Fall 2024 Meeting House Magazine by Friends Academy

The Friends Academy Magazine for Alumni, Parents & Friends

The Meeting House

Fall 2024

A commitment to civil discourse steers FA forward

ON THE COVER

Members of the Upper School Civil Discourse Club and Diversity Committee collaborated to create a new lunch-and-learn series that examined political campaigns and policies in the run-up to the 2024 Election.

Welcome, From the Head of School – “Taking a Walk with You”

At any time of the year, the school community is a place of sounds, as the rising and falling voices of children at play and work are endlessly reassuring and uplifting. In an office in which my desk faces inward, the broad windows behind my back do little to screen the sounds of the Quad and the larger campus beyond. I have come to think of the paths that converge at the steps of the Kumar Wang Library as the campus crossroad, as, each and every day, the entire school will pass this way, heading to and from a score of destinations: the Commons, the Dolan Theater, the far reaches of the middle school and athletic center, and the Meeting House itself.

Impossible as it may be to know what each conversation is about, one can imagine that the goals of each are essentially the same, as all who come and go across our campus are seeking understanding, wisdom, insight, confirmation, or direction. As the range of voices betrays, sometimes those who speak – and those who listen – are not sure in which conversation they are involved; and it may be the case that, at the close of their brief journey to lunch or phys ed, they are no further along than when they began. Still, I like to think that each word spoken – and received – brings them closer to one another and to themselves.

Within the pages of this magazine is a powerful article, penned by my good colleague, Andrea Miller – which describes a pursuit common to Friends Academy and uncommon in the wider world: civil discourse. That so many have lost sight of the value of speaking and listening as part of the same act is a notion of some sadness. That they are joined together on this campus is a source of great hope. Keenly aware of the importance of sharing ideas in a civil, respectful manner, we strive to engender in our students a willingness to listen carefully to the other side – the other sides – so that they may continue that striving after understanding that reveals itself in our community’s best moments; and the willingness to keep after it even when every attempt has fallen short. Having watched and listened to our students try to make sense of the awesome events that have crossed their paths in the last year, my faculty colleagues and I appreciate how well our students have done – how well we have done – and how much ground we have yet to cover. It seems that, for some time to come, in seeking after civil discourse, we will often lose our way.

Yet, we move forward still in places and spaces around campus: the benches in the Meeting House, the comfy chairs in the newly renovated Helen A. Dolan Theater, and the warm couches and cubbies of the expanded Kumar Wang Library. It is what we do at Friends Academy. We walk. We talk. We listen and learn.

I invite you to take a walk with me one day across this beautiful campus and listen to the sounds of students and their teachers at work and at play. If you are quiet just long enough, you may find a new way forward, as I have done.

Sincerely,

Paul J. Stellato

FRIENDS ACADEMY MULTIMEDIA

If you spot an icon throughout our issue, scan the accompanying QR code or head to our YouTube page at www.youtube.com/friendsacademyli to watch even more.

A HELPING HAND: During the creation and rehearsal of the 2nd Grade Forest Play, students from our Upper School Advanced Theater Studies class helped mentor our burgeoning Lower School actors. (Read more on Page 14)

REMEMBERING ELIZABETH ROOSEVELT

By Karly Hoeznsch, Friends Academy Archivist

Elizabeth “Liz” Emlen Roosevelt passed away on November 29th, 2024. Liz joined Friends Academy in 1968 and worked primarily in the History Department. Liz taught full-time until 1995 when she took on a part-time role. Her legacy is renewed each year at Friends Academy through the Elizabeth Roosevelt History Award, which was established in 1998.

A first cousin twice removed of Teddy Roosevelt, Liz cared deeply about the history of Long Island and the lives of those who reside here. William Emlen Roosevelt was her paternal grandfather (and Teddy Roosevelt’s first cousin). Born in 1931, she grew up in New York City and Cove Neck and attended The Chapin School and later the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women, which is part of Temple University today. She managed a cattle ranch owned by her father for four years. Following that, she worked as a flight attendant for an Alaskan airline then went back to school by attending the University of Denver and graduating in 1962 with an arts and humanities degree. She began teaching at Syosset High School and then Friends Academy shortly afterwards.

After Friends Academy, Liz continued her passion for history. Her post-“retirement”

accomplishments are extensive. Liz was a member of the Oyster Bay Historical Society and served as its president for some time. Even into her later years, she helped manage the Earle Wightman House, a house in Oyster Bay from 1720. She volunteered at the Planting Fields Arboretum and served as a board member and assistant treasurer for the Theodore Roosevelt Association. A longtime resident of the Village of Cove Neck, she served as her village’s official historian and cowrote Cove Neck: Oyster Bay’s Historic Enclave. The American Museum of Natural History in New York also had the pleasure of her serving on their board for several years.

FriendsAcademy’s newspaper, called the Red and Black until 1971 and The Inkwell ever afterward, features a number of articles by “Miss Roosevelt” and “E. Roosevelt” during her many years here.

In 1983, Liz was interviewed by a student and reflected that, “I have no special goals. I just want to enjoy myself. The nice thing about sailing is that it is a sport you never get too old for.”

Anavid sailor, Liz’s family were members of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club since 1871. She competed four times in the Mrs. Charles Francis Adams Trophy competition, which was the United States Women’s Sailing Championship until 2011. She received a number of awards and recognition for her sailing achievements including the Benzie cup (four times), the Skipper series (ten times), the Squaw cup (more than once), and a host of other prizes such as the Watchbird Trophy (three times), the Tern Trophy, and many, many others. Liz undertook a number of sailing voyages including from Bermuda and from Labrador to Nova Scotia. She was one of the first women to achieve national recognition in sailing and served as a role model for many young women to pursue sailing at a competitive level.

In an article June 1982 issue of The Inkwell, Liz Roosevelt reflects on the meaning of awards: “Prizes should represent effort, and

the more effort put into winning them, probably the greater the satisfaction derived from the winner. So the best advice one could give to a person aiming for an award would be that of my illustrious relative, Theodore Roosevelt: ‘Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.’”

Liz Roosevelt is remembered by many alumni, colleagues, family, friends, and others.

Matthew Stevenson ‘72 recalls the following:

“I took both European and American History with Miss Roosevelt, and like all of her students, I can say she was direct, demanding, and forthright as a teacher, and passionate about her subjects in class. She didn’t let deadlines slip, and she didn’t mind assigning you to read a 350-page biography about John C. Calhoun over Memorial Day weekend (when the rest of the school was at a barbecue). But what took me some years to appreciate is how inspiring she was to her students, which I can measure by the fact that I have devoted the 50 years since I graduated from Friends to, well, the study of European and American History. Moreover, as I began to publish books on both subjects, I discovered I had no more devoted reader than Miss Roosevelt.

Liz Roosevelt lived a full life, and she encouraged the young people she mentored to do the same. Perhaps she said it best when – in

a 1977 Inkwell article, she wrote about the “pursuit of excellence.”

“The other day in pursuit of excellence I was hanging by my heels from a sailing class sailboat in the North American Championships in the middle of Long Island Sound. As I hung out there in a twenty-knot breeze with the occasional wave going down my neck and a marvelous view of the mast, I tried to think of a subject for this article. The problem was not that I couldn’t think of one, but that I could think of so many. I was still deliberating between my pet peeve (those noisy shoes called ‘clogs’ that never stay on the girls’ feet in class), or a description of my trip to the White House this past summer when I shook the hand of the President. Suddenly my skipper announced that we were coming to the mark and it was time to concentrate on which spinnaker to set.

What could be more appropriate than a short sermon on time (historical) and how best to spend it (an art).

As a sign I once saw said, “The Lord does not detract from your allotted time span the time that you spend fishing.” In other words, all that time is yours and it is short. If you’re wondering how the sailboat race came out, we didn’t win; in fact we weren’t in the first ten. But don’t let anyone tell you the days of iron men and wooden ships are over if some of the sailors are women and some of the boats are glass.”

Do you have a memory of Liz Roosevelt that you’d like to share? Please send to Andrea_Miller@fa.org.

LENSWORTHY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALVIN CAAL

Friends Academy Photographer and Videographer Alvin Caal selects his favorite images from the school year so far and tells us why.

Follow Alvin and see FA through his lens on our Instagram page www.instagram.com/lensworthyatFA

In Absentia Graduation

When our students cannot make their Graduation ceremony, due to athletic commitments, Friends Academy holds a personal ceremony for them. Here we see Upper School Principal Mark Schoeffel imparting words of wisdom to one of our graduates. Placed against a wide open sky, the silhouette simplifies and accentuates a tender moment.

All-School Belonging Day

This photo was taken during our All-School Belonging Day, when our students in Grades K-12 met in their Community Groups to celebrate being members of the Friends Academy community. Shooting from a low angle helped me to draw the viewer’s eye to the bean bag being tossed against the backrop of a beautiful blue sky.

Middle School Concert

Stage lighting is very intricate and precise and can make for amazing photographs. During the MS Concert, I captured Mr. Doran happily conducting our young musicians.

Little Friends Graduation

Our Little Friends Infant & Toddler Center graduate displayed a tremendous amount of emotion when it was her turn to receive her diploma – the huge smile on her face as she approached with her eyes fixed on the prize! As a photographer, I wanted to ensure that the diploma was framed in the composition.

Junior/Senior Citizen Prom

This photo was taken in our Commons at the Junior/Senior Citizen Prom, an annual service event where our 11th graders put on a “prom” for residents of the Glen Cove Senior Center. Slowing down the shutter helped to create some light streaks and bring out the joy of this moment.

AROUND THE QUAD

On April 20th, in celebration of International Chinese Language Day, 18 students and teachers were honored with an invitation to the Chinese Embassy. This special event saw participants dressed in traditional Chinese attire from various dynasties, creating a vibrant tapestry of history that enthralled the audience. The celebration turned into a time-traveling experience, vividly bringing to life the rich cultural heritage of China. The event also drew significant media attention,

as students shared their experiences and insights in interviews conducted by prominent outlets such as CCTV, CGTN, and Xinhua News, further highlighting the importance and charm of Chinese cultural traditions. Participating students included Ryan Chang, Ross Yablans, Arielle Roberts, Amanda Gimbel, Eric Ding, Minnie Yu, Olivia Peng, Brinley Davis, Daphne Li, Diane Qiu, Andrew Wang, Reagan Ward, Eric Jiang, Samuel Wen, and Jerry Wang; and teachers Harry Yang, Linxuan Zhang, and Sara Pozzi.

UPPER SCHOOL

A NEW CHAPTER?

By Andrea Miller P ’22, ’27 Director of Strategic Communications

Former Congressman Steve Israel settled into his chair as his staff perched around and behind him. In front of him, six students from the Upper School class, Entrepreneurship I, stood pensive but ready to pitch their ideas inside Theodore’s Books, a small bookstore located off Oyster Bay’s Main Street and owned and operated by Congressman Israel. The challenge on the table? Present ideas, backed up by on-the-ground research, that expand the revenue streams and market share of this community business.

“The business model of selling books to people who walk in the door just is not there,” commented Mr. Israel. “Our biggest competitor is Amazon. If you are price-conscious, you are not shopping here. But, we sell experience and we have actual human beings who can give you recommendations,” he added. “No matter what you are interested in

reading, they are amazing.”

Through PowerPoint and Prezi presentations, the two teams of students articulated ideas that ranged from improving the design appeal of the shop’s interior space and window displays, to expansion of Gen Z-friendly merchandise, to a mix of curated and surprise book bundles to partnering with Friends Academy students on an all-school Book Fair.

“I saw that you have a Book Club,” commented sophomore Ava Jacklitch. “Build off of that. Customers can attend author events and you can promote that on your

social media. Bookstores can act as a community event.”

With nods of approval, Mr. Israel looked up from his notepad. “Oh my gosh, that was fantastic! You know, when I opened this bookstore, I knew zero about this place. My wife said, ‘What do you know about bookstores?’ And I said, ‘What did I know about Congress?’ I do know that every single square foot needs to generate revenue.”

Co-taught by Upper School teachers Leanne Loizides and Molly Foresta, Entrepreneurship I, a semester-long course, challenges students to research and present real-time solutions to a business’ urgent need.

“We loved what we saw,” praised the Congressman. “The depth of your research and your polish is some of the greatest I’ve ever seen –congrats to your teachers!”

“I’m really interested in the innovation behind business,” shared sophomore Naina Narula, adding that she planned to major in economics at college.

Members of our Entrepreneurial Studies class collaborate with former Rep. Steve Israel.

The challenge? To increase the revenue streams and market share of his community business, Oyster Bay-based Theodore’s Books.

FOURTH GRADE

A CORNELL CAPSTONE

By Andrea Miller P ’22, ’27 Director of Strategic Communications

In the spring of 2024, Friends Academy partnered with the Cornell Lab to engage in a design-thinking challenge with our Lower School Entrepreneurship students.

The challenge they offered our students is a real-world problem that Cornell scientists, software developers, and project leads are working on themselves: How to redesign their world-renowned Merlin Bird ID app to make it more “kid-friendly.”

After many months of fieldwork, research, and prototyping, our 4th-grade class presented their research-based solutions to the Cornell Lab on the morning of Friday, May 24.

Their presentations showcased a wide range of thinking from opportunities to improve literacy and learning outcomes in lower school-aged students to technological innovations with new app functions, greater accessibility, and even a new Cornell Lab drone!

Fourth graders present their solutions to Cornell University, while parents and faculty listen in.

Students conducted field research within the Friends Academy Forest Program, as well as interviews with younger peers as they created, designed, and iterated Cornell’s Merlin Bird ID app.

Representatives from Cornell University were on hand to hear student presentations and ask their own questions.

SECOND GRADE SEEDS OF CREATIVITY

By Andrea Miller P ’22, ’27 Director of Strategic Communications

Nestled on the Friends Academy stage and surrounded by a backdrop of potted flora and natural props, second graders welcomed their family and friends to the debut of the 2nd Grade Forest Play.

Seated on blankets and in lawn chairs (warm, dry, and cocooned away from the outdoor drizzle), the audience spilled onto the shared stage as second-grade thespians treated them to a series of six scenes (with titles like “The Invasion,” “Tick Tick Doom,” and “Leaves of Three, Let Them Be”), which combined student research, reflection, and clever humor.

Supported by classroom teachers Sara Weinstein and Maria Hoyle, Costume director Pia Fleischmann, and Music teachers James Liverani and Laura Backley, this inaugural project was spearheaded by an interdisciplinary team including Director of Arts Andrew Geha, Director of Innovation Daniel Mendel, and Forest Program Educator Alana Kessler.

“Our students were inspired to honor the inner light within themselves and the world around them – and to remember the five Forest Program responsibilities,” began Ms. Kessler, as she held aloft a painted and inscribed plank that introduced the first scene.

Written and directed by Mr. Geha (read the full script), the idea first germinated last August after a conversation between

Second graders investigated the lifecycle of a tick with research, humor, and dramatic license.

him and Mr. Mendel. “I’m always interested when teachers of very different backgrounds and disciplines come together and Mr. Geha has been open, collaborative, and eager to try something new,” shared Mr. Mendel. “Our Forest Program is more than an outdoor education program – it’s also about bridging connections across campus,” he added.

In its third year, Friends Academy’s two-acre Forest Program provides an outdoor living laboratory to students in Early Childhood through fourth grade and classes visit weekly. This year, Mr. Mendel and Ms. Kessler expanded the curriculum with outside partners, including Planting Fields and the LI Native Plant Initiative.

Knowing that an all-school musical already involved third and fourth

Second graders performed six different scenes bringing to life the flora and fauna they discovered in the Friends Academy Forest Program.

graders, Lower School Principal Dot Woo suggested that the Forest Play would be a wonderful organic experience for the second grade, considering the work they were already doing in their science classes. “We let students go outside and hone their different senses; in

Upper School students in the Advanced Theater Studies Program served as creative mentors to their younger schoolmates, helping with different aspects of the theatrical process.

On-stage seats were filled with family and friends during this one-show performance.

Around the Quad

essence, they were the eyes that helped gear the theatrical content,” said Ms. Kessler. “Everything that preceded the Play was about how to learn in this Forest Environment,” Mr. Mendel added. “How do we hike up to the forest mindfully and with intention? How do we meaningfully engage with friends while staying attentive to the natural wonders around us? Learning new behaviors and mindsets was necessary work.”

With the play timed for May, students began their research around six topics in March as Mr. Mendel and Ms. Kessler met the challenge of creating meaningful research for second-grade learning. They guided them through a world of different ecosystems, a new vocabulary appropriate for their age group, and group reading exercises. “To embody a character, you have to understand its world. We were all learning with them,” emphasized Mr. Mendel with a smile.

Accompanying students to the Forest Program as they investigated

In essence they were the eyes that helped gear the theatrical content.

– Dean of Innovation Daniel Mendel, as he talks about FA 2nd graders

and explored and listening to them read their research out loud were the catalysts that Mr. Geha needed as he dove into the information to craft individual stories, especially knowing that some material could be more complicated. “It was great spending time with the second grade as we researched the different topics. It also helped me write to their voices in order to bring the material to

life. I wanted to communicate the information with a strong dramatic structure as well as a little humor.

‘Poison Ivy’ was the first one I wrote with a line that started us all off… ‘Come here, do you want to shake my hand?’ The last scene I wrote was ‘Decomposers.’ As I was naming the characters, I discovered that Mood Moss is a real thing! And with that character name, the scene practically wrote itself.”

With the script in hand by midApril, the task now fell to the students – from character analysis to memorization to blocking and a final song at the end that was accompanied by sign language.

“There was such a sense of confidence that grew day after day,” recalled Ms. Kessler. “I saw students who would take the bus and had their scripts in their backpacks and tell me they would take it home and practice with their families. Not only did they find the jokes really funny, but their sense of stewardship grew as well.”

MATH ON THE MOVE

By Andrea Miller P ’22, ’27 Director of Strategic Communications

In Lara Klein’s 8th Grade Algebra class, three teams stand at the ready as they face the front of their classroom. A series of mathematical equations grace large paper posters, as the students, markers in hand, wait for Ms. Klein’s call to action. “Get ready… on your mark… go!” she calls out. “Remember to talk with your team!”

Within seconds, a representative from each team springs to the board as their teammates call out encouragement and directions in today’s “Factoring Relays.”

“We are trying to find the greatest common factor by applying different strategies, like writing the first two terms in parentheses,” explained 8th grader Apexa Holmes. “The most challenging thing is trying to figure out if the GCF (greatest common factor) is going to be positive or negative,” added Dylan Keefer from a competing team. “Everything has to work out and it can be hard to get the right answer.”

As each team completes a problem, they are given the goahead by Ms. Klein to return to their team and finish the turn by stacking a set of either yellow, blue, or purple cups in an ascending pyramid and then quickly unstacking them.

“Where do you find the first GCF?” calls out Ms. Klein. “Nice! Where do you find the second GCF?...

In the second two terms. Remember to work together with your team,” she reminds her students.

doing it on the paper,” observed Dylan. “You can’t slow down to talk and keep your mind on the math problem,” he pointed out.

“It’s definitely a more fun way of practicing,” agreed Apexa.

With each round, the problems grow successively harder and the students’ rate of thinking accelerates. “I feel like this is more fast paced and you think about it more frequently than if you were

Watching her students intently as they apply speed and collaboration, Ms. Klein underscored the importance of movement-based lessons. “The benefit of this kind of activity is that it keeps the kids engaged because it helps them physically and mentally,” she said. “I’ll do activities like this as practice frequently,” she shared. “It’s about being able to explain your reasoning at the board so that someone else can see your strategy, which helps them all to strategize more.”

Eighth graders partner up to solve problems mentally and physically.

SUNNY FALL FAIR 2024!

For the first time since 2021, Fall Fair & Homecoming at Friends Academy had a cloud-free day! The community gathered in great numbers, celebrating our school’s strength and savoring the joys of friendship and belonging.

The Friends Academy classes of 1964 and 1974 met up for their 60th and 50th reunions. Beginning in the Matinecock Meeting House, the former classmates shared stories of friends, teachers, staff, and families.

Remincising continued as all alumni who have celebrated at least 50 reunions made their way to the Marion Jackson House for their annual luncheon.

In the afternoon the good times kept coming with student-led guided tours of the ever-changing FA campus and an interactive conversation about the history of Quakerism with Ed Dugger, Director of College Counseling.

Friends Academy famililes enjoyed several events throughout the day. Starting on the Lower School fields, current students were quick to line up for their favorite rides and games. In the Commons, parent volunteers set up booths with foods from around the world, celebrating what makes each of us unique! On the way to the turf and football fields, fair-goers stopped to speak with student club and committee leaders and learn what the students of FA are passionate about. Co-clerked by Friends Academy classmates Emily Silverstein ‘05 and Jennifer Tytel ‘05, the day was a success!

Clockwise: FA Classes of 1964 and 1974; Brie Kraska ’93 serving “Friends Fries”; Cheerleaders at the FA/Roslyn Football game; Fall Fair rides and smiles; and Fall Fair Co-Chairs Emily Silverstein ‘05 and Jennifer Tytel ‘05.

THE PATH TO PEACE?

CIVIL DISCOURSE PROVIDES VEHICLE FOR REASON, OPEN-MINDEDNESS

By Andrea Miller P ’22, ’27 Director of Strategic Communications

As the business of “keeping school” continues day in and day out at Friends Academy, one precept is held at the core – that of maintaining a mind open to change; consideration of multiple perspectives; and a curiosity that fuels discussion, not argumentative debate.

One student group has made this their sole focus and created programming to bring these principles to the larger community. “Our club’s core mission is to promote true discourse in a time where unfortunately people are entitled to their

own facts and opinions,” shared Upper School Civil Discourse Club co-clerk Ross Yablans. “The club was founded to have a forum where people can learn and be open to having their minds changed.”

A commitment to discourse has grown in importance over the past few years, especially in the recent wake of war and conflicts abroad, as well as charged, emotional debates here in the U.S. Last year, heightened by the events of Oct. 7, a group of Upper School students began grappling with how to talk about vulnerable and sensitive topics within the student body.

Above, Upper School students participate in a Meeting for Peace and peacemaking activity.

Assisted by the advisor to the Civil Discourse Club and Upper School History Department chair Stephen Brennan, four students (Diya Basra ‘24, Dylan Shore ‘24, Max Katovitz ‘25, and Henry Davison ‘24) embarked on a very ambitious project – launch a series of lunch and learns that examine current events with a historical lens around the query, “How has the Holy Land been at the crossroads of civilization?”

Presenting to a full room of students and FA colleagues, these amateur historians deconstructed 3,000 years of history, from early Greek democracies to ancient Israel history in 1,200 BC through the Roman conquest of the Holy Land, antisemitism in the Middle Ages, to the factors that led to the desire for the homeland of Israel.

“We saw that the immediate response from the school and parent dynamics was making it (dialogue) untenable. So we thought that making the discussion about history would make it healthier,” said Henry, who is of Russian descent, and had facilitated a successful Lunch & Learn about the war in Ukraine the previous year.

“A lot of work went into this and we almost didn’t do it – it’s not that black and white,” stated Diya. “But we were all interested in finding common ground so that we could discuss, not

debate,” she added.

In the course of their research, the students were amazed by some of their findings. “I didn’t realize how

far this dates back,” said Dylan. “How far the claim to this land goes.”

For Diya, understanding past influences was eye-opening. “To see how Greek democracies influenced Jewish people,” she shared. “And also how many major religions have all been in this area,” added Max. “People have to be able to understand how wars have happened; they need to understand perspectives of everyone – on both sides of the conflict,” he said. For, as classmate Henry wryly noted, “History doesn’t always repeat itself.”

Facilitated dialogue by students took on a new energy before school broke for the summer last year when members of the Upper School Diversity Committee presented their findings about equity at Friends Academy to the entire FA colleague body. Using their experiences from their visit to the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), students spoke movingly about the school’s discipline system and the opportunities to strengthen accountability and consequence. A “multiracial, multicultural gathering of student leaders from eligible independent high schools across the U.S. and abroad, SDLC focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community” (NAIS

Continued on page 22

Top: Max Katovitz ‘25, Henry Davison ‘24, Dylan Shore ‘24, and Diya Basra ‘24 joined with History Department Head Steve Brennan and Dean of Innovation Daniel Mendel to bring to life a series of talks discussing the history of The Holy Land. Middle: Members of the Diversity Committee, Laila Walker ‘24 and Reagan Ward ‘25, along with other students (bottom) present their findings about student discipline to the full faculty.

website). Each year, Friends Academy sends up to six Upper School students (the maximum allowed by NAIS) and a larger cohort of adults.

Through levity and personal testimonies, this year’s group of SDLC students transformed a potentially hot-button issue into one that was accessible to all, concluding with an activity they designed and rolled out to capture all Upper School student voices in regards to school discipline.

In a parallel effort to mark the anniversary and aftermath of Oct. 7, another group of students (Dylan Wolf ‘26, Will Davis ‘25, Brian Bin ‘25, Lilli Lee ‘25, and Max Katovitz ‘25), assisted by Director of Diversity, Equity, + Inclusion Nailah Moonsammy, met over six weeks with each other and faculty and school leaders. Together they designed an all-school

recognition of Oct. 7th, along with an Upper School Meeting for Peace.

