In Memoriam

Margaret Best
Margaret Best (S72), 73, Wilmette, Ill., Sept. 16. A Northwestern returnee who graduated on the same day as her son Robert (WCAS72), Ms. Best became a beloved English and drama teacher and story- teller in the Chicago area's Catholic school system.

She was also known as an advocate for the Evanston homeless and a mentor for children in Chicago's Cabrini-Green public housing.

In addition to Robert, she is survived by her husband, James; daughters Anne Greene, Margie Falter, Susan and Barbara; sons Richard, John and Paul; sisters Marie Cushing and Helen Goehring; a brother, James L. Donnelly Jr.; and 15 grandchildren.


Kevin Heisinger
Kevin Heisinger (SESP98), 24, Chicago, Aug. 17. Mr. Heisinger was committed to building an all-inclusive society that respected diversity. Friends say the mentally ill man who allegedly beat him to death was the sort of person Mr. Heisinger would have reached out to help.

Mr. Heisinger completed his fourth summer of leading high school students in community projects with the National High School Institute's Leadership and Community Involvement Program at Northwestern. The University has established the Kevin Heisinger Memorial Scholarship Fund for teens in the program.

He is survived by his mother, Kimberly McKenna, and brothers Keith and Charlie.


George Lazarus
George Lazarus (GJ57), 68, Flossmoor, Ill., Sept. 8. A throwback to the 1920s-era of Chicago journalism, Mr. Lazarus was respected by his peers and by the executives in his chosen beat of advertising and marketing.

Devoting more than 20 years of his three-decade career to the Chicago Tribune, he was known for his long hours on the job and his remarkable ability to get tips and scoops well before the competition.

“I don't think that anyone in the marketing business in Chicago could afford to not read George Lazarus,” said Tribune editor Howard Tyner in the obituary that ran in the paper. “He was the most plugged-in person in the business.”

Mr. Lazarus is survived by his wife, Karen, and daughters Tara and Lana.

William Lundin
William H. Lundin (G52), 77, Whitewater, Wis., Aug. 2. Co-authors of several books about the workplace, Mr. Lundin and his wife, Kathleen, were experts on the effects of corporate downsizing.

A Brooklyn, N.Y., native, Mr. Lundin earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees after service in World War II.

From Mr. Lundin's work on advising businesses, it was a natural progression for him and his wife to examine the corporate world in such works as The Healing Manager (Berrett-Koehler, 1993) and Working with Difficult People (Amacom, 1995).

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Carey, Lauren and Leslie; his son, Steven; and five grandchildren.



Donald Mazukelli
Donald F. Mazukelli (KGSM59, GMcC72), 66, Chicago, Aug. 1. Possessing a genius-level intelligence and a photographic memory, Mr. Mazukelli earned five degrees in his varied career.

After studying at the University of Chicago, Mr. Mazukelli served briefly as a mathematician for a classified weapons evaluation project but also tried out for two major league baseball teams.

From there Mr. Mazukelli earned his first Northwestern degree and worked for a computer company. After that he played piano professionally in Chicago. In 1963 he returned to Northwestern and helped establish the Vogelback Computing Center.

He is survived by his sisters, Gloria Neswold and Alma, and his brother, Joseph.



Penelope Russianoff
Penelope Russianoff (G51), 82, New York City, Aug. 28. A well-known psychologist, author and speaker, Ms. Russianoff probably achieved her greatest fame when she played a therapist in the hit 1978 movie An Unmarried Woman.

In her practice, Ms. Russianoff urged women to cast off feelings of inadequacy often instilled at an early age. She also strongly felt that women should not define themselves exclusively through their mates.

After Ms. Russianoff's appearance in the film, her client base grew, and she received a book contract.

Why Do I Think I Am Nothing Without a Man? (Bantam, 1982) was a bestseller, and that was followed by When Am I Going to Be Happy? (Bantam reissue, 1997).

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leon, and is survived by her daughter, Sylvia Linguiti, and four grandchildren.

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