In Memoriam

Richard Lee Harris ’76, Washington, D.C., Oct. 2, 2024, at age 70. A distinguished journalist who won 14 News & Documentary Emmys and a duPont-Columbia Award, Harris served as a broadcast producer for NPR’s All Things Considered and a news editor at NBC News and spent almost two decades as a senior producer for ABC News’ Nightline. He produced an interview with Nelson Mandela directly following Mandela’s release from prison and organized a first-of-its-kind televised town hall between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 1988. Harris also coordinated the Nightline interview series that inspired Mitch Albom to write his bestselling memoir Tuesdays With Morrie.  Harris studied broadcast journalism at what is now the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Achievement. While at Northwestern, Harris hosted a late-night Motown show on WNUR, capturing the attention of fellow classmate — and future wife — Mary “Kit” O’Connell Harris ’76. In recent years, Harris served as a consultant for a civic education nonprofit, and he spent some of the happiest moments of his life as “Papa” to his three grandchildren — filling the bird feeder, reading together and indoctrinating them as Red Sox fans. Harris is survived by his wife; daughters Emily, Susannah Harris ’08 and Lily; grandchildren Miles, Cecelia and Norah; and sister, Debbie.

Mark Damisch ’78, ’86 JD, MBA, Northbrook, Ill., Sept. 6, 2024, at age 68. Damisch was a talented pianist and dedicated public servant. After graduating from Northwestern he worked as a personal injury lawyer and prosecutor and embarked on a career in local government. He served as village president of Northbrook for 12 years, during which time he led initiatives in the arts, human relations and public beautification. Under his tenure, Northbrook earned its first AAA bond rating (the highest measure of creditworthiness granted to cities) and welcomed Crate & Barrel’s corporate headquarters. Damisch also toured frequently, playing free classical music concerts. He performed in more than 60 countries, sometimes alongside his daughters, up until the month before his death. A former Northwestern Trustee, Damisch was also well known for his elaborate, themed football tailgates at Northwestern’s Ryan Field. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Koulogeorge Damisch ’78, ’80 MBA, whom he met on a blind date at Northwestern; daughters Kristina, Katherine Damisch ’17 MA and Alexandra; three grandchildren; father, John; and brother, Peter Damisch ’82 MBA.

John Vander Sande ’71 PhD, Newbury, Mass., June 28, 2024, at age 80. A physical metallurgist, Vander Sande made significant contributions to electron microscopy. A longtime professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Vander Sande brought the first scanning transmission electron microscope to the U.S. This microscope uses a beam of electrons to scan material samples and investigate their structure and composition. Vander Sande was instrumental in leading research on weak-beam microscopy as director of a microscopy laboratory at MIT, and he was known as a gifted teacher and devoted mentor. Vander Sande also launched American Superconductor, an energy technology company that produced high-temperature superconducting wires. Beyond his scientific pursuits, Vander Sande had a passion for antiques and was a self-taught expert on 17th- and 18th-century furniture — expertise that earned him a production credit for the 1996 film The Crucible, which was set in 1692. Vander Sande is survived by his wife, Marie-Teresa Vander Sande ’71 MS; children John and Rosse; and grandchildren Gabriel, Sophia and John. 

Helen “Meg” Bennett ’70, Los Angeles, April 11, 2024, at age 75. A former Northwestern Homecoming queen and Miss America contestant, Bennett moved to New York City after graduation and earned roles in productions of Grease on Broadway and Godspell off-Broadway. In 1975 she began a long and successful soap opera career as the ingenue Liza on Search for Tomorrow. Bennett went on to play Julia Newman in The Young and the Restless beginning in 1980. She began scriptwriting for The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, Santa Barbara and Sunset Beach and received five Daytime Emmy nominations for writing, with a win for General Hospital in 1995. She also received five Writers Guild of America nominations, with wins for General Hospital and Sunset Beach. Bennett is survived by her husband, Robert Guza Jr.; two stepdaughters; four grandchildren; two siblings; and many nieces and nephews.

Photo Credit: Getty/CBS Photo Archive

Henry “Hank” Stephen Bangser ’71 MS, ’77 PhD, North Potomac, Md., March 12, 2024, at age 74. Bangser touched the lives of many during his nearly 50-year career in education. He earned his master’s in teaching in 1971 and a doctorate in educational leadership and administration in 1977, both from Northwestern. Bangser then spent the next several decades teaching and taking on educational leadership positions, including superintendencies, in six public school districts across Illinois, New York and California. He spent more than 20 years with New Trier Township High School District 203 in the Chicago suburbs, first as a social studies teacher and football coach in the 1970s, then as an assistant principal. He then served as superintendent of the district for 16 years. Upon his retirement in 2006, the administration building at the Northfield, Ill., campus was renamed in his honor. Bangser served as vice president of the Northwestern Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1994 to 1997 and as president of the School of Education and Social Policy Alumni Board from 1994 to 1996. He was awarded the Alumni Merit Award in 1998. Bangser is survived by his wife, Sara; children Jill, Marc and Matt; and seven grandchildren.

Clinton Krislov ’71, Wilmette, Ill., Feb. 1, 2024, at age 74. An attorney known for taking on Chicago’s City Hall, Krislov crusaded against the city’s controversial parking meter deal, championed consumer rights and fought on behalf of retired city workers. He ran for office six times — notably against former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin — but was never elected. Krislov sued the city of Chicago in 1983, accusing it of delaying state-mandated payments to city employee pension funds. He recovered $35 million for retirees. Krislov also attempted to void deals to lease Chicago’s parking meters and sell four underground garages to private companies. His work on behalf of consumers won refunds for Black customers who were charged higher prices at hair salons and incarcerated people who were overcharged at a state prison commissary. His class-action lawsuits benefited family members who donated their loved ones’ bodies only to have those remains mishandled. He later won a settlement from General Electric on behalf of dishwasher owners after several fires were caused by an alleged defective switch. He also fought for ballot access and absentee voters’ rights. Krislov is survived by his wife, Dale; children Carson, Taylor and Nick; and several grandchildren. 

Njoki Hampton McElroy ’70 MA/MS, ’73 PhD, Dallas, Oct. 16, 2023. A masterful storyteller, playwright and performer, McElroy graduated from Xavier University in 1945, then taught in public schools in Illinois and Indiana. She earned her graduate degrees from Northwestern’s School of Communication. As an assistant professor of performance studies at the University, she established and taught several iterations of Performance of African American Literature from 1970 to 2002. She taught at Southern Methodist University as well. McElroy gathered traditional African and Caribbean folktales as a Ford Foundation Fellow. She also taught storytelling workshops and wrote several plays exploring Black history and experiences. She founded and directed the Cultural Workshop of North Chicago, which provided performing arts training for Black youth, as well as the annual Back Home With the Folks Festival. Her memoir, 1012 Natchez: A Memoir of Grace, Hardship and Love, was published in 2010. The Queen Professor Holds Court, a documentary about McElroy, premiered in 2022. She co-founded Black Fox Enterprises, a cosmetics and hair care company, with her husband, Clenan McElroy, who died in 1978. She is survived by her children, Ronald, David, Harry, Larry and Marian McElroy ’79 JD.