R. Bruce Allison of Loveland, Colo., died December 21, 2013. Born in 1930, Bruce was the athletic director at Mines 1976-1995, leading both the school’s 17-sport intercollegiate athletic program and intramurals. He was also the head lacrosse coach and the men’s golf coach. Prior to joining Mines, Bruce served as athletic director for four years and coach for 19 years at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY Cortland in New York, and was a Marine.
A two-time president of the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, Bruce is credited with developing and implementing the NCAA lacrosse system in 1971 and with forming the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League in 1978. He was honored many times for his achievements in athletics, including inductions into the U.S. Lacrosse Colorado Chapter Hall of Fame in 1995; the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995; the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2006; the Colorado School of Mines Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007; and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2011. Bruce was a past member of the NCAA Council. A professor emeritus at Mines, he supported the university as a member of the President’s Council for many years.
Bruce was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Ann. He is survived by his children, Nancy Lefebvre and Tom Allison.
Albert H. Brookes ‘36 of Wheat Ridge, Colo., died November 6, 2013. Born in 1914, Al earned a professional degree in metallurgical engineering from Mines, where he was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Blue Key honor societies, Kappa Sigma fraternity, ROTC, band and the Press Club. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1941 before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II in the South Pacific, North Africa and Italy. He retired as a colonel. Al founded Brookes Engineering and was a member of ASM International, as well as a life member of the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association. He was also active in the Masonic order. Al is survived by his wife of 72 years, Gene; sons Albert and Thomas; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Carl M. Brown ‘87 of Eaton, Colo., died March 21, 2009. Born in 1965, Carl received a Boettcher Scholarship to attend Mines, where he helped start the chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ and spent summers evangelizing in the former Soviet Union. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering, he studied engineering geology as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Bucharest in Romania for two years and worked to start a covert campus ministry there.
Carl earned a master’s degree in religion in 1992 from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill., and he worked as an engineer for Harza Engineering while attending seminary. With his family, he took his ministry to Kazan, Russia (1995-2001), Kazakhstan (2005-2008) and Kandern, Germany, where he was living at the time of his death. Carl is survived by his wife, Angela; daughters Janey, Kara, Kathy and Izzy; parents Dick and Karen Brown; sister Angela Burchett; and brother Dudley Brown.
Kenneth W. Carlson�’42 of Boise, Idaho, died August 9, 2013. Born in 1920, Ken served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a safety officer at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California. He earned a professional degree in mining engineering from Mines and also attended the University of Arizona. Following graduation, Ken worked for Ingersoll-Rand in New York City, Idaho and Oregon. In 1972, he moved back to Boise and helped to found C&A Equipment, where he continued working for the next 41 years. He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Fai; sons Vic and Bill; two grandsons; and five great-grandchildren.
Anthony F. Corbetta�’48 of Golden, Colo., died October 10, 2013. Born in 1923, Tony enrolled at Mines in 1941, where he played football for two years. He left Mines in 1943 for three years to serve in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and then returned to complete his professional degree in metallurgical engineering.
The year he graduated, Corbetta started to build a career as a sales engineer with CF&I Steel, where he worked until his retirement in 1983. A tireless supporter of Mines, Tony was a member of the Heritage Society, the President’s Council and the alumni association. In 2009, he established the Anthony F. Corbetta Endowed Scholarship focused on supporting Colorado high school graduates who participate in varsity athletics. On April 25, 2014, Tony will be honored posthumously with the 2014 Mines Medal, given by Colorado School of Mines for unusual and exemplary service to the university.
Tony was predeceased by his son, Paul. He is survived by his daughters, Dianne Connolly and Patricia Corbetta; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Terry P. Evans�’77 of Golden, Colo., died June 28, 2013. Born in 1952, Terry played basketball at Mines, his 7-foot-2-inch frame giving him a 50 percent shot from the field. He was featured on ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not’ as the tallest Eagle Scout in the world and for being rejected from military service due to his height. Terry earned a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering from Mines and worked for Urania until 1982. From 1985 until his retirement in 2011, he was a materials tester for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Terry was an avid photographer and became the unofficial photographer for CDOT’s highway projects. He was predeceased by his sister, Kay Evans, and is survived by his sister, Teal Snapp.
