Category: Staff

Frank Wright ’50 died on August 4th at the age of 91. Frank worked at Carleton for 38 years, beginning as Assistant Treasurer in 1955 and rising through the ranks to Vice President and Treasurer. He retired as Treasurer Emeritus in 1990, and continued for three years as the Secretary to the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Chuck Donnell, age 85 and class of 1954, died on July 14th after a valiant battle with cancer. Chuck was a Carleton Trustee from 1981–1985 and worked in various capacities in the Development Office between 1990 and 2010, creating Carleton’s very successful 50th Reunion Program. He loved to build and renew connections between people and the college and was deeply committed to keeping it affordable for many.

Betty Armstrong, 87, died on Monday, July 3rd. Betty was a switchboard operator at Carleton from 1963 until 1995, but Betty’s Carleton connection started much earlier. As the daughter of Earl Baldwin, the groundskeeper of Laird Field for about a half century beginning in 1926, Betty’s home throughout her childhood was an apartment in Laird Stadium.

Mark A. Greene, the college’s first professionally trained archivist, died in a car accident on June 21st. Mark worked at Carleton from 1985–1990 and went on to an impressive archival career at three additional institutions, authoring important articles in the field, and serving as a president of the Society of American Archivists (SAA).

Mariea Guthrie died on Sunday, April 16th, at her care facility in St Paul, at the age of 86. Mariea did interior design work at Carleton for over 40 years, including at least eight years after her official retirement in 1998. She had a gift for finding ways to retain the ethos of the College and its particular buildings. Mariea’s elegant and practical solutions to design problems grace almost every historical building on campus.

LaVon Emery died on Saturday, April 1st at Three Links here in Northfield. LaVon was a checker in the dining halls from 1998 to 2006.  As in many other aspects of her life, she loved connecting with people there.

Services for LaVon were held yesterday at the Stanton United Methodist Church. A more complete obituary is below.

Please keep all of LaVon’s friends and family in your thoughts and prayers.

Lee Ramette died on March 25th at home in Green Valley, AZ. Lee was a secretary in the Office of the President from 1970-1973 and then in Art and Art History until retiring in 1997. Faculty colleagues in Art and Art History describe Lee as the heart of the department. She was a skillful administrative assistant, flexible and resilient, with a wry wit. For many in the department, Lee also acted as an older sister, loyal friend, and sounding board, giving gentle advice and offering cooking, parenting, and gardening tips when needed.

Doris Pumper, age 94, died on February 23rd at Three Links Care Center in Northfield. Doris worked in the Carleton Business Office from 1967-1991. Her role as student account specialist gave her the opportunity to assist students with their financial issues during their time at Carleton and during their loan repayment periods after graduation. She touched many of them with her concern and dedication.

Nancy Casper died peacefully on February 3rd at Three Links in Northfield. Nancy worked in the Carleton Library’s interlibrary loan services from 1987 until her retirement in 2006. She also worked closely with students through her husband, Barry (Mike) Casper’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy program (now ENTS). She was always welcoming, caring, and gracious to students and colleagues.

Jack R. Ranslow, age 67, died December 1st at home in Faribault after a lengthy battle with cancer. Jack worked at Carleton in Food Service and Custodial Services for 34 years, from 1975 until his retirement in 2009. Jack was well known on campus as always being friendly, kind, and positive, even after he got sick. He was a hard worker and a great person with whom to work. Jack was passionate about helping others and often volunteered at the Faribault prison and in the larger community.