July/August 2009

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1928

Herbert L. Hutner ’28 Herbert L. Hutner, private investment banker and attorney, Los Angeles, on December 7, 2008. A New York City native, Hutner was born on December 21, 1908. He earned a degree in 1931 from the Law School. In the 1940s, Hutner worked on Wall Street as a partner in the Osterman & Hutner brokerage. During the next 20 years, he was chairman of the boards of several manufacturing and engineering firms, including Sleight & Hellmuth, Pressed Metals of America, Struthers Wells Corp. and the Platinum Mining Co. He also was for several years president of the New England Life Insurance Co. Hutner chaired the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts from 1992–2000. In the 1960s, Hutner wed for the second time, to actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. The marriage ended in divorce in 1966. In 1969, he married Juli Reding, who survives him, as do his son, Jeffrey; daughter, Lynn M. Collwell; stepson, Christopher D. Taylor; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Young Musicians Foundation, 195 S. Beverly Dr., Ste 414, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, or the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA for Dr. Stephen Schwartz Research, 800 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

1933

Howard S. Benedikt, business executive, Houston, on April 1, 2009. Benedikt entered with the Class of 1933 but earned a undergraduate degree in 1934 from the Business School. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Grace; children, Bill and Pat; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Westchester, 311 North St., White Plains, NY 10605.

1935

Forest R. Lombaer, retired human resources executive, Palm City, Fla., on December 10, 2008. Lombaer was born in Hartford, Conn., and was a champion fencer at the College. He served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy during WWII. During the next 35 years, Lombaer was an executive in charge of human resources in the retail and insurance industries in New York, Ohio and Minnesota. He finished his business career in Brussels and retired to Stuart, Fla. Lombaer is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mildred; son, Forest Jr.; daughter, Susan L. Burden; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Mariner Sands Chapel, IRSC Scholarship Fund, 6500 Congressional Way, Stuart, FL 34994.

1936

William B. Weisell ’36 William B. Weisell, attorney, Bloomington, Ind., on March 3, 2009. Weisell was born on May 21, 1912, in Bluffton, Ind., where he grew up, gaining recognition for his accomplishments in music and sports. Following high school, he pursued higher studies at Culver Military Academy before attending Columbia and subsequently the Law School, from which he graduated in 1940. During his undergraduate years, Weisell made enduring friendships, including one with Mary, his wife of 67 years, and developed a lifelong commitment to alma mater. After service in WWII, Weisell and his family returned to Indianapolis, where he rose to become a senior partner in the law firm of Locke, Reynolds, Boyd and Weisell. He was a leader in many civic and community organizations, serving as an elder and active choir member at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church; president of the Washington Township School Board from 1961–62; and a strong advocate for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, serving as president of the Indiana State Symphony Society from 1974–79. Weisell is survived by his children, Virginia Weisell Dike and Robert ’68; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

1939

Marvin R. “Bob” Livingston, retired stockbroker, Lido Beach, N.Y., on May 20, 2009. Livingston served overseas during WWII as a captain in the Quartermaster Corps. A lover of classical music, he also pursued interests in Judaism, sports and politics. Livingston is survived by his wife of 53 years, Marcie Shlansky Livingston; son, Michael; daughter, Ellen; and four grandchildren.

Howard M. Pack ’39 Howard M. Pack, shipping executive, Scarsdale, N.Y., on December 9, 2008. Pack was born in Manhattan on September 21, 1918. He earned a degree in economics from the College, graduated Phi Beta Kappa and went to work with his father, a furrier. He served in the Coast Guard in WWII, then returned to the family business. Pack met another furrier, Joseph Kahn, and they discovered they both hated the fur business. By 1951 they had joined with other investors to buy two Liberty ships that had been decommissioned and started Pack/Kahn, which later became Transeastern Associates, and took over Seatrain in 1965. Pack was president of Seatrain until 1977, vice-chairman until Kahn died in 1979 and then chairman. In the 1970s, Pack and Kahn expanded into the chartering of tankers, management of ports, oil refining and coal mining in West Virginia. The company closed in 1981. Pack is survived by his wife of 47 years, the former Dorothy Culbertson; daughters, Loren, Susan and Ellen ’87, ’90 Business; son, Warren; brother, Jay; sister, Ethel Schneider; and nine grandchildren. Pack’s first wife, Nancy Buckley, died in 1959; son Daniel died in 1991.

