Obituaries

1942

Hon. Leonard I. Garth ’42

Leonard I. Garth, federal judge, North Branford, Conn., on September 22, 2016. Garth was one of the longest serving and most highly respected federal judges in the country, having served for 48 years. He was a Rockefeller Foundation Scholar and fought as a first lieutenant in Africa during WWII. After graduating from Harvard Law, Garth practiced at Cole, Berman & Garth (now Cole Schotz), a prominent New Jersey-based firm, where he developed his reputation as a leading trial and transactional lawyer, before being appointed to the federal bench. Garth first served on the United States District Court, District of New Jersey, for four years beginning in 1970 and the last 44 years on the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He handled many high-profile cases, including some involving the Three Mile Island disaster, congressional redistricting, organized crime, political corruption and immigration. Recently, the atrium of the U.S. Courthouse in Newark, N.J., was named in his honor. Garth is survived by his daughter, Tobie Garth Meisel; son-in-law, Michael S. Meisel; three grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. His wife of 72 years, Sarah Kaufman Garth, passed away in 2016. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Beth Tikvah, 196 Durham Rd., Madison CT 06433; the American Heart Association; or the American
Diabetes Association.

Robert J. Kaufman, retired corporate attorney, Scarsdale, N.Y., on October 30, 2016. Kaufman was a graduate of the Horace Mann School. At the College, he was Phi Beta Kappa, a member of Sachems and coxswain of the Varsity Crew. Kaufman served in the Navy 1942–46 and was a communications officer aboard a destroyer escort. Kaufman graduated from Yale Law in 1948; he was a member of Corby Court. Having started as an associate with Gale, Bernays, Falk & Eisner, Kaufman became assistant general counsel of the DuMont Broadcasting Corp. and later spent many years as VP and general attorney for ABC. Kaufman frequently said that no one enjoyed working for a living more than he did. He was profiled in Who’s Who in America and was an enthusiastic golfer and a great fan of the Giants football team and Camp Kennebec. Kaufman is survived by his wife of 65 years, Susan Sanger Kaufman; sons, Peter S. and James H.; daughters-in-law, Theresa and Teresa; and two granddaughters. Kaufman was predeceased by his brothers Edwin and William. Memorial contributions may be made to Columbia University and designated for men’s rowing: giving.columbia.edu.

1949

Robert B. Goldberg, retired business executive, Manhasset, N.Y., on April 2, 2016. Goldberg was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he graduated from Boys H.S. After graduation from Columbia, he served in the Merchant Marine and the Air Force, attaining the rank of second lieutenant. Goldberg worked in the textile and personal computer businesses and was president and a member of the Board of Trustees of Temple Hillel in North Woodmere, Long Island, as well as a member of the Local Development Corp. of the Town of Hempstead. His love of his alma mater was everlasting, and as an avid fan of Lion sports he even got to enjoy basketball’s CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament Championship in March 2016. Goldberg was predeceased by his wife, Lora, and is survived by his sons, Jerry and his wife, Marla, and Andy and his wife, Irene; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

1951

Robert B. Kaemmerlen, architect, Hingham, Mass., on November 30, 2015. Born in Albany, N.Y., Kaemmerlen grew up in Hudson, N.Y. He was a member of Columbia’s lightweight crew and earned an M.Arch. in 1954 from GSAPP. Kaemmerlen developed his architectural partnership, Salisbury & Moore, in Avon, Conn. Notable projects included the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing, Hartford YWCA, Kent School facilities and several ski lodges at Pico Mountain and Mount Snow, Vt. Having designed and built sets for The Simsbury Light Opera Co.’s many productions, Kaemmerlen’s highlight was the giant tree and mushrooms from which emerged the fairies of Iolanthe. He built two houses, one in Simsbury and one on Prudence Island, R.I., that used solar heat and hot water; he was ahead of his time. Kaemmerlen enjoyed skiing, sailing, rowing, painting and always taking a summer camping trip to the mountains with his family. He was married to Joann Rice for 62 years, and they have three sons, Steven, Thomas and James, and a daughter, Betsy. In addition to them, Kaemmerlen is survived by five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; older brother Paul; and older sister Helen. He was predeceased by older brother Jack ’50.

Rear Adm. Beverly James Lowe ’51

Beverly James “Jim” Lowe, retired rear admiral, U.S. Navy, Daytona Beach, Fla., on February 13, 2017. Born on June 4, 1929, in Keyser W.V., Lowe earned a B.A. in physics and mathematics. Upon graduation, he entered the submarine service. After two years of submarine operations, he was selected for a three-year program at MIT, from which he received advanced degrees in naval engineering and an M.S. with a specialty in nuclear engineering. Lowe served 33 years in the Navy. Upon completion of his naval service he was a program manager, VP and CEO of various engineering companies including Westinghouse, United Nuclear Corp. and Tacoma Boatbuilding Company. Lowe retired in 1987 and lived in Albuquerque, N.M., where he volunteered for many community organizations. He was an influential leader in the return of ROTC to Columbia University. Lowe is survived by his sons, Stephen and Paul; daughters, Kimberly Chalkley and Pam Krieger; and five grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Brenton, and wife, Suzette. Memorial contributions may be made to the Columbia Alliance for ROTC, Box 422, Waldwick, NJ 07463.

