James R. Harris Jr., Sept. 20, 2015, of Oklahoma City, at the age of 69. He was a member of Sigma Nu and The Washington C. DePauw Society, accountant and chief financial officer. Survivors include his wife.
1969
Denise “Denny” Manning Solso, July 4, 2015, of Indianapolis, at the age of 67, from lung cancer. She was a member of Delta Gamma and The Washington C. DePauw Society, distribution manager for The Republic newspaper, teacher at ABC Stewart Elementary School in Columbus (Ind.), community volunteer and homemaker. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, George A. Manning Class of 1911, and father, John T. Manning ’40. Survivors include her husband, Theodore “Tim” M. Solso ’69.
1970
Tomas H. Jacobs, Aug. 8, 2015, of Phoenix, at the age of 67. He was a poet, journalist and actor. He was preceded in death by his father, Ray S. Jacobs ’45. Survivors include his wife and mother, Miriam White Jacobs ’46.
1972
Michael J. Bleck, June 28, 2015, of Minneapolis, at the age of 65, in Italy. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, Rector Scholar and attorney. Survivors include his wife and son, Andrew T. Bleck ’01.
1974
Larry E. Scott, March 25, 2015, of Raleigh, N.C., at the age of 68. He was a member of Sigma Nu, retired from the United States Army and retired lecturer at North Carolina State University.
1975
Rita Randall Smith, Aug. 28, 2015, of Lebanon, Ind., at the age of 67. She was a public school teacher and homemaker.
1976
William J. Irwin, June 16, 2015, of Indianapolis, at the age of 61. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi and businessman. Survivors include his brother, Michael K. Irwin ’69. Robert L. Murray, April 29, 2015, of Logansport, Ind., at the age of 61. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi and attorney. Survivors include his wife.
48 DEPAUW MAGAZINE FALL 2015
1977
Kevin L. Williams, Aug. 24, 2015, in Ukiah, Calif., at the age of 60. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi and businessman. Survivors include his wife; brother, Kenneth J. Williams ’70; sister, Rebecca Williams Marler ’75; and daughter, Lindsi N. Williams ’05.
1979
David J. Pirtle, Sept. 11, 2015, of Indianapolis, at the age of 58. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta and The Washington C. DePauw Society, founder and owner of several small businesses, and consultant. Survivors include his brother, Douglas J. Pirtle ’77.
1985
Michael J. Moskos, July 3, 2015, of Hialeah, Fla., at the age of 52. He was a member of Delta Chi and The Washington C. DePauw Society, and technical director for Pubset Miami Incorporated. Survivors include his partner.
1991
Tiffany A. Makaus, Aug. 6, 2015, in Phoenix, at the age of 46. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, worked in corporate finance and international banking, and was a community volunteer.
2002
Kendra K. Hatcher, Sept. 2, 2015, in Dallas, at the age of 35. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and pediatric dentist.
Faculty
Clinton B. Gass, July 27, 2015, in Logan, Utah, at the age of 95. He taught mathematics at DePauw for 32 years, from 1954-86. Before joining DePauw, he taught at University of Nebraska and Nebraska Wesleyan University. He worked as part of the theoretical physics unit on the top-secret Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, N.M., helping to build the atomic bomb. He and his wife were part of the team that led DePauw’s first Winter Term in Mission, and he led Winter Term in Mission projects in Central America and Caribbean. He was coauthor of College Algebra, published in 1956 and revised in 1963 as College Algebra and the Basic Set Theory. He was preceded in death by his wife. Survivors include his son, Frederick S. Gass ’64; daughter-in-law, Margery Stoops Gass ’66; and his partner.
Ned B. MacPhail, Aug. 30, 2015, of Greencastle, Ind., at the age of 82. He came to DePauw in 1962 and served as a professor in education, teaching philosophy of education and monitoring student teachers from DePauw at area schools. He served as department chairman for seven years, retiring in 1998 as professor emeritus. He was part of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education evaluation team for Indiana. He was involved in community activities and was a member of the Ducks of Dixieland Jazz Band, composed of DePauw professors. Survivors include his wife and granddaughters, Sarah K. MacPhail ’13 and Margaret E. MacPhail ’15.
Friends
Marion H. Gabonay, June 28, 2015, of Greencastle, Ind., at the age of 90. She worked for IBM, the county treasurer’s office and DePauw. She was preceded in death by her husband. Joseph E. Smith, July 26, 2015, of Greencastle, Ind., at the age of 60. He worked in the Printing Department at DePauw, retiring in 2014. Survivors include his wife. Thomas Tomasian, May 31, 2015, of Worcester, Mass., at the age of 67. He was a member of The Washington C. DePauw Society, retired owner and operator of Worcester Mass Janitorial Service, and community volunteer. Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Hostetter Smith ’59.
