| Passings |
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James Frank Brayton ’82 of Midland, TX, died on Dec. 15, 2006. Born on Sept. 17, 1959 in Pasadena, CA, he moved to Colorado when he was 13. After earning his undergraduate degree in petroleum engineering from Mines, he worked for POGO Producing until the time of his death. He was married to Jennifer Michelle Burton on Nov. 22, 2003 in Midland, and their son Caleb arrived a few years later—he had greatly anticipated the birth of their daughter. An active member of Mid-Cities Community Church, he also loved the outdoors. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer; his son, Caleb James; his daughter; his parents, Roger and Joan Brayton of Midland; one sister, Deborah Scott; and his brother, John Brayton.
Alec Jamieson ’43 of Quakertown, PA, died on Feb. 22, 2007 in St. Lukes Hospital, Quakertown. Born in Parkgate, England, he came to Colorado in the late thirties to earn his degree in mining engineering. After graduating, he began a 37-year career with the Navy, serving in World War II and Korea, and rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He later went to work for the Fuller Co. in Catasauqua, PA, where he was a mining engineer. He served as chairman of the Richland Township Board of Supervisors for 18 years, and he was a member of the Perkasie American Legion, the Quakertown Masonic Lodge and the Quakertown United Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Ruth Jamieson; his son, Alec; and his brother, George. William S. King ’49 of Bakersfield, CA, died on Dec. 11, 2006. Born in Grand Junction, he grew up in Denver, attending South Denver High School before coming to Mines, where he was a member of Sigma Gamma Epsilon, Tau Beta Phi, Blue Key and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. During breaks from his studies, he found time to ski and climb in the mountains. After meeting Virginia Wessen, his future wife, and completing his degree in geology and geophysics all in the same year, he moved to Santa Paula, CA, to work for Texaco as a petroleum geologist. In 1954, he transferred to the Los Angeles office and three years later went to work for Wm. Ross Cabeen and Associates, an exploration firm in North Hollywood. He traveled extensively in the Middle East and Latin America. In 1974 the family moved to Bakersfield, where Bill had accepted a position with Occidental Petroleum Co. in the Latin American Division. He enjoyed annual trips to Zermatt, Switzerland, and numerous skiing and camping trips with his family, most recently spending summers in Crested Butte. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Virginia; his daughters, Susan Mills and Sally Osborne; his son, Steven; his brother, Ben; and his sister, Becky McDill.
John P. McNaughton ’42 of Alvarado, TX, died on Oct. 30, 2006 at his Texas ranch. Born in 1918 in Miami, OK, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma before coming to Mines to earn his master’s degree in petroleum engineering. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, attaining the rank of major before being honorably discharged. In 1941 he married his best friend whom he had known since birth in Miami, Bettye Lee Robinson. The couple moved to Fort Worth in 1953 to work for Neville Penrose. John was very active in the Baptist community. He served on the boards of directors for several organizations, including the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, B.H. Carroll Theological Institute and the Buckner Benevolence Board. His love for helping children was apparent through his work with the International Student Ministry. He was a proud member of the Peoria Indian Tribe of Oklahoma and was a rancher at heart. After retiring, he and Bettye split their time between their home in Fort Worth and their ranch in Alvarado. He leaves his wife of 65 years, Bettye Lee Robinson McNaughton; his daughters, Linda McNaughton Burton and LeeAnn McNaughton Hayes; his son, John Allenn; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchilden.
John F. Santora ’63 of Winchester, OR, died on Aug. 9, 2004. He was born in New York City in 1935. After completing his degree in mining engineering, he served in the United States Navy. He started his career working for the Bureau of Reclamation in Golden, and later Willows, CA. Under the Bureau of Land Management, he worked in Fairbanks, AK; Washington, D.C.; Ukiah, CA; and finally Anchorage, AK, where he was deputy state director for minerals, and oversaw the Alaska Pipeline production and activities. After 30 years of federal service, he retired to Winchester, OR. During retirement he pursued a lifelong passion for building and flying model airplanes and helicopters, as well as building model boats. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; his mother, Nathalie; his children, Joan, Jeannine, and Frank; his step-children, Kristin, Stephanie, Connie and Carol; and four grandchildren.
