifelong Presbyterian, she and her family first joined Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church and later Grace Presbyterian) to her neighborhood, where she was active in the Mondawmin Child Study Group and the Ashburton Neighborhood Association. She also was known as a talented bridge player. Clarence Gregory died in 1981. Nahketah Gregory married Arkley Johnson. That marriage ended in divorce. Survivors include Johnson’s daughter, Cheryl, two grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Jay H. Nussbaum '66 died Aug. 31 at age 75. Nussbaum had a long career as an executive at Xerox, Oracle and Citigroup before co-founding Agilex Technologies with the goal of providing mission and technology consulting, software and solution development, and system integration services. Nussbaum also served on a number of boards, including the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and Northrop Grumman Corp. He most recently served as chairman and CEO of Drone Aviation Corp. A native of Brooklyn, Nussbaum graduated from the University of Maryland and was residing in Great Falls, Va., at the time of his death. The son of Ira and Ruth Nussbaum, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Patricia Newman Nussbaum. He is survived by wife Susan Hemme Nussbaum; son, Drew Nussbaum; six grandchildren; sister, Ellen Entis; and several nieces and nephews.
Michael Dano Jackley '65 died Dec. 22 in Winchester, Va. He was 77. After the Baltimore native graduated from UMD, he attended the University of Maryland School of Law at night while working full-time as a financial analyst for the Internal Revenue Service. He then attended the George Washington National Law Center, again as a night student, earning a master's degree in corporate law with highest honors. Jackley was a founder of the business law and tax department at Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA. He joined the Prince George's County firm in 1973. He later added to his department and expanded its practice to include estate planning. He was a partner at the firm for 32 years. Known for his humor and love of music, Jackley represented a wide variety of local, regional and national business clients, ranging from actress Tippi Hedron to singers Peaches and Herb, to numerous businesses including medical practices, accounting firms, builders, printers and major government contractors. Before his retirement in 2008 due to heart issues, Jackley was named among Washington's top tax attorneys by Washingtonian magazine five times and as one of the top local business attorneys by Baltimore magazine. In his retirement, Jackley was active in the Loudon Fairfax Survivors of Traumatic Brain Injuries. Jackley is survived by his wife, Karen K. Jackley, whom he married in 1987; a daughter, Megan; two grandsons; and two stepdaughters.
David H. Crossan '64, CLU, former NFL football player, and six-year resident of The Villages, Fla., died unexpectedly on Nov. 6 at the age of 79. Crossan was born in Philadelphia to David Haxton and Elva (Flannagan) Crossan on June 8, 1940. Crossan graduated from Collingswood High School in 1959 and was named All-State center for the undefeated football team known as “The Golden Eleven.” After being widely recruited for Division I football, Crossan committed to the University of Maryland and excelled at offensive and defensive tackle for the Terrapins’ football program. His squad was the first Terrapin team to ever beat Penn State in 1961. In 1962, he was awarded the Jim Tatum Outstanding Lineman award. As the teams’ co-captain in 1963, he accepted invitations to both the Blue-Gray and Senior Bowl Games. His career ultimately resulted in his induction into several Halls of Fame including Collingswood High School, Camden County and South Jersey. In 1964, Crossan graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor of science in marketing. Crossan married Nancy Conley Crossan later that year. Crossan played for the Washington Redskins in 59 games over his five-season career. Following his football career, Crossan competed for the South Jersey Rugby Club into his 40s, ran the Penn Relays Marathon, sculled in the senior Olympics trials and coached football at St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis and Kent Island High School in Stevensville, Md. He developed a business protecting families and businesses with their insurance needs in Medford Lakes, N.J. Crossan was known for spearheading the Memorial Day Run and Turkey Trot charitable events that continue to thrive. The Crossans later moved to Annapolis, where Crossan could often be found boating the Chesapeake Bay with his grandchildren. Crossan enjoyed golfing, exercising and coffee time with friends in The Villages. Crossan is survived by his wife of 55 years, Nancy; his children, David Keith Crossan, Wendy Crossan Ricci and Kelly Crossan Williams; sister, Jean Fearn; and nine grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sister, Patricia Moler.
