Obituaries

DAVID W. RALSTON, an attorney, entrepreneur, and orchardist, died Jan. 10, 2017. He was 81. He was a member of Sigma Chi and received his degree with distinction in government. After receiving his law degree from Columbia University he worked for the Small Business Administration and then joined a private practice of law. In 1970 he formed Ralston and Mannion. For most of his married life, he lived in Reston, Va., where he was a community leader, serving for many years on the board of the Reston Community Association, and on the board of the Fellowship Square Foundation, a Reston nonprofit that owns and manages retirement communities in the Reston area. He was also an entrepreneur and was instrumental in founding a local bank and a savings and loan association. Additionally, he was a restaurateur, a real estate developer, and finally an orchardist, with an apple and peach orchard in West Virginia. His wife, Bridget Ryan Ralston, survives, as do three sons; four grandchildren; Diana Ralston, the mother of two of his grandchildren; his brother, Peter A. Ralston ’58; and a large extended family.

JOHN L. PEAKES, an actor who co-founded the BoarsHead Theater in Lansing, Mich., died Jan. 26, 2017. He was 83. A member of Alpha Tau Omega, he served in the U.S. Navy after graduation. On leave from the Navy, he attended a few plays in New York City and realized that the theater was his prime interest. After his discharge, he attended the Boston Conservatory while teaching at Plymouth Academy, but moved to New York City, where he worked in theater. He then went to Tufts University, where he acted in and directed many productions, and received a master’s degree. After a short time at the University of Iowa, he and several friends moved to Michigan and ran two small regional theaters. In 1976 they moved to the newly built BoarsHead Theater, where he remained until his retirement in 2003. In retirement, he moved to the Philadelphia area and continued to perform there. Predeceased by one son, among those who survive are his wife, Judith Peakes; his former wife, Constance Brown Peakes; one son; two grandsons; two stepchildren; his sister; and several nieces and nephews, including Eli U. Kendall ’11.

LARRY SHAPIRO, the retired head of American Paper & Supply Company, died Sept. 5, 2016, at age 81. He was the brother of P. Peter Sheppe of the class of 1953. A member of Eclectic, he served in the U.S. Army as a radio operator in London. He headed American Paper & Supply for more than 45 years. An avid sports fan, he was also a voracious reader. He is survived by his wife, Diana Richman Shapiro, two children, and one grandson.

RICHARD P. BURRAGE, a utilities executive, died Mar. 24, 2016. He was 82. A member of Delta Tau Delta, after graduation he joined the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, which later became Verizon, and spent his entire career there. In 1956 he was drafted and spent two years in the U.S. Army. Upon rejoining C&P, he became assistant vice president, engineering, for the mid-Atlantic region. He retired in 1990. A passionate reader, he spent much time volunteering for his local library, as well as for the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts, where he served in multiple capacities through the years. Survivors include his wife, Suzanne Fuller Burrage, two children, including Gregg R. Burrage ’82, and four grandchildren.

MARSHALL F. UMPLEBY, a retired educator and an author, died Oct. 16, 2016, at age 83. He was the son of Marshall L. Umpleby of the class of 1924 and the nephew of Arthur B. Umpleby of the class of 1926. A member of Chi Psi, he became a U.S. Navy aviator in 1953 and flew fighter jets from the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Kearsarge. He remained in the Naval Reserve for 20 years, retiring as Commander. After the Navy he remained in California, earned a secondary teaching certificate from San Francisco State University, and taught English at Burlingame High School for 27 years. He earned a master’s degree from Stanford University in 1969 and was twice voted Teacher of the Year. In 1987 he became the principal of Mills High School in Millbrae, Calif., where he remained until his retirement in 1993. Active in Rotary, he continued his involvement after he moved to southern Oregon, where he was also involved with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In 2004 he realized a lifelong dream and published his first novel, On Falcon’s Wings. In 2007 he published a collection of short stories, Delayed Steal, inspired by his love of baseball. Survivors include his wife, Miriam Solomon Umpleby, and two daughters.

