CLASS NOTES
WINTER 2013 | ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 63
1944
Donald C. Shakeshaft
of Queens-
bury, N.Y., passed away on August 13, 2012. He
graduated with a degree in government and was
a brother of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He served
in the U.S. Marines during World War II and, after
being wounded at the Battle of Okinawa, was
awarded the Purple Heart. He enjoyed a 30-year
career at
The New York Times
and was passionate
about conservation on Long Island. His wife of 63
years, Eloise Hunt Shakeshaft ’47, three children
and six grandchildren survive him. For more, see
his class column.
1946
m’47
John W. Joa
died on May 30,
2012,
at home in Skaneateles, N.Y. He served in
the U.S. Army Air Corps in India and China during
World War II. Upon returning home, he enrolled
at St. Lawrence, where he was a brother of Sigma
Alpha Epsilon and played baseball and basket-
ball. He was inducted into the physics honorary
society Sigma Pi Sigma. After receiving his mas-
ter’s degree from St. Lawrence in 1947, he taught
and coached at Skaneateles High School until
he retired in 1979. He is remembered by his two
daughters and their families.
1946
Walter R. Woods
passed away on
September 20, 2012, in Jamesville, N.Y. He at-
tended Cornell University and Brooklyn College
before enrolling at St. Lawrence. He became a
brother of Phi Sigma Kappa and sang with the
Laurentian Singers. He was also on the tennis
and wrestling teams. After receiving a degree in
chemistry, he graduated from the University of
Buffalo Dental School in 1949. He was a member
of the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II
and a captain in the U.S. Air Force during the Ko-
rean War. He and his wife practiced dentistry for
44
years in Syracuse, N.Y. He was predeceased by
his parents, Floyd 1915 and Iva Rector 1918n. Sur-
vivors include his sister, Beverly Woods Loyst ’52,
and daughters, Kathleen Woods Cloonan ’72 and
NancyWoods Wolcott ’74.
1948
Robert C. Bullock
died July 31,
2012,
in Fort Pierce, Fla. Before earning his M.S.
and Ph.D. in entomology from the University
of Connecticut, he earned his B.S. in biology at
St. Lawrence. He was amember of Beta Beta Beta,
the honorary society for biology, and Omicron
Delta Kappa/Kixioc. He pledged Beta Theta Pi
fraternity and was on the Interfraternity Council.
He was also selected for
Who’s Who Among Stu-
dents in American Colleges and Universities
.
After
serving in the U.S. Army for a decade and being
awarded the Bronze Star, he was a career ento-
mologist, working as a faculty member at the
University of Florida, a research scientist with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a consultant.
1948
Robert H. Rumplik
of East Islip, N.Y.,
passed away on June 15, 2012. He attended St.
Lawrence from 1941 to 1943, when he enlisted
in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served as a tail
gunner on a B-25 bomber in the Pacific Theater.
He returned to campus in 1946 and graduated
with the Class of 1948 with a degree in sociolo-
gy. He played football and was the editor of
The
Scarlet Saint
.
He was East Islip’s local Chevrolet
dealer for over 30 years.
1949
James P. Maley
of Williamsville, N.Y.,
passed away on July 31, 2012. He played foot-
ball, pledged Alpha Tau Omega, and was a mem-
ber of Omicron Delta Kappa/Kixioc. He majored
in sociology and had a career in data processing
management. A loyal Laurentian, he was a fund-
raising volunteer, a member of the Alumni Exec-
utive Council and a regular attender at Reunion
Weekend for many years. He also chaired one of
his class reunions. He served his community as
president of both its Chamber of Commerce and
its Kiwanis Club. Survivors include his grandchil-
dren Eric D. Klapper ’04 and Emily B. Klapper ’09,
M ’11.
1951
Augustus“Gus”T. Gray
of East Green-
bush, N.Y., passed away on August 5, 2012. Before
enrolling at St. Lawrence, he was a first lieutenant
in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a navigator for the
728
th
Bomb Squadron in the Pacific Theater. He
was on the football and wrestling teams and also
a member of the L Club and Outing Club. He was
a brother of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and majored
in physical education. From 1951 to 1952, he re-
turned to military service as a navigator during
the Korean War, called to duty from the Air Force
Reserves. He then taught in the East Greenbush
school system until his retirement. His wife, Mary
“
Marsh”Marshall Gray ’50, preceded him in death
in 2011. Those remembering him include his
daughter, Susan Gray Petteys ’75, and grandson,
Christopher Petteys ’03.
1952
John W. Taylor
of Los Alamos, N.M.,
died on July 21, 2012. He received his B.S. in phys-
ics and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He was
employed at Los Alamos National Laboratory as
a nuclear physicist for 31 years. He is survived by
four children and their families.
1955
Ursula “Ursi” Schniebs
of Lake
Placid, N.Y., died September 22, 2012. At
St. Lawrence, she pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma
and majored in German. She was president of
the German Club and also skied on the women’s
alpine team. Throughout her life she worked as
an executive secretary for various organizations,
including the XIII Winter Olympic Games in Lake
Placid and the Olympic Regional Development
Authority. Ursi was preceded in death by her fa-
ther Otto Schniebs, who coached alpine skiing at
St. Lawrence from1941 to 1956 and was inducted
into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984. Her survi-
vors include her sister Elvira “Ellie” Schniebs Pat-
node ’45n.
1957
Roxanne Byers Langill
passed away
on July 21, 2012. She majored in English and was
a sister of Alpha Delta Pi. She participated in the
Figure Skating Club and the Outing Club. A mar-
riage to Irving Langill ’57 ended in divorce.
1962
Bonnie Rupert
passed away peace-
fully on July 5, 2012, surrounded by her children.
She lived in Woodstock, Ga. A biology major, she
worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital
laboratory in Tupper Lake, N.Y., then at Saranac
Lake General Hospital. Upon receiving her teach-
ing degree at Plattsburgh State, she was an art
and special education teacher. She received a
grant from New York State to develop a teach-
ing technique called the ABC Program. She vol-
unteered for the Special Olympics, enjoyed rid-
ing her motorcycle, and even tried skydiving. In
retirement, she created stained glass and did oil
painting.
1964
Robert W. Johnson
died on August
26, 2012,
at his home in Dexter, N.Y. He received
a B.S. in chemistry and was a brother of Sigma
Chi. He opted to graduate early in 1963 and en-
rolled at the University of Pennsylvania School
of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia, from which
he received his Doctor of Dental Medicine de-
gree in 1967. He served in the U.S. Air Force as
a combat crew dental surgeon for two years, be-
fore returning to Northern New York to practice
privately. He is survived by his wife, brother, five
children and 11 grandchildren.
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