Alan R. Stringer ’73 of Libby, MT, died on Feb. 24, 2007 in Oak Harbor, WA. Born in Bonne Terre, MO, in 1944, he was the oldest of five siblings. At a young age, he moved from Missouri to Leadville, where his exposure to the mining industry set the course for his life. After high school, he served in the Air Force for four years. He met Donna Parker shortly after his return to the U.S. and they were married in 1967. After receiving his degree in mining engineering, he worked for Alcoa in Suriname, South America; Leadville, CO; Ottawa, IL; and then Libby, MT. In Libby, he took a management position with W.R. Grace in 1981, working his way up to become general manager of their vermiculite mine. When the mine was closed down, he headed up reclamation efforts before moving to San Juan Capistrano, CA, again with W.R. Grace. At the end of this period, he was asked to return to Libby to manage the relationship between W.R. Grace, the community of Libby and the Environmental Protection Agency. Serving in this difficult position with integrity and honesty, he earned the respect and admiration of many. An active member of the Libby community, he served the local Catholic parish, and was on the board of directors at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital. He is survived by his wife, Donna Parker; his daughters, Ann Marie Hadley and Dana Brennan; his mother, Joan Stringer; siblings Jonny Stringer, Deborah Hildebrand, Kevin Stringer and Kim Herrera; and four grandchildren.
Vesper A. Vaseen ’39 of Lakewood, CO, died on March 28, 2007. Born in the Denver area, he completed his degree in metallurgical engineering at Mines before taking the position of assistant sanitary engineer for the State of Colorado. He joined the U.S. Army in World War II and served until 1946 as a sanitary engineer at two Army bases. Leaving the Army with the rank of major, he went to work for a private engineering firm in Denver, where he was responsible for drawing up the original plat for what became the city of Thornton. He later platted a number of other town sites and subdivisions in the Denver area, and developed several water and sanitation districts. In 1966 he took a position with Stearns-Roger as a project engineer, where he nurtured his talent for invention. While at Stearns-Roger he filed a voluminous number of patent disclosures on a wide variety of subjects including lasers, solar power, odor scrubbers and auto emissions control. In 1980 he founded AVASCO Consulting Engineers and devoted himself full time to his inventions. In the years that followed, he successfully developed new technologies in fields as far ranging as mining, power generation, medicine, educational games and brewing. He also authored more than 70 articles and technical papers—his personal papers and notes were donated to the School in 1996. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, June Novak Vaseen; his daughter, Gail Vaseen Hardesty; his son, Dale Vaseen; two granddaughters; two step grandsons; and a great-granddaughter.
Jack B. Bennett ........................’49 July 6, 2007 |
Spring/Summer 2007
Ronald Lee Bredehoft ’60 of Upland, CA, died on March 15, 2007 at Chino Valley Medical Center. Born on Jan. 4, 1938, Ron grew up in Sterling, CO, graduating from high school in 1956. After completing his degree in chemical engineering at Mines, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. He was employed by Chevron for 32 years and KTI/Technip for the remainder of his career. An avid sportsman, he met his wife
Judith on a fishing trip in the late sixties. An active member of the Lutheran Church, he took particular pleasure in organizing a church-sponsored camp for the hearing impaired which continues today. He leaves his wife, Judith; son, Jonathan; his two daughters, Anne Marie and Kristin; and six grandchildren.
