Obituaries: Fall 2011

Edited by Christine Terp Madsen ’73

1926

Virginia Whittier Ames, June 6, 2001
At a time when women were forced to choose between marriage and a career, Ginny Ames chose career all three times she could have married. A history major, she taught at Aroostook Normal School (now UMaine–Presque Isle) for 17 years before completing a master’s and doctorate in education at NYU and joining the faculty at Douglass College (now part of Rutgers). She started as an assistant professor of hygiene and physical education, and became the head of the department before retirement 21 years later. She had shown her athletic ability while at the College: She lettered in soccer and tennis, earned her “B,” served on the athletic board, captained the hockey team and the hiking group, and managed the basketball team. She chose Bates over the Institute of Musical Art (now Juilliard), the better to prepare for a career. She continued playing violin and viola (and golf) well into her 80s.

1929

Libby Rachel Goldman, Jan. 5, 2011
Born in Lithuania, Libby Goldman moved to Auburn when she was 3 because a relative had written her family that they could buy a house for cheap. The relative had actually written that one could buy a horse for cheap, but the move worked out well. She was encouraged by a junior high school principal to go on to college; her parents had set aside money for all three children to get started in life, but her brothers gave up their shares to make Bates possible for her. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in French, and taught Latin, French, and algebra for one year at Jay High School. She hated it. She enrolled in business school, but the same high school principal stepped in again. She promised that if Libby taught at her school, she would like it. And indeed she did; she taught at that junior high school and then at Edward Little High School for the next 40 years. After retiring in 1971, she traveled extensively. At her 100th birthday celebration, she credited her longevity to a string of “nevers.” She never smoked, never drank, never learned to drive (all the walking kept her fit), never got married, never gave advice. “I just love people,” she told the Sun Journal. “I think that’s what kept me living. I love so many I don’t want to leave them.” She also prayed daily to “have the good sense to enjoy whatever is enjoyable” and to be given “the courage to take all the hard things.” She is survived by nieces, nephews, and cousins, among them Fran Morrill Schlitt, to whom she was especially close.

Lithuanian-born Libby Goldman ’29 and her family moved to Auburn after a relative wrote that they could buy a house for cheap. The relative actually wrote horse for cheap, but the move worked out well.

1930

Norma Merrill Harvey, March 15, 2007
Norma Merrill Harvey received a nursing degree from Central Maine General in 1933 and taught nursing at hospitals in Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. She retired in 1965. Her husband, Marshall Harvey, predeceased her.

1931

Lorna McKenney Brown, April 28, 2002
A French major, Lorna McKenney Brown was active in Lambda Alpha at Bates, serving as its secretary, vice president, and finally president. She married Theodore M. Brown ’32 shortly after graduation; he died in 1973. Her daughter, also deceased, was Margaret Brown Bondaruk ’54, whose husband, John Bondaruk ’54, survives. Her late sister was Charlotte McKenney Parker ’35.

1932

Vesta Brown Mitchell, Oct. 3, 2010
An English and Latin major, she sought employment in Texas and New Jersey after graduation, but returned home to Maine with perfect timing: She ran into her childhood friend and Bates classmate Elmer Mitchell while renewing her teacher’s license at Portland City Hall. They married two years later; he passed away in 1998. She taught briefly before her marriage, and worked in banking after her two daughters, Lynne Ramsey and Diane Welch, were grown. They survive her, as do four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

1933

Dawn Elizabeth Orcutt, Nov. 25, 2010
Her college career cut short by the Depression, Dawn Orcutt remained close to Bates and her classmates. She taught school briefly in her hometown, Ashland, before working as a stenographer at Sears and at Old Town Canoe. During World War II, she was a stenographer and clerk for the war department. She moved to New York City in 1954, where she was the executive secretary of Housing Security Inc. She retired to Millinocket in 1975, where she worked for the Millinocket Times. She regaled cousins, nieces, and nephews with her “joke of the week” from her home there. She is survived by many of them, including Ryan Spring ’98.

1935

Grant Milton Dixey, Jan. 29, 2011
Grant Dixey was a urologist in the Boston area and became chief of the department of urology at Boston Univ., from which he earned his medical degree. He served as president of the New England section of the American Urology Assn. and as president of the medical staff at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Mass. He and his wife, Eleanor, owned a ski lodge in New Hampshire. Shortly before his 50th Reunion, he was making plans to resume skiing following knee surgery. “If there were an opportunity for a second time around the track,” he said, “I would be most happy to grasp it.” An avid fisherman and golfer, he was a member of three golf clubs. His wife predeceased him. Survivors include daughter Pamela Abbott; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Louise Williams Sweetser, June 8, 2010
Louise Williams Sweetser credited Bates with finding her a husband: “If I hadn’t gone to Bates, I wouldn’t have gone to Presque Isle to teach, where I met my husband.” An English major, she remained involved with literature throughout her life. She was a trustee of the Ipswich (Mass.) library for over 25 years, and was active in the library at her summer home in Dennisport, Mass. She also co-owned a bookstore in Ipswich for a number of years. She was active in DAR and in Eastern Star, where she was a 50-year member. Her husband, Lawrence W. Sweetser, predeceased her. Survivors include daughters Carol Gilbert and Meredith Sweetser and brother Robert W. Williams III.

1936

Valeria Kimball Glaser, Dec. 20, 2010
Volleyball, archery, hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball — the list of sports that Val Kimball Glaser played while at Bates goes on and on. She served on the WAA Board and was its treasurer. She also served on numerous dance committees. In 1959, she earned a master’s in education from USC, supplementing her degree in Latin from the College. She taught Latin, English, and reading at high schools in Maine and California, retiring in 1969 when she married Leo Glaser. Together they traveled the U.S., enjoying time at their homes in Florida, California, and Maine. Survivors include nieces and nephews.

1937

Clara Marshall Whitney, April 22, 2010
Tommy Marshall Whitney lived in Nashua, N.H., for many years, where she taught at the Pilgrim Church and served as director of volunteers at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. Survivors include daughter Judy Marzec and son Stephen Whitney; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Margaret Melcher Chamberlain, Sept. 13, 2010
Peg Melcher Chamberlain was deeply involved in Adelynrood, an Episcopal retreat and conference center for women in Byfield, Mass. She was chair of the chapel there for eight years. This work followed a career as a kindergarten teacher in Rhode Island; she also briefly taught English at South Portland High School. She married classmate George W. Chamberlain in 1942. Following retirement, they moved to Harpswell, where they raised sheep. George passed away in 1987. While a student, she was vice president of her class and of the WAA. As an alumna, she served as secretary of the Rhode Island Bates Club and as a class agent. Survivors include daughters Maralyn Fowler and Margaret Chamberlain; two grandchildren; a great-grandchild; sister Rosamond Melcher Toomey ’33; brother-in-law William Chamberlain ’48; and nephew Garry Chamberlain ’67. Her late brother-in-law was Charles Toomey ’35.

Granville Wallace Oakes, Nov. 17, 2010
For over 100 years, Bates has watched members of the Oakes family walk its campus. Granville Oakes was a member of the middle generation of five. His grandfather Henry graduated in 1877, his father Raymond in 1909. His sons graduated in the 1960s, and his grandchildren in the 1990s. He served as class president and as class agent for many years. His degree from Bates was in economics, which he supplemented with an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1939. The majority of his career was with Hartford Steel Ball, where he was a production manager. Later, he and wife Betty Stockwell Oakes ’37 opened a children’s clothing store, The Acorn Shop. Betty, herself part of a strong Bates family, passed away in 2000. He was active in several churches in the Hartford area, as well as the local soup kitchen and literacy program. He especially helped Laotian families resettle in Connecticut in the 1970s. Survivors include children Betsy Oakes, Peter Oakes ’66 and wife Sara Jones Oakes ’66, Raymond Oakes ’68 and wife Lynda Anastos ’67, and Robert Oakes; 11 grandchildren, including Kate Feiring ’93, Stacia Johnson ’91 and husband Kurt Johnson ’94, and Alison Oakes Charbonnier ’92; and 18 great-grandchildren. His late brothers were Robert ’49 and Henry ’32. Robert’s wife is Avon Cheel Oakes ’50, and their daughter is Thalie Kleijwegt ’79.

