UofAZ Sigma Nu Fraternity Alumni Memorial Blog

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Dave Hossler (EA 605)

Dave died on September 18, 2020 at the age of 79.

Dave Hossler
May 2020

Monday, January 28, 2019

W. CLARK GALLAGHER (EA 755)

Clark died on January 1, 2019 after an accident at this home in Bend, Oregon. Clark retired at the end of 2011 after spending more than 40 years in the newspaper business.

Clark Gallagher

Wednesday, December 05, 2018

ED COUTCHIE (EA 741)

Ed passed away on November 29, 2018 following a long-running journey with cancer.

Ed Coutchie

Monday, October 15, 2018

Rudy De La Garza passed away on August 5, 2018 in New York City after a series of strokes. A native of Tucson, Rudy graduated from Tucson High School in 1960 and received his Ph.D. at the University of Arizona in 1972. You can read his obituary by clicking here. You can also watch an interview Rudy once gave in New York by clicking here.

Rudy De La Garza

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

BILL LYNCH (EA 702)

Bill Lynch passed away on October 2, 2018 in Los Angeles after waging a fierce 22-year battle against liver and kidney failure caused by a virus he contracted working in Guangdong, China on a government project in 1996. In early September 2018, Bill developed Calciphylaxis, a rare disease which affects some long-term kidney transplant and dialysis patients.

Bill's roommate, Rusty Capps, describes some of the outlandish party pranks Bill orchestraded during his Sigma Nu days. You can read about them by clicking here.

To view a few photos of Bill, click here.

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

TOM HENN (EA 716)

Tom passed away suddenly on Tuesday, 14 July 2018. After being treated for a large tumor in his jaw, he recently was informed that he was "cancer free" and he was well on his way to getting back to full strength. However, while being out and about, his carotid artery ruptured.

Sunday, April 01, 2018

ALFRED "CORKY" OLSEN (EA 568)

Corky was heavily involved in the Sigma Nu fraternity throughout his life. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a 1961 finalist for the All-Sigma Nu man of the year, served Epsilon Alpha as commander, chapter advisor and house corporation president before ascending to fraternity leadership roles at the national level.

He also served the fraternity as chairman of the jurisprudence committee from 1976-1982 and as a Trustee from 1978 until 1982. He incorporated Sigma Nu AGF, Inc., a tax exempt organization in 1979, served as Grand Commander from 1982-1986 and a Regent from 1986-1988. When he was elected to High Council in 1984 he became Regent Elect and assumed the helm of leadership in Sigma Nu for the 1986-88 biennium. Brother Olsen sparked the reorganization of divisions from sixty to sixteen in 1986, and founded the Sigma Nu Brotherhood Award in 1988.

Corky was elected to the Sigma Nu Hall of Honor in 1996 and passed to Chapter Eternal on February 25, 2018.

Corky Olsen

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

STEVE PHILLIPS (EA 770)

Steve Phillips

Steve passed away quite unexpectedly at his home in Tucson on November 25, 2016.

Click here to view a copy of the handout provided at Steve's Celebration of Life event at the Arizona Inn on Saturday, January 21, 2017.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

BILL STEWART (EA 712)

NEWT GARDNER (EA 785)

Newt passed away on April 10, 2016 after suffering from Progressive Supra Nuclear Palsy, a disease very similar to Parkinson’s.

BILL JOHNSON (EA 678)

TOM BELL (EA 587)

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

JIM GILL (EA 764)

Following a long battle with cancer, Jim passed to the Chapter Eternal on August 25, 2014.

As Joe Boogaart, his long-time friend and fraternal brother reminds us: "At the end of life, few say: I spent too little time at work, or too much time with friends."

Thursday, June 28, 2012

MARC LIVINGSTON (EA 919)

Saturday, April 28, 2012

JAN MURPHY (EA 765)

Sunday, July 03, 2011

BOB PEUGH (EA 670)

Bob passed away on May 15, 2011.

Monday, November 02, 2009

HECTOR VARGAS (EA 704)

Hector passed away on August 25, 2009.

Friday, May 22, 2009

CHARLIE CLARK (EA 435)

Charlie passed away on May 17, 2009 after a short battle with abdominal cancer. He lived in Washington State and left behind a large family and circle of friends. He retired from the Navy as a Commander in the Dental Corp.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

JOHN C. HUGHES (EA 360)

The following comments were contributed by Brother Hughes' daughter, Betsy, on January 27, 2009:

My father, JOHN C. HUGHES, died on 10/22/2008. He is off on the next grand adventure. I do not know what his pin number was, but he was at the UA in the 40s after serving his country in WWII.

I know that his time as a Sigma Nu was quite special to him. A fellow brother, SID TAYLOR, did him the honor of speaking at his memorial. He would always want to go by and visit the house whenever he came to visit me when I was a student at the UA in the 70s. I know that he was disappointed when his grandsons pledged the Phi Gam house in Tucson instead of Sigma Nu.

I would like to mention that when my Dad, JOHN C HUGHES, was down there, they had a lioness named "Siggy". They kept this lion cub at the chapter house and would drive around Tucson with her in the back seat. Due to the cub being there, the city council of Tucson passed a special ordinance forbidding the keeping of "wild animals" and mentioned specifically that it was generated by a fraternity at the U having said cub. I have great photos of my Dad with this lioness and she remembered him until the day she died. She was donated to a zoo in Apache Junction as she got older.