IN MEMORIAM
Donna Gilchrist ’83, 61, died April 23 in Des Moines, Iowa. She was a school librarian with the Colo-Nesco School District in Iowa from 19832002 and in the University City (Missouri) School District from 2002-2014. Helen Gorsuch ’45, 95, of Maryville, died June 6. She was a teacher for 17 years, teaching at Plum Grove School, Bolckow, New Point and Skidmore, all in Missouri. She later served the Maryville R – II School District as high school guidance counselor for 28 years. Dorothea Lincoln Grant ’49, 88, of Clarinda, Iowa, died Oct. 8, 2015. She began teaching in a Taylor County, Iowa, rural school. In 1947 she taught one year of kindergarten in Villisca, Iowa. She was the first kindergarten teacher in Chillicothe, Missouri, where she also taught third grade. Dorothea worked at Iowa Western Community College in Clarinda, Iowa, as a secretary-receptionist from 1975 until her retirement in 1991. Bob Grubbs (attended), 80, died Jan. 9. He was a retired carpenter who worked most of his life in metropolitan St. Louis. Bob attended Northwest as a part of the U.S. Navy training program during World War II, serving until 1946. He played football on the undefeated 1944 team and was inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame with that team in 1995. Bob also was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 2007 for lifetime service. He was a member of the St. Louis Suburban Barbershop Chorus for 28 years. Allan Henningsen ’50, 87, of Columbia, Missouri, died May 7. He played basketball and football at Northwest and was inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame in 2000. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1946 to 1948. In 1950, he was selected in the ninth round of the NBA draft by the Fort Wayne Pistons and had a short professional career before retiring due to an injury. Allan served as superintendent of schools in Watson, Fairfax, Richmond, Lebanon, Sedalia and St. Charles, all in Missouri. Jim Herauf, 81, died March 10 in Naples, Florida. He served on the Northwest faculty from 1976 to 1997 and was chair of the physical education program.
Michael Hershberger ’98, 40, of Overland Park, Kansas, died Oct. 3, 2015. He was active in the Interfraternity Council and Phi Sigma Kappa at Northwest, serving a term as president. Curtis Hibbs ’71, 75, of Forest City, Missouri, died Feb. 29. He worked for Mead Corporation in St. Joseph, Missouri. Marcia Grace Hickman (attended), 78, of
Clarinda, Iowa, died May 6. She and her husband, Bob, owned and operated the F.C. Grace Furniture Store in Clarinda until they both retired. Dave Hicks (attended), 63, died June 27 in Iowa City, Iowa. He taught graphic design and typography for several years before becoming a graphic designer at ACT, where he spent the remainder of his career. Becky Templer Hilleman (attended), 56, of Ankeny, Iowa, died Feb. 5 in Des Moines, Iowa. She worked as a medical secretary. Patrick Hollinrake ’75, 66, of Creston, Iowa, died Feb. 6. He entered the U.S. Army in 1969 and served until 1971. He farmed near Corning, Iowa, did construction work and taught ag business at Southwestern Community College in Creston. He retired in 2012. Frederick James ’52, 86, of Springfield, Missouri, died May 6. He began his teaching career in Jackson, Missouri. He later served as superintendent of schools in Carrier Mills, Illinois, and in Chaffee, Hermann, Richmond and Strafford, Missouri. Fred retired from the Strafford School District in 1986 after 35 years in education, and he and his wife, Janis, moved to Table Rock Lake where they lived until his death. Benny Johnson ’61, 76, died May 25. He was an Air Force Colonel and an aeronautical and electronics engineer, residing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for 34 years. He joined the Air Force in 1962, transferred to the Air Force Reserve and retired in 1992. Donald Johnson ’97, 44, of Tucson, Arizona, died Dec. 8, 2015. He had a career in landscaping for The Plaza in Kansas City. Paul Jones ’63, 76, died April 15 at his home in Maryville. He was a Northwest faculty member for 47 years, retiring as assistant professor of English in 2012.
from 1979 to 1981. Ray served on the Board of Directors at the Exchange National Bank in Atchison, Kansas, for many years and was a former pilot for Ozark Airlines. He enjoyed serving as a volunteer at the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City. Bob Kountz ’68, 69, of Corpus Christi, Texas, died May 6. Bob was an art teacher in St. Joseph and Oregon, Missouri. He later served as a manager for J.C. Penney until his retirement. Carrie Martin Lyle ’48, 90, of Ravenwood, Missouri, died Feb. 11. She taught in Columbia, Missouri, and Northeast Nodaway School until retiring in 1990. Mary Markt ’59, 104, of Oregon, Missouri, died May 26. She taught in rural Holt County, Missouri, schools for 13 years, including White, Mayflower and Lincoln schools. After teaching one year at Forest City Elementary School, she taught third and fourth grade for 31 years at Oregon Elementary School, retiring in 1976. James Mattheis ’92, 48, of Independence, Missouri, died Feb. 8. He worked as a certified project manager for Quest Diagnostics since 2011. Norma Ripley Miles (attended), 96, died June 17 in Lakeland, Florida. She taught elementary school for two years in Fillmore, Missouri. She later became a teacher evaluator for the Des Moines (Iowa) School District, worked for the National P.E.O. Sisterhood office in Des Moines, and worked part-time in gift shops and children’s clothing stores. Onofrio “Ono” Monachino Jr. ’55, 82, of Laddonia, Missouri, died May 9. He was a coach, educator and administrator for more than 40 years, working in the districts of Louisiana, South Callaway, South Harrison in Bethany, Harrisonville Cass R-9, and St. Joseph Catholic School, all in Missouri, and had previously worked in education in Iowa and New York. Ono was inducted into Northwest’s M-Club Hall of Fame in 2009 for football, basketball, track and baseball, becoming the first athlete to be inducted in four sports.
Isaac Raymond “Ray” Kirk Jr. (attended), 82, of Weston, Missouri, died May 31. Ray was a lifelong farmer in the Weston area where he served on the Weston Historical Museum Board of Trustees, the Weston Zoning Board, Weston Masonic Lodge and the Moila Temple in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was active in the Mo-Ark Association for Flood Control, serving as president
NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016
37