Graduation 2014 Alumni Return to Campus Jubilee Reunion Legacy Day Homecoming Events
SUMMER/FALL 2014
Volume 24 Number 1
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TABLE OF CONTENTS The Alma Matters is published up to two times per year for alumni, parents and friends.
Page 4
A Message from David Klein, Head of School
Page 5
A Message from the Alumni Association
Pages 6 - 7
Graduation 2014
Editor: Linda Clang Ververis ’78
Pages 8 - 9
Class of 1964 Celebrates the Big 50
Copy Editor: Kathy McCarthy
Pages 10 - 13
Legacy Day 2014
Contributing Writer: Geoff Serra
Pages 14 - 15
2014 Jubilee Reunion
Pages 16 - 23 Back to School – Alumni Return to Campus Matt Shaughnessy ’05 Justin Gignac ’98 Mallory Kydd ’07 Dr. Morris J. Vogel ’63 Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr., USCG (Ret.) ’70 Page 23
Slater Museum Schedule
Page 24
Reunion News
Page 25
Upcoming Alumni Events
Pages 26 - 27
NFA Shines
Pages 28 - 29
Campus News
Page 30
Faculty & Staff News
Pages 31 - 34
Class Notes
Page 35
Homecoming Events
Pages 36 & 38
In Memoriam
Page 37
Deceased
Pages 39
NFA Fund Stick With Us
Back Cover
Wildcat Connection
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.NFASCHOOL.ORG
NFA Alumni Association 321 Broadway • Norwich CT 06360 Tel: (860) 425-5542 • Fax: (860) 889-4363
Photographers: John Hassett Photography, Nicholas Bolt ’96, Laura Howe, NFA and NFA Foundation Staff, Contributed Design: Lavender Design Printer: AM Lithography Corporation Alumni Association Board of Directors Gale Eccleston Ennis ’78, President Leslie Lane Christie ’82, Vice President Cynthia LaBrie White ’82, Secretary/Treasurer Anna Stankewich Alfiero ’58 Peter Ballaro ’66 Marie Landry Bontempo ’55 Ann Dugas Carignan ’55 Timothy Cummings ’66 Nancy Delorge Farnsworth ’69 Concetta Colonna Franchetti ’78 Ethel Moshier Handley ’60 Eileen Kavanaugh Kalla ’81 Mary Barnett Messerschmidt ’63 Thomas Neilan ’85 Judith Payne Paro ’79 Eugene Sullivan ’43 Elizabeth Armen Troeger ’67
The Norwich Free Academy does not discriminate in its educational programs, services or employment on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, color, handicapping condition, age, marital status or sexual orientation. This is in accordance with Title VI, Title VII, Title IX and other civil rights or discrimination issues; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973as amended and the American with Disabilities Act of 1991.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear NFA Alums:
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Greetings from the Allis House. Well, here we go again - the beginning of another exciting school year at Norwich Free Academy. The freshman started school today (August 27th), and they arrived on campus eager, anxious and ready to begin their NFA career. The best part of watching them assemble in front of the Cranston House (Commercial) this morning was my knowledge that their NFA experience will be so much better than they can even imagine. I am very excited for them and for the gift of an NFA education that we will provide for them during the next four years. Again this summer, I had the privilege of attending the Jubilee Reunion Luncheon, with over 300 proud NFA alums from the classes of 1935-1953, and the 45th Reunion of the NFA Class of 1969. Thanks to the sponsorship of Charlie Nafie, Class of 1969, we are hosting an NFA reception at the Harvard Club in New York City, 6-8 p.m., Wednesday evening, September 17. For more information, call Alumni House (860-425-5542)or register directly online at www.nfaschool.org/nyreception. Please join us if you can. As usual, we had an especially busy and highly productive summer on campus which included numerous facilities and maintenance projects and academic and athletic enrichment programs for students in Grades 7-12; the Academy even served as a film site for the movie of Wally Lamb’s book, Wishin’ and Hopin’. Things were really bustling all summer at NFA. Thanks to you, our NFA alums, and your unwavering loyalty and continued generosity, we continue to make forward progress at a time when other schools/school districts in the region and across the state are merely treading water or significantly reducing their programs. Our students and faculty are the direct beneficiaries of your love for and ongoing relationship with the priceless pearl – Norwich Free Academy. More specifically, this summer we installed permanent lights on the athletic field, interactive instructional white boards in 40 additional classrooms, digital signage across the campus, and upgrades to our safety and security systems. In addition, we added an art classroom, so approximately 130 more students will be able to take Intro to Clay this year. You make these projects possible, and I thank you on behalf of the Trustees, Foundation Board, administration, faculty, staff and, most importantly, our students. Mark your calendar – NFA’s first home night football game under our new, permanent lights is scheduled, 6 p.m., Friday night, September 19. NFA will shine that night – please join us if you can. It will be an amazing night on campus; special pre-game programming commences at 5:30 p.m. It is a professional privilege to be an employee of Norwich Free Academy. I thank you for the trust and confidence that you have in us and your spirited support of your high school. As always, if you are in the neighborhood, please stop by to say hello and walk your magnificent campus. Respectfully,
David J. Klein Head of School
A MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Norwich Free Academy opened in 1856 with a student body of 80, a faculty of five, one classroom building consisting of 11 rooms, and a graduating class of two. Fast forward over one hundred fifty years later and you’ll find a campus whose students number over 2,300, faculty and staff of 304, 13 buildings consisting of 185 rooms, and an incoming class of freshman that numbers 550. My how the campus has changed and is STILL changing! One very exciting change is the installation of permanent lighting of the NFA turf field. The project, approved in March by the NFA Board of Trustees, is due to be completed by the time you receive this publication. NFA’s first game under the lights on home turf is set for September 19 against the East Lyme Vikings. A special pre-game ceremony begins at 6:30 pm and kickoff is at 7 pm. We hope you can join us! The Alumni Association has been very busy this year with numerous events celebrating NFA alumni. In May we had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Fred Mandell, Class of 1954, at the annual Legacy Day celebration. Dr. Mandell was recognized as the 2014 Alumni Achievement Award recipient. What an experience to listen to Dr. Mandell recall his days spent with his teacher Mrs. Anderson and how she challenged him to learn outside of the classroom. The Jubilee Reunion, held in July, was attended by several hundred alumni that represented the classes of 1935 through the class of 1953. We look forward to greeting the classes of 1954 through 1963 at the annual Red and White Reunion being held on September 20th at the Port ‘N Starboard in New London. I would be remiss not to mention our yearly Homecoming festivities being held on Saturday, October 18. Please join us on campus and cheer on our Wildcats as they play Fitch Falcons or get together with other classmates, friends or neighbors and join us for tailgating on the parking lot behind the library. Last year, over 35 tailgating groups enjoyed a gorgeous day with other alumni reminiscing and barbequing. Make sure you secure your spot for this year’s event early! I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Alumni Association, to welcome the Class of 2018! While trying to find a quote about having a successful four years in school, I came across this one which I found to be appropriate. “There is no elevator to success; you have to take the stairs.” While at NFA, take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Whether it is volunteering through a Project Outreach event, playing on a sports team, or joining one – or several – of the many clubs offered on campus, be an integral part of the Academy family. You’ll be surprised how quickly four years passes so make sure that your experience here at NFA adds to your personal success. And don’t worry; there will be plenty of stairs to make that happen! Go Cats!
Gale Eccleston Ennis ’78 President, Alumni Association Board of Directors
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The NFA Campus was filled with excitement on Friday, June 20, as members of the Class of 2014 prepared to make the final walk…the walk they worked so hard for the last four years…the walk that would make them proud graduates of Norwich Free Academy. The festive sound of Pomp and Circumstance, performed by the NFA Band, was heard among the voices and hushes as 533 students made their way to their seats on the turf field to be presented with their high school diplomas. Class speakers Moira Lewerk and Tim Jorsz used the theme of “choices” to congratulate their classmates and urge them to embark on successful future lives.
GRADUATION
2014
The Class of 2014 Ivy Orator, Moira Lewerk, told the class that “choice, not chance, determines your destiny. Every single choice makes all the difference. Do not live passively because you believe there are no other options. Make options. Intend to become something, anything. Don’t just accept a role you were assigned.” “Behind every great student is a teacher,” said class speaker Timothy Jorsz. “Behind every graduate here is a story. You are the dream of every parent in this audience.” He encouraged the graduates to reinvent themselves if need be. “If you don’t like the person you’ve been, you can get your feet wet and start over.” He also urged them to remember that “everything that can go wrong can get better.”
Phototgraphy by Laura Howe
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...“choice, not chance, determines your destiny...� Class of 2014 Ivy Orator, Moira Lewerk
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CLASS OF 1964 CELEBRATES THE
Big
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Celebrations abound during the summer months at the Academy, but the celebration for the Class of 1964 was one of significance -- the 50th year since their high school graduation. Their weekend began on the afternoon of Friday, June 13 with an ice-breaker barbeque, hosted by classmate Mike Goldblatt and his wife, Rosa. The complimentary feast was appreciated by over 100 classmates and guests who also enjoyed viewing some of Mike’s classic cars. The class returned to the NFA Campus, some for the first time in 50 years, at 9 a.m. sharp on Saturday, June 14 for a reunion breakfast, hosted by the NFA Alumni Association and then had the opportunity to see some of the significant additions and changes that have occurred on campus since 1964. A reunion dinner was held that evening at the Norwich Holiday Inn and was enjoyed by over 200 classmates and guests. Due to the extraordinary weather that New Englanders dealt with last winter, and the fact that the Academy was not unscathed, the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2014 was moved from the original date of June 13 to June 20. But as was expected, this small bump in the road did not slow down the Class of ’64. They returned to the NFA campus with the same high-spiritedness they left the campus with 50 years before and continued with their reunion celebration. Classmates gathered in Navick Garden, where they were honored with a special 50th reunion medallion which they proudly wore as they walked onto the field to join the Class of 2014 for graduation exercises. The class was joined by Robert Howard, II, son of fallen solider and member of the Class of ’64, Sergeant Robert L. Howard. Robert was invited by the class to join them in the walk onto the field. {see boxed article}
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SON WALKED IN DAD’S HONOR As a student at NFA, Robert Howard, Sr. was an outstanding running back in football, played basketball and was a track athlete. He was a member of the Varsity N Club and received Ogulnick’s Basketball trophy (’63 & ’64) and the Fletcher-Willey Cup in 1964. Robert Howard, II was 4 years old when his father was killed in Vietnam, on June 10, 1969.
