Obituaries | 1950-1959

JOSEPH S. ALESSI ’53, who had a long career in construction management, died Mar. 26, 2012. He was 83. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, he received his degree from Wesleyan, where he won trophies for football. His most notable projects were three of the Apollo S-1 S-2 test stands, the Veterans Regional Medical Center in Cleveland, and the skyscraper at 57th and Madison Avenue in New York City. Predeceased by a daughter and by several siblings, including Salvatore L. Alessi of the class of 1942, he is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen Webster Alessi; two daughters; his sister; his former wife; and several nieces and nephews, including Lisa M. Lombardo ’96

J. DANFORD ANTHONY JR., a preeminent tax attorney, former member of the Wesleyan Alumni Council, and active volunteer for charitable institutions in the Hartford, Conn., area, died Apr. 1, 2012, at age 76. A member of Beta Theta Pi, and the son of Julian D. Anthony of the class of 1928, he received his law degree from Harvard University. He served in the air wing of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. After clerking for a U.S. Tax Court judge, he joined the Hartford, Conn., law firm of Day, Berry, and Howard and was made a partner in 1971. He remained with the firm until his retirement in 2004, specializing in the tax treatment of financial intermediaries, tax-exempt organizations, and public financings. Admitted to practice in numerous courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, he served on many professional committees nationwide. He was emeritus director and former chairman of the board of the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, as well as director and trustee of many Hartford area charitable and cultural institutions.  He also sang in the Hartford Chorale for a number of years. Among those who survive are his wife, Nora Brown Anthony, three children, three grandchildren, his brother, and several nieces and nephews, including Susan H. Anthony ’87.

LATHAM L. ALLISON, 74, a retired executive with United Technologies Corporation who led numerous nonprofit agencies in the Hartford, Conn., area, died Aug. 14, 2008. He was a member of Phi Nu Theta (now Ec), received his degree with honors, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving an MBA from Harvard University, he served in the U.S. Army. When he retired from his corporate career, where he served in senior financial and strategic planning positions, he devoted his time to community service, as well as personal interests. In 1994 he went back to school to earn a master’s degree in economics at the University of Connecticut to better inform his community work. His last major project was the development of the Asylum Hill Boys and Girls Club, which opened in 2004. He is survived by his wife, Margot Rusch Allison, four children, six grandchildren, two sisters, and his in–laws.

STEWART ATKINSON JR., M.D., 82, a retired ophthalmologist, died Nov. 8, 2006. A member of Psi Upsilon, he received a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee and his medical degree from the University of Vermont. Among those who survive are his wife, Jane Limburg Atkinson, three children, and five grandchildren.