Author: Craig Simpson

Click a button to jump to that decade’s class notes.

Edgar Praus ’70 writes, “After graduation from Kalamazoo, I received my M.F.A. in still photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. For the past 20-plus years, I have been documenting Mississippi culture for the present dialogue and for future generations to study. My work is now in the permanent collections of the Mississippi Museum of Art and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans.”

A group of alumni reunited for a 30-mile bike ride in Venice, Florida, in March 2024. Enjoying some gracious living are, from left, Haley C. Neef ’03, Penny (Sington) Neef ’72, David Neef ’72 and Marti (Larzelere) Campbell ’72. Marti is a member of the Board of Trustees for Kalamazoo College.

Members of the class of 1974, Michael Kane, John Mussman, Harry Graber, John Petrakis, Charlie Kelliher and Elliot Shapiro recently gathered for the wedding of Elliot’s son Danny in Tampa, Florida.

Jim Heath ’78 recently joined the board of directors of NeoLight, a medical device and technology provider. Jim’s distinguished career in the medical device industry spans three decades, holding various leadership positions and driving innovation and growth. He served as president of Stryker’s Instruments Division, overseeing a global business with sales exceeding $1.8 billion. Additionally, he served as COO of Flexfab LLC, a privately owned manufacturer of silicone, elastomer and composite materials. Jim currently serves on the board of directors for several companies, including C2Dx, AA Medical, Imperial Beverage and CSM. He is also a former member of K’s Board of Trustees. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. in education from The Ohio State University.

After a life-altering car accident 10 years ago, Nancy (Sherman) Becher ’79 found herself bound to a wheelchair and unable to do the things she loved doing before. That did not stop her, however, and she founded a nonprofit organization called Invisible Warriors that supports women with chronic illness, autoimmune diseases and invisible disabilities, including veterans with MST/PTSD. Providing medical support, training, networking, friendship, advice and counseling, Invisible Warriors is a safe space for women who feel like they are alone to come together and be heard in a world of gaslighting, stigmatizing and fear. One out of every three women in the U.S. has some form of invisible disability, yet it is often not discussed, addressed or supported. To learn more, visit invisiblewarriors.org.

Robert M. Weinstein ’79 was recently honored with the Fragrance Creators Association’s 2024 Eric Bruell Distinguished Service Award. Bob received his B.A. in chemistry from K in 1979. He earned his Ph.D. at MIT, where he completed doctoral work in organic synthesis with Professor Dietmar Seyferth. Bob started his career in the flavor and fragrance industry in 1987, in research and development at Firmenich S.A. in Geneva, Switzerland. In September 2012, he joined Robertet S.A. in his present position as president and CEO of Robertet North America. Bob has served on the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials’ board of directors twice, from 2000–04, and again from 2015 to the present, currently as chairman.

Kevin Howley ’81 has been named vice president for finance and institutional planning at Lake Forest College in Illinois. Kevin oversees business affairs; serves as treasurer of the College; manages facilities, accounting, budget, business services, human resources and student financial services; serves as a strategic advisor to the president, the senior leadership team, and the Board of Trustees; and develops procedures for multi-year financial forecasting and budget planning. Kevin brings a broad and diverse background in financial business affairs and in higher education. He was a member of the Board of Trustees and served on the investment, finance and development committees at Kalamazoo College, where he earned his B.A. in political science and economics. He has been active with his alma mater’s admissions office and has served as an adjunct professor in the business department. Kevin earned his master’s in public policy in international trade from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and his master’s in business administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.

Steven C. Latta ’81, director of conservation and field research at the National Aviary, was recently elected a fellow of The Explorers Club. Fellows have made documented contributions to scientific knowledge through field expeditions aimed at exploring unfamiliar or poorly understood locations or phenomena, with the goal of acquiring knowledge for the benefit of humanity. Founded in 1904, The Explorers Club has counted as fellows some of the most renowned explorers of the Earth and beyond. Steve is a field ornithologist who has pursued research and conservation projects across Latin America and the Caribbean, including Hispaniola, the Amazon basin, and the High Andes. Most recently, he is credited with leading a small team that has provided the first evidence since the 1940s that the iconic Ivory-billed Woodpecker still survives in remote forested old-growth swamps of Louisiana.

Kalamazoo College is well-represented in Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s cabinet. Anita (Raby) Fox ’81 serves as the director of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, and Natasha Bagdasarian ’99 serves as the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan. In their respective public service roles, they work to advance the administration’s efforts to ensure that anyone can “make it” in Michigan. Both were honored to join the governor for her sixth State of the State Address on January 24, 2024. Pictured there, from left, are Natasha, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Anita.

Claire Grover Nehring ’91 received the Catherine Hershey Educator of the Year award at the 2023 Coalition on Residential Excellence Conference. Claire is the librarian at St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota. Claire, who has a master’s in counseling, was first drawn to work at St. Joe’s in 2008, as a houseparent. When offered the librarian position in 2018, she immediately pursued certification as an elementary and secondary school librarian, qualifying her as a teacher of library skills. Simultaneously, she updated the library’s out-of-date system, migrating to an automated catalog system. She had experience with the automation process from her time as a reference assistant at K’s Upjohn Library, working with Carol Smith and Paul Smithson. Her nomination notes the “imaginative spirit she brings to making the library a community of learning” as well as her willingness to support staff in any capacity and to collaborate for the greater good.

