Alumni Necrology
Donald Campbell Gingras ’50
Donald Campbell Gingras ’50, a retired area supervisor for the New York State Division of Parole who served the College with exceptional devotion and fidelity, grew up in Lowell, MA, where he was born on June 19, 1919. The son of Alphonse N. and Isabel Campbell Gingras, he went to work to help support his family following his graduation in 1937 from Lowell High School. Called into the U.S. Army in June 1940, before the country’s involvement in World War II, he served throughout that conflict and attained the rank of first lieutenant in the Signal Corps.
Discharged from the Army in early 1946, Don Gingras arrived on College Hill that summer. He joined Delta Kappa Epsilon and, an ardent swimmer since his schoolboy days with the Lowell YMCA, quickly found his way to the Alumni Gym’s pool. For four years, two of them as captain, he “made waves for the Blue” as an outstanding member of the varsity swimming team. Married to Elizabeth Ann (Bette) Maher on August 27, 1949, in Staatsburg, NY, just before the beginning of his senior year, he majored in education and psychology, and was graduated in 1950.
Don Gingras initially found employment with the child welfare department of Dutchess County, NY, while also pursuing graduate studies in public administration at New York University. He subsequently became a senior parole officer with the New York State Division of Parole. Promoted to area supervisor, he found the work “discouraging at times, but interesting.” He also found job security in it, for “we never had a recession in that field, unfortunately.” He retired as area director with offices in Poughkeepsie in 1983, after more than 30 years with the Division.
A lifelong competitive swimmer, Don Gingras participated regularly in the masters’ swimming program at the Poughkeepsie YMCA, which he had organized in the late ’70s. He also competed in the New York State Empire Games as well as the YMCA masters’ national meets and the U.S. masters’ championships. In 1991, for his contributions to local masters’ programs, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Dutchess County Sports Museum. And in 1997, his Hamilton classmates recognized his many contributions both to swimming and to his alma mater by presenting a new banner to hang in his honor over the Bristol Pool.
Active in community volunteer work, not only for the YMCA but also for the United Way and the American Heart Association, Don Gingras was also preeminent among the volunteers on behalf of his classmates and the College. Always ready to step forward to extend a helping hand, he served on the Alumni Council and in numerous capacities connected with capital campaigns and the Annual Fund. Known for his remarkable ability to motivate, combined with a thoughtful personal touch, he was for many years a class correspondent for this magazine. In 2002, in recognition of his many contributions, he received the Alumni Association’s Bell Ringer Award.
Formerly a resident of Hopewell Junction, NY, Donald C. Gingras, following the death of his wife in 2000, had moved back to his native area in Massachusetts to be near his daughter, with whom he attended the 60th Reunion of his class in 2010. He died on February 11, 2011, while hospitalized in his hometown of Lowell, at the age of 91. Besides his daughter, Ellen Mary Barkhuff, he is survived by a son, Donald C. Gingras, Jr., and three grandchildren.
Richard John Lighthall, Jr. ’50
Richard John Lighthall, Jr. ’50, a youth club director who later taught political science at Mesa College in San Diego, CA, was born on September 18, 1924, in New York City. His parents were Richard J. ’21, a banker, and Helen Cooper French Lighthall, an artist. “Dick” Lighthall grew up in Darien, CT, where he was graduated in 1942 from Darien High School. The following year, in the midst of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in the Pacific theater and was with the first American forces that landed on the beaches of Iwo Jima and fought to wrest that island from the Japanese. Discharged from the Marines as a sergeant in 1946, he enrolled at Hamilton that fall. He joined Psi Upsilon, went out for football, and took part in forming Hamilton’s first varsity lacrosse team in 1947. However, after two years on the Hill, he migrated permanently to California, where he continued his studies at Occidental College. Majoring in sociology, he earned his B.A. degree in 1950.
That year, Dick Lighthall began work with youth organizations, first with the Burbank YMCA and later the Pasadena Boys Club. In 1953, he played a key role in planning and launching the Boys Club (now the Boys and Girls Club) of Oceanside as a local affiliate of the Boys Clubs of America, and became its first executive director. For 12 years, he led the group, introducing youngsters to backpacking and camping, and sharing his love of?the outdoors with them. He also encouraged them to strive for excellence.
In 1965, having acquired an M.A. degree in political science from San Diego State University, Dick Lighthall began his teaching career at Mesa College, a two-year community college in San Diego. In the classroom he became known for his dedication, his impish, “leprechaun-like” smile, and his knack for storytelling. With a natural talent for teaching, he was able to convey his own enthusiasm for the subject matter and make even the dullest material interesting to his students. He retired from Mesa College in 1989.
In retirement, Dick Lighthall enjoyed trout fishing, tending his citrus trees, and attending concerts and plays when not traveling from one end of the country to the other. While at home in Del Mar, CA, he did community volunteer work, especially with Children’s Creative Workshops, and served as a ranger-docent at the nearby Torey Pines Reserve. Fond of music, he “sang himself hoarse” as a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, which named him “Irishman of the Year” in 2006.
Richard J. Lighthall died on February 1, 2011, in San Diego, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his wife, the former Arlene Ahlgrim, whom he had wed on August 18, 1956, in LaPorte, IN. Also surviving are two sons, Samuel F. and Geoffrey K. Lighthall, and two grandchildren.
Robert Jay Levey ’51
Robert Jay Levey ’51, who practiced dentistry in Binghamton, NY, for many years, was born in Brooklyn, NY, on April 6, 1930. His parents were Louis J., a sales representative, and Sadie Busky Levey. Bob Levey grew up in Brooklyn, where he was graduated from Erasmus Hall High School. After two years at New York University, he transferred in 1949 to Hamilton. A member of the Squires Club, he served on the Interfraternity Council and did some cheerleading for the Continentals. He was awarded his diploma in 1951, with honors in psychology.
