Alumni Obituaries: 1940's
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Henry Raymond Bond, 91, from Stuart, Florida, on
March 17, 2008. Attended from 1936 until 1937. During World War II he was
employed at Miami shipyards. He owned and operated Ray Bond Boats, builders
of the Cuda Craft boat. He is survived by his wife, two children, numerous
grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
William “Bill” King Brooks, 86, from
Indialantic, Florida, on February 10, 2005. B.S. in horticulture and a
member of Phi Eta Kappa fraternity, Agriculture Club, Radio Guild, and
played football, ran track, and boxed. After graduation he was employed as
an accountant with the Maine Central Railroad before entering the Army Air
Corps. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the South Pacific. As a
B-29 airplane commander, he was assigned to the 20th Air Force
and completed 27 missions before returning to the States in 1945. He was
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and the Asiatic
Pacific Ribbon.
Frederick Lincoln Carlson, 57, from Cambridge,
Massachusetts, on June 28, 1975. Attended from 1936 until 1937.
Thomas Gray Fielder, 88, from Randolph, Maine,
on July 3, 2008. Attended from 1936 until 1937. He attended Boston Museum
School from 1937 until 1940 and in 1939 was returning from Europe aboard the
British liner Athenia when it was torpedoed and sunk. It was the
first ship sunk in World War II. He survived two lifeboat accidents and was
transferred at sea to the American freighter, City of Flint, and with
a Coast Guard escort, landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. During World War II he
was employed as an art director with General Electric and after the war
continued his art education. He returned to General Electric and worked in
New York and New Jersey. He became advertising manager of General Electric’s
radio and television department and later joined a New York advertising
agency. He later moved to Pittston, Maine, and joined Depositor’s Trust
Company, retiring in 1981. He was active in his community including being a
trustee of Augusta General Hospital and a member of the Kennebec Historical
Society, the State Library Commission, and a board member of the Kennebec
Valley Mental Health Center. He is survived by two children, one grandson,
and brother Allen ’52.
Joseph Brian Kelley, 92, from Green Manor,
Connecticut, on October 14, 2006. Attended from 1936 until 1937. He was
employed as a machinist with Technicraft Laboratory, as a farmer, assembler,
salesman, toolmaker, tool designer, and as a project engineer with General
Motors. He owned and operated Kelley Service Company in Thomaston,
Connecticut. He served on the Thomaston school board, was a member of the
Knights of Columbus, and was active with St. Thomas Church. He is survived
by his wife, seven children, 18 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
Mary “Malee” Anna Madigan Putnam, 89, from
Houlton, Maine, on June 10, 2008. Attended from 1936 until 1937. She was
employed with the First National Bank in Boston in the 1940s. She was a
member of Saint Mary of the Visitation Church, the Houlton Council of
Catholic Women, Houlton Regional Hospital Ladies Auxiliary, and Houlton
Community Golf Course. She is survived by three children, 12 grandchildren,
and 10 great-grandchildren.
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Fred Crowell Hanson, 89, from Brewer, Maine, on
June 28, 2008. B.S. in mechanical engineering and a member of Phi Gamma
Delta fraternity and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was
employed during World War II with Sperry Gyroscope as an armament engineer
and after the war joined the family business, Dunham-Hanson, a wholesale
hardware and building materials company. In 1964 they sold the wholesale
business but retained the retail side, becoming Bangor Hardware. He was very
involved in his community, working with the Rotary Club, SCORE, Penobscot
Conservation Association, and the Penobscot Valley Ski Club. He often
operated the water-powered saw mill during Living History Days at Leonard’s
Mills in Bradley, Maine, and enjoyed sailing, fishing, gardening, camping,
and playing cribbage. He was a lifelong member of All Souls Congregational
Church where he served for many years as collector. He is survived by four
children including Carolyn Hanson Thompson ’67, Richard ’68, and Thomas ’73,
’75G, nine grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
George Leonard Nystrom, 89, from Hendersonville,
North Carolina, on April 8, 2008. B.S. in chemical engineering, M.S. in
1947, and a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Maine Outing Club, and ran
cross-country, wrestled, played basketball, and was the manager of the
tennis team. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the Navy from 1941
until 1945. He served aboard the USS Astrolabe Bay, USS Mount
McKinley, and the USS Bayfield, and was involved in four
major invasions including the invasions of Normandy and Okinawa. He was
discharged in 1945 but continued in the Reserve until 1950 when he was
recalled to active duty. In 1956 he transferred to the retired Naval
Reserve. After the war he was employed with General Electric and Packard
Motors. He spent the remainder of his career with Great Northern Paper
beginning in Millinocket in 1958 as an engineer and ended in Stamford,
Connecticut, as the director of customer technical service. He enjoyed the
outdoors and had hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Mt. Katahdin,
Maine. In 1997 he received the Block “M” Award from the UMaine Alumni
Association for service to his class. He is survived by three sons, eight
grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
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John Warren Foster, 87, from Old Town, Maine, on
November 16, 2006. Attended from 1939 until 1940. He graduated from Culver
Military Academy and was a veteran of World War II serving in the Army Air
Force. He was employed for 27 years with the University of Maine, retiring
in 1981. He is survived by two siblings.
