Obituaries

THEODORE B. PATCHEN JR., a retired executive with Travelers Insurance, died Feb. 19, 2017, at age 94. He was a member of Alpha Chi Rho. As a U.S. Army Air Corps captain and navigator during World War II, he and his crew were shot down and captured. He remained a prisoner of war until liberated at the end of the war. He worked for Travelers for more than 30 years. Among those who survive are his wife, Constance Butwell Patchen, two daughters, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

ROGER E. KNAPPE, a pharmaceutical chemist, died Mar. 17, 2017. He was 89. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. After serving in the Pacific, he returned to his career as a pharmaceutical chemist and worked for American Cyanamid for more than 40 years. He was also an avid sailor. Predeceased by his wife, Margaret Gallagher Knappe, survivors include five sons, seven grandchildren, and his sister.

SETH S. FAISON SR., a retired insurance executive and former chairman of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, died Mar. 7, 2017, at age 93. He was the brother of John W. Faison of the class of 1941. A member of Eclectic, he received his degree with distinction and with honors in government. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy. Born and raised in Brooklyn Heights, New York City, he was an avid supporter of the borough. As chair of the Brooklyn Academy of Music for six years, he helped to transform it into a center for theater and dance. He served on two dozen other boards and associations and won numerous awards for his trusteeship. An executive for 32 years at Johnson & Higgins, an insurance brokerage in lower Manhattan, he walked the Brooklyn Bridge to work. His first wife, Susan Tyler Faison, predeceased him. Among those who survive are his wife, Sara R. Faison; four children, including Seth S. Faison Jr. ’81 and Sarah Faison ’84; two stepdaughters; and 10 grandchildren.

PAUL R. MOSHER, a former financial journalist, died Mar. 5, 2017, at age 95. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and received a master’s degree in journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He wrote for the Journal of Commerce, The New York Herald-Tribune, and several public relations firms. He was also an active board member of the New York Financial Writers Association, the Overseas Press Club, and the Overseas Yacht Club, and he was active in community organizations. Survivors include his wife, Grace Ann Tucker Mosher; his son; his daughter, Caroline Gadaleta ’91; two granddaughters and a niece and nephew.

ROBERT A LEWIS, a retired U.S. Department of State officer, died Oct. 12, 2016. He was 95. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He was stationed in U.S. Foreign Service offices in Greece, France, Korea, and Vietnam, among others, before he retired as a consul general. He received the Superior Honor Award from the U.S. Department of State. Predeceased by his wife, Irene Boggs Lewis, his son, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and his longtime companion, Janet Burns, survive.

CLAIRE E. RANDALL, an education training manager as well as a singer and composer, died Dec. 8, 2016, at age 27. A music major who was a natural-born singer and performer, she focused on ethnomusicology and jazz studies. She was a member of New Group and Mad Wow, and she starred in a mockumentary Web series called Wannabes. She led and collaborated on many musical projects. After graduation she joined Trot Fox as a vocalist and worked for Resonant Motion, a nonprofit that focused on facilitating the creation of inspirational music. She also worked as education and training manager at Patron Technology, a customer-relationship management technology company for the arts industry. Passionate about social justice, she was an active feminist and never lost sight of the marginalized. Survivors include her mother, Anita Randall, two siblings, and her partner for six years, Gabe Gordon ’11.

MATTHEW D. LAMOTHE, a film producer, died Jan. 16, 2017, at age 30. A government major, he started his career working at Interactive Creative Management before becoming a producer at a private film production company. He later joined Tommy V Films. Notably, he was the executive producer for the award-nominated I’ll See You in My Dreams, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival; Intruders, which screened at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival; and most recently, London Town. He enjoyed sports of all kinds, watching movies, and traveling around the world to exciting places where he met new people and experienced great opportunities. Among those who survive are his parents, Laura Beaudin Lamothe and Henri Lamothe ’80, M.D.; five siblings; his maternal grandparents; and many uncles, aunts, and cousins.