NMH Class Notes 2020 Spring by Northfield Mount Hermon

NMH

Magazine

Spring 2020 Class Notes

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NMH ARCHIVES

Northfield Mount Hermon Spring 2020 Class Notes

2019–20 Alumni Council Executive Committee President Molly Goggins Talbot ’93, P’21, ’23 Executive Vice President Kate Hayes ’06 Vice President Andrew Ness ’04 Secretary Wendy Alderman Cohen ’67 Advancement Committee chair Brendan Mysliwiec ’04 Awards Committee chair Thomas Baxter ’59 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee co-chair Becca Perkins Fishbein ’96 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee co-chair Jared Gourier ’06 Nominating Committee co-chair Carolyn “Ty” Fox ’59 Nominating Committee co-chair Tanya Luthi ’96 Reunion Advisory Committee chair Stephen Green ’87, P’18, ’20 Strategic Advisory Committee chair Sara Stephens Wilson ’02 Young Alumni Committee co-chair Nicole Dancel ’09 Young Alumni Committee co-chair Andrew Taylor ’09

Class notes columns are edited for space and clarity. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the philosophy of NMH.

Northfield Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

Northfield Dorcas Platt Abell sabell3@nycap.rr.com

Mount Hermon Carleton Finch zeke137@aol.com

Northfield Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

Mount Hermon Loren Bullock mlbullock9@gmail.com From Loren: Many thanks for the outstanding quality of each issue of our NMH alumni magazines. They consistently have more interesting and varied articles than any of the three university magazines I receive. Congratulations to NMH Volunteer Manager Rachel Condry and all others involved. We of the class of ’42 are well into our 90s, and I suspect we’re a little surprised to find ourselves so far into the 2000s. Congratulations to all of us, too. We hold special memories of the beautiful campus and many of the faculty of those years, and are impressed with the significant and impressive changes over the years. We wish success to our new head of school.

Northfield Mount Hermon Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

Northfield Arlene Finch Reynolds arlenerey@aol.com

Mount Hermon Pete Devenis ingadevenis@aol.com Ferdinand Schoch is very much alive and living in Santa Rosa, Calif., in spite of my indication in a previous class notes column that he was deceased. After past careers in mining and real estate, he now enjoys sports cars and working in his Zinfandel vineyard. • David S. Bayer died on 1/20/19. After graduating from University of Massachusetts Amherst, he joined Bayer Motors, Inc. — a family auto dealership in Dudley, Mass., founded by his father. Later, David, along with his son, David II, became co-owners and partners of the dealership. David was active in the Webster and Dudley Research Hospital, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, and town committees, churches, and banks. His most enjoyable hobbies were deep sea fishing and traveling throughout the U.S., Europe, and the South Pacific. David leaves his wife of 66 years, Marilyn, daughter Allison, son David II, sister Doris, and many

more loved ones. • Edwin F. Pinkham died on 4/15/19. He did not graduate from Mount Hermon and was not pictured in our yearbook since he had not finished the French 3 and English 2 courses before leaving school. A Mount Hermon teacher, Howard Niblock, who became headmaster at MCI Pittsfield School, allowed Edwin to complete his course work at Pittsfield in order to obtain his high school diploma. After graduating from Boston School for Embalming, Edwin worked for a few months in a funeral parlor. However, his salary was disappointingly low, and he left to join the Navy for three years. He then continued to serve in the Marines for three years, two of which were in Korea. He returned to live in Waterville, Maine, where he played piano and organ music at various Masonic lodges. • John “Jack” Deveneau passed away on 11/26/19. He leaves his wife of 67 years, Martha, and children Lloyd, Susan, and Clark. I got to know Jack since we were alphabetically seated next to each other in classrooms. I also tutored him in algebra and shared his love of playing soccer. Jack and his son visited and stayed with us at our home. He served in the Navy after Mount Hermon and returned to live in Albuquerque, N.M. Most of our correspondence was about politics, sports, travel, and books we were reading. • As our numbers dwindle, let us continue to enjoy our last one to 10 years, and appreciate being among the 10 percent of classmates still alive.

Northfield Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

Mount Hermon Hugh Findlay findlay22@verizon.net

Northfield Anne Hardman Allen ahafma@yahoo.com

Mount Hermon Charles A. Kennedy chask@myfairpoint.net (603) 223-0731 Robert E. McManus wrote from Nokomis, Fla., “Another year and I am still looking as Diogenes did to find the honest man (or woman) who is concerned about how we treat our environment.” His latest pro-

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

posal involves Northfield Mount Hermon further developing what they already do with seasonal local farmers markets, and establishing a year-round “go green” contest with other prep schools in New England. • Brad Bond, along with our classmates Leon Carapetyan, Roly Coates, and Chuck Kennedy, is vying for the record of singing

continuously since graduation. “Just sang in the Marietta (Ohio) Messiah for probably the last time,” said Brad. “My eyesight is bad enough [that I sing] mostly from memory.” Brad doesn’t remember singing at NMH, but he did in an Episcopal Church choir as a boy soprano. • Jack Daggett’s first granddaughter (age 3) is educating the family on language and behavior. Jack and Jan are enjoying life in Charlottesville, Va., including performances broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera House. • George Becker reported from San Francisco about his memorable year of reaching 90, filled with the inevitable mixed emotions: sorrow at closing his medical office after 64 years and warm feelings of family love that colored his birthday celebration, organized by daughters Jennifer, Carrie, and Margaret ’74. “Having walked a decidedly nontraditional life path,” said George, “I am profoundly grateful for the unalloyed love of family and friends and for 20 memorable years of adventures with [my husband] Christo.” • R.A. Elliott went on a trip to Scotland, England, and Paris last August to visit family and friends. In Yorkshire, they visited the Methodist chapel where R.A.’s maternal grandfather preached. • This column was almost written by Jack Daggett, as your scribe had a heart attack in mid-November that restricted his activities for a while. Fortunately, my recovery went very well and Jack was spared the assignment. Turns out he had bypass surgery and a valve replacement four years ago, whereas I had only an angioplasty procedure, so he outgunned me. • For future news, please keep me informed about changes in your email address, as that method seems to work the best. Last year, Don Norton moved but didn’t give me his new email. So, Don, RSVP. Always glad to share news with the class. • And a final mystery: Karl Fezer sent me a reply with no message, so was he speechless (not likely) or did he hit the “send” key too soon? Thanks for thinking of us, Karl.