In Upper School morning meetings, four juniors and seniors addressed their classmates with a message of remembrance for the victims, hostages, and their families at the Nova Music Festival in Israel on Oct. 7th, followed by a moment of silence.

“As a Quaker community we believe that listening to each other is the path towards conflict resolution and peace,” acknowledged the students.

It’s about providing curiosity and open mindedness where there are echo chambers.

–

US History Head

Stephen Brennan

In Lower and Middle School, students used a lens of empathy to reflect on how they might find, spread and create peace. Ten days later at the Upper School Meeting for Peace, designed to mark the broader context of civilian suffering across regions, students participated in a contemplative and visual activity to more closely examine the impact of peace. In groups, students recorded some inner thoughts – “Peace can mean more than just the absence of war or violence,” wrote one group. “Let others talk while we listen without judgment,” offered another. And, “Listen to each other and come together even when the world seems to be pulling us apart,” encouraged

Creating posters for peace during a Quaker Meeting for Peace in the Upper School.

Right, Max Katovitz ‘25 and David Chen ‘25 break down the foreign policies of both 2024 Presidential candidates.

other students.

With the national Election looming this fall, younger members of the Civil Discourse Club were eager to continue the momentum of last year’s efforts, emboldened by the lessons they had learned. “This year we were a more unified club,” said Max. “We were all very passionate and still willing to do a lot of research.”

Over the course of two months, beginning on Oct. 1, seniors Ross, Max, and David Chen held five Lunch & Learns that pulled research from two distinct news sources, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. “The group’s mission was to instill reason where there is only emotion, to provide fodder for informed discourse about ideas rather than knee-jerk reactions to ‘vibes’ or viral snapshots,” said Mr. Brennan. “It’s about providing curiosity and open mindedness where there are echo chambers, so that students will have clarity on what the two paths being proposed are on Nov. 5,” he added. Subjects ranged from the candidates’ economic policies, election policies, foreign policy platforms, and the mechanics of the election process, including an explanation of the Electoral College. For a discussion on social policies, including abortion rights and LGBTQ+ issues, Civil Discourse clerks turned to the Diversity Committee for assistance.

“Civil Discourse came to us and wanted to collaborate,” said Cynthia Eustache, Community Liaison for the Diversity Committee. “They were cautious about presenting around woman-centered issues, especially because they were all male,” she explained. “We had done this research before with ‘Defining Discipline’ from SDLC, but it was our first time exploring policy,” shared Diversity Committee co-clerk Reagan Ward. “We had a general baseline knowledge,” continued co-clerk

Morgan Washington. “But it gave us the opportunity to dive into specific court cases and to see things from different sides.”

For Ross, the Lunch and Learn sessions represented seminal moments for him and his classmates. “These are the issues of our lifetime. We are going to college next year and we felt that it was our duty to be well-informed citizens of this country and to learn from other people in the audience who might have interesting contributions that we didn’t think of.

Being able to talk about the issues civilly and without bias is something that I truly value.”

As a transition of national leadership beckons on the horizon, Mr. Brennan was buoyed by the efforts of his students. “I have never seen such selfless acts of civil service on a high school campus,” he remarked. “Hopefully, we have given you material to have some constructive, solid conversations and that we start to listen to each other a little more.”

Above, Civil Discourse Club presenters take questions from faculty and peers.

Senior David Chen explains the nuances of each party’s political platform.

32ND ANNUAL AUCTION

PAINT THE TOWN RED WITH FRIENDS

FScan here to view more photos.

riends Academy celebrated its 32nd Annual Auction on April 12, 2024, at the Garden City Hotel. This year, Paint The Town Red was chaired by Ariel Fish ’00, P ’32, ’34, Leslie French P ’34, and Danielle Valenti Smith ’93, P ’24, ’28. The event was overflowing with good cheer and celebrated the many ways in which our lives are enriched because of our Friends Academy relationships. We offer our deepest appreciation to Ariel, Leslie, and Danielle for their outstanding commitment and to the dedicated Auction Committee (pictured below) for their extraordinary service to Friends Academy. A heartfelt thank you to our community for helping us raise $817,302.

Clockwise, Friends Academy Improv Club entertains the crowd; members of the Auction Committee; Auction chairs Ariel Fish ’00, Leslie French, and Danielle Valenti Smith ’93

CLASS OF 2024 GRADUATION

By Margaret Pegno Visuals, Social Media, Communications Specialist

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, students, families, alumni, and colleagues gathered under the tent on the Friends Academy football field for Commencement exercises. The 94-strong Class of 2024 walked onto the field to partake in their last requirement as Friends Academy students – leaving as the newest members of our alumni community. “To you seniors, I offer up this challenge – DSN (Do Something Nice). Try to perform some act of kindness, large or small, every day of your life,” urged Faculty Commencement Speaker Bill Rueger (pictured below). “The issue becomes finding those opportunities for kindness in the humdrum of everyday life; the real reward is understanding that by your actions you have made your world just a little bit better.”

Senuli Peiris and Daniel Duke (pictured below) were the student speakers selected by their peers to represent the Class of 2024. The first to speak, Senuli vulnerably discussed her fear of change and procrastination about writing her speech, including her “fear of acknowledging that my time at Friends Academy is at its end.”

Starting her time at FA in Kindergarten, Senuli recognized that she will always have a special place in her heart for her school. Senuli’s message to her peers was to live in the present and not be overwhelmed by the future. Daniel – who began his time at Friends Academy in daycare – made one of his final moments here reminicent of his first day, by taking a photo on his dad’s shoulders in front of Withington House. Reading a passage from his favorite childhood story, Oh The Places You’ll Go, by Dr. Suess, Daniel encouraged his classmates to appreciate every moment, find happiness, and pursue their dreams.

The Class Gift was presented by Adriana Lloves (pictured below), a commerical fryer for the Commons kitchen so our community can enjoy a continuation of delicious lunches.

Scan here to view the 2024 Commencement video.

Above, the Class of 2024 lined up on the Kumar Wang Library steps for the traditional pre-ceremony class photo. Below, graduates with parents who are also alumni of Friends Academy.

PHOTOS BY ISLAND PHOTOGRAPHY FOR FRIENDS ACADEMY

MATILDA: THE MUSICAL

During February 8-10, students in grades 3 through 12 took to the stage for the first All-School Production since Newisies in February 2020. This time, the Theater Department brought the timeless story of Matilda to the Helen A. Dolan Center. The production was sold out for all four of its performances and garnered a beautiful community moment for our Pre-Nursery through Grade 12 school. In the Pit Band, two returning alumni supported the cast and crew – Sam Towse ‘16 as conductor and Spencer Towse ’23 on the drums. Matilda, a Broadway adaptation of the the 1988 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, centers on Matilda Wormwood, a precocious five-year-old girl with the gift of telekinesis, who loves reading, overcomes obstacles caused by her family and school, and helps her teacher to reclaim her life.

–

Margaret Pegno Schwartz

Scan here to view more photos on our Flickr page.

PHOTOS BY AMANDA FISK/FRIENDS ACADEMY

MS PLAY: THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Every year, Middle School Arts week suspends our regular academic program for a week of exploration, celebration, and arts immersion. Students can choose to engage in a variety of of arts workshops that are presented by guest artists and Friends Academy faculty – or participate in the Middle School play as either a cast or crew member! Last spring, students in grades 5-8 were fantastic in... The Fantastic Mr. Fox! Originally a novel by remarkable children’s storyteller Roald Dahl, this story has captivated children for over 50 years. The play showed us that strengthening our connections to family and friends and using the power of intelligence will overcome any challenge.

– Margaret Pegno Schwartz

PHOTOS

CONCERT SERIES: A CELEBRATION OF ART & MUSIC

In a landmark year, the Friends Academy Music and Visual Arts departments embraced creativity and brought our all-school theme of “Connection” to new heights in a captivating three-part series of spring 2024 concerts and gallery shows. In the Lower School, each grade took to the stage to sing and play an instrument. Notably, third graders (right) learned the free reed Chinese wind instrument, the Hulusi.

Middle School at Friends Academy is a transformative time – and this is evident in our music program. The students are empowered to have fun while they create beautiful music together!

Theater goers at the Helen A. Dolan Center also received a “surround sound” concert as the Upper School Choir accompanied their band and orchestra peers by singing from the house and balcony.

Clockwise, Lower School students perform on the ancient Chinese wind instrument, the Hulusi. The Middle School chorus was just one of a variety of musical performances, including band and orchestra. Members of the Upper School Chorus surprise the audience with music from above.

PHOTOS BY AMANDA FISK/FRIENDS ACADEMY

R.U.R (ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS)

Astory that was written over 100 years ago found its way to the newly renovated Friends Academy stage. Rossum’s Universal Robots (R.U.R.) is a science-fiction play written in 1920 by Karel Čapek. Originally written in Czech, the play garnered worldwide acclaim for introducing the word “robot” to the English language. Inspiration for this play came from the increased use in mechanical weapons during World War I and the rapid technological changes around the globe.

Our young actors were heavily involved in the development of the play. Meeting together before rehearsals, they began to rewrite

By Margaret Pegno Schwartz Visuals, Social Media, and Communications Specialist

certain scenes and remove dated ideas – such as misogynistic terminology – while still remaining connected to the original story.

“This play asks questions of what is the meaning of being a human being when the life of a human being or existence of humanity is put under a microscope,” said Middle and Upper School Theater teacher and director Eddie Yankow.

As the play opened, futuristic music from Glass Animals filled the theater as the lights brightened and actors entered. The story takes place on a remote island in a factory where humanlike robots are built from synthetic matter to perform the everyday tasks in lieu of humans. Newcomers to the island mistake the robots for other humans but quickly learn that the machines are worked until they break down and are of no further use.

A major character, Helena Glory, the daughter of a president, arrives at the island as a diplomat with an idea of how humans and robots can coexist on earth. She clashes with the factory leader, as they debate what is considered “human.”

As the robots begin to gain self-awareness and human characteristics, the small population of humans on the island begin to worry for their safety and evenutual extinction.

The actors reflected on their personal relationship with the play and how it relates to today. “It is very relevant to what’s happening today with the rise of artificial intelligence,” remarked Taylor Fernandez ’25 who played Dr. Gall. “How far is too far,” pondered Eleanor Lawton-Flatters ’26 who played the robot assistant to the General Manager, Harry Domain. “It seems helpful but at what point is it hurting?”

PHOTOS BY AMANDA FISK/FRIENDS ACADEMY

2023-24

SPRING ATHLETICS

The spring season was exciting and dynamic, featuring a wide variety of sports that showcased athleticism, teamwork, and competition.

The 2024 season saw FA student-athletes earning top spots in state championships across multiple sports. From Hofstra University to trips upstate to matches at the iconic USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center, Friends Academy athletes played hard to the very end.

HIGHLIGHTS

Baseball graduated several seniors after the 2023 season and the young group of boys last spring found chemistry together, and with their new coach Nick Attardi, are building a foundation for a successful future.

Softball had a few injuries this season, and the team continues to take many steps in the right direction. Returning every player next year, the girls look to return to the playoffs.

Boys Lacrosse experienced a remarkable season – the boys beat Oyster Bay 14-5 in the County Semifinals to qualify for the championship at Hofstra University.

Girls Lacrosse played a competitive season and battled all spring. A highlight was beating cross-town rivals Locust Valley in a freezing rain game.

Track & Field once again had an incredibly successful season with 15 athletes receiving accolades from Section VIII. In their final meet of the season

Aislinn Frazer ’25, Cynthia Eustache ’26, Logan Alvarez ’24, and Daren Zhong ’26 won

the co-ed 4x4 relay while also breaking the school record and hitting the national qualifying standard.

Boys Tennis, in a historic season once again, became Long Island Small School Tennis Champions by beating the Ross School 3-2 in a match that came down to the third set in the last doubles match.The boys then went on to the State Championship placing second and being named New York State Runner-Ups.

Crew had another great season with one rower returning to compete at Nationals.

Boys Golf had a successful season, finishing second overall as a team in the Nassau County Championship. Following counties, Jack Estrella ’24, Akash Agarwal ’26, and Charles Nevin ’26 traveled to Elmira, NY for the State Championship where Jack placed 14th.

Girls Golf team continues to grow as they qualified as a team for the Nassau County Championship. The girls placed third overall with Ava Estrella ’26 qualifying for the New York State Championship.

HONORS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Champions are made in the post-season. Congratulations to our athletes who competed in County Championships and beyond!

ALL-AMERICAN

HONORABLE MENTION

Campbell Florence ’24, Boys Lacrosse

ALL-STATE

Akash Agarwal ’26, Boys Golf

Bryan Bin ’26, Boys Tennis (Top 30)

Ava Estrella ’26, Girls Golf

Jack Estrella ’24, Boys Golf

Charles Nevin ’26, Boys Golf

Russell Notaris ’24, Boys Tennis (Top 30)

Akash Agarwal ’26, Boys Golf

Will Bohner ’26, Boys Tennis (Top 30)

Jack Estrella ’24, Boys Golf

Cynthia Eustache ’26, Track & Field

Aislinn Frazer ’25, Track & Field

M. William Green ’24, Boys Golf

Mia Herold ’25, Track & Field

Gabbie Hudak ’27, Girls Lacrosse

Maia Madeira ’27, Track & Field

Cooper Mott ’26, Track & Field

Charles Nevin ’26, Boys Golf

Peter Rosen ’25, Boys Golf

Sean Shallat ’24, Boys Golf

Daren Zhong ’26, Track & Field

HONORABLE MENTION

Joy Biondi ’25, Girls Golf

Lexi Cohen ’26, Girls Lacrosse

ALL-COUNTY ALL-LEAGUE

Linken

1 2nd

Mason

’26, Baseball

Logan Alvarez ’24, Track & Field (Division Champion)

Clementine Constantino ‘24, Track & Field (Division Champion x2)

Will Davis ’25, Track & Field (Division Champion)

Chace Edwards ’27, Track & Field (Division Champion)

Cynthia Eustache ’26, Track & Field (Division Champion x2)

Aislinn Frazer ’25, Track & Field (Division Champion x2)

Katherine Goldstein ’26, Track & Field (Division Champion x2)

Charlotte Knight ’24, Track & Field (Division Champion)

Maia Madeira ’27, Track & Field

Cooper Mott ’26, Track & Field

Charlotte Yanke ’26, Track & Field (Division Champion x2)

Daren Zhong ’26, Track & Field (Division Champion x2)

Clarke Beard ’25, Boys Lacrosse

Emma Brock ’26, Girls Lacrosse

Juliette D’Addario ’26, Girls Lacrosse

Andie Herman ’26, Softball

Steve Panagopoulos ’28, Boys Lacrosse

Cooper Schultz ’24, Boys Lacrosse

Sofia Schwarz ’26, Girls Lacrosse

Bryan Bin ’26, Boys Tennis (Top 30)

Will Bohner ’26, Boys Tennis (Top 30)

Skylar Cohen ’24, Girls Lacrosse (Top 100)

Ava Estrella ’26, Girls Golf (Top 20)

Jack Estrella ’24, Boys Golf (Top 20)

Campbell Florence ’24, Boys Lacrosse (Top 100)

Aislinn Frazer ’25 (Top 50)

Russell Notaris ’24, Boys Tennis (Top 30)

Sean Shallat ’24, Boys Golf (Top 10)

Cohen ’24, Girls Lacrosse

Skylar

Dylan Wolf ’26, Girls Lacrosse

FALL ATHLETICS

The start of the school year was nothing short of exciting with several FA athletics team leading the charge on school spirit.

From the All-School Pep Rally, to the first sunny Fall Fair Day since 2021, to playoff clinches each week, all brought in a fresh energy to campus. Congratulations to all our teams for starting off the year strong!

The 2024 Pep Rally was a massive success. Our Cross Country team was victorious in our annual “Tug of Peace” competition (below).

HIGHLIGHTS

Crew faced some wild conditions this year. The wind kept the team off the water more than ever. This year the team kicked off their season at a regatta in Boston in the pouring rain. However, they were not held back. Their energy and positivity were unstoppable, and everyone raced their hearts out.

Football comprises a dedicated group of athletes who put their all into every practice and game. Known for their positive attitude, they are a coachable team that embodies resilience and teamwork. Their spirit and dedication served as an inspiring example of sportsmanship and perseverance.

Cheer had 19 participants this season! Not only was it great to have 19 team members, but each grade level from grades 9-12 was represented. The team started out knowing just a few cheers during the first week of practice and grew to learn many more cheers, chants and an amazing halftime dance and routine. The team hosted a bake sale in October, raising money for the Manhasset Breast Cancer Coalition. They did an outstanding job at the Pep Rally and mentoring our youngest students at the Lower School Sports Clinic.

Field Hockey faced challenges head-on, never straying away from their core values of sportsmanship, integrity, and perseverance. They celebrated 22 goals and 6 amazing wins, knowing that each victory was a result of their collective effort and support for one another. Through it all, this team remained a family and has many successes to be proud of.

Boys Soccer enjoyed an outstanding 10-4-1 record. These young men displayed relentless heart, unwavering

resilience, and a bond forged through true teamwork.

Securing the #5 seed in Nassau County Class A, Section VIII was more than just a ranking—it was a testament to their dedication, skill, and the passion they brought to every game.

Girls Soccer faced the challenge of rebuilding after losing 14 seniors in just two years—a significant hurdle for our small school. The girls knew that the only way to rebuild this team was trusting the process of hard work at practice, learning how to play together as a team, and becoming a new family. With many pasta parties, team-bonding experiences, and running lots and lots of sprints together, they were able to create a foundation for this team to be successful for many seasons to come.

Girls Tennis competed in every match they played this year in their conference. They ended the season with a 6-8 record, where many of the matches came down to the score of the final court. They won their first-round match against Oyster Bay in the Small School Playoffs and then lost to Cold Spring Harbor in the semifinals, with another close score of 3-2.

Cross Country finished with a 9-3 regular season record on the girls side and a 6-6 record on the boys. They competed against much larger schools and our brave squad of six girls more than held their own. For the first time in 15 years, we have boys who have qualified to run in the state qualifier meet. Aislinn Frazer claimed her third consecutive County Title this year by running the fastest time of the day.

HONORS & ACHIEVEMENTS

QUAKER PRIDE RUNS DEEP WITH 28 INDIVIDUAL AWARDS GIVEN BY SECTION VIII

ALL-COUNTY

Fiona Dougherty ’25, Girls Soccer

Aislinn Frazer ’25, Girls Cross Country (County Champion)

Owen Gordon ’27, Boys Soccer

Dylan Leon ’26, Boys Soccer

Charlotte Yanke ’26, Girls Cross Country HONORABLE MENTION

Lana Alvarez ’28, Girls Soccer

Kat Goldstein ’26, Girls Soccer

Carlos Hernandez ’27, Boys Soccer

ALL-CONFERENCE

Jack Costoglia ’27, Boys Cross Country

Paige D’Anna ’27, Field Hockey

Lilli Lee ’25, Field Hockey

Daphne Lizza ’25, Field Hockey

Aidan Lloves ’26, Boys Soccer

Raphi Loizides ’27, Boys Cross Country

Lucy Miller ’27, Girls Soccer

Mircea Manu ’26, Boys Soccer

Sofia Schwarz ’26, Girls Tennis

Jack Steinberg ’27, Boys Soccer

Daren Zhong ’26, Boys Cross Country

Out-of-state Crew regatta –Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, MA

Field Hockey goals scored 58 1 22

Student-athletes from FA on the Friends Academy/Roslyn High School Football team

Cheerleaders hyping up the fans in the bleachers

2 5 6-8

Eighth Graders played on the Girls Soccer team

Seed in Nassau County Class A for Boys Soccer Tennis record with close matches each game

The Boys Cross Country returns to state qualifier meet after 15 years

Skylar Cohen ’25, Girls Tennis (Top 30) Dylan Leon ’26, Boys Soccer (Top 100)

Clarke Beard ’25, Boys Soccer Ava Skolnick ’25, Girls Soccer

Grace Parziale ’25, Girls Tennis (USTA)

Grace Parziale ’27, Girls Tennis

Maddie Halliday ’25, Girls Tennis

CC Saad ’25, Field Hockey

Molly Halliday ’25, Field Hockey

CLASS OF 2024

PLAYING AT THE NEXT LEVEL

After years of hard work and storied high school careers, eight members of the Class of 2024 committed to continue their athletic journeys in college. Friends Academy commends these collegiate athletes, as well as all graduating members of our athletics program.

Skylar Cohen

Yale University

Women’s Lacrosse

Henry Davison

Brown University

Men’s Crew

Jack Estrella

Williams College

Men’s Golf

Michael Fiechter

Colby College

Men’s Swimming

Campbell Florence

Dartmouth University

Men’s Lacrosse

William Gokey

Columbia University

Men’s Crew

Charlotte Knight

Union College

Women’s Track & Field

Maya Morey

William & Mary

Women’s Soccer

John O’Sullivan

Kenyon College

Men’s Soccer

THE ANNUAL FUND

Support Friends Academy with a gift.

Now more than ever, we need your support. It is imperative that we increase the participation amongst all our constituencies in supporting Friends Academy to advance our Quaker mission in providing the best possible educational experience for our students.

Please consider joining our list of supporters today!

For more information, please contact Kevin Barry, Director of Advancement, at 516-393-4269 or kevin_barry@fa.org.

FACULTY MILESTONES

Over the summer, Director of Early Childhood Abby Cook-Gonzalez had the opportunity to present at two early childhood teaching conferences: the 5th Annual Art of Play & Wonderment Conference in Manhattan and the National Zero to Three LEARN Conference in Long Beach, CA. She delved into the importance and complexities of navigating rough play in an early childhood classroom and emphasized the need to build on themes of consent, empathy, compassion, and communication.

Upper School French teacher and President of the New York Metropolitan Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Polly Duke organized and emceed a conference at Columbia University’s Maison Française titled “L’Exploration sur des questions culturelles et sociales à travers l’utilisation de supports audiovisuels III.” Additionally, she organized and emceed a conference at New York University’s Maison Française titled “Cinéma, Gastronomie et Art : Enseigner autrement.” Last spring, she was appointed to the Friends Council on Education Board of Directors and serves on the Membership Committee. She was also appointed New York Yearly Meeting’s Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM) Coordinator, organizing programming and soliciting volunteers for each age group, from early childhood through high school, at NYM’s Summer Sessions.

Middle and Upper School Visual Arts teacher Amanda Fisk completed a year as the first-ever Artist-In-Residence at the Glen Cove Library. Involvement included many library discussions, teaching

classes to both adults and teens and a large scale community project entitled Caps For Hope, which created a mobile mural out of over 6,000 bottle caps (collected by Glen Cove residents) and was created in order to honor veterans.

Amanda, along with Upper School Math head Jillian Chiarenza, completed the 16week Instructional Leadership Certificate from the Harvard School of Graduate Education.

Director of Arts

Andrew Geha was one of the winners of the 2024 Old Miner’s Children’s Playwriting Contest given by Utah Valley University for Chrysalis. This summer he returned to present at the American Alliance for Theater and Education National Conference about the process through which FA devised original immersive theater with “Haunted” (2022) and “Wake” (2023).

Assistant Head of School and Director of Academic Affairs Jen Halliday completed a Psychology of Leadership Certificate at Cornell University. Last spring, she presented with Upper School Assistant Principal and Science Department head Jen Newitt at the NAIS annual conference. Together they presented with their partner Dr. Neil Smith about their innovative course strand, specifically the Solutions in Medicine course. Schools in attendance could elect to partner with FA and Dr. Smith to develop a similar course in their schools.

Dean of Innovation

Daniel Mendel presented at the Maker Educators Institute on Immersive (ProjectBased Learning) PBL: Creating the Conditions for Success, where they unpacked obstacles and opportunities students and teachers tend to experience along the way.

Director of Finance, Operations, and Strategic Projects Ann Marie Tidona completed two terms on the NBOA board. She also served in the role as Board Treasurer, presented at the NBOA Annual conference on Strategic School Leadership – “Uniting Enrollment and Finance Leaders” and “Transparent, Impactful Financial Analysis and Reporting.”

Middle School Learning Speciliast Alexia Walka, completed her Dyslexia Practitioner training with Wilson Reading Academy. Alexia also completed “Executive Functioning Success - Building Executive Functioning Skills in the Classroom,” which offered teaching strategies and techniques in order to study the most recent research pertaining to students who struggle with time management and organizational skills.

Upper School English Department head Brad Wetherell published a flash-essay, “Hole,” in BULL Magazine, and the Colorado Review published his essay, “Salvaging,” which is both a memoir and a craft essay about writing memoirs. Brad also taught for The School of The New York Times this past summer.

