Summer 2021 Review

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Class Act: The Resilience of Our Seniors

Summer 2021


Review The Magazine of Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall

In This Issue

Entertainment Panel

2021 FIRE Conference

8 Expression: The Art Form

16 From the Archives

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review Summer 2021 Head of School José M. De Jesús P’22 Dean of Communications Grace Kim VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVANCEMENT Robert J. Buckla, Ed.D. Main editors Linda Breslin Grace Kim Rosanne Wagger Main Graphic Design Ami Koenig Design

Photography Ramya Herman ’21 Ruth Keyso Grace Kim Pfoertner Photography Alex Stevenson Suzy Vaughn

COMMUNICATIONS Office 847-615-3284 gkim@lfanet.org

Printing John S. Swift Co., Inc.

Alumni Engagement Office 847-615-3268 rkeyso@lfanet.org

Contributors Robert J. Buckla, Ed.D. Tameka Carter-Richardson José M. De Jesús P’22 Rachel Johns ’21 Leigh Ann M. Jacobson P’13, ’23 Ruth Keyso Rita Schulien MacAyeal ’87 Hannah Shallenberger Barry Reszel Christine Ryder P’15, ’17

Admission Office 847-615-3267 admission@lfanet.org

The Review is published two times a year by the Office of Communications at Lake Forest Academy, 1500 W. Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045. Telephone: 847-615-3210. Fax: 847-615-4840. Third class postage paid at Lake Forest, Illinois. Postmaster: please send change of address notices to Alumni Office, Lake Forest Academy, 1500 W. Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045-1047. All the words and photos contained herein were written or taken by the editor, unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed in the Review are those of the authors. No material may be legally reproduced without the written consent of the editor and Lake Forest Academy. ©2021, Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest, Illinois. All rights reserved. Lake Forest Academy supports and adheres to a long-standing Review Summer 2021 www.lfanet.org policy of admitting students of any race, color,•religion, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

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The Class of 2021 had two Graduation ceremonies on May 29, 2021.

Table of Contents

Photo Credit: Pfoertner Photography

Departments Ringing the Bell 6 Ferry Tales 30 Alumni Events 36 Alumni Class Notes 40 In Memoriam 45

Features Healing Through Connection 16 Expression: The Art Form 18 Class Act: The Resilience of Our Seniors

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Going to the Chapel: Gathering in Community Spirit

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Mission Statement Lake Forest Academy strives to embody in its practices and to cultivate in its students excellence of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility.

The yearly daffodil season at the Academy allows for pops of color all around campus and along Caxy Drive. Photo Credit: Pfoertner Photography

2020-2021 Board of Trustees Mr. John S. Marlatt ’65 Chair

Mr. Todd E. Altounian ’86

Mr. Allan M. Kaplan ’72

Mr. Bruce W. Anderson ’70

Mr. Ted Kovas

Ms. Jessica P. Douglas ’96 Vice Chair

Mrs. Sylvia Barros ’90

Mr. Rumi Kuli ’93

Mrs. Molly Pearson Campbell ’04

Mr. Scott Meloun ’77

Mr. Richard L. Zhao ’04 Secretary

Mr. Patrick J. Carroll II ’87

Ms. Bethann Moritz

Mr. J. Patrick Corsiglia

Ms. Katherine Gray Pollock ’70

Mr. Charles T. Cooper ’96 Treasurer

Dr. Ahmed Farag

Ms. Tatyana I. Pramatarova ’05

Mrs. Karin E. Fink

Ms. Emily Sammon ’91

Mr. Gregory P. Glass

Ms. Ramona Sequeira

Mr. Haji L. Glover ’92

Mr. Amish S. Shah ’92

Mr. Ned Jessen

Mr. Xiong Yin

Mr. Duane C. Jackson ’01 Member At Large Mrs. Marianne Silver Member At Large

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Mr. Scott W. Kaeser ’96

www.lfanet.org


Letter from the Head of School Dear Caxys,

De Jesús gives a speech at Graduation 2021. Photo Credit: Pfoertner Photography

As this historic year ends, I’m both humbled and awed by what I have seen from the Lake Forest Academy community during this pandemic. Like most COVID mitigation plans, our plan required a herculean effort from every single member of our faculty and staff for it to be successful. It also required vigilance and a sense of social responsibility from our students and parents. The result of this team effort, which included almost 2,000 people, is that our students had daily in-person instruction for almost the entire academic year. We were also able to have an athletic and artistic program that allowed our students to continue their development, while still meeting the needs of our remote students. Although almost everything was different from the norm, I would put what we were able to offer our students next to any other high school in the country. To say that I am proud would be an understatement.

Through this period, we have not stood still. Our Head of School Equity Task Force worked this year to learn more about how we can make LFA an environment where all students, regardless of their identities, feel whole. An administrative restructuring will also strengthen our academic and global leadership programming as we seek to educate students to live out the four pillars of our mission. Our work on our accreditation has given us opportunities to reflect on what we do brilliantly and what we can improve upon. LFA will not rest on our laurels as we seek to educate responsible citizens who walk the world with great character and grace. This feels more important now than ever before. I am excited for the exhilarating work ahead. Speaking of excitement, I look forward to being able to open campus for our whole community again soon. Thanks to the incredible team effort of our community, LFA’s future is even brighter after the pandemic. The Caxys have been tested and we showed all that we are capable of. I close by wishing you well and I hope it will be a phenomenal summer for us all. Thank you for taking the time to connect with the Academy through this Review. José De Jesús Head of School

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Trustee Retirements The Academy thanks the following board members who provided personal expertise and financial support for the betterment of LFA and to support its growth. Sylvia Barros ’90 served as a member of the Board of Trustees from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2021. Throughout her nine years of dedicated service, Barros was a member of the Committee on Diversity & Global Pluralism, Committee on Trustees and the Education Committee.

Gregory P. Glass P’18, ’21 served as a member of the Board of Trustees from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2021. Throughout his three years of dedicated service, Glass was a member of the Finance Committee and the Endowment Subcommittee.

Tanya I. Pramatarova ’05 served as a member of the Board of Trustees from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2021. Throughout her three years of dedicated service, Pramatarova was a member of the Committee on Diversity & Global Pluralism and the Education Committee.

Ramona Sequeira P’17, ’19 served as a member of the Board of Trustees from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2021. Throughout her four years of dedicated service, Sequeira was a member of the Committee on Diversity & Global Pluralism, the Education Committee, the ad hoc Head of School Search Team and the ad hoc Financial Sustainability Committee.

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Honoring Ned Jessen P’01, ’05 Ned Jessen P’01, ’05 served the Lake Forest Academy community as a member of the Board of Trustees for 21 years, from July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2008, and from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2021.

Ned Jessen P’01, ’05 and Head of School Emeritus John Strudwick P’13, ’15, ’18 at the Hall of Fame Ceremony in 2016.

Jessen played the piano as part of his acceptance speech at the Hall of Fame Ceremony in 2016.

Ned Jessen P’01, ’05 with his father Howard.

Jessen chaired the Finance Committee and Head of School Transition Committee, and was a member of several other committees, including the Executive Committee, two different Search Committees, the Endowment Subcommittee, and the Financial Sustainability Committee. He made significant contributions to LFA throughout his conscientious and dedicated service on the Board. Jessen was elected a Life Trustee in 2008, and inducted into the LFA Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2018, Jessen and his wife, Lynn, established the Ned and Lynn Jessen Endowed Faculty Chair in the Humanities. Retired Associate Head of School and History and Social Science Teacher Bill Dolbee P’04, ’10 was named the first recipient; History and Social Science Teacher Matt Vaughn is the current, second recipient. Jessen has distinguished himself by his guidance to the Academy in the strategic areas of board governance and leadership, strategic financial planning and oversight, institutional fundraising and stewardship, social equity and justice, and student programming and services.

Head of School Emeritus John Strudwick P’13, ’15, ’18, Lynn and Ned Jessen P’01, ’05, and Bill Dolbee P’04, ‘10, who received the Ned and Lynn Endowed Faculty Chair in the Humanities at the Cornerstone Society event in 2018.

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Entertainment Panel

Use the QR code to watch recordings from Live from the Third Coast.

Lights, Camera, Caxys! LFA’s Entertainment Panel Draws More Than 200 Community Members Lake Forest Academy hosted its largest alumni engagement event of the year on February 24-25 via Zoom. “Live from the Third Coast: LFA in the Entertainment Industry” featured conversations with a star-studded panel of nine alumni professionals who work in the fields of TV and film, theater and music. Writers, directors, producers, actors, musicians, and business people shared how they got their start in the industry; the tools they rely on to stay successful; the role that formal education and on-the-job training played in their professional development; and how the entertainment industry has changed — and continues to transform — as a result of new technology. In addition, the panelists shared valuable industry advice and guidance for those pursuing careers in the arts, and offered tips on how to be successful in this demanding and competitive field. Night one included small group break-out sessions with the panelists; night two featured live musical performances and monologues. In total, 224 alumni, parents, students, faculty and friends of the Academy attended over the two-night event. The impressive slate of alumni panelists included: Jay Chandrasekhar ’86, actor, comedian, director, screenwriter, producer and author. Chandrasekhar is well known for his role as “Thorny” in the comedy cult classic “Super Troopers” and as director of “The Dukes of Hazzard” (2005), one of many films he has directed and starred in. He has also directed dozens of episodes of popular TV shows, including “New Girl” and “The Goldbergs.” Chandrasekhar was inducted into the LFA Hall of Fame (2016) for Achievement in the Arts. Jason Delane Lee ’90, actor, director, producer and co-founder of Lower Depth Theatre and film finance/development company Lagralane Group. Lee’s project portfolio includes an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony (#EGOT). A stage and screen actor, he originated the role of Malcolm X for the 2013 stage production of “One Night in Miami,” which made its movie debut on Amazon in January 2021. Marissa Ford ’07, associate managing director at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, where she was the first participant in the theater’s executive apprenticeship program. She graduated from Drake University with a B.F.A. in acting and a B.S.B.A. In international business. Ford serves on the League of Resident Theatres EDI and Mentorship Committee and is a board member at Haven Theater Company in Chicago. Doug Kaplan ’07, record label operator and musician in Chicago. Through his label Hausu Mountain, Kaplan has released more than 100 albums from more than 50 artists. Kaplan holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in radio/TV/film, with a minor in music technology, and an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Visit his website at hausumountain.com. Luma Khatib ’97, attorney and vice president of business affairs at

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Sony Entertainment in Los Angeles. Khatib negotiates contracts on behalf of Sony related to the development, production and distribution of original scripted live-action and animated TV. She holds a law degree from UCLA, a master’s in global communications from USC, and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. David Lin ’11, performer, singer-songwriter and producer known for his work with Moose Light Kingdom, an electronic pop solo project. Lin earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston’s Berklee College of Music and has performed widely throughout mainland China. He is trained in classical piano; his repertoire includes voice, trumpet, guitar, bass, and ukulele. Lin performs in both English and Mandarin. Check out his music at Moose Light Kingdom on Bandcamp. Gabe Llanas ’96, TV writer and co-host of the “Live from the Third Coast” event. Llanas earned his bachelor’s degree at Macalester College and his M.F.A. from USC. He has written for such TV shows as “Party of Five. (2020),” “Private Practice,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Supergirl.” Rachel Maguire ’85, award-winning executive producer, writer and director in the field of unscripted TV. Her work has appeared on A&E, the History Channel, Travel Channel, Discovery, PBS and more. Her credits include “Naked and Afraid,” “Dual Survival,” “Mysteries at the Museum” and “Digging for the Truth.” Maguire has been embedded with a narcotics task force and a gang unit and has filmed in prisons across the country, including on death row. Kelly Perine ’87, writer, actor, director and producer. In his 25-year career, Perine has appeared on such TV shows as “The Drew Carey Show,” “One on One,” “Seinfeld,” “ER,” “Mad About You,” “The Practice,” Nickelodeon’s “Knight Squad” and in a variety of TV movies, short films and commercials. Perine holds a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and a master’s degree in acting & drama from the University of California-Irvine. top row, l to r: Luma Khatib ’97, Jason Delane Lee ’90, Jay Chandrasekhar ’86. middle row, l to r: Gabe Llanas ’96, Kelly Perine ’87, Rachel Maguire ’85. bottom row, l to r: Marissa Ford ’07, Doug Kaplan ’07, David Lin ’11.


Spring Parents Day

Use the QR code to watch recordings from Spring Parents Day.

Parents and Guardians Attend Spring Parents Day With LFA’s campus closed to visitors due to the pandemic, LFA hosted its first virtual Spring Parents Day on April 21 to allow families from around the globe to participate safely from their homes. The program opened with “Coffee & Conversation” with Head of School José M. De Jesús P ’22 and then moved into “Morning Meeting: Parents Edition” during the Advisory period, followed by informative panel discussions. The day concluded with the annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, which was co-chaired by Meredith Park P’21 and Elizabeth Walvoord P’20, ’23. The co-chairs pre-recorded a video toast in honor of the faculty and staff.

Highlights of the Spring Parents Day included: • “Understanding the Finances of LFA” webinar hosted by Trustee and Co-Chair of the Finance Committee for LFA’s Board of Trustees Duane Jackson ’01, Chief Financial Officer Michael Reidy and Vice President of Advancement Dr. Robert J. Buckla. • “Storytelling Workshop with the Stuart Center for Global Leadership” hosted by Director of Operations Erin English P’18, ’20, ’23, ’24. LFA’s new Executive Director of the Stuart Center for Global Leadership Diego Duran-Medina was introduced. • “Helping Your Children Find Meaning in the Now” Parent Connections group hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo P’22, ’24 and LFA’s Director of Health Services Anna W. Kliner, MSN, RN, FNP-C. Visit lfanet.org/parentsday for recordings of Parents Day offerings, including the Parents Association toast to the faculty and staff.

left: Trustee Duane Jackson ’01. right: Rick and Norma Ascroft P’19, ’22 shared a selfie during the Toast of Gratitude to faculty and staff.

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Chicago Networking Event CNE Panel of Extraordinary Women Reflect on Humanity and Leadership CNE guests participated in diverse, intergenerational electronic breakout groups before the panel discussion began. Breakout groups included a variety of participants including alumni, students and parents.

Carole Segal, Grandparent ’21, ’24.

Louise Hamilton Short ’66.

Renata Ferraiolo, P’21, ’24.

In an engaging conversation among four women leaders, the concept of shared humanity took center stage on May 20 in front of a global audience of LFA alumni, Ferry Hall alumnae, parents, alumni parents and friends. The 2021 Chicago Networking Event (CNE) conversation was very different from its in-person predecessors traditionally held each spring at the downtown Chicago headquarters of Northern Trust. This year’s CNE — held virtually via Zoom — extended to participants from seven countries and 18 states, spanning from the Class of 1954 to students scheduled to graduate from LFA in 2024. Expertly moderated by LFA’s first female Board of Trustees Chair Catherine Waddell P’01, ’03, the program featured panelists Renata Ferraiolo, P’21, ’24, vice president of global marketing for SC Johnson; Carole Segal, Grandparent ’21, ’24, Crate & Barrel co-founder; and Louise Hamilton Short ’66, a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based financial adviser and entrepreneur. The event was held as part of the LFA’s Sesquicentennial commemoration of the opening of Ferry Hall and was entitled “Extraordinary Women — Celebrating the Ferry Hall Leadership Legacy in 2021.”

Moderator Waddell introduced the panel and reflected on the Ferry Hall legacy, gleaned from observing the Ferry Hall Task Force in the early 2000s. “Over time I saw a pattern,” Waddell said of her interactions with Ferry Hall alumnae. “A pattern of bright, resourceful, independent, purposeful, accomplished and fully self-aware women. They possessed quiet self-confidence.”

Ferry Hall alumna Short added, “My parents really valued education and independence. So I went on to Ferry Hall; I can remember this idea of having freedom with responsibility. It was really a game changer.” Her life took numerous turns, leading her to Thailand during the Vietnam War; widowed with young children at age 34; a volunteer with the Girl Scouts, Leadership Tulsa and other organizations; and ultimately as the founder of her own investment advisory practice. Coming from a family where she saw her parents as leaders, Short embraces the concept of the “extra mile,” because, as she said, “When you live on the extra mile you have no competition, and you go farther and faster than most others.” Ferraiolo drew upon her 24 years of experience as an awardwinning global marketing executive with consumer goods giant SC Johnson (Pledge, Shoutout, Windex, etc.), which included stints in her native Brazil, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States. The experience assortment has shaped her leadership outlook. “What I’ve learned throughout all those years is, when you are open to learn, when you’re open to new cultures, when you’re open to listen, you become a better person because you actually open the door for different people to enter your life,” she said. “And every time a different person enters your life with a different background, you grow.” Ferraiolo added, “There’s no such thing as a perfect leader. I try to connect with everyone from a human to human standpoint. If you want to follow me in that journey, follow me because I’m a human, I’m a good person, I’m a person that is always involved in the community and trying to help and be empathetic with everybody.”

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Ferraiolo said she is encouraged by upward mobility for women in U.S. companies but admits there is still room for improvement in many avenues of diversity. “A lot of (women) don’t make it to the top, and there’s no reason for that,” she said. “A diverse team is actually a much more effective team. If you sit in a room and you only see one type of people in that room, I can guarantee you the output is not going to be as brilliant as you could have with diversity. When you have the right (brain) and the left in the room, it becomes extremely powerful.”

Catherine Waddell P’01, ’03, center, with husband Rick, left, along with her LFA family: l-r, Frederick ’01 and Caroline Waddell, Charlie ’03 and Casey Kennedy Waddell ’08.