Northfield Mount Hermon Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

NMH Magazine

Northfield Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

Mount Hermon Jim Hanchett jch46@cornell.edu • David Durham dedur@aol.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Janet-Marie Fitzgerald Whitley janwhitley@aol.com Joan Bliss Wilson and husband Tom are still at Kendal at Hanover in New Hampshire, grateful for the opportunities they both have in town and nearby. They took a great boat trip around England last summer, visiting Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the west side of England. London was having one of the hottest days ever. They spent Thanksgiving in Acton, Mass., and spent Christmas in Denver with their two daughters. Joan’s eight grandchildren are scattered around the country, and she has one great-grandson. She will be at our 70th reunion. • Cynthia Palmer Ryder died on 8/30/19 in Winchester, N.H. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1954, and earned her master’s from Yale School of Public Health in 1956. She interned with the Quincy, Mass., Health Department. It was here she met Brooks Ryder, who served as a health officer. He soon left for Ethiopia and from there wrote, proposing to her. They married in March 1957. Cynthia served on the boards of Planned Parenthood of New England, Home Health Care, Hospice and Community Service, and the Tobacco Free Coalition. She was the founding mother of the Winchester Learning Center. She also served on the Winchester School Board. She was a beloved and devoted leader at the United Church of Winchester. Governor Jeanne Shaheen named Cynthia the New Hampshire volunteer of the year in 1996. Besides her four daughters, Cynthia leaves eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She attended many NMH reunions and her wonderful smile is unforgettable. We will miss you, Cyndy. • Lois Seekamp Dole’s husband, George, had a cochlear implant in 2018, which improved his hearing but impaired his balance; he can no longer run. (He has run many races, such as the one at which Roger Bannister broke the fourminute mile.) George is still writing and leads a six-week online course for their

theological school. Their 9-year-old granddaughter took up the running baton and finished 17th in the annual Dole race at their church camp. Her dad, Andrew Dole ’84, is now a full professor at Amherst College. Lois’s eldest son, Stuart, is planning to retire after 30 years at the public works of Crested Butte South, Colo., and will tour America. • Constance Streeter Reilly’s hip replacement continues to improve and she is golfing again. In October, she attended her granddaughter’s wedding at University of Pittsburgh’s Heinz Chapel. Connie was escorted by her son from Oregon as her 92-year-old husband, Joe, was unable to attend. In November, Joe had an ER visit due to a bad EKG, but he recovered. Connie continues to play bridge with a local American Contract Bridge League. • Barbara Bergwall Nicholls enjoys good health, and has 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Her first husband died in 1988 at age 62. She married again in 1995 — she and husband Nick had 17 years together before he passed away. Upon his death, Barbara’s daughter, Jane, moved in with her and is the sunshine in her life. Barbara has three sons besides her daughter; son Stephen is retired from his government work in New York, David is a schoolteacher, and Robert works for FedEx. Barbara enjoys bridge and all activities at her Episcopal Church in Bradenton, Fla. She attended our 25th reunion and hopes to come to our 70th. • Pat Lawrence Schwartz had eye surgery and all went well. She doesn’t think she will make it to our reunion as she doesn’t have the strength anymore. She said, “Eighty-eight has taken too much out of this old lady!” Pat, I hear you. • Barbara Bolger Collett had a boot on her left leg with tendon issues, and her dermatologist did a job on her in three different places. At Thanksgiving, she got to meet her great-grands from Texas and visited daughter Dianne’s home in Gainesville, Fla. Barbara’s second great-grand, Elliot, was born in October 2019. Her first great-grandson, Ryker, turned 3 in November. She missed her twin, Dave Bolger, during the holidays. By Christmastime, he’d been deceased only a year. • Connie Meehan Chapin has been retired for nine years as an English teacher and department head at independent school Derby Academy in Hingham, Mass. She loved her job and never called in sick in the 37 years she was there. She is now enjoying her four children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

C L AS S NOTES

• Bruce Dunn exercises assiduously — bicycling in the summer and “exercycling” when the weather is bad. He also goes to the mountains and hikes. When he’s indoors, time is spent writing his jeevra.blog. Bruce plans to be at our 70th. • Dick Whelan was a Marine Corp transport pilot in his early 20s. One of his many joys of the assignment was the rest and relaxation days exploring a new country or city. He pulled a number of these throughout the Caribbean and the Mediterranean areas during those years. Fast forward 60 years or so, he still finds himself pulling “R and Rs,” with the difference being the two Rs now stand for “repair and replace.” He’s had six of these R and Rs in the last four years. Dick hosted his annual Christmas Eve dinner, followed by the 13th annual Christmas Eve “putting around.” (He has a putting green in his backyard.) He noted he doesn’t play, just holds a flashlight over the hole. Dick will be at our reunion. • Fred Monett continues to travel. In addition to attending a conference in Eden Prairie, Minn., last year, he has traveled through the states of Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas — completing visits to all 50 states. He said that he will most certainly be at reunion. Fred, if I’m not wrong, I don’t believe you’ve ever missed a reunion! • Vic Scalise spent last summer in Maine after attending his college alma mater’s 45th reunion at Colby. Sadly, his college roommate died shortly after reunion. In the fall, Vic returned to Calvary Baptist Church in Lowell, Mass., where his father served for 35 years. Vic walks his lively puppy, Charlie, up to four miles daily, which keeps Vic physically fit. He and wife Carolyn celebrated nine years of marriage in November 2019. Unfortunately, he doubts he will be able to attend reunion due to the complexity of far-flung flights. Also, Vic’s grandson, Greg, will be graduating from John Hopkins with a master’s. Attending that event is a family priority. If he doesn’t make it back to “the hill,” he sends his best. • Arnie Esterer is still working full-time with, as he describes it, “a weakening mind and poor judgment.” He owns Markko Vineyards in Conneaut, Ohio, and is blessed with a helpful and understanding crew. He doubts that he will make it to reunion, but sends best wishes to the class of 1950, what he calls “the vintage of the century.” We will miss you, Arnie. • Donald Lanoue lost his wife, Joy, on 9/29/19. The class sends its condolences to you, Don. He also had his 86th birthday in

