Obituaries | 1950-1959

LESTER P. JONES JR., the retired executive director of wood products for Steelcase, died Jan. 14, 2014, at age 86. He was a member of Alpha Chi Rho and received his degree with honors. During World War II he served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He had a long career in office equipment sales and design, and launched the Steelcase Wood Division, through which he brought modular wood products to the open office plan. Among those who survive are his wife, Chloe Bissell Jones, one daughter, one granddaughter, and a sister.

ANDREW F. WISSEMANN, the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, died Aug. 20, 2014. He was 86. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in German, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He studied at Union Theological Seminary and received his Bachelor of Sacred Theology and honorary Doctor of Divinity from General Theological Seminary. He served churches in Connecticut and Massachusetts before 1983, when he was elected bishop of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, serving in that position until his retirement in 1992. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Whittemore Wissemann; four children, including Mary Wissemann ’82 and Martha Wissemann Burr MAL’95; and five grandchildren.

CARL G. MURANO JR., 87, a former FBI special investigator, died Aug. 23, 2013. He was a member of Chi Psi and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After a 28-year career with the FBI, he joined General Telephone as a special investigator. He was also an avid athlete. Predeceased by a son, his wife, Catherine Foote Murano, survives, as do five children, 12 grandchildren, and two sisters.

ROBERT A. JENSEN, the owner of a jewelry store in LaSalle, Ill., died Feb. 3, 2014, at age 81. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. His wife, Betty Whitaker Jensen, predeceased him. Three children, four grandchildren, two sisters, and many nieces and nephews survive.

PAUL M. LEWIS, 78, who had a career in public relations and later owned a store, died Feb. 27, 2014. He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard. Survivors include his wife, Susan Williams Lewis, two children, and two grandchildren.

WILLIAM A. WISDOM, emeritus associate professor of philosophy at Temple University, died Dec. 15, 2013. He was 78. A member of the John Wesley Club, he received his degree with honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received a master’s degree from New York University and a PhD from Bryn Mawr College, and joined the faculty at Temple University, where he taught for 33 years. A specialist in formal logic, he co-authored the textbook Deductive Logic. He taught deductive logic at the introductory, intermediate and advanced levels, and also taught modal logic. He was director of graduate studies at Temple from 1986-89 and served on many committees in the College of Liberal Arts. In his retirement he enjoyed writing stories about his life and about his skepticism, as well as playing music with friends. He was married for 29 years to Frances Wisdom and their only son died. He is survived by his wife, Fritzi, and her three children.

FREDRIC W. FROST III, a consultant and retired director of corporate facilities management, died June 10, 2013, at age 79. A member of Psi Upsilon, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps for ten years. He was the grandson of Fredric W. Frost of the class of 1894, the son of Fredric W. Frost Jr. of the class of 1923, and the cousin of Bradford R. Frost of the class of 1935. Survivors include his wife, Birgitta Frost; four children; and his cousins, Vincent W. Jones Jr. ’45, David P. Jones Sr. ’51, John F. Frost ’70, and David P. Jones Jr. ’83.

JOHN J. MILLER III, 79, professor emeritus of pediatrics at Stanford University and a noted leader in the study and treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, died Dec. 11, 2013. He was a member of Gamma Psi and received his medical degree from the University of Rochester. After completing a residency in pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco, he traveled to Australia as a National Institutes of Health post-doctoral fellow to pursue a PhD in immunology at the University of Melbourne. Upon completion of his PhD, he returned to California to fulfill military duties at the National Radiological Defense Laboratory and then began a 35-year career at Stanford Children’s Hospital and Stanford Medical School. During his tenure at Stanford, he conducted extensive research on childhood autoimmune diseases and the health care delivery and psychosocial outcomes for children with them. In 1967, he developed the Northern California Center for Children with Arthritis and Related Diseases at the Children’s Hospital at Stanford, which became an important West Coast center for study and treatment, and a valuable resource for patients and their families. After retiring from Stanford in 1997, he spent time mentoring young pediatricians and served as a consultant and visiting professor in London and in Mexico City. He was an avid outdoorsman and devoted theatergoer. Survivors include four sons; three grandchildren; his longtime companion, Mayo Marsh; his former wife, Anne Miller; two siblings; and a large extended family.

CHISOLM D. MCAVOY, an adventurer and taxi driver, died Sept. 25, 2013, at age 81. He received his bachelor’s degree from George Washington University. His sister, Mary B. Johnstone, survives.

JONATHAN F. ABEL, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps for 27 years, died Dec. 15, 2013. He was 81. An actor and film producer, he also served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. During his 27 years of service, he was a public affairs officer, infantry officer, and training and audiovisual support officer, and he received numerous medals. He was also a singer and a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Survivors include his wife, Sandra Pirie Abel, three children, three grandchildren, and his brother.