James Warren Ingalls, Jr., 87, from Rosendale,
New York, on November 17, 2006. B.S. in wildlife conservation. He was a
graduate instructor in parasitology when he joined the Army. He worked at
Walter Reed Hospital and in 1945 was assigned to a six-man special
commission to study the tropical parasitic disease, schistosomia, which
affected U.S. troops in the Pacific. In 1946 he received the Bronze Star for
his medical work. He received his M.S. in 1949 and his Ph.D. in 1953, both
from New York University. He became an instructor of microbiology at the
Brooklyn College of Pharmacy and later became a professor of pharmacology.
He had many articles published on pharmacology and parasitology, was a
visiting lecturer at Albert Einstein Medical College, and became a Fellow of
the New York Academy of Sciences. He retired in 1983 to Lake George and
relocated to Rosendale in 2002. He enjoyed gardening, cross-country skiing,
and local politics. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, three children,
and three grandchildren.
Doris Edna Karst, 101, from Bar Harbor, Maine,
on July 15, 2008. B.S. in education and a member of the chorus, Education
Club, and the honor society Phi Kappa Phi. She graduated from Farmington
Teachers College in 1927 and began her teaching career at Mexico Junior High
School. She taught for 11 years in Augusta and later in Millinocket. She
finished her career in New Hampshire, retiring to Bar Harbor. She was an
active member of the Bar Harbor Congregational Church and belonged to the
Senior Citizens Club. She enjoyed playing the piano and having tea parties.
She is survived by a brother.
Paul Allen Kraut, 91, from Dover-Foxcroft,
Maine, on August 14, 2008. Attended from 1938 until 1939 and was drafted
into the Army. He was a well-known free lance color photographer and owned
and operated his own photography studio. He was nationally recognized for
this postcard photography of pounding surf, mountains, and the rock-bound
coast while working as a photographer for Bromley & Company of Boston. He
was employed with Viewmaster for nine years, taking three-dimensional scenic
photos. His work has appeared in brochures, postcards, catalogs, posters,
calendars, and National Wildlife, Backpacker, Yachting, National Backpack,
and Reader’s Digest magazines. His work has been exhibited nation
wide. In 1995 he published Maine Scenic Splendor: The Play of Color,
Light and Shadow. He was also a long-time amateur weatherman, recording
for NOAA and broadcasting on local stations for more than ten years. He is
survived by two children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
Heywood “Mac” Brown Macomber, Jr., 88, from
Needham, Massachusetts, on April 9, 2008. B.S. in mechanical engineering and
a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.
He was a veteran of World War II serving in the Navy
from 1944 until 1946. He was employed at Hemphill Company and later with
Raytheon as an engineer. He enjoyed sailing, canoeing, gardening, and
photography. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, three children, five
grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Ian Duncan Malcolm, 84, from Bristol, Rhode
Island, on May 1, 2004. Attended from 1938 until 1939. He graduated from
North Adams State Teachers College and received a master’s degree from the
Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was a veteran of World War II
serving in the Navy as commanding officer of PT 130 and was awarded the
Silver Star for his service in the Battle of Surigao Strait. After the war
he taught in Newton, Massachusetts, and was principal in Haverhill,
Massachusetts. He ended his career as superintendent of schools in
Barrington, Rhode Island, retiring in 1976. He was a member of the
Barrington Yacht Club, St. John’s Church, and Peter Tare (an organization of
WWII PT Boat officers). He enjoyed the water, boating, golf, a good joke,
and the Red Sox. He is survived by four children, six grandchildren, and
four great-grandchildren.
