Class Notes
’10s
Gareth Roberg-Clark Ph.D. ’19 received a 2019 High Performance Computing Achievement Award from the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center. The awards recognize early-career scientists who have used the center’s resources to make high-impact and innovative contributions to science. Roberg-Clark was honored for his work addressing the fundamental physics of thermal conduction.
Apryl Webb MBA ’19 was promoted to vice president of preconstruction for building operations at Skanska, a global construction and development firm. Most recently, Webb served as director of preconstruction.
Sophia Hadjipanteli ’18, founder of the #UnibrowMovement on social media, was featured on a cover of the digital February issue of Glamour UK, celebrating self-love and showing the changing faces of beauty.
Kathlyn Carney ’17 is the author of “We Can't Change What We Don't Know: How I Started to Think of Food as Medicine.” Carney, who earned a master of education degree, is an educator and Teach for America alum.
Helen Parshall M. Jour. '17 is now communications manager with AIDS United, an organization dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. Prior to this, she was digital media manager with the Human Rights Campaign and a reporter with the National News Service.
Laura Tallerico ’17 joined the law firm of Lerch, Early & Brewer in Bethesda, Md., as an associate in its land-use practice.
Seth Faber ’15 married Jamie Fishkin ’15 on April 4 at the house of the groom’s parents in Great Neck, N.Y., according to The New York Times. She is an account manager in New York at Good2bSocial, a digital marketing agency. Faber is a brand strategy supervisor in New York at Horizon Media.
Sammy Alqasem ’14 was promoted to project electrical engineer at Mueller Associates. His major projects include the University of Baltimore’s Robert L. Bogomolny Library and the Rubenstein Arts Center at Duke University. He’s now working on the modernization of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
William Fargason MFA '14 is the author of "Love Song to the Demon-Possessed Pigs of Gadara," published by the University of Iowa Press. In it, Fargason inspects the pain of memory alongside the pain of the physical body.
Tim Schwartz ’14 was named sports editor of Capital Gazette, the news organization covering Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. He’s been with Baltimore Sun Media for more than five years, previously covering prep sports in his native Howard County.
Stephen Underhill Ph.D. ’12 is the author of “The Manufacture of Consent: J. Edgar Hoover and the Rhetorical Rise of the FBI,” published by Michigan State University Press. Underhill is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Marshall University.
Erin Breit ’11 was promoted to audit partner at ACM LLP. She joined the firm in 2005.
Samuel Griffith ’11 was appointed owner and president of National Jet Co. He spent two years after his UMD graduation as senior project manager at a firm in Washington, D.C., then came to National Jet as special projects engineer and eventually became the company’s vice president.
Daniel Thomas ’11, a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas, won first place at his university in the Three Minute Thesis competition for his presentation on his thesis, “Black Male Teachers Entangled in Pathology.” He went on to the regional Three Minute Thesis contest for Southern graduate schools, where he won the People’s Choice Award.
Jenna Frey ’10 is now vice president of operations at Whitebox, an e-commerce automation company based in Baltimore.
Rachael Kaye ’10 joined the WJLA StormWatch 7 team in Washington, D.C., coming from FOX6 News Milwaukee. Prior to that, she worked in Peoria, Ill. Kaye earned her master's degree at Mississippi State University. Her 2018 storm chase series in Milwaukee won an Emmy for the Chicago/Midwest region. Kaye also holds the National Weather Association Seal of Approval.
’00s
Anish Sebastian ’09 was a recipient of the 2020 Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award. Sebastian is CEO and co-founder of Babyscripts, an obstetrics app that facilitates communication between physicians and their pregnant patients.
Kiandra Steffy ’09 joined the firm Saxton & Stump as an associate to focus on labor and employment, Title IX and commercial litigation. She previously served for five years as an associate in the litigation group of a Harrisburg-based law firm. Steffy received her J.D. from Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law.
Ben Bates ’08, M.Arch. ’13 is now partner and vice president at the firm of Bates Architects in Frederick, Md.
Robert Goodspeed MCP ’08, assistant professor of urban planning at the University of Michigan, published “Scenario Planning for Cities and Regions: Managing and Envisioning Uncertain Futures.” The book offers the first in-depth examination of scenario planning, an urban and regional planning approach that enables communities to create and analyze multiple plausible versions of the future in the face of rapid technology advances, climate change and other twenty-first century challenges.
Gopi Suri MBA ’08 was appointed to the board of directors of the Horizon Foundation, the largest independent health philanthropy in Maryland. Suri is the owner of Supriv Group, an information technology strategic advisory firm based in Ellicott City that works with health care and financial services clients. Suri is also the founder and president of the Suri Foundation, which builds drinking water facilities, toilets, health and hygiene camps and first aid centers in the developing world.
Kamal Narang MBA ’07 was a recipient of the 2020 Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award. He is vice president, general manager, federal health sector at General Dynamics Information Technology.
Orlando Carvalho MBA ’06 was elected to the board of directors of Mercury Systems. He is former executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s aeronautics business, a 24,000-employee enterprise. Carvalho serves as the vice chairman on the board of advisors for UMD’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, and he is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Jaclyn Cockcroft ’06 was one of 14 teachers named semifinalists for the 2020 Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She is an art teacher at Bodkin Elementary School in Pasadena, Md.
Simone Collins ’06 was elevated to partner at law firm Sklar Kirsh. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other complex investment and strategic business transactions. At Maryland, she was a four-year varsity letter winner and starter on the women’s soccer team. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Lisa M. Corrigan Ph.D. ’06 is the author of “Black Feelings: Race and Affect in the Long Sixties,” published by University Press of Mississippi. In the book, she suggests that the black power movement provided a significant repository for black negativity and pessimism to resist physical violence against black activists and the psychological strain of political disappointment.
Jeffrey Zygler ’06 was named partner at Dermody Properties, a national private equity real estate investment, development and management company focused on the logistics real estate sector. He is senior vice president of national development. Prior to joining Dermody Properties, Zygler served as the vice president of development for KTR Capital Partners.
Kevin Hebbel ’05 was promoted to director at SC&H Group, an audit, tax and consulting firm. Since 2012, Hebbel has taken an active role in shaping the firm’s employee engagement initiatives, and for the past five years he has served as a team lead for SC&H Group’s annual Day of Service. Hebbel earned an MBA in finance from the University of Baltimore.
Aparna Mathur Ph.D. ’05 was appointed a senior economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Since 2005, she has worked at the American Enterprise Institute, researching topics including income inequality and mobility, tax policy, labor markets and small businesses. A joint project she co-directed with the Brookings Institution on paid family and medical leave earned her a spot on Politico’s 2017 list of “Top 50 Ideas Blowing Up American Politics (and the People Behind Them).”
Jason Reynolds ’05 was appointed national ambassador for young people’s literature by the Library of Congress, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader. During his two-year term, he’ll visit communities across America to have meaningful discussions with young people. Reynolds is the author of 13 books for young people, including his most recent, “Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks,” a National Book Award finalist, which was named a Best Book of 2019 by NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Time.
Chris Sullivan ’05 was promoted to interim chief financial officer of Cerecor, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for rare pediatric and orphan diseases. Sullivan was previously the vice president of finance and served in other roles since April 2018. Prior to joining Cerecor, Sullivan was the corporate controller for Sucampo Pharmaceuticals when it was merged with Mallinckrodt.
Weston Young ’05 is the new assistant chief administrative officer of Worcester County, Md. He was previously assistant director of administration for Wicomico County.
Andre Perry Ph.D. ’04 is the author of “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities,” published by Brookings Institution Press. Perry examines six black-majority cities whose assets and strengths are undervalued, including his hometown of Wilkinsburg, Pa., and five other cities where he has deep connections: Detroit, Birmingham, New Orleans, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
William Pines ’04 was promoted to chief engineer for the Maryland Transportation Authority, where he had been acting chief engineer for nearly a year. He joined the agency in 2012. He provides executive direction for the design, construction and inspection of the state's toll facilities, including more than 300 bridges, two tunnels, 50 miles of expressway and the Inter-County Connector. He has a master's degree in management from the University of Maryland University College.
Daniel Singh MFA ’04 is senior manager of tourism and cultural arts for Baltimore County. Singh most recently served as activation manager at Montgomery Parks.
Jessica Solomon ’04 was named vice president of the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, which annually makes grants in excess of $4 million to Baltimore-area nonprofits. Solomon joined the foundation in 2017 as a senior program officer.
Sofia Kosmetatos M. Jour. ’03 was hired as an account director at Amendola Communications, a health care IT public relations and digital marketing agency. Most recently, she served as director of public affairs for West Health, a family of nonprofit organizations dedicated to lowering health care costs to enable successful aging. Kosmetatos earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Cullen O'Grady ’03 joined Greystone, a national commercial real estate lending, investment and advisory company, as a managing director and senior loan originator based in the company’s Rockville, Md., office. Prior to joining Greystone, he was a managing director for multifamily and manufactured housing community agency lending with SunTrust Commercial Real Estate. In addition, he led the investment sales and brokerage team at Vanguard Realty Group in Rockville.
William Rappolt ’03 was promoted to partner at the law firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton. He is a member of the energy, infrastructure and project finance industry team and the real estate, land use and environmental practice group. He received his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law.
Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson ’02 will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December. A consensus First-Team All-American as a junior and senior with the Terps, Henderson received the 2002 Bednarik Award as the nation's best defensive player and the Butkus Award as the best linebacker in college football. Henderson holds NCAA records for career solo tackles per game (8.8) and single-season solo tackles (135 in 2001), and he holds school records for tackles for loss in a career (62.5) and a single season (28 in 2001). Henderson played his entire NFL career for Minnesota, retiring after the 2011 season.
