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Anne Roberts Hogan Holzschuh ’24
Anne Roberts Holzschuh ’24, April 19, 1994, in Portland. She attended Reed for one year and then moved to Pendleton, Oregon, to teach at a country school for a year. She attended the University of Oregon, leaving to marry Clarence Hogan ’21. The couple moved to Minneapolis, where Hogan established an accounting business. She was primarily a homemaker, and the couple raised three children. After her first husband's death, she married Richard Holzschuh, an artist. He died in 1968, and she moved to Portland shortly thereafter. Survivors include her three children and numerous grandchildren.
Vera Lenon Rigby ’37
Vera Lenon Rigby ’37, May 29, 1994, in Lubbock, Texas. She married Fred Rigby ’35, in 1937. She was an ICCU nurse for 10 years prior to her retirement in 1980. Survivors include a daughter; son Fred Rigby ’70; sister Ethel Lenon Setterberg ’42; brother Harlow Lenon ’35; and two grandchildren, Rachel Kleban ’92, and Matthew Kleban ’96. Her husband died in 1991.
Sylvia Kendrick MacColl Rudy ’62
Sylvia Kendrick MacColl Rudy ’62, of cancer, December 31, 1993, at her home in Berkeley Heights, New York. She had been a professor of anthropology at Upsala College, East Orange, New York, since 1973. She earned a master's degree from Brandeis University in 1967 and a doctorate from Washington University in 1969. A devoted teacher, she served as chairperson of the department of sociology, anthropology, and social work at Upsala and directed the microcomputer laboratory and the office of institutional research. She was a fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology and the American Anthropological Association, and she served as an outside evaluator for colleges, workshops, and grant programs. While her research work centered on kinship systems, she also provided research to support the Ramapough Mountain Indians in their petition for federal recognition. She was active in the Berkeley Heights League of Women Voters and served as president from 1982 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1991. She is survived by her husband, Donald A. Rudy ’62, and three grown children, including Sylvia A. Rudy ’93.
Jack R. Ruegg ’52
Jack R. Ruegg ’52, September 26, 1994, in Chappaqua, New York. He earned an LLB from the University of Washington in 1955. He then returned to New York City, where he was raised, to begin his legal career. At the time of his death he was a partner in the law firm of Reid and Priest. Survivors include his wife, a daughter, two stepdaughters, and four grandchildren.
Robert J. Reed ’37
Robert Reed ’37, November 29, 1998, in Des Moines, Iowa. He was a retired physician. He studied medicine at the university of Oregon Medical School and graduated with an MD in 1941. His internship was at Emanuel Hospital in Portland. With the outbreak of World War II, he served as a physician in tent hospitals in Africa, England, and Europe. After the war, he completed a three-year internship in internal medicine at the Veteran’s Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. He moved to Des Moines in 1949 to join a medical practice with a relative, and he remained with this practice until his retirement in 1985. He helped provide the first dialysis in the area and initiated and supervised a coronary care unit for a number of years. In retirement, he enjoyed gardening as a hobby. He is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter.
Lyman R. Roberts ’51
Lyman Roberts ’51, November 23, 1998, in Modesto, California. He was a chemist for Shell Oil Company for many years in their plants in New Jersey, Ohio and in California. At the time of his death he was a consulting chemist. He is survived by his wife, Alita Cavender Roberts ’51, a son, and a daughter.
Lawrence A. Rosenthal ’42
Lawrence Rosenthal ’42, January 26, 1999, in Portland. He was a dentist in Portland for over 30 years. After graduating from Reed, he entered the North Pacific Dental College (now Oregon Health Sciences University Dental School), earning a DDS. in 1943. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy. After the war, established a private practice of dentistry in Portland and was a cofounder of the former Creston Children’s Dental Clinic in Southeast Portland. He also served as a fellow of the Academy of General dentistry and was a member of the Oregon Board of Dental Examiners. In 1979, he retired due to ill health. Survivors include a son, a daughter, a sister, and four grandchildren. His wife of 50 years died in 1998.
Margaret Rand Dafoe ’42
Margaret Rand Dafoe ’42, April 8, 2000, in Palo Alto, California. She attended Reed for two years and was an administrative assistant for the Bonneville Power Administration in Portland and later for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management; she retired in 1982. She was a member of First Unitarian Church and also served on the Reed alumni association board in the ’60s. She and Carmie Defoe Jr. were married in 1943, and later divorced.In 1989, she moved to Palo Alto to be nearer to her grandchildren. Survivors include a daughter, a son, a sister, and three grandchildren.
Millard Rosenblatt ’22
Millard Rosenblatt ’22, March 1, 2000, in Portland, where he had lived most of his life. He was a retired physician and an avid golfer. After attending Reed, he transferred to Stanford University, where he completed his undergraduate degree, and he later earned an MD from Harvard.
Ann Galey Richardson ’56
Ann Galey Richardson ’56, March 17, 2002, in Portland, where she had lived since 1998. Before beginning graduate studies, she worked as a researcher with the Oregon State Unemployment Compensation Commission. She earned a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Chicago in 1973 and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin. She was a market researcher with the Bureau of Social Science Research, Washington, D.C., and most recently was a researcher for AT&T. She married Jerry Richardson in 1959, and they later divorced. She is survived by two nieces and a nephew.
Jeanette Maling Rivkin ’47
Jeanette (Jay) Maling Rivkin ’47, January 4, 2002, in London, after a brief illness. After graduating from Reed, she went to work for Time magazine in New York City, and then moved to Paris to work for the Marshall Plan. There, she met and married Arnold Rivkin, and in the early 1950s they moved to London, where she devoted her time to raising their three children. In 1960, they moved to Washington, D.C., where they lived for 10 years. In 1970, after her husband’s early death, she moved her family back to London, where she worked as a low-income housing specialist for several years before retiring. She is survived by two daughters; a son, Mitchell Rivkin ’79; a sister, and four grandchildren.
Julian B. Roth ’41
Julian Roth ’41, July 24, 2001, in Portland, where he had recently moved. After graduating from Reed, he joined the U.S. Navy during World War II and served in the Pacific. He earned a teaching credential and master’s degree from San Francisco State University in 1950 and taught in the San Francisco Unified School District in 1950–56. In 1955, he earned an EdD from Stanford University, and in 1956 he moved to Los Angeles, where he joined the faculty of the education department at California State University. He served as chairman of the Department of Educational Foundations at Cal State in the 1970s, and was president of the California College and University Association in 1971. He retired as full professor in 1980, and he and his wife moved back to the Bay Area.
Henry S. Richanbach ’48
Henry Secord Richanbach ’48, April 14, 2003, in San Mateo. Henryreceived a BA degree in biology from Reed, and then attended the University of Oregon, receiving an MD in 1952 with a specialty in pediatrics. He completed his residency at the East Bay (Oakland) Children’s Hospital and at the Stanford pediatric program. His practice in Burlingame (1955–77) focused on treatment for children with developmental and physical disabilities. A partner in the practice, Dr. Samuel Leavitt, cited that Henry"felt strongly about equality for everyone and practiced that not only in medicine, but in all areas of his life." In the ’60s, Henryhelped write a bill for the California legislature mandating school resources for children with disabilities—a model for a later federal bill. In 1979, he concluded a fellowship at UCLA in developmental pediatrics, and earned a master’s degree in public health from University of California, Berkeley, in 1982, specializing in maternal and child health. Following that, Henryopened a practice in San Mateo, and traveled and consulted throughout the state on the issues of children with disabilities. His research and clinical work on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was considered innovative. Henrywas said to have been an inspiration to many, to possess a great sense of humor, and to have enjoyed cooking and travel. He and Jean Stern ’51 raised three sons during their marriage, and later divorced. Survivors include his sons; wife Etta Bryant Richanbach, whom he married in 1982, and her 4 children; 11 grandchildren; and a sister.
Jack L. Robertson ’37
Jack Leighton Robertson ’37, August 13, 2002, from complications from a stroke, in Palo Alto. Jack attended Reed for a year, and then entered the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating with a BS in 1938. He worked for Pan American Airways, and in 1940 he and his wife, Helen, who predeceased him, began their nearly 50-year marriage. Jack reenlisted in the navy in 1941 and served with the Naval Air Transport Service in the Aleutian Islands and in the Pacific. In 1946, he moved to Menlo Park with his wife and their two sons. He managed Pan American’s operations in San Francisco, and became interested in the practice of law during an airline labor dispute. In 1952, he graduated from Stanford Law School. His primary passion was for education—for creating equal opportunities for all students irrespective of ethnic and economic divisions. He served on a number of school boards, and was chair of the Mid Peninsula Task Force for Integrated Education. From 1969 to 1977, Jack led an effort to achieve racial balance in the Sequoia Union School District, utilizing as a primary plan voluntary student transfers rather than mandatory busing. He was widely active in his community, including as a president of the Family Service Agency of San Mateo County, as director of the United Way, as a peace activist, and as a member of the United Presbyterian Church. His legal career spanned 24 years, and included a partnership in Menlo Park and work as an inheritance tax referee for the State of California. In retirement he maintained a connection to education, teaching, tutoring, and lecturing about the importance of making good choices, at Menlo-Atherton High School. Jack once wrote that he considered his year at Reed to be the most significant education he had. He is survived by his sons and three grandchildren.
Robert Merwin Rankin ’44
Robert Merwin Rankin ’44, March 27, 2004, in Portland. Robert received a BA in biology from Reed, and earned an MD from the University of Oregon in 1946. That same year he married Virginia Mount ’46, who died in 1982, and they had five children. Robert served in the U.S. Navy. In 1956 he attended the Institute of Orthopedics, University of Oregon Medical School, and worked as an orthopedic surgeon in private practice, and as a consultant for the Veterans Administration in Portland. Survivors include his wife, Caroline Holloway Scholz, whom he married in 1989; his three sons and two daughters; and 10 grandchildren.
Ronnye Lee Russell ’72
Ronnye Lee Russell ’72, May 10, 1994, from Hodgkins Disease. Ronnyeattended Brooklyn College, before a course director at the college recognized her need for new challenges, and introduced her to Reed. She received a BA in psychology from Reed, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. She also focused on the study of calligraphy at the college, and took additional classes at the Portland Art Museum School. In 1975 she received a BFA from the University of Arizona, in scientific illustration and photography. Beginning in 1975 she served as the arts coordinator for the University of Arizona Student Union, for which she received a National Endowment for the Arts Grant. Her illness, diagnosed in 1978, required that she leave the position in 1979 and continue her freelance work in calligraphy, illumination, watercolor, airbrush, and graphic design and production. She taught calligraphy for the Tucson Parks Department, and was a member of the Calligraphy Society of America, and the Society of Scribes in New York and in Arizona. Ronnye's work is in private collections in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, and New York.
John Doherty Rice ’43
John Doherty Rice ’43, September 24, 2004, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. John spent two and a half years at Reed, before entering the U.S. Army in World War II. He remained in the army for 22 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1963. In the course of military duty lived in Europe, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Iceland, and South Vietnam. He studied at the University of Vienna (1946–47), and then pursued political science and public administration at the University of Louisville, before being ordered to duty in the Korean War. Later he attended Portland State University (1960–62), but his academic work was interrupted by duty in Vietnam. His extensive credit hours were foiled by residency or military duty issues and never yielded an official bachelor’s degree. He gave up the process noting, “I had become an undergraduate educated fool.” In 1963, he began a position as staff assistant for the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, and was appointed as a county representative in 1967 to the anti-poverty agency, the Portland Metropolitan Steering Committee. With that association he worked until 1974, and continued with PMSC for three more years, at the request of the Albina Women’s League Foundation. Of his 10 years with the agency, John served four as its chair. John married, but did not have children. His sister, Margaret M. Rice ’42, was a graduate of Reed.
David Murdock Rockwood ’39
David Murdock Rockwood ’39, August 6, 2004, in Vancouver, Washington. David attended Reed for one year before transferring to Oregon State College (University), from which he earned a BS in civil engineering in 1939. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theatre. He returned to Portland after the war, and worked as a civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Pacific Division, as chief of the water control branch. He moved to Vancouver in 1977, and worked for SAR Consultants. In retirement in 1980, he spent three months in Indonesia as a consultant on river forecasting and water management for the United Nations. Survivors include his wife, Marjorie K. Hewitt, whom he married in 1943; two daughters; three sons; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Arthur Charles Racine ’42
Arthur Charles Racine ’42, April 3, 2006, in Boise, Idaho. Art transferred to Reed after studying for a year at the University of Idaho, and earned a BA in biochemistry. He did research at the Kaiser Shipyard in Vancouver, Washington, before enlisting in the Navy V-I program and training at Notre Dame and Columbia universities. In 1943, he married Jeanne E. McKay; they had two children. Following World War II, he entered the Washington University School of Dentistry, graduating with honors in 1950. Art opened a private practice in oral surgery in Boise that same year. His love of fishing and hunting took him to Mexico and Canada, and the family spent summer weekends camping and fishing in the Sawtooth Valley and on or near the Salmon River. His community associations included membership in the Capitol City Kiwanis Club, City Club, Arid Club, and the Crane Creek and Hillcrest country clubs. He retired from dentistry in 1982. Survivors include his wife, his daughter and son, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Kenneth Melvin Rabin ’47
Kenneth Melvin Rabin ’47, February 26, 2006, from kidney disease, in Portland. Kenneth earned a BA from Reed in history—an education interrupted by service in the U.S. Army Air Force in Germany. In 1948, he received an MA from Columbia University, and entered U.S. Government service in 1955. For the next 21 years, he served as a foreign service officer for the Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development within the state department. His assignments took him to Washington, D.C., Australia, Belgium the Philippines, Guinea, and Thailand. He served as a member of U.S. delegations to regional multinational meetings, and participated in annual presentations to Congress, on behalf of AID. Kenneth was a fellow at the Harvard Center of International Affairs. He was passionate about classical music, art, and literature. In 1946, he married Margaret Spalding ’48; they had three daughters, including Deborah Haupt ’85, and later divorced. In 1976, he married Elaine Zweben, who died in 2003. Survivors include his daughters, three stepsons and a stepdaughter, 12 grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.
Paul Thomas Revello ’76
Paul Thomas Revello ’76, March 18, 2006, in Tucson, Arizona. Paul attended Reed and the University of Utah, from which he received degrees in physics and biology. He married Mary Krogness in 1982. Revello worked as a civilian with the U.S. Navy sonar division, and later as a program manager at Honeywell. Following the path of his career, the family moved to Minnesota, Washington, Rhode Island, and Arizona. He was a lifetime member of the Roman Catholic church. Survivors include his wife, two daughters, two brothers, his parents, and a grandmother.
David Harry Ransom Jr. ’57
David Harry Ransom Jr. ’57, November 5, 2006, in Pacific Palisades, California, from congestive heart failure. David transferred to Reed from the University of Wisconsin, where he had enrolled on a Ford Foundation scholarship at 16. He received a BA from Reed in physics and immediately became involved in America’s early space program, designing and building communications equipment for data transmission for the Ranger, Mariner, Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. He later designed and built computerized telephone traffic-monitoring equipment for telephone companies in the U.S. and Latin America, and then developed computerized security systems for the aerospace industry. He retired in 1983. Because of his ongoing interest in the space program and the Space Shuttle in particular, he wrote—as shareware—a satellite-tracking program that became widely used by astronomers, satellite trackers, and ham radio enthusiasts around the world. It was also used in school science classes as part of NASA’s SAREX program, which enabled students to talk with the shuttle crew via short-wave radio during certain missions. In 1991, he was awarded a certificate of recognition from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a time-keeping program and shareware, used by JPL in its Multi-Mission Control Center as a mission countdown clock and event timer. David's additional was interested in travel, model trains, and music. In 1994, he wrote to Reed, “I wished only to learn the fundamentals in my chosen field (physics generally and electronics specifically) so that I might rush out into the ‘real world’ and ply my trade, designing new and better mouse traps of an electronic variety. . . . Not every Reed graduate may feel about the college as I do, but in this age of dissent and complaint, it may be useful to know that there were a few of us in the ’50s who thought (and still think) it was a fine school, providing exactly what was required. I bear no scars of trauma that I know of, and would change nothing if given the chance.” Survivors include his wife, Vicki, who supplied the details of this memorial; his daughter and sister; and his brother, Roger Ransom ’59, and sister-in-law, Connie Flint Ransom ’59.
Agnes Burt Russfield ’35
Agnes Burt Russfield ’35, February 10, 2009, in Boca Raton, Florida. Agnes grew up in Northwest Portland, lived on campus initially, and became a day-dodger when her father lost his job during the Great Depression. Although her academic interest lay in the humanities, she was greatly influenced by her mother's interest in science. She received a BA from Reed in biology, an MA in zoology from UCLA, a PhD in zoology from the University of Chicago, and an MD from Cornell University. An assistant professor of pathology at Children's Hospital at Harvard Medical School, and a pathologist at Boston City Hospital and Mason Research Institute in Worcester, Agnes also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In 1954, she married Lew Russfield, founder and owner of Sun Valley Ski Clothing Company; he died in 1993. Agnes established a scholarship fund in her name for students in the humanities.
Jean Bentley Roholt Tanner ’37
Jean Bentley Roholt Tanner ’37, December 10, 2008, in Portland. Jean came to Portland as a child from Mullan, Idaho. She received a BA from Reed in mathematics, and married Earl B. Tanner in 1944. In her professional life, she worked as a hospital administrator and was director of the Oregon Alcohol Rehabilitation Association. She volunteered in the Reed alumni office and was a member of the Foster-Scholz steering committee. Survivors include her brother. Her husband died in 1953.
Joan Rockwood Kraemer ’39
Joan Rockwood Kraemer ’39, February 5, 2007, in Seattle, Washington. Joan attended Reed for two years, earning a BA from Bennington College and an MA from the University of Chicago in sociology. She was married to Milton E. Kraemer and they had a daughter. Joan worked for the J.H. Dunning Corporation and Seafirst Bank, and her sister, Martha Rockwood Wylie ’48, also attended Reed.
John Edwin Robison ’38
John Edwin Robison ’38, December 22, 2003, in Springfield, Oregon. John received a BA from Reed in chemistry, and was a chemist in the paper industry. He and his wife, Nell L. Hoyt ’41, lived in Tucson, Arizona, for many years. Nell died in 2003.
Nell L. Hoyt Robison ’41
Nell L. Hoyt Robison ’41, July 1, 2003, in Springfield, Oregon. Nell attended Reed but did not graduate. She married John E. Robison ’38. After his retirement, the couple greatly enjoyed their work as literacy volunteers in Arizona, before moving to Oregon. John died in 2003.
Colette A. Pouteau Roest ’51
Colette A. Pouteau Roest ’51, February 23, 2008, in San Luis Obispo, California, from cancer. Collette's introduction to Reed came from her parents, C.L.M. and Corinne J. Poteau, who were instructors in French at the college in 1928–49. She did not complete a degree at Reed and was married to Aryan I. Roest in 1951. Colette cared for her home and family, volunteered for the P.T.A., and was a charter board member of the League of Women Voters. Later, she taught income tax and owned an H & R Block franchise, before opening her own tax accounting and bookkeeping business, Colette Roest & Associates, which she operated for 37 years in Los Osos, California. She studied painting at the San Luis Obispo Art Association and exhibited her art in local galleries. She also sang and played piano, to the great pleasure of her family. Survivors include her four daughters, four grandchildren, and her brother, Jean L. M. Pouteau ’47. Her husband died in 2002.
Jean Hinton Rosner ’38
Jean Hinton Rosner ’38, May 13, 2002, in Massachusetts. Jean attended Reed through a college-exchange program, earning a BA from Bennington College in social studies. Her life was dedicated to her family, to teaching science, and to the summer camp she started (Sight Point Camp in Nova Scotia). She was passionate about finding nonviolent solutions to international disputes, and to redirecting resources spent on military proliferation toward the support of basic human needs. She married Steven Rosner; they had four children.
Clayton C. Rushlight ’43
Clayton C. Rushlight ’43, November 19, 2000, in San Francisco, California. Clayton earned a BA from Reed in general literature.
Robert Marshall Redding ’53
Robert Marshall Redding ’53, December 19, 2009, in Coronado, California. Robert attended Reed for two years, and received a bachelor's degree from Willamette University. In 1949, he enlisted in the naval reserve, and entered active service in Korea aboard the USS Los Angeles. After the war, he returned to Willamette and earned a JD. In 1957, he accepted a position as special assistant to the attorney general of the Territory of Alaska, but returned to Oregon to private practice two years later. He was active in all fields of military law, and became a legal officer and judge in Guam, California, Washington, D.C., and Italy. During his career, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal. Robert retired in 1982, and worked as a tax consultant and professional magician. (Allied professions, surely.-Ed) He was married to Marjorie Elvington; they had three sons.
