KO Magazine, Summer 2010

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k i n g s w o o d - o x f o r d

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All in the family

Multiple generations stay connected to K-O

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tableofcontents KINGSWOOD-OXFORD MAGAZINE summer 2010

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From the head of school

Fromtheheadofschool Oxford, Kingswood and Kingswood-Oxford alumni, whether they

All in the family

graduated 5, 10, 20, 40 or 60 years ago, understand the powerful

Mellen chose to be ‘guide on the side’

teachers, traditions, stories and intimate details about one another’s

Varsity fall sports

ensure incredibly strong and lasting bonds, often more meaningful

experience of having come of age together, of knowing the same early triumphs, trials and tribulations. These common experiences than those forged in college or graduate school.

Varsity winter sports Indeed, in our rich history, numerous alumni have taken these lifelong

Commencement

friendships one step further… through marriage. Almost all of us know of “Oxford women” who married “Kingswood men” or K-O alumni

Alumni/Advancement

who committed to each other for life. Yet, to have three generations anchored firmly by our fine school – grandparents, parents and alumni

News of the classes

or current students – is truly remarkable. Not many organizations ever reach their 100th birthday, and in today’s fast-paced world

In memoriam

with frequent mobility, our somewhat old-fashioned yet powerful multigenerational tradition sets us apart.

Tribute Bustling West Hartford, K-O and families who have settled here

Contact Information: Kingswood-Oxford School, 170 Kingswood Road, West Hartford, CT 06119; 860-233-9631. Please address general comments to Sonya Adams, ext. 2815, e-mail adams.s@k-o.org. Send information for News of the Classes to Meghan Kurtich, ext. 5013, e-mail kurtich.m@k-o.org. Send address changes to Patricia Laros, ext. 5016, e-mail laros.p@k-o.org.

Editor: Sonya Adams News of the Classes Editors: Meghan Kurtich, Rob Kyff Copy Editor: Rob Kyff Graphic Design: Ford Folios Inc. Photography Credits: Richard Bergen Photography, Debra Coleman Hyde, Clay Miles, Chris Troianello, Gareth Weston Photography

have had the strong ability to lure the next generation back. During my travels, a number of alumni have told me about their plans to return when their own children are of age so that they, in turn, can live and breathe the K-O education that served their parents and/ or grandparents so well. They know that K-O prepared them for success in college and beyond, yet just as importantly helped shape the foundation for lifelong learning, passions and interests while integrating core values and the importance of ethical citizenry and community involvement.

On the cover: Members of the Coburn-Smith-Washburn family gather at Commencement 2010.

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy As to Students Kingswood-Oxford School admits students of any race, color, or 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, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Kingswood-Oxford Magazine is published by Kingswood-Oxford School.

Copyright © 2010 by the Trustees of Kingswood-Oxford School Inc.

Dennis Bisgaard Head of School

All in the family:

Multiple generations stay connected to K-O For several families at Kingswood-Oxford, ties run deep. We met with three of those families to learn a bit more about their connections to the School.

Members of the CoburnSmith-Washburn family have been attending Kingswood, Oxford and Kingswood-Oxford for four generations.

The saga began in 1917 when Robert Coburn enrolled as one of a handful of boys who then attended Oxford School. After three years at Oxford, Robert moved on to Yale and then started a stock brokerage firm in Hartford.

His daughter Elenor Coburn Smith ’51 attended Oxford for four years. “It was my first experience at a private school, with smaller classes and more attention,” she said. “I loved Latin, basketball, field hockey and the Greek Games.”

After graduating from Wellesley, Elenor worked in Washington, D.C., for a year and then met Larry Smith ’45.

Larry had loved Kingswood and had especially admired history teacher Bill Greene.

Elenor and Larry married and eventually settled in Canton, where they still live most of the year. There they raised horses and reared four children.

Their three daughters inevitably fell in love with horses, and two of them, Ashley and Betsy, attended the equestrian-friendly Ethel Walker School in Simsbury.

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Ashley married Jay Washburn, a high school history teacher and Loomis Chaffee graduate whose mother, Barbara Unsworth Washburn ’53, had attended Oxford.

Ashley and Jay settled in West Hartford and, with their family’s K-O connections in mind, chose the School for their four sons: Jack ’08 (now a sophomore at the University of Vermont), Sam ’10 (who will attend Ithaca College this fall), Ben ’12 and Nate ’15.

“We wanted that day-school community for them,” Ashley said. “I had been a day student at a boarding school, and there was that split I didn’t like between day and boarding students.”

A family tragedy during the summer of 2005 brought the Washburns an even deeper appreciation of the K-O community. Ben and his cousin Will were both set to enroll as K-O 6th-graders when Will and his father died in a plane crash.

When Ben arrived that September, Ashley said, the K-O teachers and staff were enormously supportive. When Middle School Administrative Coordinator Fran Clarke showed Ben a puppy hidden under her desk, Ben smiled for the first time since Will’s death.

“That’s when we fell in love with K-O,” Ashley said. “Ben would have been lost anywhere else.”

Ashley threw herself into volunteer work for the K-O Parent Association and, in 2008, was elected to the K-O board of trustees, where she serves on the campus planning and strategic planning committees.

Ashley says that her family’s ties to K-O enhance their sons’ bonds with their grandparents and the School. “It’s often so hard to connect those generations, and this draws them together,” she said. “The boys realize that, when our parents are on campus, it’s their campus, too.”

Ashley’s mother, Elenor, said her familiarity with the School’s character and values “gives us the security of knowing that they’re there, doing their best, and that they have a great staff encouraging them.”

The youngest generation appreciates the bond as well.

“I think it’s kind of neat,” Sam said, “to recognize that they were once in the same situation we were. They’re devoted to our education.”

When 10-year-old Janie Shafer ’17 enters the 6th-grade at K-O this September, she’ll become the 28th member of her extended family to attend the School.

Janie’s grandmother, Mary Jeanne Anderson Jones, graduated from Oxford in 1952,

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and Janie’s parents, Laura Jones Shafer and Marc Thompson Shafer, both graduated from K-O in 1975. Janie’s K-O relatives include her aunts Joan Shafer ’71, Lisa Shafer Vandenburgh ’73 and Heidi Jones Hunter ’78, her uncle Rick Jones ’80, her brothers Andrew Jones ’08 and David Shafer ’15, several great aunts and great uncles, a great-grandfather, and a host of cousins.

“My family has been going there forever,” Janie said, “They’re a whole bunch of smart people, so I’m glad I’m going.”

Her mother, Laura, is glad, too. “It’s my school,” she said.

“That’s where my family went.

We are safe there and very much at home. The mind needs to be nurtured in a small community where people believe in educating students to have a more interesting life, a more intense life.”

Janie’s dad, Marc, agrees.

“K-O is so much the same to me as when I graduated,” he said. “It’s still that balance of academics, sports, arts and the advising system.”

The family’s relationship with K-O began during the 1920s when Janie’s great-grandfather Richard F. Jones Jr. entered Kingswood as a postgraduate to play football.

Then, in 1948, Mary Jeanne Anderson Jones enrolled at Oxford. She said she especially valued the personal contact with teachers, her close friendships with classmates and the emphasis on grammar and writing.

Mary Jeanne, a successful investment advisor and lifelong learner, said her Oxford training came in handy this past winter

during her enrollment in Semester at Sea, a shipboard program that offers college-level courses, service learning and field assignments.

“All of my children and some of my grands,” she said, “have had the K-O experience of small classes, excellent academic exposure, local friends and the ability to live at home with their parents and siblings while being challenged both socially and in class.”

Laura Jones Shafer also cherishes her Oxford experience.

She still recalls listening to Debussy’s “La Mer” in music class. “I realized he was trying to evoke the ocean and the tide of all of human experience,” she said. “I suddenly felt a catch in my throat; it was my first true intellectual experience.”

Laura, who has just completed her course work for a Ph.D. in medieval studies at the University of Connecticut, said Oxford provided “an intimate academic environment where you could learn to think, to ask questions, to sort information, generalize and bounce ideas off peers.”

Her husband, Marc, a successful entrepreneur who wrote his master’s thesis at Trinity on the role of race in Connecticut’s participation during the Civil War, said his love of history began in Dave Van Dyck’s Kingswood history class. “He was the best teacher I ever had,” he said.

Laura’s and Marc’s parents and grandparents were lifelong friends, but the pair never dated while at K-O. They were reintroduced by K-O classmate Keith Waldman ’75 in 1993 and married three years later.

Their son, David, who has just completed his 7th-grade year at K-O, said attending K-O has made him feel closer to his family. “It’s one more thing I have in common with them now,” he said.

In the autumn of 2006, Ann Coolidge Randall ’73 and her family were living happily in Corpus Christi, Texas. Their son, Blake, was attending 6th grade at the private school where Ann was teaching, and Ron was working as an engineer.

Clockwise from left, Mary Jeanne Jones ’52, Marc Shafer ’75, Andrew Jones ’08, Laura Jones Shafer ’75, David Shafer ’15 and Janie Shafer ’17 celebrate Andrew’s K-O graduation in 2008.

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Upon returning to Connecticut that year for a holiday visit, Ann realized that her “parents,” Win Haviland ’36 and Martha “Muffie” Haviland ’44, were finding it increasingly difficult to manage on their own.

“At almost the identical moment, Ron and I looked at each other and said, ‘We should come home and have Blake go to Kingswood,’” Ann said. “We realized we really needed to be here.”

Ann knew that Blake’s enrollment at K-O would be a great source of pride for her parents. Both Win and Muffie had always held a deep love of the School.

Win, a math whiz, had enjoyed Kingswood’s small classes and forged lifelong friendships. After graduating from Yale, he served as a Navy meteorologist during World War II and had helped to develop an early computer claims system for the Travelers Insurance Co. As a student at Oxford, Muffie had loved everything about

the School, especially dramatic arts, the Greek Games and her favorite teacher, Edith Evans.

Throughout her life, which included professional acting, radio broadcasting and extensive volunteer work, she had remained devoted to her Oxford friends.

Throughout the decades, the Havilands contributed generously to K-O’s capital campaigns and funded special projects, such as the Class of 1936 Lecture Series, the renovation of the head of school’s house (now Haviland House) and the redesign of the School’s Trout Brook entrance.

They even donated money for a new flagpole. “Win was always thinking about something to better the school,” Ann said.

Win and Muffie, who had no children of their own, opened their hearts and home to Ann in 1968 after both Ann’s father (Muffie’s brother) and mother had died.

Entering Oxford as an 8th-grader, Ann savored the excitement of the School’s

merger with Kingswood. She especially enjoyed serving as the manager for the Kingswood lacrosse team and as the timer for the wresting team. As the tallest girl in the last Oxford class during an era when diplomas were presented in order of height, Ann became the last graduate of Oxford School.

When the Randalls moved to West Hartford during the summer of 2007 and Blake enrolled as a 7th-grader at K-O, Ann was thrilled to discover that the spirit of Oxford still flourished at K-O. “I treasure the quality of the education in a day school,” she said, “the small class sizes, the teachers who know who you are.

It’s a truly caring community.”

During Blake’s first two years at K-O, Win and Muffie were able to watch Blake play football and perform in school plays.

“Muffie paid for Blake to come here,” Ann said, “and when she wrote that check every year, she would cry because she was so happy. She’d say, ‘It gives me the greatest pleasure of my life to be able to do this for him.’”

Health problems prevented Win and Muffie from visiting campus during the past year.

Win died on Oct. 13, 2009, and Muffie on March 15, 2010. But Blake, now a K-O freshman, says he will always remember the support they gave him.

“It meant a lot for them to see me,” Blake said, “and it meant a lot to my mom. They loved K-O so much. When I see the flagpole on the green, it’s cool to say, ‘My grandfather put that there.’ It means a lot. It does.”

Clockwise from left, Win Haviland ’36, Ann Randall ’73, Ron Randall, Muffie Haviland ’44 and Blake Randall ’13 at K-O

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RETIREMENT Mellen chose to be ‘guide on the side’ Geometry teacher. Ski coach.

Computer enthusiast. Robotics team advisor. Maple-sugar maker.

Academic advisor. Baseball coach.

Dave Mellen has played all these diverse roles during his 22 years at K-O. But what lies at the heart of his teaching career is his unwavering belief that young people learn best by doing.

“Teachers can choose to be the sage on the stage or the guide on the side,” he said. “I always chose the latter. The more kids get to do, the more they’ll learn.”’

Mellen, said science teacher Fritz Goodman, “allows students to come up with the answers themselves.”

A native of Manchester, Conn., Mellen majored in English at the University of Connecticut. During the 1970s and ’80s, he taught science and math in several Connecticut public schools and earned his master’s in educational computing at the University of Hartford.

An avid canoeist, backpacker, skier, bicyclist and scuba diver, Mellen also served as a camp counselor and developed and founded an accredited trips camp that ran Outward-Bound-style trips for young people.

As a teacher during the 1980s, Mellen embraced the emerging technology of computers as a way of providing the same kind of experiential education afforded by outdoor adventures. “The computer was a way to create

the engagement of kids in a classroom environment,” he said.

When Mellen arrived at K-O in 1988 as coordinator of the Upper School computer center, he created a required course to provide each student with basic computer skills. At the same time, he began helping teachers integrate computer technology so extensively into their classrooms that the required course became unnecessary.

In 1999, Mellen turned down the administrative position of director of information technology at K-O to stay in the classroom. “He made the right choice,” said creative arts teacher Lud Baldwin. “He’s a teacher’s teacher. He really gets a kick out of seeing kids catch the spark.”

During the early 2000s, after becoming fascinated with robotics, Mellen organized the School’s first robotics team.

“Robotics is a perfect marriage of math, science and technology,” he said. “It has everything you want in education. You want it to be hard, and you want it to be fun.”

Under Mellen’s leadership, K-O became Connecticut’s affiliate partner for the nationwide robotics program FIRST Tech Challenge and has hosted the regional robotics tournament two times.

“He’s like a little kid looking at all the robots,” said robotics team member Meg Sequino, a junior.

“He always has something new and exciting that he’s thrilled to share with us.”

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Dave Mellen

In working with the robotics team, said his co-coach Brenda Semmelrock, “he lets students be creative and investigate on their own through trial and error.

That’s what the kids really love about him.”

Mellen and his wife, Mary Ellen, have already built and moved into their new home in Perkinsville, Vt. They’re close to Okemo Mountain, where they’ll continue to serve on the ski patrol every winter, and they won’t be too far from their children: Jason of Colchester, Conn., Chris ’97 of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Julie ’05 of Boston.

Mellen plans to continue his business designing computer databases for organizations and to pursue his longtime hobbies of gardening, beer making and beekeeping.

The Mellens, Mary Ellen said, “are looking forward to active adventures together on our bikes, in the mountains and woods, on the slopes and to quiet moments with a good book in front of the fire.”

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VARSITY FALLSPORTS

[ girls’soccer ] [ football ] Coaches: David Hild ’80, Matt Kocay, Joe Johnson, Tim Faller Captains: Brandon Batory ’10, Mick Clarke ’10, Jamil Ebo ’10 Seniors: Kenton Adeyemi, Peter Barry, Batory, Clarke, Ebo, Brett Greenfield, Tioge Nixon, Cody Ohlheiser, Bill Pratt, Ed Rowley, Erik Scalzi, Steven Sorosky, Malcolm Williams Record: 1-7 Joseph E. Gargan Award: Adam Sykura Joel Lorden Award: Batory M.I.P.: Ohlheiser Captain next season: T.B.A.

Coaches: Tracy Deeter, Reeves Livesay Captains: Kara Gardiner ’11, Christine Gowdy ’10, Isabelle Lisi ’10 Seniors: Gowdy, Lisi Record: 7-4-4; New England Prep School Women’s Soccer Association Class B quarterfinalist M.V.P.: Victoria Stoj ’11 M.I.P.: Nicole Wetsman ’12 Captains next season: Gardiner, Emily Gutermann ’11, Lauren Marchetti ’11

[ boys’soccer ] Coaches: Peter Jones, Travis Rains Captains: Sam Glassman ’10, Graham Steers ’10 Seniors: Glassman, Zach Gross, Ben McKay, Chibu Ndibe, Trey Smith, Steers, Teddy Viani Record: 7-6-3; Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association state runner-up Class M (prep) M.W. Jacobus Award: Glassman, Steers M.I.P.: A.J. Volpe ’11 Captain next season: T.B.A.

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[ fieldhockey ] [ volleyball ] Coaches: Scott McDonald, Carolyn McKee Captains: Jess Sikora ’10, Kelsey Stafford ’10 Seniors: Caroline Adams, Gail Engmann, Jenny Gobin, Shannon Loughran, Sikora, Stafford Record: 8-8; New England Prep School Fall Girls’ Volleyball Association Class B semifinalist M.V.P.: Sikora M.I.P.: Zarah Mohamed ’12 Captains next season: Hannah Fiske ’11, Caroline Meade ’11

[ boys’crosscountry ] Coaches: Fritz Goodman, Ben Hildebrand Captains: Adrian Mahoney ’10, Justin Murray ’10 Seniors: Derek Lessard, Mahoney, Zach McKeown, Murray, Stephan Schneider, Evan Schultz Record: 6-0; third at New England Prep School Track Association Division III championship M.V.P.: Justin Murray M.I.P.: A.J. Fusco ’12 Captain next season: T.B.A.

