Passings

Eugene Bayliss

Eugene R. Bayliss ’50, Yardley, Pa., Sept. 15, at age 89.

A lifelong entertainer, Mr. Bayliss was associate choreographer for the Broadway productions of Carnival and Bye Bye Birdie. He danced in TV commercials and on live shows in the 1950s and then moved into directing, choreographing and producing. Later in his career he produced product launches and corporate meetings for Fortune 500 companies.

Mr. Bayliss, Northwestern’s head cheerleader during the Wildcats’ Rose Bowl season in 1949, made headlines when he cartwheeled off the train in a raccoon coat and straw hat after the squad’s cross-country train trip to California — a performance that he re-created at the alumni dinner before the team’s 1996 Rose Bowl appearance. He also performed in the Waa-Mu Show.

Survivors include six children, 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Robert Durant

Photo by Jason Philippy, New Hampshire Fish and Game

Robert Durant ’60, Lancaster, N.H., July 4, at age 79.

A retired educator, Mr. Durant became an avid outdoorsman, wildlife photographer and author — a man passionate about music, fishing, nature and all of its species, and especially the education of children to appreciate all that the outdoors has to offer. His daily walk along a two-mile stretch of Israel’s River in Lancaster inspired his detailed accounts and photographs of nature that appeared in various publications, including his five books.

In April 2016 Mr. Durant donated a 10-acre parcel of land at the confluence of Israel’s River and Stalbird Brook in Jefferson, N.H., to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. It is now the Robert Durant Natural Area, which allows access to anglers and nature enthusiasts.

In 2015 he wrote the following to express his philosophy of the world's ecosystems: "I believe that a productive relationship with our wild neighbors comes with an understanding of how the natural world works. With this knowledge comes a respect and appreciation for all of Earth's creatures and a fruitful stewardship of its resources. I would like to support educational programs for young people that emphasize the functioning of our natural world including the six major classes of animals: Insects, Arachnids, Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds and Mammals ... as well as plants and insects, which form the very foundation of the food chain." (Watch Durant discover beauty along the banks of the Israel River during his daily walk in this Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hamshire video.)

Mr. Durant was also a passionate musician, who toured the Pacific, Caribbean and Europe with the U.S. Army Jazz Band during his time in the service. 

Constance Kopelov

Connie Kopelov ’47, New York City, May 28, at age 90.

A union activist and educator, Ms. Kopelov married Phyllis Siegel in the first legal same-sex marriage in New York City in July 2011. They met in the 1980s through involvement in Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders. In 2012 they were honored as grand marshals of New York City’s Gay Pride Parade.

Ms. Kopelov, who studied political science at Northwestern, held positions in union organizations such as the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and the Workers Defense League. She also taught courses on women’s labor history at Cornell University and New York University.

She is survived by her wife and her sister, Deborah.

Herschell Lewis

Herschell Gordon Lewis ’47 ’48 MS, Pompano Beach, Fla., Sept. 26, at age 87.

The “godfather of gore,” Mr. Lewis is credited with pioneering the splatter subgenre of horror films. After working in advertising, Mr. Lewis initially made soft-core sexploitation movies. Always willing to push the envelope, he created a grisly style of cinematic violence with his 1963 film Blood Feast.Several other gory cult classics followed, earning him the nickname the “splatter king.”

In the 1970s, he took a break from filmmaking, launching a direct-mail advertising agency and publishing several books on marketing and public relations. In 2002, he returned to filmmaking with a Blood Feast sequel.

He is survived by his wife, Margo; two sons; four daughters; and two grandchildren.

Agnes Eckhardt Nixon

Photo by Neal Boenz/The New York Times

Agnes Eckhardt Nixon ’44, Rosemont, Pa., Sept. 28, at age 93. Widely considered the “queen of soaps,” Ms. Nixon helped revolutionize daytime television throughout her celebrated career as a screenwriter. The creator of One Life to Live and All My Children, Ms. Nixon broke new ground on TV in the 1960s and ’70s when she began to write socially relevant scripts that dealt with issues such as interracial relationships, abortion, drug addiction, the Vietnam War, domestic violence and, later, AIDS. The shows that she created were on the air for more than four decades.

Ms. Nixon, who planned on an acting career, decided to become a writer after seeing the considerable talent of her classmates, including Charlton Heston ’45 and Patricia Neal ’47, ’94 H (see "Reel Life," winter 2012). In 1944 Ms. Nixon’s father attempted to dissuade her from a career in writing by arranging a meeting with the legendary soap opera creator Irna Phillips. Instead, Ms. Phillips offered Ms. Nixon a screenwriting job after reading one of her scripts.  Ms. Nixon eventually succeeded Ms. Phillips as the lead writer for The Guiding Light. (See "The Queen of Soaps," fall 2011.)

