Philippa Fisher, Nov. 10, 2004

At her 103rd birthday, Sister Philippa Fisher, Ruth Katherine Fisher at Bates sat at a long table, surrounded by friends and fellow nuns. She bit into a Peppermint Patty, her favorite candy, and recalled cold mornings in Franklin, Mass., walking to school with her dog at her side in the early 1900s. The dog, she recalled, stayed by her desk all day in the classroom. Known for her sense of humor, sharp memory, and intellect, she was her high school’s valedictorian. After Bates, she became a member of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, where she remained for 80 years. She was a Latin teacher who missioned at several Massachusetts schools, including St. Clement in Somerville, Regis College in Weston, St. Charles High School in Waltham, Keith Hall in Lowell, and Cathedral High in Boston. “She made it very interesting,” wrote Sister Edwandette Havey, once a student of hers. “Humor was always appreciated with a weighty subject such as Latin.” But with her sense of humor also came equal humility; upon retirement, she asked to work in the laundry room. Her death became known to the College in September 2005.

1927

Hollis D. Bradbury, Sept. 24, 2003

In the 1927 Bates Mirror, Hollis D. Bradbury’s fellow students wrote, “Poet, musician, and businessman is Brad — all rolled into one.” After working briefly for General Electric in Schenectady, N.Y., he combined business with his interest in music by working at RCA, first in the Photophone division, then as a manager for film recording sales. A member of the Bates choir for four years, he played organs in various theaters and churches, was a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and TV Engineers, and was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He married Dorothy M. Witmer in 1931, and after her death in 1972, lived in Port Hueneme, Calif. He is survived by sons Peter of Walnut Creek, Calif., and Robert of London, Ontario; and four grandsons. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

Roy L. Davis, July 12, 2005

Roy L. Davis was a chemistry major known for putting in admirably long hours at Hedge Laboratory. The hard work paid off. He was a member of the Jordan Scientific Society, a chemistry assistant, and graduated with honors. After Bates, he became a chemist for the S.D. Warren paper company in Maine and, by 1933, he had received both his master’s and doctorate from Lawrence College, after which he was hired as chief chemist at Consolidated Water Power and Paper Co. in Appleton, Wis. In 1935, he married Eleanor Marjorie Voecks and moved to Detroit and worked for 20 years as technical director and then supervisor of manufacturing for Detroit Sulphite Pulp and Paper Co. He managed the Mexican division of Scott Paper, Compania Industrial De San Cristobal, and then was director of procurement and director of pulping and related processes. He retired in 1971, then consulted for the company on environmental affairs and pulp and paper operations in Central and South America. He was a member of the American Chemistry Society and the National Geographic Society. In Bates affairs, he was Class president from 1973 to 1977, Delaware Valley Bates Club treasurer, and a member of the Bates Fund Committee. He and Eleanor endowed the Eleanor V. and Roy L. Davis ’27 Scholarship Fund for students from Maine who demonstrate an interest in the sciences, especially chemistry. He was predeceased by his wife, and is survived by his children, Oliver and Marilyn.

1928

Amelia Wood Fredericks, May 11, 2005

A self-described “workaholic,” Amelia Wood Fredericks was a sheriff’s officer for 30 years with the Essex (N.J.) County Sheriff’s Dept. She “retired” in 1972, which for Amelia meant moving to Oceanport, N.J., and becoming a sea-cruise tour guide, leading groups of seniors on cruises well into her 90s. An English major, she held varied interests, reflected in jobs such as high school teaching in Providence, R.I., or serving as an agent for a British pet-supply manufacturer. She was predeceased by her husband, William A. Fredericks. She is survived by son Douglas Fredericks; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

1930

Dorothy Burdett Kavka, March 29, 2005
Dorothy Burdett Kavka’s poem “Evolution” muses about life at the beginning of time, when “creation slept, carefree as one / Who never saw the shadows for the sun.” The poem appeared in The Garnet in 1930, of which she was co-editor. An English major fluent in three languages, she was driven by her love of words. She earned a master’s in education from Bridgewater (Mass.) State, where she taught English. Moving to Pembroke, Mass., she became a member of the South Shore Writers Group. Her work was published in Yankee Magazine, and she won the National Award for Outstanding Writing from the Writers Guild, as well as the 1971 New England Women’s Press Assn. Award. She wrote extensively for theBrockton Daily Enterprise and penned an advice column called “Cousin Pru.” In Bates affairs, she was Class secretary, co-chaired her 60th Reunion Social Committee in 1990, and served as an inaugural college representative. Wife of the late Jerry Kavka, she is survived by son Jeremy of Ludlow, Mass., son Justin of Pembroke, Mass., daughter Joy McCarthy of Topsham, Maine; seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

1931

Dorothy Parker Ludwick, July 13, 2005

Dorothy Parker Ludwick was one of the College’s most athletic Latin majors. She played basketball, hockey, soccer, baseball, and ran track for Bates, and with her elocutionary talents, won speaking prizes and served on student committees. As a teacher, she put her energy and speaking skills to good use. Over four decades and four school systems, she taught at Rockland (Maine) High School, North Hampton (Mass.) High School, Crosby High School in Belfast, Maine, and Auburn’s Webster Junior High School, from which she retired in 1973. She was a member of the First Congregational Church in Auburn, the National Retired Teachers Assn., the Maine Retired Teachers Assn. and the Auburn Art Club. In Bates affairs, she was class secretary (1960–1965), president, and vice-president; served on the Reunion Committee, and was a member of the College Key. She is survived by son Stephen E. Ludwick of Concord, N.H.; sister-in-law Marion Ludwick Hewitt ’42 of Auburn; and other relatives. Her late sister was Ruth Parker Anderson ’16.

Hilda Ring Dragoon, March 28, 2005

Hilda Ring Dragoon loved social activities, especially bowling. Well into her 90s and by then partially blind with poor hearing, she stepped up to the lanes and at age 96 was named Lady Bowler of the Year by the group Visually Impaired Persons Sharing in her community of Peru, Maine. She attended Bates for one year, graduating from Farmington (Maine) Normal School, then taught sixth grade in the Dixfield school system for 15 years. She was a member of the Rockemeka Grange in Peru, Maine, for over 50 years. She was predeceased by her husband, Peter, and is survived by sons James of Peru and Peter Jr. of Livermore and Naples, Fla. She was predeceased by son Richard.

