The University of Chicago Magazine

Faculty and Staff

Bernard D. Meltzer, AB’35, JD’37, the Law School’s Edward H. Levi distinguished service professor emeritus, died January 4 in Chicago. He was 92. Joining the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1938, Meltzer went on to work as special assistant to Secretary of State Dean Acheson, serve as a U.S. Navy officer in the Office of Strategic Services, help draft the United Nations charter, and serve as a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials. In 1946 he joined Chicago’s faculty, specializing in labor law. After his 1985 retirement Meltzer continued to publish, consult, and practice law in Chicago. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Law Institute, he was also an inaugural recipient of the Alumni Association’s Norman MacLean Faculty award, recognizing contributions to student and University life. He is survived by his wife Jean; daughters Joan FitzGibbon, U-High’65, and Susan M. Yost, U-High’71, AM’77; son Daniel Meltzer, U-High’68; and six grandchildren.

Leon Myrianthopoulos, SM’69, PhD’78, a medical physicist and assistant professor, died of pancreatic cancer October 17 in Alsip, IL. He was 60. Following a four-year postdoc in high-energy physics and a fellowship in radiation-therapy physics at Chicago, Myrianthopoulos joined the radiation and cellular-oncology faculty in 1983. Noted for his precise calculations, he received the 1998 Samuel Hellman Resident Teaching Award, the only medical-physics faculty member to win the honor. Survivors include his wife Maria Myrianthopoulos, MBA’95, and daughter Thalia Myrianthopoulos, U-High’91.

Nancy McGrath O’Connor, former Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies dean of students, died of leukemia January 1 in Chicago. She was 70. O’Connor was associate dean of students and dean of students in the College before becoming the first dean of the Harris School in 1988. After her 2003 retirement, she successfully competed in several tournaments of the American Bridge Association’s Midwestern section. Survivors include her husband John O’Connor, AB’52; sons Thomas O’Connor, U-High’85, MPP’94, and Michael O’Connor, U-High’87; and five grandchildren.

Robert W. Wissler, SM’43, PhD’46, MD’48, the Donald N. Pritzker distinguished service professor emeritus of pathology, died November 28 in Chicago. He was 89. Wissler joined the faculty in 1947, chairing the pathology department (1957–72) and directing the University’s Special Center of Research in Atherosclerosis (1972–81). In 1983 he organized a $25 million national study of heart disease in young people. An expert on the diet’s role in cardiovascular disease, Wissler authored more than 300 research papers and received the American Heart Association’s Award of Merit and the Gold-Headed Cane Award from the American Society for Investigative Pathology. He also chaired the National Academy of Sciences committee on pathology, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, and several councils and committees for the American Heart Association. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth A. Wissler, X’44; two daughters; a son; six grandchildren, including Laura Graham, AB’00; and two great-grandchildren.

1930s

Marian Alschuler Despres, PhB’30, PhD’36, an architectural preservationist and political activist, died January 4 in Chicago. She was 97. After four years as a therapist at the Jewish Children’s Bureau, Despres taught psychology at Roosevelt University from 1946 to 1951. She was active in the Hyde Park community, a founder of the Hyde Park Co-op Society, and in 1943 initiated a successful petition and campaign to admit African American students into the U of C Laboratory Schools. The daughter of architect Alfred S. Alschuler and wife of former Chicago Alderman Leon Despres, PhB’27, JD’29, she cofounded the Chicago Architecture Foundation in 1966 and served on the Commission on Chicago Landmarks from 1985 to 2000. She is survived by her husband; son Robert Leon Despres, U-High’57; a daughter; and a grandson.

Joseph A. Shelly, AM’38, a prison reformer, died February 18, 2001, in Modesto, CA. He was 90. A WW II army veteran, Shelly became chief probation officer of the New York State Supreme Court. In the 1960s he founded Daytop Lodge (now Daytop Village), an innovative addiction-treatment center. In retirement he taught corrections classes at local colleges. Survivors include a son, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

1940s

Anastasia Majarakis Creticos, AB’40, AM’43, died October 23 in Wilmette, IL. She was 88. Creticos taught music history and analysis for 17 years at Mallinckrodt College of the North Shore and for many years at Mercy High School. With her husband Angelo, she helped found Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, IL. A local philanthropist, Creticos was most recently a member of the 2006 Gala Committee at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Survivors include her husband; a son; two daughters, Helen Theodoropoulos, AB’77, AM’78, PhD’95, and Catherine Creticos Poulos, AB’77, MD’81; and eight grandchildren, including Nicholas Poulos, AB’05, and current Chicago undergraduate Anastasia Theodorpoulos.

