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Deaths:
Faculty and alumni (print version)


FACULTY

Edward C. Banfield, AM'50, PhD'51, former faculty member and opinion maker on urban-policy issues, died September 30 in Vermont. He was 83. Banfield was a professor emeritus of government at Harvard University, noted for his sharp criticism of mainstream liberal domestic policy, particularly federal aid for the urban poor. Survivors include his wife, Laura Fasano; a daughter; a son; and four grandchildren.

Jerald C. Brauer, PhD'48, a theologian and former Divinity School dean, died September 26 in Chicago. He was 78. An ordained Lutheran minister and an authority on Puritanism and the history of Christianity in America, Brauer served on the faculty for 49 years, retiring in 1991. He wrote and edited numerous books. Survivors include his wife, Muriel; a daughter; two sons, including Christopher N. Brauer, AM'77; and four grandchildren.

Michael Danos, a visiting scholar at the Enrico Fermi Institute, died August 30 in Washington, DC. He was 77. A physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology for 40 years, Danos also founded the Rayex Co., where he developed high-power X-ray tubes for small CAT scanners. In 1990, he became a visiting scholar at the U of C, retiring in 1994. Survivors include his wife, Sheila Fitzpatrick, a distinguished service professor in history at the U of C; two daughters; a son; two brothers; and two grandchildren.

Earl A. Evans, professor emeritus and former chair of biochemistry and molecular biology, died October 5 in Chicago at age 89. Regarded as a magnanimous leader and scientific pioneer, Evans contributed to modern molecular biology with his study of radioactive isotopes. At 21, he completed the first part of a 15-year process to identify the amino acids that make up protein. After joining the U of C in 1937, he proved that animals, like photosynthetic plants, could use carbon dioxide for carbohydrates. Evans retired in 1980, after publishing more than 90 research papers and receiving numerous honors. He is survived by a son and a great niece.

Nathaniel Kleitman, PhD'23, a sleep researcher and retired professor emeritus of psychology, died August 13 in Los Angeles at age 104. In 1953, Kleitman and his associates identified the period of sleep known as REM, rapid eye movement. His cumulative studies on sleep deprivation established sleep research as a separate and important medical field. He is survived by two daughters.

J. John Sepkoski Jr., a paleontologist and professor of geophysical sciences, died May 1 of heart failure in Chicago. He was 50. In 1984, Sepkoski attracted national attention for his conclusion that mass extinctions strike every 26 million years. Sepkoski made other important discoveries illuminating the fossil record. Survivors include his wife, Christine M. Janis; his son, David C. Sepkoski, AM'96; his father; and two sisters.

Mildred Thurston, a retired professor of education, died in Indianapolis on July 19. She was 93. Thurston organized the Children's Center at the American Baptist Assembly in Greenlake, WI, serving on the board of directors for 39 years. She taught childhood education at various institutions for more than 40 years, including the Dalton School, Indiana University, and the University of Chicago. Survivors include one nephew and three nieces.

Robert G. Sachs, a theoretical physicist and former director of the Argonne National Laboratory and the Enrico Fermi Institute, died April 14 in Chicago at age 82. Sachs helped establish Argonne and studied asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe, and the physics of time reversal. Sachs also created the division of particles and fields at the American Physical Society. Survivors include his wife, Carolyn; three daughters; two sons; three stepchildren; and 14 grandchildren.

Tang Tsou, AM'45, PhD'51, a professor emeritus in political science, died August 7 in Hyde Park. He was 80. An expert on modern China, Tsou was an independent thinker who was often at odds with leaders in the U.S., China, and Taiwan. He wrote six books on Chinese politics, and was named an honorary professor at Beijing University in 1986 and an honorary member of the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences in 1997. Tsou is survived by his wife, Yi-Chuang Lu, AM'42, PhD'50.

Radovan H. Zak, a professor in medicine; neurobiology, pharmacology and physicology; and organismal biology and anatomy, died September 21 in Chicago at age 68. Zak's research concerned the abnormal growth and thickening of the heart wall that can result from high blood pressure or partial aortal blockage. He joined the U of C faculty in 1965, winning both the Quantrell award and the University's Gold Key award in 1989. He is survived by his wife, Emilia; two sons; and one grandson.