Having already decided upon dentistry as his future career, thanks to the influence and help of Professor Walter Hess, his Hamilton advisor, Bob Levey enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dentistry. On June 22, 1952, while a student there, he was married to Lorraine “Lorrie” Braun in Brooklyn. They had known each other in high school and only met again years later when she was someone else’s blind date for a house party at Hamilton. That chance encounter leading to a lifetime union would remain one of Bob Levey’s most treasured college memories.
After receiving his D.D.S. degree in 1955, Bob Levey served for two years as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Dental Corps. Following his discharge, he established his solo dental practice in Binghamton. There, he and Lorrie reared their three sons. And there, for some 40 years, he “fought the war against the ravages of dental disease.” He was highly respected by his colleagues, who elected him president of the Binghamton Academy of General Dentistry as?well as of the Broome County Dental Society. In the 1960s, when their sons were nearing school age, Bob and Lorrie Levey took the lead in establishing a Hebrew day school, Hillel Academy of Broome County, which became one of the finest educational institutions in the Binghamton area. In 1982, in recognition of their achievement, the Leveys received Hillel Academy’s Founder’s Award.
When not in his dental office, Bob Levey could in all likelihood be found on the ski slopes in winter or on the golf course other times of the year. He also enjoyed sailing and fishing. Skiing had taken him to?the Swiss Alps and sailing to the Caribbean, where he also did?some scuba diving. An ever faithful and generous supporter of Hamilton who regretted having spent only two years at the College, Bob Levey also found time to serve as president?of the?Southern Tier Alumni?Association.
Dr. Robert J. Levey, long afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, was residing in Scarsdale, NY, when he died on September 4, 2010. In addition to his wife of 58 years, he is survived by his sons, David E., Peter M., and Bard J. Levey ’87, and three grandsons.
Hall Shultz ’51
Hall Shultz ’51, who carved out a career in the field of human relations, was born on December 6, 1927, in Syracuse, NY. His parents were Searles G. Shultz, an attorney-at-law, and the former Dorothy W. Hall. He grew up in Skaneateles, southwest of Syracuse, and was graduated in 1945 from Skaneateles High School. That year, during the waning days of World War II, he entered the U.S. Army, was stationed in occupied Germany, and attained the rank of sergeant.
Hall Shultz enrolled at Hamilton following his discharge from military service in 1947. He joined Psi Upsilon, played intramural basketball, and served as manager of the varsity football team. Described by The Hamiltonian as “quiet and sincere…one of those unusual persons who minds his own business,” he left the Hill as a graduate in 1951. On March 24 of that year, he was married to Eileen G. Abrams, a teacher, in Skaneateles.
Settling in the New York City area, Hall Shultz initially worked in employee and community relations for J. Bishop & Co. From 1954 to 1956, he was in?personnel administration with?United Air Lines. He subsequently served as?director of client services for the McMurray Co., became a partner in the personnel and industrial relations firm of Jewell, Shultz & Schaeffer, also in New York City, and concluded his career as vice president for personnel of Acme Markets, Inc., in Philadelphia, PA.
A resident of Bryn Mawr, PA, Hall Shultz spent many summers at Beach Haven, NJ, where he was a member of the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club as well as the Episcopal Church of the Holy Innocence. Keenly interested in sports, especially in college football, he also faithfully followed the fortunes of the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox. In addition, he loved to travel, doted on his dogs, and customarily rose every week to the challenge of the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle, which he invariably completed successfully in ink.
Hall Shultz, a faithfully supportive alumnus, died on May 11, 2011, at a health care center in Stuart, FL. In addition to his wife of 60 years, he is survived by two sons, Peter H. and Christian A. Shultz, and three grandchildren, a great-grandson, and a sister.
Robert David Anderson ’52
Robert David Anderson ’52, an investment management executive, was born on December 7, 1929, in Elizabeth, NJ. The son of Herbert R., a securities broker, and Laurette Elsesser Anderson, he grew up in Westfield, NJ, where he was graduated in 1947 from Westfield High School. After preparation at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, he entered Hamilton a year later. Bob Anderson joined the Emerson Literary Society and went out for football and track. While on the Hill, he “developed a proficiency in blackjack, poker, bridge, ping-pong, and softball,” as he recalled years later. He also found time for chess and bowling. With his sights already set on a career in the financial field and with a campus reputation as “a?wizard stock market analyst,” he majored in economics and political science, and was graduated in 1952.
Bob Anderson, who earned an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business Administration in 1954, began his career on Wall Street with the brokerage firm of Kidder, Peabody. In 1955, he joined Distribution Group, Inc., a?mutual fund management company. He became associate director of sales development for the Group and was soon promoted to vice president of sales management. He was senior vice president in 1974 when he left to co-found Bull & Bear Group, Inc., a mutual fund management and discount brokerage firm. He served as president of the firm and later vice chairman. Although semi-retired in recent years, he remained vice chairman and a director of what is now known as Winmill & Co.
Long active on committees of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Bob Anderson also served as president of the University of Michigan Club of New York and managed its scholarship fund for many years. A longtime a resident of Rumson, NJ, who spent winters in North Palm Beach, FL, he was an avid golfer and onetime golf champion of the Rumson Country Club. He also enjoyed paddle tennis and was known to be a keen competitor at both bridge and backgammon. His zest for life and engaging sense of humor were prized by his family and friends, recipients of his unfailingly generous affection.
