1980s
Matthew Miller Ratliff '80
Matthew Miller Ratliff '80, a longtime resident of Vero Beach, FL, was born on February 14, 1958. The youngest son of Dale Ratliff, a corporation executive vice president, and the former Bettie C. Messer, an antiques dealer, Matt Ratliff grew up in Mountain Lakes, NJ, where he was graduated from Mountain Lakes High School in 1975. He entered Hamilton that year and, interested in radio broadcasting, became a disc jockey for campus radio station WHCL. He also served as a staff photographer for The Spectator and was an ultimate-frisbee enthusiast. His interest in filmmaking led him to take several courses in that field. Having majored in sociology, he was awarded his diploma in 1980.
Matt Ratliff returned to New Jersey but later settled in Vero Beach, where he held a series of property caretaking jobs. He also conducted an antiques and collectibles resale business on the side. He was a dedicated sports fisherman and scuba diver, and an avid beachcomber.
Matthew M. Ratliff, who had returned to New Jersey just last year, died on March 20, 2008, in Montclair. Unmarried, he is survived by two brothers, Mitch and Mark Ratliff, and a sister, Lynn Hove, as well as nieces and nephews.
Patrick Thomas Wedlock '81
Patrick Thomas Wedlock '81, a business promoter, was born in Camden, AL, on October 23, 1959. The eldest son of Doris and Matthew T. Wedlock, he grew up in central New York, was graduated from Rome Free Academy, and entered Hamilton from Oneida in 1977. On the Hill, Pat Wedlock excelled in athletics, both in baseball and football. He compiled an impressive hitting record in consecutive games on the baseball diamond and, although sidelined by injuries at times, was a highly effective linebacker for the Continentals on the football gridiron. Having majored in English, he left the Hill with his diploma in 1981.
Pat Wedlock went on to Albany Law School, where he obtained his J.D. degree in 1985. Married in 1987 to Anna Dolby in the College Chapel, he practiced law in Rome until 1997. That year, he ceased practicing law and left central New York. In recent years, he had become a valued employee of Zappos, the country's leading online retailer of footwear. Founded in 1999 as a "dotcom" niche operation, it now has more than four million customers for its shoes, and Pat Wedlock reportedly played an important role in its rapid growth and entrepreneurial success.
Patrick T. Wedlock died on November 28, 2007, "after being stricken at work" at Zappos' headquarters in Las Vegas, NV, as reported in his newspaper obituary. In addition to his father, he is survived by two sons, Matthew and Patrick, and two brothers, David and Keith Wedlock.
