In Memoriam: 1950s
Notices sorted by graduation date
Robert Sedgwick Bryan (Col ’50, Grad ’52, ’56) of Raleigh, North Carolina, died March 2, 2019. He served in the U.S. Navy. After transferring to UVA from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to the Raven Society. In 1966, Mr. Bryan joined North Carolina State University as head of what was then the Department of Philosophy and Religion. His tenure coincided with the flowering of the humanities at N.C. State, which had only started offering the bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1963. By the time Mr. Bryan retired in 1989, the department had gained national recognition. He took active interest in university affairs, chairing the University Committee on Courses and Curricula and the Athletics Council as well as a committee to apply for a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa—for which the university was granted a charter shortly after his retirement. Mr. Bryan served on the Chancellor’s Honors Council and as the university’s faculty representative to the Atlantic Coast Conference and the NCAA from 1973 to 1983. He also was elected to the Academy of Outstanding Teachers. In retirement, Mr. Bryan spent his time reading, writing, rooting for the Wolfpack and playing tennis; and at age 88, he published A Life Worth Living. Survivors include his wife, Geraldine; three sons; and five grandchildren.
Marjorie Taite Austin (Educ ’51 L/M) of Towanda, Pennsylvania, died June 21, 2018. After attending Goucher College, she enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where she served on active duty during World War II. After the war, she and her husband, Horace W. Austin Jr. (Engr ’52), entered UVA and earned their degrees on the GI Bill. While in school, they raised two children and lived on Copeley Hill. Ms. Austin earned a master’s degree and taught in private and public schools in the Philadelphia area for more than 40 years. She was recognized as an accomplished reading specialist, helping children attain peer-level reading skills in early grades. An avid follower of all things Wahoo, she visited Charlottesville often. Survivors include a son, Robert M. Austin II (Col ’71, Darden ’78 L/M); a daughter; four grandchildren, including Robert M. Austin III (Com ’99 L/M) and Anne Taite Vogeleer (Col ’01 L/M); and five great-grandchildren.
Houston Blair (Com ’51 L/M) of Monroe, North Carolina, died April 9, 2019. He served in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Blair spent 32 years with the U.S. government—first, with the Social Security Administration in Washington, D.C., then with the Environmental Protection Agency’s air division in North Carolina. After retirement, he enjoyed 25 years of traveling the world (including eight transatlantic cruises out of 40 total), gardening, playing bridge and pursuing genealogical research. Survivors include his wife, Frances; two daughters and two sons; a stepdaughter; four grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Martha Zimmerman Quayle (Nurs ’53 L/M) of Rockville, Maryland, died Dec. 26, 2018. She began work as a staff nurse at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in 1954, one year after its opening. With the exception of the years 1957 to 1962, when she was starting her family, she remained at NIH for the rest of her working career, retiring in 1996. In 1995, the clinical center nominated her for Maryland Hospital Nurse of the Year. She loved music, especially opera and chamber music, and traveled with her husband, Harold “Hal” Quayle Jr. (Col ’53 L/M), to New York; San Francisco; Chicago; Marlboro, Vermont; and other major performance centers to indulge those passions. She loved the visual arts, especially the work of printmakers, and was for many years a member of the Washington Print Club. She found her greatest happiness, however, in being with her family. She loved them greatly and was greatly loved by them in return. Survivors include her husband, a son, two daughters and five grandchildren.
Leveson Gower “Bud” Leslie Jr. (Arch ’54 L/M) of Lynchburg, Virginia, died April 24, 2019. He spent his career as a design engineer. He was an avid supporter of UVA football and also loved the years he spent at New London Airport pursuing his flying hobby. Survivors include three children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
William C. Sinclair (Engr ’54 L/M) of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died Feb. 1, 2019. He served in the U.S. Army. At UVA, where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, the IMP Society, T.I.L.K.A. and the Seven Society, he lettered in football, boxing and lacrosse. He was second team All-American for lacrosse and played on the 1952 national championship team. After graduation, Mr. Sinclair worked for the Virginia Department of Highways, McLean Contracting Co. and Waterfront Marine. He was known at McLean as the person who could solve almost any construction issue and the one to send to any emergency situation. He mentored many in the marine construction industry. In 1977, he designed and helped build his dream home in Sandbridge, Virginia, where he lived until October 2018. Mr. Sinclair was known for his practical jokes, acrobatic dives, tricks and drawings. He pushed those around him to be better people. Survivors include four children, seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Alan W. Hesdorffer (Col ’58 L/M) of Edina, Minnesota, died April 21, 2019. At UVA, he served on the Honor Committee and as vice president of the College, and he was a member of T.I.L.K.A., Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and Army ROTC. He also lived on the Lawn. After two tours of duty in the U.S. Army as an infantry lieutenant during the Vietnam War, Mr. Hesdorffer began a career in marketing and marketing management. He worked for Procter & Gamble, where he was instrumental in the introduction of Charmin, Bounty, Pampers and other paper products brands, and served as national sales manager of the industrial paper products division. He later worked for the Pillsbury Co., where he was director of marketing for grocery and refrigerated products. Survivors include his wife, Mary Boyd; a son; a daughter; and five grandsons.
Paul D. Lindsey (Engr ’58 L/M) of Richmond, Virginia, died Nov. 11, 2018. After his time at UVA, Mr. Lindsey earned master’s degrees from Lehigh University and Avila College. During his career, he was employed by Bell Labs, Western Electric, Singer-Kearfott and Allied Signal. Survivors include his wife, Patricia; two sons; a daughter, Susan Lindsey (Arch ’89 L/M); and eight grandchildren, including Devin Lindsey (Engr ’18 L/M) and Mattias Pinto (Com ’20).