Sharon L. Love '64 of Sun City Center, Fla., died Dec. 15 at age 78 as a result of ovarian cancer. Love was born in Washington, D.C., in 1941 and earned a math degree at UMD and a degree in social work from Catholic University. Most of her career was spent in either Fairfax County or federal government positions as a social worker and employee assistance counselor. She and her husband moved to Sun City Center after retiring in 2006. She is survived by her husband, Doug Gatchell; her son, David; two granddaughters; and her sister, Rose Smith.
Paul E. Palmer '64 died Oct. 28 in a car crash in Del Mar, Calif. He was 76. Born Nov. 18, 1942, in York, Pa., Palmer was raised by his grandparents in Howard County, Md. At UMD, he studied broadcasting, worked for the campus station and met his future wife. On Feb. 11, 1964, he attended a press conference in Washington, D.C., for the Beatles, two days after their historic TV appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” When it was over, while he was collecting his microphone, he dared to ask band members for an interview. To his surprise, they agreed. It became one of the highlights of his career. After college, he took radio jobs in Pittsburgh and Chicago before moving to San Diego and KFMB in 1972, where he was eventually general manager for 22 years. Palmer later channeled his interest in community building into stints with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the National Conflict Resolution Center. In 2002, he became the chief executive officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County, a job he held for 13 years. He also launched Operation Bigs, a mentoring program for military children that has expanded to other chapters nationwide. In recent years, he worked in the philanthropy-development department for the San Diego-based National Conflict Resolution Center. Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Marge; three children, P.J., Wendy and Caroline; and seven grandchildren.
Richard Herman Nixdorf '62, M.S. '64 died at his home in Mooresville, N.C., on Dec. 20 at the age of 79. He was born in Easton, Md., in Feb. 1940, to Herman Emil Nixdorf and Margaret Hoffman Nixdorf. He earned two degrees in civil engineering at UMD, then taught there from 1964–66. He worked for the engineering firm of Ralph M. Parsons on numerous projects until his retirement. Nixdorf and his wife, Ruth, enjoyed square dancing with the Spinning Moors for 20 years. He also supported wildlife organizations his whole life and was an avid bird watcher. Other hobbies included making wine, gardening, home improvements and working in his wood shop. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ruth, whom he met at UMD; one son, Fred; two grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. He was brother to Doris Ann Sparks and Herma Benjamin.
John P. Spicer M.Ed. '62, of Waldorf, Md., formerly of Forestville, died Oct. 18 at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Charlotte Hall, Md. He was 89. Born on April 7, 1930, to Mary Agnes Murphy Spicer and Benjamin Franklin Spicer, he was raised in Washington, D.C. and graduated from Gonzaga High School. Spicer served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and earned his bachelor's degree in education at Wilson Teacher's College, and his master's degree in education at UMD. For 35 years, Spicer was an elementary school teacher and public personnel worker for Prince George's County Public Schools. Spicer was a longstanding parishioner at Mount Calvary Catholic Church in Forestville and Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Waldorf. Spicer was preceded in death by his siblings Mary A. Sitek and James F. Spicer. He is survived by his wife, Gloria Ann Fitzgerald Spicer; sons, the Rev. Kevin P. Spicer, C.S.C., and Brian David Spicer.
