Stuart H. Cowen Dies at 72; Retired Vice President
Stuart H. Cowen, 72, vice president of financial operation at MIT when he retired in 1987, died June 29 at Lawrence and Memorial Hospitals, New London, CT. He lived in Wickford, RI.
Mr. Cowen held several important posts in the financial operations area at MIT, culminating with his appointment as vice president of financial operations in 1973.
He joined MIT in 1960 as a member of the Division of Sponsored Research and was appointed associate director for research contracts in 1962. Shortly after that he left to take a fiscal post at Harvard. He returned to MIT in 1964 as director of fiscal planning and in 1970 was appointed comptroller.
Mr. Cowen was an Army veteran of World War II and later retired as a colonel in the Army Reserve. He was a 1942 graduate of Harvard College and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School after the war. He was a member of the Retirement Benefits Committee at MIT. He lived in Wellesley for many years before moving to Wickford 11 years ago. He was the owner of The Yarn Basket Wickford.
He leaves a son, Stuart H. Cowen Jr. of Saunderstsown; a daughter, Susan E. Wright of Temple, NH.; two brothers, Miles Cowen of Brookline, who retired in 1976 from MIT as assistant director for special services in Physical Plant, and William F. Cowen in Arizona; a sister, Marjorie Dean of East Dennis, and five grandchildren. He was married to the late Charlotte (Colvin) Cowen.
Donations may be made to The First Baptist Church, 44 Main St., North Kingstown.
Mrs. H.C. Hottel
Nellie Rich Hottel, the wife of Professor Emeritus Hoyt C. Hottel of Winchester, died July 15 at the age of 88.
Mrs. Hottel devoted much of her life to volunteer service. She was active with the MIT Matrons, serving as an advisor to women students and as a surrogate mother to scores of international students over they years.
In addition to Professor Hottel, her survivors include three daughters, Lois H. Wood of Lebanon, NH, Barbara H. Willis of Severna Park, MD, and Elizabeth H. Barrett of Annapolis, MD; a son, H. Clarke Hottel Jr. of Mattapoisett, 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Remembrances may be sent to the Pine Street Inn, 444 Harrison Avenue, Boston 02118, or to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, 130 Prospect Street, Cambridge, 02139-1845.
Margaret Donahue
Margaret Donahue, 88, of Somerville, who worked in the Telecommunications Office from 1946 until her retirement in 1970, died on March 13. She leaves a sister, Mary Mullin.
Betty Johnson
Betty Johnson, 84, of Dedham, a retired member of the service staff at Endicott House, died on March 22. Mrs. Johnson worked at MIT from 1963 until her retirement in 1974. Her survivors include a son, John Johnson; a daughter, Brita Mulholland, and a grandson, Andrew Mulholland.
Wilbert L. Sealy
Wilbert L. Sealy, 64, of Dorchester, a shipper's helper in Physical Plant, died on March 26 following a long illness. Mr. Sealy had worked at MIT since 1968.
Mr. Sealy leaves his wife, Marceline, who also works in Physical Plant; three sons, Jeffrey, who works at the Laboratory for Computer Science, Michael and Derek Sealy; a daughter, Sonia Ifill, who works in the Medical Department, and four grandchildren, all of Dorchester.
A version of this article appeared in the July 20, 1994 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 39, Number 1).