Segal, one of four sisters growing up in far south suburban Calumet City, Illinois, said her father told her, “I never want to hear you make an excuse that you can’t do something because you are a girl.” Shaped by the Girl Scouts and her Northwestern University education, she married Gordon Segal with whom she co-founded the now iconic Crate & Barrel home furnishings stores. She and Gordon embarked on Crate & Barrel as a retail destination “for young people like us with more taste than money.” It allowed the young couple to see the world as the company grew and as they sought out international suppliers of goods. “We became very, very global in our thinking,” she said, “and we became very much attuned to the needs of providing people with good design at a reasonable price.” On leadership style, Segal preached humility. “I am a humanist,” she said. “If you have leadership in one area, it doesn’t mean that you’re a leader in everything. And there’s a need for humility when you realize people are following you. I love to follow as much. I don’t have a monopoly on all the ideas in the way the world is going.”

have empathy, and have purpose and guidance and listening skills — it’s game changing. It’s not just about knowing what the hot stock is of the day.” Ferraiolo championed young alumni and students to “study the human side. All the young folks will know how to do the technology side. The winners are going to be the ones who understand people, understand how to connect with the consumer, understand humans. And how do you do that? Be one yourself.” Segal encouraged young people to get involved in their communities as volunteers. “There’s so much that needs to be done,” she said. “Look around. There’s need all over the place. Get involved. We’re not asking for your money. We’re just asking for your time and your heart and your soul to make the world a better place. We’ve been bifurcated too much, and there’s just too much difference in equality and justice. Get involved because we need you. This is going to be your world. It begins with you...and it makes you feel really good to help other people.”

If there were themes among the panelists looking at the next generation, they would be best summarized by “opportunity” and “humanity.” Short touted particular growth potential for women in her industry. “Women will control two thirds of the wealth in this country by 2030,” she said. “And we need women that can talk to women. Being able to connect, and

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Christina Franco ’21 Heads to Rice University and be there for your family. So, when I told my dad I was applying to all these places, in the back of his mind there’s that little seed of doubt like, ‘Is she really going to get in?’” “When I told him I got into Georgetown, I got into Rice, and then when I told him I got into Harvard as well, he just started crying. I’m the oldest from both sides of my family. I’m just happy to be able to give all my younger cousins a good example and be able to show them that anything is possible when you work hard for it,” said Franco, one of the recipients of the McNerney Family Endowed Scholarship, funded by Haity and Jim McNerney P’10, ’11. Franco’s path to LFA came via Daniel Zizumbo Charter School in Chicago where an observant teacher introduced Franco and her family to A Better Chance, a not-for-profit organization with the goal of helping talented young people of color gain admission to high-achieving schools.

Franco (middle in lavender sweatshirt) with the leaders of UNIDOS, LFA’s Latin heritage club.

It will surprise no one when Christina Franco ’21 grasps hold of the stars for which she reaches. Her constellation of activities and stellar achievements at Lake Forest Academy prepared her well for her chosen collegiate study: aerospace engineering and/or political science with an eye toward law. Franco, who was accepted at both Harvard and Georgetown universities, among others, chose Rice University in Houston to continue her post-LFA education. Since Franco grew up in the shadow of Midway International Airport on Chicago’s South Side, it makes sense that the four-year scholarship recipient at LFA will pursue her studies at the foot of NASA’s Mission Control. Franco weighed the financial aid offers she received from various universities but in the end chose Rice because it was the right fit — much to the delight of LFA’s College Counseling Office, which impresses upon students the importance of finding the college that is a good match based on skills and personality. “I’m the first person in my family to apply to college,” Franco said. “My grandparents on both sides are immigrants to the United States from Mexico. The American dream is to get an education, get your career

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Franco’s pride in her family’s Mexican heritage was featured in college essays and was the subject of a mural she created on campus as a way of building community at the Academy. Franco’s mural, which she describes as “a beautiful, imperfect representation of my proud heritage,” is now on display in Corbin Academic Center. “As I painted the mural piece by piece, a folklorico performer danced across the canvas with the rays of La Virgen de Guadalupe shining behind her, papel picado hung from edge to edge wavering in the air from the breath of Quetzalcoatl. Brush stroke after brush stroke, the artwork came together, with each image taking on a life of its own, seemingly lifting off the mural to put on its own little performance. Slowly I was picking up the broken pieces to create my own space for all Latinx students to feel that they belonged no matter where they were,” she wrote. In addition to her artwork, Franco is leaving behind LFA faculty who are proud of her contributions to the school community. “Above all, she is one about whom it is easy to say she has taken advantage of the opportunities that have come her way. She has seized them, but she has also given back in droves,” according to Modern and Classical Languages Teacher Stephen Ryder, P’15, ’17.

Franco at Senior Gala 2021.


Use the QR code to learn more about the Inspire and Invest Initiative.

LFA honors the anonymity of its scholarship students while asking its proud alumni to share their successes. Christina Franco is the first alumna from the Class of 2021 to answer this call. The Academy is in the midst of the $20 million Inspire & Invest Initiative which, in part, has sparked the establishment of more than 40 donor-funded scholarships for students like Christina Franco and those who follow in her footsteps. A list of LFA’s endowed scholarships accompanies this article. As part of the Initiative, the Access & Excellence Endowed Scholarship Challenge, funded by an anonymous benefactor, will contribute $10,000 to LFA on behalf of any donor who establishes a new endowed scholarship or adds to an existing endowed scholarship at the Academy totaling $40,000. More information is available at www.lfanet.org/give/inspire/access-excellence. To discuss establishing a scholarship, contact Robert J. Buckla at rbuckla@lfanet.org or call 847-615-3276.

Endowed Scholarships at Lake Forest Academy Anderson Family Endowed Scholarship Ernest J. Barry Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Laura and Gregg George Endowed Scholarship

Ernestine and Bancroft O’Quinn Sr. Endowed Scholarship

Bates Hall Endowed Scholarship

Georgescu Family Endowed Scholarship

Harry Padley Endowed Scholarship

William W. Bremer ’60 Endowed Scholarship in Honor of Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Nelson

Haji ’92 and Mikita Glover Endowed Scholarship

Perisho Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Claude W. Brenner ’44 Endowed Scholarship

Timothy L. Graham ’69 Endowed Scholarship

Kristin Rey ’83 Endowed Scholarship

Eric Brown ’98 Endowed Scholarship

Sarah Proudfoot Gries ’63 Endowed Scholarship for Women

Lillian and Carl K. Rose Endowed Scholarship

Richard and Patricia Bryan Endowed Scholarship Class of ’48 Endowed Scholarship Classes of 1970 & 1975 Ferry Hall Endowed Scholarship for Girls

Alice and Peter V. Hall ’53 Endowed Scholarship Lt. Col. McGrew and Rosa Harris Endowed Scholarship

Racine Family Endowed Scholarship

Sammon-Curtis Endowed Scholarship Mary Ann Sanford Endowed Scholarship for Girls Schell-O’Connor Family Endowed Scholarship

Class of 1990 Endowed Scholarship

Walter R. Hoesel Endowment for Student Support

Amish ’92 and Amy Shah Family Endowed Scholarship

Class of ’09 Endowed Scholarship in Memory of Tatiana Mirutenko ’09 and Todd Walker ’09

Eleanor Falk Johnson ’32 Endowed Scholarship

Loring Strudwick Endowed Scholarship

Class of ’19 Endowed Scholarship in Honor of Dr. John and Mrs. Loring Strudwick

George R. Johnson ’60 Endowed Scholarship

Catherine M. and Frederick H. Waddell Family Endowed Scholarship

Collins Family Endowed Scholarship

Linda M. and Thomas B. Kelley ’65 Endowed Scholarship

Mr. Richard L. Zhao ’04 and Ms. Yan Zhou Family Endowed Scholarship

Nicole and Charles T. Cooper ’96 Endowed Scholarship

Koh Family Endowed Scholarship

Cedric J. Cromartie ’81 Memorial Endowed Scholarship

David O. MacKenzie ’50 Endowed Scholarship

Lynne B. Kulieke Endowed Scholarship

Scholarship Matches Access & Excellence Endowed Scholarship Challenge

De Jesús Family Endowed Scholarship

Mints Family Endowed Scholarship

Howard ’50 and Ursula Dubin Endowed Scholarship

Morgan, Scott and Cass Counties Endowed Scholarship

Jim C. Cowart ’69 and Janet C. Cowart Endowed Scholarship Funds/Matching Program

Luisa and Alberto Fernandez Endowed Scholarship

Dr. Hussein B. and Dr. Shamsideen O. Musa ’01, ’01 Endowed Scholarship

Laura and Gregg George Endowed Scholarship Match

Ferry Hall Endowed Scholarship for Girls

Neustadt Family Endowed Scholarship

Waddell Family Scholarship Matching Program

Karin and Nicholas Fink Endowed Scholarship

Dana W. Niswender Prize in Writing

Ernest Flegenheimer ’45 Endowed Scholarship

North Chicago and Waukegan Endowed Scholarship

Friske Family Endowed Scholarship Galante Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship

Linda Sue Novascone Memorial Endowed Scholarship

(Note: Italicized endowed scholarships were established during the Inspire & Invest Initiative.)

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The Class of 2021 Prefects threw leaves in the Formal Gardens in early October 2020.

Students wiped off their desks after every single class as part of COVID-19 safety protocols.

The Reid-Anderson Family Dining Hall was adjust ed for social distancing.

This year, LFA’s musical was filme d and edited together from performances on stage in The Cres sey Center for the Arts.

Snapshots of LFA

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The varsity track and field team had a successful “summer” season.

The UNIDOS club held an event outs ide the Student Center with confetti cannons, chur ros and music to celebrate. Funds raised went to the Nuestro Center!


LFA’s art classes, like others, were conducted in person and remotely at the same time.

on the The boarders of Marshall Field Hall drew in chalk Fool’s Day! April of eve the on Hall Atlass sidewalks outside of

Science Teacher Stephanie Ramirez teaches class in a mask.

To celebrate Holi, the spring Hindu festival of colors and love, students bought packets of colored powder and snacks.

Ferdoss ’22 was elected All-School President for next year!

Seniors presented on their capstone projects to complete the Global Concentration Program.

Sophomores held an ice bucket challenge to support the Fisher House, which provides housing to veterans and their families.

The members of Co-ax and VOX perfo rmed in a concert on May 24.

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2021 FIRE Conference Healing Through Connection Tameka Carter-Richardson, Assistant Dean of Pluralism and Multicultural Affairs and Spanish Teacher No matter how one looks at it, this year has been strange! The familiarity of our everyday lives was quickly replaced with the unforgiving reality of social distancing and face masks. The fear of disease forced us to separate and stay home during a time when we all really needed a hug. At the same time, civil unrest and unrelenting social disagreements were paraded across our television screens and social media platforms. Of course, it would have been a little easier if our children and students weren’t watching the chaos consuming our democracy. Their social media pages were not different from our own — filled with various opinions and fact-checking sources for which students did not need our permission to like, share or post a comment. Thankfully, at LFA, we decided to deepen conversations with fellow students, alumni, faculty, trustees, staff, administration and parents about race, religion, gender and economics in our society. Students began to ask for spaces to freely talk about ideas and experiences that mattered most to them. The FIRE (Fostering Intercultural Respect and Engagement) conference presented the perfect opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to share their own experiences with difference and intercultural relationships. I took the students’ advice and looked to create spaces where students would be able to engage multiple perspectives regarding hope, healing and freedom in our present-day society. Students, faculty and staff chosen to be presenters for the FIRE conference were intentionally selected as they had previously been participants in the Simone Cathey ’21 and Kathryn Githinji ’22 were National Association the main student organizers of the conference; of Independent both hosted student cohort group discussions Schools (NAIS) throughout the conference. diversity leadership conferences and professional development session. Working with the presenters was the most fulfilling part of the planning as we worked together to create a safe space for expression. For more than 10 weeks, students, faculty, and staff met over Zoom and in person to discuss the potential workshops and activities to engage the entire school in a virtual conference. Each adult presenter would agree that the students were the most impressive. Saanvi Malkani ’23 and Mariana Quiroz ’22 engaged students in the workshop titled “There Are No Impostors Among Us: Combating Impostor Syndrome” where they practiced positive relationship building and self-esteem. Ezzat Suhaime ’22 and Yutan Jin ’22 presented a workshop titled “The Economics of Poverty,” which explored the racial and governmental implications of poverty in modern American society. Altogether, there were 13 workshops

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where the LFA community and other peer schools were invited to discuss topics on freedom and governance, colorism, belonging to the “other” category in the college process, stand-up comedy as identity expression and more. The capstone of the conference was the virtual All-School Meeting with Grammy award-winning artist Lecrae. Lecrae participated in a student-led dialogue where he answered questions about his faith and conflict with religion and openly discussed his views on connecting with people who are different from you. This year’s virtual FIRE conference prompted us to rethink the pathways towards dialogue, and I look forward to how future conferences will continue fostering intercultural respect and engagement.

Lecrae (bottom left) gives his keynote speech with LFA student facilitators moderating the All-School Meeting.

List of Presenters and Sessions (in addition to the ones listed on page 17): Diana Borland ’22 and Bela De Jesús ’22: Colorism Within Ourselves, Our Communities and Our World Djasahn English ’23: “Reclaiming Anger” and Creating a Welcoming Community For It Dean of Communications Grace Kim: Mirror, Mirror Director of IT Christopher Kozlov: Technology Overload – the True Digital Divide Educator Tory Jones: Freedom: Boldly Being My Own King/Queen Warner Dorm Head, English Teacher Tyler Madeley ’14: Self-Care for Educators English Teacher Kerri McCaffrey: Making Things Write: Poetry and Prose as Instruments of Personal Epiphany, Self-Acceptance, and Contemplative Healing Modern and Classical Languages Department Chair, Spanish Teacher Valerie Sorenson: Stand-Up Comedy as Identity Expression Stuart Center & GYLI International Program Coordinator Ingrid Valdez: Connecting Together: A Circle of Healing


Use the QR code to learn more about the FIRE Conference.

Workshop Descriptions Freedom, Power and Rebellion in the 21st Century History and Social Science Teacher Dr. Aviral Pathak This session will ask students to reflect on the relationship between ideas of freedom and how these relate to government and politics in modern societies. Students will express and work with existing definitions of freedom in order to examine the meanings and contradictions of these ideas. Such collective examinations will compel students to critically confront the colloquially understood relationship between freedom and government in order to arrive at a more counterintuitive understanding of that relationship. Ultimately, students will have to reckon with the challenge of modern political societies: if freedom doesn’t oppose government but is productive of government and governmental power, then what prospects exist for rebellion and dissent?

There Are No Impostors Among Us: Combating Impostor Syndrome Saanvi Malkani ’23 and Mariana Quiroz ’22 You are amazing, and you deserve to know that. By the end of this session, you will learn to and practice how to own and acknowledge your accomplishments, your successes, and yourself. You will learn not only how to identify the ways you experience impostor syndrome but also how to combat it, and in doing so, you will form genuine connections. Through discussion, self-reflection, and self-esteem building activities, participants will fight impostor syndrome and log off the Zoom session feeling empowered, confident and worthy.

The Economics of Pover ty Yutan Jin ’22 and Ezzat Suhaime ’22 Wealth is not evenly distributed in human society — the poor look up at the rich who stare back down. Poverty has haunted our civilization since its dawn. To this day, poverty remains a critical and fundamental issue waiting to be addressed. This session strives to explore the racial and governmental implications of poverty in modern American society.

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Expression: The Art Form Ramya Herman ’21 recently graduated from LFA and will attend Pitzer College in the fall. Throughout her time at LFA, Herman served as a multicultural prefect; Student Council representative; co-chief editor of “The Spectator”; the president of Harlow Society and Black Student Union; co-president of the Mosaic club; a published author; and an entrepreneur. She was a member of the varsity track and field team as well as the field hockey team. She published her first book, “Headspace of a Headcase,” as a sophomore, and showcased her own art pieces in the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry in spring of 2021. Herman shares her perspective on cultivating her passions and talents below. “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.” One of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite poets, Maya Angelou, often finds space in my jumbled mind, oddly enough when it is at its most congested. While it might come across as a rather hackneyed phrase, for me it is a guidance point. When I find myself lost in the fog of growing older, I look to my younger self in order to feel grounded, reassuring myself that while I have become practically unrecognizable in some regards, in those that matter, my passions and my values, I have simply reinforced and improved. Since I was fairly young, approximately 6 years old, my passions for writing, art, and social justice began to develop and have remained prevalent throughout my life. One of my passions revolves around protecting others, while the other protects me. My biggest goal in life is to become a Supreme Court Justice. As a 6-year-old, I began to recognize the necessity for advocacy throughout the world, something that still drives my actions every day. Being at LFA gave me the opportunity to exercise and develop my abilities as an advocate and an activist by providing me with practice. I was able to speak my mind, conduct dialogues with a range of people and feel what it is like to have support, an audience and risk factors. I learned how to navigate combating injustice in a way that is both professional and impactful, which eventually led to and was then cultivated by my positions as the president of the Black Student Union, a student facilitator, the only girl on student council for three consecutive years, a mentor in the affinity group BASE (Brothers and Sisters Empowered) and a multicultural prefect. Then, of course, there is my all-encompassing interest in art. I first consider myself a poet and then a person. Poetry is how I experience the world. I use it to communicate my grievances, to incite change, to process and to explain things both to myself and others. I’ve used it as a method of coping for years as well, and with the release of my book, I realized that I could also apply my poetry to be a source of support for others. My anthology of poems, and most of my poems in general, all have the intention of either addressing something to create change, empathizing with the human experiences of others or helping me process or cope with my own experiences. I published my work in the hopes that someone will read it and feel something: seen, understood, enlightened or even enraged, because sometimes anger is the emotion that drives change. I have a fear of idle time and being impactless, so the initial endeavor was rather spontaneous, a project that I decided to go into

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independently, including self-editing, illustrating and publishing. However, from the moment I held the first copy in my hand, the project became something much larger. Once my book was published, I was made the first person to be featured in the LFA spotlight that was conducted at Morning Meeting. I used the illustrations from my book and the sweatshirt design that I had created for BSU to jumpstart my sweatshirt design business, which I decided to name “Unlimited Headspace.” I wanted to communicate the intangible nature of mankind along with the different ways Herman’s self-published book with that it could be expressed, the cover art that she designed. and how my designs are representative of that intangibility; there is no target audience for them outside of those who believe in uplifting and inclusivity. There is so much to the human experience that should be accepted and celebrated, and that, along with the protection of that concept, is my biggest goal in life. Learning how to self-publish my work and promote my business helped me harness my entrepreneurial spirit, and while school is my biggest priority and managing my business became too time consuming, I am excited to begin diving back into this creation of mine and making it something sustainable. A separate artform that interests me, painting, provided me with another platform to promote change and uplift others. I was recently featured in the Museum of Science and Industry’s Juried Art exhibit, and each of the pieces is centered around these objectives. My painting, “Holding History,” is about the part we all play in relinquishing one another from oppression; it is a global effort that cannot come to fruition without people coming together to combat all issues, because if one community is facing injustice and it still exists, then we are all facing it. “A Haircare Home” is not a particular favorite of mine, but it has personal meaning to me, so the kind regard that many seem to have for it is always validating. I manage two extremely close but vastly different worlds with LFA and home. There is a difference between having to walk an aisle at Target that might have my products in a given month and coming home to know that I’m going to be perceived as beautiful and provided with everything I need to take care of myself, not just as a person but as a Black woman specifically. This painting is about the relevance of Black hair generationally and emotionally. “Black Oil” came about while I was babysitting my little sister. I have a constant fear that the world will attempt to convince her that she is not what makes it special, so I decided to enter this piece for her. I knew


Use the QR code to learn more about Ramya’s book, “Headspace of a Headcase.”