Virgil R. Friebel PhD ’72 of Longmont, Colo., died May 26, 2012. He was born in 1932 in Britton, S.D., and was raised on his family’s farm. After two years of college, Virgil joined the U.S. Navy Air Cadets, where he earned his Navy Wings of Gold in 1954. He went on to serve as a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps for two and a half years, stationed in Korea for 13 months and then as a flight instructor. He was honorably discharged in 1956.
Returning to college, Virgil earned a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota School of Mines in 1959, a master’s degree from the Missouri School of Mines in 1960, and a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from Mines. He worked for ASARCO as a metallurgist 1960-1963 in New Jersey, for Dow Chemical at Rocky Flats in Colorado as a metallurgical engineer until 1966, and for Ball Aerospace in Boulder as an engineer/manager until he retired in 1993. He holds several patents.
Virgil was predeceased by his first wife, Ann. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; daughter Kathy Jensen; son Daniel Friebel; four grandchildren; one great-grandson; and Beverly’s family, including sons Bill and Lee Peterson, and their six children.
Donald N. Haines ‘78 of Bremerton, Wash., died March 7, 2012. Born in 1955, Don attended Mines on an academic scholarship, earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in physics from Montana State University and taught the apprentice program at Olympic College in Bremerton for the 11 years preceding his death. Don enjoyed backpacking, camping, fly-fishing, hiking, kayaking, shooting and woodworking. He is predeceased by his father, Carl, and is survived by his mother, Wanda.
John D. Haley�’48 of Littleton, Colo., died January 27, 2014. Born in 1924, John graduated from Mines with a professional degree in petroleum engineering in between serving as a naval aviator in World War II (1943-1946) and the Korean War (1952-1954). A member of Sigma Nu fraternity, John remained a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve during his years at Mines. His career included working as a petroleum engineer with Creole (Exxon) in Venezuela, a field engineer with Texaco in southern Louisiana, and VP of production for Anschutz in Denver. In 1987, he formed a consulting firm, Haley Engineering, in Littleton.
In 1997, John received CSMAA’s Outstanding Alumnus Award, having served on the association’s board of directors 1992-1996, including the last year as president. He went on to the Colorado School of Mines Foundation’s board of directors 1996-1998. John was a member of the Mines President’s Council for more than 30 years. He was predeceased by his wife, Laurie. He is survived by his children, Brian Haley, Laura McNeil, Patricia Miller, Sharon Haley, Norine Goodwin and Kathleen Martinez; 10 grandchildren; and three great-granddaughters.
Walter E. Heinrichs Jr.�’40 of Tucson, Ariz., died October 10, 2013. Born in 1919, Walter claimed an unusual historical connection to Mines. In the 1870s, when the Territorial Legislature stipulated that the school’s founders needed at least three students to receive funding, his grandmother enrolled. In addition, Walter’s own father, Walter E. Heinrichs 1913, and his uncle, Archibald A. Sproul ’26, were also Mines alumni.
After earning a professional degree in geological engineering from Mines, where he was a member of the varsity ski team, Walter served in World War II in the U.S. Naval Reserve 1944-1946. He then worked as a geophysicist for a number of organizations over the next 12 years, including Herbert Hoover Jr.’s United Geophysical Company. His work there led to his discovery and development of the Pima copper mine in Arizona (now the ASARCO Mission Complex) in the early 1950s, which is said to be the first documented geophysical discovery in the southwestern United States. Walter wrote about his experiences in the book, ‘The Pima Mine Story: Forerunner of the Mission Complex’ (Western Economic History Center; 2000). He was awarded the van Diest Gold Medal from Mines in 1955 for this discovery.
