– Excerpt from “Omena Bay Testament,” the title poem of Gail Griffin’s first full-length poetry collection
With these lines, Kalamazoo College Professor of English Emerita Gail Griffin begins and sets the tone for her first full-length poetry collection, Omena Bay Testament, published by Two Sylvias Press in spring 2023.
“It’s very much a book by an older woman,” Griffin said. “It’s about standing on the brink in old age, looking around and looking back, considering a lot of loss and much beauty. When you get closer to death, you start to see things very clearly. I hope I’m not that close to death, but it’s not like when you’re 20 and you think you’re going to live forever, not at all. You spend a lot of time evaluating where you’ve been, what you’ve been through, what you’ve kept and held onto, and what you’ve lost. That’s what this book is about.”
Griffin taught at Kalamazoo College from 1977 to 2013 and was instrumental in founding what is now the Women, Gender, and Sexuality program. She was twice selected by students as the recipient of the Frances Diebold Award for faculty involvement in student life. She received both the Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship for Excellence in Teaching, in 1989–90, and the Florence J. Lucasse Fellowship for Excellence in Creative Work, Research or Publication, in 1998–99. In 1995, Griffin was selected Michigan Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. She received the 2010 Lux Esto Award of Excellence for exemplifying the spirit of Kalamazoo College through excellent leadership, selfless dedication and goodwill. In 2017, she received the Weimer K. Hicks Award for long-term support to the College beyond the call of duty and excellent service in the performance of her job.
Despite the extensive accolades, Griffin is down to earth and approachable, openly sharing her fears and her excitement about Omena Bay Testament in her husky voice. Having previously published four nonfiction books as well as many individual poems and a poetry chapbook, Griffin is thrilled to have published her first full-length poetry collection at the age of 72.
How long have you been writing poetry?
I started writing poetry in the ’80s. Some of those early poems are in this book, which I’m a little nervous about, because they’re old. Conrad Hilberry was the heart and soul of the English department and the one-man, creative-writing program when I came to K. He and his whole family were tremendously warm and wonderful to me. And Con’s view of poetry was sort of the opposite of the popular view that it’s this effete, exclusive language that only special people speak. Con felt poetry was for everybody, and he made it an open door. And he just insisted that I start writing—‘Write something, Griff’—so, I started writing poems and showing them to him.
Are there reasons you hadn’t published a full-length poetry collection before this?
By the time I retired, I’d published about 30 or 35 poems. I had this thought in my head along the way, ‘You know, that’s almost half a book.’ I had friends, including Diane Seuss ’78, who’s one of our most famous graduates, who were putting books together. I thought to myself, ‘Why aren’t you doing that?’ And it was because I was devoting myself to these nonfiction books. I had fallen in love with creative nonfiction. Poetry was something I did on the side. Another reason was that I had been writing these poems sort of randomly throughout the years without any design. I thought, ‘These are not going to come together into a book. They don’t have anything to do with each other.’ I kept thinking about it and then turning away from it as a project.
What brought you to put the collection together when you did?
It was summer of ’21. We were still locked down (for the pandemic). I needed a project for the summer, or I was going to go nuts. I said, ‘All right. This is the moment. Get all those poems together and see if there’s a book there.’
What was your process like?
I spent most of the summer gathering the poems. I was very methodical about it; I surprised myself. I labeled them one, two or three. Three meant, put this in the shredder right now, don’t ever look at it again because it’s embarrassing. Two was, I don’t know. Let’s go back and look at this. One was, oh my god, this is pretty good. And then, because I’m a shilly-shallier—I always found it very difficult to assign grades to students, because it was always somewhere between an A and a B, between a B and a C—I had some one-slash-twos and two-slash-threes. Going through that group was hard, but eventually I had this final group, and I counted them up, and there were 72 pages, which is just about perfect.
Then, I went through and read them all, and as I did, put them in piles around subject matter. One group was about aging and mortality. One seemed to be about innocence and loss of innocence and growing up. That includes several poems about teaching at K and my responses to my students. A third pile was about my relationship with my husband and his death; he died very suddenly in 2008. The fourth pile was about the weirdness and painfulness of the world we’re living in. I thought, ‘Well, son of a gun,’ and I began to see that they hung together in certain ways.
How did you decide on a title?
The first poem in the book is the title poem, ‘Omena Bay Testament.’ Several years ago, before the pandemic, I was up north, in the Leelanau Peninsula. I was finishing up my last book, the memoir—Grief’s Country. I got tired of writing one day and went for a drive up the peninsula. About halfway up, there’s a little bay called Omena Bay. If you blink, you miss it. I just hit the brakes, because there was a restaurant overlooking the water, and I wanted to have a beer and sit and watch the water. I did that, and this poem came to me. It’s a statement of where I was in my life, late in my life. What’s good about it, what’s lost forever. People have told me it makes them very sad. I also think it’s supposed to be funny, but what do I know? I sometimes think I write funny things, and people start crying. The more I thought about it, the more I thought this poem should come first, and then I realized its title should be the title of the book.
How do you get your manuscript published?
Poetry publishing is very different from nonfiction or fiction publishing. Poetry doesn’t sell at all. There’s no market. It’s mostly very small presses. Mostly you get a first book published through contests. They charge submission fees, and that’s how they get the money to publish a book. I had this calendar of deadlines of book contests. I chose a lot of contests for first poetry books, because that narrows the competition a little bit. Books by women—that narrows the competition. Then there’s this Wilder Prize from Two Sylvias Press, that I knew about because a friend of mine (Gail Martin ’74) had won it. The Wilder Prize honors a manuscript by a woman over 50. That really narrows the competition. I liked that they’re supporting the writing of older women, because very often, publishing is about the new. It’s the young people who are saying new things and talking about current events and current identity issues. If you’re older, it’s hard to break in, because you’re seeing the world differently. I know what I was interested in writing about when I was 30, and I’m now 73, and I’m not writing about those same things. (The manuscript) was rejected a couple places. It was a semifinalist at a couple places. Then the Wilder Prize notified me in March (2022) that I had won. And I just did backflips. I couldn’t believe it.
I think it’s really important when you retire, to be retiring to something as well as from something.
How are you feeling about publishing your first full-length poetry collection at 72?
I’m so excited. I feel very affirmed. I always thought of myself as a decent writer of poetry, but I didn’t really ever call myself a poet. I wasn’t that sure about it. I called myself a prose writer, an essayist, a memoirist. I have always felt a little insecure as a poet. That ends here.
What do you want readers to know about Omena Bay Testament?
I think this book is more revealing about me than the personal writing I’ve done, the memoirs. Poetry is very intimate. There are some poems in here that are really, really close to exactly who I am, that I think might surprise people. They surprised me a little, scared me a little. I think of parts of this book, the first part especially, as a very intimate self-portrait.
It’s pretty easy to put personal writing out there until you imagine people reading it. I taught a class on memoir here at K. The students were immediately frantic about that, just frantic, and I always said, ‘You’re not publishing this. You’re writing for a class. I’m not going to call your mother and say you’re angry at her. Honest. This is all among us.’ Still, some of them didn’t want to write about certain things, and I always said, ‘Don’t write about anything you really don’t want to write about.’ Sometimes I’ve chosen not to publish things, because it would be damaging to somebody I care about. I just keep it for myself. There’s a poem about my mother in this book I would never have published while she was alive, ever, because it would have been so painful for her. And the thing is, it’s just one aspect of my relationship with my mother. It’s one poem. It’s not the whole thing at all. Con Hilberry used to say people are more important than poems, and he was right. So, there’s nothing in here that will hurt anybody who’s alive.
