Avonian - Spring 2011

Spring 2011

Peter Evans Director of Development

Aspirando et Perseverando!

The Future of Avon Old Farms School

west side story

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espn speaker series

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Al O’Connor ’75

Avon Old Farms School Established 1927 Headmaster Kenneth H. LaRocque

Provost John T. Gardner

Editor Morgan C. Cugell

Director of Development Peter Evans

Designer 2k Design www.2kDesign.com

Alumni Notes Lizabeth Abramson

Photographers Seshu Badrinath Durst Breneiser ’11 Peter Deckers ’90 Michael Dembicer Jeremy Ross ’12 Spencer Sloan Tim Stay ’97

Printer Benchemark Printing, Inc., Schenectady, NY

Contributors Thanks to everyone who contributed to this magazine. Special thanks to Lizabeth Abramson, Seshu Badrinath, Cheryl Benoit, Anne Black, Heather Callaghan, Peter Deckers ’90, Michael Dembicer, Peter Evans, Sue Evans, Susan Haile, Carol Ketcham, Ken LaRocque, Dan Seiden ’00, and George Trautman The Avonian is published for the alumni, parents, and friends of Avon Old Farms School. It is distributed to approximately 8,000 readers.

All rights reserved.

Avon Old Farms School 500 Old Farms Road Avon, CT 06001 www.avonoldfarms.com (860) 404-4100

Admissions (800) 464-2866 admissions@avonoldfarms.com

Alumni We enjoy hearing from you!

Please send us your latest news and notes: Email: abramsonl@avonoldfarms.com Phone: (800) 336-8195 Fax: (860) 675-7135

Email Members of the administration and faculty can be emailed by using the following formula: last name + first initial @avonoldfarms.com. The directory on the school website also includes email links.

Avon Old Farms School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, disabilities, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

The Iconic Avon Boy

sits outside of the Ordway Science and Technology Center, a treasured relic of the past amidst the gleaming tribute to the progress made on campus over the last 15 years.

Features

12 Aspirando et Perseverando!

The Future of Avon Old Farms School

by Morgan C. Cugell 28 Allan O’Connor ’75

by Susan Haile

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48 The Last Word: Willard, Stefani, Me, and You

by Giri Suarsana ’11

From the Editor…

Dear Readers, Well, spring is underway, and although the winter was bitter cold – with record-breaking snowfall in January – the campus has been uncovered and is in bloom once again. The athletic season is coming to a close, with many teams enjoying stellar seasons, and

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Spotlights

weeknight stickball games and cookouts

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forecast the end of the school year.

Athletic Spotlight: Bronson Kelly ’11

by Morgan C. Cugell

20 Faculty Focus: Peter Evans

by Susan Haile 24 Student Spotlight: Ben Crocker ’11

by Morgan C. Cugell

But the students are still hard at work, at least for a few more weeks – and so is the administration. Though the campus is certainly quieter during the summer months, Peter Evans and his team in the Alumni and Development Office are working

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Departments

harder than ever, all year round. Our

2 Headmaster 4 Village Green 8 Athletics 26 The Elephant Remembers 32 Class Notes

tireless director of development led Avon through its most successful capital campaign to date, Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead, and will lend his leadership to the launch of Avon’s recently released strategic plan, Aspirando et Perseverando.

On the cover

Director of Development Peter Evans led the charge on the largest capital campaign in Avon’s history, Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead. Next up, he’ll guide the school as it embarks upon its new strategic plan, Aspirando et Perseverando. For more information, see page 12. And for more about Peter, see page 20. Photo by Seshu Badrinath.

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So what’s in store for Avon?

Turn to page 12 to check it out – and take a look back at the monumental achievement on campus over the last several years.

As always, I welcome your feedback!

Aspirando et perseverando,

Find past issues of The Avonian online at Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com /avonoldfarms

Follow us on Twitter @avonoldfarms!

www.avonoldfarms.com/avonian

Morgan C. Cugell cugellm@avonoldfarms.com 860-404-4239

From the Headmaster

by Kenneth H. LaRocque

G

Greetings, On November 5 of this school year we officially dedicated our new bluestone walkways in the quadrangle, which restored this historic area of campus back to its original form. This celebration was the final capital project within our strategic plan, Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead, and the strong community spirit present that day infused all with a deep appreciation for the architectural genius of Mrs. Riddle’s campus.

The end of 2010 marked the end of a period of impressive growth for Avon Old Farms School. During the first decade of the 21st century, we built important new buildings which strengthened our science, technology, performing arts, athletic, and student support programs. We also refined our curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs to focus them more precisely on helping us to achieve our mission.

Finally, we took important strides in connecting and reconnecting alumni, parents of alumni, and friends of Avon to our school. The result of this effort manifested itself in dramatic increases in the numbers of admissions applications and in support for our annual and capital fundraising

initiatives. We are all justifiably proud of meeting the challenges we laid out for ourselves when we created Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead. We know, without question, that we serve our boys better than we did a decade ago. We also understand clearly the need to constantly improve and to adapt to the ever-changing challenges with which we are presented by society and our boys.

Following our last decennial review, approved in 2008 by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), we rejoiced in the extremely positive endorsement by the NEASC Visiting Committee, but we also heeded their major recommendations, and embarked on a strategic planning process, which has resulted in Aspirando et Perseverando, both our school motto and the title of our newest strategic plan.

The major components of this plan will guide us towards four major initiatives in the coming years. All of them flow from our clear commitment to remaining a boys’ school immersed in a values education, with the goal of developing good men who will make a difference in the world.

We know, without question, that we serve our boys better than we did a decade ago.

We also understand clearly the need to constantly improve and to adapt to the ever-changing challenges with which we are presented by society and our boys. –Headmaster LaRocque

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

• We are committing ourselves to maintaining and improving excellent teaching and mentoring of our students by supporting our faculty. Changes in our program will provide abundant opportunities for professional development and feedback. In addition, we will strive to increase salaries, expand and improve faculty housing, maintain our strong benefits, and address issues of workload.

• We will increase our efforts to provide access to an Avon Old Farms education for deserving young men from diverse backgrounds.

• We will fulfill our duty to steward Mrs. Riddle’s campus by addressing various facility issues within the historic quadrangle section of school. The Board of Directors will strive to preserve the integrity of our architecture while embracing opportunities for sustainable resolutions to our building needs.

• We are committed to providing our students with the technology necessary to prepare them for college and the future. Our technology plan calls for a wireless campus among other significant advances in this important area.

When I consider our mission of “being the best school for boys by developing young men of integrity who honor wisdom, justice, service, and the pursuit of truth,” I always look to our alumni to evaluate how effective a school we are. In this issue of The Avonian, you’ll read about Al O’Connor ’75, a former treasurer of our Board of Directors, who has always been a strong supporter of our school. Al is building schools across the world, making a difference. He is the embodiment of a good man and we are proud to call him a “Man of Avon.”

One of Al O’Connor’s mentors at school was Peter Evans, who is completing his 40th year in the service of our students and school. In April, Peter was presented the Nadal Award by the Founders League for his outstanding contributions to the league and his commitment to sportsmanship, schools, and student-athletes. In May, he was inducted into our athletic hall of fame for his impressive record of over 350 wins and 18 league titles, amassed over a coaching career of 30 years. But Peter is much more than a coach. He is a “school man” who has been an effective teacher, director of athletics, college counselor, admissions officer, development director, and assistant headmaster. He has embraced any job asked of him, has impacted the lives of thousands of Avonians, has been an impressive role model for generations of faculty members, and has lived a life of service at school since 1971. I am honored to call him a friend and a colleague.

Aspirando et Perseverando!

We’d like to hear from you!

Do you have any special Avon anecdotes?

Memories of your time at the Farm?

Please send in any thoughts on your Avon experience for possible inclusion in future publications.

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Village Green

Village Green Avon Outreach: Spring Break Service Avon Old Farms School saw dozens of students traveling with fellow community servants during this year’s spring break.

One group traveled to Ecuador, via Perspectives International, a group with which Travis Merritt ’93 is affiliated, and another to Nashville, Tennessee, with ServCorps and the Ethel Walker School (see photos).

The Nashville trip was arranged and chaperoned

by Avon Old Farms School; a group of 20 students and four faculty members traveled to Tennessee to rebuild the homes and lives of people affected by flooding from storms in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010. The group had a wonderful time and was even featured on a local news channel for their good work.

“It struck me that we made so much progress at the work site by the end of the week, with both the house, and the family,” recalls Andy Biekert ’11.

“I could tell we did a good job by how friendly the family was to us throughout the week; by the last day, it was clear that they genuinely appreciated everything we did.”

Barry Melrose

ESPN Speaker Series Avon Welcomes Analysts This year, Avon Old Farms School has been privileged to forge a relationship with ESPN and has welcomed several analysts from the popular sports network to campus.

In the fall, Avon hosted NHL hockey analyst Barry Melrose and famed basketball coach Digger Phelps. Both guests enthralled the Avon community with their tales from the field and their advice for the school’s many student-athletes.

Members of ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” team are scheduled to visit campus this spring, including Karl Ravech P’13 and John Kruk. Avon looks forward to welcoming more ESPN personalities to campus for future installments of the exciting ESPN Speaker Series.

Digger Phelps

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

Village Green

A Day at ESPN AOF’s Entrepreneurial Club Tours World Headquarters Avon’s Entrepreneurial Club, the Avon Edge, was once again privileged to spend a day observing life in another profession.

This time, the group traveled to nearby Bristol, Connecticut, home to the world headquarters of ESPN. Ten students and three faculty members toured the expansive ESPN campus on March 28th. For many students, the highlight of the trip was the filming of “SportsNation,” a sports news talk show hosted by Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle. The show relies heavily on material suggested or generated by sports fans, and frequently consults its audience via the ESPN website, Twitter, online polling, and its studio audience, which, on March 28th, was comprised entirely of Avon Old Farms students! The group filmed an introduction to the show on the Old Farms campus, which was then broadcasted live at the start of the 4 PM show. Between segments, the students spoke with the interested hosts about daily life at Avon, their March Madness basketball predictions, and what goes on behind the scenes during the production of a major television program. Michelle and Colin were funny and engaged, genuinely interested in the students’ lives and the culture of the school, and graciously answered questions and took photos with the boys.

After filming, the group had the opportunity to learn more about the many exciting aspects of production at ESPN.

They saw the bustling newsroom, where every employee sat at computers equipped with external TVs. They saw the 50-plus fact-checkers, a highly qualified group of sports-savvy researchers who had to pass several rounds of entrance testing before employment. Along their journey, many students caught sight of some of their favorite on-air talent, many of whom are former professional athletes, such as Dave Winfield, Kara Lawson, Tommy Smyth, Trent Dilfer, and Mike Greenberg. The students also met with Executive Vice President, production, Norby Williamson P’14, and “Baseball Tonight” host Karl Ravech P’13.

The students also got to go inside the many digital studios and control rooms at ESPN, populated with dozens of audio and visual editors, busy scanning highlights, writing scripts, or editing sound and film. They took a peek inside the “Sports Center” studios, observed an ESPN radio broadcast in action, and marveled at the extraordinary facilities, such as an employee basketball court and an Xbox station, where ESPN’s “Madden” simulations occur. They even toured the cafeteria!

The day was informative, entertaining, and exciting – a day that the Avon Edge members won’t soon forget!

The Avonian Spring 2011

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Winter Musical Takes to the Stage West Side Story

After months of rehearsals, the Avon Old Farms Theatre Company presented the iconic West Side Story as its winter musical, featuring talented thespians from both AOF and Miss Porter’s School. Making its Avon debut the weekend of February 25-27 in the Adams Theater, the production came about after a December 11th trip to New York City to catch a Broadway production of the musical.

Theater Director Gayle Robinson agreed with Director of Choral Activities Bryan Zaros, who accompanied the group

Avon Out Loud

Winter Concerts Delight the Avon Community The Avon Old Farms School Performing Arts Department presented its annual winter concerts on March 1st and March 3rd this year.

Under the direction of Robert Volo, chairman of the department, Avon’s Big Band and New Avon Sound jazz groups roused the audience with rhythm and blues, while the Chamber Ensemble, directed by Scott Semanski, wowed the crowd with exceptional performances of masterpieces by J.S. Bach and Leonhard Von Call, among others.

Director of Choral Activities Bryan Zaros led the vocal charge, highlighted by performances from the Chorale, the Honors Chorale, and the Riddlers, as well as the student-run small group, the Sing-ed Beavers. Avon’s faculty group, the Age-ed Beavers, took to the stage, as well!

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

on the field trip, when he suggested that the school should produce West Side Story. Ms. Robinson felt that it was a strong choice for Avon Old Farms because the main characters are teenagers, noting that “it is always a good thing to let young people play young people!”

Durst Breneiser ’11 played the role of Tony, while Ariel Fernandez and Izzy Scappaticci, from Miss Porter’s School, played Maria and Anita, respectively. The Jets were comprised of a solid group of Riddlers, including Keith Boratko ’12 as Riff, the leader of the gang; Michael Gagnon ’12 as Action; Duncan Cooke ’13 as Snowboy; and Harrison Wasserbauer ’12 as Diesel, in addition to Patrick Fricke ’14, AJ Bauer ’11, and Gerard Hampton ’11. Sehan DeSilva ’11 played Bernado, Tony Garofalo ’11 played Chino, and Nate Usich ’14 played Pepe.

Under the vocal direction of Mr. Zaros, with acting direction from Ms. Robinson, the students put in countless hours rehearsing the show’s challenging musical numbers and dialogue. Additionally, they were coached in dance by one of the Theatre Company’s former players, Rebekah Wilcox.