Philip David Roos ’58
Philip David Roos ’58, August 6, 2010, in Jefferson City, Missouri, from complications of cardiovascular disease. Philip was born in Holland and emigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was three. He studied at Reed, and earned an AB, MA, and a PhD from UC Berkeley in sociology. He was an electronics technician with the naval reserves for eight years, and was called to active duty aboard a destroyer escort that went to Vietnam in 1961. In the ’60s, he was active in the student movement at Berkeley, and started the SLATE supplement to the University of California general catalog, which critiqued university professors and courses. He also founded the Berkeley Free Press. During the ’70s he worked on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Later he became a statistician with the Missouri Division of Mental Health, retiring in 1999. A long-term interest in mushroom hunting spurred him to found the Missouri Mycological Society. Survivors include his wife, Erika, and a daughter, grandson, and brother.
Lloyd F. Ryan Jr. ’62
Lloyd F. Ryan Jr. ’62, May 8, 2010, in Merriam, Kansas. Lloyd attended Reed for four years. His reminiscences included Sound Experiments, professor John Hancock [chemistry, 1955-89], and playing cricket on the Great Lawn. “I was a 'Reed football player,'” he wrote. “Of course we never won!” Lloyd earned a JD from Northwestern College of Law and practiced law in Portland before moving to Virginia and joining the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission. He also served on the special investigative staff for the Department of Labor. Lloyd was married at one time to Sharon Johnson Heisel ’63, who notified us of his death, and is survived by his widow, Karen Connell Ryan. His parents, Lloyd E. Ryan Sr. ’33 and Margaret Hickey Ryan ’35, graduated from Reed.
Virginia Belle Richards Corrigall ’39
Virginia Belle Richards Corrigall ’39, June 2, 2012, in Vale, Oregon. A passion for the landscape of eastern Oregon, acquired on childhood trips with her father, led Virginia to a job as a teacher in Harper, Oregon, after earning a BA from Reed in biology. In Harper, she taught biology, typing, P.E., and music. She also met James Corrigall, whose family owned a ranch in Westfall. In 1945, after James completed his military service, they married and moved to the Westfall ranch, where they raised three children and Virginia learned to cook, ride horses, and drive a tractor. She clerked for the school district, taught classes, directed school plays, performed on the piano, and volunteered with the PTA. She was president of the Westfall Mystery Club and volunteered for the Malheur County Home Extension Program. Following her husband’s death in 1995, Virginia stayed on at the ranch for many years. She was good-spirited and congenial to the end of her life. Survivors include two sons and a daughter, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and her brother, Oren R. Richards ’45.
Joseph Aaron Rosenbaum ’66
Joseph Aaron Rosenbaum ’66, May 31, 2012, in New York City, unexpectedly from a heart attack. Joe grew up on East 12th Street in New York City and lived in the same apartment near Union Square throughout his life. Visitors to the city always received a kind welcome from Joe, who was a great tour guide to all things New York. He was an astute student of the political left, and he was funny, wry, warm, and observant of life around him. He left New York to attend Reed for two years, and he loved talking about the experience, especially the people he met there. He also attended SUNY, Stony Brook, and studied film briefly at New York University. Joe was a voluminous reader who loved music. Friends remember well this verse by Charles Wesley that Joe sang a capella when he was at Reed:
And am I born to die?
To lay this body down?
And must my trembling spirit fly
Into a world unknown—
Details for this memorial were provided by Chuck Bigelow ’67, Leon Cantor ’66, Elizabeth Shaw Cronbach ’66, Michael Cronbach ’65, Larry Glickman ’65, Bob Gottlieb ’65, Tom Roeper ’65, and Tom Rossen ’65.
Willard James Renken ’40
Willard James Renken ’40, September 26, 1993, in Portland. After graduating from Reed with a degree in political science, he attended the University of Washington's school of social work, where he received a graduate degree. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1950, Willard married Patricia Patterson. He was employed as a caseworker for the Multnomah County Welfare Division in Portland and later served as head of the Children's Services Division for Multnomah County in the late ’60s and early ’70s. he was also an executive for the Multi-Service Center in North Portland. He retired in 1976. Survivors include his wife, three daughters, a son, and six grandchildren.
Nathaniel Ari Rose ’81
Nathaniel Ari Rose ’81, August 22, 1993, in Juneau, Alaska, where he had lived for the past three years. He attended Reed in 1977–78. At the time of his death, he was a part-time student at the University of Alaska Southeast. Survivors include his parents, a brother, a sister, and a nephew.
Jonathan K. Rome ’74
Jonathan K. Rome ’74, September 21, 1993, in Los Angeles, of lymphoma. After graduating from Reed, he had one season with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland before moving to Los Angeles to begin a career in television. In 1980, Jonathan became production assistant for KTLA-TV's News at Ten. He worked there as a director, writer, and graphic artist. Later, he directed segments for the Shopping Television network and Divorce Court. In 1991, he returned to KTLA as a writer and journalist, helped start the station's Morning News, and was a journalist with that show until the time of his death. He was twice nominated for a local Emmy Award for his work on the news show. In 1986, Jonathan won a Greater Los Angeles Press Club award for news writing, and in 1990 he received a Golden Mike award for best newscast writing. In addition to his work as a journalist, je also wrote several scripts for films and television plays. He wrote and directed the films Home Movie and INC: Interneuronic Communications, and coproduced an animated short subject, Prometheus. He also directed a number of productions in the Los Angeles area. Survivors include his sister and his longtime domestic partner, Alvin Ross.
Carol Rider Kalkwarf ’46
Carol Rider Kalkwarf ’46, November 29, 1994, in Seattle. She earned an MA in biology from Stanford University in 1948 and was a research scientist at Stanford Research Institute in Palo Alto until her marriage in 1949 to Donald Kalkwarf ’47. After their marriage, the couple moved to Richland, Washington, where she became active in community activities. Carol was a member of the Richland Library Board, a counselor for the Richland Campfire Girls, and a member of the Central United Protestant Church. She was also an avid swimmer, gardener, and genealogist. Survivors include her husband, a sister, three daughters, a son, and a granddaughter.
Virginia Wells Ronner ’32
Virginia Wells Ronner ’32, September 26, 1995, in Salem, Oregon, where she had lived since 1992. After graduating from Reed with a degree in biology, Virginia completed two years of graduate work at Willamette University and then trained as a medical technician. She worked as a medical technician and assistant for 12 years. In 1946, she married Emil Ronner, and they purchased a grocery store in Gervais. They built a small home in Gervais and operated the store until their retirement in 1968. After retiring, they devoted time to their large vegetable garden and frequently gave away their produce to senior citizens in the area and Meals on Wheels. She was also active in the Gervais Garden Club and the Women’s Association of the Presbyterian Church. Her husband died in 1987, and in 1992 she moved to a retirement center in Salem. She is survived by her brother.
Clyde P. Ramsey ’75
Clyde Paul Ramsey ’75, October 17, 1996, in Arizona.
Beatrice Rabin Reinhardt ’42
Beatrice Rabin Reinhardt ’42, August 6, 1996, in Portland. She attended Reed from 1938 to 1940 and then married Maurice Rosenfeld. The couple had four children. After the death of her husband in 1962, she took classes at Portland State University in music and mathematics. She married Justin Reinhardt in 1963, and they enjoyed the opera and other music events and traveled frequently to other countries. After her second husband’s death she continued to travel. In her 70s she learned how to play bridge at the Lake Oswego Adult Center and enjoyed both the game and the company at the center. She is survived by her four children, including Barbara Rosenfeld Spears ’66 and six grandchildren.
Alexander J. Rering ’72
Alexander Rering ’72, September 14, 1998, from an accidental head injury sustained while visiting his family in Brookings, Oregon. After graduating from Reed, he earned his JD degree from Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. He first practiced law at Legal Aid in Portland. In1978, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and spent the next 20 years practicing social security disability law. He was an avid outdoorsman, who was particularly at home on or in the water. He is survived by his parents; two sisters, including Marie Rering Witt ’69; a brother; a stepdaughter; and five nieces and nephews.
Mary Caroline Richards ’37
Courtesy of Black Mountain College Portraits
Mary Caroline (M.C.) Richards ’37, September 9, 1999, in Kimberton, Pennsylvania, where she had lived in 1984.
M.C. was a poet, potter, essayist, translator, and painter. She earned a BA from Reed in general literature and a PhD in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1942, and taught English at Central Washington College of Education and the University of Chicago for several years.
Fred G. Roundtree MA ’49
Fred Roundtree MA ’49, September 13, 1999, in Portland. His undergraduate work was completed at Central Washington College of Education (now Central Washington State University). He also studied at Washington State University and the University of Oregon. He was a high school teacher and scholl counselor in Portland Public Schools until his retirement in 1975. Survivors include several nieces and nephews; his wife of 50 years died in 1989. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fred and Esther Roundtree Scholarship Fund at .
Margaret Hickey Ryan ’35
Margaret Hickey Ryan ’35, October 8, 1999, in Salem, Oregon, where she had lived since 1987. She married Lloyd Ryan ’33 two weeks following her graduation from Reed. After living in Oregon for several years, they moved to Chicago, where her husband worked for Bell and Howell. For most of her life, she was a homemaker, raising three children and helping her husband with his work. In 1948, they moved to Switzerland for two years. They later lived in Arlington, Virginia, and Syracuse, New York, before returning to live in Chicago in 1965. There she served on the board of directors of the McKinley Community Service Center, which was involved in educating and training handicapped children. After her husband sudden death in 1967, she moved to Vancouver, Washington, to live near a daughter. She obtained a job with Head Start as a parent involvement guide and later worked for Clark County Health and Welfare. She also worked in a high school reading program and an adult night school. She traveled in Japan, Europe, Central America, Australia, and many other places in her later life. Survivors include two daughters, a son, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Betsy Ruggles Pomeroy ’46
Betsy Ruggles Pomeroy ’46, of cancer, September 19, 2000, in Ketchum, Idaho. She attended Reed for two years and later attended Pembroke College, Rhode Island, and the University of Washington, where she earned a BA in 1946. She married John Pomeroy that same year and they moved to Williams, California, where they purchased a ranch. For most of her life she was a homemaker, raising their four children and volunteering in the community. In 1962, they moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington, where she was involved in her children’s schools, the Arboretum Foundation, and the Sunset Club. They moved again in 1986, to Ketchum, where she volunteered with environmental causes. She was a member of the Idaho Conservation League, the Snake River Alliance, and the Community Library Association. She enjoyed camping, hunting, hiking, gardening, and organizing family gatherings. Survivors include her husband; two sons; two daughters; and three grandchildren.
Laurids E. Ross ’44
Laurids Ross ’44, October 30, 2000, in Naperville, Illinois. He received a master’s degree in chemistry from Oregon State College in 1946, and he was a chemist with the Argonne National Laboratories for 35 years. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and he served as a Democratic precinct committeeman in Naperville from 1954 until his death. He was also an active member of Wesley United Methodist Church. Survivors include two sons; a brother; a sister; two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. His wife preceded him in death. The family suggests that memorial contributions in his name may be made to .
Mary Ristig Lewis ’38
Mary Ristig Lewis ’38, November 26, 2000, in Rainier, Oregon, where she had lived since 1941. After working for a year at Montgomery Ward, following graduation from Reed, she began teaching at a small high school in Eastern Oregon. In 1941, she moved to Rainier, where she taught high school English and drama. She married Charles Lewis in 1943, and the couple had two children. She took a 14 year break from teaching to be a homemaker, but she continued to do substitute teaching at the elementary school. In 1963, she returned to full time teaching, taking a job as supervising teacher at Hudson Elementary School. Three years later, she took a new position at Carrolls School in Washington, where she taught fourth and fifth grades for 13 years. She retired in 1979. In retirement, she and her husband enjoyed traveling together until his death in 1985, and she continued to travel extensively after his death. She was active in Business and Professional Women in Kelso, Washington, and was secretary of Retired Educators for nine years. Survivors include a son, a daughter, and five grandchildren.
Gordon C. Rude ’47
Gordon Rude ’47, July 31, 2001, in Seaside, Oregon. He served in the navy during World War II, and after the war he became a self employed court reporter in Portland, retiring in 1981. He was a founding member and past president of the Oregon Court Reporters’ Association. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Lisa Rude ’79; two stepdaughters; a sister, and three grandchildren.
Robert F. Rushmer ’36
Robert F. Rushmer ’36, in July, 2000, in Redmond, Washington. He was a retired professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington’s schools of engineering and medicine. After attending Reed for two years, he transferred to the University of Chicago, earning a BS in medicine in 1937. He earned a medical degree from Rush Medical School in 1939 and did a residency in pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic. He joined the faculty of the University of Washington in 1947, where he worked with an interdisciplinary team of medical and engineering researchers to develop and study diagnostic instrumentation. He was an early advocate of the use of ultrasound to safely examine unborn fetuses and to diagnose heart disorders. He was married and had three children.
Dorothy Young Rosenberg ’41
Dorothy Young Rosenberg ’41, May 1, 2002, in Vancouver, Washington. Dorothy attended Reed in general studies for two years, focusing on a driving interest to write. She married Harrison S. Croman in 1943, and they later divorced, although she retained Croman for her pen name. Dorothy published 13 books for children and young adults, ranging from adventure to biography, and published a variety of magazine articles. She worked in Petersburg, Alaska, and was later employed by the Seattle Public Schools on the secretarial staff and as a writer. She then worked as a dormitory night supervisor at the University of Washington and resumed her studies by taking night classes. In retirement she taught old-time pattern dances to senior citizens, and swimming—her 50-year hobby. She was a member of the National League of American Pen Women, serving as president of the Seattle branch and editor of the newsletter, Whistling Swan. She is survived by a son and daughter and their family members, as well as by two brothers. Her second husband, George Rosenberg, and one daughter preceded her in death.
Barbara Jean Reed Ray ’35
Barbara Jean Reed Ray ’35, August 26, 2005, in Portland. Barbara attended Reed for two years and also attended the University of Oregon. She married Leon F. Ray in 1937, and focused her career interests on her home and family. Survivors include her son and daughter, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Her husband died in 2000.
Sumner Charles Rodriguez ’42
Sumner Charles Rodriguez ’42, September 27, 2005, in Madras, Oregon. Rod received a BA from Reed in economics. He joined the U.S. Army and served with the 127th Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion in England and Germany. Following World War II, he entered law school at Stanford, graduating with a JD in 1949. That same year he married Adele Knerr and passed the Oregon Bar exam. The couple moved to Madras, where he opened a law practice. His success in his practice and in assisting the municipal development of Madras and Jefferson County reflect highly on his vision and gumption. "When I want something, I’m going to make it work," he once stated. Reed, he noted, taught him to follow his inclinations, and to have the courage to support what he felt was right. His efforts at promoting positive change in his community brought about the construction of a library, hospital, and museum. In retirement, he worked with the Bean Foundation, and, when time allowed, he worked in his woodshop, played tennis, hiked, and traveled. Survivors include his wife, two daughters, a son, and eight grandchildren.
Jean Marie Louttit Roest ’42
Jean Marie Louttit Roest ’42, December 12, 2004, in California. Jean Marie attended Reed for two years.
Porter Raymond Ryason ’50
Porter Raymond Ryason ’50, November 19, 2005, in Fairfax, California. Ray received a BA in chemistry from Reed, and continued his studies in chemistry at Harvard, earning an MA in 1951 and a PhD in 1954. He married Mary E. Waterbury ’52; they had four children, and later divorced. Ray’s 50-year career as a physical chemist was focused primarily at the Chevron Research and Technology Company (CRTC) in Richmond, California, with research in molecular spectroscopy, combustion, catalysis, hydrocarbon oxidation, and tribology (friction, wear, and lubrication). Ray worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena from 1973 to 1978. Again at Chevron, he built an inelastic electron tunneling spectrometer to screen additives. For this accomplishment, he received the Captain Alfred E. Hunt Award at the annual meeting of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers in 1995. From 1986 to 1997, he was company tribologist at Chevron, and earned the CRTC Fellow—the highest title on the technical staff. In retirement, he formed his own company, Tamalpais Tribology, continued his research for Chevron, published related materials, and traveled to tribochemical conferences around the world. Additionally, he was passionate about family, world issues, politics, and the environment. For his 50th class reunion, Ray wrote that the focus on scientific fundamentals learned at Reed subsequently enabled him to deal with the several shifts in emphasis in the technical work required for his career. Survivors include his children, four grandchildren, and a sister and brother.
Elliott Phirman Roberts ’39
Elliott Phirman Roberts ’39, August 21, 2007, in Washington, D.C., from heart failure. Elliott received a BA from Reed in political science. During World War II, he served with the U.S. Navy on the USS Spencer in the Pacific. In 1953, he earned a PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He began his career with the Tennessee Valley Authority and worked in the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Housing and Human Services, and the Department of Energy. He was also a consultant to the Ford Foundation in the 1960s in Ghana. Elliottwas a founding adviser of Institute of Public Relations in Yemen in Sanaa during the ’70s under the United Nations Development Programme. He taught at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University. After being interviewed for the Reed Oral History Project, Elliottcommented, “What I was not prepared for was the conceptual work that went on in my own mind as I reconstructed those years. I can report that there is in my finished transcript a fairly unified theme of growing maturity and character development that has surprised me.” His interviewer, Jean Tibbitts Thiebaux ’57, met him when he taught her to sail, through the Wanderlusters Sailing Club. In an unusual turnaround, he then interviewed her. Relative to this and to her friendship with Elliott, Jean was present at a parting ceremony and shared this description: “Last Saturday a group of us who knew Elliott: offspring, plus some who had worked and sailed with him, and some who had only had the opportunity to sail in his company, went out on the Chesapeake Bay in three sailboats, to release his ashes (as he wished) and throw flowers around them as they spread through the water. It was an extraordinary day and a powerful experience, in the company of many of those who held Elliott in the highest esteem. The weather was perfect for our mission and the bay was resplendent with the white sails of a regatta, as we bade farewell to our good friend.” Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Sue Abraham Roberts '40; four daughters; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a brother. Another brother, Norman P. Roberts '49, also graduated from Reed.
Hallie P. Rice ’45
Hallie Palmer Rice Sr. ’45, June 3, 2006, in Baltimore, Maryland. Hallie attended Reed for a year, and transferred to the U.S. Naval Academy at the outbreak of World War II. He served in the Pacific Theatre, and earned s BS from the academy in engineering in 1945. In 1947, he married Virginia Kelly; they had seven children. Hallieleft active duty after 10 years, but remained in the naval reserves. He earned an MS from Catholic University in physics in 1952, and took a position as a salesman of electronic implementation in Baltimore. He acquired Edgerly Instruments Laboratories in Remington, Maryland, in 1963; in 1976, then-president Ford chose him as the nation's Small Businessman of the Year. Hallieretired to Florida in 1993. He volunteered service and guidance for the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, including as trustee, and received an honorary doctorate from the college in 1990. Survivors include his wife, four sons, three daughters, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Phyllis G. Roff ’51
Phyllis G. Roff ’51, October 20, 2006, in Concord, California, from lung cancer. Phyllis received a BA from Reed in political science. In 1962, she earned an MA from University of California, Berkeley, in political science, and worked for the state of California’s employment development program until 1982. In retirement, she was a freelance political writer, and was involved in local issues in Contra Costa County and in Walnut Creek. In particular, she addressed those concerning open space and parklands, water, and transportation, and was a member of the advisory committee of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. She regularly attended city council and regional council meetings, and was identified not only as the "community watchdog," but also as a "community treasure," whose passion was civic involvement. Survivors include her sister-in-law, and her nieces and nephews.
Howard Mayro Rondthaler ’55
Howard Mayro Rondthaler ’55, August 6, 2007, in Portland. Rondy received s BA from Reed in history and political science. He married Jane Doar '55; they had three daughters. During summers at Reed, he worked at a remote field station for the U.S. Forest Service; following graduation, he accepted a position in the Mount Hood National Forest. His daughters were born during the 10 years he worked at a district ranger station; the family then moved to Portland where Rondyworked in the Mount Hood Forest supervisor's office. He was a trails coordinator and a trails specialist, and led volunteer work parties, trail-clearing groups, and hikes in the Mount Hood National Forest for many years following his retirement in 1984. In 2000, he married Carolyn Droege Richards. Survivors include his wife, daughters, two stepdaughters, nine grandchildren; and his sister, Katharine Rondthaler Woodwell ’52, who also graduated from Reed.