Herman and her artwork (l-r): “A Haircare Home,” “Holding History,” and “Dawn of the Decades.”

that if she could see herself in a museum, then she would know, early on, that this was her space, that she was deserving of exhibits and an audience and recognition, simply because she was herself. “Dawn of the Decades” is the largest piece I’ve ever done and is predominantly about the casually multifaceted essence of the Black woman. Almost all of my artwork has a Black woman featured in it because we are these wonderful beings of intersectionality who often deal with multiple forms of oppression; I want Black women to know how deeply impressive their existence truly is. Working with glass is one of the artforms that I have only recently begun to engage in, and it is one of many things that I am grateful to have been exposed to while attending LFA. Glasswork came at a time when there was a lot of instability in my life. Being able to spend hours in the peace and quiet of the art studio creating useful, beautiful pieces from shards and collecting what had broken or fell provided me with a lot of reassurance regarding my future. Knowing that I would still be able to have something worthwhile at the end of the process has made me hope to continue pursuing my newfound interest throughout college. Another extracurricular that I was able to try my hand at was journalism. As a journalist I am able to discuss important social justice issues around the world and the milestones of different affinity groups. Being the managing editor of the global section of

l-r, Caitlin Anasi ’20, Shaliya Heard ’20, Teniola Bakare ’19, Ferdoss Ibrahim ’22, Angie Cotton ’22 in the BSU sweatshirts that Herman designed.

the paper as a junior pushed me to take on an even greater interest in current events and learn to balance investment in the world with management of my own hectic life. I was able to practice in interviewing, which helped me later as one of the interviewers for the new Assistant Head of School position, and later, as an editor-inchief, I was able to practice navigating my intrigue as a writer with my tactical skills as a leader. In total, most of what I learned revolved around respect. The one part of my prefect interview that I remember vividly was being asked “which pillar would you add?” and my answer was respect. Respect is such a vital part of existing, especially in diverse spaces, and when having dialogues, its presence is important in three very important ways. These are: respecting the experiences of the other individuals, and the fact that you only know a small portion of what those are; respecting the space, the people in it and the context of the discussion; and respecting the power dynamic by taking the time to allow the individual whose voice is not as often uplifted or the individual who has more experience with the issue to feel heard and to not invalidate or condescend to that person or group of people. At the end of the day, the importance of respect lies in its prevalence within relationship dynamics. The things that impact people and the way we interact with one another will also be the most important factors of life because of the weight we hold in making life valuable. People inspire me; my art is centered around humanity and my drive is to improve humanity, or more accurately to enhance it, as humanity itself is a beautiful creation that, when properly applied, results in an enriched quality of life. My interactions with others are what keep me going, and my lowest points occur when I abscond from the world and the light it has to offer.

American poet Nikki Giovanni holding a copy of Herman’s book.

Being in the midst of my growth process, closing a chapter that was imperative to the creation of my current self, makes me extremely excited for one thing in particular: progress. As I enter into the next phase of my life, the four years that will define my introduction to adulthood, I intend to expand on who I am mentally, emotionally, physically and in terms of my ambitions and the extent of my successes.

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Graduation 2021

Use the QR code to visit the 2021 Celebrations webpage.

Class Act: The Resilience of Our Seniors

The Class of 2021 poses for a photo in the Formal Gardens on the night of their Senior Gala.

From the beginning, the Class of 2021 had a so-called “interesting” start to their LFA careers. As the first class to attend the inaugural Freshman Retreat in 2017, this year’s graduates bonded over small group discussions, outdoor activities, and perhaps most impactful of all, a sudden lack of running water and electricity during their three-day trip to Camp Whitcomb/Mason in Wisconsin. The retreat attendees were quickly moved to a different part of the camp, but the events created lasting memories for the Class of 2021.

discussions on race, inequity and activism throughout last spring and summer. LFA hosted a bittersweet graduation for the Class of 2020, with hope that there would be a chance at a more “normal” series of celebrations the following year.

The rest of that year passed quickly, and as the Class of 2021 developed from freshmen to sophomores to juniors, they hit the regular milestones that are part of the LFA experience: completing seminar projects, smashing athletics records, showcasing their artistic skills and taking on leadership roles while juggling academic demands. In February 2020, near the start of their second semester as juniors, nobody could have predicted that the group would spend the rest of the academic year in remote classes as the COVID-19 pandemic, which still goes on as of the summer of 2021, overtook the entire world. Still, the Class of 2021 found pockets of time and opportunities to share their talents, from participating in virtual concerts to leading

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The Class of 2021 still had smiles during the Freshman Retreat in 2017.


Class of 2021 College Matriculation Adelphi University Garden City, N.Y.

Northeastern University Boston, Mass.

Arizona State University (2) Tempe, Ariz.

Northwestern University (4) Evanston, Ill.

Bates College Lewiston, Maine

Pennsylvania State University (2) State College, Pa.

Baylor University Waco, Texas

Pitzer College Claremont, Calif.

Boston College Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Purdue University West Lafayette, Ind.

Boston University (5) Boston, Mass.

Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Brown University Providence, R.I.

Reed College Portland, Ore.

Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pa.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, N.Y.

Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio

Rice University (3) Houston, Texas

Colby College (2) Waterville, Maine

Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, N.Y.

Colorado College Colorado Springs, Colo.

Santa Clara University Santa Clara, Calif.

Cornell University (2) Ithaca, N.Y.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China

Creighton University Omaha, Neb.

South Plains College Levelland, Texas

Drake University Des Moines, Iowa

Texas Christian University Fort Worth, Texas

Duke University (3) Durham, N.C.

The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland

Elon University (4) Elon, N.C.

Trinity College Hartford, Conn.

Emory University (2) Atlanta, Ga.

Tufts University Medford, Mass.

George Washington University Washington, D.C.

Tulane University (2) New Orleans, La.

Hamilton College Clinton, N.Y. Harvard University Cambridge, Mass. Haverford University Haverford, Pa. Indiana University (5) Bloomington, Ind. Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pa. Lewis University Romeoville, Ill. Loyola University Chicago, Ill. New York University New York City, N.Y.

Hadley Fagan ’21, Robert Billings ’21, Hannah Liu ’21, Soeun Moon ’21, Trang Pham ’21, Gigi Taillon ’21, and Emily Hawkins ’21 pose together on College Shirt Day.

Union College Schenectady, N.Y.

University of Redlands Redlands, Calif.

United States Military Academy West Point, N.Y.

University of Richmond Richmond, Va.

University of California, Santa Barbara (2) Santa Barbara, Calif.

University of San Francisco San Francisco, Calif.

University of Chicago (2) Chicago, Ill.

University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

University of Colorado, Boulder Boulder, Colo.

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2) Madison, Wis.

University of Denver Denver, Colo.

Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tenn.

University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (2) Urbana-Champaign, Ill.

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

University of Miami (2) Miami, Fla. University of Michigan (4) Ann Arbor, Mich.

Virginia Military Institute Lexington, Va. Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, N.C.

University of Missouri, Columbia Columbia, Mo.

Washington University in St. Louis (3) St. Louis, Mo.

University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Ind.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, Mass.

University of Pennsylvania (2) Philadelphia, Pa.

Yale University New Haven, Conn.

Athletic Commitments The following students have committed to playing at the collegiate level next fall: Mathieu Bourgault ’21 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Hockey)

Hannah Liu ’21 University of Pennsylvania (Swimming)

Antonio Ferraiolo Galvao Costa ’21 Vassar College (Soccer)

Zuzanna Pacak ’21 South Plains College (Basketball)

Lizzie Frekko ’21 Bates College (Tennis)

Jake Putzel ’21 Hamilton College (Golf)

Reed Kovas ’21 Trinity College (Squash)

Jake Wolf ’21 Washington University in St. Louis (Basketball)

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Dedication to Abbe Shanley-Roberts ’21 In June 2020, another sudden event shook the LFA community: Abbe Shanley-Roberts ’21, a beloved classmate and friend, passed unexpectedly. Abbe, the younger sister of alumna Emily Shanley-Roberts ’14, was a House Cup fanatic and spirit leader. In addition to being a sharp-witted writer and scholar, Abbe played the flute and piccolo in orchestra; sailed and played ice hockey; and had a kind personality that allowed peers to gravitate towards her for help and advice.

Abbe’s friends, Calvin Osborne ’21 and Emily Hawkins ’21, share their thoughts about Abbe: “Abbe was a sister, teammate, house captain, and friend. Despite the uncertainty in the world right now it is important to celebrate her life together. We are fortunate to have a community that cares about each other as much as Abbe cared about it. If you knew Abbe in any class, you know of her ability to use humor to brighten someone’s day. She taught myself and others that there is always a reason to smile. Her storytelling skills were the best I’ve seen, and you knew that if she ran up to you with “that look” on her face she had a great story to tell. This is how Abbe should be remembered — through the same stories and joy that she shared with those around her. We should celebrate Abbe’s story: her charm, her laugh, her friendship, and most importantly her impact on every one of us. A spirit as bright, joyful, and witty as Abbe shouldn’t go unseen and to celebrate her life is the greatest honor.” – Emily Hawkins ’21 “Abbe was an indescribable human being with a passion for life and a dry sense of humor that could knock me out on any occasion. Abbe believed in living life to its fullest, that life shouldn’t be the thing holding somebody back. Most importantly, the things that she believed in were things that she believed in with all of her heart, and her courage and the strength of her conviction was enough to convince even the most stubborn of opposition. She was brilliant and charming and steadfast, and her voice spoke out far louder than her frame could ever suggest. A discussion with Abbe was never truly complete until you had fully reevaluated the perspective that which you were sharing. She has left an indescribable mark on my own life, and her voice can still be heard in the conviction that she has imparted on those that encountered her.” – Calvin Osborne ’21

Per tradition, the Class of 2021 made a gift to the Academy in celebration of their high school experience. This year the seniors funded the construction of a directional sign on campus near Corbin Circle, dedicated to the memory of Abbe. The class gift project was spearheaded by All-School President Nick Alutto with support from class representatives Nick Mesrobian (senior class president), Conor Fryer, Halbert Kim and Olivia Petrini-Poli. In addition, the class placed the Class of 2021 paver at Alumni Circle near the Bowditch Bell, a tradition started with the Class of 2014. The Class of 2021 paver is the eighth at Alumni Circle. It includes the signature of every member of the class on the back.

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Cum Laude & Move-Up Day Awards The Cum Laude Society is the secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, and membership in the Lake Forest Academy Chapter of the Cum Laude Society is the highest academic honor awarded by the Academy. Based on their exceptional scholarship during their tenure at LFA, the Academy inducted the following seniors into the LFA chapter.

Nick Alutto, Julia Birmingham, Matthew Birmingham, Yu Kyoung Chung, Max Collins, Will Collins, Lizzie Dozois, Christina Franco, Elizabeth Frekko, Shaopeng Gu, Qingyang Hu, Rachel Johns, Nathan Jung, Halbert Kim, Hannah Liu, Josh Mayberry, So Eun Moon, Calvin Osborne, Ani Plambeck, Katherine Schilling, Noah Sebolt, Natasha Sokhi, Linyan Wang, Tyler Watts and Richard Wu.

Additionally, each year, a small percentage of juniors are considered for membership. They will formally join the other members of their class during the induction ceremony next year.

Richard Ascroft, Maeve Brady, Brooke Farrell, Ashley Guo, Akhil Kommala, Natalie Putzel, Alexander Reznik, Muhammad Emir Ezzat Suhaime, Yilin Sun, Stewart Thompson, Fengcheng Yang and Xinqi Zhang.

Move-Up Day Awards Daughters of the American Revolution Award Hannah Liu ’21 and Lizzie Dozois ’21 American Legion Award Calvin Osborne ’21 Service Above Self Award Brooks Osborne ’21 and Hannah Liu ’21 The Aurelian Book Prize Max Collins ’21 Alexander Award Frank Gu ’21 Mary Freeland Award Lizzie Dozois ’21

Butler Award Conor Fryer ’21

McLaughlin Prize Saanvi Malkani ’23

Hixon Award Julia Birmingham ’21

Jewell J. Jackson Award Safiya Nicol ’22

Horace S. Vaile Award Nick Alutto ’21

Benjamin D. Waldie Sr. Award Tyler Watts ’21

Wetzel Award Rachel Johns ’21

Faculty Award Calvin Osborne ’21

Virginia Phillips Speidel Award Julia Birmingham ’21 Jonathan Fremd Award Noah Cedergren ’24

Faculty Awards Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence – The recipients of the 2021 Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence are History & Social Science Teachers Ackim Mpofu and Suzy Vaughn. Laima Salcius Faculty Award – The recipient of this year’s Laima Salcius Faculty Award is Assistant Dean of Students, Director of Residential Life English Teacher Jon Freeman.

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Graduation 2021 Upon returning to campus last August, students, faculty and staff navigated the ups and downs of COVID-19 while conducting and attending in-person and remote classes. LFA honored Abbe in October 2020 during a memorial in the Formal Gardens, which was covered in the fall 2020 edition of the “Review.”

all decided on their future steps as LFA alumni. Though many regular celebratory events, like the Cum Laude Luncheon, were cancelled, the Class of 2021 still had a senior gala and two inperson graduation ceremonies. Graduation took place at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 2021, with the senior class split into two groups.

The seniors dealt with various college applications changes with the help of the College Counseling Office and have now

Despite the numerous challenges that this year’s seniors faced, they continued to stay positive and lead their peers and younger students with grace, humility and humor. LFA wishes its newest group of young alumni the best in their journeys, and as always, the Academy remains a second home to visit, after the pandemic and in future years.

Halbert Kim ’21, Conor Fryer ’21, Nick Alutto ’21, Nick Mesrobian ’21 and Olivia Petrini-Poli ’21.

Rachel Johns ’21, Briana Murphy ’21, Ramya Herman ’21, Tyler Watts ’21, Ani Plambeck ’21, Lizzie Dozois ’21 and Eden Kalaj-Rice ’21.

Nemo Lee ’21 and Pandy Buasuwan ’21.

The seniors won the annual Seniors vs. Faculty Soccer Game with a score of 7-5.

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Math Teacher Ted Golota was chosen as the faculty speaker for both ceremonies.

2020-2021 Parents Association President Marjorie Alutto P’19, ’21 shares the Book of Gratitude; the book is part of an annual tradition where parents submit letters of thanks to faculty and staff.

Asha Glass ’21 with her father, Trustee Gregory Glass P’18, ’21.

Reed Kovas ’21 receives his diploma from his father, Trustee Ted Kovas P’21.

Senior Class President Nick Mesrobian ’21 gives his speech.

John Silver ’21 and his father, Jeffrey P’06, ’08, ’15, ’16, ’19, ’21.

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Faculty Retirements Director of Service Learning Sarah Collins started her career at LFA 14 years ago and taught student seminar while working as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and overseeing LFA’s service program. Most recently, she was also a dorm parent in Atlass. Collins has a bachelor’s degree from Boston University School for the Arts and a master’s degree in human services counseling from National Louis University. Collins supported numerous LFA students through her counseling profession and created innovative service activities to keep the LFA community engaged with local neighbors. She also organized the annual Service Learning Day for the entire LFA community to give back and volunteer at over 15 service sites. Collins and her husband, Rob, will continue to travel the world and care for their children and grandchildren.

