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In Memoriam | Winter 2020

In Memoriam: 1970s

Notices sorted by graduation date

Bruce Allan Platt (Col ’70) of Dobbs Ferry, New York, died April 13, 2020. A member of Naval ROTC at UVA, he was commissioned as an officer at graduation and attended Naval Officer Flight Training School until a back injury forced him to leave the Navy. He met his wife at the UVA Bridge Club in Newcomb Hall in 1967, and in 1970, he and his bridge partner, E. Craig Kennedy, won first place for UVA in the Charles Goren Intercollegiate National Bridge Championship. Mr. Platt became an American Contract Bridge League life master in 1972 and maintained his love of the game throughout his life. In the fall of 1970, he joined his brother Grant in New York City at the fledging advertising data company Donovan Data Systems, now Mediaocean. He worked as a programmer and systems analyst for 45 years until retiring in 2015. His favorite place in the world was the family cottage porch overlooking Lake Huron and riding the ferries for 70 Michigan summers. Wherever he traveled, a ferry had to be on the family itinerary, no matter how far out of the way. A Revolutionary and Civil wars buff, he served as treasurer for the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society. He was an enthusiastic tennis player, golfer, youth soccer coach and Cub Scout leader. Survivors include his wife, Linda Jo Beckham Platt (Educ ’68), children Jennifer Ostrosky and Jonathan Platt (Col ’96); four grandchildren; and two brothers.


Richard E. “Dickie” MacKay (Med ’73) of New York City died March 26, 2020. He received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University before earning his medical degree from UVA. In the first 10 years of his career, he worked with the Indian Health Service in New Mexico and in remote tribal areas near the Arctic Circle. He was later the sole physician at a refugee camp in Sudan, caring for more than 40,000 refugees, before serving for 10 years as the Peace Corps’ chief medical officer for several African countries. He was the first medical person to reach the U.S. Embassy in Kenya after the 1998 al- Qaida bombing. Dr. MacKay returned to the U.S. to study HIV and AIDS at New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was instrumental in building a clinic for the uninsured, inner-city HIV/AIDS patients. As a professor, he was voted so many awards from his students that his colleagues affectionately toasted his 2017 retirement as their chance to finally win a few awards for themselves. He enjoyed international adventures with his wife, as well as biking, kayaking and gardening at their weekend home in the country. He was known by all for his good nature and quiet humor, as well as his caring, gentle and humble personality. He is survived by his wife, Donna; a brother and a sister; and five nephews.


Francis Edward McGovern (Law ’73) of Marin County, California, died Feb. 14, 2020. He graduated from Yale University before earning his law degree from UVA. He served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. A widely revered and innovative legal scholar and gifted teacher, Mr. McGovern was a tenured professor at Duke University School of Law and associate professor at the University of California Hastings College of Law. He was a prolific author in leading legal publications and worked with many esteemed legal professionals to apply and improve the law. A frequent lecturer or moderator at professional conferences, he also served on dozens of legal and university boards and committees. He served as president of the academy of Court-Appointed Masters as well as numerous settlement trust or compensation centers and institutes. As a court-appointed special master or neutral expert, Mr. McGovern developed innovative and lasting solutions for significant cases, including the DDT toxic exposure litigation, Dalkon Shield controversy and silicone gel breast implant litigation. He was a thoughtful and generous man who loved traveling, music and theater, reading, golf, and swimming. He was an active and engaged sportsman, relishing polo and fox hunting. Generous and encouraging, he was devoted to his family. Survivors include his wife, Katy; children Henry, Elizabeth, Clare and Laura; and four grandchildren.


Craig H. Walton (Arch ’73) of Lyme, New Hampshire, died Aug. 8, 2020. UVA Professor Carlo Pelliccia inspired in Mr. Walton a passion to draw while he was at UVA, and he went on to earn a Master of Architecture in Urban Planning from Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 1980, Mr. Walton won the Stedman Design Competition and received the prestigious Rome Prize in Architecture. This granted him a one-year fellowship at the American Academy in Rome, where he filled his year with travel, study and drawing. His sketchbooks are a magnificent record of his time there. He joined RLPS Architects in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1987 and retired as partner in 2015. A person of many interests, Mr. Walton was above all devoted to his family. He said that his years as a father were among the best in his life. He enjoyed creating unique Halloween costumes, themed birthday parties and a custom playhouse. His joys included gardening, sketching, historic homes and annual beach trips. In his later years, he loved gatherings at the family home in New Hampshire, the site of his daughter’s wedding, family holidays and many special times. Survivors include his wife, Virginia; children Drew and Julia Walton Kaericher (Col ’08); three granddaughters; two brothers; and a sister.


John Allan Bartelt (Darden ’78) of Charlottesville died June 26, 2020. After graduating from Charlottesville’s Lane High School in 1964, he received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the College of William and Mary in 1968. Drafted into the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, he served near Hue, South Vietnam, and earned the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medals. He was active in retail business and property development as an owner and principal of Sycamore House/Studio Art Shop, a longtime fixture on West Main Street in Charlottesville. He is survived by his brother, Jim Bartelt (Arch ’82).