What’s next for you?
I have a chapbook ready to send out. I have macular degeneration—a lot of older people are prone to it, and it’s very genetic. My mother had it, her mother had it, and what it does, in my case, is eat away your central vision. If I look straight at you, your face disappears. If I look over to the side, then I see your face more clearly. It’s hard to write and it’s hard to read without central vision. Writing and putting together a book under those conditions is very challenging. The meaningful thing in my life is writing, and that’s the thing that’s challenged by my eye condition. Continuing to do those things, despite the disability, is something I’ve worked hard at, and I’m really proud of. My book is called De/Generation. It’s about 24 pages now of poems using the metaphors of vision and vision loss. For instance, I have a condition called geographic atrophy, and I turn that idea into a map and walk around my own eyes. Turning the disease into metaphor allows me to have some control over it and explore it as a creative source.
I’ve still been writing nonfiction, too. I’m working on a longer essay on the TV westerns I grew up on, called My Cowboys, and I recently published an essay on the attack on school curriculums because studying racism makes white students nervous. I talked about race a lot at K. I saw lots of nervous white students, and it would never have occurred to me to stop teaching about race because it was making people uncomfortable. I have about five or six essays that are generally about race. I might be working toward a collection of essays on whiteness, we’ll see. I think people who have any kind of privilege, race privilege, class privilege, gender privilege, sexuality, whatever, privilege is comfort. When your privilege is disrupted, of course you’re uncomfortable, and that’s good. That means your world is opening up.
Is there anything else you want to share?
I knew a lot of people who went into retirement very reluctantly, because they didn’t know what they were going to do with their time. I never had a similar question about that. I think it’s really important when you retire, to be retiring to something as well as from something. I always knew, the purpose here is to devote more time to writing, and indeed, I have published a lot since I retired. It’s important for people to know, especially young people, that you go on being creative, you go on learning, you go on being productive, you don’t just wither away and die. I’ve been learning and growing, talking to people and reading and writing like crazy for the past 10 years since I retired. I want alums to know that their former faculty who are now retired are doing lots of interesting things and staying active. Writers don’t ever quit. You die with a pen in your hand or a mouse in your hand or something. That’s important for me. And if I never write another book of poetry, that’s fine. I’m just really glad I got this one done.
An internationally acclaimed athletic showcase with a longer history than sporting events such as the Super Bowl, the College World Series and the Daytona 500 celebrated its 80th anniversary at Kalamazoo College last summer.
The USTA Boys 18s and 16s tennis tournament—known for welcoming legendary tennis greats such as Andre Agassi, Arthur Ashe, Michael Chang, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras and Stan Smith as teenagers—attracted nearly 500 outstanding juniors from around the country to Stowe Tennis Stadium August 4–13.
National and international tournaments, world rankings, regional and sectional tournaments, and play throughout a professional season qualified junior athletes for the tournament. And after 10 days of challenging competitions, the ultimate winners in singles and doubles earned national championship titles, with the 18s champions in singles and doubles winning automatic bids to the main draw of the U.S. Open.
Arthur Ashe (1968)
Andre Agassi (1985)
Pete Sampras (1985)
K men’s tennis coach and USTA tournament director Mark Riley
“This tournament means that the best come through our community, and it gives them a great experience,” said K men’s tennis coach and USTA tournament director Mark Riley ’82. “A lot of times, when you’re playing junior tennis and going to some exclusive clubs, it’s almost like the members can’t wait for you to leave because you’re getting in the way of their tennis. In Kalamazoo, we don’t want them to leave. Players come here, people pay to watch junior tennis here, and it’s an exciting week.”
The first USTA boys’ tournament was conducted at K in 1943 with 90 players on five synthetic turf courts where the Anderson Athletic Center now stands. In 1946, to ensure the tournament stayed in Kalamazoo, a new $5,000 stadium was constructed and named after Allen B. Stowe. Stowe was the tournament’s first Kalamazoo director. He also was a K professor and tennis coach, ultimately leading his teams to 18 consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles.
Since then, thousands have supported tournament operations over the years. Yet Riley is just one of four directors in the tournament’s history—along with Stowe, Rolla Anderson and Timon Corwin—in a testament to its endurance.
Jim Courier (1986)
“When I think about the longevity of this tournament, I think about all the things that have happened in America and the world in its 80 years including the pandemic, World War II and the civil rights movement,” Riley said. “Also, I think about all the people that have made this tournament work, and there’s been thousands of them. It’s an honor for me to be a person who can help make this tournament stay and be a great thing for our community.”
Riley began his coaching career at Drake University in Iowa in 1994 before moving on to the University of Kansas in 1997 and the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. He returned to Kalamazoo in 2007 while taking the tournament’s reins. The coaching opportunities at K and the University of Pennsylvania both were desirable for him, but the opportunity to be the USTA Boys 18s and 16s tournament director convinced him to come home to his alma mater.
Riley was a college tennis standout as a player at the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to K after his first season. He was a Division III All-American and two-time captain at K under coach George Acker, playing at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles, and earning Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association most valuable player honors his senior season. In NCAA Division III singles competition, Riley was ranked No. 16 in 1981 and No. 10 in 1982. He was seeded fifth in the 1981 doubles and seventh in 1982. After college, Riley was a world-ranked tennis player from 1984 to 1988, and in 1985, he was an American Tennis Association Doubles Champion.
Now, he ensures the USTA Boys 18s and 16s tournament leaves an indelible mark on the tennis world and on Kalamazoo’s economy each year while showcasing some of the sport’s top young athletes.
Michael Chang (1987)
“Like in any business, or anything you do well, you make people feel like they’re the only ones in the room,” Riley said. “I learned that from the volunteers. Even with the little things like answering questions about where to go to eat, it opens our arms and says, ‘We want you to enjoy this. We believe we live in a great place and we want you to experience it in a certain way.’ Following the details makes it work. I have players who thank me, our volunteers, and our community for making it a special experience. And they say they start working the day after the tournament to come back because they realize how difficult it is to be here and they want to have the experience again.”
To further the tournament’s excitement, Riley and tournament volunteers this year set up an alumni weekend, where past players had get-togethers and opportunities to informally play at Stowe Stadium. For a second year, an exhibition featured the best wheelchair junior tennis players. Mix these experiences with some Kalamazoo hospitality and the famous blueberries and cream from the concession stand—a nod to the strawberries and cream of Wimbledon with a Michigan twist—and the tournament has a recipe for success that will hopefully bring the tennis community together in Kalamazoo for the next 80 years.
“The tournament is a way for people from all over the country, and really all over the world, to see and experience what Kalamazoo has to offer as a place to live and work,” Riley said. “I just feel fortunate that we have good leadership, making the tournament a great thing for our community. As long as our community thinks it’s a great thing, I’m sure the USTA and others will make sure that we get to host it every year. It’s one of the few places anywhere in the world where people come and pay just to see junior tennis. When you have a chance to attend, come daily or buy a pass that gets you in through the week. We welcome everybody.”