After 42 years, the founders of LFA’s ESL program, Paul Dunlop and Connie McCabe, are retiring from the Academy. The sense of gratitude that LFA has for the dedication, service and tireless work of two great colleagues is immeasurable. Paul Dunlop and Connie McCabe started their careers in 1979 at the American Language Academy. The couple lived in Duran Cottage until 2019. Dean of Summer Session Paul Dunlop became an official employee of LFA in 2003. Dunlop has a master’s degree in linguistics and English as a Second Language Education (ESL) from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religious studies from Wagner College. He began his LFA career as the international student administrator and was promoted to ESL program coordinator and associate dean of admission – international students after two months. One year later, he became associate director of admission and coordinator of the ESL program. Dunlop took on the role of dean in 2007. He has raised the visibility and credibility of LFA’s summer ESL program. ESL Department Chair Connie McCabe has a master’s degree from NYU and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to joining the LFA faculty, she worked for the American Language Academy as an assistant director. She has also worked at Middle East Technical University in Gaziantep, Turkey, and at public schools in West Virginia and New Jersey. In 2007, she presented at both TESOL and ITBE, presenting again at ITBE in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2019 and at ISACS in 2010. She also designed the Oral English Training Course for Teachers for the Department of Education in Jiangxi Province, China, and she has implemented the course with elementary, middle, and high school teachers in Nankang, Chongyi, Shangyou, Xingguo, and Chengdu, China, every year since 2006. In the spring of 2007, she was the first participant in the teacher exchange program between LFA and Zhejiang University’s related high school in Hangzhou, China.

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At LFA, McCabe advised and organized the Chinese Dictionary Project, a service project to buy and deliver dictionaries to teachers of English in rural China. McCabe founded the Writing Center at LFA as well. She has also instituted the PE Biking program and started PE Badminton in the spring term. In June of 2010, she received the Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence, and in May of 2013, she was given the Laima Salcius Faculty Award. On retirement, McCabe says, “I am grateful for the amazing professional development opportunities that have kept LFA an exciting place to teach for 42 years; for colleagues who were willing to travel to remote areas to discuss English language instruction in China and Senegal; for overseas parents who met us at airports, shared meals, and took us on fascinating excursions, including a trip to a remote part of North Korea; for an administration that supports and values learning beyond the classroom for its teachers, and for colleagues willing to pursue those opportunities.” “Last but not least, Mr. Dunlop and I are grateful for the many students who shared this journey with us. They lived in our home, walked our dog after having surprised us with a shih tzu bought in the mall and brought home on a Caxy van, played their instruments, shared their songs, learned to ski, and rode the neighborhood streets by bike. They also introduced us to the marvelously fascinating world of tea! We love you all and hope to continue hearing about your journeys as you move into the world beyond LFA.”


Faculty Departures LFA thanks the faculty who are leaving after the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year for their dedication and service. Assistant Athletic Director Becky Arrowood started her career at LFA in 2012. Arrowood attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., where she played both volleyball and softball while earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She earned her master’s in human resources from Western Carolina University. At LFA, Arrowood coached girls’ and boys’ volleyball and served as a dorm parent. She also organized annual service opportunities like Operation Christmas Child and trick-or-treat events for younger students during Project Pumpkin. She was the adviser for Christian Fellowship for Caxys (CFC) and served on the Cum Laude Committee. Arrowood will be the new Athletic Director at Willows Academy. Math Teacher Arman Banimahd started his career at LFA in 2018. He has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in software engineering from Carroll University. He has taught mathematics at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for six years. At LFA, he taught math and computer science courses. Banimahd was also a coach for the JV2 boys’ soccer team and served as a faculty adviser for the Math Team and the robotics program. He also taught computer science and lego robotics at LFA’s summer STEAM Camps for middle schoolers. Banimahd and his wife, Nadia, will be moving to Cranbrook School in Michigan for his new teaching role. Admission Campus Visit and Event Manager Grace Everett started her career as general manager of catering sales and events at the Armour House from 2005 until 2012, utilizing her culinary art degree from Kendall College as an employee of Sodexo Services. She received a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a minor in Italian from Marymount Manhattan College in New York. Everett also earned an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. She returned to LFA as the admission office manager in 2015; her son Will graduated in 2017. She took on the role of admission campus visit and event manager in 2019 and began her pursuit of a Master of Divinity degree and a Master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Loyola University of Chicago. She will be moving to Austin, Texas, at the end of summer 2021. Math Teacher Taylor Haist joined LFA in 2018 to teach precalculus and other math courses. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and classics from Bowdoin College and her master’s degree in archaeology from Durham University. In addition to teaching math, Haist was the head coach of JV boys’ soccer and varsity girls’ soccer. She also coached girls’ ice hockey. She lived on campus and was a dorm parent in Marshall Field Dorm. She will be moving on to pursue her dream of becoming a cryptologic warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. Dean of Communications Grace Kim started at LFA in 2014; she was appointed as a dean in 2017. Kim has been part of three website launches for LFA and has helped to build out libraries of video, social media, print and digital assets. During the 2018 year, Kim worked with Life Trustee Mike Schell ’65 and the Head of School Search Committee to organize communications updates about the search to the LFA community. In addition, in 2018-2019, Kim was part of a four-person team that led a yearlong research

process to find the best Student Information System (SIS) for LFA. The team then took on the transition from Senior Systems to Veracross during the 2019-2020 school year. Kim has served on the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 Head of School Symposium Committees; the Diversity Advisory Council; the Multicultural Affairs Committee; and was a dorm parent in Marshall Field Dorm. She was the faculty adviser for the Asian American Association and co-adviser for the Asian Cultural Union. She has also taught several independent studies in Korean and helped support Korean students and families abroad through translations and mentorship. Kim showed a presence at many LFA events, photographing and recording the life of the community. She is currently in a corporate communications role. Science and Math Teacher Lynn Lazzeretti started at LFA in 2013. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a focus on secondary education and psychology from Illinois State University, and a master’s degree in educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lazzeretti built a strong psychology program in the science department, including courses for AP psychology, adolescent psychology and environmental psychology. She also taught geometry and various math courses and was a class adviser. She coached girls’ varsity field hockey and softball. Lastly, she was a dorm parent in three different dorms, including service as dorm head of Marshall Field Dorm. Lazzeretti will work in Chicago starting this summer. Science Teacher Mike Rogan joined the LFA Science Department in 2012 to teach both physics and chemistry. Before working for nine years at LFA, he studied physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a minor in secondary education. At LFA, Rogan lived on campus and was a dorm parent in Atlass Hall. He was the faculty adviser for the robotics team and organized the team’s service initiatives, including an after school science program at a local elementary school, AJ Katzenmaier Academy, with the partnership of the North Chicago Community Partners group. Dean of Curriculum and Innovation Kristine Von Ogden served at LFA for over 20 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree from New York University. She joined LFA in 1998. Von Ogden directed the Global Department and the two-year Global Concentration program. She also taught French, managed the AP program and oversaw the Curriculum Committee and Technology and Innovation Committee. She also organized curricular travel and was LFA’s coordinator for School Year Abroad (SYA). Von Ogden also helped lead the transition to remote learning during the pandemic in spring of 2020. She will serve as upper school director at Latin School of Chicago.

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From the Archives Going to the Chapel: Gathering in Community Spirit By Rita MacAyeal ’87, Library Director and Archivist described the furnishings and décor as being completed in “a satisfactory and artistic manner.” In 1910, Mrs. Reid donated a Louis Tiffany stained glass chapel window titled, “Boy Christ,” depicting the young Christ figure from the popular 1881 painting “Jesus in the Temple” by Heinrich Hofmann.

Ferry Hall students play tennis outside the chapel, 1900. To the right of the chapel is the enclosed corridor leading to the main school building; to the left of the chapel is Senior House, a dormitory that was razed in 1929.

From the earliest years at Lake Forest Acacdemy and Ferry Hall, the campus chapel served an integral role in school life. As a place for religious services as well as school programs and assemblies, the chapel helped contribute to a spirit of shared school community at both institutions. Academy Chapels The original Academy building constructed in 1858 was a three-story, wood frame structure with a small chapel on the first floor. It was in this building that the Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest was organized in 1859; the members used the Academy chapel until they built a church in 1862. In 1866, the Academy presented a “soiree musical,” that began a tradition of hosting chapel concerts for the school and local community. The Academy building burned down in 1879 and was replaced with a building constructed from bricks made of locally dug clay. Like the original building, there was a small chapel used for mandatory church services. In 1893, LFA built a new academic building with funds from Mr. and Mrs. Simon Somerville Reid, whose son Arthur was a member of the LFA class of 1893. Designed by Pond & Pond Architects, Reid Hall had a large chapel with a balcony and seating for 400 people. An 1895 school newspaper

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When LFA opened on the current campus in fall 1948, the students used a building referred to as “Sam Insull’s Locker Building” as a temporary gymnasium. Designed and built in 1929 by architect Hermann V. von Holst, a one-time office manager for Frank Lloyd Wright, the building had been constructed as part of investor Samuel Insull’s ill-fated plan to renovate the former Armour estate into a golf club. In 1952, the Academy converted the upper level of the locker building into a chapel designed by architect Bertram A. Weber. Named the Lev H. Pritchard Memorial Chapel, it was funded by Louise Pritchard in memory of her son, a member of the class of 1928. Chapel services were part of daily life at the Academy until the 1970s when Headmaster Walter Hoesel oversaw a number of changes to the school. The chapel continued to be used for assemblies and fine arts productions until it was destroyed by fire in 1979. In 1982, the chapel was rebuilt as a multipurpose, flexible open space to use for performances and gatherings. That year, LFA-FH Artist-in-Residence Alan Edelson completed a 1,000 pound, 21-foot-tall welded tree sculpture that was installed on the back wall of the newly renovated chapel. In 1985, the chapel was renamed the Keller Chapel, funded by Caroline and the Right Rev. Christoph Keller ’34. In 2001, The Cressey Center for the Arts was built with funding provided by Christy and Brian Cressey, parents of Monique ’00, Charlotte ’02 and Alicia ’03. Because the new fine arts building provided an auditorium theater for performances and assemblies, the chapel was not needed anymore for that purpose. The old chapel space was remodeled in 2004 into a fitness center, in 2010 into a


The chapel in old Reid Hall, 1901. View from the front platform, before the chairs were replaced by pews.

The chapel in old Reid Hall, 1931. View of the front platform and wall with the Louis Tiffany window.

student center and bookstore, and is currently used as the orchestra room. Ferry Hall Chapel Although Ferry Hall opened in 1869, it was not until 1888 that the school built its chapel as part of a campus expansion. A neo-Gothic brick structure, it was attached to the south end of the school building by an enclosed corridor. The new chapel had 300 opera chairs and a piano. The first chapel concert took place on October 30, 1888, and featured the Mandolin Quartette of Chicago, the Athenaeum Quartette, and Estelle Ryan of Evanston. The dedication ceremony on November 22, 1888, included a number of prominent Chicago-area clergy and closed with a hymn sung by the Lake Forest Choral Club.

“Hope” by Edward Burne-Jones, the window depicted a figure of a woman peering through tree branches toward the sky. Designed and made by the Church Glass and Decorating Company of New York, it contained 1,788 pieces of glass. The following year, the chapel was converted from gas lighting to electric lighting — a welcome upgrade which garnered the following praise in the student newspaper: “The Chapel is resplendent with electric lights and beautiful brass fixtures, in place of the dim shining of other days.”

The Ferry Hall Chapel was again remodeled in 1938 and an electronic organ (or “orgatron”) was donated by Board President Edison Dick. The green walls were repainted light beige and the ceiling was painted blue; the pews were stained to match the woodwork and the upholstery and

In 1897, the chapel floor was replaced after it was deemed that the supporting beams A school gathering in the Pritchard Memorial Ferry Hall Principal Eloise Tremain leads Chapel, 1950s. a chapel service, early 1940s. She were unsafe; services were temporarily held stands in front of the Sabra Sargent in the school’s parlors while the work was Memorial Window and the painted done. In 1907, the chapel received a new roof scripture verses on the wall. platform carpeting were changed to a and all the metal trim was painted. In 1908, deep red. Molded arches were added the Ferry Hall Alumnae Association chose to honor beloved around the Sargent Memorial Window and two biblical verses late Principal Sabra Sargent with a stained glass memorial were painted in gold on the wall: “Be not overcome of evil, window in the chapel. An adaptation of the 1896 painting but overcome evil with good” and “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” In 1954, lightning struck the chapel building during spring break, resulting in $3,000 in damages and requiring replacement of one fourth of the roof. On January 25, 1959, the school dedicated a new chapel organ in memory of Ferry Hall student Mary Jane Freeland ’57.

A school assembly in the Keller Chapel, 1986. The metal tree sculpture is visible on the back wall.

Several years after the 1974 merger of Ferry Hall and LFA, the Ferry Hall campus was sold to developers with plans to convert the campus buildings into condominiums. In 1985, working with Lake Bluff architect James Rhine, the developers turned the chapel into a home that retained the exterior structure and many elements of the original interior. Even as a private home, a bit of the spirit of Ferry Hall remains today within its walls.

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Ferry Tales A Letter from LFA’s Ferry Hall Prefect Rachel Johns ’21 As my tenure as Ferry Hall Prefect comes to an end, I am reflecting upon the core of the Ferry Hall legacy. Ferry’s footprint is one of kindness, perseverance and excellence in all pursuits, whether they be academic, artistic or athletic. I am honored to say that I have lived the legacy of Ferry Hall each and every day. Each student here embodies the visions set forth by the Seminary’s founders through their actions and passions. From its founding to its integration into Lake Forest Academy, Ferry Hall has been a trailblazer in women’s education. Founded in 1869 by the Reverend William Montague Ferry, the school’s initial aim was to prepare young women for college by providing a rigorous education, unlike anything else offered to women at the time. Ferry Hall was particularly strong in the sciences, having materials to perform experiments that many schools lacked. Through its storied history, each head of school brought something special to Ferry Hall, molding it into the beloved institution it is so fondly remembered as. Sabra Sargent, who served as principal from 1894 to 1904, brought well-known writers and speakers to encourage the girls to expand their worldview. Eloise Ruthven Tremain (1918-1945) achieved Ferry Hall’s independence from Lake Forest College, and fought for her girls to have nothing but the best facilities, faculty and financial support. Robert G. Andrus (19571964) focused on preparing young women for academic excellence and strong careers instead of preparing them just for marriage. Marian Smith (1965-1970) instilled confidence in her pupils, discouraging self-deprecation. John Bird was amicable and social with the students, even playing pool with them during his free time. Sargent’s adventurous spirit, Tremain’s determination to achieve the best, Andrus’ career-oriented approach, Smith’s encouraging confidence, and Bird’s friendly nature all played critical roles in creating the Ferry Hall we all know and love today.

Principal Sabra Sargent.

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Eloise Ruthven Tremain.

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Robert G. Andrus.

Rachel Johns in the Formal Gardens.

Through all the changes Ferry Hall has endured over the years, there are a few constants: dedication to education, unwavering grace, and perseverance. Those qualities are traditions in their own right, with each young woman at Ferry Hall or the Academy embodying them each day. While all the girls of Ferry displayed the aforementioned qualities, each May Day they would elect one senior girl who exemplified Ferry’s charm, intellect, and friendliness as the May Queen. Today, I look at my peers and see May Queens inside of them all. It is a reassurance that every student here continues to live the legacy of Ferry Hall. We have all left our marks on the Academy through our curiosity, kindness, and determination. Beginning in 1906 and continuing until the merger with Lake Forest Academy, Ferry used to celebrate Ivy Day at the end of each school year. Every student planted ivy, and at the end of the day the seniors passed their spade onto a junior, handing over their leadership and legacy. We now see Ivy Day reincarnated as MoveUp Day. As I move from senior to alumna, I am thrilled to pass my spade onto the next Ferry Hall Prefect.

Marian Smith.

John Bird.


Ivy Day in 1910.

Ferry Hall students dance around the maypole during the 1965 May Day celebration.

Ferry Hall Dorm.

The Ferry Hall and McIntosh Cottage Class of 2021 boarders pose for a photo after the traditional senior desserts event in late May.

Boarders create tie-dye shirts in fall 2020 outside of the Ferry Hall dorm.

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Alumni Spotlights Sonia Mugabo ’08 Rwandan Alumna Shares Tutsi Genocide Story on 27th Anniversary The 27th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda, an event held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on April 7, featured the following testimonial from LFA alumna Sonia Mugabo ’08. Her firsthand experiences of the events at age 4 created a lifelong struggle with the resultant posttraumatic stress. LFA is grateful to Mugabo, a successful fashion designer, for the courage to share her story, also reported by Rwanda’s leading daily newspaper, The New Times. Regarding the reprinting of her speech, Mugabo says, “I remember sharing my story of surviving the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi [as a student] at LFA and the progress my country had made in 14 years. I truly wanted to be a survivor at the time and not a victim of what I had been through. Being away from home for my first time, I believe LFA taught me how to express myself more and also gain a global perspective as I was studying and living with students from all over the world. Today, I personally advocate for the wellbeing and mental health of the youth. I strive to share my story to shatter stereotypes and stigma associated with mental illness.”

My name is Sonia Mugabo, and I am a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. I am starting my testimony by replaying events through the experience of my 4-year-old self. May we all hear the voices of children who are learning to be expressive under the best of circumstances and are often completely absent when they, as I was, have been traumatized. For a while, I appeared whole. It was my childhood armor — hiding scars, suffering and distress. What you see today is me, dressed in a cloak of healing, which is often forgiving and will be in production forever. Thursday, April 7, 1994, was so quiet, it seemed like a Sunday. Mum told us to shower and wear our Sunday clothes; she then started preparing a meal for us. This was special because as a working mother, she only cooked on weekends. When I look back, I now understand it was supposed to be our last meal together. She anticipated what was to follow yet she kept calm. When we were almost done with lunch, we noticed a large group of people running down Mount Kigali with machetes and screaming very loudly. Mum told us to run quickly to our Congolese neighbors and that she and Dad would join us. In less than five minutes, a group of military men stormed our house shooting into all the doors. They threw grenades into the windows and screamed, “You will die in there.” They rushed to the neighbor’s house, searched everywhere and asked them if they had seen us flee. The gateman, who had hidden us, told them we left earlier that morning. The soldiers went to search his room — where we were hidden — and found the door locked. They demanded the keys. He replied his boss, away in Congo, kept the keys. A little curtain covered the glass door. Without the curtain, the soldiers would have instantly locked eyes on us. At night, our neighbor’s brothers requested we leave, fearing they would be killed for protecting us. We went back to our mostly destroyed home and spent a night in the side quarters. During the day we were told Dad was killed. Mum was devastated. In the wee hours of April 8, Dad, surprising us, knocked on the door and hustled us to Gisimba Orphanage – about 100 meters from our home.

