January/February 2009

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1934

Evald H. Gasstrom, businessman, White Plains, N.Y., on June 26, 2008. Gasstrom earned a B.S. in 1936 from the Engineering School. During WWII, he served in the Navy. Gasstrom was president of Eagle Rule Manufacturing and later Gasstrom Technologies. He was a founder and president of the Westchester ARC as well as an original member of NYS­ARC, serving adults and children with developmental disabilities. Gasstrom was a longtime member of The Church in the Highlands as well as the Knights of Kaleva, Finnish American Chamber of Commerce and the Finlandia Foundation. He was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Valma Nylund; and son, John. Gasstrom is survived by his daughter, Lisa; sister, Mildred; son-in-law, Michael Mascari; and one grandson. Memorial contributions may be made to WARC, 121 Westmoreland Ave., White Plains, NY 10606.

1936

Oscar D. Ratnoff, hematologist, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on May 20, 2008. The son of a prominent Brooklyn pediatrician, Ratnoff was born in Manhattan. After receiving a medical degree from P&S in 1939, he taught at Harvard and Johns Hopkins. Ratnoff joined Case Western in 1952, was named a professor of medicine and remained active in research until 2001. In the late 1950s and early ’60s, he isolated several of the blood proteins involved in coagulation, known as factors, and thereby helped unravel the biochemical sequence, called the waterfall sequence or waterfall cascade, that leads to effective clotting. Ratnoff worked with a biochemist, Earl W. Davie, and their results, along with related work by British scientist R.G. MacFarland, were a groundbreaking step in the treatment of wounds, stroke and hemophilia. In the 1970s, before the advent of genetic testing, Ratnoff helped devise a more accurate method for detecting carriers of hemophilia. With a colleague at Case Western, Dr. Theodore Zimmerman, Ratnoff adapted an existing technique to use an antiserum derived from rabbits and combine it with a blood factor. Ratnoff is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marian; son, William; daughter, Martha Fleisher; and five grandchildren.

1938

Morton Albert, retired builder, Plantation, Fla., on June 17, 2008. Born in New York City, Albert was a builder on Long Island for 55 years. After retirement, he worked at The Treasure Coast Wildlife Hospital in Palm City, Fla. Albert was a member of the Mariner Sands Country Club. He is survived by his wife, Dianne; daughters, Eleanor Terlecki and Dorothy Testa; stepdaughters, Tracy and Meredith Maxwell; stepson, Richard Maxwell; sister, Aimee Natter; and three grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to The Treasure Coast Wildlife Hospital, 8438 S.W. 48th Ave., Palm City, FL 34990.

1939

Howard K. Kornahrens, retired v.p., South Bristol, Maine, on July 14, 2008. Kornahrens was born in Weehauken, N.J., on November 23, 1917. He worked for GE until enlisting in the Navy in 1942 as a destroyer officer. Kornahrens received the North Atlantic, European and Mediterranean Campaign ribbons. On D-Day, he was serving on the USS Carmick, which was one of the first ships at Omaha Beach. After being discharged in 1946, Kornahrens returned to GE, where he was eventually named v.p. and specialized in insurance and financial operations. He retired in 1980. Kornahrens enjoyed golf, and during his retirement served a term as treasurer at Wawenock Country Club and was on the South Bristol Planning Board. He was predeceased by a son, Howard II, and is survived by his wife, Marguerite; daughters, Holly Emmons, and her husband, Robert, and Heather Hendrix, and her husband, Philip; and three grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cove’s Edge Care Fund, c/o Cove’s Edge Nursing Home, 26 Schooner St., Damariscotta, ME 04543.

1942

Howard E. Phillips, retired engineer, Melbourne, Fla., on June 12, 2008. Phillips was born in Larchmont, N.Y., on September 14, 1920. He studied civil engineering at the College and served as a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps as a maintenance and repair officer during WWII. Phillips participated in West Coast war efforts and in the preparation for the Doolittle Raid in the Pacific Campaign. He was then assigned to multiple European Missions. After military service, he returned to work with petroleum companies abroad, and worked in China and West Africa on engineering pro­jects. Phillips worked for 40-plus years at Texaco on refineries, service station construction projects and environmental protection efforts throughout New England. He retired in the late 1990s and enjoyed fishing and travel. He was predeceased by his wife, Jean Heiberg Phillips, and is survived by his sons, Robert, David and Kenneth; daughter, Barbara Teague; and 11 grandchildren.

