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Melissa Conway Luther

1953-2022

Luther was head of special collections at UC Riverside for 15 years, where she helped expand and promote the Eaton Collection of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Luther earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Scranton; master’s degrees in English from McGill University and library science from the Catholic University of America; and a doctorate in medieval studies from Yale University. Prior to UCR, Luther served as a curator for the Arcana Collection of Rare Books and Manuscripts in Washington, D.C. She joined UCR in 2001, were she was recognized as a dedicated curator and champion of archival research. After retiring in 2015, she joined the faculty of UCLA, teaching courses in bibliography and manuscripts. She died June 28 at the age of 68. She is survived by her husband of 29 years, Timothy Luther; three sisters; and a brother.

Thomas Pelzel

1927-2022

Pelzel, a former professor of art history, was a scholar of European art and the neoclassical period. Born in West Virginia, Pelzel earned a doctorate at Princeton University in 1968 before joining the faculty at UCR, serving as an undergraduate advisor and chair of the art department in addition to teaching for many years. He published a book and several articles on the German painter Anton Raphael Mengs and neoclassicism. The study of European art and theory of the neoclassical period remained his main field of scholarly work. His lectures and seminars on Bavarian and Austrian rococo churches and castles became a highlight of his teaching at UCR. After his retirement, Pelzel and his wife, Suzanne, moved to Ashland, Oregon. He died July 3 at the age of 94.

Barbara Mullen

1923-2022

Mullen worked as a physician at UC Riverside, treating students for more than 20 years. Known as “Bee” to family and friends, Mullen was born in Honolulu and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She earned a bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley and a medical degree at UC San Francisco, where she met her husband, Ray, to whom she was married for 71 years. Mullen worked at the Riverside Unified School District as a pediatrician before joining UCR’s former Student Health Center, now Student Health Services, until her retirement at age 70. She died July 31 at the age of 99. She is survived by her sons, Stephen and Michael; daughter Janet; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.