In Memory

issue 4, 2020

1940s

1950s

Mary Jane Dean Battaglia, g’50, 98, May 11, 2019, in Placerville, California, where she was active in her community. Surviving are her husband, Angelo, c’50; three daughters; and a granddaughter.

Charles “Chuck” Brown, e’56, 85, April 12 in Parsons, where he owned Brown Oil and Tire Company. He is survived by his wife, Mary Catherine Owens Brown, n’61; a son, Cotter, c’91; two daughters; two brothers, one of whom is Eldon, e’54; six grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

William Brunker, b’51, 92, June 4 in Kansas City, where he worked at Owens-Corning Fiberglass for nearly 40 years and retired as environmental manager. In 1979 he received the Air Conservationist of the Year Award from the Kansas Wildlife Federation. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are a daughter, Cindy Brunker McClannahan, c’78, l’81, and three grandchildren.

John Emerson, b’50, l’57, 91, May 31 in Lawrence, where he retired after nearly 60 years as an attorney and partner at Barber Emerson law firm. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lind Emerson, ’50; a son, John Jr., c’76; a daughter, Mary Ann Emerson Boyd, c’77; and three grandchildren.

Donald Fine, e’55, 87, July 11 in Austin, Texas, where he was a retired chemical engineer. He is survived by his wife, Patricia McClaskey Fine, ’58; three daughters, one of whom is Jennifer Fine Powers, j’84; a sister, Dorothy Fine, n’59; four grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Stephany Quigley Harper, d’56, 86, July 10 in Mission Viejo, California. She was an administrative assistant. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. A daughter, two sons, two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.

Ellis Hawley, g’51, 91, Sept. 15 in Longmont, Colorado. He was a longtime resident of Iowa City, Iowa, where he was professor emeritus of history at the University of Iowa. Surviving are a daughter; a brother, Raymond, m’65; a sister; six grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

Janet Padgett Joseph, d’54, 88, Aug. 16 in Kailua, Hawaii, where she was a homemaker and active in Junior League. Survivors include a son; a daughter; a brother, Gary Padgett, b’55; and three grandchildren.

Ralph King, b’52, l’54, 89, Aug. 2 in Lawrence. He was an attorney and district court judge in Douglas County. He is survived by his wife, Mary Anne Forman King, d’53, f’83; two daughters, Kathryn, d’84, ’00, and Ruth Anne King Sneegas, h’85; a son; four grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Robert Love, e’57, 84, Jan. 28 in Overland Park. He spent most of his career working at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering in New Jersey. Surviving are his wife, Birgit, g’99; two sons, R. Christopher, ’91, and Paul, b’98; a brother; and two grandsons.

Eleanor Hawkinson Lowe, c’57, 85, July 17 in Mission, where she was a longtime member of the League for Women Voters and other civic organizations. She is survived by two sons, John, c’91, and Michael, l’90; a daughter; a sister, Marilyn Hawkinson Swearer, c’54; two stepsisters; and five grandchildren.

Janette “Jan” Baldwin McCullough, f’58, 85, Aug. 23 in Lawrence, where she was an interior designer and owned Jan’s Interiors. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are a son, Neil, ’88; a sister, Joan Baldwin Murphy, d’61; and two grandchildren.

Janet Hanneman McNulty, n’58, 83, June 9, 2019, in Laguna Woods, California. She had a long career as a psychiatric nurse and traveled to Pakistan in the 1960s to volunteer with the Peace Corps. She is survived by her husband, James, assoc., and a sister, Donna Hanneman Kerr, c’65.

William Paul McWilliams, e’57, 86, Aug. 23 in Houston, where he was president and founder of MATE Trailers. Survivors include his wife, Lou, assoc.; three daughters, one of whom is Rachel McWilliams Minor, j’93; a son; two sisters; a brother; and six grandchildren.

Courtney “Corky” Nason, c’56, 85, July 9 in Lake Quivira, where he was CEO of aviation insurance brokerage Nason Associates. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis Adams Nason, d’56; a daughter, Corey Nason Reese, j’82; a son, Todd, e’85; and five grandchildren.

Laird Noller, ’59, 83, Aug. 22 in La Jolla, California. He lived for many years in Topeka, where he owned several car dealerships and was honored as one of the leading Ford dealers in North America. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are his wife, Karleen, assoc.; three sons, two of whom are Barry, ’82, and Steve, ’83; a sister; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Richard “Dick” Pickler, c’51, l’56, 92, Aug. 24 in Lakin, less than a month after his wife, Mary Lou. He practiced law in Ulysses for nearly 60 years. Two daughters, a son, seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren survive.

