University High School

Bloomington, Indiana

Class of 1944

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24 Apr 2024 Edna Hendrickson Staley died April 17, 2024, in Bloomington. A photo and obituary are on her Find-A-Grave page, but these will not be visible for 3 months.
10 Sep 2023 Richard Earl “Dick” Hickam, of Bloomingto, died September 6, 2023. His Find-A-Grave page has an obituary.
16 Jan 2023 Robert Reed "Bob" Love, of Auburn, Indiana, died November 21, 2022. His Find-A-Grave page has an obituary and a photo from his wedding.
25 Nov 2020 Pamela Ann Cagle Walters died in Bloomington on November 20, 2020. A photo and an obituary are on her Find-A-Grave page.
12 Apr 2020 Agatha Marie "Gay" Jellema Peterson, of Montague, Michigan, died on April 8, 2020. A photo and an obituary are on her Find-A-Grave page.
29 Jan 2020 Wanda Elizabeth Zeller Clegg died in Bloomington on January 29, 2020. A photo and an obituary are on her Find-A-Grave page.
15 Jul 2019 A Jack Evans of Bloomington, born September 19, 1926, died on July 10, 2019. He may be the Jack Evans who is in the '42 Jordannus, but we are not sure. There is a Find-A-Grave page with obituary & photo (201132388).
14 Jul 2019 Stella Marcelle “Marcie” Pfaff Moon Allen, of Lakeview, Arkansas, died on July 3, 2019. A photo and an obituary are on her Find-A-Grave page.
17 June 2019 From examination of Jordannuses from '39 through '44, 81 more people who attended UHS at one time or another as members of this class have been added to the database. Most of these are listed below as "misssing." However, Paul Richard Beck, William D Bruce, Charles Leon Kent, Helen Louise Dewar McCurry, William Ross "Clay" Nichols, and John Richard Pate are known deceased. Find-A-Grave pages have been created.
30 Mar 2019 From the Find-A-Grave page of Martha Lou Deckard Bruner '49, we find that her sister Mildred Loudean Deckard McGrew '44 died on August 5, 2002.
22 Jan 2019 Ivan Edward Headley died January 19, 2019. An obituary is on his Find-A-Grave page.
3 Jul 2018 Patsy Jayne Hanson Bartlett of Bloomington died July 2, 2018. An obituary is on her Find-A-Grave page.
2 Apr 2018 Ruth Claire Hepner Wilder Thompson of Bloomington died March 28, 2018. An obituary is on her Find-A-Grave page.
13 Mar 2018 From an extensive search of the Social Security Death Index and Find-A-Grave, the following members of the Class of '44 have died. If anyone knows otherwise, please let Dave Gray '65 know.
William Charles "Bill" Cleveland, of Laguna Woods, California, on December 1, 2016;
David Philip Haring, of Stafford, Virginia, on July 27, 2004;
Charles Wilbur Murray, of Walnut Creek, California, on November 24, 2016; an obituary is on his Find-A-Grave page;
Loren Dee Stevens, of Edgewater, Florida, on August 9, 2015; an obituary is on his Find-A-Grave page;
Dorothea June Taylor Gilham, of Marion, Indiana, on November 27, 2003;
Charles Elvin Winter, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, on May 1, 2013.
7 Aug 2017 Harold Lloyd Aynes died on May 20, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. An obituary is on his Find-A-Grave page.
6/20/11 Joy Baranko, 84, passed away June 17, while residing at the First Community Village Long Term Care with Hospice in Columbus, OH. Following a series of health issues, she had moved to Columbus to be near her daughter, Cassie. Joy lived the majority of her life in Bloomington, IN. She is predeceased by her parents, two brothers, Paul and James Hockgeiger; and her husband, John G. Baranko D.D.S. She is survived by three daughters and a son.

