IN M EMORY
The Villages, Florida, died on March 11, 2018. Castagno served in the U.S. Army as a medic during the Korean War before earning a B.S. from the University of Connecticut. He went on to earn an M.A. in educational studies from Trinity and a doctor of pharmacy degree from UConn. Castagno started his career as pharmacist and owner of Kensington Pharmacy in Kensington, Connecticut. Castagno is survived by his wife of 67 years, Jean; daughter Lisa Price; and a grandson.
1970 Sholom Lavin, born Stuart R. Lavin, 73, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, died on January 12, 2019. Lavin earned a B.A. in English from American International College and an M.A. in English from Trinity. He was a college professor and writer who published several collections of poetry and later focused on fiction and nonfiction. Lavin is survived by his children, David Lavin, Matthew Lavin, Raechel Lapidus, Hannah Cleveland, Abby Fulks, and Selma Boutcher; 17 grandchildren; and brother Jeff Lavin. He was predeceased by his wife, Rosemary. 1970 Virginia H. Smith, 88, of Oak Park, Illinois, died on August 17, 2018. Smith earned a B.A. from Wheaton College and later an M.A. in English from Trinity. She taught English and special education in the Hartford Public Schools and at independent schools in the area for more than 15 years. Smith later earned an M.L.S. from Simmons College and worked in the library of the Massachusetts Historical Society. After retiring, she continued to work part time as a research librarian for the Newberry Library in Chicago. Smith is survived by her children, Jeffrey Smith, Jennifer Smith ’82 (Noel Tetrev), and Polly Smith (John Boyle), and three grandsons. 1972 Laurence Mearkle, 96, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and formerly of Connecticut, died on August 13, 2018.
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Mearkle earned a B.A. from the University of Connecticut, an M.Ed. from Springfield College, and an M.S. in mathematics from Trinity. Mearkle is survived by siblings James Mearkle and Virginia Langford. He was predeceased by siblings Hugh Mearkle and Richard Cleary.
He also taught at Trinity, helping to launch the college’s Jewish studies curriculum. Kessler is survived by his children, Abigail Kessler-Hanna and Jonathan Kessler; a granddaughter; and brother Arnold Kessler (Naomi). He was predeceased by his wife, Maurine.
1981 Faye A. Hughes, 71, of Newington, Connecticut, died on March 2, 2018. Hughes earned a B.S. from Central Connecticut State University and worked for many years as a social studies teacher in the Hartford Public Schools. She earned an M.A. in history from Trinity, as well as an M.Ed. from the University of Hartford.
1998 Herman Wouk, 103, of Palm Springs, California, died on May 17, 2019. Wouk, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, majored in comparative literature and philosophy at Columbia University and then served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His well-known titles include The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance; the latter two were developed into television miniseries starring Robert Mitchum. Wouk’s defining nonfiction work, This Is My God, is a deeply personal view of the Jewish faith. He was the recipient of an honorary doctor of letters degree from Trinity. Wouk is survived by children Iolanthe Woulff and Joseph Wouk; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Betty; siblings Victor Wouk and Irene Green; and son Abraham.
1990 William K. Krisher, 87, of Simsbury, Connecticut, died on December 7, 2018. Krisher earned a B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College and went on to work at Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, where he was employed until his 1986 retirement as senior vice president. Krisher also served as a director and volunteer management consultant with the National Executive Service Corps. He later earned an M.A. in philosophy from Trinity. Krisher is survived by his wife, Audrey; son Norman Krisher (Sally Warner); one grandchild; and brother Richard Krisher (Jane).
HONORARY DOCTORATES
1992 Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler, 95, of West Hartford, Connecticut, died on May 30, 2019. Kessler, the rabbi emeritus of Beth El Temple in West Hartford, earned a B.A. from Yeshiva University. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II before earning an M.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary. After serving congregations in Illinois and Nova Scotia, he took an appointment at Beth El Temple, which he served until his retirement in 1992, the same year that the college bestowed upon him an honorary doctor of divinity degree. Kessler was a Freedom Rider and marched with Martin Luther King in Birmingham and Selma, Alabama.
FORMER FACULTY
Donald D. Hook, 89, of Georgetown, Delaware, died on July 6, 2018. Hook attended Washington and Lee University before transferring to Emory University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the occupation of Germany and the Korean War. Hook received intensive foreign-language training in Russia and Czech at the Army Language School and later earned credentials as an intelligence agent. After returning to civilian life, he earned a master’s in German literature from Duke University and did additional graduate work in German and historical linguistics at the University of North Carolina. Hook then earned a Ph.D. in linguistics from Brown University. He served as a member of the Trinity faculty from 1961 to 1994, teaching German language and literature and linguistics. Hook also spent more than seven years as chair of the Department of
Modern Languages and Literature. He authored or co-authored more than four dozen books and more than 100 articles and stories on various subjects. Hook is survived by his children, Karen Chase (Steven) and Terence Hook (Andrea), and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Harriett Blackwell.
FORMER STAFF
Carmen V. DeVito, 90, of Sarasota, Florida, died on March 1, 2019. DeVito served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He went on to work for 20 years as a technician in Trinity’s Chemistry Department. DeVito also worked as a district manager for Wyler’s. DeVito is survived by his longtime companion, Irene Wilson; children Paula Dare (James), Cathy Phelps (Thomas), Richard DeVito (Susan), and Maria Locco (Stephen); 10 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and sisters Maryann Pellerin and Frances Weir. He was predeceased by his wife, Rose. John W. Helm, 94, of West Hartford, Connecticut, died on April 7, 2019. Helm served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before attending Hillyer College and the University of Miami, where he earned a degree in business administration. He went on to earn a master’s in economics from the University of Hartford. Helm worked for Pratt and Whitney and the State of Connecticut’s Labor Department and Office of Policy and Management; he retired in 1987. He was Trinity’s diving coach for five years, part of a coaching career that lasted for three decades at area high schools, colleges, and universities. Helm is survived by his wife of 54 years, Elaine; children Jeanne Kelly (Sean), Susana Helm, and John Helm (Elizabeth Schwartz); five grandchildren; and sister Janet Dauphinais. He was predeceased by sister June Hogan. James B. King, 84, of Rockport, Massachusetts, died on June 9, 2019. King served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before earning an undergraduate degree from American International College. His career included
THE TRINITY REPORTER