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Coaches: Casey McCullion, Tina Morin Captains: Sarah Giardini ’10, Taylor Stoudt ’10 Seniors: Jessica Craig, Chelsea Gelman, Giardini, Becky Silvers, Stoudt Record: 3-9-2 M.V.P.: Giardini M.I.P.: Emily Howard ’11 Jo-anne Alissi Field Hockey Award: Silvers Captains next season: Claudia Silvers ’11, Jenn Townsend ’11

[girls’crosscountry ] Coaches: Lisa Loeb, Lisa Bailey Captains: Erin O’Brien ’10, Caroline Lange ’11 Seniors: Liz Guerrera, O’Brien Record: 4-1; sixth at New England Prep School Track Association Division III championship M.V.P.: O’Brien, Brittany Vose ’13 M.I.P.: Lindsey Bailey ’12 Captains next season: Lange, Haleigh MacCloy ’11

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VARSITY WINTERSPORTS [ boys’hockey ] Coaches: Steve Gorman, Alex Holmes Captains: Brett Buccigross ’11, Kevin DeVivo ’11, Nick Gehris ’11; Assistant captain: Mick Clarke ’10 Senior: Clarke Record: 2-22 Captains next season: DeVivo, Gehris

[ girls’hockey ] [ boys’basketball ] Coaches: Garth Adams, Durelle Brown ’97 Captains: Jamil Ebo ’10, Max Hoberman ’10, Tylon Smith ’11 Seniors: Kenton Adeyemi, Peter Barry, Ebo, Hoberman, Ed Rowley, LaMarte Williams Record: 23-2; Founders League champion, New England Prep School Men’s Basketball Association Class C semifinalist M.V.P.: Ebo, Smith M.I.P.: John Jackopsic ’11 A.V.A. Marsden Trophy: Jackopsic Captain next season: T.B.A.

Coaches: Josh Brandwene, Casey McCullion Captains: Emily Howard ’11, Jenn Townsend ’11 Seniors: Katrina Earl, Chelsea Gelman Record: 10-13-1 M.V.P.: Howard M.I.P.: Carolyn Marcello ’12 Captain next season: T.B.A.

[ girls’basketball ]

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Coaches: Stefan Korn, Dave Mellen Captains: Tanner Cunningham ’10, Samantha Udolf ’12 Seniors: Cunningham, Leonard Wyeth M.V.P.: Cunningham, Udolf M.I.P.: Kenneth Smith ’11 Captains next season: Udolf, Nathaniel Bedford ’12

[ boys’swimming&diving ] Co-Head Coaches: Alex Kraus, Clay Miles Captains: Mike Coulom ’10, Zach McKeown ’10 Seniors: Coulom, Ryan Harger, Joel Kruger, Chris Martin, McKeown Record: 8-4 M.V.P.: Chris Miles ’11 M.I.P.: Nick Rezuke ’12 Captain next season: T.B.A.

[ boys’squash ]

[ girls’squash ]

Coach: Tom Keidel Captain: Mike Coscarelli ’11 Senior: Shravan Rao Record: 2-10; second place, New England Division C Championships; New England Interscholastic Squash Association Sportsmanship Award M.V.P.: Coscarelli M.I.P.: Ben Andaya ’11 Captain next season: Coscarelli

Coach: Andy Carr Captain: Sarah Giardini ’10 Seniors: Taylor Amato, Giardini, Isabelle Lisi Record: 2-12; fifth place, New England Division C M.V.P.: Giardini M.I.P.: Hannah Fiske ’11 Captain next season: Fiske

[ girls’swimming&diving ] Co-Head Coaches: Clay Miles, Alex Kraus Captains: Melody Rosas-Granda ’10, Tessa Rose ’10 Seniors: Liz Guerrera, Rosas-Granda, Rose Record: 7-5 M.V.P.: Kristen Barry ’11 M.I.P.: Callie Miles ’14 Captain next season: T.B.A.

Coaches: Ron Monroe, Cathy Schieffelin Captains: Jenny Gobin ’10, Emily Luskind ’10, Jess Sikora ’10 Seniors: Gobin, Luskind, Sikora Record: 3-19 M.V.P.: Sikora M.I.P.: Kelly Caruso ’13 Captain next season: T.B.A.

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[ skiing ]

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COMMENCEMENT2010 A “traditional learning experience” The following are excerpts from the commencement address given by Kingswood-Oxford science teacher Frederick “Fritz” Goodman Friday, May 28, 2010.

Fritz Goodman

Good morning seniors. It is nice to see you all here (and in dress code) for the final form meeting.

I am honored to be here in front of you today. When I asked a group of seniors why they voted for me, they told me that they knew I would have something to say. Fair enough, that is usually true….

I want to tell you a true story about a young man (we will call him Bob) with whom I had a memorable conversation over 25 years ago. Some of you have heard this story before, but it represents a pivotal moment in my life and bears repeating now. During my days as a young teacher at the Berkshire School, one of my advisees (Bob) was in academic distress. He was a smart person, but his grades were

quite poor….I called him to my dormitory apartment in order to discuss his situation and when I asked him about the problems with his classes, he looked directly into my eyes and said the following words: “Mr. Goodman, why should I study circles and squares, or read Shakespeare, when all I want to do is make money like my dad?” Wow. What a question….Indeed, why should any of us engage in a traditional learning experience?….

Well, think about this. When you study circles and squares, you are teaching yourselves how to reason…and nothing may be more important than that. If you can, just once, follow the details involved in photosynthesis, the intimacy of nature is available to you on levels approaching infinity. A person could spend a lifetime contemplating the electron. And Shakespeare… wow! When you get past all of the “art thous” and “hath nots,” few works of art are more profound….

As I see it, science, math, language, history – it’s all art – these subjects underpin all of our teachings about core values, ethics and morals. They underwrite the development of true courage, sacred things like integrity and wisdom….

Please remember that you are all part of something special here at K-O. Regardless of your level of investment in the

School, you have been exposed to the greatest collection of thoughts, images and challenges our civilization has to offer. While being pushed academically, artistically and athletically by some really gifted people, you’ve been afforded the opportunity to grow into the realm of attainable dreams….

Know that you are sitting here today because you are loved….

You know, when my children were students here I used to think about them all day, alternately worrying about them and imagining all the wonderful things that could come their way with good citizenship and hard work. And then I would plan how to adequately express all of the things I wanted them to hear – which usually amounted to things like: “Your mom and I love you and care about you so much that we will do everything we can to help you succeed.”

But, somehow, when they were home at the end of the day, all I said was, “Is your homework done?” So, now and then, just cut your parents some slack when they repeat themselves for the 50th time, OK? They can’t help themselves – love can be a little messy sometimes. These are bonds that can be tested (and some of you have tried), but they are rarely broken. And that is a good thing, because this is ultimately what allows us to distinguish between the realities of hope and despair.

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1. Caroline Adams, Jenny Gobin, Melody Rosas-Granda,

Chelsea Gelman and Katrina Earl 2. Andy Pastor and Lavinia Cristescu 3. Peter Barry and Tioge Nixon 4. Otter Preissler and Patrick Dowling-Logue 5. Taylor Amato, Isabelle Lisi, Taylor Stoudt, Mike Coulom,

Jess Sikora and Becky Silvers 6. Liz Stone and Joel Kruger

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COMMENCEMENT2010

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7. Maxence Michaud-Daniel

and Taylor Amato

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8. Teddy Viani and Derek

Lessard

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9. Stephan Schneider and Sarah Giardini

15. Adrian Mahoney and

Caroline Adams

10. Brett Greenfield and

Becky Silvers

16. Jenny Del Sole 17. Tessa Rose and Gail Engmann

11. Jeff Smullen and Liz

Guerrera

18. Sam Washburn and

Isabelle Lisi

12. Emily Luskind, Leonard

Wyeth and Sarah Zaccardi

19. Megan Ludwig and Malcolm Williams

13. Sarah Alpert 14. Faculty member Katherine

Nicholson with Cody

Ohlheiser

20. Myles Alderman 13

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COMMENCEMENT2010

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22. Sarah Petersen and Jacob Davidson

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29. Stephanie Adamidis and Kaitlin MacDonald

23. Elyse Rosenberg and Arissa Fram 24. Shravan Rao and Katrina Earl

30. Chris Martin, Kenton Adeyemi, Ben McKay and Myles Alderman

25. Erin O’Brien, Kelsey Stafford, Shannon Loughran,

Jess Sikora, Anna Mort and Jessica Craig

31. Melody Rosas-Granda, Tessa Rose and Elyse Rosenberg

26. Evan Schultz and Sam Glassman

32. Director of Athletics Garth Adams with Jamil Ebo 33. Zach McKeown

27. Chibu Ndibe and Head of School Dennis Bisgaard 28. Head of School Dennis Bisgaard and Erik Scalzi SUMMER 2 0 1 0

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34. Byron Perpetua and Tanner Cunningham SUMMER 2 0 1 0

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ALUMNIADVANCEMENT A conversation with…Robert M. Stavis ’80 Where did you go after Kingswood-Oxford School?

I attended the University of Pennsylvania. I was in a program called “Management and Technology,” which involved getting a degree from both the School of Engineering and the Wharton School of Business.

While it involved taking a lot of credits, I really found the mix of the two disciplines very valuable in my career.

What did you do after college, and what are you doing now?

I spent the first 15 years of my career on Wall Street. I was hired

by Salomon Brothers right out of college. After a few years I was managing the futures and options research group of 20 or so analysts and “rocket scientists.”

I then moved from research into a trading role when I was hired to join the Salomon Brothers arbitrage trading desk.

Within a few years I was comanaging the firm’s proprietary trading activities, which really amounted to running a very large hedge fund inside of a public corporation. I left the firm in 1998.

I then began a second career as a venture capitalist. I was always attracted to entrepreneurship and technology, and after a period of investing on my own, I joined the firm of Bessemer Venture Partners in 2000.

For the last 10 years I have invested in companies in the financial services space as well SUMMER 2 0 1 0

Grads return to K-O for Centennial Speakers Series

as companies in the Internet economy. I serve on the board of directors of eight private companies. I invest in young companies and enjoy helping them add talent and grow their businesses.

candidate Merrick Alpert ’84 was the first speaker of the year, seen here addressing the School on Oct. 23, 2009.

What’s the last book you read?

“Too Big to Fail” by Andrew Ross Sorkin What’s your favorite K-O memory? Time spent at the Roberts Theater working on student productions under Frank Best or getting paid to work the lighting board when professional performance groups rented the theater Who were the K-O teachers who had the greatest influence on you? I remember enjoying John Sherfinski’s teaching style and enthusiasm for science, which initiated my interest in studying engineering. I also have a great memory of a political science class where Ann Serow predicted that the Soviet Union was “sitting on a powder keg” and that eventually it would not work out (it was 1979). I think she did a lot to open my eyes to current events and to this day, I am a bit of a news junkie. From lower school I had a memorable relationship with Lud Baldwin from both Spanish class as well as the theater program.

What message do you have for the K-O community? K-O delivers a fantastic educational experience to its students. It was

Merrick Alpert ’84

Robert M. Stavis ’80

critical to my success in college and beyond. I hope the school continues to maintain the level of excellence its has achieved over the last 100 years.

What was the most satisfying moment in your professional life? As a venture capitalist I invested in Skype at a time when there were only three employees in the company. A little more than two years later it was one of the largest communications companies in the world and sold to eBay for close to $3 billion dollars. Helping to grow that team and see such an incredible trajectory was a lot of fun and pretty satisfying.

Francis Pandolfi ’61

Sponsored by Hoffman Auto Group, the Centennial Speakers Series was created to celebrate 100 years of extraordinary KingswoodOxford alums. Highlighting an alum from Oxford, Kingswood

Kate Cheney Chappell ’63

and Kingswood-Oxford, the Centennial Speakers Series played a significant role in our yearlong Centennial Celebration.

Wrapping up the year and representing Oxford was artist, poet, teacher and businesswoman Kate Cheney Chappell ’63.

Representing the K-O era, businessman and U.S. Senate

Series sponsored by

K-O board members host Florida receptions

What was the most satisfying moment in your personal life?

Watching my children grow up and transform from kids to young adults What is the most important lesson in life? Always surround yourself with the best people you can find to help you accomplish your goals.

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Publishing industry leader, entrepreneur, consultant and newly elected trustee Francis Pandolfi ’61 of Kingswood addressed the student body on Jan. 8, 2010.

Past trustee Mike Roberts ’59 and Head of School Dennis Bisgaard in Hobe Sound, Fla. SUMMER 2 0 1 0

Head of School Dennis Bisgaard and Director of Institutional Advancement Debra Coleman Hyde ’68 attended two K-O receptions in Florida this past winter. The first was graciously hosted by board member Katherine Keegan Antle ’96 and her husband, William Antle, on Jan. 27 at Windsor in Vero Beach. The next evening, board Chair Les Tager P ’00, ’03 welcomed guests at Boca West Country Club. During their time in Florida, Bisgaard and Hyde also visited several other locations to meet with Oxford, Kingswood and KingswoodOxford alumni.

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ALUMNIADVANCEMENT Focusing on faculty development

“Teachers at K-O are very independent in their classrooms.

They succeed by building relationships with their students, based on respect. New teachers learn which policies and practices work best for them. Mentors coach and guide their assigned teacher to solve problems in their own style,” Garcia said. “We’re proud of the program and take our mentoring responsibilities seriously. The idea is to learn together rather than give advice.”

Stahl Teacher Mentor Fund was established in memory of Kristina Stahl, a 1995 graduate of the School who also taught English at K-O from 1999 until her death in 2002. The program has received additional funds during the seven years, including from a 2004 Stahl’s Sprint fun run. In 2007 the program expanded with donations from Bill and Karin Stahl P ’95, Dick and Denise Shima P ’89, ’00, Abby and Michael Grossman ’95, and Steve Kraus ’95. Now the program is a component of a robust faculty development continuum and part of a long-term strategy for the School. For instance, Project Year Teacher, a new program this fall, will be a collaborative peer effort aimed toward professional development and renewal for the designated “Project Teachers,” those experienced teachers who will be helped in any given year.

The new teacher mentor program began in 2003 under the direction of Robert Googins. The

For the new teachers, Garcia said, mentors are not part of a formal evaluation process.

Denise Garcia conveys enthusiasm and confidence as she talks about mentoring for key faculty development, especially for teachers new to KingswoodOxford School. She is an Upper School mathematics teacher and head of the teacher mentoring program. Her eyes light with commitment and her own passion for teaching.

New K-O teachers Elizabeth Tredeau, Jen Weeks and Tina Morin (back to camera) join veteran teachers Lisa Loeb, Denise Garcia and Lisa Bailey for a mentoring meeting.

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Planned giving with Jane Roberts “Mentors are K-O teachers who are willing to put in the time and talk with fellow teachers about teaching,” she said. “They have [at least] five years experience at K-O and are not department heads. They receive a small stipend to volunteer their time, but mentoring is in addition to all they have on their plates with teaching courses, coaching and activities.”

“It’s been great,” said new mathematics teacher Sandi Goss. “We had several days of workshops, discussed expectations here at K-O around teaching and using new technology. Lisa Bailey is my mentor, and she’s always available for questions and assistance.”

The new teachers have monthly meetings, talk about how to develop their teaching skills and learn to strengthen and deliver lesson plans, handle classroommanagement situations, write student comments that accompany grades, and address parent expectations. “The program is very proactive.”

“My mentor [Lisa Loeb] was well-chosen,” said new French teacher Jen Weeks. “She is a great resource for logistical information about K-O as well as curriculum ideas and teaching methods. The portfolio process helps me reflect on my teaching and gives me the opportunity to share my own teaching highlights, challenges and successes.”

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When asked why she and her late husband, Kenneth Roberts, began dedicating much of their attention and resources to philanthropy during the past few decades, Jane Roberts simply replied, “We both decided it was give-back time.”

She continued, “When we were young, people took chances on us, so later on in life we felt it was time to take chances on others.”

And through the Kenneth and Jane Roberts Scholarship at Kingswood-Oxford School, Roberts has been “taking chances on K-O students” for more than a decade.

Roberts appreciates that scholarship funding is particularly vital in today’s world.

She noted that it’s “largely costprohibitive for kids today to put themselves through school by working part-time jobs as I did when I was growing up.”

As such, she is happy to play a role in providing talented and deserving students exceptional academic opportunities, such as a K-O education.

In addition to supporting K-O and her alma mater, Russell Sage, 15 years ago the couple established the Kenneth D. and Jane Roberts Scholarship in Fitzwilliam, N.H., which helps local high school graduates pay for college.

While Roberts has cultivated a deep appreciation for K-O throughout the years and is proud to serve as one of its key stakeholders, her commitment to the institution originated with her late husband, who graduated from Kingswood in 1934. Kenneth Roberts, a noted and prolific author, engineer, professor and lecturer, attributed his professional success to the stellar education he received at Kingswood.

In recognition of his gratitude to Kingswood, in addition to their scholarship fund and prior to his passing in 2000, Kenneth Roberts generously made a provision in his estate plans for KingswoodOxford School.