Richard T. Bracken '61, a retired sales and marketing executive, died Oct. 17 of complications from dementia at St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Baltimore. The longtime Catonsville resident was 84. He was born to Thomas Bracken, a printing company foreman, and his wife, Mary Wheatley Bracken, a secretary, in East Orange, N.J., and moved with his family to Baltimore in 1939. He graduated from Polytechnic Institute, where he played baseball and football. Bracken also played for Gordon’s Stores, a sandlot baseball team. Bracken first worked for Associated Consulting Engineers, helping survey the Baltimore Beltway, then served from 1956–58 in the Army Quartermaster Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at UMD, where he was a member of Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu honor societies. He obtained a master’s degree in 1977 in business financial management from the George Washington University. Bracken was the manufacturing department manager and assistant plant manager from 1961–64 at Procter & Gamble’s Locust Point plant then joined Enjay and Chevron Fibers in Odenton, where he managed a fleet of barges. After a stint as plant manager at Ametek in Odenton, he became CEO in 1984 of Industrial Scientific Protective Applications, now ISPA Coating Technologies Worldwide, in Southwest Baltimore. From 1988–94, he was the manager of electrical engineering at Environmental Elements Corp. The last two years of his professional career were spent as director of sales and marketing for Ketema’s fiber division in Odenton. A resident of Catonsville for 52 years, Bracken coached Little League teams in Howard Park and for the Catonsville Recreation Council. He maintained interests in photography, woodworking, jazz, dancing and attending Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concerts. He was an international traveler. He volunteered at the Catonsville Library and was treasurer of the Friends of the Catonsville Library. Bracken, who was on the board of Central and Catonsville YMCA, was also a Junior Achievement adviser and active in the Boy Scouts. He was a member of Mensa and was a member for 55 years of Sharon Lodge No. 182. He was also a 50-year member of Catonsville United Methodist Church, where he had been treasurer and a member of its administrative board. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, the former Carolyn Elizabeth Lynch; two daughters, Linda Bowman and Karen Higby; and six grandchildren.
F. Colson “Cole” Taylor '61, a Baltimore-area veterinarian for more than three decades, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease on Oct. 31 at the Heron Point of Chestertown retirement community. He was 89. The son of James E. Taylor and the former Daisy Genevieve Ripley, Taylor was born Aug. 7, 1930, at his family’s home in Lutherville. A graduate of Towson High School, UMD and the University of Georgia, he served in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps from 1956–58. After leaving the service, he operated a small veterinary hospital in Aberdeen and was briefly employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Around 1959, he started work at the Vinson Animal Hospital in North Baltimore’s Waverly community. He eventually became a partner in the practice and later opened a second office, in Towson. Taylor was one of the financiers behind the Emergency Veterinary Clinic when it opened in Halethorpe in the late 1980s. It later relocated to Catonsville. A member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, Taylor retired in 1995, then from Lutherville moved to St. Michaels on the Eastern Shore, where he remained until moving to Heron Point in 2011. A longtime volunteer at Easton Memorial Hospital, he was also active in his local churches, including Hunt’s Memorial United Methodist in Riderwood, St. Luke’s United Methodist in St. Michaels and the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown. His hobbies included golfing, crabbing, fishing and woodworking, especially making miniature dollhouses. Taylor is survived by his wife of 60 years, the former Janice Waltz; two children, Lisa McCaffrey and Colson Taylor, who are also veterinarians; four grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
Dr. Donald “Ted” Theodore Lewers '60, died Oct. 6 at age 84, after an 11-year journey with Alzheimer’s disease. Born and raised in Salisbury, Md., Lewers was the first of his family to go to college after spending a few years in the Army as a medic in Alaska during the Korean War. After UMD, he graduated from the University of Maryland Medical School cum laude in 1964. He started his professional career at Maryland General Hospital in Baltimore. Lewers was proud to be appointed the first chair of the governor’s commission for kidney disease in 1971 and was instrumental in the development of dialysis for the treatment of renal disease throughout Maryland. In 1975, he and his family moved back to the Eastern Shore, where he was in private practice as an internist with a specialty in hypertension and nephrology until 2002. Concerned with the malpractice crisis affecting physicians in 1986, he became a lobbyist for the Maryland State Medical Society in Annapolis, later becoming its president. He went on to serve in political medicine with the American Medical Association. He was elected to the board of trustees in 1993 and served as chair of the board in 1999 and 2000. He also served as the chair of the executive committee and on the board of directors of Medical Mutual Liability Insurance Society of Maryland from 1996 to 2006. He retired in 2006. He enjoyed hunting waterfowl in the winter and fishing and volunteering with the Waterfowl Festival, Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, Ducks Unlimited and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies. During retirement, he enjoyed playing golf with friends, growing oyster spat at the end of his dock, fishing with his grandsons on his boat and putt-putting up and down the local rivers with his wife at sunset. He is survived his wife, Pat, whom he began courting while sledding at UMD on Valentine’s Day; three daughters, Debbie, Linda and Kim; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and his sister, June Terry.
