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In Memory: Winter 2024

1940s

Betty Whitney Alderson, p’46, Lawrence, 98, Nov. 4. Betty was a pharmacist and worked at KU’s Watkins Health Center for many years. Her husband, Donald, b’45, g’60, preceded her in death.

Eugenia Hepworth Berger, d’46, Littleton, Colorado, 97, Jan. 1, 2023. Eugenia was a professor and chair of the department of education at Metropolitan State College in Denver. Her husband, Glen, b’48, preceded her in death.

Charles Franzke, b’48, San Antonio, 97, Aug. 24. Chuck was a division CEO of Dillard’s. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Alice Wright Franzke, c’48, and is survived by his second wife, Mary Ann.

Barbara Varner Frizell, c’47, Hutchinson, 97, Dec. 15, 2022. Barb was active in several organizations in Hutchinson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bud, ’51.

Phoebe Hahn Hansen, d’42, Aurora, Colorado, 103, Oct. 29.

J. Kenneth Higdon, b’48, Lenexa, 97, Aug. 29. Ken served in the U.S. Navy and Air Force and later held executive positions at Business Men’s Assurance Co. His wife, Mary, preceded him in death.

Georgiana Sewell Morrill, ’49, Lone Tree, Colorado, 96, Dec. 2. Georgiana volunteered with many organizations in Topeka. Her husband, Edmund, b’49, preceded her in death.

 

1950s

Lue Diver Barndollar, ’55, Coffeyville, 88, Oct. 25, 2022. Lue was an English instructor at Coffeyville Community College and later served on the school’s board of trustees. She was preceded in death by her husband, Pratt.

Martha Collingwood Barnhardt, c’58, Bucklin, 88, Aug. 4. Martha was a physical therapist and served in several community organizations in Bucklin. She is survived by her husband, Robert, assoc.

Donald Dunaway, b’59, Naples, Florida, 86, Dec. 9. Don, a U.S. Army veteran, worked for A.O. Smith Corp. for over 20 years, eventually serving as executive vice president. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Kipp Dunaway, c’59, and is survived by his second wife, Sally.

Robert Halliday, c’56, Fort Worth, Texas, 91, May 19, 2023. Bob, a U.S. Army veteran, worked in the mining, cement and lime industry. His wife, Joan, preceded him in death.

Pamela Hutchinson Hanson, c’57, Prairie Village, 88, June 17. Pam served as an elder in the Presbyterian Church and sang in numerous choirs. She is survived by her husband, Karl, c’55, m’58.

Harold Henson, c’54, l’59, Evans, Georgia, 90, Jan. 21, 2023. Harold, a U.S. Air Force veteran, practiced law in Kansas City. His wife, Virginia, preceded him in death.

Donald Hilton, b’58, Wichita, 92, June 29. Donald served in the U.S. Navy and worked in marketing. His wife, Imogene, preceded him in death.

Ralph Johnson, c’58, m’62, 90, Nov. 20. Ralph was a primary care physician and later a professor in the school of medicine at the University of California, Davis.

Rebecca Swander Johnson, c’59, f’80, g’84, Leavenworth, 85, Feb. 26, 2023. Becky was a ceramic artist and co-founded the Carnegie Arts Center in Leavenworth. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul, c’57, m’61.

Betty Carmean Jury, ’54, Austin, Texas, 91, Sept. 24. Betty had a long career at Commerce Bank. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack.

Graydon Luthey, c’52, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 92, June 18. Graydon served in the U.S. Air Force and later practiced law for over 35 years. He was preceded in death by his wife, Anne Murphy Luthey, ’53.

Frank Mastin, e’57, Quitman, Texas, 88, Jan. 10. Frank was an aviation engineer. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lowannah.

Charles McCarthy, b’50, Palm Desert, California, 96, Nov. 11. Charles served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and worked in the oil business for over 30 years. His wife, Marie Schumacher McCarthy, d’51, preceded him in death.

R. Jonathan Meigs, b’57, Overland Park, 87, April 5, 2023. Jon, a U.S. Army veteran, worked in information technology for companies such as Hallmark and IBM. He is survived by his wife, Barbara.

