Obituaries

NICHOLAS W. WALTNER, an investment banker, died Aug. 6, 2016, as a result of complications from an auto accident. He was 52. At Wesleyan he majored in German and Physics. After graduation he started a successful career in investment banking, working for Paine Webber before attending the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. After business school he joined Salomon Brothers, where he spent much of his career. Later, he also worked for Citigroup and Banc of America Securities. His career took him around the world and he lived in New York, Zurich, and Tokyo. He was fluent in German, Japanese, and Spanish. An avid endurance athlete, he competed in ultra-endurance events, biked alone across the U.S., and raced in multiple triathlons. In 2002 he and his family moved back to Seattle, where he led several real estate and investment ventures, studied for his degree in computational linguistics at the University of Washington, and was active in the Catholic Church. Among those who survive are his wife, Silvia Coxe Waltner; three children, including Olivia Waltner ’20; his brother; and a large extended family.

SARAH RACHEL NAZIMOVA-BAUM, 52, an art therapist, interfaith hospital chaplain, and spiritual director, died Mar. 2, 2016. An art history major who was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, she combined her interests in psychology and art by earning a master’s degree in art therapy at New York University. She practiced at North Central Bronx Hospital and at other programs in New York, often focusing on geriatric populations. She then became interested in spirituality and studied chaplaincy. She interned as an interfaith hospital chaplain before running the New York Intern Program, an AmeriCorps service program in Harlem. There she supervised and mentored recent college graduates in a program combining social services, spiritual growth, and intentional community. Following that, at the time she was diagnosed with the cancer to which she later succumbed, she was counseling people experiencing life crises for LifeNet, at the Mental Health Association of New York City. She earned a second master’s, in spiritual direction, at the General Theological Seminary, and became a spiritual director. She co-founded the Spiritual Arts Practice, in which people were invited to make art with prayer and to pray through making art. In addition to her husband, Mark Nazimova, her son survives, as do her mother, her brother, her in-laws, and a very large extended family.

NANCY MYRON CROWN, a senior vice president at Bank of America who developed affordable housing around the U.S., died June 11, 2016. She was 54. After receiving a degree from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business, she began her career in Chicago with National Westminster Bank and later at First Chicago and the City of Chicago Department of Housing before moving to Charlotte, N.C., in 1997 to work for NationsBank/Bank of America. At the Bank of American Community Development Corporation she developed affordable housing in cities around the country, and the impact on these cities will be one of her lasting legacies. She also served on multiple committees at her church and was on the boards of several community organizations. Just prior to her sudden passing, her frustration with the divisive political climate in the U.S. drove her to found, with her sisters, a grassroots effort named Bridge the Political Divide, which was meant to encourage civil political discourse and increased bipartisanship and compromise. She is survived by her very close family: two children, three sisters, four nieces and nephews, and an aunt.

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From the family: Nancy Myron Crown, the devoted and fabulous mother of Molly and Sam, died suddenly on June 11, 2016. In addition to her children, Nancy is survived by her very close family; Jane Crown of Charlotte, NC, Susan Crown and Greg Toto and their children Katherine and George of Piedmont, CA and Mary Crown and William Ellis and their children Corson and Simon of Wellesley, MA, along with her 96-year old aunt, C. Elizabeth Crown of Media, PA. Nancy and her three sisters had a profound bond, facilitated by constant group texting and frequent calls. Their deep love and support to each other and their families has helped them deal with what ever challenges came their way. Nancy was born in Evanston, IL in 1962 to Joseph and Mary Lou Crown, and reared in Poughkeepsie, NY. She graduated from Wesleyan University and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business. She began her career in Chicago with National Westminster Bank and later at First Chicago and the City of Chicago Department of Housing before moving to Charlotte in 1997 to work for Nation’s Bank / Bank of America. Since then Nancy had her ideal job at Bank of America Community Development Corporation where she developed affordable housing in cities around the country. The impact on these communities will be one of her lasting legacies. Nancy had a fixed moral compass and a great and genuine interest in others. She was generous with her time, serving on multiple committees at her church, Holy Comforter, and on the boards of several community organizations, including the Charlotte Housing Authority. Just recently, her frustration with the divisive political climate in the country drove her to found, with her sisters, a grassroots effort to encourage civil political discourse and increased bipartisanship and compromise named Bridge the Political Divide. A voracious reader, Nancy could always be counted on for a good book recommendation. She had a wonderful sense of humor, loved Diet Coke, her dog Marty, but most of all, Nancy loved being a mom to Molly and Sam, who were, without a doubt, the greatest joy of her life. Nancy somehow helped everyone to be a better version of his or herself. Her large group of friends from the many times and aspects of her life is testament to this. Nancy was loved by many, will be missed by those who knew her well, and her passing is a great loss to those who had not yet had the privilege of knowing her. It was always a gift to be in her presence.. In lieu of flowers, please consider signing the petition at BridgeThePoliticalDivide.com. Charitable donations can be made to Loaves and Fishes, Charlotte, NC.