Joy graduated from University High School in Bloomington and attended Indiana University. As a full-time homemaker and mother, she was devoted to her family. She was always supportive of her children’s and grandchildren’s activities, in and outside of school, especially their musical pursuits. Music was clearly an important part of her own life, as well, and she always enjoyed attending live performances whenever possible. Friendly and outgoing, she was an active member of a service organization, Psi Iota Xi, that ran a Thrift Shop in Bloomington. She worked at the Indiana University golf course and was also an avid golfer, playing and winning awards at the IU course and local country club. Joy also won trophies as a member of a local bowling league. She was always a sports fan, especially college sports, and remained a loyal fan of Indiana University, in particular. Her jovial, social nature and lively sense of humor were appreciated by many throughout her life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those who wish to make a donation in the name of Joy Baranko, do so to the Walter and Dorothy Robert Scholarship Fund c/o Melissa Korzec, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, 1201 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 or Camp Rainbow (a camp for kids with cancer), c/o Phoenix Children’s Hospital, 1919 East Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Allen Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Friends can send condolences to www.allenfuneralhome.org.
2/16/11 Charles C. “Charlie” Staats, of Bloomington, passed away Monday, February 14, 2011, at Meadowood Health Pavilion. Charlie passed away on Valentine’s Day and is with his beloved Evelyn again after 10 years. He was born in Chicago, IL. He was a retired Bloomington police officer and a member of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Bloomington Elks Club and the American Legion in Bloomington. He was a graduate of University High School class of 1944 and a veteran of the U.S. Navy during WWII. He also retired from Bank One as a security guard.

He is survived by a son, Charles R. “Chig” Staats (UHS '71?) of Bloomington; a daughter & her husband, Sally (Staats) & Peter Link, also of Bloomington; a granddaughter & her husband, Amy (Link) & Ross Chitwood of Bloomington; also a grandson, Billy Link of Bloomington; a great-granddaughter, Evelyn Chitwood of Bloomington; and a soon to be born great-grandson, Nathan Chitwood; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Evelyn Staats, in 2001; and a daughter, Claudia Jean Staats.
4/1/09 Fred H. Gregory, 83, died peacefully at his home on Sunday, March 29, 2009. He was born in Indianapolis but lived in Bloomington since the age of six. He attended Elm Heights Elementary School and was a member of the University School Class of 1944. He was an active participant in both alumni associations throughout his adult life. From 1943 to 1946, Fred served in the 23rd Naval Construction Battalion on Guam and remained close to his Navy buddies for the rest of his life. After his return from WWII, he attended Princeton University and graduated in 1950 with an AB degree in Political Science. He then enrolled in the Indiana University School of Law, graduating with an LLB degree in 1953. On January 1, 1954, he opened his private law practice and continued to practice law in Bloomington until shortly before his death. During his legal career Fred practiced law in a variety of capacities, including as prosecuting attorney, bank trust officer, law firm partner and, most recently, back in private practice specializing in Elder Law, having touched many lives along the way. Fred devoted a great deal of time, especially in his later years, to pro bono work. He was recognized for his exemplary pro bono work in 2001 by District 10 of the State of Indiana; in 2007 he received the Randall T. Shepard Excellence in Pro Bono Publico Award; and in 2008 he received the Indiana University School of Law Distinguished Service Award.

Fred was very active in the community as well. He served on the Ashton Committee, which resulted in changes in the management of Bloomington Hospital and the construction of a new, modern facility. He was chairman of the Gregory Committee from 1963 to 1968, the mission of which was to study the need for a mental health facility in Monroe County. Fred was the first President and member of the Board of Directors of the South Central Indiana Mental Health Foundation (now known as CenterStone), which operates a comprehensive behavioral health center for Monroe, Lawrence, Owen and Greene counties. He has also been very active in Democratic politics, having served as precinct committeeman and vice-committeeman, as treasurer for the Monroe County Democratic Central Committee from 1954 to 1958, as treasurer for the Bloomington City Democratic Campaign Committee in 1967, and in various roles at the polls on election day from 1950 to 2008.

