Colorado College Bulletin

Obituaries

Summer 2001
Edited by Andrea Reiskin ‘01  

Jonathan “Jack” Lasley ’31, Chevy Chase, Md., March 1. Jack was a retired aeronautical company executive, real estate agent and restaurant president. Survivors include his wife, Annette, and his son, Jonathan Lasley ’86. 

Richard Vanderhoof ’31, Colorado Springs, Feb. 23. Richard was an ophthalmologist and had a private practice in Colorado Springs for numerous years. Survivors include his wife, Christine, and his grandson, Samuel Johnston ’88. 

Cecilia Heid Starsmore ’32, Colorado Springs, Feb. 15. Cecilia was a registered nurse and a homemaker. 

Mary Rohrer Ver Duft ’35, Sun City, Ariz., April 18. Mary was a housewife, a 60-year member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and an active member of the First Presbyterian Church. Her husband, Cecil Ver Duft ’35, and her brothers, Edward Rohrer ’29 and Joseph Rohrer, Jr. ’32, preceded her in death. 

William Tudor ’37, Colorado Springs, Jan. 18. William was a former president of the Tudor Land Co. and an outdoor enthusiast. Survivors include his wife, Alice Boatright Tudor ’37, his niece, Carol Hutchison Murray ’58, and his brother-in-law, Harvey Boatright ’53. His sister-in-law, Ida Boatright Hutchison ’65, preceded in him in death. 

Charles “Will” Johnstone ’38, Houston, Texas, Sept. 30, 1999. Will worked at Los Alamos Nuclear Facility where he developed one of the first multi-channel analyzers—a common tool used in physics today. Survivors include his sister, Ellen Johnstone Sprague ’45, and his cousin, Jean Maxwell Wren ’43. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles Johnstone ’14, and his mother, Elizabeth Davis Johnstone ’16. 

Edward Todd ’38, La Junta, Colo., Aug. 10, 2000. 

Lucille Nelson Witt ’39, Sun City, Ariz., Dec. 24. Lucille was a retired social worker and homemaker. Survivors include her brother, Robert Nelson ’38. 

Phillip Tinney ’40, Colorado Springs, April 3. Phillip was a teacher for School District 11. Survivors include his wife, Jean Wilson Tinney ’38. 

Berle “Bud” Smith ’41, Colorado Springs, April 16. Bud was a former owner of D & S Interior Services. 

James Calhoun ’43, Albuquerque, N.M., Feb. 11. After 29 years of service to the U.S. Army, James retired with the rank of Colonel. Survivors include his wife, Constance. 

Barbara Brown Cass ’43, Dillon, Colo., Dec. 3. Barbara was an athlete, teacher, writer, artist, mother, and grandmother. Survivors include her brother, Joseph Brown ’45. 

Sarah Sue Acker Greiner ’43, Colorado Springs, March 9. Sarah Sue was a homemaker. She was a class agent from 1984-1985 and a very active member of the Fifty Year Club. Survivors include her husband, David Greiner ’41, her niece, Debora Greiner Hulett ’53, and her son-in-law, Robert Mahncke ’69. 

Richard Leach ’43, Durham, N.C., Jan. 27. Richard was professor emeritus of political science at Duke University and received two appointments as a Fulbright lecturer. Survivors include his wife, Betty. His mother, Helen Heald Leach ’16, and his uncle, Edward Heald ’17, preceded him in death. 

William Ryder ’44, Colorado Springs, April 14. William practiced adult internal medicine and was an active volunteer in the Colorado Springs community for 33 years. Survivors include his wife, Virginia, his brother, Charles Ryder, Jr. ’38, and his daughter, Eleanor Ryder Polich ’78. 

Robert Sanders ’44, Prescott, Ariz., Dec. 23. Robert was a retired teacher at Truman Sate University. Robert enjoyed playing the drums, ecology, and being an amateur radio operator. Survivors include his wife, Eleanor. 

William Liddle ’49, Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 26. Bill was a teacher, principal, and director of elementary education in Colorado Springs’ School District #11. He was a professor of reading and director of the reading clinic at CC, author of a textbook series, and lecturer and president of numerous educational organizations. Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann, and his son, W. Kevin Liddle ’77. Memorial contributions may be made to the William Liddle Memorial Fund, c/o Colorado College, Attn. Development Department, 14 E. Cache La Poudre, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. 

