Diane K. (Johnston) Abrams ’89/93, communications/marketing professional who, along with her husband, founded a nonprofit organization providing information and technology services to assist in community disaster preparedness, Jan. 28, 2017, Leawood, Kan.
Jerry W. Aubuchon ’86, retired Boeing aerospace quality assurance employee who also worked at Cessna Aircraft; Vietnam War veteran who served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, Oct. 8, 2016, Rose Hill, Kan.
Dennis A. Aylward ’13, small business owner, Dec. 13, 2016, Wichita.
Stephen L. Barnett ’74, retired Boeing mechanic, veteran of the U.S. Army, Jan. 22, 2017, Wichita.
Clarence D. Barry ’49, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Air Corps for more than 30 years, Dec. 25, 2016, Vista, Calif.
Barbara J. (Wilson) Bath ’68, homemaker, retired guidance counselor at Wichita public schools, Nov. 27, 2016, Wichita.
James H. Bath ’67, retired social studies teacher, Jan. 19, 2017, Wichita.
Thomas “Tom” D. Beard ’66, retired senior vice president and CFO at Petroleum Inc., avid Shocker sports fan, Dec. 9, 2016, Wichita.
Larry L. Belew ’66, children’s pastor, Oct. 10, 2016, Wichita.
Shirley L. (Harr) Brinkman ’49/78, retired elementary school librarian, Oct. 19, 2016, Piedmont, Okla.
Gary G. Burr ’68, retired city administrator, Nov. 29, 2016, Hutchinson, Kan.
Jennie “Jane” E. (Mueller) Byerley ’48, homemaker, former dance teacher at Wichita East High School, Feb. 1, 2017, Wichita.
M. Mark Charlton ’76, office manager at Computer Instruments Inc., Jan. 15, 2017, Andover, Kan.
Velda J. (Riley) Childs ’63, retired teacher whose career in education included serving as office education coordinator at Hoover High School in Des Moines, Iowa, March 31, 2017, Indianola, Iowa.
Peter M. Christy ’50, sales professional who worked for more than 40 years at Standard Oil, Amoco, and British Petroleum; avid Wichita State sports fan, Nov. 11, 2016, Wichita.
Joanne (Crismas) Clevenger ’58, retired first and second grade teacher who taught at Wichita public schools for 39 years, Dec. 19, 2016, Goddard, Kan.
James E. Cluff ’49/53, retired Wichita public schools administrator whose career included serving as principal in several elementary schools and retiring as director of elementary education, Nov. 3, 2016, San Diego, Calif.
Carolyn D. (Patton) Conley ’66/67, CPA and active community volunteer, Nov. 22, 2016, Wichita.
Jeffrey C. Craghead ’66, studio arts, painting graduate and retired Donlevy Lithograph Inc. employee, Dec. 26, 2016, Eastborough, Kan.
Robert L. Crane ’75, entrepreneur and small business owner of a grain-hauling operation in Buhler, Kan., former maintenance specialist at Wolf Electric, Dec. 2, 2016, Valley Center, Kan.
Janene M. (Edwards) Crosley ’80, nurse at Wesley Medical Center, Feb. 3, 2017, Wichita.
Paul T. Curry ’54, corporate executive and entrepreneur who served in the military for two years, being discharged as a 1st lieutenant in 1956, and who attended the University of Wichita on a basketball scholarship, was president of his sophomore class and served as student council president his senior year, March 22, 2017, Phoenix, Ariz.
Duane C. Dater ’83, retired shipping/receiving clerk at Westar Energy, Oct. 23, 2016, Wichita.
Forrest E. Davidson ’50/56, retired musician, singer, educator who taught vocal music, music theory, and guitar, Nov. 21, 2016, Topeka, Kan.
Michael A. Deckert ’89, retired physical therapist and partner at the Dakota Rehabilitation Center, Dec. 5, 2016, Tea, S.D.
