IN REMEMBRANCE | SPRING 2025 | 75 Hi everyone! My name is Laura Preston, and I am from Glen Ridge, N.J. I am so excited to be representing the Class of 2028 in this column and to share our Lehigh experiences with you all. So far, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come to Lehigh. I have had so much fun and have had the opportunity to make so many great friends. I am currently undecided in the College of Arts and Sciences, which can sometimes feel daunting in such a driven and accomplished community, but I have so much support from my peers and advisors. I have so many ideas of possible majors! So far, I have made so many amazing connections with so many people and different extracurriculars here on campus. I have joined the club swim team and have been a reporter for The Brown and White. I am hoping to get more involved on campus through Greek life recruitment and joining the Epitome yearbook next semester. I love traveling and am applying for study abroad opportunities this summer. I am so excited for the rest of my freshman year! Ali Stefanelli chose to come to Lehigh because of the sense of community and the school spirit fostered on campus. She said she first visited during Rivalry Week and was able to see all the banners, and knew this was a close community she wanted to be part of. She is a student in the engineering college with a major in industrial and systems engineering and a minor in business. She chose this because of her love of math and science, as well as her strength in communication. Her choice allows her to exercise her management skills and have more business opportunities. She is currently getting involved on campus through her club basketball team. She says she always loved playing basketball and the club team at Lehigh allows her to continue this while also being able to pursue her academic passions. She has also joined the Association of Student Alumni (ASA), which she enjoys because it allows her to get involved in the many traditions on campus and feel the school spirit she witnessed when she first visited. She hopes to get more involved next semester through sorority recruitment and through applying to be an orientation leader. Sophie Pietrzak is a student in the College of Business with a major in marketing and a minor in psychology. She chose Lehigh because of the many research opportunities and the professors’ encouragement to apply knowledge learned in class to professional opportunities. She believes Lehigh will train her well for the workforce and that the community on campus will help her grow personally and academically. So far, she has joined Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity at Lehigh. She joined because they help promote professional development and leadership and offer networking opportunities for students passionate in business. She was recruited to be part of the founding class for the organization. She hopes to hold a leadership position and help other students get involved as well. She also wants to join club field hockey next semester and Women in Business. IN REMEMBRANCE The alumni and university communities extend their sympathy to the families of the alumni listed. Obituary sources include relatives, alumni and friends. Send details to Advancement Services, 306 S. New St., Suite 500, Bethlehem, PA 18015; 1-866-517-1552; askrecords@lehigh.edu. The following were reported to us as of December 31, 2024: 1940s Donald R.L. Franklin ’47, The Villages, Fla., Dec. 1, 2024. David K. Ford ’48, Cleveland, Ohio, Dec. 2, 2024. Ford served in the American Field Service during World War II as an ambulance driver. He owned Concord Sales, an industrial equipment and supplies manufacturing company. 1950s Thomas G. Gabuzda ’51, Newtown Square, Pa., Nov. 21, 2024. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Gabuzda was a medical doctor specializing in hematology. His siblings, George Gabuzda ’41 and Joseph Gabuzda ’43, were members of the Lehigh family. Robert Scheff ’51, New York, N.Y., Oct. 10, 2024. A Tau Delta Phi member, Scheff was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a lawyer specializing in tax law. John A. Ferrara ’52, Los Angeles, Calif., Oct. 20, 2024. An engineer and manager for U.S. Steel and Boeing, Ferrara became an educator in his second career. Charles I. Whedon ’52, Tinton Falls, N.J., Dec. 3, 2024. A veteran and Alpha Sigma Phi member, Whedon was an engineer for Dow Chemical Company. Charles D. Atmore ’53, West Brandywine, Pa., Nov. 15, 2024. Atmore was a fighter jet pilot for the U.S. Air Force. He worked in banking. Robert B. Gill ’53, New Vernon, N.J., Dec. 2, 2024. Gill was president of Chi Phi fraternity and a member of the lacrosse team. He spent 39 years with JCPenney, retiring as COO and vice chairman. He helped to create the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. As an alumnus, he was very active with his class and a member of the College of Business Advisory Council, the Wall Street Council and the Tower Society. His dedication was honored with the Alumni Award in 2003. His Lehigh legacy includes his children, Richard Gill ’75 and John Gill ’88, and his grandchildren, Carolyn Gill ’09 and Geoffrey Gill ’16. John G. Kerch Jr. ’53, Swanton, Vt., Sept. 29, 2024. Kerch was a Sigma Phi Epsilon member and veteran of the U.S. Army. He ran the family business, XXth Century Heating and Ventilation Company. Lee D. Peachey ’53, Gladwyne, Pa., May 29, 2024. Peachey was an Alpha Chi Rho member, as well as part of the swim team and Marching 97. He served in the biology department at University of Pennsylvania for over 35 years as a specialist in cell structures. He was a member of the Tower Society. Robert T. Schoepflin ’53, Allendale, N.J., Sept. 18, 2024. A member of the soccer and lacrosse teams, as well as Lambda Chi Alpha, Schoepflin was a C-suite executive
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