Passings: Winter 2018

Patrick C. Dargan ENGR ’66, December 2016, age 74, of Ft. Myers, Fla. He was an officer in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, Special Troops, and a recipient of the Bronze Star. His career in project management and engineering with the Aluminum Company of America spanned more than 32 years. After retirement, he enjoyed photography, high-performance vehicles, hiking, camping, canoeing, cross-country skiing, theater, and travel.

Douglas Octavius Fisher A&S ’57, ’58G, May 2017, age 82, of Raleigh, N.C. An esteemed economist, he taught at 11 universities in England, Canada, Rhode Island, Illinois, and North Carolina during his career. He published 12 books, including one that was translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Turkish, and served as president of the North American Economics and Finance Association.

Edward Frese A&S ’73, September 2017, age 66, of Richmond, Va. He worked for Duquesne Light Company as a chemist at the Beaver Valley Power Station, and then for VEPCO and Dominion Generation. Recognized as an industry expert in nuclear power chemistry, he served on several industry water chemistry standards committees developing new technologies and standards for operation.

Seymour Alexander Herron BUS ’38, DEN ’40, October 2017, age 101, of Denton, Tex. A graduate of the first six-year dental program at Pitt, he practiced dentistry for 43 years in McKeesport, Pa. He was also a skilled clock enthusiast and talented musician who took great pride in his time playing trumpet in the Pitt Marching Band. He wore his Pitt class ring until the very end.

Walter S. Kaminski ENGR ’51, September 2016, age 92, of Penn Hills, Pa. His career included 25 years as an electrical engineer at U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Braddock, Pa., and at the research center in Monroeville, Pa. He later designed subway cars and airport people-movers at Westinghouse Transportation Division in West Mifflin, Pa.

Michael James Lewandowski A&S ’02, May 2017, age 37, of Gilroy, Calif. He served in the U.S. Army, through which he was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman Badge. In 2012, he and his wife, Dani, moved from Michigan to California, where he joined the San Jose Police Department. He was extremely proud of his work as a police officer and enjoyed serving his community.

Gary W. Litwinowicz A&S ’68, September 2017, age 71, of Branch Beach, N.J. After majoring in economics at Pitt, he worked for General Motors, Touche Ross, and, for more than 30 years, as an efficiency expert for the U.S. Postal Service. He traveled the world enhancing postal operations at U.S. government-run facilities and ended his career as Postmaster of Long Beach Island, N.J., where he and his wife, Judy, resided for many years.

Gudrun Anna-Thea Mower A&S ’86G, October 2017, age 81, of Jordanville, N.Y. A native of Germany, Mower moved to the United States after marrying George Mower, with whom she lived, worked, and studied in Utica, N.Y., Hamburg, Germany, and State College, Pa. She taught art history at Slippery Rock University—a job she loved—until 1995.

Theodore John Ondocsin ENGR ’41, September 2017, age 96, of Plano, Texas. He served in the Pacific as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He worked for the Mackintosh-Hemphill Company for most of his career, retiring as vice president of sales. And active member of the American Iron and Steel Institute, he also served on the Board of Directors for Polymer Enterprises, Inc.

Rachel Poole NURS ’47, June 2017, age 92, of Pittsburgh, Pa. In 1943, she was one of the first three Black students admitted into Pitt’s nursing program. She was then the first African American director of nursing in western Pennsylvania, and eventually the first African American associate professor and associate chairperson in the Department of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing at Pitt’s School of Nursing.

Kenneth Schwartz A&S ’71, December 2016, age 67, of Los Angeles, Calif. He was a respected travel professional for more than 40 years as well as an enthusiastic traveler, visiting more than 50 countries in Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. He was passionate about history and politics, well read, and an exceptionally gifted conversationalist.

Anderson James Williams Jr. A&S ’48G, September 2017, age 92, of Norfolk, Va. He served with the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. The chief of pathology at Norfolk Community Hospital from 1965 until 1998, he was a life member of the Virginia Pathology Association, the National Medical Association, and the Norfolk Medical Association. His passions included working, reading medical research journals, classical music, and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers.

To submit In Memoriam information, email classnotes@pitt.edu.