Dick A. Detwiler ’75/80, former nurse and elementary school special education educational assistant, Dec. 26, 2016, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Albert L. Dilley ’48/57, retired musician and music educator whose career included directing marching band at Wellington, Kan., public schools; playing 11 seasons with the Wichita Symphony orchestra as a bass trombonist; and serving as director of bands and instructor of low brass at Fort Hays State University, Sept. 23, 2016, Hays, Kan.
Charles B. Douglas ’49, WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific, retired president of Thorsen Tool Co., March 16, 2017, Dallas.
Kathleen L. Duffin ’73/79, veterinarian whose specialty was avian medicine, Jan. 17, 2017, Albuquerque, N.M.
Darrel L. Dugan ’67, co-owner of Burnham Composites Inc., Feb. 28, 2017, Wichita.
Richard L. Dulaney ’74, retired AT&T data systems employee, Feb. 23, 2017, Mountain Home, Ark.
Ralph P. Duncan ’84, CPA and former corporate financial manager, March 17, 2017, Wichita.
David L. “Larry” Dye ’70, retired Unilever senior executive manager, March 8, 2017, Conway, Ark.
James J. Eastman ’65, retired Boeing program planner, Feb. 18, 2017, Augusta, Kan.
Richard L. Eaton ’61, retired industrial engineer and U.S. Army veteran who was stationed in the Pacific Islands, April 1, 2017, Wichita.
Richard L. Ebersole ’54, retired funeral director and owner of Ebersole Mortuary, March 24, 2017, Conway Springs, Kan.
Judith L. (Volkman) Simpson Forsyth ’91/93, retired nurse practitioner who specialized in mental health therapy, Dec. 25, 2016, Charlotte, N.C.
Peggy O. (Reed) Foster ’46, homemaker and attorney who in 1949 was one of three Kansas women among 80 new Kansas attorneys sworn in by the state supreme court after examinations for admission to the bar, Dec. 27, 2016, Ottawa, Kan.
Dorothy L. Fulton ’68, retired speech language pathologist and associate professor at Fort Hays State University, Dec. 13, 2016, Hays, Kan.
Lanny D. Gaston ’71, Kansas Board of Education human resources director who, during his college years, was a member of the local band Downbeats, March 26, 2017, Lawrence, Kan.
Walter L. Getchell ’72, U.S. Army veteran who was stationed in Berlin, Germany, and later served in the Army Reserve, retired music teacher and musician who played trombone and tuba in the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra, April 2, 2017, Marshfield, Maine.
Meredith L. Goeken ’04, 7th grade math teacher at Allison Middle Magnet in Wichita, March 4, 2017, Wichita.
Andrea S. (Flynn) Gragert ’66, retired elementary school teacher, March 19, 2016, Wichita.
Bernard A. Gronau ’73, Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force, retired auditor for the state of Alaska, Jan. 14, 2017, Anchorage, Alaska.
David A. Guhr ’05/07, criminal justice graduate, Jan. 2, 2017, Wichita.
Nancy L. (McIntire) Hancock ’73, retired special education teacher, Jan. 16, 2017, Wichita.
Donald E. Hartig ’84, business administration graduate, Jan. 22, 2017, Niotaze, Kan.
Patricia V. (Hensley) Hayes ’60, University of Wichita cheerleader in 1957, former speech and drama teacher at Goddard (Kan.) High School, retired development director and volunteer coordinator at KMUW, Jan. 3, 2017, Kechi, Kan.
Paul J. “PJ” Heiland ’04/10, chemistry and business graduate who worked in the oil industry, Dec. 19, 2016, Denver, Colo.
B. Lynn Herrington ’61, president of TGT Petroleum Corp., Oct. 26, 2016, Wichita.
Joseph W. “Jay” Hershey ’58/65, retired vocal music teacher, March 22, 2017, Wichita.
Gregory A. Herzet ’78, retired hospital administrator, Oct. 25, 2016, Sedgwick, Kan.
William R. Hess ’60, veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Germany, at Fort Leavenworth, in Lawrence, Kan., and at the Pentagon; former geologist, loan officer and retired real estate agent, March 5, 2017, Lawrence, Kan.
