Colgate Love Story: Jill Belsky ’78 & Steve Siebert ’78. Click on photo for full story.
Marriages & Unions
(2015 unless otherwise noted)
Cynthia Dietzel ’84 and Thomas Renehan, May
Heidi Treiber ’94 and Mark Buttles, August 30
Daniel Renaud ’98 and Molly, June 7, 2014
Kelley Bromley ’00 and Ian Foster, May 16, 2014
Karen Hammerle ’01 and John Hernandez,
August 1
Megan Edstrom ’02 and Clayton Jones, Aug 2, 2012
David Welsch ’02 and Whitney Morris ’02, July
Joshua Page ’03 and Kristin Hammill, November 14
Debra LoCastro ’05 and Marcus Beebe ’06, November 7
L Christopher Quick ’06 and Elizabeth, June 14, 2014
Benjamin Werber ’06 and Laura Rogozinski, May 25, 2014
William Archer ’07 and Samantha Levine ’10, August 8
Emily Crantz ’07 and David Silberstein, June 20
Whitney Stein ’07 and Marc Lutgen, July 4
Vicky Torelli ’07 and Craig Nagovan, October 10
Stephen Behymer ’08 and Samantha Feldman ’08, August 1
Madeline Buttitta ’08 and Brendan Buglione ’10, October 24
Julie Geifman ’08 and Daniel Levey, September 6
Caitlin Jones ’08 and Joshua McLane ’10, August 1
Barnes Kelley ’08 and Amanda Krause, Dec 27, 2014
Alexandra Love Levine ’08 and Michael Tedesco, December 5
Sarah Trabout ’08 and Fritz Ernemann, July 19, 2014
Peter Kosiek ’09 and Kathleen Mathus ’09, November 7
Lyle Morgan ’09 and Peter Smith ’10, October 10
Andrea Jones ’10 and Inder Dhillon, Jan 1, 2016
Christian Massey ’10 and Nora Linn ’11, October 24
Hilary Hursh ’11 and Robert Partner ’09, October 31
John Higgins ’12 and Hilary Flack ’12, September 19
Brooke Weinstein ’12 and Robert Cohen ’09, November 14
Ashlee Eve ’14 and Ross Ballard, Jan 2, 2016
Births & Adoptions
(2015 unless otherwise noted)
To Michael Chun ’88 and Serena: twins Gibson Cole and Lakeland Olivia, December 16
To Yung Oh ’90 and Paula: Ethan
To Robert VerNooy ’92 and Velleda Maria: Maya Maxwell, April 19
To Travis ’94 and Lindsay Barnett ’97 Leach: Teagan Pierrepont, December 5
To Mark ’96 and Rebecca Noone ’97 Ries: Michael Barrett, April 5
To Ben and Lauren Breitman ’97 Tanen: Noah Brett, April 7, joining Gabriel and Eli
To John and Whitney Sayia ’97 Reid: John Robert IV, December 2, joining Ella and Kate
To Jay ’98 and Danielle Rodriguez ’98 Afragola: Kieran Andrew, July 27, joining Avery, Madeline, and Lilith
To Marc and Cheryl Meltz ’98 Kroopnick: Justin Bryce, September 24, joining Tyler Ryan
To Daniel Renaud ’98 and Molly: Lucy Hogan, June 3
To Jeff ’01 and Lilah Fisher ’99 Wise: Hudson Emmett, January 23
To Michael Echt ’02 and Melissa: Emma, March 14, 2014
To Michael Fine ’02 and Jennifer Ward ’01: Natalie, June 5
To Meghann Pytka ’02 and Jacob Juntunen: Zocha Josephine Karolina, September 25
To James and Catherine Beideman ’04 Heitzenrater: Emma, January 14
To Timothy Swanson ’04 and Elizabeth: Josiah, June 29, 2010; Emmanuelle and Thaddeus,
March 2
To Fisk ’05 and Becca Smalley ’07 Biggar: Hamilton Fisk VII, September 8
To Andre ’05 and Marina Gibbons ’07 Bogle: Austin, Nov 20, 2014
To Daniel ’05 and Elizabeth Wolyniak ’05 Di-Cesare: Alice, October 14
To Bryce Gadway ’07 and Andrea: Emma Margaret, September 21
To Sarah Poulette ’07 and Kevin Teich: Ezra Mason, November 7
To Gretchen Swarr ’07 and Joe Saulnier: Aurora Bauer, December 8
To Barnes Kelley ’08 and Amanda: Georgia Gentle, December 17
In Memoriam
The Scene runs deceased notices on all alumni, current and former faculty members, honorary degree recipients, and staff members and others who the editors determine would be well known to alumni.
