1950s
John Robert Payne ’50
John Robert Payne ’50, a physician, was born on March 5, 1929, in Glen Ridge, N.J., the son of the former Eloise Fitch and Dr. Guy Payne, Sr. He graduated from H.B. Whitehorne High School in Verona, N.J.
Intending to follow his father into the medical profession, Payne majored in premed. While on the Hill he was a member of the track team and Outing Club, participated in the College Choir and also ran cross-country.
The 1950 Hamiltonian reflected, “Few can coordinate natural athletic ability with respectable scholastic standing, but John has mastered the art, as track sprinter, intramural athlete and as a conscientious student.”
Payne received his medical degree from Albany Medical College in 1954. From 1956 to 1958, he served in the medical corps of the U.S. Naval Reserve, achieving the rank of lieutenant. Later, he was assigned to the Marine Corps as a staff physician in internal medicine. He worked at the Providence (R.I.) V.A. Medical Center for 35 years before retiring in 1992.
Payne lived in Pascoag, R.I., since 1970. He was a parishioner of St. Joseph Church where he sang in the choir.
John R. Payne died on Jan. 7, 2017. He was 87 years old. In addition to his wife, the former Natalie Charboneau, to whom he was married for 48 years, he is survived by one son, one daughter and one grandson.
Robert Atkins Witbeck ’50
Robert Atkins Witbeck ’50, a municipal bonds trader and investment manager, was born in Hartford, Conn., on June 21, 1928. The son of the former Ruth Atkins and Robert Witbeck, a test pilot, he graduated from the Choate School in Wallingford, Conn.
Witbeck majored in geology and psychology at Hamilton and was a member of Alpha Delta Phi. His playful side was chronicled in the 1950 Hamiltonian: “Wit’s ‘top down’ speed-runs to any and all women’s colleges within a two hundred mile radius are legendary” and “[h]is annual role as a towering femme fatale in the A.D. Christmas plays will be missed.”
After graduation, Witbeck served from 1951 to 1953 in the U.S. Army as a tank platoon leader and an aide-de-camp before his honorable discharge as a second lieutenant. He went to work at the New Haven Railroad in its training program and spent a year as a locomotive fireman before setting his sights on a different career. He joined the Rockland Atlas National Bank of Boston in its bond department. Witbeck remained in Boston in the municipal bond market for Estabrook & Son, Colonial Management, Bank of Boston and Kidder Peabody until his retirement in 1990. He also served as president of the Municipal Bond Club of Boston from 1965 to 1966.
Witbeck was married to the former Amy Elliott from 1954 to 1964; he then married the former Patricia Bright, who died in 2007. For his 50th class reunion yearbook, he noted that the impact of his Hamilton years on his life encompassed “[t]he benefits of an exceptional education and a lasting respect for the English language.”
Robert A. Witbeck died on Jan. 16, 2017, at the age of 88. He is survived by three daughters and 12 grandchildren; he was also predeceased by one daughter.
Christopher Halsey Worthington ’51
Christopher Halsey Worthington ’51, an attorney, was born on Feb. 25, 1929, in New York City, the son of the former Ada Warden and John Worthington. He grew up in Truro, Mass., and graduated from the Kent School in Connecticut.
Worthington attended Hamilton for two years; he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and played hockey while on the Hill. After he left the College, he headed to Seattle, where he worked and played semipro hockey, a sport that remained a lifelong passion.
Drafted during the Korean War, he spent two years with the Army until 1953 stationed in Japan. According to a published obituary, Worthington planned to finish college and become a teacher, but when he applied for funds under the G.I. Bill, he was encouraged to study law instead. He subsequently earned a B.A. in history from Boston University in 1956 and then a law degree in 1958 from the same institution. He entered private law practice in Boston.
From 1970 to 1987, Worthington served in the Massachusetts’ state attorney general’s office as chief of the contracts division. He then returned to private law practice until his retirement.
Worthington continued playing hockey well into his 50s, and in his 60s and 70s would take solo bicycle rides to distant states and delight his family and friends with his adventures. Since 2010, Worthington lived at the Old Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea, Mass., enjoying the camaraderie of many friends there.
Christopher H. Worthington died on March 31, 2017, at the age of 88. He is survived by a granddaughter. He was predeceased by his wife in 1999, the former Gloria Sanders, and a daughter in 2002.
Edmund Curtis Brown ’52
Edmund Curtis Brown ’52, a dermatologist who once practiced in Saudi Arabia, was born on Nov. 15, 1930, in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of the former Margaret Curtis and Preston Brown, a physician. He moved with his family to Phoenix when he was 3.
At Hamilton, Brown majored in chemistry, played squash and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He left College Hill after two years and attended the University of Colorado. He once noted that at Hamilton “its high caliber instructors encouraged and developed good study -habits.” As somewhat of a cynic, however, he remarked in his 50th reunion yearbook that “I don’t think old Hamilton College made me any better or worse than I already was and/or am.”
Having married the former Harriet Hoag in 1952, Brown earned an M.D. in 1955 from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, where he graduated second in his class. He completed his internship in Fresno, Calif., served in the U.S. Air Force as a flight surgeon and then returned to Iowa City, where he completed a dermatology residency.
In 1962, the family returned to Phoenix, where Brown established a successful practice. He later married the former Pat McCracken in 1972. Brown subsequently went to Saudi Arabia, where he practiced dermatology with the Aramco Co. for six years and also traveled throughout the world.
