In Memoriam

Natalie Dolores (Johnson) McBee, 102, passed away in her Torrance, CA home on Saturday, January 18, 2025. Natalie was born in Colorado Springs on July 1, 1922. She graduated from Hartsel High School and attended CC, earning a B.A. in Business Administration & Banking in 1943. During college, she was a member of the Spanish, Music, and Tiger Cheer clubs.  She also joined Gamma Phi Beta sorority and remained active throughout her life.

Upon graduation, Natalie was employed by Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, NY, and then the Alexander Film Company of Colorado Springs. On August 5, 1943, Natalie married Lawrence Sessions McBee in Shove Memorial Chapel. Subsequently, the couple moved to Austin, TX, to enable Lawrence to continue his studies.

In 1949, Natalie and Lawrence relocated to San Pedro, CA, where they started their family, and then settled in Torrance. As a young mother, Natalie volunteered in support of her children’s interests – scouts, PTA, Little League, church -and later taught Stretch & Sew classes, established a golf dress business, and served as a Project Group Controller for the Northrop Grumman Electronics Division.

Natalie was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Torrance. She was also an avid golfer for 57 years and enjoyed ballroom dancing, competing in amateur golf and dance competitions nationwide. 

Natalie is survived by her three children, their families, and relatives of the Johnson and McBee families.

Ann Enstrom Scott died December 23, 2024 at the age of 99 in Loveland, CO. Ann graduated from CC June 1946 with a degree in Business Administration and Banking. While at CC she was editor of the CC Tiger Yearbook, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and chosen an outstanding graduate of the Class of 1946. After graduation she married and had three children. 15 years later, she returned to college to become a Junior High English teacher. After teaching for seven years, she decided to sell real estate while living in Montrose, CO. Ann and her second husband, Stephen Scott, retired and moved to Grand Junction where Ann had grown up. Later, they moved to Fort Collins to be with family. Ann was a 50+ year member of P.E.O. and an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. She is survived by a daughter (Lee Ann DeGrassi), son (Chet Dykstra), and son (John Scott). She is also survived by eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Dr. Angelyn A. Konugres Coupounas died in her home at The Academy, Boulder, Colorado, on July 27, 2023, with her son at her side. Dr. Coupounas was a well-known Colorado College alumna, having received her undergraduate degree at Colorado College and later receiving an honorary Doctorate from CC. She was 99.

Dr. Konugres graduated from Colorado College in 1946 and earned a master’s degree at the Los Angeles County Hospital at the University of Southern California Medical School in 1948 with a focus on blood transfusion medicine. For the next nine years, she directed the Los Angeles County blood bank. With a research fellowship, she attended the University of Cambridge in England and, in 1959, became the world’s first recipient of a PhD in immunohematology, a field so new that it did not yet have a name. Dr. Konugres studied under Dr. Robin Coombs, the renowned immunologist, discoverer of the Coombs test used for detecting antibodies in various clinical scenarios, such as Rh disease and blood transfusion.

Dr. Konugres was a pioneering scientist who led a life of purpose and dedication to science, medicine, family, and community. The world’s first recipient of a PhD in immunohematology, discoverer of two rare blood types, and a longtime Harvard Medical School faculty member, Dr. Konugres was recognized internationally as an authority on hemolytic disease of the newborn, neonatal blood diseases, and transfusion therapy. She authored the book Eradication of Hemolytic Diseases of the Newborn, as well as many articles for medical and scientific journals. She was an early proponent and contributor to the development of an antigen for the protection of newborns against hemolytic anemia. The Rh immune globulin (RhoGAM) antigen has saved hundreds of thousands of babies’ lives worldwide since its widespread adoption in the 1960s. 

Dr. Konugres was an early and dedicated blood banker, active in the American Association of Blood Bankers (AABB). She was Chairman of the Rare Blood Group Registry for AABB and taught many AABB seminars. She also designed the multi-blood pack to be used in small blood transfusions. She was a noted authority on blood testing for disputed parentage and served as expert witness in many legal cases on disputed parentage. She authored the legal guidelines for blood testing in disputed parentage studies for the American Bar Association and the American Medical Association. 

Throughout her career, she was as a Principal Associate in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Harvard Medical School, as Associate Director of the Blood Bank at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Director of the Blood Bank of the Los Angeles County General Hospital – USC School of Medicine, Research Associate and Associate Director for e Blood Grouping Laboratory in Boston, Director of the Blood Grouping Laboratory at Children’s Hospital in Boston, Director of Research at Boston Hospital for Women, Director of Immunohematology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Director of the Blood Bank at the Boston Hospital for Women. 

She was honored by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Association of Blood Banks with the Angelyn Konugres Seminar in Immunohematology, by the American Association of Blood Banks with its Medallion for Leadership for her discovery of new blood factors and the Memorial Award for scientific contributions to transfusion therapy. In 1985, Colorado College recognized Dr. Konugres with its first Louis Benezet Award for extraordinary achievement that exemplifies the values of a liberal arts and sciences education. In 2007, Colorado College awarded her an Honorary Doctor of Science degree. Dr. Konugres and her work were featured in the book, “Bloody Brilliant: A History of Blood Groups and Blood Groupers” about the blood medicine pioneers.

Throughout her life, Dr. Konugres continued an active commitment to civic engagement and education. She was the first woman in history to serve on the board of the Harvard Club of Boston. She served as a member of the Defense Department’s Advisory Committee on Women in the Services when the military academies were being opened to women. She served on the Board of Trustees and as President of the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology, of Mt. Ida College, and Anatolia College. She served on the Boston World Affairs Council and the executive council of the Oxford-Cambridge Society of New England. A patron of the arts, she was a longtime supporter and board member of the Boston Ballet and the Boston Opera as well as a season ticket holder at the Boston Symphony and the New York Metropolitan Opera. After retiring from her position at the Medical School at Harvard University, she took classes at the University in the humanities and social sciences. 

During her college years and beyond, Dr. Konugres lived the life of a true intellectual, reading voraciously and engaging in lively debates on the issues of the day. In her retirement in Boulder, CO, she took classes in Russian literature and architecture at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She participated in dozens of book clubs during her lifetime, calling her book club friends “bookies.” A lifelong Republican, Dr. Konugres also had an enduring love for gardening and flowers, especially blue hydrangea, and for entertaining family and friends at her home in Chestnut Hill, MA. 

Dr. Konugres was a caring person, always asking how others were getting along and doing any myriad of thoughtful and kind things to help them. Dr. Konugres became known over the years for remembering everybody’s big days, sending them cards filled with New Yorker cartoon clippings she’d hand-selected for them. She was always celebrating others, cheering them on and lifting them up. She was both warm and fierce, kind and no-nonsense. She had a keen wit, a probing mind, and a generous and giving nature. She was blessed with several deep and lifelong friendships. Dr. Konugres received many honors during her lifetime, but when asked what her greatest was, she would say it was the birth and lives of her son Demetri and her grandson George.

She is survived by her son, Demetrios George Coombs Coupounas, his wife Kimberly Riether Coupounas, her grandson George Demetrios Leonidas Coupounas of Longmont, CO and her brother Dr. James Konugres of San Marcos, CA, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, attorney George D. Coupounas of Chestnut Hill, MA, and by her parents Sam, Elizabeth (Johns), and Mae (Saliba) Konugres, her siblings Helyn (Konugres) Bebermyer, Gus Konugres, Kris Ann (Konugres) Vogelpohl, and Dr. Beverly (Konugres) Bain.

Dr. Konugres donated her body for studies at Harvard Medical School and the Colorado School of Medicine to advance medical knowledge, with a hope that her example would encourage others to do the same.

Please share stories or tributes to Dr. Konugres.

Max Morath was born October 1, 1926 in Colorado Springs, and died June 19, 2023 in Duluth, Minnesota. He grew up in Colorado Springs, where his first job as a 17-year-old radio announcer at KVOR in that city launched his professional life in media and theatre. 

As a child he studied piano and harmony, while mastering the rudiments of ragtime piano from his mother. He graduated from Colorado College in 1948 with a B.A. in English, and from the Stanford-NBC Radio and Television Institute in1951. Jazz and broadcasting jobs in Florida, Dallas, and Phoenix, combined with his appearances as pianist and musical director for melodrama companies in Cripple Creek and Durango, Colorado, led to his lifelong career as an entertainer/spokesman for ragtime and American popular song. During 1959-1961 he wrote, performed, and co-produced 28 television programs for PBS (then NET), which are now considered genre classics. The Ragtime Era traces the development of the popular music of that period; the Turn of the Century series deals with the interaction of popular music with the nation’s social and political fabric.

Max and his growing family moved to New York around 1963. He made his nightclub debut at the historic Blue Angel that year, followed by an extended run in 1964 at the Village Vanguard with his Original Rag Quartet. Television activity continued on PBS, and on the Bell Telephone Hour, Today, and The Tonight Show; radio appearances included many years as a frequent guest of the Arthur Godfrey Show on CBS, and on National Public Radio (NPR). In the theatre, his one-man show Max Morath at the Turn of the Century was a critical success in 1969, enjoying a four-year national tour. Other productions followed: The Ragtime Years, Living a Ragtime Life, and Ragtime and Again. By the time Max retired from touring in 2005, he had logged over 5,000 live performances in theaters, clubs, and colleges.

At age 70 Max earned a Master’s degree in American Studies from Columbia University. His thesis explored the life and work of the American composer Carrie Jacobs-Bond, followed in 2008 by publication of his novel I Love You Truly (iUniverse 2008), based on her life. His other writing credits include The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Popular Standards (Penguin 2000); The Road to Ragtime, with his wife, the photographer Diane Fay Skomars (Donning 1999); the musical play Trust Everybody…But Cut the Cards, based on the newspaper columns of Finley Peter Dunne; Mr. Dunne’s Mister Dooley, a 65,000-word book (2019) sub-titled Translating Mister Dooley, which contains extensive rewrites of the original Dooley columns (1893-1915), the Irish dialect removed; and the musical One for the Road, co-produced in 1982 by the St. Louis Repertory Theatre and MUNI Opera. Max’s many recordings, primarily on the Vanguard label, include The Best of Scott Joplin, The Ragtime Women, and Jonah Man; The Ragtime Man (Omega); and many other recordings incorporate Max’s compositions for piano, including “The Cripple Creek Suite,” “Golden Hours,” “One for Norma,” “One for Amelia,” and “Three for Diane.” Max was the initial recipient of the Sedalia, Missouri Scott Joplin award. He has been named as a distinguished alumnus of Colorado College, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. His screenplay “Blind Boone,” written in collaboration with Moss Hall, received first-place recognition at the Nashville Film Festival in 2015.

Max’s last performance as an entertainer was his role in a four-day tribute to composer Irving Berlin in New York, 2006. At age 91 he concluded his second career as a lecturer at the Sacramento Ragtime Festival in November 2017.

Max Morath was preceded in death by his parents Gladys (Ramsell) Morath and Frederic Palmer Morath, his brother Frederic Ramsell Morath, and Norma Loy (Tackitt) Morath, his wife of 39 years. Survivors include daughters Kathryn Annette Morath (Robert Wagner) and Christine Lee Mainthow (Michael Mainthow;) son Frederic Loyd Morath and daughter-in-law Paula Sue Morath; Diane Fay Skomars, his wife of 30 years, and her daughter Monette Fay Magrath Macdonald (David Macdonald); grandchildren Jordan Claire Wagner, David Lee and Eric Robert Mainthow, Malia Lynn Morath, Finley Fay Margaret Macdonald; and great-grandson Edward Ke’eluohilohanakahi Kehaoha Jr.

A great human being, as well as an alum of note. A native of Colorado Springs and a broadcast pioneer of PBS television (not to mention one of the founders of KRCC) he was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

Beverly Ann (Geiger) Howard died peacefully in the care home at which she had resided for the past month on August 25, 2023, holding the hand of her youngest son, Tim. She died after a long battle resulting from complications from a broken hip. She was born in South Denver on September 15, 1926, to Robert E. Geiger and Marjorie Elinor (Ord) Geiger. Her younger sister and only sibling, whom she loved dearly, Carmen, was born in 1931. The family began attending the Divine Science Church and despite attending multiple other denominations of churches throughout the rest of her life, this was the church of which Beverly always considered herself to be a member. Beverly attended primary through high school in South Denver. She graduated from South Denver High School in 1944. She was a good student and was awarded a scholarship to attend Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She matriculated there in the fall of 1944, majoring in Biology with the intention of becoming a veterinarian out of a deep love for animals. However, this never came to fruition as her heart was too tender to perform the more painful tasks a veterinarian must do. Instead, she fulfilled her love for animals by saving, raising, and nurturing innumerable strays and pets throughout her life.

In March of 1945, at a mutual friend’s home, Beverly met a Marine Second Lt. named F. Clinton Howard (Clint), a native of Colorado Springs, while he was on emergency leave from his service in the Pacific Theater of WWII. He returned to Camp Pendleton, and at the end of the war he was officially discharged. He reentered Colorado College as a second semester sophomore in business and accounting. Beverly was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and her housemother, a close family friend to Clint’s parents, thought Beverly and Clint would suit each other. Clint called Beverly and they immediately connected, their first phone call lasting three hours, which began a relationship that would last the rest of their lives. In the fall of 1945, Beverly’s father returned from the Pacific, where he had been assigned as a war correspondent by the AP. The AP then assigned him to Washington DC, causing Beverly’s family to move there. Beverly stayed in Colorado to finish her Biology degree. Beverly and Clint were married on August 25, 1947, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado, by a Catholic priest, as Clint was a devout Catholic. They graduated together from Colorado College in the Spring of 1948.

