Memorials

Allen Eric Bergin passed away February 15, 2024. Bergin was known for his research on integrating spirituality and psychotherapy. He was president of the Society for Psychotherapy Research and of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists. He earned many awards, including the Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge award from the American Psychological Association.

Catherine Ann Burnham passed away November 20, 2024. Burnham taught clothing and textiles courses for many years and received the prestigious Karl G. Maeser Teaching Award for her excellence. She enjoyed taking students on trips to New York, Texas, and California to learn about fashion.

Bruce Albert Chadwick passed away October 18, 2022. During his 35-year BYU tenure as a sociology professor, he was often recognized for his teaching ability and published many materials on both sociology and family relations. Chadwick also enjoyed teaching Old and New Testament religion courses at the BYU Jerusalem Center.

David Peter Crandall passed away December 11, 2024. As a sociocultural anthropologist, Crandall developed lifelong friendships with and became the leading expert on the Himba people of Namibia. After joining the Anthropology Department in 1993, Crandall quickly organized a study abroad program to take students to Namibia and continued his studies of the Himba people. He retired in 2020.

Carol Annabell Ellsworth passed away March 26, 2024. In 1969, Ellsworth accepted an offer to teach at BYU in the College of Family Living, where she taught future home economics teachers. She served as chair of the Department of Home Economics Education for nine years and later established a Phi Kappa Phi scholarship.

Willard Eugene Gibbons passed away November 30, 2023. Gibbons was a catalyst in the creation of the School of Social Work at BYU and sought to serve disadvantaged communities. He and his wife Evelyn were honored by lighting the Y prior to the BYU–Utah football game in 2019 due to his status as a season ticket holder for 58 years.

Robert Pike Goss, Jr. passed away March 8, 2022. He served for a time as an assistant dean in the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences and as the director for BYU’s Washington Seminar. Goss worked in governmental positions in New York, Illinois, and Washington, DC, throughout his career.

Frederick Ross Gowans passed away December 7, 2023. Gowans taught history at BYU for more than 30 years. He was a member of the Utah Westerners and served as a consultant on numerous films and documentaries about the West, for which he received many prestigious awards. From 1973 to 2001, Gowans was the Native American Studies coordinator at BYU.

Anne Lamkin Horton passed away July 5, 2024. Horton’s experiences as a social worker inspired her to combat domestic and child abuse. As a professor of social work, Horton received the Susa Young Gates Award and the Virginia R. Cutler Outstanding Scholar and Lecture Award. Horton was named Child Advocate of the Year in 2000 by Prevent Child Abuse Utah for her life’s work in abuse prevention.

Jeffry Hale Larson passed away September 30, 2024. Larson blessed the lives of many students as a professor of marriage and family therapy, and he also served as the director of the marriage and family therapy graduate program.

Donald Eugene Mead passed away February 14, 2025. After receiving a doctorate in counseling psychology, Mead taught at BYU for 40 years. He also was key in the development of the marriage and family therapy program.

E. Gene Shumway passed away July 7, 2023. During his career as a social worker, Shumway contributed in a variety of ways to organizations across Utah. Shumway was a founding faculty member of the BYU School of Social Work and worked closely with Gene Gibbons and Barbara Wheeler to gain the school’s initial accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education.

John Leon Sorenson passed away December 8, 2021. Sorenson was the epitome of BYU’s dual heritage—proving that productive thinkers can be both scientific and religious. He worked as an archaeologist in southern Mexico with the New World Archaeological Foundation before joining the BYU Anthropology Department, where he served as chair. He was well-known for his study of Book of Mormon historicity.

Wanda Marie Spaid passed away October 18, 2022. Spaid worked as a social work professor at BYU, where her students described her as “challenging and fair.” She was hired by Eugene Gibbons, who described her as “a woman of complete integrity” and “a perfect fit for the university.”

Stan A. Taylor passed away January 15, 2022. Taylor taught political science and international relations at BYU for nearly 40 years, with particular expertise in national security. He was chair of the Political Science Department for six years and was the founding director of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies. He received every award offered by BYU to its faculty members and was beloved by his students. A scholarship fund was set up in Taylor’s name.

Barbara Lee (Roberts) Wheeler passed away July 1, 2022. Wheeler spent much of her career in psychotherapy at a private practice. From 1990 to 1995, she served as the director of the BYU School of Social Work, where she helped develop the graduate program. She received multiple accolades during her career and served on several community service boards.