After returning to Phoenix in 1987, Brown continued his practice until his retirement in 1995. Known for his intellect and calmness, he was an avid reader and golfer, according to a published obituary.
E. Curtis Brown died in his sleep on Dec. 27, 2016. He was 86. His wife of 44 years, Pat, died two weeks earlier following a stroke. He is survived by two sons, two daughters, six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
William Ward Cate ’52
William Ward Cate ’52, a purchasing agent, was born on Nov. 29, 1930, in Montour Falls, N.Y., to the former Ruth Eliza Spencer and Bert Clarence Cate, an insurance agent. He was raised in Montour Falls, where the elementary school still bears his father’s name. He graduated from Odessa-Montour Central School in Odessa, N.Y.
On the Hill, Cate was a member of Psi Upsilon and developed a lifelong devotion to sports and the Syracuse University basketball team. The 1952 Hamiltonian reported that “[i]mmediately upon arriving on the Hill, Bill plugged in his radio, tuned in the Yankee game, and has been listening ever since.”
After graduation, Cate enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Germany. He returned home three years later to begin his career at Westinghouse, then moved to Merganthaler in Wellsboro, Pa., where he met the former Eugenia Harper, whom he married in 1960.
Later, the Cates moved to State College, Pa., where Bill assumed a position as a purchasing agent with HRB Singer, and subsequently transferred to Reston, Va., where he worked until retirement. In between, from 1975 to 1989, the couple owned a retail greenhouse business and raised peonies, day lilies and irises.
Cate continued to lead his family in their avid support of Syracuse basketball, the New York Yankees and the New York Giants. He also enjoyed maintaining their property — 16 acres viewing Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains — golf and jazz, attending as many festivals as possible.
Throughout his life, Cate noted a deep appreciation for the education he received at Hamilton and attended many reunions. In his 50th reunion yearbook, he expressed his gratitude for his years on the Hill this way: “Raised in a very small, rural community, I initially felt a bit intimidated at Hamilton. However, it wasn’t long before, with the help from and exposure to some great friends and professors…I realized that Hamilton was going to be a challenging and rewarding experience. It was.”
William W. Cate died on Dec. 1, 2016. He was 86 years old. He is survived by his wife, three sons and five grandchildren. His brother, Louis Cate ’39, predeceased him.
Walter Frederick Lahvis ’52
Walter Frederick Lahvis ’52, a family physician and medical group administrator, was born on Dec. 31, 1930, in Gowanda, N.Y., the son of Hildegard and Paul Lahvis, a physician. He graduated from Gowanda High School.
A chemistry major at Hamilton, “Fritz” Lahvis was active on the Hill. He served as president of both the Outing and Chess clubs, and participated with the Debate, Camera and Biology clubs. A member of Emerson Literary Society, he also enjoyed competing with the track team.
Lahvis, who graduated with honors in chemistry, continued his education by earning his medical degree in 1956 from Syracuse University. He served an internship and a year’s residency in internal medicine at Jersey City Medical Center before spending a year in an orthopedic surgery residency at the Metropolitan Hospital in New York City. In 1959, he opened a family practice in Gowanda, where he also served as secretary of the hospital staff and physician for the Seneca Reservation Clinic.
In 1960, Lahvis married the former Sylvia Leistyna. Four years later the family moved to New Milford, Conn., where he started a family practice. There he was elected chief of staff and served in various capacities on a hospital executive committee. He was also a charter member of the Board of Family Practice. In 1984, he and his wife moved to Wilmington, Del., where he joined the Health Care Center of Delaware. After his retirement in 1996, Lahvis continued to work with a pharmacological research program for Health Corp. In 2000, he came out of retirement to serve as a medical consultant for the Department of Health and Social Services for the State of Delaware, and later became its medical director.
Walter F. Lahvis died on Dec. 4, 2016, after a fall in his home on Thanksgiving. He was 85. He is survived by his wife, two sons and five grandchildren. His brother-in-law, Joseph Leistyna, was also a member of the Class of ’52.
Robert Wahl Millspaugh ’52
Robert Wahl Millspaugh ’52, a Presbyterian minister, was born in East Orange, N.J., on April 11, 1930, the son of the former Katharine Wahl and Edwin Millspaugh.
At Hamilton, Millspaugh majored in Spanish and music. Having served as president of his fraternity, Delta Phi, he played on an undefeated tennis team and was a member of The Spectator, College Choir and Block H Club. Millspaugh was also a charter member of the College’s first a cappella group, The Buffers, a distinction he remembered with pride throughout his life.
After graduation, he earned a B.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1955. During 60 years of ministry, Millspaugh served at four churches in a full-time capacity and eight churches as interim pastor. In 1972, he became the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Coshocton, Ohio. Reflecting on the influence of his College years, Millspaugh noted in his 50th reunion yearbook, “As a minister I have appreciated the four years of required public speaking.”
Millspaugh was an avid lifelong sports fan and continued his love of tennis first noted at Hamilton. He volunteered at a community hospice and was a board member for the United Way and the Salvation Army. He also was instrumental in starting the chaplaincy program at Coshocton Regional Medical Center and was its first chaplain, according to a published obituary.
Robert W. Millspaugh died on Feb. 4, 2017, at the age of 86. In addition to his wife, the former Grace Wilson, whom he had married in 1960, is survived by one son and two grandsons.