James W. Starboard Jr. '59 died Nov. 8 at age 82. Starboard was born June 7, 1937, in Newport News, Va., to James W. Starboard and Sadie Jane White Starboard. He was president of his class and the student body at Newport News High School as well as a star hurdler who set state records. That earned him a full scholarship to UMD, where he continued his record-breaking performances in the Atlantic Coast Conference; his record for the 70-yard indoor high hurdles still stands. He was also involved in UMD’s student government, where he served on the first Student Court. He was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, received the Evans Track Award, and was named to ACC Academic Honor Roll and Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. During his sophomore year, he married Kiddy Jean Dickens, his high school sweetheart, and they had a son in his senior year. He earned a Master of Education degree at the College of William & Mary and was an elementary and high school teacher for four years, an elementary school principal for two years and Warwick High School principal for 12 years. He was instrumental in getting the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals incorporated and became its first president. In 1976, he earned a doctorate in education from Nova University and subsequently became an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University and Regent University. He also became administrator of Hampton Christian Schools. Starboard served on the boards of Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton Roads Speech and Hearing Clinic, Youth for Christ and Peninsula Multiple Sclerosis Society. He was inducted into the Newport News Track Hall of Fame and honored by the Peninsula Sports Club. Starboard was preceded in death by his parents, James and Sadie Starboard; and sister, Martha Rierson. He is survived by his wife, Kiddy; son, James III; daughter, Lauren Fields; four grandchildren, nieces, and many grand-nieces and nephews.
William Francis Pressly M.Ed. '58 of Valle Crucis, N.C., died Nov. 16 at age 87. Francis Pressly was born to William Morrison and Eula Bailey Pressly on his father's dairy farm outside Stony Point, N.C., on Nov. 24, 1931. He graduated from Scott's High School and continued his education at Erskine College and North Carolina State University to receive a bachelor of science degree in animal husbandry and later a master’s in education from UMD. He was also a U.S. Army veteran, serving from 1954–56 in Germany. Pressly married Sibyl White, his high school sweetheart, on June 8, 1955, and began his career in Lexington, N.C., as a 4-H extension agent, then became the director of the first Peace Corps program in Brazil in 1961. He and his wife led Peace Corps volunteers in Rio de Janeiro for three years. He became the director of International and Domestic Programs for the National 4-H Council in Chevy Chase, Md., where he worked for 20 years. In 1984, he and Sibyl returned to their home state and rehabilitated an old Valle Crucis farm to open the Mast Farm Inn in 1985. Pressly retired in 1996 and continued to be active in the Boone Sunrise Rotary Club, Holy Cross Episcopal Church and Valle Crucis Historic Commission. Pressly and his wife served as coordinators of the Valle Country Fair and shared a love of gardening and sharing their bounty with the community. He loved to travel and relax at their beach house on Topsail Island with his family. He was a lifelong Wolfpack fan. Pressly is survived by his wife, Sibyl; children, Bill and Sally; and three grandchildren. Pressly was preceded in death by his mother and father, Eula and William Pressly; and his baby brother, Paul.