The Rev. JAMES B. SWAIN V, a United Methodist Church minister who served in India and the United States, died Nov. 28, 2016. He was 84. The son of Joseph R. Swain of the class of 1925 and the son-in-law of Carl L. Stearns, professor emeritus of mathematics and astronomy at Wesleyan, he was a member of the John Wesley Club. He received his degree with honors and with distinction in creative writing, and later received a degree in divinity from Yale University and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. An ordained minister of the United Methodist Church, he served in northern India for 13 years, where he taught graduate level English literature. He pastored churches in Connecticut and in northern Illinois. Passionate about community mental health services, in retirement he chaired the advisory board of River Valley Services in Middletown, Conn., for many years. He also enjoyed writing poetry, painting, singing and cooking. Among those who survive are his wife, Doris Stearns Swain, three children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

JAMES DUNHAM, a business owner and entrepreneur, died Jan. 18, 2017, one day after his 86^th birthday. He was a member of Delta Upsilon and received an MBA from Syracuse University, after which he returned to Wellsboro, Penna., to join the family business, Dunham’s Department Store. He directed the Wellsboro Men’s Chorus for more than 40 years and was also an accomplished cornet player. Baseball was another passion and he attended Fantasy Baseball camps. A member of Rotary, he was a past president and a Paul Harris Fellow, in addition to many other community endeavors. Survivors include his wife, Miriam Davis Dunham, four children, five stepchildren, 19 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, two brothers, and two nieces.

WILLIAM W. CHRISTOPHER, an actor who played Father Mulcahy on M*A*S*H in addition to numerous other roles, died Dec. 31, 2016. He was 84. A member of Sigma Chi, he was a U.S. Army veteran. He began his career in regional plays and later had roles in off-Broadway plays. When he moved to California he pursued guest-star roles on television series, including The Andy Griffith Show, Death Valley Days, The Patty Duke Show, and Good Times. He had recurring roles not only on Gomer Pyle, but also That Girl and Hogan’s Heroes. In 1972 he succeeded another actor in playing the Rev. Francis John Patrick Mulcahy on M*A*S*H*. That became his best-known role. After M*A*S*H* went off the air in 1983, he played Father Mulcahy on the two-season spinoff, AfterMASH. He also had several film credits, including The Fortune Cookie, The Shakiest Gun in the West, and With Six You Get Eggroll. More recently, he was seen on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, in a recurring role in 2012, again as a man of the cloth. His wife, Barbara O’Connor Christopher, survives, as do two sons.

RICHARD G. BERTINI, M.D., a retired orthopedist in Rhode Island and former trustee of Talladega College, died Jan. 27, 2017, at age 84. He was a member of Sigma Nu and received his degree with honors. After graduating from Albany Medical College, he trained as an orthopedic surgeon and went on to practice orthopedics in Pawtucket (R.I.) Memorial Hospital for more than 40 years. He was chief of the Department of Orthopedics before retiring in 1999. Upon retirement he received the Emeriti Award from the Brown University School of Medicine. He served Talladega College for 14 years in multiple chairs on the Board. He was also a past president of both the Rhode Island Medical Society and the Pawtucket Medical Association, and he was honored with the Dr. Charles L. Hill Award in 1996. A volunteer in his community, he also helped in Haiti and in the former Soviet Union through various programs. His wife, Lois D. Higgins Bertini, survives, as do three children, five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, his sister, and a niece and nephew.

JOHN R. PARSONS, the founder of Parsons, McKee & Company, and a long-tenured member of the American Academy of Actuaries, died Jan. 27, 2017. He was 85. A member of Sigma Nu, he received his degree with honors and served in the U.S. Army ordnance corps from 1953 to 1955, after which he began his 50-year career as an actuary. In addition to founding Parsons, McKee, he was a long-tenured member of the American Academy of Actuaries and was known as an expert on pension plans. He also volunteered in his community. His wife, Mona Violette Parsons, predeceased him. Among those who survive are his wife, Joyce Parsons, five children, 12 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.