1938

Mary Chase Conover, Nov. 9, 2010
Mary Chase Conover’s love of chamber music was a constant. She retired as a math teacher in 1974 and then enjoyed a second career teaching and playing flute in a number of ensembles, some with her husband, Towne Conover. They especially enjoyed the Appalachian Mountain Club music committee, which organized events combining chamber music with skiing, hiking, and other AMC events. Shortly after World War II, she led an American Youth Hostel trip to Holland, Luxembourg, and France to rebuild hostels damaged by the war. When she returned, she worked briefly for AMC, where she met her husband. In 1990, she received the first exemplary citizen award from the Friends of Music of the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School.

Alfred Lee Colesworthy, Jan. 15, 2011
Al Colesworthy thought nothing of skipping class for days at a time in 1936 to watch the flooding Androscoggin and its impact on the surrounding towns. His fascination with water — and anything you could use to travel on it — influenced his entire life. He vividly remembered watching as a 10-year-old the last six-masted schooner burn in Portland Harbor. Even when the weather prevented sailing, he indulged his passion by going “boatyarding,” to watch what was being built, repaired, or stored. During World War II he enlisted in the Navy and spent part of his time as captain of the Trim Fore, a boat he had studied before he enlisted. He took his future wife Dorothy sailing on their first date, and he taught his grandchildren how to handle a boat on the lobster boat he bought when he was 76. An economics major, he was a manager at Porteous and later earned his real estate license. Survivors include son Peter and five grandchildren.

Grace Jack Hight, Nov. 28, 2010
Grace Jack Hight once described her life this way: “All winter getting three off to Sugarloaf each weekend for skiing. Summer evenings watching Little League games, and weekends hanging over rails at horse shows. Fall and spring being sure all fishing and hunting equipment is available and ready.” She took up full-time motherhood after teaching high school in Norway and Skowhegan, where she met her husband. She served on the Skowhegan school board for nearly 15 years, and had a significant role in building its high school in 1971. Her husband, S. Kirby Hight, owned and operated two car dealerships, and she ran the auto parts business associated with them for 40 years. Over the years, they amassed a collection of vintage and classic cars. Her husband survives her as do children Jane Edmunds, Louis Hight, and Walter Hight; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Her late sisters were Bertha Jack Marshall ’27 and Lucille Jack Swallow ’33. Another son died in infancy.

Donald Dutton Pillsbury, Jan. 4, 2011
Don Pillsbury managed the crime and glass division of the Insurance Services Office (formerly the National Bureau of Casualty Underwriters) for 40 years. He was active in his church in New York City as a teacher and superintendent of the Sunday school and as an elder. He also was chapter leader of the John Birch Society. He served on the board of the Greater New York Sunday School Assn. In the 1960s, he was vice president and then president of the New York Bates Club. During World War II, he was a sergeant in the Army Air Force. His wife, Madeline Brown, predeceased him. Survivors include three sisters and nephew Andee LaFleur ’73.

1939

Dorothy Harms Alexander, Dec. 12, 2010
Her father was Professor of German and Spanish Samuel Harms and her mother was Aletha Rollins Harms, Class of 1913, and Dot Harms Alexander always enjoyed reading letters from students who received scholarships in her parents’ names. A psychology major, she worked as a psychiatric aide before marrying Charles Alexander ’38. After her three children were grown, she worked to index over 20 years of the Lexington (Mass.) Minuteman and then was a copy editor. In the late 1970s, following the death of her husband, she became a home health aide to senior citizens on Cape Cod. Survivors include children Cheryl Paplinski, Richard Alexander, and Janice Schott; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and brother Donald Harms ’44.

Chester Randolph Parker, Jan. 21, 2011
Classmates Chet Parker, his wife Eleanor Smart Parker, and the late Dana Wallace called themselves “the Hardy Perennials” because they tried to — and usually succeeded — in attending any and all Bates functions. Though Dana passed away in 2007, Chet and “Smarty” were present at, and helped to organize, their 70th Class Reunion in 2009. Chet served as class president for decades, as well as on gift committees and Reunion committees. His degree from the College was in history and government, and he received a master’s in education from Boston Univ. in 1959. By that time, his long career in education was thriving. He served as teacher, principal, and superintendent in over a dozen towns in Maine, and was a past president of the Maine Parent Teacher’s Assn. and Maine Prevention of Blindness program. A proponent of school consolidation, he was a leader in establishing three school administrative districts in Maine. A longtime North Bridgton resident, he volunteered on the Bridgton Appeals Board and the Harrison-North Bridgton Water District. He played tennis into his 80s and skied and sailed nearly as long. Besides his wife, survivors include children Eleanor Schiavi ’64 and Randolph Parker; two grandchildren, one of whom is Deborah Schiavi Cote ’89; five great-grandchildren; and sister Marion Gibbs.

1940

Sylvester Martin Bronson, June 15, 2010
Martin Bronson attended Bates for only one year, when he was known as Saul Bronstein, before his father’s illness forced him to return home. A radiologist in Tennessee for many years, he grew trees and plants in retirement. He also worked with victims of child abuse and counseled drug and alcohol addicts.

Leo Philippe Dube, Jan. 16, 2011
Leo Dube had to leave Bates early to help run the family’s Lewiston-based flower business. He was named Young Man of the Year in 1954 in Lewiston. The next year, he and his family moved to California, where he began a career in real estate. Survivors include three children and 12 grandchildren.

1941

Richard Lawrence Raymond, Oct. 9, 2010
A Massachusetts native transplanted to Michigan, he was known there for his “Boston humor.” A 1947 graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, he spent his career in food services. During World War II, he served in England in the Army’s finance division. An avid golfer, he was a member of two golf clubs, and also fished and bowled. Survivors include wife Kathryn Johnson Raymond; children Patricia Christopherson and Larry Raymond; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

1942

Chandler DeNike Baldwin, Sept. 19, 2010
Chan Baldwin grew up about 15 miles from Yankee Stadium and liked to recall watching Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig play there. His interest in baseball was lifelong, and in retirement he enjoyed watching spring training games in Tucson, Ariz. His Bates degree was in economics, and he later attended the Wharton School. During World War II he served in the Army in the Philippines and in occupied Japan. His professional life was in group insurance, and he worked for Metropolitan Life, Travelers, and Phoenix Mutual, eventually becoming regional group sales supervisor for the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington areas. His wife, Patricia Bradbury Baldwin ’42, died in 2009. Survivors include children John Baldwin ’67, Mary Ellen Urquhart ’77, and Tracey Newhall; 12 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. Another daughter, Joan Slingsby, died in 2005.

Mary Bartlett Gardner, Sept. 6, 2010
Mary Bartlett Gardner moved to Lewiston when she was 9 and her father joined the Bates faculty to teach business economics. An economics major herself, she worked in the field for four years before “retiring” to raise her family with husband Kenneth Gardner. She later earned her teaching credentials at the Univ. of Maine and enjoyed teaching more than she ever expected, she once wrote. She taught elementary school for 20 years in Windham, retiring in 1981. Her husband passed away in 1999. Survivors include children Gary, Joann, and Carol Gardner; two grandchildren; brother Stephen Bartlett ’44; sister Barbara Hammond ’47 and brother-in-law Burton Hammond ’49; and nephew James Hammond ’81.