Ms. Robinson was assisted by faculty members Emily Landau and Morgan Harris, and faculty member James Kassel worked extensively with the tech crew to build the set.

Ms. Robinson noted that students thoroughly enjoyed rehearsals, which offered a respite from the long winter.

“Musicals allow for even more collaboration than regular plays do, and it’s great for the students to get a variety of instructors, and to have a variety of fun things to learn in the afternoons.”

The community is thrilled that musicals are back in the repertoire for the theatre program at Avon, and this particular production was enjoyed by all!

Village Green

3rd Annual Push-Ups for Patriots

Avonians Raise Money for the Semper Fi Fund The third annual Push-Ups for Patriots fundraiser was held at Avon Old Farms School from 12 noon on Saturday, April 9th, to 12 noon on Sunday, April 10th. The 24-hour event supports the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund.

Held in the Tiernan Wrestling Room, the event features groups of faculty, students, and friends of AOF doing push-ups in rotations for a period of 24 hours. Faculty member and varsity wrestling coach John Bourgault ’80, a retired Marine Corps major, spearheads the exciting annual event, and for the last three years has accomplished the astounding feat of completing over 14,400 push-ups in just 24 hours – 10 push-ups a minute for 24 hours straight. Groups of students (one group for each class year) and faculty each attempted to accomplish the same number, contributing in rotations throughout the 24-hour time period.

For more information about the Semper Fi Fund and how to donate, please visit www.semperfifund.org.

Annual Poetry Recitation Contest Tyler Wieland ’11 Wins Again!

This year’s poetry competition once again showcased beautiful poetry and exceptional talent across all classes.

The annual poetry recitation contest, hosted by the English department, began with the senior class sectionwinner recitations on February 22, and culminated in the all-school contest at morning meeting on March 8th.

Every year, students in each English class section select poems to memorize and then recite in front of their classmates. A winner is decided for each section; those sectionwinners then compete against the other section-winners from their grade. The four grade-winners then compete again in front of the entire school community during the last morning meeting before the spring break.

This year’s class winners were Pablo Gallastegui ’14, who recited Pablo Neruda’s “I Crave Your Mouth, Your Voice, Your Hair;” Colin Tiernan ’13, who recited Robert Frost’s “Birches;” Jeremy Ross ’12, who recited “V for Virgin” by George Watsky; and Tyler Wieland ’11, who recited “Palm Tree King” by John Agard.

Wieland, last year’s winner, was the champion again this year, bringing an incredible West Indies accent to his engaging, thoughtful performance.

Left to right: Tyler Wieland ’11, Jeremy Ross ’12, Colin Tiernan ’13, and Pablo Gallastegui ’14.

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Athletics

Bronson Kelly ’11 in action.

Bronson Kelly ’11 Bronson Kelly ’11 is one Avon’s most recognized athletes – and not just for his talent and his accomplishments, both of which are great. A member of the varsity soccer and lacrosse teams, Bronson’s reputation for hard work and leadership has earned him the role of captain on both squads.

Despite starting his career with the Winged Beaver football program, Bronson made the switch to soccer as a junior and quickly excelled on the field with natural athleticism and a gritty, physical commitment to whatever position he played; this year, his versatile skill set helped him to follow his nose to goal as a forward and also tracking the opposition’s offense as a tenacious defender.

However, Bronson’s primary athletic commitment is to lacrosse; his prowess in the midfield captured college attention as early as his sophomore year.

Winged Beavers Debut New Home Turf Avon’s exceptional athletic facilities have expanded with the addition of a state-ofthe-art field turf playing surface, home to the varsity lacrosse and football teams.

Installation was completed this spring—check out the progress!

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

Last summer, Inside Lacrosse ranked Bronson at number 38 on their list of the Top 50 Young Gun Rising Seniors in the country, and earlier this spring, they cited him as perhaps “the best player in the region.”

Bronson has led the Winged Beavers through their stellar spring season this year; as Head Coach Skip Flanagan notes, Bronson’s “combination of overall speed with the ability to accelerate at any moment makes him a considerable threat on offense,” in addition to a defensive “determination to clear the ball when we need to get it out of our end of the field.

“Bronson exhibits his athletic ability every time that he sets foot on the field of play,” he continues. “When the whistle blows on game day, he is always ready to offer his best effort.”

Bronson will bring his athletic talent to Johns Hopkins University next year, to which he has been verbally committed since his junior year (see photo, signing letter of intent with Coach Flanagan). Avon wishes him the best of luck in the future!

George Springer ’08

W

hile a student at Avon, George Springer ’08 made a name for himself almost instantly, leading the Winged Beavers to a Founders League title with his incredible talent on the baseball diamond. Since then, recognition of his abilities has continued to grow – and people are talking once again.

Originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins following his spring 2008 graduation from Avon Old Farms, George chose to delay his professional career to instead pursue his education at the University of Connecticut, where he has been a star on the varsity baseball team for the past three seasons, setting new records for the Huskies in his first year alone.

In the 2009 season, Springer led UConn in runs scored with 75, a new single-season school record. He led the team in RBIs with 57, and was third on the team with 76 hits in 212 at-bats for a .358 batting average in 56 games played. He recorded 12 stolen bases, 14 doubles, three triples, and walked 32 times, helping the Huskies to their fourth 30+ win season. Springer set a new Husky record for his 16 home runs, the most by a freshman in a single season, while landing in third place overall on the single-season homerun

list. He became the first UConn player to be named the Big East Rookie of the Year while also claiming a spot on the All-Big East First Team.

In 2010, George played in a record-breaking 64 games, leading the team in plate appearances with 318 and a batting average of .337 in 243 at-bats with 82 hits and 18 home runs. He led the team in on-base percentage (.491), and had 33 stolen bases in 35 tries. George registered only one error and had a .993 fielding percentage.

Since then, he’s continued to enjoy massive success – and not just at UConn. He’s played several seasons with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, the top amateur baseball league in the country. Additionally, he represented his country as a member of the USA Collegiate Team, batting .292 in 18 games with Team USA, adding 21 hits, 12 runs, and two home runs in international competition.

This summer, after the completion of his third successful college baseball season with the Huskies, George is expected to be a first-round draft pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

Avon wishes him the best of luck in the big leagues!

The Avonian Spring 2011

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H ighlights

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Athletics

S pring 2011

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“As we plan for the next decade and beyond, Avon Old Farms School remains committed to providing a traditional program for boys seeking to excel in their journey to manhood…we are confident that by focusing on building good men as well as good scholars, we will remain a viable and successful school for decades to come.”

–from Aspirando et Perseverando, Avon’s new strategic plan

The Future of Avon Old Farms School

By Morgan C. Cugell

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

a commitment to values “We will remain committed to our mission to be the best school for boys, and we will continue to emphasize the development of character by inspiring students to embrace our core values.”

Scholarship Integrity Civility Tolerance Altruism Sportsmanship Responsibility Self-Discipline

Avon Old Farms School has long thrived on the support of its many

munificent community members. Alumni, parents, and friends of the school give generously of their time, their energy, their ideas, and their finances to make Avon a better place. Even the current faculty members contribute; Avon has a recent history of 100 percent faculty giving each year. Without this support, Avon would not be able to continue to produce the many talented, well-rounded, compassionate young men who step forth from Avon and into the world each year, armed with both an academic and a moral education.

“Aspiring and persevering to be ‘the best school for boys’ requires our vigilance,” notes Headmaster Ken LaRocque. “To develop young men of integrity who honor wisdom, justice, service, and the pursuit of truth, we must preserve what we have, and procure what we need.”

With that in mind, Avon has launched its next strategic plan, aptly titled Aspirando et Perseverando, on the heels of the close of the School’s monumental capital campaign, Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead. Please enjoy a look back at the historic last decade of change and progress on campus, and a peek at what’s to come in the future.

Spring 2011 The Avonian

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Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead

A Decade of Change and Progress “Our ongoing goal is clear: to secure Avon’s position as the best school for boys in the nation…

Our new plan brings the school’s artistic, athletic, and student life programs to the center of campus.

When finished, they will complete the founder’s vision and provide a central home for the school’s primary non-academic endeavors.”

– From Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead

completed campaign Capital Support

$ 49,248,899

Annual Giving

13,912,749

Planned Gifts (2005-10)

9,058,000

Total

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$ 72,219,648

Spring 2011 The Avonian

On December 31, 2010, Avon Old Farms School brought to a close the historic capital campaign Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead. Launched in 2000, the campaign began with a $25 million goal; as support grew – both financially and of the School’s mission – so did the end goal, rising first to $50 million, and then to $60 million. By the close of last year, Avon Old Farms had raised over $70 million, including 11 individual donations greater than $1 million each; a giving level of that magnitude was a rarity before the year 2000. The enthusiastic support for the School’s financial growth, combined with a passionate embracing of its mission to be “the best school for boys,” supported Avon through more than a decade of progress, and transitioned the School into a new era and a new identity among the competition.

Enhancing Avon’s Physical Plant

Endowment Initiatives

Chapel Renovation New Access Road

Over 50 endowments collectively exceeding $10 million were created. Some examples:

Globe Foundation Tennis Complex

McKernan Life Science Fund

Orr Track

Eldridge Choral Music Endowment

Faculty Housing

Drew History Fund

Avon Power Plant

Nimrod Endowment

Ordway Science and Technology Center

Ordway Music Appreciation Endowment

Fairchild Language Lab

Pierpont Headmaster’s Chair

Woodworking and Digital Arts Studio

Ludwig Junior Faculty Chair

Brown Student Center

Woodwell Leadership Award

Athletic Complex and Field House

Don Wick Memorial Fund

Tiernan Wrestling Room

Conroy Scholarship Fund

Gaynor Squash Pavilion

DiFiglia Scholarship Fund

Beatson Performing Arts Center

George Trautman Scholarship Fund

Susan Casey Brown Auditorium

Richard Woodwell Scholarship Fund

Learning Center relocation/renovation

George Lyon Scholarship Fund

Admissions Office relocation/renovation

Diogenes Scholarship Fund

Alumni and Development Office relocation/ renovation

growth of avon’s annual fund 2,000,000

1,500,000

1,000,000

Brown House Dormitory reconstruction

Contributions

Carriuolo Field Carpenter Field

The Avonian Spring 2011

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2007

2004

2000

Pope Quadrangle Walkway restoration

0 1995

Turf Field

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Aspirando et Perseveran-

Our newest strategic plan, entitled Aspirando et Perseverando, aptly echoes the School’s motto and its mission, and sets in motion plans for another historic decade of advancement.

Looking to the future, we are guided by our traditional ideals, and are inspired by many new opportunities to better serve our Men of Avon.

Aspirando et Perseverando highlights several major initiatives for the coming years; we hope that you are enthused by our continued commitment to the education of boys, our respect for Avon’s traditions, and our plans to keep Avon Old Farms moving ahead in the world of independent school education.

A Look Toward the Future

the finest faculty fund

“We will attract, support, and retain our excellent faculty.”

Because our students derive benefit from multifaceted contact with their teachers, coaches, advisors, and mentors, full-time faculty members will continue to work in all three major areas of school life: teaching, residential life, and coaching.

We are mindful, however, that the faculty’s schedule must leave time for reflection and thoughtful preparation. Therefore, we will explore ways to distribute faculty duties more widely and evenly.

2000-2010

What We Hope to Accomplish

»»Renovated 45 out of 50 faculty housing units

»» A first step would be to increase the size of the faculty in relation to the student body.

»»Constructed nine new faculty housing units

»» We want to ensure that total compensation, including salaries and benefits and quality of life, allows us to attract and retain the faculty best suited to serve our students.

»»Salaries increased by 72% from $3.1 million to $5.3 million

“The demand for financial aid continues to grow. We are pleased to have created a culture of giving to meet this important need.”

–Headmaster LaRocque

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

»»Benefits increased over 125% from $1.1 million to $2.5 million »»Aggregate benefits as a percentage of salary increased from 35% to 46% »»Total salary and benefits as a percentage of operating budget have increased from 44% to 53%

»» We have made dramatic improvements in both the quantity and quality of housing available for the faculty in the last 10 years, but we need to continue that effort with a particular emphasis on the housing for single faculty members. »» We will maintain a balance between new, experienced, and senior faculty, and maintain a diverse faculty.

scholarship

“We will find creative and sustainable ways to reduce the financial hardship on families from tuition increases.”

Generally, the costs of attending a private school such as Avon Old Farms are rising, on average, by about four percent each year. We hope to increase our financial aid budget to help more families meet this challenge.

We intend to maintain student costs around the median relative to our peer group. To this end, we will work to increase our financial-aid-to-tuition ratio over the 10-year period. We will work to reduce the debt capacity of the school to less than one-third of our endowment market value by 2020.

The Hartwell Foundation and the George Trautman Scholar Avon Old Farms School is pleased to announce the latest addition to the many scholarships available to prospective Avon students. Supported by The Hartwell Foundation, this scholarship will honor one student, to be selected by former Headmaster George Trautman, who must “be a citizen of the United States, be academically qualified, and have full financial need. Of particular interest would be a young man who is in a difficult home and/or current schooling situation, or who is in an environment that seems to undermine his fuller academic and personal potential.”

The Hartwell Foundation provides $100,000 to support a scholar for three years. The foundation, whose chairman is Larry Smead, believes wholeheartedly in the mission of the School, observing that the structured environment and the implementation of the core values produce students who are educated exceptionally both in and out of the classroom. The foundation hopes to provide a deserving student with financial aid that will allow for “a life-changing experience.”

The gift, which is not endowed, is equivalent to a $2 million endowment gift, and therefore helps support one of the School’s most pressing areas of need. Avon, and the many George Trautman Scholars to come, graciously thank The Hartwell Foundation for its generosity!

a global community

2000/2001 Percentage of International Population By Nation

“We will make our program and our community more global.”