LaRee Tracy M.A. ’02 leads the new West Coast office of PHASTAR, a global contract research organization, as director of biostatistics. Tracy’s career also includes senior roles in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Public Health Service. She received her Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and has earned awards including the Army Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and the USPHS Commendation Medal.
H. James West ’02 was named administrative judge of the Circuit Court for Charles County. West was appointed to the court in 2014. After serving as a U.S. Army intelligence analyst and paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, West graduated from UMD and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. West was then in practice with Alpert Schreyer and served on the board of directors for the Jude House. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at the College of Southern Maryland.
Kimberley Lanham MBA ’01 joined the Institute for Defense Analyses as senior manager, financial strategy and analytics in the nonprofit’s Finance Directorate. Lanham earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting information systems from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Kavita Reddy Kalatur MBA ’01 was a recipient of the 2020 Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award. She is president and CEO of NetImpact Strategies, which provides IT modernization work to government clients.
Guclu Batkin ’00 was appointed CEO of TAV Airports’ subsidiary, TAV Operation Services. Batkın previously held other management roles at TAV Airports since 2005. He started his professional career in global securities and later worked at PwC before joining TAV. Batkın is the vice president of the Outbound Investments Business Council at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey.
Rina Patel ’00 was promoted to the partnership of Satterlee Stephens LLP, which soon combined with Duane Morris. Patel practices corporate and securities law. Patel’s clients include life sciences, healthtech, food and beverage, mining, manufacturing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, financial services and fintech companies. Patel is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law.
Pradeep Sharma Ph.D. ’00, the M.D. Anderson Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Physics at the University of Houston, was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. He uses theoretical and computational approaches to understand physical phenomena across multiple disciplines—from materials science to biology. His other honors and awards include the Young Investigators Award from Office of Naval Research, Thomas J.R. Hughes Young Investigator Award from the ASME, Texas Space Grants Consortium New Investigators Program Award, the Fulbright fellowship, the ASME Melville medal, the James R. Rice Medal from the Society of Engineering Science and the University of Houston Research Excellence Award. He is a fellow of the ASME and has served on the editorial board of several journals such as the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids.
’90s
Eugene Mizin ’99 was promoted to senior vice president of operations and finance for NewDay USA, a VA mortgage company. He was most recently vice president of finance and operations. He received his MBA in accounting and finance from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Raphael D’Amico ’98 was named chief financial officer of Panhandle Oil and Gas. He was the company’s vice president, corporate development and investor relations, a position in which he will continue to serve. D’Amico previously served as a managing director at Seaport Global Securities, a full-service independent investment bank. D’Amico holds an MBA from the George Washington University.
Jennifer Middaugh ’97 joined Capital Square, a leading sponsor of tax-advantaged real estate investments, as senior regional vice president, mid-Atlantic sales. She began her career dedicated to alternative real estate investing and financial strategies in 2001. She earned a master’s degree from Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and maintains FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities licenses.
Anthony Wheeler ’96 was named dean of the School of Business Administration at Widener University. He is a professor of management and past dean of the College of Business and Public Management at West Chester University. He also served as associate vice provost for enrollment strategy at West Chester. He previously served as professor of management and associate dean of the College of Business at Bryant University. Wheeler received a Ph.D. and M.S. in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma.
Roslyn Johnson ’95 was nominated to serve as director of recreation and parks for Baltimore County, Md. She most recently served as deputy director for facility operations at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and previously served as chief of its Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. Johnson earned a Senior Executives in State and Local Government certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School.
James Lott ’95 joined Peak Rock Capital, a middle-market private investment firm, as managing director of Peak Growth Consulting. Lott spent the previous seven years at GTCR as chief information officer. Lott earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Sachin Sankpal M.S. ’95 was named president of the products and solutions business of Resideo Technologies, a provider of home comfort and security solutions. Sankpal most recently served as senior vice president for emerging industries at Trimble, Inc.
Thomas Rimel ’94 was promoted from chief operating officer to president of Dunmore, a plastic film converting company. He started his career working in technical and commercial roles for companies such as DuPont, International Paper and Adhesives Research. At Dunmore, Rimel has held leadership roles in sales, operations, and research and development. He earned an MBA from LaSalle University in Philadelphia.
Nasser Ali ’93 joined Heritage Financial Consultants as director of investment management. Ali had been with Lincoln Financial Advisors in 2002, managing various roles including the oversight of investment planning.
David Biespiel MFA ’93 is the author of “A Place of Exodus: Home, Memory, and Texas,” the story of the rise and fall of his Jewish boyhood in Texas and his search for the answer to his life’s central riddle: Are we ever done leaving home? The book is published by Kelson Books.
David Geiling ’93 was appointed vice president of sales, Asia Pacific, at Kymeta, a communications company. Previously, he was senior sales director at Eutelsat, managing accounts in APAC, Europe and the U.S., with most of his career spent in Central and East Asia.
Jennifer Habel M.A. ’93 is the author of “The Book of Jane,” published by University of Iowa Press. “The Book of Jane” is an investigation of gender, authority and art.
Jeff Lavore ’93 CPA joined the executive board of the Metro Washington chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors as treasurer.
Leigh Burnside ’92, senior vice president of finance and chief accounting officer at the Wendy’s Company, joined the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit public charity, as a member of its board of trustees. In her 15 years at Wendy’s, Burnside has held leadership roles including chief accounting officer; vice president, finance and planning; and vice president, strategic financial analysis.
Jennifer Felix ’92 was elevated to president and chief executive of government services provider ASRC Federal. She joined the company in 2019 as part of the organization’s leadership succession planning and previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Prior to ASRC Federal, she served in executive leadership positions for multiple companies in the government services market, including SAIC, Vencore, General Dynamics and American Management Systems.
Leonard Farello ’91 became global director of fire protection and asset management for Intel Corp. Farello left his position as senior fire protection engineer at ACCENT Fire Engineering Int'l. Ltd. in Santa Fe, N.M., but remains connected to the firm in an advisory role. He also retains his position as president of the Rio Grande/New Mexico Chapter-Society of Fire Protection Engineers.
William F. Tate IV Ph.D ’91 was appointed executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina. He was previously dean of the Graduate School, vice provost for graduate education and the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a past president of the American Educational Research Association and an elected fellow of the association for his research contributions focused on sociological approaches to the study of STEM education and geospatial modeling of factors that influence developmental and health outcomes. An elected member of the National Academy of Education, he has been recognized for his expansive vision of conceptual and methodological tools to address disparities in urban and rural communities. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and other agencies.
Alethia Nancoo ’90, M.Ed. ’92 was selected by the Washington Business Journal as one of its 2020 Minority Business Leaders. Nancoo is a partner at Squire Patton Boggs, where her practice focuses on public, private and project debt finance. She advises various public and private issuers, nonprofit corporations and investment banking institutions on a wide range of transactions in the U.S. and the Caribbean.
’80s
Jonathan Gold ’89 joined law firm Dickinson Wright’s Washington, D.C., office. Gold focuses on creditors' rights and complex financial restructuring matters, as well as in state court and bankruptcy litigation matters. Gold received his J.D. from the University of Baltimore.
David Gwyn ’89 was promoted to worldwide sales chief operating officer at enterprise cloud computing firm Nutanix. Gwyn arrived there eight years ago as director of federal sales and was most recently senior vice president of sales for the U.S. West, East, Public Sector and Latin America. He previously held positions at companies including Sybase, BEA and VMware.
Connie Lynch ’89 was named assistant vice president of claims legal for Geico. After working as a defense attorney in private practice, Lynch joined Geico’s staff counsel as a trial attorney in 1997 and transferred to the claims legal division in 2008. She holds a J.D. from American University.
Paul G. Ullmann ’89 was elected to the board of directors of the MPT Foundation, the 501(c) (3) fundraising affiliate of Maryland Public Television. He is vice president of private wealth services, SunTrust Bank and also serves on the board of the Children’s Home in Catonsville.
Curt Gooch ’88 was inducted into the Rural Builder Hall of Fame. Gooch began his career in the rural building industry in 1986 when he designed and participated in the construction of a dairy heifer barn in New Windsor, Md. Gooch later took a job at the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station as a project engineer and later developed the Dairy Environmental Systems program at Cornell University under the PRO-DAIRY umbrella.
ESPN “Sportscenter” host Scott Van Pelt ’88 is moving his show from the network’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., to D.C. in August to be closer to family. “It’s home,” he said. “It’s my friends. It’s the Terps. It’s just where I’m from.”
Brenda Freeman ’87, MBA ’91 was appointed chief executive officer of Arteza, a direct-to-consumer arts and crafts supplies company. She was most recently chief marketing officer at Magic Leap, where she led brand, digital, product marketing and government relations. Previously, she held senior-level marketing and brand management positions at companies including National Geographic Channels, DreamWorks, Turner Broadcasting, Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, Pepsi and Frito Lay. Freeman serves as an independent board director for several publicly traded companies including Avnet, Caleres and RTW.
Margaret Meixner ’87 was appointed director, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), Science Mission Operations for Universities Space Research Association. Prior to joining USRA, Meixner was at the Space Telescope Science Institute, where she held several leadership positions since 2002. Meixner was named fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2015 and awarded the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Science Achievement Award in 2009. She received her master and doctoral degrees in astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley.
