Skip to main content

In Memoriam | Summer 2023

In Memoriam: 1950s

Notices sorted by graduation date

Mende Lerner (Col ’53 CM) of Baltimore died Dec. 18, 2022. He served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1961. Prior to his military service, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at UVA, where he was a member of Hillel, president of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, and a Lawn resident. He spent his career in the life insurance brokerage business, founding and leading Security House Inc., and the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA). As a UVA alumnus, his birthdays were always extra special, as both he and Thomas Jefferson were born on April 13. Survivors include seven children; 19 grandchildren, including Rachel Lerner (Col ’22); and 10 great-grandchildren. 


John J. Cardwell (Col ’55 CM) of White Stone, Virginia, died Aug. 24, 2022. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. While earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology at UVA, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity and a Lawn resident. He worked for Life of Virginia and Northern Neck Insurance Co. before becoming a manager for American Standard Insurance Agency, where he remained until his retirement. He served on the board of directors for the Bank of Lancaster for many years and two terms for the Lancaster County Board of Supervisors. He was an avid tennis player and enjoyed the game until he was 85. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Kathryn.


Donald Christian Hannah Sr. (Col ’55 CM) of Phoenix died Dec. 28, 2022. He served two years as an officer in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Paris. While attending UVA, he founded the UVA Polo Club. He was also a member of the men’s swimming team, Army ROTC, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and Skull and Keys. He spent five decades growing Hannah Marine, a tugboat and barge company, into a Great Lakes and international marine shipping organization. He was an early supporter of Semester at Sea and arranged for UVA’s entry into the program. He supported faculty and students during the years the University was a member and ensured that participants received University credits. He loved business deals and was an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and World Presidents’ Organization (WPO). Survivors include five children, including Mark Hannah (Col ’03); and six grandchildren.


Benjamin Kimball Phipps Jr. (Com ’55, Law ’58 CM) of Tallahassee, Florida, died Dec. 30, 2022. He served as a lieutenant in the E Special Troops section of the Army. He advanced to the rank of captain, serving overseas in Korea in 1962 to 1963 in the 1st Cavalry Division artillery. Prior to his military service, he earned his bachelor’s in commerce and his law degree at UVA, where he was the managing editor of the Virginia Law Weekly, a member of Jefferson’s Circle, and a member of the Lawn Society. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1964. Over the years, he practiced at every level of state and federal court in Florida. He was counsel to the House Tax Committee of the Florida Legislature for four years and counsel to the speaker for an additional two years. He later represented the Florida Bar as its lobbyist on local and state tax matters for eight years. He also served on the state and Local Tax Committee of the American Bar Association. He took pride in building a home, which he named Jubilee, on Florida’s Lake Hall. There, he and his wife raised his two daughters and hosted parties for friends. He enjoyed growing camellia flowers, swimming, canoeing, and spending time with his German shepherds and orange cats. In 2021, he fulfilled a lifelong desire to take flying lessons and earn his pilot’s license. Survivors include his second wife, JJ Weston, and one daughter.


Robert “Will” Boatwright Williamson (Col ’55, Grad ’57, ’67) of Annapolis, Maryland, died Feb. 5, 2023. He was born in Richmond and spent most of his early years in the Charlottesville area. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in philosophy at the University of Virginia. In 1960, he and his wife, Marilyn, moved to Annapolis, where he was a longtime faculty member at St. John’s College. His work beyond the classroom included co-authoring an ancient Greek textbook, writing essays on Plato and Albert Einstein, and translating from French the philosopher Alexandre Kojève. An amateur actor with a focus on Shakespeare, his roles included Hamlet and Othello. Survivors include three children and five grandchildren.


David Young Miller (Col ’57 CM) of Yucaipa, California, died Jan. 29, 2023. Born and raised in Charlottesville, he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at UVA, where he was a member of the marching band. He spent his career as an aerospace engineer, with a focus on the Minuteman Missile. He was a longtime member of the National Speleological Society, an organization dedicated to the exploration, conservation, and study of caves in the United States. In addition to astronomy and caving, he also loved camping and classical music. Survivors include four children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.


Lawrence “Ted” M. Scarborough Jr. was a member of the 7 SocietyLawrence “Ted” M. Scarborough Jr. (Col ’57, Engr ’63 CM) of Hockessin, Delaware, died Oct. 5, 2022. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology at UVA and then, after his Army service, a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He was a member of St. Anthony Hall, T.I.L.K.A., Tau Beta Pi and the Raven Society. While studying to become an engineer, he lived on the Lawn. He and two fellow Lawn residents founded what became the Society of the Purple Shadows. He worked for Scientific Design Co. and then for Stone and Webster Corp., building chemical plants around the world, including Algeria, Turkey, Spain, New Zealand, China and Malaysia. When he retired in 1998, he was a vice president and chief representative in Indonesia of AEC International Projects Inc. His home was filled with artifacts from his travels and books about architecture, religion, poetry and history. He and his wife, Dolly, enjoyed birdwatching, traveling and performing in radio skits together. Survivors include his wife, a son, a brother, a stepsister and three stepdaughters.


Travis Ogden Thompson (Com ’57) of Wailea, Hawaii, died Feb. 11, 2023. He served a tour of duty in the U.S. Air Force as an auditor in California. While at UVA, he was the president of Theta Chi fraternity for two years, a member of Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, a member of Air Force ROTC and a member of the P.K. Society. He also served on the governing board of the Inter-Fraternity Council. Following his military service, he began working as internal consultant for The Boeing Co. in 1962, eventually joining the corporate offices to prepare the company’s long-range business plan. After retirement, he served from 2000 to 2008 as the Republican National Committeeman for the state of Hawaii. At the request of President George W. Bush, he oversaw fundraising for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign for the state of Hawaii. After purchasing a home in Wailea Kai in 1989, he and his wife moved to Wailea, Maui. He was appointed the director of finance for the county of Maui, where he served from 1991 to 1999. During his tenure, the county of Maui was awarded, annually, a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. He introduced and implemented the circuit breaker program for homeowner property tax relief and was also successful in decentralizing the DMV, opening satellite stations in several Maui locations. His other leadership positions included chair of Maui United Way, chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters, chair of Habitat for Humanity-Maui, and secretary of the Board of Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Survivors include his wife, Ali, two children and two granddaughters.