their light lives on

Janet, a longtime member of the Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network, died Jan. 27, 2025.

She attended the College where she was in the orchestra and a member of the College Chorus. According to Linda Smith Nathanson ’65, Janet was at Swarthmore from Keele University in England, from which she graduated with an English literature degree and taught at the secondary level, wrote a novel, studied economics, and became a therapist. A member of the Oxford Meeting’s Human Rights and Asylum group as well as other committees and groups, she was focused on aiding asylum seekers and refugees.

Frederika, an artist and community activist, died Sept. 20, 2024.

She earned her bachelor’s in English literature at the College, and after earning credentials to teach elementary and junior high students, she spent three years as director of the Marginal Street Center. Frederika married in 1948 and moved to California, where she pursued her love of theater and studied playwriting at the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts. She was a founding member of the Altadena-Pasadena Human Relations Committee and helped lead its Open Housing Covenant campaign, among other community volunteering.

Patty, a thespian and mother of three, died Nov. 26, 2024.

She earned her bachelor’s in English literature at the College, where she was a member of the College Chorus and Drama Board. In 1949, she met and married her husband after trying out for and winning the lead in a play he was producing and directing for Armstrong College. They subsequently moved to Lexington, Va., where the couple had three children.

Peter, an economist, musician, and craftsman, died Oct. 29, 2024.

He earned his bachelor’s with High Honors in economics at the College and a master’s and Ph.D. in economics at Harvard University. Peter spent most of his career at the New York Federal Reserve Bank, becoming executive vice president and manager of the System Open Market Account as well as serving as deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Treasury Department. A long-time horn player, he took up viola and played in chamber music groups and was a docent at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Priscilla, a social worker and teacher, died Oct. 31, 2024.

She attended the College, then taught preschool for two years before earning her bachelor’s in elementary education from Smith College, after which she married, started a family, and taught in Chestnut Hill, Pa., becoming active in the community, including as a board member of Children’s Aid and Family Service (CAFS). After her 1974 divorce, Priscilla earned a Master of Social Work from University of Connecticut and worked for CAFS, retiring in 1999, continuing to consult into her 80s.

Ursula, a fluent speaker of English, German, and Portuguese, died Dec. 23, 2024.

She earned her bachelor’s in history with Honors at the College and a master’s and Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Denver and Tufts University, respectively. After marrying, the family lived in Washington, D.C., then Bonn, Germany, from 1965–81, where she led the local Democrats Abroad. Back in Washington, D.C., the couple bought a vacation home on Ocracoke Island, N.C., where Ursula was a museum docent. She had many travel adventures on six continents, such as evading Costa Rican wildfires.

Chris, who had a five-decade writing career, died Jan. 31, 2025.

She earned her bachelor’s in English literature with High Honors, and lived, worked, and traveled in Europe and Africa, including a stint with Radio Free Europe. Concurrent to marriage and motherhood, Chris’s writing career led to publication of more than three dozen reference books, such as The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, The A to Z of Investing, and Unsung: A History of Women in American Music. She was a National Writers’ Union representative and a contributor to Military History Quarterly.

Katharine, a landlady to Princeton University graduate students, died Dec. 29, 2024.

She earned a bachelor’s with Honors in English literature at the College, where she was a member of the Drama Board and Folk Dance Club; taught at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York; and married the late R. Wood Tate ’50 in 1956 with whom she had five children, eventually settling in Princeton, N.J. In the 1980s, Katharine worked in the development office at Princeton University for 10 years, followed by caring for her aunt and uncle.

Hank, an engineer whose leadership led to an Emmy award, died Jan. 27, 2025.

He earned a bachelor’s in engineering at the College and the McCabe Engineering Award, was captain of the wrestling team, and a member of Delta Upsilon. Hank entered the Navy and became an engineer in its nuclear program. After a variety of career moves, in 1979, he became president of the industrial ink-jet printing company Videojet Systems International, which won an Emmy for technology used in emergency television broadcasts. His more than 50-year affiliation with First United Church ranged from church committees to singing in the choir.

Bill, an aviator and insurance agent, died Jan. 18, 2025.

He earned a bachelor’s in philosophy at the College, where he met his wife, Phyllis Klock Dominick ’57, and was a naval aviator until June 1960, when he went to work for New England Life Insurance Co. in Seattle, then in Boston, and finally in Richmond, Va., where he was a general agent. Bill was a Little League coach and raised money for the Tuckahoe YMCA; helped found Canterbury Recreation Association; and helped with fundraising for the College and local delegates.

