ClassNotes September October 2025 (YAM) Posted July 5, 2025
(Click) Class Notes Updated July (this page on dark background)
Charles Edward Brinley II died peacefully on April 2,
2025. Charlie graduated from Yale University in 1963 with a degree in
History. At Yale, Charlie was a member of the Zeta Psi Fraternity and Mace and
Chain, and served as the Hockey Manager. Charlie and his wife Nicoll met in
Philadelphia, PA and soon became a devoted couple, creating a welcoming home
wherever they lived, surrounded by a wide circle of friends. In 1970, Charlie
and Nicoll welcomed their son, Charles Edward Brinley III. From 1972-1978
Charlie worked for Westmoreland Resources in Billings, MT, ultimately serving
as CEO. Charlie then headed operations at Westmoreland Coal in Kingsport, TN,
followed by senior officer roles from 1981-1990 in Philadelphia, PA. From
1991-2009 Charlie was CEO of Dominion Terminal Associates in Newport News, VA.
In 2009 Charlie and Nicoll moved to Old Lyme, CT., where Charlie served as CEO
of CETOA, an international consortium of coal terminal businesses, until his
retirement in 2022. Throughout his life, Charlie was committed to civic
engagement and community building. One of his favorite pastimes was cheering
on his son and grandchildren in their various athletic endeavors. Charlie is
survived by his wife, Margaret Nicoll Cadwalader Brinley; his son Charles
Edward Brinley III; and three grandchildren.
Dave Culver recalls: “Charlie was always the voice and
conscience of our Spook and continued to be a wonderful friend and the ‘North
Star’ of Mace and Chain.” Eben Ludlow writes: “At Mace and Chain
Charlie was our mainstay, our organizer-in-chief, and our cheerleader. Through
the years Charlie’s humor, warmth, optimism, and selflessness inspired us and,
in his very challenging last years, his courage.” Gardner Mundy
shares: “Charlie and I achieved the unusual feat of being roommates all
four of our years at Yale. Charlie was ever-thoughtful and considerate toward
other people, and he placed an especially high value on friendship and
loyalty.” Woody Woodroofe recalls: “Moving to Connecticut in
retirement, I welcomed seeing more of Charlie. Unfortunately, for him this
more recent period seemed booby-trapped with health issues. Yet he was a
marvel of resilience and bonhomie, quick to inquire after my own health and
activities. What a gutsy witness!”
Ronald Lynn Crawford died from acute leukemia on November
22, 2024 at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, VT. Ron
earned a four-year scholarship to Yale University, where he earned his
bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1963, followed by a Master’s and Ph.D. in
Sociology. While at Yale, he was involved in the Yale Band, the Yale Sports
Car Club, and the Yale Swim Team. Ron taught at the University of Michigan and
the University of Virginia before securing a long-term position as Professor of
Management at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Ron’s lifelong love of
military scale models began in early childhood. His personal collection of
models expanded for more than 80 years, and his website served as a gathering
place for model aficionados. Ron had many other passions, from cars to
history. His ever-changing collection of vehicles, from practical family
wagons to sporty coupes and convertibles, reflected his deep love for cars.
Ron shared over six decades of love and adventure with his wife Louise K. (née
Kirschner). Following the loss of their respective spouses, Ron and Donna
Marie found each other and a deep, joyful bond quickly formed. Ron is survived
by his widow, Donna Marie Crawford; his children Mark Crawford and Louise
Blair-Morice and three grandchildren; Donna’s children Jason DeWitt, Jordan
DeWitt, and Mara Thomas; and their children.
Mike Koenig recalls: “Ron was a remarkable combination of
energy and enthusiasm. What impressed me most was the way he bounced back
after having his chest wall completely rebuilt after infection set in following
his quadruple bypass surgery. He promptly joined his volunteer fire company,
quickly becoming an eager stalwart. After more than a decade of firefighting,
he ‘retired’ to simply becoming the fire company’s chief organizer, planner,
and spokesperson. In addition to that, he was the ‘go to person’ in the
community of one to two hundred scale model aviation enthusiasts, with a
collection of hundreds of models, many of which he had crafted or
commissioned. For example, he created for the U. S. Air Force models of the
latest Chinese tactical and strategic aircraft, aircraft that were still
publicly unannounced.” Tex Hull adds: “I remember Ron as a
generous guy with a great sense of humor. He always found time to attend
reunions and for impromptu get togethers of those who lived together in J.E.”
Jeff Peierls writes: “Ron and I seemed to have to put in a lot of
hours studying in order to do well. It was, therefore, wonderful to see how
well he did with his Masters and Ph.D., and his very successful academic career
in the years after Yale. When I speak with inner city kids who are facing
challenges in college, I often cite Ron as an example of how perseverance can
bring great results.”
Rudolph Valentine “Val” Dusek died on May 7, 2025 in
Portland, ME after a short illness. Val attended Yale University, where he was
a Zoology major and then graduated with a degree in Philosophy. He received
his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Texas, then was hired at age 24
at the University of New Hampshire, where he taught from 1966 to 2018. Val’s
main area was the philosophy of science and technology. He published several
books and many articles on the philosophy of biology, mathematics, and physics,
and was known as an intellectual critic of sociobiology. Val’s first
book, The Holistic Inspirations of Physics: The Underground History of
Electromagnetic Theory, explored the influence of Chinese traditional thought
and holistic Western thought on the development of electromagnetic field
theory. Val co-authored two textbooks: a reader in the philosophy of
technology and a 200-page Philosophy of Technology: An Introduction. Many
colleagues and students considered Val’s broad intelligence, memory, and
analytical thinking to be without compare. Val retorted that he merely lived
in the library and remembered everything he read. Val was an early member of
Science for the People, and participated in years of the Scientist as Humanist
Project helping high school teachers bring the humanities and sciences
together. Val leaves his wife, Christy Hammer, and daughter, Lela Dusek. He
was predeceased by their first daughter, Athena Pearl.