Michael Severino ’87, M.D., was appointed to the board of directors of Avantor, which manufactures and distributes chemicals, reagents and laboratory supplies. Severino is the vice chairman and president of AbbVie, a research-driven biopharmaceutical company that produces medicines targeting life-threatening illnesses and chronic conditions. He holds an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University. He completed his residency and fellowship training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Greg Wright ’87 was nominated to the board of directors of Paramount Group, the real estate investment trust. He is chief investment officer of Digital Realty Trust, a publicly traded REIT specializing in data centers, with responsibility for spearheading the company’s investment and other capital allocation activities. Wright received an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Kofi Aidoo M.A. ’86 wrote “Dusk at Dawn,” published by Page Publishing. The book unfolds mostly in two imaginary countries in West Africa and North America, and weaves history and culture with the struggle of a modern nation determining its own future.
Michael Boyle ’86, M.D., was appointed president and CEO of the Maryland-based Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Boyle is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Todd Ehrlich ’86 won his fourth New York Emmy on April 25 in an event live-streamed online. He won for executive producing the television special “Tunnel to Towers,” which was shot during the New York City 5K run that pays homage to firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on 9/11. The race follows in the footsteps that Stiller took that day. "Tunnel to Towers" has also raised $5 million for meal assistance, PPE and mortgage payments for front-line healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stephen Fritz ’86 was promoted to chief operating officer of HHHunt, a real estate development, building and management firm. Fritz joined the company in 2015 and most recently served as senior vice president at HHHunt and president of HHHunt Homes.
Jennifer Litchfield ’86 is now partner and vice president at the firm of Bates Architects. She has been with the firm since 2006.
Joyce Shulman ’86, founder of 99 Walks, gave a TEDx Talk entitled “How Walking Together Combats Loneliness.” Schulman received her J.D., cum laude, from St. John’s University.
Walter Sierotko ’86 was promoted to executive vice president, chief lending officer of Provident Bank, a New Jersey-based financial institution. Sierotko previously served as executive vice president, director of real estate lending for Provident.
Vera Turner MPM ’86 was named managing director, membership in Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) development division. In this role, Turner is responsible for growing MPT’s membership base, creating a mid-level giving program, and overseeing the network’s sustaining membership and vehicle donation programs. Turner was previously project manager at the School Superintendents Association. Earlier, she served as associate director and, later, director of individual giving at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) for 13 years.
Judith Dotson ’85 is leading Booz Allen Hamilton’s national security business and joined the firm’s leadership team. Throughout her 31 years at the firm, she has developed extensive experience serving clients including the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Army, Air Force, Navy and the Defense Acquisition University. Dotson holds a bachelor of science degree in computer science. She has served on the board of directors for the public sector division of TechAmerica and for the Nature Generation.
Nicholas Ladany ’85 wwill become president of Oglethorpe University in Georgia in July. Ladany is currently dean of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences and associate provost for academic outreach at the University of San Diego. Ladany will also serve as a professor of psychology at Oglethorpe. Ladany is the author of six books and more than 80 publications. He has given more than 250 national and international presentations on the topics of mental health supervision and training; diversity, inclusion and social justice; and higher education leadership. Ladany received his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York. He is a fellow of the Society of Counseling Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association.
Donna Van Scoy ’84 joined law firm Lerch Early as a principal in the Divorce/Family Law practice. Van Scoy is a Maryland family law attorney with 30 years of experience representing individuals during their separation, divorce and post-divorce matters.
Dennis Andrucyk ’82 was named director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He had been serving as the acting director since Dec. 31, and before then was the deputy associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. In this role, he created innovative, inclusive and diverse teams in pursuit of the nation’s science goals in astrophysics, heliophysics, Earth science and planetary exploration.
Gary Garofalo ’83 was named chief operating officer of Public Consulting Group. As executive vice president of MAXIMUS, Garofalo served as leader in strategic direction and executive oversight, and in delivering business solutions for health and human services operations programs. Garofalo earned his bachelor's degree in computer science from UMD and his master’s degree in computer science from The George Washington University.
Phillip Hudson III ’82 joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in the firm’s trial practice group in the Miami office. Previously, Hudson was a partner at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP. He maintains a substantial complex litigation practice representing clients in federal and state courts throughout the country in diverse commercial matters, including shareholder disputes, ADA defense, fraud cases and general commercial disputes. Hudson is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law.
Alan Orloff ’82 is the author of “I Know Where You Sleep,” a crime thriller published by Down & Out Books. Orloff has been recognized as both an Agatha Award finalist and as the recipient of the 2019 ITW Thriller Award for Best E-Book Original.
David Wajsgras ’82 was nominated to serve on the board of directors of Martin Marietta Materials. He served as Raytheon vice president and president of the Intelligence, Information and Services business from 2015 to April 2020. Prior to this role, he was senior vice president and chief financial officer of Raytheon from 2006 to 2015. He has an MBA from American University.
Paul Sekhri ’81 was appointed a venture partner at Medicxi, a European life sciences investment firm. Sekhri was previously president and CEO of eGenesis. He completed graduate work in neuroscience at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Margarita Labarta M.A. ’80, Ph.D. ’82 was appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Children’s Trust of Alachua County. Labarta recently retired as the president and chief executive officer of Meridian Behavioral Healthcare. She serves as chair for the Florida Council for Community Mental Health and as a member of Mental Health Corporations of America and the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and mathematics from Barry University and her graduate degrees in clinical and community psychology from UMD.
Thomas Bradley ’80 was appointed chairman of the board of directors of Argo Group International Holdings Ltd., an underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products. Bradley became a director for Argo Group in 2018. He retired from Allied World Assurance Company Holdings AG in 2017, where he had served as chief financial officer and executive vice president since 2012. Bradley was previously executive vice president and chief financial officer at two other public companies: Fair Isaac Corp. and the St. Paul Cos. He held senior financial and operational positions at Zurich North America.
’70s
Bud Summers M.S. ’79, Ph.D. ’83 was promoted to chief operating officer of TreeTown USA, a wholesale nursery and tree grower in Texas, Florida and California. Summers was previously senior vice president of Southwest operations for TreeTown. Before joining TreeTown USA, he spent more than 30 years in executive positions with Hines Growers and Color Spot Nurseries in California, Texas, Arizona and Oregon.
Bruce Surosky, M.D. ’79 was recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Lifetime Achiever in the field of Medicine as an OB/GYN at Twin Tier Women's Health. He trains residents in vaginal surgery and has served as a clinical professor of OB/GYN at Rochester Institute of Technology since 1996. Surosky attended Northeastern Ohio University of Medicine and Pharmacy for medical studies. He completed a residency at St. Luke's Hospital and York Hospital.
Scott Glick ’78 joined Summit Exercises and Training, a preparedness solutions company, as vice president and general counsel. Glick provides advice to customers regarding counterterrorism, weapons of mass destruction, law enforcement, intelligence and consequence management-related matters. Glick previously served at the U.S. Department of Justice in roles including director of preparedness and response, deputy chief in the counterterrorism section and deputy counsel in the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review. He received his law degree from Hofstra University.
Peter Mehlman ’77, a former writer and executive producer for “Seinfeld,” has a new novel out, “#MeAsWell,” about a veteran sportswriter whose non-PC joke puts him at the center of a media firestorm and the #MeToo conversation.
Debra Oler ’76 was named to the board of directors of Horizon Global Corp., a manufacturer of branded towing and trailering equipment. She served as senior vice president/president, North American sales and service for W.W. Grainger, a global supplier of maintenance, repair and operating supplies for businesses and institutions, where she had worked from 2002 through 2019. Oler also serves on the board of directors of Pool Corp.
David Paulson ’73 joined Greenspring Realty Partners, a commercial real estate and investment company, as senior vice president. He formerly held that role at Blue & Obrecht Realty. Paulson also earned a master’s degree in regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Barbara Leap '72 is a freelance magazine writer whose articles have appeared in the AARP Bulletin and New Jersey Monthly. She is also the author of a forthcoming children's book on the Holocaust and a nonfiction book.
Passings
Alice M. Ntambi MPP ’12, MBA ’12 died in her sleep on March 16 at her home in Fulton, Md. Ntambi was born on May 23, 1980, in Kampala, Uganda, and grew up in Baltimore and Madison, Wisc. She attended West High School and was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Madison. Ntambi attended Cornell University, where she earned bachelor and master of industrial engineering degrees. She earned MBA and MPP degrees at Maryland. Ntambi was a business management consultant and data analysis specialist and worked for the U.S. Postal service, Microsoft, Google, Ernest Young and Significance. Ntambi is survived by her two children, Mikayla and Samantha; her parents, James and Solomy Ntambi; siblings, Alfred, Michael, Margaret, John and Norah; and niece and nephew.
Jennifer Kelly M.A. ’06 died Jan. 28 after a long battle with ALS. She was 43 years old. Kelly was a graduate of Lemoore High School, University of California, Davis and UMD. She loved her family, the Lord and helping those around her navigate the educational process. She leaves behind a host of family and friends.
Virginia Rice Morton M.L.S. ’02 died Feb. 29 at her home in Fredericksburg, Va., at age 64 of complications from cancer. Morton was born and raised in Alexandria, Va., the daughter of Edward Taylor Morton and Virginia Read Morton. She graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1976 with a degree in history. After school, she worked for a member of Congress in Montana and later for the Urban League. While raising a son, she returned to school at the University of Maryland, where she earned her master's degree in library science. She worked as a librarian at Hartwood Elementary School in Stafford County, then a year later at Edison High School in Fairfax County, where she remained until her retirement in 2016. Morton was a member of a long-established book group in Alexandria for 29 years. After moving to Fredericksburg in 2012 and becoming a member of Saint George's Church, she volunteered at the Table at Saint George’s, a food pantry for the community. She volunteered at the Fredericksburg branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, was a member of the Avis Harris chapter of the Episcopal Church Women, and of the Fredericksburg Women's Club. She is survived by her husband, William Cole; son Andrew Cole; and her brother, Craig Morton II.