The young couple moved to Washington DC, where they lived with Beverly’s family. Clint got a job as a Burrows Adding Machine salesman, and Beverly got a job working for a dentist. On November 25, 1948, their oldest son, Frederick C. Howard III, was born at Georgetown University Hospital. Shortly after that, Clint took a government job in New York City for the commodities exchange, so the young family moved to the Bronx in New York City. When the Korean War broke out and Clint was recalled to active duty in the Marine Corps, they moved to Camp Lejeune, NC. They remained there until the end of the war in 1953. Clint was released from active duty, and he, Beverly, and their young son returned to Colorado where Clint got a job as the business manager for Fort Lewis A&M College near Durango. In 1954, Clint got a job with Speidel Newspapers Inc. in Colorado Springs. Beverly and Clint’s son Robert Geiger was born there on April 6, 1954. Their third son, Timothy Joel Howard, was born on September 30, 1960. In 1964, Speidel Newspapers Inc. moved their offices to Reno, NV, where they owned The Reno Evening Gazette and The Nevada State Journal, and the Howards moved with them. Beverly began attending services at the First Congregational Church of Reno. She became an active member of the Reno community, participating in P.E.O. Chapter B activities, serving as the local director for the Youth for Understanding Student Exchange Program, and joining in as an active P.T.A. member at her children’s schools. In 1977, Gannett Newspapers acquired Speidel Newspapers Inc., and Clint was retired. Beverly and Clint traveled extensively throughout the United States and even Europe, seeing family and friends and attending graduations, weddings, funerals, reunions, etc.

In 1992, Beverly’s mother, Marjorie (89), died in Alton, IL. In 1997, Beverly’s father, Robert, moved to Reno to live with her and her family. In 2000, Beverly’s sister, Carmen (69), died in MD. In 2006, Beverly’s father, Robert (103), died in Reno, NV. In 2011, Beverly’s husband, Clint (88), died in Reno, NV. In 2021, Beverly’s son, Fred (72), died peacefully in his sleep after a long battle with cancer. She is survived by her son, Bob Howard (Jennifer); her son, Tim Howard; her daughter-in-law, Dennise Howard; her grandchildren, Elinor Walquist (Scott), Leanne Howard (Derek), Robert J. Howard (Kendra), Joan Barcellos (Nathan), Glynnis Howard, and Gwen Howard; and her great grand-children, Elijah Walquist, Everett Walquist, Carter Barcellos, and Jeanne Barcellos, as well as numerous other relatives throughout the United States.

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the many healthcare professionals who provided Beverly with quality care during her final years.

Susan Marie Arnold Mitchell was born in Salt Lake City, UT, on January 20, 1935 to Raymond Arnold and Isabelle (Izzy) Wilson Arnold.

Education was important to the Arnold family. Both Ray and Izzy had graduated from Knox College in Illinois, a small liberal arts college founded by Ray’s ancestors. Sue’s independent streak showed itself early when she chose not to attend her parents’ alma mater but to strike out for Colorado College in Colorado Springs. She graduated from CC in 1957 with a BA, majoring in English.

After a trip to Europe with a college friend, she took another adventurous leap and moved to Palo Alto, CA. There she taught elementary school and met George Mitchell, who was attending Stanford Business School. Despite a rocky first date, during which Sue had to help push George’s Austin Healy sports car when it broke down, the two hit it off and were married June 24, 1960. The couple welcomed their first child, Mark, in 1962, and their second, Kathy, in 1964.

As was common for the era, Sue stopped working when she had her first child. She kept busy with volunteer work, however, becoming involved with the Environmental Volunteers, an early conservation education group, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and the East Palo Alto Day School, a nursery school for low income, primarily African American children. Growing up Protestant in heavily Mormon Salt Lake City gave Sue an appreciation for and experience of being a minority and fueled her life-long passion for civil rights and social justice.

In 1976 George needed a change in his work situation, and so the family moved to Golden, CO, where George took the position of Director of the Alumni Association at his alma mater, the Colorado School of Mines. Sue was one of a small handful of Democrats who met to caucus in Golden in the late 1970s. A few years after the move, Sue decided to go back to paid employment. She gravitated again to education, this time to higher education. She took a position at the School of Mines in their placement office, helping students find jobs after graduation. After some years in that position she moved to the admissions office, recruiting students from Colorado and across the country to attend Mines. She remained active in volunteer organizations as well, including leadership roles at Faith Lutheran, where she and George attended church, and with the Ethnic College Counseling Center, helping students of color succeed in college.

Sue ended her professional career at the Iliff School of Theology, where she served as Director of Admissions. During her years at Iliff she also pursued a certificate in mediation, which introduced her to The Conflict Center, where she did an internship. Sue continued to volunteer with The Conflict Center for many years, serving on the board and coordinating the Reading for Peace program.

Sue retired from Iliff in 1998. George followed her into retirement a few years later and afterwards the two enjoyed many trips in the U.S. and abroad, including to New Zealand, the Galapagos, the Panama Canal, Australia, the Rocky Mountaineer train and the Queen Charlotte Islands in Canada, and a Mississippi River cruise.

When Sue wasn’t traveling, she enjoyed spending time in her beloved garden, attending Friends of Chamber Music concerts with Kathy, working on her many volunteer activities and going out with friends and family.

In her early 70s, two momentous shifts happened in Sue’s life. First, she and George joined First Unitarian Society of Denver, where Kathy was a member. Sue and George began attending services at FUSD in the mid-2000s to hear Kathy sing in the choir. Soon they were attending regularly and joined in 2008. Sue once said she was surprised it took her till she was 70 to realize she was a Unitarian!

Secondly, when Sue was 72, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Kathy remembers her mom feeling depressed about the diagnosis for a few months, but before long Sue decided to treat it like any other setback—to not let it get in her way of doing the things she wanted to do. And she didn’t! Sue continued to travel and keep up with her friends and volunteer activities.

After George died in September 2022, Sue moved to an assisted living facility, and then to memory care at MorningStar Arvada, where, in spite of her lack of mobility, she continued to make friends and stay engaged. She passed peacefully at MorningStar on April 29, 2025.

Sue is survived by her children Mark (Cindy Souders) and Kathy (Dave Garton), brothers Clark Arnold (Kay Berger Arnold) and John Arnold (Miriam), sister- and brother-in-law Peg and Bob Wenrick, and nieces, nephews, grand-dogs and cats, and step grandchildren. Donations can be made in Sue’s name to The Conflict Center, https://conflictcenter.org/.

Norman de Mauriac (Maury) Hammond passed from this life September 4, 2024 at his home in Woodland Park, CO. He was raised at his grandfather’s ranch in Cody, WY. He started his education in Wapiti school house before moving to California, but he still wanted to be a cowboy! His mother decided to send him to an exclusive boy’s school, Middlesex, in Concord, MA hoping to make a gentleman out of him. However, he introduced the cowboy culture to the school and earned the admiration and respect of his fellow students.

His next challenge was Colorado College where he earned a degree in Geology and another in Geologic Engineering while playing football all five years. Upon graduation, he married his college sweetheart, Sally Howell, and spent two years in the U.S. Army. Maury traveled the world working in the oil industry, starting in Lybia and working in many foreign countries through the years. He went to Kuwait with a Red Adair team to put out the fires set by Sadam Hussain. In 2004, he married Grace Black, an old friend he and his family met in Nigeria in 1972.

His main interest as a geologist was mining and he was an avid rock collector (a rock-aholic). He was a president of the Lake George Gem Club. He and Grace traveled to Alaska (3,140 miles with a camper) three times between 2009 and 2011 to take part in a gold mining adventure, spending three months on the Uhler River. They also traveled to California’s “Happy Camp” for a week’s adventure in gold mining. He is survived by his sister Lucy Guillet Bowden of Riverside, CT and a brother Bennett Hammond from Brookline, MA. All who knew him loved him. He was the real McCoy.

Ronald Bonkosky passed away November 23, 2024 in Plantation, FL. He was 96 years young and had recently won his area senior golf tournament for the seventh year. Ron attended CC from 1949-1951. He played basketball for Coach Carle who was instrumental in bringing Ron from northern Minnesota to CC to play with teammates Marv Powell, George Sweeney, Jack Quamme, and Tony Esposito. Ron roomed with hockey greats Andy Gambucci, Mike Yalich, and Roy Ikola. He pledged Kappa Sigma and played trumpet in the band at football games. After graduation, he entered the Marine Corps during the Korean War. Ron was a teacher in Miami for many years before moving to Minnesota to act as Vocational Director of six high schools. He is proceeded in death by his wonderful wife Betty of 58 years. Ron was very proud of his son and daughter, 4 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. Ron treasured his years at CC. He attended many reunions including his 50-year reunion in 2001. In 2015 he completed his bucket list, playing his trumpet at the Broadmoor Tavern and Golden Bee restaurants. Ron often said the education and camaraderie CC provided was a wonderful gift.

Joan Burke Tutin Weiss, age 94 years, died peacefully at home in Cedar Grove, NJ on December 26, 2024.

Born October 6, 1930 in Boston, Massachusetts, she was a 1948 graduate of the Cambridge School and graduated from CC in 1952. She attended the Art Students League in New York following college. She married Jay Kenneth Weiss on September 9, 1952. When he was deployed to Marrakech, Morocco during the Korean War, she traveled there with their firstborn son, Samuel.

A devoted mother, she waited until her youngest son graduated high school before earning a Master of Library Science degree from Rutgers University in 1987. Prior to earning her MLS degree, she worked at the West Caldwell Public Library, the Montclair Public Library, and was a volunteer assistant at the Lincoln Elementary School Library in Caldwell for 18 years. She worked for 15 years at the Irvington, NJ public library as a reference librarian.

Throughout her adult life she fought for causes consistent with her beliefs: integrated housing through the Human Relations Council of West Essex, NJ; reducing nuclear weapons through the NJ chapter of National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE); and promoting peace as a life member of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. The Montclair Women’s Club became a central part of her later life and benefited from her service on the board for many years.

She was an avid participant in athletic activities, moving from field hockey as a student to downhill skiing in Vermont; tennis and running, including 10K races.

While raising four children, she and her husband Jay invited foreign exchange students into the home for extended stays: from Nigeria, the USSR, France, and the UK. Their love of people from around the world included a joy in travel as well.

Joan was a talented watercolor painter. After a hiatus as an artist, she resumed painting in retirement. Her body of work includes over 300 watercolor paintings of still-lifes, landscapes, and scenes from her surroundings.

She is survived by three children, Samuel S. Weiss (Judith Garb Weiss); Wendy R. Weiss (Jay B. Kreimer), Benjamin J. Weiss; six grandchildren, Schuyler S. Weiss; Bryony Weiss; Ben J. Kreimer; Lee M. Kreimer; William J. Weiss; Nathanial O. Weiss; and four great grandchildren.

John “Jack” Stephen Pfeiffer, 94, passed away surrounded by family in hospice care on March 9, 2024 following a fall and the discovery of an advanced cancer condition.

Jack was born in Durango, CO on April 26, 1929 to Gladys Bendure Pfeiffer and Odd Christopher Pfeiffer, the third of their five children. Except for three years in his teens and one year during law school (NYU Law/DU Law grad), Jack lived his entire life in Colorado. In 1947, Jack followed his two older brothers, Bill Pfeiffer ’49 and Dick Pfeiffer ’50 to Colorado College. His mother had attended CC in 1920 so the Tiger tradition was well established in his home.

As a senior at CC, Jack was honored with the Sonny Price Award for participating in more activities and services than any other senior student on campus. While at CC, Jack was introduced to Eleanor (Ellie) Ebersole ’51. Jack and Ellie fell in love, in due course were married in 1952. Together, they created a loving family that included three daughters – Susan, Jean and Catherine ’82.

During that time of devotion to family, Jack developed and honed his career in law. His law practice provided Jack with the means to support his family, to share his talents, and to be a part of a profession that promoted the rule of law as a foundational feature of civilization. Among other affirmations of his work as an attorney specializing in complex litigation, he was recognized as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Ellie died in 1984, following an acute illness. Her precipitous decline and death ushered Jack into a new chapter in his adult life.

While in California for business, he called on his younger brother’s [Ned Pfeiffer ’54] widow, Sue. Their relationship, which encompassed some shared Pfeiffer-family and spousal-loss underpinnings, quickly blossomed and they were married (1985), linking not only their love but a collection of mostly adult children.

Jack will be remembered as an advocate for law but also, in reflection of his Sonny Price award, as an unwavering fan of and participant in all activities involving his extended family. If he had his druthers, he would never miss a game, meet, dance, concert, graduation, birth, baptism, wedding, or funeral. Friends and family will never forget Jack’s many, solo, a cappella renditions of celebratory songs or his enthusiasm in twirling his dance partner at a wedding or simply on a whim. He was ever supportive and encouraging with his family – even offering a hopeful, tuning pitch prior to a shared family song. Jack’s melody will surely live on in the lives of his extended family. Jack is survived by his wife Sue, his two daughters: Jeanie (Drew) and Cathy ’82 (Patrick); Sue’s four children – Carey, Kendall, Bo (Heidi) and Chris (Rachel); 8 grandchildren – Stephen (Bela), Krista [MAT ’10] (Ryan), Elle ’12 (Max), Lindsay, Rayne (Bryan), Zoe, Poppy, Iris and Cordon; six great grandchildren – Inaya, Manali, Cathryn, Margaret, Oliver, and Rylee; and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

Theodore “Ted” Robinson Boardman passed away at home in Lake Forest, IL on June 12, 2024. He was 93.

Born December 16, 1930 at Evanston Hospital to Frances Louise Robinson Boardman and Ronald Peck Boardman Sr., Ted attended Northwood School among other high schools and headed west to Colorado College and then to University of Denver, majoring in Theatre. He married Anne Marie Carton Boardman with whom he had three children and a life-long friendship.

Ted’s career was as diverse as his friend group through life. He prospected for uranium in the West after college. He later served in the Navy Reserve for four years from 1951 to 1955. He was an early investor in Chicagoland’s Channel 26 which added cultural diversity to residents’ television viewing. He additionally championed the Black Hills Central Railroad, preserving a steam locomotive experience for tourism in South Dakota in 1957. In the early 1960s, Ted founded the Bath & Tennis Club in Lake Bluff with his father. The 62-acre club served 330 families and featured novel year-round tennis, swimming, squash, ice hockey, a toboggan hill, and seven cottages for residents. Ted also worked for two decades as a stockbroker at EF Hutton & Company.