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The next morning, on April 9 to our surprise, there was an announcement that all parents had to leave the orphanage. Gisimba, the owner, convinced every parent that they had to vacate the area in the best interest of their children’s safety. He had been told by the killers that if the adults did not leave, they would burn down the place.

With the support of my family and professional counseling, I was able to get the help I needed to overcome my trauma. But I can’t say it was overnight or completely cured. I have to live with this for the rest of my life. I have come to terms with the invisible scars that will continue to heal my wounds. In reality, nothing will ever erase or repair what unfolded in 1994.

We were stunned. We once again said goodbye to our parents. We were sure they would instantly be killed. As my Mum kept us in her warm embrace, she gave my oldest sister, Denise, two gold necklaces. She told Denise that in case we became hungry, we should sell them to buy food.

The genocide against the Tutsi took a million lives and approximately 100 of those lives were my own grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins. It takes time for wounds to heal; most likely, it will take generations. However, in my country, we have tried to find lasting solutions through inherent values that are informed by forgiveness, faith, unity and reconciliation.

As every parent grappled with the reality of having to leave their loved ones, they somberly walked out of the orphanage, and as the doors shut behind them, we heard gunshots, and as the guns went silent, we knew we had become orphans. For the next three months, my sisters were my new parents. Within a month, I was diagnosed with malnourishment, and my days were numbered. My illness rapidly got worse; soon enough, starvation and associated illnesses damaged my skin and teeth. I cried so many tears of pain and distress. Eventually, my tears dried — nothing could be done. On June 30, we were relocated to Saint-Michel Cathedral. And on July 4 the genocide ended. The Rwanda Patriotic Front had just put an end to the killings that had done away with our loved ones, our dreams and our belief in humanity. I will forever be grateful to Gisimba for providing a safe haven for us and for Carl Wilken who brought us water during the 100 days. Their kind gestures saved so many lives. For years, I’ve been haunted by the memories of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The image of a man shot right in the head in front of me at the Gisimba Orphanage kept appearing in my mind. While my parents, three siblings and I surprisingly survived, I wanted to be a survivor — not a victim. I wanted to repress all the haunting memories. But in April 2011, some 17 years later, I couldn’t do it anymore. The massive energy needed to conceal my trauma broke, and I broke down too. I had to revisit the 4-year-old girl who had been terrorized for months and seen cold-blooded murders left and right. Initially, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, I turned bitter and angry. I went from being scared and anxious to severely depressed. I weighed 100 pounds and I felt as though I had fallen into a ditch — a deep hole full of all kinds of evil thoughts. I began to question my existence, contemplating suicide not once or twice, but countless times. I felt helpless, hopeless — no purpose left in life.

When moments are tough, I am often reminded of remarks I heard from H.E President Paul Kagame during the 17th Commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, and he said: “Let us support them and support each other. Let’s face our challenges together. Let us confront those who look down on us, and lift ourselves up. Let us fight with the consequences of our history and Triumph. Let’s persevere together so that we can build a better future for Rwandans because it is possible – we cannot wait for anyone to do this for us. The most important thing is truth, dignity and that enduring Rwandan spirit – the spirit that must never die.” Twenty-seven years ago, no one would have believed that our country would recover and rise from the ruins. Today, we, Rwandans have made significant progress against all odds. We are an example to the rest of the world that it is possible to rebuild a broken nation. I would be remiss if we did not express gratitude to the youth that picked up arms to save us. Many sacrificed their lives for us to be alive today. Join me, as I stand here today and pray for every Rwandan, who is healing from a life left by the genocide’s “visible and invisible” scars. And I stand and pray today for the world’s children, especially those who while alive are surrounded by loss, violence and trauma. Let us condemn all the deniers of the genocide against the Tutsi so we give dignity to the deceased and respect the survivors. Author Linda Melvern says it best: “The purpose of denial is to destroy truth and memory. The denial of the genocide against the Tutsi causes the gravest offence to survivors. It denies the dignity of the deceased and mocks those who survived. The 1994 genocide of the Tutsi is not an event commemorated once a year for the survivors. For them, this is something they live with every single day in their grief, pain, and anger. For them, genocide is a crime with no end.”

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Alumni Spotlights Dr. Makola Abdullah ’86 COVID-19 challenged leaders of educational institutions — from independent schools to colleges and universities — in profound ways and prompted presidents and heads of school to reflect on how the global pandemic will change education. Dr. Makola Abdullah ’86, president of Virginia State University and a Lake Forest Academy Life Trustee, agreed to discuss his leadership experiences with the Review. Below is an excerpt of the conversation. The Review: What opportunities emerged because of COVID-19? Dr. Abdullah: There have been people who have been saying recently they wonder if brick and mortar education will survive — that online education with all of its benefits would begin to overtake colleges and universities and people wondered whether the old model of colleges and universities would survive. I think what COVID has shown is that they definitely will. That people want an education, a face-to-face education — they want an alternative environment to get an education. They want the holistic experience, because they miss it. That’s what our students keep telling us; that’s what the community keeps telling us. At the same time, it (the pandemic) has taught us how the two can work together. I get to be in rooms I’m not normally in without having to travel a couple hours. I think as COVID leaves us one day, whenever it does, it’s going to teach us the value of our face-to-face interactions, but I also value the use of technology to be in spaces we couldn’t be in before. The Review: Has the experience of leading an institution through the time of COVID changed you personally as a leader? Dr. Abdullah: It has by far, and I’m sure (Head of School) José De Jesús has gone through the same thing. It has been the biggest leadership challenge in my career by far; it’s not even close. It’s taught me to be much more transparent about the things I don’t know. It’s taught me to really stand strong in the decisions we have to make for the community and to really use shared governance to help advance the mission of the institution. Every decision we’ve made at Virginia State centered around COVID has involved faculty, staff, students and alums. Not all of those decisions were easy; many were very difficult. It really taught me how to lean on my colleagues, my fellow presidents, and the university community— together we made some of the most difficult decisions we’ve ever made, life and death decisions really. The Review: Looking back on the past year-plus, what hit you as the biggest surprise? Dr. Abdullah: I think, to be honest, it’s been the staff and the faculty at Virginia State who have done an incredible job in their planning efforts — plans I can’t take credit for. The one thing that hasn’t been what we’ve thought — I think we all thought that we’d all be farther along in this COVID-19 battle by now. The fact that we’re still thinking about how this is going to work for the fall and whether we mandate the vaccine for faculty, staff and students. It’s just a difficult conversation. We shall see.

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Dr. Abdullah with students.

The Review: How did your Lake Forest Academy experiences affect your leadership style? Dr. Abdullah: I think that one of the critical things about Lake Forest Academy, and you know I think a lot of people have this story, is that I was a young man from the South Side of Chicago. I don’t think I had been much farther than Wrigley Field North until I went to Lake Forest Academy. And I had not been in that kind of diverse environment ever in my life. And what it taught me was that I could compete with anyone. That if I was given the opportunity to be in an AP class, to be among the best and brightest at Lake Forest Academy, then I could be one of them. And that’s a lesson I’ve taken from the Academy — that if I put my mind to it and if I’m willing to work hard that I can compete on any stage I want. In terms of a leadership style, I like to be engaging; that’s probably my thing. I like to meet people where they are, to try and teach not just through words but through example and find out what people value so we can kind of move in a similar direction. Dr. Makola Abdullah ’86 is president of Virginia State University in Ettrick, Virginia. Following his graduation from Lake Forest Academy, he earned his B.S. at Howard University and his M.S. and Ph.D. at Northwestern University, all in civil engineering. Dr. Abdullah worked as an engineer in Chicago before embarking on a career in the academic world. His journey includes stops at Florida A&M University, Memorial University and Bethune-Cookman University, before he assumed the presidency at Virginia State University in 2016. He served on LFA’s Board of Trustees from 2010-19.


Special Alumni Events

Use the QR code to learn more about the Alumni Advisory Board.

Josh Rothstein Young Alumni-Student Networking Night LFA celebrated the Josh Rothstein Young AlumniStudent Networking Night on February 11 via Zoom. This was the seventh year the school has offered the alumni-student networking night. Alumni offered advice and counsel to students about college, internships, and careers, while sharing their thoughts on how to make the most of their LFA experience.

Drew Walgreen ’04, senior attorney at Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A., Chicago; University of Michigan; Marquette University Law School (J.D.).

Dr. Asona Lui ’05, resident physician at UC San Diego Department of Radiation Medicine; Washington University in St. Louis; Chicago State University (M.S.); University of Kansas Medical Center (M.D.-Ph.D.).

This event is named in honor and memory of Josh Rothstein ’05, who died during his sophomore year at LFA in a tragic car accident. The Rothstein family — Steven and Nancy, Josh’s mom and dad; Caroline and Natalie, Josh’s sisters; Layne Horwich, Josh’s grandmom; and Laurie Matasar, Josh’s aunt — participated in the event this year via Zoom. In total, 65 alumni, students, faculty, staff and parents joined the celebration. For more information about this and other alumni events at LFA, please contact Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso at rkeyso@lfanet.org or 847-615-3268.

Andrew Duckworth ’08, vice president of business development at Ambra Health in NYC; Claremont McKenna College.

Anneika “Nike” Patterson ’08, FinTech Partnerships at Ocrolus in NYC; Harvard University; Stanford University (MBA).

Vivian Chung ’12, account supervisor at CBD Marketing, Chicago; Duke University.

Jordan Wolff ’15, program manager at Microsoft, Seattle; University of Michigan.

Head of School Appoints New Members to AAB Lake Forest Academy’s Head of School José M. De Jesús P’22 appointed two new members to the Alumni Advisory Board at its annual meeting on April 17: Dr. Jeff Parker ’81 of Blacksburg, Virginia, and Rickey Larke ’11 of North Hollywood, California. This year’s AAB meeting, held via Zoom, included a student panel with Class of 2021 seniors Tyler Watts, Calvin Osborne, and Shaopeng Frank Gu; a conversation with Head of School José M. De Jesús P’22; and an in-depth look at LFA’s finances with Board of Trustees Finance Committee Co-Chair Duane Jackson ’01 (former AAB member), Chief Financial Officer Mike Reidy P’17, and VP of Advancement Dr. Robert J. Buckla. Buckla also shared the latest information about the Academy’s $20 million Inspire & Invest Initiative. Breakout sessions were led by AAB members Mghnon Martin ’05, Mark Karstrom ’80, P’18, Elisa Gutierrez ’06 and Trustee Jackson; the groups explored topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at LFA; virtual events and ideas for future alumni panel discussions; the Academy’s ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) accreditation process; and finances at LFA. The AAB comprises 33 LFA alumni and Ferry Hall alumnae from the classes of 1961 through 2015. They represent nine states with one international representative. These alumni serve as ambassadors and as a sounding board for the Head of School. For more information about the AAB, contact Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso at rkeyso@lfanet.org. Visit www.lfanet.org/lfa-alumni/alumni-advisory-board.

Dr. Jeff Parker ’81 is a retired neonatologist from Blacksburg, Virginia. He grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago and was a boarder at LFA for four years. Parker graduated from the University of Rochester and UIC College of Medicine and practiced medicine for over 20 years in the Philadelphia area. He and his wife, Sharon, have two sons, Zach and Ian. Jeff’s brother, Greg, graduated from LFA in 1973. Rickey Larke ’11 was a four-year boarder at LFA. He grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and graduated from Bowdoin College, where he ran track and played football. He moved to Los Angeles after graduation to pursue a career in the television world. He is currently a TV writer for the show “Grownish” and has worked in the past at HBO for such shows as “Game of Thrones” and “The Young Pope,” and was a showrunner on “Blackish.” Larke has two older siblings who attended LFA, Ralph ’03 and Shelly ’04.

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Alumni Events During the COVID-19 pandemic, LFA embraced video technology as a way to engage easily with alumni across the United States and around the world. The following pages include photos from recent online gatherings of alumni, faculty and students. Do you have an idea for an alumni affinity gathering, whether in person or via technology? Contact Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso at rkeyso@lfanet.org or 847-615-3268.

Robotics Club Meets with Alex Pankhurst ’12 The Robotics Club, under the direction of LFA Science Teacher Mike Rogan, met on December 7 with alumnus Alex Pankhurst ’12 on Zoom. Pankhurst, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business economics at Brown University, talked to the team about his career at a startup, Takeoff Technologies in Boston, where he applies his robotics knowledge to create robotic warehouses for supermarkets. During his years as a boarder at LFA, Pankhurst founded the Academy’s Robotics Club. The club is still going strong and competes annually.

top row, l to r: Tobjorn “Toby” Nelson ’24, Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso, Alex Pankhurst ’12, Khue Cindy Nguyen ’23. middle row, l to r: Julia Plambeck ’23, Science Teacher Mike Rogan, Ezzat Suhaime ’22, Michael Xing ’23. bottom row, l to r: Conor Fryer ’21, Emily Hawkins ’21, Adrian Helmerci ’22, Brian Botero ’23.

Virtual Young Alumni Coffee The Academy kicked off 2021 by welcoming more than 50 young alumni and 20 faculty and staff members to the Young Alumni Coffee gathering via Zoom in January. Traditionally, LFA’s college-age alumni gather on campus for the Young Alumni Lunch, but the event was held virtually due to the pandemic. The gathering included a welcome and introduction from Head of School José M. De Jesús P’22, interactive games, conversation with faculty members and former classmates and breakout sessions where alumni engaged in dialogue in small group settings. A prize drawing included Caxy gear, gift cards, and Apple AirPods.

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top row, l to r: Advancement Events Coordinator Rachael Josephsen; Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso; Director of Alumni Reunions & Reunion Giving Hannah Shallenberger; Head of School José M. De Jesús P’22; Connor Hudziak ’19. second row, l to r: Adam Wisco ’17; Sophie Waimon ’20; Gaston Adam ’16; Bridget Collins ’18; Mason Schilling ’18. third row, l to r: Spanish Teacher Marianela Gonzalez; Assistant Dean of Advancement Christine Ryder P’15, ’17; Corlene Rhoades ’18; English Teacher Mandy Krause; Julia Knauz ’19. fourth row, l to r: Sampson Hao ’17; Em Sloan ’19; Maggie Zhou ’19; Jason Xiao ’16; Dean of Faculty Tom Johnson. fifth row, l to r: Audrey McGrail ’20; Associate Head of School, Dean of Students and Academic Affairs Chris Tennyson; Angelina Shiraishi ’19; Connor McMahan ’19; Katie Zhou ’16.

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Hong Kong Alumni Gathering LFA faculty and staff met up with Hong Kong alumni on January 28 via Zoom for casual networking and conversation. The Academy thanks the following alumni and faculty who joined: Jonathan Lieberman ’84, Tunan Chen ’12, Ling Xing Michael Meng ’13, Cole Simpson ’14, Joshua Lam ’16, Jiayin Diana Wang ’16, and Hoi Chit Jason Chen ’16. Faculty and staff included Chris Tennyson, Connie McCabe, Adam Gerber, Chris Dozois ’84, Tim Plambeck, Steve Ryder, Christine Ryder, Ed Shaughnessy, Ruth Keyso, and LFA Trustee and Hong Kong-based parent Gregory Glass P’18, ’21.

top row, l to r: Science Teacher Ed Shaughnessy, P’14, ’16, ’17; Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso; Assistant Dean of Advancement Christine Ryder P’15, ’17; Senior Associate Dean of Admission, Director of International Admission Adam Gerber P’21, ’24; ESL Department Chair Connie McCabe. second row, l to r: Jon Lieberman ’84; Hoi Chit Jason Chen ’16; French Teacher Steve Ryder P’15, ’17; Ling Xing Michael Meng ’13; Cole Simpson ’14. third row, l to r: Trustee Gregory Glass P’18, ’21; Director of Music Tim Plambeck P’21, ’23; History Teacher Chris Dozois ’84, P’17, ’21; Tunan Chen ’12; Associate Head of School, Dean of Students and Academic Affairs Chris Tennyson. bottom row, l to r: Jiayin Diana Wang ’16 and Josh Lam ’16.

Biochemistry Class with Dan Sambor ’10 Dan Sambor ’10 talked with students in LFA Science Teacher Dr. Kerry Cedergren’s biochemistry class on March 4 via Zoom from the renewable energy lab at Stanford University. Sambor is a Ph.D. candidate and lecturer at Stanford, where he teaches a course called “Energy Efficient Buildings” in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. He is also a visiting researcher at the University of AlaskaFairbanks. Sambor’s research and dissertation focus is on systems-level design solutions for food, energy, and water systems in remote Alaskan communities. He plans to continue teaching at Stanford after completing his doctorate.

top row, l to r: Dan Sambor ’10; Science Teacher Dr. Kerry Cedergren P’13,’ 17, ’24; Hadley Fagan ’21. second row, l to r: Calvin Osborne ’21; Katherine Schilling ’21; Jacob Putzel ’21. third row, l to r: Joshua Mayberry ’21; Ferdoss Ibrahim ’22; Anna Freyman ’22. bottom row, l to r: Tien-Yu Nemo Lee ’21; Ian Honczarenko ’21; Halbert Kim ’21.