Donald Abrahams ’53
Donald Abrahams ’53, a business manager whose work influenced major political campaigns, was born on June 27, 1931, in Philadelphia, the son of the former Rose Stern and Norman Abrahams, a vice president of a badge company. He prepared for college at Cheltenham High School in Elkins Park, Pa.
At Hamilton, Abrahams was president of Doers & Thinkers, participated in Block H Club, and lent his athletic prowess to the basketball and football teams, serving as co-captain of the latter. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and majored in English and history.
The 1953 Hamiltonian noted that, at 5'7", Abrahams was “[l]iving by the tenet that small men can be great men, like Napoleon. Donald doesn’t need to look up to anyone.”
Immediately after his Hamilton graduation, Abrahams went to Navy Officer Candidate School and was sent to the Naval Air Station in Memphis, Tenn., for four years. During that time, he met and married the former Frances “Liza” Prescott. In 1958, he and his family moved to LaJolla, Calif., where he worked as an engineering administrator on the development of the Atlas missile at Convair.
After two years, Abrahams moved back to his hometown to join his family’s business, the Philadelphia Badge Co., as a production manager. But it wasn’t long before he set out on his own selling custom specialties, including President Lyndon B. Johnson’s campaign materials. That led to similar jobs for Democratic candidates for president, governor and Congress until 1976. Abrahams even expanded his services to create materials for two disparate politicians — Ronald Reagan and Ralph Nader.
The family seesawed during this period between Philadelphia and New York City before settling in Washington, D.C., in 1985, where they enjoyed their proximity to the Kennedy Center. In his 50th reunion yearbook, Abrahams noted, “Reflecting on my stay at Hamilton, I also think that I learned how to meld academics with the realities of the day-to-day world, and learn from both” — a tall man indeed.
Donald Abrahams died on April 18, 2015, at the age of 83. According to the reunion yearbook in 2003, he and Liza had two sons and eight grandchildren.
James Francis Lenox ’53
James Francis Lenox ’53, a public utility office manager, was born on June 2, 1931, in Towanda, Pa., the eighth of nine children of the former Sarah Duffy and Raymond Lenox. He began his education at Saint Agnes School and graduated from Towanda High School, where he was a notable three-sport athlete and honor student.
Lenox attended Hamilton for one year and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. Although his time on the Hill was brief, he remained a loyal participant in the College’s fundraising campaigns and contributed updates to his class’ 40th and 50th reunion yearbooks.
After leaving Hamilton, he returned home to work and married his high-school sweetheart, the former Rose Homan, in 1951. Lenox’s career started in the spectrographic lab at the Towanda Sylvania plant. He then worked briefly as an insurance agent for the Prudential Life Insurance Co. before devoting the remainder of his long career to the public utility company Penelec, from which he retired as business office manager.
Ever community minded, Lenox served in various capacities at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church and served on the Towanda School Board for 26 years and on the board of the Wysox Sewer Authority following his retirement and move to Lake Wesauking.
At the lake, he entertained family and friends, and enjoyed the welcomed attention of more than 40 nieces and nephews and their offspring, according to a published obituary. Lenox was noted to be good at golf and even better at animated conversation.
James F. Lenox died on March 25, 2017. He was 85 years old. Lenox is survived by two daughters, one son and eight grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife in 2012.
Robert Lydon Maider ’53
Robert Lydon Maider ’53, an attorney, city judge and district attorney, was born in Gloversville, N.Y., on Jan. 19, 1932, the son of the former Dorothy Sayre and Lydon Maider, an attorney. He graduated from the Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts.
A political science major, Maider was very active during his years on the Hill, where he was known as a “minor sports star,” according to the 1953 Hamiltonian. He played football, lacrosse and was a member of the skiing team and the Outing Club. Musically, he participated in the Glee Club and Music Club and was also a member of the International Relations Club, the Block H Club and Theta Delta Chi.
Maider served in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1955 as a lieutenant, junior grade, on the destroyer Cogswell in the Far East. After his discharge, he obtained an LL.B. from Cornell Law School. In 1959, he married the former Carol Crowell.
Maider was a third-generation partner in Maider and Smith in his hometown. He also worked as a Gloversville City Court judge from 1968 to 1973, Fulton County district attorney from 1973 to 1976 and was honored to chair the New York State Committee of Professional Standards.
In the community, he participated on a number of boards, including as a director of The City National Bank, a trustee of the Gloversville Public Library and a member of the Nathan Littauer Hospital Foundation. He was also counsel to the Senior Services Center and the YWCA.
In later years he remained active in sports, naming skiing and singles tennis among his interests in his 50th reunion yearbook. Maider also noted his fond Hamilton memories: “Intellectually challenging courses. Dedicated teachers. Lasting friendships.”
Robert L. Maider died on Feb. 5, 2017. He was 85 years old. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, Laura Maider Dolan ’92, and four grandchildren.
David Albert Doty ’54
David Albert Doty ’54, a high school teacher and administrator, was born on Feb. 11, 1930, in Ilion, N.Y., the son of the former Helen Decker and Elverton Doty ’26. He attended the Ilion public schools and enrolled at St. Lawrence University for one year before transferring to Hamilton.
A premed major, Doty was a member of Psi Upsilon and played football and golf on the Hill. Recalling his College years for his 50th reunion yearbook, he noted that “the total experience of my four years at Hamilton helped me realize the value of hard work and respect for myself and others.”