Robert W. Dalton ’57 of Tucson, AZ, died on June 9, 2006. Born on Jan. 12, 1932 in Golden, Bob met and married his wife of 52 years while earning his degree in mining engineering. After graduation, he reported to Ft. Riley, KS, where he served for two years as a first lieutenant in the First Engineer Battalion of the First Infantry Division. Following his discharge, Bob embarked upon a long and successful career as a mining engineer and consultant, remaining active in this until the time of his death. In 1973 the family settled in Tucson, where he founded the Sabino Engineering and Manufacturing Co. A devoted husband and father, he is remembered by his family and friends for his deep faith, keen intellect and love for the outdoors and sports, especially golf. He is survived by his wife, Kay; his two daughters, Mary and Julia; three sons, Robert, John and Michael; six grandchildren; and three siblings, Don, Frank and Mary.
Alexis M. Dodin ’98 of Buenos Aires died on March 13, 2007 in Aspen, CO. Born in France, he grew up taking frequent trips to the Alps and the French coast where he developed a passion for skiing, snowboarding and waterskiing. When he came to Colorado to earn his master’s degree in mineral economics in 1996, he was exhilarated by the open country and sense of space, and spent much time exploring the mountains with friends. After graduating, he began working for Total, trading electricity and gas, first in London, then Houston and finally Buenos Aires. With ambition and great talent, he quickly earned the respect of his colleagues and rose rapidly through the ranks—in Houston, he assumed responsibility for uniting the company’s global energy trading systems and in 2006 he took the number two position for Total’s gas and electricity operations in Argentina. His love for exploring nature was mirrored by an intense intellectual curiosity—he read avidly on a broad range of subjects. And as a friend and colleague, he was helpful and supportive, giving freely of his time to those who asked. He is survived by his parents, Christine and Michel Dodin; his sister, Camille; and his fiancée, Marina Lijo Pavia.
James D. Holliman ’58 of Bismarck, ND, died on Jan. 26, 2007. He was born on Feb. 18, 1928 in Hamburg, IA, where he remained until joining the Navy in 1945 immediately after finishing high school. He served on the USS Iowa until 1947. While earning a degree in business and finance from the University of New Mexico, he met his wife of 51 years, Mary Helen Garcia. After later obtaining his professional degree in petroleum engineering from Mines, Don began working for Standard Oil of California. In 1965 he moved his family to Casper, WY, and went to work for Conoco. In 1972 he began working for MAPCO in Billings, MT. He retired from CNG in Tulsa, OK, after a 30-year career. A devoted father and husband, his family always remained his paramount priority. He had a great love for the outdoors—skiing, fishing and camping in particular. He also enjoyed golfing and bowling. He is survived by his wife, Mary Helen; his two sons, Jim and Joe; his daughters, Elena and Denise Lee; two grandchildren; and his sister, Joyce Jones. 
Mahir M. Jalili ’71 of Aspen, CO, died on Aug. 24, 2006. After graduating from Mines in 1971 with a master’s degree in chemical engineering, he went on to earn his J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. After graduation, he moved to London to practice international law and arbitration, where he qualified as a barrister. In 2001, he won a landmark case on behalf of a consortium of European contractors in the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia. Although he continued to maintain offices in both London and Chicago throughout his career as an international arbitrator, he had a strong affinity for Aspen and called the town home. He is survived by his wife, Margaret. 
Robert McMillan ’41 of Lakewood, CO, died on Dec. 18, 2006 at his home. Born Nov. 2, 1915 in Denver, he graduated from Manuel High School in 1933 and completed his degree in geological engineering in the early forties. In 1937 he married his wife of 55 years, Jewel Roach, with whom he had three children. With an infectious smile and great optimism, he treated each new day as an adventure. He loved to travel, as well as spend time at home with family and friends. His professional work in geological research took him all over the world. He leaves his son, Stuart; his daughter, Beth McMillan Hough; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Jewel; and his son, Robert Bruce. 