Ward Gongoll ’50, Hyattsville, Md., Jan. 8. Ward was a retired director of the Graduate School of Theology in Washington, D.C. 

Russell Bahlenhorst ’52, Oak Forest, Ill., April 25, 1999. Russell was inducted into the CC Hall of Fame as part of the 1950 NCAA championship hockey team. 

Joyce Westrich Hughes ’52, Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 2. Joyce was a homemaker. Survivors include her husband, Paul Hughes ’52. 

Leonard Maccini ’52 (M.Ed ’57), Albuquerque, N.M, Jan. 2. Len was a member of the 1950 NCAA Championship Hockey Team and was recently inducted, with the rest of his teammates, into the Colorado College Athletic Hall of Fame. Len remained active in the hockey world, serving as a school coach for 15 years and as an official in the W.H.A. and the W.C.H.A. Survivors include his daughter-in-law, Barbara Koenig ’75. Contributions in Len’s memory may be made to The Colorado College Fund, c/o Development Office, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903, designated for the college’s athletic programs. 

Christopher Ray ’52, Feb. 1999, Waquoit, Mass. Chris was a retired greens keeper for the New Seabury Corporation in Mashpee, Mass. He was a member of CC’s 1950  NCAA Championship hockey team and was an All-American in 1950. 

Mitchell Mann ’53, Scottsdale, Ariz., Jan. 22, 2000. Mitch was a pilot for United Airlines and an avid golfer. Survivors include his wife, Patricia. 

Glen Justus ’54 (MA), Colorado Springs, Jan. 29. Glen retired after 50 years as a high school teacher. 

Eugene Daniels ’55, Denver, Jan. 7. Gene was a retired attorney and played varsity hockey while attending CC. Survivors include his daughter, Dana Daniels Murray ’81, and his brothers-in-law, William ’49, Richard ’50 and John ’51 Pfeiffer. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sue Pfeiffer Daniels ’55, and his brother-in-law, Edward Pfeiffer ’54. 

Marion Shaw ’55, 1999. Marion was a dedicated ecology activist. Her mother, Ruth Hawk Shaw ’25, preceded her in death. 

Ronald Wilson ’57, Fieldale, Va., Nov. 4, 1998. Ronald was a college professor. 

Jan Kilgore Click ’60, Oklahoma City, Okla., Sept. 2000. Jan was a dedicated Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sister and had been active in its alumni association. Jan also did charity work for several organizations. Survivors include her husband, William. 

Melvyn Minsky ’66, Lyon, France, Nov. 29. Melvyn taught as a university English teacher while living in France. Survivors include his wife, Chantal. 

Allen Reeves ’69, Englewood, Colo., Jan. 30. While at CC, Allen played on the golf team, was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and majored in political science. Allen graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder Law School in 1972 and practiced corporate and securities law in Denver. Survivors include his wife, Vivian, his parents, Roger and Jeanne, and his sister, Jennifer Reeves ’69. 

Linda Burge Callahan ’87, Braintree, Mass., Feb. 20. Linda passed away due to colon cancer. She is survived by her husband, Patrick, and their children, Dylan (age 7) and Casey (age 4). If any alumni have photographs or fond memories of Linda to share, please send them to Lynn Stebbins Rooney ’87 at 14022 East Maplewood Place, Englewood, CO  80111 or email lynnrooney@netscape.com. Lynn is collecting mementoes for a scrapbook of Linda’s college years to pass on to the Callahans. 

Jane Bausman ’91, Los Angeles, Calif., Feb. 6. Jane passed away due to complications from pneumonia. She worked as a copy-writer, editor, and assistant producer for Reality Check Studios Inc., a special effects firm for television and film. Following her graduation from CC, Jane also spent two years in Prague, where she staged fashion shows for the French designer Dan Beranger. 

Corrections: In the Spring 2001 issue of the magazine, the obituary for Cecil Ver Duft ’35 erroneously listed Mary Roherer Ver Duft’s ’35 date of death. She passed away in April. The obituary for Rodney Peck ’62 also contained erroneous information. The obituary listed his hometown as Denver. He lived in Craig, Colo. and was an active member of the Craig community. 

The family of Charles “Bill” Goodnight ’43, whose obituary was included in the Spring 2001 issue of the magazine, requested that the following survivors be mentioned: daughter, Carolyn Goodnight Kells, son, James Goodnight, grandsons, Brandon Cruse and  William Goodnight, granddaughter, Erica Goodnight, and great-granddaughter, Hannah Cruse.

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