1943

Louis R. Gallagher, attorney, Unionville, N.Y., on July 19, 2008. Gallagher was born on March 1, 1920, in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 1942, he enlisted in the Navy as an ensign aboard ship in the Pacific Theater. He later attended Naval Flight School, but the war ended before his fly missions began. Gallagher returned to the College and completed his degree in 1947. In 1951, he earned an M.A. in education. For 12 years, Gallagher taught science in New York City and Orange County Schools, and in 1954 received a degree from Brooklyn Law School. In 1958, he and his family moved to Minisink, N.Y., where he operated a dairy farm and practiced law for 53 years, until his death. For the past 20 years, Gallagher practiced environmental, municipal and real estate law with his daughter, Carole, as the firm Gallagher & Gallagher. He was a member of the Orange County Bar Association and an avid and expert gardener. Gallagher is survived by his wife, Marie; daughter; son, William, and his wife, Karen; sister, Florence Buccini, and her husband, Ernest; and one grandchild.

1944

Everett J. Roach, senior executive, Solana Beach, Calif., on August 18, 2008. Born on October 6, 1922, in Stoughton, Mass., Roach played football under Lou Little, competed on the wrestling team, was president of his senior class, and earned a B.A. and B.S. (1947, Engineering School). Roach wrestled in the Olympic Trials and for the New York Athletic Club. He attended the Navy’s Officer Candidate School and served in Japan and the Pacific during WWII. Roach worked many years and in several cities for Western Electric Corp. as a senior executive. He was an avid and competitive sportsman and sailed competitively with the Dolphin Cove Yacht Club of Stamford, Conn. He won the Queen of Denmark Race. Roach is survived by his wife of 64 years, Evelyn; daughters, Marian Benassi and Anne Hunter, and her husband, Stephen; son, Everett, and his wife, Jennifer; brother, Stewart; and sister, Antrinett; as well as grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a daughter, Patricia. Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, 22512 Gateway Center Dr., Clarksburg, MD 20871, and to Columbia University, Alumni Relations, Columbia Alumni Center, 622 W. 113th St., New York, NY 10025.

1945

Donald K. Corwin, optometrist, Jacksonville, Fla., on March 26, 2007. Corwin entered with the Class of 1945 but earned a degree in 1950 from the Optometry School. A Navy veteran of WWII, he was born in Southampton, N.Y., where he was a member and former deacon of the First Presbyterian Church and Sunday School superintendent. Corwin was president of the Rotary and received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. He was a past master of the Masonic Lodge and president of the Rodgers Memorial Library and the Suffolk County Library Association in Southhampton. Corwin also was co-developer and past chairman of Carimar Beach Club, Anguilla, West Indies, and past chairman of the Victoria House in Grand Cayman. He is survived by his wife, Dot; sons, James and Raymond; daughter, Susan Mitchell; and a grandchild. Memorial contributions may be made to Rodgers Memorial Library, 91 Coppers Farm Rd., Southampton, NY 11968 or First Presbyterian Church, 2 S. Main St., Southampton, NY 11968.

1946

Nicholas J. Stathis, attorney, Jersey City, N.J., on September 5, 2008. Stathis earned a degree from the Law School in 1948 and was a partner at Botein Hays. He then joined White & Case, where he started the intellectual property division. A founder of the New York Chapter of the Federalist Society, Stathis was chairman of the lawyers division. He had a deep interest in the arts and was a participant and supporter. Stathis started an art school in the early l950s, and two of his oil paintings hang in the private quarters of the White House. He produced plays including Greek classics. Stathis also was a music lover and would see as many as 60 operas in a year, typically dressed in black tie. Stathis sponsored young singers and was a longtime member of the Metropolitan Opera Club. At his funeral, some of opera’s greats attended in tribute to him. “Nick was truly a Renaissance man,” said his friend, Bernard Sunshine ’46. Stathis is survived by, among others, a niece, Sylvia S. Clanton, and great-nephew.