 

PAULA BLANK, a longtime professor of English at William & Mary College, died Aug. 21, 2016. She was 57. A professor at William & Mary since 1992, she was internationally known for her scholarship in Early Modern English. She specialized in Shakespeare, Renaissance poetry and poetics, linguistics and literature, Renaissance gender and sexuality. She was the recipient of fellowships from the National Humanities Center (two times), from the Folger Shakespeare Library (two times), and from the American Council of Learned Societies. A highly respected educator on her campus, in 2010 she received the annual Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence, and she served as the Margaret L. Hamilton Professor of English. She had also served on the Modern Language Association’s executive committee and on the advisory board for the publications of the Modern Language Association. Her child, Jae S. Aron ’11, and her former husband, Paul D. Aron ’78, survive.

SETH GELBLUM, 62, an attorney for the Broadway theater and the first attorney to receive the Tony Honor award, died Aug. 8, 2016. He was the son of Morris R. Gelblum of the class of 1943. After graduation he lived in New York and worked for several film producers before returning to school and receiving a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1982. Starting at the boutique firm of Frankfurt Garbus Klein & Selz, and ending at Loeb & Loeb LLP, he became one of the leading attorneys for the Broadway theater, representing the top ranks of actors, directors, designers, producers and investors. In 2013 he became the first attorney to be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from New Dramatists, a leading developer of new playwrights, where he served as Board Chair for 20 years. In 2016 he became the first attorney to received a Tony Honor, given by the American Theater Wing to people working in areas not eligible for Tony Awards. In addition, he served for more than 25 years on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for Children, which provides free services to children in foster care. He was also one on the founders and Board members of the Canavan Foundation, which supported research that identified the gene that caused the disease that ended the life of his daughter, Morgan, making it possible to develop an accurate carrier test. Survivors include his wife, Orren J. Alperstein; two surviving children; two brothers, including Robert R. Gelblum ’72 and Peter B. Gelblum ’73; one sister; and a large extended family, including a niece, Olivia Alperstein ’14.

DAVID A. KLATELL, a broadcast journalist, and a leader and professor at the Columbia University School of Journalism, died Aug. 11, 2016. He was 68. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he became a broadcast journalist after graduating with a degree in Film and Asian Studies. He won awards as an editor and producer of news and public affairs programs for WCBV-TV in Boston and as an independent documentary producer. From 1974 to 1993 he was the program director, department chair, and director of the School of Journalism at Boston University, at which time he joined the faculty of Columbia University, where he first was tasked with redesigning the School’s broadcast curriculum, among other responsibilities. During his 26 years at Columbia, he was at the forefront of training new journalists at the school and at institutes around the world in the changing ways of delivering information. He taught broadcast news reporting, digital reporting, new business models (especially focused on start-ups and mobile video platforms) in journalism, and ethics. His teaching in recent years had been on the disruption of the television news industry, and on converging media and the business models needed to sustain them. Most recently, he devised and taught a class, “Reinventing TV News,” where students worked with major broadcast and video enterprises on rethinking news formats, delivery systems and business models. In 2002 he was named acting dean of the journalism school and later served as vice dean. A recognized international expert on the development and management of journalism education and training programs, he advised schools and professional organizations in more than 20 countries, including new initiatives in Jordan, India, Kenya, Brazil, and Hungary. The co-author of two books about the business relationships between television and sports, his articles have also been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other major newspapers and magazines. He served for many years as chairman of the jury for the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards in broadcast journalism. As a professional consultant he advised the development of television news organizations in Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and China. He also served as director of international station development for New York Times Television and Video News International. In addition, he was a consultant to broadcast media throughout the United States. He died in New York City just days after being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. Among those who survive are his wife, Nancy Lauter; two daughters; three grandchildren; his nephews, James M. Klatell ’99 and Jeremy N. Klatell ’00; and a cousin, Benjamin H. Fuchs ’11.

MICHAEL BOTEIN, 71, a professor at New York Law School and the director and founder of the Media Center, died Aug. 3, 2016. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi. After receiving his J.D. degree from Cornell University in 1969, he received an L.L.M. in 1972 from Columbia University and a J.S.D., also from Columbia, in 1979. A scholar in telecommunications, cable television and regulation, he was the author of multiple treatises, casebooks and articles, and shared his expertise as a Fulbright Senior Scholar and a visiting professor in law schools around the world. His wife, Kris Fischer, survives, as do two children, including Elizabeth Botein Walker ’99; their spouses, including his son-in-law, Ike Walker ’99; and four grandchildren.

