NMH Magazine 2013 Fall

NMH Magazine

13 fall

volume 15• number 2

Northfield Mount Hermon

When physicist Ben Harris ’85 was diagnosed with a fatal disease that has no treatment and no cure, he did what any resourceful scientist might do: He started his own drug trial.

NMH Magazine FALL 2013 Volume 15, Number 2 Editor Jennifer Sutton P ’14 Class Notes Editor Sally Atwood Hamilton ’65 Contributors Susan Pasternack Mary Seymour Hannah Wareham Design Lilly Pereira Class Notes Design HvB Imaging Director of Communications Cheri Cross Head of School Peter B. Fayroian Chief Advancement Officer Allyson L. Goodwin ’83, P ’12, P ’14 Northfield Mount Hermon publishes NMH Magazine (USPS074-860) two times a year in fall and spring. Printed by Lane Press, Burlington, VT 05402 NMH Magazine Northfield Mount Hermon One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354 413-498-3247 Fax 413-498-3021 nmhmagazine@nmhschool.org Class Notes nmhnotes@nmhschool.org Address Changes Northfield Mount Hermon Advancement Services Norton House One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354 413-498-3300 addressupdates@nmhschool.org

NMH Magazine

13 fall

volume 15 • number 2

features

20 H ow to Live and Die at the Same Time Ben Harris ’85 spent the last years of his life performing medical experiments—on himself—to help find a cure for ALS.

26 W hat Does It Take to Feed a School?

In a year, NMH’s Dining Services staff make nearly 9,000 gallons of soup, 150,000 cookies, and 32,000 muffins. That’s just the beginning.

32 Birth Culture Alice Proujansky ’98 photographs the struggle, beauty, power, and transformation of childbirth.

36 T wenty Minutes on Boylston Street When two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon, Bruce Mendelsohn ’86 ran into the crowd and made a difference.

departments

2 Letters 3 Leading Lines 4 NMH Postcard 6 NMH Journal 14 Movers & Makers 16 In the Classroom 18 Past Present 40 Alumni Hall 44 Class Notes 96 Parting Words << B ehind the scenes in Alumni Hall, formerly West Hall. See story on p. 26.

C O V E R PH O TO : K E V I N FO S TE R TA B L E O F C O N TE N TS PH O TO : D AV I D WA RREN B A C K C O V E R PH O TO : TJ FA R M E R

LETTERS

MISS WILSON REMEMBERED

I felt very nostalgic after seeing the Spring ’13 issue of NMH Magazine.

I was particularly pleased to see the tribute to Mira Wilson. I remember so well being brought into her office because Bob Behrenberg ’49 and I were dancing too close on a parlor date! My punishment (so-called) was to serve at Miss Wilson’s Sunday breakfasts for seniors for about two months. I reported to her home early in the morning and heated up the funny long rolls and put out the coffee and tea—a unique form of discipline.

Jean Laughlin Moulton ’49 Charlestown, Mass.

Reading about Mira Wilson brought back my own memories. I was a sophomore at Northfield when World War II broke out. Though I was a refugee from Nazi Germany, I was classified as an “Enemy Alien.” So a rather frightened enemy alien went to the post office in East Northfield to be duly photographed and fingerprinted. I needed permission from the U.S. government every time I wanted to go home to see my parents in New York. This worked until spring vacation in 1943, when permission did not arrive.

Mercifully, Mira Wilson, aware of my distress, invited me to her house for lunch and told me she had rented a room in town for me, and that I could come to her house for meals.

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Permission from Washington arrived the next day, and I was allowed to take the train home, but Miss Wilson’s warmth and concern did much to ease my uncomfortable situation.

Sibylle Gerstenberg Ehrlich ’44 Cockeysville, Md. WALT CONGDON, MENTOR

When Walton Congdon and his wife, Betty, remembered me during a chance encounter in July 1990, he suggested that I apply to teach science at NMH. In one week, I went from cleaning the grease filters of restaurant kitchen hoods to a new career, working shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Congdon on the third floor of Palmer Hall on the Northfield campus for his last three years in the profession. He became my mentor teacher in his 36th year at NMH. He taught me, by example, to enjoy teaching. He taught me that being relentless in the pursuit of excellence is sacrosanct, not for career advancement but for the students. Every day, my man Walt put graded papers on the desks of students as they walked in the door.

Every day, he called in the weather forecast with his ham radio, which he ran off solar cells and batteries because he was “green” before energy conservation became fashionable.

Most people remember Mr. C. as warm, but I also remember him as an extremely disciplined man. He worked circles around me. I learned, over time, to keep up. Thank God that I, born and raised in south central Los Angeles, was afforded the honor of working with this New Englander. He showed me that to work hard, you simply need to shut up and do it.

Ralph Bledsoe ’79, P ’97 Former faculty Andover, Mass.

MOODY AND A CHANGING WORLD

In her letter in the Spring ’13 magazine, Linda Ames Nicolosi ’65 takes issue with Peter Weis’s article about D.L. Moody’s legacy (Fall ’12), but I believe she’s off the mark. Asserting that Moody would be unhappy with the school’s “modern-day” direction is like saying that the Founding Fathers would be unhappy to see that women can own property, that African Americans can vote, and that gay men and women have protection from job discrimination. Moreover, for anyone to insist that the school lost its way in this modern age is to insult non-Christians who have been dedicated, generous, and faithful to the school.

Beth Z. Palubinsky ’65, P ’00 Philadelphia, Penn.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? NMH Magazine welcomes correspondence from readers.

Letters and emails may be edited for length, clarity, and grammar, and should pertain to magazine content. Reach us at NMH Magazine, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354, or email us at nmhmagazine@nmhschool.org.

LEADING LINES

Elliott Speer’s Wish

“We want to help, so let us learn in order that we may truly serve.”

by PETER B. FAYROIAN, Head of School

Each fall, as students launch themselves into a fresh school year, we all consider new aspirations, new goals. For example, this is the year that I plan to learn more about Elliott Speer, one of Northfield Mount Hermon’s great headmasters.

Now that I’ve gained an understanding of D.L. Moody and the foundation of NMH, I’m determined to promote Speer’s legacy of modernization—how he took an outstanding institution and made it relevant and enduring.

Speer was devoted to our school’s mission of educating young people to act with humanity and purpose. He wanted everyone to be inspired to act with humanity and purpose.

In a letter to his brotherin-law before he took over the headship at Mount Hermon, Speer wrote: “We want to help put an end to race hatred, but we don’t know how. We want to help stop war, but we don’t know how.

We want to help, so let us learn in order that we may truly serve.”

To this day, our goal at NMH is to empower our students to live a life of service, whether it is their vocation or in addition to their professional careers. The stories in this issue of NMH Magazine demonstrate the difference so many of our graduates are making, and have made, in the world. I’m proud to lead a school with alums like Ben Harris ’85, whose NMH experience helped spark the determination that led him to research possible treatments for Lou Gehrig’s disease, at his own body’s expense and at a time when others might only think of themselves (p. 20). Ben wrote before his death that NMH “shaped the person I am today to a greater extent than anything else during my formative years.” Ben’s words echo those of Elliott Speer, who, when faculty members and trustees worried that he might leave Mount Hermon to run a college, said that he “would rather be headmaster of a preparatory school than president of a college because [this is] … the formative period of a boy’s life.”

P H O T O : K AT H L E E N D O O H E R

I’m equally proud to read in this issue about the work of Alice Proujansky ’98, whose experiences in a Dominican maternity ward during her senior year at NMH evolved into a remarkable childbirth project in which she photographs underresourced maternity care clinics around the world (p. 32). And I can’t help but believe that the actions of Bruce Mendelsohn ’86 at the Boston Marathon bombings (p. 36), as described by Caleb Daniloff ’88, were in part influenced

“ Speer wanted everyone to be inspired to act with humanity and purpose.” by the culture of caring for others that he experienced at NMH. “All my life I’ve wondered what I would do in that kind of situation,” Mendelsohn says of the bombing. “Would I run to the sound of the guns or run away?” Run to the sound Mendelsohn did, and as I contemplate his actions, I imagine that Elliott Speer’s wish—to help and to serve—was answered.

By the time you read this, we will be two months into NMH’s 135th year of educating the heads, hearts, and hands of young people, empowering them to act with humanity and purpose.

Examples of this kind of life can be found throughout the school’s history— in men and women who lived a century ago, in those who left campus much more recently, and in, no doubt, you.

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NMH POSTCARD

UPHOLDING TRADITION Seniors take control of the 2013 Rope Pull in September.

PHOTO BY GLENN MINSHALL

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NMH JOURNAL

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NMH JOURNAL

The red door from one of Mec and Dick Peller’s former homes on campus will become part of a new neighborhood of faculty houses at NMH.

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PH O TO : X X X X

New Doors to Open on Campus Northfield Mount Hermon has seen its share of new construction in the past decade—the Rhodes Arts Center, the Bolger admission building, the Mackinnon and Shea dormitories—yet it’s been nearly 50 years since a new faculty house was built on campus. That is about to change.

During reunion weekend in June, NMH broke ground on the north edge of campus for a neighborhood of six new faculty homes, one of which will be named after Mary Ellen “Mec” Peller, the longtime math teacher, dorm parent, and coach who died of cancer in 1997. “Mec always welcomed students into our home so they could relax and feel loved,” Dick Peller told the crowd that assembled for the groundbreaking. “A house for faculty is the best way we can honor her.”

Building the six homes will cost an estimated $4.5 million, $1 million of which is needed to connect the homes to NMH’s wastewater treatment plant, electrical system, and generator. The school is funding the project with the proceeds from sales of individual properties in Northfield, the interest from a $10 million gift from Richard Gilder ’50 (the principal will fund a new science, math, and technology facility), and gifts from donors.

The lead gift came from Cyndy Gelsthorpe Fish ’78, who remembers Mec Peller as a mentor, a big sister, and “a teacher in all ways.” The Pellers “had a complete open-door policy because they truly loved teenagers,” Fish says.

“Anytime you went to their house, there were all these kids from different parts of campus who had a question about math, or they wanted to talk something over, or they just needed some advice.” One of those kids was architect Douglas Wilk ’83, who designed the Mec Peller House and incorporated the red wooden

Mec Peller (lower right) with students in 1993. One of NMH’s six new faculty houses, currently under construction, will be named after her.

P HOTOS BY GLEN N MINSH AL L AN D C O U R T E SY O F D IC K P E L L E R

door from Dickerson House, one of Mec and Dick’s former homes on campus.

The remaining five houses were designed by the Breadloaf Corp. of Middlebury, Vt. Construction began earlier in the fall, and will be completed next spring and summer. Faculty families are expected to move in by the beginning of the 2014–15 academic year. Each home will be built in a Queen Anne farmhouse style, with four bedrooms, a porch, a full basement, and two and a half bathrooms.

Because energy efficiency is a top priority for all new campus buildings, the houses will have one-foot-thick walls and highly insulated roofs and basement slabs.

When NMH began its consolidation in 2005, the goal of the board of trustees and the administration was to eventually house the entire faculty on one campus with the students. Currently, a dozen faculty members still reside in the town of Northfield. The new homes will make room for most of them on campus.

“NMH’s residential life program includes appropriate living spaces for our faculty as well as our students,” says Head of School Peter Fayroian.

“Comfortable, spacious, and welldesigned homes improve the quality of life not only for our teachers and their families, but also for the students who regularly visit with them. And the placement of these new houses, in close proximity to the central part of campus, is a reminder to our students and their own families that they are part of a residential community.”

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NMH JOURNAL

SP OR T S WAT C H

Ned Benning ’12 (Cornell) earned a bronze medal at the 2013 Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria, for manning the bow seat of the men’s quad.

Math teacher Kai Robinson ’05 won five gold medals in diving events at the 2013 International Gay & Lesbian Aquatic Association Championships in Seattle. He won every event he entered.

After three months on the U.S. National Women’s Crew Team, Tessa Gobbo ’09 (second from right) helped win a gold medal in the women’s four at the 2013 World Rowing Championships, held in Chungju, South Korea, at the end of August. Gobbo and her teammates finished in 6:43.15, outpacing the silver-medal Canadian squad by more than four seconds.

Gobbo, who graduated from Brown University last spring, was a member of the 2011 NCAA National Championship team, an Academic All-Ivy, and a First Team CRCA All-Region selection, and she helped Brown take home the Charles G. Willing Jr. Trophy for the best team performance in the 2013 Eastern Sprints Regatta.

The 131st Royal Canadian Henley in St. Catharines, Ontario, showcased multiple NMH rowers: Rebecca and Elizabeth Donald ’07 (Penn ’11) won gold as half of the women’s quad team, took 4th in the double race, and they both advanced to the senior singles semis and placed 4th and 3rd, respectively. Maggie Fellows ’09 (St. Lawrence University ’13) won gold in the U23 singles race, silver in the U23 pair, and silver in the U23 double.

Eliza van Lennep ’05 (Smith ’09) won silver in the senior eight dash and bronze in the senior pair; she also placed 4th in the senior four and 5th in the senior eight. Loulou Tanski ’15 raced in the U17 double, single, quad (5th in semis), and coxed in the four (4th in semis). Math teacher Kate Hoff won bronze in the senior lightweight double race, and also competed in the single (3rd in semis) and single dash (3rd in heat).

Eva Schlehr ’15 competed in the coxed four and the U19 eight.

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P H O T O S B Y AL L ISO N F R E D E R IC K A N D G L E N N M I N S H A L L

At the Maccabiah Games in Israel, three NMH alums took home gold medals for the U.S.: Hannah SolisCohen ’12 (University of Virginia) with the women’s quad rowing team, Josh Elbaum ’10 (University of Vermont) with the men’s open basketball team, and David Shabsels ’96 with the men’s 35+ basketball team.

The Mysteries of Golf Say you love golf. But if winter weather confines your clubs to the closet for months at a time, keep the passion alive by picking up a mystery novel set on the PGA Tour. NMH’s new English department chair John Corrigan has written five stories that combine luxurious greens with murder, money laundering, gambling, and drug use—and a poetry-reading golf pro named Jack Austin, an amateur sleuth who simultaneously tees up in tournaments and goes behind the scenes to solve crimes.

NMH JOURNAL

Soccer Team goes to Spain It’s not unusual for NMH’s fall athletes to gather in late summer to train for the upcoming season, but this year, the boys’ varsity soccer team took their preseason drills to a new level—in Spain.

For two weeks in mid-August, coaches Charlie Malcolm and Jim Burstein and 28 students—more than half of whom were returning players— took up residence at a youth soccer development center in Valladolid, the capital of the province of Castilla y León in northwestern Spain. The team practiced every morning with professional coaches, visited historic and cultural sites in the afternoon, and scrimmaged with local club teams in the evening. The grand finale: attending a Super Cup match between Madrid and Barcelona at the Vicente Calderón Stadium.

“ It was an opportunity to train at the highest level and also to understand the history of the place.”

NMH sends students and faculty on several academic and cultural trips every year, but this trip was the first collaboration between its Center for International Education and the athletics department. “One of NMH’s core strengths is how we teach kids to live in a globalized world,” Malcolm says. His players “have an incredible sense of soccer being a global game,” and the Valladolid trip put that into practice; it was an opportunity “to train at the highest level and also to understand the history of the place and eat the food and meet the people who live there,” Malcolm says.

P HOTO BY DAVID WA R R E N

Students fulfill NMH’s P.E. requirement in a variety of ways, including rock climbing. The class meets twice a week to learn basic skills—how to move up and belay down a rock face, tie climbing knots, and lower another climber—and to explore locations near campus, in western Massachusetts and southwestern New Hampshire. Here, two students belay down Chapel Ledge in Ashfield, Mass.

THE SHOT

Among the NMH students on the trip were seven Latinos—from Spain, the U.S., and Central and South America—and they served as de facto translators and cultural guides for many of their teammates.

The Spain expedition also was intended to build the players’ relationships as team members. In 2012–13, Malcolm says, the group was young and, at times, lacked chemistry.

“We needed to get closer and

more committed to one another, because that’s what holds a team together in times of adversity. One way to do that is to go totally out of our familiar environment, live together, broaden our horizons, and at the same time, address the technical and tactical skills we need to get to the next level. So when it’s 10 minutes to go against Exeter, the guys can look at each other and dig a little deeper.”

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NMH JOURNAL

New Students SOAR

A R T S WAT C H

A few weeks before the school year began, NMH welcomed 11 incoming students of color to campus for a preview of the year ahead. The five days of workshops, information sessions, and academic classes constitute the SOAR program (Summer Orientation and Academic Retreat), which is designed to help the new students establish early connections within the NMH community.

The program was developed several years ago to counter a disproportionately higher attrition rate among black and Latino students, according to James Greenwood, NMH’s associate dean of multicultural education.

Greenwood modeled NMH’s SOAR week on similar programs at other boarding schools and colleges. “Students who feel a better sense of community and belonging will hopefully be better able to take advantage of all NMH has to offer,” he says.

On campus in August, the SOAR students spent time with faculty, as well as with current students and recent alumni.

They returned at the beginning of September to join NMH’s regular roster of orientation activities before classes began, and during the school year, they’ll meet monthly to discuss their experiences. “NMH has a long history of being committed to diversity, including racial diversity,” Greenwood says.

“The SOAR program is a manifestation of that commitment.”

“ Students who feel a better sense of community and belonging will be better able to take advantage of all NMH has to offer.”

The Big-Screen Edition Heirloom, a short film co-produced by Eleanor Conover, who teaches in the English and visual arts departments, was screened at the Camden (Maine) International Film Festival and on Maine public television this fall. The film profiles the artist Brian White, a former antiques picker who now uses natural objects to create garments from another era, such as life-size dress forms made entirely of shells.

Yaya Alafia ’00 (formerly Johnson and DaCosta) starred in three films this year: Big Words, Mother of George, and, most prominently, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, in which she played student activist Carol Hammie and worked alongside actors Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.

T H E G A L L E RY AT T H E R H O D E S A R T S C E N T E R 2013–14 Calendar Leonard Ragouzeos Recent Work September 13–October 12 www.leonardragouzeos.com

Margot Fleck Drawings & Prints February 7–March 7 www.margotwfleck.com

The Photographic Collection of John Clements October 24–November 22

NMH Student Art Show March 27–April 21

Alston Conley Paintings & Constructions December 6–January 24

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Alice Proujansky ’98 Recent Photographs May 1–June 8 www.aliceproujansky.com

IMAG E S C O U R T E SY O F G L E N N MIN S H A L L , TH E W E I N S TE I N C O M PA N Y, A N D L E O N A R D R A G O U Z E O S

NMH JOURNAL

Read, Discuss NMH’s beginning-of-school rituals range from lively orientation games to the more momentous Matriculation ceremony, and in between, there is book group. That’s when students and faculty meet in small groups to discuss an assigned book they’ve read over the summer. Among this year’s titles: • Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

• Dharma Bums • Teaching a Stone to Talk • The Perks of Being a Wallflower • Room: A Novel • Emma • Man’s Search for Meaning • 18 in America • Behind the Beautiful Forevers • Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage • Freakonomics • Sold • Chronicle of a Death Foretold • The Happiness Project • The Book Thief • Blood Done Sign My Name • A Hope in the Unseen • The Art of Fielding

M EET I N G T H E ARCHB IS H OP

When sophomore humanities students traveled to South Africa last spring, they attended a Mass delivered by Nobel Laureate and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. Following the service in Cape Town, the students presented Tutu with NMH gifts and sang the “Northfield Benediction” to him.

P HOTO CO U R TESY O F SH E IL A H E F F E R N O N

FOR THE RECORD

“ NMH is a place where you can be captain of the football team and the lead singer of Hogapella.

You can be the star of math team and the lead in a play. NMH makes it possible, and even encourages you, to branch out beyond your comfort zone, to try and possibly fall in love with something new.”

ISMINI ETHRIDGE ’14, who delivered the 2013 Spade Oration at Opening Convocation in September

Faculty Research in the Spotlight NMH has its student newspapers and an arts and literary magazine, but now it also claims one of the country’s few scholarly journals that showcases research by high-school faculty.

Grant Gonzalez, who teaches Arabic and history, launched The Northfield Mount Hermon Journal for the Humanities last spring. The inaugural issue includes an introduction by NMH archivist Peter Weis ’78, P ’13 and articles on the authenticity of slave narratives, by English teacher Janae Peters; Rhode Island’s Dorr Rebellion, by former history teacher Erik Chaput; and the early history of African students at Northfield and Mount Hermon, by history teacher Sean Foley.

Gonzalez serves as the journal’s editor, and brings in academics from colleges and universities to review the articles.

Gonzalez conceived the annual publication after numerous conversations with fellow teachers who wished to carry on the kind of research they did in college and graduate school. “We are primarily interested in spending time in the classroom with students, but many of us still want to do original scholarship, and still want to write,” Gonzalez says. “We want to practice what we teach.”

The NMH Journal for the Humanities is available in print or online at www.tinyurl.com/NMHJournalHumanities.

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NMH JOURNAL

WHO•WHAT •W H Y

Blazing a Technology Trail Twenty years ago, three students brought the Internet to campus.

The year was 1993. Bill Clinton was in the White House, and Jurassic Park had just roared onto the big screen. The “Internet” had been officially named a few years earlier, but email was still largely the domain of the U.S. military and large universities—until three enterprising teenagers brought it to Northfield Mount Hermon.

Warren K. Liu ’94, Tilman Enss ’94, and Jonas Klein ’93 shared a passion for computers and new technology.

With support from astronomy teacher Hughes Pack, the three created a system in Dolben Library on the Northfield campus that allowed students to send email messages around the world.

Liu and Klein already had been sending electronic mail to each other during school breaks, with messages sometimes taking more than a week to arrive. At the time, the Internet was expensive for individuals to use, requiring a UNIX system and hardware

who had gained a reputation for his computer-programming skills.

The three students were able to bypass UNIX with a free, public Linux program, which they downloaded onto floppy disks during a visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pack soon arranged for two computer terminals to be at their disposal. Enss began writing code, and the boys, who happened to live on the same hallway in East Hall on the Northfield campus, spent their nights developing and testing the program, with computer cables snaking between their dorm rooms.

“The motivation was partly personal, because making overseas phone calls to my parents in Germany was expensive,” Enss recalls. “My father was working at a university and was one of the few people with email back then, so it was a neat way to keep in contact.”

The boys’ quest for connectivity was not without its stumbling blocks. Liu

The students installed a phone line that hung from the ceiling in Dolben Library and connected it to a pair of computer terminals. Soon, 100 email messages were going in and out of NMH every day. that was three times the cost of a personal computer. As Liu and Klein brainstormed about how to make it more affordable, calculus teacher William Schweikert connected them with Enss, a German exchange student

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recalls that when NMH administrators heard about the project, they assumed the students were hackers who perhaps were breaking into school records to change their grades. Pack and other teachers intervened. “These were good

kids,” Pack says. “They were smart, they were self-motivated, and they made it happen. We just gave them the structure in which to put the wires, and put some faith and trust into them.”

Liu, Enss, and Klein installed a new phone line that hung from the ceiling in Northfield’s Dolben Library, and connected it to a pair of computer terminals. That simple link marked the arrival of the Internet at NMH. Approximately 120 students (on both campuses) created email accounts, 50 of which were active on a daily basis.

Roughly 100 email messages went in and out of NMH every day, with students trekking to Dolben to access the system. “We were quite surprised at the curiosity it generated,” Liu says.

After that momentous year, Enss returned to Germany, where he studied theoretical physics, and currently is a lecturer and research associate at the Universität Heidelberg. Liu went on to start one of the first gaming review websites, with a focus on massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), then entered the field of DDoS (distributed denial of service) mitigation. Sadly, Jonas Klein was killed in November 1993, when a skydiver hit a prop plane piloted by Klein’s father, causing the plane to crash.

“Jonas had this vision that the Internet should be accessible to everyone,” Liu says. “He liked efficiency in all systems, whether natural or manmade, and the Internet was a step toward higher efficiency for knowledge sharing and communications.”

Make It a Cheeseburger It’s 10 pm. Dinner was hours ago. Your stomach is growling and you need a snack. If it’s a Tuesday, you’re in luck. Head over to the Hayden Grill.

That’s where a group of Hayden residents cook and sell burgers for a brief 45 minutes at the end of study hall. Two dollars for a cheeseburger, three for a bacon cheeseburger—it’s cheap, delicious, and a “good morale boost,” according to Gunnar Knost ’14, Hayden’s grill master (his official workjob title).

Every Tuesday during the fall and spring, Knost fires up Hayden’s four gas grills at about 9 p.m. One of his dormmates fries four or five pounds of bacon in the kitchen; others are standing by to deliver the first burgers to ninth graders, who are required to stay in their dorms at night. Knost spices the fresh beef patties, which dorm head Drew Inzer picked up earlier in the day, with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning—Knost hails from New Orleans—and by 10, the grill crew is attending to a long line of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, juggling burgers with bags of chips and cans of root beer and Coke. “We move more than 200 burgers in a really short period of time,” Knost says.

The money that the Hayden Grill brings in every Tuesday night pays for the next week’s burgers, buns, drinks, and propane tanks, with a little left over to fund dorm amenities, such as a new TV. Last spring, the dorm pooled several weeks of earnings and donated them to the Franklin County Food Bank and the nonprofit organization Chase Your Dreams, which supports youth athletics in western Massachusetts.

Associate Dean of Students Angelita Castañon, who oversees several residence halls, including Hayden, says the Hayden Grill doesn’t just feed NMH’s late-night snackers; it also facilitates social cross-pollination on campus. “It gets students in other dorms to branch out and visit Hayden,” she says. “It also gives the residents of Hayden a special way to contribute to the NMH community.”

There’s a behind-the-scenes bonus, too: “We have an excellent bacon smell throughout the dorm on Tuesday nights,” Knost says. “It lasts until about Thursday.”

READING LIST

Crime of Privilege

by Walter Walker ’67 Ballantine Books, 413 pages

Magnetic Refrain

by Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut ’95 Kaya Press, 79 pages

F OR THE RECO R D

“ After 47 years of teaching, I have come to believe that the three ‘Rs’ of education should be: Redemption, Remembering, and Rejoicing.”

LOUISE LUEPTOW SCHWINGEL, who retired in May after 39 years teaching English at NMH

The Jet Sex: Airline Stewardesses and the Making of an American Icon

by Victoria Vantoch ’92 University of Pennsylvania Press 287 pages

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MOVERS & MAKERS

Spencer Luckey ’88 heads Luckey LLC, a design company that makes climbing structures like this one at Columbus Commons in Columbus, Ohio.

In the Heights

by LAURA SHEINKOPF ’88

Children like to climb high, preferably in the presence of anxious adults.

That’s a universal truth that Spencer Luckey ’88 knows well. He’s an architect, designer, and head of Luckey LLC, a company in New Haven, Conn., that makes giant sculptures called Luckey Climbers. Part jungle gym, part work of art, Luckey Climbers can be found in dozens of children’s museums and public spaces across the country and around the world.

Luckey Climbers, which curators at New York’s Museum of Modern Art have called “exuberant” and “miraculous,” were originally created by Spencer’s father, Tom Luckey, an architect and furniture designer. Made of bent plywood or plastic platforms suspended by steel pipes and cables, the climbers are bold and rugged, yet also whimsical, with the platforms resembling leaves or flying carpets or pieces of blue sky dotted with clouds.

Though the climbers are often several stories high, they are designed for children; safety is as crucial a feature as the colorful platforms themselves. The structures “challenge kids to use their bodies and to plan their movements,”

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Spencer Luckey says. “The climbers are not meant to be like mazes. They are a closed set of choices with no right or wrong answers.” Spencer recently completed climbers in Indianapolis and Jakarta, Indonesia; soon to come are installations in Philadelphia, Belfast, and South Korea.

Spencer Luckey’s own career path was as circuitous as the climbers themselves. After NMH, he attended Connecticut College and worked as a waiter, cell-phone salesman, carpenter, convenience-store clerk, house painter, and bike messenger. Eventually, he took

PH O TO C O U R TE S Y O F L U C K E Y L L C

“ Luckey Climbers challenge kids to use their bodies and to plan their movements.”

O N T H E WAY U P

ONE WOMAN, 10 GIRLS, LIFE LESSONS

some classes at the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning and began working with his father, but Tom fired his son after two years. “I was hurt, but I realized pretty quickly that he was giving me a tremendous gift by forcing me to go back and finish something,” Spencer says. That “something” turned out to be a master’s in architecture from Yale.

In 2005, Tom Luckey suffered a devastating fall, which paralyzed him from the shoulders down. Spencer left the New Haven architecture firm where he’d been working to return to Luckey LLC and help his father complete a massive climber for the Boston Children’s Museum. Their collaboration was documented in Luckey, an awardwinning film by Laura Longsworth ’87 that explores a complicated family history as well as a formidable design legacy. In 2012, Tom died of pneumonia, leaving Spencer to run the company—a privilege, Spencer says.

Last summer, a year after his father’s death, Spencer installed a climber called “The Pond” at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. In it, children navigate an underwater environment that leads upward to the “surface” of a pond, where a sailboat—similar to one that Tom Luckey built for Spencer long ago—tilts in an imaginary wind.

“When you are inside it, there is kind of a swirling experience as your eye gets led around by all the curves,” Spencer says. Is it his favorite climber? “Nope.”

Which is? “The next one!” he says.

In 2001, at the age of 69, Joan Karff ’54 took stock: She’d already had a successful career as a choreographer, dance teacher, and arts advocate, launching and running her own dance company in Houston while also raising three daughters. But it wasn’t quite enough, she decided. So she founded Women on the Way Up (WOWU), a mentoring program for high-achieving girls from low-income homes in Houston.

For 12 years, WOWU has combined career counseling with cultural enrichment, and also offers each participant scholarship funds for college. Many of the 120 students who have gone through the program were the first in their families to attend college.

WOWU is based at Lamar High School, Houston’s oldest public high school. Each year, Karff and school administrators choose 10 girls to particiJoan Karff ’54 pate, based on their academic records and their desire to pursue higher education. The girls meet weekly with Karff after school to talk about their own lives as well as topics in arts and culture, life skills, current events, and literature.

A typical gathering might include a lecture on the history of dance in preparation for attending a performance by the Houston Ballet, or a discussion of classical music with a Houston Community College performing arts professor before a field trip to the Houston Symphony. Karff assigns WOWU students research projects on important women in history based on the girls’ own backgrounds; one girl, who is a cancer survivor, reported on breast surgeon and cancer activist Susan Love.

Karff also invites local women professionals to discuss their career experiences with the girls.

Karff started the program partly as an homage to her mother, Fanny Mag, who was active in dance, music, and local politics in Connecticut, and who got her children involved in the arts at an early age. WOWU is a way for Karff to do what her mother did: “to give girls some of the opportunities I enjoyed,” she says.

PH O TO B Y J A N I C E R U B I N

fall 2013 I 15

IN THE CLASSROOM

The Spirit of Investigation How does temperature affect salamander eggs? What watering method helps seeds germinate better? At NMH’s annual Science Symposium, students share their research.

by JENNIFER SUTTON

Salamander eggs caught the interest of AP Biology student Tiffany Yu ’14 (above right), who documented their growth.

The top two photos show the eggs in early stages of development (accompanied by a pair of fairy shrimp); in the bottom photo, the salamanders are close to hatching.

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By the time November comes around in New England, it’s difficult to imagine the gentle air of spring, but that’s when Tiffany Yu ’14 fell in love with collecting scientific data.

Her assignment, for an AP Biology class, was to conduct an experiment she could present at NMH’s annual Science Symposium, an event that fills Cutler Science Center at the end of every school year with poster presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and a lively chemistry show.

“There is palpable excitement in the air on the night of the Science Symposium,” says David Reeder, chair of the science department. “Students are eager to share their work with their friends and teachers. I love seeing a freshman physics student explaining her experiment to her humanities teacher one moment, and to her roommate and dorm head the next.”

Yu’s project began in mid-April, when her teacher, Mary Hefner, took her into the woods on a rainy night to look for salamanders. Yu collected several batches of salamander eggs, some of which went into a tank in her dorm room; others stayed in a cage in a pond at the edge of campus. She photographed each batch daily, hypothesizing that the eggs would hatch faster in her room, where the temperature was higher and more stable than in the pond.

Yu’s experiment won first prize in the Science Symposium’s research competition, but equally satisfying, she says, were her daily walks to the pond to check

P H O T O S B Y TI FFA N Y Y U ’ 1 4 A N D G L E N N M I N S H A L L

on her eggs and to collect water for the eggs in her room. “I grew up in a city, so the woods on campus were a place of mystery for me,” Yu says. Her project was “a really good chance to explore and understand them more.”

Yu’s big-picture conclusion: Because salamander eggs are highly sensitive to temperature, they could become endangered due to climate change, and “by learning more about the first part of a salamander’s life cycle,” she says, “we may be able to find ways to protect this species from environmental changes in the world.”

That’s an example of the Science Symposium’s overall goal: to help students connect the concepts and theories they learn in the classroom with the world beyond it. Younger students team up and start with basic experiments like the ones Jay Ward ’68 teaches in his introductory physics classes. They examine the properties of different brands of batteries with electric circuit boards; use desk lamps and a motion sensor to determine the efficiency of a model solar car; and

test Newton’s second law of motion by dropping balls of different weights and diameters into a tray of sand and measuring the resulting craters. “A lot of it is about collaboration,” Ward says. “It’s also figuring out logistical and engineering issues.”

And that can take time, no matter what area of science the students work in. Gabi Groszyk ’14 researched different methods of germinating tobacco seeds for her Science Symposium project in AP Biology, and found herself caring for some of her plants three times a day, seven days a week, for five weeks. Why tobacco? Groszyk’s parents own a tobacco farm in Connecticut and had been looking for a more cost-efficient method to produce the highest-possible germination rates. “My dad had a few ideas himself,” Groszyk says, “but since the plants are our livelihood, he didn’t want to experiment too much in our greenhouses.”

On NMH’s farm, Groszyk compared her father’s methods of growing seeds—top-watering a plastic tray of

“ Creativity is just as necessary in science as it is in the arts.

If you don’t think outside the box, discoveries are almost impossible to find.” seedlings and floating a Styrofoam tray in water—with a method she devised herself: submerging a plastic tray in about a centimeter of water.

Her method ended up producing the highest germination rates, and also was more efficient; it used less water, required less time and attention, and produced less waste, since plastic trays last years longer than Styrofoam. At the end of the school year, Groszyk took her seedlings home and transplanted them in her family’s fields.

“The spirit of science investigation really comes alive when we start asking questions to which we don’t know the full answer,” Reeder says. “For teachers, the symposium is an opportunity to develop longer, more open-ended projects that we and our students are curious about.”

And for students, the symposium often offers lessons beyond how to collect data and support a hypothesis.

Groszyk says, “I learned that creativity is just as necessary in science as it is in the arts, because if you’re not willing to think outside of the box, discoveries are almost impossible to find.”

Gabi Groszyk ’14 researched different methods of germinating tobacco seeds.

P HOTO BY GLEN N MINSH AL L

fall 2013 I 17

PAST PRESENT

Read All About It! A Campus Paper Turns 125

by PETER WEIS ’78, P ’13

“The king of Spain is learning to walk.” That news flash, concerning the toddler monarch Alfonso VIII, was disseminated in the first issue of The Hermonite, published on April 27, 1888. On that day, the fledgling newspaper also devoted space to announcing its allegiance to the Republican Club, and it shared with readers, in the space of a column or two, that “The Prohibition Club will hold a mock convention soon” and that Mr. Moody had enjoyed hearing the Northfield girls sing his favorite hymn, “Beloved Now Are We.” For 125 years now, a newspaper has spread the local, national, and international news throughout the NMH campus. In its earliest years, The Hermonite adopted an intrepid, global perspective; its motto—a saying frequently attributed to Gandhi, but was said by the martyred missionary Ansalus de Insulis—was “Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.”

In 1912, nearing its quarter-century mark, the paper looked much the same as it had at its founding, even as its contents expanded. A magazine-sized booklet of 16 pages, plus advertising, the paper printed fiction and poetry and healthy doses of bad jokes alongside the news and endless minutiae regarding life on campus. In September of that year, readers learned that “Mr. Jenny’s House is completed,” “Mr. Tonski’s house is well underway,” and students from both schools were constantly going home “on account of trouble with their eyes.”

In the fall of 1916, Northfield Seminary students, tired of relying on The Hermonite, started their own paper. The Northfield Star lasted roughly 30 years, until high printing costs led to its cessation in 1949. The relationship between

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the two publications was one of friendly competition. In 1938, when The Star’s headlines proclaimed the appearance of poet Robert Hillyer on campus and announced “Sleeping Beauty” as the theme for Tree Day exercises, across the river, The Hermonite, in its April Fools’ issue, announced, “’38 Sacred Concert Alterations Call for Disney Tunes,” and described Snow White’s recent visit to campus.

The Hermonite eventually took on the appearance of a “real” newspaper— a weekly broadside of four to eight pages. It printed mostly school-related news, with its editorials keeping student concerns a priority. The tone began to shift with the times.

In April 1963, an editorial headline politely stated, “Trustees Name Arthur H. Kiendl New Headmaster.”

Five years later, national events prompted a more forceful headline: “Change or Be Changed.”

PH O TO S C O U R TE S Y O F N M H A R C H I V E S

Like its counterparts on college campuses, The Hermonite increasingly became a mouthpiece of student protest. In 1968, students wrote editorials that railed against required chapel and smoking regulations. But it was the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that turned the paper’s critical eye outward and then back upon the school. On April 10, 1968, a writer stated, “My faith in America has been shaken. My mind is closing. I am a Black Man who must now fight as I never have before.”

In the fall of 1970, The Hermonite once again became the voice of both campuses, even though there were still two schools at that point. The paper changed its name to The Bridge, in what was probably an effort to suggest that it would represent the interests of both schools. The paper turned 100 in 1988, but the date came and went with nary a notice.

Before The Wall Street Journal, before the Los Angeles Times, there was The Hermonite.

Although The Hermonite, as the name of a publication, fell silent for 40 years, it was revived in 2010 by Jack Burnham ’11. Today, with a 2012–13 silver medal from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association under its belt, it shares a healthy competition with The Bridge, creating a publishing renaissance of sorts on campus.

In the first issue after its revival, The Hermonite’s editors published this epigraph, a quotation from the film Arabian Nights: “The truth lies not in one dream, but in many.”

The Hermonite through the years, featuring the Crossley fire in 1911 (bottom), student activism in 1968 (middle), and big-name rock bands on campus in 1969 (top).

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20 I NMH Magazine

How to Live and Die at the Same Time B

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Ben Harris ’85 was a husband, father, and physicist who died last summer after wrestling with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for two and a half years. He spent the end of his life performing research—on himself—that he hoped would someday help lead to a cure.

PH O T O B Y KE VIN F O ST E R

fall 2013 I 21

I

n the fall of 2010, Ben Harris ’85 was attending a scientific conference in Barcelona, and he felt nervous.

A medical physicist specializing in radiation treatments for cancer patients, he was scheduled to deliver a lecture titled “Using an Oncology Information System in a Mixed Proton/Photon Environment,” but his nervousness had nothing to do with the complexity of his research. The thought running through his head was, “I hope they don’t think I talk funny.”

A few months earlier, Harris had started feeling reluctant to speak in front of groups of people. He couldn’t pinpoint why. His apprehension gradually took on a physical dimension; he began having actual difficulty speaking. His tongue wouldn’t work right. The condition was subtle enough that it went unnoticed by others, but, according to Harris, “No one realized it was taking a greater and greater effort on my part to sound normal.” By the time he got to the conference in Barcelona, he was more concerned about how he was going to get the words out than what he was going to say.

Harris had Googled “difficulty with speech” a dozen times before, with ambiguous results. Then he noticed his tongue twitching and went back to the computer. “Twitching” led him to the word “fasciculation.” That’s when “the search results lit up like a Christmas tree with ‘ALS,’” he recalled.

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ALS is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the New York Yankees first baseman who is thought to have died of the disease in 1941. It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. People with ALS lose strength in their arms, legs, and facial muscles; it becomes increasingly difficult for them to walk, talk, swallow, and, eventually, breathe.

Many ALS patients choose to use feeding tubes and ventilators to prolong their lives. Some become paralyzed.

Nearly all of them die within two to five years of their diagnosis.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, between 20,000 and 30,000 Americans have ALS right now. Approximately 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed each year—two of every 100,000.

Harris was diagnosed in January 2011, at the age of 44. By the summer of 2012, he could no longer

speak. A year later—last spring—most of his muscles were affected and the smallest movements left him out of breath. He had twice run the New York Marathon, but by last summer, he needed help getting up if he fell.

He choked easily and swallowing was painful, so everything he ate had to be puréed in a blender. Typing, his chief method of communication—and one he used so prolifically that many people did not realize he was sick— became more challenging as he lost strength in his hands and fingers.

Harris described his experience with ALS during a two-month email correspondence with NMH Magazine last summer. He wrote that it was nothing like cancer, the disease he had fought professionally for most of his career.

“You have to be strong to get through the therapies, but even someone with the worst prognosis can beat cancer,” he wrote. “You don’t fight ALS. You can’t. It takes down the strongest, healthiest people with ease.”

Most ALS cases, including Harris’s, occur randomly, without an identifiable cause. There is no known cure or treatment. There is a single drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that can help prolong

Ben Harris and his wife, Rebecca, after running the 1992 New York Marathon.

an ALS patient’s life for up to six months, but it does not halt or reverse the progression of the disease.

A handful of other drugs are in clinical trials, but the government approval process is slow, and the window of opportunity for enrolling in the trials is narrow; volunteers typically are turned away if they have had symptoms for more than a year. Harris was lucky. In the summer of 2011, he joined a study for a drug called NP001, manufactured by Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals. “By the time I enrolled, I was having a very difficult time swallowing liquids, and I noticed significant improvements almost immediately after my first dose,” he wrote. Suddenly, he could drink a

P HOTO CO U R TESY O F B E N H AR R IS

“You can’t fight ALS. It takes down the

strongest, healthiest people with ease.” cup of coffee without gagging and choking, talk more clearly, and grip objects in his hands with more strength.

The study lasted five months.

When it ended, Harris lost access to NP001. He calculated that by the time Neuraltus launched its next phase of research on the drug, his ALS would be too advanced for him to enroll in any official study. With no other options for treatment, he did what any frustrated, resourceful scientist might do: He started his own drug trial.

H

arris had long been a person who, when he saw something missing in his life, went and got it.

He grew up in Watertown, N.Y., and persuaded his parents to send him to Northfield Mount Hermon because he was itching for “something new and challenging.” On campus, he was a student leader in Overtoun, appeared in a campus production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and joined a student theater group that performed political skits on the sidewalks of downtown

fall 2013 I 23

Greenfield, Mass. NMH was “one of the most wonderful experiences of my life,” Harris wrote. “It shaped the person I am today to a greater extent than anything else during my formative years.”

He studied physics at Columbia in New York, then earned master’s degrees in both philosophy and physics at the University of California at Riverside.

He found a job at the Loma Linda University Medical Center and discovered the field of medical physics, which allowed him to use his training in a “meaningful and gratifying way,” he wrote. Meanwhile, he married, and in 2005, his son was born.

Harris and his family left the West Coast for Bloomington, Ind., in 2006, so Harris could help launch a healthcare company called ProCure, which builds and manages proton radiation facilities across the country. As the company’s director of medical physics, Harris was a leader in setting up treatment centers at hospitals, spending weeks at a time away from home, training other physicists to design equipment, fix equipment, calculate dosages, configure software. “A medical physicist is the glue—solving the problems, making sure everything Ben and Rebecca Harris and their son, Rawden

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works,” said Niek Schreuder, the ProCure executive who wooed Harris to Bloomington.

Mark Pankuch, a physicist whom Harris worked with in Oklahoma City and Chicago, calls him a “ brilliant teacher” and a “soldier.” “He would work seven days straight with six hours of sleep a night,” Pankuch said. “Ben was the kind of leader who, when you’re standing behind a wall and hear that charge, he was the first one out.”

After the ALS diagnosis, Harris stopped traveling for work. He accepted that he would not grow old with his wife, Rebecca, and mourned the fact that ALS would rob his son, Rawden, of a father. But it had never been his way to fixate on things beyond his control. His approach to ALS was no different. “Wallowing serves no practical use, so I keep focused on the task at hand,” he wrote.

The task he assigned himself was a big one: Help search for a cure for ALS. During the Neuraltus NP001 clinical trial, Harris met several likeminded patients in online ALS discussion forums, and they began trying to determine what was in the drug.

It took roughly six months of detective work—researching scientific papers and patent documents connected to Neuraltus scientists—to figure out that one of the ingredients was sodium chlorite, a simple, readily available chemical that often is used to purify water.

“This was where the clinical trial transitioned into a DIY (do-it-yourself ) trial,” Harris wrote. He and his collaborators began giving themselves intravenous infusions of sodium chlorite mixed with distilled water. They reported their findings on the website Patients Like Me and in their ALS forums. Harris documented temporary improvements in his swallowing after some of the infusions, but not nearly what he had experienced with NP001.

So he looked elsewhere, experimenting with nearly two dozen chemicals,

P H O T O BY K E V I N FO S TE R

drugs, and dietary supplements over the next year and a half. He underwent a stem cell procedure by an Alabama physician who had been using adipose (fat)-derived stem cells to treat joint injuries, and it improved his muscle function for a short time. He adopted a vegan diet last spring, which did nothing to slow the degenerative process of ALS, but it made him feel better overall.

“That’s the philosophy Ben had, that everything is fixable,” Schreuder said. “You have to be willing to dig in and work long hours and try different avenues, and that’s just what he did.”

At first, Harris felt strange directing his own care—which included starting his own IV—but when he realized that there were no physicians at his local ALS clinic who were willing to help him try new treatments, he forged ahead. Cathy Collet, an advocate for ALS research whose mother died of the disease 16 years ago, called Ben a “rock star in the world of ALS patients … a leader in a merry gang of people trying to figure this out.” In the spring of 2012, Harris’s sodium chlorite research drew the attention of The Wall Street Journal, which described his effort and that of his co-experimenters as “one of the most dramatic examples of how far the phenomenon of do-ityourself science has gone.”

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lenty of ALS patients experiment with alternative or untested treatments, but what made Harris stand out was his effort to document and share everything he did. When he went online to report on his research, Harris signed each of his posts, “If it is done in secret, it is done in vain.” The stem cell procedure he underwent was performed on 21 people, but he was one of only two who recorded their results online. “Having data from those other 19 people could have resulted in an experiment with real statistical

significance,” Harris wrote. “We don’t know if they improved, felt no impact, or, just as important, if they had an adverse reaction.”

The possibility of that adverse reaction is what worries scientists and medical researchers like Dr. Piera Pasinelli, who serves as science director at the Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins University and is a professor of neuroscience at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. “The main concern is safety,” Pasinelli said. “I understand and share ALS patients’ frustration and urgency, but I believe they and the medical community should work together rather than patients testing drugs—or worse, combinations of drugs—on their own. Each patient is different, and a self-tested drug that is not harmful to one person may be deleterious to others.

“The goal is to have more drugs in the pipeline and more trials lined up,” Pasinelli said. “Every day we find another gene, another pathogenic pathway, another cell type that is involved in the disease, and each of these elements is a potential therapeutic target. Unfortunately, it takes time to develop the right drug for each, or all, of these targets.”

Harris didn’t have time. He continued experimenting, even when he was predicting that he had only a month or two to live. One of his final tests focused on three peptides—small proteins—with the potential to treat ALS symptoms. He hunted down academic articles to determine the drugs’ chemical structures and ordered them from manufacturers, bypassing what he estimated to be 10 to 20 years of government-approved testing.

“Two of these peptides have been tested in humans already, so I know they are safe,” Harris wrote in late June. “The other has not had any adverse effects in mice, and it is rare for a drug to harm a human but not a mouse. At this point, though, I

eople often asked Harris if he took P antidepressants, and they were usually surprised when he told them he was not depressed. “Despite knowing I would live only a few more years, I was still happy.” am not too concerned about adverse consequences.”

When he was ordering the peptides, Harris could still move around his house using a walker, make his own meals, bathe himself, and use the bathroom on his own. He had decided not to accept a feeding tube or a ventilator. “The day I cannot get myself up and into the kitchen to make myself a meal is the day I stop eating altogether,” he wrote.

That day came on Aug. 6, 2013.

“I have decided to stop taking nutrition today,” he wrote.

Harris’s physical decline changed what he called his “novice philosopher” belief in Descartes’s mind-body theory: that the defining characteristic of humans is the mind and the intellect.

“I first realized this when I lost the ability to laugh,” Harris wrote. “I had a loud, probably annoying, laugh that came from deep in my gut. I can still see the humor in things, but I cannot experience humor anymore.” Being unable to do other physical activities such as play with his son, exercise, or work with his hands removed Harris, little by little, from the man he used to be.

But it didn’t stop him from pursuing his relentless DIY research, nor did it change his pragmatic way of looking at the world. He kept working as long as he could. His wife worked, and his son went to school and played in chess tournaments. They spent quiet evenings at home, as they always had.

“I take life at its face value,” Harris wrote. “I simply ask myself, ‘Am I proud of what I am doing and how I am treating those around me?’”

When Harris began joining online ALS discussion groups soon after his diagnosis, he chose the screen name “HappyPhysicist.” “People often ask me if I take antidepressants, and they are usually surprised when I tell them I am not depressed,” he wrote.

“Despite knowing I would live only a few more years, I was still happy.

Compared to the innumerable souls who have endured the cruelties of nature or of fellow humans, my life has been one touched only by fortune and compassion. I have nothing to be sad about.”

Throughout his experience with ALS, throughout every experiment that didn’t yield the desired results, Harris understood that any treatment for ALS would come too late for him. His training as a physicist had taught him that all great scientific and medical advances come from getting something wrong many times before someone gets it right. He wrote, “Had Galileo or Kepler not meticulously recorded their observations, Newton never would have deduced the laws of motion.” Harris saw his role not as someone who might find a cure for ALS, but as “one of many who will keep careful records so that someday, someone else may see a pattern.”

