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In Memoriam | Fall 2014

In Memoriam: 1950s

Notices sorted by graduation date

Harry R. Chew (Col ’50) of Arlington, Va., died July 5, 2014. He served in the U.S. Navy and worked for the CIA as well as other government agencies, including the U.S. Congress. Mr. Chew operated a private law practice for more than 50 years, and worked on several presidential campaigns, including that of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. An avid sailor, Mr. Chew was a member of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the Chesapeake Bay Bermuda-40 Association. He was also a member of the Reform Club in London. Survivors include his wife, a daughter, three sons, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jack R. Hunter (Col ’50 L/M) of Richmond, Va., died July 17, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. At the University, he was a member of the Cavalier Daily staff, the Corks & Curls staff and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Mr. Hunter was a journalism professor and editor for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He joined the Times-Dispatch staff in 1950 as a reporter and assistant editor on the state desk and, in 1964, became editor of the Virginia-Metro news section, retiring from the paper in 1991 as state and city news coordinator. As an editor, he was a valuable mentor known for his high standards and tireless work ethic. He often took on production of news stories, coordinating them, diagramming the paper and working on copy through the night. Mr. Hunter concurrently held a position as a professor of journalism, joining the faculty of the Richmond Professional Institute department of journalism, now the Virginia Commonwealth University Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture, in 1954. He served as chair of the department, headed a summer program for high school journalists and worked with student editors on the college newspaper, at the time called The Proscript; he retired from teaching in 1997. Mr. Hunter listened to opera music while he worked, and was always ready to edit, often taking a red pen to his children’s school papers. In 1967, he was honored by the Virginia Press Association for his work in educating future journalists and, in 1991, received the George Mason Award from the Richmond Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for his contributions to journalism in Virginia. Survivors include his wife, Marion Balzer Hunter (Nurs ’51 L/M); a daughter, Cynthia Hunter Roman (Col ’76); a son, Richard R. Hunter (Col ’85 L/M); one grandchild; and four stepgrandchildren.

F. Brett Miller (Col ’50) of Newnan, Ga., and Washington, D.C., died June 24, 2014. He served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II and later served in the Naval Reserve for nearly 20 years. Mr. Miller worked for the United States Agency for International Development for many years, retiring as an executive officer. He loved to travel, was an avid golfer and was an unrelenting supporter of the Cavaliers, whom he often called “the gentlemen from Charlottesville.” Survivors include his wife, two daughters, two sons, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Ephraim “Bud” Phillippe III (Engr ’50 L/M) of Bedford, Va., died May 26, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. A chemical engineer, he worked in New Jersey, Wisconsin and California before settling in Virginia with his family in 1964, and retired from Virginia Chemicals/Hoechst-Celanese in Portsmouth in 1988. After retiring, Mr. Phillippe and his wife moved to Bedford, where they bought an apple orchard and enjoyed planting new and heirloom apple trees and making wine from their grapes. He and his wife were avid outdoorspeople, taking many hiking trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on the U.S./Canada border, and together they enjoyed traveling and hosting family gatherings. Mr. Phillippe collected magazines and newspaper clippings from World War II and from his time serving in the South Pacific during the Korean War, and he donated his collection to the U.Va. Library. Survivors include three daughters, including Susan Phillippe Stewart (Col ’76) and Peggy Phillippe Ireson (Nurs ’78); five grandchildren; one great-grandson; and a sister.

Charles O. Stainback (Col ’50) of Norfolk, Va., died April 12, 2014. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. At the University, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Mr. Stainback was an operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency. He traveled the world for his work, often accompanied by his wife. A kind and cheerful man, Mr. Stainback was called “Boppo” by his grandchildren. He was an enthusiastic and faithful U.Va. sports fan. Survivors include two daughters, including Elizabeth Stainback Schuller (Nurs ’76); five granddaughters, including Catherine Schuller (Col ’05), Caroline Thomas Spangenthal (Col ’06, Educ ’06), and Emily Schuller (Com ’09, Darden ’14 L/M); and five great-grandchildren. 

Edmund “Ed” Bessell (Educ ’51, ’61 L/M) of Roanoke, Va., died April 20, 2014. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. At the University, he was a member of the football team and the V Club. He was a coach and teacher with the Roanoke City Public Schools for 24 years. An avid outdoorsman, Mr. Bessell worked as a seasonal park ranger and was a volunteer and member of the Appalachian Trail Club. Survivors include a daughter, a son and four grandchildren.

