In Memoriam: 1970s

Notices sorted by graduation date

Roelof Van Zeeveld Oostingh (Grad ’70) of Charlottesville died Feb. 2, 2015. Following a career in public relations with General Motors in Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Toronto; Montreal; and New York City, Mr. Oostingh pursued a doctorate in anthropology at the University. He was a professor for many years at Connecticut College and Sweet Briar College, where he was much loved by his students. Upon returning to Charlottesville in the early 1980s, he used his knowledge of eight languages to begin a career as a translator with U.S. Army Foreign Service and Technology Center, now the National Ground Intelligence Center. In retirement, Mr. Oostingh continued to pursue his many interests, including philology, jazz, current affairs and human culture. Survivors include two daughters, Reina W. Oostingh (Col ’74 L/M) and Freya R. Oostingh (Col ’84); and seven grandchildren, including Astrid Chastka (Arch ’06) and Beatrice M. Chastka (Col ’09 L/M).

Richard John Erickson (Grad ’71 L/M) of Montgomery, Alabama, died Sept. 11, 2014. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1971 to 1993, culminating in an assignment to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. On retiring from active duty, Mr. Erickson worked as senior attorney-advisor in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s office. Among his many awards and decorations were the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Legion of Merit. After retiring to Montgomery in 2001, he was active in a number of organizations, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Military Officers Association. He also served on the national board of the Military Officers Association and on the alumni board of directors of Florida State University. Mr. Erickson was also a history buff and a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Karen Erickson Michael (Col ’96); three grandchildren; two sisters; and many in-laws, nieces and nephews.

Robert G. Andary (Law ’74) of Washington, D.C., died March 27, 2015. He was a federal prosecutor who helped convict the top D.C. drug lord of the 1980s and was an inspector general and integrity officer in both the federal and local public sectors. Mr. Andary began his legal career with the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was a founding member of the Public Integrity Section. Later, he was an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, where he prosecuted cases ranging from misdemeanors to complex felonies, including drug violations and homicides. He was on the three-lawyer trial team that secured a 1989 conviction of drug kingpin Rayful Edmond III and 10 other defendants accused of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine; Edmond was convicted of leading what authorities said was the city’s largest cocaine ring at the time. Mr. Andary went on to serve as inspector general of the Government Printing Office, counsel to the inspector general, director of investigations at the Federal Communications Commission and inspector general of the Federal Labor Relations Authority. In 2003, after 30 years of federal service, Mr. Andary joined the D.C. government as an assistant inspector general for investigations, where he initiated and supervised criminal investigations involving the city government. In 2008, he was named executive director of integrity and oversight in the office of the D.C. chief financial officer and retired from that position. Mr. Andary was a member of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C. Survivors include his wife; a daughter; and two brothers, including John M. Andary (Col ’74).

Stephen S. Evanusa (Arch ’77) of Springfield, Virginia, died Dec. 26, 2014. A licensed architect, his career spanned practice in Washington, D.C.; New York City and upstate New York. Mr. Evanusa also worked on projects in Russia, China and the Middle East, and designed and built two houses for his family at Lake George, New York. Many of his hand-drawn architectural drawings were published, and he designed and hand-built much of his own furniture. Mr. Evanusa was also an accomplished musician who loved opera, played guitar and piano, and composed a string quartet that was performed at his wedding. Survivors include his wife and two children; his mother; a sister, Olga E. Evanusa-Rowland (Col ’77); and four nephews.

James L. Schroeder (Med ’78 L/M) of Wilmette, Illinois, and Hobe Sound, Florida, died Dec. 30, 2014. He was a rheumatologist and a faculty member of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, where he taught since 1983. Throughout his career at Feinberg, Dr. Schroeder established himself as a highly respected leader, teacher, physician and clinician, most recently serving as senior associate dean for external relations. From 1999 to 2009, he served as president and CEO of the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, now Northwestern Medical Group. Survivors include his wife, Carol W. Schroeder (Darden ’78 L/M); their four children and two grandchildren.