USTA Through the Years
Ninety players compete in the first tournament on five synthetic turf courts where the Anderson Athletic Center is now.
For $5,000, Kalamazoo constructs a new stadium and names it for Dr. Allen B. Stowe, the first director of the National Junior Boys’ Tennis Championships in Kalamazoo (1943-1957).
Tournament finals are broadcast for the first time by WKZO-AM radio.
Rolla Anderson succeeds Stowe as the tournament director.
Stowe Stadium is rededicated after the original red-clay surfaces are replaced by green-and-white all-weather courts. Lights are added with a total of 438, 1500-watt bulbs on eight steel poles.
Ramesh Krishnan is the first foreign entrant to win the 16-and-under division singles title.
Stowe Stadium undergoes a renovation with the addition of courts 10 and 11.
ESPN televises the tournament for the first time.
Thomas S. Markin Racquet Center opens. A record gallery, estimated in excess of 6,000, packs Stowe Stadium to see the exhibition featuring Andre Agassi, ranked No. 4 in the world, against Mats Wilander, ranked No. 3.
David Markin serves as the official tournament referee for the 15th year. It is the first time in the tournament’s history that a USTA president has doubled as a tournament referee.
A statue of a young tennis player hitting an overhead, created by noted Kalamazoo sculptor Kirk Newman, is unveiled. ESPN and USA television networks film tournament features for future use.
Anderson retires and is succeeded by Timon Corwin. Corwin was an NCAA Division III Singles Champion while a student at Kalamazoo College.
The tournament increases to 10 days with 950 matches, 499 at WMU Sorensen Courts and 451 at Stowe Stadium.
USTA President Alan Schwartz states, “This tournament is the class of junior tournaments in the world.” Schwartz does not foresee the Nationals leaving Kalamazoo under his or any succeeding presidency.
The USTA allows pros in the tournament for the first time, providing they meet the age requirements.
Chair umpires are assigned to all matches for the first time in tournament history. Jim Courier and company film a documentary Unstrung, which was released in 2007.
A new blue surface greets tournament contestants at the 11-court Stowe Stadium, the four Markin Center indoor courts and the newly renovated upper eight courts at Western Michigan University’s Sorensen Courts.
New tournament director Mark Riley and official referee Darrell Davies take over. Professional player and Davis Cup Coach Patrick McEnroe visits the tournament and speaks at the volunteer luncheon.
Stowe Stadium is outfitted with new mesh canopies over the seating area as well as a new tower public address system.
K resurfaces all 11 courts at Stowe Stadium as well as the parking lot. New fencing also was erected for the first time in 50 years.
USTA Boys 18s and 16s Nationals introduces livestreaming of featured matches.
The community celebrates 75 years of the Nationals in Kalamazoo. Former players Andy Roddick and Michael Russell returned to play an exhibition before a sellout crowd. Roddick won the 1999 USTA Boys’ 18s doubles national championship and was the 1998 runner-up in the Boys’ 16s singles tournament. Russell won the 1994 USTA Boys’ 16s national championship.
All courts at Stowe Stadium are livestreamed through the tournament website at USTABoys.com.
Milo Madole ’12, president of the Kalamazoo College Alumni Association Engagement Board (AAEB), offered some sage advice to the Class of 2023 at commencement.
Addressing the uncertainties and insecurities that many new graduates face when finding a job or moving to a new town, Madole said, “When fear and self-doubt start to creep in—and if you’re like me, they will—I want you to remember that you’re not alone now, and you never will be, because there are over 20,000 other wicked smart, wacky, weird and wonderful Kalamazoo College alumni who have walked this stage before you.”
Nurturing these connections among alumni is something that Madole, a history major at K and a current real estate attorney, is incredibly passionate about, and it’s central to the mission of the AAEB.
The board—whose mission is “to foster and maintain lifelong active relationships between Kalamazoo College and its alumni, and to promote the general welfare of the College and the engagement of its alumni with the College and each other”—focuses on enhancing connections in three key areas: alumni to alumni, alumni to faculty and staff, and alumni to both current and prospective students. But in particular, this current board is focused on enhancing the bonds among alumni.
Whether you’re a newer alum or one whose retirement is in the rearview mirror, there is much to be gained by joining or hosting alumni events in your area, reaching out to someone for coffee via the alumni directory, attending homecoming, or tuning in to a virtual K Talk with a current or emeriti professor. You never know who you may meet, what you may learn, or who you may help.
For Madole, his service on AAEB is due in part to the way that K changed his life and his desire to pay it forward. But more than that, he said, “I also get so much joy out of getting to know other alumni who are not in my class, who were not in my major, who didn’t go on the same study abroad program as I did, and maybe had a very different K experience in the 1960s or ’70s. And yet, we can identify on a fundamental level because we have this shared mindset.”
These relationships can be a significant benefit for alumni who connect and reconnect through alumni events and volunteering. “These friendships have become such an important part of my life. I almost feel selfish, like I don’t feel as if I’m serving. I feel like the College is serving me still.”
And for those alumni who are facing the future with a bit of trepidation, or want to talk about their careers, or just meet kindred spirits?
As Madole noted to the Class of 2023, just reach out: “As a graduate of the College, you are a member of the Kalamazoo College Alumni Association. If you want it to be, K—and your fellow alumni—will be a resource and an ally and a source of joy for the rest of your life.”
Engaged alumni help move Kalamazoo College to higher levels of excellence. You can advance K’s mission and help build its reputation as one of the country’s exceptional liberal arts colleges.
Martha (Shoemaker) Strumpfer ’47 on January 29, 2022. Martha grew up with Robert Strumpfer ’49, and they married in 1948. Martha and Robert moved to Kalamazoo to attend and graduate from K. Martha worked for Gull Lake Community Schools in administration from 1963 to 1991. She then went on to a second career as an assistant historian at Richland Community Library from 1993 to 2006. Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, in 1997, and her granddaughter in 2018. Martha is survived by her daughter and son, four grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Jane Hunter Parker ’48 on February 8, 2023. Jane taught high school in Dowagiac, Michigan, and Mannsville, New York, and retired in 1986 from Webster Central Schools, where she taught elementary grades. Jane enjoyed the family cottage at Lake Bonaparte, camping trips and vacations to the western U.S., Canada and Europe. She was a long-term member of West Webster Methodist Church and later a member of Webster Presbyterian Church, where she served as an elder, chair and member of the mission committee for many years, a Sunday School teacher, a board member of the William Warfield Scholarship Fund and a teacher at Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky. In late 2015, she and her husband, Dave, moved to a retirement community in Rochester, New York. Jane later resided at St Ann’s Community. Jane is survived by her husband of 73 years, Davis E. Parker, three children, eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter, as well as three exchange students, from Tokyo, Helsinki and Turkey.