1920s

Esther Lundy Grim, X'23, died December 7, 1998, at age 93 in Michigan. Grim worked at a variety of jobs throughout her life, including stints as a secretary, clerk, phone operator, and cashier. A devout Methodist, she is survived by two sons, including Leslie D. Foster, AB'54, AM'60.

William Palmer Taylor, SB'23, a retired executive of Hamilton, OH, died November 2, 1998. He was 97. Taylor was the chief of chemistry research at Champion Papers from 1940 until his 1966 retirement. He published numerous professional articles on paper technology and raised prize orchids. Survivors include his brother, Sheldon A. Taylor, SB'37, and his sister, Elisabeth Taylor Grenata, PhB'29.

Edna P. Halperin, X'27, a former concert pianist, died March 13 in Sunnyvale, CA. She was 95. Halperin studied at the American Conservatory of Music and performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. After moving to California in 1942, she became an editor of staff manuscripts at Stanford's Hoover Institution. Survivors include two sons, Robert M. Halperin, PhB'47, and Warren R. Halperin, AB'51; a sister; and six grandchildren.

Tom D. Paul, SB'27, MD'32, a physician, died June 2 in Erie, PA. The WWII veteran was 94. Paul was a member of his church's vestry and its diocesan commission on the ministry. After his retirement, he pursued acting and volunteer work, bringing prayer services to retirement homes. Survivors include two daughters and seven grandchildren.

Roman L. Hruska, X'29, a former Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, died April 25 in Omaha. He was 94. Hruska was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1952 and to the Senate in 1954. A conservative known for restoring the death penalty for certain federal crimes, Hruska was re-elected for three consecutive terms and was the ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee when he retired in 1976. Survivors include a daughter; two sons; a brother; two sisters; and five grandchildren.

Walter Perry Kincaid, PhB'29, a former teacher and administrator, died April 16 at age 91 in Walnut Creek, CA. Kincaid served as teacher, principal, and director of education in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school system. Before retiring, he was the director of the Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center. Survivors include two sons; a brother; a sister; and two grandchildren.


1930s

Mary Connors, PhB'30, a former teacher, died October 1, 1998, at age 89 in Winfield, IL. Connors earned two degrees at age 50 and began teaching at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church. She later served as principal at Sandridge School in Dolton, IL, and worked for more than 20 years in community service. At age 76, she organized a group called Friends of the Homebound and Elderly. Survivors include one daughter; three sons, including Chester L. Connors, MBA'67; a sister; and 20 grandchildren, including Timothy L. Connors, MBA'91.

William F. Zacharias, PhB'31, X'33, a former dean at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, died January 23 in Fort Meyers, FL. He was 93. Zacharias taught at Chicago-Kent before becoming assistant dean in the early 1950s. In 1956, he was named dean, overseeing improvements in the curriculum, faculty salaries, and facilities. He retired in 1973 as professor emeritus. Survivors include a daughter.

Ruth Halperin Melamed, PhB'32, a resident of Wayzata, MN, died April 25 at age 89. A longtime member of Temple Israel, Melamed was also a board member of the Mt. Sinai Hospital Mental Health Association, the Desert Museum, and the Eisenhower Medical Center. Survivors include her son, Robert; a sister; two granddaughters; and two grandsons.

Lawrence M. Perlman, PhB'32, an arts patron, died December 12, 1998, in West Palm Beach, FL. He was 89. Perlman co-founded the local Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and belonged to the Society of the Four Arts and the Poinciana Club. He is survived by his wife, Terese; his nephew; and his niece.

John S. Coulson, AB'36, advertising research expert and former president of the U of C Alumni Association, died June 11 in Billings, MT, at age 83. As vice president of research at Leo Burnett Company, Coulson refined ways of measuring the impact of TV advertising. He became a partner at Communications Workshop, specializing in marketing and advertising research, serving on the boards of several marketing journals, and holding office in professional and trade associations. From 1969 to 1973, Coulson was president of the Alumni Association and, in 1987, he received its Distinguished Alumni Service medal. Survivors include his wife, Jane Rinder Coulson, AB'38; four daughters, including Jane Coulson Sherry, AB'68, Nancy Coulson Hobor, AB'68, AM'70, PhD'73, and Ann Coulson Hubbard, AB'71; and eight grandchildren.