Ben Harris died at home in Bloomington on Aug. 15, 2013. [NMH]

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What Does It Take to Feed a School?

by Megan Tady

P H O T O S B Y D AV I D WA R R E N

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ere are a few of the items on Northfield Mount Hermon’s weekly grocery list: —240 dozen eggs —46 gallons of whole milk —1,000 apples —80 pounds of yogurt — 60 pounds of turkey breast for sandwiches

To feed 650 students over the course of the school year, plus faculty and staff, NMH’s cooks, bakers, and pantry workers make approximately 5,000 pizzas, 2,500 pots of soup, 8,000 servings of stir-fry, and more than 31,000 muffins. With help from workjob students, they set up and break down the dining room for meals nearly 700 times. They wash some 2,500 plates a day.

And they facilitate more than 600 campus events throughout the year.

The variety of food they create ranges from the sophisticated—maple-glazed pork tenderloin, and black rice with lemon and edamame—to comfort-food staples such as spaghetti and make-your-own waffles. Menus are designed for every type of eater: carnivores, vegans, international students, people with food allergies. The chefs are prepared to cater a lobster dinner for a 50th reunion or grill hundreds of hot dogs for a last-minute picnic.

Beyond the mountains of raw material and the ingenuity and physical skills required to please hundreds of different palates, feeding the NMH community takes a certain kind of passion. Last fall, when NMH’s football team battled Exeter, two hours away in New Hampshire, Dining Services director Rich Messer (P ’06, P ’13, P ’16) was there, hurrying to the rival school’s kitchen to warm up the dinner he had brought to the game. He wanted hot roast-chicken-and-bacon subs waiting for the tired athletes when they boarded their bus to head back to NMH. “You can give them a cold sub and it’s fine, or you can give it a little extra care, and boy, it makes a difference,” Messer says. The difference is this: Dining Services staff don’t just feed the school; they nourish it.

That takes a bit of sociological know-how—taking into account how students think and feel about different foods. Case in point: sweet corn. It’s

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plentiful and sought after in western Massachusetts in September, but it turns out teenagers won’t eat it.

“You show me 14-, 15-, 16-year-olds who are going to eat corn on the cob in front of kids they’ve never met before,” Messer says. “They’re not going to do it.

They’re not going to have butter dripping down their faces.”

Messer should know; he has worked in Dining Services at NMH for 25 years, 19 of them in his current position. He first stepped into the kitchen at the age of 16, during a summer job as a cook’s helper.

“I watched the people I was working for and saw they enjoyed it,” he says. “I thought, ‘I can do this.’”

Rich Messer These days, Messer’s goal is to make people in the NMH community feel satisfied, to “wow” them. He watches Food Network shows for inspiration, and each week, he and his staff try out new recipes in their quest for menus that

L E T ' S E AT

Every week, alumni send recipe requests to Sherry Margeson, the office manager in Dining Services, because they miss the cornbread, the apple fritters, the granola. We asked alumni on Facebook: What was your favorite thing to eat at NMH? Bishop’s bread, what else?

—Charlie Charles ’71

Sunday sundaes and Mexican bar on Thursdays. And frost-your-own cupcakes. How I could eat and never gain weight in those days.

—Rose Jackman Lynch ’00

Dinnertime in Alumni Hall

are diverse, high-quality, and appealing.

The latest development: a grilled-cheese bar. Messer got the idea at a mall near Boston, snapped a few pictures with his iPhone, and shared them with the staff.

Pesto, Vermont cheddar, bacon, fresh sourdough bread—“Picture Panera with the plastic basket, parchment paper, chips, and a pickle,” Messer says.

Recognizing that some students might still want American cheese on white bread, Messer and his staff decided to offer multiple versions of grilled cheese: the kind students know they want and also what they might love if they tasted it. “We make tweaks, and kids begin to try things they’ve never tried before,” Messer says. “They see people eating it all around them, they get bolder, and all of a sudden it opens their eyes to a new flavor profile.”

A weekly “chef ’s table” helps that effort along, featuring international foods such as calabacitas con elote (zucchini with corn and buttermilk), chana masala (chickpea curry), and chicken tagine (a stew with saffron, honey, fruit, and nuts). Meatless Mondays introduce

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students to vegetarian dishes such as butternut squash slaw with apples and golden raisins, and arugula salad with grapes, goat cheese, and almonds. Food is made to order as often as possible; stir-fry is a popular example. Sauces, salad dressings, and soups are all homemade. The Alumni Hall bakery turns out sandwich rolls, muffins, desserts, and granola. Even the kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) that appears at the Asian noodle bar each week is made by hand in the NMH kitchen.

Messer also wants to raise awareness among students about how their eating habits affect the environment.

Inspired by Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he has pledged to buy 10 to 15 percent of NMH’s food from farms within a 40-mile radius of campus. NMH’s own farm supplies the kitchen with ice cream, maple syrup, seasonal vegetables, milk, raspberries, cider, and cheese. To deter diners from taking more than they can chew, Messer and his staff host “weigh your waste” events, and they eliminated trays from the dining hall in 2005.

“Turkey tortilla casserole,” which looked like someone had cleaned out the dish machine, put it between tortillas, and baked it in the oven, but it tasted delicious.

—Sarah Ruddy ’93

Make-your-own waffles on weekends.

—Samantha Keniston ’05

London broil. I remember one night having the cook shut me off. It was after a game and I think we ate a side of beef.

—Aaron Kuzmeskus ’90

Chocolate lush—a cross between chocolate pudding and chocolate cake.

—Kate Hamlin Wehrle ’75

Grilled cheese for lunch made from French toast left over from breakfast.

—David Kirk ’90

Grilled cheese and tomato soup after school vacations.

—Ben Hoadley ’97

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“ Kids see people eating new things all around them, they get bolder, and all of a sudden their eyes are opened to a new flavor profile.”

Kimchi made on campus

Long before that time, when Messer was starting out at NMH, students waited in one long line for their meals, and staff spooned out dinner portions from behind a serving counter.

“You walked up and said, ‘I’ll have meatloaf and potatoes,’” Messer says.

“And the next person said it. And the fifth person in line was vegetarian, but they were scared to death to say anything because they didn’t want to be different.”

Messer had some changes in mind.

“One of the first things I did was say, ‘Kids, you serve yourselves. You control the spoons,’” he says. “It allowed them to try a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

It totally changed our operations.”

Instead of one line funneling to a single serving station, Messer created “destinations” such as the salad bar and the soup and deli bar. Kids are free to roam and choose foods as they please, which makes it less likely that they’ll feel judged for their food choices.

Messer also wanted to create a more inclusive environment that connected his staff with diners. In 1998, he knocked down the walls that separated the cooks from the students, making the entire kitchen visible.

“I took those [walls] down and put the glass in to say, ‘These are fresh ingredients and professional people

30 I NMH Magazine

who care about what they do, so watch us with our work.’”

Forty percent of the student body becomes even more connected to the kitchen through their workjobs—washing dishes, prepping vegetables, and baking cookies.

“The kids feel comfortable in here,” says pantry supervisor Jody Kelleher, who has worked at NMH for 20 years. “They’re working really hard,” adds Messer. “They’ve got a lot of homework, they’ve got all the stresses of being a teenager, and they just need to get a bite to eat so they can face the rest of their day.”

In the midst of the kitchen chaos, with hundreds of students streaming in and out of Alumni Hall, going the extra mile is more the rule than the exception for Dining Services staff.

Kelleher cooks one student’s breakfast every morning in a separate pan to accommodate his food allergies. “His parents entrusted him to us to make sure he’s safe, and that’s what we do,” she says.

Here’s what else they do: bake gluten-free peanut butter cookies for a visiting prospective student who can’t eat wheat flour. Start cooking chili at 2 a.m. on Mountain Day before trucking 800 pounds of the stuff to Mount Monadnock and Northfield Mountain. And, if they’re Rich Messer, they make sure they’re the last fan in the stands at an away football game, cheering on a tired team with the promise of a hot meal. [NMH]

NMH GRANOLA Preheat oven to 225°F. I N G R ED I EN T S • 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. canola oil • 4 ½ Tbs. maple syrup, honey, or a combination • 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. orange juice • ¼ tsp. salt • ¼ tsp. allspice • ¼ tsp. cinnamon • ¾ tsp. vanilla • 2 c. oats • ¼ c. oat bran • ¼ c. sesame seeds • ¹⁄³ c. sunflower seeds • ½ c. chopped nuts • ¹⁄³ c. flaked coconut • 1 c. chopped dried fruit (any combination of apples, cranberries, bananas, apricots, raisins) 1. Heat first seven ingredients together over low heat.

2. Combine remaining ingredients, except for dried fruit, in a bowl.

3. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Spread one-half-inch thick on sheet pans and bake one hour at 225°F. 5. After baking, mix in dried fruit.

Store in airtight containers.

Makes 2 pounds.

CHEF’S CHOICE

We asked NMH’s Dining Services staff: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO MAKE IN ALUMNI HALL?

Cholin DelaCruz, Pantry Worker “Kimchi. We have a ton of Asian kids who love it. My secret ingredient is fish sauce. I put the kimchi in a big jar and let it sit outside for two days to ferment. I make it with lots of love.”

Max Brody, Sous Chef “What brings me the most joy is seeing the kids eat the healthy food I make, like this dish: roasted Brussels sprouts with red onion, carrots, and grilled tofu in an Asian ginger sauce.”

Todd Draper, Executive Chef “Dishes that use the NMH farm’s produce—like the braised collard greens and lentils on our vegetarian line. I also like using our herb garden— it’s got parsley, three kinds of basil, sage, thyme, and rosemary.”

Andy Thompson, Cook “The ‘specials’—the other night I did a chicken casserole in individual casserole dishes, and an Italian melt sandwich. I like the freedom to be creative.”

Al Klaus, Cook “Stir-fry. It’s fast-paced, like line cooking in a busy restaurant. It takes many hours to prep, but I get to cook

Joe Ferrer, Catering Special Functions Chef “Szechuan beef. It’s dry-fried—intense heat and intense flavor. You can hear when it’s ready. And when the chilies

in front of the students and interact with them.”

hit the heat, it’s a dish you can feel as well.”

Heidi Haddad, Baker “The morning muffins. I bring them upstairs to the dining hall, still warm, at 6:30 a.m. The earlyrising students often greet me with smiles and ‘thank-yous.’”

fall 2013 I 31

Birth Culture B Y AL IC E P RO U J A N SKY ’ 9 8

A photographer documents the universal stor y of childbir th.

A new mother eats her first postpartum meal of porridge with red palm oil in Lagos, Nigeria.

fall 2013 I 33

To see more photos, visit www.aliceproujansky.com

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In

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: • A mother rests with her newborn baby at Hospital Juan Pablo Piña in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.

• Midwife Chioma Ochomma listens for a fetal heartbeat at the Aiyetoro Health Centre in Lagos, Nigeria.

• New mothers wait to have their infants vaccinated at the Aiyetoro Health Centre.

• A mother holds her week-old baby in the rural village of Chunhuhub, Mexico.

• A woman labors to deliver her stillborn baby at the Aiyetoro Health Centre.

1998,

when I was 18 and a senior at Northfield Mount Hermon, I spent the winter term studying and working with a small group of classmates in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.

I was assigned a job in the maternity ward of a public hospital, where women gave birth without the safety of reliable electricity or hot water. I struggled to understand the fast-moving Spanish and the doctors’ dismissive attitudes toward their patients, who couldn’t afford better care at the nearby private clinics. I marveled at being the first person a newborn saw. At night, I wrote about seeing hospital staff throw used needles in open trashcans and mop floors with dirty water.

Years later, I looked back on my experiences in disbelief. Had I really comforted a teenager in labor before I’d left high school? Did I insert catheters and IVs and watch women give birth over plastic buckets? By then, I had graduated from college with a photography degree, and I wanted to document what I’d seen. So I turned to my Dominican host mother from 1998, Yuli Castro, and asked if she could help me get back into the hospital. She said yes.

Nine years after my first visit, I returned to the maternity ward, financing the trip with money earned from teaching photography.

I talked my way past hospital guards and won over skeptical doctors, but soon doubts began to take over. I had no assignment and no outside funding. The sights and smells in the underresourced hospital overwhelmed me. If no one ever saw the pictures I was taking, then all I was doing was making a terrible travel album.

But I reminded myself that I was a photographer, even if no one knew it yet, so I focused on organizing what I saw into coherent images. The hospital’s patients and staff wanted to share their stories, and I respected and appreciated their consent. I owed it to them as well as to myself to follow through.

I went on to photograph maternity care in Nigeria, Mexico, the Navajo Nation, Florida, Brooklyn, New York, and Greenfield, Mass. I’ve photographed births in hospitals, birthing centers, clinics, and in people’s homes. I am always amazed that each woman and each situation is different, yet they still embody so many universal ideas: struggle, beauty, cultural identity, power, and, in the end, transformation. [NMH]

fall 2013 I 35

Twenty Minutes

36 I NMH Magazine

PH O TO B Y D AV I D L . RYA N / TH E B O S TO N G L O B E V I A G E TTY I M A G E S

ON BOYLSTO N ST R E E T When a pair of bombs went off at the Boston Marathon, Bruce Mendelsohn ’86 took off running in the direction that mattered most.

By Caleb Daniloff ’88

fall 2013 I 37

J

OGGING across the Massachusetts Avenue bridge that links Cambridge, Mass., and Boston, Bruce Mendelsohn ’86 is uneasy. He doesn’t seem the type, with his muscled arms, thick chest, and shaved head echoing his years in the military and law enforcement. But he says, “I didn’t sleep well last night thinking about going down there again.”

“Down there” is 667 Boylston Street, where six weeks earlier, two pressure-cooker bombs tore through the crowds at the Boston Marathon finish area, spraying spectators with ball bearings and nails, killing three, maiming more than a dozen, and wounding hundreds. What Mendelsohn saw that afternoon—and more important, what he did—thrust him into a brief, bright spotlight.

Mendelsohn, 45, is director of communications for the Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He’s also a longtime runner, with 17 marathons under his belt, and it was his idea for us to lace up and run down to Boylston Street last May. “Careful,” he says as a van turns in front of us. “I’m scared to get hit by a car in Boston.”

We cut onto Commonwealth Avenue, toward downtown. Along the leafy boulevard, he points out spots where he gave interviews after the marathon. People magazine, NPR, “Nightline,” CNN, BBC, and the “Today” show kept his phone glowing for days. “People who know me know that I love attention. Middle-child syndrome and all that,” he says. “But this was way too much.”

April 15, 2013, 2:49 PM When the first bomb went off, Mendelsohn was at a post-race party across from the VIP stands. Normally, he avoids the Boston Marathon, and has never run it, preferring to spend the Massachusetts Patriots’ Day holiday with his wife at home in Auburn, about an hour west of the city. “The finish line is a zoo. People are stacked 10 deep on both sides,” he says.

But this year, Mendelsohn’s younger brother, a sub-three-hour marathoner, was toeing the line, and the plan was to meet at the finish and celebrate.

The brothers and other partygoers took turns at the open windows of a third-floor office at 667 Boylston Street, watching the middle-of-thepack runners, some bedraggled, some triumphant, stream down the iconic, flag-lined final stretch.

Then they heard the boom.

“I thought it was a cannon congratulating someone for finishing, but

38 I NMH Magazine

then I smelled cordite,” Mendelsohn says, referring to the gunpowder.

After the second blast, 12 seconds later and a block away, Mendelsohn, a former Army lieutenant, rushed down the stairs, fueled by adrenaline and muscle memory. He pushed open the door to the sidewalk and was confronted with blood, a sea of glass, felled spectators, and screams and moans. “I really thought it was a suicide bomber with all the blood,” he says. “But then I saw people with injuries to the lower extremities and I thought: pipe bomb.”

2:50 PM EMTs, firefighters, police, and other citizens were pulling down barricades between the street and the sidewalks to get to the victims.

Sirens filled the air. A few feet away, in front of a candy store, Mendelsohn saw a young blond woman whose left calf was torn open and gushing blood. He later learned who she was:

P H O T O B Y D AV I D WA R R E N

Victoria McGrath, a Northeastern University student.

He spied a piece of cloth and tied it around her leg just below the knee, something he’d done in his military training two decades earlier. Then he yelled to a nearby firefighter and loaded McGrath into his arms. “Get her to the medical tent!” A photograph of Boston fireman Jimmy Plourde carrying a crumpled McGrath, a bloody T-shirt knotted around her black pants, would become one of the day’s iconic images.

“My surgeon told me Bruce saved my life,” McGrath says. “If he hadn’t tied a tourniquet around my leg, I would have bled out right there at the candy store.”

2:54 PM Then Mendelsohn saw a woman screaming. “She was hysterical: ‘Where’s my son? I can’t find my son!’”

Mendelsohn guided her to a doorway.

“Wait here,” he told her.

“I go into this mess of people and I see a boy wandering around,” he says. “I run over to him and say, ‘Hey, buddy, is that your mommy over there?

He said, ‘Yeah.’ So I grabbed him, brought him over, and told them to get out of there.”

2:56 PM Then, with an EMT, he came upon a couple on the ground in front of the Marathon Sports store, arms around each other. “We had to separate the two. We didn’t know who was injured and there was all this blood. So as we pry them apart, her insides are coming out. I look at the EMT. There’s nothing I can do. At that point, I just began helping people into the ambulances.” He wondered later if the woman was Krystle Campbell, the 29-year-old restaurant manager from Medford, Mass., who died at the scene.

3:07 PM Within 15 or 20 minutes of the explosions, Mendelsohn says, the casualties had been evacuated. The police remained, hustling bystanders away from the scene, including Mendelsohn. Back upstairs at 667 Boylston Street, before heading down a rear fire escape with the rest of his group, he snapped a picture from the window: an empty sidewalk streaked with blood and debris. He posted the image on Twitter, and it went viral.

“People needed to know what the hell was going on,” he says.

WHEN WE REACH Marathon Sports at 671 Boylston Street, we see a few pieces of new sidewalk, and the boarded-up windows have been replaced with glass. People are walking to work, coffee cups in hand. Cabs purr along the sidewalk. “Jesus, it looks so different,” Mendelsohn says.

A sign tacked to a tree is inscribed with an Old Testament passage: “Remove the sandals from your feet.

For where you are standing is sacred

ground.” Mendelsohn heads for the doorway of 667, pointing to the spot where he came upon McGrath. He says, “All my life, I’ve wondered what I would do in that kind of situation.

Would I run to the sound of the guns or run away?”

When Mendelsohn went back to work at MIT and returned to his normal routine, the weight of that Monday stayed with him. People reacted to him differently. “Most people know me as a guy who likes to have a good time—fun-loving,” he says. “Now there’s a deeper degree of seriousness with how people view me, and how I view myself. If you’re the guy saving somebody’s life, you can’t act the fool.”

Yet he finds himself feeling more vigilant in crowds, hesitant to leave his wife’s side, scanning faces for anything “off.” “I don’t know much about PTSD, but I’m sure I have a few things rattling around up there,” he says.

The last stop on our run is the makeshift memorial at Copley Square, about a block away from the finish area. One section is strung with hundreds of pairs of running shoes that are scrawled with messages; barriers are draped with Boston Marathon medals, race bibs, stuffed animals, police department caps, and runningclub T-shirts.

Mendelsohn removes his sunglasses and stands in front of the portraits of the dead, including MIT police officer Sean Collier, who was allegedly killed by the Tsarnaev brothers three days after the bombings. After his three-year stint in the Army, Mendelsohn worked for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, helping organize services for slain officers around the country. At MIT, Mendelsohn knew Collier. “I used to rib him, called him ‘Rookie,’” Mendelsohn says. “He told me he wanted night shifts because he wanted to see action.”

In the aftermath of the bombings, Mendelsohn says he was “spitting mad,” particularly with the attention

“ All my life, I’ve wondered what I would do in that situation. Would I run to the sound of the guns or run away?”

paid to the 19-year-old bomber.

“I was angry wıth the fact that people interviewed about the younger Tsarnaev were callıng him a ‘sweet, innocent kıd.’ What kind of sweet, innocent person does something like that?”

Mendelsohn initially dealt with his anger through press appearances, dubbing it “therapy by media.” Time, along with talks with his wife and a few speaking engagements with local schoolchildren, has taken some of the edge off. But he feels a responsibility now that did not exist before the bombings. “I’m trying to figure out what I do with it, how I convey it into something meaningful and longlasting,” he says.

He stares at a large banner beyond the portraits that reads: Feel Better.

“I’ve been thinking about four-letter words lately,” he says. “Usually they’re profane, but I’ve been thinking about four-letter words that are sacred. Like ‘help,’ ‘hope,’ ‘heal.’ These are the words that I want to focus on. Each of us can be a helper or a healer. That’s what you see at this memorial.”

Turning away from Copley Square, Mendelsohn puts his sunglasses on. We cross Boylston Street and head back toward the river to finish our run. [NMH]

fall 2013 I 39

ALUMNI HALL

REUN IO N 2013 FAST FACT S

3

DAYS

1,000+ ALUMNI AND G U E ST S

18

CLASSROOM SEMINARS

150

50TH-REUNIO N LOBST ER DINNERS

1

P INK UMBREL L A

Courtney Opalenik ’06 (left) stays dry with Paige Landry ’06.

40 I NMH Magazine

PHOTO: XXXXX

Reunion 2013

CALENDAR

Nov. 11 Pie Race

And the Award Goes to…

Each year at reunion, the NMH Alumni Association presents awards to alumni who have made remarkable contributions to the school, their own communities, and the world. The 2013 winners are: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Donald G. Glascoff Jr. ’63

The Class of 1963’s 50th Reunion Gift

Breaks Records

$6.5 MIL L ION

The record-breaking gift of outright donations, pledges, and planned gifts made over the five years leading up to the reunion.

Something Old, Something New

Dec. 8 Christmas Vespers on campus

Reunion isn’t just for catching up with old friends.

It’s for learning something new at a classroom seminar.

A sampling: What Martin Luther King Jr. Would Want Us to Know About Health Care Disparities Dr. Augustus White ’53 Harvard Medical School

Seeing the World by Bicycle

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Joan Clausen Vander Vliet ’48 WILLIAM H. MORROW AWARD

Richard S. Messer P ’06, P ’13, P ’16 Director of NMH Dining Services YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

Charis Law ’03

$5.8 MIL L ION

The amount that 14 class members dedicated to NMH in their estate plans.

Feb. 7–8 Winter Family Days March 1 Reunion Work Day May 4 Concert of Sacred Music

Carol Waaser ’63

LAMPLIGHTER AWARD

Mark Chardack ’73, Hon ’12, P ’16

Dec. 19 Christmas Vespers in New York City

May 25 Commencement

The Evolving Experience of Women in Religion Sarah Warren, chair, NMH’s Dept. of Religious studies and Philosophy

June 5–8 Reunion

Telling the Story of Your Life Willem Lange ’53, journalist, storyteller, radio and television host

Keeping It Real: Upholding the Values of Fair Trade

$176,161 The Class of 1963’s Endowed Scholarship Fund, as of June 2013.

Heather Rice ’98 and Michael Skillicorn ’04, Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co.

Vibrant Health: Three Ways Your Beliefs Keep You from Feeling Your Best Dr. Angela Lambert ’83

ALUMNI CITATIONS

Jean Fuller Farrington ’53 Barton P. Ferris Jr. ’58 John Gamel ’63 Deborah Eaton Peck ’63 Willard Ellsworth Thomen ’63 Sheila Woodson Horine ’73 Anastasia (Anne) Stemshorn George ’88

PHOTO BY GLEN N MINSH AL L

Dogfish Head Beer Tasting Sam Calagione ’88 Dogfish Head Brewery

A limited-edition Dogfish Head beer crafted for Reunion

NMH’s new bumper sticker debuted at Reunion 2013.

fall 2013 I 41

13 REUNION 20T CHECKLIS ⇨ Circus show d ⇨ Dogfish Hea tasting B rewery beer t ⇨ Quiet momen in the chapel er ⇨ Eating lobst wit h old friends PH OT OS

42 I NMH Magazine

MI NS HA LL

BY GL EN N

, DAVI D WA

aking ⇨ G roundbre nor ceremony to ho eller the late Mec P ⇨ Coffee at the Dean’s Beans uck Javatrekker tr ⇨ Lots of hugs RR EN , AN D

BR UN O DU

PE YR ON

ALUMNI HALL

fall 2013 I 43

CLASS NOTES

VITAL STATISTICS page 92 / IN MEMORIAM page 94 KEEP IN TOUCH Help us save paper AND keep you connected with NMH. Send us your current email address and we’ll make sure to update you on major school happenings.

Address updates addressupdates@nmhschool.org

39

NMH’s online community community.nmhschool.org N

EDITH BENDER SOUTHWICK 395 N 70th Street Springfield OR 97478-7206

40

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(B. J.) ELIZABETH JANE SMITH JOHNSON 167 Main St Wenham MA 01984-1446 robert.johnson53@comcast.net

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MH

Gordon Paul Smith, NMH trustee from 1983–1993, passed away 4/30/13 at the age of 96 after a brief illness. Born in Salem, Mass., Gordon was orphaned at age 16. He dropped out of school to support himself, until three years later, when Thomas Fenno, president of the utilities company where Gordon worked as an office boy, noticed him. Fenno took Gordon under his wing and sent him to Mt. Hermon and then to UMass, where he graduated in economics in 1947. He later earned a master’s in government management from the University of Denver. Gordon expressed gratitude all his life for the timely intervention of Mr. Fenno.

Throughout his life, Gordon served on many boards out of dedication and a deep desire to “give back” what he had been given.

Gordon worked as a government economics analyst at the Tax Foundation and then for Booz, Allen & Hamilton as a partner, vice-president, and managing officer of western U.S. operations. Among his more spectacular experiences under government contract were such historic assignments as U.S. technical consultant to Gamal Abdel Nasser’s post–World War II revolutionary government in Egypt and as consultantmanager for reorganization of the Territory of Hawaii into the nation’s 50th state in 1960. He was also principal consultant for the expansion of the American Baseball League into the West.

Under Ronald Reagan, Gordon served as California’s director of finance. The Sacramento press described him as, “Easily the most colorful and impressive personality among Governor Reagan’s top appointees.” A charismatic and persuasive speaker, Gordon was in demand to speak to business and community groups and was also a pamphleteer, writing clear, witty treatises on aspects of government, which he distributed to schools, family, and friends.

PHOT O BY GLEN N MINSH ALL

Gordon embraced opportunities to lend his expertise in countless community and civic affairs. Despite his incredible drive for achievement in business pursuits, and later of charitable institutional volunteerism and overall commitment to the public good, Gordon never became preoccupied with advancing his own power and prestige. He never became blinded to the need for instilling good purpose in others. Gordon quietly led others by personal example.

He is survived by his wife, Ramona; sons Randall Smith ’64 and Roderick Smith ’67; two stepsons; and several grandchildren. Contributions can be made to the Gordon Paul Smith Scholarship at NMH, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354.

Send news for the magazine nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

41

Alumni Events www.nmhschool.org/alumni

N

DORCAS PLATT ABELL 30 Walden Lane Pittsfield MA 01201-1572 sabell3@nycap.rr.com

From the Alumni Association: Helen Small Weishaar and her husband, Jefferson, will celebrate

their 70th wedding anniversary in August. Her husband turned 95 in May and Helen will be 90 in December. Please see the class of ’64 column in this issue for a photo of Helen, her daughter, Marianne Weishaar Hirschman ’64, and her granddaughter, Allison Wetzel.

41

STAY CONNECTED Facebook www.facebook.com/NMHschool Twitter www.twitter.com/NMHschool flickr www.flickr.com/photos/ nmhphotos NMHSocial www.nmhschool.org/nmhsocial

2013–14 ALUMNI COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Carrie Niederman ’78 President David McClintock ’91 Vice president and nominating committee chair Dorrie Susser ’56 Secretary Stuart Papp ’93 Strategic advisory chair

MH

CARLETON FINCH 612 Rindge Rd Fitchburg MA 01420-1310 zeke137@aol.com

Art Katz is troubled when he reads this column

and finds no reports from fellow class members, so he sends his news and hopes others will follow his example. Art was 88 in May, a year or two younger than many classmates. “My parents made the mistake of having me skip a couple of grades. In those days they didn’t know any better. Fortunately, I was big enough to play football on the junior league team, and that helped.”

He continues: “My editorship of The Hermonite stood me in good stead, for after I retired, I wrote regularly for several local weekly newspapers until driving at night became problematical. Luckily, two of my children live here in Lexington and watch

J. Peter Donald ’05 Annual Fund chair Dave Hickernell ’68 Awards committee chair Wendy Alderman Cohen ’67 Reunion advisory chair Lloyd Mitchell ’57 Diversity committee chair Kate Hayes ’06 Young alumni committee chair Mike Stone ’95 Area club chair Marggie Slichter ’84, P ’10, P ’11, P ’12 Ex-officio, staff

fall 2013 I class notes I 45

CLASS NOTES over me. Among my activities now is driving seniors without other means of transportation to medical appointments. Recently, I had the pleasure of driving a couple to a doctor in the next town over, who turned out to be Charles Keevil ’43, with whom I roomed in Cottage III as a junior. We had not seen each other since my graduation. Mt. Hermon was the educational experience that changed my life, and I have always been grateful for the opportunities that I had as a result.”

Ben “Gerry” Beaudry is alive and happy. He bowls three times a week with small balls, which are not very popular except in New England; plays nine holes of golf twice a week; and says: “I ride—the knees are shot, so I walk like a duck, but you have to keep moving.” For those who want to say hi, his email is: gerry.9@juno.com.

About once a year, your secretary receives a phone call from Dick Bolton. Sometimes I call Dick. I guess we do so with a bit of anxiety to make sure we are still functioning. As it turns out, we are.

Dick lives in Arvada, Colo. He lost his wife a couple of years ago and now keeps house, cooks for himself, and takes a walk most days.

Now comes the mystery. Last summer I received a package in the mail from an anonymous sender postmarked from a town in Maine where no one in the class of ’41 is listed. It contained a size XXXL Mt. Hermon T-shirt and a very short note reading: “Think Big.” Anyone care to identify himself so that I may properly thank him, and also ask if he really thinks I have grown that much?

42

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CORA LEE GETHMAN GIBBS 355 Blackstone Blvd, Apt 554 Providence RI 02906-4953 coraleegibbs@aol.com

42

MH

LOREN BULLOCK 204 Upshire Circle Gaithersburg MD 20878-5234 mlbullock9@gmail.com

Do you remember those 4 and 5 o’clock class periods after sports? I remember falling asleep once in geometry with Mr. Cutter—along with half the class—and his bellowing: “Pay attention,” and then trudging up the hill to West Hall for dinner. I fall asleep more often now.

Paul McGrew’s second great-grandchild was born on 5/2/13. He still greets at church as well as at monthly seniors-in-retirement meetings. His wife, Sally, works for Friends of the Library, and Paul hauls books for them.

Gordon Pyper keeps in motion with many social functions and exercise, which is mostly swimming and dancing. His daughter visited for nine days, along with nine teenagers—two were grandchildren and the others were their friends. Gordon writes: “That keeps us on our toes.”

Ed Obert writes: “We bless God for each birthday. I’m lucky to have a great caretaker in Ruth. I

46 I NMH Magazine

sit down to watch the news at noon, and I wake up about a half hour after it’s all done.”

Dick “Tink” Austin died earlier this year. A B-17 copilot in WWII, he returned to Brattleboro, Vt., where he had a floral design and greenhouse business. The vegetable and flower gardens at his home were show places. He was also active in the development of ski jumping in the Brattleboro area.

43

N ROBERTA BURKE BURPEE

3220 River Villa Way #121 Melbourne Beach, FL 32951 bobbieburpee@gmail.com

Our 70th reunion was poorly attended, I’m sorry to report. Gloria Savcheff Gancarz and I were the only ones there for our class, and Dorcas Platt Abell ’41 for Northfield; however, Richard Criswell, Eliot “Red” Gordon, and Robert Krueger were there for Mt. Hermon.

We had two days of rain, but Saturday and Sunday were sunny. The program was filled with many places to visit, some overlapping in time, but I believe everyone had a chance to see what interested them. The Northfield School for Girls alumnae luncheon was nicely done and informative regarding the archives. Naturally, the Mira B. Wilson Room dedication was one of the highlights, as was attending NMH Today with Head of School Peter Fayroian and a student panel. Everyone was impressed. I want to thank the class of ’48 for letting Gloria, Dorcas, and me join in their party time plus meals in Alumni Hall.

Please note: I have a new address and email—yes, I’ve moved again. I didn’t receive any news from you. We don’t have a column without news from you. I did chat with Janice Laumann Bamforth and Rosalie Van Zandt Simson on my return from NMH. Both were unable to attend because they are not able to travel.

We have lost more good friends. Nancy Hurley Smith passed away 9/15/12. An Air Force veteran and curriculum specialist for the Andover, Mass., school system, Nancy leaves a daughter and two grandsons.

Isabel “Betsy”Downing Paulsen passed away 1/4/13. She attended American International College and served in the Marines during WWII, at Marine Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where she met and married Norman Paulsen, an air traffic controller for the Navy. After the war, they moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where they lived for 25 years and raised four children. In 1970, they moved to South Hadley, Mass., where Betsy sold real estate for more than 20 years. She is survived by her four children and their spouses, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

Cora Freund Patterson passed away on 2/18/13. She was a resident of Lafayette, La., where she was a psychology teacher at LSU. Cora and her husband, Charles, traveled around the world in pursuit of his career in the oil fields. Cora is survived by one daughter and her husband, three grandchildren,

six great-grandchildren, a brother, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Barbara “Bobbie” Pierce Boucot died 11/9/11. After Northfield, Barbara graduated from Radcliffe with a bachelor’s in American history and literature. She worked for WTAG radio in Worcester, Mass., Personal Bookshops in Boston, Mass., the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C., the Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif., and was director of the Benton County (Ore.) Planned Parenthood Office for eight years. Bobbie was active in the Corvallis, Ore., community, and sat on several boards and committees in an effort to improve the quality of life for the residents there and in the state. Bobbie is survived by her husband, Arthur, four children and their spouses, three grandchildren, plus a brother and a sister. In her obituary, one of her children wrote: “Our family will always remember our mother as a loving, caring, and hardworking person of integrity who was never afraid to take up the challenge of protecting the rights of people less fortunate.”

For those who would like to help Northfield School for Girls, you may send a donation to the Northfield School for Girls Scholarship Fund, established in late 2011. The fund was launched with gifts from Thomas and Ellen Watson Payzant ’58 and Suzanne Steenburg Hill ’66. This fund will help support a female student at NMH who embodies the spirit exhibited by the young women who attended Northfield School for Girls. I know many of the class of ’43 are upset about losing our campus, and I believe this is a way to prove the words of our alma mater.

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MH ROBERTA BURKE BURPEE

3220 River Villa Way #121 Melbourne Beach, FL 32951 bobbieburpee@gmail.com

From Roberta “Bobbie” Burke Burpee: Hello. I have volunteered to be your secretary until someone wants to step up to the plate. I trust you will send me news in the future. Let’s catch up on where and how you are. Yes, you are news. I believe you will see how your classmates enjoyed reunion and missed you.

Dick Criswell and his wife, Mirta, came up from Miami Shores, Fla. Dick made quite an entrance at the Lamplighter reception by slipping and falling down the steps at the doorway to Ford Cottage, landing on his back. After a checkup by the emergency medics, he went on to enjoy the remainder of the weekend festivities. However, Dick noted when sending this news that on returning home, the doctor informed him he had more damage from the fall than he thought.

Bob Krueger and his wife, Judy, drove from Michigan, where Bob continues to be active in spite of his battle with emphysema.

Eliot “Red” Gordon, one of the youngest of the class of ’43, may have to change his name to “Whitey,” but the rest of him is ageless. Red has

CLASS NOTES moved to the Boston area, where his children live.

For those of you who remember Catharine “Kitsy” Rickert ’45 (whose dad was superintendent of school properties), her brother, Carroll Rikert Jr. ’34 (who is the image of his dad), told us that Kitsy passed away last October.

Red writes of reunion: “Wow-wee. Everything super all the way and all the time, from the sing-along in the majestic chapel and sumptuous cuisine at West/Alumni Hall, to observing the making of cheddar cheese ‘wheels’ from NMH farm’s freshly milked cows, to the sparkling new Rhodes Art Center (built upon the ashes of Recitation Hall and Silliman Lab), to a musical concert with 25-plus NMH ’63 choristers and conductor staging a reprise of their production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore. The following day offered visits to the “AXE F” new gym and many other educational/ dormitory modernizations. It was a wonderful experience seeing and speaking with so many cheerful alums. I must add, the new head of school, Peter Fayroian, was a warm, cheerful, gregarious host. He was charming, even with the smallest groups strolling along on campus and with his table-hopping at meals.

“As for me, I am a recent resident at an independent living retirement center near my three children and one granddaughter in Greater Boston.

I am happily and often wearily active in both the planning and execution of cultural, exercise/fitness, and religious events. Remember your Latin—nota bene. We sorrowfully miss Ralph “Ruffy” Magoon, especially as our class secretary for so many years.

Bobbie Burke Burpee has offered to receive and submit your personal anecdotes for the NMH Magazine, so let’s hear from you.”

Red Gordon gave me a copy of Robert Ajemian’s obituary that appeared in Harvard Magazine. If you would like a copy, please be in touch with me. Robert, a former NMH trustee, died 9/24/10. His obituary ran in the spring 2011 issue of NMH Magazine.

Merrill Manning died 6/20/12 in Vernon, Vt. He was a member of the class but did not graduate.

He worked at the creamery at NMH until it closed down, and then for security at the school until he retired in 1982.

Bill Arrott, I met your lovely daughter and sonin-law at reunion. They told me you had planned to be there but because of scheduled heart surgery decided to stay home. It was our loss—perhaps another time? We can attend any reunion now that we are Grands.

Before I left for reunion, I called on Gordon MacIver in hopes that he would be going. He wanted to, but his legs wouldn’t cooperate.

OK—remember, everyone—send news and make me a happy ’43 classmate.

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ANNE WEBB BURNHAM 44 River St Rehoboth MA 02769-1314 awburnham@aol.com

Back from Reunion ’13 with some news. Joan Carter Chevalier sent an email last November from a great Quaker Retirement Community in Sandy Springs, Md., not far from her children. She wanted to be remembered to you with lots of good memories she has of Northfield.

Dave and I had a visit with the ’44 scholarship recipient at a luncheon in April at NMH. A member of the class of ’13, she was adopted in China as a baby by a couple who are university professors. She is a delightful young woman and so appreciative of the many opportunities she has had in her life and at NMH, where she played clarinet in the concert band, was on the field hockey and lacrosse teams, wrote for The Hermonite, and was the co-leader of the Asian-American Student Association. Thanks to all who have contributed to the ’44 scholarship fund. Your money is being well spent. Remember, first choice for the annual grant is a relative of a member of the class of ’44. At reunion, we met a former recipient, who is the grandson of Bev Bolton Leyden ’53.

We are saddened to hear of Suzanne Harton Conklin’s passing on 2/3/13. She earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Chatham University and volunteered with the USO during WWII. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren.

Our best to her family.

Elizabeth Gamble Roe (also from West Marquand) died on 2/4/13. A graduate of Syracuse, she worked in publishing in New York City. She had four children with her first husband, John Atkinson, who had a medical practice in Watertown, Conn. Liz kept busy with many arts and crafts projects and lots of volunteer work. After her husband died in ’75, she married Thomas Roe, and in his retirement, they moved to Bloomfield, Conn. With the combined families, she had six children, 16 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Elaine Gray Barlow died 2/3/13. She was only at Northfield for one year, but she made many friends and added a great deal to the East Gould contingent of our class. A daughter and two sons gave her four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The town of Keene, N.H., is missing her in many volunteer spots.

Lavonne Aghetto Adkin died of breast cancer on 5/21/13. Also of Marquand, Vonnie married Jack in ’46 and had 66 years of living in Port Charlotte, Fla., and sailing and traveling around the world. She was a Lamplighter Society member of the NMH Survivors planned giving program. Jack, their four daughters, many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren are in our thoughts and prayers.

Another loss is that of Center Goulder Ruth Ulrich Blair, who died 1/18/13. A trained nurse from Columbia University, Ruth was very involved with Girl Scouts, as were her four daughters. She also raised one son. They added nine grandchildren

and six great-grandchildren to her family.

Our last loss for this issue is Gertrude Novak, who passed away 5/21/13 from leukemia. I remember her deep voice and her good English, with a heavy accent. She fit in well and was always interested in others and anxious to help. She worked hard at Northfield, went on to Cornell and New York Medical College to become a pathologist. In her 50s, she went back to school to become a family practice doctor, influenced by her many mission trips to Haiti, Nepal, and Brazil.

She taught microscopic anatomy and helped start the physician’s assistant program at Malcolm X College. Working well into her 80s, she continued volunteering for the homeless and working in many clinics. A life well lived.

I asked for some happier news in the last issue and got a great email from Bev Grove Olson, who writes of two children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandsons. Add to that two greatgranddaughters, and I believe this may hold the ’44 record. Bev lives in Portland, Ore. Congratulations on staying healthy.

Other news from reunion. Elizabeth Morris ’73, daughter of Dorothy McDowell Morris, stopped by to say hello. Dorothy died in ’08 but the legacy continues. Bob Chutter ’53, Ruth Chutter Bareham’s brother, had a nice visit with us. Ruth taught biology with Miss Homet for a year in ’48–’49, and we roomed together in Weston as new teachers. During that year, Ernie persuaded Ruth to get married, which she did, in the Cathedral of the Pines in N.H. Ruth died in ’84.

I received a nice letter from Harriet Farris Carroll, a one-year student in East Hall with Mary Lighthall Compton. Harriet lives in Union, Maine, with her son and family. They sold most of their dairy farm but kept enough to build a home.

The young family who bought the rest is making dessert wines from native fruits and berries, called Sweetgrass Winery. Harriet celebrated her recent birthday by visiting her grandchildren and two great-grandchildren (5 and 7) in Massachusetts, who were celebrating theirs. I am sure their greatgrandmother had a busy time.

At reunion, Erika Monsees McCormick ’78, who is Anne Nelson Kerr’s niece, stopped at our table to say hello.

Keep the good news coming.

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CHARLTON R. PRICE 1501 17th St, Apt 514 Seattle WA 98122-4103 charltonrp@gmail.com

Let’s name Bill Compton Mr. MH ’44. He was our class valedictorian. He spent almost his entire professional career as a teacher and administrator at Mt. Hermon and NMH. Bill and his late wife, Mary Lighthall Compton, for many years ran the summer school at NMH. Bill’s father, Carl Compton, was on the faculty in our time. Bill and Mary’s daughter, Betsy Compton ’72, is an NMH

fall 2013 I 47

CLASS NOTES trustee. And Bill may have been the only member of our class at the 2013 reunions.

He tells of memorable and satisfying encounters there with several of his and Mary’s many past NMH students. He Bill Compton reports that NMH is thriving, and that Peter Fayroian, now head of school, seems to be a hit with the community.

But this just in, as we go to press: Alan “Dinty” Moore also made it to this 2013 reunion. Details in the next issue.

Here’s my renewed proposal to all of you: Let’s meet once more, at our 70th reunion. That will be next spring, 2014. I hope Anne Webb Burnham and other Semites of our era can be there, too. I now have greater confidence that I can be there because of a recent month-long trip abroad with my grandson, who is in his mid-20s. Traveling with one’s child or grandchild makes everything, such as air flights or being on the road, overnights, physical mobility, much simpler and more carefree. Your family aide doesn’t just handle baggage when necessary or help with comfort stops and at mealtimes.

More important, s/he can give you a sense of security and provide greater confidence. Keep in mind, too, that we are now officially Grands. Grands who make it to reunions are guests of the school. If I can get back to campus from Seattle, which I intend to, I want to believe that most of you, who are much closer, can get there, too. Let’s do it.

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ARLENE FINCH REYNOLDS 273 Erie Rd Columbus OH 43214-3600 arlenerey@aol.com

Alice Smith May writes: “Our family, our grand-

children, and our home with five acres on the water in Tidewater Virginia seem to keep us very busy.

David and I are in good health, although maybe just a little slower in doing things.” Their sons live in Virginia Beach, Va., Miami, and Charlotte, N.C. “It is a tradition in our family to order maple syrup from Northfield each spring. No other syrup tastes as good. Each son and family receives the Northfield syrup as a Christmas gift. It brings back good memories of my year at Northfield.”

Patricia Browning Paige is an author. She writes: “Last year I surprised myself by compiling cartons of memorabilia into a small volume recounting my life in some of the world’s interesting cities.” Her book includes a chapter on her Northfield experience and shared memories with her mother, Marguerite Smith Browning ’17, and sister, Toni Browning Smiley ’54. If you would like a copy, please contact Arlene for Patricia’s contact information. In 1963, Patricia moved to the Antelope Valley, a small desert community north of L.A., due to her daughter’s health. Patricia says she “arrived kicking and screaming.” Now widowed, Patricia still participates in the valley’s cultural

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growth, and is happy to call it home.

Jackie Snyder Johnson had a bad fall in mid-March, but she’s better now. She will take a 24-day cruise in September to Norway, Iceland, the Shetland Islands, and then cross the Atlantic via the Azores to Miami. She writes: “That will conclude my bucket list.” She hopes to be at our next reunion.

Jay Matthews Kuchar writes: “We got great joy from watching our grandson, Matt Kuchar, win his second tournament of the year at the Memorial in Columbus, Ohio. We got a kick out of watching his son (3) high-five Jack Nicklaus. Our special treat is going to the Masters for the week when Matt rents a huge house for the whole family. He also treats us to two wonderful cooks that prepare our meals after the tournament. I have many fond memories of my days at Northfield. It almost seems like it was another lifetime.”

Irma Klein Schachter says we are coming through for the Annual Fund but will not have 100 percent participation this year. She and Joe attended their grandson’s wedding last July, their first grandchild to marry. It was a wonderful reunion for the family. Recently, they attended their granddaughter’s graduation from Columbia. Her father (Irma’s son) received his law degree and master’s in journalism there, so it was a thrill. “We keep busy with bridge and with some nonprofits—library, senior living home, etc. So far, we still are counting our blessings.”

I received news from the alumni office that Elizabeth Hudson Callahan passed away 9/29/12.

Helen Hinman Bardwell writes that she: “Retired from working (part-time since the ’80s) as a loss adjuster for agricultural crops in the federal program and then later for Rural Community Insurance Services, which is a part of Wells Fargo Bank. My family all cheered—‘About Time.’ Like all other retirees, I now wonder when I ever had time to work.” Helen is active in her church, a local book club, a nearby assisted living community, and is on the voter registration board for her town.

She says she will downsize her garden soon. She and husband Cory are proud of their three highschool grandsons, who are honor students, play in the concert and jazz bands, are working on Eagle Scout projects, and thinking about college. Helen cautions us to look ahead to our 70th reunion in ’15. “It will be here before we blink an eye. I always enjoy talking with some of you in early winter when the annual appeal is happening—great to catch up. Each time I drive by, and often through the Northfield campus, I recall the old days, but am so pleased to say that everything is so well groomed.

Someone is taking good care of things. We can still miss our alma mater but be grateful in knowing that the transition has worked so well and that Northfield is still such a strong part of the community and the NMH philosophy.”

Now from Arlene: Barbara Goodwin Fellows took me out to lunch at a lovely tea shop recently.

She is going on a Danube River cruise in June before going to her summer home in Southport, Maine. After 2 1/2 years of eye inflammation, with sight in just my right eye, I am now having infusions that are taking away some of the blurriness.

Good news. My youngest son, Lou Flocken, wants me to brag that he got a hole in one last weekend.

His daughter, Rachel, was married in a beautiful outdoor wedding. We are going to the Finch family reunion, where we will celebrate birthdays for my brothers—Carleton ’41 (90) and Edwin ’46 (85)— and Arline and Carleton’s 69th wedding anniversary.

My great-grandchildren, Christopher (18) and Katie Marie (16) Flocken, whom we have never met, are flying in from Hot Springs, Alaska.

Several classmates, including Alice Smith May and Irene Eldredge Derby, have remarked how much they liked the Northfield School for Girls newsletter. Alice writes: “What a good way to keep the legacy of the school from fading.”

I was thrilled with the inspirational article by Shelong Shin, “Remembering Mira Wilson,” in the latest NMH Magazine. The dining hall where we have our reunion banquets is to be named for Miss Wilson. Should we give a special class gift to honor Miss Wilson in ’15?

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PETE DEVENIS 9 South Meadow Ridge Concord MA 01742-3000 ingadevenis@aol.com

Your class secretary attended his 65th class reunion at Yale in May, where Inga and I had dinner with Bill Bahnson at Mory’s. The acoustics were bad, and we shouted at each other. I blamed him for not speaking clearly, and he blamed me for not listening properly. (A typical situation at our age.) Bill still lives in Greenfield, and we see him occasionally. I am the proud owner of a new titanium right hip since last October, and was able to start playing golf two months later in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Tom Turnbull writes: “With advancing years I have moved with my wife, Julia, to Plano, Texas, where our daughters live and teach. Really handy.

I’ve given up my car, so I have to be driven everywhere I need to go. I’m still getting used to it. I spent a decade with U.S. Steel near Pittsburgh after getting my master’s in engineering from Syracuse, and the next three decades at a small foundry in Mobile, Ala., designing dredging pumps and winches. I retired in ’93. We moved to Plano in ’04.”

I regret to report that shortly after hearing from Tom, he passed away, on 3/28/13. He is survived by his wife, Julia, two daughters, a son, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Tom Purdum enjoys playing soccer but broke his ankle in a collision with Wink Cornwell. Tom claims that Wink should have gotten a yellow card and that “The Axe” should not have insisted “there is nothing wrong with you.” Tom went to the University of Maryland, where he claims that the lacrosse team was too good for him to play. Tom’s wife passed away about 12 years ago. He suffers with emphysema and the usual aches and pains of old age. In addition to enjoying his three children and five grandchildren, Tom likes sailing on Lake Ontario from his home at Wolcott, N.Y.

CLASS NOTES Cal Swan and wife Jodie live in Bluffton, S.C., where he enjoys playing golf and gardening. Their property harbors more than 300 trees, shrubs, and evergreen ground cover. He has created a bog garden from the water runoff on his property with swamp iris, swamp azalea, ferns, and papyrus. Low Country plants such as magnolias, sago palms, holly ferns, sabal and windmill palms, hydrangea, elephant ears, climbing vines, crape myrtles, and gardenias are scattered throughout the property, where the family members conduct garden tours.