Ann Marie Tidona

Abby CookGonzalez

Amanda Fisk

Jillian Chiarenza

Polly Duke

Brad Wetherell

Andrew Geha

Alexia Walka

Daniel Mendel

Jen Halliday Jen Newitt

TAMMY’S CORNER

As Dean of Faculty Mentoring, I am honored and energized by the opportunity to serve in this role. It is a true privilege to work closely with both our new and veteran colleagues, supporting, guiding, and celebrating them in meaningful ways. This position allows me to witness the evolution of our school community firsthand. With each new group of colleagues, I am reminded of the potential for lasting impact – some of these talented educators may choose to make Friends Academy their permanent home. They may be enriching our culture and strengthening our community for years to come. One of the most rewarding aspects of this role has been the development of a robust mentoring program. Our veteran colleagues partner with our new educators to provide support, share expertise, and inspire confidence. The dedication, passion, and care our colleagues exhibit – both for education and for our students – are truly extraordinary. I feel immense gratitude to serve as a liaison, a cheerleader, and an advocate for all our colleagues. Below, I invite you to learn more about the newest members of our Friends Academy family.

Please enjoy getting to know them and celebrating their unique contributions to our community!

Maria Hoyle 3rd Grade Teacher

I am certified to teach general education to grades N-6, as well as business and distributive education for all grades. I also hold an educational technology specialist certificate and am a Google certified educator. I am very proud to be a new member of the Friends Academy community. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed teaching many grades and subjects. I look forward to continuing my educational journey here at Friends Academy!

My favorite and most memorable community service project here at Friends Academy was delivering food from the Thanksgiving food drive to a food bank with (2nd grade teacher) Sara Weinstein. Her car was fully loaded with food and the volunteers at the food bank were thrilled to see us and receive the delivery.

FUN FACT! A fun fact about me is that I am from Hawaii!

Alfred (Rik) F. Dugan III

Lower School Principal

I hear the calling to lead and try to serve in a way that enables others to be the best version of themselves. I began my career as an educator immediately after college and have felt truly blessed every day and every step of the way as I do my best to “let my life speak”, and am grateful to be a part of our wonderful Friends Academy community. I am proud of our students at FA for how they live our Quaker values and I am proud of my colleagues for how they bring out the best in our students, with joy and love, each and every day. In our recent All-School Community Group holiday service project in partnership with POTS, I was so moved and inspired to see our whole community gathered together – our youngest with their elder friends, in circles on the gym floor, collaborating with joy and purpose for such a powerfully meaningful cause. The moment speaks for itself.

FUN FACT! I was born in Glen Cove, lived here for the first year of my life, and have returned 48 years later.

Tammy Clark Dean of Faculty Mentoring

Claire Francois Middle School French Teacher I started my professional career in fashion and cosmetics in both Paris and NY in the early 2000s. After earning my master’s degree in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2008, I shifted my focus to work with children, and I am proud to have led language programs across New York City including a dynamic French school within a ballet academy in Brooklyn and a French afterschool program in NYC public schools. I then went on to teach college-level courses at CUNY and NYU for three years before joining FA in September this year. My favorite community service project in the Middle School was a highly successful Thanksgiving Food Drive in support of the Interreligious and Human Needs Council of Oyster Bay, with over 700 food donations.

FUN FACT! My uncle owns a loft apartment in Paris that was once Pablo Picasso’s residence!

FACULTY RETIREMENTS>>

Bill Garry

35 years at FA

Beginning his tenure at Friends Academy in the fall of 1987, Bill Garry became a pillar of the community.

Over the years, Bill has served mainly as the Grade 7 Math Teacher but also lent a hand in athletics as the Offensive Coordinator for the Varsity Boys Lacrosse team.

For many, Bill Garry is Friends Academy. He welcomed them, encouraged them, reminded them of their responsibilities, and never quit on them. From the confines of his classroom – where he has taught math to more than 2,000 students – he opened to his students a world of possibility and promise. With that, he made a promise to be there for them.

His history with Friends Academy has become the history of Friends Academy, as the things we prize most – integrity, scholarship, patience, simplicity, equity – he has applied equally to himself, his students, and the athletes he has coached. Too modest to seek the light for himself, he has been a beacon of light to thousands of students and colleagues who could not have found their way without him.

In honoring him, we celebrate this marvelous man who has made an art of the simplest things: respect, kindness, compassion, and the confidence that his students and colleagues will always move into the light.

I always tried to relate 7th grade math to the real world. Watch

our interview with Bill Garry – with Aaron Labelson ’26

In the spring of 2024, at the close of the school year, we said farewell to two Friends Academy icons – Middle School teachers Bill Garry and Dan Kriesberg.

(Excerpted remarks from Head of School Paul J. Stellato)

Dan Kriesberg

20 years at FA

Dan began his career at Friends Academy in the fall of 2004 teaching Grade 6 Science and began teaching both Grades 5 and 6 in 2020. Dan also could be found on the field coaching Middle School Boys Lacrosse and in the Field House coaching Middle School Boys Volleyball.

Dan Kriesberg has followed a path less taken and, along the way, has made all the difference. Though his cascading hair resembles a snowcapped mountain, there is a youth and vigor about him that belies his age. His natural curiosity and enthusiasm cannot contain themselves, as even the simplest conversation can quickly turn into a celebration of friendship, discovery, and shared delight. His intellectual and personal interests are so vast and varied, it would be nearly impossible to find a topic beyond his scope.

And yet, possessing this store of knowledge, he remains modest, attentive, and encouraging. Whether his students are assembling bird nests around Jackson house or building paper towers that defy the laws of physics, Dan takes enormous pride in the adventures he prepares for them and pleasure in watching the surprising things they create.

Relationships really matter – that’s what you are going to take from this place.

Watch our interview with Dan Kriesberg – with Aaron Labelson ’26

FROM THE PRESIDENT

PETER STEIN ’79, P ’17, ’20, ’23

Dear Fellow Alumni,

As I sit down to pen this letter, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey I have shared with you over nearly 17 years as your Alumni Association President. It is with a mixture of gratitude, nostalgia, and excitement for the future that I write this farewell message.

For nearly two decades, I have had the pleasure of working alongside dedicated alumni, passionate about preserving and advancing the legacy of our beloved Friends Academy. Each event we hosted, every initiative we launched, and all the memories we created together have been a testament to the enduring spirit of our FA community.

As many of you know, my connection to Friends Academy is deeply personal. Alongside my siblings, wife Susan, a member of the Class of 1984, and our three alumni children—Liz ‘17, Will ‘20, and Ali ‘23—I have cherished every moment spent contributing to our alma mater’s legacy. Since taking on the role of president in 2008, I have witnessed the evolution of our community, navigating both the triumphs and the challenges, including the unprecedented times of the global pandemic.

It is now time for me to step aside and pass the baton to someone equally passionate about our mission. I am thrilled to announce that Lauren Russo ‘09 has taken on the role of President as of September 1, 2024. Her vision

for expanding our alumni outreach and enhancing our engagement aligns perfectly with the future we envision for our Association. I encourage you all to join me in extending a warm welcome to Lauren and showing her the same enthusiasm that you have generously given me over the years.

As I transition from this role, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each of you and share that I plan to remain engaged and connected. The strength and success of our Alumni Association are a testament to the collective efforts of our dedicated members and the unwavering loyalty from our global alumni network.

Thank you for the memories, the support, and the unwavering commitment to our Friends Academy community.

Warmest regards,

Peter Stein ‘79, P ‘17, ‘20, ‘23

Outgoing President, FA Alumni Association

Peter Stein ’79

Alumni Board President

Lauren Russo ’09, new Alumni Association President and outgoing President Peter Stein.

NEW PROGRAM @ FA!

THE ALUMNI & FRIENDS BUSINESS DIRECTORY

At Friends, we firmly believe in the power of connection. Understanding the significance and value of a robust network, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new FA Alumni & Friends Business Directory. This initiative aims to showcase the incredible business owners and entrepreneurs within our Friends Academy community while also aiding our students in navigating their own professional journeys.

Whether you’re a business owner, service provider, or someone eager to support your peers, this resource is tailored for you.

It will be searchable by industry, location, and more. Once compiled, the directory will be publicly accessible. However, only members of the FA community, past or present, can submit their business information.

A listing in the directory is free and open to those who meet the following criteria:

l Founded/co-founded, owned and/or operated by an alumnus, parent, grandparent, or FA family

l Maintains an active website or social media profile for the business

l Align with FA’s mission and values

Look who stopped by @FA!

We are always thrilled to welcome home our alumni, whether it’s been 1 year, or 50! Here are a few folks who dropped by to say hello to faculty, tour the campus, offer advice to soon-to-be alumni, and meet our Director of Alumni Relations Jodie Sperico and our Head of School Paul J. Stellato. Welcome home!

Clockwise from top: Our 2024 Alumni Panel (Josh Mackenzie ‘24, Richard Wang ‘23, Alexandra Grella ‘22, Erica Schwartz ‘22, Emma Daniels ‘23, Skyler Mott ‘21, Angelina Miller ‘22, Eleana Tsiamtsiouris ‘18, Helen Marcell ‘20, Logan Mott ‘23, Sienna Smith ‘24; Sandy Lo ‘89 and Katharine Bowman ‘89; Shannon Seibert Allen ‘98 with Mr. Rueger and Assistant Upper School Principal and Science Department chair Jen Newitt; Archibald “Archie” Cox ‘86 and Library assistant (and former History teacher) Bill Rueger; Anthony Torr ‘61 with Head of School Paul J. Stellato.

48 The Meeting House

FROM THE ALUMNI OFFICE

JODIE SPERICO

Dear Friends Academy Alumni,

As the Director of Alumni Relations, I am continually inspired by the remarkable stories and achievements of our graduates, near and far. In this issue, you’ll find captivating articles about Lois Juliber ‘67, whose impactful career and community service continue to set a shining example; Rigoberto Antonio Reyes ‘09, who has made impressive strides in his field; and our dedicated outgoing Alumni Association President, Peter Stein ’79, P ’17, ’20, ’23. Their journeys beautifully illustrate how they have integrated their Friends Academy education into their lives, setting a powerful example for us all.

Jodie Sperico Director of Alumni Relations

Our alumni community is strong and thriving, as shown by the recent NYC alumni reception at the Cornell Club, a joyful reminder of the deep connections we share. I’m also excited to introduce Lauren Russo ‘09 as the new president of the Alumni Association. Her leadership and commitment to our community will inspire continued growth and engagement, and we look forward to the positive impact she will make.

I’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the many Class Representatives who have contributed to curating the Class Notes section of this magazine. It’s a privilege to

celebrate the diverse accomplishments of our 4,300 alumni and to share in the joy of your personal and professional milestones. If you haven’t yet shared your own updates, I encourage you to do so—we would be honored to feature your story.

Your ongoing engagement with Friends Academy—whether through attending events, serving in volunteer roles, planning reunions, or contributing to the Annual Fund—is deeply appreciated. Thank you for your steadfast support. If you’re interested in discussing further involvement or simply catching up, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I would love nothing more than to welcome you “home” and explore how you can continue to be part of our vibrant community.

Warm regards,

Jodie Sperico Director of Alumni Relations jodie_sperico@fa.org

516-465-1796

The 2024 Friends Academy NYC Reunion gathered at The Cornell Club on Dec. 10, 2024.

Head of School Paul Stellato presents Peter Stein ’79 with a gift of appreciation from the school.

LOIS JULIBER ’67

A LIFETIME OF TEACHING OTHERS TO SUCCEED

2024 FRIENDS ACADEMY DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA SHARES WISDOM ROOTED IN A CAREER SPANNING DECADES AT THE WORLD’S TOP FIRMS

By Andrea Miller, P ’22, ’27 Director of Strategic Communications

Take a subtle glimpse at the CV of Lois Juliber ‘67 and a lifetime of intellectual curiosity, service, and leadership jumps out: a graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard Business School, she spent, combined, over 30 years at first General Foods as Vice President, and then ColgatePalmolive, retiring from there after rising through a variety of positions to Vice Chairman. A testament to her work ethic and integrity, Lois

was asked to help co-found the MasterCard Foundation a year after her retirement, which “unites the private sector, donors, young people, [in marginalized communities] and civil society to create effective systems and infrastructures, supportive policies, and an environment where young people can find work and entrepreneurs and small enterprises can succeed and grow.” Lois has served on numerous

corporate and not-for-profit boards such as State Street Boston Corp, DuPont, Wellesley College( now a Trustee Emeritae), Girls Inc., Goldman Sachs, Women’s World Banking, Olin College, The MasterCard Foundation( Founding Chairman), Mondelez and Corteva to name a few.

She currently still serves on the board of Artis-Naples, First Tee and on the Wellesley President’s Advisory Council. During her tenure at these organizations and especially before, she has seen and lived the arc of what it means to be a woman in the business world. Through it all, the lessons she learned at Friends Academy buoyed and prepared her as both a participant and a mentor.

“Friends Academy is the first place where I spent time with myself and got to know myself,” reflected Lois about weekly Quaker Meeting for Worship. “It gave us time to explore what you are and what you are about.”

Born in Brooklyn, the second of two daughters, Lois’ parents considered education a paramount pathway, and it would be the catalyst for their move from Brooklyn to Roslyn Harbor when Lois reached third grade. “After living on Long Island, my parents eventually realized they wanted to find another school for me – my sister was finishing up her senior year at The Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn. Looking back, we didn’t realize how forward-thinking the NYC public schools were in 1959/60 compared to the North Shore schools,” said Lois.

storied FA teacher Rick Van Santvoord. “He was intimidating beyond belief,” remembered Lois. “This was a whole different level of discussion; he was very thought-provoking and forced you to think, organize your ideas, and express. He was absolutely terrific,” she recalled, adding that he appointed Lois as editor of the school newspaper, even though English “was not her thing nor her favorite subject.”

Lois from the 1967 Lamp Yearbook

It didn’t take long for Lois to break through socially, and sports proved to be the vehicle. While girls played soccer in the fall at public school, at Friends, field hockey was the sport of choice, and Lois credits her field hockey coach Winifred Mohaupt as a seminal presence in her life. “She took a liking to me and helped me become a really good field hockey player. In fact, my first donation to FA was a $5 check in her memory,” she smiled.

This was a whole different level of discussion (at FA); he forced you to think, organize your ideas, and express. He was absolutely terrific.

They quickly found Friends Academy and Lois hopped on the school bus for her first day of seventh grade. “I was very scared because I knew I was coming into something where most of the kids had been together since kindergarten, but on that first day I met my best friend, Linda Hesselman ’67.”

While Math and History came easily for Lois, English proved more challenging, especially in the hands of

History proved to be a particular draw for Lois. “I loved current events and we had a history teacher, Arthur O’Hanlen, who taught American history. I was extremely intrigued by it,” recalled Lois, who also met Robert F. Kennedy when he presented at the school in the winter of 1967. “I was very fortunate to come of age as a woman here. There were no barriers

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Upper School Principal Mark Schoeffel, 2024 Distinguished Alumna Lois Juliber and Head of School Paul J. Stellato listen to the musical selection at Fourth Day Honors.

at Friends, though were no real role models either. You just didn’t think about that,” she stated. “At FA, from the age of 12 to 18, I felt I could do anything.”

When Lois graduated from Friends in 1967, she knew she wanted to do something important, but didn’t know what that might be. “The real challenge for me was where to attend college. Back then, the obvious places were not options.” (Harvard, Yale, and Princeton had not yet gone co-ed.) “Luckily, I attended FA, which was coeducational and I had no concerns about going to a women’s college.” Initially thinking she would major in Math and History, it wasn’t long before Lois discovered Economics

and her true language.

“At Wellesley, I could explain anything going on in the world from an economic perspective – it was an obvious marriage for me.” Her time and graduation from Wellesley College coincided with tectonic shifts in race relations and gender empowerment, as the Civil Rights movement and the war in Vietnam collided. Before college graduation,

Lois considered a career in law. “The family pressure was to be a lawyer,” explained Lois. “My dad was in business and he didn’t want me to be exposed to the same challenges he had faced.”

However, the study of Economics continued to call to Lois, so she applied and was accepted to the Harvard Business School, who had just begun accepting women in the mid-60s for her graduate studies. “In a class of 800, there were fewer than 30 women and only five who had never worked full-time – I was one of them,” said Lois.

Her time at Harvard proved to be the most challenging educational experience of her life. “The faculty was divided about whether women

Top, Lois and Head of School Paul J. Stellato following Fourth Day Honors academic awards. Above, Lois sits down for interviews with Director of Communications Andrea Miller and Friends Academy senior Jhanvi Gambhir at the Matinecock Hospitality Room.

belonged in the Business School,” she said. “Most thought we were there to find a husband. Some lambasted us for taking the place of a man who could be a ‘captain of industry.’”

Some professors went so far as to try to openly embarrass female students by asking them questions not reflected in the curriculum. “I never experienced such stress and tension as I did that first year. You learn and gain confidence and you realize that yes, you can,” described Lois, who used those experiences to sharpen her ability to assess situations. “You have to get back on your bicycle and maybe try a different way,” mused Lois. “Not everything will always go your way; you can take it personally, but you can’t be destroyed by it.”

A student Q&A with Jhanvi Gambhir ‘25

By the time she got to Harvard, certain industries were very open and looking for women. “I was very interested in marketing and consumer products. In 1973, women weren’t running companies but there was often one woman who had advanced to a high enough level to serve as a role model.”

Landing her first job at General Foods in 1973, it would be a while before Lois thought about her role as a model for other women. “You were keeping your head down and moving up the ladder,” said Lois. “I didn’t think about role models for a long time until I realized I was one – there was one week where I went to work with nail polish; the next week all the younger women did the same thing.

The activities at FA were my foundation for how to hire people and teach them how to succeed.

For me, it was natural to look out for other women and to make sure they were treated fairly since I knew what they going to have to deal with.”

After 15 years with General Foods, Lois accepted the position of Vice President with ColgatePalmolive in 1988. “They were based in New York and very involved with Girls, Inc. and women-owned minority advertising agencies – things I was interested in.” She would spend the next 16 years there and was promoted to a range of positions – Chief Technology Officer in 1992; Executive VP for Developed Markets in

Continued on Page 54

I’m Jhanvi Gambhir, a senior at Friends Academy and the clerk of our FBLA chapter. I’ve had the opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant for the lower/middle school Financial Literacy classes, mentor younger students as a peer tutor, and contribute to our school community as a member of the student faculty board. My experiences at Friends have fueled my passion for making a difference, from organizing school-wide events to founding programs for underserved students to learn financial literacy.

Meeting Lois Juliber, a Friends alumna and trailblazer in the business world, was incredibly inspiring. Seeing a woman excel in a maledominated field and use her success to drive meaningful change encouraged me to pursue my own goals with confidence and purpose. Here are some excerpts from our conversation together.

Jhanvi: What are the skills that you think are critical for students?

Lois: You need to learn to think independently. Assess situations. Think of alternative solutions, some expected and some more creative.

Learn to be empathetic. Put yourself in other’s shoes. Not everyone has the opportunity of an FA experience.

Continued on Page 54

Lois and Jhanvi Gambhir ‘25, who clerks the Future Business Leaders Club, sat down for an intimate oneon-one.

1997; Chief Operating Officer in 2000; she retired as Vice Chairman in 2005.

Over her career, Lois had spent a good deal of time working in developing countries, beginning with a role at Colgate to lead operations in Asia. “I developed a real heart and sympathy for the challenges the people felt in those parts of the world – only an elementary education was available.” Shortly after retiring from Colgate, Lois fielded a call from MasterCard that eventually led to her becoming the Founding Chairperson of the MasterCard Foundation, an independant, not-for-profit organization charged with focusing on sub-sahara Africa and providing scholarships for secondary education so that students could attend college in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. “I felt like we were helping to create something from nothing.” And from nothing, she helped establish the MasterCard Foundation in 2006, which continues today to enable young people in Africa and indigenous peoples in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.

Looking back, Lois sees a lifetime of philanthropy rooted in that first $5 check to FA – and her instrumental field hockey coach. “For me, philanthropy is about supporting initiatives that I feel deeply about, not what someone else tells me to believe in.”

Increasing the number of case studies about women that Harvard teaches with, along with helping to legitimize business in the curriculum at Wellesley and creating a scholarship fund there for students coming from developed countries, are among a myriad of consequential areas that Lois has impacted over her lifetime. “My first experiences about being a leader were really important to me. As I got into economics and leaned more into business, the activities at FA were my foundation for how to hire people and teach them how to succeed.”

For the next generation at Friends, Lois is emboldened by what she has seen upon her return as the “2024 Distinguished Alumni at Fourth Day Honors”. “Quakerism is far more a part of students’ lives today than it was 60 years ago. The only manifestation for me was Meeting for Worship,” she shared. “In the end, you need to be yourself, make your own decisions, and do those things you really love. It’s pretty simple stuff… never give up.”

Jhanvi: How did you handle setbacks and failures?

Lois: Life won’t be perfect! When I was about 3 years old, I lost a sack race and threw a fit. My dad helped me to understand that you can’t always win but you must learn from your setbacks. What went wrong? What could you have done differently? Where do you need to improve and how will you do that? Such an important life lesson learned at age 3!

Jhanvi: What are some strategies that you use to stay motivated?

Lois: I am very goal-oriented. I focus on the long term – where do I want to be. If I get offcourse or get bored, I come back to where do I ultimately want to be and what can I do to get there.

Jhanvi: What is your advice for young women who want to enter business school?

Lois: Find something you love to do and do it really well. Set ambitious goals... you just might surprise yourself at what you can achieve. Developing leadership skills is very important. For me, leading teams at Friends and my liberal arts education gave me experience and a strong foundation for becoming a leader of highperforming organizations later in life.

Right, on the FA tennis court; far right, Lois and her basketball teammates.

FA Field Hockey coach and Head of Girls Physical Education

Winifred Mohaupt

The Distinguished Alumni Award

Each year, Friends Academy presents the Distinguished Alumni Award to an alumnus who exhibits a deep-seated commitment to community outreach, social justice, environmentalism, local and global peace, and/or service to Friends Academy. These distinguished alumni serve as role models for us all!

Please consider nominating a fellow alum for this honor by submitting their name to the Alumni Office at alumni@fa.org or by calling 516-465-1796.

RECENT RECIPIENTS

2024: Lois Juliber ’67 Retired Vice Chairman of Colgate-Palmolive, Lois broke barriers as she continues to dedicate her life, professionally and personally to giving back. From supporting the professional women around her, to ensuring the success of indigenous young peoples of Africa and Canada.

2023: David Seeler ’59 A former trustee on the Friends Academy Board, David Seeler is the owner of The Bayberry Landscaping. He credits the FA community as one that saw him through some of his most challenging moments, including daily frustrations because of undiagnosed dyslexia.

2022: Aisha Palmer Mix ’91 As Rear Admiral, one of the highest-ranking U.S. Public Health Service officers in the nation, Aisha advises the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

2021: Andy Menzin ’81 A lifelong champion for Friends Academy, Andy serves on the Friends Academy Board of Trustees and has over 32 years of experience in the medical field, currently serving as the Chief of Gynecologic Oncology, Central Region, at Northwell Health.

2020: Peter Stein ’79 A longtime leader of FA alumni as president of the Alumni Board, Peter travels yearly to perform volunteer surgeries in underserved communities.

2019: Michele Pistone ’82 With a life dedicated to service, Michele discovered a new area of law that led to a life of compassion and action for refugee rights.

2018: Bill Wicker ’67 An avid athlete throughout his Friends career, Bill credits the coaching wisdom he received at FA central to changing the course of his life.

RIGOBERTO REYES ’09

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

By Laura Schoeffel P ’17, ’20, ’22

Rigoberto Reyes is no stranger to perseverance. The son of hard-working Salvadoran immigrants, Reyes was raised in Hempstead, New York, and his journey to a job in the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., is, in part, a reflection of the credo he was raised with: “You work hard. Don’t give up. Don’t settle.” When we caught up with Reyes, just a month into his new role as a Country Officer in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, he was reflective: “As much as I am now starting to appreciate the story of my journey, I am well aware that I am not the only one who has worked hard. But I realized, in the second round of interviews for this job, how much all my other experiences had prepared me for this moment.”

As Reyes describes his personal history, and then how he applied seventeen times for a coveted internship at State while also finishing his master’s degree, it is easy to see that dogged persistence is a common thread in his life story. He

eventually received two offers, choosing Pathways, a program with a direct pipeline to the permanent position he now holds. Reyes exhibited agency from a young age. Just eleven years old, he called up Friends Academy to request an admissions package. His parents had become deeply concerned for their son as he approached middle school, fearing he would be drawn into the gang violence that permeated their local schools. When his mother met an enthusiastic Friends Academy parent in a barber shop, his parents began to envision an alternate future for their son. Reyes was used to taking on the role of translator and de facto

When you are young, you don’t know the help you need. You only realize later that these were mentors; you don’t realize in the moment how important these people are.

While participating in his graduate school capstone project, Rigoberto visited the U.S Embassy in Santiago de Chile and met U.S. Ambassador Bernadette Meehan (third from the left). March 2024.