Curtis E. Hightower ’54/68, retired physical education teacher and coach who lettered in both basketball and baseball at the University of Wichita, Feb. 9, 2017, Casa Grande, Ariz.
Wayne M. Hilburn ’59, retired graphic artist, editor and founder of the Hilburn Design Studio, a design and art services firm begun in Yellow Springs, Ohio, later relocated to Springfield, Va., and Washington, D.C., Dec. 14, 2016, Wichita.
Gregory L. Hoffman ’72, U.S. Air Force retired major who served for 20 years at various locations around the world, including Kadena AB, Japan, and Osan AB, Korea; independent contractor, Dec. 2, 2016, Austin, Texas.
Jerry D. Hollingsworth ’62, retired Cessna Aircraft flight test engineer, Nov. 3, 2016, Wichita.
Charles E. Holmes ’53, U.S. Air Force veteran, retired oil and gas lawyer, Dec. 23, 2016, Denver, Colo.
John M. Holloway ’60, retired Cessna Aircraft manufacturing engineer, Dec. 5, 2016, Wichita.
Thomas B. Honton ’72, U.S. Air Force veteran who later enlisted in the National Guard and served active duty in Korea, retired accounting practice owner, Dec. 19, 2016, Wichita.
Brandon W. Hornbaker ’06, entrepreneur who owned his own IT consulting service, Nov. 26, 2016, Park City, Kan.
James A. Hull ’81, U.S. Air Force retired master sergeant who served for 26 years, retired Boeing aeronautical engineer, March 15, 2017, Wichita.
Paul G. Hull ’48, WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Army in Europe and the Philippines, retired teacher and public school administrator, Nov. 1, 2016, El Dorado, Kan.
Mary C. (Stark) Johle ’65, homemaker, Feb. 4, 2017, Valley Center, Kan.
Hubert J. Johnson ’59, retired personnel manager at Derby Refining Co., veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Oct. 25, 2016, Wabash, Ind.
James P. Johnston ’54, retired attorney who co-founded the Johnston Law Offices in 1979, Dec. 26, 2016, Wichita.
R. Brodie Jones ’00, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Myers Tire Supply sales representative who was a member of the WSU rowing team, March 6, 2017, El Dorado, Kan.
Gerald “Jerry” J. Kasperek ’72, U.S. Army retired master sergeant who held counseling and supervisory duties for 26 years, Jan. 30, 2017, Wichita.
Marilyn J. (Brady) Kilgore ’72/88, retired Wichita public elementary school science teacher, Dec. 25, 2016, Lincoln, Neb.
Thomas S. Koehn ’86, retired Boeing design engineer, Feb. 5, 2017, Wichita.
Millicent G. (Rea) LaBerge ’83, nurse and WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, mother of 11 who returned to college later in life to earn a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice, public service volunteer who, at the age of 71, traveled to India to work with Habitat for Humanity, Sept. 16, 2016, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Nelson S. Ladd ’61/62, Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Army with the 84th Engineer Construction Battalion, which built the Libby Bridge over the Imjin River; physicist who taught at Wichita State and worked for more than 25 years at Goodyear Aerospace based in Litchfield Park, Ariz., on various military projects and also on the Apollo 17 mission, Jan. 31, 2017, Phoenix, Ariz.
John M. LaFever ’53, business administration graduate who worked at Western Lithograph and Pioneer Balloon Co. and was an active WSUAA member who served on the board of directors, Jan. 1, 2017, Wichita.
Marla J. (Weaver) Laham ’83, retired dental hygienist, Feb. 24, 2016, Wichita.
Bill G. Lahar ’76, geology graduate and Vietnam War veteran, Dec. 18, 2016, Douglass, Kan.
Winifred C. (Carloss) Larsen ’89, sculptor, longtime parent volunteer for Wichita public schools, Dec. 26, 2016, Fort Collins, Colo.
Thomas L. Larson ’03, manufacturing engineer at Beechcraft, Learjet and Excel, Nov. 19, 2016, Derby, Kan.
Lyman M. Lauver ’63, United Methodist Church minister, retired psychologist, Nov. 18, 2016, Ludington, Minn.