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Alumni Events International Student Gathering with Nancy Wang ’13 Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) member Nancy Wang ’13 met with some of LFA’s international students, who are studying remotely this year, on March 16 via Zoom. Wang talked about her experience as an international student at LFA and her education at Northwestern University, where she majored in journalism. She also discussed her path toward her current role as a senior business analyst at McKinsey & Company management consulting in Chicago. She answered students’ questions about living in the United States, getting involved in extracurriculars and making friends at LFA. She also shared advice about preparing for college and finding internships in her field of interest. Wang will begin an MBA degree program at Stanford University in the fall.

top row, l to r: Dean of Pluralism and Multicultural Affairs Lusanda Mayikana P’14; Director of Alumni Engagement Ruth Keyso; Shaopeng Frank Gu ’21. bottom row, l to r: Nancy Wang ’13; Linyan Alina Wang ’21; Zeming Kevin Wang ’24; Yuan David Si ’21. (not pictured: Huss Endowed Chair in the Humanities, Mandarin Teacher, and Visual Arts Teacher Yue Chen)

Entrepreneurship Class with Adam Wisco ’17 Adam Wisco ’17, a junior at Middlebury College, spoke with students in Matt Vaughn’s entrepreneurship class on April 8. Wisco started a student-owned and operated bed rental company, Bigg-A-Bed (biggabed.com).

top row, l to r: Adam Wisco ’17; History and Social Science Teacher and Jessen Endowed Chair Matt Vaughn; Antonio Fernandez ’21; Theodore Buhl ’21. second row, l to: Abby Dandrow ’21; Jackson George ’21; Nicholas Mesrobian ’21; Michael Aidan Mullarkey ’21. third row, l to r: Grace Park ’21; Arielle Styczen ’21; Enrique Rocha ’21; Jackson Levin ’21. bottom row: Farhan Suhaime ’21.

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Leaving a Legacy What’s the latest? Let us know at classnotes@lfanet.org

The Johnson Family Honors Great-Grandparents Through Faculty Fund When LFA launched the Inspire and Invest Initiative in 2018, the concept was simple — provide an opportunity for the LFA community to invest in people: students and faculty. Alumni, parents, alumni parents and grandparents were approached and asked to support need-based endowed scholarships for students and endowed faculty chairs and professional development funds. More than $15.8 million has been pledged toward the $20 million goal as fundraising begins its final turn. Equally impressive to the generosity displayed by the LFA community are the many inspirational stories that have emerged. Consider the story of alumni parents Annie and Jeff Johnson P’20 of Chicago. The Johnsons were eager to have an immediate impact at LFA, while also providing support for the future. This eagerness brought about a creative giving strategy, devised by the Johnsons with help from LFA’s Director of Individual Philanthropy Garry Sloan P’19, ’21, that accomplishes two connected goals — endowing a long-term, targeted faculty professional development fund and having immediate impact while the endowment fund appreciates in value. The Johnsons’ tale is tied to gratitude toward the Academy for their son Charlie’s experience. A Class of 2020 LFA graduate who is enrolled at DePauw University, Charlie’s jam-packed LFA experiences included proctor, house and team captains, athlete and choir member, and numerous other activities. While at LFA, Charlie lived on campus as a boarding student in Warner Hall. Unabashedly, Annie Johnson talks of LFA faculty as parenting equals. “We put our trust in the process and then we fell in love with LFA,” Annie said. “There have been highs and lows over the years, successes and failures, lessons learned and redirections. Together with LFA, we co-parented Charlie. We give the school so much credit for the young man Charlie has become.”

Annie, Charlie and Jeff at Charlie’s signing to play football at DePauw University.

the care and training of our athletes. It’s all about leaving a small part of us at the Academy and continuing to make it a better place to live and work for all students and faculty.” The Johnsons saw their opportunity to create a named endowed fund thanks to the Gregory Glass Challenge. Established by a $250,000 gift from fellow parent and LFA Trustee Gregory Glass P’18, ’21, the challenge provided a match to the Johnson’s five-year commitment of $25,000. Invested according to LFA endowment practice, the first distribution from the Johnsons’ endowed fund is set for the 2025-26 academic year. While that is typical practice to allow the fund to grow in size, the Johnsons wanted to see the impact of their donation more quickly. In addition to the endowed fund, the Johnsons pledged annual support toward professional development for athletic trainers until the endowment fund matures in 2025-26. “We weren’t sure exactly what we wanted to do,” Annie said, “but working with Garry helped us narrow our focus and find out what we were capable of accomplishing to create immediate and future value for us and the school.”

To express their gratitude for Charlie’s LFA experience, the couple established the Johnson Family Endowed Faculty Professional Development Fund in memory of Jack and Evelyn Cameron, Charlie’s maternal great-grandparents. A portion of the annual earnings from the endowment fund will help underwrite continuing education for athletic trainers who had a real impact on Charlie during his time as a student athlete.

Academy Fund support, endowment building and philanthropic goals realized is quite a special trifecta. “I’d tell anyone that if there’s something you love and appreciate, reach out (to the Advancement Department),” Annie said. “It doesn’t have to be a huge gift to make a meaningful difference.”

“Our decision to set up an endowed faculty development fund supporting the athletic trainers at LFA is very personal and an important legacy for our family,” Annie said. “My grandparents, Jack and Evelyn, valued education above all else, and a trust they established helped make Charlie’s LFA experience possible. By creating a fund in their honor, our family will continue to be a part of the Lake Forest Academy community making a difference in

“My grandparents were students of the world. They lived by the motto: ‘Be a good person. Do the right thing. Work hard. Laugh often.’ They modeled these beliefs every day, passing them onto their family, especially their beloved great-grandson, Charlie. Lake Forest Academy changed Charlie’s life. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to be among those helping to pay it forward,” she said.

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Class Notes 1949 George “Mickey” Poole Jr. is inviting some family to town to celebrate his 90th birthday in July. John Underwood reports that all is well with him. He is currently living in Saddlebrooke, Ariz.

1950 Chuck MacNab sends in photos from his years as a pilot. It was a great career after LFA. Chuck recently turned 89 years old.

has a house in Vermont. Margo says she is kept busy caring for and walking her dog. Ann Stebbins Sidles has stayed in Lincoln, Neb., all year. She is looking forward to returning to the elementary school and volunteering for the ESL program. Nancy Wells Ypma says her life didn’t change that much except she couldn’t go to church. She is now making up for lost time. She is preparing for a family reunion in June to celebrate her 85th birthday. Nancy is expecting about 50 people, which includes her six children, 34 grandchildren and 22 greatgrandchilden; they will all meet at her home in Costa Mesa. She says, “Our class is a fantastic group, even at 85 years. Ferry Hall produced strong, resilient women.”

1958 Tim Damour reports that Carl Davis and Sam Scott are still alive and kicking and that they are all 81 years old. They are checking in with each other occasionally by email or phone. Tim is in Denver, Sam is in Santa Fe and Carl is in Beaufort, S.C. They are looking forward to spring.

1961 MacNab during his time as a combat Navy fighter pilot, squadron VA880.

His L1011 on the ramp in Cairo, Egypt.

1952

1962

Jane Killian Smith and John Goodwillie got married on February 22, 2020, in Corpus Christi, Texas just in time for the pandemic!

1954

Jane Killian Smith and John Goodwillie.

Nancy Wells Ypma sends in the following notes about classmates: Phoebe Carter Hethcock has entertained herself during the pandemic by reading. She recommends “American Nations” and “The Splendid and the Vile.” Marianne Croes Braeseke has been busy caring for her sick husband. Tina Clemens Demshak has survived both chemo and radiation only to do a backflip out of a tree after hitting something with a sledge hammer. She is looking forward to spending eight days at Chub Cay in the Bahamas with her two sisters, Lynnie Clemens Joiner ’57 and Haysie Clemens Stone ’59. Tina really enjoyed a visit from her great-granddaughter, Bren. Sherry Stewart lives in British Columbia, in the woods. She has been working on two books, “On the Trail of the Pioneers,” and a children’s book, “Hey Mom, There is a Galaxy in My Bath Tub” (which is about spirals). Margo Pinney Norris has downsized to an apartment but still

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Maddie Woods Gieselman and Rosemary Mitchell Lee escaped the long lockdown for a fun time at the home of Kathy Kahn Rusk in Lacey, Washington. The three Ferry Hall alumna from the class of 1961 look forward to their 60th(!) reunion in September.

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Mary Kay Jones Catlin reports that she is finally a proud and happy great-grandmother! Her first great-grandchild, Jack, was born on January 10, 2021. Kolt and his lovely wife, Tagen, are his proud parents. She says that Jack is adorable and has the greatest personality. Mary Kay also has eight grandchildren and six dogs! She hopes that everyone is doing well through the pandemic. Ranveig “Roni” Erickson recently moved to Florida into the Del Webb golf community; it is next door to The Villages about an hour north of Orlando. Michael Lang shares that on October 16, 2020, at the annual virtual conference of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators, he was honored with the award for the Outstanding Professional Family Mediator for 2020. This award is presented annually to a professional family mediator who is a leader and innovator in the family mediation field, and whose imaginative ideas and creative approaches to mediation and to public awareness advance the practice of family mediation. The recipient has developed unique concepts and


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techniques that have addressed challenges in mediation and improved the quality of family mediation services. The recipient demonstrates excellence in professional family mediation and outstanding personal qualities that mirror the highest levels of professional standards, including integrity, trustworthiness and compassion. In so-called retirement, Michael continues to write and edit. One of his most recent books, co-created and co-authored with an Irish colleague of his is titled “Living Together, Separating, and Divorcing: Surviving During a Pandemic.” It is a collection of essays by 75 family practitioners from 10 countries, offering practical advice and helpful tips to families experiencing increased conflict and stress as a consequence of the pandemic. In addition, in April 2021, Michael and his colleague Peter Nicholson, published another book addressing family conflict during the pandemic. The book “Family Conflict During a Pandemic: Stories of Struggle and Hope” is a collection of essays and inspiring stories with contributions from 93 authors and artists from 17 countries. All proceeds are donated to international charitable organizations serving the needs of families, such as Doctors without Borders and UNICEF.

1971 Bruce Robertson recently spoke with Marc Silverstein and they are both hoping to see classmates at the upcoming reunion. During the winter, Bruce went skiing twice with one of his daughters and twice with friends.

1974 Deen Oscarson retired on February 1, 2021, after working for 23 years with Vermeer Corporation and Vermeer Wisconsin. Deen and his wife, Barbara, live in the Fox Valley area of northeast Wisconsin, which has great fishing, golf, and hiking trails. The couple’s favorite lake, Lake Michigan, is close by. He has a new email address, which can be found in the alumni directory.

1977 Eric Thomas has retired after working for the government of Canada for more than 25 years. He hopes that all of his friends and classmates are healthy and safe.

1978 1963

Mark Childers will be attending his 19th Major League Baseball All-Star game when he attends this year’s game in Denver on July 13, 2021.

Sarah “Sally” Proudfoot Gries has actively been serving her community as board chair of the Cleveland Foundation, the oldest and one of the largest community foundations in the country with $2.8 billion in assets.

1980

The fee-only wealth management company she founded 43 years ago, Gries Financial Partners, is thriving and opening offices in Miami and Los Angeles, expanding the company’s reach beyond the Ohio and Washington, D.C., areas.

Sara Taylor Bramah reports that surviving the pandemic in England has been challenging. The country was in lockdown from November 2020 until late spring, with nothing open except essential businesses. Travel was also limited. She says she is lucky to have at least moved to the London suburbs in 2015.

Her family has joyously renewed their family gatherings now that they are all vaccinated, and they look forward to normalizing their lives. She hopes that all LFA folks are staying safe and well!

1970 Curt Schaeffer has retired from a long and satisfying career in international humanitarian assistance. He is currently fundraising and doing communications work for a burn center for children in Managua, Nicaragua. The center was started 30 years ago by fellow survivors of a 1989 plane crash in Honduras.

She follows her fellow classmate and UK resident, Steve Edwards, and his exploits on Facebook; though they both live in the London area, they have yet to meet up for a pint. She has one teenager left at home, who is a competitive rower and crew member, who is currently applying to U.S. colleges to study engineering and to row. Her oldest child came home from Lehigh University last March. He was then fortunate to find a last-minute summer job at the Knollwood Club after his original job was unavailable due to COVID. He spent the summer living alone in Lake Forest and then drove from Lake Forest to Lehigh. He made it through the whole first semester without catching COVID. He came home to England for Christmas after six months away. Unfortunately, upon returning to college for the second semester, he

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Class Notes caught the virus. It seems that sharing a shot glass of alcohol among friends is not COVID safe! He learned his lesson and spent the week in bed; he is now fully vaccinated. Sara hopes to be in the U.S. this summer as she takes her daughter to rowing camps at UPenn, Yale and Princeton with a stop in Boston to check out the MIT rowing team. She hopes everyone keeps safe.

1981 Jeffrey Parker gives a shout-out to all the members and friends of the class of 1981! He very recently had the pleasure and privilege of being invited to be a member of LFA’s Alumni Advisory Board. Having gladly accepted, he “attended” this year’s annual meeting, which was held virtually. He learned much and looks forward to being an active member. If anyone from any class has any questions, observations, comments, etc., please feel free to reach out to him through the school or obtain his contact information from the directory. He continues to appreciate his retirement as a practicing neonatologist. This past year, he began working part-time for a professional woodworker friend restoring and refinishing furniture. His family has remained well, thankfully, through this pandemic. Both of Jeffrey’s sons received master’s degrees last May. His oldest son was married in October of 2018 and lives and works in western Massachusetts. His youngest child toughed it out in Brooklyn and is looking forward to the reopening of the NYC theater business. Jeffrey and his wife, Sharon, look forward to celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary in the summer.

1987 Kelly Perine has been busy promoting his movie, “Manipulated,” which is available on Amazon, Vudu, and in Walmart stores across the country. He is also finishing up a TV script based on the January 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol.

The Academy would like to thank Stephan Jacob who spoke with students in Matt Vaughn’s entrepreneurship class via Zoom on May 7, 2021. Stephan is founder and COO at Cotopaxi in Salt Lake City; he discussed his business experiences and his company, and gave advice about starting and running the students’ own businesses. Review Summer 2021

Adam Levin and his wife, Ornela, welcomed a baby boy, Avi Nuri Levin, on April 4, 2021. Professionally, Adam will be releasing three recordings in 2021: “21st Century Spanish Guitar, Vol. 4” through Frameworks Records; “Music from the Promised Land,” Duo Mantar; and “Postcard from Spain,” The Great Necks Guitar Trio. For more information, visit www.adamlevinguitar.com. Rukiya Ashanti Wheeler is having a wedding ceremony! She and her husband, Matthew, had a very private sacred ceremony seven years ago, and now they are having a full wedding with family and friends, wedding dresses, bridesmaids, and groomsmen on September 19, 2021. Their wedding website is theknot.com/rukiyaandmatthew. The couple moved back to the Midwest after living in California for over 10 years. She says it has been great to be closer to family and reconnect. Last year, she released another album and created new merchandise. Her music can be found at therawexperience.bandcamp.com and her merchandise is at https://mrs-rukiyas-place.creator-spring.com.

2002 Laura Lambruschi and her husband, Matt Koester, welcomed a baby boy, Noah Kai, on October 22, 2020. He joins big brother Hugo. The family lives in Portland, Ore.

2003 Samantha Symon-Rabicoff and her husband, Isaac Rabicoff, moved to Alexandria, Va., in the fall of 2019, and now have a son, Jacob Symon Rabicoff, who was born in July 2020. She says to Kristine Von Ogden: “I now have my own little sausage baby!”

2004

1999

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2001

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Sean and Olesya (Salnikova) Gilmore welcomed their daughter, Nina, on March 25, 2021. The family lives in Highland Park, Ill.


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2005 Alison Von Glinow and Lap Chi Kwong welcomed Johann Von Kwong last November. His 2-year-old sister Marni is enjoying the duties of a big sister. Alison and Lap Chi are founders of their architecture practice, Kwong Von Glinow, and they completed their first ground-up project, Ardmore House, last fall. Ardmore House is a single family home in Chicago and was recognized as the House of the Month (https://bit.ly/2QUwnV0) in Architectural Record’s January issue and featured in Chicago Magazine’s April issue (https://bit. ly/3sQHtHJ).

Lauren Werckenthien Wilson and her husband, Brian, welcomed a baby girl, Zoey Elizabeth Wilson, on March 12, 2021. The family lives in Fishers, Ind.

2007 Blair Gordon and his wife, Laura, welcomed a baby girl, Bo Gordon, on June 15, 2020. The family lives in the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago.

Asona Lui, M.D.-Ph.D., delivered the graduation address at her K-8 school, Topeka Collegiate, on May 27, 2021. Asona completed a oneyear family medicine residency at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Asona holds a BA in African Studies and pre-med from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree in biology from Chicago State University. She earned her medical degree and a Ph.D. in cancer biology from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She is now a resident physician in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of California San Diego.

John Tara relocated to the Charlotte, N.C., area from Michigan as part of a group relocation project at work in April 2020. However, he says that he is enjoying the mild climate in the Carolinas tremendously. The roots of a Midwestern boy run deep, as he did not need to run his heat at all this past winter.

Tanya Pramatarova and her husband, Nick, welcomed baby girl Gabriella “Gabby” Marie Puača on March 1, 2021, in Denver. The new parents and extended family are overjoyed and quite smitten with their newest member.

John’s sister, Christian Tara Williams ’05, gave birth to a son in August 2020; John’s eldest niece turned 5 and the younger niece turned 3 in November. He is very much enjoying being an uncle to them.