Ted Covel writes: “Donna and I have moved.

We sold our double-wide mobile home and replaced it with a smaller condo. Much easier to take care of.

I have been in reasonably good health and am looking forward to our 70th in ’15, to which I am planning to bring my youngest daughter and son.”

Richard Morrill has Parkinson’s and moved to a retirement community in West Hartford, Conn.

He graduated from Williams College and became a librarian in Brooklyn, N.Y., as well as at several other locations. He particularly enjoyed living in Maine for a while.

Paul Carver missed the bottom step in the garage, fell, and broke his leg between the hip and knee. After the accident, he moved to an assisted living apartment in West Hartford, where he has a bedroom, TV room, and a room for model railroad trains collected since 1933—HO DCC with sound, Lionel, and pre-1942 American Flyer. He is recovering slowly and is already walking with a cane.

Paul has taken many train trips in the U.S., Canada, Europe, South Africa, China, and Australia. He especially enjoyed going by rail from Beijing across Siberia to Moscow about five years ago. Paul and I worked for the same civil engineering company, designing water pollution control, water supply, and other projects throughout the world.

Tim Tildon and his wife, Elizabeth, live at Marina Del Rey, Calif. He has retired from practicing medicine and enjoys an occasional round of golf at various courses in the county. When I telephoned him from Santa Monica, Calif., he was taking his wife to the airport that same evening to go to the Philippines to visit her ill mother. Therefore, we could not get together for dinner.

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BETTY BOLGER FLEMING 456 Riverside Dr Princeton NJ 08540-5421 bettyb.fleming@verizon.net

The spring ’13 NMH Magazine was so interesting that it caused some welcome email chatter among us, especially the article, “Remembering Mira Wilson,” our greatly admired headmistress. Several recalled and shared Miss Wilson’s unsurpassed interest in us all. Some who failed to get into the college they cherished were invited to tea with Miss Wilson, who gave them pep talks and thoughtful advice.

Sunny Sundt-Busch was another kind of visitor, and here are her comments: “As a senior, I delivered the Sunday New York Times to all the faculty early,

even by sled in winter. But going down the hill and knocking at her kitchen door was always delightful, because I was invited in for hot chocolate and a nice doggy greeting. Lucky me. I stopped at our chaplain’s home for that, too, careful not to be tardy for choir. Miss Wilson was a fine woman, respected by everyone, kind and strong, with a miraculous memory for naming us along the sidewalks.”

Miss Wilson’s dog, Patsy, was our class mascot, and her picture graces page four of our class yearbook. No one knew that Patsy was purchased from my mother, Coby Bolger, who bred Irish setters professionally (no, the sale did not apply to my tuition). In the wide, open spaces at Northfield, Patsy developed a habit of chasing and catching porcupines, which caused both Patsy and Miss Wilson much distress. “Each quill has to be pulled one by one,” said Miss Wilson to my mother. Miss Wilson fully expected that Patsy should learn from her mistakes, but alas, Patsy did not. At least one member of our Northfield community remained completely unteachable, much to Miss Wilson’s chagrin.

Congratulations to Hugh Findlay, who has replaced the longtime and beloved ’46 Mt. Hermon class secretary, Bill Haslun. Hugh wrote a fine first column, and that is no easy task, as I have come to learn. I join Hugh in asking all of our classmates to send us their news, especially those who do not have email accounts and are seldom heard from. If you are one of those who have not kept in touch, please jot an update, even if it is short. Hugh’s and my addresses are listed at the top of our class news. Your news is what keeps our columns vital and interesting. Without you we are nothing. Please write.

At my request, Peter Weis ’78, the archivist at NMH, sent me a photo of our Tree Day Queen and Her Court. I invited classmates with email addresses to name the court members and am happy to say that, among us all, we recognized every face and name. Peter was very helpful in tracking down the photo, and he has our thanks.

As we all know, Bill Haslun is married to our classmate, Jane Everett Haslun. Jane and Bill are continuing to enjoy their new home and are making many new friends as well as continuing to enjoy their lifelong friends. And by the way, Jane is one of those Northfield beauties pictured in the 1946 Tree Day Court picture.

Connie Callahan Hornickel’s husband, Skip, died very suddenly but painlessly in February of this year. She writes: “The loss of my husband was a shock, but he did not suffer, and for that I am very thankful.” Their son lives in the same town in Pennsylvania and her daughter lives in Belchertown, Mass., with two granddaughters in Boston. Connie also mentioned that she appreciates the opportunity to read in church publications of the ongoing saga of the future use of the Northfield campus.

Many of us enjoy lasting friendships from our Northfield days. Among these, Elaine Wilson Kuck talks occasionally with Joan Crowther Walther, and will soon be visited by Audrey Farr Watters.

Audrey is traveling with her daughter from Maine to New York City, so Elaine and Audrey will see each other for the first time in 60 years. Elaine also writes

of her joy in attending her daughter’s wedding in June. Her daughter, Barbara, lost her husband three years ago and is now happily married to a wonderful man with four daughters. Elaine comments: “Barbara has three, so now they have quite a brood.”

Podie Shipton Brunton writes: “Hal and I continue to be blessed with each other, our setting in retirement residence, kids in good shape, et al. He turned 92 this past week and was nicely celebrated by a number of friends. I am lucky to still play tennis three days a week and swim laps three days. Old age is not for sissies, but so far, so good.”

Alice Elder Leake and I are still wondering if our grandchildren will ever meet at Yale. Alice’s Timothy is off to Budapest for his Yale junior year.

Lucy is a sophomore in New Haven, but will be traveling often with Yale’s coed a cappella group, the Redhot & Blue of Yale. They have a website where you can hear Lucy sing. Lucy and fellow singers are scheduled for Northern Europe, but not for Budapest. So it looks as if Alice and I will need to wait another year.

Millie Welch Clough wrote that Lois Magoon Rivers died suddenly in May. Lois and Millie had been friends for many years, “managing to see each other once every two or three years, not as much as they would have liked but more than most of us manage.” Here is a short section from her obituary: “Lois was a dedicated volunteer at the San Jose Auxiliary Thrift Box. Lois loved the Thrift Box, its mission, and the wonderful friends she made there. Lois’s other love was working every Saturday morning selling fruits and vegetables at the Palo Alto Farmer’s Market with her daughter Dru. Dru’s family are partners in Full Belly, an organic farm in Guinda, Calif. The farm was started in part with Lois’s support in ’83, and was a source of great pride and love for Lois. There was very little she ate that did not come from the farm.”

Sadly, I must also let you know of the death of two other classmates. Barbara Boger Ramsdell died 2/7/13. Barbara spent her professional life as the director of the homemaker/home health aide program for family services of central Massachusetts.

At Northfield, Barbara was a chime ringer as well as a member of the choir and Chancel Choir. She continued these interests over the years as a longtime member of West Boylston Congregational Church, where she sang in the choir. Barbara leaves a son, two daughters, and their families, as well as seven grandchildren. Her husband, David, died three years earlier.

Perry Whidden has written to inform us of the passing of Jacqueline Perry Whidden, with these comments: “Jackie’s love of learning and passion for literature stayed with her for her entire life. Upon retirement, the first task she gave herself was to reread the last several centuries of English literature, with a year devoted to each century. Such devotion to the life of the mind must surely have been instilled at an early age, first at Northfield and later at Smith College. She is survived by three children and six grandchildren, who all miss her terribly.”

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CLASS NOTES

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HUGH FINDLAY 500 Ocean St Apt 152 Hyannis MA 02601-4766 hughf@occia.com findlay22@verizon.net

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CHARLES A. KENNEDY PO Box 112 Newbury NH 03255-0112 chask@myfairpoint.net

Clarence “Coach” Hunter will retire in September

What a thrill it is to receive snail mail and emails from many of you. You are really making me feel even more an active part of our great school. I did not say it in my original notes, but I have always felt that Mt. Hermon is responsible for saving my young life and giving me a lifetime base to allow me to be successful in business, community service, and life in general. I hope that you all feel the same.

Ralph Roy is doing well, although he slipped on some ice and broke an ankle. He is still writing and sent me some samples of his work, which I enjoy and find very interesting. I wish there were room to include some of his writings, but if you get in touch with him, I bet he would send you some copies.

Contact me for his address. His experiences include being a Freedom Rider and working with Dr. King 50-plus years ago. Also, he has celebrated 60 years since his ordination.

I heard from David Daniels, who mentioned a number of classmates with whom we both had the good fortune to join in singing. Singing at Mt. Hermon gave me a lot of joy and set me up for a lifetime of happiness in singing, including some professional work with a quartet. He also sent some information about his connection with model airplanes and an article he authored about them. What wonderful experiences he has had. He included some pictures of himself and darned if I didn’t recognize him from the pictures. I am sure he has enjoyed this hobby all his life.

Talking about pictures, if you go to my website, occia.com, you can see what I look like now as well as my boss and daughter, Martha, and my granddaughter, Erica, who will take over the business someday.

I have had a couple of letters from Bob Milam.

He lives in Texas and enjoys helping his nine children and 13 grandchildren. He is an orthopedic surgeon, having been active in both the military for 16 years and private practice for 28 years. He is still active, but like many of us has parts that are wearing out. He reports that he lost his lifelong friend and our classmate, David Heer, to cancer.

I look forward to hearing from all of you and want to be a part of keeping you in touch with one another.

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JOAN PEARSON TURNER 49 Seymour St Concord MA 01742-5753 turnerjoan4@gmail.com

after 70 years of work, military service, and teaching in Africa. He plans to “muse with the gods and write.” One vivid memory from the past: “Oh, Louie [Smith]. Never forget what were the sounds at night in Emperor Jones. It was drums, stupid.

Smith just laughed when he knew I hadn’t read the work yet.”

Leon Carapetyan is still singing, even after his duets with Roly Coates at reunion last year. Leon writes: “In September, Shelly and I took a maritime cruise with friends up the East Coast to Halifax and St. John, where many Loyalists went during the war for independence.”

And speaking of St. John, my GPS wasn’t working last time when I reported Roly Coates went north: he and Liz went to St. John in the Caribbean last winter. On their annual March mooch southward, they visited Jack Dagget and Ev Clement.

Robert “Lew” Lewis has downsized: “sold our house in the country and bought a condo—a better fit at this age,” but he is still firmly rooted north of the border in Canada.

Chuck Kennedy attended a conference in Istanbul just in time for the disturbances in Taksim Square in June. The demonstrators were in a fine mood until the police turned on the water cannon and lobbed tear gas at them. It was more “Occupy Wall Street” than “Arab Spring,” but interesting to witness.

John Hall continues to introduce Gilbert and Sullivan to new audiences in W. Va. His latest effort was Utopia, Limited, a rarely seen operetta but dear to my heart since a college production in which I played Lady Sophy when Yale was still men only.

But that’s another story.

Word has been received of the passing of Harold F. Bigelow Jr. last February. A veteran of WWII, he worked at NMH for many years, retiring in ’88 as director of safety. Robert Lenker passed away last April after a long career in business and finance.

After playing football for Coach Rineer, he was a teammate of Joe Paterno at Brown University.

All the news that fits, we print, so please keep sending in notes about your current activities to inspire and reconnect with your classmates.

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PHIL BAKER 1900 N Signal Hills Dr Kirkwood MO 63122-6831 bakpn30@earthlink.net

From the Alumni Office: It is with regret we write to tell you that Jan Hibbs Testa has resigned as your class secretary. Jan has been struggling with lung cancer for some time. In May, she wrote: “I’ve been class secretary forever and was so sure I could continue, but not so. At this writing, I am on day

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63 of a hospital stay brought on by cyberknife radiation for lung cancer. The radiation killed the cancer, but the cure was killing me. I have yet to walk, and this is my first week of sitting up. I go next to rehab, probably for several months. There is no hope of my resuming this most favorite task. I send my love to the class of ’48. It has been a joy working with them.”

If you would like to continue Jan’s great work, please contact Andrew Heist ’06 at aheist@nmhschool.org.

Marjorie Ingham Stahl Warren passed away 5/23/13 after a brief illness. She married Charles Stahl in ’49 and traveled throughout the country as the wife of an Air Force pilot. Divorced in ’62, she raised three children while working and completing her education, graduating from George Mason in ’74. Over the years, she held jobs in retail, communications, and banking, and ultimately with the Chamber of Commerce. At age 59, she became an accomplished endurance athlete, starting with a transcontinental bicycle ride and culminating with legendary and repeated performances as a senior member of the United States triathlon team. In ’03 she married Morris Warren, to whom she was a devoted wife until his death in ’08. She is survived by two children, four grandchildren, and a sister.

From Phil: Phil Barton writes that he lives in a Coachella Valley retirement community, 20 miles from Palm Springs, Calif. He has just been reelected for a third term as president of the residents’ association, is still singing with the Cal Desert Chorale, and swims many laps each day in the pool.

He also reports that he has recently gone through eight weeks of radiation therapy for prostate cancer with no apparent side effects and wonders how many classmates have had this problem.

Had a nice chat with Ray Pitt, who has lived in Leonia, N.J., for 35 years. His wife died in ’12 after a long, traumatic illness. A family therapist, he still practices, though at a somewhat reduced pace. The Pitt family home was damaged by the violent weather a while back, and he now lives in an apartment. He has four children and a grandson (10), whom he describes as “very athletic.”

Steve Rathkopf moved from Florida to Seattle seven years ago, where he and his wife belong to the nearby yacht club. He had a Hobie Cat in Florida but doesn’t sail anymore. He enjoys life, gets to reads a lot, and was about to have a birthday when we spoke on 6/11.

Connie Briggs sold his inn some time ago and now lives the good life in North Conway, N.H. A lifelong skier, he loses few opportunities to do it near home or otherwise. He walks for exercise during periods when there is no snow and he isn’t yet on a distant mountain slope.

Brad Jones was in the hotel business for many years. The Joneses have two sons and a daughter.

Brad Jr. is a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Brad and his wife have belonged to and supported Dollars for Scholars—he for 42 years, she for 40. A recent reunion attendee and fellow former Mt. Hermon wrestler (way better than I), Brad described how the gym displays evidence of the prominence of that sport on the Hill, featuring

CLASS NOTES awards, history, and squad photos, including ours.

Bob Ball lives in Avon, Conn. Despite severely limited eyesight, he continues to contribute articles to special-interest journals, such as Gun Digest, Yankee, Antiques & Art, dictating his work as necessary. His wife, Joanne, is also involved in this type of work. It was great talking with him recently.

However, as one whose paternal grandfather served as a 16-year-old in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment in the Civil War, I was a bit sorry to learn that one of Bob’s family connections was Jeb Stuart.

Charlie Kellogg, Owen Sutton, Brad Jones, Dave Powell, and Dave Roser attended the big

June ’13 reunion. From photos, it is clear that the Hill has been made even more beautiful with the addition of new buildings and landscaping.

Wife Sandy (Bev “Sandy” Anderson Baker) and I just celebrated our 61st. We were stunned by the nature of our spring/early summer here in Missouri. Torrential rain, tornado scares, flooding, etc. Each sunny day was considered a dry spell. We have three children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren (2) and (6). I still belong to the Civil War Roundtable of St. Louis. When we moved here in ’62, I had yet to learn how involved Missouri was in that conflict. Had the population of St. Louis not been largely made up of German immigrants, Missouri would likely have had a “secesh” tilt for a while.

I was saddened to learn in a phone conversation with Diane Barnes that Bob Barnes passed away in 12/12 after a long bout with cancer. A member of the Mt. Hermon chapter of the national Cum Laude Society, he was also a very nice guy. There are eight children and 14 grandchildren.

We are saddened to report that we learned of Jan Hibbs Testa’s death on 9/26/13 just as this issue was going to press. We’ll have news about her life in the next issue.

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CAROLYN “CARRIE” NOBLE SANTORO 88 Henry Ave Harrison NY 10528-4421 doncary@optimum.net

Jaye Peckham Chase writes that she and her hus-

band, Len, spend wonderful warm winters at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla. They return to Rhode Island for spring and summer, where they garden and play tennis. Jaye’s granddaughter will attend Boston College in the fall.

Ann “Corky” Pattison Casey has one granddaughter who graduated from high school and will attend the USC School of Engineering. Corky will be coming to Connecticut after July 4 and has rented a cottage in Old Saybrook through August.

All her girls and their families are coming for a week at the same time. “It will be a zoo but always fun.”

Corky sends love to all the ’49ers.

Betsy Greensmith Dole has a named scholarship at NMH that supports female students.

“For the past four years, my student has been a

wonderful girl with whom I have developed a relationship. I recently attended the luncheon for scholarship students and met her in person. I was impressed with all the opportunities that NMH has given her and the confidence she exhibits. While NMH is not the same as it was in the days of Miss Wilson, I believe it still is making a positive difference in the lives of its students.” While in the area, Betsy had a good visit with Martha Paine Greene.

This has been a year of adjustment for me (Cary Noble Santoro). I have developed Dupuytren’s contracture syndrome in which the fingers contract, and I can no longer play the piano or organ, which is my first love. I had one unsuccessful operation to correct it (often called a trigger finger) and now I have found another doctor who is going to try to fix it. On a happier note, I had two grandsons graduate from college in June. John graduated from Brown in applied mathematics with a Distinguished Senior Thesis Award and is now working in the quantitative research group at Bracebridge Capital in Boston.

Russell graduated from the University of Ottawa in international relations.

Carol Hulbert Maxwell says that she and Dick are thriving and thankful for their excellent health.

They are involved in environmental issues locally and grateful to be surrounded by open space and parks—a rarity in Southern California. Mary Bartlett Bunge is still working in the spinal cord injury field. Her work over the last decade, in part, has enabled a new clinical trial for spinal cord injury persons, a trial that initially tests the safety of transplantation of the person’s own Schwann cells into the site of the spinal cord injury.

Barbara McAllister Naughton’s granddaughters graduated from college in Arlington, Texas, in June.

They are off in different directions—one to China for further education and the other to graduate school in Texas for a doctorate in math. Her grandsons in Laramie are in ninth and seventh grades, both good students, musicians, and involved in sports. Barbara has been an English tutor for a student from Iraq, who is working toward his doctorate. “It has been an interesting as well as a learning experience.”

Ruth Miller Curwen passed away in 12/12. She graduated from Bennington College, where she studied violin performance. Performing throughout her life, Ruth played violin and viola in many groups, including Greenwood Music Camp, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the Worcester Symphony, the Boston Philharmonic, the Concord Orchestra, and numerous string ensembles. In addition to her musical career, Ruth volunteered for many organizations, including Boston’s PBS Channel 2, the Dedham Women’s Exchange, and Dedham Family Services. Recently widowed, she is survived by her three children.

From the Alumni Office: Shortly after the spring issue of NMH Magazine reached alumni, we heard from Joyce Heissenbuttel Neill, who pointed out that we’d inverted her name in the spring column—our apologies. She wants to assure everyone that: “I did not have surgery on my ‘trigger’ finger; unfortunately, never learned to play the

organ but still play the piano, using all fingers and my ‘ear’ to arrange jazz, experimenting with unusual harmonies and key transitions. I also garden and golf.” To set the record straight, Joyce graduated from Connecticut College and has three sons, including Jon Neill ’85, and four grandchildren.

She writes: “As reunion chair for our class, I want to remind you that our 65th reunion will be June 5–8, 2014. I hope that as many of you as possible will plan to attend. The school treats us with great care and concern for our needs. Please put it on your calendar and plan to come.”

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JIM HANCHETT 300 1st Ave, Apt 8B New York NY 10009-1844 jch46@cornell.edu

DAVID DURHAM 149 Ontario St. Honeoye Falls NY 14472-1139 dedur@aol.com

Ken Hungerford represented ’49 at reunion on the Hill last June and took a close look at what the class of ’48 was up to. Plans are under way for a spectacular reunion for us next June 5–8. You’ll be hearing more about this but meanwhile—mark your calendars.

Lee Farwell (Farmingdale, Maine), recovering from a nasty spill, embarked on senior college classes as spring sprang in. He took “When Cultures Collide” and another course on early (Native American) settlements “to keep my brain working so I won’t be a zombie.” Lee “might be 82, but I don’t think I’m 82. I’m not old and decrepit, but I don’t think I’m 18, either, that’s for sure.”

Jim Clarke (Hamilton, N.Y.) lives 3 1/2 miles from the gates of Colgate, where he taught for, as some Brits say, donkeys’ years. He travels to campus on a small electric car. Jim’s now delighted when his former students phone to reminisce and perhaps call for financial aid to the ’Gate. When we spoke, he was looking forward to cracking a case of Napa Valley vino grown by his son. Jim says he didn’t have even one bad teacher at Hermon, not even a certain chemistry pro who “didn’t teach much chemistry.” He does think back on tennis coach Edmund Alexander, aka The Fay, as in Pharaoh (and latterly The Leaf, as in the French curiously pronounced Feuille), who asked him: “Do you want to learn how to play tennis?” Yes, Jim replied, and Alexander gave him extra half-hour lessons almost every day during tennis season. Jim learned very well, you may recall. He rose to number four on a strong team. He says watching Alexander play Bob Dibble was an advanced lesson in itself.

Ron Meikle (Tucson, Ariz.) loves the life of the high Arizona hills but isn’t too fond of the local coyotes. One of them snagged one of the Meikle cats and took off. The kitty resisted, fighting fiercely, like an Oberlin Yeoman. A Meikle pooch pursued to intercede. The ending was happy for cat and dog

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CLASS NOTES but not for coyote. Ron sings with the University of Arizona community choir—a few decades after the Hermon choir. “I owe a lot for having that Hermon experience,” he says, adding that fellow chorister and roommate Harold Fleming “helped me with my English.” Maybe they’ll reunite at our 65th.

Maybe you will too? We hope so.

Don Mayhew (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) offers: “my health is good but some of the parts are falling off.” Still, he plans to join the reunion revels.

Ken Hungerford (Amesbury, Mass.), recovering after eight weeks of radiation treatment, gave NMH some precious days’ worth of reaching out to ’Niners for a truly worthy cause—our school. Along the way he spoke with Howard Thompson and Don Swicker. Both recommended the benefits of activity to keep fit. Don cited working around the house—indoors and out.

Retired systems analyst Paul Rikert (White Plains, N.Y.), who says he spent four years as a member of the class of ’48 and one year with the class of ’49, is an inveterate reunioneer but passed up his UMass ’53 60th this year. He remains a fixture at Sacred Concert, NMH Hoggers football games, and “ran in the Pie Race last year, and I’m still breathing.”

Career Air Force officer Lt. Col Bob Bromley died in Corvallis, Ore., last May. An AFROTC lieutenant from Oregon State, he served in supply and procurement before 13 years in the Office of Special Investigation. He studied Korean at Yale and earned a business administration master’s at Syracuse. In his retirement, he volunteered for many years in the Corvallis police station and was bailiff in the city’s municipal court. He leaves wife, Marge, whom he met in English class at Oregon State, four children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandling. He received a 21-gun salute at his burial, with military honors. Though living 3,000 miles away, he was particularly active in planning ’49 reunions. He is missed.

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JANET-MARIE FITZGERALD WHITLEY 6794 Willow Rd Vacaville CA 95687 janwhitley@aol.com

ROBERT C. WHITE 100 Old Amherst Rd Sunderland MA 01375-9558 rcwhite@admin.umass.edu

From Jan: As reported in the last magazine, we lost another classmate, Cornelia Keyworth Cheever, in 1/13. Connie came to Northfield our sophomore year and lived in Weston. I did not know her, but Kay Waller Springwater said Cornelia was her dummy partner and remembers her as a very nice girl. I send our condolences to her family.

Margaret Brown Fleming didn’t report any news but congratulated me on my promotion to

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Kay Waller Springwater ’50 turned 80 in ’12 and celebrated with Northfield alums. Left to right: Anna Faith Johnson Jones ’50, Kay’s Northfield roommate; Kay; Anna Katherine Johnston Taylor ’50; Beckie Waller Bright ’48, Kay’s sister; and Bertha “Buffa” FrenchHarkless ’86, Kay’s daughter-in-law.

class president. How did this happen? At our last reunion, Northfield ’50 and Mt. Hermon ’50 voted to join as one class and have a president, vice president, and two secretaries. We elected Charles Drummey, president, and Charles Beckley, vice president. The plan was to alternate each reunion so at our 65th two Northfield gals would be elected.

However, Charles Beckley passed away in ’12 and Drummey, as he was called, passed away this spring.

I received a message from class secretary Bob White and Mark Jander, class gift chair, asking me to be interim president, providing I get a doctor’s slip saying I’m healthy. I agreed and will continue as secretary unless someone out there wants the job. We will be electing a president and vice president from Northfield at our 65th.

Marion Clausen Gray attended Reunion ’13 with her sister Joan Clausen Vander Viet ’48, who was at her 65th. Joan received the Community Service Award, so Marion, and Joan’s twin, Jane Clausen Drorbaugh ’47, came to support her and have a mini family reunion. She reports only a handful of Northfield gals returned. She hopes we do better than that. Marion and Don are enjoying their three grandchildren.

BJ Graves Porter took a 42-day cruise across, back, and around everything in the Mediterranean.

I daresay, she has cruised more than most of us. She is not done . She is planning a trip on one of the big ships. She doesn’t care where it goes, as the ship is the destination to her. She is looking at life as we are in our closing years, and she is going to do as much as she can. Her health at the moment is stable.

Toby Cullum Frost continues taking care of her husband at home. He now is unable to walk due to advancing Alzheimer’s. She writes: “The less I am able to reach out, the more I’d like to. We human beings are pretty crazy, aren’t we?” No, Toby. I believe anyone in your situation would have the same feelings. You are in our prayers.

Jane Sisson Sibley had a hip replaced the winter of ’12, which seems to have fixed everything. She was in a lot of pain prior to surgery despite having both knees done some time ago. She didn’t realize the pain was showing in her face until after surgery, when a friend asked if she’d had a face-lift.

Joan Bliss Wilson and her husband, Tom, went to Norway, taking a boat trip from Bergen up and down the coast. The yearly family reunion was

planned for the end of June with 14 of the 17 family members planning to play, hike, swim, and enjoy being together.

Lee Hoskins Di Cesare’s husband, Mario, keeps in touch. He reports that May 30 would have been their 44th anniversary. They wrote their own vows.

According to Mario, “It was more like poetry writing than a church service.” One of the poems was “The Good Morrow” by John Donne. It is inscribed in their wedding rings. Their wedding happenings are too lengthy to print here, but if anyone is interested, I will send you the email. Lee died following brain surgery, as reported in the fall ’12 issue. Mario is going to put together a volume of her writings.

We appreciate your remaining with her class, Mario.

Jean Cook Glidden’s daughters have convinced her and husband Dick to move to Pennsylvania.

Daughter Jennifer and family live there already, and daughter Beth and family will soon be living there. Jean and Dick celebrated their 59th anniversary in June.

I, Janet-Marie Fitzgerald Whitley, and my husband, Gene, welcomed our sixth great-grandson on 5/21/13. He is the 16th Whitley and the 15th male. Our granddaughter (23) stands alone. Greatgrandson, Daniel (10), continues racing box stock and in April won the championship for 2012–2013.

He recently won first place in calf riding at a junior rodeo. Great-grandsons Jimmy and Buck took first and second in the summer series for trail riding (horses). Their grandma, Mitzi (wife to eldest son, Steve), showed for the first time in more than 25 years, riding a stallion never shown before. She took second. Looks like we will have a very full summer.

Hope all is well with you. I pray you are considering coming to our 65th reunion in June ’15. It’s only two years away. If we don’t get a group attending, we will be put in the infirmary. Are you ready for that? Come on class of ’50. We can show ’em.

If it looks as if I am writing about the same classmates each issue, it is not because I have favorites.

It’s because they are the only ones responding to my emails. If you have an email address and you don’t hear from me, then please email me your address.

This is not creative writing but a reporting column.

Can you believe we are now octogenarians?

From Bob: Charles Drummey passed away 4/7/13. He was a former phonathon volunteer, home phoner, class chair, class committee, and reunion chair.

A service to celebrate his life was held at his home church in Longmeadow, Mass., on 4/13/13. I was privileged to be there, on behalf of our class, to participate, one of many in attendance. Those who spoke echoed our own fond memories of, and respect for, our class president. At our last reunion, he was voted presiCharles Drummey dent of our combined NMH class of ’50, the first to be so named. It was also voted that the presidency would alternate between the men and women in the future. Little did we anticipate that the change would be so soon. Nominated for the vacant responsibility is the Northfield class secretary, Jan-Marie Fitzgerald Whitley, with an election to take place at our 65th in ’15.

CLASS NOTES Faith and I enjoyed our annual week trip to Lake George for Americade on our “bike.” On the return trip, we stopped for lunch at the Four Leaf Clover in Bernardston, only to find Al Higgins at the next table. As past faculty, he attends reunions on campus most years. He reminded us that he had been Charlie’s roommate for three years and missed out on the fourth, as both were selected for floor officer duty their senior year. Our chat included acknowledgment and appreciation for Dick Gilder’s outstanding recent gift to our school and its mission. He also commented on the music program still flowing over the Hill in grand style, and the 50-player orchestra, “The best I’ve heard at the school,” he said.

A note from Jack Fenner indicates that he and his wife, Shirl Forrest Fenner, have moved to Texas to be with their daughter and husband. You can reach them at unclejack56@outlook.com.

Vic Scalise lost his wife, three years ago, and has since remarried to a lifelong schoolteacher friend and moved to Seattle. Although retired, he still preaches for two months in the summer in Maine and Rhode Island. His son, Doug, is a preacher on the Cape. Vic notes that he takes pride in his four grandsons. His new email is vfce@comcast.net.

Mark Jander and I stay in touch over NMH class business, but a recent contact revealed that he has been feeling “breathless” for half a year and an EKG confirmed “afib.” Although enjoying general good health, he’ll have to keep an eye on that one.

Roland Smith is not only flying his homemade plane off his Vermont property field, but he is also ready to build a second one. To fly what you build is fun; adding some researched know-how leads to building self-confidence and on to a successful launch into the wild blue yonder.

Class Notes editor, Sally Atwood Hamilton ’65, reminds us that pictures are welcomed for our columns. Contact me for submission guidelines.

This spring the area landscape, including campus, is particularly lush—a good time to pay a visit and to meet the new head of school. A toast for good health to you all—keep in touch.

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PAT MCCORMICK HOEHING 7125 San Benito Dr Sylvania OH 43560-1129 sylv.snail@bex.net

I continue to be amazed at the amount and quality of life we ’51ers are able to lead in spite of our 80 years.

Every day is a gift that we need to open and enjoy.

Alice Toaz DeBaun writes from Ft. Myers, Fla., that retirement is treating them well: “I keep busy working in the butterfly garden and orchid house, instructing a computer class, narrating on the pontoon excursion boat, sailing a remote-control model boat, golfing, walking and swimming at a Gulf beach, and attending exercise classes.” She and husband, Gerry, welcome visitors to their Shell Point community near the entrance to Sanibel Island.

Janice “Jan” Swanson Burbank is becoming a winter Texan as of ’12 but continues to maintain her

permanent residence in Chelan, Wash. She swims in Lake Chelan, the third deepest lake in the U.S. In the winter, Jan enjoys her four grandchildren in Texas at the guesthouse behind her youngest son’s family. Two more sons live in the Seattle area with two more grandsons. Jan says: “All, praise God, are making good choices in life.” Jan was slowed down temporarily with heart concerns, but her active life has resumed with the aid of a pacemaker.

Jean Elliot Nobbe lives in Walnut Creek, Calif., and is dealing with new responsibilities since the death of her husband, Louis, in 12/12. She has support from family and friends and continues to live in the same house that she has been in since ’66.

Jean reminisces: “I will always think back fondly on my wonderful four years at Northfield and the good friends I made there.”

Mary-Ann Efird Higgins has had a rather bleak winter dealing with medical problems, both of a personal nature involving surgery and as a caregiver for her brother’s wife after a surgery and long-distance move. She had good news, though. Her son, David Higgins ’89, has passed the one-year mark cancer free. Reunion ’13 should have been a welcome change to Mary-Ann and Al Higgins ’50.

Mollie “MollieO” Patrick checked in from Albuquerque, N.M., where she has lived for four years. She enjoys the abundant cultural activities as a docent at the Albuquerque Art and History Museum and as a volunteer at the Outpost, a performance center for jazz, which attracts artists from all over the world. In MollieO’s words: “Albuquerque is a very creative spot, with poets, musicians, artists everywhere. It is also a very friendly town for seniors. Pueblos surround this area, so we have access to American Indian art, ceremonies, and celebrations year-round. Gorgeous skies, great hiking trails, so come visit.”

Judy Webb Danforth continues to promote Buffalo, N.Y. “Buffalo is alive with things to do this summer, so there will be lots of volunteering on my part. Some 65 events on the waterfront alone.” She is also reaping the questionable rewards of living in a 110-year-old house by reshingling four thirdfloor dormers and replacing windows. As a past Buffalonian, my thanks go to Judy for her part in preserving old homes and historic areas.

Jonathon and the Flying Broomstick, a children’s book by Marilyn “Skip” Smith Noll, got an excellent review from Tony Norman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Norman ended the review with: “This is one of the more offbeat children’s books I’ve ever read.” It is highly recommended. The book may be ordered at www.pottershousedc.org, using the name of author Marilyn Marsh Noll.

A short note from Charlotte “Charlie” Gulick Hewson tells of her hiking in June ’13 many beautiful miles in England with longtime camp friends.

Our Colorado daughter, Julie, and sister of Susan Hoehing ’75, was diagnosed with breast cancer in March ’13. Harboring the BRCA gene, ensuing treatment was intense, but our family is encouraged by a good surgical outcome and thankful for modern treatments, albeit hard on her body.

Ann “Mitch” Mitchell Seemann writes from

her home in Rhode Island that she and husband, Karl, continue to have a wonderful time singing in the Unitarian Congregation of South County Choir.

Mr. Raymond gave us all a gift of music. It’s nice to know what a long-term gift that was for many in our class. Mitch and Karl are looking forward to their annual week in Maine in September.

If any of you wish to catch up with the alums highlighted in this or any past column, please write or email me. Alumni letters need to be condensed for the column, but I keep the entirety of recent messages in my file.

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FREDERICK W. MILLER 479 Carleton Ave Glen Ellyn IL 60137-4705 fwcemiller@sbcglobal.net

Five months after Loring “Skip” Pratt spent a February weekend with John Hightower and his wife, Marty, John passed away on 7/6/13. He had dementia and was living in a nursing home. As president of the Mt. Hermon student council his senior year and class president his junior year, John was well known at Hermon. He was voted most popular in the yearbook and graduated from Yale with a degree in English. John was a major player in the arts. His last stop was the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Va., which he elevated from a regional institution with static collections to a modern museum with a national, and even international, profile, according to the Virginia Pilot newspaper at the time of his death. “He truly loved the Mariners’ Museum,” Marty said. “He had a vision for the museum, right from the beginning.”

Leif Carlson lost his life partner, Cora Lee, on 5/13/13 after 57 years of marriage. She had Alzheimer’s, as well as leukemia, and had been in a local nursing home for two months. Before that, Leif cared for her at home with the help of hospice.

Bo White wrote: “Was sorry to learn of John Hightower’s situation. My younger brother, Bill ’53, is involved with the most insidious disease there is—Alzheimer’s—so I have sympathy for Marty and John.” Bo and Joan just moved to a 55 and older community in Norfolk, Mass., just a short distance from their youngest daughter. “The kids thought it would be a good move, and I’m too old to object.

The best part is, they were right.”

Bob Merwin joined the prestigious group of 80-year-olds on 6/1. He reports: “John Hightower

Loring “Skip” Pratt ’51 and John Hightower ’51

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CLASS NOTES and I go back to ’47, when we first landed at Mt. Hermon as two guys from Long Island.”

Bob left Long Island in ’51 and headed to Stanford and California, where he and wife Kathy spent most of their Bob Merwin ’51 years. They moved to Austin, celebrated his 80th Texas, 18 years ago. Bob sold birthday in Texas. and leased cars for more than 30 years. He has two daughters, two sons, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren scattered from California to Bangkok (son Greg, a procurement manager for Chevron, is there with his wife and two youngsters). Bob chats with Jim Allen, or at least exchanges Christmas cards, but that is as close to Hermon as he’s made it.

Robert Shedd of Carver, Mass., passed away 3/6/13. He was a four-year man at Hermon and attended Tufts University. At Hermon, Bob lettered in football, hockey, and baseball; was in choir and glee club three years each and a cappella one year.

Bob’s first job was with the family business, Craig & Shedd Sunoco in Mattapan Square in Boston. He worked in airline catering for Northeast Airlines and the Marriott Corporation, raised and showed boxer and golden retriever dogs, and was an avid sailor.

He participated in the Figawi Race from Hyannis to Nantucket every year. He was married for 59 years to Ann Pyper Shedd ’51, who predeceased him in ’12. He is survived by four daughters and one son, 21 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. See the vital statistics section of this issue for a complete list of his NMH relatives.

Robert Cairns, a four-year man at Hermon, passed away 7/31/11 in Montana. Bob participated in skiing and tennis all four years, sang in the glee club four years, the choir three years, and a cappella one year. He also played soccer two years, fall tennis two years, and was in the Outing Club senior year.

Bill Butler in Atlanta, Ga., is still assisting in finding the perfect tent for the fat people whose numbers don’t seem to be diminishing in spite of Michelle Obama’s war on obesity. Bill and his son recently did a Kentucky Bourbon Trail Tour. He writes: “What I can remember was very enjoyable.”

Don Huene is still practicing orthopaedic surgery in Fresno, Calif. He will receive his 15th patent this year—he still has licenses paying dividends from previous inventions. Don breeds and races thoroughbreds in California and collects and repairs Atmos (perpetual motion) and grandfather clocks, pianos, and music boxes. He has been widowed for six years and only recently has become more adjusted after going through a very difficult time.

John Field passed his 81st birthday and is retired on Cape Cod. He writes: “I was recently the commodore of the Hyannis Yacht Club and am actively involved in its race management program.

As a member of the Cape Cod Art Association, I am a juried member and spend quite a bit of time painting, mostly in acrylics.” John and his wife of 33 years, Maeve, have six children and 12 grandchildren. The oldest grandchild is an MIT graduate.

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JULIE TAYLOR CLEMENS 2258 Lamberton Rd Cleveland Heights OH 44118-3552 jtclemens@cs.com BRUCE G. HOLRAN 80 Sycamore Dr, Apt 313 Elizabethtown PA 17022-3016 (10/1–5/31) PO Box 293 Lake Clear NY 12945 (6/1–9/30) bruceholran@comcast.net

From Julie: News of plans for the minireunion in October will be old by the time this magazine reaches you. Therefore, your scribe reminds you that the school and/or your scribe need your email address so you can receive the class news updates, which come directly and without delay. There will be post-reunion class news sent to those who are on the NMH communications email list.

Here is news about your classmates from the last few months that will help you keep in touch. News from this age group inevitably answers three questions: How is our health? Where are we living now?

How is the family, especially the grandchildren?

With his usual class enthusiasm, Mel Smith wrote about those with whom he has spoken recently—Marilyn and Bill Fivaz, Mary and Dave Hartman, and Melissa and Ian Walker. They all are doing fine. Marilyn, Bill, Mary, Dave, and Ian all have had medical issues over the past six or so months and are all on the mend. Mel writes: “We always talk about how fortunate we are to have NMH as our school.” Mel has also been in touch with Doug Wicks, Steve Waters, Jud Wells, and Dodd Wragg. All are fine.

Mel and Anice are pleased with the independent living environment at The Willows, where they have lived for the past two years. Anice takes advantage of trips planned by and with Willow Friends to Tanglewood and Jacob’s Pillow, etc. They do physical workouts—Mel’s is in the pool and back problems don’t include bus rides. His latest venture in the creative world is sculpting, and he seems proud of “Two dolphins swimming together in the water with waves.” Right on, Mel. His correct email is melskee33@gmail.com. It was good to hear that Mel and Anice plan a week on Cape Cod in July and hope to just sit in the sun, shop, and enjoy.

Brad and Nancy Stewart Roberts are well situated in an assisted living environment. They continue to “go places and are active,” but Brad says now Nancy “is the quiet one and I’m supposed to be the talker.” Nancy had a hospital stay for diverticulosis bleeding but is in good shape now. One child is close by and the others are in Rome, California, and Long Island. They use Facebook or Skype to keep in touch with grandchildren. Both Nancy and Brad are looking forward to the minireunion.

Although Leanna Young Brown lives in Morristown, N.J., Jane and Steve Waters found her and had a good visit in May. Steve remembers his freshman year at Mt. Hermon in ’48 when he roomed next door to Stan Brown on the third floor

of Cottage IV. Stan was Jane and Steve’s best man when they married. They report that Leanna demonstrated “an optimistic spirit while fully recognizing that ‘life is not fair.’”

Steve and Jane Waters also visited their grandkids in Annapolis. All three are doing well. The Waters continue their singing enjoyment with a recent concert of the Rutter “Requiem.” (Scribe note: If only Al Raymond could know how many of us keep up the singing and other musical pursuits that he initiated.) Steve and Jane have applied to move into a retirement community in a year or so. “There are lots of mixed feelings about this, but we are over the worst of them and ready to move ahead.” Many classmates will agree with that.

Lucy Jackson DeMonchaux had rotator cuff surgery in February, but we hope she recovers to return to the October mini.

An update from Muriel Hopkins Beahm and Barc indicates that she has been preoccupied with medical work on her hearing loss. Though she didn’t go into details, it sounds as if decisions were made to use some of the “magic” replacements available today. She is in the process but remains optimistic that it won’t require further surgical tactics. The genetic hearing loss in Muriel’s family has made many medical attempts necessary, including cochlear implants, etc. Barc and Muriel attended a granddaughter’s college graduation and visited other grandchildren in Jacksonville, Fla., recently.

It was fun to hear from Cynthia Jones Schira about the news in the 3/13 eblast to the class about her creative project of a huge installation. She was “amazed to receive the alumni notes” and said: “How nice of you to like my work.” She said the installation was truly a learning experience, since she had never done such a huge, three-dimensional work before. The exhibit was up until 8/11, so hopefully some classmates viewed it at the University of Kansas and can report to the class in the future.

Also, a catalog with three interviews over the two years of creating the exhibition, as well as photos and another essay, will be available on Amazon soon.

Drew and I are looking forward to some time at our cottage on Lake Chautauqua, where our sons and families can be together. Meanwhile, we try to stay active with tennis (Drew), hiking, and monitoring butterflies while staying in touch with friends and family. Drew is busy writing a chapter on the history of the Cleveland Psychoanalytic Center, teaching, and supervising students in the field.

My best to all the ’52 NMH classmates. May your health stay good, your attitude positive, and your moves to new residences be gentle.

From Bruce: By the time you receive this magazine, our 16th annual minireunion will be history. We have a core group of 20–25 classmates who have attended one or more of these happy fall events when the Northfield Mt. Hermon landscape is ablaze with amazing color and stirring beauty.

Through the years, we’ve built many wonderful friendships that have united our class into one class and resulted in a family of classmates whose ties now exceed the bonds of being just members of the class of ’52. I hope many who have never been

CLASS NOTES to a mini joined the group. We’re at a time in our lives when there may not be many opportunities to celebrate the blessings so many of us feel for having had the experience of spending one to four years at Northfield or Mt. Hermon.

Some of you recall that I’ve been plugging the idea that we should write a mini life story about ourselves to share with classmates. I am working on mine as a prelude to completing about 300 pages of questions about my life—everything from my childhood days to what I believe. They are in a book my son gave me to complete. It’s called The Story of a Lifetime—A Keepsake of Personal Memoirs. I am not suggesting you write 300 pages. I am suggesting you might write a page or two that highlights your life.

I am sharing with you a good example about Paul King’s life. Paul didn’t write it. His son did as an obituary of the life Paul lived until his passing on 5/24/13. Katherine Lowrie, our classmate and his close friend, shared it with me. Paul suffered a stroke while visiting his daughter in Costa Rica several months ago. He had good care there but made slight progress toward recovery. Paul was transported back to the U.S. on 5/8 to a facility in the San Francisco Bay Area close to his son.

I thought I knew quite a bit about Paul, but realized I didn’t after reading his son’s tribute. I hope that many of us will take time to write a page or two about our lives along the style of Paul’s notice.

We all have stories to tell—so let’s tell them.

“Paul King of Washington State passed away with family present on 5/24/13 following a stroke. It was the night of a full moon, and he passed away shortly after a partial lunar eclipse, a perfect departure consistent with his lifelong fascination with the moon, celestial events, and nature.

“Born in Shanghai, China, to American parents, Paul arrived in the U.S. in San Francisco with his mother on 7/4/41. His father remained in Shanghai, working for General Electric, and during his return trip to the U.S. was captured by the Japanese in Manila on Pearl Harbor Day and placed into a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. His father’s health deteriorated while a prisoner, and although he was repatriated as part of a prisoner-of-war exchange that occurred at sea in the Indian Ocean, he died in a veteran’s hospital in New York a few years later.

“Paul attended Mt. Hermon and subsequently graduated from Brown University, where he met his first wife, Lynn. Paul taught in New York schools and eventually served in the U.S. Army in Germany in the 1950s as the photographer for the Third Infantry Division. He was very proud of having served, and on Veteran’s Day in recent years would find other veterans in restaurants and provide an opportunity for them to tell stories that they needed to tell.

“In addition to working as a sixth-grade teacher in the Cold Spring Harbor school district, Paul taught golf, computer, piano, and was a professional photographer, working for the Suffolk Sun newspaper on Long Island. He also photographed weddings and art portfolios. Notable photographic subjects included Elvis Presley and Mariah Carey.

“In 1970, he took a one-year sabbatical from teaching and traveled throughout Europe and

North Africa with his wife and two children.

Following his 1972 divorce, he remained on Long Island until he retired from teaching. He then moved to Washington State in 1994, married Vita, and they raised llamas together. Following her death in 1998, Paul remained in Washington.

“An active member of the ACLU, he was also a member of the Unitarian Fellowship and in recent years a member of the Humanists of Greater Portland. He was an avid classical music enthusiast—he routinely attended the Portland Symphony—and was a proud singer with the Vancouver USA Singers. Also an art enthusiast, he took great pleasure attending the monthly First Friday Art Walk in Portland.

“In recent years he located his childhood sweetheart, Katherine, who subsequently moved to the Portland area. They attended symphony performances together and walked her beloved Tibetan terrier.

“A two-time cancer survivor, Paul remained physically active throughout his life, routinely swimming and attending a local fitness center.

“A lifelong student and teacher, he greatly enjoyed playing the piano throughout his life. He would participate in drumming at parties and routinely drummed anywhere that there was a solid surface that would produce a resonant sound. He maintained a vibrant sense of curiosity throughout his life, which he shared with others. He viewed himself as a world citizen and was committed to moral solutions and a belief that service to the community is a vital quality. He is survived by a son and a daughter, a daughter-in-law, three grandchildren, and four step-grandchildren.”

It isn’t easy for many to write about ourselves.

Still, I hope some of you will do that in coming months. It’s time. Thanks, and enjoy sharing with us what shaped your life these past 80-plus years.

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WILL LANGE 1309 Towne Hill Rd E Montpelier VT 05651-4143 will@willemlang.com ABBY “AJ” NICHOLSON HODGES 2300 Totem Trail Minnetonka MN 55305-2242 ajhodges@comcast.net

From AJ: Bev Bolton Leyden keeps busy helping the archivist at Hebron Academy (where husband John was headmaster). During the school year, she enjoys spending an hour two days a week helping first-grade children with their reading—listening to them read and explaining “new” words.

Bev forwarded to me an email from Annette Barron McCarthy, who lives in Pacific Palisades, Calif. She was sorry to miss our reunion—for those who couldn’t or didn’t come, it was a great time. Annette has been married to Steve for 53 years. They have two children and three grandchildren. Annette acquired an Italian greyhound 12 years ago, and then a second one, which she began

showing. The dog did so well that she accumulated enough points to finish as a champion. The third dog became a grand champion. She and her daughter won the national specialty for Italian greyhounds last October. Annette and Steve love to travel.

They’ve been to most European countries and to Madagascar several times.

After retiring from MIT in ’01, Hillary Hall DeBaun and her husband, Vincent, celebrated by taking an extensive driving trip through the national parks out West. Then, she went back to writing books for young readers, as she has done for 20 years. In September ’12, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers published her middle-grade novel, Starring Arabelle, the first in a series of lighthearted adventures. She is working on a prequel, which she expects to have finished in December. Hillary and Vincent live in a retirement community, where he teaches continuing education courses in the humanities.

In 1989, after the children had grown, Betsy Wilson McKinley and her husband, Don, retired from their jobs—she as a teacher and he as an engineer with Texas Instruments—and moved to a farm in Jacksonville, Vt., about an hour from NMH. They raise sheep and Christmas trees and produce maple syrup. They have two children. Their son is a software engineer and his wife is an account manager for a health management corporation. They live in Boston and have two girls. Betsy and Don’s daughter is a writer and editor in New York City, where she lives with her son and daughter. In the past, their daughter had a Fulbright Scholarship and spent two years in Ghana, studying all aspects of the dye, indigo. She published a book on the subject.

Audrey Zabriski Robb enjoys living in Orleans, Mass., where she volunteers, plays tennis, and sings in several groups, “courtesy of Al Raymond.” One of her three daughters lives less than two hours away.

Sadly, Reuben McDaniel’s wife, Myra, died in the spring of ’11 after a short illness. She was an assistant attorney general for the state of Texas and later became secretary of state for Texas. She was the first woman and the first black ever to serve in this position. After that she became a noted litigator for civil rights cases. They have two children. Reuben is still on the go, working hard on health-care research and also for a single-payer plan. He still teaches in the business school at the University of Texas and is on the steering committee and is chair of the implementation subcommittee for the new medical school and hospital being built on the main campus in Austin.

It is with regret that I report the death of Marlene “Sally” Davenport Bates on 10/27/12.