Nancy Stolte Rosenfeld ’42
Nancy Stolte Rosenfeld ’42, September 28, 2008, at her recreation home in Long Beach, Washington. Nancy was a third-generation Portland resident. She attended Stanford and Reed, leaving college in 1940 to marry William W. Rosenfeld, who later served as a member of the board of trustees at Reed. Nancy was “the consummate caregiver” throughout her adult life-devoted to her mother, children, and extended family. She was a talented pianist, and enjoyed gardening, tennis, and travel with her husband. Her community service included that to the Portland Garden Club, Metropolitan Counseling Services, and the Junior League of Portland. Her family notes that holidays and special occasions at the Rosenfeld home were marked by Nancy's grace and beauty, and are cherished memories. Survivors include William; four sons; daughter Leslie, and son-in-law Reed trustee Randy Labbe; and 13 grandchildren, including James M. Labbe '95. Her brother Hollister M. Stolte ’32 also attended Reed.
Reetpaul Singh Rana ’96
Reetpaul Singh Rana ’96, September 13, 2008, from a gunshot wound; his body was discovered in Humboldt County, California, 110 miles from his burned car. Authorities are investigating the case for murder. Reetpaul received a BA from Reed in psychology and an MA in journalism from New York University. He wrote for Willamette Week, the Village Voice, and Bay Area newspapers. Reetpaul described himself as a multilingual visionary, writer, and artist. He enjoyed painting, photography, playing the drums, and cooking. He also was a bright and gifted individual, who suffered from depression and bipolar disorder. In 2006, he made a road trip from San Francisco to Portland to attend his 10th-year class reunion, chronicling his journey with more than 300 photographs.
Patricia Svoboda Ruiz ’66
Patricia Svoboda Ruiz ’66, April 12, 2003. Patricia earned a BA from Reed in political science and a master's degree from the University of Washington in library science. She lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she was employed as a holistic health practitioner. She had one son.
Elizabeth Louise Rossiter Krauss ’37
Elizabeth Louise Rossiter Krauss ’37, January 1, 2010, in Seaside, Oregon. Elizabeth attended Reed for two years, and was an accomplished pianist. In 1940, she married Walter J.M. Kraus, an officer with U.S. Army Special Services. Survivors include her daughter, son, and three grandchildren. Her husband died in 2004.
Watford Reed ’40
Watford Reed ’40, July 5, 2009, in Portland. A lifelong newsman, Wat—nicknamed “Kilowatt” for his energetic copy—was a college correspondent for the Oregon Journal at Reed. After earning his BA in political science and psychology, Wat worked as a staff reporter, covering education, politics, crime, business, religion, and diverse other subjects for the Journal, the Oregonian, and the International News Service. He wrote about fires, accidents, murder, stranded climbers, roller skating, and municipal scandal. He profiled politicians, musicians, firefighters, gas station owners, and prisoners of war. He wrote about a skin graft that allowed a six-year-old boy to walk again; a woman who survived a 40-foot plunge down a well; a man whose heart stopped beating for seven minutes following an electric shock. He officially retired from the Oregonian in 1991, but continued to write for the paper and for the East County News and its successor, the website EastPDXNews.com, chronicling developments in outer East Portland well into his 80s. He dutifully turned in stories even when his health was failing, according to his editor, David Ashton. By summer 2009, Wat could no longer drive, but Ashton would pick him up and take him to report on civic and business meetings. The last couple of stories he wrote were very short, Ashton recalls, and Wat felt they weren't much good. “I'm surprised you haven't given up on me,” Wat said. “I put my arm around him and told him, 'Watford, I'll never give up on you. Never.'” Wat died a month later. He was active in the Methodist church, and enjoyed mountaineering and baseball. Following a brief marriage, he raised his only daughter, Stacy, who survives him.
Irma Doris Gevurtz Robbins ’41
Irma Doris Gevurtz Robbins ’41, November 26, 2010, in Nevada City, California.Irma's family established and operated the Gevurtz Furniture Company, a prominent Portland business. Irma studied at Reed for two years and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington. In 1942, she married Irvine Robbins, who, along with his brother-in-law, Burt Baskin, cofounded the Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Company. Irma and Irvine had three children and lived in the San Fernando Valley of California for 30 years, where she played golf and tennis and was active in several organizations and art museums. Survivors include two daughters; son John, author of Diet for a New America; five grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and a brother. Irma and Barbara Hervin Schwab ’41 were lifelong friends. Irma's sisters, Jane Gevurtz Green ’44 and Suzanne Gevurtz Itkin ’48,and brotherBurton Gevurtz ’50,also attended Reed.
Elizabeth Edson Raymond ’43
Elizabeth Edson Raymond '43,July 27, 2010, in Seattle, Washington.After her father died when she was one year old, Elizabeth moved with her mother from Montana to Tacoma, Washington, where her mother worked in the city's library system. Elizabeth studied at Reed for three years, and met her future husband, clinical psychologist William T. Raymond ’41, MA ’42, on her first evening on campus at the new-student dinner-dance. She related many details about her experience at Reed in an oral history interview in 2003. One of her reasons for choosing to major in sociology included reading The Grapes of Wrath, she said. “My mom brought me the book and I read it with passion and sorrow. And that made me very interested in how these people could be helped to better their lives. And social work, social service was a way of helping, I felt.” After Bill was drafted into service in World War II, Elizabeth returned to Tacoma and completed a BA in sociology at the University of Washington. They married in 1943 and raised a son and daughter. Bill died in 1993.
Fred Mayer Rosenbaum ’50, Trustee
Businessman, civic leader, philanthropist, and lifelong champion of the poor and disenfranchised,Fred Mayer Rosenbaum ’50 died January 12, 2010, in Portland, from kidney cancer.
Fred was born in Vienna in 1926. At the outset of the Holocaust, he escaped advancing Nazi soldiers by climbing out of a schoolhouse window, and left Austria on a Kindertransport. He lived in England for almost two years before being reunited with his parents. His childhood experiences set Fred on a lifelong path to community service.
William F. Ringnalda ’57
William F. Ringnalda ’57,August 14, 2010, in Salem, Oregon.Bill attended Reed for over a year, and became a land engineer and surveyor. Survivors include his wife, Inez, and three sons, including Murco N. Ringnalda ’82, and a sister.
Lorene Grayce Tompkins Reierson MAT ’65
Lorene Grayce Tompkins Reierson MAT ’65, January 29, 2010, in Lake Oswego, Oregon.Lorene, or Jimmie, as she was known, earned a BS in physical education from Willamette University in 1938. She received a master's degree at Reed in social science and taught social studies in Manzanita, Oregon. She also served on the city council there. Jimmie and Vern C. Reierson had a daughter and a son.
Marjorie Roston Ireland ’62
Marjorie Roston Ireland ’62, September 11, 2009, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After attending Reed for three years, she transferred to the University of Minnesota, where she earned a BA in sociology. In 1994, she received a PhD from the university in biostatistics. She was a research analyst for the university's school of public health and for the State of Minnesota. Marjorie was passionate about bicycling: she was a national champion racer in her 40s, and a dedicated commuter, who rode to work—weather permitting—and even to chemotherapy treatments. She volunteered with the Minnesota Coalition of Bicyclists and the U.S. Cycling Federation. During Renn Fayre 2007, she returned to Reed with roommates Kelly Pomeroy ’61 and Carol Petterson Hurwitz ’62. They brought a substitute for the Westport Cupids and its story, described in their delightful booklet The Woodstock Tales: À la Recherche de Choses Perdues (www.westportcupids.net/). Marjorie lived with ovarian cancer for nearly nine years. The online guestbook site dedicated to Marjorie, to which Don Enderton ’63 directed us, includes many exclamations about Marjorie's vital and joyful presence. She was an intelligent, resourceful, and loving individual. Kelly wrote: “Marjorie was exposed to many influences as she grew to adulthood, but it was the rational and humanitarian ones that resonated with her, and that she chose to shape her life. I'm not sure where she got her sense of humor.” From Carol: “She was fun, full of interesting ideas, and artistically creative. Our friendship grew and grew in the years after our children were grown. My confidant and support, even when she herself was sick, will be missed, but the fun and shared love of learning will remain with me forever.” We learned from daughter Michele Ireland that Marjorie loved the outdoors and enjoyed teaching her children and grandchildren the names of plants and trees. Michele also shared a link, www.parknicollet.com/cancer/, which features Marjorie at the Frauenschuh Cancer Center of Park Nicollet, talking about living with a cancer diagnosis. Marjorie's survivors include her two daughters; three grandchildren; two sisters, including Carol Roston Wyszomirski ’63; and two brothers. The Marjorie Ireland Research Scholarship at the University of Minnesota will be given each year to a fellow in the division of adolescent health and medicine.
Joseph Frederic Rancourt ’05
Joe Rancourt ’05 with his mother, and his sister, Lichen, on the occasion of her graduation from Syracuse in 2006.
Joseph Frederic Rancourt ’05, January 19, 2011, at home in Etna, New Hampshire, from natural causes. Joe grew up in Madison, New Hampshire, and earned a BA in psychology from Reed. Steve Katz ’05, who informed us of Joe's death and helped us learn more about his life, wrote: “I expected to have another 60 years with Joe, and it breaks my heart how many more adventures we could have had together. However, I would never trade the time I had with Joe for anything. The memories of us hiking, going shooting, playing poker, cooking, going to the ski cabin, the coast, Kean's house, and more, will stay with me forever. He was a truly kind, loving person. When Joe died, I reconnected with old friends and got to know Joe's family. We sang songs, drank whiskey, told stories, and lit off fireworks. At the memorial, we saw the rural New Hampshire community as well as friends from around the country turn out in support of Joe and his family. As we all stood up to share our memories of Joe, the snow softly fell outside, and I knew some part of him would stay with all of us.” Friend Lindsey West Wallace ’05 wrote: “Joe was a gregarious friend who was always up for an adventure and looking out for others. Thinking back on our time in Portland, I have many happy memories of Joe from excursions camping, grilling, and exploring the great woods of the Pacific Northwest. Alex (Wallace ’06) and I are so saddened by his untimely passing. He was a very good man.” Friend Timothy Russell ’04 wrote: “Joe was an intelligent and kind person. He had all of the qualities that one looks for in a great friend. When I turned 21, Joe bought me my first legal beer at the Lutz tavern up on Woodstock. I remember he drove us up there after class and we listened to some great music that I had never heard before.” After college, Joe moved to Hanover, New Hampshire, where he was a research assistant in the psychology department at Dartmouth Medical School; colleagues continue to grieve for him. Joe joined the Psychopharmacology Research Group at the medical school in October 2007. Members of the group shared these thoughts: “From the first, he showed us the zest, enthusiasm, dedication, and collegiality that continued and even grew during his time with us. Initially, he worked on a number of research studies seeking better treatments for those suffering from alcoholism and schizophrenia. He was a quick study and just terrific-organizing the studies, working with patients enrolled in the research. And he was very inquisitive: he quite quickly learned about the neurobiological theories underpinning the studies.” In April 2010, Joe was promoted to project coordinator, managing a highly complicated neuroimaging study that explored the effects of cannabis in people with schizophrenia-a study typically coordinated by someone with an advanced degree. “We just knew that Joe, with his quick mind and willingness to learn, could handle it, and handle it well.” Joe successfully led the group through the pilot phase of the study. “Recognizing what Joe did, our research group has dedicated this important study to his memory.” From Joe's public obituary, we read: “Joe was a kind and gentle soul, smart as a whip, with a wonderful sense of humor, beloved by everyone who knew him. He loved to travel, read, fish, snow machine with his dad, kayak with his mom, cook for his friends, hang out with his family, and he loved music. He will be sorely missed.” A memorial website, established by Joe's sister, Lichen, is at littlegorilla.net. Survivors include his parents, sister, and grandparents.
Bernard Ross ’37
Bernard Ross ’37, December 19, 2011, in Portland. Ricky attended Reed for two years and then transferred to the University of Oregon, where he earned a BA in psychology and sociology. He said later that his experiences at Reed influenced decisions he made throughout his life. At the University of Pittsburgh, he studied social administration, earning an MSc in 1941, and was a director for fair employment practices in the Roosevelt administration. In 1958 he completed a PhD in social welfare and adult education at the University of Michigan and served as dean of the graduate school of social work at Bryn Mawr. He returned to Portland to be dean of the graduate school of social work at Portland State University, later becoming dean and vice provost of graduate studies and research. In 1989, he received the distinguished alumnus award from the University of Pittsburgh for his endeavors in the field of social work education and research. With his wife, Eileen, Ricky had two sons and a daughter. Survivors include his wife, JoAnna Henry; his children; a stepson; and two grandchildren. “Equal parts social justice and port wine, he had a kind word for strangers and a bon mot for every occasion.”
Barbara Elizabeth Richards ’51
Barbara Elizabeth Richards ’51, December 13, 2011, in Stockton, California. Barbara earned a BA in social sciences from Reed, writing her thesis, "The Effect of Interpersonal Influence on Fashion," and then earned an MSW from the University of Denver. She was a medical social worker and public assistance consultant for the state of Nevada. In 1966, she moved to Stockton to be director of medical social services for San Joaquin General Hospital and remained in the position until her retirement in 1987.
Carolyn Stuart Russell MAT ’66
Carolyn Stuart Russell MAT ’66, December 16, 2011, in her home by Horseshoe Lake, Washington, from lung cancer. Carolyn left college to help support her young family while her husband finished his law degree, and later completed undergraduate work at Portland State University and earned a master’s degree in art education at Reed. She treasured classes with Lloyd Reynolds [English & art 1929–69], her thesis adviser, who was a wellspring of encouragement. Carolyn taught elementary through junior college students in Washington and Oregon for most of her career. She helped found the Deer Park Art Commission near her Washington home and was occasionally the subject of news articles showcasing her teaching innovations, her art, and her mentoring of special-needs children and senior adults. Carolyn produced artistic creations in many media. Her favorite medium was clay, some of which she dug and processed herself. “Being a potter, and sharing her joy and discoveries about pottery production with other potters, was a seminal part of her self-expression,” wrote daughter Kitty Russell ’69, who provided the details for this memorial. After her retirement from full-time teaching, Carolyn discovered a philosophy of applied artistic form in the writings of R. Buckminster Fuller. When a fire destroyed her gallery and log home, situated by Horseshoe Lake, she let the home site and her mind settle for a few years before she rolled up her sleeves, engaged friends and family, and with them built a dome overlooking the lake. It remains a light-embracing home and art gallery. What Carolyn did exceptionally well, Kitty says, was to act as a lightning rod for the creativity of others. She loved to host guests for outdoor meals and afternoon swims at her lakeside home. Afterwards, she would set all attendees to creating something: baking cookies, building clay pots, cracking glass for window designs, sewing a stained-glass-design tablecloth, or planting new flowers in her tiered rock gardens. “She lived and encouraged the chi spirit that was her thesis topic, finding no barriers for her artist’s mind.” In a second career, Carolyn served as a substitute teacher in local public schools and an adjunct instructor for home school groups until she was 79. She is remembered for her challenging lesson plans and recruitment of working artists to teach special topics in unique and remarkable ways. Her mantra, says Kitty, was always “learn by doing . . . and you can do it!” Her will leaves a bequest to with fond regards for her time as a student there. Survivors include her daughters, Kitty, Christy, and Connie; 9 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Mary Stuart Steinle MALS ’71. Carolyn’s ashes reside in an urn she crafted herself, featuring bas-relief carvings of a potter, a kick wheel, and clay vessels.
Charles S. Rhyne, Faculty
Courtesy of Special Collections, Eric V. Hauser Memorial Library, .
Professor Charles S. Rhyne [Art History 1960–97] April 14, 2013, in Portland, from a stroke.
An eminent art historian, Charles Rhyne was internationally renowned for his wide-ranging interests in the field, from the English landscape painter John Constable to the theory and practice of conservation, Northwest Coast American Indian art, and the use of digital images in research and teaching.
Ottomar Rudolf, Faculty
Courtesy of Special Collections, Eric V. Hauser Memorial Library, .
Professor Ottomar Rudolf [German 1963–98] March 10, 2013, in Portland, from a stroke.
Scholar, athlete, and veteran of two wars, Ottomar Rudolf was a passionate and gifted teacher and a tireless champion of the arts.
Cecil Charles Rix AMP ’44
Cecil Charles Rix AMP ’44, December 9, 2012, in Houston, Texas. Cecil attended Reed in the premeteorology program. “It was an excellent time of preparation for life at a critical time in my life.” During World War II, he served in Saipan and Guam, and after the war attended the University of Texas, Austin, where he earned a BS, MA, and PhD in geology. He worked as a research geologist with the Carter Oil Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and in the ’60s was part of the venture staff of Standard Oil responsible for the exploration and discovery of the first major gas field in the United Kingdom North Sea; his career continued in various capacities with Standard and Exxon. Cecil was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Tulsa Geological Society, the Houston Geological Society, and the Geological Society of London. He also was a member of the Memorial Church of Christ and enjoyed gardening, music, photography, and travel. During his career, he visited six continents. Survivors include Martha Keller Rix, to whom he was married for 59 years; a son; and a grandson and granddaughter. A daughter predeceased him.
Mary Elizabeth Russell Bauer ’43
Mary Elizabeth Russell Bauer ’43, January 6, 2009, in Kennewick, Washington. Mary was born in Vancouver, B.C., and came to Reed from Bremerton, Washington. In an oral history interview with Deborah Prince ’71 in 2004, Mary talked about her experience as coxswain in 1941 for the newly formed Reed crew team, a position she held during her sophomore year. “Neither my roommate nor I liked organized sports, so we were honor-bound to put in so much time a week at physical activity.” Mary and roommate Dorothy Cottrell Coppock ’43 rowed in two-person sculls on the Willamette River about the same time several male students and a couple of faculty members organized a crew team. None of the men on the team were small enough to be coxswain, so Mary agreed to take the position, thus becoming the only woman (and the first in the state of Oregon) in collegiate rowing. The story of Mary and Reed's team appeared in Life magazine, on the front page of the Oregonian, in the Oregon Journal, and in other publications, including Ripley's Believe It or Not. Thanks to Mary, the team won three out of six races in that first season. She also was on the Griffin staff during her two years at Reed. Later she transferred to the University of Washington, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. She married George H. Bauer; they had one daughter. The family lived in Washington, Alabama, and Mississippi. Inspired by a lecture on medical history, Mary enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi, earning an MA in the field in 1976; she later did postmaster's study in medical history at the University of Washington. Mary's occupations included public health and office nurse, teaching assistant, instructor in nursing, and research associate. Her brother, physicist and inventor James T. Russell ’53, graduated from Reed.
Hazel Jo Reed ’60
Hazel Jo Reed ’60, July 9, 2009, in Olympia, Washington. Josie earned a BA from Reed and a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in mathematics. She was an instructor at California State University–Long Beach and at Oberlin College before joining the faculty at the Evergreen State College, where she taught for over 25 years. She also was a scholar of literature, creative writing, and comparative theologies. In her public obituary, we read that Josie had a knack for spotting the intellectual capabilities of her students and provided them with the support they needed to succeed. She was a gifted photographer who enjoyed recording local images as well as those on train trips she made across the U.S. She also was an exceptional knitter and cook. Throughout her life, she cared deeply for animals; her Washington farm has been designated as a sanctuary for domestic and wild animals. In writing to inform the college of Josie's death, daughter Anna Mumaw said: “My mother always said that her time at Reed was the happiest of her entire life, and that the college opened her eyes and her mind to all that was possible in life. Reed will always hold a special place in my sister's and my heart because of what it meant to our mother.”
Robert Cordon Ragsdale ’49
Robert Cordon Ragsdale ’49, January 30, 2008, in Glendale, California. Bob earned a BA from Reed in philosophy and a BLS in librarianship from UC Berkeley. He worked for 34 years in public library service, including as director of the public library for the city of Covina, California.
