Gentlemen, with great sadness we note the passing of our members.

Donald W. Mitchell P.E., 76 died  December 16, 1999, in Birmingham, Alabama.     see below.
William D. Menzie, 82, died, Jan 8, 2000, in Reston, VA following a short illness.   see below.
Edward Fox         no details available.
Dennis Frailey    no details available.

Donald W. Mitchell PE., recognized as one of the World's foremost expert on mine safety, died at his winter home in Birmingham, Alabama on December 16, 1999. He was 76.

A certified Professional Engineer registered in the state of Pennsylvania, Mitchell was a winner of the Kingery Award. His professional career was dedicated providing health and safety expertise in the area of fires, explosions, ventilation, polymer flammability and toxicity, rescue-recovery, ground control, and safety regulations.

In 1942 he joined the Army Air Force where he rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. While serving in the South Pacific Theater of War, he earned two purple hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star.

Mitchell completed his B.S. in Mining at Penn State University (1948) and M.S. in Mining Engineering from Columbia University. He was a member of Sigma Gamma Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi. While at Columbia, he was a Krumb Scholar and President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented him with the Columbia University Robert Peele Prize for outstanding scholastic endeavors. He did post-graduate work in Research Organization at Brookings institute, Research Management at the University of Wisconsin, and Labor Management at UCLA.

Mitchell worked for the Bureau of Mines, Department of Interior, and the Department of Labor. He served as technical advisor to the government of Indonesia in the establishment and growth of its mining industries. As Assistant Chief of the Branch of Dust Explosions and Chief of the Mine Experiments Section., Health and Safety Research Center. He also served as Supervising Mining Engineer and Project Coordinator Engineering Applications at the Mining Research Center. As the principle Mining Engineer in the office of Technical Support MSHA (MESA), Mitchell  served as a technical advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Labor.

During his government service Mitchell received two Secretary of Labor's Recognitions Awards from the Department of Labor, and a Meritorious Service Citation from the Department of Interior. From 1942 to 1978 he fought and investigated fires and explosions in more than 50 mines in addition to many hundreds in the Bureau of Mines Experimental Coal Mine.

After retiring from MSHA, he joined Gates Engineering Company as Chief Mining Engineer and Manager of the Pittsburgh Division of Foster-Miller, Inc. Mitchell then established a consulting firm and continued his life long mission to help ensure mine safety. He was involved in fires in active underground mines. Because of his expertise in fighting mine fires, he was called to help re-engineer the Apollo fire prevention and suppression systems after the launch pad fire. He also aided in controlling the Kuwait oil fires during the Gulf War. Mitchell contributed to the invention and testing of airport runway foams and analyzed major building fires, such as the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel.

His professional society participation included Member of the Engineering Standing Committee, National Safety Council: Board of Directors, National Mine Rescue Association; Chairman, Engineering Committee, NMRA; Member of the Committee of Mine Rescue procedures, NMRA, Coal Mining Institute  and National Fire Protection Association Committee 123. He was a member of The Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute of America, the National Rescue Association, and Veterans of Mine Rescue (Smoke Eaters).

He contributed to his profession by writing MINE FIRES, the foremost book on mine fires. He authored and co-authored over ninety papers and articles on mine safety, lectured and participated in conference on mine safety throughout the world.

Mitchell is survived by his wife Wylodean Buckner Mitchell of Birmingham, Alabama; his daughter Sandra Moore and Kathryn Mitchell of Pittsburgh, PA;  four sons, William Mitchell of Berryville, VA; Donald Hearin Mitchell of Boston, MA; Norman Mitchell of  Goldsboro, NC; and Jonathan Mitchell of Pittsburgh, PA; and 16 grandchildren.

William Menzie, 82 formerly of Indiana, died Saturday, Jan. 8, 2000, in Reston, Va., following a short illness.

A retired vice president of Distributor Products for National Mine Service CO., Menzie was instrumental in the dramatic growth of the Distributor Products Division including mine rescue products, cap lamps and a range of health and safety products for mining. He also helped National Mine Service expand into non-mining markets. with the development of new technology for portable gas detection instruments. He was on the Board of Directors of The National Mine Rescue Association and on the Board of Directors of the Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute of America.  Menzie was a charter member of the advisory and planning committee of the Annual Institute on Coal Mining Health, Safety and Research; a member of the American Mining Congress; Garfield Masonic Lodge and the Graystone Presbyterian Church.

He was also a former instructor for 55 Alive. He was active in the Historical and Genealogical Society of  Indiana County and was a board member of the Visiting Nurses Association of Indiana County.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret Montgomery Menzie, Indiana; three children: Jeanne M. Johnson and her husband, Robert, Bradford Woods; W. David Menzie II and his wife, Carolyn, Oak Hill, Va., and Anne M. Wright and her husband, Lawrence, LaPlata \, Md.; two brothers, Robert J. Menzie, Norman, Okla., and six grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ethel Fawcett Menzie; and a brother, James F. Menzie Jr.

Visitors were received at the Nedza Funeral Home, DuBois and Lakeside Methodist Church, DuBois.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, 332 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or the Rose Garden Alzheimer's Unit, Tall Oaks at Reston, 12052 North Shore Drive, Reston VA 22090.