Necrology

Mary Kathleen Sheehan Roden-Tice '74

Nov. 8, 1952-Jul. 14, 2018

Mary Kathleen Sheehan Roden-Tice K’74, a geologist and professor of Plattsburgh, N.Y., was born on Nov. 8, 1952, in Albany, N.Y., the daughter of Mary and William Sheehan, a dentist. She graduated from the Vincentian Institute in Albany.

Roden-Tice was the first woman to earn a geology degree from Kirkland College. She continued her studies in the sciences, receiving a master’s degree from Kansas State University in 1977 and a Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1989.

Reminiscing on her years on the Hill for a 2007 Kirkland College reunion yearbook, Roden-Tice wrote, “I do not have a specific ‘Kirkland moment.’ The whole experience blends together in my memory. Steak nights and ice cream sundaes … walking in Root Glen, geology field trips, relaxing at the Pub for beers after studying for finals in the old library stacks … anthropology and archaeology classes with Drs. Raybeck and Grayson … and geology classes with Drs. Potter and Hawley, all of these things are part of my Kirkland moment.”

Roden-Tice served on the geology faculty at SUNY Plattsburgh from 1995 to 2018. In 2013, she was named the SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Geology for dedication to mentoring and inspiring students, according to a published obituary.

An outdoors enthusiast, birdwatcher, and hiker, she climbed each of the Adirondack High Peaks, becoming a “46er” in 2009. She also taught spinning and ran half marathons.

Mary K. Roden-Tice died on July 14, 2018, after a two-and-a-half-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was 65 years old. Roden-Tice is survived by her husband, Steven Tice, two children, and two grandchildren. Her first husband was Michael Roden ’72.

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