JOHN M. NELSON ’53

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 ’53

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 ’53

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 ’53

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. ’53

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

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 ’53

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.

WILLIAM W. ELLIS ’53

William W. Ellis, 78, a longtime salesman for the Reynolds Metals Co., died Sept. 16, 2008. He was a member of Psi Upsilon and was recently named to the Wesleyan University Athletics Hall of Fame, as a member of the 1952 track team and captain of the 1953 track team. He placed first in the 100– and 220–yard dashes at the 1953 All Collegiate New England meet. A veteran of the Army, he served in France during the 1950s. Among those who survive are four brothers.

DAVID S. DUNAVAN ’53

DAVID S. DUNAVAN, a retired electro-optical engineer, died Dec. 21, 2003 at age 72. The son of the late Caryl C. Dunavan ’22, he received a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was also a U.S. Navy veteran. An avid sailor and environmentalist, he was a longtime member of the Norwalk (Conn.) Harbor Management Commission. He is survived by his wife, Sally B. Dunavan; a son; and two daughters, including Caryl Dunavan ’85.

JOHN A. DAVIDSON ’53

JOHN A. DAVIDSON, the retired proprietor of Goodsports and Company, and a retired principal in the firm of Davidson and Bigelow, Inc., died May 5, 2008, at age 77. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. He is survived by his wife, Joan Griffiths Davidson, three children, five grandchildren, a brother, and a sister.