their light lives on
Dan, an entrepreneur and avid golfer and card player, died April 13, 2023.
He attended Swarthmore, ultimately graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School; served as a gunnery officer during the Korean War; and began his professional career with Lennox China. An entrepreneur at heart, Dan started his own company that introduced lesser-known brands to fine jewelers throughout the country. Also, he served on the Men’s Board of Abington Hospital, was a deacon at Abington Presbyterian Church, and was a board member for several terms at Huntingdon Valley Country Club.
Janet, a librarian and historical society president, died March 22, 2023.
She chose Swarthmore after visiting it in ninth grade, earned history and economics degrees, and after having two children and discovering that Charlestown [Pa.] Elementary School didn’t have a library, volunteered to create one. By 1965, Janet had earned a library science degree from Rutgers and worked for 20 years as the Great Valley High School librarian. In 1976, she joined the new Charlestown Historical Society and became its president in 1977.
Martha, a mother, activist, and biochemist, died June 24, 2023.
After attending Swarthmore and marrying, she earned a Ph.D. in the new field of biochemistry; had three children; and in 1963 worked at Cornell University in research labs and as a lecturer. Martha was committed to human rights, peace, and justice as a “war tax” resister; a founder and chair of her Unitarian church’s social justice committee; a campaigner against fracking; and a 91-year-old arrestee as part of the We Are Seneca Lake campaign.
Former Board of Managers member Dorothy, an economics major, died May 7, 2023.
She earned an economics degree at the College, where she was a member of the orchestra and was married to the late P. Frank for 62 years. Dorothy worked for IBM for 37 years, was a self-employed consultant, and served on Swarthmore’s Board of Managers for 12 years.
John, an engineer and photographer, died April 6, 2023.
He attended Swarthmore under the Navy V-12 program and was a member of the football and wrestling teams. John graduated in 1949 from Yale with a mechanical engineering degree, working in manufacturing engineering and research and development for various companies, contributing to several patents. He retired in 2016 at the age of 91, was an avid nature and portrait photographer, sailed the Chesapeake Bay, and camped in the Maine woods.
Violinist Barbara, who rode the bus with Helen Keller, died April 5, 2023.
She was an economics major and minored in math and psychology at the College, and led a quietly active life that included founding the Hi-Hopes Garden Club in the late 1960s; being a Master Flower Show judge; and playing violin with the symphony in Las Cruces, N.M., where she and her husband lived. Barbara later took accounting classes and started her own bookkeeping business and traveled in an RV around the world, including New Zealand and Russia.
Barbara, an athlete, volunteer, and mother, died May 11, 2023.
She earned degrees in economics and philosophy with Highest Honors at Swarthmore, where she was captain of the swim team and met late husband Jack ’48. Barbara ran book sales for the American Association of University Women; hosted and mentored teens through the Rotary Student Exchange program; and served with the Women’s Auxiliary at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac, Wisc., and on Moorings Park’s board of directors and scholarship committee in Naples, Fla.
Kathleen, a pediatrician and family doctor, died May 31, 2023.
She earned her biology degree at the College and her medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania medical school. Kathleen, a supporter of women’s and children’s causes, spent 25 years in public health before opening her private pediatric and family practice in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., where she practiced medicine for additional 25 years. She and her late husband were affiliates of Abington Memorial Hospital.
Chuck, physician, athlete, and genealogist, died May 4, 2023.
He earned his biology degree at the College through the Navy V-12 program, graduated from medical school in 1953, and practiced
medicine in New Hampshire. Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 1965, Chuck and his family moved to Columbia, Md., to help start The Columbia Medical Plan, where he remained for 32 years, retiring in 2001. He taught at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; was a member of numerous medical organizations, including the Southern Medical Association; and was president of the Howard County [Md.] Medical Society.
Gay, a Quaker and botanist, died April 4, 2023.