Edward Banas, a member of the Class of ’64 and former VFW National Commander, brought greetings from the class to the graduates and was given the honor of handing diplomas to the officers of the Class of 2014. The Class closed their 50th reunion celebration with an informal buffet dinner at Prime 82 Restaurant, giving many classmates one final chance to reminisce and enjoy their time spent together at the Academy.
Left: Class of 64 Proud Fan, Class of 64 participants, Class of 64 Reunion Committee Above: Class of 64 Edward Banas,1964 ClassicCar
Steve Slosberg ’65, a columnist for The Day, wrote an article entitled, Robert Howard, a hero on the field of play and war. He wrote, “He went to Vietnam as the last of the Howard brothers, the greatest athlete in this class. If there is any consolation, it is that Robert Howard died just the way he played, a hero.” Five months after Robert’s death, a Posthumous Awards and Decoration Ceremony was held to honor him with the presentations of the Bronze Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with 1st Oak Leaf Cluster and Device for Valor, Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge presented to his son Robert II. Although Roberts II’s life was full of visible memories of his Dad, he experienced a void in his life which was immeasurable. His life was filled with people he considered “Angels” – those friends and classmates who shared memories of his Dad during his youth and as an athlete. Today, these people are still present in his life. Robert II honored his Dad on July 1 accepting and speaking at the Awards Night banquet for the 1988 Norwich Hall of Fame members, where Robert was inducted posthumously. Dennis Riley’s ’49 introduction of Robert II was emotional and heartfelt as he told the audience that “Robert had been killed 20 years ago yesterday.” Robert II’s emotional acceptance brought the audience to tears as he pointed out the Angels who had kept his Dad’s memory alive for him.
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2014 Legacy Day is quickly becoming a beloved tradition at the Academy. This year the event was held on May 12 at the Norwich Holiday Inn. Alumni, students, volunteers and faculty were recognized for their dedication and commitment to the Academy and their distinction in their community. Head of School David J. Klein opened the evening welcoming the guests and had the honor of introducing the Academy’s 2013/14 Teacher of the Year Recipient, Jessica Vocatura St. George ’90, as well as former teacher of the year recipients. Jessica spoke of how NFA has been significant to her family history dating back to when her grandparents attended in the 1940s. She spoke of the teachers she had as a student and how grateful she is to have been taught by some of the finest educators in the area, and now has the pleasure of working beside many of them. NFA Foundation Class Agents serve as ambassadors to promote the mission of NFA and sustain the tradition of philanthropy at the Academy. Class Agents celebrating milestone years of service were recognized for their dedication and support. A special recognition was made for Don and Kitty Shaver Leone, Class Agents for the Class of 1948, for their 20 years of dedicated service to the Academy.
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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
This award created in 2011 is to honor alumni who have distinguished themselves through service to their community, their profession or in their chosen field of endeavor. This year Dr. Frederick Mandell, Class of 1956, was selected by the Alumni Board of Directors as the 2014 recipient. Dr. Mandell is a pediatrician in Brookline, Massachusetts who was a research pioneer for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and was founder of one of the first Sudden Infant Death Centers in the United States. His volunteer work includes missions to Peru and he has served as the pediatrician
for sick Chachapoya children in the Leymabamba clinic. He continues to have a full time clinical practice with a loyal patient population from great distances, has been published in numerous medical journals and is author of two fiction novels, The One-Foot Waterfall and Jacob and Rachel. Dr. Mandell gave a moving acceptance speech that detailed his 4 years as a NFA student. He spoke of a NFA history teacher, Ruth Anderson, who picked him out of the pack and said he was not working to his potential. She told him not to come to class and, instead, gave him a weekly assignment in the library. That, he said, was a turning point for him. He stated he can still remember, to this day, the way she looked at him when she told him not to come to class anymore. He went to the library and he worked because there was no way he was going to let Ruth Andersen, history teacher, down, no way! He said he read more history from more sources than one could ever imagine. He became an independent worker, relying on himself. He went on to become a history major in college graduating with special honors in history. And with that success went on to medical school. He spoke of never forgetting his beginnings and he often tells his student of NFA’s Ruth Andersen, history teacher, who saved him. In accepting the award he stated, “I hope you understand that Norwich Free Academy was a real beginning for me and that is why his honor has so very much meaning.”
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD This award was established by the Alumni Association Board of Directors in 2001 to pay tribute to fellow alumni who have demonstrated dedication and commitment to NFA or the Alumni Association. This year the award recipient was Olive Buddington, Class of 1943. The Academy is fortunate that Olive chose us as one of the organizations she wanted to be a part of and has been actively involved with the Academy for many years. She has served as a Corporator of the Academy since 1991 and in 1995 became an Honorary Corporator. She was the Class of 1943 Class Agent for the NFA Foundation from 1993 – 2004 and served on the Class Agent Advisory panel for two years. She has volunteered as a phonathon caller for many years and most recently was a member of the Alumni Association
Board of Directors. As a gracious volunteer for the Alumni Association and has warmly welcomed her classmates to the Annual Jubilee Reunion. She has also served as a member of the former Slater Museum Board of Fellows and has been a member and supporter of Slater for decades. The Alumni Association appreciates all that she has done and continues to do for the Academy.
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LEGACY DAY 2014 continued GEORGE RIPLEY STUDENT HUMANITARIAN AWARD This award was named for the Alumni Association’s first president and recognizes a senior who has demonstrated personal character through leadership, altruism, volunteerism and the giving of oneself to the community. The 2014 George Ripley Student Humanitarian recipient was Allison Grant. In a nomination letter received for Allison it was noted that, “Allie is one of those students who doesn’t just talk about how she is going to do something, she does it.” Allison was very involved in the NFA community – as a peer mediator, technical assistant for NFA Playshop and a student coordinator for Project Outreach. Allison was highly respected among her peers and was the president of NFA’s National Honor Society. Her commitment to NFA and to her community sets an example to all.
This year there were five exceptional students who were nominated by faculty and staff, each one of them exemplifying the significance of this award. They were; Hannah Long, Shania Homiski, Sarah Gardner and Steven Craney.
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Continued from page 9 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS 2012 Dr. John Tauro ’75 2013 Linda Desrosiers Smith ’66 2014 Dr. Frederick Mandell ’56
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS 2001 Bernard Savage ’35 2002 Dorsi Sandberg Royce ’34 2003 The Navick Family 2004 Erin Connell Martinelli ’64 2005 Harry ’36 and Selma Silverman Swatsburg ’34 2006 Paul J. Desio ’32 2007 Dr. Anthony Tramontozzi & Family 2008 Carol A. Cieslukowski ’58 2009 Irene Ukarma Donovan ’65 2010 James P. Cronin ’63 2011/12 Dr. Michael Phillips ’40 and Atty Theodore Phillips II ‘74 2013 Steven L. Bokoff ’72 2014 Olive J. Buddington ’43
GEORGE RIPLEY STUDENT HUMANITARIAN AWARD RECIPIENTS 2009 Thomas H. Teixeria 2010 Derell Q. Wilson 2011 Abigail L. Healey 2012 Amanda G. Gregg 2013 Justin Morin 2014 Allison Grant
In 1989 Sons and Daughters In Touch (SDIT) was formed to locate, unite and support America’s Gold Star children who, like Robert II, lost their fathers in the Vietnam War. SDIT was at the forefront of efforts to mobilize Gold Star families, filling a void its members had long endured. Robert II joined SDIT and would travel to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC in 1991 and again in 1992, when SDIT celebrated its first national Father’s Day, to pay homage to his father and other fathers who names appeared on the wall. He established lifetime friendships with other sons and daughters. With SDIT, Robert II went on a trip to Vietnam, where sons and daughters were able to walk in their fathers’ footsteps. On May 24, 2014, Robert II traveled to Washington, DC with SDIT to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday and was invited to have breakfast with President Barack Obama, the third group of SDIT members to have an audience with the President. Attending his father’s 50th class reunion events has given Robert II the opportunity to connect with those who were a part of his father’s life. Those who attended classes with him or played a sport with him were so pleased to have this honorary member of the Class of ’64 join them on this special day. Robert and his wife Kenya have three sons, Kamari Dwight, Robert Louis III and Quincy Lorenz. At a very young age, Robert II lost his father. He has walked in his father’s footsteps, honoring him and ensuring that his rich and rewarding legacy lived on. Robert II evolved into a loving son, an amazing dad to his sons, and a man of whom his father would be proud. Above: Peter Ballaro ’66 (left) with Robert Howard, II
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2014 JUBILEE REUNION
ju·bi·lee noun
Merriman-Webster dictionary defines Jubilee as
\ˈjü-bə-(ˌ)lē, ˌjü-bə-ˈlē\ : a special anniversary;
For NFA, Jubilee is a reunion event for alumni who graduated 61 or more years ago, where over 350 alumni and guests arrive – many wearing their Red & White school colors – embracing the opportunity to reconnect and reunite with former classmates and friends. This year marks the 20th year of the Jubilee Reunion, a group celebration for Classes that graduated from the Academy more than 61 years ago, as they no longer have individual class reunions. Jubilee allows our dedicated alumni to remain connected to their alma mater and one another. When the idea of hosting a group reunion was first discussed back in 1994, the Alumni Association thought what a unique way to bring these alumni back together. That first event had 36 people in attendance and this annual celebration continues to grow with attendees year after year.
