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Jean Lowery Wells ’30
Jean Lowery Wells ’30, in April 29, 1995, in Princeton, New Jersey. After graduation from Reed, she taught high school in Newberg, Oregon, for several years. She married Kenneth Wells ’30 in the Eliot Hall chapel in 1932 and the couple lived in Portland until 1940. They then spent three years in Medford and three years in Eugene before moving to White Plains, New York, in 1945. In 1952, they settled in Princeton, New Jersey. Jean worked for many years with Opinion Research Corporation as a proofreader and in other capacities. She was active in various civic affairs, including the Red Cross, Recording for the Blind, and United Way. She and her husband were members of the Unitarian Fellowship. After retirement, the couple traveled in Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Hawaii, as well as making several trips back to Portland. In addition to her husband, she is survived by their son, Roger B. Wells ’63.
Alice Hungerford Waggoner ’38
Alice Hungerford Waggoner ’38, April 27, 1995, in Portland. She attended Reed from 1934 to 1936 and then left when her husband, Deward Waggoner ’36, entered graduate school at the University of Michigan. After he graduated, they returned to Portland, and during the war she was employed by local government nursery schools. When she and her husband divorced, she went to New York City to study at the Parsons School of Design, and then returned again to Portland, where she worked as an interior decorator for Meier & Frank. She then took a job with Alda Jourden, a Portland portrait photographer. She became a professional photographer, joined the Oregon Camera Club, and occasionally exhibited her work at local art shows. After the death of her employer, she returned to working with young children, working in a cooperative preschool in Portland and for migrant children's programs during the summers. She took classes in early childhood education at Portland State University, and for nine years she operated her own kindergarten program in northeast Portland. In retirement, she continued to volunteer with the First Unitarian Fellowship's Sunday day care program. She is survived by her son, a daughter, two sisters, a brother, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Anne Gray Walrod ’71
Anne Gray Walrod ’71, June 4, 1994, in Berkeley, California. She attended Reed for one year in 1970–71 and transferred to Sarah Lawrence College, where she received her BA. She earned a master's degree in liberal studies from Mills College in 1988. At the time of her death, she was a docent in the Oakland Art Museum. Survivors include her husband, Stephen Walrod MAT ’71, two sons, parents John and Betty Gray of Portland, three sisters, and a brother.
David F. Williams ’56
David F. Williams ’56, February 25, 1995, in Milwaukie, Oregon. After graduating from Reed he worked for three years as a management analyst for the state of Oregon's finance department. He attended graduate school in the philosophy department at the University of Minnesota for two years and then worked for the university as a management analyst. In 1964, he was employed by the University of California as an administrative analyst in the business and finance department. In 1978, he moved to Bend, Oregon, where he worked for the business office of Central Oregon Community College as a systems analyst. In later years, he worked part time as a van driver. Survivors include his son, Christopher.
Barbara Wickham Garretson ’48
Barbara Wickham Garretson ’48, January 10, 1996, in Yakima, Washington. After graduating, she married James B. Garretson ’43, and the couple settled in his hometown of Yakima, Washington. She was a homemaker who raised three children, and she was also involved in a family fruit-growing and shipping business. Survivors include two sons and a daughter. James died in 1984.
Spencer H. Wyant ’66
Spencer H. Wyant ’66, of lung disease, April 10, 1999, in Aptos, California. After graduating from Reed he studied at the University of Washington and then joined the staff of the Washington Education Association. This work, and the birth of his first child, awakened his passion to improve schools. To this end he entered the doctoral program in educational psychology at the University of Oregon, specializing in organizational development in schools. He earned his doctorate in 1974 and spent the next decade working with school districts in Oregon, Colorado, Alaska, and California in communication. In 1981 he settled in Santa Cruz, California, and in 1985 he became transit research analyst for the Santa Cruz Metro Transit District. He remained with that agency until his retirement due to ill health in 1997. He was an active volunteer in his community, enjoyed walking and hiking, and was an avid reader. He was married while at Reed to Karen Maxwell Ende ’66; the couple later divorced. He remarried in 1989. Survivors include his wife, a son, a daughter, a stepdaughter, a stepson, a sister, a brother, and one grandchild.
Henrietta Willick Burcham ’41
Henrietta Willick Burcham ’41, May 7, 1999, in La Canada, California.
Margery Washburn Horsfall ’28
Margery Washburn Horsfall ’28, January 16, 1998, in Whittier, California. After graduating, she was a laboratory assistant at Reed for a year. She then entered the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana, and earned a master’s degree in zoology in 1930 and a PhD in parasitology in 1937. During this time, she worked as a lab assistant in the zoology department. In 1930, she married Bruce Horsfall ’30, and in 1934 he joined her at the University of Illinois where he also pursued a PhD. In 1934–37, she worked as a junior parasitologist for the U.S. Bureau of Animal Husbandry in Beltsville, Maryland, and published papers on the life histories of bird parasites. In 1938, the Margery and Bruce moved to Rochester, New York, where they had three children and she was primarily a homemaker. They moved to Whittier, California, in 1947 and Margery was active in the Girl Scouts, Meals on Wheels, the Audubon Society, Literacy Volunteers, and other activities. In 1963, they moved to Placentia, California, and after retirement they enjoyed travel, rockhounding, mountain climbing, and volunteering. After her husband’s death in 1991, she moved to a retirement community in Placentia. Survivors include two sons, including Robert B. Horsfall III ’63; and a daughter.
Jacob Joseph Weinstein ’39
Jacob Joseph Weinstein ’39, December 18, 1998, in Salem, Oregon. He was a retired fiscal auditor who had worked in the office of the Oregon Secretary of State for many years.
Virginia Warner Brodine ’37
Virginia Warner Brodine ’37, May 12, 2000, in Roslyn, Washington. She was a writer and lifelong activist in causes of political and social justice. She attended Reed for three years and later attended Cornish School of the Arts, in Seattle. While in Seattle, she worked in a variety of domestic and office jobs, an experience that encouraged her to join with others to organize the Household Employees League, under the auspices of the YWCA. In 1941, she married Russell Brodine, a musician, and they moved to Los Angeles. She worked as a reporter and columnist for the Daily People’s World during the war and published several short stories. During the McCarthy era, her husband’s political activities put him on studio blacklists, so they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he obtained a position with the symphony. She worked as a copy editor for Mosby Publishing Company and was public relations director for the regional office of the Ladies Garment Workers Union for six years. She helped found the Committee for Environmental Information and in 1962–69 edited its monthly publication, Nuclear Information, which later became the magazine Environment. In 1978, she and her husband moved back to Washington, where they were active in the peace and nuclear freeze movements and in environmental protection efforts. She was the author of two books on environmental issues: Air Pollution and Radioactive Contamination, published in 1972 and 1975 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Her historical novel, Seed of the Fire, about Irish immigrants in the U.S. in the 1820s, was published in 1996 by International Publishers. At the time of her death, she was working on a second novel. Survivors include her husband, daughter Cynthia Brodine Snow ’65; a son, and three granddaughters.
Yvonne Belle Welling Messick ’52
Yvonne Welling Messick ’52, January 12, 2000, in Anacortes, Washington. She attended Reed for two years and continued her education at Roosevelt University, Chicago, where she earned a BA in sociology. While in Chicago, she worked as an advocate in race relations for the American Friends Service Committee. In 1955, she moved to Washington, her home state, where she met and married her husband, Buzz Messick, and completed a master’s in social work at the University of Washington. She worked for 35 years as a social worker with Children’s Protective Services, Department of Social and Health Services, retiring in 1995 as a supervisor. In retirement, she was an active volunteer in Skagit County, serving on the Anacortes Museum Board and as a docent for the Museum of Northwest Art in LaConner. She was an avid gardener and also enjoyed visits to the opera and local museums. Survivors include two daughters, her father, and a brother.
Herman J. Weinreb ’72
Herman J. Weinreb ’72 died suddenly on April 14, 2000, in New York City. He was a clinical associate professor of neurology at the New York University School of Medicine. After graduating from Reed, he did graduate work in psychology at the University of Chicago and studied medicine at Rutgers University. He received his MD from the Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, New Jersey, in 1980, specializing in neurology. Prior to joining the faculty at New York University, he was chief of neurology services of the Manhattan Veterans Administration Medical Center, where he was credited with fostering linkages between the psychiatry and neurology departments. He joined the staff of New York University School of Medicine in 1994, and in 1998 was appointed chief of the division of neuroscience at the Hospital for Joint Diseases, Orthopedic Institute. He was known as an engaging teacher and a devoted physician, and for his generosity and humor. He is survived by his wife.
Raymond E. Wilson ’37
Raymond Wilson ’37, January 6, 1998, in Grand Junction, Colorado. He held a PhD in physics from the University of Washington and was a physicist in the aerospace industry for most of his career. During World War II, he worked as a civilian physicist for the U.S. Navy and at Boeing in Seattle. He later worked at the National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C., and also taught physics at George Washington University. In 1955, his wife’s health precipitated a move to a drier climate, and they relocated to Tucson, Arizona, where he joined the missile systems organization of Hughes Aircraft Company. With the exception of two years with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, he remained with Hughes in Tucson and Los Angeles until retiring in 1975 as senior scientist, missile systems division. His interests outside his career were many. He was active in St. Mark Episcopal Church in Durango and also volunteered many hours with Mercy Medical Center. He also held an amateur radio license and communicated regularly with friends and stations around the world. Survivors include a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren. His wife died in 1997.
Herbert G. Wilcox ’57
Herbert Wilcox ’57, of lung cancer, February 16, 2001, in Princeton, New Jersey. He earned a master’s degree in political science at Yale in 1959 and a PhD from New York University in 1966. He was a professor of political science at California State College, Fullerton, until 1968, when he joined the faculty of West Virginia University. He retired in 1990. In 1968, he published an article, "Cultural Trait and Hierarchy in Middle Class Children," for which he received the William E. Mosher Award from the American Society of Public Administrators for the best article in the field of public administration. He was elected president of the West Virginia Public Employees Association in 1971. He is survived by a daughter and a granddaughter.
Frank L. Weber ’42
Frank L. Weber ’42, April 24, 2002, in Portland. He earned a degree in dentistry from North Pacific Dental College, and during the Korean War he served in the Army Dental Corps. He was in private general dentistry practice in Portland for more than 30 years. Survivors include his wife; two daughters; a son; and six grandchildren.
Franklin C. West ’56
Franklin West ’56, March 17, 2002, in Portland, after a long illness. He was professor emeritus in the history department at Portland State University. After graduating from Reed, he earned a master’s degree in history at the University of Oregon in 1958 and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1970. Prior to joining the faculty at Portland State University in the mid ’60s, he taught at Reed and at Northwestern University. His specialty was German history; and at PSU he taught one of the first classes in the United States on the Holocaust, a subject he continued to teach for the rest of his career. He also pioneered classes in film and history, using feature movies as historical documents. He had a reputation as one of the university’s best teachers, well loved and respected by students and colleagues alike. He was the author of several books, including A Crisis of the Weimer Republic: The German Referendum of 20 June 1926, published in 1986, a study of the instability of Germany’s short-lived republic in the years before Hitler’s rise to power. Survivors include his wife, a daughter, and a sister.
Earl Lawrence Wong ’53
Earl Lawrence Wong ’53, December 27, 2002, in Portland. Earl attended Reed and continued his studies at the University of Portland, Mt. Angel Seminary, and St. Paul Seminary in Oregon. He worked as an athletic referee for Portland, Clackamas County, and Washington County schools. He is survived by his wife, Juliana Louie; three sons and a daughter; three grandchildren; and a sister and brother.
James J. Walsh ’49
James Jerome Walsh ’49, February 24, 2003, in Suffern, New York. After his first year at Reed, James entered the U.S. Army, and was stationed in Italy with the 34th Signal Corps. From there he addressed his continued interest in the college in a letter to Professor Rex Arragon [history 1923–62; 1970–74]: "We, all of us, had a vision there, and I am sure that those of us who have seen a few of the bases of life in cold reality hold what we saw and did and hoped there as all-important. Certainly I do." James returned to Reed, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history. He went to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and earned a second BA in history in 1951. His MA from Oxford in 1956 was also in history, and he earned a fellowship to Columbia University, from which he received his PhD in philosophy in 1960. James retired from Columbia in 1990 as an emeritus professor of philosophy. At Columbia, his teaching career was dotted with fellowships. For 18 years he worked as director, and 7 as chairman, of Columbia’s graduate studies. Additionally he served as editor of the Journal of Philosophy, published numerous articles, and was on the executive committee of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy. His education, career, and personal goals were supported in their entirety by his wife, Carol Jean Paton Walsh ’49, with whom he enjoyed the full extent of life’s experiences, including raising two sons, and traveling and hiking, until 1998, when the rare Parkinson’s disease she had developed required that she live in a nursing facility. At the end of his life, James was devoted to the care of Carol; he wrote haiku and painted; and he observed the wildlife near his home in Suffern, or sat a lot "with the encouragement of Phil Whalen [’51]." Walsh maintained contact with faculty and other members of the Reed community, and particularly sought to honor Edwin Garlan [philosophy 1946–73] in the classroom, the coffee shop, and in his home. James wrote, "The Reed ethos (including the unconventional lifestyle) does not proceed without its pains and problems, but they are worthwhile."
Katharine White Cooke ’41
Katherine White Baker Cooke ’41, November 28, 2003, in Victoria, B.C., from lung disease. Katherine received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Reed. After graduating she returned to the East Coast, married a merchant seaman, Ed Cooke, and ran a dairy and chicken farm while raising three children. Following divorce, Katherine enrolled at Cornell University, working part time, and earning a doctorate in rural sociology in 1965. After learning about an opportunity for work in Canada, she moved with her children to Ottawa. She worked for the Department of Forestry and Rural Development, received Canadian citizenship in 1969, and also worked for the Department of Regional Economic Expansion. Katherine was appointed president of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women two years later. She served as director of research at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, retiring in 1983, after which she moved to Victoria, B.C. In retirement she was active with Victoria’s Bridges for Women Society, and contributed to the Federal Task Force on Child Care. Cooke was considered one of Canada’s leading advocates for women’s rights, and a woman ahead of her time. She was described as being a person of integrity, honesty, and courage, who was passionate about the quality of equity for every individual. Cooke served on numerous professional organizations, including the Social Sciences Federation of Canada, and the Canadian Anthropology and Sociology Association. A recipient of many honors and awards, she received lifetime membership in the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women; honorary life membership from the Victoria Status of Women Action Group; the Governor General's Persons Award; a Woman of Distinction Award; and an honorary doctor of law, conferred by the University of Victoria in 1991, for her "devotion to the service of others." Katherine was fluent in numerous languages and traveled extensively. She is survived by her daughter and two sons, and a grandchild.
Carol Jean Paton Walsh ’49
Carol Jean Paton Walsh ’49, January 21, 2004, in New York. Carol received a bachelor’s degree from Reed in anthropology and philosophy, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. She earned a master’s degree with honors from Columbia University School of Library Sciences, and worked not only as assistant librarian at Suffern Free Library, but was reference librarian for the New Milford (New Jersey) Public Library, pioneering library services for the deaf. "As a small-town reference librarian," she wrote, "I have thanked my lucky stars many times for those humanities courses, one semester of etymology, and the inter-divisional major [at Reed]. (We call ourselves the last of the generalists.)" Carol was active in the League of Women Voters. She was an accomplished singer, who performed with the Bach Chorale of Oxford University. In 1946 she married James J. Walsh ’49, and they had two sons. At the end of her life, Carol developed advanced dementia from Parkinson’s disease. She is survived by her sons, four grandchildren, a brother and two sisters. James Walsh predeceased her.
David Rhys Williams ’44
David Rhys Williams ’44, January 16, 2004, in Portland. David attended Reed for a year, and completed his undergraduate education at Stanford University before entering law school at the University of Oregon. His schooling was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army in Italy in World War II. He was decorated for valor in combat. After the war, he resumed his education and developed a career as an attorney. David's mountain training for military service served as an incentive to be a recreational skier, and he competed for downhill and jumping events. He also represented the U.S. in Gordon Cup Senior tennis doubles events. Other interests included singing in the Bohemians men’s choir, coaching little league, and playing competitive bridge. He is survived by his wife, Donna, his son and daughter, four grandchildren, and a sister.
Margaret Frances Williams ’23
Margaret Frances Williams ’23, August 25, 1990. Margaret earned a BA in history from Reed, later noting that it was the "most prestigious thing" she ever did. In fall 1923, she joined George Axtell ’16 and two other teachers as the Parkdale (Oregon) High School faculty. She taught at Parkdale for three years. In 1924 she married Howard Williams ’24, and traveled with him to national parks with a trailer and a movie camera. They taught for nine years in western and eastern Oregon before moving to California. Margaret did graduate work at UCLA, and taught in Los Angeles area high schools until her retirement at 65. Margaret and Howard had one daughter and five grandchildren with whom they spent many delightful years. Margaret devoted time to community interests and politics, the AAUW, the Unitarian church, and local library programs. Howard predeceased her.
Mary Justine Woodworth ’31
Mary Justine Woodworth ’31, December 28, 1997, in Massachusetts. Mary described her education prior to Reed as "broken," due to her family moving many times in the U.S. and abroad. She began formal schooling at the age of 11 and achieved academic honor. Mary was at Reed for two years, when a family move to Boston required that she transfer. She earned an AB in French and Italian literature ("as there was no room in any other department") from Radcliffe College in 1932, and an AM in French from Boston University in 1934. She studied preschool education at Eliot Pearson School, then an affiliate of Boston University, from 1935 to 1942. Mary worked as a telephone operator before becoming director of a cooperative nursery school for seven years, augmenting income needs by teaching summer camp. For two years she worked at a co-op nursery school that she initiated in North Andover, Massachusetts; and secured a firm foundation teaching in public schools for 20 years. The North Pembroke parent and teacher organization developed the Mary Woodworth Scholarship for college-bound students who had attended the elementary school in which Mary taught.
Mabel Ellen Wilkes Holt ’32
Mabel Ellen Wilkes Holt ’32, April 4, 2005, in Portland. Mabel received a bachelor's degree from Reed in sociology, and then studied at the Northwestern University School of Social Service Administration, earning a master's degree with an emphasis on pediatric psychology. She worked at the Atascadero State Hospital in Paso Robles, California, before returning to Oregon and serving as director of the Boys & Girls Aid Society in Portland. She married Harold Holt, who predeceased her. Survivors include two brothers and her extended family.
Althea Wolcott Keyes ’56
Althea Wolcott Keyes ’56, March 2, 2005, in Portland. Althea received a BA in psychology from Reed, and married David F. Keyes ’56 that same year. They had four children. In 1969, she received an MA in education and guidance from California State College at Northridge. She worked as an office assistant for DFK Associates, played the oboe in the Marylhurst Symphony, and was symphony librarian. At 65, she reported that Reed had given her a "thirst for knowledge that is still not sated." She studied medieval English literature and German at Portland State University. "I find joy in playing with ideas, and seeing how they connect. It is a Reed legacy." Survivors include her husband, three daughters and son, six grandchildren, and a brother.
Eleanor Wright McDole ’33
Eleanor Wright McDole ’33, December 29, 2002, in California. Eleanor received a BA from Reed in general literature, then earned a second BA in library science from the University of Washington in 1932. She spent a few months cataloging books for Grays Harbor Junior College before joining the staff of the Library Association of Portland, where she worked for five years. In 1939, Eleanor and Inez Brownlee ’29 took on a freighter trip to South America, traveling through Central America, and disembarking in Peru. In 1940, she married Ewell E. McDole, a chemical engineer she met in Peru; they lived in an oil company camp in Negritos, Peru, for three years. Back in the U.S. in 1943, they lived in Washington, and later in California and West Virginia, before retiring to Danville, California. On business and pleasure, the couple and their son and daughter, traveled to Canada, Mexico, Asia, Australia, and the Fiji Islands.
Barbara Pierce Wilkinson ’37
Barbara Pierce Wilkinson ’37, May 5, 2005, on Mercer Island, Washington. Barbara earned a BA from Reed in economics. In 1938, she married Dudley Wilkinson; they moved to Mercer Island in 1950 with their three children. Wilkinson enjoyed hiking, camping, and traveling especially to the Oregon and Washington coasts. She was a member of the Mercer Island PEO, the Garden Club, and she also belonged to bridge and book clubs. She and her husband were charter members of the Mercer Island Presbyterian Church. Barbara was a “warm, gracious, loving presence.” Survivors include two daughters; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and her brother and sister-in-law, Sam Pierce and Lucille Harris Pierce, class of 1943.
Garrard E. A. Wyld ’41
Garrard E. A. Wyld ’41, December 9, 2004, in Spokane, Washington. Garry received a BA from Reed in chemistry, and an MS from the University of Iowa (1943), and PhD from the University of Illinois (1949), in analytical chemistry. He married Mary Batey, a fellow chemistry student at the University of Illinois, and they had two children. Wyld worked as a senior staff research chemist for the Shell Development Company in Houston, and spent a year at the company’s research laboratory in Amsterdam; he retired in 1983. In retirement he was a consulting chemist for Analytical Quality Systems and director of Interface Design in Houston. In 1989, he and his wife relocated to Washington, living in Des Moines and Spokane. His cousin Henry W. Wyld ’49 also graduated from Reed.
Frances D. White Kehrli ’26
Frances D. White Kehrli ’26, June 5, 1998, in California. Frances received a BA from Reed in general literature. She worked as a library assistant, before returning to school and earning BS in library science from the University of Washington. She worked in Seattle, and then took positions with the Portland Public Library, and the Oregon Journal. In 1937, she married Walter M. Kehrli ’29; they moved to Oakland, California, where they had a son and daughter. After World War II, the family moved to San Jose. Frances was a librarian for a nursing school and also for a doctor’s library at a local hospital. In retirement, she drove for the Home Meal Service of Santa Clara County, delivering meals to shut-ins and senior citizens. Walter died in 1967.
Rudie Wilhelm, Jr. ’37
Rudie Wilhelm Jr. ’37, March 9, 2006, in Portland. At 16, Rudie had taken a summer voyage to Japan, China, and the Philippines—inspiring a lifelong interest in Asia. At Reed, he was selected to be a delegate to the first-ever Japan-America Student Conference in Tokyo, and a year later, chaired the conference. He received a BA from Reed in political science, and following graduation, embarked on a world tour. He then spent three years with the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. In 1940, he returned to Portland to work in the family business, Rudie Wilhelm Warehouse Company. During World War II, he served with Ninth Air Force in Egypt, Libya, England, and France, and earned the Bronze Star. In 1945, he took over the family warehouse operation. His work for Reed included service in the alumni association (1941–42; 1946–49) and as a member of the board of trustees (1962–66). Rudie spent 12 years in the Oregon State legislature, beginning in 1946, when he was elected to the House of Representatives. Among many accomplishments during his tenure, he is credited for introducing Oregon’s first fair employment practice measure, and for introducing the legislation that created Portland State University. His community interests brought him prominent positions with the Portland Chamber of Commerce, the Portland City Club, and Associated Oregon Industries; he was a board member of the Oregon Symphony and Historical Society; and was chair of the advisory council for Oregon Health and Sciences University. In 1982, he was awarded the Fourth Class of the Order of the Rising Sun by Emperor Hirohito of Japan for his work with the Japan Society of America and the Japanese Garden Society in Portland. Survivors include three daughters and two sons, 16 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and his brother.
Harold A. Wolf ’53
Harold A. Wolf ’53, October 19, 2004, in Texas. During World War II, Hal served in the U.S. Navy, returning to Oregon in 1947. He attended Reed for a year, and received a BA from the University of Oregon in 1951. From the University of Michigan, he earned an MA in 1952 and a PhD in 1958. He was elected to Beta Gamma Sigma and Pi Gamma Mu honoraries. His career in teaching began at Lehigh University, and included the University of Colorado–Boulder (1958–67), and the University of Texas–Austin (1967–94). He retired as emeritus professor in 1994. Hal developed a consulting practice with a number of financial institutions, and with the U.S. Postal Service, Southern Union Gas Company, and Lone Star Gas Company. Within the judicial system, he demonstrated expertise in the issues surrounding interest payments on mortgage escrow accounts. He wrote numerous articles for business journals, and published textbooks, including 10 editions of Personal Finance (Allyn & Bacon, 1964). In 1961, he married Jeanette Dunn; they had a daughter and son.
Joseph Roger Wahner ’49
Joseph Roger Wahner ’49, February 25, 2007, in Portland, from lung cancer. Joseph received a BA from Reed in political science. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army in Europe. In 1952, he married Sylvia Matson. Joseph was a social worker for Multnomah and Clackamas counties for 25 years, and was supervisor of the State of Oregon Children’s Services Division. Survivors include two daughters and two grandchildren. His wife died in 1993.
Benjamin Mather Woodbridge Jr. ’36
Benjamin Mather Woodbridge Jr. ’36, March 18, 2007, in Oakland, California. Benjamin arrived at Reed at the age of seven. His father, Benjamin M. Woodbridge, was professor of Romance languages at the college for 30 years [1922–52], and his mother, Marguerite, graduated from Reed in 1933 and taught French at the college in 1940–50. Benjamin Woodbridge Jr. received a BA from Reed in Romance philology, and went to Harvard for graduate work, earning an MA in 1937. His studies took him to England, France, and Belgium—from which he fled during the German invasion of 1939. In 1942, he went to Brazil, where he met Maria de Lourdes Prestes d’Albuquerque; they married in 1944, and had two children. Benjamin completed a PhD in Romance philology from Harvard in 1949. He taught in the Spanish and Portuguese department at UC Berkeley, retiring in 1982. He also taught French for the National Defense Education Act Institute’s summer program, and led a study abroad program in Portugal for CUNY. In 1960, he married Mary Sylvia Neves; they lived in Oakland for 40 years, and enjoyed traveling and backpacking in the West, and extensive travels abroad in Portugal, the Azores, and Greece. Benjamin's interests also were in theatre and in performing dramatic readings. In 1993, he wrote: “If I had to choose today between Reed and graduate school, I would opt for Reed. Its values of teaching have meant more to me than the values of research promoted by graduate schools. Ave, alma mater!” Survivors include his son and daughter; and his sister, Isabelle Woodbridge Leggett ’38. Mary Neves Woodbridge died in 2005.
Elizabeth Miriam Jones West ’28
Elizabeth Miriam Jones West ’28, February 23, 2005, in Portland. Elizabeth attended Reed for two years before transferring to the University of Oregon, where she earned her AB in 1928. In 1946, she earned an MA from the university. She taught school in Coos County, Oregon, and then at Gresham Union High School for 35 years. In 1950, she married Frederick Foster West ’17; he died in 1970.
Helen Wheeler Hastay ’39
Helen Wheeler Hastay ’39, February 1, 2009, at Pullman Regional Hospital in Pullman, Washington, following a brief illness. Helen was inspired to enroll at Reed after spending some time in a residence hall with her sister, Margaret Jean Wheeler ’26, and viewing little butter dishes in commons, she told Nancy Stewart Green ’51 in an oral history interview in 2001. The youngest of four children that included brothers George Wheeler ’29 and Donald N. Wheeler ’35, Helen grew up in White Bluffs, Washington, where her parents had a fruit orchard. Intellectually precocious throughout her public school years, she entered Reed at 16. Reed history professor Reginald Arragon [1923–62; 1970–74] and his family provided room and board for Helen in their home in exchange for cooking and dishwashing duties. In her first-year contemporary society class, she met Millard W. Hastay ’41; they married in 1937. Millard worked for the highway department, while Helen completed a BA from Reed in general literature. She then taught high school English in Halfway, Oregon (1939–41), while Millard completed his BA. They lived in Palo Alto, California, for three years, where she was a telephone exchange operator, while Millard did graduate studies at Stanford. For the next 14 years, they lived in New York City; Millard earned a PhD at Columbia University and worked at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and Helen cared for their two sons. Their next move took them to Pullman, where Helen resumed her teaching (1964–77). To certify for teaching in Washington, she took a fifth year of college work that included “a totally new, totally engrossing experience”: studio art. “I had always imagined art to be something beyond me. When I approached it without fear of grades or failing, it opened a new world—as snorkeling did much later, when for the first time, on Maui, I saw the glory of the undersea world.” Dancing had been one of the highlights of Helen's life at Reed, and she and Millard enjoyed square and round dancing into their late 70s. In 1981, they moved to Grapeview, Washington, and in 2006, returned to Pullman. Survivors include Millard, and the couple's sons and four granddaughters.
