1970s

Toby Louise Bosniak K’72

Toby Louise Bosniak K’72, a litigation assistant, was born on April 15, 1951, to Sidney Bosniak, a junior high school principal, and the former Rita Weiner. She grew up in Philadelphia, PA., and prepared for college at Philadelphia High School for Girls. Toby Bosniak entered Kirkland College as a member of its charter class in 1968. She was quickly caught up in the pioneering spirit that prevailed on a campus being newly created around her, and she plunged into the College’s activities by serving on committees and chairing its campus fund drive. She also served as news director of the Hill’s radio station. Concentrating in American studies with a particular emphasis on literature, she had a passion for writing.

After leaving the Hill with her diploma in 1972, Toby Bosniak returned to Philadelphia, where she found employment as a writer and editor for an engineering firm. She also participated actively in Kirkland alumnae affairs and served on the board of its Alumnae Association. By that time she had become a legal assistant in the litigation department of the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia. Pursuing her love of singing and theater, she performed at the café showcase of the Actors’ Playhouse, did some song writing, and took a course in playwriting in the evenings.

Enjoying research and writing, Toby Bosniak remained a paralegal, assisting in the drafting of pleas, motions, and memoranda. Most recently she was associated with the firm of Drinker, Biddle & Reath in Philadelphia. Through the years she maintained her commitment to the Kirkland legacy and her concern for equal opportunity for women at coeducational Hamilton.

Toby L. Bosniak, remembered by friends for her beaming smile that radiated joy, died on December 11, 2011. Survivors include her brother, Michael Peter Bosniak, and a niece and a nephew. The family suggested that contributions in Toby’s memory be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Scott Dickson Bennett ’73

Scott Dickson Bennett ’73, who lived his dream as a musician, was born on November 5, 1951. The son of Russell O., a senior engineer for International Business Machines Corp., and Beverly J. Bennett, his teenage interests foreshadowed those of his college days and his lifetime beyond. He taught himself to play the guitar, which became his favorite form of relaxation, and he played with a local dance group. It sparked his interest in other fields of music such as singing, and he became a member of a church choir. He also enjoyed creative writing and composed short stories and poems for school magazines. In addition, he served as an announcer on a local radio station.

Scott Bennett came to ­College Hill in 1969 from Poughkeepsie, NY, as a graduate of Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls. Engaging and quick of wit, he made friends easily on the Hill. He soon made the campus music scene by playing “lots of Beatles and the like” at the Kirkland coffeehouse and other Hill venues, as Kevin McTernan ’75 recalls. In his senior year, Scott joined the now fondly remembered Steak Nite band on guitar and vocals. In addition, he contributed his time and energies to campus radio station WHCL as chief engineer.

Shortly after his graduation as a religious studies major in 1973, Scott Bennett settled in Boulder, CO, where he had lived as a teenager for a couple of years when his father was assigned there by IBM. For the rest of his life in Boulder, he followed his muse as a professional musician, “not exactly earning a living but living off of what I earned,” as he reflected in a blog not long before his death.

Scott Bennett also reported on the blog that for some 20 years he had a small growth on his neck that only in the last two years began “acting nasty.” Despite the condition of his health and chemotherapy, he never thought to stop the music. He continued to play gigs as long as he could, and when that was no longer possible, he at least attended the band sessions. He signed off the blog with “I am having comfortable, fulfilling days, and I want all of them I can get.” As verified by Social Security records, Scott D. Bennett died on October 29, 2011. The College has no information on survivors.

Robert William O’Connor ’73

Robert William O’Connor ’73, a Hollywood film executive who made a switch to real estate sales in Santa Fe, NM, was born on May 18, 1951, in Philadelphia, PA. A son of Neal W., chairman of the venerable N.W. Ayer advertising agency, and Nancy Turner O’Connor, he grew up in Prince­ton, NJ, where he prepared for college at Princeton Day School and captained its ice hockey and lacrosse teams. “Bob” O’Connor entered Hamilton in 1969 and joined Alpha Delta Phi, of which he became house president. He excelled in hockey on the Hill as well, and captained the varsity team in his senior year. He was elected to DT, Was Los, and Pentagon.

Having majored in English literature, Bob O’Connor was graduated in 1973. Fueled by a burning desire to get into the entertainment business, he first found a job with a local television station in Buffalo, NY. Soon he was engaged in TV production as an associate producer, and in 1979 he joined Paramount Pictures Television. Named vice president in charge of developing comedy series programs, he was involved in the development and production of such major and well-remembered hits as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Bosom Buddies, and Taxi. In 1982, he moved on to CBS Entertainment, where he served as vice president of comedy series development.