Richard Randall, c’51, l’53, 94, July 30 in Wichita, where he was chief counsel at Petroleum Inc. for 35 years. Surviving are his wife, Jane Hackmaster Randall, d’52; two daughters; five grandsons; and four great-grandchildren.

Bette Jo Jones Roberts, c’50, 92, June 4 in Cunningham. A Garden City native, she was an administrative assistant for Gov. Robert Bennett and led U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum’s regional office in her hometown. She served on the Alumni Association’s national Board of Directors from 1990 to ’95, and received the Association’s Mildred Clodfelter Award in 2005. She is survived by a son, Kurt, b’80; a daughter, Andrea Roberts Johnsrud, b’81; a brother, Richard Jones, b’52, d’60; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Darlene Schindler Schaake, ’52, 89, July 29 in Bothell, Washington. For more than 30 years she taught physical education and coached gymnastics and track and field at schools in Kansas and Colorado. Survivors include two sons; two daughters; a brother, Karl Kreitzer, b’68; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Virginia Mackey Snyder, j’53, 88, May 17 in Newport Beach, California. She worked in radio and TV in Kansas City before moving to Laguna Beach, California, where she volunteered in her community. Surviving are two daughters; a son; a sister, Marjorie Mackey Peterman, ’56; and five grandchildren.

Barbara Beers Spainhour, f’56, 87, Sept. 21 in Winfield, where she was an artist and director of volunteer services at William Newton Memorial Hospital. She later became president of the Kansas Association of Directors of Volunteer Services. Survivors include her husband, Con, p’55; two sons, one of whom is John, ’89; six daughters; a sister; 16 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Royce Walz, c’50, 92, June 10 in Topeka, where he retired after nearly 25 years as a psychiatrist at the VA Hospital. Surviving are his wife, Patsy Hastings Walz, s’80; two daughters, one of whom is Elizabeth, c’88; a son; five grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

John Wesley, c’51, l’56, 90, June 4 in Cave Creek, Arizona. He practiced law for 37 years at Gust Rosenfeld law firm in Phoenix. He is survived by his wife, Millie Hunt Wesley, d’53; a son; and two daughters.

John Wilkinson, b’53, l’58, 89, Aug. 8 in Lawrence. He was an attorney and partner at Waggener, Wilkinson and Wigglesworth law firm in Topeka. Surviving are his wife, Marianne Anderson Wilkinson, c’57, g’64; and three sons, one of whom is Tom, ’86.

1960s

Robert Alderson, c’61, 80, June 5 in Topeka, where he was a partner at Alderson Law Firm. Survivors include his wife, Ruth Hoagland Alderson, assoc.; two daughters; three brothers, two of whom are Alan, b’69, and Rusty, c’84; his stepmother; and two granddaughters.

Peter Barham, c’64, g’66, 79, Aug. 22 in Fairway, where he owned several businesses. He is survived by his wife, Vicki Allen Barham, d’64; two daughters, Suzanne Barham Burt, j’89, and Marcy Barham Ostrander, c’01; a son, Ben, c’95; and four grandchildren.

David Davis, b’69, 73, July 5 in Overland Park, where he was CEO and president of Stanley Wood Products. His wife, Pamela, assoc.; a son; a daughter; and a brother survive.

George William “Bill” Frick, c’66, l’69, 76, July 5 in Palm Desert, California. He was general counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency and later joined Van Ness Feldman law firm. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. He is survived by his wife, Helen Bush Frick, c’66, g’74; a son; a daughter; a brother, Phillip, c’62; a sister, Christie Frick Reynolds, d’64; and three grandchildren.

John Green, b’67, 75, Aug. 24 in Topeka, where he retired as chief operating officer at Coldwell Banker real estate company. Survivors include his wife, Diane Childers Green, d’68; a daughter, Kristie Green Jones, j’92; a son, Scott, ’95; a sister; a brother; and three grandchildren.

Gary Grose, b’60, 84, July 10 in Estes Park, Colorado. His career as a buyer and manager at JCPenney spanned more than 35 years. He is survived by his wife, Jill Runnells Grose, d’65, f’65; two sons, Steve, ’93, and Dave, d’96; a daughter; a sister; and two grandchildren.