Janice (Kuenzli) Storck ’49 on December 10, 2022. Jan obtained her bachelor’s in chemistry at K. She worked for the former Hanhart, Kyler, Miller and Renner for more than 30 years as a secretary to the attorneys and an abstractor. On October 29, 1950, Jan married her late husband, Robert J. Storck. Together they enjoyed a wonderful life filled with much love and family. Jan often blessed her family with her delicious baked goods and prepared wonderful meals for them. Socially, she was a member of the Junior Clionian Club. In addition to her husband, Jan was preceded in passing by her infant son and two grandsons. She is survived by three children, three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Marion Poller Meyer ’49 on February 5, 2023. The first in her family to attend college, Marion majored in biology and chemistry at K and completed her M.S. in zoology at the University of Wisconsin. In Madison, she met Robert Meyer, and they married in 1951. They had three children while she completed her Ph.D. in comparative physiology on mammal hibernation and Bob became a professor of geophysics. After her doctorate, Marion and Bob welcomed two more children. Hired as a lecturer in the UW Zoology Department in 1967, she taught comparative physiology and developed curriculum. She chaired organismal biology from 1970 to 1994. In 1983, Marion was promoted to associate professor and became the first tenured female faculty member of the Department of Zoology, gaining full professorship in 1991. In her last three years at the UW, she served as a director for, and taught in, the College of Letters and Science Honors Program. She retired in 1996 and continued to teach until 2000. Marion was an excellent teacher and a tireless advocate for experiential education. She traveled to every continent except Antarctica. In summer, she assisted Bob with geophysics field research in Kenya, Siberia and the Peruvian desert, and traversed the Alaska-Canadian Highway in a Geophysics Department truck with all five children as the crew. Their joint sabbaticals took place in Naples, Italy, where she examined octopus intelligence. In her 70s and 80s, she helped a friend in Papua, New Guinea, with his bird research, took an eight-day raft trip through the Grand Canyon, and sailed for a week on a small catamaran in the Galapagos with family and friends. With her new partner, Ray Brown, she observed polar bear behavior at Hudson Bay, spent three weeks in Spain, and marveled at tropical plants growing in geothermally heated greenhouses on a tour of Iceland. Marion welcomed students, friends and visiting scientists to share their historic home in University Heights. She also took in half a dozen formal and informal foster children. She served as director of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Society and taught Sunday school. Later, she developed curriculum and trained tour guides for the landmark Frank Lloyd Wright Unitarian Meeting House. After a stroke in 2011, Marion moved to Portland, Oregon, to be near her daughters. In 2013, she was honored with the Emeriti Club Citation of Merit Award for involvement with and affection for Kalamazoo College. She was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2014. She will be remembered for her infectious enthusiasm for learning, for inspiring so many to the wonders and workings of the natural world, and for her loving spirit, open heart, and ability to deeply connect with others. Marion was preceded in death by her son, Hans, in 1989; husband, Robert, in 1997; and partner, Ray, in 2010. Marion is survived by her four children as well as Ray’s three children.
Mary Joan (Ward) Calhoon ’50 on April 28, 2023. Mary Joan attended Kalamazoo College with a major in music and a minor in art. She taught music and art at Burr Oak Schools until she was married, and occasionally substitute taught. Mary Joan married George M. Calhoon on October 10, 1954, in Bronson, Michigan. Mary Joan dedicated over 50 years to 4-H, serving as a leader and teaching cooking and sewing. She served as past president of the Bronson Women’s League and taught private music lessons. Mary Joan enjoyed crocheting, adult coloring books and cooking, and was known by many for her apple pies. As a dedicated wife, mother and homemaker, she greatly adored her family, especially her grandchildren. Mary Joan was preceded in death by her husband, George, and two grandchildren. She is survived by her three children, 14 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Sarah Traverse Turner ’53 on September 21, 2022. Sarah attended Kalamazoo College, then transferred to the University of Michigan. Sarah pursued a music career in New York City and earned a master’s degree in music from Columbia University, which led to a career as a professor of voice, starting at the University of Florida, where she met the love of her life, Charles. After giving birth to her only child, George, Sarah and Charles were hired at Southern Illinois University. Sarah worked at SIU-Edwardsville for about 35 years. In addition to her career, Sarah was active and engaged as a mother and as a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Charles died in 2002 and in 2016, Sarah moved to California, where she was a beloved member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Tustin, sang in the choir, taught ESL and citizenship classes, and participated in other groups and activities. Sarah was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and friend.
Eugene E. Cortright ’54 on April 30, 2023. Gene served in the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division during World War II. Gene met the love of his life, Joan, following his military service in Japan. They married on July 3, 1949. Thanks to the GI bill, he received a B.A. from Kalamazoo College and a master’s degree from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1955. Gene began his professional career as a foreign affairs analyst for the federal government and leveraged these skills and experiences successfully in the oil and gas industry. His career path moved the family to Virginia, Washington state, New York, Paris and Oklahoma before retiring to his beloved Pagosa Springs, Colorado, in 1984. He quickly became involved in his new community by serving in a variety of organizations, including Rotary, the Archuleta County GOP and the local road committee. Gene’s love of the outdoors prompted frequent hikes in the national forest, great appreciation for wildlife and a passion for landscaping. His daughter Cynthia preceded him in death. Gene is survived by his loving wife, Joan, his daughter Lisa, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Peter B. Lenox ’54 on January 27, 2023. At Kalamazoo College, Pete was treasurer of his senior class and participated in several campus organizations. As quarterback of the football team, his natural ability combined with leadership skills and strategic thinking had the team playing hard for him throughout that season, a most difficult task since they did not win a game. Pete continued to seminary at Colgate University. However, with a daughter on the way, he took a friend’s suggestion and applied to a mainstay in the Rochester area—Kodak. He scored so high on the aptitude test, the company hired him as a systems analyst for these new things called computers. He worked at Kodak for 35 years. In retirement, he worked briefly as a mailman and as a computer assistant at a middle school until he decided to spend his time at home where he could “work” as a grandpa. He was a linear thinker who loved strategy, bridge and board games, and a natural athlete who enjoyed playing golf. He enjoyed traveling. Most of all, he was at his happiest anytime he could throw in a fishing line. Pete always put others before himself. His smile and spirit will live on through the many people he touched. He is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Shirley, their four children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Robert Lee Haymans ’55 on May 9, 2023. Bob served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. Upon honorable discharge, Bob returned to Kalamazoo College to finish his B.A. Two months after his graduation, he married Donna Houghtby ’55, the love of his life. Bob and Donna were married 62 years. They spent several years in the greater Detroit suburbs attending Northbrook Presbyterian, then moved and spent 35 years living at Lake Doster Golf Course in Plainwell, Michigan, and attending Kalamazoo First Presbyterian, before moving close to their two children in the Cleveland area. Professionally, Bob was a salesman for menswear, traveling throughout Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. After retirement, Bob managed a golf pro shop for many years. Besides family, Bob had a deep love of dogs, Lake Michigan, the University of Michigan and golf. Bob proudly boasted of his four holes-in-one. He was preceded in death by his loving wife. Bob is survived by his daughter and son, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Rev. Richard Bowser ’56 on April 26, 2023. Dick was enthusiastic about campus life at Kalamazoo College and was popular on campus, serving a year as student body president. As a college student, he volunteered at a boys’ home, driving the youngsters to ball games and other fun events, and served as pastor to the tiny Baptist church in Alamo, Michigan. After college, Richard attended Colgate Rochester Divinity School, where he met fellow student Helen Louise Sheppard. They were married for almost 60 years, until HL died in 2019. In his career, Richard served as assistant pastor and pastor in churches in New York, New Hampshire, Ohio and Rhode Island. He also was briefly a campus minister at the University of Buffalo. Dick earned his Doctor of Ministry at Andover Newton Theological Seminary in Boston in 1986. He and HL raised three daughters, and he supported HL through debilitating cancer treatments in the early 1970s and her ordination to the ministry in 1975. He was active in the American Baptist Convention, was a founding member of a union for clergy workers, protested against the Vietnam War, and came to be committed to church congregations welcoming and affirming LGBTQ people. After retiring from full-time work in 1994, he and HL moved to North Carolina, where they were involved in the ministry of the Watts Street Baptist Church. During retirement, they undertook interim ministries in Chicago and Seattle. Richard and HL moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 2016. They became active in the First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor and enjoyed the friendship of many church members as well as neighbors. Richard is survived by his three daughters, including Louise (Bowser) Schmaltz ’83, five grandchildren, extended family and dear friends.