1952

Stanley I. Rubenfeld, tax attorney, Aventura, Fla., on September 3, 2016. Rubenfeld was born on December 7, 1930. At the Law School, from which he graduated in 1956, he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review. Rubenfeld served as a lieutenant in the Navy during the Korean War and then joined Shearman & Sterling in New York City. He was a senior partner at the firm and spent his entire career there, becoming head of the tax department and one of the country’s leading tax attorneys. Rubenfeld was an avid tennis player and shared his wife Madeleine Conway’s devotion to the building of the new Pérez Art Museum Miami, and her love of travel. Rubenfeld is survived by his children, Leslie Dealy, Lise Oelbaum and Kenneth; his wife and her children, Andrew Conway, Victoria Newman and Allie Marks, and their families; his five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sons-in law, Andrew Oelbaum and Kevin Dealy; and nephews, Andy Rubien and Davie Rubien. He was predeceased by his sister, Sheila Pakula. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Southeast Florida Chapter, 3333 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33406; or the Alzheimer’s Association, Long Island Chapter, 425 Broadhollow Rd., Ste 307, Melville, NY 11747.

1953

Mitchell Price, retired fire department personnel director, Hudson, Fla., on January 8, 2016. Price was born in Midvale, Utah, on January 10, 1931. He graduated from Jordan H.S., for which he was student body president. He was awarded a four-year scholarship to the College. After graduation, he joined the Navy and became a pilot. After retiring from the Navy, Price worked for the Miami Herald and later was in charge of the personnel department for the Dade County Fire Department, from which he retired. Price was very active in sports, working under Dunn “Snide” Taylor at Jordan H.S. and Lou Little at Columbia. He lettered in football, basketball and baseball at both schools and was an All-American quarterback at Columbia. He married Virginia Brooks, who is the mother of his sons, Blake and Van, and daughter, Kathy. They later divorced. Price married Norma Costello and shared many happy years with her until her death several years ago. Price is survived by his children; brother, Don; sisters, Ann Theos and Amelia; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers George, Proko and Bob; and sisters Sophie, Mary, Mamie, Dorothy, Ruby, Rose and Ellen.

1957

Ira Lubell, physician and medical administrator, San Francisco, on June 12, 2016. Lubell was born on June 20, 1936, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He graduated from Stuyvesant and SUNY Downstate, and earned an M.P.H. in 1964 from the School of Public Health. Lubell served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy, an officer in the U.S. Public Health Service and as the physician at the American embassy in Moscow. He returned stateside and became chief medical officer of Lincoln Hospital in NYC. Lubell was the first community health officer for Bergen County, N.J. He worked in more than 150 countries, specializing in population control through his work with the Association for Voluntary Sterilization. Following his tenure with AVS Lubell became medical director of Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in NYC. In 1988, Santa Cruz County hired Lubell as its chief medical officer. In 1996, he became medical director of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where he worked for seven years. After his 2003 retirement, Lubell was medical director for the San Francisco Fire Department for four years and also on local boards and committees. He is survived by his husband of 36 years, Louis Judd Bonsignore. Memorial contributions may be made to The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz, PO Box 8280, Santa Cruz, CA 95061.

1968

Michael F. McGuire, plastic surgeon, Los Angeles, on November 14, 2016. A native of St. Louis, McGuire earned a degree from P&S in 1972. While at the College, he was president of Columbia Students Agencies, was on the Board of Managers and was a member of the Senior Society of Sachems. He practiced in Southern California for more than 30 years and was a clinical professor of plastic surgery at both UCLA and USC. Widely recognized as a leader of organized plastic surgery, McGuire was president of both the California Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He was a director of the American Board of Plastic Surgery at the time of his death. Although partially handicapped by a stroke several years ago, McGuire was an avid gardener and world traveler, as well as a tireless advocate for his profession and for patient safety. He is survived by his brother Patrick. Memorial contributions may be made to The Plastic Surgery Foundation, Attn.: The Dr. Michael McGuire Leadership Fund, 444 E. Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005.

William B. Parmer, retired physician, San Francisco, on October 2, 2015. A Phi Beta Kappa alumnus of the College, Parmer earned a degree from P&S in 1972 and completed his internship and residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Parmer was affiliated with California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco and practiced medicine for more than 35 years. He was an avid reader and had deep knowledge in many areas, including classical music, literature, politics and sports. Parmer was also an accomplished tennis player, gardener and landscape painter. Survivors include his wife, Joan; daughters, Julia and Ilana; mother, Miriam; and sister, Laura Skodol. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Dr. William Parmer Memorial Fund in Support of Medical Resident Education, CPMC Foundation, 2015 Steiner St., San Francisco, CA 94115; cpmc.org/giving; 415-600-2415.

— Lisa Palladino