Designed by renowned New York-based contemporary artist Julie Mehretu ’92, the 20th BMW Art Car was presented to the public for the first time in May and competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in June. Julie used the color and form vocabulary of her monumental painting Everywhen (2021–23) as a starting point for her design, imagining what would happen if the car went through the painting and was affected by it. The collaboration between BMW and Julie also includes a joint commitment to a series of PanAfrican Translocal Media Workshops for filmmakers, which will tour various African cities in 2025 and 2026 and will culminate in a major exhibition at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town.

Mark Durbin ’94 and Pete Avis ’95 made the annual Belfast Ice Festival & State of Maine Ice Carving Championship even more handsome in February 2024. “It just looks like we have gray hair and unkept beards,” Pete writes. “Those are only props.”

Full-service intellectual property law firm MBHB recently announced that Christopher P. Singer ’94 has joined the firm as an equity partner strengthening the firm’s Chemical, Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Technology Practice. Christopher started his career as a technical advisor at MBHB, working his way to partner during his nearly 10-year tenure with the firm, before joining another Chicago-area intellectual property firm. After nearly 14 years, he rejoins MBHB, bringing extensive experience prosecuting patents and managing portfolios for clients in the life sciences industry with a focus in chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Christopher earned his J.D. from University of Illinois Chicago Law School, his M.S. and Ph.D. in biochemistry and chemistry from Northwestern University, and his B.A. in chemistry from K.

Elizabeth (Low) Washington ’94 was named executive director of the Northside Association for Community Development in Kalamazoo in December. Beth has worked in various leadership roles in Kalamazoo, including with Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation and as a member of the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees. From 2015 until the end of 2022, she was vice president of Community Health, Equity and Inclusion at Bronson Healthcare. Born and raised in Kalamazoo, she graduated from K with a degree in human resources and relations, and a secondary certificate in social studies and English. She worked for 18 years as a teacher in Niles, Holland and Kalamazoo public school systems.

Jeffrey Talbert ’97 recently joined the Newark and Boston offices of law firm Arnold & Porter’s environmental practice as a partner. A fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers, Jeffrey is a nationally recognized trial attorney and environmental lawyer who advises clients on environmental litigation, permitting, due diligence, risk management, and the allocation and mediation of liability among parties at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act sites. Jeffrey earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Inventiva recently nominated Andre Turenne ’97 to its board of directors. Andre has more than 20 years of global experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He is currently president and chief executive officer of the Boston-based biotech Matchpoint Therapeutics and advisor to Atlas Venture. Andre holds an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Inventiva is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of oral small molecule therapies for the treatment of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, also known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a common and progressive chronic liver disease for which there are currently no approved therapies, as well as other diseases with significant unmet medical need.

Delta Dental Plan of New Hampshire recently elected Whitney
Goode ’03 to a three-year board term which began on April 26, 2024. Whitney is chief dental officer and dentist at Greater Seacoast Community Health. Additionally, she serves as faculty at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, University of New England School of Dental Medicine and Harvard University School of Dental Medicine. She received a Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Kalamazoo College. Committed to public health, she has participated in numerous statewide oral health projects, most recently with the Medicaid Advisory Committee for the rollout of the new adult Medicaid dental benefits. Last year, she was recognized with the Bi-State 2023 New Hampshire’s Outstanding Clinicians Award.

Betsy Weakland ’03 was recently inducted into Marquis Who’s Who, which chronicles the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Betsy currently serves as the director of private brands at Pet Supplies Plus. In this capacity, she is regarded as an expert in vendor management, with a focus on building global relationships with vendors primarily located overseas in China, India and Europe. For her work, she was honored as the recipient of the Leading Executive in Retail Award in 2023. Betsy earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and Chinese language and culture from Kalamazoo College. As a graduating senior, she received the E. Bruce Baxter Memorial Award for showcasing outstanding development in political science.

The nonprofit organization Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) recently hired Kira Sandiford ’15 as its first development director. Kira’s addition to the team underscores the organization’s commitment to developing, protecting and enhancing the Central Oregon mountain bike experience through trail stewardship, advocacy, collaboration and education. Originally from Los Angeles, Kira is currently pursuing a Master of Science in digital media at USC Annenberg. She studied abroad in Thailand, solo hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and built her own tiny house on wheels. Before joining COTA, she spent eight years with REI, in roles spanning retail sales, outdoor programs, outreach, and most recently as the operations manager for the Bend store. After relocating to Oregon in 2018, she discovered her passion for mountain biking.

Duane DeVries ’55 has now published all seven volumes in his General Studies of Charles Dickens: An Annotated Bibliography. Publication of the seven volumes was a long process that began in 2004, with bibliographical and textual studies of Dickens’ works, and included biographical studies and general critical studies of Dickens and aspects of fiction. In a review, Professor Robert L. Patten, author of Charles Dickens and His Publishers, called the volumes “The single most important work in Dickens bibliography (in its broadest sense) ever published. Duane’s work is distinguished by completeness, fairness, good sense and accuracy. It is an astonishing achievement.” A reviewer of the final four volumes thanked Duane and his late wife, JoAnne (Keller) DeVries ’56—his fellow researcher and bibliographical companion—for “this wonderful gift.” Duane is a leading scholar and the internationally noted bibliographer of Dickens. He is a retired associate professor of English from Polytechnic Institute of New York University, where he served as head of the Department of Humanities and Communications.