“Ken strongly believed that he would not have performed nearly as well at college (M.I.T.) had he not attended Kingswood,” his wife said, “and that his years at the School were among his most formative.”

Roberts suggested that her husband’s planned giving intention stemmed from his desire to ensure a future of excellence and opportunities at the institution, acknowledging that his wonderful Kingswood experiences would not have been possible without the generosity of those who came before him.

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Jane Roberts and the late Kenneth Roberts ’34

Today, Roberts, a former social worker and educator, spends time printing and hand spinning at her impressive home studio.

When asked to impart some advice to today’s students from the perspective of a teacher and one who admittedly did not enjoy school as a child, Roberts encouraged K-O students to take advantage of the opportunities they have at their disposal. Conversely, she advised students not to pigeonhole every experience as either great or terrible. “Know ahead of time,” she said, “that no one likes every aspect of every class, sport or activity, but take away something from every experience, and then just move on.”

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ALUMNIADVANCEMENT New Head’s Advisory Council looks to future The Office of Institutional Advancement hopes the Head’s Advisory Council will grow over time, eventually boasting more participants than the Alumni Council, which, according to its bylaws, must have fewer than 20 members.

Kingswood-Oxford School’s Office of Institutional Advancement and board of trustees are excited to announce the formation of the Head’s Advisory Council. The new group was ratified by K-O’s board during its April 22 meeting.

(Members of the 2010 Alumni Council will automatically become charter members of the Head’s Advisory Council; the Alumni Council is being folded into this new entity.)

Debra Coleman Hyde ’68, director of the Office of Institutional Advancement, said, “We’re always looking for opportunities to engage members of Wyvern Nation and tapping into their extraordinary wealth of knowledge and experience.”

She added, “While we’ve been considering this transformation for quite some time, we decided to wait until the end of our centennial year. We thought unveiling this fresh new entity in July of 2010 would be a great way of kicking off our second century – the next 100 years!”

Building on the foundation laid by the Alumni Council, the primary role of Head’s Advisory Council members will be to serve as ambassadors for K-O among their classmates and peers and in their respective communities.

Additionally, members will be encouraged to offer their insights and perspectives on the School’s vision for the future to key administrators, board members and the head of school during their annual meeting, the first of which is scheduled to take place during Reunion Weekend 2011.

and advocacy, established over the years by the Alumni Council, and applying them to a broader audience.”

Alissi, who has served with distinction as president for the past four years, will turn over the reins to Jessica Hild Collins ’91, who will serve as the new council’s first president.

According to Alissi, “Jessie is a passionate member of the K-O community. During her time on the Alumni Council, she’s demonstrated leadership abilities and an unwavering love for this institution.”

The Office of Institutional Advancement will be recruiting throughout the year. If you’d like to learn more about the Head’s Advisory Council, please contact the office at 860-727-5014.

John Alissi ’89, current president of the Alumni Council, said, “We’re looking forward to taking the principles of ambassadorship

Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 Gillette Ridge Golf Club Contact Meghan Kurtich at 860-727-5013 or kurtich.m@k-o.org for more information.

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Trustee emeritus James B. Lyon ’48 graciously hosted a reception March 23 at the Hartford Golf Club honoring KingswoodOxford School’s former board chairs and their families. The former chairs in attendance were Lyon, Peter Russell ’44, P ’77, ’80, ’82, Sherry Banks-Cohn ’54, P ’78, ’82, George Estes ’67, P ’98 and Agnes Peelle P ’01, ’03. At the event, K-O Director of Institutional Advancement Debra Coleman Hyde ’68, P ’99, ’02, ’04 introduced Lyon, who gave a moving tribute to the School, reading from Kingswood’s

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50th anniversary book that was published in 1966. Lyon then introduced Head of School Dennis Bisgaard P ’16, who

expressed his gratitude to the guests of honor, acknowledging their tremendous commitment to K-O.

Geo Estes ’67, P ’98, Dennis Bisgaard P ’16, Agnes Peelle P ’01, ’03, Peter Russell ’44, P ’77, ’80, ’82 and Jim Lyon ’48 gather at the Hartford Golf Club for a reception honoring former board chairs and their families. Not pictured: Sherry Banks-Cohn

K-O announces the naming of athletic fields Kingswood-Oxford School has announced the official naming of two of its athletic fields after alumni and their families.

The Lorraine Walker Women’s Softball Field is located on a portion of the synthetic turf that was installed during the summer of 2007. The field is located along Kingswood Road.

Mandell Field, located off Trout Brook Drive, serves as the varsity baseball field.

Save the date!

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Reception honors past board chairs

A sign bearing Walker’s name was placed on the softball field backstop earlier in the year.

Walker, a 1934 graduate of Oxford School, said she played “all the sports available in high school: softball, field hockey, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse

and, of course, the field and track events of the Greek Games.”

Mandell Field is a gift of the Mandell family: parents Joyce and Andrew Mandell and their children Bruce A. Mandell, a 1982 K-O graduate and member of K-O’s board of trustees; Mark N. Mandell, a 1985 graduate of K-O; and Meryl Mandell Braunstein, a 1987 graduate of the School. Bruce Mandell said his family “strongly believes in athletics as it is a big part of the K-O experience.” He added, “K-O athletics and the coaches and facilities are really important; this experience helps to create a great base and a foundation to growing as a person in all aspects of your life.”

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Walker and the Mandell family join the Hoffman family in supporting K-O and the Wyvern athletic program. In 2006, Hoffman Field was named for the Hoffman family, including I. Bradley Hoffman ’78, a member of K-O’s board of trustees; his brother Jeffrey Hoffman; and mother Phyllis Hoffman. The field encompasses the other portion of the synthetic turf and provides playing space for football, field hockey, soccer and lacrosse.

Hoffman said he was happy to see others backing the School and its mission. “I am pleased to hear that the Mandell and Walker families have joined us in supporting the School,” he said.

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES KINGSWOOD 1936 Robbins Barstow received a special honor from Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell, who declared his 90th birthday, Oct. 24, 2009, “Robbins Barstow Day” in the state. Her proclamation recognized his 34-year career as director of professional development for the Connecticut Education Association, his lifelong devotion to filmmaking and his leadership of the “Save the Whales” movement, including his service on the International Whaling Commission, his founding and leadership of the Connecticut Cetacean Society, which later became the Cetacean Society International, and his establishment of the Robbins Barstow Marine Science Book Awards to Connecticut high school seniors. “Dr. Robbins Barstow,” the proclamation concluded, “is a truly gentle man, a man of wisdom and wit, of foresight and historical perspective, of joy and determination, of quiet reason and powerful expression.”

Bettyjean Averitt ’40, center, celebrates with two friends at a party marking her retirement from the Denver Art Museum.

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OXFORD 1938 Martha Soper writes from Old Saybrook, “I went to Oxford from 4th grade through 9th grade, then was sent to boarding school (Dobbs Ferry). I have six greatgrandchildren and six grandsons.”

OXFORD 1939 Mary Beach Shepard Class Correspondent Again, I have enjoyed chatting with all my classmates. I know that you will be saddened, as I was, to learn of the passing in August of Sue Skinner Deming.

As for the rest of us, I found that all were in relatively good health – doing less traveling and less driving but playing more bridge.

Annette Brewer Deming is still on her honeymoon. She just returned from wintering in Barbados and in a few weeks will be heading for Squirrel Island for the summer. Harriet Eaton Wicke spent Easter at the Cape.

Frannie Dwyer Carew sends her best to all. She has her son and daughter-in-law, two grandsons and their wives and two great grandsons living near her. The rest of her family is scattered in Idaho, Pennsylvania, Hong Kong and Colorado.

Cricket Ingersoll Staniford won’t be coming up till the end of June this year. She has three grandsons; one of them has a rock band. Mary Louise Walsh “Washy” Thackrey is moving a little slower but still driving. She is relaxing and puttering but no traveling. She spends summers

in San Diego and, best of all, has a 15-month-old great grandson with bright red hair living nearby.

Elma Becker Swecker sends her best and reports that she is doing well in spite of being one year older. I have lost contact with Emily “Springer” Myers McArthur, so if anyone knows where she is, please give me a call.

Marty Deming Flanders is well and happy because she loves to garden and do volunteer work. She also plays a lot of tennis. She has a grandson who, due to his own loss of sight, is learning to live alone and has become a speaker at schools for the blind. Nancy Cutter is active at the New Britain Museum of American Art. Jo Trull Horn is planning to attend the graduation of two of her grandchildren, one in Philadelphia and one in Virginia.

She plays lots of bridge and attends classes in painting and drawing. She sends her best to all.

Pat Dimock Martin is so thankful to be able to stay in her own home attended by able and loving caretakers. She had everyone for a wonderful Easter and her son Bob and daughter Patty for an overnight. Hap Reynolds Glass had a nice visit with family in Vermont and 31 for Easter. Son Gordon from Seattle was also with her. She has become a member of the Day Time Gardeners Gardening Club and is enjoying it. Our thoughts and sympathy to Joan

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Steane Heaney on the loss of her sister, Cynthia. Joan is enjoying a pastime of a little artwork in pastels and is quite well. Peg Peard Miller and Ev are leading a quieter life but enjoying it.

Thought I would try once more to contact Bobby Andrews Olmsted and was glad I did. She is well, still driving, too fast, she’s told! Plays tennis and a lot of bridge. She is finding it hard living alone as her husband of 67 years, Dick, is in the assistedliving wing of their retirement community.

As for me, I’m still enjoying life on the farm surrounded by some of my family. Have a greatgrandson in college and two more ready to go in the fall. The youngest member of my family is a year old, the oldest 69. Till next time, stay well and keep in touch.

OXFORD 1940 Bettyjean Warner Averitt writes from Englewood, Colo., “I always knew that, upon finishing at Oxford, I would go to Smith College because I admired the adult Smithies I knew. I majored in geology to prepare myself to work in anthropology, archeology and the development of civilizations.

I graduated from Smith in 1944, but World War II prevented work in those fields, so I took a job with the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C. Almost immediately I fell in love with a fellow geologist, married him, became a mother and soon resigned my job to raise

two children…and give parties.

In 1958, my husband, Paul, was transferred to Denver, to his joy and my dismay. The suburb of Lakewood, where we lived, was woefully undeveloped: People were uneducated, streets were unpaved and the dry climate cracked my skin as well as my furniture. Coming from New England and Middle Eastern cities and having lived in Cairo with my family for four months in 1938, I almost died. Luckily, a new friend introduced me to the Denver Art Museum and thereby saved my life. The museum was small but growing. I became a volunteer, giving tours to both schoolchildren and adults. As I was virtually the only person with knowledge of the world beyond the U.S. and Europe, I was drawn into the Asian art department.

In the 1970s, I stopped being a docent and gave my time to the Asian office until my retirement in 2007. Denver became larger and more sophisticated in the decades after 1958, and the museum grew with it. However, I became increasingly annoyed that European cultures and art collections dominated our museum teaching. Therefore I took it upon myself to enlarge our Middle East holdings. With some help, we went from about 60 objects to over 200, thus enabling me to show how Islamic culture influenced parts of Asia and Europe. So much for my ‘career.’ The other part of my life is equally simple. My husband died in 1991. My son, Neil, is an antitrust lawyer with the Federal Trade Commission in

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Washington, D.C. My daughter, Edith, lives in a small mountain town in Colorado where she is the No. 2 librarian. I have a beautiful apartment in a suburban Denver retirement community, where I live peacefully with friends and books.”

Gracey Spillane Jacobs of Shapleigh, Maine, reports on her mother, Grace Spillane, “In early 2004, my parents left their home of 47 years in Massachusetts and came to Maine. My father’s health was failing, and we were here to care for him. When my father died on Nov. 2, 2005, he had arranged for my mother to move into assisted living close to us. We are lucky to still have her with us. I am her only daughter, and I have two daughters!”

Mary Brady writes from Annapolis, Md., “I still have grandchildren in high school and two in college. One has graduated from college and is teaching English to 3rd-graders in Palma, Spain. The next oldest is a junior at NYU and spending this semester in a university in Johannesburg, South Africa. A grandson is a sophomore at St. Anselm College, and two are in high school. I’m in a very nice life-care setting here in Annapolis and like it very much.

Some of Gus’ classmates are still alive and here, and several Class of ’43 wives are here, so I have ‘old’ friends, and we have much in common.”

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES OXFORD 1941 Marguerite Steane Kelland Class Correspondent In March, six stalwart members of the Oxford Class of 1941 met at my home for luncheon: Judy Stoughton Wawro, Margaret Stedman Doherty, Ginny Wells Andersen, Betty Vernlund Goodwin, Mary Lewis Wood and yours truly. Since our last gathering, several members of our class family have died. The Class of 1941 extends sympathy to Margaret Doherty and her family on the death of her husband, Gerry Doherty, who died Oct. 8. We would like to express our sympathy also to the families of classmates Midge Collins Jackson, who died Oct. 2, and Ruth Way d’Autremont, who died Oct. 19. Needless to say, we all have fond memories of our years at Oxford and beyond.

Judy reports that most of her family gathered at the Mohonk Mountain House in June. She will be going to graduations of three grandchildren – college in California and St. Andrews, Scotland, and high school in Cleveland. She drove to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, stopping to visit McGill classmates and family and seeing scenes where she spent many childhood summers. A new book

by Judy’s son Geoffrey is out.

Titled “Quicksand,” it’s about the United States and the Middle East from World War I to the present. Judy is hoping to move to Duncaster, but she needs to sell her condo first.

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Margaret’s husband died after a brief illness. He was 92 years old and in good health for most of their 27 years together.

Margaret’s family are all fine and busy. Todd is getting ready for the blueberry season in Maine.

Amory is building a kayak for a competition in Oregon. Sara is very busy with two teenage daughters. Dexter and his wife are building a large addition to their home in Collinsville.

Margaret continues to enjoy her painting and is looking forward to a workshop soon on Cape Cod. Betty enjoyed a trip to Brazil for a two-week visit with her oldest granddaughter, a resident of Germany who was spending her junior year abroad. Betty’s son Carl and his wife and other daughter flew from Germany and joined Betty in Rio de Janeiro. Betty is working at an information booth at the state Capitol in Hartford in the winter and finds it very interesting.

Ginny came in from West Granby, where she lives with her two ponies and her faithful dog.

Mary is looking forward to her summer at Fishers Island. Betsy Bridgman has moved from her West Hartford home to Avalon Court in Avon. Mary Guiney and her sister, Betty ’40, have pleasant adjoining rooms at the Avery complex in Hartford.

Julie Keeney Walton and Bill still enjoy their annual winter residence in Florida and will return to their Connecticut home in April.

A good friend and I plan to attend an Elderhostel (now called Exploritas) in Chicago in May. I look forward to spending time at our family cottage on the Connecticut shore. To all the Class of ’41, thanks for your responses and have a happy spring and summer.

Cheerio, “Gite” OXFORD 1943 Jennie Strike Brown reports from Pullman, Wash., that she looks forward to cruising the Panama Canal during the Christmas holidays with her daughter, Sheila, who lives with her now.

OXFORD 1944 Ethel Rowley Twichell writes from Bedford, Mass., “I have found that moving to a retirement community has been a wise decision and is one that has provided new friends and opportunities.”

KINGSWOOD 1945 George Smith writes from Garland, Texas, “I’ve been retired almost 20 years. My how time flies! Joan and I will celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary soon. We stay busy volunteering. We are at Baylor and Hamilton hospitals in Dallas.

We’re also volunteers in the genealogy section of the Dallas Public Library, and I’m also a substitute teacher at Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence in Garland. We now have 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandkids.”

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KINGSWOOD 1946 Elliot R. Green writes, “I am retired, living with my wife, Betty, in Kennebunk, Maine.”

KINGSWOOD 1948 Jim Lyon recently donated the posthumous novel “Too Much Money” by his friend Dominick Dunne ’43 to the alumni authors section of the K-O library. He reports that, on page 84 of the novel, Dominick makes an oblique reference to his alma mater when he refers to “the library and dining room from Kingswood Castle in Wilshire (England).” In the spring of 2004, Jim invited Dominick to address the K-O community in the first lecture of a proposed K-O authors series. Dominick gave a fascinating presentation in Roberts Theater, discussing his experiences growing up in West Hartford, World War II, attaining success in Hollywood as a young man, followed by several years of depression. He then turned himself completely around in reaction to the savage murder of his daughter, Dominique. Subsequently, he became renowned in covering the William Kennedy Smith and O.J. Simpson trials, published several well-received novels, hosted a successful TV show and was considered the leading social critic of New York and Hollywood society, his articles frequently appearing in Vanity Fair. Dominick died Aug. 26, 2009. The K-O Alumni Authors bookshelves in the library hold more than 200 books written by

alumni, including such prolific luminaries as Dominick, his brother, John Gregory Dunne ’46, Ellsworth Grant ’35 and Brendan Gill ’32. “This is a major outpouring of intellectual talent from a rather small school,” Jim said.

OXFORD 1950 Barbara Wood Mowry writes, “Enjoying life in beautiful Beaufort, S.C. Lots to do along with golf, the garden and travel.