Rigoberto from the 2009 Lamp Yearbook

spokesperson for his family, so calling up FA wasn’t unusual. “I was always having to do that kind of thing. It was very common for Latinos in my generation. I had a better grasp of English than my parents, so, with something important, I just had to deal with it.”

Filling out the financial aid forms was a whole other thing: “I tried to do my best, but all those numbers were beyond my capabilities.” He met Edgar Posada, a fellow Salvadoran, whom his parents had learned was a teacher at Friends. “They loved him immediately. My father was immensely proud of the fact that here was an immigrant from El Salvador, just like him, who had come to the United States and studied, and was a teacher at a place like Friends Academy.” Mr. Posada helped with the financial aid forms, but Reyes admits that it made him uncomfortable to accept his kind assistance: “I felt like I was taking advantage.” Their relationship would deepen in time as Reyes made the leap to Friends. “The gap in my knowledge was immense,” says Reyes. “Mr. Posada would join meetings, not just to translate for my parents, but to provide a better understanding of what help was needed.”

In retrospect, he can see the invaluable mentorship he received from multiple FA faculty members, including Ms. Schoman, Mr. Regan, Mr. Quinland, and Mr. Dugger. “When you are young, you don’t know the help you need. You only realize later that these were mentors; you don’t realize in the moment how important these people are.”

Moving into high school, he became increasing comfortable. “That bubble, that world, was so different from where I grew up and where I went to school before. There were times when I’d rather be at Friends than be at home. My parents were tired from working all the time, and at school I had these adults I could go to for help, and friends to hang out with.” Among those friends was Jorge Mario Pelaez, also from Hempstead. As freshmen, they joined the recently formed Student Organization of Latinos, founded by a group of seniors. “There weren’t many Latinos at the time, but the comfort the seniors felt helped us adapt.” Rigoberto and Jorge graduated from FA together, and have remained close: “I was the best man at his wedding; we are

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Top: The 11th Grade Class trip to Washington D.C. in November 2007. “Ms. Judith James was our advisor; I’m on the left with the red sweater.” Middle and bottom: Graduation at Friends Academy in June 2009 with classmates, Mr. Dugger, and Rigoberto’s parents.

like brothers.”

St, John’s University in Queens gave Reyes just the right amount of distance from home, and a sense of autonomy. He embraced the diversity, meeting people from all parts of the world. He studied Government and Politics, exploring his Latin American roots. “I became deeply interested in the actual histories of these places whose politics my father was passionate about following. He’d listen to the radio in the car and rant about what was going on.” Holding down a full time job while attending school full time became untenable. “I worked the graveyard shift, loading trucks from 4 am to 9 am, and during the holidays, 12 am to 10 am, so I was hardly getting any sleep.” Reyes made the difficult decision to leave school and earn the money he needed to return and finish his degree, which he did in 2015, albeit, without his peers. “This was hard. I was disappointed.”

There is a sense of duty—a series of expectations—that comes with being the first in your family to have the opportunity to attend private school and college. Rigoberto’s father’s dream was that he would go to law school, and he took a tentative step in that direction, landing a job as a paralegal at a small firm in Queens.

“Because I’m bilingual, I realized I was a hot commodity; one of the best decisions I ever made in my life was to listen to my dad when he said take Spanish with Mr. Posada.” People teased him—he already spoke Spanish. “I did 3rd and 4th year honors, and AP Spanish with both Mr. Posada and Ms. Hall. Now that I am in the real world, I am so grateful I took all those classes.” For six years, Reyes worked with immigrants who, like his parents, needed help navigating the language barrier, in addition to complex legal issues. He diligently did go through the application process for law school, and was accepted at two schools, but he knew in his

heart that becoming a lawyer was not his dream. He did want to make a difference, perhaps incorporate his interest in Latin America with his desire to address some of the root causes of immigration. He felt guilty, spurning his father’s wishes, so he secretly applied to graduate school, only telling his family after he had enrolled in George Washington University’s master’s degree program

in Latin America & Hemispheric Studies, specializing in security and migration.

These days, Reyes wishes he had more time for the kind of quiet contemplation he endured in the meeting house each week. “The last thing we wanted to do as teenagers is sit still for forty-five minutes in silence and reflect. Nowadays I value it more and more.”

Rigoberto’s graduation at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University in May 2024. From the left to right: his mother, Rigoberto, Edgar Posada and his brother. Below from left: Jorge Mario Pelaez, Rigoberto, Coach Carlos Gonzalez, Edgar Posada and John Regan. Saturday night after Fall Fair 2015.

A LIFETIME OF FRIENDS

By Andrea Miller, P ’22, ’27 Director of Strategic Communications

Over his 17-plus years as President of the Friends Academy Alumni Board, Peter Stein has been a steadfast presence at Fourth Day Honors proceedings and FA Commencements, inducting the next generation of FA Alumni.

A father of three alumni – Lizzie ‘17, Will ‘20, and Ali ‘23 – married to fellow alum Susan Witkoff Stein ‘84, and one of five siblings (Laura ‘76, Nancy and Andrew ‘82, Jennifer ‘91) who attended Friends Academy, Peter credits FA with shaping him into the person and professional he is today.

“I started in 7th grade at Friends. At the time my dad had just been elected to Locust Valley School Board and he felt that the public school district was not the place for me,” recalled Peter, who transitioned to FA in 1973 from a small K-6 in the Locust Valley school district. “I came from the Brookville School which doesn’t exist anymore. It was a neat little school with one class in each grade – 15 kids in each grade and 100 kids in the whole school. It was very nurturing.”

A highly personalized experience is one that

Peter would relish the most at both Friends and also at Lafayette University, which he chose because of its size and important student-toteacher connections. For Peter, small classes and influential teachers at FA had an outsized impact on him. “Mr. Philander taught Geography in Middle School – he taught us that geography matters everywhere and my love for traveling came from him,” he shared. “Ms. Vuillet was the College Counselor and we used to spend a lot of time in her office talking about everything under the sun.”

It was at Friends that Peter would cement his love for science and soccer and the combination would set him on his path toward college and beyond. “I gravitated more towards the science classes with Mr. Abbene and Doc Richardson’s wave theory in AP Physics,” said Peter. “But Mr. Jacobson – my soccer coach in 7th and 8th grades – was one of the most influential people in my life. He did a lot for me and gave me confidence. Jake taught me to believe in myself.”

Peter, who had never played soccer before

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Peter Stein ’79 brought the lessons and values he learned from his past at Friends into his work as Alumni Association president.

Peter from the 1979 Lamp Yearbook

coming to Friends, would go on to play D-1 soccer at Lafayette, which also opened up pre-med doors for him. “I trace it all back to Mr. Jacobson. He struck this balance between sportsmanship, competition, and having fun,” said Peter of former Athletic Director Marty “Jake” Jacobson. “Back then youth sports were not really a big thing. Your school sports was where you really excelled.”

Peter’s secondary passion for science led him to initially consider the final frontier of space. “I always wanted to be an astronaut,” he beamed. “But back then all the astronauts were military and it was not something in a post-Vietnam era that interested me.” Instead, Peter was drawn toward medicine, initially considering pediatrics, before deciding on orthopedics. “I remember doing a stint at North Shore Day Camp in maintenance –carpentry and plumbing. But I never thought I would go into orthopedics,” he laughed. “It turns out that I’m a simple guy – you break it and I fix it.”

Following his graduation from Cornell Medical School, Peter experienced a transformation. “It was a tremendous medical school and my brain expanded in so many ways, both socially and growing up.”

During his five-year residency, he was able to try out different specialities, from joint replacement to pediatric orthopedics to sports orthopedics. Accepted to a three-month trauma surgery program in Switzerland, where he immersed himself in the think-tank science of rods, plates, and screw, by 1993, Peter had returned to Long Island to join the practice of Orthopedic Associates of Manhasset. “I had mentors in hand surgery and found it more fascinating than other parts of the body,” said Peter. While at Friends, Quakerism afforded Peter the skills of reflection and instilled in him the importance of

giving back. “We knew we were at a Quaker school and we thought of it more as a philosophy than a religion. It wasn’t a conflict with my Jewish faith, it was an addition. To go and be silent for 45 minutes each week and just think – there is not a better gift,” he underscored.

“You can call it Quaker meeting or meditation, but that time was really a tremendous thing. I don’t go to Quaker meeting anymore, but when I’m by myself at home and thinking… that’s my version of sitting down to think. That’s a really powerful thing.”

Service called upon Peter a decade ago when he heard about a Navajo community that was in need of hand surgeons. “Someone from the federal government had started the program and every five

To go and be silent for 45 minutes each week and just think – there is not a better gift... that time was really a tremendous thing.

Peter and his family, from left, Susan Witcoff Stein ’84, Liz ‘17, Will ’20, and Ali ’23.

to six weeks she gets a surgeon to travel out. I come out once a year to help,” said Peter. “There are a lot of public health problems on the reservations, from diabetes and obesity to spousal abuse and farm injuries. The people out there are wonderful and it’s become my happy place to help them. I’ve also had the privilege of having two of my three children operate with me. My son wants to go into medicine and maybe this had an impact on him,” he added emotionally.

Peter credits his parents and Friends Academy for giving him a foundation from which to soar. “I met my wife, who I didn’t know, at an alumni reunion in

NYC,” said Peter. “Both of us have been involved on the Alumni Board and I owe that to former Admissions Director Patty Ziplow. Being involved with the Alumni Association is like coming full circle and I still owe a tremendous amount to this school. My roots and my wings? A lot of that I got at FA and that is why I sent my kids here.”

Exiting as Alumni President, Peter is excited to hand over the reins to incoming president Lauren Russo ’09. “I’m leaving this place in the most capable hands. The next is going to be a thousand times better than what I gave,” he said with a self-deprecating smile.

to be a thousand times

Peter has handed the Alumni Association president baton over to Lauren Russo ’09 – “the next is going

better than what I gave,” Peter humbly said.

LAUREN

RUSSO ’09

LEADING NEXT ALUMNI CHAPTER

By Andrea Miller, P ’22, ’27 Director of Strategic Communications

As the newly appointed president of the Friends Academy Alumni Association, Lauren Russo ‘09 likens her role to the timeless analogy of baseball. “You can’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands, you have to throw something back,” she said. “Whether it be time, money, or something else, you are not just on your own journey – you are on a journey with everyone else.”

Lauren, who joined the FA Alumni Association in 2015 after graduating a few years earlier, felt that it was important to reconnect with everyone. “You miss that sense of community that is so unique to FA, especially during college when people are drifting apart and on their own journeys. All my friends are back together again and we are so fortunate to have this. I think Friends had a lot do with it.”

With initial plans to pursue medicine, Lauren knew in her heart that she would head into law instead and following graduation from NYU, enrolled in St. John’s University School of Law. Currently an Associate at Rivkin Radler LLP on Long Island, she specializes in General Liability, Medical Malpractice Defense, and Complex Torts & Products Liability, where she defends physician clients and property owners in civil matters.

“FA did a lot of fostering my passion for law in the English and Language departments,” said Lauren, who enjoyed AP History with Mrs. Garry, AP Gov with Mr. Lape, English with Ms. Phillips, Spanish with Ms. Hall and Mr. Posada, and Accelerated Chinese with Ms. Lin.

A transplant from The Green Vale School, Lauren’s transition to Friends Academy was seamless. “Friends Academy was always my home base and somewhere I always knew I could and would return to, no matter where my path took me,” she recalled. Attending a Quaker school gave her the gift of reflection, which she sees now as a huge difference. “I never spoke in Meeting. It wasn’t that I was never moved, but I really liked listening to what others had to say. That is was what so rare and unique about

I really liked listening to what others had to say. That is was what so rare and unique about Friends.

Lauren Russo ’09 leads the next chapter of the FA Alumni Association.

NEW FA ALUMNI PRESIDENT

Friends,” she said.

Lauren found Quakerism the most within the College Office. “When you are 18 and having to figure out where you are going to spend the next four years of life, that can be very overwhelming. But the support the College Office gave me is my fondest memory. You could be vulnerable and do it in a respectful community. My friends at work who didn’t go to FA don’t keep in touch with their high school friends and I credit the College Office with strengthening those bonds.”

As Lauren looks ahead to Friends Academy’s 150th anniversary, she is dedicated to making sure the Alumni Association carries on the best of FA, looks into the future with optimism, treasuring its legacy, but also keeping it relevant. “I think the people who want to come back find their way back. For me, it has given me a place of community and support. The Alumni Association brings a lot of talented people to the table and you are getting people with resources, life experiences, and internships. We are passionate about moving this school forward,” she added.

Being a member of the Alumni Association is all about community service for Lauren. “We work on alumni engagement strategies, the Annual Fund, and are meant to be the overarching bridge and ambassadors,” she stated. “Serving as the voice of our 4,200 alumni globally, we work to strengthen the bonds between the past, present, and future. Once you graduate from Friends, you will always be a part of FA. Our current students and recent graduates benefit from our strong network and we are here to help!”

As Lauren receives the baton of leadership from outgoing president Peter Stein ‘79, she hopes to continue his day-to-day involvement at FA in her own way, specifically through her mentorship of the Upper School Mock Trial Club. “I am digesting everything,” said Lauren. “Peter did an amazing job at Friends and he brought us through Covid. His contributions have been invaluable and I’m very honored to be picking up where he left off.”

The Friends Academy Alumni Association

What do we do? The Friends Academy Alumni Association fosters a vibrant and engaged global community of alumni, strengthening connections between former students and the school. Through a variety of events, communications, and volunteer opportunities, the Association promotes ongoing relationships among alumni and encourages their contributions to the school’s mission.

How do we impact you? By facilitating networking and collaboration, the Alumni Association empowers graduates to share their experiences and insights, while cultivating leadership and philanthropy within the community.

To learn more about how you can help or to nominate a graduate, please reach out to Jodie Sperico at Jodie_Sperico@fa.org, Director of Alumni Relations.

CLASSES OF 1952-1960...

A collection of notes sent in from class representatives throughout the year.

1952

Margaret Whitney-Shiels mspaumanok@aol.com

Wendy Buehr Murphy: I’m sitting here in my office, where I am partially retired. I am truthfully a workaholic and not likely to ever retire if I can find a place to be useful, so today I’m on call as a member of Kent’s Citizens Emergency Relief Team (CERT) squad, and we will be running a cooling center downtown if the weather tops 95 degrees, which it probably will. I have a yet-to-be-finished book I am writing on the history of working dogs from the earliest canines to today’s bomb sniffers, diagnostic dogs, dogs for autistics, etc. Whether I ever finish is unpredictable, as I enjoy the research more than the discipline of writing. And in between times, I am working for our Selectman’s Office pitching the gospel of carbon capture, solar energy, heat pumps, and anything else that will help slow climate change, which is really scary. I don’t have an electric vehicle only because I need a way to get to Maine and back each summer, and there are no recharging stations once one gets to the easternmost parts of the coast, which is where my family island is. Healthwise, I have to be careful to not dislocate my hip again as I did last summer on the island doing something stupid and grandiose. I want to live at least five more years to see this country back on track. I hope for a future that is non-violent, generous, equitable, and kind and where no one is looking for retribution. I will have three teenaged grandchildren with me for the month because I am not as spry getting from shore and slimy seaweed to our boat and over to the island as I used to be. Their job is to pick me up if I fall in the water, to carry the groceries, and to listen to my wise words without snickering. My two grown sons will also come and go, so it should be a jolly time. Theresa Larson Scheetz ’52 and I are still in semi-regular phone and email touch, which is wonderful. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of FA, and just yesterday I saw my class ring in

my jewelry box and decided to wear it as inspiration as I write this.

1955

Naomi Johnson Dempsey naomi.dempsey100@gmail.com

Arthur Geoffrion

arthur.geoffrion@anderson.ucla.edu

Sondi Conklin Wright is still teaching yoga; however, in March, she broke her scapula and has not taught since. She is selling her casita in San Miguel de Allende, which is sad but necessary in order to be nearer her son, Juan, who is taking care of a mansion on about 90 acres above the Ohio River and is in absolute heaven. A practitioner of Sufism, he is unbelievably happy, and his son, William, is getting his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Vermont. Sondi’s husband, Hal, has heart issues but is still seeing several psychiatric patients. The biggest cloud over their lives was the November election. She feels a need to say that her experience at FA made a good and healthy difference in her life. Incidentally, years ago she called Mr. Jones, our English teacher, to tell him what a wonderful teacher he had been. He remembered her and seemed genuinely happy about her call.

Anne de Contades d’Ornano: Sharing my time between Paris, where we are waiting for the Olympics, and Normandie where we are, with gratefulness, preparing D-Day’s 80th birthday. I still remember that day well. I was seven years old and will never forget the hope, the joy, the relief it brought us, but I also remember the tears when we found out the immensity of the American sacrifice. I am old but well and still fairly active. I often think about FA – friends from Friends are friends forever. Hugs to all, including those who are now above the rainbow.

Herb Cares wonders whether he is the only classmate still working. He still enjoys seeing neurosurgical patients, though at a slower pace than was pos-

sible when he was still doing surgery. Fortunately, his health remains good. Friends Academy retains a special place in his heart, more so even than college or medical school. His website is still active, and his antics can be followed on his wife’s Facebook page – search for “Karen Cares 23.”

Peggy Egan Alley donated a beautiful photo of historic importance to the school – the Meeting House from around 1850, a quarter century before FA was even founded. Also included are essentially all of its members at that time with identifications! It was left to Peggy’s grandfather in his grandmother’s will. A Rushmore, she and all the other Rushmores from Oyster Bay are there. This photo is truly a treasure.

Mary Foster Everett is back from a recent trip to Florida, where she visited family. Her daughter has just bought a bookstore named Happy Medium Books with a café and a whole section of banned books. Mary has two grandchildren graduating – one from Bates College and one from University of Florida. She also has a grandchild graduating from high school who will be going to the University of Florida.

Art Geoffrion is pleased to report that his health remains good, and he continues to spend all significant holidays with his daughters and five grandchildren in the scenic beach community of Del Mar, which is a little north of San Diego. His only other travel in the last year was to a daughter’s new vacation home in Montana, where gorgeous scenery and myriad outdoor sports beckon. On the home front, he at long last completed a 150-page collaborative autobiography with six close childhood neighbors, a 15-year labor of love. Another major project was a thorough revision of his estate plan.

Stephie Giardino Kohart Dobrinin very much enjoyed seeing the eclipse on April 8. Everything is good with her. Five months ago, she had a total knee replacement, which is healing nicely.

She plans this summer to visit family and friends. Her two grandsons have given her four great-grandchildren. The newest, four-month-old Dennis Kohart, is named after his grandfather – very special!

T.J. Jackson is still his jovial self and having fun with his computer. Angie is not able to do much these days, but they have plenty of help. T.J. still has his cars to keep him busy.

Naomi Johnson Dempsey has had a complicated year with some health problems for both Clark and herself, so life has slowed down. Fortunately, the stroke Naomi had last August was not too serious. They live in a lovely part of Connecticut on the shore of Long Island Sound. Naomi has a granddaughter at the University of Delaware and another graduating from high school who will be attending the University of Southern California.

Joanna Miller Jacobus is looking forward to gardening and continuing to paint and draw – she did the artwork in our yearbook! She is very happy that she and Lee are still able to enjoy life together.

1959

65th Reunion!

David Seeler dseeler@thebayberry.com

Robert Pickels wrote: “I am about to start my 84th year. I still work as a physician doing wound care. I no longer work as a surgeon. I donate my time locally to a medical clinic in Oneida, NY, for underinsured or uninsured. The clinic meets two days a week and is free to all. I garden for veggies and fruit. I still do a lot of woodworking. I turn on a lathe to make spoons and bowls. Most everything I turn is Adirondack in nature, and I specialize in bowls, platters, and tabletops. I still live with my wife, Nancy. We were married in 1967

Is your class not listed?

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We are looking for new volunteers to represent each graduating class year. If you are interested in serving as a class representative, contact Director of Alumni Relations, Jodie Sperico at jodie_sperico@fa.org.

and live in Sherrill, which is halfway between Utica and Syracuse. We are both healthy and enjoy the Adirondacks all summer. I note some of my good friends have passed on, sadly. The school looks much more modern than it did in 1959 – a good thing!”

Judy Reeve and her husband, Ken, are selling their home of 35 years and moving to Kendal at Hanover – a Quaker continuing care community in Hanover, NH. They continue to live in Tucson, AZ, for the winter season.

Steve Sundgaard is retired and having body replacement surgery, which all of us seem to be doing. He enjoys trips to Padre Island on a regular basis. He would appreciate a call if anyone is in the Dallas area.

Bruce Burrows and wife, Gay, are entering their 19th year in Tuscaloosa, AL. We are all glad to hear that his pacemaker is still working. He sends his best to the class.

Tom Carter reports his son, Adarsh, married a lady he met in Australia. Tom spent some time interviewing applicants to Dartmouth and recently joined the Rotary Club.

Sue Guerin traveled last August to Alaska and then on to Vancouver. She writes: “In the meantime, there is the intoxicating scent of jasmine and the delightful awareness that every time I get married, I absorb, like second-hand smoke, not only another profession but another hobby. Ron is an avid birder. Who would have thought that a scrub jay could be so gorgeous.”

David Seeler reports: “My next trip will be to Germany for opera, seeing The Ring and some touring around Berlin. Starting my 54th year at my business, The Bayberry Nursery in Amagansett, NY. It’s still fun, so I am staying with it for a few more years.”

1960

Bob Powell vigihawk@gmail.com

Bob Powell shares the following about the class of 1960: Bob Hadden has moved ashore from his sailboat to a 35-foot RV in Coos Bay, OR. Fred Kuffler still hasn’t completely retired from maritime law. Andy Dott has been taking his entire clan on trips, which qualify for group rates. Anne Wadsworth Moody still lives yearround in Maine and is active in dance and theater. Mike Samuels posts eclectically almost daily on Facebook, which you should read carefully and study the pictures for glimpses of his life on a Greek isle. John Trauth and Geoff Wharton are both using their financial wizardry to do good things for the public. Tina Matkovic Spiro is in Jamaica (the island, not New York) and is an active artist. David Howe sent an Instagram link, @david_howe_studio. He has had some interesting career shifts and now joins other classmates in the arts. Beth Cocks Cobham continues to volunteer at a hospital two days a week and works with the Farmington Beagles of Virginia. And, I’m now a member of United Flying Octogenarians (UFO). Shirley Hahn Cerrudo was a pilot – wonder if she’s still active? At one point, we were passing on news of our Fall 2024

CLASSES OF 1960-1966...

kids. Now, it’s grandkids with news. Let’s see… the class average is 1.73 children and an average of 3.67 grandchildren, which makes a total of… Mr. Stubbs may have blessed my cotton socks, but he never taught me how to do that kind of calculation.

1963

Paula Howe phowe0612@comcast.net

Lee Cronbach died on February 12, 2024, in the Philippines, where he had been living with his spouse, Rodel Baldoz. His brother and alumnus, Michael Cronbach ’61, shares that in his last years, “Lee suffered from both Parkinson’s and post-polio syndrome. He did continue working on his musical biography up until the last few months. It can be found on YouTube. He is survived by Rodel and his siblings, Maria Espinosa (formerly Paula Cronbach) and myself.”

Vincent “Jeff” Webb Jr. died on May 12, 2024, in Connecticut at the age of 77. After attending FA, Jeff graduated high school from Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA. He then responded to the call of duty by enlisting in the Army in 1969 and served with valor in Vietnam as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, earning him the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service. Upon his return, Jeff pursued a bachelor’s degree at The Wharton School of Business,

University of Pennsylvania. In 1974, he married Marjorie Harrison and moved to Greenwich, CT, where he began his career working at Honeywell, Solomon Brothers, and E.F. Hutton before ultimately finding great personal and professional success in real estate development. In 2006, he married Lynda Montgomery and moved to Wilton, CT, where he ultimately retired. He is survived by wife, Lynda, and his children, Marjorie Childress, Alexandra Clark, and Peter Webb. He is also mourned by his sister Chery Webb ’61, and predeceased by another sister Judy Kilmartin ’57 and his son-in-law, Alistair Clark. Beyond his immediate family, Jeff’s love extended to his cherished twelve grandchildren.

Peter Dott passed away on April 17, 2024, in Greenwich, CT, at age 78. After he attended Friends Academy, he graduated high school from Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, NY. He spent his college years at Syracuse University and received a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Washington. Peter was a lifetime member of New York Yacht Club, where he served for many years on the Membership and Race Committees, and it was his love of sailing that brought him and Jennifer Thompson Mayer together in marriage. Peter spent a quarter of a century in Greenwich, where he was a member of Indian Harbor Yacht Club and a board member of the Horseneck Club and Greenwich Country Club. Peter is survived by his wife, Jennifer; stepdaughter, Melinda Leone; grand-

children, Grant and Gwyneth Leone; and brother, Andy Dott ’60.

1964

60th Reunion!

Lesley Birkett Jacobs

Lesleybjacobs@gmail.com

Betsy Eklof shares: “Not much to say from my world. I’m feeling my age (ha) but pretend otherwise. Other than grandmother duties, pickleball, the gym, book club, life on the lake, boating, kayaking, travel, and a good sense of humor pretty much sum up my life – all good. Can’t wait to see everyone at our reunion.”