1940

Seymour Epstein, attorney, company president and CEO, New York City, on December 19, 2008. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Epstein attended Boys High. He earned a degree in 1942 from the Law School and accepted membership to the Columbia Law Review. Epstein passed the bar before attending Columbia Midshipman’s School. During WWII, Epstein served as a naval commander in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. After the war, he accepted a leadership role in the family business, Shelburne Shirt Co., and expanded it into an international manufacturing business. Epstein was on the board of the National Manufacturers Association and supported UJA and NYU Langone Medical Center. He created a charitable foundation in his parents’ name to enable his family to participate in experiencing the joy of giving. Epstein is survived by his wife of 61 years, Muriel (née Joseph); children, Randy Austin, and her husband, Bruce Firger, Bob, and his partner, Jacqueline Buckner, Jane, and her husband, Edgar Roeper, and Susan Gross, and her husband, Jeffrey; seven grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; brother, Selwyn; sister and brother-in-law, Blossom and Irwin Greystone; and nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to NYU Langone Medical Center stem cell research.

Charles H. Schneer, film producer, Boca Raton, Fla., on January 21, 2009. Schneer entered with the Class of 1940 but earned an undergraduate degree in 1940 from the Business School. He was introduced to filmmaking when inducted into the Signal Corps and made training films during WWII. After working with Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures, Schneer became an independent film producer. A longtime resident of London during his production years, he collaborated with Ray Harryhausen in creating many fantasy and adventure films that used stop motion photography. He was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was chairman of the London Events Committee from 1989–98. An avid tennis player, Schneer was a member of The Queens Club in London for more than 40 years. He is survived by his wife of more than 68 years, Shirley Sussman Schneer; daughters, Lesley Silver and Stacey Lee; three grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and sister, Babette Schneer Katz. Schneer was predeceased by daughter Bettine Greifer. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, c/o Dept. of Development, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905.

1941

A. David Kagon ’41 A. David Kagon, retired attorney, Malibu, Calif., on December 20, 2008. Kagon may be best known as the attorney who won the famous “palimony” case for his client in 1979, actor Lee Marvin, after a decade-long legal battle. Kagon was born on August 10, 1918, in Woodridge, N.Y., and grew up in Lawrence, Kan. He joined the Navy in 1941 and served as an educational services officer during WWII. Kagon was discharged in 1945 as a senior grade lieutenant, then earned a degree from the Law School in 1947. He was a practicing attorney in California at Goldman & Kagon in Beverly Hills and in Century City from 1947 until his semi-retirement in the mid-1990s. Kagon was a founder of the Mediation Division of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and one of the principal authors of the California Mediation Law Statutes. He was active in Malibu’s cityhood drive and a longtime board member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. After the Marvin case, Kagon switched his focus to family law. He retired in 1993 and is survived by his wife, Dorothy; daughter, Jane; son, Robert; and two grandsons. Memorial contributions may be made to Nashuva or to a charity of your choice.

Werner M. Wiskari, retired foreign correspondent and international news editor, Charlestown, R.I., on December 8, 2008. The son of a Finnish-born Lutheran pastor in upper Michigan, Wiskari served with the Navy in the Pacific in WWII and joined the Times as a radio news scriptwriter in 1948. From 1958–64, he was based in Stockholm as the northern European correspondent. Wiskari’s articles covered the Nobel Prizes, there and in Oslo; Sweden and Finland’s difficulties with staying politically neutral in the shadow of the Soviet Union during the Cold War; and oddities of Nordic life. He became an assistant to the foreign news editor in 1968 but kept up with developments in Scandinavia and Finland. In 1971, Wiskari was part of the small team of editors that prepared the Pentagon Papers for publication. When war broke out between Iran and Iraq in 1980, he compiled and rewrote fragmentary reports that he gleaned from news agencies and foreign publications and analyzed satellite photos of trench fortifications on either side. Wiskari retired to a lakeside home in Rhode Island in 1984. He is survived by his wife, Millie; son, Wayne; daughters, Lynn Reid, Sandra Wiskari-Lukowski and Dawn Wiskari-Costa; and four grandchildren.

1943

William L. MacMichael, retired businessman, Trenton, Maine, on January 6, 2009. At the College, MacMichael played varsity football; was elected to Theta Tau, the honorary engineering society; and for two years was class president. He enlisted in the Air Force at the beginning of WWII and was stationed for a year at Victorville Army Air Field in California before leaving to fight in the Philippines and Okinawa. Upon his return to the United States, MacMichael entered the Business School; he earned an M.B.A. in 1949. While a student at the Business School, MacMichael worked with then-University president Dwight D. Eisenhower on several projects. MacMichael later joined IBM, remaining there in various managerial positions until his retirement. After retirement, he and his wife, Betty Jane, retired to Trenton, Maine, building their own home by the ocean. MacMichael is survived by his wife; daughters, Anne Krichels and Susan Morely; son, Thomas; sister, Janice Colwell; and six grandchildren.