Ted is survived by two of his three children, Carolyn Frances Zuccareno (Tom) of Carbondale, CO and Robert Bradford Boardman (Juanita) of Lake Forest, IL and six grandchildren. He had one brother, Ronald Peck Boardman Jr. (deceased) and another son, Theodore Christopher Boardman (deceased).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name tO Colorado College, 14 East Cache La Poudre Street, Colorado Springs, CO.

Ruth E. Teason passed away on January 7, 2023 at the age of 93. She worked as the Alumni Records Manager at Colorado College, computerizing the paper records under the direction of Barbara Yallich and J. Juan Reed beginning in 1974 and retiring from the office in 1986. She was a life member of the Women’s Educational Society WES, CC 50 Year Club Member, and the Aficionados (CC’s Southwest Studies Program). She was a Colorado native, born in Cripple Creek, grew up in Colorado Springs, and loved the mountains, her family, chocolate, and a good cup of tea. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Edwin R. Wilson ‘51 in 1983 and her second husband Donald P. Teason ‘51 in 2018. She is survived by her children; Susan Langlois ’74, Christopher Wilson, Kerry Wilson ’80 and Matthew Wilson ’84.

Walter Nathan Stone, MD, passed away peacefully on June 21, 2023 in San Francisco, CA. He was 91.

Walt’s professional and personal achievements were grounded in his early education at the University of Chicago Lab School and his undergraduate education at Colorado College. He maintained a lifelong connection to both institutions.

A leader in his professional field, Walt nevertheless had time to delve into many hobbies and interests. In his college years, he was quite the card shark at bridge and poker. Playing cribbage with his grandchildren was one of Walt’s greatest joys. When he wasn’t playing games, he was reciting rhymes, especially from Winnie the Pooh. He was a fan of all types of music – especially jazz – often breaking out in song or a little jig. Walt was also an amateur birder, hot air balloon pilot, history buff, amateur oenologist, and enthusiastic art collector. But sports – both as spectator and player – were his real passion. He founded the men’s soccer team at Colorado College and played goalie. He also played baseball. He was a champion handball player and avid swimmer. Most importantly, he loved professional sports, especially his Cincinnati Bengals and Reds. In his last years he enjoyed playing bridge at the Mill Valley Community Center and all the activities, including ping pong and trivia, at the Institute on Aging and Frank Residences.

Walt received his MD from Vanderbilt University in 1957. Shortly after graduation, as a partially trained medical internist, Captain Walter Stone was assigned by the Air Force to evaluate the fitness of airmen for duty. That experience sparked Walt’s interest in the field of psychiatry and changed the course of his medical career. After the military, Walt accepted a residency in psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati and then joined the faculty. At the university he focused on the chronically mentally ill and began working with this underserved population individually and in groups. Walt’s involvement with and influence on the practice and theory of group psychotherapy included leadership positions in the American Group Psychotherapy Association, the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes, and the American Psychiatric Association as well as his authorship of a number of books and articles. Walt, with his wife Esther Stone, led trainings in group therapy in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, and Australia. His influence has been recognized nationally and internationally as providing an additional lens in which to view working in groups and his books are considered the seminal practitioners’ reference.

An active member in his community, Walt served on the board of Isaac M. Wise Temple, and on the advisory board of Planned Parenthood of Cincinnati. After retiring to California in 2001, he volunteered at UCSF Department of Psychiatry and at Sutter Health, and served on the board of Buckalew, a nonprofit provider of mental health services.

He is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Esther, his four children from his first marriage, Katherine “Kay” (Peter Hofmann) Stone, Allen Stone, David (Melinda McTaggart-Stone) Stone, Andrew “Andy” (Julie Zaidler) Stone, and the daughters he lovingly gained through his marriage to Esther, Rhona (David Warren) Lyons, and Amy Lyons; and, his twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren. They are all blessed by his having been a part of their lives.

John “Misto II” Oliver Stewart passed away peacefully of dementia on January 28, 2023 at the age of 88 in Pocatello, Idaho.

John was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at CC and at his graduation ceremony in 1958, he was commissioned a 2^nd LT in the Chemical Corps of the United States Army. He served honorably for over 23 years, retiring with the rank of LTC. His three assignments took him to Baumholder, Germany with the 3^rd Armored Calvary Regiment, Saigon, Vietnam with MACV Headquarters, and South Korea at the Headquarters United Nations Command 8^th Army. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam.

After retiring from the military, he and his family moved to Phoenix where he settled into his second career at the Department of Civil Defense and Emergency Services for Maricopa County Arizona.

Fun times were spend playing his clarinet in various groups in Phoenix and continued on when he and Judy decided to move to Pocatello to be closer to their daughter and family.

John is survived by his wife of 65 years, Judy (Van Epps) Stewart ’58, his sons Charles and Andrew (Pam), and grandsons Sam and Hunter.

Colorado College graduate, Robert Allan (Bob) Egly, passed away August 7, 2023 at the age of 92. He graduated from CC in 1956 with a degree in Business Administration and Banking. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Egly.

A navy veteran, Bob had a career in sales. This included teaching marketing classes for Perdue University at their Calumet and North Central campuses.

He was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and active in a number of CC activities. He is survived by his daughter Lou Ann and his partner Bobbie Durant.

Robert “Robin” Alan Reid born May 26, 1937, passed away on May 15, 2023. Robin was born in Colorado Springs Co. to J. Juan and Margaret Reid. He is survived by his sister Judy Finley, Brother John, nephews, Bruce and Drew, and nieces Karen, Laura and Katie.

After graduating from CC, he spent two years as a lieutenant in the army and taught high school history for two years before working for 10 years at Cornell College in Iowa. He then moved to San Diego, CA where he spent the rest of his life. After working a few years for consulting firms and the city of San Diego, he became an independent management consultant. He was well known for his collaborative demeanor and mentoring new people coming into the consulting business.

Robin was married and divorced twice and had no children. He was well loved by family and his many friends. He will be missed.

William Pelz ’64 died of respiratory failure on May 9, 2025 at the age of 85 in Colorado Springs with his wife of 60 years, Lynn Ayers Pelz ’66, by his side.

Will was born to Agnes and Truman Pelz in Ft. Wayne, IN, where he lived through high school. Few knew that he spent his early age, WW II years, in an orphanage in Ft. Wayne. He graduated from local Central Catholic High School with honors. Will received a basketball scholarship to CC and graduated in 1964 with a Political Science degree. He held multiple leadership positions with the College and his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, and was a member of CC’s Basketball and Bowling teams. He also was involved in ROTC and was permanent class president of the class of 1964, planning many alumni reunions.

Will’s ROTC training led him to two commissioned years in the US Army Artillery at Ft. Sill, OK. He separated from the military in 1970, having served active and reserve duty and attaining the rank of Captain. He and his wife Lynn, whom he met at CC, returned to Will’s hometown of Ft. Wayne in 1966. Will started his professional life with Central Soya Mixed Animal Feeds as a national ingredient purchasing agent. He always wanted to get into basketball coaching and teaching, so he completed his Master’s Degree in Education while at Central Soya.

In 1971, after their children were born, Will and Lynn returned to their beloved Colorado Springs where Will continued his teaching endeavors – first with D20 and then with D12. He ran for the school board upon leaving Cheyenne Mountain District. During his years in education, he also coached basketball at Cheyenne Mountain High School, was an assistant coach at CC and served as head coach at El Paso Community College (now Pikes Peak State College), twice winning the state community college championship in the mid-70s. Students and athletes who benefitted from Will’s mentoring and original expertise still remember his contributions to their lives.

After seven years in teaching, Will’s entrepreneurial/creative spirit moved him to develop several businesses. Will was known as the guy who always was ahead of trends. For many years, he owned Pelz and Miller Advertising. Wendy’s, one of his major accounts, honored him with the MVP National Award for “Best Promotion of the Year” by a local agency. His agency also won a variety of annual production awards for numerous clients. Concurrently, Will started Phonafile, a business/medical record, storage and retrieval company in the late 70s (reputed to be the first of its genre nationally), which he sold 10 years later to more actively pursue his dreams of a national TV channel in the infant cable TV world. Shortly thereafter in the early 80s, because of “buzz” in the infant cable TV industry programming era, Will received a call to be a key presenter in NYC at the Magazine Publishers Association Seminar, entitled “How Should Magazines Participate in Cable TV Programming?” Will had developed a concept he labeled “The Magazine Network.” The concept was to produce and host 244 popular, national monthly magazine programs on a stand-alone network. And a sister network, TradeNet, was to follow for business-category monthly newsletters and journals. After a decade or so, Will was unable to raise the requisite funds to launch.

In the 90s, Will was appointed Colorado Advertising Director for Brookhart’s Building Centers. His original marketing efforts took their new I-25/Baptist Road super store, north of Colorado Springs, to Ace Hardware Store’s national status of Best of America. Within a few years, Brookhart’s was sold to a larger southwest regional firm.

Will developed and operated several other original concepts in the 80s and 90s. During this period, he also accepted appointment as Sponsorship Director at Peterson Air Force Base for several years. And finally, Will’s Sports Pub downtown.

Once a teacher, always a teacher. Will substitute-taught for several of the local high schools until age 79. He was a member of a variety of local boards and committees, including the CC Athletic Board, CC Alumni Committee, National Olympic Sports Festival Organizational Board, The Colorado Springs Boys Club, The Tesla Society, the Colorado Springs Task Force for Civic Augmentation, and the Broadmoor Hills HOA.

Will was passionate about his family, friends, golf, sports viewing, card playing, and the USA Constitution. He was one of the early members of the Country Club of Colorado where he and his family enjoyed years of recreational activities. He was an avid collector, loved vintage model cars, followed politics, and avidly pursued health and fitness. He was kind, fun-loving, competitive, dedicated, patriotic and compassionate. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Will is survived by Lynn, his wife of 60 years; two children, Marni Mitchell and Tony Pelz (Pilar); and three grandchildren, Sophia Mitchell, Regan Mitchell, and Thomas Pelz.

Constance (Connie) Elaine Bell Hein was born November 25, 1945 in Lynchburg, VA to George Alfred Bell and Marion Yerzley Bell Temple. Her family moved often as she was growing up. She moved to Colorado to attend CC where she received a BA in Mathematics. She moved to Boulder following her marriage to Howard C. Hein in 1967, and eventually they settled in Thornton, CO, where they raised their three children in the house they built.

Connie very peacefully passed away early in the morning on August 20, 2024. Connie was an amazing woman. People ask “what did she do,” and while technically, yes, she was a stay-at-home mom and homemaker, she was very rarely at home as she made sure to be at every school event, assisted multiple people with their own health needs, and volunteered in multiple organizations from schools to church leadership and governance.

She was a truth teller and was not afraid to speak up for what was right. Having majored in Mathematics, she never voted for any budget that was unbalanced. She spoke against injustice and raised her children to fight for the rights of others. Her faith was a cornerstone for her, and she held onto that, even in the midst of adversity.

There were only four people she loved more than her husband, children, and their spouses, and that was her four grandchildren, all of whom were lucky and blessed to spend days each week with Nana and Grampa. Connie was the epitome of love, she would go out of her way to help her family and children, often driving long distances to do so. Even once her children were grown and had their own families, she would make sure she and Howard attended their shows they were in or playing for. She was often up to go on whatever adventures her children had in store.

Connie could find the humor and the grace in things like her Guillan-barre, which she developed in the early 2000s, even amidst the difficulties it brought. She was diagnosed with cancer in August of 2023 and fought valiantly over the course of the next year to defeat it.

She is survived by her husband, Howard Hein; their children, Justin, Austin (Stephanie), and Erica (Scott Michael); four grandchildren, Eero, Beatrice, Imogen, and Finnegan; her brother, George Alfred Bell (Nora); and three nieces, Amanda, Christine, and Madeline. Also surviving are special friends, too many to list.

Scott passed away peacefully at his home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Oct. 11, 2024. A gentle, patient, and opinionated man, Scott grew up in Winnetka, Illinois and graduated from New Trier High School in 1965. He developed his passion for sailing during his early years by building his own sailboat and sailing in Lake Michigan, just a few blocks from the family home. At the urging of his dad, Scott joined Ship Ten where he honed his technical sailing skills.

Scott attended Colorado College during the height of the Vietnam war, graduating in 1969. Begrudgingly, he followed his dad’s advice again and enrolled in ROTC while at CC to train for a rank of Second Lieutenant, increasing his chances of a relatively favorable assignment in Vietnam. He was ordered to serve in the Psychological Operations unit in 1970 and was stationed in Da Nang and Hue.

Scott returned to the U.S. with a Bronze Medal and started his civilian life in Colorado Springs as the owner of a bookstore, The Bookworm. An avid reader, Scott’s book recommendations drew customers from all over.

Scott later sold his bookstore and moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he applied his technology expertise (developed as a child taking apart every appliance, radio, and TV in the house) to working for Apple selling the first desktop Apples to schools and then forming his own computer consulting business. His clients valued his calm demeanor, endless patience, and ability to show them how technology could be used to improve their lives.

In 1990, Scott married his love, Donna Oliver, and together they embarked on a life full of laughter. They would be joined by a succession of beloved pets and an eventual child, Kelsey (b. 1992). The threesome plus their wild menagerie formed a tight family unit, enriched by his vibrant imagination and irrepressible humor. In his later years, Scott made his dreams of a life at sea come true by buying his sailboat and house in Oriental, NC. In between ocean voyages, he offered his skills to the Oriental community, just as he did in Winston-Salem. He volunteered widely throughout his life, and was always a friend to libraries, children, and the animals.

Scott was happiest when he was with his family, on his sailboat, or building a very complicated model ship. A Renaissance man, he regaled those lucky enough to know him with his poignant observations on human life and his unending knowledge of books, movies, and art. He considered himself to be among the most stoic of men, and always took joy in providing for those around him, but those closest to him knew that he was not without certain weaknesses. His iron willpower crumbled in the face of a well-fed cat pleading for a meal, a mischievous child looking for an accomplice, or a bright, shiny classic sports car.

He is survived by his wife, Donna, his daughter, Kelsey, his siblings Steve, Barbara, and Anne, his nieces and nephews Julie, Jeff, Susan, Sally, Katie, Nicholas, and Chris, and his grandnieces and grandnephews.

