Obituaries

DOUGLAS S. KENDALL ’66, who retired as a chemist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, died July 23, 2012. He was 68. The son of David N. Kendall of the class of 1938, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He received his degree with honors from the College of Letters and was elected to both Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi, after which he received a PhD in chemistry from Harvard University.

A chemist at the EPA’s National Enforcement Investigation Center for 30 years, he received numerous awards, including the highest scientific honor given by the EPA, the Level 1 Scientific Technology Achievement Award. He was also an ardent supporter of environmental causes. Among those who survive are his wife, Barbara Brunoff Kendall, his son, a granddaughter, and two siblings.

JAMES R. KING, 63, retired associate professor of philosophy at Flagler College, died Dec. 9, 2010. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he was a U.S. Army veteran. He received a master’s degree from the Hartford Seminary and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. He taught at Berea College, Florida International University, and Boston University before coming to Flagler College to teach in the philosophy and religion program. In 1997 he was elected Flagler Faculty Member of the Year, and in 2005 his former students established a scholarship in his honor. His wife, Dr. Darien Andreu, survives, as do his mother, his sister, and two nieces.

BRADFORD S. KINGMAN ’56, who retired as a mathematics teacher and coach at Middlesex School, died Aug. 17, 2012. He was 78. A member of Alpha Chi Rho, he served in the U.S. Navy after graduation and then joined the faculty at Middlesex, where he spent almost 40 years as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, administrator, assistant headmaster, and senior master. An avid golfer, the Independent School League’s golf championship Kingman Bowl was named in his honor. Survivors include his wife, Christine Jones Kingman, three children, three grandchildren, and two sisters.

DENNIS L. KENNEDY, a clinical psychologist, died Feb. 2, 2010. He was 68. A member of Eclectic, he received his doctoral degree from the University of North Carolina. He was the chief psychologist at the Child Guidance Center in Winston–Salem and then shared a private practice, the Carroll–Kennedy Clinic, with his wife until he retired due to illness. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Carroll Kennedy, his mother, two children, three grandchildren, and a large extended family.

HARDU KECK, 63, former provost of the Rhode Island School of Design and a highly regarded professor, sculptor and painter, died Aug. 5, 2003. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in art. After receiving a master’s degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, he joined the faculty and remained there for 39 years, becoming involved in administration–serving as dean of International programs in recognition of his love and understanding of global education–as well as teaching a variety of courses, including painting, sculpture, film comparative mythology, and philosophy of art. He was born in Estonia and was a refuge from Nazi and Russian occupiers during his youth. An internationalist, he was fluent in four languages and served as a consultant and program developer for colleges and universities worldwide, creating many study-abroad opportunities for RISD students. In addition, he served as an accreditation evaluator for schools of art and design. He was known for his public sculpture, including his use of downtown Providence, R.I., as his background. During the 1996 Convergence Festival, an annual outdoor sculpture event in that city, he designed a huge fountain, Fireman’s Fountain, overlooking the Providence River, that was made from merging the sprays of three high-pressure hoses from three separate fire engines. Among those who survive are three daughters.

BURTON B. KAPLAN, the chief executive officer of Sealy Mattress Of Illinois and co-chair of National Bedding, died Mar. 28, 2011. He was 70. A member of Eclectic, he received his degree with distinction in history and received an MBA from Harvard University. In addition to his business pursuits, in the late 1980s he became concerned about the growth of economic inequality in America and focused his efforts on providing educational opportunities for the underserved children of Chicago. He was also a supporter of arts organizations in the Chicago area. Among those who survive are his wife, Anne Lerner Kaplan, his father, three children, nine grandchildren, a brother and a sister.

BERTOLD K.G. PUCHTLER, 71, who worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska Area Native Health Service for more than 25 years, died Apr. 18, 2008. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he received his degree with honors. After receiving a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, he was part of the first Peace Corps group in Nepal. He then worked for U.S.A.I.D. in Laos before moving to Alaska. At age 67 he became a certified snowboard instructor. Survivors include two sons, a grandson, a brother, and his former wife, Catherine Short.

FREDERICK M. KOHN, 72, a retired guidance counselor and accountant, died Feb. 26, 2006. He received a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia University. Among those who survive are his wife, Anita Schulman Kohn, two sons, four grandchildren, and a brother.

RUSSELL H. KNISEL, 76, the retired vice chairman of Shawmut/Fleet Bank and a Wesleyan trustee from 1973 to 1976, died Apr. 30, 2010. He was a member of Gamma Psi and began his career with Connecticut General Insurance before transitioning into the banking industry. A longtime chairman of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, he served on several community boards. Among those who survive are his wife, Diane Taylor Knisel, four children, and nine grandchildren.

MARK R. KRAVITZ, 62, a prominent New Haven, Conn., attorney and specialist in First Amendment and appellate law, who was appointed as a U.S. District Judge in 2003, and who received a Distinguished Alumnus award in 2012, died Sept. 30, 2012. A member of Psi Upsilon, he received his degree magna cum laude and with high honors, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, he clerked for the Honorable James Hunter III in the Third Circuit and later for the Honorable Justice William Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court. He then joined the firm of Wiggin & Dana, where he worked for 27 years, eventually building and serving as Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group. In 2003 he was nominated as a U.S. District Judge and was sworn in by Chief Justice Rehnquist. During the course of a nine-year career he wrote more than 700 opinions, an extraordinary achievement. He was extremely proud of his work on the Standing Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure in the United States Court, and he chaired the Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Civil Rules. Involved in numerous community activities and boards, he was a founding director of the Friends of Yale Children’s Hospital and the Connecticut Food Bank. The Connecticut Bar Foundation recently created a symposium series in his honor. He taught at the University of Connecticut Law School, Yale Law School, and the University of Melbourne (Australia) Graduate School of Law, and also enjoyed mentoring aspiring lawyers and law clerks. Survivors include his wife, Wendy Evans Kravitz; three children, including Jennifer E. Kravitz ’00; and three grandchildren.