Head of School David J. Klein welcomed the group and thanked them all for attending. He gave a special thank you to those who worked on the reunion committee. He invited those attending to stop by campus and take a look at all the changes that have occurred in the last several years. Alumni Board President Gale Eccleston Ennis ‘78 introduced the members of those classes celebrating a milestone reunion. Two members of the Class of 1935, the earliest class represented, were in attendance -- Mr. David Tongren and Mrs. Mary Donovan Field – to celebrate their 79th class reunion. Warren Burgess and Carol Brand Conner, Class of 1939, celebrated their 75th year reunion. Also celebrating milestone years were groups of alumni from the Class of 1944 (70th year) and Class of 1945 (65th year). Bruce Blye, Class of 1953, of La Quinta, California, received the prize for the alum traveling the farthest to join in the festivities. The event ended on a happy note as several alumni in attendance were the lucky winners of the door prize drawings. Classmates left the event with the promise that they would return next year to once again celebrate with their classmates!
PHOTOS ON FACING PAGE: Top left: Robert ’42 and Florence Peterson Harrington ’48 Top right: Audrey Lathrop Robinson & ’47 and Bill Robinson ’43 Middle: David Klein, Gwen Moore Palazzolo ’51
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Middle left: Dr. Frank Vasington ’46, Tom LaFreniere ’46 Middle right: Micah Silverman, Janet Lebovitz Rudolf ’44, David Silverman ’65 Bottom: Dottie Eyberse Levanto ’51, Dan Leone ’49, Dr. Joe Levanto ’47
“This is a great event….when NFA hired me to teach machine shop, it was the turning point of my life.” “My professional career at NFA was the best time of my life.” Ray Wooley, Class of 1941
“I have come to the Jubilee Reunion for the past ten years. These are my classmates! ...I came to NFA from a one room school house in Bozrah. I would take the Fitchville to Hartford bus for transportation to get to school.”
“We met when schools consolidated in Bozrah in 1943, and we went to NFA together and have been friends ever since.” Betty Schatz Rogan, Class of 1948, and Betty Beard Kinne, Class of 1948 – both became teachers.
NFA was “very important” in my life. David Tongren, Class of 1935 valedictorian
“I come to the Jubilee Reunion every year. I want to socialize with enthusiastic people. I loved NFA… I had a wonderful experience. Today, the school is asked to do more and more and does more for the kids, and they did well for us.” Jeanette Coutu White, Class of 1942
“I come to Jubilee every year because I love to be with my classmates.” Bahria Harb Hartman, Class of 1945
“I loved NFA. My senior year I cried when I left.” Mary Bonomi Perras, Class of 1945
“Hey, I’ve been an NFA graduate for over 60 years. The teachers were great! I have lots of great NFA memories.” Shirley Aston McCulley, Class of 1950
“NFA? It was all good. A great 4 years, and a lifetime of friends. NFA gave me a great foundation for life.” Joan Cosentino, Class of 1950
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What do a historian and museum executive, the highest-ranking officer of the branch of the United States military, a freelance artist, football player, and a news producer have in common? All proud alumni of Norwich Free Academy, they returned to campus this year to address members of the community and share their stories.
BACK TO SCHOOL: NORWICH NATIVE SON MATT SHAUGHNESSY ’05
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This year, Class of 2005 graduate and Arizona Cardinals football player, Matt Shaughnessy was named the recipient of the 2014 Native Son Award. The Norwich Native Son/Daughter Award is presented by the Norwich Rotary Clubs and the Woman’s City Club of Norwich and is bestowed annually to a native of Norwich who has gone on to excel in his or her chosen career outside the area. Matt was recognized for being active in the community and charitable activities along with his football prowess. Starting with his days at the University of Wisconsin, Matt has been very active in the community helping out a food shelters, making visits to hospitals and running football camps for kids. He continued with those activities during his pro career. NFA Alumni Association Board President, Gale Eccleston Ennis ’78, presented Matt with a crystal plaque from the Association and told Matt she hopes he remembers his hometown school when he looks at the plaque in his home in Arizona. Matt is part of a family legacy at the Academy, which began with his grandmother, Peg Altschul Shaughnessy, Class of 1947, and continues through his dad, Kevin, Class of 1971, his brother Jamie ’01 and many aunts and uncles who also attended the Academy. Matt’s mom, Famatta, was unable to attend the ceremony due to being in Liberia helping to build a church and clinic in the name of Matt’s older brother, Jamie, who died of a blood clot when he was 26. Matt is helping to fund this project. The Alumni Association is proud to call Matt an NFA alum and congratulates him on his achievements.
JUSTIN GIGNAC ’98 FREELANCER EXTRAORDINAIRE
ALUMNI RETURN TO CAMPUS Being creative is his core…it is who and what he is. Justin Gignac is not only creative, he’s a brilliant businessman who has figured out a way to make freelancing a career.
Gignac, NFA Fine Arts Student, Class of 1998, has always seen things just a little bit differently. For example, while a student at NFA, his part time job was playing Tater the Gator—the mascot for the Norwich Navigators, the AA Minor League Affiliate of the New York Yankees, at Dodd Stadium in Norwich. He got to “be goofy and have fun, and get paid, all at the same time.” In the Fine Arts Program Gignac saw each new assignment, each new artistic problem, as a way to challenge himself “and challenge my teachers” to go in new and different directions. “I’d always look for a way to interpret the assignment in a way that I knew that the teacher didn’t mean, but that was technically accurate. Sometimes it worked, and I created neat stuff; sometimes it didn’t, and I’d have to do the assignment over again,” he said. Gignac described himself in high school as “a clown and weirdly creative,” and last spring when he was on campus talking to art students, he credited his teachers for supporting his artistic independence and growth.
“Listen to your teachers,” Gignac told students. “They will guide you to believe in yourself. And once you do, everything is possible.” The possible for Gignac was attending the School of Visual Arts in New York City, followed by a series of positions in corporate advertising. Gignac cites a transformative moment for him in an advertising campaign discussion about the importance of packaging to promote a product or service. Always re-framing a discussion and looking at it from different angles, as a result of the discussion, Gignac conceived of the idea of selling New York City garbage as a way to prove that “packaging is important.” He amused students with his story of collecting street trash and debris, packaging it in cool, clear, plastic cubes, and selling them on street corners as souvenirs. That was the beginning. In time, the “wacky idea” took hold and became a wildly successful venture as he took it online. Always the innovator Gignac continued to improve on his initial success by strategically placing bits and pieces of found objects from the streets of the city in his clear plastic boxes to tell stories of special events like an important game in Yankee Stadium or to celebrate the City’s Gay Pride parade. These became “limited edition” runs and their exclusivity drove up the price of his originals.
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Justin Gignac – continued from page 15 Mallory Kydd of Norwich says, “I wanted to make my high school experience count, and I tried to do it all at NFA.”
Soon, Gignac took his concept to a new level by going global, travelling to different locations/cities in the world (59 at last count) replicating his cubed street garbage art. The mainstream press, including Business Week, NY Daily News, and many others picked up on his success and he has been the subject of many articles and news stories. YouTube clip https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=MiWOKXvMXj4 is characteristic of the documentation of Gignac’s work in video and TV.
The website provides top corporate advertisers opportunities to match or schedule their needs to those of top freelance creatives available for projects (artists, illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, videographers, writers, conceptual artists, etc.). Once registered, a freelancer lists his or her status as “not working,” and once hired changes his or her status to “working,” only to repeat the process upon finishing or sequencing projects for those wishing to hire their particular talent. The concept represents a new economic paradigm in the creative field. The website http://workingnotworking. com/ is the winner of two 2013 international Webby Awards, including one for the 100 Brilliant Companies of 2013. Since 1986 the Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), has recognized and honored excellence on the internet. Wildcat Justin Gignac’s work has been recognized for its excellence. These days, Gignac is living in New York City, collaborating with his wife on the next brainstorm. “Thinking outside of the box” has been Jason Gignac’s most important quality—as thinking “outside the box” first led to sculpting inside the box. Gignac’s extraordinary talent and engaging way has carried this1999 NFA arts student on a career journey that is nothing short of amazing.
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BACK TO SCHOOL: ALUMNI RETURN TO CAMPUS
Gignac’s venture as a creative soon led him to leave his corporate position to become a full time freelancer. That move led to his next great idea – a membership website for freelance artists to register their availability and talent. Always looking for new and exciting directions, Gignac leveraged his commercial success into an online business WNW (Working, Not Working) for freelance artists.
Doing it all included playing lacrosse, volleyball, and skiing. Kydd took Russian and excelled in her academic studies. She was popular and hard working, but most of all, she was ambitious.
Mallory Kydd, Class of 2007, dreamed of a career in broadcasting, and she took journalism. In Cheray Fitzgerald’s media and journalism classes, Kydd’s interest in broadcasting was nurtured – she learned to write news copy, to smell out a story, and to look at the world around her through a storytelling angle. “For me,” she says, “It was always about the story.” Kydd anchored the morning announcements on NFA-TV, a major commitment for a high school student. She learned both the theoretical and technical aspects of broadcast journalism from both sides of the news desk and the camera, and the more she learned, the more she loved what she was learning. When she graduated in 2007, Kydd was accepted into the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass
Communication at Arizona State University, where her NFA skills and experience “gave me an edge.” The school is noted as a national leader in the field. Kydd talks enthusiastically of her hands on experience with leaders in media and communications, and especially about her experience in Cronkite News Watch, a laboratory experience which operates like a 24/7 news outlet. Students meet in a group each morning, pitch ideas, receive assignments, and by 5 p.m., their news package is put together, posted online, and broadcast live.