Ann Stewart Sullivan died on December 17, 2022 in San Diego, California. Ann was born in Plainfield, New Jersey on November 29, 1947. She graduated from Woodbury High School in 1965 and from Colorado College in 1969. She was a beautiful, gentle, and kind soul who supported everyone she met.

Sullivans passions in life were music performance, teaching elementary school, riding horses, and fostering stray animals. Ann played bass viola da gamba in Early Music Ensembles, bass guitar in rock bands, and hammered dulcimer in Celtic groups. Ann taught several years in elementary school classrooms and later devoted herself to special education classes. There wasn’t a single child she could not reach and encourage to learn. She was well loved by students, colleagues, and parents for her tireless support and devotion to teaching.

She is survived by her spouse, Deirdre Sullivan (CC class of ’69) and her daughter, Wendy Sullivan Green, storyboard artist at DreamWorks in Burbank, CA. You can read more about Ann and see more photos on her memorial Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ann.s.sullivan.3/

Kenneth George Hartwell, age 87, of Edina, MN, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on April 17, 2024, after a courageous fight against cancer. Ken is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Barb, and daughters Lisa Gardner (husband Anj and children Zach, Emily, and Abby), Kristi Doshan (husband Mark and children Maddi, Michael, and Alex), and Nancy Phinney (husband Scott and children Charlie, Grace, and Sophie).

Ken was born in Swan Lake, Manitoba, Canada in 1936 and alternated his time between hockey, baseball, and duck hunting, depending on the season. His athleticism landed him a coveted full ride to Colorado College to play hockey where he graduated in 1961. 

Ken moved to Minnesota from Canada with his bride in 1966. After a short stint at 3M, he went on to found an advertising company, Kolesar and Hartwell, which was one of the most significant highlights of his career.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Ken had many passions. He loved the water and spent 15 years living on Lake Minnetonka and kept a boat on that lake until last summer. For many years, his summer evenings were spent taking his girls water skiing after work. Another highlight was his annual summer trip to Les’ Loft, the family cottage at West Hawk Lake in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba, which he helped build.

Ken also loved to ski in the mountains and enjoyed many family trips to Beaver Creek and Snowmass. Many of his friendships were formed around water and snow and Ken and Barb loved to travel throughout the Caribbean. From his honeymoon in the Bahamas to Barbados and St. Barts, he never tired of the wonderful sea air and sandy beaches. His favorite spots were at his brother Ron’s place in Grand Cayman and in Destin, Florida. 

Another highlight was the many family cruises that started in 2014 as a celebration of Ken and Barb’s 50th Anniversary and continued almost annually for the past ten years. Ken said his favorite part of the cruise was the nightly dinner where his group would all share a meal together. So much bantering and fun took place on those trips.

Ken adored his wife and his girls. He said his family was his greatest accomplishment.

Lifetime Craig resident, Pete Pleasant, died peacefully surrounded by his family at his home in Craig. He was 84.

Peter B. Pleasant was born the son of Sidney and Alice (Schrepferman) Pleasant on April 22, 1939, in Hayden, Colorado. Pete graduated from Moffat County High School in 1957. Following high school, Pete furthered his education and was active on the football team at Mesa College and later Colorado College, where he earned his bachelor’s. Pete was a proud member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

On July 21, 1961, Pete married the love of his life, Mary “Madge” Martin in Craig. To this union, two sons, Jeffrey and Danny were born. Pete and Madge celebrated 38 years of love and marriage together before Madge’s passing on July 31, 1999.

In 1961, Pete took over his grandfather’s business, F. M. Pleasant Insurance. He had many loyal clients for over 50 years before retiring in 2012. In his spare time, Pete enjoyed hunting, golfing, and, probably most of all, socializing! He was a dedicated member of the Craig Kiwanis Club, Colorado Referee Hall of Fame and the Craig Elks Club. One of his favorite accomplishments was being the first recipient of the Dude Dent award in 1957.

Pete is survived by his two sons, Jeff Pleasant of Grand Junction and Dan (Darcy) Pleasant of Clarks, NE; and one sister, Pamela Pleasant-Foster of Craig. He is further survived by four grandchildren: Sara Ann Pleasant, Cody Pleasant, Elizabeth Ann Pleasant and Luke Pleasant; and two nieces, Sasha Foster and Ashley (Rudie Piper) Foster-Piper.

In lieu of flowers, Pete requested donations be made payable to the Kiwanis Club Scholarship Fund or to the Yampa Valley Golf Course Men’s Club both in care of Grant Mortuary, 621 Yampa Avenue, Craig, Colorado 81625.

Dr. Robert W. Fernie III passed away on July 18, 2023 at the Virginia Piper Memory Care Center from a brain disease. Born in Hutchinson, Kansas on January 30, 1941, to Dr. and Mrs. Robert Fernie II, Bob obtained his undergraduate degree at Colorado College and his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Arizona State University.

Bob dedicated his entire life to helping other people. He taught psychology at Phoenix College and for many years chaired the Department of Psychology. He was active in the LGBTQ community, including leading the Relationship Discussion Group at the Unitarian Universalist Church for many years and providing HIV/AIDS education in various settings. Bob supported many other LGBTQ activities in various ways. He is survived by his husband, Conrad Egge, his children Rob (Amber), Sandra Mullinax (Jim), and Carmen Bastek (Lynnette); also, his siblings John Fernie (Kate) and Betsy Hunt and niece Eliza Fernie ’04. Bob will be best remembered for his kindness, generosity, and compassion for others.

Ben Melton passed away on May 12, 2023 in Bossier City, LA after a long battle with cancer.

Ben was a starting two-way lineman for the CC Tigers for three years, a member of the Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity, and an honors student. Following graduation, and commissioning through CC ROTC into the US Army, Ben completed Airborne and Ranger schools before deploying to the Republic of Viet Nam, where he commanded a Howitzer Battery in the 2-11 Artillery. Subsequently assigned to the 1/502 Airborne Infantry in the 101st Airborne Division, Ben was wounded in action. After honorably serving his country, he separated from the Army and moved to Shreveport, LA. There, as a successful small businessman and entrepreneur, he owned and operated a transmission remanufacturing company, oil field construction business, and bought and sold gas stations, car washes, and warehouses. In 1997, Ben liquidated his businesses, and he and his wife Sue bought a fifth wheel and, living out a lifelong dream, hit the road while maintaining a home in Bossier City, LA. Ben is survived by his wife of 33 years, Sue, and two grandchildren.

Thomas C. Malone, iconic scientist, leader, family man and friend, of Easton, MD passed away peacefully with his wife and two children at his side on February 24, 2024 after a fall at his home. He was 80 years old. He was a University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES) Emeritus Professor following a distinguished career in biological oceanography, holding various regional, national, and international leadership positions throughout his career.

Tom has been described as a devoted family man, a thoughtful leader, a passionate science advocate, an avid cyclist (in younger years), and a “distinguished hippie”. He loved family gatherings, telling good stories, sharing meals – especially those laden with garlic – with friends, waxing poetic about nature, philosophy, and politics, and spending time on Chesapeake Bay. Tom and his wife Mary Lou celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary in January. 

He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou Malone (Meadows) of Easton; daughter, Kelley K. Moran (Jeff) of Easton; son, Michael M. Malone (Sherri) of Huntersville, NC; sisters, Ruth Ortega (Jose) and Martha Walker (Bill); five grandchildren, Michael Malone-Whaley and Alex Moran of Easton MD, Carlee Malone of Chapel Hill, NC, Matt Orlove (Maggie) and Megan Orlove (Ross) of LA, CA; two great-grandsons, Julian and Jack of LA, CA; godson, Cullen Murray-Kemp of Charleston, SC; and many nieces and nephews.

Tom was born in Banana River, FL to parents Thomas E. Malone and Carolyn U. Malone, but he spent most of his youth in the Bay Area of California, where his family grew to include two sisters, Ruth and Martha, and a brother, Bob. He loved to scuba dive, and he excelled in water polo in high school, but his love for the ocean led him to a career as an oceanographer.

He attended CC for his undergraduate degree in zoology, graduating in 1965. It was at CC that he met the love of his life, Mary Lou, whom he married in 1964. In 1965, Tom and Mary Lou moved to Hawaii where Tom obtained his master’s degree in oceanography. In 1971, he earned a Ph.D. in biology from Stanford University with his doctoral studies completed at Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, CA. While at Hopkins, Tom sailed on a 135’ double masted schooner, conducting scientific research in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. His memoir recalls many successful research cruises and good times in the Gulf of California and the Galapagos Islands. He became somewhat bilingual on those trips with “Una mas cerveza, por favor” becoming his favorite Spanish phrase.

Following his PhD, Tom, Mary Lou and their children, Kelley, and Michael, moved to the New York City metropolitan area where Tom taught and conducted research at City College of New York. Much of his research took place in the New York Bight, the coastal area between Long Island and the New Jersey coast.

Tom later held positions at Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory and the Dept. of Energy and the Environment at Brookhaven National Laboratory before moving to Maryland in 1982 to accept a job as a research faculty member at the University of Maryland’s Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, MD. He was soon promoted to full professor.    

Tom’s scientific interests were wide: ecosystem dynamics, phytoplankton ecology, coastal eutrophication, coastal ocean observing systems, ocean policy, and, after retirement, climate change and global warming. His research centered around phytoplankton, the tiny photosynthetic organisms that comprise the base of the oceanic food web. He became an expert in the over-enrichment of nutrients in the coastal ocean. 

Tom’s Horn Point colleagues share that he had an immediate positive impact on the laboratory’s research programs and research collaborations. He was elected chair of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies (UMCES) faculty senate and was asked to step in as head of UMCES for two years after the sudden passing of its president in 1988. When the interim position ended, Tom became the director of the Horn Point Laboratory, a position he held until 2001.

During his tenure as Horn Point Lab director, he expanded the laboratory’s faculty and facilities and extended the research and education programs. Tom was successful in initiating and leading several large UMCES team science research projects in Chesapeake Bay and, more broadly, in coastal waters of the United States. In 1992 he became the director of EPA’s Multiscale Experimental Ecosystem Research Center of the UMD Center for Science. In 1998, Tom was elected President of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, and he chaired numerous scientific committees established to improve our understanding of coastal seas around the world.

After his tenure as Lab Director, in 2002, Tom received the University System of Maryland Board of Regents award for outstanding public service for his national and international leadership in helping develop coastal observing networks.  

In 2003 he became the director of Ocean US’ Office for Sustained and Integrated Ocean Observations. That same year, CC awarded Tom an alumni award for “outstanding achievement in one’s chosen field, excellence through unusual success or contribution, and research that has advanced a profession and improved people’s lives”.

Tom developed a passion for ocean observing systems and served on national and international teams to advance observing networks designed to collect climate change data around the world in a consistent manner to support climate change forecasting. After his retirement in 2010, Tom continued to publish scientific papers, edit books, and serve on various science advisory boards.

During Tom’s scientific career, he authored or co-authored over 50 articles for peer-reviewed journals, wrote many technical reports, and co-wrote and edited articles and chapters for many national and international publications. He gave many invited talks around the world on subjects ranging from the design of a predictive system for harmful algal blooms to a talk on climate change and coastal ocean information needs at the 3rd World Climate Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

Upon return from his oceanographic cruises and international travel, his children and friends relished the stories of his adventures. He was once and always a teacher, not only regarding his scientific ventures but also his world view, as it related to politics, global warming, and social justice. A niece recently shared among her tears, “He taught me so much.” Tom loved to quote the parrot from Aldous Huxley’s ISLAND: “Here and now, boy. Here and now.” He lived that principle of mindfulness and encouraged others to do the same.

When Tom and Mary Lou’s children were growing up, they loved camping and other outdoor activities. Summers found them hiking along rocky mountain trails and camping in Colorado, the Adirondacks, and Maine, visiting with friends along the way. Avid skiers, they enjoyed traveling with family and friends to their second home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for extended ski trips, relishing the exhilaration of the slopes and the après-ski hours of hot tubbing, good food, and lively, enlightened conversations. After the children flew the nest, Tom and Mary Lou discovered other adventure travel with friends and family – running the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon three times on wooden dories, taking a Boundary Waters canoe trip in which he and Mary Lou were alone among the moose, bears, and hundreds of islands for most of the two-week trip, and wilderness rafting/camping in Alaska among others. As aging encouraged less adventurous pastimes, Tom enjoyed volunteering at the Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) in Easton. His love for the organization and its people led him to become an unofficial ambassador for TIS whenever he had the opportunity.

Tom will be sorely missed by all who had the good fortune of knowing this very special man.

A celebration of Tom’s life will be held on Saturday April 27, 2024 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Easton at 7401 Ocean Gateway (Rt 50), Easton MD 21601 from 3-5.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Talbot Interfaith Shelter, PO Box 2004, Easton, MD 21601.

On Feb. 8, 2021, Bill Whaley ’68 died of a heart attack while skiing in Taos Ski Valley with his granddaughter, Lili. His death occurred while he was doing one of the things he most loved to do, in a place he revered, with one of his favorite people on Earth.

In 1964, when Whaley arrived at Colorado College from Carson Valley, near Lake Tahoe, he found himself in an intellectually stimulating and socially exciting environment. He took political science classes, secured a spot on the school football team, and joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity. At a beer bust near Gold Camp Road in Colorado Springs, he met Susan Bisbee Reid ’68, who would become his first wife and mother of his son, Fitz.

Whaley struggled to complete his education amid the tumultuous times. In 1966, the Vietnam War claimed 6,000 Americans. Two years later, his friend and former CC classmate Jim Turner would die serving in the Marine Corps in Vietnam. He wrote a classmate that he “cried like a baby” when visiting Turner’s gravesite in Silver Cliff, Colorado. Whaley left Colorado College in 1966, returned in the Summer of 1968, then left for good that Fall.

“He had an academic bent at the wrong time, the wrong decade. The rest of the world at that time was just pulling in at the seams,” says Bisbee Reid, who remained friends with her ex-husband until his death.

After dropping out of CC, Whaley spent the next five decades in an on-and-off love affair with Taos, New Mexico, starting as a ski bum and parking lot attendant for Taos Ski Valley. He served in a Taos-based National Guard unit. Over the years, he operated numerous businesses there, notably the Plaza Theatre, the monthly news magazine Horse Fly, and the blog Taos Friction.