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Lois Hardy Priscilla Bennett, 87, from
Farmington, Connecticut, on June 6, 2008. B.S. in music and a member of the
Glee Club, orchestra, and the honor societies Mu Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Delta
Pi, and Phi Kappa Phi. She received her master’s degree from Central
Connecticut State University in 1968. She taught in the New Britain,
Connecticut, school system for 25 years, retiring in 1981. She was a member
of the Eastern Star, Farmington Senior Citizen Center, Monday Morning
Mission, a 20-year member of the YWCA, and a lifelong member of the
Methodist Church. She is survived by two children, three grandchildren, two
great-grandchildren, and brother Malcolm Hardy ’44.
Mary Alice Lovely Caccamise, 86, from
Albuquerque, New Mexico, on April 17, 2008. B.A. in French and a member of
Pi Beta Phi sorority, University Orchestra, Glee Club, University Trio,
YWCA, and the honor society Mu Alpha Epsilon. She received her master’s
degree in counseling from the University of New Mexico in 1961 and was a
teacher and guidance counselor for the Albuquerque public school system from
1956 until 1982. She was an accomplished pianist and accompanied several
orchestras, volunteered at the local hospital, and enjoyed traveling. She is
survived by three children and three grandchildren.
Dean Wendell Ebbett, 82, from Pine Mountain,
Georgia, on February 13, 2005. B.S. in agronomy and a member of Phi Eta
Kappa fraternity, Future Farmers of America, Agricultural Club, and the
honor societies Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Zeta. He was a veteran of World War
II serving in the Army from 1943 until 1946 and was a POW. He farmed and was
employed as a livestock marketing specialist for the Georgia Department of
Agriculture. He was an active member of the Roosevelt memorial Church,
served on the Harris County Farm Bureau and Pine Mountain Valley Water
Association boards, and was a member of the American Legion and Georgia
Cattlemen’s Association. He is survived by four children, four
grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Kingsley Walter Hawthorne, 85, from Houston,
Texas, on August 15, 2002. B.A. in psychology. In 1943 he also received his
master’s in divinity from Bangor Theological Seminary. He was a veteran of
World War II serving in the Army from 1943 until 1946 stationed with the
chaplain’s corps in the Pacific. He received the Bronze Star for meritorious
achievement during a military operation in the Philippines. After the war he
was a pastor at the West Parish Congregational Church in Belfast, Maine, and
later was regional director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of
America. He was the father of one child.
David Hale Knowlton, 86, from Rockport,
Massachusetts, on January 6, 2008. Attended from 1939 until 1941 and a
member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He was a veteran of World War II
serving in the Army Air Force from 1942 until 1945. After the war he was a
senior equipment design engineer with Sylvania Electric. He is survived by
four children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
George Edward Maxim, 85, from Silver Spring,
Maryland, on May 1, 2007. B.S. in education and M.S. in 1950 in physics. He
was a veteran of World War II serving in the Army from 1943 until 1946.
After the war he was employed as a physicist with the Naval Ordnance Lab in
Silver Spring and later as a general engineer. He is survived by his wife of
61 years, three children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Charlotte “Peircie” Sara Peirce, 86, from
Newport, Rhode Island, on April 10, 2008. B.S. in home economics and a
member of the YWCA, Maine Christian Association, Off Campus Women, Home
Economics Club, and played field hockey and tennis. She received her
master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts. She worked as a
therapeutic and teaching dietitian at various hospitals throughout New
England and was a member of the Maine Dietetic Association and a member of
the American Dietetic Association since 1948. She enjoyed traveling,
reading, bridge, gardening, refinishing antiques, sports, the Red Sox and
Patriots, and cooking. She is survived by her sister Jean Peirce ’41 and
brother Charles ’40.
