Obituaries

Gustave “Gus” Ruetenik ’46 of Zoar, Ohio, died December 9, 2023. He attended Dartmouth, where he was active in Sigma Phi Epsilon, and earned his BS in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, with his studies interrupted by service in the Navy during World War II. As the owner of Ruetenik Farms with his parents and wife Elizabeth, he grew Christmas trees near Zoar since 1947. He and his wife became full-time residents of Zoar after he retired from Ohio Bell in 1981 as a mechanical engineer. He was a founding member of the Ohio Christmas Tree Association and participated in its Trees for Troops tree-donation program to the overseas troops through 2022. He was predeceased by Elizabeth and daughter Sarah. He is survived by children Bonnie, Katherine, and Gustave and their spouses; eight grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Robert E. Keane ’47 Th’48 of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away September 9, 2023. His education at Dartmouth was interrupted when he left to enlist in the U.S. Navy. After being honorably discharged, he returned to earn his AB and master’s in civil engineering at Thayer. Keene became an instructor in civil engineering at Thayer and then worked as a cost estimator at United Engineers and Constructors Inc. and Nielsons Inc. before forming construction management consulting firm Keane Associates. He received the 2018 American Red Cross Northeast Florida Disaster Services Lifetime Achievement Award and 2019 Amelia Island Genealogical Society President’s Award. He was predeceased by former wives Barbara and Anne and son Robert Jr. He is survived by daughters Joanne andJudith and their spouses; eight grand-children; 10 great-grandchildren; and two stepchildren.

Paul R. Meyer ’51 Tu’52 Th’52 of Middlebury, Vt., died on August 24, 2023. At Dartmouth, he was a member of Cabin & Trail, the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club, and the Outing Club. He earned graduate degrees in business and engineering as part of the five-year Tuck-Thayer program and was honored with the Churchill Prize for outstanding academic achievement and citizenship. After graduation, he served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in Japan, before joining Eastman Kodak as an engineer. He went on to earn a PhD in mathematics at Columbia and then taught mathematics, first at Hunter College and then at Lehman College, until retirement in 1999. His academic career included numerous visiting appointments and the publication of 25 journal articles on topology. He is survived by his second wife, Susan; children Gretchen, Kristen, Lisa, and Peter and their spouses; seven grand-children; and one great-grandson.

S. Robert Jelley ’52 Th’53 died in his Guilford, Conn., home on January 3, 2024. At Dartmouth, he was active in The Dartmouth and graduated PhiBeta Kappa with his AB and master’s in civil engineering from Thayer. He attended officer candidate school and served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps in Morocco. Back in the States, he lived for several years in New York City, working for the engineering firm Howard Needles designing entrance ramps for the Washington, D.C., beltway. He then earned his JD from Harvard in 1961 and joined the law firm of Wiggin and Dana in New Haven, Conn. where he practiced law. He was involved in the founding of the Guilford Land Conservation. He was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth, and is survived by children Sarah, William, and Peter and their spouses; two grandsons; and two step-grand-daughters.

Peter H. Gulick ’55 Th’59 died at his home in Bend, Ore., November 29, 2023. Born in Phoenix, Ariz., Gulick came to Dartmouth from Deerfield Academy. In Hanover, he earned an AB in physics, was a member of AlphaDelta Theta and Air Force ROTC, and played hockey and lacrosse. He served two years as a jet pilot with the N.H.Air National Guard before returning to Dartmouth to earn his master’s in mechanical engineering at Thayer. In 1965, he started a 32-year career with Digital Equipment Co. in Europe. He was predeceased by his wife, Sue. He is survived by children Cynthia, Katherine, Stephen ’81 Th’89, and Kenneth and their spouses; 10 grandchildren, and partner Kathy.

Kenneth W. Ragland ’57 Th’58 passed away on September 1, 2023. At Dartmouth, he was in Debt Tau Delta and the rowing club. He earned an MS in mechanical engineering and then worked for three years building missiles for the U.S. Navy in Point Mugu, Calif. He received additional schooling at the University of Michigan, earning an MS in engineering science and a PhD in aerospace engineering. Ragland participated as a research fellow in nuclear physics in a nine-month Academy of Sciences exchange to Novosibirsk, USSR, studying gas dynamics. He joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin for a career of more than 30 years teaching and conducting research centered around fluid dynamics, combustion, air pollution control, and renewable energy. In 1995 he was named chair of the mechanical engineering department. He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 67 years, and daughters Laura, Lisa, and Emily.

Cameron “Sandy” B. Duncan ’63, former president of the Detroit Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, passed away on August 28, 2023. He majored in engineering sciences at Dartmouth, where he was a brother of Zeta Psi (vice president) and ran track all four years. After receiving his MBA in marketing from Indiana University, he served his country as an officer in Vietnam. In 1970, he moved to Detroit, Mich., and began a 32-year career at Deloitte & Touche. Duncan’s contributions to the Detroit cultural community include management or board roles with the Detroit Opera, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and The Parade Co. Duncan also assisted with the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. He is survived by his brother, his companion, and an extended family of nieces and nephews.