He resumed his academic journey at the University of Nevada, Reno. He was just a dissertation short of his PhD in philosophy, a subject he continued to pursue until the end of his life, when the siren call of Taos brought him back. That led to his teaching literature and writing at the University of New Mexico-Taos.

He authored Gringo Lessons: Twenty Years of Terror in Taos. In a review, his friend, the author John Nichols, who penned The Milagro Beanfield War, wrote, “This wonderful autobiography is as honest as the day is long, no holds barred, no punches pulled. Bill’s ability to make sense of his tangled life with clear and exhilarating prose is a real treat.”

His Colorado College friends remember him fondly.

Gary Knight ’67 explains that Plato in “The Apology” for the life of Socrates reminds us that all societies need a “gadfly” to sting the “steed” of state into acknowledging its proper duties and obligations. “Bill’s Horse Fly was like Socrates’ gadfly. Bill was always raising issues by asking questions. He wouldn’t take anything for granted. He wrote honestly about things going on politically,” says Knight.

“I got to know Bill when we both played Tiger football under Frank Flood in 1964. Those long bus rides to games were a chance to hear Bill talk about film and skiing: his two major interests,” says Thomas Wolf ’67.

“I first met Bill my sophomore year in the Fall of ’64 when he played football. He was a good football player — a guard who got a lot of playing time as a freshman, as I recall, ” says Lex Towns ’67, who was a dorm mate and later a roommate (with Jim Turner) of Whaley’s at an off-campus house.

Whaley shared a room in what is now South Hall with Lance Clarke ’68, who recalls his former roommate’s walking contradictions whenever he listens to “The Pilgrim” by Kris Kristofferson.

“I think he was the iconic character of CC — intelligent, impatient, insightful, irreverent, irritating when he thought you could do or think better, irascible, and lovable,” says Gordon Aoyagi ’67.

Known for his brilliant mind and big heart, for giving voice to the unheard, and for championing alternative viewpoints, throughout Whaley’s adventurous life, he endured financial failure and reinvented himself many times over.

He is survived by his son, William Fitzpatrick (Fitz) Whaley, granddaughter, Lili Hart Whaley, and two sisters.

Donald Remy Bell, more commonly known as Chip, passed away peacefully on December 18, 2023, at Denver Hospice, where he was surrounded by his loved ones. Chip was born on September 18, 1948, in Evanston, Illinois, to Catharine Remy and Donald Ivan Bell.

Chip graduated from Lake Forest Academy and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Colorado College. He then obtained a doctorate in physiology from the University of Maryland and completed a post-doctorate from the University of California at Davis.

Chip was a Professor in the Center for Cardiovascular Research at Albany Medical College for thirty-five years. He specialized in the kidney and was an active member of the American Heart Association, The Microcirculatory Society, and the American Physiological Society. Chip also had many hobbies, including rock climbing, skiing, tennis, traveling, and science fiction.

Chip was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He was known for being thoughtful, methodical, courageous, and strong. He constantly observed, listened, and experimented to solve problems and challenges.

Chip is survived by his sisters, Catharine and Susan Bell, his brothers-in-law, Robert Weiglein and Nawang Sherap, and his niece, Kyla Sherap. Contributions can be made to the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society in his honor.

Blake William Wilson, Class of 1969, died on April 25, 2023, in California. Blake was born in Santa Barbara, California on June 7, 1948. He graduated from Laguna Blanca School in 1965 and CC in 1969.

Blake was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, a varsity soccer player, and a proud organizer of the famous demolition derby. He taught math in Oregon for a short period of time and then embarked on a long, distinguished, and very successful business career.

Blake was a world-class blue-water yachtsman, having competed in dozens of races, and, most importantly, a first-class friend.

Blake is survived by his wife of 43 years, Susanne, two brothers and two sisters, and a host of nieces, nephews, and godchildren.

Vaya con Dios, El Jefe.

Caroline Ames Herter, a veteran of the publishing industry, died peacefully after a short illness on June 12, 2025 at her home in Bar Harbor, ME. She was 70. Caroline’s career began as one of the original booksellers at Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver after graduating from CC with a degree in Philosophy. She went on to work in sales, marketing, and publishing roles at Harper & Row, Charles Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and Chronicle Books where she was instrumental in developing the gift product line that redefined how non-book products were marketed and sold in the bookselling community and how book products were sold in the gift market. She had a great eye for how books should look and feel – both inside and out.

Following her publishing career, she established Herter Studio and Caroline Herter Publications, where she developed and packaged books that inspired and educated women, brought on laughter, challenged authority, and had a sense of playfulness. Her publications included Try Again, Fail Again, Fail Better; Body Drama; and The Book of Badges, among others. Caroline is also the co-author of Photocraft: Cool Things to Do with the Pictures You Love. She was an original member of the women’s publishing group “never ever got Roots on.” Caroline was a mentor and helped many young publishing professionals get established in their careers. She was a director at the Stanford University Publishing Institute and worked closely with that team to bring publishing talent into the program. She touched many lives and, at times, was more than determined to get her point across.

Caroline was an avid and adept downhill skier, always ready to take on the next black diamond slope leaving her friends in a dust of snow. She was an adventurous kayaker and a nervous sailor, loved to drive fast (in more than a car), never turned down a chance to be on horseback, could dance up a storm, and was a nature lover extraordinaire. Caroline was most at ease walking in the woods at her family home on Pretty Marsh Harbor with a pair of clippers in her hands, always searching to carve out the perfect water view from her porch perch. She was a practiced charades player, egging on family and friends to get down and have a good time. Laughter was her medicine, books were her fuel, love was always in her heart – even when she was a challenge. Caroline was amazing as she overcame many obstacles, again and again, always challenging herself to “fail better.” Her spiritual life blossomed after she returned to Maine from San Francisco where she developed a group of sage and interesting friends. Caroline was a passionate soul and touched many lives with infectious energy. She is survived by her sister, Brooke and husband Dave James, her brother Eric, and her loving nieces and nephews, Frances, Samantha, Sam, and Peter and their families. Caroline also leaves many loyal friends who loved her dearly and were honored to be loved by her in life. She will always live in our hearts.

John B.M. Place, a resident of Peoria, AZ and Flagstaff, AZ, passed away May 15, 2025. He is survived by his beloved wife Margaret Place, his sisters Marian Place and Judith Sloan, and three dogs.

John, known as Bassett to family and friends, graduated from CC in 1977. Bassett had matriculated from Middlesex School in Concord, MA with several close friends. In his inimitable way, he made more great friendships while at CC. After several years in the workforce, Bassett graduated from Stanford University with a Master’s in Early Childhood Education.

Bassett started his career as a teacher working with children in preschool through fifth grade. After that, he completed the Chase Manhattan Bank Training program and was assigned to cultivate relationships in underprivileged communities. 

While in business in the early 1980s, Bassett recognized that dual-career families needed assistance with childcare, and he launched Developmental Child Care, one of the first organizations in the country to work with companies to establish on-site childcare facilities. This pursuit joined his corporate expertise with his love of educating young children. Bassett and his team then successfully transitioned the business into LifeCare, Inc., a counseling and referral service for employees’ families.  

Bassett was an avid lover of his family and the many dogs he cared for throughout his lifetime. He was also a talented photographer who created beautiful family, pet, and flower photos. He rediscovered tennis in retirement, a passion he pursued until his death. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN or St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, AZ.

William “Bill” Matthews Frye, 73, of Charles City, IA, passed away peacefully at home on May 22, 2025, six months after being diagnosed with glioblastoma.

Bill was born on February 2, 1952, in Charles City, Iowa. He was an active Boy Scout and proudly earned the rank of Eagle Scout. After graduating from high school in 1970, he attended CC, where he joined ROTC. He went on to earn his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1977 and soon returned to Charles City to begin his legal practice.

On November 26, 1977, Bill married Carol (Gossard) in Nashua, IA. The couple built a life together in Charles City, raising their daughters and serving their community. Bill practiced law for 31 years before transitioning to a role as Trust Officer at First Security Bank & Trust in 2008. He officially retired in 2019, but continued to stay active in the legal community, volunteering at Noah, Smith, Sloter, & Ellingson until his diagnosis.

A man of wide-ranging interests and quiet generosity, Bill enjoyed traveling, hiking, reading, cheering on the Cubs and Hawkeyes, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He could often be found walking with friends at the YMCA, having coffee at Aromas, listening to Iowa Public Radio, bicycling, fishing, canoeing, and helping with the Tosanak Maple Syrup Project. He served 20 years in the Army Reserves, retiring as a Major in 1994. He was also an engaged member of the Rotary Club and served on numerous local boards.

Bill is survived by his wife of 48 years, Carol Frye; his daughters Julia Odugbesan and Abby Frye (wife Lindsay); and his beloved grandchildren: Lola and Kemi (Julia) and Ellis (Abby & Lindsay). He is also survived by his sister Barbara Frye; his mother-in-law, Marcia Gossard; his nieces Ara Pelz and Trisha DePreter, and nephew Ben Vogt.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the Charles City Public Library, an institution close to Bill’s heart. 

Lisabeth “Liz” Brimm passed away peacefully at McCarthy Care Center in East Sandwich, MA on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Her life-long friend from CC, Nancy Havens Levitt ’75, was able to visit Liz during her last days. Liz was the devoted life partner of 31 years to Carol M. Wester of Mattapoisett, MA.

Liz was a scholar, an accomplished woman, a self-made person, and always saw the best in everyone, and in every situation. She was a Boettcher Scholar with a wicked sense of humor and a fearlessness that fueled her coming out as a lesbian at CC in 1975. She was instrumental in the creation of the CC Women’s Commission, which inspired a feminist presence at CC, bringing Jill Johnston, the Berkeley Women’s Music Collective, and Harrison and Tyler to perform on campus. After moving to Houston with Havens, she was a vocal agitator for lesbian and women’s rights. Later, she moved to Boston where she graduated from Andover Newton Yale Theological School. She took great pride in this, fulfilling a life-long dream of serving God, and helping others to enjoy God’s presence and blessings. In honor of Liz, please perform an act of kindness, say a prayer, treasure the people you love, pet a dog, and see the miracle in every day.

Robert Hardy died at home in Denver, CO on April 29, 2025 with his wife, Sally, by his side. He lived a rich, full life with many friends and had an abiding love of travel, food, and wine. Robert was a peaceful, kind, gentle soul with a great sense of humor. He died of complications from Parkinson’s Disease.

Robert was born on March 5, 1948, in Minneapolis, MN. The family soon moved to Colorado. Robert grew up skiing and raced as an Eskimo Club member. Robert graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in 1965. A class trip to Europe, encouraged by his mother, led to a life-long love of travel.

After being accepted to CC, Robert took a gap year to live and work in Munich. He sailed with a friend on the Queen Mary to Europe. Returning home via New York City, Robert won just enough money on the TV show Password to pay for his trip. He spent his summers surveying for the Bureau of Land Management, including the Telluride ski resort. During these years, Robert hitchhiked thousands of miles, treasuring the conversations along the way.

Robert’s career was in wine. He started in retail and restaurants in Colorado, reading and tasting voraciously. At this time, he met life-long friends, Jim and Carol Benson, and Tim Johnston of Juveniles Wine Bar, Paris fame. In 1974 and 1975, Robert visited California and Oregon wineries and moved to the Napa Valley in 1976. He worked for Sterling Vineyards and Rutherford Hill in both their tasting rooms and public relations. From 1980-1982, he was a sommelier in London for Nick Lander and Jancis Robinson’s restaurant L’Escargot. In this role, he was an ambassador for California wines that were not widely available in England or the rest of Europe. After moving back to San Francisco, Robert sold wine for the distributors Chambers and Chambers and Henry Wine Group. In the early 1990s, he moved to France, studying French in Aix-en-Provence, working in cellars and on archeological digs headed by Jean-Pierre Brun (Victoria Leitch).

Back in Boulder, Robert met his wife, Sally in 1995. Sally followed him to San Francisco where he worked for Diamond Wine Merchants. He was a gentleman salesman, harkening back to another era, with strong bonds to local producers, Sean Thackrey, and Daniel and Marion Schoenfeld of Wild Hog, and wine sales colleagues, Chris Baral (Jerry Baral) and Steve Ledbetter (Keiko Ito).

Robert retired in 2005, and he and Sally moved to Colorado’s North Fork Valley, living on Redlands Mesa in Hotchkiss. The North Fork reminded Robert of the Colorado of his childhood. He loved being in the mountains and cross-country skiing on Grand Mesa. As his Parkinson’s Disease progressed, Robert and Sally settled in Denver, first in the Lower Highlands neighborhood and then, in 2022, the Aria Cohousing Community. Friends Peter and Louise Hassan, Paul and Helen Browne, and the Boulder PD Support Group helped Robert and Sally optimize his quality of life. Through the years, he and Sally spent months in Europe, New Zealand, and Canada. Before and after the pandemic, they used a camper van to travel the West and visit friends and family.

Robert is survived by his partner/wife of 29 years, Sally (Sartorius) Hardy; brothers, Richard and Don Hardy; sister, Lynn Burgess (Norm Kemble); as well as a niece, Andrea Offerson (Sven Offerson); their daughter, Annistyn; his cousins; and many dear friends.

Charles H. “Chip” Collins, age 70, died peacefully on November 29, 2024, after a long illness with dementia. He was a beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend. Chip was a visionary leader whose life and work left a lasting impact in land and wildlife conservation.

Chip was born October 20, 1954, in Pittsburgh, PA, to Francis H. Collins and Nancy C. Collins. He graduated from St. Mark’s School in 1973 and went on to study history at Colorado College, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1977. In 1992, Chip earned a master’s degree in environmental studies from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Chip’s job at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy marked the start of a distinguished 40-year career dedicated to protecting the natural world. He served in several influential roles, including Colorado State Director for The Nature Conservancy and Vice President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In 1986, Chip was named the first Executive Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. After graduate school, Chip moved to Massachusetts to serve as Vice President of Winslow Management, an environmental investment management firm. In 1995, Chip co-founded The Forestland Group, LLC, a timberland investment management organization, where he served as Managing Director until his retirement in 2014.