To prepare our students for life in the global village, which will involve an ever-increasing need for international communication, cooperation, and understanding, we will seek to foster our students’ appreciation of cultures different from their own.

As part of our regular review of the curriculum, we will add new languages and new courses whose focus is outside traditional western culture.

In addition, we will continue to add diversity to other areas of school life, such as athletics and residential life.

TAIWAN 6%

KOREA 27%

UK 6%

MACAU 6% VENEZUELA 8%

SAUDI ARABIA 11%

PANAMA 17%

OTHER 19%

2010/2011 International Population Percentage By Nation HONG KONG 5%

TAIWAN 4%

KOREA 24%

CHINA 14%

OTHER 19%

CANADA 5%

the student body “We will review annually the size and composition of the student body, while maintaining the current academic profile and ratio between boarding and day students.”

THAILAND 6% PANAMA 6% VENEZUELA 8%

2000-01

2010-11

288

311

91

92

379

403

Financial Aid Recipients 114

128

Boarding Day Total Financial Aid Given

1.9M

SPAIN 10%

3.8M The Avonian Spring 2011

17

“We need to address important elements within our historic core campus, especially with regard to sustainability and to faculty housing.”

–Headmaster LaRocque

Aspirando et Perseveran-

What We Hope to Accomplish We will continue to provide for the maintenance of the physical plant, paying special attention to Mrs. Riddle’s original buildings. »»The Facilities and Land Committee of the Board will survey all campus facilities and establish priorities for additions or renovations. In particular, they will address the number and nature of classrooms and improvements in the kitchen and Adams Theater. »»We will be attentive to the architectural needs of the campus, including renovating or replacing the roofs, doors, or windows of the dorms, while ensuring that any new facilities are architecturally compatible with the existing campus. »»We will continue to make the campus a safe haven for students and faculty and systematically update our emergency response plan.

18 Spring 2011 The Avonian

mrs. riddle’s c a mpus

“We will be caring stewards of Mrs. Riddle’s remarkable campus.”

We understand that Mrs. Riddle’s unique campus is a special legacy and that every Man of Avon shares a certain pride of place. We have an important role to play as stewards of her historic buildings; not as museum pieces, but as a functioning residential campus.

We will address the infrastructure needs of the core campus in a sustainable but faithful way: sustainability, married with the integrity of Mrs. Riddle’s “indestructible school for boys.”

Sustainability

Energy Projects

Technology

We recognize that our school operates as a microcosm in the larger global environment.

However, we must do our part to meet present needs without jeopardizing the right of future generations to meet their needs.

We will make a habit of reducing, reusing, and recycling in all aspects of campus life, and we will create a sustainability ethic among our students, faculty, and staff.

We will reduce our carbon footprint over the next 10 years by making energy conservation and energy efficiency integral considerations in our decision-making process.

»»Ongoing energy study

To continue to compete in today’s ever-evolving technological culture, Avon needs to become more visible in the global village. In the near future, Avon will…

»»Lighting fixture and light bulb changes »»Heating upgrades and conversion »»Installation of solar array »»Heat reclamation in the hockey rink chiller »»Air conditioning upgrades »»Insulation and weather stripping »»Community consciousness and education

»»Become a completely wireless campus »»Utilize cloud computing, using software as a service »»Offer accessibility of grade information to parents and students, using Veracross software

Faculty Focus:

Peter Evans

By Susan Haile

L

ike many people, Peter Evans has made several career moves – four, to be exact. What sets Avon’s director of development apart, however, is that he has made all of those career moves at the same place: Avon Old Farms School. As he completes his 40th year at Avon, Evans looks back with satisfaction on the distinct phases of his Old Farms career. “From 1971 to 1976, I taught, and coached, and advised,” he recalls. “From 1976 through 1985, I was athletic director. I still taught, and I coached varsity basketball and baseball. From 1985 through 1997, I was dean and director of college counseling. Finally, since 1997, I’ve been director of development.”

Some might find it appropriate to use a sports metaphor to describe the career of a man who spent three decades as Avon’s varsity baseball coach. The quintessential utility player, Evans has proved time and again that he can play virtually any position. That metaphor breaks down, however, when one considers that this utility player’s contributions to the team have made him nothing short of an all-star – for 40 years and counting.

Peter Evans, needless to say, would quickly deflect any talk of his all-star status. He’s the ultimate team player.

“Avon is a team,” he says. “The best teams are those where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, whether that’s a basketball or baseball team, or a school. It’s not about me.

There’s nothing better than being a part of that team. If you have enough people who feel that way – and Avon truly does – it becomes the ethos. And I have appreciated the fact that I have been able to do my life’s work in the company of so many ‘other-oriented’ people of such great talent and quality.”

But in 1971, Evans was hardly thinking long-term. An

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Amherst College graduate, he had left the Navy after two years, and he and his wife, Sue, were pondering their fate. “I thought I’d teach for a year or two while I figured out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” he recalls.

Through his Amherst basketball coach, Evans had worked for a couple of summers at Tabor Academy’s summer program, which at the time was run by a Tabor administrator named George Trautman.

When he decided to look for a teaching job, the only person Evans knew in the independent school world was Trautman, who, as it happens, was settling into a new job of his own – as headmaster of Avon Old Farms School. Evans’ college coach and Trautman used to play squash together, and one story – perhaps apocryphal – goes that Trautman lost a squash match and as a result agreed to hire Evans.

Trautman’s loss was Avon’s gain. “He hired me without an opening,” Evans remembers, although a teaching spot did open up before the school year began. Still, his long-term goals lay elsewhere. “I thought maybe I’d become a lawyer,” he admits. “God – what a mistake that would have been.”

Fortunately, Evans quickly got hooked on teaching. “After a few years I looked at some other schools, and decided I liked Avon,” he says. Three children arrived in the next several years, and the Evans family knew they had found a home.

For most of his Avon career, Evans knew every boy in the school. And he didn’t just know their names; he taught

“…I have appreciated the fact that I have been able to do my life’s work in the company of so many ‘other-oriented’ people of such great talent and quality.”

Peter Evans

them, coached them, advised them, helped them through the college application process, and got to know their families.

But when he took the Development Office job and had to give up teaching, getting to know every boy became virtually impossible. It was a huge adjustment for him.

“I would never do this job at any other school,” he maintains. “Which isn’t to say that I haven’t found it rewarding. I really have.” Why? “I’ve had a chance to see what has happened to people I knew well when they were 16 or 17. In their professions and in their personal lives, I’ve seen whether they’re good husbands and fathers, and good at whatever careers they’ve pursued.

“I’ve also seen that the School has had an enormous impact on who they have become,” Evans continues. “That’s incredibly rewarding. Not five minutes ago, and this happens all the time, I got an email from an alum.” The alum had attended Avon for only one year, as a postgraduate. Twentyfive years later, he wrote to Evans, “In reading the Men of Avon brochure today, it made me realize how influential your wonderful school has been on my life… The leadership and academic skills gained at Avon changed my life and allowed me to have a rewarding career and loving family.”

“I get emails and phone calls like that all the time,” Evans says. “This school has had such an enormous impact on so many boys becoming ‘good men.’ And it has special meaning to me, because I know these guys, and I knew them when they were students here.”

Evans has also been gratified by his role in Avon’s recently concluded capital campaign, Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead. “It was by far the largest we’ve ever embarked on,” he says, “and the results have been transformational for the

School.” The credit, he maintains, “goes to alumni, parents, Board Members, and all who supported the campaign. It has accelerated our evolution as a school in the last decade enormously, and it has been very exciting to be part of that.”

In key ways, though, the school has remained the same, according to Evans. “Many of our traditions haven’t changed: morning meetings, family-style meals, coats and ties, Sunday evening vespers, our ‘triple threat’ faculty. I think that’s a real strength. And we can do a whole lot more than just pay lip service to core values and the development of character because we come together so often – because we have a real community.”

As for “forging ahead,” Evans harkens back to the early days of George Trautman’s headmastership in the late 1960s.

“There was no money, no endowment, and we needed to be good at something, so George put a focus on athletics. But there wasn’t much going on in music until George hired Jim Balmer and Mary Nelson – and we just scheduled kids into the chorale, whether they liked it or not. And that program has really taken off, with 200 boys involved in music at Avon, and now we have a beautiful new facility to support that. Here we are, a boys’ school with a new field house and sports complex, and that’s fabulous, but we’ve also got this wonderful new performing arts center. And that sends an important message.”

New buildings, he maintains, are only a part of that evolution. “It’s what has happened to the programs because of the buildings,” Evans says.

“Another way we’ve grown and changed is in the area of community service,” he adds. “We’re doing so many things, both on and off campus, and collaborating with Ethel Walker and Miss Porter’s. We’re even offering a course in global

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Faculty

ethics with Porter’s, taught incidentally by Avon alum Chris Hampton ’79.” Evans pauses. “We’re not going co-ed, by the way,” he adds with a smile.

“But look at how the School has evolved, with stability and continuity,” he adds. “I think Avon has really benefited from having only three headmasters since 1948. They were all different. But I understand so much better what Don Pierpont did in 1948, when he reopened the school with no money, no faculty, no students – just buildings. Then George Trautman strengthened that foundation and ran the school for nearly 30 years, and now Ken LaRocque has done an incredible job continuing that evolution. All without abandoning the fundamentals,” he adds.

And Peter Evans’ role? “I’ve been so fortunate to be part of this, and to do all the different things I’ve done here,” he says. “I’ve loved it all. I loved teaching history – it was alive to me – and I thought it was my responsibility to make it alive to my students. I think I did a good job teaching and coaching. I’m not the most efficient administrator,” he admits, “but I work hard and I think I bring a passion for what I’m doing.” And that’s the closest Peter Evans will come to blowing his own horn.

If Avon has been a great place for Evans professionally, it has also been a wonderful place for the Evans family. “It is such a wholesome community for kids to grow up in,” he says.” The Evanses’ older daughter, Brittany, and her husband, Jim, held their wedding reception in the Riddle Refectory.

Son Craig ’98 has followed in his dad’s footsteps, currently teaching and coaching at the Rectory School; he and his fiancée, Claire Moore, will be married in July.

Ali, their youngest, is a student at Skidmore College.

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

“Avon is a team…

The best teams are those where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, whether that’s a basketball or baseball team, or a school. It’s not about me.

There’s nothing better than being a part of that team. If you have enough people who feel that way—and Avon truly does—it becomes the ethos.”

“I guess Peter is ‘married to the job,’” laughs Sue Evans, who says she left public school teaching “in self-defense so I could join him in the mission.” She taught Spanish at Avon for nine years and in 1998 joined Peter on the Development Office staff.

“He enjoys what he is doing and it has impacted the School greatly,” she adds. “He probably knows more alumni than any living person! But he will always cherish the time he had in the classroom – it really is the best way to really know the boys.”

Retirement? At 63, Evans hasn’t begun to slow down, although he admits to giving some thought to “life after Avon.” “I’m not sure what the future will hold,” he says, “but I would like to continue being part of a school, perhaps keeping my hand in development work, or teaching and coaching. I still have the fire, I think.”

The Evolution of Peter Evans Thoughts from Headmaster Ken LaRocque

The story of how Peter Evans became Avon’s director of development is fascinating, revealing Evans’ refined sense of team, according to Headmaster Ken LaRocque: Peter Evans has excelled in a number of roles at Avon Old Farms. Whether as a teacher of A.P. U.S. history, dorm parent, advisor, director of athletics, director of college counseling, assistant headmaster, or varsity baseball or basketball coach, Peter has always welcomed the opportunity to serve our boys and school in any capacity. His ability to connect with people is impressive.

For 30 years Peter skillfully led our varsity baseball team, and his teams accumulated dozens of league titles and hundreds of wins—despite playing on a barely adequate field.

After years of pestering the headmaster for a new field, Peter finally won his battle, but was presented with a new challenge.

George Trautman agreed to build a new baseball field if Peter was able to raise the money for it.

Calling on his legendary positive, can-do spirit, Peter reached out to his former players, and within a matter of weeks he had raised the $250,000 needed to make Carpenter Field a reality. The next week, he received a call from George, informing him that he was the new director of development.

This would mean a radical change for Peter, pulling him away from his passion of teaching, coaching, and counseling young men. In characteristic fashion, Peter’s decision to accept his new role was based upon what was best for Avon Old Farms— and he sacrificed a great deal in the process.

While we lost an outstanding educator with this change, our development program soared. Peter had a strong connection to thousands of alumni with whom he had worked over the years—or had come to know through alumni events. In addition, Avon’s magic had captured Peter long ago, and his knowledge of our culture and his love for our school were unsurpassed. When he called alumni or their parents to request a meeting, the response was usually an enthusiastic “yes,” and much more often than not, Peter’s “asks” received similar responses.

Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead, our recently completed capital campaign, yielded $72 million in gifts, and this remarkable accomplishment is testimony to Peter’s effective leadership. As he has done throughout his life, Peter has embraced the challenge that George Trautman presented to him back in 1997, to create a culture of giving at Avon Old Farms School, and he has succeeded beyond all expectations.

He is widely respected in the independent school world as one of the true professionals in his field.

However, nothing would make Peter happier than to be leading a classroom discussion or explaining the subtleties of a double play on the baseball field!

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Student Spotlight:

Ben Crocker ’11

By Morgan C. Cugell

B

en Crocker has always been an Avon boy.

His parents, faculty members Jonathan and Kimberley Crocker, arrived at Avon when Ben was only two years old; he quickly found his place as one of the ‘three Bens’ on campus, joining fellow faculty children Ben Custer ’10 and Ben LaRocque ’10 (see photo).