Lisa G. Morales M.Ed. ’93 died on Dec. 30, 2019. Unbeknownst to many, she had fought multiple myeloma for six years. Morales was born on Oct. 10, 1957, in San Diego, and traveled the world as a Navy dependent and later as a special agent for the Naval Investigative Service. She earned her bachelor's degree from Old Dominion University and her master's degree in counseling from the University of Maryland. Upon moving to Charlottesville in 1994, Morales became a guidance counselor at Charlottesville High School, later becoming department chair. She was highly dedicated to “her kids,” advocating for and helping thousands of students during her 25 years at CHS. Morales is survived by her partner of 19 years, Kevin Sumter; her parents, Vicente and Eve Morales; sisters, Janet Chilson and Carol Wenger; brother, Steve Morales; nieces; nephews; godmother; numerous uncles, aunts, cousins and great nieces/nephews; and countless friends and students.
Barbara H. McCord M.S. ’88 died Jan. 30 of complications from heart failure at the John and Arloine Mandrin Chesapeake Hospice House in Harwood, Md. The longtime Annapolis resident was 75. McCord was born in Baltimore to Lawrence Steven Kraft and Carolyn Miegel Kraft. She was a 1962 graduate of Mount St. Agnes High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1966 from the old Mount St. Agnes College in Mount Washington. She also earned a master’s degree in family services from UMD. McCord worked in public relations for the old Equitable Trust Co., volunteered with the Red Cross in Anne Arundel County and worked in child protective services for the county until becoming one of the founders of the Coordinating Center in 1983 and its first family services coordinator. McCord retired in 2014. She was a longtime communicant of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Annapolis, where she taught and helped run its Sunday school for several years. She was also a member of One America, a group of African American parishioners whointeracted with other faith groups in Annapolis. In addition, McCord volunteered in after-school tutoring programs at Walter S. Mills-Parole Elementary School in Annapolis. McCord enjoyed writing poetry and was an active member of Churchyard Bards at her church. She was a gardener and an Orioles and Ravens fan. McCord is survived by her husband of 34 years, Joel McCord; two sons, Christopher Halligan and Nicholas Halligan; a daughter, Stephanie McCord Fritz; three grandchildren; and two nieces and a nephew. An earlier marriage ended in divorce.
Randal C. Nelson Ph.D. ’88, a University of Rochester professor, died suddenly on April 19 at the age of 61. Nelson was raised in Laramie, Wyo. He earned degrees in physics and mathematics at the University of Wyoming. After receiving his Ph.D. in computer science from UMD, he joined the faculty at the University of Rochester. His areas of interest were computer vision and robotics. Nelson took a particular pleasure in teaching a creative computation seminar and a hands-on lab class in constructing robots. He enjoyed playing music with a small group of other computer scientists called the Algo-Rythms, collecting maps and, when his children were young, volunteering with the Boy Scouts. Nelson loved nature, all kinds of science, reading, science fiction, robots, music, photography and woodworking. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Gwendolyn, and his three children: Brendan, Fiona and Erik. Nelson was predeceased by his mother, Joan Nelson. He is survived by his father, David A.Nelson, and his siblings: Susan Bernacki, Catherine Nelson, Julia Nelson and Andrew Nelson; and by many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Arthur “Art” Guy Carpenter ’80 died on Jan. 29 in Seattle. Carpenter was born Dec. 23, 1937, in Point Pleasant, W.V., to William “Mike” Carpenter and Maud Wilson Carpenter, and spent his childhood doing daily chores on the family farm, especially shearing sheep, a skill he took into adulthood. He received his bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from UMD. After serving in the armed forces, he moved to Washington, D.C. and became a senior programmer and analyst for banks and large companies including FNMA, PENNAMCO, Amtrak and GTE Telenet. Carpenter took a career sabbatical to live with a host family in Cuernavaca, Mexico, to sharpen his Spanish-speaking skills. Then he headed west, first to Colorado Springs, Colo., then Sacramento, Calif., and finally San Francisco. He became a software and quality assurance tester in the telecommunications industry with SBS, MCI, WorldCom and Verizon. In 2004, he and his wife, Barb, retired to Port Townsend, Wash. He was a regular at Better Living Through Coffee, a member of the Community Chorus and an actor in Shakespeare in the Park. He worked five years for ECHHO, managing used medical equipment for the community. He enjoyed transforming organic, locally grown foods into tasty, healthy meals, and optimizing wellness and create endearing social bonds in his exercise classes. At age 58, he became a credentialed Hellerworker in a relatively new field of the healing bodywork of structural integration movement, and body awareness. Carpenter went on spiritual retreats to Iona, Scotland and Ghost Ranch, N.M. Most recently, Carpenter was a member of Plymouth United Church of Christ in Seattle. A deeply moving experience in Carpenter’s spiritual life was his 500-mile trek over the Pyrenees and across Northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela at age 71. Carpenter is survived by his wife, Barb Laski; brothers Michael and Kermit; and sister Anita.
Joan M. Rothgeb ’79 died on March 17 at her home in University Park, Md., after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. A graduate of Elizabeth Seton High School, she went on to earn degrees from the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University and the George Washington University. Rothgeb was a lifelong educator who retired as director of special education for Prince George’s County schools. Early in her career, Rothgeb coached her girls' basketball team to a Maryland state championship. A supporter of UMD and its sports, she was also an avid tennis player. She was the beloved wife of Paul Pinsky and mother to Sarah and Laura. She is also survived by her mother, Dorothy Rothgeb, sisters Jennifer and Jill (Strickland) and brother Frank, along with other relatives.
Joyce Linda DiMisa Williams M.L.S. ’77 died on Feb. 20. She was 74. Williams was born June 30, 1945, in Silver Spring, Md., to the late Joseph Gordon DiMisa and A. Louise Whitfield. After graduating from Falls Church High School, Williams studied English and history at Radford University, and library and information science at UMD. Williams was coordinator of school library services for Anne Arundel County Public Schools prior to her retirement. She served as AASL President, 2005–06, and is also a past president of the Maryland Association of School Librarians. She was active in the University of Maryland Alumni Association, where she served as a member of its Board of Governors and as president of the iSchool Alumni Chapter. She also previously served on the American Library Association Executive Board and Council. Williams was passionate about travel and lighthouses, the Washington Redskins and the University of Maryland. Williams was incredibly thankful to her kidney donor who gave her extra years to realize more of her passions. She is survived by one sibling, Janet Lucille Gordon; daughter Denise Louise; one granddaughter; nieces and nephews; and good friends. She was predeceased by her sister and brother-in-law, Joann Louise and Patrick J. Saine; sister Mary Catherine; and former husband and good friend Charles E. Williams.
Retired Lt. Col. Capt. John P. Zelenka ’75 died Jan. 26 in Florence, S.C. Zelenka was born in Pittsburgh to the late Louis Paul Zelenka and Ruth Classen Zelenka. He earned a degree in electronics at UMD and was a member of the Terrapins football team. He received his master's degree in occupational therapy from Western Michigan University. Zelenka retired as an occupational therapist at McLeod Regional Medical Center, where he established the Work Recovery Center. He was a retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps and had also served in the U.S. Navy as an operations specialist. He was a regional field representative for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was trained as a surgeon’s extender for treatment of burn patients in military hospitals. Zelenka was also a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church, where he was a lector. Surviving are his wife, Vicky Rich Zelenka, and a sister, Gretchen Z. Hall.
Louis Sardella M.S. ’74, an innovator in the corrugated box industry, died of heart failure Jan. 21 at his home in Crystal Bay, Nev., according to The Baltimore Sun. He was 73 and formerly resided in Hunt Valley. Born in Baltimore and raised in Hampden, he was the son of Gaetano “Guy” Sardella and his wife, Maria DeLeonardis. He attended the old Mount Washington Country School for Boys and was a catcher on its baseball team. He was a 1964 graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree from UMD. He played soccer at Hopkins. He was mentored by an uncle, Alfonso DeLeonardis, an engineer who lived with the Sardella family. He worked at Ward Machinery in Cockeysville, William C. Staley Machinery in Phoenix, Maryland Cup and Prime Technology. Sardella went into the corrugated box-making industry, founding Sun Automation with Patrick O’Connor in 1985, and it grew to have offices in England and China. Sardella, who held 17 patents, and his partner sold the business to its employees in 2005. He remained on its board until 2012. Sardella was a member of the Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering Advisory Council and served in the Society of Engineering Alumni for more than a decade. In 1999, he established the Sardella Scholarship Fund to support engineering students and lacrosse players. In 2005, he endowed the Louis M. Sardella Professorship in Mechanical Engineering. Since 2015, he coached men’s lacrosse at Sierra Nevada University. He is survived by aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Meredith L. Fouche ’73 died on April 3 at age 68 in Mount Airy, Md. Born June 13, 1951, in Frederick, Md., he was the son of the late Arthur and Eunice C. Fouche. He graduated from Boonsboro High School, where he was active in 4-H and FFA, including exhibiting the grand champion Holstein bull at the 1969 Great Hagerstown Fair, and the Grand Champion Gilt Ohio Improved Chester at the National Show and Sale in Kidron, Ohio, in 1967. He was also the state champion in the two-mile run in his junior and senior years and completed the JFK 50-mile run/hike in April 1969. At UMD, he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, the National Agricultural Fraternity. His career included stints at the USDA in Beltsville and Frederick and on various farms, and more recently for Montgomery Weed Control. He was active in the education community in Washington County, including serving on multiple Washington County School Board task forces and as chair of the Pleasant Valley Elementary Citizens Advisory Committee and the Boonsboro High School Citizens Advisory Committee. He was a candidate for election to the Washington County School Board on several occasions. He was a member of the Washington County Democratic Club and the Keedysville Ruritan. He also wrote a collection of poems called “Reflections.” For many years, he was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Boonsboro. More recently, he was a member of Salem United Methodist Church in Keedysville, Md. He is survived by his two sons, Travis L. Fouche and Brian A. Fouche; sisters, Beverly Lapole, Melanie Fouche and Karen Fouche; and nephews, nieces and cousins.