Frank Manley Warren, Trustee
Frank Manley Warren, an emeritus member of the Reed board of trustees, died January 22, 2009, in Portland. He was born in Portland, earned a BS from Stanford in engineering and an MBA from Harvard. Following receipt of the MBA, he went to work for Portland General Electric Company. He joined U.S. Army Transportation Forces in 1942 and returned to work at PGE after World War II. In 1955, he was appointed company president, and retired in 1980. He also served as director of U.S. National Bank of Portland, the Portland Library Association, and the Portland Community Chest. Frank was chairman of the Port of Portland and president of the Arlington Club and the Waverly Country Club. He joined the Reed board of trustees in 1949, actively serving until 1978. In 1969, he was appointed to Oregon Board of Education, and served for eight years. He also was on the board of Tektronix. Outside of his employment and community commitments, he found time to golf, do woodworking, and to excel as an airplane pilot. Frank was married to Jean Miner for 62 years; she died in 1997. Survivors include his wife, Margaret Kappes Warren; a son and two daughters; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Laurance Wood Wallace ’67
Laurance Wood Wallace ’67, July 23, 2002. Larry attended Reed, but did not graduate. He lived primarily in the Los Angeles, California, area.
James Thompson Walls III ’41
James Thompson Walls III ’41, October 1, 2002, in New York. Jim received a BA from Reed in general literature. He attended graduate school at UC Berkeley, where he was an instructor in philosophy. He worked for the San Francisco Chronicle, was a press officer and information director for the Peace Corps, and also worked for the Population Council in New York City.
Floreen Lillian Hovgaard Warner ’50
Floreen Lillian Hovgaard Warner ’50, February 27, 2008, in Modesto, California. Heidi attended Reed for two years, later earning a BA from California State University at Stanislaus in history (1979). In 1946, she married William L. Warner ’47; they lived in Washington, D.C., for several years. She worked in D.C., and also continued her undergraduate studies at American and George Washington universities. The couple moved to Modesto in 1951 and raised three sons. Heidi was the first woman to be appointed planning commissioner for the city of Modesto (1957-68). She considered her greatest achievement to be the establishment of a cultural center, the McHenry Museum, in 1972. For 24 years, she served as the museum coordinator. She received many awards for her civic work and business leadership, including Woman of the Year from the Modesto Business and Professional Women's Club in 1966; and the Liberty Bell Award, presented by the Stanislaus County Bar Association in 1974. She was a person of vision and dedication, who supported the success of women in the workplace. Professional associations included membership on the board of directors of the Stanislaw, Oakland, and California historical societies, and membership with the California Museum Association. Her passion extended to tennis and travel—two pleasures she combined when she traveled the globe to attend Grand Slam Tournament events. Survivors include her sons, five granddaughters, and three sisters.
James Evans Whipple ’49
James Evans Whipple ’49, December 5, 2007, in Pullman, Washington. Jim received a BA from Reed in psychology. In 1948, he married Jean Webster ’45; they had a son (Evan D. Whipple ’74) and daughter. Jim earned an MA from Ohio State University in psychology in 1950, and in 1956, completed a PhD in psychology from Stanford University. Under the auspices of the U.S. Army, he took a psychological research position with George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. (1953–54), before moving with the same unit to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Later, Jim joined the psychology faculty at Washington State University, from which he retired as professor emeritus. Survivors include his wife, Eileen.
Gilbert Whitney ’50
Gilbert Whitney ’50, August 27, 2007, in Pittsburg, California. Gilbert attended Reed but did not graduate. He married Celia Allen ’49, and they raised two daughters and a son, who survive him. Celia died in 2004.
Loretta Mary Wollett ’47
Loretta Mary Wollett ’47, April 14, 2008, in Portland. Loretta received a BA from Reed in literature and languages. She worked as a translator in U.S. embassies in Switzerland and Yugoslavia, and was assigned by the State Department to direct the Latin American division of Voice of America in New York. At the request of her parents, she returned to Portland, where she taugh social studies and English at Washington High School. In 1961, she earned an MEd from the University of Oregon, after which she taught Russian at Cleveland High School until her retirement in 1990. She managed exchange programs with students at Cleveland and the Soviet Union, and ran summer language camps in Russian. She also taught French, German, Japanese, Latin, Serbo-Croatian, and Spanish. In retirement, she continued to teach, and took piano lessons at the Community Music Center. Loretta was a member of the Oregon Foreign Language Board, and an 80-year member of the Roman Catholic Church. The Oregon Foreign Language Council honored her in 1973 as one of two outstanding foreign language teachers in Portland.
Janet Kathleen Spurlock Wright ’64
Janet Kathleen Spurlock Wright ’64, March 7, 2007, in Portland. Janet attended Reed for three years, and earned a BA from Portland State University in history. In 1968, she received an MLS from the University of Oregon, and in 1979, an MFA from Idaho State. For 16 years, she was an art and humanities librarian at Portland State University. In 1972, she married Arthur E. Wright. Survivors include her husband and daughter; a stepdaughter and stepson; a grandchild; and her mother, sister, and brother. One daughter predeceased her.
Kathryn Loraine Newschwander Webb ’44
Kathryn Loraine Newschwander Webb ’44, August 8, 2010, in Tacoma, Washington. Kathryn attended Reed for two years, returning home to Tacoma because of a sports injury. She later earned a BA and MA in education from the University of Puget Sound. In 1943, she married V. Edward Webb; they raised two daughters, and both enjoyed boating, sports, and fishing. Kathryn taught in Tacoma public schools for over 20 years—most as a fifth grade teacher at Lowell Elementary School. Survivors include her daughters, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandson. Her husband died in 1968.
Paul Williams Wiseman ’33
Paul Williams Wiseman ’33, June 13, 2011, in Olympia, Washington, two days before his 99th birthday. Paul studied at Reed for two years and lived in House F, where he and roommate Hunter Morrison ’34 formed a lifelong friendship that included mountain climbing. Following the Depression, Paul’s family could no longer afford tuition, and he left Reed to work as a deckhand for the Grace Line, sailing between Seattle and South America. In 1935, he received a BA in economics from the University of Washington and went to work for state government in Olympia. He served as an army quartermaster during World War II and was posted in Europe and the Philippines. After the war, he resumed his position in Olympia, becoming chief of research and statistics in the employment security department. Over the years, he maintained his love of mountaineering, helping to found the Olympia branch of the Mountaineers Club, one of the oldest outdoor clubs in the U.S. He received the branch’s first service award in 1991 and served as historian for the Mountaineers in Washington. (His role is documented in the book The Mountaineers: A History.) The Mountaineers stated, “Paul Wiseman’s death deprives the Olympia mountaineering community of one of its original branch founders and enduring role models.” Paul also was a board member of the Sierra Club’s northwest chapter and the Mountain Rescue Council, and was a strong advocate for wilderness conservation. In 1958, he hiked with Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, Polly Dyer, and others along the Olympic coastline to protest a proposed extension of U.S. Highway 101 that would have destroyed a section of Olympic National Park. He led trips for the Mountaineers in his ’80s and continued to hike and drive his Lincoln—the one vehicle with a trunk big enough to hold a set of skis—well into his late ’90s.
James Verne Whipp ’41
James Verme Whipp ’41, June 13, 2011, in Reno, Nevada. Jim grew up in Portland and always wanted to go to college. But money was tight in the Great Depression, so he went to work at Fred Meyer, saving up for tuition, and finally arrived at Reed in 1936. He enrolled in a special combined program in chemistry, spending three years at Reed and then transferring to MIT, earning a BA in chemistry and a BS in chemical engineering. “I have often stated that MIT prepared me for my livelihood, but my time at Reed had the most effect on my enjoyment of life.” Jim was a project director, chemical engineer, and project salesman for Union Oil of California and C.F. Braun. He and his wife, Audrey A. Warner, lived in many places, including California, Utah, England, Venezuela, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. They returned to England regularly to attend theatre and concerts and to visit friends; they also traveled annually to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and to the Telluride Chamber Music Festival. Jim enjoyed backpacking and fishing, and spent “all seasonable time” hiking in the Sierras and the Grand Canyon. He also wrote computer programs for financial and statistical applications, even at age 91. He is remembered for his warmth, his wit, his keen analysis, and his abundant generosity. Audrey died in 1966, and in 1968 he married Roberta A. Niklad, who survives him, as do two sons, two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Peter Murchie Wilhelm ’48
Peter Murchie Wilhelm ’48, July 15, 2011, at home in North Fort Myers, Florida, from leukemia. Born in Oakland, California, Peter lost his father at seven and moved with his mother and brother to Portland, where they lived with a maternal aunt, Margaret Standish, and her husband, Miles, cofounder of Lane-Miles Standish Printing Company—a prominent Portland business and a landmark, with its distinctive corner turret. Peter graduated from Grant High School and entered Reed, where he earned a BA in economics. At 6 feet 7 inches, he was ruled too tall to serve in World War II and often spoke of how dramatically the campus atmosphere changed when the war ended and veterans came to Reed intently focused on earning their degree. He ran a campus snack bar and worked summers in the timber industry as a choke setter for a logging crew and a compass man for a timber cruiser. In 1950 he married Elizabeth Lee Bragg. They raised three children and moved to New Jersey in 1958, where Peter worked as an independent sales representative in the timber business. After a late-’70s divorce, he married Astrid Bork; the couple lived for many years in San Francisco, then moved to Rhode Island and Vermont to be close to Peter’s family before retiring to Florida. Peter’s many friends remember him as a warm, kind, outgoing man who had a vibrant sense of humor, could talk with almost anyone, did the New York Times crossword puzzle in ink, believed strongly in peace and social justice, and treasured sports and the outdoors, jazz and classical music, the many dogs in his life, and, above all, his family. Survivors include his wife, Astrid; his children—Doug, who provided the details of this memorial piece; Gordon; and Sarah-Lee Terrat—and five grandsons.
Margaret Saunders Winslow Fisher ’43
Margaret Saunders Winslow Fisher ’43, June 7, 2012, in Arlington, Virginia, from complications of lung cancer. Peggy studied at Wellesley for two years before marrying Joseph L. Fisher in 1942. His service in the army brought them west, and Peggy enrolled at Reed, where she completed a BA in French. In 1947, the couple made their home in northern Virginia. Peggy continued her education at George Washington University, earning an MA in education, and at Virginia Commonwealth University, earning a BFA in painting and printmaking. Joe was an economist and served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. The couple were founding members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. Peggy gave a copy of their book Living Religion to the Hauser Library, dedicating it to “the intellectual and spiritual growth of all who are fortunate enough to study and think at Reed College.” The book also features some of her poetry. For more than 50 years, Peggy enjoyed creating and teaching studio art and sculpture. Her work was shown in colleges, libraries, and galleries in northern Virginia. The Margaret W. and Joseph L. Fisher Art Gallery, dedicated in 2001, resides in the Schlesinger Center at the Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria campus. Peggy volunteered for numerous arts and environmental groups, including the Washington Metropolitan Chorus, the Arlington Symphony, the Virginia Watercolor Society, the Goose Creek Scenic River Advisory Board, and Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, where she lived in her later years. National affiliations included Planned Parenthood, Future Homemakers of America, the League of Women Voters, the National Federation of Democratic Women, the National League of American Penwomen, and the Democratic Party. She established the Margaret W. Fisher Scholarship to support financial aid at Reed. She was predeceased by her husband in 1992 and by a son in 2011. Survivors include three daughters and three sons; 17 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and her partner and companion, Frank Barsalou.
Mary White Van Fleet ’21, MAT ’57
Mary White Van Fleet ’21, MAT ’57, October 11, 1993, in Portland, where she had lived most of her life. She earned a BA in literature, and taught school in the Portland School District for many years, primarily as a high school teacher at Jefferson High School. She married Byron Van Fleet in 1927. Later in her career, she returned to Reed to study for her master's degree, which she obtained in 1957. Mary retired from teaching in 1965. Survivors include her daughter, two sons, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1983.
Virginia Wells Ronner ’32
Virginia Wells Ronner ’32, September 26, 1995, in Salem, Oregon, where she had lived since 1992. After graduating from Reed with a degree in biology, Virginia completed two years of graduate work at Willamette University and then trained as a medical technician. She worked as a medical technician and assistant for 12 years. In 1946, she married Emil Ronner, and they purchased a grocery store in Gervais. They built a small home in Gervais and operated the store until their retirement in 1968. After retiring, they devoted time to their large vegetable garden and frequently gave away their produce to senior citizens in the area and Meals on Wheels. She was also active in the Gervais Garden Club and the Women’s Association of the Presbyterian Church. Her husband died in 1987, and in 1992 she moved to a retirement center in Salem. She is survived by her brother.
Dorothy E. Webb ’43
Dorothy E. Webb ’43, July 7, 1995, in Los Gatos, California. She received a BA from Reed in political science, and a law degree from Gates College of Law; she practiced law in Los Gatos. She married Robert Webb in 1952, and they had three children.
David Weiner ’67
David Weiner ’67, September 12, 1995, in San Diego, California. He received a BA from Reed in anthropology, and was a gemologist and the owner of Vinocour Gems, a wholesale gemstone firm in fine quality diamonds and colored gemstones located in San Diego. He also designed jewelry for private clients. During the ’80s, he was a coordinator of transcendental meditation programs in the San Diego area and was also an instructor of transcendental meditation. He was on the board of governors of the San Diego Transcendental Meditation Center. Survivors include a brother.
Marshall R. Watzke ’51
Marshall Watzke ’51, January 1996, in Conkling, Idaho. He had a varied career that included working as a news writer for the Meridian Record in Connecticut, a freelance editor, and a self-employed stock trader. His last position before retirement was special assistant to the governor of New York. He is survived by an aunt.
Jerome A. Weinbaum ’44
Jerome Weinbaum ’44, October 11, 1996, in Chico, California, of diabetes. Jerome was a physician specializing in gynecological oncology. After graduating from Reed, he entered the University of Oregon Medical School and joined the U.S. Army Reserves. He received an MD in 1946 and was commissioned a captain in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a flight surgeon at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. After leaving the air force in 1949, he did medical residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Long Branch Hospital in Long Beach, New Jersey, and at Cornell Medical Center in New York City. He practiced for a year in Portland before taking over the practice of another physician in Chico. He served twice as the president of the California Cancer Society and also as vice president and chairman of the education committee. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, a brother, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Horst L. Weber ’47
Horst L. Weber ’47, July 31, 1997, in Everett, Washington, after a six-year struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. Jack served in World War II as a navigator with the army air corps before coming to Reed. After graduation, he attended Oregon State University and earned an MA in chemistry in 1949. He went to work as a research chemist in the industrial products division of Pabco Fiberboard Corporation in Emoryville, California, and remained with the company for 28 years. While there, he helped develop the first asbestos-free process for the manufacture of pipe insulations, and in 1975 he received the Fibreboard Inventors Award for this and other patents. After retiring from the company in 1979, Jack and his wife entered the Peace Corps and worked in Korea for a year. They then moved to the Seattle area, where he studied computer science at Griffin College, Bellevue, and taught there for several years before his second retirement in 1987. He was an active volunteer with public schools in Seattle and Everett, where he tutored elementary children and provided ESL instruction. Survivors include his wife, a son, a daughter, a sister, a brother, and five grandchildren.
Otto H. Walker ’32
Otto H. Walker ’32, October 20, 1996, in Oakland, California. After graduation from Reed, he continued to work for about 10 years at the bakery that had provided part time employment during college. During World War II, he was able to move closer to his ambition of becoming a mathematics teacher by teaching math at Naval schools at various locations in the U.S. After the war, he worked for 16 years in management for Shell Oil Company in Portland, while pursuing teaching credentials at night through Portland State University. In 1962, after his children had finished college, he was able to realize his dream of teaching and took a position as a mathematics teacher at Milwaukie High School, where he worked until his retirement in 1972. He and his wife traveled extensively in retirement before settling down in Hawaii, where they lived for 13 years and he worked part time in property management. In 1991, they relocated to California to be nearer to their children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Eric William Wolff ’93
Eric William Wolff ’93, June 23, 1997, in Cannon Beach, Oregon. After graduating from Reed, Eric attended the University of Chicago and earned a master’s degree. He became a registered nurse, working in hospitals and nursing homes. He also ran a night club in Portland, The Crow, for a short time, and received a commendation from the city of Portland for improvements he made to the club. His hobbies included swimming and hiking. Survivors include his parents, two sisters, and a brother.
George Wheeler ’29
George S. Wheeler ’29, October 18, 1997, at his daughter’s home in Prague, Czech Republic. He had been a resident of Grapeview, Washington, for many years. George married Eleanor Mitchell ’30 after graduation from Reed, and they moved to Chicago, where he became assistant to the head of the economics department at the University of Chicago. In 1935, he went to Washington, D.C., to work for the U.S. government, first with the National Labor Relations Board and then with the Wage and Hour Division. With the onset of World War II, he began to work for the Foreign Economic Administration, and in fall 1944 he went to London to begin work on de-Nazification activities. After the war, he was stationed in Germany and was in charge of the de-Nazification section of the Manpower Division of the Office of Military Government, working on labor policy issues. When his contract was not renewed in 1946, he and his family moved to Czechoslovakia to find work. There, he wrote his first book, American Policy in Germany, 1945–50, and in 1954 was hired by the Czechoslovakian Academy of Sciences as an economist and writer. He earned a PhD from Charles University, Prague, in 1961. George and Eleanor remained in Prague until the Russian takeover in 1968, when they returned to the United States and he took a teaching post in the economics department at Washington State University. After retiring from that institution, George and Eleanor moved to New Hampshire, where George taught at Franconia College until his retirement in 1977. A second book, The Human Face of Socialism: the Political Economy of Change in Czechoslovakia, was published in 1973 and was later published in Italian. In retirement, George and Eleanor settled in Grapeview, Washington, where George remained after his Eleanor's death in 1981. He was active in the Democratic party and enjoyed cooking, sailing, and other activities. He moved to Prague to live with his daughters shortly before his death. He is survived by two sisters, including Helen Wheeler Hastay ’39; a brother, Donald N. Wheeler ’35; 2 sons; 2 daughters; 12 grandchildren; and 8 great-grandchildren.
Janet Fraser Watts Jennings ’31
Janet Watts Jennings ’31, September 11, 1999, in Portland. She attended Reed and Oregon State University. She lived in San Francisco and Chicago before moving to Barrington, Illinois, in 1947, where she worked as a librarian. In 1967, she returned to Portland and was an assistant in the Beaverton Public Library until her retirement in the ’80s. She married George Jennings in 1934; he died in 1961. Survivors include two daughters, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Philip R. Waite ’80
Philip Waite ’80, of cancer, August 7, 1999, in Bend, Oregon. He received a master’s degree in anthropology from State University of New York, Binghamton in 1985. He worked as an archaeologist in 23 states for several companies, including the Cultural Resource Group of Louis Berger and Associates and Geo-Marine. His specialization was in lithics (stone tools), Native American culture, and historical archaeology. In 1998, he married his wife, Sharon, in Mansfield, Texas, and they moved to the Bend area later that year. He shifted careers from archaeology to music, playing drums in several bands, and working for a company called Multimedia Marketing Group. He was an expert flint knapper and his replicas of aboriginal stone tools are displayed in museums in the United States and Europe. He was a member of the Society of American Archaeology and was the author of several books. Survivors include his wife; his mother; a brother; and a stepson.
Charles A. Whittlesey ’35
Charles Whittlesey ’35, of cancer, August 18, 1999, in Portland. He worked for Portland General Electric Company for 42 years, retiring in 1978 as power operations coordinator. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. After retiring, he lead school tours of the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant and water power plants. He was an expert on the postmarks of 19th-century Oregon and coauthored a book on the subject, Oregon Postmarks. He was a member and past president of the Oregon Stamp Society and a member of the American Philatelic Society, the Northwest Postal History Society, and the Scandinavian Collectors Club. His other interests included hiking and fishing, and he was a member and past president of the Mazamas. He also enjoyed attending Reed alumni events. Survivors include his wife; a son; a daughter; and a grandchild.
Mary Withycombe ’34
Mary Withycombe ’34, September 24, 2000, in Portland. She had a lifelong career as a secondary school teacher in Oregon. After graduating from Reed, she taught for two years in Tillamook County, then took a job at Commerce High School (now Cleveland) in Portland. While there, she was a teacher, counselor, and coordinator of Portland’s first gifted student program. During this time, she studied toward a master’s degree from Oregon State College, graduating in 1942. In 1955, she moved into school administration as vice principal of Washington High School. She retired in 1976. She was vice president of the Reed Alumni Association, president of Portland High School Vice Principals Association, and a member of First Presbyterian Church. Survivors include several cousins.
Dorothy Gill Wikelund ’29
Dorothy Gill Wikelund ’29, September 11, 2004, in Bloomington, Indiana. Gillie earned a BA in literature after writing Reed’s first creative thesis and teaching conference classes in her senior year. Following graduation she worked as an assistant in the literature department at Reed. In 1931 she earned her master’s degree from Columbia University while working at Bank Street College and sharing a Greenwich Village apartment with Claudia Lewis ’30. She took a job as head of the English department at the Kent School for Girls for three years in Denver before returning to Reed at the request of Barry Cerf [English 1921–48] to serve again as a department instructor. While at Reed, she spent two summers at the University of California, Berkeley, in preliminary doctoral work. On a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, Dorothy initiated her PhD program. In 1942 she married Philip R. Wikelund, whose service in the U.S. Navy during World War II took them to Florida and Northern California. Their son, Philip H.G. Wikelund ’68, was born in 1945 in Central California. After the war the family moved to Los Angeles, where Dorothy assisted her husband in his PhD work at UCLA. They then moved to Michigan and Indiana, where she taught English and did editing and publication work for the Indiana Memorial Union. In 1959 Wikelund began working for the Indiana University Press, retiring in 1974 to accompany her husband on an academic sabbatical in Britain and Greece. Her recollections of Reed included praise for Ann Shepard ’23 [1926–68], her friend and the dean of women, with whom she hiked the Three Sisters mountains in Oregon following graduation, and Victor Chittick [English 1921–48], who created the setting and impetus for the Gawd-Awful Society for creative writing. The friendship between Mary Barnard ’32 and Dorothy, both members of the Gawd-Awful Society, spanned many years. (Mary referenced "Gillie" in her creative thesis, Erato Agonistes.) "Reed was the great shaping experience of my life," Dorothy wrote. "I never cease thanking the fates that took me to Reed, which made me insofar as I was capable, a citizen of the world of ideas." Her survivors include her son and her sister.
Cynthia Camp Watkins (Funk) ’50
Cynthia Camp Watkins ’50, in March 5, 2002, in Oregon. Funk spent time at Reed in the late ’40s and returned for graduate class work in 1968–69. She was reported to have been a well-remembered junior high school teacher in the Lake Oswego public school system, living and teaching in a manner that defied a debilitating physical condition.
Harold Bostwick Wilde ’33
Harold Bostwick Wilde ’33, April 4, 2002, in Oregon. Harold briefly attended Reed, eventually graduating from the Northwestern College of Law. In 1940 he married Lenore Williamson. He served in the South Pacific as a battery and battalion commander in anti-aircraft artillery during World War II. In 1946 the couple moved to Huntsville, Alabama, to set up an East Coast manufacturing operation for the Wesix Electric Heater Company of San Francisco. In 1960 he became vice president of the company, necessitating a move to California. At Wesix Wilde was responsible for manufacturing a variety of equipment including highly specialized explosion-proof heating equipment for naval vessels and heating controls for nuclear submarines. His career with Wesix led him to the position of chairman of the board and general manager until 1972, when he created a new corporation, Harver Industries, supplying commercial heating devices throughout the U.S. He and Lenore started the Escotec Corporation, whose products assisted corkage and capping in the wine and pharmaceutical industries. The Wesix Foundation, which he formed and managed for 21 years, was medically oriented, financing a number of research projects nationwide and a fellowship in graduate study in electrical engineering at Stanford. In 1982 the foundation financed a remodel of the ICU and CCU at Seaside General Hospital in Oregon. The couple then moved to Gearhart, Oregon, where Harold became active in community projects and activities, and maintained a strong connection to the programs and facilities at Seaside General and other health care systems. He is survived by his second wife, Dorothy, whom he married in 1997, a nephew and niece, and a grandniece. His first wife predeceased him.
Michelle Weber Pailthorp ’62
Michelle Weber Pailthorp ’62, July 31, 2002, of a brain aneurysm, in Seattle, Washington. Mickie received a BA in history at Reed, and a master’s degree in history at the University of Pittsburgh in 1967. She married Charles Pailthorp ’62; they had three children and later divorced. In 1983 she earned a JD from the University of Washington and began her career as an attorney and as a women’s rights and environmental activist; she successfully campaigned for the Washington State equal rights amendment in 1972. She was described as feisty and independent, and a courageous fighter for all constituents, women in particular. She was the first person in Washington to commit to the campaign for Senator Patty Murray and remained vigilant in her observation of and support for Murray’s work. On September 19 Senator Murray read a tribute to Pailthorp at the Senate, which included the remembrance of her as a "whirlwind of passion and energy. She was there fighting the good fight for women on the ERA and so many other issues before it was popular and before it seemed possible." Murray focused on Mickie's ability to focus on the issues and goals, rather than on letting herself become the focus, and on her legacy to people in all walks of life. Survivors include her spouse, Joel Connelly; her son; two daughters; a granddaughter; and a sister.
Maida Hart Wernicke Johnston ’38
Maida Hart Wernicke Johnston ’38, August 24, 2005, in San Mateo, California. Maida attended Reed for two years, earning a BA from the University of California. Said to be a patron of the arts and a unique individual, Maida was a "part-time" Scientologist, who also wrote for the Pacifica Tribune. In 1940, She married Thomas E. Johnston, who predeceased her.
Ruth Marian Wallace Baines ’28
Ruth Marian Wallace Baines ’28, February 23, 1988, in Oregon. Ruth received a BA from Reed in French language and literature. She taught high school English and French in Stayton, Oregon, for two years. In 1930, she married Matthew S. Baines, and they had two sons. She devoted numerous years to transcribing braille text books for the Portland Public Schools, an occupation she found rewarding and stimulating. Her husband died in 1970.
William W. Wissman MAT ’69
William W. Wissman MAT ’69, November 21, 1998. Bill received a BA from Kenyon College in 1965, and a MAT from Reed. He was a teacher and an artist. He is said to have been a great friend and a loving father, and a man of incredible talent. Survivors include his wife, Suzanne, two sons, and a sister.
George E. Walker ’55
George E. Walker ’55, February 18, 1999. George attended Reed for one year. His career was in timber sales in the North Bend, Oregon, area.
James William Warren ’54
James William Warren ’54, October 1984. James attended Reed, then transferred to the 3/2 program at the University of Oregon, earning a BA from Reed and MD from the university simultaneously. He practiced medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico. James was married and had a family.
Dorothy Marie Pottsmith Weaver ’35
Dorothy Pottsmith Weaver ’35, October 11, 2004, in Portland. Dorothy received a BA from Reed in general literature. She was first married to Donald D. Oberle ’35, with whom she shared an enjoyment of piano performance; taught English and biology in Portland; and then attended Mills College, receiving an MA in education in 1942. During World War II, she took an editorial position with the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C. In 1947, she entered the administrative internship program for the Civil Service Commission, and married Robert N. Weaver; the couple later divorced. She taught for 15 years in D.C. schools, and received a grant from the Ford Foundation that enabled her to travel to Europe. In 1963, she became a cultural affairs officer with the U.S. Information Agency. She had posts in Africa for nine years, and in Iran for two. Dorothy returned to Portland in retirement in 1976, enjoyed the piano, cooking, and reading.