Ronald Dean Raynie '58 died Dec. 20 at his home in Denham Springs, La. He was 83. Born on Dec. 9, 1936, he was the oldest son of Gora Hayden Raynie and Eleanor Violet Raynie (Carlson). Raynie graduated from UMD with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Raynie was a successful businessman who traveled internationally in his work for both the federal government and nonprofit organizations. He was an avid fisherman and hunter, Boy Scout leader, motorcycle enthusiast and classic car aficionado. He was a man of faith who enjoyed country music, reading and camping. Raynie is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joyce Audrey Raynie (nee Meinhardt); his sons, Stephen, Richard and James; and eight grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Edward Lee Raynie.
Franklin Lloyd Becraft '55 died Dec. 3 at his residence in Shippensburg, Pa., at age 86. He was born June 24, 1933, in Olney, Md., the son of the late Benjamin Henry Becraft and Catherine (Mills) Howell. He attained a bachelor’s degree in art education from UMD and served in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam and Korean wars, retiring as a major. He later went on to work as a furniture interior decorator at Earley’s and David’s Furniture. He was an active member of Carlisle Baptist Church, where he served as deacon and Sunday school teacher. In his spare time, he enjoyed collecting coins, gardening, doing interior design work, reading and sharing his faith. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Mary (Bear) Becraft; daughter, Elizabeth Ward; son, Timothy A. Becraft; stepson, Gerald L. Stake; stepdaughters, Anita R. Smith and Beverly K. George; sister, Linda Kesterson; brothers, Donald Becraft and Francis Becraft; 14 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Patricia Louise "Patti" Hudson '55, known as the “Gingerbread Lady,” died Dec. 22, at Hospice and Community Care in Lancaster, Pa. Born in Cumberland, Md., on Sept. 10, 1933, she was the daughter of John Clarence and Gladys Gill Fisher. Hudson graduated from St. Mary's College, where she was the president of the student government, and UMD, where she earned a degree in home economics. While in Hawaii with her husband, who was in the Navy, she took cake decorating classes that provided the basis for her skills with gingerbread art. She taught classes on making gingerbread houses for eight years at the Smithsonian Institution and wrote the book "Gingerbread Ideas" in 1995; it is now in its fifth edition. She also produced three VCR tapes and a DVD, "Gingerbread Housemaking." A member of the Lancaster Friends Quaker Meeting, Hudson was also involved with the Sabian Assembly, a worldwide study of the writings of Mark Edmund Jones. She enjoyed riding a tandem bike with her husband, and they attended many East Coast tandem rallies, including Tandem '76 in Lancaster County, which they both organized. Hudson is survived by her husband of 65 years, R. Suter Hudson; her daughter, Linda Rae Hudson; three grandchildren; and sister, Mary Esther. She was preceded in death by her son, John Suter Hudson, and her brother, William H. Fisher.
Christine Rohrer Doub '53 died Nov. 12 at her Hagerstown, Md., home at age 87. Born Dec. 21, 1931, in Hagerstown, she was a daughter of the late Ralph Brown and Ella Ray Whittington Rohrer. Doub was a retired school teacher with the Washington County Board of Education. She was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church, Cavetown. Additionally, Doub was a member of DAR Antietam Chapter and Washington County Teacher’s Association; charter member of Northwood Swim Club; former member of the Women’s Club; and member of Sigma Kappa Sorority, having served as second vice president. Surviving are her children, Lisa A. Doub and Robert R. Caruthers; and grandchildren. Besides her parents, Doub was preceded in death by her sister, Betty Lee Gowen.