Robert Nathan Langerman, Nov. 4, 2010
After back surgery when he was 90, Bob Langerman was impatient to get back on the golf course — his home in Naples, Fla., overlooked a 32-hole course. He and wife Goldythe Berman Langerman had retired there after his successful career in life insurance. One of the highlights of that career was being named Man of the Year by the northeast office of Prudential in 1975. He graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in economics, and delayed his career to serve in the Army during World War II. He took a crash course in Chinese and served as a liaison officer in Kunming for a year. He joined the family clothing business as its CEO before joining Prudential. He and son Fred later became partners in the business. As an alumnus, he was a member of many Reunion gift committees, a class agent, and president of the New Haven Bates Club. His wife and son Fred survive him, as do sons Lawrence and Peter and nine grandchildren, including Elliot Langerman ’03.

Hartley Cabot Ray, Aug. 21, 2010
Lee Ray left Bates with a degree in religion, Phi Beta Kappa, and went on to the Univ. of Chicago for a bachelor’s in divinity. He cited the mentorship of professor Rayborn Zerby, whose creative concept of religion and progressive ministry shaped his own. In 1955, he preached at a nascent Unitarian congregation in Chicago on the importance of recognizing prayer that does not match the theological norm, and called this contemporary sort of prayer the sure cure for loneliness. He grew up in Auburn and was ordained at the High Street Congregational Church in June 1947. He served as a minister at Congregational and Unitarian churches in Texas, Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Certified as a family therapist and a pastoral counselor, he provided pastoral services to psychiatric patients at the Philadelphia State Hospital. After retiring from the ministry, he served as director of the Philadelphia Protestant Home for the Aging. He also studied at Andover Newton Theological School and Columbia. Survivors include wife Katherine Haiges Ray; daughters Bethel Hentz and Nadine Blackburn; and five grandchildren.

1942

Ruth Stevens Gardner Haley, Jan. 5, 2011
With a degree in sociology, Ruth Stevens was a social worker at the Letchworth Village in New York and the Roxbury Neighborhood House in Massachusetts before marrying Robert Gardner in 1945. After her two daughters were grown, she became certified as librarian at Salem State College, and was a school librarian in Rowley, Mass., until retiring in 1984. Two years later, she married Robert Haley; he died in 1998. She then moved to Belfast, Maine, to be closer to her daughters, and especially enjoyed the large variety of senior courses available in town. As an alumna, she was a class agent and co-chair of Reunion gift committees. Survivors include daughters Louise Gardner Foster ’70 and Judith G. Moore.

Erland Stanley Wentzell, Aug. 7, 2010
If visiting the Bethel (Maine) Historical Society, keep an eye out for Erl Wentzell’s masterpiece: a carving of a horse-drawn sled loaded with 11 cords of wood. It is only one of the artistic accomplishments of his retirement, and no doubt was created from his memories of working with his father on the farm in Bethel. His Bates chemistry degree afforded him a long career in the field, including six years in Calcutta, where he managed a jute company. He also was a chemist for American Cyanamid and Ludlow Textile Co. In 1958, he joined S.D. Warren, eventually becoming an assistant superintendent. He retired in 1981. His first wife, Marilyn Howe Wentzell, died in 1960. He married Margaret Robinson Steeves in 1964. They were leaders in the Sebago Maple Grove Grange for over 30 years and helped to start the AFS programs at Lake Region High School. He served on the Falmouth School Board and the Lake Regional School District. His wife survives him, as do children C. Stanley Wentzell, Judith Wentzell, Rowena Strout, and Shirley Keene; stepchildren Bonnie Dwyer and Gerald Steeves; 17 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

1943

Weston Attwood Cate Jr., Sept. 23, 2010
Weston Cate was a forward-looking historian: Long before it was fashionable, he was collecting seeds from historical strains of vegetables, “heirloom seeds,” recognizing that the extensive hybridization under way by seed companies would make them endangered species, as he called them. But his career as an historian was his second. His first career was foreshadowed by the neighborhood newspaper he wrote, printed, and distributed as a teenager. An English major, he wrote for local newspapers and teachers’ organizations throughout his first career as an English teacher. In 1953, he won a national contest sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary on the topic “Why I Teach.” In 1958 he became executive director of the Vermont state education association, then in 1974 began service as executive director of the Vermont State Historical Society. He produced a book on the history of the society and one on the history of Calais, Vt. In 2006, he received the lifetime achievement award from the Center for Research on Vermont. He served as an officer of many educational, historical, and religious bodies. His wife, Jean Stetson Cate, died in 2004. Survivors include children Weston, Paul, and David Cate, and three grandchildren, one of whom is Alison Cate Fanning ’09. His sister-in-law was the late Dorothy Stetson Conlon ’50.

Before it was fashionable, Weston Cate ’43 collected heirloom seeds, recognizing that hybridization by seed companies would make them endangered species.

Gordon Leroy Corbett, Oct. 23, 2010
Gordon Corbett dutifully filled out questionnaires from the College over the years and at least once added some questions and answers of his own, such as, “When the going got tough, what helped you survive?” His multiple-choice answers were (a) humor; (b) family and friends; (c) religious faith; (d) professional counselors; (e) sheer determination that you would not let the bastards get you down. (The correct answer, we think, is “all of the above.”) He was a 1948 graduate of the Yale Divinity School, having served in the Army Air Corps. He served Baptist and Presbyterian churches in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Indiana, and New York, and held executive offices in the Presbyterian church in Kentucky and Alaska. He considered his work with refugees from the Hungarian Revolution one of the highlights of his career, along with his role in creating the Appalachian Regional Hospital System. He was a trustee of the hospitals as well as of Sheldon Jackson College. His wife, Winifred Pickett Corbett, survives him, as do children Christine, Douglas, Patricia, and Carolyn Corbett, and two grandchildren.

Arthur Leighton Watts, Sept. 30, 2010
Art Watts took advantage of all Bates offered — he played tennis and basketball, served on the student council and as a proctor, sang in the glee club, took a flying course, presided over the publishing association and the Outing Club — before graduating with a degree in economics. That course in flying was especially valuable: He became an aviator during World War II. Afterwards, he began a career in insurance, using an introduction from classmate Tommy Thompson to open doors at Aetna. Some 36 years later, he retired as vice president of the central region. He was class president for 20 years, and served on his 50th Reunion Gift Committee. His first marriage to Eleanor Darling ’44 ended in divorce. His second wife, Lois Jackson Watts, survives him as do sons George and Richard, and four grandchildren.

Bradford Russell Adams, Nov. 2, 2010
Brad Adams attended Bates for one year before leaving to serve in the Navy during World War II. He worked for Nissen Bakery and for George Business Forms. Survivors include wife Marguerite Armstrong Adams; daughter Charlotte Asen; stepsons Maxwell Lewis and Donald Lewis; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

1944

Philip Milford Goodrich, Jan. 5, 2011
Phil Goodrich spent the day of his graduation from Bates aboard ship near Naples, Italy, as an ensign in the Navy. He served 18 months on an amphibian attack ship, and landed at Okinawa, among other battles. His economics degree, supplemented with a master’s from Columbia, gave him entry into the business world, and David Whitehouse ’36 hired him at Container Corp. of America, where he remained for his entire 36-year career. He was president of his class for five years in the early 1960s. Survivors include wife Carolyn Knapp Goodrich; sons Donald, David, and Craig; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

1945

Priscilla Crane Merrill, Sept. 20, 2010
Pat Crane Merrill worked on the Manhattan Project shortly after graduation and later as a research chemist developing diamond abrasives. She held international and U.S. patents on her work. After her children were grown, she returned to work as a teacher in Indiana. In between, she was president of several PTAs and served as secretary-treasurer of the Worcester Bates Club and as president of the Ohio Bates Club. She also volunteered with the American Red Cross, her church, and a local park. Her husband, Charles Merrill, passed away in 1995. Survivors include children Karen Barkman and Susan Peters.