Paul Shelden M.L.S. ’73, D.M.A. ’78 died at home in Hewlett, N.Y., on April 24 from complications of coronavirus. He was 79 and a professor emeritus of music at Brooklyn College. He was born on March 8, 1941, in Brooklyn and became a musician, then an influential woodwind performer who was inspired by his time playing under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, and spent decades producing and conducting concerts for young people as assistant director of the conservatory of music at Brooklyn College. Sheldon and his twin brother, Aaron, performed on “Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour” TV variety show in 1957, and he became the youngest band leader at Stevensville, a Catskills resort. After attaining degrees from the Julliard School in Manhattan, Shelden performed and conducted classical, jazz, klezmer and opera at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Tilles Center and the White House. He also performed in Broadway orchestras and with musical stars including Tony Bennett, Billy Joel, Blood, Sweat and Tears. He founded his own company, Diplomatte Musical Instruments, in 2003, overseeing the design and manufacture of woodwind instruments made in China. Despite his Parkinson’s disease, Sheldon performed with Long Island Northwinds Symphonic Band. In addition to his wife, Pamela, he is survived by his children, Seth and Loren, two grandchildren; and his twin brother.
Deborah Rosen McKerrow ’72 died at her Annapolis, Md., home on Feb. 22 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Baltimore in 1948, she was raised by her parents, Manny and Jeanette Rosen, along with her sister, Bobbie. After graduating from Annapolis High School, she studied theater at UMD before discovering journalism and joining the staff of The Diamondback. There she met and fell in love with fellow journalist Stephen McKerrow. They married in 1970 and later moved to Cleveland, where they both worked as journalists. After returning to Maryland, McKerrow pursued a successful career in public and community relations, working at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Franklin Square Hospital Center, Essex Community College, Planned Parenthood of Maryland, CareFirst Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the Maryland Insurance Administration. In the 1980s, McKerrow took weekend classes to earn her master’s degree in management from the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore. Building upon her experiences in settling the estates of her parents and uncle, in 2004 she founded Chesapeake Estate Services. She and her husband helped hundreds of local families in difficult times. The McKerrows were also active in their Jewish communities at Baltimore’s Temple Emanuel, then for many years at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. After she and Steve moved back to her childhood Annapolis home in Admiral Heights, in 1997, McKerrow served on the board and as president of Congregation Kneseth Israel. In more recent years, she was co-chair of the Social Action Committee at Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold, where she was devoted to the annual Winter Relief program. She twice ran for the office of alderwoman in the city of Annapolis as a Democrat. McKerrow is survived by her husband of 50 years, Stephen McKerrow; sister Barbara Wendel; sons Joshua McKerrow and Andrew McKerrow; and three grandchildren.
Richard Spinelli ’71 of Watertown, N.Y., died on Jan. 10 at age 78. Spinelli was born on July 4, 1941, to Paul and Alberta (Eddy) Spinelli. He received his bachelor’s degree from UMD and taught for 28 years at South Jefferson Central School in Adams Center, N.Y. Upon graduation in 1959, he relocated to Maryland to work for Univac Computer Corporation at The Goddard Space Flight Center, which was involved with the Apollo Mission. He taught for several years in Maryland before moving north to raise a family in Adams, N.Y. During Spinelli’s teaching career, he coached the girls’ varsity basketball team and officiated soccer. He became president of the Watertown Soccer Officials Association in 1979. Upon retirement, Spinelli enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, golfing at the Adams Golf Club and playing in the Dick Doe League at Highland Meadows. He and his wife spent winters in Florida. Spinelli was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Alberta Spinelli, and stepfather, Clifford Ostrom. He leaves his wife of 54 years, Georgette Spinelli; son and daughters, Kevin Spinelli, Kimberly Spinelli and Sandra Spinelli; his grandchildren; siblings and their spouses, Linda and Richard McNeely, Susan and John Condino, Rhonda and Randy Kellar, Jeffery Ostrum and his sister-in-law Virginia (Rivers) Pizzuta; and many beloved nieces and nephews.
William H. Mobley Ph.D. ’71, former president of Texas A&M University and former chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. died March 25 in Austin after a battle with bile duct cancer. Mobley was born Nov. 15, 1941, in Akron, Ohio, grew up in Barberton, Ohio, and graduated from Denison University in 1963. He served as head of human resources research and succession planning for PPG Industries from 1964-67 before earning his doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology from UMD. Mobley was instrumental in the initial planning of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M. As Texas A&M president emeritus, Mobley spent the past 25 years developing executive talent in the United States and Asia. He founded the Global Research Consortium, and the Hong Kong and Shanghai offices of Personnel Decisions International. From 2002-09 he served as professor of management at China Europe International Business School and became the first professor emeritus at CEIBS. As the founder and a member of the board of directors of Mobley Group Pacific Ltd., he resided in Hong Kong and Shanghai, working with academic institutions and international corporations to help senior regional and national CEOs and managing directors develop succession plans and hone their management and organizational skills. He published in leading journals on motivation, leadership and organizational cultures. He was executive editor of the seven-volume series Advances in Global Leadership. He was involved with the American Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei as well as with the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright) in Taiwan. He was a registered organizational psychologist, a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Association for Psychological Science, and a member of the Academy of Management and the International Association for Applied Psychology. He was awarded honorary degrees from the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico, and the University of Akron, and was an honorary professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He served as a senior Fulbright professor at National Taiwan University, visiting professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and visiting chair professor at the University of Macau, and was a visiting fellow at Cornell University. In 2015, he was honored with a Distinguished Psychologist in Management award by the Society of Psychologists in Management. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Marjorie Woo Mobley; his brother, Robert Glenn Mobley; his daughters Michele A. Mobley and Jennifer L. Hickl; their mother, Evelyn Jayne Patton Mobley; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
George Richard Fairfax ’70 died March 9 at his home in Park Hall, Md., at age 78. He was born Sept. 5, 1941, in Washington, D.C., to the late Rudolph Keith Fairfax Sr. and Margaret Grace O’Brien. After moving to St. Mary’s County and graduating from Great Mills High School, Fairfax enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1961 and honorably served in the Vietnam War. After the service, he continued his education and graduated from UMD with a degree in business. Fairfax worked 27 years as a civilian firefighter with the U.S. Navy, retiring as a supervisory firefighter in 1996. He was a lifetime member of the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department. After retirement, he began working for the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute as a technician and field instructor, ending his second career as training coordinator for the Southern Maryland Regional Training Center. In 2012, Fairfax received the award for Fire Instructor of the Year for the state of Maryland. He had a strong work ethic, and no job was left unfinished. In addition to his beloved wife, Bonnie, Fairfax is also survived by his sons, Jeff Fairfax and David Fairfax; his grandchildren; his siblings, Keith Fairfax, Peggy Maio, Jimmy Fairfax, Tommy Fairfax and Marie Dean; and a cousin.
Janice Mary McWeeny M.L.S. ’70 of Falmouth, Mass., died Jan. 7 at age 72 after a battle with cancer. Born in Boston, she was the daughter of George P. and Alice A. Driscoll. She was educated in the Milton Public Schools, at Fontbonne Academy in Milton and at Boston State College; she received her master’s degree in library science from UMD. McWeeny worked for the Town of Milton library system for many years, as well as the Town of Hull school system. She also enjoyed volunteering at Falmouth Public Library and the New England Historic Genealogy Society in Boston and attended religious services at St. Patrick’s Church in Falmouth. McWeeny traveled to Ireland more than 20 times to do extensive research on her Driscoll/Walsh ancestors, even acquiring Irish citizenship and buying a cottage there. She was the wife of Michael E. McWeeny, to whom she was married for 25 years before his death. She is survived by siblings George Driscoll and Susan O’Hara, as well as other family.
Richard Loren Sparrough Jr. ’70 died on March 21. He was born on Dec. 26, 1940, in Washington, D.C., and was a lifelong resident of Maryland, attending Bladensburg High School and graduating from UMD. He was a journeyman electrician with Local 26 and worked for the same contractor for his entire career. Sparrough left behind his wife of 43 years, Ann R. Sparrough; sister Mary Srnecz; nephew Richard Heath; more family and many friends, especially several high school buddies.
Eileen O. Franch ’69 died of cancer Jan. 2 at the age of 78. She was born in New York City, the daughter of Michael Ochis and Alice Edgerton Ochis. Her parents moved to Bergen County, N.J., where she graduated from Tenafly High School. She graduated from Michigan State University in 1963 with a degree in psychology. Franch moved to Maryland after studying psychology in UMD’s graduate program in 1963 and met her husband, Michael Franch, there a few years later. She graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1974, and the two moved to Baltimore, where she became a Vista volunteer with the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, a nonprofit that works with adults in poverty. Before becoming an attorney, Franch and her husband co-chaired UMD’s Fair Housing Committee. Franch worked for two decades in her firm’s Child Advocacy Unit, which represented children in the state’s foster care system. Franch also worked with the Geud Band of Baltimore. Franch and her husband were avid folk music fans and longtime members of the Baltimore Folk Music Society. She is survived by her husband and her daughter, Emily Franch.