Hardin K Davis ’37, November 20, 2015. Theta Chi, Maroon Council, tennis, debate society. Penn Dental School, 1941. He practiced dentistry for 36 years. He served on the Board of Education and the Nassau County Medical Board for many years. He was predeceased by 2 wives, Margaret and Jane. He is survived by 2 sons, a daughter, 2 grandchildren, and 2 stepgrandchildren.
Graham L Rogers ’37, April 7, 2013. US Army, WWII. He was the former owner of Rogers McNay Insurance and retired as a real estate developer. He was predeceased by his wife, Ida.
Donald L Foley ’38, January 27, 2016. Alpha Tau Omega, Phi Beta Kappa, Konosioni, Salmagundi, Washington, DC, Study Group, Maroon Key, student government, chorus, pep band, marching band, ski club, class editor. US Navy, World War II. Syracuse University; University of Chicago: MA, 1942; Washington University: PhD, 1948. At the University of California, Berkeley, he was a founding member and professor emeritus of the Department of City and Regional Planning. His publishing career focused primarily on urban sociology and British Town Planning. He retired in 1979. His father was a professor of sociology at Colgate. He was predeceased by his wife, Katharine, 2 sons, and a great-grandson. He is survived by 2 daughters, 2 daughters-in-law, 11 grandchildren and step-grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.
Dan R Miller ’38, March 14, 2015. Phi Kappa Psi, tennis. US Navy, WWII. He founded Dan Miller Heating Company, from which he retired in 1980. He was predeceased by his wife, Mabel, and a son. He is survived by 2 children and a grandson.
Emmett R Costich ’43, October 1, 2015. Lacrosse, ski club. US Army: World War II, Korean conflict. University of Pennsylvania, DDS; University of Rochester, MS and PhD. He worked as an associate professor at the University of Michigan before he left for the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, where he taught and practiced for 25 years. He is survived by his wife, Marie, 6 children, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
Donald R Coffman ’44, October 10, 2015. Theta Chi, cheerleading, football. US Marines, US Navy. He worked for General Electric in Syracuse, NY, where he was appointed purchasing manager. He was predeceased by his wife, Gloria. He is survived by 4 children and a grandchild.
John H Herrigel ’44, August 25, 2015. Beta Theta Pi, track. US Army: World War II. He worked for the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company for 40 years. He was predeceased by his first wife, Janet, and a daughter. He is survived by his second wife, Susan, a son, 5 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
Austin J Rinella ’44, April 27, 2015. Delta Upsilon. US Army, WWII. He co-owned the National Franchise Bottlers business with his brother for more than 40 years. He was predeceased by his wife, Alice. He is survived by 4 children including Austin ’74, 6 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
A Newton Dilley ’45, October 23, 2015. Sigma Chi, Phi Beta Kappa, Masque and Triangle. US Army, WWII. Yale Law School. He practiced law for many years at his family’s practice in Grand Rapids, MI. He is survived by his wife, Ann, 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.
Howard T East Jr ’45, June 1, 2014. Colgate Maroon. He is survived by his wife, Midge, and 2 children.
A Merrick Richardson ’45, October 1, 2015. US Army Medical Corps, WWII. He is survived by his wife, Doris.
A Sherburne Hart Sr ’46, December 28, 2015. Alpha Tau Omega, international relations council, basketball, indoor track; Alumni Maroon Citation Award (1996), Presidents’ Club. He worked as an attorney and VP for Union Carbide for more than 30 years. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Hatsy, 4 children including Cindy Hart Montgomery ’83 and her husband, Bill Montgomery ’81, and 5 grandchildren.
Walter E McQuade ’46, October 27, 2015. Beta Theta Pi, football. US Army. He had a career as a life insurance salesman, working for various companies over the years. He was predeceased by his first and second wife, Billye and Dorothy. He is survived by 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
Andrew C Davison ’47, July 5, 2015. Sigma Chi, student government. He attended Colgate Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, NY, where he later became VP. Over his long career, he was a pastor at many Baptist churches. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, 2 children, Carol Turnbull ’85 and Tom ’76, 4 grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.