William H. Riggle ’50
William H. Riggle ’50, February 18, 2010, at home, in Brentwood, California. Bill was born in Long Beach, California. During the Great Depression, his father's search for work took the family to Seattle, where Bill went to high school. “I have fond memories of Seattle's old Broadway High, which we used to call affectionately the 'Pine Street Jail,'” he wrote to a classmate in 2004. “I particularly recall with pleasure my four-year membership in the band.” Bill attended Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, until he turned 18 and was summarily drafted into the army. Trained as an infantryman in Georgia and as an artilleryman in Arkansas, he went overseas with the 744th Field Artillery Battalion. “We landed in England and crossed the Channel to join General Patton's 3rd Army. 'Old Blood and Guts' led us across France and deep into Germany, with side trips to Czechoslovakia and Austria.” Discharged in 1946, Bill came to Reed on a scholarship. “Reed afforded me a semi-cloistered life, wherein I could gradually overcome my very jaundiced opinion of mankind formed from nearly three years of army service.” He and 12 other veterans, the “13 Inmates,” as they called themselves, lived on the second floor of a residence hall that had been converted from an army barracks. “Inmates” included Alan Aspey ’50, Louis Corrigan ’50, Mason Gaffney ’48, Walter Mintz ’50, “Pete” Pedersen ’50, and Fred Schatz ’50. Bill's interest in music continued at Reed. He joined Portland Symphony Society and from time to time brought instrumental ensembles from the orchestra to perform in Winch, Capehart. It was a class in summer 1948, presented by Helga C. Peters [German, 1942-48], however, that became synonymous with his memory of Reed. Frau Peters introduced the veterans in her class to the novels of Erich Maria Remarque. Bill was deeply touched by her choice and her understanding of the experiences he and his classmates had encountered in the war. In in the November 2001 issue of Reed, Bill wrote that Frau Peters “was the most unforgettable, and without question the most beautiful and keen-spirited, instructor” he encountered on his academic journey. “By comparison, all of my other instructors were from 'Dullsville.'” Bill earned a BA from Reed in general literature and went on to the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a MA and EdD while teaching English for 14 years at a nearby suburban high school. He joined the faculty of Berkeley's Graduate School of Education as academic administrator in 1966 and retired in 1983. In retirement, he was involved in numerous civic projects. He served as library commissioner for Contra Costa County (California) and was a member of Concord, California's Task Force. Bill was married to Grace Slater for 40 years. Two years after her death in 1992, he accepted a second opportunity for happiness in a marriage to Gisela Travis, who had been widowed. They made their home in Brentwood. Bill thoroughly enjoyed the music of Benny Goodman and Roy Orbison, but he especially delighted in symphonic classical music. He was a voracious reader of science, history, and poetry, and appreciated good writing. Gisela, who provided the details for this memorial, wrote that Bill was a scholarly, refined, and gracious man. “He was interesting, interested, and had a warm sense of humor. He lived by Bible principles, always taking the 'high road.' His speech was measured and deliberate. His gentle spirit contributed joy and harmony. Bill was esteemed and beloved by those who knew him. He was a most remarkable human being and a wonderful husband.” Survivors include Gisela, a daughter and son, and a granddaughter.
Jean Reed Prentiss ’33
Jean Reed Prentiss ’33, October 27, 2011, five days short of her 100th birthday, in Tualatin, Oregon. Jean was born at Neahkahnie, Nehalem, Oregon, “when it was just a big open space under the mountain.” Her father, Samuel Reed, cousin to Simeon Reed, came to Portland from Boston in 1902. Fortified with a degree in mechanical engineering from MIT, Samuel worked on the electrification of Portland before moving further west and purchasing 800 acres on the Oregon coast. His bride, Beulah Kendall Reed, though not an “open air person,” traveled on foot—the only route open from Cannon Beach—to the home built by Samuel in Neahkahnie in time to deliver twins Jean and Ruth Reed Morgan ’34. Jean, Ruth, and their sister, Marion Reed East ’26, were all Reedites. Jean, known as Jo at Reed, earned a BA from the college in general literature. She created three-minute plays for student programs in the chapel, helped decorate for dances in commons, drew cartoons for the Griffin, and served on student council. Summers during her college years were spent assisting her mother at the Kah-Ni-Tavern, a hotel built by her father, and after graduation she worked for Lipman Wolf & Company in downtown Portland. Her interest in making a career as a retail buyer ended when she met John Prentiss. They married in 1937 and later moved to Neahkahnie to assist her family and her ailing father. During World War II, Jean worked in a lumber mill in Longview, Washington, while John served in the navy. Back at Neahkahnie after the war, the two raised three daughters, Catherine, Alexandra, and Deborah. Jean also worked in the school district as a library cataloger and materials processor, volunteered for the Tillamook County library board and citizens advisory committee, put together family histories, collected stamps, camped, and enjoyed bird watching. “I did not use my Reed education toward a career,” she wrote, “but a good education is never wasted.” In telling us of Jean’s death, her daughter, Deborah, wrote, “Reed was a special place to her, and I grew up with stories of her years there.”
Earl M. Ringle ’46
Earl M. Ringle ’46, May 6, 2011, in Spokane, Washington. Earl earned a BA in chemistry from Reed and worked as a chemist for Kaiser Aluminum, traveling the world to the company’s various plants (his favorite was in Ghana). He was a ham radio operator, a hobby he picked up when he was 16 and pursued for many years, communicating with people around the world using call sign N7ER. His first wife, Inez, died from cancer; he and his second wife, Jean, were married for 37 years. In retirement, he worked part-time at the Spokane Opera House. He and Jean enjoyed travel and showing horses. She survives him, as do a daughter, a stepdaughter, and two grandchildren.
Harry W. Randall ’37
Harry W. Randall Jr. ’37, November 10, 2012, in Snowflake, Arizona. Harry grew up in Oregon, the eldest of three children, in a family that was musically inclined; he played both piano and clarinet. In his teens, he developed an interest in radio and film and became a ham radio operator. When Harry entered Reed, fascism was spreading from Germany and Italy to Spain. At Reed he developed a political awareness and lent support to West Coast labor and lumber strikes. After a year, he quit college and joined the Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteers, arriving in Spain in July 1937. He was put in charge of the Photographic Unit of the XV International Brigade and contributed significantly to documenting the Spanish Civil War. His primary task was to take photos for the Brigade’s newsletter, Volunteer for Liberty, but he also provided photos for newspapers and did general soldiering. After volunteers withdrew from Spain, Harry returned to the U.S. with film archives in tow. He later donated the unit’s photos, approximating 1,800 images, to the Tamiment Library at New York University. Harry and his first wife, Alice, lived in Montreal, where he built a house and worked for the Canadian Film Board. He enlisted in the Canadian army during World War II and served in England making newsreels with the Film and Photo Unit. After the war, Harry and Alice relocated to New York City, where Alice’s family lived; she died four years later. Harry worked in film production in New York and remained close to Alice’s family. He met his second wife, Doreen, through mutual friends. Doreen was working for an airline in order to see New York City on her way from a nursing stint in Ohio to her home in England. After they married, Harry and Doreen moved to New Jersey, where they lived for 40 years. Harry worked in medical film production for the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. They had two daughters and worked tirelessly for the rights of residents, parents, and staff of the developmental center where their younger daughter resided. Harry enjoyed bicycling, hiking, and camping, and maintained a lifelong association with the Unitarian Church. Survivors include two daughters and a granddaughter. Doreen died in April 2012.
Magaret Paxson Rhoads Kendon ’59
Margaret Paxson Rhoads Kendon ’59, August 16, 2012, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from cancer. The first child and only daughter of Teresa Folin Rhoads and Jonathan Rhoads, professor and department head of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, Margaret came to Reed, where she studied history and Russian. She had a lifelong interest in the culture and history of Russia, traveled to the country many times, and was especially fond of the writings of Chekov and Tolstoy. After graduating from Reed, she enrolled at Cornell, where she met Adam Kendon, a graduate student in social psychology from England. Margaret and Adam were married in 1961 and moved to England for five years before returning to the U.S. Margaret earned a master’s degree in Slavic linguistics at Fordham University, while Adam taught at Cornell and did research at Bronx State Hospital. Following Adam’s appointment in anthropology at Australian National University, the family moved to Canberra, Australia, where Margaret was active with Canberra Friends Meeting, qualified as a second language instructor in English, and taught in Canberra schools. Back in Connecticut, she studied French and connected with New London Friends Meeting. In the ’80s, Margaret resumed her study of Slavic languages at Indiana University and the couple settled in Philadelphia, where Margaret taught Spanish for 25 years. Margaret was active in Germantown Friends Meeting, and was also a board member for the Green Tree School. For several years she served as a member of the Standing Committee on Education of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. A devoted mother and grandmother, Margaret also had a great interest in her larger family and more distant relatives, and regularly hosted family dinners. Survivors include her husband, a daughter and two sons, six grandchildren, and five brothers. “She will be greatly missed.”
Janet Eileen Russell ’68
Janet Eileen Russell ’68, October 8, 2012, in Walnut Creek, California. Nearing the end of her life, Janet reflected on her early years: “As a child, she was happiest exploring the library and continued her quest to know everything at . She became a librarian so that she could help others find answers to their questions. Librarians bring order out of chaos, she explained, like God.” Howard Kaplan ’68, her classmate and friend, wrote the following memorial for her: After receiving her BA in American Studies in 1968, Janet attended graduate school at the University of Chicago, where she received master’s degrees in library science and teaching. For the next two decades, she worked in the Chicago area as a librarian, employed first by the public library system and later by a private library consulting service. In 1989, she entered a second but related career as a professional indexer. The high point of her work in that role occurred in 2004, when she received the Wilson Award Commendation for indexing the latest revision of Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, a project for which her background as a working librarian was of great importance. She was for many years a docent at the Oriental Institute in Chicago, where she developed her interest in ancient Egypt. She also spun wool and occasionally wove or crocheted it, but her primary woolcraft was knitting, for which she developed a special font for incorporating text into knitwear without violating the principles of structurally sound multicolor designs (www.thrinberry-frog.com/WinRKA). Janet had serious health problems for the latter half of her life, arising from congenital kidney disease that was only partially relieved by two separate transplants. She moved back from cold Chicago to warmer Concord to be closer to her family as her health worsened. Eventually, she became too ill to undergo further transplantation, and she died in comfort care. Perhaps unusually for a Reedie of her generation, she remained a practicing Catholic for her entire life, expressing her faith in the afterlife in the self-composed obituary written to assist her family in preparing for her death. In that piece, she also asked to be remembered as a supporter of the Bill of Rights, as a cat lover, and as a performer of Tai Chi postures. Survivors include two brothers and a sister. Janet’s family has dedicated a website to Janet, www.indexingmatters.com.
Edward G. Ramberg ’26
Edward G. Ramberg ’26, January 9, 1995, in Southampton, Pennsylvania. He was a research physicist with RCA Corporation for 30 years. After spending two years at Reed he transferred to Cornell, graduating in physics in 1928. He then spent two years in the graduate program at Cornell, working on X-ray spectra. He completed a PhD at Arnold Sommerfeld's Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Munich, in 1932. After two years as a research assistant at Cornell, he joined the research staff of RCA at their facility in Camden, New Jersey. In 1942 he transferred to RCA's facility in Princeton, where he remained until his retirement in 1972. Ramberg worked on the research team of V.K. Zworkin on the perfection of electronic television, image converters, and multiplier phototubes. He was later involved with the development of the electron microscope, color television, holographic recording, and medical electronics. His focus was primarily on the theoretical aspects of the research, with an emphasis on mathematical problems in electron optics. During World War II, as a pacifist, he served for three years in Civilian Public Service in the disturbed patient ward of New Hampshire State Hospital, working with terminal patients. He was joint author of a number of books on electron optics, photoelectricity, television research, and the electron microscope. He also published a translation of Arnold Sommerfeld's Electrodynamics: Lectures on Theoretical Physics. He was a fellow of the American Physical Society and the IEEE, and he received the David Sarnoff Award from that society in 1972. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Munich in 1949 and Fulbright lecturer in physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt in 1960–61. Edward married Sarah Sargent in 1936. In 1940, they cofounded, with 12 other families, Bryn Gweled Homesteads, a cooperative community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They were active in numerous political and civic affairs, including refugee resettlement issues and violence in the community. After his wife's death in 1975, he continued to live at Bryn Gweled and pursued volunteer work with Amnesty International and the Philadelphia Friends Peace Committee. He is survived by his nephew.
Esther Goldberg Rodinsky ’31
Esther Goldberg Rodinsky ’31, February 15, 1996, in Portland. After graduating with a degree in general literature, she worked at the Jewish Welfare Office for European resettlement, and in the 1950s she worked at Mittleman Jewish Retirement Center. She was a staff assistant for the Jewish Community Center’s senior citizen programs in the ’60s. She was active in the Neveh Shalom congregation in Portland. Survivors include a son, a daughter, a sister, and two grandchildren.
Walter F. Robinson ’40
Walter Frank Robinson Jr. ’40, December 20, 1996, in Seattle, Washington. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and after the war entered the University of Washington School of Law, where he earned a law degree in 1950. In 1951, he was employed by the Washington State attorney general’s office as an assistant attorney general. He retired in 1979 as senior assistant attorney general. His interests were many, and included philately, gardening, letter writing, and automotive history. He was president of the Society of Automotive Historians in 1978–80, and he wrote a brief history of the Cadillac, which was published in 1986 in a French edition. As the son of one of Reed’s first students, Dorothy von Seggern Robinson ’16, he was a founding member of O.R.G.Y. (Offspring of Reed Generations of Yesteryear) in 1937. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, and one grandchild.
Catherine Ritchey Miller ’25
Catherine Ritchey Miller ’25, January 10, 1998, in Cary, North Carolina. Catherine and William Miller ’23were married in 1928. She earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Montana in 1927. An accomplished organist, she was an instructor of organ and the college organist at Peace College, Raleigh, North Carolina until 1973. She served as organist for the Edenton Street Methodist Church in 1948–67 and for the White Memorial Presbyterian Church in 1967–71, and she was the former dean and an honorary life member of the Central North Carolina Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She is survived by Ted and a son. A second son died in 1984.
Myron H. Ruderman ’58
Myron Ruderman ’58, of pancreatic cancer, September 4, 1997, in Issaquah, Washington. He was a poet, playwright, and anintermittent physicist, and was a technical writer in the computer industry from 1966 until his death. After graduating from Reed, he worked as a physicist for two years in a nonmilitary nuclear research facility in Livermore, California where he became involved with the local community theatre. He acted in theatre groups in Colorado, and in Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, in productions ranging from Shakespeare to experimental theatre pieces. In 1971, he organized and ran the Theater of Joy, an experimental group in San Francisco. He wrote several plays that were produced in Bellingham and Seattle. He also wrote poetry and published his poetry in several anthologies, including Golden Horses, published in 1976. During the ’80s, he taught a poetry writing workshop in the Los Angeles area and hosted a public cable access TV show,Poetry Night Live, in the San Fernando Valley. He is survived by his parents and four children.
Warren E. Roberts ’48
Warren Roberts ’48, February 1, 1999, at his home in Bloomington, Indiana. He entered Reed in 1941, but left in 1943 to join the amy, where he served with the 10th Mountain Division Ski Troops. After the war, he was stationed in Korea along the 38th parallel. He returned to Reed and earned a BA in 1948. He then entered the graduate program in English at Indiana University, where he developed a specialty in folklore. He earned a master’s degree in 1950 and a PhD in 1953, and then joined the faculty of the university, where he remained throughout his career. He became professor of folklore in 1963 when the university established the department of folklore. In 1959–60, Warren received a Fulbright fellowship to study folktales in Norway, and his research there led to publication of his book, Norwegian Folktale Studies, which is still used as a textbook in Norway. While there, he developed a new interest in folk museums and folk architecture and expanded his studies to include folk arts and crafts. A Guggenheim Fellowship in 1967 enabled him to return to Norway to do further research in folklife study. He retired from teaching in 1990. His later publications included Log Buildings of Southern Indiana, published in 1985, and Viewpoints on Folklife: Looking at the Overlooked, published in 1988. He was an active member of the Pioneer America Society and the American Folklore Society. His many interests included woodworking and restoration of historic buildings, and acting in Gilbert & Sullivan productions. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, a brother, four grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
Helen D. Koch Russell ’36
Helen Koch Russell ’36, November 4, 1998, in Pleasant Hill, California. She lived in Santa Rosa, California, for many years prior to moving to Pleasant Hill. She was married to William Russell, who predeceased her, and the couple had four children. At the time of her retirement, she was a publications office supervisor.
Jean Evans Rubenstein ’51
Jean Evans Rubenstein ’51, January, 2000, in Lexington, Massachusetts. The college has no details about her life since leaving Reed. She is survived by her husband, Neal Rubenstein ’53, and two children.
Janet Elizabeth Rowe Twombly ’89
Janet Rowe Twombly ’89, December 8, 1999, in Mountain View, California, after a five-year battle with leukemia. She was a medical office coordinator at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore until illness forced her to leave. She and her husband, Alexander Twombly ’87, moved to Cupertino, California to be nearer to her family. Survivors in addition to her husband include a son; mother and stepfather; father and stepmother; a sister; three stepsisters; a stepbrother; and a grandmother.
Martha Rohner van der Vlugt ’32
Martha Rohner van der Vlugt ’32, September 14, 1999, in Silver Spring, Maryland. After attending Reed for three years, she transferred to the University of Oregon to pursue premedical and medical studies. She received a master’s in bacteriology and an MD in 1937, and she interned at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in San Francisco. She married Jerry van der Vlugt shortly after graduation, and together they set up practice in Grant County, Oregon, a rural area near John Day. She practiced obstetrics and pediatrics, living on a cattle ranch and raising their four children, and often making house calls in a small airplane. When her husband died in 1964, she spent two years in Switzerland, her birthplace, and then joined the State Department in Washington, D.C., as the first woman to be appointed as a foreign service medical officer. She was posted to Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, and Senegal, for which she received a Meritorious Honor Award. After retiring in 1973, she moved to Silver Spring, Maryland and joined the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Office of Retirement Programs, where she reviewed disability and special retirement claims. She retired in 1992. In 1997, she visited Portland to accept the Charles Preuss Outstanding Alumni Award from the Oregon Health Sciences University. In retirement, she enjoyed taking advantage of D.C.’s many cultural opportunities and remained active in professional organizations. She is survived by two daughters and two sons.
Alan J. Rosenberg ’40
Alan Rosenberg ’40, January 22, 2000, in San Francisco. He earned an MD from Georgetown University in 1943, specializing in ophthalmology. After serving in the military during World War II and completing his medical training, he settled in San Francisco and established a private medical practice. He joined the faculty of the University of California, San Francisco, where he was clinical professor of ophthalmology. He retired in 1979. He married Marie Schwabacher in 1957, and they had two children.
Dina Bush Rackowicki Le Gore ’54
Dina Rakowicki Bush LeGore ’54, November 14, 2002, of ovarian cancer. Born in Vienna, Austria, Dina's family immigrated to Portland when she was a child. She attended Reed and completed her undergraduate degree at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. She earned an RN from the Sisters of Providence Nursing School in Portland, and worked as a nurse at Providence Hospital from 1949 to the mid-’90s. She married Jack E. Sinclair ’55; they had three children, and later divorced. In 1974 she married Richard G. (Gary) LeGore and they had three children. She is survived by her husband, six children including Kevin Sinclair ’79, who recounts his mother’s love of poetry, 14 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Joy Popkes Rust ’51
Joy Louis Popkes Rust ’51, December 31, 2002, of respiratory failure, at her home in Berkeley, California. Joy received her bachelor’s degree in general literature from Reed. She married Robert L. Rust in 1954; they had two children, and later divorced. Rust spent 31 years as a public school secondary teacher in English, social studies, and crafts, in Oregon and California. She was active in the Bay Area alumni chapter. Survivors include her daughter, son, two granddaughters, and her sister.
Wilma (Billie) Seltzer Rosenblum ’49
Wilma Seltzer Rosenblum ’49, December 1, 2002, in Portland, Oregon. Billiegraduated from Reed with a BA in sociology. In 1948, she married Morton T. Rosenblum ’49, and they had two sons. After graduation, she worked at two different newspapers, as an at-home mother, and as a preschool teacher. Her working career focused on nonprofit organizations, including a role as program director for the Portland Area Council of Camp Fire. She was president of the board for the Northwest Neighborhood Nurses; a volunteer for the League of Women Voters; and she worked part time in fundraising, including six years for United Way; and in grantwriting. Billieenjoyed travel and was a member of Temple Beth Israel and president of the Beth Israel Sisterhood. She volunteered on the steering committee for the Foster-Scholz Club and served as vice president of the Reed alumni association. Survivors include Morton and their sons and two grandchildren.
Mary Davis Willard Roe Bateman ’58
Mary Davis Willard Roe Bateman ’58, January 4, 2004, in Maryland, from congestive heart failure. Mary briefly attended Reed, where she met Eugene I. Roe ’57. The couple married in 1955; they had three children, and divorced in 1965. Following the divorce, she attended the University of New Hampshire and raised her children. She graduated cum laude from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the university in 1969, also receiving election to Pi Gamma Mu, the national social science honor society. Her nack for language and writing enabled her to be a reporter, editor, and columnist for a variety of small town newspapers, a career she relished. Newspapers included several in New Hampshire: the Monadnock Ledger, the Keene Sentinel, and the Nashua Telegraph; additionally the Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Sentinel and the Boston Globe. From 1972 to 1984, she worked for Town of Peterborough (New Hampshire) Transcript. In 1978, she married Jonathan H. Bateman, with whom she operated the Liberal Arts Garage, specializing in antique and classic car restoration. For the Town of Peterborough, she was commissioned to research and write a 500-page history. Mary also wrote works of fiction, including mystery novels set in fictitious New England towns. Personally committed to civic action, she was involved in recycling and water and sewer committees for the Town of Peterborough, and was also involved with the Monadnock Community Day Care Center, the Monadnock Community Chorus, the Museum of Transportation in Boston, and the Summit Point Raceway in Charles Town, West Virginia. She mastered the runic language in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, made 95 quilts, knitted with precision, and did needlepoint. Mary is survived by her husband, two sons and a daughter, two step-daughters, seven grandchildren, and one brother.
