Class Notes | Fall 2016
Lifetime Member of the Alumni Association
Annual Member of the Alumni Association
Member of the Alumni Association's 125 Club
- 1940s
- Lyle D. Connell AS ’41 retired from management consulting after 15 years. He previously worked for Westinghouse for 39 years and earned recognition from the company’s corporate office. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years and was rewarded for his outstanding performance. He was a fellow for the American Society for Quality, and a section and program chair for the organization’s World Congress. Lyle lives in Palo Alto, California.
- Calvin R. Bybee AS ’48 has been married to his wife, Gaye, for 60 years. Calvin served in the U.S. Navy for two years and the U.S. Army for a year and a half. He worked in education as a teacher and principal for 34 years. He coaches Little League and young adult baseball teams. He and Gaye have seven children, 27 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
- Janet Storey Oberg AS ’48 participates in a number of community organizations, including Altrusa, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and the Red Hat Society. She also has volunteered at McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden Regional Medical Center, Hill Aerospace Museum, Peery’s Egyptian Theater, WSU’s Office of Alumni Relations and the Weber County Ice Sheet during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Her mother, brother, three children and seven grandchildren attended Weber State. Janet has served on the WSU Alumni Association’s Board of Directors and Emeriti Alumni Council.
- 1950s
- Alan J. Dayley AS ’53 is Weber State’s assistant dean of students. He is a retired U.S. Navy Reserve captain. His wife, Joanne Barker Dayley AS ’53, is retired from the Weber School District. The Dayleys have three children, 13 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Alan is a member of the Mt. Ogden Rotary Club, and Joanne belongs to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.
- Ilse Jean Hull-Cutrubus AS ’56 retired after 30 years as a dance instructor at her studio, Dance + Plus. She is a self-employed cosmetologist and certified detoxification specialist. Ilse is a resident of Punta Gorda, Florida, where she belongs to the Florida Dance Masters Association. She spent a decade directing and producing a children’s version of The Nutcracker, and she judges thespian competitions in Florida. Ilse has five children, 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
- Lee H. Dearden AS ’57 served in the U.S. Navy for two years and then began a home-building business with his two brothers. He retired after 38 years as a Southern Pacific Railroad brakeman and conductor. He and his wife, Reta, have been married more than 50 years and have two children and six grandchildren. Lee has been an usher at the Ed Kenley Centennial Amphitheater in Layton, Utah, for 13 years.
- Paul R. Sondrup AS ’58 retired as a physician and lives with his wife, Colleen, in Burke, Virginia. They have seven children, 23 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
- 1960s
- David K. Barber BS ’67, a former set designer at Weber State, retired as the associate director for the Salt Lake County Center for the Arts. He spent the last 23 years of his career working at the Capitol Theatre, Abravanel Hall and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
- 1970s
- Dianne Lea Edward Christensen AS ’70, BS ’90 retired after many years of serving as the business manager for her husband’s dental office. She was president and treasurer of Soroptimist International of Ogden and is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. All three of her children are Weber State graduates. She has nine grandchildren. Dianne and her husband, Peter R. Christensen BS ’69, live in South Ogden. Peter was a self-employed dentist for 26 years. He also worked as a dentist for the U.S. Public Health Service and as the head of the dental department at the San Diego, California, location of the U.S. Public Health Service. He is a member of the American Dental Association, Weber District Dental Society, and the Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Kappa Upsilon and Phi Delta Phi honor societies. Peter served on the board of directors for the Wildcat Club for many years.
- Gary L. Mayfield BS ’70 retired as the CEO from a major third-party logistics (3PL) company. Gary is currently self-employed through Criativa Solutions, a logistics and supply chain consulting company based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gary and his wife, Margie, live in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
- Machel Morris Knowles AS ’74, BS ’94 works at Circle of Life Women’s Center in Ogden as a certified nurse midwife, specializing in infertility and women’s health. She has helped deliver more than 4,000 babies. Machel received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Utah in 1995. She was a torchbearer for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Machel and her husband, Douglas Knowles AS ’92, BA ’93, live in Ogden and have six children and 20 grandchildren.
- Elsie L. Rose BS ’74 retired from the University of Central Missouri registrar’s office. She served as president of faculty women at Weber State in 1972. She and her husband, Robert, have been married 63 years. They live in Branson, Missouri, and have two children, two grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Robert was dean of Weber State’s business college from 1970 to 1974.
- O. Scott Wayment BS ’74 is the owner and president of Scotsdale Farm, where he has farmed with his family for more than 40 years. Scott is on the board of directors for the Utah Dairy Commission and Western AgCredit Association, and he is president of IRR Companies. He and his wife, Susan, live in Warren, Utah. They have 18 grandchildren.
- Norman B. Hess BS ’77 has spent his career in technical sales. He currently works as an area manager for General Electric. He and his wife, Karla, have three children and six grandchildren. Norman volunteers for the Ridgewood Homeowners Association board in Bountiful, Utah.