Our five grandchildren are 7 to 21 with families in Boston, Chevy Chase, Md., and Tarpon Springs, Fla.” OXFORD 1951 Sara Barr Palmer Class Correspondent Frannie Steane Baldwin recently talked to Lizo Vanderbilt McAllister, who made the great suggestion that this year our class make our K-O gifts in memory of classmates who have passed away – Claire Bellmer, Betsy Butler, Cynny Coolidge, Jean Hanson, Connie Hara, Monica Reidy, Jenny Kate Reynolds, Emily Robinson, Grace Stephenson, Dorian Wilkes and Agatha Gray. Let Frannie know your feelings on this idea – and be sure to get your contributions sent!

Frannie had a visit last summer from Craig and Vivian Hathaway Crouse. Barby Gowdy Tongue, Carter Peck Zadig and Gara Van Schaack all joined them for a wonderful mini-reunion lunch.

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Viv told Frannie about Dorian Wilkes’ death in an auto accident in September, and Frannie forwarded Dorian’s obituary to me. Dorian left two sons and three grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, her family requested donations to Women’s Health Services, Dorian Wilkes Memorial, 901 W. Alameda, Suite 25, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Vivian spends time on church issues, takes courses at Duke and says she is “totally involved in the advocacy and leadership of Parkinson’s disease support groups.” Her grandson Mac is a sophomore at Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand!

Pam Kingan Lillquist hoped the winter weather – “blizzards!”

– would not interfere with a family reunion at her son’s home in New Jersey set for February.

Her daughter and family were coming from California to attend. The Lillquists had a great luncheon visit with Dick and Dinny Duffield Whiting last June. Dinny is active with the local gardening club, and Dick has taken up pottery as well as continuing with his painting.

We hope to see them in June.

Daughter Amanda was married last year to her Swiss fiancé and they have bought a house in beautiful Lucerne.

Pam Snow Lovejoy reports that her five children and their spouses are working, “which is great considering the economy.” Three of them and

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES five grandchildren live near her.

Seven grandchildren out of 12 are in college – two graduate this year. Pam finally has time to do some reading and loves “watching the Food Channel and cooking up a storm!”

Sunny (Maud) Cary Schultz sends best wishes to all and says she loves to read the alumnae news. Sunny plays golf five to six times a week, despite the worst winter in California in 21 years – cold and rainy. Her brother, who once attended Kingswood, died suddenly in August. Luckily her son, Chuck, and daughter, Kim, live not far away, in San Jose.

Ann Bartholemew Hansen also loves getting the Oxford news.

She wrote from Denmark to say that she and her husband, Munk, are off to England in June to meet up with her sister, who will be performing with her singing group in Bath. They hope to extend their trip to Cambridge as well.

Peter and I will just miss them.

We’ll be in England for Easter, returning home early in May to be able to travel up to Mount Holyoke at the end of May for my 55th reunion. An early reminder – next year will be our 60th Oxford anniversary! Let’s try to organize a reunion. Ideas, anyone?

KINGSWOOD 1951 Robert Stirling writes, “Congratulations to Bill Dominick for writing a wonderful letter to ‘News of the Classes’ SUMMER 2 0 1 0

that appeared in the Summer 2009 K-O Magazine. I have long wondered why the Oxford grads write much more often than the Kingswood grads and why Kingswood ’51 grads almost never have anything to say. Well, Bill finally let the Kingswood ’51s be heard from and set the bar quite high in terms of a nice, newsy letter. Now it’s up to the rest of us K ’51s to follow Bill’s lead and let the rest of the class hear from us. I guess most of us ’51s have passed the 75-year mark (somehow I’m looking at 77 next April), and some of us have observed a 50th wedding anniversary (Rita and I did earlier this year). If you and your spouse did something notable to celebrate your 50th, drop a note to the K-O Magazine and let us all know. Our exotic travels occurred some years ago when we first lived in Paris for 3½ years and then much later in Tokyo for 2½ years, both compliments of positions with IBM. The latter allowed for side trips to Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, China, Russia, India and many stops

back in Paris. Now we content ourselves with yearly, monthlong vacations in Florida in February and weeklong mini-vacations on Block Island and Cape Cod. Our best to everyone.”

OXFORD 1953 Molly DePatie writes from New Canaan, Conn., “Dick and I are well and active in New Canaan.

He works as the administrator at St. Mark’s Hospital, and I volunteer with various groups in town. I’m on the board of Staying Put in New Canaan, whose aim is to keep residents in their homes and stave off assisted living as long as possible.”

OXFORD 1954 Sandy Sturman Harris Class Correspondent Hope this finds all classmates well and kicking up our heels.

I’m still trying to keep my body fit with lots of walking and tap classes. I’m also taking two bridge classes a week, relearning how to count, and remember, and putting to use all of the courtesy,

patience and understanding I ever learned, the latter with my partners and self. Husband David is fine, as I write, and son Seth is still happily working at Tiffany & Co., a mother’s dream, especially on holidays and birthdays. My best to all. Sandy Sturman Harris

huge shock, as he was so fit and healthy. He was the finest person I ever knew. We had a beautiful two-plus years together, which was a great blessing at our age/ any age. Love to all dear Oxford friends for your love and support.

Pam.”

“As for us,” writes Sherry Banks-Cohn, “we are much the same, older and grateful for the wonderful large family we have together – all of whom celebrated Bud’s 85th together in Washington, D.C., last September. It was the best time.

I also visited Sheila for a delicious lunch, and there was time together for Pam and me, Sherry. Being with you was special, allowing us to share in both your grief for Ted’s passing and blessing for that brief life shared together.”

Priscilla Cunningham put a small installation of Sally Austin’s shadow boxes in the art cases of the Cosmopolitan Club in New York City. Sally was a VP there and on many committees, including art, arts and leisure, membership, nominating, associates and membership records. She writes, “A small article about Fanny Mitchell (playwright) and Peter Todd Mitchell (artist), whose estates I have been slaving over for 21 years, will appear in August, and I am writing a memoir about them and my 21-year saga with their estate.”

Ellie Brainard Randrup and Pete called the other night with a good family catch-up. El’s new book should be out this fall.

They are well. Pete will continue his goal of walking the whole Appalachian Trail. They do love adventure! Muffin’s eldest is in his second year at the Naval Academy – third generation!

From Susan Carvalho Efinger: “Hope you and the rest of the gang are well and give them my best.”

Members of the family of Ann Whitman Hackl ’54 enjoy a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

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Pam Connolly Bartlett Little writes, “I lost my darling husband, Ted Little, several weeks ago from a stroke following hip replacement surgery. It was a

Mimi Ford Stahler was in Tucson when my e-mail came. “I went sick and got sicker so came home early as I did not want to fight a foreign medical system – nothing like your own physician and your own bed – it is just pneumonia for the second time in six months. With drugs it should be gone soon. No real news that I can think of – we are still traveling a bit – hoping for a trip to Turkey in September – much of everything is the same. Chris is still operating, biking, skiing and hiking, and I tag along when I can and want to!”

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Marge Harvey Purves and I had a great visit. Her grandson Rodeo is now 3 and a most busy, entertaining child. She sounds great, and her sisters Ann and Mame are doing very well. Bless that laugh! Marge also writes from Worcester, Mass., “I’m doing fine (along with my 21-year-old cat!) and doing my usual – meetings, mediation and meditation. I am hoping to see the world’s most adorable grandson (really!) on Thanksgiving Day. Best to all!”

Pat Hibben Loring and her husband, Thomas, sold the Boston apartment and enjoy being in Quincy. They are building an addition to their Nantucket home to make it “old-person accessible” with a larger kitchen, an elevator and nice big library. Pat still has the energy of 10, dragging and moving stuff off and on island, here and there, while finding time to read the latest books.

Sheila Hirschfeld Jacobs writes, “Our ‘tidbit’ of the moment is: We’ve just returned from a memorable anniversary celebration with the family in Vail – with no casualties!” Once again she’s looking forward to walking the reservoir with Susan Safford Andrews, who knows all the out-of-the-way trails where our dogs can run off leash. “Clean Start,” a new book by the Jacobs’ daughter Terry, will come out this fall. It is a farm-to-table, glutenfree cookbook.

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES Caroline January said all is well and the same – thank goodness.

Even the “chirpy” voice is still so lovely. Sue Safford Andrews adds much the same response, with “all is fine for now and unchanged,” and that is great news!

Hope Learned Colt called to say that her lovely house in Keene, N.H., has had a facelift, with a new kitchen and expanded living room. The house sits in the middle of a large meadow – sounds beautiful! Hope says that is where her heart is.

Gail Myers Rider wrote a wonderful little tidbit down memory lane: “For those of you who read the delightful article ‘Memories of Kingswood’ by S. Scott Whipple ’54 in the December 2009 issue of K-O Magazine, I think I know that Oxford girl who did not ‘care for jazz’ and whose favorite song was ‘Beyond the Blue Horizon.’ Quite a memory! The West Hartford ‘Love Story’ ended, but jazz is now one of her favorites. They have jazz concerts here in Naples, Fla., in the park on Sunday afternoons, and she particularly enjoys the drummers! Thank you, Sid.” Betsy Robinson wrote a dear, poignant letter about our loss of Julia Thompson Green this past year. They started nursery school together. Betsy was so astute in her observations. She goes on to say, “I am scrabbling about – between rest periods – to find ways to get my little SUMMER 2 0 1 0

dramas on homemade DVD or at least on CD. Being technically challenged, this may take a while. Wouldn’t it be fun to just push a button or two and then whip them off to friends, one by one. So I dream – I’m good at that – I have an idea for a song – for Julie. All I have to do is make it happen.”

After I had a wonderful visit with my dear Betsy Sisbower Bush in Virginia, she sent the following: “First, let me say that I really missed seeing everyone at the reunion. I did catch up with Sandra Solly Utz for a lunch in September. She looks great! This past year, I worked as a campground ranger instead of volunteering, as I had in the past. I’ll be doing that again this year. My Smokey Bear uniform hat makes me look more like a mushroom than an official. George is a volunteer campground host. We live in our

motor coach on the campground, and it only takes 10 minutes to walk to work. Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful place, and nearby Estes Park is a nice town. Come and visit if you are in Colorado between May and September.”

Ann Whitman Hackl’s family, all 14 members, enjoyed a wonderful trip to the Galapagos. Ann and George have taken on a new adventure, purchasing a house in Stonington, Maine, right on the harbor where they can watch the lobster boats. George can fly their Cessna right from the hangar to Stonington in 45 minutes! Ann chairs the Castle Preservation Society, returning the property into good health for the future.

“George and I seem none the worse for another year.”

OXFORD 1955 Helen Brown Kleiner writes from Hirzel, Switzerland, “I

Members of the Oxford Class of 1956 gather in October 2009. From left, Jane Brandon Pfaff, Sandy Travis Zieky, Trina Shaffer Beaghen, Lucy Read, Nancy Austin Reed, Alice Butler Mendell, Sally David Ardrey, Sandy Martin McDonough, Nancy Edwards-Cogswell

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have two children, two teenage grandchildren, a cat and rabbits, and live in paradise. I am beginning to write a master’s paper on Indo-European linguistics.”

OXFORD 1956 Nancy Austin Reed Class Correspondent Hi gals! Thanks to all of you who sent in the following news: Eunice Strong Groark: “The Groarks are all alive and well.

After spending a great summer at Old Black Point with our children and grandchildren, Tom and I went to Turkey for three weeks last fall. What a glorious place it is and with fabulous food, wonderful people and glorious scenery and sights. We got home and then left for Chicago and Seattle to visit our kids over Thanksgiving. We are off to the Masters in Augusta in April.”

Heidi Wood Huddleston: (The following is condensed from Heidi’s Christmas letter.) “2009 has been a year of milestones for us: first was our 50th wedding anniversary in September. Not only did friends from Hilton Head help us celebrate, but our children also put on the most lavish family weekend in Nashville. Second was Joe’s 50th Princeton reunion at the end of May. After that we traveled into NYC, during which Lucy came into the city, and we spent a day with Connie. We continue to spend the first two weeks of each month in Hilton Head.

At some point, we will likely get tired of the travel, but, for the time being, it works for us.

Joe is enjoying retirement and continues serving on a bank board in Bowling Green. I still do some medical-legal consulting, but try to get as much of that done in Bowling Green as I can so I can play and enjoy Hilton Head. We both still love to sail and bike. Hilton Head has provided us the perfect place to entertain family and friends.

Kristina and Sophia will spend December with us in Hilton Head and Bowling Green, and Kurt will be here for two weeks.

Once Sophia starts first grade, travel time will not be as flexible.

She goes to an Austrian school and speaks German very well.

Kristina attends an intensive learning school, where she is learning not only to speak the language but also to write and read as well. Sophia says she is proud of her mother’s German!

They love Austria and find the quality of life unsurpassed.”

Sandy Martin McDonough: “My world has gone to the dogs again as I bred Flurry, a champion Samoyed, before she was 8 months old. Her daughter, Powder, started winning her first day out! Flurry was on “The “National Dog Show,” aired after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, for her breed win. John O’Hurley ’72 hosted the show.

The law continues as ever, with a tremendous downturn in airplane acquisitions and divorces. The bright spot is those clients who appreciate the results we get.

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Lora (daughter), Toby and Caroline (grandchildren) are just fine. Lora teaches specialeducation children. Toby continues to live in Maui and supports himself as a musician.

He surprised Lora by coming here for Christmas. Caroline is in her last college semester, working, too, as a musician.”

Betty Gordon McKim: “I am out in Berkeley with sister Jen and her mathematician husband, Dave. Still teaching poetry for Lesley University and also with the kids in the public school… but everything slowing down some. Also performing poetry with musicians. Living in Lynn, “the city of sin” in a renovated shoe factory with lots of light and space…right near the ocean.”

Beatrice Lodge de Oyarzabal: “Antonio, who is president of the Foundation M.D. Anderson Clinic, organized a congress of over 500 gynecologists and oncologists from over 17 countries and 20 ‘stars’ from the U.S. The Queen (of Spain) inaugurated it, and we gave a cocktail party in our home.

I am involved with charities and music, art and books and apostolic work. Very motivating.

As four of our six children live far away (Seattle, Wash.; California, but now looking for a job here; Roatan Island near Honduras; and Chile), we try to visit them as often as possible. I’m leaving for Chile in March to visit our son Juan, Virginia, his wife, and grandson Pablo, 2½. In the summer we go to a beautiful

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES spot in the north: Comillas, Santander… quality living in Spain.”

picked us up at the station and we had a nice visit with them for a few days.”

Edith Wilcock Patrick: “In four days I go to New Zealand for my annual visit with three granddaughters: Zora, 8½, Oki, 5, and Dune, almost 4, and their parents. I will be gone a month and a couple of days. Sometime last year I lost my sense of smell.

In August I had polyps removed from my nose. Still no sense of smell. Then in January I had to take an antibiotic for an infection that settled in my chest.

I took a pill in the morning, and that evening I smelled the pumpkin bread I was baking!

That’s about it for my year except I fell in love. More about that next year.”

Pat Hanson Rodgers: “Big news here is the arrival of Carson Rodgers on March 5! He joins his big brother Max, 2, in the Rodgers family. Everyone in our extended family is well, including Carson’s cousins (our other two grandchildren) Parker, 1, and Cooper, 3. There are probably a number of us going to our colleges’ 50th class reunions this year. I’m going to mine at Smith in May.”

Lucy Ann Read: “Dick and I left for Florida in mid-December. We had Christmas with Patxi, Ralph and grandkids in Miami. We now are in Fort Myers Beach until April. We had a nice visit here with Joe and Heidi. Lucy and Cody will visit in March. Last June a mini-reunion luncheon was organized in West Hartford Center. Alice, Nancy, Sally, Boots, Sandy M., Sandy Z., Jane P. and I attended. Sue T. canceled because of a cold, and Eunie was in Turkey. This year we are thinking about meeting in New York City. How about a five-day cruise, gals? Early last summer I took my oldest grandson, Jeremy, to Spain to meet his Spanish family and practice his Spanish.

We took a speed train to Seville.

On our return, Bea and Antonio SUMMER 2 0 1 0

Barbara Deeds Schaus: “All is well here except it is freezing and I am recovering from a ski accident with daughter and family in Vermont on Christmas Eve – broken collarbone. No biggie, just a bump in the road.

We are going to be in Bloomfield to celebrate Nick’s mom’s 105th birthday at Duncaster in March.

I’m busy down here with a guardian ad litem program – representing abused children in court. We play a lot of bridge, golf and tennis, when I’m better.

Nick is busy fixing things around the house. He really is a handy guy!”

Juliette Anthony writes from San Rafael, Calif., “I am still working as a legislative and regulatory consultant for Renewable Energy.”

OXFORD 1957 Deborah Bland Albert writes from Thetford Center, Vt., that she occasionally meets Phyllis

Chapman Fenander for lunch in Hanover, N.H., and in Vermont.

Oxford 1958 Sue Mather Dabanian Class Correspondent As I write this in April, Greg and I are getting ready for our annual trek to Palm Springs.

At least the recent earthquake just over the border in Mexico happened before our trip rather than during. Apparently they really felt it in that area. Floods in Connecticut? I hope that everyone is OK and didn’t suffer any damage.

Betsy Swinehart Riel and Dave welcomed their sixth grandchild, Isla, in June 2009. Bets was in California for a month last summer dividing her time between daughters Katie and Beth. As a surprise, Katie and her youngest (ages 10 and 12) came for a week in October for Dave’s birthday and the autumn colors. They had a ball, and the weather was great. Betsy is still unemployed, but she and Dave are doing well.