Mary Guiney O’Leary, Oct. 22, 2010
Mary Guiney O’Leary set her mind on a career in social work, and took her Bates degree in that field to Boston College, where she earned an M.S.W. in 1947 and met her husband, Thomas O’Leary, who also was working toward that degree. She worked briefly at the Boston Family Society, but left when she married, to avoid any perception of conflict of interest between their jobs. She reported she was busy enough with five children. She later worked as a substitute teacher in Andover, Mass. She was very active at the College, in the dance club, the Spofford Club, the Newman Club, among others, and she was class president her senior year. She was just as active as an alumna, serving as class agent and on Reunion gift committees. Her husband and a daughter, Beth Morrissey, predeceased her. Survivors include children Thomas O’Leary, Marilyn Earle, Mary Elizabeth O’Leary, and Dinae Barrett; nine grandchildren; and great-niece Jennifer Wilkins Morse ’10.

Jean-Elizabeth Rupp Bollinger, Nov. 18, 2010
Jean-Elizabeth Rupp Bollinger was at Bates for only one year but remained in contact with the College and her classmates throughout her life, and vowed to send all eligible students its way. Some 45 years after the fact, she could still recall where she sat in Chapel, and who sat next to her. Her husband, Benjamin Bollinger, predeceased her. Survivors include children Elizabeth Andrews, Bruce Bollinger, and James Bollinger, and seven grandchildren.

V-12

William Milliken Moody, Oct. 4, 2010
Bill Moody started at Bowdoin, transferred to the Bates V-12 program, and then went to the ROTC program at Brown, earning varsity letters at each school, a feat that earned him the nickname “3B Moody” by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. He saw active duty in the Korean War, and returned to his native Portland to marry Jane McLane Smith in 1951. A few years later he bought Rufus Deering Lumber Co., and became very active in civic and business affairs. He co-founded Greater Portland Landmarks, and volunteered for many organizations. He was vice president and later president of the board of trustees at the Waynflete School. Survivors include his wife, three children, and four grandchildren.

Francis Edward Winslow Jr., Jan. 11, 2011
Frank Winslow came to Bates as part of the V-12 program and graduated from Harvard. He earned a medical degree at Duke and completed training in pediatrics at the Univ. of Maryland. In 1961, he established his practice in Raleigh, N.C., where he served as chief of pediatrics at Rex Hospital and WakeMed. He was a founding board member at the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities. Survivors include children Cecelia Covington Winslow and Francis Winslow III, and two grandchildren.

1947

Wallace Adolph Johnson, Jan. 2, 2011
Wallace Johnson transferred to Bates from Springfield College and graduated with a degree in history. He earned a master’s in education from the Univ. of Vermont and a doctorate from Calvin Coolidge College. During World War II, he served in England and France, and received a Purple Heart. He taught in Chester, Vt., was a guidance counselor in Auburn and Worcester, Mass., assistant principal in Grafton, Mass., and principal at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School. In 2005, he was named volunteer of the year by Elder Services of Cape Cod. Survivors include wife Marion Anderson Johnson; daughters Louise Johnson Bacon ’75 and Nancy L. Johnson; and two grandchildren.

Charlotte Grant Walker, Oct. 26, 2010
Charlotte Grant Walker settled in Poland Spring, where her husband, Ted Walker, and his family had lived for generations. Together they built a home on family land. She used her degree in mathematics to help run his mechanical contracting business. She was instrumental in building the Alvan B. Ricker Memorial Library in Poland Spring. She served as president of the ladies’ auxiliary of the Maine Assn. of Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors and was a member of the National Assn. of Women in Construction. Survivors include her husband; sons Peter, Thomas, and David Walker; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

1948

Shirley Travis Blake, Dec. 6, 2010
Valedictorian of her high school class in Sanford, Shirley Travis Blake returned to teach in its schools after graduating from the College with a degree in political science. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi, an international women’s friendship network, and of the Order of the Eastern Star. Her husband, Robert Blake, passed away in 1992. Survivors include children Frances Thibaudeau, Shirley Shelley, and Steven Blake; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Arthur Carl Hansen, Sept. 5, 2010
Arthur Hansen happily returned to his native Maine after World War II to start his college years at Bates. A bomber flight instructor, he was en route to the Pacific to pilot a B-29 when the war ended. With a degree in economics and a minor in history, he enrolled in a master’s program at Columbia but found himself distracted by ads seeking pilots for the Berlin Airlift, a chance to make history rather than study it. However, distraction also appeared in the form of a fellow student, Roberta Gerdy, whom he married in 1953. He returned to Maine with both master’s degree and new wife, and started a 41-year career as a history and government teacher at North Yarmouth Academy, from which he retired in 1990. The school has an annual award in his name. He remained in the Air Force Reserves until 1966 and retired as captain. He was known for his handmade and restored furniture, and enjoyed working with his wife in her antique business. She predeceased him. Survivors include children Evan, Carl, Diana, and Terry Hansen; five grandchildren; and brother Glen Hansen ’48 and wife Elizabeth May Hansen ’47.

John Joseph Margarones, Nov. 15, 2010
As a boy in Old Orchard Beach, John Margarones listened to his immigrant father, a barber with a fourth-grade education, converse in his native Greek with Bates President Clifton Daggett Gray, a classicist, during haircuts. It was President Gray who admitted John as a student after service in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He went on to earn two bachelor’s degree (Bates, B.A. in history and government, Gorham State, B.S.), two master’s degrees (Univ. of Conn and Boston Univ.), and a doctorate (Boston Univ.) Appointed to the faculty in 1966, he transformed the education department to integrate a hands-on approach. The goal, he said, was to give aspiring teachers skills that can’t be learned in a college classroom. He continued to help out in his father’s barber shop until 1971, and lived in OOB nearly his entire life. He published several books on the history of the town, and was inducted into its high school hall of fame. Before Bates, he was on the faculties of the Univ. of Connecticut and Hartford Univ. He was the first president of the Maine Chapter of the Assn. of State Teachers and New England Colleges, and president of the Maine Teachers Assn. Survivors include wife Viola Fedorczyk Margarones; children Estelle ’88, Joseph, Margot, Katherine, and Melissa ’96; and nine grandchildren.

Charles Isaac Pendexter, Sept. 30, 2010
A geologist by training, Charles Pendexter was a gardener by choice. His undergraduate degree was in geology, and he received a Fulbright to study in London. He then earned a master’s and a doctorate at Washington Univ. His career was as a research geologist with Exxon. Following his retirement in 1981, he rented an apartment in Gorham and set about building a garden on a patch of land the landlord regarded as a dump. He spent up to six hours a day in the garden, and was especially fond of roses and lilies. His uncle was George Pendexter, Class of 1900. Survivors include a cousin, Jane Pendexter Delson ’72.

