MICHAEL L. SPIRER, an executive assistant for Houghton-Mifflin, died Jan. 8, 2013. He attended both Wesleyan and the University of Connecticut. Predeceased by his mother, he is survived by his father, Alan Spirer, his adoptive mother, three siblings, and a niece.
PETER A. SALZMAN, 38, who received his degree with high honors in anthropology with a minor in religion, died May 19, 2013. He interned in the Jewish chaplain’s office at Wesleyan and after graduation, continued his religious studies in Israel and his special interest in Jewish mysticism. An avid musician, he sang and played the guitar and piano, in addition to experimenting with electronic music. Survivors include his mother, Jill Roberts; his father, Scott Salzman; his stepfather; his brother and sister; his grandmother; and a large extended family.
RODERICK K. McLUCAS, 56, a theater director and faculty member at Marymount Manhattan College, died Mar. 28, 2013. He was an actor, director, and choreographer, and he also translated plays. His classical and experimental works were staged in many venues here and abroad. Survivors include two sisters; his brother, Dr. John C. McLucas ’74; several cousins; and his former wife, Margaret Tucker Ackroyd, and her daughter.
ADRIENNE WIENER BERNARD, an attorney and special counsel with Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, LLP, died Mar. 17, 2013, at age 56. She received her degree magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving her law degree from New York University, she served in the New York City Department of City Planning’s Office of the Counsel. In 2003 she joined Fried Frank, where she specialized in land use, planning, and environmental and zoning law. Among those who survive are her husband, Mitchell Bernard; three children, including Hannah S. Bernard ’15; and a cousin, Pamela G. Dorman ’79.
MICHAEL E. NEWTON, a systems analyst in Seattle, Wash., died Sept. 26, 2012. He was 57. He received his degree cum laude and with honors, and attended graduate school at Washington State University. An avid outdoorsman, he was a member of the Mountaineers and enjoyed exploring the mountains of the Northwest. He is survived by his wife, Mira Zalokar-Newton ’79, D.V.M., three children, his mother, five brothers, one sister, and a sister-in-law, Nadja Z. Golding ’77.
ARTHUR C. CLAFLIN, an attorney in Seattle, Wash., died May 23, 2013, at age 62. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa, he received his degree magna cum laude and then received his law degree from Yale University. He had been with the law firm of Bogle and Gates for 25 years, and since 2000 was with Hall, Zanzig, Claflin, McEachern. He had an interest in current events, great literature, and history, and he was an avid runner, having completed several marathons, including the Boston Marathon. Among those who survive are his wife, Gretchen Anders Claflin, two daughters, his brother, and several nieces and nephews.
WILLIAM W. LEWIS JR., 66, who worked in community development and who had worked in the alumni office at Wesleyan, died May 19, 2013. He received an MALS from Wesleyan in 1982. He worked for Community Action of Greater Middletown until the agency closed, then was employed by The Middletown Press and most recently by Kuhn Development Opportunities. Survivors include his mother, Frances Lewis, a cousin, and several close friends.
ALAN B. NICHOLS, a freelance writer who specialized in golf travel reviews, died July 6, 2013, at age 67. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and had majored in English. Among those who survive are his sister and a lifetime friend.
ROBERT R. BLAKE, 66, a development economist with the World Bank, died Feb. 9, 2013. He received his degree cum laude and with honors in economics. After receiving his PhD in economics from the University of Michigan, he worked in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Treasury in various international affairs departments for 15 years before taking a job as a development economist at The World Bank. He concentrated on Africa, and following postings in Cameroon, Uganda, and Madagascar, he retired in 2009. Among those who survive are his wife, Claudia Kobles Blake, two children, two grandchildren, and his sister.
ROBERT L. CASEY, an energy service representative at Northeast Utilities, died Jan. 13, 2013, at age 69. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1966 to 1970. Active in his Turners Falls, Mass., community, he served on the school committee. Survivors include his wife, Jo-Ann Sojka Casey, two children, four grandchildren, and his sister.
