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Donald J. Furcillo '78
Donald J. Furcillo '78, Jan. 3, 2009, in Concord, Mass., at 53. He worked as a medical salesman for 13 years and then taught middle school for 10 years. A star athlete in high school and college, he coached football at UMass Lowell and hockey teams in Massachusetts. He earned a master's in 2000 from Cambridge College. Survivors include his wife, Gilda, his parents, four children, a grandson, and two sisters.
Alison Werner Barton '96
Alison Werner Barton '96, March 1, 2009, in Killingly, Conn., at 34. She was a vice president at State Street Global Advisors and enjoyed spending time with family and friends. She died in a car accident on Interstate 395. Survivors include her husband, Gavin, her parents, Karen (Sward) '68 and Eric S. Werner Jr. '66, and a brother.
Robert A. Gillespie
Robert A. Gillespie, April 28, 2008, in San Jose, Costa Rica, at 69. He taught English at Colby in the 1970s and 80s. He was an associate professor and, from 1986 to 2005, college editor. He logged more than 35,000 miles running including several marathons. He canoed the Mississippi, live briefly in the Northwest Territories, and shared his home in Benton, Maine, with huskies. An inspiring teacher and meticulous editor, he published stories and verse including a 1979 book of poems, The Man Chain. He is survived by his companion, Professor Christine Wentzel (theater and dance), a brother, and a stepdaughter.
Evans Reid
Evans B. Reid, March 27, 2008, in Waterville, Maine, at 94. At Colby (1957-78) he was Merrill Professor and chair of the Chemistry Department. He taught at and directed the NSF summer institute at Colby (1958-83), and was the Smith-Mundt Visiting Professor of Chemistry at the University of Baghdad (1960-61). He earned his bachelors and doctorate at McGill and became a U.S. citizen in 1941. He was a violinist with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and the Colby Community Orchestra, an oil and acrylic painter, and a poet. Survivors include his son, Nicholas, and a granddaughter. He was predeceased by his wife, Dorothy M. Pearson, by one day.
Rosalie Mosher Reynolds '29
Rosalie Mosher Reynolds 29, February 28, 2008, in Huntington Station, N.Y., at 100. She taught school in New Hampshire and Connecticut before working as a research assistant at Pfizer for 16 years. While living in Connecticut, she belonged to the Entre Nous Literary Society, the Indian and Colonial Research Center, and a needlework guild. Predeceased by her husband, Verne E. Reynolds 25, she is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Dorothy Reynolds 59 and William C. Gay Jr. 59, daughter Bethia Reynolds Morris 57, six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Flora Trussell Larrivee '31
Flora Trussell Larrivee 31, March 27, 2008, in Manchester, N.H., at 99. She worked for the Works Project Administration after the Depression. During World War II she was a social worker and a secretary at Grenier Airfield. She was active in her church, where she taught Sunday School, and belonged to the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a classical pianist, researched her genealogy, and once shook hands with Teddy Roosevelt. Survivors include her daughter, Barbara Tappin, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
George C. Putnam '34
George C. Putnam 34, March 9, 2008, in Naples, Fla., at 95. He earned his masters in chemical engineering from MIT and built a successful career in oil refinery design. For 40 years, he operated Alden Camps in Oakland, Maine, with his wife. He collected clocks and antiques, was active in Rotary, and enthusiastically supported Colby. Described as a wily cribbage player, classical music fan, and witty storyteller, he loved family and a steaming plate of lobster. Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Vesta Alden Putnam 33; five children, Elizabeth Hinebauch, Priscilla Putnam Minkel 63, Deborah Putnam, Carol Putnam 69, and James R. Putnam 73; 12 grandchildren including Kristin E. Putnam 05 and Garret A. Hinebauch 88, and nine great-grandchildren.
Mary Small Copithorne '35
Mary Small Copithorne 35, February 27, 2008, in Exeter, N.H., at 95. After earning her M.S.W. from Smith College in 1937, she worked in several agencies before establishing a private practice and focusing on individual and marital counseling. She was named New Hampshire Social Worker of the Year in 1984. A long-time member of her church, she was active with New Hampshire NOW, marched on Washington D.C., and loved the power of ideas. Predeceased by her son David M. Copithorne 60, she is survived by her children Joan Copithorne Bowen 65, Elizabeth Copithorne Lewis, and Stephen Copithorne. She leaves 12 grandchildren, including Charlie E. Bowen 96 and his wife, Elizabeth Low Bowen 96, and seven great-grandchildren
Ellen Dignam Downing '35
Ellen Dignam Downing 35, April 23, 2008, in Appleton, Wis., at 94. During World War II she began a 30-year career with the Treasury Department as a security officer for international affairs. A faithful alumna, she received a Colby Brick in 1976. She was predeceased by her brothers Walter 33 and Charles 39 and her sisters Mary Dignam Murphy 31 and Alice Dignam Grady 39. Survivors include her nieces Judith L. Dignam 60, Janice Dignam Mauer 72, Joan Dignam Schmaltz 63 and Joans husband, Richard R. Schmaltz 63, and nephew Kevin W. Flynn 93 and his wife, Laura Silverman Flynn 94.
Virginia Swallow Seepe '35
Virginia Swallow Seepe 35, May 1, 2008, in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, at 95. After graduating from Colby, she graduated from Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in 1936 and worked as a secretary in Maine, including two years for Ninetta Runnals 1908, Colbys first dean of women. She was a mother and homemaker who was involved in her church. She was predeceased by her husband, Arthur W. Seepe, treasurer and professor at Colby. Survivors include her children, Virginia S. Crane and A. William Seepe 64, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
John Roderick '36
John P. Roderick 36, L.H.D. 66, March 11, 2008, in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 93. An Associated Press correspondent whose career spanned five decades, he was an expert on Red China and the Far East and was the first American to report on Communist China. He interviewed Mao Zedong in the caves of Yenan, reported on the Sino-Indian war and the emergence of South Vietnam, and accompanied the American pingpong teams 1971 visit to China. Posted to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, he was bureau chief in Hong Kong and reopened the APs Beijing bureau in 1979. Colby gave him an honorary degree in 1966 and a Distinguished Alumnus award in 1991. He divided his final years between Hawaii and his Japanese farmhouse, restored by his adopted son, Yoshihiro Takishita, who survives him. Roderick was predeceased by his brother, Ernest 36.