Marci (Buchmueller) Cameron ’70 and Jim Cameron ’69 published the book, Tales Come Alive! The Meredith Bixby Marionettes: An Oral History. Oral interviews are the backbone of this book, capturing the voices of those who experienced the events. The Bixby Marionettes were created by Meredith Bixby of Saline, Michigan, who produced thousands of live performances of classic literature to school children in Michigan, the Midwest and the country. The Marionettes toured for nearly 50 years, entertaining over a quarter million children and adults. The stories “behind the scenes” come from oral interviews of the Bixby family and the puppeteers, who describe the artwork, crafting the characters, story development, the travels, and the performances, where “for one brief hour (the children) would be transported to an enchanted realm where animals talked, huts walked on chicken legs, and good overcame evil.” Copies are available from the Michigan Oral History Association.

Email info@michiganoha.org for more information.

Sadly, Marci Cameron died suddenly and unexpectedly on June 3, 2024, as the Fall edition of LuxEsto was in development. Her obituary will appear in the Winter 2025 edition.

Diane Seuss ’78 recently published her sixth book of poetry. The newest collection, Modern Poetry (Graywolf Press, 2024), takes its title from the first poetry textbook Diane encountered as a child and the first poetry course she took in college, as a rapt but ill-equipped student who felt poetry was beyond her reach. Many of the poems make use of the forms and terms of musical and poetic craft and contend with the works of writers overrepresented in textbooks and anthologies and those too often underrepresented. In poems of rangy curiosity, sharp humor and illuminating self-scrutiny, Modern Poetry investigates our time’s deep isolation and divisiveness and asks: What can poetry be now? Do poems still have the capacity to mean? “It seems wrong / to curl now within the confines / of a poem,” Diane writes. “You can’t hide / from what you made / inside what you made.” What she finds there, finally, is a surprising but unmistakable love.

Also, Diane was recently named to the Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets. The 15-member board is composed of esteemed poets who serve as artistic advisors to the academy and ambassadors of poetry to the nation at large, select the recipients of major academy prizes and fellowships, and champion the organization’s programs for poets and readers. Diane will serve a six-year term on the board.

Rob MacCoun ’80 published a new book, Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense (Little, Brown, 2024), co-authored with Nobel-winning physicist Saul Perlmutter and philosopher John Campbell. Based on a wildly popular University of California Berkeley course, the book breaks down how to use scientists’ tricks of the trade to make the best decisions and solve the hardest problems in an age of uncertainty and overwhelming information. “In a world filled with uncertainty and fractured by polarization, this guide to critical thinking couldn’t come at a better time,” writes Adam Grant,The New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking. “A Nobel laureate physicist, an influential philosopher and an expert on legal psychology reveal how you can use the tools of science in everyday life to make smarter judgments and wiser decisions.” Rob is a social psychologist, a professor of law at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute. He received the 2019 James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award for lifetime achievement from the Association for Psychological Science.

Julie Fudge Smith ’80 published her first novel, The Beast Keepers, August 1, 2023. It is the story of Jonathan F. St. Roche, a young veterinarian who takes a job in the rural Ohio town of Carrollton. He soon discovers it is a safe haven for a menagerie of mythical creatures (including a pregnant Pegasus, a flying monkey with a sprained wing, a centaur with Cushing’s disease and a unicorn with a sweet tooth) who rely on him for their medical care and shelter from the outside world. When a deadly basilisk threatens this bucolic hamlet, Jonathan and his new friends must balance the dangerous creature’s needs against the risk to the community. The Beast Keepers is available in paperback, Kindle and audio book formats, and has been nominated for an Eric Hoffer Award, an Ohioanna Award and a Wishing Shelf Award (UK).

Doug Haynes ’85 recently published his second book, Wisconsin GOP History: A Coloring Book. The format makes this illustrated history of the Republican party in Wisconsin accessible to young readers and fun for all ages. The history begins in 1854, with the founding of the Republican party in Ripon, Wisconsin, and continues to the present. The goals and actions of early Republicans make a striking contrast to those of the present. Recently, Doug met fellow art major Jean (Roberts) Guequierre ’88 at her art reception in Milwaukee, and she bought the first copy of Doug’s new book. Doug previously published the State Street Coloring Book.

Matthew Christensen ’92 recently published a new book, Anglophone African Detective Fiction 1940-2020: The State, the Citizen, and the Sovereign Ideal (James Curry, 2024). Providing a scholarly survey of Anglophone African detective fiction from the late 1940s to the present day, this study traces its history both as a literary form and a mode of critical exploration of the fraught sovereignties of the African state and its citizens. Matthew was an English major at K and went on to earn a Ph.D. in comparative literature at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he pursued an interest in African literature that he first developed at K, on study abroad in Sierra Leone. He is currently professor of literatures and cultural studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is the author of Rebellious Histories: The Amistad Slave Revolt and the Cultures of Late Twentieth-Century Black Transnationalism (2012) and editor of Staging the Amistad: Three Sierra Leonean Plays (2019).

