William Claude Buss ’28, August 23, 2003, Redlands, Calif.
Grace Detwiler ’29 Mock, Oct. 2003, La Mesa, Calif.
Virginia Moody ’30 Van Horn, June 12, 2003, Montoursville, Pa. She is survived by a sister, Ruth Moody ’28 McGarrah.
Paul Reamer ’31, August 23, 2003, Laurelton, Pa. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Paul ’59 and Thiry Reamer ’57 Olbrich, and his grandson, Eric Olbrich ’91.
Edna Williamson ’32 Wilkinson, Oct. 29, 2003, Antes Fort, Pa. She began her teaching career in Danville and later taught Latin and English at Williamsport Area High School until her retirement in 1975. She is survived by her daughter, Jean Wilkinson ’67 Gagne.
Gladys Telleen ’38 Ahrenholz, August 23, 2001, Tuscaloosa, Ala. She was a professor of sociology at the University of Alabama.
Elizabeth Fry ’38 Vogel, Sept. 9, 2003, Avalon, Pa. She was a librarian at U.S. Steel Corp. until 1957. She taught Sunday school, was financial secretary and participated in other church functions at St. Luke Memorial Lutheran Church.
Jean Beamenderfer ’39, Oct. 26, 2003, Smithfield, R.I. After six years of teaching business subjects in high schools in Pennsylvania and Michigan, she was an instructor of business education at Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio, from 1948 to 1952. She taught business education subjects at Susquehanna for 12 years, retiring in 1983. She served as president of the Women’s Auxiliary of Susquehanna from 1973 to 1976 and as treasurer from 1985 to 1987.
Paul M. Orso ’40, Oct. 22, 2003, Baltimore, Md. He received the Susquehanna University Alumni Association outstanding achievement award in 1968. He received his honorary doctor of divinity degree at Susquehanna in September 1969. He is survived by his son, Donald P. Orso ’68.
Ralph G. Shobert ’40, Quakertown, Pa., December 22, 2003. Former owner of Shobert Construction Co., he worked as a construction estimator until retirement in 1986. Shobert tested aircraft during World War II at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. An accomplished violinist, he also played football at Susquehanna for Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. Shobert was active in St. James Lutheran Curch, the Boy Scouts, and a founding member of the Town and Country Players, a thespian group in Buckingham. He was brother of long-time chairman of the SU board of directors, Erle I. Shobert II ’35.
Lorraine Turnbach ’43 Benjamin, Oct. 1, 2003, Conyngham, Pa. She was a retired teacher for the Hazleton Area School District, where she taught English, literature and music. She also owned and operated the Corner Shop in Conyngham from 1965 until her retirement in 1983.
Susan Goyne ’44 Amedow, Dec. 12, 2003, Ashland, Pa.
Ruthe Garman ’46 Brouk, Sept. 30, 2003, Ladue, Mo. From 1978 to 1980, she served as president of the National Society of Arts and Letters, a volunteer organization that creates opportunities for young artists. She was a former board member of the Missouri Historical Society and what is now Dance St. Louis.
Howard H. Solomon ’47, Nov. 16, 2003, Greenbrae, Calif.
Richard E. Campbell ’50, Oct. 12, 2003, Shamokin Dam, Pa. He served in the Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet during World War II in the Pacific. He was a local distributor for Wise Potato Chips, with his son, Charles.
Jeanne Attinger ’51 Hassinger, Nov. 30, 2003, Middleburg, Pa. She was a member of the First United Church of Christ, Middleburg, where she served in the choir, as a member of the Consistory, as financial secretary, as the building fund treasurer and as a Sunday school teacher. She had assisted her husband in the operation of the Hassinger Funeral Home in Middleburg for 36 years. She is survived by her brother, Frank Attinger ’44.
W. Gordon Joyce ’52, Nov. 8, 2003, Erie, Pa. He spent the last 21 years of his ministry at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Erie, where he was made pastor emeritus following his retirement and where he is a member. He is survived by his wife, Jean McDonald ’51 Joyce.
John Duceman ’54, Nov. 8, 2003, Elysburg, Pa. He enlisted in the United States Navy and served during World War II. He served as English teacher and guidance counselor at Southern Columbia Area High School for 26 years.