She studied botany at Swarthmore, earning a biology degree, and became interested in Quakerism. She earned a master’s and Ph.D. in botany at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Rutgers University, respectively. Gay was active with Friends Peace Teams until early 2023; was an advocate and facilitator of the Alternatives to Violence program, including for many years in the California Men’s Colony; and was interested in how to live better
together and with the natural world.
Bill, a dentist and volunteer, died May 19, 2023.
He earned his psychology degree at the College and his dentistry degree from Northwestern University; completed service at Great Lakes Naval Station; and established his dental practice in north Spokane, Wash., practicing general dentistry for nearly 40 years. Bill was active in the Spokane District Dental Society, the YMCA, and Country Homes Kiwanis as well as serving on the Mead School District Board, and volunteering with Meals on Wheels, a Spokane food bank, and the Spokane Humane Society.
Alice, a teacher and Quaker, died May 26, 2023.
An avid student, she earned a mathematics degree at the College. where she met late husband Dick ’49. Upon graduation, she had a job for several years that she later described as “work computers do nowadays.” After ten years as a full-time mother, Alice earned a teaching certificate and taught elementary school for 22 years. In retirement, she and Dick traveled and participated in Elderhostel programs. Introduced to Quakerism as a teen, Alice spent 60 years with Valley Friends Meeting, serving on numerous committees and as a clerk.
Bill, founding lecturer of history at Warwick University, England, died March 10, 2023.
He earned his bachelor’s at Swarthmore and his Ph.D. at Columbia University and moved to Britain in 1965 to become a founding lecturer in Warwick University’s history department, where he taught for more than 30 years. Bill wrote multiple books including Civil War Issues in Philadelphia, an innovative study of northern opinion on slavery and race; Them Dark Days; and Slavemaster President. He loved to walk in the mountains and worked for the Quaker Peace Movement.
faculty & staff
G. Holger “Hogie” Hansen, associate vice president from 1976–80 at the College, died May 27, 2023. He was 86.
Raymond Hopkins, Richter Emeritus Professor of Political Science who served on the faculty for 40 years, died May 23, 2023. He was 84.
Eileen McElrone, an administrative assistant for more than 25 years, died April 3, 2023. She was 74.
Bridget Rothera, administrative assistant in the Computer Science Department for more than 16 years, died May 24, 2023. She was 63.
Ethel Rudisill, assistant to the chair of the Athletics Department, died July 18, 2023. She was 76.
Dave Ruel, who managed administrative information systems for the College, died June 8, 2023. He was 68.
Robert L. Warren, who worked for Public Safety for 20 years, died May 21, 2023. He was 53.
Dorothy Wolfe, who taught for two years at the College, died April 5, 2023. She was 102.
Bill, a sailor and engineer, died July 20, 2023.
He served with the U.S. Navy during World War II, attended Swarthmore, and graduated from MIT with a degree in naval architecture. Bill had a 40-plus-year career at Electric Boat, where he was an engineer and involved in the nuclear weapons program. An avid sailor, he served as commodore at the Ram Island Yacht Club and was active in the Corinthian Yacht Club, sailed in many Off Soundings races, and took his family on sailing adventures.
Diane, a community organizer and writer, died May 19, 2023.
She attended Swarthmore, married, divorced, and lived in New York, where she worked and was a community activist. In 1973, she moved to Minneapolis and completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Minnesota. Diane was hired as the founding executive director of Emmaus Services for the Aging and semi-retired in 1997 to Greenport, N.Y.; wrote a column; and converted to Judaism. She moved to Merced, Calif., in 2010, continuing to be a community volunteer.
Dick, a former Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher who helped his team win two World Series, died June 18, 2023.
He earned an economics degree and was inducted into the College’s Hall of Fame in 2012, playing five sports and setting several school records. Dick played 19 seasons in the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies. He ended his career at 41 as the
oldest Major League Baseball player, with a 93-75 record and 71 saves with a 3.32 earned run average. He continued his off-season work as an accountant
until his 2001 retirement.
