Obituaries

Bernard Hunter White, age 92, formerly of Radnor, a retired lawyer with General Electric’s Missile and Space Division in King of Prussia, died peacefully on Dec. 7 at the Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Mr. White had been very active in local politics as a Commissioner in Radnor Township from 1966-1974. As President of the Commissioners from 1968-1974, he was active in the “New Look” reform movement. He aimed for more transparency in the governance and opened up the meetings. He also encouraged the township to keep more Open Space and not let it become too urbanized. To that end, he persuaded the township to purchase the Willows and other tracts of land to turn them into parks.

In 1970, Mr. White ran a valiant campaign for Congress but he was up against the “War Board” and didn’t win.

In 1958, he and his wife placed an ad in the newspaper asking interested Unitarians to attend a meeting to form a new church on the Main Line. Their first meeting was attended by a handful of keen, enthusiastic talented people. The thriving Main Line Unitarian Church whose current membership numbers over 700 people with abundant and diverse activities for all is the result.

In 1989, he and his wife, Frances, founded PLAN, Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of Pennsylvania, which serves people with mental disabilities and their families. They also helped found Torrey House where 15 people with mental disabilities are cared for including their daughter, Valerie. Both of these organizations offer great peace of mind to families afflicted by mental illness.

When Bernard and his wife moved to the Quadrangle, his leadership qualities were noticed and he was immediately recruited to be the President of the Quadrangle Residents’ Association. He served on numerous committees and always offered positive and clear opinion. He worked hard and did more than his share. He often offered legal advice pro bono. Besides baseball, his other passion was James Joyces’ Ulysses. He organized Ulysses study groups at Quadrangle.

Bernard White was born on January 29, 1914 in NYC and grew up in the Washington area attending the Force-Adams School, the Tome School in Maryland and Central High School in Washington. He was an Olin Scholar at Wesleyan University in Connecticut where he majored in English and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was one of the three top scholars in the Class of 1935. He also earned 3 Varsity letters in baseball as 3rd baseman. His greatest achievement was in the 7th inning of a game against Amherst. “Bernie stepped to the plate, gave the ball a resounding whack which carried it somewhere in the direction of Northampton, and scampered merrily across the plate while the left fielder of the Jeffmen was still earnestly, but vainly, fielding the ball.” Baseball has always been his passion and he continued to support the Phillies although occasionally despairing over their performances!

He continued his studies at Harvard Law School, Class of 1938. He worked for the law firm of Donovan, Leisure, Newton and Lumbard in Washington, DC and NYC.

While in NYC, he was part of the NY National Guard, Squadron A in1939-40. When it was “federalized”, he went on active duty in the US Army in January 1941.

His military career included the 101st Cavalry Regiment and then the 27th Infantry Division where he rose from 2nd lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant and finally as Captain of the 249th FA Bn.

Because of his connection with General Donovan’s law firm, he was asked to join the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) in 1944-45.After the war, he returned to practicing law and soon worked for General Electric in 1948 until 1977 when he retired. He then opened a private practice in Wayne until 1993.

Bernard married Frances Salmon in 1947 and they would have been celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on March 15, 2007. She was “the greatest thing that ever happened to me” he would frequently tell people.

He is survived by 3 daughters: Valerie S. White of Haverford, Barbara White Waterman of Ramsey, N.J. and Carolyn White-Lesieur of Paris, France and 5 grandchildren: Elizabeth and Hunter Waterman and Jonathan, Nicholas and Geraldine Lesieur.

His Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 11AM at the Main Line Unitarian Church, 816 South Valley Forge Rd., Devon, PA. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggests that contribution be made in his memory to CareLink Community Support Services for the benefit of Torrey House, Development Dept., 1510 Chester Pike, Suite 600, Eddystone, PA 19022

Carolyn White-Lesieur

11, rue Francois Millet

75016 Paris FRANCE

Tel : 33-1-53-92-08-52

Email: CWLPARIS@gmail.com

• Tel in the USA : cell : 1-917-375-1980

ROGER P. TALMADGE, 95, the former treasurer of the Boston Herald-Traveler Corporation, died Jan. 9, 2009. A member of Eclectic, he received an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He was the son of Arthur T. Talmadge of the class of 1893 and the brother of the late A. Carlyle Talmadge ’25. He began his career at Old Colony Trust Corporation in Boston, interrupted it to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and rejoined Old Colony after the war. He then joined the Boston Herald-Traveler Corporation as its treasurer in 1948 and left the company in 1973 after it was sold to the Hearst Corporation. He was an active member of numerous boards and civic groups. His wife, Naomi Hall Talmadge, predeceased him. Among those who survive are two children, including Jeffrey H. Talmadge ’68; four grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and two step-great-grandchildren.

