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Louise Boudrot Phillips '47
Dec. 23, 2019, in Moorestown, N.J., at 94. Her adult life revolved around her children and grandchildren, whose activities she supported by volunteering with Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, the local P.T.A., and her church. She had a strong sense of community, enjoyed golfing, and was interested in history. Predeceased by her husband of 51 years, Wendell F. Phillips ’44, she is survived by six children, 12 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Robert D. Witherill '47
Oct. 31, 2019, in Belfast, Maine, at 94. He left Colby in 1943 to train for service in the U.S. Navy, becoming an ensign in the Pacific Theater. He returned, graduated from Colby, and subsequently earned two master’s degrees from the University of Maine. He became a college professor, teaching business and economics at New England College, Nasson College, and the University of Southern Maine. He authored several articles and two books, one on teaching economics in elementary schools and another titled Steamboat Memories, which stemmed from an interest in historical steamboats in Penobscot Bay. Later in life, he owned Penobscot Compass Service. He was active with the Boy Scouts and was a Mason. He leaves his wife of 69 years, Jean, two sons, four grandchildren, including Colin Witherill ’04 and Kara Witherill ’15, two great-grandchildren, and a sister.
Janet Gay Hawkins '48
March 27, 2020, in Greenport, N.Y., at 93. A mother and wife, she was also active in her communities. She belonged to the Junior League of the North Shore, serving as treasurer and sustainer committee member, and was a member of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club. Janet served on Colby’s Board of Overseers, was an active fundraiser for her class, and was active with the New York Alumni Association, all reasons she was awarded a Colby Brick in 1998. In retirement, she moved to Shelter Island, where she served on the Mashomack Preserve board of trustees and organized a yearly benefit gathering for many years. She was also active with the Shelter Island Yacht Club and Shelter Island Historical Society. Predeceased by her sister, Joan Gay Kent ’45, she is survived by two sons, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Melvin Foster '49
April 4, 2020, in Newton, Mass., at 93. He left Colby after one year to join the U.S. Army, where he served as a combat medic in the Philippines. For his heroism, he was awarded the Philippines Liberation Ribbon and the WWII Victory Medal. He returned to Colby and graduated then earned an M.B.A. in 1951 and a J.D. in 1971, both from Boston University. He opened a private law practice in Boston, practicing into his 80s. Mel was an avid tennis player who ranked as a New England Amateur, and he was a master duplicate bridge player. Survivors include his wife, Julie, and two sons, including Robert ’08.
Ruth Endicott Freeman, M.D. '49
Dec. 1, 2019, in Ogunquit, Maine, at 103. She graduated from Belgrade (Maine) High School in 1933, worked in Waterville and Augusta, then struck out on her own in the early 1940s, eventually working at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. She earned a pilot’s license, but the onset of World War II prevented her from flying. Instead, she joined the Women’s Army Corps and worked as a court stenographer in England and Paris, earning four medals, including the World War II Victory Medal. After the war, she enrolled at Colby. She went on to earn a medical degree in 1953 from the Philadelphia Women’s Medical College and later became a family physician based in Ogunquit, practicing for 50 years and making hundreds of house calls each year. Reading the Bible and living the gospel were daily devotions, an attitude also evident during service trips to Central America with the Heifer Project and Habitat for Humanity. She also played the violin, practiced photography, and loved poetry and letter writing. Her daughter, Lynne Freeman, three grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren survive her.
Patricia Lydon Latham '49
April 12, 2020, in Lynn, Mass., at 92. In addition to raising her children, she was a librarian, first for the Town of Marblehead and later for the law firm Goodwin Proctor. For 67 years she was a resident of Marblehead, where she was an active member of the Star of the Sea Church. Reading, cooking, and traveling were favorite activities. Predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Robert Latham ’49, she is survived by three children, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Linda Shaw Maguire '49
Oct. 5, 2019, in Midland Park, N.J., at 90. While moving frequently for her husband’s career, she raised her children and held various jobs: special education teacher, administrative assistant, and office assistant. She was known for her sense of humor and her love of music, playing trumpet and piano, and initiating impromptu sing-alongs. Along with her husband, they established a scholarship fund at Colby in their name. Predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Thomas F. Maguire ’49, she is survived by three children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Georgina Alger Mikoleit '49
Jan. 15, 2020, in Farmington, Conn., at 92. Georgie held various positions that satiated her desire to help others: a middle and high school teacher, a manager of a Fanny Farmer Store, a financial consultant to young families, and a water safety instructor at YMCAs, 4-H camps, and church camps. She also worked for 13 years as a tax preparer and six years as an office supervisor for H&R Block. She made her home in Dennis, Mass., where she loved the beach and swimming. Two siblings predeceased her, Walter E. Alger Jr. ’50 and Agnes Alger Stephanian ’51; a stepdaughter and grandson survive her.
Nancy Ardiff Boulter '50
Oct. 23, 2019, in Berea, Ohio, at 90. A school teacher and a mother early in her adult life, she went on to become a high school guidance counselor in Lakewood, Ohio. She earned two advanced degrees from Kent State: an M.A. in student personnel in 1971 and a doctorate in counseling in higher education in 1979. An expert genealogy researcher, she recorded and collected her family history, and in retirement, she spent winters in the family home in Berea. Predeceased by her brother, Robert Ardiff ’54, she leaves three children, nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and her sister, Eleanor Ardiff Ormiston ’60.
Chester A. Brigham '50
Oct. 12, 2019, in Gloucester, Mass., at 91. His lifelong love of Gloucester began in childhood when his parents bought a cottage in Goose Cove and culminated in adulthood when he returned to live in that house. There, he wrote five books on Gloucester’s maritime history and art. In between, he served four years with the Air Force in the Korean War and was a business writer in Connecticut. Chet belonged to the Annisquam Yacht Club, the Boston Writer’s Club, and the Boston Phi Beta Kappa Club. His wife, Anthea, predeceased him by 10 days.