September. You may ask why he is so much younger than most of us. He is younger because he skipped a grade. He graduated with his late brother, Richard “Pete” Lanoue, and his sister, Ann Lanoue Weber, graduated in 1952. • My great-grandson, Daniel, continues to push forward in Outlaw Karts. As reported previously, he finished the 18-race Chico, Calif., series in September 2018 as Rookie of the Year. He returned in 2019 to Chico and was made champion at 16 years old, competing against many racers in their 20s and 30s. On Labor Day weekend, Chico will hold the Kyle Larson three-day challenge race. NASCAR racer Kyle Larson sponsors the event to commemorate the years he raced there as a boy. He returns and races in the same class as Daniel and pits in the QRC pit. Daniel pits there also since he is sponsored by QRC. Only 19 of the 72 karts qualified after two days of competition for the main event. Not only did Kyle and Daniel qualify, but Kyle won the event and Daniel took seventh place. I do have other great-grandchildren, and they hold our family’s long tradition of being 4-H members. At one 4-H fair in September, great-grandsons Jimmy (13) had reserve champion hog, Stephen III had champion heifer, and Johnny (7) won the potluck, showing two calves. • We are only a few weeks away from our 70th reunion. This year there will be a three-day reunion instead of four. Arrival is on Friday instead of Thursday. I hope to be there and look forward to seeing you. At our class meeting, we will elect a class president, secretary, and reunion chair. I’ve held the last two of these positions for the past five years, and have been president since the death of “Drummey.” I encourage anyone who is interested in these positions to notify me soon. I thank all of you who have supported me for the decades I’ve been your secretary. I hope to see you at reunion, and have a great summer.

Northfield Mount Hermon Pat McCormick Hoehing sylv.snail@bex.net 7125 San Benito Drive, Sylvania, OH 43560 • Frederick W. Miller fwcemiller@sbcglobal.net From Fred: Word reached NMH last year that Hollis E. Harrington Jr. died on 6/11/17, just four days before his 85th birthday. He worked his way up from being treasurer of his Mount Hermon dorm of South Crossley

to president of Indian Head National Bank in Nashua, N.H. A one-year Hermon student from Delmar, N.Y., he earned a letter in football and played hockey and golf. Hollis followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a second-generation banker after serving in an Army Airborne unit and graduating from the University of New Hampshire. He also picked up the nickname “Buzz” while in college, preferring that to “Hollis,” “Buster,” or “Junior.” Buzz was a champion for everyone he met, particularly those in less fortunate situations. He believed in serving his community and giving back wherever he could. He is survived by his wife, Jane, three daughters, ten grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. His son predeceased him in 2001. • Guy Webster volunteers at Agrace Hospice in Wisconsin, caring for veterans, and has been a volunteer at a local food pantry and the Salvation Army. He also plays washtub bass in three local bands. He takes yoga and tai chi classes, and enjoys caring for Rascal, his rescue terrier. Guy’s lovely second wife, Donna, passed away in 2014. • Gil Aliber attended Vespers at NMH in December with his son, Jeff ’77, and daughter-in-law, Carmen. He had multiple conversations with the new head of school, Brian Hargrove. Gil and his wife, Phyllis, moved into assisted living in Needham, Mass., earlier in 2019. Son Jeff and daughter Jennifer ’82 both live nearby, as do four of Gil’s five grandchildren, who range in age from 18 to 29. • Frederick W. Miller and his wife, Carol, moved on January 31 into a continuing care retirement community, as planned; they’ve been there for 18 months.

Northfield Mount Hermon Julie Taylor Clemens jtclemens@cs.com A lively 1952 class mini reunion was held in Northfield at the Inn at Crumpin-Fox and on the NMH campus in November 2019. The planning committee for the reunion consisted of classmates Bill Rosser, Nancy Stuart Philippi, and Mimi Hollister Gardner. Seventeen classmates and spouses arrived at the inn on November 8, 2019, and then had a glorious dinner at the nearby Zeke’s Bar and Grill. Don and Mimi arrived first and were soon joined by Stape Roy. This was fun for Mimi since they both attended the Shanghai American School (as did Mary Newman McMahon, who arrived the next morning for the mini). Some reminiscing went on until Anne and Jud Wells and their

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

daughter, Andrea, arrived and greeted Stape in Chinese. Others soon followed, including Phyllis and Bill Rosser, Mary and David Hartman, John and Diana Armen Cowles, Rosemary and Stephen Rowley, and Ralph Ahlberg and Doug Wicks. Mimi was glad to see that Ralph was also a retired United Church of Christ minister. Ralph and Steve Waters were star tennis players at Mount Hermon. • Numerous classmates sent their regrets: Jane Waters, Russ Broad, Marcia Ottey Raushenbush, Jean Monroe Bedell, Bob Halkyard, and Julie Taylor Clemens and Drew. It was difficult for one of the planning group, Nancy Stuart Philippi, to have to miss due to a tragic family death just before. • The morning after arrival, everyone met at the NMH campus in West Hall in the Mira B. Wilson room for a short class meeting. At this time, they decided that both the minis and Julie’s emailed class updates should continue to keep the communication between classmates alive and well. • Associate Head of School Charles Tierney spoke to our mini reunion. He gave an update of NMH events, including the farm thriving during apple harvest and pressing for cider time; a dance contest; cross-country regional races; college application time with 200 in the senior class and 90 percent early acceptance applications; new floors and windows in West Hall; a new boathouse on the river; boys’ soccer being number one in New England, and girls’ soccer number four; girls’ crew placed second of 85 boats at Head of the Charles; and Guilder Center for Science and Math is on its way to 2021 completion. • As the designated emcee of events, Bill Rosser planned an energetic dialog with NMH faculty member and academic dean, Sarah Warren, who teaches religious studies and philosophy of world religions. Here are some notes on the exchange: • Bill: What are trends in the classroom? Sarah: In current events, students create their own curriculum, such as a shoe device designed with a coded signal warning of an object for blind persons. The issue is how to apply what they learn in a meaningful way. Bill: What help is given to American students doing poorly in math? Sarah: Repeat what you learn and integrate it; reinforce and develop strategies; encourage girls, establish a science club as a way to draw girls in; hire women and people of color as faculty in science and math. • Bill: What about smart kids with learning disabilities? Sarah: Train teachers on how to help with learning differences; academic

