USD Magazine, Summer 2002

~· -. ALUMNI GALLERY

Class Notes

ogy rendered the service . A long-time member of Ind Community Center's of directors, she was med executive director of the group last year. During most of her school and work years, Morton coped without the assistance and serv- ices that are more available today, such as Braille translator software, elec– tronic books and lished by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. But she spends little time on sympathy for herself, instead focusing on those served by the Blind Community Center, many of whom are losing their sight due to age. "I was born blind, so I never knew what it was like to see," says Morton, who lost most of her sight when she was placed in an oxygen-rich incubator after birth, a not unusual story in the 1950s."I knew it would be hard for me, but I realized early on that I could do things with– out seeing. It's a lot scarier for people who suddenly are losing their sight and have to find a way to figure it all out." the equal access guarantees estab–

husband, Carl, is a retired American Airlines captain, and rogether rhey are bui lding a two-seater Lancair airplane, sim ilar to the one Erik Lindbergh Aew along his grandfa– rher's historic roure. 1966 UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI Diane (Anderson) Malowney is director of communicarions for StarRise Communicarions and owns her own business, IMA Hero Bears, which makes teddy bears of famous heroes such as Abe Lincoln and Thomas Edison for educarional purposes. Diane and her husband, Thomas Malowney (J.D. '69), have a daughrer, Kathy, who works in rhe business, which can be found ar http://vvww.imahero.com.

that provides servfc opportunities for the blind - would have to be able to see to the job done.

1961 UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI

Tom Gentiella recently rerired as a Deparrmenr of Defense Navy educarion adviser afrer 15 years. He is now the medical library director ar Deaconess Nashoba Hospira! in Ayer, Mass. Tom and his wife have eight grandch ildren , whom rhey drive around in rheir PT Cruiser. 1963 UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI Ralph Fear rerired in March afrer 32 years as a deputy disrricr arrorney for San Diego County, where he handled all types of criminal prose– curion. Ralph and his wife, Sue, whose two sons graduated from Sama Clara University, plan ro do volunreer work and rravel. T heir first stop was New Castle, Ind. , to run rhe furnirure srore of friends Duane and Ruth Grammar '68, so the couple can attend the college graduation of their daughter in Colorado. 1964 UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI Delle Willett Stattin is director of marketing at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Her

dness Doesn't Limit 's Horizons

1 was quite wrong. When Morton walked into her office at San Diego's Blind Community Center - accompanied by her guide dog, a black lab named Elaine - and extended her hand in greeting, she quickly made me understand that lack of sight hasn't limited her ability to help others with the same disability. Morton has been almost totally blind since birth. She earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish from USO in 1975, using Braille-tran– scribed textbooks when possible and getting help with note-taking and other logistics from her par– ents, professors and friends. She ran her own home-based busi– ness, a daytime answering service, fo r 15 years, before voice-mail

1975 GRADUATE AND LAW SCHOOL ALUMNI Lance Heizer (J.D.) rerired in January afrer 25 years as a deputy dis– rricr attorney in Santa Clara County, the last 14 years of which he repre– sented abused and neglected children. He is now a studenr ar rhe Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley pursuing a master's in divin– ity degree. He plans on becoming an ordained Episcopal priest.

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US D MAG AZ I N E