Alumni Necrology
Lawrence Jackson Fraser ’61
Lawrence Jackson Fraser ’61, a physicist and for 31 years a senior manager with the Xerox Corp., was born on May 18, 1939, in Troy, NY. The son of Lawrence A., a sales manager, and Sylvia Jackson Fraser, he was reared in the Buffalo suburb of Kenmore and graduated in 1957 from Kenmore High School. Urged to enroll at Hamilton by a family friend, Lloyd S. Jayne ’31, he arrived on College Hill that year and joined Lambda Chi Alpha (soon to be Gryphon). “Jack” Fraser went out for j.v. lacrosse, played hockey for the Lamba Chis, and participated in debate. He also served as president of the Gryphon house in his senior year. However, much of his time was spent in the Science Building as a physics major. He excelled academically, won prize scholarships in mathematics, and gained election to Phi Beta Kappa.
Hailed by Dean Winton Tolles for his “alert, quick, and inquisitive mind,” and as “one of the most promising students for graduate work we ever trained,” Jack Fraser went on to the doctoral program in physics at Yale University. But that was only after he and classmate Howard J. (“Howie”) Wilcox made a grand summer hitchhiking tour of Europe. Married on June 15, 1963, to Brenda J. Mols in Amherst, NY, he emerged from Yale five years later with a Ph.D. degree and “three little kids.”
In 1968, the family settled permanently in Rochester, NY, where Jack Fraser went to work for Xerox, first in the research lab and later in engineering management. Some of his projects involved joint ventures in Japan and Korea as well as Israel and the Netherlands. Many of his assignments focused on management of business development and new product programs. His last assignment was looking after the company’s patent portfolio.
Jack Fraser retired from Xerox at the end of 1999 to work on patents and technology commercialization for the University of Rochester. As deputy director of its Office of Technology Transfer, he helped its faculty to patent and license technologies and launch startup businesses. He retained that post until the end of his life, and in addition, occasionally taught technology seminars abroad.
Jack Fraser, who once remarked that “my sports are biking when the roads are clear and skating in the winter,” also enjoyed gardening. A lifelong learner who was drawn to the humanities as well as science and math, he welcomed his new job at the University of Rochester in part because it gave him the opportunity to take classes in its history department.
L. Jackson Fraser died unexpectedly at his home in Rochester on March 7, 2011. Predeceased by his first wife, Brenda, in 1980, he is survived by their three children, Alexander M. ’85, Christina, and Andrew Fraser, and five grandchildren. Also surviving are his wife of 17 years, Kathleen C. Fraser, as well as children William and Annika Bentley. Jack Fraser, who had been very much looking forward to the 50th Reunion of his class, will be remembered by his classmates for his generosity of spirit and by the College for his unfailing loyalty.
Allan Gordon Reeder ’62
Allan Gordon Reeder ’62, a retired computer systems manager for Johnson & Johnson, the health care products and pharmaceuticals manufacturer, was born on January 17, 1940, in Orange, NJ. A son of Wilson F., an engineer, and Marjorie Currie Reeder, he grew up in nearby Madison, where he was graduated from Madison High School. Al Reeder came to College Hill in 1958 and joined Delta Phi. He later became its house manager and eventually president. He also played in the Band and volunteered his time to radio station WHCL. Having majored in economics, he left the Hill with his A.B. degree in 1962.
Al Reeder, who thereafter served in the U.S. Army Reserve for three years, began his business career as a management trainee with Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Co. in Newark, NJ. Married to Susan Schwartzkopf in Columbus, OH, on June 29, 1963, he soon “fell into” a new field called “data processing” while working for Mutual Benefit. Looking to advance in that field, he left the insurance company as a systems analyst to “peddle” mainframes and peripherals for International Business Machines Corp. in New York City.
Having grown tired after a few years of the long commute to Manhattan from his home in New Jersey, Al Reeder found employment closer to home with Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick. As a systems analyst and later as manager of systems and programming, he was involved in the initial computerization of the company’s inventory control, shipping, and accounts receivable and payable systems. Al Reeder, who had acquired an M.B.A. degree in finance from Rutgers University in 1969, retired as a senior consultant after 25 years with Johnson & Johnson in 1995.