1932

Harry L. Kaplan, May 14, 2005

Born in Krasnistav, Russia, in 1909, Harry L. Kaplan immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island in the early 1930s, settling in Lowell, Mass. He was president of the former Middlesex Paper Tubing Co. and in the early 1940s was asked by the U.S. government to assist the war effort by making sleeves for bombs. He had a special talent for working closely with his community. A member and supporter of the Temple Beth El in Lowell, he helped it become one of the largest Jewish congregations in the area. He was involved in the transformation of Brandeis College into a university and supported many charities and philanthropies in greater Lowell. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Anne Goldman Kaplan; sons Walter Kaplan of Miami, Fla., and Murray Kaplan of Sharon, Mass.; and several other relatives.

Carolyn Lane Woodman Howard, June 14, 2004

Carolyn Lane Howard spent three years at Bates and graduated from Boston Univ. She worked briefly as a photographic technician at Boston City Hospital before turning to education, a field she served in manifold ways: as a tutor for dyslexic children, a gallery instructor at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and, in later years, tutoring ESL adults. “I have always been interested in words and language,” she said. She is survived by husband Paul M. Howard of Winchester, Mass., son Paul C. of Revere, Mass., and daughters Judy Shea of Northampton, Mass., Deborah Howard of Granada Hills, Calif., and Betsy Small of Washington D.C.; five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren; and sister Edith Cherry Perkins of Saco, Maine. Her death became known to the College in September 2005.

1934

Richard W. Secor, Jan. 8, 2005

Salesman, prizefighter — Richard W. “Dick” Secor always enjoyed a good challenge. When he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, he asked to be sent “as far away as possible.” They sent him to the Philippines. There he took up boxing, and became the light-heavyweight champion of the Air Corps Far East Division. When he returned, the physics major played Bates football and hockey, and boxed to make money. He became the New England AAU light-heavyweight champion. After Bates, he discovered a new kind of challenge, selling insurance for Liberty Mutual, and then for the Pratt Whitney airplane engine company. While on a trip to Long Island, N.Y., he met Stefanie, who would become his wife for 60 years. They traveled the country together selling large portable heaters for Silent Glow Oil Burner Corp. of New Haven, Conn. Always the salesman, Dick talked Silent Glow into purchasing a staggered-wing Beechcraft airplane, in which he flew himself and Stefanie around the country. “I went to work as a salesman,” Dick said, “and became vice president.” In the 1950s he bought his own plane, this time selling amusement park rides for the Miniature Train Co. of Rensselaer, Ind. Upon retirement at 85, he was the oldest salesman in the amusement business and had the highest sales-per-call ratio in the company’s history. He is survived by his wife, and his late brother was Morris Secor ’30.

Gwen Spear Towne, March 22, 2005

Born in Lewiston, Maine, Gwen Spear Towne was employed by Maine State Library for more than 20 years, during which time she ran a bookmobile. Survivors include daughter Judith Badger; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Her late husband was Elwin Towne ’31.

1935

Benjamin F. Dimlich, June 24, 2005

Beneath Benjamin F. Dimlich’s Mirror photos is this quote: “Men of few words are the best men.” It was a motto that probably served him well; he worked as a teacher, coach, and ultimately principal of Andover, Mass., public schools for some 33 years. A baseball lover, Ben played varsity at Bates. He also served in the National Guard, was a member of the Holy Family Hospital Men’s Guild, the Elks of Andover, the Pocasset Golf Club, the Pocasset Village Improvement Assn., and the Nautical Twirlers square dance club on the Cape. He was predeceased by his brother, Albert Dimlich ’25. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mildred Schruender Dimlich of Pocasset; daughters Judith M. Dimlich of Reading, Mass., Susan D. Bachrach of Washington D.C., Claire D. Hearl of Andover, Mass., and son David J. Dimlich of Falls Church, Va.

John W. Gross, March 16, 2005

A Lewiston native, John W. Gross was an economics major, member and then president of the Politics Club, and golfed for relaxation. He worked for Remington-Rand Inc. in New England for 20 years before starting his own business, John W. Gross Co., selling office equipment. With retirement came a chance to relax full time — he moved to a development in Boca Raton, Fla., near four large golf courses. His late wife was Mildred Hollywood Gross ’33 and his late sister was Katherine Gross Walker ’39. He is survived by daughter Susan, sister Rose M. Gross ’43, and brother William H. Gross ’43. His great-nephew is Bradford S. Macdonald ’94 and great-niece is Whitney Macdonald ’97.

Madeline McIlroy Wellman, June 20, 2005

Despite several moves around New England, a career in teaching was one thing that remained constant in Madeline McIlroy Wellman’s life. A French major, she completed her graduate work at Central Connecticut College, Westfield State College, and American International College in Springfield, Mass. She was a Maine resident until moving to Wilbraham, Mass., with her first husband, Edward “Ted” Wellman Jr. ’36, and then to Essex, Conn., where she was an elementary school teacher in the Chester and Cromwell, Conn., schools, until her husband passed away in 1958. She married Edward Preble Aldrich ’35 in 1959 and, after a divorce in 1966, she moved again to Longmeadow, Mass., and taught at the Greenwood Park elementary school until retirement. In her later years, she remained at the school as an active volunteer in the senior reading program. She also volunteered in the Pioneer Valley chapter of the American Red Cross. She was predeceased by her husband and by her son, Edward F. Wellman III, as well as sisters Katherine Flynn, Constance Lochhead, and Dorothy Hawes, and brother Malcolm McIlroy. She is survived by two granddaughters; a niece and five nephews. Her aunt is Ona Leadbetter ’30.

1936

Urshal E. “Tim”Gammon, July 19, 2005

Chemistry major, vice president of the Lawrance Chemistry Society, manager of the varsity hockey team, and chairman of the Chase Hall Committee, Urshal E. “Tim” Gammon also graduated with honors. He began working for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. before serving six years in the military. In 1947, he returned to Liberty Mutual to work in claims and remained there throughout his career, working both in Boston, Mass., and Brooklyn, N.Y. He enjoyed stamp collecting, woodworking, and traveling here and abroad. He was also a volunteer driver for “Road to Recovery” and a member of the American Cancer Society. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; sisters Eileen Russon of Norway and Mary Cadorette of Goldsboro, N.C.; and brothers Alan Gammon of Marcellus, N.Y. and Richard Gammon of Spokane, Wash. His mother was Elizabeth Drew Gammon ’17 and late brother was Lawrence D. Gammon ’39.