Franz, a former refugee who was an attorney, progressive Democrat, and New York legislator, died June 11, 2023.
Fleeing to the U.S. in 1940 from Nazi Germany, he earned a history degree with Highest Honors at the College and a law degree from Harvard, became interested in New York Democratic politics, and was elected as state assemblyman in 1968 and later a senator, retiring in 1998. In addition to a passion for parks, Franz supported a breadth of bills, including abortion rights and same-sex legal partnerships in 1990, as a step to same-sex marriage legislation that
was passed in 2011.
Amy, a nurse leader in the development of U.S. hospice care and its coverage by Medicare, died June 27, 2023.
A graduate of Swarthmore, she earned four advanced degrees, including a master’s in nursing and a Ph.D. in education; taught nursing at multiple universities; and retired as dean of the College of Health Professions and Social Work at Temple University in 1997. Among many honors, Amy, with her husband, received the Public Service Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior. She was a member of the American Academy of Nursing, lectured on hospice and end-of-life issues, and supported organizations such as the Mayo Clinic and International Development Enterprises.
Helen, a homemaker and alpaca owner, died June 28, 2023.
She graduated from the College with a mathematics degree and took classes at Cornell University; worked at General Electric tracking satellites during the space program’s infancy; emigrated with her husband to Canada in 1962; and founded Camlot Feeders Ltd. Helen was a member of the Kinette Club of Camrose, K39 club, and the board of Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta as well as spearheading the Camrose Festival of Trees.
Karen, a lover of performing arts and traveling, died March 26, 2023.
She attended Swarthmore and the University of Minnesota and married the late Albert ’52 with whom she had three children. Karen worked at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for more than 25 years and enjoyed international travel and a second home in Bethany Beach, Del.
Mel, who worked in advertising and was a Colonial Williamsburg volunteer, died May 31, 2023.
He earned an economics degree at Swarthmore and an MBA at Harvard; worked in advertising and marketing, joining Avon Products in 1966 as marketing vice president; and was CEO of two Avon subsidiaries. In the early 1980s, Mel started a production company for television commercials, retiring in 1995. He moved to Ford’s Colony, Williamsburg, Va.; was on the original board of the Historic Virginia Land Conservancy; and served with Colonial Williamsburg volunteers.
Pat, a musician, whitewater paddler, and engineer, died May 19, 2023.
She attended the College before earning a master’s and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and had a 40-year career at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Pat researched ballistic impact phenomena, did computational modeling for advanced armor design and development, and received the Department of the Army Research & Development Achievement Award for Technical Excellence in 1972 and in 2002. She studied piano while raising a family, played percussion in the Goucher Symphony Orchestra, and loved the outdoors, including whitewater paddling with the Canoe Cruisers Association.
Gordon, an insurance executive, historian, and family genealogist, died May 16, 2023.
He earned a bachelor’s and master’s in engineering from Swarthmore and Columbia University, respectively, and had a successful career that included being a senior executive in the insurance industry. After retirement, Gordon returned to Maryland; was a member and former governor of The Society of The Ark and The Dove; and served on the board, including as chairman, of Historic London Town and Gardens.
Richard, an educator, actor, and lifelong fan of the Chicago Bears and Cubs, died May 27, 2023.
He earned an economics degree from Swarthmore, earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and was an assistant professor at Boston University before joining Sanders Associates as corporate manager of education, training, and organizational planning. Richard was interested in theater, acting in summer stock and Armed Forces productions; helped found nonprofit organizations dedicated to civil rights and community development; and served as a trustee at Pinkerton Academy.
Pris, a travel agent and chorus singer, died April 1, 2023.
She earned a history degree with Distinction at Swarthmore, where she met late husband Eric ’58 on a blind date, and she was in the College Chorus. A travel agent, Pris was a member of the Wayne [Pa.] United Methodist Church; was active in the Junior Saturday Club of Wayne; and loved to travel, visiting six continents and numerous beaches.