Three years later, Bob O’Connor was hired as president of film production for Guber-Peters Entertainment, and such films as The Color Purple, Clan of the Cave Bear, and Vision Quest were produced under his aegis. In 1988, he founded his own independent production company, Elysian Films, later named Osiris Films Corp. in partnership with British director Michael Apted. At Elysian and Osiris he was responsible for the film Dracula and such TV productions as Jack the Ripper and, for HBO, the telefilm Criminal Justice. In 1995, RKO Pictures tapped Bob O’Connor to be its president of production. However, in 1997, citing “irreconcilable differences in management style and operating philosophy,” he left RKO and returned to independent production. He retired to Santa Fe in 2003.

Putting his hard-charging days as a highly energized film executive behind him, Bob O’Connor turned to real estate in association with French & French Fine Properties. He became active in the Realtor Association of New Mexico and the Santa Fe Association of Realtors. In 2007, he cofounded Coming Home Connections, a non-profit organization providing in-home care, support services, and hospice care for people unable to afford private care.

Drawn to the outdoors throughout his life, Bob O’Connor was particularly devoted to fly fishing, and an ideal day for him was casting his line into the river waters of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. He also had a tremendous fondness for animals, especially his dogs Kenal and Sasha.

Robert W. O’Connor, for many years a generous supporter of the College, died in Santa Fe on August 2, 2012. Unmarried, he is survived by his mother and two brothers, Tom and David O’Connor.

Steven Edward Charles Sroczynski ’73

Steven Edward Charles Sroczynski ’73, a computer technology marketing specialist and entrepreneur, was born on February 22, 1951, to Edward J. and Lillian Tanzosch Sroczynski, in New York City. He grew up in Paramus, NJ, and enrolled at Hamilton in 1969 from Paramus High School. Steven Sroczynski, who acquired the nickname “Sroc” on the Hill, became a dedicated member of Chi Psi and the Lodge’s social chairman. He also chaired the campus-wide student activities committee for three years. In addition, he played soccer and was a disc jockey for campus radio station WHCL. “Sroc,” who earned a reputation for thinking, and speaking, “at the speed of light,” was ever energetic and full of ideas, which carried over importantly into his future business career. Having majored in economics, he was graduated in 1973.

Steven Sroczynski’s career began with the Boeing Corp. as an industrial engineering and marketing support analyst. In 1973, after obtaining his M.B.A. degree in marketing from Temple University, he left Boeing Computer Services to join a subsidiary of American Telephone & Telegraph as a marketing manager. Following four years of self-employment as a business consultant, he went to work in 1984 for Entré Computer Centers, Inc., and, while residing on Florida’s Gulf Coast, became its regional manager for 14 Southeastern states, along with the District of Columbia. In 1989, after a year as senior dealer representative for Apple Computer, he was appointed executive vice president of Advantage Computer Systems, Inc., in Pensacola.

Steven Sroczynski’s employment with other new and start-up companies followed until 1998, when he took over as vice president of sales and marketing for Visionet Systems, Inc., a software leader. Over the years, he had traveled extensively on business and taken up brief residence in various states from coast to coast. In 2000, he struck out on his own by founding the Global Electronic Technology ContactX Association, (GetContactX) to serve as an informational forum for industry professionals. He became president and CEO of the organization, based in Lawrenceville, NJ.

Steven E. C. Sroczynski, who once remarked that, “I get a tremendous kick out of coming up with new business concepts and am always close to launching one,” was busily engaged physically as well. He enjoyed hiking, fishing, and boating, and also loved to dance. During the past few years he resided on Tiki Island, near Galveston, TX, in the Gulf of Mexico, where his home suffered great damage from Hurricane Ike in 2008. He was still residing there in a newly rebuilt house when, diagnosed two months earlier with advanced lung cancer, he died at his home on April 2, 2012. Surviving are his mother and his wife, Sandra (“Sandy”) Covatta; two sons, Steven E. C., Jr. and Brandon J. Sroczynski, from a previous ­marriage, in 1981, to Catherine J. Spalla; and two grandchildren; and a sister, Carol Green. He will also be fondly remembered by many friends, and especially his Chi Psi brothers from College Hill.

William Clarence Stewart, Jr. ’74

William Clarence Stewart, Jr. ’74, a commercial real estate developer in Asheville, NC, was born on September 24, 1952, in Frankfurt, Germany. The son of William C. and Elizabeth B. Stewart, he grew up in Germany and was graduated from the American High School in Berlin, where his father, in government service, was stationed at the time. After the family had returned to the United States to take up residence in Northern Virginia, “Jay” Stewart enrolled at Hamilton and joined Gryphon. Although he remained on the Hill for only a year, he left a lasting impression on those who had made his acquaintance.