James Miller Towle, Jan. 23, 2011
An economics major, James Towle worked in sales, primarily with radio stations and automobile dealerships. He was a member of the East Longmeadow (Mass.) School Committee, a Little League coach, and a church volunteer. He enjoyed model railroads, Masters swimming, and golf. His wife, Arlene Mack Towle, died last year. Survivors include children Bradford, Phillip, Andrea, and Gregory; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Ellen Swift Marston, Jan. 13, 2011
Ellen Swift Marston was a founding member of the Topsham Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She and her family served a mission together at the temple in Washington, D.C. Survivors include husband Bruce Marston; children Susan, Marilyn, Serena, and Thomas; 10 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

1949

Irving Charles Davis, Oct. 7, 2010
Hank Davis served in the Air Force during World War II, and was recalled to active duty during the Vietnam War. His military career spanned 30 years, and he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. An economics major, he worked for Travelers Insurance and for the Maine Department of Economic Development. He was a longtime member of the Herman Masonic Lodge and American Legion Post No. 4. Survivors include children Dale Goodwin and Mark Davis; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Charles Edgar Fehlau, Dec. 5, 2010
Chuck Fehlau was able to leave high school after three years and take courses at Bates before military service intervened. He was in the Navy during World War II, stationed in Argentina and Newfoundland. When he returned to the College, he threw himself into his studies and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude in physics. He had a long career with General Electric, eventually becoming the engineering manager in the heavy military electrical department. A licensed navigator, he was a member of the U.S. Power Squadron for many years, and a member of several yacht clubs near his home in Syracuse. He served in the Lutheran Campus Ministry at Syracuse Univ. for many years, and was an active member of his church. Survivors include his wife, Lois Javier Fehlau ’49; children Eric Fehlau, Patricia Nickles, Karl Fehlau, and Kenneth Fehlau; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and sister Lois L. Kemp ’53. Another sister, Ruth E. Prince ’51, predeceased him.

Maurice Stillman Flagg, Aug. 16, 2010
Maury Flagg took his degree in English and turned it into a long career in public relations and fundraising, primarily for the Red Cross. He took a five-year leave from the Red Cross to serve as director of information services to President Johnson’s Committee on Mental Retardation. During that time, he also served briefly as director of communication and information for the Council for Exceptional Children. He was also very active in town and county affairs in Arlington, Va. Survivors include children Maurice (Buck) and Anthony Flagg, and two grandchildren. Another son, Richard, predeceased him.

Robert Duane Ramsdell, Jan. 9, 2010
A psychology major at the College, Bob Ramsdell switched fields and earned a doctorate in philosophy at Boston Univ. He went on to found the philosophy department at Framingham State College and was on its faculty for 30 years. He was a contributing member of the Philosophy of Education Society. Following retirement in 1990, he taught at the Harvard Institute of Learning and Retirement. His marriage to Nancy Haines ’54 ended in divorce. Survivors include partner Shirley Bean and stepchildren Eric, Marilyn, and Ethan Zimmer.

Winifred Sweet Register, Sept. 25, 2010
Despite living in California for most of her life, Winnie Sweet Register never lost her Maine accent. She and husband Frederick Register tried to move back to New England once, early in their marriage, but decided California was the place to be. She worked on and off over the years as she raised her family, including as a payroll clerk for the U.S. Navy, as an associate engineer at Lockheed, and as a substitute math teacher. She also taught piano and volunteered for community concerts. Her husband survives her, as do children Daniel, Damon, and Valerie Register, and five grandchildren. Her late sister was Arline Sweet Noss ’49.

1950

Robert Daniel Cook, Nov. 11, 2010
Robert Cook turned 17 just in time to join the Navy near the end of World War II. He returned home to attend Bates, where he was a history and government major. He was active in the Newman Club and played intramural sports. In 1952, he joined Aetna Life Insurance Co, and retired 37 years later as a director of the company. Survivors include wife Joline Huard Cook; children Kathie Brielmann and Robert D. Cook Jr.; and two grandchildren.

Donald Edwin Davis, Sept. 24, 2010
Don Davis deferred college until after service in the Navy during World War II. A math major, he returned to campus shortly after graduation to marry Barbara “Scotty” Mason in the Chapel. In 1960, he completed a master’s of science degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His career was at Pratt and Whitney, where he was an engineer, retiring in 1987. He and his wife led the beautification committee in Bloomfield, Conn., planting some 28 gardens and seven highway medians. He was a ski instructor at Butternut and Blandford ski areas. Along with his wife, survivors include children Donna Davis Keenan ’75, Scott Davis, and Andrea Davis-Griffin; son-in-law Russell Keenan ’75; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Diane Wolgast Parker, Dec. 20, 2010
Diane Wolgast Parker and her husband, David, took full advantage of sabbaticals and vacation time to travel spontaneously and leisurely throughout Europe. Both were teachers in New York. Diane earned her teaching credentials through SUNY and taught in Great Neck, N.Y. She advocated for civil rights and universal healthcare. Fully involved in the life of her retirement community, she especially supported its scholarship fund for its employees. Her husband died in 2007, and son William in 2006. Survivors include daughter Pamela Parker and three grandchildren.

Frank Leslie Walker Jr., Oct. 24, 2010
A biology major at Bates, Frank Walker made his career at Liberty Mutual as a claims adjuster and then manager of claims in Manchester, N.H. He used his knowledge of biology to grow roses at his home there. He taught himself to invest by reading, one of his favorite pastimes, and in turn became an experienced investor. His wife, Madeline Cutler Walker, died in 2007. Survivors include children Cheryl Walker and Brian Walker, and four grandchildren.

1952

Donald Hiller Graves, Sept. 28, 2010
Generations of Bates students have worked in Commons, but Donald Graves probably had better memories than most: It’s where he met his future wife, Betty Lewis Graves ’55. After a master’s in education at Bridgewater State Univ. and a doctorate at SUNY–Buffalo, he found his calling as an advocate for children’s writing. At the Univ. of New Hampshire he taught early childhood education, established the Writing Process Laboratory, and soon became an internationally recognized expert on the subject of children’s writing. His best advice for elementary school teachers: Write. Just as art instructors create art, and music instructors create music, teachers who teach writing should write. He was the author of 26 books, the best known being Writing: Teachers & Children At Work, which revolutionized the way writing is taught in schools and is still in wide use. In 1982, he received the David H. Russell award for distinguished research in the teaching of English from the National Council of Teachers of English; today, the NCTE presents an award in his name. Eager cyclists, he and his wife prepared for their European trips in September by bicycling the Kancamagus Highway. She survives him, as do children Marion Chang, Alyce Graves, Caroline Hodsdon, William Graves, and Laura Graves; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Donald Graves ’52 gave this advice to teachers of writing: Write. Just as art instructors create art, and music instructors create music, teachers who teach writing should write.

Dorothy Wood Gugelman, Oct. 23, 2010
Dotty Wood Gugelman was a kindergarten teacher in Phoenix for 24 years, having moved there with her first husband, Glendon Collins ’51. She brought computers into her classroom in 1982, and found simple computer programs her students could use. She married William Gugelman following the end of her first marriage. He had a condo in Hawaii, where they headed as soon as school was out. She retired in 1991, but continued to tutor at-risk kindergarten students in Prescott, Ariz., where they had moved. She also was a reading aide at a local elementary school and a volunteer at the Veteran’s Hospital. She joined the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2005. Her husband survives her, as do children Gary and Alan Collins, and two grandchildren. A daughter, Virginia, died in infancy.

John Stanley Patterson, Jan. 11, 2011
Stan Patterson said his experience in debate at Bates served him well throughout his life — more than his degree in economics. Following service in the Army, he had a long career with Lockheed Missiles & Space Co., starting with personnel work and retiring 31 years later as director of marketing support. In the 1970s, he and his wife, Katie Lang Patterson ’55, and their children lived in Beirut, where he was regional director for the Middle East and Africa. He returned determined to do whatever he could to bring a peaceful end to the conflicts in the region. He became active in the World Affairs Council of Monterey Beach, and in 1989 received the Outstanding Leadership award from the National Assn. of Arab-Americans. He and Katie returned to Lebanon last year to serve as managing director of a public-private organization assisting in rebuilding Lebanon’s government infrastructure. He was on the executive board of the Arab-American Chamber of Commerce, and a past president of the LA chapter of the National Assn. of Arab Americans, as well as a member of the national board. His deep involvement in Middle East affairs complemented the delight he took in his Scottish heritage. He played in bagpipe bands and was instrumental in the formation of the Western U.S. Pipe Band Assn., which he served as president for many years. Along with his wife, survivors include children James ’75, John Jr., and Jeffrey Patterson; six grandchildren, one of whom is Micahela Cyr Patterson ’05; and two great-grandchildren.