John H. Hayes M.Ed. ’69 died Jan. 7. He was born Feb. 20, 1931, in Fair Haven, Vt. Hayes served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, earned a master’s degree in education at UMD and retired as a vice principal for Prince George's County Public Schools. He loved reading, animals, classic movies, music, theater, news, politics and his family. He leaves behind his wife of over 60 years, Barbara M. Hayes; daughters Heather Hayes, Allison Reigle and Erin Rauth; one grandson; siblings Edward Hayes and Anne Baarck; and nieces and nephews.
Edward J. Norris ’69 died on March 18 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 77. Norris was born on March 8, 1943, in Cumberland, Md., the son of the late Jesse and Beulah Norris. He graduated from Fort Hill High School and UMD, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and received his professional engineer certification. Norris began his engineering career at Borg Warner in York, Pa., in 1969 and remained with the company throughout its transition to Frick Company, ultimately retiring from Johnson Controls of Waynesboro, Pa., in 2008. He was an active member of various engineering societies and served on school PTAs and in the church in various capacities. He was a member of Otterbein Church in Waynesboro since 2001. He enjoyed camping, hunting and fishing and loved anything with an engine. He had motorcycles, snowmobiles and several classic cars throughout his life. Surviving are his wife of nearly 57 years, Phyllis Norris; three children, Nadine Grapes, Brent Norris and Susan Crawford; four grandchildren; and a sister, Kay Zembower. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Kenneth Norris.
Harry C. Hendrickson Ed.D. ’67 died on Jan. 18 at Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, Md. He was born on July 8, 1921, to Harry and Jessie Hendrickson of Still Pond, Md. After graduating from Washington College in Chestertown, Md., Hendrickson began his teaching career. He later earned a master’s degree at Columbia University and doctorate at UMD. He held various administrative positions in the Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County school systems before retiring. For more than 30 years, he served his church on several committees and sang in the church choir. Hendrickson enjoyed fishing, gardening, visiting his boyhood home in Kent County, and family vacations in Garrett County and Ocean City. Harry is survived by son Thomas H. Hendrickson, daughter Carolyn Hendrickson O’Neil, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His first wife, Ruth; second wife, Lois; son, Richard; and brother, Samuel, predeceased him.
David Beltran Phillips ’67 of Madison, Wisc., died on Feb. 13. He was born to Anna and Beltran Phillips in Charleston, W.Va., in 1946. He grew up in Baltimore and attended Friends School, followed by the University of Maryland. He was an all-state athlete in football and a member of the 1963 Maryland high school championship lacrosse team. He met his partner, confidante and friend, Susan, in a management training program at First National Bank of Maryland. They moved the family to Wisconsin in 1974, where he became an avid Badgers fan. Phillips worked in banking in Madison, Milwaukee and Racine, and was actively involved in a variety of civic groups ranging from Rotary to Goodwill to Friends of Monona Terrace to Badger State Games. He also worked at Downtown Madison Inc. and chambers of commerce in Stoughton and Verona. Most recently, he was the director of economic and workforce development for the Dane County Executive Office. He is survived by four children, Jennifer, Josh, Maggie and Kate; 12 grandchildren; a sister, Sandy; and other relatives.
William Talbott ’66 died March 15 of heart failure at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center. He was 87. Talbott, son of William S. Talbott Sr. and Louise Talbott, was born in Baltimore and raised in the Hamilton neighborhood. After graduating from City College, Talbott enlisted in the Navy and served aboard the USS Grouper, a submarine, in the Atlantic until being discharged in 1953. He earned a bachelor’s degree from what is now Towson University and a master’s degree in education and an advanced graduate specialist diploma in science education from UMD. He also pursued graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University and Arizona State University. Talbott began his career teaching physics and general science at Patterson Park High School. In the 1960s, he joined the faculty of City College and later Polytechnic Institute. Subsequently, he became an adult education teacher, science department head and assistant principal at Southern High School, positions he held until 1976, when he was appointed to the city public schools’ Office of Science as an educational specialist. In addition, Talbott held adjunct teaching positions at the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore, Towson University, UMD and what is now Notre Dame of Maryland University. He retired from city public schools in 1986. Talbott was a past president of the Maryland Association of Science Teachers, founding president of the Maryland Science Supervisors Association and a former president of the Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association. He also served twice as president and as treasurer, board member and chapter delegate for the University of Maryland chapter of Phi Delta Kappa. Talbott returned to teaching science in 1989 when he joined the faculty of Villa Julie College, which was later renamed Stevenson University. Talbott retired in 2011 from there. One of Talbott’s scientific interests was marine education, and he devoted countless hours in community service to this area, working with the staff at the National Aquarium in Baltimore in developing grant proposals, instructional materials and in-service staff development activities. He also served as a member of the Baltimore Maritime Museum’s coordinating committee and as a crew member of the Lightship Chesapeake’s annual goodwill cruise. Talbott and his wife of 26 years, the former Jane Lenderking, a registered nurse, enjoyed spending summers entertaining family and friends at their cottage in Bayside, Maine.Talbott had been a resident of the Glen Meadows Retirement Community in Glen Arm since 2014. His first wife of 38 years, the former Jean Siegrist, a real estate appraiser, died in 1992. In addition to his wife and sister, he is survived by three sons, Drew, Jeffrey and Randy; a daughter, Dara Hicks; 10 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Idell S. Pugh M.Ed. ’65 died Jan. 15 at a Randallstown assisted-living center. She was 95. Born in Baton Rouge, La., and raised in New Orleans, she was the daughter of Edward and Unice Shedrick. She was a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy in New Orleans and earned a degree in education at what is now Grambling State University. She later earned a master’s degree from UMD. While working in the Grambling president’s office, she met her future husband, Melville Westbrook Pugh Jr., who later joined the faculty of Morgan State University and became its acting sociology department chair. While a student, she began her affiliation with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She held posts within its Epsilon Omega chapter in Maryland. Pugh taught at School 25 and later became principal of Pimlico Elementary School. She and her family were among the first African Americans to join and became long-term members of St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church. Pugh also overcame barriers to have her sons enrolled at what was then an all-white St. Mary’s School. Pugh retired from Baltimore City Public Schools in 1986. In 1983, she received a top honor in her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, its Vivian J. Cook Award. In 1985, Pugh headed the 50th anniversary celebration for the Morgan State University Women. In 1993, what is now Towson University honored Pugh as a Distinguished Black Marylander. In addition to her son, survivors include three grandchildren. Her husband of 52 years died in 2005.
Louis F. “Tuck” Tyler Jr. ’65 died March 4. He was 82. Tyler was the son of Louis F. Tyler and Elizabeth Quinn Tyler. He was also the stepson of Harry Glavin. Born in Baltimore and raised in South Baltimore, Tyler was a 1955 graduate of Loyola Blakefield. After serving in the Army from 1955-60, he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and art history at UMD. In 1997, he obtained a master’s degree in business from Johns Hopkins University. From 1965-85, he owned and operated a gas station in Silver Spring, and was the owner of Sermac, a historic preservation business, with clients in Maryland, Washington and Virginia. He worked as a real estate broker for Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. for 17 years until retiring in 2006. Tyler was an avid reader and art collector, enjoyed visiting art museums and was a season-ticket holder to the Washington and Annapolis opera companies and the former Baltimore Opera Co. He was an accomplished cook and world traveler known for parachuting out of airplanes, climbing waterfalls and scuba diving. An active member of Alcoholics Anonymous, Tyler had celebrated 38 years of sobriety at the time of his death, and many of those he had sponsored became lifelong friends. Tyler is survived by his wife of 41 years, the former Florence Kendall; a son, Louis Fisk Tyler III; two daughters, Quinn Tyler Alexopulos and Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara; two stepdaughters, Kirsten Furlong Scofield and Leslie Kendall Furlong; and seven grandchildren. An earlier marriage ended in divorce.
Helmut Otto Guenschel ’62 died March 1 from prostate cancer and complications from diabetes at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, Md. The longtime Catonsville resident was 87. The son of Albrecht and Johanna Guenschel, he was born and raised in Dresden, Germany. As a 12-year-old, he was an eyewitness to the 1945 Allied bombing of Dresden. When the war ended, Guenschel entered the Schulen für Holz und Gestaltung (Schools for Wood and Design) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, where he learned to craft wood. After landing in New York in the 1950s, he bought a one-way Greyhound bus ticket to Baltimore to work for Protzman Brothers, a woodworking firm. Guenschel earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at UMD, where he was a member of Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society. After graduating, he took a job with Ellicott Machine Corp., selling dredges in various African countries. In 1964, he established Helmut Guenschel Inc., manufacturers of high-quality display cases, modular exhibition systems and cabinets, with three partners. Clients include New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, for which he designed a seismic anchor assembly to protect the delicate artifacts in the cases in the earthquake-prone city. Cases that Guenschel designed have been used to display a Gutenberg Bible and the gun that John Wilkes Booth used to kill President Abraham Lincoln. Guenschel was a ham radio buff and a member and former board member of the Architectural Woodwork Institute. His family includes the former Magdalena Hugel, whom he was married to for 60 years, daughters Nessi Harvey and Andrea Guenschel, and seven grandchildren.