Francis J. Reithel ’36
Francis Joseph Reithel ’36, December 2, 2001, in Port Townsend, Washington. Francis graduated from Reed with a BA in chemistry. He attended the University of Oregon, and earned an MA in biochemistry in 1938 and a PhD in 1942. In 1978, he retired as an emeritus professor of chemistry from the University of Oregon, after a career that included serving as head of the department. He married Mary Dickson in 1939, and they had a daughter.
Eileen Scott Ross MALS ’71
Eileen Scott Ross MALS ’71, September 6, 2003, in Portland, Oregon, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Eileen received a BA in English literature from Lewis & Clark College in 1951, and moved to Montana State University in Missoula with her husband, Robert Ross, in 1952, to accept a teaching assistantship. In 1952 the couple returned to Oregon to teach at Pacific University, and to raise a family. She attended Reed, and received a master’s degree with a focus on medieval literature. Eileenthen began working in college administration, at Lewis & Clark, at Reed, and finally at Marylhurst University, where she was vice president of development until retirement in 1988. Eileenwas an optimistic individual, with a keen determination to enjoy life. She maintained an unflagging interest in being with family and friends, and undertaking adventure, anywhere from Scrabble games to trips to the Oregon Coast. Survivors include her two sons; one son, Alan, attended Reed in 1982–83. Her husband predeceased her.
Mark Rosumny ’34
Mark Rosumny ’34, March 12, 2001. Mark received a BA in chemistry from Reed; he lived in South Carolina and Ohio.
Leonard Burton Ryall ’64
Leonard Burton Ryall ’64, December 26, 2004, in Davis, California. Leonard attended Reed for one year, graduating from San Francisco State College in 1968. He worked for the State of California as a systems analyst in the mental health department, later transferring to the California Post-Secondary Education Commission, from which he retired in 2001. He lived in Davis for 31 years. Survivors include a son and daughter.
Lois Geraldine Noel Rogers ’41
Lois Geraldine Noel Rogers ’41, December 4, 2006, in Oregon. Lois earned a BA from Reed in general literature. She married Horace M. Rogers in 1946, and was a social worker for Clackamas County Children’s Services for 17 years. Survivors include three daughters, a stepdaughter and stepson, 18 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. Her husband died in 2005.
James Walter Rowell ’80
James Walter Rowell ’80, February 2, 2006, in Mastic, New York. James earned a BA from Reed in mathematics. In 1984, he earned a PhD in mathematics from the University of Oregon. He taught mathematics at the University of Minnesota–Duluth for many years. His interests also extended to writing poetry and performing music. He was a cellist, played bass guitar, and was a jazz DJ for the Duluth public radio station, KUMD. He was also host on America Online in the early ’90s. Survivors include his daughter, his mother, father, and sister, and his fiancée, Victoria Hedberg.
John Weston Reynolds ’51
John Weston Reynolds ’51, January 19, 2006, in Portland. John earned a BA in biology from Reed and an MD from the University of Oregon (1956). He did his pediatric internship and residency at the University of Minnesota Hospitals, and then spent a year and a half in Stockholm, Sweden, doing research at Karolinska Hospital. He also did research in pediatric endocrinology at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, and in 1969, became chief-of-staff at the infant intensive care unit at the University of Minnesota Hospitals. In 1977, he joined Oregon Health Sciences University as director of the newborn intensive care center, retiring in 1997. In retirement, John pursued an education in botany, and was herbarium manager at Portland State University. He was also a board member of Friends of the Columbia Gorge and North Coast Land Conservancy. John said that Reed provided him with "an excellent preparation for the rigors of medical school, and an excellent liberal arts foundation, which very much helped me keep medical school and later life in proper perspective." Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Phyllis Cantrell Reynolds, and his brother. His father, Lloyd J. Reynolds, was a professor in English and art at Reed from 1929 to 1969.
Roger Lewis Randall ’42
Roger Lewis Randall ’42, December 3, 2005, in Stockton, California. Roger received a BA from Reed in economics, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He did graduate studies in labor economics at Johns Hopkins University (1942–43) and University of California, Berkeley (1948–49). Roger's professional career in industrial relations included official positions with both labor and management, primarily in marine and rail transportation, but also in federal mediation (1965). He retired in 1983 as an assistant regional director of the Federal Mediation Service for seven western states. He also pursued university-oriented research and writing, and taught classes in conflict resolution. For eight years, he worked as a join labor-management appointee administering railroad hospital plans. In 1940, he married Ruth Byers; they had four sons, and lived primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. In retirement, they moved to Sonora. Roger was active in the Bay Area Boy Scouts, the Sonora United Methodist Church, and the local music community. He also performed viola with the Symphony of the Sierras. Survivors include his wife, sons, eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and his brother, Harry Randall ’37.
Madeline Finnegan Ryan ’45
Madeline Finnegan Ryan ’45, January 19, 2006, in Portland. Madeline attended Reed, but did not graduate. She married Thomas H. Ryan in 1948, and made her home and family her focus. Survivors include her son and three grandchildren. Her husband died in 1975.
Lee Ann Rush-Green ’77
Lee Ann Rush ’77, on February 10., 2006. Lee earned a BA from Reed in psychology. She married Charlie Green ’79; they had three daughters. Lee worked as a computer programmer for Columbia Ultimate. Survivors include her daughters, two grandchildren, her brother, and her companion, John Knizer.
Victor Gregory Rosenblum, Friend
Victor Gregory Rosenblum, March 13, 2006, in Evanston, Illinois. Rosenblumserved as Reed's president during some of the college's most socially and politically turbulent years, 1968–70. He came to Reed from Northwestern University, where he had been a professor of law and political science, a specialist on the relationship between the legal and political systems and on the policy-making role of judiciary. It was his interest in expanding the liberal arts curriculum and his dedication to undergraduate teaching that made him a particularly desirable candidate. In response to the offer to come to Reed, Rosenblum wrote: “I will come . . . with a gratifying awareness of your rejection of pretenses and facades, your stress on individual development, and your commitment to integrity and relevance in education.” He earned tremendous respect for his intelligent and humane guidance and his insightful and direct response to the issues he faced in his presidency, including student sit-ins and demonstrations, and the college's mounting financial pressures. It was his intent to work for academic reform at Reed, but the time for that was compromised by the pressing need to work as a fundraiser—a role that did not suit him—in response to the altered state of the nation's economy and, hence, college funding. He resigned from the presidency at Reed, and returned to teaching at Northwestern. In leaving the college, Rosenblum stated: “Reed is in many ways, what I had hoped and expected it would be. A place of deep intellectual vigor, and deep intensities of feeling.” Rosenblum earned AB and LLB degrees from Columbia (1945, 1948), and his PhD from University of California, Berkeley (1958). He joined the faculty of Northwestern in 1958 in political science, and began teaching in the law school in 1962. He was named the Nathaniel L. Nathanson Professor of Law in 1988. From 1957 to 1958, he was associate counsel for the U.S. House of Representative's Subcommittee on Executive and Legislative Reorganization. Other appointments included that of visiting professor for Peoples' University in China, the University of Louvain in Belgium, and for numerous U.S. law schools. He chaired the American Bar Association's section of administrative law and regulatory practice, served as president of the Association of American Law Schools, and was board member of the Law School Admissions Council. He was a nationally recognized scholar in administrative and constitutional law, and at Northwestern, was recipient of several Dean's Teaching Awards, and the 2003–04 Outstanding Professor of a Small Class. In 1946, he married Louise Rann; they had eight children. Rosenblum was a dynamic, witty, beloved, and compassionate individual. His expertise in a broad range of subjects lent value and substance to his role in the college community. He was a sincere and unbiased leader and mediator. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, five sons, 17 grandchildren, and a brother.
Sue Abraham Roberts ’40
Sue Abraham Roberts ’40, November 3, 2008, at her home in Washington, D.C. Sue was born in Oregon, and studied literature at Reed. She married Elliott P. Roberts ’39 in 1938, and moved to D.C. in 1953. From George Washington University, she earned a BA in history and an LLB Sue is survived by her four daughters, including Ellen E.M. Roberts '69; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Elliott died in 2007.
Anne Florence Kerrebrock Richter ’53
Anne Florence Kerrebrock Richter ’53, January 27, 2008, in Pacifica, California. Anne received a BA from Reed in general literature, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. She married Robert Richter ’51 in 1952. Living in Oregon for 10 years, she was active in Great Books and Great Decisions groups, and was a leader in the League of Women Voters. With their four daughters, including Rowena K. Richter ’84, the couple moved to New York, and Anne earned a Master in Library Science at Columbia College (University). She worked for Library Journal magazine and Hearst Publications before moving to Vermont. The couple separated in 1981. At the end of her life, Anne was employed as a librarian in Pacifica, California. Survivors include her daughters and three grandchildren.
Michel Ann Royston ’68
Michel Ann Royston ’68, December 4, 2008, at a friend's home in Redding, California. Mikie Royston attended Reed and the California College of Arts and Crafts. She studied with metalsmith John Marshall at the University of Washington, and graduated with a degree in metal design in 1973. In 1975, she moved to Hat Creek in eastern California; she was a leader in the Hat Creek General Plan, working to preserve the natural beauty of the area. In her Hat Creek studio, she created hand-forged jewelry and sterling flatware. Mikie's work was recognized by the American Crafts Council and is in collections throughout the U.S., including that of the Smithsonian Institute. Friend Sherry Charles ’69, who provided the details for this memorial, noted that Mikie's opinions were strong, “and she never minced words,” yet her love of people was unaffected by pettiness or prejudice. She also loved dancing, and waltzed during the last week of her life. Survivors include her son, and a sister and brother.
Jay Frank Rosenberg ’63
Jay Frank Rosenberg ’63, February 21, 2008, at home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, from esophageal cancer. Jay received a BA from Reed in philosophy. He earned an MS in 1964 and a PhD in 1966 from the University of Pittsburgh in philosophy, and joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in philosophy in 1966. He was appointed professor of philosophy in 1974 and Taylor Grandy Professor of Philosophy in 1987. Rosenberg published more than 80 articles and 10 books on metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, and the history of philosophy. His publications include The Thinking Self (Temple University Press, 1986), Beyond Formalism: Naming and Necessity for Human Beings (Temple University Press, 1994), The Practice of Philosophy: Handbook for Beginners (Prentice Hall, 1995), Thinking about Knowing (Oxford University Press, 2003), Accessing Kant (Oxford University Press, 2005), and Philosophieren: Ein Handbuch für Anfänger (Klostermann Vittorio GmbH, 2006). His awards and research appointments included a Guggenheim Fellowship and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was also a Fulbright senior research fellow at the Universität Bielefeld, Germany; and research fellow of the Zentrum fur interdisziplinare Forschung in Bielefeld. While a senior at Reed, he created The Impoverished Students' Guide to Cookery, later expanding it to The Impoverished Students' Guide to Cookery, Drinkery, & Housekeepery, or How to Eat Well on $1 a Day and Live to Tell about It. From royalties, he funded the Jay Rosenberg Cookbook Scholarship at Reed. The popularity of his book led to an appearance on the television game show To Tell the Truth. He was also a successful participant on the television quiz show Jeopardy. Gordon Murdock ’64 notes that Jay was a force behind the Balkan folkdance tradition at Reed. (Jay participated in the Chapel Hill International Folk Dance Club for 40 years.) In 1964, Jay married Patricia O'Day; they had two children and later divorced. In Bielefeld, Germany, he met Regina Faltin; they married in 1980. Jay began a three-year phased retirement program in 2004—teaching one semester at UNC–Chapel Hill and spending the rest of the year at his home in Bielefeld, Germany. Survivors include his wife; his daughter; a son and two grandchildren; and his brother, who illustrated the cookbook.
Helen G. Metz Richardson MALS ’70
Helen G. Metz Richardson MALS ’70, August 8, 1994, in Portland. She received a BA from Wellesley College in 1941. She was a high school English teacher in the Portland area and in Seattle. Survivors include her husband; three sons; two daughters; a sister, and three grandchildren.
Michael M. Robison ’49
Michael M. Robison ’49, April 17, 1994, in Bottmingen, Switzerland. He was senior research chemist with CIBA-GEIGY in Basel, Switzerland. After graduation, he married Bonnie Souther ’49.He earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1952, and returned to Reed to teach in the college's summer session. In 1952–53, he received a fellowship from the National Research Council to continue his post-doctoral study at the University of Cambridge, England. He joined the faculty of Amherst College in 1953. In 1971, he took a post with the Swiss pharmaceutical company CIBA and remained there until his death. Survivors include his second wife, Erika Robison Meury, and their two daughters.
Allen David Robertson ’53
Allen David Robertson ’53, March 29, 1995, in Cloverdale, Oregon. He worked for the Multnomah County Elections Bureau for 30 years before retiring in 1987. He is survived by his lifetime companion.
Susan Levy Rice ’57
Susan Levy Rice ’57, August 17, 1995, in Syracuse, New York, of kidney and liver failure. She had been employed by the city of Syracuse since 1971 was a longtime civil rights and community activist. She earned a master's degree in public health from Yale University in 1959. In the ’60s, she was involved with the Congress of Racial Equality. During the height of the civil rights movement, she went to Louisiana to help rebuild churches that had been burned. She worked for the City of Syracuse in job training programs, special projects, and in the parks department until 1988, when she joined the research division. She was very involved in a variety of local issues in Syracuse and was a member of the mayor's Anti-Poverty Task Force, PEACE, Inc., the Juneteenth Committee, and Thornden Park Neighborhood Council. She was the city's representative on the Homeless and Housing Vulnerable Task Force and was involved in Housing Visions Unlimited. For many years, she volunteered with the Syracuse Chargers swim team. She was also known for her love of flower gardening. She is survived by her husband, Timothy Rice ’57, three sons, two daughters, a brother, a sister, and five grandchildren.
John David Rush ’94
John D. Rush ’94, July 7, 1999. He attended Reed but did not graduate from the college.
Laura Ashrow Robinson ’42
Laura Ashrow Robinson ’42, of cancer, February 7, 2000, in Washington, D.C. She had been a real estate broker with her own company for over 40 years. After graduating from Reed she earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1946. She worked as assistant director of the National United Jewish Appeal Speakers Bureau in New York City for three years and was executive director of the fundraising arm of Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School in Israel. In 1948 she married Edgar Robinson, and the couple had two children. They settled in Washington, D.C., where he was on the faculty at American University and she started a real estate business. After being ostracized by other real estate agents in the area for being the first realtor to sell a house in Chevy Chase to an African American family, she worked to form the Fair Housing Committee of Chevy Chase. She was also active in other fair housing groups in the area. She was a member of the greater Capital Area Association of Realtors and was a skilled tennis player. Survivors include her husband, a son and daughter, a sister, a brother, and two grandchildren.
Alison Rowe Stuart ’48
Alison Rowe Stuart ’48, January 5, 2000, in California.
Dan R. Robinson MALS ’68
Dan Robinson MALS ’68, June 4, 2001, near Klamath Falls, Oregon, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He taught at Grant High School in Portland and was district liaison at Albina Youth Opportunity School, a Portland alternative program. He retired from teaching in 1980 and moved to Ridgefield, Washington, in 1988, where he became active in political and civic activities and worked as safety inspector for a construction company. He served on the city council for two terms, volunteered as project liaison for the building of Ridgefield Community Center, and was a member of the Richland Lions Club. He had most recently been working on a plan to establish a wildlife interpretive center in the area. Survivors include two sons, a daughter, a twin brother, and two grandchildren.
Zola Loe Riches ’25
Zola Loe Riches ’25, September 26, 2000, at a care center in Sandy Spring, Maryland. She married Cromwell Riches ’25, and they moved to Maryland in 1927. They were later divorced. She was a librarian at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore until her retirement in 1962. Survivors include two daughters, a sister, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Betty Pflager Mathias Robins ’41
Betty Pflager Mathias Robins ’41, April 23, 2002, in Bellingham, Washington. She attended Reed for a brief time and was married to Herbert Mathias until his death in 1942. She married George M. Robins in 1952, and they raised three sons, two surviving.
Velma Atkinson Jansen Ruff MAT ’54
Velma Atkinson Jansen Ruff MAT ’54, May 19, 2002, in Portland. Velma studied French, Spanish, and history at the University of Illinois, receiving a BA in 1945. She married and raised two sons, teaching school in Illinois before moving to Portland when her husband sought work in the World War II shipyards. Due to a teacher shortage in Portland schools connected with the shipyard population, she taught double shifts of seventh grade students. Velma studied education and history at Reed. After her husband’s death, she received a Fulbright scholarship and taught in Costa Rica for a year. Her experiences there led to a lifelong admiration for the Latino people and their heritage. She also taught in Mexico. In 1957 she married Benjamin Ruff, and for 15 years they traveled throughout Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakotas, modeling and selling fine garments for the Utah Tailoring Company. Their work as Cow Country Clothes Peddlers was featured in the Christian Science Monitor and Life magazine. She maintained and successfully operated the business when her husband’s health began to fail, eventually moving to Oregon, where he died in 1989. Velma described her life as full of adventure in books, in the classroom, and in the exploration of multiple cultures. "The world is fascinating, life is fascinating," she said.
Mary Jane Richards Widenoja ’39
Mary Jane Richards Widenoja ’39, August 31, 2003, in her home near Christmas Valley, Oregon, following a short illness. Mary attended Reed and the University of Oregon before marrying Niilo Widenoja in 1942. The couple lived in Tillamook County until 1969 when the family moved to a high desert alfalfa farm near Ft. Rock, Oregon. In addition to her responsibilities on the farm, Mary kept a connection to the Ft. Rock Grange, the local PTA, and other community activities. She is remembered by her thoughtful and polite devotion to friends and family, her sense of humor, and her easy, musical laugh. She identified the care and guidance of her three sons, who have survived her, as a great honor in her life. "Every year has been fine, pleasurable, exciting!" Survivors also include four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her husband predeceased her.
Emily Frances Rinehart ’28
Emily Frances Rinehart ’28, May 1981. Emily attended Reed, but did not graduate. She lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, working for the P.T. & T. Company in public affairs, and as a secretary and treasurer for Wells Fargo Bank.
Ernest George Reuter ’26
Ernest George Reuter ’26, October 8, 1990. ERnest received a BA from Reed in biology. He received a MD from the University of Oregon School of Medicine in 1933, and practiced as a roentgenologist (radiologist) in San Antonio, Texas.
Rosemary Ross Trusty ’43
Rosemary Ross Trusty ’43, June 5, 1993, in New Hampshire. Rosemary earned her bachelor’s degree from Reed in psychology. In 1946, she married Dan C. Trusty, who predeceased her, and they had two sons and a daughter. She worked for many years as a social worker, doing protector casework with the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Stephen B. Rae ’77
Stephen Brady Rae ’77, August 5, 2003, in Pasadena, California. Stephenreceived a bachelor’s degree from Reed in chemistry, and began a career in toxicology and business consulting. He was a compassionate friend and a tireless community volunteer, who was gifted at widening the reach of various organizations by connecting his friends with his favorite causes. Stephenenjoyed American roots and gospel music, and was comfortable in many church communities. He is survived by his mother, to whom he was devoted, and his cousin.
Philip H. Rieger ’56
Philip H. Rieger ’56, April 17, 2004, in Providence, Rhode Island. Philipgraduated from Reed Phi Beta Kappa, with a BA in chemistry, and received the Class of ’21 prize for his creative thesis. He earned a doctorate from Columbia University in chemistry in 1962, after which he joined the faculty at Brown University. He was appointed full professor in 1977, and retired as professor emeritus after 40 years. His research centered on electron spin-resonance spectroscopy and organometallic chemistry. He wrote more than 100 (published) articles and the textbook Electrochemistry. Professional associations included the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society, the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers, and the International EPR Group. In 1957, he married Anne Bioren Lloyd ’56, also a professor of chemistry at Brown, and they had one child. They spent sabbatical years in Australia, New Zealand, England, and Vermont. Philipattended the Episcopal church and participated in the choir and vestry. Survivors include Anne, his daughter, two grandchildren, and a brother.
Ruth Elizabeth Ross Lomer ’43
Ruth Elizabeth Ross Lomer ’43, July 28, 2005, in Longview, Washington. Ruth earned a BA in history from Reed. Following graduation, she married Allan W. Lomer, and the couple moved to Longview. She enrolled in education courses at Portland State College (University) and the University of Washington, receiving certification for elementary and junior high school instruction in 1970. Ruth taught school in Longview for 20 years. Survivors include her husband, daughter and son, and seven grandchildren.