1944

S. Newton “Newt” Berliner, retired engineer, Virginia Beach, Va., on January 10, 2009. Berliner entered with the Class of 1944 but earned two degrees from the Engineering School, in 1943 (B.S.) and 1960 (M.S.). He was drafted into the Army Air Corps and assigned to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, NASA’s precursor, at Langley Field in Hampton, Va. Berliner married Martha Dresner ’53 GSAS in 1952, and they moved to Marblehead, Mass., where Berliner became active in town affairs. He worked for several defense contractors, including General Electric, RCA and Sylvania. Berliner was a registered professional engineer, specializing in heating and cooling for large construction companies. He retired in 1983 and joined his wife in Richmond. He returned to work for Parsons, Brinkerhoff on a short assignment and later the civil service as an energy conservation consultant at PWC of NS Norfolk. Berliner was the neighborhood representative to the Navy on the pollution remediation board at Little Creek NS for 10 years. He was an avid gardener and local theater actor. Berliner is survived by his wife; daughter, Leni; son, Michael, and his wife Juel; and a granddaughter. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

1945

Nicholas Antoszyk Jr., retired physician, Charlotte, N.C., on November 3, 2008. Antoszyk was born on January 5, 1921, in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. He graduated from New York Medical College and was an Air Force veteran of the Korean War. Antoszyk practiced internal medicine in Amityville, N.Y., for 15 years, then did a fellowship in allergy and immunology in California, returning to Amityville to practice until 1987. In New York, Antoszyk was an active member of Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church, and in North Carolina of St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church. He was predeceased by his wife of 51 years, Corinne; brother, Michael; and sisters, Stella and Catherine. Antoszyk is survived by his sons, James and his wife, Shelley, Andrew and his wife, Karen, and Peter and his wife, Wendy; daughter, Nadia; and eight grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Presbyterian Hospice and Palliative Care, PO Box 33549, Charlotte, NC 28233-3549, or The Metrolina Association for the Blind, 704 Louise Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204.

David R. Covell Jr., minister, Lenox, Mass., on November 26, 2008. Born in Washington, D.C., on January 2, 1924, Covell earned a master’s from the University of Michigan, M.Div. from Episcopal Theological School at Harvard and an A.B.D. from NYU. He ministered to Episcopal churches in Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Toronto. Covell served as an executive member at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City, was the former executive director of the Massachusetts Bible Society and in retirement served as a cruise chaplain for Holland America Lines. He was one of the first exchange priests between the Episcopal Church and the Church of England, serving four churches there. Covell’s wife of nearly 50 years, Carolyn, died in 1998. He is survived by his second wife, Nancy; daughters, Anne Covell, and her husband, William Higgins, and Cynthia Schultz, and her husband, Fred.; son, David III, and his wife, Val; stepdaughters, Julia Graham, Anne, and her husband, Simon Herriotts, and Margaret Graham and her husband, Stephen Hawken; sister, Randy Kuhn; four grandchildren; and one step-granddaughter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund c/o Roche Funeral Home, 120 Main St., Lenox, MA 01240.

1946

Carlo D. Cella Jr. ’46 Carlo D. Cella Jr., retired business executive, Ridgewood, N.J., on January 30, 2009. Cella was born in Ridgewood and lived most of his life in the Ridgewood/Glen Rock area. After graduating from the College, he enrolled in NYU’s School of Business and earned an M.B.A. During WWII, Cella served in the Army. In 1991, he retired from KPMG Peat Marwick, where he was director of administration. Cella was a loyal and devoted member of his Columbia class and was a leader and supporter the Columbia College Fund. He also was a member of the Glen Rock Board of Education and a founder and past president of the Glen Rock Junior Football Association. He was predeceased by his wife, Dorothy Anne, in 2000; and is survived by his children and their families: Carlo III and his wife, Deborah Rinbrand, John and his wife, Lisa, Michael, James and his wife, Laura, Dorothy and her husband, Jack Gallagher, and Margot and her husband, Phil O’Connor, and Eleana; brother, Robert; sisters, Marion Banta and Michaela; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

