Passings: Summer 2018

Wilmer “Bill” K. Baldwin A&S ’58, December 2017, age 81, of Mt. Lebanon, Pa. A dedicated public servant, he began his career as assistant city manager of Wilkinsburg prior to his tenure as the municipal manager of Wilkins Township. Later, he served as assistant and then city manager of Mt. Lebanon. In the 1990s, he was an instructor at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He was a volunteer and supporter of numerous organizations in the region.

John “Jack” D’Amico A&S ’49, LAW ’52, November 2017, age 90, of Fort Worth, Tex. He was born in Stowe Township, Pa., and served in the U.S. Army as a young man. After earning bachelor’s and law degrees at Pitt, he was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania. He worked for property and casualty insurance companies before retiring in 1989. Even after moving away from Pittsburgh, he remained an avid Pitt fan.

Juana Gamero de Coca CGS ’94, October 2017, age 57, of Middlebury, Vt. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Pitt and a doctorate in the same subject from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In 2004, she began teaching at Middlebury College and became a tenured assistant professor of Spanish there in 2012. A native of Spain, she focused her scholarship on 20th- and 21st-century Spanish literature and culture and was valued as a respected teacher and scholar.

Edward Gerjuoy LAW ’77, January 2018, age 99, of Pittsburgh. As a theoretical physicist he worked on sonar technology for the U.S. Navy during World War II. He taught at several universities, including Pitt, where he began his research on the intersection of law and science, and later on quantum computing. He was made professor emeritus at Pitt in 2002. In 2013, he presented a TEDx talk in the Netherlands on successful aging.

Earl Richard Koenig ENGR ’52, January 2018, age 88, of Eugene, Ore. He served two years in the U.S. Army and 10 years in the Standby Reserve. His career in industrial sales took him to cities across the country. Involved in his community in Eugene, he served as president of Eugene’s Emerald Empire Kiwanis Club and volunteered with a number of organizations. He was a lifelong singer in barbershop quartets and choirs and had a passion for harmonizing.

Ernest Harold Lampkins A&S ’76G, January 2018, age 89, of Shreveport, La. He was a music enthusiast, double bass player, Pitt-trained ethnomusicologist, and dedicated teacher. He founded the Louisiana School of Professions and served as a grade-school teacher and college professor. In his long musical career, he performed with Duke Ellington, Clark Terry, Roberta Flack, and Sammy Davis Jr. In 2004, he was elected mayor of Greenwood, La., and was actively involved in civic and community organizations throughout his life.

Gary Lincoff A&S ’64, March 2018, age 75, of New York, N.Y. He was a self-taught and enthusiastic mycologist, or mushroom biologist, whose field guide to North American mushrooms sold a half-million copies. He taught at the New York Botanical Garden for more than 40 years and published many articles, songs, and poems about mushrooms. In 1981 he cofounded the Telluride Mushroom Festival in Telluride, Colo. In his obituary published in the New York Times, he was called “a pied piper of mushrooms.”

John F. Ogurchak Jr. EDUC ’98G, March 2017, age 69, of Elizabeth Township, Pa. A native of Clairton, Pa., as a young man he was motivated to find work outside of the steel mills and soon found a passion for education. He earned a doctorate in education from Pitt and spent his entire career with the Clairton School District, serving as a teacher, principal, and superintendent before his retirement in 2007.

Federico “Fred” Reginella ENGR ’57, ’64G, December 2017, age 84, of Oakmont, Pa. He served as chief of the structural engineering departments of the Comstock Company, Swindell-Dressler Company, and the Peter F. Loftus Corporation. In the 1980s, he joined the City of Pittsburgh as assistant director of engineering and construction and became director in 1994. The Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania named him Engineer of the Year in 2004 and the Pittsburgh City Council named Dec. 20, 2004 “Fred Reginella Day.”

Paul Viccaro ENGR ’79, February 2017, age 59, of Upper St. Clair, Pa. He served as a professional engineer and managing director of facilities and handling support for FedEx Ground for 32 years. He loved his family and pets, enjoyed playing golf, and had a passion for sports, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins, and Pitt football. He was a talented baker, who loved to make cookies and breads for his family and friends during the holidays.

Emily L. Wilson A&S ’51, October 2017, age 95, of Broadview Heights, Ohio. A beloved English teacher, she inspired many generations of students to find the fun in reading. She taught in Parma City schools in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, for 28 years before retiring in 1981. In 2016, she was inducted into their Alumni Hall of Fame. Former students remember her fondly for her warmth and smile.

Lawrence M. Yahr BUS ’50, December 2017, age 91, of Pittsburgh. As a young man, he served as a member of the occupying forces in Japan during World War II. He successfully owned and operated Crown Rest Bedding Company, where he worked to provide a restful night’s sleep to many customers over the years. He supported the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and was an enthusiastic handball player.

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