Jane Huffman ’15 won the American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize and published her debut book of poetry, Public Abstract (Copper Canyon Press, 2023). “Public Abstract examines illness and recovery, loss and addiction: the ripples of influence an addict has on their family circle, and vice versa,” writes Dana Levin. “We watch as a private mind, devoted to its privacy, is laid out on the page and abstracted to become a public revelation. Building an aesthetic of compressed interiority, the speaker’s tension is clear—‘From one lung, I tell the truth. / From the other lung, I lie.’ Through intimate and meticulous poems, Public Abstract explores the operations of form, sewn together, and the failings of form, ripped apart. Crumbling under its own weight and folderol, form becomes an act of invention and in Huffman’s expert hands, revision becomes a genre. In Public Abstract, Jane Huffman demonstrates a steely commitment to an aesthetic vision. Form is feeling in these poems: tonally cool, their repetitions and hard turns express, passionately, uncertainty, anxiety, revelation, skepticism, and curiosity. Huffman’s lived experience—with a sick body, a sick brother, disturbances of psyche and society—are the pains from which the book’s formal feelings come…Public Abstract is a striking debut.” Jane is an M.F.A. graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a doctoral student in poetry at the University of Denver. Jane was a 2019 recipient of the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. She is founder and editor-in-chief of Guesthouse, an online literary journal.

Constance (Crandall) Britt ’45 on March 6, 2024. Connie studied economics at Kalamazoo College. She married Max Holt Britt in 1946. They moved to Union County, New Mexico, and had two children before moving to Los Angeles. In 1966, Max succumbed to a heart attack. Widowed with two children, Connie moved the family to Lubbock, Texas, where her sister lived. There Connie became involved with conformation dog shows, a hobby she enjoyed for the next two decades. Connie moved to Denver, then to Austin. She was involved with the League of Women Voters. Connie enjoyed music all her life (cutting her own demo recording as a teenager), especially big band music; once she moved to Austin, she quickly found kindred spirits in support of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. In the early ’80s she took a trip with her daughter to Europe—13 countries in 27 days!—that sparked an insatiable travel appetite. Connie visited all seven continents, several more than once, including five trips to her favorite destination—Africa. In 2008, she discovered the island of Salt Spring in British Columbia, and promptly set up a summer residence schedule. In her 100th year, she was able to spend 10 weeks in her Canadian home, bird watching and reading a novel a day. Constance was predeceased by a granddaughter, Melanie. She is survived by her daughter; son; granddaughter, Winter; and great-grandson.

Joseph Pizzat ’49 on January 27, 2024. Joe enlisted in the Air Force and served his country in the occupational forces in Europe after World War II. Upon his return, he attended Gannon University before transferring to Kalamazoo College, where he studied art and competed on the elite tennis team. He met Ruth Carol Lusk ’52 at K; they married and moved to New York City. Joe earned a Doctorate in Education in fine arts and art education at Columbia University. He was an art professor at colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Minnesota and South Dakota. In 1972, Joe and his family moved back to his hometown of Creekside, Pennsylvania. He taught at Mercyhurst College for 32 years, primarily in art appreciation and art education. As a United States Professional Tennis Association master tennis professional for over 55 years, he taught the game of a lifetime to hundreds of people of all ages. During the summers, Joe and his family worked at various country clubs in the Midwest and Northeast. In 2004, Joe and Ruth retired to South Carolina to be near their son and family. He continued teaching art and playing tennis. Since 2014, they have lived in Columbia, Missouri, close to their daughter and her family. Joe was a loving husband and father whose joy for life was infectious. He was a humble man with a deep faith in God, which he expressed uniquely through his many religious works of art. Joe is survived by his devoted wife of 70 years, Ruth, two children, four granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.

Ronald Harvey ’52 on May 8, 2024. Ron was born in Kalamazoo, the oldest son of Loree and Lois Harvey ’29. He attended Kalamazoo College and graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in business administration. Ron and Louise J. Bauer were married in 1952, after which Ron served for four years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict. In 1956, Ron joined Equitable Life Insurance Co., retiring as owner of Harvey Financial Services in 1996. Ron was an active member and officer of many community groups and a 50-year member of the YMCA, playing for a decade on the Y’s traveling power volleyball team. He enjoyed racing his Hobie Cat and often crewed for others in Gull Lake sailboat racing. For 70 years, Ron was an active member of Kalamazoo’s First United Methodist Church, serving as a youth counselor, a baritone in the choir, and in various official capacities. Until his death, he was an active member of the Portage United Church of Christ. Ron was a volunteer and docent at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. Louise and Ron enjoyed family camping, traveling with all four children throughout the lower 48 states. Louise and Ron traveled multiple times to many European countries, Mexico, the Canadian Rockies, the Caribbean and Hawaiian Islands. They enjoyed the home they built on Wolf Lake in Baldwin, Michigan. Ron is survived by his wife, Louise; four children; eight grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

David N. Stuut ’56 on March 31, 2024. David was a kind, genuine and humble man who was a joy to know. He was a gifted athlete who excelled at football, playing for Kalamazoo College and graduating with a degree in sociology. He would remain a loyal supporter of the Hornets for years to come and enjoyed returning to watch a game whenever he could. On December 11, 1954, he married the love of his life, Judith (Lyon) Stuut ’57, who survives. They worked hard together to provide a happy home for their family as David’s career took him to different locations. He began working for Clarage Fan Co., Aeromotive and would retire from Garden City Fan Co. in 1995. David was handy and had an aesthetic eye, leaving his mark on any home he owned. After retiring, he spent the winter months in Arizona, where he made many friends. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed spending afternoons at the links with Judie and friends. He had a lovely voice and never missed a chance to sing. He had a strong faith in the Lord. Above all, David was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He loved watching his two sons grow and was always available to lend a guiding hand. He was a dedicated grandfather who rarely missed the opportunity to watch one of his five grandchildren’s activities.