John, a Quaker, doctor, and advocate for the environment and Planned Parenthood, died March 31, 2023.
He earned his economics degree at Swarthmore, where he was a varsity wrestler, and then earned his medical degree at Temple University, becoming a pediatrician as well as an Air Force and public health doctor. John began his career in the Indian Health Services in the early 1960s; moved to Albuquerque, N.M., where he worked at Presbyterian Hospital and in private practice; and later provided treatment through methadone and other clinics in rural areas throughout New Mexico.
Steve, a violinist and government consultant, died May 19, 2023.
He earned a bachelor’s from Swarthmore and a master’s of government administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; worked for the Chicago Police Department; and then was a municipal government consultant. Steve served on the Park Forest [Ill.] Police and Fire Commission for 35 years; had a courtroom named for him when he retired from the commission in 2016; and received the Senior Medal of Honor from the Cook County sheriff. He played violin with the Southwest Symphony Orchestra and at Freedom Hall in Park Forest.
Terry, a 1963 Jeopardy! grand champion, lawyer, and volunteer, died April 13, 2023.
She earned a psychology degree at the College with Highest Honors and her law degree from the University of California–Berkeley, and eventually moved into corporate law at AT&T, Bell Labs, and Lucent Technologies, retiring in 1999. Terry was a member of the League of Women Voters for more than 60 years; volunteered with Friends of the Shelter – Somerset; and was recognized as a Hometown Hero Outstanding Woman of Somerset County, N.J., in 2010.
Bill, who worked for IBM and on a “theory of everything,” died May 15, 2023.
He graduated from Swarthmore and received an MBA from Washington University. He had a 41-year career with IBM, beginning in sales and rising to lead the IBM World Trade Briefing Center in Armonk, N.Y. After retiring, he developed an interest in cosmology; formulated his own theory of everything, which he updated and shared online; and joined the Unitarian Society of Hartford, Conn., leading its Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry program to certification in 2020.
Jon, a professor emeritus, watercolorist, and birder, died July 1, 2023.
He graduated from Swarthmore with High Honors in history and earned a master’s from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from Harvard; joined the history faculty at Queens College, The City University of New York, retiring as professor emeritus after 38 years; and published The Birth of City Planning in the United States: 1840–1917, which earned the Spiro Kost Book Award from the Society of Architectural Historians. Jon was active in numerous professional organizations, and after his retirement, returned to his first loves: watercolor painting and birding.
Susan, a classical archaeologist, educator, and museum curator, died April 22, 2023.
She earned a degree in Greek from the College and a master’s and Ph.D. in archaeology from the University of Michigan and Bryn Mawr College, respectively; participated in digs in Croatia, Greece, and Turkey; and served as a curator at the Newark Museum from 1971 until her 2006 retirement. Susan was a grantee of the Smithsonian Institute and the Ford Foundation, among others, and dedicated her time to institutions such as the Archaeological Institute of America, International Association of Egyptologists, and the Coptic Art Society.
Joan, who convinced the College president to allow married female students to remain enrolled, died April 23, 2023.
She graduated from Swarthmore, where she met husband Peter ’60, earned an MBA from the University of Rochester, and was a senior tax manager at Ernst & Young before retiring. Joan served on the boards of Music Before 1800; National Sawdust, which sponsors the works of young emerging composers; and the Handel House Foundation of America, as well as being a supporter of the Juilliard School, Carnegie Hall, and the Metropolitan Opera, among other organizations.
Tim, an environmentalist and lawyer, died July 8, 2023.
After Swarthmore, he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and was a partner at Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett in New York City. After his retirement, Tim focused on environmental issues in the Washington Valley section of Morris Township, N.J., including preserving land and preventing a jail being built in Washington Valley. He was a commissioner of the Morris County Park Commission and on the Morris Township Environmental Committee.
Donald, an athlete and singer, died July 12, 2022.
