In Memoriam

To submit a notice for In Memoriam, email pittmag@pitt.edu.

Lewis P. Angotti Jr. ENGR ’57, January 2022, age 86, of Carrollton, Kentucky. Born in Ellsworth, Pennsylvania, he studied mechanical engineering at Pitt and played trumpet in the Pitt band. He received an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management and held positions in engineering and product development at North American Rockwell, General Electric, Elkay Manufacturing and other companies. He frequently visited national parks, historic sites and Lake Michigan. Though he spent his adult life in Cincinnati, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; Riverside, Illinois; and Carrollton, Kentucky, he never lost sight of his Pittsburgh roots and remained loyal to its sports teams, especially the Pitt Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

George Edward Barbour A&S ’51, March 2023, age 96, of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. A native of Oakdale, Pennsylvania, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, rising to the rank of sergeant. He later studied journalism at Pitt and went to work for the Baltimore and Richmond Afro-American newspapers and the Pittsburgh Courier, where he became city editor. He was the first full-time Black reporter at KDKA radio, where one of his most memorable assignments was reporting on the 1965 voting rights march while walking the dangerous route between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and others. He also worked as assistant director of communications for the Pennsylvania State Education Association and hosted a 12-year weekly radio program on KQV radio, “Showcase Plus: Black Frustrations, Achievements and Hopes for the Future.” He taught Sunday school, drove the church bus and served as deacon at First Baptist Church of Bridgeville. He was a loving husband of 68 years to Gloria Jean Cross Barbour, a father of three and a proud grandfather of five.

Todd Barnhart A&S ’87, May 2022, age 58, of Chicago. He was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Trinity High School before studying at Pitt. Beginning his career at Discover Card, he worked in marketing and operations management before moving to FICO, where he was a principal consultant until his retirement in 2019. He married Scott Neslund in September 2012. He enjoyed traveling, being with friends and family, seeing the world, listening to music (especially X, his favorite band) and anything related to the Steelers.

Judy Barricella A&S ’73, November 2022, age 75, of Shaler, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Etna and contracted polio when she was 4 years old. The effects of the disease required the use of leg braces and, later, a wheelchair and inspired a lifelong devotion to disability rights and advocacy. She earned degrees from Pitt and the University of South Florida before serving as the founding director of the Center for Independent Living in Pittsburgh. She launched a disability rights consulting company and worked for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. She was on the White House lawn when the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990 and served as the first ADA coordinator in Allegheny County. In 2008, she led the Voices of Our Region oral history project, documenting the lives of 57 people with disabilities in southwestern Pennsylvania. She is survived by two sons, a sister and a grandson.

Joan L. Berger EDUC ’58, ’67G, March 2023, age 86, of Atlanta. She grew up in White Oak, Pennsylvania, and attended Pitt, where she studied education and joined multiple organizations, including Alpha Beta Gamma, Mortar Board and Quo Vadis. After graduating, she worked as an elementary school teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. She later taught children with special needs through the Allegheny County Intermediate Unit. In between, she worked with her late husband and fellow Pitt graduate, James, in their family-owned pharmacies. She was also an accomplished painter. She is survived by two sons—one of whom, Joel, is a Pitt alumnus—a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.  

Rita Brocke SPH ’72G, February 2022, age 96, of Erie, Pennsylvania. A Sister of Mercy and primary care nurse practitioner, she held nursing and teaching positions in Erie and other areas in Pennsylvania, as well as Detroit. She served as the leader of the Sisters of Mercy in Erie and remained an active presence in the House of Mercy after retiring.

Ross Workman Buck Jr. A&S ’70G, September 2022, age 81, of Windham, Connecticut. He earned his PhD in psychology from Pitt, and his career included work at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine followed by an appointment at Carnegie Mellon University. He spent 48 years at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, as a professor of communication and psychology. He was a visiting scholar and fellow with Oxford, Harvard and Yale. He authored four books on communication, emotion, motivation and nonverbal communication as well as numerous chapters and professional journal articles. He served as editor of the International Society of Research on Emotion newsletter and belonged to many professional organizations. He is survived by his wife and children.

