Paul Ross Trafton, 70, of Morton Grove, Illinois, formerly of Cedar Falls, died Wednesday, December 14, 2005, at Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Illinois. He was born July 27, 1935, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, son of Walker Burt Trafton and Catherine Frances Moriarty. He married Patricia Ann Curulla on December 14, 1991, in San Jose, California. He received a B. S. in mathematics from Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, in 1957, a master of science in education from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, in 1963, and a Ph. D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1970. Mr. Trafton was a mathematics facilitator for Winnetka Public Schools from January 2003 until the time of his death. He was a professor of mathematics education at the University of Northern Iowa for more than eleven years; at National Louis University, Evanston, Illinois, for seventeen years; at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, for three years; and at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, for a year.
He was a national mathematics consultant for Silver Burdett Company for five years and worked in Wheaton Public Schools, Wheaton, Illinois, as a junior teacher, third-grade teacher, and mathematics coordinator for six years. He also co-authored "Little Kids--Powerful Problem Solvers: Math Stories from a Kindergarten Classroom," with Angela Andrews in 2002; and "Learning Through Problems: Number Sense and Computational Strategies" with Diane Thiessen in 1999. He was also member of the board of directors of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) from 1994 to 1997 and was chairperson of the kindergarten through fourth-grade writing group for NCTM's Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics from 1986 to 1989.
Trafton was president of the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics from 1983 to 1984 and was a recipient of the Max Beberman Award for national leadership in mathematics education in 1990. He was editor of the NCTM's 1989 yearbook "New Directions in Elementary School Mathematics." He authored or co-authored numerous curriculum materials about mathematics. Mr. Trafton wrote and received many grants that supported primary teachers in their teaching of mathematics and also helped develop the master's degree program for middle school mathematics teachers at UNI.
Survived by: his wife, Patricia Ann Curulla Trafton; a son, Kevin (Laura); a daughter, Kirsten (Lucas) Franton; five grandchildren: and a brother, David (Caren). Preceded in death by: a sister, Susan Trafton.
Memorial services: 5 p.m. Monday at St. Nicholas Church, Evanston, Illinois, with private burial. Friends may call from 3 p.m. until service time Monday at the church. Donnellan Family Funeral Service, Skokie, Illinois, is in charge of arrangements. Memorials: may he directed to the UNI Foundation, c/o University of Northern lowa,1227 W. 27th Street, Cedar Falls 50614.
Copyright Waterloo Courier, December 18, 2005, Page B8.