NMH Magazine

coaching is available and free to all students. • Bill: What about critical thinking? Sarah: One needs to analyze sources, biases, what’s being conveyed in pictures, role of the internet, impact of visuals. Bill: What about teaching for the test? Sarah: One needs to balance the need to get into college and the need for real world skills; how to show mastery of the material rather than test scores. Bill: What are the effects of cell phones on kids? Sarah: Kids read more in sound bites and tweets. Ninth-graders have to stash phones in class. As you talk about Google info, it means you have to consider algorithms and the source; for example, the YouTube algorithm is designed to keep you there and so sensationalizes the subjects. • The NMH student recipient of our 1952 Class Scholarship spent time with our mini reunion group. He is from East Orange, N.J., and found NMH a more welcoming place than other schools. He enjoys the coed a cappella group and is a resident leader in a freshman dorm. His questions about life are: Why am I here? What should I be about? He is interested in world issues and racism, and feels that technology and law are the best ways to impact the world. He has applied to Columbia University and MIT. “A very impressive young man,” said Mimi Hollister Gardner. • When you send a donation to NMH, think about earmarking it for the 1952 Class Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund’s book value was $146,651.53 in 2018. It ended with $148,501.53 in 2019. Let’s make sure our scholarship continues to grow. • Saturday afternoon was the grand Dave Hartman and Stape Roy show. “Dave [was] at his best, well-prepared Good Morning America interviewing self,” said Mimi. Interview questions included: What does China want? And what should our policies be? After lots of talk about China, the group discussed politics in general and continued into the cocktail hour and dinner. • “It was agreed that Crumpin-Fox Inn provided a fine arena for our off-campus gathering,” said Mimi, “and the Myra B. Wilson room in Alumni Hall is also just right for our time at the school. We are grateful to NMH’s Rachel Condry and Kristen Kellom ’80 for their help in putting this together. They are a joy to work with. We hope more of you will join us next year.” • Other class news from July through December of 2019 included numerous letters from classmates about their present status and thoughts about the impact that NMH made upon their lives. Notes

were from such classmates as: Bill Rosser, Ralph Ahlberg, Russ Broad, Suzanne Brown Longacre Gideonse, Conway “Connie” Redding, and Doug Wicks. • Meanwhile, news of deaths in our class included Muriel Hopkins Beahm and Elizabeth “Libby” Barrett-Connor. Muriel was a three-year student at Northfield, while “Libby” had only attended one year. Both were beloved and will be greatly missed. • Marcia Ottey Raushenbush wrote of her husband’s achievement as a writer of children’s books. Look for Mike Mulligan: The Magic Eagle of Yellowstone and Mike Mulligan and the Secret of the Magic Berries by John Raushenbush, for ages eight to 14. • The holiday emails received included an amazing picture of the Nan Lauder Eckfeld family — it was of 20 great-grandchildren of Nan (age 85) and Jack (age 91)! • Do continue to send letters and comments to your scribe. Now it is spring, so think spring flowers, birds, and butterflies! Fondly, Julie Taylor Clemens.

Northfield Mount Hermon Will Lange will@willemlange.com • Abby “AJ” Nicholson Hodges ajhodges@comcast.net Britten Dean’s new book, The Wasteland (Cornell University Press), is a translation of a Japanese novel by Takahashi Takako, a woman Christian writer. The work explores the moral depravity of her times. “With the book off my back, I felt ready to treat myself to a long-anticipated trip to Alaska,” said Britten. “This included a land portion from Fairbanks to Anchorage, taking in Denali, and then a cruise from Seward to Vancouver via Glacier Bay National Park, the Inland Passage, and interesting stops in between.” • Bob Chutter reported that Maine’s minireunion took place at the Muddy Rudder in Yarmouth last October. In attendance were Bev Bolton Leyden, Marilyn Dimon White, Jean Fuller Farrington, Josie Rigby, the Vander Veers, the Stileses, the Newtons, and the Chutters. “Lots of catching up; the meal was secondary,” wrote Bob. • Ket Weist never heard of lacrosse when he entered Mount Hermon in September 1951. “After watching pickup games on the lawn outside Crossley, with all the whacking and fast stick work, I had to try it. That experience led to varsity lacrosse at Mount Hermon and four years at Denison. When I began science teaching in a small high school outside Syracuse, I sensed bad feelings between the Native American