Marshall T. “Fergie” Ferguson (Com ’51) of Stanton, Del., died June 15, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army. At the University, he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Mr. Ferguson was an insurance agent for 50 years and was a past member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. A social man with a generous nature, he loved sitting in his backyard, enjoying the flowers, the pool and the company of his family and friends. Survivors include his five children, six grandchildren and one great grandson.

William G. Pannill (Col ’51 L/M) of Palm Beach, Fla., and Roaring Gap, N.C., died June 10, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army. At the University, he was a member of Skull and Keys and Pi Kappa Alpha. Mr. Pannill began his career with Pannill Knitting Co. in 1959 and became president of the company in 1966. He helped facilitate a leveraged buyout, an initial public offering and, eventually, the sale of the company to Sara Lee Knit Products in 1989. He served on many educational, business, cultural and social boards, among them the boards of Hampden-Sydney College; Mary Baldwin College; the National Wildflower Research Center, now the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center; and the Hospice Foundation of Palm Beach County. He also served on U.Va.’s Jeffersonian restoration advisory board. A renowned daffodil expert, Mr. Pannill hybridized, named and registered more than 2,010 new types of daffodil throughout his lifetime. He was past president of the American Daffodil Society and the American Horticultural Society, and was the founder of the Horticulture Society of South Florida. He was also involved in many nature research centers and botanical and garden clubs. Mr. Pannill enjoyed photography, hunting, skeet shooting, golf, fishing and working with computers, especially in Adobe Photoshop. Survivors include his wife, a daughter, a son, two stepdaughters, nine grandchildren and a sister.

Charles Bennett Molster Jr. (Com ’52) of Richmond, Va., died July 17, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. At the University, he was a member of the Cavalier Daily staff, Kappa Alpha Order and Eli Banana. Mr. Molster was a pioneer in the field of information technology, working at Miller & Rhoads department store and its successor companies for many years. He served as president of Hollywood Cemetery, on the boards on the Commonwealth Club and the Country Club of Virginia, and was active in numerous Richmond civic and political organizations. An enthusiastic golfer who was deeply devoted to his family, Mr. Molster had a kind spirit, a warm nature and a keen sense of humor. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Margaret Molster Bush (Educ ’81 L/M) and Jane Molster Hines (Col ’93 L/M); two sons, including Charles B. Molster III (Col ’79 L/M); 14 grandchildren; and a brother.

E. Paul Schelling (Engr ’52 L/M) of Mt. Kisco, N.Y., died May 10, 2014. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a civil engineer who worked in several states throughout his career, but primarily in the Frederick, Md., area. Mr. Schelling was a Boy Scout leader who received the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to scouting in the state of Maryland. Survivors include his wife, Ethelene Nichols Schelling (Nurs ’51 L/M); a daughter; a son, Mark Schelling (Engr ’83, ’84 L/M); and two granddaughters, including Rachel Schelling (Col ’18).

Arthur Albert “Bert” Alexander (Col ’53) of Shelter Island, N.Y., died Jan. 3, 2013. At the University, he lived on the Lawn and was a member of the Jefferson Literary & Debating Society and the debating team. Never one to shy away from new opportunities, Mr. Alexander owned a bar and restaurant in Spain; had a horse farm in Woodstock, N.Y.; and started a small publishing company in New York City before joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1983. He was first stationed in Lima, Peru, as commercial attaché at the American embassy, and later held posts in São Paulo, Brazil; and Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was promoted to senior commercial counselor. Mr. Alexander and his family returned to Shelter Island in the winter of 1997. Survivors include his wife, three daughters and three grandsons.

