International House Berkeley

International House Times 21 1960s Margaret (Margie) Smith Shetlar (IH 1960s) lived at I-House while working toward her teaching degree at UC Berkeley. It was at I-House that she met fellow resident Martin Shetlar (IH 1960-63), the love of her life, whom she married in 1966. Margaret taught mathematics at Walnut Creek High School and at Katherine Delmar Burke High School in San Francisco. She later taught at Forest Hill Preschool, served as the treasurer for Portalhurst Presbyterian Church, and tutored privately in her home. She was also a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church, San Anselmo, and was very active in her local P. E.O. chapter. In her spare time, she was an avid artist, crafter, and calligrapher, and loved working on Sudoku puzzles. I-House is grateful to Margaret and Martin Shetlar, who left a generous gift in their trust to support the Open Gateway Fund, which provides room and board scholarships for graduate students living at I-House. 1970s Takeru Oishi (IH 1975) was remembered by his I-House friend and former roommate Neil Hamilton (IH 1975) with a tribute gift made in Takeru's memory. Neil and Takeru's lifelong friendship began during a short six-week stay at I-House in summer 1975. Takeru, who received his master's in engineering from UC Berkeley, spent the summer at I-House enrolled in an English language course prior to beginning his master's. While at I-House, Takeru gave Neil a dried chrysanthemum flower, pressed onto green paper and protected in a glass picture frame. Neil still looks at this flower each day as it hangs on the wall in his office. He says, "It is a beautiful reminder of my friend Takeru." Paul Steinberg (IH 1976–77), a research communications analyst at RAND, humorist, and crossword puzzle constructor, passed away at the age 69 on August 19, 2023. Paul received a B.A. in English from UC Riverside in 1975 and a Ph.D. in English from UC Berkeley in 1982. He met his wife, Karen née Matlaw, (IH 1976–77), at I-House, where he had a work-study job in the mailroom. Their romance blossomed amid the many boxes of books Karen shipped from Chicago. The two were married for 45 years and had one son, David. 1990s Born in Jamshedpur, India, Uthara "Thara" Srinivasan (IH 1995-96) moved to Illinois with her family, and after double- majoring in chemical engineering and creative writing, graduating summa cum laude, writing two senior theses, and playing the flute at Princeton University, she came to UC Berkeley for graduate school. While staying at International House, she met her future husband, John Heck, (IH 1994-96) in the I-House Café (now Edmonds' Café). John recalls her introduction: "I'm Thara, my real name is Uthara, but my sister calls me 'Uthie.'" (Berkeleyside). Thara and John married at the Brazilian Room after they received their Ph.Ds. from Cal. After a brief stint in Silicon Valley working in the field of bio micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), Thara returned to UC Berkeley to pursue postdoctoral research in ecology and environmental policy. She was a passionate environmentalist, scholar, yoga teacher, dancer, friend, and mother. Friends Narsai David, a celebrated Bay Area chef who served as the KCBS Food and Wine editor and was a beloved figure on KTVU's "Mornings On 2," passed away at the age of 87. Narsai served on the I-House Board of Directors for many years, generously supporting I-House Gala events with his culinary counsel and frequent wine contributions. Joe Lurie, I-House Executive Director Emeritus, writes, "He leaves an enormous legacy for so many in the Bay Area and beyond. We at I-House were blessed to have known him and will forever cherish his memory." In Memory

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