Gifts in Memory of

Received September 1, 2022 – November 30, 2022

Meg Patten Eaton ’62 by her husband, Sidney Eaton

For information about making a tribute gift, contact 510.430.2097 or donors@mills.edu.

Margaret Gerber Cheyne ’56, October 22, 2022, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. At Mills, she majored in interior design and later owned her own firm in addition to substitute teaching. Margaret and late husband Charles raised cattle and grains on land once cultivated by her great-grandparents. She loved to travel, and among her various volunteer organizations, Margaret was the longtime co-chair of the AAUW Klamath Chapter’s Antique Show & Sale. She is survived by sister Marilyn Gerber Livingston ’56, two sons, three grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Sylvia Gerber Bruce ’58, October 10, 2022, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. She was a chemistry teacher until her marriage, first moving to Idaho with late husband Max to document portions of the Oregon Trail, then moving to Yuma, Arizona. There, she involved herself with the local PEO chapter and the First Presbyterian Church, and she made sure her children grew up loving horses and the ranch life she enjoyed as a child. Sylvia’s family notes that she was quick to share her opinions, and she never left home without her lipstick. She is survived by sister Marilyn Gerber Livingston ’56; two daughters; four stepchildren; 15 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Constance “Connie” Ward Herr ’60, November 7, 2022, in Vero Beach, Florida. She is survived by cousin Joanne Peyton Ward ’58.

Marilyn Foster Duffield ’61, October 30, 2022, in Portland, Oregon. After Mills, she married her late husband Mike, raising her family in Glenview, Illinois. In her later years, Marilyn and Mike returned to Oregon, where she was born and raised, and they enjoyed spending time all around the state, especially Camp Sherman on the Metolius River. Her family says that she was a wonderful mother whose heart was as big as her smile. She survived by cousin Mary Macy Sogge ’57, three children, and seven grandchildren.

Carol Conlee Caughey ’66, November 1, 2022, in Portland, Oregon. She first taught elementary school before transitioning to interior design, initially working with firms in San Francisco and across the country. Carol then went into academia, teaching interior design at Butler University before moving to Oregon State, where she started the interior design program. She was also a dedicated Mills volunteer, spending many years leading the Oregon Mills Club. She is survived by her spouse, Don; two children, including Elin Caughey Sanders ’95; and two grandchildren.

Claudia “Candi” Christiansen Baker ’71, December 7, 2022, in Columbus, Nebraska. Candi is survived by her husband, Paul; two daughters; and three grandchildren.

Phillip Faight, MFA ’73, October 3, 2018, in El Sobrante, California. He came to Mills for a graduate degree in studio art after earning his bachelor’s degree at what’s now Dominican University, and he was the longtime co-owner of the Toshi Union Square Salon in San Francisco.

Anne Griffin Baker ’76, October 27, 2022, in Mountain View, California. She took her degree in administrative and legal processes to New York, starting with the Marsh & McLennan Agency before returning to the Bay Area and a finance career. After raising her children, Anne earned a master’s from the New England College of Business. She was a devout Christian and a volunteer with Leadership Sunnyvale, Toastmaster’s, and the Kiwanis. She is survived by her husband, Alonzo; three children; and two brothers.

Marilyn Rosenfeld Magidoff ’76, December 6, 2022, in Ross, California. After Mills, she continued her study of social work at UC Berkeley and graduated with an MSW. She used those degrees as director of a home healthcare agency, then changed paths and opened a hat store in Ghirardelli Square. In later years, Marilyn loved creating mosaic artworks for her loved ones. She is survived by two brothers, two daughters, and three grandchildren.

Elisabeth Engan ’79, August 5, 2022, in Point Richmond, California. She majored in music at Mills, even studying abroad for a semester in Florence, and she spent her entire professional life as a musician. Elisabeth performed as a soprano soloist in the 1989 Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice and with a variety of ensembles across the Bay Area. She also taught classical and folk music privately and for several elementary schools in the East Bay. She is survived by her spouse, Mark Mueller; two children; her mother; and two brothers.

Barbara King, MA ’86, November 21, 2022, in Boise, Idaho. She earned a graduate degree in dance at Mills after graduating from Rockford College in Illinois in 1974. Career-wise, Barbara worked in publishing, and she volunteered for The Mentoring Network, the Learning Lab, and the Ada County Library, all in the Boise vicinity. She also loved gardening, cooking, and listening to classical music and ’70s rock. Barbara is survived by her husband, Mark Kailer; two siblings; and two nephews.

Terrilyn Chun ’88, July 27, 2022, in Vancouver, Washington. She began working for the Multnomah County Library immediately after graduating from Mills, starting as a public affairs specialist and rising to the position of deputy director, retiring about a month before her death. Terrilyn also received a master of library science degree from Emporia State University in 2009. She is survived by four nieces and nephews, her dog Brooklyn, and many friends and colleagues.

JENNIFER HICKS STONE ’55

A broadcasting legend at progressive Bay Area radio station KPFA, Jennifer Hicks Stone ’55 died on December 4, 2022, in Berkeley. She was born in Tucson, Arizona, and grew up with a single father after her mother died in Stone’s teens. It was her father who sent her to Mills, where she earned a degree in theater arts before moving to New York to study acting. After a brief marriage that produced her two sons, she relocated to Berkeley and worked as a public school teacher while raising her children by herself and trying to make it as a writer.

Stone’s literary career began as a film critic for The Berkeley Monthly and a television columnist for women’s newspaper Plexus, which quickly blossomed to positions with other publications. Her fiction started to appear in Mother Jones and other more underground titles, leading to novels such as Over by the Caves (2012). Other releases included Telegraph Avenue, Then (1992) and Mind Over Media (1988).

The latter shared its name with one of her long-running KPFA shows. It was in the 1980s that Stone turned to radio—she told Berkeleyside that she did it “when I lost my looks, honey”—and she eventually rounded out more than four decades with keen, witty observances on culture and feminism on her shows “Mind Over Media” and “Stone’s Throw.” She only wrapped up her broadcasting career within the last few years as her health started to falter, but as tributes showed after her passing, her legacy on the airwaves will continue for many years to come.

Stone is survived by two sons.

Jean Woodard ’90, September 22, 2022, in Kerrville, Texas. A Massachusetts native, she came to Mills after raising her family in Marin County, graduating with a degree in art history and later receiving a master’s certificate in arts administration from Golden Gate University. Jean worked as an exhibition coordinator for the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and she was an artist of oil pastels and pen and ink drawings herself. She was also an innovative cook, a lover of Point Reyes National Seashore, and the owner of an infectious laugh. She is survived by three children, four grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Malina Gomez ’96, September 2022, in San Diego. At Mills, she majored in dramatic arts, played on the soccer team, and participated in the Summer Academic Workshop. After Mills, Malina worked as a newswriter for Channel 4 San Diego. She is survived by her partner, Traci.

Spouses and Family

Peter Steketee , spouse of Joan Thoran Steketee ’62, March 31, 2022, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.