Following graduation, Doty spent two years in Nuremburg, Germany, as part of the U.S. Army occupation troops. After his discharge, he taught English at Trinity-Pawling Prep School in Pawling, N.Y., before attending Syracuse University where he earned an M.A. in school administration in 1961.
Doty moved back to his hometown of Ilion where he began a teaching career in the science department at Mohawk Central High School. While there, he earned his master’s in secondary science education at SUNY Oneonta. “David not only played on high school and college football and golf teams, but he devotedly went on to coach his students in football, basketball and golf,” noted a published obituary. He retired from teaching and coaching in 1985 after 28 years of service and moved to the warmer climes of South Carolina.
Doty was a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., and a former president of the Episcopal Men’s Club. He also was on the golf committee and helped organize the Rich Jacobs Pro Am Tournament.
David A. Doty died on April 5, 2017, in Myrtle Beach. He was 87 years old. Besides his wife, Dorothy, whom he had married in 1993, he is survived by six children, 25 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A previous marriage to the former Suzanne Scoones in 1954 had ended in divorce.
John Edward Sheldon ’54
John Edward Sheldon ’54, a wine educator and merchant, was born on Dec. 18, 1932, in Rochester, N.Y., the son of the former Helen Bigelow and Nelson Sheldon, a manager of an air-conditioning firm. He graduated from East High School before heading to Hamilton where he participated in J.V. football and the Biology Club and was a member of Psi Upsilon.
Having majored in economics and anthropology, Sheldon went on to serve two years in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps. before donning the first of three professional hats. He went to work for Case-Hoyt in printing sales for a number of years. In his next career, he co-founded a sales promotion marketing agency in Rochester, Sheldon Pierce & Brown. Among the important accounts he held during this time were those with Finger Lakes wineries, which led to his third and final career in the wine business, according to his wife, Judith Rundel.
After a brief stint at House of Bacchus in Rochester, Sheldon moved to New York City where he first worked at Morrell & Co., and then as a manager at Sherry Lehmann. As a consultant, he worked with major restaurants to create wine lists and programs and lent his expertise to major investment houses and law firms. In addition, he taught or lectured at Columbia Law School, NYU Stern Business School and the Culinary Institute of America. Alternating between the retail side of the business and the wholesale side, Sheldon held positions at Park Avenue Wines and Spirits and wholesale jobs with C. Daniele, Domaine Select, Pas Mal and Artisan, from which he retired in 2013.
Sheldon described himself as a wine educator rather than a salesman, according to his wife. He served for several years on the board of directors of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food and, along with Rundel, founded and for many years ran the New York Wine Tasting School.
Sheldon noted in his Hamilton 50th reunion yearbook that indulging the senses ruled his life. “Judy and I have a passion for great wine, great food and great winemakers, so we meet many exciting people coming to NYC, wine people on all our trips and a group of friends that indulge us as we taste and eat together.”
John E. Sheldon, who donated wine for his class’ 50th reunion dinner, died on Sept 21, 2015, at home in Brooklyn. He was 82. He is survived by his wife, three children from his first marriage to the former Anne Nicholl, one grandchild and two great-grandchildren.
Francis John Sobkowski ’54
Francis John Sobkowski ’54, founding dean of Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, was born on Aug. 28, 1933, in Dunkirk, N.Y., the son of the former Martha Tuczynski and Francis Sobkowski.
At Hamilton, where he was known as “Frank” and “Stanley,” Sobkowski played lacrosse and was a member of the Newman Club, Biology Club, Block H Club and Lambda Chi Alpha. After graduation, he went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a D.D.S. and a master’s in physiology. He then entered the University of Rochester, where he received his doctorate in radiation biology in 1959.
His love for teaching prompted him to head west to the UCLA School of Dentistry, where he took a job as chairman of the division of oral radiology and assistant dean. In 1969, Sobkowski began work as special assistant to the president for health education at Southern Illinois University and, at age 35, founded the School of Dental Medicine there that same year.
“We want this school to act as a focal point to renew interest in the medical and dental professions in southern Illinois,” Sobkowski said at the time. “This will be a place that can teach young dentists and serve the needs of the dental community in the area as well as those who, we hope, will come into the area.”
After stepping down as dean in 1974, he became an orthodontics resident and clinical professor at Saint Louis University’s School of Orthodontics and afterward maintained the role of clinical professor and clinic director at SLU while operating a private practice in orthodontics. After retiring from SLU in 1999, he returned to Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, this time as professor of dental radiology.
Sobkowski had a passion for learning and for passing that knowledge on, according to a published obituary. He also was a dedicated sports fan, especially of the St. Louis Blues; his hobbies included photography, motorcycles, running, bicycling, boating, sailing, reading and cars.
But it would be as an educator that Sobkowski would most want to be remembered, the obituary noted. After Sobkowski’s death, SIU dedicated a renovated campus clinic in his honor. “He had a heart for the school and dental health in general,” Dr. Bruce Rotter, dean of the SIU dental school, said at the dedication. “Had he been here today, I think this would have made him extremely proud.”
Francis J. Sobkowski died on Feb. 10, 2017, in Maryville, Ill. He was 83. In addition to his wife, the former M. Charmaine Brown, whom he had married in 1955, he is survived by two sons, two daughters and three grandchildren.
Rocco Anthony Solimando Sr. ’54
Rocco Anthony Solimando Sr. ’54, an attorney, was born on Nov. 25, 1932, in Utica, N.Y., the son of the former Donate Iuorno and Rocco Solimando. He was raised in Utica and graduated from T.R. Proctor High School.