After graduating from NMH, she earned a degree in microbiology from UMass and then held technical positions at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Yale biophysics department, and MIT’s nutrition and food science department, where she met her husband, Bob. She was recognized as an accomplished gardener, artist, seamstress, and upholsterer, all limited later in life by chronic rheumatoid arthritis. She is survived by her husband, three children, and three grandchildren.

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CLASS NOTES From Will: What a great reunion. Saw many familiar old friends and renewed acquaintance with some we hadn’t seen for 60 years. Gus White and I gave alumni seminars, and Jean Fuller Farrington received an Alumni Citation. Hymn sing in a packed chapel Friday evening. Lee Poole beautifully sang a song he did 60 years ago at commencement. Free Dogfish Ale all weekend. Lovely banquet in Beveridge Hall, where the men serenaded the Northfield ladies with the old rouser, “When Freshmen First...”

Now to the news just in: Bob Chutter mentions that the dedication of the Karl Eckel recording booth in memory of our late classmate was particularly moving. Along with the rest of us, he thanks Josie Rigby for organizing the weekend and Sally Curtis and Chantal Dupuis, our honorary classmates, for joining us.

Ellin Messolonghites Johnson wasn’t there, but wrote to say she couldn’t think of missing the hymn sing without getting weepy. She loves “Come, Labor On” the most—as did Howard Rubendall.

Judy Snow Denison wrote to say she’s working on the Belize Education Project, finding sponsors for 20 girls in Belize who’d otherwise not continue school beyond age 12.

Nancy Schmidt Dowd writes: “Sorry I haven’t made any of our reunions. We’ve been in Vero Beach, Fla., in a community with 16 tennis courts for 15 years. We’ve traveled the world: have been to every continent except Antarctica, and hope to get to Iceland next year.”

Bob Dixon wrote to say he had no news. Isn’t no news good news?

From Skip Hausamann: “LaVon and I had a wonderful time at our 60th. Hope we live until the next. [Uh, Skip, there aren’t any more for us.]

I think we had a chance to chat with everyone.

Thanks to the committee and school staff that put it together. Special kudos to the food service people.

They were fantastic.”

Gus White (who gave a great talk at reunion) has been at it again—collecting awards. Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., presented him with the 2012 Otis Social Justice Award, whose citation reads in part: “To make progress in the struggle against discrimination and equality calls for great courage... with a deep sense of compassion for fellow human beings.... Your drive has been a constant as an athlete, a captain in the U.S. Army...as an orthopedic

Gus White ’53 and Ryan Kelly ’12, who last year won a senior prize that is sponsored by Gus.

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surgeon.... [Y]ou have achieved many ‘firsts,’ and you have earned many awards, but your résumé is richer still in service to others.” Gus is also among 25 distinguished community scholars who have been named as the inaugural class of senior fellows by the W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association Health Institute. He presented grand rounds at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and at Merck Headquarters in Pennsylvania in May of this year. “Well done!”—Howard Rubendall again.

The saddest tale may be bidding the Hill farewell, but all the reunions over the years have been crucial to our keeping in touch with the school and with each other. Ida and I are happy to host a minireunion any time any of you are near Montpelier, Vt. Keep the news coming.

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DENNIS KELLY 668 Main Ave Bay Head NJ 08742-5346 dskelly007@gmail.com

BE JAY FROEHLICH HILL 747 Water St Apt 349 Framingham MA 01701-3236 bhill24@juno.com DAN FRICKER 165 King St Waterville CQ, Canada J0B 3H0 dcfricker@videotron.ca

From Dennis: I am grieved to report the death of Bill Koster, who passed away unexpectedly last

February. Bill was from Warwick Neck, R.I., and spent four years at Mt. Hermon. He played soccer, baseball, basketball, wrestled, and ran on the track team—an all-round athlete. Bill went on to Middlebury College for a bachelor’s in philosophy and then earned an M.B.A. at the University of Rhode Island. Bill started his business career as a credit reporter for Dun & Bradstreet and then became a credit officer for Fleet Bank in Boston. He went to New York and spent 15 years with Salomon Brothers, a major investment bank, and finally became executive vice president of Daiwa Securities America. He loved New York but retired to the peace and quiet of Salisbury, Conn. We extend our

Members of the ’52 championship cross-country team gathered on campus: Dennis Kelly ’54, Will Lange ’53, Al Newton ’53, and Bob Dixon ’53.

sincere sympathies to his wife and family.

I spoke with my old roommate and longtime friend Dave Jansky recently, who relayed the news of Bill’s passing. Dave lives in Sunbury, Pa., and is in good health but reports that he had some recent dental work performed for a princely sum that could have paid off the national debt. Dave also reports that Dex Jones has become a great-grandfather. Dex retired from the railroad business and lives in Logansport, Ind., where he follows Notre Dame football. Dave, Dex, and I all sailed together on the Shrewsbury River in New Jersey as kids.

I’ve heard from Dan Fricker, our marathon man.

Dan lives in Waterville, Quebec, and in late May ran in the Ottawa Marathon, which he has run for 31 straight years. Dan plans to run in the U.S. Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, in mid-September but will not be running in the New York Marathon. Dan’s wife, Yolande, also runs in marathons. To quote Dan: “We’re nuts is what it is…”

I tried to reach Bob Salisbury recently because a member of the class of ’53 wanted to contact him regarding Ed Said ’53. Bob was Ed’s roommate for several years at Hermon. Bob and his wife have downsized from their farm in Cazenovia, N.Y., to a condominium in nearby Manilus, where he started out 35 years ago. Bob returned to his 55th reunion at Williams College last June and expects to be at our 60th this coming June.

I recently called my old friend and fellow waiter in the dining hall, T. Nelson Baker, affectionately known simply as “T,” to invite him to our 60th reunion. He said he would be there. I also met a childhood friend of T’s at the most recent reunion—Lloyd Mitchell ’57, who was there celebrating his 55th.

And speaking of reunions, I had the good fortune of being invited to be an observer for the class of ’53’s 60th reunion in June in preparation for our own 60th. So mark your calendars for 6/5/14–6/8/14. I have arranged for Will Lange ’53, storyteller extraordinaire, to conduct a personal storytelling seminar on 6/6 and to entertain us with his own wonderful stories of Mt. Hermon at our private dinner on Saturday evening. Will has written six books of short stories from his own life experiences and conducts a weekly radio program on Vermont Public Radio. Gail Schaller Storms has also agreed to help plan and organize our reunion.

We are saddened to learn that Gail’s husband, Al, passed away recently. He was also a fellow sailor and loved coming to our reunions.

At the class of ’53’s reunion in June, some members of the New England championship crosscountry team of ’52 got together. We won the New England championship that year at Andover.

Thank you all for your generous contributions to the McVeigh Scholarship Fund that our class set up in honor of our teacher, Fred McVeigh. I am pleased to report that the book value of the fund (which means the amount that has been contributed) is $159,000, and the current market value (which means the current value after being wisely invested) is $150,000. The market value is slowly creeping back after the financial reverses of four years ago. I

CLASS NOTES also received a nice thank-you letter from the recipient of the McVeigh Scholarship this year, a rising senior and Nigerian American from Randolph, Mass. He plays basketball for NMH, loves Spanish and history, and plans to go on to Georgetown University.

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senior living place in the city. It has one floor.”

Stan King attended a concert in April conducted

by Tom Beveridge in Alexandria, Va. The concert featured a requiem Tom had composed.

Dick Weed attended the graduation of his first granddaughter, Hannah Breen, from Lake Forest College in May. She is the daughter of Janet Weed Breen ’80 and niece of Geoff Weed ’87.

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DONALD HILLER 102 Javelin Ct Cary NC 27513-5110 dhiller@nc.rr.com LISA TUTTLE EDGE 1110 Cooperskill Rd Cherry Hill NJ 08034 (11/1–5/31) 180 Main St Chatham MA 02633-2424 (6/1–10/31) etedge@aol.com DON FREEMAN 23 Avery Brook Rd, PO Box 132 Heath MA 01346-0132 d.freeman4@verizon.net

From Don Freeman: Dick Fitts writes that he and Sharon still go to their winter home in the Sun ’n’ Lake section of Sebring, Fla. He saw Lloyd Fisk, his Mt. Hermon roommate, in the fall of ’12 at Lloyd’s mother’s funeral in Natick, Mass.

Margaret and Don Freeman made a quick academic trip to Europe in April ’13, participating in a conference at the University of Osnabrück, Germany, and giving lectures at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. They were visited by Jenny and Reverdy Johnson, who were making an eastern swing from their home in Pope Valley, Calif., and were joined for dinner during the Johnsons’ stay by Marguerite Linsert Lentz and Svein Arber.

Arthur Goldberg has recently given several more pieces of art to NMH and is working with Phil Calabria of the art faculty for an exhibit in 2015, the year of our 60th reunion. The Artist’s Eye by Barbara Swan and Gillespie by Randall Diehl are included in about 30 works of art given by Arthur.

Ernie Imhoff writes: “Moving to a smaller place at our age is not news. But the ample Baltimore row house Hilda and I are leaving after 45 years is a story. Our house was built in 1870, has five floors— including two basements—and sits almost directly above the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel, carved out about the same time as the house and carrying passenger trains daily on the main Northeast corridor line. Inside our home, we can faintly hear (but not feel) the clicking when choo-choos are below us in the tunnel and then silence the instant the last car exits. We will miss the clicking. We will also miss our wooden mountain. It is 56 steps from the deeper basement to the top floor and another 10 steps on the fire ladder leading to the roof overlooking Bolton Hill, a 66-step hill. We’ve had an exciting life of Alpine climbing and railroad adventures just staying home. We plan to move in July to a

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NELSON LEBO 1046 Millers Falls Rd Northfield MA 01360-9622 nlebo@nmhschool.org DEBBY ADAMS MCKEAN 633 Leyden Ln #203 Claremont CA 91711 (Oct–May) 13 Osprey Ln Cushing ME 04563 (Jun–Sep) deborah.mckean39@gmail.com

From Deborah: We mourn the passing of our classmate Marilyn Stevens Johnson on 1/10/13 in Ormond Beach, Fla. Following three years at Northfield, Marilyn attended UMass and the University of Central Fla. She spent 20 years as an accountant in hospitals and banking.

Elinor Abbot has announced her retirement after more than 30 years as a consulting cultural anthropologist with Wycliffe Bible Translators and Summer Institute of Linguistics, a partner organization whose common goal is to have the Bible translated into every language in the world (1,800 to go).

She has traveled from a home base in Dallas to the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. She will move to a retirement center in Lancaster, Pa., this summer (’13), where she looks forward to participating in a large Abbot family reunion.

Genie Tracy Kirchner reminded me that she and her Northfield roommate, Betsy Tanger Eggleston, enjoyed a Road Scholar trip to Tanglewood in western Massachusetts in August ’12, where they were photographed while listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This year she plans to join her college roommate in Chautauqua, N.Y., for a week, followed by a visit with her son, Stephen, in Chicago. In August, she will be at her family cottage in New Hampshire, now owned by Genie and her two sisters, Eleanor Tracy Jenkins ’59 and Martha Tracy ’68.

enjoyed a two-week stay in New Zealand. Lu writes: “We share Bruce’s enthusiasm for New Zealand.”

As you know, my life has changed radically in the past two years, with our move to Pilgrim Place Retirement Community in Claremont, Calif., for eight months, and return to our home in Maine for the summer months. We enjoy our life at PP and the opportunity to visit our son Tom McKean ’84 and his family in Santa Barbara, Calif. I have recently become licensed to serve as deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of L.A. and serve at St. Ambrose, a small, socially conscious church within walking distance of our home. Our entire family is getting excited about a trip to Bali in August to reacquaint ourselves with our former home in ’70–’71.

I continue to enjoy my contacts with classmates and encourage you all to stay in touch with one another through these notes.

From Nelson: It is my sad duty to inform you that Jorma Wakkila passed away on 4/19/13 in New Jersey. Several of you commented on his courage while attending our 50th reunion and also on his beautiful soft jump shot in basketball.

George Chaffee was recently honored by Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., at its commencement with an honorary doctorate in commerce. The honor recognized his efforts to create a global presence for the creation of “captive” insurance and other financial solutions for large industrial companies and association groups to cover exposure to financial loss generated by activity historically covered in the traditional marketplace.

The annual scholarship luncheon was held April 28 in Alumni (West) Hall. Dave Tait, Benita Pierce, and I were joined by the recipient of our class of ’56 scholarship and several other students.

Our recipient, a graduating senior, will attend the University of Vermont this fall, where she will play Division I ice hockey.

The 119th Sacred Concert occurred on May 5 in the Northfield Auditorium. Attending the Moody Society luncheon beforehand and the concert were Dwight Kennard, Carol and John Pflug, and Carol and Nelson Lebo. John has been a continual supporter of the music program and performances through the Pflug Concert Fund. The program ended with a beautiful rendition of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” with full orchestra and chorus, and then, of course, with the “Northfield Benediction.”

Caro Woolley Peterson, Elaine “Laney” Tetreault Smith, Pattie Pelton Lanier, and Lyn Foote Marosz recently gathered at Pattie’s home

in Sarasota, Fla., as they have for the past few years.

Pattie, Lyn, and Laney reside in the Sarasota area.

This year Caro and her husband, Peter, purchased a residence in Venice, just south of Sarasota.

In March, Lu Young Kelly’s youngest son, Bruce, married Sheryl, a “kiwi” from Auckland, where she works for a major bank. Living and working in the grocery business on the northern island for 15 years, Bruce has moved to Auckland, where Lu and Thorpe attended the wedding, after which they

Elaine “Laney” Tetreault Smith ’56, Caro Woolley Peterson ’56, Pattie Pelton Lanier ’56, and Lyn Foote Marosz ’56 gathered in Florida in March.

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CLASS NOTES I have a report from the MacKinnons. East Coast Dick mentions a May trip to Paris with wife Pat, daughter Carol, and Bill’s daughter, Kate. “We did all the touristy things, which is highly recommended in May before the large crowds arrive.” I assume that included a little (or maybe more) wine sipping and perhaps participating in a French strike.

Meanwhile, West Coast Bill is busy with his writing and hopes to finish the second volume of his two-volume study of the Utah War of 1857–1858 this summer. In March James Buchanan and the Coming of the Civil War was published. Bill and eight other historians contributed essays. His was Chapter Two, titled: “Prelude to Armageddon.” He also reports that in April he became a board member of the Montecito retirement association, which is a 16-person owner and governing body of Casa Dorinda, the premier retirement community in his part of coastal California.

Mileposts: most of us are or will soon be 75.

Some of us have had or will soon have our 50th wedding anniversaries. In three years, we will have our 60th Mt. Hermon reunion.

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DAVID C WILLIAMS 619 East Side Dr, PO Box 6 Alton NH 03809-0006 revdcwms@metrocast.net

JEANNE SWARTZ MAGMER 12705 SE River Rd Apt 103A Portland OR 97222-9701 jeannemagmer@comcast.net

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CLAIRE KURTGIS-HUNTER 7595 Solimar Cir Boca Raton FL 33433-1034 mizzengift@bellsouth.net WILLIAM HAWLEY PO Box 91927 Anchorage AK 99509-1927 hawleys@acsalaska.net

From Claire: Hello, again. Here is some news from former friends.

Deborah Sollers Fialka writes: “I wanted to respond before reunion to send fond greetings to those that I miss, in particular, Joan Millett Walker, Harriet Marple Plehn, Rennie Heyde Wells, and others I fondly remember from West Marquand and Merrill-Keep, and interesting conversations I wanted to resume with several of you from our 40th.

What kept me away was the graduation of my oldest grandson.” Debbie’s husband, John, edits Climate Wire, a website chronicling the scientific and socioeconomic effects of climate change. Debbie works with the Virginia chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation to breed and re-establish the blightresistant American chestnut as a timber tree within its Appalachian range. She’s also growing oysters off their Chesapeake farm shore. More exotic trips

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abroad have been replaced by vacations to Denver, where son Joseph teaches and has two daughters, Annie (4) and Claire (1). One bonus from these trips is visiting Kitty Little King in Santa Fe. Debbie writes: “Northfield has an enduring place in my heart, where I first discovered my strengths; it did its best to bind me to a vision of a life with larger meaning. Though binding was the last thing I had in mind, the tendrils of that vine have endured and grown, thanks to all the classmates and teachers whose friendship and forbearance made it possible.”

In the last issue of NMH Magazine, Peg Herron Haring noted that she was in touch with Linda Wharton Babson and requested we contact Linda, who is quite ill. Gretchen Rawlinson Bruce writes: “I’m sad to hear about Linda’s illness, as she was my best friend during my teen years. We haven’t been in touch in recent years.” I put Gretchen in touch with Peg, and now Gretchen is happily back in touch with Linda. We love hearing this kind of “bringing us back together” story.

Gretchen, who was known as Candy at Northfield, lives in Carolina Preserve, an over-55 community in Cary, N.C. She misses being close to the coast. She still does some online work as a computer programmer for her former employer, Kittery Trading Post. She’s been divorced for more than 30 years and has two children—a son, who is a crime analyst, and a daughter, who has been teaching English in China for six years. At the end of ’13, her daughter will receive a master’s degree in community economic development and plans to start a microcredit lending organization in a developing country.

Like many of us, Gretchen loves to travel. She took a three-week tour of Africa recently, including some terrific game-viewing drives. During one of the cultural connections dinners with a family in Zimbabwe, she ate everything—including a fried caterpillar. You can reconnect with Gretchen at gretchenbr@gmail.com.

We heard from Hiroko “Hiko” Maki Rokumoto, our American Field Service exchange student in ’56–’57, who filled us in on her career and life. After leaving Northfield, Hiko graduated from high school in Japan in ’58. She received a bachelor’s in sociology/social anthropology from International Christian University in Tokyo and then went on to the University of Tokyo for graduate school, where she met her husband. He wanted to go to UC-Berkeley, which they did, and Hiko earned her master’s there. “It was the time of anti–Vietnam War demonstrations and a very exciting time to be there.”

Later, her husband earned a Ph.D. in jurisprudence at the University of Tokyo and taught law there.

Hiko stayed at home to raise their two children.

At age 43, Hiko went to work for a private foundation engaged in international cooperation in the health field, particularly in the control of Hansen’s disease (leprosy) in Asia and Africa. She has also worked on the Chernobyl project, helping people living in the contaminated areas. She was the manager of the project, aimed at children’s health examination, for about 10 years. What they learned at Chernobyl is now helping those who live in the Fukushima area. Although she planned to retire in

’12, she was asked to remain for at least two more years as an advisor to the foundation.

She writes: “How I wish that I could have joined the 55th reunion. Please convey my heartfelt appreciation and greetings from Tokyo to my classmates, as well as to dorm-mates.”

Ellen Watson Payzant writes with news of our reunion: “This has been a very busy spring for Tom and me. Many classmates wrote me regretting being unable to attend our 55th reunion due to health issues, family celebrations, and other commitments. In February, I was off to Cuba with my college roommate on a marvelous art and culture tour. In late May, our oldest grandchild graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. Next, we headed to Sandy, Utah, for our grandson Kai’s high school graduation. In a whirl, we jetted back in time for our 55th NMH reunion.

“We were a small group of 18 people, including five spouses, who had time to relax and enjoy reunion activities, as well as each other. We sang our favorites at hymn sing, including ‘Jerusalem,’ our Alma Mater, and of course, the ‘Northfield Benediction.’ Head of School Peter Fayroian, speaker at the NSFG luncheon held under the tent at Ford Cottage, is very interested in the life of D.L. Moody. He was joined by Peter Weis ’78, NMH archivist, who tested our memories with questions about people and Northfield life.

“We held a Memorial Service on Round Top. It was a touching experience. We remembered all our classmates individually and recounted stories about them and their relationship to us. According to my information, our class has lost 12 women and 31 men. We also have a number of ‘lost’ classmates about whom we have no information.

“After the class dinner, we spent the evening laughing and remembering old times. Tom and I owe many thanks to NMH staff, especially to Josie Rigby, Marggie Slichter ’84, Jennifer Williams Davis ’87, and the reunion teams that provided great support. We encourage you all to visit your campus, and plan to attend our 60th.”

Several other events of note took place during reunion. The school is building some muchneeded new faculty housing on campus. There was a groundbreaking for the first house to be built on the northern edge of campus in a field known as Hogger Hollow. The house honors math teacher Mec Peller (Mary Ellen), late wife of NMH math teacher Dick Peller. Mec was a beloved teacher, coach, and mentor to many students from ’73 until her death in ’97. Doug Wilk ’83, one of these

Dave Eberhardt ’58 stayed here while he snorkeled in Belize.

CLASS NOTES students, is the architect of the house. Doug refers to the house as “the most important work of architecture of my career.”

Also during reunion, the former east dining room in Alumni Hall was dedicated and named in memory of Mira B. Wilson, head of Northfield from 1929–1952.

Thanks and kudos to Trinka Craw Greger and John Stone, who have agreed to co-chair our 60th reunion.

From Bill: A small but hearty group of ’58ers attended our 55th reunion in June. Dale Bailey and his wife, Arlene, combined their trip from California with an opportunity to visit family and friends in New England. Peter Heydon came from Ann Arbor; John Robinson and his wife, Diane, traveled from St Louis; Ernie Eng and his wife, Ann, came from New York City via the Berkshires; Tom and Ellie Watson Payzant came from Boston via Salt Lake City; Richard Craig came from New Jersey; and John Stone and Trinka Craw Greger came from Stonington, Conn. Also representing Northfield ’58 were Sharon Hutchinson Hosley (with husband, Leigh), Helen Engelbrecht Ownby (with husband, Dennis), Iris Bauer Larsson, Margaret Howlett Barnes, and Linda Ryder-Munet.

Attendees were met with heavy rain, but Saturday and Sunday were sunny and warm. Highlights of the weekend included Lamplighter Society and D.L. Moody Society receptions, the Alumni Association reception, class dinners, the ever-popular hymn sing in the chapel on Friday night, the class of ’58 memorial service on Round Top, and the Alumni Convocation on Saturday afternoon.

Bart Ferris was presented with an Alumni Citation for “his distinguished service to the school as a volunteer for his class, reunion chair, gift chair, and as a member of the class committee and gift committee.” Bart, unfortunately, was unable to attend reunion weekend, and John Stone accepted the award for his cross-country teammate with great personal pleasure. Bart has also recruited class volunteers, hosted school events in New York, provided ongoing support for NMH’s wrestling program, and worked diligently for our 50th reunion.

John reports legend has it that that when Bart headed off to Mt. Hermon, his mother hoped that he would become a minister. While those of us in his class do remember seeing him here in the chapel

The class of ’58 at reunion. Front row—Ellie Watson Payzant, Helen Engelbrecht Ownby, Linda Ryder-Munet, Trinka Craw Greger, Ernie Eng, Peter Heydon. Back row— John Robinson, Dale Bailey, Meg Howlett Barnes, John Stone, Richard Craig, Tom Payzant.

of the arts as a board member of the Darien Arts Center. In retirement, Jon traveled the world with his wife, Sheila, visited friends and family near and far, celebrated the marriage of his eldest daughter, and welcomed his first grandchild. Jon is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son.

Members of the class of ’58 attending the Northfield luncheon: Linda Ryder-Munet, Meg Howlett Barnes, Ellie Watson Payzant, Helen Engelbrecht Ownby, Iris Bauer Larsson, and Trinka Craw Greger.

(church services were mandatory then), his interest in math ultimately led him to investment banking. He graduated from Princeton with a degree in mathematics and from Columbia Business School with a degree in finance.

Mt. Hermon has and continues to mean everything to Bart. While at Mt. Hermon, he was captain of the ’58 undefeated cross-country team. Coaches Sam Greene and Fred McVeigh were inspirational leaders and had a significant influence on him. Bart is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Bart lettered in his sophomore, junior, and senior years in wrestling and wrote in the 50th reunion yearbook that his most memorable experience was his surprise at being the first recipient of the L. Todd Duncan wrestling award.

Bart reflects on his days at Mt. Hermon as having enabled him to develop a number of solid NMH friendships that resulted from sharing a unique, positive experience. Perhaps it was chapel that did have a significant influence and led him to travel to a number of sacred places, including Machu Picchu, Jerusalem, Petra, and Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights.

Trevor and Linda Shaffer Dupuy ’59 have happily downsized into a new home in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. The telephone numbers and email addresses remain the same. Linda and Trevor have their nine grandchildren visit separately each summer for four to seven days. It is exhausting, but they love it. They hope to travel to Colorado or New Mexico later this summer to escape the heat.

Dave Eberhardt had a great trip to Belize for snorkeling and more recently spent two weeks in Prague, Brno, Leipzig, and Weimar, appreciating Janáček, Dvořák, Bach, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Haendel (European spelling), and Liszt.

Boys singing in Bach’s Thomaskirche reminded him of Al Raymond and Carlton L’Hommedieu, class of 1918. Dave tells fellow Hermonites to look him up when they travel to Baltimore, and he will “make you watch movies of my travels.”

Your reporter is sad to pass on the news that Jon Sherwood died on 5/11/12. He was a very well-liked member of the Hermon golf team his senior year and continued to play and enjoy the game throughout his life. Jon worked as public access director at Cablevision of Connecticut, where he enjoyed working with an eclectic mix of Connecticut characters on the production of local television programs. Jon was a longtime supporter

Classnotes correction: In the spring 2013 magazine, we noted the death of Robin Reyes’58 and incorrectly identified his gender. He was the brother of Paul Reyes’57.

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NANCY BISSELL GOLDCAMP 2002 Chantilly Dr Sierra Vista AZ 85635-4866 ngoldcamp@cox.net

PETER WELSH 10246 Old Shiloh Rd Pefferlaw ON, Canada L0E 1N0 peter@cantope.ca

From Nancy: Have you marked our 55th reunion on your calendars yet? It’ll take place June 5–8, 2014. It would be wonderful to see most, if not all, of those who came five years ago, and many of those who didn’t come.

Betty Blake Hinkley, Ty Bair Fox, Barb Mackin Kondras, Jim Kondras (Honorary ’59), Emily Tucker Dunlap, Tom Baxter, and John Eten attended the June ’13 reunion and had a

great time. There were more than 1,000 attendees.

As an NMH Alumni Council member, Betty had many assignments that supported the efforts of the NMH staff. A highlight was the dedication of the East Dining Room in Alumni Hall to Mira B. Wilson. The room had been redecorated, with the Northfield seal painted on one wall, the “Northfield Benediction” on another wall, and the refrain of the Northfield Alma Mater on another wall. Relatives of Miss Wilson were present, and the ceremony was most impressive. Betty also attended the NSFG luncheon on Saturday, under the tent at Ford Cottage.

Head of School Peter Fayroian delivered a very moving address to the Northfield women. This luncheon will be a staple of reunion weekends from now on.

The bust of D.L. Moody has been moved to the NMH campus, so students and alums can continue to rub his nose for good luck. Betty says: “I’m looking forward to helping with our 55th reunion and hope to see many Northfield women return to witness the school as it is today. It is indeed very reminiscent of the school we attended, and of course the countryside is as beautiful and breathtaking as ever.”

Betty retired from Dun & Bradstreet in 10/11, sold her condo in the Boston area, and moved to the Cape, where she grew up. “I’ve found that retirement is very busy. I can’t seem to say ‘no’ to requests for help, so I’m managing a very complex schedule of things I need to do and places I need to go.”

Betty is co-chair of the Appalachian Mountain Club paddling group, a member of the Tufts University Alumni Council, on the committee for her 50th

fall 2013 I 59

CLASS NOTES Tufts reunion, and wrote the yearbook, with the help of one other person. In April, she went to California for her oldest grandson’s birthday (7) and then to Florida for her son’s beach wedding.

Ty Bair Fox was chair for her 50th reunion at Wheaton College. Karen Forslund Falb attended her 50th at Colby College, which, she said: “Was a big success, with about 50 percent returning and 85 percent giving.”

Karen’s daughter, Alison ’03, married Justin Ouimette in West Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard 9/8/12. A whole group of NMH graduates and family members made up the guests, including Ty and Steve Cohen and Andrea MacLeod. Karen’s older daughter, Hilary, is in her sixth year of a Ph.D. in history at UC-Berkeley and recently spent two months doing research in London. Karen spent a week there with Hilary in May ’13, enjoying the museums, Stonehenge, and the other Cambridge.

Karen is still on the NMH History Projects committee and attends monthly meetings. Karen writes: “Of course, we’re all concerned about the fate of the legacy properties. I’m working on a self-guided walking tour of the NMH campus, which should be ready by June ’14. I’ll do my best to incorporate some of the Northfield campus as well.”

Those who live in or near New York City should check out the Peoples’ Voice Café at 40 E. 35th Street, where you might get to hear Sally Curtiss Campbell sing. She wrote about these activities in our 50th reunion yearbook and sent me a flyer for a May ’13 event she participated in. The flyer called her “a Quaker singer/songwriter and longtime activist and supporter of the café, where she would be singing, with her autoharp, her sometimes funny, sometimes deep, always friendly songs. She’s been giving away copies of Giftsongs and Blessings, the CD of her 70th birthday concert/party. Since she feels that songs are given to her, she wants to give them onward.” It was fun to listen to, especially hearing so many other people in the background having a great time, too.

From Peter: I have now used the school’s eblast a number of times—and hooray, I am getting some response. I sent a blast regarding an Arizona get-together with Bonnie and Tom Bethea, Dick Barker, Neal Ketcher, and Jim Newman. The group gathered for several hours at a chowder house on Phoenix’s near north side before Dick returned to his golf game, Neal flew off to Calgary to investigate another business opportunity, Jim went back to hosting one of two sets of twin grandkids, and Bonnie and I motored back to the Tucson area to prepare for our Chicago departure. Tom reports that all seasonal Arizona Hermonites appear to be hale and hearty and enjoying themselves.

And the first to acknowledge my eblast was Baird “Kim” Eaton. He writes: “Pam and I headed to Asia for a month visiting China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Singapore. Thought of Barr Ashcraft when we rode through Vietnam.” Baird saw Bob Bramble’s name on the list of attendees at the 50th reunion at Tufts.

Pete Olsen has become somewhat disconnected from the school and classmates because of his

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location in Texas and has never sent in any information about himself. He did this time. Pete has lived in south-central Texas for 30 years, where he is a member of the clergy. He writes: “Lost a good deal of my hair working with local church folks. Retired about five years ago. Retirement didn’t sit well, so took up writing. Was fortunate to be able to write for a variety of magazines and publish two books and am working on the third. Was asked to become a chaplain for a hospice program nearby and took the job. Still a working stiff.” Pete’s wife of 45 years died two years ago, but she was able to attend our 50th reunion before her passing. Pete writes: “It was the first time she saw the place and began to understand the attraction of the school for so many of us.”

Since her death, working and doing triathlons has been his salvation. He’s also into photography and has done some photo shoots in Hawaii, Yellowstone Park, and China. Influenced by his grandchildren, Pete started a children’s museum in his town.

When I sent the eblast, I got two “hits” immediately from Steve Knapp and Bob Meyers, and then I found Eric Hill in my spam file. I sent out another eblast as reunion was about to start, reminding folks that this time next year would be our 55th, and within minutes heard from Dave Winchester. He and his wife, Aloha, will celebrate their 50th anniversary in October.

As we crank up the planning for our 55th, I also sent an eblast to our Northfield classmates, and the first response was from Sue Lawrence Anderson, who writes: “Looking forward to lots more fun.”

That’s reunion in a nutshell—enjoying old friends, many we’ve seen each reunion, and hopefully some we haven’t seen in 55 years.

Tom Baxter, who is now a key member of reunion 55, attended Reunion ’13 as an observer.

He writes: “Getting together with other ’59ers was all I expected. Hanging out with the class of ’58 was much more fun than I anticipated. Reliving the ’58 varsity soccer team experience with Dale Bailey ’58 was a blast. There was time to spend with the returning faculty. I was able to go and poke my head into the corners of my childhood and revive memories of the people who affected me so greatly, while I was attending Mt. Hermon and before as a youth. I even had time to go to the library, which was important from two standpoints: first was to sit at one of the old oak tables and remember all the time spent there with Barr (I did get a chance to talk to his brother, Bob Ashcraft ’53). Second was to see if my senior project paper about the power

plant (from Northeastern University ’64) was still in the archives. It was, so I read that through. Forgot I got an A. I have to admit the trip to Round Top for the ’58 memorial service and the visit to Sage Chapel were difficult, but it helped me push all the goings-on over the Northfield campus back into the recesses of my mind, because I relearned a lesson I had learned at our 50th: our classmates and our past, present, and future with them trumps all that goes along with what the institution does.”

Tom and his wife, Carol, spend May and September in Maine, fishing and enjoying being in the woods. Their move to Millville, N.J., three years ago has proven to be a good one, as they get more time with their daughters and four grandchildren.

In the past eight months, Tom has been part of the construction of a new Habitat for Humanity home for a family that currently resides in substandard housing.

From Al: John Gregorian writes that life is good for him and Judy. They enjoy time with their seven grandchildren, traveling up and down the East Coast, and visiting cousins in California. He writes: “I have turned the family business (Persian rugs) over to my son Scott Gregorian ’86, and I am happy about that. I continue to accommodate MS and am doing well with God’s and Judy’s help. Never underestimate the power of prayer.”

Dick Bodner reports that Ian Strachan had hip replacement surgery Down Under last spring to relieve years of pain. Dick says Pete Houseknecht has retired from Banco Santander, a job that had him hopping all over Latin America. Pete and his wife, Yvonne, live in Miami. In his email to Bods, Houseknecht wrote: “Yvonne and I recently returned from an extended trip to Peru, mainly doing genealogical research with her family. Very rewarding.”

On the personal front, Dick writes: “I have pretty

Tom Bethea ’59, Dick Barker ’59, Bonnie Bethea, Neal Ketcher ’59, and Jim Newman ’59

Class of 1960 classmates Pete Houseknecht, Ian Strachan, and Richard Bodner

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HANNAH SIBLEY GRAY 306 Cotuit Bay Dr Cotuit MA 02635-2916 hsgray@verizon.net AL CHASE 1141 Kumukumu St Apt A Honolulu HI 96825-2645 nmh60uh66@yahoo.com

CLASS NOTES much satisfied my wanderlust, mostly stopped traveling and speaking, too, but writing more than ever, a fraction of which is now progressively accessible at www.bodlibrary.com, which I manage as archivistin-cheap. Hard to tell if there are any great journeys left in my tank, or if my best ones now are of a less physical nature, pondering, reflecting, re-imagining.”

Art King owns a small construction management and general contracting firm in Nashua, N.H. He keeps busy advising his son about the business. He and his wife like to go to Indian Harbor Beach, Fla., in the winter. Despite having his right hip replaced in ’99 and both knees replaced in ’12, Art still enjoys a game of golf.

Condolences to the family of William “Bill” Anderson, who died 5/6/13. At the time, Bill was a volunteer reading to the blind at the Community Presbyterian Church in Pinebluff, N.C. He was a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. Later, Bill taught accounting and finance at local colleges and volunteered for charitable organizations.

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GRETEL PORTER P.O. Box 369 Damariscotta ME 04543 sangam1008@yahoo.com CRAIG WALLEY 573 S 6th St Columbus OH 43206-1272 operacraig@aol.com

From Gretel: Sue Meader Tobias has taken up

surfing with her granddaughters on the North Carolina coast. What those grandkids won’t get us into.

Lois Isenman has been a resident scholar at Brandeis University since ’98, studying unconscious intelligence and the role of intuition in science. She writes: “I resonate the cognitive science of unconscious cognition with some foundation intuitions about intuition I have had, bringing together the experience and science of this elusive mental capacity. I loved my former work as a biologist, but this captures me even more.” Lois splits her time between Newton, Mass., and Mill Valley, Calif.

After being single forever, three years ago she got together with a boyfriend from 43 years ago. They bought a house together on Pickleweed Inlet in Mill Valley in the Greater Bay Area.

Liz Burton Matuk hasn’t made it back from the West Coast, but Northfield remains vibrant in her mind, and she appreciates the experience as much as ever. Liz became an R.N. in ’65, then a nurse practitioner, and then earned a bachelor’s in health services administration. In 2000, she started the Village Clinic, a small rural certified health center, with her daughter, Lynne. Liz works three days at a nearby health center. For 20 years, Liz has been breeding and showing English cocker spaniels.

She’s had nearly 20 champions and now has a dog that is ranked sixth in the country. Her website is jolynecs.com. Husband Charlie retired in ’99 from

Lawrence National Lab in Berkeley, Calif., and is now a master woodworker with a flock of chickens.

Liz and Charlie have been married 49 years, traveled to Scotland, England, Greece, Turkey, Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, and across the U.S. She writes: “We have camped, hiked, sailed, run, and biked over all kinds of terrain and water. Home here on the lake overlooking the Cascade Mountains is comfort—cuddled on the couch with our four dogs.

Have two children, five grandchildren.”

Kate Alling Throop and her husband, Terry, visited family in the Northeast and attended Terry’s 50th reunion at Yale in June. They visited the NMH campus, met Peter Fayroian; Kate is encouraged by his enthusiasm and passion. They spent two days with Beth Fallon Mason ’60 and her husband, Chip, in Wilton, Conn. “Beth and I became instant soulmates in the Center Gould lounge in ’58 and remain kindred spirits.” At our 50th reunion, Kate began treatment for bone marrow cancer. She’s doing well with a daily regimen of chemo and feeling energetic most of the time. She volunteers at the library and Unitarian Church. She talks regularly with Lynn Ensign.

Karen Conant Hyland called Gretel from New York City. They decanted 50 years in a lively rush of sisterly love and nostalgia. After graduating from Wheaton, Karen went to New York City, where she married, had three children, and lived in Paris and London while husband (ex since the ’90s) worked at Morgan Stanley. A devoted New Yorker now retired from teaching, she paints watercolors and enjoys life.

She is grandmother to three.

Patty Howell is off to D.C. for a conference and 10 meetings on Capitol Hill to educate legislators about the value of relationship education. We applaud her energy.

Susan Swartwood Berk dined with Kay Dinolt Frank and her husband, Steve, in Seattle while attending the National Association of School Psychologists convention. Both Franks are lawyers.

Lucinda “Cinda” Benjamin Hazler taught corporate English through ’12 and now volunteers as a tutor for low-income students. Her husband, Hans Hazler, has been ill but has had no more strokes or epileptic seizures. He is blind in one eye and hasn’t regained full speech, mobile but often difficult. “We take short trips to Austrian spas and went last year to Marienbad in the Czech Republic, where Goethe and others stayed. Visited Hamburg and Innsbruck and then Lignano on the Adriatic coast with the whole family. This year Salzburg and the Forest District of Lower Austria. Berlin and Venice are coming up. I enjoy Italy so much I’ve started Italian lessons. The teacher is great and we have fun. We have sold our car—not needed with Vienna’s excellent public transportation—and rent one for trips out of town.” One daughter is an environmental biologist and lives in Richmond, Va.; the other two live in Vienna. Lucinda would love to see former classmates who come to Vienna.

Sally Johnson Ackerman lives in Houston in the winter and on Cape Cod from May until October, which delights her husband, Monte, but frustrates Sally. “The focus now is to convince him

we can survive winters in the Northeast with grow lights and short escapes to warmer climes. Being closer to one of our two daughters and four of six grandchildren is a motivating factor as we start our 70s. Apologies to all for my silence the last two years. It’s been a crazy time.”

Linda Evans Sudimack writes: “This has been my year from hell—ended up in the hospital last spring and almost died three times. Have been doctoring all year. They thought I had COPD but I do not. Have a little heart involvement—lost 70 pounds in the hospital for 10 days. So what happened in the last 50 years? I raised three nice children, have three grandchildren, bred championship Labrador retrievers, had a consulting business for dentists. Moved to Arizona from Ohio 10 years ago, have been married to the same man for 48 years.

Have a high-end jewelry business for boutiques in Scottsdale, Sedona, and California.” Her website is lindasudimack.artfire.com.

For the first time since she was ordained an Episcopal priest in ’98, Sue Hayden Russell is serving in the same church as her husband, Jack, who has been a church organist his whole life. They are at Christ Church of Hamilton and Wenham in South Hamilton, Mass. After 34 years in Ohio, where Jack taught at the College of Wooster, they now live in Salem, Mass., near two sons and four grandchildren.

Kevyn Depuy Malloy spent a week in Vermont with her five adult children, four spouses, and seven grandchildren (11–17) “Husband Tony and I are exhausted cooking for 18 people, but we had a great time and are talking about meeting in Hawaii. As reward we’re going to a Joan Baez concert.” Kevyn still works full time. She has a leadership development contract with a virtual international business.

Stu and Susan Flasch McCalley have two daughters—one a medical social worker married to a minister in Walpole, N.H., with two kids, and one a high-school English teacher in Newton Mass., with one daughter. Sue is still in real estate with Prudential Connecticut. Stu continues as a pulmonary doctor and medical director of Greenwich Hospital Sleep Center. Sue writes: “We see Mary and Sherif Nada sometimes when we get to Boston.

They joined us and John Bryan, Graham Cole, Rick Najaka, Les Leong, and their wives for a fun New York City lunch this spring.” Stu and Sue just celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary and continue to cross-country ski, sail, go power boating, attend theater and movies, and generally enjoy life. She reminds everyone to support Dobb Hartshorne’s “musical ministry to the world.”

This has been a year of change for Carol Bouteiller Milton. Husband Richard had brain surgery in January. His walking has improved and he can drive but many symptoms remain. Carol had knee surgery and was two weeks post-op when she wrote. Carol retires 7/5/13 after 27 years as vice president of legal services at Macerich. She writes: “I want to start a business both entrepreneurial and philanthropic plus spend time with Richard, two dogs, and two parrots. With my knee repaired I can go back to roller derby and mud wrestling.”

fall 2013 I 61

CLASS NOTES Cynthia Van Hazinga visited three Chinese cities in April with Robert Marshall. “We found China amazing, monstrous, and fascinating. Shanghai made New York City look tiny when we returned.”

Barbara Joy Hare finally has a granddaughter after two sons and three grandsons. “I consult part time, do some writing, love reading and rereading Mary Oliver’s poems, go to Spain in the winter, where I teach art and Spanish conversation, keeping my brains and bones from getting rusty. I do find myself slowing down. I could never figure out why my mother, Charlotte Griffen Hare ’39, enjoyed watching birdfeeders and flowers so much as an elder. Now I sit long moments at my Lilac Cottage, losing track of time, watching bees on the rosa rugosa or rowing out to see seal pups. My deepest concern is for the world and her people.”

Your secretary, Gretel Porter, thanks everyone for the input. We can get closer as a group as more respond. So, take care with your health and other choices. We’ll weather our 70s to become the dynamic octo squad—’61 has get up and go.

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SUE SAUNDERS CHANDLER 3/50 Walsh Street South Yarra Victoria, 3141 Australia susanchandler1@mac.com

I was delighted to hear from Ingrid Krohn, now living in Alpine, Texas. She loves the Lone Star State spirit and writes enchantingly about the wildlife right on her doorstep. Sadly, Ingrid’s husband, Gary Nixon, died in ’07. Ingrid can be reached at gnixon@bigpond.net. Ingrid writes:“I moved to cattle ranch country in the Davis Mountains of far west Texas (in the Chihuahuan Desert) when my husband became terminally ill and wanted peace and solitude.

I think Gary, wherever he is in the next world, would be pleased to find himself in the company of Ingrid Krohn ’62 Northfield girls. He was always charmed by the idea of Northfield.

“As for me, I left my science publishing career in Boston and Manhattan (I was executive editor and publisher in acquisitions), after several ice ages, in order to find our home in the ‘high desert.’ Not sure I’ll stay here, but for the moment any classmate who wants to use my place as a jumping-off point for Big Bend National Park or just to visit is more than welcome at my little hacienda. Rafting the Rio Grande or a visit to the fabulous McDonald Observatory are among the possibilities.”

Ingrid has been in contact with her Northfield roommate Way Shen and reports that Way “makes absolutely exquisite pottery (www.wayshen.com ) in addition to her professional social work. She’s now in training to become a mediator in Denver, Colo., for legal/social disputes.”

It was also wonderful to have news from Louise

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SCOTT CALVERT 440 Terrace St Ashland OR 97520-3004 scottcalvert@mac.com

Sally Walbridge ’62 and Britt MacLaughlin ’62 in Cape Town, South Africa

“Weezi” Cole Nicollet. Weezi has a grand gift for

friendship and it amazes me how she keeps track of so many of us. Over the years, she and her husband, Jean-Claude, have welcomed a surprising number of people from the NMH community to their home in Lyon, France. Weezi writes: “Just a year after our 50th reunion, I wanted to tell you all what a wonderful experience it was for me. Though I opted for a couple of the interesting seminars offered for the alums, I decided to give my main priority to making the most of that precious time on the former Mt. Hermon campus to talk with classmates and share our experiences. This was often over coffee after the delicious and copious breakfasts we enjoyed in the dining room, but also in the lobby of the (coed) dorm we were all staying in, in our rooms—and even in the bathroom, coming out of the shower or brushing our teeth. There were so many high points, but most important to me were the traditional hymn sing and (in Sage Chapel on the Northfield campus, opened for us for that occasion) the tribute to our beloved classmates who have left this earth, a short and beautiful ceremony that moved me so much I had a good cry in the chapel afterward. The fact that my father had recently died of pancreatic cancer probably had some bearing on my high emotion, but the joy that I experienced during my four years at Northfield swept over me like a wave, and my tears were not nostalgic but intensely grateful for all that was given to me then and which has served me all my life.

“After reunion, seeing the list of ‘lost’ classmates in our 50th reunion book, I decided to become a sleuth and try to find at least one of them, for whom I had had great affection and respect during our Northfield years: Ingrid Krohn. Thanks to the Internet and to her career as a paleobiologist, I found her in the wilds of Alpine, Texas, where she has an amazing life. She has very good memories of our school and definitely doesn’t want to be ‘lost.’

She and I now correspond regularly.

“In the process of looking for Ingrid, I got back into contact with Way Shen (called Wilma Shen in our time). She was Ingrid’s roommate (at least in our freshman year in Revell). They’re delighted to be back in touch after all these years.

“We are all so fortunate that our lives’ paths led us to those very special schools on the hills overlooking the Connecticut River. May we meet there again in four years’ time.”

Dick Linthicum shares: “Storm Sandy took my beach house. We need to tear down and rebuild the house at the new height. Our bay has risen more than three feet in the last 30 years. People are welcome to visit in a year, hopefully. Getting wetlands approvals is a long task. I had lunch with Roger Smith and Bob Seely. Roger has acclimated to retirement and will be traveling with his wife.

Bob and I keep working at law and banking across Lexington Avenue from each other. Lunches continue among the three of us, which is really a nice way to continue our friendships.”

Britt MacLaughlin is away from his Cape Town digs and checks in from Rome on a longish stay. “Revisiting places I’ve enjoyed in the past and discovering new treats. I am reminded that at the end of ’64, Barry Goff and I hitchhiked from Paris to Italy, rented a two-person scooter in Florence, and crossed the Apennines to Rome. We got as far south as Naples and Capri and Pompeii, turned the scooter around, and returned to Florence, taking in Pisa on the way—all in the later part of December.

Madness, but we did it. We can’t have had much in the way of baggage. It was a great moment and a wonderful introduction to Italy and Rome and the joys and hazards of scooter travel. I go on to Greece next week. Three weeks on the island of Paros.

Beautiful, calm, and peaceful, at least until the first of July, when youthful tourists, mainly Greek, arrive, and the sound level increases. I look forward to giving my urban legs a rest.”

It’s my sad duty to report that Dave Baily passed away 5/10/13 at home in Avon, Conn., where he had lived since ’77. His obituary reported: “David taught science in the Bristol school system for 34 years retiring in ’01. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, and photographer. He was a founding member of the local Rod and Gun Club. He raised and trained English setter bird dogs.” Bill Arnold wrote on the funeral home webpage: “Dave and I were next-door neighbors in Cottage II at Mt. Hermon in ’58. We shared so many laughs together in our first experience away from home. It was a gift to see him at our 50th reunion last June. Though illness was apparent, his irrepressible personality was very much present. He shared beautiful thoughts about his life and wonderful family.” Ted Lenz shared: “Katie, Dave’s wife, had started a scrapbook of remembrances of David before he passed away, and I was pleased to be able to contribute (by a couple of days before he passed away). But he saw it.”

So that’s it gents. If you have not done so, please join Jock Bethune’s Facebook group “Northfield Mount Hermon Class of 1962” and join the NMH Alumni Community web page at: https://community.nmhschool.org. If you do, you’ll be up to date sooner with classmates.

Broken record, yet again. This is your column—I cannot write about what I do not know.

CLASS NOTES

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DIANE SEWALL CHAISSON 25 Williams Rd N Grafton MA 01536-1237 diane@meadowlarks-farm.net WILLARD THOMEN 417 Nicholson St Joliet IL 60435-7043 wthomen@stfrancis.edu

From Diane: I write this column almost two weeks after reunion and am still basking in the glow of so much appreciation from all of you who attended and worked on the event. I have always said I am a behind-the-scenes doer, and I guess it was proven by the fact that I am in only one or two reunion pictures. I must say that the process of producing the 50th reunion was a long and complicated one, but it wasn’t one accomplished without the helping hands, ideas, and decisions of many. We owe a lot of thanks to Bill and Nancy Browning Freiheit for their expertise with planning and producing five previous reunions. They have been great hosts over the years, with attention to details and keeping our class reputation as true originals intact. We also owe Mimi Woodcock Karlsson for always making sure we have plenty of high-quality snacks for our social times. Will Thomen has been a rock and a team member in planning sessions and communications for 30 years. We have traveled together to observe ’62 for nearly that long to make sure ’63 reunions are really representative of our class, not just cookie-cutter reunions. A magnificent job of raising a class gift was done by Debby Eaton Peck, John Gamel, Margaret Breitkreutz Black, and Chris Frederick (see Will’s report). Other active planning committee people were Don Glascoff, a co-chair; Debby Jenks and Holt Anderson for the magnificent yearbook and website; Heidi Herrick Davis for history, farm interest, and fun; as always; Mardi Coyle Kildebeck (Vespers CD); Margery Attwater Mosher (“Dost Thou Remember” email run); and Rob Liotard.

The 50th reunion contingent was 91 classmates and 46 brave spouses/guests. The terrific Northfield turnout (50) was in part thanks to the 11 women who agreed to contact those in their dorms with encouragement and reminders to fill out profiles, update information, and try to track down the lost.