Lenore Murphy Thomas, March 12, 2005

Lenore “Sunny” Murphy Thomas was active in Bates clubs, student government, and theater, and served as class vice president for all four years. When she got married, she and her husband, Warren, traveled the globe seeing East Africa, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Turkey, Japan, and many European countries. An English major who loved reading, she likely brought her love of foreign places, drawn from books and her own experiences, into her elementary school classroom in Turners Falls, Mass. She served as a member of Farren Hospital Guild, the American Assn. of University Women, Brightside Children’s Center, the Women’s Club of Turners Falls, and the Greenfield Community College Foundation. In Bates affairs, she was a member of College Key and served on Reunion committees. Predeceased by her husband, she is survived by children Kearin S. and Warren D.

1937

Frances Isaacson Miller, April 23, 2005

Frances Isaacson Miller was standing in line at a kosher deli in Portland, Maine, on the eve of Passover several years ago, when a Portland Press Herald reporter asked to interview her. “Preparing for Passover is different when you’re 84 from when you’re 64,” she said. “God forgives a lot.” After Bates, she studied in France and taught English to French students in Grenoble. She returned to the Lewiston-Auburn area and was a member of the Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Synagogue, and Temple Shalom Synagogue-Center, and was a lifetime member of Hadassah. Her devotion to her faith sparked an interest in researching the early settlers of Palestine in the 1880s. Months spent in the depths of the New York Public Library yielded an English translation of the collected writings of a young Russian who fled to Palestine after the pogroms of 1881, titled Chaim Chissin: A Palestine Diary, 1882–1887, and published byHerzl Press in 1976. Living in Falmouth, Maine, from 1977 until her 2005 death, she worked on her poetry, and by the end of her life she had composed more than 250 poems. She is survived by daughter Deborah Day Bornstein; two grandchildren; a great-grandson; brother Irving Isaacson ’36; and cousins including Rohna Isaacson Shoul ’46 and Philip Isaacson ’47. Her former husband is Herbert Miller ’38.

Richard L. Loomis, April 6, 2003

Richard L. Loomis’ versatility in the workplace was perhaps honed at Bates. He belonged to the Varsity Club, Camera Club, Jordan Scientific Society, Christian Assn., band, hockey, and was assistant coach for freshman football. After Bates, he worked in sales and management for companies from Albany, N.Y., to Seattle, Wash., including Syracuse General Sales Corp., the Federal Savings and Loan Assn., the Alexander Hamilton Institute, the Federal Home Loan, the Bank Board Examining Division, and finally was president of Accounting Management Consultants. He was a member of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He married Barbara Ellis in 1939 and had three children, Edward Lorin, Suzanne, and Charles M. His death became known to the college in September 2005.

Elizabeth Smith Fenimore, Dec. 16, 2002

Elizabeth Smith Fenimore graduated from Westchester State College. She was a member of the Northeast Methodist Church in Maryland, and the LaCassa Quilting Club. Survivors include her husband, B.D.; a son, Edwin G. of Georgia; and two grandchildren. Her death became known to the College in September 2005.

1938

Caroline Hanscom Merrifield, May 31, 2005

Upon retirement, Caroline Hanscom Merrifield wrote, “I try to do a little to be a help to others and my hometown.” She was also modest. She received her master’s from the Univ. of Southern Maine in 1971 and worked for many years as a high school English and Latin teacher, first in Harvard, Mass., and then for 23 years at Sanford (Maine) High School. She also taught in the evening school program and was active in a variety of community organizations, including the Sanford First Baptist Church, the Goodall Hospital Auxiliary, the College Club, and, later, the Maine Retired Teachers Assn. In 1975, she was the first woman elected to serve on the Sanford Zoning Board of Appeals. She was predeceased by husband Emil Merrifield, son Douglas Merrifield, and brothers Fred Hanscom and Oscar Hanscom. Surviving are daughters Constance Perry of Orono, C. Ann Merrifield of Boston, brother Ward Hanscom of Sanford, and several other relatives.

John W. “Cotton”Hutchinson Sr., March 16, 2005

John W. “Cotton” Hutchinson Sr. played football and baseball all four years at Bates and also had a mind for business and his community. He majored in economics, earning his master’s in economics from Boston Univ. He was vice president of manufacturing for the Draper Corp. of Hopedale, Mass., chaired the school committee and the Hopedale Foundation, and served as president of the Milford Rotary Club and trustee of Vermont Academy. He was president of the Fellows Corp., a member of the New England Council of the National Machine Tool Builders Assn., and chairman of the gear committee in Springfield, Vt. Upon retirement, he enjoyed traveling, gardening and golf. He served in the Pacific during World War II, earning promotion to lieutenant colonel during reserves service, and in Bates affairs, was a member of College Key, Reunion and Bates Fund committees, and was past president of the Bates Club of Worcester. He retired to Falmouth, Mass., and was an associate member of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. He is survived by wife Eleanor Crockett Hutchinson; sons John W. of North Falmouth, Mass., and Thomas D. ’69 of Falmouth; and five grandchildren.

Hilda MacInnes Preston, July 15, 2005

Hilda MacInnes Preston attended Bates for two semesters — sufficient time to meet Richard Preston ’38, her husband of 64 years. She was raised in Manhasset, N.Y., where she was an all-star basketball player in high school. She was employed by Dun & Bradstreet in New York City for several years, and she continued her love of sports playing golf with the women’s group at Beverly (Mass.) Golf and Tennis Club. In Bates affairs, both she and Richard served on their Reunion Social Committee in 1993. She is survived by her husband, daughters Sandra Nimblett, Christie Morris, and Cheryl Prest; and four grandchildren.

Eleanor Purkis Hillger, July 29, 2003

An education major, Eleanor “Ellie” Purkis Hillger received her master’s in occupational therapy from the Univ. of Southern California. She stayed on at USC as an associate professor, and also taught at Los Angeles City College, but worked mainly as a practicing occupational therapist. After husband Wendall A. Ring died in World War II, she married Melvin G. Hillger in 1956. In Bates affairs, she volunteered as a career adviser, and was an inaugural representative. Her death became known to the College in September 2005.