2006 Charice Wilczynski Paoli says she was recently interviewed by Authority Magazine and Thrive Global for a piece on being a “female disruptor in the industry.” Authority Magazine is currently read by over 42 million people. Charice highlighted LFA in one of the questions. She says, “Thanks for being a great inspiration; it was a great article.” Check out the article here: https://bit.ly/3h2ArNU

He received a plus rating for his work in 2020 in light of his contributions to the group and relocation project. He was also recently promoted to a third level research technician, which is his second promotion in two years. He maintains a good standing in his group and he is looking for opportunities to take the next step in his career at BASF.

2010 Matthew Paige and his wife, Joanna, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Penelope Sophia Paige, on November 23, 2020.

2012 Vivian Chung and Eric Lin were married September 19, 2020, in Lake Forest, Ill. The couple lives and works in Chicago. Nyalia Lui completed his master’s degree in computer software engineering from IUPUI on May 15 and is now a software engineer. He begins working with Vectorized in Washington, D.C., during the summer of 2021.

2013 Kurt Hanebrink is a fourth year medical student at the University of Illinois and will be applying for residency this fall.

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Class Notes 2014

work as a graduate assistant and conduct research at the university. He gives credit to LFA for where he is — and where he will be in the future. He looks forward to staying in touch with the Academy.

Miriam Fraga will be starting her master’s in education with a concentration in student affairs at the University of Maryland, College Park, this fall. After working at Bowdoin College in Student Activities for the past three years, she is excited for the next step in her professional career.

2016 Gaston Adam says that he will be graduating in May from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. He will also be commissioned into the U.S. Army as an active duty infantry officer. Afterward, he will be stationed at Ft. Benning for the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (IBOLC) and follow on Airborne and Ranger school. He later hopes to be stationed at either Fort Campbell, Tenn., with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) or with the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C., as a light infantry platoon leader. Gaston says that regardless of where he ends up, he is thankful for the opportunity to serve his country and wants to do his part in keeping America’s sons and daughters safe and sound. Thomas Schaffer has signed with the Chicago Bears for the upcoming 2021 season! Check out the article here: https://bit. ly/3ovyEmh

2017 Sampson Hao graduated from the University of Rochester and recently received a full ride to earn his master’s degree in environmental science and studies from Ohio University. He will also

We love when our alumni stay connected to LFA. Thank you to the following young alumni who have assisted (and are assisting) the Academy as coaches during this academic year: James Padley ’13 and Kenny Turelli ’20 (baseball); Lilly Drury ’20 (lacrosse); Jadin Knowles ’20 (softball); Annie Gifford ’20 (field hockey); Tom Seputis ’00 and Rob Klein ’06 (boys’ ice hockey); Kennedy Smith ’19 (track and field); and Mason Schilling ’18 and Anna Schilling ’20 (tennis). Also, the wife of Faith Ekakitie ’12’, Mikaela, is head coach of boys’ JV volleyball and girls’ varsity volleyball.

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Aleeya Sawyer recently graduated from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in science, finishing summa cum laude. She will attend the University of Denver this fall to pursue a master’s degree in sport and performance psychology; she has been offered a scholarship and a graduate assistantship position. She is looking forward to her continued education and is extremely hopeful and excited for the future.

2019 Emma “Rory” Sloan recently won the Center for Liberal Arts (CLA) Social Sciences Art Purchase Award during the 34th Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, hosted by the Merwin and Wakeley Galleries at Illinois Wesleyan University. She received a cash prize for the work “Small Friend,” a charcoal on paper still-life. The award is sponsored and chosen by representatives of Illinois Wesleyan’s Departments of Political Science, History, Sociology, and Anthropology. Her work will be on permanent display in the Center for Liberal Arts building on the Illinois Wesleyan campus.

2020 Angelina Chan won first place in the Intermediate II division at the 2020 Midwest Harp Festival Solo Competition in August. The competition took place online this year. She also placed second in the Harp Division in the 2021 American String Teachers Associations Concerto Competition for the state of Illinois! A video of her performance is at https://bit.ly/3eWPzts


In Memoriam 1937 Valerie Tourtelot, aged 94, of Winter Park, Fla., died November 5, 2020.

1940 Barbara Hixon Wilson passed away peacefully on September 1, 2020, at her home in San Francisco, Calif. She was born on January 13, 1922, in Toledo, Ohio, and raised with her two sisters, Peggy and Joanie, in Lake Forest, Ill. She graduated from Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn., and attended college briefly. In 1942, she and Milton Wilson Jr. were married during the war while Milton Wilson Jr. worked at the Rock Island Arsenal. After the end of the war and the birth of two sons, the couple moved out West to work for the International Harvester Company in Northern California. They were transferred to many locations, one of which was Sacramento where their daughter was born. The Wilsons shared a love of nature and the outdoors. They enjoyed bird hunting together as well as golf, but just being outside in nature was their favorite activity. Wilson’s husband, Milton, died in 2007. She is survived by her three children, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

1941 Bill Heiss, aged 97, longtime Greeley, Colo., resident and former faculty and coach at UNC, passed away with his family gathered around him on May 27, 2020. Heiss was born on April 25, 1923, in Springfield, Ill. His college education was interrupted during his years of military service during World War II. He graduated from the University of Illinois, playing on their victorious 1947 Rose Bowl team. He went on to Columbia University in New York for graduate school. Heiss’ dream was always to go West. He taught and coached at Adams State, Iowa State, Saint Cloud State, Colorado College and Denver University before moving to Greeley in 1959 as the head football coach at UNC. In 1966 he left football and became the head tennis coach. He twice won the university’s Coach of the Year award. He retired from UNC in 1981 and moved from Greeley where he and his first wife, Marilyn, had developed many properties. He is preceded in death by his siblings, Carla and Herb, and his first wife, Marilyn, in 2018. Heiss and Marilyn divorced in 1991, but continued to care about each other. Heiss is survived by his wonderful wife Maury; son and daughter; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; Maury’s sons, Rick Miller (Patty), Mike Miller (Cami) and Ron Miller (Jody); Maury’s three grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

1942 Bernellyn “Berny” Jones Patchen, aged 95, passed away on May 14, 2020, in Vacaville, Calif. Patchen was born on October 23, 1924, in Joliet, Ill. She graduated from

Ferry Hall High School in June of 1942 and Northwestern University in June of 1946 with a degree in speech. On June 14, 1947, she married the love of her life, Charles Robert “Bob” Patchen. Patchen was a teacher and taught in Illinois and owned a private kindergarten in Phoenix. Patchen was a devoted mother, homemaker and an avid bridge player. She and Bob moved to Redding, Calif., in 1971 and were active in the Pilgrim Congregational Church and the Redding Senior Center. She is survived by her three children, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. John David Warfield III, aged 97, passed away on November 13, 2020, at home in Phoenix, joining his wife and love of his life Irene Pierce Warfield. Born in Chicago in 1923, Warfield was the elder son of Helen Totten Warfield and John D. (Jack) Warfield Jr. He attended Lake Forest Academy and later joined a special navigation training program of the U.S. Army Air Forces at the University of Chicago during the Second World War, and later graduated from UCLA in 1950 with a degree in meteorology. He and first wife, Layne Warfield (née Mary Elaine Lenzi), moved to Tucson, Ariz., in 1950 with their two children: Winston Scott and Joan Phoebe. Warfield met Irene in the mid-1960s after moving to Phoenix for work. Married in 1967, Warfield became stepfather to Irene’s two children, Gary Michael and Patricia Lynn, and Gary avows, “He was a great father.” The couple shared 47 years of devoted marriage, traveling the country for years in their little RV with their beloved English springer spaniel, Peaches, following Warfield’s retirement at 59. Warfield is survived by his son and daughter; two grandchildren; two stepchildren; one step granddaughter; brother Totten K. Warfield Sr.; several nephews and nieces; half-sister Janan Myers; and two more nephews.

1944 Harry Clow was born on April 24, 1926, and passed on June 17, 2020. Born in Chicago to Josephine Dunham and Harry Clow II, Clow’s parents divorced when he was young. He found himself unwanted and unloved as his parents moved on and married others. Harry turned to alcohol to fill the void. In his 40s after time in jail, an alcoholic, on his third marriage to Marcia Clow (1936 to 2017) and on the skids, he called on God to rescue him. He left his job as an architect for Ramada Inn and devoted his life to helping people find peace and joy in his savior. His family will miss him dearly but have sweet peace that he is with Christ for eternity. Clow was a talented pianist, survived by his six children, 23 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

1945 Martha “Marty” Garrett Benson, aged 91, died peacefully on January 30, 2020. Benson was born in Evanston, Ill., where she attended Evanston Township High School and Northwestern University. She and her husband, Bill, were married in 1950. They moved to Colorado in 1959 when Bill took a position with Arthur Anderson Accounting. Benson worked at Cherry Creek High School as the ever-popular “copy lady,” as well as shorter stints at the United Bank and the American

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In Memoriam Cancer Society. Benson’s great hobby was her family. When her children were young, she provided the classic “Mom’s taxi,” taking Dave, Bonnie and John to countless tennis tournaments. She was predeceased by Bill and daughter Cynthia. She is survived by three children, seven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. Ernest Flegenheimer, aged 94, of Saginaw Township, Mich., celebrated life from January 30, 1927, until February 2, 2021. Flegenheimer passed away surrounded by his children. Devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Flegenheimer was born in Zurich, Switzerland, to the late Helen and Albert Flegenheimer. He lived in Germany, Italy and Switzerland until the age of 12, fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939. Winnipeg, Canada, became his new home and ultimately the United States in 1942, where he became a naturalized citizen a year later. He graduated from Lake Forest Academy, attended New York University, Middlebury College, and Grenoble University in France. Playing soccer, hockey and tennis were highlights of his high school and collegiate career. He married the love of his life, Marjorie McGinn, on June 7, 1952, in New York City.

Robinson was preceded in death by her husband, her son Brian, her parents and her older sister Martha Record. Her survivors include her two children, three grandchildren, three nieces and a cousin. Helen Weber passed on October 31, 2019, aged 92, of Milwaukee, Wis. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert S. Weber. She is the loving mother of David (Sally) Weber and Lisa (William LeFurgy) Weber; dear sister of Karl (Patricia Young) Usow; and adoring grandmother of Benjamin Weber. She is further survived by other relatives and friends. Marjorie Helen Kennedy Wilcox was born March 13, 1928, and passed away shortly after her 87th birthday on April 7, 2015, in Oklahoma City. Wilcox moved to Oklahoma City in 2013 and spent her last two years living close to her son Michael and with her beloved cat, Suzie. Wilcox was preceded in death by her parents; husband Tommy Wilcox; three sons; sister Vivian; and brother John E. Kennedy. She is survived by a sister, Mary Ann Strong, and a son, James Michael Wilcox.

His entire business career was dedicated to the sugar industry, beginning with a small family company importing sugar by-products. He served as vice president of Menominee Sugar Co. in Green Bay, Wis., and in 1961 he joined Michigan Sugar Co., where he was elected president and a director, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 1993. He received the B.W. Dyer Memorial Sugar Man of the Year award in 1994. Flegenheimer’s leadership and impact extended beyond the sugar industry serving on the Advisory Board of Mutual Insurance Co., Wakefield, Mass., and the boards of Saginaw General Hospital, United Way, Junior Achievement and the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, Saginaw, Mich.

Martha Grassell Wittenberg, aged 93, passed away on March 20, 2019, in Round Lake Beach, Ill. She was born on March 3, 1926, in Chicago to the late Phillip and Martha (Kimbal) Grassell. On June 18, 1949, she married Robert Wittenberg. He preceded her in death in February of 1992. She is also preceded in death by her parents and her son-in-law David Lambert. Wittenberg is survived by her daughter and son, her two granddaughters and her sister.

He was predeceased by his wife, Marjorie. Flegenheimer will be deeply missed by four children, 10 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, three nephews and one niece.

Elizabeth Louise “Betty Lou” Wolf Epstein was born March 29, 1928, and passed away December 7, 2019. Epstein was born to Herbert and June (Maas) Wolf. She had two brothers, Herbert Wolf Jr. (Cherry) and John Wolf (Lynn), who preceded her in death. She grew up and lived in Little Rock, Ark. She attended the University of Texas.

Joan Hill Peck, aged 87, died April 16 after a long illness. Peck was born on April 5, 1927, to Boyd and Louisa Hill. Boyd Hill and his firm designed the landmark Aragon Ballroom in Chicago as well as important prewar apartments on Lake Shore Drive and many still-standing North Shore homes. Peck and her sister, Carol Gilman, grew up in Lake Forest. After attending Dana Hall, Barat College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Peck returned to the North Shore and raised a family. After working in administration at North Shore Country Day School, Crow Island Elementary School and Evanston High School, Peck enjoyed an active, civic-minded retirement. In addition to her sister, Peck is preceded in death by former husbands Normand Patton and Claude J. Peck Jr. Peck’s survivors include her four children, five grandchildren and longtime companion Mike Malloy. Margaret Metzler Robinson, aged 93, passed away on January 29, 2021, with her daughter at her side. Robinson was born in Decatur, Ill., on February 3, 1927. She was the daughter of Arthur M. and Florence B. Metzler. She attended Decatur Public Schools through sophomore year, and then graduated high school from Ferry Hall School in Lake Forest, Ill. She attended the University of Illinois, where she met her future husband, Donald R. Robinson. They married in 1950 and had three children.

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Epstein was a member of the New Reform Temple. She was a member of the Red Cross. She taught swimming to the blind at the Prairie Village Pool. One of her favorite hobbies was gardening. She loved to spend time planting tomatoes and peppers and other vegetables. She was a housewife and her family was her priority. Epstein married Edwin P. Epstein. They had three children. Herbert preceded them in death at a young age. She is also survived by her grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Evelyn Sherman Feffer, aged 92, of Phoenix, passed away on Decemebr 13, 2020. Feffer was born in Springfield, Ill, on May 19, 1928, to Armond and Min Sherman. She attended high school at Ferry Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., where she was given the moniker “Cricket” because she was everybody’s best friend and confidante. She and Ralph B. Feffer Jr. were introduced by their respective aunts. In 1948, they married and then made their home in Phoenix where they remained until their passing. Feffer’s interests were vast. Lifelong education was important to her, and she proudly earned a bachelor’s degree (while parenting 4 children) and master’s degree (while loving numerous grandchildren) from Arizona State University. Feffer and her husband maintained a Jewish home. Her personal


faith in Judaism was important to her, and attending Torah study weekly filled her heart and mind. Feffer is preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Ralph, and her dear daughter. She is survived by her three children, her brother, her 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Annette Gessler Giblaint, aged 74, passed on October 18, 2002. She was a native of Ashtabula, Ohio, and a resident of New Orleans, La. She was the beloved mother of Susan Hindie, Pamela Williamson, Peter Lessing and the late Stephen Lessing; the daughter of Alberta Gessler and the late Dr. William F. Gessler Sr. and sister of Dr. William F. Gessler Jr. and the late Lou Gessler. She is survived by six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Beverly Jane Connor Jones passed away on October 22, 2015. She was born on November 24, 1928, in Davenport, Iowa, to Lillian and Clifford Connor and grew up in Davenport and McAllen, Texas, where she met her future husband, Doug Jones. Married for 62 years, the couple had two children, Vicki and Craig, and three grandchildren, Reed Jones, Stephanie McFall and Camille Jones. Jones attended Ferry Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., and University of Texas (Austin); she finished her undergraduate degree in secondary education at the University of Houston. She earned a master’s in education from the University of Missouri in Kansas City and upon returning to Houston in 1967, she obtained a doctorate in education from the University of Houston. Jones taught at the University of Houston from 1967 until 1972 and then served on the faculty of Dominican College for two years. She is survived by her children and grandchildren, two sisters and numerous nieces and nephews. Her brother, Jack, and husband, Doug, have predeceased her. Marjorie Weinberg Ottenheimer passed away on September 5, 2017. She was the beloved wife of the late S. Kaufman Ottenheimer; devoted mother of John Ottenheimer (Lisa Davis) and Susan Ottenheimer; dear sister of Alice (late Arthur) Herrmann; adored daughter of the late Edith and Dr. Edwin David Weinberg; loving grandmother of Joel and Kyle Ottenheimer and Alex Keller.

1948 Carol Hollister Burns, aged 80, unexpectedly passed away quietly in her sleep on July 20, 2010. She was the beloved wife and caretaker to Jack O. Burns. She is survived by her husband of 24 years, son John B. Knitter II, and daughter Louise E. Wilson. Evelyn V. Boidy Demetrius, aged 91, of Glenview, Ill., passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving and devoted daughters. In 1948, Demetrius married the love of her life, Andrew. In 1956, they moved to Glenview where they built their home and raised their four children. She was an exceptional cook and loved entertaining family and friends. Throughout her life, Demetrius was actively involved in the Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church community, particularly the Ladies Philoptochos, where she made many lifelong friends. She was the beloved wife for 64 years of the late Andrew Demetrius; the cherished mother of four children; loving yiayia of eight grandchildren;

adored great-grandmother of three great-grandchildren; beloved sister of three brothers; and amazing aunt to many nieces and nephews. Carol Jane Ramsey McHenry, aged 90, passed away peacefully on February 18, 2021. McHenry was the vital and spirited matriarch of her family; she was loved by all and now missed by so many. She lived her life every day with a cheerful heart, and her bright smile would light up any room where she was present. She set a high standard for fashion, dressing in her own glamorous, impeccable style to meet each sunny day. McHenry was born on May 1, 1930, in Fort Wayne, Ind., to Carl A. and Ida M. Ramsey. McHenry graduated from Ferry Hall. After high school, she initially attended Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, before transferring to Purdue University. While at Purdue, she met her lifelong love, Richard O. McHenry (Mac), and they were married in 1951. Those that knew her well often thought she missed her calling as a therapist. She had a wonderful talent for putting people at ease and allowing them to feel comfortable sharing whatever they had on their mind. Whether it was a family member or someone she had just met, she always found the right words of support and encouragement that were needed. Her daughter, Denise, and her husband of 69 years predeceased her. She is survived by son Richard R. (Nancy) McHenry and her daughter Cynthia C. (Tim) Walker. Other survivors include five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. David F. Pagenkopf, aged 90, passed away on January 4, 2021. Pagenkopf was born to Reinhart and Eleanor on January 10, 1930, in Oak Park, Ill. He graduated from Lake Forest Academy in 1948. Pagenkopf attended Brown University before enlisting in the United States Air Force in 1951. He served as a radar observer and squadron adjutant in the Eastern Air Defense Command during the Korean War. While stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, Pagenkopf met and married Laura Ferrell. They enjoyed a marriage lasting more than 66 years and were blessed with three children, seven grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. Upon discharge from the Air Force, Pagenkopf returned to Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in management for personnel administration. He spent his entire career in human relations, with the last 22 years of his career with Stauffer Chemical Company. Pagenkopf was retired for 25 years. For many years Pagenkopf was an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, and upon retirement, Pagenkopf published a book, “The Chimes Ringing to God’s Glory.” Pagenkopf was preceded in death by both his parents, his brother Robert Pagenkopf and two sisters, Eleanor Stratton and Jane Jonathan.

