May/June 2009

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1932

Gene F. Kuster, retired attorney, Slingerlands, N.Y., on September 20, 2008. Kuster sang in the Columbia College Glee Club and played French horn in the band. He earned an M.B.A. in 1933 from the Business School, then continued his education at Fordham Law. After being admitted to the New York bar, Kuster, a C.P.A., worked for Muir & Co. for 35 years, providing counseling services to banks and other financial institutions. He retired in 1975 as a v.p. Kuster was an active member of the Canaan (N.Y.) Congregational Church and chairman of the Board of Trustees for most of the 15 years he served on it. He also served on and led the Boards of Directors of the Tarrytown YMCA, the Tarrytown Historical Society and the local Boy Scouts committee. In 2000, the Capital District Senior Issues Forum honored Kuster with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his many years of volunteer service. Kuster is survived by his wife, Edna; son, Gordon, and his wife, Sandi; daughters, Carole Kuster Wortley and her husband, James, and Joan and her husband, Mark Weintraub; two grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Columbia University Athletics, PO Box 1523, New York, NY 10277-1937.

1937

Bram Cavin, retired book editor, White Plains, N.Y., on February 14, 2009. Cavin, best known for persuading Claude Brown to write the best-selling autobiography, Manchild in the Promised Land, was born on May 24, 1916, in New York City. He graduated from the College with a degree in economics and mathematical statistics and became a writer for Business Week and other financial magazines. During WWII, Cavin was stationed in England as a weather forecaster in the Army Air Corps. In the early 1960s, he began a long career as a book editor, working for several publishing houses including Doubleday, Macmillan and Prentice Hall. While at Macmillan, Cavin read an article by Brown, a Howard University student, about the struggles of growing up in Harlem. Cavin proposed that Brown turn the article into a book, and it became the classic African-American coming-of-age story of its time. Cavin is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ruth; children, Anthony (Tony) ’77, Emily and Nora; and two grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Edna L. Roker Social Adult Day Care Center, 311 North St., White Plains, NY 10605 or to Doctors Without Borders, www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

1941

Harry Z. Mellins, physician and professor, New York City, on January 22, 2009. Mellins was a revered professor and mentor at Harvard Medical School and a diagnostic radiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He was formerly of Brookline, Mass. Mellins is survived by his wife, Judy; children, Elizabeth, William and Thomas ’79; three grandchildren; and brother, Robert. Memorial contributions may be made to the Harry Z. Mellins Society c/o Brigham and Women’s Hospital Development Office, 617-732-5008.

Harold E. “Ted” Humphrey, retired editor, Sidney, Maine, on October 27, 2008. Born on August 3, 1919, Humphrey was an active Boy Scout. He earned a B.A. in English, and, after serving with distinction as an Army Intelligence Officer in New Caledonia, China and Burma during WWII, earned an M.A. (1947) and Ph.D. (1958) from GSAS. Humphrey held many key editorial positions with Grolier, as editor of two books on the Olympic Games, an editor of the Encyclopedia Americana and editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia International. In addition, he spent a year in Paris, where he developed an encyclopedia in French for the publisher. In 1983, Humphrey retired to Maine, where he offset intellectual interests by cultivating blueberries, vegetables and an apple orchard. He is survived by his partner of 55 years, Henry Holland; sisters, Gladys Anderson and Grace Pease; brother-in-law, John Pease; and nephews and nieces. Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society Waterville Area, 100 Webb Rd., Waterville, ME 04901.

1942

Gino F. Zanolli, retired industrial physician, Oak Ridge, Tenn., on September 22, 2008. Zanolli was born in New York City on February 8, 1923. After graduating from Peter Stuyvesant H.S. as an honor student at 16, Zanolli earned a B.A. from the College and a B.S. (1942) and Ph.D. (1943) in chemical engineering from the Engineering School, and an M.D. from SUNY in 1954 under the GI Bill. He was an engineer for two years. In 1945, Zanolli enlisted in the Army and served in the Philippines during WWII. After the war, he returned to New York City and married Patricia McConnell in 1948. He accepted a commission into the Public Health Service and moved to Oak Ridge, Tenn., to work for the Atomic Energy Commission’s Health Division providing medical care to Oak Ridge National Laboratory employees. He also worked at Lockheed Martin for many years. Zanolli is survived by his wife; children and their families, Meg and Jim Holbrook, Eugene and Claire Zanolli, Michael Zanolli and Julie Sandine, Regina and Mike Maggart, Gerard and Angie Zanolli, and Patricia and Ed Tulauskas; eight grandchildren; and brother, Alexander. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