C L AS S NOTES

(Onondaga) students and the white local boys. So, I started the lacrosse program with board approval, but no funding. Syracuse University donated old equipment … and we fielded a team. From that humble beginning, LaFayette Central has gone on, in almost 60 years, to become the premier small publicschool lacrosse program in the country. I had the honor, as founder, to … attend the 2019 New York State Championship game, which they won.” Ket has been a teacher and high school principal, has owned his own business for 20 years, is currently board chairman of a large nonprofit, and is active in his Venice, Fla., community. • Bev Bolton Leyden heard from Nancy “Chug” Carlough Askin! Nancy moved permanently from Florida and traveled with her son, Jim, to his home in Minnesota, where she’ll be for the time being. She promised to contact Bev when she has a mailing address. We’ll keep you informed. • Bev also heard from Rosie Stroop in Germany. Rosie promised to send Bev a diary she wrote the year that she was at Northfield. • Gottfried “Geoff” Brieger mentioned his sadness that his good friend and freshman roommate, John Cayward, died on 5/2/19. He’d last seen John at our 65th reunion. “Johnny was a quiet, pleasant guy,” Geoff wrote, “with a good sense of humor … he was a willing collaborator on any mischief we managed to conceive of.” • Holly Goodhue VanLeuven saw a mention of my annual reading of Christmas stories at the Calvin Coolidge Homestead, and dropped the interesting nugget that the late president’s wife, Grace Goodhue Coolidge, was her great-aunt. Who knew? • Gus White continues to keep active and gather awards. His wall must be full by now! He was elected president of the Brown University class of 1957, in association with Brown Alumni Association and the Association of Class Leaders. His term will continue through 2022. He was honored by Get Konnected! GK50 as one of Boston’s “50 Most Influential People of Color in Healthcare and Life Sciences” for 2017. Gus also delivered the 2018 commencement address at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla., in April 2019. • As for me, I’m mogging along through an early Vermont winter with the constant companionship of my little rescue terrier from Texas. It’s been a slog since Ida’s death, but I’m considering rejoining the human race. I spent Christmas with my son’s family in Arkansas, then flew down to

Waco to spend a couple of days with my old friend, Anne Eubank Jolliff. Then east across Texas to Tyler for a wedding shower for a granddaughter, and finally home to the frigid Green Mountains. • Please keep in touch and send whatever news you have. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.—Will

Northfield Mount Hermon Dennis Kelly dskelly1935@gmail.com • Be Jay Froehlich Hill bhill24@juno.com • Dan Fricker dcfricker@videotron.ca Curt Ormond lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. When I learned that my grandson, Logan Haupt ’19, will be attending Colorado College in the fall, Curt expressed interest in contacting Logan and having lunch with him. Curt still skis and sails on the lakes of Colorado. • Toni Browning Smiley and her daughter, Sim, spent part of last summer traveling to Israel and Jordan. They visited the historical site, Petra, in Jordan, and viewed incredible carvings in sandstone from the first century BCE. Toni’s extended family enjoyed Peking duck for Thanksgiving dinner instead of the traditional turkey. • Fred Rice has been enjoying the company of a new lady friend whom he has known a long time. He purchased a small motorboat with which to explore the islands along the Maine coast. He is battling a serious medical issue, but chemotherapy treatment has been working well. We wish Fred the very best in his recovery. • Ann Newman Sundt and her husband, Ed Sundt, celebrated granddaughter Hannah’s graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., last June. She is now headed to medical school courtesy of the U.S. Navy and, upon graduation, will become a ship’s surgeon. • I haven’t seen T. Nelson Baker since our 50th reunion. “T” and I became friends when we were waiters in the dining hall at Mount Hermon, thereby fulfilling our daily work requirement. T’s grandfather, Rev. Thomas Nelson Baker, was born a slave in 1862 and became the first African American admitted to Mount Hermon. After Thomas’s graduation in 1889, he went on to Yale and then entered the ministry. • I go down to my Hilton Head Island, S.C., rental home after Christmas and stay until the first rental party arrives in April. I invited my old roommate Dave Jansky and my old cross-country teammate Will Lange ’53 to come down and get out of the winter

chill. Dave lives in Sunbury, Penn., and Will lives in northern Vermont. • Debby Brown Boots lives on Hilton Head Island full-time in a nice independent living facility and has become quite an authority on the plants and wildlife of the area. We visit with her often. Also, Susie Craig Hastings rents a place a few miles from us during the winter months, and we see her frequently. Susie lives in an independent living facility near Hanover, N.H. This year, Susie plans to share her place in Hilton Head with Cathy Olney Irzyrk who, sadly, lost both her husband and son to serious medical issues. Cathy has since moved back to her old family home in Dunstable, Mass. • Al Wakeman lives in Pine Hurst, N.C., and has retired from the real estate business. • Stu Leyden and his wife, Donna, now live in a cottage in Soleil — a retirement community in Canton, Ga. (Contact me if you’d like Stu’s mailing address.) He plays tennis twice a week and has joined a softball team in which the 80-year-olds play the 70-year-olds. Good for Stu! • Unfortunately, I heard news from Althea Heins Lombard’s niece that Althea is suffering from dementia and her husband had a stroke in 2016. Both are in a nursing home in Pompano Beach, Fla. After graduating from Northfield, Althea attended University of Miami and graduated with a teaching degree. She taught for two years until meeting her husband, a physician. She was close to Ann Newman Sundt since they roomed together in Hillside Crane. Althea was from Freehold, N.J., not far from my home in Little Silver, N.J. After graduating from Mount Hermon, we went down to the Driftwood Inn in Sea Bright, N.J., danced to a 1950s band, and drank Singapore Slings. • NMH provided me with a list of deceased classmates at our reunion. There are 35 Northfield classmates who have passed away, five who are “missing in action,” and seven who have asked to be removed from the mailing list. And we have lost 64 of our Mount Hermon classmates, 11 are “missing in action,” and three have requested removal from our mailing list. The lesson here is to please take care of yourselves, eat properly, get some exercise, and make sure you clear your calendars for the first week in June 2024, when we will gather for our 70th reunion. We’ll only be in our late 80s. Your reunion committee is hard at work with plans and we want a big turn out! • As of June 30, 2019, the Fred McVeigh Scholarship fund had a book value of $208,600.94. The book value represents

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

what we, as a class, have contributed to the fund since we established it at our 45th reunion. The market value as of June 30, 2019 totaled $218,695.94. Any male or female student can receive the award, but with all things equal, preference is given to a student on the cross-country or track team. Thank you all very much for your contributions. I usually receive a nice thank-you letter from the recipient each year. • Please call me at 732-814-8485 or email with any news.

