he Truman Alumni Association - Alumni - Truman State University

James H. Dittemore (’76), of Atlanta, Mo.,
died Oct. 19, 2009. He was a member of
the Air National Guard before enlisting in
the U.S. Air Force, where he proudly served
for 22 years before retiring in 1972 with the
rank of master sergeant. He received the
medal for meritorious service in the Air
Force and was a lifetime member of the Air
Force Enlisted Personnel Organization. After
retirement, he and his family moved to
Atlanta where he served as mayor for three
terms.
Frank T. Manganaro (’78), of Glendale,
Mo., died Dec. 26, 2009. He was a loving,
devoted husband, thoughtful brother and
faithful friend to many.
Bobby G. Norris (’70), of Altoona,
Iowa, died Sept. 2, 2009. He was a
dedicated, energetic career educator of 45
years who taught and coached at Greenfield,
Ogden, Humboldt, with the remainder
as the ultimate Southeast Polk fan and
administrator.
William F. Pirtle (’71), of Carlisle, Iowa,
died Sept. 25, 2009. He became a history
teacher in the St Louis area and had enjoyed
being an auctioneer for the past 30 years.
Knowing that retirement years were
approaching, he had taken a part-time
position as a pathology lab courier for the
Iowa Health System. Another large part of
his family life was the Iowa State Fair; he ran
the General Store for almost 20 years.
1980s
Michael L. Collins (’81), of Bloomsburg,
Penn., died July 17, 2009. As a Navy
journalist stationed on Guam, he worked for
"Stars and Stripes" and among his duties he
documented the evacuation of the
Vietnamese people after the fall of Saigon.
He was professor of theatre-acting, directing
and playwriting at Bloomsburg University
from 1989 to the present and previously was
artistic director for Robidoux Resident
Theatre in St. Joseph, Mo. Since 1999,
Michael and colleagues from BU and Lock
Haven University accompanied students to
London as part of a study abroad program.
Ellen Marie (Stevenson) Fessler (’81), of
Muscatine, Iowa, died Sept. 19, 2009. She
taught elementary physical education at
Washington and Garfield schools and was at
Washington for 22 years.
Don R. Kissell Jr. (’83), of O’Fallon, Mo.,
died March 15, 2010. A former state
representative who in recent years was a
legislative lobbyist for clients including the
city of St. Peters, the Missouri Police Chiefs
Association, the St. Charles County
Ambulance District, American Traffic
Solutions and Meramec Specialty Co., he
served in the Missouri House from 1995 to
2000. He had also served as a police officer
for 20 years in Berkeley and Bel-Ridge and as
a private investigator with a firm that