Richard D Evans ’47, October 15, 2014. Sigma Chi, track, basketball. US Marine Corps: World War II, Korean War. He began his career in sales, eventually running his own manufacturer’s representative business in the Chicago Midwest region. He is survived by his wife, Kate, 3 children, and 6 grandchildren.
James A Groh ’47, August 17, 2015. Beta Theta Pi, football. US military: World War II. Marquette Medical School: MD. After serving as an Army doctor in Germany during World War II, he returned to Milwaukee, where he practiced orthopedic surgery for more than 35 years. He was predeceased by his wife, Virginia. He is survived by 7 children, 15 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.
George E Heddy Jr ’47, December 10, 2015. Delta Kappa Epsilon, Maroon Council, football, basketball, track. US Navy: World War II; American Theater and Victory medals. He began a career with Bell Telephone, where he was promoted over a span of 30 years to executive VP with New York Telephone. He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Marian. He is survived by a brother, a sister, a son, 3 daughters, 9 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.
Edward V Hofler ’48, September 29, 2015. Masque and Triangle. US Navy: World War II. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He began his career at IBM, where he worked at several sites both in the United States and abroad on a variety of projects, including Stretch, IBM’s first transistorized supercomputer. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, 3 children, 11 grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.
Joseph R Owen ’48, August 14, 2015. Lambda Chi Alpha. US Marine Corps: World War II, Korean War. He had a career in marketing, first for General Electric and later for his own agencies, Owen Mastropaul and the Joseph Owen Co. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, 6 children including Tim ’78 and Mary Babikian ’79, 17 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.
Oscar G Petersilie ’48, March 17, 2014. Alpha Tau Omega. US Marine Corps. He worked for the A&P Co in Madison, Wis., for many years, before transitioning to work at the Pearl Ice Cream Parlor, where he worked until he was 90. He was predeceased by his wife, Liesel. He is survived by 4 children, 7 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren.
William C Kerchof ’49, September 17, 2015. Beta Theta Pi, Outing Club. US Army: World War II. He was the operating manager for New York Telephone in Manhattan and Westchester, and a value witness before the New York Commission on rate marketing. He is survived by his wife, Jean, 2 sons, and 5 grandchildren.
Lehner F Aeschbach ’50, June 30, 2015. Phi Gamma Delta, Outing Club, London Economics Study Group. He is survived by his wife, Joan, and 2 daughters.
Ellis A Hagstrom ’50, October 24, 2015. Phi Beta Kappa. US Navy: World War II. Harvard University: MAT, 1951; DEd, 1960. Over the course of his 40-year career in education, he was a social studies teacher, college professor, and administrator. He taught at Colgate University, Lehigh University, and Emory University. He was an administrator at Quinebaug Valley Community College (CT) for nearly 20 years, including 6 years as an academic dean. He was predeceased by his wife, Shirley. He is survived by 2 children.
John R Jaycox ’50, August 18, 2015. Alpha Tau Omega, lacrosse, soccer. US Air Force: Korean War. University of Virginia: JD. He worked in the communications industry, first for New Jersey Bell Telephone, then for AT&T, and later for the National Carrier Exchange Association, from which he retired in 1994. He is survived by his wife, Judith, 3 daughters, and 4 grandchildren.
Jack L Larsen ’50, August 16, 2015. Phi Kappa Psi, swimming. He had a career in tropical agriculture and served 3 terms in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. He is survived by 2 children and 2 grandchildren.
Donald J Ray ’50, August 29, 2015. US Marine Corps: World War II, Korean War. He worked for General Electric in Utica, NY, until his retirement. He is survived by his wife, Phylliss, 4 children, 10 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.
William B Taylor ’50, October 16, 2015. Phi Kappa Psi, Outing Club. US Army. He worked in advertising for many years, starting in the mailroom at the New York office of Young & Rubicam and eventually serving as creative director for multiple firms, including 5 years at Ogilvy’s London office. He was predeceased by his wife, Midge. He is survived by 4 children and 2 grandchildren.