Thank you Bobsie Rowe Betjemann, Margaret

Heidi Herrick Davis ’63 and Richard Odman at the farm program seminar during reunion

Breitkreutz Black, Dee Freund Borden, Katie Steinmetz Dater, Heidi Herrick Davis, Mimi Woodcock Karlsson, Margery Attwater Mosher, Liz Martin O’Toole, Sue Hines Rohrbach, Nancy Howard Stone, and Cheryl Orstein Wilson. The

only member of the above group missing at reunion was Nancy Howard Stone. Hope to see you in ’18. Other Northfield ’63 attendees were: Suzanne Abbott Harris, Stephanie Ashton Upton, Sue Austin Ricketts, Jacquie Ballou Sullivan, Susan Browning Christman, Nancy Browning Freiheit, Mardi Coyle Kildebeck, Sue Curry Barnett, April Dennis Lyon, Judy Dubben Ryland, Debby Eaton Peck, Elizabeth Edgar, Elise Elderkin, Karen Eldred Stephan, Carol Fishman Czaja, Harriet Goff Guerrero, Karen Gretz Dennis, Paula Hamar Getnick, Tory Hawkins, Sue Hemenway Nealon, Jeanne Hoffman Berger, Debby Jenks, Sheila Langdon Garrett, Carole Leonard Parks, Jervis Lockwood Anderson, Carolyn Lowe Sanderson, Felice Merritt Gelman, Molly Hogan (Nancy Dorr), Linda Olson Coblentz, Leslie Pfeil Brown, Carol Plummer, Faith Richards Madore, Jean Rodger Preis, Diane Sewall Chaisson, Kathy Shordt, Betsy Sigler Roman, Mardi Swett Gordon, Carol Waaser, Renee Warnock Cowenhoven, Catherine Watson Brewer, and Barbara Young.

Just a quick comment about returning Northfield girls: Several of those who returned for the first time to NMH post-sale of the Northfield campus have spoken to me or emailed me about how this reunion helped them put that loss behind them. Some went on personal tours of the old campus to rekindle memories, visit favorite spots, etc., but what they came away with was that it was the people and the shared memories that were the most poignant. Jean Rodger Preis writes: “The Mt. Hermon campus is beautiful. This was the first time I had really looked at it, walked it, and tried to think of it as my school. It will never replace the Northfield campus, but it’s not a bad second act.

The hymn sing was the best.”

We all had opportunities to speak with current students, from singers to greeters to cafeteria workers and golf cart drivers carrying us aging hippies up and down the hill from farm to chapel. What we found were wonderful young people who believe and exude the education of the “head, heart, and hand.” We were also impressed by the knowledge and commitment to the Moody legacy by the new

John Gamel ’63

head of school, Peter Fayroian. He read our reunion yearbook from cover to cover and really knew who we were. Now, everyone plan for ’18, but make sure you write your current news to me in the meantime.

A message to everyone from Ann Wight: She was sorry she could not attend reunion, but wanted to send her greetings and best wishes to everyone.

I mailed her a yearbook and other materials from reunion and a Sacred Concert CD. She lives in Concord, N.H., and enjoys visits.

From Will: Forty-one of our illustrious Hermon classmates made it back for our golden anniversary celebration (June 6–9): Holt Anderson, Chuck Bates, Larry Bernstein, Bob Bowers, John Brock, Eric Erlandsen, Chris Fredrick, Bill Freiheit, Tom French, John Gamel, Bill Garwood, Don Glascoff, Dave Gregory, Steve Hazard, Dave Hilliker, William Holden, Whiting Houston, Peter Jenks, Lloyd Jones, Rob Liotard, Bill Meyers, Robert Milk, Henry Prescott, Dave Robinson, Leonard Santos, John Schadegg, Jay Scheck, John Schumacher, Dave Stephens, Tim Sullivan, Kurt Swenson, Will Thomen, Alan Thorndike, Bill Utley, Pete Waasdorp, Coll Walker, Al Wall, Rick Watson, Warren Webster, Rick Weisman, and George Whitehead.

Festivities began Thursday afternoon in Social Hall, our class gathering place for Thursday and Friday, with an abundant array of delicious hors d’oeuvres, cheeses, snacks, desserts, beverages, and a full bar (most of it provided by Mimi Woodcock Karlsson and Dee Freund Borden). Class mementos included a CD of our ’63 Sacred Concert. The school provided a lobster dinner exclusively for our class that evening. On Friday, Don Glascoff, Carol Waaser, Heidi Herrick Davis, and Rick Weisman were among the presenters at the alumni seminars. Don’s “Making Films: Changing the World One Frame at a Time—How Documentaries and Factual Features Are Changing the World” included excerpts from his two latest films: Uprising, telling the story of the Egyptian revolution from the perspective of its key organizers, and In My Lifetime, which focuses on the creation and devastating effects of the first atomic bombs. Heidi co-led the “NMH Farm Tour and Conversation about Sustainability,” particularly as it is brought to bear here at NMH, with Liam Sullivan ’05, the NMH farm director. Carol’s “Seeing the World by Bicycle” gave a stunning visual tour on how slow travel is the best way to see the world. Rick’s “Sustainable Development: New Paradigm for Poverty

Jervis Lockwood Anderson’63, Jeanne Hoffman Berger ’63, and Carol Waaser ’63

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CLASS NOTES

Bill ’63 and Nancy Browning Freiheit ’63

Reduction or Oxymoron?” demonstrated how, with initial support from the UN, he was able to create a sustainable development program at Lehigh University, advise Lehigh’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, and start an internship program in humanitarian engineering. That evening, our collective voices were in great shape for the hymn sing, and we sang our class hymn, Haydn’s “The Spacious Firmament on High,” with ringing fervor.

Saturday the weather turned beautiful as we gathered by Alumni Hall (West Hall) for our class photo. I lead a sing-through of our graduation musical, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore, as one of the afternoon activities. Nearly all of our leads were back to re-create their roles: Carol Waaser, Chuck Bates, Eric Erlandsen (from Germany), Tom French, Dave Robinson, and me, with a great turnout of singers from not only our class but other classes as well to relive musical memories of 50 years ago. Karen Eldred Stephan had also made it back from Germany but was unable to sing due to a temporary lung infection. A friend of Don Glascoff’s graciously covered for her.

At the Alumni Convocation, at its new 5 PM time, we continued the tradition for 50th reunion classes by being the last to enter, ushered into the chapel with a bagpipe playing, as all of the alumni stood to applaud us. John Gamel, Debby Eaton Peck, and I were graciously honored with Alumni Citation Awards. But the most exciting moment and greatest surprise of the gathering was our class gift: we set a new record with a gift to NMH of more than $6 million. This was a momentous and astounding achievement. Following the convocation, we gathered for our class banquet in a tent beside Ford Cottage. Richard and Lyn Kellom, our class teachers, were once again with us. They have been at

Moore Cottage classmates from ’63 at reunion: Nancy Browning Freiheit, Susan Hines Rohrbach, Liz Martin O’Toole, Molly Hogan, Diane Sewall Chaisson, Betsy Sigler Roman, Karen Eldred Stephan

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every class reunion since graduation.

Sunday morning, for the memorial service, the alumni choir sang “Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind”

by Craig Sandford, a new member of the NMH music faculty. For the offertory, Chuck Bates and I sang a duet, “O Bless the Lord My Soul,” arranged

by Hal Hopson from Bizet’s famous Pearl Fishers duet. Warren Webster gave a wonderful, poignant homily on “Thankfulness,” and Diane Sewall Chaisson and I read two passages from scripture.

At the lunch following chapel, we shared many well wishes and fond farewells, while looking forward to our 55th reunion in ’18.

Word comes from Ricker Winsor, having returned with his wife to Indonesia to teach courses at the Bali Center for Artistic Creativity in Ubud, a very vibrant place run by international educator and painter Bruce Sherratt. Julia Roberts, among others, enjoys taking classes there. Ricker is doing his own painting, writing, and playing guitar. He has renovated his website, www.rickerwinsor.com, where you can view many of his paintings and information about the books he has published.

Special thanks goes out to all of you who returned for our golden reunion and especially to all who helped to make it such a memorable and wonderful occasion. I particularly want to salute Deborah Jenks for her extraordinary work on our reunion yearbook. It has set a new standard for the school. I also want to thank my co-class secretary, Diane Sewall Chaisson, for the fantastic job she did putting together our reunion newsletters to keep you all up to date on the progress we were making toward the reunion. This, too, has set a new standard for the school. Diane and I will continue as your class secretaries—we’re a team.

Speaking of teams, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Bill and Nan Browning Freiheit for their years of service as class reunion chairs, and to John Gamel and Debby Eaton Peck for their outstanding leadership as class gift chairs.

After reunion, Dick Kellom sent a note to the class. He writes: “It was good to see such a large turnout for the reunion and have the opportunity to get a bit caught up with many of you after all these years. We can all be proud of the accomplishments of the class, not the least of which is the recordbreaking fundraising for the school.

“On a personal level, Lyn and I want you to know how much we have enjoyed our association with ’63 and how much we appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity in sending us the gift certificate to

John Brock ’63

one of our favorite restaurants. Thank you for all the good memories. We wish you well and are looking forward to the next reunion.”

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EASTY (ROBERT) EASTMAN PO Box 218 Shaftsbury VT 05262-0218 rheastman4@comcast.net

PAMELA STREET WALTON PO Box 33 Spofford NH 03462-0033 pawalton@myfairpoint.net

From Pam: Vespers is upon us, and our 50th reunion is only months away. In preparation for our ’64 gala event, Gail Myers Pare and Bob Eastman attended the 50th reunion festivities of ’63 last June.

I, too, planned to be there, but circumstances prevailed and I missed the fun, so I asked Gail to send a critique. She writes: “I’ve experienced more than a dozen reunions (both as an NMH volunteer and ’64 classmate) and can tell you they’re stupendous.

While there are year-to-year differences, the best elements are celebrated every June. If you have participated in even a single ’64 reunion, I know you will be returning for our 50th. If you have yet to attend, please take the sentiments of Carol Plummer ’63 to heart.” Carol writes: “Had a fabulous time at my first-ever reunion [her 50th]. Sang ‘Jerusalem’ three times in 24 hours, realizing how the words of that hymn have guided our lives as we have passed through life’s twists and turns. So thankful for all the gifts of the Northfield experience. Time to let the other stuff go.” Carol nailed it. Mark your calendars—June 5 is the kickoff lobster dinner.

Individual news was not plentiful this time around, but thanks to a few, there is some, and there is my own news. Last winter I, Pam Street Walton, met Wendy Moonan in Greenfield, Mass., for brunch and catching up. Joan Thacher Tiffany spent the night after completing some work in nearby Brattleboro, Vt. My husband, Ken, made a fire and we sipped a glass of chardonnay as we exchanged info about classmates. Then in April, I played tennis and reminisced with Karen Singer Baker after a reunion yearbook meeting on campus.

Karen continues to work full time and would like to play more tennis, while I continue to play lots of tennis and am enjoying retirement.

Marianne Weishaar Hirschman celebrated Mother’s Day with her mother, Helen Small Weisharr ’41; her daughter, Allison Hirschman Wetzel; and her granddaughter, Melanie Wetzel.

Another granddaughter, Abby, attends Boston University. Marianne and her husband, Bob, are looking forward to attending our 50th in June.

Lynn Burnett Ebert and her husband, John (married 15 years), moved several years ago from southern Illinois to St. Louis to be near Lynn’s daughter, Christina, and John’s children. Like her mom, Christina is a teacher. She has a son (14) and

CLASS NOTES

Helen Small Weishaar ’41, center, celebrated Mother’s Day with her daughter, Marianne Weishaar Hirschman ’64, right, and her granddaughter, Allison Wetzel, left.

a daughter (11), and lives five minutes from Lynn and John’s condo, so they have plenty of time with the grandkids. Massachusetts is usually a yearly vacation destination for Lynn and John, so we’ll see them at our 50th reunion next June. Meanwhile, they are enjoying retirement.

Kathy Childs Jones often gathers in Boston with Northfield friends. Last spring she attended a couple of Boston performances with Bob and Gayle Landgraf Leaversuch. They met at the Gardner Museum for a concert by duo pianists and then again at Symphony Hall for a Boston Pops concert.

Gayle and Bob were helping son Michael move to a new home. Also, in what is almost becoming a tradition, Kathy Marsh and Kathy Childs Jones went to Harvard’s commencement in late May. This year the speaker was Oprah Winfrey. Kathy’s son, Daniel Jones, began an M.B.A. program in September at Harvard Business School.

Marcia Eastman Congdon and her husband, George, traveled in their RV from June 15 until the end of August. They completed what they titled the grand tour, driving a leisurely path from Arizona to New Hampshire while visiting numerous parks and points of interest along the way. Last year they met a Hermonite in their Arizona RV resort. The couple seated in front of them at a concert turned around and introduced themselves—Ed Snyder ’54 and his wife. Since that chance meeting, the couples have enjoyed breakfast together several times. Marcia and George learned that Ed’s son, Zack, is the director of Man of Steel, the new Superman movie. Marcia went on to say: “Our 50th reunion is less than a year away, and I am getting excited. I look forward to reconnecting with classmates and friends.”

Lynne Schneider brought me up to date with a synopsis of decades. Seems her husband of 41 years, Dick Fusch, was writing up “stuff” for his departmental newsletter (Department of Geography and Geology at Ohio Wesleyan), so she figured she’d do the same for Northfield. While now retired, Dick was a professor of geography and dean of academic affairs at OWU. After college, Lynne was a CPA with Ernst (Ernst & Ernst and Ernst & Whinney, now Ernst & Young), and then she spent 27 years as the controller at Otterbein University. The last two years she trained her replacement and in ’12 transitioned into retirement by working half-time.

That first week of new freedom was eventful. She and Dick took a bike ride, and she tangled with

some railroad tracks and broke her shoulder. Took several months to heal and she questioned whether it might’ve been better to work full time. Now life is busy with recreational activities: golf, biking, and traveling, including a visit with her brother in Vermont; four weeks in Barcelona, Piemonte, Siena, and Provence; three weeks visiting friends in Hawaii; a long weekend in New York City; a week in San Diego (Dick’s hometown) for a family wedding; a trip to her home town of Chester, Conn., to visit her mother (91); and finally a visit to the Outer Banks. They frequently visited there in the ’80s and ’90s, but hadn’t been back since ’99. Instead they vacationed in Anguilla for many years. Next summer they plan to head East for our 50th reunion, and then drive down to the Outer Banks for more vacation.

While in Maine in ’11, Lynne and Dick had dinner with her roommate, Cindy Livingston, and her husband in Southwest Harbor (Cindy now lives in nearby Somesville). In conclusion Lynne writes: “I’m sorry that I haven’t maintained better contact with my friends from Hibbard, including Barb Hamilton Martin, Kit Andrews, and Wynne Greenlaw Keller.

I’m still trying to come to terms with the sale of the Northfield campus. I understand why it was done, but it doesn’t mean that I like it.”

On that note I’ll end and remind you that I will be happy to help you reconnect with Northfield friends. Also, have you completed your yearbook information? If not, go to northfieldandmounthermon1964.com and do so. See you 6/5/14 for lobster dinner.

From Easty: For those of you who have not joined the class website, you may not know that Bill Haggerty died 5/7/13 from a coronary. Bill had been actively working with Peter Guild and Clif Cates to raise funds for our 50th reunion gift and was very excited about coming back for reunion. He will be missed.

Via email from Johan Carl: “Heeding the wisdom of scripture, which states that ‘it is not good for man to be unsupervised’ (Genesis 2:18), Johan Carl married Leanne Atherton 5/11/13 in Austin, Texas. Leanne is a lady of many interests, one of which is writing a blog, ‘CoolLikeChrist.’” Johan is on the list of those coming to reunion.

You can see the most up-to-date list of those coming to reunion by visiting our website, www. northfieldandmounthermon1964.com. It is not too late to sign up. There are no good excuses for not coming. The school does a wonderful job of seeing

Coco Pratt Cook ’65 and her husband, Warren

that any special needs are taken care of. Our dorm has an elevator and there are golf carts, driven by students, that will take you anywhere you want to go. If you have any questions, please call me or contact the school.

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WENDY SWANSON-AVIRGAN 106 Blueberry Dr Stamford CT 06902-1828 wsavirgan@aol.com HENRI RAUSCHENBACH 2 Endicott Lane, PO Box 1064 Brewster MA 02631-7064 henri.rauschenbach@gmail.com

From Wendy: With deep sadness we report that Maryann Stackman Baldwin died 4/27/13 after a

long and courageous battle with cancer. Following graduation from Northfield, Maryann attended Duke and then transferred to Clemson, where she earned a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in counseling. In ’79 she obtained her Ph.D. in early childhood development from the University of South Florida. Maryann worked as a teacher and guidance counselor for Hillsborough County Schools in Tampa, Fla., and adjunct professor at the University of South Florida and Hillsborough Community College. Maryann is survived by her husband, Dennis, daughter, Lisa, four grandchildren, and her brother. A memorial service was held on 5/8/13 at First United Church of Christ in Tampa. Beverly Lancaster Lindsey was among those who shared reflections about Maryann during a beautiful service, which began with our class hymn, “Come Labor On,” and ended with the “Northfield Benediction.”

We also extend deepest condolences on behalf of the class to Judith Preble Miller, whose husband, Ed, died on 5/7/13 at the age of 90. Many of us have fond memories of Ed from his attendance with Judy at reunions.

Susan Brunnckow Oke enjoyed a trip with Derry to Bali and Bangkok in March and was looking forward to a two-week trip with Village Harmony to Macedonia for a singing camp in June.

From Beverly Lancaster Lindsey: “I have been the pastor of the Chester Congregational and Baptist Church, United Church of Christ/American Baptist Churches in Chester, N.H., for 19 years. We have done some amazing things in this time. We became an Open and Affirming Church in ’10, we are partnered with a United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe congregation, and we are a host church for Family Promise of Rockingham County, N.H., an Interfaith Hospitality Network that provides housing for homeless families. It has been 19 years of ministerial variety. There are always new challenges. I think my passion is planning worship, especially integrating music into worship and doing special services, such as funerals, rites of passage, blessing of the animals, and blessing of the bikes (motorcycles).”

fall 2013 I 65

CLASS NOTES Special thanks to Dave Stone for setting up our class website (northfieldmounthermong65.com) to help plan for reunion. We encourage you to log on to update your profile. Click on the “Join Here” button and scroll down to find your name.

Your correspondent, Wendy Swanson Avirgan, enjoyed lunch in April with Abby Ayres Bruce and in May with Nan Waite and Jen Williams Davis ’87, our NMH 50th reunion coordinator. I continue to enjoy my late-in-life career as a legal assistant.

Recent reading has included Objection! Overruled!

(Or, Two Lawyers Have a Little “Chat” about God and Hell) by Steve Baughman and El McMeen, and I thank Sally Atwood Hamilton for telling me about the book!

Nan Waite attended the Northfield School for Girls event at Barnard College and was delighted to see Ilene Fennoy. Ilene continues her active medical practice. Nan writes: “I encourage everyone to attend an NSFG event if one comes near to you. They are full of nostalgia, fun, trivia challenges, and you may have a chance to find a classmate or two. We were lucky enough to be graced with singers from the schools, who sang a cappella pieces they had arranged in a music class in the fall. Very impressive.”

In March, Nan visited with Gail Watson Nozik, who was recuperating from knee replacement surgery. Nan has pretty much left the practice of law and now teaches part time. She still volunteers as a clown at Stamford Hospital and is getting more involved with her volunteer work as a clown “doctor.” She is involved with a volunteer group at the hospital called No One Dies Alone. “I find both activities fulfilling in that both are attempts to make a stressful event more comfortable.” In April, Tom and Nan went to Springfield, Mass., for a concert Bruce Johnson helped plan for the Community Music School, where he teaches. The concert included group harmony from barbershop quartet to doo-wop to modern close harmony, from high school and college groups to a women’s gospel choir to professionals. Nan says: “It was a blast.”

Beth Zelnick Palubinsky wrote in February: “I spent some time a few weeks ago with Lisa and Brad Fitzgerald, while I vacationed not far from their Sarasota home. I got to hear their fine music at a festival where they performed, using guitars and bass that Lisa makes at their home studio and workshop. I even got to sit in on a tune or two, making me, in her words, their new backup singer. Next day, we met for supper at a club in Bradenton Beach, right on the sand, watching the sun set in the Gulf of Mexico and catching up on each other’s news.”

From Henri: What a busy time for our class with the preparation for our 50th celebration well under way and growing communication among our classmates. It is very exciting.

We heard from a lot of people due to a shotgun blast announcing another lunch with our special guest Bob Van Wyck and the tireless work of the committee charged with creating an exciting 50th anniversary. I had a call from John Stinchfield, who is retiring from his real estate practice in D.C. He summers in New Hampshire and stays in touch

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with Peter Barber. I hope to catch up with him on my next trip to D.C. Had dinner last January in Denver with Erik Carlson at John Elway’s restaurant. Erik is in great shape, sees Frank Shorter from time to time, and knows quite a bit about wine.

Of course, none of the prior applies to me. Jamie Bennett was in touch. He’s in for the 50th but engaged Bruce Johnson on the issue of—is it MH or NMH? As we had another luncheon in Boston, Jamie will help us put together a luncheon or dinner in L.A. in October. Jamie lives in Ojai, Calif.

We heard from Gary Balleisen that he couldn’t make our 5/30 lunch with our celebrity Bob Van Wyck. He had to be in Pebble Beach. Nothing to be sad about there. Attending our lunch were Matt Couzens, Bruce Johnson, Charles Washburn, Peter Barber, BVW, and me. The illustrious Jonathan Cole—model German student of Frau

Donovan—was excited to see all the Mt. Hermon names on the email blast about the lunch. He lives in Hawaii and is off to Germany seeking investments. Jon also has a restored CD of himself playing at Woodstock. His daughter has made a documentary about it.

Martin Dardani has moved to South Carolina, leaving the rest of us up here in the Northeast thinking that we have to go down there to see him.

Perhaps a southern lunch? The incredible walking man, John Clark, was thankful for our luncheon invite, but he was fishing in Hudson Bay. He hopes to get down to our neck of the woods shortly. Larry Smith also responded saying he lives in California.

Perhaps we’ll see him in October? Elias Thomas was tied up in New Hampshire for lunch.

Gary Bartman is looking for a copy of the poem that won the senior poetry prize for ’65. If anyone has an idea, let me know and I’ll pass it along to Gary. He also hopes that we get out to the West Coast for an event. Dave Stone was recently surprised by going onto YouTube and viewing the group—Peking and the Mystics. What was surprising is that our own Chris Parker is a member of the group. Dave said the video was fuzzy and he couldn’t make Parker out. Parker says he was there.

Ellsworth McMeen recently had his latest book, Objection! Overruled!, reviewed by the BookLocker.

I received a great note from Bob Kowal outlining his travels and life after MH. Hitchhiking, ROTC, Hobart, Air Force, M.Ed. in elementaryschool counseling, marrying an officer above his pay grade, the South Pacific, New Zealand, stockbroking, author, fly-fishing in Alaska, and on and on.

Exciting. Chris Murray replied to us, suggesting a golf date in Phoenix. Why not? Bob Fries mentioned that he would only go to the right coast if a relative paid his way. But he would like to see us out there. Dave Pessel wrote that his last job was as a ski instructor, from which he just retired. His life included stints teaching at the University of Rochester, working at Standard Oil of Ohio (now BP), FedEx, Invacare, Ninesigma, etc. He hikes mountains in the summer and skis all winter. He particularly remembers a sermon by William Sloane Coffin: you don’t have to be a Christian to enjoy his works. And finally, our celebrity himself wrote that

he enjoyed our last email string. Mt. Hermon left its mark on him as a unique and meaningful experience. He may fly West to L.A. in October. Ahhh… the life of a celebrity.

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MARILYN ATTWATER GRANT 43 Spring St Hope Valley RI 02832-1628 classsecy@verizon.net FRANK SAPIENZA 425 Washington St, Apt 6 Brookline MA 02446-6128 sapienzafc@cdm.com

From the Alumni Office: Barbara Tweedle Freedman and Anne Zimmerman will have

been friends for 50 years in 9/13. Barbara arrived at Northfield in 9/63 to room with Anne in Marquand. Fifty years later, they remain not only lifelong friends, but now they are also business partners. They have joined forces with an Italian friend to form Cornucopia Journeys, LLC, a company dedicated to planning personalized, in-country journeys for those eager to explore new cultures, cuisines, and locations, and who want to experience the genuine nature and life of their chosen destinations. Barbara and Anne are starting close to home—focusing on New England and Italy (Barbara lives in New Hampshire and Anne has lived in Florence for 22 years)—but they have ambitions to expand their services as their clientele grows. Anne writes: “It’s a new adventure upon which we have just embarked but which we are finding fascinating and challenging and downright fun.” You can check them out at www. cornucopiajourneys.com. And there’s another NMH connection. Their business website was designed

by Blue Iceberg, a New York agency that creates branded digital experiences, owned and operated by Richard and Natalie Yates Cacciato ’77.

Ben Blake ’66 and granddaughter Filippa aboard Ben’s boat

CLASS NOTES

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DONNA EATON-MAHONEY 97 Gifford St Falmouth MA 02540-3306 dmeato@aol.com DANA L GORDON 106 Westphal St W Hartford CT 06110-1183 mounthermon1967@comcast.net

Jack Osborne gave his retirement notice at

Brooklyn Bottling in the fall of ’12 but was “invited” back to do year-end inventory and asked to stay until they could find a new replacement (seems the first guy who replaced him couldn’t “cut the mustard”). The unanticipated workload not only prevented Jack from attending our 45th reunion, it has delayed his planned move to the HUD repo–1880s farmhouse he bought, seven miles from his 48-acre mountainside retreat in Phillips, Maine. The house is in relatively good shape, and Jack plans to sell his place on Long Island, N.Y., and move “Down East” and become the “next Stephen King” well before our 50th reunion, which he promises to attend.

Even further along in the Stephen King department is Skip Walker, whose sixth novel, Crime of Privilege, was published by Random House under his given name, Walter. Skip spent a good part of the summer touring the country to promote the murder mystery that Barnes & Noble, Publishers Weekly, and the Independent Booksellers Organization all declared “must” reading for the summer of ’13.

Continuing with a theme, Dana Gordon’s career as a voice-over professional has given him the opportunity to work on projects for a wide array of clients from ING Insurance to Daimler Trucks North America to Stephen King and collaborator John Mellencamp, for whom he voiced radio and TV commercials promoting the soundtrack DVD of their musical, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.

Gene Harmon is partially retired but still involved with a startup group working to provide solar-powered passenger rail services. He needs more than a train to get together with Irma-Riitta Simonsuuri Jarvinen in her native Finland to continue the romance they rekindled six years ago. Both plan to attend our 50th reunion in what will be the first visit to the school for each of them since ’67.

Bill Johnson is actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America, including working on the medical staff for the National Jamboree at Summit Bechtel Reserve, their new high-adventure area for scouts in W.Va. Ross Mason figures he’ll put in a couple more years as chief engineer of WGHP TV in Greensboro, N.C., where he’s been for 33 years. He also plans to race his bicycle as the young guy in the 65- to 69-year-old age bracket once he hits 65.

When she moved to rural Douglas County, Missouri, two years ago, Jean McBean Koenig thought her musical life was over, but it is richer than ever. She’s playing cello in a string trio and has performed in one chamber music concert. Best

of all, she’s become involved in the Ozark String Project, a program to bring affordable violin lessons to a very poor and culturally deprived area. Jean has been writing grants for instrument donations ($500 will buy a cello set-up) and making lesson plans for starting cello instruction. She and her husband continue to “rescue” their farm from neglect, adding cows and a substantial vegetable garden. Jean reconnected with Eliza Childs and Anne Barrus Zeller in the past year and hopes to make it to the 50th.

Anne Johnson Wrider has been an Episcopal priest for almost 30 years. She’s rector of the Indian Hill Church, a dual-denomination church (Presbyterian/Episcopal) in Cincinnati. Her grown son lives in Mumbai, India, with his wife and designs video games for a living. Theater is Anne’s passion, something she hopes to do full time as soon as she can figure out a way to retire.

While some classmates contemplate retirement, Aaron Newton seems to be headed in the opposite direction. He brought his set-building and behindthe-scenes technical expertise to the newly updated version of Carl Sagan’s PBS series “Cosmos.” When asked if he’d met series host Neil deGrasse Tyson, Aaron replied: “Dr. Tyson was as interested in our part of the series as we were in his. He was on location before the ‘spaceship’ was built, before the lights were hung, and before the green screens were placed. He had lunch with the crew and gave us a tour of the stars.”

As she was about to leave home to settle a dispute between neighbors in a village outside Bath, Somerset, UK, where she’s lived for around 40 years, Ann Beardsley wrote to say she’s been mediating for about 25 years and combined that with a career in the arts: project management, community arts, and jewelry making. She’s still doing the jewelry making and had a small exhibition in Bath last summer, but other work is slow, and she’s in the mood to wind down and spend more time in the allotment and her garden. Annie has been married, separated, divorced, and is now single and living in a cottage on the edge of the city. Her son, Jack, is a producer and works mainly in London. She and Jack are planning a travel adventure to India for January.

Kathy Cole Gibbons reports ’12 was a year of change for her family. Husband, Grant, became chairman of Colonial Insurance. Son Graham ’05 (26) is working at Burrows Lightbourn as a marketing assistant and account manager for Samuel Adams beer and has been drafted by the Bermuda Regiment, the island nation’s tiny “defense force.”

Son Andrew (25) had worked for a year in private banking at Capital G before moving to South Korea, where he is a teacher. Kathy continues to edit a local cultural magazine as well as work with the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art to produce catalogs and text for their exhibits. Her passion for tennis has not abated, although her aging joints are not quite as enthusiastic as they used to be. She also spends a fair amount of time in New York and remains active in Bermuda politics.

Melinda Hatheway Kantor is still in the Montpelier, Vt., area but has moved to a new home.

She’s still into traditional music (flute, fiddle, and

piano for figuring out tunes) and loves gardening, reading, and hiking as well as fishing, canoeing, and snorkeling at the family’s camp on Nelson Pond. Her work continues designing and making costumes for skaters and dancers, primarily through her website, customskatewear.com. Her daughter, Chelsey, is a jewelry designer living in Los Angeles, and daughter, Shona, is an audiologist living in Washington, D.C. Melinda would love to hear from her Hibbard friends and anyone else.

Working at The Farm Table Restaurant at Kringle Candle in Bernardston, Mass., a hop and a skip from the NMH campus, is a third career for Carol Ball. It follows a stint in the Peace Corps and teaching ESL in the ’70s, and then almost 30 years in group insurance and employee benefits. She endeavors to stay “young and fit” by running in small local races with her sister, Shel Ball ’68. Carol wonders if anyone in our class wants to run in the annual Pie Race. She’s lobbying for a special category for people more than 40 years removed from school, who should get a pie just for running the race.

Ever the multitalented artist, Bruce Burnside began his 27th season under the canvas Chautauqua tent on Lake Superior in Wisconsin; had book signings for his collection of poetry and short stories, The Artist’s Guest; debuted a new stage show called Stories for the Water; and had his original music performed by a combination of musicians from the Blue Canvas Orchestra and Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra. He also began a humorous, imaginative radio download series called “The Continuing Adventures of Bumpy and Squeamish, Protectors and Guardians of the Secret Pencil Stories,” and is producing a radio/DVD documentary on the nearby little town of Cornucopia, settled in the 1890s as a Russian fishing community.

Debby Buhrman Topliff and her husband wrapped up their 12-month “gap” year in St. Andrews, Scotland. She highly recommends, if at all possible, that you try taking a break from the status quo to study, pursue a passion, experience a different culture, and make new friends.

Sylvia Kuhner Baer still teaches college literature and performs the one-woman play she wrote, A Passion for Life—Emily Dickinson, all around the country. Meanwhile, she’s started several workshops and programs to teach poetry writing in schools and communities. She’s also continued her research and programs in children’s literature. Sylvia even appeared on the NPR program “American Icons” talking about Disney’s effect on our cultural landscape. And she continues to chase little white balls around golf courses and slightly larger yellow balls around tennis courts. Her new-found fun sport is paddle-boarding.

After concentrating on family matters, lawyer turned underwater videographer Jay Garbose finally got back in the water, trying out some new gear after a year’s hiatus. He looks forward to shooting new videos in the near future. Jay is pleased to have re-established contact with classmates, including Les Petrovics, Marea “Beth” Gordett, and a group that gets together in the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., area every spring. This year’s marathon bar meet

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CLASS NOTES included Jay, Sylvia Kuhner Baer, Buddy Levine, Gary Barnes, Dana Gordon, and first-timer, Chuck Streeter.

Back in June, Tracy Ambler signified that he and his wife plan to spend lots of time boating, traveling, and enjoying life by making the following change under “Career” on his Facebook timeline: “Retired.”

If you have not already done so, you can join Tracy and more than 110 other classmates as members of our Facebook group. Put Northfield Mount Hermon, Class of 1967, in the search box and ask to join the group. You can also keep up with all the class news on our own dedicated web page at www. nmh1967.com.

From the Alumni Office: Kathie Davison Gerwig has moved from Indiana to Golden,

Colo. She writes: “I chose this area because it is so inspiring. The mountains and the plains and the sun and the constantly changing sky and bike lanes everywhere and friendly people who like winter were strong draws for me once I decided I could really move. Our daughter just graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis and is pulling her own weight now. Our son has been working in solar and living in the Denver area for seven years, so I had visited here a lot.” Kathie is back in school to become a medical assistant. She would love to hear from classmates passing through the area.

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KRIS ALEXANDER ESCHAUZIER 49 W Lynne Ave Portland ME 04103-1656 pkeschauz@maine.rr.com PETER L. ESCHAUZIER 49 W Lynne Ave Portland ME 04103-1656 pkeschauz@maine.rr.com MARK G. AUERBACH PO Box 60784 Longmeadow MA 01116-0784 mgauerbach@gmail.com

NMH ’68 had a great reunion turnout. The following folks made an appearance: Mark Auerbach, Pam Beam, Betsy Brunner Lathrop, Steve Cole, class teachers Jeanne and Dale Conly ’52, Buzz Constable, Ed Cook, Fred Cook, Dick Easton, Elizabeth Maxted Trangsrud, Marion McCollom Hampton, Judy Molesworth Darnell, Kris Alexander Eschauzier, Peter Eschauzier, Becky Bright Freeland, Alison Fuller Pierce, Ginny Haines, Dave Hickernell, Varney Hintlian, Gary Hopson, Eric Jankel, Hillary Johnson, Meg

Lyons (honorary, former staff member in the NMH advancement office), Louise Miner, Molly Mosser Downer, Bill Newman, Jeff Plotkin, Nancy Alexander Randall, Frank Rawlinson ’69, Brad Reed, Pam Sardeson, Becky Schrom Lamb, Deborah Sliz, Jeff Sliz, Richard Staples, Nancy Stevens, Ruth Stevens, Lillian Tang, Steve Tower, Jay Ward, and Buddy Whitehouse.

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The class of ’68 dedicated this plaque in Ford Cottage during reunion.

Lillian Tang ’68, Pamela Beam ’68, Audrey Goldsmith Kubie ’68, and Ruth Stevens ’68 at the Northfield School for Girls luncheon at reunion

Thanks to reunion chairs Gary Hopson and Becky Freeland, and committee members Mark Auerbach, Pam Beam, Steve Cole, Kris Eschauzier, Pete Eschauzier, Dave Hickernell, Nancy Stevens, Ruth Stevens, and Steve Tower.

On Saturday, the “girls” enjoyed a special Northfield School for Girls luncheon, where new Head of School Peter Fayroian and school archivist Peter Weis ’78 spoke; we sang the Alma Mater and “Northfield Benediction”; and enjoyed some reminiscing. Then we gathered on Round Top for a memorial celebration organized by Becky Freeland and Nancy Stevens, with the help of Alex Stewart ’42, father of our late classmate Marci Stewart. The following, who passed away since our 40th reunion, were honored: Edward Dahl,

Fred Cook brought us up to date on his travels.

“In ’06, I left the Florida Regional Center and traveled to Djibouti to serve as foreign policy advisor to the commander of the Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa. This was my first time in East Africa and provided a wonderful opportunity to travel everywhere from Ethiopia to the Seychelles.

“In the fall of ’06, President Bush nominated me as ambassador to the Central African Republic, and after confirmation by the Senate, Denise and I moved to Bangui in the summer of ’07. The three years in Bangui posed many challenges at every level, from simply keeping the mission open to dealing with a country that has been in the 10 least developed nations for decades. This, despite having a small population, wonderful climate, unlimited rain, and tremendous reserves of diamonds, gold, iron, uranium, and probably oil. It also had more rebel groups than I had officers in my tiny embassy.

I am very proud of the efforts we made to promote peace, restore cultural exchanges, advance women’s issues, and deal with the Lord’s Resistance Army.

We were able to make some real progress, but it was sadly clear that the government was not ready to tackle the hardest issues. That government fell last year, and Bangui was again looted and the U.S. embassy is again closed. Returning to Washington in ’10, I served as the foreign policy advisor to the commandant of the Marine Corps before retiring at the end of ’11. It was a real pleasure to make the ’13 reunion.”

Jan Brinkerhoff Neshat writes: “For the past 18 months, I’ve indulged my wanderlust, traveling and painting, living on the side of a mountain in

Wendy Repass Suozzo, Gary Miller, Todd Craun, Jean Sylvester Jedrey, Robert Kurzius, Owen Morrison, Alfredo Schildknecht, Stephen Peck, and David Crimmin. After that, a plaque honor-

ing the lives of our lost classmates was dedicated in a reception on the porch at Ford Cottage. Steve Cole coordinated that project for our class. When the head of school entertains on behalf of NMH, visitors to Ford Cottage will always see our class plaque, which overlooks the Ford Cottage lawns and gardens.

Other reunion highlights were Ruth Stevens’s presentation on “How to Be Happily, Successfully Self-Employed” at Alumni College and Dave Hickernell’s performance of “Mustang Sally.”

Reunion got rave reviews from those who attended.

Frank Rawlinson writes: “It was the greatest pleasure for me to be in your company. I look forward to more involvement with NMH ’68. Please contact me by email: f.rawlinson@yahoo.com. Love to all.”

After reunion, Judy Molesworth Darnell, Betsy Brunner Lathrop, Kathy Knapp Marn, Elisabeth Cornell, Camilla Rockwell, Marion McCollom Hampton, and Nancy Alexander Randall headed for Nancy’s family cottage in Harwich for a postreunion get-together. They visited Richard Costello (Wendy Wade Costello’s widower) and sampled five varieties of wine from Kathy’s family vineyard, DueNorth, in Franklin, Vt. The group is coercing Kathy’s winemaker son to create a special vintage for our 50th.

Lillian Tang, Pamela Beam, Audrey Goldsmith Kubie, and Ruth Stevens attended

the March Northfield School for Girls tea in New York City.

Class of ’68 at Reunion ’13

CLASS NOTES central Costa Rica. Having moved back to the U.S. this spring, I now find myself fully engaged in the renovation/expansion of a small house and the reclamation of five gorgeous but desperately neglected wooded acres in rural northern Florida. In May, I went to NMH for the graduation of my niece, Annette “Netty” Brinkerhoff. The highlight of the weekend (in addition to cheering Netty’s walk across the stage) was once again hearing ‘Jerusalem’ sung by hundreds of fervent young voices. I’m already looking forward to ’18, when my niece and I will attend reunion together—she for her 5th, me for my 50th. Joy.” Harriet Chessman’s new novel, The Beauty of Ordinary Things, will be published by Atelier26 Books in November. Harriet has written three previous novels, including Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper and Someone Not Really Her Mother.

She will appear at Litquake in the Bay Area in October.

For those who attended reunion ’13, great to see you. For those who missed it, plan now for the 50th.

Your reunion committee needs your help planning the 50th. All volunteers welcome. Can you help us reconnect with fellow classmates? Help organize a minireunion in advance? Help us with newsletters, class notes? Please let one of your class secretaries know, and we’ll add you to the official NMH ’68 50th reunion steering committee. Want a simple way to reconnect and get the most up-to-date news?

Join our exclusive NMH68 Alumni Facebook page.

Questions? Contact one of our class secretaries.

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SUE PINEO STOWBRIDGE PO Box 29 South Tamworth NH 03883-0029 sue.stowbridge@gmail.com

Hurray and congratulations to Jaqueline Caldwell Finch, who, having served 34 years in government service with the USPS, retired on 1/31/13. The divorced mother of two sons (38) and (29) and the owner of a mixed Lab dog (13) plans to finally do some of the things she has been putting on hold— learning to play the guitar, becoming fluent in Spanish, taking Tai Chi classes, and visiting as many presidential libraries as she can. Being a southern girl, she has already toured the Johnson Library in Austin, Texas; the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Ark.; and the Carter Library in Atlanta, Ga. Every couple of years, she joins her mother and sisters on a “girls only” vacation to the coast, where they rent a house near the beach and delight in being typical tourists. Says Jackie: “It’s hard to believe that 44 years have passed since those days in West Marquand, although the occasional twinge in my knees and stiffness in the morning serve to remind me that I will soon be 62.”

Marjory “Margie” Hord Méndez continues to live in Puebla, Mexico. She teaches English part time at the university level and works on translation in English and Spanish. She is the volunteer editor of a Christian magazine in Mexico and enjoys

writing in Spanish as well as English. She and her husband, Refugio, have two children and six grandchildren. Her son and his wife are studying linguistics and literacy to work with one of the Mixtec languages of Mexico, hoping to translate the Bible.

Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer writes that after 12-plus years of being expats, living in England and Switzerland, she and husband Gary have repatriated to the U.S. They will divide their time between Illinois, near their three children, and Florida. Gary is still employed by Honeywell and plans on working a few more years before retiring.

Susan Shepard is still taking care of oncology patients in her 21st year of nursing in Portland, Ore. She loves it, but is slowing down some—she dropped to 2/3 time in February. Outside commitments and activities include board membership for Oregon Fellowship of Reconciliation, protests during Occupy Portland, and projects with the Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good, which continue a lifelong devotion to nonviolent change. Fortunately, her retired husband, Michael Colvin, has even more energy. There have been several trips to Tennessee in the past few months to help her mom, Mary Alice “Mac” Cary Shepard ’44, move into assisted living. Her sister, Margaret Shepard Mahoney ’71, is also involved with their mom’s move and even found time to visit Portland from Florida this year. “The door is always open... anyone else want to come?”

Leslie Robinson Sharp died on 7/3/13 after years of battling breast cancer. Her brother, Peter, says she had many fond memories of Northfield and recently recalled performing in a student production of Carousel, an early event in her musical career. Go to finley.tributes.com/our_obituaries/ Leslie-Robinson-Sharp-96067017 to learn more about her lifelong career in music. Her song “The River,” with a theme about life’s transitions, became a standard for her breast cancer support group in Portland, Ore. Leslie was a technical editor for various Portland-area companies. Barbara Gulbrandsen Hennessy wrote that she is grateful for the memory of Leslie’s voice and gentle spirit, but her heart is heavy. Leslie sang “All My Life” at their wedding, and Barbara says: “Strum your guitar, hum a tune, and remember a dear friend.” Leslie is survived by her husband, two daughters, and her brother. Go to leslierobinsonsharp.wordpress.com to hear Leslie’s work. A beautiful and talented soul.

She will be missed.

In early June, Faith Goodwin Hodgkins, Karen Hoff McMahon, and Sue Pineo Stowbridge attended reunion ’13 along with Brian Bauer, Don Hodgkins, and Roland Leong to kick off a year of planning toward our 45th reunion (June 5–8, 2014). The complete committee will meet in September, and your input over the coming months is appreciated. Meanwhile, look for the N69 Facebook page, which is under development, thanks to Karen’s efforts.

When reunions come along, many of us think about old friends and wonder how to get in touch. Start at nmhschool.org, then Alumni, Stay Connected, and NMH’s Online Community. Here,

you can change your own profile information, including mailing address, email, and professional information. You can also log onto directories to find old friends. If you can’t find someone from our class, I would be happy to try to help.

Should returning to campus involve too much travel for you, are you interested in a local minireunion? Many classes gather in small groups at homes or in restaurants to share a meal, a day, or a weekend. If you wonder who is nearby, NMH Alumni Directory can generate a list based solely on the school, year, and state. For example, I can tell there are 13 of us in New Hampshire. About half of those have email addresses listed as part of their profiles. This is a good reason to make sure your current email address is part of your profile. You never know who might want to get in touch.

Over nearly 45 years, a lot has happened to us and the institution. At the end of it all, I think we are more about people and less about place. We are spread out all over the world, but meeting in person or even via the Internet offers the chance to make old acquaintances into new friends. If you’ve been out of touch, take a chance.

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ROLAND LEONG 55 Kenmore Pl Glen Rock NJ 07452-2013 rl@shotgunreport.com

In the section of my last class notes about the October ’12 minireunion in San Francisco, I left out the name of Steven Shapiro. Steven was there, as the many photos show. He’s usually at most of the reunions and a fun participant in all our activities.

Recently, his daughter and family moved back to Florida, so now four grandkids live within 12 minutes of his home. Steven writes: “Now I have soccer, gymnastics, and all those things I did 35 years ago.

My son and son-in-law are intelligent enough to have the same hobbies as me—golf and fishing. I still travel and fish, but my exploits are to less rugged and remote places. I learned along the way that there are more civilized places to fish that have hard roofs, flush toilets, real beds, and chefs. I’ve also started sharing my awful golf game with folks from other countries, having recently golfed in Spain, Ireland, and Scotland.” Peter Edwards stayed with Steven while he was traveling through Florida recently. Steven is looking forward to the October

Brian Bauer ’69, Roland Leong ’69, and Don Hodgkins ’69

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CLASS NOTES has been our class reunion jefe for as long as I can remember, so consider them co-chairs for MH ’69’s 45th.

Sadly, I pass along the news that we lost Ignacio Goldemberg on 6/15/12. Ike was a longtime resident of Miami Beach, Fla., and was previously vice chair of Lehrman Day School. He was on the board of directors of Temple Emanuel and also involved in several business ventures. He is survived by four sons, a daughter, and several grandchildren.

Bill Ward ’69

Steven Shapiro ’69

minireunion in Hyannis Port, Mass.

David Smith is into biking in his retirement. He rode the five borough bike tour of New York City, a 40-mile-plus ride, with a group of regular riders from New Canaan, Conn. Last September, he did a 206-mile, one-day ride from Logan, Utah, to Jackson Hole, Wyo. In June, he was planning a trip to Sweden to revisit old territory (he lived there for 10 years) and to ride Vattern, a 300km, one-day ride around a lake in Sweden.

Dana Barrows attended his granddaughter’s first communion in West Hartford, Conn. She’s the daughter of Katie Barrows Chipps ’94. Dana has recovered from rotator cuff surgery in both shoulders and is back golfing. He continues to work—on his own terms—garden and exercise. He’s the incoming chair of the board of his local community foundation, and immediate past president of the Northwestern Mutual senior financial representative association. He sees buddies Ron Majdalany and John Mustone regularly.

Marc DeLorenzo has worked for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for 15 years and hopes to retire in two or three years. He and his wife, Debby, live in a saltbox house in South Dennis on Cape Cod. David Lansdale is involved with a new foundation to serve Ecuador and the Galápagos to generate competition, promote quality of life, and serve both the locals and the tourists as stewards of their destination. Check it out at www.chacay.org. He writes: “Look forward to receiving the latest from the gang, and to news that a trip to Ecuador is in order.”

Rodney Brown is president of iMichigan Productions, which has a miniseries on the Civil War years and a jazz special, American Jazz Greats, both airing on Detroit Public Television. He’s an adjunct professor, teaching American culture at

the University of Phoenix and media production at Mott Community College.

Steve Pollock’s son graduated with honors from Sierra Nevada College with a degree in journalism and outdoor adventure leadership. His daughter lives in the D.C. area.

Bill Ward went skiing in Banner Elk, N.C. He writes: “Thanks to skills acquired via the rope tow on the expert slopes of Chapel Hill, I continue to live those thrilling days of yesteryear so long as my creaky knees permit.”

John M. Fitzgerald has a son, who is CEO of a moving company in the D.C. and mid-Atlantic region, and a daughter, who is majoring in international relations with minors in political science and Italian at Eckerd College.

Walter Lowe is fully immersed in retirement. He writes: “I thought my golf game would be better by now, but I suppose my lack of talent problem is in the way.” He connected with Kirk Johnson recently.

Don Hodgkins retired in June after 32 years working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a music therapist and special education teacher.

He hopes to do more composition and music therapy, will continue his church job in Wakefield, and also his small music-therapy private practice.

His wife, Faith Goodwin Hodgkins, will continue working for Social Security another couple of years until she reaches her full pension. Their son is an attorney for a small law firm in Peabody, Mass., and their daughter is in medical school at the University of Miami.

Eric Whyte is slowly rebuilding and refurbishing himself after a recent hip replacement and a kidney transplant in ’01. He writes: “Still a long way to go to reach bionic status.” He lives in the foothills southwest of Denver and works in the metro area for the Veterans Administration. His three daughters all live in Denver, with the youngest due to graduate from the University of Colorado-Boulder in December. Eric is sorry to miss our October minireunions, but his wedding anniversary is at the same time. He keeps in touch with Dick and Ellen Peller and has visited campus a number of times to keep in touch with the farm.

Rick Stone recently resigned from his position at IDEAS and is in midst of charting a new career course. “Can’t yet say much because I’m in the midst of some negotiations. Will let you know soon.”

Brian Bauer, Don Hodgkins, and yours truly were at NMH in June for reunion planning for our 45th. Don has volunteered to help Brian, who

Don Hodgkins ’69 and Faith Goodwin Hodgkins ’69 with their daughter, Allyson

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DEBORAH PERSONS BROOKE 68 Hidden Bay Drive South Dartmouth MA 02748 dpbrooke@gmail.com

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my request for news. I hope others will become inspired to send updates to me in the future.