Theodore Kenneth Knott ’57 on March 1, 2024. Ted attended the University of Michigan before transferring to Kalamazoo College. On September 7, 1957, he married Gail Kaiser, who survives. He served with the Counter Intelligence Corps in the United States Army Reserve until 1961, when he became a field representative for Aetna Life Insurance. He joined Charles A. Boyer Inc. in Manistee, Michigan, in 1962 and served as president from 1967-1981. Ted served as a former director at Security National Bank, Manistee, and founded Four Point Travel Inc., International Management Co. Ted discovered a passion for sailing while living in Manistee. He participated in numerous races, including the Boyer Cup, the Chicago Mackinac, the Bayview Mackinac Boat Race and the Newport Bermuda Race. He cherished summers with his family on the Great Lakes skippering The VII Knots. He was the former president and director of First Ohio Finance Corp., Celina, Ohio; president and founder of Brokers Placement Inc., Lima, Ohio; a former member of Lloyd’s of London; and an executive vice president of Ohio Reins Corp. Ted was a Rotary past president and a Paul Harris Fellow and a board member of the Lima Symphony Orchestra. He and Gail were members of Immanuel Lutheran Church. His son Brett preceded him in death in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Gail; three daughters; a son, Kurt; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Shirley Elaine Martens ’57 on January 28, 2024, from complications of kidney failure. While working as a nurse, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kalamazoo College. Later, she worked at University Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and met and married James R. Wheeling. She had two children while still working as a nurse and helping her husband complete medical school. In 1964, James was commissioned into the United States Army Medical Corps, and Shirley spent the next 20 years as a homemaker raising her children in the various places around the country where he was posted. This included Tacoma, Washington; El Paso and San Antonio, Texas; Aurora, Colorado; Fayetteville, North Carolina; and a year back in Kalamazoo while her husband was deployed to Vietnam. Wherever she lived, she enjoyed gardening, crossword puzzles and her lifelong passion for birdwatching. Despite her scientific education, she had the eye and heart of an artist and became a proficient hobbyist in watercolors, oils and calligraphy. After divorcing, she settled on a rural property outside Carlton, Oregon, in 1985. Here she continued her gardening and birdwatching activities, cared for her father, aunt and brother in their last years, and took up quilting as a new artistic pursuit. She is survived by her daughter, son and two grandchildren.

Anneliese Dorothy (Frey) Tift ’57 on January 27, 2024. Anneliese graduated from K with a degree in psychology. In her 20s, she went to Europe with a Quaker work group to help rebuild from the devastation of the war. Anneliese married Thomas Tift and had two children, Thomas Jr. and Trudy. They moved to San Diego in 1960, where they had two more children, Larry and Wendy. While raising her children, Anne was very active in community activities, including the PTA and the Open Housing Movement to fight housing discrimination. She had a lifelong fondness for swimming, and passed on her zeal for the water to scores of children as a Red Cross backyard swim instructor. When her youngest started school, Anne went back to San Diego State University to earn a master’s degree in social work. She was passionately devoted to her ensuing career as psychiatric social worker at Children’s Hospital, where she provided therapy to children and families for the next two decades. She found an outlet for her commitment to nonviolence and social justice through her involvement with the local Unitarian Church. Anneliese’s dazzling smile exuded a relentless cheer and optimism in good times and bad. She is survived by her long-time partner, Jon Nelson, four children, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Ruth Adelle Knoll ’58 on November 8, 2023. Ruth was the choral director at Hartford High School in Hartford, Wisconsin, from 1958 to 1998, and involved in voice lessons, solo-ensemble contests and musical theatre productions. Her Hartford High School Concert Choir performed twice with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She received the Herb Kohl Fellowship for excellent teaching in 1991. In addition, she founded the Hartford Community Chorus in 1960, which continues to this day with performances in the Ruth A. Knoll Theater in the Schauer Center, as well as at Holy Hill with up to 100 voices. The city of Hartford proclaimed December 12, 2010, as “Ruth A. Knoll Day” and presented her with a key to the city. Ruth appreciated all aspects of the arts, the beauty of nature, and sitting on the deck of her childhood home on Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, watching the changing aspects of the lake as dusk would settle upon the earth.