Robert D. Anderson was residing in North Palm Beach when he died on January 3, 2011, of complications from multiple system atrophy (MSA), a rare neurological disease. He is survived by his wife, the former Barbara Roeper, whom he had wed in Grand Rapids, MI, on July 13, 1957. Also surviving are two daughters, Karen Ouellette and Elizabeth (Libby) Anderson; a son, Dean Anderson; and seven grandchildren and a sister.
Harold Carl Hoefer, Jr. ’52
Harold Carl Hoefer, Jr. ’52, a retired product manager and community activist, was born on December 14, 1929, in Syracuse, NY. A son of Harold C., an insurance sales manager, and Frances Cottrell Hoefer, he grew up in the small town of Tully, south of Syracuse, and was graduated in 1948 from Tully Central High School. Carl Hoefer entered Hamilton that fall and joined Tau Kappa Epsilon. As editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper, he carried over an interest in journalism as a Spectator staffer, circulation manager, and member of the Press Board. He also played in the Band, sang in the Choir, trouped with the Charlatans, and served as steward of the TKE house. Two of his more memorable college experiences, as he recalled years later, were singing in the Choir at St. John’s Cathedral in New York City and joining a roommate on his “best chemical project,” brewing a barrel of hard cider.
Soon after his graduation in 1952, Carl Hoefer was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. Commissioned as an artillery officer, he served stateside for three years and left the Army in 1955 as first lieutenant. He then returned to central New York and began work as a business trainee and market researcher with Oneida Ltd., Silversmiths. Two years later, he took a new job as a market research analyst for the Ozalid Division of General Aniline and Film Corp. (GAF) in Johnson City, NY. In 1960, he began his long career with Monsanto Chemical Co., first as a market research analyst in its plastics products division, later as a sales representative, and finally, as a product manager for specialty plastic film. He introduced three major new products during his 25-year tenure at Monsanto and added significantly to its profit margin.
While with Monsanto, Carl Hoefer was assigned to various locations ranging from Springfield, MA, to Atlanta, GA, and St.?Louis, MO. Wherever he resided, he took an active interest in community affairs as well as the Methodist church. While a resident of the St. Louis suburb of Manchester, he became involved in local government, chairing the town’s police commission and serving for four years as the town’s mayor (1980-1984).
Carl Hoefer took early retirement from Monsanto in 1985 and moved three years later to St. Augustine, FL. There he soon became engaged in efforts to preserve the venerable city’s rich historical past. He served on the commission formed to celebrate the quincentennial of Columbus’s voyage to the New World and chaired the Presidio de San Augustin Commission, which undertook reconstruction of an early Spanish fortification near the city’s center.
H. Carl Hoefer, a longtime devoted alumnus who had lately become an enthusiastic supporter of the Alexander Hamilton Institute, located in Clinton, died in St. Augustine on December 21, 2010. He is survived by his wife, the former Ann E. Harnett, sister of his fraternity brother Richard A Harnett ’55. They were married on December 12, 1953, in Dewitt, NY. Also surviving are a daughter and son, Cynthia Sadlek and H. Carl Hoefer III, and three grandchildren and a brother.
Bernard Morris Keyt ’54
Bernard Morris Keyt ’54, long active in the fields of advertising and marketing research, grew up in Piqua, OH, north of Dayton, where he was born on June 6, 1932. A son of Bernard S., a lawyer and judge, and Ruth Virginia Morris Keyt, he prepared for college at St. Peter’s School in Peekskill, NY, and enrolled at Hamilton in 1950. He joined Delta Kappa Epsilon, went out for soccer, and became manager of the tennis team. Remembered for his “relentless determination” as house manager of DKE, “Ned” Keyt majored in economics and history, and was graduated in 1954.
That summer, Ned Keyt began his two-year hitch in the U.S. Army. He served in Korea and Japan with the 65th Armored Field Artillery Battalion and was discharged as a corporal in 1956. Thereafter he gained experience in advertising in the products division of Bristol-Myers and with the Lennen & Newell agency in New York City. From 1964 to 1967, he served as research supervisor in the Pittsburgh, PA, office of the Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove advertising agency and later as assistant research manager in its New York office. He subsequently moved on to the Schering Corp., the pharmaceuticals firm, as marketing research manager for?its Pharmaco Division and communications research manager for Schering Laboratories (1967-74). In 1980, after a stint as director of market studies at the N.W. Ayer advertising agency and a year as senior marketing analyst for the brokerage house of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, he established his own marketing and research consulting firm, Ned Keyt Research, Inc., from which he retired.
Ned Keyt, whose interests encompassed golf, tennis, swimming, and sailing, also took a keen interest in music and the fine arts. He particularly enjoyed attending symphony concerts and art exhibitions. Long a resident of Scotch Plains, NJ, and later of the New York City area, he had recently been residing in Reston, VA.
Bernard M. Keyt died at a nursing home in Fairfax, VA, on November 29, 2010. He is survived by a son and two daughters, Jeffrey D. Keyt, Leslie A. Keyt, and Elizabeth Habibi, born of his first marriage, to Elaine E. Bardolf in 1960. He was subsequently married, in 1981, to Patrice Lee Maue. Also surviving are five grandchildren.
