Obituaries | 1950-1959

JOHN SEELYE, a retired professor of English and American literature, died Apr. 20, 2015. He was 84. A member of Alpha Chi Rho, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in creative writing. He also received a master’s and PhD degrees from the Claremont Graduate School. During the Korean War he served in the U.S. Navy. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Connecticut, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dartmouth College, and the University of Florida in Gainesville. He also enjoyed restoring historical homes and buildings, and his most recent project was the Veterans’ Memorial Hall in Eastport, Maine, a museum dedicated to American veterans. Two wives predeceased him. His wife, Alice Hunt Seelye, survives, as do his stepdaughter, his brother, and several nieces and nephews.

JAMES D. PLIMPTON, 84, a physicist and laboratory administrator, died Dec. 7, 2014. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in mathematics. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi, and then received his PhD from Iowa State University. He was the grandson of George L. Plimpton of the class of 1891, the son of Theodore F. Plimpton of the class of 1921, and the nephew of George L. Plimpton Jr., of the class of 1927. He worked in nuclear physics at the Sandia National Laboratories and later became an administrator there. Survivors include his wife, Donna Eide Plimpton, two children, three granddaughters, and his brother, Thomas L. Plimpton ’56.

JAMES KURT, a business executive, died Mar. 21, 2014, at age 83. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he served in the U.S. Naval Air Reserve during the Korean War. He was the grandson of Franklin T. Kurt and of Sarah T. Kurt, both of the class of 1895, and he was the son of Franklin T. Kurt of the class of 1926. He spent most of his career with the Schellens-True Corporation and joined the Dana Corporation when they acquired Schellens-True. He is survived by his wife, the Rev. Rachel H. Kurt, two sons, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Another son predeceased him.

ROBERT WONKKA, 85, professor emeritus at Vermont Technical College, died Dec. 10, 2014. He was a member of Chi Psi and received a master’s degree from Harvard University. A basketball and softball coach despite the long leg brace he wore after a bout with polio, he taught secondary school until he became the first full-time math teacher at Vermont Technical College. In his 30 years teaching there, he also served as department head and division director. He was the first recipient of the faculty advising award that now bears his name. He was also an active community volunteer. Among those who survive are his wife, Nadena Thompson Wonkka, three daughters, four grandchildren, and several siblings.

RICHARD M. SHERWOOD, an international construction manager, died Apr. 7, 2015. He was 85. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he received a BS degree in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served in the U.S. Air Force. He had a long career as a construction manager that included assignments in the U.S. and overseas. He was the author of A Field Guide to Sailboats. During the time he lived in Amherst, N.H., he served as Selectman and on several town committees. Survivors include his wife, Janet Robertson Sherwood, two sons, five grandchildren, and his sister.

FREDERICK A. LOVEJOY, 86, a management consultant and author, died July 6, 2014. He was the son of Frederick F. Lovejoy Jr., of the class of 1923, the brother of Jonathan Lovejoy of the class of 1953, and the nephew of Louis R. Arnold of the class of 1924 and of Harry M. Arnold of the class of 1928. A member of Sigma Nu, he received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He served in the both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. After receiving his MBA he became a college professor and wrote two books, Divestment for Profit and Mergers and Acquisitions. After he stopped teaching he ran his own consulting business, the Princeton Research Institute. Two children, three grandchildren, and his brother-in-law, Roger S. Hanford ’50, are among his survivors.