76 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | IN REMEMBRANCE of the Lehigh family. David G. Ward ’61, Mendham, N.J., June 2, 2023. A Sigma Nu member, Ward served in the U.S. Marine Corps before taking his engineering experience to Long Beach Township, Exxon and Hydro Group. Frederick G. Westerman ’61, CORRECTION: Westerman lived in Naples, Fla., not Bonita Springs as reported in the summer issue. George E. Clark ’62, Washington, Ga., May 8, 2023. Clark was a Phi Delta Theta member. Bernard Gitlin ’62, Newton, Mass., July 22, 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, Gitlin served on The Brown and White and Epitome staffs as a student. He volunteered extensively with his class as an alumnus. Professionally, he co-founded Global Insurance Network. His children, Jocelyn (Gitlin) Deutsch ’89 and Melissa (Gitlin) Jacoby ’92, and grandchild, Marlee Deutsch ’21, are members of the Lehigh family. He was also a member of the Tower Society. John F. Swegel ’62, Framingham, Mass., May 29, 2023. Swegel served in the U.S. Peace Corps. He worked as a systems analyst for several insurance companies, retiring from MassMutual. He taught accounting at several community colleges. Peter D. Fortmann ’63, Stamford, Conn., May 11, 2023. Fortmann served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War before beginning his 45-year career with General Electric. Mathias P. Hunoval ’63, Wilmington, N.C., June 25, 2023. A Chi Psi member, Hunoval practiced law professionally. David R. Tanis ’63, Hampton, Va., Aug. 1, 2023. A member of the basketball team and Phi Gamma Delta, Tanis served in the U.S. Army Green Berets and in Vietnam. He had a 35-year-long law career. David R. McShane ’63, New Hope, Pa., June 12, 2023. McShane led the family business, McShane Enterprises. Richard S. Ward ’63, Earlysville, Va., April 24, 2023. Ward Ferdinand Thun ’56, a philanthropist, outdoorsman and former engineer whose generosity has impacted generations of Lehigh students through scholarships and an endowed chair, passed away July 30, 2023. He was 89. Thun graduated from Lehigh in 1956 with a bachelor of science degree in metallurgical engineering and went on to earn an MBA from Harvard in 1960. He made significant contributions to Lehigh as director of planned giving in the Office of Development for more than two decades, from 1973 to 1995. Thun focused on raising scholarship support and increasing the university’s endowment to help ensure that talented students could receive a Lehigh education regardless of their ability to pay. He credited his wife, Elizabeth, with helping him develop relationships with some of Lehigh’s most generous benefactors. In an interview with the university in 2015, Thun reflected on his commitment to helping students and the university. “The diversity of the student body is important,” he said, “and investment in the scholarship program is really needed to maintain that balance.” Demonstrating this belief, Thun established the Ferdinand and Elizabeth M. Thun Scholarship and the Thun and Janssen Memorial Scholarship to provide support to first-generation U.S. citizens from immigrant families, regardless of their country of origin. He also established the Ferdinand Thun ’56 Chair in Family Business, which is held by Andreea Kiss, associate professor of management. Lorraine Wiedorn ’84G ’13P ’17P, assistant vice president of planned giving and family philanthropy at Lehigh, said Thun was instrumental in building the university's planned giving program and was a mentor and friend to many on the Lehigh staff. “At his core, Ferd was a teacher, and he led by example,” she said. “He championed the value of endowment and the important role it plays in providing resources for our students and faculty in perpetuity. The funds from his endowed scholarships provided opportunities for many students over the years, with one scholarship recipient being named Lehigh’s first Marshall scholar in 40 years.” After graduating from Lehigh, Thun joined SKF Industries as an engineer, working there for almost a decade before joining Lehigh’s Office of Development. At Lehigh, he helped create the Tower Society to recognize alumni and friends whose generous gifts supported the endowment program. In recognition of his decades of service, he received three prestigious awards from the university— the Paul J. Franz Award, the James Ward Packard Award and the Alumni Award. “I always say, if you believe in something, you have to support it,” said Michael Caruso ’67, chair of the Tower Society. “That is exactly what Ferd did.” Thun had a passion for preserving nature and serving his community. He loved canoeing, fly fishing and sailing on his boat, Great Eagle. He served on the boards of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation and the Wildlands Conservancy. He was emeritus director of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton. Leading by Example Thun’s generosity impacted generations of Lehigh students. REMEMBERING Ferdinand Thun ’56 “HE CHAMPIONED THE VALUE OF ENDOWMENT AND THE IMPORTANT ROLE IT PLAYS IN PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN PERPETUITY.” —Lorraine Wiedorn ’84G ’13P ’17P
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