In 1956 Fred married Claire Distelhorst Gregory. They had two children, Charles H. Gregory and Martha Gregory Hylton. He married Becky Bobilya Gregory (UHS '63) in 1974, and they had a child, Megan Cole Gregory. In addition to his wife and children, Fred is survived by 6 grandchildren. In addition to his immediate family, Fred is survived by a brother-in-law; a nephew; and a niece. His parents and his sister, Marian Gregory Wolf, predeceased him.
5/20/08 See www.princeton.edu/~paw/web_exclusives/alumni_spotlight/as051408fgregory.html for this article in the May 15, 2008: Princeton (University) Alumni Weekly (it includes Fred's picture).

Fred Gregory '50 was honored by the Indiana Pro Bono Commission for his volunteer legal work on behalf of elderly clients.
May 14, 2008:
Profile:
Fred Gregory '50
Taking legal care of Bloomington's old and infirm


Fred Gregory '50 isn't the kind of lawyer whose cases typically go before the Indiana Supreme Court. He represents the old and the sick, often for free. When colleagues first suggested nominating him for an award recognizing his decades of volunteer legal work, he resisted. "I'm not that kind of a public person," says Gregory, who still practices law at 82, spending half his time on pro bono work.
Eventually, his wife talked him into it, and in October, the Indiana Pro Bono Commission gave Gregory its Randall T. Shepard Excellence Award. ("I had to go get a haircut," he grumbles good-naturedly. "I had to go get my Brooks Brothers suit cleaned.")
As his 23 nominating letters make clear, Gregory is the man Bloomington Hospital and the city's courts and nursing homes call when the elderly need help getting government benefits, making medical decisions, or fending off unscrupulous relatives.
"A one-man social agency," wrote one colleague. "Gives so much and asks so little in return," said another. "As lawyers, we should all strive to emulate him," wrote a third.
Sometimes Gregory's clients, no longer competent to run their own affairs, are estranged from friends and family; sometimes he takes over from families torn by disagreement. Once, he got a protective order shielding a nursing-home resident from her adult daughter.
The work is not glamorous – Gregory has weathered angry tirades from senile clients looking for someone to blame, and he has visited homes filled with shoulder-high piles of hoarded possessions. It is sad. "I bury more people in a year than most people do in a lifetime," he says.
The satisfaction, Gregory says, comes from helping people who are ending their hard-working lives sick, alone, or impoverished.
Gregory has devoted his own life to Bloomington: He grew up there and, after Princeton, returned to stay. In a 54-year legal career, he has served as county prosecutor, bank trust officer, and law firm partner, and he chaired a study commission that brought the city its first mental-health center.
When the pro bono award came up, his wife, Becky, felt it was time he got some recognition — and time that Indiana thought about how to fill his shoes as the huge baby-boom generation ages. "I wanted the whole community to know what he does," she says.
By Deborah Yaffe
Deborah Yaffe is a writer in Princeton Junction, N.J., and the author of Other People's Children: The Battle for Justice and Equality in New Jersey's Schools (Rutgers University Press).
5/10/08 Marian Gregory “Greg” Wolf (Mrs. Thomas P. Wolf) passed away peacefully May 3rd, 2008, at her home in Carroll Valley, PA. Greg was born in Indianapolis, IN. She grew up in Bloomington, IN, and graduated from Indiana University High School (1944) and DePauw University (1948) where she majored in English and was president of the school’s chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She was a direct descendent of James Cole, who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1633. After college, Greg attended the Tobe-Coburn School of Fashion Careers in New York City and earned a place on Macy’s very selective Executive Training Program. There she met Thomas P. Wolf, whom she married in May 1951. During their 57-year marriage, the couple lived in Manhattan; White Plains, NY; Chevy Chase, MD; and, since 1987, Carroll Valley.

Besides her husband, Greg is survived by her son, Paul Delano Wolf and his partner, Dorothea Balsano, of Oakland, CA; Cathrine Wolf and her husband Fred McMane of Middleburg, VA; a brother and sister-in-law, Fred H. and Becky Gregory of Bloomington, IN; grandchildren; a step-granddaughter; a step-great-grandson and neices and nephews.