MALLORY KYDD ’07 NEWS PRODUCER “It was an extraordinary experience,” said Kydd last March to NFA students sitting in the very seats she once occupied in Fitzgerald’s classes. Kydd talked at length about one particular experience which she found to be self-defining. “I didn’t want to do fluff work, or be another face announcing the news,” she said. “I was really interested in stories of consequence and power… those that were important to people and would make a difference.” As a senior she decided that the plight of disabled and disfigured veterans of the tenyear War in Afghanistan was more important than campus politics and events, and she called the San Antonio Military Medical Center and told them her idea. She made contact with one veteran who had just arrived from a military hospital in Germany suffering from the devastating result of an IED explosion. “I wanted to interview him, talk to him, person to person, and put a personal face on a huge national problem,” she said. In a rented car with a camera equipment in tow, Kydd drove 17 hours to Texas to interview the veteran, and after some initial last minute hesitation on his part, she persuaded him that his story “needed to be told, not only to heal
him, but to help others.” Kydd interviewed Thomas Jansusz “a strong, kind, good man,” to outline the plight both psychologically and medically of present day veterans. “It was a powerful piece – one I am enormously proud of,” she said. The piece was a triumph and can be viewed at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=JIndgMvUqJY. Kydd and Jansusz became and have remained friends. In March, Kydd had just returned from Sochi, Russia, where she was a production assistant for NBC Sports coverage of the Extreme Zone at the Winter Olympics where she was able to put her Russian language experience to good use. She delighted students with her stories of the cold, austere living conditions complimented by the warmth of comradeship and excitement of the crew and the event. Kydd’s stories emphasized the incredible rise in the popularity and competitive nature of extreme sports marked by the 2014 Winter Olympics. She showed pictures of her credentials and told the story of posing with NBC Today Show co-hosts Willie Geist and Natalie Morales. Students were awed by the reality and magnitude of her experience. The Olympics was an “awesome experience,” says Kydd, and taught her “No dream is too big!” In March, when Kydd was back on campus, she was between jobs, leaving the very next day to take on new challenges. Today Kydd can be found writing for New York’s WPIX, Channel 11. “On the morning show I write for 4 hours. I edit video on Final Cut Pro [computer software which students at NFA learn to use in journalism and media classes], which is taped out in the field and sent back to the newsroom. I coordinate time slots with reporters out in the field. I create graphics for their packages as well.” It’s a grueling schedule with hours from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Mallory Kydd, NFA alumna and rising star in the world of communications and mass media, is a person to watch. Her future is bright, and her journey began under the cherry blossoms of NFA’s Broadway campus taking advantage of the Academy’s many opportunities and choices. “NFA has so much to offer,” Kydd says.
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BACK TO SCHOOL: ALUMNI RETURN TO CAMPUS
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DR. MORRIS J. VOGEL ’63 ADDRESSES FRIENDS OF SLATER
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“I became an American historian because I was curious about who I was in the refugee context, always harkening back to what was a ‘real’ American and watching Americans evolve toward a generous and inclusive understanding of their national identity.” – Dr. Morris J. Vogel
The Friends of Slater Museum were fortunate to have Dr. Morris J. Vogel, Class of 1963, as the keynote speaker for their Annual Meeting in May. President of the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side in New York City since 2008, Vogel’s talk focused on “what I do now and why.” This NFA alumnus oversees the presentation of “real” history on an individual, human, personal level. Vogel spoke about his vision of the Tenement Museum’s goal to “tell the very human story” of America’s immigrant experience, and he focused in particular upon how telling that story is key to connecting the stories of communities in general. Vogel knows a lot about that. Born on the steppes of Kazakhstan to Polish-Jewish parents who fled eastward during World War II, Vogel and his family, after the war, lived in camps for displaced-persons before coming to the U.S. in 1949. In fact, in a WICH radio interview with Stu Briar, Vogel made the point that like the East Side of New York, Norwich has all the assets to make the immigrant story become a reality for visitors. Vogel’s presentation included video of the Tenement Museum, tracing the journey of the once abandoned building to today’s bustling tourist attraction and educational facility, interviewing
interpreters and visitors, and outlining the museum’s focus upon the story of one child and his experience, representing the more general experience of thousands. It was, however, when he left the podium and addressed the crowd personally and intimately, speaking about his arrival in Norwich as an immigrant child and attending NFA, that audience became totally engaged and rapt with the experience of the immigrant boy making his way in America. It was then, also, that Vogel fully exuded his passion for the subject, a passion that was as intense as it was infectious. Vogel trained as an American social and urban historian at the University of Chicago (Ph.D. 1974) and served on the faculty of Temple University for 30 years, advancing in rank to professor, chair of the department of history, and—for four years—acting dean of the College
of Liberal Arts. While at Temple, Vogel directed a number of public history initiatives and founded the NEH-funded Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH). He was a member of the Historic Preservation Board of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and he served as director of Creativity and Culture at the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation, where he initiated strategies for employing culture as an agent of social transformation. Vogel has authored numerous articles and books about history and museums including, The Invention of the Modern Hospital: Boston, 1879-1930; Cultural Connections: Museums and Galleries of the Delaware Valley; and The American History Book. His Cultural Connections, an award winning publication, explores the holdings of many collecting institutions of the Philadelphia area and the reasons our society treasures certain works of art and artifacts, as well as particular books, manuscripts, and natural specimens. Addressing broad themes in American history and culture, Morris J. Vogel illuminates the vast collection of objects held by the cultural institutions of the Delaware Valley and draws connections between the holdings of one museum and those of others. His goal in Cultural Connections is to reflect how Americans have thought about culture to make sense of their experience as a people. After graduating from the Academy, Vogel attended Brandeis University in Boston. There he met, and in 1968 married, his wife Ruth, now a clinical psychologist in private practice in NYC. She proudly accompanied him to Norwich for his presentation. Morris and Ruth’s Vogel’s son Kenneth lives in Washington, DC, where he is chief investigative reporter for Politico, and their son Jonathan lives in NYC, where he is assistant professor of economics at Columbia.
NEW ARRIVAL CENTER OPENS Last spring as NFA Director of Diversity Leo Butler and his Team Leader Amy Correia were shepherding into reality their long-term goal of a New Arrival Center at the Academy, it was appropriate for Dr. Morris Vogel to visit campus and speak at the annual meeting of the Friends of Slater Museum. The New Arrival Center, which opened this fall, allows students who do not speak English to be immersed full time in a language rich environment to learn the basics of spoken and written English before they enter NFA’s English Language Learners program. The Academy has abandoned the term “English as a Second Language” for the more exact term “English Language Learners” because English is their third or fourth language for many students. The new term also more positively recognizes the totality of the immigrant experience beyond language acquisition. Many students today will enter our schools, the children of immigrants and in need of support and services to learn English and set them on the path to realizing their potential as Americans. For some, NFA’s New Arrival Center will be an important first step on that road, for the success of America’s immigrants establishes a foundation for the next generation.
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ADMIRAL ROBERT J. PAPP, JR., USCG (RET.) ’70 ADDRESSES THE CLASS OF 2015 “Last time I was on this stage, I was standing in the back corner playing timpani in the orchestra,” reflected ADM Robert J. Papp, Jr., USCG (Ret.) as he spoke to NFA’s Class of 2015 from the Slater Auditorium stage on January 8, 2014. Admiral Papp, a member of NFA’s Class of 1970 was in Southeastern Connecticut and took the opportunity to visit the three educational institutions that he describes as most influential in his life – Norwich Free Academy; the United States Coast Guard Academy, from which he graduated in 1975; and, the Naval War College, where he earned a Masters of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies.
Homeland Security, the United States Coast Guard is comprised of 42,000 active duty, 8,200 Reserve, 8,000 civilian and 31,000 volunteer Auxiliarists. Among his many distinguished accomplishments
Head of School David Klein introduced Admiral Papp to the Class by reminding them, “This very important, distinguished and successful leader sat in the same auditorium as an NFA student, just like you are doing here today.” Papp retired as the 24th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, the service’s highest ranking officer in May. The largest component of the Department of
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BACK TO SCHOOL: ALUMNI RETURN TO CAMPUS
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THE SLATER MUSEUM FALL/WINTER 2014-15 as Commandant, Papp fought to keep major programs on track despite budget cuts. He successfully worked with Congress to restore funding for eight National Security Cutters and restored the heavy icebreaker Polar Sea to full operation. During his remarks to the Class of 2015, Papp said, “I can’t think of a better place to grow up than Norwich, Connecticut, and a better high school to go than NFA. It really set me up for life.” When asked what his fondest memories of NFA are, he reflected on his time on the football team and his teammates. Papp described the biggest strength of Norwich Free Academy is the care and compassion of the faculty and staff. It was something he saw across the entire campus – everyone always cared about and took interest in each and every one of the students. Before leaving campus, Admiral Papp asked the students to think about what they wanted to do in the future. “What I would ask you to consider this morning is to do something which pays back either your community or your country,” he advised. In his retirement, Admiral Papp continues to give back to our country, appointed U.S. Special Representative for the Artic by the U.S. Department of State in July.
