In Memoriam | February 2023

Sigmund Levine | BSBA ’49 | 1925-2023 | Levine, of Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey, passed on January 28. Although Levine was born in Florida, he grew up in Israel and lived in many other places around the world, including Egypt and Morocco, where he was stationed during WWII. After the war, he returned to the US to complete his undergraduate degree at UF and a law degree in New York. Levine spent his career working as a Treasurer at Dinsmore Capital Management, and enjoyed time with his family at home.

Henry E. Mangels, Jr. | BSBA ’50 | 1928-2022 | Mangels, of Coral Gables, Florida, passed on December 16. Following his graduation from UF, Mangels joined the military to follow his dream of becoming a naval pilot. Soon after, his father passed away, and Mangels returned to his childhood home in Miami to take over his family’s businesses, the Miami Grocery Company and the Miami Schlitz Distributorship. In addition to his business endeavors, Mangels took up faming, raising cattle and horses, and continued to fly throughout his life as a pilot, instructor and a glider pilot.

Robert C. Ellyson | BSBA ’53, MAcc ’61 | 1931-2022 | Ellyson, of Coral Gables, Florida, passed on November 9. After earning his undergraduate degree from UF, Ellyson served in the military. Upon retirement, he returned to UF for his graduate degree, which he used to establish himself in a career working and partnering with several firms. Ellyson was also actively involved with numerous charitable and community organizations, and enjoyed travelling with his wife, Marilyn.

Benjamin G. Holdorf | BSBA ’56 | 1929-2022 | Holdorf, of Estero, Florida, passed on February 11. He graduated from UF with the highest Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam score in Florida and, after working for several large accounting firms, found his niche as a self-employed CPA assisting people with their taxes. Holdorf also served in the military, and after retirement still enjoyed listening to military march music.

Larry C. Fedro | BSBA ’60, JD ’63 | 1939-2023 | Fedro, of Weston, Florida, passed on January 22. After graduating with his law degree from UF, Fedro worked for the Internal Revenue Service for over 30 years. He then joined the St. Thomas University School of Law where he ran the Low Income Tax Payer Clinic for another decade. Alongside his career, he enjoyed following Gator sports and traveling with his wife.

Thomas A. Mier | BSBA ’60 | 1938-2023 | Mier, of Lake City, Florida, passed on January 19. After graduating from UF and serving in the military, Mier spent his career at Occidental Petroleum Co., a career he thoroughly enjoyed. In his free time, he could be found canoeing on the Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers and learning more about Florida’s history.

Jerry M. Godsey | BS ’61, MBA ’67 | 1939-2023 | Godsey, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed on February 8. Godsey graduated from UF with an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree in business administration.

Simon D. Bristowe, Jr. | BSBA ’65 | 1943-2023 | Bristowe, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed on January 6. Before he studied at the Warrington College of Business, Bristowe served in the military and married his high school sweetheart, Christine. The two were married for nearly 60 years. Bristowe enjoyed using his career as a businessman to support their family.

Betty R. Brain | BSBA ’66 | 1943-2023 | Brain, of Palm City, Florida, passed on January 18. Her love of travel led her to be involved in business travel, and she owned and operated travel agencies Palm City Travel and Splendid Journeys Inc. She held certifications as a Travel Counselor, Master Cruise Councilor and several destination specialist designations. Brain visited countries all over the world and all seven continents, visiting museums everywhere she traveled to see the great works of famous artists. In her free time, she enjoyed creating her own paintings in various forms of painting media.

Steven J. Uhlfelder | BSBA ’68, JD ’71 | 1947-2023 | Uhlfelder, of Tallahassee, Florida, passed on February 12. He was recognized as one of the most respected and accomplished attorneys and lobbyists in modern Florida history, serving as a corporate lawyer, state official, children’s advocate, civic fundraiser and media consultant. In addition to his work as a Tallahassee attorney, Uhlfelder worked in many volunteer and civic roles, and was awarded the national Point of Light award by former President George W. Bush.

Hal Hutchinson | BSBA ’70 | 1947-2023 | Hutchinson, of Casselberry, Florida, passed on January 23. Having a huge love for gold, he was the Florida State junior golf champion when he was 18 years old and attended UF on a full golf scholarship. After graduating, he pursued his career in financial planning and enjoyed 50 years of successfully running his own business.

Howard J. Newman, Jr. | BSBA ’70 | 1943-2022 | Newman, of Coral Gables, Florida, passed on February 18. After serving in the military for several years, Newman earned his undergraduate degree from UF and entered his career with the Dow Chemical company. Newman’s work took him and his family overseas, where they spent several years in Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and many other countries. Living abroad was a constant adventure, one that Newman loved sharing with his wife and children.

James D. Bellinger | BSBA ’76 | 1953-2023 | Bellinger, of Alpharetta, Georgia, passed on January 29. While Bellinger was earning his degree at UF, he was a proud member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He was also the original president of Smith Douglas Homes and was well known in the Atlanta building industry. Bellinger’s other interests included time with his family, playing golf, and cheering on the Gators.

Stephen R. Dear | BSBA ’79 | 1958-2023 | Dear, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, passed on January 27. After graduating from UF and retiring from his service in the military, Dear held a wide array of jobs, including administrating contracts, manning a concession stand at Disney World and working as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Duke Raleigh Hospital. In his free time, he made the most of life’s simple pleasures, going on walks, spending time with family and friends and taking his beloved red Mercedes convertible for a daily car wash. Dear was passionate about helping people anyway he could and is remembered for his sense of humor and unconditional friendship.

Glenn D. Parker | BSBA ’86 | 2022 | Parker, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed on July 8. Parker graduated from UF with a degree in business administration.

John H. Tanous, Jr. | MBA ’88 | 1953-2023 | Tanous, of Marietta, Georgia, passed on January 27. Before attending UF, Tanous held a degree in Philosophy and led a career as a musician. After furthering his education, he changed his career, becoming a financial analyst. Later, his profession evolved into a specialization in Systems Auditing and Finance, which gave him opportunities to travel all over the world. Throughout his varied careers, though, he held onto his love of music, which he passed down to his son, Ben. His favorite pastime was performing live with friends in several bands.

Edward A. Edwards, Jr. | BSBA ’92 | 1968-2023 | Edwards, of Independence, Kentucky, passed on January 22. Growing up, Edwards was an avid guitar player, which led to a lifelong passion for rock music. He was also a proud Gators fan, and was dedicated to his career at Fidelity Investments. Edwards was committed to his “work family” as well as his family at home, including his wife, Tina, children and grandchildren.