Alpha Gamma Rho - Penn State University

5 alpha gamma rho CHAPTER ETERNAL Harold R. Wakefield '46 (Γ532) entered Chapter Eternal on September 14, 2020, at age 97. Harold was a 1941 graduate of Armagh High School in Pennsylvania and a 1948 graduate of Penn State with a master's degree in 1951. He served in the Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945 as a navigator and flew in 35 combat missions. Harold was an engineer and worked for Pennsylvania Power & Lights in Lancaster. He taught at Penn State for three years and worked at Universal Cooperative for 36 years. He was a member of the Lions Club and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Harold was an active Boy Scout leader in Columbiana County, Ohio, and Elkhart County, Indiana. He was a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Goshen, and was an excellent gardener. Maj. John C. Houck '48 (Γ570), 90, entered Chapter Eternal and was reunited with his wife of 67 years, Norma Jean, on April 18, 2017. He served in the Marine Corps, followed by a career in the Air Force. After retiring, he was a science teacher and youth counselor in central Florida. He was deeply loved and will be dearly missed by his six children, 12 grandchildren, nine great- grandchildren, and his extended International family of students. His many talents included storytelling, making friends wherever he went, and his infinite sense of humor. His outgoing personality, smile, and laughter brought joy to all those around him. Irving "Irv" Lowell Buck '54 (Γ683), retired colonel USAF, entered Chapter Eternal on August 17, 2020. Born on the beautiful Buck family Star Spring dairy farm in the rolling hills of Starrucca, Pa., on August 8, 1934, to Florence and Lowell Buck, he endured the untimely death of his father as a young boy. Supported by his quietly strong mother and loving extended family, Irv went on to graduate from Penn State University where he studied agricultural science. Foregoing childhood visions of becoming a cowboy or baseball star, Irv's ultimate dream of flying took him in an unexpected direction, trading in tractors for turbofans, and eventually traveling all around the world during back-to-back careers as a fighter pilot and commercial airline pilot/executive. After many years of flying as well as community and international service, Irv and his wife, Kathy, traveled the globe with dizzying frequency, reflecting their shared passion for culture, history, food, and interacting with people from all walks of life. Kenneth L. Dietz '77 (Γ1103), 63, entered Chapter Eternal on February 2, 2021. Ken was the loving husband of Kim Johnson Dietz and they observed their 40th wedding anniversary in October of last year. In 1979, Ken graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor's degree in ag-mechanization. During his career, Ken worked 15 years for Ford New Holland, then five years for Deere and Company Incorporated. In 1999, Ken purchased the former Landis Bros. Inc. He was president and owner of what is now Deer Country Farm & Lawn Inc. Ken attended LCBC, Manheim Campus, and volunteered with Meals on Wheels in the Lancaster area. He was a passionate fan of Penn State Football. He held season tickets and never missed a tailgate. Ken was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, and cherished time spent with family. He was known for his leadership, kind and genuine spirit, smiling face, and helping hand. ALUMNI NEWS R. Bruce Hopkins '39 (Γ428) turned 101. Bruce studied agricultural engineering at Penn State and started his engineering career in tractor engineering at Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. Later, Bruce and his wife, Betty, lived in Iowa for 55 years, where he worked in product engineering at the John Deere Waterloo Tractor Works. After that, Bruce started a consulting practice and also taught machine design in the mechanical engineering department at Iowa State University for 10 years. Bruce retired in 2011 and lives in Wyomissing, Pa. Email: rbhopkins@verizon.net A s challenging as it was to adapt to virtual classes, the brothers have maintained excellent academic performance this school year. Through the help of alumnus Jesse Hallowell '97 (Γ1392), who coordinates the freshman agriculture scholarship, VNR Maintenance and Operations Jim Twomey (Γ1856) and I have selected two of the nine applicants to receive the $1,000 scholarship. Going forward, I plan on organizing the filing cabinets in the red lounge into a helpful, organized library collection. We are also proud of the 53 brothers who made the fall 2020 Dean's List by achieving a GPA of 3.5 or above! That includes 32 seniors, 13 juniors, and eight sophomores. As you can see below, fall 2020 was a particularly strong semester for the chapter. Fraternally, Bronson Kilroy VNR Scholarship SCholarShip report Chapter GPA New Member GPA All-University GPA All-Fraternity GPA All-Fraternity/Sorority GPA 3.50 3.40 3.44 3.52 3.59 Alumni Update

• Cover