James Power Whitbeck ’80
James Power Whitbeck ’80, August 30, 2004, in Oregon. Jim began his higher education at Reed, transferring to Columbia University in the 3/2 program in engineering. He received a BA in physics from Reed, and a BS in materials science and metallurgy from Columbia in 1980. Returning to the Portland area, he worked as an electron device process engineer at Tektronix, and as an engineer for Xerox. In 1984, he married Jeanne Hill ’78. Survivors include Jeanne, son, daughter, mother, two sisters, and brother.
Theodore Carleton Whitehead ’41
Theodore Carleton Whitehead ’41, September 29, 2004, in Oakland, California. The summer after his junior year at Reed, Carleton took a U.S. Government sponsored "learn to fly" class that was offered on the campus. In his senior year he took advanced flying (Physics 22), and graduated from Reed with a bachelor’s degree in political science. With flight training, he accepted a position as an air route traffic controller with the CAA (FAA) in Los Angeles before joining the U.S. Navy and serving for three years as a flight dispatcher during World War II. Carleton joined the naval reserves after the war, and was an air intelligence officer for 17 years. During that time he was also director and president of Mutual Housing Association, a 500-family cooperative in Los Angeles (1948 to 1952). In 1952, he accepted a position as alumni director at Reed, and went on to assume several college positions over the next 31 years: director of alumni and college relations, administrative assistant to the president, assistant to the president for public services, director of development, and secretary of the college. Carleton made numerous community connections during those years, and was affiliated with the City Club of Portland, the Multnomah County air pollution control board, the Willamette Greenway Association, the committee to save the Oregon Dunes, the Northwest chapter of the Sierra Club, and the ACLU, to name a few. His love of rowing on the Willamette River led him to found the Portland Rowing Club. He also served in various professional associations, such as president of the American Alumni Council. In retirement, he moved to the Bay Area and accepted a part-time position in development for the Sierra Club, a position he held for seven years. Relating to his work for the Sierra Club, and in his second retirement, he traveled extensively, and enjoyed the adventure of hiking, sea kayaking, and scuba diving around the world. He also took pleasure in building riverboats and a cabin retreat for his family in the Cascades, and crabbing on the Coast. In 1946, he married Dorothy B. Blosser; they had three children and later divorced. He married Ann Sterns ’44 in 1985. Survivors include Ann; two daughters, Lisa Whitehead Peacock ’75 and Cynthia L. Whitehead ’71, who provided details for this memorial; a son; two grandchildren; and his sister, Marian N. Whitehead Macdonald ’44.
David Merle Wilson ’59
David Merle Wilson ’59, September 20, 2003, in Minnesota. David attended Reed for three years before entering the 3/2 program at Washington University School of Medicine, from which he received an MA in 1959 and an MD in 1961. (Credits completed his Bachelor of Arts from Reed in biology in 1959.) He interned and completed his residency in medicine at Lakeside Hospital of Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. David spent two years as an officer in the Medical Corp of the U.S. Army before accepting a position as post doctoral fellow in the Public Health Service in 1965–66. From 1966 to 1968 he was a research fellow in the National Heart Institute of the Public Health Service, Bethesda, Maryland. He spent the remainder of his career in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His specialty was in diseases of the kidney, and he was a member of both the American Society of Nephrology and the American Federation of Clinical Research. In 1957, he married Rosemary Dennis, and they had six sons.
Robert Greeley Wilson ’55
Robert Greeley Wilson Jr. ’55, August 3, 2004, in New York. Robert attended Reed before serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Korean War. He worked for Westchester County (New York) in the financial department of the Ruth Taylor Home. His lifelong interest was in trains and model railroads, and he was secretary-treasurer of the Westchester Model Railroad Club. Survivors include two sisters.
Jonathan D. Wirtschafter ’56
Jonathan Wirtschafter ’56 (right) visits with his son Benjamin Wirtschafter ’86.
Jonathan D. Wirtschafter ’56, August 11, 2004, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Lou Gehrig’s disease. Jonathan received a BA in chemistry from Reed and an MD from Harvard in 1960. That same year, he married Carol Lavenstein. In 1962, he earned an MS in physiology from Linfield College, and did residencies at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, and at the Wilmer Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland; he was a fellow at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Jonathan began the resident training program, and was the first chair of the department of ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. During academic year 1973–74, he took sabbatical leave with his wife and five children, traveling throughout Europe in a Volkswagen bus. At the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, he spent three weeks working the night shift at a Jerusalem hospital providing his services to all wounded, regardless of nationality. In 1977, he left Kentucky for a position at the University of Minnesota, and was Frank E. Burch Professor of Ophthalmology (neurology and neurosurgery) at the university for 25 years, 23 years as director of neuro-ophthalmology service. He was attending ophthalmologist at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus, Mount Sinai Hospital, and the Metropolitan Medical Center in Minneapolis. In 1980, he received the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s honor award for outstanding service to the profession. Jonathan once wrote that he loved teaching and that Reed provided excellent models for almost everything he did. He was honored as the favorite teacher by residents four times, and sought opportunities to share his knowledge not only with his associates but also with his children, to whom he was devoted. Jonathan notably practiced the larger application of medicine, treating the needs of the whole individual, in addition to specific concerns. His unparalleled and sincere respect for others earned him a great following. Identified as an incredibly caring and humanistic man, Jonathan tested doxorubicin—approved for use on patients suffering from blepharospasm—by injecting himself in a trial use in 1988. He was founder and first president of a research foundation for blepharospasm, and was inducted into the foundation’s hall of fame in 1997. Professional associations included membership in Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society, the Minnesota Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, the Minnesota Medical Association, and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. He published many articles in professional journals, contributed to textbooks on ophthalmology, and was a member of the editorial board of Perspectives in Ophthalmology. A popular lecturer, Jonathan spoke at universities and organizations in numerous states and abroad. He created teaching aids for ophthalmologists, and did research work with grants from the National Institutes of Health and Fight for Sight. He was also a member of subcommittee on continuing education through television of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and was an active member of Reed’s alumni association. In 2001, Jonathan took a half-time retirement, working in research for the university, and also living in Lake Tahoe, in order to visit his California grandchildren. Survivors include his wife, four sons, including Benjamin Z. Wirtschafter ’86, a daughter, and 10 grandchildren.
Helen Elizabeth Monner Ward ’36
Helen Elizabeth Monner Ward ’36, July 1, 2007, in Chandler, Arizona. Helen received a BA from Reed in mathematics and was a high school mathematics teacher. She married Marion F. Ward in 1938; they had a son and two daughters.
Lillian Kessler Wexler ’45
Lillian Kessler Wexler ’45, September 6, 2007, in Portland. Lillian received a BA from Reed in sociology and psychology. Additional degrees included an MS in reading education from Portland State College (University) in 1968, a certificate of advanced study in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard in 1975, and a PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Oregon in 1977. She worked in Portland Public Schools as a teacher and child development specialist for 40 years and was also a caseworker for Federated Jewish Societies. Lillian was a member of the League of Women Voters, the board of directors for Hadassah, and Congregation Neveh Shalom. She married Henry Wexler in 1946; he died in 1997.
Margot W. Wilson ’58
Margot Wadsworth Wilson ’58, August 18, 2006, in Harwood, Maryland, from cancer. Margot attended Reed for two years, and earned a BA from the University of Maryland in psychology in 1962. She also earned an MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Community Planning in social strategy. She married Richard D. Carper ’60; they had two daughters, including Ruth Carper ’91, and later divorced. A novelist and writer, Margot composed the editorial column, "Me, Thee, Them and Us," for the Publick Enterprise newspaper, a twice-monthly community paper she published in Annapolis (1978–88). She was treasurer of the Maryland Writers Association, and recipient of the Gulick Award for lifetime volunteerism for Campfire Girls. She was also a resident services adviser for Anne Arundel County and assessor with the selection division of the Peace Corps. In 1994, Margot wrote: "I believe the primary benefit I received from two years at Reed was a confidence in my ability to deal with all important questions in my life—to examine them, to answer them, to live with my answers until or unless I changed them." Survivors include her daughters and three brothers.
Karen J. Wiprud ’72
Karen Joyce Wiprud MAT ’72, August 30, 2006, in Portland, from ovarian cancer. Karen received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington. Following receipt of her master’s degree from Reed, she taught in the Portland area, including GED classes at Portland Community College. She married Jimmie Moglia; they had one son, and later divorced. Survivors include her son, stepson, sister, and brother.
Robert Charles Wever ’50
Robert Charles Wever ’50, September 19, 2007, at home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Robert served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. He then enrolled at Reed, receiving a BA in biology and premedicine. He completed an MD at the University of Oregon in 1952. In 1948, he married Jean Marie Pecore ’47, and entered the U.S. Army Medical Corps for internship and residency, and served in Texas, Washington, D.C., and Hawaii. In 1960, he left the army and began a private practice in anesthesiology in Salt Lake City at LDS Hospital and Primary Children's Hospital. He was a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiologists. In 1969, Robert moved his practice to Phoenix, Arizona. He retired in 1990 and returned to Salt Lake City. His hobbies included computers and electronics; he also did advance study in mathematics. Survivors include his wife, two daughters, and three grandchildren.
Valerie Wanda Milmore Wolf ’55
Valerie Wanda Milmore Wolf ’55, March 29, 2007, at home in Albany, California, from multiple-system atrophy, a Parkinson's related disease. Valerie attended Reed, later earning a BS from University of California, Berkeley, in accounting. She was a self-employed educational consultant. She married Eldon A. Wolf. Survivors include her husband, two daughters and two sons, two stepchildren, nine grandchildren, and a sister.
Mary Kate Wheeler Spencer ’40
Mary Kate Wheeler Spencer ’40, June 1, 2008, at home in Menlo Park, California. Portland resident Mary Kate attended Reed during her junior year and graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1940 with a BA in philosophy. During her adult life, she taught nursery school for 20 years in Redwood City, and devoted more than 40 years to the study of Zen Buddhism. She married John Spencer in 1949 and moved to Menlo Park in 1952, where she raised her daughter and son. She received a master's degree in early childhood education from Stanford University in 1958. Her travels took her to Nepal, Afghanistan, and Peru, and in the U.S. West, she enjoyed backpacking in the Cascade Mountains, boating on the Metolius River, and swimming in the Pacific. Mary Kate was active in founding the Jikoji Zen Temple in Los Gatos in 1983. She also wrote poetry; did painting, drawing, potting, and sculpting; and took pleasure is sewing a family of dolls. Survivors include her daughter, Sarah Forsblad, who provided the details for this memorial.
Roger Earl Wood ’69
Roger Earl Wood '69, October 1, 2008, in Elmira, Oregon, from pancreatic cancer. Roger attended Reed for two years and earned a degree in computer science from Lane Community College. He was drafted in 1968 and obtained conscientious objector status, performing alternative service at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California. He was a professional musician in the ’70s and ’80s, and an excellent cook who enjoyed providing friends with a good meal. For 18 years, he worked as an information technology network manager at Burley Design Cooperative, purveyors of bicycles and bike trailers and gear in Eugene, and was working at Symantec at the time of his death. In his final weeks, a circle of friends and relatives—including former partners Nancy Nichols ’70 and Ellen Knaus ’70—provided his care. Survivors include his wife, Shawn Fontain; his daughter and grandson; and his brother Allen Wood ’64 and sister-in-law Rega Clark Wood ’66.
Martha Elizabeth Powell Wilson ’25
Martha Elizabeth Powell Wilson ’25, November 19, 2009, in Annapolis, Maryland; she was 105. Martha was born in Mitchell, South Dakota, and started her schooling in Cove, in the Grande Ronde Valley of Oregon. Her commute to Reed as a day-dodger from her family's home in Vancouver, Washington, took an hour and half, with many miles traveled on foot. She attended the college during its golden age, she told Cricket Parmalee ’67 in an oral history interview in 2004. “I was always satisfied that I had gone to Reed instead of some other college, because I think it gave me a better background for life.” Martha majored in contemporary literature and minored in classical literature, completing her thesis, “George Bernard Shaw: A Classic at Heart,” the same year that Shaw received a Nobel Prize. In October 1925, she married her high school sweetheart, Ralph E. Wilson, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a career navy officer; they raised a son and two daughters. In 1989, they settled into the Ginger Cover Retirement Community in Annapolis; Ralph died a year later. Survivors include their children, nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Martha's sister, Evangeline Powell ’27, also graduated from Reed.
Jane Winks Kilkenny ’33
Jane Winks Kilkenny ’33, December 18, 2009, in Portland. Jane led a full and adventurous life in the finest Reed tradition. After earning a BA from Reed in history, she married yacht-builder Thomas F. Kilkenny. The couple lived in Japan and the South Pacific before moving to a farm in Clackamas County, where they bred cattle and raised game birds. After Thomas' death in 1956, Jane took on the role that would endear her to generations of Portland handymen and women: she assumed management of her father's iconic hardware store, W.C. Winks Hardware. Established in 1909, Winks Hardware built its legendary reputation on an inventory of more than 50,000 doohickeys, thingamajigs, and whatchamacallits. Jane's personable and respectful treatment of customers and employees cemented the store's place as a Portland institution: it thrives to this day under the leadership of her daughter, Anne. Wishing that more local students could have access to a Reed education, Jane established the Victor and Edna Chittick Scholarship.
Marcia Swire Weinsoft ’43
Marcia Swire Weinsoft ’43, July 2, 2009, in Portland. Marcia spent a year at Reed, before she married Jack W. Weinsoft, a wholesale merchant of small household appliances, in 1941. She was secretary to physics professor A.A. Knowlton [1915–48], in his capacity as director of premeteorology training at Reed in 1943–44. She also was a secretary at Kelwin Distributing Company and at Lewis & Clark College. Following her husband's death in 1984, she returned to Reed and audited classes. Survivors include two sons; her daughter died in 1994.
Katherine Emilie Ware Ankenbrandt ’48
Louis Harold Fulkerson ’48, February 22, 2005, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Louis earned a BA from Reed in mathematics and a master's degree from Columbia University. In 1959, he married Lettice Sterling; they had two sons. Louis worked for IBM research and for the electrical engineering department at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria; was a lecturer at the Institute of Computer Sciences, University of Lagos, Nigeria; and was vice president of the Nigerian Statistical Association.
Lindsay Dune Warren ’51
Lindsay Dune Warren ’51, January 14, 2010, in Portland. Lindsay received a BA from Reed in general literature. He earned a BD from Bexley Hall Seminary in Ohio, and was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1955. While working as an assistant at St. John Episcopal Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, he met author Mary A. Phraner; they married in 1956. Lindsay worked in Montana before moving to a parish in Salem, Oregon. In 1966, he accepted a position as chaplain and director of religious education at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland. He was a pianist, poet, and artist. Survivors include his wife and children.
Brenton Sewall Wilcox ’72
Brenton Sewall Wilcox ’72, February 16, 2009, in Pleasanton, California. Brent attended Reed for three years, later earning a BA and MA in anthropology with an emphasis on archaeology from California State University, East Bay. He worked for William Self Associates, consultants in archaeology and historic preservation. He was also a firefighter, horticulturalist, and property manager.
Joan Hoiness White, Staff
Joan Hoiness White, director of campus events, December 6, 2009, in Portland. Joan's career at Reed spanned almost 30 years. First hired as a secretary at the college in 1961, Joan accepted the position of campus events director three years later. She drew on her talents, ingenuity, and creativity to fulfill many roles surrounding an ever-growing number of events on campus and at the president's home in Eastmoreland, including commencement, lectures, concerts, and receptions. She managed all aspects of audio-visual equipment, learned calligraphy for campus signage, catered meals, and created beautiful floral arrangements. Over many years she employed hundreds of Reed students and instilled a work ethic and attention to detail. Joan was a Master Gardener who always enjoyed talking about plants with others. During Reunions 2009, Tom Blenko '79, Jim Coddington '74, Jan Liss '74, and Becky Rach '79 met with Joan at her home. Later, Tom and Becky drove Joan to Reed. She had not been on campus for more than 20 years and was apprehensive about going. Tom said that Joan enjoyed herself greatly, “both recalling memories and taking a keen interest in the many changes that were visible throughout the campus." In February, Reed president emeritus Paul Bragdon and his wife, Nancy, held a small gathering in honor of Joan at their home. Guest included faculty members Leila Falk and Ottomar Rudolf; staff members Lois Hobbes, Beverly Curtis, Nicky Larson, Debbie Martson, and Ineke Steele; and alumni Jim Coddington '74, Jan Liss '74, and Monique Siu '74, who had worked for Joan at Reed. The group shared warm and humorous memories of a multitalented woman who will be remembered by generations of community members as a Reed treasure. Survivors include her daughter and two sons, two grandchildren, and a brother.
Nancy B. Wilson Tanner ’52
Nancy B. Wilson Tanner ’52, November 24, 2011, in Portland. Nancy was born in Portland and graduated from Washington High School. She earned a BA from Reed in biology. “Thanks to my roommate, who was going to college on the GI Bill, I was turned on to biology. Otherwise, I’d have been completely lost.” Nancy earned an MEd from Framingham State College and an MS in biology from Clark University. She had a career teaching biology at the college level and had a lifelong interest in science. Survivors include her husband, Walter (Gale) Tanner; her children; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother.
Carolyn Van Vliet Wade ’52
Carolyn Van Vliet Wade ’52, December 24, 2011, in Morristown, New Jersey. Carolyn was born in Yakima, Washington, and attended Reed for two years before transferring to the University of Washington, where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She spent her adult life in New Jersey and was secretary of the board of education in Glen Ridge and a secretary in the social services department at Morristown Medical Center. She married Harland A. Wade, who predeceased her. Survivors include her son and daughter.
Michael W. Wilson ’63
Michael M. Wilson ’63, January 5, 2012, in Longmont, Colorado, from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Michael studied at Reed for four years, focusing his degree work on sociology. After he left Reed, he entered the U.S. Army’s Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, taking an intensive course in Mandarin Chinese, and completed undergraduate studies with a BA in Chinese history at the University of Southern California (USC). He then traveled to Taiwan—mainland China was not open at the time—where he taught conversational English and immersed himself in studying Chinese. Says his sister, Mary Wilson Callahan, who provided the details for this memorial, “A high point of his time there occurred when Michael, along with his parents, was part of the second tour group of Westerners to visit various cities on the mainland; the group attracted much curious attention wherever they went.” Michael earned a master’s degree in Chinese studies at USC and an MBA at the Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles. He did additional graduate work at the University of Washington. Over the years, he worked as an auditor, an accountant, a wealth manager, and a consultant to small Chinese businesses starting up in the Los Angeles area. He was a voracious reader of both literature and nonfiction, including history, politics, and social sciences. His favorite sports were chess and bridge, but he also enjoyed following the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dodgers. “Although Michael was born in Washington, D.C., and lived in Longmont for several years before his death, he was a southern Californian at heart.” He is much missed by his sister and her husband, Joe Callahan, of Longmont, and his brother and sister-in-law, Francis and Francesca Wilson, of Acton, California.
Howard Jules Waskow, Faculty
Howard Jules Waskow, January 13, 2012, at his home in Portland, from cancer. Waskow earned his doctorate at Yale and taught at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the faculty at Reed in 1964 as a specialist in American literature and the humanities. “He was a person who evoked enormous inquiry of the heart and mind simultaneously,” recalled Betsy Dearborn ’68. Waskow was awarded tenure at Reed in 1972 but chose to resign and lead the Learning Community, an intentional community centered on education. He also worked for civil rights and peace movements, acted as a consultant for educational reform, established a counseling practice in Gestalt therapy, and wrote three books: Whitman: Explorations in Form; Becoming Brothers, written with his brother, Rabbi Arthur Waskow; and Homeward Bound, which Arthur described as “a remarkable guide to the journey of healing our families,” and which reflects Howard’s experience as a teacher, critic, and healer. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Waskow was a lifelong Orioles fan and also rooted for the Portland Trail Blazers. He married Betty Ann Round in 1959; they had three children and later divorced. In 1986, he married Grey Wolfe. Survivors include Grey, their combined families, and his brother.
David Andrew Weinstock ’92
David Andrew Weinstock ’92, February 5, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio. Dave came to Reed from the McDonogh School in Maryland and majored in religion. After graduating, he composed and performed music. His untimely death is mourned by his family, including his wife, Tori; his father and stepmother; his sister and her family; and his aunt; and by his friends. David was cherished and loved by many. Friends are planning to hold a memorial for him at Reunions.
Jeanne-Marie Bergheim Wyld ’49
Jeanne-Marie Bergheim Wyld ’49, May 30, 2009, in Urbana, Illinois. Following the death of her father, a physician and surgeon, Jeanne-Marie left her hometown of Hawley, Minnesota, with her mother and sister and came to Portland. She attended Reed on a scholarship, and earned a BA in chemistry. She went to Stanford University on a four-year fellowship from the Atomic Energy Commission, ultimately earning a PhD. She taught chemistry at Vassar College in 1954. The following year, she married Henry William Wyld Jr ’49. They later moved to Urbana, Illinois, where Bill was appointed to the physics department at the University of Illinois. In Urbana, Jeanne-Marie taught part-time at Parkland College and at the University of Illinois and joined the League of Women Voters. She was the first Democrat to be elected to the Urbana City Council and later ran for mayor of Urbana (1969). She was a key figure in the fight against the Oakley Dam, a massive federal project that would have flooded 1500 acres of parkland in order to provide water for nearby Decatur. As the emissary for the Save Allerton Park Committee, Jeanne-Marie flew to Washington, D.C., and made her case to officials in the Department of the Interior, the Treasury, Army Corps of Engineers, and Senator Everett Dirksen. This effort was ultimately successful: the Oakley Dam was scrapped and the park endures. A snare drummer in high school and in the Portland Junior Symphony, Jeanne-Marie enjoyed music throughout her life. In retirement, she cared for elderly family members in her home, traveled extensively with Bill, and was active in the Wesley United Methodist Church. Survivors include Bill, a daughter, grandson, and sister; a son and daughter predeceased her.
Virginia Anne Simmons Wolf ’36
Virginia Anne Simmons Wolf ’36, September 15, 2010, in Bethesda, Maryland, from complications related to Alzheimer's disease. A writer and entomologist, Ginny grew up in Portland in the ’20s. Her education began early: “My dad would bring home great rolls of butcher paper, and we would lie on our stomachs in front of the pot-bellied stove, copying the entire front page of the morning Oregonian in block letters. We could read and write long before we went to school.” At Reed, she earned a BA in literature and also met Harry E. Wolf ’41; they were married in the Eliot Hall chapel in 1938. After Harry completed a degree in physics from Reed, the two did graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma. Following World War II, Harry began a career as a physicist in underwater research with the U.S. Naval Ordnance Lab in Maryland. Ginny worked as a writer and editor. In the ’40s, she sold several stories to national magazines, including a story set at Reed about climbing Mt. Hood. In the ’50s–’60s, she focused on science writing and became publications officer of the entomology research division for the USDA, completing a graduate-level program with the USDA in 1965. A year later, she published “Titling Biological Publications for Proper Storage and Retrieval” in the Bulletin of the Entomological Society of America. Ginny and Harry moved to Hawaii in 1968; there she did editing and writing for the entomological laboratory at the University of Hawaii, while he served on the military's science advisory group. Ginny continued to write and edit for Hawaiian scientists for 18 years. She also served as Maryland state chairman of international relations for the League of Women Voters. She published her poetry and played five versions of the recorder. Her education at Reed was the foundation for her career, she said. “I learned to think on my feet, hold up my end of an argument, and write well.” Survivors include her son, Peter; her daughter, Catherine Wolf Swan ’66; and two grandchildren, including grandson Carl J. Swan ’06. Harry died of brain cancer in 1999.
Jean Locke Webster Whipple McNutt ’45
Jean Locke Webster Whipple McNutt ’45, October 4, 2010, in Hillsboro, Oregon. Jean was the daughter of Gladys L. Keck Webster ’18 and Dean B. Webster ’16 [mathematics 1919–46]. She knew of Reed through her mother, who maintained connections to college friends, and through her father, who served the college in various capacities, including trustee and acting comptroller during World War II. Jean did well in high school, she said, but found it difficult to be successful right away at Reed. “I was what was known at the time as a 'greasy grind.' I just kept my nose to the grindstone and plowed through the assignments.” In an oral history with Muriel Reichart Wyatt ’46, Jean provided a delightful account of many Reed memories, including the first Gilbert & Sullivan production, ice skating on Reed Lake, the arrival of the premeteorology students, and her work in commons and in the library. The experience at Reed fueled her growing interest in government affairs, the arts, and contemporary literature. “The whole spectrum of the world's knowledge was opened to me.” She earned a BA in general literature from Reed and a BA in librarianship from the University of Washington. For three years, she worked as a children's librarian at the Arleta branch of Multnomah County Library. In 1948, she married James E. Whipple ’49; they had two children. Jean worked at public libraries in Ohio and California before rejoining the Multnomah County Library as a children's librarian. Her library career spanned 26 years. In addition to interests in literature and history, Jean enjoyed singing and acting, and took up tap dancing midlife. A second marriage, to Eugene E. McNutt, lasted 20 years, ending with Eugene's death in 1994. Survivors include her son, Evan D. Whipple ’74; her daughter, Lauren; and two grandchildren. In memory of her parents, Jean founded the Dean B. and Gladys K. Webster Memorial Scholarship at Reed.
Arthur Orbison Washburn ’57
Arthur Orbison Washburn ’57, September 29, 2010, in Del Norte, Colorado.
Art grew up in Denver and enjoyed writing short stories in high school. While serving in the air force, he won a short story contest sponsored by the Air Force Times. From then on, he wrote stories and poems whenever he could.
Howard Eliot Wolpe ’60
Courtesy of Special Collections, Eric V. Hauser Memorial Library, Reed College.
Howard Eliot Wolpe ’60, October 25, 2011, in Saugatuck, Michigan.
Congressman, diplomat, professor, and author of a landmark piece of legislation that helped push South Africa to abandon apartheid, Howard combined a passion for justice and equality with a grasp of hardnosed politics. “I used to insist that my greatest political strength was my fallibility,” Howard said in 2008. “I have always argued that when people can call you by your first name, that is a way of narrowing distance and improving communications. To hold onto power by putting yourself above the people is ultimately counterproductive.”
Oma Izetta Woodcock Singer ’38
Oma Izetta Woodcock Singer ’38, 2011, in Washington. Amy grew up in South Bend, Washington, immersed in the culture of her mother and her ancestors, the Chinook Indian tribe. Amy’s mother taught her the Chinook language and customs, shared her knowledge of medicinal plants, and insisted that Amy and her siblings live by the Chinook honor system and with absolute integrity. Amy attended South Bend High School, but transferred to the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon, after witnessing racial discrimination aimed at one of her sisters. At Chemawa, she met young people from Montana, Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming, and California; unfortunately, they were forbidden to use their native languages and there was no instruction in Indian culture.
The school’s “outing system,” designed to place young women in homes as maids and housekeepers, bored Amy, who aspired to be a teacher. “And one day the home economics teacher came to me and said, ‘I know of a placement in Portland where you could go. And, maybe if you went there and you learned about the college in the city, maybe you could go there.’” Amy was hired as a housekeeper by professor Larry Hartmus [classics 1930–39], who soon recognized her passion for knowledge (she read her way through the family’s library) and recommended she seek admission to Reed. She was accepted in 1934, becoming one of the college’s first Native American students, and later winning a scholarship from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Psychology professor Monte Griffith [1926–54] advised Amy’s thesis, “The Nature and Source of Referrals to the Child-Guidance Clinic,” for which she earned a BA. Amy also babysat for professor Frank Munk [political science 1939–65]; one of her charges was the young Mike Munk ’56.
Floy Ione Wetzel Matthews ’44
Floy Ione Wetzel Matthews ’44, November 15, 2011, in Beaverton, Oregon. Floy came to Reed from LaGrande, Oregon, and earned a BA in psychology. She continued her studies in psychology at Columbia University, where she received an MA and met William I. Matthews, whom she married. They had one son, Wells Matthews ’76. Floy’s career in clinical psychology included positions in New York, Iowa, and Vermont. She was the staff psychologist at the Hamilton Center, a mental health center in Rockville, Indiana, until she retired in 1985. In Rockville, Floy volunteered for adult literacy and was a voracious reader, with her own key to the public library. She also acted as a general contractor and built a spectacular house in the woods, which attracted a peacock she named Picasso. Birds, raccoons, and squirrels were frequent visitors to her house, and occasional foes. “She trapped a large cat harassing her pets, only later realizing it was a bobcat,” Wells told us. In retirement, Floy maintained a limited private practice and volunteered in a county hospice program and with the Parke Adult Tutoring Service, a young adult literacy program that she started in Parke County, Indiana. She returned to Oregon in 1996 to be near her family and enjoyed attending a Beaverton Library book group and teaching classes at the Elsie Stuhr Center. Survivors include her son, daughter-in-law Joanne Oshiro ’78, and granddaughter Laura.