Richard “Dick” MacMillan Pierce, 88, of Dixfield,
Maine, on June 3, 2008. B.S. in forestry and a member of Alpha Tau Omega
fraternity, Forestry Club, ROTC, the honor societies Scabbard & Blade, Xi
Sigma Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Senior Skulls; Men’s Senate, was associate
editor of the Prism junior year, football manager for three years,
and was class valedictorian. He was a veteran of World War II enlisting in
the Army in 1943 and was missing in action in November 1944. He was captured
during the Battle of the Bulge and was a POW for eight months. He was
awarded numerous medals including the United Nations Service Medal, two
Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, and the Korean Service Medal. In 1948 he
received his M.S. degree in wood technology from Yale University and served
again during the Korean War in the Army Corps of Engineers from 1950 until
1952. After graduation from Yale he was employed with Piasicki Helicopters
in Pennsylvania constructing wooden rotor blades. He later was employed with
Timber Engineering in Washington, D.C., as a researcher for new wood
processing technologies. In 1950 he returned to Maine and began employment
with Fosters Manufacturing and in 1968 left to begin employment with Lily
Tulip as a mill manager. In 1981 he moved to Dixfield and worked for
Highland Lumber Company as vice president, retiring in 1987. He enjoyed
gardening, working in his wood shop, and was involved in many organizations
and committees including Small Woodlot Owners Association, Maine Learning
Tree, Maine Forests Products Council, and the American Legion. He is
survived by three children, Marjorie Pierce Gulyas ’73, Richard ’94, and
David ’94G, two grandchildren, and two step-grandsons.
Betty Lorraine Knight Webber, 84, from
Pittsfield, Maine, on November 18, 2005. B.S. in home economics and a member
of Phi Mu sorority, Home Economics Club, YWCA, chorus, and Glee Club. She
was employed for 25 years as a home economics teacher at Maine Central
Institute. She was the mother of three children.
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Charlotte Theresa Willett Grochmal, 85, from
Waynesboro, Virginia, on May 16, 2008. B.S. in home economics and a member
of Phi Mu sorority, Home Economics Club, and Off Campus Women. After
graduation she was employed with Seagram’s Distillery in Kentucky and later
was transferred to Maryland. She volunteered with the community hospital and
the Girl Scouts and was a member of the Waynesboro Women’s Club and Saint
John’s Catholic Church. She is survived by two daughters.
Robert Marsh Hoover, 88, from Houston, Texas, on
July 13, 2008. B.S. in electrical engineering and a member of Sigma Alpha
Epsilon fraternity and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers.
Although he graduated in 1947 he wished to affiliate with the Class of 1944.
He was a veteran of the Army serving from 1943 until 1946 as a special
engineer at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, working on the Manhattan Project. In 1947
he began employment at the Ordnance Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania
State University and worked in the field of underwater acoustics. He earned
a master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1954 and began
employment with Bolt, Beranek and Newman, (BBN) an acoustical consulting
firm, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1975 he relocated to Houston and
opened a branch office for BBN. In 1978 he and a partner opened Hoover &
Keith, an acoustical consulting firm in Houston, now in its 30th
year. In 1995 he received the Distinguished Engineering Award from the
University of Maine and was a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America.
His “fondest college memory” was: “I’ll never forget the polite Professor
Hill of the electrical engineering department with his green eye shade
teaching high voltage transmission line theory.” He enjoyed Cape Cod,
tennis, golf, skiing, reading, and mountain climbing. He was an enthusiastic
fan of Pennsylvania State football. He is survived by his wife, three
children, and six grandchildren.
Ida May Waterman Hunt, 84, from Rotterdam, New
York, on July 25, 2008. B.A. in psychology and a member of Sigma Mu Sigma
honor society and the Maine Christian Association. She worked for several
years in the accounting and auditing department of General Electric, became
a full-time homemaker, and returned to General Electric as an auditor when
her family was grown. She was a long-time member of St. Paul’s Episcopal
Church. She is survived by three sons, seven grandchildren, and six
great-grandchildren.
Kenneth “Ken” Clark Jordan, 86, from Waltham,
Maine, on May 15, 2008. B.S. in engineering physics and a member of Theta
Chi fraternity, Physics Club, and the Scabbard & Blade Honor Society. He
was a veteran of World War II serving in the Army Signal Corps from 1943
until 1946. He was employed as a research/nuclear physicist with Monsanto
Chemical Company in Ohio and in 1954 he and a coworker invented a
radio-isotope thermal generator which ultimately resulted in the PU-238
generators which powered the Pioneer, Voyager, and Galileo
spacecraft. He retired in 1982 after 36 years with Monsanto and returned to
Maine. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, walking, and working his 700 acres of
forest and blueberries. He is survived by his wife of 62 years.
Frank “Mac” John Macri, died in 1999. B.A. in
zoology and a member of the track, wrestling, and boxing teams. He was a
veteran of World War II serving in the Army. He received his B.S. from
George Washington University in 1950 and his Ph.D. from Georgetown
University in 1953.