1953

Joan Huston Tainter, Oct. 21, 2010
Joan Huston Tainter remained in Auburn, her hometown, and taught French and Latin at the Walton School and then English at Falmouth High School. The sojourn in Falmouth was brief: She returned to Auburn and Edward Little High School after one year to teach English there. Her husband, Burchard Tainter, predeceased her.

Rosemary Feck Caldwell, Jan. 15, 2011
“Bib” Feck Caldwell left Bates after two years and finished her degree in English at Simmons. In 1971, she and husband John founded ETC Mailing Services, of which she was CEO at the time of her retirement. Her husband and her son, Mark Caldwell, predeceased her. Survivors include children John and James Caldwell, and four grandchildren.

1954

Robert Murdoch Miller, Jan. 19, 2011
Robert Miller left Bates after one semester to join the Navy. He graduated from Stetson Univ. and earned a master’s from the Univ. of Florida. Survivors include partner Roderick C. Clark and siblings Arthur and John Miller and Mary Miller Kelly.

1955

Alfred Herbert Kafka, Oct. 27, 2010
Al Kafka was well into his second successful career when he found his third standing in front of him. A government major, he went on to law school at Boston Univ. and then entered the Army. He served in the Judge Advocate General’s office at the Presidio in San Francisco. He started his second career by forming a law firm with two of his brothers and was a practicing attorney for over 50 years. But when one of his legal clients offered to barter for legal services, he realized the untapped potential of business-to-business barter, and started Bartermax. The company offered a network of bartering, not limited to direct swaps of goods, and set up a system for companies to “bank” their bartering. He served as chair of the board of the National Assn. of Trade Exchange as well as its president, and was a recognized leader in this field. Survivors include wife Valerie Jackson Kafka; children Rebecca Manor, Benjamin Kafka, Elizabeth Escarzega, and Victoria Allen; and five grandchildren.

1957

James Milton Muth Jr., Sept. 11, 2010
Jim Muth brought basketball to the Arctic. It happened while he was serving in the Navy, though history is unclear if they played on ice or aboard ship. Following Navy service, he joined Connecticut General Life Insurance Co., and continued there until retirement in 1991. He and wife Margo Driesen Muth moved to Cape Cod, where they had summered for many years. She survives him, as do children Deborah Reilly, Robert Muth, and Timothy Muth; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Richard Albert Levine, Nov. 4, 2009
Dick Levine left Bates after three years and finished his degree at Adelphi. He was a financial consultant on Wall Street. His son, Michael, is a member of the Class of 1980.

Edward Mace Pike, Sept. 1, 2010
After two years at the College, Edward Pike earned a B.S. degree from Boston Univ. in 1962 and an M.B.A. from Northeastern in 1972. After working for General Electric and United Shoe Machinery, he purchased two foundries near his home in Newburyport and made custom fittings for boats. Survivors include children William and Robert Pike and Mary Fisher; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

1959

Martin Wayne Kane, Jan. 28, 2010
Wayne Kane was captain of both the football and the baseball teams his senior year and received football’s Goddard Award in 1956. He started with Mutual Life Insurance Co. right out of Bates, and continued in the insurance field his entire career. In 1976, he started his own agency offering group insurance. In 1958, he married Beverly Jacobson ’61.

1960

Ruth Brockner Ellwood, Oct. 8, 2010
Ruth Brockner Ellwood attended Bates for one year before transferring to Central Connecticut State Univ. She also held a master’s from Trinity College. An elementary school teacher, she was the master teacher in a nationally recognized pilot program for students who were poorly adjusted socially and emotionally. She taught special education for 35 years in Bloomfield and Vernon, Conn., and served several terms as president of both towns’ educational associations. Survivors include husband Donald Ellwood; son Michael Ellwood; and two grandchildren.

1962

Gilbert A. Clapperton, Dec. 29, 2010
He wasn’t “warm and fuzzy” with his students, said one colleague of Gil Clapperton. He was a “warm and compassionate man,” according to another. At Loyola Univ., his students knew they would get a solid education even without pampering. A clinical psychologist, he held a master’s from UNH and a doctorate from Baylor in that field. He was recruited by Loyola in 1968 to establish its department of psychology and serve as its chair. During his tenure, he established both the university’s master’s and doctoral programs in clinical psychology. In private practice, he specialized in psychological evaluations and stress management for police departments in the Baltimore area. A Lewiston native, he married his sixth-grade sweetheart, Helene Cloutier, in 1960. Despite living in the midst of crab country, she said, and considering himself a pretty good amateur crabber, he still preferred lobster. She survives him, as do sons Scott and John Clapperton. His late father was Gilbert Clapperton ’32.

Arthur Woodbury Ridlon, Nov. 27, 2010
When Art Ridlon spoke to the Daughters of the Confederacy in Dayton, Va. — the first Yankee to ever address the group — he received a standing ovation. His interest in the Civil War, among his many interests, was sparked by the movie Gettysburg. He had chucked Maine winters for those in West Palm Beach after a successful tenure at an insurance agency in Bath, and found small-town life there not unlike Maine — except, he said, “Ace Hardware doesn’t sell snow shovels.” Just before he moved to the South, he took up tennis, a sport he would enjoy for the rest of his life. He won the Bath city championship in 1980 and the Palm Beach County championship in 1982. Ten years later, after he and Cindy Ohlin Ridlon ’65 divorced, he and second wife Ann moved back to Boothbay Harbor, where he joined the firm of J. Edward Knight. His tennis again started to shine, and he won two gold medals at the Senior Olympic Games in 2001. He competed at the 2003 National Senior Olympic Games and made it through the first round. He also devoted time to instruct high school players. At his death, Art was class president and had served previously as class agent. His long involvement with children with disabilities will culminate when the first gymnasium at Ability Tree in Siloam Springs, Ark., is named for him. Besides his wife, survivors include sons Sam Ridlon and Joe Butler, and five grandchildren.

1964

Barbara Clapp Kawliche, Jan. 9, 2010
Barbara Clapp Kawliche recognized early on that the Internet could be used to make the world better. She created a comprehensive website devoted to youth development, Youthwork.com, at a time when few other sites were available. She made the site she wished she had been able to find. Her interest in youth sprang from her degree in psychology from Bates and her M.S.W. from Boston Univ., and she worked professionally in the field before and after tending to her sons’ growing up. She also worked with AdCare, which provided recovery services for professionals in the field of substance abuse. Her belief in human rights and equality for all was enhanced by home stays in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Lithuania. Her husband, Stanley Kawliche ’48, survives her, as do sons David and Gregory Kawliche; one grandchild; stepson Boris Kawliche; and two step-grandchildren.

Barbara Clapp Kawliche ’64 created a website devoted to youth development at a time when few other sites were available. She made the site she wished she had been able to find.

John Robert Strassburger, Sept. 22, 2010
John Strassburger came to Bates intending to study mathematics, but history professor Ernest Muller set him on a new path. Some 20 years later, John returned the favor by becoming president of Muller’s alma mater, Ursinus College. He earned a master’s at Cambridge Univ. and Ph.D. at Princeton. He taught at Hiram College and worked for the NEA as acting director of its education programs, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award. He served as dean of the college and executive vice president at Knox College for 10 years. In 1995, he was inaugurated as president of Ursinus, retiring in June 2010. There, he instituted a first-year course called “Common Intellectual Experience,” an interdisciplinary inquiry into the beliefs and truths that underpin life, just one of many changes — in academics, student quality, endowment, and facilities — that he brought to campus to strengthen its commitment to a liberal arts education. A tribute to him noted that “we hear often of transformational leadership. John embodied it.” His early experience at Cambridge, still wrapped in class distinction and social inequality, convinced him that education could be a great equalizer, and he sought to bring that democratic ideal to Ursinus. He regretted that being the college president meant he didn’t have time to teach, but he served as chair of the board of the Council of Independent Colleges, as well as on the boards of the American Academic Leadership Institute, American Council on Education, President’s Council of Project Pericles, and the Lenfest Foundation. Survivors include wife Trudy Mackie Strassburger; daughters Sarah and Trudy; and two grandchildren.

