’42 Alice Hubbard Liptak passed away peacefully at her home on September 25, 2015. Alice was a wonderful, loving person who was always ready to lend others a helping hand. She was also a true lover of animals. She is survived by her son, Michael; brother, Stanley; as well as nieces, nephews and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her mother, Alice Rochford; father, Stanley; brother, Richard; husband, Michael; and Molly.
’43 Malcolm Cammack passed away at the Cammack Family Farm on Thursday, September 24, 2015. His passing came just six days shy of his 91st birthday. He is survived by his bride of 66 years, Elizabeth “Betty” Bancroft Cammack ’47, his children and their
spouses: Huck ’69 (Chrissie), Richie ’70 (Ann), Elizabeth “Binkie” Closmore ’71 (Greg), Debbie Muller ’75 (Rob), Sally Miesen ’82 (Jack), and Julie Backer ’91 (Brigg), as well as by his 17 grandchildren, and his four great-grandchildren.
Frederick James Neher, age 90 of Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 13, 2015, at Boutwells Landing in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota. Fred had a long and wonderful life. Fred was born to Frederick and Cecilia (Kilbane) Neher
of St. Paul in February 1925. He graduated from St. Paul Academy in 1943 and like many patriotic young men at the time promptly enlisted in the US Army. He was selected for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) as an officer candidate and started his studies at the University of Puget Sound in the fall of 1943. Unfortunately, due to the dire need for combat troops, ASTP was cut at the start of 1944 and Fred was transferred as a combat replacement into the armored infantry with Patton’s 11th Armored Division. He survived the 11th Armored Division’s push from France into Germany and was wounded after the Battle of the Bulge. After recovering, Fred used his fluent German language skills in the OSS to round up fugitive German officers. Fred was always proud of his participation in this great endeavor. After returning home, and discharge from the Army in 1945, Fred resumed his education at Harvard College under the GI Bill. He earned his medical degree at Harvard in 1952 and began his surgical residency at the University of Minnesota under Dr. Richard Varko. Fred even participated in the first open-heart surgical procedure with Dr. Varko in 1952. It was an exciting time for Fred and the surgical team at the University, and he also met a young surgical nurse, Phyllis Rybak, whom he married in 1958. Fred and Phyllis settled in St. Paul where they raised their family and Fred went into private practice. He specialized in vascular surgery and became chief of staff at St. Joseph’s and United Hospitals and a
member of the Minnesota Medical Association. He continued his lifelong passion for the outdoors and enjoyed Minnesota fishing, hunting, bird watching and hiking. Fred and Phyllis built a lake house near Detroit Lakes and spent 30 years vacationing there with family and their dogs. They also traveled frequently to Bavaria to visit their German relatives and visited their children and grandchildren in Boston, Idaho, California, Texas, Louisiana, Brazil, England and Australia. Fred was a loving husband, wonderful father, a great teacher and a loyal friend. He is survived by his five children, Frederick ’77 (Mickey) Neher of Mahtomedi, Minnesota, Kurt ’79 (Luisa) Neher of Ojai, California, Lise ’81 (Dan) Revers of Weston, Massachusetts, Erick ’82 (Heather) Neher of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Konrad Neher of Center City, Minnesota; his brother Jim ’54 (Kate) Neher of St. Paul; as well as ten grandchildren ranging in age from 6 to 26. Fred’s loving wife of 55 years, Phyllis (Rybak) Neher of New Prague, Minnesota, passed away in November of 2013.
’44 John Edward Middlebrook was born in St. Paul on September 14, 1926 and died in Bloomington, Minnesota on May 25, 2015. His father Bill was the Vice President of the University of Minnesota while his mother Margaret ran both the household
www. spa.e du
>>
and her husband’s busy social schedule. John grew up during the dominance of Golden Gopher football and remembered vividly the players of the five National Champion teams between 1934 and 1941. Academics were heavily emphasized in the Middlebrook household and John was an exceptional student. In 1940 he became ill with rheumatic fever and missed the entire school year. When he returned to school at St. Paul Academy in 1941, he completed both Grade 8 and 9 in one year. This has never been accomplished, before or since, at SPA. While at SPA he met Harry Gregg, the outgoing and unrestrained opposite to John’s shy and twice thinking personality. They became best friends for life. John immediately enlisted in the US Navy after graduating from SPA in 1944. By 1945 he was with the US Fleet in the South Pacific. After the war John entered college, first at St. Thomas and then at the University of Minnesota. At the “U” he met and fell in love with Phyllis Canfield and they married in 1948. They began raising a family and John began medical school at the “U” during which time he also enlisted in the US Army, ultimately achieving the rank of Captain. Upon graduation he was assigned to a MASH unit in Korea but was deferred as he had two young children. His unit was overrun in 1953 with complete loss of life. This both haunted him and made him grateful for every day he had for the rest of his life. John was a true member of “The Greatest Generation.”
Fal l 201 5/ Wi nte r 2 01 6
>>
S PA
47