Ward O’Malley ’42 of County Tipperary, Ireland, died on Dec. 29, 2006 at the age of 88. Born in New York as the son of Frank Ward O’Malley, a legendary reporter with the New York Sun, he spent a substantial portion of his childhood living in France and Switzerland. In 1932, after the death of his father, he returned to the United States and graduated from Exeter Academy, NH, in 1936. He spent a year at Princeton, studying French and Literature, and then enrolled at Mines where he graduated four years later with a degree in mining engineering. During World War II he enlisted in the Eighth Engineers, First Cavalry Division as a second lieutenant. After the war, he worked in Ecuador for a gold mining company, returning to the U.S. in 1946 to complete a master’s degree in geology at Stanford University. His years working in the oil industry took him all over the world, including lengthy stays in Ankara, Turkey, and Teheran, Iran. In 1959, he visited and fell in love with Ireland, where his passion for horses and fox hunting was given full rein. Ward continued to hunt and play polo up to the end of the Millenium—for his 80th birthday, he bought himself two polo ponies. He is survived by his wife, Catherine.
Simon M. Ozanne ’99 of Maplewood, NJ, died on March 13, 2007 in Aspen, CO. Born on Guernsey, one of the UK’s Channel Islands, he was studious and introspective as a young man, finding voice for his creativity through music and art. In 1994 he began his undergraduate education at the Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall, England, where he discovered a passion for rugby and the outdoors. After graduating from Camborne in 1996 with a first in Mining Engineering, he worked in the United Arab Emirates for Steven Rock, before joining Rock Engineering in Perth, Australia. He came to Mines to begin his master’s degree in Engineering in 1997. While based in Golden, he made the most of living close to the mountains, spending many weekends with friends skiing and climbing. After graduation, he went to work for the international management consulting firm Marakon Associates in New York City. With a quiet determination, a clear focus and genuine warmth, he quickly proved his value to the organization and had been made partner in early 2007. He met his US-born wife, Jennifer Specht Ozanne, in London while traveling for business—they were married in Jamaica in spring 2003. And he had looked forward with great anticipation to the arrival of their first child—Jennifer gave birth to their son, Gavin Simon, in early April. Although he settled far from his UK-based family, he was always in close contact and visited frequently. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer; his son, Gavin; his parents, Martin and Josephine Ozanne; his sister, Kate Ozanne Bridges; and his brothers, Michael and Stephen Ozanne. 
James L. Sampair ’54 of Raleigh, NC, died on July 16, 2006. After graduating from Mines in the mid-fifties, he took a position with Arabian-American Oil Company (ARAMCO) in Saudi Arabia. After two years in the Middle East, he took an exploration position with Texaco, which took him to Louisiana, Virginia, and finally Ohio. After his tenure with Texaco, he moved to North Carolina in 1967 and began contract work for Texas Gulf Sulfur. He then secured a position with the state of North Carolina as state geologist for the coastal plains region. During this time, much of his energy was devoted to developing the water resources of Eastern North Carolina. In 1982 he formed Villanova Natural Gas Inc., focused on locating and extracting oil and gas reserves in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and western New York. He retired in 1992. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia Sampair; and five sons, Michael, Steven, Timothy, Thomas and Christopher.
Todd C. Storer II ’47 of Tulsa, OK, died on Dec. 19, 2006. Born in Pueblo, CO, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After earning his degree in petroleum engineering from Mines, he went to work for Standard Oil until his retirement. He vacationed often in Colorado, and he loved trout fishing, camping, gardening and sailing. He is survived by two daughters, Vivian and Nancy; and four grandchildren. He was predeased by his wife, Doris and son, Todd III.
Walter W. Weid ’54 of Spokane, WA, died on Feb. 17, 2007. He was born in Denver in 1928, remaining in the area until graduating from Mines with a degree in geological engineering. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he spent 25 years in the mining industry as a geologist, mining engineer, mine superintendent and environmental engineer. After retiring from the mining industry, he became a private businessman with a Duraclean Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning franchise. When he retired from carpet cleaning, he bought a series of vending machines “to keep busy.” Walt was a member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 1985, and served in the Fatima parish and in prison ministry. He was active in right-to-life issues, and was a longtime member of Toastmasters International. Walt and his wife, Velda, were married for almost 55 years. They were active in Marriage Encounter for 30 years. Walt is survived by his wife, Velda; six children; twelve grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and by his sister, Joelle Weid.