Dolores Maletzky '52 of Hagerstown, Md., died on Dec. 13. Born April 7, 1930, in Washington, D.C., she was the daughter of the late Harold T. and Gladys Moss Hambright. She was a graduate of Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C., and UMD, where she served as president of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority and met her future husband, Bill. She did graduate work at UMD and Shippensburg University. She taught math in the Washington County School system at North Potomac Junior High School and Northern Middle School from 1965 until her retirement in 1992. In 1986, the Board of Education adopted a policy for recognizing the accomplishments of employees; Maletzky was presented the first certificate of recognition. A member of St. John’s Episcopal Church since 1956, she volunteered in the nursery and Sunday school; served as superintendent of the Sunday school and coordinated the Vacation Bible School; volunteered at the Turnover Shop; served as chair of the altar guild; and worked on the capital campaign. Through the years, she served on many of the church committees and was senior warden, junior warden and served two terms on the vestry. Her many community activities included: the American Association of University Women; Washington County Retired Teachers Association; Maryland State Retired Teachers Association; AARP; American Legion Auxiliary; Washington County Museum of Fine Arts Singer Society; Alumni Association of University of Maryland; Meritus Medical Center Hospital Auxiliary; and the Historical Society. Maletzky was a founder and president of the former Washington County Diabetes Association and served on the board of directors of the Community Concert Association and the Washington County Teachers Federal Credit Union. She was a member of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra Guild. Survivors include her husband of 66 years, William “Bill” Maletzky; her son, Steven Michael Maletzky; her daughter, Lynn Elizabeth Maletzky; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; her brother, Harold T. “Ted” Hambright Jr.; nieces and nephews; and Rich Whisner, the longtime friend of her son, Keith. She was preceded in death by her son, Keith Wayne Maletzky; one granddaughter, Kelly Maletzky; and her brother, Darrell Hambright.
George J. Laurer '51, a groundbreaking electrical engineer and inventor of the Universal Product Code (UPC), died at his home in Wendell, N.C., on Dec. 5 at age 94. Born in New York City, Laurer tinkered with radios and model airplanes from a young age, according to The Washington Post, building small wooden outrigger boats out of fruit baskets to sail at a local park. Bedridden with polio for about two years as a teenager, he recovered only to be drafted into the Army during World War II while a high school junior. After returning home and earning his high school equivalency diploma, he graduated from UMD, then worked at IBM for 36 years until his retirement in 1987. There, he produced over a dozen patents for scanning and computer memory devices. One was the first handheld wand scanner for reading barcodes. He received the Raleigh (NC) Inventor of the Year award in 1976. Laurer's most famous creation, the Universal Product Code (UPC), was created initially for a group of grocery stores yet went on to revolutionize nearly all commerce industries around the world. Laurer was inducted into the Clark School’s Innovation Hall of Fame in 1991 and the University of Maryland Alumni Hall of Fame in 2000. He was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Marilyn Slocum Laurer. He is survived by his children, Craig, Mark, Jonathan and Debra Laurer Cook; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Paul Gordon '50, a former mayor of Frederick, Md., died Dec. 5 at the age of 92. Gordon was born on May 23, 1927, at Frederick Memorial Hospital. He lived with his family on South Market Street, and graduated from Frederick High School in 1944. Gordon attended the University of Maryland in 1944 before joining the U.S. Army, serving in Belgium and Germany. After World War II, he finished his accounting degree at UMD. He was elected mayor in 1989. He served in the post from 1990 to 1994. Prior to serving as mayor, Gordon had spent nine years on the Frederick Planning Commission, resigning in 1989 to run for mayor. In addition, Gordon and his wife, Rita, researched and wrote several books on the Civil War, and the history of the Jewish people in Frederick County.