Martha Brooke Braden ’58 on December 28, 2022, in Fairfax, Virginia. A former student at K, Martha earned her B.A. in music at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. Martha had the great privilege to perform at the Symphonic Choir under the baton of Leonard Bernstein. Martha and her former husband, Sanford Jones, started a family and a Montessori school in Annandale, Virginia, then moved to Bergamo, Italy, followed by Washington, D.C. The family then moved to New York City, where Martha continued to share her love of music with students of all ages for six decades, including teaching private students at independent schools in the city’s Upper West Side and at music conservatories in China in the early 1980s. Martha performed several times at K over the years, including an October 1965 concert with Sanford, a November 1980 concert in gratitude for a music scholarship she received at K, and a pair of concerts in November 1992. She rehearsed daily on her Steinway, loved her jam sessions with her grandchildren and nurtured their love of music. Martha is survived by five children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Carolyn Joyce (Mayne) McGuire ’58 on February 11, 2023. She attended Kalamazoo College and later transferred to Michigan State University to finish her undergraduate degree. She received her Master of Library Science from Western Michigan University and worked as a librarian at the State of Michigan Library, Battle Creek Central High School and the South Bend (Indiana) Public Library. She was a 50-year resident of the South Bend, Indiana, area. She was very active in civic life and her local Jewish community. Carolyn was preceded in death by her daughter. She is survived by her son.
Janet (McKnight) Burton ’59 on April 15, 2023. Jan earned her B.A. in psychology at K, followed by an M.S.W. at the University of Michigan. In Ann Arbor, she met John Burton Jr., who was in law school at the time. They were married on June 18, 1960, and in the ensuing years lived in Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Olympia Fields, Illinois; Ithaca, New York; and Watchung and South Brunswick, New Jersey before moving to Stonebridge Senior Living Community in Skillman, New Jersey, in 2021. Jan worked for nonprofit agencies for 30 years, focusing on adoptions. In 1991, while living in New Jersey, she and a colleague opened a private practice offering therapy to families. In 2007, the two coauthored a parenting book, Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm. Jan was a gracious host who loved throwing parties, both large and small, featuring her flair for food, wine and music. She also loved to travel, counting Scotland, Provence, Thailand, Singapore, Antarctica and especially Alaska among her favorite adventures. She is survived by her husband, John, three children and one grandson.
Yvonne (Richardson) Kerek ’59 on January 22, 2023. Yvonne was an educator, first teaching at Davison High School in Michigan, after graduating from K. After her marriage to Andrew Kerek in August 1963, the couple moved to Oxford, Ohio, where Andy started at Miami University and Yvonne began a teaching position at Lakota High School. For years to come, and at different venues, she taught at several grade levels, including classes for learning-disabled children. Each semester, she also enrolled in an evening class at Miami’s Education School, and in due course earned a master’s degree in educational psychology, followed by a Ph.D. in educational leadership in 1991. The following year, she taught education-related courses full time at Defiance College. After moving to Egypt with Andy in 1992, she taught part time in the psychology department at the American University in Cairo, where Andy was provost. Memories of the seven years Yvonne and Andy spent in Cairo (the first year with the kids as a “Fulbright family” in 1979-80) held a special place in Yvonne’s heart. Yvonne was a loving and caring mother to their two children. An avid reader, researcher, writer and traveler, she filled at least a dozen well-worn notebooks with spontaneous comments and acute observations while visiting some 50 countries on five continents over almost 60 years of marriage to Andy. Yvonne’s artistic talents were wide-ranging and included painting and drawing, black-and-white photography, pottery and dabbling in silversmithing.
Rev. Gertrude Wilhemina De Hoog Brown ’60 on February 5, 2022. After graduating from K, Trudy taught English and Spanish, and she was fluent in several languages. Later, she completed her calling in ministry at Union Theological Seminary and was ordained a minister in the United Church of Christ, where she was much beloved and respected. She enjoyed watching comedians George Carlin, Robin Williams and Steve Martin. Trudy’s favorite things were her sons, her grandchildren and her cats.
Ruth Seifert Koenig ’61 on March 25, 2023. Ruth attended Kalamazoo College before receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Michigan. She met her husband, Ron Koenig, by a computer match date, on the San Francisco Opera steps. Ron was told to look for a girl with red hair in a white suit. They enjoyed Madame Butterfly. Ruth married Ron on March 29, 1969, and they had three children. Ruth taught music in the public schools for 30 years. After retirement, she presided as president of three music groups and played her violin in local orchestras. She was a model mother, world traveler, talented violinist and a master with needle and thread. Ruth was an active member, choir leader, performer and bell director at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Novato, California. She was preceded in death by her brother, Charles Seifert ’55. She leaves behind her husband of 54 years, Ron, three children and six grandchildren.
Richard John Monrad ’64 on February 25, 2023. Dick attended Kalamazoo College for two years, then graduated from Western Michigan University in 1966, where he was a founding member of Beta Sigma Psi. He worked at Ford Motor Co. as an engineer for 39 years until he retired in 2007, and he was a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. He was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church for 45 years, and a trustee for many years. Dick loved sailing, joining West Shore Sail Club; sports cars, joining Porsche Club of America; and powerboating. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Connie, and two children.
James E. “Pete” Peters ’66 on April 18, 2023. During his collegiate years playing basketball at K, Pete became the second-leading scorer in school history and still remains among the school’s all-time leading scorers. He continued to play competitive basketball into his 30s. His other loves were tennis and fanatical fishing with his family and friends in the waters of Canada. Once competitive athletics were in the rearview mirror, Pete became an avid runner, clocking six miles a day in the hilly terrain of West Dundee, Illinois, where he and his wife, Trish, raised their son, T.J. Time plus wear and tear eventually turned him into an avid walker, where he truly hit his stride. Whether it was in Illinois or at his home in Palm Desert, California, Pete used walking not only for exercise, but for meeting new people and making new friends. Pete had an impressive professional career selling training materials to major corporations across the country. He provided well for his family and was a savvy investor, with a keen and altruistic interest in medical research and advancement. It is both cruel and ironic that he was taken by a sudden, aggressive cancer. Pete was whip-smart, a devious fibber and a trickster. He relished one-on-one conversations and a good Manhattan. He was a loving and adoring husband and father who was loved and adored back. Pete is survived by his wife of 40 years, Patricia, his son and many other loving family members.