A Memorial service will be held at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in Gettysburg, PA, on Saturday, May 24, at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow at the Church.

Extracted from the May 4, 2008 HeraldTimesOnline.com. Becky can be reached at a new email address:bbgregory45@comcast.net (edited Feb 25 2017)
8/29/07 Honorable (Ret.) Judge Joseph Louis “Joe” Hensley died Monday, August 27, 2007 in Madison, Indiana. He was raised in Bloomington and was a 1944 graduate of University High School. He served in the Navy during World War II and served again during the Korean War.

He received his BA in 1950 from Indiana University and his LLB from I U School of Law in 1955. He moved to Madison in 1955, after his graduation from law school and began his practice. He sometimes fondly said that he moved to Madison as soon as he heard about it. He served one term in the Indiana General Assembly in 1962-1963. He was then elected prosecuting attorney for Jefferson & Switzerland Counties, Fifth Judicial Circuit, and served from 1963 to 1966. In 1975 he was appointed Judge pro tem of the Ripley Circuit Court by the Indiana Supreme Court and thereafter, while serving, was elected and served two terms as Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit from 1977 through 1988. In 1998, he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by then Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon. In that same year, Mayor Al Huntington named him one of “Madison’s Magnificents.”

Hensley was the author of more than twenty books, most of them suspense novels. His approximately 100 short stories were published in mystery, men’s, and science fiction magazines and in three collections of short stories published by Doubleday and Five Star. His books and stories were republished by anthologies, book clubs, and paperback reprints and in many languages. At one time his agents estimated that more than two million copies of his books had been sold. His setting for many of his novels was the town of Bington, a combination of Madison and a bit of Bloomington. His last novel is "Snowbirds' Blood," which will be published by St. Martins, in February of 2008. He was also a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

The Judge summed up his life by saying for fifty one years, he had served as an attorney, judge, legislator & journalist, a life he enjoyed to the fullest. Judge Hensley will be missed by his son and daughter-in-law; a grandson; his brother, noted pianist Tom Hensley (UHS '58) & his wife Sarah; his sister: Patricia (UHS '46) Boyd & her husband Lon of East Germantown, Indiana; numerous nieces, nephews & other relatives & friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Charlotte; his brother Donald Hensley who died in 1925; his sister: Mary Anne (UHS '40) Burman, a nurse who died in 1986.
8/22/07 Walter R. Goodwin, 80, of Yucca Valley, Calif., formerly of Bloomington, died Aug. 14 in Loma Linda, Calif. He was the director of Boy Scouts of America in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Boys Club of Bloomington. He was the vice president for Indiana and California Easter Seal Society. He also worked in the medical supply business in California. He was a WW II Air Force veteran.

He graduated from University High School in 1944 and West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1951. He was very involved in the Indianapolis 500 mile race during the early 1960s - late 1970s, and also with the Indiana Pacers. Survivors include his wife; two daughters; one son; three stepchildren; two brothers, Robert Irwin Goodwin (UHS '50), and Mark Allen Goodwin (UHS '59); one sister, Dorothy Marie Roberts (UHS '47) and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Donald Richard Goodwin (UHS '54); and by his first wife.

Extracted from the August 22, 2007 Herald-Times. Sent by John Cotner '66.
11/09/05 Betty Jane Hicks Needy, 79, of Ellettsville, passed away peacefully at her residence on Monday, November 7, 2005. She was born in Bloomington on August 31, 1926 and was married to Richard P. Needy for 62 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother and two sisters. Survivors include her husband, Richard P. Needy; a son, two daughters, 14 Grandchildren, and 12 Great-Grandchildren.