He immediately immersed himself in all that the school had to offer – even before he was a student.

“Growing up on Avon’s campus was a little kid’s dream,” he says, noting that not

only did he always have someone to play with, he was also always surrounded with potential role models. “I had an endless supply of kids to try to be like,” he says. “I always wanted to go to school at Avon because all of my heroes were here.”

Some of those heroes might include alumni Mike Mangan ’09, Peter Thorington ’09, and Jared Ciejek ’09, who Ben claims helped him find his “niche” at Avon; “they adopted me as their little brother.”

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Fall 2010 Spring 2011 TheThe Avonian Avonian

Or perhaps he might mention current classmate Alijah Hogans ’11, whom he met four years ago at the accepted students’ day, Avon Today. “We sat down together at the luncheon, and have been together since. We’ve been through everything together.”

Still other heroes exist, on the faculty; Ben cites Michelle Custer as his “second mother,” who not only improved his French skills, but was also “always willing to give advice, and listen to anything that is going on in my life.”

He recalls that he always felt a part of the campus – citing hockey championships and time at Beaver Pond as favorite childhood memories – but that he didn’t truly understand what it meant to be an Avon boy until he joined the student body, and experienced life in the dorms, as a member of clubs, and, unfortunately, as just another student trying to manage hours of schoolwork.

Though Ben is quick to list the teachers and friends who have helped shape his Avon experience, it is his own scope of passion and interest that has helped him carve out his identity in the student body.

A passionate skier – he’s been on a team since he was just nine – Ben is a four-year member of Avon’s varsity ski team, which he captained this year. He has also been a member of the track and cross country teams – commitments that helped mold a more ambitious, can-do attitude.

“Before I joined cross country, I did not have the will power to go out and run 11 miles by myself,” recalls Ben. “Now I do. I relish the challenge it gives me,” he says.

In addition to his athletic abilities, Ben boasts a tremendous talent in music. He plays the trumpet, and is a member of Avon’s flourishing elite jazz band, The New Avon Sound.

“I think that being a Man of Avon means doing all of your work honestly, and not avoiding it. It means that you always do your best, and you always participate. It means that you try new things, and follow through with them. It means that if someone needs your help, and you are in a position where you could help in any way, you do. It means that you protect your brothers of Avon, and they protect you when you need it. It means that you always use good manners, and are polite to everyone no matter what personal battles you have with them at the time. It means that you are forgiving and accepting.”

Ben is also a four-year member of both the Society of St. Brendan and the Nimrod Club; he serves as president of both groups this year. He is particularly attached to Nimrod: “I wanted to be in the club since I was five,” he says. Nimrod also allows him to spend quality time with his father, who is the faculty advisor to the club. “I don’t actually get to see my parents because I’m so busy,” he said. “But on Sundays I actually get to spend time with my dad and hang out for a few hours.”

His love of spending time outdoors, combined with a passion for helping others, led him to Perspectives International, a group founded by Travis Merritt ’93. This spring, Ben spent his school break in Ecuador, contributing his time and efforts building a village, a trip that he says had a great deal of influence on him. “I got to see, first hand, the poverty that the people there live in, and I got to help them in some small way,” he says.

“The little kids down there are absolutely amazing to talk to, and it is a trip that everyone should go on. I would like to go back and stay there for a while longer because it was incredible.”

Ben has been accepted into the English-Speaking Union program next year, which offers graduating seniors the opportunity to spend a year attending school abroad before matriculating to a college in the United States. Ben will attend Rydal Penhros School in Wales, and will then attend St. Lawrence University as a member of the class of 2016.

Ben has always been an Avon boy. He spent his childhood watching and learning, and collecting a notion of what it truly means to be an Avonian. But he has spent his last four years here not only as a resident of the campus, but also as a student. And along the way, the experiences, mentors, and roles he has accumulated have transformed him, it seems, into a true Man of Avon.

Spring The Avonian 2011 TheFall Avonian 2010

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1

Elephant The

Remembers…

From

the

Archives,

Avon Old Farms School

Compiled by Carol Ketcham

FOR Press Release

Leading riders in polo, fox hunting, and horse shows are graduates of the Avon Old Farms horsemanship department.

–From the 1952 Admissions Catalog

Riding and Polo at Avon Old Farms

–1932 press release, unsigned

Avon Old Farms Estate consists of over 3,000 acres of woods and farm lands. Ever since the estate was purchased, we have been working to make the conditions for riding ideal. At present we have some 30 miles of bridle paths throughout the estate with all kinds of jumps – stone walls, snake fences, logs, brooks and timber – and we are continually improving our cross country courses, the students doing most of the work.

The College owns about 16 riding horses, and at present we have, in addition, six boarders, belonging to the students. The horses are housed at Tow Path Lodge, a beautiful old half-timbered barn about a quarter of a mile from the campus. The horses are exceptionally good for school horses; we have good jumpers, polo ponies and road hacks. With the exceptional natural facilities for riding, every encouragement has been given to this sport since the opening of the College.

First, an excellent little ring was constructed near the stable and here we held our first Horse Show in June 1928. This ring is now entirely used for practicing. As the College and the interest in riding grew, we constructed another ring opposite the College entrance. A full size polo ffi ield is laid out on the property.

The boys have formed a riding club. The regular schedule calls for two shows a year; one in the spring on Old Farms Day, when the College invites the neighborhood young riders to compete, and one in the autumn, open to grown-ups. We also show every year at the Hartford Cavalry Horse Show and have won a large number of ribbons in horsemanship classes and also in competition with grown-up exhibitors.

This year our boys were invited to play Yale Second Freshman Team at New Haven, to their great delight. Polo has been greatly stimulated by having Farmington Valley Polo Club our next door neighbor. During the autumn we have weekly paper chases, and during spring and autumn we go for long cross country rides on Saturdays, camping overnight.

26 Spring 2011 The Avonian

Hartford Horse Show 1928. Team II: Frederick Guild, William Rose, and Henry Herrick, all Class of 1931.

Donald Wilson ’33 and his horse, Pride of Avon.

The Polo Team 1940-41. Henry Hodges ’42, Robert Mitchell ’41, John Schroeder ’43, and Harry Cushing ’41, Captain. The team won the majority of its games, and for the first time in seven years defeated a Yale freshman combination.

The School stables at Towpath Lodge.

On the way to the hunt – early 1950’s.

Honey Craven, nationally famous ringmaster, returns to Avon Old Farms for the fifth year to call the class events at the Annual Hunter Trials, 1953.

Spring 2011 The Avonian

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Alumni Spotlight:

Al O’Connor ’75

By Susan Haile

F

ormer Director of Admissions Frank Leavitt had some persuading to do.

Leavitt had gotten to know young Allan O’Connor, an eighth grade public school kid from nearby Canton. O’Connor was a participant in a Saturday morning program at the Talcott Mountain Science Center, where Leavitt happened to be a program advisor.

“He asked me if I had considered Avon Old Farms,” recalls O’Connor, the oldest of five from a middle-class family. “I didn’t know much about Avon, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen.”

Leavitt wasn’t about to give up. “We have financial aid,” he pointed out. The next thing O’Connor knew, an interview was scheduled, and he and his parents found themselves sitting in Dean John Green’s office – in front of a cozy fireplace, with Green’s friendly dog lying on the hearth. “We were blown away,” O’Connor recalls.

O’Connor’s WALKS Scholarship saw him through four years at Avon. “It changed my life,” he acknowledges. “I

went to Avon through the generosity of people I didn’t even know. That’s a powerful thing.” More than 30 years later, it’s no coincidence that he has embraced the importance of providing educational opportunities to those in need. In 2009, he and a couple of friends formed Opportunity for All (OFA), an organization that is building schools in the world’s remote places, hoping to break the cycle of poverty through education.

“We’ve all been lucky in life and have enjoyed some small amount of success as entrepreneurs,” O’Connor explains on the OFA website. “But… much of what we have been able to accomplish in our own lives was made possible by the opportunities that have been available to us.” One of those opportunities, for O’Connor, was that Avon Old Farms scholarship.

Since 2009, Opportunity for All has partnered with organizations on the ground in places like Laos, Haiti, Malawi, and Nepal. The initial goal was to build 600 schools in 10 years, using OFA resources and challenging others to match their efforts through a matching grant program. Now O’Connor says they’ve set their sights on 1,000 schools. In 2010, OFA built 19 schools in seven different countries, and an additional 46 are currently under construction.

But as an Avon freshman in the fall of 1971, it was fear, not opportunity, that was uppermost in O’Connor’s mind. Although he’d been at the top of his class in Canton, Avon was an adjustment. “In the beginning, I was terrified I would flunk out. I think being scared helped.”

Three Avon faculty members were important influences, O’Connor says.

Science teacher Bill Kron This page, top: receiving his AOF diploma from former Board Chair Reed Estabrook inspired his passion for Above: senior year at AOF; scoring a goal against Colby in a 1978 MIT/Colby lacrosse game.

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Cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of the Nammatay School in Northern Laos.

science and analytical thinking. “He was a big influence in my deciding to go to MIT.” Peter Evans was both his coach and his teacher. “He is one of the most positive people-oriented individuals I’ve ever met,” O’Connor asserts. “I’ve met very few people like him in my life.”

O’Connor also remembers varsity lacrosse coach Skip Flanagan. “During my sophomore year, as we were taking the team photo, before the season really got underway, Skip stopped the process and made some of us go back and clean our shoes. Our shoes! He said, ‘When you win the

Trautman doesn’t remember a fearful Al O’Connor. “In fact, he was perhaps the brightest student ever to graduate from Old Farms, at least during my years,” Trautman recalls. “And he somehow managed to straddle two different spheres – the ‘smart kids’ and the athletes – and remain popular with both groups.”

After Avon, MIT was a big change. “It was much harder, and all of a sudden everyone was like me academically, but I had the work ethic I learned at Avon, that others didn’t,” O’Connor says. “It was a huge edge. Ironically,” he muses, “at Avon I was regarded as a strong student and a mediocre athlete, while at

“There is a tremendous affection for Avon in the school’s community, but that love for the school had been largely untapped, and the ability of the community to do big things had been dormant. We awoke a sleeping giant.”

-Al O’Connor

championship this photo will be everywhere – you want to look good.’ I thought, ‘Is he loony?’ But by that one small gesture, he changed the expectation level of everyone on that team… He turned me on to that way of thinking.”

And then there was Headmaster George Trautman. “I was scared of him,” O’Connor confesses. “‘Mr. Trautman wants to see you’ was never a good thing to hear when you were a student.” Years later, when O’Connor joined Avon’s Board of Directors, he developed a close friendship with Trautman that continues to this day. “He’s not nearly as scary as I once thought!” O’Connor quips.

MIT I was regarded as an average student and a good athlete.”

(He graduated as MIT’s second all-time leading lacrosse scorer.)

O’Connor had a Navy ROTC scholarship but eventually switched to the Air Force. After earning both his B.S. and M.S. from MIT, he worked on the development of the MX missile’s command and control system. “I grew up fast in that job,” he recalls. But after four years, he longed for something else. He earned his M.B.A. from Harvard and then embarked on a variety of entrepreneurial pursuits. Wall Street appealed to him – but O’Connor didn’t want to live in New York City. When a

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Far left: hiking above the waterfalls at Yosemite National Park.

Left: riding camels with Anne in the Moroccan Sahara Desert.

Below: visitng a prospective school in Ethiopia.

business opportunity in Bermuda opened up, his interest was piqued. He eventually found success specializing in a heavily computerized, mathematically based trading system; in 1993 he founded Telluride Management. Ten years later he retired from managing client funds to become a private investor.

In the meantime, though, O’Connor had joined the Avon Old Farms Board of Directors, serving as treasurer and in 1999 leading Avon’s strategic planning committee. “My strength was entrepreneurial,” he says today. “I think what I did was bring a ‘get it done now’ mentality to the strategic planning process. I was able to spearhead a great group of faculty members and

spark. “There is a tremendous affection for Avon in the school’s community,” he says, “but that love for the school had been largely untapped, and the ability of the community to do big things had been dormant. We awoke a sleeping giant.”

O’Connor was also responsible for the establishment of Avon’s Woodwell Award, named for classmate Richard “Woody” Woodwell, who was killed on 9/11. Each year a competition is held, and a sophomore is chosen to participate in an Outward Bound summer course. “I had three goals,” O’Connor explains.

“First, I wanted the school to hear about the many outstanding qualities Woody had as an individual. Second, I wanted the

“I feel very good about the philanthropic school work I am doing now. It is really rewarding to work with people who want to help themselves, but just need a little help to do so.”

board members in a ‘group effort’ process, which resulted in a workable plan being completed in a few months.”

“His leadership was critical,” reflects Headmaster Ken LaRocque. “In addition to his important work designing our strategic building plan, Al also made generous capital gifts towards its completion. Although his name does not adorn any of our new buildings, Al O’Connor contributed mightily to our campus improvements and we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

O’Connor insists that his involvement simply provided a

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kids to learn about 9/11. And third, I wanted them to have a chance to compete to develop their own leadership abilities. It’s been a huge success and I am very proud of how the School has implemented the concept I asked them to run with.”

In 2005, after leaving Avon’s Board, O’Connor assessed his future. “At the time, I was an outdoor person who liked to travel to obscure spots, and I had more money than I needed,” he says. “I got involved in an investment group called Tiger 21, and made some treks with a couple of Tiger buddies, and we

Right: riding an elephant in Northern Laos.

Below: graduation from AOF, 1975.

started to brainstorm.” Opportunity for All was the result.

“Opportunity for All is a really cool project,” O’Connor says.