Northfield Mount Hermon Lisa Tuttle Edge etedge@aol.com • Don Freeman d.freeman4@verizon.net From Lisa: Charlotte Hovey Petersen has had a hard year losing two of her four sons. After her second son, Matthew, died in December 2018, she needed purpose and signed up to once again become a Unity Prayer chaplain. She has 17 wonderful people whom she calls each month to offer prayer. She’s also put 12 stories she has written over the years into a little book, titled “Alphabet Soup,” for her six great-grandchildren. Charlotte is currently writing her second novel. “Keeping busy and helping others helps me heal,” she remarked. Although she lives six miles from the Daytona Speedway and two miles from the ocean, she leads a quiet life in Ormond Beach, Fla. She sends blessings to all. • Barbara Zschiesche Cooley traveled in December in southern Baja with her daughter, Meredith. Enjoying warm months in Vermont and winters in Chatham, N.Y., Barbara has monthly lunch dates with Susanna Whitney Grannis and John Cooley. They all hope to attend reunion. • Nancy Jones Cicia and her husband are still playing in a local band of retired people, which performs at senior citizen centers in the area. They volunteer with a local organiza-

Art Duel ’55 (left) and Ben Lindfors ’55 in Austin, Texas, 2019.

NMH Magazine

tion that works with the schools, police, and health departments on preventing domestic and teen dating violence and providing emergency shelter funds for victims. Nancy plans to attend reunion. • Sylvia Barnard volunteers teaching Latin and Greek to students at the Doane Stuart School in Rensselaer, N.Y., and is pleased that one of her students is now in St. Paul’s School’s (New York City) classical honors program. In August 2019, she toured western Scotland with her daughter, Siobhan Reagan ’87, and son-in-law Kevin. Sylvia cannot attend reunion due to the Doane Stuart graduation and she “has to see her kids off into the cruel world.” Sylvia also leads an active social and cultural life in Albany, attending films and lectures, writing poems and reading them at poetry gatherings, and other interesting events. • In May 2019, Elizabeth Tuttle Edge and husband Don toured castles in Scotland, took a boat ride on Loch Lomond, and spent six days in Edinburgh. We then visited the Scandinavian capitals of Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Tallinn, taking three ferries and two flights. In October, we visited Don’s sister and niece in Denver and returned with some delicious homemade Potawatomi plum jelly. • I hope to see you all at NMH in June, where I always pick up maple syrup, raspberries, and lavender at the farm shed, and try to lure the newest calf over for a pat. • From Don: Sharon and Dick Fitts have moved to a house on a lake in Grantham, N.H., but continue to winter in Sebring, Fla. • Dana Holman is “still creaking along,” he wrote. He continues to teach full-time at Fordham. Dana and his wife, Margorie, bought a small house in Sharon, Conn., in 2018, and enjoy working on it during weekends and in the summer. • Stan King attends to the needs of widows at his military officers continuing care facility. • Art Duel and Ben Lindfors caught up on their friendship (since 1948!) at Ben and Judy’s

retirement home in Austin, Texas. Ben wrote another book, African Literary Manuscripts and African Archives. When he retired from teaching at the University of Texas Austin in 2003, his personal collection of African literature was acquired by the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, which created a Centre for African Literary Studies around it. Ben is now writing biographies of two of the earliest African American actors — Ira Aldridge and Samuel Morgan Smith. • Bill Kolb wrote, “Not long ago, I had a most enjoyable visit from Markus Jones. An engaging young man, he travels representing NMH, sharing news of the school with alumni, discussing its future, and explaining opportunities for us to invest therein. We talked as we enjoyed Memphis catfish and beer. I will remember Markus and his visit for a long time.” • Tom Pickett spends his summers in Jackson, Wyo., with his wife, Marguerite, and winters in Huntington Beach, Calif. In recent years, the Picketts have traveled to Hungary, Austria, Germany, Cuba, and Jamaica, and have taken river and ocean cruises.

From left: Rocke Gaston ’56, Joan Thomen Phipps ’56, Nelson Lebo ’56, and Rod Phipps ’56 gathered last year to laugh and reminisce.

Caro Woolley Peterson ’56 has a new friend, Ruby the bike, which was acquired in celebration of her 81st birthday.

Northfield Mount Hermon

Nelson Lebo nlebo@nmhschool.org • Kim Buck skimball1682@gmail.com • Caro Woolley Peterson petersoncaro3@gmail.com From Caro: Alice Saulnier Ritchie lives

on the eastern shore of Maryland. “Three years ago, I moved from 40 acres outside of town to a small house in the historic district of Chestertown … Less driving, neighbors, and less to care for. I am involved in community boards and church stuff. I study painting with a local pastel artist … and am trying out watercolor with classes at the Academy of Art in Easton. Generally, my life is controlled by my rescue terrier,

C L AS S NOTES

Frank Thoms ’56 Frank Thoms ’56 feels like a kid again. His fifth book will be published in September — Behind the Red Veil: An American Inside Gorbachev’s Russia, a cultural memoir about teaching and learning in Russia. He recorded the audiobook and hopes to go on a book tour of the U.S. this fall. And he’s already deep into writing his next book about teaching. He says, “Can you imagine being excited at 81? I never imagined I would be. I thought I’d be ‘retired.’ Not at all.” Thoms was a middle school teacher for 50 years and an educational consultant for more than a decade, and wrote several books about studentcentered teaching. He wrote Behind the Red Veil decades ago, but when Gorbachev resigned in 1991, Thoms shelved the manuscript because it no longer seemed relevant. But recently, Thoms picked it back up, deciding to revise it and “transform it into a book that could contribute to the present conversation,” he says. Thoms’s childhood fascination with Russia eventually led him to teach about the country in his American classrooms, and then in the country starting in 1985 — Mikhail Gorbachev’s first year as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Thoms returned to the country six times. “I kept going back because I wanted to be in Soviet schools, learn about them, and find out who the Russians were. And as a result, I found out a lot about myself.” Thoms will travel to Russia this summer for the first time since the mid-90s. Meanwhile, earlier this year he taught his first class in 11 years, at the San Miguel Writers Conference in Mexico. “Five minutes in and I was in heaven,” he says.

