Remembrances

Elisabet Michaelsen ’72 MA/MS of Winchester, Va., passed away peacefully on February 26, 2026, at age 79.

Born in Nora, Sweden, on June 29, 1946, to Hilding and Aili Michaelsen, she was the youngest of three children. Elisabet grew up in Eskilstuna, Sweden, where her father owned and managed Svenska Kamrorfabriken AB and her mother served as the company’s bookkeeper.

Elisabet passed her studentexamen in 1964 and pursued higher education in speech pathology at Stockholm University. In 1969 she received a stipend through the Sweden-America Foundation and the U.S. Department of State to pursue a master’s degree in speech pathology at Northwestern. After completing her studies, Elisabet worked in Chicago at Misericordia Home, providing therapy to children and adults with mild to profound intellectual and developmental disabilities.

During this time Elisabet met her husband, Raymond Tenenholtz, and they were married in Chicago on December 7, 1971. In 1974 they embarked on a three-month bicycle tour of western Europe that unexpectedly led to a 16-year stay abroad. They first lived in Stockholm, Sweden, for ten years, where both daughter Helena and son David were born. Elisabet also continued to deepen her professional skills by completing training in the Bobath technique for neuro-disabilities in Innsbruck, Austria.

In 1984 Elisabet and her family moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they lived for six years. There she played an early role in the formation of the Jeddah Institute for Speech and Hearing, the first clinic of its kind in Saudi Arabia.

After returning to the United States in 1990, Elisabet worked as a speech therapist in the public school system through several home care agencies and in her private practice, Focus on Speech. She also taught at the graduate level in George Washington University’s speech-language pathology program for three semesters.

Alongside her accomplished career, Elisabet became increasingly involved in advocating for equity and fairness for fellow health care workers. Through her steadfast efforts supporting home health care workers in the region, she was instrumental in the creation of the Organization for Home Care Professionals, America’s first union representing physical, occupational and speech therapists.

In retirement Elisabet turned her focus to local and state politics, supporting immigrant rights, affordable healthcare and climate action. She canvassed neighborhoods, housed campaign staff and led vigils to give a voice to the causes she valued. Until her final days, she coordinated a weekly political postcard-writing group at a local café, ensuring a steady stream of handwritten outreach to voters in critical elections nationwide.

Elisabet dedicated the 2018 holiday season to on-the-ground activism in Tornillo, Texas, drawing attention to the plight of thousands of unaccompanied minors detained in a government-sanctioned tent city. Driven by fierce moral conviction, she never hesitated to act on her belief in dignity for immigrants.

Beyond her professional legacy and community contributions, Elisabet will be remembered for a keen, observational wit. She had a wonderful knack for the "pointed" joke — a clever shorthand that fostered deep connections with those she loved. A lifelong engagement with the arts placed her as a regular fixture at concerts and museums and informed her own journey as a versatile musician. Moving effortlessly from the cello of her youth to the ukulele and the Swedish nyckelharpa, she was a marvel at family gatherings. Blessed with rare perfect pitch, Elisabet could play the piano by ear with ease and, on several occasions, even took it upon herself to tune the family instrument.

Elisabet learned to dye and spin wool, kept a four-harness weaving loom in the basement and maintained a “sewing room” where she dabbled in various projects. At quilt and needlework shows, she appreciated the craftsmanship of each piece, often noting the precision of a work’s backside as much as its front. A steady and attentive gardener, she delighted in coaxing her orchids to rebloom and marked special occasions with a new plant or a carefully chosen amaryllis bulb.

Above all, Elisabet’s life was marked by generosity, personal conviction and a quiet but powerful way of demonstrating, day by day, what it means to live with purpose. She will be remembered fondly and her memory lives on in her daughter, Helena; her son, David; and her four grandchildren, Axel, Viggo, Ezra and Ruby. Elisabet was predeceased by her parents, Hilding and Aili Michaelsen, as well as her older sister, Ulla, and her older brother, Torolf.