CONNECTICUT WOMEN ARTISTS NATIONAL OPEN JURIED EXHIBITION August 30 through September 26, 2014 RENAISSANCE IN PASTEL, CONNECTICUT PASTEL SOCIETY NATIONAL OPEN JURIED EXHIBITION October 8 through November 9, 2014; opening reception, October 19, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Gallery Tour 3:00 p.m. (Norwich Art School Open House) WALLY LAMB’S NORWICH WALKING TOUR AND NORWICH AUTHORS’ BOOK FAIR October 11, 2014,1:30 to 5:30 p.m. See www.slatermuseum.org for details NFA CAMPUS, CHELSEA PARADE AND SLATER WALKING TOURS (NFA HOMECOMING) October 18, 2014, 10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. COMMEMORATION OF SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE’S 1894 SPEECH IN SLATER HALL, THE CT CHAPTER OF THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS, AMERICA’S SHERLOCK HOLMES SOCIETY, MUSEUM TOUR, RE-ENACTMENTS AND DINNER November 2, 2014; 2:00 p.m. – 7:00; a ticketed event, please see www.slatermuseum.org for details PRINTMAKERS’ NETWORK OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND, PROOF POSITIVE December 7, 2014 through January 18, 2015, opening reception, December 7, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
MUSEUM HOURS Tuesday – Friday: 9 am – 4 pm • Saturday & Sunday: 1 pm – 4 pm Closed Monday & Holidays ADMISSION Adults: $3.00 • Seniors & Students: $2.00 Friends of Slater Museum and Children under 12 are free GENERAL MUSEUM INFORMATION (860) 887-2506 • Website: www.slatermuseum.org
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REUNION NEWS
CLASS OF 1969 REUNION WEEKEND! Submitted by: Pat Bowman Moravek NFA Class of 1969 held their 45th Reunion weekend July 25-27, 2014. The fabulous weekend was organized by the “NFA 1969 Reunited” Facebook Administrators and the NFA 1969 Reunion Committee. The weekend began with a golf tournament on Friday afternoon at the River Ridge Golf Club in Griswold. Chacer’s Bar and Grill in Norwich was the place to be on Friday night. Over fifty classmates attended the “meet and greet” casual night. Everyone had a great time seeing friends they haven’t seen in many years. The NFA Alumni Office organized a wonderful tour of the school campus on Saturday morning, with about 45 people participating on the tour. Several of our classmates had not been back to the school in many years. It was wonderful for them to see how beautiful the campus is today. The reunion was held Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun. It was a fantastic evening. Many hugs and kisses went all around. Friendships were rekindled and new friends met for the first time. The Class of ‘69 loves to dance, and the dance floor was filled all night! We were very happy to have two of our teachers there with us -- Mr. Daniel Blackstone ’45, 86 years young, a science teacher and advisor for the fencing club for many years and Mr. Andrew Tellier, ’44, 88 year young, Music Dept. and Band Advisor. It was a very special night for us to have them there to celebrate with us. On Sunday, forty-six of us went on a cruise and tour of the Ledge Lighthouse and also the Avery Point Lighthouse. Following the cruise, all cruisers were invited to the home of Ricky and Kathleen Barrett where a few of “our own” classmates got together and formed a band for a fun “jam session”. This was amazing as some of them live in different states so they would Skype to practice! They were fabulous! It was a wonderful evening of going back to 1969 and enjoying ourselves like teenagers once again. It was truly an amazing weekend. The Facebook group “NFA 1969 Reunited” was also the first class to have an online auction of items that were made and created and purchased by our own classmates. The group helped raise over $5,100 for the benefit of the NFA Foundation through their fundraising efforts with the auction and throughout the weekend with smaller events. Special thank yous go out to the NFA 1969 Reunion Committee for planning our Saturday evening event, Danny Stockwell for organizing the golf outing, Pat Bowman Moravek and Chacer’s for our meet and greet, Chuck and Penny Bartnicki for the Ledge Lighthouse and Avery Lighthouse tour and Pat Bowman Moravek for organizing the cruise. Thank you to Bobbie James Thompson and Kenny Brostek for our online auction. Thank you to Michael Crouch our “in-house photographer” for all the wonderful pictures he took at all of the events. Mike ensured that all our special moments were captured forever. The weekend was a trip down Memory Lane and we look forward to our 50th Reunion and many “mini-reunions” in between!
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UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS REUNIONS Class of 1974 – 40th Reunion Saturday, October 18, 2014 Mohegan Sun Country Club at Pautipaug. Contact the Alumni Office if you have not received an invitation.
Class of 1979 – 35th Reunion Saturday, October 18, 2014 Prime 82 Restaurant. Contact the Alumni Office if you have not received an invitation.
Class of 1989 – 25th Reunion Saturday, November 29, 2014 Wright’s Mill Farm. Contact the Alumni Office if you have not received an invitation.
HOMECOMING NFA’s Alumni Association invites you to join us at Homecoming on Saturday, October 18. Tailgating starts at 11:00 am prior to the 1 pm kick-off of this year’s game against Fitch. Bring the family and enjoy the day with classmates & friends. Parking is limited. Go to www.nfaschool.org/homecoming or contact the Alumni Office at 860-425-5542 or alumni@nfaschool.org to reserve your spot!
Above: 2013 Homecoming Below: 2014 Florida Reunion
FLORIDA REUNION Watch you mail for additional information for the 2015 Norwich/Florida Reunion scheduled for February 23, 2015 at Pelican Pointe Country Club in Venice, FL. To add your name to the invitation list, go to www.nfaschool.org/florida.
SPRING 2015 We’re coming to DC and Boston! More details to follow.
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PERMANENT LIGHTS ILLUMINATE TURF FIELD NFA’s motto “Sit Lux” takes on new meaning on September 19, 2014. For the first time in NFA history, permanent lighting will illuminate the turf field as the Wildcats face off against the East Lyme Vikings. It has long been a goal of the NFA and Norwich community to light the turf field. Last year, the Academy rented field lights for the month of October as a trial to extend the use of the turf field for night games, practices, and events. Last March, the Trustees, contracted with Musco Sports Lighting, LLC. Musco uses their knowledge, experience, and the latest technology to meet the unique requirements to light an outdoor space, to determine the amount of light necessary, to maximize efficiency and maintenance, and, most importantly for NFA, to make a lighted sports facility a good neighbor. In fact, since late last winter Head of School David Klein has met and corresponded with NFA neighbors several times to ensure that all neighborhood concerns about lighting are met. Lighting the field will have many benefits for NFA students. NFA is field strapped for practice, play and performance
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areas. Lighting will allow three tiered field scheduling -- during day time hours, after school until dusk, and evening hours. The expanded access will benefit almost every student on campus in some way. In addition to affecting the freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity football teams, which most associate with night games, a lighted turf field will also affect many other athletic teams including soccer and field hockey. In addition, lighting expands access and field time for NFA’s award winning Wildcat Marching Band, and for many community uses. A lighted field now makes NFA an eligible site for state semi-final, final, and play-off games and for expanding events like the NFA Marching Band Classic each year. Many see night use of the turf field as fuel for economic development in the city, as events in a lighted venue provide a reason for people to come into the city in the evening. Those same visitors will be filling their gas tanks, stopping for a bite to eat, or taking advantage of other goods and services in the city. All that activity benefits the city. The first “official event” under the lights is the football game September 19. It
promises to be a celebration for the city, all NFA fans, and the history books. Titled “NFA Shines” the event includes a pre-game reception, 5 p.m., in the Atrium for invited officials and dignitaries from all of NFA’s boards, partner districts, the city, alumni, and other groups, including NFA’s neighbors. Students past and present will be represented in many ways, from members of NFA’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Alumni Cheerleaders, and alumni Wildcat Marching Band members to members and coaches and advisers of present athletic and student organizations. The pre-game celebration will honor NFA’s illuminated past, recognize its shining present, and focus upon a bright future. Special recognition will be given to Norwich Public Utilities for support of the project both in rebates for energy efficiency and in funding from the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Corporation to support economic development. Once the lights are turned on, there will be the fanfare of the National Anthem, the delivery of a game ball and a coin toss, and the game will be underway. Special “NFA Shines” t-shirts and a commemorative program, and lots of fun at half time will make the night special. Don’t miss this first in NFA history – almost 160 years in the coming! If you can’t make it, look for coverage on NFA’s official Facebook page www.facebook.com/nfaschool or follow the excitement on NFA’s official Twitter account @ nfaschool. According to NFA Athletic Director Gary Makowicki, all home evening games this season will be “events” for the community – one to honor youth sports and athletics, one to honor first responders, and one to honor veterans. Look for more details to come on the NFA website about each of these evening games, and plan to attend, September 26, October 2, and November 14.
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Joseph Wojtkiewicz ’14 is a member of the Franklin Fire Department. The fire department asked if fire hydrant plaques could be made by our art students to be presented at a benefit to past fire chiefs on May 10, 2014. Joey was happy to help them out and spent many study halls and hours after school in the clay room making the plaques. He volunteered his time and also recruited some friends, Molly Jones’14, Heather Barber ’14, Phillip Hyman ’14, to do the same. This is another example of NFA students paying it forward for the benefit of the NFA Community.
NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP WINNER Parker Robbins, an incoming senior, has won a national scholarship provided by +U™, a rapidly-growing and highly personalized online platform that helps hundreds of thousands of prospective and current college students by matching them to the right colleges, scholarships, internships, job opportunities and other post-graduation services. Parker was selected to receive one of five $10,000 national scholarships by completing a creative writing contest when enrolling with +U™. His scholarship entry included preparing a short creative essay describing his ideal college experience and how it would help him in the future. Parker maintains a 4.0 GPA and with his passion for language, he expects to enroll at New York University in 2015 to study linguistics and French.
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CAMPUS NEWS
SENIORS PAYING IT FORWARD
FORMER NFA HEAD OF SCHOOL PUBLISHED Former NFA Head of School/ Superintendent Mark Cohan published a book, Reflections and Confessions of an Educational Leader. This book is a personal account of a year in the life and work of a superintendent. Woven through his reflective journal are recollections and analyses for the first 35 years of his career -- from his decision to become a teacher through leadership experiences in each of the districts where he worked. After retiring from NFA, he began his second career as an instructor in Central Connecticut State University’s School of Education and Professional Studies.
