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Elizabeth Mann Hight '70
March 18, 2020, in Washington, D.C., at 72. Known for having artistic and literary talent, she worked various jobs: a reporter for UPI, a legislative assistant for the late California Senator Alan Cranston, and a contractor for the Educational Testing Service. She volunteered in local schools and lived with a strong social conscience. Survivors include her husband, Alfred Harf, with whom she conceived and established a woodland garden that serves as her legacy, a daughter, and a sister.
Joanne Gordon Sampson '71
April 24, 2020, in Branford, Conn., at 71. A lifelong educator, she earned a master’s in special education from New York University in 1972. Her career involved work with autistic children at Kings Park State Hospital on Long Island, in Boston public schools, and, for 40 years, as an early childhood educator in a number of Jewish institutions in Norwalk, Conn. First and foremost a mother, she was also an advocate for social justice who volunteered for causes in which she believed, an active member of Temple Shalom in Norwalk, and an accomplished baker. Two children survive her, as do two grandchildren, a sister, and her former husband, David Sampson ’73.
Marjorie V. Saporita '71
May 10, 2020, in Skowhegan, Maine, at 92. A Maine native, she came to Colby when her children were in school, earning her degree at age 43. She enjoyed a 27-year career teaching at schools in Waterville, Winslow, and Fairfield. She volunteered at the Vassalboro Food Pantry, and she found pleasure in golf, music, good food, and trips to Maine’s coast. She leaves two sons, two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren
L. Fleming Fallon Jr. '72
March 28, 2020, in Bowling Green, Ohio, at 70. A Renaissance man and lifelong learner, he earned numerous post-graduate degrees: an M.S. in microbiology, an M.B.A., M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., and a Dr.PH in 2000. His professional field was public health, and he taught that subject at Slippery Rock University and Bowling Green State University, where he was named a distinguished teaching professor. He wrote a weekly column, “Health Thoughts”, authored more than 480 peer-reviewed works and more than 750 other publications, and served on the Wood County Board of Health. He was also a stained-glass artist, a kaleidoscope collector, a blue-ribbon counted cross stitch artist, a baker, an Eagle Scout, a percussionist, and an active member of his church. He leaves his wife, Rebecca, four step-children, and a sister.
Richard A Kaback '72
Nov. 23, 2009, in New York at 58. He had interests in travel and tourism, working for various agencies in New York. In 1978 he earned a master’s in tourism administration from the New School in New York City. Together with his wife, Ursula, he raised a son, Alexander.
Brian L. Clark '75
Dec. 12, 2019, in Worcester, Mass., at 66. After a career in computer sales, he worked in customer service at L.L.Bean, where, by chance, he connected with a long-lost friend on a call. He moved to Worcester to marry her, working at Home Depot until his death from cancer. A lifelong fan of Boston teams, he also enjoyed golfing, visiting Cape Cod, and vacationing on Sanibel Island. Survivors include his wife, Mary “Vicky” van der Linden, his daughter, three step-daughters, six grandchildren, and two siblings, including Sandra Clark Jonassen ’74.
Moira Shea, M.D. '75
April 29, 2020, in West Falmouth, Mass., at 66. A pediatrician, she earned her medical degree from New York Medical College in 1979. She offered compassion and medical expertise to patients at Bramblebush Pediatrics in Falmouth, Mass., from 1985 until she retired in 2014. She was an avid reader, an excellent baker and cook, and a rescuer of monarch caterpillars that she raised to become butterflies. She died from ovarian cancer, leaving her husband, William Wittman, two daughters, two grandsons, and three siblings, including Emily Shea Leone ’81.
Deborah J. Cohen '77
March 13, 2020, in Erie, Pa., at 65. Her studies in Spanish began at Colby and led her to a 20-year career as a professor of Spanish at Slippery Rock University, where she was also actively engaged in the theater community, served as faculty advisor to the LGBTQ club, and hosted an international radio hour as Dr. Deb. Recently retired from Slippery Rock, she was pursuing a degree in theater and was training to be a set designer, scenic artist, and lighting designer. She earned a Ph.D. in Central American theater studies from the University of Kansas. Deb leaves her mother and two brothers.
Alice Bassett-Jellema '78
Nov. 2, 2019, in Baltimore, Md., at 62. A city priest with a commitment to social justice and compassion for everyone, she served as pastor of the Episcopal Church of the Guardian Angel in Remington, Md., for 22 years. There, she initiated a reading camp, a food pantry, and outreach programs for vulnerable and high-risk populations. She earned a master’s in divinity from the General Theological Seminary in 1992 and served churches in Virginia and Townson, Md. She also served on the boards of the Episcopal Housing Corporation and St. Mary’s Outreach Center. Famous for her red high-top sneakers, she was called an “old-school street priest who met people where they were.” She leaves her wife, Christine, three step-children, and two siblings.
Elizabeth H. Bowen Chase '81
Feb. 5, 2020, in Belfast, Maine, at 61. Liz earned a master’s in French literature from Brown University in 1984 then returned to Colby to teach French and run the Colby in Dijon program for two years. She worked for Fleet Bank briefly then returned again to work in Colby’s Student Financial Services Department administering financial aid. She drew inspiration from the earth’s beauty, and she held a deep interest in Zen Buddhism. Liz played the organ, joined the “Come Boating” crew to row her ocean shell, and volunteered administrative time with Belfast Senior College. In 2015 she married John Chase, who survives her, as does her brother, John W. Bowen ’75.