E Virgil Conway ’51, October 21, 2015. Phi Kappa Tau, Konosioni, Phi Beta Kappa, ice hockey, Board of Trustees. US Air Force: Korean War. Yale Law School: JD, 1956. He was a lawyer and banker, most notably serving as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York from 1995–2001. He is survived by his wife, Elaine, 2 children, 2 stepchildren including Bill Gay ’81, and 5 grandchildren including Ted Carey ’13.
Martin J Helly ’51, March 14, 2015. US Army: World War II. US Air Force: Korean War. He worked in the paper and plastic industries for years, retiring as president of Himolene Plastics in Rutland, Vt. He is survived by his wife, Verna, 3 children, and 7 grandchildren.
Robert H Wallace ’51, December 16, 2014. Football. US Navy. He taught and coached at SUNY Cortland. He was predeceased by his wife, Sally.
Peter Hiatt ’52, December 11, 2014. Commons Club, chorus, chamber music. Rutgers University: MLS, 1957; PhD, 1963. He was on the faculty at Indiana University, Bloomington until 1970 and was then library program director for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in Boulder, CO, until 1974. He joined the University of Washington as head of its graduate library school. In 1998, he retired from that university as professor emeritus. He served as president of the American Library Association’s library education division and its adult services division. In 1979, he received the Outstanding Service Award from the Association of American Library Schools. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and a daughter.
Robert A MacAyeal Jr ’52, September 10, 2015. Phi Kappa Psi, student government. US Air Force. Cornell University: MBA, 1958. He started his career at General Mills, and later worked at Abbott Laboratories for 26 years while teaching at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. He is survived by wife Kathleen, 3 sons, and 8 grandchildren.
Laurence Stamm ’53, March 21, 2015. Commons Club. University of Massachusetts: DO, 1963. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn.
Theodore A von Glahn Jr ’53, September 5, 2015. Sigma Chi, track, football. US Marine Corps. He was employed by Salomon Brothers, Inc on Wall Street as VP and trustee of the company’s profit-sharing plan. He is survived by his wife, Mary, 3 children, and 6 grandchildren.
Robert A Barrett ’54, September 25, 2015. Theta Chi, swimming, sailing, student government. US Army: Korean War. Columbia University: MA. He was an editor for a variety of journals and organizations. He was predeceased by his former wife, Judith, and a son. He is survived by 2 daughters and 4 granddaughters.
Richard Branigan ’54, December 18, 2015. Delta Kappa Epsilon, Outing Club, Colgate Maroon, Colgate Thirteen, chorus. He was a real estate broker and owner of the Owl Group. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, 2 daughters and sons-in-law, a son and daughter-in-law, 3 stepchildren, 4 grandchildren, 6 stepgrandchildren, and 2 brothers.
Paul J Quigley ’54, MA’54. November 7, 2015. Kappa Delta Rho, baseball. US Army: 1954–1956. He was an employee of the Shenendehowa Central School District for 35 years, holding various positions, from teacher and baseball coach to guidance counselor, to VP and eventually assistant superintendent. He was predeceased by his daughter. He is survived by his wife, Eleanor, 4 children, and 12 grandchildren.
Edward N Floyd ’55, September 4, 2015. Lambda Chi Alpha, track, wrestling. US Air Force. He spent almost 30 years working for Tally Ho, a company that made horseback riding products. He was predeceased by a son. He is survived by his wife, Judith, 3 stepchildren, and 6 grandchildren.
Thomas H Anderson ’56, March 9, 2013. Delta Kappa Epsilon, football, tennis, baseball. He worked for the Falconer Central School System for more than 30 years, as a middle school social studies teacher and assistant football coach. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, 2 stepchildren, and 5 stepgrandchildren.
William S Carpenter ’56, September 20, 2015. Beta Theta Pi, track, chorus. After a successful career in the US Navy, he worked in medical sales with numerous companies. He was predeceased by his wife, Ann, and a daughter. He is survived by 3 sons, 4 stepchildren, 22 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
John A Hopkins ’56, October 9, 2015. Delta Upsilon, Colgate Thirteen, tennis. US Navy. He began his career at Scott Paper Company, with assignments in Philadelphia, Melbourne, Australia, Brooklyn, Fort Edward, NY, and finally Everett, WA. He then began a 26-year career with Northwestern Mutual Life. He is survived by his wife, Helen, 3 children, and 7 grandchildren.