Chip married Anne Childs in 1989 and together they raised three children, Teddy, Caroline and Alice, in Watertown, MA. Being a dad was Chip’s most cherished role in life.

In addition to his professional work, Chip served on the Board of Directors for the Land Trust Alliance, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Institute for Ecosystem Studies, Great Mountain Forest, the Student Conservation Association, the Quebec-Labrador Foundation, Shady Hill School and the Jane Coffin Childs Fund for Cancer Research.

Chip’s dedication to the environment was matched only by his deep love for wild places and the species that inhabit them. An avid outdoorsman, Chip traveled widely on fishing and hunting trips. He loved growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, calling waterfowl with his dad and two brothers and spending his summers on Lake Muskoka and Deer Lake in Ontario. He loved exploring the mountains of Colorado and the woods of Northwestern Connecticut. He never lost his love for the outdoors. Chip received exceptional care from many compassionate caregivers as his health declined. Chip is survived by his wife; three children; daughter-in-law, Tory Collins; his mother; and his siblings, Alice Collins, Francis “Pat” Collins, and Edison “Eddie” Collins; along with many loved family members.

Jane S. Sokolow, aged 74, a ringing voice for the values of conservation and community, has died after a lifetime of service to natural resources. She died suddenly of heart failure at her home in Riverdale, NY, alongside her family and beloved golden retriever.

Quick to share opinions and relentless in support of her extended family and causes, Jane was an organizer of efforts to protect parks and wild places everywhere she lived, from the Rockies to the Southwest, from the Catskills to the Bronx.

Raised in Wilton, CT, she was known as “Jesse” to her classmates at CC, where Jane became a leader in her service on the school’s Alumni Association Board. She later graduated with a master’s degree from the Yale School of Forestry in 1980 and worked at the New York Botanical Garden.

Jane sat on numerous neighborhood boards, including the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, the Natural Areas Conservancy, and the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality. Described as a passionate and deeply engaged board member, Jane’s colleagues say her service brought together her training as a forester, her robust experience with nonprofits, and her deep love for New York City’s forests and wetlands. One colleague described her as “a conservationist, not just an environmentalist,” who was very involved as an avid advocate for parks, parkland, trees, and natural features.

Deeply attached to nature, she could often be found photographing flowers, birds, botany, and landscapes, especially in two of her favorite places on this globe: the Catskill Mountains region of New York and the high plains of northeast New Mexico. These photographs were beloved by family members who received them as gifts. In recent years she created beautiful hand-made books with original printed designs.

Jane was a member of the Shakespeare Club and the Riverdale Yacht Club. She could be found outdoors in any weather walking her dog for miles around Riverdale, where she was a central fixture of dog-walking groups in the area and seemed to add new friends to that circle weekly.

She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Edward (Ned) A. Ames, her step-son Ben Ames, his wife Shannon Ames, and their children Isabel and Teddy; her step-son Zak Ames; brother Tony Sokolow, his wife Catherine Channell, and their children Grace and Karen Sokolow; sister-in-law Denny Sokolow; niece Ellie Sokolow, her husband Barrett Zlotoff, and their children Sam and Zeke Zlotoff; her nephew David Sokolow, his wife Sabrina Correll, and their son Eli Sokolow.

CC classmates Alan Woo ’71, Jennifer Holland ’72, Jay Noyes ’71, David Gengler ’70, Stephen Spickard ’70, Kenda North ’72, David Dennard ’72, Don Harbison ’72, Harry Castleman ’72, and Kat Bradley-Bennett ’71 held a memorial via Zoom celebrating her life and memories of her at CC. This group has been meeting in person or via Zoom over the past 15 years with Jesse and others.

Donations in Jane’s memory may be made to the Yale School of the Environment with “Class of 1980 Scholarship Fund” in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to Kristin Floyd, Yale University Alumni Services, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511.

Betsy Edens Johnson, gardener, activist, publisher, passionate homemaker, and friend to all she met, died peacefully in her home on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 after a long journey with frontotemporal dementia. Raised in the Chicago suburb of Barrington Hills, Ill., Betsy was the middle daughter of entrepreneurs Ralph, a tent manufacturer, and Sidney, a bookstore owner. After marrying Bill Densmore of Worcester, MA, she made Williamstown, MA her home for 41 years. She and Bill co-published The Advocate, a newsweekly for the Berkshires and Southwestern Vermont from 1983-1992.

Betsy loved CC and was responsible for introducing a half dozen or more people to become Tigers over the years, including a nephew, a niece, and her daughter Eliza Densmore ’15.

Read more about Betsy’s life »

James “Jim” Robert Regan returned to God on June 9, 2024, in his treasured backyard in Denver, CO. He had just celebrated his 68th birthday. He lived for his family and the relationships he maintained with his beloved patients over his forty-two years as a practicing physician in Internal Medicine. James illuminated both flyfishing and the practice of medicine as artforms. Generous, empathetic, charming, and witty as can be, he will be remembered widely.

Born to Betty and Ramon on May 31, 1956, Jim grew up in Detroit, MI. The youngest of four, he had a unique bond with each of his siblings. During the summers, they vacationed at the “river house” on the Truckee River, perhaps igniting his lifelong appreciation for the mountains of the western United States. In Detroit winters, he and his brother John would transform their backyard into an ice rink and play hockey for hours. He attended MacFarland Elementary school and graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1974.

Jim studied pre-med at Colorado College, played hockey as a walk-on, and was captain for the junior varsity team. He graduated in 1978 Magna Cum Laude and attended Wayne State University back home in Detroit for medical school. During these years he lived at home and cherished the conversations he had with his mom over long games of ping pong in their basement. He earned his Doctorate of Medicine in 1982 and completed both his internship and residency at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver. In 1988 with his first wife, he became a father to Page who he lovingly adorned with the moniker “Bug” from birth. 

After divorce and losing his dear mother Betty to a battle with cancer, it was at a CC reunion in 1993, Jim’s life was changed upon meeting his bride, Nita. Nita was his partner, best friend and confidante. They celebrated the births of two sons during their marriage, Stephen in 1997 and Brett in 2000. She walked with him as he grieved the loss of his brother John in 2002, his sister Colleen in 2006 and his father Ray in 2015. He certainly loved dancing with his Nita, turning everyone’s head, always. They will have been married twenty-nine years on August 12th.

Jim embodied an ethic of service and mastering his craft. From his first private practice on Gilpin St. in Denver, he was also always involved in volunteer work in service of healthcare providers and foremost, patients. This included a service trip to Nicaragua, appointments on multiple committees, and providing heartfelt, consistent care to his developmentally disabled patients as the Medical Director of Good Shepherd, then Bethesda, and until his death with AbleLight. In 2011 he wrote, “Approximately 80 of these individuals have been my patients for nearly 20 years…and my hair is growing grey with theirs.”

In 2000, he was proudly appointed as the President of the Denver Medical Society after having served in various positions, following which he served as Chairman of the Board. He was a member of the Colorado Medical Society beginning in 1983, serving as Chair of several Task Forces, on the Board of Directors in 2003, and as Treasurer from 2006-2009. He was involved with the American College of Physicians since 1997 when he was awarded a Preceptorship. He was recognized as a Fellow of ACP in 2005, something he considered a great honor. Fellowship in the American College of Physicians is a peer-reviewed and peer-supported credential that is a public reflection of excellence within the internal medicine profession.

 His practice shifted over the years. After practicing on Gilpin St. at the Gilpin Medical Clinic, he joined a physician group downtown for several years, then later transferred to the University of Denver where he made lasting relationships with colleagues and provided care for college students. After leaving DU, he was pleased to return to private practice in Highlands Ranch, CO.

Jim was also an excellent saxophone player. He played in high school where he made All-State. He was in a jazz band in college, and then joined an 8-piece orchestra to serenade his bride at their wedding reception in 1995 at the Brown Palace with “My One and Only Love” by John Coltrane. His family was so excited to see him return to the stage once again as he recently became Dr. Jim on Sax, playing alongside his son Brett and partner Megan in their band Meg Walker and the Better Band.

Through and through a family man, Jim savored all three of his kids’ childhoods and sharing stories about them as now-adults brought him immense joy. He helped foster his eldest Page’s call to scholarship and nature; his son Stephen’s compassion for people and animals; and his youngest son Brett’s ear for music and strategic mind. Jim was the boys’ Cubmaster for many years planning countless learning adventures for meetings focused on historical activities and science exploration. He joyously looked forward to the Pinewood Derby each year and helping the boys create and race their cars. He stayed intimately involved in scouting when Stephen continued on in Boy Scouts, sleeping in tents with him during below freezing Klondike campouts and always being present on every camping and hiking adventure. He and Nita became baseball scorekeepers and team parents during Brett’s saga as a pitcher and during both boys’ high school years on the Overland Tennis Team. In honor of an early commitment he made to his father, Jim provided each of his kids with a college education.

Jim loved long talks and spontaneous hikes in the Clark, CO wilderness with his sister Kathy. He worked hard and long hours in order to provide his family with their beautiful mountain home there. 

He was a voracious reader and enjoyed collecting rare titles as he revisited or read them for the first time. A craver of knowledge and hard questions, he also knew complex histories of about every era and swath of Earth or sky. Anyone could probably also tell you his favorite hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings.

In addition to the thousands of lives Dr. Regan touched as a physician, his colleagues, friends, and students, he is remembered by his wife Nita; his children Page (36), Stephen (26), and Brett (24); his sister Kathy; his nephew and godson James Regan, wife Danelle and kids Carson, Mia, and John. He’ll be remembered by his god daughter and niece Cate Muzaffar, her husband Isfi and kids Maziar and Fearon; his nieces Meg and Courtney Regan and sister in-law Jerri. He’ll be remembered, too, by his father in-law Robert “Grandpa Bob” Orsi, his sister in-law Nanette Makrauer and brother in-law Scott Makrauer. Lastly, he’ll be missed by his sister in-law Valerie Woodstra, brother in-law Todd and their kids Lance and Lauren.

A hole remains in myriad hearts with the loss of our jokester Jimmy, “Uncle Jim”, Dr. Regan, “pops”, “daddy”. On the wall at his Clark home hangs the 1960’s poem Desiderata he enjoyed reciting. Part of this cherished life advice reads, “With all its sham, drudgery & broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.” For James, a truly cheerful man, and the interconnectedness of all life, which he held sacred, it’s the least we can do. 

Susan Maile Jewell passed away on July 2, 2024. She was born in Honolulu, and her name came from the fragrant Hawaiian leis. Maile loved dogs, cats, horses, beaches, travel, languages, and teaching aquatic exercise. She lived in Naples, Italy, during her high school years. Settled in San Diego after getting an MSW in Saint Louis. Maile worked as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and as an educator in the fields of Hospice, Family Medicine, and Maternal and Child Health. Maile provided and trained in animal therapy and worked mainly with Collies and Newfoundlands. Her family, friends, and her “Four-Legged Critter Gang” are eternally grateful for her generosity, activism, advocacy of animal and human rights, and the sight of her beautiful blue eyes.

David Byer Nash passed away on February 19, 2023. The son of Leonard K. and Ava Byer Nash, he grew up in Lexington, MA. He was a graduate of Colorado College and received his PhD from the University of Michigan. He joined the faculty of the Department of Geology at the University of Cincinnati in 1978, and retired as Professor Emeritus in 2015. He was the founder of the University’s CV Theis Groundwater Observatory at the Great Miami River (now the Theis Environmental Monitoring and Modeling Site, TEMMS), a research site that monitors the river and adjacent aquifer to identify potential environmental and public health threats. In retirement, he enjoyed reading on the porch, perfecting his grilling techniques, and building robots.

David was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his loving wife Ruth Anne Van Loon, his devoted sons, Nathan Nash (and daughter-in-law Andrea Evans) of Chicago and Samuel Nash of Cincinnati, his cherished sister Vivian Nash and brother-in-law Jeffrey Sklar of Brookline, MA, his adored nephew Aaron Sklar and niece Shana Sklar and their families, and cousins and in-laws who greatly loved him. All will miss his curiosity, his unique sense of humor, and the way his presence could fill up a room.

Nancy died peacefully in her home in Eugene, Oregon on May 29, 2024. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994 and she passed away from metastatic breast cancer. Through all the years she lived with cancer, Nancy modeled how to live a full and compassionate life.

Donations in Nancy’s memory may be made to the Amos and Vesta Showalter Scholarship Fund at CC. Nancy created this fund to honor her parents and provide resources to CC students who are the first in their families to attend college.

Gary Schuyler Young was an artist, a loving husband, a beloved father and friend. He loved slow cooked ribs, doppio espresso, black licorice, and rhubarb pie. He was a man who was as comfortable when pheasant hunting or wake surfing as he was discussing quantum physics, playing the banjo in an Irish band, or watching a favorite movie with his family. The unfailing love and support he provided to his wife and son gave him purpose. Time spent with close friends lent him meaning. The Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, and Eric Clapton were his soundtrack, while the strokes of his paintbrush colored a life that was not only lived but also wholeheartedly enjoyed.

Gary was raised in Wilmette Illinois, alongside two brothers, Fritz and Tom, and two sisters, Heidi and Margaret. His artistic talent came naturally. Both of his parents were artists and his grandfather, Frank H. Young, founded the American Academy of Art in Chicago – a leadership post that his father, also Frank H., subsequently assumed. To Gary, both his father and his grandfather were giants. They nourished his love to draw and inspired his passion for empowering others through mentorship.

In 1970, Gary graduated from New Trier High School and headed to Colorado College, where he majored in art. Over the next four years, Gary fell in love with the West. His appreciation of nature was kindled on bird hunts with his father as a boy, and it grew exponentially during his college years in the splendor of the Rocky Mountains. 

While in college, Gary spent summers building houses with his brothers and friends, living in tents on the mountainside, and occasionally working a defunct Colorado gold claim (a treasured gift from his father). Or, as Gary used to recall, he and his friends would sometimes just sit on a rock and drink in the view.

