Remembering longtime professor Clark Britton and other Shockers
CLARK V. BRITTON JR.
Longtime professor and chair of graphic design at WSU’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, Clark Britton was a prolific artist and designer. A two-time graduate of Auburn University, he was tagged to head the University of Wichita’s graphic design program in 1957. Always learning, he completed further studies at Ohio State and in 1980 attended MIT to study computer graphics. He retired from WSU in 2000. As an artist, he excelled as a designer, illustrator and filmmaker, earning many accolades and awards for his book designs, illustrations and films. A 2016 inductee into the College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame, Clark Britton died June 6, 2025, in Wichita.
PATRICK L. CARTER ’65, sociology major active in ROTC at WSU; retired U.S. Air Force colonel and Kansas Air National Guard, 184th Tactical Fighter Group, 127th Tactical Fighter Squadron, McConnell AFB fighter pilot; retired Federal Express pilot out of Memphis, Tennessee, April 13, 2025, Scottsdale, Arizona.
PATRICIA “PAT” (HESS) CORD ’88, art education graduate and retired art teacher who was named Outstanding Kansas Elementary Art Educator of the Year in 1999, Aug. 2, 2025, Wichita.
GARY L. DIRKS ’70, chemistry graduate who later taught at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas; Vietnam War-era veteran who served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Forrestal; forensic science professional who worked for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation based in Great Bend and for the Johnson County Crime Lab, from which he retired as director in 2003, Aug. 1, 2025, Wichita.
MARY M. (MAST) DORAN ’73, retired respiratory therapist who worked as a supervisor of respiratory therapy teams across four states, August 2025, Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
PATRICK G. FOX ’79, a standout athlete recruited to play football at Wichita State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, April 21, 2025, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
EDWARD L. FREEMAN ’69, accountancy graduate, Aug. 5, 2025, Augusta, Kansas.
ANGELA “ANGIE” L. GOLD ’93, psychology graduate who also held a master’s degree in family counseling from Webster University, program and education director at Kechi Methodist Church in Kechi, Kansas, July 29, 2025, Wichita.
GARY GROTHAUS ’89, health care professional who held a bachelor’s degree in health care administration from WSU, a master’s degree in hospital administration from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and became a Registered Nurse through Fort Hays State University, June 7, 2025, Madison, Wisconsin.
EUGENE J. “EJ” GUERRANT JR ’69, retired partner at Guerrant & Guerrant CPAs in Antlers, Oklahoma, July 22, 2025, Antlers.
VIRGINIA “GINGER” B. MAYFIELD ’03, artist and Kansas art teacher who taught at Hutchinson High School for over 30 years, Aug. 2, 2025, Hutchinson, Kansas.
ERIC A. “RICK” MCCLURE ’76, administration of justice graduate, retired automotive dealership service manager, May 11, 2025,
San Antonio, Texas.
JOHN F. “JACK” MCDONALD JR, three-year football player for the Shockers, graduate of St. Louis University and former co-owner of Process Equipment & Controls, June 1, 2025, St. Louis, Missouri.
ROGER W. MCLEAN ’79, history graduate and retired lawyer and judge whose 45-year law career included private practice at McLean & McLean and serving as a judge in the Wyandotte County District Court, March 22, 2025, Kansas City, Kansas.
WILLIAM D. OXLEY ’70, business administration graduate whose career included work at Security Pacific, Wells Fargo, Norwest and at his own private mortgage company, July 16, 2025, Denver, Colorado.
J. NICHOLAS ROARK ’67/69, chemistry graduate, retired metallurgist and president at Arrow Laboratory Inc., Aug. 6, 2025, Wichita.
KENNETH H. ROBERTS ’69, retired math teacher who taught for 36 years at Caldwell High School in Caldwell, Kansas, June 9, 2025, Miami, Oklahoma.
JO ELLEN (PARKER) RYDER ’85, computer science graduate, volunteer at Lifeline Animal Placement and Protection, and math
and technology teacher at Life Preparatory Academy in Wichita,
Aug. 3, 2025, Wichita.
STEPHEN B. SEMINOFF ’76, former U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Wichita State football player who was selected in the 15th round of the 1976 National Football League draft by the New Orleans Saints; business administration graduate who worked for the Coleman Company in Seattle, Washington, and as a medical representative in Olathe, Kansas, March 14, 2025, Nixa, Missouri.
SUZANNE “SUE” J. (KNAPP) STOCKER ’87/02, social worker who earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in social work, advocate for those experiencing mental illness, July 19, 2025, Westcliffe, Colorado.
NICOLE E. (HINTON) STRATTON ’02, competitive swimmer in her youth who later earned a bachelor’s degree in education with a minor in athletic training from Kent State and a master’s degree in exercise science from WSU, an educator with more than 25 years of teaching experience in Ohio schools, Aug. 2, 2025, Fairlawn Heights, Ohio.
LAVETA R. (REAM) SUMMERLIN ’70, retired Social Security Administration employee and homemaker who earned an undergraduate degree in history from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree, also in history, from Wichita State, Jan. 29, 2022, Arlington, Texas.