Lincoln, a retired neuroscientist and boat designer, died Dec. 25, 2024.

He earned a bachelor’s in biology at the College, where he was a member of the Drama Board, the College chorus and orchestra, and the Swarthmore Friends Group. He was involved with men’s swimming, and was the partner of the late Sara Chase ’60. Lincoln earned his M.D. from Yale University and was a retired professor of molecular pharmacology at the University of Miami and former professor of molecular pharmacology at the Harvard Medical School.

Mary, a professional singer and voice teacher, died Dec. 3, 2024.

She earned a bachelor’s in art at the College and master’s degrees at Boston University in musicology and at the New England Conservatory of Music in vocal performance. Mary soloed with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Worcester Orchestra, and the Melrose and the Cape Ann symphonies and performed opera with various New England companies. She recorded songs by Alma Mahler and other women composers, and taught at the Performing Art School of Worcester, Anna Maria College, and Doherty High School, along with offering private lessons.

Maria, trilingual in English, German, and Arabic and a member of the Board of Managers, died Jan. 1, 2025.

She earned a bachelor’s in history at the College and a master’s in education at SUNY–New Paltz; taught elementary school; and received her private pilot’s license, transporting airplanes around the region, before moving with her husband to Boulder, Colo. Maria served on the Swarthmore Board of Managers and was involved in the Boulder Community Foundation. In 2000, she founded the April Fund, which provided financial grants worldwide; was a self-taught ornithologist and was a published, peer-reviewed author on meadowlark songs; and ran more than 30 BOLDERBoulder and Chilmark Road Races.

John, an engineer with IBM, died Feb. 3, 2025.

He earned a bachelor’s in engineering at Swarthmore and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, then joined Hamilton Standard in Windsor Locks, Conn., working with Eielson Air Force Base, Lockheed, and Edwards Air Force Base. In 1966, John became a systems engineer at IBM in Hartford, Conn., retiring in 1997. During retirement, he provided tax consulting for AARP, was a member of the First Church of Windsor, and was involved with Retired Old Men Eating Out, arranging meetings and speakers.

Gil, an optical engineer, died Feb. 16, 2025.

He attended the College, and earned a bachelor’s in engineering and a master’s in physics from Boston University and a master’s in industrial engineering management from Northeastern University. Gil was an optical engineer at Itek, where he was in charge of the cameras that took the first photographs of Mars from the Viking Landers 1 and 2, and later worked for Southern Optical. He was a Son of the American Revolution and a member of the Mayflower Society and Saint John’s Masonic Lodge in Boston.

Beth, a self-employed writer, died Nov. 12, 2024.

She earned a bachelor’s in biology at the College, where she was a member of the Drama Board, and subsequently married and was mother to two children. With her family, she lived in several states before her late husband retired and they moved to Bar Harbor, Maine, where they built a summer camp and house together. A self-employed writer, she was also a knitter, embroiderer, and a voracious reader.

Peter, an engineer with a fine arts degree, died Feb. 28, 2025.

He earned a bachelor’s in fine arts at the College, where he was a member of the Engineer’s Club, and received a master’s of engineering at the Technical University of Munich. Peter used his scholarship in a career as an executive in international operations and manufacturing and was known for his strategic vision, leadership, and commitment to excellence. Beyond his professional endeavors, he had a passion for antique cars and traveling the world.

Mary Ann, an engineer and artist, died Jan. 7, 2025.

She earned a bachelor’s in history at the College and a master’s in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania; worked at DuPont’s Experimental Station; and when her children were older, earned a master’s in electrical engineering at Widener University, then returned to work at DuPont from which she retired. Mary Ann was an artist, wielding anything from a cutting torch to a brush and pen; published the Official Star Trek Cooking Manual; and was a skilled gardener.

Peter, a chemist and founder of several software companies, died Dec. 16, 2024.

He earned a bachelor’s in chemistry with Honors at the College, where he met wife Barbara Hopf Offenhartz ’58, and earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. Peter taught and wrote textbooks at the University of Colorado and Amherst College; worked for the Physical Sciences Group; and founded his own software companies. Semi-retiring at 65, he was part of the Wellesley Weston Lifetime Learners Memoir course and with Barbara was a founding member of Wellesley Neighbors.

Dan, a physician and oncologist, died Dec. 9, 2024.