Oliver Slater “Ollie” Travers Jr. '49, a business executive whose holdings included wheelbarrow manufacturing and who co-founded a charitable foundation to aid Baltimore’s poor and other causes, died of leukemia Oct. 23 at Gilchrist Hospice Towson. He was 93 and lived in the Hampton section of Towson. Born in Baltimore and raised in Wiltondale, he was the son of Oliver S. Travers Sr., an engineer, and his wife, Stacey Lair. He attended Lida Lee Tall School in Towson and studied at Drexel University and Dartmouth College before graduating from UMD. He enlisted in the Navy and served in the Philippines. He met his future wife, Mary Jean Schenuit, whose family owned the old Koester’s bakery and the Schenuit Rubber Co. in Woodberry, while on vacation at Ocean City. He joined the business in 1950 as a vice president and took Schenuit public in 1962. He purchased Jackson Manufacturing in Harrisburg, Pa., a leading maker of wheelbarrows. Travers sold what became Schenuit Industries to Allegheny Ludlum, later Allegheny International Inc., in 1980. In 1986, he became the president of Allegheny’s worldwide consumer product group, including the Sunbeam and Oster home appliance line and Wilkinson Sword, including its razor product line. He later became the firm’s chairman. His Wilkinson firm made ceremonial swords for the Olympics and for royalty, including the one that Prince Charles wore the day of his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer. He retired from Allegheny in 1990 and remained active in Schenuit Investments. Travers served in the Young Presidents Organization and was named to the boards of Waverly Press, PH&H and the old Maryland National Bank. He was also board chair of the Kernan Hospital in Dickeyville, now the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute. Travers and his wife created an $8 million charity, the Mary Jean and Oliver Travers Foundation, which gives grants to local nonprofits, local educational institutions and environmental causes in Baltimore. Travers was also a board member of the Baltimore Country Club, where he was a champion duckpin bowler and accomplished tennis and golf player. He was a skier and made trips to Aspen, Colorado and Switzerland. From 1978 to 2005, Travers took extended bicycling trips with his family along the East Coast. Survivors include his son, Robert Slater Travers; two daughters, Jean Travers Goodwin and Joan Travers Ottenritter; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. A son, Thomas Schenuit Travers, died in 2005. His wife of 65 years died in 2017.
Dolores (Dolly) Bryant Hammett '48 died on Oct. 27 at age 92. She was born on May 18, 1927, in Youngstown, Ohio. Hammett attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and UMD, where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She was an avid bridge player, loved going to Bethany Beach, and was a member of the Women’s Club of Chevy Chase and Faith United Methodist Church in Rockville. She was the wife of the late John Charles Hammett, who predeceased her in 1997. They were married on Nov. 27, 1948. She is survived by four daughters, Paula Gibbs, Nancy Chambers, Dana Hunter and Robin Higley; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by two grandchildren.
Phyllis Marian Skinner Johnson '44 died Nov. 25 at age 95. A Calvert County native, Johnson was born on March 21, 1924, in Port Republic. Johnson graduated from Calvert County High School in 1941 at the age of 17. She received a Maryland State Senatorial Scholarship and earned a degree in English at UMD. She started teaching English at Bladensburg High School in Prince George's County in 1944. She married a fellow teacher, Albert Johnson, in 1953 and they lived in Prince George's County. Johnson received her M.A. degree in secondary school counseling in 1966 from the George Washington University. She was a school counselor in Prince George's County high schools for almost 20 years until her retirement in 1979. She returned to Calvert County, where she enjoyed raising a large vegetable garden, cutting grass on her riding lawnmowers, tending to 20 head of beef cattle, growing crops and spending time with family. At the age of 80, Johnson wrote and published “Calvert's Gold,” her first of four books. In the 1970s, she co-chaired the Concerned Citizens Association of Mutual that fought utilities and preserved farmland. Her efforts continued through her retired years with writing many letters to the editors of various newspapers, gathering signatures on petitions, writing letters to agencies and public officials, speaking at public forums and organizing citizen groups. Johnson is survived by her children, Allyson Sigler and Philip Johnson; her grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and many nieces and nephews. Johnson was preceded in death by her siblings, Mildred Dorsey Maguire, Doris Elizabeth McCool, Robert Edward Skinner and Charles William Skinner; and her parents, Jessie Marian Dorsey Skinner and Charles Wesley Skinner.
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