Author: Randi Alexandra Plake

JAMES A. STEVENS, a retired Stanley Works vice president, died Jan. 19, 2015. He was 87 and was the son of Lucian H. Stevens of the class of 1920. A member of Psi Upsilon, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and again during the Korean War. He began his career at the Stanley Works, where he remained for more than 40 years, retiring as vice president of architectural sales, hardware division. He was also active in industry associations. Survivors include his wife, Suzann Stephan Stevens, two children, and four grandchildren.

WILLIAM C. ACKERLY, M.D., 87, a retired psychiatrist, died May 23, 2016. He was the son of Samuel S. Ackerly of the class of 1918 and the grandson of Clifford P. Clark of the class of 1895.  A member of Sigma Chi, he received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a U.S. Army veteran. After moving to Cambridge, Mass., he opened a private practice and was also the director of the Somerville Guidance Center. Always a lover of the outdoors, in 1965 he and his wife bought a house in Lyme Center, N.H., that was a few yards off the Appalachian Trail. There they offered respite to several thousand hikers, who stopped for water and other treats. He was known as “The Ice Cream Man” because he offered hikers ice cream cones. A man who loved good conversation, he enjoyed talking with the many hikers who came though each year. His wife, Frances Dickinson Ackerly, died in 2011. He is survived by one daughter, Susan A. Colfer ’88; three sons; five grandchildren; and three sisters..

WILLIAM B. DUANE, a retired insurance broker, died Feb. 18, 2016, at age 92. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, when he flew 36 missions in Europe. He had a successful career as an insurance broker, specializing in life, group and pensions. He was also a talented photographer and an athlete, and he served several terms as the president of the Wesleyan Club of Boston. Predeceased by his wife, Carolyn Bittner Duane, survivors include three children, one granddaughter, two sisters, and many nieces and nephews.

WALTER N. PLAUT, a business executive, died July 4, 2016, at age 97. A member of Beta Theta Pi, after graduation he worked for the Westinghouse Corporation at a job critical to the war effort. He then served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a top turret gunner on B-17s and flew his first combat mission over Normandy on June 6, 1944. An associate of the management consulting firm, Frank C. Brown & Co., Inc., he was also president for many years of the Lehn & Fink Products Company, a consumer products company, which first introduced Lysol to the U.S. He was an alumnus of the Lawrenceville School and remained active in the alumni association, while also leading other volunteer development efforts in Fairfield County, Conn. His wife, Sally Hayes Plaut, and one son predeceased him. Among those who survive are his second wife, Beryl Plaut, three children, and ten grandchildren.

JAMES FIZZOLIO, 95, an attorney, died Aug. 10, 2015. He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving his degree with honors and with distinction in French, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a graduate of Yale Law School and began his long career as an attorney on Wall Street. He later moved to Southern California where he and his twin brother, Tom, opened the firm Fizzolio and Fizzolio in North Hollywood, where he practiced for more than 20 years. Later, he was a partner in the law firm Fizzolio & McLeod. He was a member of the Los Angeles Bar Association, Unico, and the San Fernando Bar Association, where he was recently honored for more than 50 years of service. Predeceased by his wife, Joyce Krause Fizzolio, survivors include three children and five grandchildren.

DOUGLAS R. ROSS Sr., a banker, died Feb. 6, 2015. He was 95. A member of Psi Upsilon, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in the battle for Guam and participated in the battles for Iwo Jima, Guam, and Bougainville, along with many others. He worked for Fortune Federal in Clearwater, Fla., for many years and was an active member of the community. His wife, Elizabeth (Betsy) Carmack Ross, predeceased him. Survivors include two sons, one daughter, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.