In Memory: Fall 2022

1940s

C. Dean Baker, c’44, m’47, Centennial, Colorado, 98, April 12. Dean, a U.S. Air Force veteran, practiced medicine for 67 years. He is survived by his wife, Beverly.

Frances Depew, b’46, Neodesha, 98, June 3. Frances worked in law offices and as an executive assistant at First National Bank in Neodesha. Her husband, Harry, b’48, l’51, preceded her in death.

John Hagan, e’40, Leawood, 103, July 22. John, a U.S. Navy veteran, worked in the oil and gas industry for 45 years.

James Head, j’49, Land O’ Lakes, Florida, 96, June 9. Jim served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He worked for over four decades as a journalist and editor for various newspapers and magazines.

L. Darby Smith, e’49, Arlington, Virginia, 96, June 14. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and helped engineer several buildings in downtown Kansas City in the 1950s. He later founded the company LeaseSmith. His wife, Lorraine, preceded him in death.

1950s

Richard Anderson, c’53, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 91, June 26. Richard served in the U.S. Army and was a federal employee for many years. He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Nancy.

Angelo Battaglia, c’50, Placerville, California, 99, June 24. Angelo was a World War II veteran. His wife, Mary Jane Dean Battaglia, g’50, preceded him in death.

Janet Barnes Burton, f’57, Loveland, Colorado, 86, June 19. Jan played the organ at First United Methodist Church in Loveland for 40 years and was a longtime Girl Scout Council president. She is survived by her husband, Don, b’56.

Terry Carle, c’55, m’58, Las Vegas, 88, Sept. 5.

H. Edward Chamberlain Jr., b’59, Templeton, California, 84, June 8. Ed was an accountant, and in 1982 he opened Seaway Rental Corp. in Watertown, New York, where he worked until 2011. Ed was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Patricia.

Joanne Banks Coffeen, c’52, Lawrence, 92, July 17. Joanne worked in merchandising at Macy’s and Harzfeld’s in Kansas City. She enjoyed teaching round dancing with her husband, and the couple traveled to dance events across the country. Joanne is survived by her husband, Bob.

David Douthat, e’50, Catonsville, Maryland, 92, April 25. He was preceded in death by his wife, Charlotte.

Norma Haase Freely, c’52, Overland Park, 91, June 26. Norma and her late husband, Don, ’52, traveled extensively in the U.S. and Europe.

Floyd Grimes II, c’51, Paola, 92, May 2. Floyd, a U.S. Navy veteran, practiced dentistry in Paola for 42 years. He served as mayor of the city from 1991 to 2004. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann, d’53.

Hal Hansen, b’58, Naples, Florida, 85, June 7. Hal spent his 40-year career working for Cargill and was president of Cargill Investor Services for 20 years. He is survived by Lou Ann Murray Hansen, ’60, his wife of 63 years.

Nancy Lindsey Helmstadter, c’52, Lawrence, 91, June 18. Nancy devoted her time to several local organizations, including the Watkins Museum of History and the Douglas County Senior
Resource Center. Her husband, George, c’55, preceded her in death.

Nancy Hutton Hodges, d’55, Salina, 88, May 17. Nancy, an active member of the Salina community, helped found the city’s first day care center. Her husband, Merle, c’55, m’58, preceded her in death.

Elaine Hicks Lonborg, ’59, Dallas, 84, April 26. Elaine was an elementary school secretary. Her husband, Jay, b’59, preceded her in death.

James Lowther, j’51, Emporia, 92, May 11. A U.S. Navy veteran, Jim worked at the Emporia Gazette for 10 years and later as a banker. He served as a state representative from 1975 to 1996. His wife, Virginia, preceded him in death.

James Mauldin, g’50, Springfield, Missouri, 101, Dec. 13, 2021. Jim served in the U.S. Army in World War II. He spent most of his career in sales at Merck & Co. Jim created Springfield’s Ethnic Life Stories Project, which celebrates diversity in the city. His wife, Norma, preceded him in death.

Newton McCluggage, c’58, m’65, Lawrence, 86, July 14. Newton served in the U.S. Marines and was president of the medical staff at Kansas City General Hospital. He later practiced at North Kansas City Hospital.