Victor Van Ravenswaay ’66 on January 15, 2020. Victor enjoyed telling people that his parents had five children, then the triplets (“of which I am one”), and then five more children; he was in the center of the triplets and the center of the family. He knew early in life that he wanted to be a missionary to Alaska. He and his wife served with Arctic Missions, which later became InterAct Ministries, for 30 years, 24 of which were in Alaska. He is remembered for his passion for the Alaskan native people, his hospitality, his enjoyment of singing and gardening, his work ethic and the instilling of that into his children, his adventurous spirit, and his purpose to do God’s will. Surviving are his spouse, Georgann, five children and 11 grandchildren.
Raymond Adams Jr. ’67 on November 3, 2022. After graduating from K, Ray was hired by H. Lewis Batts Jr. ’43 and Jean Batts ’43, who founded the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Ray spent his life in a career that he loved and was honored with the Raymond J. Adams Jr. Avian Research Endowment Fund. Ray married Patricia Lee Minckler Adams ’67 at the nature center in 1970. Their two children were taught to count hatchlings in bird boxes and learned the joys of holding, healing, being pooped on, taloned, pecked and bitten by our fellow species in the natural world! Later in life, Ray would turn his high-powered scope to dragonflies, damselflies and moths, and would stay up all night having a wonderful time luring in and counting unsuspecting moths with lights and stinky moth! He co-authored two books, a coffee table book illustrated by wildlife artists called The Birds of Michigan, and The Breeding Bird Atlas of Michigan with fellow avian lover Richard Brewer. Ray had a gift for making people feel at ease, and he loved to make people laugh! He had a firm belief in being positive and understanding without judgment and helping others. Ray had a love of collecting. He spent many happy hours at antique shows. Ray was preceded in death by his beloved son. Ray is survived by his former wife, Patricia, daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter.
John Alan Kriekard ’68 on February 20, 2023. He was a husband, father, grandfather and brother who was trusted, calm and steady, with an indelible twinkle in his eye. He truly loved his family and friends, was an avid golfer and reader, spent special time in Munds Park, Arizona, with the best of friends, was a lover of sports, and absolutely loved traveling all over the world with his wife, Janey. What really made this man so special was his leadership in education in Arizona. John began his career in 1979, serving as assistant principal, then principal and assistant superintendent. He left Scottsdale Unified School District and was the superintendent of Paradise Valley Unified School District before retiring. John was the recipient of many leadership awards and was asked to come of out retirement many times, which he did. Most notably, he returned to Scottsdale Unified School District as superintendent 2018-2020. John always put students first when making decisions, and he deeply cared about the students, the staff and community. He remained committed to the community, supporting the Coronado Foundation for the Future alongside other community leaders who believe all kids should have the same opportunities, regardless of the advantages with which they were born. John is survived by his wife, Janey, children, grandchildren, and his brothers, including Dan Kriekard ’71.
Alan Gilbert Israel ’70 on August 29, 2021. Alan received his B.A. in biology from Kalamazoo College, studying abroad in Münster, Germany, and an M.D. from Wayne State University. He lived in Lake Forest, California.
Richard Lee Westrate ’71 on May 18, 2022. Richard received his B.A. in economics and business. He is survived by his loving family.
Thomas Charles Wonderleigh ’71 on May 5, 2023. Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in history from K. During his time at Kalamazoo, he met Janet Joers ’73, a longtime friend who became a close companion later in his life. Throughout his life, he had many careers, including as a probation officer, an employee at the Mead Corp., and an educator in various schools—a job he felt was his true calling in life. Tom never knew a stranger, and he always tried to connect with people. He loved sports and was an avid bowler and passionate baseball player for many years. He also coached and volunteered for many years for the FOP Pony League team. Tom loved music and played many instruments. He loved animals, especially the “underdogs” that needed extra love. Tom loved cheering on his grandkids and great-grandkids with their activities and spending time with his family. Surviving are his college sweetheart, Jan, his three children, including Kyla Shope ’99, 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren as well as former wife and mother of his children, Marie Wonderleigh, and many family members and friends.
Mark Jay Evans ’74 on April 24, 2023. A romantic heart and a brilliant mind for science and history, Mark Evans was the whole package. Mark went to K to pursue his passion for science and research. He later earned a Master of Science in microbiology and immunology from Wake Forest University and went on to manage several radiation oncology research labs over a 30-year career, including East Carolina University School of Medicine for over 20 years. He built an encore career as co-owner of Duality Consulting, serving nonprofit organizations throughout Michigan. Mark met his true love and soulmate, Pamela Ann, on the Pierport Beach, and they were married in 2007. They danced, hiked, built a loving home and explored the country together. Mark was a human Wikipedia of knowledge about history, science, music and pop culture. He loved to fix and build things and took delight in astronomy, rock collecting, bird watching and morel hunting. Mark was blessed with a loving family and squad of friends. Uncle Mark was beloved by dozens of nieces and nephews and remembered for building rockets, bonfires, fireworks displays and delicious cocktails at family gatherings.
Cindy Steele ’77 on January 27, 2023, from cancer. Cindy earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science. Her first job after college was with the re-election committee of Illinois Sen. Charles Percy in Chicago. In 1978, she relocated to Seattle to take a position with R.D. Percy & Company, a firm then being launched by the senator’s son. In subsequent years, she enjoyed lengthy job tenures with the Seattle Trade Center, the Pacific Northwest Apparel Association and the Northwest Association of Independent Schools, for which she served as registrar. Cindy was passionate about travel. One of her first travel experiences involved living and studying in Germany in her junior year of college. Later, she journeyed through the Pacific Northwest on camping and hiking trips, visited state and national parks, sojourned in Hawaii, savored cruise vacations to destinations from Alaska to Mexico and relished drives between Seattle and her parents’ Chicago-area home. For several years, she rented a vacation home on the Olympic Peninsula to revel in nature. A professional hockey fan, Cindy was an early and fervent Seattle Kraken fanatic. She was an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction and a skilled calligrapher, writer and creator of hand-crafted cards and stationery. Her greatest talent may have been her remarkable ability to make friends wherever she went. People who met her often became fiercely loyal friends, and a great many of them traveled from near and far to spend time at her bedside in her final days.
David Turner ’78 on March 15, 2023.
Gary Stock ’78 on April 3, 2023. Gary graduated with a B.A. in music with a minor in math. He led the tenor section of the Kalamazoo Choir, directed music for plays and church groups, performed gigs at local bars, and taught music lessons and tuned pianos for the Kalamazoo College Music Department, Bach Festival Society, and other ensembles. He enjoyed his time as an exchange student in Madrid, Spain. In graduate school at Indiana University, he excelled in jazz composition and musical performance. Gary studied German, Latin and Spanish and could read French and Italian. After moving to Lawton, Michigan, Gary attended every local township meeting. He served on the Antwerp Township Board of Trustees, Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. In his lifetime, he was special projects cryptanalyst for the National Security Agency and worked in systems and technology at The Upjohn Company, Ingenius Technologies (where he was co-founder), Aeneid, Nexcerpt, Newmind Group Inc., and First National Bank of Michigan. Gary was a gifted speaker and was asked to speak at conferences both in the U.S. and the Netherlands. From 1988-1990, he was the host of Environmental Update, an award-winning regional cable TV program. Gary was the innovator of a global, viral sensation titled “Googlewhack.” The goal was to search for two words, which, when placed into a Google search, would create a single, solitary result. He and his then-wife, Julie, created a group of ‘start-up’ internet companies, co-wrote and published an environmental awareness magazine, were generous philanthropists for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, and were among the original founders of the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. Gary is survived by his best friend and partner, Pamela Martilla Parise.
