In Memoriam: 1970s
Notices sorted by graduation date
Jeff Kirsch (Col ’71 CM) of Alexandria, Virginia, died Sept. 19, 2022. During his time on Grounds, he was a member of the soccer team, the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and the Honor Committee. Passionate about political activism, he entered VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), a federal program designed to lift communities out of poverty. Working in El Paso, Texas, he started a school lunch program for low-income children. He later joined Families USA, which advocates for accessible and affordable health care. He served in leadership roles for more than 20 years and served on the organization’s board of directors. He also enjoyed coaching his daughters’ soccer teams and playing baritone horn in community bands. Survivors include his wife, Joan; two daughters; and three grandsons.
Donald K. Woodman (Law ’73 CM) of New York City died Dec. 18, 2019. He was a decorated brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve, having been awarded the Legion of Merit and the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal. After retiring from the Air Force, he worked as a probate and estate lawyer in private practice, focusing on personal taxation and entertainment industry cases. He had a love for the stage and toured with the national company of My Fair Lady, playing Alfred Doolittle. He was an active member of the Blue Hill Troupe in New York City and played a variety of roles in their productions. He was survived by a sister who passed away shortly after he did. Survivors include his nephew.
Harry Charles Thornsvard Jr. (Col ’75) of Nags Head, North Carolina, died Dec. 5, 2022. Born into a military family, he spent 22 years in the U.S. Army. He served as battalion commander of the 26th Forward Support Battalion at Vilseck, Germany, and director of logistics training at Fort Lee, Virginia. Prior to joining the military, he earned his bachelor’s degree in government at UVA, and during his service he received his master’s degree from the University of Texas. After retiring from the Army, he became a business executive, ending his career as a partner at Deep Water Point, a government management consulting firm. He could often be found at the beach, a concert or a wine tasting. Survivors include his wife, Cindy; two children, including Heather Carpenter (Educ ’98); two stepchildren; five grandchildren; his brother Charles Thornsvard (Med ’69 CM); and three nieces.
Michael Alan Lawson (Col ’76) of Charlotte, North Carolina, died Aug. 5, 2022.
James W. Francis (Col ’78, Educ ’82) of Washington, D.C., died June 23, 2022. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UVA, he relocated to Southern California, where he lived for over 30 years. He worked in life insurance and real estate at Prudential, and in 1994 began a 28-year career in corporate and foundation relations at the University of California, Los Angeles. He loved nature, camping, solo driving trips and rooting for the Washington Commanders. Survivors include a brother and two sisters, as well as nieces and nephews.
Thatcher Stone (Col ’78, Law ’82 CM) of Albemarle County, Virginia, died Nov. 29, 2022. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics at UVA before returning to earn his law degree. He spent the next 32 years working in large law firms in New York City in the areas of finance, banking and asset-based lending. His professional passion, however, was aviation law. After 9/11, he advised the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the White House on global war risk insurance issues, and in 2005, he began teaching aviation law at UVA. In 2013, he relocated his solo practice from New York to Charlottesville, where he founded Stone & Woodrow LLP. He served on two nonprofit boards in Charlottesville, including UVA’s Fralin Museum of Art. He was also active in the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, serving on mission trips to provide humanitarian aid. In his spare time, he enjoyed piloting airplanes, a hobby he’d taken up during his undergraduate years at UVA. Survivors include a daughter, a brother, a nephew and two nieces.