Marvie Campbell wrote: “I’m super happy on my little Vermont farm. Finally retired from 59 years of teaching skiing. Have the best sons and daughtersin-law and grandchildren, who are amazing. I take breaks traveling all over the world with my backpack, but Nepal is my absolute favorite. I play with art every day and thank Mr. Springsteen from FA for giving me confidence and my start.”

Gail Chase still lives on their farm near Albany, NY. She is healthy, still active in many sports, and loves traveling to do her photography. Watching her two granddaughters grow into teenagers has been a highlight for her. She is hoping to see many of us at our 60th Friends Reunion!

Douglas Altchek shares that he is still following his dreams with teaching residents in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital; reliving the past in Madrid, Paris, and Majorca; and watching the waves come in in Palm Beach.

1966

Helen “Sandy” Lotowycz Rising HRising@aol.com

Holly Harris Lovejoy writes: “Yes,

Lee Cronbach at the piano

Vincent “Jeff” Webb Jr.

there has to be gratitude that there is a lot more life to live. My husband and I pinch ourselves everyday that we look out of our windows and our eyes stretch over miles of ocean toward the Olympic Mountains. We can watch the stormy winter seas instead of fishing in them. Retirement is great, but we are really busy. My husband, Steve, is an active ham radio DXer. Our yard ornament is a 72-foot radio tower. My biggest project is a small oyster farm. I am able to sell about 300 dozen a year. That’s all I can keep clean of barnacles and tend year-round. My office is our beach, and our vehicle of choice is my rowboat. The next project is getting our 22-foot runabout in the water for shrimping, crabbing, and salmon trolling. Our neighbors and kids are the crew, and we all strive to add poundage to the freezer. Steve is also fishing on the historic reef net gear every

summer. They use a traditional northwestern Indigenous form of fishing for salmon that is not very efficient but now and then adds hundreds of salmon to the local larders here.”

Sally Hubbard Cronk shared: “My life has changed so much. I’m lucky to be living with my daughter and adorable grandson – my only grandchild – here in Anthem, AZ. Mcgarrett Hubbard Cronk will be two in May, and what a whirlwind he is! So much fun and so much work as well! Dorrie is staying home with me for now and does most of the caretaking. I just get to watch and fill in as needed. She is staying home for now but plans to go back to work when he is a little older. He is attending a Montessori preschool two mornings a week. Perhaps it is of interest that we are living with five dogs and three cats because of the joining up of our mutual pets. As Garrett would say, “So many, so many!” I’m grateful that I can be close during his early years. My name is GiGi by the way!”

Scott Powell writes: “Not much to report other than that I’m still here in Houston. Given the dire diagnoses I was given nearly three years ago, I actually feel pretty good. But then I look at my official list of ailments and am reminded of the great Lewis Thomas (author of Lives of a Cell) anecdote: An elderly man is addressing a small group of friends, ‘I feel good, fine in fact, but if I were 21, I’d tell you to call 911!’”

Dave Gallager reports: “Last year was marked for us in Vermont by flooding. The food shelf/thrift store run by my charity was devastated, and there was no one available to rebuild it but our volunteers. So I reconnected with my post-college years as a carpenter and led a crew that got it back running in six weeks. But, because of our advancing ages, we worked only three-hour days. We’re just not the people we used to be.”

Neola Caveny shares: “Aloha! I’m still here in the jungle on Maui, being a her-

mit. I’m a traveling hermit, though. After four trips to the Marquesas and Tahiti (interrupted for several years by the pandemic, unfortunately), I went to East Africa last fall to track the wild mountain gorillas in Uganda (while I still could) and go to three safari camps around Kenya – a totally different experience. I’m staying in the Pacific from now on, though – Pohnpei and Palau (Micronesia) in the next couple of months, North Island in New Zealand in November. I have three years to make up for it, so I’m going for it. I think it’s called a bucket list. Still dancing hula, showing my gourd art at Maui Hands Galleries, being a docent at the Maui Historical Society, and occasionally even working as a gemologist.”

Chris Lockwood reports: “I retired in 2000 after 30 years on Wall Street, and a few years later we moved to what had been a vacation home in Park City, Utah. We’re still there, and for 20 years have split our time between Utah and California, where our son and daughter settled. Their children range from middle school to about to start law school, and are expert at keeping things interesting. I’ve been able to stay in touch with Dave Gallagher and Jim March over the years and have enjoyed their friendship over what, at this stage, is most of a lifetime.”

Priscilla Newell Terry shares: “Life in southeast New Mexico continues on like the forest we live in – steady wind to keep us in balance, the tall pines for focus upward, and the cooler temperatures to bless our days. One

Sally Hubbard Cronk with her grandson

Neola Caveny and friend on safari

CLASSES OF 1966-1968...

of my bucket list items is to complete a photo essay of local sights and have the courage to enter the New Mexico True photography contest. In between caring for my disabled Marine husband, Jim, I work at our church either in the office or the kitchen, attend a weekly ladies’ Bible study, and walk our dog in the forest. I practice restorative yoga three times a week and will testify to the benefits of mindfulness at this stage of life. I read for pleasure (not for academic reasons) and enjoy the writing skills of Colleen Coble, Charles Martin, Kristin Harmel, and Lisa Wingate. My writing has slowed down a bit, but as every writer knows, you need inspiration – I’m waiting! Our daughter, Alison, and her husband, Matt, will soon retire from Austin and move our way. Oh, how I am SO looking forward to six years from now! I want to wish all my FA classmates a successful, healthy, and favored rest of the year as we wait for and trust in God’s plan for His people in the days to come.”

Carol Edgerton Downey writes from Vermont: “Pretty quiet on our mountain here but really tired of the snow! Last two blizzards really did it for me, and I usually enjoy the winter while I wait for summer. Incidentally, no one told us that it was barely two months long! But, I also never heard about the infamous mud season, and since we’re two miles up a dirt road, that might have been

important to know before we bought our land, too! As it might be for many of us with grandchildren graduating from high school this June, the main focus has been which colleges or universities they will attend in the fall. But, now that Leo will be going to Vassar, we have to focus our energy on something else! It’s amazing how it brings back those days for us, and the anxiety while waiting. Now we get to do it all again with our grandchildren!”

Helen “Sandy” Lotowycz Rising shares: “On the FA front, I have been in contact with Nancy Douzinas, Nancy GadHarf, Kim Hudson Cassedy, and Sally Hubbard Cronk. We have been working on a mini reunion with the four of us and just trying to find a date that works for all. We’re all retired. It shouldn’t be that hard! But sometimes it seems as if, even with retirement, the days go by way too quickly. Here’s hoping that our classmates are doing well and staying healthy. Brandt ’65 and I have had a busy year. His mother, Niel Rising, died last February, and selling her Florida condo and Brightwaters home have kept us with long to-do lists. I am grateful to be able to spend three winter months at our condo in Islamorada, FL. Stop by if you are in the neighborhood. We had a visit from Clint Bush ’64. In the past, we have gone to visit him in Key Biscayne and gone for a sail on his Cape dory. Unfortunately, a sail was

Clint Bush ’64 and Brandt Rising ’65 in Florida

not an option, and Clint came down to Islamorada for a visit. We took a trip to Lignumvitae Key, which is the highest point in the Keys and a state park. We enjoyed our visit from Chuck and Clint.”

Chuck Kaplanek drove down from Coral Gables and went for a short boat ride with Sally Rising Dean ’68 in the gulf. Brandt ’65 and Sandy Lotowycz Rising both remember Chuck walking on his hands from the girls’ gym to the main building. Chuck admits he certainly cannot do that anymore.

1967

Sharon Lyon Emmanuel slemmanuel49@gmail.com

Brad Lovette writes: “Aha, that time again. My software project, India, that might have changed the world hasn’t yet, extending my planned semi-retirement for a year or two. Semi-retirement means I won’t be the gang boss for any new deals, but I might be a consulting investor. Working M-F from my home office, which doubles as a family office, and staff comes in. Still having fun. After spending Christmas with Cliff Lovette ’74 and his family in Atlanta, where his daughter had a reveal cake party that announced she was having a baby boy, Ikuyo and I went to Breckinridge through New Year’s. I skied. Ikuyo

Sally Rising Dean ’68, Brandt Rising ’65, Sandy Rising ’66, and Chuck Kaplanek ’66 on our balcony in Islamorada, FL

shopped. I skied Vail a couple weeks later. Then off to Aspen. I’m hoping for Alta/Snowbird in April. Last year the India business kiboshed all but one ski trip. It’s amazing what triamcinolone injections and knee braces can do to compensate for bone-on-bone knees. If only my double rotator cuff injuries were as easy to fix.”

Candy Adelson writes: “I’m still living in Nashville, TN, still married to Jerry Rossman, with three stepchildren, who together gave us seven grandchildren (ages 9-21). I retired from my job as senior curator of fashion and textiles at the Tennessee State Museum in July of 2019. Now I teach yoga (which I’ve practiced for over 45 years) twice a week on Zoom, with a speciality in yoga for bone strength and dealing with or preventing physical limitations and setbacks. Jerry and I also study metaphysics actively, and I do some handweaving and volunteering. One focus for us has been sending prayers for peace in the world, especially over the past six months – our two oldest grandchildren have been studying in Jerusalem since last September. Please join me in those prayers, everyone! I’d love to hear from anyone who might be coming our way or is curious to do Zoom yoga.”

Fernando “Chico” Moreno writes: “Emma and I thoroughly love living in “Free America Tennessee.” Emma gardens, we shoot pool in my man cave, I go to the range weekly, and we enjoy exploring Tennessee in our travel trailer. We have eight grandchildren and now one great-grandchild. We live in a great community on the Clinch River. All I can say is, Party ON!”

Sharon “Sherry” Emmanuel shares: “I am still living in Vermont, spending spring in the southeast corner of North Carolina, thoroughly enjoying all that ole Dixie has to offer and playing golf. I did talk to Ned a while ago, and he sounds great. Other than that, all is well.”

1968

Anne Maher amaher@kkblaw.com

Cliff Dacso is one busy man! He and Sheri are celebrating their 50th(!) anniversary this year, happily ensconced on Spruce Head Island in Midcoast, ME. He is CMO of a biotech startup company, which will soon enter clinical trials with a revolutionary approach to cell-based therapy for cancer. Although still on the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University in Houston, he has ceased his primary care practice and now sees patients in a local free clinic where he is CMO. He serves on the volunteer fire department and is the local health officer of his small town, both of which he finds very meaningful. Sheri is still practicing law and teaching remotely at Texas A&M Law School. Three children and six grands are well and prospering, and they are overall as happy as can be.

This past February, Willy Merriken and Louise took a three-week driving tour of the North and South Islands of New Zealand. He proclaimed it “the trip of a lifetime! Seeing New Zealand and experiencing their culture is definitely worth the very intimidating 20 hours of flying time, each way. The country’s inhabitants are kind, gracious, helpful, and downright pleasant! They really

respect their environment and work hard at keeping it the way they want it. Their sights, natural landscapes, volcanic areas, mountains, glaciers, rain forests, plains, and desert are truly magnificent! I attribute some of their kind and unhurried culture to the fact that they have NO billboards anywhere. Think of the impact on our everyday living attitudes if we were not bombarded with billboards everywhere we went. Hmmm! Food for discussion and action! Sheep outnumber humans by an 8:1 ratio – 55M:7M! I continue to run my financial planning practice in Moorestown, NJ, as I still enjoy the interaction with my clients and helping them attain financial success, security, and legacy plans. We have three kids and nine grandkids, of which the oldest is a senior in high school. We continue to be blessed with good health. Life is good! Best to all of the Friendly Class of 68!”

Susan Butler writes: “This past year has been interesting. As you know, my husband passed away in 2022. Rather than retire (which I wasn’t ready to do), I went into business with an architect who was doing work with us. So I now work about 20 hours a week, which is perfect, doing exactly what I was doing in my old company. My son, Jared, and his wife, Anna, had another son, Miksa, who was born in 2023. Ambrus was born in 2022. They are coming to the states this month from Budapest for about four weeks. My daughter is a teacher for 4- and 5-year-olds at a Jewish school in Brooklyn and really enjoying it. Her husband works as a manager in a restaurant in Brooklyn. I do travel often to see Jared in Hungary, and last year, we went to Italy for about a week. One of the perks of having a family living abroad!”

Steve Tilden, who has so generously instigated and curated our class discussions online, shared that he is spending his retirement burnishing past professional experiences to help others. From his first career in the restaurant business, he is now working with a

Cliff with this wife, Sheri

CLASSES OF 1968-1969...

local food distribution kitchen, reconnecting with the teamwork and humor unique to a commercial kitchen. And with the skills gained during his second career of construction and engineering, he is helping the program Reuse, Rebuild, Reimagine, which helps kids use recycled treasures dragged in from the street to build stuff. He helps them design their projects and supervises their use of all kinds of hand and power tools. Steve is also involved in a men’s group in hopes of reengaging men in a positive, constructive, cooperative, and fair way, instead of how it used to be in the olden days. And he says, “I’m still devoting the best hours of my day to a third, unpaid career of writing, which I now do in conjunction with making sourdough bread. I find that getting up every half hour and touching something nice has a clarifying effect on my thoughts.”

Greg Tarone sends “each and every one of you a deeply felt and extended Friends hug. I am so glad that I had the fortunate opportunity to be your classmate and part of a school like Friends. For my two-and-a-half years, it sure made a lot bigger difference in my life than lots of other such short stints. With very best wishes, getting older and wiser, Greg.”

Once again, Betsy Billhardt sent us all her beautifully photographed holiday card from the south of France. Her message this year was especially poignant: “May our creativity (whatever the domain) be our defiance to the

chaos, conflicts, and craziness of our world today. May our prayers, chants, and meditations bring us closer to living together happily and in harmony in a world of peace.”

Anne Maher reports: “I am now fully retired and enjoying travel – Alaska and the Netherlands in 2023, plus many visits with the kids and four grands on Cape Cod and Daufuskie Island, SC. Peter and I are in good health and remain avid walkers and nature lovers. I also serve as chair of the Board of the Boulanger Initiative, a nonprofit whose mission is to advocate for women composers, living and dead, who are numerous yet have been absent from the canon for far too long. Keep in touch, friends!”

1969

55th Reunion!

Jane Forelle Casey rjntkc@gmail.com

Mary Baird checked in from Johns Creek, GA, noting not much has changed since our 50th. Happily, she and Dave continue to enjoy good health and their dog, Slater.

Michael O’Meara (formerly Mara), happily single, has spent considerable time on the West Coast, both in SoCal and Seattle. He is a retired registered nurse, BSN, having spent two decades working in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit. Mike enjoys attending music, theater, film, and athletic events.

Russ Notides and wife, Ellanor, continue to split their time between San Francisco, Sun Valley, and Maine, enjoying five grandchildren, ages two through nine. Russ and Ellanor are mostly retired yet enjoy consulting in finance and the arts, respectively.

Fred and Ellen Ryon sold their New Canaan, CT, home to retire to their long-time summer home on a lake in the Berkshires where golf is a favored activity.

Rick Wicker lives near Boston and reluctantly decided to retire so that he could focus on some health issues (which he’s doing with his characteristically positive attitude and good spirits) and enjoy his five grandchildren.

Bobbie Bromberg Pepitone, living on Florida’s west coast, is still working in her geriatric personal exercise business. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren.

Spencer Lovette and his wife, Judie, are enjoying good health and write that

Steve Tilden’s sourdough loaf #102

Anne Maher with her husband, Peter, exploring glaciers

retirement is fantastic. As treasurer of the Mont Vernon (NH) Library Charitable Foundation, he has been fundraising for a new town library. In his spare time, he and Judie are still beekeeping and enjoy skiing and hiking. Last year, Spencer hiked rugged mountains and glaciers in East Greenland and is currently training for Everest Base Camp. No grandchildren yet, but their daughter got married last October, so stay tuned.

Keith and Candy Sheffield Neilson are still working at Docko, Keith’s nearly 40-year-old marine engineering company in Mystic, CT, acquiring federal, state, and municipal dock permits for properties throughout southeastern Connecticut, part of Rhode Island, and New York. Plans are to initiate phasing out of the day-to-day responsibilities sometime this summer, allowing them time to travel the U.S. in their Citabria and spend more time with their four children, two of whom are in Seattle and two in New Hampshire.

Lesley Murphy Lee and husband, Jim, live in the D.C. area, with homes on Maryland’s eastern shore and Sarasota, FL. Jim’s retired and, while Lesley continues with her interior design work, they make time to enjoy their two grandchildren and to travel, having been on safari in Africa and to Paris,

Provence, and Barcelona this past year.

Peggy Pinto Ramler is enduring the earthquakes and atmospheric river storms in California, eschewing travel after her 2022 cruise in the South Pacific to stay home and relax.

Misty Moody sends lots of love from Texas, where she practices and shares the power of self-healing to overcome adversity.

Jane Organist Karuschkat is having fun working on her fourth cookbook as she promulgates the benefits of the raw vegan lifestyle on TV, lecturing, teaching, and catering.

Judith Fox Javelly and husband, Bernard, both retired, live in Miami where daughter Nicole’s family relocated from the West Coast with husband, David, and their two daughters. Son, Alexander, and his growing family live in NYC with a third granddaughter (and a fourth grandchild on the way).

Lucy Gould Reitzfeld and husband, Bob, both professional artists, live in Ridgefield, CT, where they both pursue their art. While you may remember Lucy’s acting talent, her true passion is painting.

Sandy Minc Baumgaertner recently retired from her marketing and sales promotion agency, specializing in sweepstakes, contests, and incentives for consumers and employees. She now devotes much of her time to world travel and enjoying her two sons’ families that live near her Manhattan Beach home. A recent trip took Sandy through Miami, where she stopped off for a few days and caught up with Judith Fox Javelly, Lucy Gould Reitzfeld, and Jane Forelle Casey. Lots of shopping, eating, laughing, girl talk, and streaming both Book Club movies! “I am now a full-time Florida resident,” she says, “and couldn’t be happier living in a warmer climate. I enjoy sculling, swimming, croquet, and the vast array of cultural activities that Palm Beach offers.”

Spencer and Judie Lovette on a recent adventure

Lucy Gould Reitzfeld, Jane Forelle Casey, Sandy Minc Baumgaertner, and Judith Fox Javelly enjoying their time together

Sandy Minc Baumgaertner, Jane Forelle Casey, Judith Fox Javelly, and Lucy Gould Reitzfeld cooking in Florida

CLASS OF 1972...

1972

Karen Spero Albers klalbers@charter.net

As they enter their seventh decade, class representative Karen Spero Albers asked her classmates to answer the following questions: What is one of your favorite memories while attending FA? What did you learn during your years spent at FA that has been invaluable throughout your life? If you could go back in time to FA to change one thing about yourself, what would it be? In what ways are you the same or different from your younger 18-year-old self? And finally, did you accomplish the dreams and goals of your youth OR did they change? If they changed, how?

Sarah Hollett Hossfeld responded: “I wanted to teach, and I did. I wanted a family – I have one: a great husband, two kids, one grandchild, and two fabulous in-laws. And the friends that I made at FA remain very important to me, and I am still in contact with some of them and think of others with fondness. Am always excited to read The Meeting House to find out about our classmates. As to news, John and I sold our house in Oyster Bay and moved to Port St. Lucie, FL, at the beginning of the year. PSL is on the east coast of Florida, and we are about an hour from our daughter and her family. We are living in a rental while building a very nice, all-on-one-floor house (important for our aging knees), which should be ready by the end of May. Although I retired a few years ago, John continues working for his company based in NYC but remotely. Don’t miss the cold, although LI didn’t have a bad winter, according to friends and family there. I do miss those friends and family who are on Long Island. Also miss knowing where I am – thank goodness for GPS. It has been a lifesaver as I find my way around our new area. It’s a great area, and this was a good move for us. BTW, happy 70th birthday to all of us – and how are we this old?”

Jamie Bergford shared: “Hands down, my strongest memories of FA revolve around theater. Teachers like Joe and Annie Servello, Karl Garlid loom large. The plays helped a shy and slightly awkward girl indulge in becoming someone else. I loved being part of the cast and crew, the comradery, the blossoming of a show, the lead-up to performance, and the depths of post-play blues. Memories of time in the girls’ gym, pacing the floorboards, winter and fall inside, and then outside for Shakespeare in the spring. Did it ever rain on one of those performances? Favorite teachers include Lila Gordon (thank you for allowing me to converse with my grandson about fruit fly DNA), Dexter Lewis, Robbie Thomas, and Roger Erickson. I can still recite from ninth grade English ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ by Robert Frost, thank you Dr. Woods. Quaker meeting taught me how to be comfortable with my thoughts, let them wander, dance, and settle; how to be quiet within a bigger community, to listen and absorb. I had no idea how natural it would feel at our 50th reunion to share meeting time together again. The rhythm, the collective breath we inhaled at the beginning and let out at the end felt absolutely wonderful. Being in the Pacific Northwest means that gathering with classmates doesn’t happen often enough. When it does, though, or when I’ve made reunions, my husband has commented on how easily we all pick up our threads and reweave our story. I love that we can gather, validate, learn, and still grow with each other. That’s a gift Friends gave us. You can take the girl outta Long Island, but you can’t take Long Island outta the girl.”

Courtney Stadd writes: “1) Writing and participating in satiric plays that a small group of us wrote and staged. I have no doubt they were terribly written and performed, but it taught me the value of collaboration with others, as well as beginning the process of overcoming anxiety when speaking in front of others. Working on the campus newspaper. Sitting in the Meeting House and

listening to those moved by the spirit – especially as the Vietnam War was raging – was enlightening. Yup, even if we appeared restless and inattentive, some of us were, indeed, listening. Buying Mr. Erikson’s sacred black VW Bug as my first car was a huge milestone. As an English teacher, he was a formidable talent, and I still think of him whenever I am tackling a difficult piece of literature. 2) I was likely one of the poorest kids at the school. My family was blue-collar workers compared to the many white-collar affluent families that dominated FA’s student body. And yet I cannot think of one time I was made to feel like an outcast. Instead, I was welcomed into my friends’ homes and treated as an equal. I think that attitude reflected the decency of my fellow students as well as the school’s Quaker philosophy of treating everyone as an equal. The great thing was that the FA faculty did not preach this value. They embodied it in their everyday attitude. I have tried to carry forward those values of treating others with forbearance and tolerance throughout my life. 3) Hah! What wouldn’t I have changed? But seriously, I wish I had stuck with the soccer team longer. I wish I had had the courage to steal away during one of the field trips to New York and have some extracurricular adventures. But alas… 4) How am I different from that insecure, anxious self 52 years ago? MUCH more self-confident in my personal interactions and public speaking engagements. But I have also retained a voracious curiosity about the world that was definitely nurtured by some of FA’s fantastic teachers as well as some outstanding fellow students who were a source of inspiration. 5) As I was contemplating college, my dreams were focused on finding a professional career in the world of international relations – including the U.S. Foreign Service. I actually ended up attending Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, but an associate dean of the grad school encouraged me to consider a career in the realm of commercializing space. That led to my meeting the late legendary Dr. Gerry O’Neill at

Princeton who had popularized the notion of off-planet human migration and how a space-based economy can profoundly benefit Mother Earth. And I never looked back. At Georgetown University, I co-founded the nation’s first interdisciplinary institute for the social science study of space and edited its first scholarly journal. Over 47 years – my career trajectory included stints working in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Commerce Department, where we successfully prohibited NASA from launching private satellites (fostering a multi-billion dollar market for private launchers – well before Elon Musk came onto the scene) and helping to establish the Office of Space Commerce; drafting presidential space policies in the White House; working for the secretary of Transportation as an early director of the office that license commercial rockets such as SpaceX; working for three NASA administrators, including as NASA chief of staff and decades working in industry with pathfinder companies in telecommunications, launch vehicles, GPS, satellite imagery. Today, I am honored to be part of the founding team of an optical telecom venture that aspires to create a global network that will dramatically transform how information is distributed throughout the world. We also formed a sister company to establish the first network in cislunar. I also hold leadership positions in numerous nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting STEM

– especially for underserved students and teachers. I also mentor several very talented students who aspire to careers in aerospace. In the non-space domain, I work with a brilliant ex-Navy diver/ engineer who invented the world’s first above-ground water simulation training tank for first responders. We are successfully deploying these tanks to communities where our cost-effective training is saving lives from flooding and related challenges. At nearly 70, I feel I am just reaching my peak in terms of entrepreneurship and playing a tiny part in trying to leave the world a better place for those following behind. As I write these words, I realize that I am simply following one of the key values of FA: Be the Change.”

Addendum: The biggest and most important life-changing accomplishment that dwarfs all else was meeting and marrying my best friend Rebecca. This year marks our 41st wedding anniversary. We are blessed with two talented daughters, both of whom have pursued successful corporate careers (I have no doubt many of the talented girls in our FA class played a non-trivial role in pushing for equal treatment of women in the workplace). We now enjoy three grandkids, with a fourth on its way.

