In Memory – Tributes
James K. Bowen, former professor at UNC, passed away in July. Jim served UNC from 1966-1994 as associate dean of students for Academic Standards, dean of Special Programs and Services and he developed the national recognized program, Resources for the Disabled. Jim retired as professor emeritus from the College of Student Personnel Administration in 1994.
Linda J. Carbajal, director of the Cumbres program at UNC, passed away in July. Linda earned degrees at CSU-Pueblo and CSU-Fort Collins and taught in Pueblo and Denver before serving as an educator for 29 years in the Poudre School District. At Fort Collins, she taught English at Lesher Junior High School and was a counselor at Centennial High School and Fort Collins High School. She retired in 2002 and came to UNC to direct the Cumbres program where she served ten years. Memorial contributions may be directed to the UNC Foundation for the Linda J. Carbajal Cumbres Scholarship Fund.
José Cordóva, former professor at UNC, passed away in April. José earned degrees from Cal State University at Chico and the University of New Mexico, and taught at CSU-Pueblo before coming to UNC as a professor of education in 1988. He retired in 2004 as professor emeritus. He was involved in bilingual education and a number of community and civil rights organizations, most notably a national committee on bilingual-bicultural education under President Jimmy Carter. Memorial contributions may be made to the UNC Foundation for the Matilde Cordóva Nursing Scholarship.
Phyllis Drennan, former UNC nurse educator, passed away in April. Phyllis earned degrees from University of Denver, University of Colorado and the University of Iowa, and provided nursing service at a number of hospitals in Colorado and Illinois, before practicing nursing education in Iowa, Missouri and at UNC. Emeritus faculty status was granted in 2000. She held memberships in 25 professional organizations and received a number of awards and recognitions, including the CU’s School of Nursing Alumni of the Century Award and Life Time Achievement Award. The Drennan family has selected a number of charitable organizations for memorial gifts, including the UNC School of Nursing.
William R. Erwin Jr., former UNC professor, passed away in July. William taught industrial arts at North Texas State University (University of North Texas) and came to UNC in 1956. He served as dean of industrial arts and retired as professor emeritus in 1983. William was a member of the First Congregational Church, Kiwanis, Consistory, Mason Lodge, Eastern Star and the Elks, as well as the Army Air Corps and Naval Reserve.
LeRoy A. Green (EdD-70), former professor at UNC, passed away in April. LeRoy earned degrees at Milwaukee Bible Institute, Wheaton Bible College and University of Oregon. He began teaching educational media at UNC in 1971 and retired as professor emeritus in 1984. From 1996-98 he served as acting president of Colorado Christian University.
Edward “Ed” Krafft, former long-time teacher at the university’s laboratory school, passed away in September. Ed worked for the Missouri Lutheran Church’s mission field in southern India before returning to the United States to teach at Greeley’s East Memorial school and then at UNC, where he retired as Professor Emeritus in 1984.
Frank Lakin (BA-55, MA-57), longtime UNC teacher and administrator, passed away in April. During Frank’s lifetime of devotion and support to UNC, he served in a number of positions, including director of the Counseling and Testing Center, assistant dean of the graduate school, vice president for academic affairs, assistant to the president, acting president (twice) and interim president. He was actively involved in the community, serving on boards of the Sunrise Health Center, the Parent Child Center, Community Friends and the Chamber of Commerce. His ardent support of education led him to chair two school bond issues that passed for Greeley-Evans School District. Frank was instrumental in establishing the UNC Alumni Association, the university’s School of Nursing and College of Performing and Visual Arts and programs for minority students. He was named by the Alumni Association as one of its Honored Alumni and member of UNC’s Centennial Hall of Fame. Memorial contributions may be made to the UNC Foundation for the Lulu Lakin Memorial Scholarship.
Robert Longwell (MA-61), former UNC professor who was known by many students as “Dr. Bob”, passed away in July. He served as professor of English and Speech at UNC and at the university’s laboratory school from 1962-1989. Emeritus faculty status was awarded in 1986. Bob served on numerous college committees, was an officer and member of the Greeley Kiwanis, sang in the choir at United Methodist Church and volunteered for the Right to Read program.
Dale Lundeen, former UNC professor, passed away in April. Dale earned degrees at Western Michigan University and Indiana University and joined the UNC faculty in 1967. He was instrumental in establishing the university’s speech-language pathology program and retired as professor emeritus in 1987.
Judy Malkiewicz (BS-73), former professor in the School of Nursing, passed away in September. Judy was a registered nurse at Children’s Hospital in Denver until 1975 when she began teaching at UNC. She earned a master’s of nursing in 1975 and a PhD in nursing in 1991from the University of Colorado. During her 29-year teaching career she helped educate and mentor hundreds of nurses. Judy was awarded the M. Lucile Harrison Award and was the first founding member and president of Sigma Theta Tau, Zeta Omicron Chapter at UNC. She retired as Professor Emeritus in 2004.
Jack Meakins (BA-51, MA-55), the first full-time director of Alumni Relations at UNC, passed away in May. Jack was a teacher at Greeley-Evans School District 6 and supervised all Greeley music teachers. He retired from United Bank and Union Colony Bank in Greeley before serving for 15 years as executive director of the Evans Area Chamber of Commerce. He was actively involved in a number of community service organizations, as well as the Greeley Concerts Association, the Greeley Choral Board and the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra. Jack was recipient the CANPO William Funk Award for Building Community, the Leeann Anderson Community Care Award, The Arts Alive! Award and the Dr. Winchester Humanitarian Award. Memorial contributions will support a scholarship for music majors at UNC.
Carole M. Schneider, professor of Sport and Exercise Science and co-founder and director of the Rocky Mountain Cancer Research Institute at UNC passed away in July. Carole earned degrees at Briar Cliff College (Iowa), Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota, and began her career in higher education at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the University of Kansas. She joined the faculty at UNC in 1992 and drew from her own experience and expertise as an exercise physiologist, to train and mentor students as researchers, teachers and cancer rehabilitation specialists. RMCRI was the focus of her work and her greatest legacy. Memorial contributions may be directed to the UNC Foundation for the Carole Schneider Rocky Mountain Cancer Rehabilitation Institute Scholarship Fund, or the RMCRI operating fund.
Walter “Wally” Smith, Jr. (BA-58, MA-60), former UNC professor, passed away in March. Wally taught music in the Denver public schools, Dickinson State College, the University of Arizona and Southern Mississippi University before returning to UNC in 1969. His long career teaching in UNC’s School of Music spanned 26 years and he retired as professor emeritus in 1995. Memorial contributions may be made to the UNC Foundation for the Walter G. Smith Flute Scholarship.
If your life has been touched or impacted by any of the alumni, faculty and friends of UNC who are commemorated in this issue, please consider making a tax-deductible memorial gift in his or her name to UNC Foundation, Campus Box 20, Greeley, CO 80639. Questions? Contact Margie Meyer at 970-351-1886
