Obituaries | 1950-1959

THOMAS P. CZEPIEL, 79, who retired as vice president of manufacturing for the Scott Paper Company after a 36-year career there, died Sept. 14, 2011. He was a member of Sigma Chi and received his degree with honors and with distinction in chemistry. Elected to Sigma Xi, he received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Lawrence University. He also held a degree in advanced management from Harvard University. The holder of numerous patents for paper-making, he also authored articles in technical journals. His first wife, Marilyn Mather Czepiel, died. Survivors include his wife, Sally Czepiel; three sons, including James T. Czepiel ’79; two grandchildren; two stepchildren; four step-grandchildren; and his brother, Robert C. Czepiel ’59.

PETER CAMP, 71, an educator and coach who had a long affiliation with the Upward Bound program, died Aug. 2, 2004. He was a member of Eclectic and the brother of John C. Camp ’42. He was a teacher of English, a baseball coach, a cross-country ski coach and the director of the the Upward Bound program at the Groton School, where he spent 27 years. He also served as assistant headmaster for ten years. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Patricia Lappin Camp, two sons, and two daughters.

ROBERT P. BRODY, 79, professor emeritus of business administration at the University of New Haven, died July 14, 2010. A member of Delta Upsilon, he received his degree with honors. He received an MBA from the University of Chicago and a DBA from Harvard University, and he taught at the University of Washington and Rider College before joining the faculty at the University of New Haven. He is survived by his wife, Charlotte Abrams Brody; four children, including Neal Brody ’80; and seven grandchildren, including Alexander Brody ’12.

NORMAN H. BERRY JR., 75, a manufacturer of automotive ignition system components and the designer of an innovative sparkplug wire, died Feb. 1, 2006. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and received an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. A member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, he founded LGM, Ltd., a supplier of ignition systems, with his wife, North Carolina Labor Commissioner Cherie Killian Berry, in 1985. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two children, two step-daughters, and a brother.

HARRY M. BECK, a retired vice president of the Bank of California, died Oct. 13, 2011, at age 86. A member of Sigma Chi, prior to attending Wesleyan he served in the Naval Pilot Training Program and the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Survivors include his wife, Frances Carran Beck, three children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. One son predeceased him.

GIAN L. BERCHIELLI, a retired elementary school educator and U.S. Navy officer, died Sept. 11, 2007, at age 78. A member of Sigma Nu, he served four years of active duty and then spent 30 years in the Reserves. After leaving active duty he received a master’s degree and later a PhD from the University of Florida. He was a classroom teacher, a school principal, and an award-winning administrator. A leader in many civic and professional organizations, he was honored as the Florida Educator of the Year. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Renalducci Berchielli, two daughters, and five grandchildren.

GORDON R. BRYAN JR., a retired Captain in the U.S. Navy, died Jan. 28, 2003 at age 74. A member of Sigma Nu, he received a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s degree from Georgetown University. During his military career, he served on a destroyer and five submarines, two of which he commanded. After retiring from the Navy, he became a consultant for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is survived by his wife, Judith H. Bryan, two sons, four stepchildren, and three grandchildren.

GEORGE D. BRODIGAN, an attorney who specialized in mediation and arbitration, died Sept. 14, 2010, at age 83. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, he received his degree from Wesleyan and then re-entered the Marine Corps as an officer during the Korean War. He established his own law firm after working in the law department at the Travelers Insurance Company, and he was a Supreme Court Judge on an interim basis from 1985 to 1986. From 1991 to recent years he represented various companies in the field of mediation and arbitration. One son, Christopher C. Brodigan ’80, predeceased him, as did one brother, Francis F. Brodigan Jr. ’51. He is survived by his former wife, Shirley Walker Brodigan, two children, four grandchildren, and his brother, Charles T. Brodigan ’54.

CHARLES D. BECK JR., 83, an educator who was the Colorado facilitator for the National Diffusion Network and president of the Education Diffusion Group, died June 3, 2010. He was a member of Sigma Nu and received master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Denver. Among those who survive are his wife, Barbara Kennedy Beck, three children, five grandchildren, and his former wife, Carol Beck Nanney.

EDWIN P. BROWN, a retired advertising executive, died Sept. 6, 2006. He was 77. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he served in the US Army during the Korean War. Among those who survive are his wife of many years, Alice Brown Elgin, three children, two grandsons, and a brother.