NORWICH WALKTOBER 2014 – WALLY LAMB’S NORWICH Join us for the walking tour, “Wally Lamb’s Norwich,” hosted by the author. It will start at NFA beginning 1:30 on Saturday October 11, where Wally was both a student and a teacher. Participants will proceed past Wally’s boyhood home on the way to downtown Norwich, then up Broadway to Uncas’ Leap, which were favorite locales for action in his work. The 2 mile tour ends back at NFA where Wally will explain the importance of Slater Memorial Museum in the development of his fictions. For additional information call 860-887-6964.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? To help our students answer that question, NFA is hosting a Career Expo, a school-wide career day on November 26, 2014 from 8am-noon. Over 150 career speakers, career readiness workshops and alumni will join us on campus to reflect on college and workplace experiences. The mission of the Career Expo is to expose students to a diverse offering of careers and skills that will give them direction, help them set goals, and plan for their futures. We are currently recruiting speakers for the program. If you would like to be involved, let us know by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NFACAREEREXPO or contact Linda Farinha at 860-425-5729 or FarinhaL@nfaschool.org or Jodi Vara at 860-425-5643 or VaraJ@nfaschool.org.
NEW LIBRARY SEATING Since its opening in the early 1990s, the library has had the same furniture. After decades and thousands of students, many of the chairs were in dire need of replacement. With thanks to funding from the NFA Foundation, new seating was installed over the summer for the computer work stations and tables. Come on by, grab a book and take a seat!
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Mathematics teacher, Emily Caron welcomed her daughter Natalie Elizabeth, on March 12, 2014. Science teacher Dr. Gabriela González-Bonet and Daniel Rosario welcomed their baby boy, Milan André on April 12 2104.
FACULTY & STAFF
Career Resource specialist Kat Mathews and Tom Machnik were married on July 18, 2014. They eloped in Stowe, VT where Kat became Kat Machnik.
English teacher Amy Rygielski Correia ’01 welcomed John Everett Correia, Jr, born on May 7, 2014. World Language teacher Chris Labelle and his wife Amanda had a baby boy, Colin, June 12, 2014. s
Congratulations to Guidance secretary and first time grandma, Michelle Cady Danieluk ’81. Her grandson, Wyatt was born on April 28, 2014. Wyatt’s dad is Matthew Danieluk ’07.
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Art teacher and department head Alysha Zaneski Carmody ’00 gave birth a baby girl, Laurel Cavey Carmody on May 4, 2014.
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Mathematics teacher & Girls’ tennis coach Christine Justice gave birth to her daughter, Madelyn Shirley Sue on April 18, 2014.
Art teacher Jen Carlstrom along with her husband Alan, and big brother Ryder welcomed Brayden Austin on April 20, 2014
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Social worker Joanne Zenowitz became a grandmother for the first time on March 4, 2014. Her son, Tom Zenowitz ’01 and his wife Jessica are the proud parents of Abigale Lynn.
NEWS
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Mathematics teacher, Karen D’Auria was thrilled to welcome her second grandchild, Evangeline Noelle Sheppard, who was born on January 13, 2014. Proud parents are NFA graduates Micah ‘04 and Katherine D’Auria Sheppard ‘05.
CLASS NOTES
What have classmates and friends been up to? What have you been up to? Let us know!
We know that most alumni members turn right to the Class Notes section to see the latest news on former classmates, so please let us know if something important has happened to you: a job change, a marriage or new baby, a degree, a transfer – anything that involves NFA alumni is of interest to us! You can email your news to alumni@nfaschool.org or mail it to NFA – Levanto Alumni House, 321 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360
1952 Bill Gourd and his wife of 44 years, Dr. Janet Yerby, continue to be reasonably heathy at their home in Midland, MI. Although he lives some 1500 miles away, he plans to return to Connecticut to see Norwich and NFA again.
1953 Dr. Thomas Tephly wrote to let us know that some of the best years of his life were spent at NFA. He was the class valedictorian and went on to receive his BS, PhD and MD. He is thankful for the great, supportive teachers he had.
1957 Robert Walenczyk, a retired airline captain with Northwest Airlines got away from the harsh winter of Duluth, NM and cruised the inland waterway of the United States and Gulf of Mexico.
1958 Charles ‘Chuck’ Burdick continues as contract postmaster for Duck, NC and was reelected for a third term on Duck Town Council.
1960 Members of the Class of 1960 were pleased to have Roberta Spence Propp and her husband Ernie Propp ’59 join them from Delaware for Homecoming. (Left to Right) Ann Bushnell Celico, Ann McGrath Arsenault, Sue Gough Sullivan, Roberta Spence Propp, Fred Kingsley
1961 Warren Osik and his wife Carolyn will attend the 150th commemoration of the Battle of Atlantic from September 19- 21, 2014. They will be staying at the home of his sister, Marilyn Osik Parkinson ’64, who now resides in Cumming, GA, a suburb of Atlanta.
1962 Joe Farrell and Carol Chmiel Farrell ’64 have been married for 48 years and have two great sons, Joey and Jimmy, as well as two wonderful grandchildren Jimmy, Jr (20) and Cindy (18). They traveled for 30 years and now are enjoying retirement with family and friends.
1963 Steve Maguire has published a revised edition of his original 1992 book, Jungle in Black. This complete rewrite, Jungle in Black: Revised Edition, follows the same storyline but the entire narrative was reworked with a lot more detail. There wasn’t a single sentence that remained untouched. This is the memoir of one soldier’s long journey home from Vietnam. Steve was a decorated Airborne Ranger, infantry officer, who commanded a 9th Infantry Division battalion reconnaissance platoon in the Mekong Delta. It was there in November of 1969, while on an airmobile operation, that an exploding Viet Cong mine blinded him for life. He lost his sight but not his courage. Jungle in Black is an honest first-person account that never wallows in self-pity as the author reassembles his life in a country that had turned its back on the war. Set in Long An Province, Vietnam, Camp Zama, Japan, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., this powerful yet often witty human drama details one man’s successful struggle against a war’s desolation. Reader comments on the original also moved him to add an introduction, a detailed glossary, 42 photos, and a greatly expanded epilogue (to chronicle subsequent events all the way to his retirement from the Army at Walter Reed last summer and their move to Oklahoma). The book is available on Amazon.com and Alibris.com.
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1965 Check out our Facebook page NFA Class of 1965 to reconnect with classmates prior to our 50th Reunion coming up in June 2015!
1967 Blanche Gaumond married Art Todriff on August 3, 2013. They are residing in Lisbon, CT.
1969 Reverend Thomas Hilton retired from Target on June 14, 2013 and is now involved part-time in supply pastoring through the local Association of United Church of Christ. Robert A. Huntington is a sanitary engineer and builds sewer treatment plants throughout the world. He is a former NFA cross country runner and is currently living and working in Saudi Arabia. He spent a weekend in March 2014 running at a track built by Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele in the mountains north of Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia. At an altitude of 8860 feet, the track is one of the highest in the world. In April 2014 Sharen S. Paster Peters was invited to become part of a focus group on Cape Cod to attend the premiere reading of a screenplay based on NYT best-selling author Joan Anderson’s first three books A Year by the Sea, An Unfinished Marriage and A Walk on the Beach. Joan’s books became New York Times best sellers, spending many months on the NYT list. Alexander Janko, a Hollywood producer, musician and screenplay writer, approached Joan and asked her to bring her books to the big screen. He wrote the musical score for the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding as well as being involved with over 60 other films. Joan’s books describe her journey to find self and soul. Sharen
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first met Joan in 2006 when she attended one of her retreats. Sharen had spent a lifetime at the mercy and serving of others and forgot to take the time to take care of herself. Her husband urged her to go to a retreat, after she could not stop talking about A Year by the Sea. That one weekend transformed her and her life changed forever. She attended five of Joan’s retreats and will once again join her in the Berkshires in September for retreat number six. Sharen learned how to honor herself first before taking care of anyone else’s wants and needs. Sharen is so proud to have been chosen for this great honor of bringing Joan’s books to life on the big screen. If anyone would like to find out more about this fabulous woman, you can go to www.yearbythesea. com. This experience proved to her that if we put our minds to it, we can achieve just about anything in life. Sharen is also publishing a children’s book with one of her many children’s poems. She intends to create a series of books with several of her children’s poems. The poems describe her life from the time she was a lonely little girl to the present where she found someone to share her life with. The series is intended to help lonely children all over the world feel better about themselves and know that there is always someone out there to call a “best friend.” Sharen and her illustrator hope to publish four children’s books as part of the initial series. She has become an established poet and writer in her community and throughout CT, RI and MA, having read her first poem in public in 2006 at Joan’s retreat. Having been writing since she was a little girl, and always being interested in poetry, she is so excited to have this opportunity at this point in her life. She can still remember her aunt saying to her at age 62 when she received her PhD, “Sharen, I finally know what I want to do when I grow up” Sharen can honestly say the same thing at age 62. She is also writing her memoir which is taking a little longer since it is sometimes very painful for her to revisit certain events in her life.
1974 The 45th Class Reunion is planned for October 18, 2014 at the Mohegan Sun Country Club at Pautipaug in Baltic. Contact the Alumni Office if you did not receive your invitation.