Scott Douglas Westrem ’77 MA, ’85 PhD, a distinguished scholar of medieval literature, historical geography and travel narratives, died at age 71 in September, 2025, at home in St. Louis Park, Minn. His scholarship explored how the medieval mind described the known and imagined world; his teaching inspired CUNY students at Lehman College and the Graduate Center. 

Born in Minneapolis in 1953, he graduated from Minnehaha Academy. He then earned degrees in German and English at Whetton College (Illinois) and a doctorate in English from Northwestern. His scholarly residences included years in Oslo, Heidelberg, Paris and Stonington, Conn., where he was a Merrill Scholar. At CUNY he was able to inspire undergraduates ¬ — including bus drivers, working mothers and young hip-hop musicians —to understand, appreciate and recite Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, as well as mentor doctoral candidates in the minutiae of medieval manuscript analysis and interpretation.

His seminal work of scholarship was The Hereford Map: A Transcription and Translation of the Legends with Commentary, which transformed the academic understanding of the world's largest surviving medieval world map, or mappamundi, dating from c. 1300. In a review, Roger Mason wrote: “Two things are very clear – Westrem's linguistic agility, and the depth of his knowledge. He has given us the result of many years of labour; this encyclopaedic book is the most important work on the Hereford Map yet printed, and all future studies must start from it.”

He also wrote Broader Horizons: A Study of Johannes Witte de Hese's Itinerarius and Medieval Travel Narratives and edited Discovering New Worlds: Essays on Medieval Exploration and Imagination. With Charles Ryskamp, he co-edited The Works of John Chalkhill. 

Colleagues, students and friends will remember him for his warmth, humor and generosity. He was interred at St. John’s Abbey Cemetery in Collegeville, Minn., in May, with a July 25 memorial service at Mindekirken, the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. 

Cathy Smith Martin ’70 MS passed away on May 24, 2024, in West Des Moines, Iowa. She began working for Northwestern in 1967 in the registrar’s office, eventually retiring as the Associate Dean of Speech in what is now the School of Communication in 2002. She was born January 24, 1944, in Live Oak, Calif., and received her bachelor’s degree at Bemidji State University.

In her retirement, she enjoyed reading and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She remained a Northwestern fan, always watching the Wildcats on TV or reminiscing about the many illustrious students she knew during her time in the School of Communication, several of whom are now successful actors and entertainers.

She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Wayne, who also retired from Northwestern after ten years in the engineering department; her daughter Carolyn (John) and four grandchildren.  

Henry “Hank” Stephen Bangser ’71 MS, ’77 PhD passed away on March 12, 2024. He is survived by his beloved wife, Sara; their three children, Jill Fioravanti (Marc), Marc (Gina), and Matt (Abby); and their seven grandchildren, ages 4 to 15 (Albert, Simon, Camilla, Jackson, Penelope, Elyse, and Margo). Sara, Jill, Marc, Matt, their spouses and their children will always remember the vibrance and warmth of “Grandpa Hank” and strive to exemplify his character and values.

Hank grew up in Westchester County, N.Y., and graduated from Mamaroneck High School in 1966. He received a bachelor of arts in economics from Williams College in 1970, a master of arts in teaching from Northwestern in 1971 and a PhD in educational leadership and administration from Northwestern in 1977. His educational career began at New Trier East High School in Winnetka, Ill., and spanned nearly five decades, including classroom teaching, educational leadership positions and superintendencies in six public school districts across New York, Illinois and California. Perhaps most noteworthy were his more than 20 years spent with New Trier High School District 203, where he worked first as a social studies teacher and assistant principal, and then returned to serve for 16 years as superintendent. Hank was inducted into the Mamaroneck High School Hall of Fame in 1999, and upon his retirement from New Trier in 2006, the administration building at the Northfield Campus was renamed the Henry S. Bangser Administration Building.