Colorado made him a cowboy. Although he had no special riding skills, he was deeply connected to nature, as comfortable outdoors as a wrangler on the range. It was in college that Gary bought his first pair of cowboy boots, which he continued to wear intermittently throughout his life – including on his wedding day.

Upon graduating, Gary bought an old Willy’s Jeep, loaded it up, and drove back to Chicago to start a career. Buoyed by a year of training at the American Academy, he landed a job at Foote, Cone and Belding. From the start, colleagues at the ad agency marveled at how quickly he dashed off impressive layouts for clients such as Kimberly Clark, S.C. Johnson, and International Harvester. He was fast – tight deadlines never fazed him. Intuitive. He was easy to be with and easy to work with, no small accomplishment in an industry known for people with strong egos. He was a man of uncommon talent with no need to draw attention to himself.

Eventually Gary opened his own design shop. He delivered award-winning work for many clients, including large corporate law firms like Mayer Brown and Barnes & Thornburg, for whom he worked directly until his retirement last December.

While Gary’s work was in advertising, he was unwavering in the belief that his real job and true purpose in life was to be a loving husband and supportive, present father. While navigating an evolving career, spending time with his wife, Carole, and their son Andrew, took precedence. Gary was the calming voice and the steady hand in their family. He was the planner of cleverly themed birthday parties for Carole and the little league coach for Andrew.

He was fulfilled by his role as a “family man” and the only thing either Carole or Andrew ever had to do to make him happy was to come home at the end of the day. Gary’s daughter in-law, Chelsea, brought a smile to his face. Gary’s grandson, Nolan Schuyler Young overwhelmed his heart with pride and comfort.

All who knew him understood Gary’s personal passion for painting. His watercolors earned awards in juried, national competitions, and at Chicago’s Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, where Gary painted, instructed, and exhibited for years. His artwork graces the walls of homes throughout Chicagoland and from Florida to Oregon. In his spare time, he taught watercolor classes in the western suburbs. Gary used his talent and his artwork as a medium for spreading joy and to give back to a world that he felt had given so much to him.

Gary passed away on May 17 in Lake Forest Hospital. He is survived by his wife Carole, their son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Chelsea, grandson Nolan, along with his brother Tom and sister Margaret. He also left behind numerous brothers and sisters in-law and many nephews and nieces some of whom liked to lovingly call him “Uncle Coolio”.

Gary lived his life like he drove his car. The power seat reclined to 60 degrees, his wrist hanging over the steering wheel, a smile on his face, obeying the speed limit, rarely changing lanes, and never cutting anyone off. While everyone else was jostling to get ahead, he enjoyed the ride, arriving calm and refreshed.

Michael Baer Bechtol passed peacefully December 9, 2022 in Sonoma, CA after a courageous twenty-year struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Mike majored in History at CC and went on to a very successful career in the reinsurance industry. He is predeceased by his father, Paul Bechtol, Professor of Economics at CC from 1957-1979, and survived by his daughter Lucy, son Jonathan, brothers Tod ’71 and Tom, sister Susan Ryan, mother Carol Hamburger, and his wife Michelle. Donations in Mike’s memory can be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Colorado College alum and long-time CC professor Mark Paich passed away in 2022, after a year-long battle with an unexpected illness. He was 68.

Mark earned his Master’s in Economics from The University of Colorado-Boulder and then his PhD in System Dynamics from MIT in 1995. He was a high-level consultant for such firms as McKinsey & Company and PwC, and formed several boutique consulting companies in his career. Mark also cherished his role as an adjunct/associate professor at CC in the Department of Economics and Business. He taught intermittently from 1976 until his departure from the school in the early 2000s. For several years, Mark was also a coach and sponsor of CC’s Forensic (often referred to as “Speech and Debate”) teams. In 2022, the football squad on which he played in the early 1970s was inducted in CC’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mark was a gifted educator who could explain complex ideas with simplicity, integrate other people’s ideas into the conversation, and support the dignity of all students through humor and humility. He taught a wide range of subjects at CC and MIT, providing his students with valuable real-world experience. He was also a patient and altruistic mentor, assisting a great number of his students in job searches, with career advice, and during their subsequent professional development.  

Mark will be sorely missed by his family members (wife Connie, daughter Julia, son Ryan – as well as many others), colleagues, and countless individuals in his extended CC network who so benefitted from his unique expertise during his distinguished life and career.

Phil Paul of San Francisco, CA passed away on June 18, 2023, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. He was 69.

Phil was born on April 25, 1954. After graduating from Iowa City High in 1972, he went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in physics from Colorado College, where Phil learned that he could master any subject in three and a half weeks or less – a skill he repeatedly demonstrated throughout his career. Phil then earned a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa, followed by a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

After PhD graduation, Phil accepted a position at Stanford and worked for six years as a Senior Research Associate on laser-based imaging diagnostics, where he became the globally recognized expert in planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging in reacting flows. In 1990, Phil became a Senior Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA where he worked for 10 years at the prestigious Combustion Research Facility. At Sandia, it became clear that Phil was unique in his ability to apply multidisciplinary concepts to solving complex problems in many different fields. His talents became highly sought after by his colleagues to help them whenever they ran up against a wall and needed new ideas.

In 2000, Phil was one of the six co-founders of Ekisigent, a biotech company specializing in microfluids where Phil’s role was the Chief Technology Officer. In 2010, Eksigent was acquired by Danaher, and after several years, Phil returned to work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, which is where he continued to work this last decade until his recent illness.

Over his career, Phil made remarkable contributions to the global scientific community through hundreds of publications, patents, and presentations. Many of his closest colleagues would concur that Phil was the most talented scientist/engineer they knew, and they feel grateful to have had the privilege to work with him.

But for anyone who knew Phil, they knew that he would say that the most wonderful thing he ever did in his life would be meeting and being married to his beloved wife, Mary.

At his 50th birthday party, Phil met Mary Gwynn, and for anyone who was in attendance, they could see that for Phil it was love at first sight. They married in 2007 and enjoyed many shared interests including traveling, hiking, cooking, being avid readers, exploring new restaurants, taking biking adventure trips in different parts of the world, and whippet dog events.

Phil is survived by his wife Mary and their two fur children, Kitty and Milo; his mother, Dorothy Paul of Iowa City, IA, sisters Liz Paul (Jorge Quero) of Pleasanton, CA, and Marlene Preston (Edward) of Troutville, VA, his niece Sara Quero and fiancé Steven Patterson of Dublin, CA, nephew Nico Quero (Austin) of Alameda, CA, his Aunt Shirley Fischer, as well as extended family, friends, and coworkers who brought him joy throughout his life and helped him become the amazing person that he was.

David “The Hammer” Hanson passed away at home with family by his side on July 13, 2021. Dave experienced a stroke in 2017, and the complications from that catastrophic event ultimately took his life. Dave departed this
world far too soon and he will be greatly missed as a husband, father, brother, teammate, colleague and friend. Dave was a devoted family man. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Diane Firmani; and their sons, Chancie and Cooper; as well as Dave’s brothers, John Hanson and Larry Hanson; sister, Kathleen Jeanson; and their spouses.

Dave’s adventurous spirit and outdoor skills were evidenced by the numerous trophy mounts in his log cabin home. He loved to hunt and fish and spend time at his cabin on the Little Susitna River. Dave had many friends because he knew how to be a friend. Whether he was handing out a kind word with a cup of coffee, telling tall tales over a beer or being a solid presence when someone needed a listener, Dave made a difference in the lives of those around him.

Dave was born in North St. Paul, Minn., on May 14, 1955. His lifelong love of hockey started early as he grew up across the street from an ice rink and spent many hours there after school and on weekends. He was a defensive stand- out and captain of his high school team, lettering all four years in hockey and tennis. Dave received a full scholarship to play hockey at Colorado College, where he earned a degree in business administration. He was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1975 before a career-ending knee injury in his final college game.

Dave moved to Alaska in 1977, where he remained a steady force in the recreational hockey community. He touched many young lives in his 37 years as a USA Hockey referee, particularly at the high school level. In a span of 40 years, he played in the Anchorage Men’s League (Most Penalty Minutes), Valley NHL (Noon Hockey League), Over the Chill Co-Ed and worked at all three Mat-Su indoor ice arenas. A great sheet of ice awaited anyone fortunate enough to skate after Dave drove the Zamboni. Dave’s professional career also included 14 years at Fed Ex, where he retired in 2004.

In his memory, Dave’s family welcomes flowers or a donation to Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Carol Pomerance Cataldo passed away peacefully at her home in Rockport on June 19, 2022 of brain cancer. An exceptional and adventurous woman she created community and creativity wherever she found herself.

A decidedly adventurous teenager who relished the outdoors, she attended Colorado College where she studied Anthropology, communed with nature, and made lifelong friends among classmates and professors. She then pursued a career in social work, and graduated with an MSW from The University of Michigan. In her early career, she specialized in working with formerly incarcerated youth in the Bronx, as well as members of the emerging 80s-era Russian immigrant community in Brooklyn. She met Jim Cataldo when he was a Ph.D. student at Columbia University, and they later moved to Arlington, MA. Carol continued her career working as a social worker and soon became a mom — First to Simon, then Eva and Anna. Notably, Simon followed Carols footsteps (or perhaps more accurately hiking boots) to CC, from which he graduated in 2008.

Carol had a second act in her beloved town of Rockport, where she moved full-time in 2009. She immediately began working her magic and befriended the entire town and beyond, fulfilling her lifelong purpose to connect everyone with everyone in her distinctly bold and intuitive way. 

In her 66 years, Carol never sat still (or if she had to, she complained about it). She lived a vivid, full life, and was unwaveringly herself at every turn. She leaves behind her children Simon, Eva (Berlin), and Anna; sister Ruth Pomerance; grandsons Lev, Hank, Alan, and Charlie; daughter-in-law Chessie and son-in-law Gdaly Berlin; former husband and lifelong friend Jim; nephews Aaron and Emilo Prieto; stepmother Molly Pomerance; father-in-law John Cataldo; and many other beloved family members and friends. She provided and cared for all of them in ways they’ll never be able to repay.

Andrew “Ad” Adgate Duer IV, was an entrepreneur, adventurer, loving father and friend. He passed away unexpectedly while visiting one of his daughters and her family on February 24, 2024 at the age of 68.

The son of Andrew Adgate Duer III, a Baltimore attorney and World War II veteran, and Phyllis Bolton Duer, a World War II nurse, Ad was born in January 1956 and raised in Owings Mills, MD. He graduated from Gilman School in Baltimore and went on to earn his BA in Political Science (International Relations) from Colorado College and his MBA in Finance from the University of Puget Sound.

He spent his post-college years in finance, helping to build, turnaround, and consult for many businesses. He moved back to Maryland in the mid 2000s and eventually settled in Easton, MD. In recent years, he spent intermittent time in Ukraine where he found purpose and community in teaching students English. Ad was a past member of the Greenspring Valley Hunt Club and a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

In his own words, Ad was “a writer, a poet, an actor, and a creative.” He was a vibrant, spirited, wildly intelligent, eccentric, complex, brave and deeply loving man. Ad is survived by his daughters Avery (Scott) and McKay (Matt), his five grandchildren, and his sisters Margaret (Harsharan) and Bo (David).

Haidee Bristol-Horne passed away in February 2025 after an extremely brave and courageous five-year battle with cancer. Haidee was a prolific traveler, gardener, knitter, and cook. She had lived in the Seattle, WA area from 1989 until her passing, though she made frequent trips home to Hawaii to see her parents and ‘recharge her mana’. She was a deeply beloved mother, daughter, sister, and friend. She is survived by her husband Jim Horne; children Rebekah (m. Tanner Rookard) and Spenser Horne; sister Agnes Lee (Bristol), brother Sonny Bristol; and her parents, Drs. Rodrigo Bristol and Zita Cruz-Bristol of Honolulu, HI. Please think of Haidee the next time you see a rainbow.

Robert John “Bob” Allison of Saint Paul, MN, died peacefully on Sunday, May 5, 2024, at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, MN. Bob was born December 11, 1958, in Evanston, IL. He was a graduate of Barrington High School (1977), Colorado College (1981), and University of Minnesota Master’s Program in Addictions Counseling (2019). 

Bob had a deep love for family, fishing, nature, and dogs, but his deepest love was for Jesus. Bob honored Jesus’s grace and mercy in his published memoir, Saved by the Prince of Peace: Dungeon to Sky – Victory in the Face of Overwhelming Odds. The Miracle of Recovery.

Bob had a keen mind and a passion for deep conversation. Although he was a successful rare coin and precious metals salesman, he felt called in his later years to become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Bob reached out to the homeless of St. Paul and used the example of his personal struggles to bring others to sobriety. Bob’s final prayer was his personal favorite, “The Serenity Prayer of St. Francis.”

Bob is survived by former wife Rochelle Schmidt of St. Paul, MN, stepson Louis Garcia, step-grandchildren Mick and Natalia Rose, and his beloved Westie dog, Freddy.

Bob is also survived by siblings Terry (Allison) Klocker, Karen (Allison) Trom, Charles F. Allison IV, James Allison, Thomas Allison, and an extensive Allison-Evans clan. All will miss his big hugs, high fives, and hearing him say his endearing phrase, “YOU ROCK.”

Bob has found his eternal peace with Jesus. If there’s a good fishing hole in heaven, Bob is there. Condolences are welcome at http://www.mackenfuneralhome.com.

Marc Alan Pettygrove passed away December 19, 2022 surrounded by loved ones in Minnesota after battling complications with diabetes & prostate cancer. His self-confidence, sense of humor, and charismatic personality left a lasting impression on those he touched.

Marc earned his bachelor’s in business and was awarded a full scholarship to play Hockey for the Colorado College Tigers, assuming a leadership role as Co-Captain during his sophomore year. He was also a member of the USA U-20 World Jr. Team (1979) and played for the Pinebridge Bucks ACHL (1982-1984) after a brief foray skating in Germany.

In addition to his athletic prowess, Marc exhibited talent and appreciation for the arts, especially after taking classes from his friend and then Art Professor, Carl Reed. He married Lisa Rosenthal ’84, with whom he remained close friends throughout his life. Marc was a successful real estate agent serving as manager of a MN Edina Real Estate office and later worked as a Redcoat Supervisor for a Delta subsidiary, which enabled him to pursue a passion for world travel, culinary curiosity, and adventure.