Peter J Kane ’56, October 5, 2013. Phi Kappa Tau, Washington, DC, Study Group, chorus. Albany Law School: JD. Webster University: MA. He retired from the US Army in 1992 as a full colonel after 30 years of service. He was predeceased by his wife, Georgiana. He is survived by 2 children, 4 grandchildren, and a great-grandson.
Ralph G Mancini ’56, October 26, 2015. Kappa Delta Rho, Phi Beta Kappa, WRCU-FM, London Economics Study Group. US Army. New York Law School: JD, 1961. He practiced law for many years, while also holding positions in the community such as an Albany County republican committeeman, assistant guilderland town attorney for zoning and planning, and attorney for the Learning Disabilities Association of New York, among others. He is survived by his companion, Sonia Goudreau, his son, and 2 granddaughters.
Frank J Nardulli ’56, September 25, 2015. Phi Gamma Delta, Konosioni, football, baseball, boxing. US Air Force. He was the owner of the Overhead Door Company in Williamsport, PA. He is survived by his wife, Ann, 2 children, 5 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
William H Allen Jr ’57, August 25, 2015. Delta Upsilon, basketball, track. US Marine Corps. Harvard Business School: MBA. He had a career as a key player of the banking community in South Florida, serving as vice chairman of Northern Trust of Florida at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, 5 children, 15 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.
George D Brenning ’57, November 6, 2015. WRCU-FM, chorus. He is survived by his husband, Joseph.
Donald F Vallee ’57, November 29, 2014. Sigma Chi, football, chorus. US Air Force. He and his family lived all over the East Coast during his 37 years working for Metropolitan Life. He is survived by his wife, Judith, 3 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
David W DeRevere ’59, September 22, 2015. Phi Kappa Tau, Konosioni, lacrosse. Yale University Divinity School. He was pastor of the First Church of Christ in Saybrook, Conn., for 22 years while serving as chaplain of the Saybrook police and fire departments. He also acted as executive director of the International Conference of Police Chaplains for 18 years. He is survived by his wife, Ellen, sons Mark ’83 and Roger, and 4 grandchildren including Wil ’11.
Bryant E Hoffman ’62, October 4, 2015. Kappa Delta Rho. Rutgers University: MA and PhD. He was a professor of literature for many years, teaching at Colby Sawyer College and the University of Maine, among others. He is survived by 2 children.
John E Nicholson III ’63, MA’70, November 4, 2015. Alpha Tau Omega, Psychology Club, football team manager. He worked in college administration at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and St Mary’s College of Maryland. He then returned to New York to work in human resource management at the Zierick Manufacturing Company in Mt Kisco. He is survived by his wife, Vicki, 2 children, 4 grandchildren, a sister, and a brother.
Robert E Miller Jr ’67, October 18, 2015. Alpha Delta Phi, WRCU-FM, swimming. He taught high school English for many years. He is survived by his wife, Marcia, and a daughter.
Robert S Hoshino Jr ’68, August 13, 2015. Lambda Chi Alpha, Outing Club, lacrosse, football. US Navy. Columbia Law School: JD. He was a lawyer for many years in the Rockville Centre, NY, area, before retiring. He is survived by his wife, Patricia.
E Timothy Geyer ’69, March 9, 2015. Phi Kappa Tau, football. He worked for US Steel for more than 40 years. He was predeceased by his wife, Jo. He is survived by 3 children and 6 grand-children.
Robert Dean Kirschner ’69, July 10, 2014. Outing Club. He ran his family’s Dorn & Kirschner Band Instrument Company in Union, NJ, for 25 years and then moved to Greensboro, NC, where he did musical instrument repair for the Guilford County School system for 15 years. He is survived by his wife, Kim, 3 children, and 7 grandchildren.
Jon W Eisberg ’72, December 26, 2015. Beta Theta Pi. He worked as a sports photographer, specializing in road racing and as a delivery captain transporting yachts around the world. His yachting accomplishments were legend. He is survived by his brother, Bud ’65, a sister-in-law, and 2 nephews.
Deborah J Long ’74, October 15, 2015. She managed the bookstore at Utica College for many years, and at the time of her death was employed as a medical claims supervisor at UnitedHealthcare in Utica. She is survived by her sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews.
