System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!
Robert H. Pfeiffer
Nov. 29, 2019, in Solon, Maine, at 74. A former Colby lacrosse coach, he was a 1967 graduate of Bowdoin, that college’s first-ever All-American in lacrosse; he also excelled in hockey and football. After serving as a Marine officer in Vietnam, he went on to a successful lacrosse coaching career, beginning at Division I University of New Hampshire followed by four seasons at Middlebury, where he led the team to the ECAC Championship in 1975, and four seasons at Colby, 1986-89. In the 1980s and ’90s, he officiated interscholastic lacrosse in Maine as well as Division I, II, and III matches across New England. One of a very few who excelled as a player, coach, and official, he was respected for his integrity and commitment to help others succeed. He was inducted into the Bowdoin College Athletic Hall of Honor in 2016. Rob leaves his wife, Julianna, two daughters, a granddaughter, and a brother.
Paul J. Schupf, LL.D. ’06
Dec. 4, 2019, in New York, at 82. Belgian born, he was raised in New Rochelle, N.Y., and was a 1958 graduate of Colgate University, where he majored in history and was unbeaten on the tennis team. He became a successful, self-made investor, establishing Paul J. Schupf Associates in 1994 and running it from his home office in Hamilton, N.Y. A Renaissance man, he collected and advised others on art, read deeply about philosophical and aesthetic issues, and was a devoted Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead fan. He was introduced to Colby through the Colby Museum of Art and became one of the College’s most generous benefactors with gifts that supported the arts, the sciences, and residential life. The Paul J. Schupf Wing for the Works of Alex Katz, the Anthony-Mitchell-Schupf Residence Hall, and the Paul J. Schupf Computational Chemistry Laboratory are among the tangible results of his generosity. In 2019 he made a leadership gift for Waterville’s planned arts center, which will be named in his honor. He served as a Colby trustee from 1991 to 2006, and he sat on Colby’s Board of Visitors 1985-91 and on the museum’s Board of Governors 1994-2006. He received a Colby Brick Award in 1999. At the time of his death from cancer, he was a member of Colby’s Dare Northward Campaign Cabinet. A trustee emeritus at Colgate, he created the W.S. Schupf Chair in Far Eastern Studies there in memory of his father, as well as the Schupf Studio Art Center and the Schupf Fellowship. He received honorary degrees from Colby, Cazenovia College, and Thomas College. He leaves two siblings and four nieces.
Pauline L. Wing
May 1, 2020, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, at 89. A Maine native, she started working for Colby in the 1970s, serving as administrative assistant for the math and science departments. A proud Colby employee, she was among the first to be trained in word processing on a desktop computer at the College. Her pastimes included playing the organ, needlework, and weekly bridge games. Two children, five grandchildren, and a great-grandson survive her.
Estelle Rogers MacDonald '39
March 30, 2020, in Braintree, Mass., at 101. After eight years of living in New York City and Boston, she settled in 1947 in Braintree, where she raised nine children and was a dedicated member of her church as a deaconess. She wrote poetry, read widely, played hymns on her piano, and possessed a sharp sense of humor. Her family’s legacy of Colby graduates stretches back to her grandfather Harvey D. Eaton, Class of 1887; her parents, A. Raymond Rogers Sr., Class of 1917, and Harriet Eaton Rogers, Class of 1919; and her siblings, Martha Rogers Beach ’42 and Raymond Rogers Jr. ’49, all of whom predeceased her. She leaves seven children, 18 grandchildren, including Megan Davis ’94, 17 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.
James M. Bunting '40
Nov. 9, 2019, in Wilmington, N.C., at 100. A brief teaching career in Portland, Maine, ended in 1943 when he entered the U.S. Army, serving in Germany in the Signal Corps. He earned an M.A. in Russian from the Middlebury Language School in 1950, and then he went on to a long career as a crypto-analyst and linguist with the National Security Agency, retiring in 1980. A varsity golfer at Colby, he played throughout his life and won several Senior Open championships. Later in life, he took up long-distance running and completed his first of two marathons at age 60. Three sons, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren survive him.
Dorothy Smith Fernald '42
March 14, 2020, in Falls Church, Va., at 99. Dot left Colby after two years, marrying classmate Clarence Fernald ’40, with whom she raised two daughters before his death in 1986. She lived for 70 years in Falls Church, where she taught Sunday School, was church librarian, and volunteered with Citizens for a Better City and the PTA. An amateur genealogist, she traced her family’s roots and kept extensive scrapbooks of family photos and events. Two daughters, five grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters survive her.
Nancy Glover Oldham '45
Feb. 15, 2020, in Hanover, Mass., at 96. Her life centered around family, home, and community. She also worked for Sears Roebuck for a period. She loved animals, car rides, gardening, and barbecues with family and friends. Four children, two grandsons, and a great-granddaughter survive her.
Frances Barclay Oxton '45
Feb. 6, 2020, in Silverdale, Wash., at 94. She moved around the country and the world with her husband, an Air Force captain, while raising her four children. Later in life, she became a real estate agent.
Nancy Parsons Ferguson '46
May 3, 2020, in Worcester, Mass., at 95. She taught school for four years before starting her family, which was her primary focus and love throughout her life. A resident of Holden, Mass., for 68 years, she gave back to her community by serving at her church. She also volunteered for 20 years with Heifer Project International. Later in life, she traveled to all 50 states, all 10 Canadian provinces, and to 30 countries. Survivors include her husband of nearly 69 years, Robert, four children, six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
Shirley Armstrong Howe '46
Feb. 20, 2020, in Torrington, Conn., at 95. A devoted mother and wife, she also volunteered extensively with the Girl Scouts, a junior women’s club, her church, and the Waterbury Junior League. She was an accomplished pianist who played at social gatherings. She leaves three children and four grandchildren.