Howard Moore, e’53, Springfield, Missouri, 93, Aug. 24. Howard, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was a civil engineer and established the Howard Moore Group. He later worked as an engineer and administrator for Greene County, Missouri. His wife of 60 years, Jackie, preceded him in death.

William Nieder, ’56, Angels Camp, California, 89, Oct. 7. A KU student-athlete, Bill won an NCAA title for shot put in 1955. He competed in the 1956 and 1960 Olympics, winning the silver and gold medals, respectively. Bill set the shot put world record three times, and in 2006 was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. During his career at 3M, he helped develop the first artificial athletic turf. He is survived by his wife, Sharon.

Edward Slye, c’51, West Hartford, Connecticut, 94, May 20. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Ed worked for over 27 years at Stanley Black & Decker in New Britain, Connecticut.

Mary Schauvliege Sorem, n’55, Jetmore, 89, July 17. Mary worked as a registered nurse at St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and later with the Hodgeman County Health Department. Her husband, James, e’55, preceded her in death.

Abram “Mac” Stevens, ’55, Vancouver, Washington, 94, June 5. Mac served in the U.S. Navy, and throughout his career he was a partner at engineering consulting firms in Kansas, Montana and Washington. His wife, Lucretia, preceded him in death.

Emmet Terril, c’54, d’55, Catoosa, Oklahoma, 89, June 27.

Gerald Waugh, d’51, g’59, Wichita, 95, Sept. 17. Jerry was a guard on the men’s basketball team and captain his senior season. He served in the U.S. Army prior to college. Jerry was an assistant coach at KU from 1957 to 1961 and later coached at Arizona, Chico State and San Francisco State. He returned to KU in 1974 as an assistant athletics director, and from 1992 to 2000, he coached the women’s golf team. Among his honors, Jerry was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and Kansas Golf Hall of Fame. He was preceded in death by his wife Ada Hatfield Waugh, ’53, who died in 1980, and wife Dolores Anderson Waugh, ’78.

Kenneth Wernicke, e’54, g’55, Bedford, Texas, 89, Sept. 1. Kenneth was an aeronautical engineer at Bell Helicopter from 1955 to 1990. He formed two companies after his retirement, Sky Technology and Fast Track Amphibian.

Glenna Wilber, d’57, Prairie Village, 87, June 13. Glenna was involved with many organizations in Kansas City, including Children’s TLC and the Nelson Gallery Foundation. Her husband, Robert, c’57, m’61, preceded her in death.

1960s

Rita Ravens Alexander, d’69, Denver, 75, June 18. Rita taught second grade and later worked for nonprofit organizations.

Linda Lewis Chartier, d’65, Leawood, 79, July 30. Linda taught fourth grade in Olathe and volunteered at Children’s Mercy Hospital and Kaleidoscope at Crown Center in Kansas City. She is survived by her husband, Gene.

Timothy Feerer, b’68, Georgetown, Texas, 76, June 18. Tim founded Feerer & Associates, an interior restoration and maintenance company, and later opened another business, Environmental Floors. He is survived by his wife, Anne.

Patrick Hanna, PhD’69, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 81, May 4. Pat worked at the University of Minnesota for 43 years, where he taught medicinal chemistry and pharmacology and researched carcinogens in tobacco smoke and the environment. He is survived by his wife, Betty.

Daniel House, e’68, Lake Wylie, South Carolina, 75, Sept. 6. Daniel spent most of his 35-year career in the aerospace industry, working at IBM, Loral and Lockheed Martin. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl.

Thomas Kenny, g’64, Madison, Wisconsin, 87, July 1. A U.S. Army veteran, Thomas taught high school English in several states. He later worked in school administration in Iowa and was a superintendent in Wisconsin. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Judi.

Kristin Kloehr, d’68, Southlake, Texas, 75, July 21. Kristin was a flight attendant for United Airlines for 44 years.

Herbert Lindsley, m’66, Leawood, 82, July 18. A rheumatologist, Herbert worked at KU Medical Center his entire career. He became professor of internal medicine in 1991 and established the Rheumatology Clinical Trials Unit. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Carol Betlack Lindsley, c’63.