Jack A. Grubber ’59 died on March 17 at his home in Great Mills, Md., at age 89. He was the son of Michael J. Grubber and stepmother Jean Elaine Grubber, and Sara Ellen Bennett and stepfather Joseph H. Bennett. He was born on May 13, 1930, in Moundsville, W.V. After graduating from Moundsville High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy for one year. After his honorable discharge, he attended Marshall College (now Marshall University) in Huntington, W.V., graduating with a bachelor’s degree in general engineering in 1953. Grubber also received a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from UMD and a Master of Management Science from the U.S. Navy Post-Graduate School in 1976. Grubber was employed by the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River for 40 years, working in electronic warfare and reconnaissance on projects such as enemy fire control. When he retired as the technical deputy of the Aviation Board of the Board of Inspection and Survey in 1992, he was awarded the U.S. Navy Civilian Superior Service Medal. Grubber was a lifelong fan of the Marshall University Thundering Herd. He also collected postcards from his hometown and St. Mary's County, spawning two books: "Postcard History: Marshall County, WV" and "Postcard History: St. Mary's County." Grubber was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, and served at various times as a lector, Eucharistic minister and parish council member. He also was a member of the St. Mary's County Elks Lodge #2092 and the Association of Old Crows. Grubber is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Ann; daughters, Janet Marie Grubber and Karen Lynn Grubber; one grandson; a brother, Michael Jay Grubber; a sister, Mary Jean Ramirez; as well as many in-laws, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a brother, Larry Bennett and an infant sister, Joyce Ann Grubber.
Mildred “Millie” B. West M.A. ’59 of Williamsburg, Va., died Feb. 15. She was born in Cedartown, Ga., on Oct. 26, 1934, to the late Russell and Mildred Barrett. She graduated from Georgia State College for Women and then completed her master’s degree at UMD. From 1959 until her retirement, West was employed in various roles at the College of William and Mary, including director of women’s athletics, associate director of athletics, and director of special projects. She was also head of the women’s tennis program and coach of the swimming and synchronized swimming teams. West was preceded in death by her sister, Louise Barrett (Hugh) Campbell and husband of 36 years, Dr. Marvin West. West is survived by her sister, Carolyn Barrett Fox; eight nieces and nephews; 17 great-nieces and -nephews; and eight great-great nieces and -nephews.
Thomas Francis Aidala Jr. ’57 of North Caldwell, N.J., died on Feb. 3. He was 84. Aidala was born on Nov. 26, 1935, in Corona, Queens, N.Y. Aidala was a proud graduate of the University of Maryland, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a successful sales executive at Hoffman La Roche, who mentored and coached many. Aidala later became a drug and alcohol counselor, continuing his love of making a difference for others. In retirement, Aidala split his time between the Jersey Shore and Florida, golfing, kayaking, playing tennis and getting together with his card group. Aidala is predeceased by his parents, Thomas Francis Sr. and Ann Aidala; his brother, Joseph; and son-in-law, Louis Del Rio. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Madeline; his sons, Thomas Francis III and John; three daughters, Ann Del Rio, Jeannine Paccioretti and Michelle Cicala; five grandchildren; brother, Richard Thomas Aidala; and nieces and nephews.
Thomas P. Lawless Jr. ’57 died March 30. He would have been 86 on May 13. Lawless graduated from the University of Maryland and married his wife of nearly 60 years, Wanda, shortly after meeting on a double date in Washington, D.C. They later moved to a suburb of Atlanta, where they raised their three children in a neighborhood they fondly referred to as “Camelot.” Lawless had a great appreciation for music, theater, art, movies, gardening, delicious food, making pancakes, grilling briskets and driving his grandchildren around in the family golf cart. Lawless is survived by his wife; a brother, Johnny; three children, Kelly, Sean and Heather; six grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
Morgan B. Wootten ’56, a legendary basketball coach at DeMatha Catholic High School who produced dozens of college and NBA stars, died Jan. 21 at his home in Hyattsville, Md. He was 88. Wootten was born in Durham, N.C., on April 21, 1931. His father was a career naval officer and his mother a third-generation Washingtonian. The family settled into a house around the corner from what is now the DeMatha campus. He graduated from Montgomery Blair High in Silver Spring, and by the time Wootten graduated from UMD with a degree in physical education, he was in his second year as junior varsity basketball and football coach at St. John’s College High in the District. He went to DeMatha in 1956 to teach world history, coach basketball and serve as athletic director. By the time he retired in 2002, Wootten had won 1,274 games and lost 192, for a winning percentage of .869. In 2000, he became just the third high school coach to be inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Wootten’s most famous victory, in 1965, ended the 71-game winning streak of Power Memorial Academy of New York City and its 7-foot-2 Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. For 31 straight seasons, every senior on Wootten’s teams received a college scholarship offer. Until 1980, he taught every DeMatha freshman world history and often said he considered the basketball court an extension of his classroom. In addition to his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000, Wootten was honored the same year by the Naismith Basketball Foundation in Atlanta as the boys’ high school basketball coach of the century. Wootten was the husband of Katherine "Moo" Wootten; father of Cathy Stamper, Carol Paul, Trish Wootten, Brendan Wootten and Joe Wootten; brother of Clare Crawford-Mason, Lee Wootten and Angus Wootten. Also surviving are grandchildren as well as numerous family members and friends.
John H. Bloom Jr. ’55, M.Ed. ’68 died on Dec. 21 after a brief illness. He was 87. Born April 18, 1932, in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., he was the son of the late Laura and John H. Bloom. He moved to Indian Head, Md., as a child and graduated from Lackey High School. He married Judy on Aug. 20, 1955. After serving in the U.S. Army, he worked in the Charles County public school system until his retirement in 1993. In 1965, he became assistant in personnel at the school system’s central office. He was part of the administrative team that integrated Charles County Public Schools and implemented a grade-level system, still in use today, which introduced middle school. Bloom went on to become superintendent of schools for Charles County, serving from 1982 to 1993. Survivors include five children, John H. Bloom III, Marylin B. Bloom, Frank J. Bloom, Anne W. Bloom and William G. Bloom; three sisters, Janet Ehrler, Claudine Eastburn and Sharon Lew; 10 grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his wife, Judith Jenkins Bloom.
Bernard (Bud) Leightheiser ’55 died on Feb. 16 in Wyomissing, Pa. He received a full tennis scholarship to attend UMD and was a business student. After graduation, he received a commission in the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant and spent two years on active duty in France. Leightheiser won the 1955 State of Maryland Intercollegiate Singles Championships. He had a career at Aetna Life & Casualty in Hartford, Conn., retiring as vice president of group sales and marketing. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; three children; and seven grandchildren.
Shirley S. Gooch ’54 of Easton, Md., died at home on Feb. 29. She was 88. Born in Philadelphia in 1931, she was the daughter of the late William Isaac Steele and Maria Carter Steele. She was raised in Takoma Park, Md., where she graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in business and public administration from UMD, she joined the federal systems division of IBM as a systems service analyst for the next eight years. She met Claiborne Watts Gooch III at IBM; they married on June 30, 1962. Gooch and her husband built their home in Talbot County in 1969. Active in her community, she was a member of Christ Church, St. Michaels, the Talbot County Garden Club, Talbot Country Club and the Harbor Club. She served as a board member at the Talbot YMCA, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and the Country School. She also served as a member of the Memorial Hospital Association. She was an avid golf and tennis player, and coached the Easton High School tennis team for several years. Gooch was predeceased by her husband. She is survived by her children, Ginny Hunneke Carter Bradshaw, Chris Gooch and Bill Gooch; and six grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister, Claiborne S. Trott, and her brother, William B. Steele.
Donald Jacobs M.A. ’54 died Feb. 11 at age 91 in the family home in Leola, Pa. He was born near Johnstown, Pa., son of Paul and Trella Jacobs. Jacobs graduated from Eastern Mennonite High School, received a B.S. in history from Franklin & Marshall College, an M.A. in history from UMD, a doctorate in anthropology from New York University and a British teaching qualification from University of London. His teaching career began in Coffee Creek, Ky., where he taught for two years in an elementary school. He taught for three years at Lancaster Mennonite School. In 1954, he and his wife, Anna Ruth, went to Tanzania under Eastern Mennonite Mission Board. There, he taught in a teacher training college and in a theological college. From Tanzania, the family moved to Kenya, where Jacobs helped to set up a religious studies department at the University of Nairobi and then taught there for six years. The family moved to the U.S. in 1973, where Jacobs was director of overseas missions in the Eastern Mennonite Mission Board office. From 1980 until his retirement, Jacobs was engaged in leadership development internationally with Mennonite Christian Leadership Foundation. Jacobs was an active member of Chestnut Hill Mennonite Church. He married Anna Ruth Charles in 1949, and they celebrated 70 years of marriage in December. He is also survived by four children, David, Alan and Paul Jacobs and Jane Stoltzfus. He is the grandfather of 10 and great-grandfather of eight. Jacobs had six brothers and four sisters, of whom six survive.