Barbara Enck ’58 Good, Oct. 13, 2003, Taboro, N.C. She was a legal secretary. She was also a craftsperson specializing in hand-woven reed baskets. She was a member of North Carolina Basket Makers Association.
Victoria Long ’65, Sept. 20, 2003, Friedens, Pa. She was an elementary music teacher for 38 years at North Star School District. She is survived by her father, J. Chester Long ’37, sisters Mary Louise Long ’68 Manfredo, Virginia Long ’74, Rachel Long ’82 Brant, Rebecca Long ’83, and brother Joseph Long ’73.
Rhoda Reidell ’66 Fasano, March 2, 2003, Mifflinburg, Pa. She was a teacher in Mifflinburg from 1969 to 1972, and from 1979 to 1989, and a teacher in Williamsport from 1966 through 1967. She served as assistant high school principal for the Mifflinburg Area School District from 1990 through 1992; was acting assistant high school principal from 1984 through 1988; and was acting middle school principal at the Mifflinburg Area Middle School in 1983. She is survived by her brother, Charles Reidell ’70.
Dorothy Knauss ’73, Mifflinburg, Pa. She was the organist at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Mifflinburg.
Charles F. Janaskie ’75, Nov. 7, 2003, York, Pa. He was a general contractor by trade, owning and operating Topper Construction Co. with offices in Summerdale, Pa., and Washington, D.C.
David L. Unger ’75, Aug. 8, 2003, Danville, Pa. He was employed for 26 years as a senior environmental engineer at Merck Inc. in Riverside. He enjoyed conservation, bird watching and the outdoors.
Ruth Rissmiller ’83 Brunner, Nov. 6, 2003, East Petersburg, Pa. She worked for her husband as an organ builder for R.J. Brunner and Co., Silver Spring, from 1984 until her death. She was involved in the building of new pipe organs, as well as restoration of numerous historic pipe organs for churches and museums. She also was office manager of the firm.
Paul Simon H’86, Dec. 9, 2003, Chicago, Ill. He received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Susquehanna in 1986. At the age of 19 he built the Troy Tribune in Troy, Ill., into a chain of newspapers in southern and central Illinois. He served eight years in the Illinois House of Representatives and five in the state senate before becoming the state’s lieutenant governor in 1969. He later taught at several universities including Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Mass. After serving a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984. He campaigned for the Democratic nomination for President in 1988 and 1992 and retired from Congress in January 1997.
Edward J. Stuart ’90, Sept. 3, 2003, West Caldwell, N.J. He was a self-employed personal trainer and the owner of Strength Training Unlimited in West Caldwell.
Helen P. Oberdorf, April 22, 2003, Westhampton, N.Y. She worked in the Blough Learning Center at Susquehanna University.
Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Gynith Giffin, September 17, 2003, Westminster, Maryland. She earned both bachelor and master of science degrees at the University of Wichita and the Ph.D. at the University of Illinois in Urbana in 1958. She also taught at Wichita and Illinois and was a chemist for the Wichita Clinic Research Foundation. Gynith joined the Susquehanna faculty in 1962 after teaching for four years at Northern Illinois University at DeKalb. She was head of Susquehanna’s chemistry department for about 25 years and served as a faculty representative to the board of directors. Gynith was the spearhead for achieving prestigious ACS (American Chemical Society) accreditation for SU in the late 1960s. Dedicated to getting students involved with the professional chemistry environment by promoting ACS membership, she even helped students to pay for membership in the group. She was involved with the chemistry department’s roadshow to promote the field through presentations to high school students and she also worked with others to establish the Aikens Scholarship, one of very few awards specifically for chemistry students. She had the special distinction of being named an honorary alumna of Susquehanna’s Class of 1968. She retired from the university in 1993 after 31 years of service. She had lived at Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster for nearly four years at the time of her death.
Marie W. Blough, Arendtsville, Pa., December 10, 2003. A life member of the Women’s Association of Susquehanna University, she was also involved in Zion United Church of Christ, the Gettysburg Hospital Auxiliary, and other worthy organizations. Blough graduated form Central Penn Business School in Harrisburg and was secretary for the Arendtsville Planning Commission.
