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IN MEMORIAM Dr. Eduardo Gargurevich, 57, Fargo, N.D., died March 12. Gargurevich, originally from Peru, started working at Concordia in 1994 and served as professor of Spanish and Hispanic studies for 23 years. He co-created the May Seminar to Latin America and led the program with other Spanish faculty members several times. For a few years, Gargurevich served as dean of the Concordia Language Villages’ summer program to Argentina and was the faculty advisor for the Spanish Studies Abroad programs in Argentina and Spain. He taught summer school in Peru and Spain. He also served as the Spanish department chair twice. Gargurevich earned his bachelor’s degree in Lima, Peru, before earning his master’s and doctorate at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to Concordia, he taught at Auburn University in Alabama. In addition to articles and papers, his many publications include poetry and novels. He is survived by his daughter, Erin Gargurevich-Gorman.
Dr. Max W. Richardson, 73, Ransom Canyon, Texas, died Oct. 31. Richardson, professor emeritus of political science, retired and moved to Texas in 2015. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Texas Tech University and a doctorate in political science from the University of Georgia, Athens. Prior to joining the faculty at Concordia, he taught at Black Hills State University, Spearfish, S.D., worked in the Peace Corps in Libya, and taught in the Glen Rose School District in Texas. He came to Concordia in 1990 and quickly became known as a master teacher, who made great use of humor and stories to engage his students. Generations of undergrads learned constitutional law from him and more than 90 percent of the students he advised in pre-law were admitted to law school. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Lisa Lee Sawyer, a former longtime member of the music faculty at Concordia; his daughter, Sarah Whitney Bigham; son, Trevor; and three grandchildren.
Joyce Monson Tsongas, 75, Portland, Ore., died Jan. 15, 2017. She grew up in Moorhead near Concordia where her father, Dr. Allwin Monson, taught speech for 33 years. Monson Tsongas graduated from Concordia in 1963 with a degree in speech, communication and theatre art, and earned a master’s from Purdue University. After teaching speech and debate for several years, she spent the remainder of her professional life as a trailblazer in the trial consulting arena. She founded Tsongas & Associates (now Tsongas Litigation Consulting) in 1978. She helped launch the American Society of Trial Consultants in 1982, later serving as president. In collaboration with her father and Dr. Paul Dovre, she spearheaded the creation and fundraising for the endowed Allwin and Dorothy Monson Forensics Excellence Fund. She and her husband, Dennis Brooks, hosted alumni gatherings, including corn feeds and a Concordia High Impact Leadership Trip. She received the Alumni Achievement Award in 1995 and became a member of the Board of Regents in 2009. During her seven-year tenure, she served on several committees and was serving as secretary at the time of her death. She is survived by her husband, Dennis Brooks; children, Christopher Tsongas and Mika Tsongas Bassett; and three grandchildren.
Helen (Narveson) Rudie, 88, Fargo, N.D., died Oct. 19, 2016. Rudie graduated from Concordia in 1950 with degrees in English and music education. She then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from Moorhead State College (now Minnesota State University Moorhead) and a sixth-year diploma in media education from Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University Mankato). Rudie spent most of her 27-year career at Concordia, where she served in several roles, including curriculum librarian in the Carl B. Ylvisaker Library before retiring in 1993. She was active in numerous women’s organizations including the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women, where she served two years as state president. She was also active in several professional, community and cultural organizations, and was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead. In retirement, she spent four years working as a high school librarian at the Evangelicke Lyceum in Bratislava, Slovakia. Throughout her life, she enjoyed working with young people as an educator. She is survived by her children, Shirley Schoberg-Hebda, Alan Schoberg and Paul Schoberg; two grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren. ◊
WINTER 2018
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