ROBERT A. WAIT, a retired executive with General Foods who was the longest-serving food lobbyist in Washington, D.C., during his time, died March 29, 2007, at age 76. He was a member of Eclectic and was a US Army veteran. He is survived by his wife, Carol Wait; two daughters; his former wife, Patricia McCary Wait; two stepdaughters; and several grandchildren and step-grandchildren. Two daughters predeceased him.
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.
DONALD H. TREDWELL ’51, the retired president of Markwell Medical Institute, Inc, died Oct. 27, 2012. He was 83. A member of Sigma Chi, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, after which he received an MBA from Harvard University. He spent his career in advertising, marketing, and brand management working in New York City for a number of companies, including McCann-Erickson, and Colgate-Palmolive before joining S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
In 1981 he left the corporate world and with two others started a venture-backed manufacturing company focused on selling medical products for diabetics. Active in Wesleyan alumni affairs, he was a past president of the New York Alumni Club. Survivors include his wife, Anne Scott Tredwell, two children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
RICHARD C. TEEVAN, 86, professor emeritus of psychology at the State University of New York, Albany, died June 3, 2006. He received his degree with honors and with distinction in psychology, and he was elected to Sigma Xi and to Phi Beta Kappa. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. After teaching at Smith College and Bucknell University, where he won awards for distinguished teaching, he joined the faculty of SUNY, Albany, where he was chairman of the department and published prolifically. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Stehle Teevan, four children, and 10 grandchildren.
DANIEL L. TAYLOR, an executive with CBS-TV for more than 35 years, died Dec. 27, 2006. He was 80. He was member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. Born in England in 1926, hewas evacuated to the US in 1940. He enlisted in the US Army and after serving as a paratrooper, enrolled at Wesleyan. Among those who survive are his wife, Marianne Stephan Taylor; three children; six grandchildren; two brothers, George R. Forbes ’49 and Harry F. Forbes ’49; and two nephews, G. Ross Forbes Jr. ’71 and Gregory H. Forbes ’71.
The Right Reverend ROBERT G. THARP, former Episcopal Bishop of East Tennessee, died May 30, 2003. He was 74. A member of Sigma Chi, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He received a master’s degree in divinity and a doctorate in canon law from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary; he also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the University of the South, of whose Board of Trustees he had been a member. Among those who survive are his wife, Ann Bradford Tharp, two children, four grandchildren, a sister, four stepchildren, and five step-grandchildren.
HENRY S. “HANK” TAUSEND, 73, a musician known for his jazz performances, died Oct. 14, 2009. He was a member of Gamma Psi and served in the U.S. Army. A drummer and percussionist, he was also a booking agent for well-known groups. He played with several symphonies in the Chicago area, as well as playing from Big Bands to parades to Klezmer. A volunteer for the Chicago Lyric Opera, he shared his love of opera with many audiences. Among those who survive are his wife, Iris Lieberman Tausend, a brother, and several nieces and nephews.
SWIATOSLAW TROFIMENKO, 75, a chemist, died Feb. 26, 2007. Born in the Western Ukraine, he came to Wesleyan on a scholarship and received his degree with honors and high distinction in chemistry. He was a member of the John Wesley Club and was elected to Sigma Xi. After receiving his PhD from Northwestern University, he completed postdoctoral studies at Columbia University and then joined the DuPont Company in 1959. While there, he discovered the polypyrazolylborate ligands, which he named Scorpionates. He published a book on this subject in 1999, and a sequel is scheduled for publication this year. The author of numerous scientific articles, and the holder of 36 patents, he retired in 1996 from DuPont and then joined the faculty of the University of Delaware as Honorary Scholar in the chemistry and biochemistry department. Survivors include his wife, Martha Babych Trofimenko; one daughter, Zoya Trofimenko ’85; and two grandchildren.
THOMAS M. TAYLOR JR., a railroad consultant and rail enthusiast, died Aug. 29, 2010, at age 78. He was a member of Sigma Chi and received a civil engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Predeceased by one son, he is survived by his wife, Glendora Boyce Taylor, two children, three grandchildren, two sisters, and his brother-in-law, Dr. Norman A. Clemens ’55.