At the College, he was a member of the chorus and the varsity wrestling, cross-country, and track and field teams. He earned a bachelor’s in history from American University; attended the University of Pennsylvania, studying Chinese language and linguistics; and lived in Tasmania.
Editor’s Note: We are running the following obituary with a corrected date of death. We regret the error in the spring/summer issue of Their Light Lives On
Dick, a family man, bird expert, and professor, died Dec. 10, 2022.
He earned a bachelor’s in biology with Highest Honors and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the varsity baseball, football, and swimming teams. He went on to earn a master’s and Ph.D. at Harvard University. Dick was a professor of biology at Washington University, where he directed the Tyson Research Center, and was published in American Birds journal. He celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with wife Mary Sargent Coles ’62.
Sheila, a lifelong teacher, poet, and songwriter, died March 15, 2023.
She earned a bachelor’s in English literature and an MFA from Michigan State University and worked for nearly 30 years at Sparrow Hospital’s pediatric playroom. Shelia’s home was a sort of museum of American folk art she’d collected and pieces she crafted. She also composed poems and songs that she performed for family and friends.
David, an athlete and artisan, died Nov. 4, 2022.
At the College, he was a member of the varsity golf and soccer teams. He earned his bachelor’s from Goddard College in photography in 1967. He was the owner of Castle Studios Crawford Bay in British Columbia, Canada.
Nanine, a worker advocate, lobbyist, and organizer, died May 1, 2023.
She graduated from the College with a history degree and followed in the footsteps of her late father, Kenneth Meiklejohn ’30, as a worker advocate with a 40-year career at the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees as a lobbyist and organizer, retiring in 2014. Nanine worked to expand benefits and, later, to defend them as political winds shifted. She continued her political involvement after retirement by serving on Montgomery County’s Commission on Aging.
Bill, a graphic designer who established honors colleges, died March 27, 2023.
He earned a psychology degree with High Honors from the College and a Ph.D. from the University of California–San Diego; established and ran honors colleges at universities; co-wrote Evaluating Honors Programs; was associate academic dean at Albright College and dean of students at Bethany College; and later became a graphic designer. Bill, who lived with congenital tethered cord disorder, volunteered as a stage sound designer for the Players Club of Swarthmore and other theaters and co-edited a collection of reminiscences about the TV show What’s My Line, among other projects.
Fran, an oncologist, who competed in marathons, climbed mountains, and ran with the Olympic torch, died June 12, 2023.
She earned a biology degree with Honors from Swarthmore and her medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh; did postgraduate study in hematology and oncology at the University of Pennsylvania; and was an associate professor at Penn’s medical school. In 2000, Fran moved to Boulder, Colo., where she worked at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center; explored the impact of fitness as related to cancer data; and had a hematology-oncology practice at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, retiring in 2020. She was a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Medical Athletic Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine.
Kip, a theater professor and conscientious objector who loved classical music and woodworking, died April 19, 2023.
He graduated from Swarthmore with an English degree and earned an MFA in theater from the University of California–Davis; was a Vietnam War conscientious objector; taught theater at the University of Albuquerque; and was an actor, who appeared in movies and with the New Mexico Repertory Theatre. Kip may have been best known as a morning radio host at KHFM for 20 years, where he made classical music welcoming and played morning bird songs.
Chuck, an athlete with a passion for engines, died June 19, 2023.
He graduated with a chemistry degree from the College, where he was a member of the varsity baseball, football, lacrosse, and soccer teams; earned a master’s in education from the University of Virginia; and had a career at the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Chuck had a collection of broken-down cars as well as a passion for engines of all sizes and enjoyed gardening, maintaining purple martin birdhouses, and shucking and sharing oysters.
Ralph, an economist and fan of Bob Dylan, Jane Austen, and Shakespeare, died June 30, 2023.
After graduating from Swarthmore with an economics degree, he worked at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.; earned a Ph.D. in economics from MIT; and spent his career in the Division of International Finance at the Federal Reserve Board — his dream job. Ralph took weekly piano lessons as an adult
and loved playing, took river rafting trips, and converted to Judaism in his 60s, finding a sense of belonging with the Am Kolel Jewish Community.