1939

Norma Watkins Maynard, June 28, 2005

Three years after beginning her teaching career in Falmouth, Mass., Norma Watkins Maynard left to join the Navy, serving as a communications officer from 1943 to 1948. She married Charles Taylor Maynard and returned to her teaching, at Appleton Academy in New Ipswich, N.H. She received her master’s in education in 1952 from Fitchburg State College, after which they moved to Stockton, Calif. An English major, she taught English at Edison and Stagg high schools, served as department head, and was dean of girls at Marshall Junior High, retiring in 1978. She was a member of the NEA, CTA, and Councils of Teachers of English. In Bates affairs, she served on her Reunion Social Committee in 1994 and 1999. She is survived by daughter Marilyn M. Rose of Richvale, Calif., three grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

1940

Wilfred G. Howland, March 31, 2005

Insurance executive Wilfred G. Howland played fair. In the ’60s, as chair of the New England Insurance Rating Organization, he developed the “Boston Plan” that allowed urban property owners to get insurance in areas with a high incidence of fire. The subsequent “Fair Plan” extended this program across the country. He was an expert in converting mutual insurance companies to stock format and drafted New York insurance regulations for conversions in that state. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, earned his law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School, and practiced law with the Boston firm of Nutter, McClennan and Fish. Retiring to Florida from The American Group of Worcester, Mass. (now First Allmerica Financial), he used his experience with The Bates Student to serve as insurance editor forThe United States Banker and Investor. Philatelists valued his research writings and collections of early Peruvian stamps and postal history; advanced bridge players enjoyed his tutelage in Sun City Center, Fla., and his newspapers column, “Anyone for Bridge,” was in the community Sun. In Bates affairs, he was past president of the Boston Bates Club and a member of the College Key. Survivors include daughters Wendy Foley ’70 of Tampa and Pam Armstrong of Palm Harbor, Fla.; and three grandchildren.

1941

Ruth Bailey McKay, June 11, 2005

Ruth Bailey McKay’s identity as a peace and civil rights activist began with a teenage boy’s question in Sunday school class. Fearful of the Vietnam-era draft, the boy challenged her: “Either you mean what you’re trying to teach us or you don’t. How does all this love stuff fit with the draft?” “The wall between my government and my faith came crashing down,” she said. A member of United Church of Christ, her religion infused her activism. During Vietnam, she counseled conscientious objectors and protested the war (though she disliked the word “protest,” preferring “dissent” or “witness”). In the ’80s, she held vigils against the construction of the Seabrook (N.H.) nuclear power plant. She was arrested nearly 10 times for civil disobedience, spending more than a few Christmas days in jail. Though often hauled out of elected officials’ offices after sit-ins, she had the respect of those in the political arena. A longtime staffer to a Republican senator said, “Ruth’s legacy is America’s legacy. People have every ability to agree or disagree and in open and thoughtful ways. Ruth very much represented that part of society that took strong stands and stuck by them.” “I didn’t go out and look for a dramatic cause to get headlines,” she told The Boston Globe in 1998. “I was just trying to live my life the best way I could.” In her final days, a friend visited her in the hospital. “And I felt her heart,” said the friend. “And I said, ‘Ruth your heart is so strong, the beat is so strong.’ And she said, ‘Yes, that’s a problem, isn’t it.’” Predeceased by her first husband, Ralph, after 45 years of marriage, she is survived by husband Ed of Greenfield, N.H.; daughter Christine of Greenfield; son Denny of Conway, N.H.; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Janet McLean Armstrong, May 22, 2005

A self-described “army wife,” Janet McLean Armstrong moved her family 36 times during husband Russell ’41’s service. “Bud and I enjoyed life in the military,” she wrote, “however nothing changed the fact that our marriage, our home, and our family were always the center of our lives.” They lived abroad in Germany, England, and France, as well as in the U.S., mostly at Fort Monmouth, N.J. Having attended Simmons School of Social Work in Boston, Janet worked as a therapist in the psychiatric clinic at Monmouth Medical Center, and later in a counseling and adoption agency in Long Branch, N.J. She and husband “Bud” retired to Wolfeboro, N.H., bought land, built a new house, and enjoyed working in their rose gardens. Predeceased by her husband, she is survived by sons Charles S. Armstrong of Auburn, Maine, and Douglas M. Armstrong of Susan, Va., and daughter Rebecca Havekost of Seattle, Wash.; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and her sister, Flora McLean.

Edna S. McIntosh, Sept. 8, 2004

“My life has been rather quiet,” Edna S. McIntosh wrote on her 50th Reunion survey, this from a woman who began her career working at a psychiatric hospital in Hartford, Conn. “The pay was $50 a month, plus room and board,” she wrote, “for 54 hours a week and one day off.” It was the era of lobotomies, shock therapy, and warehoused patients, and a dozen women started at the hospital with her, but most had left by the second month. Edna vowed to stay a year and stayed for four, working first as a patient aide, then a clerk, and finally as assistant credit manager. She served in the Navy, was discharged as a yeoman after 14 months, and attended Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School on the GI Bill. She worked for the textbook company Ginn and Co. for 26 years, living in New Hampshire and developing a serious interest in photography and travel. She enjoyed submitting her slides, often taken during her travels, to various competitions sponsored by the Photographic Society of America.

Helene Woodward Kimball, Sept. 9, 2005

A sociology major, Helene Woodward Kimball began her career as a teacher, but it wasn’t for her. She wrote, “I wanted to work with people, but not in a formal teaching atmosphere.” So she moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and became the personnel manager at a W.T. Grant store. “Being away from New England, however, was also not for me,” she wrote. So she returned to Bangor, Maine, still with W.T. Grant, and helped to open stores in Presque Isle and Thomsponville, Conn. (Firm founder W.T. Grant himself received an honorary doctor of law from Bates in 1947.) She married Guy E. Kimball in 1962, and they enjoyed fishing, golf, camping, and traveling. She worked with the Red Cross during World War II and was a member of the Bangor Altrusa Club RSVP and the Hampden Garden Club. Surviving are her sister, Priscilla W. Durgan of Fayette; step-daughter Gloria Vomvoris of Waxahachie, Texas; and other relatives. Her cousin was Gilbert L. Woodward ’39 and her uncle was Louis Woodward 1909.