1947

Leonard S. Danzig, physician, Little Silver, N.J., on August 20, 2008. Danzig was born on December 30, 1925, in Newark. He served in the Army in Europe during WWII. Danzig attended the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and had a fellowship in pulmonary physiology at Penn’s School of Medicine and a medical residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He encouraged lowfat diets and regular exercise, promoting this practice by riding his bicy­cle to and from his office. Danzig introduced skim milk in the public school and was an early anti-smoking advocate. He was a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians after obtaining board certification in internal medicine and cardiology. Danzig was president of the New Jersey Society of Internal Medicine and was active in the American Heart Association. He also was active in the Red Bank Rotary Club and was on the Little Silver Board of Education. Danzig is survived by his wife, Elaine Snyder Danzig; sons, Allen, and his wife, Lynn, Andrew ’82, and his wife, Nancy ’87, and Robert, and his wife, Lorraine; daughter, Anne Schneider, and her husband, Reed; sister, Charlotte Brauer; and six grandchildren.

1948

Robert A. Klath ’48 Robert A. Klath, retired v.p. of corporate planning, Duxbury, Mass., on September 16, 2008. Born on January 12, 1924, in NYC, Klath earned an M.S. in 1949 from the Business School, where he was a member of the Honorary Society Beta Gamma Sigma. Prior to finishing his education, Klath served in the U.S. Army Air Force (1943–46) as a first lieutenant, pilot. His service included the China, Burma, and India Theater of War, and 153 combat missions. He was awarded the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters. Klath was assistant to the president, corporate controller and v.p. of corporate planning with General Foods, where he worked from 1949–87. He served on a number of hospital and medical-related boards and committees and various condominium and cooperative residence boards. Klath retired in 1987. He has been a friend and owner of collies for more than 47 years and more recently a Shetland sheep dog. Klath is survived by his wife, Patricia A.T. (Smart) Klath; children, Barbara, David, Abigail, Gregory Dadarria, Christopher Dadarria and Patrick Dadarria; and four grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the U.S. Committee for UNICEF, 333 E. 38th St., New York, NY 10016.

1949

Norman R. Lucia ’49 Norman R. Lucia, retired deputy director of admissions, Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 13, 2008. Lucia was born in Ridgewood, N.Y., and studied at Teachers College. As a lieutenant colonel, he served in the Navy in WWII and with the Air Force for more than 20 years. He retired after serving as deputy director of admissions at the USAF Academy. Lucia was a member of the Rocky Mountain Consistory, Tejon Lodge and the Al Kaly Shrine. He is survived by his wife, Jane Lee; son, M. Scott, and his wife, Ann; daughter, Michelle Lucia Hadley; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three nieces; and a nephew. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 1275 Fairfax Rd., Salt Lake City, UT 84103.

1950

Arthur P. Roberts Jr., retired anesthesiologist, Seattle, on July 6, 2008. After being honorably discharged from military service in 1946, Roberts graduated from the College and then received his M.D. in 1955 from New York Medical College. From 1969–70, he was a research scientist studying aerospace medicine with NASA, and from 1970–71 was senior scientist with Lovelace Foundation, where he evaluated air transport pilots. Roberts was a staff anesthesiologist from 1971–93 and practiced medicine in New York, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Ohio and Washington. He received his light aircraft pilot license in 1968 and was a weekend sailor. Roberts is survived by his son, Arthur George; daughter, Emma Wilson, and her husband, Gary; and two grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent de Paul (www.svdpusa.org).

1951

Russell E. James, physician, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on August 7, 2008. James was born in Kingston, N.Y., on July 19, 1929. He earned his M.D. at Penn’s School of Medicine and served in the Navy. He retired as a lieutenant commander. James was a practicing physician for more than 30 years and a staff physician at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for more than 20 years, residing in Kingston for the majority of his life. He was a member of the Luzerne County Medical Society and the American Medical Association. James was predeceased by his wife, Phyllis, and is survived by his sons, Russell II, and his wife, Ann, and Mark; brother, Elmer; sister-in-law, Bernice Welliver; and four grandchildren.