Donald F. McDonald, MD’42, a urologist, died October 17 in Galveston, TX. He was 87. A WW II veteran, McDonald joined the University of Washington–Seattle in 1949, moving to chair University of Rochester’s urology department in 1958. He joined the University of Texas Medical Branch, chairing its urology department and also joining Texas A&M’s marine- biology department as medical director and diver. Survivors include a daughter, two sons, a brother, and a sister.

Norma Y. Podet, AB’42, a social worker, died December 12 in Waco, TX. She was 85. After working in Chicago, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, and Miami, Podet settled in Waco in 1964. There she served as social-work supervisor and director of staff development and training at the Methodist Home (1965–74), taught at Baylor University (1966–71), and directed the Waco Family Home Care Agency (1974–85). Podet served on the boards of many local institutions and continued to volunteer and consult with social and civic agencies in her retirement. Survivors include her husband Mordecai; daughter Eve B. Podet, AB’82, AM’85; a son; and three grandchildren.

Gilbert Edward Andrews, AB’46, JD’48, a tax attorney, died August 11 in Tempe, AZ. He was 85. A WW II veteran, he began his legal career at the Civil Aeronautics Board in Washington, DC, but later moved to the Department of Justice, where he served as chief of the tax division’s appellate and court-of-claims sections and as deputy assistant general for tax. Andrews also taught law at American University and in 1980 won a Department of Justice distinguished-service award recognizing his trial-attorney skill. His hobbies included bridge, travel, and tennis. His wife Alice Frances (Traznik) Andrews, PhB’45, JD’48, died in 2003. Survivors include a daughter, a grandson, and a granddaughter.

Richard J. Boyajian, SB’46, SM’49, a biology teacher who also owned Boyajian’s Bazaar on 53rd Street in Hyde Park, died December 23 in Chicago. He was 84. A WW II veteran and founding member of Chicago’s 57th Street meeting of the Society of Friends, Boyajian became an early environmentalist and taught at South Shore High School and at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools for nearly 30 years. In 1980 he opened the 53rd Street bazaar, drawing on his experience teaching in India to sell international handicrafts. Survivors include his wife Polly Gildersleeve Boyajian, AM’56, two daughters, a son, and four grandchildren.

Allan Covici, BLS’48, a reference librarian, died November 23 in Portland, OR. He was 92. A WW II veteran, Covici worked for the University of California, Berkeley, for more than 30 years. He also dealt in first editions, primarily of modern American poetry and African American literature. Survivors include a sister, Virginia Malbin, PhB’33.

Charles E. Lindell, AB’49, JD’52, died December 17 in Dyer, IN. He was 78. An army veteran, Lindell practiced criminal-defense, personal-injury, and divorce law on Chicago’s South Side for more than 50 years. Survivors include his wife Mary; two daughters, including Rachel Lindell, U-High’85; and two granddaughters.

Morissa Lipman Parkans, PhB’49, died September 18 in Houston. She was 78. “E. C.,” as she was known to friends, was a lifelong reader and traveler. She was active in local civic and charitable organizations, often through her temple. Survivors include her husband Lloyd; a daughter; a son; two sisters, including Barbara Lipman Kent, PhB’48; and a grandson.

William T. Price, PhB’49, a jazz musician and executive, died December 21 in Bradenton, FL. He was 83. A WW II veteran, Price was a bond trader in Chicago, playing nights and weekends in local jazz clubs. After working for American National Bank in St. Paul, MN, in the 1960s he joined Data Card Corp., where he became vice president. With another Data Card executive he formed the Original New Yorkers, releasing four albums of traditional jazz between 1969 and the 1980s. Survivors include his wife Grace.

1950s

Charles E. Burnett, MBA’50, died November 26 in San Francisco. He was 83. A WW II veteran, Burnett worked for 39 years at the Pacific Telephone Company. Survivors include his wife Barbara.

Marcia Louise Ramsdell, X’54, an attorney, died November 20 in Winter Park, FL. She was 71. After teaching elementary school, Ramsdell completed her law degree, monitoring mutual funds with the Securities and Exchange Commission. She later moved on to family and environmental law, becoming director of environmental information at the Florida Conservation Foundation. In retirement Ramsdell worked pro bono for the Sierra Club and taught environmental law at Rollins College. Survivors include a sister.

Edward C. “Ted” Fordney, MBA’55, died December 26 in Manitowoc, WI. He was 80. A U.S. Marine during WW II, Fordney served in the U.S. Army in the 1950s, later working at Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago. In 1959 he became chief financial officer of American Timber Homes in Michigan; in 1964 he joined Manitowoc Savings Bank, retiring in 1988 as president and chair of the Associated Bank of Manitowoc. Fordney was on the boards of several local organizations. He is survived by his wife Mary; a daughter; two sons, including Michael Fordney, MBA’83; a brother; and six grandchildren.

