Obituaries | 1950-1959

ANTHONY ALLEN AMENTA, 87, professor emeritus at California State University, Long Beach, died Feb. 16, 2013. A member of the Commons Club and of Sigma Chi, he received his degree with high distinction in creative writing and then earned a master’s degree from Wesleyan the following year. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy. After working as a writer and an award-winning film director for a number of corporations, he joined the faculty at California State University, where he taught courses in film and scriptwriting while continuing to write for various publications and corporations. A musician, he played drums and piano semi-professionally and published a number of songs. Survivors include his wife, Mary Bonvino Amenta, three children, and a cousin, Peter S. Amenta Jr. ’50. He was the cousin of Louis O. LaBella, M.D., of the class of 1920, the nephew of Italo M Amenta of the class of 1932, and the cousin of A. Robert Gordon of the class of 1941.

CHESTER J. DZIALO, a retired attorney and the co–founder of the Middletown, Conn., law firm of Dzialo, Pickett & Allen, P.C., died Mar. 16, 2010. He was 85. A member of Sigma Nu, he received his law degree from Catholic University of America. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army and landed on Utah Beach during the Normandy invasion on D–Day. He served on numerous boards in the Middletown area. Predeceased by both of his wives, Doris Griskhkat Dzialo and Barbara Jackson Dzialo, he is survived by eight nieces and nephews, two stepchildren, and several special friends.

HOWARD C. DYER JR., the retired treasurer and general manager of the New Bedford (Mass.) Storage Warehouse, died Mar. 15, 2006, at age 77. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Among those who survive are his wife, Norma Dalzell Dyer, and a sister.

LLOYD CALVERT, 77, a retired school superintendent and educational consultant, died Dec. 17, 2004. He received his degree with honors and received advanced degrees from Trinity College and the University of Connecticut. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy. During his long career in education, he served as superintendent of schools in Windsor, Trumbull, and West Hartford, Conn. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Brooks Calvert, two sons, and three grandsons.

SETH D. ZINMAN, an attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor for 45 years, died May 6, 2008. He was 71. A member of Delta Sigma, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in government, and then received his law degree from Harvard University. During his career, he was responsible for drafting significant federal laws designed to protect American workers. He also served as the Department of Labor’s senior career ethics officer and as the principal legal adviser to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He received the Philip Arnow Award, the Labor Department’s highest honor, and the Justice Tom C. Clark Award, given by the Washington chapter of the Federal Bar Association. There are no immediate survivors.

DONALD L. ZIMMERMANN, 74, who was a computer programmer at Digital Equipment for many years and later became the director of marketing at the Arizona Bridge to Independent Living, died May 10, 2010. He was a member of Psi Upsilon and received a master’s degree from the University of Illinois. Survivors include his wife, Cathy Zimmermann, three daughters, two stepchildren, and three grandsons.

ALAN J. ZINSER, 74, a banker and professor emeritus of business at Mattatuck (now Naugatuck Valley) Community College in Connecticut, died June 18, 2006. A member of Phi Sigma Kappa, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in history, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After serving in the U.S. Navy he received an M.B.A/ from Harvard. He won a number of marketing awards while at Waterbury National Bank and developed an innovative marketing program for students at the college. Among those who survive are his wife, Betty Fillers-Simons Zinser; three sons, including Marc A. Zinser ’79, M.D.; and seven grandchildren.

JOHN C. FOSTER, a glass company executive, died Jan. 30, 2013. He was 76. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he received an MBA from Harvard University. He worked for many years at the Diamond Glass Company, rising to the positions of vice president and corporate director. He left Diamond Glass to found Foster Glass, a glass manufacturer in Salem, N.J. Subsequently, he started Foster Credit Company, which he headed until his retirement. Survivors include his daughter, two sisters, two stepsons, and an extended family.

ROBERT C. BENDER, 75, the retired CEO of Bender-Loudon Motor Freight, a multi-state trucking company, died Mar. 24, 2012. A member of Eclectic, he was a U.S. Army veteran and studied at Northwestern and Harvard universities. While he was in line for Wesleyan graduation, he was signed to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, which he did for a year. He was a trustee of Western Reserve Academy for 16 years. Among those who survive are his wife, Donna Reycraft Bender, four children, two sisters, and eight nieces and nephews.

FREDERICK D. BANFIELD, M.D., a physician and avid athlete, died May 24, 2013, at age 77. He was a member of Psi Upsilon and received his medical degree from Temple University. After serving in the U.S. Public Health Service in Alaska, he moved to Rochester, Minn., where he eventually founded two family medicine clinics. He was very interested in physical fitness and in racquetball. After having started a racquetball league in Rochester, he was inducted into both the Rochester Racquetball Hall of Fame and the Minnesota Racquetball Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, Gilda (Jill) Lepone Banfield, five children, 12 grandchildren, and two sisters.