Obituaries: Fall 2025

| 1940s |

James R. Prew '47 of Franklin, N.H., died April 13. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1944 under the officers training program at Dartmouth. He completed his AB in civil engineering and graduated with a commission of ensign, j.g. In 1948 he began studying for the priesthood with the Carmelite Fathers in Brookline, Mass., and was ordained in 1956. He returned to the United States in 1957 to serve in the Carmelite Order in several parishes in Milwaukee, New York, Washington, DC, and Boston. In 1968 he left the order to begin work in private industry, starting with Liberty Mutual Insurance in Boston for 10 years. Using his background in civil engineering, plus a love of art and architecture, he restored two antique homes. He was predeceased by wife Jean and brothers Ed and Bob ’52.

| 1950s |

Robert M. Kirby '50 Tu'51 Th'51 died January 13 at home in Princeton, N.J. He graduated from Bronx High School of Science, and in his senior year was recruited into the Army and served as quartermaster in the last few months of WW II. He entered Dartmouth on the GI Bill as a sophomore and pursued a five-year program in engineering and business. After graduation he took courses at Columbia and started Kirby Computers, later called Kirby Microprocessors. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was one of the first businesses to successfully harness the power of new technology. He had many interests: skiing at 91 years old, playing tennis until a month before his death, flying small airplanes, and sailing his 34-foot Irwin. He is survived by his wife, Brownlee.

Albert G. Melcher '53 died December 15, 2024, in Aurora, Colo. He graduated cum laude with an AB in engineering sciences and earned his MS in civil engineering. After service as an ensign in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps, he became a partner at Denver, Colo.-based engineering firm Borman/Melcher & Associates. In 1969 he founded Omni Research and Engineering, consulting on environmental planning for national and Colorado projects. He became executive director of the Rocky Mountain Center on Environment, an eightstate nonprofit where he managed ecological planning for industrial and land use projects. He was deputy director of the Colorado Energy Research Institute at Colorado School of Mines and in 1968 was appointed to the Colorado State Highway Commission, where he developed the design process for the I-70 Glenwood Canyon construction. He is survived by wife Rosemary and children Albert and Sarah ’82.

Norman Michael Fine '55 Th'56 passed away August 16. After earning his MS in electrical engineering at Thayer, he spent three years at Raytheon, where he helped develop a large-screen radar display for air traffic controllers. Following that experience, he and a colleague formed Beta Instrument Corp. in 1962. Fine took pride in his company’s role in several historic firsts, including the development of display scopes to receive the slowly transmitted signals from NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, enabling the public to watch Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the moon. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, and children Lisa and Robin. 

George W. Johnston '57 Th'58 of Wellesley, Mass., passed away on January 3. At Dartmouth, he earned an AB in engineering sciences and an MS in mechanical engineering, played soccer, and was active in Alpha Delta Chi, Glee Club, and ROTC. He then served in the U.S. Marine Corps, training at Quantico, and completing Camp Pendleton Atomic, Biological and Chemical Defense School. He served as battery commander of the 1st Light AA Missile Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, in the Pacific, before he was honorably discharged with the rank of first lieutenant. He began his career at Isbrandtsen’s venture capital subsidiary, joined Price Waterhouse’s executive recruiting practice, then moved to human resources recruiting firm Parker, Eldridge, Sholl, and Gordon Inc. He was predeceased by his wife, Ann, and is survived by daughter Margaret and family.

Kenneth D. Rakouska '57 passed away on January 17 in St. Augustine, Fla. He majored in civil engineering at Dartmouth, was in the NROTC program and Delta Tau Delta, and rowed crew. He graduated from Thayer with distinction. The day June 9, 1957, was a defining one: He was commissioned as a Navy ensign at 10 a.m., graduated from Dartmouth at 1 p.m., and married Dorothy, his childhood sweetheart, at 4 p.m. at the Church of Christ down the street. He served in the Navy and went on to build a successful career in engineering and business. He held multiple patents and was known for his innovative mind and tireless work ethic. He was predeceased by Dorothy and son Ken Jr. He is survived by granddaughters, a daughter- in-law, a niece, and nephews.

| 1960s |

Ken Johansen '60 Th'62, recipient of a 2013-14 Dartmouth Alumni Award, died January 29. He earned his AB and MS in mechanical engineering from Dartmouth and was active in Air Force ROTC, intramural athletics, and Delta Kappa Epsilon. He went on to enjoy a 40-year career in paper manufacturing, retiring from International Paper Co. His community service included 18 years on the Montvale (N.J.) school board, serving as chief negotiator with the teachers’ union, president, and vice president. He was an active alumnus, serving as class president, alumni councilor, Dartmouth Club of Dallas president and treasurer, and Alumni Fund volunteer. He is survived by wife Ruth and daughters Karen and Kathy and their families.

| 1970s |

Russell L. Adams '71 Th'72 of Tewksbury, Mass., passed away on January 8. He followed older brother Bill ’67 to Dartmouth, where he earned his AB in engineering sciences and BE. He pursued a career as a civil engineer, working on the design or program construction management of major projects for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, including the Skokie (Ill.) North Side Sewage Treatment Plant and the Deer Island (Mass.) Wastewater Treatment Plant. In 2006, he worked as a contractor with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, aiding in the recovery following Hurricane Katrina. He served as president of the New England Water Environment Association. He was predeceased by wife Mary Louise and is survived by sons Jonathan and Matthew.

| 2010s |

Zachary B. Kratochvil '16 Th'16 died April 23 in Medford, Mass. While in high school, his love of science and research brought him to Dr. Hal Blumenfeld’s neurology lab at Yale University. He was invited to return after he had earned his AB in engineering sciences, with a minor in neuroscience, and his BE. Subsequently, he earned an MS in data science from Tufts and became a software engineer. He is survived by wife Allison, sister Leah, parents Nancy and Thomas, and grandparents Marie, Judith, and Stephen.

Quang Dang '19 Th'20 died March 7. Professor Sol Diamond ’97 Th’98 recalls his efforts as a Cook Engineering Design Center (CEDC) fellow and a teaching assistant during Covid: He was a creative force of nature and spark of joyfulness for transforming ideas I had about mechanical clocks and home 3-D printing into the inspiring, lived experiences of the students and staff at a time of intense uncertainty and fear. Quang and I also put our heads together in a series of human-centered design sessions envisioning the future of the CEDC. Many elements of that vision are now shaping the lives of so many students.” He is survived by his parents, Bich and Yennga, and sister Thienan ’16.