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In Memoriam: Spring/Summer 2019-20

In Memoriam: Spring/Summer 2019-20

Charles "Charlie" Michael Burton '15

Charlie Burton

Charles “Charlie” Michael Burton ’15 passed away peacefully at home in Fox Point, Wisconsin, on Dec. 15, 2019, after an eight-year battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a pediatric bone cancer. Burton was a USM lifer, beginning in prekindergarten and graduating cum laude in 2015, and USM is where he made many lifelong friends.

In Lower School, Burton excelled in competitive chess. In Middle School and Upper School, he competed in soccer, basketball, and golf. He also enjoyed participating in both concert and jazz bands. He was elected prom king his junior year, and prefect his senior year. Burton received The John A. Stephens Freshman Citizenship Award and as a senior was awarded the Roseanne Lyons Pearl Award, for outstanding perseverance.

Following graduation, and despite ongoing health challenges, he was thrilled to become a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as a fourth-generation Badger. He achieved academic success and was accepted into UW’s School of Business and was a proud and active member of Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, through which he engaged in numerous philanthropic activities, including supporting others with cancer. In recognition of his dedication and stellar academic record, Burton was awarded a posthumous Bachelor of Business Administration degree from UW-Madison in May 2020.

A highlight of Burton’s life was traveling to Spain—first for a two-week exchange during Upper School, and then for a semester during his junior year of college. Undergoing chemotherapy in Spain did not slow him down.

Burton is survived by his loving parents, Mike and Carrie, and older sister and best friend Emily ’13, along with other family and friends.

In his memory, Burton’s family established the Charlie Burton ’15 Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund. USM is honored to maintain Burton’s legacy with the granting of this annual scholarship to deserving students, and is grateful for his family’s wonderful gift.

G. Frederick Kasten MUS'57

G. Frederick Kasten

G. Frederick Kasten MUS’57 passed away peacefully on Dec. 12, 2019 at his home in Vero Beach, Florida, after a courageous fight with Parkinson’s disease. He was surrounded by his loving wife and four children.

Kasten represents a fourth generation of bankers and philanthropists deeply committed to building community in Wisconsin. His father, George Kasten, was president of First Wisconsin and supervised the construction of the First Wisconsin Center. Fred Kasten carried on this legacy, becoming president of Robert W. Baird & Co. in 1979 at the age of 39.

His love for family and friends was inspirational and his values were deeply rooted. He was a sports enthusiast and avid gamesman, whether on the golf course, tennis courts, or with a deck of cards. He engaged heavily within the community, serving on the board of directors for many local organizations, including United Way of Greater Milwaukee and United Performing Arts Fund, among others. He served as a trustee of Lawrence University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, which awarded him the Warren P. Knowles Humanitarian Award in 2004.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Susie Woodland MDS’60; their children, Rick Kasten ’85, Jenny Perkin ’87, Ted Kasten ’89, and Julie Art ’91; and many grandchildren, including Lucy ’23, Willy ’26 and KK ’30 Art.

Richard Smallbrook McKinley III

Richard McKinley

Richard Smallbrook McKinley III, former headmaster for Milwaukee Downer Seminary and University School of Milwaukee, passed away on Nov. 26, 2019, at his home in Walnut Creek, California. He was 93.

McKinley led a rich and varied life and career. After graduating from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1944, he served in the Navy during World War II. After graduating from Haverford College in 1950, marrying his first wife, Ellen in 1951, and welcoming their first two children, the family

moved to Washington, D.C., where McKinley taught English at St. Albans School, later becoming head of the English Department.

In 1962 the family, which now included two more sons, moved to Mequon, Wisconsin, where McKinley served as headmaster for Milwaukee Downer Seminary before and during its merger with Milwaukee Country Day School and Milwaukee University School. After the merger, he continued on for one year as head of the newly formed University School of Milwaukee’s Downer campus. In 1965, he joined the

national educational consulting firm of Engelhardt, Engelhardt and Leggett. The following year, the family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut.