SPURGEON L. (Lee) ROBINETTE III, a journalist, public relations specialist, and drummer for Gary and the Wombats, died June 5, 2016, at age 73. A member of Beta Theta Pi, he received his degree cum laude and with honors in English from the College of Letters. In 1967 he received an M.S. from Columbia University. During the middle and late 1960s he worked for several news and international trade organizations in New York City and Seattle. In 1969 he joined Weyerhaeuser Company’s communications department and worked at their Washington headquarters before transferring to Hot Springs, Ark., in 1980. He retired as the corporate communications director in the South for Weyerhaeuser in 2006. He was a lifelong, accomplished rock ‘n’ roll drummer who played several times each year with Gary and the Wombats, his college band. Preceded in death by his wife, Venda, he is survived by four sons and a loving and extended circle of family and friends.

DAVID G. ALLEN, M.D., 75, a retired oncologist, died May 23, 2016. He was a member of Eclectic and received his M.D. degree from Duke University in 1967. After an internship at Duke, he entered the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1969 to 1971. He then completed a fellowship in oncology at the University of Michigan and joined the Pinehurst Medical Clinic as the first board-certified oncologist in Moore County, N.C. In retirement he continued to make patient care visits and oversaw the clinic laboratory. In 1979 he co-founded, with a local clergyman, Sandhills Hospice, now FirstHealth Hospice and Palliative Care. For this, the governor of North Carolina awarded him the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. In the last days of his life, he was served by the organization he founded and championed. Among those who survive are his wife, Kathleen Allen, a son, his sister, and many friends.

DIRCK E. WESTERVELT, 75, a retired social worker who worked for years counseling at-risk youth, died Mar. 18, 2016. A member of Delta Sigma, he received his degree with distinction in history and later received an MSW from the Hunter College School of Social Work. His social work career was prompted by his early commitment to civil rights and social justice, which started as a participant in a lunch counter sit-in in the South as a college student. He worked for more than two decades for New York State’s Office of Mental Health, specializing in the treatment of adolescents, including incarcerated youth and young adults. He also volunteered for years as a counselor for Vietnam veterans. He had a lifelong passion for the history, culture, art and architecture of the Middle East, and he attended the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. As part of that graduate program he moved his young family to Saudi Arabia for a year to study in an Islamic culture. He had a love of the outdoors as well. Survivors include his three children, four grandchildren, his sister, and his former spouse, Joanne Westervelt.

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Dirck E. Westervelt, a retired psychiatric social worker, who worked for years counseling at-risk youth, died March 18 in Brewster, MA. The cause was complications of congestive heart failure. He was 75.

Mr. Westervelt was born in Schenectady, NY and had been a longtime resident of New York’s Hudson River Valley before moving to Cape Cod in 2014. He worked for more than two decades for New York State’s Office of Mental Health, specializing in the treatment of adolescents, including incarcerated youth and young adults. He also volunteered for years as a counselor for Vietnam veterans.

A 1962 graduate of Wesleyan University with a B.A. in History, Dirck always encouraged intellectual and geographic exploration. He had a lifelong passion for the history, culture, art, and architecture of the Middle East, and attended the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

As part of that graduate program, he moved his young family to Saudi Arabia for a year to study in an Islamic culture. That was when goats still roamed the dusty streets of Riyadh, before the oil boom. He once hitchhiked to Rome to see the Pope installed, and traveled widely throughout his life, including to the Middle East, Asia, North Africa, Central America, and Europe.

Dirck later earned an MSW from Hunter College in New York and began his social work career. This interest grew out of his early commitment to civil rights and social justice which started as a participant in a lunch counter sit-in the Deep South as a college student.

Dirck grew up camping, canoeing and fishing in upstate New York, particularly the Adirondack Mountains. That instilled in him a love of the outdoors that he passed on to his three children. He rafted whitewater rivers in New England and across the West including the Grand Canyon. In addition to Cape Cod, his other passions included collecting Asian and Middle Eastern art, cabochons, and exotic knives; sailing; gourmet food and ice cream.

He is survived by his children: Lisa Westervelt of Provincetown, MA, Gerrit Westervelt of Denver, CO, Eric Westervelt of Berkeley, CA; his sister Deidre Westervelt of Savannah, GA; as well as grandchildren: Aidan, Evan, Olivia, Zuzu and former spouse Joanne Westervelt of Schenectady, NY.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in any amount be made in his name to Doctors Without Borders donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/tribute.cfm or to the Sierra Club sierraclub.org/giving/commemorative-gifts

A private family burial will take place at Vale Cemetery in Schenectady, NY. A memorial celebration of his life is planned for early summer on Cape Cod.

Expressions of condolence for the family may be left in the guest book at gatelyfuneralservice.com.