Robert Lowe, d’65, McLouth, 83, June 23. Bob taught high school math and science and coached basketball in communities in northwest Kansas. He was a full-time farmer and rancher from 1974 until his retirement. Bob is survived by his wife of 60 years, Anne Stoner Lowe, d’65.

Roger Stanton, c’60, l’63, Prairie Village, 83, March 4. Roger led his KU undergraduate and law classes as president, and he practiced law for 50 years, specializing in litigation. He was a longtime member and state chairman of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is survived by Judith Duncan Stanton, a’61, his wife of 60 years.

Tom Sullivan, c’67, m’71, Leawood, 77, June 30. Tom served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. He practiced medicine at the Kansas City Women’s Clinic for 23 years and later taught at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is survived by his wife, Helen Lindquist Sullivan, d’80.

Gary Swink, c’67, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 77, April 10. A U.S. Army veteran, Gary was a regional manager for Pizza Hut during its growth in the 1970s. He was later a franchisee of five restaurants in the Sioux Falls region.

Paul Wagner, p’61, Lawrence, 84, June 1. Paul played drums in the KU band and orchestra. He was an oral surgeon and eventually began his own practice in Hays. Paul is survived by his wife, Sharon Mather Wagner, d’61.

William Waugh III, b’65, l’68, Prairie Village, 79, Aug. 27. Bill was an estate and tax attorney and worked at Lathrop Gage law firm in Kansas City his entire career. He is survived by his wife, Judith Watson Waugh, d’65.

Sandra Whistler, n’68, Lenexa, 87, June 24. Sandra served as a registered nurse in the U.S. Air Force and retired with the rank of captain. She also worked at KU Medical Center for several years.

1970s

Channette Alexander, ’73, Lawrence, 74, Sept. 30. Channette worked at KU from1969 to 2021, retiring as head librarian at Spahr Engineering Library.

Betty Dick, ’78, Newton, 89, June 12. Betty taught preschool in Kansas City for many years. She is survived by her husband, Arthur, m’69.

Phoebe Godwin, ’74, Lawrence, 90, July 13, 2021. Phoebe worked as a nurse and was later an entrepreneur, owning a boutique in Lawrence. She was active in many organizations in the city. She is survived by her husband, Phillip, c’51, m’55.

Paul Gray, d’70, Lawrence, 75, Sept. 22. Paul was senior pastor at New Life in Christ church for 30 years. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 25 years. A jazz musician, he performed with Paul Gray and the Gaslight Gang and the Junkyard Jazz band. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Waggoner Gray, d’69.

Robert Bruce Grene, c’75, m’78, Andover, 68, Oct. 3. An ophthalmic surgeon, Bruce launched Grene Vision Group in Wichita in 1996. He was a pioneer in techniques for corrective vision surgery and created the widely used eyedrop formula Celluvisc. Bruce is survived by his wife, Mary.

James Halling, g’72, Fairway, 77, Aug. 10. Jim spent his career at KU, where he was chair of dietetics and nutrition at KU Medical Center and directed the hospital’s food service operations. His wife, Judy, preceded him in death.

John Harms, c’74, g’80, g’84, PhD’86, Springfield, Missouri, 70, Aug. 7. John was professor emeritus in the department of anthropology and sociology at Missouri State University and received numerous awards for his teaching and service. He is survived by his wife, Katherine Galloway Harms, c’75.

Les Landau, c’78, Odessa, Missouri, 66, June 18. Les, a U.S. Navy veteran, practiced as a general and trauma surgeon in Kansas and Missouri. He served as president of the American College of Osteopathic
Surgeons in 2008.

Roger Martin, g’73, Lawrence, 75, Aug. 26. A writer, editor and research reporter, Roger worked at KU for 25 years. He founded the research magazine Explore and wrote commentaries about KU research for Kansas Public Radio. Roger later directed communications at Kansas Action for Children and the Kansas Health Institute. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Yoder.

John Christopher Perryman, m’76, Leawood, 72, July 7. Chris practiced medicine in the Saint Luke’s Health System for over 45 years, eventually serving as senior vice president and chief medical officer. He is survived by his wife, Kathy Dowell Perryman, h’80.

Stuart Sundblom, ’75, Salina, 70, July 9, 2021. Stuart founded the company Stuart Systems in Olathe with his late wife, Deborah.

