CLASS NOTES
Want to see your news in Class Notes? To submit notes, please contact: Phone: (715) 682-1215
Ed Kernan passed away on September 29, 2011, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Ed served at Northland College as athletic director, head basketball and baseball coach, and assistant football coach from 1953 to 1963. He was named to the Northland College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984. He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Aleen Kernan, Two Harbors, Minnesota; children, Edward J. Kernan III, Barbara Lee Kernan, and James Kernan; 10 grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Barbara, in 1997.
Louis Dekker ’68 passed away on July 28, 2011 after a short battle with cancer. Louis worked at Procter and Gamble for 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Marie; children, Carie, Craig, Ryan; a sister and a brother. Mary (Corbine) White ’78 died on March 21, 2009 in Hayward, Wisconsin. She is survived by her sons, Fred and Mike Tribble, and James White III ’78; a brother; four sisters; twelve grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; four greatgreat grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, James E. White, Jr. ’76.
James Tilley ’12 passed away unexpectedly on October 11, 2011. He is survived by his parents, Jon and Jean Tilley; a sister, Jennifer; and other relatives. Robert W. Alvord, Northland College Trustee, died on August 27, 2011 at his home in Cleveland Park, Washington DC. He is survived by his wife, Jacquelyn, and his children, Kate Corbett, Carrie Alvord-Thompson, Jonathan Alvord, Suzanne Alvord, Shelley Alvord and Robert Alvord.
Email: alumni@northland.edu Mail: Office of Alumni Relations, 1411 Ellis Avenue, Ashland, WI 54806 Director of Grants Administration & Alumni Relations: Lisa Williamson Alumni News Editor: Vicki Nafey ’96 Alumni Association Board of Directors: Melanie Goble ‘01, President, Recruitment Chair, Career Mentoring and Retention Chair; Grant Johnson ‘02, Vice President; Richard Ackley ’71, Awards Chair; Roberta Blazkowski ’71, Board Development Chair; Mark Charles ‘80; Sue Cram ‘89; Dan Crawford ’76; Melissa Damaschke ‘03; Laurel Fisher ’72; Stu Goldman ‘69; Mark Gross ’83; Charles Guthrie ’69; Rachel Hahn ’12; Beverly Harris ’72; Roland Hicks ’65; Tam Hofman ’80; Sylvia Lieteau ’70; Peter Millett ‘69; Craig Mullenbrock ’77; College Advancement Chair, Ori-Anne Pagel ’69; Erica Palmer-Wilson ’02; Sam Polonetzky ’70; Jim Quinn ‘73; Robin Schroeder ’66; Wendy Shields ‘05; Patti Skoraczewski ’74; Kelly Zacharda ‘05, Events Chair; David Zeis ’93. To submit a note go to: northland.edu/alumni
19 NORTHLAND COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Make a world of difference to a Northland student. And make a difference in the World. Rob Warner is a senior at Northland College majoring in Outdoor Education with an emphasis in Therapeutic and Universal Design. As part of a class project last year, Rob began designing a set of topographic maps for use by people with a visual impairment or blindness. The goal was to provide a more equitable backcountry experience for people with visual impairments. Working in cooperation with specialists at the Adaptive Technology and Accessibility Center at Indiana University, Rob developed a process for creating tactile-graphic maps that can be read similarly to braille. His maps are changing the way people with visual impairments can participate in outdoor experiences. Rob’s time at Northland and his work on this unique project were made possible by the generous support of people like you. “Without the scholarships and grants at Northland, I wouldn’t be here,” says Rob. Find out more about Rob’s project and how you can help to support education at Northland by going to:
northland.edu/scholarships