1949

Victor Gualano, retired English teacher, Roselle Park, N.J., on December 4, 2008. Gualano was born in Cetraro, Italy, and came to the United States at 12. He served in the Army in WWII in England and Belgium as a telephone switchboard operator from 1943–46. Gualano received the WWII Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, EAME Campaign Medal and an American Campaign Medal. He was awarded a full scholarship to Columbia. In 1952, he and his wife, Nora, did a tour working for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Paris. Upon returning to the United States, Gualano became an English teacher and spent most of his life pursuing First Amendment Rights, especially as related to students. Gualano was president of the Elizabeth Teachers’ Union and former president of the Italian-American Club of the Saint Benedict Society in Elizabeth. In addition to his wife, Gualano is survived by his children, Victor, Paul, Mary Ellen Hunsicker and Christopher, and his wife, Alice; sisters, Rose Caruso, and her husband, Augustine, and Pauline Campo, and her husband, Angelo; and five grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or 800-805-5856.

John J. “Jack” Turvey, retired attorney, Pompano Beach, Fla., on January 13, 2009. Turvey was a native of Staten Island. After graduating from Xavier H.S. in 1944, he entered Columbia but interrupted his studies to enlist in the Navy. Two years later, he returned to Columbia. Turvey earned a degree in 1952 from the Law School and began a career dedicated to advancing Staten Island causes, specializing in land use and zoning laws. In 1958, he ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic candidate for Assembly. Turvey frequently took cases pro-bono and was an appellate practitioner who won numerous cases before the state Court of Appeals. He provided legal counsel to the American Red Cross, served on the board of the Legal Aid Society and was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Staten Island. Turvey made acquisitions for Staten Island’s Alice Austen House Museum while sitting on its board of directors. His first marriage, to Rosemary Beeching, ended in divorce. His second wife, the former Maureen Pajor, died in 2000. Surviving are sons Samuel, Jonathan, James and Christopher; daughters, Mari, Carolyn and Victoria; brother, Timothy; sisters, Jean Flynn, Patricia Dellomo and Kathryn T. Cronin; and 11 grandchildren.

1950

B. Weston Morosco, manufacturing and sales executive, Watertown, Conn., on October 21, 2008. Morosco was born on June 2, 1928, in New York City and raised in Yonkers, N.Y., and Danbury, Conn. He earned a B.A. from the College and a B.S. in 1951 from the Engineering School. Morosco spent his business life in manufacturing and sales, developing state-of-the-art products as far-ranging as sleeping bags and holistic dog food. He played the role of “Drosselmeyer” in Main Street Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker for 17 years, only retiring due to ill health. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy (Mandeville) Morosco; children, Wes Jr., Sibley, Craig and John; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

1952

Arnold Schussheim, pediatrician, Great Neck, N.Y., on December 5, 2008. Schussheim was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was a noted pediatrician in Bayside, N.Y., for 40 years, as well as an avid sailor and “hole-in-one” golfer. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Joan; children, Abigail and Adam; five grandchildren; son-in-law and daughter-in-law, Robert Hoffman and Debra Schussheim; and brothers, Eugene and Leonard.

1957

Robert L. Schlitt, television writer, Los Angeles, on November 25, 2008. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on July 24, 1933, Schlitt served in Frankfurt with the U.S. Army Special Services Division (1955–56), where he played clarinet, saxophone and guitar with the Special Services jazz band. He earned a B.A. in literature and worked for 1½ years in Paris as a professional actor and musician. In 1960, Schlitt’s English translation of Felicien Marceau’s The Egg opened at Broadway’s Court Theater and was included on several “10 Best Plays of the Season” lists. In 1965, Schlitt went to work for New York Radio Station WBAI, where he co-created and performed a satirical sketch program, “It’s Your World and You Can Have It.” The work quickly landed him a trip to Hollywood to write the premiere episode of the television show The Monkees. Schlitt worked in television steadily for the next 35 years, with writer and writer/producer credits. He was an accomplished chef and enjoyed reading and sailing. Schlitt is survived by his children, Michael, Caroline, Colin and Sarah; and four grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the “Robert L. Schlitt Memorial Fund” at the LUNGevity Foundation or 312-464-0716.