Amy Wong is enjoying her retirement from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science. She writes: “During a recent visit, Carol Ramsey and I reminisced about the fiercely competitive games of Hell played in the hallways of East Hall.” They remember one memorable game that featured Jo Willie Thomas ’71. “Even after all these years and the many retellings of this story, Carol and I still double over with laughter whenever it comes up. Jo Willie, where are you now and do you remember that game of Hell? Does anyone from East Hall remember the fun we had?” Amy would love to hear from dorm-mates/classmates. You can email me for her contact info, or you can find Amy and many other classmates online in the alumni directory under the alumni link on the NMH home page.

Christine Warren is a semi-retired attorney but still takes on some criminal cases. Her son is a junior at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., majoring in economics. Christine writes: “He does not want to be a lawyer. He thinks lawyers work too hard, and he just wants to be rich. It’s a great trick if you can do it.”

Julia Auerbacher Bergstrom proudly reports that her daughter, Katrina, married Andy Dickinson in July, and then honeymooned in Italy.

Kimberly Chase-Adler and her husband, Tom, have another grandchild, a girl, born on 11/22/12 to their middle daughter and her husband, who live in New York City. Kim and Tom’s oldest daughter and her husband live in London with their children (6) and (3). Fortunately, Kim’s youngest daughter lives and works in Cambridge, Mass., a little bit closer to their hometown of Norwich, Vt. Kim and Tom travel frequently to see their family and plan to get together this summer at the new beach cottage they just finished building at Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport, Maine. The whole family also plans to celebrate Christmas ’13 together in Jamaica. Kim still paints, and her passion is using water-based oils.

Stephanie “Taffy” Cowan Bellomo would love to reconnect with some of her Marquand Hall classmates/dorm-mates. She is a physician with a

CLASS NOTES full-time family practice in Burlington, Vt. “I am a creature of habit, working in the same office since ’88. I feel privileged to mentor a medical student or two every year, always finding this refreshes my excitement about this profession. I feel hope that there will always be some great men and women going on to make a difference for others.” In her spare time, Taffy tends to her five horses and attempts to keep her Australian shepherd pup occupied. Taffy remarks that her busy life does not leave as much time for her oil painting as she would like.

Carolyn “Carrie” Pelzel writes: “After 40 years in education, the last 16 as senior vice president for advancement at Dartmouth College, I’m excited to be retiring. My husband, Bruce McClintock ’60, and I feel like kids setting out on a new adventure.

A career in advancement is all-consuming and has required weekly travel for decades. Providing opportunities for talented kids to get a great education has been rewarding, as has the process of working with philanthropists who are doing well and doing good.”

She and Bruce are now looking forward to spending more time with each other and their family.

She remarked: “Mt. Hermon and Northfield were transformative experiences for Bruce and me. We remain ever grateful for the opportunity to attend the schools and to find each other.”

Martha “Marty” Seely is in the process of reinventing herself from costume designer to jewelry designer. She will design costumes for an occasional play or style a television commercial, but she is committed to building her jewelry work into a thriving business. She writes: “This past year has been a good one. I got into some of the ‘right’ trade shows, picked up a New England rep, added six new galleries that are selling my work, created a new website, got national press for my work, and continue to get additional press in trade journals.

All that makes me feel like the universe is telling me I am on the right path. Since I am growing this young business, my summer will be spent developing new designs and fleshing out my lines—and not taking a vacation. I want to be ready when shops and galleries begin ordering for the holidays.” Her husband, J., is engaged with his startup venture, Convergent Dental, which has received its first FDA approval, was granted several patents, and is working full tilt toward production. Marty writes: “I guess it is good we are both so busy—at least that keeps us in sync with one another.”

By the time your read this, you will be able to join a Facebook page, where any interested classmates can contact others and post news and photos.

Keep in touch.

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NEIL KIELY 111 Ferry Rd Bristol RI 02809-2902 neil@marketinginmotion.com

I really enjoy this job of class secretary—sometimes.

It is 7/7, about 95 degrees in Rhode Island, and my column was due two weeks ago. In desperation, I

reached out to those of you for whom I have email, but only after researching the last time I had heard from some of you so as not to write about the same classmates too often. Much to my surprise (and pleasure) I heard from many of you, some for the first time.

Thrilled to hear from Rick Lovett, who lives in Cambridge, Mass. Rick spent much of his career with Bank of Boston in Cleveland and Chicago. He returned East in the late ’80s and purchased H2O Wear, a manufacturer and distributor of chlorineresistant swimwear. This niche business is located in New Hampshire, where most of the products are manufactured. He married Barbara in his 40s, which explains why his children are a senior and freshman at Buckingham Brown & Nichols. My favorite part of his email was: “Looking forward to the next (my first) reunion.”

Steve Chiasson is scheduled to move into his new home in the Belfast, Maine, Cohousing and Ecovillage in October. He has one more year before retiring and is very excited about this upcoming lifestyle change.

Hap Schadler really caught me off guard when he told me that he had finally “moved into his garage—a 24'x36' man cave” and that he was “planning to get a lift next.” What came immediately to my mind was that he had moved out of his house and was going to have a face-lift. Rather, he reminded me that he is a “gear head” and has purchased a condo garage two miles from home and intends to purchase a car lift for all of his car and autocross work. Good thing I asked him to clarify.

Mark Andrew reports that: “Life in the heart of Ohio is idyllic as usual.” He is “somewhat retired of late” and spending a great deal of time racing Thistle Class sailboats locally and nationally.

You can see clips of Edmund Dehn’s latest U.K. acting role on YouTube—just type in Judge Minty Fan Film. Edmund is wonderful in the role of Judge Minty. George Lewis has changed law firms in D.C. after 25 years but will continue to specialize in trademark matters with the new firm, which specializes in domestic and international intellectual property law. Mark Jacobsen has a new hobby after purchasing a 21' Chaparral powerboat. The middle of three sons was just married, and they showed the bride’s southern family “just how Yankees celebrate weddings.” Mark continues to deal with the debilitating effects of cervical dystonia and is off to meet his third neurologist, this one at Duke, in hopes that someone can finally “inject the right muscles.”

Great to hear from Mike Pontius again. He thought he had nothing to offer that was newsworthy but then included enough material for an entire column—proof that what may seem mundane to you would be very interesting to your classmates. I was not aware that Mike and Bob Nardozzi have been best friends since they were four years old. Bob spent most of his career in the magazine distribution side of Time Warner in New York. After he left, he went to Charleston, S.C. (Point Pleasant, actually), and fell in love with the area and then with Mike’s neighbor, whom he married. He lives nearby, plays lots of golf, and enjoys time in Connecticut

with his two grandchildren. Mike moved from California to South Carolina and has been selfemployed in website development for most of the past 20 years. He and his wife, Lydia, just became empty nesters when their son married. They love to travel and have been to Sydney, Singapore, Taiwan, and all over the Caribbean. Their favorite place is the little town of Akumal on the Riviera Maya, south of Cancún. They love it so much that they manage a travel website for the area, which means they must visit quite often. They are also experts on Charleston (Conde Nast #1 North American destination) and would be happy to act as your tour guide if you get to the area.

Jake Duvall continues to live the dream. When not marketing fine wines, he enjoys his real passions—scuba and photography. He recently won a diving trip aboard a luxurious schooner and will be off to Bali later this summer for two weeks with his wife, Kathy. Steve Row is deeply saddened at the recent passing of legendary Harvard crew coach Harry Parker and reflects: “But I never would have met Harry or the world of rowing if Jonathan Rounds hadn’t invited me to go out for MH crew.”

Robert Holzberg recently retired after 27 years on the Connecticut Superior Court bench. He has joined a Hartford law firm, where he serves as a mediator or arbitrator in complex civil cases. He and his wife, Maria, love to travel and have visited France, Spain, Italy, and Ireland in just the last six months. Bruce Berk was the featured commencement speaker this spring at Derryfield School. Bruce is a U.S. history teacher, and his son was in the graduating class. Bruce’s daughter is a rising senior, studying graphic arts at Denison, and his son will matriculate at Elon University this fall along with Jim Eckert’s daughter. They plan to meet and travel together to drop off their children.

Collins Lein reports that both children were married last fall “two weeks apart.” Collins and his wife, Cheryl, officiated at the ceremonies, one in Great Barrington, Mass., and one in Nashville, Tenn. Their church continues to grow and challenge their leadership and management skills. Collins is working on a new studio CD using different guitars.

It is intended to “accompany times of deeper prayer, listening, meditation, and reflection.”

Although not yet retired, Jeff Marks is getting ready and just purchased a home in Port Charlotte, Fla., to go along with their home in Peaks Island, Maine. In addition to his continuing television GM responsibilities in Roanoke, he is also traveling to developing countries to train broadcasters and will be in Borjomi, Georgia, in October for that purpose. Rajan Batra has been elected to the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (47 percent of U.S. hotels are owned by Asian Indians). Rajan recently needed to see a medical specialist, and when he searched in Mission Viejo, Calif., discovered that Mark Wohlgemuth is a surgeon in an ear, nose, and throat practice. In 2000 and 2002, Mark was selected as one of the best doctors in his specialty (head and neck oncology, sinus disease, and sleep disorders) by Consumers Guide to Best Doctors.

Jerry Fraser is still in the fishing publishing

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CLASS NOTES

Cindy Kitchen Hogan ’71, Marilyn Acker Ezell ’71, Judi Tremblay Barrett ’71, and Lisa Paszamant Clark ’71 had a fabulous time at the Paul McCartney concert in Fenway Park in July.

Erle Flad ’71 and Jay Moehring ’71

Marshall Horwitz ’71 on a recent mission in Romania

industry in Maine and reports that he now flies his own ’55 Cessna 170B to his favorite spots. By the time you read this, the third annual Mt. Hermon ’70 minireunion adventure will have taken place in Maine. This year’s trip, pedals and paddles, will include two days of biking along the Maine Hut Trail through the woods and along Flagstaff Lake.

Day three will be whitewater rafting (Class IV and V) on the Dead River, which has some of the largest rapids in the Northeast. This trip had to be planned around the twice-a-season controlled dam release of 5,500 cubic feet per second, which takes place Labor Day weekend this year. Yes, I am nervous—but not so much that I can’t once again urge you to send me your email address (for my use only).

for Merck. She now has a second grandchild, a granddaughter. Sevi lives with her boyfriend, a family practitioner, in Coronado, Calif. She was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer in 2/13, but after surgery and radiation, she is cancer free and still running marathons.

Please write, email, text, Instagram, or like me on Facebook. Check out my column on cancernetwork.com.

Erle is happily married and has three kids, two daughters (26) and (16), and one son (23), all fabulous skiers and ex-ski racers. Erle is still in the winter sports business, sales and repping, and entering his 13th year as a ski patroller. Vincent Shigekuni is the only classmate Erle has stayed in touch with since graduation. Vincent is married, lives in Honolulu, and visits the mainland occasionally.

And our favorite jet-setting/humanitarian dentist Marshall Horwitz checked in with the following update: “I just read the NMH news and found out that a physician who took care of me in 4/12 for some knee problems was Kirk Johnson ’69. The NMH T-shirt made it to Romania on a mission last July. In ’14, I will go back to Mongolia, and as I wind down my private practice, I will be doing more overseas work.” Another group would like Marshall to go on missions to Uganda, but he says the Southeast Asia missions are more his style.

Marshall writes: “On a personal note, it is astounding that we are approaching our 45th reunion. Susan and I are coming up on our 31st anniversary. Our daughter is getting a Ph.D. at Harvard and MIT in something that is way over my head. It has something to do with biomedical engineering, but it has a component in auditory processing. Our son lives in Taiwan and is a translator. He loves it there and has no plans to come back.

We went to visit him a year ago, and I can see why he likes it there. He said to me that once I went to Taiwan I would never want to go back to the mainland. He was right. There is a huge difference between Taiwan and China.

“I had some unexpected major thoracic and abdominal surgery in April, and Susan was a saint.

The surgery had to be done in Boston. Too complicated for Worcester. Susan really nursed me back to health. So, we are going to take a cruise down the Danube this August to celebrate my recovery. That should be fun.”

That’s all for now. To the rest of you—keep the news coming for next column.

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REBECCA GOHMANN BECHHOLD 4755 Miami Rd Cincinnati OH 45243-4037 rbechhold@gmail.comt

Great to hear from some of you and hope to hear from more of you. Remember—someone is hoping to see your name in this column. Richard Gilder ’50, who so generously donated $10 million to our new science facility and simultaneously to Yale, my husband’s alma mater, said that his years at Mt. Hermon were the most formative of his life. I wholeheartedly second that statement. I suspect that is true for many of us.

By the time you read this, Alison Elliott, Merrill Mead-Fox, Susan Terry, Deb Young Coletti, and I will have attended a wedding for Caroline Agusti, daughter of Suki Whilton Agusti, in August at their summer home in Gloucester, Mass. Thanks to social media , we have all stayed in close contact.

And trust me—it takes some effort for us to get together, but it is so worth it.

One son of Raul and Debbie Arnold Chavez married in Aspen, Colo., recently. Their younger son works in Denver. Debbie is working as a nutrition consultant. She sustains a large organic garden at their home in Wilton, Conn.

Jane Merrill Berube reports that she is officially retired. Congrats to that.

Sevi Rice Milano is thriving and loves working

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DAVID C. ELDREDGE 311 E 10th St, Apt 1B New York NY 10009-5106 d.eldredge@verizon.net

A May email from Jay Moehring reports on the following great find: “I have moved to Twain Harte, Calif., to stay in my vacation rental property after getting laid off. I had heard that Erle Flad spent time up here in the mountains, and I did some research to locate him. My first guess was that he was a recluse in Yosemite National Park, living off of trout, small game, and wild berries. No clues, though, from park rangers or Tuolumne County police. Instead, I found out that Erle has been living in Berkeley for many years—wife, children, home, job, Subaru—all of the regular trappings of a standard American life. You can imagine my disappointment. Erle is a member of the ski patrol at nearby Dodge Ridge ski area and stopped by for a visit during the winter.

“It’s worked out well for me because I got an invitation to Erle’s upcoming 60th birthday party in Berkeley, and I know there will be plenty of free food. Erle, of course, is a great guy, and I was very happy to reconnect.”

Intrigued, I followed up with an email to Erle, and his response arrived just in time for this column. He writes: “I have a cabin up in the Sierra foothills (at a place called Pinecrest Lake) not far from Jay’s home, and he was kind enough to show up at my 60th birthday party (5/15), which was quite a scene—the band included the keyboard player (an old friend of mine) and the lead singer from Santana. It was a 2 ½-hour drive for him each way, but worth it I’m sure—I’m sort of famous for my parties.”

CLASS NOTES

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KAREN BESHAR ZAKALIK 397 Woodbridge Ave Buffalo NY 14214-1529 karen.zakalik@gmail.com

TOM SISSON 86 Punchbowl Trail West Kingston, RI 02892-1033 1972nmh@gmail.com

Greetings. This edition of class notes may seem a little short. Karen and I need you to email us and tell us what is going on in your life. You can do so at: 1972nmh@gmailcom. I spent a day at the NMH reunion last year. It was great to see some friends from other classes that I have not seen in 40 years. The class of ’72 was well represented with eight members at the reunion.

Shirley Sulyok Klinger is recovering from back surgery and has been going to the pool and/or gym at least five days a week. Her boys are 29 and 34, both single but busy. They help Shirley run the farm.

She still has her horse (14), a black Lab (1), and two cats. Shirley enjoys reading about old names that she remembers but has never heard from.

Jane Backus Gelernter says that she couldn’t imagine how much fun it would be to see familiar faces and make new friends at reunion last year. She and her husband, David, are off to Europe for a conference and then on to Rome and Florence with their sons. She sends her love to all.

Craig Ward had a great Mother’s Day weekend in the desert country near Moab, Utah, with his son, Michael, and his wife, Becky. Michael came down from Park City, where he is now fifth on the U.S. Nordic combined team. They will take five men to the Sochi games this winter, so needless to say, Michael is training with renewed vigor.

Ric Stobaeus reports that Nobuki ’04 is heading for Tampa with his lady friend, Amber, to take new veterinary jobs. Keiko ’07 is headed to Peru for her next journey with the Peace Corps, doing agriculture extension work. Emiko has just finished her first year at the College of Coastal Georgia.

Kenji and Akira have just finished 11th and 10th

grades, respectively, at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Clayton, Ga. Akira will be attending NMH Summer Session. Ric writes: “We will have our annual square dance/family reunion at the home of my sister, Lynn Stobaeus Mayo ’76, in Woodbury, Conn.” Ric went to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Dominica to work in a veterinary hospital, do mission work at the Anglican/Episcopal church (St. George’s), and work with children and livestock.

Look up dominca.dm on the web. Ric thanks all for coming to reunion last year. He writes: “Find your way to NMH. Find your way to Dominica. Think of eating mangoes.”

Mark Ellis graduated from Liberty Theological Seminary in Virginia with a Master of Divinity in professional ministry in 5/13. He is now looking for a church to pastor. Some may remember that he took early retirement from his job as an editor at the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester, Mass., in June ’10 to go back to school full time. Mark earlier earned a master’s in liberal studies from Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2/12 and has been in treatment since. Mark appears to be in remission but, because the first medication failed and he just recently started a second one, the jury is still out. Mark lives in Gardner, Mass., and is raising his granddaughter (12), who’s too smart for her own good, or at least for his. He says hello to everyone.

Hank Bonney ’71, Kim Montague, Mal Rosenwald ’71, Eric Van, Brent Robie, Nat Herold, Chip Elliott, and Erik Lindgren had a fabulous day of movies (Network and The Rules of the Game), conversation, and food (Persian and pizza) at Eric’s place in Watertown on 3/9/13. This has become an annual winter tradition in nonreunion years. Charlie Bristol had a work emergency and had to miss the gathering. Next year, Charlie.

Ken Roberts says he has frequently thought about last year’s reunion, which really resonated with him, perhaps because his daughter was just the age that he was when he came to NMH as a senior. She will be starting college at one of the Philadelphia consortium schools next fall. If anyone has a son or daughter that will be attending there, please drop Ken a line at kroberts@hawkins.com.

Hank Bonney ’71, Kim Montague ’72, Mal Rosenwald ’71, Eric Van ’72, Brent Robie ’72, Nat Herold ’72, Chip Elliott ’72, and Erik Lindgren ’72 gathered in March ’13 at Eric Van’s home.

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HEATHER BLANCHARD TOWER 46 Main St Northfield MA 01360-1023 smtower@comcast.net BILL STEWART 28 Wildwood Pl El Cerrito CA 94530-2049 BillStewartNMH73@gmail.com

From Heather: The 40th reunion was the best ever. Attendees are still basking in the glow of the moment in time we created over the weekend. It was a time to remember who we were then and how we got to where we are now. It was evident that regardless of whether or not we knew all of our class then, we were shaped by all and the fascinating time in which we were all together.

With some 60 classmates throughout the weekend, we just ran out of time to spend quality time with every one. I met classmates whose paths never crossed mine and found connections: I know Andrea Rounds, Brenda Bareham Mack, and Allison Lee Worthy came back for the first time; the 1973 pickup band (Pierce Campbell, Jamie Voos, Skip Weaver, Dave Torrey, Joe Klein, Greg Burrill, and Dave Hickernell ’68 and his version

of “Mustang Sally”) was awesome, and we danced well into Friday and Saturday night; our memorial service was touching, as each name was read and special remembrances were shared; late-night conversation in Crossley lounge; and just being together was great.

Sheila Woodson Horine was honored at the alumni convocation for her work as our class agent, and Mark Chardack received the Lamplighter Award for his stellar leadership of the NMH Board of Trustees. Greg Burrill led a seminar on Friday, and Sheila Woodson Horine honored her mother with a dedication at the farm.

And then there was the Northfield luncheon with a talk by Head of School Peter Fayroian and Peter Weis’s ’78 trivia, and that special camaraderie of being a Northfield Nellie. It was a different time then, and it is always good to be part of that group.

Even though we graduated from NMH, we started as Nellies. If you didn’t make it this year, come next time.

Some may remember Mec Peller, who came our senior year and lived in East Marquand. A special groundbreaking for new faculty housing honored Mec, as the first house built will bear her name. Dick did his best with his remarks that evoked the Mec we all knew, and her children and grandchildren attended. The house will be located behind Oaknoll. A book of memories is being created, so if you would like to contribute, contact the school.

Special thanks to Gail Monsees White, Marcia Sprague, and Betsy Bullard Morse for their attention to detail, taking care of all our needs for the weekend, and to John Lazarus for his persistence in getting folks signed up for the

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CLASS NOTES weekend and involved with our Facebook page, which he set up a couple of reunions ago.

Dave Torrey writes: “The music is still resonating in my head following hymns sung in the chapel, songbirds in the woods by Shadow Lake, the Northfield carillon playing over the green, the buzz of conversation in the Crossley lounge, and Pierce, Joe, and Greg’s dueling guitars on the Camp Hall stage with the Keep on Truckin’ ’73 Band. I was so mellow after reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones that I even joined Facebook for the first time, just to be part of the group.”

Dave opened his architectural practice in Boston this year. You can check him out at www. torreyarchitecture.com and tour some of the buildings he’s designed. If you’re in Cambridge, Mass., look Dave up.

Thatcher Stone missed reunion but has had an exciting year. He writes: “For years I said I would stay in New York until it was no longer fun, and one morning in January I woke up and decided it was no longer fun. I sold my home on Park Avenue in Murray Hill and bought a small place on eight acres in Keswick, Va., in the horse country outside of Charlottesville, Va. I am the smallest property in the neighborhood and am surrounded by no fewer than five horse properties and one cattle property, all of which are about 300 acres and all of which are in conservation easement. The University of Virginia School of Law, where I continue to teach every other fall as a lecturer, is approximately 22 miles from Keswick.”

Thatcher continues to take specialized personalinjury cases in the aviation sector from clients all over the country and was thrilled to recently find one of his cases before the Supreme Court. His daughter is at NYU, studying four languages at last count, and spent last summer in Brazil teaching poor children how to speak English. After a trial in July, Thatcher hopes to spend some time on his sailboat in Narragansett Bay, and then in August take the boat to Norfolk, Va. In September, he plans to celebrate a friend’s 60th birthday in the Panarea islands off the coast of Sicily.

Jimmy Fisher writes:”I don’t know how many times I tell people that the best four years of my life were at NMH. Our 40th reunion was fantastic.

I saw a lot of people I hadn’t seen in 40 years. So many people that I had as best friends, but time and events have drawn us apart: Scott Vokey, Pierce Campbell, Mark Spitzer, Brad Myerson, Tom Goelz, Skip Weaver, Dave Torrey, John “Laz” Lazarus, and others. Chats with former faculty

who actually remembered me. Space won’t allow me to go on and on, so here’s to us, and let’s keep in touch. Our next reunion is only five years away, and we all know how fast that went by.”

Nancy Elkington writes: “Along with a number of my classmates, I’m suddenly at a crossroads in my work life and wondering what to do next. It was good to talk with Andi Rounds at reunion about making such changes. Wonderful to see so many friends at NMH—looking forward to staying in touch with many through Facebook.”

Keep in touch and plan on June ’18 for our 50th.

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From Bill: Another great reunion has come and gone, with many details in notes from your classmates who were there. Highlights included regularly scheduled things, such as the hymn sing, Convocation, NMH Today, but the things we did on our own as a class really show our spirit—golf, bike rides, river swimming, treks to Northfield, two nights of music by our own band, and our wistful memorial circle stand out. Our long-term class goal is to endow a scholarship in memory of Jefferson Ketcham, for which we need to raise $1 million over the next 10 years. We can do this.

An ever-growing number of us stay connected on Facebook via our own private page. John Lazarus set this up some time ago, and it really helps bring us all together. It is our own private, spam-free domain. At reunion, we enjoyed the company of guests from other classes, including Tom Sisson ’72, Jeff Kessler ’72, Kelly Karpoe ’74, Nat Herold ’72, Chip Elliott ’72, and David Jones ’74. I’m sure there were others.

Tom Bartlett announces the formation of the Reunion ’73 Bike Club. “I hereby declare that all members of the class are automatically in the club (no dues, no rules, no meetings), and we had our first ride last reunion. At the next one, we will invite any and all who want to take a bike ride on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday to join in. David Holleb, Marcia Sprague, Jay Thomas, and I went for a beautiful ride Saturday morning; we rode a 10-mile loop around the NMH campus, and some of us went on to ride another 15 miles over by the Northfield campus and surrounding country. Bike rentals are a problem, but we hope to solve that by next reunion. Meanwhile, Sheila Woodson Horine and Sandi Stanton Sloane, and I had dinner in Greenfield on Thursday night, where we were joined by others, including Jamie Voos, Dave Scott, Tom Schmidt, Eddie Acker, and Hugh Moss. I also enjoyed talking with other classmates over the weekend. We are a group of unusual people with many accomplishments and experiences to share.

Many highlights, but seeing Sheila honored for her family contribution to the NMH farm and learning about Kelly Karpoe’s ’74 successes treating autistic children with homeopathic therapies were two of the many special events for me. It goes without saying that the music was great.

“A bit more sobering was the memorial we had for classmates who have died. I was struck with an impulse to try to do a little about the fact that we are all getting older by offering the option to get a little free medical advice from me if ever it was wanted. We all will have to deal with ailments that might seem a bit daunting, both for ourselves, as well as for our parents, children, and others we care about. So, if you want a sounding board from a medical professional (cardiologist) about advice you or others are getting from primary providers that is difficult to understand or bewildering, feel free to contact me at tom@tgbartlett.net or 615-519-5906.

Sometimes, just a little perspective or explanation about what your main providers are telling you can be helpful.”

Greg Burrill writes: “If I try to list all of the

wonderful experiences I had at reunion, I know I’d leave someone out. Those of you who are my Facebook friends can see an homage to the fact that most of us have known each other for 44 years.

I’m grateful that we have such a killer band. I love how we get better every reunion. I am particularly grateful that Joe Klein has a fabulous sound system and knows how to run it. When I got to Rutland on 6/10, I was happy to find out that Brad Morgan had a great time. I’m grateful for Tom Schmidt and the conversation we had, for David Wright’s music, for Mandy Ristow and Jon, for Kelly Karpoe ’74, and Marika Partridge ’72, and for Amy Halstead leading me to illicit lobster. I’m grateful for all the times I had pancakes, French toast, and waffles with real maple syrup. I’ll be looking for opportunities to visit you all as I traipse around the country. I don’t post about trips on Facebook until I get home for security reasons, but any of you may get a message about an upcoming visit.”

Amanda Ristow thanks everyone for making Jon feel welcome. He had a great time. After reunion, they stopped to see Eric Vance at his music and archery store, so Jon could look at a ukulele. “What a cool place. I miss you guys already. There wasn’t enough time to have all the conversations that I wanted to have so I’m going to have to make some phone calls.”

Bill Stewart had a nice visit to family in North Carolina in April, including a short visit with Barbara “Babs” Mead Wise at her office at Duke, where she matches incoming and outgoing students with scholarships. She says that she really misses Northfield. Bill’s sons, Chris and Blake, are happy in Winston-Salem, N.C., where they run Ember Audio Video and Ember Art Gallery. Bill ended his visit by having dinner with Eric Lindblade ’71 and his wife, Susan, who are both senior pastors at North Raleigh United Methodist Church. Bill writes: “I indulged myself before reunion with a minivacation in New York City courtesy of Dave King. Reunion never seems long enough, but I left very satisfied and glad to have spent extra time with John Thomas, Allison Lee Worthy, Susan Perkins Stark ’74, Amy Halsted, Erik Anderson, Lisa Stein, and Betsy Morris. And we can’t forget Marika Partridge ’72 and her ukulele.

Tom Schmidt writes: “I am still basking in the glow of seeing many of you last week for four days. That is why Andy Lazarus (father of John) and Ralph Voos (father of Jamie) are so much on my mind today. The Lazarus and Voos homes were my “second home” my two years at Mt. Hermon.

I can picture Mr. Lazarus sitting at the piano playing after his train ride home from his office in the city, and Mr. Voos cooking us steaks on the grill. It was challenging to get to Ohio and back for Thanksgiving and long weekends. Everything I needed was on Harmony Road and Round Hill Road. Today I remember both of these fine men fondly. Peace.”

After 3 1/2 years in Dubai, Katherine D’Arcy is returning to Hong Kong, where her husband, Peter, is returning to private law firm practice after several years with the World Bank in D.C.

CLASS NOTES and as general counsel in an independent Emirati oil company. Katherine has been working in the United Arab Emirates at a local investment bank/ asset management firm in marketing and doing some volunteer work at the Middle East Investor Relations Society. She will be looking for a role in Hong Kong. Daughter Elizabeth will be a ninth grader at Hong Kong International School, and her big sister will be teaching in Singapore. Classmates passing through should get in touch.

Hi, everyone. It’s been a long year, with lots to cover.

Our 40th reunion is in June ’14—that’s in six months. Come. Send me your stories and photos, now. To volunteer to help with reunion or to join our Facebook page, contact John Burnham at johnsburnham@gmail.com. Many of us have reconnected with old friends, roommates, and lost pals through Facebook.

Trustee Josephine “Josie” Hart attended the NMH Christmas Concert at the White House. “It was a wonderful honor for the NMH singers to perform. I enjoyed the White House tour and the Willard Hotel reception. Charlotte Bahin and Catherine Flanagan also came; I loved catching up with the Marquand group.”

Last December, Steve Laubach traveled to South Georgia, the Scotia Arc, and the Antarctic Peninsula with a Geological Society of America field expedition. Daughters Eva ’15 and Isabel ’17 accompanied him. He writes: “I’m counting on Eva’s Spanish language skills (honed summer ’12 in the NMH Uruguay program) to get us through Santiago and Buenos Aires.”

Bill Martling says the Island Fever went into the water in early ’13, and he would love to take any and all who are on the Cape for a sail.

Our White House advisor, Valerie Bowman Jarrett, gave an interview at Inauguration proceedings on 1/21/13. Valerie, many classmates have asked for you and would love to hear from you on the private ’74 Facebook page.

Claire Bamberg’s son, Matthew BambergJohnson ’02, starred in a ’12 production at the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Matthew graduated from CalArts with an M.F.A. in performing arts in May. In June ’12, Claire finished her sixth year as senior pastor at the Congregational Church UCC of Plainville, Conn. In October ’12, John Burnham joined Claire’s 30-year celebration in ordained ministry. She had lunch in Colorado with Judy Armbruster in January ’13, and then Claire and Judy spent time together on 7/4/13 in Cheshire, Conn.

From Falmouth, Mass., Peter Allenby writes: “I am truly blessed with a loving family who bring immeasurable joy into my life.” After a Wall Street career, Peter now works for a Toronto-based financial services company as newsletter author. Their work focuses on property and casualty insurance/ reinsurance and asset management. Although he has a long commute between home and the Stamford, Conn., office, Peter feels fortunate to work for an exceptional company. Cole (10) and Theodore (6) mean Peter has a few years before facing the fiscal cliff of college. His wife, Saramaria, who earned her master’s in divinity from Union Theological Seminary, is involved in elementary-school PTO and is pursuing ordination in the Congregational Church. Peter’s dad, Al Allenby, former NMH college counselor, lives in town, as does his sister, Deborah Allenby Albert ’78, who teaches juniorhigh Spanish. “We take the notion of family within community very seriously. If you find yourself in this part of the Cape, please look us up.”

Lyn Tranfield Bennett writes: “Two major milestones in our household. Daughter Vera graduated from Fordham University in May, and son Chris graduated from Cushing Academy in May. My job as education program manager at Kronos remains interesting. I try to determine and get ahead of where the future of employee training is going with all the new technology.”

After 15 years of retirement, John Dimeo went back to college and earned his master’s in psychology from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. “I will soon begin my encore career as a psychotherapist.”

Betsy McConnell graduated from UC-Berkeley in English lit and has had several careers, including corporate trainer and insurance claims adjuster, and is now a veterinary technician, “which is the first job I’ve ever had that I love.” Betsy volunteers in animal rescue and feral cat programs. Since ’92, she’s lived in the tiny town of Redwood Forest, Calif., 50 miles north of San Francisco. She lives with her boyfriend and four cats. “I fondly remember

Andy Chasson ’74 fishing with a mentee in ’12

David Wright ’73 and Kelly Karpoe ’74 at Reunion ’13

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STEPHANIE LYNN GERSON 877 Oakdale Circle Millersville MD 21108 Stephanie.L.Gerson@gmail.com

Barbara Newman Wroncy, Susan Fenske McDonough, Sue Doe Darnall ’73, Priscilla ‘Bitsie’ Lance Reynolds, Pam Miller Dysenchuk, Bernie Niemeier ’72, Marie Queen ’73, and oth-

ers. I remember a weekend in a cabin, riding horses through Mt. Hermon’s snowy forest, Northfield as an amazingly beautiful campus, and riding bikes up to Brattleboro.”

Jill Harrington Nichols has been adjusting to life sans children. She had a one-woman art show at the Firehouse Square Gallery, New London, Conn., in February. Her Hibbard roommate, Jill Riihiluoma Lukasiewicz, who lives in South Hadley, Mass., found her. Please contact us, Jill R.L. People have been asking for you.

Susan Fenske McDonough took a gap year after moving to Brookline, N.H., to bunk with her dad (95) in October ’11. She attended workshops and conferences; volunteered at nonprofits; cooked for seniors pot luck; helped her dad with his bountiful veggie garden; enjoyed swimming, yoga, and tennis at the health club; and started looking for meaningful work and a New Hampshire home of her own. Brother Mark Fenske ’76 and partners successfully launched their eighth restaurant, the Copper Door, in Bedford, N.H., in December ’11.

Sue climbed Mt. Monadnock for the first time since ’73. Sue’s oldest is an occupational therapist at a hospital in San Francisco. The younger two took a year off, then returned to college in Scranton and Ithaca. Sue enjoyed Vespers ’11 on campus, seeing former headmaster (and her former employer) Dick Unsworth ’45. She visited Pam Miller Dysenchuk at winter holidays ’12 and also at Dartmouth lacrosse games, and Melissa Alden ’72 at antiques shows. “I would be happy to hear from area NMH classmates and friends anytime.”

After decades of chasing “more,” Daniel Johnson and his wife, Kate, and four kids are practicing voluntary simplicity. Over ’12 they downsized from two homes with seven bedrooms to one home with two bedrooms, and from three cars to two. They are happy as can be while consuming less than ever.

Dan is a well-known realtor in Breckenridge, Colo.

If you’re on a similar path, or want to hear about it, Dan would love to hear from you at Daniel@ YourMountainBroker.com. Dan starts every day of the year with a hike in the Rocky Mountains.

After living in Colorado for more than 20 years, Eric Teot and Kim, his wife of 32 years, now live in Utah, where they enjoy skiing “the greatest snow on earth.” Eric also adds: “Moab Rocks.”

David Jones ’74 and his daughter, Ellie, at a Pawtucket Red Sox Game in April ’13

fall 2013 I 75

CLASS NOTES Gail Ward-Gould writes: “I have lived in so many places since NMH, including 12 years in Sun Valley, Idaho. I came to Scottsdale, Ariz., in ’91. Since ’99, I’ve owned and operated a full-service staffing agency. It’s been fun and exciting to grow a successful business. If you come through the Scottsdale/ Phoenix area, please look me up.”

Living on a wonderful old farm in her Maine hometown, Janet Lidstone Theriault and her husband, Ed, have hosted exchange students over the past few years. She’s a school secretary and sees Scot MacDonald ’75 with his high-school students in tow. Janet started her sideline business, Funky Trunk Wardrobe, fashion styling for photo shoots around New England, when daughter Zoe began modeling a few years ago.

Virginia “Ginger” Hinman McEachern’s daughter Molly (20) attends the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, and Sarah (18) is a college freshman.

Lucia Mele and her Gould roommate Moira Morrison (who was one of my co-art editors on Mandala Magazine) are reunited via Facebook.

Lucia is retired, lives in San Francisco, and continues on a novel she started as a Stanford freshman.

Her mother returned to her western New York reservation near Lucia’s brother, Robert Mele ’75. Her other brother, Christopher Mele ’79, is a doctor in Gilroy, Calif. Lucia would love to hear from friends, especially Chyla Dibble Evans. You can contact Lucia at lucia.mee@alum.mit.edu.

“I’m excited about the recently released book I edited: Extract: The Pipeline Wars,” writes Linda Solomon, who is founder and editor-in-chief of the Vancouver Observer, which won the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s ’12 Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Virginia “Ginny “ Risk attended her brother Andy’s October ’12 wedding with cousin Gail Perkins Johnsen ’62 and sister Alice Risk Timmons ’78. The day before, Alice and Ginny visited the Northfield campus. They realized they both had spent time in Marquand, now marked off with yellow tape. While taking pictures of their former dorm-room windows, they met a maintenance manager, who talked about the Auditorium and chapel restorations. Ginny lives in Freemont, Calif., and would like to hear from classmates.

Nancy Doonan Coppelman attended Christmas Vespers in Boston last December with Pamela

Watson-Hogan ’77. Nancy is a participant coordinator for the neurology group at the Framingham, Mass., heart study. Husband Jon reinvented his work life. Daughter Julia is a Northwestern senior and Anna a Kenyon sophomore.

John Burnham, his wife, Rachel Balaban, and daughter, Olivia (a recent Tulane grad), also attended Christmas Vespers in Boston, a special evening of music that included a baritone solo by John’s nephew, Daniel Packard ’14. Joining them were John’s sister, Louise Burnham Packard ’78; his parents, former NMH faculty Dave and Anne Webb Burnham ’44; and Ed Pitoniak and his wife, Kate Barber, with whom John had recently reconnected, and their two daughters. Ed and Kate recently moved to Exeter, R.I., from Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

Steve Meyer moved from The Hague to Leiden, Netherlands, during the summer of ’12, but still works for Shell, teaching exploration geology to Shell staff. He takes inspiration in teaching from memories of Mrs. Burnham (John’s mother.) in sophomore geometry classes.

Jonathan Towne and his wife, Becky, spent a week last December in Chicago at the largest band and orchestra conference in the country. They snowshoed in Wells, Maine, and skied in North Conway, N.H., over the holidays. In January, Jon marched in his seventh presidential inaugural parade in Washington, D.C., the last four as band drum major. “Always an honor to participate, even though it is usually a long and cold day. If you see a Coast Guard Band concert in your community, come hear us and say hi. The concerts are always free.”

After four years in elected public service (as commissioner, vice mayor, and mayor), Anne Lawrence Salle stepped off the platform July ’13, to become executive director of the Girl Choir of South Florida, for girls 6 to 18. Her new administrative leadership focuses on attaining funding and recognition for these talented singers. Anne welcomes anyone passing through Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to be in touch at aesallee@gmail.com.

From Palmer, Mass., Charles “Chuck” Adams writes: “Enjoyed ’12 holidays at home with family.

Retired from former job. Hoping to find something to keep me busy—not that I’m not busy enough with our daughter (8). Looking forward to reunion ’14, so I can reconnect with old friends.”

George and Wilma Bachinski Kiefer ’75,

married since 1980, spent Thanksgiving week ’12 traveling from coast to coast to visit their kids. Their youngest daughter is in Washington, D.C.; their son is in Los Angeles, where Wilma writes: “We tested our wits with a tandem sky dive, then checked it off our bucket list.” They returned to Michigan for another feast with another daughter and her family there. The whole family gathered in Michigan for Christmas. George and Wilma would love to see classmates who are traveling in western Michigan.

Bonita Hyman was on the road during summer ’13 to Aix-en-Provence for a role in Richard Strauss’s Elektra, and then on to Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Bonita’s debut in that famous theater. She writes: “The driving lessons will have to wait a bit longer.

Son Cameron (15) celebrated his confirmation on my April birthday.” Bonnie performed a UNICEF gala benefit concert in November ’12, and took a teacher-mentoring seminar in New York City in January ’13. See Bonita’s Facebook page for performance photos.

Adam Thomson graduated from professional crafts in woodworking from Haywood Community College in North Carolina in June. His naturaledged bench and folding breakfast trays were in the juried graduate exhibition and later in the summer at the Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art Center show. He sells at the November Ramble at Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami, Fla. With sadness, I report that two of our classmates passed away earlier this year. Andy Chason died 3/17/13 from a heart attack. Laura Nelson writes: “Friends will remember Andy as whip smart, outgoing, confident, adventurous, and fun-loving. He lived in the moment, ever ready to make you laugh or to help someone, a friend or a total stranger. Andy’s boundless energy and ability relating to kids in perpetual motion suited him as an NMH Big Brother/Big Sister mentor, which he continued later with his wife, along with the Fresh Air Fund. They brought several boys with them on their Maine vacations and fishing trips. He was an avid waterman, camper, and skier. We shared a big adventure in a two-month wilderness canoe trip in northern Quebec when we were 20. Andy was a Boston-based entrepreneur. His recent venture was a houseboat-rental vacation business. A spirited life celebration was held for Andy in Gloucester, Mass., featuring a New Orleans–style jazz funeral sendoff.

Donations may be made to Fresh Air Fund and

Steve Laubach ’74 with daughters Eva ’15 and Isabel ’17 on South Georgia Island geological expedition in January ’13

Wilma Bachinski Kiefer ’75 and her husband, George Kiefer ’74, preparing to skydive in California in November ’12.

Peter Allenby ’74 with his sons, Cole (9) and Theodore (5), and his wife, Saramaria

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CLASS NOTES Big Brothers of Boston. He is survived by his wife, Peggy, and his son, Russell.

Alan Schwartz died on 6/11/13. After NMH, Alan earned his bachelor’s from Albion College in Michigan, a master’s in library and archival science from the University of Michigan, and a master’s in American history from Harvard. Alan worked at the Boston Housing Authority as records maintenance coordinator and ran an agency-wide recycling effort.

He served in the Navy Reserves and volunteered at Mass General Hospital and the Methuen (Mass.)

Animal Care and Adoption Center. He passionately pursued history, book collecting, and ship-model building. Alan cultivated acres of common and exotic vegetables, with much sold to schools and donated to shelters. He raised bees, made cheese, and tapped maple trees for syrup.

Jonathan Towne, Susan Fenske McDonough, David Jones, and Kelly Karpoe attended Reunion ’13. Jon writes: “It was sure nice walking around some and remembering back 40 years to our days on campus.” The group encourages classmates to connect on Facebook and to encourage members in nearby classes to attend.

See you first at reunion ’14.

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KAREN PERKINS 252 Monte Grigio Dr Pacific Palisades CA 90272 onoclea@verizon.net

Greetings from the scribe of ’75, Karen Perkins. I am off to Paris for two weeks, staying in a friend’s apartment near the botanical garden and Notre Dame Cathedral. Just a little R & R after my son graduates from high school. Yes, I’m treating myself.

It was a lot of work, let’s be honest. He’s joined the Army National Guard and begins training this summer in Oklahoma and then Arizona. My daughter has finished her second year at the Maryland Institute College of Art and this summer is working for a production company that specializes in costumes. My Paris trip inspired many bon voyages from classmates. Thanks for that.

Nancy Toomey Kundl writes: “Bon voyage, Karen. I have no notes, but I do love Paris. I spent two weeks in Aix-en Provence last spring while my daughter was there studying. Reminded me a lot of Paris. Loved it. Would move there in a heartbeat. (I guess that’s notes...).”

Liz Armstrong writes: “My daughter, Rebekah Lofgren ’13, graduated from NMH this May. We had a great time, and the whole experience was wonderful and made me remember why I loved NMH so much. I will be off to Paris and London soon, a celebration of Rebekah’s successful completion of her education at NMH. It was a good ride for her there. This year was pretty good for me: published a book of translations and got a big grant for study travel.”

Congratulations to Sallie Dillingham Bowling, our former scribe, who writes: “Happy to report that Stuart and I are celebrating our 25th wedding

anniversary this fall and that our daughter Abby is unbelievably happy traveling with Up With People.”

Leslie Ferrin is living in Northampton for two years while her teenager attends Northampton High School. She writes: “Sports (Ultimate Frisbee) take us up to NMH, and I send iPhone photos of campus(es) to fellow alums. Working virtually in the art field as Ferrin Contemporary and Project Art.” Mary “Kate” Dunn has lived in Brooklyn for 25 years, teaching French and Spanish at an independent school, also in Brooklyn. Her daughter will be a senior at Macalester.

Veronica Froelich Adams is “still trying to get settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I’m doing training and development and management consulting contracting work, trying to wend my way into the world of innovation. And I’m digging the great outdoors with hiking and getting back into whitewater canoeing. I’d love to connect with Hoggers around here.”

Sai Wai Fu reports on a minireunion with Peter Chen ’76 and Phil Brewer. In March, Sai and his wife, Beatrice; Phil and his significant other, Victoria Woo; and Peter and his wife, Annie, had dinner in San Francisco. Sai writes: “We are all healthy and talked mostly about our children and a little about our careers. Phil was recently promoted to CEO of Textainer, a publicly traded company.

My younger son, Gilbert, graduated from Stanford with a master’s degree in electrical engineering and decided to go work for Qualcomm in San Diego, against our advice to stay away from the semiconductor industry. Our older son, Anthony, just completed his fourth year as a Ph.D. student in chemistry at UC-Berkeley. My wife and I continue to work full time, and on old and new hobbies that our children also enjoy.”

Thanks to Peter Marcalus, who wrote that he doesn’t usually contribute to the alumni news but has finally given us his update: “Born, raised, and still living in New Jersey. Married to my first wife, Karen Fitzgerald, for the last 31 years. Our two daughters (28) and (26) successfully launched into careers and independent living soon after they graduated from college. Both got married in ’12.

Daughter Amanda and her husband were married by Phil Rider, former NMH chaplain, who is a longtime friend. My girls and their husbands live and work in the metro area, and we all enjoy frequent family get-togethers. I’m now managing some family real estate, as well as providing paper recycling services and selling food waste composting equipment to schools, colleges, and other institutions. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening (which mostly entails daily battles with marauding woodchucks) and hiking in the local hills in northern New Jersey. Occasionally, I make a new sculpture, and I’m focused on doing more art in the future.

Karen and I returned to NMH a few years ago for the 35th reunion. I’m looking forward to the big 40th in ’15 to see many old classmates, including

after I left school, served four years, working on F-14 jets. After the Navy, I married Beth and had three daughters (31, 26, 21) and now have three dogs. We lived in Virginia Beach, Va., until ’86, and then moved back to Connecticut for a while. There, I worked for Callaway Cars, building engines for the Aston Martin racing team in England. After leaving Callaway in ’94, we moved to Norfolk, Va., where I worked at various shops, restoring Corvettes. I then got a job at another local machine shop—Abacus Racing—doing all sorts of automotive machine work and have been there for the last 14 years. We have restored a slew of Lola T70 race cars from back in the ’70s. One of them was Roger Penske’s old car. We also race our own cars in Sports Car Club of America and in various vintage series.”

Jimmy Garst writes: “After 25 years of struggle, I am about to have a payday. Although I’m not able to sell my Vegas home that is still under water, I have sold off most of my personal property and reduced down to three suitcases. Honestly, I feel that is two suitcases more than I need. I’m now doing my Jack Kerouac impersonation and have gone ‘on the road.’ This week, I’m in Iowa learning all about the White Rock Nature Conservancy. This weekend, I’m planning to attend my first Grinnell College reunion. Hope to visit my son, who works as a film editor in New York City. Plan to see some old NMH friends. Driving up to Maine to visit Brian Eagar ’73. Then will fly to London to visit my aunt before arriving at my final destination, Kiev. I’m planning a relaxing summer on the Black Sea with the girlfriends.”

Sadly, I report that Mark Lee contacted me about the passing of his brother, Arthur CY Lee ’77. Mark writes: “Arthur passed away from natural causes in Shanghai on 5/4/13. Arthur’s passion was playing music—a lot of which he enjoyed learning and playing while at NMH. He played in local bands and in local clubs while working as an engineer in San Francisco. In ’04 he moved to Shanghai and set up business as a consultant for manufacturing businesses and provided education for business executives. His warmth, intelligence, and engaging personality earned him many good friends and family in Shanghai. His presence on the Shanghai music scene was appreciated and loved by many.”

Rob Brougham, Andy Lee, Rudi Simpson, Jeff Miller, and many others. I hope we have a good

turnout for the 40th reunion.”

Steve Batchelder writes: “I joined the Navy

Veronica Froelich Adams ’75

fall 2013 I 77

CLASS NOTES

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SUSAN LORING-WELLS 12 Ames Haven Rd, PO Box 273 Shutesbury MA 01002 susanloring@me.com

JOE MCVEIGH PO Box 883 Middlebury VT 05753-0883 joe@joemcveigh.org

From Joe: Dongsok Shin’s early music group ensemble, REBEL, toured in Germany and the U.K. recently A highlight was playing a recital in George Frederic Handel’s music room in London. Dongsok was also filmed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art as he played several pieces on the earliest known piano, dating from 1720. To see the videos, search for Dongsok on YouTube or at Metmuseum.org.

Dongsok’s daughter Samantha (23) graduated from Vassar and is working at an elementary school in New York City; daughter Linnea (21) is a senior at Harvey Mudd; son Adrian (16) is in high school and is a competitive pairs figure skater. Dongsok is in touch with David Caldwell ’75 and Charlotte Bacon Holton. Charlotte and husband, Steve, have moved for the third time in two years and have bought a house in White Plains, N.Y. Steve has completed an advanced seminary degree and is exploring work options that will permit him to be involved in both parish and interfaith ministry.

Jon Albee is a home energy consultant in East Dorset, Vt. Ann Hallberg Harvey ran into Phebe Gregson at Phebe’s brother’s wedding in Connecticut in summer ’12.

Dave Marley entered the hospital for an operation in December ’12, went into a coma, and died 5/18/13. After spending his PG year at NMH, Dave graduated from UMass-Amherst in ’81. Dave was a highly motivated and successful businessman, living in Belchertown, Mass. He owned and operated Diversified Construction Services for more than 30 years. In recent years, he started and developed Hyperion Systems, a solar energy company.

Dave also created and led a solar educational venture, the STEM Solar Lab. In his time away from work, Dave enjoyed deep-sea fishing and coaching youth hockey. At his memorial service, Dave was remembered by his wife, Annie, and their children, Erin Marley ’10 and Jake Marley ’13, who graduated from NMH just a week after his father’s death.

Erin is a senior at Sacred Heart University. Jake is a freshman at Bryant College. Also speaking was Janet Marley, Dave’s daughter with Grace Mauzy ’77.

