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John I. Judson Jr. '58
Oct. 2, 2019, in Minneapolis, Minn., at 89. A prolific writer and poet, a discerning editor and publisher, and a beloved teacher, he delighted in the rhythm and melody of poetry. After serving with the Air Force during the Korean War, he graduated from Colby then went on to earn an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa in 1965. That same year he started at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he taught creative writing and American literature for almost 30 years. A champion of unrecognized poets, he started Juniper Press and a literary journal, Northeast, in 1960, publishing chapbooks and collections, many of them on cloth, hand-bound, and hand-sewn. He authored several poetry books, had his work published in more than 150 literary magazines, and won multiple awards for his poems. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Joanne, three children, and five grandchildren.
John F. O’Callaghan '58
Dec. 7, 2019, in Tilton, N.H., at 86. Jack’s education at Colby was interrupted by the Korean War, where he served with the U.S. Air Force. In 1959 he joined his family’s business, Tram Diamond Corporation, an electronics manufacturer, becoming vice president. Later, he opened a satellite dish company, Satellink Corporation, which he operated for 23 years. He was an enthusiast of sports, fishing, boating, and alpine skiing, and had interests in birds, deer hunting, photography, astronomy, and card playing. He also followed Formula One racing and Boston sports teams. He leaves his wife, Nancy, two children, a step-daughter, six grandchildren, and two brothers.
Deborah Williams Pinkerton '58
Jan. 17, 2020, in Tulsa, Okla., at 83. She returned to her home state of Oklahoma after graduating from Colby, married, and raised her family while volunteering extensively in her community with her church, the American Red Cross, and the Junior League. She also served on local boards, including for the YMCA, Concertime, and Chamber Music Tulsa, of which she was president. Following a divorce, she bolstered her ego with a rugged 15-day Outward Bound canoe trip on the Boundary Waters. A few years later, she earned an M.B.A. from the University of Tulsa and worked in accounting. She belonged to book clubs, played bridge and Mah Jong, and was an expert knitter. Two children, five grandchildren, and a sister survive her.
Judith W. Spall '58
Dec. 28, 2019, in Waltham, Mass., at 83. She put her Colby mathematics degree to work and became a computer programmer, working for Raytheon, MIT, ADL, and finally MITRE Corporation. Traveling the world was her passion; she visited six continents, absorbing the cultures and learning the histories of countless countries. She also played golf, swam, played bridge, and enjoyed seeing movies and plays with friends. Her sister Sally Spall Barnes ’60 survives her, as does extended family, including her niece Amy Hurley ’86.
Mary Kristin Swanson Woodger '59
Oct. 18, 2019, in Plymouth, Mass., at 82. After two years at Colby, she attended the Katherine Gibbs School, married, and raised her children. She volunteered with community organizations and worked bookkeeping jobs in the Berkshire area. She also loved animals, especially dogs; her golden retrievers and shelties were constant companions. Kris leaves two sons, three grandsons, and a sister.
Gladys Frank Bernyk '59
Oct. 24, 2019, in San Jose, Calif., at 81. She left Colby in 1957 but earned her degree from George Washington University in 1959. She married, had children, and moved around while her husband was in the Army. Her work later in life was as an instructional assistant in special education, helping hearing- and sight-impaired students at Monta Vista (California) High School, which named her employee of the year in 1997. An active volunteer, she was PTA president, involved with Amigos de law Americas, and founded a grocery co-op in her neighborhood. Her husband of 59 years, Alex, five children, and two grandsons survive her.
Wilbur F. Hayes '59
Dec. 10, 2019, in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., at 83. He continued his studies right after Colby, earning an M.S. in 1961 and a Ph.D. in 1965, both in biology from Lehigh University. He chose to become a professor, teaching biology at Wilkes College (now Wilkes University) from 1967 to 2000. His research focused on the Atlantic horseshoe crab, limulus, which he studied using electron microscopy and about which he published several articles. He belonged to scientific organizations and was chair of the board of the Northeast Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Heart Association. He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1952. Two nephews and a niece survive him.
