| Passings |
| "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." |
 Robert D. Brace ’49 of Golden, CO, died December 26, 2008. He was born in Shreveport, LA, and graduated from Lamar High School before attending Rice University in Houston, TX. After two years, Bob joined a bomber squadron of the U.S. Army Air Corps on Guam. He came to Mines after the war and completed a degree in geological engineering. A member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Bob stayed involved with Mines, serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors for ten years in many capacities, including president. After working for Chevron for 35 years, he went on to join Pentex Petroleum as a vice president. He later started his own consulting firm that helped smaller oil companies optimize their use of digital technology. Bob was a member of many professional societies related to geological and petroleum engineering. He also chaired a committee that successfully reestablished the Colorado Geological Survey in 1967. He was a founding member of the Colorado Mycological Society, dedicated to studying the wild mushrooms of the Rockies. He is survived by his wife, Rosa-Lee; daughters, Martha Brace, Melissa Knapp and Elizabeth Brace; son, Steven; four grandsons; and his sister, Nancy Brace Duckler. Charles A. Einarsen ’47 of Littleton, CO, passed away on November 4, 2008. Born in 1924, Charles grew up in Denver and graduated from East High School before attending Mines. In 1944, he enlisted with the U.S. Navy, serving for two years as a submariner. He attended Mines on a four-year scholarship and was a member of Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Gamma Epsilon honor fraternity. He graduated with a degree in petroleum engineering and began a long and successful career in the petroleum industry. He began his career with Stanolind Oil and Gas Company working in Texas and Oklahoma. In 1953, he transferred to Cherokee Laboratories as an area manager in Midland, TX. In 1957, he moved to the Petroleum Research Corporation, while also pursuing a degree in business management from the University of Colorado, Denver. He then worked as director of marketing for C.S. Card Iron Works, as an independent oil man, and for Tensleep Petroleum Corporation. In 1969, he founded Viking Exploration and remained with the company for the rest of his career. He is survived by his wife, Mildred; his sons, James and Jeffrey; daughters, Jeanne, Joyce and Janet; and his brothers, Harold and Robert. Martin S. French ’50 died on November 3, 2008. He was born in 1922 in Chester, MA. In World War II, he flew B52 bombers in the South Pacific and transport aircraft from Hawaii to China. During the Korean War he was recalled to service. He came to Mines in 1946 to begin work on his degree in petroleum engineering. In 1948, he married Beverly Arthur. A distinguished student, Martin was president of Tau Beta Pi and a member of Alpha Tau Omega. After graduating, he began a 28-year career with Shell Oil, during which time he was based in offices in Denver, Billings, Oklahoma City, Midland and Houston. Specializing in secondary oil recovery, he shouldered broad responsibilities for the company, serving for some time as division reservoir engineer. In 1972, while living in Texas, he married Dorothy Miller. In 1978, he moved to Scientific Software Corporation, a consulting firm in Denver, evaluating fields in Abu Dhabi, Algeria and Peru. After retiring in 1987, Martin began a 21-year career as a highly dedicated volunteer with the Lakewood Police Department, which included over 6,600 hours spent tracking juvenile runaways. He took on over 14,000 cases and achieved a 99.7 percent rate of recovery—not surprisingly, he was widely recognized for his work and was given several notable awards. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his sons, David and Donald; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.Back to top.  Robert G. Piper ’49 of Sarasota, FL, died January 6, 2009. Born in Evanston, IL, in 1922, he grew up in nearby Deerfield, becoming an Eagle Scout and graduating from Highland Park High School in 1939. He attended Northwestern University and, like his father, uncle and grandfather, became a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. In 1941, he enlisted in the Army, earning a Purple Heart for his service in Europe. After the war Bob attended Mines, where he joined the Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity and graduated with a degree in metallurgical engineering. In 1948, he married Geraldine Dansby. His career began at Standard Steel in Pennsylvania, starting as junior metallurgist and leaving 20 years later as vice president. From 1969 to 1981 he was president of Wisconsin Centrifugal, in Waukesha, WI. In later years, he invested in a PODS franchise and a biodiesel project. He is survived by Geraldine, his wife of 60 years; his daughter, Peggy Schenk; sons, Robert Jr. and Charles IV; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Thomas G. Plummer of Golden, CO, died on June 29, 2008. Born in 1937, in Elgin, IL, his family moved to Golden in 1948 to purchase a downtown jewelry store. In 1955, he graduated from Golden High School and attended the University of Colorado for two years. Thomas then apprenticed under his father, Wendell, learning clock and watch repair. He later designed, created and repaired jewelry. In 1957, he married his high school sweetheart Donna Sparks. In 1969, Thomas bought Plummer’s Jewelry store from his parents. A member of the Volunteer Fire Department, Thomas was on the Golden City Council, master of Golden City Lodge AF & AM, president of Golden Lions Club, director emeritus of Golden Civic Foundation, honorary alumnus of Colorado School of Mines, president of Mines Silver and Blue, and recipient of the Mines Medal. He was also a member of First Presbyterian Church of Golden and Golden Chamber of Commerce. He is survived by his wife, Donna; sons, Scott, Mark ’84 and Greg; six grandchildren; and his sisters, Mary Meyers and Margot Plummer. Charles “Chuck” R. Russell, Sr. ’54 of Houston, TX, passed away on November 29, 2008. Born in Chicago, IL, in 1930, Chuck earned a degree in petroleum refinery engineering from Mines. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an engineer officer in the Army and continued to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve until 1987, retiring as a colonel. Chuck was the founder and chief executive officer of I.T. Search, a Houston-based management consulting firm. Prior to this, he was an assistant vice president for the Coastal Corporation, a Houston-based energy company. And before joining Coastal, he worked for Richfield Oil Company in California, where he spent thirteen years in systems and data processing management. A registered chemical engineer, he was active in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and the Senior Army Reserve Commanders Association. He also served as president of the Houston chapter of the Data Processing Management Association. He was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1995 by the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association in recognition of his many years of membership and service. Over the years, he served the association as section coordinator for the Houston Section, chairperson of the Career Services Committee, member of the board of directors representing the Gulf Coast region and secretary of the board of directors. He is survived by his fiancé, Leanna Proctor; daughters, Julie Sandoval and Jane Arnold; sons, Charles Jr. and John; sister, Barbara Swanson; and five grandchildren.Back to top.  Howard S. Spaulding ’39 of Moraga, CA, passed away on December 8, 2008. Howard was born in Kokomo, IN, and grew up in Colorado. He graduated from Mines with a degree in metallurgical engineering and went on to a 43-year career in the aluminum industry. For 33 of those years he worked at Kaiser Aluminum. He was an active member of Sons in Retirement in Alameda, a lifetime member of the American Society of Metals and past director of Kaiser Aluminum Retirees Association. Howard spent 68 years with his wife, Eileen, with whom he had six children; they traveled extensively around the world. He is survived by his wife; daughters, Judi, Susan and Nancy; sons, Bob and Mark; 13 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. John Jay Wanner ’48 of Denver, CO, died on December 26, 2008. Born in Lyman, WY, in 1921, he graduated from Rock Springs High School in 1939. He came to Mines in 1941, having earned a second high school diploma in California. A member of the ROTC, John served in Europe from 1943 until the end of the war as a combat engineer commander for the 284th Combat Engineer Battalion. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the construction of the famous pontoon bridge over the Rhine in 1945. Returning to Mines after the war, he completed his degree in petroleum engineering, serving as president of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, and Scabbard and Blade. In 1948, he married Grace “Bunny” Haff Blood-Smyth and began his career as a petroleum engineer, which took him to various locations in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. In 1958, he became an independent petroleum engineer in Denver, where he remained until his death. In the early ’60s, he and a group of friends rafted the Yampa, Green and Colorado Rivers using rafts salvaged from the Korean War. He served as the president of the University Club of Denver and the Gyro Club, and was active in the YMCA, Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association, Society of Professional Earth Scientists, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and the Remagen Bridge Society. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Bunny; daughters, Janice Snooks and Gail Swinson; and four grandchildren.  George W. Wharton ’51 of Hot Springs, AR, died on January 16, 2009. Born in 1927 in Pueblo, CO, he served in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947, and spent a year in Korea on occupation duty. George graduated from Mines with a degree in petroleum refining. He was employed for 34 years by Magnolia Petroleum, a subsidiary of Mobil Oil, where he worked as a petroleum refining engineer. He spent most of his career at the Beaumont, TX, refinery. For the last three years of his career, he was in charge of operator training in Singapore and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. After retiring in 1985, he was active in his community, being a member of the Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church; a concert association; a local genealogical society; and computer, square dance, running and photography clubs. He is survived by his daughters, Leslie Lenhart, Bonnie Easton and Carolyn Smith; his son, Jim; stepson, Bruce Cozad; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and his sister, Florence Pearce.Back to top.  Herbert L. Young ’39 of Fallbrook, CA, died December 31, 2008. He was born in 1916 in Jersey City, NJ. Shortly after surviving the 1918 flu epidemic, his family moved to Rockville Center, NY. After a visit to Colorado exposed him to the mining industry, Herb came to Mines where he joined both Alpha Tau Omega and Theta Tau, and became an avid skier. He graduated with a degree in mining engineering and went to work for Braden Copper Mine in Chile, and later for JE Griner & Co. in Miami, where he helped build the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne. After serving in Europe during World War II, he returned to work for Magma Copper Company in Arizona, subsequently moving on to Republic Steel in California. In 1951, he met Dodie Meir, whom he subsequently married. In 1954, he and Dodie opened the Christiania Ski Lodge at Mammoth Lakes. After selling the lodge, they became environmental activists. Herb fought against the Grand Canyon Dam, the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant, a jet port in Nevada, a highway through the Sierras and a casino at Lake Tahoe. In 1999, he and Dodie established the Young Symposium, a program at Mines aimed at promoting awareness of environmental issues among the school’s students. He and his wife enjoyed rafting, kayaking, biking and skiing. He is survived by Dodie. Also In Memoriam Russell E. Blom ’59 ....................................September 15, 2004 Clifford R. Craven ’59...................................February 25, 2001 Arthur F. Helbig ’66.....................................January 3, 2007 Gary E. Melickian ’59 ..................................December 18, 2004 William E. Metger III ’79...............................December 13, 2006 Fred A. Nagel ’40 .........................................May 22, 2008 John F. Schultze ’48.....................................January 20, 2001 Hugh E. Templeton ’36 ................................August 15, 2008 |
Spring 2009