Olyphant then moved to New York, where he was editor of the Washingtonville Post, a reporter for the Times Herald-Record, and a reporter for the Newburgh Evening News. Curran won 10 writing awards and wrote the best-selling book The Haunted, which became a TV movie. At the Scranton Tribune, he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for his series of stories on abuses at Clarks Summit State Hospital. He is survived by twin sisters, Patricia Curran Van Zandt and Paulette Curran Reaney. Sharon Perlman, 63, died on December 11, 2016, in Saint Petersburg, Florida. She received her M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, was chief resident in pediatrics at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, and chief of staff at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her many accolades include Attending Physician of the Year awards and a Founders Award from the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology. Perlman was an avid adventurer and scuba diver, and rescued greyhounds. She is survived by her husband, Ron Frankel; daughters, Jaymie Tracy and Meagen Dom; grandchildren, Jackson and Allison; and sisters, Lauren and Robin, and their children.
worked as a merchandiser for Faded Glory, H&M, Old Navy, and Macy’s. She loved spending time with her pets Min-pin, Ziggy, and Di Vinci. Survivors include her father, Paul; her brother, Paul; and her sister, Melissa.
’00
Jay Brown ’78. photo Courtesy of Greg Brown
’78 James “Jay” Granville Brown, 61, died on March 19, 2017. A well-known music video director, filmmaker, and photographer from Atlanta, Georgia, Brown studied film with Adolfas Mekas. Chair of the Bard College Board of Trustees James Chambers ’81 says, “Jay was a blazing comet. He was the reason I came to Bard. I was lost coming out of high school. Jay, a year older than me, told me about a mysterious and unknown college. So I followed him to Annandale. He taught me, a young jock from the South, that it was truly okay, even cool, and ultimately life-sustaining to study—and more importantly do—the arts.” Soon after college, Brown moved to Los Angeles, where he worked for Michael Trikilis Productions and Playboy Entertainment Group, producing and directing films and videos. Later he worked with and directed such musicians as Al Green, Boy George, the Sex Pistols, Faith No More, Little Richard, Debbie Gibson, Lisa Hartman, and Louise Goffin. His low-key charisma and engaging storytelling made him easy to be around, and people from all walks of life—musicians, actors, philosophers, and scientists—reveled in his company. Brown directed and produced the definitive documentary of world-famous folk artist Reverend Howard Finster, who turned to making art and building his environmental sculpture “Paradise Garden” after, he said, God charged him to illustrate his religious visions. Brown was predeceased by his father, James R. Brown, and his sister, Renee Elizabeth
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Brown. He is survived by his mother, Renee Reinhard Brown, and brothers, Chris and Greg.
Margo Pelletier (MFA) died on November 27, 2016, in Catskill, New York. A painter, printmaker, and sculptor, she showed in museums and galleries in the New York City area. Pelletier was one of the founding members of the artist community at 111 First Street in Jersey City, New Jersey, owned the print shop Colorgirls, and was founder, with her former partner, Nancy Mahl, of the artist advocacy group Progressive Culture Works. Pelletier’s work is in the collections of the Library of Congress, the Elizabeth Foundation, and the Bob Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. She attended Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, Hartford Art School, and earned her B.F.A. from Cooper Union of Science and Arts. In 2000, with her wife, Lisa Thomas, Pelletier formed Thin Edge Films. She directed Freeing Silvia Baraldini (2009) and Thirsty (2016) as well as the short films Out of Service (2004), Cast to the Wind (2008), and 142 Years (2012). Pelletier is survived by Thomas and four siblings: Joan Ellen, Renee Egan, Daryl Cerone, and John.
’01 Mark Anthony Podrasky, 60, died on January 21, 2017, in Seattle. He was an attorney and a mediator in Snohomish, Washington, and was passionate about cars and motorcycles. He also enjoyed sailing, biking, walking with his dog, Max, and exploring the Bay Area. Podrasky is survived by his wife, Julia; stepson, Joseph; stepdaughter, Kelsey; and sister, Lucia Shepard.
Matthew Lewis Chiocca, 37, died on March 29, 2017. After graduating from Bard, Chiocca earned degrees from Vermont Law School and Columbia University. He is survived by his mother, Debbie Howell; father, Bob Chiocca; brother, Joe; grandparents Betty and Frank Chiocca; and several stepsiblings.
’13 ’79 Alexander “Alex” Nicholas McKnight Sr., 86, died on October 28, 2016, at his home in Kingston, New York. He was born in Brooklyn and later lived in Germantown, Tivoli, and Rhinebeck. He had a lifelong passion for baseball, and when the Dodgers left Brooklyn he became an avid Mets fan. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War and later worked as a purchasing agent for Pfizer Chemical Co. He was a member of the Reformed Church of Rhinebeck, the American Legion, and served on the board of the Quitman Resource Center. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; son, Alexander; daughter, Viola; stepdaughter, Susan; grandchildren, Alexander, Addison, and Sophie; and sister, Nancy.
’88 Pamela C. Guerzon-Dawson, 49, died on July 30, 2016. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and
Christopher J. Kendzierski, 36, died on August 24, 2016. Kendzierski loved tutoring, animals, fishing, hiking, gardening, music, concerts (especially Phish), playing baseball, and lending a helping hand to those in need. Kendzierski was predeceased by his father, John, and his grandparents. He is survived by his mother, Jane; brother, Michael; sister, Kerrie; niece, Halie; and nephews, Luke and Jack. Gabrielle “Gabby” Tillman, 23, died on July 6, 2016. Tillman was a prolific creator: her projects ranged from food styling, performance, film production, photography, sculpture, quilting, sewing, painting, and beyond. Her sensitivity and imagination were the foundation to her therapeutic, functional, and avant-garde approach to fashion design and life itself. Survivors include her parents, Arthur and Dana; a sister, Jacqueline; and her grandmother, Beverly Salasnek.