Tag: 1953

WILLIAM T. PRYCE, a Foreign Service officer who served as ambassador to Honduras and as senior director for Latin America at the National Security Council, died July 11, 2006 at age 73. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in economics. He received a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, after which he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and then entered the Foreign Service. His posts included Mexico, the Soviet Union, and, Bolivia. In addition, he worked closely on developing and implementing U.S. policies toward Panama and Nicaragua. At the National Security Council, he was also involved in the resolution of the civil war in El Salvador. He retired in 1966 but continued to be involved in the North American Free Trade Agreement and other free-trade issues as vice president and head of Washington operations of the Council of the Americas. Among those who survive are his wife, Joan MacClurg Pryce; two sons, Jeffrey F. Pryce ’82 and Scott F. Pryce ’87; a daughter; five grandchildren; and a sister.

HECTOR F. PHELPS JR., an analyst and underwriter at The Hartford Insurance Group for 30 years, who was also an accomplished artist, singer, actor, director, and writer, died Nov. 18, 2010, at age 79. He received his degree with honors and with distinction in theater. A member of Gamma Psi, he served in the U.S. Army. He performed with the Simsbury (Conn.) Light Opera Company, was a soloist with the Hartford Choral Club, a member of the Mark Twain Masquers, and in 1971 helped to found the Trinity Episcopal Church theater group. He donated his extensive theater and film library to Wesleyan. Survivors include an aunt, several cousins, and many friends.

KENNETH G. ORVIS, 74, an attorney, died June 9, 2005. He was a member of Sigma Nu and received a law degree from Cornell University. A member of the law firm of Orvis and Orvis in Albany, N.Y., he later became counsel for the Rensselaer County Department of Social Services and did pro bono representation of court-appointed clients. He is survived by his wife, Caroline Comly Orvis, three children, six grandchildren, and a large extended family.

JOHN M. NELSON ’53, the retired chairman of the board of the TJX Companies, Inc, and a former Wesleyan trustee, died Jan. 21, 2013. He was 81. The son of Martin H. Nelson of the class of 1926 and the nephew of John D. Nelson of the class of 1931, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta and received his degree with honors. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he received an MBA from Harvard University. He joined the Norton Company as a sales trainee and rose through the ranks, becoming Chairman and CEO in 1988. After the company was acquired by Saint Gobain, he joined the Wyman Gordon Company, the second largest manufacturing firm in Worcester, Mass. In 1995 he became chairman of the board of the TJX Companies, after which the company acquired the Marshalls stores and started its European expansion.

He volunteered extensively in the Worcester community, served on many boards, and won numerous awards for his service. The recipient of several honorary degrees, he was also a co-founder and chairman of Commonwealth National Bank. He was a trustee of the University from 1978 to 1981, and he had also been chairman of the Alumni Council. In 1988 he received Wesleyan’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. Among those who survive are his wife, Linda Nelson; his daughter, Murrey E. Nelson ’81; his son; two stepdaughters; and six grandchildren. retired statistician with Uniroyal, died Nov. 15, 2012, at age 91. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. After his retirement he became an active community volunteer. Predeceased by his wife, Betty McFarland Norton, five children, eight grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and a sister survive.

JOSEPH H. MOLL, M.D., a retired orthopedist, died Jan. 22, 2006 at age 74. The son of Francis K. Moll ’24, he was a member of Sigma Nu and received a medical degree from the Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine. He served as an orthopedic surgeon in the U.S. Army for 15 years before going into private practice in Stuart, Fla. While in the Army he published articles and lectured; he also served in Vietnam and was awarded a Bronze Star. Survivors include his wife, Donna N. Moll; four daughters; two step-sons; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother, Francis K. Moll Jr. ’54, M.D.; and a nephew, Francis K. Moll III ’84, M.D.

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.

MITCHELL V. GREEN, a former manager for the Dennison Manufacturing Company, died Sept. 5, 2003 at age 72. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and was a U.S. Army veteran. Survivors include his wife, Sarah A. Green; his mother; two daughters; two grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

JOHN B. FARESE JR., 75, a stockbroker for Salomon Smith Barney in New York City, died May 8, 2006. A member of Chi Psi, he received a master’s degree from Wesleyan and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He is survived by four children, six grandchildren, a sister, and his companion, Jeanette McAllister.

DANIEL W. EASTMAN ’53, a retired geologist with Phillips Petroleum, died Nov. 30, 2012, at age 81. A member of Sigma Nu, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago. Survivors include his wife, Holly Wilcox Eastman, four children, seven grandchildren, and his sister.

MICHAEL A. EPSTEIN, 77, who had a long career on Wall Street and who was more recently a visiting scholar at MIT’s Laboratory for Financial Engineering, died Apr. 22, 2009. He was a member of Sigma Chi and served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Affiliated with Cowen and Company, he had also been on the Board of Governors of the American Stock Exchange and had served as a director, past president, and 30–year member of the Market Technicians Association and its foundation. Survivors include his wife, Erika Epstein, and five children.