In Memoriam, spring and summer 2024

Contact: Deanne Puca

The following are Western alumni and emeriti who passed away and were reported during winter 2024.

Alumni

  • Genevieve Dorothy (Jennings) Parker, CT '48, BS '54, MA '61, Feb. 27, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Janice Rexford (Pyle) Park, BA '50, MSLS '69, Jan. 19, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Karl Rainer Sandelin, BA '50, MA '53, Feb. 3, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Francis Leo Reidy, BS '51, MA '54, Jan. 25, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Philip Eugene Laven, BS '54, Feb. 7, 2024, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Lorna Jean (Barret) Pierre, BS '54, Jan. 18, 2024, Waterford, MI
  • Thomas Edward Coyne, BA '55, Jan. 14, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Michael James Dorgan, BBA '57, Jan. 24, 2024, Tucson, AZ
  • Nancy Robinson Woodruff, BA '60, Feb. 5, 2024, Waukesha, WI
  • John Henry Peruzze, BS '60, MA '66, March 11, 2024, Battle Creek, MI
  • Leslie Edwin Greene, MA '60, Jan. 4, 2024, Three Rivers, MI
  • Joyce M (Reynolds) Lewis, SC '60, Jan. 16, 2024, Wilbraham, MA
  • Lindsey Knox Wilhite, BA ‘61, MA ‘67, March 21, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Druvvaldis Liepins, BS ‘61, Sept. 7, 2022, Dublin, OH
  • Richard Carl MacKellar, AAM '62, Jan. 15, 2024, Lawton, MI
  • John Benjamin Ashby, BA '62, March 11, 2024, Marquette, MI
  • Donald Edgar Alsbro, BA '63, SpEd '79, Feb. 21, 2024, St. Joseph, MI
  • Thomas Dennis Bentley, BS '63, Jan. 3, 2024, Bloomfield HIlls, MI
  • John Richard Gray, BS '63, Jan. 5, 2024, Kannapolis, NC
  • Judy Lee (DeVries) Castro, BA '65, Feb. 5, 2024, Cedar Springs, MI
  • David Gernant, BA '65, Jan. 9, 2024, Argentina
  • Roy Joseph Secor, BA '65, MA '68, March 18, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Beverly Ann MacNellis, BS '64, Feb. 13, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • C. Edward Gasaway Jr., BBA ‘65, MBA ‘66, Nov. 23, 2023, Kalamazoo, MI
  • James Peter Bishop, BBA '66, Feb. 23, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • John Mark Gorsky, BS '68, MA '74, Feb. 13, 2024, Wyoming, MI
  • Karon Elaine Yeager, BS '68, MA '72, Feb. 28, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Donald Lee Mann, MA '68, March 23, 2024, Mishawaka, IN
  • John A. Tallerico Jr., BA '69, Feb. 20, 2024, Sterling Heights, MI
  • Charles Drago Stefanac, BBA '69, MA '91, MS '77, Feb. 17, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Virginia Marie (Ward) Barber, BA '70, MSLS '75, March 2, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Barbara Jean (Tomasek) LaChance, BA '70, March 17, 2024, Lennon, MI
  • Vallary Jean Harris, BS '70, March 11, 2024, Lansing, MI
  • Dennis Edward Mahoney, BS '70, MA '73, Feb. 7, 2024, Bay City, MI
  • Fredrick Martin, BS '72, Feb. 23, 2024, Hendersonville, TN
  • Kenneth William McDonald, BS '72, MA '78, Jan. 18, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Carol Jo Tribble, MSLS '72, March 13, 2024, Cohoes, NY
  • Nancy Ann Steely, MM '73, Feb. 9, 2024, Battle Creek, MI
  • Charlene Georgia Russell, BA '74, Feb. 4, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Karen Diane Gates, BS '74, March 19, 2024, Monroe, MI
  • Patricia Jean Gillett, BS '74, March 23, 2024, Zeeland, MI
  • William Jay Klerk Jr., BSM ‘74, March 6, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Jean Marilyn Wiler, MA '75, March 1, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Karl Francis Freed, MA '76, March 15, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Linda Darlene (Gurchinoff) Van Ness, BA '77, March 2, 2024, Oshkosh, WI
  • James Erwin Knoth, BBA '77, March 1, 2024, Muskegon, MI
  • Thomas John Rollins, BBA '78, Feb. 14, 2024, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Judy Ellen Ball, BS '79, Feb. 1, 2024, Mancelona, MI
  • Paul Lawrence Soderborg Jr., BS '80, March 19, 2024, Coloma, MI
  • Virginia Elizabeth (Small) Bird, MA '80, Jan. 9, 2024, Portage, MI
  • Eldon Harold Geyer, BS '81, MA '85, Feb. 20, 2024, Benton Harbor, MI
  • Gerald Bruce Mannausa, BBA ‘82, Oct. 20, 2022, East Lansing, MI
  • LaGrange Damon Whitmore, BA '84, Feb. 8, 2024, Southfield, MI
  • Kathleen K. (Kilean) Leshner, BS '87, Feb. 6, 2024, Holland, MI
  • Marilou Genevieve Westcott, BS '87, HHC '94, MA '94, Jan. 29, 2024, Portage, MI
  • Gail Karen Ingersoll, MA '90, March 19, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Raymond J. Hoag Jr., EdD '93, MA '88, Jan. 12, 2024, Fremont, MI
  • Marcus Robert DeMarest, BBA '95, Jan. 2, 2024, Walled Lake, MI
  • Christine Louise Jensen, EdD '95, MA '87, Feb. 20, 2024, Hart, MI
  • Gayle Elizabeth Walbeck, BA '98, MA '09, Jan. 12, 2024, Portage, MI
  • Lisa Renee (Squires) DeJong, BS '00, Jan. 13, 2024, Mattawan, MI
  • Linda Ann (Caloni) Farr, MBA '00, March 20, 2024, Windham, NH
  • Kevin Brown Kinas, BA ‘07, Oct. 20, 2023, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Shantell Lynn Ekdahl, BS '18, March 23, 2024, L'Anse, MI

  • Emeriti

  • Marlene R. Breu, professor emerita of family and consumer sciences, Feb. 15, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Richard J. DePeaux, professor emeritus of art, April 7, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • William H. Fenn, professor emeritus of physician assistant, Nov. 28, 2023
  • Stephen B. Friedman, professor emeritus of biological sciences, Feb. 20, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Edward J. Heinig, professor emeritus of education and professional development, March 15, 2024
  • Robert C. Hinkel, associate professor emeritus of English, Sept. 30, 2023
  • Shirley Sparks Greif, associate professor emerita of speech pathology and audiology, Dec. 14, 2023, Cupertino, CA
  • Levern H. "Vern" Stillwell, associate professor emeritus of theatre, Jan. 2, 2024, Kalamazoo, MI