The travel necessitated by consulting proved challenging for the family and his marriage to Ellen ended in 1977. In 1979, McKinley married Alexandra Voorhees Barrett. Both held esteemed positions in independent schools in Arizona and California before their retirements.

In 2003, they returned to Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and in 2005 they moved to the Rossmoor Walnut Creek senior living community. After Alex’s death in 2011, McKinley continued to maintain important relationships with friends and neighbors. McKinley leaves three children, Richard, Graham, and Edward (T), as well as grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Anne (Youngclass) Stratton

Anne Stratton

Anne (Youngclaus) Stratton died peacefully on New Year’s morning, Jan. 1, 2020, after a six-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Soon after graduating from Brookfield High School, she met Fred Stratton MCDS ’57. They were married after she graduated from Vassar College, and stayed married for more than 55 years.

After teaching post-college, Stratton turned to raising their three children and writing articles for local publications. She was the proud author of two published novels, “Buried Heart” and “Buried Secrets.” She loved serving the Milwaukee community through her work on the boards of Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the United Performing Arts Fund (first woman board president), and the Pabst Theater Foundation. At USM, she served on the Board of Trustees, co-chaired the USM Fund with her husband, and volunteered with the Parents’ Association.

She was a big fan of the Milwaukee Brewers and could often be seen in the stands wearing her bright yellow Brewers hat.

Stratton was known for her charm, quick wit, lively sense of humor, friendly and welcoming personality, compassion, openness to people and ideas, and leadership ability. She is survived by her husband and their three children: Margy Stratton Norman ’84, Diane Stratton Ballou ’87, and Rick Stratton ’92; and nine grandchildren: Ellie ’19, Mimi ’21, and Annie Norman ’25; Charlie, Lucy, and Henry Ballou; and Beckett ’25, Jocelyn ’27, and Cameron Stratton ’30.

We celebrate the lives of the following alumni and friends, whose deaths were recently shared with us. We are thankful for their friendship.