PeterJohn Roukema ’79 on February 11, 2023. Born in New Zealand and raised in the Netherlands, PeterJohn was an international student at K and a standout soccer player and leader, both on and off the field. Between soccer and his architectural studies, PJR had fun perfecting his frisbee golf skills. Through the years, he was quick to challenge others to his favorite at-home par 3, from the deck to the mailbox—usually barefoot—and then on to ice cream and a dip in the bay. He enjoyed sharing stories about his family history and adventures he experienced and could light up a room with joy, creative energy and enthusiasm. “Be Oranje” was often his greeting or goodbye, and on that special occasion of the World Cup, he would turn the living room into a shrine for his beloved Dutch National soccer team. Most of all, PeterJohn loved his family. He loved hosting, entertaining, cooking for others and grilling in his flip-flops all year round. He believed presentation and design matter, and he had a fine eye and a love and appreciation for the art in everything. He loved to draw, and the drawings and designs he created were magic. He was a kind soul and a true gentleman who taught us much and loved us more. PeterJohn is survived by Christine Rau ’81, five daughters, including Mia Roukema ’22 and Eva MacDonald ’11, son-in-law Scott MacDonald ’08, and three grandchildren.
Elizabeth J. (Sperry) Shehigian ’84 on February 9, 2023, due to complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. After K, Betsy earned her M.A. at American University in Washington, D.C. She married James “Jim” Shehigian on September 22, 1990, in South Haven. Together they enjoyed 32 years of marriage. Betsy had a lovely soprano voice and sang in multiple choirs in Michigan. She was also a talented actress, performing in productions in high school, at Interlochen and in Kalamazoo. Her career was in performing arts management. She was employed by Court Theater at the University of Chicago and Wolftrap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia. Later, her career shifted to education, and she was an adviser to the talented and gifted program in the Boulder Valley School District. She was also an active supporter of Boulder Country 4-H and the Boulder County Fair 4-H livestock programs. Betsy grew up hiking, fishing, camping and enjoying the outdoors, especially on Lake Michigan. She was a gourmet chef, much to the delight of her family and friends. Betsy was recognized as an active and valued volunteer in the communities in which she lived. She is survived by her husband, Jim, and their two children.
Kristen (Micunek) Doherty ’86 on April 22, 2023. Kristen was a scholar, lifelong learner and talented artist. She earned her bachelor’s in economics at K, where she received the Eugene P. Stermer Award in Business Administration for excellence in academic work. Kristen also earned a graduate degree in early childhood (Montessori) education. While at K, Kristen studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France, planting a seed in her that sprouted into wanderlust. Kristen traveled both domestically and internationally, with her farthest destination being India. Closer to home, her favorite trips were to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Florida Keys. Kristen enjoyed snorkeling, boating, beachcombing, plunging into waterfalls, kayaking, hiking, campfires and sunsets. She was passionate about gardening and surrounded her home with beautiful plants, including her favorite, Clematis Jackmanii. Kristen had a successful career in IT training and project management. She was respected and lauded by her colleagues for her work ethic, intellect, dedication and creative approach to every project. Kristen was fun, spontaneous, adventurous and game for just about anything. She was incredibly generous and cheerfully gave of her time. For the past 25 years, Kristen dedicated her life to house rabbit rescue, logging over 400 rabbit adoptions to loving families. Kristen is survived by her siblings, including brother Robert Micunek ’82 and sister-in-law Lisa Micunek ’82, and many cherished friends and family members.
David Adam Siegel ’06 on January 31, 2023. David was blessed with many wonderful friends from Glenbrook North High School and Kalamazoo College. David bravely fought the challenges of cancer for 16 months. He embraced his life as a journey, traveling internationally as an artist, writer, teacher, coach, volleyball player and a co-leader of international study abroad programs for college students.
Anhtu Vu ’17 on April 17, 2023. Anhtu was a passionate proponent of the fine arts and was involved in both theatre and comedy during his school years. Not only involved with the arts, Anhtu was a fierce academic who was in the middle of his family medicine residency in Hoboken, New Jersey. Anhtu spent his free time playing tennis, traveling and enjoying life. He leaves behind his loving parents, relatives, half-sisters, girlfriend, co-residents and friends.
Faculty, Staff and Friends of the College
Johanna L. Barclay on January 29, 2023, in Largo, Florida, from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Jolo and her husband of 48 years, David E. Barclay, met in Berlin and later married there while he was a graduate student and she was working at the Free University of Berlin. She was a resident of Kalamazoo for 42 years while David taught in the history department at Kalamazoo College. She was born in Cape Town, South Africa, studied at the University of Stellenbosch, and was a librarian specializing in music librarianship with work experience in South Africa, Germany and the U.S. Blessed with a wry and understated sense of humor, she had an inexhaustible love of travel, music and literature, especially in her native Afrikaans. A celebration of life took place in Largo on March 18, 2023. Kalamazoo College Emeritus Professor of Music Barry Ross performed violin compositions by J.S. Bach and Ralph Vaughan Williams during the service, which was livestreamed to friends in Germany and Switzerland and to Jolo’s relatives in South Africa. She is survived by her husband, David.
John LeRoy Eaton on March 4, 2023. John received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in entomology at the University of Illinois in 1960, and his first position was as assistant professor of biology at Kalamazoo College in 1966. In 1969, he accepted the position of assistant professor of entomology at Virginia Tech, where he conducted research on the anatomy and physiology of Lepidoptera and rose to the rank of professor. In 1988, he accepted the position of associate dean of the Virginia Tech Graduate School. John retired in 2002, as professor of entomology and graduate dean emeritus. John was preceded in death by a son, T. Scott Eaton. He is survived by his loving wife of almost 62 years, Margaret “Peggy” Eaton, three children, and two grandchildren.
Terri Lynne (Schwarz) Moses on February 27, 2023, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Terri worked as a programmer/analyst at Kalamazoo College from 2011–13 and was instrumental in building the current alumni directory. Her colleagues in Information Services describe Terri as soft-spoken, talented, creative, fun, hard-working, humble and a joy to work with, as well as a wealth of quiet knowledge, wisdom and good cheer. Before coming to K, Terri received a B.S. in mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Western Michigan University. A trailblazer for women, she began a career at The Upjohn Company in 1978, as the only female computer programmer in drug metabolism and research. In retirement, Terri opened a long arm quilting business, Terri’s Quiltin’. She was a board member of the Log Cabin Quilters Guild and the Great Lakes Modern Quilt Guild. Terri enjoyed gardening, quilting and traveling around the country with her husband, daughters and dogs. She also spent time traveling to visit family, sewing at quilt retreats, attending the kids’ sporting events, and serving those she loved, whether by lending a judgment-free ear or delivering a quilt made with meticulous care. She is survived by her husband of 44 years as well as their daughters and grandchildren.
