John Atwell Wolfer ’54

John Atwell Wolfer ’54 passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on February 5. At Dartmouth he majored in English, was a brother of Delta Theta Chi, and was involved in swimming. While at Dartmouth, he married Pat Koster in 1954 and attended ROTC. He joined the Army and was deployed to Germany, where he became a lieutenant. He returned to Salt Lake City, Utah, to pursue his Ph.D. in research psychology at the University of Utah. He discovered a passion for teaching and became a professor at Westminster College and the University of Utah College of Nursing. In 1967 he moved his family across the country to eventually become a tenured professor at the Yale University School of Nursing, where his collaborative research with Madeline Visintainer lead to several publications of experimental interventions for reducing stress in hospitalized children, increasing their recovery, and shortening their time of hospitalization. These studies became the foundation of the child life programs in hospitals across the United States. He then moved his family back to Utah and became a full tenured professor. This course became very popular with healthcare-related professionals, who acknowledged its significance by giving John the only standing ovation at a graduation and retirement celebration. John’s academic career ended when he retired from the University of Utah in 1996. He is survived by Pat; son Greg and his wife, Sue; daughter Anne and her husband, Ray; and sons Mark and Eric.