Beryl Fishbone recently had her book published. Legendary Locals of Norwich shares the stories of unique individuals and groups – past and present – who have had a lasting impact on the community through its history. Vintage images coupled with facts and anecdotes culled by Beryl reveal the fascinating history of legendary locals in Norwich. The books covers both town greats and unsung heroes like William Tyler Olcott, the writer and amateur astronomer who NASA honored by naming a crater on the moon after him; Eileen Akers, the president of the Connecticut Braille Association who in 1966 became one of the first Braille-ready teachers to be hired by the public school system; and, Jim “Brud” Quinn, the Norwich Police sergeant who refused to hand out parking tickets and was a USA Olympic Boxing alternate. Legendary Local of Norwich is available at local retailers, online bookstores, or through Legendary Locals at www.legendarylocals.com or (888) 313-2665.
1979 The 35th Class Reunion is planned for October 18, 2014 at Prime 82 Restaurant. Contact the Alumni Office if you did not receive an invitation.
1981 Karen McMahon has recently joined NROC, an education non profit serving students all over the country. Her position as Implementation Specialist allows her to work with educators all across the country supporting student success and college readiness. Karen lives in Ventura, CA with her husband Lee and is the proud parent of two pretty cool daughters, Alissa (23) and Austin (21) and her 4-legged hiking pal, Asia.
1989 The 25th Year Class Reunion will be held on November 29, 2014 at Wright’s Mill Farm in Canterbury. Contact the Alumni Office if you did not receive an invitation.
1994 Commander Matthew Cieslukowski (USN) turned over and assumed the role of Executive Officer on March 14, 2014. Matt earned his commission via the NROTC program at the University of Virginia where he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Relations. His career as a Surface Warfare Officer includes assignments as First Lieutenant and Training Officer onboard USS CUSHING (DD 985) Yokosuka, Japan, Operations Officer in Beachmaster Unit One (BMU1) Coronado, California, Combat Systems Officer onboard USS JARRETT (FFG 33) San Diego, California and Operations Officer onboard USS MOBILE BAY (CG 53) San Diego, California. Ashore he served as an Officer Recruiter for Navy Recruiting District New York (NRD NY) and attended US Navy
War College Newport, RI where he graduated from the Naval Operational Planners Course and earned a master’s degree (with distinction) in National Security and Strategic Studies. His most recent assignment before reporting onboard USS STERETT was as Adversary Planner, Adversary Country Team Leader and member of the Commander’s Design Team in USSTRATCOM Offutt, NE. Matt has made four at sea deployments, twice to the Middle East and twice to the South and Central America. His personal awards include a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
Appalachian Trail adventure begun in Stumbling Thru. To learn more about this series and its author, visit www.adiggerstolz.wordpress.com.
1997 Abby Demars completed her student teacher at NFA on April 8 under the guidance of Michael Jamieson and Marge Anadore. She writes that it was wonderful to be back on campus and NFA is a school far superior to all schools in the area.
2000 & 2001 Ed Reynolds ’00 and Nicole Pensis ‘01 became engaged on June 29, 2014.
He and his wife Courtney, son Gavin, and daughter Nicole are home-ported in San Diego, CA. Matt is the son of NFA alumni Donald and Nancy Rauch Cieslukowski, both Class ’65, and nephew to NFA alumna and volunteer Carol Cieslukowski ’58.
1990 The Class of 1990 25th Reunion is planned for August 29, 2015 at the Norwich Holiday Inn. Watch your mailbox for additional information in the fall. Adam “Digger” Stolz recently published the novel Keepin’ On Keepin’ On. This book concludes the lively
2001 Zachary Lamothe and Jaclyn Raffol were married September 27, 2013 at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford. They reside in Plymouth, MA and both teach special education in Marshfield, MA. James Mazur is the Head of Traktor product design at Native Instruments. Last year his team designed an iPad application, DJ Traktor, which is slated to revolutionize the way DJs perform. The app received two credits from Apple and was one of five applications chosen to celebrate the ‘best of the app store’. Essentially five applications were chosen by Apple for each of the five years of the App store, and it was also chosen as the best application of 2013 for the iPad in many countries. They were only number two in the US behind Disney.
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2003 Chris Banker won the annual homebrew beer competition at San Diego’s Stone Brewery this year. His beer, called Xocoveza Mocha Stout will be bottled and distributed nationally by Stone Brewery. It will be available at Norwich Discount Liquor on West Main Street in Norwich in mid-September.
After spending the better part of the last decade as a Scout in the NFL, Daniel Hatman was fortunate enough to start his own company, Dynamic Sport Solutions. This sports-technology firm sells tools to teams to help them find better players. If students or alumni are interested in sports or start-ups, they should reach out to him. Daniel can be reached at hatmand@gmail.com.
2006 Jessica Muenzner Sanchez was married at The Old State House of Hartford on July 5, 2013. She had several NFA alumni in her wedding.
Kara Cuprak decided after being out of school for eight years to go back and further her education. In January 2014 she started attending Dallas County Community College in Dallas, Texas. She is a full time college student, majoring in Criminal Justice. If all goes as planned she will graduate by May 2016, with an Associate in Applied Sciences Degree. This will be around the same time her NFA graduating class will be planning their 10th year reunion.
2010 Zachary Yeager has moved to Denton, Texas and is attending the University of North Texas where he also works as a Graduate Assistant in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
2013 Bethany Stone is currently attending Becker College in Worcester MA, studying Animal Care. She played volleyball and softball for four years at NFA and is now playing both sports for Becker College.
2015 Norwich/Florida Annual Reunion From right to left: Nicole RigattiO’Hearn ’06, Kelli Barbone ’10, Jessica Muenzner-Sanchez ’06, Carolan Frechette ‘06, Briana Brouillard-Clough ’04, Joshua Ramos ’06, Amanda Vocatura ’06, Mallory Ducharme ’06.
Monday, February 23, 2015 Pelican Pointe Country Club Venice, FL Watch your mail for invitation Contact the Alumni Office for additional information www.nfaschool.org/florida 860-425-5542 or alumni@nfaschool.org
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2014 HOMECOMING
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014 Hall of Fame Induction ~6 pm Slater Auditorium Reception to follow in Atrium Free Admission INDUCTEES:
GAME TICKETS: Adults $3 • Sr. Citizens/Students $2 Under 10 free JOIN US on Campus prior to the game for tailgating starting at 11:00 in the Library Parking Lot. Bring a picnic lunch and get together with fellow alumni
Melvin Makowicki ’45* Joseph Levanto ’47 Joseph Kobelski ’53* Eugene McGrath ’58 David Galligan ’60 Robert Alves ’62* Thomas Carey ’79 Christine Wood Escobido ’86 Norine Nadeau Brown ’92 Chad Johnson ’93 Marci Glenney ’97 Robert McPhail *Posthumously Inducted
RSVP to Gary Makowicki at makowickig@nfaschool.org or 860-425-5512
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2014 NFA Walking Tour Beginning at 10:00 on the stairs of Slater
Enter the NFA FOOD COMPETITION with your “BEST CHOWDAH” recipe and win the 2014 Tailgate Champion Flag. Bring us your “Chowdah” anyway you like it: Clam, Corn, Fish, Seafood, etc you decide! Judging will begin at noon. Register for the “Chowdah” Competition at the Alumni Tent before noon. Your “chowdah” will be judged on taste, creativity and appearance. Support the local community. Bring a non-perishable food item to the Alumni Tent and receive a free gift. Tailgate Parking is Limited. Call Alumni House at 860-425-5542 or register online at NFAschool.org/Homecoming to reserve your tailgating space. This is a non-alcoholic family event.
FOOTBALL GAME SATURDAY – 1:00 KICK-OFF CHEER THE NFA WILDCATS TO VISTORY OVER THE FITCH FALCONS
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In Memoriam Former faculty member and NFA alumnus, Charles Adams, Class of 1962, passed away on May 18, 2014. After earning a Bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross in 1967, he returned to NFA to teach English Literature for 36 years until he retired in 2003. He earned a Master’s degree from the University of Hartford in 1975. As a NFA faculty member, he advised the Cranston House Council and coached the NFA Rifle team to several State High School Championships. An avid Sherlock Holmes fan, he was a member of The Baker Street Irregulars and founded a local Sherlockian group, the Winter Assizes of Norwich. He was a competitive rifle shooter and a member of several rifle clubs. Most recently he coached a Digby Hand team to a National Record at the National Smallbore Rifle Championships in Ohio. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Carol Polomski Adams ‘62, son Chris ’88 and brother Albert ’57.
Former faculty member and NFA alumna, Dorothy “Toddy” Agranwitch, Class of 1945, passed away April 19, 2014. Ms. Agranwitch began her teaching career at NFA in 1950 when she accepted a position as a teacher/ docent in the Slater Museum. She held a BA and MAT from Smith, attended Oxford University, and received her 6th year from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She also received a John Hay Fellowship which was designed to encourage education in the humanities through the training of secondary school teachers as well as a NDEA Title IV Graduate Fellowship from Smith College. After a 40 year distinguished career in teaching, Dorothy retired in 1993. Her fellow teachers and admiring students described Dorothy as a dedicated, compassionate, concerned, nurturing and thoughtful teacher who always had a kind word, good ideas, good techniques and good strategies. Dorothy’s remarkable loyalty, dedication and compassion inspired the History Department to create the Dorothy Agranwitch History Prize. In retirement, Dorothy was a garden volunteer at Mystic Seaport, and enjoyed sailing, summer visits to Nantucket, and her continued interest in museums and academia, as she assisted Connecticut College professors with various classes. She also spent time with her book club, where she enjoyed the company of many old friends. Dorothy’s caring and dedicated ways touched many lives, including those of students and colleagues.