1965

Philip James Brookes, Sept. 16, 2007
Philip Brookes spent most of his career attached to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He was the director of the graduate degree programs there, having previously served as deputy director of the program and as director of the communicative arts program. While earning a doctorate at the Univ. of Kansas, he was an instructor. At CGSC, he was twice recognized by the Army for his outstanding performance. His marriage to Lois Paynes Lindner ended in divorce.

Peter John Gomes, Feb. 28, 2011
Despite all the accolades, despite 39 honorary degrees, despite being named one of Time’s seven most distinguished preachers in America in 1979, despite being a best-selling author, what defined Peter Gomes to Peter Gomes was that he was a Batesie. “My ultimate epitaph,” he said to a Reunion gathering in 1998, “should be that I went to Bates.” Except for his parents, he explained, he owed “everything valuable, precious, and honorable to Bates.” A history major, he threw himself into life on campus, and was president of the Choral Society, Campus Association, and Chase Hall Dance Committee. He sang wherever he could, assisted in the music department, and reveled in what he called a “peculiar” college, one that admitted women and minorities decades ahead of others. As he did in other realms of his life, the friendships he made in his very first days at Bates he cultivated and nourished forever. He once recalled walking into the Chapel “to cry in privacy” after his parents dropped him off at Bates his freshman year. “There I saw a tall, spare, bald-headed man slowly picking up the litter in the pews. I took him to be a janitor. He noted my distress, and in a solemn but friendly voice said that I’d soon feel better about college.” That man turned out to be Dean Harry W. Rowe ’12, “with whom I would be friends for the rest of his life. At my most vulnerable moment, he was the human face of Bates.” Although his family and friends back in Plymouth, Mass., assumed he would become a minister, he wasn’t certain until he spent the year after graduation at Harvard Divinity School, a challenge proposed to him by a Bates professor. He received the S.T.B. degree there in 1968 and was ordained in his hometown. He taught history at the Tuskegee Institute for two years and served as choirmaster and organist. He returned to Harvard in 1970 as an assistant minister and two years later became its acting minister. In 1974, he was appointed Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Minister in the Memorial Church, the university’s leading religious officer. In 1991, as much to his surprise as anyone else’s, he announced that he was gay during a Harvard rally in Tercentenary Theater. This, he said a few months later, gave him an unambiguous vocation: to address the religious causes and roots of homophobia. “I will devote the rest of my life to addressing the ‘religious case’ against gays,” he told The Washington Post. Gomes authored many books, including the best-sellers The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart and Sermons: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living, as well as numerous articles and papers. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Bates in 1996, the college’s Benjamin E. Mays Award in 1998, and had been a Bates trustee. Survivors include several cousins, as well as his numerous sermons and books.

1967

Douglas Michele Camarco, Dec. 9, 2010
In addition to his B.S. in math from the College, Doug Camarco held an M.B.A. from Rutgers. He was a CPA and worked for ITT for 19 years. He then moved to the Maine State Retirement System, and ended his career at Boston Univ. Survivors include companion Cheryl Kerrick; children Michele James and Jeffrey Camarco; and three grandchildren.

William Sanford Rafter Jr., Nov. 26, 2010
Successful as a businessman and mayor, Bill Rafter found a way to combine the two to turn around the financial status of Gloucester, Mass., and save its residents money in the process. His first career was in trash and recycling, which grew out of his grandfather’s landscaping business. He developed cutting-edge recycling systems that gained national renown. His business became so profitable it drew the attention of the rubbish giant BFI, which bought him out. He worked in the mortgage industry for a few years before running for city council in Gloucester, and then for mayor. He proclaimed that he would never be a skilled politician, but that the real issue in town was managerial. “I believe in government by consensus,” he said during his first mayoral campaign in 1991. He inherited $1 million in debt when he took office; a year later, he submitted a budget that showed an operating surplus of $200,000 and cut long-term debt in half. Survivors include wife Christina Foley Rafter; children Robert Foley, Caitlin Sumner, and W. Sanford Rafter III; and six grandchildren.

1968

James Edward Day, Jan. 28, 2011
Jim Day attended Bates for part of his undergraduate education, and earned a degree in business from the Univ. of Maine. He was a registered Maine CPA and had his own firm in Biddeford. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, retiring as reserve captain. Survivors include a number of nieces and nephews.

1970

Judith Schultz Botwick, Oct. 3, 2010
Judith Botwick left Bates after two years to marry William Botwick. She later completed her degree at Oakland Univ. She was a healthcare executive in Tucson. Survivors include her partner, Bob Rossi, and son Jason Botwick.

1971

David Walter Carlson, Sept. 26, 2010
David Carlson studied city planning at Pratt Institute after receiving a degree in psychology from Bates. He then joined Planners Diversified in New Jersey, and later established the firm’s Cooperstown (N.Y.) branch. In 1991, he and his wife, Linda Pierce Carlson ’70, started their own firm as consultants in city planning in central New York. The firm obtained over $200 million for its client communities. Along with his wife, survivors include children Steven and Lauren.

1975

Kenneth Joseph Gallant, Jan. 16, 2011
Ken Gallant, a biology major, worked briefly as a research assistant at the Univ. of Chicago medical school and then taught for several years before starting osteopathic training at the Kansas School of Osteopathic Medicine. He once told the College that there is “an unlimited reward for being able to help people through medicine.” He worked in emergency medicine in Sanford and Lewiston before establishing his solo family practice in Arundel. As an alumnus, Ken sponsored several interns over the years. He also enjoyed a sideline as a Maine humorist. Survivors include children Aaron and Chloe and stepdaughter Alexandra. His great-uncle was George Nash, Class of 1901.

Donna Gregory Lubow, Sept. 7, 2010
Donna Gregory Lubow moved from job to job until she found her calling in teaching. She worked at the Board of Cooperative Educational Services and, in 1996, joined the staff of Lindenhurst (N.Y.) High School, where she soon became a favorite English teacher. “The news of her passing brought dismay to every person it reached,” wrote the school newspaper in an article recounting anecdotes and lessons learned from her. The school plans to start a scholarship fund in her name. In addition to her English degree from Bates, she held a master’s from SUNY. Survivors include partner Lars Hjelmquist; son Akil Lubow; and mother Pearl Gregory.

Al Maxwell ’75 described himself this way: “I am an earthy crunchy techno-dweeb.”

Alfred Winthrop Maxwell III, June 26, 2010
Al Maxwell described himself this way: “I am an earthy crunchy techno-dweeb.” His earthy crunchy side is evident in his early career building energy-efficient “off the grid” structures, including his own shelter at West Carry Pond. The techno-dweeb came a bit later, when he joined Lotus Corp. and then IBM, from which he retired in 2008 as a senior software engineer. In between, he held several jobs with the state of Maine, most notably with the Energy Audit Program, designed to evaluate and curtail excessive energy consumption in schools and state buildings. He also became a financial planner during this time. In 1998, he married Janet Vermeulen, and they moved to a farmhouse set on 60 acres in Bridgton. There, he kept his Maule M4 airplane in a hangar he built himself. He took a number of trips to the Far East to feed his interest in Eastern philosophies. He felt a special connection to Nepal after trekking through its mountains. A physics major, he was a registered professional engineer in Maine. Survivors include his wife; mother Dianne Maxwell; and brother David.