Al Reeder, long a resident of Basking Ridge, NJ, became in retirement a volunteer supervisor and statistician for the Bernards Township community service program. An MG sports car enthusiast who had once bought and fully restored a 1948 MG-TC, he had earlier been quite active in the New Jersey MG “T” Club, editing and publishing its monthly newsletter for several years. Earlier in his career he had also been active in the Jaycees, serving as president of their local chapter.
Allan G. Reeder, a loyally supportive Hamiltonian, died at his home in Basking Ridge on November 3, 2010, following a brief illness. He is survived by his?wife of 47 years as well as a daughter, Tracey L. Reeder, and a?brother.
Ronald Stowell Frantz ’63
Ronald Stowell Frantz ’63, a longtime options trader as a member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, was born on July 17, 1941, in Fort Worth, TX. A son of Hillard S., engaged in the lumber industry, and Anna Fraser Frantz, he was reared in upstate New York. A graduate in 1959 of Iroquois Central High School in Elma, east of Buffalo, where he played basketball and football, Ron Frantz came to College Hill that fall from nearby East Aurora. He joined Chi Psi, successfully surmounted academic challenges during his freshman year, and became a member of that convivial band of brothers, Nous Onze. Majoring in economics, he was graduated in 1963.
Married to Sandra S. Cayo on February 13, 1965, in Benton Harbor, MI, Ron Frantz acquired an M.B.A. degree in corporate finance from New York University in 1967. He thereafter moved to Illinois, where he became a stockbroker with Goodbody & Co. in Chicago. He subsequently traded in options and was a member of the Chicago Board of Trade. Affiliated for a time with Brandt & Associates in Chicago, he was later self-employed. Known as “Goose,” he had “a passion for travel and a strong love for his family and friends.”
Ronald S. Frantz, a resident of the Chicago suburb of Glenview and a loyal alumnus, died on February 21, 2011. A divorcé, he is survived by a son, Michael H. Frantz; a daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy) Garvey; and five grandchildren and a sister.
James Wayne Hallett ’63
James Wayne Hallett ’63, a?longtime high school social studies teacher and coach, was born on June 23, 1941, in Erie, PA. The son of Wayne E., a real estate salesman, and Maude Perkins Hallett, an elementary school teacher, he grew up in the small town of Addison, NY, near the Pennsylvania border, and was graduated in 1959 from Addison Central School. Jim Hallett arrived on College Hill that fall and became a member of Gryphon. Besides contributing his time to The Spectator, he managed the track team. He remained at the College for just two years.
Jim Hallett subsequently gained admission to Alfred University, not far from his hometown, where he majored in history and obtained his A.B. degree in 1964. While staying on at Alfred to pursue an M.S. in social studies education (he acquired it in 1966), he began his teaching career at Scio Central School, west of Addison but also in New York’s Southern Tier. Married in Addison on August 17, 1963, to Ann Gladstone, a fellow high school teacher who had also earned an M.S. at Alfred, he soon settled in, along with his wife, for a long stay in Scio.
Jim Hallett, a track runner himself in high school, became coach of Scio’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams. He also chaired Scio’s social studies department for many years and later served as assistant principal of the high school. Highly active in professional organizations, he became president of the Scio Teachers Association, the Allegany County Teachers Association, and the Allegany County Schools Federal Credit Union. In addition, he oversaw the finances of the United Methodist Church in Scio for many years.
James W. Hallett, a devoted alumnus despite the relatively short duration of his stay on the Hill, was still residing in Scio when he died on August 9, 2010. Surviving, in addition to his wife of 47 years, are a daughter, Catherine DeLorenzo, and a son, J. Andrew Hallett.
Martin Gates Linihan, Jr. ’63
Martin Gates Linihan, Jr. ’63, a patent attorney, was born in Buffalo, NY, to Martin G., a sales manager, and Rosalia Hahn Linihan, on December 18, 1940. He entered Hamilton in 1959 from the Buffalo suburb of Kenmore as a graduate of Kenmore West High School. Marty Linihan went out for track and joined the staff of The Spectator. He became its sports editor and managing editor in his senior year, and gained election to the journalism honorary Pi Delta Epsilon. A member of Delta Upsilon and active in student governance, he served in the Student Senate and on the student admissions committee, and chaired the rushing committee. He also served as a freshman advisor in Dunham residence hall.