Joseph G. Reish on March 5, 2023. Joe loved music and theater and performed with the Kalamazoo Civic Players, Kalamazoo Valley Community College Players, Kalamazoo College Theatre and the Comstock Players. He also served as president of the University Theatre Guild and on the executive board of the Crescendo Academy of Music. During 45 years employed at Western Michigan University, Joe served as a professor of French, dean of the Lee Honors College, and dean of University Libraries prior to his retirement in 2016. He was active in community organizations, including United Way, Boy Scout Troop 205, the Alliance Francaise de Kalamazoo and as a volunteer for St. Catherine of Siena Church. He is survived by his wife, Helene, along with their two children.
Janet Scarrow on March 5, 2023. Janet moved to Kalamazoo in 1961, when her husband, David, took a job teaching philosophy at Kalamazoo College, a job he held until his retirement in 1993. In 2017, Janet and David were honored with the establishment of the Janet and David S. Scarrow Endowment for Philosophy, designed by an alumnus in recognition of how the Scarrows served as role models for his academic career. In addition to her involvement at K, Janet raised two children, taught Bible classes at First Baptist Church, campaigned for local Democrats, ran for county clerk, served two terms as president of the Kalamazoo League of Women Voters and worked 14 years as assistant to the dean of continuing education at Western Michigan University. After retirement, Janet continued to be active in Kalamazoo organizations, advocating for environmental protection and fair access to housing, and in the Chautauqua community of Bay View, Michigan, where she and David spent many wonderful summers. Janet is survived by her husband, David, two children, and one grandchild.
June (Annen) Shockley on May 16, 2023. June worked as the associate director of the Kalamazoo College Fund 2001-2008. She met her husband, Rick, while visiting family at Long Lake in Vicksburg when she was 15. It was love at first sight; they were married a few years later, and this year celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. They spent the early years of their marriage in Germany while Rick was in the Army and in Trenton, Michigan, while Rick attended dental school and June taught science, before settling in Portage. In her younger years, June enjoyed slow bike rides on camping trips with Rick and competing in racquetball leagues before turning to volunteering at the food pantry, PEO., book club, gardening and spending time with numerous friends. Most recently, she and Rick enjoyed trips to their camper at Sunny Brook in South Haven. Often described as the Michael Jordan of motherhood, for her greatness and dedication to her craft more so than her dunking ability, June was the best mom and did everything for her family. June is survived by her loving husband, their three sons, including Ryan Shockley ’00, three daughters-in-law, including Paige Shockley ’01, and four grandchildren.
Kathleen W. Smith on March 18, 2023. Kathy taught romance languages and literature at Kalamazoo College from 1972 to 2018, serving as chair of the Division of Foreign Languages and Literature from 1982 to 1985 and 1988 to 1991. A devoted teacher, adviser, administrator, scholar and colleague, she received the Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship for Excellence in Outstanding Classroom Teaching in 1992–93. A full obituary will appear in a future issue of LuxEsto.
Wayne Mitchell Wright on March 4, 2023, in Marana, Arizona. Wayne was valedictorian of Sanford High School’s class of 1952. He completed his undergraduate work at Bowdoin College in Maine in 1956 and his doctorate in applied physics at Harvard University in 1961. In 1962, Wayne began his career as an educator at Kalamazoo College. He taught physics for 37 years and served as the physics department chair for 24 years before his retirement in 1999. He received the Florence J. Lucasse Fellowship for Excellence in Outstanding Achievement in Creative Work, Research or Publication in 1982-83.
“Wayne truly had the interests of the College at heart,” says Jan Tobochnik, physics department chair and Dow Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences. “He helped supervise the construction of almost every building that was constructed or remodeled on campus. Because of his supervision, many costly mistakes were avoided.”
Wayne’s area of expertise was nonlinear acoustics, physical acoustics, sound propagation in the air and opto-acoustics. He was an active fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, serving as secretary from 1977 to 1986. Wayne was always eager to learn and took advantage of every opportunity to broaden his knowledge. He conducted many sabbatical research projects in prestigious research labs and consulted for the Applied Research Labs (ARL) at the University of Texas at Austin for nearly 40 years.
After retiring from Kalamazoo College, Wayne and his wife, Mary, moved to Georgetown, Texas, where he continued to consult part time at ARL. In addition, they spent summers in Ogunquit, Maine, and enjoyed traveling domestically and abroad. Wayne was a devoted husband to Mary until her passing in 2014. Wayne was passionate about raising his four children and will be remembered for spending time with them canoeing, gardening, camping and on road trips. During his retirement, he kept active by playing tennis, square dancing and spending time with his grandchildren.
Wayne is survived by his four children, including Catherine Wright ’83, and his four grandchildren. He will be remembered for his passion for learning, his dedication to his family, and his contributions to the fields of physics and education.
Waldemar (Wally) Schmeichel, emeritus professor of religion, on December 16, 2022. A Kalamazoo College professor for 35 years, from 1974 to 2009, he won K’s top teaching award, the Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship, during the 1987-88 school year.
Born in Poland on April 18, 1938, to a German farming family, Wally and his family fled to Germany under the Potsdam Agreement immediately after World War II, later emigrating to the United States and settling in Chicago in 1955. After high school at night, he enrolled in Judson College and drove a taxi in the evenings, studying between fares. Over the next decade, he earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. in religion from the University of Chicago, was ordained as a minister in the American Baptist Church, and served as pastor of the Community Church of Monroe Center, Illinois. In 1974, he took a position in the religion department at Kalamazoo College and settled his young family in Kalamazoo.
As his children grew more independent, he took the pastorship of the Cooper Community Church outside Kalamazoo. In 1996, his wife, Jean, accepted a job as assistant superintendent of instruction for the South Lyon School District, and the empty nesters moved eastward to South Lyon, Michigan. Wally, ever enjoying the freedom of the open road, continued teaching at K and driving two hours each way until his 2009 retirement at age 71.
Over the decades of teaching at K, Wally inspired and influenced thousands of students. When the alumni office put out a call to former students to share their stories and how he impacted their lives, touching, amusing and poignant responses poured in. Students loved him and the buzz around campus was that his classes were challenging but worth it. He fostered a critical-thinking environment and challenged his students to re-examine long-held beliefs. He was more than a professor to his students, offering a listening ear for personal struggles, officiating weddings and providing moral support. In a newspaper article written the year of his retirement, he said, “I enjoy the contagion that happens to them when they see my own enthusiasm.”
Retirement years brought Wally continued joy in reading and writing. He wrote an unpublished memoir of his early life in Poland and Germany called Waiting for the War to Begin and End, an early and abbreviated version of which was recorded and transcribed at K in 2009. It is available at the College’s online archives. He also wrote many mystery novels, which he kept only for himself. Wally and his wife, Jean, moved to Madison, Wisconsin, in 2016 to be closer to their son, Reginald Schmeichel ’92. Wally is survived by his wife, Jean, children, Reg and Andrea, and son-in-law, Martin.
![Martha Brooke Braden ’58 [oldest photo]](https://elux.kzoo.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/58-braden-3.jpg)
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