Obituaries

Irwin Guttman, chair of the former Department of Statistics and an internationally recognized leader in the field, passed away peacefully on Feb. 26 at the age of 95. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, scholar and musician, Guttman lived a life defined by intellectual rigor, moral conviction and deep love for his family.

Guttman grew up in Montreal, where he developed both his formidable intellect and his enduring sense of social responsibility. He completed his PhD at the University of Toronto and went on to pursue postdoctoral studies at Princeton.

Diane Lynn Porter, a longtime UB staff member — including 18 years in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — passed away on April 16 under the care of Niagara Hospice. She was 56.

Frank Cipolla, a longtime professor and band director in the Department of Music, died Feb. 11. He was 97.

Kenneth A. Krackow, an internationally renowned orthopaedic surgeon and professor of orthopaedics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, died Jan. 9.

Jorge Miguel Guitart, professor emeritus in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, died Oct. 28. He was 88.

Jacobs School alumnus Howard Wilinsky, a psychiatrist who practiced for more than 60 years and a volunteer faculty member and lifelong friend of the medical school, died Sept. 9. He was 90.

A celebration of life will be held Aug. 4 at Shea’s Performing Arts Center for Saul Elkin, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus and founder of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, who died July 14.

Arlene Bergwall, formerly assistant dean of academic program administration in the School of Management, died May 28. She was 97.

Vincent O'Neill, professor emeritus in the Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Arts and Sciences, died June 17 at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center after a lengthy illness, surrounded by family and friends. He was 75.

Wolfgang "Wolf" Wölck, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Department of Linguistics, died on April 11. He was 92.

Montgomery “Monty” Hill, Tuscarora Beaver Clan and assistant professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, died April 11. He was 35.

Rowena J. Adams Jones, former associate director of residence life who has a student assistance center named in her honor in the Governors Residential Complex, died on March 22. She was 96.

Angelo M. “Ange” Fatta, who left a lasting impression on the Buffalo region as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, civic leader and friend to UB, died on March 14 after a long struggle with lupus. He was 81.

Robert E. Barnes, a UB alumnus who was a professor and administrator in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences for more than 30 years, died Nov. 21 at his home in Amherst. He was 78.

Esther Eagan, a UB alumna and senior associate director for contracts in UB Technology Transfer, a unit within Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships, died Sept. 16. She was 50.

Harvey Breverman, SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus and internationally renowned artist and educator, died on Sept. 3. He was 90.

Stephanie Phillips, professor emerita of law and a pioneer in the field of critical race theory, died Aug. 15 at her home in suburban Rochester. She was 72.

Adam J. Pawlowski, network engineer with UBIT, died unexpectedly on July 11. He was 37.

Arthur Efron, a faculty member in the Department of English for more than 40 years, died May 16. He was 92.

Michael W. Kibby, professor emeritus in the Graduate School of Education and an internationally recognized authority on reading education, died May 16 at his Williamsville home. He was 81.