- Bruce Davis BS ’79, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Weber State’s vice provost and dean of Continuing Education, was elected to the Layton City Council in 2015. He has served on the boards of the Davis Arts Council, McKay-Dee Hospital, Davis Chamber of Commerce, Utah Certified Development Company and the Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering & Science. Bruce and his wife, Valerie, have seven children and 13 grandchildren.
- Melvin J. McDonald ’79 retired from the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic controller at Hill Air Force Base. He lives in Whittier, California.
- 1990s
- Savannah Holley Cook AS ’93, BS ’95 teaches certified nursing assistant classes for Cole Holland College in Clearfield, Utah. Savannah is planning a humanitarian trip to bring medical supplies to a Kenyan hospital.
- Brian Nicholson AA ’94, BS ’96 is the marketing, sponsorship and development manager for the Ogden GOAL Foundation. He also writes about outdoor adventure for various newspapers and magazines. He self-published the book I AM OGDEN, a collection of photographs representing the personality of the Ogden area. He completed 30 marathons in 11 years. He and his wife, Amy, have four children and live in Ogden.
- Kenyon D. Dove AS ’97, BA ’99 earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and is now a practicing lawyer. He belongs to the U. S. District Court Bar, the Utah State Bar, and he formerly served as president of the Weber County Bar. Kenyon was an intern for the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Export Control Policy and Cooperation (Ukraine). He is married to Sharon Brown Dove AS ’97, BS ’99.
- Ryan C. Jenkins BIS ’97, M.Ed. ’04 is the director and coordinator of Institutes and Seminary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Columbia, Missouri. Ryan formerly worked in public relations. He and his wife, Melissa Call Jenkins AA ’00, have six children. Ryan serves as the LDS Student Association advisor at the University of Missouri and assistant public affairs director for the LDS church in mid-Missouri.
- Sharon Peterson McGarry BS ’97, M.Ed. ’04 currently teaches seventh-grade science at Syracuse Junior High School. She previously taught sixth through eighth grades at Syracuse Arts Academy and Island Pacific Academy in Kapolei, Hawaii. Sharon is a member of the National Science Teachers Association and Utah Science Teachers Association. She and her husband, Ryan, have five children.
- 2000s
- Christopher A. Woods BS ’02, who played basketball in Europe for seven years, is now a motivational speaker. He wrote a book titled One Mailbox @ a Time: Your Step by Step Guide to Success. Chris lives in East Chicago, Indiana.
- James Augusta BS ’06 is a general surgery resident at Grandview Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. James is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. James received the Arnold P. Gold Award for teaching. He currently resides in Beavercreek, Ohio, with his wife, Breanne, and their two sons.
- Ginger Fisher BS ’06 is the chief operating officer of Utah Valley Specialty Hospital in Provo, Utah. She has worked more than 35 years as a registered nurse, with more than 17 years in nursing administration. Previously, Ginger served as director of nursing operations and case management, and as regional director of nursing and respiratory operations for Ernest Health. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Brigham Young University.
- Gunnar Nelson BS ’06 works for RRT, a northern Virginia firm that specializes in modifying BMWs for road-racing competitions. Gunnar is also a graduate of the Skip Barber Racing School and expects to drive for RRT when the company enters a car in competition.
- Carianne H. Jones BA ’07 is a New York-based actress. She is also a marketing director and actress for Children of an Idle Brain, a nonprofit theater company.
- Benjamin J. Taylor BS ’08, MPC ’15 is the communications manager for Ogden City Corporation. He previously worked at Weber State as marketing manager for the Wildcat Store. Ben and his wife, Jessica Peterson Taylor BS ’11, live in Ogden with their daughter. Jessica is a designer for Office Furniture Solutions.
- Kathleen A. Taylor BS ’08 was a legislative assistant for U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Dan Coats. She teaches at Academy of Hope, which helps low-income and at-risk adults earn high school credentials. Kate is also a board member for the FBI’s Human Trafficking Coalition. She earned her master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College and is currently a juris doctor candidate at Georgetown University.
- 2010s
- Evan Sutton Briggs AA ’10, BA ’12, MA ’13 is a senior auditor for KPMG LLP in Salt Lake City. He previously worked for FJ & Associates and Barnes Aerospace, Ogden Division. He volunteers for the Ogden Symphony Ballet Association. Evan and his wife, Melissa Lee Biddulph Briggs AS ’11, live in Layton, Utah, with their two daughters. Melissa works for the Physician Group of Utah.
- Melanie Ott BA ’13 is managing editor for Active Junky in Denver. She previously worked for Top Ten Reviews in Ogden. Both websites are operated by Purch, a digital content and services company.
- Bailey Lefthand BS ’16 is a marketing and communications specialist for the Ogden/Weber Chamber of Commerce. She is also the community director for SonicDad.com, a company that encourages families to work together on science, education, technology and math-oriented projects.