William Franklin Skinner ’54
William Franklin Skinner ’54, a retired Presbyterian minister and onetime mayor of Sioux City, IA, was born on June 24, 1932, in Marburg, Germany, where his father was engaged in theological studies at the time. A son of William Sherman Skinner, also a Presbyterian minister, and the former Helen Loetscher, he was a nephew of Robert M. Skinner ’24. “Bill” Skinner prepared for college at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, PA, and entered Hamilton from that city in 1950. He joined Delta Upsilon and was elected vice president of the freshman class as well as to DT. Besides playing football for four years and lettering in the sport, he served on the Interfraternity Council and the Chapel Board, becoming its vice president in his senior year. Concentrating in philosophy and psychology, and already with his sights set on a career in the ministry, he was graduated in 1954. On June 11 of the following year, he and Jane Haggard, his Winter Carnival date during his senior year at Hamilton, were married in Tupelo, MS.
Bill Skinner went on to Princeton Theological Seminary, where he acquired his B.D. degree in 1957. His first calling was as pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church in Downingtown, PA (1957-61). In 1971, after 10 years as pastor of Glading Memorial Church in Philadelphia, he was called to the first Presbyterian Church in Sioux City as senior pastor. He retained that post for 26 years until his retirement in 1997.
During his ministry, Bill Skinner undertook a number of?assignments for the national Presbyterian Church. They included chairing its special committee on the Brief Statement of Faith, which became part of the Church’s official confessional position in 1991. Also active in community affairs, he was elected to the Sioux City Council in 1977 and served for two years as the city’s mayor (1980-81). Named Sioux City’s “Man of the Year” in 1981, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree by Morningside College in Sioux City that same year.
Following his retirement, Bill and Jane Skinner traveled extensively, ranging from Europe to the South Pacific. While at home, Bill enjoyed golf, gardening, sailing, and canoeing. He also liked to carve and had taken up playing the mountain dulcimer. In 2006, he and Jane moved to a senior living community in Williamsburg, IA.
The Rev. Dr. William F. Skinner, a faithful alumnus, died on April 21, 2011, while hospitalized in Iowa City. In addition to his wife of 55 years, he is survived by two sons, William Sherman Skinner II ’78, husband of Loreen (Lori) Volpe K’78, and Robert A. Skinner; two daughters, Catherine E. Sladek and Nancy E. Skinner; and nine grandchildren and a brother and a sister.
Roger Frank Mosher ’55
Roger Frank Mosher ’55, who practiced oral and maxillofacial surgery in Appleton, WI, for 30 years, was born on January 15, 1934, in Potsdam, NY. The eldest of three children of Frank H., an electrician, and Lucille Carrier Mosher, he grew up in Pulaski, NY, south of Watertown and near Lake Ontario, and was graduated in 1951 from Pulaski Central School, where he had been president of the Student Council. An eager and hard worker already in his youth, and with unusual manual dexterity, he held a variety of jobs during high school days, including drug-store clerk, short-order cook, house painter, and electrician’s helper, working with his father.
“Rog” Mosher arrived on College Hill in the fall of 1951. He joined Delta Upsilon, became its house steward, and continued his working ways in various campus jobs. He also lettered in lacrosse for four years and was one of the varsity team’s top scorers. His dogged determination and resolve to succeed despite daunting academic challenges greatly impressed Dean Winton Tolles as well as the faculty. Elected to DT, Rog Mosher was already in the U.S. Army when he was awarded his A.B. degree in 1957.
A pre-med major at Hamilton, Roger Mosher had his sights set on a career in medicine. Failing to gain entrance to medical school, he instead was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dentistry in 1958, after two years of Army service. He earned his D.D.S. degree in 1962, followed by a three-year residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia.
While in dental school, Roger Mosher met “the love of my life,” Marilyn Merrick, and they were wed on June 13, 1964, in Virginia Beach, VA. A year later, the couple moved to Appleton, where Dr. Mosher, with a partner, established his oral surgery practice. He quickly became an active participant in community affairs, serving on numerous boards and commissions. He was a member of the Menominee County Board of Supervisors and a director of the Appleton Area Chamber of Commerce. His many volunteer activities included chairing building committees and teaching Sunday school at the First Congregational Church. Above all, he and Marilyn became deeply involved in the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). They devoted much of their time and energy to the advancement of that organization, and Roger chaired the NAMI Fox Valley Endowment Board from its inception.
By the time Roger Mosher retired from his practice, the clinic he had established in Appleton included seven doctors. Retirement gave him more time to spend with his family, for, as he once observed, “I’ve learned over the years that family is the most important thing and I feel fortunate to have been so richly blessed.” He especially enjoyed the many summers he spent at Moshawquit Lake with his children and grandchildren.
Roger F. Mosher, a loyal Hamiltonian, died on December 27, 2010, at his home in Appleton, of metastatic prostate cancer. In addition to his wife and soulmate of 46 years, he is survived by his son, Todd R. Mosher; two daughters, Karen Schoenike and Kathryn Eiden; and five grandchildren and a sister and a brother.
(Peter) Henry Godfrey Phillipps III ’55
(Peter) Henry Godfrey Phillipps III ’55, an architect, sailor, and adventurous world traveler, was born on April 1, 1933, in Dayton, OH. The son of Henry G., Jr., a sales manager, and Florence Martin Phillipps, he treasured the summers he spent in his youth on his grandparents’ farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, which he considered his home. He prepared for college at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, PA, and came to Hamilton in 1951. Good-humored and personable, he joined the Emerson Literary Society and captained its intramural squads. He also earned a letter in swimming.
Following his graduation in 1955, Pete Phillipps served for two years in the U.S. Army. Thereafter he pursued architectural studies at Yale University and obtained his B.Arch. degree in 1961. He moved to Manhattan that year, accompanied by his first wife, Gay Moore, whom he had married in 1959. He went to?work in the office of noted architect Philip Johnson as an architectural designer and was involved in projects that included the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center (1964) and the New York State Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. In the mid-1960s he established his?own architectural firm, specializing in residential projects in New York City.