Norman Phillip Roberts ’49
Norman Phillip Roberts ’49, May 16, 2006, in Vancouver, Washington. Norman received a BA from Reed in political science. He earned an MA in 1963 and a PhD in 1971 in international studies from American University. He spent 13 years with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, serving in the Congo, the Mariana Islands, Thailand, and in other Asian countries; he resigned in 1963. He also taught political science and history for 24 years at Clark College, Vancouver, retiring in 1992. He married Maxine E. in 1948; they had two daughters and a son. His brother, Elliott P. Roberts ’39, also graduated from Reed.
Katherine Elaine Wise Reese ’35
Katherine Elaine Wise Reese ’35, April 20, 2007, in San Mateo, California. Katherine received a BA from Reed in French. In 1939, she married William T. Reese Jr., a University of Oregon graduate, in the Eliot Hall chapel. She taught in Oregon and California secondary school systems, and also taught adult ESL in San Mateo for 12 years; she retired from teaching in 1979. Katherine did graduate work at Portland State University, the University of Washington, Notre Dame, and the University of California. In retirement, she and her husband traveled extensively. She enjoyed drama, sewing, making friends, and was active in the American Association of University Women and P.E.O. She was also a deacon in the First Presbyterian Church. Survivors include her daughter, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 2001.
Frances Gertrude Roche Keeney ’55
Frances Gertrude Roche Keeney ’55, February 21, 2007, in Portland, from congestive heart failure. Frances attended Reed for two years. She was married to Earl A. Keeney and had several occupations, including working for H&R Block. Survivors include three daughters, a son, nine grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and a sister.
Bonita Marie Barnes Richardson ’53
Bonita Marie Barnes Richardson ’53, April 28, 2008, in Portland. Bonita attended Reed, George Fox College, the Portland Museum Art School, and Clackamas Community College. In 1953, she married Don R. Richardson. She displayed her watercolor and acrylic paintings in various exhibitions and received awards in county and state fairs. She also published her poetry and stories. She worked in art and retail shops in Milwaukie and Portland, volunteered for the Tucker Maxon Oral School in Portland and with Camp Fire and Boy Scout organizations, and was an art volunteer at Linwood Elementary School and Benson High School. Survivors include her husband, a daughter and five sons, 10 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Aaron R. Reynolds ’79
Aaron R. Reynolds ’79, July 24, 2008, in Tacoma, Washington. Aaron received a BA from Reed in mathematics and then continued his education at Oregon State University. He worked as a systems programmer, analyst, and as a software design engineer for Microsoft. He was dedicated to the success of the Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, from which he received his high school diploma; and was also a Seattle Mariners baseball fan. Hugh Porter, vice president of college relations [1998–], described Aaron as a man with a keen mind who visibly demonstrated his concern for his family, for education, and for the issues of the world. Survivors include his wife, Mary; his son and daughter; and his brother and sister.
Matthew David Reagon ’94
Matthew David Reagon '94, June 7, 2008, at home in San Anselmo, California. Matt received a BA from Reed in anthropology. He wrote his thesis with Professor Gail Kelly ’55 [anthropology 1960–2000] on millennial movements among the Maori of New Zealand. While at Reed, he hosted a radio show on KRRC, wrote a column for the Quest, and greatly enjoyed brandishing his rapier wit in seminars, in the Paradox, and in the bars of Portland. After graduating from Reed, Matt pursued his ambition to be a “scholarly gentleman of leisure,” doing graduate work in anthropology, law, ancient Greek and Hebrew, philosophy, and Christian history—most recently at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. At the time of his death he was writing a paper on Baruch Spinoza's Hebrew Grammar, in which he argued that Spinoza's unique approach to Hebrew grammar intentionally conveyed his equally unique approach to epistemology and metaphysics. Matt was a consummate craftsman, and built remarkable creations for his family and installed hardwood floors with artistry. As the owner of Fundamental Floors in San Anselmo, he became a “self-conscious capitalist,” says Tracy Luks ’94—Matt's former spouse and mother of two of his daughters—who provided the details for this memorial. “While not his passion, entrepreneurship satisfied his need to provide for the children he adored, gave him the opportunity to pass on his skills to his Malaysian apprentice, and allowed him to impart historic and literary facts to unsuspecting clients. Further, he took comfort in the fact that Baruch Spinoza ground lenses to support himself.” His avocations included running, mountain climbing, baking, photography with his vintage Rolleiflex medium format camera, occasional preaching, and reading. Tracy notes that Matt was absolutely crazy about each of his children, and often claimed that his family of five girls was the great accomplishment of his life. “They have inherited a legacy of literary passion, arcane vocabulary, and enormous generosity of spirit.” Throughout his adulthood, he struggled with the diseases of bipolar disorder and addiction. While this struggle ultimately ended with his death from a drug overdose, he was clean from drugs for over seven years, and his own recovery and service to those struggling with addiction was central to his identity. For more information, and to share stories and condolences, please visit this . Survivors include his companion, Lynn Hinck; his three daughters, and two stepdaughters; his parents; and two brothers.
Warren John Rackham ’74
Warren John Rackham ’74, April 28, 2009, in Portland. John received a BA in political science from Reed. He studied bronze casting, intaglio printmaking, real stone lithography, and drawing at Portland State University, and had a successful career as a sculptor in New York, where he taught at the Sculpture Center, held exhibitions, received commissions, and also served on the board of the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. In 1990, he married Margaret Cairo; the couple moved to Portland to raise their daughter. In Portland, John worked as a contractor. Survivors include his wife, daughter, and two brothers.
Helena Margaret Gannon Rivoire ’37
Helena Margaret Gannon Rivoire ’37, February 10, 2010, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Helena lived in Washington and Minnesota before moving to Portland and enrolling at Reed. After two years at the college, she transferred to University of California, Berkeley, where she received a BA and MA in French, and a certificate of librarianship, and met Jean A. Rivoire, whom she married. The couple spent several years in Panama, then moved to France and studied at La Sorbonne in Paris. Jean accepted a position in the French department at Bucknell University and the couple settled in Lewisburg. Following her husband's death in 1957, Helena became a librarian at Bucknell's Bertrand Library, and was appointed chief of technical services in 1969. She was well read, had a passion for travel, and enjoyed theatre, music, and the intellectual challenge of acquiring new languages and solving crossword puzzles. Survivors include her daughter and two granddaughters. Her son predeceased her.
Elizabeth Catlin Rogers Walker ’42
Elizabeth Catlin Rogers Walker ’42 and staff member, February 17, 2010, at home in Portland. Betty grew up hiking and riding horses with her sisters on Mount Hood, where her father built and ran both Mount Hood Lodge and the Cloud Cap Inn in 1917-25, and her mother ran the lodge summer camp. Betty spent two years at Reed, and after World War II married Thomas Graham Walker ’47. She raised a family in Portland's Sabin neighborhood and was active throughout her life in the neighborhood's association. She volunteered for many organizations, including Reading Tree, the Irving Park Committee, the Democratic Party, and the League of Women Voters. In 1990, she received the Northeast Coalition award for 25 years of volunteer service. Betty also worked in Reed's Hauser Library for over 20 years. Survivors include a son, two daughters, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and her sister.
Alice Catherine Reckard Corbett ’44
Alice Catherine Reckard Corbett ’44, May 4, 2010, in Portland. Alice attended Reed for two years and then earned a BS in education from the University of Oregon in 1947. She taught at Woodlawn School, and while taking classes at the Art Museum School, she met engraver James J. Corbett; they married in 1948. Alice and her mother operated a hardware store, which they sold in 1960. In 1958, she entered politics as a staunch Democrat. She was elected to the Oregon State Senate (1958–66) and the Multnomah County Commission (1975–78) and was a national Democratic committeewoman for 16 years. Her time at Reed forged a lifelong connection to the college, which she expressed in volunteer hours and financial support. “Although I completed my bachelor's in education at the University of Oregon, I never forgot Reed,” she said. “While there I would sometimes study with sorority friends from other colleges. They started asking me questions, and I guess the answers were good because next time they crowded around and asked more and more—in subjects I wasn't even taking! I soon saw that I was learning so much more than my friends at other schools.” Alice's husband died in 2001.
Ann Bradley Rogers Stamps ’45
Ann Bradley Rogers Stamps 45, March 3, 2000, in Florida. Ann attended Bennington College and Reed before leaving to marry James B. Stamps ’43, with whom she raised two sons and a daughter. She later completed her undergraduate studies in English at the University of New Hampshire and received an EdD from Boston University. For 20 years, she lived in Boston and West Newton and served as aide to Massachusetts state senator Jack Backman. She helped found and sustain the New Hampshire Music Festival, and was a benefactor and board member for the organization for many years. She also supported a number of other organizations, including those focused on education, conservation, hunger, and peace.
Valerie B. Strahl Rabe ’48
Valerie B. Strahl Rabe ’48, February 9, 2010, at home in Hillsboro, Oregon. Valerie attended Reed and the University of Oregon, and worked at the Kaiser and Oregon shipyards and with the Red Cross canteen corps during World War II. She married Ronald C. Rabe in 1947. Living in Hillsboro, Valerie was active in the PTA, the League of Women Voters, and the Hillsboro Jaycettes. She traveled to 48 countries and pursued hobbies in gardening and genealogy. Survivors include two sons, three daughters, 16 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and a sister.
Gail Naomi Ryba ’84
Gail Naomi Ryba ’84, May 7, 2010, at home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from cancer. Gail earned a BA from Reed and a PhD from CalTech in chemistry before entering a postdoctoratal program at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque. She left Sandia in 1999, taking a position as New Mexico representative for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. She then joined the New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, where she served as executive director. Gail was cofounder of the Sandia Bicycle Commuters Group and founder of Albuquerque's first bicycle advocacy group, the Greater Albuquerque Spokes People. “I've always liked to think Portland and Seattle positively influenced and educated my pro-bicycling and pro-environmental values,” she said. The League of American Bicyclists presented her with the 2009 Phyllis Harmon Volunteer Award for her bicycle advocacy, and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson recognized her as a leading voice in promoting bicycling for transportation in the state, proclaiming March 4 as “Ride Your Bicycle in Honor of Gail Ryba Day.” Gail and Tom Robey were married in Santa Fe in 2000. They had one daughter, Lynn. Survivors include Tom and Lynn, and Gail's mother, two brothers, and sister. Her public obituary stated: “Gail's vibrant smile, keen mind, joyful spirit, and melodious voice will remain in the hearts of all the many who knew and admired her.” Best friend Kim Taylor ’84 directs others to the Facebook page Fans of Gail Ryba. “I hope fellow Reedies will join me in celebrating Gail's life and her contributions to all of us.
Catherine Mary Caroline Roguska Murphy Riniker ’80
Catherine Mary Caroline Roguska Murphy Riniker ’80, March 11, 2010, in Kennewick, Washington, from cancer. Cait went to high school in Juneau, Alaska, and attended four other colleges before enrolling at Reed, where she earned a BA in history. Later she worked as a writer in Portland and Juneau, traveled to Ireland, and then moved to Chicago to be with her mother. She spent five years in Chicago, working with developmentally disabled adults. In 1987, she married Lance Riniker. The couple moved to the Washington state Tri-Cities two years later, and Cait worked for Tri-City Residential Services, Carondelet, Trend College, and the Benton-Franklin Dispute Resolution Center. Survivors include her husband and daughter, and four brothers.
Beatrice E. Radding Matin ’35
Beatrice E. Radding Matin ’35, January 17, 2011, in Portland.Beatrice attended Reed for one year. She was a licensed real estate broker, and shared a realty business with (David) Danny Matin, whom she married in 1945. She served on the Women's Council of Realtors, including a stint as president, and was director of the Oregon Association of Realtors. In 1989, the Portland Board of Realtors named her realtor of the year. Beatrice was also a volunteer for the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. She had one son.
Elizabeth Redfield Marsh ’45
Elizabeth Redfield Marsh ’45, October 10, 2009, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Elizabeth came from a family devoted to science. (Her father, Alfred Redfield, made significant contributions to the field of meteorology.) She attended Reed for two years and married Charles R. Marsh in 1943. Twenty years later, she earned a BS and PhD in geography from Penn State. Elizabeth was instrumental in founding Stockton State College in New Jersey, which she said was modeled after Reed. She taught environmental studies at Stockton and served as divisional chair of natural sciences and mathematics (1971-86). In retirement, she taught part-time at Bucknell University, volunteered with the Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyers Trust Account board, and was board president of Lewisburg Prison Project. She had three sons and one daughter.
Barbara Reid Dudman ’60
Barbara Reid Dudman ’60, April 4, 2011, in Portland.Barbara came to Reed from Huntington High School in California, where she had graduated with honors. At Reed, majoring in mathematics, she met Jack Dudman ’42 [mathematics and dean of students 1953-85]; they married in 1958 and were together until his death in 2008. She spent a year in southern Mexico on a Russell Sage Foundation Grant in 1961, and earned an MA from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1962. Their only child, a son, Joseph, was born two years later. In 1966–69, Barbara was an instructor in mathematics at Reed, and she taught mathematics at Catlin Gabel School, Parkrose Middle School, and Clackamas High School. The family hiked and camped and greatly enjoyed travels throughout western U.S. and in Europe. Survivors include Joseph, and Barbara's brother and sister.
Joanna H. Ramwell Arpee ’83
Jo Ramwell Arpee ’83 on the zip-line, showing that she remained a Reedie at heart.
Joanna H. Ramwell Arpee ’83, March 4, 2011, at home in Virginia, from ovarian cancer.Jo was born in England, attended high school in Virginia, rode her bike 900 miles across the Continental Divide, lived in France for a summer, and studied chemistry at the University of Virginia—all before transferring to Reed, where she earned a BA in English literature. Reed helped her to develop skills in critical thinking and in intelligent and thoughtful communication, she wrote. “It's hard to say who taught me more: my professors and the curriculum, or my wonderful classmates, housemates, and friends.” After graduation, Jo moved to the D.C. area, worked for a cancer research fundraising organization, and was a chef at a vegetarian restaurant. Soon thereafter, she joined St Margaret Episcopal Church, where she met her husband, John Arpee. Jo's passion for cooking and her concern for nutrition led her back to school to earn an MS in nutritional sciences from the University of Maryland in 1993. She was active in the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network and a frequent contributor to the Food Allergy News. Jo and John welcomed three children through adoption, Paul, Samuel, and James, and eventually settled in Herndon, Virginia, where she volunteered to “help Reedies find Reed” for the Admission Alumni Network. “Always eager to be involved, Jo served at every opportunity with love and enthusiasm, often in leadership roles,” John wrote. “Jo was never lukewarm and she was profoundly committed to other people. She used to say that acts of service are her love language. Judging by all her service, she had a lot of love, and, as her husband, I was greatly blessed. Jo will be missed, remembered and loved by all who knew her. Thank God her suffering is over and she is now at peace.”
Robin Ruppel-Kerr ’79
Robin Ruppel-Kerr ’79 (left) and Paula vanHaagen ’79, on the eastern edge of Tarangire National Park in September 2007, when the two summited Mt. Kilimanjaro together.
Robin Ruppel-Kerr ’79, April 20, 2012, at her home in Seattle, Washington, after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. Robin spent her early years in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where she developed a lasting love for mountains and the outdoors. She graduated from Reed with a BA in biology. Her sister, Wendy Ruppel ’82, wrote, “Robin loved Reed and brought away from her time there a thirst for learning, a love of biology, folk dance and calligraphy, and lifelong friendships.” After graduation, Robin enlarged on her passion for folk dance and music in a master’s program in folk arts at Duquesne University. She also conducted research on hypertension at Montefiore Hospital in New York City, where she met Timothy G. Kerr, whom she later married. This work led her back to school and to a master’s degree in environmental toxicology from the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. Robin worked in product safety for Bayer MaterialScience in Pittsburgh for 17 years, before her health forced her to return to the Pacific Northwest, where she could be cared for by family and friends. During remission from cancer, Robin climbed and reached the summits of Mount Rainier and Mount Kilimanjaro. She died with her sisters by her side. Robin is survived by her daughter, Kelsey; her parents; and her sisters, Wendy and Joanna, along with their spouses and children. She is remembered as a beautiful, strong, and courageous woman, who possessed a passion for life and a radiant smile.
Theodore Emanuel Reich ’51
Theodore Emanuel Reich ’51, July 16, 2013, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Olympia, Washington. Classic car enthusiast, sailor, mountaineer, investor, and philanthropist, Ted was one of the world’s foremost authorities on Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars. His fascination with automobiles began in early childhood. His father, a surgeon in Cleveland, Ohio, taught Ted to appreciate the design and details of fine motorcars, and Ted was enthralled when his cousin from England arrived at the Reich home in a Bentley. “By the time I was four, I could tell a Duesenberg from a Cadillac.” Ted came to Portland to attend Reed, where he earned a BA in psychology. “I viewed my years at Reed as positive in virtually all respects,” he said later. A competitive athlete in high school, Ted loved mountain climbing and skiing in the Pacific Northwest. He hiked to the summits of the Cascade Range and climbed Mount Hood seven times. On his 21st birthday, he climbed the Matterhorn in Switzerland. At Reed, he joined the Boar’s Head Ensemble and faithfully sang at the annual holiday party for 65 years. A year after his graduation, Ted married Gloria C. Erickson ’54 in the Eliot Hall chapel. He worked in insurance sales, and the couple lived in Cleveland and Philadelphia before moving back to Portland, where Ted worked in Reed’s development office (1960–65). In 1966, he joined Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker, advancing to the position of vice president before his retirement in 1991. Ted joined Reed’s board of trustees in 1982 and served until 1997, when he retired as trustee emeritus. He also served as director of the alumni association in the ’60s and volunteered for the alumni career network. In addition to Reed, his philanthropic activities included Friends of the Gallery, Northwest Loaves and Fishes, the City Club of Portland, Temple Beth Israel, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In 2013, he received the Foster-Scholz Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Reed and to the Portland community. Ted and Gloria were members of the Portland Yacht Club and spent many happy hours sailing and racing their sloop on the Columbia River. In 1973, Ted proudly raced with several friends in Nimble in the Transpac race from Los Angeles to Hawaii. In addition to yachting, Ted was fascinated by the preservation of classic cars; he restored and drove many classics and especially enjoyed researching the history of each car. “These cars are really living entities. We’re just the custodians.” Ted and Gloria were intrigued by Rolls-Royces and participated in tours, shows, meets, and rallies around the world. In 2007, they raced one of their cars in the Mille Miglia Storica 1000-mile rally in Italy. Ted served on the board of directors of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club and the regional board of the Classic Car Club of America and was president of the Historical Automobile Club of Oregon. Throughout his life, Ted enjoyed sharing the things he loved with his family and friends, to whom he was devoted. Survivors include Gloria, son David and daughter Evelyn, four grandchildren, and a brother.
Waldo Rasmussen ’54
Waldo Rasmussen ’54, August 15, 2013, in New York City, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. A native of Tekoa, Washington, whose father was a Native American, Waldo worked at the Portland Art Museum while he was at Reed, where he earned a BA in general literature and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He attended graduate school at the Institute of Fine Arts in New York and then joined the Museum of Modern Art, where he worked on the preparation and circulation of traveling exhibitions and became director of the department of circulating exhibitions in 1962. The experience, he said, “made me understand what it felt like to see exhibitions and original works of art for the first time after having seen them in reproductions only—away from the ‘center.’ It’s shaped the way I’ve always worked.” When the International Program became an independent department in 1969, Waldo was appointed to direct it. He organized the first exhibitions of modern American art to be sent abroad, an experience that he cited among the high points of his career. His landmark exhibition was Two Decades of American Paintings 1945–65 and American Abstract Expressionists, and he assembled the most extensive survey of modern Latin American art in the exhibition Latin American Artists of the Twentieth Century. He retired in 1994. In addition to his work in art, he enjoyed classical music, dance and theatre performances, and film. Waldo and Gail Marie (Geraldine) Preston ’52 were married in 1953 and had a son and daughter. Waldo is survived by his life companion and spouse, John Dowling; his son; and three grandchildren.
Kathryne Joan Risberg MAT ’64
Kathryne Joan Risberg MAT ’64, October 9, 2013, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Joan was an undergraduate at the University of Oregon, leaving to marry E. Vernon Risberg and to raise a family, which included a son and two daughters. She resumed her studies at Portland State University, completing a BA in 1963, and then enrolled in the master’s program at Reed in English and social studies. Joan taught both subjects for 25 years at Madison and Cleveland high schools in Portland. “My experiences at Reed greatly broadened my outlook on life,” she wrote in 1994. “I hope that I have been able to pass this open attitude on to students I have had—even to others in my life.” She remembered particularly class with Kenneth Hanson [English 1954–86], who “made poetry sing,” and a favorite instructor was Richard Jones [history 1941–86]—“I still feel lucky to have known him and to have taken a class from him.” Joan and Vern traveled throughout the world, and enjoyed spending time at their cabin in Rockaway Beach on the Oregon coast. They were married for 54 years. Survivors include her children, seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and two sisters.