David Glenn Davis A&S ’53, July 2021, age 90, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduating from Pitt, where he was on the wrestling team, he attended the Western Theological Seminary and became an ordained Presbyterian minister. He was also an avid reader and later earned a doctorate in literature, teaching classes at multiple universities. In retirement, he honed his carpentry skills, became a master gardener and volunteered at Literacy and Evangelism International. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two grandchildren.  

William A. DelVecchio A&S ’66, DEN ’69, July 2022, age 79, of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. A standout sprinter for Pitt’s track team, he once held two school records and served as team captain. After graduation, he worked as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and as a clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. He also served in the U.S. Army and volunteered for many years as a youth sports coach. He is survived by his wife, three children and 12 grandchildren.

Herman A. Jones Jr. SOC WK ’73G, EDUC ’83G, July 2022, age 73, of Pittsburgh. After completing his undergraduate studies at Wilberforce University in Ohio, he came to Pitt and earned degrees in social work and education. He was a professor at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania for more than three decades.

Joseph H. Lang BUS ’60, May 2020, age 82, of Northville, Michigan. A Pittsburgh native and lifelong Steeler fan, he served in the U.S. Navy and volunteered extensively in his community. He is survived by his wife, four children and five grandchildren. 

Chuck Reinhold A&S ’62, January 2023, age 84, of Franklin, Tennessee. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he spent his life in service to others. After graduating from Pitt, he traveled to Ethiopia to complete mission work. He returned to the United States in 1962 and began a decadeslong career with Young Life, working in Maryland, New York and Washington, D.C., before returning to Ethiopia for seven years with his wife, Linda. His 2019 book “A Life Worth Living,” is about his adventures. He is survived by two children and their families.

Bertha Mae Roberts EDUC ’61, February 2023, age 85, of Pittsburgh. She attended Friendship Elementary School and Peabody High School before attending Pitt, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. She received a master’s degree from Kean University in New Jersey and became a teacher in Cape May City School District and Plainfield Public School District. In 1986, New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean named her an outstanding teacher for her exceptional contributions in the state’s public school system.

James E. “Jim” Sczepanski ENGR ’61, October 2020, age 81, of Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. While at Pitt, he served as the manager of the marching band and a member of Phi Kappa Theta. After graduation, he earned a master’s degree in engineering administration and embarked on a career as an electrical engineer for U.S. Army defense contractors. He played softball well into his 70s and, at 75, coached his team to a gold medal at the Huntsman World Senior Games. He is survived by his wife, two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Peggy Sproull EDUC ’48, April 2022, age 95, of Boerne, Texas. Originally from James City, Pennsylvania, she taught high school business classes before starting a family and traveling extensively for her husband’s military career. Later, she worked as a realtor. Her family regarded her as a gourmet cook. She is survived by her husband of 72 years, four children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

James “Jim” Sweeney ENGR ’91, October 2022, age 60, of Pittsburgh and Albany, New York. A proud Pittsburgh native, he attended Seton LaSalle Catholic High School in Mount Lebanon, where he helped the football team win the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League championship in 1979 before bringing his talent to Pitt to play for the Panthers. He then played 16 seasons in the NFL, suiting up for the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers. After retiring, he coached at Duquesne University and Peters Township and South Fayette high schools. He later accepted a coaching position at the University of Albany. A father of five, he loved to cook and made what his kids call the world’s best school lunches. He is survived by his wife and their children.

Edmund “Ed” Weihrauch A&S ’62, BUS ’69G, December 2022, age 84, of Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania. A child survivor of the Holocaust, he was born in Lvov, Poland, and he and his mother were the only members of his family to escape the Lvov Ghetto, into which they were forced after his father was called to join the Soviet Army. They went into hiding in Poland’s rural countryside and, after being separated from a group of Soviet partisans, were taken to a forced-labor prison camp. After the war, he and his mother emigrated from Europe, eventually landing in Pittsburgh. He attended the Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh and Peabody High School before coming to Pitt. An early pioneer in the computer industry, he developed a passion for teaching computer science and later became a professor. He was a gifted teacher who loved the outdoors, hiking, mountain biking, soccer and, most of all, walking his dogs in Frick Park.

This edition of In Memoriam was published May 5, 2023. It is part of Pitt Magazine's Spring 2023 edition.