In Memoriam

In Memoriam

Bruce Van Alstyne ’48: 1927-2022

Born and raised in San Mateo, Bruce Van Alstyne was an outstanding Menlo College student-athlete, playing football as a defensive end, and eventually earning Hall of Fame honors. His football career came to a close when he turned down an offer from the San Francisco 49ers and began serving in the U.S. Navy. He later worked as an investment banker, a career he pursued for 60 years, including as Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Directors at Morgan Stanley. He also served as Chairman of the Menlo College Board of Trustees.

Van Alstyne enjoyed many activities outside the office, including tennis, golf, flying, hunting, skiing, and his “cannot-miss” dominoes. He was a member of the Merchant Exchange Club San Francisco, the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club, the Quail Lodge Golf Club, and Stanford Buck Club.

Van Alstyne’s beloved brother Byron ’48 died in 2015. Byron is also remembered in the Menlo College Hall of Fame as an outstanding basketball guard.

Bruce is survived by his wife Barbara, with whom he recently celebrated their 70-year wedding anniversary, along with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild.

Marty Kaufman ’62: 1939-2022

As the son of the owner of a performance auto parts store, Kaufmann had been surrounded by automobiles since childhood. After graduating from Menlo, he joined USARM (United States Auto Race Marshals), an organization of law enforcement officers of American automobile races. He served as a member of the board of directors of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) in San Francisco, and became competition director of the Trans American Series in the mid-1980s, also supervising the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s popular championship in 1986. Before retiring in 2010, Kaufman served as the competition director of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and American Le Mans Series for 25 years.

Kaufman’s goal was never just limited to individual achievement; he constantly tried to eliminate any differences and deeper prejudices about men and women participating in auto-racing competitions. Kaufman was beloved by racing fans for his consistent fairness in thought and behavior. Mark Raffauf, his preceding director of IMSA, said, “[Kaufman] knows what is the ‘right thing’, not what you should do or what the rules say you should do. He knows the philosophy of doing the right thing. In my opinion, the right thing is related to fairness.”

Patrick Francis More ’92: 1967-2021

Patrick Francis More was a distinguished alumnus of Menlo College. In his junior year, he transferred to the College to compete as a cross-country runner and, in 1991, participated in the NCAA cross-country national championship. The award for the current MVP of the cross-country team will now be named after More.

In addition to being an excellent athlete, More was on the Dean’s list as an outstanding student; he graduated from Menlo with honors in psychology.

After graduation, More worked for both the Bank of America and Hyatt Corporation, where he met his beloved wife of 27 years, Bisera. More spent the last eighteen years of his career working at Stanford University in research and grant administration, finding his true calling at the Stanford School of Medicine. He believed in the vital importance of applied medical research in clinical settings, giving every ounce of his energy to doing his part to help foster cancer medical research. He often said, “I need to get this done so the patients can be helped.”

More had many hidden talents: He played guitar, made furniture, played chess, gardened, and challenged himself on home construction projects. But possibly his greatest gift was his ability to listen and set others at ease. He believed that his greatest accomplishment in life was becoming the devoted father to his twins, Sofia and Aleksandar. They are his true legacy. By simply being present in the conversation, mentoring, and actively listening to them, he brought magic into their lives. His family and friends will never forget him.

James L Good Jr.: 1936-2022

James (Jim) Good was the Menlo College Dean of School of Business Administration (SBA) from 1980 to1986. Born in Perry, AR, he spent his early years in rural Arkansas before moving to Portland, OR during WWII. He graduated from Glenwood High School at the age of 16 and went on to earn a degree in electrical engineering at Washington State University.

Good began his career in Philadelphia, PA. He soon became a project engineer, and then moved to Ithaca, NY, to lead GE into the infrared space market. He was awarded three patents in the field. Relocating to San Francisco with his wife Laura Lawrence, one of GE’s few female professionals, he undertook one of his proudest assignments, designing the communications antenna for the lunar landing module of the Apollo program. In 1962, they moved down the Peninsula and Good took positions first with Sylvania and then with Commercial Electronics Incorporated. Later, while president of Andros Incorporated in Berkeley, another technology firm, he took night classes at the University of Santa Clara, earning an MBA in 1976.

After that came the most fulfilling academic episode of Good’s professional life: He began as a Professor of Finance at Menlo College, and in 1980, he was selected to be the Dean of the SBA among 39 candidates. During his tenure as SBA Dean, academic standards, alumni relations, and the College’s financial position were all significantly enhanced.

He loved teaching at the College, and at home. His two children, Marian Lee and James III, remember him explaining the most difficult concepts—particularly mathematical ones—in terms so simple that he made his audience feel like geniuses. Nothing gave Jim more satisfaction than seeing the “aha!” moment on a student’s face when they absorbed and understood a lesson or concept.

Good is remembered for supporting women’s equality, education, and access to all forms of healthcare. Throughout his professional career, Good actively sought out and hired women candidates. He is survived by his longtime partner Janet Ciotek, his former wife Laura Lawrence, his two children, and grandchildren.

We also remember...

Albert George Casten ’50: 1930-2022

Thomas Austin Cornish ’55: 1935-2022

Daniel Lee Martin Sr. ’61: 1956-2022

Edward Kingsland Fremaux De Beixedon ’62: 1938-2022

Brent Connor ’ 70: 1949-2022

Beverly George Cooke ’83: 1949-2021

Matthew Richard Staack ’09: 1990-2022