 

1942

Roger V. Blanchard, April 7, 2001

Roger V. Blanchard owned Blanchard’s Anchorage and Bayview Cabins in Naples, Maine, until retiring in 1998. He was the past senior councilor of UCT No. 160, a volunteer for the Naples Fire and Rescue Department, and was a member of the Oriental Masonic Lodge in Bridgton and the Elks Lodge of Port Orange, Fla., where he also spent time. Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Jacqueline Michaud Blanchard; daughters Cynthia Larrabee of Mechanic Falls and Brenda Chaplin of Naples, Maine, and Port Orange; son Robert V. of Auburn; and several other relatives. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

Robert L. Ennis, Jan. 21, 2002

A shy bookworm when he arrived at Bates, Robert Lowell Ennis later went on to receive a master’s degree in sociology from the Univ. of Pennsylvania on the GI Bill. “Bates brought me out,” he wrote. He majored in languages and remembered Robert Seward of the French department as an important influence. His last year of Bates, he tutored a Portuguese immigrant in basic English and after graduation entered the military. His love of books brought him to bookselling, and in his later years, he wrote poetry and a play. He was also an artist; in 1960, two of his paintings were hung at the Philadelphia Art Alliance. He is survived by daughter Carolyn of Arizona and son Richard of Delaware. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

Bernard E. Francis, August 17, 2005
The first Saturday night dance of his freshman year, Bernard Easterby Francis took one look at Alice Turner ’42 standing across the room, promptly told his date that he had “made a mistake” and asked Alice to be his date instead. They were together for more than 60 years. He served in the U.S. Navy and received his law degree Boston College. Then he spent two years as a special agent in the FBI before becoming a lawyer at Francis & Kearns in West Hartford for 45 years. He was a founding member of the Simsbury Lion’s Club, a Middletown magistrate, an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Assn. and Dispute Resolutions, president of Berkshire Downs race track, and a recipient of the VFW Distinguished Citizen Award. He and Alice, and their four children, raised thoroughbreds at their Simsbury, Conn., farm. “I have done everything a man can wish to do in a lifetime,” he wrote. “My deep love and affection for Bates College springs from the fact that they introduced me to the greatest girl in the world.” Besides his wife, he is survived by daughters Carol Salerno ’66 of West Yarmouth, Mass., and Susan Coiner ’67 of Cape Cod, Mass.; sons Robert Francis of Canton and Steven Francis of Williamsburg, Va.; brother Ward Francis and sister Lorraine Stich, both of West Hartford; 10 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Abigail Francis ’99 is one of his granddaughters.

1943

Doris Lyman Krohmer, May 30, 2005

At Bates, Doris Lyman Krohmer displayed her passion for helping others. A sociology major, she belonged to the Bates Social Action Commission and the Christian Service Club, then went on to earn a master’s in social work from Boston Univ. While in Boston, she worked at the Home for Little Wanderers, a child placement agency, and shortly after, moved to Menlo Park, Calif. There she began psychiatric work for Dibble General Hospital and married Jack Stewart Krohmer. After a few years, they began moving back east, and Doris continued to work in many states in several different positions in the social work field, including child welfare, and high school and senior services consulting. She was the director of the Montour County (Penn.) Child Welfare Service, and in later years volunteered for hospital auxiliaries in several cities. Her most recent and largest project was her work with The Caring Place in Georgetown. She also served as a docent for museums, a swim coach to her children, and neighborhood chairman for the Girl Scouts. She served on a number of boards and committees, including Family and Child Services and Homemakers, the planning board for the United Way, the American Assn. of University Women, Wayne Women’s Faculty Club and the G. P. Woods Historical Commission. Predeceased by her husband and a daughter, she is survived by son Jack L. Krohmer; daughter Candace K. Cooke; several grandchildren; and foster children Shirley Rebe and Jay Fowler. Her stepbrother was the late Robert E. Scott ’43.

1944

Donald I. Burhoe, Nov. 12, 1996

Born in Reading, Mass., Donald I. Burhoe spent two years at Bates before moving to Florida to work at the Fleet Sound School in Key West. He married Corinna E. Gant in 1946, and they had five children. He worked briefly as a salesman for the Spaulding-Moss Co. in Boston, Mass., before settling at the Glen Raven Silk Mills in Burnsville, N.C., eventually becoming general manager in 1976. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

Hobart Fuller Reed Sr., June 7, 2003

Hobart Fuller Reed Sr. spent just two years at Bates before joining the Army in World War II, but would for a lifetime credit economics professor Paul Bartlett for teaching him decision-making skills. After the war, he worked briefly at his father’s general store in Bass Harbor, Maine, before completing his degree in economics through North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Ga. He worked for Mercantile Stores Co., first in the New York buying office, and then in Montgomery and Opelika, Ala. Then he made another big decision, becoming an accountant for the Kent, Nobles and Martin CPA firm and for Alabama’s departments of Mental Health and of Finance, division of printing and publications. He and his wife decided to go back to school and, in 1979, both earned M.B.A. degrees from Auburn Univ. at Montgomery. Survivors include his wife, Margaret Johnson Reed; son Hobart F. (Trabo) Reed Jr.; grandson Hobart F. (Trey) Reed III; brothers Stanley Reed, Clayton Reed, and Richard Reed, all of Bass Harbor, Maine; sisters Charlotte Robbins of Bass Harbor, Natalie Mosher of Farmington, Maine, and Emma Richards of Mount Desert, Maine. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

1944

Edward J. Tyler, Nov. 18, 2004

The preacher loved to write. Edward J. Tyler wrote prolifically, and not just sermons. He was a founder, in 1966, of The Parish Players, a community theater group in Thetford Hill, Vt., and took playwriting workshops to learn how to write with a group — a foreign experience for a man used to writing in solitude. At first he wasn’t convinced it was going to work. “Writing a play,” he said, “or anything that other people are going to pass judgment on, is a bit like jumping out of a plane without being sure if your parachute is going to open.” But seeing the value of getting good advice from the right readers changed his mind. His writings also included prayers and poems, and he spent some time as an editor of the Connecticut Valley Reporter. He served in the Army in the Philippines for two years before graduating, and went on to receive his divinity degree from Yale. His first call was to the Federated Church in Putney, Vt., and then became the Congregational chaplain at the Univ. of Vermont, before serving 17 years at the Thetford Hill Congregational Church. There, he met his future wife, Gillian Lewis, who survives him, as do daughter Hilary Tyler of Thetford Hill; three grandchildren; and a niece. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

1945

Alfred E. Wade Jr., May 27, 2005

One evening in May 1944, Alfred E. Wade Jr. shone the spotlight on a delicate Viola as she took the stage in the Little Theater on the second floor of Hathorn Hall to begin Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. An economics major, he would balance his love of the arts with the world of finance with rare ability throughout his life. He earned his M.B.A. from Babson College and began his career as an accountant for General Electric in Schenectady, N.Y. Then he worked for Raytheon in Waltham, Mass., and as a business and industrial consultant. In 1969, he began working for W.R. Grace as a financial analyst in Cambridge, Mass., and then became manager of their tax administration department. All the while, he sang with the Masterwork Chorale in Boston, touring England, Romania, Columbia, California, and Mexico. He married Dorothy Patricia Snell ’49 in 1949, a marriage that ended in divorce, and then married Rosann Hutchison, who also sang in the chorale. Together they moved to Brunswick, Maine. Survivors include his wife; son Thomas E. Wade of Winchester, Mass.; daughters Linda Amero ’77 of Marlborough, Mass., Judith Clausen of Grafton, Mass., and Paula Foley of Framingham, Mass.; brother Winthrop Wade and sister Elizabeth Cole; and three grandchildren.