Francie Bush-Brown Thompson shares: “Enjoying my life back in New Canaan after a brief bit in NYC. I am a grandmother. My son, Gus, and his wife, Elizabeth, have little Frances ‘Scottie’ Thompson. My daughter, Sarah, will be married June 29. I count my many blessings. Despite Lelly and my coming to FA our senior year, we felt accepted at once! This says a great deal about our class. I remember playing Gertrude to Maurice’s Hamlet, in particular. We had fun. I hope to make a reunion. Without Bob and Lelly, I’ve had my ups and downs. Now, I find myself in a good and happy place.”

Jeff Jordan answers: “I especially remember Tom Wood and his English class. He had us move our desks into a circle around the walls of the class-

room and called on whom he wished. He didn’t call on raised hands (‘No Fascist salutes, thank you’). He was a great teacher and mentor. He was instrumental in my decision to go to Haverford College, which has had a large influence on the direction of the rest of my life. I remember Enn Tatar, a math teacher. He got a shock from his classroom clock and stormed out of the room to complain to Tom Wood’s secretary. I remember Roger Erikson, another English teacher, and his love of opera. I remember Miss Roosevelt and her sarcastic wit. She is responsible for my lifelong interest in history. I remember Mr. Churchill and his giant board slide rule. I remember Mr. Buell and his homemade radio being mistaken for a bomb – remember the great bomb scare? I’m sure I’ll recall more after I send this, but it was fun to work on these recollections.”

Jane Dillof Mincer writes: “For me and Larry ’72, the years at Friends Academy profoundly impacted our lives. Our most enduring friendships were formed there. The education we received through our extraordinary teachers prepared us well for college and graduate school and for the careers we chose. In our junior year, Larry and I discovered we were soul mates – and married now for 46 years, with children and grandchildren. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our alma mater!”

Maurice Kerins writes: “In early 2023, Kevin Glynn ’72 and his dear wife, Helen, hosted a visit by Jimmy Kane and Maurice Kerins ’72. As well as exploring Fall 2024

Courtney Stadd leading international group of high school students on Zero-G flight

Jane Dillof Mincer and Larry Mincer from their 1972 yearbook

CLASSES OF 1972-1973...

the urban environs of greater Los Angeles, with must-see stops at the La Brea Tar Pits, the LA County Museum of Art, Watts Towers, and the Petersen Auto Museum, the trio visited with Amelia Erickson and wife, Karen Andrews, in Los Alamitos and traveled east to visit Susan Johnson Banta and husband, Philip, in Palm Desert. The four classmates made a sojourn to the barely-on-

the-grid town of Bombay Beach on the edge of the Salton Sea. And as Jim said, Kevin picked up the tab at the lowest bar in the western hemisphere, the Ski Inn, a new low for him… as in 230 feet below sea level.”

Kevin Glynn shares: “I guess our news is that we are selling our home of 28 years here in Los Angeles, as Helen is now fully retired and, as she has spent her entire life within a seven-mile radius of here, wants to move elsewhere to begin a new chapter – just like so many classmates are. Where to? Helen didn’t like my idea of a double-wide trailer in Nebraska so that I could learn how to go duck hunting and cow tipping, so we’re still figuring that out. Probably North County San Diego near the beach, as our son lives in San Diego while Kathleen lives in Oroville, CA. No point in moving to Texas or Florida or Vermont – just go far enough to get a change of scenery but nothing too exotic. We are looking for a lock-it-andleave-it condo or something simple so that we can do some traveling and then

settle down until… I would have loved to have moved back to Locust Valley, live in an apartment, hang out at Barney’s Corner, and take the occasional train to NY to catch a show, but Helen says it’s too cold. Typical LA Woman just like the song. I’ll let you know where we end up, and you can tell people to come visit.”

Matthew Stevenson’s The View from Churchill was published in April 2024. The book explores “the significant moments and places that helped to shape Sir Winston Churchill’s remarkable career as a British politician, prime minister, soldier, and author.” Matthew visited South Africa, Turkey, Belgium, and Yalta to research Churchill’s extraordinary story.

Karen Spero Albers writes: “As for me, I have many fond memories of my years at FA, and thankfully, those memories continue whenever our class gets together for a reunion. One of my favorite memories occurred as a sophomore, when Clare Laemmle Bridge and I sold enough yearbook ads to win the Class of 1970 as staff for a day. I will always be thankful for the caliber of teachers and coaches – Robbie Thomas, Lew Hitzrot, Lila Gordon, Blanche Schmidt, Dexter Lewis, Sarah Vuillet, Roger Erickson, Winnie Mohaupt, just to mention a few – who left an indelible mark by creating a welcoming and intellectually challenging learning environment, promoting critical thinking and student engagement, and providing patience, encouragement, and, dare I say, comic relief when needed. I believe the academic rigor provided me with the intellectual stamina (combined with a little chutzpah) to pursue a career in the commercial nuclear power industry, a career only available to men who served in the Nuclear Navy in the early

Kevin Glynn, Amelia Erickson, Jimmy Kane, and Maurice Kerins

Maurice Kerins, Jimmy Kane, Susan Johnson Banta, and Kevin Glynn

1980s. 2025 may be the year for another reunion. Ideas have already started to percolate with potential locations, time of the year, etc. If you haven’t been receiving class emails, please feel free to contact me. Stay connected on the FA Class of ’72 Facebook page. Stay safe! Stay well!”

1973

Jan Klocke O’Sullivan danjan85@aol.com

Jan Klocke O’Sullivan writes: “Our 50th reunion in September 2023 was a lot of fun, and it’s delightful to hear that the class of ’73 continues to keep in touch and reach out to classmates who couldn’t attend. No one was daunted by state-of-emergency-level rains on Friday, September 29, but despite some of our classmates being delayed, everyone got there by Saturday. Those who were able to arrive on Friday gathered for dinner at the View Grill, and the lively sharing of memories began! We had a very moving Meeting for Worship on Saturday morning; we took that opportunity to remember our deceased classmates and reflect on our time at Friends. Head of School Paul Stellato joined us, and then he and his wife, Maureen, were our hosts for a luncheon at the Jackson House. Thanks to Tom Hawkins ’78, we had a comprehensive campus tour to see how the campus had changed. So many more memories came flooding back as we toured the core buildings that we had known so well, mentally peeling back 50 years of upgrades. We gathered for dinner at the Basil Leaf, and one of my favorite moments of the whole reunion occurred while standing in the middle of the room with Van Stogner and pausing our conversation just to take in all the energy coming from the animated conversations surrounding us. Van, thanks for all the phone calls you made – the joy in that room was certainly the result!

As for me, now that our wonderful

reunion is over, I have been back to crossword competitions and helping to plan the bicentennial celebrations for Lafayette’s 1824-1825 Farewell Tour.

The Class of 1973 following Meeting for Worship at the Matinecock Meeting House

The 50th Reunion luncheon at the Marion Jackson House with host and Head of School Paul J. Stellato

CLASSES OF 1973-1974...

The American Friends of Lafayette will kick things off in New York City on August 15, and there will be events all along the 24-state route for 13 months. If anyone else from the FA community is attending any of these events – or a crossword competition – please let me know! After that, maybe I’ll plan the next gathering for the class of ’73 – how about a party in 2025 to celebrate ‘From 17 to 70!’”

Two of our classmates who are keeping in touch are Woody Simes and Clay Trauernicht. Woody writes: “Although I didn’t get to our reunion, I did reconnect with Clay for the first time in 50 years! Some of you may remember five

Members of the Class of 1973 at their Reunion Luncheon and alumni reception

of us, including Peter Thomas, Billy Morris, and Frank Erickson, for our spring break in 1973, came out to Utah and Colorado to ski! ‘Utah or Bust’ was duct taped on the back of the camper. Yup, we did get ‘busted’ mechanically, briefly in Burlington, CO. It was an incredible jaunt that we made that spring. Somehow all four of us ended up living here in Colorado.” Clay adds, “Just spent an afternoon with Woody Simes – old times, glory days of making our senior independent study project –a movie of the ski adventure with Billy, Peter, Frank, Woody, and me – we had some laughs. Woody is doing well and still has that giggle and smile that we all remember from high school! Spring in the Rockies – still a special place to be.”

Frank Erickson writes: “I’d like to give a big shout-out to Cliff Gardner for returning my Friends JV baseball cap, as we apparently swapped hats at the end of the season with the promise to return them to each other sometime in the future. Cliff, after lugging mine around for 50+ years, thought our reunion would be a good time to do

so. Amazing! So, Cliff, I just want you to know I’m still searching bins looking for yours!” Barbara Gallagher Erickson ’75 added to his note: “Frank and I went to his class reunion last September, and we had a really good time. It was like time had not passed, but we all had many more interesting stories. It was also really fun that Saturday was Frank’s birthday, so he was able to celebrate with all of his former classmates, some of whom he had gone to school with since kindergarten!” Their son, Kyle, joined us for dinner, too, and Bill Dudjoc wrote, “The high point of the weekend was not only seeing Frank Erickson, one of my best friends since I was five years old, but also his son, Kyle. We were best buddies by the end of the night.” I can confirm that Kyle is a delightful dinner companion and a wonderful advocate for Alexander’s Angels, a Down syndrome awareness group. For more about Frank, Barbara, and Kyle, see the column for the Class of ’75.

It was great to see Cliff Gardner and Kris Horvath at the reunion. Cliff recently wrote: “Kris and his wife, Bronwyn, are coming to town and staying with us for a few days. He has never been to the Lake Tahoe area, so we will probably head up there for a few days. Julie and I have a rustic cabin at Fallen Leaf Lake, a beautiful lake just south of Tahoe. Depending on the snow, our goal is to head up and do some hiking with my flat-coated retriever, who will spend the entire time in the lake.” Kris wrote later that this visit did take place, when Kris and Bronwyn were on their way home from Australia. He adds, “At reunion, Cliff and I made a pact to get together at least once a year. We hope to make up for the many years that we were not in touch.”

Jeff Hull wrote from Texas, where he taught art and has created some very interesting outdoor sculptures: “I am just coming up on my one-year retirement anniversary. Three things stand out so far: 1) Instead of 5:00 a.m., I get up at 6:00 a.m.; 2) Bonnie and I can

travel anytime we want – I don’t have to wait until 4:15 p.m. on Fridays to leave; and 3) We can play pickleball at 2:00 in the afternoon! It sure was fun to see everybody at the 50th!”

Mark Howard echoed how wonderful it was to see everyone at the reunion. He writes: “Still running a business and trying to make chicken salad, meaning I’m not yet retired. Tara and I are heading back to Portugal for a few weeks. We love the country, the people, and the vibe. If we can transport our dogs, we may rent something there next year and consider taking up residence.”

Susan Nappa Cocke was one of our classmates who ran into weather delays in getting to the reunion. She wrote: “We just returned from three months in Florida, where I was working and seeing many friends from the NY area who relocated there during and post Covid. We had a great season! The reunion was great! While it was disappointing to miss Friday night and most of Saturday because of our flight being canceled, the dinner gathering was wonderful! So great to see so many of our classmates sharing their life stories!”

Chris Rising Turner and her husband, Preston, braved the weather on Friday of Fall Fair: “It was a happy time meeting up with a smaller group of the class of ’73 on Friday during a wild storm. I’ve never been back to the Friends campus. I am sure it’s like being at a small college. I think I prefer to remember it as I left it.”

E. Ray Goodrich writes: “I was so sad to not be able to attend our 50th. I went through the pictures; they were marvelous. I missed a once-in-a-lifetime event. For myself and my family, the twins decided to get married: my daughter on September 9 in our backyard (and then to a boat off Freeport), and her twin brother married his girlfriend of 12 years on September 30 at Montauk Beach House. Both weddings were of course beautiful. The last wedding was on the beach, with ocean waves

over two feet, we were all in sandals, a relaxing event. I continue to work with my long-time business with no plans on stopping.”

Jeff Leach writes: “On May 4, at a Navy base, I will give a speech for the Sons of the American Revolution at a Sea Cadet graduation, then on May 8 and 10 to the Army JROTC graduation at a high school and a banquet hall. I retired to volunteer my time to help people and families in need and to provide transportation to the elderly who can’t drive to attend church events. I will be a deacon at my church again next year.”

1974

50th Reunion!

Evette Beckett-Tuggle evettebt@gmail.com

Evette Beckett-Tuggle writes: “We have not published news from our class since 2020. Lots has happened since then. In 2022, I published a book, The Heartfelt Voice: A Writing Guide for Women to Affirm, Encourage, and Empower (more information about the book is found on my website EvetteBeckettTuggle.com); my mother

of nearly 97 years passed away; and my daughter and FA alumna, Lauren Jackson ’05, was married on a beautiful farm in North Carolina. I keep busy with a number of civic organizations engaged in community service. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming 50th class reunion on October 19.”

Linda Bruckner-Swanson writes: “I joined my husband in retirement in September. It had been a few decades since I had visited the East. So I rented an apartment in D.C. then went off to Boston. In Maine, we visited Portland and completed amazing hikes in Acadia National Park and had a few great meals in D.C. before returning to CA. My sister, Janet Bruckner Hawkins ’77, turned 65 this year, and we plan to celebrate with family and friends in Steamboat in July! Hope all is well with everyone.”

Adele MacDonald Kristiansson writes: “I live in Water Mill, NY, and am married to Rik, my husband of 28 years. I continue to work as an energy healer and interspecies telepathic communicator. Many of my clients are competitive athletes, mostly trainers and hunter/ jumper show horses, and I look forward to expanding the support I can offer after being ordained this spring as an animal chaplain through the Compassion Consortium. I have been a chaplain for people these past 13 years through the New Thought Spiritual Center of Eastern Long Island. This is my 13th year volunteering as an EMT/driver for the Southampton Volunteer Ambulance, where I also help out in fundraising. Overall, I’m scaling back on commitments; we are traveling more now and playing lots of pickleball.”

Roger Stern writes: “Gail and I and our two dogs are living the good life, happily ensconced in Westchester, in what is a suburb but feels more rural. Our daughter got married this past New Year’s Eve – what a wonderful night for a wedding symbolizing new beginnings. Our son is in LA working

CLASSES OF 1974-1975...

happily as a movie and TV producer. At an age where many of us are retired, I keep plugging away as a reporter for radio station 1010 WINS. Journalism has always been a calling for me, not just a job, and I can’t walk away from it, though I am easing my schedule a bit. I look forward to seeing you for the big reunion. Friends was always a special place and time for me, as I’m sure it was for many of you, and I look forward to sharing memories and catching up. Until then, take care.”

1975

Tilde Mariani Giacché tildemgiacche@gmail.com

Barbara Gallager Erickson wrote: “Frank and I went to his 50th class reunion at FA last September, and we had a really good time. It was like time had not passed, but we all had many more interesting stories. It was also really fun that it was Frank’s birthday, so he was able to celebrate with all of his former classmates, some of whom he had gone to school with since kindergarten! Frank is still with KPMG as their executive director of architecture and construction. For the five years that preceded Covid, Frank’s focus was building Lakehouse, an 800-room hotel and training center in Orlando. He thought it was his capstone project. But now he’s building a 450,000-squarefoot project in NYC in front of Hudson Yards. Our two sons are doing well. Our older son, Reid, got his master’s in adolescent education, and after working for a school on Long Island for three years, he is now at a small public school in upstate NY. In the summers, he is the sports director for the Helen Keller Camp for the Blind here in Brookville. Kyle keeps us too busy! Over the course of the last 13 years, Kyle has worked part-time first for AXA Equitable and then the First National Bank of Long Island. He takes several ballroom dancing classes each week and performs at lavish showcases. Who would think an almost-200-pound

person with Down syndrome could be a great ballroom dancer? All I can say is that Frank’s mother was a Rockette in the 1940s – perhaps an explanation? In addition to playing Special Olympics golf weekly, Kyle is an advocate for Alexander’s Angels, a Down syndrome awareness group. Kyle speaks at public schools, colleges, and medical symposiums as well as organizing other large-scale events. And I just try to make it all work! And of course, we have fun even though we have been married 42 years!”

John Sengstaken reports: “I officially retired from Delta Airlines in November 2022 and loved seeing Bob Holterman and his wife, Tari, at his retirement weekend. Since then, I’ve been teaching for Delta in the B-757/B-767 simulators. In December, I started flying again for NetJets, which is a fractional ownership company, flying the Cessna Citation Latitude. It’s a part of aviation that I haven’t had the opportunity to explore, and I’m really enjoying it. Margie and I are still in Southport, NC, enjoying the beach and flying our Baron on trips around the Southeast and up to New England. We love spending time with our grandkids who are now six, three, and two.”

Robin Beckhard wrote: “So many changes in the past year! In November, Bryan and I moved from the apartment on East End Avenue that I’d owned and lived in for the past 37 years(!) to a wonderful 99-year-old building on Lexington Avenue, a block north of the 92nd St. Y. Bryan’s first grandchild, Owen, was born on June 1, joining my three grands, Kermit (9), Teddy (6½), and Clementine (dba Tiny, 2½). My mom, who just turned 90, moved after my dad died to an apartment in North Shore Towers, and we just sold the beautiful house on Piping Rock, down the street from Friends, that she and my dad built 18 years ago. Bryan and I are looking forward to upcoming trips to Greenland, Bhutan, and India. We appreciate the flexibility that retire-

John Sengstaken with his wife, Margie

Robin Beckhard with her husband, Bryan, at an Explorers Club benefit

Robin Beckhard with granddaughter, Clementine

ment offers us to travel and spend lots of time with our kids, grandkids, and friends and to serve on the boards of organizations that are important to us – the Secular Coalition for him (secular. org), New Amsterdam Singers for me.”

Kevin Hertzwig wrote: “I am still the CEO of Visiting Angels Homecare of Savannah, GA, and I am extremely happy and proud of what we do. I am one of 650 Visiting Angels franchises nationwide. If you want to see who we are, you can Google ‘Visiting Angels Savannah Georgia.’ I will be traveling to see the love of my life, my mom, on Thanksgiving to celebrate her 90th birthday. Being a professional ski racing instructor in college did me in, and I recently had my second hip replaced. Everything went fine, and I am doing quite well. Life is good! If anyone has Savannah, the ‘Hostess City of the South,’ on their vacation radar, please give me a lookup.”

Dang Mahaguna shares: “I’m doing ok, and now I’m adjusting to retired life after Covid, gardening, pilates, etc. I Just got a new puppy, a corgi, so I’ve been spending quite a bit of time with him.”

Daphne Riker Hagan wrote: “Our wonderful news is that we have a new baby grandson – Jenny and Adam had Henry James Humenansky on December 13. We’re all so happy! Kevin and

I are loving the bicoastal life between Cold Spring Harbor and La Jolla. We are blessed to live in two beautiful towns. We are always happy to spend time with Jenny and Adam and Jack and Deacon, the pug, as well as Kyle and Macy, who love the Denver lifestyle. As you know, we were all together for Canadian Thanksgiving October 9 in Cold Spring Harbor. Pop, who is 93, joined us as well as our dear old friend Jacqueline Roux.”

Howie Klein shared: “Our family trip this year was to Morocco. We made a stop in the Western Sahara desert. This photo shows us on a sunset camel ride.”

Terry and Cathy Blechman Chermak wrote: “We’ve had an active year! Our family is growing up! Tara’s boys, Ariel (7) and Levi (3), are adorable and so fun to be with. Their visits to LA have been great, and we are fortunate to be able to spend time with all of the grandchildren when we’re in NY. Jennifer’s daughter, Starling, is two years old and precious. Vanessa is now a junior at Tufts. She enjoys living in Boston and even loves the weather! This winter, she will be in Copenhagen during her semester abroad. Terry and I are looking forward to visiting; we’ve never been to that part of the world. Our summers in Montauk continue to be wonderful. We see Eli Abbe and his wife, Jessica, out there. We’ve been playing a lot of tennis

and enjoying life in LA. If you guys find yourselves on the West Coast, please reach out; we’d love to see you.”

Kurt Olander wrote: “It’s been a busy and wonderful year. My wife, Teresa, and I just celebrated our 44th anniversary. We also celebrated the birth of our 9th grandchild – six girls and three boys. Our oldest son and his family moved to Oaxaca, Mexico, and we look forward to visiting them in the spring. Our other three children’s families are spread all over. We live near Pine Bush, NY, in the Catskill Mountains, on 9.5 acres with a pond. We are trying to practice no-till organic farming with no herbicides or pesticides. We’re expanding what we’re growing every year. I love retirement! I plan to do four triathlon

Dang Mahaguna’s puppy taking it all in

Howie Klein in the Sahara Desert

Kurt Olander with wife, Teresa

CLASS OF 1975...

races this year along with the Half Ironman in Jones Beach in late September. We hope for peace and unity in these turbulent times.”

Wendy Bell Guerrera shares: “Life is good. I’m still living up in Sharon, CT, and working with my animal rescue organization. I’m really enjoying my two new grandchildren Romeo and Ivy. Such a blessing to be able to relax and enjoy these little munchkins!”

Vicki Chesler shared: “My husband, Matt, and I finally took our first trips outside the U.S. since Covid. We went to Mexico in January and skiing in Canada in March. We’ve also been spending some time in Nashville since our daughter moved there in 2020, enjoying the great music and food scene as well as family time. During the sailing season, we’ve been spending time in New England, where we’ve been keeping our 38-foot Beneteau in Padanaram where Pam Walker McNamara and Allison Bannister Benabdallah both live. Watching our grandson, Oliver, grow from a newborn to a one-year-old has been quite a thrill. Our daughter Melissa and her husband, Nick, moved to Philly in December after four years in Nashville, and our daughter Kelsey is selling her house in Highland, NY, which she bought when Covid hit, and is moving on to new adventures. Getting

together with great FA pals, including Pam and Allison, as well as Daphne Riker Hagan, Tina Rose Erardi, Tilde Mariani Giacché, Peter Flint, and Lynn Chamberlain Adams is always a highlight of the year!”

Pam Walker McNamara shared that she and husband, George, are very excited about son Tim’s engagement to Anali Alegria, longtime partner that he met at Harvard. They joined Tim and Anali, who is Peruvian, and her family on an amazing adventure to Peru –

trekked the Inca Trail up Machu Picchu Mountain to the Sun Gate and Machu Picchu, explored Cusco, Lake Titicaca, Lima, and the Nazca Lines. She says: “We also explored northern Italy, starting in Lake Maggiore, enjoying Tilde’s hospitality in her precious San Terenzo, the cuisine of Modena, and the spectacular Positano and Amalfi Coast. Our grandson Cody (now 3!) is a delight – we are so grateful to have daughter Casey and husband, Mike, living nearby, enjoying their Scuttlebutt restaurant. We regularly see Vicki Chesler and

Kurt Olander on the water with granddaughters Amber and Ivy

Vicki Chesler with classmate Peter Flint at his beautiful new house outside of Philadelphia in December 2023

Vicki Chesler with fellow alumna Daphne Riker Hagan out to lunch in Manhattan

Pam McNamara and husband, George, in Machu Picchu in 2023

husband, Matt, who keep their sailboat in Padanaram. We’re taking art classes with Allison Bannister Benabdallah and her husband, Mohamed – a weekly highlight. My work focuses on patients through the American Kidney Fund, which makes an enormous difference in the lives of kidney disease patients and their families, and on justice with community groups in the New Bedford area. We are blessed to have good health!”

Randy Perkins reports: “I’m still living in Danville, CA, and am coming up on my 40th anniversary with Kristin. I have two grandchildren, Harper (4) and Brodie (2), from my daughter Brittany, who works as a product line manager for a clothing company. Middle son, Casey, lives in Sacramento and is in banking, and my youngest son, Drew, is getting married in May and is a firefighter/paramedic. I retired from my company in 2018 where I was the COO for a national security company. After that, I was a substitute teacher at our local high school until Covid hit. Kristin retired from nursing in 2020. Currently, Kristin and I are traveling, watching grandchildren, and keeping busy with home projects.”

Allison Bannister Benabdallah shared: “My husband and I are loving our new home and community in South Dartmouth, MA. Our lovely seaside village Padanaram is truly idyllic. We couldn’t have picked a more perfect place to retire. We are so lucky to live just a mile down the road from Pam Walker McNamara and her husband, George. We spend lots of time together walking trails, volunteering, enjoying the company of new friends, and we even take weekly art lessons together! Another benefit of retirement is all the time we get to spend with our kids, Adam, Justin (both in D.C.), and Hannah, who lives and works in Brooklyn, and their expanding families! We have four beautiful grandchildren, all of whom are in D.C. – Jackson (8), Oliver (5), Cyrus (2), and June (1). We also get to spend

time and stay in close touch with good friends Tilde Mariani Giacché, Vicki Chesler, Daphne Riker Hagan, Tina Rose Erardi, and Lynn Chamberlain Adams. Would love to welcome any FA alum if you’re ever in our neck of the woods!”