Sophie Janush Zimmermann, MBA’57, a health-care administrator, died February 24, 2006, in Metropolis, IL. She was 96. After working as a higher-education consultant, Zimmermann established degree programs in nursing and health-care administration at Sangamon State University. She served on the boards of the Central Illinois Health Planning Council and the Southern Illinois Community Public Broadcast System. She belonged to a number of hospital-administration groups and to both the Vienna Women’s Club and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. Survivors include two stepsons and four step-grandchildren.

George A. Candela, PhD’58, a chemist, died June 24 in Pasadena, MD. He was 78. An army veteran, he worked as a research chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology for 32 years. In his retirement he worked for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. He is survived by his wife Jane, three sons, a stepson, and a stepdaughter.

Richard P. Roscoe, AM’58, a computer specialist, died November 3 in Mill Valley, CA. He was 74. For some 30 years Roscoe worked for the military. He and his wife Elaine traveled extensively in Europe, Vietnam, and the U.S. Survivors include his wife, a daughter, and two grandsons.

Daniel H. Schulte, PhD’58, an astronomer, died December 10 in Mountain View, CA. He was 77. Working with Lockheed Martin, Schulte was a troubleshooter for the Hubble Space Telescope until his 1994 retirement. A trombonist, he played with symphonies in Palo Alto, CA, and Concord, MA. Survivors include his wife Sue, a daughter, a son, and four grandchildren.

1960s

Regina Colgan Johnson, AB’61, an environmental activist, died October 2 in Piedmont, CA. She was 70. Moving to San Francisco in 1959, Johnson was active in local politics. A member of Greenpeace, she fought to prevent the Central Freeway from encroaching on Golden Gate Park and its Panhandle area. Survivors include her husband Donald, a son, a sister, and a grandson.

Esther Ruskin, AM’62, a teacher and administrator, died November 3 in Venice, FL. She was 81. Ruskin taught and worked at several Illinois institutions, including the Chicago Public Schools, Jewish day schools, Northeastern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois. For more than 15 years she was an academic adviser at Chicago’s Columbia College. In retirement Ruskin taught English as a second language at Oakton Community College. Survivors include her husband Phil, two daughters, a son, six grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Robert M. F. Rippey, AM’50, PhD’64, an education professor, died March 17, 2006, in Hartford, CT. He was 79. Author of several research studies, journal articles, and two books, Rippey taught science and math at Illinois and Indiana high schools before joining the University in 1964. He directed the Center for Cooperative Study of Instruction and served as dean of students for the Social Sciences Division. He then taught at the University of Illinois (1970–73) and the University of Connecticut (1973–89). In 1989 the American Educational Research Association presented Rippey with a distinguished-career award. Survivors include his wife Phyllis, five daughters, a sister, 13 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Bruce M. Rappaport, AB’64, died October 27 in Walnut Creek, CA. He was 64. As director of a Bay Area infertility clinic, Rappaport became an advocate for open adoption, defying then-common practices, and founded the Independent Adoption Center in 1982. In 1990 he launched the National Federation for Open Adoption Education. Rappaport also was a member of the San Francisco State University faculty. Survivors include his mother and a daughter.

Ross M. Lence, AB’66, a political scientist, died of pancreatic cancer July 11 in Houston. He was 62. A professor at the Women’s Institute of Houston and the University of Houston, in 2001 Lence became the first holder of the Ross M. Lence Distinguished University Teaching Chair, endowed by his former students. In 1987 he received a Texas award for teaching excellence from the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. Survivors include his mother and a brother.

1970s

Judith Margaret Brophy, AB’72, an arts administrator, died of pituitary cancer November 9 in Takoma Park, MD. She was 56. An adjunct professor in Ithaca College’s health-care-administration department, Brophy founded Women for Better Health Care, an advocacy group. She also taught dance at Wells College, Elmira College, and Ithaca before moving to Washington, DC, where she taught at George Mason University and at local dance studios. Executive director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington (1991–2004), Brophy grew the company fivefold, touring Russia and Europe and performing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic. Survivors include her husband Lance, her mother, and a brother.

Brent R. Lindberg, JD’78, died October 21 in Portland, OR. He was 53. After joining the law firm Breed, Abbott, and Morgan in New York City, Lindberg became legal counsel for GATX Capital and later became the company’s vice president. He subsequently worked for Oxford Finance Corporation. Survivors include his wife Nadean, a daughter, a son, his mother, and a sister.

1980s

Wendy Lynn Matlock, AB’80, a nonprofit administrator, died of breast cancer December 15 in Boise, ID. She was 48. Joining Goodwill Industries in 1980, Matlock later moved to Boise, where she was public-affairs director for Planned Parenthood (1989–93) and associate director of Idaho Women’s Network (1993–2000). In 2000 she became the first executive director of Boise’s chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Boise Race for the Cure. Survivors include her parents.