Jean Olive Simpson Shannon, 79, from Temple
Hill, Maryland, on January 23, 2003. Attended from 1940 until 1941. She
obtained her R.N. degree from Malden Hospital School of Nursing in Malden,
Massachusetts, in 1944. She was the mother of two children.
Doris “Dody” Kilburn Spach, 85, from Haverhill,
Massachusetts, on May 11, 2008. B.S. in home economics and a member of Delta
Delta Delta sorority and the Maine Christian Association. She was employed
in library work in Massachusetts and New Jersey and was a school librarian
before returning to Maine 1982 and becoming the library director of the
Ricker Memorial Library in Poland, Maine. She enjoyed sewing, knitting,
crewel work, gardening, and music. She is survived by three children
including Peter Cronkhite’74, four step-children, nine grandchildren, and
sister Emma Kilburn Irish ’49.
Joseph Stickney Sutton, 86, from Owls Head,
Maine, on July 20, 2008. Attended from 1940 until 1942 and a member of Sigma
Chi fraternity. He was in the first graduation class of Maine Maritime
Academy and was a veteran of World War II serving in the Merchant Marines
from 1942 until 1946. He was stationed in the Atlantic, Pacific, and
Mediterranean Middle East war zones. After the war he returned to Maine and
owned and operated Sutton Supply, a hardware and lumber company in Camden.
In 1963 the business moved to Rockland where he operated for 10 years until
the business was sold to Grossmans. He is survived by three children, three
grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and sister Mary-Hale Sutton Furman
’38.
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Julia “Pat” Gilpatrick Holmes Maines, 84, from
Holden, Maine, on May 14, 2008. Attended from 1941 until 1942. She was
registrar of voters, served on the Good Samaritan Agency and
Phillips-Strickland House boards, was a member of the Shakespeare Club and
the Holden Congregational Church, and helped create and nurture the Maine
Forest and Logging Museum. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, canoeing, and
home design. She is survived by four children including Steve ’66, Linda
Maines Rollins ’69, and Martha Maines ’79, 14 grandchildren, and four
great-grandchildren.
Sanford “Sandy” Melvin Weinberger, 79, from
Pennsylvania, on October 24, 2004. B.S. in electrical engineering and a
member of Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity, American Institute of Electrical
Engineers, Tech Club, Maine Christian Association, and Hillel Foundation. He
was employed as an assistant engineer in the early 1950s with Allis-Chalmers
Manufacturing and later with Sperry Gyroscope and Leland Electric.
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Roderick Joseph Cyr, 81, from Kansas City,
Missouri, on May 22, 2005. Attended from 1942 until 1943. He was a veteran
of World War II serving in the Army Air Corps and was a B-26 Marauder pilot.
He received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University. In
1948 he became a sales engineer for U.S. Gypsum and in 1953 began employment
with Western Fireproofing. Ten years later he purchased the company and in
1987 sold the company. In 1988 he became chairman of the board of United
Kansas Bank and soon after became president and CEO. He was a member of a
number of civic organizations including a 30-year member of the Rotary Club,
was an honorary director of the executive board of Rockhurst University, and
served on the boards of St. Joseph’s Health Center, Lyric Opera, and Loretto
Academy. He is survived by two children, two grandchildren, and six
great-grandchildren.
William James Bradley, Jr., 77, from Sun City
Center, Florida, on April 18, 2002. Attended from 1942 until 1943 studying
electrical engineering and a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He was a
graduate of West Point Military Academy and retired after 30 years of
service from the Army as a full colonel with two silver stars. After
retirement he obtained his real estate license and worked for Crisp Real
Estate in St. Petersburg. He was a member of the Prince of Peace Catholic
Church in Sun City. He is survived by three sons and two grandchildren.
Charles Francis Guild, Jr., 85, from Brewer,
Maine, on May 22, 2008. Attended from 1942 until 1943 and again from 1946
until 1948. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the Army in the
European Theater. After the war he graduated from Husson College. He was
employed with American Gear in Bangor for more than 25 years. He served on
the Brewer planning board and enjoyed time spent on Green Lake, fishing,
gardening, and sailing. At the time of his death he was survived by his
wife, Frances Johnson Guild ’46, who died eight days later. He is survived
by nephews and nieces.