In the late 1960s, Pete Phillipps began teaching as an assistant professor at the City University of New York’s Brooklyn College. With his students he founded a design group that executed numerous architectural projects having a positive impact on the campus and surrounding neighborhoods. He often spoke with pride and fulfillment of being a member of the art department faculty at Brooklyn College, where he taught for almost 30 years and where he was awarded Professor of the Year honors.
Much of Pete Phillipps’ non-professional life was devoted to sailing, and he once remarked that “that seaward pull has always been a part of my anatomy.” An active member and past commodore of the American Schooner Association in Mystic, CT, he was especially dedicated to the construction, restoration, and preservation of wooden boats, and particularly schooners. In 1962, he bought Voyager, a 50-foot 1929 Alden, gaff-rigged wooden schooner, and had it rebuilt from the keel up in 1972. Some 20 years later, he made the difficult decision to retire from his architectural practice as well as teaching and give in totally to the lure of the sea. By that time, he and his second wife, the former Jeanette Scudero, had already logged thousands of nautical miles on Voyager. With little benefit of creature comforts, their adventures would eventually include seven trans-Atlantic crossings and a 15-year circumnavigation of the globe with numerous years spent cruising the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Along the way they explored countries and cultures overland as well.
In 2007, Pete and Jeanette Phillipps began designing their first land-based home in Rockland, ME, overlooking Penobscot Bay. Peter H.G. Phillipps was residing there when he died in a local hospital of a pulmonary embolism on December 19, 2010. He is survived by his wife and business and sailing partner of 39 years. Also surviving are two sons and two daughters from his first marriage, Loch G. ’82 and Benjamin Phillipps, and Christy Phillipps and Beatrice Bennett; seven grandchildren; and a sister and a maternal half-sister.
Pete Phillipps will long be remembered for his “irreverent sense of humor and his purist’s love of beauty and traditional ways.” Family and friends will also remember him as a compelling raconteur who fascinated them with memorable tales of his incredible travels.
Thomas Richard Hasenpflug ’56
Thomas Richard Hasenpflug ’56, a longtime superintendent of schools and a distinguished leader in public education, was born on October 8, 1934, in Palisades, NJ. The son of Roy P., a book store owner, and Margaret Ann Riis Hasenpflug, a speech teacher, he grew up in Binghamton, NY, where he was graduated in 1952 from Binghamton Central High School. Tom Hasenpflug entered Hamilton that fall and joined Delta Kappa Epsilon. He sang with the Buffers as well as in the Choir, and served on the staff of The Spectator. Especially recognized for his ability “to jump the net after tennis matches,” according to The Hamiltonian, he became treasurer of the DKE house and, as its president, served on the Interfraternity Council in his senior year. Majoring in English literature, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and received his diploma with honors in public speaking in 1956.
Tom Hasenpflug went on to earn a master’s degree in teaching from Harvard University in 1957, followed by three years of teaching English at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon. Upon his return to the United States, he pursued further studies at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and acquired his doctorate in school administration in 1963. On June 20 of the following year, he and Marie J. Saldicco were wed in White Plains, NY.
Tom Hasenpflug began his career in education administration as assistant to the president of the New York City Board of Education. In 1966, after four years as assistant superintendent of schools in Barrington, IL, he returned to New York when appointed superintendent of the Southwestern Central School District in Jamestown. He was the youngest district superintendent in the state at that time. In 1970, he was named superintendent of the Arlington Central School District in Dutchess County, near Poughkeepsie, a post he would retain with great distinction for 20 years. During his tenure the music and art programs in the district’s schools were greatly expanded, and in general the quality of education the district provided was substantially increased.
Dr. Hasenpflug, an active member of numerous state and county education associations, including the New York State Education Commission’s Advisory Board on the Arts in Education, was the recipient in 1993 of the prestigious Distinguished Service Award presented by the New York Council of School Superintendents. He was particularly cited for his dedication to the furtherance of youth education and for promoting the highest standards of professional ethics. After his retirement from the Arlington district in 1970, he remained much in demand as an interim superintendent, serving in rapid succession in temporary posts in the Rhinebeck, Taconic Hills, and Valley Central districts.
Within Dutchess County, Dr.?Hasenpflug was also highly engaged in community service. He held leadership posts on the County Youth Board, the board of directors of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, and the board of the County Arts Council. He chaired the Dutchess Arts Fund and was a member of the executive committee of United Way. Many of his community involvements reflected his lifelong interest in music and the arts. Other interests included travel, and he and Marie made four automobile trips across the country in addition to traveling extensively abroad.
Thomas R. Hasenpflug, a faithful and generously supportive alumnus, was still residing in Poughkeepsie when he died on December 8, 2010, following a long illness. In addition to his wife of 46 years, he is survived by two sons, Thomas R., Jr. and Andrew D. Hasenpflug, and a grandson and a sister.
William Walter Coleman ’57
William Walter Coleman ’57, for 38 years a sixth grade social studies teacher and tennis coach in Victor, NY, southeast of Rochester, was born on November 7, 1935, in Waterloo, NY. The son of Walter S., an electrical engineer, and Louise Drake Coleman, he entered Hamilton from Waterloo High School in 1953. Bill Coleman joined Delta Upsilon and eventually became both steward and president of the DU house. The Hamiltonian hailed his leadership as “sound” and his legacy to the brothers as “rich and wholesome.” Majoring in economics, he was graduated in 1958.