Hank’s legacy touched thousands of teachers, administrators, staff and students. One current superintendent said, “Hank was the single most important influence in my professional career, and there’s no way I would be where I am now without his guidance and support. The world just lost an incredible man.” A longtime former assistant for Hank added, “My heart is broken right now. Hank was just such an unbelievable person to me, professionally and personally — he will never know just how many people he has impacted along the way.”

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Hank reveled in playing, discussing and watching sports. He played varsity football and baseball in high school and collegiate football at Williams College, and coached New Trier football. For his entire adult life he was an avid golfer who carried a single-digit handicap, using his exceptional short game and silky-smooth putting stroke to tame some of the most challenging courses from coast to coast. 

Hank and Sara celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in April 2023, surrounded by family in a wonderful celebration of their milestone. He was immensely proud of his children and beamed whenever he talked about his grandchildren, and he went out of his way to attend soccer games, dance recitals and band and orchestra concerts, and loved every video and picture sent his way. “Grandpa Hank” fit him perfectly.

Hank will be dearly missed by all who had the good fortune to know him throughout his almost 75 years, and his family knows that the many memories shared with Hank will resonate for years and generations to come.

A graveside service took place on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Ridge Lawn Cemetery, 5736 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60646.

Paul Nicholas “Nick” Pitz ’71 MA of Bettendorf, Iowa, born Feb. 2, 1947, in Indianapolis, died on Nov. 24, 2023.

Nick graduated in 1964 from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, where he placed first in an Exercise in Knowledge competition. He graduated from Wabash College in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in German and English after having studied abroad his junior year at the Philipps-Universität in Marburg, Germany.

After graduation, Nick entered the U.S. Army and ultimately served in a military position in Worms, Germany. After his discharge, he earned a master’s degree from Northwestern University and finished coursework and the qualifying exam for the PhD program. He met the love of his life, Barbara Waters, in August 1973, and they were married a year to the day after they met. A month later, they moved to Toronto and eventually to the Iowa Quad Cities. In the meantime, they welcomed daughter Megan and son Andrew.

In Toronto Nick discovered his love of teaching and was convinced that his most enduring and natural contribution to education would be as a high school teacher. He earned a teaching degree at the University of Toronto and spent the next 11 years teaching at high schools in and near Toronto as well as teaching Saturday German language classes. Nick also spent several years teaching skiing as a Canadian Level II instructor in Canada and Iowa and coached high school basketball in Canada.

Over the course of his more than 40-year teaching career, Nick was perhaps best known and loved for his 23 years at Moline High School, where he accompanied students to Germany every other year.

After retiring in 2014, he continued to teach part-time at various Quad City high schools until his second retirement in 2021. Never losing his interest in academic competition, he coached the Moline High School scholastic bowl team to the Illinois State Championship in 1999, and then Team Illinois to back-to-back National Championships in 2007 and 2008, eventually being inducted into the Illinois Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

With his outgoing approach to life, Nick became involved at various levels of community affairs, serving on the Board of Directors of the German American Heritage Center, where he was an active volunteer and reading-group discussion leader. He took joy in his Stammtisch friends, who met once a week to speak German over a beer, and he and Barbara spent three weeks during the summer of 2023 driving through Germany.

Nick is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughter, Megan (Jake Viano); son, Andrew (Elora); brothers Mike Pitz (Fay) and John Pitz (Jill); sisters Janeann Pitz (Reinhard Pollach) and Marylynne Pitz (Mark Weitzman); granddaughters Addison Nicole Pitz and Annabelle Rebecca Nicole Viano; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Cheryl Lee Ross ’78, 65, of Buckeye, Ariz., passed away on March 5, 2022.

Cheryl was born on February 11, 1957, to Ron and Frankie Ross in Columbus, Ohio.

After Cheryl graduated from Whetstone High School in Columbus in 1974, she went on to achieve her bachelor’s degree at Northwestern University, master’s in business at UCLA and her graduate degree in IT at Northwestern University.