Isabelle Woodbridge Leggett ’38
Isabelle Woodbridge Leggett ’38, July 2, 2012, in Stockton, California. The daughter of Marguerite Woodbridge ’33 [French 1940–50] and Benjamin M. Woodbridge [French 1922–52], and sister of Benjamin M. Woodbridge Jr. ’36, Isabelle studied at Reed for three years before transferring to Western Washington College of Education. She taught in schools in Everett, Washington, and in Portland. In 1943, she married Robert D. Leggett ’42. They lived in California and Pennsylvania while he completed his medical training, then moved to Marin County. Following a divorce in 1962, Isabelle returned to teaching. A decade later, in retirement, she volunteed as an instructor in outreach programs for adults and the elderly, and as a French language instructor for middle school students. Survivors include a daughter and son.
Lu Ann Williams Darling ’42
Lu Ann Williams Darling ’42, October 11, 2012, in Los Angeles, California, from a series of strokes. Lu Ann was the first in her family to attend college. “It was my mother’s dream to have more education,” she later wrote. “She pushed that value onto me and it took!” Growing up in a working-class family, Lu Ann demonstrated early on a determination to succeed. She earned top grades at Lincoln High School and received a grant and work-study package that enabled her to attend Reed. Her adviser, Spencer Albright [political science 1940–42], encouraged her to do an interdivisional major between psychology and political science. To earn money, she worked for Ann Shepard ’23 [dean of women, 1926–68] and served as a telephone operator and receptionist in the president’s office. On Saturdays and during holidays, she did stockroom work at Charles F. Berg department store, including pressing new dresses. (One of her college papers was titled “The Seamy Side of Life.”) At Berg’s, she also operated the elevator and worked in the shoe department. “The financial picture was always front and center in my mind, as it was for many of the day dodgers like me who commuted to Reed,” she noted. Encouraged by Albright, Lu Ann accepted an internship with the Portland Civil Service Board in her junior year and was promoted to part-time personnel technician there during her senior year. Fellow technician Richard Darling was smitten by her. “So here I was,” she wrote, “balancing my Reed schedule, my work schedule, and my thesis writing with my personal life. Ouch! It was hard and conflicting. But also very exciting!” Dick went to war, and they married a year later in the Eliot Hall chapel. After graduation, Lu Ann earned a master’s in education at the University of Michigan and an EdD from UCLA. “As it did for many of us, Reed taught me how to think. That plus my pattern of hard work and perseverance have paid off—I have had a long and successful professional career.” She worked in personnel with the Corps of Engineers and UCLA; served as a consultant in leadership and organization development at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles; did organizational consulting in health care; and wrote two books, Strategic Thinking for the New Health Care and Discovering Your Mentoring Mosaic: A Guide to Enhanced Mentoring. An illness contracted during World War II put Dick on disability early in life, and he died in 1985. Lu Ann worked full time while raising their children, Martha Darling ’66 and Steve. “Extraordinary wife, mother, mentor, and friend, her caring heart and twinkling eye will be missed by the many people she so positively influenced. She was a treasure to her family and her multitude of friends and colleagues.” Survivors include Martha and her husband, Gil Omenn; Steve and his wife, Linda; and three grandsons, David, Michael, and Ricky. Donations in Lu Ann’s memory may be made to the Lu Ann Williams Darling Class of 1942 Centennial Scholarship Fund.
Marjorie Jean Sinclair Wolf ’47
Marjorie Jean Sinclair Wolf ’47, September 14, 2012, in Portland. Marjorie attended Reed for one year and completed her bachelor’s degree in English literature at Willamette University. She also earned a master’s degree from Lewis & Clark College. For 27 years, she taught language arts to children in middle schools in Canby, Oregon. She was also a member of St. Patrick Church in Canby. Survivors include her husband, Cleophas Wolf, whom she married in 1953; three sons, including Lewellyn S. Wolf ’76; three daughters; 14 grandchildren; and a sister.
Eleanor Arline Danielson Westling ’51
Eleanor Arline Danielson Westling ’51, June 30, 2012, in Milwaukie, Oregon. Eleanor earned a BA from Reed in biology and an EdM, with a minor in biological sciences, from Oregon State University. She taught high school biology and chemistry for a few years and then devoted her time and energy to her family and to volunteer work. Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Norman E. Westling; two daughters; one son; and four grandchildren.
Susan Helen White Dimitroff ’61
Susan Helen White Dimitroff ’61, September 28, 2012, in Tumwater, Washington. At Reed, Susan studied general literature and calligraphy, and met George E. Dimitroff ’60, whom she married. After college, Susan and George moved to Galesburg, Illinois, where she raised their daughter and first son and helped establish the Quaker Meeting. With George’s appointment to The Evergreen State College, the family moved to Olympia, Washington, where Susan attended the Olympic Monthly (Quaker) Meeting and served on meeting committees. In addition, she volunteered as president of the PTA and as a member of the City of Tumwater Planning Commission (for 18 years). Susan studied Japanese and traveled with George to Japan; a love of Japanese postage stamps led to her joining the Olympia Stamp Club. She also made and sold little stuffed bears that she named metchkas, an activity her mother had begun and which benefited the Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Susan was honest and saw the good in everyone. She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.” Survivors include George, two sons, one daughter, and one grandson.
James Watt Wiley ’31
James Watt Wiley ’31, January 29, 1995, in Portland. He attended Reed for two years and then transferred to the University of Oregon. He received an MD from the University of Oregon Medical School in 1933. He was a fellow of the American Board of Surgeons. He was a surgeon at Good Samaritan Hospital until 1957, when he began serving patients at St. Helens Hospital. He retired from medical practice in 1983. After retiring, he returned to school and earned a degree in Spanish from Portland State University. He took up scuba diving at the age of 60 and also learned to play the guitar. Survivors include his wife, two sons, one grandchild, and a sister.
James Whitley ’35
James Whitely ’35, February 4, 1995, in Portland. He attended Reed for two years before transferring to the University of Oregon. He earned a medical degree from the University of Oregon Medical School in 1938. He married Sue Menzies in 1937. After interning at the medical school hospital and spending a year as a physician at the Student Health Service at Oregon State University, he took a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Oregon Medical School. During World War II he served as a medical officer in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946, obtaining the rank of captain in the medical corps. In 1946 he opened a private practice in obstetrics and gynecology in Portland, retiring in 1988. He served as president of the Oregon Division of the American Cancer Society in the ’60s. Survivors include his wife and a daughter.
Kathleen Knowlton Wilson ’32
Kathleen Knowlton Wilson ’32, January 18, 1995, in Plainfield, New Jersey. She attended Reed for two years, during which time she met physics major Bruce Lee Wilson ’29. They were married in 1930 and moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the Bureau of Standards. They later moved to Kensington, Maryland. She was a homemaker for most of her life. Survivors include two sons; two sisters, Harriet Knowlton Schroder ’27 and Ellen Knowlton Johnson ’39, four grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Bruce died in 1992.
Jeremy Daniel Wiener ’94
Jeremy Daniel Wiener ’94, July 13, 1995, in New York. As a theatre major at Reed, his work included directing a stage performance of a radio play by Tom Stoppard, Albert’s Bridge, playing the male lead in On the Verge, by Eric Overmyer ’73, and acting in many other roles. After graduation, he acted in Dreadnought Theatre Company and played the lead in Portland’s Furies Theatre Group production of The Actor’s Nightmare, a one act play by Christopher Durang. He had recently moved to New York to continue his acting career.
Celia Wisks Ettinger MAT ’63
Celia Wicks Ettinger MAT ’63, January 5, 1996, in an auto accident near Dundee, Oregon. Prior to attending Reed, Ceal received a BS in education from Portland State University (1960). She taught for many years in the Portland Public Schools and for the Jewish Education Association, now the Portland Jewish Academy. In 1979, she was the director of the Hebrew after-school program at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. She served as the executive director of the Portland Jewish Education Association from 1981 until her retirement. She helped found Oregonians for Israel and served as its first president, and she remained active in that organization until her death. Survivors include her daughter, Carmella Ettinger ’72; a son, a sister, and three grandchildren. Her husband died in 1993.
Robert D. Webb ’36
Robert D. Webb ’36, December 21, 1996, in Portland. He was a longtime Portland newspaperman and advertising executive who began his career as office boy at the Oregonian in 1936. He became a news reporter and then transferred to the sports department. He started the Oregonian Ski School, which provided free ski lessons in an effort to reduce the number of skiing injuries on Mount Hood. During World War II, he served as lieutenant with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific, where he was seriously wounded when a kamikaze plane hit the destroyer escort on which he was serving. After the war, he served in the naval reserves and later became the Portland representative for navy recruiting. Upon his release from active duty in 1946, he returned to work at the Oregonian as a copy editor and editor of the sports desk. In 1959, he became publisher of the Portland Reporter, a position he held until 1964, when the paper folded. He then joined the public relations firm of Goodrich-Hauser. During this time, he also taught journalism and writing classes at Reed, Portland State University, and Lewis & Clark College. In 1989, he retired as a senior member of Hauser, Webb, Wykoff, and Armstrong. He served on the board of the Portland Rose Festival for over 20 years and was on the board of the Columbia River Council of Girl Scouts. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Kenneth A. Wells ’30
Kenneth Wells ’30, November 28, 1996, in Princeton, New Jersey, after a brief illness. His career with the Boy Scouts of America began after graduating from Reed, when he took a job with the Boy Scout Council in Portland. He married Jean Lowery ’30 in the Eliot Hall chapel in 1932. He became assistant director of the scouting program in northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington, and then worked in Medford and Eugene as the local scouting director. In 1945, he accepted a position in the national scout office in New York City, where he was involved in various aspects of the camping program. From 1950 until his retirement in 1972, he was national director of research and development for the organization. He was an Eagle Scout and a life member of the Scout Executives Alliance. He and his wife lived in Princeton, where he served on the board of the Unitarian-Universalist Association and was a member of the Borough Housing Authority in 1962–71. Both he and his wife were active in the local chapter of the Red Cross, Recording for the Blind, and the United Way. In retirement, he was editor of the Rossmoor News, a monthly publication of a local retirement community. After his wife’s death in 1995 he moved to Monroe Village, where he became involved in community events and wrote for the newsletter there. He is survived by his son, Roger Wells ’63.
Bennett M. Welsh ’49
Bennett Welsh Sr. ’49, April 2, 1998, in Gresham, Oregon. After attending Reed for a year, he transferred to the Portland Museum Art School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art), graduating in 1948 with a certificate in ceramics. He was a potter in the Portland area for over 50 years and had a ceramics studio in Gresham. In recent years, he exhibited his work at the Attic Gallery, Contemporary Crafts, the Image Gallery, and the Wentz Gallery at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, a son, three daughters, a brother, a sister, and seven grandchildren.
Raymond L. Whitney ’78
Raymond Whitney ’78, September 21, 1995, in San Francisco, of cancer. He did graduate work in physics at the University of Denver and was a research assistant at the Solar Energy Research Institute in Golden, Colorado. He had been a senior scientist for Lockheed in Palo Alto prior to his illness. Survivors include his wife, mother, two sisters, and a brother.
June Wendel ’45
June Herzog Wendel ’45, December 7, 2000, in Palo Alto, California. After graduation, she married James Wendel ’43 and in 1955 they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan when he joined the faculty of the University of Michigan. In Ann Arbor, she founded and co-owned The Wild Weft, a weaving shop, and she was active in the arts there. During this time, she was also a homemaker, raising their six children. They retired to Palo Alto in 1986, where she volunteered at the Palo Alto Art Center and was active in the American Association of University Women. Survivors include her husband, three sons, three daughters, a brother, a sister, and 12 grandchildren. The family suggests remembrances to Reed College.
Myrta O. Movius Williamson ’35
Myrta Olive Movius Williamson ’35, September 14, 2001, in Vancouver, Washington. Myrta received a BAfrom Reed in biology, married George A. Williamson in 1940—a marriage lasting 42 years—and they had four children. She spent many years as a homemaker, mother, and part-time medical technician. Myrta felt that her education at Reed contributed to her independent, curious, and outspoken nature, as well as to her desire to read endlessly. The needs of the homeless and the hungry became a primary focus for her. "Education is wonderful," she wrote, "but one has to be housed and fed in order to succeed."
Donald N. Wheeler ’35
Donald Niven Wheeler ’35, November 8, 2002, in Seattle. Wheeler arrived for his first year at Reed by crossing the Columbia River rapids in a boat. Following receipt of a bachelor’s degree in political science from Reed, he went to Pembroke College, Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a First on his exams in philosophy, politics, and economics. He was granted a third year at the University of Paris. At Oxford, Wheeler joined the Communist Party, and was active in the Popular Front against fascism and later the International Brigades, assisting vets on their return home from Spain. He and Mary Margaret Lukes Vause ’35 were married in 1938. He taught briefly at Yale before working nearly a decade in Washington, D.C., including five years as chief economist in the Office of Strategic Services. Donald was blacklisted during the Cold War and moved with his family to Seattle, Washington, working as an oil burner mechanic until 1947, when he and his family moved to a dairy farm in Sequim, Washington. In 1965 he accepted a teaching position at Franconia College in New Hampshire, and returned to Oxford where he received a Doctor of Philosophy for his research on the scale of agricultural enterprises under a socialist economy in 1975. His appointment to the faculty at Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada, came in 1970, and he retired as a professor emeritus of political economy in 1980, after which he moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington. Donald was a superb adventurer and athlete and an amateur mechanic, who kept his 1965 Chevy II effectively operating for over 400,000 miles. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge, and was a prolific writer and a passionate teacher on many subjects. Throughout his life, he remained an outspoken foe of war, racism, and capitalist exploitation. He said that he didn’t want his last thought to be "Why didn’t I do something?" Three other members of Donald's family graduated from Reed, Margaret J. Wheeler ’26, George Wheeler ’29, and Helen Wheeler Hastay ’39. He is survived by two sons, including Timothy Wheeler MAT ’66, two daughters, 11 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and two sisters. His wife and one son predeceased him.
Franklin H. Wilson ’55
Franklin Heden Wilson ’55, December 7, 2002, in Westwood, California. After attending Reed for a short time, Franklin completed requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in political science at UCLA in 1961. He earned an LLB, cum laude, from Columbia University Law School in 1964. For more than 20 years, he practiced corporate litigation with the law firm of McCutchen, Black, Verleger & Shea in Los Angeles, and was a partner from 1972 until his retirement in 1990. During retirement he was an active member of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, serving as chairman from 1998 to 2000. Franklin was a devoted father, and took time to enjoy traveling, hiking, and time with family and friends. Survivors include his two daughters, his longtime companion, his sister, and many nieces and nephews.
Richard E. Warren ’55
Richard Earl Warren ’55, February 2, 2003, of heart failure, in Portland. Richard attended Reed and completed his undergraduate degree at USC. His graduate studies were accomplished at the University of Virginia and Harvard College. His research work initiated with the founders of cybernetics, and he was highly recognized for his work in artificial intelligence. Throughout his career, he was said to have challenged convention, encouraging his students and colleagues to move past the traditional boundaries of academic disciplines. Richard was a pioneer in the design of fault-tolerant computer systems in the ’60s, a technology utilized by banks and industry. At MIT in the seventies, his research center developed specialized tools for those with disabilities, and he was repeatedly acknowledged as the most popular teacher. His biomedical and technological research had a far reaching effect on small high-tech companies, including some in the Pacific Northwest, and on such achievements as the guidance system design for the Apollo moon landing. Richard was characterized as a Renaissance man—inspiring a great audience of individuals with his musical talent, mechanical ability, electronic and computer savvy, and navigational and sailing skills. He was a pacifist, a proponent of respect and human dignity, and a philosopher, who proposed that plants, especially single-celled organisms, function collectively to create "the mind of earth." Richard married twice and had three children who survived him, including Bradley Clark Warren ’82. Survivors also include his grandson and mother, and his companion, Kashala Hill.
Mary Davis Willard Roe Bateman ’58
Mary Davis Willard Roe Bateman ’58, January 4, 2004, in Maryland, from congestive heart failure. Mary briefly attended Reed, where she met Eugene I. Roe ’57. The couple married in 1955; they had three children, and divorced in 1965. Following the divorce, she attended the University of New Hampshire and raised her children. She graduated cum laude from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the university in 1969, also receiving election to Pi Gamma Mu, the national social science honor society. Her nack for language and writing enabled her to be a reporter, editor, and columnist for a variety of small town newspapers, a career she relished. Newspapers included several in New Hampshire: the Monadnock Ledger, the Keene Sentinel, and the Nashua Telegraph; additionally the Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Sentinel and the Boston Globe. From 1972 to 1984, she worked for Town of Peterborough (New Hampshire) Transcript. In 1978, she married Jonathan H. Bateman, with whom she operated the Liberal Arts Garage, specializing in antique and classic car restoration. For the Town of Peterborough, she was commissioned to research and write a 500-page history. Mary also wrote works of fiction, including mystery novels set in fictitious New England towns. Personally committed to civic action, she was involved in recycling and water and sewer committees for the Town of Peterborough, and was also involved with the Monadnock Community Day Care Center, the Monadnock Community Chorus, the Museum of Transportation in Boston, and the Summit Point Raceway in Charles Town, West Virginia. She mastered the runic language in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, made 95 quilts, knitted with precision, and did needlepoint. Mary is survived by her husband, two sons and a daughter, two step-daughters, seven grandchildren, and one brother.
Ma'Carry Webster Hull ’38
Ma’Carry Webster Hull ’38, June 12, 2003, in Portland, Oregon. Ma’Carry attended Reed for a year before entering the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School. Following that, she was hired by the Oregon Journal newspaper, married Robert B. Hull, and moved to Providence, Rhode Island. She then moved to Newton, Massachusetts, and worked for the school department on data processing, a newly developed field about which she knew nothing but still succeeded in supporting. In the early ’60s, she enrolled at Northeastern University’s program for adult women, studied, and worked part time as an assistant to the program director. In 1967, her husband retired and they moved to the Virgin Islands. She later returned to Boston, divorced, and worked as an administrative assistant in the sociology department at Boston University. She earned a BA in sociology in 1972, and retired from her position as an executive department secretary. Until 1980 she lived in a house in a forest reserve on a New England pond, after which she moved back to Portland. She enjoyed time with her four children and extended family, and gardening. In 1988, she published a book, Dear Lizzie, with the Oregon Colonial dames, and anticipated travel to Australia and New Zealand. She wrote that Reed "fostered intellectual curiosity which has given joy to ensuing years."
Thomas Graham Walker ’47
Thomas Graham Walker ’47, December 12, 2003, in Portland, Oregon. Graham received a BA in economics from Reed. During the course of his education at Reed, he enlisted in the U.S. Army (1942–46) and did service in the Pacific. He then enrolled at the University of Oregon Law School, graduating in 1950, and passing the Oregon Bar that same year. In his 50 years in Oregon law, Graham was called a "lawyer’s lawyer," specializing in advising other attorneys in issues of complex litigation. He married Elizabeth C. Rogers ’42; they had three children and later divorced. Survivors include his daughters and son, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
John H. Wallace ’41
John H. Wallace ’41, September 20, 2003, in Oakland, California, from cancer. After graduating from Reed with a bachelor’s degree in general literature, Jack enlisted as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the South Pacific in World War II. After the war, he studied at University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, earning a LLM with honors, and then practiced law in Oakland and San Francisco. He married Margaret Berger in 1942; they had three children and later divorced. He then lived with Cheryl Osborne for 20 years until her death in 1998. Jack enjoyed sailing, his study of the Civil War and World War I, literature, and fine food. He received a Certificat des Etudes Francaise from the University of Genoble, France, in 1938, and maintained an interest in French language and culture throughout his life. His professional associations included arbitration panels for the American Arbitration Association, the U.S. District Court, the Northern District of California, and various California county superior courts. Survivors include his children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Jean Olsen Wheeler ’44
Jean Olsen Wheeler ’44, February 21, 1996. Jean earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Reed. She married Gordon Wheeler, and lived in Washington state.
Cheston William Wilkerson ’96
Cheston William Wilkerson ’96, March 5, 2003, in Snohomish, Washington. Cheston earned an AA from Edmonds Community College in Edmonds, Washington, before attending the University of Washington, Reed, and Seattle University. He was a sports enthusiastic who also created and produced music. An avid skier and racer, he was owner and director of Sno-Cap Ski School at Stevens Pass, Washington. Survivors include his wife, Kathleen Wire Wilkerson; his parents and brother; and his grandfathers.
Christian F. Wyller ’55
Christian Frederik Wyller ’55, June 3, 2003, in Juneau, Alaska, following a lengthy battle with ALS, Lou Gehrigs’ disease. Fred attended Reed for three years before transferring to Colorado School of Mines and earning a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering in 1958. Following graduation, he worked for two years in Texas, then returned to Alaska, where he worked for the Alaska Department of Highways in Fairbanks and in Anchorage. He later purchased and operated Basin Marine fuel dock in Aurora Harbor in Juneau. He owned and lived on two boats, one he built by hand. Fred was a member of Resurrection Lutheran Church, the Pioneers of Alaska, and the Sons of Norway. Survivors include his sister, and extended family.
Elisabeth Lorrayne Willer Solomon ’30
Elisabeth Lorrayne Willer Solomon ’30, April 6, 2004, in Portland. Libby emigrated from Russia with her family in 1914, briefly attended Reed, and worked as a medical laboratory technician. Drawn together by their mutual interest in the Oregon Commonwealth Federation, a liberal labor coalition, she and Gus J. Solomon ’26 were married in 1939. During that decade and the next, she organized training groups for women in the Democratic Party. Libby was a staunch advocate for civil rights; fighting intolerance and discrimination through activism, including in her work with the Portland chapter of the American Jewish Congress. She assisted the development of the Judaic studies program at Portland State University, and, with her husband, created the Gus & Libby Solomon Scholarship Fund at Reed for talented and needy students in English and creative arts. Her interest in the arts led her to the position of trustee of the Arts & Crafts Society (Oregon College of Art and Craft) and the Contemporary Crafts Gallery. She also chaired the Portland Art Commission. Stories and Poems, published in 1998 (Barlow Road Press), featured her collected writing. Survivors include three sons, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Gus died in 1987.
Harriet J. Wilson MALS ’69
Hannah J. Wilson MALS ’69, October 17, 2004, in Eugene, Oregon. Hannah received a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Oregon before earning her master’s degree at Reed. She taught high school English and humanities for 20 years in Eugene, and was head of the English department at South Eugene High School. She also taught in numerous international settings. Described as an inspirational teacher and an activist, she was also a professional short story writer and poet. She received an Oregon Literary Arts grant to research one of her novels in Greece. A member of the Oregon Masters Club, Hannah organized track and field awards, and also participated in 10 marathons. Her life was characterized by devotion to family and community, and consequently to human rights and peace. She was married to Jake Wilson; they had two children and two grandchildren.
Mary Cecelia Gunterman Wollman ’37
Mary Cecelia Gunterman Wollman ’37, November 30, 2006, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, from cancer. Tete attended Reed for five years, completing course requirements for graduation. Her interest in early childhood and progressive education led to a thesis in interdisciplinary study. She spent fall 1936 at the Ojai Valley School in Ojai, California, as a cadet teacher, in order to gain a practical view of the subject. As Tete told Cricket Parmalee ’67 during her oral history interview (March 2003), her interest in education began as a reaction to what was happening to society during the Depression and with the inevitability of a world war. “I felt that everything was going all wrong and that we could try to see if we couldn’t find out how to ‘grow people’ that would have a different orientation toward each other.” After returning to Portland, she observed in nursery schools, and was drawn to write about a movement to provide young children with stories appropriate to their development—realistic, rather than fantastic—supported by the work of Lucy Sprague Mitchell and the Bank Street College of Education in New York. While at Reed, she married Loren Meigs; they then moved to Washington, D.C., where she was a teacher and director of the Georgetown Children’s House. Later, she married Seymour Wollman, a biologist with the National Institute of Science. While carrying for their young family, she participated in co-op schools. In 1973, she attended Townson State College in Maryland, and took positions at the Silver Spring Cooperative School and at a Head Start Center in Washington, D.C., and was also a substitute teacher. In reflecting on her years at Reed, she stated, “I think that, at that time, we didn’t feel we had to be outstanding student scholars. We just had to be intensely interested. And I think I fit that bill.” Her brother, Joseph Gunterman ’34, says that Tete was “a lively, generous, and thoughtful participant in life.” Survivors include her husband, daughter, son, grandson, two brothers, and niece Karen Gunterman ’64.
Tete Wollman was a member of Reed’s Gawdawfuler’s Society. The society’s anthology for 1933–34 included her poem, “Before Rain.”
Janet E. Waldron Witter ’36, MALS ’62
Janet E. Waldron Witter ’36, MAT ’62, February 2, 2007, in Oregon. Janet's first exposure to Reed was in the company of her aunt, Alice Waldron, who was a librarian at the college in 1921–25. Janet attended Reed for two years, and then attended the Portland Art Museum School for a year, before deciding to become a teacher. She enrolled at Oregon State Normal School (Western Oregon University) in Monmouth, received her credentials, and taught in Salem. She married John M. Crawford ’35; they had two daughters. In 1952, she earned a BA in humanities from Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where John worked for the United Nations. Work for the U.N. also took the family to Cairo, Egypt, where Janet taught at the Cairo-American School. Following that experience, she returned to Oregon with her daughters. She married Jack A. Witter ’36 in 1959. And, after receiving an MAT, she taught at a number of elementary and middle schools in the Portland area. To Laura Ross ’98, who interviewed Janet for the Oral History Project in April 2004, she described the years post-Reed: “I was still, like I said, ‘cashing checks’ on that wonderful account I had at Reed, and I still am. It was a wonderful account that I built up there, of knowledge; if not of thorough knowledge, at least an understanding that there was something that you could look up. It was wonderful.” Survivors include two daughters, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Jack died in 2006.
James Gutwillig Wendel ’43
James Gutwillig Wendel ’43, January 16, 2006, in Portland. Jim received a BA in chemistry from Reed, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He worked on defense-related projects, including in Linus Paulingis laboratory, during World War II. In 1948, he completed a PhD in mathematics from Caltech. In 1955, he joined the faculty at the University of Michigan; retiring in 1987. He then moved to Palo Alto, and in 2000, returned to Portland. In addition to mathematics, Jim possessed a deep intellect and a wide breadth of knowledge on a number of subjects, including history, science, art, literature, culture, language, and music. He performed on the piano and accordion. In 1944, he married June Herzog ’44; they had six children. Survivors include three sons and three daughters, 12 grandchildren, and his sister. June died in 2000.
Allan Gale Walstrom ’52
Allan Gale Walstrom ’52, February 2, 2006, in Manhattan, New York. Allan earned a BA from Reed in general literature. He also attended Bank Street College of Education in Manhattan. In 1953, he began his 20-year teaching career, first at Poughkeepsie Day School, then at the Randolph Avenue School, and finally in Manhattan. Survivors include his sister, and his extended family.
Ann Charlotte Stearns Whitehead ’44
Ann Charlotte Stearns Whitehead ’44, June 11, 2005, in El Cerrito, California. Ann attended Reed, but did not graduate. She earned a BS in general studies from Simmons College in 1944, and a PhD from University of California, Berkeley, in 1953. She married and had two children, and was employed as a clinical psychologist, retiring from practice in 1987. In 1985, she married Carleton Whitehead ’41. She enjoyed tennis, scuba research diving, travel, and freelance travel writing. Carleton died in 2004. Her brother, John R. Stearns, and sister, Mary Stearns Williams, also attended Reed.