James Monroe “Jim” Carter (Med ’53, Res ’59 L/M) of Carmel, Ind., died July 25, 2014. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Dr. Carter practiced radiology in Marquette, Mich.; and Parkersburg, W.Va., where he introduced innovative procedures and diagnostics previously unavailable to the Mid-Ohio Valley. He retired from full-time practice in 1992 and moved to Carmel in 2010 to be closer to family. Dr. Carter read widely and enjoyed skiing and traveling. Survivors include his wife, three daughters, a son, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Charles White Conklin Jr. (Engr ’53 L/M) of Springfield, Pa., and Marshall, Va., died May 15, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army. At the University, Mr. Conklin was a member of the Glee Club. He began his career at Gulf Oil Corp.’s refinery in Philadelphia, where he was a research and process engineer, and later worked for 31 years as a staff engineer and heat-transfer specialist for Sun Oil Co. Mr. Conklin retired in 1991 and continued to serve as a consultant until 2013. He was a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Chemical Consultants Network, and a longtime member of the American Petroleum Institute, for which he chaired the subcommittee on heat-transfer equipment. An avid gardener who at one point had 300 flower varieties in his yard, Mr. Conklin was a member of the Garden Club of Springfield, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the American Iris Society. He taught Sunday school at his church and managed the eyeglass-collection program for the Springfield Lions Club; in 2002, he was named the Melvin Jones Fellow for Dedicated Humanitarian Services by the Lions Club International Foundation. Mr. Conklin served as president of the UVaClub of Philadelphia and as an interviewer for the Jefferson Scholars Program. He delighted in spending time with his grandchildren. Survivors include three daughters, Carol B. Conklin (Com ’81 L/M), Virginia Anne Conklin (Col ’83 L/M) and Linda Conklin Walton (Com ’88, Grad ’95 L/M); two grandchildren and a nephew.

H. Preston Harrison (Educ ’54 L/M) of Richmond, Va., died June 7, 2014. At the University, he served on the Honor Committee, lived on the Lawn, and was a member of the football, baseball and boxing teams, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and Eli Banana. He worked for the firm of Morton G. Thalhimer, a commercial real estate company in Richmond, for more than 40 years. A competitive club handball player, Mr. Harrison was a founding member of the Westwood Club and a member of the Commonwealth Club and the Country Club of Virginia. He had an avid interest in world history and the history of U.S. railroads, and after retiring from his real estate career, helped establish the Richmond Railroad Museum. Mr. Harrison was a loyal Wahoo who enjoyed following U.Va. sports, especially baseball. Survivors include three daughters, a son and six grandchildren.

Thomas Henry Simmonds Jr. (Engr ’54) of Gloucester, Mass., died July 31, 2014. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and later served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Mr. Simmonds worked for his entire career with Bell Telephone Laboratories in North Andover, Mass. A gifted mechanic, he built and fixed cars, boats and other things around the house. He was also interested in electronics, ran a small Internet computer business and enjoyed sailing, auto touring the U.S. and spending time with his family. Survivors include his wife, three daughters, nine grandchildren and a sister.

Peggy Jean Sandridge Tomlin (Educ ’54) of Palm Harbor, Fla., died July 6, 2014. At the University, she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Ms. Tomlin was passionate about her work in the field of early childhood education. Early in her career, she worked in and concurrently managed two child development centers in Athens, Ala. After moving to Clearwater, Fla., in 1980, she worked briefly for the Head Start Program and then for the Pinellas County School System in the federal Title I program, through which she worked with elementary school students with special needs. Ms. Tomlin loved to play the piano and spent many hours at the keys of her baby grand. She also enjoyed spending time with her family. Survivors include her husband, Curtis Tomlin (Col ’70); a daughter; a son; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Patricia Gay Sandridge Salmon (Nurs ’60 L/M).

William Drake Roberts (Col ’55) of Sewickley, Pa., died June 25, 2014. At the University, he was a member of the boxing team, the V Club, P.K. Society and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Certified in all aspects of gemology and appraisal work, Mr. Roberts worked for his family’s jewelry firm, John M. Roberts and Sons, for many years. He loved being part of important moments in his customers’ lives, pending engagements especially, and took great pleasure in the detail and craftsmanship of old estate jewelry. He was active in various organizations, among them the Pittsburgh Rotary and the American Gemological Society, which his family had helped to establish. He enjoyed tennis and skiing and later, jogging and walking. Mr. Roberts’ passion was classic cars and sports cars. He was involved in the founding of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix and, along with a close friend, founded the Pittsburgh Transportation Museum, which was located at Station Square until the site was repurposed. He later served as a docent at the Frick Art & Historical Center’s Car and Carriage Museum in Pittsburgh. Survivors include a daughter, a son, and three grandchildren.