Marty Linihan, who majored in economics, was graduated in 1963. Two years later, he obtained a second bachelor’s degree, in electrical engineering, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He then spent three years with General Electric Co. as a trainee in its patent-lawyer development program in Washington DC. While working for GE, he attended the George Washington University School of Law at night and acquired his J.D. degree in 1968.
Martin Linihan thereafter returned to Buffalo, where he set up his practice and became a partner in the firm of Christel, Bean & Linihan. Later a partner in the firm of Hodgson, Russ, et al, he specialized in patent, trademark, and copyright law, utilizing his background in electrical engineering to concentrate in the fields of electronics, computer hardware and software, and trademarks. He also at one time chaired the board and served as legal counsel of the Buffalo Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Martin G. Linihan was residing in the Buffalo suburb of East Amherst when he died on March 1, 2010, as verified by Social Security records. It is believed that he was unmarried, and the?College has no information on survivors.
James (Jay) Bright Whitesides, Jr. ’63
James (Jay) Bright Whitesides, Jr. ’63, a New York City real estate broker, was born on August 11, 1940, in Lowell, MA. A?son of James Bright Whitesides, an insurance agent, and the former Berneice P. Moulton, he grew up in nearby Chelmsford and was graduated in 1959 from Williston Academy in Easthampton. He came to the College that fall. A member of Delta Upsilon, he majored in government and was awarded his diploma in 1963.
Jay Whitesides, after touring Europe for several months, settled permanently in Manhattan, where he found employment in 1964 as an assistant buyer for J.C. Penney Co. Promoted to buyer, he remained with the retail chain until 1978. He thereafter entered the real estate field and became a broker with A.K. Haldenstein Real Estate and later Granite International Realty, where he was a vice president. He subsequently struck out on his own, forming a small private company under his name, which engaged in marketing commercial real estate as well as residential properties such as apartments. An enthusiastic sailor since his youth, he frequently left the City behind to enjoy plying the waters around Cape Cod.
Jay B. Whitesides, a faithfully supportive alumnus, died at his Manhattan apartment on January 21, 2011. Unmarried, he is survived by a brother, John Whitesides.
Theodore Jerome Burns ’64
Theodore Jerome Burns ’64, an attorney-at-law in Buffalo, NY, was born in nearby Lockport on March 1, 1943. A son?of Trandon F., a high school teacher, and Jane Campbell Burns, he grew up in the Buffalo area and prepared for college at the Park School in Snyder, where he was president of the senior class. Ted Burns arrived on the Hill in 1960, joined Sigma Phi, became treasurer of the Sig house, and took an active role in?a variety of campus activities. He lent his tenor voice to the Choir for four years and took over as the Choir’s publicity director in his senior year. He also sang with the Buffers. In addition, he served on the Chapel Board and as editor-at-large of The Hamiltonian. Known as “smart, gregarious, and a little impish,” he had a special talent for making friends. Chosen as a member of that select social group Nous Onze, he was graduated, having majored in government, in 1964.
Ted Burns returned to his home area, where he enrolled in law school at the State University of New York in Buffalo. He acquired his LL.B. degree in 1967, and, on September 28 of the following year, was married to Susan Rinebolt in Snyder. He established his practice in Buffalo after service in the U.S. Army as a captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, and was connected with the firm of Hurwitz & Fine for many years. Clients and colleagues found him full of good humor and goodwill, and he was especially appreciated by his younger colleagues for the help he gave them in acclimating to the profession.
Theodore J. Burns, a loyal alumnus, was residing in Buffalo when he died on December 1, 2010. He is survived by his wife and two sons, Brendan C. and Matthew B. Burns, as well as a?sister.