Chip Behal shares: “Jo-Anne and I continue to enjoy retirement. With Covid in the rearview (mostly), we have resumed traveling, including a month in Australia at the end of 2023. Jo-Anne continues her ballroom dancing (No, I am not her dance partner) and her artistic pursuits. She sits on the board of the Art Guild of Port Washington. I still sail during the summer and volunteer occasionally at a few local museums, including the Nassau County Museum of Art, the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, and the American Merchant Marine Museum at Kings Point.”

Andrea Feldman reports: “After teaching for nearly 39 years, in June 2023, I have finally retired! Peter, my husband, retired a year ago. So we are enjoying our freedom from routines and all that paperwork. I celebrated my retirement by going with friends to Florida and going with my family to Santa Fe, NM. We will continue to celebrate by simply enjoying life.”

Ellen Fasano shares: “My retirement has been a busy time. I volunteer for Open Arms for Refugees in Westchester, NY, and work closely with newly arrived refugees in many aspects of their lives. I am currently assisting a family of five from Afghanistan, with three children under the age of five. I teach ESL to the mother and assist with transportation, medical appointments, etc. I enjoy playing with the children and taking the oldest child to the playground. I’m a member of a choral group called Old Mill Singers, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. I also enjoy doing stained glass projects. I’m happily living next to the Hudson River and enjoying the sunsets. I hope that all of my former FA classmates are healthy and happy.”

Lisa Kimmel White shares: “I have been happily living in northwest Connecticut the last 30+ years. I have a booth in an antique center in Great Barrington, MA; run the book sales at my local library;

Lisa Kimmel White with son Josh; bride, Emily, and groom, Justin; and my partner, John; and his daughter, Annie.

Fall 2024

Allison Bannister Benabdallah enjoying a meal outdoors

Andrea Feldman in Santa Fe during a family trip in August 2023

CLASSES OF 1975-1987...

and continue to do my art, exhibiting around the tri-state area. I have also become adept at wrestling bears! This picture is from my son Justin’s wedding. Warm regards to all my friends!”

Laurie Block Rosen shares: “I’m splitting my time between Long Island and Boca Raton. I work for my husband, Bruce, and assist with his psychiatry practice, volunteering, and enjoying life. Sending so much love to my FA friends!”

Jonathan Spencer writes: “I live in Colorado in the Denver area with my wife. We have three grown kids. We’re all doing well. I’m still working and haven’t set a timeframe for retirement. I see the notices for periodic gatherings and events in the NYC/LI area. The 1,600mile schlep from Colorado makes it hard to participate.”

Tilde Mariani Giacché writes: “Hi to all my friends from the Class of 1975. Thanks so much as always for putting up with my yearly notes request. What a perk being your class rep and getting the chance to catch up with you! We’re all doing really well, and I never take for granted that my kids are all so close to

each other and to me (geographically as well!) and that we get to spend as much quality time as possible together. Our favorite moments together are summertimes in San Terenzo of course, the little town on the northwest coast of Italy where both my parents were born. I’m really looking forward to our next class reunion – 2025 will be our 50th! I had lunch with Sue Gravina King, who also lives in NYC and spends her summers on Shelter Island. Her older son, Andrew, lives in San Francisco, and younger son, Alex, lives in NYC. I always love catching up with her!”

1980

Michael Salzhauer michael@benjaminpartners.com

Linnette Davenport Kerins passed away on May 2, 2024, at the age of 62. Linnette descended from a long line of Quakers, dating back to the late 1600s, when her ancestors first emigrated. She attended preschool at Westbury Friends School before enrolling at Friends Academy in kindergarten, where her mother, Yvonne Wheeler Davenport Kerins, was employed as an assistant accountant and religion teacher, and served as a board trustee. She completed her final two years of high school at Friends Seminary in NYC and attended 15th Street Quaker Meeting along with her family. Following her graduation from Friends Seminary in 1980, Linnette enrolled in the NY Restaurant School, which was affiliated with Parsons School of Design, where she would graduate second in her class. She was

Linnette Davenport Kerins was a member of the Field Hockey team at FA

Tilde Mariani Giacché, in red on the left, with her family in Vermont

Tilde Mariani Giacché and Sue Gravina King catch up over lunch

also an avid artist, spending time in the art studio creating ceramics and paintings. A Quaker Meeting for Remembrance and Memorial Service was held on June 23 at the Westbury Meeting House and was attended by many FA classmates and friends.

1985

Laura Match Schaffer lematch7@gmail.com

David Johnson shares: “My wife, Michele, and I just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by taking our two Scottish deerhounds to Maine for a long weekend. My daughter, Nicole, graduated from Middlebury College and now works in NYC for a growth equity company. My son, Christopher, is at Whitman College in Washington state. I’ve been living in Madison, NJ, for the past 27 years or so and stay in contact with FA alums Bill Callahan ’86 and Rob Lawrence ’85. So sad to hear about David Sommer ’85 who passed in late 2022. He was a model FA student-athlete. One of my fondest memories of him was his description of how he prepared for class – what a strong work ethic. As a new student at Friends, it taught me what was possible to strive for excellence. My condolences to his family.”

Glenn Lostritto, captain of the Casablanca snow polo team, competed in Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbuhel, Austria, in January 2024.

1987

Barry Joseph JosephNYC@Gmail.com

Emily Beiles Kaufman kaufmanemily@outlook.com

John Buffa still lives in northern New Jersey with his wife, Gina. He writes: “I have three adult daughters, one in her 2L year at U Miami Law, one in Boston, and one in NYC. I am the co-founder of Cognetic Capital Advisors, a multi-family office with my founder partner and FA alumnus Joel Talish ’83.”

Michael Gallo writes: “I am living in Old Brookville with my wife and three girls. One daughter is in college, one is a freshman at Friends Academy, and one is starting the fall as an eighth grader. Always enjoy bumping into fellow classmates in the neighborhood.”

forward to retiring in the next five to seven years. My kids are 1) a registered nurse, 2) a bachelor’s student in cellular molecular biology, and 3) an EMT student getting ready to start her physician assistant studies in the fall.”

Paul Murphy and Sandy Williams met up in Lake Placid for some ice climbing. After facing single-digit temperatures, they report being ready to move to an independent living community in Miami.

Beth Febre says: “I am in my 30th year of teaching for Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, FL. I am still teaching kindergarten – but now the English side of a dual language program. My husband and I are looking

Andrew Bart, Paul Murphy, Sandy Williams, and Todd Grupe are pleased to announce the formation of their new company – Jazzhands Productions. It will focus on one-person productions of 1980s musicals. Barry Joseph is helping them with the read-through this spring of their first project – a

Glenn Lostritto with his team on the winner’s platform

John Buffa, Robert Mortati, Michael Gallo, Jim Paget at their annual ski getaway at Windham Mountain

Beth Febre with her family

Sandy Williams and Paul Murphy’s Lake Placid adventures

CLASSES OF 1988-2013...

one-woman show of Starlight Express They are hoping to book Bernadette Peters.

Barry Joseph launched the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum (BrooklynSeltzerMuseum.org). Next year, his fourth book will be published, Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Puzzles and Games of the Broadway Legend

1989

35th Reunion!

JoAn Monaco joanLmonaco@aol.com

Vik Iyengar shared his annual family

letter for 2023, which was an incredible 25 pages summarizing the “past year’s highlights of life with three busy teenage boys.” He wrote: “Life is pretty busy these days – our boys are growing up so fast, and we, as parents, do our best to savor every moment as we navigate through the ever-changing present while anticipating and preparing for future challenges. Connor (16) is a junior in high school, which means driving and starting to think about college. Tyler and Jackson just turned 14 and are in eighth grade, which means they’ll be in high school next year! It’s hard to believe how time marches on, but we are delighted to report on how our kiddos are becoming amazing young men.”

1996

Luke Cass lukecass@gmail.com

Luke Cass shared the sad news that classmate Sameer Sayeed’s beloved wife, Dr. Caroline (Anni) Aberg, passed away on February 8, 2024. “A Swedish treasure, Caroline was an amazing, kind, and wonderful person who will be sadly missed by many. Caroline dedicated her life to her three children and husband. Her loyalty, devotion, commitment, and adoration for her three children and her husband is an inspiration to us all. Caroline was an extremely dedicated, loving, caring, and devoted mother to her three children and a loyal, loving, and doting wife to her husband. Her children and her husband were her whole life, and they meant the world to her. She adored, cherished, and treasured her three children and husband more than anything in the world, and her greatest joy in life was being able to spend as much time with them as possible. On behalf of the Class of 1996 and the Friends Academy community, we extend our deepest condolences to Sameer and his sons, Oscar, Philip, and Carl, for this tragic loss. You will be in our thoughts and prayers.”

2000

Meredith MacKinnon mmackinnon35@yahoo.com

Meredith “Mimi” MacKinnon, director of events at Major League Soccer, was featured on the National Blood Clot Alliance’s “Taking a Breath: A Stop the Clot Podcast” to discuss her near-fatal pulmonary embolism in 2013 and her subsequent recovery. She has become an advocate and volunteer for the NBCA by supporting the NYC Walk to Stop The Clot and raising money, and she was even named Volunteer of the Month in October 2018.

2003

Jessica Jakobson jess.jakobson@gmail.com

Sisters Olivia Dreizen Howell and Genevieve Dreizen ’05 recently had a feature about their company, Fresh Starts Registry, published in the Associated Press, which has been syndicated over 300 times. Fresh Starts is a first-ofits-kind platform built to support those going through brave and bold changes, such as divorce, job changes, coming out, living through grief, and more, by revolutionizing the art of starting again. It has been recognized as the “first divorce registry of its kind” by Forbes, and New York Magazine has called it “the leader in destigmatizing divorce.”

Barry Joseph at the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum

Vik Iyengar with his wife, Erika, and sons

2004

20th Reunion!

Angela Batista Forrest Batista1023@gmail.com

Jonathan Koenig jonathan.h.koenig@gmail.com

Classmates and former rowers Hilary Armstrong Rovery and Matt Schoman recently reunited and brought their littles with them too!

2006

Brian Alessi brian.t.alessi@gmail.com

Emily Lepore Jonap lepore.emily@gmail.com

Ethan Lazar has been named CEO of Morning Moon Productions, an independent film, television, and music production company based in New York City and Los Angeles! Over his career, Ethan has served as a producer on over 15 films that have premiered at major festivals, including Sundance, TIFF, Tribeca, and SXSW. After studying political science, film, and Spanish at Vanderbilt University, he has held roles in international sales and distribution at Entertainment 360, Exclusive Media, Scythia Films, and Annapurna.

2007

Rebecca Pacchiano rebeccaleigh17@gmail.com

Alumni Association board member Rebecca Pacchiano left her role as vice president at Citi and transitioned

2013

Sydney Menzin sfmenzin@gmail.com

Kira Sanchez married Ricardo Rivera on July 2, 2023, in Mexico City, Mexico with a number of the FA family and friends in attendance.

into the media field after realizing her love of journalism. After spending time with the likes of actors Alec and Billy Baldwin, she has accepted a position as associate producer for NewsNation, an American subscription television network owned by the Nexstar Media Group. She is also working as a journalist on a book by Christopher Lukas called The Angry Man Who Wanted To Make the World a Better Place, a biography of Rafael Abramovitz, who worked on the tabloid news show A Current Affair from 1986–1996.

Pat Pozzi ’11, Upper School World Languages and Cultures Department

Head Sara Pozzi, Courtney Pozzi ’13, Jake Ingrassia ’12, Parker Huseby ’14, Melissa Sanchez ’06, and Luis Sanchez ’02 with bride, Kira Sanchez

Dwayne Taylor began a new role in January as diversity marketing manager at AKA, a creative and media agency representing the world’s leading live entertainment, culture, and leisure brands.

A marketing graduate from George Washington University, Dwayne has executed marketing campaigns for more than 25 celebrity fashion brands and orchestrated product launches.

Hilary Armstrong Rovery and daughter, Audrey, and Matt Schoman and daughter, Olivia

Rebecca Pacchiano snapped a photo after her interview with Billy Baldwin

CLASSES OF 2014-2024...

2014

10th Reunion!

Simisola “Simi” Akinola simisolaakinola@yahoo.com

Xixi “Cissy” Shi opened the Starry Ballroom, a new dance studio in Manhasset, NY, which promotes young women’s empowerment through the arts. After FA, Cissy graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s in economics and recently earned her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Ryan Dobrin, a producing artistic leader at the Obie Award-winning Movement Theatre Company, had his off-Broadway directorial debut of Ryan Drake’s You Don’t Have To Do Anything, which ran at HERE Arts Center in NYC from February 9–23. The show was produced by Pulitzer Prize finalist Will

Arbery and received rave reviews in The New Yorker, Vulture, Theater Mania, and Lighting & Sound as well as fantastic features in The Daily Beast and Playbill

2016

Maximo Lipman Maximo1219@gmail.com

Christina Yannello Christinayannello@gmail.com

Trevor Dineen is finishing his first year of service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia, Africa.

2018

Lauren Nagel lauren_nagel@aol.com

Ally Zucker allyzucker13@gmail.com

Samuel Mufson was recently promoted to associate manager at SS&C GlobeOp, the business division of SS&C Technologies, the world’s largest independent hedge fund and private equity administrator. Sam has been with SS&C since November 2022 after graduating Bucknell University with a degree in accounting and finance.

2019

5th Reunion!

Alexander Clinton ac5court@icloud.com

Karly Eberly recently left investment banking to start Scribbles Editing, an editing and copywriting service, leveraging a background in business, human emotion, and decision-making and a lifelong passion for writing.

2020

Billy Duke billy_duke@fa.org

Olivia Lizza olivializza123@gmail.com

Morgan Pascucci morgan1055@aol.com

Michael Mead was named to the 2023 All-NCAC Football team. Michael graduated from Denison University in May with a degree in health exercise and sports studies.

Henry Schoeffel will be serving in the Peace Corps in South Africa starting September 2024.

2021

Jordyn Cagner jdc4266@gmail.com

Carleigh Zelman carleighf@gmail.com

Brothers Skyler Mott and Logan Mott ’23 took home the highest honors at Holy Cross’s 11th Annual Cross Tank Competition in March and at the WooTank Intercollegiate Showdown in April for their company, Mark-It Athletics, a tailor-made product for track and field enthusiasts, providing precise markers for starting points in various field activities. In addition to Mark-It, the brothers started Motts Gambit in 2021 to teach young kids how to play chess after Skyler’s own experience and love of the game since the age of four, having competed in tournaments and being

Cissy with her mother at the Starry Ballroom

Ryan Dobrin hard at work during a rehearsal

Skyler and Logan Mott at Holy Cross’s 11th Annual Cross Tank Competition

ranked in the top 100 nationally.

2022

Kennedy Daal kennedydaal09@gmail.com

Erica Schwartz eschwar@bu.edu

Josh Sukoff shares: “I am thrilled to share that I have been selected to report for the Medill News Service in Washington, D.C., for this upcoming winter quarter! I will have the chance to cover congressional hearings and Supreme Court oral arguments, interview politicians and policymakers, and produce stories that will be distributed to media outlets across the nation. I look forward to spending the quarter alongside talented Northwestern University Medill School students and professors!”

2023

Malachi Polson malachipolson@icloud.com

Serena Saad saadserena66@gmail.com

Danielle “Dani” Davis recently traveled to Germany as a member of the United States Women’s National Under-20 Soccer Team! The team won the matchup against Canada with a final score of 3-1. Dani is currently enrolled at Clemson University and was one of the 20 young women across the country selected to play in the game.

Davis, a midfield soccer player at Clemson University, in action

2024

Danny Duke dannyduke725@gmail.com

Adriana Lloves adrianalloves@icloud.com

Senuli Peiris senulipeiris1@gmail.com

Congratulations to the great class of 2024! Commencement speakers Senuli Peiris and Danny Duke spoke of transitions and change, both emphasizing how to find joy in the ordinary routines of one’s life. Friends Academy Librarian Bill Rueger delivered the Faculty Address. (Please read more about Commencement on page 25 and scan our QR Code for more photos.) We wish you well in your next chapters this year.

Please stay in touch!

Emma Daniels emmamd61@gmail.com

Logan Mott lpmott27@g.holycross.edu

The 2024 FA Alumni Parent/Senior Class photo: From left, Jesse Laserson ‘93, Amanda Levy Laserson ‘93, and Sam Laserson ‘24; Dana Lostritto ‘93 and Eden Leopold ‘24; Danielle Valenti Smith ‘93 and Siena Smith ‘24; Kristina Constantino ‘87 and Clementine Constantino ‘24; Rashid Walker ‘87 and Laila Walker ‘24; Jed Morey ‘90 and Maya Morey ‘24; Jacqueline Sokolow Wachsman ‘89 and Alec Wachsman ‘24; Jaime Fox Posillico ‘98, Thomas Posillico ‘98, and Thomas Posillico ‘24. Congratulations to all!

Dani

In honor of those we have lost...

Wickersham & Taft, Chubb & Son, Inc., and J.P. Mattimoe and served as corporate secretary at FPL Group, Inc. Astrid was a member of the American Bar Association, national director and member of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, and president of the Southeast Region of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries. In addition, she was recognized for her professional and volunteer work with a number of awards and honors.

Andrea Fagan Rowsom ’54

AAnn Robinson Nelson ’51

Ann Robinson Nelson passed peacefully on June 1, 2023, comforted by her husband and daughters in San Diego, CA. Born in Peekskill, NY, Ann spent her formative years living at the Eastern Military Academy at Oheka Castle, which was founded by her father and uncle and later headed by her mother, the first woman ever to head a military academy in the U.S. After FA, Ann graduated magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr and moved to California after a whirlwind cross-country courtship with an adventurous John Nelson. After visiting nearly every continent, they retired to Westlake Village, where she held various leadership roles including the Westlake Yacht Club, Westlake Women’s Club, and the Lakeshore Homeowners Association. Ann was named Alice Robinson Woman of the Year 2002 and Lady of the Year in 2003 for her devotion to the Westlake Yacht Club and was presented with a bench by the Lakeshore Homeowners for decades of service.

She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, John Nelson; her daughters, Stevie and Debra, and their husbands, Lindy and Alan; and her grandchildren, Courtney, Tori, and Julian.

Astrid Pfeiffer ’51

Astrid Elizabeth Pfeiffer of Hagerstown, MD, passed away on February 22, 2024, at the age of 89. After FA, she attended Cornell University, Wayne State University, and Columbia University. She had been an attorney at the law offices of Cadwalader

Astrid was married to Edmund Lee Gettier III in 1956 and divorced in 1966. Astrid is survived by her children Elizabeth “Lisa” Jacque, Edmund “Skip” Lee Gettier IV, Sheila Ann Astrid Plungis, and David Brian Gettier; and her grandchildren, Emily Sanson, Laura Bok, Robert “Bob” Jacque, Brian Plungis, Devon Plungis, and Daniela Darden. She was preceded in death by her son Evan Ernest Gettier.

George Hawkins ’54

George Hawkins passed away on May 18, 2024, in Glen Cove, NY, at the age 87. While at Friends, he ran track and played football, basketball, and baseball. He was a member of the Glee Club, Mechanics Club, Red and Black, Yearbook Committee, and the Athletics Association. George went on to study at Lehigh University and marry alumna Joan Konvalinka Hawkins ’55.

George and his family have a

long and beautiful legacy at FA, as he was father to Thomas “Tom” Hawkins ’78, John “Jack” Hawkins ’79, Peter Hawkins ’81, and Kathryn “Katie” Hawkins Schneider ’86. George was also grandfather of Emily Hawkins ’10, Sam Hawkins ’11, James “Jake” Hawkins ’13, Alex Schneider ’14, and Nick Schneider ’16. He was father-in-law to Nancy Toher Hawkins ’76 and Doug Schneider, who attended FA.

ndrea Fagan Rowsom died peacefully at her Orient, NY, home on March 28, 2024, at the age of 87. After FA, she attended Skidmore College and moved with her husband, George Rowsom, an FA alumnus from 1953, to Texas before settling in Orient in 1960, her home for the next 64 years. Andrea was active in the community, including the Oysterponds School, Eastern Long Island Hospital, and other charitable organizations. Andrea worked at and was part owner of the family’s Greenport business S.T. Preston & Son, and managed the Ship & Sea Gallery, where she was the art director producing the company’s “Of Ships & the Sea” catalog. Andrea’s maritime experience included summer yacht cruising and leading an all-woman crew in the Ensign class during a 1970s E.L.I.Y.A. Regatta. Andrea is predeceased by her parents; her husband, George; her daughter, Melanie; and sister, Dona Fagan Arnow. She is survived by her brother, Peter Fagan; sons, Christopher (Carey), Michael (Milou), Peter (Monica), and Andrew (Heather); six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Michael Volow ’54

Michael Volow died in Durham, NC, on February 16, 2024, at the age of 86. After FA, Michael graduated from Oberlin College and the New Jersey College of Medicine. Soon after, he married Rebecca in 1966 during his tour as a Navy flight surgeon at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, CA, 19661968. Michael completed both a

psychiatric residency and fellowship at Duke University in 1972. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Rebecca Volow; one child, llan Volow; his sister, Lisa Volow Golombek; and three grandsons, Ari, Jonah, and Alex.

Joanna Jacobus ’55

Joanna Jacobus passed away on August 10, 2024 at the age of 86. Born in 1937 in Queens, NY, Joanna grew up in Southold, Long Island. She was a creative individual, earning a degree in fashion design from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and an MFA in dance from Connecticut College. She taught dance at the University of Connecticut and later became a licensed massage therapist. Joanna was deeply involved in the arts and loved her family and friends. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Lee, her son, James, her granddaughter, Fallon Benzenhoefer, her brother Sidney Thomas Bent and her nephews David and Douglas Bent. A memorial service was held in September 2024.

Keville Larson ’59

Keville Larson passed away on October 27, 2023, in Mobile, AL, at the age of 86. Keville attended Stanford University as an undergraduate student, where he played on the Stanford Cardinals soccer team, where he was an All-Conference player for the 1957 season. He completed his studies at Stanford with a bachelor’s in geography and went on to Yale University to obtain his master’s in forestry in 1961. After a successful career in forestry consulting, he taught courses on the subject at Auburn University and at Yale as the F. K. Weyerhaeuser Fellow at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in 2000. Keville is survived by his wife of 62 years, Eloise Echols Larson; his children, Christopher Keville Larson and Jessica Larson Little; and granddaughters, Catherine Keville Little and Lillian Dorothy Little.

Miklos Salgo ’64

Miklos Salgo died on November 29, 2023, at home in Hillsborough, CA, at the age of 77. Mickey was born in Geneva, Switzerland, to the late Ambassador Nicolas and Marika Noren Salgo. After FA, he earned a bachelor’s from Cornell University College of Agriculture and a Ph.D. in mammalian reproductive biology from The City College of New York (CUNY). A graduate of New York University’s School of Medicine, he started working for HoffmannLaRoche, Inc., a pharmaceutical company in Nutley, NJ, and continued there until retirement in 2015. Mickey was a lover of history as well as an avid animal watcher (via camera trapping) and bird watcher. He often learned a new language for his many trips abroad. He spoke French and Spanish fluently and had a deep love for the ocean and Cape Dory sailboats. Mickey helped to save many pieces of land from development and helped create new hiking trails through his work in the Rails to Trails program in New York.

Mickey is survived by his wife, Roxann; son, Seth; sister and fellow FA alumna Christina ’61; and nephews, Daniel and Peter.

Carol Knill Maniscalco ’64

Carol Maniscalco of New Port Richey, FL, died on June 30, 2023, at the age of 76. She is survived by her husband, Thomas. At FA, Carol was a member of the theater’s Academy Players group, the A Cappella Choir, and the ski club.

Nancy Simms Wheeler ’77

Nancy Simms Wheeler passed away on February 6, 2024. A native of Oyster Bay, NY, Nancy was a member of the French Club while at FA. She went on to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees and traveled the world teaching English as a Second Language. She is survived by her brother, Thomas Wheeler, and was an

adoring aunt to Dylan, Aidan, and Tyler Wheeler.

Amanda Davies ’99

Amanda Davies passed away on January 29, 2024, at the age of 42. During her time at Friends, Amanda was an engaged and active student, having played tennis and softball. She served as a member of the French Club and the AIDS committee, and as the vice president of the Diversity Committee. Amanda was named All

County in choir in 1997 and 1998. After FA, Amanda attended the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and went on to become an actress, best known for her role on One Life to Live. She first appeared on the show in 2003 as a younger version of her mother Erika Slezak’s character, Victoria “Viki” Lord. Amanda is survived by her parents, Erika Slezak and Brian Davies, and her brother, Michael, a Friends Academy graduate of the class of 1998.

Alexander Giocondi ’07

lexander Giocondi passed away on January 1, 2024. After FA, Alex went on to study at Syracuse University where he earned a bachelor’s in entrepreneurship and marketing in 2011. While at Syracuse, he was a member of the Men’s Lacrosse team, winning back-to-back national championships in 2008 and 2009. After college, Al applied his

entrepreneurial passion across many industries. Most recently, Al co-founded Terzo Technologies, Inc., an exciting startup in the technology/ enterprise AI space.