1930s

Lawrence M. Vandervelde MUS'38 – July, 6, 2015, Green Lake, WI

1940s

Meredith Davis Hart MDS'41 – October 2019, Madison, WI

Elizabeth Cooks Smith MDS'42 – July 16, 2013, Thiensville, WI

Olive "Cissy" Van Dyke Bryson MDS'43 – March 11, 2020, Milwaukee

Carol Stock Gutenkunst MUS'44 – October 15, 2019, Grafton, WI

Helen Merker Williams MDS'44 – April 5, 2020, West Bend, WI

Arthur J. Laskin MCDS'45 – Jan. 3, 2020, Milwaukee

Charles A. Cahill MCDS'47 – March 1, 2020, Waukesha, WI

Valerie Stacy Terris MUS'47 – Dec. 2, 2019, Sarasota, FL

Herbert C. Wuesthoff MUS'47 – Feb. 10, 2020, Mequon, WI

Edward G. Frawley MUS'48 – March 26, 2020, Milwaukee

Mary Margaret Grignon Tomey MDS'49 – Jan. 25, 2020, Houston, TX

1950s

Robert D. Fitzgerald MCDS'51 – Nov. 11, 2019, Lake Forest, IL

Judith Lyle Harrison MUS'51 – Jan. 4, 2020, Cedarburg, WI

Douglas H. Lenicheck MUS'51 – Oct. 14, 2019, Wauwatosa, WI

Peter F. Wegmann MCDS'51 – Oct. 27, 2019, Hartland, WI

Robert G. Schutt MUS'54 – Nov. 23, 2019, Sturgeon Bay, WI

Sandra Shafrin Chabert MDS'55 – July 7, 2007, Lafitte, LA

Marguerite Morsell Kinney MDS'55 – Aug. 2, 2019, Edwardsville, IL

David Y. Redford MUS'55 – Jan. 2019, Denver, CO

Robert G. Rediscke MUS'55 – Aug. 15, 2018, Kameula, HI

Wendy Kurth Wrean MDS'55 – Dec. 11, 2019, Weston, MA

William C. Meyer MUS'56 – Dec. 4, 2019, Pewaukee, WI

Dr. Robert Miles Schmidt MCDS'56 – April 10, 2020, Bayside, WI

Charles M. Boesel MCDS'57 – Oct. 17, 2018, Milwaukee

G. Frederick Kasten MUS'57 – Dec. 12, 2019, Vero Beach, FL

Robert F. Ackerman MCDS'58 – April 8, 2020, Deephaven, MN

Frank T. Boesel MCDS'58 – April 1, 2020, Milwaukee

Val A. Luljack MUS'58 – Dec. 4, 2018, Bradenton, FL

Thomas L. Miller MCDS'58 – April 5, 2020, Los Angeles, CA

Brett Y. Pabst MDS'58 – Aug. 26, 2016, Oconomowoc Lake, WI

1960s

Karen Usinger Schnetzky MDS'61 – Dec. 6, 2019, Mequon, WI

James E. Conley MCDS'62 – March 20, 2020, Tucson, AZ

Stephen R. Silberman '66 – Nov. 2019, Galena, IL

Darby K. Upham '68 – March 29, 2020, Milwaukee

1970s

Katherine Michael Dale '72 – June 14, 2017, Baltimore, MD

Tod J. Maclay '77 – Nov. 12, 2019, Milwaukee

Christopher Schelble '79 – May 1, 2020, Mequon, WI

2000s

Benjamin D. McDougall '06 – May 13, 2020, Waukesha, WI

2010s

Charles M. Burton '15 – Dec. 15, 2019, Fox Point, WI

Friends

George Grenville Cuyler – Feb. 1, 2020, Highstown, NJ
USM English teacher and theatre director from 1965 to 1971

Nancy Kendall – Feb. 12, 2020, Milwaukee
Mother of Robert Kendall l'78; grandmother of Sam Kendall '18

Virginia Krikorian – Nov. 28, 2019
Mother of Gary Krikorian '71, Rand Krikorian '73, and Stacy Krikorian Daniel '78

Richard Smallbrook McKinley III – Walnut Creek, CA
Former headmaster

Mildred Pack – Feb. 28, 2020
Mother of Brian Pack, former faculty member; grandmother of Spencer Pack '97

Dr. Thomas C. Pagedas – March 23, 2020
Father of Elizabeth Anne Pagedas '91, Mike Pagedas '93, and Connie Pagedas Sover '96

Helen Reilly – Dec. 22, 2019, Mequon, WI
Spouse of Paul Reilly MUS'39; mother of Paul Reilly Jr. '70, Julia Burke '74, Nancy Chase '76, Jane Segerdahl, and David Reilly '83; grandmother of Andrew Segerdahl '01, David Segerdahl '03, Peter Burke '04, Charles Segerdahl '05, Catherine Burke '06, Edward Burke '09, and Julie Chase '09

Anne (Youngclaus) Stratton – Jan. 1, 2020, Shorewood, WI
Mother of Margy Stratton Norman ’84, Diane Stratton Ballou ’87, and Rick Stratton ’92; grandmother of Ellie ’19, Mimi ’21, and Annie Norman ’25; Charlie, Lucy, and Henry Ballou; and Beckett ’25, Jocelyn ’27, and Cameron Stratton ’30

Margery Holley Uihlein – April 17, 2020, Mequon, WI
Spouse of the late David V. Uhlein MCDS'38; mother of Barbara Kuehn Frank MDS'62, Gregg Kuehn '65, and Jack Kuehn '68; grandmother of Charlie Kuhen '96 and Andy Kuhen '99; step-grandmother of Sarah O. Zimmerman '92 and John. U. Olson '95

Kent Terrence Wakefield –  March 4, 2020, Mequon, WI
Father of William Wakefield '09

Diane Ruth Wenzel – Nov. 3, 2019, Wauwatosa, WI
Mother of Susie Bach, junior kindergarten teacher; mother-in-law of Gregg Bach, assistant head of school; grandmother of Emily Bach '13 and Matthew Bach '16

  • Alumni