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In Memoriam | Winter 2019

In Memoriam: 1960s

Notices sorted by graduation date

Elizabeth “Betty” Burruss Molinary (Nurs ’61) of Memphis, Tennessee, died Feb. 12, 2019. She attended Mary Washington College before completing her nursing degree at UVA. After working primarily as a staff nurse at UVA Hospital, Medical College of Virginia Hospital in Richmond, and St. Joseph Hospital in Memphis, she taught at the St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing from 1973 until 1998. Active in her church, she served as president of United Methodist Women for two years and received the United Methodist Church Laity Award. She volunteered with the Girl Scouts, Head Start, the rape crisis hotline, the church health center, the Tennessee Mentorship Program and other organizations. She wore her UVA hat proudly and was a model for truly compassionate care, teaching and volunteering. Survivors include three children, Suzanne, Mary and John; two grandchildren; and her brother, William “Billy” Burruss (Educ ’63).


William Paul Sadler Jr. (Res ’61) of Salisbury, Maryland, died May 6, 2019. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University before completing his residency at Johns Hopkins and UVA hospitals. He served in the U.S. Navy, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander. Upon leaving the military in 1963, Dr. Sadler entered private practice. He cared for the Eastern Shore community for most of his career, specializing in general, thoracic, vascular and tumor surgery at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland. During his tenure, he served as chair of the Department of Surgery, director of the Cancer Program, chair of the Cancer Committee and president of the Wicomico County Medical Society. He was instrumental in the creation of a local cancer registry for the Eastern Shore, and he served a brief stint as surgeon at Baptist Hospital in Ogbomosho, Nigeria, in 1991. In his late career, Dr. Sadler specialized as a medical consultant for various health departments on the Eastern Shore and served as medical director for Hudson Health Services. Survivors include four children, Martha, Marybeth, John and Evelyn; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.


Anita Reynolds Wildhaber (Nurs ’61) of Salem, Virginia, died June 22, 2019. After earning her nursing degree, she served in hospitals in the Roanoke Valley and worked as director of nurse training at McVitty for more than 10 years. She coordinated blood drives with the Red Cross and was a published author in a nursing journal. A devout biblical scholar, Ms. Wildhaber taught Sunday school for many years and lived out her faith in service. Survivors include two daughters, Trina and Katherine; five grandchildren; and her sister.


Ira C. Deyerle (Engr ’62 L/M) of Salem, Virginia, died June 17, 2019. He graduated from Andrew Lewis High School in Salem before attending UVA, where he became a diehard Wahoo. He worked as a software engineer at General Electric until his retirement. Survivors include his son, Russell Deyerle (Com ’94, Grad ’96 L/M); one granddaughter; and three sisters.


William “Bill” Lang Jr. (Col ’63) died on June 26, 2019. At UVA, he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, the football and track teams, and the PK Society. He also participated in intramural basketball and was an “All Mad Bowl” softball player. He cherished his time at UVA and the friends he met there. Mr. Lang spent nearly 30 years as an executive in the international moving (removals) industry before retiring in 1997. He lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and, for 15 years, Thailand. He loved traveling and visited more than 50 countries. In younger days, he enjoyed golfing, skiing, softball and scuba diving, and body surfing on Cape Cod. He enjoyed painting, reading, building scale model wooden ships and attending UVA football games with his son. He is survived by his son, William, and two brothers.


John G. Wangler Jr. (Med ’64 L/M) of Waynesboro, Virginia, died June 9, 2019. Before coming to UVA, he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from American University and a master’s in pharmacology from George Washington University. After medical school, he interned at Emory University Hospital before completing his psychiatric residency at the University of North Carolina. From 1968 to 1970, he served with the U.S. Public Health Service in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Wangler worked for Western State Hospital in Staunton, Virginia, for 30 years and was a member of the American Psychiatric Association and the Augusta County Medical Society. Survivors include his wife, Harriet Buck Wangler (Nurs ’63 L/M); son John and daughter Melanie Wangler Campbell (Nurs ’89 L/M); seven grandchildren, including Katherine E. Campbell (Com ’18 L/M) and John C. Campbell (Com ’19 L/M); and a sister.


