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.

CHARLES J. KREINER, 57, a consultant for social service and educational seminars, and a former dancer with Sonomama Improvisation Dance Theater, died Feb. 19, 2007. A College of Letters student who graduated with honors, he served as an assistant dean at Wesleyan and a faculty fellow at West College. He was also a gifted photographer.

JOHN K. KNIGHT, 72, a retired computer systems manager with Toyota Tsusho America, died June 6, 2006. He was a member of Sigma Nu and earned a master’s degree from Columbia. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He is survived by his wife, Caroline Maury Knight, three children, four grandchildren, and a sister.

John D. Ketcham ’70 passed away May 11, 2006, Kinnelon, N.J., from the effects of cancer of the pancreas. He was raised in Westfield, N.J. His father, Frank, was a Wesleyan graduate, Class of 1936 and captain of the football team. John had four siblings, iincluding another Wesleyan graduate, his brother Mike ’67, who was captain of the swim. Team.

John graduated from Westfield High School in 1966, an All-American High School Swimmer in a number of events; Eastern Interscholastic Swimming Champion in multiple events; and at the millennium was voted onto the 1960’s decade team of best swimmers in New Jersey.

While at Wesleyan, he majored in economics and was a member and treasurer of Delta Tau Delta. He earned his varsity swimming letter in his sophomore, junior and senior years, and was team captain senior year. He held numerous team and pool records, many of which stood for years after his graduation. He won New England titles in multiple events and excelled in the backstroke, winning the small college nationals (now Division III) three years running and placing second in the Division I nationals in his junior year. He was named New England Swimmer of the Year in March 1970.

After graduation John went to Hong Kong to work in a YMCA camp, returning to the States to get his MBA from The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth. After a stint with Price Waterhouse, he joined his father’s accounting practice in Westfield, N.J.

John raised his four children in Kinnelon, N.J. Three of these were with his first wife, whom he had met in Hong Kong, and his youngest child was from his second marriage, to Jody Davis, who is also from Westfield, N.J.

Throughout his life, John stayed very active with the YMCA, having grown up swimming at the Westfield YMCA (particularly Frost Valley YMCA). Additionally he served on a number of boards and volunteered in programs throughout his community.

He built his father’s business into a thriving tax/accounting practice in northern New Jersey, which his one son, Steve, has joined in the past several years. John also became very accomplished in home construction, through his renovation and addition projects over the years.

John stayed a self-effacing, honest, straight forward and loyal friend to the end?always more concerned about others than himself. Over the final months, his many Wesleyan friends came back together, culminating in an overflow crowd at his memorial service on May 20, 2006, at which John would have been quite uncomfortable being the center of attention.

He is survived by his wife, Jody, four children, five grandchildren and four siblings.

LAWRENCE L. JONES III, 77, an attorney, land developer, and nationally recognized professional magician and performer, died Aug. 24, 2003. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he received a law degree from the University of Virginia. He retired as an attorney with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs in Louisville, Ky. During the 1960s he performed on television shows and later opened a magic performance theater in Louisville. Among those who survive are his wife, Deede, six children, eight grandchildren, and a sister.