After a graduate degree in business administration, she started her first job at Frito Lay as a brand manager, kickstarting a 30-year career in marketing, product management and consumer research. Throughout her career, Cheryl served as the brand manager at Kraft Foods, director of marketing at Spiegel/Eddie Bauer, senior marketing consultant at Accenture, and director of merchandising and sales development at Sears Roebuck & Co.

In 1984 Cheryl met Jim Lacey at Lakeshore Athletic Club in Chicago. Cheryl and Jim went on to raise their two children, Jason and Christie in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

In 2012 Cheryl retired from her rewarding business career and spent her time swimming, hiking, dancing, participating in book clubs, cultivating deep relationships with friends and traveling throughout the west and overseas. She was a lifetime student and had a voracious thirst for knowledge. Cheryl was more interested in getting to know others than talking about herself. She was a critical thinker and was known for her thought-provoking questions. She looked for the best in everybody and was always impeccable with her word. Cheryl exuded friendship and goodwill. She was a dear friend to many and had a contagious laughter and a beaming smile that lit up the room. Cheryl loved bright colors in her clothing, her home’s interior decoration and the flowering plants blooming in her Arizona yard. May her memory be for a blessing.

Cheryl was predeceased by her parents, Ron and Frankie Ross. She is survived by her husband, James Lacey; children, Jason Lacey and Christie Lacey; a sister, Robin Ross Lang; and several in-laws, cousins, and nieces and nephews.

Tilde Sankovitch ’73 PhD, died Feb. 27, 2022, at the age of 86. Tilde was born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1935, daughter of Anna Otten Janssens and Joseph Janssens. She graduated from the University of Leuven in Belgium, where she met the love of her life, Anatole Sankovitch, on Dec. 15, 1952, in a philosophy class. She married Anatole (“Tola”) in 1957, and that same year they moved to the United States. They eventually settled in Evanston, where their three daughters, Anne-Marie, Natasha and Nina, were born.

In 1968, Tilde began postgraduate studies, earning a PhD in French Literature at Northwestern University in 1973. After completing her PhD, she began to teach at Northwestern and became the Harold H. and Virginia Anderson Professor of French and Italian, receiving tenure in 1978. She served as chair of the French and Italian Department for a number of years and was also director of Women’s Studies from 1994 to 1996, having been involved in the program from its inception as a member of various committees and as a professor. Tilde was beloved by faculty, staff and students, and was a cherished friend to many. She was a brilliant scholar, an engaging and popular professor, and supportive and respectful of every person she ever met. She was a proud feminist and advocated for equal rights for all genders and races.

Tilde was the author of numerous books and articles, including French Women Writers and the Book and The Poems of The Troubadour Bertran de Born, which she co-wrote with William Paden Jr., professor emeritus of French, and Patricia H. Stäblein.  

After retiring from Northwestern in 1999, Tilde moved with her husband to New York City where she lived until her death. Tilde read to — and with — her daughters throughout their lives, and they were inspired by her bravery, kindness, curiosity, intellect and open-hearted generosity. Her grandchildren also adored her, and she loved spending time with them. And her husband, Tola, loved her with unbounded devotion, dedicating his memoir to her with the inscription, To Tilde, My Life.  

Tilde is survived by Tola, her husband of almost 65 years; her daughters Natasha and Nina; her brother Peter Janssens; her grandchildren Meredith, Peter, Michael, George and Martin; great-grandchildren Charlotte and William; and nieces and nephews in England and Belgium. Tilde was predeceased by her parents, her sister Friedel and her daughter Anne-Marie. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Tilde’s name to the Central Park Conservancy in New York City. Tilde spent countless happy hours in Central Park and her spirit will always be found there, especially in the Conservatory Garden, where there is a bench bearing the name of her daughter Anne-Marie. Engraved on the bench are Anne-Marie’s own words, “For who can end in despair, when there is such beauty in the world?”