William Maletzky ’53 died at age 90 on Feb. 26 at his home in Hagerstown, Md. Maletzky was born Sept. 14, 1929, in West New York, N.J. He was the son of the late William Paul Maletzky and Hedy Danitz Maletzky. He was a graduate of White Plains High School and the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, where he also played on the football team in the 1950 Gator Bowl and the 1952 Sugar Bowl. Maletzky was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. Following his tour of duty, he returned to Washington, D.C., enrolling in a master’s degree program. It was then that he was offered a position in physical education and as assistant football coach at the new South Hagerstown High School. He moved to Hagerstown and remained at South High until his retirement in 1991. He served as head football coach and track coach. After retiring from his coaching duties, he became the athletic director at South High. He was inducted into the Washington County Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Maletzky was a member of Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Morris Frock Post 42 of the American Legion, Terrapin Club, M Club and Alumni Association of the University of Maryland, and the Terrapin Club Heritage Society; Maryland and Washington County Retired Teachers Association, the Washington County Terrapin Club and the Washington County Historical Society. Maletzky was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Dolores Hambright Maletzky; a son, Keith Wayne Maletzky; a granddaughter, Kelly Maletzky; and brother-in-law Darrell Hambright. He is survived by his son, Steven Michael Maletzky; daughter, Lynn Elizabeth Maletzky; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and brother- and sister-in-law. Also surviving is Rick Whisner, Keith’s lifelong friend who, after Keith’s death, continued to be a support.
Frank Marbury Clagett ’52, M.A. ’56 of Upper Marlboro, Md., died on Feb. 9 at age 95. Clagett attended Bancroft Elementary School in Washington, D.C., and Marlboro High School. A devoted Terp, he served as president of the Arts and Science Alumni Chapter and was an active member of the Prince George's County Alumni Club, serving on its board of directors for over 40 years. After graduation from college, he worked with the CIA for two years. He was then employed on the staff of the American Road Builders magazine. In 1969, he joined the staff of the National Oil Jobbers Council and two years later became a staff writer for the American Petroleum Institute. He retired from API in May 1989. As a member of the Knights of Columbus, he served as an officer in the Immaculate Heart Council No. 2589 for 30 years and as its Grand Knight six times. He was a past Faithful Navigator of St. Thomas Manor Assembly, Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, Port Tobacco, Md. At the time of his death he was a member of St. Pius Council in Forestville, Md. Clagett was also a member of the Southern Maryland Society. For several years, he served as president of the Southern Maryland Property Owners Association. The son of the late Royden and Alice Clagett, he outlived his six brothers. He is survived by two sisters-in-law, Helen and Kathryn, and by a host of nephews, nieces, and their children and grandchildren.
Janet Lee Murphy ’51 died Jan. 13 at age 90 at her home in Lancaster, Pa. Born in Baltimore, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Charlotte Hitchcock. She graduated from Eastern High School in 1947 and majored in psychology and was a member of the Sigma Kappa Sorority at UMD. In 1957, she moved to Lancaster, where she quickly got involved in bridge clubs, Town Club and quadrille. Her favorite role, however, was as mother and homemaker. Murphy was a member of St. James Episcopal Church and a faithful supporter of many local charities, including Vision Corps, Milagro House, and Boys and Girls Club. She was a longtime board member of Historic Woodward Hill Cemetery. Her grandchildren loved her apple pie and gingersnap and Christmas cookies. She loved her annual mother-daughter trips, always to a different city, and her beach trips. At home, she loved to putter in the garden and watch the birds at the feeders. As a member of the Lancaster Country Club, she was an avid golfer and tennis player. She also skied well into her late 70s. She is survived by two daughters, Brenda Lee Patterson and Sheryl Ann Trower, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Preceding her in death was her only sibling, Margaret Benson.
Elinor M. Rogers ’51 of Manheim Township, Pa., died March 31 at age 90. Rogers was born in Baltimore. She excelled academically, lettered in varsity sports and was editor of her high school newspaper. She earned a B.S. from UMD and an M.A. from Wheaton College. A homemaker most of her life, Rogers taught Sunday school, led women’s Bible studies, and organized vacation Bible schools, Christmas plays and an after-school Bible club for girls. She and her husband were instrumental in the founding of a church that is now part of the Presbyterian Church of America. In recent years she attended Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pa. Rogers hosted, supported, prayed for and corresponded with many Christian workers and missionaries and served on the board of Mukti Mission. Also, she was a contributor to Decision Magazine, author of “A Semantic Structural Analysis of Galatians” for Wycliff's Summer Institute of Linguistics, and a book editor for Christian Literature Crusade and Bible Visuals International. She enjoyed classical music, biographies, history, geography and traveling. She was the wife of the late Dr. Benjamin L. Rogers; mother of Dan Rogers and Julie Rogers; and grandmother of three.
Lincoln “Linc” Watkins ’51 died March 6 at age 92. Watkins, who was known to many as Pa or Puzzy, was born in New York City on Nov. 23, 1927. His parents relocated to a farm in Ashton, Md., and he graduated from Montgomery Blair High School. Watkins then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in World War II. He then earned a degree in physics from UMD and married his wife, Annette, a year later, in 1952. Watkins attended graduate school at Johns Hopkins University, where he went on to work at its Applied Physics Lab for 12 years. In 1963, the Watkins clan relocated to Stonington, Conn., where Watkins had a successful career designing hovering missile compensation systems for Polaris, Poseidon and Trident submarines at Electric Boat until his retirement in 1992. Watkins was known for his compassion and wisdom, his comforting presence and his Dutch cocoa cookies. He was a frequent visitor to Mystic Middle School, where they referred to him as “Saint Lincoln,” due to his endless availability. A dabbler in auto mechanics, he often spent afternoons tinkering in his garage. He is survived by his children, Martin Watkins, Ann Watkins, Janet Marsden and Carol Breslin, as well as grandchildren, great-grandchildren, niece and nephew, as well as family by proxy. Watkins was predeceased by his wife of 48 years, Annette, son Edward Watkins, brother Monroe, sister Clarita Bahjat, and her son Andrew.
Robert “Ed” Novak Sr. ’50 died of heart failure April 18 at the Glen Meadows Retirement Community in Glen Arm, Md., at age 94. Born in Baltimore, he was the son of Franklin J. Novak Sr. and his wife, Pearl. He was a 1944 graduate of Baltimore City College, where he played football, and immediately enlisted in the Navy. He was assigned to the Pacific Theater during World War II and served in the Navy’s amphibious forces as an electrician mate first class. After the war he earned a bachelor’s degree at UMD, where he also played football. He was recalled to military service during the Korean War in 1951 and served aboard an armed landing craft. He met his future wife, Phyllis Jane Shipley, on a blind date, and they married in 1953. Novak joined Baltimore City Schools and initially coached athletics and taught at Robert Poole Junior High School iand at Clifton Park Junior High School. He was then assigned to Baltimore City College, where he coached swimming, track and field, and soccer. He was also an assistant football coach. In 1965, Novak became the first athletic director at Northwestern High School, a pioneering racially integrated school, and in 1978, became athletic director at McDonogh School in Owings Mills. Novak served there for 13 years and was inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame. Novak was named the state’s Athletic Director of the Year in 1989, and is an inductee into the Maryland State Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. During his summers, Novak managed the Hampton Pool in Towson. He coached and taught swimming for 21 years. In 1961, he was one of the founders of the Free State Swim League and was recognized by the American Red Cross for his 30 years and 4,500 hours of volunteerism. Novak received the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame Service to Football Award in 1993 and the Baltimore Touchdown Club Service to Football Award in 1999. Novak was a lifetime member of the Parkville American Legion Post 174 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9083. Novak and his wife were active in numerous post activities. He and his wife also planned and ran reunions of his WWII shipmates for 25 years and volunteered at the Baltimore City Veterans Administration Hospital at Loch Raven for many years. Survivors include Phyllis, his wife of 66 years; a daughter, Deborah Glasgow; two sons, Robert E. Novak Jr. and Kevin B. Novak; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Edward F. Shultz ’50 of Conyers, Ga., died March 21 at age 93. Shultz was born Nov. 14, 1926, in Akron, Ohio, to the late Franklin and Margaret Hausman Shultz. His stepfather, Edward Brookman, raised Shultz as his own. In 1943, Shultz met Wanda Hammond at the local roller rink, his favorite pastime. They were married on Oct. 21, 1945. A veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps, Shultz graduated from UMD with a degree in mechanical engineering and went on to a 33-year career with Hercules. He worked on many innovations in technology, from explosives, Minuteman ICBM missiles, plastic extrusion, gas charged detonation and finally to non-woven fibers. Shultz loved to travel and took his children on numerous camping trips during their years growing up in Utah. After he retired in 1986, the Shultzes criss-crossed the U.S. many times and traveled extensively in Europe. Shultz loved to tinker and fix cars or appliances and was admired for his sense of humor, love of learning, and above all, his love of family. He was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Wanda Shultz; his granddaughter, Christine Poole; and his sister, Eloise Corwell. Shultz is survived by children Ted and Tim; Lisa Norris; Lara Hayes; and Julie Poole, as well as seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, siblings Joseph Brookman, Elaine Veronneau, and Marjorie and Dennis Boyd, as well as special friend and caregiver Betty Deramus.
Jean M. Brandt ’47 died of cardiac failure Jan. 7 at the Fairhaven Retirement Community in Sykesville, Md., where she lived for 18 years. She was 93. Born and raised in Halethorpe, she was the daughter of James Price McComas and Margery McGuigan McComas. She was a 1943 graduate of Catonsville High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from UMD. She taught briefly at a Catonsville private school and in the Baltimore City school system. In 1948, she married her Terp sweetheart, T. Marshall Brandt. In 1957, they moved from Rodgers Forge to Ellicott City, where they lived for 40 years. She was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, a volunteer at its annual antique show, and a volunteer at St. Agnes Hospital. She and her husband were active golfers and founding members of Turf Valley Country Club. They toured with friends who called themselves the Fredericksburg Annual Return Tournament. They also enjoyed boating and an Ocean City summer home. Survivors include two sons, Thomas Jr. and Stephen; a daughter, Carol B. Staton; a sister, Mabel Louise Frowe; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Her husband of nearly 58 years died in 2006.
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