Scott G Porter ’78, September 10, 2015. Alpha Tau Omega, football, rugby. He was a master craftsman and carpenter in Jackson Hole, WY, for more than 30 years. He is survived by many loved ones.
Susan J Pedicord ’81, August 25, 2015. Swinging ’Gates. She was a founding director of Reworks, Restore Resources, Unlimited in Montpelier, VT. She is survived by her companion, Jody Himebaugh, and other loved ones.
Jean M White ’82, August 19, 2015. London Study Group, soccer, rugby. She was a published author, journalist, and actor, living in Denmark at the time of her death. She is survived by her husband, Gary, and 2 daughters.
Laura Pool Huber ’90, November 10, 2015. Kappa Kappa Gamma. After graduation, she moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in graphic design. She worked at Miller-Freeman as an award-winning designer and art director of several magazines. She is survived by her husband of 15 years, Jeff, a son, a daughter, her parents, a sister, and a brother.
Sandra L Siegel ’98, September 24, 2015. Kappa Alpha Theta, tennis. She was a VP of Bank of America. She is survived by her husband, David ’96, 2 sons, and sister Susan ’96.
Greer L Goebels ’12, October 28, 2015. Gamma Phi Beta, Newman Community, lacrosse. In 2012, she became marketing producer at Adrenaline Lacrosse, and then joined the University of San Diego in 2014 as women’s club lacrosse assistant coach. Most recently, she worked for Underground Elephant. She is survived by her parents, grandparents, and brothers.
Helen Sperling, December 3, 2015. A Holocaust survivor who shared her story with tens of thousands of people, she received an honorary degree from Colgate in 2000. She’d lived through concentration camps and a death march before being liberated by the American Army in 1945. In 1949, she immigrated to the United States. She lived in the Utica, NY, area from 1956 until her death. She was predeceased by her husband, Leon, and a brother. She is survived by 2 children, 2 grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
Lasting Impressions
Harry Mariani
Jan. 21, 1937–Jan. 5, 2016
When Nelson DeMille published his novel Gold Coast in 1990, he thanked former Banfi Vintners President Harry Mariani ’59 for his “generous hospitality and support.” Mariani passed away at the age of 78, and his alma mater could easily quote those words in tribute and farewell to a man whose lifelong connection advanced the university — academically, athletically, and physically.
Mariani joined the Colgate University Board of Trustees in 1987, the same year that his son James graduated from the university. Mariani served on the board until 1996, chairing the Student Affairs Committee and serving on the Capital Assets, Institutional Advancement and Communications, and Planning committees.
The Mariani impact can be seen across campus. His name appears on the list of Wm. Brian Little ’64 Distinguished Service Award winners in James B. Colgate Hall. It can be seen twice in Persson Hall, noting the support he gave for the building in general and the economics department suite in particular, home to the Banfi Vintners Chair in economics that is currently held by Professor Michael Haines. Plaques outside the Colgate Bookstore and inside the Colgate Inn highlight Mariani’s investments in the Hamilton Initiative. He also gave generously to Colgate’s Division I athletics programs and facilities.
But these plaques and honors cannot convey the personality of the man who was described by classmates, Phi Gamma Delta brothers, and fellow alumni like Tom Kirkpatrick ’61 as “one heck of a nice person.”
Kirkpatrick added, “Everyone who ever came in contact with Harry always came away with the same impression.”
Characteristic kindness came alongside a competitive streak that helped him transform his father’s wine import company from a small, local concern to an international powerhouse that includes holdings like the award-winning Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Tuscany.
Mariani joined the family business after graduating from Colgate. By 1964, he was president, working with his brother, John, who served as CEO. With the purchase of Castello Banfi in 1977, the brothers not only imported some of America’s favorite wines, but they also began to make them as well. Banfi sent its wines around the world and invited wine connoisseurs into the heart of their operation, converting Castello Banfi’s 1,000-year-old castle into a top-rated luxury hotel.
Kirkpatrick remembered his own visit to Banfi with Dick Hamilton ’59 and his wife, Heather. “[Harry] called me after we returned stateside and asked how we liked Tuscany and Banfi,” said Kirkpatrick. “I told him he had to construct some motel units at the Banfi vineyards. He asked how many he should build. I said at least six. He built twelve.”