Alex is survived by his parents, Joan and Philip, and two brothers, FA alums Andrew ’05 and Jeffrey ’09. A celebration of life was held on September 28, 2024, in Garden City, NY.

Daniel Tauter ’17

Daniel Tauter passed away on January 22, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA, at the age of 24. During his time at Friends, Daniel was active and engaged, playing Varsity Ice Hockey and serving as a member of the Diversity Club, Make-AWish Club, and the Star Club. He went on to study business administration with an emphasis in marketing and pursued a minor in Chinese at Chapman University, was also involved in the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, Chapman’s Photo Club, and Chapman’s Spoon University Chapter as one of their photographers. In keeping with FA’s Quaker mission, Daniel generously volunteered his time with the Long Islandbased Elija School, which supports autism, and Canstruction Long Island, Inc., which seeks to mitigate homelessness and hunger on Long Island. At the time of his passing, Daniel was an associate at Neo Media World, a global performance marketing agency, in Los Angeles. Daniel is survived by his parents, Ewa and Pawel; his grandparents, Czeslaw and Anna Tauter; and his sister, Natalia, a Friends Academy graduate of the class of 2023 and student at University of Michigan.

Friends Academy holds in the light all who have passed from within our community. Please send all In Memoriam notices to Director of Alumni Affairs Jodie Sperico at jodie_sperico@fa.org

FORMER FACULTY

Kingston Heath

At FA, 1970-73

David Clark (FA, 1970-1975) notes with sadness the passing of Kingston Heath, English teacher and wrestling coach at FA from 1970-1973. Dr. Heath passed quietly on June 29, 2024. Upon leaving FA Kingston earned his MA at the University of Chicago and his Phd. from Brown University. He went on to serve with distinction on the

faculties of the University of North Carolina and the University of Oregon. His second book, Patina of Place (2001) is still considered forward looking in his discipline. Kingston retired six years ago from the University of Oregon to live with his wife in a cabin in Bozeman, Montana which he built himself; often using tools from his personal collection of early American carpentry tools. He will be missed.

Judy James

At FA, 1990-2015

Former Friends Academy Library Director Judy James passed away on Oct. 19, 2024. A long-time faculty member, Judy served as Library Director at Friends Academy from 1990 to 2015. Judy was instrumental in digitizing the library collection – moving from the traditional card system to a software/ computer-based that she researched and recommended to the board for purchase. Beyond the Library, Judy served in numerous other roles throughout her tenure at FA, including coaching the FA Crew team; teaching in the Upper School English department; advising; and leading a number of community service initiatives. “Judy was always committed to service and willing to volunteer – from YSOP, Habitat for Humanity, and the Appalachian trip,” shared former Upper School History teacher Herb Lape. “She embodied what Quaker William Penn wrote, ‘true Godliness doesn’t take men (and women)

out of the world, but excites their endeavors to mend it.” Outside of Friends, Judy was an avid sailor and kayaker, often sharing tales of her excursions with fellow faculty and colleagues.

“She loved sea adventures,” added Mr. Lape Judy is survived by her husband, David James, her brother David Rabinowitz, and her niece, Michelle Rabinowitz Carney ‘98. Judy’s family asks that donations be made to the INN of Hempstead in her name.

Jo Ann Withington

At FA, 1967-87

Jo Ann Withington, wife of former Headmaster Frederic “Ted” Withington and long-time staff member, passed away on March 1, 2024, at the age of 97. Jo Ann devoted more than two decades of her life to Friends Academy having served in several roles including Lower School Library Clerk from 1967-1987 and most notably, mother to their three daughters, Susan ’68, Sarah ’70, and Ann ’74 –all FA graduates.

Jo Ann began her career as the secretary at Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield, MA, where she met Ted Withington, a teacher and coach, who proposed within a month of their first date. They married in 1948 and, together, embarked on a life devoted to education and enriching the lives of others.

After several successful years at Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C., and Morgan Park Academy in Chicago, the Withingtons came to Friends Academy in 1966, where Ted was headmaster for 22 years, the longest in FA’s history.

In 1988, they retired to Brunswick, ME, where they actively supported their community. Jo Ann volunteered with the League of Women Voters, was a member of the First Parish Church, and was a patron of the Maine State Music Theater and the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

Ted died five years later in 1993 after a second, courageous fight against melanoma.

The 1876 Society

Support Friends Academy through a Planned Gift

Awell-planned gift sustains your generosity after your lifetime and makes a powerful statement about the legacy you wish to leave. Planned gifts can also be a tax-efficient way to achieve financial and estate planning goals while supporting Friends Academy into the future.

For more information on planned giving, please contact Kevin Barry, Director of Advancement at 516-393-4269 or kevin_barry@fa.org.

a special memorial sharing

Alec Dick

Family, colleagues, alumni, and others attended a Quaker Memorial for Meeting on Sunday, June 15 for former Math teacher Alec Dick, who taught at Friends from 1973-2005. Many messages were shared. In that spirit, please read even more remembrances that were sent to us to be shared with the Friends Academy community.

Alec exemplified a sturdy exuberance for working with and inspiring young people including novice faculty such as myself. He worked hard. He spoke his mind. He didn’t complain about mundane difficulties. He kept it real.

Alec adored and was fiercely proud of his two children, Emily and David. He also adored his wife, Sue.

While he could on occasion appear gruff, he was a very gentle man. He treated everyone with respect. He was a perpetual student and passionate sportsperson!

Alec was an unofficial mentor for me right from the start of my 14-year teaching and coaching career at Friends Academy (19862000) where I taught English in the Upper School. Alec and I also coached the Varsity Boys Tennis team for approximately 12 years.

I definitely would have been a much better math student had I had Alec as a teacher! As thousands of alumni will attest, he was a

dynamic, passionate teacher of mathematics who made math fun.

One of his absolute joys – in addition to playing tennis when we were coaching the Varsity Boys Tennis team together – was a rainy day when we had to hold practice indoors on a half-court in the fieldhouse: this was time for his favorite team cross-training – inter-squad basketball! Alec was a rebounding force with a resounding positive impact on all who had the privilege to know him.

– Sidney Bridges, Former Faculty

Ilivein Massachusetts and couldn’t make Mr. Dick’s memorial meeting. What an impact he still has on my life today. I think of him often and have mentioned his two most important lessons to my three sons on numerous occasions. He was my geometry teacher in tenth grade – that was 1977. The two most important things I learned from him were: “It’s duck soup” and what happens when you “assume”

something. As I said, I think of him often and refer to him to this day as I try never to ass / u / me anything! He was a large presence in the community in my high school years. He will be missed.

– Susan Thomas Cosmopulous ’79

WhenI arrived at FA in July 2003, Alec had moved to part-time as a faculty member, but even in that capacity, I witnessed his immense impact on students, colleagues, and the FA community. He had a singular sense of humor, which I experienced first-hand that fall on Halloween costume day when he arrived dressed in his cycling garb as Lance Armstrong. In his own inimitable way, and to be true to Armstrong, Alec had taped syringes up and down both arms to call out his use of PEDs!

His larger-than-life presence and personality filled the halls of Frost Hall, and I often heard his booming voice welcoming and kidding with students as they arrived in his classroom. As a teacher, he maintained the highest standards, yet he was unflinching in his commitment to helping his students meet those standards. He was often in his room after school helping students. He helped them find the best within and express it in their work and lives. His tough love and skill as an educator were emblematic of a master teacher, and his students revered him like few I have known over 48 years in schools. When alums returned, they all wanted to know if Alec was around that day, and they flocked to him at gatherings in NYC. What a wonderful tribute to a man who had a lasting impact on so many. He lives in the pantheon of great teachers at FA.

– William “Bill” Morris, Former Faculty

In the manner of Friends, I am holding Mr. Dick’s family in the light. He was my math teacher in middle school. At the time, I thought he was a good teacher, but I was not especially fond of him. I did not understand at the time that he would change my life forever by recognizing an aptitude for math that I was unaware of. By recommending that I take honors-level math, he changed my trajectory as a student. For that, I am forever grateful.

Alec Dick, Sidney Bridges, with Todd Meringoff ’92 and Jared Jacobs ’92

Decades later, I visited FA with my husband and twin sons (then in seventh grade) when we were considering moving back to Long Island. I had not been back to FA since graduation in 1977, but he saw me in the hall and called out my name, gave me a big hug, and asked about my younger brother. My family was astonished, and I was so surprised that he remembered me. Mr. Dick was a phenomenal teacher, and we were so fortunate to have so many great teachers at FA. My own long career in education started as a math and science teacher. Thank you, Mr. Dick!

– Joanna Parker Evans ’77

There are some teachers who don’t just love their subject – they make everyone feel their love for teaching it.

We met Mr. Dick in tenth grade Sequential 3 Honors, and we soon took over his classroom. While other kids hung out at the loungers or at the library during free periods, the four of us spent all our free time in Mr. Dick’s classroom, despite being often inconvenienced by his having to teach a class other than our own. One day, during our sophomore year, we brought four Pez dispensers into the classroom and decided to hang them up. Why? 30 years later, I can honestly say, no idea! But soon that became our thing, and everyone in all his classes kept bringing new Pez dispensers for his classroom. Of course, we had to display them in the shape of a sine wave!

After graduation, we stayed in touch – no longer as teacher and student but as friends. We would see Mr. Dick at sibling graduations, the occasional school visit, and our weddings.

You will forever be my favorite school teacher, thanks for being awesome ...“and all that trash!”

– Melissa Barbagelata Shaltis ’96

It was September 1981, and it was my first year as a Middle School teacher and coach at Friends. Alec was teaching a few sections of Middle School math at that time. My strongest memory of Alec is his outgoing and fun personality which made me feel comfortable and accepted into the community. Arriving very early at school after his 10-mile bike ride from his home in Syosset, providing extra help for his students, grabbing a cup of coffee and joining colleagues in the commons, and diving into the NY Times crossword puzzle was his daily routine. Alec was a true teacher in every sense of the word – committed, caring, smart, and always fun. As a young teacher, I learned

many valuable lessons from working with and observing Alec interacting with his students. I can still hear him saying, “You can do this!” and seeing him by their side supporting and guiding as much as they needed! He was a beloved teacher, coach, and colleague. Truly one of FA’s icons!

– Deb Schoman, Former Faculty, and Former Parent

Alecwas a joy to coach with and work with. He was able to make it fun for the students and those of us working together. When we lived on campus, he would make himself at home, using our kitchen table as a comfortable place to grade papers.

Alec was not only a classroom teacher but a life teacher. He set a positive example of how to treat others. As a coach, he made sports fun and helped athletes learn how to work together to achieve a common goal.

– Albert “Kal” Wynot, Former Faculty and Former Parent

Iamwriting in homage to my dear friend Alec. I knew him as a colleague for over 10 years at Friends Academy and then afterward as a dear friend outside of school. We kept in touch for 20 years after Alec’s retirement and his relocating to his hometown of Chestertown, MD. Loyal friend that he was, he always arranged meetups when he came north.

Alec was an exceptional math teacher whose

students adored him. He was fun and funny, kind and sensitive, and always had time for them, in and out of class. There were several years where he actually had fan clubs among his students. His colleagues also were fans of his. They enjoyed his company because of his great sense of humor, his thoughtfulness, his honesty, and his integrity.

Alec was the person to whom I credit my breaking out of a shell at Friends. He had a way of connecting to everyone and was persistent in his way of making friends and getting to know his colleagues. I was a lucky recipient of this persistence. We got to know each other as senior advisors and as crossword puzzle fans, and he would often come into the library to chat and catch up with personal stories.

He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and loved his family dearly. He was very proud of Emily and David, his children, and their accomplishments and often bragged about his wife’s piano playing and chair building and many other of her talents. This was very endearing.

Alec was an exceptional, caring human being who left his mark on all who were lucky enough to know him. He will be dearly missed.

– Carol Van Auken, Former Faculty

Mr. Dick is unforgettable. His wit, humor, and keen teaching style were unmatched. I had him for geometry and received an HH. As math was never my subject, it was a true feat. He was a wonderful and kind teacher. The

“The progress of the Pez Museum after junior year.”

chemistry lab was upstairs from our classroom – someone dropped a hose down, and I think it was Lenny Shapiro ’75 who pulled it into our class. They turned on the hose! Mr. Dick got the same thrill we all did.

Long after I’d graduated, I returned to FA and, while walking around, I bumped into Mr. Dick. Without missing a beat, he said, “Miss Blechman, how are ya?” – it had been 25 years! – Cathy Blechman Chermak ’75

AlecDick was both a character and a person of character.

He was the only male faculty member quirky enough to wear a bow tie back in the ‘80s. I wanted to follow his example. This was before YouTube. He was the master, so I became his pupil and experienced why FA students loved him as a teacher: his passion for sharing his knowledge, encouraging mastery, and holding people accountable. Speaking of accountability, I showed up late for my first lesson, right before first period. He taught me with clear instructions and demonstrations. With students arriving, there was no time to practice doing it on my own, and for the rest of the day, I didn’t do any practice homework and discovered the next morning that I hadn’t mastered his lesson. Former students can appreciate the anxiety I felt, returning to him again, early this time, for more instruction. He reinforced my responsibilities in the learning process (homework) but patiently showed me again. I practiced, mastered it, and was even known to demonstrate how to tie a bow tie during classes, all thanks to Mr. Dick.

He was also a competitive athlete who displayed old-school sportsmanship during a contest, but he also enjoyed locker room trash talk and recounting highlights, especially after a victory. Back in the day before lawsuits and state laws ended student/faculty games, he and I played doubles against our Varsity Boys Tennis team. They were clearly better than us, but the pressure they felt of wanting so badly to defeat a faculty team caused the boys to choke – a sweet, unexpected victory for us! We went back to my faculty apartment, where he did a locker room recap of the key moments as we high-fived each other.

Alec had a heart for community service. He volunteered for our first trip to West Virginia to help with home repair projects coordinated by the Appalachian Service Project. This was at the end of the school year and involved a 10-hour drive there and back, five six-hour days of manual labor, plus rotating kitchen and cleanup duties. Oh, and sleeping on a gym floor

with a bunch of boys from all over the country. He and his student crew rebuilt a dysfunctional outhouse, something that broadened our students’ understanding of their own privilege and stimulated their concern to help those less fortunate.

Another service project involved a Habitat for Humanity rebuild of an apartment building in the Lower East Side of Manhattan before it was gentrified and provided my favorite Alec Dick story. There were four adult male volunteers – parents and faculty members –eating our lunch on the front stoop when a woman of a certain sort walked up to us and picked out Alec to leave a card. We, of course, asked what it was. Being an old-school sort of guy, he was embarrassingly reluctant to reveal it to us, but we, of course, persisted, and he finally caved. On one side was 970-WHIP and the other, 970-LUST. In moments of back-andforth banter, I often recalled this story to him, pointing out that these women had a practiced eye for determining who was the most likely client! He could receive ribbing as well as dish it out.

Back in the day when faculty determined discipline cases, Alec showed both the qualities of mercy and accountability. He cared for what was best for the student – mercy, support, improvement – but he also cared about the school. Suspension and expulsion were options in his mind in those days because he thought that loving concern involved discipline as well as nurture and care, for the integrity of the school mattered as well.

Finally, I visited him in his retirement in his beloved hometown of Chestertown, MD.

He took me to the town square where he encountered lifelong friends with the same impish banter that was always received as a sign of loving affection and abiding friendship, much as I experienced. Alec was definitely a character, but he was also a man of stellar character, a mentor to me, and a dear friend. He will live on in my memory and the stories about him that I continue to tell.

– Herb Lape, Former Faculty and Former Parent

Someof the teachers in our lives play pivotal and memorable roles. For me, Alec Dick was such a teacher. I will never forget being in tenth grade and struggling in an honors math class with a teacher who was notoriously not userfriendly. I was beginning to lose self-confidence but somehow had the sense to ask to be transferred to Alec’s class. Immediately, I found a teacher who cared about his students, who had a light way, and who expected learning to come from a partnership between student and teacher. Soon, I thrived in the subject and learned that the tools of mathematics, which I still use daily in my business life, were more than accessible to me. I am forever grateful to this nice man.

Years later as a parent, my experience with Mr. Dick, which I shared with my children on nights of math struggles, helped the next generation of my family.

Friends Academy was blessed to have this special man as part of its history. May his memory be a blessing.

– Michael Salzhauer ’80

Ientered my freshman year at Friends Academy in 1983, and the class I was most excited about taking was Honors Geometry. I walked into a room, and there was a teacher with a fringe of hair, a small mustache, a bow tie, and a stick. Yes, a stick. This geometry class would come to be the very best class I ever took in my academic career, anywhere. Mr. Dick would swing this stick around, smack the board, smack the ground, smack the ceiling, and keep you on your toes from the minute you entered to the minute you exited the room. He said funny things like ch-cha! He would jump around, calling on students from one to the next in rapid succession. “Yensky-J, what do you think?” Todney, Benhamim, Alexandro.. we all cracked up. You sat on the edge of your seat and did not lose focus for the full 40 minutes. He had multiple nicknames for each student and connected directly with each person in every class. You never showed up to that class without your homework done. It was a combination of a comedy show and some brilliant form of telecommunication, where the information flowed from Mr. Dick’s brain through his hand onto the board and then into your brain and onto your piece of paper. He never looked at his book. The material flowed out of his head like a river, and it made so much sense, but you never had to study it. One class built on the next and day by day, he built a year’s curriculum. All of the material fit together like perfectly laid bricks. I was genuinely sad when the year came to a close, because I knew at 15 years old that I had had the best class of my life. That was the truth.

As luck would have it, I made the Varsity Tennis team in the fall, and Mr. Dick was the head coach. I was elated. As phenomenal as he was in the classroom, he was just as great

on the tennis court. Now, I’m going to tell you a story that is deeply etched into my history. I was bullied in high school. One person tormented me for years. One day I was playing a doubles match, and my bully stood outside the fence and tormented me in front of my doubles partner and our opponents. I had no reason to continue this match, so I calmly put my racket down on the ground and called a timeout. I walked across the court to where Mr. Dick was standing and calmly said, “I am being tormented, and I do not want to play like this. If you can’t stop this now, I will forfeit this match.” Without hesitation, without consultation from anyone, and with no cell phone or administrator to speak with, Mr. Dick marched across the court and told my offender to leave. He told her “she had no right to be here and not to come back to his team, his court, or his player again.” It might be overstated to say that he saved my life that day – but perhaps not. He was my friend, and he helped me that day in ways I cannot describe. I always stand up fiercely for my people to this day, and I always remember that it is OK to ask for help. Lessons learned from a beloved teacher.

Mr. Dick and I remained friends over many years. I enjoyed visiting him at the Fall Fair along with other faculty members and sharing my life experiences. One year, I brought my 5-year-old kindergartener to meet him. I told Matthew that this was my favorite teacher, Mr. Dick, and on cue, Matthew cracked up. Without prompting, Mr. Dick sat down at one of those wooden tables with my son and started teaching honors geometry to him on a little piece of paper. My son picked it up immediately, of course, because he was a math kid, and Mr. Dick could teach honors geometry

even to a kindergartener. He had that twinkle in his eye like he did, and he looked at me and gave me a wink of approval, which he knew I needed from him. The kid’s got the math bug. Matthew always remembered that meeting and is now a college math major.

Mr. Dick’s light shines brightly. He touched the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands of students, colleagues, friends, and his wonderful family. His light shines through all of us lucky enough to have known him. He is loved and will never be forgotten. I will stand up for those who need protection, ask for help when I need it, swing my stick around (my metaphorical stick), make some noise and some good trouble for the social justice causes that are important to me, and learn things passionately through my life in honor of my most favorite teacher. I will think of him on bike rides and at beautiful sunsets. Thank you to his family for sharing him with us. I will see you again, Mr. Dick. Thank you, Sir.

– Gennifer Geller

’87

Mr. Dick had a way of teaching and connecting with us that was very unique. His style of making math fun and engaging really stood out to me, and I always looked forward to his classes. Beyond that though, he taught life lessons in the classroom. One of my favorite sayings of his that stuck with me (and I now use it with my kids) was, “Are you asking or telling?,” when a student delivered a correct answer that lacked confidence. He wanted us to believe in ourselves and went out of his way to help us learn beyond just the math curriculum. He was also always a common figure around the athletic fields, even in sports he wasn’t coaching, which I really appreciated. He will be greatly missed.

– Chris Holmes ’03

“Every man dies. Not every man really lives.” –William Wallace

Alec Dick was my best friend during my tenure at Friends Academy, and he remained a dear friend thereafter. I was hired to teach history at Friends Academy in 1999. As a 22-year veteran teacher, I joined a highly reputable faculty that included master teacher Alec Dick. Despite my teaching experience, I was a rookie to many at Friends – but not to Alec Dick. Alec befriended me almost immediately. He facilitated an easy and seamless transition for me. Not sure why we clicked instantly. I was 12 years younger. He was a stalwart member of the Math

Department; I taught history. He was an FA veteran; I was new to the Quaker school setting. We quickly developed a strong professional relationship based on mutual admiration and respect. He was principled; character was important to him. He was unabashed in sharing his viewpoints. He spoke from his heart and willingly spoke truth to power. Empathy and tolerance were his guides when there was disagreement. He took me under his wing, treated me with kindness, but he wasn’t reticent about teasing much like a big brother. Thus, a personal friendship was forged and sealed. Our bond was simpatico. We discussed everything, from educational pedagogy to family, sports, politics, music (he was an ABBA fanatic), health, and wellness. You name it, we talked about it. Together, we laughed and lamented, literally and figuratively.

It was Thornton Wilder who said, “The highest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude.” Alec was a fabulous teacher. He ignited the fire that fueled a student’s quest for knowledge, curiosity, and wisdom. He was a source of daily inspiration and sunshine. Alec devoted more than 30 years to Friends Academy, mentoring both students and faculty in and out of the classroom. He left an indelible legacy. When I heard about his passing, I was heartbroken. Two thoughts came to mind and proved uplifting: Who leaves a footprint is always with us; you don’t see it, but you feel it. Death is not a destination; death is a doorway. I was privileged to know Alec and honored to be his colleague and friend. My son Greg, a Friends Academy alumnus from 2005, knew Mr. Dick well and put it succinctly, “Very sad news. His positivity was

always infectious.” We’ve lost a great one, a consummate gentleman whose influence and impact were far-reaching. I loved Alec Dick. I, like the countless number of students he taught and mentored, and all his former colleagues, will miss his physical presence, but we will continue to feel his spiritual presence and guidance. William Wallace was correct when he said every man dies, but with regard to the second part of his statement, Alec Dick was one person who truly lived; he lived life to its fullest. Not a day went by that Alec did not laugh, think, and bring joy to others. What a gift! The things he wrote on the chalkboards and whiteboards of life can never be erased. Thank you, Alec Dick. You made all of us better every single day.

– Michael “Mike” Spatola, Former Faculty and Former Parent

Iworked with Alec for 30 years. I have so many fond memories of him. He was one of the best math teachers and coaches at Friends.

Alec was loved by his students for his ability to teach while making it fun for his students. The students he had cared for him because they knew he cared for them. He had a great sense of humor and was well-respected by parents, students, and colleagues. Alec loved his family, and some of our best moments were talking and bragging about our families. He loved the fact that Emily and David were students at Friends and he got to see them often.

I recently received a text from a person in his bike club, and they spoke very highly of his abilities as a biker and his dedication to the Huntington Bike Club. I recall him biking to work on many days and sometimes leaving his bike in my office or my house on campus. Friends Academy was fortunate to have him on a staff that was loaded with superstars. Alec was at the top of that list.

– Martin “Marty” Jacobson, Former Faculty and Former Parent

Ihadthe joy of being Mr. Dick’s student nearly 20 years ago when he took over my tenth-grade math class at FA while our teacher was on parental leave. He and I clicked instantly. He was so giving of his time and enthusiasm and was always ready to engage in conversation with his students. I treasure the warm recollection of talking with him after class or in the halls. I remember him regularly passing out photocopies of what I am pretty sure was the New York Times crossword puzzle. I wasn’t interested at the time. I wish I could tell him that now I do it every day, and often think of him when I do. But the memory of Alec Dick that makes me smile most is what he mischievously titled our extra credit section on quizzes – “A Little Extra Coolness” – note the acronym. He had more than a little extra, and I’ll miss him deeply.

– Elizabeth Sharpe-Levine ’08

Complete Our electronic form www.friendsacademy.org/alumni

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Contact Jodie Sperico Director of Alumni Relations jodie_sperico@fa.org (516) 465-1796

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Grade 11 had an incredible time at the annual trip to Washington, DC.

Lower School students spend time exploring the Forest Program. Friends Academy

Rashid Walker ’87 visited FA to be a guest speaker at the Architecture Club meeting.

5th grades students unveil their installation of local fauna at the Shu Swamp Preserve.

Upper School student-run newpaper The Inkwell becomes a print and digital paper.

For its 300th anniversary, FA students planted 1,725 daffodils on the Matinecock Meeting House lawn.