Mary Beth (Short) Lawless ’84, retired high school English teacher, Jan. 21, 2017, Mulvane, Kan.
Kristine L. Lawrence ’84, retired science teacher who taught in public schools in Kansas and Maine, May 6, 2016, Buxton, Maine.
Ronda L. (Carr) LeBegue ’82, guidance counselor, Dec. 9, 2016, Wichita.
Glen W. Loder ’70, retired Union Pacific conductor with more than 30 years of service, March 6, 2016, Wichita.
Victor F. Lonning ’62, retired aeronautical engineer, May 14, 2016, Wichita.
Lloyd J. Loomis ’72/83/84, U.S. Army veteran who later worked as an aviation electrician at Beechcraft and Bombardier Learjet, Nov. 27, 2016, Augusta, Kan.
Roy C. Love ’76, retired sales representative for Boeing, Oct. 29, 2016, Wichita.
Cheryl A. (Britto) Lyda ’85, elementary school teacher in Wichita and El Dorado, Kan., preschool special needs teacher in Andover, Kan., Nov. 11, 2016, Wichita.
James N. Lynn ’73, economics graduate who worked for the Kansas Department of Human Resources, March 15, 2016, Wichita.
Mercedes B. (Barry) Malone ’84, homemaker, Feb. 18, 2016, Halstead, Kan.
Elaine O. (Schultz) Mann ’04, former secretary for the U.S. Army and Navy Munitions Board at the Pentagon during WWII and homemaker who, at the age of 80, graduated with honors and a bachelor’s degree in general studies, sociology, Nov. 8, 2016, Wichita.
Jo Lynne Mannering ’98, gerontology graduate, former Mennonite Housing residential manager, Feb. 6, 2017, Wichita.
Marlene H. Mariani ’87, retired elementary educator with specialties in gifted education and behavior disorders, Nov. 13, 2016, Eureka, Kan.
Charles G. Markano ’60/67, retired speech therapist for Wichita public schools, Jan. 20, 2017, Wichita.
William R. Martindale ’72/74/77, retired Montana State University mechanical engineering associate professor, rancher who raised sheep, cattle, llamas at Locomotive Butte Ranch in Montana, Feb. 16, 2017, Belgrade, Mont.
Jody J. Martinez ’92/98, field major psychology graduate, retired juvenile hall supervisor, Oct. 27, 2016, Wichita.
Doris A. (Shinn) Mayhew ’61/72, retired home economics teacher in El Dorado, Kan., and Wichita, Dec. 26, 2016, Roseville, Calif.
Michael S. McDonald ’69, U.S. Army veteran and lawyer whose career included service as an assistant federal public defender and, after being appointed in 1996, as a federal magistrate judge, Feb. 9, 2017, El Paso, Texas.
Mary C. (Corrigan) McEnulty ’49, homemaker, March 9, 2017, Wichita.
Douglas H. McGinness ’50, U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Air Corps as a radioman/gunner on a patrol bomber, geology graduate who founded the independent consulting firm McGinness Oil Co., later McGinness & McGinness, Dec. 8, 2016, Wichita.
N. Athalene “Atha” (Simers) McNay ’74, special education teacher, March 27, 2016, Wichita.
Thomas I. Melcher ’71, U.S. Army veteran and retired Southwestern Bell Telephone district manager, July 4, 2016, Wichita.
Robert D. “Gus” Messinger ’53, football letterman at the University of Wichita who later served on the board of the WSU Alumni Association, geology graduate who worked in oil and gas exploration, Feb. 23, 2017, Wichita.
Brigitte E. (Rivero Guardia) Miller ’91, Spanish graduate, homemaker and Prudential Realtors real estate agent who was associated with Clint Miller Construction, July 5, 2016, Derby, Kan.
Lillian L. Miller ’69, elementary education graduate, homemaker, Jan. 27, 2017, Valley Center, Kan.
LaVanche M. (Landes) Miner ’48, biological sciences graduate, retired lab tech and Department of Health Services placement worker, Jan. 19, 2017, Ponca City, Okla.