“Anyone can get involved, from the high school girl who has started a club that raises money and plans to work on a school construction site, to a wealthy friend who writes a check.”

O’Connor also serves as board treasurer for the Lake Tahoe School, and once told parents that the faculty was the key to the school’s success. “I’d joke that a great teacher could teach kids sitting on a rock under a tree,” he recounts on the OFA website. “Well, having seen situations in undeveloped countries where a bunch of rocks under a tree was the local school, I know that’s not true. Yes, good teachers are important. But so are good schools. Children cannot learn effectively in outdoor or substandard conditions. Maybe for a day or two, but over the long term it just doesn’t work.”

O’Connor and his partner, Anne Studabaker, live in Lake Tahoe along with their dog, Nikita. Looking back, he says, “I’m proud to be American, and my four years in the U.S. Air Force was the only job I ever had in my life where I felt I was serving a higher calling. The rest were either to make money, pursue my own interests, or do something that benefited a small group of people… I feel very good about the philanthropic school work I am doing now. It is really rewarding to work with people who want to help themselves, but just need a little help to do so.”

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Please send us your personal notes!

Donald R. Hart Jr. , Class Agent 7 Cobble Rd., Unit F-2, Salisbury, CT 06068-033 veradonhart@gmail.com

Class Notes can be submitted to Lizabeth Abramson at: AbramsonL@avonoldfarms.com The deadlines for Class Notes submission are as follows:

Fall issue notes are due by September 1, 2011 Spring issue notes are due by March 1, 2012

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Alicia Warner, Cal Magruder ’46, Tim Warner ’01, and Paul and Robyn Warner at the Boston reception.

Art Keim ’50 and his wife, Jeannette, danced at the Kimbell in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2010, and their picture made its appearance around the city last year on billboards similar to this one on a city park bench advertising the Kimbell Modern Art Museum.

Ned Du Vivier remarked in a note last winter, “As an ‘Old Farmer,’ I should go to this Reunion, but neither I nor my lovely wife travel anymore.” In a personal profile, Ned shared he was born in 1919 in New York City and received his primary education in France. After graduating from Avon and then Yale, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1942 to 1948. Graduating from Cornell Medical School, Ned married Marjorie Atteberry, his wife of 64 years. Ned shared, “We are blessed with seven healthy, bright children, and seven grandchildren, who are a great joy to us. I practiced pediatrics in Alton, Illinois, from 1950 to 1988; we were busy, but never got rich.” Ned closed with: “I’m always glad to play chess, bridge, or help anyone I can.

Just let me know!”

42 Russell Hunter , Head Class Agent

PO Box 22, Farmington, CT 06034-0022

50 Harvey Rubin , Head Class Agent 102 Barbour Cir., Newport News, VA 23606 harvo@cox.net

Pete Seeger ’36 and Dean Peter Evans enjoyed the evening of Martin Luther King Day at a folk sing in Beacon, New York, where Pete and his wife, Toshi, live.

51 Warren Ford , Head Class Agent

115 Center St., Wolcott, CT 06716 jodir@aol.com

Peter Evans, Tedrowe Watkins ’42, and Ken LaRocque met for lunch in Palm Desert last January.

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

Carl Candels ’51 has worked out of his Avon home since 1991, volunteering as public relations counsel to many organizations.

Carl Candels was honored as the town of Avon’s Citizen of the Year for 2010 by UNICO, the largest Italian-American service organization in the country. The organization stands for Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity.

Carl was chosen for his unselfish service to the community and as one who helps make Avon a better place to live.

52 Seth F. Mendell , Head Class Agent 8 North St., Mattapoisett, MA 02739 hekate28@verizon.net

54 Rust Kessel , Head Class Agent 3785 Thistlewood, Okemos, MI 48864 rustkessel@aol.com

55 Andy Treadway , Head Class Agent

12100 Provincetowne Dr. Charlotte, NC 28277-8438 yrt18519@windstream.net

56 Sidney Greer , Head Class Agent

354 Tamarind Pl., Vero Beach, FL 32962-7349 shjgreer@aol.com

57 James C. Flippin , Head Class Agent 385 Shoal Creek Way, Dallas, GA 30132 Richard Thorndike and his wife, Peggy, have

been busy this year. Richard does much volunteering at his church, and he was treasurer of both the city of Beverly and their ward’s Republican committees. Peggy was busy with her art, painting two weeks at La Romita art school in the Umbria region of Italy with field trips to Assisi, Perugia, and Orvieto, and in September, flying to France to paint in the Burgundy region. Richard joined her in Paris and they went on a two-week back-to-back river boat cruise throughout France. Highlights included visiting Monet’s gardens in Giverney, and Arles, where van Gogh lived and painted. The Thorndikes reflected, “The beaches, museums, and cemeteries of Normandy really put our many freedoms in perspective.” Other summer highlights were celebrating their anniversary with an open house given by their daughter Christine in New Jersey, and spending time together in Nantucket and Tanglewood. However, they recalled, “Our best news was that son-in-law Mark came home safely from an active duty year in Kuwait.”

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Medford, Oregon. Jordy emailed this winter, “The Lovelands recently moved to Medford from Bend, Oregon, and are only 25 minutes from us. We plan to see them regularly.”

Peter Mogielnicki entered semi-retirement in 2002, keeping his long-term patients at the Veterans Hospital in White River Junction, Vermont, but cutting way back on the administrative, research, and most teaching activities that occupied him as a professor of internal medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. Peter had served on the faculty since 1977; he now bears the august title of professor emeritus.

Peter emailed, “Between 2002 and 2008 my wife, who is a pediatric physician’s assistant, and I did a fair amount of international medical work, volunteering, spending time teaching and doing patient care in Guyana, Honduras, Thailand, Belize, and Rwanda. Those were very rewarding and broadening experiences, from which I am sure we took a good deal more than we gave. When not working abroad, I continue to see patients for a day-and-a-half a week. I serve on the Board of Directors for Wyman World Wide Health Partners, a small non-profit devoted to improving health in rural Rwanda.

“We spent 2008 and 2009 deconstructing half our beach cottage on the Rhode Island shore and building a four-season home on the site to accommodate visits by kids, grandkids, and friends.

2010 and 2011 so far has been a time of relative calm.

We’ve enjoyed the product of our labor: sunning, swimming, surfing, lolling, reading, clamming, fishing, and hanging out together with family and friends. When we are home in New Hampshire, we garden furiously and feel fortunate to have two lovely environments to migrate between.”

The family of Seth Mendell ’52 gathered for the holidays.

59 Charles W. Davis , Class Agent

6905 West 99th St., Overland Park, KS 66212 cwdavis@waretec.com

Headmaster LaRocque met Bob Alling ’62 last January at the Adobe Restaurant, part of Arizona’s Biltmore Golf Club.

Douglas B. Marshall , Class Agent 2 Berkshire Rd., Bloomfield, CT 06002 marshalldb@raveisre.com

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60

317 Flanders Rd., Stonington, CT 06378-2109 Hilltop12@aol.com

Richard L. Williams , Head Class Agent PO Box 218, South Orleans, MA 02662-0218 Rclumberclan@aol.com

Jordy Mott and his wife, Carol, had a

Dick Williams enjoyed his 50th reunion

delightful lunch with Dick Loveland ’59 and his wife, Margot, at the Rogue Valley Manor in

with many friends returning from as far away as Idaho and California.

Austin Chambers , Head Class Agent

Carl Candels ’51 received recognition from Gregory H. Van Deusen, chairman of the town of Avon’s chapter of UNICO. Carl was named Avon’s Citizen of the Year 2010 at Avon Day. Carl proudly accepted the honor, praising the town and all his friends for the recognition [Photo by Terri Wilson].

George F. Henschel Jr. , Head Class Agent

101 Seminary Rd., Bedford, NY 10506 gfhjr@aol.com

62 Alan D. Rozinsky , Class Agent Avon Old Farms School 500 Old Farms Rd., Avon, CT 06001 rozinskyb@avonoldfarms.com

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63 Richard R. Bennett , Class Agent 11776 Stratford House Place, Apt. 1208 Reston, VA 20190-3385 Bennett@American.edu Thomas K. Curtis , Class Agent 4306 Pomona Rd., Dallas, TX 75209-2822 knickc@fastmail.fm

Good friends of Jon Underwood ’63 gathered to remember him at his memorial reception last July. From left: Lee Turner ’63, Jesse Saunders ’65, Preston Haskell ’63, Steve Rosenbloom ’63, Sandy Blalock ’63, and Rick Hynson ’63.

Knick Curtis was recently elected president of Frontiers of Flight, an aviation museum at Love Field, minutes from his house in Dallas. Knick emailed, “I’ve volunteered there for four years and it’s great fun in many ways; my involvement with the kids’ programs and the model shop in particular! Also, I am the proud owner of a plane once again (a Piper Comanche 250), and am looking forward to visiting many friends and new places! I just wish I could get Lynn to retire as it will be solo for a while!”

64 W. B. Harwood III, Class Agent

24 Overhill Ave., New Britain, CT 06053 wbhtcc@aol.com

65 Current Director Jim Corrigan ’67 with his wife, Carol, and children, Liz and Andrew ’98.

3004 Margaret Jones Ln., Williamsburg, VA 23185 hbucklin3@aol.com

139 Kirkwood Rd., West Hartford, CT 06117-2835 barkermike@aol.com

67 James W. Corrigan , Co-Head Class Agent

826 Gould Hill Rd., Contoocook, NH 03229 jwctcc.jwc@myfairpoint.net William F. Roberts , Co-Head Class Agent, 786 Brownsville Rd., Sinking Spring, PA 19608 wfroberts@fast.net

68 George L. Purnell , Head Class Agent

4822 Brighton Lakes Blvd.

Boynton Beach, FL 33436 glpluvssports@gmail.com Geoffry Doughty published his 22nd book

Spring 2011 The Avonian

Winston P. McKellar , Head Class Agent 4711 N. 68th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 wmckellar@yahoo.com

Barton G. Barrett , Co-Head Class Agent

Michael D. Barker , Head Class Agent

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70

66

Margie and Blaise ’08, children of Maria and Kevin Driscoll ’72.

more than 200 color photographs, the book is available from Morning Sun Books and sold in major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders, as well as through Amazon. Recent articles have appeared in Trains magazine and Passenger Train Journal. Geoffry is in his 36th season as announcer for the Portland Symphony Orchestra radio broadcasts.

Perry Benson , Co-Head Class Agent 2135 Naudain St., Philadelphia, PA 19146 tobikePB2@aol.com;

1 Maple Ave., Richmond, VA 23226-2339 BGBRealtor@aol.com

Henry Coons ’71 and Adam Stifel ’99 at the DC area reception.

Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad’s postwar passenger service, known collectively as Zephyrs (e.g. California Zephyr, Denver Zephyr, Kansas City Zephyr, etc.). The all-color book goes into some detail about the passenger service philosophy of the company, whose trains were among the last of America’s greatest trains to be downgraded.

Competition from the airlines and federally funded interstate highways eliminated rail passenger service from the market until only about 1.2 percent of intercity travel was by rail in 1969.

Amtrak followed in 1971 and used the Zephyr name for its version of the California Zephyr. With

last fall entitled Burlington Route: Through Passenger Service. It is an in-depth examination of the

Harris H. Bucklin III , Head Class Agent

71 Henry R. Coons , Head Class Agent Avon Old Farms School 500 Old Farms Rd., Avon, CT 06001 coonsh@avonoldfarms.com

72 Dan Carpenter , Class Agent

18 Pondside Ln., West Simsbury, CT 06092 dcarpenter@usbenefitsnetwork.com

73 John Bourget , Class Agent 7 Andrea Ln., Avon, CT 06001 witan@aol.com

74 George J. Giannoni , Co-Head Class Agent

36 Twilight Dr., Granby, CT 06035-1212 GGiannoni@cox.net Edward P. Molloy , Co-Head Class Agent 6 Winhart Dr., Granby, CT 06035 E.molloy@cox.net

George Giannoni ran the Hartford Marathon

last October and, through pledges, was able to raise money for the Appalachian Service Project (ASP).

Young people from various churches participate with ASP in summer service projects in Appalachia, and the money raised covers the cost for the necessary building supplies.

Neal Garvin and his wife, Joanne, announce the birth of their son, William Dane (Liam) Garvin, born on December 17, 2010. Liam weighed 6 lb., 4 oz., and was 22 in.

75 Tom Byrne , Head Class Agent

31 Helena Rd., Avon, CT 06001-3433 tbyrne@thomasbyrne.com Al O’Connor was unable to attend his 25th Reunion last year as he was trekking in Vietnam, as part of a small international group of adventure travelers who do a few trips per year to exotic spots.

Al wrote, “We do mostly, but not always, treks, which are several-day hikes with porters, mules, etc. In the last few years we’ve been to the Kingdom of Mustang of Nepal, the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia, Oman, the Tien Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan, and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The group is pretty hardcore, so Anne and I do other trips on our own. I’m lucky to be able to travel as much as I do.

“Life remains good here in Lake Tahoe. I’m still a private investor (fancy word for retired, though I seem to work a great deal), very active with outdoor sports, and travel 40 percent of the time. I’m now on the local K-8 private school board and have also started a small charity with a few fellow trekkers to build primary schools in the third world. My first school opened in Laos in the fall of ’09 and we hope to build 12 more this year in Laos, Sri Lanka, and Haiti. We have big plans for the next 10 years— we’ll see how it goes.”

