Longtime Claremonter Leonard “Len” Munter died peacefully in his sleep at home, surrounded by his loving family, on December 17, 2017. He was 95 years old.
Len was a popular character in Claremont—well known for being friendly, funny, teasing, entertaining, irreverent, caustic, feisty, opinionated and politically progressive. In his private life he was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was also a private person, well organized and self-disciplined, frugal, intellectually curious, and knowledgeable about many things.
New Jersey native and former Claremont resident Joan Arias died August 18, 2017—without pain and surrounded by loved ones—after a brief struggle with cancer. She was 76.
She arrived at UCLA in 1965 as a doctoral student in the Spanish and Portuguese departments, having just completed a year abroad studying Venezuelan theater on a Fulbright scholarship. In early 1966 she met and married fellow UCLA student Ron Arias, a union that would thrive for 51 years, and produced two sons, Michael and Jonathan.
Margie Kelly died peacefully in her sleep on Monday, December 4 at the age of 81.
Born July 28, 1936 in Akron, Ohio, she was the youngest child of three born to Dennis and Josephine Carroll of County Cork, Ireland. She grew up in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and attended St. Vincent High School. She studied dance in Akron and New York and had a short career on Broadway as a professional dancer.
In 1958, she married John C. Weatherell of New York. The couple had four children before divorcing.
Barbara Aswad, professor emeritus of anthropology at Wayne State University and tireless advocate for immigrants and low-income Americans, died on November 30, 2017 after a brief illness. She was 80 years old.
She was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on January 5, 1937, daughter of Robert and Helen Black. She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Michigan, where she met her husband of 55 years, Adnan Aswad.
Michael W Fay, 82, died October 15, 2017 at Pomona Valley Hospital, in Pomona, California following a brief illness. His loving family was by his side.
Mr. Fay was born August 17, 1935 to Kenyon T. Fay and Edith Thornton Fay of Los Angeles. He graduated from Flintridge Preparatory School in La Canada, California, in 1953, and Claremont’s Pomona College, in 1957.
He was a passionate traditional jazz musician, whose love of music came from playing with his father.
