Tag: 1950

The Right Reverend ROBERT G. THARP, former Episcopal Bishop of East Tennessee, died May 30, 2003. He was 74. A member of Sigma Chi, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He received a master’s degree in divinity and a doctorate in canon law from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary; he also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the University of the South, of whose Board of Trustees he had been a member. Among those who survive are his wife, Ann Bradford Tharp, two children, four grandchildren, a sister, four stepchildren, and five step-grandchildren.

JOHN PERRY STRANG ’50, an award-winning photographer and director, died Mar. 25, 2012, at age 85. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After further study at the University of Tulsa, the University of Houston, and New York University, he became a freelance photographer for national magazines. He later worked as a photographer and director in film and television. His short film, A Poem of Life, is in the Permanent Collection of the Library of Congress. He also established a nonprofit organization, Huguenot Heritage, to research and inform the public about the contributions of the descendants of the Huguenots, and he was active in professional societies. Survivors include a daughter, Suzanne Lightbourn, and two granddaughters.

CHARLES L. STEVENS JR., who retired as an attorney for United States Steel Corporation, died Dec. 15, 2011. He was 84 and was a U.S. Navy veteran. A member of Eclectic, he received his degree with honors. After receiving his law degree from Harvard Law School, he spent most of his working life with U.S. Steel. He was married for 39 years to Nancy Jones Stevens. Among those who survive are five children, eight grandchildren, his sister, and his companion of 20 years, Connie Lambert.

ROBERT L. STEARNS, professor emeritus of physics at Vassar College and a pioneer in the field of hyper–nuclear physics, died July 13, 2009. He was 82. The son of Carl L. Stearns of the class of 1917, who taught astronomy at Wesleyan for many years, he was a member of Phi Nu Theta (Eclectic). He received his degree with honors and with distinction in physics, and was elected to Sigma Xi. He received both a master’s degree and a PhD from the Case Institute of Technology. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army. In 1958 he joined the physics faculty at Vassar College and served as chairman of the physics and astronomy department, as well as dean of freshmen, before retiring as professor emeritus in 1993. He was the author of four books and numerous scientific articles. During the years 1957 to 1994, much of his research was done at Brookhaven National Laboratory; he was also a visiting scientist at CERN, the European nuclear physics laboratory, and at the Los Alamos (N.M.) National Laboratory. After 1980 his research shifted to pioneering work in the field of hyper–nuclear physics at Brookhaven, in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. Among those who survive are his wife, Frances Fowler Stearns; two sons, including Marshall Edward Stearns ’82; four grandchildren; and two sisters, Doris Stearns Swain, who is married to J.B. Swain V ’54, and Elva S. Creeger MA ’53, PhD ’74, wife of Professor Emeritus of English George R. Creeger.

JOSEPH D. SHAKESPEARE JR., an insurance executive with Aetna Life and Casualty for 38 years, died July 24, 2011, at age 83. He was a member of Chi Psi and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1980 the Insurance Information Institute honored him as Insurance Man of the Year. Among those who survive are his wife, Mary Ann Shakespeare, three sons, five grandsons, a stepdaughter, two step-grandsons, and his sister.

FREDERIC C. SCHNEEBERGER III, 76, owner of Schneeberger and Associates, died Feb. 22, 2005. He was a member of Chi Psi and served in the U.S. Army. An executive in the radiography and nondestructive testing equipment business, he was also an associate professor in the engineering technology program at Parks College of St. Louis University, where he won several awards. Predeceased by his wife, Dorothy Donovan Schneeberger, and by his brothers, Alan C. Schneeberger ’53 and Jon T. Schneeberger ’61, survivors include four children, 11 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, and a cousin.

Wilson A. Seibert, Jr., long-time resident of Chatham, MA and Naples, FL, died on April 20.

Wilson was the loving husband of Susan for 52 years. He was the beloved father of four children – Dena, Sara, Susan and Andrew – and four grandchildren.

Born in Brooklyn, Wilson was a World War II veteran and purple heart recipient. He graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT in 1950, where he was a member of DKE and Skull and Serpents, and was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1985 in recognition of outstanding achievement and service.

Mr. Seibert led creative teams at top advertising firms. He worked for J. Walter Thompson based in NYC for 33 years, rising from copy “cub” to Executive Vice President and Worldwide Creative Director. In 1982 he moved to Arnold & Company in Boston, retiring as Vice Chairman, Creative Services.

Mr. Seibert wrote with wit and wisdom, and his slogans and campaigns helped build the brands of America’s top companies. He volunteered his advertising skills, too, winning a Distinguished Public Service Award for his work with the American Lung Association (“It’s a Matter of Life and Breath”) and the Smithsonian Institution’s Public Service Award for his work with the United States Marine Corps (“The Marine’s Are Looking for A Few Good Men”, “The Few, the Proud, the Marines” and “We Don’t Promise You a Rose Garden”).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders USA, P.O. Box 1856, Merrifield, VA 22116-8056.

DANIEL L. ROBERTSON, 83, the former president of the Loomis and LaPann insurance agency in Glens Falls, N.Y., and a member of the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame, died Dec. 20, 2011. He was a member of Psi Upsilon and had many Wesleyan relatives, including his grandfather, Daniel L. Robertson of the class of 1878; his father, Alexander P. Robertson of the class of 1922; and his brother, the late John L. Robertson ’53. He worked at the Loomis and LaPann agency for his entire career and was also active in community affairs. His wife, Sara Smith Robertson, predeceased him. He is survived by two children; two grandsons, including Russell S. Follansbee ’09; a great-grandson; two sisters; two brothers, including Russell W. Robertson ’61, M.D.; and a large extended family.

PETER E. de JANOSI, an economist and the retired director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, died Feb. 16, 2011. He was 82. After receiving his degree with honors, he received master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. He was a member of Sigma Nu and was a New School for Social Research Board member. Survivors include his wife, Monica Reis de Janosi, and three children.