Obituaries

THOMAS R. BODINE, a former commissioner and chairman of the Hartford (Conn.) Housing Authority, and a social and community activist, died Mar. 28, 2005 at age 89. A member of Psi Upsilon, he received his degree with high honors and with distinction in history and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He was the son of George I. Bodine Jr. of the class of 1906, and the brother of the late Robert C. Bodine ’31 and the late John W. Bodine ’33. After receiving his degree he joined Connecticut General Life Insurance Co., now CIGNA, from which he retired as assistant secretary. Exceptionally active in the Hartford community, he initiated the formation of a Quaker worship group, which led to the establishment of the Hartford Monthly Meeting of Friends in 1940. As a conscientious objector during World War II he helped relocate Japanese youths from internment camps to schools and served in war relief in France with the American Friends Service Committee. He served in leadership positions in numerous community and Quaker organizations. Among those who survive are nine nieces and nephews, including Cornelia B. McCann ’76 and Susanna B. Holahan MAT ’69, and his friend, James T. Gould.

SEWELL BIGGS, an attorney and art collector, died Jan. 16, 2003. He was 88. A graduate of the University of Delaware and of the University of Virginia Law School, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. In 1988 he signed an agreement with the state of Delaware, creating the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover to house his collection of Delaware and Delaware Valley fine and decorative arts. He is survived by one brother.

PAUL S. BANCEL, a retired aeronautical engineer, died Apr. 26, 2011, at age 95. He received his degree with honors and was elected to Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he worked for many years as an aviation expert, particularly on the T-56 and C-31 engines. Survivors include his wife of 71 years, Joan Spangler Bancel; three children; seven grandchildren, including Carolyn B. Myslewski ’07; and two great-grandchildren.

June 10, 2013

ARTHUR B. VINCENT, a chemist, and the brother of Robert W. Pooley ’42, died July 18, 2003. He was 88. He was a member of Sigma Chi and had been a chemist with the Stanley Chemical Company for 30 years. Among those who survive are his wife, Louise Dowling Vincent, four children, and his brother.

AUSTIN F. STEPHAN, 95, the retired executive vice president of Insurance Management Inc., died Jan. 17, 2010. He was a member of Delta Upsilon and was active in civic activities in the New Haven, Conn., area. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Parmelee Stephan, two children, five grandchildren, and three great–grandchildren.

GEORGE C. SNYDER, a Methodist minister and former English teacher, died Oct. 19, 2006. He was 91. A member of Sigma Chi, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in philosophy. He received both a master’s degree and a theology degree from Boston University. Among those who survive are his wife, Shirley Bell Snyder, and three children, including James G. Snyder ’62.

RICHARD P. SMITH, 91, the retired vice president, general counsel, and secretary of the Board of Directors of the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company, died Apr. 27, 2006. After receiving his degree with high distinction in economics, he received a law degree from the Hartford College of Law (now the University of Connecticut Law School). He was a member of Alpha Chi Rho and served in the U.S. Army during World War II as Judge Advocate General of the 9th and 71st infantry divisions. After the war he wrote several articles about the Nuremberg trials. Active in politics, he served a term as the mayor of West Hartford. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Taylor Smith, two daughters, and two grandsons.

STEWART P. SEIGLE, M.D., a gastroenterologist who was a founding member and past president of the American Society of Internal Medicine, died Dec. 10, 2003, at age 88. A member of Alpha Chi Rho, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in biology and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy. He practiced internal medicine and gastroenterology in Hartford, Conn., for 33 years, after which he volunteered in medical clinics. Predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth Seigle, survivors include a son, Peter M. Seigle ’71; three daughters; three grandchildren; and his longtime companion, Barbara Ekster.

ABRAHAM SCHLOSSMAN, M.D., 87, an ophthalmologist and the co-discoverer of the Posner-Schlossman syndrome, died May 30, 2005. A member of Commons Club, he received his degree with distinction in economics. He earned a master?s degree from Columbia University and a medical degree from N.Y.U. The founder and first president of the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, he was the author of numerous publications and a faculty member at several medical schools. Among those who survive are his wife, Carolyn Sondheimer Schlossman, and a daughter.