Louis Leotta Jr. '59
Louis Leotta lived an extraordinary life-simply because it was so ordinary. Leotta graduated from Colby and earned advanced degrees, found meaningful work, raised a family, worked his property, traveled.
All while totally blind.
Louis Leotta Jr. ’59 died in Olean, N.Y., Feb. 26, 2020. The life of the wry 85-year-old was lauded as a portrait of courage, persistence, and triumph over adversity.
Raised in Malden, Mass., Leotta was born with glaucoma and, until age 15, enjoyed a normal childhood, albeit with impaired vision. One morning, he awoke blind. “The loss happened just like that,” Leotta, snapping his fingers, told a reporter 35 years later.
Leotta attended Perkins School for the Blind before coming to Colby-its first blind student-with his seeing eye dog, allowing him to move freely about campus. Braille books, recorded textbooks, and classmates who read aloud to him helped Leotta succeed at Colby: he graduated with a degree in history in the top 5 percent of his class.
After earning master’s and doctorate degrees from Columbia University, he taught American history, spending most of his 34-year career at St. Bonaventure University, where he chaired the history department and was named professor emeritus in 2001. In 2009 Colby awarded him its Outstanding Educator Award.
Leotta claimed to be consumed with curiosity. He was an avid reader-using the Kurzweil reading machine for the blind-with interests in the Vietnam War and corporate American history. He authored several publications, including a recognized book on America’s Social Security program.
At his country home in Humphrey, N.Y., Leotta and his wife cleared trees and transformed their property, where he relished long walks with his guide dogs and family. He loved jazz and was an audiophile. And, surprisingly, he was a target shooter, a passion first developed at Colby when his KDR fraternity brothers jokingly invited him to target practice at a local dump.
“I’m not a great shot,” he said, “but I’m a careful shooter.” Later, Leotta used a target with a steel-plated, funnel-shaped area and an electronically activated bell in the center. He gauged his accuracy by deciphering the noise made when the bullet hit the target.
Beloved by his students for his sense of humor, Leotta told them that ideas are as elusive to grasp as cobwebs. “If you ever walked in a cobweb and tried to brush it off … it’s a son-of-a-gun to get a hold of,” the Batavia (N.Y.) Daily News reported. “Ideas are like that. They move around, they change.”
Leotta leaves his wife, Lois, two children, four step-children, three grandchildren, and two sisters. - Laura Meader
John P. Dunstan '60
Dec. 24, 2019, in Port Richey, Fla., at 87. He applied his undergraduate work in physics to a career as a physicist and an industrial hygienist, first with Pratt & Whitney and, starting in 1976, with Picatinny Arsenal, where he worked on optics for Patriot Missiles. He was one exam away from receiving his Ph.D. but refused to take it as he had no interest in being called “doctor”. In retirement, he lived 10 years in Hiram, Maine, where he took up photography, and later settled in Florida. He was also an astronomy buff and a ham radio operator, a skill he learned while serving in the Korean War. He was also active with his church. Predeceased by his parents, Edythe Porter and J. Leslie Dunstan, both Class of 1923, he leaves his wife, Patricia, and four children.
John R. Rafferty '60
Nov. 1, 2019, in East Granby, Conn., at 81. Finishing what he started at Colby, he earned a B.A. in economics at the University of Rochester in 1962, setting him up for a career in life insurance. He worked for large agencies for 35 years before starting his own life insurance recruiting and consulting business. He never lost his passion for baseball, keeping in touch with Colby’s coach John Winkin and becoming a Yankees fan. He was an active volunteer in his community and church, loved his cottage in Owls Head, Maine, and traveled extensively, including a meaningful trip to Normandy. Survivors include his wife of nearly 60 years, Becky Crane Rafferty ’60, three children, including John Robert ’86, and four grandchildren.