Stuart Grossman, PhD’61, 92, Aug. 10 in Houston, where he was a micropaleontologist and had a 33-year career at ExxonMobil. His wife, Harriet, assoc., survives.

Robert Jacoby, c’68, m’75, 74, June 4 in Topeka, where he practiced family medicine for more than 35 years. In 2011 he was named Kansas Family Physician of the Year. Surviving are his wife, Anita, n’85; four sons, one of whom is Daniel, c’06; his mother; a brother, David, c’75; a sister; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Warren Keller, b’63, 79, July 8 in Malibu, California. He was an attorney and later became a partner in a real estate development group. He is survived by his wife, Becky Johnson Keller, d’63; four daughters; a sister, Carol Keller Flannagan, ’60; and 11 grandchildren.

Gyula Kovach, g’69, g’72, 88, Aug. 10 in Silver Spring, Maryland. He had a long career in engineering and water quality and retired as chief of the environmental protection branch in the safety division at the National Institutes of Health. Surviving are his wife, Ildiko Lugos Kovach, g’73, PhD’74; a son, Adam, c’88; a daughter, Adrienne, c’90; two brothers; a sister; and a granddaughter.

Michael Mount, c’64, 78, Aug. 23 in Chandler, Arizona. He had a long career in human resources and management. A son and two grandchildren survive.

Dale Remsberg, d’60, 83, Sept. 30 in Cassoday. He taught physical education and coached football and track during his decades-long career at Butler County Community College in El Dorado. Surviving are his wife, Judy; two sons; a daughter; two brothers, George, b’56, and James, e’57; and five grandchildren.

Robert Shahan, b’61, 80, Aug. 14 in Lenexa, where he retired after serving as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona in Phoenix. He is survived by his wife, Mary Carol Stephenson Shahan, d’61; two daughters, Sarah Shahan Lauck, j’87, and Susannah Shahan Hart, n’89; a brother; and five grandchildren.

Keith Shelton, e’63, 80, June 9 in Newport Coast, California. He began his career in aerospace engineering and later founded Custom Silicon Solutions. Survivors include his wife, Mary Kay, assoc.; two daughters; a sister, Judy Shelton Howell, d’57; and six grandsons.

Gary Shofner, e’61, 82, June 30 in Topeka, where he was a partner, senior vice president and director of marketing at Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers. He is survived by two daughters, Stacy Shofner Vobach, c’87, and Terri Shofner Mallioux, j’89; a brother, Gene, c’64, g’66; a sister; and four grandchildren.

Sandy Hopkins Shofner, d’61, 80, July 1 in Topeka, within hours of her husband, Gary. She taught vocal music and also was a substitute teacher. Their daughters and grandchildren survive.

Jayne Simon Simonds, d’68, 74, Aug. 24 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was a homemaker. Survivors include her husband, Steve, e’68; two sons, one of whom is Matthew, ’04; a daughter; a sister; and four grandchildren.

Miriam Kangas Sion, c’67, g’68, 74, April 5 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She was a psychiatric social worker and child therapist for 42 years. She is survived by her husband, Edward, c’68, g’69; a son; a daughter; a brother, Edward Kangas, b’66, g’67; and four grandchildren.

Sidney William “Bill” Spry, ’66, 75, May 17 in Aurora, Colorado. He was a safety inspector for the Federal Railroad Administration. Surviving are his wife, Pamela Allen Spry, n’66; and a brother, Ronald, d’71.

Dale Starchman, g’65, PhD’68, 79, June 2 in Canton, Ohio, where he was a professor of medical radiation biophysics at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Survivors include his wife, Erlinda “Jane” Socrates Starchman, ’69; a son; three daughters; a brother; and eight grandchildren.

Dale Willey, ’64, 79, Aug. 14 in Lawrence, where he owned Dale Willey Automotive and was president of the Kansas Automobile Dealers Association. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. He is survived by his wife, Jan Snyder Willey, ’95; two daughters, Suzanne, j’87, and Carol Willey Ryan, h’92; three stepdaughters, Kim Hiebert Purvis, p’85, Laura Hiebert Carbrey, ’87, and Megan Hiebert, c’91; six grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Paul Zaman, e’62, 80, July 18 in Overland Park, where for more than 40 years he was an engineer at Black & Veatch. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are his wife, Frankie; four sons, three of whom are Michael, b’87, Phillip, b’94, c’05, and James, b’02; two stepchildren; a brother; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Charles Zarter, l’67, 78, Aug. 31 in Kansas City, where he worked in real estate and retired as an attorney. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Eymann Zarter, c’66; two sons, Ryan, c’00, and Darren, ’08; and a sister, Marilyn Zarter Wallace, d’62.