Penny Hoffman McConnel’s automatic e-mail response said that she was away and “on the beach.” Don’t know where and on what beach!

Betty Ann Lange Leon wrote that Chip, Alison, Hannah and Henry still enjoy sunny Florida.

Christine has been relocated to Houston and is with Macy’s.

Betty’s dad is still in his home in Connecticut, and they celebrated

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his 99th birthday last summer.

Betty and Hayden split their time between Hilton Head and Annapolis.

Toni Carvalho Slifer is still freelance editing. She works two days a week for a friend who has a pet boutique – lots of fun as everyone brings in their dogs.

It has been nice to have several friends they knew overseas come their way as well as family escaping the snow.

Anne Van Winkle-Denne and daughter Katherine had a whirlwind trip to NYC as a last fling before her third baby (a girl) was born. They stayed at the elegant Algonquin, watched her niece run the NYC marathon, had a family reunion, saw some great plays and consumed some fabulous food. After a rainy winter, she has been lying in the sun, tending her garden and playing lots of tennis. Annie claims that she feels 40 most of the time instead of that unmentionable number.

Blair Smyth Lang reports that Fairfield had some major damage during the March wind and rains.

She had only a few branches fall. The 70-mph winds kept up for about six hours, and the noise off the Sound was almost overwhelming. Grandson Garrett is 7, a good student and pitcher on his minor league team.

Brooke, 4, is taking dancing and just had her first recital.

Carol McCrann Proom had a wonderful three-week trip

to South Africa. She has 13 grandchildren in various stages of education from nursery school to senior in college. All are well and happy as is their aging grandmother.

Sarah Duffield and Craig had a little excitement over Christmas.

They decided to take the train to Williamsburg to see her sister, Dinnie. Between a power outage and someone parking a car on the tracks, it took them 17 hours to get there instead of 11½ hours.

It even made the TV news!

Daughters are all doing well.

Caitlin is a lawyer specializing in an international women’s health program. She travels a lot, including trips to India, South America and Lithuania.

Henrietta does social work at Columbia New York-Presbyterian Hospital, specializing in domestic violence. She is also on the board of a program called City Green. Emily is teaching at her children’s school and wants to get her master’s in art and special education. Audrey is 7 and Julian is 5.

Annie mentioned our cold (for California) rainy winter. Greg and I took off for eight days to Florida in March, staying part of the time near Tampa and part in Naples. I reconnected with a former neighbor from the ’40s whom I had not seen in about 55 years. We visited her on Sanibel Island as well as my former Skidmore roommate on Marco Island. Johnny Mathis was staying at our hotel in Naples, and I saw him in the breakfast

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room. After Palm Springs we’ll spend a week in Vegas for my BIG birthday. Hope all of our classmates are doing well at this advanced age, and I would love to hear from more of you next time. Write me at sdabanian@gmail.com.

KINGSWOOD 1958 John Larkin reports from Rutland, Vt., that he’s now retired for the third time and is living happily ever after.

OXFORD 1959 Zélie Calvocoressi Tourais Class Correspondent Polly Merritt O’Leary reports that, “aside from the weather, all is well as spring is just around the corner. My big news is that my youngest turns 40 this week. Wow, I can remember being 40. Amazing I am old enough to have a child that old. I am working part time to stave off the down market, which at this point is doing well. I am thinking happy thoughts about getting to Martha’s Vineyard for July. Loved seeing everyone at reunion and thanks for the Octopipers CD.”

Lynn Wilkie Murray writes, “It has been a mixed year for my family. Following our fabulous 50th reunion last June, Bob and I traveled to Ohio for my 45th from Denison. It was a family affair, as my daughter, Kim, was celebrating her 20th and came with her husband, Tim, and their two children. It was a fabulous fun-filled weekend. In September

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES Bob and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with a wonderful party for family and friends. It was a great event for my 94-year-old mother, as the entire family was there for four days.” She said they were looking forward to their November trip to their house in Costa Rica but had to leave four days after their arrival because her mother became ill. She passed away soon after they returned home. “We did manage to end the month of November on a positive note, however, as we returned to Costa Rica for a beautiful sunset wedding on our pool deck for our son, Rick, and his fiancée, Kimberly. Rick’s 10-year-old son, Semler, was the best man. It was a joyous occasion, following so much sadness earlier in the month. Our winter in Costa Rica was a busy one and included a weeklong trip to the ancient city of Antigua, Guatemala, for intensive Spanish language school. Now we need to spend more time in Costa Rica to practice what we learned.

We are proud of our daughter, Kim, who recently received a promotion at Merck and will now be heading up the marketing of the company’s respiratory/ asthma drugs, since the merger of Merck and Schering-Plough. In addition, it appears that Rick will be returning to the yacht-sales business in a venture soon to be announced. I am busier than ever these days with my position as treasurer of my sorority alumnae chapter, my tap dancing (recital coming up soon), dog training and hunting for great gardens as SUMMER 2 0 1 0

a regional representative for the Garden Conservancy. Who said retirement was boring?”

Janice Cianci Castillo sends the following: “It certainly was fun getting together again with some of our classmates who could attend, some of whom I hadn’t seen since our graduation. Sue Wilcock Patrick and I stayed on a couple of days and drove around our old haunts while I got to visit with some cousins. It was all such a memorable walk down memory lane. In June Richard and I spent a week driving through the mountains of North Carolina. We started by flying into Tennessee, where we visited with Sue. In September we spent a few days exploring Vancouver, B.C., and then flew to San Diego, where we picked up daughter Dawn and granddaughter Makenzie and drove up part of the California coast. Richard and I decided to enjoy the Christmas festivities in Berlin, Vienna, Budapest and Prague. The Christmas street markets were so much fun, and the illuminations in all the cities were a sight to behold. In February I spent a weekend at the Wekiva Youth Camp at Wekiva Springs, Fla., for leadership training. I’m going to spend a week there in June working with 8th-graders, teaching canoeing skills and about water conservation.

It was created by the Garden Club Federation, and our Garden Club will be sponsoring my 9-year-old granddaughter

to go with me. I also have been doing some birding and, with some girlfriends, spent a weekend driving through the Everglades and spending a couple of nights in Naples. After a record-breaking long, cold, windy and rainy winter, I’ve been working very hard to get my gardens ready for the CB Garden Club tour for its members. I’m in charge of our condo’s grounds and also looking forward to their being viewed for the city’s beautification award. I’m still keeping up with lots of tennis, bridge and grandchildren.”

My news is that Patrick and I became grandparents for the second time when our son John and his wife, Rachel, welcomed Elise Michelle Tourais on Sept. 6, 2009.

OXFORD 1960 Jane Anderson Innerd Class Correspondent I was delighted to receive news from many of our classmates for this issue. Cynthia Baird Roberts reports that she is well and will celebrate 47 years of marriage in September and that she has two “fabulous” grandbabies.

Scotty Dwyer Benson will not be able to attend our reunion because she will be in Chicago for a family wedding. She writes, “We had a wonderful winter in Virginia; at least I enjoyed all the snow. Actually the Washington metro area had the greatest snow record in 100 years. With two blizzards and a record 26 inches

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on our deck, it reminded me of winters in Connecticut when I was growing up and built snow forts and the like. I may have been the only one who thought being ‘snowed in’ for three to four days was as close to heaven as you could get – but it was fun! I am still working full time for Dermatology Associates of McLean and marked my 10th anniversary there in February.

Not sure what I would do if I retired, so I will probably keep on until they toss me out for being very ‘over the hill.’ By the time this is read, the Class of ’60 will have had our 50th reunion, and hopefully I will have caught up with most of our class. ‘Time does fly by the older one gets’ as my mother used to say. I never believed her until recently! I don’t think of myself as older until I am reminded that our oldest son will be 41 in June!”

From Rhode Island Carolyn Goodrich says she is “still working, both as a social worker doing assessments on adolescents for the Rhode Island courts and a small private practice and parttime real estate with Tina Wilcox McIntyre. I live in the north end of Jamestown and presently have a great view of the water due to temporarily abated plans to build in front of me. I have three kids and seven grandchildren ranging in age from 18 to 2. My daughter moved back from the Caribbean with her children and is living with me temporarily. My oldest grandson, 18, is in Tasmania going to maritime school. His sister is with me and her mother

and in her first year of high school. My son has three girls, 8-year-old twins and a 7-year-old, who are fantastic skiers. I am sharing a ski house in Vermont with the family and just returned from races at Sugarbush, where one granddaughter received two medals. My youngest daughter lives in Florida and has a 4-yearold-girl and 2-year-old boy. They spend six months in Florida and six months in Italy, following their father, who is a yacht captain. Of course, I consider it my duty to visit each year. I am healthy, and my children all like me most of the time. I am active – skiing, boating, playing tennis, traveling whenever possible, and hope to expand my activities as time goes by. I consider myself extremely fortunate and enjoy my life. It was fun catching up with Ann Faude and I look forward to seeing other classmates at the reunion.”

Work by Barby Hamilton Almy is on the Web at www.beachstreetstudios.com.

She recently joined Beach Street Studios as a photographer/ resident artist. Barby writes, “My daughter, Kate, is 25 (BU graduate) and is a fashion model in Boston. She recently was a double for Cameron Diaz in her new movie with Tom Cruise ‘Knight and Day.’ My son, Nick, graduated from Wheaton College last May as a math and economics major. He has a number of part-time jobs going on, is interested in alternative energy and is hoping the job market will improve soon. They

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are both living at home with me and Felix (my Portuguese Water Dog), which is lovely.

I am enjoying it while it lasts.

Kate’s cockapoo, Lily, is with us as well. I have three wonderful stepchildren, and they have five fabulous children between them.

Cali and her husband are in Providence, where she teaches at The Wheeler School (both her girls go there). David and his wife are in Petaluma, Calif., with their three children. He is in sports marketing. Martha is living in Salem, Mass., and is the director of new media at the Peabody Essex Museum. My husband, David, died in 1996. I love living here (Manchester, Mass.) on the ocean with my dogs and kids.

What could be better?”

Because she lives in France, Barbara Hartman Tucker will be unable to attend the reunion. I guess that’s a pretty good excuse! “Last March,” she writes, “I was elected secretary of Democrats Abroad France and was then asked to chair their energy committee. This month I was privileged to share the dais with the French ambassador for climate change in a very lively discussion. Also I became the political and communications director of a lobby and policy/ research group called ‘Capitol Voice.’ Life in Paris is fabulous, and I would be happy to see anyone visiting. I can be reached at the following number 01133-1-43-26-05-34, or I can be reached through e-mail at barbaraht19@gmail.com.”

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES Jane Keller Herzig became a grandmother again. “There are now five Herzigs living in NYC (six if you count the dog, Kaya). My son, Michael, and his wife, Rachelle, welcomed their daughter Rebecca Jane Herzig at 7:08 p.m. on Feb. 25.

She weighed in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces and, despite her size, has a lusty cry and already rules her family. She is a beautiful little bundle. (Michael attended 7th and 8th grades at K-O 198587). My daughter Carolyn now attends the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, where she is enrolled in a Ph.D. program.

Our granddaughter, Viola, is in the 7th grade at the Bank Street School and is loving living in NYC. Ed and I are fine. In April I will begin teaching in a community art program that I have been active in developing and coordinating with two other women. The program is under the umbrella of the Southington Y. I will be teaching a class in collage and mixed media.”

I am grateful to Ann Faude Newbury for locating Sandy (now Ginny) Lee Luxton’s e-mail address. Ginny has been “lost” for a number of years, and it is good to be in touch with her again. She lives in Australia and writes that 25 years ago she and husband Tom “built a home on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

We were there for 17 years. Tom, who is a workaholic, dabbled in consultancy work and retail, which is his great love. Then he had a great idea that it would be SUMMER 2 0 1 0

good fun to have luxury guest accommodations on the property.

Well it nearly killed us: 24-hour service, a commercial kitchen so guests could have in-house dining in their lodges or special cocktail parties and dinners in the house.

We had weddings and receptions.

I thought the only place that was mine was our bedroom. I have to say we could write volumes about some of our guests, but after six years, as with most accommodation providers, we got out and built another home on five acres – no accommodations, but Tom, while we were in Azimuth, started another business, marketing and booking for other accommodation providers because we were always fully booked out and outsourced to other providers. Now we have decided that we will downsize again, hopefully for the last time.

One of the reasons is that our daughter and son-in-law have three children; the eldest is 11 and has extracurricular activities on the weekend, and the others will soon follow suit, and weekends with us will be few and far between. So we are moving a bit closer to Melbourne, where they reside, and we can be more involved in their activities and travel is not such an issue. And, of course, Grammy will be much more accessible.” Ginny ended her e-mail with “say hi to all.”

Another classmate who will be unable to come to our reunion is Dorothy Mooney McAlenney.

“I cannot be at the reunion, but our youngest son, John, is getting married that day in Essex, Conn.

They originally had it the week later, but had to back it up to the 12th. I’m so sad to miss all the fun – and they both (being K-O grads) are very sorry that I have to miss the big 50th! Give my love to all please!”

Martha Lee Pratt Brumby will also miss our 50th because of a previously planned family reunion. She writes, “I am so sorry our family vacation time and the reunion conflict. Our ninth grandchild is due at the end of March, and we get together on the Georgia coast and catch up on family news and watch the children grow and interact. Our cottage is party central for the under-5 set and I cannot disappoint. You all will be in my thoughts, and I will look forward to hearing about where everyone is and what everyone is doing these days. Much love to all.”

Mary Lew Stearns Kelly writes, “Bill and I are still living in our antique home in North Granby, Conn., and we are both still working full time. I am the second shift supervisor of the lab at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, and Bill works for Sprint. In our spare time we are avid gardeners and maintain eight to 10 (mostly flower) gardens on our five acres. Bill is always trying to plan where we can start another, but I have to say it’s not as easy to say ‘yes’ as it used to be. Photography is a passion, and I am looking forward to our trip to Alaska in late summer for an opportunity to

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get some really wonderful photos.

Our three children are all doing well and are scattered about. Bill III and his wife, Holly, live in Darien. He works in the financial sector and Holly has gone back to school to get her master’s degree.

Their two children, Bill IV and Kathleen (Kat), are a junior and sophomore, respectively, at Berkshire School. Bridget and her husband, Mark, live in Carlsbad, Calif., with their four children: Ailis, 8, Aidan, 6, Teagan, 4, and Keelan, 2. Bridget is an attorney (part time from home), and Mark is a Ph.D. in pharmacokinetics.

Our youngest son, Tim, and his wife, Elle, live in Rye, N.Y., with their four children: Dillon, 15, Tatum, 13, Shane, 8, and Finn, 6.

Tim is also in the financial sector, and Elle is a stay-at-home mom who is very involved with their activities both in and out of school.”

Gay Willcox Squire hopes to be able to attend our reunion but has a very busy life. “We have a lovely three-bedroom B&B in a beautifully renovated 1918 house in a quintessential Vermont village. We meet wonderful and interesting people from all over this country and the world. And, if you’ll pardon the brag, we’ve been written up in ‘Fodor’s Guide to New England’ and we receive rave reviews on TripAdvisor.

Life is good. We’ve had but one Oxfordian stay with us: Martha Kiersted, now DuBois, who was several years ahead of us, and her husband, Tew, have visited us a couple of times. Great fun to reminisce about Oxford

before it was K-O! We have two grandchildren via our older son, Max: Elisabeth, 8, and Roger IV, 5. They live about three hours south of us, but we still don’t see enough of them! Our younger son, Bill, still lives in New Zealand, where he does voiceover commercials, is a member of two bands and works for anyone who will hire him in the music/ acting/radio world.”

And from Jane Innerd: Wilf and I enjoy our two grandsons who live in St. Louis. They exhaust us! We were at home in Windsor, Ontario, over the holidays. Our son, Andrew, came from Vancouver to spend Christmas with us, while our second daughter, Charlotte, spent Christmas with her sister, brother-in-law and the two babies in St. Louis. Thank you all for your news.

KINGSWOOD 1960 Deane Berson writes from Cascade, Colo.: “Thank you to Timothy Curtis for his ongoing voluntary role in soliciting our class’ contributions to Kingswood-Oxford.”

KINGSWOOD 1961 Peter J. Babin writes, “My wife, Barbara, and I are now retired with little news to report about us, except that we travel considerably and try to keep up with our three daughters. Our youngest daughter, Suzanne, received her master’s in marriage and family counseling from Seattle University last spring and will be married in Seattle May 5,

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2010. She is employed at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Our middle daughter, Elizabeth, received her master’s in nursing from Johns Hopkins University in 2007 and her nurse practitioner designation from Washington State University last spring.

She is employed as a pediatric hospitalist at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, Mont. Our oldest daughter, Caroline, received her M.B.A. from the University of Denver in 2004 and works as a convention planner, living in San Francisco. Elizabeth has given us two wonderful granddaughters, ages 1½ and 2½.”

OXFORD 1962 Elizabeth “Betsy” Nicoll Walker writes from Richmond, Va., “My 5-year-old kidney is functioning perfectly, and I’m doing beautifully for someone who has had diabetes for 69 years now! Our lives these days pretty much revolve around travel and our eight grandchildren.”