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Class of 1938 alumna Lena Demicco passed away on May 5, 2014 at the age of 94. Lena began volunteering for the NFA Foundation in 2004 as a Class Agent. She often commented that she so enjoyed being in contact with her classmates on a regular basis through the notes and cards she would send them. While a student, Lena was a great sports enthusiast playing volleyball, baseball, and basketball as well as being the president of the Girls Athletic Association. In recognition for her athletic prowess, Lena was inducted in the NFA Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and was most grateful for the honor. Lena was a lifelong cheerleader for the Academy and always encouraged her classmates to attend events and support the Academy. She served on her reunion committee each and every year and, when her class stopped holding their individual reunions, she served on the Jubilee Reunion committee until 2012.
Irene Sadernsky Figarsky, Class of 1945, passed away May 4, 2014. She was a wonderful volunteer for the Academy and was one of the first Class Agents the Foundation enlisted in 1991. Irene remained a faithful volunteer, always willing to assist both the Foundation and Alumni Association in any way that she could. Irene and her husband Abe were regulars at Homecoming, volunteering to man the food-drive table, accepting food items from alumni for the local community. She also was a reunion committee volunteer helping with her class reunions as well as the Jubilee Reunion. Irene was also a published author having written the children’s book Kadookie Head back in 1990.
Deceased The following is a list of NFA graduates who are known to have passed away between December 15, 2013 and August 18, 2014. We express our deepest sympathy to their families and classmates. They will be missed. 1926 Frances Dembo Segal 1932 Julius Segal 1933 Edward Lichtenstein Leighten* 1935 Winifred Brehant Krohn 1937 Elizabeth Devine Colson Frank Falcone Dominick Pardo 1938 Barbara Bromley Lena Demicco Norma Silverman Hendel 1939 Edward Jakubielski Phyllis Stranz Mikula Anna Gustamachio Toole 1940 Phyllis Mileski Brodack Josette Pepin Douglas Euthemia Coulopoulos Dulchinos* Vivian Brine Kilcollum Jane Ibbison Przekop 1941 Constance Troeger Ballou Annette Perrone Sakellarides Dorothy Brailsford St. Marie 1942 Mona Magner Blitz William Coulopoulos Elizabeth Edwards Crawford Stacia Kiszkiel Misiorek Richard Pfannenstiel Rose Misinski Smith Yvonne Lewis Sylvia 1943 Anastasia Haldis Barber Marie Discola Biederka Robert Billings Edith Sargent Cross Ambrose Homiski Gertrude Taraskiewicz Horelick Dorothy Simpson Hungerford Anne Driscoll McManus
1944 Shirley Daren Chesler Samuel Frumer Thelma Parker O’Connell Catherine Michalowski Piechowski
1952 continued Elizabeth Leist Kocol Vincent Hoagland Noella Phaneuf Martin John Murphy Raymond Ruszyk
1945 Dorothy Agranwitch Emma Remondi Driscoll Irene Sadernsky Figarsky Thomas Melady Theresa Hebert Rousseau Kathryn Robish Topliff
1953 Lucy Desbonnet Hill* Judith Holt Raymond
1946 Harold Dahl Walter Dubenetsky Jean Burns Ritacco Virginia Kemmer Schaeffer* Ann Staebner Thrall Donald Woods 1947 Amelia Vallarelli Beers John Falvey June O’Neil Pendleton 1948 Walter Brown* Rose Hauschild St. Amour 1949 Patricia Delmore Chapman Dennis Donovan Donald Gadle Lois Camley Gray Harriet Thayer Labrie 1950 Ronald Butler* Naomi Drabkin Joan Eyberse Dubois Harold Semmelrock 1951 Barbara Baldwin Richard Bohara Philip Connell Anita Rousseau Cote Charles W. Grant, Jr.* Elizabeth Peltier Parsons Shirley Richard Mary Jo DePalo Sisco 1952 Ferdinand Brucoli Marjorie Tinker Duphilly
1955 Edith Wibberley Crosby Mary Huggard Jones Kenneth Libo* 1956 Philip Budlong Carol Robinson Smith
1967 William Cummings 1968 Lynn McClintock Neumann 1969 Donna Johnson DonnaRae Schnip Shields* Dennis Wilczek 1970 Marcia Stygar 1971 Michael Aberg Judith Fulcher Donaldson Peter Gasparino Nancy Gonsalves Stockton
1957 Albert Airey John Donovan Peggy Read Fry* Robert Gromko Charles Robinson Rosemary Doherty Sandberg* Lester Smith
1972 Barbara House Lussier
1958 Norma Medick Timothy Wawrzynowicz
1976 Sandra Barry Timothy Ricketts
1959 John Kudej*
1977 George Baskette Paul Snurkowski
1960 Patricia Korenkiewicz Martin 1961 Michael Amodeo Randall Leone Thomas Perry Claire Belisle Pratt Austin Thomas 1962 Charles Adams 1963 Mack Ruggs 1964 Elaine Segerstrom Durham Thaddeus Jadczak Joanne Kenney Nancy Cooley Pike Dorothy Kaminski Richards Ralph Ward
1973 Stanley Andruskiewicz 1974 Betty Jo Cydylo Larsen
1978 Charles Snurkowski* 1979 Robert Pirie Michael Tamborra 1985 Arthur Falvey 1993 Karl E. Gatti* 2001 Tabitha Knowles 2005 Casey Cosker 2009 Kenneth Barki * Deceased prior to December 15, 2013
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In Memoriam continued
Image: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Thomas Melady former ambassador and member of the Class of 1945 passed away on January 6, 2014. Tom, a scholar and college president, served as a US ambassador to the Vatican and was an informal liaison between Catholic leadership and top federal policymakers. Tom began his career in the 1950s as an authority on emerging independence movements in Africa. He served as US ambassador to Burundi before becoming ambassador to Uganda in 1972. He was executive vice president of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia before serving as president of Sacred Heart from 1976 to 1986. After serving as president of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Tom reentered the world of diplomacy in 1989, when he was named ambassador to the Vatican by President George H.W. Bush. After returning from the Vatican in 1993, he taught briefly at George Washington University and published a book about his diplomatic career. Since 2002, Tom had been affiliated with the Washington-based Institute of World Politics, where he taught a course on the art of diplomacy. Tom was one of the first members of his family to attend college, graduating in 1950 from Duquesne University. He received a master’s degree in 1952 and a doctorate in 1954, both in political science from Catholic University.
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Dominick “Don” Pardo a member of the Class of 1937, passed away on August 18, 2014 at the age of 96. Don, a television and radio announcer, was best known as the voice of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”. Don’s long career in radio began shortly after graduating from NFA with a Rhode Island NBC affiliate. In 1944 he received a job offer at NBC’s main network. He made the move to television when NBC began experimenting with the “new medium”, announcing for variety and game shows, including, “The Price is Right”. When “The Price is Right” left NBC, Don moved to another game show that would prove wildly successful “Jeopardy! Don was a 31-year NBC veteran when he was hired as the announcer for SNL, which debuted on Sept. 11, 1975. Working out of a hallway and later a recording booth inside Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center, he each week intoned, “It’s Saturday Night!” before introducing the cast members, guest host and musical guest — a signature part of the show.
Frances Dembo Segal, the oldest Academy alum and a member of the Class of 1926, passed away on April 11, 2014 at the age of 104. Frances was a delight to all who met her. She took great pride in letting everyone know that she never missed a Jubilee Reunion. She graduated from the Academy at the age of 16 and earned a degree in Business from Bryant College in 1928. During her marriage to Jacob Segal, she ran his medical office in addition to running her home and being the president of her children’s PTA, as well as president of Temple Beth Sholom’s Sisterhood. Frances was an adventurous world traveler, visiting China, Egypt, Israel and several European countries, after her husband’s death. Frances enrolled in Manchester Community College and at the age of 85 she became the oldest student there to earn an Associate Degree. She continued to audit courses at the college until she was 103. While a member of a senior citizen’s writing group; she authored three books, which she proudly gave to the Academy. While a student at MCC, Frances came to admire the single working mothers who were struggling to improve their lot in life and she established a scholarship fund to assist these women in purchasing their books.
NFA FUND Unrestricted donations to the NFA Fund help provide our students and faculty with resources unparalleled at other schools in our region. Your annual donations make an incredible impact on the opportunities we are able to provide our current and future students. To make a donation to the NFA Fund, please send your gift with the form below to the NFA Foundation, Inc., 321 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360; visit us online at www.nfaschool.org/giving; or, give us a call at 860-425-5547. Gifts to the NFA Foundation, Inc. are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Thank you for your ongoing support of Norwich Free Academy!
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NFA CAR STICKER
STICK WITH US The NFA Alumni Association, in an ongoing effort to remain connected to our alumni, is continuing with the Stick With Us! Campaign and encourages alumni to contact the Alumni Office to update or confirm their contact information. A NFA car decal, for you to proudly display, will be sent to you as a token of appreciation. Go to www.nfaschool.org/update to update your contact information. Be sure to tell your classmates. We want you all to STICK WITH US! 39
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE
PAID Change Service Requested
Alumni & Development Staff: Kathleen McCarthy, Assistant Director of Development 860-887-2507 x5547 mccarthyk@nfaschool.org Allison Turcotte, Development Associate 860-887-2507 x5541 turcottea@nfaschool.org Linda Clang Ververis ‘78, Director of Alumni Relations & Constituent Research 860-887-2507 x5542 ververisl@nfaschool.org
NFA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ESTABLISHED BY NORWICH FREE ACADEMY IN 1876
Calling all NFA Alumni: Let’s Stay Connected
The NFA Alumni Association welcomes information about events taking place in the lives of fellow graduates. If you have information and/or a photo you would like us to include in the magazine, please contact us:
on the web…. www.nfaschool.org/wildcatconnection
via email… alumni@nfaschool.org
or through the mail… NFA Alumni Association 321 Broadway - Norwich CT 06360
Follow NFA on Twitter twitter.com/nfaschool or at #nfaschool or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nfaschool.
PERMIT #130 SPRINGFIELD, MA