Frances Ella Johnson Guild, 84, from Brewer,
Maine, on May 30, 2008. Attended from 1942 until 1943. She was employed for
more than 25 years as an office assistant in a physician’s office in Bangor.
She enjoyed her camp on Green Lake and was an avid Red Sox fan. She is
survived by nephews and nieces.
Cleveland Albee Page, 83, from Nobleboro, Maine,
on April 24, 2008. Attended from 1942 until 1943. He was a veteran of World
War II serving in the Army in New Guinea and the southern Philippines. He
graduated from Bowdoin College in 1947 and then attended Boston University
Law School, passing the bar exam in 1950. He was a member of the Maine Bar
Association and was the oldest practicing attorney in Lincoln County. He was
past president of the Rotary Club, coached Little League, was a band
instructor at Lincoln Academy, past deacon of the Damariscotta Baptist
church, a 50-year member of the Masons, and a life member of the VFW. He
owned and operated Lincoln Theater, was a longtime real estate broker, and
owner of Page Realty. He was well known for his musical abilities, playing
sax at the Lakehurst Dance Hall and was a member of the Royal River
Philharmonic Jazz Band, the Sophisticated Swing Band, and made guest
appearances with the Downeast Jazz Babies. He is survived by his wife of 59
years, four children including Lincoln ’73, and eight grandchildren
including Todd Page ’01, ’04G.
1947Top
Mabel Evelyn Wilkinson Brown, 83, from San
Marcos, Texas, on April 16, 2008. Attended from 1943 until 1944. She was
employed as a teacher’s aide for 20 years working with children with
disabilities. She volunteered with the American Legion Auxiliary, Boy
Scouts, Girl Scouts, the National Seashore on Padre Island, and the Audubon
Society. She enjoyed bird watching, reading, and water aerobics. She is
survived by four children and six grandchildren.
Marie Cecelia Plummer Foss, 87, from Machias,
Maine, on May 30, 2008. B.S. in education. Although she graduated in 1955
she wished to affiliate with the Class of 1947. After graduating from the
Washington State Normal School she taught in Machias and during World War II
she was a chief clerk for the Washington County Office of Price
Administration. After graduating from UMaine, she began teaching in the
Bangor school system and remained in the Bangor schools for 20 years. She
enjoyed fishing and her cottage on Six-Mile Lake. She was a member of the
Mayflower Society, St. Mary’s Church, and the Holy Name of Jesus Church. She
is survived by her daughter.
Halbert “Hal” Seeley Stevens, 89, from Sidney,
Maine, on August 5, 2008. B.S. in education. In 1942 he enlisted in the Army
and retired as a colonel in 1976. He served with the 80th
Infantry Division during World War II, participating in the northern France,
Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe campaigns. After World War II he
returned to Maine and taught school in Mapleton and joined the Maine
National Guard as a full-time officer. In 1963 he served a one-year tour at
the U.S. Army War College and took graduate courses at George Washington
University. He was instrumental in the creation of the Maine Veterans’
Memorial Cemetery and the establishment of the Maine National Guard Officer
Candidate School. He retired to Florida but returned to Maine in 2003. He
was a member of the Gardiner Methodist Church, Ocala West United Methodist
Church, Masons, and the Rotary and Lions clubs. He enjoyed golf and was a
member of the Martindale Country Club. He is survived by his wife of 66
years, three children, seven grandchildren including Jennifer Allaire ’91,
Jason Allaire ’93, and Melissa Stevens Cust ’92, and seven
great-grandchildren.
Phyllis Maxwell Tinney, 79, from Sarasota,
Florida, on February 15, 2005. Attended from 1943 until 1944. She was
employed in the real estate industry, retiring in 1985. She was a member of
the Mayflower Society, DAR, and Colonial Dames. She is survived by a
daughter and two grandchildren.
Burton L. Wilner, 86, from Palm Beach, Florida,
on May 5, 2008. B.S. in chemistry. He attended MIT until enlisting in the in
the Army Air Corps. He was a veteran of World War II serving as a radar
counter measures officer flying B29s in the Pacific with the 500th
Bombardment Group. After graduation he worked in the family’s business,
Wilner Wood Products in Norway, Maine. He was an active member of the Maine
Organization of Hospital Trustees, the Maine Hospital Licensing Advisory
Board, the Lewiston-Auburn Jewish community, Congregation Beth Jacob, and a
founding member of Temple Shalom. He is survived by his wife Jacqueline
Marvis Wilner ’ 47, ’77, three children, 10 grandchildren, one
great-grandchild, and four siblings including Elinor Wilner Goldblatt ’49.