A month later, Bill Coleman was drafted into the U.S. Army. He spent two years in Georgia, teaching Morse Code to fellow GIs. Upon his discharge in 1960, he began his long career in Victor as an instructor in its elementary school. In 1963, after a year’s leave to teach in England, he returned to Victor, where he met Muriel Newman, a fellow teacher. There they were married on November 26, 1964.
Bill Coleman, who obtained an M.S. degree in elementary education from the State University of New York College at Geneseo in 1966, established the boys’ tennis program at Victor Central School in 1964 and the girls’ program in 1975. He had played j.v. tennis on College Hill and was ardently devoted to the sport. Besides coaching high school tennis, he ran a summer recreational tennis program for 25 years and estimated that he had taught tennis to more than 6,000 youngsters, “including three All-Americans and one national champion.”
Bill Coleman, whose long tenure at Victor Central was interrupted for two years (1983-1985) when he and Muriel taught in Saudi Arabia, continued to teach junior tennis after his retirement. A past president of the Victor Faculty Association, he also chaired the Finger Lakes (High School) Tennis League and was active in the tennis section of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. In 1997, the new Victor Central School tennis courts were dedicated in his honor.
Besides his devotion to tennis, Bill “Coach” Coleman enjoyed fishing, golf, and fossil hunting, as well as travel, and he enthusiastically volunteered to assist at Camp Good Days and Special Times, a camp for children afflicted with cancer. He had been called “a wonderful neighbor and friend whose heart went out to the community,” and one who “will long be remembered for his unselfish commitment to those who sought his help.”
William W. Coleman, long a?resident of Canandaigua, NY, and a devoted alumnus, died on December 1, 2010. He is survived by his wife of 46 years as well as two daughters, Sharlene Sacco and Jelene Eberle, and four grandchildren and a sister. He was predeceased by his eldest daughter, Wylene Driscoll.
Edward Thomas Gaffney ’57
Edward Thomas Gaffney ’57, a highly regarded physician who practiced in Utica, NY, for two decades, was born in that city on August 12, 1936. A son of?Arthur F., also a physician, and Marion Rossiter Gaffney, a registered nurse, he grew up in Clinton, where he was graduated in 1953 from Clinton Central High School. Already with his heart and mind set on a medical career, he came up to College Hill that year to pursue a premedical course of study. He had been preceded on the Hill by his uncles, Justin J. ’38 and Charles M. Gaffney ’40. Ed Gaffney joined Sigma Phi and found time to play some hockey. A member of the Newman Club, he went on to the State University of New York’s Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse following his graduation in 1957.
Ed Gaffney, who acquired his M.D. degree in 1961, was married a week later, on June 17, to Marcia Stevens, daughter of William C. Stevens ’29, in Clinton. The newlyweds moved to Detroit, MI, where Ed served his internship and a three-year residency in internal medicine at Harper Hospital. He stayed on for another year on a fellowship in pulmonary disease in conjunction with Wayne State University. In 1966, he was drafted into the U.S. Army Medical Corps and served for two years as a captain at Valley Forge General Hospital in Pennsylvania. Assigned to the pulmonary care center of what was then, with 1,800 patients, the largest military hospital anywhere in the world, he habitually put in more than 70 hours a week, including night coverage.
Following his discharge from the Army in 1968, Ed and Marcia Gaffney returned to the Utica area, where they bought a home in Whitesboro. Ed began his medical practice in Utica that year. He later chaired the department of medicine at St. Luke’s Memorial as well as St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and served on state and regional boards of the American Lung Association. A past president of the Central New York Academy of Medicine, Dr. Gaffney was known to his patients and professional colleagues alike as an exceptionally compassionate and caring physician, “one of the kindest, most dedicated and talented physicians” that the community had ever had.
Dr. Gaffney was compelled for reasons of health, following a?myocardial infarction, to discontinue his practice in 1988. He?remained active, however, as a volunteer at hospitals and on committees, such as chairing the Central New York Academy’s Committee on Continuing Medical Education. He also served with distinction on Hamilton’s Medical Advisory Committee. In addition, he pursued his many hobbies and?interests, including woodworking and mechanical repairing. A?member of the U.S. Power Squadron since high school days, he loved boating, especially on the Barge Canal and Oneida Lake. Also fascinated with railroading since his youth, he had a?Lionel train collection and was a member of several hobby groups. In retirement, he began to get involved with “real” trains by way of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. He became a certified conductor and engineer on the tourist railroad operated mainly by volunteers, and he took great pleasure in conducting the summer runs from Utica to Old Forge as well as its Fall Foliage and Polar Express runs.
Edward T. Gaffney, a faithful alumnus, died at his home in Whitesboro on January 14, 2011. In addition to his wife of 49 years, he is survived by a daughter, Mary Anne Gaffney; three sons, Edward D. ’85, Robert A., and Thomas S. Gaffney; and eight grandchildren, three sisters, and a brother. Among his nieces is Aileen Gaffney ’08.
George Francis Robinson ’57
George Francis Robinson ’57, for 32 years an attorney with C.T. Corporation System, a subsidiary of Commerce Clearing House, was born on July 5, 1935, in Port Chester, NY, north of New York City. The son of Clarence F., a banker, and Alice Bentley Robinson, a bookkeeper, he grew up in nearby Harrison and was graduated in 1953 from Harrison High School. George Robinson entered Hamilton that fall, took up a four-year residence in North Dorm, and became a member of the Squires Club. Firmly intending on a career in corporation law even before his arrival on the Hill, he majored in history as part of his pre-law course of study. He had a particular flair for Latin, however, and captured the Fitch and Soper Prize Scholarships as well as the Hawley Prize in Latin. Years later he recalled the time when he was the only student in one of Professor John Mattingly’s Latin classes and both of them occasionally fell asleep during the sessions.
