Obituaries

FRANK B. WILLIAMS, who retired as special assistant to the president and associate professor of education at Gettysburg (Pa.) College, died Jan. 16, 2008. He was 74. A member of Eclectic, he received an MAT from Wesleyan and a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught for several years and then joined the staff at Swarthmore College as associate dean of admissions and director of financial aid. From 1966 to 1979 he was dean of students at Gettysburg College and served in several administrative and advisory capacities there. In 1981 he was appointed to a new position as dean of student life and educational services, and from 1990 until his retirement in 1995 he was special assistant to the president as well as associate professor of education. One son predeceased him. Among those who survive are his wife, Suzanne Hermann Williams; three children, including Laurel Williams Wise ’95; five grandchildren; and his brother.

The first-born child of Elmo Riley Willard, III and Patricia Ann Willard, Elmo Michael Willard, was born on November 17, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois–his mother’s hometown. As a newborn, Michael moved with his parents to Washington, DC, where his father began law school. His first three years were spent in the nation’s capital.

In 1954, the young family relocated to Beaumont, Texas, and shortly thereafter, Michael began school at Our Mother of Mercy Elementary. In 1965, following completion of the eighth grade, he embarked upon an illustrious four years at Hebert High School. During his time there, Michael participated in numerous activities including debate, junior varsity basketball and his true passion, golf. In his senior year, Michael was co-captain of the varsity golf team. His success at Hebert, however, was not confined solely to extracurricular activities, for he was inducted into the National Honor Society during his junior year. The following year, 1969, Michael was graduated from high school as a National Achievement Scholar.

As a result of his scholastic standing, Michael was recruited by Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut,–a part of what is referred to as the “Little Ivy League”–and was awarded a partial scholarship. His appearance in Connecticut was noteworthy. Michael was part of the newly burgeoning wave of African-American students attending Ivy League colleges for the first time in large numbers in the nation’s history. He helped open the doors of opportunity to African-Americans for generations to come. In 1973, Michael was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University.

Upon graduation, Michael returned to the city of his earliest years by enrolling in Georgetown University Law Center located in Washington, DC. But law was not to be his calling, and soon after Michael returned to his hometown of Beaumont.

After deep reflection, Michael decided that he needed a complete change of direction. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1979. That proved to be both a blessing and a curse. Michael successfully completed basic training and was shipped to Germany for assignment. It was in Germany that his mental disability of schizophrenia was diagnosed. That illness would alter the course of his remaining years. Michael was twenty-eight.

The next several years were fraught with tension and discomfort as he fought to contain and understand the illness that was slowly gaining control of his life. It must be said that Michael fought valiantly. There were deep reserves of courage and strength within him.

In 1997, Michael moved to Houston where he found some measure of comfort and peace. He chose to live in a personal care home which allowed him independence while providing a safe and secure living environment. Michael garnered joy from the love of his family, his church and belief in God, and his newly formed friendships at The Gathering Place. Although his was not a life he would have chosen, he found contentment in his later years. Elmo Michael Willard departed peacefully in his sleep on Friday, January 21, 2005.

The gift of Michael’s life is celebrated by all whose lives he touched. He was preceded in death by his father, Elmo R. Willard, III, Esq. and is mourned by his mother, Patricia A. Willard; his brother, David A. Willard; his aunt, Shirley R. Simeon, PhD; his cousins, Percy Willard, Joyce Willard, Blandon Willard, Joy Willard, Nora Lee Alexander, Quentin C. Simeon, Mark J. Simeon, Lawrence Green, Monica Brown, Stephanie Campbell, Mary Quash, William Quash, Shawn Quash, Vaughn Quash, and many other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Michael’s memory to the Julie Rogers “Gift of Life” Program, PMB 46, 148 S. Dowlen Rd., Beaumont, TX 77707-9898.

JAN M. WOUTERS, a nuclear physicist who was associated with Los Alamos National Laboratory for much of his career, died Apr. 2, 2010. He was 56. After receiving his degree cum laude and with high honors, he received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. An accomplished musician, he played a Bach organ fugue at his Wesleyan Commencement. His specialty at Los Alamos was computer data analysis in physics. Survivors include his wife, Laura Moltz Wouters, two children, his mother, his brother, and his sister, Dr. Annemarie V. Wouters ’79.

ALBERT WEINSTEIN, M.D., a retired ophthalmologist, died Nov. 26, 2006, at age 74. He was a member of the John Wesley Club and received his medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine. A longtime member of the Trumbull-Monroe (Conn.) Health District, he had served as chair of the Trumbull Board of Health. Among those who survive are his wife, Helen Berger Weinstein; three sons, including Richard B. Weinstein ’85; two grandchildren; a brother; and a cousin, Edward Wasserman ’42, M.D.

DARYLE R. WALL, a writer and poet, died Apr. 22, 2007, at age 48. A writer for the United Negro College Fund and for Con Edison, at the time of his death he was working on a collection of poetry. His father predeceased him, and he is survived by his mother, Tina Wall, a sister, two godchildren, and a large extended family.

DWIGHT VAN de VATE JR. ’52, a retired professor of philosophy at the University of Tennessee, died Aug. 25, 2012, at age 84. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he enrolled at Wesleyan, where he was a member of Gamma Psi, received his degree with honors, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received both an MA and a PhD from Yale University. His career began at Florida State University; he then taught at the University of Mississippi and Memphis State University before he joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee, where he spent 33 years.

The author of numerous books and articles, he was also active in civic affairs and was an accomplished painter. He is survived by his wife, Anita Van de Vate, three children, two stepchildren, six grandchildren, his brother, and numerous nieces and nephews.

JOSEPH VEROFF, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and an eminent social psychologist, died Sept. 30, 2007. He was 77. A member of the John Wesley Club, he received his degree with high honors and with high distinction in psychology. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Sigma Xi. After receiving a master’s degree from Wesleyan, he received a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He taught at Princeton University before returning to the University of Michigan, where he spent 41 years on the faculty. He mentored numerous doctoral students and influenced U.S. policy regarding the provision of mental health services. His wide-ranging research included two large-scale studies of mental health in the U.S., numerous studies concerning motivational issues in determining behavior, a long-term study of marriage and marriage stability, and more recent studies on the topic of savoring. Survivors include his wife, Jody Bennett Veroff; five children, including Daniel Veroff ’81; ten grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

GEORGE B. von der LIPPE, 61, professor of German at St. Anselm College for 26 years, and chairman of the foreign language department, died Nov. 2, 2009. He received his PhD from Brown University, where he did groundbreaking literary detective work comparing Edgar Allan Poe and E.T.A. Hoffmann. The author of many scholarly articles, as well as a critical study of Martin Luther, he translated Max Schmeling’s autobiography and also an important World War II novel critical of the Nazi regime. Survivors include his son, his mother, and his former wife, Angela von der Lippe.

RICHARD H. VELAJ, M.D., a radiologist who specialized in neuroradiology, died Oct. 14, 2011, at age 52. He received his degree magna cum laude. After receiving his medical degree from Duke University, he trained at George Washington University and at Massachusetts General Hospital. He joined the Greenwich (Conn.) Radiological Group and the staff at Greenwich Hospital in 1990. In addition to Board certification in general radiology, he achieved additional Special Competence in neuroradiology. He was also a senior member of the Greenwich Hospital Peer Review Committee and president of the Greenwich Radiological Group. He is survived by his wife, Nicole Velaj, two daughters, his parents, and his brother.