Merrilyn (Cigard) Vaughn-Hoffman ’58 on February 5, 2024. Merrilyn attended Kalamazoo College for three years, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa her junior year. She transferred to Michigan State University for her senior year, graduating with a degree in history and languages. In March 1958, she married Thomas Holley Vaughn, her high school sweetheart. Upon Tom’s death in 1966, she was left with their two children before the age of 30. Merrilyn was very active in the community, holding many offices in the organizations to which she belonged: the American Association of University Women, Spartan Alumnae of MSU, Kalamazoo College Alumni Association, Lansing Women’s Symphony Association, The University Club, Sparrow Hospital Junior Division and Service Auxiliary, The Peoples Church of East Lansing, East Lansing Public Schools, Capital Area Women’s Network and Great Books of the Western World. Professionally, she was administrative assistant to the special counsel of Gov. G. Mennen Williams, secretary for the Democratic State Central Committee, owner of Expert Editing and Typing for over 25 years, software administrator in the telecommunications division of the State of Michigan Bureau of State Lottery and the Department of Information and Technology, and search and call coordinator for the United Church of Christ, Michigan Conference. In 1999, Merrilyn married Steward B. Hoffman Jr., who passed into eternal life six months later. Merrilyn loved Siamese cats, bright colors, funky and fun jewelry and purses, the theatre, gin martinis, reading (especially Murakami), classical music, limes and almonds. Her children and grandchildren gave her the greatest pleasure. Surviving are two children, including Karen Michelle Vaughn ’86 (Michael Ouding ’86); and four grandchildren, including Jane Louise Ouding ’19.

John P. Kuch ’60 on February 14, 2024. After graduating from K, John worked as an insurance adjuster in the local area for many years before his retirement. John married the former Martha Walters, and the couple traveled to the Evart Music Festival every summer, where they performed and presented workshops. He liked sailing and planes and was an avid model railroader who enjoyed building railroad layouts in his basement. Martha preceded him in death in 2022. John is survived by his two sons, including James Kuch ’88 (Deborah ’87); grandchildren, including Celia Kuch ’24; and a great-granddaughter.

John Francis Michkovits ’61 on February 7, 2024. John earned a B.A. in psychology from K, where he was a member of the band and the Century Forum and played basketball. He went on to the University of Detroit Mercy Dental School, was a member of Psi Omega Fraternity, and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1965. After graduation, John enlisted and served in the U.S. Army for three years as a captain. He was assigned to the 279th Station Hospital in Berlin, Germany, and became the chief dental officer at Spandau Prison, where he attended to Hermann Hesse and other Nazi war prisoners. John traveled extensively in Europe and returned to Michigan in 1968. Wanting to be near Lake Michigan and finding an opportunity to open a practice, he settled in South Haven and opened a practice in January 1969. In 1975, he built an office at Broadway, Dykman and Williams streets and practiced there until 1999. John also was active in the Episcopal Epiphany Church. John was a member of Michigan and American dental associations, Kalamazoo Valley Dental Society and the Academy of General Dentistry. He served as a volunteer and board member at We Care Community Resource Center and was a previous member of the South Haven Yacht Club. John enjoyed international travel (he visited all continents), Alpine skiing and keeping current on world news and events. John was preceded in death by his son Mark. He is survived by his best friend, Liz Jeltema; his daughter, Claire; and his son, Nicholas.

E. Turner Lewis ’63 on May 13, 2024. A resident of Vermont since 2009, he enjoyed the wonderful people, the beautiful land, the strong seasonal changes—even mud season—and the lifestyle. He practiced veterinary medicine for 40 years in Massachusetts, and then part time in Vermont until 2020. Veterinary medicine was his professional passion, especially caring for sled dogs on long distance races in Alaska, Montana, Minnesota, Oregon, Michigan, Maine and Canada. He would repeatedly say that veterinary medicine was the second-best decision he ever made next to that of marrying his wife of almost 59 years, Katherine “Kay” (Seaman) Lewis ’65. He always enjoyed meeting new people, traveling with Kay and family members and friends, watching and talking about sports, bluegrass festivals, singing, cribbage, reading nonfiction, cutting, splitting and stacking wood, crossword puzzles, the daily Jumble and Sudoku. Kalamazoo College and Michigan State University shaped his future. He served on the Board of Trustees at Kalamazoo College from 1991–2009 and joined Rotary and other local organizations wherever he lived. He was full of gratitude for his many blessings and good fortune. He loved life. Turner was so very proud of his children and grandchildren and their spouses.

Edwin Lauermann ’64 on December 5, 2023, at his home in Melrose Park, Illinois. One of the greatest football players in the history of the College, Ed was inducted into the Kalamazoo College Athletic Hall of Fame on October 7, 2005. Sixty-one years ago, Ed set the College’s single game rushing record when he ran for 271 yards against Kenyon College. The 916 yards he gained in 1963 is the second most yardage gained in a single year and the 1,904 yards he gained between 1960–63 is fourth most in career rushing. He was named to the All-MIAA team in 1962 and 1963, All-State Team in 1962, and Honorable Mention “Little All-American” in 1963. Ed was a member of two MIAA championship teams in 1962 and in 1963, the year the Hornets were undefeated and untied. As his great teammate and friend, Bob Peters ’64, has said, “Ed made his teammates better. He was always prepared and led by personal example. He had the skill and patience to get the most out of each play…Ed never talked about statistics, and records were unimportant to him. What he did was all about team…Ed epitomized what is right about Division III football and Kalamazoo College athletics.” Ed majored in economics and was a member of the Student Senate, Century Forum and K-Club, a great dancer, always meticulously dressed and a gentleman. He was loved and respected by all of his teammates and most of all by his wife, Rita, and their children, grandchildren, beloved sister and adoring nieces and nephews.