Susan Elizabeth Wheeler ’64
Susan Elizabeth Wheeler ’64, January 24, 2006, in Sequim, Washington. Susan received a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama, and a teaching certificate from Portland State University, before attending Reed. In 1960, she married Don Hamerquist. She worked as a legal secretary for legal services in Portland and for the Oregon Law Center. Susan was a member of the Womenis International League for Peace and Freedom, a lifelong activist for peace and justice, and a devoted mother and grandmother. She enjoyed photography, traveling, camping, and gardening. Survivors include three daughters, four grandchildren, two brothers, and a sister.
Leone Bonney Wollenberg, Friend
Leone Bonney Wollenberg, March 15, 2006, in Longview, Washington. Lee, wife of trustee emeritus R.P. Wollenberg, and mother of five children, including trustee R.H. Wollenberg '75, was active in organizing and supporting Longview civic and charitable groups for 60 years. The focus of her civic energy was often in support of children. She was a founding member of the Toutle River Ranch, known currently as the Youth and Family LINK Program. She also helped to found the Southwest Washington Symphony Auxiliary, and served on the Head Start Policy Council, the Columbia Theatre Board, and the Lower Columbia Foundation Board. She met Dick shortly after moving from Oregon to southwest Washington to begin a position as a second grade teacher. The couple was married for 65 years. Lee was a dedicated volunteer, responding with great energy to any task assigned. Her egalitarian manner, and her great kindness and inner strength, suffused her interactions with others. Survivors include her husband, daughter, three sons, and six grandchildren. One son died in December.
Frances Margaret Wohlers Townsend ’32
Frances Margaret Wohlers Townsend ’32, April 8, 2004, in Spokane, Washington. Frances attended Reed for two years. She married George H. Townsend in 1936, and at one time was employed with the Family Welfare Association in Tacoma, Washington.
Dorothy Belle Wood Petersen Mayer ’35
Dorothy Belle Wood Petersen Mayer ’35, January 12, 2008, in Portland. Dorothy attended Reed for two years, before leaving for family economic issues. For a year, in Boise, Idaho, she provided her father with secretarial assistance, and then entered Mt. Sinai School of Nursing in New York City. Dorothy determined that nursing was not her calling, and sold books at Macy's. She married LaPhene Petersen in 1935, in Idaho; they built a home, scraped through the war years, and began a family (daughter and son). In 1945, they moved to Illinois for a business opportunity. Mayer became a member of the League of Women Voters, was elected to the local school board, and when her husband was too ill to work, she took positions at Roycemore School for Girls in Evanston, the Avon cosmetics factory, and a gift shop at Marshall Field. In 1960, she returned to Portland, and from 1968 to 1975, she worked in registration and records at Portland State College (University). LaPhene died in 1969. In 1975, she married widower Phillip Mayer ’33. The couple built a house in Cannon Beach, which they enjoyed immensely. Phillip died in 1999.
Roger John Williams ’39
Roger John Williams ’39, December 25, 2008, in Bexley, Ohio. Roger received a BA from Reed in economics, and fought with the U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. He did graduate work at Stanford, and earned a PhD in economics from Columbia University in 1959. He taught courses in economics and finance at the University of Rochester, Baldwin-Wallace, St. John's University, Moravian College, and Tiffin University. He was chief economist for Standard & Poor's in New York City for several years, and worked for Union Carbide and Luria Brothers. He also worked as a consultant on foreign economic policy for the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and founded Investor Trends in Pickerington, Ohio. Roger composed poetry, and remained a devotee of Reed throughout his life. “I have always been proud of the Reed tradition,” he stated. Survivors include his wife, Josephine Graziano Williams; two sons, a brother and half-brother. His first wife and one son predeceased him.
Elizabeth Janet Warnock Fernea ’49
Elizabeth Janet Warnock Fernea ’49, December 2, 2008, at her daughter's home in La Canada, California, following a long illness.
Bette or B.J., as she became known at Reed, was a influential writer, anthropologist, and filmmaker who worked extensively on the role of women in the Middle East.
James Hamilton Wheeler ’70
James Hamilton Wheeler ’70, December 13, 2007, in Houston, Texas, following a long illness. Jim received a BA from Reed in religion. His employment spanned a range of experiences, from being a sailor on Chesapeake Bay to creating an antique importing business in Massachusetts, and from promoting kitchen gadgets and selling life insurance to running a plant nursery in Texas. Survivors include his son, mother, sister, and stepfather.
Ruth C. Isherwood Wilson ’29
Ruth C. Isherwood Wilson ’29, August 7, 1994, in Washington, D.C., where she had lived since 1951. She was a native of Portland and had worked for the Portland Junior Symphony as a booking agent after leaving Reed. She married Thomas Wilson in 1937. After moving to the Washington, D.C., area she was a volunteer tutor, teaching English as a second language. She is survived by two sons, and two grandchildren.
Frank Joseph Witmer ’46
Frank Joseph Witmer Jr. ’46, August 21, 1994, in Seattle. After attending Reed, he studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He married Marilyn O'Malley in 1955, and the couple moved to Washington State in 1962, where he became a chemical engineer with Boeing in Everett. He retired in 1988. Survivors include his son, a daughter, and four grandchildren. His wife died earlier this year.
Margaret Wiley Marshall ’29, MA ’31
Margaret Wiley Marshall '29, MA '31, August 19, 1995, in Oxford, England, where she had lived since 1968. She taught high school in Redmond, Oregon for three years, and then moved to Boston, where she was head of the English department at Emerson College. She earned a PhD in 17th-century English literature from Harvard-Radcliffe in 1940. In 1946, she took a position as a lecturer at Brooklyn College of City University of New York. She taught at that institution until 1970, rising to the rank of full professor. In 1957–59, she received a Fulbright grant to India. She was the author of several books, including The Subtle Knot: Creative Skepticism in 17th-Century England, published in 1952, and Creative Skeptics, published in 1966. She also published many articles in a variety of professional journals. She married Roderick Marshall, a Brooklyn College colleague, in 1954 in the Eliot Hall chapel. In 1968, the couple moved to Oxfordshire, England, and lived for seven years in the 16th-century home of William Morris. After her husband's death in 1975, she worked to complete and publish his book on William Morris, and she continued to write articles in her area of interest. She also traveled extensively and enjoyed playing the violin. She was a strong supporter of Reed College and had been a member of the Griffin Society since 1976. Survivors include two stepdaughters and two step-granddaughters.
Fred G. Wessinger ’50
Frederic Wessinger ’50, July 3, 1996, in his Portland home after a long illness. He was a former president of Blitz Weinhard Brewing Company and a community supporter and philanthropist. After serving as a fighter pilot in World War II, he attended Reed for two years, then began working for his family’s brewing company. He became president in 1965 and helped develop Henry Weinhard’s private reserve beer, named for his great-grandfather. In 1979, he and his brother, trustee emeritus William Wessinger, sold the brewing company to Pabst Brewing. He then formed the McKenzie River Corporation, which made regional beers and soft drinks. He was active in the community and served on many boards and committees. He was on the board of Good Samaritan Hospital and was the first president of the Good Samaritan Foundation, which raised money to build the hospital’s cancer care center. He was president of the board of the Metropolitan Family Services board, the United Way, and the Oregon Historical Society. In 1980, the Wessinger family created the Wessinger Family Foundation, of which he was vice president and treasurer. He was also a director of the Blitz Weinhard Foundation. He and his wife, Beth Minott Wessinger, were co-chairs of the Reed Griffin Society for many years. In 1995, they donated a parcel of coastal property to the Oregon state parks and recreation department as an addition to Ecola State Park. Frederic is survived by his wife of 46 years, two sons, two daughters, two brothers, and five grandchildren.
William M. Wolfe ’51
William Wolfe ’51, February 4, 1997, in Lake Grove, Oregon. Bill came to Reed from Maryland. Ruth Cederstrom Wolfe ’50, whom he met at Reed and married in 1951, says that as a teen, Bill danced the jitterbug on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City—primarily with black dancers—in a powder blue, custom-grade zoot suit. “He so loved and admired his fellow dancers and his hope was to match their skills.” Bill went to Washington, D.C., to enlist in the army during World War II, and was shocked to find that the army was segregated. “He had a hard time reconciling the segregated army and fighting for the Jews,” says Ruth. “It was not the whole war. He landed in France on D-Day, too, and he came home to see a VA counselor in Los Angeles.” Bill and his friend, Al Ferguson ’52, met together with the counselor, who also was a graduate of Reed. The counselor called Reed and said, “I have two smart boys to send you.” The day following, Bill and Al set out for Portland in Bill’s model A, with their suitcases stashed in the rumble seat. Bill went on to earn a BS in mathematics from Portland State University in 1956 and worked as a statistician for the Oregon State Highway Department. He also was owner and manager of a vegetable juice company in the Portland area. Bill and Ruth had a son, and two daughters. Survivors include Ruth and their children. (Our thanks to Ruth for her assistance in amending Bill's memorial in April 2014.)
Margaret Ann Wilson Haseltine ’46
Margaret Ann Wilson Haseltine ’46, on June 6, 1998, of ovarian cancer, in Olympia, Washington. Maury attended the Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon, and Eastern Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. She was a member of a team documenting prehistoric American Indian petroglyphs on the Columbia River under the auspices of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry from 1956 to 1959. From 1950 to 1998, she was an artist, with more than 20 solo shows. Some of her artwork is in the Portland Art Museum, the Tacoma Museum, and the University of Oregon Museum. She taught at the Washington State Capitol Museum in Olympia, Washington, and the Salt Lake Art Center School in Utah and was an art consultant. She is survived by her husband, four daughters, a son, a sister, four grandchildren, four nieces, and three nephews.
Patricia Staver Wallace ’33
Patricia Staver Wallace ’33, April 25, 1997, in Sacramento, California. She was a resident of Portland and Beaverton for most of her life. After attending Reed, she worked for the Oregon Journal, where she met her husband, Arthur. During World War II, she worked for Iron Fireman in Portland. After her husband’s retirement, the couple moved to Lopez Island, Washington, but she returned to Portland after his death in 1977. She is survived by her son, a brother, and one grandchild.
Alice Weil Wilson ’36
Alice Weil Wilson ’36, on September 22, 1997, in Durango, Colorado. During World War II, she worked in the University of Washington physics department, where she taught enlisted men and meteorology students. She also worked as a librarian in Seattle, Washington; Glendale, California; and Tucson, Arizona, retiring in 1978. She is survived by her husband, two children, and four grandsons.
Albert Carl Witt ’57
Albert Carl Witt ’57, on June 14, 1998. After graduating from the University of Oregon Medical School, he worked as an emergency medicine physician and surgeon at Good Samaritan and Emanuel Hospitals in Portland, retiring in 1987. He also was a physician for Boy Scout camps for several years. He is survived by his wife, three sons, three daughters, his mother, a brother, a sister, and 16 grandchildren.
Nella Winch McElroy ’40
Nella Winch McElroy ’40, on May 26, 1998, in Falmouth, Massachusetts. She worked for the Gallup Poll Organization in Princeton, New Jersey. She also worked as an office manager for a doctor, and in 1971 she became a clinical social worker at the Thorne Clinic in Pocasett, Massachusetts. She also served on the board of the Marine Biological Laboratory Associates program. She is survived by two sons and two daughters, a sister, a brother, a stepmother, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Henrietta Willock Burcham ’41
Henrietta Willock Burcham ’41, May 7, 1999, in La Canada, California. She is survived by a son, two daughters, and a brother.
Douglas H. Williams ’63
Douglas H. Williams ’63, May 19, 1999, in Woodside, California, of liver cancer. He received a BA in psychology in 1964 from California State University in Sacramento, and a master’s degree in psychology in 1967 and PhD in experimental psychology in 1971 from Michigan State University. In 1973, he worked for a scientific library in Port Ord, California. He and his wife, Carol Simpson, began their own business in 1976, testing pilots for commercial airlines and for NASA. In 1993, he was in a serious helicopter crash and spent a year in rehabilitation, learning again how to walk. He eventually returned to flying helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and NASA simulators. Because he enjoyed fencing while at Reed, he founded the Douglas Williams fencing tournament and established a need-based scholarship that is given to the top three tournament placers who are receiving a grant from the college. The first tournament was held in November 1998 and is expected to be an annual event. He is survived by his wife.
Edna Mae Miller Woodward MA ’60
Edna Miller Woodward MA ’61, May 2, 1999, in Portland. She graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington in 1934 and received a master’s degree from Reed in 1961. She worked for 20 years at Jefferson High School as a teacher of math, Latin, and American history; chair of the school’s counseling and guidance department; and as an administrative vice principal. She retired in 1975. Survivors include her husband and two children.
Harry E. Wolf ’41
Harry Edward Wolf ’41, July 19, 1999, in Bethesda, Maryland, of brain cancer. Following graduation, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he received a master’s degree in physics from the University of Maryland and began a 34-year civilian career in the Naval Ordnance Laboratory. He traveled throughout the world, working on technical Navy projects, including a project in Turkey, where he helped map the Sea of Marmora to plan for possible minefields that would block the Soviet Black Sea Fleet in time of war. He received the U.S. Navy’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award. In the ’50s and ’60s, he taught mathematics at the University of Maryland’s university college. During the past 25 years, he was a wine consultant and taught wine courses through the Towson State University extension division. Survivors include his wife, Virginia Simmons Wolf ’36, two children, and two grandchildren.
Ehrick S. Wheeler ’52, MAT ’61
Ehrick Wheeler ’52, MAT ’61, July 15, 2001, in Portland. He was a teacher with Portland Public Schools until his retirement in 1985. He married Sylvia Sprout ’54 in 1952 and they had four children. Survivors include Sylvia, three daughters, a son, and five grandchildren.
Mary Louise Ormsbee Wilson ’42
Mary Louise Ormsbee Wilson ’42, July 4, 2001, respectively, in Blue River, Oregon, of age-related causes. Mary studied at Simmons College and worked as a legal secretary for a group of patent attorneys at MIT’s radiation lab. Mary and William Wilson ’43 were married in 1942 in Montana, and in 1943 they moved to Santa Monica, California, where he took a job with Douglas Aircraft Company as a stress analyst on military aircraft and also taught classes at UCLA. Mary worked at an aircraft products firm and later worked at UCLA in the undergraduate dean’s office. After World War II, they moved to Portland and then to Spokane, Washington, where he worked in engineering firms and became a partner in a Spokane architectural firm. He began his own practice in Spokane in 1953. During this time, Mary was a homemaker, raising their four children, and also attended classes at Eastern Washington University, Cheney. In 1956 they moved to Eugene, Oregon, where William enrolled in the University of Oregon School of Architecture and continued to build his architectural and engineering practice. He retired in 1991 and they moved to Blue River in 1996. In the 1970s Mary developed a hat-making business, designing and producing ski hats for a major Northwest ski manufacturing company. The couple enjoyed downhill skiing, white water rafting, volunteering in a literacy program, and music. Survivors include three sons, a daughter, and five grandchildren.
Carol Ellsworth Wilkinson ’51
Carol Ellsworth Wilkinson ’51, August 8, 2001, in Los Angeles. After attending Reed for several years, she worked for Boeing Aircraft Company in Portland. She married in 1950 and had two children. In 1951 the family moved to Southern California, and she and her husband divorced in 1955. She went to work for Hughes Aircraft Company, and during this time she returned to school at the University of Southern California, earning a BA in mathematics in 1969. She became a registered professional engineer in 1977. At Hughes she advanced to become the first and highest-ranking woman in a technical management position, as associate manager of the systems engineering laboratory, electro-optical, and data systems group. She retired in 1985. She was a 40-year member of the American Statistical Association and was written up in the 1970–71 Who’s Who of American Women. A gifted musician, she played piano and organ and was involved in theatrical and musical productions. In 1971 she remarried, and she and her husband enjoyed traveling, gardening, volunteer work, and staying in touch with family. Survivors include her husband, two sons, three stepchildren, nine grandchildren, a sister, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Lilalee Cheney Watkins ’48
Lilalee Cheney Watkins ’48, September 27, 1999, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She attended Reed for a brief time before becoming a visual artist, working in interior design, advertising, and public relations, and pursuing a lifelong interest in fine arts. She attended community college in California and the University of Oregon, and she felt that Reed stood out in her educational experience because it taught her to focus on her strengths and to take chances. Friends and associates considered her a free spirit. She married, divorced, and raised three children.
Philip Whalen ’51
Phillip Glen Whalen ’51, June 26, 2002, after a long illness, in San Francisco. Born in Portland, famed poet Phillip Whalen spent his early years in The Dalles on the Columbia River, worked at an airplane factory and a shipyard, and served stateside in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He attended Reed on the G.I. Bill, receiving a BA in general literature.
At Reed he roomed with Gary Snyder ’51 and Lew Welch ’50. He credited professor Lloyd Reynolds [English and art 1929–69] with changing the course of his writing and his life. After Reed, he worked as a fire lookout in the Cascade Mountains, then moved with Snyder to San Francisco, where he met Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Philip Lamantia, and Michael McClure. He was present for the "Six Poets at the Six Gallery" poetry reading in 1955 that launched the San Francisco poetry renaissance. His literary style, wit, personal integrity, and mature perspective were influential in the West Coast Beat circle.
Mary Jane Richards Widenoja ’39
Mary Jane Richards Widenoja ’39, August 31, 2003, in her home near Christmas Valley, Oregon, following a short illness. Mary attended Reed and the University of Oregon before marrying Niilo Widenoja in 1942. The couple lived in Tillamook County until 1969 when the family moved to a high desert alfalfa farm near Ft. Rock, Oregon. In addition to her responsibilities on the farm, Mary kept a connection to the Ft. Rock Grange, the local PTA, and other community activities. She is remembered by her thoughtful and polite devotion to friends and family, her sense of humor, and her easy, musical laugh. She identified the care and guidance of her three sons, who have survived her, as a great honor in her life. "Every year has been fine, pleasurable, exciting!" Survivors also include four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her husband predeceased her.
Etta Margaret Millett Wilson ’25
Etta Margaret Millett Wilson ’25, July 30, 2003, in Junction City, of age-related causes. Etta attended Reed and Oregon Normal School (Western Oregon University), then worked for the Pacific Northwest Telephone Company for 34 years. She married Lloyd Wilson in 1972. Her interests included the protection of animals, and she was a member of the Methodist Church. She is survived by a stepdaughter. Her husband and stepson preceded her in death.
Ruth Ward ’37
Ruth Marie Neils Ward ’37, March 31, 2004. Ruth graduated from Reed with a BA in general literature. She earned an MA in musicology from the University of Washington in 1941. In 1945, she married John Ward, and they moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was a professor of music at Harvard, and she was a homemaker. Her brothers, Arthur Neils ’36 and Julius Neils ’40, also attended Reed.
Shelly Ann Warren ’86
Shelly Ann Reynolds Warren ’86, June 29, 2004, in St. Andrews, Scotland, from a heart attack. Shelly attended Portland State University then graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Reed with a bachelor’s degree in history and literature in 1991. In 1987 she married Carl Warren ’86, and together they entered St. Andrews University, in Scotland, to do graduate work. From there they traveled to Switzerland, Malta, Ireland, England, and the Netherlands. Shelly was a voracious reader, who also enjoyed photography and making jewelry, and who had an extraordinary love of cats. Survivors include her husband, her mother, three sisters, and one brother.
EmmaJean Williams ’89
EmmaJean Williams ’89, February 24, 2003, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, following a brief illness. At the age of 42, EmmaJean began work on her GED at Mount Hood Community College. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Reed, then continued her education at Portland State University, earning a master’s degree in 1992, and a doctorate degree in 1995 in urban studies. In 1996 she began teaching criminal justice at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, a position she developed with a broad-minded focus on communication and on supporting academic opportunities for her students. She was married to Roosevelt Williams, who survived her, and she had one daughter.
Rudolf Frederick Wagner ’52
Rudolf Frederick Wagner ’52, July 1, 2005, in Clayton, California. Rudy attended Reed for three years, enlisting in the Air Force in 1951. He was sent to Germany and France, and worked in military intelligence, utilizing his knowledge of several languages. Returning to the U.S., he earned a BA in political science from the University of Washington in 1955, and an MA in political science from University of California, Berkeley, in 1958. He married that same year. His interest in joining the U.S. Information Agency overseas during the Cold War was thwarted by family connections in East Germany, so he turned his attention to the field of electronic instrumentation advertising. He worked for Beckmann Instruments in Richmond, California, and the Systron-Donner Corporation in Concord, California. He then became an independent advertising sales representative, retiring in 1999. Rudy was a member of the Association of Industrial Advertisers, the Delta Phi Epsilon professional fraternity, and an ardent baseball and football fan. Survivors include his wife, Sandra, and his two sons.
Lois Lenore Underwood Weiler ’40
Lois Lenore Underwood Weiler ’40, April 21, 2006, in Vancouver, Washington. Lois studied biology at Reed and at Willamette University. She married Ben Weiler in 1941. His being drafted into service in World War II led to her joining the U.S. Navy WAVES. The couple reunited in Oregon City after the war and raised a family. She was active in her community and church. She fostered her love of horses, hunted, and enjoyed traveling in the U.S. and abroad. Survivors include her daughter and son, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Jack Alfred Witter ’36
Jack Alfred Witter ’36, May 29, 2006, in Milwaukie, Oregon. Jack earned a BA from Reed in mathematics and an MA from the University of Oregon in music in 1950. He also did graduate work at University of California, Berkeley. Jack utilized both degrees: he was an instructor at the Multnomah College School of Music, an accompanist for Nicholas Vasilieff’s ballet school in Portland, a mathematics teacher at Madison High School, a map librarian, and he was a computer programmer for the Army Engineers for 17 years. In 1959, he married Janet E. Waldron ’36. Survivors include Janet, two stepdaughters, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth Ann Welty ’34
Elizabeth Ann Welty ’34, April 3, 2007, in Edmonds, Washington. Elizabeth received a BA from Reed in sociology. During the Great Depression she worked a social worker for the Pierce County Welfare Department in Chehalis, Washington. In 1948, she received an MSW from the University of Washington. Elizabeth was an administrator for 20 years at Medina Children's Service (Amara) in Seattle, and retired as executive director. She was a champion for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised, and focused on creating and improving protective and adoptive services for children and young adults with special needs. She was also a board member of Transitional Resources, a United Way agency serving youth with mental health issues.
Katherine Elaine Wise Reese ’35
Katherine Elaine Wise Reese ’35, April 20, 2007, in San Mateo, California. Katherine received a BA from Reed in French. In 1939, she married William T. Reese Jr., a University of Oregon graduate, in the Eliot Hall chapel. She taught in Oregon and California secondary school systems, and also taught adult ESL in San Mateo for 12 years; she retired from teaching in 1979. Katherine did graduate work at Portland State University, the University of Washington, Notre Dame, and the University of California. In retirement, she and her husband traveled extensively. She enjoyed drama, sewing, making friends, and was active in the American Association of University Women and P.E.O. She was also a deacon in the First Presbyterian Church. Survivors include her daughter, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 2001.
Elisabeth J. Workman Hedrick ’39
Elisabeth J. Workman Hedrick ’39, May 28, 2007, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, from cancer. Betty attended Reed, but did not graduate. She married David W. Hedrick in 1941. The couple lived in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, for most of their married life. She worked with the Girl Scouts and in social services in the Philadelphia area until her later years; David worked for Bethlehem Steel for 41 years. They traveled and fished, and Betty did needlepoint and knitting. Mary Bankhead McBrayer ’39, Betty's college roommate and lifelong friend, learned needlepoint from her—as did her daughters—and reports of the great happiness the couple shared, and that Betty loved Reed. “She was a wonderful person,” says Mary. “I miss her.”
William Morgan Wilkerson Jr. ’79
William Morgan Wilkerson Jr. ’79, May 7, 2007, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bill received a BA from Reed in biology, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He was proprietor of Thomas Water Systems, a company specializing in designing and selling water treatment systems for well water in Charlotte, and later worked as a nursing home administrator and a vocational instructor and counselor for youth with disabilities. Survivors include his wife, Nell Freeman; two daughters and a son; his father; and his sister and brother.
Francis Oliver Whipple ’48
Francis Oliver Whipple ’48, March 16, 2008, in Richmond, British Columbia. Francis attended Reed for a year-and-a-half before military enlistment in World War II. He returned to the college and completed a BA in chemistry. From Oregon State University, he earned an MS in chemistry and a PhD in physical chemistry. He then took a position in the central research office of Crown Zellerbach in Camas, Washington, where he was project leader in charge of wood products and agricultural papers research. In 1959, he accepted a transfer to Vancouver, B.C., where he was manager of new product development for the Canadian Western Lumber Company, a subsidiary of Crown Zellerbach. In an oral history interview with E. Gail Miedema ’95, in 2003, Francis noted that he “fell in love” with the humanities program at Reed. “I would have to say it was one of the highlights of my experience at Reed . . . I found that it influenced me a great deal in my later life. My attitude later became one—when I was a teaching assistant, when I was in graduate school—to encourage students to get a liberal education foremost, and a scientific education secondary. And I still believe that and I would certainly encourage any young person to do that.” Survivors include his wife, Edita.
Francis F. Wong ’50
Frank Wong ’50 (left) on the fire line in Oakland, California
Francis F. Wong ’50, July 15, 2008, in Oakland, California, from complications following vascular surgery.
Frank served in the U.S. Army as a medic during World War II. “We thought we were headed to North Africa. Next thing we knew, we were in Belfast, Ireland, in the middle of January, in suntan uniforms. We nearly froze to death,” he reported in 2005. Frank was among the U.S. soldiers who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, when Allied troops suffered heavy casualties from German defenders.
Rhoda Irene Williams Lewis ’38
Rhoda Irene Williams Lewis ’38, February 6, 2009, in Portland. Rhoda received a BA from Reed in French, and went on to earn an MA in foreign languages at the University of Washington (1942). She worked as export translator and correspondent for Sawyer's, later GAF View-Master, retiring in the 1970s. Rhoda enjoyed skiing, gardening, photography, and travel, including annual visits to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Her brothers, Lloyd B. Williams ’35 and David C. Williams ’45, also graduated from Reed.
Elizabeth Catlin Rogers Walker ’42
Elizabeth Catlin Rogers Walker ’42 and staff member, February 17, 2010, at home in Portland. Betty grew up hiking and riding horses with her sisters on Mount Hood, where her father built and ran both Mount Hood Lodge and the Cloud Cap Inn in 1917-25, and her mother ran the lodge summer camp. Betty spent two years at Reed, and after World War II married Thomas Graham Walker ’47. She raised a family in Portland's Sabin neighborhood and was active throughout her life in the neighborhood's association. She volunteered for many organizations, including Reading Tree, the Irving Park Committee, the Democratic Party, and the League of Women Voters. In 1990, she received the Northeast Coalition award for 25 years of volunteer service. Betty also worked in Reed's Hauser Library for over 20 years. Survivors include a son, two daughters, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and her sister.
Clayton Leroy Weston AMP ’44
Clayton Leroy Weston AMP ’44 March 19, 2010, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Clayt attended Reed for a year in the premeteorology program, while serving in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He married Evelyn Lee in 1950, and received an MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School in 1951. The couple moved to Duluth, Minnesota, and then to New Lisbon, Wisconsin, where Clayt practiced medicine for 31 years. From his public obituary, we learned that he enjoyed sports, reading, traveling, socializing, and telling a good joke. Survivors include his wife, two sons, three daughters, and seven grandchildren.
Georgia-Mae Wilkins Gallivan MALS ’70
Georgia-Mae Wilkins Gallivan MALS ’70, March 29, 2010, in Vancouver, Washington. Georgia-Mae earned a BA in history in 1937 and an MA in English in 1942 from Whitman College. She met cartoonist and editor Robert Gallivan when he was stationed with the army in Walla Walla, Washington; they were married for 65 years. Georgia-Mae's study at Reed came mid-career, and she enjoyed the scholarship immensely. She taught for 10 years in Walla Walla, and for 20 years at Clark College, in Vancouver, where she was chair of the humanities division and president of the faculty association. In retirement, she served on the Washington Commission for the Humanities and received the Clark County Award for the Support of the Arts. She served 10 years as a trustee of Clark College, and volunteered for numerous organizations, including Friends of the Columbia Gorge, the ACLU, and Women in Action. In 1996, she was honored with the Woman of Achievement award from the Clark County YMCA for her long career in teaching and her work in the community.