Kenneth Talmadge Shelley (Educ ’55 L/M) of Cumberland, Md., died Nov. 28, 2013. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and, in 1953, was selected to attend the University as part of the V-12 Navy College Training Program. At the University, Mr. Shelley was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He then attended the Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., and went on to serve assignments in various locations, including a tour as ship supervising officer at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y., for the overhaul of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-60), and engineering duty officer assignments at the Canal Zone in Panama; at San Diego with the amphibious force; and at the Washington Navy Yard. Mr. Shelley retired from active service in 1963 and continued to serve the Navy as a civilian, joining what is now the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command at the Washington Navy Yard and at Crystal City, Va., where he managed the Remote Afloat Terminal System and the World Wide Military Command and Control System. He retired in 1975 with GS-16 status and returned to his hometown of Cumberland, Md., where he was active in civic organizations, including the Ali Ghan Shrine Temple, and led fundraising efforts aiding children’s hospitals in the Maryland and Pennsylvania areas. Mr. Shelley also assisted in the revitalization of Cumberland’s historic district. Survivors include two sons, including Mark C. Shelley (Col ’81 L/M); a daughter; seven grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren.

Joseph M. Eller (Engr ’56 L/M) of Melbourne, Fla., died March 21, 2014. At the University, he was a member of the Air Force ROTC and the Arnold Air Society. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, where he worked on the Boeing CM-10 Bomarc missile project. Mr. Eller later joined NASA as an engineer at the Kennedy Space Center, where he worked on projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo before retiring in 1988. He loved model trains, building and selling houses, and following the progress of the U.S. space program. Survivors include his wife and three children, among them a daughter, Marlene “Micki” Eller Stern (Engr ’83, ’84 L/M), and a son, Marc A. Eller (Col ’80); son-in-law Zachary Stern (Engr ’84 L/M); six grandchildren, including Shayna Stern (Arch ’12, Col ’12 L/M); niece Susan R. Dye (Engr ’88); and nephew Michael Dye (Engr ’87, ’90 L/M).

William Joseph Hancock (Med ’58, Res ’62 L/M) of Winchester, Va., died July 28, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Dr. Hancock began his career as a physician for the outpatient department of internal medicine at the University of Virginia Hospital. He later joined the internal medicine practice of McKee Hortenstein and McCubbin in Winchester, where he helped grow the medical group and expand its facilities. In the early 1960s, Dr. Hancock was the driving force behind the formation of the intensive care and coronary care units at the Winchester Memorial Hospital (now Winchester Medical Center), where he served as chief of medicine from 1966 to 1967 and continued to practice until his retirement in 1998. In 1996, he received the Laureate Award from the American College of Physicians in Virginia in honor of his service to the Winchester medical community. Dr. Hancock was a member of various local and civic organizations, among them Winchester Masonic Lodge #21 and the Winchester Country Club. Survivors include a son; two daughters, Corby Hancock Pine (Educ ’82 L/M) and Kimberly Hancock Hedrick (Nurs ’86, ’92); and seven grandchildren, including Kendall S. Hancock (Col ’11 L/M).

Charles Robinson (Law ’58) of Mendham, N.J., died June 15, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Mr. Robinson practiced law for 10 years before becoming a well-known artist and illustrator. For more than 30 years, he illustrated nearly 150 children’s books, as well as his own book, Yuri and the Mooneygoats, an updated folk tale. In 1971, he received the gold medal from the Society of Children’s Book Illustrators for his work on Norah Smaridge’s Audubon: The Man Who Painted Birds. Mr. Robinson was also known for his atmospheric oil paintings of rural New Jersey, his family’s farm in Pennsylvania, the Georgia seaside and the coast of Great Britain. His works hang in the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University and in many private collections. A longtime member of the Morristown Shakespeare Club and the Morristown Field Club, Mr. Robinson was also a member and board president of the Salvation Army Morristown. He served on the board of Morristown’s Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, where he painted background murals for exhibits, illustrated brochures and contributed works to the museum’s collection. Survivors include his wife; a daughter; two sons, including Edward W. T. Robinson (Col ’86); four grandchildren; and a brother.

Benjamin V. Dall (Law ’59) of Fayetteville, N.Y., died July 4, 2014. He was a professor of environmental law at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, N.Y., for many years. Prior to his teaching career, Mr. Dall earned a number of academic degrees and practiced law in New Jersey for 10 years as a member of the New Jersey and New York bar associations. He was a creative man who had many passions, including classical music, darkroom photography, oil painting, piano playing, bread baking, gardening and, especially, fly fishing. He loved to fish in Limestone Creek, a creek he knew so well that he would often catch the same fish he had thrown back the day before. He also loved spending time with his family. Survivors include his four daughters, including Elizabeth “Betty” Dall (Engr ’86); their mother; and three grandchildren.