Farewells

Lauren Soth, age 87, died on May 24th in Madison, WI, from complications due to Parkinson’s disease. Lauren was a legendary Carleton Art History professor for 40 years, beginning in 1964 and retiring in 2004.

Patricia Cavanaugh, age 65, died on May 17th at her home in St. Paul from pancreatic cancer. Pat taught at Carleton in Political Science in 2009–2010 and again from 2012–2014.

Lyle Oster, age 71, died on Sunday, May 1st. After graduating from the Culinary Institute in New York, Lyle managed catering at Carleton for Sodexho out of the Burton Dining Hall from 1986 to 1999. He went on to a 40 year career with Sodexho, managing food services at other universities and other senior administration work.

Leonard (Len) Wenc, age 82, died on March 29th in Northfield. Len was the Director of Student Financial Services from 1970 until his retirement in 2000. During his 30 years at Carleton, Len is quoted as saying he had “a social worker’s mentality—the need to open doors to higher education for those unable to attend due to financial circumstances.” Students and colleagues respected his forthright commitment to equity in meeting students’ full financial needs, advocating for grant aid, and further developing the work-study program.

Marlene Kispert, age 89, died on March 13. Marlene worked as a switchboard operator at Carleton for 27 years, from 1971 to 1997. She was a caring and generous person who will be greatly missed.

James Stowe, age 75, died at home in Northfield on Feb 21st. Jim worked at Carleton for 39 years, beginning in 1969 on Grounds right out of Northfield High School, then as a chauffeur, and retiring as Locksmith Lead in 2008. He was a kind, caring, and quiet man, dedicated to his work and to Carleton.

Brian Murphy, age 65, died on Sunday, January 30, surrounded by his family. Brian worked in the Career Center beginning in 2011 and left in June 2021 as his health began to deteriorate due to a brain tumor. In his primary role as Program Director for Internships and Experiential Learning, Brian went above and beyond for students, supporting their dreams with careful listening and extensive research on their behalf.

John Jindra, age 54, died on January 7 at his home in Le Center, Minn. John worked in Dining Services from 2002–2005 and then as a Custodian from 2005–2019. John was helpful, thoughtful, and tender-hearted, working even the second shift with enthusiasm.

Vickie Duscher, age 64, died of cancer at her home in Aitkin, Minnesota on January 2nd. Vickie worked in the President’s Office from 1998 to 2012. Vickie formed genuine relationships with people across campus, reminding us all that, at its core, a residential college is about human interactions as we seek to better understand the world.

Harry Nordstrom died at his home in Northfield on November 13th, eight days shy of his 98th birthday. Harry taught Music at Carleton, beginning as an Instructor in Violin in 1950 and retiring as Professor of Music, Emeritus, in 1989. He continued to teach a few violin students after his retirement and he treasured the ongoing connection to students and the college.