He was adored by colleagues and supervisors alike in whatever arena he showed up. His enthusiastic spirit combined with his sensitivity, enabled strength of character to be equaled by compassion and care for others. Marc later married Johanna Henjum ’02 and is survived by his beloved children Georgia and Calvin Pettygrove, whom he undoubtedly considered his greatest achievement.

The world lost a shining light on January 29, 2023. Kip Freytag was taken from us by endometrial Cancer and those who called her friend, companion sensei, or mentor lost an amazing soul. 

Kip was born in Los Angeles on December 28, 1962.  She grew up, went to school, and graduated high school mostly within the confines of the greater LA area, but at that point she wanted more. She left home for Colorado College in 1981 to study Poli Sci, but along the way re-discovered German, a language she first heard from her caregiver as a baby. This led to a college exchange program in her sophomore year that took her to Luneburg, Germany and her love for travel was born. Her guest father was a forester and that had her rethinking her career path. After returning to the States, she soon transferred to UC Berkeley to pursue a degree in Forestry.

She met her husband, Frieder Schurr during a summer field course required for Natural Resource majors. However, she soon realized that a career in Wildlife management would entail long days in the woods, alone. Anyone who knew Kip, knew that she was a people person. So being in the woods wasn’t a problem, but being alone sure would be. But on a backpacking trip with friends, she fell and broke her elbow. This led to physical therapy and the introduction to her true calling. She returned to school and earned a Master’s degree in Human Physiology followed by a professional degree in Physical Therapy. She thrived in this field until an injury she suffered while treating a client sidelined her from the physical demands of the occupation.

Back in Berkeley she was introduced to martial arts through a women’s self-defense course. Over the next 30 years, she became a multi-degree blackbelt in three disciplines. She was still actively teaching in all of them up until just a couple weeks before her passing.  

She and her husband often spent weeks or even months in different places. Over the past six years, Bamberg, Germany became a second home. She attended several weeks of language lessons there each summer, with the exception of the Covid years, but even then, she continued her studies with online lessons.

KIP LOVED LIFE! She meant it to her core when she said she wanted to live forever. There was just so much to learn! She had an insatiable lust for knowledge through reading about the past and even more so through direct experiences and meeting new people. As a result, she leaves many friends, new and old, literally scattered around the world. If you knew her, please keep her in your thoughts and maybe she will still bring a smile to your lips. She would like that and that’s how she can live on.

Frieder was her husband and true partner in crime, in every way, for the past 36+ years. He says: I’d love to hear your stories, though I can’t promise to reply. WRITE TO FRIEDER » 

John William Craig, better known as “Johnny Bill” or “Bill,” was born to John Foster Craig III and Elizabeth Moxon Craig on June 13th, 1981. He was the second out of four siblings, the others being Molly, Jacob, and Maggie.

Even in his youth, Bill was wholly dedicated to the desire to be a rancher, and started partnering with his grandfather, John Foster Craig Jr., to run his own yearlings as young as sixteen years old. Bill was an active participant in the local 4-H community as well. He raised a herd of sheep and took home several distinctions with his entries, including the Grand Champion Breeding Ewe. He made and sold horse tack locally during high school and college.

Bill also had a great love for music, to the point of considering that as one of his options for collegiate training. He had many wonderful years participating as a trumpet player in the Limon band, the Eastern Colorado Honor Band, and state solo and ensemble events.

Bill excelled in sports despite the fact that he often insisted that he was not a natural athlete. Instead, he felt his success in athletics was due to the fact that he was more willing to hit, and be hit, harder than his opponents. He was a fierce competitor with a true love for sport. During his senior year of high school, he was invited to play in an All-American basketball league called the Down Under Invitational. The league’s focus is to break down cultural, economic and social barriers through athletics, and students were selected based not only on athletics but also personal character.

Perhaps his biggest passion, after ranching, was football. He played for CC from 1999-2002. There, he inspired his teammates to stay dedicated to improving themselves throughout the off season, and was voted Captain his senior year. This distinction meant so much to Bill, as his teammates were his closest friends, and it brought tears to his eyes when he mentioned having received it. He was also awarded Offensive Champion (2002), Most Improved Offensive Player (2000) and was a Four-Year Letter Winner.

Despite the fact that his often-repeated mantra concerning education was “D stands for Diploma,” Bill distinguished himself academically as well as in athletics during his education at CC. His thesis, “The Economic Impact of Consolidation of the Beef Packing Industry,” was picked as one of the top in his class and has been referenced by other articles within the beef industry.

After college, Bill began his career in banking in Colorado Springs. He enjoyed telling the story of how he got his first banking job with Rob Alexander, just days after graduating college. He took a chance on employing Bill, and they remained lifelong friends. He worked with four separate banking institutions over a period of 13 years, including the First National Bank of Colorado Springs, Bank of Colorado, and the Bank at Broadmoor. Bill proved himself to be a capable and hardworking businessperson, with an uncanny ability to connect with customers from many different walks of life. In 2010, he became Executive Vice President of Stockmens Bank. He was a member of the Pikes Peak Range Riders and volunteered for several years on committees for the Ride for the Brand Ranch Rodeo and Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.

Bill met his wife, Natalie Watson, in 2006, and they were married in July 2009. After deciding that it was time to begin a family, they moved to Ramah, CO, just before the birth of their first son, John Watson Craig, in 2011. During this time, Bill commuted between Ramah and Colorado Springs as he continued his banking career at Stockmens. He also managed multiple cattle leases in Colorado and Kansas, and partnered with his dad on cattle in Limon. His second son, William Jasper Craig, was born in 2014. Then in 2015, the opportunity to return to the ranch in Limon and run cattle full time was presented to Bill. Bill’s vision was always to return to the family ranch, despite the fact that it meant putting a successful banking career on hold.

He oversaw the renovation of his grandfather’s home on the ranch, and the family moved back to Limon in July 2015. Bill owned and managed the ranch until his death in his home on December 17, 2024. He said often that much of his success in the cattle business was due to the fact that he had an incredible crew behind him to help run his operation. He deeply valued the relationships he created through his careers in both finance and ranching. He was highly regarded in the yearling business for having a superior ability to navigate the cattle market’s many ups and downs, and to read commodities markets successfully. Always on the lookout for a good deal and never one to back down from a challenge, Bill built a beautiful life for his family and took so much pride in being able to return home and raise his boys in Limon. He truly believed there was no better place to grow up.

He is survived by his wife, Natalie Craig, and sons, John Watson Craig and William Jasper Craig; siblings Molly Craig, Jacob Craig and Maggie Craig (Hackbarth); his father John Foster Craig III; niece Gabrielle Hackbarth and nephews Lochlann Craig and Hawk Hackbarth.

Michael departed this world on April 2, 2024, following a tragic bicycle accident. Michael’s sudden and unexpected exit at the early age of 43 has left a void in the hearts of his family and friends in Colorado, Washington DC, and California. Michael will be remembered for his caring nature, his adventurous spirit, and his get-it-done attitude towards all aspects of life.

He is survived by his parents, Allen and Kathy; his sister, Alex, and her partner, Chris Crawfurd; his brother David Goldstone ’08, his wife Katie, and their children Henry and Levi; and countless friends.

Michael was born in Boulder, Colorado. His early years included raising chickens, a pet goat named Odie, and his horse Dodger. While earning his degree in Economics and Political Science from CC, he worked in their garage learning mechanics. Immediately after graduation, he was part of a group that paddled canoes the length of the Mississippi River while holding events to register youth voters.

Michael then studied law at the University of Denver. Upon receiving his Doctor of Law (JD), he joined the United States Department of Energy Golden Field Office as a summer intern for the Office of Chief Counsel. He continued as a law clerk during his final year of law school and finally became a full-fledged attorney in that office. Over the past 17 years, Michael has been an advocate and advisor for many offices in DOE, including the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of Technology Transitions. He was instrumental in shepherding through DOE’s first prize competitions and helped DOE achieve other firsts during his tenure. His efforts had a department-wide impact as evidenced by his recent receipt of two Secretarial Honor Awards. He was beloved by his DOE family of clients and colleagues for his creative and quick legal mind as well for his fun, kind, and caring nature. Working with Michael was relational, not just transactional.

Michael fit an impressive amount of living in his 43 years. As an outdoor enthusiast, he spent much of his time exploring. He loved connecting with his friends while skiing, hiking, rafting, cycling, and a host of other activities. He spent countless days in the canyons of the American southwest, rafted the Grand Canyon twice, backpacked for weeks in a remote part of the Canadian Rockies, and had countless other adventures. In recent times, he did a backcountry ski trip in the Sierras, a multi-day Utah road biking trip, a ski trip in Japan, and took his nephews on their first raft trip on the Platte River, to name a few.

Michael always stood out with his generosity to give back to his community both at large and to his community of friends. Examples include volunteering after the Katrina hurricane to help victims navigate insurance company claims. He was always ready to help organize or lead a trip, including driving a Burning Man elephant art car across the country. He would always help you tackle that home project you had been putting off for months or that project you didn’t know you had until he came over.

Michael always lived his truth, acted with decisiveness, and made a positive impact on those he touched. He was an inspiration to those who knew him. His legacy will continue to thrive in the experiences of friends and family whose lives he impacted. His time here was cut short in years, but his legacy is a triumph in living a full life.

As we mourn the loss of Michael, let us also celebrate the legacy of love, laughter, and compassion he leaves behind. May he rest in peace knowing that he was deeply loved and his imprint upon the earth will never be forgotten.

Justin Elias Cook, 35, died February 26, 2025, in Ellensburg, Washington, after struggling with a long illness. Impacting lives with his charisma and charm, Justin moved through this life with passion and determination. He was a kind soul who sought to treat everyone with kindness and respect. He was an eager worker, an intense listener, political activist, and enthusiastic storyteller. He loved fiercely and cared deeply for those he was close to.

Justin fought hard for marginalized communities facing systemic discrimination and experiencing social, economic, and political exclusion based on characteristics like race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or disability. Justin took a specific interest in homeless, indigenous, and disabled people.

Justin was an intellectual person who loved to read, travel, play games, and cook. His love of cooking started at an early age with his mother. He would spend hours working alongside her, learning various international cuisines. Justin was not afraid to voice his opinion through spirited debates. He would tell you how it was regardless of what accolades you may or may not have.

An only child growing up in Houston, TX, Justin fell in love with the outdoors through gardening and hiking with his grandmother – a passion that would evolve through the years. His love of nature took many forms: from sheep herding on the Navajo Nation to trail building in the Grand Canyon to teaching at an outdoor school near Ellensburg, WA. Justin also loved animals and had a soft spot for cats. He enjoyed feeding the neighborhood cats that came to his door.

Justin moved on from this world on February 26, 2025 after fighting with declining health for several years. Even as his health suffered, he still found the strength to inspire and change people’s lives – whether it was through sharing his experiences in cooking, knowledge of various cultures, or art and music. Often, if he knew someone was dealing with an issue, he would go out of his way to find sources of information to help them make educated decisions. He was selfless, stubbornly determined, and a joy to those around him.

Justin was preceded in death by his aunt, Jasmine Günter and survived by his mother, Gina Günter, step-father, Yousef Salem, and his grandmother, Amy Günter. He was beloved and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

If you have photos or memories of Justin that you would like to share, please send them to Gina at ginagunter@yahoo.com

Natalie Gubbay ’20 passed away at the young age of twenty-six. Her life was tragically taken by a reckless driver in Minneapolis, MN on the evening of October 23, 2024. Natalie brought a boundless energy to life, always carrying a sense of purpose, compassion, and adventure. She was a radiant light to her family, friends, and community, and leaves a legacy beyond her years.

Natalie was a Mathematical Economics major at CC, and a Fullbright recipient in Economics. Her interests were in researching and designing policies that reduce economic inequities. She was a recipient of the Keller Venture Grant and a research fellow at CC’s State of the Rockies Project, as well as part of the Project PPE team during the Covid 19 pandemic. All of these experiences reinforced Natalie’s strong belief in justice and in making things better for all individuals. She was an avid gardener and worked at CC’s Quantitative Reasoning Center. She loved hiking, cooking, and, depending on the day, math problems.

After college Natalie continued her focus on making the world a better place. She worked in Washington, D.C. in the education policy field, and in 2022, she moved to Minneapolis, MN to take a research position at the Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute within the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It was a perfect fit with her sense of justice and her strong desire to have an impact. She had the opportunity to co-author groundbreaking work on the economy. She joined colleagues from around the bank to advance the understanding of incomes of Native Areas. In Minneapolis, Natalie found a strong community and many friends through her activities. She rediscovered her childhood love for gymnastics and found great joy in re-conquering skills. She valued community and diversity and had an amazing ability to connect deeply with people from all walks of life and at all ages. Her friends knew her as “the glue” that brought everyone together, whether in Wellesley, Colorado, D.C., or Minneapolis. In addition to her job at the Fed, she volunteered at a local homeless center and taught English classes. In all that she did, she found meaning in the ways she could engage with and contribute to the local community.

Natalie had just completed her application for the prestigious National Science Foundation Doctoral Studies Scholarship to investigate the impacts of policies empowering renters’ collective action in Washington, D.C.’s deep urban transformations. She was on the verge of submitting her applications to pursue a PhD. She was about to truly soar when her life was taken from her and from the world.

Natalie was part of a large extended family who loved her beyond measure. Her parents, Rachel and Keith, and her cherished sister Olivia who adored her and looked up to her in countless ways. On her mother’s side, she had a beloved Australian extended family, with whom she spent many Christmases – her grandparents, Phil and Eleanor; her Uncle Mark, Aunt Liz, and cousins Alice (and husband Tom and children Edie, Lucy and Heidi), George (and wife Minna and baby James), Arthur (and fiancée Lara), and Louise (and husband Karthi). Her Uncle Peter and Aunt Betty and their family were also a large presence in her life. On her father’s side, she will be forever loved by Uncle Dave, Aunt Penny, Grandma Kate, and cousins Daniella, Sophia, and Ben, who she always looked forward to visiting.