KINGSWOOD 1962 Bob Murphy writes from Boston, “Janet and I enjoyed attending the Centennial Celebration. My grandsons, Stephen, 3½, and Drew, 2½, enjoy baking cookies with me.”

KINGSWOOD 1963 Don Barlow writes, “Retired from 38 years of Spanish teaching; still tutor students in Spanish; ride my bicycle 16-20 miles per day; marketing my newest book at www.createspace.com/3355851.”

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES OXFORD 1964 Hannah Williams Boulton reports from Duxbury, Mass., that she still works part time as a pediatric nurse and has 19 grandchildren. Her husband is retired, and they travel frequently. She sees Nancy Watters regularly.

KINGSWOOD 1964 Former K-O Head of School Tyler C. Tingley retired as principal of Philips Exeter Academy on June 30, 2009.

He and his wife, Marcia, have moved to Kittery, Me. KINGSWOOD 1967 Charles Devnew was recently sworn in as president of the Wilkes County (N.C.) Association of Realtors. “Send us your retired, affluent, muddled masses, yearning to be warm,” he writes.

OXFORD 1968 Helen Carey LaFaive Class Correspondent From Kathy McKnight Coss: “Ed and I are finally finishing remodeling the house we bought 30 years ago. It was built in the 1890s, and the last time the kitchen was updated was 1926.

When the kids were young, we decided to put the money into a sailboat, figuring that they would have happier memories of a boat than a new kitchen! I also did not have the time to really think about it. So now we are bumping out a section of the back side and redoing the laundry, breakfast area, downstairs bath (now to be SUMMER 2 0 1 0

handicapped accessible! – our thoughts do change over the years) and kitchen. Kathleen is preparing for law school down in D.C. Ted is preparing to go back to graduate school. Both are happy with their career choices.

Last June Ed and I brought two mixed-breed dogs home from a shelter. They are 6 and 7 years old and have some Shih Tzu and who knows what else in them.

Very cute and small enough to sail with us.”

at the University of Colorado toward her master’s in special education. Then she will move in June. Elizabeth is working in Boston and is working on her M.B.A. at Northeastern. Jack and I enjoy our winters in Florida and summers on Cape Cod. Retirement is agreeing with us.

We will be celebrating my 60th and my mom’s 90th birthdays this summer with all the family gathering at my sister’s home on Nantucket.”

Lexye Levin-Aversa is trying to stir up a group trip for our class for this fall to Italy. Please contact me if you are interested.

I certainly am. It would be fabulous, as she is without a doubt the best of the best travel and event planner for Italy and Palm Beach.

Here’s a note about Tyra Nelson Ellison’s mother from an e-mail I received from Sam (Mary Cheney Nelson). The subject of the e-mail was on turning 60 and seeming younger than our mothers were at our age! “Barbara Nelson has found her 92-year-old boyfriend from high school, and now they talk on the phone twice a day and go for long lunches at the Iron Frog in Simsbury. I want to be as young as she is when I’m 92! Channel 30 News got wind of it, and if you Google their Web site, you can watch the story they did about Barbara and John Benjamin, whose son owns the Iron Frog.” (Note from Helen… sounds like “older” age might not be that bad!) Sam had a great 60th birthday party at a winery.

Roberta Echelson says she is not turning 60, just 49 over and over again. Good idea. Her news: “I left the Atheneum last July for a new position with the UConn Foundation. Am located at the foundation’s Farmington office, working exclusively with UConn Health Center programs as manager of grants and proposals.

What a fascinating place.”

From Susie Eaton MacKenzie: “My daughter Abby was married last July. The wedding was held on Cape Cod, and it was a lovely sunny day. She and her husband have been living in Denver, but Jimmy was just transferred to Billings, Mont. Abby is finishing up the school year; she teaches fourth grade and is taking courses

I (Helen) saw Tyra at Nancy Bulkeley Crocker’s memorial service last August, and Tyra looked lovely and seemed very happy. It was a very sad day for all of us who knew Nancy, who was in our Oxford Class for 7th and 8th grades. She died very suddenly at 59. Her brother, Ted, and I

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have now each lost a sibling much too soon. So did Brooksie Koopman, actually. Nancy was predeceased by her beautiful daughter, Becca. She left her two children, Sarah and Ted, and her brothers, Tom Bulkeley and Ted Bulkeley, as well as her father Edward Bulkeley. Her wonderful husband Co Crocker (Courtenay Crocker) became a grandfather last fall when Sarah had her first child, Christopher. Nancy was so creative, so true to herself and such a wonderful mother.

Our thoughts go out to Co, her children and her family.

embedded staff development for the four ESL teachers working for this BOCES. My students are mostly special-needs and second-language learners. It is a challenge, both the job and the commuting and traveling between districts. However, a job in this economy is a blessing. My older son, Stephan Trappenburg, and his wife, Ingrid, are now the proud parents of twins, Markus and Laney, born Nov. 6, 2009.

As some of you know, being a grandparent is an amazing and wonderful experience! My younger son, Carey, has recently become a homeowner in Delmar,

Sarah McGann Stoll sends this news: “I am supervising student teachers for a local college and loving the flexibility of this parttime job, which gives me time to travel a little. Linda Brandt and I went on a wonderful cruise in January to St. Thomas and St. Maarten. We thoroughly enjoyed the beaches, our balcony and cruising in general.”

News from Jean Shinabarger Hull: “Last spring my school district discontinued German (part of my teaching position) and cut my ESL (English as a Second Language) position to part time. This was done three years from retirement. This past Christmas break, I finally found full-time employment again.

I am working for the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in Castleton-onHudson, N.Y., about 1½ hours from home, again as an itinerant ESL teacher for three New York counties. I am also providing SUMMER 2 0 1 0

N.Y., a community not far from his work in Albany. He, his two boxers, and the bank will live happily ever after! I am amazed at both sons as they handily assume the roles of parents and home improvement engineers! Oma, as I am officially now known, continues to live happily in the Catskills with Buddy the obese and aging cat. I don’t fit into the first category, and I choose not to acknowledge the second! I find the best news is that we have each other as classmates – go ’68ers, and I hope you are all well – despite any challenges you/we might have!”

Enjoy discount on Hartford Stage summer shows at K-O Kingswood-Oxford School and Hartford Stage Company are joining forces this summer as several Hartford Stage shows will be performed in K-O’s Roberts Theater. The change in venue will take place as Hartford Stage breaks ground on a renovation and expansion project.

As a member of the K-O community, you can enjoy 15 percent off regular prices for the following shows: Hartford Stage’s Broadway Legends series • “Elaine Stritch Singin’ Sondheim...One Song at a Time,” June 17-20, 2010 • “Chita Rivera: My Broadway,” June 22-27, 2010 • “An Evening with Ben Vereen,” July 6-11, 2010 The MainStage production • “Sheila’s Day,” July 21-Aug. 15, 2010.

You may get the discount online at www.hartfordstage.org with the code 170170 or call the Box Office at 860-527-5151 and mention Kingswood-Oxford. If you have any problems ordering online, please call the Box Office at the phone number listed above.

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES A new racing shell made in Connecticut and rowed by a high school crew in Virginia has been named in honor of Brooksie Koopman. An eight-oared shell, “The Brooksie Koopman,” made by Vespoli USA of New Haven, is the newest addition to the fleet of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. It was named in honor of Brooksie to recognize her five-year campaign to improve and maintain the school’s boathouse, the Dee Campbell Rowing Center. Brooksie was an active volunteer for the rowing program’s booster club when her daughter, Tressa, and two sons, Richard and George, rowed for T.C. Williams from 2001 to 2009.

In 2004, concerned that the school’s 18-year-old boathouse was showing signs of wear and tear, she took on the task of maintaining and improving the boathouse and dock. As chief advocate for the rowing center, she worked with the public school system on everything from general maintenance to major repair and replacement needs, setting priorities for capital projects and helping shepherd them through the city budget process. Her involvement with the facility and its needs were so complete that the coaches had the catchphrase “Go ask Brooksie!” inscribed on the stern behind the coxswain’s seat of the new shell. In a dedication ceremony at the rowing center March 27, members of the Alexandria Crew Boosters Club praised Brooksie’s energy, enthusiasm and efficiency.

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“One of the most remarkable contributions that Brooksie has made to this program,” said Boosters Club President Dan Shipp, “is to make us all proud, to give us a sense of ownership in one of the finest facilities for rowing anywhere in the country.”

Before christening the new shell with a carafe of Potomac River water, Brooksie noted that the Brooks family settled in Timbuctoo, Calif., during the Gold Rush. “My wish for this boat, and for all the people who row in it, is another gold rush,” she said. “Lots of gold.”

From Helen Carey LaFaive: All is well here. Marcy loves her job as music supervisor for BLT Music. She puts together the music for movie trailers as well as other things about which I have no clue. She has a new apartment and loves Los Angeles and the opportunities she has there. Austin is still working at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in Boston. He spent a week in Budapest for them. We rented a wonderful house near the water in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to celebrate Austin’s 30th there with Austin, Nora, Marcy, a friend of Marcy’s from Emerson, Doug and me. Doug and I are going to Provence for three weeks in mid-June to check out growing lavender, explore the little villages and sit in the sun by our little rental cottage on a farm.

Austin and Nora will join us for a week. Marcy has commitments elsewhere, unfortunately. The trip is a present to myself for my 60th, a little early. I would like to

see our farmland every June in bloom with lavender, so why not go where it will be at the height of its bloom in France? We have had to find someone to take care of our 37 laying chickens while we are gone. Our class is turning or has turned 60 this year, and yet everyone keeps commenting on how much younger we are than our mothers were at this age! It’s all in your attitude, and I think the Oxford Class of 1968 has a great one! Hope we can continue to gather each year or more. Always let me know when you are in the area. Happy 60th birthday you all. H. KINGSWOOD 1970 Allan Singer has worked in the mental health profession for more than 35 years, including 27 years in private psychotherapy practice in Boston. Allan lives with his life partner, Dr. Emil Horowitz, and their two puppies

Alison Heath Rusczyk ’73 with her husband, John, on their wedding day

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– a brother and sister named Simon and Bailey. Allan is a contributing author for three books and has facilitated personal growth workshops nationally and internationally.

OXFORD 1973 Alison Heath Rusczyk writes, “I am remarried as of May 30, 2009. I have been working at the University of Hartford in the Mortensen Library for the past five years as a coordinator in the circulation department. Love it so much. Both my boys, Jared, 25, and Heath, 22, are finishing up criminal justice degrees here and will graduate this May. My husband, John, is director of agricultural training in Kandahar, Afghanistan, for Development Relief International and works three months on and two weeks off. We live in Newington.”

his undergraduate degree, he served as an air traffic control officer in the U.S. Air Force and subsequently served in the Connecticut Air National Guard as a public affairs officer. Michael has held a number of positions with financial institutions. Prior to joining Simsbury Bank, he was senior vice president and senior commercial loan officer with Putnam Bank; a vice president with The Savings Institute Bank and Trust Co.; and a principal of Woodstock Financial Group LLC. Michael also held several management positions with Fleet Bank. In 2000, he was awarded a certified financial planner license.

Michael is serving his third term in the Connecticut State Assembly as a representative of the 50th Assembly district. He is married with two children, ages 12 and 15.

K-O 1979 Small world department: Dan Pope recently ran into Mike Gustafson at a wine-tasting convention in Lima, Peru.

Bill Demarest writes, “My employer, ACS, was bought

by Xerox in February. I am continuing my position as a senior financial analyst for Xerox’s information technology outsourcing division. Life continues to be wonderful in sunny Orlando!”

Jennifer Juros Googins writes from Glastonbury, “I am enjoying reconnecting with my classmates both at the reunion in May as well as on Facebook!”

K-O history and math teacher Dick Dale, husband of Martha Simons Dale, was re-elected overwhelmingly to the Bloomfield, Conn., board of education last November. Dick garnered more votes than any other candidate in the election.

K-O 1976 The Hartford Business Journal recently reported that Michael Alberts has been named vice president and commercial relationship manager at Simsbury Bank. Michael holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Connecticut, including a master’s degree in business administration. After receiving

It was Wyverns galore at the 50th birthday party of Brad Hoffman ’78: (front row) Jay Botwick ’76, Brad, Howard Grody ’78, Joe Gianni ’78, K-O creative arts teacher Marcos Carreras, Jim Healey ’78; (middle row) Chuck Bellingrath ’78; (back row) K-O Head of School Dennis Bisgaard, Keith Wolff ’91, Mary Ann Pearson Gianni ’81, Elizabeth Fahy Bellingrath ’78, Pamela Dowling ’78, Monica Bisgaard, Hobey Hyde ’58, Debby Hyde ’68 and Lisa Carreras.

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES K-O 1980 Alyce Raboy Alfano writes, “My husband Charles and I live in Suffield with our children, Nicholas, 12, and Olivia, 8. I practice law in West Hartford in the area of special education and related educational issues. I do keep in touch with a few close friends from Kingswood who have been in my life for…can it be? Thirty years now.”

K-O 1982 Shortly after the devastating earthquake in Haiti last January, United Nations SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon appointed Tony Banbury as acting deputy of the U.N.’s peacekeeping mission there, and Tony has played a key role in directing U.N. relief efforts. He and the head of the U.N. peacekeeping effort in Haiti replaced two U.N. officials who were killed when the earthquake destroyed the U.N.’s Haitian headquarters.

Tony, who normally serves as the U.N’s assistant secretary-general for field operations, has been with the U.N. since graduating from Tufts University. He helped organize several international relief efforts, including those in Thailand after the 2004 tsunami and in Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Tony told The Hartford Courant that his immediate priorities in Haiti were providing victims with water, shelter and food and equipping the U.N.’s relief workers with the planes and land vehicles needed to deliver help.

Tony lives in Westport, Conn., with his wife and four children.

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K-O 1984 Wesleyan University Press has recently published a book by Harris Berger, an associate professor of music and performance studies at Texas A&M. In “Stance – Ideas about Emotion, Style, and Meaning for the Study of Expressive Culture,” Harris examines a variety of artistic performances, including heavymetal rock concerts, classical music recitals, festivals, dance, stand-up comedy and movies, to show how many different types of human expression can embody a political stance. He looks beyond the technical aspects of a performance, such as lyrics, costumes and staging, to examine the experiences of both the performer and the audience. Harris earned his B.A. at Wesleyan and his M.A. and Ph.D. at Indiana University.

He is the author of “Metal, Rock, and Jazz: Perception and

the Phenomenology of Musical Experience” and the co-author of “Identity and Everyday Life: Essays in the Study of Folklore, Music, and Popular Culture.”

He is an editor of the Journal of American Folklore and is part of the advisory board for the working group Music as Performance. The book may be purchased by contacting Stephanie Elliott at Wesleyan University Press at selliott@wesleyan.edu.

K-O 1986 Rebecca Wheeler married Morgan NeSmith on June 6, 2009, in Big Canoe, Ga. Becky is pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing at Emory University.

K-O 1987 Gerin Stevens reports from New York City, “After completing eight years of post-doctoral training, I’ve joined the faculty at Montefiore Medical Center in

cardiology with a subspecialty in heart transplant and mechanical pumps. It was worth every year of training!”

K-O 1988 Todd Mather has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to preserve, protect and promote in perpetuity the art, culture, history and natural beauty of Hartford’s nationally recognized Cedar Hill Cemetery.

K-O 1989 Kate Wheeler writes, “I am living in Atlanta, have three children and am working as an endocrinologist in private practice.”

Charles LaGoy received his D.O. degree from the University of New England in Pittsfield, Mass.

He attended Fordham University and taught in New York and Texas before deciding to return to school. He lives in Pittsfield.

K-O 1990 Scott Aronson writes from Richmond, Va., “My wife, Jacquelin, and I welcomed our fifth child, Howe Jennings Aronson, on Aug. 10, 2009.”

K-O 1991 Lindsey Ronald still lives in Santa Monica, Calif., and recently celebrated the birth of her second girl, Sophie Evelyn, on July 3, 2009.

K-O 1992 Kristin Lynch Gregg writes, “We are in East Greenwich, R.I. I am enjoying half time as an ER doctor and half time at home with our 1½-year-old, Christopher. My husband, Shea, keeps busy as a trauma surgeon.”

K-O 1993 Emily Lips Brenner and her husband, Dean, are the proud parents of Zachary Matthew Brenner, born Nov. 10, 2009.

Emily teaches at ChoateRosemary Hall School.

Karyn Brownstein Brents writes, “I recently moved with my family to Auckland, New Zealand. We absolutely love it here. I am currently enjoying my free time and working part time while I wait to get my chiropractic license here. We have been doing lots of traveling and are hoping to make it back to Connecticut for Christmas.”

K-O 1994 Emily Chiarappa Candee and her husband, Bill, welcomed Cole Richard Candee on Oct. 30, 2009. Emily, Bill and Cole live in New York City.

Mara Kennedy Montante and her husband, Mathew Montante, welcomed their son, Theodore, June 8, 2009. He joins brother Jackson, 4. Mara and her family live in New York City.

K-O 1995 Anders Peterson writes, “My wife, Anna, and I welcomed our son, Lars Aksel Peterson, this past summer.”