1976

Russell John Erickson, Dec. 20, 2010
Russ Erickson worked for the Social Security Administration for 33 years and received several Commissioner’s Citations. He developed WAC, the agency’s national and international case management system. He also taught computer programming at St. Joseph’s and Andover colleges. A committed cyclist, he biked to work and took long trips through Florida and Maine. He rode in The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, a seven-day trip that bills itself as “the oldest, largest, and longest bicycle touring event in the world.” A history buff, he led walking tours through Portland as part of Portland’s History Docent Program. Survivors include wife Teeter Bibber; children Rilla and Dana Erickson; and three stepchildren.

1980

Patricia Marion James, July 30, 2010
“PJ” James joined the Bates admission staff after graduating with a degree in psychology and spent two years as an assistant dean. Then, she told another staff member, she had to move on because of her fears she would “become a lifer.” She moved on to a career with Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she became the manager of curricula for USP Learning. (United States Pharmacopeia is a non-governmental official standards-setting authority for prescription and other medications sold in the U.S.) While a student, she was a Benjamin Mays Scholar and was nominated as a New York City Urban Fellow. She directed and coordinated educational and referral services at the Androscoggin County Jail while at Bates, and was an intern at Riker’s Island. Even though she didn’t want to be a “lifer,” she remained close to the College, most notably as a member of the Alumni Council. She was also a class agent, an Alumni-in-Admissions volunteer, and a member of the College Key. Survivors include son Jared James; mother Cecilia James; sisters Melissa Webb and Courtney Steele; and dear friend Joanne Stillmun ’80.

1982

Mark Kevin Dickman, June, 18, 2010
Mark Dickman left Bates after one year and worked in the electrical distribution industry, most recently with Electrical Wholesalers Inc., in Hartford. Survivors include fiancée Marianne Enes; mother Marjorie Dickman; and brother Jeffrey.

In Acton, Mass., environmental activist Mary Sinnamon Michelman ’82 kept a close eye on the W.R. Grace pollution cleanup. “The irony of her contracting cancer,” said the chair of the Board of Selectmen, “is not lost on the community.”

Mary Sinnamon Michelman, Dec. 17, 2010
When Mary Sinnamon Michelman graduated with a degree in biology, she was named a Dana Scholar and received the Abigail Smith Award, given to the senior man and woman who have done the most to contribute to residence hall spirit. She went on to earn a master’s in biological oceanography from the Univ. of Rhode Island. She spent two years on a fishing trawler, then moved inland, to Acton, Mass., where she became known for her volunteer work on environmental issues. She organized Earth Days and stream cleanup days. She was president of Acton Citizens for Environmental Safety, and kept a close eye on the W.R. Grace pollution cleanup. “The irony of her contracting cancer,” said Lauren Rosenzweig Morton, chair of Acton’s Board of Selectmen, “is not lost on the community.” She had survived breast cancer and a double mastectomy only to have the cancer return. Survivors include husband Tom Michelman and daughters Julie and Valerie.

2002

William Adams Thomas III, Aug. 21, 2010
Adam Thomas had a peripatetic four years at Bates: He studied in six countries on three continents. Beyond learning about different cultures and languages, he said more than anything else he learned understanding. He put that knowledge to work after graduation by earning a law degree from the Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Law and becoming a telecommunications attorney dedicated to the public interest. He focused on democratizing knowledge, and worked with Public Knowledge, an organization that defends consumer rights in the emerging digital world. The organization has started a fellowship in his name. He previously worked with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and was a fellow with Free Press. He fought off three bouts of a rare brain cancer, but its fourth recurrence proved too strong. Survivors include wife Katie Strumpf; father Bill Thomas; and brother Ian Thomas.

2006

Nathan Dowd Dorpalen, Oct. 7, 2010
Nate Dorpalen died while backpacking on the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway. He was a master’s candidate in environmental agroecology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Pursuing this degree was a natural progression after earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from the College. He was interested in small-scale organic farming, and had worked at farms in Maine, Alaska, and North Carolina. While at Bates, he apprenticed himself to the town of Palermo, where he learned forestry, carpentry, and orchard management. Immediately after college, he worked in Alaska, assisting with cleaning up gold mine sites and monitoring peregrine falcon nests. He hiked Denali and also hiked in Siberia. Survivors include parents Peter and Mary-Louise Dorpalen; twin sister Erica Dorpalen; and grandmother Rose-Marie Dorpalen. To celebrate his life, family and friends hiked up a mountain near his parents’ home in Connecticut.

Friend

Sally Donavan Goodrich, Dec. 18, 2010
Sally Goodrich and her husband, Donald, took inspiration from their son’s outlook on life when they were confronted with unspeakable despair on Sept. 11, 2001. Their son was Peter Goodrich ’89, who was aboard the second airplane that hit the World Trade Center. They said, and his friends would agree, that Peter had “insatiable curiosity about life in all its various forms.” Sally and Donald decided to find a way to spark that curiosity in Afghan students, taking funds donated or awarded after the attacks to build a 26-room school for girls in Afghanistan. “The idea that we could go to Afghanistan…where the planning for our son’s death took place and provide an alternative way of looking at the world was very appealing to us,” said Don. They sponsored over a dozen exchange students from Afghanistan to the U.S., housing many of them themselves, and helping them obtain scholarships to American colleges. Among them is Mohammed Mustafa Basij-Rasikh ’12. To date, the foundation they formed in their son’s name has raised over $1 million. Survivors include her husband; son Foster Goodrich; daughter Kim Trimarchi; five grandchildren; and Peter’s wife Rachel Carr Goodrich ’90.

Staff

Joseph Woodhead, Oct. 18, 2010
In his 25 years as an assistant coach of track and field, Joseph Woodhead created a legacy of unparalleled success. His specialties were the indoor weight throw and the outdoor hammer throw. During those years, 15 Bates throwers won 43 All-America awards, including six NCAA championships. In February 2009, following renovations to Merrill Gymnasium and Slovenski Track, the throwing area was named in his honor. He won many coaching awards. Woodhead himself was a record-setting hammer thrower at Springfield College, as well as an All-New England football lineman. He also had a standout career at Lewiston High School. He coached at Lisbon High School for many years, winning four state championships. Among survivors are wife Mary Ellen Woodhead and sons Andy and Mike.

Emeriti

L. Ross Cummins, Sept. 21, 2010
L. Ross Cummins stepped into various roles during his 37 years at Bates. He was a professor of education, chair of the department of education and psychology, and director of guidance and placement. Educated at Yale — bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate — in psychology, he served a term as president of the Maine Psychological Assn. During World War II, he became chief clinical psychologist at Battey General Hospital in Georgia, and left the Army in 1945 to establish the Veterans Administration Guidance Center in Savannah. A world traveler with a special fondness for London, he continued to participate in campus events after retirement. His wife Margaret died in 1983. Survivors include daughter Jane Cummins Fowler; two step-grandchildren; and four step-great-grandchildren.

Honorary

Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke, Dec. 13, 2010
The College honored Richard Holbrooke’s dedication to peace with an honorary degree in 1999. Bates President Donald Harward used these words to describe him: “Diplomat, scholar, forger of the prism of resolution, you have extended to international conflict opportunities for accord. Your efforts at the unfinished work of peace have offered the promise, through diplomatic negotiation, of the sanctity of inviolable rights, as well as the responsibilities of justice.” He was the driving force that ended the war in Bosnia in 1995, and was a key player in the Obama administration’s efforts to convince President Karzai of Afghanistan to take responsibility for security in his country. President Obama called him “simply one of the giants of American foreign policy.”