76 Alexander N. Worley , Head Class Agent 20 Shore Grove Rd., Clinton, CT 06413 alexworley@sbcglobal.net

77 Jorge E. Consuegra , Head Class Agent

5 Andrews Rd., Greenwich, CT 06830 jorgeeconsuegra@yahoo.com Ricardo Mendez lives in Mexico with his wife,

Lorenza Suarez, and their three children: Lorenza (17), Ricardo (13), and Paola (10). Ricardo plans to visit Avon around Thanksgiving, with his son who wants to apply for 9th grade next year.

78 Kenneth G. Cloud , Head Class Agent

8317 Kingsthorpe Terr., Richmond, VA 23229-7465 kencloud@cloudconsulting.com Bob Kerno emailed, “In reading the Men of Avon brochure today, I realized how influential your wonderful school has been on my life. Because of my Avon experience, I was able to get accepted to the Naval Academy, graduating in 1982. I am closing in on 30 years of service as a captain, and have had the humbling experience of commanding two Navy ships: USS Yorktown (CG48) and USS Normandy (CG60).

The leadership and academic skills gained at Avon changed my life and allowed me to have a rewarding career and loving family. Teddi and I have been married for 27 years; our son, Kevin (26), is a 2007 Naval Academy graduate currently serving as a nuclear submarine officer. Our daughter, Sarah (21), is a junior at Hood College, Teddi’s alma mater.

I hope to return to Avon some day for a visit now that we are settled empty-nesters living near Annapolis and approaching retirement from the Navy.”

Al O’Connor ’75 and Anne Studabaker journeyed by camel during one of their many adventures last year.

John Garvey lives in California where his

rocket business is doing well. John and Kim took their daughter, Jessie, who’s now in first grade, to Maui last summer, and to visit family on the East Coast and in Washington.

Children of Maria and Jorge Consuegra ’77: Niki, Eddy ’11, Claudia, and Tomás.

Dario Duke sent an update of his life since

graduating from Avon in 1978. He enjoyed varied work experiences, from working with inner-city children at the Harbor in Easthampton, New York, in the ’70s, to working with the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho in 1980, and working in a pathology lab in El Paso, Texas. After graduating from the University of Montana in 1980 with a BA in zoology and a minor in Spanish, he received his DVM from Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica, and has worked in veterinary medicine in Costa Rica, Portland, Washington, and at the Duke Veterinary Clinic since 2000. Dario and Patricia Chavez Mora were married in 1984 and have two sons, Dario Jr. (18) and Nicolas (6). While his interests are family, saving the planet, and environment and wildlife, Dario still finds time to ski, swim, fish, hike, and play tennis and golf, as well as care for and breed his two pointer dogs.

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Anthony M. Gray , Co-Head Class Agent

6212 Wagner Ln., Bethesda, MD 20816 tgray@tonygray.net Scott B. Linke , Co-Head Class Agent

116 Eleven Levels Rd., Ridgefield, CT 06877-3011 scott_linke@ml.com

AOF was solidly represented at the World Pond Hockey Championships in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, by Tony Gray ’79, Peter Conlin ’94, and Scott Linke ’79. Tony emailed, “The old guys defeated the young guys’ team head-to-head, 15-6, finishing 17 out of 120 teams.”

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80 Kenneth H. Blanchard , Co-Head Class Agent

846 Mountain Rd., West Hartford, CT 06117 kenkhb99@aol.com Thomas E. Davey , Co-Head Class Agent 4816 Sandestin Dr., Dallas, TX 75287 Thomas.Davey@lighting.ge.com

Jon Chester ’80 with his family: wife, Judy, and daughters, Elizabeth, Betsy, and Caroline, along with their Bernese mountain dog, Annie.

81 Vin Mancuso ’81 and Dan Entwistle ’89 at the NYC reception.

Samuel C. Bookbinder , Head Class Agent

Wells Fargo Advisors LLC 30 South 17th St., Suite 2000 Philadelphia, PA 19103-2707 samuel.bookbinder@wfadvisors.com

82 Gregory T. Fish , Co-Head Class Agent 56 Blue Ridge Dr., Simbury, CT 06089 greg@gregorytfishllc.com

Family of Eric Johnson ’80: Heather, Eric, Hope (6), and Hunter (3).

83 Jerry Garvey ’82 and his wife, Kathleen, enjoy life with their eight-year-old daughters Anna, Caroline, and Lily. Leo sits contentedly for the photo.

Richard C. Gregory , Head Class Agent 30 Walnut Farms Dr., Farmington, CT 06032 rick@rcgregory.com

84 John Gordon , Class Agent 246 Nacoochee Dr. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30305 John_Gordon@timeinc.com

85 Sam L. Rubenstein , Head Class Agent 2640 Endsleigh Dr., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 richmondsr@aol.com

Tom Donahue ’82 and his family: Kim, Tom, Brittany (20), and Brendan (18).

A February hockey game between Avon and Rumsey Hall brought together Mac McCormick, son of John McCormick ’82; Logan Adams, son of Tommy Adams ’84; and Tucker Symes, son of Mike Symes ’81. The hard-fought game ended in a 1-0 win by Rumsey Hall.

Trip Wood was promoted last June to managing

director of India for Target. Trip emailed, “Target does not have stores overseas, so my role is to manage our Indian sourcing operation.

My wife, Olga, and I moved to New Delhi permanently in early August 2010 and are slowly settling into our new life of heat, traffic, and great food! I can’t imagine there are any plans for a New Delhi alumni gathering.”

86 John G. Ashe, Class Agent

Children of Allison and Brett Duffy ’83: Tyler (9) and Carly (11).

50 Edgewood Ave., Longmeadow, MA 01106-1308 jashe@olyfast.com John Jaeger emailed, “Things are good

Nick Keller ’81, Preston Cherouny ’84, and Brien Biondi ’81 at the DC area reception, hosted by Chairman of the Board Dean Graham ’84 at the Chevy Chase Club.

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

down here in Texas. Work is challenging, and working in advertising in this economic climate is even more so. My brother’s family moved down here late last year so Dallas is now our home base.

From the pictures on Avon’s website, I don’t even

recognize the school. From the Performing Arts Center to the new field house to the student center, the school seems like a totally new one. It’s really impressive, and one day soon I’d like to see it with my own eyes. I even watched the AOF hockey semifinals and finals on fasthockey.com, and want to thank Dan Seiden ’00 for that little tip.”

Children of Chairman of the Board Dean Graham ’84 and his wife, Debra: Katie (7), Joey (9), and Jack (11).

87

Headmaster LaRocque, Luke Dye ’87, and Dean Peter Evans reconnected last winter at the TPC in Scottsdale, Arizona.

William C. Begien , Class Agent

8 Maple St., Watertown, MA 02472 wbegien@yahoo.com Mike Cushing is a special education teacher in the Albany area and loves his job. His daughter, Julia, is in sixth grade.

Luke Dye has been building golf courses in Asia for years. When not overseas, Luke resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with his wife, Laura, and children, Emily, Luke, and Thomas.

Avonians Drew Graham ’85; Dean Graham ’84; Nate Usich ’15; and his father, Jed ’85, celebrated news of Nate’s acceptance into Avon’s Class of ’15 when their families got together on Nantucket last summer.

88

Rachel Jordan, Tad Renvyle ’87, Mike Cercone ’87, and Headmaster Ken LaRocque at the Boston reception on November 4, 2010, hosted by Pat Delahunty ’90, Brendan McKernan ’89, and Kevin McKernan ’91.

Shawn E. Atkinson , Co-Head Class Agent

shawnatki@gmail.com Peter Reed , Co-Head Class Agent

91 Butternut Ln., Southport, CT 06890 preed@caldwellpartners.com Andrew, the son of Michael Nortman ’90.

89 Mick (8), Billy (5), and Charlie (9), with Gus, all members of the family of Rob Gryboski ’88.

Brian Riva , Class Agent

14 Chatfield Dr., Lakeville, CT 06039 brianriva@sbcglobal.net Jack Eiff and his wife, Mary, have three children, the newest addition being daughter Avery (2). Jack is with Fidelity in New York.

90 Adam J. Crane , Class Agent 932 Trail Ct., Eagan, MN 55122 adamjcrane@gmail.com Thomas Reilly and his wife, Christine, moved

back to West Islip, New York, with their three boys, Colin (9), Parker (7), and Quintin (4). Tom emailed, “I hope to get back to campus soon and see all the changes that have happened since I graduated.”

91 Michael M. Mullin , Head Class Agent

8 Nickerson Ln., Darien, CT 06840 michael.mullin@db.com Major Sean Hankard is serving in Afghanistan so was unable to make his 20th reunion. His wife, Kathleen, hopes to bring their girls to Avon’s campus in June. Kathleen wrote,

Tom Reilly ’90 and his son, Colin (9), with the 40-lb. striped bass Colin caught last summer.

Board member Joe Giannamore ’84 and Matt Weir ’84 enjoyed grouse hunting in North Yorkshire, England (Joe lives in London and Surrey, England, and Matt is from D.C.).

Steve Gorman ’86 and his wife, Rebecca, announce the arrival of Tanner Michael Gorman, born March 11, 2011. Tanner weighed 7 lbs., 14 oz.

Ricardo Arias Boyd ’90 emailed, “My wife, Melissa, and I have been happily married for 13 years and I am a father of four: two daughters, Fabriola (10) and Rafaela (8), and two sons, Ricardo (4) and Samuel (11 months).”

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“The girls love seeing where their daddy and Uncle Ryan went to school.” [see photo] Coley Lynch and his wife, Kara, announce

Tom Harrop ’91 ran the ING New York City Marathon November 7, 2010, with a time of 3:51:34, which fulfilled his goal of finishing under four hours. Now, Tom is training for the Boston Marathon!

the birth of Harriet “Hattie” Rose Lynch on November 15, 2010. Hattie weighed in at 6 lbs., 10 oz. Coley emailed, “Both she and Kara are doing well and her big sisters, Ava (5) and Tilly (3), are crazy about her.”

92 Damien J. Egan , Head Class Agent 54 White Oaks Dr., Longmeadow, MA 01106-1739 degan2@hotmail.com

The Cutler family gathered for the holidays. From top left: Matt Cutler ’91 with his wife, Kristin; sons, Vaughan (5) and Quentin (6); Honorary Board Member Les Cutler and his wife, Terri, former Director of Admissions at Avon; and Adam and Jodi Cutler, with daughters, Emma and Grace.

Michael Mullin ’91, Jimmy Philbin ’03, and Patrick Ashe ’91 at the NYC reception.

Michael Schiavone’s fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals and has been recognized by dozens of award programs. His debut novel, Call Me When You Land, is forthcoming from Permanent Press in 2011. His story collection, You’d Be Crazy Not to Love It Here, is represented by Barbara Braun Associates, Inc. He lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Chris Hetherington is in Japan and is the

president of the Tokyo Apache professional basketball franchise. After a long and successful NFL career, business school, and a few years managing a desk for a hedge fund, Chris accepted the opportunity to work with the sports franchise in Japan and is doing well in his new position.

Kevin McKernan ’91, Pat Delahunty ’90, John Naples ’88, and Sam O’Brien ’06, at the November 4, 2010, Boston reception.

Children of Director of Admissions Brendon Welker ’91: Isabella (5) and Natalia (9).

93 Travis Merritt , Class Agent 23 Church St., Flemington, NJ 08822 merritttravis@yahoo.com Larry Hua and his wife, Lily, announce

the birth of their daughter, Chloe, born September 15, 2010.

Lance Cashion and his wife, Kathryn, announce the birth of their daughter, Lillian Grace, born December 28, 2010. She joins big brother, Nelson (1).

Ellie Mae (3), Kaitlyn (10), and Maggie (6), daughters of Kathleen and Sean Hankard ’91.

Christmas 2010 was exciting for Lily (2½) and Luke (10 weeks), children of Suzanne and Rick Tremble ’92.

94 Jason C. Murgio , Class Agent 336 E. 53rd St., Apt.4, New York, NY 10022 jason@merger-acquisition.net Nik Paleologos and his wife, Lindsay,

announce the birth of their son, Nikolas “Niko” Charles, born on June 1, 2010. Niko weighed 6 lb., 15 oz., and was 19 in. The Paleologos family resides in North Palm Beach, Florida.

Rob Dowling ’91 and his wife, Amy, enjoyed a memorable moment in a pumpkin patch with their children, Brian (8) and Kathryn (4), last fall.

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

Adam Cline ’93 and his son, Andrew (13).

95 Anthony D. Silvestro , Head Class Agent

3 Beech Cir., Andover, MA 01810-2901 tony_silvestro@administaff.com

Bill Bonk and his wife, Tiffany, announce the birth of their son, Connor, born February 26, 2010.

Austin Sperry and his wife, Sally, announce the

Lance Derrickson and his wife, Sophie,

birth of their son, Jack Aden Sperry, born October 2, 2010. Jack weighed 6 lbs., 7 oz., and was 21 in.

live between Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Bali.

Marc Minella and his wife, Kinsley, announce

Nick Schiralli emailed, “Although it’s been 15

the birth of their daughter, Britton Marinda Minella, born November 29, 2010, weighing 7 lbs., 4 oz.

years since I graduated from Avon, I often think of my PG year there. A lot has happened in my life since then. My wife, Jenny, and I are about to celebrate our 10th year of marriage. We live in Durham, North Carolina, with our son and daughter, Cale (3) and Sawyer Mae (2), and we’re expecting a third in August. After college, Jenny and I decided that in our free time we would see the world together. Though our accommodations frequently included rundown shanties, we had an unbelievable time traveling. I’ve been fortunate to spend my career coaching football, first at the University of North Carolina, then at our alma mater, the University of Florida, and for the last three years I’ve been an NFL scout with the Denver Broncos. This past summer I was given the opportunity by the Global Orphan Project to work at an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I found it an unbelievable experience, to say the least. It seems as time passes, my memories as a PG student become even fonder. All the best to everyone I had the chance to spend time with during the 1994-95 school year, and I hope one day to return and introduce my family to Avon.”

