IN REMEMBRANCE | SPRING 2025 | 77 A member of the basketball team, Mayer served in the U.S. Army as a doctor. He practiced general surgery at Delaware County Memorial Hospital for 40 years. Lanning D. Steitz ’64, Woodstock, N.Y., Aug. 29, 2024. Steitz was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and a veteran of the U.S. Army. He retired as a project manager and consulting engineer for the New York State Department of Environmental Protection. Jeffrey A. Wyand ’64 ’65, Bethesda, Md., Oct. 30, 2024. Wyand worked as a lawyer for Leydig, Voit & Mayer. He was a dedicated volunteer and supporter of Lehigh through the Jeffrey A. Wyand Scholarship. He was also a member of the Tower Society. John L. Adams ’65 MBA ’78, Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 10, 2024. Adams was a member of Delta Phi and the Gryphon Society. He made his career as an IT executive and served in the U.S. Army Reserves. Peter P. Mariana Jr. ’65, East Lyme, Conn., Oct. 27, 2024. Mariana was a member of Delta Tau Delta. Richard F. Falusy ’66, Antioch, Ill., Aug. 27, 2024. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Falusy worked for Case New Holland for 43 years. His sibling, Ronald Falusy, was a member of the Class of 1962. Robert D. Morris ’66, Spring Branch, Texas, Aug. 26, 2024. A Theta Chi member, Morris served in the U.S. Air Force for 27 years as a civil engineer and retired as a colonel. As a civilian, he worked as a project manager for 3DI and Parsons. Gary E. Redline ’67, Slatington, Pa., Dec. 23, 2024. A veteran of the U.S. Army in Vietnam, he worked as a soil inspector for GeoSystems. John A. Stein ’67 M.Ed. ’75, Mandeville, La., Sept. 2, 2024. Stein was a police officer, journalist and manager of residential treatment homes. Jonnie W. Rushatz ’68, Long Valley, N.J., Oct. 11, 2024. An All-American wrestler and member of Beta Theta Pi, Rushatz served in the U.S. Air Force. He worked in finance for various chemical companies. He volunteered with his class as an alumnus. His child, Lorrie Kim (Rushatz) Vinal, is a member of the Class of 1995. 1970s Fred F. Bergdoll Jr. ’70, York, Pa., Sept. 21, 2024. Bergdoll was a member of the football team and Alpha Tau Omega. He made his career as a financial advisor. His sibling, James Bergdoll, is a member of the Class of 1973. William T. Marks ’70, Weston, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024. Marks was a member of Delta Sigma Phi and the track team. He worked as a lawyer. He was also a member of the LUAA Board, served on the Board of Trustees and was a member of the Tower Society. He won the Alumni Award in 2000 for his dedication to the University. George W. Oplinger ’70, Bethlehem, Pa., Sept. 18, 2024. A member of the baseball team, Oplinger worked in the Loop Program for Bethlehem Steel, as the assistant supervisor of transportation for Bethlehem Area School District, and at the Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course. John M. Briggs ’72, Gladwyne, Pa., Sept. 20, 2024. A member of Theta Xi, Briggs was a partner in the accounting firm of Tait Weller and Baker and a founding partner of Briggs Bunting and Dougherty. David A. Ford ’72, Bloomsburg, Pa., Dec. 4, 2024. A Delta Phi member, Ford served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years. He also worked as a financial advisor. His child, Miranda (Ford) Brooks ’06, is a member of the Lehigh family. Roger H. Ford ’72, Sunbury, Pa., Dec. 13, 2024. Ford was a high school English teacher specializing in British literature for the Carlisle School District. His sibling, Michael Ford ’70, Donald M. Gruhn ’49, financier and one of the university’s most generous benefactors, passed away on Dec. 20, 2024, at the age of 97, leaving behind a legacy of service and philanthropy. “While I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Don personally, we are grateful for his generosity to the College of Business and the university, which has enriched the Lehigh experience for countless students. His impact will continue to be felt for generations,” said Manoj Malhotra, the Kevin L. and Lisa A. Clayton Dean of the College of Business. Gruhn was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Business and, with his wife, established the Judy and Donald M. Gruhn ’49 Endowed Scholarship Fund, supporting undergraduate students with a preference for those majoring in finance. Since its creation in 2004, the scholarship, which will continue in perpetuity, has helped 13 students receive a Lehigh education. The Gruhns’ generosity has benefited Lehigh Athletics, the Lehigh Fund, Zoellner Arts Center, the Mustard and Cheese Drama Society, the Department of Journalism and Communication and The Brown and White student newspaper. They also created an endowment fund for the technology, software and data needs of the Bosland Financial Services Lab and supported the renovations of Linderman Library, the construction of the STEPS building and the Business Innovation Building, and most recently, the renovations of the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall. In 2008, Don Gruhn established an endowment for the Donald M. Gruhn ’49 Distinguished Finance Speaker Series. Gruhn graduated with a degree in business administration. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during WWll before beginning his career with Colen-Gruhn Company Inc., a radio, television and appliance distributorship. He spent 45 years in the financial services industry, including membership on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and general partnership in two firms. He retired in 1996 from Benjamin Jacobson & Sons, a leading specialist on the NYSE trading floor. Gruhn was a member of the 1865 Society, an honor afforded to Lehigh’s most generous benefactors, as well as the Martindale Society and the Tower Society, which recognizes those who have made planned gifts or gifts to the Lehigh endowment. Gifts in his memory can be made to the Judy and Donald M. Gruhn ’49 Endowed Scholarship Fund at Lehigh University at give.lu or by calling (610) 758-4749.—Janet Norwood REMEMBERING Donald M. Gruhn ’49 Impacting Generations with Generosity Donald M. Gruhn ’49 left an indelible mark on the university through his service and dedicated support.
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