Susan J. (Knop) Minerd ’81, registered nurse, Oct. 1, 2016, Wichita.
Kathleen J. (Mayes) Molden ’56, physical education graduate who was a cheerleader at WU, homemaker, Dec. 4, 2016, Wichita.
Betty Jean (Morgan) Morgan ’79/84, accounting graduate and retired CPA and IRS revenue agent, March 25, 2016, Wichita.
Joseph W. Morrisey ’52, English language and literature graduate who went on to earn a law degree from Harvard and practice corporate and securities law, retiring as a senior partner at Holme Roberts & Owen after 42 years with the Denver-based law firm, Jan. 5, 2017, Greenwood Village, Colo.
Charles H. Mullen ’58, Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, retired AT&T engineering supervisor, former Western Electric energy supervisor, Dec. 26, 2016, Greensboro, N.C.
Bonnie Louise (Vance) Muth ’57/70, homemaker and retired elementary school teacher, Sept. 29, 2016, Wichita.
James N. Noble ’63, mechanical engineering graduate who retired after 28 years at DuPont, avid golfer, March 30, 2017, St. Augustine, Fla.
Harold A. Ott ’61, retired Dunn & Bradstreet business analyst, June 22, 2016, Wichita.
Donald S. Overend ’49, biological sciences graduate whose 49-year career as a pediatrician included establishing the pediatric department at the Smith-Glynn-Callaway Clinic in Springfield, Mo., and serving as director of the Regional Diagnostic Center (later the Developmental Center of the Ozarks); WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Navy and was one of two corpsmen to enter Nagasaki, Japan, after the atomic bomb was dropped there; Korean War veteran who had reenlisted in the Navy and served an internship at the naval hospital in San Diego, Calif., Feb. 11, 2017, Springfield.
Maryann (Reed) Papke ’51, homemaker and retired secretary, Feb. 8, 2017, Wichita.
Steve S. Parr ’83, Standard Beverage Co. sales representative, Oct. 24, 2016, Maize, Kan.
Mary A. (Bowling) Brown Pawley ’70, homemaker and elementary education graduate, July 12, 2016, Colville, Wash.
Larry M. Peak ’67, psychology graduate whose career included establishing a private mental health practice in Manhattan, Kan., and working as a counselor and teacher at Episcopal Social Services in Wichita, March 14, 2017, Wichita.
Jeffrey A. Pickering ’84, anthropology graduate and songwriter, musician and recording artist who specialized in pedal steel guitar and played in a number of local bands and with such noted artists as Hank Williams Jr., Hoyt Axton, Merle Haggard and George Strait, Jan. 30, 2017, Wichita.
William R. Pracht ’50, WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a combat crew member on B-17 and B-29 bombers, geology graduate and landowner who, seeking to preserve one of the few natural wetlands left in the Wichita metro area, provided land that he and his family had owned for nearly 100 years as the core of a planned urban wetlands park, which could include walking and jogging trails, a boardwalk and spaces offering opportunities for bird watching, Jan. 29, 2017, Valley Center, Kan.
Gary R. Prothro ’70, U.S. Navy veteran and retired social worker who served at Via Christi in Wichita and in the Augusta, Kan., office of the Butler County Department of Social Welfare, March 7, 2017, Wichita.
Harold G. Ragan ’54, veteran of the U.S. Army who served from 1946-49 and again during the Korean War, retired educator whose career included teaching English at Andale (Kan.) High School and at Monterey (Calif.) High School before serving as a school librarian for 24 years, Nov. 20, 2016, Pacific Grove, Calif.
Carol (Laffargue) Reel ’69, homemaker and instrumental music graduate who taught junior high music, Nov. 19, 2016, Wichita.
Ruthann Rees ’86, elementary education graduate who taught at Colvin, Price-Harris, and Hyde Magnet schools in Wichita and who was named Teacher of the Year after her first year of teaching, June 19, 2016, Wichita.
Bradley D. Reid ’92, business marketing graduate, Oct. 4, 2016, Wichita.