1952

Peter E. Barry, physician, Cumberland Foreside, Maine, on July 5, 2008. Barry was born on December 7, 1930, in Frankfurt and immigrated to the United States in 1937. He was a 1956 graduate of P&S. Barry followed the New York Yankees closely and enjoyed opera music, reading and Highland Lake. He is survived by his wife, Pamelia; son, Elliot, and his wife, Bonnie; daughter, Nicole Dorn, and her husband, Kevin; sister, Rosemarie Fischer, and her husband, Anthony; and two granddaughters. Memorial contributions may be made to the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Arthritis Center, c/o Development Office, 116 Huntington Ave., 5th Fl., Boston, MA 02116.

John A. Blessing Jr., v.p., Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., on July 22, 2008. At the College, Blessing played varsity football and was named the most valuable member of the varsity heavyweight crew. He was employed for 32 years by the Commercial Credit Co. of Baltimore, ultimately becoming senior group v.p. Blessing was president of the American Fleet Leasing Association and a member of the American Legion Post 233, Palm Valley, Fla., serving two terms as commander. From September 1953–October 1955, during the Korean War, Blessing served in the Army as a sergeant. He was predeceased by his wife, Eleanor, and brother, Robert; and is survived by his sons, John III and David; brother, Charles; sister, Betty Shapren; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to American Legion Post 233, Palm Valley, Fla., or the American Cancer Society.

Leo L. Ward, businessman, Pottsville, Pa., on May 19, 2008. Born in Mechanicsville, Ward graduated from Pottsville H.S., where he excelled at football. At the College, Ward studied economics, continued his football career under coach Lou Little and was a member of Sigma Nu. Ward worked for many years with National Cash Register and later for Aetna Life & Casualty after receiving an M.B.A. from the University of Bridgeport. In the early 1970s, he established a private consulting business, Ward Associates, specializing in management training seminars for insurance companies, and he returned to Pottsville later that decade. He became active with the Historical Society of Schuylkill County and later was its president until his death. Ward was active in the restoration of the Henry Clay Monument and the Civil War Soldiers Monument, both in Pottsville, and authored a column in the late 1980s and early 1990s, “Historical Musings” for Pottsville’s newspaper, The Republican & Herald. He is survived by his wife, Jean Ann; sons, David and Stephen; two grandchildren; brother, Dale; sister, Faith Ann Curran; and former wife, Mary Jane Krebs Ward. Memorial contributions may be made to Historical Society of Schuylkill County, 305 N. Centre St., Pottsville, PA 17901.

1954

Bernard L. Varney, retired IRS agent, Memphis, on May 14, 2008. Varney was born in Grenoble, France, of an American father and a French mother. In 1939, he and his mother escaped the invasion of France by the Germans on the last ship that left the harbor of Bordeaux. Varney was a Marine Corps veteran. After being an insurance agent for many years, he worked for and retired from the IRS. Varney was an active member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church. With his wife as his partner, he also was an avid bridge player, and the couple reached the rank of silver master. Varney was fluent in four other languages, which eased his visits to six continents, 50 countries and 49 of the 50 states. Varney is survived by his wife of 38 years, Virginia Deedee Varney; children, Elizabeth Rustman, Susan Delosua and her husband, Jim, Lynnell Calkins and her husband, Ken, Lauren Adams, Jim Flynn and his wife, Anna, Jef Flynn, Laina Haff and her husband, Richard, and John Flynn and his wife, Pam; 19 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Memphis and/or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

1958

Ralph D. Feigin, pediatrician, Houston, on August 14, 2008. Feigin was born in New York City on April 3, 1938. He earned his M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine, completed a pediatric internship at the Boston City Hospital and was a resident at the Boston City Hospital and at Massachusetts General Hospital. Feigin completed a research assignment with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and was chief resident of the Children’s Service at Massachusetts General. Feigin joined the faculty of the Washington University School of Medicine in 1968 and served there until 1977. He then was appointed the J.S. Abercrombie Professor of Pediatrics and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine and physician-in-chief of Texas Children’s Hospital (also serving Baylor as its president from 1996–2003) and remained at these institutions until his death. He is survived by his wife, Judith Zobel Feigin; children, Susan Feigin Harris, and her husband, Jon; Michael, and his wife Barbara, and Debra Feigin Sukin, and her husband Steven; and six grandchildren. For more on Feigin’s life and work, or to make a memorial contribution to the Ralph D. Feigin Memorial Fund, visit www.rememberingdrfeigin.org.