C. Robert Parks, d’57, g’65, Lawrence, 93, Jan. 12, 2023. Bob, a U.S. Army veteran, taught math at Topeka West High School for over 20 years. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty, and is survived by his second wife, Barbara Howey Parks, g’73.

Mary Jo Huyck Pugh, d’56, Stockton, California, 88, May 9, 2023. Mary Jo was a musician and taught middle school choir. She also worked as a legal secretary. She is survived by her husband, Bill.

Laura Nelson Savage, c’50, St. Louis, 96, Nov. 26. Her husband, Leo, b’59, preceded her in death.

Janet Shepherd, d’56, Long Beach, California, 90, Dec. 22, 2022. Janet taught PE, geography and English in Long Beach.

Carolyn Hogan Stiles, c’59, Overland Park, 86, Dec. 22. Carolyn was a consultant and an elder in the Presbyterian Church. She is survived by her husband, Merrill, c’60, m’64.

Harvey Wall, g’54, EdD’60, Clayton, California, 95, Oct. 20. Harvey was a school psychologist and later director of research and development for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District in California. He is survived by his wife, Louise.

 

1960s

Pamela Dutt Bell, d’69, Florence, Kentucky, 75, April 15, 2023. Pam was a teacher and choral singer. She is survived by her husband, Ted, j’69.

Carol Askins Beller, c’66, d’67, g’68, Garnett, 79, May 1, 2023. Carol was a teacher and later a business owner. Her husband, Pat, ’63, preceded her in death.

Herman Bonett, g’63, PhD’76, Warrensburg, Missouri, 92, March 22, 2023. Herman, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, worked as a journalist and professor and was later in real estate. His wife, Susan Hartmetz Bonett, ’68, preceded him in death.

Karen Stenzel Brown, d’64, Long Beach, California, 80, March 1, 2023. Karen worked in the insurance industry.

Donald Dawson, p’66, Russell, 81, Jan. 2, 2023. Don owned Don Dawson Pharmacy in Russell for 42 years. He is survived by his wife, Carol.

Susan Eggleston Donaghue, d’60, Prairie Village, 86, July 27. Susan taught music at elementary and junior high schools. Her husband, Alan, d’60, preceded her in death.

Howard Ellington, a’61, Wichita, 85, June 14. Howard was an architect and director emeritus of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House. His wife, Nelda, preceded him in death.

Donna Laptad Godfrey, d’61, Overland Park, 84, May 16, 2023. Donna was a teacher for over 40 years.

Ruth Heaton, n’66, Portland, Oregon, 80, March 15, 2023. Ruth worked at KU Medical Center.

Robert Hughes, m’68, Kansas City, 81, April 17, 2023. Bob, a U.S. Army veteran, practiced medicine in Kansas City for many years. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Hogan Hughes, n’70, g’79.

Sara Coleman James, b’63, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 81, Dec. 9, 2022. Sara was an organist and worked in accounting. She is survived by her husband, Ivan, e’63, g’69.

Stanley Jones, b’64, McKinney, Texas, 81, Oct. 7. Stan worked at IBM for over 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Sally Frank Jones, ’65.

Ron Larimore, b’62, Taos, New Mexico, 82, May 26, 2023. Ron was a financial adviser at Edward Jones and later part of the management team. He is survived by his wife, Carol.

Diane Larson Lazzarino, g’69, Lawrence, 87, Jan. 5. Diane was a School of Journalism faculty member for 37 years. She advised the KU Ad Club and was founding director of the Bremner Editing Center. Her husband, Alex, assoc., preceded her in death.

James “Dave” Madison, d’65, Bakersfield, California, 79, May 20, 2023. Dave served in the U.S. Army and later practiced law for many years. He is survived by his wife, Pat.

Nita Cleveland Merriweather, ’61, Denton, Texas, 84, Nov. 16. Nita was a medical librarian at Hutchinson Hospital for 25 years. Her husband, Terry Merriweather, p’61, preceded her in death.