Josiah Foster Wearin Jr., AB'36, X'36, a farmer and cattle feeder, died May 27 at age 85 in Iowa. Wearin, known as "Sy," managed the Wearin Brothers Cattle Company. He served for 16 years as commissioner of the Mills County Soil Conservation District, and was a member of the Mills County planning and zoning commission and the Iowa State Extension Advisory Committee. Survivors include his wife, Mary Louise; three daughters; a son; and nine grandsons.

Mary Paul Rix Markham, AB'38, died December 22, 1998, in Hilton Head Island, SC. Markham was a member of Mortar Board. She is survived by her husband, James M. Markham, AB'36; a daughter; and four grandchildren.

Franklin F. Offner, PhD'38, an inventor and professor, died May 1. He was 88. Offner contributed to the development of new weapons during WWII, later teaching at Northwestern University and helping to develop the modern electrocardiograph. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and earned the U of C's 1991 Professional Achievement Citation. Survivors include his wife, Janine; two daughters; and two sons.

George E. Reedy, AB'38, a writer and press secretary to President Lyndon B. Johnson, died March 21 at age 81 in Milwaukee. A reporter for the Washington bureau of the United Press, Reedy worked for Johnson from 1951 to 1966, then served as dean of the journalism school at Marquette University. Survivors include his wife, Ruth, and two sons, including Michael A. Reedy, AB'70.

Marion L. Matics Jr., AB'39, a retired Episcopal priest, died November 21, 1998, at age 81 in New York. Matics served as rector and rector emeritus at Christ Church in Brooklyn, retiring in 1983. A teacher of Oriental philosophy at Columbia University and Brooklyn College, Matics also wrote two books, Entering the Path of Enlightenment and The Pilgrimage to Dharamsala. Survivors include his wife, Eleanor; a daughter; and a grandson.


1940s

Russell J. Parsons, AB'40, JD'42, a former attorney at Borg-Warner Corp., died March 19 at age 80 in Ft. Myers, FL. While at the U of C, Parsons was president of the Omega Chapter of Psi Upsilon and of the Senior Honorary Society and played on the 1939 football team, the last team before the Maroons withdrew from the Big Ten. From 1946 to 1984, he worked at Borg-Warner Corp. as general counsel, senior vice president, secretary, and director. Survivors include his wife, Barbara; two daughters; one son; one sister; and five grandchildren.

Jack V. Chambers, SB'42, SM'47, died April 16, 1998, in Clermont, FL. An associate professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Chambers is survived by three daughters and two sons. Jean Bushing Makas, AB'42, AM'43, a former teacher and resident of Rockford, IL, died May 14, 1998, at age 77. After working as a substitute teacher, Makas joined in 1945 the faculty of Northwestern College in Minneapolis, where she became English-department chair. She emphasized helping college-bound and remedial-reading students, and opened a business tutoring young students and producing audio-workbooks for spelling and reading. Survivors include her husband, George Makas, AB'44.

Robert C. Spencer, AB'43, AM'52, PhD'55, a former professor and dean, died April 30 in Chicago at age 79. Spencer taught political science at several institutions, including St. Michael's College and the University of Rhode Island, where he was dean of the graduate school. In 1969, he became founding president of Sangamon State University and, after retiring in 1985, was a visiting professor and research associate at Montana State. He is survived by his wife, Edith McCarthy Spencer, SB'36; three daughters; two sons; and three siblings.

Anne M. Macpherson, AB'44, SB'45, AM'54, a teacher, died May 7 in Albany, CA, at age 75. Macpherson taught at elementary schools in Seattle, Tokyo, Chicago, and Oakland, and at the Universities of California, Berkeley, and Davis. She volunteered for the Oakland Museum, the Natural Sciences Museum of the California Academy of Sciences, and Meals on Wheels. She is survived by two brothers, including Roderick J. Macpherson Jr., PhB'49.

Mae Colin Chase, BLS'46, AM'51, a psychiatric social worker, died February 8 in Chicago, at age 83. Chase practiced psychiatric social work for more than 35 years as a private practitioner and in hospitals, clinics, and agencies in Chicago and New York. Chase specialized in child therapy and supervised the field work of interns. She is survived by many close friends.

