The College recently mourned the loss of three
retirees: Hans Joachim Freund, the Edward E. Hale, Jr., Professor of English
emeritus; Mary E. “Betty” Wemple, who worked at Union for 44 when she retired
as associate registrar; and John P. Young, a longtime employee who retired from
the College's grounds and maintenance departments.
Prof. Freund died Aug.
24, 2002
at the age of 83.
He accepted a position in the English Department
at Union in 1964. He retired in
1989.
Prof. Freund was described by a former dean of the faculty
as “the true modern Renaissance man of Union,” and his teaching was
often hailed by students for the power, range, and intensity of his teaching.
He taught a wide range of English courses that often explored the Western
cultural heritage in breadth as well as depth, and he also enlightened students
– both in and outside of the classroom — in German, the classics, art, and
religious studies.
Freund, who kept a small
farm in Sprakers, west of Schenectady, frequently brought
fruit and vegetables to his colleagues at Union.
He was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1919, leaving as a
teenager when it became clear that he would not be able to attend a German
university (the grandparents of his mother were Jews). He became an acting
student in Vienna, Austria, and soon got a
contract to play leading roles at the Reinhardt Theater. He came to America in 1939. After
combining a variety of jobs with small roles in radio and in a play, he was
drafted and served in the Army from 1943 to 1946.
After the war, he went to work to support his
family still in Germany, but wrote two plays
and continued to pursue a career in the theater. In 1951, eager to take some
courses in English literature that might broaden his background in the language
in which he had chosen to write, he entered Columbia University's School of General Studies. He received his B.A.
and M.A., with an award for the best master's essay in English and comparative
literature. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1971.
Ms.
Wemple,
who worked at the College for 44 years before retiring as associate registrar
in 1985, died on Friday at Ellis Hospital. She was 82.
A lifelong city resident, she was a graduate of Nott Terrace High School and Russell Sage College.
She received the faculty meritorious service
award in 1985. “As a member of the registrar's staff, the important role you
played in the lives of virtually all alumni … is indelibly etched in their
minds,” the award citation said. “It was your orderly records which ultimately
determined whether or not they had the required credits and grades to allow
them to graduate.”
She was a volunteer at the Schenectady Museum and the Schenectady
County Public Library. She was a member of St. George's Episcopal Church.
Survivors include a brother, Delmont of Milford,
Conn.
A memorial service is set for Saturday, Sept.
21, at 1 p.m. at St. George's Church. There are no calling
hours.
Contributions may be made to the College or to
Sunnyview Hospital Foundation. Arrangements are with Gleason Funeral Home.
Mr. Young died Sept. 8 at St.
Clare's Hospital. He was 83.
A Scotia resident for 52 years,
he worked for ALCO in Schenectady before joining the
College. He worked in grounds and maintenance from 1970 until 1981, when he
retired.
He was married for over 60 years to his wife,
Ellen Sweet Young.
Survivors include two daughters, Sheila of
Holden Beach, N.C.; and Judy Anderson of Northwood, N.H.; a sister, Marguerite
Carr of Glenville; a brother, Frederick of Rotterdam; and a number of
grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery, Ft. Johnson.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the
Greenhouse at the College.