Steven Priest, b’67, Warsaw, Missouri, 79, Jan. 3. Steve worked in information technology in several industries, including medicine, manufacturing and insurance. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn.

Helen Berge Richards, d’65, Olathe, 79, May 26, 2023. Helen taught third grade and later worked in the insurance industry. She is survived by her husband, Gary, c’62, g’70.

Milo “Mike” Sloo III, c’63, m’67, Salina, 81, June 6. Mike was an orthopedic surgeon and practiced in Salina for 33 years. He is survived by his wife, Carol Ann, assoc.

Brewster Snyder, b’66, Valrico, Florida, 84, June 24. Brewster served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, retiring with the rank of captain. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol Lou Watkins Snyder, ’66.

Joanne Prim Shade Thompson, j’64, Chicago, 80, March 31, 2023. Joanne was a newspaper reporter and freelance writer. She is survived by her husband, Richard.

Kermit Wedel, m’60, Minneapolis, 90, July 27. Kerm practiced family medicine in Minneapolis for over 40 years. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, assoc.

Lynn Weis, d’68, g’71, PhD’74, Charlotte, North Carolina, 77, May 27, 2023.

Carlee Wilson, c’61, g’63, Topeka, 89, Aug. 19. Carlee was a hospital and high school social worker.

 

1970s

Carol Cornish Allen, b’71, Santa Monica, California, 73, Aug. 23, 2022. Carol worked on the sales team at F.A. Davis Co., a medical textbook publisher. She is survived by her husband, Bill.

Janice Bassford, c’74, Beloit, 71, Oct. 18. Janice worked in various roles, including as a medical transcriptionist, fundraiser and restaurant manager.

Charles Cape, j’71, Sarasota, Florida, 74, Oct. 3. Charlie taught English at Mundelein High School in Mundelein, Illinois. He is survived by his wife, Linda Hayne Cape, n’73.

David “Jan” Collins, d’70, Highland, 76, May 14, 2023. Jan was a teacher, coach and longtime school district superintendent. He is survived by his wife, Barbara.

Michael Howard, l’74, Olathe, 75, Aug. 14. Mike worked in the athletic apparel business and was a salesman for brands such as K-Swiss.

Christy Chapman McCord, d’72, Lebanon, Indiana, 71, Oct. 6, 2022. Christy worked in finance. She is survived by her husband, Clinton.

Robert Melichar, m’70, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 79, Oct. 1. Robert was a general and vascular surgeon. His wife, Lucinda Farmer Melichar, m’68, preceded him in death.

Harold Nye, g’76, Hays, 82, April 26, 2023. Harold worked for the state of Kansas his entire career. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Unruh Nye, c’71, n’81.

Frank Slover, g’71, Atlanta, 77, April 17, 2023. Frank practiced commercial real estate law and later served as a pro bono lawyer for Atlanta Legal Aid. He is survived by his wife, Deborah.

 

1990s

Alan Swarts, g’92, Lawrence, 72, May 13, 2023. Alan worked in information technology for Douglas County and KU. He is survived by his wife, Margene Zumbrunn Swarts, g’89.

 

2010s

Tyler Anderson, b’10, Leawood, 37, May 13, 2023. Tyler was a personal financial planner. He is survived by his wife, Michelle Goldstein Anderson, b’10, g’12.

Betty Sponsel Bowman, p’15, PharmD’17, Rochester, Minnesota, 32, Aug. 20. Betty was a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic.

 

University community

Albert Rowell, Lawrence, 94, Sept. 28. Bert was professor emeritus of geology and curator emeritus of invertebrate paleontology at the
KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum. He is survived by his wife, Margery, g’71, PhD’77.

Lawrence Sullivan, assoc., Overland Park, 92, Dec. 18. Larry, a U.S. Army veteran, was professor emeritus of physiology at KU Medical Center. He was preceded in death by his wife, Florence.

 

Associates

David Drummond, assoc., Lawrence, 74, June 15. A U.S. Army veteran, Dave worked for the St. Joseph, Missouri, fire department and later the U.S. Coast Guard. He is survived by his wife, Rheva.

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