Frederick I. White ’50
Frederick I. White ’50, January 11, 2011, in Coquille, Oregon. Fred attended Reed for the better part of five years, earning a BA in psychology. A modest man, and a natural comedian with great musical gifts, Fred had parts in numerous Gilbert & Sullivan productions at Reed and was in New Savoy productions in the ’50s in Portland. Rosemary Lapham Berleman ’48, who sang and performed with Fred at Reed and throughout his career, told us that he was famous for his wonderful performance as Ko-Ko in The Mikado and as the Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers. From Rosemary, we also learned about his later work. “What some may not know is that after retiring to Bandon, Oregon, for several years, he was coaxed back onto the stage by members of the Bandon Playhouse.” Fred played the shopkeeper in Annie Get Your Gun in 1987 and his duet, “Doin' What Comes Natur'lly,” brought down the house. He also played a “fantastic” Elwood Dowd in Harvey. Fred directed and wrote for playhouse productions. For the orchestra in My Fair Lady, which he directed, he recruited high school students and local musicians from nearby towns. “It could have been a disaster, but he pulled it together. Another triumph!” Audiences loved his work. “All he had to do was to walk onto the stage in a pair of tights and he would bring down the house.” Before entering Reed, Fred served in World War II. He made the crossing to Normandy on D-Day, his birthday, and was severely wounded during the operation. He received a medal for his bravery in a raid on a German machine-gun position. Fred also volunteered with Free Flight and owned a 1946 Ercoupe 415-C airplane. Thanks to Rosemary for her tremendous assistance with this piece.
Ralph Russell Wilkinson ’53
Ralph Russell Wilkinson ’53, May 10, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. Ralph earned his BA from Reed in chemistry and went on to get a PhD from the University of Oregon in physical chemistry and an MBA from the University of Missouri. Ralph was a research chemist at the VA Hospital and for Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City. He taught at Rockhurst College and Cleveland Chiropractic College, from which he retired as professor emeritus. In addition, he consulted in biochemistry toxicology related to environmental outcomes. He was a National Science Foundation Fellow and a member of the American Chemical Society and Sigma Xi Association. In retirement, he volunteered as a tour guide at the Kemper Museum of Modern Art. Survivors include his wife, Evelyn.
Carla Wolff Perez ’54
Carla Wolff Perez ’54, February 17, 2012, in San Francisco, California. Carla grew up in San Francisco, the daughter of prominent physicians. Don Green ’54 knew her first in childhood as a family friend and then as a classmate at Lowell High School. “She went to Reed . . . with fellow Lowellites Harry Jacob ’54, Forrest Bailey ’54, and Charles Hedtke ’54, and was joined later by longtime San Francisco friend Galen Howard Hilgard ’56.” Carla attended Reed for three years, majoring in biology with a focus on premedicine, and completed a degree through a combined program with Western Reserve Medical School. “I still have memories of the fine launching given to me by Reed,” she wrote decades later. After earning an MD in 1960 from Western Reserve, she moved to Italy and served as a consultant in a mental health clinic at the University of Rome. Back in San Francisco, she did a residency in psychiatry at Mt. Zion Hospital. Following that, she managed part-time private and clinical practices in psychiatry and did teaching and consulting until her retirement in 2008. Carla dedicated 14 years of Saturday evenings to work as a radio talk show host. “Psychiatrists were not accessible to the average person,” she said in an interview. “They were the stuffy group. I thought I could do preventive work and not do it in psychobabble jargon.” Said Don, “She gave cautious counsel to persons who called for advice.” Drawing on her wealth of knowledge, she published two books: Getting off the Merry-Go-Round of Compulsive Behavior and Without Clothes We’re All Naked: Reflections on Life in the Real Lane. She also published a children’s book, Your Turn, Doctor, and wrote poetry. Carla and Virgil Perez, a mathematician and artist, were married for 40 years until his death in 2010. They raised four children—three daughters and a son, who were a great joy. Survivors include her children and three grandchildren. A celebration in her honor was held in her favorite San Francisco neighborhood Italian restaurant. Attendees included Don, Galen, and Ayame Ogimi Flint ’54.
Elsa Warnick ’64
Elsa Warnick ’64, March 6, 2013, in Portland. Elsa came to Portland from Tacoma, Washington, initially intending to study philosophy and literature at Reed. But when she learned of the five-year degree program that the college offered in conjunction with the Museum Art School (now, Pacific Northwest College of Art), she decided to major in art. “Reed was an extraordinary place for learning, for intellectual discipline, for gaining many tools for processing information, for objective knowledge.” From Lloyd Reynolds [English & art 1929–69] she acquired the confidence to dedicate her life to art. “He was an exemplary craftsman. It’s not the language of his expression that mattered so much, but the manner in which he approached it. I’ve never seen a grown person love his work more.” After completing her education, and while raising her two sons, she maintained a studio for her work in ink and watercolor and exhibited widely in Oregon and Washington. She also taught art and illustration “for the pleasure of the connection with young art students.” She served as art mistress at the Royal Pinner School in Middlesex, England, for a year, and was an instructor at Clark College, at PNCA, and at Oregon Episcopal School, where she developed the art curriculum and served as chair of the fine arts department. In addition, she directed and taught at the Albina Art Center’s Summer Children’s Workshop in Portland. Elsa worked for a wide variety of commercial and professional clients and illustrated children’s books. This work allowed her to return to her roots, she said, and to experience the joy of interpreting words “without compromise.” Her illustrations for Ride the Wind: Airborne Journeys of Animals and Plants, published in 1997, received acclaim for being “lyrical and sensitive,” “fresh and original,” and founded on integrity of thought and research. Elsa described her art as an affirmation of her personal attitudes and responses. “I choose as subjects any person or object that communicates its ‘particularness’ to me. Just as human and revealing as the people I draw are the manmade objects and their relationships. My responses to those subjects vary, from laughter to awe, to sadness to joy. I draw simply. The processes of observation, selection, and execution of line fascinate me. I isolate the exquisiteness and necessity of each thing I choose to draw.” Survivors include her sons, Matt Erceg and Milan Erceg, and two brothers, Fred Warnick and Jack Warnick ’53. “She had a passion for life and all its wonders, as well as its imperfections.”
Virginia Ruth Weeks ’51, MAT ’65
Virginia Ruth Weeks ’51, MAT ’65, June 19, 2011, in Portland. Virginia attended Reed for a year in 1949–50 and returned in 1953 for a summer session. In 1957, she completed a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and science education from Portland State University; she earned a master’s in teaching from Reed in mathematics. She was an instructor in mathematics at Portland Community College. During her marriage to James V. Rogers ’51, she had one daughter.
Marian J. Wing O'Neill ’42
Marian J. Wing O’Neill ’42, November 26, 2012, in Auburn, California. Marian traveled widely as a child in England, Canada, and the western United States. She studied at Reed for three years before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a BA in psychology with a minor in art. She later took coursework at San Jose State, Sierra Junior College, and at other UC campuses, and was an occupational therapist at Newcastle School for Exceptional Children and a teacher. She also was an artist, whose watercolors and prints appeared in many exhibitions, and she was an active participant in the Sierra Foothills Unitarian Fellowship and the UC and Reed alumni associations. Marian and William Belcher ’42 married and had a son and four daughters. Survivors include her husband of 42 years, Robert J. O’Neill, and her children and five grandchildren. We thank Marian’s daughter Nina Belcher for providing the details for this memorial.
Ionemary Williams Myers ’27
Ionemary Williams Myers ’27, July 25, 1995, in Ashland, Oregon. Ionemary was a librarian and teacher at Catlin Gabel School, in Portland and an active volunteer throughout her life. In 1931, she married Frank E. Myers ’27, physicist and professor of physics. In 1946, the couple moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She was president of the Lehigh Faculty Woman's Club, served with the local Girl Scout Council, and was active in the American Association of University Women. After retirement, the couple moved to Ashland, where she continued to be involved in the AAUW and was named Woman of the Year by the Ashland branch of the organization in 1976. They enjoyed international travel, reading, and raising African violets. Survivors include her sisters Vesta Coffin and Catherine Luginbill. Frank died in May 1995.
William Wilson ’43
William Wilson ’43, July 3, 2001, in Blue River, Oregon, of age-related causes. After spending three years at Reed, William transferred to MIT to complete the five-year cooperative program in civil engineering. He earned a BA in physics from Reed and a BS in civil engineering from MIT. William and Mary Ormsbee ’42 were married in 1942 in Montana, and in 1943 they moved to Santa Monica, California, where he took a job with Douglas Aircraft Company as a stress analyst on military aircraft and also taught classes at UCLA. After World War II, they moved to Portland and then to Spokane, Washington, where he worked in engineering firms and became a partner in a Spokane architectural firm. He began his own practice in Spokane in 1953.In 1956 they moved to Eugene, Oregon, where William enrolled in the University of Oregon School of Architecture and continued to build his architectural and engineering practice. He retired in 1991 and they moved to Blue River in 1996. The couple enjoyed downhill skiing, white water rafting, volunteering in a literacy program, and music. Survivors include three sons, a daughter, five grandchildren, and William’s sister and brother.
Edward Gunn Watson ’43
Edward Gunn Watson ’43, August 15, 2013, in Eugene, Oregon. Ed transferred into Reed from Oregon State College (University), and earned a BA in political science. He had fond memories of rowing crew at a time when Reed gained press for having the first female coxswain in collegiate rowing, Mary Russell Bauer ’43. Ed and Ruth S. Hahnel ’43 married in 1942. Of life after Reed, Ed recalled: “The ink was scarcely dry on my Reed diploma in early 1943, when I was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps. After 35 missions as a B-24 bomber pilot in the 8th Air Force, I, like thousands of others, concluded that army life was not for me.” Between missions, Ed was delighted to explore his family roots in visits to the Scottish Highlands. After his service concluded, Ed earned an MA in political science at the University of Washington and then taught at Whitman College. To make ends meet on a teacher’s salary, he moonlighted as executive secretary of the county planning commission. Two years later he became the first full-time planning director for Walla Walla. “Along the way, I picked up some additional hats as a volunteer fireman, fire district commissioner, and county civil defense director.” In 1962, he returned to Oregon as an urban planning consultant on the staff of the University of Oregon Bureau of Municipal Research and Service, which had been founded by Herman Kehrli ’23. He and Ruth parted ways in 1966, but remained lifelong friends in the care of their daughter and son. A brief marriage to Dolores Epps ended with her sudden death and he later married Mary S. Huser. The couple lived in Eugene, where they were active in Westminster Presbyterian Church and maintained a flourishing garden—Ed was said to be the first person to produce kiwi fruit in Oregon. They also traveled abroad. Ed loved life and learning, and was interested in everything from rocks to astronomy. Mary died in 2006.
Henry William Wyld Jr. ’49
Henry William Wyld Jr. ’49, October 16, 2013, in Urbana, Illinois. A Portland native, Bill was a month shy of 17 when he entered college. At Reed, he met Jeanne-Marie Bergheim ’49—whom he married in 1955—and developed a lifelong interest in mathematics and theoretical physics. He earned a BA in physics, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. On a fellowship from the Atomic Energy Commission, he went on to the University of Chicago, where he earned a PhD, completing a doctoral thesis on quantum field theory. He was an instructor in physics at Princeton University in 1954–57 and worked on research in particle physics. Bill, Jeanne-Marie, and their first child then moved to Urbana, Illinois, where Bill joined the faculty in physics at the University of Illinois, where he taught for 38 years. During his career, he also served as a consultant for the Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation, Space Technology Laboratories, and Gulf Oil. He worked in plasma physics, in fluid mechanics, and with the early mathematical development of tomography. He took sabbaticals at Oxford University in England and at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, where he worked on theoretical studies in high-energy particle physics. He also worked at the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico. He published numerous articles on theoretical physics and wrote the book Mathematical Methods for Physics. Bill also enjoyed history, biology, languages, music, and travel. His kindness and generosity, his delightful sense of humor and love of life, are greatly missed by family and friends. Bill was predeceased by Jeanne-Marie, and a daughter and son. He is survived by a daughter and grandson. A cousin, Garrard E. Wyld ’41, also graduated from Reed.
Priscilla Webber Hanawalt, Staff
Priscilla Webber Hanawalt [staff 1959–83], October 31, 2013, in Portland, at 95, following a long period of age-related dementia. Pat was born in Massachusetts and moved to Seattle, where she earned a BA in psychology from the University of Washington and met Clare Hanawalt, whom she married in 1941. During World War II, she worked for the War Administration. Clare’s job at KGW led the family to Portland, and Pat came to Reed in 1959, doing part-time clerical support for the dean of students—advancing to the role of secretarial assistant to the dean in 1963. She was named acting dean in 1970 and became dean of students in 1971; she retired in 1983. President Paul Bragdon [1971–88] remarked at Pat’s retirement, “No one cared more about students than Pat. She will be missed.” Survivors include the couple’s son and daughter, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Howard F. Wolfe ’41
Howard F. Wolfe ’41, January 22, 2014, in Portland. A Portland resident, Howard came to Reed from Lincoln High School and earned a BA in biology. He also earned an MA in biochemistry and a PhD in immunology. During World War II, he was an army medic, serving in both the European and Pacific campaigns. He survived the landing on Omaha Beach and a kamikaze attack on the hospital ship Comfort. Back in Portland, he became director of the Portland Allergy Clinic laboratory. He volunteered with youth education at Temple Beth Israel and with youth rehabilitation for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department. He supported Grant High School’s Dad’s Club and Meals on Wheels. Howard loved the Oregon coast, tennis, and basketball, and cheered on the San Francisco 49ers and the Oregon Ducks. Howard and Frances Aiken Wolfe were married for 70 years. She, along with their two sons, five grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren, survives him.
David Wilson Williams ’48
David Wilson Williams ’48 August 7, 2013, in Yakima, Washington. David attended Reed for two years, leaving for military service in the army, and then returning to the college to complete a BA in biology. In 1947, he married classmate Florence Boyrie ’49. He went on to earn an MD from the University of Oregon Medical School (Oregon Health & Science University) and to do his residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and at the Veterans Hospital in Portland. Completing that in 1956, he opened a medical practice in Yakima. David was devoted to his family, which comprised two daughters, including Susan E. ’72, and three sons, including David E. ’75. Over the years, David W. and Florence also welcomed eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren into the family fold. For 35 years, he organized family reunions, and was named by one grandchild as the “conductor of the family orchestra.” David was dedicated to providing excellent medical care for his patients and to improving health care in the Yakima community overall. He pioneered the use of pacemakers and introduced enterology. He founded Cornerstone Medical Clinic and served as senior partner in the practice until his retirement in 1994. Colleagues revered him. During his career, he was chief of medicine at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, a visiting consultant at Toppenish Memorial Hospital and at Yakima Osteopathic Hospital, and an assistant clinical professor for the University of Washington Yakima Family Practice Program. He was a member of many medical boards, including the Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital and the Washington State Medical Society. His medical associations included the Yakima County Medical Association, the Washington State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. He was named a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology in 1976 and a master in 1994. David also was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Rotary International, and a longtime supporter of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, the Capitol Theatre, and the Yakima Valley Museum. During retirement, David and Florence traveled throughout the world and visited all seven continents. Survivors include Florence and their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Herbert Walum ’58
Herbert Walum ’58, December 7, 2013, in Bremerton, Washington, from cancer. Herb took college-level mathematics classes when he was 13 and earned a BA in mathematics from Reed. At the University of Colorado at Boulder, he completed a PhD in mathematics, writing a dissertation on prime numbers that was of particular value for code breaking. After teaching at Harvey Mudd College, he was enticed to join the elite number-theory faculty at the Ohio State University, where he taught until his retirement. Midlife, he discovered tantric Buddhism and founded the Karma Thegsum Choling Tibetan Buddhist center in downtown Columbus. Herb loved string quartets, photography, abstract mathematics, woodworking, cosmology, Puget Sound, cats, and trying to make sense of what other people felt. He was eternally grateful for the education that Reed afforded him, reports Laurel Richardson, his former wife who provided this memorial. “Reed gave me a wonderful education and a family when I needed one,” Herb wrote. Surviving a difficult childhood, alcohol addiction, mind-altering drugs, heart surgery, peritonitis, sepsis, prostate cancer, and a first bout of colon cancer, he chose to forego a third round of chemotherapy when colon cancer returned. Herb wanted to spend his last months living normally, chopping wood and carrying water, and he died near his log cabin on the Dosewallips River, not far from his childhood home of Port Orchard. Herb once remarked: “There is a saying that I did not make up, but expresses in humor what I think is important and sums up my life: the connection between the abstract and the grounded, the mysterious and the mundane. The ambiguity of life.” In addition to Laurel, survivors include sons Ben and Josh; grandchildren Shana and Akiva; and his companion, Moira McCluney. “In memoriam, please do something nice for someone in his name. He always had a kind heart.”
David Wallace Williamson MA ’63
David Wallace Williamson MA ’63, January 31, 2014, in Everett, Washington. David attended Longview Community College, served with the army during World War II, and taught high school and community college courses in English. For nearly 20 years, until his retirement in 1986, David taught at Edmonds Community College. He greatly enjoyed competitive sailing, backpacking, mountain climbing, and snow sports, and was a member of the Everett Mountain Rescue Unit for 25 years. On his 70th birthday, he climbed Mount Whitney with his wife, Stella. The couple were married for 49 years, until her death in 2000. Survivors include his son and daughter, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his dear friend, Karen Stolworthy.
Frank H. Wolf MAT ’66
Frank H. Wolf MAT ’66, December 9, 2013, in Portland. Frank graduated from Pacific University in mathematics in 1951. His career as a teacher and athletic coach, spent in public and private high schools in Oregon and in Portland, spanned 38 years. During retirement, Frank and his wife Margaret Hipple, whom he married in 1947, lived in Manzanita on the Oregon coast, where Frank became involved in city government. Frank and Margaret were named Manzanita citizens of the year in 2005. Frank was also a veteran of World War II. Survivors include a daughter, four sons, and five grandchildren. His wife died in 2007.
Willard Alan Willett MAT ’65
Willard Alan Willett MAT ’65, May 3, 2013, in Newberg, Oregon. Al grew up in eastern Oregon, the youngest of six boys. He drove tractors, sang baritone, and loved opera. He was a naval aviator during the Korean conflict, and remained in the naval reserves for a number of years after the war. Building on a BA in secondary education, Al considered teaching music, but then earned a master’s degree at Reed in behavioral science and taught school in Parkrose High School. On a fellowship, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, intending to earn a doctorate in counseling psychology. He decided instead to become a professional pilot and took a job with Pan American Airways, flying 20,000 miles during his 25-year career. In retirement, he bought 17 acres of land outside Newberg, which he registered as Sanctuary Farm. He did research on horse breeds and built a herd of Morgan horses. He made trips to meet with other ranchers, led 4-H groups, and was involved in the Pacific Northwest Morgan Horse Association, sponsoring an annual most versatile horse award. He rode with the Yamhill County Posse for years. Al married and had three children. Survivors include his son and two daughters, three grandsons, and two great-grandchildren.
William Wood Wessinger, Trustee
William Wood Wessinger, February 7, 2014, in Portland. Great-grandson of Portland brewing legend Henry Weinhard, Bill earned a BA in economics from Cornell in 1940. During World War II, he served in the army in the Aleutian Islands, and after the war worked as a freight forwarder in Pendleton and for a steamship company in Portland, before becoming assistant treasurer for the family-owned Blitz Weinhard Brewing Company. Through night classes, he became a CPA and took on additional responsibilities for the company, later operating the business with his brother, Frederic G. Wessinger ’50. They sold the brewery to Pabst Brewing Company in 1979. Bill was elected to Reed’s board of trustees in 1967 and served until 1978. He believed in supporting the state and the community, and among the list of organizations he supported were the High Desert Museum, the Portland Opera, Boys Club of Oregon, the Nature Conservancy of Oregon, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He was appointed to a number of state commissions and committees, and helped create the first student housing for Portland State University and purchased land that would expand the boundaries of Forest Park. He directed both the Blitz Weinhard Foundation and the Wessinger Family Foundation and established the Henry W. and Romayne Wessinger Scholarship Fund. Bill and Patricia Lue, noted philanthropist, were married in 1946 and had five children. Weekends provided time for the family to camp, hike, and ski, and summers were spent in central Oregon. Bill, who was an early member of the Mazamas, hiked with Pat throughout the Cascades; they explored the Canadian Rockies, and took other extensive and challenging travels abroad. Pat died in 2011. Survivors include 3 daughters, 2 sons, 14 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
Richard P. Wollenberg, trustee
Emeritus trustee Richard P. “Dick” Wollenberg died at his home in Longview, Washington on July 2. He was 98.
“The Reed College community lost a great friend and benefactor,” said President John Kroger. “Through his generosity and leadership, he helped build the college into what it is today.”
Harold Alfred Wyatt ’38
Harold Alfred Wyatt ’38, March 31, 2014, in Forest Grove, Oregon. He was 101.
Founder and principal owner of Flavorland Foods and a fourth-generation Oregonian, Harold came to Reed from the east Oregon town of Halfway, where his parents ran the Gray Gables Hotel. Always industrious and self-reliant, Harold worked at a co-op, at a sawmill, and in a mine to pay his way through Reed. He earned a BA in political science, writing a thesis on the city manager form of government in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduation, he worked for the Bureau of Municipal Research & Service at the University of Oregon and the League of Oregon Cities, and was acting head for both organizations. He supervised the codification of Portland’s ordinances and was hailed by a city council resolution for “a very beneficial service of lasting benefit to the city of Portland.”
L. Arthur Warmoth ’59
Arthur Warmoth ’59 Eric Harbeson
L. Arthur Warmoth ’59, April 4, 2014, at home in Rohnert Park, California, from a heart attack. Art earned a BA from Reed in theatre and literature, and then went to Brandeis University for graduate work to study with psychologist Abraham Maslow. “This was the period just following the publication of Maslow’s groundbreaking Motivation and Personality,” Art stated. “At that time the use of the terms ‘humanistic’ and ‘existential’ were still being debated, and the idea of the ‘Third Force,’ which Maslow introduced in his 1962 book, Toward a Psychology of Being, was still being formed.” Art also studied with humanistic psychologists James Klee and Ulric Neisser and was named a NIMH predoctoral fellow. He completed a PhD in 1967, writing the dissertation “An Existential-Humanistic Study of Psychological Theories of Myth,” and then joined the psychology department at Sonoma State College, maintaining a focus on humanities and humanistic psychology and serving three times as department chair. He was staff psychologist at Mendocino State Hospital, president and board member of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, and cofounder of the Humanistic Psychology Institute (Saybrook University). He also was a visiting professor at Universidad Autonoma de la Laguna.
In the memorial for Art in the Press Democrat, we read that he was devoted to his family, a champion for social justice, and was always willing to help others. A colleague at Sonoma State, David Van Nuys, reported that Art possessed an ability to see people and issues within a larger context. “He championed, supported, mentored people that others wouldn’t, trusting a potential in them that may not have yet been evident to others.” An advocate for the rights of immigrants, Art served on the boards of the Family Connection (a transition services agency for volunteers mentoring homeless families), the Latino Commission on Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services of Sonoma County, and the Latino Democratic Club. From 2009 until the time of his death, he served as commissioner on the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights. Art and his wife, Georgina A. Emery Gonzalez Warmoth, whom he married in 1970, raised three children, and journeyed by train throughout the United States. Art also collected and built model trains. He enjoyed theatre and musical performances, including broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera. Survivors include Georgina, daughters Monica and Tonantzin, and son Art; grandchildren Liam, Isabel, and Alma; and a sister, Ann, and brother, Edward.
Miles Lorin Weber ’56
Miles Lorin Weber ’56, May 30, 2014, in Alameda, California. Miles grew up in southeast Portland and contracted polio when he was 12, rendering him paraplegic. His mother, Melba Weber, successfully fought Portland Public Schools for him to be educated alongside his peers. After graduating from Cleveland High School, Miles enrolled at Reed in the 3-2 biology–medical school program. He may have been the first student in a wheelchair to attend Reed, and since most of his classes and labs were in Eliot Hall, a building then without an elevator, classmates transported him between floors. During summers, he worked in the lab of Prof. Marsh Cronyn ’40 [chemistry 1952–89]. According to Prof. Cronyn, Miles challenged fellow students to a race down the stairs of Eliot on at least one occasion.
After Reed, Miles entered the University of Oregon Medical School. Because he was unable to gain access to the upstairs library, classmates brought materials to him. Once when he required noncirculating reference materials, which were stored on the upper floors, a willing, unnamed student secretly utilized a dumbwaiter to lift Miles to the locations. Following medical school, Miles married and did a psychiatric residency at Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UC San Francisco. He remained in the Bay Area for his career, making his home in the East Bay. Miles had a passion for planes and flying, and he owned a succession of hand-controlled small planes. He enjoyed a rich, evolving career in psychiatry that ended only when he contracted pneumonia a month before his death. Survivors include three children, Geoffrey, Lorise, and Jonathan, and nieces Melinda Jackson (married to Jim Jackson ’70) and Lauren Dillard, who all miss him profoundly. Our thanks to Melinda for providing this memorial to Miles.
William Leonard Warner ’47
William Leonard Warner ’47, August 27, 2014, in Florence, Oregon. Bill entered Reed in 1941, transferring from the University of Portland, and was called into active duty during World War II. He began naval training in 1943 at the Midshipman School at Columbia University, was commissioned an ensign in February 1944, and taught at Columbia until October that year. He was then assigned to the U.S.S. Spica in the Pacific as a deck officer, and after the war navigated the U.S.S. Manderson Victory from Puget Sound to Philadelphia. In 1946, he returned to Reed and completed a BA in economics, after which he worked for a year for Procter & Gamble in Portland. In 1948–50, he studied public administration at American University and worked in the management improvement group for President Truman’s budget bureau. Next, Bill moved to Modesto, California, working as a stockbroker and an allied member of New York Stock Exchange. He was an instructor in banking and investment for 17 years for the evening school of Modesto Junior College. He also worked for Dean Witter Reynolds, retiring as vice president in 1990, at which time he moved to Oregon. Bill and his wife, Ann, partnered the Winchester Bay Trading Company on the Oregon coast, selling gifts, books, and collectibles. Additionally, he was a broker with Brookstreet Securities Company, was active in the local community through a variety of projects and interests, and enjoyed fishing and gardening. With Heidi L. Hovgaard ’50, whom he married in 1946, he had three sons, Douglas, Robert, and Richard, who survive him, as do Ann and his five grandchildren. “The Honor Principle gave me a pride of place and participation which surpassed any other ethical or religious value I have,” Bill said. “I lived the F.L. Griffin credo: Four years of college can provide a beginning, but you must practice lifetime learning to finish the (endless) job.”
Margaret Frances Wakefield Tator ’34
Margaret Frances Wakefield Tator ’34, October 6, 2014, in Portland, at the age of 102 years. Margaret moved to Portland from Michigan and attended Franklin High School. Her mother was a teacher and insisted on her children going to college, she told Will Levin ’05 in an interview in 2004. She learned about Reed because of a friend, Marjorie Tator McDonald ’34, who later became her sister-in-law. Margaret was a day-dodger until her senior year and built on an interest in history, formed in high school, with courses taught by Prof. Rex Arragon [history 1923–62, 1970–74], who became her adviser for a thesis on Stephen A. Douglas. Margaret noted, “Reed was a good background, so that you knew that you didn’t know everything.” She participated in activities such as Campus Day and attended choral concerts, theatre productions, dances, and faculty teas. And she dated Carlton Tator, the only member of his family who did not attend Reed. A great influence on Margaret’s life was Reed librarian Nell Avery Unger [1927–37], who later became head librarian in Portland. “She was an intelligent, smart lady, and she advised me to go to Columbia when I was deciding to be a librarian. (And she hired me as a branch librarian when I returned to Portland.)” Margaret earned a BS in library and archival science from Columbia in 1939. She and Carlton Tator married and had one son, John. They lived for 40 years in Palo Alto, where Carlton worked for United Airlines, and following Carlton’s death, Margaret returned to Oregon and lived in King City. Her son died in a traffic accident in 1984.
