In Memoriam: 1970s
Notices sorted by graduation date
Robert “Doc” Benjamin (Law ’70 L/M) of Sarasota, Florida, died Oct. 2, 2018. He graduated in 1967 from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and earned his law degree from UVA before earning his master of laws from New York University School of Law in 1974. An accomplished attorney, Mr. Benjamin practiced for 15 years in the New York City area, where he also served five years as an adjunct professor of law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University and two years as director of the International Tax Institute. In 1988, Mr. Benjamin accepted a position with the firm Williams Parker Harrison Dietz and Getzen in Sarasota, where he practiced business and tax law for the remainder of his career. He took great pride in serving his clients and the community. Mr. Benjamin served on the board and as legal counsel for the Sarasota Opera. He helped found the Sarasota chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, and he served on the boards of Community Health Corp. and FCCI Insurance Group, for which he also served as counsel. An avid sports fan, his favorite team was the New York Yankees. He was known for his sense of humor, passion for storytelling, and willingness to help and mentor those around him. “Papa Doc” cherished time spent with his family and loved to recount stories of family trips and time together. Survivors include his wife, Susan; a daughter; a granddaughter; and one sister.
Michael P. Weinstein (Col ’71 L/M), originally of Yonkers, New York, died Sept. 10, 2018. At UVA, he was a member of the Jefferson Society and a founding brother of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. After graduating from Brooklyn Law School, he practiced for years with the state of New York, specializing in Clean Water Act cases and, later, nursing home regulatory and compliance issues, before retiring to Amelia Island, Florida. Mr. Weinstein was a talented rock and jazz guitarist and, as a student, often jammed at Charlottesville’s Prism Coffeehouse. He was known for his snarky sense of humor and heartfelt sociopolitical enthusiasms, as well as his love of the New York Yankees and skiing. Survivors include a son, two daughters, three grandchildren and his sister.
James Dabney Settle (Grad ’75) of Forest, Virginia, formerly of Amherst, Virginia, died Nov. 12, 2018. He served in the U.S. Army. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University, he taught at Nelson County High School for a year before attending graduate school. He entered the Foreign Service with the U.S. Information Agency for three years and served with the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, for two years. Upon his return to the U.S., he began a career with United Way. Mr. Settle served as a chief professional in cities in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas and Iowa. The family enjoyed life in each unique location. Mr. Settle and his wife retired to central Virginia in 2001. A voracious reader and exuberant raconteur, he was proficient in five languages and had a flair for humor and drama. He could answer the most obscure questions and could have been Google himself. His library was immense and his memory almost infallible. Survivors include two sons and one sister, Leah Settle Gibbs (Educ ’83 L/M).
Charles H.E. “Chick” Smith Sr. (Educ ’76) of Princess Anne, Maryland, died Sept. 23, 2018. He served in the U.S. Army. After receiving a diploma from Norfolk State University, he went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Virginia State University and his doctorate in social studies education from UVA. He served as a fellow at several schools, including Union College in New York and Howard University, and he completed advanced graduate study at the University of Maryland. Mr. Smith’s teaching career spanned 37 years in schools and institutions across Virginia and Maryland, including elementary and high schools; the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore; and the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Maryland. He was a member of Kappa Phi Kappa educational fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha and the Virginia Teachers Association. Active in the community, he served with the NAACP and on the boards of several organizations, including Shore-Up and Lower Shore Enterprises, where he was the first African-American president. He was a Boy Scouts scoutmaster in Exmore, Virginia, and served in several positions at Mt. Calvary United Methodist Church in Fruitland, Maryland, including chair of the council on ministries and church historian. He wrote Calvary: An Oral History. Survivors include his son, four grandchildren and a sister.
Scott Coverdale Brittain (Col ’78, Darden ’83) of Nashville, Tennessee, died Oct. 15, 2018. At UVA, where he majored in English, he was president of Zeta Psi fraternity. After earning his MBA, he joined the corporate finance department at J.C. Bradford and Co. In 1991, he joined Corporate Communications, where he served as senior vice president. Mr. Brittain spent many happy summers as a camper and counselor at the camp founded by his grandfather, Hy-Lake Camp for Boys, which instilled in him lifelong values and a deep love for the outdoors. He was known for his intellect, quick wit, kindness and calm, patient approach to life. He took challenges in stride and persevered with quiet determination. His many gifts included the abilities to find the humor in life and to tell stories that made others laugh almost as hard in the hearing as he laughed in the telling. Mr. Brittain loved great books, good music, lively discussions of ideas and spending long hours in an Arkansas duck blind with his best friend. He had the capacity for spontaneous silliness that endlessly entertained his family and friends. Survivors include his wife, Betsy; four children; and three sisters, including Claire Brittain Kimmel (Col ’75 L/M) and Ellen Brittain Williams (Darden ’86).