CLASS NOTES
IN MEMORIAM Thomas Paul Perkins ‘94, 44, of North Port passed away on Thursday, September 4, 2014. Born in Lansing, Michigan he had been a local resident since 1988 after moving here from Texas. He owned and operated his own financial services company. Mr. Perkins enjoyed soccer and coached Northport Soccer League and was also a Buccaneers fan. Survivors include his loving wife of 17 years, Angela, sons, Zachary; Ian and his mother, Rita Perkins. (published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune September 14, 2014.) First-year Julian Toomsen-Hall ‘15 passed away May 9, 2015 while attending New College. A service to celebrate his life was held at the Cannon Chapel on the campus of Emory University. Julian was described as “an old soul with an infectious laugh, an innate thirst for knowledge, and an admirable refusal to think inside the box. He loved and was loved deeply and will be missed by all.” He is survived by his parents Eric Toomsen, Renee Hall-George, and William Jay George, his sister Jessica Toomsen-Hall and her fiancé William Bullock, his brother Isaac Hall-George, his step-brother William George, his girlfriend Catherine Baker, his grandparents Elaine and Vern Hall and Erna and Duane Toomsen, his extended family, and countless souls he touched. Dr. Mey Akashah Cooper ‘96, of Englewood, FL, died November 28, 2014. She was a public health professional whose work centered on the nexus of human rights, humanitarian crises, and environmental health. Having received the François-Xavier Bagnoud Health and Human Rights Award, she was particularly concerned with the human rights implications of state, non-state and private sector actions on the enjoyment of human rights and well-being.
32 New College of Florida | nimbus
Mey Akashah had published on a range of topics including compensation for human rights abuses, the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on conflict and sustainable livelihoods, and the health impacts of mercury contamination in the Arabian Gulf. She served in several academic and humanitarian positions, including instructor in Environmental Health at Harvard, adjunct professor at Brown University and water, sanitation, hygiene and public health officer in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake, and as a consultant for the HarvardKuwait Risk Group. Ruth Elow DeLynn, 87, of Sarasota, died on July 8, 2014. She founded the Ruth E. Delynn Marine Biology Endowed Scholarship at New College. Funeral arrangements by: National Cremation & Burial Society. She is survived by her daughter, Nina (Donald) Berk of Newton, MA; son, William (Donna) DeLynn, of Rye Brook, NY; granddaughters, Kimberly, Amy Julia, & Robin. Ruth was born and raised in NY. She raised her own family in Westchester, spending 15 years as a taxidermist at The Museum of Natural History. She retired to Sarasota with her loving husband, Hubert, who predeceased her. Ruth spent the last 30 years passionately engaged in Marine Mammal Research at Mote Marine Laboratory, where she became known as “The Bone Lady”. Her legacy remains at Mote in the Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. (published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune July 10, 2014.) Elisabeth Kallay Gonye, 86, died November 2, 2014. She was born September 15, 1928, in Budapest, Hungary and was a resident of Sarasota since 1982. Upon moving to Sarasota
some 30 years ago, Elisabeth turned her attention and her spirit of community volunteering to a number of new causes. She and her husband, Laszlo, played an important role in numerous commercial, cultural, and healthcare-related initiatives which raised millions of dollars. Elisabeth was President of the New College Foundation Associates from 1990 to 1992, and in 1991, she was named its volunteer of the decade. She was a member of the board of directors of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Century Club. She was a fundraiser for the Moffitt Cancer Research Foundation and was a founder of the Sarasota-Manatee Moffitt Women’s Cancer Awareness luncheon event. Lastly, she served as a director of the Sarasota Opera for more than 20 years. She and her husband founded its Opera Club and chaired the Opera Ball for many years. (published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune November 16, 2014.) Jay B. Rudolph, of Sarasota, passed away on May 23, 2015 at age 98. Born in Syracuse, NY, he graduated from Nottingham High School and the University of Pennsylvania. He lived in Sarasota for over 40 years. He founded Jay B. Rudolph, Inc., operating fine jewelry departments in department stores including Bloomingdale’s. Previously, he was president of Rudolph’s Jewelers, Syracuse, New York. He established a Chair in Judaic Studies at Syracuse University named in honor of his father, B. G. Rudolph and a Chair in Judaic Studies at New College of Florida, as well as an endowed scholarship named after him and his wife for Judaic Studies at New College. (published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune May 27, 2015.)