1946

Joseph P. Martocci, retired ob/gyn, Babylon, N.Y., on August 20, 2008. A graduate of Stuyvesant H.S., Martocci completed his medical degree at Long Island College of Medicine at Downstate in 1948. He was a WWII veteran and participated in the D-Day invasion as a stretcher bearer. He also was a surgeon in a MASH Unit in the Korean War. Martocci assisted in the delivery of more than 4,000 babies. He had affiliations at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, where he was director of ob/gyn, and Southside Hospital. He retired in 1995. Martocci was a Eucharist Minister at St. Joseph’s Parish, Babylon, where he was a member for more than 49 years. He was predeceased by his wife, Helen, and sister, Margaret Derbabian; and is survived by his sons, Joseph and Thomas; daughters in-law, Geraldine Noble-Martocci and Laura; daughter, Jeanmarie Patterson, and her husband, Morgan; and four grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of Consolation Palliative Care Unit, 111 Beach Dr., West Islip, NY 11795.

1948

Seymour M. Waldman ’48 Seymour M. Waldman, attorney, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., on January 10, 2009. Waldman attended high school in Brooklyn at the Friends School. Service in the Navy interrupted his College studies. After graduating from the Law School in 1950, he joined his father Louis’ labor law practice. Waldman worked with his father and brother, Paul ’52, ’54L at Waldman and Waldman until 1981, when the firm merged to become Vladek, Waldman, Elias and Engelhard. He represented numerous unions and individuals during his legal career, arguing cases before all levels of the New York State and Federal courts, and practiced law until his death. Waldman served as Croton-on-Hudson Village Attorney for more than three decades and played an active role in municipal government. He also was legal counsel to several foundations and nonprofits and was a longtime trustee of the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York. An avid and accomplished tennis player, Waldman captained Columbia’s varsity tennis team. He also played tournament tennis, and he and his son, Daniel, were a top-ranked father-son team for many years. Waldman married Law School classmate Lois Citrin ’50L in 1951. She survives him, as do children Daniel, David, Michael and Ellen; six grandchildren; and a brother.

1950

Duncan R.J. MacLeod, retired CIA security officer, Arlington, Va., on September 7, 2008. After his father died of tuberculosis, MacLeod helped raise his brothers and sisters. At 17, he enlisted in the Army and served as a radio operator in Italy during WWII. MacLeod received the Bronze Star and was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded at the Anzio beachhead in Italy. Under the GI Bill, he attended the College; he was the marching band’s drum major. After graduation, MacLeod worked for the State Department processing visas in Italy. He joined the CIA in 1955, working first at Kodak in Rochester, N.Y., and then in Turkey before being assigned to the Langley, Va., headquarters in 1963 and settling in Arlington. He retired in 1985. A second-generation American, Mac­Leod was a member of the Clan MacLeod Society of America and regularly participated in the Scottish Walk in Alexandria, Va. He is survived by his wife, Marcella; daughters, Heather, Wendy and Vicky; sister; two brothers; and four grandchildren.