David T. Reilly ’76, U.S. Air Force veteran, business administration graduate and Miracle Sign Co. sales representative who championed the restoration of the B-29 called “Doc” as an active member of Doc’s Friends, March 23, 2016, Wichita.
Janet M. (Lansdown) Rhodes ’77, psychology graduate whose career included work as an activity coordinator at the Lake Afton Boys Ranch, as an activity and independent living therapist at the Sedgwick County Detention Facility and as a case manager at Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas, from which she retired as director of compliance after 25 years of service, July 31, 2016, Wichita.
Michael G. Rippey ’68, retired mechanical engineer who worked at Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, at Gruman American Aviation Corp. in Elmira, N.Y., and at Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. in Savannah, Ga., where his positions included serving as ECS Product Integration Team Leader and director of Powerplant and ECS Engineering before his retirement in 2000, Jan. 21, 2017, Savannah.
Kenneth S. Ritchey ’67, U.S. Army veteran and Wichita State golf letterman and biological sciences graduate who served for 37 years in the Region 7 Environmental Protection Agency as a Class A wastewater treatment operator whose work included planning and coordinating the destruction of dioxin wastes in Missouri, serving on negotiating teams concerning hazardous wastes, and overseeing industrial clients’ removal of spilled solvents, June 28, 2016, Parkville, Mo.
Shirley A. Rose ’79, retired nurse practitioner who earned her nurse clinician certificate at WSU, March 3, 2016, Wichita.
Charlotte R. (Leap) Rutschman ’69, elementary education graduate, Feb. 28, 2017, North Newton, Kan.
Robert J. Ruvalcaba ’72, history graduate who worked at Dillons and at Southwestern Bell, Sept. 20, 2016, Wichita.
Roger J. Ruvalcaba ’50, WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force with the 27th Troop Carrier Squadron in the China Burma India Theater, retired tool planning engineer at Boeing Military Aircraft Co. in Wichita, Jan. 16, 2017, Wichita.
Gregory L. Ryan ’82, veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, retired Boeing mechanical engineer, July 10, 2016, Tacoma, Wash.
James W. Sanders ’53, veteran of the U.S. Air Force, retired realtor, June 28, 2016, Wichita.
William F. Schmidt ’69, retired Boeing engineering supervisor, avid Shocker baseball supporter, Sept. 9, 2016, Wichita.
Lela Mae (Lamey) Schooler ’72/77, homemaker and retired Linwood Elementary School teacher, Jan. 23, 2017, Wichita.
Judith A. (Coombs) Schreiber ’64/66, retired tax preparer, Sept. 21, 2016, Estes Park, Colo.
Melvern N. Schroeder ’56, retired head cataloger for the Wichita public schools library system, Nov. 26, 2016, Double Oak, Texas.
Richard P. Schucker ’76, U.S. Army veteran, retired FBI investigator with 25 years of service, Lakeshore Investigations Inc. business owner, Dec. 4, 2016, Port Huron, Mich.
Charles R. Schuster ’69, U.S. Army veteran, former Sears salesman and retired president and CEO of the family business Arrowhead Business Machines who, after retirement, became general manager of the Overland Park Golf Club, March 20, 2017, Overland Park, Kan.
Michael G. Schutte ’75, business administration graduate who worked as a contracts manager in aerospace and defense at Boeing and Garrett AiResearch for 30 years before changing his career path to criminal justice and working for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as a fingerprint technician and later as a crime scene specialist with the Phoenix Police Department, Nov. 17, 2016, Mesa, Ariz.
Carolyn S. (Bueker) Schwarz ’79, retired senior pastor at Pine Valley Christian Church in Newton, Kan., Dec. 1, 2016, Wichita.
Robert E. Scofield ’93/95, administration of justice graduate, bail bondsman, July 27, 2016, Wichita.
Eric “Rick” Shank ’86, former tool designer at a number of Wichita-based aircraft companies, retired Wichita public schools teacher, co-owner of Divots Golf Shop, July 8, 2016.