1946

George W. Moulton, April 13, 2005

George W. Moulton spent only one year at Bates before leaving for military service in 1943. As a cadet in officer’s training, he married Virginia Hunt Mouton ’44, who would be his wife for 61 years. Together, they traveled with the military to California and Texas. He earned his degree from the Univ. of New Hampshire as a civil engineer in 1949, then he and Virginia lived in geographically diverse locales, from Presque Isle, Maine, to Melbourne Beach, Fla., where they witnessed the first manned space launch. As a civil engineer for the Air Force, he served in Germany and Japan as well as at home, opting for early retirement in Charlestown, N.H., where he and Virginia renovated their 1834 cape house. While in New Hampshire, George worked with an architect and served as chairman of the planning board. He also served on the commissions for Connecticut River Valley Resource, Regional Solid Waste Planning, and the Maine Assn. of Engineers. He is survived by his wife; son Christopher Moulton of Carlisle, Mass.; daughters Lynda Moulton of Harvard, Mass., and Marsha Campaniello of Loudon, N.H.; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. His late father was George B. Moulton ’15; an uncle and several cousins attended Bates.

Carl J. Rote, March 10, 2004

During Carl J. Rote’s 10 years as protestant chaplain at Letchworth Village in Thiells, N.Y., a now-defunct state institution for the mentally ill and disabled, he wrote passionately about the problem of mental retardation, especially where it converged with religious duty. “The removal of our seriously troubled from our churches to institutions,” he wrote, “does not free the church and the pastor from the responsibility to the less fortunate.” Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., he attended high school in Manila, Philippines, before coming to Bates to major in religion. He married Phyllis C. Brightman in 1947, began his chaplaincy work at Letchworth in 1948, and in 1949 received his B.D. from Western Theological Seminary, the same year he was ordained minister in the Evangelical and Reformed denomination. He trained at Rikers Island Penitentiary and at the Columbia, S.C., state hospital. He was pastor at the First Reformed Church in Youngwood, Pa., and minister at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Huntington Station, Long Island, but at Letchworth he found his calling. “Like John Wesley,” he wrote, “we should say, ‘The world is my parish.’” He was also a member of the Assn. of Mental Hospital Chaplains. Survivors include two sons, Paul Carl Rote, Birmingham, Ala., and David John Rote, of Telluride, Colo.; a sister, June Bainer; and three grandchildren. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

Paul D. Schmanska, April 17, 2005

A longtime resident of Newington, Conn., Paul D. Schmanska earned his degree in economics and was employed by the Travelers Insurance Co. as a manager in public relations and publications. In Bates affairs, he worked on his Reunion Gift Committee in 1996. He was predeceased by wife Annette B. Schmanska and is survived by son David of Tenants Harbor, Maine, and daughter Susan Balon of Manchester, Maine; two grandchildren, including Helki Schmanska Crowder ’01; brother Philip Schmanska ’54 of Hampton, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.

Alan H. Thorpe, Dec. 15, 2004

From mail carrier to sports editor to dean emeritus, Alan H. Thorpe’s wide-ranging careers demonstrate how able this combat-wounded veteran really was. Receiving the Purple Heart after being wounded in action in Germany, he was hospitalized in England before returning to the U.S. He had spent only a year at Bates, and completed his bachelor’s at Syracuse Univ. before becoming a mail carrier for 19 years in Norwich N.Y., where he had attended high school. Retiring from the postal service, he returned to Syracuse for his master’s in education, and, in 1969, became sports editor of the Norwich Evening Sun. He moved to Canandaigua, N.Y., in 1976 and accepted a position at Finger Lakes Community College. There, he was named dean of continuing education, completed his doctoral study with Nova Univ., and retired in 1990 as dean emeritus. He was also an avid volunteer and fund raiser for many organizations in the Canandaigua area, including Disabled American Veterans, Merrill Hose Volunteer Fire Co., the American Legion, the Elks Club and Canandaigua Rotary Club, where he was a past president. He is survived by his wife, Charlyn “Lyn” Thorpe, eight sons and seven daughters, several grandchildren, and many other relatives.

1947

Richard H. Sprince, April 11, 2005

Richard H. Sprince attended Bates for one semester before accepting appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, but he honored his Bates experience with a bequest to support the Alumni House. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1948 with a B.S. in electrical engineering, then served as an officer of the deck on the battleship USS Missouri during the Korean war, was an aerial gunfire spotter during the Inchon landing, and received the Air Medal for locating enemy targets from an unarmed helicopter. He graduated from Navy Submarine School and served as a submarine officer on the USS Carbonero and the USS Jallao. Honorably discharged, he worked for General Electric before becoming, in 1966, NASA’s director of resources management for the Apollo Program at the Kennedy Space Center, later receiving the Apollo 11 Medallion for his contributions. He later earned a master’s in engineering and business management from George Washington Univ., and served as on-site director and NASA project manager for TEKTITE, a multiagency undersea habitat program. In 1979, he served on the commission investigating Three Mile Island, and in 1980, he was appointed as FEMA’s satellite communications manager after the Mount Saint Helens eruption. He was a member of numerous service organizations, including the Naval Submarine League, the Tri-State Submarine Veterans, the SubVets WWII, and the NASA Alumni League. Locally, he was a member of the Interfaith Prayer Group, a trustee of the Eisenhower Society, and the Past Exalted Ruler of Gettysburg Elks Lodge 1045. Besides his wife, Jean Scott Sprince, survivors are children Susan Poteet of Bowie, Md., Richard Sprince of Potomac, Md., Joan Sostek of Dallas, Texas, Julie Stiles of Centerville, Va., and Stephen Sprince of Glen Allen, Va., several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Herbert Sprince ’34 was his late uncle.