Jim Courtright recalls: “I still recall the Val Dusek of
fall 1959 reciting Wordsworth, with bombast. This last year, his mind and
memory remained as extraordinarily complete as any of us might think possible.
His interests ranged from watercolor paintings to the psychology of color
perception and the deep importance of scientific concepts, and all of these
with his creative and inimitable good humor. He left us with vivid memories of
his unique personality and left many students with an enhanced appreciation of
the beauty of great ideas.” Tom Hartch writes: “It seems as recently
as a few months ago that we saw Val and his family at our 60th Reunion. We
need to treasure these happy interludes. They end all too swiftly.” Dick
Heppner adds: “Val has been a scholarly role model for me since we first
met more than 65 years ago. Polymath and Renaissance man does not adequately
describe his intellectual and scholastic capabilities. In my imagination, I
can still see him ‘air conducting’ a symphony in our suite in Calhoun. Val
taught me the few elements of formal logic and philosophy that I acquired at
Yale. I was awed by the intellectual curiosity that led him to explore several
disciplines.”
William David Jack II, MD died suddenly on May 24, 2025.
He was a 1963 graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of the Glee
Club. As he was ranked first in his Biology major after a comprehensive exam,
he was admitted to Johns Hopkins University Medical School (where he met his
wife). After graduating in 1967, he trained in internal medicine at Vanderbilt
University Hospital for three years of internship and residency, interrupted by
service in the United States Navy from 1969-1971, where he attained the rank of
Lieutenant Commander. In 1974, after a cardiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins
University Hospital, he moved with his wife and daughter to Corpus Christi, TX,
where he first established a solo practice in cardiology and later was a co-
founder of Cardiology Associates. David was a Chief of Medicine at Spohn
Hospital in Corpus Christi. He is remembered by his friends and family as a
loving, kind, and brilliant man as well as a caring physician who never stopped
learning. He is survived by his wife of almost 59 years, the Honorable Janis
Graham Jack; his daughter, Dr. Katherine Graham Jack; and two grandsons, Jaden
and Skylar Lambert.
Richard Friedlander writes: “Dave and I shared a third-
floor ‘suite’ in the Silliman tower during our Junior Year. I can’t remember a
cross word ever coming between us, and many were the evenings we spent together
over a nocturnal snack at George and Harry’s. Talking about what? It didn’t
matter. The renowned conversationalist, Samuel Johnson, said he rarely
remembered the subject of a talk with friends – just the warm atmosphere that
their friendship created. Although it means leaping over some 60 years, I
think the same could be said for those pleasurable evenings I shared with
Dave.” Geoff Noyes adds: “I knew David well at Lawrenceville. We
took classes together, which gave me a chance to study with him for a quiz and
then ace the quiz. Great sense of humor.”
Stephen Vincent McDonald of Metairie, LA passed away on
April 15, 2025. After graduation from Yale University, with a degree in
Engineering, in 1963, Steve started his career at Sikorsky Aviation Corporation
in Stratford, CT. He later earned his Master's Degree in Business from UCLA.
Steve transitioned to the Bendix Corporation in Los Angeles, which later became
Allied Signal and eventually was bought by Honeywell. Throughout his career,
Steve held many Director positions in Engineering, Marketing, Production, and
Program Management where he was responsible for creating and building military
systems. He traveled the world with members of the U.S. Navy developing sonar
applications for anti-submarine warfare and was granted patents for some of his
inventions. Upon retirement, Steve’s passion for horse racing and everything
about race horses was the inspiration for him to purchase and develop a
handicapping publishing service covering Southern California
racetracks, Handicapper’s Report, which utilized his keen skills and intellect
to create a popular site for trainers, handicappers and horse race lovers
everywhere. He owned over 40 winning race horses. Steve was always up for a
good time and especially loved a great horse race or a trip to New Orleans or
Las Vegas to gamble and play craps. Steve is survived by his loving wife of 30
years, Teresa McDonald; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Bob Dickie recalls: “Steve McDonald was an extremely
bright, able guy. Those of us who were at Hopkins with him starting in the
Seventh Grade knew right off the bat that he had an exceptional mind in every
field. He listened intently and asked great questions, and one could watch him
registering and absorbing what he was hearing. Plus he was just a
fabulous guy, fun to be with, active in sports both at Hopkins and in Davenport
College, and magnanimous.” Willie Dow remembers: “I knew Steve my
entire life: from Stony Creek grammar school; altar boys at St Therese in
Stony Creek; and classmates through Hopkins (to which we traveled by train, two
bus rides leading to a four-block walk and a hill climb while dressed in coat
and tie, carrying briefcases). At Hopkins Steve was our valedictorian, played
baseball, sang, and did all the other things that kids from the sticks learn
when they got to a prep school. It didn’t take long for Steve’s brilliance to
become obvious but, as one of our classmates noted when advised of his death,
he wore it lightly. Then on to Yale and a career in very sophisticated
engineering which required highest clearance and for which he was extremely
highly regarded. And for all this he had an abiding and contagious love of
horse racing as an owner, spectator, and very skillful bettor. When all was
said and done he relished most of all his family and, as well, returning to
reunions at Hopkins and to Stony Creek, now no longer quite ‘the sticks’ we
both came from. He was a wonderful guy.”
Guy Miller Struve, Secretary
1280 Fifth Avenue, Apt. 14-EF
New York, NY 10029
E-Mail: guy.struve@davispolk.com
Class Website: www.yale63.org