Stephen Kraus is engaged to be married to Sarah Joan Tudryn of Northampton, Mass. Sarah is a graduate of Cathedral High School and the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated magna cum laude from the Annenberg School of Communication. She received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and is a management consultant with Bain & Co. in Boston.

Steve graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He received an M.B.A. with high honors from Harvard University and is employed in health care venture capital with Bessemer Venture Partners. The couple is planning an Aug. 14 wedding in Chatham, Mass.

Corrections On page 14 of the Centennial Celebration issue of the magazine, two former Kingswood teachers – Stanley Waterman and William Ainsworth Greene – were misidentified. On page 42 of the same issue, the captions for Francis Pandolfi ’61 and Thomas Moran ’60 were switched. We sincerely regret the errors.

Kate Wheeler ’89, Greta Zettergren Morgan ’86, Rebecca Wheeler ’86 and Staunton (Bill) Williams ’54 at Becky’s wedding

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES earned his J.D. in 2009. Bryan has also passed the New York State Bar Exam. He lives in the Back Bay area of Boston.

K-O 1996 Mark “Cal” Joseloff completed his PJ (pararescue) training in September 2009. He is stationed in Westhampton Beach, N.Y., where he is a member of the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard.

K-O 1997 Rosa Lee Klaneski is completing a master’s degree in public policy analysis at Trinity College. She published her second book, “The Letter F: The Process of Civilly Changing Sex” last summer, her first policy work.

Mariah Klaneski ’00 married Sam Reisner on Oct. 3.

K-O 1999 Melissa Holt received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Argosy University in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 7, 2009.

working as a graphic designer in the new media lab in information technology services at Wesleyan.

Sam is a Dartmouth graduate and senior innovation engineer at ESPN in Bristol.

Elisabeth (Lissie) Grace recently moved to Denver and started her own interior design business. You can track her progress or contact her via www.elisabethgracedesign. blogspot.com.

K-O 2001 James “Jake” Bookwalter reports from Hartford that he graduated from Trinity College in 2005, is earning a master’s degree from Trinity and is still working for the House Republicans at the state Capitol.

K-O 2000 Mariah Klaneski married Sam Reisner on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Wesleyan University. Mariah and Sam met thanks to Sam’s sister Jenny and Mariah’s good friend from K-O Jim Casey ’03. In attendance at the wedding were K-O teachers Patricia Rosoff and Lud Baldwin and alums Jim Casey, Susan Keppelman and Ali Rau and family. Mariah is

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K-O 2002 Bryan LaPlant was inducted into the Massachusetts Bar Association last December and joined the global law firm Ropes & Gray in January. He earned his undergraduate degree in political science at Williams College and, after spending a year at the University of Connecticut School of Law, transferred to Harvard Law School, where he

K-O 2003 Jennifer Carboni writes, “I am one of 30 members of the central U.S. route of a nonprofit called ‘Bike & Build’ for the summer of 2010. Bike & Build organizes cross-country cycling trips to alleviate the affordable housing crisis in America. Each rider must raise a minimum of $4,000 to partake in the trip, with the majority of that money going directly to affordable housing organizations across America.

Over the past seven seasons, Bike & Build has donated $2,305,345 to affordable housing organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together. My trip will start in Virginia Beach, Va., on May 19 and take me and the rest of my teammates through 12 states in the central U.S. before ultimately landing me in Cannon Beach, Ore., on July 29. Along the way we will meet with people in the communities we stay in to educate them about the affordable housing issue and stop periodically to trade our bikes for hammers and help to build affordable homes. Please visit www.bikeandbuild.org for more information or to make a taxdeductable donation and support me on my journey across the country in the summer of 2010 to help provide deserving families with a place to call home. Go Wyverns!”

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K-O 2004 Philadelphia Inquirer writer Daniel Rubin recently profiled Kyana Mitchell, a public-health nurse who regularly visits the homes of 27 first-time mothers in Philadelphia to check on the well-being of moms and their babies and dispense supplies, advice and support. Kyana, who is herself the daughter of a teenage mother, has almost completed her master’s degree in nursing at Drexel University.

The program she works for – the Nurse-Family Partnership – has been cited by President Barack Obama as a smart investment in the future. Recounting Kyana’s background, Rubin wrote that she was a 5th-grader in Hartford when “her teacher sensed her intelligence and recommended that she be tested. The teacher had a friend who worked in financial aid at Kingswood-Oxford School, and

soon Mitchell’s mom and other relatives were shuttling her back and forth to the academically demanding school.” Kyana visits four families a day and sometimes has to deal with unwelcome boyfriends who try to block the door. “I have sat on the end of these girls’ beds and heard incredible stories – hardcore stuff,” Kyana told Rubin.

Describing Kyana as a “lifeline” for these families, Rubin concluded, “Kyana Mitchell makes me wish there were more money in the budget – for cloning.”

Emma Cordiano graduated from Trinity College in 2008, where she served as captain of the women’s soccer team. After teaching and coaching for one year at Miss Porter’s School, Emma is pursuing her master’s degree in school counseling at St. Joseph College in West Hartford.

Gary and Ayn LaPlant with their son Bryan ’02 at Bryan’s induction into the Massachusetts Bar Association

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K-O 2005 Casey Rieger is living in Milford, Conn., and working at a school for severely autistic children in Southport, Conn.

Michael Shapiro is working at the Council of Economic Advisers in Washington, D.C. The council assists the president in developing economic policy.

Mike spent last summer working on health care reform.

Blake Berman graduated from Middlebury College last June and is working in the New York office of the Insurance Company of Bermuda. He lives in White Plains, N.Y., and has passed the first actuarial exam.

K-O 2006 Conor Whitney and Schuyler Horn, both seniors at Wheaton College, are teammates on the college’s varsity lacrosse team.

Schuyler is the team’s goalie, and Conor plays defensive middle.

K-O 2007 John Ware, a physics major at Amherst College, is one of 278 sophomores and juniors from across the country who received Barry M. Goldwater scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year. The award will cover the cost of John’s tuition, fees, books and room and board for up to a maximum of $7,500 next year. John said he plans to earn a doctorate in physics and conduct theoretical or experimental research in fundamental physics. He also hopes to teach at a university

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NEWSOFTHECLASSES where, he said, “I can pursue my own studies, collaborate with colleagues and have meaningful interactions with students.”

At Amherst, John has worked in the physics lab helping to build lasers for research and is investigating the single-molecule magnet MN12-acetate under the guidance of a professor. He also collaborated with another physics faculty member and traveled with him to Italy to attend the International Conference on Science and Spirituality. He has received several honors at Amherst, including a Schupf Scholarship, the Walker Prize in Mathematics (twice), the Bassett Price for Physics and the CRC Press Chemistry Award for first-year students. He also stays busy outside the classroom. He has served as a senator in the college’s student government and played ultimate Frisbee with the college’s club team.

K-O 2008 Tyler Dinucci, a sophomore at Bucknell University, received the University Prize for Men for the greatest proficiency in English composition and literature.

Tyler is majoring in English and political science, has a blog on the Bucknell University Web site and is a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

Parnell Jackson has received a Class of 1978 scholarship at Susquehanna University.

James Dowling-Healey reports that Greg Moran and Ross Cohen went on tour in Florida with their band last January.

Michael Whalen reports that he’s a sophomore at Colby College and loving it.

Kurt Sundberg is playing club soccer at the College of

INMEMORIAM Charleston and just appeared in his first student-directed play.

He often sees his College of Charleston classmate Eamon Dworkin.

Brett Lerner reports that he’s enjoying his time at Dickinson College. He just received an internship at the U.S. Army War College and is playing club lacrosse.

K-O 2009 Emily Kim, a first-year student at the University of Pennsylvania, published an article in the October 2009 issue of the Penn Political Review. In it, she argued that the tragic stories used by politicians to illustrate and support their policies often distort the larger issues at stake.

SETH DANIEL FELSON ’79 February 2, 2010 Brother of Matthew Felson ’77 and Ethan Felson ’83

LAURA-LEE BURBANK ’43 October 14, 2009 Husband of James C. Burbank ’40 CASPER H. BURKE ’48 June 10, 2009

NORBERT B. FLYNN ’40 December 4, 2009 Brother of Benedict Flynn Jr. ’36, George B. Flynn ’39, Jean Flynn Kellogg ’42 and Edmund W. Flynn ’51

DOROTHY G. CHRISTENSEN November 14, 2009 Mother of Lisa Christensen Petersen ’74

DOROTHY GETTIER November 13, 2009 Former K-O Dean of Students and Dean of the Faculty

JANE ANDERSON CONROY January 15, 2010 Mother of John T. Conroy ’86 and grandmother of Courtney L. Pendray ’08 and Connor T. Pendray ’11

JAMES M. GUNNING November 16, 2009 Father of Karen Gunning Birnbaum ’85

Ainsley Rossitto was a member of the basketball and lacrosse teams at Susquehanna University this year, and her Susquehanna classmate Leah Gardiner played on the soccer team and in the university orchestra.

GEORGE H. CRAEMER ’47 September 19, 2009

Alena Mukdaprakorn, playing tennis for Southern New Hampshire University, was named Freshman Player of the Year in the Northeast-10.

She also was named to the All-Northeast-10 First Team in singles and doubles, as well as being named to the AllRookie Team.

ROBERT ENSIGN DARLING JR. ’55 October 20, 2009

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ELLEN BABCOCK CUDA April 14, 2010 Mother of Fred Cuda ’79 and Beth Cuda Baker ’80

CAROLYN MUELLER DRESSER ’49 February 16, 2009 HOWARD RICARDO DYER ’94 November 14, 2009

DAVID M. HATHEWAY ’33 November 5, 2009 Brother of Anne Hatheway Clarke ’34 Father of Frank M. Hatheway ’75 and Daniel D. Hatheway ’76 MARTHA “MUFFIE” HENDERSON COOLIDGE HAVILAND ’44 March 15, 2010 Mother of Ann Coolidge Randall ’73 Grandmother of Blake Randall ’13 EVELYN FENN HOLT ’37 February 2, 2010 Mother of Thomas R. Holt ’67 and Douglas F. Holt ’68 MARJORIE COLLINS JACKSON ’41 October 2, 2009

Wheaton College seniors Conor Whitney ’06 (No. 6, center) and Schuyler Horn ’06 (No. 25, in goal) defend against an M.I.T. attackman in a recent varsity lacrosse game.

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WORTHINGTON MINOR ADAMS April 8, 2010 Father of Cecil B. Adams ’73

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JEANNE WARD JACOBY ’45 November 13, 2009 MICHAEL J. KEATING September 9, 2009 Father of Marguerite Keating Glassman ’81 MICHAEL KINNICUTT ’65 December 15, 2008 PAUL J. LAHEY ’67 October 26, 2009 EDWARD HAPGOOD LITTLE ’45 February 20, 2010 Husband of Pamela Connolly Bartlett-Little ’54 CAROL A. MARINAN April 29, 2010 Wife of James D. Marinan ’50 Sister-in-law of Shaun V. Marinan ’55 Grandmother of Calvin A. Hills IV ’09 and Nicholas E. Hills ’13 EDWARD C. MARSDEN ’47 November 10, 2009 EDWARD LEO MARTIN September 12, 2009 Father of Marlo Martin Jackson ’89 WILLIAM P. MELCHER ’47 September 17, 2009 ELLIOTT CAIRNS MILLER November 2, 2009 Former Chair of the K-O Board of Trustees Father of Jonathan Miller ’81

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INMEMORIAM SHIRLEY MARSH MORGAN ’35 October 1, 2008 LISA ANDERSON MUSUMECI November 29, 2009 Mother of Michael Musumeci ’01 and Nina Musumeci ’04 PATRICIA HEWES PIERSON ’44 December 31, 2009 Sister of Helen Hewes Fletcher ’34 PORTER WELLS PRATT ’44 September 22, 2009 DONALD A. PURDY ’41 November 23, 2009 DOUGLAS J. “JIM” ROBERTS JR. ’42 November 21, 2008 Brother of Jane Roberts Pastel ’43 and Ross Roberts ’45 ALEXANDER F. SAUNDERS ’51 February 21, 2010 KATHARINE VAN SANT SPALDING March 8, 2010 Mother of Thomas C. Spalding ’69 and R. Stuart Spalding ’75 THORA BIRD STREETER January 13, 2010 Mother of Sabin C. Streeter ’59 and Anita Streeter Smith ’61

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ANN DIXON THOMAS November 18, 2009 Mother of Ann E. Thomas ’68, John D. Thomas ’69, Barbara Thomas Hairston ’71 and Charles F. Thomas II ’75 JANE HOWE THORNTON ’44 December 25, 2009 MARIE EATON VIERING January 19, 2010 Mother of Donald J. Viering Jr. ’68 DORIAN B. WILKES ’51 September 18, 2009 EVELYN M. WILKIE November 12, 2009 Mother of Lynn Wilkie Murray ’59 and John W. Wilkie ’68 LAURA-LEE BURBANK ’43 of Mystic was born in Hartford and graduated from Connecticut College in 1947 with a major in foreign languages. In 1947 she married James C. Burbank ’40 in Hartford, honeymooning at Skytop Lodge in Pennsylvania.

They moved to Portland, Maine, where they had their first child, Leland, and relocated to Stonington in 1952 when James began working at Electric Boat.

After their second son, Scott, was born, they settled in Mystic and had their third child, Bettina.

Laura-Lee and Jim enjoyed their lives together in Mystic for more than 50 years. Once the children were all in school, Laura-Lee took a position at Connecticut College in the registrar’s office,

where she enjoyed working for 25 years while remaining an actively involved and devoted mother. In their early years there, Laura-Lee was a den mother for a Cub Scout group that was headquartered in their basement. She also liked to volunteer at the Mystic Seaport, the Mystic and Noank Library, the Mystic Congregational Church and the Mystic Arts Center. In the summers, she loved swimming, and sailing and cruising with her husband on their 30-foot sloop Footloose.

She regularly played golf with a group of ladies, joking that none were quite as bad a golfer as she was. Her other interests included reading, bocce, bridge and aerobic exercise classes. She and Jim also took great pleasure in traveling together in this country and abroad.

CASPER H. BURKE ’48 of Niantic graduated from Fairfield University and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and received his specialty training at Boston University School of Graduate Dentistry.

GEORGE H. CRAEMER ’47 of Torrington, Conn., grew up in West Hartford and graduated from the College of the Holy Cross. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and for three years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He worked in the construction business for many years, beginning with George L. Hickey Inc. in Stamford, Conn. for 17 years and ending with O &

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G, based in Torrington, for 10 years. After retiring, he drove children with special needs for Miller Transportation Co. of Avon and for the Glastonbury school system. An avid sports fan, George loved watching the Boston Red Sox and the New York Giants. He enjoyed playing tennis and was a member of the Golf Club of Avon and the Stamford Yacht Club.

ROBERT ENSIGN DARLING JR. ’55 was born in Hartford and graduated from Deerfield Academy; Yale University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history; and Trinity College, where he earned a master’s degree in economics. He served in the U.S. Army during peacetime.

A descendent of the founders of the Ensign-Bickford Co., he served as a board director of the company for 25 years. He began his distinguished business career as an investment banker with Putnam & Co. in Hartford, worked for Travelers Insurance in investments and then joined McTeague & Co., a boutique venture capital and investmentbanking firm, as a partner. Robert was also a real estate developer and a pioneer of American professional soccer, owning one of the first professional franchises, the Connecticut Bicentennials of the North American Soccer League, during the early 1970s.

He served on several educational and corporate boards and also coached numerous youth soccer teams and umpired Little League baseball games in Simsbury.

His lifelong passions included music, sailing, fishing and stamp collecting, and, particularly, cheering on his beloved Boston Red Sox. He received extensive vocal and stage training through his membership in the Deerfield and Yale glee clubs and 11 years in the Simsbury Light Opera Company. In 2002, he founded the Ensign-Darling Vocal Fellowship at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford. He was a past commodore of the Weekapaug Yacht Club and a member of the Hartford Golf Club and The Misquamicut Club in Watch Hill, R.I. CAROLYN MUELLER DRESSER ’49 of West Jordan, Utah, was born in Rome, N.Y. Her passion for piano and voice was fostered at Pine Manor Junior College, where she majored in liberal arts and participated in solo and choral music as well as the performing arts.

HOWARD RICARDO DYER ’94 of Palm Coast, Fla., was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, and earned a B.S. in finance at the University of Connecticut. After working in the Hartford office of Lincoln Financial, he relocated with the company to Huntington Beach, Calif., in 1999. In 2003 he and his wife, Camille, moved to Palm Coast, Fla., where he served as a regional life specialist for Lincoln Financial Distributors, covering their Georgia and Florida regions.

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SETH DANIEL FELSON ’79 of Framingham, Mass., was the president and owner of New England Office Solutions. He was the husband of Victoria Asher Felson and the father of Rachel and Zachary Felson. He was the devoted son of Dr. Charles and Janice Lieberman Felson of Vermont and the brother of Matthew Felson ’77 of Illinois, Adam Felson of Arizona and Ethan Felson ’83 of New York.