In 1958, Walter and his brother, Grover, formed Heinrichs GEOEXploration, which explored major metallic ore deposits around the world; it remained active until 2011. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Mining Foundation of the Southwest in 1993 and into the Colorado School of Mines Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001 for his role on the 1936-1940 ski teams. That same year he received the Ben F. Dickerson Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration.
Walter was predeceased by his first wife, Jean. He is survived by his wife, Rosella; son Frederick; six grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Ben H. King�’47 of Katy, Texas, died May 11, 2013. Born in 1921, Ben was a member of Mines’ ‘Fair Haired Boys’ who served together in World War II. He was in the Army Corps of Engineers in the European Theater of Operations 1943-1946, returning to Mines after his service to complete a professional degree in petroleum refining engineering. At Mines, he was a member of Blue Key and Tau Beta Pi honor societies.
Ben worked for Texaco for 37 years until he retired in 1984. He was a member of Theta Tau professional engineering fraternity, Scabbard and Blade, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and he was a 32nd degree Mason. He also supported Mines as a member of the President’s Council for many years. Ben is survived by his wife of 66 years, Elaine; children Gary King, Doug King and Julie Robinson; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
David J. Larson�’78 of Lockport, N.Y., died December 10, 2010. Born in 1956, David earned a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from Mines and an MBA from Arizona State University in 1983. Between degrees he was a production foreman for Inland Steel in East Chicago, Ind. David enjoyed flying, hunting and traveling. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie; children Eric and Rachel; mother Marie; sisters Donna Kane and Debbie Wyrebek; brother Daniel; and brother-in-law Don Chislow ’78, MS ’81.
Michael E. McNamara ‘71 of Red Lodge, Mont., died July 28, 2013. Born in 1946, Michael was valedictorian of his class at South Park High School in Fairplay, Colo. He earned a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Mines, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. His career in petroleum engineering included work for Amoco Production, Universal Resources, Brooks Exploration, and Envirocorp Services and Technology. His great passion was skiing, but on weekends when he wasn’t skiing, he fly-fished, played softball, camped, golfed, sailed and did woodworking in his workshop. Michael is survived by his wife, Anne; children Ted, Charlie and Becca; three grandchildren; siblings Jeanie, Becky, Pat and Kathy; and nieces and nephews, including Sean McNamara ’01.
Joseph M. Peery�’43 of Golden, Colo., died November 26, 2009. Mayford, as he was known, was born in 1920 and raised in Golden by his parents, who owned the Golden Mill and Elevator. He earned a professional degree in mining engineering from Mines, where he was the wrestling Rocky Mountain Champ at 145 pounds, according to his family.
Mayford served in the Pacific during World War II as a bomber pilot and squadron leader. After graduating from Mines, he worked briefly as a mining engineer, and then went into business with his father at the mill. He was involved in many other businesses throughout his career, including mink farming, turkey farming, poultry processing and land development. He enjoyed many vacations fishing with his family all over the world.
Mayford was predeceased by his first wife, Virginia; his second wife, Winnie; his son, Norman; and his brothers, Tom ’41 and Bill ’42 Peery. He is survived by his children, Linda Doyle and Richard Peery; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and nephew A. Tom Peery ’66.
Alexander S. Sabitay�’53 of Osborne Park, Western Australia, died June 6, 2013. Al was born in 1929 in Chicago and graduated from high school in Fairmont, Va. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and was posted to MacArthur’s general headquarters in Tokyo. He attended the Illinois Institute of Technology before transferring to Mines, where he earned a professional degree in geophysical engineering. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, and Blue Key and Sigma Gamma Epsilon honor societies. He also worked on The Oredigger and the Prospector yearbook.
Al began his career with geophysical contractor GSI in locations throughout the U.S. and in Saudi Arabia, the U.K., Indonesia and Australia. He returned to GSI’s headquarters in Dallas, Texas, in 1960, where he was the first party chief of a newly invented digital seismic technology. He returned to oil exploration four years later, taking the first foreign land digital seismic crew to France. He went on to work in land and marine digital seismic exploration in the U.K., Italy, Libya and Angola. After 15 years with GSI, he became an oil and mineral exploration consultant in Australia, finishing his career as managing director of Seahawk Australia Oil. In 1986 he retired to his vineyard near Perth. Al is survived by his daughters, Andrea, Karen and Tracy, and his son, David.
