Obituaries

Rafael del Valle, professor, 54
A well-liked lecturer in USC College’s Spanish department, Rafael del Valle (Ph.D., ’94) died in his sleep on April 29. Del Valle began teaching at USC after earning his Ph.D. from the College’s Spanish and Portuguese department in 1994. He had a master’s degree in Spanish-American literature from California State University, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree in French language and literature from the University of Havana in Cuba, where he grew up. Prior to joining the College, del Valle taught Spanish to social workers at UC Davis and Spanish classes at California State University, Los Angeles. While at USC, he received the Feuchtwanger Merit Award and the All-University Predoctoral Merit Fellowship.

Walter Judson, stained-glass maker, 61
Walter Judson (B.A., ’62), a fourth-generation stained-glass maker, died Jan. 5 of a heart attack. Born in Pasadena, Calif., Judson was president of Judson Studios, a family-owned business in Los Angeles that began with his great grandfather, William Lees Judson, in 1897. His company created decorative windows for cathedrals, casinos and shopping malls, but most of its business was ecclesiastical, including windows for St. James’ Episcopal Church in Los Angeles in the 1920s, St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in San Diego in the 1950s and Valley Beth Shalom synagogue in Encino, Calif., in the 1990s. Last year, his studio installed a glass panel etched with angels in the new Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Judson had several projects in the works when he died, including designs for stained-glass windows at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montrose, Calif.

Robert Lyle Clark, meteorologist, 86
Robert Lyle Clark (M.S., ’41), a career meteorologist, died April 6 at his home from unknown causes. After studying physics at USC College, Clark spent 25 years with the U.S. Air Force and 18 years with the Geophysics Laboratory at the Pacific Missile Test Center in Point Mugu, Calif. Through his work, he was a vital communications link for Ventura County Fire Department and Red Cross personnel during such headline events as the Steckel Fire in 1993, the Northridge earthquake in 1994 and the La Conchita hill slide in 1995.

Helen Eastman Brockett, community activist, 85
Helen Eastman Brockett (B.A., ’39) died Oct. 19, 2002, of ovarian cancer. While studying microbiology at USC College, she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi. Upon graduation, she became a charter member of the San Diego Trojan League and a member of the First United Methodist Church of San Diego, the San Diego County Dental Society Auxiliary, the San Diego Zoological Society and a number of other organizations.

L. Daniel Schaeffer, dentist and professor, 63
L. Daniel Schaeffer (M.S., ’64; Ph.D., ’69) of Hidden Hills, Calif., died Dec. 13, 2002, from a melanoma. Schaeffer studied biological sciences at USC, where he later returned to become an associate professor in the USC School of Dentistry. His research focused on the effects of stress on the adrenal glands. He assumed many leadership roles during his long career at USC, including chairman of the physiology department in the 1970s and helping to coordinate the dentistry school’s integrated clinical science curriculum from 1995 to 2001. He had a dental practice in Northridge, Calif., and was a member of the staff at the Northridge Hospital Medical Center and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

John Philip Burnham, doctor, 75
Dr. John Philip Burnham (B.S., ’59) died Dec. 31, 2002, in Las Vegas, Nev., after a long battle with cancer. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and earned his undergraduate degree from USC College and his medical degree from Columbia University. After his residence in urology, Burnham joined the medical practice of David Grey in Ventura, Calif., which later became Grey, Burnham and Stoutz.

Agnes Ann Green, professor, 90
Agnes Ann Green (M.S., ’43) of Los Angeles died Sept. 26, 2002, of lung cancer. She tirelessly advocated for the advancement of women in chemistry during her career as a science educator at USC College, the Immaculate Heart College and other Los Angeles-area institutions. She taught chemistry at USC from 1942 to 1978. In 1972, she became the first female chair of the Southern California section of the American Chemical Society and was a founding member of the California Association of Chemistry Teachers.