54 IN MEMORIAM 54
’81 Vikki Hillis, 55, an artist and jewelry designer, died February 19, 2018. Born in Greenwich, Conn., Vikki came to Choate Rosemary Hall in 1978, where she completed a directed-study program in printmaking. She later graduated from the International School of Geneva, Switzerland, and earned degrees from Hampshire College and Louisiana State University. Vikki was an artist, educator, and jewelry designer in Hot Springs, Ark. She leaves a daughter; two sisters; two half-sisters; a stepsister; and her father, William Hillis, 117 Ashlar Village, Wallingford, CT 06492. ’85
Alfred James “Jay” Beyer III, 50, a radiologist, died January 22, 2018, in New Bern, N.C. Born in Worcester, Mass., Jay came to Choate Rosemary Hall in 1982. He was President of Christian Fellowship, a student athletic trainer, and in the Chess Club; he also won a School award for historical research and writing. After graduating cum laude from Duke, he earned an M.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Kansas. For many years, Jay was a partner of Coastal Radiology Associates in New Bern. He leaves his wife, Kristin Beyer, 5201 Trent Woods Dr., New Bern, NC 28562; two children; his parents; and a brother.
sewing, knitting and needlepoint. Passionate about the well-being of animals, she was also a member of the Junior Women’s Club in New Haven and the Homemakers’ Club in Wallingford, and was a volunteer at the Ashlar Village retirement community, where she and her husband, Jack, lived starting in 2001. Besides her husband, she leaves a sister, a niece, and a nephew.
Donald W. Ferguson, a carpenter at Choate Rosemary Hall for 35 years, died December 20, 2017 in Branford, Conn. He was 84. Born in Meriden, Don grew up in Wallingford. After graduating from high school, he was a carpenter’s apprentice at Choate before serving in the Army as a member of the Honor Guard for then-President Dwight Eisenhower. In 1962, he returned to Choate as a full-time carpenter. At his retirement, then-Headmaster Edward J. Shanahan called Don “one of the most soft-spoken, unassuming people ever to grace this school, a man whose impact on the campus, nevertheless, speaks volumes of his craftsmanship, creativity, and pride.” He enjoyed fishing, restoring old cars, traveling, and oil painting. For more than 25 years he was on the board of trustees of Advent Christian Church in Wallingford. He leaves his wife, Kellie Ferguson, 493 North Branford Road, Wallingford, CT 06492; two daughters; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother; and a sister.
Faculty and Staff Barbara Eliason Dilks, an administrative assistant at Choate Rosemary Hall for more than 25 years, died January 17, 2018. Born in North Haven, Bobbie graduated from Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford and from Stone Business College in New Haven. She worked at Choate, part-time at first, starting in 1969. She then was secretary for Headmaster Seymour St. John and later was a secretary in the Alumni Office and the Administrative Support Center. At her retirement in 1995, she was praised for her “willingness to fill any request, for her bright and ready humor, and for her sensitivity.” Bobbie was always interested in crafts, and developed an interest in art, stenciling,
Olga Keyes Fisk, an administrative assistant at Rosemary Hall for five years, died December 21, 2017. She was 89. Born in Oneida, N.Y., Olga attended the University of Washington in Seattle. She moved to Connecticut and worked for the Travelers Insurance Co. in Hartford before coming to Rosemary Hall in 1968, starting in the main office supporting Dean of Students June Everett. In 1971, she moved to Wallingford as an assistant to Headmistress Elizabeth Loomis. Olga became quite involved in settling Rosemary Hall in its new location. The 1972 Answer Book, dedicated to her, noted her “endurance and enthusiasm far beyond the call of duty.” She left School in 1973, working
in the Development Office of Brown University until the early 1980s, when she retired. She enjoyed gardening, and was particularly fond of orchids. She leaves three children, including Susan Fisk Sieloff ’72, 4 Massachusetts Ave., Norfolk, MA 02056, and Brian Fisk ’73; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Alfred J. Sciarrino, who taught history at Choate Rosemary Hall for one year, died January 19, 2018. He was 71. Born in Ithaca, N.Y., Al served in the Army after high school, then earned degrees from the State University of New York at Geneseo, Yale Divinity School, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He was at Choate for the 1981-82 school year. Before that, he had been an attorney in private practice in Geneseo. Afterward, he taught law at SUNY Geneseo. He enjoyed writing, and published three books. He leaves three daughters, a stepson, and two grandchildren. William N. Wingerd, who was an administrator and taught at Choate Rosemary Hall for 25 years, died December 18, 2017 in Chambersburg, Pa. He was 96. Born in Chambersburg, Bill graduated from Haverford College, where he played baseball and was sports editor of the college newspaper. During World War II he served in the Army Air Corps, after which he studied law for two years, then taught math at a small public high school in Lemasters, Pa. He then earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Bill was a teacher and administrator at two independent schools before coming to Choate in 1966 as a teacher, housemaster, tennis coach and Associate Director of Studies. He was also, for 17 years, Director of Summer Programs; was Chair of the Senior Projects Committee; worked part-time in Admission; and was Chair of the Department of Behavior and Ethics. In 1968, with the help of two Yale Medical School professors, he put together Choate’s first sex-education program; he later authored the book Understanding and Enjoying Adolescence. On his 10th anniversary at School, he was lauded as
“a professional in the true sense of the word: thorough, conscientious, direct and straightforward, sensitive and considerate of other people’s opinions and feelings, all tinged with a sense of humor.” He organized several student trips abroad, including ones to Greece and China. When Bill retired in 1991, President and Principal Charles F. Dey noted that he “has cut quite a figure on campus, with his bow ties, floppy hat, and dance moves. His gentlemanly image places him firmly in an era when dancing was among the social graces.” In retirement, Bill moved back to Chambersburg, where he was on the boards of the Area School District and the Franklin Learning Center for special children. He also enjoyed foreign travel. He leaves his former wife, Jane Steiger; three sons, including Peter Wingerd ’73, 9009 Wonderland Ave., Apt. C, Los Angeles, CA 90046, Frederic Wingerd ’70, and Mark Wingerd ’75; two grandchildren; and a niece, Gail Wingerd ’82.
Our sympathy to the families of the following alumni, whose deaths are reported with sorrow: Howard J. Dirkes Jr. ’49 January 8, 2018 C. Whitney Banks Jr. ’50 January 11, 2018 Roger Hillyer ’52 December 24, 2017 Christian F. Ambruoso ’95 March 15, 2018