Francisco Lopez and his wife, Elena, have

been married six years and have two children, and are expecting their third in April. Francisco emailed, “Our son, Francisco (4), is very athletic; our daughter, Elena (2), loves to sing or boss her brother around; and our third child, Andreina, is due to arrive the end of April. I’ve been living in Panama for three years now and am currently working on two projects as a developer. The first, which should be completed by June 2011, is composed of two buildings of 34 apartments each, designed for young professional couples in the middle to upper-middle class. The other project is a small office complex for the Centro Bancario. Both projects are being developed in Panama City.”

96 Mark A. Caruso , Co-Head Class Agent 124 Westminster Rd., Chatham, NJ 07928-1364 mcaruso@mlp.com John T. Jones , Co-Head Class Agent 202 Pine Tree Dr., Brick, NJ 08723-6020

Curtis Reese and his wife, Caroline, have three

Luke Cline ’95 with his family – Mae (5), Oren (3), and his wife, Lauren.

children: Joe, Lucie, and Grace. Joe is a freshman at Marquette University High School in Milwaukee.

97 Timothy B. Stay , Co-Head Class Agent 2024 Upland Way #201, Philadelphia, PA 19131 timothystay@yahoo.com Kyle R. Youngquist , Co-Head Class Agent

635 West 42nd St., Apt 9C New York, NY 10036-1922 kyoungquist@msdcapital.com

Niko Paleologos, son of Nik Paleologos ’94, fits handsomely into his Avon Old Farms t-shirt!

Cash Alan Chesson was born in the summer of 2010 to Jamie and PJ Chesson ’97.

PJ Chesson and his wife, Jamie, announce the

birth of their son, Cash Alan, born July 22, 2010.

He weighed 6 lb., 10 oz., and was 19 in.

Jonathan Sarhanis, competing as “The

Greek Mystique,” has won three California state championships in the sport of arm wrestling and captured the gold medal for the USA at this year’s Ultimate Arm Wrestling Championships in Venice Beach, California.

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Brian Emerson ’96, Dan Stay ’96, and current parents Kelly and Paul McInnis P’11 at the Boston reception.

Andrew M. Kunisch , Co-Head Class Agent

1431 33rd St. N.W. Apt. 2 Washington, DC 20007-2851 kunisch23@yahoo.com Stephen A. Zappone , Co-Head Class Agent 20 Dudley Rd, Litchfield, CT 06759 zappones@yahoo.com Josh Bubbs married Amy Schlesinger January 17,

2009. They are living and working in Manhattan (Gramercy area), and Josh does financial planning with MetLife. Josh stopped by campus in September while home for the Jewish holidays.

John Mairano ’97, Dan Fitzpatrick ’95, and Jason Coscia ’99 at the Boston reception.

Josh also mentioned that Matt Rosenberg ’99 is in California working for Pandora radio.

Brian Lemek and his wife, Keegan, announce

the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Marie Lemek, born on November 10, 2010, in Providence, Rhode Island. Elizabeth was 21 in. and weighed 9lbs., 3oz.

Josh Bubbs ’98 and his wife, Amy.

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99 David R. Gryboski , Co-Head Class Agent

5306 Homes Blvd., Ste 820, Holmes Beach, FL 34217 dgryboski@tampabay.rr.com Jayme Dorr married Jackie Carey on September

Craig Evans ’98 and his fiancée, Claire Moore (on left), along with Craig’s sister, Brittany, and her husband, Jim Klocek, connected with Juan Nieves ’83, pitching coach for the White Sox, at a September game at Fenway in Boston.

Drew Widger ’98, Julie Mairano, and Patrick Corrigan ’98 at the Boston reception.

Jackie and Jayme Dorr ’99 celebrated their wedding last summer on Cape Cod.

The Marr Family: Todd Marr ’99; his parents, John and Karen; his brother-in-law, Craig; and his sister, Julie, and her children, Tucker and Ellie.

4, 2010, in Sandwich, Massachusetts. Jayme wrote, “We are both originally from the Cape. Fellow Avonians in attendance were groomsmen David Gryboski , Joe Montineri , KC Tenukas ’00 , and Shawn Kingman ’00 . Not much else is new with me. We still live in East Hartford, and I still work for the Philadelphia Insurance Companies as a senior marketing representative. I’ve gotten into long-distance running and my long-term goal is to run a marathon in all 50 states. I’m at 17 states now and currently scheduled to run marathons in Minnesota and Nevada before the end of the year.”

Trevor Murgio married Vanessa Duarte de Silva on October 2, 2010, in Brazil. The candlelight wedding was hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Silva at The Colonial, an elegant villa in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

More than 40 guests traveled from the United States to join the Silva family. Due to business and teaching commitments, the couple delayed their honeymoon in Fiji. Vanessa is a professional ballerina and instructor at Eastern Ballet Company in Old Lyme, Connecticut, and Trevor is employed at Indemnity Insurance as a risk control specialist. The couple resides in Groton Long Point, Connecticut.

Coulson Barbiche emailed, “I’ve focused most

Jeff Carter Jr. ’99 and Maggie Hawes were married in Nantucket on August 28, 2010. The couple enjoyed a honeymoon in Greece. Jeff and Maggie both graduated from Vanderbilt University and now reside in Boston.

Windy Black Jansen, Rod Black ’99 with new nephew, Flynn Black Jansen, and Dustin Jansen.

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

Thatcher Martin ’99 and Nicholas Shoumatoff ’99 at the NYC reception.

On September 25, 2010, Bradford Stewart ’99 married Jem Sponzo in Washington, Connecticut. They celebrated with several fellow Avonians, including T.J. Sponzo ’04 (brother of the bride), Brendan Mooney ’99, and Thatcher Martin ’99, pictured from left to right.

of my energies over the last year on my career, my beautiful girlfriend, and my family. After spending a season in scouting and player development with the Blue Jays, I returned to Nashville, Tennessee, in September and have since moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. I’m happy to say that I recently accepted a full-time position in amateur scouting as a video scout for Toronto. I’ll be based out of Houston, Texas, traveling the entire Midwest and parts of the South.

I’ve also spent time helping my mom with her company, Haze and Co., based out of Knoxville, which produces all-natural salad dressings. She’s having great success and retails in many large stores, such as Whole Foods, across Tennessee and North Carolina.

Check them out at www.hazeandco.com. Absolutely delicious and good for you! I look forward to visiting Avon sometime in 2011. Aspirando et Perseverando!”

00 Michael J. O’Neill , Co-Head Class Agent 37 Anderson St. Apt. 6, Boston, MA 02114-3639 michael.o’neill@fmr.com Dan Seiden , Co-Head Class Agent 59 Fox Hollow, Avon, CT 06001 seidend@avonoldfarms.com Vincent Montalbano graduated from law school in May and was studying for the bar exam last summer when we caught up with him.

Patrick Quinn studied sculpture at Alfred University and learned how to be a blacksmith in a job he got at a metal fabrication company while living in Pawlet, Vermont. After moving from Vermont to New York and finding a need for easy access to his MetroCard, Patrick designed the MetroCard Belt Buckle [see photo]. He works at Total Metal Resource, a shop owned by Scott Behr, where metal furniture and other custom-designed items are created. The buckles, priced at $125 apiece, are available on the company website, tmrnyc.com, or at the Box Street studio.

Alumni gathered at the home of Arturo and Michelle Tapia P’01, ’02, ’04, ’11 on February 15, 2011, in Panama. From left: Dan Seiden ’00, Fernando Tapia ’02, Carlos Motta ’91, Nico de la Guardia ’00, Harry Strunz ’00, Cristian Smith ’00, Eduardo Jaen ’00, Rodrigo Tapia ’01, Mario Barcenas ’01, Rafael Barcenas ’99, Peter Evans, Francisco Lopez ’95, Alvaro Tapia ’04, Ricardo Clement ’04, and James Smith ’92.

Nico de la Guardia ’00, Ana Melinda Tapia, Mario Barcenas ’01, Harry Strunz ’00, Alvaro Tapia ’04, and Rodrigo Tapia ’01 got together in Panama City in February.

Check out the MetroCard Belt Buckle, designed by Patrick Quinn ’00, at www.tmrnyc.com.

Drew Weisman ’00 married Valerie Simone on July 3, 2010, in Philadelphia.

Dan Seiden ’00 and Kevin McKernan ’91 at the Boston reception.

Dan Seiden ’00, Eduardo Navarro, Madeleine Durling, Peter Evans, and Ricardo Arias ’90 got together at the Manrey Hotel in Panama City.

Mike O’Neill ’00 married MaryEllen Sullivan on August 28, 2010, at St. Andrews Church on Block Island, with a reception at the Sullivan House. Corey Salvatelli ’00 attended their wedding.

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Gib Barrieau ’02 and his wife, Cheyney, announce the birth of their second child, Gerard Paul Barrieau IV, whom they call “Max,” on September 28, 2010.

Max weighed 8 lbs., 11 oz., and was 20.5 in. Gib and Cheyney emailed, “We look forward to sending him to AOF in the future!”

01 Christopher D. Coleman ,

Co-Head Class Agent, 3801 39th St. NW #E83 Washington, DC 20016 christopherdcoleman@gmail.com Nicholas H. LaRocque , Co-Head Class Agent 2151 Williams St., Palo Alto, CA 94306-1417 larocque.nicholas@gmail.com Akraad Hamir graduated from W.P.I. with a degree in management information systems and is an M.P. in the U.S. Army. He returned from Iraq in April 2009, and is stationed in Missouri. In May 2010, Akraad married Elizabeth Rosinha, who also graduated from W.P.I. and did graduate work at Quinnipiac University before accepting her current job at Mayo Clinic in pathology.

Laura and Adam Stifel ’99 at the DC area reception.

Jimmy Philbin ’03 and Michael Mullin ’91 at the NYC reception.

Dustin Lowery was in Afghanistan in

December with Special Forces for Operation Enduring Freedom. He and his wife, Lisa, edited their Christmas note with the help of Skype. Lisa, also in the service, says she has been lucky to have arranged some deployment around Dustin’s deployment.

During time off, they are enjoying the Seattle area.

02 William N. Palmer , Head Class Agent 4736 Terr. St., Kansas City, MO 64112 wnpalmer@gmail.com Rick Stevens is operations manager at

The Trevor Murgio wedding, left to right: Peter J. Murgio, former Director from 1999 to 2008; the bride, Vanessa Duarte de Silva Murgio; the groom, Trevor Murgio ’02; Jason Murgio ’94; and Andrew Murgio, former Dean at Avon.

Severance Foods, Inc., a tortilla chip manufacturer based in Hartford, Connecticut. In addition to expanding their quality control operations, Rick created an online presence for their Pan De Oro product line using Facebook and Amazon.com.

Rick emailed, “AOF alums are free to contact me if they want a guided tour of a chip factory!” Rick is looking forward to his 10-year Reunion May 20-22.

Kevin Klemenz married Amanda Gifford on

April 9, 2011, at the Boardwalk Hotel in Walt Disney World. Amanda is from Alaska; they met at the University of Northern Colorado. They both live and work in Denver. Kevin has a B.S. in business management from the University of Northern Colorado, and a B.S. from Colorado State University in turf management. Kevin is an assistant groundskeeper at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.

Craig Irwin ’03, Michael Warner ’00, Jimmy Little ’06, Brian Warner ’05, Arthur Andrews ’98, and Patrick Healy ’05 at the New York City reception held at the Harvard Club on November 11, 2010.

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

03 Jamie Tang , Head Class Agent

300 East 84th St. Apt 2A., New York, NY 10028 jamesttang@gmail.com Rolando Garcia announces his engagement to Dr. Genelle Rougierand. They met seven years ago at Sacred Heart University, where Rolando was captain of the football team and Genelle was captain of the cheerleaders. Rolando is an accountant at Cenveo, seeking his CPA, and Genelle is a doctor of physical therapy.

04 Matthew H. Moran , Head Class Agent 4114 Manayunk Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19128 matthew.h.moran@gmail.com

05 Dane Lemeris , Head Class Agent

38 Chelsea Dr., Cromwell, CT 06416-1954 dlemeris@gmail.com

Alvaro Tapia ’04 married Marta Sosa in early February 2011, and the family gathered for the civil ceremony. The Tapia family, from left: Fernando ’02; Arturo and Michelle; Marta and Alvaro ’04; Alejandro ’11; and Ana Melinda and Rodrigo ’01.

Jonny Hoak announces his engagement to Jacque Huguelet, whom he met while in college in Iowa. Jacque teaches 4th and 5th grade in the Chicago area, and Jonny works in advertising. An October 15th wedding is planned.

Andrew Valentine announces his

engagement to Stephanie Libby on July 16, 2009.

A May 2012 wedding is being planned, which they hope to be able to hold on Avon’s campus.

Stephanie and Andrew met at Springfield College, from which he graduated in 2009 and she graduated in December 2010. They will then find an apartment together in the Philadelphia area, where Andrew has begun his professional career for Prudential as a financial services associate.

Alvaro Tapia ’04 and his wife, Marta

Robbie Tesar is in his second year of teaching at Vermont Academy. He was recently named the assistant varsity hockey coach. His brother, Henry ’10, is a freshman at Gettysburg College.

Sam Cole ’04 and his family celebrated his brother’s wedding last summer at Avon. From left: Sam ’04, Liz, Tori, Jack, Terri, and Marty.

Ricardo Clement ’04, Rodrigo Tapia ’01, Mario Barcenas ’01, Harry Strunz ’00, and Dan Seiden ’00 enjoyed golf together at Club de Golf Panama in February.

