Sally Bacheller Wagenbach ’58 of Dallas, TX, died October 25 of cancer. A home economics major, she studied at the Katharine Gibbs School and worked as an administrative assistant for several companies. Active in her church, she was a Stephen minister and member of the altar guild and the bell and vocal choirs. She leaves husband Otto, two sons, a daughter, and nine grandchildren. Lucille “Bonnie” Vare Smith ’60 of Memphis, TN, died November 23. A gov- ernment major, she was a civic volunteer and philanthropist. She served as VP of development for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and treasurer of the Memphis Chamber Music Society. A member and officer of the LeMoyne Owen College board of trustees, she was also board member of the Orpheum Foundation and Children’s Hospital and held leadership roles in her church. She served Skidmore as class Friends of the Presidents Chair, class agent, and reunion volunteer and established the Lucille Vare Smith ’60 Annual Fund Scholarship. She is survived by husband Chapman, two daughters, two sons, two stepchildren, eight grand- children, and three brothers. Marilee Karins Pellegrini ’60 of Hum - meltown, PA, died suddenly on December 19. A government major, she was a part- time high school teacher and cofounder of Alfred’s Victorian Restaurant in Mid - dletown. With her former husband she coauthored Recollections and Collections of Northern Italy. The couple also sponsored more than 120 foster children through Child Fund International. She supported the Harrisburg Art Association, public broadcasting outlet WITF, Ronald McDon - ald House, Hershey Community Chorus, the Manada Conservancy, and the Nature Conservancy. She was an accomplished artist and an avid pilot, scuba diver, sailor, and kayaker. For Skidmore she was a class agent and reunion volunteer. She leaves a daughter, two sons, five grandchildren, and a brother. Marlene “Linny” Oberkotter Fowler
’61 of Bethlehem, PA, died February 4 of congestive heart failure. A biology major, she worked in urology research but later became a self-taught stained-glass artist. In her distinguished career as a communi- ty leader and philanthropist in Pennsylva - nia’s Lehigh Valley, she was an advocate for the arts, social justice, and education, helping foster the aspirations of the re - gion’s Latino community and at-risk youth. She founded the Lehigh Valley Coalition for Kids, which fueled the estab- lishment of the Fowler Arts and Educa -
tion Center at the Banana Factory and also Camp Fowler of Valley Youth House. President of the valley’s Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, she served on more than 20 other boards— ArtsQuest, the DaVinci Discovery Center for Science and Technology, the Pennsyl - vania Shakespeare Festival, and Sayre Children’s Center in Bethlehem, to name a few. She also supported such organiza- tions as the Roberto Clemente Charter School, Cedar Crest College, the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley, Northamp - ton Community College, the Allentown Library, and the Allentown Art Museum, where she sponsored free admission on Sundays, benefiting more than 30,000 visitors. Linny’s contributions brought numerous awards and honors, including honorary doctorates from Lehigh and DeSales Universities, the 1996 Outstand - ing Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Eastern Chapter of the National Soci - ety of Fundraising Execu tives, a Lehigh Valley Lifetime Achieve ment Award, and a Pennsylvania Gover nor’s Award for the Arts. For Skidmore, Linny established the Fowler Atrium in the Dana Science Center and the Marlene Oberkotter Fowler Scho - larship Fund. She was honored by Skid - more’s alumni board with a Distin guished Achievement Award in 2006 for enriching the lives of others through exemplary philanthropy and selfless service. In 2011 she spearheaded the Class of 1961’s fundraising for scholarships for deserving Skidmore students in honor of her 50th reunion. She leaves husband Beall, a daughter, three sons, 13 grandchildren, a brother, a sister, and three nieces. Helene Schackner Small ’61 of Delray Beach, FL, died December 12. A psycholo- gy major, she earned teaching certification at SUNY-New Paltz and taught first grade in Wappingers Falls and Fishkill, NY, be - fore her marriage. She was also an accom- plished artist who exhibited her watercol- ors in the Hudson Valley region. She vol- unteered at her temple, was a board mem- ber of several arts organizations, and served as board president of the Barrett Art Center and Dutchess County Arts Council. She served Skid more as a class agent. She is survived by husband Geoff, two sons, and six grandchildren. Catherine Nims Swett ’62 of Stratham,
NH, died November 16 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. She was a home economics major. She raised her sons in Pittsburgh, PA. In 2008 she and her hus- band moved to Stratham, NH, where she was a teacher and an antiques dealer spe- cializing in early American antiques; she
owned Catherine Swett’s Country Col - lectibles. She wrote complete genealogical histories of the Nims and Swett families and was a member of the Society of May - flower Descendants and Daughters of the American Revolution. Predeceased by son Thomas, she is survived by husband Dick, three sons, six grandchildren, and a sister. Karen Goldman Gerson ’62 of New
York, NY, died November 3 of lung can- cer. A philosophy major, she was presi- dent of 7th Avenue Trade Apparel Inc. She was well known in Manhattan not just as a designer, but as a singer and actress who performed cabaret until last year. She leaves partner Herman Babad, a son, a daughter, two brothers, and four grandchildren. Judith Carter Colligan ’63 of Colum bia, MD, died unexpectedly on January 20. A theater major, she completed a bachelor’s in English from Upsala College. She was a sales account manager for Wright Line, an international technical furniture company. A community leader, she tutored high school dropouts in Har lem and volun- teered for Head Start and the League of Women Voters. She founded an ecology group in Chatham, NJ, and served on the boards of the Bhavana Soci ety, a Buddhist monastery and retreat in West Virginia, and the Agape House, a Christian commu- nity center serving at-risk mothers and youth in inner-city Baltimore. She is sur- vived by a son and a daughter. Maureen Field Waddell ’64 of Sarasota,
FL, died January 19. She is survived by husband Jody. Margo Sweet ’67 of Waltham, MA, died suddenly on September 8 of a heart attack. A government major, she earned a mas- ter’s in public administration from the University of South Carolina. She worked for Harvard’s Kennedy School of Govern - ment, helped manage the publications department at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, served as senior paralegal for the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and also worked at several arts organizations; most recent- ly she was publications manager in the development office at Brandeis University. For Skidmore she was class Friends of the Presidents chair and helped lead the fund - raising for the Class of 1967 Term Profes - sorship in honor of her 40th reunion in 2007. She is survived by a sister, a niece, and a nephew. Jean Znaniecki Smith ’68 of Inwood,
WV, died May 25 of ovarian cancer. She was a government major. She is survived by a daughter, four grandchildren, a brother, and a sister.
SPRING 2013 SCOPE 61
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