NORBERT B. FLYNN ’40 of West Hartford was born in Hartford and graduated from Yale University in 1944. During World War II, he served with the U.S. Army in India. He worked for the Travelers Insurance Co. for 41 years, retiring as assistant secretary. An avid golfer and an active member of the Hartford Golf Club for 63 years, he served as captain of the golf team in the Interclub League and was the six-time winner of the John Garvin Tournament at the club.

The Hartford Golf Club recently named a golf tournament the Norbert B. Flynn Tournament in his honor. He was an avid bridge player with the Hartford Bridge Club, a board member of the National Squash Racquets Association, a member of the Yale Alumni Golf Association, the Southern Seniors Golf Association and the Connecticut State Seniors Golf Association.

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INMEMORIAM DAVID M. HATHEWAY ’33 of Bloomfield was born in Hartford and lived in West Hartford for most of his life. After graduating from Princeton University in 1937, he worked for many years for the Travelers Insurance Co. in Hartford, retiring in 1980.

An avid bridge player, Dave played regularly at the Town and County Club in Hartford and continued playing in Bloomfield.

MARTHA “MUFFIE” HENDERSON COOLIDGE HAVILAND ’44 of Bloomfield was born in Cleveland and grew up in Hartford. She attended Garland Junior College in Boston and spent a year studying acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at Carnegie Hall in New York City. After returning to Hartford, she worked for the Aetna Insurance Co., G. Fox & Co., and Sports Limited, and taught nursery school at Renbrook School.

Always fascinated by radio broadcasting, she graduated from the Connecticut School

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of Broadcasting and for many years hosted a Saturday morning radio show on WJMJ, the radio station owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Connecticut.

She was a dedicated volunteer at Hartford Hospital and served as a corporator of the hospital for 51 years. She was also a longtime corporator of the Oak Hill School for the Blind. Muffie was a member and officer of the Junior League of Hartford, the Farmington and Hartford Garden Clubs, the Dancers, the Women’s Exchange, the Thursday Club and the Fair Forty. She was also a member of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America by virtue of her ancestor William Bond. In 2009, at her 65th Oxford class reunion, K-O awarded her its Distinguished Alumni Award. Muffie’s true passion was her family. She was a loving and caring daughter and a great friend to her parents and loved living near them. Muffie’s love for her dear “Bumpy” (Winthrop Alden Haviland Jr. ’36), whom she married on June 10, 1950, was unequaled. She was devoted to him for the 59 years

they were married and still after his death last October. Although Muffie and Win had no children of their own, in 1968 Muffie became the guardian of her niece, Ann Demody Coolidge ’73, after the death of Ann’s parents.

Muffie and Win raised Ann as their daughter from the age of 13. There was no greater joy in Muffie’s life than her grandson, Blake Coolidge Randall ’13.

EVELYN FENN HOLT ’37 of Bloomfield grew up in West Hartford. She attended Skidmore College for two years and completed her studies at Children’s Education Foundation in New York City, where she earned an associate degree in preschool education. She married Richard T. Holt in June 1943, and together they raised four children. She was active in her garden club and the Women’s Committee of the Wadsworth Atheneum. A member of the Hartford Golf Club, Evelyn was an avid golfer, enjoying many rounds with her friends and husband. In later years, she loved spending time with her nine grandchildren.

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MARJORIE COLLINS JACKSON ’41 of Lexington, Mass., was a graduate of Smith College. She was beloved by her children, Meg Jackson and David Jackson, five grandchildren and many nephews and nieces.

JEANNE WARD JACOBY ’45 was beloved by her children, James Kelman, Richard Kelman and Frances Ostendorf, and her brother, David Ward.

PAUL J. LAHEY ’67 of Hartford grew up in West Hartford and graduated from Georgetown University and the University of Connecticut School of Law. He served as an assistant attorney general in Connecticut from 1980 to 2003. During his career, Paul focused on health care law and was an expert on administrative law. His thorough and skilled practice was reflected in the success he achieved in 11 cases argued before the Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts.

Paul’s service to his clients also included his valued counsel and advice to numerous health care professional licensing boards and state officials. Throughout his

career in the office, he mentored many young lawyers, and his guidance was always delivered with dedication, warmth and a sense of humor. Paul’s life was characterized by generosity, wit, humility and bravery in the face of a lengthy, debilitating illness. His happiest times were childhood summers at Hawk’s Nest Beach, family gatherings with his cousins in Storrs, working at St. Francis Hospital as a young man, poker games with his buddies and the triumphs of the Boston Red Sox. EDWARD HAPGOOD LITTLE ’45 of Nantucket, Mass., was born in Hartford and graduated from Yale College in 1950. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and Korea, he served in the Arctic Ocean aboard the USS Stores, in the Far East as part of Task Force 77 and on the admiral’s staff aboard the USS Yorktown.

From 1955 to 1973, Ted was a manufacturer with the Little Products Co. of Hartford and New York, which produced the Exercycle excerciser, a forerunner of later fitness equipment. In 1973, Ted began 32 years of work as a professional genealogist,

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researching and compiling genealogies as well as establishing a number of collections at the Connecticut Historical Society.

In his research he sought to draw aspects of personality from historical records to reveal a person’s life experiences and qualities. Ted served as a member and chairman of the Fenwick Historic District Commission, a member and past governor of the Connecticut Society in the Order and the Founders and Patriots of America, and a member of the Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford. He worshipped at South Congregational Church in Hartford for his entire life and served as the executive secretary of the Connecticut Congregational Fellowship.

He was also a member of the Anglers’ Club on Nantucket and the Nantucket Historical Association. Ted’s focus was always on others, never himself.

He lived a life of service to his family, his church and his country. Beyond family and friends, his pleasures were simple: researching genealogies and especially his own family history, being outdoors with his dogs and children, observing the changing seasons, chopping wood and sailing.

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INMEMORIAM WILLIAM P. MELCHER ’47 of South Hadley, Mass., was born in Hartford and graduated from Haverford College. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. A computer programmer for Travelers Insurance Co., he was known for his intelligence, humor and quirky perspectives on life.

ELLIOTT CAIRNS MILLER of Essex was born in Cambridge, Mass., graduated from Harvard University in 1956 and joined the U.S. Army, serving until 1958. He received his J.D. in 1961 from the University of Michigan and his master’s degree in taxation from Boston University. A longtime resident of West Hartford, he was a partner in the law firm of Robinson and Cole in Hartford. In 1972 he became general counsel for the Society for Savings Bank in Hartford and in 1978 became president of the bank, a position he held until his retirement in 1991. He served as a member of the K-O board from 1976 to 1987, serving as chairman of the board from 1985 to 1987. He was a trustee of the Coordinating Council on Foundations, a director of the Hartford Downtown Council, a trustee of the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Hartford Stage Company.

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SHIRLEY MARSH MORGAN ’35 was born in Hartford and attended Oxford School and Hall High School in West Hartford and was a graduate of Pine Manor Junior College in Wellesley, Mass., and of Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston.

She was employed for many years by Aetna Life & Casualty Co., where she met her husband, Edward H. Morgan.

PATRICIA HEWES PIERSON ’44 of Mountain Lake, Fla., was raised in Farmington, attended Oxford and graduated from Chatham Hall School and Smith College. She and her husband, Paul “Pete” S. Pierson, had four children: Peter, Ann, Chris and Tim. After raising their family in Milwaukee, Wis., and Essex, Conn., Pat and Pete moved to Mountain Lake, Fla., in 1982.

Throughout her life, Pat was involved in volunteer work in her church and community. She served on the board of the Lake Wales Arts Council, supported the work of the Lake Wales Care Center and was an active communicant of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. Pat is remembered by her friends in Mountain Lake and Lake Wales as one who graciously welcomed newcomers and reached out to those in need.

PORTER WELLS PRATT ’44 of Clinton, Conn., was born in Hartford and graduated from the New England Institute. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps in the South Pacific during World War II. He served as a funeral director in his family business, the James T. Pratt Funeral Service of Hartford and Wethersfield, until his retirement in 1984. He was a member of the Masons, the Shrine, where he served as assistant to the potentate, Wethersfield Fire Department No. 3, the Coventry Game Club, the Wethersfield Game Club and the Hartford Canoe Club, where he served as commodore.

DONALD A. PURDY ’41 of Wallingford, Pa., was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, attended Kingswood and graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, R.I. During World War II, he left his studies at Haverford College and enlisted in the Navy. He served as an officer in the South Pacific, participating in the islandhopping campaign of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, including a crucial two-day battle in the Philippines. As a reservist, he was called back during the Korean War. After the war, he studied at Swarthmore College and received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

He served as assistant attorney general in Idaho in the late 1940s before returning to the

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Philadelphia area in 1950. He was a partner in a Chester, Pa., law firm before joining the First Keystone Federal Savings Bank in Media, Pa., where he worked for more than 50 years, eventually becoming its president, chairman of the board and chief executive officer. He loved tennis, reading and sailing and once built a Sunfish out of wood. He enjoyed the Jersey shore and the Poconos, where his family vacationed for 40 years. He was a lifelong member and overseer of the Middletown Friends Meeting and a member of the Wallingford Historical Society and Springhaven Club.

He was an avid Phillies and Eagles fan.

DOUGLAS J. “JIM” ROBERTS JR. ’42 of Old Lyme was born in Hartford and attended the U.S. Naval Academy, Wesleyan University and the Cornell University School of Medicine.

He completed an internship at Hartford Hospital and a residency at Temple Hospital, where he earned a master’s in radiology. A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Jim was chief of the radiology department at the U.S. Air Force base in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He spent the majority of his career as a diagnostic radiologist at Manchester (Conn.) Memorial Hospital (MMH), including appointments as director of the departments of nuclear medicine and radiation therapy.

He was appointed president of

the MMH medical staff in1978.

During his career at MMH, one of his greatest joys was teaching radiology technicians in the school he helped to establish. He wrote, “I haven’t accomplished much in the overall scheme of things, but I made life (and death) a lot easier through radiation therapy and early chemotherapy in the 1950s and 1960s for a great number of patients.” He was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing, sailing, clamming, gardening and travel. He was passionate about the Boston Red Sox, UConn basketball, New York Giants football and folk music.

ALEXANDER F. SAUNDERS ’51 of Vernon, Conn., was born in West Hartford and served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean conflict. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Hartford and worked for IBM for 23 years.

In 1983 Al was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Norwich; his home parish was St. Bernard Church in Rockville. He was active in Boy Scouts with his son, Andrew.

He loved hiking and sailing and traveling with his wife, Elaine.

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JANE HOWE THORNTON ’44 of Bloomfield was born in Hartford, attended Oxford and graduated from Miss Gill’s School in Bernardsville, N.J. She and husband David G. Thornton ’42 lived in Bloomfield for more than 50 years and had a daughter, Lynda, and a son, Samuel. Jane was a member of the Junior League and the Seedling Garden Club. She loved flowers, dogs and horses.

DORIAN B. WILKES ’51 of Santa Fe, N.M., was born in Springfield, Mass., and earned her A.B. from Wellesley College and two master’s degrees, one from the University of Hartford and one from Wesleyan University. Dorian worked as an educator in Branford, Conn., for many years. Fiercely liberal in her outlook, she was an inveterate traveler, an avid follower of the news, a feminist and a student of film and international affairs.

A devoted community member, she was an early supporter and president of Santa Fe Women’s Health Services and a member of RENESAN, Creativity for Peace and the Council on International Relations.

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TRIBUTE Dorothy Gettier

By Patricia Rosoff Dorothy Gettier was a standardbearer, in style and substance, carrying forward into the ’70s both the manners and the grit of an old-school generation, just as she carried into coed Kingswood-Oxford the cashmere sweater-and-pearl-necklace – and the requisite steel – that was the essential character of private girls’ education.

It was a critical juncture at the School, and for those of us women who came new to independent school, she was a mentor, at a time before any of us had the notion of mentoring.

It was more than a generational matter. Dorothy was a career academic forging a foothold for women in a very male ethos, unapologetic about exercising authority or guiding policy or setting parameters. Gracious and old-school she may have been, but she was also not selfconscious in this role – the first to deny it if we tried to make the connection, for instance, between the fact that Ann Serow and I were named department chairs the year after she assumed the role of dean of faculty of the fully merged K-O. So doing, she gave us the credit for our own advancement and then proceeded to steel our resolve in the role.

Bob Lazear knew her mettle and relied on her for the myriad thankless jobs that kept the engines of academia well oiled.

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track and gave credit but she also held people accountable – a matter of some resentment among the old boys used to having their own way without interference. Her voice lives on in the instructions given to the faculty concerning Class Night and Commencement exercises, stipulating that one mustn’t tote “handbags” in faculty processions (lest we appear to be going shopping).The men, for whom this could never be an issue, still find it amusing, but then men don’t continue to struggle with the appurtenances of as-yet-tobe-resolved issues of dress code for professional women.

Dorothy knew better than any the power of persona and helped us learn it, coaching us in what was at stake when we were asked to “represent” at a trustee gathering. We who were born in the ’50s and came of age in the ’60s were, many of us, the first in our families to attend college and to seek something more than an “MRS” degree, and this woman was candid about the mysterious rules of the world that we were entering. She never sent one unarmed into fray, and this awareness of one’s larger role gave us permission to step firmly into the public arena.

Dorothy was always put together and firm. She was approachable and dear. She understood the chain of command and knew her place in it. She knew what she wanted to happen and

Dorothy Gettier

how to steer a course. She coached civility but never deference for its own sake. She was everything genteel, sprung from an upper crust Baltimore family, a fact that was as evident in her demeanor as it was in her vocabulary. She made no apologies for it. She knew her own worth and conducted herself commensurately.

But she was charmed by gumption and appreciated hard work. She did not play favorites nor did she “handle” men differently than women. She dealt with us in candor and utter frankness, but she was also kind and funny and empathic. One knew where she stood and what she represented, which was a firm “true North” in a tumultuous world of generational upheaval.

By knowing who she was, by holding to it, she enabled us to find our bearings. It was a lifetime gift.

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Board of Trustees John J. Alissi ’89, Alumni Council President Katherine Keegan Antle ’96 Walter S. Bailey ’80 Dennis Bisgaard P ’16, Head of School Brett Browchuk P ’14, ’15 Benjamin L. Cruse ’00 Frederick S. Farquhar ’59, P ’83, ’86 Christopher G. Gent P ’03, ’08 Marilyn Glover P ’05, ’07, ’11, Secretary Cheryl Grisé P ’99, ’02 Stephen B. Hazard P ’89, ’92 I. Bradley Hoffman ’78 Timothy A. Holt P ’99, ’02, ’07 Linda Levin P ’09, ’12, Parent Association President Baxter H. Maffett ’68, P ’02, ’06 Bruce A. Mandell ’82 Didier Michaud-Daniel P ’10 Mark Paley P ’07, ’09, ’11, ’14 Michael J. Reilly P ’04, ’08 Avery Rockefeller III P ’00, ’02, Vice Chair Paul F. Romano P ’06, ’08, ’11 Les R. Tager P ’00, ’03, Chair Alden Y. Warner III ’76, Treasurer R. Ashley Washburn P ’08, ’10, ’12, ’15 Paula Whitney P ’02, ’04, ’06, ’07 Joan Safford Wright ’53

Trustees Emeriti Sherry Banks-Cohn ’54, P ’78, ’82 Allen V. Collins P ’75, ’79, ’82, ’88 Richard S. Cuda P ’79, ’80 George L. Estes III ’67, P ’98 Karen K. Gifford ’62 Richard C. Hastings Jr. ’40, P ’78, GP ’09, ’12 J. Gregory Hickey Sr. ’47, P ’73, ’75, GP ’04 Lance L. Knox ’62 Eileen S. Kraus P ’84, ’95 Thomas D. Lips P ’93 James B. Lyon, Esq. ’48 E. Merritt McDonough ’51, P ’79, ’81 Louise Galt Pease ’50 Anne Rudder P ’68 Peter G. Russell ’44, P ’77, ’80, ’82 Frederick D. Watkins P ’71, ’72 John A.T. Wilson ’56, P ’84, ’86 Martin Wolman P ’80, ’82, ’84, ’88

Alumni Council Members John J. Alissi ’89, President Jeffrey Azia ’89 William Bigler ’80, P ’05, ’09, ’13 Jay Botwick ’76, P ’04 Steven Branco ’00 Lynn Mather Charette ’82, P ’14 Jessica Hild Collins ’91 James Eatherton ’79, P ’11, ’14 Eric Eddy ’93 Robert M. Elliott II ’91 Scott Farrell ’91 Carolyn Wolfe Gitlin ’85, P ’11, ’13 Lee Gold ’90 Jim Goldberg ’76 Charna Bortman Kaufman ’85, P ’14 Tyler B. Polk ’99 Ann Coolidge Randall ’73, P ’13 Mary Pallotti Russell ’73, P ’06, ’09 Andrew Satell ’79 Glenn Shafer ’85 Sy Singletary ’92 William Stack ’72, P ’07, ’11, ’12 Carla Do Nascimento Zahner ’97

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Tiesrundeep 2010 graduates and their alumni parents celebrate Commencement: Andy ’78 and Sam Glassman; Brett and Michael ’81 Greenfield; Kathy ’83 and Taylor Amato; Raymond ’74, Sarah and Lisa ’74 Petersen; and Henry ’74 and Sarah Zaccardi.