Tamara “Tammy” R. Shattuck ’80, retired school psychologist and special education coordinator for Derby, Kan., public schools, July 15, 2016, Wichita.
George W. Shaver ’62, music education graduate and retired school counselor at Wichita public schools, Jan. 3, 2017, Wichita.
Elmer B. Shellenberger ’48, WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, retired business educator who held positions at Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, Okla., and Central State, Edmond, Okla., Feb. 6, 2017, Warr Acres, Okla.
Chester “Chet” E. Shippy ’79, industrial education graduate and retired Cessna Aircraft field service engineer, March 20, 2017, Wichita.
Jack L. Shumard ’51/58, U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served from 1951 to 1953 and until 1959 in the reserves, University of Wichita letterman in track, elementary education graduate who later earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, retired Boeing engineer, Dec. 13, 2016, Wichita.
Lora J. (Long) Siegrist ’71/80, retired Andover Middle School teacher of 36 years, April 30, 2016, Andover, Kan.
Ermalee B. (Bonar) Skillman ’67, psychology graduate and retired State of Kansas Job Services employment counselor, Feb. 25, 2017, Wichita.
William F. Smith ’50, WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, physical education graduate, former Boeing employee in Wichita, retired president of Baird & Sons Inc., an office supply firm based in Kansas City, Jan. 4, 2017, Wichita.
Paul E. Spacil ’72, retired educator whose career included service as a teacher, as director of elementary education and as principal at a number of Wichita public schools, including Robinson Middle School, Riverside Elementary School and Pleasant Valley Elementary School, Jan. 27, 2017, Wichita.
Merle D. Speer ’59, CPA whose career in the banking industry included serving as president and CEO at the statewide American Savings Association of Kansas based in Topeka; as president, CEO and director at Pima Savings and Loan in Tucson, Ariz.; and as chairman of the board, president and CEO at Colorado Federal Savings and Loan in Denver, Jan. 25, 2017, Tucson, Ariz.
Norma G. (Johnson) (Deupree) Sperry ’45, biological science graduate who went on to pursue a doctorate in bacteriology at the University of Chicago, microbiologist whose research focusing on the development of a vaccine for typhoid earned her membership in 1949 into Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society founded in 1886 at Cornell University, homemaker, Nov. 5, 2016, Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Onah M. (Riley) Steele ’36, retired art teacher who taught at Wellington (Kan.) High School, artist who studied with American painter Clayton H. Staples at the University of Wichita, July 31, 2016, Wichita.
Terry S. (Carthrae) Stephens ’84, administration of justice graduate who continued her education at Washburn University School of Law, from which she graduated in 1990, former Sedgwick County District Court deputy court trustee, homemaker, July 22, 2016, Wichita.
Robert A. Strong ’61, Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, graphic design graduate whose career in the printing industry included work as an ad man, book illustrator, and publisher, Dec. 14, 2016, Dighton, Kan.
Richard “Rick” L. Stoner ’79, business administration graduate who worked for 33 years at Hawker Beechcraft, where he held a number of positions, including technical manager, June 12, 2016, Andover, Kan.
Theodore F. Stroot ’71, psychology graduate, commercial and school bus driver, April 7, 2016, Belton, Texas.
Nancy A. Strattan ’76, part-owner, vice president and sound technician at High Fidelity Recording in Wichita, July 16, 2016, Wichita.
James A. Sumner ’58, retired software engineer and industrial education graduate who taught drafting at Derby (Kan.) High School and worked at Cessna Aircraft, Dec. 9, 2016, Derby.
Eugene C. Swanson ’57, biological sciences graduate who served in the U.S. Army and as chief of Wichita Civil Defense, Oct. 13, 2016, Wichita.
John N. Swanson ’56, University of Wichita track letterman and mechanical engineering graduate who retired as an engineer at the Pacific Missile Test Center at Point Mugu, Calif., Sept. 28, 2016, Casa Grande, Ariz.
Max D. Swartzendruber ’59, Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force as a radar crew chief stationed in Alaska, retired accountant who worked at Amoco and retired from British Petroleum, Feb. 21, 2017, Dallas, Texas.