Solimando majored in English and history at the College and juggled his studies with multiple activities: Debate Club, Charlatans, College Band, Glee Club, Camera Club, Squires and Delta Sigma Rho. His cousin, Frank Iuorno ’54, joined him on the Hill.
According to a published obituary, Solimando’s true passion was law, and he pursued that by earning an LL.B. from Cornell Law School in 1957. He helped form the law firm of Solimando, Giruzzi & Zamorski in 1961 in Utica, where he practiced until 1972. He also served as the corporation counsel for the city from 1969 to 1971.
In 1972, Solimando moved to Guilderland and joined the New York State United Teachers organization, later becoming the assistant general counsel and working as a well-respected and key member of the labor union for 32 years.
Solimando married the former Annabelle Cristallo in 1959, and they later had two sons. The couple lived at their home in Guilderland for 45 years. Until his death he was a New York State arbitrator and defensive driving teacher for the New York State Safety Council.
Throughout the years, Solimando remained a consistently generous supporter of his alma mater. A dedicated humanist, he reflected in his 50th reunion yearbook on the life values instilled at Hamilton: “It taught us that an idea was the prerequisite to accomplishment and the most powerful tool of humankind. It taught us to look for, revere and respect the human element interwoven in all events, to protect its dignity and its right to peacefully express itself.”
Rocco A. Solimando, Sr. died Feb. 2, 2017, at age 84. He is survived by his wife, sons and two grandchildren.
Benedict Paul Szalkucki, Sr. ’54
Benedict Paul Szalkucki, Sr. ’54, a former insurance salesman and longtime school district business administrator, was born in Utica, N.Y., on Aug. 23, 1932, the son of the former Helen Kowalski and Benedict Szalkucki. He was a graduate of the Utica Free Academy.
At Hamilton, Szalkucki (whose surname during his days on College Hill was spelled Salkuski before he later adopted a name change) was a member of Psi Upsilon and the honorary society Doers & Thinkers.
Szalkucki worked as a teacher from 1954 to 1955 and then as a time-study engineer from 1955 to 1959. He moved on as an insurance salesman for the Prudential Insurance Co. of America. Szalkucki subsequently was the business manager for the Adirondack (N.Y.) Central School District for the bulk of his career before retiring in 2004.
A member of St. Joseph’s Church in Lee Center and the Boonville Elks Lodge, Szalkucki enjoyed spending his time making stained glass, according to a published obituary.
Benedict P. Szalkucki, Sr. died on Aug. 13, 2016, at the age of 83. He is survived by a daughter, two sons, one grandson and five great-grandchildren. His wife, the former Joan Koob, whom he had married in 1952, died in 2012.
Blakely Brooks Babcock ’56
Blakely Brooks Babcock ’56, a lifelong teacher, school administrator and sports coach, was born on Sept. 24, 1934, in Milford, Conn., the son of the former Alberta Taylor and Blakely Babcock, a salesman. He graduated from Milford High School before heading to College Hill, where he played on the basketball team, served on the Intramural Council and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Known as “Blake,” the history major said that he found it ironic that the U.S. Army assigned him, a historian, to be a wheeled vehicle mechanic’s assistant during his post-graduation tour of duty at Fort Carson, Colo., from 1956 to 1958.
In 1960, he married the former Judith Miller. Three years later, he received a master’s degree in history from Trinity College and later a master’s of library science from the University of Maine at Orono. In addition to teaching, his career that spanned more than four decades included serving as a dean, athletics director, college counselor and headmaster at independent secondary schools throughout the Northeast and in Florida.
A noted coach of several sports, including basketball, baseball, volleyball and soccer, he brought high school lacrosse to Florida from the Northeast in 1975 and was a first-year inductee into the South Florida Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Babcock loved to spend summers sitting by the fire and reminiscing at his camp on Branch Lake in Ellsworth, Maine, according to a published obituary. He was an avid reader of history, a collector of 19th- and 20th-century political memorabilia and also published a monograph on Jonathan Buck, the founder of Bucksport, Maine.
Known for his keen wit and appreciation of the ironic, he mused in his 50th reunion yearbook that academically he “perfected the art of the ‘Gentlemanly C’” but nonetheless “became a believer in small liberal arts college education and have always promoted it.” He also noted that he remained “very impressed with the Honor System and wish it worked as well everywhere.”
Blakely B. Babcock died on Nov. 22, 2016, at age 82. He is survived by his wife, one son, one daughter and two granddaughters.
Preston Anthony Dawes ’56
Preston Anthony Dawes ’56, a Presbyterian minister, was born on March 21, 1934, in New York City, a son of the former Patricia Preston and Byron Dawes, a sales manager. He was raised in Upstate New York and prepared for college at Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar.
Dawes was active at Hamilton, participating on the track team and in a dozen clubs and activities, including the Block H Club, Campus Fund, Chapel Board, International Relations Club, Student Admissions Committee and the Emerson Literary Society. A philosophy and psychology major, he served as vice president of the Student Christian Association in his senior year, and president of the Hispanic Relations Club in his junior and senior years.
Expressing gratitude for his Hamilton experience, Dawes noted in his 50th reunion yearbook that it was “not a simple thought” to assess the impact of the College on his life. “I learned how to think. Thanks to English, philosophy and other courses, I also believe I learned to articulate what I was thinking.”
