Obituaries

WILLIAM A. SUTTON, an attorney who retired as division counsel for Olin Corporation, died Feb. 2, 2014, at age 90. A member of Sigma Chi, he received his degree with honors. He was the son of Joseph A. Sutton of the class of 1915, and the grandson of William H. Sutton of the class of 1857. He was also the nephew of Howard A. Sutton of the class of 1895, of Isaac C. Sutton of the class of 1900, and of Henry C. Sutton of the class of 1907, as well as the cousin of James A. Sutton of the class of 1935. He served in the U.S. Army in Europe in World War II, decoding messages in the Signal Corps, and fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. A graduate of Columbia University Law School, he joined Olin in 1959 after working for several other companies. During his career with Olin he spent eight years on a special fuel energy project based in Little Rock, Ark. He later settled in Stamford, Conn., where he became a community volunteer after retiring from Olin in 1986. Predeceased by his wife, Cleve Simpson Sutton, survivors include four children, seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and his sister survive.

VINCENT A. SUPRYNOWICZ, 90, a retired professor of electrical engineering at the University of Connecticut, died Jan. 23, 2014. He was elected to Sigma Xi, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ohio State University, and received his PhD from Yale University. His wife, Wilma Higginbotham Suprynowicz, survives, as do his three children, including Vincent Suprynowicz Jr. ’72, and a nephew, Frank Suprynowicz ’78.

SEYMOUR I. KUMMER, M.D., a family physician in Rockville, Conn., for more than 50 years, died Apr. 2, 2014. He was 87. After receiving his degree with honors, he received his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College. In addition to his medical practice, he had been active in professional organizations. His first wife, Ruth Lavitt Kummer, died. Among those who survive are his wife of 30 years, Joan Hyde Kummer; three children, including Bart A. Kummer ’75, M.D., and Merle E. Kummer ’76; and a nephew, Daniel M. Kummer ’81. His brother, Howard K. Kummer ’53, predeceased him.

JOHN A. YOUNG, 94, a retired professor of chemistry, died Feb. 17, 2014. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he received his degree with high distinction in chemistry and was elected to Sigma Xi. He received a master’s degree from Wesleyan and a PhD from the University of Florida. After working for General Electric Labs he pursued his true calling as a professor of chemistry. He first taught at the University of Florida, later at the University of Denver, and finally at the Universidad Autonóma de Guadalajara. He was an accomplished classical pianist until a chemical explosion destroyed the thumb and index finger of his right hand, but he continued to play tennis and to hike. His wife, Helen Chamberlain Young, and his son, Roger A. Young ’65, predeceased him. Survivors include two daughters, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

RAYNOR L. DUNCOMBE, professor emeritus of aerospace science at the University of Texas at Austin, and an astronomer and former director of the National Almanac Office, died July 12, 2013. He was 96. A member of Sigma Nu, he was elected to Sigma Xi. He received a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Iowa and later a PhD in astronomy from Yale University. He was a member of the NASA space science steering committee, having worked on the Vanguard, Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo projects, and was instrumental in determining the orbit of Sputnik when it was launched. A member of the Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry team, he was the past executive editor of Celestial Mechanics. He was a fellow of various astronomy associations and received numerous awards. He was as comfortable reciting poetry as he was discussing the universe. Also a singer and musician, he was skilled at plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work, and had learned to fly a plane. He was predeceased by his first wife, Avis Bailey Duncombe and by his second wife, Julena Steinheider Duncombe. He is survived by one son, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

JOHN H. WEITZ, 97, a geologist and the former president and co-owner of the Independent Explosive Company, died Oct. 28, 2013. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received a master’s degree from Lehigh University and a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. Intending to become an actuary, he became interested in geology after being inspired by Wesleyan geology professor Joe Webb Peoples. After graduate work, he joined the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Mines, mapping strategic metal ore deposits needed for the war effort during World War II. He then joined the Lehigh University geology faculty for five years and then moved back to Ohio, where he became the geologist and later vice president at the family business, Independent Explosive Company. Later, he became president and co-owner. An avid reader and a community volunteer, he used his geology knowledge to help his community. His wife, Anne Moore Weitz survives, as do three children, seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and his brother, Joseph J. Weitz ’44. One granddaughter predeceased him.

WILLIAM H. HEISLER III, the former CEO of Citizens Bank and an active community leader, died Jan. 9, 2013, at age 97. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. As a result of his service to the Rhode Island community as a volunteer leader of most of the prominent non-profits in the state during his long tenure as a resident and with Citizens Bank, The Rhode Island Foundation established the Heisler Leadership Fund in his memory. Among other accomplishments, long before it was a federal law, he initiated his own version of a Community Reinvestment Act in order to give access to diverse populations. Two wives predeceased him; two children are among those who survive.

GEORGE D. NAYLOR IV, a freelance writer and author of plays, short stories, and books about the counterculture and his time as a farmer, died Nov. 8, 2013, at age 65. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he received his degree with honors from the College of Letters. After serving in the U.S. Army, he received an MFA degree from Columbia University. His sister and a niece survive.