Rush, who worked in information security, died July 3, 2023.
She graduated from the College with a religion degree and earned an MBA from Capella University. Rush was a retired information security services manager from Lane County, Oregon, and had worked at the Regence Group as a security architect.
Steve, a runner and tennis player who could converse with anyone, died May 6, 2023.
He graduated with a history degree from the College, where he was a member of the varsity cross-country team and Phi Sigma Kappa. He later managed pro shops at multiple tennis clubs, including the Naples [Fla.] Bath & Tennis Club and World Tennis Club, ultimately retiring to the Naples area. Steve was a devoted long-distance runner and tennis player, and regularly ran in road races in the New York City area as well as competing in the Boston and New York marathons multiple times during the 1970s.
Gregory, an entrepreneur and wrestler, died Feb. 6, 2023.
He graduated from the College with a bachelor’s in history and religion with Honors and was a member of Halycon, varsity wrestling, WSRN, and the Newman Catholic Camp Ministry. He was the owner and president of GHF Co. and was married to Madeline K. Barillo-Flagg ’78.
Mark, post-minimalist composer of more than 500 works of contemporary classical music, died June 20, 2023.
He earned a bachelor’s in music at Swarthmore, a master’s at Dominican College, and a Ph.D. at Claremont College. While living in the San Francisco Bay Area, he founded 20th Century Music and New Music Publications and Recording in 1994; served as minister of music at Presbyterian churches; and taught at Diablo Valley College for 18 years. Mark was founder, conductor, and music director of both San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra and the Opus Project; was music director of Goat Hall Productions and the San Francisco Cabaret Opera; and wrote numerous operas.
Chip, a business consultant, sailor, and local historian, died June 30, 2023.
He graduated from Swarthmore with Honors in economics; earned an MBA from the University of Chicago; and worked for various consulting firms, becoming a managing director and partner at Bearing Point Inc. (formerly KPMG Consulting). After his retirement and moving to Lewes, Del., Chip served as director of operations and administration at the Lewes Historical Society; was a member of Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church and its Vestry and Capital Campaign Committee; and was a member and president of the Lewes Yacht Club.
Andy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, died Nov. 18, 2022.
He graduated from the College with an English degree and was a member of Halcyon, WSRN, and the Sailing Club. A lifelong journalist, Andy started his career at the Anchorage Daily News, where he received a Pulitzer Prize for his work on a joint series of articles. More recently, he and his family moved to Hawaii, where he was a communications manager with the Keck Observatory and also worked for the local newspaper.
Olato, a former chief education officer and prominent educator in Guyana, died Aug. 4, 2023.
He graduated from the College where he was a member of the International Relations Club, WSRN, and the varsity track and field team. At the time of his passing, Olato was the education specialist in the Ministry of Education. He had also been chief education officer from 2011–16, a lecturer at the University of Guyana, chairman of the Guyana School of Agriculture, commissioner on the Teaching Service Commission, and a member of both the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Taskforce on Teacher Education and Training and the CARICOM Task Force on the Establishment of Teaching Councils.
Janet, a professional organizer, artist, and traveler, died July 14, 2023.
She graduated with a psychology degree from Swarthmore, where she first met her future husband Matthew Kubasik ’86 with whom she reconnected at their 10-year Reunion. For many years, Janet was a professional organizer of homes and offices with the motto: Veni, vidi, ordinavi (I came, I saw, I organized). After retiring, she developed a passion for creating artwork in stained glass and fused glass. She had a passion for travel overseas and for art museums closer to home.
Submit an obituary
To report the death of an alum, email obituaries@swarthmore.edu. Please provide the class year (if known), the date of death, and a short biography or link to a published obituary.
Newspaper obituaries may also be mailed to Swarthmore College Bulletin, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, PA 19081.