Last March, Rusted Hero took part in a battle of the bands at Bar East in NYC. This photo was a promo shot taken in Central Park. Band member Matt Jones ’05 is second from the left.

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Matt Jones has taken his musical talent to the

next level in a rock band called Rusted Hero.

Currently playing in the New York metropolitan area, the four-member group’s first CD, the selftitled Rusted Hero, has seven songs [see photo].

Alumni can purchase CDs from Amazon, i-tunes, CD Baby, Emusic, and Zune, or from the band’s website, www.rustedhero.com. The band was waiting for their EP to be re-produced by the brother of Henry Coons ’71, Tim, a producer who has worked with such groups as the Backstreet Boys and JoJo.

Don McCarthy ’05, Andrew “Mook” Lawrence ’05, Molly Davidson, Armand Wilson ’07, and Brendan Mahoney ’05 at the Boston reception.

Jayson ’05 and John Alzate ’03 at the NYC reception.

06 Kevin T. Driscoll , Co-Head Class Agent

2 Hawks Nest Ln., Green Village, NJ 07935 Joshua P. Pavano , Co-Head Class Agent 77 Fieldstone Run, Farmington, CT 06032 seespt07@yahoo.com Tom Gianakos graduated from Colby College

last spring with a major in economics. A four-year varsity lacrosse goalie, Tom said the Colby College men’s lacrosse team won 10 games in a season for the first time since 2002 (Avon’s Justin Domingos ’95 recently moved from Gettysburg College to be the new head coach there!). Last summer, Tom worked as an operations coordinator at ESPN, traveling to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open Tennis tournaments.

Stephen Driscoll ’06, son of Tish and Joe Driscoll ’72, at his 2010 U.S. Naval Academy graduation, flanked by cousins Blaise ’08 and Margaret (children of Maria and Kevin Driscoll ’72).

Ben Kimmerle graduated from Boston College in 2010 and spent last summer in Jamaica with a group from BC teaching summer school in a remote area of the island. He currently works as a full-time volunteer for Cristo Rey Boston High School in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Ben emailed, “They started a volunteer program this year, and I am one of four volunteers who are working for the school. The Cristo Rey model (exemplified in 24 schools across the U.S.) is a work-study program where students work five days a month at local businesses. We have over 100 partnering companies in Boston, and a number of big-name sponsors (Deloitte, Pricewaterhouse Cooper, Newton Wellesley Hospital, Hannify and King LLP, and the Red Cross).”

Tom Cousins graduated from the University of Denver in 2010 with a degree in finance, and works in Denver for a new bank holding company, Community Bank Partners.

Armand Wilson ’07, Brian Orr ’04, Brendan Mahoney ’05, Andrew “Mook” Lawrence ’05, Don McCarthy ’05, Ben Lyons ’06, Michael Reilly ’08, Tim Longo ’08 and Paul Foote ’08 at the Boston reception.

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

07

09

Casey R. Coons , Co-Head Class Agent

John B. Beath , Head Class Agent 12229 Prince Towne Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141 beathjohnbenjamin@yahoo.com

Avon Old Farms School 500 Old Farms Rd., Avon, CT 06001 crcoon07@stlawu.edu Tyler C. Haddad , Co-Head Class Agent

1833 Waycross Dr., Winston Salem, NC 27106 birdies1203@hotmail.com Nick Bonino is doing well in the NHL.

According to a write-up on NHL.com last September, “Bonino is a winner. While at Avon Old Farms, a prep school formerly attended by Brian Leetch ’86, Chris Higgins ’01, and Jonathan Quick ’05, Bonino captained his team to a championship. Two years later, while at Boston University, Bonino led the Terriers to an NCAA national championship. Last season he made his NHL debut with the Ducks, and this year should be among 15 forwards on Anaheim’s roster. Great attitude, good hands and vision, offensive upside, developing into a strong skater. Enough said.”

Sam Kimmerle is a student at University of Vermont and is enjoying the slopes of Stowe as well as other ski areas in the state.

10 Matthew R. Coz , Head Class Agent 438 Russell Ave., Suffield, CT 06078-1610 cozm1215@yahoo.com Matt Coz visited Avon in February after an ESU (English Speaking Union) term in Argentina, where he studied and lived with several families.

This semester, he is spending nine weeks in a Spanish immersion program in Barcelona, before starting his freshman year at Trinity College.

Alumni Online Community

Matt Giamalis was recognized by the New England Small College Conference (NESCAC) as a fall all-academic honoree (a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.35). Matt is a senior economics major at Hamilton, where he was a running back on the football team. Matt is one of 16 Hamilton students to earn the honor.

Danny Arguedas is studying law in Panama,

where he owns a real estate brokerage company.

He attended Avon’s Panama reception in February along with 29 other alumni and parents.

08

The Doyles caught up with Nick Bonino ’07 following an Anaheim Ducks game in California this past winter.

From left: Connor Doyle ’12, Cody Doyle ’13, Nick Bonino ’07, and AOF Athletic Director Brian Doyle.

Will Hendricks , Co-Head Class Agent PO Box 38, Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA 18356 willheatonhendricks@gmail.com Kevin Sisti , Co-Head Class Agent 64 Pinnacle Rd., Farmington, CT 06030 ksideas@aol.com Michael Reilly was recently selected as a

summer analyst in the securities division sales and trading program at Goldman Sachs in New York City. Over the last year he has connected with fellow Avonians Strat Dennis ’00 and Neil Sirni ’98 , who also work at Goldman and were personally involved in the selection process.

Johan Frankenberger ’10, Chad Hollenshade ’10, Tom Shumway ’06, and Sal Szwed ’04 played in a 2010 lacrosse game at Salve Regina in Newport, Rhode Island.

The Avon Old Farms Online Alumni Community continues to grow into a popular web destination and forum for alumni. The site allows alumni access to all sorts of information including reunion year homepages, classmate contact info, an online directory search, online donations, eNews archives, personalized contact lists, class notes submissions, a monthly alumni feature article, and up-to-date information regarding any upcoming alumni events in your region. A registration identification number is needed for you to gain secure access. If you did not receive an ID number by email, or if you have any other problems, questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this resource, please do not hesitate to give us a call in the Alumni Office toll free at 1-800-336-8195 or email us at alumni@ avonoldfarms.com. Thank you!

Matt Giamalis ’07 with Jonathan “Higgy” Higginbotham ’07.

Both play football at Hamilton.

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In Memoriam

The School has learned of the deaths of the following alumni: Robert S. Ingersoll ’32 Victor Karl Koechl ’43

George Warren Goldthwait ’44

James Benbow Bullock ’46 Leo J. Fitzpatrick ’54 Fred Purrington ’55

Merritt (Rhett) K. Mitchell ’56 William Chambers Beall, Jr. ’59 Roy R. B. Attride ’60 Arthur G. Ansart III ’63 Donald D. Janney ’68

Philip A. Rahilly ’76 Louis A. Berger ’77 Peter Gushee ’82 Jason M. Rodgers ’89 Lawrence Dean ’91

“I

believe that all of us who love Avon, and have seen it transform the lives of so many young men, have an obligation to help sustain it in perpetuity. While gifts to the Annual Fund are crucial, ultimately the important goal is to build a strong endowment to serve as a bulwark against currently unknowable financial challenges of the future.

I am proud to have been able to set up a charitable remainder trust with the School as the beneficiary, allowing me to know I will support the School not only for my lifetime, but for all time. I hope everyone will join me at whatever level they can to ensure the School will continue its mission for all generations of boys to come.”

-Kitty Ordway PP’04, Current Board Member

For more information about planned gifts for Avon Old Farms School,

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Spring 2011 The Avonian

please contact Henry Coons ’71, Director of Planned Giving, at 860-404-4226, coonsh@avonoldfarms.com, or visit our planned giving website online: www.avonoldfarms.gift-planning.org/

The Avonian Spring 2011

Faculty Notes

Anne Winton Black P’99, Avon’s major gift officer and stewardship coordinator, will retire in May 2011 from the Board of Trustees of Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire, where she has greatly enjoyed serving as a trustee for 20 years, and as its chairman for eight. She will continue to serve locally on the board of trustees of The Cobb School, Montessori in Simsbury, Connecticut.

Latin and mathematics faculty member Rob Rose was engaged to former faculty member Katie Dalton in February 2011.

Graham Callaghan ’95 and wife, Heather, will celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary this summer; they were married in Avon’s Chapel on July 29, 2006. Graham and Heather live in Brown House with their children, Owen, who is 3, and Sarah, who turned 1 on April 20th.

Sarah Hemenway, daughter of mathematics faculty member Katherine Hemenway, married Travis McQueen on March 20th at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Sarah is finishing her PhD in cognitive psychology, while Travis is an engineer for Apple Computers. They live in San Jose, California.

Headmaster Ken LaRocque and wife, Heidi, celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on December 29, 2010.

The grandchildren of Dean Skip Flanagan: Madison (14), Zachary (13), and Cameron (9) Sweedler.

English department faculty member Morgan Harris will be returning as an official photographer for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival’s 10th Anniversary in Manchester, TN, June 9-12 (see Morgan’s photo of the group Michael Franti and Spearhead, above).

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The Last Word Willard, Stefani, Me, and You

By Giri Suarsana ’11

The following chapel talk was delivered by Giri Suarsana ’11 during the fall of 2010. Giri is an exceptionally creative Avonian: he is the editor-in-chief of the Winged Beaver, Avon’s award-winning yearbook; he is a master in the visual arts; he is an enthusiastic performer, winning the poetry recitation contest his freshman year and earning recognition as a finalist in this year’s competition; he spearheads Avon’s social activities club; and he is a dutiful community servant, leading the school’s participation in the local FAVARH art program. Giri’s chapel talk encouraged his fellow students to take charge of their individuality to enhance their Avon experience.

Good morning everyone! I am going to start by telling you the story of Willard Christopher Smith, Jr. Willard was born and raised in West Philadelphia to a mother who worked for the Philadelphia school board and a father who was a refrigeration engineer. Will, as they called him, described himself in high school as a dork who spent his time at home studying. Will turned down a science scholarship to MIT, which he had earned through high SAT scores and a good GPA, and instead decided that his passion was for music. He started rapping with a DJ – the two went by the names DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – but soon found himself close to bankruptcy. That all changed when NBC recognized his appeal and signed him on for a sitcom called “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” Only three years later, Will Smith was one of the most recognized faces in the industry, and today is one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood, worth a whopping $188 million.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born into a lower-class Italian-American family in New York City, where she attended an all-girls Catholic convent and was an outcast because her parents weren’t of Park Avenue stature. With both her parents working 12--hour days, Stefani learned how to play the piano, and entertained herself by imitating people on TV. She began acting in school productions, for which she was teased because she was always cast as weird characters. When she graduated, she continued on to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, arguably the top performing arts school in the country. “I used to get made fun of for being either too provocative or too eccentric. I didn’t fit in, and I felt like a freak,” Stefani remarked concerning her high school and college days. Today, Stefani is known as world-famous Lady Gaga, who just won two Grammys and is now worth $110 million, a fortune she earned by staying true to herself, making a name for herself, and endlessly pursuing her passions.

I am not here to say you should pursue your passions, though I do firmly believe you should. I am here to tell you to differentiate yourself from the crowd. If you don’t, people will treat you as a replaceable object. Every single revolutionary in the world’s history has been faced with tremendous opposition.

Galileo was exiled for proclaiming that the earth revolved around the sun. Martin Luther went against the Catholic

Church and started the Protestant Reformation by nailing his 95 theses to the door of a church, and Martin Luther King Jr. led the racial-equality movement, which toppled segregation, a cause for which he died. Just a few days ago, Egyptians, mainly college students, rallied together in the face of a tyrant’s army and sparked a revolution that brought down the 30-year-old dictatorship.

Margaret Mead said that all social change stems from the passion of individuals. So I guess I lied, I am standing up here to tell you to pursue your passions. But more importantly, I am telling you to make sure you don’t let your fear of criticism prevent you from pursuing those passions. A lot of you make fun of the theater kids, because they’re “weird,” and yet, you go to the movies on Saturdays and spend two or three hours watching a person who was probably a “weird theater kid” at one point.

There’s a saying that goes: “In order to get through high school, you either have to conform, or decide not to care.”

Every one of you has an interest that’s different from the person next to you. Some of you love to sing in the shower, others love cooking, others love watching tennis, or playing sudoku. Just because no one you know likes these things, it doesn’t make them bad. Dom DiAntonio loves to hike. So what did he do about it? He went up to Mr. Detora and asked for help starting a hiking club. Sure, you can point out there are only a handful of kids involved, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that those few kids who love hiking now have a chance to do so.

This year, I took on the challenge of captaining the yearbook, which, on top of being a multi-award-winning book, is also known for being a one-man job. This reputation, however, doesn’t do the book justice. The truth is, a lot of people at this school are interested in helping with the yearbook, but they rarely advertise it the same way they advertise their support for their stickball team, because they are afraid of the mockery they might encounter following such a statement.

Don’t be the guy who graduates with just a diploma. If you look at old yearbooks, you will find that the editor of the yearbook was also the captain of the varsity hockey team, and that the editor of the newspaper was also the student-elected Warden. Those were men of Avon.

Let’s try to recapture that past, move forward, and grow intellectually, creatively, and emotionally.

Old Farms about to score a goal, 1937.

William Rittase photograph, from Avon’s archives

500 Old Farms Road Avon, Connecticut 06001 www.avonoldfarms.com

Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Albany, NY Permit #97

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The Polo Team 1940-41

See page 26 for the history of riding and polo at Avon Old Farms School