A year after graduation, Dawes married the former Jane Flather, and in 1960, he earned an M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary. His career included service as an interim minister in five Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, congregations and pastorates and leadership at the national level of the Presbyterian Church USA. According to a published obituary, he focused on the significance of people’s life experiences. “He considered simple answers to complex questions to be a trivialization of the faith to which he was committed,” the obituary noted. “His intellectual curiosity and sensitivity to others led him to create meaningful paths to educate and inspire those he served.”
A dedicated advocate for human rights and inclusion, honoring all walks of life, origins, orientations and creeds, Dawes was also known for his keen intellect and love of classical music and theatre.
Preston A. Dawes died on Dec. 30, 2016. He was 82 years old. He is survived by his second wife, Lorna, whom he had married in 1973, three sons, a stepson, a stepdaughter and five grandchildren.
Bruce Anthony King ’56
Bruce Anthony King ’56, a plumbing hardware entrepreneur and prominent nature photographer, was born on Feb. 23, 1934, in Toronto, the son of the former Eloise Washburn and Bruce King. King attended the Crescent School in Toronto and St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario, Canada.
On the Hill, King participated in hockey, Charlatans, Block H Club and was a member of Alpha Delta Phi, Doers and Thinkers, and Was Los. He spent his junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris. The 1956 Hamiltonian recalls dual sides of King: “Our international bon vivant has a startling zest for life … the Cool Canuck cheerfully forgoes sleep for the pursuit of knowledge and/or lovely young lassies.”
As a boy, King spent his summers working for his grandfather, John Washburn, at Washburn Garfield Co., a plumbing and pipe-fitting supply firm in Worcester, Mass. That relationship continued long after his graduation from Hamilton with King spending his career with the family business, eventually becoming the company’s president until 1987. During that time, he purchased the George H. Clark Co. and Waites Industrial Supply Co. to expand the hardware enterprise.
King’s true passion, however, was ignited at age 11 with his mother’s gift of a Brownie camera. He began channeling his powers of observation of the world of nature through photography. According to a published obituary, “Fascinated by human potential, King photographed and wrote extensively about the world around him. We need not look far and wide for meaning and purpose — this is his principal of ‘pioneering in place.’ The most important learning, he felt, comes from understanding one’s own experience in one’s own environment. King believe the word ‘becoming’ rather than the word ‘education’ best describes how a person matures.”
Years later, a few of institutions that display King’s photographs are The Worcester Art Museum, The Canadian National Film Board, The Museum of Modern Art and the Boston Museum of Fine Art. King also founded what became known as Time and Quiet Press, which represents his photographs and books.
King served his community as a trustee of the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester Hahnemann Hospital and Cardigan Mountain School, among other professional and civic groups. He also remained an active and generous contributor to his alma mater throughout his life.
Bruce A. King died on May 13, 2017, at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, the former Judith Stoddard, whom he had married in 1958; two sons, including Bruce King ’92; two daughters, including Jennifer King Paradee ’83; five grand-children; two step-grandchildren; and two step-great grandchildren.
Frank Herbert Gross ’57
Frank Herbert Gross ’57, a minister, was born on April 29, 1934, in Montpelier, Vt., the son of the former Ethel Willey and Delbert Gross. He graduated from Montpelier High School and first attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he felt the call to the ministry, according to a published obituary.
Gross then transferred to Hamilton where he earned his A.B. in philosophy before continuing his ministry goal with two graduate degrees from Andover Newton Theological School, beginning with a bachelor of divinity in 1960 and a master of sacred theology in pastoral psychology in 1964.
The year 1960 was a memorable one for Gross. He married the former Claire Anne Dietrich and was ordained in the United Church of Christ. He went on to serve in churches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. For 23 years, he worked as the executive secretary of the New Hampshire Council of Churches and New Hampshire Bible Society. For his 50th class reunion yearbook, Gross noted that in these positions he was “privileged to facilitate the collaboration of mainline churches of New Hampshire and the Northeast.”
Active in Tres Dias and Kairos, Gross served as spiritual leader for both communities. He often brought along his guitar as he went about his ministry. In 2003, after having spent time visiting Williamsburg, Va., for many years, the Grosses moved there to be nearer to their family.
Frank H. Gross, who supported Hamilton throughout his life, died on March 4, 2017, at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and five grandchildren.
Richard Charles Hall ’57
Richard Charles Hall ’57, an Episcopal minister and community activist, was born on Nov. 1, 1935, in Syracuse, N.Y., the only child of the former Elizabeth Schmidt and Richard Hall. A native of Upstate New York, where he graduated from Ilion High School, he lived most of his life in Southern California.
At the College he was a member of Psi Upsilon, majored in philosophy and served as commencement speaker. For his 50th reunion yearbook, Hall reminisced about his fondest memories on the Hill: “I have come to respect our professors greatly. They were not primarily grant writers or fundraisers or researchers or authors. They were teachers! Teach they could, and teach they did!”
After Hamilton, Hall earned an M.Div. in 1961 from General Theological Seminary and was ordained in New York City. He then served as an Episcopal missionary in the Philippines. Upon his return to the States, he received an M.A. in 1969 and a Ph.D in philosophy of religion at the University of California at Claremont Graduate School in 1970, and a C.V.A. in administration in 1972 from the University of California at Riverside.
While rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Corona, Calif., he founded and directed one of the state’s first free clinics. Hall’s passion for community development led him to a position as executive director of a professional, comprehensive social work agency for senior citizens in the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles. He worked there for a quarter century, during which time he founded and co-directed a diagnostic and treatment center for Alzheimer’s disease victims and their families.
Anticipating his approaching retirement, Hall enrolled in the certificate in archaeology program at UCLA and in 2000 began helping with digs in Mexico, Belize, Peru, Ecuador and Nicaragua. He delighted in home cooking, classical music, trout fishing in the Sierras and creating ceramics inspired by pre-Inca motifs.
Richard C. Hall died on March 5, 2017, at home in Pasadena. He was 81 years old. Twice married, he is survived by a daughter, two sons and five grandchildren. He also leaves his companion, Dee Davis, and her daughter.
James Grant Kring ’57
James Grant Kring ’57, a dentist, was born on Nov. 19, 1935, at the Firemen’s Home in Hudson, N.Y., the son of the former Helen Darrow and Ira Kring. He was a graduate of Hudson High School.
At College, Kring participated in soccer and wrestling, and was a member of the College Choir, Biology Club, Chapel Congregation and Psi Upsilon. Known for his fun-loving attitude, the 1957 Hamiltonian noted, “Jim certainly isn’t the ‘grave old senior’ that college is supposed to produce; he likes living too much to let anything upset him.”
After graduating with majors in biology and chemistry, Kring served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1953 to 1961. During that time he married the former Ruth Cross. He went on to receive his D.D.S. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry in 1961.
Kring worked as a dentist in Albany, N.Y., for 47 years, during which time he also earned distinction as a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry for exemplifying quality continuing dental education. He was a member of the Colonie Elks and the Monarch Club of Albany, as well as a member of the American Dental Association and the Third District Dental Society of New York.
Kring retired in 2004 and moved to Florida, where he pursued his favorite pastimes of needlework and building radio-controlled planes and boats, and miniature handcrafted furniture, according to a published obituary. He was also a licensed pilot and enjoyed flying small aircraft and camping with loved ones.
James G. Kring died on Jan. 6, 2017. He was 81 years old. Predeceased by his wife and one daughter, Kimberlee Kring Spangler ’83, he is survived by one daughter and seven grandchildren.
Jack Matthew Taylor ’57
Jack Matthew Taylor ’57, a teacher/administrator and travel products entrepreneur, was born on Dec. 19, 1933, in Toronto, the son of the former Nellie Levine and Solomon Taylor. He graduated from the Oakwood Collegiate Institute in Toronto.
Taylor attended Hamilton for two years, where he played hockey and golf and joined Psi Upsilon. After leaving the Hill, he returned to Toronto and worked in mortgage administration for a few years before enrolling at the University of Western Ontario in Waterloo. There he earned a bachelor’s in economics and political science and later served in the Canadian Air Force in Europe.
Taylor taught at various high schools from 1959 to 1977 and served as a vice principal from 1970 to 1977, including three years teaching at the Royal Canadian Air Force base in Zweibrücken, Germany, where he also continued his love of hockey by playing on three European Championship hockey teams. He returned to teach in Canada and then, in 1973, took a year off to travel throughout Eastern and Western Europe with his family in a VW camper van.
Upon returning to North America in 1974 and, while maintaining his day job, Taylor founded Austin House, a travel accessories business that specialized in such products as money belts, luggage locks and straps. He worked full time at Austin until he sold the business in 2000. Honored in 1994 as Entrepreneur of the Year by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, he is considered the father of travel accessories, a multimillion dollar industry that grew out of his basement.
Easing into a lighter workload, Taylor sold his company and opened the Five Putts golf store, which kept him busy until he fully retired in 2008. He spent his retirement years playing golf and traveling with his wife.
Looking back at his Hamilton years in his 40th reunion yearbook, Taylor expressed disappointment that he did not appreciate all that Hamilton had to offer during his time on College Hill. “My speaking and writing skills, so helpful now, could have been so much better had I had even a modicum amount of common sense to have stayed,” he wrote, adding that as for his success in life, “Hamilton must have helped with some of it.”
Jack M. Taylor died on April 18, 2017. He was 83 years old. He is survived by his wife, the former Sandra Smith, whom he had married in 1959, three children and six grandchildren. n
Joseph Paul Crawford III ’58
Joseph Paul Crawford III ’58, a journalist and newspaper advertising representative, was born on Dec. 27, 1935, in Philadelphia, the son of the former Ruth Pressinger and Joseph Crawford Jr., a banker. He was raised in New Jersey and graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 1954.
At Hamilton, Jay Crawford joined Delta Upsilon. During his second year on the Hill, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served from February 1956 to November 1958. After a year of studying Russian at the Army’s Presidio of Monterey, Calif., he served on Shemya Island in the Aleutians.
Crawford married the former Sarah Carter in 1960 and re-entered college. A year later he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in journalism and English from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communications, according to a published obituary. His career in journalism and newspaper advertising was centered in New York City. He worked for Motor Age, Brides Magazine and other publications before spending many years at the former newspaper sales representative firm Sawyer Ferguson Walker.
Crawford was a member of the Princeton Club and edited its newsletter. After his retirement, he moved to Vero Beach, Fla., and was active in the yacht club. A love of the outdoors began after his family moved from Pennsylvania to the Old Green Farm near Princeton, N.J. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, travel, bridge and poker throughout his life.