1949 William Duncan Connor, aged 86, passed away on September 26, 2018, at his home in Colorado Springs, Colo., of natural causes. Connor was a former platoon leader in the United States Marine Corps. The discipline and patriotism he valued in the Marines never left him. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he played varsity football as a Wisconsin Badger and was a loyal fan throughout his life. His success in Retriever Training and Field Trial Competitions included

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In Memoriam winning the 1972 National Retriever Field Champion with NFC-AFC Royal’s Moose’s Moe. Connor is one of a few amateur handlers to title both a Labrador and a golden retriever (FC-AFC Ripp’n Ready). Connor is survived by his sister (and her husband), two nieces and a nephew. He also left behind many friends from Retriever Field Trial clubs and organizations along with many others who will miss him greatly. Jerry Tamarkin, aged 89, died on December 4, 2020, surrounded by his wife, Kay, and children, Barry, Heidi and Robert. He passed resting peacefully and pain free at their home in Boca Raton, Fla., after a brief battle with lung cancer. He was born June 24, 1931, in Youngstown, the son of Ben and Pauline Tamarkin. After graduating from Lake Forest Academy, he attended Cornell University, where he received a degree in mechanical engineering.Immediately following college, Tamarkin and his twin brother, Jack, reported to the U.S. Army where they served two years in the Signal Corps. Upon returning to Youngstown in 1956, Tamarkin joined The Tamarkin Company, where he became vice president of marketing and merchandise for their wholesale grocery business. Along with his twin brother and two cousins, they transformed the business into a large distribution company in addition to operating dozens of Valu King supermarkets in the Youngstown area before eventually selling to Giant Eagle. Besides his beautiful wife, Kay Leopold Tamarkin, he leaves a daughter; two sons; and six adoring grandchildren. He will now be reunited with his son Douglas, twin brother Jack and sister Arlene.

1950 Charles Thornton Hollinshead, aged 89, of Candler, N.C., passed away on January 25, 2021. Hollinshead was born on September 4, 1931, in Danville, Pa., to the late Byron Hollinshead Sr. and Clara Stevens Hollinshead. He spent his formative years growing up on the campus of Keystone College in Laplume, Pa. He attended boarding school at Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Ill. He graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Hollinshead served his country proudly as a pilot in the United States Navy. He began a lifelong love of photography there, serving as a flight wing photographer. After his discharge he became a writer and editor for the Martin Companies, Orlando, Fla., division and in 1963 went to work for a NASA contractor writing press and public relations material on the space program. In 1964, he joined NASA and held a variety of positions in public affairs ranging from writer and spokesman to the chief of the Public Information Office. Hollinshead was manager of the news center for Apollo 11, the first flight to land people on the moon, and served as the “voice of launch control” for several Apollo missions and numerous unmanned launches. In 1975, he was appointed director of public affairs. He served on the center director’s policy staff, advising him on all matters concerning the center, and directed the public affairs operations, which included media relations, protocol and guest operations, and an educational outreach program aimed at bringing science information into the elementary and high schools. Additionally, he was responsible for the content and operation of the visitor center, which hosted approximately 2 million visitors per year.

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In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Hollinshead, and brother Byron. He is survived by two sons, a daughter, wife Joanne Murphy, three grandchildren, a niece and a nephew. William Bond Makelim passed away on February 17, 2021 in Deerfield, Ill. Makelim was born to Clifford L. and Phyllis Bond at Ravenwood Hospital in Chicago on June 17, 1932. He grew up in Highland Park, Ill. After graduating from Lake Forest Academy in 1950, he attended Virginia Military Institute as well as the College of William & Mary. He served his country in the Army during the Korean War. Following his military service, he entered the University of Virginia where he was editor of the unsanctioned student newspaper, “The Harlequin.” He was a member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society in addition to Chi Psi social fraternity. He graduated with a degree in U.S. History in 1960. In 1961 he married C. Dale Cooley Makelim and they raised a family in Lake Forest, Ill. Makelim was the president of H. A. Shearer Rug and Carpet Company in Chicago. He loved UVA basketball and was fanatic about college football. He also loved the Bears and the Cubs. His wife of 46 years predeceased him in 2008. He is survived by two daughters and a son; two grandchildren; one niece and four nephews; and many, many friends. Roland Allison “Rollie” Smith lived from May 8, 1931, to November 18, 2020. He grew up in Evansville, Wis., the son of Harley and Hermine Smith, and was a Madison resident since 1962. He attended Lake Forest Academy and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin in 1954. His four years at the University were enhanced and enriched by his affiliation with Sigma Phi Society and through his position as editor of the 1954 Badger Yearbook, which received All American Recognition from the Associated Collegiate Press. At the Badger office, he met Nancy Emmons, a member of the staff and his future wife. They married on September 10, 1955. The position of editor led to a career in book manufacturing and printing, first with Brock and Rankin in Chicago and subsequently with Webcrafters Inc. in Madison, where he was employed for over 30 years, retiring in 1993. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; daughter, Connie Johnson of Excelsior, Minn.; and three grandchildren. LFA Life Trustee and Former Chairman and CEO of The Vernon Company, William F. “Bill” Vernon, aged 89, passed away peacefully December 3, 2020. After serving in the United States Army in France, Vernon began his career at The Vernon Company in 1956. Vernon married the love of his life, Marilyn, in 1954, and they were life partners for the next 66 years. For six decades, Vernon was highly engaged in building his multigeneration family promotions and graphics businesses across North America. His involvement in the promotional products industry was extensive. In 1971-72, Vernon served as board chair of the Specialty Advertising Association International, and in 1986, he was inducted into the Specialty Advertising Association International Hall of Fame. In 1987, he was recognized by Counselor Magazine as its Person of the Year. Industry recognition continued, as the Vernon Company was awarded the 2002 Family Business Award by Counselor Magazine. In 2013, Vernon was proud to have received the Marvin Spike Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advertising Specialty Association.


Vernon is survived by his wife, Marilyn; and their four children, all LFA alumni: Cameron ’81, Christopher ’79, Stephanie Vernon Critchfield ’88, and William ’73. He is also survived by his six grandchildren. William James “Duke” Weber passed away on November 21, 2020. Weber was born on September 10, 1932, to the late William and Helen Weber. Weber completed college and then took over the family business: Weber Duck Farm in Lake Villa, Ill. After closing the farm, Weber wanted the land to remain open to the public, so he sold it to the Lake County Forest Preserve and it is now known as Duck Farm Forest Preserve and Dog Park. He was preceded in death by his wife Anita Irene Weber; children Carola Yount and Jim Weber; and by his grandchildren Rob and Ryan. Weber is survived by his children Shanda Wells, Bill Weber, Anita Rendon, Julie Weber, Linda (Rich) Polli, Lisa (Barry) Haag and Tom (Becki) Weber; grandchildren Jason, Cristina, Sara, Aaron, Joshua, TJ and Trina; and great-grandchildren Maverick, Becca, Gabriella, Brianna, William and Eldawen.

1951 Elizabeth Connor Campbell, aged 87, of Riverside, Conn., died peacefully on November 10, 2020. Campbell was born in Marshfield, Wis. She was raised mostly by her grandfather, and she spent her early years there and at a nearby family lake. Throughout her life, she treasured her time in Marshfield, skating in the winter, exploring the snowy woods on cross-country skis for miles and canoeing. While Campbell’s attachment to her childhood home never faded, she eventually made her way east. Most of her high school years were spent at Ferry Hall. From there she went on to Smith College where she majored in music, a lifelong passion. After college, she joined Columbia Artists in New York City, a job she loved in the field of classical music and opera. It was in Manhattan that she met her beloved husband of 63 years, Douglas Campbell Jr. After residing there primarily and in Short Hills, N.J., the couple and their family moved to Riverside. She was active with her children’s schools and neighborhood. Later on, she served for many dedicated years on the Representative Town Meeting and cared deeply about her town, environmental and land use issues in particular. She was predeceased by her brother. In addition to her husband, Doug, she is survived by two daughters, a son and two grandchildren.

1952 Charles R. “Chuck” Beard, aged 87, of Springfield, Ill., died on January 20, 2021, at his home. Beard was born December 6, 1933, in Springfield, Ill., as the son of Roy Beard and Isabel Wanless Robinson. He married Susan Powell on September 1, 1990, in Springfield, Ill. Beard proudly served his country in the U.S. Army and earned his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in 1956. He was co-owner of Henson Robinson Company for many years, retiring in 1993.

survived by his wife, Susan; four sons; two stepsons; five grandchildren; and four step-grandchildren.

1953 Tom J. Klingbiel, aged 86, of Moline, Ill., died on February 4, 2021, at home. Klingbiel was born on June 25, 1934, in Moline, Ill., a son of Raymond I. and Julia Stone Klingbiel. He graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., where he played football and basketball and ran track. Klingbiel was a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who served in New Mexico from 1958-1960. He married Elinor “Ellie” Wilson on April 3, 1965, at the First Methodist Church, Rock Island. Klingbiel’s career was spent in the world of finance. Initially, he was employed by A.C. Allyn. He went on to become vice president of F.I. DuPoint, which later merged with Glore Forgan. He then became executive vice president and partner in the firm of Reinholt Gardner. In later years, he was with E.F. Hutton, which evolved into Morgan Stanley, where he retired. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Donna Simpson. He is survived by his wife, Elinor “Ellie”; four children, including Christine Klingbiel Hillbloom ’98 and Scott ’90; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a niece and nephew; and several cousins. Terence M. O’Neil, aged 86, of Fort Wayne, Ind., passed away on November 9, 2020. Born August 24, 1934, in Amityville, N.Y, O’Neil was a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Whyte) O’Neil. He graduated from Lake Forest Academy. He furthered his education with a degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He moved his family to Fort Wayne in 1970 to take a position with Eckrich. He later retired from JPMorgan Chase & Co. as a financial adviser. O’Neil was preceded in death by his mother and father and two brothers, Rory and Jack. He is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Dot; six children; sister-in-law, Nancy O’Neil; seven grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

1955 Louise Mills Fish, aged 83, of Naperville, Ill., passed away on August 7, 2020. She was born in Janesville, Wis., daughter of the late Luther and Louise Mills. She graduated from JHS in 1955, and attended UW Madison. She married Gerald Fish of Janesville, Wis., in 1957, and lived in Madison, Wis., where their three children were born. The family moved to Chicago in 1963, and resided in Wheaton, Ill. until 2014; they then moved to a beautiful senior independent living residence in Naperville, Ill. She was preceded in death by her two older sisters. Fish leaves behind her loving husband of almost 63 years, Gerald R. Fish; three children; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Lewis W. King was born on July 14, 1936, in Chicago and passed on September 20, 2020, in Clinton Township, Mich.

He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Henson Robinson; stepbrother, Phil Robinson; and stepsister, Margie Lobingier. Beard is

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In Memoriam 1957 Dr. Stephen Neal Morris, aged 81, passed away on February 18, 2021. He was born on October 29, 1939, in Fond du Lac, Wis., as the son of Glenn Ellis and Anna Bernadine Morris. Morris attended high school at Lake Forest Academy. After graduation he went on to study at Washington University, where he received his undergraduate and doctorate degree. Morris then went into the United States Air Force, where he received the rank of major and served as a doctor. After the Air Force, Stephen became a cardiologist for over 50 years. He practiced at I.U., Methodist, The V.A., Wishard, Hendricks Regional, and where he retired from: I.U. West. Morris was a huge Cardinals fan and a member of John Knox Presbyterian Church. He enjoyed traveling and teaching medical students about cardiology. Morris’ greatest love was his children and grandchildren. He will be loved and missed by all who knew him. Morris was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of over 56 years, Roberta Morris; two children, Lynn (Scott) Miller and Scott (Casey) Morris; three grandchildren; and brother, Howard Morris.

1960 John Taylor Adams, aged 77, of Sharonville, Ohio, died Tuesday, July 23, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1961 Carolyn “Kay” Field Lester passed away on January 30, 2021. Lester was born in Benton Harbor, Mich., on November 8, 1943. She grew up in Watervliet, Mich., spending her summers swimming and boating at the family cottage on Paw-Paw Lake where she made lifelong friends. Lester lost her mother at an early age while at Gulf Park Boarding School. Once again she made long lasting friends which she often referred to as her “Gulf Park sisters.” While attending Notre Dame, she met and married Luis Summers whose academic career took them to numerous university postings. They traveled extensively and arrived in State College, Pa., in 1972. Lester earned a degree at Penn State and took care of many working in a nursing home and had her own daycare center. She married Wally Lester in 1991. They built their home, which was known as Laurel Ridge Bed and Breakfast, in Warriors Mark, Pa. Lester’s personality revived many weary travelers. During their winter “off season,” they crisscrossed the United States numerous times by car and skied all over New England and the Rockies. She will live in the memories of numerous people who have known and loved her. She touched so many and will be dearly missed. Lester and her second husband have four surviving children and 12 grandchildren. Lester is also survived by her sister Pat (Tom) Weaver. Lida Louise Moffett died on January 19, 2021. She was born January 31, 1943, in Kansas City, Mo. She spent her childhood on her family’s Mosby Ridge Farm south of Kearney, Mo.

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Moffett was called to nursing at a very early age. After reading all the “Cherry Ames” books in the Franklin Hughes Memorial Library in Liberty, Mo., and graduating from Ferry Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., she enrolled in the nursing program at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in the fall of 1961. She graduated with a B.S.N. in June 1965. During her sophomore and junior years, while doing clinical training at New York University Hospital, she was introduced to community nursing which would become the focus of her professional career. After doing hospital nursing stints in St. Paul, Minn., and Phoenix, Moffett returned to Kansas City in 1968 where she was employed by the Visiting Nurse Association until her retirement in 2011. She is affectionately remembered for her cheerfulness, thoughtfulness, quiet determination and life by her brother James Lee Moffett and his wife, as well as their son Cyrus. She is survived by her dear friend, Linda Bente; Linda’s sister and brother-in-law and their extended family; her double-first-cousin; and her goddaughter.

1967 John Maxwell Bennis, aged 71, a beloved husband, father and brother, passed away peacefully in his sleep. Bennis was born in Lincoln, Ill. He graduated from the University of Illinois where he played varsity football and wrestled. He was proud of his family’s history and roots to Illinois, especially the Chicago Bears. Bennis earned a degree in business, leading him to his passion in the promotional marketing industry for over 40 years. Bennis was a devoted husband of 39 years and a very proud father. He lived to serve others and was eager to help anyone in need; if it was an ear to bend or a shoulder to cry on, he was there. Bennis is survived by his wife, Gina Bennis; his daughter; his brother; his sisterin-law; his nephew and his wife; his wife’s father; and wife’s siblings. He is predeceased by his son, Max Bennis; his mother and his father; his nephew; his brother-in-laws; and his mother-in-law.

1977 Sallie Copenhaver Duncan passed away on January 11, 2021, at the Southern Maine Center in Portland, Maine. Born on September 26, 1959, in Farmington, Mich., she was the youngest of Ann and Jim Copenhaver’s three daughters. As a young child, she and her family moved to Lake Bluff, Ill., living there throughout her childhood. She attended Hope College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English. Duncan was a mother, sister and friend. Her impact on her family was one of love and support. She is survived by her loving children, her sisters and their spouses.


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Make your commitment today using the reply envelope included in this magazine or online at lfanet.org/give. You may also text a gift to LFA by texting ”LFA” to 24365. For more information on supporting financial aid, making gifts through Donor Advised Funds or gifts of securities, please contact Christine Ryder at cryder@lfanet.org or call 847-615-3215.

Alumni Weekend & Reunion 2021 September 24-26 Special class gatherings for alumni/ae of the 0s, 1s, 5s, and 6s 1940, 1941

1950, 1951

1960, 1961

1970, 1971

1980, 1981

1990, 1991

2000, 2001

2010, 2011

1945, 1946

1955, 1956

1965, 1966

1975, 1976

1985, 1986

1995, 1996

2005, 2006

2015,51 2016


Lake Forest Academy 1500 West Kennedy Road • Lake Forest, Illinois 60045-1047

in this issue

Review

Entertainment Panel - pg. 8 2021 FIRE Conference - pg. 16 Class of 2021 Graduation - pg. 20 Ferry Tales - pg. 30 Alumni Class Notes - pg. 40

www.lfanet.org

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LAKE FOREST, IL PERMIT NO.100


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