Obituaries

Gus Napier ’60 writes about his friend, James Alexander, Jr. ’60.

I vividly remember meeting Jim at Alpha Chi Rho, this big guy from the Bronx–tall, with a deep, booming voice that seemed to reverberate down into his very long legs; he had a crew cut and a steady, confident smile. Jim seemed inveterately friendly, full of energy and talk, and with a flair for the dramatic. He reached out to this shy kid from southern Georgia and he impressed him–among other ways–with his story of seeing man get caught halfway into a New York subway door just as the train was pulling out, and yanking the man free. The story makes a good metaphor for Jim: the rescuer, the giver; and the dramatist.

At Wesleyan Jim majored in religion, with minors in Spanish and biology. He was a swimmer, a member of Cardinal Key, and on the Freshman Orientation Committee. Joining after the initial pledge period, he was an enthusiastic member of AXP/EQV.

After graduating from Wesleyan in 1960, Jim went to medical school for a year (the rescuer), but his love of Theater (capital T) proved stronger, and he left to chase this dream. Singer, dancer and actor, he performed with Carol Burnett on the Garry Moore Show. For a couple of years he announced all the commercials for the Masters Golf Tournament, as well as doing numerous voice-over commercial spots. He also acted in soaps, including As the World Turns, and Days of Our Lives. He modeled in clothing, automobile, and cigarette advertisements, and appeared in Life magazine four times. He even appeared in a Frankenstein advertisement with Boris Karloff. Jim’s success in these public ventures got him invited twice to the White House for dinner–by Presidents Kennedy and Ford.

Running parallel with this theatrical side of Jim there was the giver and the helper. In 1962, while working as Assistant Director of Admissions/Recruiting at New York University, Jim wrote a proposal for a counseling department “model” that included the role of college consultant. The head of the counseling program at Highland Park High School (in Highland Park, Illinois) saw this proposal, and hired Jim to implement it. There, Jim created the oldest counseling resource center in the country, a center that helped students not only with college planning but with career planning and with the larger issues of the post-high school world.

In his 34 years at Highland Park, Jim was wellspring of energy and creativity. He created a system in which students saw one counselor for all four years; he was deeply committed to providing equal access to counseling for all students, including minority students and those with learning disabilities; he pioneered the use of the computer in providing college and career information and referral. He visited countless colleges, made hundreds of speeches, consulted widely, and was a tireless advocate for Highland Park and its students. Jim worked with students’ families in doing long-term educational financial planning. He also tried to bring a healthy “reality dose” to the counseling process. Jim believed that his varied experiences allowed him represent the larger world more accurately to students.

In his “spare time,” Jim coached the water polo team which he founded at Highland Park.

Jim’s innovative approaches to high school counseling brought him national recognition: he was active in the Illinois Association of College Admissions Counselors, which has created an award in his name; and he served as president of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors. He received a number of other citations and awards. The center Jim helped create at Highland Park is now named for him.

Jim was full of life, and he led a full life. He and Gita–the former Margareta Jarnstedt, who worked as an interior designer–had two children, James and Caryn. Jim was extremely devoted to and proud of his family. He and Gita also bought and renovated and sold real estate; collected antiques (the couple owned and ran a small antiques business in Illinois). Jim painted (in oils), loved music, antiques, travel, his friends, his family.

In 2000, Jim and Gita retired to Hendersonville, N.C., which is also near the renowned Flat Rock Playhouse. The last time I saw Jim (I live in nearby Brevard) was at a party he and Gita gave to celebrate the expansion and renovation of their house. Jim knew he was very ill; he couldn’t wait to show the unfinished project to his friends. He led us around the house, his expansive gestures filling in their dreams of new rooms, new surfaces, new spaces. He talked the whole time; you could hear his booming voice all over the house.

Jim died on December 19, 2004, of leukemia. I am only one of a huge number of people who miss him.

FATIMAH ALI, a radio host and Philadelphia Daily News columnist, died Jan. 23, 2012. She was 56. Known for her views as an advocate of social justice, she was also associated with a newspaper written and edited by the homeless. Survivors include her former husband, State Senator Vincent Hughes; her most recent partner, Natu Ali; five children; two grandchildren; and her sister. Her second husband, A. Brahin Ahmaddiya, predeceased her.

J. DANFORD ANTHONY JR., a preeminent tax attorney, former member of the Wesleyan Alumni Council, and active volunteer for charitable institutions in the Hartford, Conn., area, died Apr. 1, 2012, at age 76. A member of Beta Theta Pi, and the son of Julian D. Anthony of the class of 1928, he received his law degree from Harvard University. He served in the air wing of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. After clerking for a U.S. Tax Court judge, he joined the Hartford, Conn., law firm of Day, Berry, and Howard and was made a partner in 1971. He remained with the firm until his retirement in 2004, specializing in the tax treatment of financial intermediaries, tax-exempt organizations, and public financings. Admitted to practice in numerous courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, he served on many professional committees nationwide. He was emeritus director and former chairman of the board of the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, as well as director and trustee of many Hartford area charitable and cultural institutions.  He also sang in the Hartford Chorale for a number of years. Among those who survive are his wife, Nora Brown Anthony, three children, three grandchildren, his brother, and several nieces and nephews, including Susan H. Anthony ’87.

A a retired attorney, died Oct. 28, 2012, at age 73. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he received his degree with distinction in government. He received an LLB from the University of Pittsburgh and an LLM from Georgetown University. After a career in the U.S. and London, he retired in 2000 as general counsel for Kaiser Aluminum. He then became an avid genealogist. Survivors include his wife, Marcia Mann Butler, three children, and his brother.

LATHAM L. ALLISON, 74, a retired executive with United Technologies Corporation who led numerous nonprofit agencies in the Hartford, Conn., area, died Aug. 14, 2008. He was a member of Phi Nu Theta (now Ec), received his degree with honors, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving an MBA from Harvard University, he served in the U.S. Army. When he retired from his corporate career, where he served in senior financial and strategic planning positions, he devoted his time to community service, as well as personal interests. In 1994 he went back to school to earn a master’s degree in economics at the University of Connecticut to better inform his community work. His last major project was the development of the Asylum Hill Boys and Girls Club, which opened in 2004. He is survived by his wife, Margot Rusch Allison, four children, six grandchildren, two sisters, and his in–laws.

STEWART ATKINSON JR., M.D., 82, a retired ophthalmologist, died Nov. 8, 2006. A member of Psi Upsilon, he received a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee and his medical degree from the University of Vermont. Among those who survive are his wife, Jane Limburg Atkinson, three children, and five grandchildren.

MICHAEL J. AUGER, an attorney and principal of the Law Offices of Michael J. Auger in Farmington, Conn., died Oct. 26, 2010. He was 51. A member of Chi Psi, he received his law degree from Western New England College. He was an avid sports fan and coached his children’s teams. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Ostroski Auger, his parents, his son and daughter, three sisters, and an extended family.

ANDREW I.K. WEBER, 34, who had worked as a marketing coordinator for a financial firm, died Jan. 17, 2012. His mother, Sylvia Weber, and many aunts, uncles and cousins survive.

JORDAN S. GREENBERG, 30, a systems analyst at Morgan Stanley, died Feb. 1, 2008. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he majored in philosophy. He is survived by his parents and sister, Jennifer Greenberg ’01.

TARAS PETROVICH GAPOTCHENKO, 26, died April 12, 2005 of complications from cancer. An economics major at Wesleyan, he received his master’s degree from the university in Earth and Environmental Sciences. Survivors include his father and a niece.