1952

Carl George Povilaitis, Apr. 23, 2005

Carl George Povilaitis had eclectic tastes. He was known for his love of coffee, Royal Lunch milk crackers, Yankees baseball, hot sauce, and his 1965 Mercedes. He also knew Chinese. He spent three years at Bates before leaving to serve in both the U.S Army and U.S. Air Force, after which he was an instructor with the Air Force Chinese Mandarin Program at the Institute of Far Eastern Languages at Yale Univ. When the program moved to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., in 1965, he became an assistant professor of Mandarin Chinese, and later a supervisor before retiring in the late 1980s. He was also a connoisseur of Chinese food, and co-owned the Old Peking Chinese restaurant in Monterey in the mid-1970s. He is survived by his son, Carl Povilaitis of Glendale, and daughter Margaret Slaby of Madera. He was preceded in death by a brother, Frank Povilaitis, and parents Karl and Anna Povilaitis.

1953

Jean Deming, Jan. 31, 2005
Jean Deming of Geneva, N.Y., completed the rigorous nursing program. From 1956 to 1964 she was director of School for Practical Nurses at Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, Mass. Incorrect information was included in the printed version of this obituary. We apologize for the error. —Editor

1955

Lester C. Gilman, March 27, 2005

Being close to home was important to Les Gilman. He spent three semesters at Bates before entering the Marines and serving in Korea, after which he and first wife Barbara Hanson Gilman raised three children in his hometown of Norwalk, Conn., in the very home in which he had grown up. He earned his M.B.A., and was regional sales engineer at GTE Sylvania Osram in Stamford, Conn., for 30 years. He also served for 12 years as the 6th Taxing District Commissioner. “As a native,” said a former commissioner, “he had a firm understanding of the community’s history and worked to preserve its ambiance, atmosphere, and style.” He also was a longtime member of the nearby Rowayton Hose Company No. 1, and a captain in its firefighting division. But one can’t stay home forever; in 1993, he retired to Englewood, Fla., a town where he had, 20 years previously, owned a vacation home. Survivors include his second wife, Carol Painter Gilman of Englewood, Fla.; children Tracy, Debra, and Lester C. “Bud” III; and a grandson, Lester C. Gilman IV, all of Rowayton, Conn.

Harold F. Goulston, April 11, 2004

Harold F. Goulston received his M.D. from Tufts and practiced medicine for 49 years, becoming chief of the gastroenterology clinic at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, Mass., and serving on staff of Northridge Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In retirement, he remained active in senior physician’s affairs, serving on the board of AARP. He explored his creative side by joining an amateur radio club, taking music lessons on the organ, and practicing photography. He cared for his mother until she died at age 104. He is survived by his wife of 16 years, Florence. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

William “Bill”E. Hodgkin, May 13, 2005

William E. Hodgkin’s high school dream of becoming a physician was fulfilled in 1959 when he graduated from the Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine. After his residencies, he received an NIH Fellowship in Medical Genetics at UWashington–Seattle then, in 1964, accepted a pediatrics position at UVM, where he practiced and taught for 10 years, also serving as a medical consultant at the Brandon Training School for 16 years. Drafted into the U.S. Army, he served for two years as director of research and development at Madigan General Hospital, Tacoma, Wash. And then Bill had another dream fulfilled: In 1974, he opened his own practice in Hinesburg, Vt., and became a country doctor. He was a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and was the director of the National Foundation’s Birth Control Clinic. He served with the Vermont National Guard, retiring in June 1999 as colonel. He also received an Army Commendation medal. In Bates affairs, he served as vice president of the Vermont Bates Club from 1971 to 1975. He is survived by his wife, Vivian; son Andy of South Burlington, Vt.; daughter Elizabeth Betsy and son-in-law Jon Beresford, and granddaughter Josephine Josie of Coalville, Utah; and his sister, R. Jean Hodgkin of Jericho. His late mother was Mildred Riley ’25 and his late uncle Charles Riley ’29.

1958

Elizabeth Chadburn Field, March 25, 2005

Elizabeth “Betty” Chadburn Field’s first job was teaching math and science at Cony High School in Augusta, Maine. “I taught junior boys about diesel engines,” she said, “although I suspect I was only one piston ahead of them.” From there, she spent parts of five decades teaching in the Augusta school system. She taught adult education part time in the ’60s as she raised her two children, then returned to Cony full time as an English teacher, teaching 27 consecutive years and serving as an English department head for her last 10 years. She eschewed using technology, and instead favored reading the classics. “While technology may be an important tool,” she said, “the brain needs exercise. I find Shakespeare to be very good exercise.” She published two books of poetry in 2004, served as a volunteer guide at the Maine State Museum, and was active in education organizations, including the Kennebec Retired Teachers and Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, twice serving as chapter president. Survivors include her husband, Perry, of Augusta; daughter Catherine Barclay of Fayette and son Tom of Stratham, N.H.; brother James Chadburn; and many other relatives.

Nancy Lowe Cady, May 28, 2005

Nancy Lowe Cady left Bates in 1956. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended high school in Bethesda, Md. She worked as a librarian for many years, maintained a happy household and took great pride in her family. She was predeceased by her husband, Richard C. Cady. Nancy is survived by son Richard L. Cady and daughter Carol Lee Cady Johnson. Her late cousin was Blanche Kirschbaum Magee ’43.

1961

Joan Mickelson Krause, March 20, 2005

At Bates, Joan Mickelson finally accepted one of Richard Krause ’60’s requests for a date, but only after months of his persistence. (Yes, they had a good time.) Married in August 1962, Joan and Dick would live in 11 states, yet she made deep friends in each. That was among her strengths — she made strong connections while the world swirled around her. Her lifelong friends included her fellow Bates “Gangarootie Scorpions,” who were a great help during her final illness, breast cancer. Besides managing a chaotic and fun household, she was an artist, writer, and creative nonlinear thinker. In 1997 she earned a second bachelor’s degree, in fine arts, from the Univ. of Indiana, summa cum laude. She and Dick retired to Maine; their camp, north of Millinocket, offered a view of Mount Katahdin across the lake. Trips to Israel and a cruise following St. Paul’s travels through Greece and Turkey reflected her Christian faith; a trip to Sweden to stand on the farm site where her mother played as a child reflected her love of family. Survivors include husband Richard of Cape Elizabeth; sons Will of Seattle, Wash., David of Hooksett, N.H., Roy of Glastonbury, Conn., and Doug ’99 of San Diego, Calif.; seven grandchildren; and a brother.