Janet is a massage therapist and healer in California.

Rich Lennon spoke as well. Dave and Annie were responsible for introducing Rich to his (now) wife, Kinter. In his remarks, Rich remembered Dave’s exuberant enthusiasm, his persuasiveness, and his abundant energy, and liked to think of him “grinning with his famous smile.”

Twelve ’76ers attended the memorial service for Dave in Amherst, Mass., in June. Present were Skip Weeks and his wife, Denise, from Connecticut; Joe McVeigh from Vermont; Ann Wenniger and

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Jodi Barber DiGennaro from New York; and Stephen and Linda Zelenko Piscuskas ’78.

Others at the service shared news. Adam Saffer and his wife, Alison, have moved to Cape Cod. Phil Hosmer is on the road to recovery from recent knee

surgery. He and his wife, Karen, live in Maine. Phil commutes to New Hampshire, where he manages medical supplies for a hospital. Jim Leyden works as a mailman in Maine. His brother Jeff Leyden ’80 works at NMH in the Office of Advancement.

Dean Steeger’s son is enjoying a PG year at NMH this fall. Dave Perry and his wife, Sue, live in Rochester, N.Y., where Dave is in insurance. They have five children and three grandchildren. Peter Lovell is an attorney specializing in reinsurance in Connecticut. Rich Lennon is enjoying an early retirement from the family business in Walpole, N.H. His wife, Kinter, teaches kindergarten. Others at the service included NMH chaplain Michael Corrigan, science teacher Hughes Pack, and athletic director Tom Pratt.

Just at our deadline, we received word that Stephen Piscuskas died unexpectedly on 7/27/13.

Stephen and the entire Piscuskas family were integral parts of the NMH community from the 1950s to the 1980s. He will be greatly missed. We’ll have more about his life in our next issue.

We hope it won’t take a life-changing event for you to get in touch. Please send your news to the addresses above and join the NMH Class of 1976 Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you.

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ANNE HOWSON 85 Sutherland Road #2 Brighton MA 02135-7159 ahowson@partners.org ahowson@rics.bwh.harvard.edu

Happy autumn to all: We start with the somber and end with the buoyant.

Arthur Clayton Lee passed away 5/4/13 in Shanghai, China. His brother, Mark Lee ’75, wrote that Arthur passed away from natural causes. After NMH, he attended MIT and earned a bachelor’s in aeronautical engineering. He then served in the U.S. Air Force as a liaison officer in Silicon Valley for three years, and then worked for IBM as an engineer. “Arthur didn’t care for the buttoned-down lifestyle, and after a few years moved to San Francisco, where he played music—a passion he enjoyed learning and playing while at NMH. He played guitar in local bands and clubs while continuing to work in engineering. Coupled Arthur Clayton Lee ’77 with a love of adventure, his music led him to many locations, and in ’04 he proclaimed that Shanghai was the ‘new frontier for job opportunities and growth.’ He moved there and began consulting for manufacturing businesses and providing education for executives. His warmth,

intelligence, and engaging personality earned him many good friends and family in Shanghai, and his presence in the music scene there was appreciated and loved by many. I will miss my beautiful brother.”

More about Arthur (Clayton, as he preferred to be called in later years) can be found, and shared, at www.forevermissed.com/clayton-lee.

John Spence visited town recently and I had dinner with him in Kenmore Square. It was simply great to see him. One of the great things about NMH classmates—there is no awkwardness or stilted conversation when meeting up, no matter how long the gap in between communication. I have found this time and time again with many of you, and I thank you. These friendships help ease the burden of losing the third member of my family in nine years, my brilliant brother Arthur at 61 to brain cancer. My mom steadfastly maintained that life is not all “beer and Skittles” nor is it a “chair of bowlies” (Mom was always good at pithy malapropisms).

Elsewhere, a terse update arrived from David Allen: “Still teaching and sailing at Interlochen, Mich., waiting for Bill Cook to explain this strange state to me. I had a student whose uncle was kicked out of Mt. Hermon. Teaching economics at Andover during the summer—last time I did so, Natalie “Tash” Yates Cacciato’s nephew was in my dorm. Life is strange.”

Ellen Balka learned on the reunion Facebook page that Reem Abdul-Qadir, another former Merrill Keep resident, now lives in Canada. In early May, Ellen visited Toronto and “spent a lovely few hours catching up with her. Reem is a social worker in Toronto, and is just as fabulous as she was a million years ago. After lunch, Reem joined as I participated in a photography portfolio review, during which time we met and discovered we both knew someone else in common, who had no connection to NMH. Definitely a high point in my spring.”

Robert Krey has been in regular email communication with former roommate Addison “Bill” Cook as well as Nathaniel Thompson. “I attended the Cooks’ wedding in Brazil (10 years ago?).

Recently, I have been reconstructing Cook’s NMH Hayden music library, including some of his favorite Hendrix fare, under the guidance of my former teenage mentor for crashing guitars and blues.

Mr. Thompson treated me to a Hockey East triple overtime championship game in Boston, which we enjoyed with his two daughters. I live with wife Claudia and son John near Worcester, Mass. I have attended every reunion since ’97 and have marveled at classmates’ camaraderie and achievements, including David Allen, Mark Brandt, Stuart Thomas, Fred Treffeisen, Anne Howson, Pamela Watson-Hogan, and pretty much everybody. You

guys rock.”

Tina Neal writes: “The Alaskan midnight sun is here with record warm temperatures (and hungry mosquitoes) across the state, portending a snowy winter. I spent six weeks in March and April working in the volcano program office at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) headquarters in Reston, Va., enjoying an East Coast spring for the

CLASS NOTES first time in many years. It was a nice change of pace and also a chance to see the USGS view of challenging budget times for the federal government. A highlight of my tenure was taking a Segway tour of downtown Washington, D.C., with my sisters.

During a short New England stint in mid-June, I had a nice visit with Carrie Niederman ’78 on the heels of her 35th reunion.”

On 6/22, 11 NMH alums gathered at the home of Jim and Maureen Miller Hallock ’76, in Westport, Conn., for a daylong party, anticipating the evening’s highlight: a Foreigner concert, featuring classmate and multitalented instrumentalist Tom Gimbel. Joining Maureen and Jim were Judge Arcaro, Doug Crater ’76, Paul Crowder, Adam Handler, Joanie Kaplan Williams, Bryan MacDonald, Jon Rubin, Nat Thompson, and Anne Wenniger ’76. Paul flew in from Colorado,

Joanie from Florida, and Nat drove down from Maine, all winning the awards for the longest treks.

Louis Edozien almost made the journey from Nigeria, but challenging logistics prevented that heroic expedition. Jon writes: “We spent all day at the Hallocks’ home on the Aspetuck River, taking turns jumping into the river from a rope swing and pretending we were all 17 again. In addition to a delicious barbecue, Jim and Maureen provided a quarter keg of Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, in honor of Dogfish founder and fellow NMHer Sam Calagione ’88. In early evening, the ‘supermoon’ began rising, and we headed to the concert venue.

Shortly after 9 pm, the band came out onstage. Our crew rushed the stage and quickly got Tom’s attention with Hallock-led shouts of ‘Gimballi.’ For two hours we did our best to embarrass him as the band played its heart out. Afterward, we reconvened back at the Hallocks for farewells before making our way home. The only regret is that more of our friends couldn’t join us for such a wonderful night.” Tom texted Nat later: “It was so great to see you guys there last night. Please thank everybody for me.”

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CARRIE NIEDERMAN 1021 Arlington St Houston TX 77008 thedoc@txequinedentist.com CATHY ABRAHAM HOPKINS 2590 Centre St RR #1 St. Catharines ON Canada L2R 6P7 cathy.hopkins@gmail.com

From Carrie: Wonderful to see everyone at reunion this year. Please check out our class Facebook page for more details and photos. Here are a few thoughts and highlights.

Many thanks to Erika Monsees McCormick and Maxine Alchek for getting us all organized.

It was a gift to hear the voices of Debbie Allenby Albert and Ellen McVeigh Crawford during the hymn sing. A shout-out to Cindy Gelsthorpe Fish for her leadership with the Mec Peller Faculty House. It was a fun scene, as many of us danced

to “Ride Sally Ride” (with some wearing Pam Gras Ryan’s red, white, and blue flashing glasses). It was a wonderful surprise to see Holloway McCandless and Donna Grinold Hawley after so many years, and as always, the greatest gift was to laugh with Heidi Nelson Walter, Paige Relyea Lehman ’79, and Estelle Dorain Burgess ’79, as we navigated our first reunion without Gail Osgood.

We hope more of you will consider returning for our 40th. I am sure Beth Graden Rom will once again rally the troops.

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PAIGE RELYEA LEHMAN 5236 SW 89th Ter Cooper City FL 33328-5140 paigerelyea@yahoo.com

CARY LIEBOWITZ BONOSEVICH 1972 Littleton Rd Monroe NH 03771-3275 bonosevich@hotmail.com

From Paige: Hey ’79ers. Our 35th reunion is just around the corner—please join us June 5–8, 2014.

If you haven’t been back for a while—or have never attended a reunion—don’t miss this opportunity. Estelle Dorain Burgess and I spent a fun weekend on campus as reunion observers. The school is thriving, the campus is beautiful, and it’s always a joy to see classmates reconnect. It was fun being with the class of ’78, which had a great time together. I spoke with one classmate who was attending her first reunion and was so happy that she’d come back. If you’re hesitating about returning for reunion, we urge you to sign up. The energy and spirit surrounding reunion melts away the years, and classmates are genuinely happy to see one another. So what if we have gray hair, no hair, crow’s feet, or a few extra pounds? What’s important is reconnecting with each other and our beautiful school. So, plan to celebrate this milestone with the class.

Most of the reunion communications will be via email. Make sure NMH has your current email and contact info by logging in to the Alumni Community at www.nmhschool.org. Our Facebook page has 150-plus classmates. Join the page at Northfield Mount Hermon Class of 1979.

We will be putting together photo collages for reunion and need photos of fun times at NMH, and of you and your family. Make sure to identify the people in the photos. Please email photos to Paige by 4/1/14.

From our reunion chair, Estelle: “Please come to our 35th. No excuses. Put it on your calendar.

Smiles and laughter are always in the plans. Try to connect with all your close friends and make a minireunion of your own. Best part is you won’t be obligated to study hours or a work job—what more could you ask for?”

From the Alumni Office: Mary Jane “MJ” Curry, associate professor at the University of

Rochester Warner School of Education, has

been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and conduct research in Chile. She will teach in the spring semester ’14 at Universidad Mayor in Santiago and will conduct research on the experiences of Chilean scholars writing for publication in English. MJ directs the teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and foreign language teacher-education programs at Warner. She writes: “As English is becoming the dominant language in academic publishing globally, it’s essential that we understand the barriers that scholars from countries where English is not the daily language face in learning and using English and raise awareness of these challenges for gatekeepers in Englishdominant countries.”

Prior to working in Mary Jane Curry ’79 higher education, MJ taught English and writing to immigrant workers, international students, and nontraditional students in Boston, Costa Rica, and Madison, Wis.

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JACK FARRELL 22314 Cairnloch St Calabasas CA 91302-5873 jack@jackfarrell.org ANTONY PANG 80 Anson Rd 29-01 Singapore 079907 aa1105@yahoo.com KRISTIN KELLOM 5 Main St Northfield MA 01360-1018 kkellom@nmhschool.org LYNELLE KUCHARSKI 94 Cambridge Dr Glastonbury CT 06033-1379 lynelle@lynellekucharski.com

From Kristin Kellom: Jeff Leyden and I get to hear from and see many classmates given our jobs at NMH. We enjoyed a get-together at the home of Stephanie Ackler in New York City in May. Bob Ely, Lydia Perry Schodel, Alessandra Zorgniotti, Mark Sheinkman, and Jim Hurwitz, traveling

from the Bay Area for television production business in the city, were able to connect and catch up that evening. Stephanie is a financial advisor with her own division, Ackler Wealth Management, at Wells Fargo. Alessandra, a judge in the city, and Bob, a lawyer in the city, travel in similar circles and see each other on a regular basis. Mark is an artist with his work found in collections in this country and around the world. Andrea Farrington had hoped to make it, and Mara Keggi Ford, Viva Hardigg, Steve Tager, and Andy Knight checked in

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CLASS NOTES expressing regret at not being able to attend. Carlos Cavelier also noted that he wanted to be involved with class events. He travels between Colombia and New York City on a frequent basis and just missed being in town for Stephanie’s gathering.

We were also able to say hello and have lunch with Martha Verrill Schlager, Amelia Maloney, and Karen Girhiny Ntagkounakis when they were on campus. In June, Sam Pettengill stopped

by Jeff’s home in Northfield to catch up. Soon after, Holly Denning also came through Northfield and visited campus. Paul Caliandro was in touch regarding his company, which offers a communication platform that includes school news, notification, grades, and attendance. Bob Gibson returned for reunion to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mec Peller House, the first in what will be a handful of new homes being constructed for faculty.

Anne Shepard was also at reunion, serving in her capacity on the Reunion Advisory Committee of the Alumni Council. Lydia Perry Schodel spoke with a number of classmates while reaching out for support of the Annual Fund—thank you to all who answered her call and participated. Thanks to Lydia for her work on behalf of our class and the school; we surpassed our class fundraising goal.

I am lousy about Facebook, but I was able to connect there with Cab Dempsey and Jonathan Fletcher Carr recently and have also heard from Cathy Clark, John Berg, and Catherine “Cuppy” Howe Gordon. Fletch was getting ready for a move, noting that his mother (formerly in the NMH Admission Office) would be the only family member left living in New England. Jeff also recently heard from Henry Wooster, who is finishing his first of two years as a foreign policy advisor to the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command. Tracey Wagner has been going full tilt recently, completing her doctorate in physical therapy, and was in Malaysia for a week, teaching and mentoring physical therapists at a Malaysian hospital. Jeff also saw Phil Perham, who recently completed his first year at Exeter as the director of planned giving.

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ANGELA LAMBERT 85 Leavitt Hill Rd Ashland NH 03217-4404 drangela@mac.com

Check him out at mikesleeper.com; he has a gorgeous Monday-morning picture on Facebook every week. Elizabeth Christman pilots ships up and down the Chesapeake. She has two French bulldogs, Oliver and Tinkerbell. Kirsta Schmidt Davey works at Nashoba Brooks and is in a photography program. She has three kids and three goldens, and jetted off to a great family trip to Australia right after reunion. Alice Fisher Fazekas is a physician’s assistant in orthopedics in Atlanta and loves coaching her daughter Liesel’s lacrosse team. Courtney Small Francis and her family had a “ball at reunion.

It was well worth it to travel from Chicago.” Janice Russell released her second travel ebook: How to Pack to Avoid Luggage Fees (the first one was 20 Time-Tested Travel Tips). Both are available in a variety of electronic formats. They can be found on Amazon, iTunes, and Smashwords. She continues to enjoy running her productivity and organizing business in North Carolina. Karen Faucher “High Heels” Gaddy is coaching lacrosse in Davie, Fla. She is back doing clinical trial research. She has three kids: Philip (16), Sarah (14), and Ethan (11).

David Menges was back on campus for the first time since graduation and writes: “So glad I came.

So good to see everyone. What a special time of my life. Very happy now. It took a while, but I finally learned it’s all about family and friends.” David lives 70 miles north of New York City with his husband, Michael Menichiello, and Lillian (9) and Matthew (3). The spirited Lilly accompanied David to reunion, and we’re trying to convince David that she should come to NMH in about five years.

David graduated with an M.B.A. and worked for a company that designed and operated recycling facilities but then decided he didn’t like business and went back to med school at age 30. He is now an ob/gyn. David’s husband wrote a book about their decision to have a child via surrogacy—A Gay Couple’s Journey Through Surrogacy—available via Amazon.

George Miller is “still chasing butterflies at the family biz. Doing public-address announcing for UMass basketball and football games, and some sports writing for the Greenfield Recorder and Boston Herald.” Sam Servello was promoted to partner at his law firm, Moses and Singer LLP, in New York City. He writes: “Had a great time at reunion. Glad I got a chance to reconnect with old friends.” Paul Loring lives in Pleasantville, N.Y., and says: “I have

We had 36 hardy souls at one time or another at our 30th reunion, plus several children and spouses (spice). Some came starting Thursday and others for just a few precious hours on Sunday. It was a lovely weekend, and we had a ton of fun. We ate well, danced, chatted into the wee hours, had a moving memorial service for our 14 deceased classmates (thank you for prepping for that, Bill Rowe; we missed you), and ate some more. See our NMH Class of 1983 Facebook page for lots of fun, porch party pictures, vines, and anecdotes.

Here are some notes we picked up during the weekend. Mike Sleeper is growing his photography business and working toward it being full time.

Angela Lambert ’83 and Dan Bellow ’83 share a laugh on Chapel Hill when recounting their term abroad in Morocco.

NMH

SALLY WILLIS PO Box 1456 Frisco CO 80443-1456 willissally@hotmail.com

MICHAEL RICKARD 1470 N Grand St W Suffield CT 06093-2521 mrickard330@cox.net

From Sally: Heidi Hersant Perkins writes: “My youngest daughter, Katrina Perkins ’16, just finished her freshman year at NMH with much enthusiasm. She is now taking a year’s leave of absence to accompany me in Sweden. I am teaching at an international school in Jonkoping for a year. Inge, my oldest daughter, is an au pair in Germany this year, while my son will be working on his degree in art at Montana State University.”

David Whitman celebrated his 50th birthday in New York City over the holidays. “It was a great celebration with a few close friends from various times of my life, from high school through now. Many of us went to see the Les Misérables movie, including two members of the original Broadway company, and then we had a great dinner. It was the perfect way to celebrate this milestone.”

Check out Dylan Brody’s new CD, out last April—“Writ Large.”

From Mike: Chris Rowell has been in Singapore for six years. He and his wife of eight years have a son (2), who is teaching them about exploring the world and having great fun. He writes: “No idea where we might be next. However, we did see my old roommate, Seung Jin Song, in March. He was visiting for work from Seoul, and we spent a good weekend with him.”

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ALLYSON GOODWIN 45 Mount Hermon Rd Gill MA 01354-8801 agoodwin@nmhschool.org

NMH

FRANK CHANDLER 20 Overlook Park Newton MA 02459-1344 frankchandler1@verizon.net class of ’81 website: www.nmh81.us

MARINA COLMAN PO Box 3555 Taos NM 87571 marinacolman727@yahoo.com LILIAN BLACKEN HANNAPEL 2809 Parkers Landing Rd Mount Pleasant SC 29466-6743 lxhannapel@aol.com

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CLASS NOTES a great family, Sophie (15) and Julian (12). Wife Helen keeps it all together and saves the world on the side. Really enjoyed seeing everyone at reunion.

No one’s aged a bit.” That’s generous, Paul.

Dan Bellow lives in Great Barrington, Mass., and is doing great with his pottery studio. His son is a budding baseball star, and his daughter is already a phenomenal artist. Paul Foster continues as program director for an internal medicine group in Maryland. He and wife Jenny have two sons: Abram (15), who acts and plays piano, and Michael (11), who plays guitar. Both program computers.

Laurie Smith and Jim Husson are doing great in Arlington, Mass., with their son Jonah (a rising junior at Boston University Academy) and Anna (a rising freshman at BUA). Jim says: “After 30 years, I am still stunned by the beauty of the NMH campus, and I feel lucky that this school continues to be such an important part of my life.”

Allyson Goodwin and Mark Short hosted the reunion crowd throughout the weekend at their on-campus home, Mayberry House, which has a porch big enough for a party and sweeping views of the farm and the Northfield hills. Son Jordan Short ’12 (19), who just completed his freshman year at RIT, was on hand. In between work duties, daughter Haley Short ’14 (16) hung out with the group. Both are avid rowers (they are blessed with their father’s height). Puppies Malcolm and Henri round out the family.

Rob Hodgkins says: “By the time you read this, I will be in my new home, enjoying my new woodworking shop. Check out Ripley Point Chairs on Faacebook.” Rick Byrd ventured East from San Francisco. He has received six patents since leaving NMH. Most have been on bike/motorcycle locks and one for a new type of spinning bike.

Rick writes, “The security products have sold in 14 countries and the spin bike is being tested by a professional boxer/trainer. So if any classmates have inventions and want a little help applying for a provisional patent, let me know, at rhbyrd2@ yahoo.com.” Rick has a dream of building highperformance training equipment for NMH while also managing three small apartment buildings in San Francisco for a retired Hong Kong businessman.

Rick supplied lots of great photos of the weekend on our class Facebook page.

Lulu Lason Cannon also provided social media help, particularly in the form of vines. She and

Courtney Small Francis ’83 with her husband, Darryl, and sons Kiernan (12) and Cole (9)

Stephanie Mayer Wilson each journeyed from afar to be at reunion. They went to David Hiler’s new Brattleboro restaurant, Whetstone Brewery, the day before reunion started. Dave and Jane Mosczynski stopped by campus for brief visits on Sunday and Jane brought along her daughter, Jenna. Tiran Kiremidjian is doing great in New York City. He’s consulting with early-stage companies, many in the tech field, and incubating some cool ideas. He says: “I loved being back on campus for reunion and seeing everyone.”

Angela Lambert is now practicing her booming naturopathic business just on the East Coast (she no longer has a bicoastal practice) and is based in Portsmouth, N.H. She offered an acupuncture session to a few of us in dire need after too much dancing and frivolity on Saturday night—and she cured us.

Doug Wilk was able to come briefly on Saturday to participate in a moving groundbreaking ceremony for a new faculty home being built and named in honor of Mec Peller. Doug will be the architect for the project. See photos of the event and of reunion weekend on the NMH web page at www. flickr.com/photos/nmhphotos/sets. Mike Linkovich, Mike McCabe, Pete Madden, Mark Madigan, Scott Benson, and many other classmates were on

hand for that event as well.

Robin Hirshberg Jobe and her daughter, Austine, came in from Colorado. Austine charmed the crowd, fed the horses, and read about 100 books during the weekend. Russell Schwartz works for TIAA-CREF and lives in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. His daughter is a budding lacrosse star and did a lot better in her recent biology class than Russell remembers from his own experience. Jonathan Heinemann came for the weekend from Easton, Pa., where he is a rep for a pharma company and has three kids. Heather Jones Sano lives near Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where her daughter is a horsejumping whiz. Her son will be starting at Brewster Academy in the fall.

It was also fun to see some former teachers/ coaches over the reunion weekend. Anne Weaver McBride is enjoying retirement and was glad to reconnect with ’83ers (along with Thekla Smith Alcocer ’84, who joined the fun on Saturday).

Anne is volunteering, coaching lacrosse and field hockey at a high school in Delaware. Linda Plavin Fitzgerald, Rick and Brenda Robinson, and Pat and

David Menges ’83 and his daughter, Lilly MengesMenichiello (9), at one of the many Mayberry House porch parties during reunion

Anita “Nina” Cook Wilson ’83 holding her grandson, Liam David Littlewood, is surrounded by her family.

Left to right: Nina’s husband, William “Perry” Wilson, daughter Linda Sophia Wilson, daughter-in-law Crystal Mateos Littlewood, and Nina’s son, Phillip Matthew Littlewood.

Ginny Mooney were also on hand for the weekend, along with many other former faculty members.

In other news, Patti Dame Rohrmeier left New York for Palo Alto, Calif., as she started a new job at Depomed, a small, growing biotech firm, last January, where she will lead the market research function. She writes: “It will be quite a move, but it will be great to live near my family.” Anita Raye Cook Wilson was not able to be at reunion. She recounts a story of going to Disney in April. Her father spotted a young man in an NMH T-shirt and it turned out to be Kristin Kellom’s ’80 son, Ross Damon ’17, who starts NMH in the fall. Anita writes: “It was the first time I have ever met any NMH person outside of the Northfield area.”

Your reunion committee for the 35th consists of Janice Russell, Lulu Lason Cannon, and Stephanie Mayer Wilson, who will be co-chairs.

Angela Lambert and Allyson Goodwin will continue as co-class secretaries, and Allyson and Jim Husson will continue as co-gift chairs. Reunion planning committee members include Bill Rowe, Dave Hendricks, Peter Gunas, Tiran Kiremidjian,

and Wendy Brownstein Mullen. Let us know if you’d like to help plan our 35th, work on minireunions, or help with fundraising.

Write us, send in photos of you with your families and/or pets, or just of you. Join the NMH Class of 1983 Facebook page. Get together with NMH friends and send in a photo. We want to hear from you, and let’s stay connected.

Members of the class of ’83 gathered on the new turf lacrosse field during reunion: Mike Sleeper, Mike McCabe, Stephanie Mayer Wilson, Pete Madden, Lulu Lason Cannon, and Mark Madigan.

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CLASS NOTES

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It was great to hear from so many of you, and from some folks we haven’t heard from in a long time.

Many of you hope to attend our 30th reunion, June 5–8, 2014. Mark your calendars. If you would like to help plan the party or raise funds, please let me know.

News from Paul Gorshel: “I ended up as a lawyer, and as NMH stimulated my world perspective from its trimester abroad in ’84 to the Dominican Republic, I gravitated to the United Nations and have been working for them since ’99 in different legal capacities. I currently write from my fortified office in Baghdad’s Green Zone. I have been based in Iraq for five years, with stints in the Kurdish area and Jordan. Over the last 13 years, I have worked for the U.N. in Mozambique, Kosovo, Geneva, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, and New York City.

I have stayed active in my volunteer work for AIDS programs. I now try to effect social and economic change through the UNPlus, an organization for U.N. staff with HIV, and through UNCARES, which touches the lives of populations where it is based. I love the public speaking and reaching out, especially to youth. I would love to make a career change and teach at NMH someday. I am still in touch with my Spanish teacher, Hilary Gooden.

I would love to find religion teacher, Barbara Edwards, and Anna Rorabacher Szok. I am still on the market at age 47. If anyone remembers me, kindly send me an email at pgorshel@yahoo.com.

Great to hear from Mike King. After NMH, he went to college, ran track, dropped out once the season ended, and joined the U.S. Air Force, where he spent 23 years. He married, had three daughters, got divorced, and remarried a couple of years later, and gained a stepdaughter. Mike went back to school and earned a bachelor’s in computer science and then a master’s. He retired from the military in ’09 and now works for General Dynamics Information Technology as the lead systems engineer for the air and space operations center, at Shaw Air Force Base, in Sumter, S.C. His oldest daughter joined the U.S. Air Force nine years ago and has a daughter (2). His second daughter graduated from

the University of Texas at San Antonio and is working on her M.B.A. and preparing for her CPA. His stepdaughter is a junior at Winthrop University and plans to go into the Air Force after graduation. His youngest is a junior at Sumter High School, where she was the most valuable player on her track team last season, was district champion (4x400m relay) and regional champion (400M and 4x400M relay).

They’re expecting to add state champion to the list next year. Mike would love to hear from old friends and plans to come back for the 30-year reunion.

It was terrific to catch up with Kerry Doyle and Heidi Kronenberg on campus in February at NMH’s Diversity Day. Kaitlin and Heidi see a lot of each other. Kerry and Caitlin Dyk Palacios and families took a trip to Washington, D.C., together to see the sights. Kerry is running half marathons, too. Caitlin, Kerry, and Heidi all plan to return for our 30th reunion.

In ’10, Heidi Lawson Sheldon moved from Glennallen, Alaska, to Anchorage, married Doug Sheldon on 6/5/10, and started a new job on 6//10.

Heidi now travels all over the state in a mobile van, doing hearing testing and conservation programs. Her newest place is where she has to fly in.

She has four kids, ages from 9 to 15. She writes: “I would love to reunite with old friends at reunion, but summer is my busy season. Please email me at heidijv65@yahoo.com. Where is my best friend from school, Thena “Fe” Berry?

Ben Boschen still lives and works in Southern California. His oldest will be going to high school next year.

Phoebe Cameron writes: “I just left Gartner to go out on my own and pursue my passions of riding and photography. Less travel and more home time will help me do both. I am traveling East this summer and will finally go to the U.K. with my mom in the fall. Current contract work and my animal family are keeping me quite busy in Sacramento.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at reunion.”

Nancy Huston still lives in Frankfurt, Germany, with her German husband and twin girls (10).

Nancy works for Democrats Abroad. The family enjoys skiing, scuba diving, and coming to the U.S. each summer. She says, “Look me if up if you will be coming through. We are in the heart of Europe and would love to see old friends and classmates.”

Lea Thompson Emery celebrated her son Tucker Emery’s ’13 graduation with a trip to

Paris and Barcelona. Tucker is headed to Lafayette College in the fall, along with three of his NMH classmates, to study mechanical engineering and visual arts. Lea’s travels for NMH admission took her to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia-Aramco this fall.

Lea says: “I still love my work in admission and financial aid at NMH and am happy to report that interest in our alma mater is stronger than ever.

Can’t wait to see everyone next June.”

Steve McCrocklin and his, wife, Claudia, celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in May with a trip to London. Steve is excited about returning to NMH for the 30th reunion.

Mary Pat Clarke spent some time in Maine last summer and also got together with Barbara Hockstader. She writes: “I would love to go to reunion. I hope to cajole several people I loved but have completely lost touch with—Liz Feit Bartolai, Nancy Roberts James, and of course, Barb and Robin Smith Hutchinson.”

During a June trip to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Kim “KC” Chickering-Maratea met up with Beth Hakes Kurth and Kathy Roof Deckers ’85 and their families. KC “got to make them my famous ‘Bloody Romulans’ and homemade PB fudge.” She also visited Aliina Laine ’86 and SE Chase Hunter ’81. KC has been doing bookkeeping at a medical office for about a year and still does foster care, which she really enjoys. She hopes to come to reunion and would like to hear from Tracy Rowtham Bennington ’85.

Many of us enjoy staying in touch and reconnecting on Facebook. Join us and check out the photos and updates from those of us who “knew you when.”

Watch your inbox and mailbox for Reunion ’14 information. You’ll be glad you came back.

Annie Petersen Keller ’84 and Gigi Haycock ’84 in Colorado last spring

Mike King ’84, his three daughters and stepdaughter, his wife Twana, and their first grandchild

Marggie Slichter ’84, Lea Thompson Emery ’84, Kerry Doyle ’84, and Heidi Kronenberg ’84 at NMH’s Diversity Day in February ’13

NMH

MARGGIE SLICHTER 43 Cleveland St Greenfield MA 01301-1905 mslichter@nmhschool.org

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JENNIFER BUELL HORSCHMAN 67 Joyner Ave Asheville, NC 28806-4308 jenhorschman@yahoo.com

Jeff LaVangie lives outside of Jacksonville, Fla.,

where he teaches and coaches lacrosse. His oldest graduated from high school in May. He and his wife, Jennifer, will be celebrating their 20th anniversary soon. Ellen McCurtin wrote to let us know that on the NPR show, “The Story,” Dick Gordon

CLASS NOTES did a follow-up interview with Ben Harris and his friend, Scott Haren. Check out the podcast at www. thestory.org/stories/2013-05/diy-medicine-and-als.

Dave Reinheimer married Christine “Misty” Margarita Relos on 12/23/12.

Last January, Sherif Anis was appointed president of the American Institute of Architects’ Middle East chapter. Sherif relocated to Abu Dhabi from Boston in ’08 and is involved in projects in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

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GEOFFREY LOCKE 19 Whittier St Northampton MA 01062-9722 gwlocke@gmail.com LI LIN HILLIARD HALLY 3584 SW Hillside Dr Portland OR 97221-4102 Lilinhally@hotmail.com

From Geoffrey: Donna Kadis enjoyed her first year teaching kindergarten and is relaxing this summer with family in North Carolina. Donna is training for a half marathon and looks forward to that finish line.

Amy Schartz Saklad and her family explored Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia national parks this summer. Her triplet boys start high school this fall.

Holly Bachmann Bennett travels in her role as freelance editor-at-large for Triathlete Magazine.

After a trip to Chile in January ’13, she traveled throughout Southeast Asia. She covered triathlons in Vietnam and Taiwan and spent “downtime” with Kendel Leet in Jakarta and Bali. After a short trip home to Boulder, Holly was off to Costa Rica and is making summer plans for Germany, Belgium, and British Columbia. Kendel was back in the U.S. in June for her usual summer holiday. While in Northampton visiting her mother and brother, Kendel and I took a fun-filled day trip to NMH, Brattleboro, and Putney, Vt. Kendel then met up with Nilda Lopez in New York City, and they flew to Phoenix for a minireunion, Mexico road trip with Bebe Brown.

Bruce Mendelsohn was a firsthand witness to the Boston Marathon bombing. He was on the scene in minutes and apparently saved a girl’s life by

Maryn Wright Barrett, and former faculty members Julie Gainsburg and Jonathan Weis

applying a tourniquet to one of her wounded limbs.

Bruce is now getting support from friends and family to cope with the impact of that day.

Charles Abel has finished a master’s in library and information studies and is working at the University of Massachusetts library archives as a metadata specialist. He also works part time as the young adult librarian at the Chicopee Public Library in Chicopee, Mass., and teaches photography at Springfield College.

Melissa “Missy” Crowe practices yoga and makes music and art on Cape Cod. Missy’s day job is trading commodity and Forex futures. She specializes in a Japanese method of technical analysis called Ichimoku Kinko Hyo and wants to secure a position with, or start, a hedge fund. However, her eventual goal is to open and run a yoga retreat center. You can follow her on twitter at cloudchartist.

Finally, Robert Jereski lives in New York City with his wife and daughter and is applying to law schools. He gets inspiration from his mother, who went to law school at age 76, and then finished an advanced law degree and is still a practicing litigant.

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KIT GATTIS PO Box 380234 Cambridge MA 02238-0282 kitnmh@gmail.com www.facebook.com/NMH1887 class of ’87 website: http://nmh1987.org

Hello, Classmates. The sun seems to have finally appeared in Boston after a very rainy few weeks in June. The only consolation was that we got to see quite a few double rainbows.

By the time you read this, I’ll have spent the summer preparing for the India Day performance at the Boston Hatch Shell on 8/18, where I performed with Boston Bhangra, MIT Summer Bhangra, and Boston Garba. I’ve also been learning aerial silks, trapeze, lyra hoops, and handstands at Esh Aerial Arts. That’s right: it’s never too late to run off and join the circus. It’s so funny to look at Henry Wheaton’s ’88 pictures now and have an understanding of what’s actually involved in his circus

performances. I never realized how discomfiting these things are, so the next time you see Cirque du Soleil, realize that these artists are suffering for your entertainment. I am continuing with tae kwon do and won’t be a white belt for much longer.

By brother, Trevor Gattis ’93, teaches swing dancing and was in the Pelican Imaging rockabilly wedding video for their website: www.thedistillery. us/portfolio/pelican-imaging-3d/. I guess dancing runs in the family.

Don’t forget to check out our class website at nmh1987.org, and you can log in with your Facebook login as well. I’ll be posting class notes there, but you’ll have to be logged in to see them.

There you can also find links to the various NMH and NMH1987 groups and email lists. You can find me at https://www.facebook.com/kit.nmh.

Best of luck to everyone. Here are the notes.

Jim Edelhauser and his wife, Cecile, live in Marin, north of San Francisco. He writes: “We just ordered solar panels so we can power our EV with the sun. And ice cream is still delicious.”

Heather Johnston Delfi and her husband, Jorge, live in Miami, Fla., with their children Kyle (17), Hannah (15), and Nicholas (13). Heather works for Atkins North America and Jorge for Chase. The two older kids are into music, and Hannah is hoping to get her singing career off the ground. Nicholas is heading toward his black belt in tae kwon do.

Heather says it’s been great connecting with so many classmates on Facebook these last couple of years.

Steve Green returned to NMH in June, working on the Reunion Advisory Committee. He had a great time with all the good food, live bands, alumni seminars, NMH ice cream, and bishop’s bread. Steve encourages all to start thinking about the 30th reunion and joining our class planning committee so we can bring back even more classmates. Steve and his wife, Edith, along with his daughters Sonya (13) and Maya (10), live in Nazareth, Pa. Sonya just finished eighth grade, plays softball, and sings in chorus. Maya just finished fifth grade, does ballet, and competes in ice skating. The Green family visited Cape Cod and met up with John Bete and his family last summer. Sun, beaches, waves, ice cream, and catching up on old NMH days. Steve talked to Imran Qamar earlier

Seven decades of NMH volunteers gathered for dinner in Gill on the eve of NMH’s Diversity Day: Lloyd Mitchell ’57, Jen Williams Davis ’87, Carrie Niederman ’78, Allyson Goodwin ’83, Marggie Slichter ’84, Metta Dael ’93, Kai Robinson ’05, Suzanne Steenburg Hill ’66, Dave King ’73, Will Baker ’10, and Peter Weis ’78

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CLASS NOTES this year on a business video conference, while Imran is working in Saudi Arabia. Imran is just as lively and dynamic as he was 25 years ago, except working abroad and coaching a football team. Steve hopes to hear from other classmates. Look him up at www.facebook/com/srisourcing.

Jean Keet and her husband, Hank, live in Crested Butte, Colo., with daughters Jacey (5) and Jessica (3). Jean writes: “We own a heavy equipment business and a bookkeeping business. We just finished building our new Energy Star house with solar panels that we built ourselves. Skiing and biking here are the best.”

Ali Hokin’s daughter Hannah Levin, formerly class of ’15, has launched a thriving blog geared toward students interested in pursuing careers in theater and film. She has interviewed many notable actors, including Laura Linney ’82. Check out Broadwaymasterchat.com.

Jessica P’Simer Henry and her husband, David, have twin baby girls—Donley Gray Henry and Dana Kincer Henry—born seven weeks early 7/19/12, but due to receiving steroid shots to help the babies’ lungs develop, they were born able to breathe without assistance. They had to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for more than a month until they learned how to eat without drowning.

They are thriving now. Jessica stayed home with the girls for their first year, but now she is returning to school to complete her degree in early childhood education. She lives in north Georgia, so anyone who wants to visit, or is just passing through, is welcome. She can be reached on Facebook.

Lisa Quattlebaum is approaching 10 years of living in Asia. She is finding her yin and yang in Guangzhou, China. Still multitasking, she just finished a business school program while working full time as an art teacher at an international school and having a baby. She and baby Mila are loving expat life. Lisa is documenting most of this in her mommy blog (www.petitefrau.wordpress.com), which will soon transition into an ecommerce site for moms and families (NMH alums get discounts, of course).

Geoff Weed didn’t send me anything but said I should make up something unbelievable—Geoff Weed has settled down to a quiet little accounting job in the middle of nowhere, where life is always quiet and calm.

Will Sheats and his wife, Lisa, are enjoying Columbus, Ohio. While the Midwest is the furthest they have been from the ocean, life is good. Will recently earned his bachelor’s in culinary and hospitality management from Johnson and Wales (all online mind you). It was capped with a pretty cool weekend as he celebrated his 44th birthday 5/17 with a banquet at Legal Sea Foods in Warwick, R.I., with friends and family. This was followed with walking through commencement on Saturday to obtain his degree and more fresh seafood, including oysters on the half shell and lobster rolls. He is now the executive chef at Nationwide Insurance through ARAMARK corporate contract catering company, feeding 10,000 Nationwide employees in four buildings, plus the executive dining room, and catering. He and Lisa work across the street from each other, which is about a 10-minute, six-block walk from their urban apartment. Will refutes the claim that was written in the beer blog about Sam Calgione’s ’88 NMH beer, stating: “the class of ’88. Probably the most awesome class of righteous human beings to come through NMH ever.” Will’s response: “We got them beat by a year.” Will wants to take the reins for a meal in ’17 for the casual cook-out night and expects assistance from fellow chefs Matty Daigneault and Chris Slayton. Will also wants to arrange an ’87 Naked Heaven NMH IPA—”So good it will make you run Nekid.” He sends his love to all.

Morgan Sturges Vaughan and her husband, Tristan, live in East Hampton, N.Y., and have started Round Table Theatre Company, a classical company and academy. In ’13, they produced Macbeth and ran a performing arts summer camp.

They teach acting and a Shakespeare reading class at John Drew Theatre. Morgan also sings in a jazz/ standards band. She is still in despair from not making last year’s reunion, and she pledges to be at the next one.

Head of School Peter Fayroian with his daughter and Steve Green ’87

Alison Tenenbaum ’88, Therese LaGamma ’88, Jay Armstrong ’88, and NMH Trustee Ann Tenenbaum ’79 at the Austin SXSW in March ’13

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ANNE STEMSHORN GEORGE 10 Fox Chase Lane Durham NC 27713-9458 anastasia.s.george@gmail.com

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CHRIS ROOF 465 Concord Ave Cambridge MA 02138-1217 roofsound@comcast.net JOHN CARROLL Box 4722, One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon MA 01354-9638 jcarroll@nmhschool.org CARYN CROTTY ELDRIDGE 13 Harvard Rd Chiswick London W4 4EA UK caryn@eldridges.net

From Ethan: Greetings from London. This is my last column as class secretary, so I wanted to thank everyone who has shared news with me over the past few years. If anyone would like to volunteer for the position, it is a great opportunity to reconnect with friends. And don’t forget to join our class Facebook page for news about Reunion ’14. Now to the news.

Brad Anger visited with his NMH roommate, Ahmet Subasi, in Istanbul in May. Brad says that as a student, Ahmet missed his home in Istanbul, and after visiting him in Turkey, Brad now understands why. Unfortunately, I missed Brad on the London leg of his trip when I was hiking in Norway.

Jonathan Peck just missed the deadline last time when he wrote to say that he moved back to Chicago with his wife, Zelda, and sons Jonathan (3) and Wesley (1). Zelda is the director of the Dan K. Webb Center for Advocacy at Loyola Law School in Chicago. Jonathan is taking time off to care for the boys.

Eric Olander is living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where he runs a media company. He moved there last year after several years in both France and the Congo. If any NMHers pass through Saigon, Eric said it’d be great to connect, so don’t hesitate to look him up.

After being quiet for 24 years, Bridget Mooney Bryan wrote with her news since ’89. After NMH, she earned a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in community counseling from Penn State-Behrend in Erie. She is certified as a guidance counselor and in educational leadership. Bridget is principal of nine alternative-education settings and oversees 16 mental health and education programs. She has a son, Jared, who is a sophomore in high school, and a daughter, Jemma, who is in fourth grade. Bridget and her husband, Dave, plan to be at reunion next year. “I am looking forward to reconnecting with so many of the people that were so influential in those precious and amazing high-school years.”

And finally, Charlie Bankart and his wife, Kim, celebrated the first birthday of their son, Andrew, whom they adopted on the day of his birth. They live in Kansas and will be spending the summer in Paris, directing a study abroad program there.

Charlie saw Malachi Weir, when Malachi visited his “nephew” on the way to California from New York City.

CLASS NOTES

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METTA DAEL Box 4804, One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon MA 01354-9638 metta.dael@gmail.com

Charlie Bankart ’89 with his newly adopted son, Andrew

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ROBBIANNE MACKIN 101 West End Ave New York NY 10023-6349 robbianne.mackin@gmail.com TRAVIS LEA 2447 Claremont Ave Los Angeles CA 90027-4601 travislea@gmail.com

KRISTIN STEELE 458 Montauk Ave New London CT 06320-4606 kaste@conncoll.edu TORYN KIMBERLEY STARK 1828 Birch Heights Ct Charlotte NC 28213-4047 torynk@yahoo.com

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DAIRO MORENO 3102 Durand Dr Los Angeles CA 90068-1614 demoreno@post.harvard.edu

From the Alumni Office: Christine Beebe is a filmmaker who lives and works in Los Angeles. Her documentary film, Felix Austria!, premiered last spring at Hot Docs, a Toronto film festival. You can check it out online at www.felixaustriafilm.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FELIXAUSTRIAFilm, or on twitter @FelixAustFilm.

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Artist Anna Schuleit met composer Yotam Haber in ’10 when they were both fellows at the McDowell Colony in Peterborough, N.H. Both were in relationships with others at the time, but it was their second meeting at Anna’s studio in Harrisville, N.H., a year later when they felt a powerful connection to each other. The account of their relationship was detailed in their wedding story published in The New York Times on 5/12/13.

Anna and Yotam married on 4/26/13 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. An employee of the New York City clerk’s office officiated. The couple exchanged vows again the following afternoon in the penthouse of a friend. Andrea Cohen, a poet, led that ceremony. She was the mutual friend who introduced them the second time.

The bride turned the room where the ceremony took place into a sort of installation, first emptying it of all its furnishings, then hanging her paintings on the walls and creating a chuppah from blossoming cherry boughs. A poem that Ms. Cohen had written for the couple contained the line, “You’re both in the clouds, or together, cloud-bound.”

Afterward, the bride and groom and some of their guests climbed a ladder to the roof, where they sent white kites into the blue sky. A hawk soared in a great circle around them.

Anna and Yotam are dedicated to their art, which has been acknowledged in accolades—he received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Rome Prize; she was one of the younger recipients of a MacArthur Foundation fellowship.

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NEL ANDREWS 120 S Bouldin St Baltimore MD 21224-2201 nel_andrews@hotmail.com LAURA SNYDER CRAFORD 2015 N Jantzen Ave Portland OR 97217-7812 laurascraford@hotmail.com

Anna Schuleit ’93 and her husband, Yotam Haber, toasted their wedding day from a rooftop in New York, and then released white kites into the sky.

work as a math teacher in ’14. Looking forward to the reunion.”

When I asked John Rigney for an update, he responded: “Be glad to—figure I could do it once in the almost 20 years we have been out.” John lives in Wilbraham, Mass., with his wife, Carrie, and three boys (12, 10, and 8). “I have been super-busy with being a dad, coaching soccer and baseball, and having a blast doing it. I have been a firefighter and medical services coordinator for the Longmeadow, Mass., fire department for 15 years. I absolutely love my job and feel like it was a calling for me. I still talk and see Kevin Maltby quite a bit.”

Emma Ross was elected vice president of Labor Union Unite.

I asked Kysa Edsall Crusco for an update of reunion weekend ’13. ”Gearing up for our 20th reunion in ’14 and as part of my duties on the Alumni Council’s Reunion Advisory Committee, I attended Reunion ’13. It was a great time, even in the pouring rain, and I am so excited for our reunion next year. Carol Koldis Foote, Sarah Miner Quina, Anne Miner Jarek, Trevett McCandliss, and Christina Lamb Sidell were

there, as well as a good crowd from the class of ’93. Our home base for next year will be CI. If you can make it to campus on Friday, there’s sure to be a Dogfish Head beer tasting by Sam Calagione ’88, who made a special beer for his 25th reunion brewed with real NMH maple syrup. My kids loved the Camp NMH on Saturday of reunion and wanted to stay all day. You can get updates about reunion on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook/com/Nmh20thReunionClassof1994?fref+ts.

If you are interested in helping to plan reunion, message Carol Koldis Foote or me.”

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JENNIFER SADULA DE VORE 2830 Brook Dr Falls Church VA 22042-2302 devorejr@msn.com INI OBOT 297 Sickles Ave New Rochelle NY 10801-3700 iniobot@yahoo.com

CATE STEELE HARTZELL 18 Rockledge Ter Chatham NJ 07928-1216 cate.hartzell@gmail.com

From Laura: Sarah Howard Parker lives in Cambridge, Mass. Second son, Charlie, was born in April, joining big brother Henry (3). Sarah writes: “I’m working part time as the director of operations for the Boston Book Festival. Looking forward to the 20th and hope to commandeer a golf cart again.”

Sarah White Albertyn writes: “Our second daughter, Estelle Kathleen, arrived in April, and we are all smitten. When she was only four weeks old, we moved from London back to Massachusetts for my husband’s job. It was a whirlwind. We miss London life terribly but are delighted to be surrounded by friends and family. I’m taking a year off to enjoy being a mama but will be heading back to

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AMINA GAUTIER 1219 West Grandville Ave Apt 3B Chicago IL 60664-1925 amina.gautier@gmail.com NICHOLAS VIDA 8731 Venice Blvd Los Angeles CA 90034-3216 virginia.patrick@gmail.com

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Jen Boynton ’99 and Paul SanGiorgio on their wedding day last April

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HEIDI GEIS 2140 Woolsey St Apt B Berkeley CA 94705-1890 heidi.m.geis@hotmail.com

CHRISTOPHER A ZISSI 30 Berkshire Dr Winchester MA 01890-3233 christopher.zissi@gmail.com

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LAUREL HAVAS 701 St SE Apt 402 Washington DC 20003-4813 laurelhavas@yahoo.com

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DEE GUO 57 ½ East St Vernon CT 06066-3848 deedith@gmail.com MIRA SHARMA 350 Prince Arthur West, Apt 1105 Montreal, QC H2X 3R4, Canada mira.sharma.mcgill@gmail.com

BRIAN PRESSMAN 14007 Palawan Way Apt 311 Marina Del Rey CA 90292-6270 pressman_g@yahoo.com

From the Alumni Office: Nakeefa Bernard, Melgily Valdez ’05, and Shaniese Arrington ’04

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AUDREY KORTE 5 Oyster Ln Warren RI 02885-1522 aekorte@cox.net

Jen Boynton married Paul SanGiorgio last April

in Berkeley, Calif. The couple honeymooned in the Galápagos. Jen runs a sustainable business news website called TriplePundit.com and was recently published in the Harvard Business Review, discussing the role of social media in corporate sustainability. Paul is a research scientist. The couple lives in Oakland, Calif.

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MOLLY LOVEDAY 152 Curtis St #2 Somerville MA 02144-1254 chefmollyloveday@gmail.com

Abby Eldridge Koppes ’03 and her husband, Ryan Koppes ’03, after they defended their doctoral theses at RPI in March

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ANNE MORGAN 76 Lincklean St Cazenovia NY 13035-1031 annelucasmorgan@gmail.com

MATT GAMON 4653 28th Rd South Apt A Arlington VA 22206-4125 mattgammon@aol.com

MELIA KNOWLES-COURSIN 28 St. George St. Apt 3 Portland ME 04103-4047 meliakc@gmail.com

Raheem Jackson ’13 and Kimmie Weeks ’01 met at the Derryfield School, where Kimmie spoke.