1970s

Galen Bland, j’71, 70, Feb. 19 in Portland, Oregon, where he was a retired newspaper editor and attorney and coached baseball at Central Catholic High School. He was editor of the University Daily Kansan during his senior year at KU. Surviving are his wife, Patty; a son; a daughter; a sister, Marcia Bland Bickel, assoc.; and five grandchildren.

Dolores Shanabrook Brooking, g’71, 87, Sept. 11 in La Cañada Flintridge, California, where she directed the arts management program at California State University-Dominguez Hills. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Survivors include a son, Kevin, ’76; a brother; and two grandchildren.

Frank Day, c’73, 86, May 31 in Lawrence, where he was a member of the Jaycees and a 40-year volunteer at Audio-Reader. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. He is survived by his wife, Edna, a daughter and four grandchildren.

Gale Sayers, d’75, g’77, 77, Sept. 23 in Wakarusa, Indiana. A running back affectionately known as “The Kansas Comet,” he was a two-time All-American at KU and went on to play professionally for the Chicago Bears. He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 at age 34, the youngest person ever to receive that honor. His wife, Ardythe, a daughter, two sons, three stepsons, two brothers and seven grandchildren survive.

1980s

Michael Kraft, ’86, 55, Feb. 22 in Atlanta. His career at CNN spanned more than 25 years and included an Emmy Award in 2016. He is survived by his wife, Laura; a son; a daughter; his father, David, assoc., and stepmother, Rebecca Smith Kraft, g’85; his mother; and two sisters, one of whom is Susan Kraft McCray, n’87, g’13.

1990s

Jeffrey Borbely, PhD’98, 81, March 26 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He was director of research and development for 26 years for Leavenworth School District. He is survived by his wife, Sandra Chambers Borbely, ’80; two sons, Michael, ’85, and Benjamin, ’89; and a daughter, Jennifer Borbely White, c’91, ’98.

Allison Rose Bowen, j’96, g’10, 47, Aug. 23 in Lafayette, Louisiana. She worked in public relations and marketing. Her husband, Brady, a son, three stepchildren, her parents and a brother survive.

Nathan Penny, b’97, 46, Aug. 10 in Lawrence, where he worked at his family’s business, Penny’s Concrete. A football player at KU, he also helped coach at Lawrence High School, among other schools. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. He is survived by his parents, William, e’72, and Marlene VanGundy Penny, c’71; two sisters, Laura Penny Hedges, c’94, l’97, and Sarah Penny Smith, j’00; two brothers, one of whom is Scott, m’14; his grandmother, Mary Lou Nelson Penny, ’45; and his grandfather.

2000s

Wendy Mooningham Herd, g’07, PhD’11, 47, Aug. 11 in Starkville, Mississippi. She was an associate professor of linguistics at Mississippi State University, and in 2017 she was honored as Mississippi Public Humanities Teacher of the Year. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are her husband, Zac, a daughter, a son, her parents, a brother and sister.

Kristin Hoppa-Barrios, c’08, j’09, 34, Sept. 24 in Kokomo, Indiana. She lived in Waco, Texas, where she was a public safety reporter at the Waco Tribune-Herald. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. She is survived by her husband, Kirk; her parents; a brother, Patrick Hoppa, b’04, g’05; and her grandmother.

Trevor Loney, c’01, g’05, ’10, 41, Sept. 27 in Sunrise Beach, Missouri. He was an academic adviser and instructor at KU and Indiana University. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are his parents, John, m’74, and Teri Loney; and a sister, Brandi Loney Klepper, c’97.

2010s

Ben Brownlee, b’16, 26, Oct. 3 in Lake City, Colorado. He ran cross-country and track during his years at KU and earned academic all-conference honors. Surviving are his parents and his grandparents, Jerry, c’53, g’56, and Marjorie Woodson Brownlee, ’57.

2020s

Jason Goff, c’20, in Cambellford, Ontario, where he was chief operating officer at Natural Chemistry. He is survived by his wife, Andrea Bucher Goff, d’99; a daughter; his parents; and a sister, Heather Goff Smith, ’00.

UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY

Alice Clayton Amyx, ’42, 99, May 27 in Lawrence. She was a secretary for the Alumni Association and volunteered in her community. She is survived by a son, Ross Michael, l’67, g’68; a daughter, Marguerite Amyx Gaston, d’78; a sister, Ruth Clayton Mrkonic, j’49; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

George Boberg, 86, July 4 in Ridgecrest, California. He was a professor and founded the percussion department. Survivors include two sons, one of whom is John, c’87; a daughter; a stepson, Jeff Cryder, g’93; a brother; and 10 grandchildren.

Gene Budig, ’89, 81, Sept. 8 in Daniel Island, South Carolina. He became the University’s 14th chancellor in 1981 and oversaw the construction of the Dole Human Development Center, the Lied Center, the Adams Alumni Center and the KU Vietnam War Memorial. He also led the effort to rebuild Hoch Auditorium after the fire in 1991. After retiring from KU, he became the president of Major League Baseball’s American League. Surviving are his wife, Gretchen Bloom Budig, assoc.; a son, Christopher, c’88; two daughters; a brother; a sister; and five grandchildren.

Thomas Eversole, ’75, 75, May 25 in Lawrence. He owned Eversole Piano Service and was a piano technician for 10 years at KU. Survivors include a daughter, Elizabeth, b’01, and a brother.

Steven Fowler, 75, June 15 in Lawrence. He was professor of human development and later professor of pharmacology and toxicology. He also was a senior scientist at the Life Span Institute. He is survived by his wife, Doreen; a daughter, Carina, ’16; and a sister.

George Frederickson, assoc., 86, July 24 in Lawrence, where he was the Edwin O. Steen Distinguished Professor of Public Administration. Surviving are his wife, Mary, assoc.; three sons; a daughter; four brothers; a sister; a stepsister; 15 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Donald Kearns, 83, Sept. 8 in St. Augustine, Florida. He was a state trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol for 40 years before becoming director of parking at KU. He is survived by his wife, Diane; two sons, Joe, ’95, and Ryan, c’12; four daughters, two of whom are Dorinda Kearns von Tersch, a’96, and Kristen Kearns Atkinson, c’09; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Bruce Mensie, ’74, 69, June 30 in Lawrence, where he was a broadcast engineer for KPR and Audio-Reader. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are his wife, Mary Jo Shortridge Mensie, c’74, p’80, and a brother.

Reggie Robinson, c’80, l’87, 63, Sept. 19 in Lawrence. He had a long career in higher education, serving as a faculty member at Washburn and KU schools of law, president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents, and director of the School of Public Affairs and Administration and vice chancellor for public affairs at KU. Most recently, he was CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. He is survived by his wife, Jane McGarey Robinson, g’10, DNP’17; two daughters; his mother; and four brothers, including Ron, d’82, and Michael, ’85.

Richard “Dick” Schiefelbusch, g’47, 102, Sept. 23 in Lawrence, where he was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of speech, language and hearing sciences and longtime director of the Kansas Bureau of Child Research, now the Life Span Institute. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. He is survived by a son, Lary, c’65, g’65; two daughters, Carol Schiefelbusch McMillin, ’79, and Jean, d’80, g’90; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Barbara Gimla Shortridge, g’68, PhD’77, 77, June 6 in Leawood. She was a professor of geography. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are her husband, James, g’68, PhD’72; two daughters; and two grandchildren.

Stanley Shumway, 88, July 28 in Lawrence, where he was professor emeritus of music. Survivors include his wife, Jan Fullerton Shumway, ’80; three daughters, Sally Shumway Satalof, f’80, Susan Shumway, f’80, and Mary Shumway Berry, b’81; a son, David, f’83; a sister; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Joseph Spradlin, c’51, 90, May 27 in Lawrence. He worked at the Kansas Bureau of Child Research, now the Life Span Institute, for more than 35 years. Survivors include his wife, Rita Franks Spradlin, c’75; and two sons, one of whom is Michael, m’89.

ASSOCIATES

Anna Bricker, assoc., 101, June 10 in Lawrence. She was an elder and deacon at First Presbyterian Church and an active volunteer in her community. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Survivors include a son, David, c’76, g’80; a daughter; a grandson; and two great-grandchildren.

Jack Lowry, assoc., 88, Aug. 13 in Prairie Village, where he had a decades-long career in life insurance sales. A memorial has been established with KU Endowment. Surviving are his wife, Cathy; a daughter, Ann Lowry Sundeen, c’84, j’84; a sister; and two grandchildren.