Franklin D. Schowengerdt of Alexandria, Va., died February 12, 2014. Born in 1936, Frank, a Mines professor emeritus, taught physics at the school 1973-2003, serving as department head 1977-1990. He was also VP of academic affairs and dean of faculty 1990-1995, and supported the school through membership in the President’s Council.
Frank attended the University of Missouri-Rolla, where he earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in physics. While at Mines, he founded the Colorado Advanced Materials Institute and helped create the Colorado Advanced Technology Institute. He also founded the Center for Commercial Applications of Combustion in Space at Mines, a NASA-funded research center, which he led 1996-2003. In 2003, Frank became director of space product development at NASA and was senior advisor for the Innovative Partnerships Program. Four years later he became director of the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems at the University of Hawaii-Hilo. Frank is survived by his wife, Ellen; children Anna and John; and brother Richard.
James F. Simons ‘58 of Kentland, Ind., died September 28, 2012. Born in 1929, Jim served briefly as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army before earning a professional degree in petroleum engineering at Mines, a J.D. from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He and his family lived in Park Forest, Ill., while Jim worked for Borg Warner and Standard Oil. In 1976, he returned to Kentland and his passion, the family farm, where he was able to continue flying. In addition to being a past member of the bar associations in Colorado, Illinois and Indiana, Jim was a member of the U.S. Patent Bar and the National Association of Securities Dealers. Jim is survived by his wife of 59 years, Virginia; children Mark Simons and Cathy Standish; two grandchildren and three step-grandchildren; and three step-great-grandchildren.
Joseph R. Soper ‘44 of San Diego, Calif., died October 22, 2013. Born in 1922, Joe earned a professional degree in metallurgical engineering from Mines, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and Sigma Gamma Epsilon honor society. Upon graduating, he was hired by Linde Air Products in Buffalo, N.Y., to work on the Manhattan Project. His career spanned work in sulfur mining, commercial construction and plant engineering, concluding with six years at the U.S. Bureau of Mines, from which he retired in 1987. Joe was a 32nd degree Mason, a Life-Master in bridge, and a life member of the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Ruth; children Chuck, Robin, Chris, Steve and Pam; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
E. Keith Staley�’35 of Oro Valley, Ariz., died November 19, 2013. Born in 1913, Keith earned a professional degree in mining engineering from Mines, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. His first job after graduation, during the Great Depression, was as a surface laborer at the American Smelting and Refining mine and coke plant in Cokesdale, Colo. In 1941, he was sent to Alaska to serve in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Keith was considered a pioneer in copper mining in the state of Arizona, his career spanning 40 years, starting with the Phelps Dodge mine in Morenci, Ariz., and then 30 years with Magma/Newmont Mining. He retired as general manager of the massive copper mine in San Manuel, Ariz. In retirement, Keith designed jewelry in silver and cut rocks. He was predeceased by his wife, Frances; uncle George W. Mitchell ’23; and cousin J. Harold Mitchell ’36. He is survived by his children, Cecelia Pfeiffer, Alex Martin, Richard Staley and Douglas Staley; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and cousin George W. Mitchell Jr. ’53. (Find out more about Keith in our alumnus profile, ‘A Miner’s Century,’ in the spring 2013 issue.)