William Menzies Hamilton ’65
William Menzies Hamilton ’65, an epidemiologist who utilized his scientific knowledge to further his compassionate commitment to the betterment of humanity, was born on June 23, 1943, in Fort Worth, TX , where his father was stationed as an Army Air Forces officer during World War II. The son of Donald M. Hamilton, an aeronautical engineer, and the former Mary Louise Ficklin, he grew up in various locales, including Europe from ages 7 to 10, and prepared for college at the Taft School in Connecticut. Bill Hamilton came to the College in 1961 from Rockport, ME, and joined Chi Psi. While majoring in biology, he devoted most of his extracurricular interests to dramatics as a member of the Charlatans. He not only acted in and directed plays for that student theatrical troupe but also took over its leadership in his senior year. President of the campus chapter of the theatre honor society Alpha Psi Omega, he was in addition active in the Canterbury Club as well as the Biology Club. With his usual discernment, Dean Winton Tolles recognized his sensitive nature and had “little doubt of his desire to be of service to society.”
Bill Hamilton, following his graduation in 1965, went on to graduate study in the dramatic arts at Indiana University. However, he subsequently transferred to Yale University, where he acquired an M.Phil. degree in 1974 and a Ph.D. in epidemiology in 1976. The recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health, he also engaged in study of the relationship between Christian and medical ethics at the Episcopal Divinity School at Harvard University.
By the late 1970s, Bill Hamilton had taken up residence in Seattle, WA, where he worked at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and became a clinical assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of?Washington. There he also obtained a master’s degree in social work. While in Seattle, he engaged in HIV/AIDS-related research, testing, and treatment, and was one of the founders of the Seattle Gay Clinic. It led to an offshoot known as the Chicken Soup Brigade, which provides nutritional meals to those suffering life-challenging illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. From 1994 to 2000, after his retirement, Dr. Hamilton was volunteer director of the Pilgrim Resource and Referral Center, a church-affiliated program serving the homeless and needy in the Capitol Hill section of Seattle.
William M. Hamilton, described in a memorial tribute in the Seattle Gay News as “filled with a deep and abiding compassion and concern for others,” was at his home in a retirement village in Pleasant Hill, TN, when he died on November 21, 2010, of osteosarcoma. The College has no information on survivors, except for a reference in the memorial tribute to “his partner Mark.”
Gregory Henry Finger ’66
Gregory Henry Finger ’66, a former children’s summer camp director as well as past executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and a champion of liberal causes, was born on July 28, 1945, in New York City. A son of Raphael M., a businessman, and Sophia Mins Finger, a teacher, Greg Finger came to Hamilton in 1962 from Tarrytown, NY, where he had been graduated from Sleepy Hollow High School. He joined Tau Kappa Epsilon and went out for football and tennis, but withdrew from the College at the end of 1963, after three semesters. He obtained employment with Drew Associates in New York City, editing documentary films for television. Soon thereafter, he joined the civil rights movement as a community organizer for the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) in Mississippi. He spent almost two years there in the mid-1960s, and it “blossomed” into a full commitment to peace and civil liberties causes, such as opposition to racism and the Vietnam War.
In 1974, Greg Finger became executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, headquartered in Manhattan. He was residing in the Wallkill area, near Newburgh, NY, where he had settled in 1969 to take the post of head counselor and program director at Camp Thoreau. He was the “progressive” camp’s director in 1973-74 and again in 1976-78. In 1979, he established his own Camp-Thoreau-in-Vermont, a “values-driven institution committed to diversity and social justice.” He directed the coed children’s summer camp, located in Thetford Center, VT, until 2004.
In the meantime, Greg Finger had joined the Shawangunk Valley Volunteer Fire Company. He became enthusiastically involved with it, serving as a captain and its chief for six years, and annually for two decades taught training courses for emergency management technicians (EMTs). Also active in town governance in Gardiner, NY, he served on the town board and chaired the town’s Open Space Commission as well as serving as its emergency management coordinator.
Associated for 39 years with the Center for Constitutional Rights, a legal advocacy organization focusing on civil liberties and human rights litigation, he was called the “bedrock” upon which that organization was built. He was chairing its board at the time of his death. He will be remembered for his firm commitment to social justice and his determined efforts to promote it.
Gregory H. Finger, who had remained close to the College despite his brief stay on the Hill, died at his home in the Wallkill Valley on December 13, 2010, following a valiant battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Joan Hollister, whom he had wed in 1982, and a brother, Karl Finger.