Writing about Margaret, librarian Tony Greiner reflected on meeting “this white-haired little old lady,” who wanted to learn to use computers more than 17 years ago at the Tigard library. “I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly she caught on, and soon she was given the job of checking donations to see if we already had copies in our collection. It wasn’t long before she would bring a few volumes to me and say things like ‘We don’t have this book under this name, but we do as an alternative title.’ That led to my discovering her professional experience. Once a librarian, always a librarian. We became friends, sharing food and talking books and of her travels to Japan, Australia, Africa, and Kansas City.”
Mary Louella Weible Maxwell ’49, MAT ’67
Mary Louella Weible Maxwell '49, MAT '67, September 8, 2009, in Lakewood, Washington. Mary earned a BA from Reed in chemistry and married fellow Reedite Robert M. Maxwell '50. In order to be with him during his service in the Korean War, she traveled to Japan on a ship bound for Yokohama. Mary's passion for mathematics, which Robert supported, was exemplified in her career as a high school teacher. In pursuit of that goal, she earned a BA in general education from Ohio State University, a BS in mathematics from Pacific Lutheran University, and an MAT from Reed in education. She taught mathematics in the Clover Park School District in Lakewood, Washington. Colleagues at Pacific Lutheran greatly prized her mathematical prowess, and hoped she would become an instructor at the university level. Robert says that Mary was devoted to her high school students, and so thorough in her teaching that she regularly stayed up past midnight to correct papers and provide students with constructive comments. Further, he marveled at her determination and attention to detail, and noted that she was a caring and loving individual, who was always learning. In addition to Robert, survivors include their daughter and son.
Gregg Donald Wood ’39
Gregg Donald Wood ’39, January 8, 2015, in West Linn, Oregon, following a bout with pneumonia.
Gregg grew up in Portand and went to Washington High School before coming to Reed, where he distinguished himself as both a scholar and a sportsman, playing badminton, Ping Pong, and first baseman for the Reed baseball team. He made friends with Howard Vollum ’36, who used to throw pebbles at Gregg’s window in Winch when he wanted to meet up. In the winter of his freshman year, Gregg and some buddies attempted to distract news crews who had come to campus to film Emilio Pucci ’37 and his ski uniforms by jumping naked into the canyon swimming pool. (Unfortunately, the ruse failed.)
Dorothy Blosser Whitehead, Honorary Alumna
Dorothy Blosser Whitehead, January 16, 2015, in Milwaukie, Oregon.
Honorary Reed alumna Dorothy Whitehead had a distinguished career as a teacher and trainer in the field of learning disability.
She was raised in Berkeley, California, where her father worked for Standard Oil and her mother taught mathematics and language. The family was a musical one and Dorothy loved singing and had the gift of perfect pitch.
Estelle Frances Asher Wertheimer ’46
Estelle Frances Asher Wertheimer ’46, November 8, 2013, in Seattle, following a brief illness. Known as Stuff to her dear friends, Estelle earned a BA from Reed in psychology. Her uncle, Arthur M. Hoffman ’18, was also a Reed grad. In 1946, Estelle and Stephen Wertheimer ’48 were married; they had four children and later divorced. “Our mother wore many hats throughout her life,” Brian, Linda, Sheri, and Emily wrote. “During her college summers, she worked in a candy factory and drove a forklift truck at a naval shipyard. She always laughed when recalling those early jobs. She was assuredly a lifelong learner, an adventurous world traveler, a politically active and articulate voter, and a volunteer with the League of Women Voters for decades.” Estelle also volunteered at the Youth Service Center in the ’60s and for many years at the Seattle Art Museum Rental Loft; she was a member of the Women’s University Club. In addition, she was a gourmet cook, a green-thumbed gardener, a passionate lover of the arts and of poetry, and a dear friend to a great many people. “Of all these things, closest to our hearts is, of course, being our wonderful Mom and Gramma to Emily, her sole grandchild. She raised us solo—back when that was unusual—with love, humor, grace, and wisdom.”
Ruth Susan Hahnel Watson ’43
Ruth Susan Hahnel Watson ’43, February 19, 2015, in Vancouver, Washington. Ruth grew up in Portland, where her father worked for the Oregon Journal. She earned a BA from Reed in general literature, writing her thesis, “The Propaganda Value of War Fiction,” with Prof. Victor L.O. Chittick [English 1921–48]. A year before graduating, she married Edward G. Watson ’43. Ruth went on to study education at Hastings College in Nebraska, taught high school in Portland, and worked in the library at Whitman College. After earning an MLS from the University of Washington, she became the director of the Coos Bay Public Library and the director of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library, where she oversaw major growth and expansion of the library system over two decades. She was a member of numerous professional, community, and service organizations, including the American Library Association, the Pacific Northwest Library Association, the AAUW, and the YWCA. Ruth and Ed parted ways in 1966, but remained lifelong friends in the care of their daughter and son. Ruth’s partner, Luci Graffunder, preceded her in death. Ruth is remembered as forthright, honest, fair, accomplished, and compassionate. Her life lesson was “to rise above most conflicts, never sink to low or unethical levels, be honest, be direct and you will succeed, and, in doing so, you will help others do the same.” Survivors include her children, four grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.
Mary Lou Williams Thomas ’47
Mary Lou Williams Thomas ’47, May 28, 2015, in Portland. A native of Portland, Mary Lou came to Reed from Grant High School and earned a BA in general literature. She and Lloyd T. Thomas ’47 had three children and lived in Salem for many years, where Mary Lou taught in the Talented and Gifted Program in the Salem Public Schools. Mary Lou’s lifelong passion, reports her family, was for the pursuit of knowledge—nature, science, art, oceans, and sea life—and she “graciously shared her joy in these subjects.” A gifted artist and skilled in calligraphy and in working with gold leaf, Mary Lou was a member of the Portland Society for Calligraphy and the Gold Bugs. She also was a member of the Mazamas and summited every peak in the Cascade Range. Lloyd and their daughter Margaret Ann (Megan) preceded her in death. Survivors include two sons, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Helen Marise Knowlton Wolfard MA ’54
Marcy lost her father at an early age and traveled the world with her mother, settling in California. She earned a BA from Stanford in 1948, and within years of completing an MA from Reed, she discovered her passion for flying. She was an accomplished pilot and flight instructor, and accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours during her career. She volunteered as a fire spotter for the forest service and transported patients to medical facilities in Oregon, Idaho, and California for Angel Flight. She retired from flying at 78. Marcy and James C. Wolfard were married for 50 years. They sold real estate, traveled to Europe, and enjoyed hiking. Survivors include her three daughters and one son, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
John Robert Wallace ’54
Bob came to Reed from Illinois and earned a BA in anthropology, working with Prof. David French ’38 [1947–88] on his thesis on the language of the Warm Springs Indians. Bob worked for the U.S. Department of Labor in California, during which time he discovered a mark used on applications to designate race, which made it possible for the department and potential employers to engage in illegal discrimination. “Bob’s discovery did not endear him to his employers,” says his family.
He later went to live in Puerto Rico as a single father with two sons. The three learned Spanish and lived on a beach, where Bob wove hats and baskets from palm leaves that they sold to tourists from San Juan. From the beach, the three moved to a shack on a river, where they lived without utilities or other conveniences. Bob was an excellent photographer and a number of his pictures have been shown in exhibitions. For the past 22 years, Bob and Betty Quick have been partners. Betty communicated to Reed that Bob was unable to read and write following a severe stroke in 2008, but was maintaining his fine spirit. In 2014, Betty let us know that she was reading Reed magazine to Bob, that he had fond memories of his years at Reed, and that he hoped to stay connected to classmates and friends. Bob and Betty lived in Las Vegas for 10 years and enjoyed the company of a beloved dog. In addition to Betty, Bob’s survivors include his sons, a stepdaughter, and a brother. “He had a full life.”
Gary Wallace Wright ’76
“Gary can’t be summed up simply, as he was far from a simple soul,” writes his partner Anna B. Collins, who so admired the dignity and grace with which Gary dealt with his illness. “He was intelligent, interesting, a man of courageous character and conviction, a wine connoisseur, foodie, avid traveler, bicyclist, biker, runner, opera enthusiast, and a ladies man.”
Gary grew up in San Diego, California, and earned a BA from Reed in sociology, writing a thesis on ascription in modern societies with Prof. John C. Pock [1955–98]. He also earned an MBA from the University of Maryland in 1985. Gary shared his liberal views with those he met and favored civil and political liberties to help those who were underprivileged or exploited, Anna reports.
William G. Whitney ’48
Bill was born in Portland in 1927. The family relocated to Cleveland until the death of Bill’s father, and then returned to Portland. Bill’s education at Reed was interrupted by the Korean War. He joined the Marine Corps as a lieutenant and served with distinction, exiting the war as a captain. Availing himself of the benefits of the GI bill, he finished his science degree at Reed and then attended Willamette University Law School, where he received his master’s degree. He spent years practicing law, often serving as a court appointed attorney for people who could not afford a lawyer. Bill had a great sense of humor and even told lawyer jokes to the judges. He is survived by his children, Doug (Kate), Fred, Beau (Joli), Michelle and Tina; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. His son George predeceased him.
Nellie Brockway Whetsler ’40
Born in Sidney, Montana, Nell attended Reed in 1939-1940. After attending Lewiston State Normal School, she graduated from Washington State University, and did her postgraduate work at Walla Walla College. In 1942, she married C.F. “Buck” Whetsler. She worked professionally as a teacher, beginning in a one-room schoolhouse in Hope, Idaho, cooking daily hot lunches for students; she also taught in Clarkston and Pasco, Washington, and served on the Washington State Teachers Retirement Board.
Active in P.E.O., Nell belonged to a formal dance club, and enjoyed reading, golfing, sewing, reading, bridge and puzzles. In her memory care home, she discovered a hidden talent as a watercolor artist. Nell’s true passion, however, was caring for her family, including her daughters, Kaye Hale (Bob) and Kris Turner, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who survive her.
Gregory Wolfe ’43
As the third president of Florida International University, Gregory guided its transition from a small, two-year school into a four-year university. During his seven-year tenure, FIU’s enrollment skyrocketed. He set the toughest freshman admission standards of any public university in Florida, added graduate programs, student housing, and the schools of engineering, nursing, journalism and mass communication. The Florida State Legislature named the Gregory Baker Wolfe University Center at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus in honor of Greg’s contribution to the university.
“Gregory brought a level of cosmopolitan, global vision of things but he was a realist at the same time. He was very good at turning the impossible into the inevitable,” said current FIU President Mark Rosenberg. “He was the one who convinced the Legislature and Board of Regents to allow FIU to have a robust graduate program offering. He is the father of a lot of our graduate programs. The Latin American and Caribbean Studies program took off largely because of his presence and his contacts in Washington — he was a Washington insider for a time — and that really helped us.”
Bernard R. Wolff ’48
A graduate of Washington High School in Portland, Bernie attended Reed before transferring to and graduating from Oregon State University with a degree in zoology. He attended Portland State University to earn credits for an elementary education certificate and later got his doctorate of education from the University of Oregon.
Bernie had a strong work ethic and worked hard at Sheridan Fruit Company during his high school years and intermittently thereafter. He started his own produce box distribution business with a Sheridan colleague, but was forced to sell his share when he was drafted during the Korean Conflict, serving two years and a day in the Army, stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. After he was discharged, he began teaching elementary education in Toledo, Oregon, in 1954, and then in Lake Oswego, beginning in 1958. In 1962, he was hired by Lewis & Clark as an associate professor of education, and taught there for 25 years, eventually rising to chair the undergraduate education department. After retiring in 1987, Bernie served as a teacher’s aide at Arleta Elementary School in Southeast Portland and Garibaldi Elementary School.
Margaret Berger Wallace ’41
Born in Denver, Colorado, Margaret moved to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, during the Great Depression, and then studied English at Reed. She went on to graduate from UC Berkeley Phi Beta Kappa in 1941 and later did graduate work there in English literature. Continuing her love of the English language, she taught English in Salinas, California, and was a high school teacher in Contra Costa County in the 1960s. She worked as a secretary at several Bay Area colleges, including UC-Berkeley, and raised three children with John Wallace ’41, to whom she was married from 1942–1978.
She loved the opera, and well into her 80s continued to attend regularly in San Francisco. Throughout her life, she continued to learn, deepening her knowledge of Shakespeare, Greek and Roman mythology, opera, history, France and the French language, and the arts—both independently and as a member of the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco. She leaves three children: Jane Ellis ’67 of Berkeley, Kevin Wallace of San Francisco, and Laura Ma of Honolulu.
Florence Boyrie Williams ’49
Reed College figured prominently in the life of Florence, whose mother (Levandeur Boyrie ’18), father (Edward Boyrie ’17) and aunt (Florence Boyrie ’21) all attended the school, as did three of her five children. It was also at Reed that Florence met David Williams ’48, and the two married after he graduated. She worked while David attended medical school and completed residencies at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the Veterans Hospital in Portland. In 1949, she completed her bachelor of science at the University of Washington.
In 1959, they moved to Yakima, Washington, where David opened a practice in internal medicine. The couple shared a love of the outdoors and the arts, and inspired in their children a sense of honor and an appreciation for excellence. As the children grew and became more independent, Florence cultivated her skills as a horsewoman and was awarded Washington State’s over-40 Champion Amateur-Owner Hunter for multiple years. The couple also traveled the world, visiting all seven continents, and was committed to supporting their community as longtime supporters of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, the Capitol Theatre and the Yakima Valley Museum. Florence is survived by her children, Susan ’72, David ’75, Joan, Robert, and Tom.
Frank Wesley ’50
Psychologist, author, professor, and musician, Frank Wesley led an outsized life punctuated by remarkable coincidences. Perhaps most notably, he was imprisoned by the Nazis at the Buchenwald concentration camp, escaped to the U.S., then returned seven years later to liberate the same camp where he was once a prisoner.
A sense of wonder governed Frank’s life, evidenced by his enthusiasm for music, nature, ideas, animals, and especially young people. He was an engaging lecturer and enjoyed a teaching career that spanned more than 50 years.
Francisca Winston Erickson ’45
Francisca grew up in in Minneapolis. Her father died when she was five, but had established generous trust funds for his children. Her stepfather was acquainted with some of Reed’s founding trustees and encouraged her to attend the college. At the time, Francisca said, it was one of the few institutions that took seriously women wanting to major in chemistry or math. Reed became her intellectual and academic home, where she was treated with respect. The war made the experience unusual; she had to accelerate her studies and the men gradually disappeared from campus. Her thesis, The Preparation and Oxidation of i-Cholesteryl-Oxyacetic and i-Cholesteryloxy-p-Benzoic Acids, was written with Prof. Leland Pence [chemistry 1939‑45] advising. The sole woman in her graduating chemistry class, she completed her degree in three years while gaining an abiding affection for her alma mater.
While working for Shell Oil Company, Francisca met her husband, O. Alfred Erickson, who was from Sweden. Company policy forbade spouses from working together, so she retired to raise a family. Francisca loved to fish, travel, and attend opera. She generously supported Reed and in 2002 established the Francisca W. Erickson Scholarship, awarded to Reed science majors with financial need with preference to chemistry majors. Her three children, Paul, John, and Francisca Ferro, survive her.
David Williams ’45
Born in Portland to Ira and Jessie Williams, David followed in the footsteps of his brother, Lloyd Williams ’35, and sister, Rhoda Lewis ’38, to study at Reed. After gaining his degree in physics, he began his career at Inyokern, California. He served in the U.S. Army, stationed first in Georgia and then at Los Alamos, New Mexico. He moved to Albuquerque in the late 1940s, where he worked as a research physicist at Sandia Base and met his wife of 63 years, Hazel Pierce. In 1960, the family moved to Colorado Springs, where David worked as a physicist and vice president at Kaman Sciences. The work he did was instrumental in the defense of our country. His wife survives him, as do his children, Dana Lamb and Kirsten Vohland.
Karen Drews White ’64
With her unquenchable desire to read and learn, Karen walked through life like an encyclopedia soaking up information from the pages of life. Her father, Professor Robin Drews ’35, finished his bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon, but it was his respect for Reed College that led Karen to enroll.
“At Reed, I began to learn to think clearly and critically,” she remembered. “When I graduated from East Lansing High School, I told my friends I was going to college in the West because people married people they met in college and I wanted to marry a Westerner.”
At Reed, she met and married Joel Kahan ’64, and during their 10-year marriage she acquired a degree in English literature from UCLA and a son, Gordon. After divorcing Joel, she realized single mothers with a BA in literature were not in great demand, and completed an MA in English literature at Stanford. She got jobs in Berkeley working for public service–oriented organizations, but was bothered that she wasn’t a “something” and enrolled in an MBA/accounting program at California State University, East Bay. It was an interest developed through various jobs. About the time she was ready to work as an accountant and her son was graduating from high school, she attended her 25th high school reunion. She met a former classmate to whom she had spoken only once in the seventh grade. It was apparently love at second sight, because she married Wood White four months later. Their two sons graduated a week and most of a continent apart, and in June, Karen returned to the scene of her childhood.
Ruth Wetterborg Sandvik ’38
“Reed taught me how to get along with people,” Ruth said of her alma mater. “That was always my aim and ambition: to be a person would could work with different kinds of people successfully.”
She was born in Grants Pass, Oregon, to Hermann and Vesta Wetterborg, and moved to Portland after her father got a job with Portland Electric Power Company. By the time Ruth and her sister, Betty Wetterborg Cronyn ’41 (wife of Prof. Marshall Cronyn ’40 [chemistry 1952–89]), got to Reed, it had already acquired the unofficial motto “Communism, Atheism, Free Love.”
Peter Wadsworth ’02
Peter perished in a catastrophic fire that claimed 36 lives at an Oakland warehouse known as the Ghost Ship. The fire broke out during a party at the warehouse, which served as an artists’ collective. Neighbors had complained of people living in the building illegally, with trash piling up and other unsafe conditions.
Bob Mule, Peter’s roommate in the Ghost Ship, told reporters that Peter had broken his ankle while trying to escape from the loft of his space. The oppressive heat and smoke forced Mule to abandon his attempt to pull Peter from the flames.
Peter grew up in Massachusetts. The son of Edward and Suzanne Wadsworth, he spent the first 12 summers of his life in Cohasset, where he and his younger brother, Nathaniel, learned to sail at the Yacht Club. The family lived in Boston most of the year, but their connection to Cohasset was strong. Peter loved learning about the artifacts in the Cohasset Maritime Museum and Historical Society from his uncle David, and his great-grandfather had designed the building in which it is housed.
Philip L. Williams ’58
He was a pillar of the Northwest folk-music scene and cofounded the Northwest Folklife Festival—the nation’s largest community-powered arts festival, which for more than 40 years has celebrated music and artistic traditions.
After discovering as a boy that his father—an attorney with building skills—didn’t know how to fix a radio, Phil proceeded to learn how. He built a laboratory in the basement and became a self-taught science-fair wizard, building and exhibiting a Tesla coil, a Van de Graaff generator, a modulated light beam transmitter, and much more. By the time he was in Olympia High School, he was known as “The Brain.”
Prof. David V. Wend [math ’49–51]
Prof. Wend lived his long life in his own way, and along the way enjoyed the bounties of the American West to their fullest. Born in Poughkeepsie, he grew up in Albany, New York, and as a child barely survived meningitis and severe secondary infections that subsequently deprived him of much of his eyesight. He graduated from the Albany Boys Academy and Hoosac School and matriculated at the University of Michigan.
During World War II, he volunteered at the Lake Placid Club, running the canoe and boat dock for convalescing veterans. Wend was a student of American pianist Stanley Hummel and a lifelong student of classical music. He found his true home in the mountains, especially after his career led him West. During his time as a visiting math professor at Reed, he hiked and skied his way across the Cascades and the Rockies, including a portion of Mount St. Helens that no longer remains. Returning to Michigan, he completed his dissertation, “Branched Regular Curve Families and Finite Asymptotic Paths of Analytic Functions,” in 1955. During this sojourn he met and married his partner for the next 63 years, Alice Virginia Burke. They moved to Ames, Iowa, where he took up a mathematics post at Iowa State University.
Wend left Iowa State and the flatlands in 1955 and moved his family to Salt Lake City, where he stayed for 11 years. Among his memories of his time at the University of Utah was his ability to teach morning classes and then go up to ski in the afternoon. “I got in more runs in two hours than I could during an entire weekend,” he recalled. He also loved to regale his family and friends with stories of camping in the mountains in Utah and viewing meteor showers in the crystalline night sky. After visiting Montana State University in Bozeman in 1966, he returned home and announced that he had found paradise, a place that had more cattle than people.
Arthur P. Wilson ’45
March 7, 2017, in Monroe Township, New Jersey.
In his own words, Arthur taught “music as the piano” to children and adults, with occasional performances with serious singers. Born in Portland, he graduated from Reed with a BA in mathematics and wrote his thesis, “The Centro-Surface of a Hypocycloidal Surface,” with Prof. Frank Griffin [math 1911–56] advising. His favorite class was History of Modern European Thought with Prof. Rex Arragon [history 1923–62, 70–74], and throughout his life he favored history as reading material, for which he thanked Prof. Dorothy Johansen ’33 [history 1934–84].
Prof. David V. Wend [math ’49–51]
January 23, 2017, in Bozeman, Montana, at home in his sleep.
Prof. David Wend lived his long life in his own way, and along the way enjoyed the bounties of the American West to their fullest. He was born in Poughkeepsie and grew up in Albany, New York, and as a child barely survived meningitis and severe secondary infections that subsequently deprived him of much of his eyesight. He graduated from the Albany Boys Academy and Hoosac School, and matriculated at the University of Michigan.
Judith Ware Dodson ’42
Judith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Harold Ware and Clarissa Smith. At Reed, she wrote her thesis, “William Carlos Williams—An American Prose Writer” with Prof. Lloyd Reynolds [English and art 1929–69] advising. Judith often said that her Reed years were among the happiest of her life. She made three trips to the Galapagos Islands in the 1970s, and in 2000 her novel, The Exotics: Galapagos Revisited, was published. On the back cover she had written, “This is a story about grown men and women, how they deal with their humanity—or cannot deal with it. The setting is the Galapagos Islands, six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador. You may have been there.” She later commented, “I regret that Professors Barry Cerf [English 1921–48] and Lloyd Reynolds will not read my book.”
She was married to Daniel Dodson ’41. Florence Lehman ’41, whose long service to Reed included 23 years as director of alumni relations, once said, “I still remember Judy and Daniel at Reed . . . he with a green book bag over his shoulder and with curly brown hair . . . and Judy with a single long brown braid down her back.” The couple, who later divorced, had two daughters, Dorian and Elizabeth.
Arnold Westerman ’48
“Waiting” by Arnold Westerman ’48
When he was a kid, Arne loved to draw. He devoured the colorful illustrations in books like Kidnapped, Treasure Island, and Robin Hood, and hoped to one day be a famous illustrator, such as Howard Pyle or N.C. Wyeth, or to create cartoons for the Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s, and the New Yorker.
He grew up during the Depression in old South Portland, then largely a Jewish and Italian immigrant neighborhood, and attended Shattuck Elementary School and Lincoln High School. But in addition wanting to be an artist, Arne dreamed of becoming a doctor and attended Reed for premed studies. World War II intervened, and after serving as a medical corpsman in the U.S. Army, he soured on medicine. Returning to school on the GI Bill, he got his bachelor’s in journalism at the University of Oregon. In 1948, Arne married his wife, Claire, and a few years later opened his own advertising agency. Thirty years later, he was ready for a change.
Geotta Whitney ’48
Born in St. Ignatius, Montana, to George and Henrietta Stendal, Geotta was raised in Portland, where her mother was a seamstress at Jantzen and her father worked as a paymaster at a logging camp. She graduated from Grant High School during World War II and stayed in touch with her grammar school friends for the rest of her life. She attended Reed before moving to San Francisco in the 1950s, where she met and married William Whitney. They later moved to Oregon and raised four sons. After a divorce in 1965, Geotta moved to Medford, Oregon, and raised her boys as a single parent working in a bookstore. She often said, “I did not raise four boys, they raised me.”
Eventually, she moved to Salem to be closer to family and friends, working for the City of Salem Community Development Office until she retired. Geotta’s passions included cooking, canning, gardening, and reading. Predeceased by her son George, she is survived by her sons Doug, Fred, and Beau.
Thomas O. Williams ’50
Born in Spooner, Wisconsin, to Edith Davies and John A. Williams, Tom was the third of four sons. He graduated from Oregon City High School and attended Reed before transferring to the University of Oregon. He was very proud of his service as a naval radar instructor during WWII and enjoyed more than 30 years at Tektronix as the community relations manager and the director of the Tektronix Foundation. He represented Tektronix by visiting many schools, universities, and organizations, facilitating Tektronix grants and scholarships. He served his community on the boards of United Way, Junior Achievement, and the Washington County Fire District. Tom and his wife of 65 years, Doris (Schell), settled in Milwaukie and then Garden Home. In later years, they moved to Claremont, and finally to Laurel Parc, a senior living facility, where Doris died in 2011. Tom’s three children, Susan Mihelich, Thomas Williams, and Sharon Williams, survive him.
Marie Rering Witt ’69
Marie was born in The Hague, Netherlands, to Dr. Clifford Rering and his wife, Marie, a registered nurse who graduated from Stanford University. After World War II, the family moved to California, where Marie’s sister, Charlotte, and brother, Johan, were born. Marie completed grade school in Ukiah, where she was also a helper in her father’s radiology practice.
When she was 12, she was sent to a Dutch/English boarding school. By the time she was 16 years old, the whole family had moved to Zeist, Netherlands, and Marie attended the International High School in The Hague. She studied mathematics for a year at Utrecht University, and then without ever visiting the campus beforehand, transferred to Reed. Although she had funds, Marie worked as a secretary for the chemistry department and as a babysitter for her psychology adviser. She wrote her thesis, “Behavior Modification of a Disruptive Five-Year-Old in a Head Start Program,” with her advisor, Prof. Carol Creedon [psychology 1957–91].
Anne Whitacre ’18
A beloved Reed student, Anne was on leave from the college when she died of natural causes at her family home in California. Her mother said that Reed was one of the best experiences of Anne’s life. Her passion for music flourished at Reed, and she was hard at work back in California paving the way for a bright future when a previously undetected medical condition tragically ended her life.
Richard Weisbart ’64
Richard was a professor of medicine at UCLA and chief of rheumatology and director of the UCLA San Fernando Valley fellowship training program at the Sepulveda VA Medical Center, where he ran his research laboratory for 40 years. He developed safe and innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease. He is survived by his wife, Jan, and his children, Matthew, Lisa, and David.
Patricia Willard Heil ’58
Patricia was born in Portland and raised in North Bend, Oregon. She graduated from North Bend High School in 1954 and won a scholarship to attend Reed, where she studied anthropology and linguistics. In 1961, she met Charles Heil ’60 at church, and he proposed on their first date. They got married and Patricia devoted her life to raising their five children. Later, she was a child care provider at several churches.
A gracious and quiet person with a gift for listening, she loved nothing more than being home or at the family’s cottage in Agate Beach, but traveled to visit daughters living in Germany and Japan. In her final years, her sweet spirit prevailed throughout her battle with frontotemporal degeneration. Patricia is survived by her husband of 56 years; her children, Benjamin Heil ’84, Andrew Heil, Lisa Heil, Sara Swanborn, and Amy Worsley Heil; and her brother, Richard Willard.
James A. Wood ’53
Dr. James Wood was a member of the team that perfected the surgical techniques needed for the artificial heart valve.
Born in Newton, Missouri, he was the youngest child of Alfred and Lulu Wood. When he was nine years old, Jim told his father that he wanted to be a jockey. Alfred remarked that Jim might be better suited to be a doctor, which inspired Jim to pursue medicine. Many lives were changed because of this prescient comment. When he was 12, Jim’s father died, and he moved to Oregon with his mother to live with an older sister. In 1943, with WWII raging, he joined the Marine Corps on his 17th birthday. When his service was complete, he returned to Oregon and graduated from Union High School in Hillsboro. He attended college at Vanport and often spoke of the devastation from the 1948 Vanport flood and its effect on the community.
