In Memoriam: 1970s

Notices sorted by graduation date

Richard S. Rothenberg (Col '70) of Richmond, Va., died Dec. 25, 2011. At the University, he was a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. Mr. Rothenberg was an attorney at Rothenberg Streeter Tluchak in Richmond, where he practiced for more than 30 years. He was an avid golfer, a longtime supporter of U.Va. athletics and loved all things U.Va. Survivors include his wife, Susie Houchins Rothenberg (Col '79); a brother, Joel Rothenberg (Col '69 L/M); a son, Brandon Rothenberg (Col '09); a daughter, Laura Rothenberg (Col '10 L/M); and two nephews, Alexander Rothenberg (Col '04 L/M) and Nicholas Rothenberg (Engr '09).

Eleanor Sommers Hartless (Educ '71) of Charlottesville died March 12, 2012. Her teaching career included classroom assignments at Craigsville High School in Augusta County, Va.; James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg, Va.; and McGuffey Educational Center and Walker Middle School, both in Charlottesville. As a "military spouse," she was an active member in the Officer's Wives Club. She was a member of the Jack Jouett Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in Charlottesville. Survivors include a son, Robert Hartless (Col '67 L/M), and a daughter, Eleanor M. Hartless (Educ '76).

John Robert Metzger Jr. (Engr '73) of Libertyville, Ill., died Oct. 18, 2009. At the University, he was a member of Chi Psi fraternity.

Donald M. Ross (Col '74) of Boerne, Texas, died Feb. 16, 2012. At the University, he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. Mr. Ross most recently was a risk analyst, hedge fund consultant and principal at Southwest Analytics. He had worked as a chartered financial analyst in the banking and finance industry since 1980 for USAA and other firms. He and his wife, Anna, ran the Lone Star Lost Kitten Ranch, where they cared for hundreds of abandoned cats.

Joan Lee Fulton (Educ '75) of Richmond, Va., died March 15, 2012. Ms. Fulton was a professor of education retired from Virginia Commonwealth University. At VCU and through her nonprofit organization, the Developmental Skills Institute, she worked with thousands of teachers, from Virginia to the Navajo Indian reservations in Arizona, to help them become more effective with their students. Her particular passion was developing methods to help at-risk students. Survivors include a son, Otis Fulton (Col '79 L/M).

Thomas C. Givens Jr. (Law '75) of Tazewell, Va., died Feb. 1, 2012. Mr. Givens practiced law for 31 years in Tazewell, and retired from Gillespie, Hart, Altizer & Whitesell in 2006. An active member of the Tazewell Lions Club from 1975, he also served as president of the Tazewell Area Chamber of Commerce and the Tazewell County Bar Association. The Tazewell Rotary Club honored him as a Paul Harris Fellow. Mr. Givens' foremost passion was the Tazewell Torpedoes Swim Team, which he coached for 35 years. His teams won the Highlands Swimming Association championship 14 times. Mr. Givens founded the Highlands Swimming Association and served as its first president. He also coached the Giles Swim Team for five years before he moved to Tazewell.

Joe B. Linker III (Med '75) of Athens, Ga., died March 22, 2012. He served as a physician in the U.S. Army. Dr. Linker practiced medicine in Athens for 24 years. He enjoyed tennis and running. Trying his ear at the Piano Puzzler on WUGA-FM complemented his great love of classical music and the many performances he enjoyed at Hodgson Hall on the University of Georgia campus. He was a regular attendee at the big-screen showings of the Metropolitan Operas on Saturday afternoons at Beechwood Cinema.

Pamela Kampf Persinger (Educ '75 L/M) of Roanoke, Va., died March 14, 2012. She studied speech therapy and audiology, and then had her own business for 25 years. She also worked with several medical facilities in the Roanoke Valley and in southwest Virginia.

Robert R. Richardson III (Col '75) of San Diego died Dec. 25, 2011. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He worked as a photographer for Stars and Stripes and later taught photography at Ft. Monmouth, N.J. Later he ran his own photography studio in Pikeville, Ky., and worked for Toyota Motors in Georgetown, Ky. He spent nine years in Japan teaching English to all age groups. After returning from Japan, he worked as a photographer and editor for various publishing companies.

Patricia Louise Pullen (Educ '76) of Charlottesville died March 20, 2012. In 1977, she began teaching special education at Jackson-Via Elementary School in Charlottesville. After her retirement from Jackson-Via, Ms. Pullen volunteered for Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates. During this time, she also published a short story, a short book for teachers and co-wrote a book for teachers on behavior management and many professional journal articles. In her leisure time, she took guitar and voice lessons, and played with local old-time music groups.

Morris H. Collins (GSBA '77) of Athens, Ga., died Jan. 25, 2012. He worked in accounting positions in Charleston, S.C.; and Elberton, Ga., before returning to Athens in 1987. He later worked as an accountant for the University of Georgia Athletic Association for nearly two decades. Survivors include a sister, Susan Collins Geolot (Law '79).

J. Edgar Schmutzer (Law '77) of Sevierville, Tenn., died March 31, 2012. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After a brief stint in private practice in Nashville, he became an assistant U.S. attorney in Knoxville, where he served for more than 30 years. He was an Eagle Scout with Sevierville Troop 110, a member of the Knoxville Opera Guild, the Scottish Society of Knoxville and the Sons of the Revolution.

Mary Leonard Wilson (Educ '77) of Roanoke, Va., died April 4, 2012. She taught at McKeever Elementary School in Greensboro, N.C., and ended her teaching career at Honaker Elementary School in Russell County, Va. Ms. Wilson was the supervisor of adult education in Russell County and served on various local and state commissions with former U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher and several Virginia governors. Ms. Wilson and her husband helped establish the Ronald McDonald House of Roanoke, Va.

Darrell W. Hurst (Educ '78 L/M) of Waynesboro, Va., died March 1, 2012. He served in the Armed Forces of the United States and the Virginia Army National Guard from May 1967 to April 1998. At the University, he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He began his teaching career at Staunton Military Academy and, in 1967, subsequently moved on to become adjunct faculty at James Madison University, the University of Virginia, and for the SAKE and SHIGA Japanese-English Immersion Program at Mary Baldwin College. Mr. Hurst's longest tenure, however, was as professor of English and humanities at Blue Ridge Community College, where he was a founding faculty member when the college opened its doors in 1967 and remained until his passing. Concurrently during his career years at BRCC, he owned and operated three women's clothing stores that he eventually sold.

Charles S. Martin (Col '78) of Charlottesville died April 10, 2012. At the University, he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. He was a former chairman of the board of supervisors for Albemarle County and the first African American to hold that position. He was employed by the Virginia Department of Corrections as a probation officer. He was a past member of the Albemarle County School Board and past chair and board member of Martha Jefferson Hospital.

Peggy Turner Johnson (Educ '79) of Bedford, Va., died Feb. 20, 2012. Ms. Johnson worked in the Bedford County Public Schools for 31 years, teaching fifth grade at Liberty Academy, Moneta Elementary and Bedford Elementary for many years, and then served as principal at Moneta and as an English teacher at Staunton River Middle School briefly before retiring. After retiring from the school system, Ms. Johnson started her beautiful flower gardens and began raising day lilies. An article and pictures of her flowers were published in the book Gardening Through Your Golden Years by Jim Wilson. She kept her professional ties with the American Association of University Women and was active in the American Hemerocallis Society, Blue Ridge Day Lily Society, the Hosta Society, the Garden Club of Bedford and the Friday Book Club. Survivors include a son, William T. Johnson (Col '75, Com '78).