1960

Serge F. Angiel ’60Serge F. Angiel ’60Serge F. Angiel, retired educator, ski patroller, Springfield, N.J., on August 27, 2008. Born in Paris, Angiel came to the United States in 1940. He earned B.A., M.A. and Ed.D. degrees from Columbia and was principal of Columbia H.S., Maplewood, N.J. from 1973–80. From 1980–93, Angiel was superintendent in the Emerson, N.J., school district. He was a volunteer ski patroller and former director of the Southern New York Region of the Eastern Division of the National Ski Patrol. Angiel traveled frequently throughout his life and spent many summers in France and Greece. He is survived by his wife, Christine; daughter, Nicole ’93; brother, Pierre; and a granddaughter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Memorial/Scholarship Fund, National Ski Patrol, Eastern Division, c/o David Nelson, 2 Terrace Rd., Boonton, NJ 07005.

1962

Thomas C. Shapiro Sr., geologist, computer engineer and photographer, Dickerson, Md., on July 21, 2008. Shapiro was born in New York City on May 10, 1939. He is survived by his wife, Dawn; son, Thomas; daughter, Janice Bauroth, and her husband, Craig; sister, Harriet; brother, James; and five grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the ALS Association, 7507 Standish Pl., Rockville, MD 20855.

1969

Robert S. Norman, copyeditor and musician, Lawrence, N.J., on May 4, 2008. Born in New London, Conn., Norman was a New Jersey resident since 1994, after living in NYC for 30 years. He graduated from the College with a degree in English literature and was a copy editor for Business Week for 20 years, but his passion was music; he was a songwriter and folksinger for more than 30 years. From 1970–77, Norman was editor-in-chief of Sing Out! magazine and was on its board until 1990. His CD titles include Romantic Nights on the Upper Westside; To the Core; Love, Lust and Lilacs; and Time Takin’ Man. Norman’s music fused varied influences of blues, country, contemporary folk and classical guitar, and he wrote about topics ranging from the streets of New York to local life in Lawrence. He is survived by his wife, Clara Haignere; son, Samuel Norman-Haignere; a nephew; and two nieces. He was predeceased by a brother, Jon. Memorial contributions may be made to Sing Out! magazine, PO Box 5460, Bethlehem, PA 18015 or to Westminster Conservatory Young Artist’s Program, “In memory of Bob Norman,” Westminster Conservatory, Attn.: Sandra Franc, 101 Walnut Ln., Princeton, NJ 08540.

James R. Quattrocchi, certified financial planner, North Kingstown, R.I., on July 15, 2008. Born in Providence, Quattrocchi earned a degree in 1970 from the Business School before becoming a certified financial planner. He was president of Centre Court Tennis Club in East Providence, where he hosted many charitable events. Quattrocchi is survived by his wife, Rebecca; and brother, John III.

1973

Robert A. Musicant, attorney, Wilton, Conn., on August 3, 2008. After earning a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in biological psychology, Musicant decided to become a lawyer and earned a J.D. from UCLA. He then worked in a variety of legal fields, ultimately devoting his career to the representation of poor and underprivileged individuals seeking to obtain or protect Social Security disability benefits via his private practice. After contracting an autoimmune disorder, Musicant devoted substantial time and resources to investigating treatments of these conditions and in that capacity served on the executive board of the Lupus Foundation of America, Connecticut Chapter. Musicant played chess competitively for many years, and in 1990 along with his friend, Chris Potts, he organized a chess club for children at the Norwalk Public Library. Musicant was chess tournament director and a founder of the Norwalk Knights Chess Club. He was a frequent contributor to the letters to the editor pages of several newspapers, including The New York Times. Musicant is survived by his wife, Aurora Campanella Musicant; and sister, Judith. Memorial contributions may be made to the APS Foundation of America (www.APSFA.org).

Lisa Palladino, Gordon Chenoweth Sauer III ’11 Arts

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