Robert L. Phillips ’65 on January 24, 2024. At K, Bob earned a degree in biology, after which he pursued a career in business, starting with Shakespeare Fishing Tackle and Chambers Belt Co. Bob owned and operated Desert Extrusion Co., of Phoenix, for 27 years. Meeting during their college years, he married Linda in 1966, and they shared 58 years together. They lived in Michigan, New York, Illinois, South Carolina and the Netherlands before moving to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1980. They were blessed with three daughters and six grandchildren. Bob’s passion during his high school and college years was sports, mainly football, but his life interests included hunting, fishing, golf, traveling and reading.

Rev. Terry Michael Brown ’66 on April 4, 2024. After K, Terry started doctoral studies at Brandeis that were interrupted by U.S. Army service in Japan in the late 1960s. He began a lasting affiliation with the Anglican Church of Canada after his return from the military, and trained for ordination at Trinity College, Toronto. After his ordination to the priesthood, his main ministries were as lecturer at Bishop Patteson Theological College in the Solomon Islands from 1975 to 1981, tutor in church history at Trinity College Toronto from 1981 to 1984, and Asia/Pacific mission coordinator for the Anglican Church of Canada’s General Synod from 1985 to 1996. He was consecrated as the fourth Bishop of Malaita in 1996 and held that position until his retirement in 2008. He was a key figure in the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In the 16 years after his retirement, he served in the Diocese of Niagara, at All Saints Church, Church of the Ascension and Christ’s Church Cathedral in Hamilton, at Trinity College of the University of Toronto and at the Canadian Church Historical Society.

Thomas P. Wilsted ’66 on April 6, 2024. Tom had three great loves in his life: family, history and cycling. At Kalamazoo College, he met his soulmate and partner of 57 years, Mary Brubaker ’66. His love of history led him to a graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and into his career as an archivist. He was fortunate to apply this talent of organizing and keeping history for organizations including the Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand; the National Salvation Army Archives in Manhattan; the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming; and the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut. While maintaining the history of others was important to Tom, making his own history with his family was his greatest joy. Tom, Mary and their young son, Jeff, moved to New Zealand early in his career, where he traveled the whole island and made lifelong friends. As part of his church in Westfield, New Jersey; Coventry, Connecticut; and Green Valley, Arizona, Tom enjoyed both socializing and serving his community. He also loved bonding with friends and family while cheering on his University of Connecticut Husky basketball teams. After retiring and moving to Green Valley, Tom re-discovered his passion for cycling and found a community that welcomed him. He would ride almost every day, no matter the weather, and could proudly claim to cycle his age in miles on every birthday up until recently. He always gave to others selflessly and humbly, whether writing newsletters for the Posada Peddlers and GVR Cycling groups, organizing bike drives for local charities, volunteering within La Posada, or helping Mary reach the dishes on the top shelf. He is survived by his wife, Mary, his son and daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.

Richard P. DeTar ’67 on January 30, 2024. Rick earned his undergraduate degree at Kalamazoo College and a master’s degree at Western Michigan University. He earned his Ph.D. at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 1998. Rick spent over 20 years working as a claims representative for the Social Security Administration. Richard was a very intelligent man and had a passion to continue to learn throughout his life. Rick married Judith James in Denver in 1995. He and Judith enjoyed traveling the world and learning through those travels. He had many passions and was a very compassionate man. Rick is survived by his wife, Judith.

Barbara L. Trimmer ’68 on February 10, 2024. Barbara attended Kalamazoo College and the University of Toledo. Her life was made complete when she married Frank Ayers on October 3, 1987. Frank will miss her in both their quiet moments at home as well as their amazing memories of travel, which ultimately led them to finding their special home in Ireland after they both retired. Barbara’s love for travel brought her many places, including Britain, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. She and Frank spent many years in Ireland forging friendships and establishing themselves firmly in the day-to-day life of Kenmare, in County Kerry. Her other great love was Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas. Barbara was awe-inspired by the beauty of the island but even more impressed by the community and the resilience of the people who lived there. Barbara is survived by her husband, Frank, two daughters and five grandchildren.

Phillip A. Salopek Sr. ’69 on March 25, 2024, from complications of frontotemporal dementia. Phil was a proud Kalamazoo College alumnus and student-athlete, where he earned all-conference honors as catcher of the baseball team in 1967. He received his master’s degree in sociology from Michigan State University and retired as a branch chief after a distinguished 30-year career with the U.S. Census Bureau. Phil lived in the Chelsea and Grass Lake, Michigan, areas for the past 15 years, moving from Maryland after retirement. Phil was most recently a member of St. Mary Catholic Church, Chelsea. In retirement, he embraced the raising and training of Portuguese Water Dogs and Havanese show dogs. He was a lifelong athlete who became an avid golfer and cherished the opportunities to watch his grandchildren perform in their sports activities. Phil was a devoted husband, loving father and doting Poppa, and enjoyed annual trips to Outer Banks, North Carolina, with his family. He will be fondly remembered for his warm and easy demeanor, infectious smile, steadfastness and wonderful sense of humor, and he was deeply loved by all who had the honor to know him. Phil was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen. He is survived by two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Jane Anne (Meyers) Higley ’71 on May 14, 2024. Growing up in Rockford, Michigan, she kept horses and attended a one-room schoolhouse. Jane left Rockford for Kalamazoo College, but returned to live at home to comfort her father after the death of her mother. She finished a Bachelor of Science in psychology and later earned a master’s degree in education from Western Michigan University and a teaching certificate from Aquinas College. Jane worked many different jobs during her life, but three of her most notable were stay-at-home mom, elementary school teacher’s aide and nutritional counselor. These jobs were all a natural fit and exemplify her caring, empathetic and gentle nature. She enjoyed playing pinochle with her card group, exercising every day, competing in triathlons, baking delicious pies and doting on her dogs. Jane is survived by her husband, David, four children and five grandchildren.

