Thelma Barton Smith '34 died on January 1, 2008, in Lake Ridge, VA. She was 94. She attended public schools in Kent County and, after college, earned a master's degree in education from the University of Maryland. She worked in Washington, DC, at the General Accounting Office for three years, then in September 1937 returned to Chestertown High School to begin a career in teaching. After six years, she moved to Prince George's County. She retired in June 1971 after spending 23 years as an elementary school principal.
Dorothy V. Leonard '41 died Sept. 27, 2007, at The Pines in Easton, MD. She was 86. After her college graduation, Miss Leonard earned her master's degree in education at George Washington University and took courses at Columbia University in New York. She taught high school in Bladensburg for two years before returning to teach in Talbot County, where she remained for 39 years. She retired as principal of Easton High School in 1984.
Francis Auvan Smith '41 of Elkton, MD, died November 30, 2007. A graduate of West Nottingham Academy in Colora, MD, Mr. Smith was a US Army veteran of World War II. According to Ralph Thornton '40, he was a great baseball player at WC. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Anna Mary Smith.
Grace Neighbour Johnson '45, a College benefactor with strong family ties to Washington College who supported scholarships and the construction of the Benjamin A. Johnson '11 Lifetime Fitness Center, died Christmas Day, 2007. Mrs. Johnson was one of the founding members of the Junior Board Shop at Peninsula Regional Medical Center and was active in the Alter Guild at Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. She was a member of the Mayflower Society and loved playing bridge with friends. She loved her three daughters and was proud of their accomplishments. Her seven grandchildren gave her great joy. Preceded in death by her husband and former College Trustee, Dr. Rufus C. Johnson '42, she is survived by several family members, including her brother-in-law, College Trustee Emeritus William B. Johnson '40, and a nephew, College Trustee Ben Johnson.
William Gray '48. passed away July 22, 2006. William and Carlyn Gray had been married for nearly 60 years—they died from illnesses within 36 hours of each other. Mr. Gray was raised in Baltimore's Waverly neighborhood, attended the old St. Bernard's Parochial School, and graduated in 1939 from Calvert Hall College High School, where he played ice hockey and baseball. He enrolled at Washington College, but his studies were interrupted by Army service during World War II. A sergeant, he fought at Normandy - landing at Utah Beach on the invasion's second day. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, Rhineland and Central Europe in a combat engineering unit. After the war he resumed his studies and earned a degree in political science.
William C. Tomlinson '50, a career educator who spent nearly 50 years teaching and working in administration, died of heart failure September 25, 2007, at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, MD. The former Upper Marlboro resident was 81.
Edward W. Stewart '52, a business executive whose career at the DuPont Company in Wilmington, DE, spanned 46 years, died May 13, 2007. He was 75. After earning a degree in chemistry at WC, Ed earned a master's degree in metallurgical engineering from Lehigh University and immediately went to work for DuPont. He retired in 1990 as a sales manager in the pigments department, having served as laboratory manager, business manager and national sales manager. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church and a volunteer at Friendship House, an organization aiding the homeless. He was also a member of the College's George Washington Society. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Nancy Moore Stewart, along with three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Lewis S. Morris, Jr. '55, of Lutherville, MD, passed away November 5, 2007 at the age of 79. In addition to his wife of 55 years, Janet Newman Morris '53, Lew is survived by two daughters, two sons and seven grandchildren.
David O. Barroll '58 passed away January 1, 2008. Mr. Barroll graduated from St. Andrew's School in Middletown and attended Washington College. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955, stationed in France. He was in the automotive and farm equipment business prior to becoming a real estate broker. In 1972, he became President/owner of Cooper-Barroll Realty, a company with offices in Chestertown, Centreville, Galena and Kennedyville.
David Cooper "Coop" Fenimore '60, a Lambda Chi whose career encompassed work for the Dupont Company, Abbott Laboratories and the National Institutes of Health, passed away January 7, 2008. Educated at Mount Pleasant School, Wilmington Friends School and Pennsylvania Military Preparatory School, David served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and then came to WC, graduating with a degree in economics. A member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Newark, DE, David was active with the Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Lisbon, MD. He also volunteered for several environmental groups in the Wilmington area.
Marianna Smith '79 passed away September 5, 2007 at The Pines in Easton, MD, following a brief battle with lung cancer. She was 50. Marianna graduated in the top 5% of her class at North Caroline High School in 1974. At WC, she graduated with departmental honors in psychology. Marianna lived and worked in Chestertown for some time before pursuing a career as a computer analyst for Capital Care in Washington, DC. In her free time, Marianna enjoyed creating beaded jewelry, reading and spending time with friends and loved ones.
Linda Kennedy '86, an attorney for the homeless of Baltimore and an advocate for disabled children, died of breast cancer December 13, 2007. She was 43. After working as a paralegal for several Washington law firms and managing the successful campaign of Lonnie Rich for the Alexandria, VA, City Council in 1991, Linda earned a law degree at Vermont Law School in 1994. She then clerked for Judge Edward A. DeWaters Jr., who was then chief judge of the Baltimore County Circuit Court and who later retired as chief judge of the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court of Maryland. Ms. Kennedy worked in the public defender's office in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. From 2000-2002, she was a staff attorney with the Maryland Disability Law Center, where she worked on school-discipline cases for children with disabilities. She then became a staff attorney for the Homeless Persons Representation Project. Friends and family applauded her sense of responsibility to those less fortunate and her tireless efforts to represent those who were most vulnerable to falling through the cracks of the legal system. Surviving family includes her brother, Sean Kennedy '89 M'99.
Patrick McGrath '10, a business student from Columbia, PA, died from natural causes November 16, 2007. He was 19. Patrick graduated in 2006 from Lancaster Catholic High School, where he was active in the swim program, in religious activities, and in various service organizations, particularly the Good Samaritan Program. In college, Pat focused his studies on business and accounting, and remained interested in sports, particularly club lacrosse, soccer and wakeboarding. He was a resident assistant in Kent House and served as an SGA senator. He also was involved in Safe Ride, a new student-run shuttle that operates on weekends.
Henry C. Beck, one of the College's greatest friends and most generous supporters, died October 15, 2007, at the age of 89. Mr. Beck, a Dallas, TX, businessman with long family ties to Maryland's Eastern Shore, had been a member of the College's Board of Visitors and Governors since 1983. He helped usher Washington College into the information age nearly two decades ago with a generous gift launching the academic computing program and creating what is now the Beck Multimedia and Technology Learning Center. His gift allowed the College to become one of the first small liberal arts colleges in the country to integrate information technology into the curriculum, and subsequently to build a campus-wide computing network that provides access to a wealth of educational resources previously unavailable. Throughout his long association with the College, he supported several academic initiatives, capital projects and scholarships, including the Henry C. Beck Memorial Scholarship Fund he created in 1960 in honor of his father, a 1907 graduate of Washington College. Mr. Beck's grandfather, Dr. Samuel Beck, served on the College's Board of Visitors and Governors from 1877 until 1895. Most recently, Mr. Beck helped establish the John S. Toll Chair and spearheaded a drive to raise endowment for the Adrian Reed Professorship. Born in 1917 in Shreveport, LA, Mr. Beck was a 1938 graduate of Dartmouth College. He did postgraduate work at Harvard Business School and M.I.T. He is survived by Nell, his wife of seven years, and four grown children.
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