Class Notes
In Memoriam Michael Biondi, father of Michael Biondi ’06; Jamie Biondi, grade 12; William Biondi, grade 10; and Cameron Biondi, grade 8, passed away on November 12, 2007. Mike was a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he met his wife Cynthia, and received an AB in History and English. He also played on the baseball team at Dartmouth. Later, Mike received his MBA from the Wharton School and his JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Most recently, Mike served as co-chairman of Investment Banking of Lazard, and as a managing director of the firm, where he worked since 2003. He joined Lazard from Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, where he held a number of senior positions, including chairman and cochief executive of the Americas, and co-head of Global Investment Banking. Prior to that, he was a founding partner of Wasserstein Perella & Co., and served as its chairman and chief executive officer from 1996 until its sale in early 2001. He began his M&A career as a lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Mike was an avid skier and golfer, and was a serious wine collector and bird-shooting enthusiast. He was a baseball fanatic, statistician and historian, and was a devoted Mets fan. He loved nothing more than playing baseball with his four boys. He also completed the New York Times crossword puzzle every day. Mike continued to be active with Dartmouth where he co-chaired the Dartmouth College Fund with his wife Cindy, and also at Penn, where he served as chair of the Law School’s Institute for Law and Economics. He was also a board member of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. He is survived by his wife Cindy, four sons, and two brothers Frank and Robert.
Times of Brunswick
Former Brunswick faculty member Bruce Cartozian passed away on October 14, 2007, in Yountville, Calif. Mr. Cartozian was an Upper School science teacher from 1962 through 1977. During his tenure at Brunswick, he taught biology, chemistry, physics, and for many years was chairman of the science department. The Class of 1968 yearbook, which was dedicated to Mr. Cartozian, has a section that reads: “An undaunted champion of precision, Mr. Cartozian has infused a measure of his order into each student. Whether helping a senior out of a
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slump or leading the chemistry class in calisthenics, he is living proof that science need not be an affair of dust and textbooks. Humor is his most powerful weapon, a lancet to deflate the superfluous and hypocritical, or a means of turning crisis into entertainment. He is perhaps the School’s least appreciated teacher, certainly one of the most deserving of recognition; and consequently the Senior Class takes great pride in dedicating this yearbook to him.” Mr. Cartozian is survived by his brother William and sister-in-law Alice Cartozian; two sons, Clayton and Tobey; four daughters, Katie, Markrid, Karoun, and Marian; numerous nieces and nephews; and all of his Brunswick students who learned from his teachings. Ralph Williamson Fairbanks, Jr., ’55, a recent resident of Annapolis and previously of Weston, Conn., died unexpectedly February 6, 2007, at Anne Arundel Medical Center. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Born January 17, 1937, in Boston, Mr. Fairbanks graduated in 1955 from Brunswick School and in 1959 from Brown University in Providence, R.I. He spent 25 years in sales and marketing with IBM and later moved to a sales position with Satellite Business Systems, a joint venture by IBM, Aetna, and Comcast. Ralph retired from Spectralink, a telecommunications company in Denver. An ardent sailor, he also was active in the Boy Scouts of America as scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 88 in Weston. He was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Weston and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Annapolis. Surviving are his wife Mary Elizabeth Cullen Fairbanks, whom he married in 1962; one son, Ralph Williamson Fairbanks III of Potomac, Md.; four daughters, Catherine Soto of Potomac, Md.; Anne Knapp of Savannah, Ga.; Sarah Duffy of Oak Park, Ill.; and Emily Fairbanks of Washington, D.C.; one sister, Lois Mitchell of Duluth, Minn.; and 18 grandchildren. Christine Nichols Ferrer, mother of Nick and Matt ‘05, died on July 13, 2007 after a long battle against melanoma. She was 55. Christy was a graduate of Darien High School and received her bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University. She went on to Shearman and Sterling, where
cont’d she was a paralegal, and where she met her future husband, Esteban “Steve” Ferrer. Christy’s career and passion was to be a devoted wife and mother. In addition, she was heavily involved in her children’s schools and her church. She is survived by her husband and their two sons; by her father, step-mother, her sister, and two brothers; her brother-in-law Carlos Ferrer, his wife Rosemary, and their sons Charlie ’00, Willy ’03, and Andrew ’04; as well as a sister-in-law, stepsiblings, and 21 devoted nieces and nephews. Robert McCullough ’38 passed away on August 14, 2007, after a brief illness. He attended Brunswick School, but went on to graduate from Taft School, followed by Brown University. Robert served in World War II as a commander officer of Destroyer Escort. He spent his career as a senior officer with Collins and Aikman Company and then as chairman of the board for Chesapeake Petroleum Co. However, one of his true passions was sailing and competitive racing. Robert is survived by his wife of 65 years Margaret; daughters, Constance, Sandra, D. Scott, and Linda; sisters, Dorothy and Marilyn; and many nieces and nephews. Max Richter, father of Hans Richter ’85, passed away on August 18, 2007, of complications from dementia. Kind and beloved husband of Judy (Hofmann) Richter, he is also survived by his mother Carla; two sons, Hans and Philip; daughter-in-law Jennifer; two granddaughters, Maxine and Margot; brother Ernst; and two cousins, Gisela Richter and Irma Pedersen. James Singer, father of Mac Singer, grade 8, and Hilary Singer, GA grade 10, passed away on October 21, 2007, after battling a long illness. Jim was 56 years old. Adored husband of Dee Dee, devoted and wonderful father of Hillary and Mac, precious son of Rita Baldinger Singer, beloved brother of Steven, Richard and sisterin-law Stephanie, and devoted son-in-law to Margery Wiesenthal. Allin Brower Turner ’32 passed away in Dunedin, Fla., on May 3, 2007, from injuries received in a fall. Allin often spoke highly of his years at Brunswick and enjoyed receiving alumni news.