Leo. He thrives on a schedule.” Alice’s daughter, Hope, lives nearby, and children Sarah Clark Stuart ’77 and Renny Clark ’78 live on the East Coast, so there is plenty of time for family gatherings at holidays, visits, and summers in Mystic, Conn. • Lyn Foote Marosz shared, “Before settling down in Florida, my husband, Stan, and I learned to sail, sailed the Connecticut and Rhode Island waters, got our pilot licenses and flew our own plane for 13 years, and RVed across the U.S. and eastern Canada for nine years following bluegrass music (he learned to banjo, my violin became a fiddle). Along the way, we built a house in Connecticut and then another in Texas. After moving to Florida, we fished for several years from the Skyway Bridge and grew a variety of vegetables in our little backyard…. Health issues now occupy our time and energy, as they do for many of us. Counting calories, grams of protein and sodium, and liquid intake along with the many doctor appointments…. Recently, I read a novel about an Amish girl with a beautiful voice who heard ‘Englischer’ hymn singing for the first time. The harmony amazed her. The one she loved

most (after ‘Amazing Grace’) was ‘Be Thou My Vision!’ Ah, memories of Mr. Raymond, chapel choirs, Sacred Concert, Christmas Vespers…. What special memories we gathered during our time there no matter when or for how long.” • Joan Hendrickson Rogers, Dorrie Krakower Susser, and Benita Pierce had dinner on the spur of the moment last fall because Joan was on the Cape dealing with her brother’s estate. Benita’s large house on the Cape is on the market, and just before Thanksgiving disaster struck: “The hot water line of the dishwasher sprung a huge leak,” she said. “Everyone says stainless steel doesn’t rust through, but it does. My entire kitchen has to be redone because of something called ‘matching.’ It means all the floors have to be done, all the cabinetry … I know it will add value to the house, but nonetheless!” • Pat Fagin Scott is mourning the loss of her mother who lived to be 102 years old. Quite a legacy, Pat. • In December, Kim Buck attended her annual get-together with longtime friends, including Harriet Davis ’59. They had a grand time, and Kim had a special appreciation for the good fun we older folks can still have. Too

many people get together at our age and it is nothing but an “organ recital!” Kim was looking forward to her daughter, Kay, spending Christmas week with her. • Caro Woolley Peterson has a new friend — Ruby — acquired in celebration of Caro’s 81st birthday and in deference to her balance issues. Ruby is bright red and instead of the typical two wheels, she has three. Yes, Ruby is an adult tricycle that is very stable once you get the hang of steering her correctly. In Venice, Fla., where Caro spends several months each year, such tricycles are everywhere and they can go wherever a two-wheeler can. However, having a lock for it is mandatory as they are “hot” for the homeless, as well as the aged and even grandkids! Let the good times roll! • When NMH Magazine arrives, classmates often first turn to the class notes. Please send any little or big news you have to Kim or Caro. If you would like classmates to contact you, please send us your contact info. • From Nelson: Sadly, Tom Veale reports that his wife, Karen, is now under hospice care at home. She also has an angelic caregiver who is present 12 hours a day, seven days a week. • Ron Lotz has been busy with trips to

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

Civil War battlefields and Alaska, two weeks riding at Arizona ranches, and attending a gala at the new National Army Museum in Alexandria, Va. Ron said, “My four years in attendance at Mount Hermon prepared me for those challenges of coming years. My very best to all our classmates.” • Writing from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Frank Thoms is hoping to come to NMH in the fall to talk about his upcoming book, Behind the Red Veil: An American Inside Gorbachev’s Russia. • Betsy and Bruce Zimmerli hosted two small class gatherings recently at their home in East Falmouth, Mass. The first one, in August 2019, included Jean and John McClintok, Yyonne and Walt Jones, and Carol and Nelson Lebo. September’s gathering was with Benita Pierce, Dorrie Krakower Susser and partner Bob Norkin, Walt and Yvonne, and NMH’s Peter Weis ’78 and Lydia Perry Weis ’80. Over the last 10 years, Betsy and Bruce have hosted a number of mini reunions at their home, and we thank them for their efforts to bring classmates together. • Walt Jones attended Christmas Vespers and Headmaster Brian Hargrove’s reception in New York City. • In early October, Rocke Gaston and his friend, Rod and Joan Thomen Phipps, and Carol and Nelson Lebo met at Thai Garden in Keene, N.H., for dinner and reminiscing. • Neil Sheeley submitted his book, Transient Magnetic Fields, for publication. “I started working on it in 1990 and finally completed it during the past three years of retirement,” said Neil. He and wife Marybeth went on two trips in October 2019: to Williams College, where Neil gave a talk and also included a side trip to Fort Ticonderoga, and the other to Tucson to attend Marybeth’s 60th high-school reunion. “She came to our 60th [NMH reunion],” wrote Neil, “so it was only fair (and fun) to accompany her to her 60th.” • Bob Putsch and wife Poo will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in June. Poo is involved in the art world and helped set up an art show at their local museum. Bob recently underwent heart valve replacement surgery. Two years ago, he published an article in national medical society Alpha Omega Alpha’s journal, The Pharos, based on his 42 years as an internist, titled “The Living Dead: Interactions between the Living and the Dead.” • Ron Bishop and wife Carole enjoy excellent health and mobility up in Quebec, and are enjoying their family, including 12 grandchildren. He is in frequent contact with Jim Brooking. • In December,

NMH Magazine

Bill MacKinnon wrote about the California

natural disaster scene, fires within two miles of where he lives, and a freak rainstorm that triggered a debris flow that came within 10 feet of his home. On the more enjoyable side, the MacKinnons have been traveling to keep up with family and friends in Oregon, California, Arizona, Texas, and Massachusetts. Their highlight was a trip to County Kerry, Ireland, with some of their U.S. family; they met many Irish cousins. Bill continues writing history and is working on two long-deferred books. He and Pat plan to move to a nearby retirement community (Casa Dorinda) next year. • As I write these notes in December, Carol and I are still in Northfield due to a slow real estate market, especially for lovely old colonial homes. We have a new grandson in New Zealand. Thirteen-month-old Christopher (nicknamed Topher) joined the kiwi Lebo family in September 2019. He is adored and loved by his older sister and brother. The Colorado Lebos teach at Fountain Valley School, Colorado Springs. We visited in September and saw each grandchild in soccer games. The oldest and now tallest Lebo family member is a sophomore and member of the varsity soccer team. I continue to recover from total knee replacement surgery in October. It is a lot tougher than I anticipated.