Carol Crowther Richards ’52
Carol Crowther Richards ’52,December 2012, in Aurora, Oregon.Carol attended Reed for one year and continued her studies at the University of Washington, UC Irvine, and the Claremont School of Theology. She was director of education for the Riverside district of the United Methodist Church and lived in Redlands, California. Carol married John A. Richards, a mechanical engineer who died in 2009. They had three sons.
Florence Kerr Riddle ’51
Florence Kerr Riddle ’51,October 22, 2013, in Portland.
Granddaughter of Reed trustee James Kerr [1914–30], daughter of Katharine Kerr Riddle ’21 and Matthew Riddle ’17 [biology and health services 1917–41, regent 1947–51, trustee 1951–56], and sister to Elizabeth Riddle Jackson ’47, Florence was preordained to be a Reedite, she said in an interview in 2007. Which was just as well—for her, Reed was a paradise.
Donald Elliott Rehfuss ’53
Donald Elliott Rehfuss ’53,March 18, 2012.Don earned a BA from Reed and a PhD from the University of Oregon in physics, and taught at San Diego State University from 1962 to 2004. He was the father of two daughters and two sons.
Vern Rutsala ’56
Vern Rutsala at his last public reading Photo by Maxine Scates
Vern Rutsala, a major, if underrecognized, American poet, died in Portland on April 2, at the age of 80. His books were widely praised, and his penultimate collection The Moment’s Equation was a finalist for the National Book Award, but his many honors were ultimately unequal to his accomplishments.
Having lived all his life in the Pacific Northwest—far from the publishing centers and reputation mills of the East Coast—Vern made a virtue of obscurity. Working at a constant rate, and opening veins of rich, dark ore, his subjects were the daily weather of our lives, the small victories and defeats of mislabeled “common folk.”
Seth Douglass Roberts ’74
Seth Douglass Roberts ’74,April 26, 2014, in Berkeley, California, from heart failure.Seth earned a BA from Reed in psychology and a PhD in experimental psychology from Brown. He was a tenured professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, served on the editorial advisory board of the scientific journal Nutrition, and published dozens of articles on topics such as health, nutrition, and weight control. Articles about his work appeared in the New York Times, Harper’s, and major scientific journals, including Science and Behavioral and Brain Sciences. He was well known for his book The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight-Loss Plan (2006), but better known for his work in self-experimentation and as a pioneer in the Quantified Self movement, which he shared at Seth’s Blog: Personal Science, Self-Experimentation, Scientific Method (blog.sethroberts.net). He also published an additional book, The Science of One. In 2008, he retired from Berkeley as an emeritus professor and joined the faculty in psychology at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Seth collapsed while hiking near his home in Berkeley. Informing the college of Seth’s death, Prof. Allen Neuringer [psychology 1970–2008] stated, “Seth and I coauthored a chapter on self-experimentation. He’s had a major impact on the developing fields of self-experimentation and quantified self. He was brilliant and deeply committed to helping people better their lives. He’ll be missed by many throughout the world.” Survivors include his mother, Justine Roberts, and sister Amy Rogers.
Sharon L. Millman Rawley ’64
Sharon L. Millman Rawley ’64, December 8, 1986, following a long illness. Sharon earned a BA in general literature from Reed and an MA in English at Columbia University. She worked as a computer programmer for Nassau County, New York. In the mid-’70s, she married James M. Rawley ’64, and they had a daughter, Eve. The family settled in Redlands, California, in the ’80s.
Frank Ian Rabwin ’64
Frank Ian Rabwin ’64, November 4, 1991, in Los Angeles, California. Frank attended Reed in 1960–62. He came from a well-known Southern California family—his father, Mark Rabwin, was a noted surgeon who treated most of Hollywood’s celebrities. Little is known of Frank’s life after leaving Reed, except that he lived in various Los Angeles-area locations in the ’80s. [Compiled by Leslie Mueller Stewart ’64 from various sources, August 2014.]
Rachel Olive Riches Gordon ’43
Rachel Olive Riches Gordon ’43,December 5, 2013, in Atlanta, Georgia.The daughter of Oregon pioneers, Rachel followed cousins Naomi Riches ’17, Hermione Riches ’23, and Cromwell Riches ’25 to Reed. She earned a BA in sociology during three years of study at the college, and though she moved from the state, her Riches family ties drew her back to Oregon for many reunions, and she did have the opportunity to attend her 50th class reunion at Reed. Rachel met Robert L. Gordon while he was serving in the army. They married in 1943 and were together until his death in 1982. They made a home in Richmond, Virginia, where he worked as a nursing home administrator, and they raised their children, Robert and M’Ellen. Rachel was a generous donor to Reed and a community volunteer in all places she lived. She moved to Georgia to be nearer to her daughter, who survives her, as do her son and a nephew. “She was a one-of-a-kind person and will be greatly missed.”
Charlotte Russell McCalley MAT ’65
Charlotte Russell McCalley MAT ’65,May 24, 2013, in Riverside, California.A graduate of Washington College in chemistry in 1941, Charlotte came to Reed for the master’s in teaching program, supported by an NSF grant, and focused her study on mathematics. She was married to Laurence E. McCalley and had two sons.
Annie Laurie Malarkey Rahr ’53
Annie Laurie Malarkey Rahr ’53,December 8, 2014, Long Lake, Minnesota, following a brief illness.Laurie was the daughter of Susan Tucker Malarkey ’25 and Thomas B. Malarkey ’23. Her brother John T. Malarkey ’52 also attended Reed. Laurie earned a BA from Reed in general literature. Her thesis, “Lawrence’s Theory of the Novel: An Examination of Women in Love,” was completed with Prof. Robert Hivnor [English 1952–53]. She went on to earn an MA in comparative literature at the University of Washington. At the university she met Guido R. Rahr Jr. They married and lived in Portland; Guido served on Reed’s board of trustees in 1959–65. In 1971, they moved to Minnesota with their family of five children. Laurie had a vast knowledge of literature, music, theatre, and art. She also painted throughout her life. She was passionate about the environment and supported and served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Children’s Theatre Company and the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library. Other family members with a Reed connection included her cousin Stoddard Malarkey ’55, his wife, Deirdre Malarkey ’57, and their two sons, Gordon Malarkey ’84 and Peter Malarkey ’86. Laurie’s uncle Henry Cabell also served on Reed’s board of trustees and Laurie was married briefly to Prof. Stanley W. Moore [philosophy 1948–54]. “Of all the schools our large family has attended, Reed’s performance is the best,” Laurie stated. “This kind of education made me a lifetime student.” Survivors include three daughters and two sons and 11 grandchildren. Guido died in 2005.
David A. Ross ’53
David A. Ross ’53,November 22, 2014, in Astoria, Oregon.David came to Reed in 1949—his studies interrupted by service in the Oregon National Guard during the Korean War. Following the war, he returned to the college and then went on to earn a degree in civil and structural engineering at Purdue University. He also completed a master’s degree at the University of Washington. We read that David enjoyed a varied and interesting career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working on many large projects including the Lost Creek Dam and Fish Hatchery in Southern Oregon. He and Dorinne Rupprecht were married in 1955; they had four children, and later divorced. David volunteered as a leader for his sons’ Boy Scout troops and he taught his children a full range of home-remodeling skills. He also was a master gardener. David and Sharron Emery married in 1979 and lived in Forest Grove, Oregon, for more than 35 years, moving to Astoria in 2012. Survivors include Sharron, a daughter and three sons, eight grandchildren, and a sister.
Dorothy Jean Robinson Ainslie ’46
Dorothy Jean Robinson Ainslie ’46,March 27, 2015, in Spokane, Washington.Dorothy was valedictorian of her graduating class at Walla Walla High School. She attended Reed for two years, focused on art, and served on the Griffin staff. She completed a BFA at Fort Wright College of the Holy Names in 1977, having also taken art courses at Washington State University in the ’60s. Her landscape paintings were in juried art shows at the Seattle Art Museum, and the Cheney Cowles Museum, and in other shows in Washington and California. She also sculpted and made quilts. Dorothy and John Ainslie were married in 1944 and had three children. Survivors include her daughter and sons, five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and a sister and brother. “Having attended Reed has opened a lot of doors for me all my life,” Dorothy wrote in 1994. “It’s a great name to drop.”
Dario Michael Raschio MA ’49
Dario Michael Raschio MA ’49,April 5, 2015, in Portland.The son of Italian immigrants, Dario graduated from Oregon State College in 1938 and taught high school science until enlisting in the navy and serving as a pilot in the Pacific. In 1944, he was shot down while operating a floatplane and was rescued by a U.S. Navy destroyer, whose crew spotted a shark circling below the wreckage on which Dario and his crewmate floated. After the war, Dario married Maria Dardano and built a home in Eastmoreland, where they raised their three children. After earning an MA from Reed, Dario taught at Franklin High School, covering the subjects biology, chemistry, physics, aeronautics, and driver’s ed. A “dapper dresser,” he augmented his teacher’s salary by selling men’s suits at Meier & Frank. He grew tomatoes; was a runner; played tennis, racquetball, and handball; and he loved to dance. He was active in the parish of St. Michael the Archangel Church, having been baptized, confirmed, and married there. At the age of 100, he was honored for his heroic war service by Oregon senator Ron Wyden. Dario is survived by a son and two daughters, including Pamela Brown MAT ’69; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and his dance partner and companion, Karyn Conlon.
Alfred Cecil Hughes Rhodes ’51
Alfred Cecil Rhodes Hughes ’51,May 1, 2014, in Los Altos, California, following a long illness.Hailing from New York, Fred served in the army before coming to Reed. He majored in psychology and wrote a thesis on the Bellevue scale with Prof. Frederick A. Courts [psychology 1945–69]. Fred earned an MD from Washington University in St. Louis and did an internship and residency in pathology at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles and at Highland View Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1964, he and his wife, Danish nurse Else Bertelsen, and their two children moved to California, where Fred directed physical medicine at El Camino Hospital. He later opened a private practice in electromyography diagnostics. Fred and Else were married for 56 years and enjoyed performances at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Survivors include his wife, son, and daughter.
Richard C. Roistacher ’65
Dick came to Reed from Chevy Chase, Maryland, and majored in psychology. His thesis, “Automatic Intravenous Injection: A Manual for the Experimenter,” was completed with Prof. William J. Devery [psychology 1963–70]. During his years at Reed, he was involved in theatre, helping to create costumes for a 1961 production of Peer Gynt, for example, and performing in The Beggars Opera. He was also active in the Reed Gun Club (see “A Bomb in the Basement”).
Influential in his college and later years was Prof. John Hancock [chemistry 1955–89]. Dick earned an MS in psychology from Purdue University, followed by a PhD in social psychology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He wrote to the college: “While in graduate school I was one of those who wandered into the computing center and never came back. I began as an academic, a research assistant professor at the Center for Advanced Computation at the University of Illinois, where for seven years I published and perished. My area of interest was computer-mediated human communication, which was adjudged by sociology not to be sociology and by computer science as not really computer science. After realizing that I was not about to grab the brass ring of life at Urbana-Champaign, I took my externally funded research group to Washington, D.C., and began a three-year mini-career as a beltway bandit, working on government grants and contracts.”
Evan Stuart Rose ’86
An architect whose innovative view of urban design and passion for life inspired students, colleagues, and friends, Evan fought a rare form of cancer for eight years.
“It’s cliché to say that somebody’s battle was ‘brave,’ but in Evan’s case, it was brave, honorable, public—nothing like I could even imagine for myself,” wrote John Manzo ’86. “A couple of weeks ago he posted pics of himself with his beautiful little son in the new wheelchair that, he wrote, his son had chosen for him. It was sweet and heartbreaking and honest and loving.”
David Lynn Ranals ’79
David attended Reed for a year and also studied at Evergreen College and Denver University. He earned an MA from the University of Redlands and Cambridge University, and worked in project management and facilities operations. He also established several successful real estate and consulting businesses. David is remembered for having an exceptional intelligence and a wicked sense of humor. He was a gifted artist and designer who enjoyed cooking, gardening, and international travel. Survivors include his brother, Jim; and sisters Linda, Tammy, and Sharon Ranals ’76.
Kate Rogers McCarthy ’39
Environmentalist Kate McCarthy, who successfully fought to protect Mount Hood’s fragile ecosystem from development, was always connected to the land she grew up on.
Born to Homer and Elizabeth Smith Rogers in 1917, Kate spent much of her youth on the family’s property four miles south of Parkdale, Oregon, in the shadow of Mount Hood, where she spent countless hours hiking and riding horses through the meadows and forests.
Phyllis Bullington Riddell-Shapiro ’42
The daughter of Frank and Sylvia Bullington, Phyllis was born on the first day of spring, March 21, 1919. The promise of spring blossomed into her irrepressible optimism and celebrated smile. When she was two, the family moved from Portland, Oregon, to Kansas City. They were living in Los Angeles when her mother died in 1937, followed a year later by her father. Phyllis moved to Portland to study at Reed, majoring in literature. She did not graduate, marrying Robert Riddell in 1942. The couple had four children, and in 1988 Robert died. Phyllis married Robert Shapiro in 2004, and he died three years later.
Her companion, Joseph Bashlow, survives her, as well as her children, Stephen Riddell (Diane Chellis), James Riddell (Penny), Cathy Riddell (Diane Wells), and Susan Hill (Gary); six grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Susan Sonia Grover Rumley ’43
She was the youngest of seven children born to Abraham and Sadie Grover. With Abraham’s slender income as a carpenter, there was never enough food on the table, and Susan developed a lifelong interest in nutrition, food, and food preparation.
She never liked the name Sonia, and throughout grade school and high school went by “Sonie.” In 1938, she started at Reed—attending for only one year. For the rest of her 96 years she would tout the value of a college diploma. She regretted not completing her college education, but maintained her own higher education had come through self-direction.
In 1942, she met and married the love of her life, a Portland bus driver named Lynn Rumley. Daughter Linda was born the next year and the family moved to Boise, Idaho, where Lynn worked as a long haul truck driver. Three more children were born, Stephen, Stuart, and Nancy. For 12 years Sonia made sure the family was comfortable in a house that seemed to be perpetually under construction. Linda married and in 1962 the family decided to move to greener pastures in California. San Jose held the promise of better job opportunities and affordable college educations for the kids. Sonia and Lynn were determined that their children would enjoy opportunities the two of them never had. That year, Sonia changed her name to Susan.
Bonnie Robison ’49
Fifty years after she graduated from Reed, Bonnie recalled, “Reed demanded that I stretch my mind and do my best. It was a pleasure to learn and that has always remained with me.”
Born in Portland, she was the daughter of William and Eda Souther. Hers was the first class to enter Reed after World War II, and she was in awe of her classmates who were veterans. Majoring in chemistry, she wrote her thesis, The preparation and identification of 1-chloro-2 methylnaphthalene with Prof. Josef Bunnett [chemistry 1946-52].
Justin Conner Radtke ’13
Justin was struck by a street sweeper as he ran from the median of a North Carolina highway into the travel lanes.
Justin graduated from Durham Academy and attended Duke before transferring to Reed where he earned a degree in Russian Literature. He wrote his thesis, Vasily Zhukovsky’s Ballads: Their Themes and Christian-Spiritual Meanings, with his adviser, Prof. Evgenii Bershtein [Russian 1999–].
John William Redford ’89
The first of three children, Bill was born to Lyman and Edith Redford in Tacoma, Washington. During World War II, he served as a medic in the surgical department in a military hospital in Fairbanks, Alaska. He was married to Harriet Reed for 56 years and they had one son, Steven. Bill received a BA in mathematics from Walla Walla College and later attended Reed, Portland State University, and Andrews University.
A longtime educator, he loved teaching in both public and private schools in Oregon and Washington. After retiring, he continued to teach on a volunteer basis until he was 86. He also drove a school bus, where he enjoyed seeing the kids every day. After Harriet passed, he married Angie Sayler in 2004, gaining three stepdaughters: Cindy, Julienne, and Shelley. They survive Bill, as well as his son, Steven (Dora Sue); sister, Ruth; four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
Louise Root Godfrey ’35
In the last years of her life, Louise would use her walker to trek up the hall of the residential care facility to gaze at the mountain framed in the picture window of the library. It was good exercise and brought to mind the many times the centenarian had hiked Mt. Hood. The granddaughter of an Oregon pioneer, Louise had a college-educated mother and a father who hadn’t gotten past the sixth grade. Because her father was widely read, he considered himself well educated and espoused the belief that if there was something in this world more important than education, he didn’t know what it was.
In her own schooling, Louise was always on a fast track. “I was brought up to learn and not fool around,” she said. By the time she started grammar school in Hermiston, Oregon, she already knew how to read, write, and do additions. She was placed in the third grade. After the family moved to Portland, she was skipped from the fourth grade to the fifth and graduated from high school at the age of 15.
Louise started Reed in 1931, during the depths of the Depression, paying her tuition with a $100 gold piece she had won in a state chemistry contest. Perhaps owing to the fact she had been editor of her high school annual, registrar Margaret Scott ’19 asked the 15-year-old girl if she’d like to be the campus correspondent for The Oregonian and she accepted the job. Over the next two years she turned Reed events into column inches. As a day dodger she could earn a PE credit by walking from campus to her family home on Mount Tabor. Later in life, when she’d see children with backpacks she’d think, “Gee, I wish they had invented those in 1931!”
Oren Richards ’45
Born in Portland, Oren lost his mother when he was four years old. After graduating from Washington High School, he attended business school, where he met the love of his life, Patricia Milne, and the two married in 1945.
Oren’s father convinced him to abandon ideas of pursuing a basketball scholarship and he entered Reed in 1940, where he excelled. The following year he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve as an apprentice seaman, continuing his studies at Reed, where he earned his degree in biology. He went on to medical school at the University of Oregon, and obtained his MD while continuing to serve in the Navy. After completing his residency at Providence Hospital, he served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, commanding the hospital at Mather Air Force Base. Returning to Portland, he practiced internal medicine at Providence Hospital, retiring at the age of 80. He loved medicine, and knowing that he could make a difference in the lives of his patients made him the doctor people wanted at their sides in times of need. He was instrumental in setting up teaching programs for new doctors at Providence, and taught at the medical school for 20 years as a volunteer.
Pauline Ratner Foster ’55
Pauline defined her life by giving. She donated millions of dollars to a variety of San Diego institutions, especially ones reflecting her passions for education, art, and health care. She served on the boards of numerous community organizations, and was the first woman president of the United Way, the United Jewish Federation, and the Jewish Community Foundation.
“Pauline’s quiet strength and caring support touched the hearts and changed the lives of people throughout our community,” said Hugh Davies, director and CEO of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
James Robertson ’51
October 31, 2016, in Ashland, Oregon.
A psychology professor at Southern Oregon University, James was a political activist who cared deeply for the environment and equal rights for women and children.
He was the son of Alice and James Robertson, attending Reed for only a year, where he lunched at commons with movers and shakers during the spring earthquake of 1949—a 7.1 centered outside Olympia, Washington.
Marie Rering Witt ’69
Marie was born in The Hague, Netherlands, to Dr. Clifford Rering and his wife, Marie, a registered nurse who graduated from Stanford University. After World War II, the family moved to California, where Marie’s sister, Charlotte, and brother, Johan, were born. Marie completed grade school in Ukiah, where she was also a helper in her father’s radiology practice.
When she was 12, she was sent to a Dutch/English boarding school. By the time she was 16 years old, the whole family had moved to Zeist, Netherlands, and Marie attended the International High School in The Hague. She studied mathematics for a year at Utrecht University, and then without ever visiting the campus beforehand, transferred to Reed. Although she had funds, Marie worked as a secretary for the chemistry department and as a babysitter for her psychology adviser. She wrote her thesis, “Behavior Modification of a Disruptive Five-Year-Old in a Head Start Program,” with her advisor, Prof. Carol Creedon [psychology 1957–91].
Christopher W. Ryan Jr. ’57
Music was always the center of Chris’s professional and private life. He held advanced degrees in choral conducting and voice and was prepared for teaching at any level.
At Reed he majored in literature and wrote his thesis, “King Lear: A Study of Theme and Structure.” He went on to get a doctorate of musical arts from the University of Oregon. Chris became an accomplished church musician, and his employment with the First Congregational Church of Eugene, Oregon, gave him the opportunity to put on full-scale performances of the great liturgical works of Handel and Bach. After moving to Durango, he continued to be active musically until his retirement, after which his focus was chamber music, which he directed and enjoyed at home. Many musicians, both beginners and semiprofessionals, participated in the chamber music sessions in the Ryans’ living room. Following a disastrous fall from the roof of the house he built, he had an almost daily struggle with pain.
