In Memoriam
Gifts in Memory of
Notices of death received before June 15, 2012
Received March 1–May 31, 2012
To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123
Annette Movich Abrams ’59 by Ellen Locke Crumb ’59, P ’94
Alumnae Mildred Downey Grenfell ’32, May 8, in St. Helena, California. She was involved with the Modesto Mills Club and was a generous supporter of the College. She is survived by her daughter, Gaye Grenfell Cook ’58. Betty Aicher Weir ’32, August 23, 2008, in Albuquerque. She is survived by her son and two grandsons. Bernice Nicoll Petty ’38, December 23, 2011, in Petaluma, California. She enjoyed gardening and traveling. Kathryn “Kay” Kaser Watkins ’38, May 11, in Phoenix. A world traveler and lover of languages, she served as a translator during World War II. She is survived by four children. Helene Smedley Willson ’38, March 25, in San Diego. A volunteer at Sharp Cabrillo Hospital and a member of PEO Sisterhood, she loved nature, theater, sewing, and gardening. She is survived by five children and six grandchildren. Margaret Thomson Bronson ’40, December 1, 2011, in Brewster, New York. She was a stage, screen, and theater actress. She was also a volunteer and fundraiser for the Putnam Hospital Center. She is survived by her husband, John, and her niece, Elinor “Lin” Herod-Vernon ’67. Jane Goldstein Schear Richards ’40, June 5, 2007, in Alabama. She is survived by three daughters, including Sarah Schear Cole ’70. Daphne Richmond Rockwell ’41, April 16, in Eugene, Oregon. She lived in Mexico, Peru, Brazil, and England and, through her art, shared the beauty and wonder that she found in nature. She is survived by three children. Julia Keys Allan ’42, August 31, 2004, in Springfield, Illinois. She was a Red Cross volunteer, a member of the Springfield Junior League, and a city golf champion. She served as secretary to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and the state governor. She is survived by three children. Edith Merrell Swayne ’42, November 15, 2011, in Lafayette, California. She is survived by a son and her sister, Marjorie Merrell Bartlett ’49. Imogene “Imy” Fluno Smith Whipple ’43, April 13, in Alameda, California. She volunteered at Big Trees State Park, participated in AAUW, and was an active member of her church. She loved to play piano, sing, and compose, including a song called Mills Memories, dedicated to Aurelia Reinhardt. She is survived by two children and two grandchildren. Patricia “Pat” Chilton Martyr ’46, November 15, 2010, in Medford, Oregon. She is survived by her husband, James, their three sons, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Beatrice “Betsy” Woodworth Richmond ’46, in November 2011, in Camp Verde, Arizona. She spent her life teaching Hopi and Navajo children and was an accomplished poet. She is survived by her three children. Lois Ager Way ’47, June 1, 2008, in Massachusetts. Barbara “Risty” Ristrom Wood ’47, May 20, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. A co-owner of The Admiral Risty Restaurant, she served on the board of trustees for Marymount College and Bravo!, a local theater 30
M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly
Margery “Diz” Disman Anson ’42 by Robert and Leslie Appleton, Richard and Darla Evans Bastoni ’60, Julie Bernard, Sheryl Gillett Caudana ’72, Nancy Cherney, Ida Erlanger Scott ’42, Katherine Zelinsky Westheimer ’42, Patricia Willmann, Ann Sulzberger Wolff ’42 Laura Balas, MA ’92, by Helen Hovdesven Patricia “Pat” Tiggard Boese ’50 by Leah Hardcastle Mac Neil, MA ’51, P ’75 Willa Wolcott Condon, MA ’32, by her daughter, Ann Condon Barbour ’69 Evelyn “Peg” Deane ’41 by Mary Hart Clark ’42 Kay Anderson Douglas ’67 by Alta Ronchetto Mowbray ’67 Sybil “Syb” Johnson Dray ’41, P ’72, by her husband, Lester Dray Margaret Hincks Dyer ’43, P ’73, by Thera Cornelius Joy Waltke Fisher ’55 by Diane Smith Janusch ’55 Virginia Fleming by Anne Lehmer ’89 Cameron Fuller-Holloway, son of Melody Fuller-Lewis ’82, by Alison Dong Chambers ’83
support group. She is survived by her husband, Ralph; four children; and six grandchildren. Elizabeth “Dibby” Owen ’48, April 7, in Seattle. She worked as a special assistant of international affairs for the US State Department. She is survived by her dear friend, Marilyn Wilson Newland ’48. Joanne Beckley Newkirk ’49, February 5, in Bend, Oregon. She was a concert pianist and is remembered for her musical brilliance and her dedication to her children. She is survived by her daughter. Patricia “Pat” Tiggard Boese ’50, April 25, in Oakland, California. An active volunteer with the Girl Scouts, she worked as an adult education teacher. Vylma Zotti Weeks ’51, March 24, in Atlanta. She was a talented needle worker and quilter, a generous Mills supporter, and an active traveler who visited Greece, Turkey, and Japan. She is survived by her husband, Milton, and two daughters. Shelia Hair Ross ’56, November 14, 2009, in Laguna Beach, California. Ruth Nemoede Jepsen ’58, April 3, in San Jose, California. A lover of books and crossword puzzles, she enjoyed traveling to experience other cultures. She is survived by two sons and four grandchildren. Helen Meisnest Morse ’52, April 29, in Seattle. She worked at Harborview Medical Center and King Broadcasting and was station manager of King FM. She is survived by her daughter. Marcia Lou Herring Marsh ’56, March 24, in Green Valley, Arizona. A teacher in Arizona, she earned a graduate degree in Spanish American culture. Marva Swearengin Harris ’56, December 11, 2011, in Vancouver, Washington. A high school teacher and counselor, she was an avid fan of Notre Dame and 49ers football. She is survived by a daughter, two grandsons, and a great-granddaughter.