Obituaries
Obituaries
Eleanor K. Abbot, nutrition aide in the College
of Agricultural Sciences, from June 7, 1971, until her retirement Aug. 1, 1984;
died Dec. 1, 1999, at the age of 83.
Violet V. Adams, helper in University Health Services, from April 5, 1971, until her retirement June 29, 1982; died Dec. 6, 1999, at the age of 79.
Simon Belasco, professor emeritus of romance linguistics in the College of the Liberal Arts, from Sept. 1, 1953, until his retirement Sept. 1, 1979; died Nov. 10, 1999, at the age of 81.
Maurice E. Bell, professor and associate dean emeritus for research in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, from May 1, 1956, until his retirement June 26, 1976; died Nov. 28, 1999. He was 89.
Emery P. Bliesmer, professor emeritus of education in the College of Education, from Sept. 1, 1965, until his retirement Oct. 1, 1985; died Oct. 27, 1999. He was 79.
James H. Burness, professor of chemistry at Penn State York, died Dec. 21, 1999. He was 50.
Burness was a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Rutgers University. He served the University for 23 years and was honored in 1990 with the University-wide Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also received the York Campus Teaching Award in both 1999 and 1986. The award is being renamed in his honor. Burness also was honored with the 1999 York Academic Advising Award.
Memorial contributions may be made to James H. Burness Memorial Scholarship Fund, Penn State York, 1031 Edgecombe Ave., York, Pa. 17403.
Lillian C. Coates, clerk at Penn State Abington, from Feb. 8, 1971, until her retirement June 1, 1984; died Dec. 2, 1999, at the age of 80.
Maxine A. Diehl, telephone operator in Computer and Information Systems, from Sept. 1, 1976, until her retirement May 25, 1986; died Nov. 28, 1999. She was 79.
Gideon Golany, 71, distinguished professor of urban and regional planning, died Dec. 8, 1999.
Before serving in the Israeli army in the 1948 War of Independence, Golany helped found a kibbutz in the northern Negev. He matriculated at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, studying archaeology and geography. He earned two doctorates, one from the Technion in Haifa and one from the Hague in Holland.
Golany did post-graduate work at Cornell University and served on the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic in Blacksburg. In 1970, he accepted a position at Penn State, where he became distinguished professor of urban and regional planning. He specialized in geo-space design, urban design with climate and new-town planning. In addition to being a visiting professor at many universities, he was also honorary professor of the China Academy of Sciences and received the National Academy of Science Award. He published nearly 30 books, some of which were translated into Chinese, Spanish and Hebrew.
William G. King, associate professor of landscape architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture, from Jan. 1, 1966, until his retirement June 30, 1988; died Dec. 7. He was 73.
Mary Strauss Noll, associate professor emerita of English at Penn State New Kensington, from Sept. 1, 1974, until her retirement July 1, 1997; died Nov. 23, at the age of 64.
Nunzio J. Palladino, former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Penn State dean emeritus of engineering, died at the age of 83 on Dec. 12. Palladino was one of the nation's nuclear engineering pioneers, serving at the forefront of nuclear power plant and Navy submarine reactor design.
He worked at Westinghouse Electric Corp., the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Argonne National Laboratory, and headed the design team that created the reactor core for the world's first nuclear submarine and the country's first full-scale nuclear electric generating plant. He joined Penn State in 1959, serving as the first head of the Department of Nuclear Engineering. He served as dean of engineering from 1966 to 1981, when President Ronald Reagan tapped Palladino to head the NRC.
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Daniel J. Selfridge Jr., maintenance worker, utility in the Office of Physical Plant, from Oct. 7, 1974, until his retirement Feb. 1, 1999; died Nov. 9, 1999. He was 60.
Harold E. Stewart, senior extension agent, Dauphin County, died Nov. 28, 1999, at the age of 73. As an extension agent, Stewart helped county officials and residents during the Three Mile Island accident, the avian flu outbreak and a black fly infestation. Stewart worked with the 4-H Baby Beef Club. In addition, he started the master gardening program in Dauphin County. After retiring from the University, he worked as a consultant and turfgrass specialist.
Howard W. Thoele, associate dean emeritus for administrative management and associate professor of dairy science, died on Dec. 9, 1999. He was 77.
Thoele received his bachelor's degree in 1948 and his master's degree in 1949, both in dairy husbandry, and his doctorate in 1954 in dairy science and animal genetics, all from the University of Minnesota.
Thoele served in the Air Force during World War II. He began his career at the University in 1964 and retired in 1985 as associate dean emeritus for administrative management and associate professor of dairy science. Donations may be made to the Howard W. Thoele Renaissance Scholarship Fund, Penn State, 1 Old Main, University Park, Pa. 16802.
Rose A. Williams, campus registrar at Penn State Fayette, from Jan. 1, 1966, until her retirement March 1, 1991; died Nov. 13, 1999, at the age of 63.