In Memoriam With profound sadness we share news of the tragic accidental deaths in March 2014 of Gabriel Mironov, 33, (NCS 93, CTT parent 13) and his son Oliver Mironov, 11, (CTT 13). An entrepreneur and innovator in renewable energy, Gabriel founded in China a company that manufactured molds for wind turbine blades; more recently he established in Montreal a hydraulic system designed for the turbine blade molds. “Gabe came to NCS when he was nine,” his houseparent Selden West says. “He was, literally, a genius. Everyone who knew him then remembers his passionate questioning and his equally passionate arguing. His
brain never rested. There was always a new project or an ‘improvement’ idea. At the same time, he was a typical little boy inside, goofy and extremely sweet-natured. Hock and I were lucky enough to be Gabriel’s houseparents for three of his four years. We were so happy when Oliver came to Treetops.” In one short summer, Oliver embraced all that Treetops offers and values. He was known for his positive spirit, his curiosity and creativity, his kindness and compassion. Quick to offer a helping hand, Oliver saw the fun in community work; he was everyone’s best friend.
Peter Bunker (CTT 48, NCS 50), 76,
Marie Bernays (CTT staff 50s, CTT parent
64-68, CTT grandparent 94-02), 95, died March 1, 2014. Marie and her husband Peter, who died in 2009, both worked at Treetops in the early 1950s: Marie as Camp nurse and Peter as waterfront director. Marie attended Bryan Memorial Hospital Nursing School of Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, NE. She served in the Army Nursing Service in the Pacific in World War II and retired as a first lieutenant in 1946. After the war, she and Peter were married and in 1955 moved to Columbus, OH, where she lived until her move to Judson Park in 2010. Marie was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, active in the Sunday school and food pantry, and a volunteer with Camp Fire Girls and AFS. She is by survived by her children, Lynda Bernays (CTT 64-65), Sally Burgess (CTT 1968), Michael Bernays (CTT 1968), and Marx Lomoro, and her grandchildren.
(also known as Henry Alden Bunker III), longtime resident of Falls Church City, VA, died January 30, 2014. Peter earned his BA from the University of Rochester (NY) and his MS in physics from the University of Connecticut. A Renaissance man, Peter’s career reflected his eclectic interests: he was a camp counselor at Treetops; a certified farrier; a high school science teacher in St. Croix and physics instructor in the Virginia community college system; an engineer scientist; and entrepreneur and owner of a company that made tabletop mobiles. An avid reader, he also enjoyed horseback riding, woodworking, photography, and singing. William Coperthwaite (NCS staff, late 1950s), 83, died in a single-car accident on November 26, 2013. A resident of Machiasport, Maine, William gained international acclaim as an architect, visionary social critic, homesteader, and author of the award-winning A Handmade Life. He was a graduate of Bowdoin College and earned a PhD in education from Harvard. Peter Forbes, a Vermont farmer and co-author of A Handmade Life writes: “William was a man who inspired many thousands by his life led close to
nature and in opposition to contemporary society… More than an architect, Mr. Coperthwaite embodied a philosophy that he called ‘democratic living,’ which was about enabling every human being to have agency and control over their lives in order to create together a better community.” Stephen Pell Dechame (NCS 62), 66, died
suddenly October 23, 2013 at his family home, Le Petit Pavillion, in Ticonderoga, NY. The son of Stephanie Pell and Roger Dechame, Stephen shared his parents’ devotion to Fort Ticonderoga and served for most of his life as a trustee of the Fort. Also dedicated to the fulfillment of social justice, Stephen touched uncounted lives through his work as a juvenile defender, guardian ad liten, and advocate for reform in the Massachusetts juvenile justice system. He is survived by his brother Robert Pell Dechame, his godchildren Mimi Krueger Rozek and Christopher Krueger, and beloved cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Charles H. Edmonston (CTT parent 5560, NCS parent 55-66, trustee 63-69), at just shy of 100, died December 2, 2013 at Danbury (CT) Hospital. Mr. Edmonston graduated from Princeton University in
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