Ms. Nixon won a Daytime Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010. That award is among the materials in the Nixon collection housed in University Archives at Northwestern. She also established the Agnes Nixon Playwriting Award at Northwestern, which recognizes and supports the work of aspiring writers. Recipients include John Logan ’83 and Lydia Gartin Diamond ’92. Northwestern’s Agnes Nixon Playwriting Festival, an annual two-day annual event, features on-campus readings by three exemplary students. Northwestern will commemorate her life during the festival on May 19–20.

Ms. Nixon is survived by her four children, Cathy, Mary, Robert and Emily; and 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

John Schelberg

John D. Schelberg ’75 MA, ’82 PhD, Albuquerque, N.M., Sept. 1, at age 71.

A celebrated archeologist, Mr. Schelberg participated in the National Park Service’s survey and excavation of New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon, a major center of ancestral Pueblan culture from the ninth to the 13th century.

During the decade he spent on the project, Mr. Schelberg helped set the national standard for recording, analysis and protection of cultural sites and the landscapes in which they’re embedded. Thanks to this innovative work, Chaco Canyon was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

After leaving the NPS, Mr. Schelberg joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an archeologist in the Albuquerque District. In 2005 he was a finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for career achievement.

He retired in 2011 and became a volunteer for the NPS, the Bureau of Land Management and the Museum of New Mexico’s Office of Archaeological Studies.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; and sisters Kathleen, Eileen and Anne.

Stephen Senderoff

Stephen Senderoff ’76, Wilmington, Del., June 11, at age 62.

A biochemist and musician, Mr. Senderoff advocated for those living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an illness that he battled more than 20 years. He worked as a researcher for GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals.

Following his diagnosis, he used computer software to write and compose music, give media interviews and present educational talks. He took part in clinical trials and became a consumer reviewer for the Department of Defense’s ALS Research Program. Mr. Senderoff was awarded a Courageous Heart Award from the ALS Hope Foundation.

He is survived by his wife Patricia Vierling; two stepchildren, Sharon and Shawn; five stepgrandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren.

Clarice Young Stetter

Clarice Young Stetter ’56, ’57 MS, Morton Grove, Ill., May 23, at age 82. 

A political activist in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Mrs. Stetter became a champion for the rights of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, especially on the issue of housing.

In the 1980s she led a study to determine housing needs for people with such conditions. She served as co-chair for Coalition for Group Homes and was appointed to the Illinois Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities.

Ms. Stetter was also president of the Wilmette League of Women Voters and a board member of the Illinois chapter. She was named Wilmette Citizen of the Year in 2002.

Ms. Stetter also edited the life stories of more than 400 women leaders for Women Building Chicago, 1970–1990: A Biographical Dictionary, a project of the Chicago Area Women’s History Council.

She is survived by her husband, Rolf; children Mark, Debra and Tanya; and four grandchildren.

Margaret Lungren Strotz

Margaret Lungren Strotz ’47, Evanston, July 10, at age 91.

The former first lady of Northwestern, Ms. Strotz was married to Robert Strotz  ’85 H, the 13th president of the University. She met Mr. Strotz on a blind date after her first marriage ended in divorce in 1979.

Ms. Strotz embraced her role as an ambassador and hostess for alumni and dignitaries. She was a member of the Women’s Board of Northwestern, University Circle and University Guild.

During World War II, Ms. Strotz worked as an aircraft blueprint inspector for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft.

She is survived by three daughters, Katie, Marcia and Elizabeth Hanley ’82, ’85 MA; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

James Van Ness

Photo by Jim Ziv

James E. Van Ness ’51 MS, ’54 PhD

, Chicago, Sept. 9, at age 90. A professor emeritus of electrical engineering and computer science at Northwestern, Mr. Van Ness made major contributions to the area of large-scale networks, including early computer systems and the power grid. His work was a driver in bringing high-performance computers to Northwestern in the 1970s — a time when computers were so massive that they required their own buildings.

Mr. Van Ness’ pioneering work led him to be elected in 1988 to the National Academy of Engineering, which cited his development of computer algorithms used in the design and operation of electrical power systems. He was also elected as a fellow to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 1981 for his contributions to research and education in computer analysis of power systems.

Mr. Van Ness was inspired to pursue electrical engineering after serving in the U.S. Navy, where he spent two years working with radar equipment on an aircraft carrier. When his service ended, he earned his master’s degree in 1951 and then a doctorate in 1954 in electrical engineering at Northwestern. Before he had even finished his doctorate, he joined the faculty as a lecturer in 1952 and later became a full professor.

With the exception of a few brief visiting professorships, Mr. Van Ness spent his entire career at Northwestern. He was director of Northwestern’s computing center from 1962 to 1965 and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from 1969 to 1972.

Survivors include Mary Ellen, his wife of 67 years; four daughters, Becky, Barb, Meg, and Julie; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a brother, Wayne.