Hope Duveneck Williams ’38
Hope was one of four Duveneck siblings, known as the Big Four, who regaled family and friends with tales of their adventures and antics, and purchased an old fishing cabin at Fallen Leaf Lake in California. In 1924, their parents purchased Hidden Villa Ranch in Los Altos Hills, California, and developed it into a youth hostel and summer camp with the mission of land preservation, social justice, and environmental education. After graduating from Palo Alto High School, Hope attended Bennington College and Reed before completing graduate studies at UC Berkeley and the University of Southern California with a degree in occupational therapy.
Hope had a special gift for engaging with youth with disabilities and worked as an occupational therapist for the army during World War II and then for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. She was a talented potter, and her sense of humor imbued the flying pigs and other creations she sold at Peninsula Potters in Pacific Grove, California, of which she was a charter member.
Hope married Dr. Russell Williams, and during their long life together they hosted friends, family, artists, and writers who needed a place to stay in California. She was a charter member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and contributed generously to sustaining Hidden Villa Ranch. In an act of profound generosity, the Duveneck children gave up their considerable land inheritance when their parents passed away and donated it to the nonprofit trust that their parents had established in 1960 to carry on Hidden Villa’s ambitious mission. Eventually, Hidden Villa encompassed 2,500 acres, 900 of which were later donated to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, leaving 1,600 acres under a nonprofit trust to support the environmental and educational retreat in perpetuity.
Marshall Wright ’46
Marshall earned bachelor’s degrees in chemistry (1946) and philosophy (1952) from Reed and his master’s in chemistry from the University of Oregon. He wrote his thesis, “The Electrodeposition of Beryllium” with Prof. Frank Hurley [chemistry 1942–51] advising. He met his wife, Virginia Shirley Wright ’52, while at Reed, and both were musicians. Prior to his marriage, Marshall had played with the Ray Bauduc Orchestra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. By the time of their marriage in 1950, Virginia had become principal clarinetist with the Portland (later Oregon) Symphony Orchestra, and Marty played saxophone and clarinet with local dance bands. The Wrights moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1952, where Marty played with the Jack Fina Orchestra, big band leader Gerald Wilson, Earl Hines, and a quintet led by Brew Moore.
Marshall brought his family, which now included his children, Tracy and Jeffrey, to San Luis Obispo in 1960, where he taught chemistry for 31 years at Cal Poly before retiring in 1988. He continued his music while teaching chemistry, playing clarinet, bass clarinet, and saxophone with the San Luis Obispo Symphony Orchestra, including a concert tour of Spain, a concert at Carnegie Hall, and a performance at the Sydney Opera House. Marty was also a member of the Royal Garden Swing Orchestra and returned to campus in 1991 to teach a course in jazz history.
Murray Work ’53
As a child in Chicago, Illinois, Murray’s insatiable curiosity was cultivated at the progressive Francis W. Parker School into a love of science, music, and art. He served as an army medical tech during the Korean War, stationed in Honolulu. After starting at William and Mary College and then studying biology at Reed, Murray finished his bachelor’s degree at Tulane University, where he also earned both a master’s degree and a PhD.
Murray then launched a more than 35-year career as a psychology professor at California State University, Sacramento. During his tenure, he was a Fulbright fellow and awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct research on hagfish at Cambridge University in England and at the University of Bergen in Norway. Graduate students remember diving in the American River for the eel-like lamprey used in Murray’s research lab.
While touring the country as a teenager in a 1929 Model T Ford, he met Harriette Hawkins, the love of his life. They were married for more than 64 years and had two daughters, Lucie Payne and Emily Gorin.
Celia Walker Moss ’51
Born in Portland to Eldred and Leda Walker, Celia attended Washington High School and then Reed College for a year. She moved on to Lewis & Clark College and finally to the University of Oregon, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in 1951. Celia went on to earn a master’s degree in social work, and was a social worker for more than 30 years, retiring as director of social work at Bess Kaiser Medical Center in Portland in 1984.
She moved to Atascadero, California, where she married Roy Moss. In 1999, she moved to Ashland, where she lived at Mountain Meadows, a retirement community. Celia loved to travel, was involved in her community, and was a staunch advocate for human, animal, and environmental rights. She fancied cats, was an excellent chef and an avid reader, and enjoyed talking about politics and current events. Celia is survived by her sister, Linda Allaway, and five stepchildren.
Charlene Welsh Miller ’42
April 25, 2018, in Ithaca, New York, following a stroke.
A Portland native, Charlene graduated from Reed with a degree in English language and literature. Four years later, she married the love of her life, a fellow Reedie named Frank Barton Miller Jr. ’43. After receiving his doctorate from Cornell University, Frank joined its faculty as a professor of industrial and labor relations. An active member of the Cornell community, Charlene worked in the music department of the College of Arts & Sciences, volunteered as an employment counselor at the Professional Skills Roster, and participated in the activities of the Cornell Catholic Community. She was a proud member of the Drama Club of Ithaca for more than 30 years and provided piano lessons to people in the area. During their 60 years of marriage, the couple was rarely apart, sharing a love of music and the arts, traveling to Shakespeare festivals, the ballet, concerts, and art tours.
Paul Dew Ward ’02
October 4, 2011, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after a 12-year struggle with bipolar illness.
Paul was a writer and philosopher who strove to understand life in all its complexities. At its heart, he found life beautiful and worthwhile, but deep personal pain brought him neither rest nor peace. Paul lost many friends along the way, young men condemned for being gay, or cast aside for their addiction to drugs. He honored their memory and grieved for them always. Brilliant, quirky, and loving, he was also bossy, argumentative, stubborn, generous and kind. His greatest joys were his family, poetry, the trails of Rancho Viejo, long walks with his best friend and spiritual brother, Greg Relkin, and his dog, Pi.
“Never before or since have I encountered a soul with so much compassion and understanding,” said Michael Golan ’03. “Paul was the greatest of teachers, educating me through conversation and by example on how to be a scholar, a friend, a man, a human being. I think back to Paul instructing me on Aristotle’s notion of friendship as a soul inhabiting two bodies, knowing that with Paul’s passing, a bright light within my own soul has been extinguished, never to be rekindled. Goodbye my brother philosopher, my teacher, my friend.”
Sylvia Wells Baldwin ’50
August 17, 2018, in Honolulu, Hawaii, from a ruptured aorta.
Born in Seattle, Washington, Sylvia began Reed at 17, supporting herself as a waitress and majoring in literature and languages. After three years at Reed, she transferred to the University of Washington, where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She married J. Allen Johnson ’50 and moved to Alaska and back to Portland before moving to Hawaii in 1959.
Sylvia focused on raising her four children when they were young, and then, after she divorced, she worked a variety of jobs to support them, including secretary, encyclopedia salesperson, substitute teacher, and tutor. She always wrote, whether it was unpublished novellas and short stories, correspondence with Reed friends, or penning columns in local publications and professional outlets. At the age of 62, she became a U.S. immigration inspector at Honolulu International Airport and worked there for 11 years before retiring. She took trips to Egypt, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos, and an around-the-world marathon, and to the end maintained an active interest in the world and in politics. Survivors include her four children: Branden Johnson, Hunter Johnson, Morgan Johnson, and Melissa Johnson.
Mark Lee Woodbury ’50
September 13, 2018, in Oakland, California, on his 93rd birthday.
Mark was born in Schenectady, New York, and grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts. Even as a boy, Mark had a love of wild places. He was smitten by the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine, and voyaged on the Saint Lawrence Seaway and to the Caribbean islands with his parents.
Virginia Shirley Wright ’52
May 24, 2017, in Shell Beach, California.
A Portland native, Virginia graduated from Franklin High School before starting at Reed as a music major. She was a private student of prominent clarinetist A. Owen Sanders, and played principal clarinet with the Portland (now Oregon) Symphony Orchestra from 1950 to 1953. While playing in the radio station orchestra at KOIN in Portland—broadcast from the Heathman Hotel—she met Mr. Wright. A clarinetist and profession jazz saxophonist, Marshall Wright played alongside Virginia in the orchestra. They married, had two children, and in 1960 moved to California’s central coast, settling in Shell Beach. Virginia joined the San Luis Obispo Symphony orchestra in 1971 and continued until she retired in 2011. Her solo performances included the Première rhapsodie by Claude Debussy, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, and Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.
Lawrence Weeks ’57
October 25, 2018, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
A physicist and pioneering technical manager on aerospace projects, Lawrence was known for groundbreaking efforts in rocketry and satellite payloads at Bell Labs, the Aerospace Corporation, and the U.S. Air Force.
He was born in Portland, and, his studies led to degrees from Reed and Stevens Institute of Technology. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his daughter Carolyn; his son, John; and his sister, Barbara.
Garry Whyte ’73
August 14, 2018, in Aurora, Oregon.
Garry was admitted to Reed at the age of 15, but deferred his enrollment for seven years. In that time, he was a ski instructor and did two tours of duty in Vietnam. He entered Reed in 1969, leaving in 1972 to complete his degree at UC Berkeley. As a mechanical engineer, Gary worked building machines for agriculture and for cleaning up oil spills. He founded two companies: PrivateCode, which specialized in private transactions via the web and other commerce, and 1-800-CHARITY, the first national system to deliver contributions from donors to any charity without cost to the charity.
Marian Whitehead ’44
September 19, 2018, in Oakland, California.
Marian was a particle physicist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and Stanford Linear Accelerator and a professor of physics at California State University, Hayward (now California State University, East Bay).
William H. Wood ’57
March 30, 2019, in Sunnyvale, California, from cardiac arrest.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a child Bill sang in the Episcopal church choir and was an accomplished trumpet player. At Reed, he studied physics and philosophy and wrote his thesis, “Einstein’s Conception of Science,” with Prof. Albert Bork [physics 1963–68] advising. Bill married Winifred Jaeger ’55, and after college was drafted by the army, serving in Tokyo.
The Wood family, which came to include three daughters, loved Japan. Each daughter was bestowed with a Japanese name. In 1962, the family moved to San Francisco, where Bill worked for Standard Oil before moving to Los Altos. He had a passion for electronics and inventions and founded several companies, including Design Specialists, which designed learning lab equipment for schools. He later modified this equipment, designing booths for simultaneous interpretation and establishing himself as a pioneer and leader in the field of conference interpreting.
James Edward Walsh Jr. ’77
February 25, 2019, in Ankeny, Iowa, from complications of Addison’s Disease.
A political science major, Jim wrote his thesis, “A Critique of John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice” with Prof. Maure Goldschmidt [political science 1935–81]. He was a senior special agent with Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and worked with the Violent Gang Task Force in Los Angeles. Jim had great stories of guarding presidential candidates.
Laurel Wilkening ’66
June 4, 2019, in Arizona.
Prominent planetary scientist and a leading expert on comets, asteroids, and meteorites, Laurel also blazed a trail as an educator, becoming the first woman to serve as chancellor at UC Irvine.
Jean Pecore Wever ’47
August 7, 2019, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Jean was born in Washington, D.C., attended schools in Portland, and started at Reed when she was 16. Majoring in biology, she wrote her thesis, “A Preliminary Report on the Distribution of Alkaline Phosphatase in Triturus torosus,” advised by Prof. Frank P. Hungate [biology 1946–52]. At Reed, she met and married Robert Charles Wever ’50. Their daughter Sara was born while they were living in Texas, and Mary was born while they were living in Hawaii. In 1960, the family moved to Salt Lake City, where Jean taught special-needs students. When the family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, she earned a second bachelor’s degree in art from Arizona State University.
Barbara Weeks Shettler ’50
April 12, 2019, in Portland.
Barbara came to Reed upon graduating from Portland’s Grant High School. She would long carry fond memories of the beautiful, well-used interior of the old library, where she wrote her thesis, “The Historical and Theoretical Background of the Junior College with Implications for the State of Oregon,” with Prof. Harold Bernard [education 1947–50] advising. Barbara learned to folk dance and waltz in the old SU.
George Richard Wallmann ’55
February 8, 2019, in Portland, Oregon.
An early computer whiz, Richard may not have graduated from any school except elementary, where we were classmates. He failed at the University of Chicago—where he had been admitted prematurely after his second year at Portland’s Lincoln High School—and then attended Reed for a few semesters. Among his Reedie friends were Karl Metzenberg ’54 and Keith Mills ’60. He remembered working with Paul Allen in Seattle and later served for four years in the U.S. Air Force in Japan.
For some years, Richard was a computer consultant in Tustin, California, and then returned to Portland to continue that work. He is survived by three of his four children, one of whom, Ilyeana Wallmann, lives in Portland, and many grandchildren.
Sally Hoffman Wiskemann ’63
July 17, 2019, in San Antonio, Texas.
As a child, Sally moved with her family to the West Coast from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Reed with a master’s in teaching and said, “Being a Reedie opened opportunities within and beyond my chosen profession.”
After returning to Pittsburgh, she met her husband, Ed Wiskemann. They had two children, moved about, and ended up in San Antonio, Texas, where Sally worked for more than 20 years at the Institute of Texan Cultures, rising from volunteer to director of volunteer services. For over 40 years, she participated, volunteered, and performed with her chorus in the annual Texas Folklife Festival.
Robert Douglas Wollheim ’70
September 21, 2019, in Portland.
Bob lived by the words “Justice, justice shalt thou pursue” and “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.” From the day in 1967 when he was imprisoned for refusing to fight in Vietnam until the day in 2014 when he retired from the bench of the Oregon State Court of Appeals, his commitment to justice never wavered.
Robert N. Walsh ’44
December 11, 2017, in Vero Beach, Florida.
Raised in Boston, Bob attended Reed for one year. “My going to Reed was accidental, rather than planned,” he said. “A kindly uncle gave me the opportunity at the last minute. As a C+ student, I was out of my league with so many scholarship winners and valedictorians. Not having had my last year of high school math, I had trouble with calculus. Getting extra help only gave me twice as much to do. I couldn’t close the gap and ended up doing rather poorly overall. Personally, however, it probably was the most memorable year in my life.”
He left Reed to fight in World War II, and after the war returned to Boston, where he attended night school. Bob worked as a government engineer until retiring, when he enjoyed painting and doing research on Paris’s Père Lachaise Cemetery. He also busied himself lobbying state governments to adopt resolutions honoring Thomas Paine, leader of the American Revolution. Paine’s book Common Sense galvanized the decision of the Colonies for independence, and people often invoke his quote, “These are times that try men’s souls.”
Prof. William Wiest [psychology ’61–95]
December 19, 2019, in Portland.
Bill Wiest was an influential professor and notable authority in the fields of social psychology, behavior, learning, and human sexuality. During his long and illustrious career he studied the behavior of fish and the psychological dimensions of vasectomy; worked with the World Health Organization on family planning programs; and once designed an interactive pigeon exhibit at OMSI where museum-goers pushed buttons to change patterns on a screen, to which the pigeons would respond by executing a little dance. He also inspired generations of Reed students and participated in one of the sharpest intellectual debates of the 20th century.
Marvin J. Weinstein ’51
December 25, 2019, in Portland.
Born in Portland, Marvin attended Lincoln High School before starting at Reed. He wrote his thesis, “A Proposed Synthesis and Tracer Study of P-Aminobenzoic Acid,” with Prof. Frank Hungate [biology 1946–52] and went on to get his medical degree from the University of Oregon Medical School.
Lawrence Witt ’70
March 13, 2020, in Eugene, Oregon, after a lengthy illness.
Larry was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri. His father’s career in the U.S. Army Air Corps took the family to the Gulf Coast, London, England, Washington, D.C., and Panama. As part of a Rotary Youth Exchange program, Larry spent a year in Piedras Negras, Mexico, and finished high school in San Antonio, Texas. When he aced the College Board and National Merit Scholarship tests, a teacher guided him to Reed.
Kathryn Juel Weibel Brookins ’57
July 25, 2020, in Boston, Massachusetts, from complications induced by Alzheimer’s dementia.
The only child born to Frank and Irene Weibel, Kathryn started out in North Platte, Nebraska. The family moved frequently, as her father was an engineering mechanic who worked on large infrastructure projects then being constructed in the Pacific Northwest. Frank died when Kathryn was 20 years old, and from then on, she and her mother were seldom apart.
Jean Marie Walker ’63
April 13, 2020, in Corvallis, Oregon, at home.
Jean Marie majored in physics at Reed, where she wrote her thesis, “A Brief Study of Photoexcited Electrons in Thin Metal Films,” advised by Prof. Dennis Hoffman [physics 1959–90]. She received her MA in teaching at Reed, and later earned a master’s in ecology at San Francisco State University, an associate of arts degree in computer and information services at De Anza College, and another associate’s degree from Ohlone College.
Jon Westling ’64
January 15, 2021, in Boston, Massachusetts.
A motorcycle-riding scholar of medieval European history, Jon had a 46-year career at Boston University, spanning professor, administrator, and president of the university from 1996 to 2002.
Darunee von Fleckenstein Wilson ’84
December 30, 2020, in Rowayton, Connecticut, of complications from leiomyosarcoma.
Darunee’s parents were among the first United States Peace Corps volunteers to serve in Thailand, where she was born in Chiang Mai. She grew up variously in Hawaii, while her father, Fritz von Fleckenstein ’61, completed his doctorate in agricultural economics at the University of Hawaii; in Thailand, where her parents adopted her sister from an orphanage; and in Papua New Guinea, where Darunee assisted her father with his research.
Laura Jean Watson Jory ’49
March 3, 2021, in Portland.
Laura Jean followed in the footsteps of her mother, Esther Kelly Watson ’17, her aunt Laura Kelly ’16, and her uncle Joyce Raymond Kelly ’15, who were in the first three graduating classes at Reed. She grew up in Northeast Portland, attended Alameda Elementary School, and at Grant High School met Fred Jory, the love of her life and husband for nearly 65 years. They married in 1948 at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, where she was a lifelong member.
David Wrench ’54
January 8, 2021, in Portland, of heart disease.
David wrote his thesis, “The Barron-Welsh Art Scale: Its Application to a Group,” with Prof. Leslie Squier [psychology 1953–88] advising. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Oregon and a PhD from the University of North Carolina. He was a professor emeritus at Portland State University, the author of a popular textbook, Psychology: A Social Approach; and an early member of the urban studies department at PSU. Using the nom de plume Charles Swithin, he wrote about his experiences at Reed in Memoirs of a Semi-distinguished Professor. The description on Amazon.com reads: “A book about living in extraordinary times. With Candide-like simplicity the author confronts a world in which his college is investigated by the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, he is told that graduate teaching assistants are not allowed to give failing grades to star basketball players, one of his students wears a gas mask to class, and two others become engaged there. Includes an inside look at Eugene McCarthy’s successful Oregon primary, and vignettes of such people as Wayne Morse, Linus Pauling, and Robert Packwood.”
Prof. Charles Wu [Chinese ’88–’02]
March 17, 2021, in Tempe, Arizona, of natural causes.
An accomplished scholar and lifelong educator, Prof. Wu was born in Shanghai in 1935, where he showed early promise. Prior to his 16th birthday, he began at Beijing Foreign Language Institute and had graduated by the time he was 18. Three years later, he began 20 years of teaching at his alma mater.
Prof. Thomas Wieting [math ’65–’16]
July 19, 2021, in Portland, Oregon.
From the uncountably vast to the minutely infinitesimal, Prof. Tom Wieting roamed the domain of mathematics with unquenchable curiosity, inspiring generations of Reed students through his extraordinary ability to find connections to physics, chemistry, art, and even theology.
Betty Jean Wozencraft ’51
May 1, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Betty Jean was born in Portland and majored in math at Reed, where she wrote her thesis, “Arithmetic of Partially-Ordered Sets,” with Prof. Phillip W. Carruth [math 1950–51]. She worked as a defense finance and accounting service financial systems specialist. Predeceased by her husband, John Wozencraft, she is survived by her sister, Sylvia Killman, and her five children: John Wozencraft, Dave Wozencraft, Tom Wozencraft, Jean Ornellas-Wozencraft, and Mary Henderson.
Anthony Waters ’70
October 27, 2021, in Eugene, Oregon.
Born in London, Tony was introduced to the practice of law at a young age. His father was a barrister, and later a Queen’s Counsel, and at the dinner table father and son crossed and matched wits. It was rumored that Tony was the model for Rumpole’s son in John Mortimer’s British television series, Rumpole of the Bailey.
Mary Louise Stearns Williams ’51
December 21, 2021, in Windsor, California.
Mary Louise was born in Pasadena, California, with an abiding love of animals. Her childhood was filled with cats, springer spaniels, a goose named Caesar Agoosetus, and a rotation of Arabian horses. She graduated from Chadwick School in Palos Verdes before coming to Reed, the alma mater of her sister, Ann Whitehead ’44, and later her brother, John Stearns ’53. She studied Russian literature and enjoyed skiing, square dancing, standing up for her ideals, breaking the rules, and singing. While at Reed, Mary Lou met and fell in love with Bill Williams, who was visiting from the University of Colorado.
Sally Watson ’50
March 11, 2022, in Santa Rosa, California.
“I suspect most Reedies are misfits,” Sally wrote in her unpublished autobiography, Who Me? “They feel like aliens, seem to have nothing in common with their ‘peers,’ and don’t even think in the same language.” But in addition to these, Sally had another reason for feeling “other.” When she was two, she was savagely burned in the face and neck by concentrated sulfuric acid. “Any species by instinct wants to reject one who is Different, even if their members don’t realize it,” she wrote. “There was little handicap to my movements—but it was as disfiguring as thalidomide. More, in a way. The face is the seat of personality, and people are more offended if something’s wrong there. Other children were innocently curious, or teasing or unkind. Not nearly as bad as adults’ cold clinical disgust as to some slimy creature from the swamps.”
Richard S. Waritz ’51
March 3, 2022, in Hockessin, Delaware, from Alzheimer’s disease.
Dick was born in the Pacific Northwest, backpacked much of the Cascade Crest Trail, and climbed most of the major mountains in the Cascade range.
James B. Wade ’53
August 13, 2021, in Hood River, Oregon.
Born in Pocatello, Idaho, Jim was the youngest by 11 years of three children. His father was in the insurance business and the family moved a lot. Growing up, Jim lived in Tacoma, Bellingham, Spokane, and Seattle. When he was 10, he traveled alone by train to spend the summer on his brother’s sheep ranch in Montana and was left in the care of his brother’s father-in-law. He lived in a sheep wagon with no running water or electricity while his brother and sister-in-law performed as professional skaters in Cincinnati for the summer.
Alison G. Weisner ’81
June 10, 2022, In Menlo Park, California, from cancer.
Alison lived nearly her entire life in the Barron Park neighborhood of Palo Alto, California. After graduating from Henry M. Gunn High School, she came to Reed, where she majored in economics and wrote her thesis, “The Present Value of Space Settlement Construction,” advised by Prof. Edward Schroeder [1979–80].
“I majored in economics because the subject seemed quirky and paradoxical (goodness knows, it is),” she said. “But when I had to apply it seriously I discovered I didn’t care to.”
Jerry E. Whalen ’54
December 18, 2020, in Issaquah, Washington, in his sleep.
Growing up in the Great Depression in Portland, Jerry graduated from Grant High School and entered the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he served in the Pacific during the end of World War II. After returning to the States, he began at Reed, and during his first year met Alice Parkis on a blind date. During their courtship, he was called back into service in Korea. They were married in 1951 upon his return. Jerry finished his degree in physics, writing his thesis, “An Observation of Charge Carriers in Silver Chloride Crystals at Room Temperature,” advised by Prof. Frederick Brown [physics 1951–55].
Glen Howard Wilcox ’56
November 30, 2019, in Portland, Oregon.
Glen was born in Heppner, Oregon, the youngest of three brothers and two sisters. When he was in the second grade, the family moved to Hermiston, Oregon, where he excelled in high school sports and served as student body president his senior year.
Patricia Yeager Washburn ’58
September 18, 2022, in Northglenn, Colorado.
Though she was born in California, Pat was proud of her family’s connections to Colorado. Her mother, Eleanor, was the daughter of Ethel and Joe Mills, who built and ran the historic Crags Lodge in Estes Park. Her father, Dorr, was one of Rocky Mountain National Park’s first rangers. They instilled their daughter with a love of nature, which Pat passed on to her children and thousands of visitors who came to Rocky Mountain National Park, where she served as an enthusiastic part-time docent at the Rocky Mountain Conservancy into her late 70s.
Robert Allen Wayne ’76
Robert and Roxie at the Frey II House in Palm Springs
November 28, 2021, in New York City, of pancreatic cancer.
CONTRIBUTED BY TOM RHOADS ’75
Vivian Tomlinson Williams ’59
Photo by Christopher Nelson / Northwest Folklife
January 6, 2023, in Seattle, Washington, from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
Dedicating her life to the study, preservation, and fostering of traditional folk music, Vivian made an inestimable impact on the bluegrass and traditional music of the Pacific Northwest. A marquee musician at bluegrass and old-time scenes, she made recordings of more than 300 fiddle tunes and was a prodigious historian of Northwest music. With her late husband, Phil Williams ’58, she helped found the Seattle Folklore Society and the Northwest Folklife Festival.
Barbara Wuest Thompson ’43
November 11, 2022, in San Francisco.
Barbara, a talented ceramicist and cofounder (with her sister-in-law, Enid Thompson ’44) of Allied Potters in San Francisco, died at age 101. At Reed, which Barbara said had an immeasurable influence on her life, she studied literature and wrote her thesis, “Constance Rourke and the Roots of American Culture,” under Prof. Victor L.O. Chittick [English 1921–48]. She went on to earn an MA in museum studies from John F. Kennedy University, served as editor of the graduate program’s journal, and became curator at the San Francisco Wine Museum.
Barbara and husband Ezra Thompson III had three sons. The family moved often, living in Canada, Colombia, and Venezuela. Later in life, Barbara moved into a home for active seniors in San Francisco; there she served as the chair of the library committee and wrote a biweekly column for the residence newsletter. She also volunteered her time as a reader to students at a local elementary school, held season tickets at the symphony and the theatre, and attended several classes a week at the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning.
Ruth Walby MAT ’52
April 4, 2023
Born January 21, 1928 to Paul and Gertrude Millard in Floriston, California, Ruth was the youngest of three daughters. After graduating as co-valedictorian from Camas High School, Ruth studied education at the University of Oregon. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority and multiple honor societies.
Ruth taught secondary classes at Elgin High School from 1950-51, then enrolled at Reed to earn her master’s. She worked as an engineering assistant at Boeing Aircraft Company, eventually becoming the head of her seven-person test data reducing crew.
Marian Wilcox Goldman ’60
April 16, 2021 in Tucson, Arizona.
Marian “Rafia” was born in 1938 in Tucson, Arizona. At Reed, she received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, with Prof. John E.H. Hancock [chemistry 1955-89] advising on her thesis. She went on to earn a master’s in vocational rehabilitation counseling for the deaf from Western Oregon University and an associate’s degree in computer programming from Pima Community College-West. In 1993 she married Ron Wilcox, who provided constant loving attention throughout the 28 years of their life together.
Prof. Nicholas Wheeler [physics ’63–’10] ’55
“With his beard and brown three-piece corduroy suit, Professor Wheeler seemed the perfect image of an Edwardian physicist,” recalled a former student in a Reed Magazine article about Nicholas Wheeler, A.A. Knowlton Professor of Physics. Wheeler’s reputation as a brilliant professor who inspired students with elegant lectures was even more intriguing because of his origin story: He came to Reed first as a student.
Working as a paper delivery boy in The Dalles at the age of 12, Wheeler learned of the atomic bomb when he delivered the front-page story. The enormity of the event captured his curiosity. “My interests diverted from surgery, music, and art to figuring out how the atomic bomb worked,” he said. At 14, he decided he wanted to be a physics professor. During high school, he taught himself calculus and was selected as a finalist in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search for a Wilson cloud chamber that he constructed. He traveled by train to Washington, D.C., where he met President Truman and many distinguished scientists. In 1951, he graduated from The Dalles High School as valedictorian.