Joseph P. Crawford III died on Feb. 21, 2017, in Vero Beach at the age of 81. He is survived by his partner, Mary Louise Halpin.
Paul Ervin Peterzell ’58
Paul Ervin Peterzell ’58, a reporter, editor and columnist, was born on Jan. 15, 1936, in Philadelphia, the son of the former Helen Rosenheim and Paul Peterzell. He prepared for college at Columbia High School in South Orange, N.J.
At Hamilton, Peterzell majored in government, participated in the Sailing and International Relations clubs, wrote for the humor magazine Royal Gaboon and was a member of Squires.
The 1958 Hamiltonian joked that he lived by the motto, “It looks best in the rear-view mirror.” Peterzell reminisced in his 50th class reunion yearbook that the impact of his College years was “[u]ndoubtedly imprinted somewhere on my psyche. I have not been to Chapel since graduation and never played golf again.” Throughout the years, however, he remained a faithful participant in Hamilton’s Annual Fund campaigns.
Peterzell served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1962, where he studied German and Russian, before entering Columbia University’s School of Journalism. During that time, he also married the former Brenda Barnett in 1960.
Having earned his master’s degree in 1963, Peterzell headed to the West Coast to begin his newspaper career as a reporter for the Mill Valley Record. He left to join the staff of then state Sen. J. Eugene McAteer, but soon returned to journalism at the Marin Independent Journal. There Peterzell was recognized as a top reporter for more than 30 years, covering the environment, politics and the courts. He led the newspaper’s political coverage and reported on Marin County’s state and federal lawmakers and the Golden Gate Bridge district.
After his retirement in 1997, Peterzell volunteered in the consumer protection division of the Marin County District Attorney’s Office for nearly two decades. He was named Volunteer of the Year for Marin County in 2009. Other free time was devoted to hiking, particularly on Marin trails, and traveling the world with his second wife, Sophia Reinders, whom he had married in 1985. They also enjoyed skiing. Peterzell was an avid reader and loved opera, classical music and films.
Paul E. Peterzell died on Nov. 7, 2016, at the age of 80 at his home in San Rafael, Calif. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son and a granddaughter.
Frederick Rypperda Wierdsma, Jr. ’58
Frederick Rypperda Wierdsma, Jr. ’58, a teacher, coach and headmaster, was born on Feb. 29, 1936, in Greenwich, Conn., the son of the former Elizabeth Trinkner and Frederick Wierdsma, Sr. He attended the Greenwich Country Day School and graduated from the Taft School in Watertown, Conn.
At Hamilton, Wierdsma pledged Alpha Delta Phi. In his college application, he listed as his future interests either business or teaching, a career choice he eventually pursued.
Wierdsma enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1957 and was honorably discharged in 1959 as a lance corporal. He then received his master’s in education from Columbia University. In 1964, he married the former Mary Greening.
A passionate teacher and coach, Wierdsma founded the Putnam School in 1973. He merged the school with the Indian Field School and served as headmaster of the Putnam Indian Field School in Greenwich, Conn., for 23 years until his retirement in 2011. Wierdsma remained at the school another 14 years as a development officer and nature teacher.
An avid golfer, sports enthusiast and outdoorsman, Wierdsma was a founding member of the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, a member of the Riomar Country Club in Vero Beach, Fla., and a longtime member of the Hartwood Club in Forestburgh, N.Y., according to a published obituary.
Frederick R. Wierdsma, Jr. died on Jan. 2, 2017, at his residence in Florida. He was 80. In addition to his partner, Cynthia Day, he is survived by five children and nine grandchildren.
Walter Weyler Smyth, Jr. ’59
Walter Weyler Smyth, Jr. ’59, a businessman, stage actor and theatre director, was born on Feb. 15, 1937, in Waterbury, Conn., the son of the former Ruth Kirwin and Walter Smyth, Sr. He attended the Salisbury School in Salisbury, Conn.
Smyth was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon at the College. He devoted four years to the Charlatans, serving as director his senior year. Although he withdrew from Hamilton before graduating, he remembered fondly his time on College Hill helping to build the Charlatans.
The 1959 Hamiltonian remarked that Smyth “turned his sights toward Alexander Woollcott’s pride and joy and kept them there for the duration of his stay.” As to the future? “Someone must take Mike Todd’s place!” the yearbook quipped.
Smyth himself reminisced in his 25th class reunion yearbook that his fondest Hamilton memory was “receiving a telegram from Robert Frost after directing his blank verse A Masque of Reason.”
The acting and theatre bug would remain with Smyth throughout his life. After Hamilton, he served in the U.S. Army as a personnel specialist stationed in Asmara, Africa, before attending the Art Institute of Chicago. He held a series of jobs at United States Rubber Co. (Uniroyal, Inc.), Volkening, Inc., FCI, Amco Products and Bevcorp/FCI, Inc.
However, it was in his spare time that he pursued his passion, working extensively in the dramatic arts at theatres throughout the Northeast and Midwest. Smyth served on the advisory board of the Kelsey Theatre, Mercer County Community College in New Jersey, as well as vice president and board member of Yardley Players Theater Co., and PATH, Inc., Philadelphia.
He appeared in more than 60 productions, most notably The Tempest, Sly Fox, Showboat, Hello Dolly, Annie Get Your Gun, Anything Goes and 12 Angry Men. He also directed five productions in his career.
Walter W. Smyth, Jr. died on Dec. 2, 2016, at the age of 79. He is survived by a son and a daughter.
