Obituaries | 1950-1959

WILLIAM H. WUBBENHORST JR., 83, an advertising and communications executive, died July 13, 2011. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he received an MBA from Harvard University. During the Korean War he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was senior vice president at McCann-Erickson, an executive with Iroquois Brands, and also worked as vice president at PR Data Systems, Inc. Survivors include his wife, Arvilla Kendall Wubbenhorst; three sons, including Jeffrey K. Wubbenhorst ’78; nine grandchildren; and a sister.

GEORGE R. WHITE, 82, a physicist who helped to design the laser gyroscope, died Jan. 14, 2012. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and received his degree with honors. He received his Ph.D. in physics from Iowa State University, after which he joined the Sperry Rand Corporation. He later was a vice president at Xerox Corporation and taught at Harvard Business School and the University of Pittsburgh. A major benefactor of the arts and education communities of Pittsburgh, his wife, Kathleen Hession White, his sister, and numerous nieces and nephews survive.

NORMAN H. WISSING, a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, died May 20, 2003. He was 67. A member of Alpha Chi Rho, he retired from the air force as a lieutenant colonel after serving in Viet Nam and in the U.S.; he then became the commander of a Junior Air Force ROTC program. Survivors include his wife, Beverly, three children, two grandchildren, a sister, a niece, a nephew, and his former wife, Marilyn.

JOHN W. WOOD, 74, who retired as a senior technical staff member at IBM, and who won numerous company awards, died Dec. 5, 2008. Survivors include three children, four grandchildren, his twin brother, a sister, and his former wife, Joyce Lee Michalek.

PAUL T. WILLIAMS, 72, a banker who retired as the chief fiduciary officer for Northern Trust Company’s Florida offices, died Jan. 15, 2007. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he had been affiliated with Northern Trust for more than 41 years. After his retirement, he and his wife moved to Kalispell, Mont., where he became involved with numerous foundations, boards, and organizations. He is survived by his wife, Suzy Calkins Williams, three sons, six grandchildren, and a brother.

FRANK B. WILLIAMS, who retired as special assistant to the president and associate professor of education at Gettysburg (Pa.) College, died Jan. 16, 2008. He was 74. A member of Eclectic, he received an MAT from Wesleyan and a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught for several years and then joined the staff at Swarthmore College as associate dean of admissions and director of financial aid. From 1966 to 1979 he was dean of students at Gettysburg College and served in several administrative and advisory capacities there. In 1981 he was appointed to a new position as dean of student life and educational services, and from 1990 until his retirement in 1995 he was special assistant to the president as well as associate professor of education. One son predeceased him. Among those who survive are his wife, Suzanne Hermann Williams; three children, including Laurel Williams Wise ’95; five grandchildren; and his brother.

ALBERT WEINSTEIN, M.D., a retired ophthalmologist, died Nov. 26, 2006, at age 74. He was a member of the John Wesley Club and received his medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine. A longtime member of the Trumbull-Monroe (Conn.) Health District, he had served as chair of the Trumbull Board of Health. Among those who survive are his wife, Helen Berger Weinstein; three sons, including Richard B. Weinstein ’85; two grandchildren; a brother; and a cousin, Edward Wasserman ’42, M.D.

DWIGHT VAN de VATE JR. ’52, a retired professor of philosophy at the University of Tennessee, died Aug. 25, 2012, at age 84. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he enrolled at Wesleyan, where he was a member of Gamma Psi, received his degree with honors, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received both an MA and a PhD from Yale University. His career began at Florida State University; he then taught at the University of Mississippi and Memphis State University before he joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee, where he spent 33 years.

The author of numerous books and articles, he was also active in civic affairs and was an accomplished painter. He is survived by his wife, Anita Van de Vate, three children, two stepchildren, six grandchildren, his brother, and numerous nieces and nephews.

JOSEPH VEROFF, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and an eminent social psychologist, died Sept. 30, 2007. He was 77. A member of the John Wesley Club, he received his degree with high honors and with high distinction in psychology. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi. After receiving a master’s degree from Wesleyan, he received a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He taught at Princeton University before returning to the University of Michigan, where he spent 41 years on the faculty. He mentored numerous doctoral students and influenced U.S. policy regarding the provision of mental health services. His wide-ranging research included two large-scale studies of mental health in the U.S., numerous studies concerning motivational issues in determining behavior, a long-term study of marriage and marriage stability, and more recent studies on the topic of savoring. Survivors include his wife, Jody Bennett Veroff; five children, including Daniel Veroff ’81; ten grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.