George Robinson proceeded to the University of Pennsylvania Law School following his graduation in 1972. After obtaining his LL.B. degree in 1960 and passing the New York State Bar exam in 1961, he began his long tenure with C.T. Corporation System in New York City. The company assisted businesses and their lawyers in complying with the various rules that govern corporate entities. Transferred to St.?Louis, MO, in 1962, he moved on in 1967 to Atlanta, GA, where he became head of C.T.’s production department and assistant manager. There he met Nancy J. Williams, and they were married in Atlanta on April 5, 1969.
In 1986, George Robinson was transferred back to New York City, where he served as an internal consultant and project and product manager for C.T. Having grown tired of the two-hour commute to Manhattan from his home in Connecticut, and also weary of northeastern winters, he took early retirement in 1993 and moved to Greenville, SC. There he began working part-time for Thomas Cook Travel, later merged into American Express Travel, and he and Nancy took advantage of the perks the company provided to travel extensively themselves.
George Robinson retired from American Express in 2001 and built a home on Lake Keowee in Seneca, SC. After a lifetime behind a desk, he enjoyed the physical activity of working on and around his house. He also enjoyed fishing and boating as well as golf, bowling, swimming, and following local sports teams.
George F. Robinson, a devoted alumnus, died in Seneca on December 23, 2010. In addition to his wife of 41 years, he is?survived by a daughter, Robynanne Strickland, and a sister, Adele N. Robinson.
David Bird Burner ’58
David Bird Burner ’58, professor emeritus at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a noted historian of 20th century American politics, was born on May 10, 1937, in Cornwall, NY. The youngest of three sons of William Arthur Burner, a Presbyterian minister, and the former Beatrice Bird, a librarian, Dave Burner grew up in Cornwall, near the Hudson River, and was graduated in 1954 from Cornwall High School. He entered the College that year and, already interested in history and thinking of teaching it one day, majored in that subject on the Hill. He also became editor of the humor magazine Royal Gaboon and gained election to the journalism honorary Pi Delta Epsilon. Active in student government as well, he served in the Student Senate and as a member of the Student Curriculum Committee.
However, Dave Burner, who, aided by scholarship assistance, worked his way through college, is perhaps most remembered by classmates for his wide-ranging knowledge, acerbic wit, ready candor in speaking his mind, and enthusiasm for politics as an ardent Democrat. He left the Hill with his diploma in 1958, and the next day, on June 14, he and Sandra J. (Sandy) Ayers were married in Waverly, NY. The couple moved to Cambridge, MA, where Dave began graduate studies in history at Harvard University. He later transferred to Columbia University, where his mentors included the distinguished historians Richard Hofstadter and William Leuchtenburg.
David Burner began his teaching career as an instructor at Colby College (1962-1963), followed by four years at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. He earned his Ph.D. degree in American history from Columbia in 1965, was promoted to assistant professor at Oakland, and in 1967 began his long tenure at SUNY, Stony Brook, as an associate professor. The recipient of a series of research fellowships, including a Guggenheim and a Carnegie, he was the author of a?half-dozen well received and highly regarded works, the first being The Politics of Provincialism: The Democratic Party in Transition, 1918-1932 (1968).
It was followed in 1979 by Herbert Hoover: A Public Life, a work of revisionism that depicted Hoover as a stronger and more activist president than was the scholarly consensus at the time. With Thomas R. West he wrote The Torch is Passed: The Kennedy Brothers and American Liberalism (1984), followed by his John F. Kennedy and a New Generation (1988), which remains a popular title in the Library of American Biography series. Also in 1988, in?collaboration with Thomas R. West, his critical study, Column Right: Conservative Journalists in the Service of Nationalism, was published. His last major work, Making Peace with the 60s, appeared in 1997. A re-examination of that turbulent decade, it emphasized the fracturing of mainstream liberalism at that time. In addition, Professor Burner saw into print “a small library” of anthologies and documents collections as well as textbooks. In 1989, he entered the publishing field himself by founding Brandywine Press. As its editor until the Press was sold to Blackwell N.A. in 2006, he shepherded some 40 books, mostly textbooks, through to publication.
David Burner, known to his students as a highly dedicated teacher, ever generous with his time and even his financial means when they needed assistance, retired from Stony Brook in 2004. While residing in Maplecrest, south of Albany, he and Sandy continued to enjoy the summers at their home in Winter Harbor, ME, north of Bar Harbor. There they welcomed their many friends to enjoy fine food in beautiful surroundings while Dave “sallied forth on the politics of the day.” With sharp tongue and a keen sense of the absurd, he was never hesitant in voicing his opinions in no uncertain terms. Fond of classical music and good food and wine, especially French, he was also known to appreciate a martini now and then.
David B. Burner, a devoted although not uncritical son of Hamilton, was at his summer home in Maine when he died unexpectedly on September 20, 2010. In addition to wife of 52 years, he is survived by a son, Eric R. and a daughter, Diane A.?Burner.
Stephen Hopkins Anthony ’59
Stephen Hopkins Anthony ’59, a retired real estate investment executive and a life trustee of the College, was born on August 3, 1937, in Boston, MA. A?son of Julian D., president of the Columbian National Life Insurance Co., and Eleanor Hopkins Anthony, he grew up in the Boston suburb of Newton Centre and was graduated in 1955 from Newton High School. Steve Anthony entered Hamilton that fall and joined the Emerson Literary Society. He majored in economics and devoted much of his extracurricular time during his four years on the Hill to playing clarinet in the Band and managing the varsity track team. During those years of personal growth and preparation for what the future held, he developed an abiding affection for Hamilton that would translate into a lifetime of unstinting service to the College.