1948Top
Malcolm Wilford Coulter, 88, from Eddington,
Maine, on August 2, 2008. M.S. in wildlife management. In 1942 he earned a
B.S. from the University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University
in 1966. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, he worked for the Vermont
Fish & Game Department. He was a veteran of World War II serving for three
years in the Army. He served in Africa and Italy and in 1944 was awarded the
Bronze Star for his meritorious service in Italy. In 1948 he accepted the
position of assistant leader of the Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit
and instructor in wildlife management at the University of Maine. His career
at the university spanned 34 years, conducting research on birds and mammals
throughout Maine. Throughout the years he was promoted to professor, served
as associate director of the school of forest resources, and as chairman of
the department of wildlife. In 1974 he was appointed to the state’s Land Use
Regulation Commission. He was involved in many civic organizations including
founding chair for the Eddington-Clifton Civic Center, president of the
Penobscot Salmon Club, and a member of the advisory board to Baxter State
Park. He was a recipient of many awards including the John Pearce Memorial
Award, the Professional Achievement Award, the University of Maine
Distinguished Forestry-Wildlife Alumnus Award, and in 2006 his tree farm was
named the Outstanding Tree Farm. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, canoeing,
training bird dogs, gardening, traveling, and building canoes. He is
survived by five children, including Shirley Coulter Ericson ’71, nine
grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Willard Rawson Cowen, 78, from Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, died on May 27, 2002, of lung cancer. Attended from 1944 until 1946.
He was survived by a step-daughter.
Pauline “Polly” Elizabeth Quint Arbo Foster, 80,
from Patten, Maine, on May 17, 2008. B.S. in home economics and a member of
the Maine Outing Club, Maine Christian Association, and the Home Economics
Club. She taught from 1948 until 1952 at Stearns High School in Millinocket,
substituted at Patten Academy for a few years, and in 1967 began teaching
home economics at Katahdin High School where she remained until her
retirement in 1984. She was a member of Eastern Star, Rebekah Lodge, VFW,
and the Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday
school for many years. She was also active in the Patten Women’s Club,
Patten Academy, Southern Aroostook Extension Service, 4-H, and American Red
Cross. She is survived by eight children including Dawn Bradstreet Arbo ’75,
10 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and brother Frederick Quint ’60.
George Edward O’Donnell, 81, from Denver,
Colorado, on May 21, 2003. B.S. in physical education and a member of Kappa
Sigma fraternity, served as vice president of the “M” Club, and played
baseball and basketball. He was a veteran of World War II serving from 1942
until 1945 in the Navy as a fighter pilot and served in the Naval Reserve
from 1948 until 1960. He received his master’s in administration from Denver
University. He taught in the Denver public school for 37 years and served
for 10 years as mayor of Apex, Colorado. He was a 25-year volunteer with the
Red Cross, and was active in the Boy Scouts. He enjoyed sports, golf, and
travel and his “fondest college memory” was: “The way my wife and I were
accepted and treated by the people of Maine during the three years we lived
in Orono.” He is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren, and one
great-grandchild.
1949Top
James “Jim” Frederick Aikins, 79, from Camp
Hill, Alabama, on April 22, 2003. B.A. in mathematics and a member of Phi
Kappa Phi honor society. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the
Army Air Corps from 1943 until 1945. He was employed with Eastman Kodak in
New York as an assistant design engineer and later as a member of the
technical staff of Hughes Aircraft in California. He was the father of three
children.
Alec Alenskis, 86, from Sun City, Arizona, on
May 25, 2008. Attended from 1946 until 1948 and a member of Theta Chi
fraternity. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the Army from 1942
until 1946. In the early 1950s he was the owner/operator of Central Maine
Radio Service in Guilford, Maine. He received a degree in nuclear
engineering from Idaho State University and was employed with Westinghouse
as a senior electrical engineer at the naval reactor facility until 1979.
Still with Westinghouse, he became a senior project engineer working on
nuclear power plants in Yugoslavia and in the Philippines and his last
position was in Idaho. In 1987 he received a Professional Achievement Award
from Idaho State University College of Engineering. He is survived by his
wife of 58 years Joyce Marsh Alenskis ’47, two children, and three
grandchildren.