DANIEL I. STREETER, a project engineer and machine designer, died Feb. 10, 2003 at age 90. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi, he received his degree with honors and with high distinction in psychology. He received a master’s degree from Wesleyan in 1936 and was a member of the Commons Club. Among those who survive are his wife, Lucy Bantle Streeter, and two children. He was the brother of the late Harold W. Streeter of the class of 1922.

A. ROBERT PARENTE, 96, died Nov. 13, 2009. He received his degree with distinction in mathematics, was a member of the John Wesley Club, and was elected to Sigma Xi. In 1937 he received an MA from Wesleyan. The retired president of A. Robert Parente & Company, Inc., his career as a realtor, real estate appraiser and counselor spanned more than 50 years. He was active in professional organizations and had served on the national faculty of the Appraisal Institute, specializing in capitalization theory and techniques.  Survivors include his wife, Olga Venditti Parente; two daughters, including Roberta Parente ’79; four granddaughters; and a sister.

ARNOLD LORBEER, 97, the retired chairman of American Ultramar Limited, died Apr. 17, 2012. He received his degree with high honors and with distinction in economics, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he received a master’s degree from Wesleyan and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Edward O. King died of natural causes at Riverwoods in Exeter, N.H., on Friday, May 11, 2007. Mr. King was born in St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 9, 1913, to Leotie B. and Charles E. King. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, in 1935, and from the Harvard Business School in 1937. He began a career with the Shell Oil Company in St. Louis, that spanned 40 years and moved him and his family to New York City and Houston, Texas.

In 1940, he married Janet Frost of Cleveland, Ohio. They had four children, Katharine King Raybin, Elizabeth King Elliman, Edward Wyllis King, ’68, M.D., and Charles Allen King whom they raised in Darien, Conn. Ed was an avid sailor, champion tennis player, and enthusiastic singer. He was a member of the Petroleum Club in Houston, Texas and the Harvard Club in New York City. A born optimist, he embraced life with gusto until his death at age 93.

He was predeceased by his son Charles in 1977 and his wife Janet in 2004; he is survived by three children, their spouses, six grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.

A memorial service was held in the Great Bay Room at Riverwoods, 7 Riverwoods Drive, Exeter, NH 03833, on Saturday, May 19, 2007, at 4 pm, with the Reverend Nancy Rockwell officiating.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Squirrel Island Preservation Foundation, c/o Gail Cinelli, P.O. Box 84, Yarmouth, ME 04096.

STEWART W. KERNAGHAN, a chemist with General Electric for 34 years, died Nov. 16, 2003. He was 90. At Wesleyan he was a member of Sigma Nu and received his master’s degree in chemistry in 1936. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marguerite Fleury Kernaghan, a daughter, two sons, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

DAVID JAFFE, a retired labor attorney, died Mar. 12, 2005. He was 90. He received his degree with honors and with high distinction in government ,and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving his law degree from the University of Chicago, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Survivors include his wife, Norma Cohen Jaffe, two children, and a niece, Jamie Jaffe ’77.

JOHN L. HOWLAND, 95, who was counsel for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation for nearly 30 years, died May 11, 2009. The son of Leroy A. Howland of the class of 1900 and the brother of the late Leroy A. Howland Jr. ’31, he received his degree with honors and with high distinction in government. He was a member of Psi Upsilon and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. For many years he was secretary of the class of 1935. After receiving his law degree from Harvard University, he was associated with a law firm before joining the U.S. Army during WWII, serving at the Pentagon with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He later served as associate general counsel for acquisition with the Air Force during the Korean War. At Westinghouse, which he joined in 1953 as assistant general counsel, he worked to improve the acquisition process and policies for major weapon systems. He retired as counsel for government affairs. His wife, Jane Snyder Howland, died in 1998; there are no immediate survivors.

BRITTON HARRIS, a fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and professor emeritus of city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania, died Feb. 8, 2005, at age 90. A member of Delta Upsilon, he received his degree with honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi. He received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. An early advocate of the use of computers and models in urban planning, he made many contributions to land use and transportation modeling. His interest in developing societies was expressed by his international consulting work. At the University of Pennsylvania, he also served as department chair and dean of the former School of Public and Urban Policy. After his retirement, he continued to write and lecture and was the recipient of numerous awards and citations for his research. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Brandstetter Harris, three children, a granddaughter, and a sister.