Alberta Vaillancourt Ruecker ’38
When Alberta was 13, her family moved from Roanoke, Virginia, to Portland. She graduated from Grant High School, attended Saint Helen’s Hall Junior College (now Oregon Episcopal School), and then attended Reed for one year. In 1942, she married Leonard Ruecker and the couple made their home in Seattle until moving to Aberdeen in 1955. They bought the Marshall Wells store, which later became Coast to Coast–Sunset Hardware & Appliance. Alberta taught Sunday school at the Calvary Lutheran Church, where she directed many Christmas programs and served as directress of the Altar Guild. She is survived by her son, Robert Ruecker, and daughter, Beverly Wick.
Jon Rowley ’69
Jon Rowley’s governing passion was a matter of taste. He awakened America’s gastronomical pleasures by championing fresh presentations of Copper River salmon and Puget Sound oysters. Though he was never a household name, his insights were celebrated by fishermen, growers, food purveyors, and writers. Saveur magazine deemed him “The Disciple of Flavor.” Julia Child called him “The Fish Missionary.” (For his wedding, she sent him a bunch of perfect bananas.) Another writer described Jon as a food astronaut who went where no one had gone before in a quest to make the commonplace extraordinary.
Born in Astoria, Oregon, Jon was raised in Valdez, Alaska, and Warrenton, Oregon. He possessed an epicurean sense of taste—even as a child he could detect notes of briar in his grandmother’s fresh-picked berry juice. His parents were both alcoholic, and to escape the boozy dramas of the family home, as a boy Jon began taking long walks and camping next to the ocean. He would take along a skillet and some butter, salt, and pepper, and forage in the jetties and tide pools to make meals of the fruits de mer (fruits of the sea). Enchanted by Mark Twain’s accounts of Huck Finn’s Mississippi River adventures, he dreamed of being a fisherman and drank in the stories of the fishermen that populated the docks near his home. Through his high school years, he made money working as a deckhand aboard Columbia River charter boats and with a fish-cleaning concession on the docks, gutting fish for a quarter apiece.
Mary Freeman Rosenblum ’74
March 11, 2018, in La Center, Washington, in a plane crash.
Award-winning author Mary Rosenblum, who also played a significant role in Oregon aviation—tirelessly advocating on behalf of pilots of light aircraft—died when her Piper Super Cub plane hit trees and crashed near Daybreak Field in Clark County, Washington.
Ben Howe Rowland ’07
June 14, 2018 in Washington, D.C., following a long struggle with depression.
Ben was a graduate of the Field School in Washington, D.C., before attending Reed, where he majored in sociology and wrote his thesis, “Out of Sight and Off the Streets: Risk and Enforcement in the Sex Industry,” with Prof. Marc Schneiberg [sociology 2000–] advising.
“Ben helped break a thesis mold in our department, combining interviews with advocates for sex workers with a meta-analysis of ethnographies of sex work to produce a wonderful thesis,” Schneiberg said. “In everything we did together, Ben engaged rather than went through motions, and I remember him especially for his sensitivity and compassion for those he studied, and for how he combined grace, care, thoughtfulness, and a wonderful sense of humor to work through and work me through a clear and unflinching view of world and its ways.”
Alice Rigby Carlson ’46
October 19, 2018, in Blue Ridge, Georgia, following a brief illness.
Alice was the eldest child of five born to Donald and Fern Rigby in Everett, Washington. After graduating from Everett High School, she attended Reed but transferred to the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Before finishing her degree, she met Arthur Carlson in Seattle, and they married in 1945 during his wartime service in the U.S. Navy. Following the war, they made their home in Anacortes, Washington, where they had three children. Arthur’s work in the building products industry moved the family to Rock Hill, South Carolina; New York City; and Marietta, Georgia.
Following years of volunteer work, Alice joined Harry Norman Realtors in Marietta, where she worked until her retirement at the age of 80. She was a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and served as president of the Georgia chapter. Her commitment to her family, church, and work exemplified her ability to successfully blend her varied interests and passions for living a full life.
Nancy Goodspeed Roche ’53
February 11, 2019, in Portland, Oregon.
Nancy started at Reed in 1947 as an English major. After two years she transferred to the University of Washington where she completed her bachelor’s degree. She returned to Reed to get her MALS in 1969. In addition to “really special people,” she remembered the sense of freedom and intellectual awakening that the college engendered.
Jane Shell Raymond ’59
December 16, 2018, in Panorama City, California, from septic shock.
Born in Portland, Oregon, to Stanley Shell and Katharine Galbraith Shell, Jane spent her early years in Wallowa in eastern Oregon. After losing her mother at age 6, Jane moved to Portland and lived under the care of her grandmother and her maternal aunt, Helen. She spent some vacations with her father (who suffered recurrent illnesses due to injuries sustained in World War I). Aunt Helen taught grammar school and encouraged Jane intellectually. When her grandmother passed away during her senior year of high school, Jane wished to continue living with her aunt.
Mark Redhead ’90
December 18, 2018, in Santa Monica, California, after a long illness.
A Santa Monica native, Mark studied political science at Reed, where he wrote his thesis, “A Communicative Transvaluation: Habermas in Light of Nietzschean and Marcusian Critique,” with Prof. Peter Steinberger [political science 1977–] advising. He continued on to study political science and philosophy at the New School in New York City, where he received both his master’s degree and his PhD.
Eva Ann Rydalch Dalton ’46
April 11, 2019, in Portland, of heart failure.
Born in Portland, Ann grew up in the Laurelhurst area. As a child, she traveled with her parents around the country, and these adventures instilled in her a love of travel. She gained a lifelong love of swimming from her father. In high school, her greatest wish was to study chemistry at Reed, which she did. She wrote her thesis, “The Growth of Microorganisms upon Lignin and Sulfite Waste Liquor,” advised by Prof. Arthur F. Scott [chemistry 1923–79].
Morton T. Rosenblum ’49
April 20, 2019, in Portland, Oregon.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Mort graduated at age 16 from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx and then completed the two-year program at the State Institute of Agriculture in Farmingdale, New York.
After working in agriculture in upstate New York during the first years of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at the Seattle Naval Air Station and the Astoria Naval Air Station. Unable to qualify as a pilot because of his poor eyesight, Mort was a Link trainer instructor, teaching pilots to fly in ground simulators, as well as a photographer.
Thomas Evans Robertson ’50
September 22, 2018, in Larkspur, California,
peacefully at home.
Known as Tomo to friends and family, Thomas was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in the village of Glendale, Ohio, where he dreamed of becoming a shortstop for his favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals. He left high school at 16 and entered St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, but his education was interrupted by World War II.
Carol Gilson Rosen ’60
August 19, 2019, in Ithaca, New York, from a heart attack.
A native Los Angeleno, Carol studied mathematics at Reed, where she met her husband, David Rosen ’60. Completing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Columbia University, she pursued graduate work in Italian and Romance philology at UC Berkeley and received a PhD in linguistics from Harvard University.
Virginia Sacressen Rausch ’50
August 5, 2019, in Bainbridge Island, Washington.
A dedicated and pioneering mammalogist, Reggie and her husband, Robert Rausch, began their careers studying the mammals and parasites of Alaska and ended their careers at the University of Washington and the Burke Museum in Seattle.
Robert Wells Ritchie ’57
July 15, 2019, in Palo Alto, California, from complications from Parkinson’s.
Originally from Alameda, California, Robert earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Reed, where he wrote his thesis, “Conditions for the Power-Associativity of Algebras,” with Prof. John Leadley [mathematics 1956–93] advising. After marrying, he went to Princeton, where he earned his PhD in three years. Bob joined the faculty at Dartmouth in 1960. Two years later, he returned west to Seattle and joined the faculty at the University of Washington, first as a professor of mathematics. He helped found the Department of Computer Science at the University of Washington (which ultimately became the Paul G. Allen School).
Prof. Robert A. Rosenbaum [mathematics ’39–53]
December 3, 2017, in Delta, Colorado, at the age of 102.
Born in Milford, Connecticut, Prof. Rosenbaum came to his career in mathematics naturally. His father, Joseph Rosenbaum, had emigrated to the United States from Russia, went to Yale, where he earned a PhD in math, and then taught math at a private school. When Bob was a boy, Joseph would take him on long walks where he posed complicated math problems, such as “imagine the corners on a dodecahedron”—a solid figure with 12 flat faces. Bob would have preferred playing with friends, but grew to appreciate the challenge.
Janice Robinson Stevens ’44
November 27, 2019, at her home near Butteville, Oregon, of natural causes.
Born in Portland, Jan grew up in Portland’s Irvington neighborhood, attended Grant High School, and spent her freshman year at Willamette University. She transferred to Reed, following in the footsteps of her mother, Edna Shainwald ’18, and as a lifelong freethinker and iconoclast, Reed was the better fit. Jan wrote her thesis, “A Critical and Historical Analysis of Biological Thought,” with Professors Ralph W. Macy [biology 1942–55] and Charles A. Reed [biology 1943–46] advising.
Rebecca Richman ’14
November 29, 2019, in Seattle, Washington, after being struck by a car.
Rebecca roared into this world in the late hours of February 11, 1991, in Santa Monica, California. She arrived 31 minutes after the doctor left the hospital, predicting that it would be eight more hours before she would be born, and was delivered by her father and two nurses.
David Robinson Jr. ’50
David Robinson Jr. ’50 with sisters Jan Robinson Stevens ’44 (front) and Dorothy Robinson Freedman ’49
March 29, 2020, in McLean Virginia, of congestive heart failure.
David Robinson was a professor of law at George Washington University for nearly four decades and a former prosecutor who once argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Susan Danley Ruecker ’82
February 29, 2020, in Portland, of colon cancer.
Susan was an artist, pianist, dancer, healer, software engineer, and world-class troubleshooter. Her programs are still helping airplanes fly and corporations run flawlessly. Until the very end, she lived her life in accordance with her principles.
Fred Alan Rigby ’70
April 17, 2020, in Clancy, Montana.
Fred was the son of two Reed alumni, Fred D. Rigby ’35, who was a professor at Texas Tech University, and Vera Lenon Rigby ’37. He wrote his thesis, “Distribution Theory and the Laplace Transform,” with Prof. Edward Packel [mathematics 1967–71] advising. He was roommates for a year and a half with Maarten Ultee ’70, who recalled that “Fred was part of that remarkable cluster of geniuses and personalities in the class of 1970 that included Joseph Alex, Paul Jackson, Jeff Nakamura, Chris Price, Tom Findley, David Raich, Tracy Steelhammer, Steve Robinson, Linda Howard, Pat Mapps, Martha Downs, Loie Drew, Taz Wilson, and more that deserve mention.
“The science majors spent their evenings slaving over spreadsheets and slide rules. Pocket calculators and personal computers had not yet come into general use. Humanities majors read, read, and read some more, hoping that Reed would prepare them for graduate studies in history, law, medicine, and literature. I would return to our room after 1 a.m., past the witching hour of intervisitation, to find Fred and the gang hard at work with bright lights on and papers strewn everywhere. I had to ask: ‘What’s the matter, Fred? Did Dr. [Ken] Davis pile on the homework?’ ‘No,’ he groaned. ‘We’re just doing this for fun.’
Gerald H. Robinson ’48
November 13, 2020, in Portland.
Born in Portland, Gerald graduated from Lincoln High School, served in the U.S. Army, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Reed in political science.
James Rogers ’51
July 7, 2020, in Portland.
Born in Guernsey, Wyoming, James graduated from high school with an honors scholarship to the University of Wyoming. He served in the U.S. Army stationed in Japan after the bombing of Hiroshima. Returning stateside, he attended Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, and then transferred to Reed where he wrote his thesis, “The Centro-Surface of an Hyperboloid of Two Sheets,” with Prof. F.L. Griffin [math 1911–56]. He earned a master’s in mathematics at Oregon State University.
After teaching mathematics at Rainier and Cleveland high schools in Portland, Jim was hired as one of the first two math instructors at the new Portland Community College. During his teaching career, he coauthored more than 20 math textbooks. He is survived by his wife, Elinore; his sister, Norma; and four daughters.
Lainye Reich Heiles ’91
July 31, 2020, in Vancouver, Washington,
Lainye was born on New Year’s Day 1969, the oldest of three close-knit siblings. She discovered dance and the outdoors at a young age, the beginning of what would become a lifelong pursuit of movement and outdoor adventure. Lainye’s genius was her athleticism—moving consciously through space, creating beauty and expressing something from deep within herself.
She honed her gifts as a critical thinker, joyful dancer, and no-nonsense truth teller at Reed, where she surrounded herself with wonderful friends. A family member recalled, “She had a taste for high-quality individuals.” Her warm, magnificent smile was an invitation to swiftly reenter the generous and energetic connection she offered. Lainye wrote her thesis, “The Vietnam War and Filmic Event: The Deer Hunter, First Blood, and Platoon,” with Prof. Christopher Zinn [English 1985–92]. She chose the Reed front lawn as the location of her wedding to Tod Heiles, attended by many of her Reed friends.
Barbara Giblett Russell ’53
January 1, 2021, in Bellevue, Washington.
Barbara grew up on the shore of Puget Sound in Bremerton, Washington, and her entire life loved books, trees, and “the Bay.” At Reed, she wrote her thesis, “A Study of the Reactions of 3-Oxo-4-cyano-5-methyl-2-azabicyclo (3.3.1) Nonanol,” advised by Prof. Marshall Cronyn [chemistry 1952–89] as one of very few female chemistry majors.
George David Redpath ’71
March 4, 2021, at home in Portland.
David was a lifelong Portlander, but also a world traveler—visiting all seven continents and most countries in the world. He attended West Sylvan Middle School and Lincoln High. After earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon he earned a master’s in teaching at Reed. He continued his education when he trained in medicine in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
David spent his professional life in the Milwaukie High School English department where he was a positive influence in the lives of hundreds of students and adults. He loved his Doberman pinschers and all animals.
Mary Jane Robertson ’62
June 30, 2021, in West Palm Beach, Florida, following a series of strokes.
At Reed, Mary Jane majored in physics and wrote her thesis, “Thermoelectric Power in Silver Halides,” with Prof. Roland Hanson [physics 1960–63]. Among the lifelong friends she made at Reed were Linda Elmlund Mahoney ’61 and Susan Palo ’62. Mary Jane loved studying calligraphy with Prof. Lloyd Reynolds [art and English 1929–69] and for the rest of her life wrote her signature in an elegant chancery cursive.
She worked as a computer programmer in a number of California cities and Phoenix, Arizona, before finally settling in Key West, Florida, where she was captivated by the tropical climate and raffish bohemianism. She had for a time operated an independent bookstore in Detroit, and in Key West, Mary Jane worked in a bookstore, where she met and befriended the local clientele and many of the store’s visiting authors. Until the end, she made a weekly trek to the library, always returning with an armful of books. She is survived by her brother, Harry Robertson ’69
Mary McCain Rossborough ’49
September 21, 2021, in Danvers, Massachusetts.
During her childhood, Mary’s family moved frequently following her father’s work for the FBI. During the Second World War, they settled on a farm near Portland, but that early movement formed the backbone of Mary’s early education. By observing people in different parts of the country living under different conditions, she gained an appreciation and respect for the diversity in which we live.
Mary graduated early from Oregon City High School, and because her father was opposed to her going away to college, she started at Reed. It was not an easy adjustment.
Christopher Ray ’57
December 5, 2021, in Norwood, Pennsylvania.
When Christopher died just short of his 87th birthday, a friend noted, “it was like a great tree in the forest has fallen, or a column in the Parthenon.” For 49 years, he had been tucked away in an old house near Crum Creek Woods. There, he and his wife raised three daughters in a tree-filled oasis where pets roamed free amidst an ever-growing sculpture garden. Within the walls of his vast studio—equipped with overhead pulleys, tools, and heavy machinery—Chris fashioned exhibitions on prehistoric life, aerospace technology, economics, physics, electricity, ethnology, and Egyptian and Chinese culture as strains of classical music played in the background.
Chris enjoyed a Huck Finn childhood in Westport, Connecticut. As the son of landscape architects Jo and Eloise Ray, he went sailing with his father, collected hermit crabs, and got up to mischief with friends.
Alita Cavender Roberts ’51
December 14, 2021, in Modesto, California.
At Reed, Alita wrote her thesis, “The Taft Policy in the Philippines,” advised by Prof. Dorothy Johansen ’33 [history 1934–84] and met her future spouse, Lyman Roberts ’51. She was a planning commissioner for the City of Modesto and was active on the Girl Scouts Muir Trail Council board of directors, served on the Christ the King Episcopal Church vestry, and was on the board of directors for the League of Women Voters of Modesto. Predeceased by her husband, Lyman, and her son, Keith, she is survived by her daughter, Lisa Winger.
Fred Russell ’86
June 27, 2022, in Portland, Oregon.
Fred was born in Adel, Iowa, and from a young age was concerned with the state of the world. After reading Diet for a Small Planet as a teenager, he became a vegetarian and inspired his family to do the same. He graduated from high school and came to Reed. He loved Portland; appreciating the area’s great biking and organizations that support bicycles as transportation. He left Reed in his sophomore year, worked at the Bicycle Repair Collective for 18 years, then at Evermine Labels, and got his bachelor’s degree from Portland State University.
Prof. Dell Lynn Rhodes [psychology ’75–’06]
October 18, 2022, in White Salmon, Washington, from complications of a long-standing illness.
For 31 years, Prof. Dell Rhodes was a commanding force on Reed’s campus.
Timothy E. Rice ’57
September 14, 2022, in Manlius, New York, after a short illness.
At Reed, Timothy wrote his thesis, “The Changing Pattern of Soviet Foreign Economic Policy,” advised by Prof. Carl Stevens [economics 1954–90]. He went on to receive a master’s degree in economics from Yale University. Settling in Syracuse, New York, with his wife, Susan, he worked as a consultant in development economics and became a fixture in the local political scene as an outspoken advocate for social and civil rights. Timothy served 24 years as the 18th District Onondaga County legislator, during which time he held respected positions as majority and minority leaders of the Democratic legislative party. He loved serving his constituents in the Syracuse University area and, up until his death, was heavily involved with the Thornden Park Association. He enjoyed grant writing for multiple projects and organizations, including the Syracuse Housing Division.
Predeceased by his first wife, Susan Rice ’57, and his second wife, Joanne Kaplan, Timothy is survived by his children from his first marriage, Ethan Rice, Jason Rice, Aaron Rice, Jessica Rice, and Malaika Rice, and his stepchildren from his second marriage, Craig Kaplan, Cheryle Kaplan, and Wendy Kaplan-Emmons.
Gayle Rood Burnett ’59
October 3, 2022, in Portland, Oregon.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Gayle moved with her family to Portland, where she attended Lincoln High School and Reed. She married K. Philip Horine Jr., and they raised two children, Daniel and Annette. A devout Christian, Gayle was a longtime member of Cedar Mill Bible Church. She loved plants, was certified as a Master Gardener, and was known for her quick wit and infectious laugh. Gayle was preceded in death by her husband, Loy James Burnett, and son, Daniel Horine. She is survived by her daughter, Annette Coyle, and her sister, Peggy Horine.
Charles Frederick (Fred) Rogers ’66
October 20, 2022, in Boulder, Colorado.
Born in Vancouver, Washington, Fred was drawn to the sciences at an early age with dreams of helping fuel the glory of the space race. As a child he conducted many advanced science experiments and entered regional and national science fairs. When he was 13, he won the Northwest Science Exposition with an exhibit demonstrating the basic propulsion system of the Vanguard project, which was intended to launch the first artificial satellite into low Earth orbit using a Vanguard rocket.
Daniel J. Rankin ’06
March 11, 2023, suddenly and unexpectedly at home.
Dan was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. A graduate of Marin Catholic High School, Dan made Portland his home after attending , where he wrote his thesis on “The Unfinished: Symbol and Self in Poetry of William Butler Yeats,” advised by Prof. Ellen Keck Stauder [English 1983–2013]. In 2006 he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English. He received a master’s in education from the Special Education Dual Educator Program at Portland State University in 2013 and spent his professional life in service to the educational needs of underserved children and young adults, first as a special education teacher/specialist and most recently as the academic support and inclusion coordinator for the Community and Career Studies Program at PSU. At the time of his death, he was a doctoral student in special education.
Dan was an excellent cook, brilliant storyteller, scholar, and devoted friend. When not perfecting his pizza recipe or playing, reading, and writing stories with his son Dashiell, Dan enjoyed live music, comedy, and spending time with friends and family.
Prof. Joe Roberts [mathematics ’52–’14]
Photo by Kathy Reyes
August 31, 2023, in Portland.
Prof. Joseph Buffington Roberts [mathematics 1952–2014] passed away encircled by the love of his wife and children. He was nine days shy of 100; his family notes that he was 99.975342465753425 years old. Joe arrived in Portland in 1952 as a 28-year-old newly minted professor, and retired 62 years later at the age of 90 as Reed’s longest-serving faculty member. (Reed Magazine published a feature about Joe on the occasion of his retirement.)