In Memoriam
Spring ’26
1940s
Elizabeth Zele Budd (MA ’49) 8-9-25
1950s
John Luckadoo (BS ’50) 9-1-25
Ruth Eitelgeorge Patton Mills (BA ’52) 8-24-25
Marjorie “Jane” Lindsay (BA ’54) 11-12-25
Dale Shellenbaum (BS ’55) 7-27-25
Charlesetta (Brown) Bell (MLS ’58) 7-25-25
Donald Coen (BFA ’58) 9-23-25
Edith Collins (BA ’58) 9-12-25
Arthur Gunlicks (BA ’58) 9-27-25
Dorothy Vogel (MLS ’58) 11-10-25
1960s
Luella Kinnison (MA ’62) 8-25-25
Charles Cannon (BS ’63) 1-26-26
David “Duke” Dukart (BSBA ’63) 10-20-25
Richard “Dick” Saunders (BS ’63; Dick made a $1.5 million donation to help build the Community Commons, which opened in 2021 and was built by the construction company he founded) 11-21-25
David Beachy (BA ’64) 9-10-25
Michael Bustin (BS ’64) 8-24-25
Jeffrey George (BA ’64, MA ’70) 3-24-25
James Hansen (MA ’65, PhD ’69) 8-27-25
Charles “Chuck” Mitton (BSBA ’69) 8-31-25
1970s
Roger Keith Gerloff (BSBA ’70) 8-20-25
Robin Munden (BA ’70) 1-14-26
Jim Brenneman (MA ’71) 10-22-25
Sara “Sally” Morrison Duncan (JD ’71) 11-18-25
Carla Ann McFadden (BA ’71) 1-16-26
Michael Mahlon Quealy (BA ’71) 9-11-25
Shaila Van Sickle (PhD ’75) 9-24-25
Nancy Elizabeth Bean (MA ’76) 8-31-25
Bobbie (Sanders) Beil (JD ’76) 12-24-25
Michael Spink (JD ’77) 7-26-25
Nancy Horigan (BA ’78) 2-10-26
Barbara Kowalski (MFA ’78) 7-27-25
George Avgeris (BA ’79) 8-29-25
1980s
Susan Simpson (MLS ’82) 10-15-25
Don Jorgensen (MSW ’89) 11-28-25
Rene Koller (JD ’89) 12-11-24
1990s
Richard Rudolph (MBA ’94) 9-7-25
Bonnie Shore (MA ’97) 9-27-25
Gunter Angermayr (MCIS ’98) 8-8-25
2000s
Dennis Zuiker (MTEL ’01) 11-14-25
Judith (Zager) Slinger (PhD ’04) 10-5-25
Lauren Lawton Perfors (MPS ’06) 1-16-26
2020s
Brendan Long (BSBA ’20) 9-15-25
Kyam Kiwanuka (MBA ’25) 9-3-25
Remembering Dwight Smith
With special thanks to Professor Gareth Eaton, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Chancellor Emeritus Dwight Smith passed away Nov. 29, 2025, at age 94. DU’s 15th chancellor, Smith guided the University to focus on academic excellence, a stimulating student learning experience, and the faculty as leaders of the academic program. This approach put DU on the path of becoming an R1 research institution that maintains its focus on undergraduate students.
Smith arrived at DU in 1972 as professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry. After his appointment as chancellor in 1984, he restructured the University and balanced the budget. He helped to redesign the academic program, create the separate colleges, and restart the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science.
Any remembrance of Smith would be incomplete without mention of his focus on athletics. Despite tight budgets, he encouraged investment in sport sciences academic programs; he also provided DU’s athletes with the resources to compete against top U.S. teams. Smith was fond of hockey, attending almost every home contest and holding “office hours” at the top of the stadium during which faculty members could talk with him—no appointment necessary.
“Smith exemplified a lifelong commitment to education, scientific advancement, and public service,” says Chancellor Jeremy Haefner. “His devotion to the DU community leaves a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.”
Chancellor Emeritus Dwight Smith
Chancellor Emeritus Dwight Smith
Faculty/Staff
Anne Rankin Mahoney (emeritus professor of sociology and director of women’s studies; Anne taught at DU for 33 years and was a champion for equality among DU’s female faculty, staff, and students) 9-19-25
Edward Ziegler (emeritus professor in the Sturm College of Law; Edward taught at DU for over 20 years and was the inaugural holder of the Robert B. Yegge Memorial Research Chair in Law; he cofounded and served as past president of DU’s Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute) 10-30-25
Sharon Lassar (John J. Gilbert Endowed Professor and director of the Daniels College of Business School of Accountancy; since her tenure began in 2010, Sharon worked to elevate the school’s prominence, strengthen support for its students, uplift its faculty, and engage its alumni; she was a great connector who brought people together with her passion and dedication) 1-22-26
Van Johnston (emeritus professor in the Daniels College of Business Department of Management; Van taught at DU for 39 years and started a management program to support the region’s booming energy sector; his extensive research publications, books, monographs, and teaching focused on public policy issues) 1-2026
Carol “Hallie” Ward (retired adjunct professor and lecturer in the Department of Psychology, the Graduate School of Professional Psychology, and the Colorado Women’s College; Carol enjoyed engaging with individual students and finding ways to support them in their educational and professional pursuits) 1-28-26
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