Jay Stewart went back to Virginia, where he obtained his B.A. degree, majoring in ­economics, from the College of William and Mary. While there, he met Nancy B. Joyner, and they were married in 1979. They set out to explore the West by trailer before settling in San Jose, CA. There, Jay entered the real estate field and acquired expertise in appraisal, investment, and development. After five years, he and Nancy returned to the East Coast and made Asheville their home. Jay worked for ­several years as a commercial specialist with a local real estate company, ­Beverly-Hanks & ­Associates, before joining with two partners to establish business parks by renovating former industrial facilities.

Jay Stewart contributed to the business redevelopment of downtown Asheville, especially by helping bring to the community its first micro-brewery, Highland Brewing Co., of which he became part-owner. He also participated in community affairs, serving on the boards of many local organizations, including Black Mountain Economic Development, WCQS Radio, and Habitat for Humanity. In addition, he and Nancy indulged their great passion for travel, and Jay, who loved tennis, remained “a formidable opponent on the court.” Always ready with a smile and good cheer, he especially enjoyed entertaining family and friends with his guitar.

Diagnosed in 2009 with terminal cancer, Jay Stewart battled the disease relentlessly for three years. Rather than bemoan his fate, he retained a positive attitude, “intent on living his life to the fullest extent possible.” William C. Stewart, Jr. died in Asheville on September 17, 2012. In addition to his mother and his wife of 32 years, he is survived by three sisters. 

Susan Ruth Greenstein Fox K’75

Susan Ruth Greenstein Fox K’75, a daughter of S. Robert Greenstein, an architect, and the former Janice Glantz, a copywriter, grew up in Cresskill, NJ, where she was graduated from Cresskill High School in 1971. Already intensely interested in languages, she had diligently pursued the study of French and even became a volunteer tutor in the language. She entered Kirkland College following her high school graduation and concentrated on languages while on the Hill. In the spring of 1974 she attended the Institute for American Universities in France, and in college she also took up the study of several other languages, including Italian and Russian as well as Turkish. Her senior thesis was a translation in both French and Russian of a short work by Ernest Hemingway. She was graduated in 1975.

Susan Greenstein was subsequently married to E. Mark Fox ’77, a veterinarian who established his practice in Glenside, PA, outside of Philadelphia. While residing in nearby Meadowbrook, she reared three children, to whom she was proudly devoted.

Susan Greenstein Fox was still residing in Meadowbrook when she died on August 25, 2011. In addition to her husband and her father, she is survived by two sons, Matthew and Peter Fox; a daughter, Jillian Fox; and a brother and sister, Tod P. and Ivy J. Greenstein K’78, wife of Christopher J. Doolittle ’78.

Steven Todd Seide ’77

Steven Todd Seide ’77, a senior benefit consultant with the Segal Co. in Manhattan, was born on March 25, 1955, in the Bronx, NY. The younger son of Julius Seide, a printer, and his wife Shirley, he moved with his family to Levittown on Long Island at the age of 3. Steve Seide grew up in Levittown, where he attended Island Trees High School. Sports editor of the student newspaper and a guard on the school’s football team, he was graduated in 1973. He enrolled at Hamilton that fall, having impressed admission interviewers as “bright, articulate, mature, and confident.” On the Hill he concentrated in English and earned his degree in 1977.

Steve Seide became an actuarial and benefit consultant at Martin E. Segal Co., a benefits, compensation, and human resources consulting firm, and remained with that firm for 30 years. He was highly respected by his colleagues for his warmth of personality and for his dedication to his clients and to the participants covered by their health and retirement programs.

Steven T. Seide was still residing on Long Island when he died on September 10, 2011, of complications from cancer. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife, Marie Ann Seide. Also surviving are a daughter, Samantha, and two sons, Joshua and Jacob, as well as his brother, Eliot, and sister, Madeline.

Mark Richard Lacey ’79

Mark Richard Lacey ’79, a science teacher, was born on November 20, 1957, in Waterloo, IA. A son of Richard J., a professor at Adelphi University, and Constance M. Lacey, a teacher’s aide, he grew up in Westbury on Long Island and came to Hamilton in 1975 from Westbury High School. He concentrated in biology and was graduated in 1979.

The College has no infor­mation on Mark Lacey’s subsequent activities except that he served with the Peace Corps in Zaire, Africa, after leaving the Hill. According to a brief newspaper obituary, he moved to Port St. Lucie, FL, 14 years ago from Marblehead, MA, and taught science on both the middle and high school levels, most recently at Lincoln Park Academy in Fort Pierce, FL. He taught chemistry at that school and earned a ­reputation there as an excellent teacher, affable and with great rapport with students, and one who went out of his way to help them succeed.

Mark R. Lacey died at his home in Port St. Lucie on June 29, 2012. Predeceased by his parents and a brother, he is survived by a sister, Joann Martinec.