Frederick Mann Boutilier, 88, from Hodgdon,
Maine, on April 30, 2008. B.S. in agronomy. He was a veteran of World War II
serving in the Army from 1939 until 1945 and another 15 years in the
Reserves. He taught in Houlton and Hartland and then was employed with New
York and Penn Central Railway for 20 years. He was active in the Boy Scouts
and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He is survived by his wife, one son, three
step-children, three granddaughters, 12 step-grandchildren, and 13
step-great-grandchildren.
Neal Edward Brennan, 81, from Charlotte, North
Carolina, on January 4, 2005. B.S. in mechanical engineering. He was a
veteran of World War II serving in the Army from 1943 until 1945. After
graduation he was employed with W.S. Rockwell in Connecticut and later in
Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife of 53 years and two children,
Clayton Eugene Briggs, 81, from Petersburg,
Pennsylvania, on June 16, 2007. B.A. in theater. He obtained a master’s
degree from Whittier College in California in 1951 and in 1952 began
employment as an instructor of speech and drama at Mount Union College in
Ohio. In 1955 he was made an assistant professor. In 1956 he accepted a
position as assistant professor of speech and drama at Hiram College in Ohio
and later associate professor at Juniata College in Pennsylvania. He won
several awards in the 1970s for his documentary films. He was the father of
two children.
Thomas “Red” Green Burdin, Jr., 84, from
Pinellas Park, Florida, on July 22, 2008. B.S. in physical education and
M.Ed. in 1951. He was a veteran of World War II serving with the Army Air
Corps from1943 until 1946. He was a long-time educator in Maine and
Massachusetts schools before retiring in 1981 due to declining health. He is
survived by two sons, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Joseph “Gerry” Napoleon Gerard Dechene, 86, from
Laurel, Delaware, on April 4, 2008. B.S. in chemical engineering and a
member of Tau Beta Pi fraternity, Chemical Engineering Club, and the honor
society Phi Kappa Phi. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the Air
Force from 1942 until 1945. He flew supplies from India and China over the
“Hump” and earned the Air Force Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the
Distinguished Flying Cross. After graduation he was employed by DuPont in
Delaware where he remained for 32 years. During his employment he acquired
two patents. He was a member of the Air Force Association, Wilmington
Warriors Association, Humps Pilot’s Association, Laurel Historical Society,
NRA, American Legion, and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. He enjoyed
hunting and shooting and converting old slides into computer files. He is
survived by four children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
William “Bill” Nelson Skidds, 87, from New York,
on March 5, 2003. B.S. in bacteriology. He was a veteran of World War II
serving from 1941 until 1945 and was called back to active service in 1951.
He was employed for 20 years with Pilgrim State Hospital in Brentwood, Long
Island, and also ran a landscaping business. He was a step-father to five
children.
Robert “Bob” Thayer Thomas, 80, from
Scarborough, Maine, on June 13, 2008. B.S. in mechanical engineering and a
member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, Maine Christian Association, and played intramural sports and ran
track. He was employed with Worthington Pump & Machinery in New Jersey until
he was drafted into the Army in 1951. He was a veteran of the Army serving
for two years during the Korean War at a civilian engineering firm testing
T41 tanks at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. After the war he returned to
Worthington in Massachusetts and eventually moving to Boston, San Francisco,
Los Angeles, back to Massachusetts and lastly to Houston, Texas. He retired
as vice president of the western region. He was a member of the Rotary Club
and Raveneaux Country Club and volunteered at the Shell Houston Open for
many years. After retirement he spent ten years traveling in an Airstream
trailer covering 49 states, Canada, and Mexico. He is survived by his wife
of 57 years, three children, and two grandchildren.
Lester “Les” Frank Whitney, 80, from Amherst,
Massachusetts, on July 31, 2008. B.S. in agricultural engineering and a
member of the band, Maine Christian Association, American Society of
Mechanical Engineers, and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. He
received his M.S. in 1951 and his Ph.D. in 1964, both from Michigan State
University and began his career in 1959 as an assistant professor at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. He remained at UMass for 32 years
working on the design of farm equipment, more efficient harvesting and
manufacturing processes, and irrigation techniques in arid climates. He
enjoyed ballroom dancing, traveling, building a camp at Lake Wyola, and
UMass football and basketball. He is survived by his wife of 58 years
Phyllis Burrill Whitney ’51, seven children, and four grandchildren.
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