Vincent X. Smith Sr., retired s.v.p. of sales and marketing, Oklahoma City, Okla., on October 15, 2008. Smith was born on January 9, 1923, in Brooklyn and raised in Queens. He served in the South Pacific during WWII aboard an LSM in the Navy. Upon leaving the service, Smith entered the College and graduated with honors with a degree in marketing. He married Miriam Elizabeth Woermann in 1947. The couple raised their four children on Long Island before moving to Oklahoma in 1964. Smith took over the sales and marketing of Little Giant Pump Co. and expanded it into all 50 states and 44 countries. He retired in 1992. Smith’s expertise in global marketing garnered him many awards from sales and marketing executive associations. He also was a director of the District Export Council and a director of the Foreign Trade Zone for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Smith was a lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Patrick’s Church. He was predeceased by his wife in 1999 and is survived by his daughters, Cheryl Nixon, Arlene Wheeler and her husband, Joe, and Dianne Brewer; son, Vincent X. Jr. and his wife, Ita; seven grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

1952

William J. Athos, physician, St. Petersburg, Fla., on September 30, 2008. Born in 1929 in Greece, Athos immigrated to the United States at 7 and grew up in New York City. He graduated from Stuyvesant H.S. and attended SUNY Downstate Medical Center, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. Athos completed his internship, residency and New York Fellowship at St. Luke’s Hospital and later served as a captain in the Army Medical Corps and as a physician to the Peace Corps Training Program at Columbia. Affiliated with St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, Lenox Hill Hospital and P&S as an assistant clinical professor of medicine, Athos practiced internal medicine in New York City for 32 years. He was voted one of New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors in New York” and received an award from the Salvation Army for distinguished service. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Irene; daughters Elizabeth and Jeanne Athos-Adler; and four grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dr. William J. Athos Endowment Fund of St. Stephanos Church, 3600 76th St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33710 or Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, 3050 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33712.

1956

Harry C. Smith, otolaryngologist, Los Gatos, Calif., on December 17, 2008. Smith was born on October 22, 1934, in Webster, Mass. He attended high school at Concordia Preparatory School for Boys in New York and received an athletics scholarship to Columbia, where he played football. Smith earned his medical degree at New York Medical College, interning at Flower and Fifth Avenue hospitals. In 1961, he became an Air Force captain, serving at Fitzsimons Hospital and then in the 829th Medical Group at Larson AFB. Smith was honorably discharged in 1964 and remained in the Air Force Reserves until 1967. From 1964–68, he completed his residency in ENT medicine and surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Hospitals. In 1968, he moved to San Jose and set up a private practice in otolaryngology. Smith was primarily affiliated with Los Gatos Community and Good Samaritan Hospitals. In 1978, he moved his clinical practice to Los Gatos. Smith performed charity surgical missions in developing countries. He is survived by his wife, Peggy; former wife, Gloria Coll; son, Doug, and his wife, Veronice; daughters, Vanessa and Lisa; stepdaughters, Baylee, Brittany, Sarah and Emma; stepson, Owen; sister, Elizabeth Keegan; and three grandchildren.

1961

Franklin A. Jones (Adi Da Samraj) ’61 Franklin A. Jones (known since 1994 as Adi Da Samraj), spiritual teacher, writer and artist, Naitauba Island, Fiji, on November 27, 2008. Samraj’s lifework was the founding of a new spiritual way of life, named “Adidam.” The story of how he prepared himself for this task — including his years of study at the College — is told in his spiritual autobiography, The Knee of Listening. Samraj wrote more than 75 books (published and forthcoming). These include many spiritual and philosophical texts (principally, The Aletheon and The Dawn Horse Testament), a groundbreaking literary trilogy (The Orpheum) and books on the practical aspects of human life (such as Easy Death, The Yoga of Right Diet and The Complete Yoga of Emotional-Sexual Life). In Not-Two Is Peace, he presents a radical proposal for the self-conversion of humankind by means of a new global cooperative order representing “everybody-all-at-once.” In his later years, Samraj focused on creating works of art intended to enable the viewer to enter into a “space” beyond all limited “points of view.” In 2007, a solo show of Samraj’s art was presented as one of the official exhibitions at the Venice Biennale.

