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George W. Huther '55
George W. Huther ’55, April 11, 2008, in Webster, N.Y., at 75. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He was founder and director emeritus of Huther-Doyle, a nonprofit agency serving the chemically dependent, and was chairman of Huther Brothers, Inc., an industrial cutting tools manufacturer. He won several human service awards and was an avid outdoorsman. Survivors include his wife, Rose, four children, and two grandchildren.
Mary Connelly Luney '55
Mary Connelly Luney ’55, March 22, 2008, in Tarrytown, N.Y., at 75. A wife and a mother, she worked at New York Life Insurance Company. She belonged to the Junior League of Westchester-on-Hudson and the Sleepy Hollow Country Club. Survivors include her husband, William, two children, two sisters, including Margaret Connelly Callahan ’55, and three grandchildren.
Jan S. Hogendorn
Oct. 10, 2017, in East Vassalboro, Maine, at 79. An economics professor at Colby from 1966 to 2004, he taught courses in development economics and comparative systems, became department chair, and, in 1977, was awarded the Grossman Professorship in Economics, one of the first endowed chairs at Colby. He was a prolific author of more than 50 scholarly articles and essays, multiple editions of economics textbooks, and three books on the history of agriculture, slavery, and abolition in West Africa. During his academic career he accumulated many honors and awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship in 1986 and visiting professorships in Turkey, Nigeria, and England. Survivors include his wife, Dianne, his son, Christiaan, and two grandchildren.
Patrick C.W. Mullen
Nov. 27, 2017, in Waterville, Maine, at 86. A Colby employee for 14 years, he worked as a project supervisor on new buildings and renovations in the 1980s and early 1990s. Previously, he worked construction in Maine and abroad. He served with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and earned the rank of radioman petty officer 2nd class. He enjoyed fishing and Nascar and was a member of the Waterville Lodge of Elks. Survivors include two daughters, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Barbara R. Holden '42
Nov. 4, 2017, in Peabody, Mass., at 96. She earned a master’s in French language and literature from Middlebury in 1947 and, in 1952, was awarded a Fulbright grant to study at the University of Strasbourg. She taught French at Malden High School for 20 years and then became head of foreign languages at Winchester High School until she retired in 1982. She was given the Palmes Academiques medal in 1967 from the French Ministry of Education for her work furthering Franco-American relations. Reading, traveling, and genealogy occupied her free time. She’s survived by three generations of 47 nieces and nephews.
Frederic O. Sargent '42
Aug. 8, 2017, in Sarasota, Fla., at 97. He served with the Air Force in World War II in Europe and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He used the G.l. Bill to further his education at the Sorbonne in France as a Fulbright Scholar, in Mexico, and at the University of Wisconsin, where he earned his doctorate in 1952. He taught economics at universities in Texas, Colorado, and Vermont, where he taught for 23 years and worked on behalf of the environment on numerous rural planning projects. He loved time in the Vermont outdoors, traveled widely, enjoyed writing, painting, and ceramics, and discussed current issues at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Sarasota. Predeceased by his siblings Dwight E. Sargent ’39 and Miriam Sargent Watson ’43, he is survived by his wife of 70 years, Shirley, three children, and four grandchildren.
Robert De Cormier '43
Nov. 7, 2017, in Rutland, Vt., at 95. Choral conductor, musician, composer, and humanitarian, he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Juilliard School of Music after being wounded during World War II while serving in the Army. He was music director of the New York Choral Society 1970-87, arranged music for Harry Belafonte, and was music director for Peter, Paul, and Mary. He assembled choral groups that recorded albums and appeared on television, and he befriended folk music greats such as Odetta and Pete Seeger. In 1993 he became the first director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and, in 2000, he created a professional vocal ensemble, Counterpoint, which performed and recorded extensively. Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Louise Dobbs De Cormier, a daughter, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Laura Tapia Aitken '45
Nov. 5, 2017, in Binghamton, N.Y., at 93. She arrived at Colby from Panama in 1941 as one of the College’s first international students. She earned a master’s in psychology from Wellesley in 1946 and enjoyed a career as a primary school teacher before earning a Ph.D. from Fordham University. She became a professor of education at William Patterson College and was named professor emerita there in 1997. Two children, two grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a brother survive her.
Roselle Tharion '46
June 14, 2014, in East Sandwich, Mass., at 90. She earned a master’s in psychology from Boston University and practiced counseling in the Middleboro Public School system for more than 25 years. Four daughters, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren survive her.
John H. “Jack” Kimpel '48
Sept. 6, 2017, in Mechanicsburg, Pa., at 93. Before attending Colby, he served in the Army in World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart. He went on to a career at the Social Security Administration and became a district manager. He was active in his church and was a longtime member of his local Kiwanis Club. Witty and humorous, he loved the poetry of Ogden Nash and James Whitcomb Riley and could recite hundreds of their poems. He played golf, skied, and solved crosswords. Predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Frances Benner Kimpel ’49, he is survived by four children, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Martha Morrill McDonough '48
Sept. 2, 2017, in Miami, Fla., at 90. She earned a master’s in English literature from Boston University in 1958 and went on to a 35-year career teaching English at Miami Dade College North. She was also an active member of the Ceramic League of Miami. A daughter and a grandson survive her.
