Obituaries | 1940-1949

RENDELL A. DAVIS, 90, a retired clergyman who had been executive director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, died Sept. 6, 2013. He received his bachelor of divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary and then spent 10 years in Japan as a mission worker for the Presbyterian Church. After that, he expanded his ministry to include the field of corrections. He retired in 1986, but his ministry serving the marginalized continued, and he taught English to Central American refuges, led a visiting group to state prisons, and volunteered with a free health clinic. GLBTQ concerns were central to his ministry and led him to change his denominational affiliation to the United Church of Christ. Survivors include his wife, Florence Bryant Davis, and three children.

JOHN W. POWERS, 93, an attorney and active civic volunteer in the Youngstown, Ohio, area, died Nov. 22, 2013. A member of Chi Psi, he received his degree with honors and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After receiving his law degree from the University of Michigan he served as associate, partner, president, and managing partner in the law firm of Manchester, Bennett, Powers and Ullman. Retiring in 1985, he then opened a private practice. He was the founder of the Youngstown Area Arts Council and the Citizens League of Greater Youngstown, and he was active in numerous other organizations. He also served two terms as mayor of Poland, Ohio. Survivors include his wife, Emily Park Powers; four children, including David F. Powers ’67; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a close extended family.

EDGAR A. JONES JR., a retired professor of law at the University of California at Los Angeles, who played the part of a judge on television courtroom shows, died May 10, 2013, at age 92. The son of Edgar A. Jones of the class of 1912, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. During World War II he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He joined the UCLA law school faculty in 1951 and taught torts, labor law, and labor arbitration there until his retirement in 1991. His television career began with a call from a producer who needed to cast someone knowledgeable about the law for the program Traffic Court. He was such a hit that he also was the judge on Day in Court and Accused. He worked without a script on the shows because he preferred the air of realism that came from letting the events unfold, and he became a star of the new genre in an era when fictional and quasi-real courtroom shows were becoming popular. Among those who survive are his wife, Helen Callaghan Jones, 11 children, 23 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

NORMAN M. THORNTON, 94, the retired business manager and chief financial officer of St. Andrews School in Middletown, Del., died Aug. 19, 2013. The brother of Robert D. Thornton of the class of 1939, he was a member of Chi Psi and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He received an MBA from Harvard University and, as an active community volunteer, offered his financial expertise to local organizations. His wife, Ruth Henderson Thornton, predeceased him. Survivors include a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren.

HARRY S. EDWARDS, a retired chemist and computer scientist, died July 11, 2013. He was 94. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in chemistry. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi. In 1943 he received a master’s from Wesleyan and in 1950 he received a PhD in physical chemistry from Northwestern University. His career focused on nuclear technology, including his employment at General Electric, where he worked on a project to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft. He then worked at Argonne National Laboratory from 1968 until his retirement in 1984. Predeceased by his brother, Austin M. Edwards ’37, he is survived by a niece and nephew, as well as their children and grandchildren.

HARRY S. EDWARDS, a retired chemist and computer scientist, died July 11, 2013. He was 94. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in chemistry. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi. In 1943 he received a master’s from Wesleyan and in 1950 he received a PhD in physical chemistry from Northwestern University. His career focused on nuclear technology, including his employment at General Electric, where he worked on a project to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft. He then worked at Argonne National Laboratory from 1968 until his retirement in 1984. Predeceased by his brother, Austin M. Edwards ’37, he is survived by a niece and nephew, as well as their children and grandchildren.

ROBERT C. BIRDSEY, a farmer and retired materials engineer for the State of Connecticut, died Nov. 27, 2013, at age 94. He lived his whole life in Middlefield, Conn., in the same house built by his grandfather on the farm that had been in the family for many generations. An avid musician, he was also well known for his collection of peonies, which numbered more than 200 varieties, and which have been the subject of feature articles over the years. He is survived by four children, eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

JOHN A. ROBINSON, the retired president of the eastern division of the Longview Fibre Box Company, died June 11, 2013. He was 88 and was the brother of the late William C. Robinson of the class of 1944. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he was elected to Wesleyan’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the only undefeated and untied football team. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and was part of the V-12 program. After receiving his degree from Wesleyan, he attended the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard University Business School. He started with Longview as a factory worker and rose through sales to management. An avid athlete and volunteer tennis coach, his retirement project was the establishment of Flyway Farm, raising and racing harness horses. His wife, Dorothy Spencer Robinson, survives, as do six children; 17 grandchildren, including Anna N. Watson ’00; three great-grandchildren; his sister; and many nieces and nephews.

WILLIAM G. COMISKEY, an attorney and former Connecticut State Representative, died Dec. 26, 2011. He was 86. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, after receiving his degree with honors and with distinction in psychology, he received his law degree from the University of Connecticut. In addition to practicing law for 39 years, he served as corporation counsel for the city of Meriden, Conn. Among those who survive are his stepson and grandson.

JAMES E. MALONE, 90, a restaurateur, died May 6, 2013. He was a member of Alpha Chi Rho and received his degree in 1947 after serving in the U.S. Army Marine Corps during World War II. Predeceased by one son, survivors include his wife, Kathryn Ahearn Malone, a son, and one grandson.