© 1997 - 2005 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior written consent.
8/30/05 Kathryn Cookson Compton of Connersville, died Sunday, August 28, 2005. She had been in ill health for some time. Kathryn graduated from University High School in Bloomington in 1944 and from Indiana University in 1948. She taught school in Rushville and Connersville, retiring in 1979. Survivors include four sons and daughters-in-law; six grandchildren and two great grandchildren; and a sister- in-law and her husband. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles William "Bill" Compton; a brother-in-law; a daughter-in-law; and sisters, Ruth Cookson and Louise Cookson Funk.

Extracted from an obituary in the 8/30/2005 Bloomington Herald-Times . Thanks to Fred Gregory for the information.
6/10/05 Dr. Callison H. Simon, 79, of Bloomington died Wednesday June 8, 1005. He was superintendent of Brown County Schools from 1970 to 1976. He was also strike mediator for the Indiana Employment Relations Board in Indianapolis. He retired in 1985. He served in the U.S. Navy 1943-45, during World War II

He graduated from University High School in Bloomington, and attended Indiana University, obtaining bachelor of arts and master of science degrees, followed by a doctorate in education.

Survivors include a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, and a grandson. He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley E. Simon, and by his parents.
2/23/05 Warren Herminghausen writes that he graduated in December '44 and was in the '45 yearbook. He's classified with '45 for purposes of this website, at least. '45 claims him. To see his comments see the page for '45.
11/19/04 Becky Gregory sends the obituary for Joan Carter Headley, who died Nov 18, 2004.
Extracted from the Herald Times obituary: "Joan H. Headley, 77, of Bloomington, died Thursday, November 18, 2004, from cancer. She was first stricken with cancer in 1975 and had survived four bouts with the disease over the past 30 years. She was born Barbara Joan Hepley. Her mother died when she was six months old and she was adopted by her aunt and uncle and became known as Joan Carter. A Monroe County resident her entire life, she was a 1944 graduate of University High School and married her high school sweetheart, Ivan E. Headley. They remained sweethearts for over 60 years. To this union are two children, Elaine Headley (Jerry) Jerome and Allen E. Headley. Her husband and children, all of Bloomington, survive."
7/16/04 Fred Gregory sends this change to reunion plans -
"Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 9th, has been changed to lunch--same place, though. We will try to offer tours of the building and the town, if enough people are interested."
5/11/03 The Class of 1943 has invited the Class of 1944 to join them for their 50th reunion luncheon at Chapman's on June 20th.
9/1/02 Patricia Tomlinson Stogsdill writes: Looking forward to 60th reunion and seeing old friends once again. I really looked forward to the "mini" reunions our class held in Florida. Wish more could have attended and would like to see us try at least one more "mini." I enjoy my family (children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) church, travel, reading and golf..
8/30/02 There will be another mini-reunion October 11-21. See below in the Reunions table
10/19/01 From Becky Gregory : "Shortly after our return from Michigan, we learned that Tom Black (1944) died on September 12, 2001, in Florida. His wife sent no other information."
9/05/01 From Becky Gregory : "The Mid-September Michigan mini-reunion is shaping up. We will begin to arrive on Monday, September 17th and will head for our various homes on Thursday or Friday. Gay Jellema Peterson is planning a gathering on Wednesday for "extras" who would like to meet with the 44 folks. To date, we think that the following people plan to attend: Jane and Bill Adams (New Orleans), Joe Hensley (Madison, IN), Charlie Staats (Bloomington), Pam Cagle Walters and husband Bill (Bloomington); Rob Love (Auburn, IN), Bill Reed (Indpls), Ann Woodward Moore, and Becky and Fred Gregory (Bloomngton)."
6/06/01 Tom Black writes: I like hearing about my ex classmates. Sorry to hear Tom Duane and Roberts Powell died. Also sad to hear Charlie Staats wife just died. I have not done a very good job at keeping in contact. I had my 75th birthday about two weeks ago and wish I had done more.
4/26/01 Becky and Fred Gregory send photos from the April 16th Luncheon in Bloomington. 5/4 more photos added.

Reunion Information

To see the Find-A-Grave page, click here
Then copy the number into the "# Memorial ID" field.

Updated 24 Apr 2024