Meyer L. Burstein, PhB'47, JD'50, AM'55, PhD'57, an economist and resident of New Smyrna Beach, FL, died April 8. He was 72. Burstein's numerous publications are noted for their explanations of the economic theories for tie-in prices and full-line forcing. Survivors include his wife, Milka; a stepdaughter; a stepson; and three step-grandchildren.

George M. Cohen, X'48, an artist and teacher, died April 18 at age 79 in Evanston, IL. A member of the Chicago School artistic movement, which challenged the Art Institute of Chicago's policy of excluding student art from its annual Chicago Exhibition, he taught art at Northwestern from 1948 to 1984. Survivors include two daughters and three grandchildren.

Edith Taylor Bender, AM'49, a medical social worker, died May 8 in Seattle at age 88. Bender played the organ at many weddings and special occasions. She was also an active volunteer and a member of Fauntleroy Church, UCC. Survivors include her lifelong friend, Alicia Alton, and two godchildren.

Dawson Bradshaw Jr., AM'49, a director of a social-service agency, died March 15. He was 89. Bradshaw helped found Family Service Inc., a social-service agency in Stillwater, MN, as well as an animal shelter in Afton, MN. He served three terms as president of the Washington County Red Cross, as well as on the Afton Park and Recreation Board. Survivors include his sister, Ruth; a nephew; and four nieces.


1950s

Arden L. Phillips, AB'51, a computer specialist and editor, died June 1 in Boston. She was 70. A scholar of ancient Chinese and a music lover, Phillips had worked in England and India. She later worked in the engineering department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Esther Silverman Rich, AM'51, a former teacher, died March 17 in Los Angeles. She was 70. Rich was at various times an Air Force wife, a teacher, a degreed librarian, an archivist, and an aficionado of detective novels. She is survived by two daughters, including Helena S. Rich, AM'85, and a son.

Charles F. Russ Jr., JD'51, a former trial lawyer, died of cancer last December. He was 72. A Cook County assistant state's attorney, Russ established his own human-resource consulting firm, Charles Russ Associates, Inc. As chair of the legal advisory group of Patient Advocates for Advanced Cancer Treatments, the nation's largest prostate cancer support group, Russ gave pro-bono assistance to prostate cancer patients. Survivors include his wife, Marcia.

Sherwood E. Fohrman, X'52, a photographer, died April 27 in Evanston, IL, at age 68. Fohrman's photos have been shown in Chicago galleries and were featured in a 1994 Chicago Tribune Magazine article. Survivors include his wife, Elaine Skorodin; two sons; a sister; and three grandchildren.

Richard Y. Mine, X'55, died June 7. He was 76. Mine is survived by his wife, Margaret Poznak Mine, X'52; his son, Andrew S. Mine, AB'81; a sister; and three grandchildren.

Eileen Lovejoy, AM'56, a casework supervisor in Mountlake Terrace, WA, died May 28 in Seattle. She was 73. A longtime employee of the King County Juvenile Court system, Lovejoy maintained her interests in volunteer court work, traveling, and gardening after retiring in the 1980s. Survivors include her brother, James, and two nieces.


1960s

Albert W. Forslev, SM'55, PhD'60, a professor emeritus in earth sciences at Northeastern Illinois University, who lived in Riverwoods, IL, died of a heart attack on August 15 at age 67. Associate curator of mineralogy at the Field Museum of Natural History (1956-60) and head of the Chicago Police Crime Laboratory's microanalysis spectroscopy section (1963-66), Forslev established the earth sciences department at Northeastern Illinois University, serving as its chair during the 1960s and 1970s. Survivors include his wife, Doris; two daughters; a son; a brother; a sister; and two granddaughters.

Frederick L. Nakarai, JD'65, died December 30, 1998. Nakarai worked as a writer/analyst for CCH Incorporated. He is survived by his brother, Charles.


1980s

Katherine Rudden Govoni, AM'88, a public-relations executive, died September 14 of side effects from an allergy shot, in Norwalk, CT. She was 41. Govoni worked at Dean Witter Reynolds, N.W. Ayer, and the American Institute of CPAs before joining Andersen Consulting in 1989 as director of marketing and public relations for financial services. In 1995, she joined Andersen's public-relations agency, Burson-Marsteller, later becoming vice president at Emmanuel Kerr Kilsby. Survivors include her husband, Stephen; a daughter; a son; her mother; and a sister.

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