1968

William A. Ward, teacher and writer, Ghent, N.Y., on October 5, 2008. Born on October 25, 1946, Ward grew up in Niles, Mich., and graduated from Lake Forest Academy in Illinois. He earned his undergraduate degree in English literature and then a master’s in education at the Waldorf Institute at Adelphi. Ward moved to Harlemville with his family in 1976 to take a class teacher position at then-fledgling Hawthorne Valley School, where he devoted the next 30 years to classroom teaching and to the growth and development of the school. A lover of art, he also was a prolific writer, penning poetry and a treasure trove of class plays that enjoy continuous performance by all the grades of Hawthorne Valley. Following the diagnosis of his illness in fall 2005, Ward embarked on an adventure of treatment, healing and connection that culminated in his 2008 memoir, Traveling Light: Walking the Cancer Path. He leaves behind his wife of 38 years, Andree Tittle Ward; daughters, Claire and Rosie; one grandson; and brother, David. Memorials contributions may be made to the Children of the Future Fund of the Hawthorne Valley School.

1981

Robert F. Conroy, retired equity sales and trading executive, Needham, Mass., on October 27, 2008. Conroy was a member of the Lions football team. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Sindia; sons, Mark, Steven and Matthew; mother; and five brothers. Memorial contributions may be made to a scholarship fund for underprivileged children established in his name: The Bobby Conroy Memorial Fund, c/o Bank of America, Attn.: Andrew Duffy, 1455 Highland Ave., Needham, MA 02492.

1982

Mark R. Griffith, journalist, Brooklyn, N.Y., on December 18, 2008. A producer and assignment editor at CBS News, which he joined in 1985, Griffith worked in many departments in the news division and traveled the country covering major news events for The Early Show, Newspath and BET. His last assignment was working for the National Desk. Griffith also had worked for other networks and CBS Sports. He was v.p.-broadcast for the New York Association of Black Journalists before joining the national board in 1995. Griffith was on the NABJ board of directors until 1997, representing three Northeast states as regional director. His early work for the association included planning local and regional events for the local chapter and serving on its scholarship committee. Nationally, Griffith advocated minority media ownership and strengthening the association’s broadcast members, including co-producing its nation­al media awards ceremony. He helped organize the first and only New York City gathering of more than 2,000 black journalists for the annual convention in 1989. Griffith is survived by his brother, Kevin; and former wife, Lori.

1990

Emilie M. (Ast) Lemmons ’90 Emilie M. (Ast) Lemmons, journalist and blogger, St. Paul, Minn., on December 24, 2008. Lemmons was born on January 16, 1968, in Portland, Ore. She earned a degree in English literature from the College, where she was active in the UDC and the Ferris Reel Film Society, and spent part of her junior year in Australia, studying arts at the University of Melbourne. After graduation, Lemmons joined the Mississippi Teacher Corps and taught English at a public high school in Greenville, Miss. She then became a reporter for the Delta Democrat Times in Greenville, and later for The Catholic Spirit. Lemmons won numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada. She is survived by her husband, Stephen; sons, Daniel and Benjamin; parents, Vincent and Nancy Ast; sisters, Mary, Susanne and Ellen Ast; brothers, Joseph and Stephen Ast; and a niece. Memorial contributions may be made to the Karen Wyckoff Rein In Sarcoma Foundation, Attn.: Thomas Dougherty, KWRISF Treasurer, 5959 Centerville Rd., Ste 200, North Oaks, MN 55127 or www.reininsarcoma.org. Friends also may visit the Facebook group, “In Memory of Emilie Lemmons,” or visit her blog, which chronicled her life and illness: www.lemmondrops.blogspot.com.

2002

Andrew B. Greene ’02 Andrew B. Greene, surgery resident, Cleveland, on December 31, 2008. Born in New York on November 19, 1980, Greene attended Scarsdale Middle and H.S. He earned a B.A. magna cum laude with honors in biochemistry and then an M.D. in 2006 from P&S. Greene was a medical researcher in cardiology, endocrinology, ophthalmology and other medical disciplines at Columbia, the Westchester Medical Center, the National Institutes of Health and the Cleveland Clinic. His true passion was general surgery, which he practiced as a resident at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt in New York and the Cleveland Clinic. Greene enjoyed target shooting, billiards and deep-sea fishing. He is survived by his parents, Robert Greene and Dianne Stillman-Greene; aunts; uncles; cousins; and fiancée, Jennifer Lee ’03. Memorial contributions may be made to the College of Physicians & Surgeons Alumni Association, 630 W. 168th St., New York, NY 10032.

Lisa Palladino

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