Charles W. Starks ‘42, MS ’47 of Denver, Colo., died May 25, 2011. Born in 1919, Jack, as he was known, earned professional and master’s degrees in metallurgical engineering from Mines, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and Kappa Kappa Psi honor society. Between his degrees, he served in the U.S. Army in the Central European Theater, climbing to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
After earning his master’s degree, Jack taught chemistry at Mines for more than 30 years, retiring as a professor emeritus. He served Mines in a number of other capacities, including sitting on the Administrative Advisory and Readmissions committees, assisting in the admissions office, and teaching the first Pershing Rifles class given by the former Military Department. In 1975, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers gave him the title of corrosion specialist. Jack was a professional engineer in Colorado and was active in the Masonic order. He was predeceased by his wife, Georgia. He is survived by his children, Charles, Roxanne, Charlotte, Cindy and William; 12 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Albert F. Trites Jr.�’46 of Wheat Ridge, Colo., died August 17, 2013. Born in 1921, Al earned a professional degree in geological engineering from Mines, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He received a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1948, after which he worked as a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey for eight years. His career then shifted into the full-time ministry for International Child Evangelism Fellowship; he was the director of work in Denver for seven years, followed by five more as national director of Australia’s Child Evangelism Fellowship.
In 1968 Al returned to Colorado, taking a position as senior geologist for International Mineral Engineers. He continued working as a geologist for many years, moving into consulting in 1970; he specialized in economic geology related to the location, acquisition and evaluation of mineral properties. Al is survived by his wife of 66 years, Nona; children Nancy Botkin, Helen Peters and Timothy Trites; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Jasper N. Warren ‘50 of McAllen, Texas, died August 5, 2013. Jack, as he was known, was born in 1922 and grew up in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. He served with the U.S. Army Airborne Engineers during World War II in the South Pacific and received several awards and citations, including the Purple Heart. He earned a professional degree in petroleum engineering at Mines, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and Blue Key honor society.
In 1971, Jack bought Goldrus Drilling and built it into one of the largest private energy enterprises in the U.S., operating throughout Texas and South Louisiana. He is said to have pioneered the concept of turnkey drilling and held several patents for drilling tools and processes. A personal friend and confidante of former President Jimmy Carter, Jack influenced the nation’s energy policy, working with Congress and the Executive Branch for the deregulation of petroleum product prices. He helped forge compromises among Congress, consumer groups, the oil industry and environmental activists that led to enactment of key elements of the President’s National Energy Plan, including the creation of the U.S. Department of Energy and the passage of the Energy Security Act.
Jack’s service to Mines continued long after he graduated. He was a member of the Resource Fund Executive Committee 1975-1985, the Board of Trustees 1980-1987, the Trustee Development Council 1998-2000, the Century Society, the Heritage Society and the President’s Council. In 1978, he was awarded the university’s Distinguished Achievement Medal.
Jack is survived by his second wife, Maxine; children Thomas Warren, Patrick Warren, Cynthia Warren, Michelle Connor and Leigh Wooldridge; stepsons Marc, Hall and Paden Cheshire; 14 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
ALSO REMEMBERED
Thomas W. Anderson�’54 November 4, 2009
J. Bradley Benton�’70 July 24, 2011
William L. Browne�’81 October 14, 2011
Norman J. Christie�’35 September 26, 1997
Raymond J. Ferrera�’62 November 5, 2003
Gregory S. Jenkins�’99 March 12, 2009
Frederick E. Kastner MS ’70 March 29, 2005
Norman Korn�’50 October 18, 2011
Chester L. Love�’56 September 28, 2011
Addison B. Manning�’40 June 1, 2006
Shri B.S. Negi ‘47, MS ’48 July 15, 2001
William R. Schiele ‘41 August 3, 2006
William B. Schmidt�’62 April 17, 2006
Gilbert H. Schoonveld�’57 February 13, 2009
Owen K. Shupe�’52 2006
Delbert F. Smith�’38 December 18, 2002
Victor R. Spironello�’52, MS ’65 2006
Charles E. Stiefken�’41 July 3, 2006
Milton N. Towbin�’32 May 2, 2003
Frank W. Vaughn�’51 2005
Memorial gifts to the Colorado School of Mines Foundation are a meaningful way to honor the legacy of friends and colleagues while communicating your support to survivors. For more information, call Kim Spratt, 303.273.3138, or visit giving.mines.edu/givingguide.
