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In Memoriam | Spring 2016

In Memoriam: 1970s

Notices sorted by graduation date

James “Jim” Bowden (Col ’70 L/M) of Roanoke, Virginia, died July 27, 2015. At the University, he was a member of the rugby team. He worked in advertising sales. Mr. Bowden was co-founder of the Roanoke Rugby Football Club and played rugby until 2004. He was also one of the founders of the Don Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament, which helps finance a scholarship fund. Survivors include his wife, a son, a daughter, a brother and a grandson.

Caroline P. Coon (Grad ’70 L/M) of Harrisonburg, Virginia, died Jan. 4, 2016. Over the course of her career, she worked for Fortune magazine; University Hospitals of Cleveland; the Historic Charleston Foundation in South Carolina; and Waynesboro Public Schools. She was co-owner of one of the first enclosed retail shops in the historic Charleston City Market. She volunteered in health services and historic preservation and was active in the Junior League and the American Association of University Women. Survivors include two sons, including Robert P. Coon (Col ’74 L/M); a daughter, Darcie Coon Martin (Col ’76); and four grandchildren, including Allison K. Martin (Col ’08).

Christian Riley Troy (Col ’70 L/M) of Indian Land, South Carolina; and Charlotte, North Carolina, died Aug. 23, 2015. At the University, he was a member of Sigma Phi fraternity and the Naval ROTC. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy before attending law school. Mr. Troy was a trial attorney for 35 years and, while representing a broad spectrum of issues, specialized in family law. He was also active in the Naval Reserve for many years and retired with the rank of captain. He loved to sing and play the piano, guitar and banjo; he had a beautiful tenor voice and was a dedicated member of the choir at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlotte. He also enjoyed fishing, building model ships and watching baseball, especially the Cincinnati Reds. Survivors include his wife; three daughters, including Caroline Troy Hastings (Col ’99 L/M); a grandson; and two brothers.

Ruth Peaper-Fillyaw (Educ ’72) of Kennebunk, Maine, died Oct. 31, 2015. She worked as a speech-language pathologist in New Hampshire; Massachusetts; Vermont; Maine; and in Saskatchewan, Canada. In 2012, Ms. Peaper-Fillyaw received the New Hampshire Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s President’s Award, the association’s highest honor. In May 2015, she retired from her position as clinical associate professor and director of clinical programs in the department of communication sciences and disorders at the University of New Hampshire, after having held similar positions at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the University of Vermont. She enjoyed spending time with her family, reading, weaving and cheering for the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Survivors include her husband, a daughter, a son, three sisters and a brother.

George J. Tompkins III (Col ’73 L/M) of Glasgow, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina, died Nov. 17, 2015. At the University, he volunteered with Madison House and was an Echols Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He also served as an acolyte at St. Paul’s Memorial Church. The Rev. Canon Tompkins served as a curate at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, and as a priest at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Windsor, North Carolina, before serving for 19 years at Old St. Andrew’s Parish Church in Charleston. During his retirement, he was active in both the Rockbridge and Lexington, Virginia, historical societies and with the parish of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Charleston. Survivors include his sister and two sons.

Roberts “Robin” Browning Fray Carey (Col ’76 L/M) of Charlottesville, died Dec. 17, 2015. At the University, she was an Echols Scholar. She worked for the Washington Post, Fortune, Forbes and National Journal. Ms. Carey was the founder and CEO of the Charlottesville-based online media and events company Social Media Today. She was a leader in the business community and an innovator in her field. She launched the Social Shake-Up, a large-scale conference for the social media industry. Her colleagues remember her as having a special talent for helping young women advance in the industry. She volunteered for the International Rescue Committee and was on the board of the Women’s Refugee Commission from 2005 to 2014. She was a dedicated member of the Charlottesville community and a guide at Monticello. Survivors include her husband, John Casey, professor of creative writing at the University; two sons; four stepdaughters; a sister; and two brothers.

Steven Burke (Com ’77) of Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, died Jan. 19, 2016. At the University, he volunteered with Madison House and was a member of Chi Psi fraternity. He worked for the Pittsburgh-based industrial firm Allegheny Ludlum, now Allegheny Technologies, until 1991, when he began working for his family’s charity, Grable Foundation. Mr. Burke was treasurer and a board member of the foundation, which funds early childhood initiatives and educational programs, and enjoyed visiting the sites that received grants from the foundation and meeting the children whose lives he worked to improve. He was devoted to his family and was a passionate fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Survivors include his wife, his mother, two sons and a brother.

Sarah L. Huffman (Nurs ’77, Med ’83 L/M) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Fredericksburg, Virginia, died Dec. 23, 2015. At the University, she was a member of Omega Delta Kappa sorority and president of the Medical School student body. She worked with her father at his Tampa Bay, Florida, practice for nine years before relocating to Colorado Springs, where she worked in primary care for 19 years. Dr. Huffman received the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Bridges to Excellence accreditation for her expertise in diabetes management. She was involved with volunteer medical clinics throughout the country and served as medical director of Open Bible Medical Clinic, which serves indigent families in Colorado Springs. Survivors include a son and two sisters.

Christine Sikorski Blincoe (Educ ’78) of Ruckersville, Virginia, died Jan. 6, 2016. Early in her career, she worked as a fifth-grade teacher in Tappahannock-area public schools school district and as an audiologist at the Southside Virginia Training Center. After graduating from the University, Ms. Blincoe went to work at the Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital Center, now the UVA Child Development and Rehabilitation Center. She transferred to the UVA Medical Center, where she directed the cochlear implant program. Ms. Blincoe retired as director in 2000 and began working for Charlottesville City Schools. She loved dogs and volunteered at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA and as a guide for the Marion duPont Scott Museum at James Madison’s Montpelier. Survivors include her husband, Harold Blincoe (Educ ’81); two sons, including Adam Blincoe (Grad ’18); and a brother.

Alan Riffer (Darden ’78) of Albany, California, died Oct. 30, 2015. He began his post-Darden career as a consultant at Arthur Andersen, where he gained experience for his CPA certification. He later worked for nearly two decades in finance and actuarial services at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan before retiring in 2003. Mr. Riffer was very involved in the Albany community, serving two terms on the local board of education and as a volunteer treasurer for a number of charities. He was also a member of many civic committees, including the Albany Library Board. He loved cooking, playing bridge, traveling, spending time with his family and friends, listening to music and driving his Mazda Miata. Survivors include his wife, two children, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.