1959

Gordon P. Heyworth, retired teacher, actor and director, Oxford, Miss., on December 31, 2008. Heyworth was born in Cambridge, Mass., and graduated from Torrington (Conn.) H.S. in 1950. After attending Parsons School of Drama in Hartford, he was drafted into the Army, originally bound for Korea. Although trained as a machine gunner, he was assigned to a post in Salzburg, Austria, where he traveled by train on military business between Austria, Germany and northern Italy. Upon his return to the United States, Heyworth earned a B.A. in English from the College, where he played the lead in many Columbia Players and Minor Latham Theater productions. In 1961, Heyworth began teaching English at Plainville H.S. in Plainville, Conn., and in 1963 he accepted an invitation to teach English and coach drama at Housatonic Valley Regional H.S., where he remained until his 1995 retirement. Heyworth was a central figure in community theater in northwestern Connecticut for several decades. He was an Equity actor and director and a member of the Oblong Valley Players. Heyworth is survived by his son, Gregory ’88; two grandchildren; brother, David; and sister, Helen Graziani. Memorial contributions may be made to TriArts Sharon Playhouse, PO Box 1187, Sharon, CT 06069.

1961

John A. “Jack” McCahill, attorney, Falls Church, Va., on December 13, 2008. McCahill was born in Canonsburg, Pa., and played freshman football at Columbia. He graduated from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University in 1969 and was a member of the Washington, D.C., Bar Association and the Virginia Bar Association and was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court and several state supreme courts. McCahill practiced law in the Washington, D.C., area for nearly 40 years, serving as an assistant United States attorney for the District of Columbia; as deputy assistant in the Office of the Special Legal Counsel in the White House during the Watergate era; and as general counsel to the President’s Committee on Olympic Sports. McCahill later went into private practice, focusing on Olympic sports and domestic and foreign white-collar cases. He was an avid skier, an accomplished singer and opera-lover, and an accomplished cook. McCahill is survived by his daughter, Melissa McCahill Deerin; and three grandchildren. He was separated from his wife, Julie Parker McCahill, who also survives. Memorial contributions may be made to The Columbus School of Law at Catholic University, Law School Moot Court Fund, 3600 John McCormack Rd., N.E. Washington, DC 20064.

1962

Michael P. Freedman, professor, Syracuse, N.Y., on November 13, 2008. Raised in Manhattan, Freedman had been a resident of Syracuse since 1967, when he took a faculty position at Syracuse in the Department of Anthropology. He was an associate professor and former chair of the department. Freedman was active in the university community on various task forces and committees, particularly in the Future Professoriate Program. He was passionate in his commitment to improve the greater Syracuse community, particularly on issues such as microlending, infant mortality, juvenile justice and child abuse. Freedman is survived by his wife of 47 years, Paula; daughter, Carla, and her husband, Andrew Heffner; son, Matthew, and his wife, Laurel; and three grandchildren.

1963

Herbert L. Poserow, computer programmer, Beaverton, Ore., on June 29, 2008. Poserow was born on June 29, 1941, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was a computer programmer for IBM in Olympia, Wash. Poserow is survived by his stepmother, Sylvia; wife, Beverly; children, Jodi Solomon, Andrew, Cindy and Benjamin; brother, Edward; five grandchildren; and three stepchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Rosie.

1973

 

Peter A. Herger, educator, visual artist and community activist, Riverdale, N.Y., on November 3, 2008. Herger earned a degree in 1976 from GSAS and was an educator/administrator in numerous private secondary schools in New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, teaching English literature and art history. He also was a college counselor and visual artist. Herger won numerous awards in local art exhibitions. His legacy includes the conservation of natural land and historic edifices in Danbury, Conn., including the area that has now become Tarrywile Park, one of the largest public nature preserves in the state. He also was involved in service to Columbia and was an alumni interviewer on behalf of the College for most of the last 20 years. Herger is survived by his sons, Peter ’03, and Timothy. Memorial contributions may be made to the Church of St. Peter, 104 Main St., Danbury, CT 06810.

1976

John L. “Jack” Glavey, former trader, Park Ridge, Ill., on May 5, 2007. Glavey was born in Teaneck, N.J., on July 27, 1954. While attending the College, where he earned a degree in economics, Glavey played football his freshman and sophomore year and was a member of Nu Sigma Chi. He attended Central Michigan University for an M.A., finishing in 1981. In 1989, Glavey completed an M.B.A. at DePaul. From 1976–82, he was in active duty service as a flight officer in the Navy. He also was a reservist at Glenview NS from 1982–94, retiring from the Navy as lieutenant commander. Glavey began his banking career in New York City. He was a member of Mensa and founder of an organizational improvement consulting company. As a trader, Glavey worked at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Board of Trade. He is survived by his former wife, Edie; daughter, Margaret Eileen (“Meg”); son, John; mother, Margaret Manos; brothers, Patrick and Paul; and sister, Margaret Koplitz. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale, Memphis, TN 38105.

Lisa Palladino

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