Margaret (Buess) Woods ’74 on May 6, 2024. Peg brought joy and warmth to her family, her gentle spirit leaving an indelible mark on all who knew her. Her thirst for knowledge led her abroad during her early college years, where she fondly embraced the experience of living in France as an au pair. During her career, Peg dedicated over 35 years of service to the Paw Paw (Michigan) Post Office, demonstrating unwavering commitment and diligence in her work. Peg’s heart overflowed with love for her family, and her happiest moments were spent in their company. An avid reader, she found solace and joy within the pages of her favorite books. Her love for words extended to crossword puzzles, where she showcased her sharp mind and wit. Nature beckoned her for peaceful walks, where she found tranquility amid the beauty of the outdoors. In the tapestry of her life, Peg wove countless precious memories with her beloved husband, Robert “Bob” Edward Woods, and their two cherished sons. Her adoration knew no bounds for her two grandchildren, who brought endless joy to her heart. Peg’s legacy of love, kindness and devotion will live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.

Dennis Delaney ’76 on December 17, 2023, after a valiant battle with cancer. Dennis attended Kalamazoo College, where he played football. He transferred to Michigan State University and graduated cum laude with a B.A. in telecommunications. Dennis had a very successful career in telecommunications at AT&T, MCI and American Express. He was a meticulous professional and leader in the technology space, someone who could do anything he put his mind to and was never afraid to take on new or unfamiliar tasks. Success in business was one of his many accomplishments, but his greatest pride, joy and love was his family. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lisa. Dennis is survived by his wife, Mary-Alice, a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren.

Robert L. Foote ’76 on February 20, 2024, from complications of pulmonary fibrosis, in Urbana, Illinois. Bob received his B.A. from K, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1976, and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Bob started his career and earned tenure at Texas Tech University. In 1989, he was hired by Wabash College, where he was professor of mathematics and computer science and served two terms as department chair, retiring in 2017. Bob married Cheryl Hughes on October 15, 1994, in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Bob’s research was primarily in differential geometry and his work was published in numerous journals. At the time of his death, he was working with a colleague to complete a new research paper. Bob played trumpet starting in fifth grade and continuing up until a week before he died. He played with many groups over the years. He was an avid cyclist, with memorable extended trips by bicycle in and around Michigan and the Great Lakes, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and into the Northeast provinces of Canada. Bob learned to use a lathe from his grandfather and enjoyed woodturning as a hobby; he was a member artist with the Athens Arts Gallery in Crawfordsville for years, where his wooden bowls, vases and ornamental wood projects were displayed. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, a son, and two grandchildren.

Stephen L. Langeland ’77 on April 4, 2024. After K, Steve earned a Juris Doctor degree from University of Tulsa in 1980. Steve then returned to Kalamazoo, where he practiced law and served as a U.S. Trustee for over 30 years. He married his beautiful wife, Deborah, on October 9, 1981. Together they grew a family and built a life. Steve loved photography, nature, travel, reading, studying history and spending time with friends. He enjoyed gardening and created beautiful flower beds with his wife. A pillar of the community, Steve had a soft heart for helping people down on their luck. Steve was preceded in death by his loving wife and a sister, Mary. He is survived by his two children, three grandchildren, and three siblings, including James Langeland ’86 and Margaret Landon ’80.

James Harkness Stoehr III ’80 on February 24, 2024. Jay was known as a cheerleader for all and found success through others’ triumphs, always inquisitive and eager to pass on his learned knowledge to others. These traits remained true even through the final stages of his Alzheimer’s disease. Jay continued the Stoehr legacy and was devoted to his life’s work as the president and CEO of Robbins Sports Surfaces. He prided himself on doing the right thing—a core value ingrained in both his business and personal life. Above all, sailing and his family were his true passions in life. He was also an avid skier and loved spending time in the Northwoods. Jay spent many summers in Northern Minnesota as a former camper, staff member and board member of Camp Kooch-i-Ching; he was an integral part of founding Camp Ogichi Daa Kwe, the sister camp of Camp Kooch, where he served on the board for both Ogichi and the Camping and Education Foundation. He was an instrumental board member of Lyman Orchards, along with the Maple Flooring Manufacturing Association, where he served as president. Jay is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Amy; four children; and two grandchildren.

Kimberly A. Thompson ’02 on January 9, 2024. She graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in human development and social relations, with a concentration in environmental studies.