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JOSH GRUBMAN 14 Deldorf St Quincy MA 02169-1820 joshuagrubman@gmail.com

JULIA COHEN 514 Hale St PO Box 172 Prides Crossing MA 01965-0172 jmacleodcohen@gmail.com

Josef Lamson ’01 and Tatiana Gorenflo ’02 on their wedding day in 2011

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JON RINI 47 Park Place Cir Unit 39 West Hartford CT 06110-1424 jonathan.rini@dechert.com

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KATHERINE “CRICKET” BORNTRAEGERWHEELER NISBET 77 Old Ferry Rd Deer Isle, ME 04627-3330 katherine@kbwnisbet.co.uk

got together at a fundraiser for NJ SEEDS, the program that made it possible for the three to attend NMH. NJ SEEDS is a privately funded nonprofit that helps high-achieving students from low-income families transform their educational opportunities.

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BRENDAN MYSLIWIEC 1860 Park Rd NW Washington DC 20010-1019 brendan.mysliwiec@gmail.com JAMIESON BAKER 122 E 11th St Apt 4C New York NY 10003-5358 jamieson.baker@gmail.com JANE WARREN 176 E 81st Street 2C New York NY 10028 janelillywarren@gmail.com DANIELA FRIAS 779 Ave E Apt 2 Bayonne NJ 07002-4051 daniela8_5@hotmail.com

CLASS NOTES

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DONNIE BLACKWELL 40 Passaic Ave West Paterson NJ 07424-2517 ptowndon@gmail.com

EMILY JACKE PO Box 510 Dorset VT 05251-0510 emjacke@gmail.com

ARJUN PANT 14 Egmont St Apt 1 Brookline MA 02446-3615 arjunpant@gmail.com

SARAH-ANNE TANNER 9 Moyne Ct Ranelagh Dublin Ireland tanner.sarahanne@gmail.com

JINGPING ZHANG 500 Soldiers Field Road Boston MA 02163-1741 jingping.ellen.zhang@gmail.com

From Jingping: Greetings, everyone. Here are some updates from our classmates. Christina Chang and I both finished our first year at Harvard Business School, and we enjoy seeing each other often on campus just like our good old days at NMH. Stephanie Lim is a rising 2L at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University and is clerking for a small civil-rights litigation firm in SoHo, New York City, while studying for the patent bar this summer. She is so very proud of her sister, Caroline Lim ’13, for graduating this year.

Vernon Jones is the CEO of Live Open House LLC, a real-estate technology firm based in the midtown section of Manhattan. The company’s newest product is an interactive window platform that transforms ordinary storefront windows into 24-hour kiosks. Other services include social media management, data analysis, and the development of original algorithms. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Rachel Disbrow continues her international journey after another fruitful year in Korea. She now teaches English in Guatemala and enjoys seeing George Conklin, who is doing Peace Corps there, every once a while.

We have a lot of marriage and baby news this time. How exciting. Ben Suen and May Wong ’04 got married in January of ’12, and their daughter, Bethanie Suen, was born on 1/22/13. Yukio Kusada ’04 graduated from Tsinghua University and is working in Japan. He recently married. Mayu Kasahara got married last year. Mel Rego married Joseph Sinkiewicz on 5/1/13. The wedding was held outside of Fort Drum, N.Y. Mel is a graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology, where she received a degree in aviation management. She now works in the airline industry. The groom, also a graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology, received his

Melgily Valdez ’05, Shaniese Arrington ’04, and Nakeefa Bernard ’03

Ben Suen ’05, May Wong ’04, and their daughter, Bethanie

degree in aeronautical science. He is now a U.S. Army pilot, flying Apache helicopters while serving on his second tour in Afghanistan. The couple met at Florida Tech and both received their flight ratings while enrolled in the school’s professional pilot program.

Mike Abell and Caitlin DeMaria have two children, a boy (4) and a girl (2). They own a home in Walpole, Mass. Caitlin got her master’s in regulatory affairs and works for a pharmaceutical company, and Mike got his degree in accounting and is in the midst of a career in finance.

I recently saw pictures of the 10-year reunion from the class of ’03. Hard to believe that ours is only two years away. Look forward to staying in touch this fall and hearing more news from you.

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LAKOTA COON 67 Coon Holler Lane Castleton VA 22716-2931 wackylacky@gmail.com KATE HAYES 215 E 95th St Apt 22K New York NY 10128-4084 kdahayes@gmail.com

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NAOMI-COLLETT RITZ 60 Merriam Rd Walpole NH 03608-5033 naomi.collett.ritz@gmail.com

LIZ DONALD 1466 Mill Village Rd Craftsbury Common VT 05827-9813 elizabethsdonald@gmail.com

Mel Rego Sinkiewicz ’05 and her husband, Joseph

From Emily: It was really lovely to see everyone at reunion. We had a great turnout. For all who couldn’t make it, we had a beer tasting, a hymn sing, a massive rainstorm, trips to Northfield to visit the newly reopened Sage Chapel, a simple memorial for Jesse Lopata and Yong Min “Dennis” Cho down by the river, a great DJ’ed dance in the gym, and plenty of adventures catching up in Tron with classmates and the class of ’03. Most of all, the whole experience reminded me of just how cool NMH grads are. So many people doing and dreaming up so much great stuff. I want to shout out to Sarah Heist and Karissa Scano, my fellow reunion organizers, who helped make so much of this possible.

In the news: Sarah has her master’s in education from UConn, and on her behalf, I’d like to remind you to give what you can to the Annual Fund.

Karissa is getting her master’s in crime and justice studies at Suffolk University while working in Boston as a legal secretary. She is on track to go to the Boston Police Academy, where she’ll kick butt.

Spencer Hattendorf is a paralegal at the U.S. attorney’s office in New York City, and recently released a new album with his band, The Rooks, called “Something You Can Take.” (Available free online.) Rebecca Young is doing data analysis for a startup called Zulily in Seattle, where she tells me she has a single filing cabinet devoted entirely to a Christmas wreath. Spencer Russell is teaching kindergarten for Teach For America in Houston, Texas, and Jim Montague is pursuing a graduate degree in engineering at the University of Vermont.

Renee Forcier has been working at a veterinary clinic and is spending the summer in her town’s recreation department in New Hampshire. Nikki Rossetti lives in Cambridge and is a lab tech in a cancer research lab at Massachusetts General Hospital. Also in Boston, Eli Stiefel works for Harpoon Brewery; Brooke Evans lives and works in Cambridge; Becky Gillig is finishing up her time with Citizen School; and Jules Findlay is performing with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s

Josue Abreu ’08, Ryan Kelly ’12, Jason Green ’09, and Sharon Dunmore ’10 in North Carolina last spring

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CLASS NOTES Shakespeare on the Common series this summer.

Julia Mix Barrington and Henry Cesari will work at NMH Summer Session this summer, Julia as a house director and Henry teaching ESL. Julia lives in Boston and is studying for a Ph.D. in English from Boston University. Henry is working on a novel about his grandfather’s participation in WW II. Also in the area, Jarad Weeks and Nick Clough are both transferring to UMass in the fall. Jarad is still bagpiping and managing Tire Warehouse and has started playing gigs around the area with his cover band, Jimmy Just Quit. He and I both attended the Amanda Palmer concert in Northampton in April.

Ilana Teitelman has her master’s in education from Smith and lives in Northampton. Rachel Koh is at UMass-Amherst, as well, working toward a Ph.D. in engineering. She is working on a project involving wooden blades for wind turbines.

In non-reunion, but still very exciting news, Joseph Charpentier married Haley Bubier on 6/1/13. He jokes that he probably wouldn’t have won the “Most Likely to Get Married First” superlative, but he certainly has won the real-life version.

The recent nuptials were a subject of much celebratory talk at reunion, and on behalf of the class of ’08, I congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Charpentier and wish them every happiness.

I now write from my new “hobbit hole” back in Middlebury, Vt., where I’m settling in for (at least) the next two years. Since graduating from college in February, I visited New York City, Washington, D.C. (for the 350.org NoKXL Rally), Australia (Sidney, Tasmania, and Melbourne), and San Francisco. I’ve had a great time but I’m looking forward to being in one place for a while. I’ll be working for the Vermont Community Foundation doing communications, and swing dancing and sewing on the side. If you happen to be coming through town, do let me know.

And now—drumroll—I get to introduce my new co-secretary, the wonderful Sarah-Anne Tanner.

From Sarah-Anne: Hi, everybody—I loved seeing so many of you at reunion this June and hearing about everyone’s first steps out in the real world. I can’t wait to see what will have changed (and what will have stayed the same) at our 10th. I am living in Ireland this year, working at a bookstore/

gift shop and daydreaming about a job in the publishing world, writing a blog for a website called IrishCentral, singing in a choir, and getting drizzled upon. Back in the good old U.S., George Posner works at NERA Economic Consulting in Los Angeles, which isn’t as bad of a city as people say, he insists. He’s sailing in his free time and hopes anyone passing through will look him up.

Kayci Wickline lives in Northfield, is going to nursing school, and cooking at Magpie restaurant in Greenfield. Britt Lilienthal lives in Burlington, Vt., and works as a health-care associate at Planned Parenthood. Outside of work, she continues to pursue her love of photography in the fine arts and commercially. In June she traveled to Sweden to visit her sister. Ben Weyers is at the financial software startup, Geezeo, and “loving life.” Outside of work, he continues to play Ultimate Frisbee and is a member of other local sports leagues.

Weston Halkyard just began a job on Martha’s Vineyard, poor guy, on the design team of Breese Architects. They specialize in high-end residential architecture in a number of Massachusetts coastal towns. Tanner Halkyard has just begun an architectural job in Boston. Stephanie Randall lives in Boston and works at John Hancock as an IT business analyst. Ashleigh Casey works in the same building. Stephanie also has joined the board of a nonprofit called Self-Esteem Boston, which helps men and women recognize self-worth and selfconfidence. Maggie Higby is a publicity assistant at Simon & Schuster in New York City, across the street from Lilly Richardson, who works in antifraud at Societé Generale. They often meet in the middle for power lunches.

And there’s the news from NMH Reunion ’13 and beyond. Please stay in touch—email or write Sarah-Anne or Emily any time. We always love to hear from you.

From the Alumni Office: While in North Carolina, James Greenwood, NMH associate dean of multicultural education, met up with former CI student leader and Brothers co-leader Josue Abreu, who graduated from Guilford College in May ’12 with a degree in business management and economics. He is a business analyst at Blue Cross/Blue Shield in South Carolina.

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ANNA STEVENS 1329 Lapham Bay Rd Shoreham VT 05770-9612 astevens@middlebury.edu GALEN ANDERSON 740 Ostrom Ave Syracuse NY 13210-2942 gjande01@syr.edu

Joe Charpentier ’08 and his wife, Haley Bubier, on their wedding day

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ESHALLA MERRIAM PO Box 2534 Brattleboro VT 05303-2534 eshallamerriam@gmail.com

FAYETTE PHILLIPS 43 North St Upton MA 01568-1581 fayettephillips@gmail.com

From the Alumni Office: James Greenwood, NMH associate dean for multicultural education, visited Jason Green at Wake Forest last spring. James reports that: “After three years on the football team, Jason decided to take senior year off to focus on his studies. It must have paid off, as the day we met up, he had just been notified that he will receive a Fulbright Fellowship for the 2013–14 academic year.

On a pre-med track, Jason will be in Sweden for 10 months, researching reprogramming techniques and differentiation procedures of induced pluripotent stem cells at the Integrative Regenerative Medicine Center of Linköping University.”

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ELI SPECTOR 1204 Autrey St Apt 2A Houston TX 77006-6041 elishsp@gmail.com

Anna Mattei worked as a finance intern last

summer for GLOBALFOUNDRIES in Malta, N.Y., focusing on inventory and costing projects within the company. Jed Kundl spent his summer as a research assistant at the Lighting Research Center in Troy, N.Y. He began his final year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by directing a performance of The Complete History of America, Abridged, and was recently inducted into the Delta Xi cast of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society. Becca Daen traveled in Italy last summer while completing an Italian minor for Franklin & Marshall. She is excited to get back in the pool this fall after a year of injury.

Carolynn Iskyan is thoroughly enjoying her time at the Savannah College of Art and Design, studying fashion marketing and management.

Over the summer, she worked for Perry Ellis in the merchandising department. Ananda DiMartino is in a five-year accelerated bachelor’s/master’s physician assistant program at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. Caitlin Bryant finished her third year at the U.S. Naval Academy. She co-founded Navy Spectrum, the academy’s gay/ straight alliance that focuses on leadership and professionalism in an increasingly diverse military.

She still rows and is seeking a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Brady Ward spent this past year as business manager of his a cappella group, the Spizzwinks(?) and traveled with them to China, Thailand, and Myanmar. He recently saw Derek White, Anna Mattei, and Erika Donohoe at NMH Reunion ’13. He also worked at NMH Summer Session this summer with Natalie Norton. This coming year, he is taking time off from school to manage and sing in the Yale Whiffenpoofs and travel around the world with them.

Erin Marley will graduate a semester early

CLASS NOTES in December with a media studies degree and concentration in sports broadcasting. William Schurman graduated from Cornell last May and lives in San Francisco, where he works at Facebook. He recently saw David Mah, who works at Dropbox nearby. Sharon Dunmore completed a semester abroad in London last spring. She has been interning at the Guilford County district attorney’s office in North Carolina. Sharon will graduate a semester early from Guilford and then attend Wake Forest School of Law in fall ’14.

As for me, I graduated from Rice last May with a degree in philosophy. In June, Dat Dang and I went around the U.K., where he studied this past semester. In August, I moved to Kibbutz Alumim in Israel, where I plan to live for the next few years. If anyone’s ever nearby, please feel free to visit.

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OLIVIA VAN COTT 43 Cleveland St Greenfield MA 01301-1905 olivia.vancott92@gmail.com

NISHA MALIK 409 Davis St Greenfield MA 01301-1414 nishamalik92@gmail.com OLIVIA WOLPE 20 Frothingham Rd PO Box 1010 Dublin NH 03444-1010 oliviawolpe@gmail.com (ck with Andy)

Our class is off to great things in the summer of ‘13. Meghan Cotter is having a great time in Costa Rica, and from there, she will head to Argentina for a semester to study Spanish. Merry Lo is back in Hong Kong, interning at an event management company. In August, she plans to travel to Taiwan to visit her fellow Hogger, Annie Chen. Cammie Chan is also interning in Hong Kong and will be meeting up with Merry, Annie, and Hanson Cheng later in the month. Bennett Lai is enjoying his community in Michigan and is looking for community service opportunities to stay active over the summer. Erica Stuke will be a junior at Hobart and William Smith in the fall, and she will be studying in Amman, Jordan, for the fall semester, learning Arabic as well as doing research for an independent study project she is conducting about recent economic development in Amman. She is a coxswain for the Hobart rowing team. Owen Monahan is also a member (rower) of the same team. Garrett McMullen is working a summer job in Rochester and plans to spend time with Nick Kidd, Nate Locke ‘12, and Joe Sharkey on the Cape. He is also training to play Division I ice hockey for Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall.

Will Werblow transferred from the University of Vermont to McGill for a stronger East Asian Studies department and a better location. He enjoys the great Montreal environment, even with

the colder-than-NMH winters. He frequently sees Alexi Garrow and Drew Varges ’12, as they both

study at McGill. Will is now working as the design editor for the McGill Daily, and he misses creating the NMH Hermonite. Since graduation, Will has been in touch with Junius Ross-Martin, Paul Chang, Jack Burnham, and Jimmy Guan ’12.

Sam Bassett lives in Burlington, Vt., where he works in Champlain College admissions as a guest coordinator.

As a class, we wish Joe Sharkey, who was recently hurt, a speedy recovery. Keep it up, class of ’11.

Now, news from your class secretaries. Olivia VanCott spent the past year at home in Greenfield going to school for early childhood education and taking care of Sofia Fayroian, the daughter of the new head of school, Peter Fayroian, and his wife, Rachel Waring Fayroian. “I am looking forward to transferring to a school with a strong education major, but will be in the area for a while, so if anyone wants to come visit NMH, please contact me.”

Nisha Malik started her summer by helping the NMH advancement team with Reunion ’13, and then flew to Iowa for a health program. She then will spend the summer as an intern for the NMH Upward Bound Program, assisting biology classes and coaching tennis. “I am looking forward to my time on campus and will be thinking of the great time I spent with you all. And, of course, the dining hall food still rocks.”

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NMH PARKER PELTZER 120 Passumpsic Ave PO Box 453 Wilder VT 05088-0453 ppeltzer@gmx.com WILSON JOSEPHSON 50 The Oaks Henniker NH 03242-3450 josephsonw@carleton.edu

From Wilson: Hello, all. I’ve happily compiled our second batch of class notes, allowing Parker Peltzer to rest; judging by his article on trekking to the ends of the earth, it’s a rest he thoroughly deserves. My first year at Carleton College was happy enough, but I’m glad that David Coleman ’13 has joined me in Northfield, Minn. I’m living off campus this year, managing a house full of students and planning campus-wide events to promote fitness. Many other members of our class have been enjoying college life, and have been recognized for their quality and character—though, really, is that a surprise?

Naomi Weitz, Tucker Kavanagh, and Hannah Solis-Cohen met this spring at the University of Virginia invitational regatta. Naomi and Hannah both attend UVA, where Hannah is rowing for the women’s varsity team. She went to NCAA finals as a spare for UVA, and the team finished fifth.

Tucker is attending Washington and Lee. August Rulewich happily finished the first of five years in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s architecture

program. As well as studying architecture, August joined the Rensselyrics, one of RPI’s a cappella groups. The group attended the ICCA quarterfinals in Boston, where they won the award for “Best Arrangement.” Ali Koskoris joined Syracuse University’s Quidditch team, and traveled with them to Kissimmee, Fla., where the International Quidditch Association held the world cup. Syracuse did not advance through tournament play, but the team took home the D2 sportsmanship award.

Ali traveled through Europe this summer with Caitlyn Ramsey. The two of them visited Scotland, England, Wales, Venice, Rome, and Barcelona.

Justin Pau thoroughly enjoyed his first year at Emory University, where (he is happy to report) there are far fewer blizzards than there were at NMH. He spent his summer in New York City, studying Mandarin and financial accounting.

Charlotte Gross had a happy freshman year at Dartmouth College. She has found a tight group of friends on the Nordic ski team, and she’s found no end to her curiosity as she explores the literature and humanities courses offered in Dartmouth’s curriculum. Oona Kilcommons studies theater and dance at Bennington College. She has continued her work as a counselor for children, a research intern for a professor of peace building and the arts at Brandeis University, and is continuing an active work search in performance venues in New York and Boston. Despite the hard work required to stay afloat at Boston University, Malik Odeh released his first mix tape last winter. And, despite his stubborn denial, the truth is out: he is a rapper.

Please continue to send in updates for our class notes. We look forward to hearing from you.

From the Alumni Office: James Greenwood, NMH associate dean of multicultural education, visited Durham, N.C., last spring and saw Ryan Kelly at Duke. James reports that Ryan is still on the pre-med track, has decided to major in psychology with a minor in African American studies, and has successfully balanced his academics and his responsibilities as a manager for the Duke University men’s basketball team. There is a photo of Ryan with Gus White ’53, in the class of ’53 column of this issue.

Tucker Kavanagh ’12, Naomi Weitz ’12, and Hannah Solis-Cohen ’12 met at the University of Virginia’s invitational regatta last spring.

fall 2013 I 89

CLASS NOTES

faculty notes LYN KELLOM PO Box 1546 New London NH 03257-1546 rbmzkellom@comcast.net

Reunion ’13 embraced a big crowd and a big program. In addition to the long-standing Alumni Convocation, hymn sing, class dinners, alumni service of worship and remembrance were the newer Rhodes Art Center tours, concerts, and gallery exhibits, alumni classrooms, special receptions and memorial services, Northfield School for Girls luncheon, and specific to ’13, several room dedications and a faculty home groundbreaking. But no matter how one rushed from event to event, there was, as always, an awareness of the green hills and the surrounding beauty. An impressive number of faculty and staff returned—Ginny and Ed Brooks, Al ’50 and Mary-Ann Efird Higgins ’51, Bill Compton ’44, Louise and Dick Schwingel, Betty Congdon, Ann Peller Neill ’97, Carolyn Mann, Sally Curtis, Carol and Nelson Lebo ’56, Jeanne and John Rees, Bill Schweikert, Bev Bolton Leyden ’53, Ginny and Pat Mooney, Leigh and Sharon Hutchinson Hosley ’58, Dave and Anne Webb Burnham ’44, Joan Clausen Vander Vliet ’48, Carroll Rikert ’34, Jeanne and Dale

Conly ’52, Al DeMaria, Chris Shepard, Karin and Dave Ericson ’70, Lynn and Brad Reed ’68, Wendy Blackman-Sanborn and Chuck Sanborn, Betsy and Ken Lindfors ’53, Barbara and Sam Richardson, Brenda and Rick Robinson, Anne Weaver McBride, Linda Plavin Fitzgerald, Scott and Anne Lyman, and Vera and Bob Cooley. And,

as always, apologies to those whom I missed. For the Kelloms, this reunion was particularly special, since as class teachers for the 50th reuniting class, we shared with ’63 the joy of renewing old friendships and the pride of their giving to the school a record-breaking class gift.

Donald and Sofia Sze have purchased a condominium in South Deerfield, Mass., where they intend to spend two to three months each summer.

Their home for the other months is in Shanghai, China, where Donald is a faculty advisor/mentor at YK Pao School.

Rain-drenched New Hampshire June generously produced a sunny day for Fud Fest ’13 on the Kellom hillside. It was one of the largest gatherings here of NMH retirees. Of note, these colleagues represent service to the school spanning an astounding eight decades. Enjoying long friendships were Sara Pilliod Allen, Bill Compton ’44, Betty Congdon, Jeanne and Dale Conly ’52, Barbara Elliott, Barbara Harris, Cynnie and Terry Irwin, Carol and Nelson Lebo ’56, Betsy and Ken Lindfors ’53, Elliot Rowsey, Wendy BlackmanSanborn and Chuck Sanborn, Margot Torrey,

Mary Lou Treat, Glenn Vandervliet ’56, Mary and Bob Weis, Mary Covey Williams ’45, Anne Lyman, Carol and Marv Kelley ’60, Bev Bolton Leyden ’53, Jeanne and John Rees, Al ’50 and Mary Ann Efird Higgins ’51, and Peter Weis ’78 (no—NMH’s conscientious archivist is not retired yet—he kindly provided transportation for his parents).

Happy good wishes to Barbara and Sam Richardson as they celebrate their summer ’13 50th wedding anniversary with a week in Bar Harbor, Maine. Joining them will be their two children, Sarah Richardson Kelley ’82 and husband, Mark, Sam Jr. ’83, and their four grandchildren. Sam Sr. continues his math interest, teaching part time at Community College of Vermont in Brattleboro. Together, Barbara and Sam and AMC volunteers built “a hikers’ cabin for through hikers on the New England Trail (NET)—a federally designated scenic trail that goes through the Northfield State Forest.”

I know the entire NMH community joins me in extending sorrow and sympathy to the families of these colleagues who have passed away during the last year: Harold Cooper, Merrill Manning ’43, Gerald Squier, Charles Clark, Esther Ladzinski, Harold Bigelow ’47, Nadine Sanborn, Louise Lovell, Gale Davis, Ruth Gillett, Lyman “Bill” Griswold, Stephen Brown, and John Mehegan.

SHARE YOUR NEWS We’d like to include you in our next issue. Submit a note to: • Your class secretary • By email to nmhnotes@nmhschool.org • By mail to: Northfield Mount Hermon One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354 • By fax to 413-498-3021 • Send photos to your secretary, but please include your name/address on the back if you would like them returned.

• Please make sure any digital photos have sufficient resolution (300 d.p.i. and at least 3 inches wide).

• Color photocopies will not be accepted.

The Good Government Club (pictured here during the 1923–24 academic year) was a predecessor to today’s debate team, competeing with the goals of acute, sound reasoning; forceful, precise arguments; and keen, competitive sportsmanship and good humor.

90 I NMH Magazine

CLASS NOTES

NMH Farm Products Download an order form at nmhschool.org/nmhfarm-products or return a copy of this order form, along with a check payable to Northfield Mount Hermon, to: Farm Program, NMH, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354.

Please attach mailing instructions to your order.

All prices include shipping. Please note: The minimum order for each mailing address is $25.

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www.nmhschool.org/summer Northfield Mount Hermon Summer Session One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354 413-498-3290 summer_school@nmhschool.org

fall 2013 I 91

CLASS NOTES

VITAL STATISTICS Births and Adoptions ’87 Donley Gray and Dana Kincer to David and Jessica P›Simer Henry, 7/19/12. ’89 Andrew Ryan Bankart to Kim and Charlie Bankart, 5/18/12. ’94 Charles to Christopher and Sarah Howard Parker, 4/13. ’94 Estelle Kathleen to Gregory and Sarah White Albertyn, 4/13. ’04 Bethanie Suen to May Wong and Ben Suen ’05, 1/22/13.

Weddings and Civil Unions ’64 Jane Avery to Denise Merritt, 7/27/13. ’64 Johan Carl to Leanne Atherton, 5/11/13. ’85 David Reinheimer to Christine “Misty” Margarita Relos, 12/23/12. ’93 Anna Schuleit to Yotam Haber, 4/26/13. ’99 Jennifer Boynton to Paul SanGiorgio, 4/13. ’01 Josef Lamson to Tatiana Gorenflo ’02, 9/25/11. ’03 Alison Falb to Justin Ouimette, 9/8/12. ’04 May Wong to Ben Suen ’05, 1/12. ’08 Joseph Charpentier to Haley Bubier, 6/1/13.

Deaths ’30 Sarah Frisbie Bassett, 4/3/13. Sister of Charlotte Frisbie Webb ’26 (dec’d) and Lena Frisbie Fuller ’29 (dec’d). ’31 H. Elizabeth Hawes Rabbott, 5/19/13. ’32 Marjorie Glenn Crowe, 5/16/13. Niece of Bernard Wilford ’95 (dec’d). Cousin of Charles Wilford ’27 (dec’d). ’32 Marion Hance Slater, 3/19/13. Mother of Terence Nolan ’58 (dec’d) and Barry Nolan ’60 (dec’d). Grandmother of Allison Mensing Corbett ’93. ’33 Phyllis Benedict Lee, 7/3/13. Sister of Eleanor Benedict Curtis ’33 (dec’d). ’34 Gloria Davis Cameron, 5/20/13. ’34 Vrysula Coucovitis Nicholas, 7/25/13. Niece of Nicholas Coucovitis ’13 (dec’d). ’35 Ruth Pratt Demarest, 7/13/13. Wife of Paul Demarest ’35 (dec’d). Sister of Henry Pratt ’28 (dec’d), Margaret Pratt Caughey ’32 (dec’d), and Benjamin Pratt ’51. Aunt of Richard Pratt ’52. ’35 Charlotte Bostelmann Kraemer, 11/8/12.

Mother of Dwight Kraemer ’62. Sister of William Bostelmann ’34 (dec’d). ’36 Faith Freeman, 10/5/11. Cousin of Mabel Fullington Nicholson ’25 (dec’d) and William Nicholson ’47. ’36 David Knecht, 7/1/13.

92 I NMH Magazine

’36 Elizabeth Chaffee Levasheff, 4/27/13. Niece of Pearle Chaffee ’09 (dec’d). ’36 Claribel Gee Prince, 7/21/13. ’36 Priscilla Copley Webster, 5/28/12. ’37 Barbara Brown Dennett, 8/10/13. Sister of Wilhelmina Brown Dixon ’36 (dec’d). ’37 William Wieners, 11/18/12. Brother of Shirley Wieners Donerly ’38 (dec’d). Uncle of William Wieners ’63. ’38 Phyllis Gordon Burns, 1/5/12. Sister of Edgar Gordon ’25 (dec’d), C. Richard Gordon ’35 (dec’d), and Paul Gordon ’40 (dec’d). ’38 Florence Watt Gardner, 4/24/12. ’38 Charles Schwanda, 3/21/13. Brother of Benedict Schwanda ’33 (dec’d), Robert Schwanda ’35 (dec’d), Theodore Schwanda ’39 (dec’d), Eugenia Schwanda Finnegan ’41 (dec’d), and Alan Schwanda ’41. Father of Joan Schwanda Formeister ’70. Uncle of Robert Schwanda ’60, Nancy Schwanda Kida ’61, Bruce Schwanda ’61, Benedict Schwanda ’62, and Brian Schwanda’65. Cousin of Evelyn Schwanda Dalpian ’34 and Joseph Schwanda ’40. ’39 Kenneth Berbrick, 3/6/13. ’39 Edward Gibbons, 3/10/13. ’39 Richard Gosselin, 10/1/12. ’39 John Hart, 4/19/13. ’39 Ralph Renzelman, 12/17/12. ’39 Carol Foster Wright, 8/23/12. ’40 Joseph Bauer, 7/21/13. ’40 Sue Merriam Fiser, 6/24/13. Daughter of Charles Merriam ’14 (dec’d). Sister of Dorothy Merriam Whittle ’37. ’40 Gordon Smith, 4/30/13. Father of Randall Smith ’64 and Roderick Smith ’67. ’41 Lillian Dawe Allen, 4/30/13. Niece of Prudence Dawe Whelan ’33 (dec’d). ’41 George Ehinger, 4/21/13. Son of George Ehinger ’11 (dec’d). Brother of Robert Ehinger ’39, Paul Ehinger ’42, and Nelson Ehinger ’48.

Nephew of John Ehinger ’10 (dec’d) and Pearl Taylor Ehinger ’11 (dec’d). ’41 June Rusterholtz Lindemer, 6/28/13. Sister of Virginia Rusterholtz Attridge ’44 (dec’d). ’41 Albert Wisner, 4/4/13. ’42 Richard Austin, 1/31/13. ’42 Lee Durham, 7/12/13. Brother of Eleanor Durham Spiegel ’42 and David Durham ’49. ’42 James Gustin, 7/27/12. Brother of Richard Gustin ’42. ’42 Carolyn Whitmore Shilling, 1/28/13. Daughter of Martha Richardson Whitmore ’16 (dec’d).

Sister of Mary Whitmore McClintock ’38. ’42 Ann Van Meter Tilson, 4/14/13. ’43 Herbert Ellingwood, 4/1/12. ’43 Louis Haskell, 5/6/12. Brother of Richard Haskell ’48 (dec’d). ’43 Cora Freund Patterson, 2/18/13. ’43 Isabel Downing Paulsen, 1/4/13. Sister of Jane Downing Vienot ’45 (dec’d).

’43 Nancy Hurley Smith, 9/15/12. Mother of Kristin Smith Heath ’78. Sister of Suzanne Hurley Zinkowski ’46. ’43 Charles Thompson, 12/15/11. Brother of Orville Thompson ’44. ’43 Samuel Utley, 1/23/12. Uncle of William Utley ’63. ’44 Lavonne Aghetto Adkin, 5/21/13. ’44 Elaine Gray Barlow, 2/3/13. Sister of Sylvia Gray Sears ’42. ’44 S. Ruth Ulrich Blair, 1/18/13. Mother of Janet Blair Atlan ’67, Bonnie Blair Peterson ’69, and Elizabeth Blair Chapin ’70. Sister of James Ulrich ’49 and Thomas Ulrich ’55. ’44 Suzanne Harton Conklin, 2/3/13. ’44 Alfred DeWolf, 3/29/13. ’44 Gertrude Novak, 5/21/13. Sister of Toni Novak Wyman ’43. ’44 John Sowter, 4/10/12. ’45 Elizabeth Hudson Callahan, 9/29/12. Mother of Laura Callahan Kampmeyer ’72. Niece of Florence Andrews ’09 (dec’d). ’45 Barbara Cooper Decker, 3/13/12. ’45 Thomas Turnbull, 3/28/13. Brother of Silence Turnbull Roth ’43 and Richard Turnbull ’52. ’46 F. Blaine Hawkes, 8/17/13. Brother of Dennis Hawkes ’49. ’46 Lois Magoon Rivers, 5/15/13. Mother of Mark Rivers ’71, Donna Rivers ’73, and Dru Rivers ’75. Niece of Kenneth Magoon ’15 (dec’d), John Magoon ’15 (dec’d), C. Edward Magoon ’20 (dec’d), and Leon Magoon ’31 (dec’d). Cousin of Kenneth Magoon ’41 (dec’d), Ralph Magoon ’43 (dec’d), Charles Magoon ’45 (dec’d), Sandra Magoon Johnson ’59, A. Jon Magoon ’60 (dec’d), Wayne Magoon ’61, Sally Magoon Chamberlain ’63, and Pamela Magoon Hanna ’66. ’46 Jacqueline Perry Whidden, 3/11/13. ’47 Marion Speers Blackshear, 5/10/12. Cousin of Margaret Dodd Schmidt ’49. ’47 Robert Lenker, 4/27/13. ’48 Robert Barnes, 12/17/12. Brother of Mary Barnes Knoop ’55 and John Barnes ’59. ’48 Hester Watson Farmer, 6/6/13. ’48 Wallace Moreland, 10/12/12. Brother of Lucy Moreland Wistreich ’52. Uncle of David Wistreich ’81. ’48 James Nabrit, 3/22/13. ’48 Betty Taylor Phelps, 6/30/13. Daughter of Robert Taylor ’20 (dec’d). Sister of Barbara Taylor ’46. Cousin of Cleland Cochrane ’46 (dec’d) and Jean Cochrane Skib ’47 (dec’d). ’48 James Van Valkenburgh, 6/4/13. Brother of Morgan Van Valkenburgh ’53 (dec’d). ’48 Marjorie Ingham Stahl Warren, 5/23/13.

Sister of Elizabeth Ingham Johnson ’51. ’48 Stephen Watterson, 8/10/11. Son of Joseph Watterson ’20 (dec’d). Father of Pamela Watterson ’73. Brother of Joseph Watterson ’59.

Nephew of William Watterson ’20 (dec’d). ’48 Howard Ziff, 4/10/12. ’49 Robert Bromley, 5/10/13.

CLASS NOTES

’49 Rosemary Bishop Wise, 8/15/13. Sister of Jay Bishop ’51 and Helen Bishop Jensen ’52 (dec’d). ’50 Charles Drummey, 4/7/13. Father of Todd Drummey ’82. Brother of John Drummey ’53 (dec’d) and Gayle Drummey Sheppard ’56.

Uncle of Rebecca Sheppard ’79. Grand-uncle of Joshua Sheppard ’15. ’50 Gary Filosa, 4/23/13. ’50 Bruce Whittles, 6/26/13. Brother of Douglas Whittles ’50. ’51 Patricia Johnson Bell, 6/13/13. Sister of Clifford Johnson ’47 (dec’d) and Carol Johnson Olson ’51. Cousin of Joan Benson Ehrenbeck ’46. ’51 Robert Cairns, 7/31/11. Grandson of Edward Pratt ’92 (dec’d). ’51 John Hightower, 7/6/13. ’51 D. Bruce McComb, 8/23/13. Brother of Donald McComb ’54. ’51 Robert Shedd, 3/6/13. Husband of Ann Pyper Shedd ’51 (dec’d). Grandfather of Martin Shedd ’07. Uncle of N. Kent Buker ’69, Karen Lanphear Malinowski ’77, Kristin Lanphear LaPorte ’82, and D. Bradford Lanphear ’79. ’52 Paul King, 5/24/13. ’52 Kristina Nilsson, 4/22/13. ’53 Marlene Davenport Bates, 10/27/12. ’53 Robert Roland, 8/17/13. Brother of Allen Roland ’53. Uncle of John Cantalini ’80. ’54 H. William Koster, 1/30/13. ’55 Natalie Lunn, 7/22/13. ’55 Allan Penner, 7/20/13. Brother of Lois Penner Riley ’51 (dec’d).

’56 Suzanne Shaffer McGown, 6/29/13. Sister of Linda Shaffer Dupuy ’59. Cousin of James McHutchison ’59, Martha McHutchison ’62, and Dorothy McHutchison Bowes ’69 (dec’d). ’56 Jorma Wakkila, 4/19/13. ’57 Richard Frohne, 3/3/13. Brother of Ivan Frohne ’55 and James Frohne ’58. ’57 Jane Rilance Keefer, 1/25/13. ’60 William Anderson, 5/6/13. ’60 Susan Kingdon Fields, 11/21/12. ’62 David Baily, 5/10/13. Son of Arthur Baily ’30 (dec’d). Brother of Arthur Baily ’60. ’64 William Haggerty, 5/8/13. ’64 Carol Wiechert Heath, 7/1/13. ’64 Johnsy Middleton, 7/11/13. ’65 Maryann Stackman Baldwin, 4/27/13. ’65 Thomas Moore, 12/14/12. ’69 Leslie Robinson Sharp, 7/3/13. Niece of Shepard Robinson ’43 (dec’d) and John Robinson ’52 (dec’d). Cousin of William Robinson ’85. ’74 Andrew Chason, 3/17/13. ’74 Alan Schwartz, 6/11/13. Nephew of Mary Wickens Davidson ’61. ’75 Mary Fardelmann Olson, 2/27/13. Sister of Shelley Fardelmann ’73 and James Fardelmann ’78. Aunt of Chelsea Fardelmann ’10 and Haley Fardelmann ’12. ’76 Dave Marley, 5/18/13. Father of Erin Marley ’10 and James Marley ’13. ’76 Stephen Piscuskas, 7/27/13. Husband of Linda Zelenko Piscuskas ’78. Brother of David Piscuskas ’75, Kathryn Piscuskas ’79, Martha Piscuskas ’78, and Richard Anthony ’81. Cousin of Frederick Cheyunski ’68.

’77 David Ladd, 7/11/13. Brother of Ellyn Ladd ’79 and Eric Ladd ’81. Nephew of Jean Coffin McClung ’38 (dec’d). Cousin of Richard Starbuck ’64, Jonathan Starbuck ’69, Rodman Ritchie ’90, and Andrew Ritchie ’93. ’77 Arthur Lee, 5/14/13. Brother of Mark Lee ’75. ’81 Hakan Onor, 5/23/13. Brother of Ceylan Onor Cross ’85 and Zafer Onor ’87. ’85 Ben Harris, 8/15/13. ’05 Valerie Cappelaere Delaney, 3/11/13.

Granddaughter of Robert Eisenhauer ’57.

Deaths—Former Faculty and Staff Helen Connor, retired staff, 8/14/13.

Harold Cooper, former faculty, 3/6/12.

Stephen Brown, former staff, 5/13/13.

Ruth Gillett, former staff, 4/9/13.

Mother of Drew Gillett ’68, Dean Gillett ’70, and Sherry Gillett Heldt ’71. Grandmother of Sarah Gillett ’98 and Rayna Heldt ’02.

Christine Givan, former faculty, 8/16/13.

Lyman Griswold, retired faculty, 5/5/13.

Father of Susan Griswold-Riggsby ’83.

Louise Lovell, former staff, 3/26/13.

John Mehegan, retired faculty, 5/29/13.

William Pease, former faculty, 6/20/13.

Barbara Sprague, retired staff, 7/11/13.

Mother of Edward Sprague ’71 and Marcia Sprague ’73.

Gerald Squier, retired staff, 3/12/13.

Son of Randall Squier ’30 (dec’d).

fall 2013 I 93

CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM

BY NOELLE ANSON

Antony U. Chastain-Chapman On January 14, 2013, at age 82, Antony U. “Tony” Chastain-Chapman passed away from complications of pneumonia in an assisted living facility in Edgewater, N.J. Tony was an English teacher at NMH from 1978 to 1999 and was an enormously skilled woodworker and builder of fine furniture.

Born in London, England, on March 26, 1930, Tony was an only child. He attended St. Martin’s School of Art before serving for two years in the military. Cambridge University came next, and he earned a bachelor’s in English in 1953, and then a master’s in English and social anthropology in 1958. In between the two degrees, Tony lived in Canada, earning a diploma in advertising from the University of Toronto and working both in advertising and as executive director of a trade association. From 1959–1962, he worked in advertising in Toronto before his love of English literature lured him back to the classroom and into what became a distinguished teaching career.

Tony spent five years at the DeVeaux School in Niagara Falls, N.Y., where he taught English, art history, and music history; coached fencing; and chaired the English department, in addition to acting as director of studies.

He then moved to Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, where he taught regular and AP English classes, chaired the English department and the curriculum

committee, and coached fencing and soccer. He also earned his Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature from Kent State University in 1975. His first marriage having ended in divorce during this period, Tony met and subsequently married his Western Reserve Academy colleague, Sarah Chastain, in early 1978. That same year they moved to NMH, where both had been offered positions teaching English.

Tony taught sophomores and seniors and AP English at NMH for 21 years. In addition, he coached fencing and served for several years as chair of the Department of English. The late Audrey Sheats commented that Tony brought order to their departmental deliberations and enabled faculty to discuss previously untouchable subjects.

She said: “Tony is to be credited for openness, plain good sense, an appetite for proper procedure…and a determination to get a rather diverse bunch of folk to work together until we produce a real result.”

In addition to his academic duties, Tony served for a time as design coordinator at the school, advising plant facilities and other departments on design matters; he also served as a member of the computer advisory committee.

Outside the school, Tony built furniture, which he exhibited and sold in New York City. He had a lifelong interest in art and antiques, and during the 1980s published articles on furniture and design in American Craft Magazine. After he retired, he devoted his time to restoring his 1840s home in Northfield. Other interests included classical music, travel, fly-fishing, camping, and hiking.

Tony is survived by his two children with Sarah, Sydney Chastain-Chapman Navarro ’96 and Alexander ChastainChapman ’00. Other survivors include two children from his first marriage and three grandchildren. The family has asked that memorial gifts be sent to Kristin Kellom ’80 in the NMH Office of Advancement. ♦

Gerald Francis Squier NMH chef extraordinaire, Gerald Francis “Jerry” Squier, passed away March 12, 2013, after a battle with leukemia.

He was 73. Jerry was known to many alumni as the chef at Hibbard Hall on the Northfield campus from 1980–2001.

Born on August 19, 1939, Jerry grew up in Brick, N.J., where he graduated from high school. He attended Seton Hall University for two years and then joined the Army, serving from 1963 to 1966. After his discharge, he toured Europe with friends and then returned to New Jersey, where he worked in restaurants on the Jersey shore and attended Rutgers University, earning a certificate in the health care and dietary supervision program.

From 1972 to 1978, Jerry was food service manager and chef at Medicenter of Red Bank, a large New Jersey nursing home. In 1978, he began a similar job at the Anchorage Nursing Home in Shelburne Falls, Mass. Two years later, Jerry began his career at NMH as supervising

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chef of the Northfield campus, working during the academic year as well as when NMH Summer School was in session. When he retired, students from Hibbard planted a maple tree next to the dorm in his honor. At Reunion 2002, Jerry was presented the William H. Morrow Award in honor of outstanding service to the school by a non-alumnus Raymond Allain, Jerry’s life partner, who was also an NMH employee, says Jerry became a lifelong devotee of opera after his grandmother took him to his first opera at the age of 7 or 8. The whole family was musical, Raymond says, and during Sunday dinners at Grandma’s, “everyone had to sing before going home.” Tina Anson ’90, who worked for Jerry in Hibbard one summer, recalls that one day, as Jerry was preparing a special dinner, he announced that he simply couldn’t cook veal without Pavarotti—and promptly put on a CD with his favorite tenor.

After retiring, Jerry and Raymond moved to Florida. A memorial service with full military honors was held for Jerry at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Fla., in May. Jerry is survived by his partner, Raymond Allain, a brother and a sister, and several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grand-nephews. ♦

Harold F. Bigelow ’47, 89,

director of safety from 1963–1987, passed away 2/18/13. In his spare time, he enjoyed farming and produced maple syrup each year. In 1999, he received the Carlisle Award for the best maple syrup in New Hampshire. He enjoyed camping and making Shaker boxes. He is survived by a son and a daughter and their spouses, a brother and a sister and their spouses, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. ♦

Merrill Manning ’43, 93, secu-

rity officer from 1949–1982, passed away 6/20/12. Merrill worked at the creamery for 12 years until it was shut down and then moved into security. In his later years he provided music and vocals as a volunteer at the Vernon Green Nursing Home in Vernon, Vt. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, their four children and their spouses, eight grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. ♦

Charles Clark, 83, a custodian

from 1982–1994, passed away 2/8/13. Prior to NMH, Charles was a custodian at Brattleboro Union High School and the Northfield Hotel. He was fascinated by trains and loved country and western music. He is survived by his wife, Edith, a son, a stepdaughter, a sister, three grandchildren, three greatgrandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. ♦

Esther T. Ladzinski, 92, a retired

Barbara Sprague, 85, a retired

computer programmer in the accounting office, passed away 7/11/13. A graduate of UMassAmherst, Barbara and her husband, Ed, also ran a family rental business in Moody, Maine, for many decades.

She was active in many organizations, including the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

Barbara’s survivors include her children Ed ’71 and Marcia ’73, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. ♦

office manager in the purchasing department from 1944–1984, passed away 1/31/13. A past president and secretary of the former St. Patrick’s Women’s Guild in Northfield and a charter member of the Northfield American Legion Women’s Auxiliary, Esther is survived by her sister and brother-in-law and by many nieces and nephews. ♦

fall 2013 I 95

PARTING WORDS

The Wisdom of Mistakes

by TED DESMAISONS

If you want to succeed, embrace failure. A year ago, I would have expected such paradoxical advice to come from a Taoist monk or a Jedi master. Now, after a sabbatical year away from NMH, I find myself touting that same refrain as I explore questions about teaching and learning. How do I encourage the freshman boy who struggles on an early test? How do I help a rookie softball shortstop whose throw sails over the first baseman’s head? How do I support the senior who’s worried about getting rejected by her first-choice school?

Even though we at NMH see ourselves as an open-minded prep school— getting kids to “top” colleges and to the schools and programs that fit them best—we still employ many of the same measuring sticks that our peers do. We want our kids to excel in academics, arts, and athletics—nail all three, even better. To the teenage mind, a single failure can sometimes feel ruinous. Lose one game and you miss the playoffs.

Get one B and you might get rejected at Princeton. Such a high-pressure house of cards leaves little room for exploring uncertain ground and crowds out the benefits of healthy risk taking.

On sabbatical, I studied how to foster a courageous, creative, and connected classroom. More specifically, I explored how four varied fields—contemplative practice, improvisational theater, positive reinforcement behavioral training, and growth mindset work—could overlap in such an effort. Some of my playful colleagues chuckled at the scope of my project—a yearlong drink at the fire hydrant, eh?—but I sensed I’d find valuable insights.

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Everything I learned, it seemed, invited me to shift my way of thinking about failure.

For example, most contemplative traditions use a gentle approach to socalled mistakes. When attention strays from a focus point—the breath, for example—there’s no ridicule or shaming. One simply notices the straying and gets back to the focusing. When I struggled last summer to build a fragile trail of stones extending from a boulder into a tidal pool, I remembered the words of nature artist Andy Goldsworthy in the documentary Rivers and Tides, as he laments a fallen stone sculpture: “The moment when it collapses is intensely disappointing. [But] each time I got to know the stone a little bit more, it got higher. It grew in proportion to my understanding of the stone.”

Again, no self-flagellation, only the recognition that he’s learning.

The theater improvisers I met showed me how to rebound from muck-ups with a practice known as the Failure Bow. Rather than compound a mistake by wincing from expected punishment—external or internal—the actor defuses the failure by taking a proud step forward and throwing both arms in the air to declare, “I failed! Woo hoo!”

In other words, “Yes, I messed up. And yes, I’m still here. I’m still growing.”

Such cheerful resilience delights audiences and inspires stage mates.

Behavioral trainers and coaches who employ positive reinforcement methods—reward movement toward the behavior you want and ignore the rest—don’t harp on failure, either. For example, I can use a “tag,” a nonverbal

audible marker like a snap or a click, to let a softball player know when she’s got her wrist in proper position to make a throw. The tag says “Yes.” I don’t point out errors or offer more instruction. If I stay silent, the player then determines the necessary adjustment and receives reinforcement from me the moment she finds the right alignment.

Someone with a fixed mindset believes that whatever abilities we have come set in stone. A student might struggle with an English essay and decide with finality, “I’m not a good writer.” A growth mindset, in contrast, suggests greater fluidity in intelligence and ability. “I’m not a good writer” converts to “I’m becoming a better writer.” Students who see their apparent failures as prototypes for future success maintain the courage and resilience to keep going.

These attitudes toward mistakes may seem revolutionary in educational settings, where we so often focus only on success. But errors in the classroom—or on the playing field, or the stage, or wherever students are absorbing new information—offer valuable lessons for incremental improvement and sometimes bust open a window to unforeseeable innovation. In failure, we can all find wisdom and opportunities for real learning. No Jedi master or Taoist sage needed.

Ted DesMaisons teaches religious studies and philosophy and coaches the girls’ varsity softball team. Read more about his sabbatical experiences at www.tedwordsblog.com.

GIVING BACK

Kate Alling Throop ’61 In June 2011, Kate Alling Throop ’61 was about to fly east for her 50th Northfield reunion when she got the bad news: She had multiple myeloma. “I was shellshocked,” she recalls. She’d been feeling tired and not right for a few months—but cancer? She sadly skipped the reunion, and instead began diving into the hard business of chemotherapy and dialysis.

Two years later, Kate finally made the trip from her home in California to NMH. This wasn’t a reunion visit, just a quick stop during a two-week New England tour with her husband, Terry Throop. It marked their first big trip since her diagnosis, as well as a return to normalcy—or at least a new version of it.

She and Terry stopped at NMH just long enough to meet Head of School Peter Fayroian and hand him a generous check for the Northfield School for Girls Scholarship Fund. The gift honored Terry’s son, Chris Throop ’86, as well as Kate’s years at Northfield. She’d been a scholarship student herself and wanted to pay it forward.

“I had always told Terry I’d like to leave something to NMH in my will,” Kate recalls. “That conversation quickly moved from ‘someday’ to ‘Let’s take a check and give it to Peter Fayroian.’ Handing over the check felt so good. It felt like the right thing to do.”

Kate and her husband drove past the Northfield campus that day but didn’t have time to stop. That was ok with Kate.

She has made her peace with the sale of the campus and its uncertain future. She knows a lot about uncertainty now, and the importance of an enduring spirit. Every day is a gift, in her view, and she is simply sharing that gift with NMH.

PHOTO BY CHRIS LE SCHINSKY

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