George H. Sweet ’60, biological sciences graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Kansas and to complete two years of research at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., before returning to Wichita to continue his career as a professor of biology at Wichita State, where he taught for nearly 30 years and was a noted researcher and scholar whose articles and papers were published in many professional publications, including the Journal of Medical Virology and the Journal of Immunology, March 15, 2017, Wichita.
Claude M. Thompson ’61, retired aeronautical engineer who worked for several Wichita-based aircraft companies, including Cessna and Gates Learjet, Dec. 9, 2016, Wichita.
Keith A. Trezvant ’75/85, computer specialist at Allstate Insurance Co., Feb. 18, 2017, McKinney, Texas.
Howard L. Underwood ’85, Vietnam War and Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and the National Guard and retired after 30 years of service, retired Cessna Aircraft employee with 13 years of service, Nov. 19, 2016, Derby, Kan.
Daryl R. Unkel ’78, U.S. Navy veteran who served as a hospital corpsman from 1961 to 1974, retired Wesley Medical Center medical technologist, March 25, 2017, Derby, Kan.
Quincy W. Utter ’51, WWII veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Army, University of Wichita baseball letterman, retired owner of Economy Rent-To-Own, March 19, 2017, Goddard, Kan.
Gerald L. Warren ’75, retired Printing Inc. employee, Aug. 26, 2016, Belle Plaine, Kan.
William E. Watts ’52/52, retired State Farm agent, Oct. 3, 2016, Wichita.
Mervyn G. Webster ’72, charter inductee of the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame and WSU tennis letterman who dominated the Missouri Valley Conference during his Shocker career (1968-1972), winning the No. 1 singles title in 1969, 1970 and 1971 and the No. 1 doubles title in 1969 and 1970; tennis pro and coach who competed at Wimbledon and the French Open, served as tennis director at Crestview Country Club and Wichita Racquet Club, and coached the Wichita Advantage, Feb. 10, 2017, Dallas.
Florence E. “Betty” (Netto) West ’76, former elementary teacher at Wichita public schools, Jan. 31, 2015, Bel Aire, Kan.
Robert E. Whitten ’59, clinical psychologist who worked at community mental health centers in Kansas and Kentucky, before opening his own practice in Pittsburg, Kan., and Joplin, Mo., Dec. 15, 2016, Joplin.
Linda L. (Schiefelbein) Williams ’70/77, retired librarian and teacher, Dec. 28, 2016, Valley Center, Kan.
Harry E. Williford ’66, retired vice president of business management at Boeing Military Airplane Co., WSU research administration director who in his retirement years was an artist and member of Wichita’s Gallery XII, WWII and Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, March 4, 2017, Wichita.
Scott L. Willis ’90, music director and content manager at JAZZRADIO.com, March 23, 2017, Culver City, Calif.
Steven A. Wisdom ’76, vice president, investments at brokerage firm Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Inc., Feb. 21, 2016, Eastborough, Kan.
Susan E. Wolcott ’67/76/80, retired language arts teacher, April 8, 2017, Wichita.
Merilee J. (Carlyle) Woodcox ’85, retired statistician and quality engineer in the automotive, foundry, aircraft and pharmaceutical industries, May 31, 2016, West Monroe, N.Y.
Cheryl J. Wright ’67, air traffic controller, Sept. 26, 2016, Wichita.
Jean A. Wright ’01, nurse practitioner, March 8, 2016, Emporia, Kan.
Wynona L. (Vance) Yardley ’81/88, Vance Music associate director, Feb. 9, 2017, Wichita.
Dennis C. Young ’93, Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Army, minister at Unity Church, Oct. 25, 2016, Overland Park, Kan.
Ronda J. Young ’00, industrial engineering graduate, musician (trumpet), restauranteur, Oct. 27, 2016, Scottsbluff, Neb.
Kris R. Zimmerman ’98, Textron senior analyst trainer, April 7, 2017, Wichita.
George W. Zirkle ’65, Korean War veteran who served in the Air Force, retired aeronautical electrical engineer, March 4, 2017, San Diego, Calif.
