Obituaries | 1960-1969

EDGAR D. MANN, an international marketing executive, died Mar. 6, 2012, at age 72. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he received his degree with distinction in economics and later received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was involved with international sales and marketing for the Ford Motor Company, Cummins Engine Company, and Parker-Hannifin Corporation. Among those who survive are his wife, Dorothy Smith Mann, three children, two grandchildren, and a sister.

BRUCE R. WOLMER, the longtime editor and publisher of Art & Auctionmagazine, and an expert on the intricacies of the international art world, died Aug. 11, 2007, at age 59. He attended graduate school at Johns Hopkins University. Before joining Art & Auction, he was the executive editor of ARTnews magazine and an editor at Art & Antiques. He is survived by his wife, Colleen Babington, and his mother. (For more information, see the New York Times, August 16, 2007.)

DONALD D. WOLFF JR., 63, a chartered financial analyst, died Nov. 20, 2008. At Wesleyan, he was a member of Psi Upsilon and then earned his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He began his career in the financial services industry with the Mellon Bank, as an investment manager, and later became a founding partner of Guyasuta Investment Advisors (formerly Sheetz, Smith & Co.). He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Carolyn “Bunny” Davis Wolff, a daughter, a son, three grandchildren, and a sister.

H. DOUGLAS WILSON, M.D., an internist in Oswego and Lake Placid, N.Y., died June 2, 2011. He was 68. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he received his medical degree from Columbia University. Among those who survive are two children, his sister, and several nieces and nephews.

DAVID A. WALTER, a reference and research historian at the Montana Historical Society, died July 19, 2006 at age 63. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and attended graduate school at the University of Montana. He was the author and editor of numerous articles and books, and he received many awards for his work in educating people about Montana history, including an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of Montana. He is survived by his wife, Marcella, three daughters, three grandchildren, and a brother.

DAVID S. WATT, vice president for risk management with Via Health, Inc., died May 20, 2004. He was a member of Psi Upsilon. A health care administrator, he received a master’s degree in business administration from Cornell University. He is survived by his wife, Judith, two daughters and a son.

S. GARY (GARVER) THOMSON III, the owner and manager of the Tivoli Gardens Restaurant in Saint Croix, U.S.V.I., who was perhaps better known as “Gary” of Gary and the Wombats, died of cancer Feb. 28, 2009. He was 66. A member of Eclectic, he received an MBA from Columbia University and worked with Smith, Barney & Company for five years. He had owned and managed Tivoli Gardens since 1975. Gary and the Wombats are six Wesleyan alumni who started playing rhythm and blues and rock and roll at Wesleyan in 1962, and who played at other East Coast colleges and universities. They still perform together several times a year for charity fundraisers and private parties. He is survived by his wife, Martha; his sister; and his cousin.

John Dunton ’65 writes: With great sadness I write to tell you that Gary died Thursday, February 26 around 4 PM.

After his esophagus burst in early October, he waged a gallant, tenacious fight against infections, heart problems and failing lungs for over four months, but his weakened body was unable to overcome the latest bacterial attack.

David Dinwoodey spoke with his wife Martha Thursday evening. I paraphrase his message to me:

He had another series of infections attack his body about a week ago in the rehab facility near Patterson, NJ. Dave had seen him Tuesday afternoon and he was unresponsive but stable; whether he could hear Dave was uncertain. On Wednesday he again became unstable; his blood pressure dropped again, he was maxed out on antibiotic medicines; his heart got into difficulty and he got into systemic failure across the board trying to battle multiple problems.

Martha spent every day with him since this crisis began. She and his sister Jeannie were with him when he passed.

Since this has just occurred and Martha is dealing with the enormity of the event, there are presently no plans for a memorial service. I believe she will return to their home on St. Croix and be with their dogs, watch the sea and collect her thoughts. Sometime in the future there probably will be a gathering to celebrate Gary’s life.

We met at Wesleyan 47 years ago, became fraternity brothers and quickly became brothers in Gary and The Wombats. I have no idea how many thousand hours we have spent playing music together. Like most brothers, we laughed together, we partied together, we quarreled at times, we drew apart as life took us in different directions, and like many brothers, as we aged we drew closer.

His first health crisis with esophageal cancer occurred 10 years ago. He persevered in his battle against this horrible disease and, against heavy odds, achieved a decade of music, travel and enjoyment of good food and good friends.

In recent years he frequently came to Boston to make pilgrimage to Union Oyster House for cherrystone clams and to spend a quiet day or two visiting with Carol and me and with Dave and Mary Ellen Dinwoodey. There was an increased sweetness and mellowness in his demeanor that brought out his charming best. During these last 10 years when The Wombats would convene for a gig, he gave us his usual leadership and direction, but also was amenable to change and new approaches that he would not have embraced when we all were younger. In recent years he did not always have the stamina to perform at his best, but he always gave it everything he had. The last time we played together it was helping raise money for the ”Celebration of Hope — Wellness Community of St. Louis“ which supports the families of cancer victims.

Gary was, and will always be to me, Gary of Gary and the Wombats?my brother in music and my great and dear friend.

The William P. Schweitzer Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University, died Nov. 24, 2012, at age 74. He was a member of Delta Sigma, and he received his degree with high honors and with distinction in chemistry. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi, he received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology. He had been on the faculty at Columbia University since 1964. He also held professorships at the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering.

Widely recognized nationally and internationally as a leader and pioneer in the area of supramolecular chemistry, organic photochemistry, molecular spectroscopy, host-guest chemistry, and magnetic effects on photochemical reactions, he was the author of two textbooks, one of which is considered the “bible” of the field, and numerous articles.

Posthumously, he received the Inaugural George S. Hammond Award of the Inter-American Photochemical Society, given in recognition of the breadth and depth of his many crucial contributions to the photochemical sciences and his singular impact on worldwide dissemination of photochemical knowledge through his many collaborations and his pioneering textbooks. Among those who survive are his wife, Sandra Misenti Turro, two daughters, five grandchildren, and two sisters.

DAVID W. TOWLE, a senior investigator at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, died Jan. 3, 2011, at age 69. A member of EQV, he was with the first Peace Corps group to serve in Nepal. He then received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of New Hampshire, and a doctorate from Dartmouth College. Elected to Sigma Xi, he spent 18 years on the faculty at the University of Richmond, where he received the Outstanding Educator Award. He later became chair of the biology department at Lake Forest College before moving full-time to Maine, where in addition to his work at the laboratory, he pursued his interests in music and boat-building. Survivors include his wife, Betty Massie, three children, two grandsons, his mother, two brothers, and a sister.

WILLIAM V. TRIPP III, a tax and estate attorney, died Nov. 7, 2009, at age 71. He was a member of Eclectic and was the son of William V. Tripp Jr. of the class of 1924. He served in the U.S. Navy for four years, after which he enrolled at Cornell University, where he received his MBA and law degrees. Most recently associated with Nixon Peabody, he served on numerous charitable boards. Among those who survive are his wife, Roberta Allen Tripp, two children, four grandchildren, and three siblings.