Rick Weiss (Grad ’64, ’74 L/M) of Chesapeake, Virginia, died July 12, 2019. A superb athlete in his youth, he drag-raced his 1960 Corvette and drove speedboats at Cypress Gardens. A Hegelian scholar, he edited the Hegel Society of America’s newsletter, The Owl of Minerva, and published Hegel: The Essential Writings and Any Day Above Ground …Thoughts on Life, Death, After-life, and the Built-In God. Mr. Weiss especially loved classic vehicles, landscaping projects, John Wayne Westerns, dogs, water skiing and UVA sports. He was known for his incisive views on life, philosophy and politics but especially for his iron will and the ferocity of his love for family. Survivors include his wife, Marylou Messina Weiss (Nurs ’96, ’98 L/M); four children: Laura Weiss Townsend (Com ’86 L/M), Heather Weiss Prendergast (Educ ’88 L/M),  Geoffrey Weiss (Engr ’91 L/M) and Gregory Weiss (Nurs ’99); and 15 grandchildren, including Scott Weiss (Engr ’17 L/M), Declan Prendergast (Engr ’18), Brian Weiss (Engr ’19 L/M) and Haidyn Prendergast (Col ’21).


H. Ryland Vest Jr. (Col ’65, Med ’71 L/M) of Hillsborough, North Carolina, died July 5, 2019. At UVA, he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and played on the baseball team. Dr. Vest completed his residency in anesthesiology at the University of North Carolina and practiced in the North Carolina cities of Asheboro, Morganton and Raleigh. Dr. Vest was a leading force in the creation of day surgery centers, and his devotion to this application of health care has contributed significantly to his legacy. A kind and well-read man, Dr. Vest was a champion of all things concerned with the University. He is survived by his daughter, Katherine, and his son, H. Ryland Vest III.


Michael J. Gowen (Col ’68) of Wilder, Idaho, died April 24, 2019. After graduating from UVA, he went on to earn his master’s degree in folklore and mythology from UCLA in 1973. A skilled computer programmer, he worked for Idaho Power for several decades before retiring in 2005. Mr. Gowen had a passion for traditional Southern blues and American folk music. He was a talented guitarist and was a pupil of master guitarist John Fahey. Mr. Gowen was also a gifted artist, working through music, drawings and stained glass, and he published 415 Original Designs for Stained Glass in 1989. He found the world a wondrous place and saw beauty in everything. Survivors include three siblings and many nieces and nephews.


Eugene “Gene” Kidwell (Col ’68, Educ ’71 L/M) of Culpeper, Virginia, died April 10, 2019. After graduating from UVA, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, he earned a certificate of advanced graduate study from the College of William and Mary. He served as director of financial aid at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and later at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Maryland. He was an avid sportsman and supporter of Wahoo athletics.


George Hughes McLoone (Grad ’68) of Great Falls, Virginia, died July 4, 2019. He spent his childhood in Phoenix and, after moving east for college, lived most of his life in Northern Virginia. After graduating from Georgetown University, he earned his master’s in English from UVA and went on to receive a doctorate from George Washington University. He taught college-level English for more than 40 years, including at Northern Virginia Community College and Marymount University. Mr. McLoone loved music, literature, classic movies, golf and visiting England, and he was the author of several scholarly and literary works. He was in the editing stage of a novel set in Virginia when in early 2019 he became too ill to finish. Survivors include his wife, Catherine; three daughters, Tracy, Sharon and Suzette, from his prior marriage to Mary Ann McLoone; and three brothers.


William Roger Seitz (Col ’68, Law ’74 L/M) of Heathfield, East Sussex, United Kingdom, died June 14, 2019. At UVA, he was in the U.S. Army ROTC, Jefferson Sabers, Monroe Rifles, Young Democrats, Young Republicans and the John Bassett Moore Society of International Law. He served in Vietnam. After earning his law degree, he worked in Asia for Bank of America, Trade Media Ltd. and Bank in Liechtenstein, and he was a U.S. tax consultant. In Hong Kong, he was Master of his Masonic lodge. Upon retirement in 2004, Mr. Seitz moved to Blacksburg, Virginia, where he taught history at New River Community College in Christiansburg. He relocated to the U.K. in 2017. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; and his children Alex, Adriene and Austin.