MURDO M. DOWDS, a retired sales executive, died Nov. 24, 2005. He was 88. A member of Sigma Chi, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Predeceased by his wife, Barbara Whitney Dowds, among those who survive are three sons, including Murdo M. Dowds Jr. ’67, one daughter, six grandchildren, and two brothers.
WALTER V. BENNETT JR., 85, who was associated with the General Electric Corporation for 34 years, and who was a dedicated class secretary, died July 27, 2003. He was a member of Psi Upsilon and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After working as a reporter and publicist, he joined General Electric, from which he retired as a group manager of press and public relations. He continued to volunteer in his community. Predeceased by a son, he is survived by his wife, Joy Post Bennett, three daughters (including Grace Bennett, who wrote his quarterly column of class notes and was made an honorary member of the class), two sons, six grandchildren, and a sister.
WARREN M. ASHTON, the retired president of Ashton Oil Service, Inc., died June 19, 2003. He was 88. A member of the John Wesley Club, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Survivors include his wife, Laurmmme.
ARTHUR F. WELD JR., a retired professor at Michigan State University, died Dec. 1, 2002. He was 87. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa, he received his degree with high honors and high distinction in Romance languages. He received a master’s degree from Princeton University. A member of Alpha Chi Rho, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was the brother of the late Richard P. Weld ’39 and the uncle of the late Ralph F. Weld of the class of 1913. After teaching at Syracuse University, where he established the first university-operated on-air television studio, he later became a professor at Michigan State, where he taught film history and radio and television production in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. He also had served on the board of directors of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters. His wife, Bettina Frohlich Weld, survives.
ALVIN von AUW, 95, who retired as vice president and assistant to the chairman of AT&T after a 43-year career with the Bell System, died Nov. 4, 2011. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in English and Art. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and in 1938 received a master’s degree from Wesleyan. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy, after which he rejoined Western Electric, where he later became director of public relations. In 1969 he joined AT&T, retiring in 1981. When he retired, he left 50 notebooks of writings reflecting on issues and articulating policies for the Bell System. In the final years of his tenure with AT&T, he witnessed and participated in the dismantling of the Bell System in accordance with the decision of the Department of Justice. When he retired he undertook to record and analyze, from his unique perspective, the transformation of what had been the world’s largest company. His account of this important passage in the history of the telecommunications industry, Heritage and Destiny, was published in 1983. His wife, Eleanor Flagg von Auw, predeceased him. Survivors include his daughter, a sister, and several nieces and nephews.
RICHARD TONINO, 93, who retired as a warranty analyst for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Group, died Oct. 12, 2008. He was a member of the John Wesley Club. During World War II he refused to accept medical and military defense work deferments, preferring to serve overseas in a combat theater with the U.S. Army Air Corps. He is survived by his wife, Arline Colturi Tonino, two sons, two grandchildren, and a sister.
JOHN T. SIMONTON, M.D., an ophthalmologist, died Oct. 17, 2003. He was 87. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he received a medical degree from the Long Island University College of Medicine and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Affiliated with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, he had also been a clinical professor of ophthalmology at New York University Medical School. The son of Frank F. Simonton of the class of 1899 and the nephew of Catherine M. Simonton of the class of 1900, he was predeceased by his wife, Audrey E.G. Simonton. Two children, three grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren survive.
RICHARD H. RUSH, an author and lecturer, died May 4, 2011, at age 96. After attending Wesleyan he finished his degree at Dartmouth College, and received advanced degrees from Dartmouth and from Harvard University. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. During the Truman Administration he was chairman of the National Security Resources Board. He was a pioneer in the field of investing in art and antiques, classic cars, and collectibles, and he is often credited with coining the term “collectibles.” The author of more than a dozen books and many hundreds of articles about investment and the arts, he and his wife restored a historic Palladian villa, the Villa Cornaro, in Italy. He was also a benefactor of Edison State College in Fort Myers, Fla., where the library is named in his honor. Survivors include his wife, Julia Halloran Rush, one daughter, and a granddaughter.
Mr. Adam J. Rumoshosky, 92, husband of Marguerite P. Rumoshosky, passed away, Wednesday, May 2, 2007, in Clemson S.C.
Born in North Creek, NY, he was the son of the late Joseph F. and Agata Suchnat Rumoshosky. A veteran of WWII, he served as a Russian interpreter while a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during secret submarine missions in the Pacific, including duty on Soviet submarines. After the war, he worked as the director of marketing for the American Petroleum Institute and as the foreign news editor for Platt’s Oilgram.
Mr. Rumoshosky served on Lady Bird Johnson’s National Beautification Committee and on the board of Discover America, working with President Johnson. Locally, he volunteered his time for the Oconee County Friends of the Library, the Northside Elementary School homework program, the Port Santorini Association Newsletter, the Seneca Chamber of Commerce and the Seneca Koffee Club. He was also the founding chairman and board member of Keep Oconee Beautiful Association.
Surviving along with his wife are a son, Tim Rumoshosky ’7o of New River, Ariz.; two daughters, Jill Werner of Wichita, Kans., Beth Minasi of Washingtonville, N.Y. and three grandchildren.
DOUGLAS M. ROBINS, an administrator at the Franklin Institute, died Dec. 12, 2004. He was 89. The grandson of Joseph E. Robins of the class of 1868, the son of George D. Robins of the class of 1898, the son-in-law of Edmund W. Frain of the class of 1898, the cousin of Frank D. Robins ’34 and of J. Knox Robins ’52, he was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. Survivors include a cousin, Douglas H. Robins ’66.