Dorothy Ward, ’74, Tonganoxie, 92, Oct. 18. Dot was a member of the Vintage Players in Lawrence and a longtime performer in theatre and singing groups. She worked for the tourism company Maupintour for 15 years. Dot’s husband, Gene, preceded her in death.

1980s

Susan Hull Hudson, g’89, Callao, Virginia, 86, June 3. Susan worked on political campaigns for her father, Bill Hull, who served 11 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was an active member of the Weston, Missouri, community, where she lived for many years. Susan is survived by her husband, Floyd.

Richard Purdy, ’84, Green Valley, Arizona, 88, Oct. 6. Dick was a high school teacher and football coach in Kansas and Missouri for 41 years. He led teams to six Kansas state titles, including five with Lawrence High in the 1990s. Dick was an assistant football coach at KU from 1981 to 1982. He is survived by his wife, Norma.

Paul Spohn, h’83, Shawnee, 88, Aug. 27. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, ’87.

Alyson Humphreys Walter, h’87, Topeka, 57, June 23, 2021. Alyson was an occupational therapist and swim instructor for children with special needs. She is survived by her husband, Dave.

1990s

Gene Tuel, g’93, Lawrence, 75, Aug. 18. Gene spent his career with The Navigators, a faith ministry, and worked at KU as a student adviser from 1981 until his retirement. He is survived by his wife, Leellyn.

2000s

Charles Hoffmann, c’04, Pleasant Hill, Missouri, 44, June 19. Chuck was a yell leader on the KU Spirt Squad. He worked as a web developer at Intouch Solutions. He is survived by his wife, Ginger Ireland-Hoffmann, n’11, g’20.

2010s

DeNean Jones, g’16, Mission, 49, May 8. DeNean worked for Truman Medical Center and was later program director at Gilda’s Club Kansas City. Most recently, she worked in private mental health practice.

University community

Jack Cohn, Lawrence, 86, July 28. A U.S. Army veteran, Jack joined the KU faculty in 1967 as an assistant professor in the English department. He taught 20th-century American literature at the University for over 30 years.

Rudolf Jander, Ithaca, New York, Sept. 22. Rudolf was a professor of entomology at KU for 47 years. He was an avid gardener and focused his efforts on promoting insect diversity. Rudolf is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ursula.

Mani Mani, Mission, 85, Aug. 6. Mani completed his residency in plastic surgery at KU, and from 1974 until his retirement, he oversaw the Gene and Barbara Burnett Burn Center, part of The University of Kansas Health System. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rebekah.

Donald Marquis, Lawrence, 86, Sept. 13. Don was professor emeritus of philosophy and taught at the University from 1967 until his retirement in 2016.

Wayne Pearse, Lawrence, 70, July 25. A U.S. Army veteran, Wayne began his 34-year career at KU at the Kansas Memorial Union and eventually became director of building services. He worked on countless major repairs, renovations and expansions on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses. He is survived by his wife, Kathy, d’82.

Daniel Politoske, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 86, Oct. 14. Daniel, a U.S. Army veteran, was professor emeritus of musicology. He taught at KU for over 20 years. His book, Music, introduced thousands of students to classical music.

Jan Roskam, Lawrence, 92, Sept. 9. An aeronautical engineer, Jan worked at Cessna and Boeing before joining the KU faculty in 1967. He was promoted to Ackers Distinguished Professor of Aerospace Engineering in 1974. Jan co-founded DARcorporation in Lawrence and served on advisory committees for NASA and the U.S. Air Force. In 2003, he received the Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award. He is survived by his wife, Janice Barron, ’79.

Robert Sanders, Sanford, North Carolina, 83, June 17. Bob came to KU in 1966 to teach biological chemistry. He served as associate dean of the Office of Graduate Studies from 1987 to 1996 and as associate vice chancellor from 1989 to 1996. He retired in 2004. Bob is survived by his wife, Gladys, ’82.

James Thompson, Normal, Illinois, 64, Sept. 11. Jim was a professor at Illinois State University for over 20 years. He came to KU in 2016 as a professor of special education and served as a senior scientist at the Beach Center on Disability and as an associate director of the KU Center on Developmental Disabilities. Jim is survived by his wife, Aprile.