Obituaries

William R. Vanderbilt, an attorney in private practice in the firm of Vanderbilt and Siegel until his retirement in 1986, died Sept. 21, 2006, at age 85. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and a veteran of World War II. He earned his law degree from New York University and was recalled to active duty during the Korean War, serving in the Judge Advocate General’s Office in Washington, D.C. He was elected to the New Jersey Legislature and served as an assemblyman from Union County. He was the son of Arthur T. Vanderbilt of the Class of 1910, who served on the Wesleyan Board of Trustees for many years, and the nephew of Leslie L. Vanderbilt of the Class of 1915. Among those who survive are his wife of 61 years, Jean White Vanderbilt; a daughter; a son, Arthur T. Vanderbilt II ’72; and his nephew, Dr. George C. Brainard III ’73.

IRVING SOSENSKY, a professor of philosophy, died Feb. 25, 2003. He was 83. A member of the John Wesley Club, he received his degree with distinction in philosophy. He received a master’s degree from Yale University and a doctorate from Columbia University. He taught philosophy at the University of Missouri and then at Purdue University for more than 30 years and specialized in early modern philosophy and the philosophy of science and of social science. Since 1988, he had lived in Paris and was active in the Democratic Party Abroad–France. Predeceased by his wife, a daughter survives.

BENJAMIN A. RICHARDS, professor emeritus of philosophy at Ithaca College, died Feb. 22, 2011. He was 90. The son of Earle F. Richards of the class of 1919, he received his degree with honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and then received master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University. His wife, Mary Ann Lombard Richards, and a son survive.

ROBERT W. POOLEY, a plastics research and development chemist, died Jan. 21, 2011, at age 90. He was a member of Sigma Chi and the half-brother of the late Arthur B. Vincent of the class of 1936. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he joined the Ball Band Company, which later merged with Uniroyal, Inc. He held several patents, including the invention and development of Ensolite and an extruded plastic popularly used in canoes. He retired from Uniroyal in 1982 as the corporate laboratory manager in the plastics research and development division. Among those who survive are his wife, Viola Troyer, two children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

DAVID T. PECK, 88, a retired journalist, died Jan. 11, 2009. He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. An army veteran of World War II, he served with the 106th Engineer Group during the Battle of the Bulge, the Crossing of the Rhine, and the taking of Aachen. As an editor, he worked for several dailies, Wesleyan University Press, as well as for American Education Publications and for the Middletown Press. For many years he was secretary of the class of 1942. Predeceased by his son, he is survived by his wife, Pauline Ross Peck, two daughters, two stepdaughters, a stepson, five grandchildren, and a great–granddaughter.

ARTHUR E. PATERSON JR., a retired producer at CBS, Inc., died June 13, 2010, at age 89. He was the son of Arthur E. Paterson of the class of 1906 and the cousin of Marshall Bragdon of the class of 1930. Among those who survive are seven children, including Arthur E. Paterson III ’75, 13 grandchildren, and his brother and sister.

RICHARD E. PALMER, 90, a retired newspaper executive, died Jan. 17, 2011. A member of Alpha Chi Rho, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II and then received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. He also served in the Korean War. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Lee Palmer, two children, four grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and his sister.

JOSEPH E. MOUKAWSHER, senior partner in the Hartford law firm of Moukawsher & Walsh, LLC, died Dec. 16, 2006. He was 86. A member of Delta Upsilon, he received his degree with high honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After serving in the US Army during World War II, he graduated from Harvard Law School. He practiced law in Connecticut for 57 years. Predeceased by a son, he is survived by his wife, Patricia O’Connell Moukawsher, five children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Robert Henry Meyer, 84, died peacefully at home on Nov. 8, 2005. He was born Jan. 7, 1921, in Middletown, CT, the son of Col. Leo Julius Meyer and Dorothy Ellen Meyer, nee Harris. He attended Wilbraham Academy in Massachusetts and graduated from Wesleyan University in 1942.

Due to his moral abhorrence of war, Bob chose to be a conscientious objector. During World War II he performed alternative service as a hepatitis volunteer in Philadelphia and on irrigation projects in North Dakota.

With his wife and 3 children, Bob spent his professional life overseas working for the American relief organization, CARE, and subsequently for the United Nations World Food Programme. He organized emergency food distributions, refugee relief efforts, mother-child health programs, and agricultural projects in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Yugoslavia, Italy, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, India, and Korea. Always fascinated by other cultures and skilled in photography, Bob also accumulated a large collection of personal photographs documenting the many places and peoples he encountered.

After retirement, he and his wife, Jean, chose to settle in Blue Hill, ME, and they personally designed and built their home there. He remained active in the local community through the Blue Hill Heritage Trust, Historical Society, and as a recycling center volunteer.

Robert Meyer dedicated his life to the service of others, improving the lives of the world’s neediest. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jean, his sister Virginia Cram, his brother George, his children Robert, Richard, and Elisabeth Knapp, and by his grandchildren Andrew and Charlie Meyer, and Katherine and David Knapp.

Among his survivors are his wife, Jean Monsees Meyer; three children, Robert H. Meyer ’71, Richard H. Meyer ’73, and Elisabeth Meyer Knapp ’76; four grandchildren, including Andrew Meyer ’08 and David Meyer ’09; son-in-law John Knapp ’74; a brother and sister; and a nephew, Richard Cram ’70.

SHERMAN H. MASTEN, the founding president of the County College of Morris, a community college in Randolph, N.J., died Apr. 24, 2007, at age 86. He was a member of Sigma Nu and was the brother of the late Gedney Masten ’39. After receiving his degree with distinction in psychology, he served in the US Air Force during World War II and then received a master’s degree from Wesleyan. He received a PhD from New York University. He began his long career in higher education as an administrator at Hofstra University and later became dean at Ulster County (N.Y.) Community College. In 1966 he became the founding president of CCM, which grew into a community college of more than 15,000 students and 475 full-time faculty and staff, which offers studies in more than 70 areas. Among those who survive are his wife, Dorothy Miller Masten; two sons, including Stephen B. Masten ’70; four grandchildren; and a niece, Laurel Masten Cantor ’76, MALS ’79.