Always thinking big, always hospitable, Mariani saw the potential in the sparkling red Riunite Lambrusco — and in a college on a hill in central New York. He acted on his vision, building the resources required to bring new Banfi products to market and expending resources to ensure that Colgate set the pace among liberal arts universities. The results of his personal and professional passion live on after his death, as do the fond memories of his Colgate family members.
Mariani is survived by his wife, Anne, their four children, and eight grandchildren as well as his sister, Joan, his brother, John, and five nieces and nephews.
“He was a good one,” said Kirkpatrick, “we could ill afford to lose.”
Mary Howes
June 19, 1934–Jan. 29, 2016
Mary W. Howes ’70, the first woman to graduate from Colgate, died at the age of 81.
Howes began her collegiate career at Cornell University, where she studied at the School of Home Economics for three years. Then she and her husband, Raymond, decided to start their family in Hamilton (where they stayed). Mary persuaded Colgate to allow her to finish her studies at the all-male university, where she majored in sociology and anthropology and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
After graduating, Howes taught kindergarten at the nearby Sherburne-Earlville Elementary School, where she also taught a program for gifted students that she created, until she retired.
“Her sometimes controversial teaching philosophy of fostering free expression and independent learning sometimes challenged her administrators and puzzled her colleagues, but clearly benefited her many students,” according to her obituary on obitsforlife.com. She “will be remembered as a woman who acted in harmony while pushing the boundaries, and who lived by the motto ‘Let’s see what love can do.’”
She is survived by Raymond, her love of 68 years, four children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
William Hochswender III
June 20, 1951–Dec. 31, 2015
A fashion columnist for the New York Times, editor for Esquire, and author on Buddhism, the multifaceted William J. Hochswender III ’72 has died. Known as “Woody,” he passed away at his home in Sharon, Conn.
Hochswender majored in philosophy and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. “Colgate was a hugely important part of Woody’s life,” said his former wife, Cynthia Hochswender. “He credits one very long hard winter, when he had a broken leg, to changing his attitude toward life. It contributed enormously to his success because, he said, he had nothing to do but study and he realized that working hard was a good thing.”
After graduation, he worked a variety of odd jobs, from selling yo-yos on the Lincoln Center steps, to running a bicycle rental store in Central Park, Cynthia wrote in the Lakeview Journal.
When Hochswender met Kezia Keeble, former Vogue editor and public relations executive, on the street by chance, the trajectory of his life changed. Keeble and a friend invited him to a Buddhist meeting, through which he became interested in Nichiren Buddhism. Keeble also ended up hiring him for several modeling jobs and encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a professional writer.
In 1976 Hochswender landed a job as a book jacket copy writer for Avon Books, a Hearst Corporation Company, and went on to work for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and Harper’s Bazaar before he was hired as a fashion journalist for the New York Times. He wrote the weekly “Patterns” column at the Times until 1992, when he left to become a writer and editor for Esquire magazine.
As for Hochswender’s personal style, “he could wear a suit as elegantly as anyone,” Cynthia said. But “he was happiest when he was dressed in classic New England style: plaid shirts, work boots, jeans, flannel.”
Before long, Hochswender decided to become a freelancer and wrote for publications such as the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and Sports Illustrated’s Golf magazine.
“You could always see through his writing, his mind working, his eyes darting and penetrating a subject at the same time, obviously a great listener with a quick but dry humor,” Ed Filipowski, co-president and chief strategist at KCD Worldwide, told Women’s Wear Daily.
Later, he focused on his interest in Buddhism. He co-authored The Buddha in Your Mirror: Practical Buddhism and the Search for Self (Middleway Press, 2001) and wrote The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror: A Guide to Practicing Buddhism in Modern Life (Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 2007).
“Buddhist teachings permeated how he approached his life,” said Kirsten Jensen, Woody’s girlfriend. “He was always interested in trying to help those he felt had not been given a fair shake, and his practice had a lot to do with that. It transformed his life, and he used it to help transform the lives of others.”
The cause of Hochswender’s death was a glioblastoma brain tumor, according to Cynthia. He was 64. In addition to Jensen and his former wife, he is survived by his daughter, Katharine, and his sister, Pat Leri.
— Jessica Rice ’16