Following his graduation in 1959, Steve Anthony enrolled in the M.B.A. program at Harvard Business School. On June 11, 1960, in the midst of his studies there, he and Barbara H. Mead, twin sister of his classmate and fellow ELS member, Philip B. Mead, were married in Albany, NY. After receiving his M.B.A. in marketing from Harvard in 1961, he entered the executive training program at New England Mutual Life Insurance Co. in Boston. It marked the beginning of his 32-year career in the real estate investment field. Assigned to New England Mutual’s mortgage and real estate division, he became a mortgage analyst and, in 1969, the division’s senior investment officer. Named a vice president in 1972, he took charge of the company’s entire investment real estate portfolio.
In 1982, Steve Anthony became a founding partner of Copley Real Estate Advisors, an affiliate of New England Mutual that advised the company as well as pension funds on commercial real estate investments. In addition to serving as its executive vice president and managing director, he also was elected in 1987 as president of Copley Properties, Inc., one of its investment trusts. He played a key role in Copley’s rapid growth and success not only as a significant player in the Boston-area real estate market but nationally as well. He remained with Copley until his retirement in 1994.
Actively engaged in the community, Steve Anthony served as president of Greater Boston Community Development, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing housing for low- and middle-income residents. During his tenure on its board, its many projects resulted both in better housing and in neighborhood preservation. In addition, he was a director of Community Builders, also an organization helping to develop low-income housing, as well as a director of the City Mission Society in Boston. His other volunteer community services included overseer of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, corporator of Wheelock College and Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, and moderator of Wellesley Congregational Church.
Steve Anthony, a former president of the New England Alumni Association, was elected an alumni trustee of the College in 1988 and a charter trustee in 1993. He chaired the Board of Trustees’ budget and finance committee and later the committee on buildings, grounds and equipment. In that capacity he was intimately involved with the College’s buildings and grounds projects from inception to completion. That was particularly true of the Science Center, the largest building project in Hamilton’s history. It was fitting that when the new Science Center was dedicated in 2005, the Alumni Association presented him with its Volunteer of the Year Award. And in a recent tribute to Steve Anthony’s memory, President Joan Hinde Stewart rightly observed that “the beauty of our campus is in?large part attributable to his?wisdom and dedication.” His?conscientiousness was ever matched by a gentle sense of humor, and his gracefully but definitely conveyed ideas and opinions, along with his many other personal contributions, have had a positive and lasting impact on Hamilton.
In 1991, after 22 years in suburban Wellesley, where their daughters grew up, Barbara and Steve Anthony moved to Commonwealth Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay. There, Steve “adopted” the Alexander Hamilton stature gracing that broad thoroughfare and saw to its preservation. They also spent much time at Wellfleet on Cape Cod, where Steve’s maternal ancestors had settled in 1640, and where he had spent pleasant summers since his boyhood. In 1994, the Anthonys took up full-time residence in Wellfleet, where Steve’s red 1963 Thunderbird convertible had already become a familiar sight on local roads. He had also become much involved in local conservation efforts as a director of numerous organizations, including the Wellfleet Conservation Trust and the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod. In his leisure time he indulged his fondness for opera, his appreciation for wine, and his devotion to local sports teams, especially the Red Sox.
Stephen H. Anthony, who was named a life trustee of Hamilton in 2007, died at his home in Wellfleet on October 24, 2010, after a year-long struggle with pancreatic cancer. Just two?weeks before his death, he summoned the energy to attend Hamilton’s Fallcoming, and was present when the atrium of the new Sadove Student Center, the former ELS house, was dedicated in his honor. His future presence on campus will be greatly missed. In addition to his wife of?51 years, he leaves his daughters, Susan H. and Emily H. Anthony, and two grandchildren and two brothers.
Edward Lee Hendel ’59
Edward Lee Hendel ’59, who practiced dentistry in Delaware for 45 years, grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, where he was born on September 16, 1936. The?younger son of Albert Hendel, who was engaged in the?retail produce business, and the former Beulah E. Toney, he prepared for college at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh and enrolled at Hamilton following his graduation in 1955. Preceding him on the Hill was his brother, Robert I. Hendel ’53. Ed?Hendel joined his brother’s fraternity, Delta Upsilon. Majoring economics, he was graduated in 1960.
Aspiring to become a dentist since his high school days, Ed Hendel returned to his hometown, where he began his dental studies at the University of Pittsburgh. After obtaining his D.D.S. degree in 1964, he completed his internship at Wilmington Dental Hospital and the Children’s Beach House in Lewes, DE. He thereafter established his practice in Milford, which he maintained until his retirement in 2009.
Dr. Hendel, a past president of the Kent-Sussex Dental Society and onetime vestryman of Christ Episcopal Church in Milford as well as secretary of the Milford Lions Club, devoted his leisure time to gardening and landscaping. He also enjoyed skiing and sailing.
Edward L. Hendel, ever supportive of Hamilton, was residing in Houston, near Milford, when he died on November 29, 2010. He is survived by his wife, Christine McCaughan Hendel, whom he had wed in Pittsburgh on December 10, 1960. Also surviving are a son and a daughter, Gregory J. and Jennifer E. Hendel, as well as a sister. Dr.?Hendel was predeceased by his younger daughter, Carolyn, in 2010, and by his brother Robert in 1983.