Laurie Sunderland Sutherland, March 14, 2005

The similarity of Laurie Sunderland Sutherland’s Bates name and her married name is more than coincidence. During required chapel at Bates, students sat alphabetically, hence Laurie sat next to, and likely got to know and love, her future husband, James D. Sutherland ’61. She took courses toward a degree in special education from Plymouth State College in N.H., and taught history, geography, physical education, and driver education in Rocky Hill, Conn., and Dumont, N.J. They moved to Moultonborough, N.H., where she helped initiate the local parks and recreation department in the mid-1970s and worked for the Moultonborough Police Department, 1982–1987. Laurie worked with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, of which she was an incorporator, to establish the Meredith Village Savings Bank / James D. Sutherland Scholarship Fund, in memory of her husband, and served on the Moultonborough Community Assn. Scholarship Trust. In Bates affairs, she volunteered with Alumni-in-Admissions and the Bates Cheney Club in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Survivors include daughters Lisa A. Sutherland and Julie Sutherland-Platt ’88, and Julie’s husband Walter H.G. Halsey Platt ’88; son Michael J.W. Sutherland; two grandsons; sister Elizabeth S. Watson and brother J. Wesley Sunderland; and many nieces and nephews.

1962

Carolyn M. Jones, Aug. 4, 2004

After a divorce, Carolyn M. Jones raised four children on a single income. Living in Mystic, Conn., in 1976, she re-married, to Stephen Monson, a program business administrator at Avco, in Everett, Mass. They would stay together for 12 years. In a 1988 letter to Bates, she wrote, “Today I am: a single parent who has raised four children to adulthood (which has to be the most difficult feat of all). I own my own home, heat it with wood, which I cut myself…. All in all, life is pleasant, fun, interesting, and much better than 20 years ago.” She was predeceased by daughter Kristin, and is survived by children True, Andrew, Jonathan, and Page.

1964

Gale Kigel Clegg, July 22, 2005

Early in her first year, Gale Kigel Clegg signed up for the French Club, and was a member for all four years at Bates. She loved the language, traveled to France after graduation, and then taught French at the Perkins School for the Blind. It was her first experience working with blind students, and it was a match. A year later she moved to Virginia and taught French and other special classes at the School for the Blind in Staunton. She received her master’s from Boston Univ. in 1970 and, in 1974, worked for the Services for the Blind in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She was offered a position as a home rehabilitation teacher for the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1978, and stayed until retiring in 2003. During the last two years she had volunteered as a tutor with the Friends Group / GED program in Philadelphia, and her hobbies included traveling, crossword puzzles, and chess, and she was an amateur radio operator for many years. She was also a member of the National Federation for the Blind, and in Bates affairs, she was a career adviser for many years. Survivors include father Charles Kigel and sister Jean Kigel, both of Waldoboro, and many other friends and relatives.

1969

Catherine Pauline Crowl, Oct. 27, 2004

A chemistry major and member of the Lawrance Chemistry Society, Catherine Pauline Crowl began working as a chemistry lab technician, a research chemist, and research group leader. She published several articles on homogeneous enzyme immunoassay, and a book in 1980 titled Immunoassays: Clinical Laboratory Techniques for the 1980s. About that time, she changed her focus and became a market planning manager for the SyvaCo. of Palo Alto, Calif., and doctoral candidate in clinical psychology. Her death became known to the College in September 2005.

 

1979

Alice Mobbs Devaney, Jan. 7, 2001

Alice Devaney graduated from Woburn Senior High School with an interest in biology and physical education. She played several sports in high school, including field hockey, tennis, softball, ski club, and was captain of her basketball team. She also loved music, especially piano. At Bates for less than a year before withdrawing, she worked as a sales clerk at Jordan Marsh and gave private swimming lessons. She is survived by son John R. of Billerica; son Alan J. of Woburn; daughters Alice M. McElhinney of Melrose and Elizabeth A. Dwyer of Woburn, Mass.; brother Robert Mobbs; and several grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, John J. “Boots” Devaney. Her death became known to the College in September 2005.

1982

Brian McDevitt, May 27, 2004

The intriguing, intelligent, and articulate Brian McDevitt, a nongraduate of Bates, found himself implicated in an art-robbery attempt at the Hyde Museum in upstate New York in 1980, a plan that went awry when he and accomplices, dressed as delivery men, arrived at the museum after closing. Thus in 1990 he was in the media’s eye after the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was robbed under similar albeit successful circumstances. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting thereafter, returning to New England in recent years. He graduated from the College of Management at UMass–Boston in 1987. His death became known to the College in September 2005.

1983

Priscilla J. Spencer, June 10, 2005

Bicycling around the world and earning her Ph.D. in kinesiology were Priscilla J. Spencer’s proudest achievements. A psychology major, she earned a master’s and teaching certificate from Central Connecticut State Univ., and doctorate from Temple Univ. She published on topics related to the psychology of education and learning and held certifications as a school psychologist, working with emotionally disturbed adolescents in individual and group counseling, and co-leading a wilderness group. She was working at O’Brien Elementary School in East Hartford, Conn., and as an adjunct faculty member at Capitol Community College and Manchester Community College when she was diagnosed with cancer. Two weeks prior to her death she made a bicycle trip in New Hampshire, covering 46 miles in two days. She is survived by her parents and a sister, Carolyn R. Spencer, of Ann Arbor, Mich., and was predeceased by sister Jennifer H. Spencer of Northampton, Mass.

2004

Jeremy S. Griffin, Jan. 13, 2005

Jeremy Griffin studied at Bates for one year before leaving to work at a number of different jobs. “He wanted to find out what he really wanted to do in life,” said his father, Wayne Griffin. He studied sociology and psychology at Eastern Nazarene College and pursued further studies, seeking to become a college professor. He spent only a few semesters in graduate school before dying of bacterial meningitis. “Jeremy had an extreme love for life,” said his father. “People gravitated to him.” He is survived by his parents of Hingham, Mass., his girlfriend, Kellie O’Brien, and his aunt, Lenora Ngutter of Weymouth, Mass.

Friend

Dorothy Wells Annett, May 30, 2005
Dorothy Wells Annett was married for 64 years to John B. Annett, longtime assistant to Bates presidents Charles F. Phillips and T. Hedley Reynolds. Well-read and well-traveled, she was steadfast in her interest in both global and local politics. Friends recall a unique combination of compassion, common sense, tolerance, and wit. She also made an incredible pie. A graduate of Oberlin, she worked a time as a laboratory technician. Later, she was a library assistant at Bates. In the Lewiston-Auburn area she was a member of the Art Club and the Wednesday Morning Club, and she was a former member of the United Baptist Church. She was also a theater enthusiast as a season ticket holder for community theaters and a board member of the Maine Acting Co. She was an honorary member of the Class of ’53, as is her husband, who survives her, as do daughters Carol Rorick of Auburn and Patricia Annett of Roxbury, Mass.; three grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.