1970-79

The Rev. Kenneth LaFleur, MA’70, of East Vassalboro, Maine, died on Dec. 5, 2015. At the time of his death, he was minister emeritus of the First Parish in Hingham, Massachusetts. He also served several Unitarian Universalist churches in Maine and Massachusetts. After his retirement from full-time ministry, he taught history at Northeastern University, was the organist at two local churches, helped found an AIDS support group in central Maine, wrote a weekly column for the Morning Sentinel and served as part-time minister of All Souls Universalist Church in Oakland, Maine. He leaves his wife of 54 years, Helen, and a daughter, Margaret. George Radford ’71, of Brentwood, New Hampshire, a leader in the software and technology industries, died on Dec. 27, 2015, surrounded by his family. He most recently served as field chief technology officer at Pivotal, and also worked at ANOVA Consulting Group, EMC, Greenplum, Dataupia, CIBER Consulting and Idea­lab. He leaves his wife, Patty; sons Michael, Andrew, James and Matthew; sisters Martha, Donna and Catherine; and three grandchildren. Fatima Mernissi, MA’72, PhD’74, of Rabat, Morocco, one of the founders of Islamic feminism, died on Nov. 30, 2015. Her pioneering work included studies of the sexual politics of Islamic scripture and a book, “Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood,” about her childhood in a domestic harem, which has been published in nearly 30 languages. Fatima was a professor for many years at Mohammed V University, in Rabat, Morocco’s capital. In 2003, she received the Princess of Asturias Award for letters, the Spanish equivalent of the Nobel Prize for literature. Her first book, “Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in a Modern Muslim Society,” was based on her dissertation at Brandeis. George Ross, professor emeritus of labor and social thought, and her thesis adviser at Brandeis, recalls her as a “charismatic” student focused on bringing about change in her native country. Howard Leibowitz ’74, of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, an aide to two Boston mayors and a well-known figure in city politics and policy, died on Dec. 27, 2015, after suffering a heart attack. A native of the Boston area, he had an encyclopedic street-level understanding of the city, which served him well as a campaign worker; a housing analyst for Mayor Ray Flynn; and a jack-of-all-trades liaison to federal and state officials for Flynn and his successor, Thomas Menino. Howard’s uncommon ability to build bridges in a city known for its sharp political elbows might have been his greatest accomplishment, say family, friends and colleagues. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Constance, and brothers Steven, Laurence and Peter. Eve (Rosenberg) Martin ’76, of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, a journalist-turned-veterinarian, died on May 14, 2015, following a courageous battle with brain cancer. After a successful career as a journalist in both London and New York, she pursued her dream of becoming a veterinarian. Initially working as a small-animal vet in the United Kingdom, she returned to her hometown of Hastings-on-Hudson in 2002. Five years later, she started her own mobile veterinary practice, Visiting Vet Service. She leaves her husband, David; children Laura and Clarissa; and siblings Steve ’73 and Carrie. Gerald Schwertfeger, MA’76, PhD’77, of Boston, a retired university librarian, died of cancer at his home on Dec. 1, 2015, while listening to his favorite music and holding hands with his husband. His Brandeis PhD dissertation, “European Political Unification,” explored the political basis for the European economic community. He worked at Harvard’s Widener Library, where he served as head of stacks and tracings in access services. He pursued an interest in American clocks, and Art Deco pottery and ceramics. A lifelong activist, he advocated for LGBT rights. He leaves his husband, Bryan Li, and his sister, Ann.