He earned a bachelor’s in biology at the College and an M.D. at Yale School of Medicine; had specialized training in Canada; and spent a transformative year serving in the U.S. Navy as a physician in Saigon, Vietnam, and as a medical adviser to the Vietnamese Naval hospital. In the 1980s, Dan worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, establishing oncology as a specialty at King Faisal Hospital. He then dedicated 36 years of his career to MD Anderson Cancer Center and was a patron of the Houston Symphony and Houston Opera.

Betsy, a bookkeeper and sailboat racer, died Jan. 24, 2025.

She earned a bachelor’s in art history at the College and worked at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Mo., where she met her first husband with whom she had two children. Betsy had a long career as a bookkeeper, retiring in 2010 from the SAS Institute and becoming a volunteer, including as a guide at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. She raced her sailboat at Lake Jacomo for decades, married again in 1987, and took sailing trips in the Caribbean with her husband.

Bill, a pilot, attorney, and river otter lover, died Nov. 17, 2024.

He earned a bachelor’s in history at the College and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he also studied music. Bill joined the Navy as an F-4 aviator before becoming an attorney, practicing in Arizona, Wisconsin, Washington state, and Oregon. After completing active military service, he continued to fly in the Air Force and Army National Guard and served as a private flight instructor. An accomplished pianist, Bill was active in the Portland music community and volunteered at the Oregon Zoo.

Rachel, an artist, writer, editor, and nutritionist, died Jan. 11, 2025.

She earned a bachelor’s in art history at the College; spent two years studying art in Florence, Italy; and married and settled in Amherst, Mass., where she worked as an artist, creating vivid portraits, still lives, and landscapes in all media. Rachel was also a children’s book author and editor, and after earning a master’s in nutrition at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, worked as a nutritionist.

Strat, a Quaker and engineer, died Dec. 22, 2024.

He earned a bachelor’s in mathematics with Honors at the College, and a master’s in industrial engineering and a Ph.D. in operations research at Stanford University. Strat worked as a professor at Cornell University and the University of California–Los Angeles before his four-decade career in operations research for a variety of consulting groups. He was active and held positions in the Palo Alto Friends Meeting and Pacific Yearly Meeting and volunteered for Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic.

Cindy, a thespian and civil rights advocate, died Nov. 2, 2024.

She earned a bachelor’s in psychology at the College, where she was very active in the Civil Rights Movement, participating in many protests. Cindy lived and taught English in India, which led to her pursuing a master’s in theater education from Emerson College and founding the Charles Playhouse Children’s Theater. Over the years, she started or joined various theater groups and earned an MFA in theater (directing). Most recently, Cindy co-founded Silverthorne Professional Theater Company and opened the Local Access to Valley Arts, both in Greenfield, Mass.

Judy, a philosophy major and cheerleader, died April 6, 2024.

She earned her bachelor’s in philosophy at the College, where she served as a resident adviser and was a cheerleader, and attended Harvard University. Judy, a mother of two, who was the divorced spouse of Randall Larrimore ’69, was retired and lived in Durham, N.C.

Sherry, an Emmy-winning writer-producer, died Oct. 16, 2024.

She attended the College, graduating with her bachelor’s from Cornell University. After working in Philadelphia, Sherry moved to New York City and wrote for the children’s program Hot Hero Sandwich, for which she won a Daytime Emmy. She went on to write for Ryan’s Hope before creating the CBS sitcom Kate & Allie, which won several Emmys and ran for six seasons; was a writer-producer on the CBS series Bailey Kipper’s P.O.V.; created and wrote the web series Little Women, Big Cars; and wrote the TV screenplay for Love, Long Distance.

John, a Spanish major and Treasury tax-service representative, died Nov. 22, 2024.

He earned a bachelor’s in Spanish at the College, where he was on the Phoenix. A father of three and ex-spouse of Martha Courant ’77, John was a tax service representative at the U.S. Treasury.

Nathan, a yoga and meditation instructor, died Jan. 15, 2025.

He attended the College and followed his interests in spiritual matters, becoming certified as a yoga and meditation instructor. Through his interest in computers, Nathan created a nonviolent video game; worked for a medical software/hardware company on a product to allow doctors and nurses to remotely monitor patients; and worked for the computer gaming company 1047.

Katherine, a psychologist, advocate, and animal lover, died Jan. 11, 2025.

She earned her bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in English literature at the College, where she was a member of Peer Support and Folk Dance Club, and received a Ph.D. from Widener University with a concentration in diversity and children, adolescents, and families. Katherine’s clinical practice as a psychologist focused on providing care to LGBTQ+ youth and their families. She mentored young Chinese students learning English, passed out backpacks filled with supplies to people experiencing homelessness, and never turned away from an animal in need.