Northfield Mount Hermon

Jeanne Schwartz Magmer jeannem57@gmail.com

This column reports on how we’re celebrating our transition to a new decade, as many of us have marked our 80th birthdays in the last year. • Thalia “Terry” Verros wrote, “Being 80, I find myself more reflective. Waking each day with greater appreciation and gratitude. I’m in relatively good health with two titanium knees and a mild case of emphysema. Got an electric bike to better tackle hills. Made the hard decision to sell my Cape Cod home, feeling it best to live closer to Boston with its excellent hospitals, good senior services, public transportation, and many wonderful cultural opportunities. I live in a Chestnut Hill apartment and am exploring retirement communities. Not quite ready for that but then again ... it’s never too early until it’s too late. At this age, it’s about letting go, the family home, your physical capacities. It’s about maintaining a positive attitude, being involved in activities to the best of your ability, and having some purpose. Lost my

partner Helaine of 23 years in 2013 and am happy to report I’m in a new relationship with a wonderful woman, Claire Willis. Guess it’s never too late. Sometimes I can’t believe I’m 80 but the mirror doesn’t lie. If I get down on the floor, getting up isn’t pretty. I still have my mind, though words and names get harder to retrieve. Every day I wake up is a blessing and a rebirth of sorts. I’m grateful I’m alive as many of our colleagues have passed. I wish you all a healthy, happy, love-filled life with lots of laughs. Never lose your sense of humor. Remember, you’re not alone, we’re all on this journey together.” • Retired marine scientist Steve Webster moved from Cachagua to Seaside, Calif. He plans to keep his flippers flipping in Baja, go fly fishing in Wyoming, take a dive charter to the Red Sea with a Nile extension, and visit Fiji and Cuba. Steve wants us all to consider the sobering reality of the climate crisis. “Worldwide action must kick in to avoid disaster morphing into utter catastrophe,” he warns. He urged us to visit websites action.worldwarzero.com and citizensclimatelobby.org, and support legislation for a carbon tax. Steve also warned that if you own property within six feet of sea level, sell it soon and buy land in Elko, Nev., or Salt Lake City, Utah. “Sorry for the downer, but that’s the pickle we’ve created,” Steve said. • Arthur Moss celebrated 81 in March 2019. He’s most excited about a T-shirt from his oldest granddaughter announcing his promotion to great-grandfather. • Susan Tower Hollis published her long overdue book, Five Egyptian Goddesses: Their Possible Beginnings, Action and Relationships in the Third Millennium BCE, a discussion of Neith, Hathor, Nut, Isis, and Nephthys. She’s now editing (and writing for) the Oxford Handbook on Ancient Egypt and the Hebrew Bible with 37 authors and 41 chapters (two

Happy Birthday, Lloyd Mitchell ’57!

C L AS S NOTES

by Susan). When Susan isn’t writing, she’s scuba diving, and celebrated her 80th birthday on her way to a week at a dive resort in the Philippines. She continues to play recorders, and lives in Penfield, N.Y., on the outskirts of Rochester. She teaches occasionally — two students last summer, one last fall. She recommends our Fall Fling. “I went in 2019; it was great,” she said. • Last year’s Fall Fling found Ginger Roe Lang and Joyce Moore Arthur on their own adventure — lost in the woods where they found an edible maitake mushroom, also known as hen-of-the-woods. The pair were rescued by a pickup truck driver who roped them onto the truck’s tailgate and drove them back to their lodge. • Lois and Gordon Valentine remain blessed with strong health, close family, friends, and life in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Gordon turned 80 in 2019, Lois in 2020. Although Gordon claims “the pleasure of travel is wearing thin,” these past two years they’ve been to Spain, Portugal, and Egypt. They enjoy annual visits to family in Florida and New York. Core leaders in a Lexington community Bible study program, they both teach adult Sunday school and Gordon sings in the choir. • Phebe Townsend Banta and husband George continue to enjoy life in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. George is building a new LaQuinta Hotel and another Buffalo Wild Wings (his fifth one) to add to their properties. Phebe enjoys being at their Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck, the oldest continually operated U.S. hotel since 1766. • After residing in East Lyme, Conn., for the past 46 years, Dot and Nelson Hulme moved to Stoneridge — an independent living facility in Mystic. “No more snow shoveling, leaf raking, or other home concerns. The location is only 20 miles from our church, friends, and doctors. We still plan to travel, visit friends and family along the East Coast, and use our cottage in Maine,” Nelson said. • Anne Boothby Dickens and her husband finished up their last major craft show. They have a small home leather business with items in shops along the Maine coast, but are looking to sell their business. Anne finally retired from paid employment and continues to volunteer, mostly with senior programs. “My wish for the next decade is for greater human respect for each other,” said Anne, “and to leave this world a better place for our having been here!” • Steve Springer reached 81 on 12/3/19. He has completely recovered from a June 2007 heart attack.

He’s sorry too many classmates skipped 2019’s New Hampshire Fall Fling. “It was a meaningful experience for the ’57 folks and partners who came,” he said. “We’re planning another for mid-September 2020, same beautiful location. Think about attending.… Perfect health is not required.” • Marsha and Bruce Johnson joined Judy and Darrell “Coop” Cooper for an enjoyable evening listening to Bruce participate in an October 2019 barbershop quartet competition in Portland, Maine, and reminiscing about their days at Mount Hermon. • David Williams and wife Pat both lost ex-spouses in 2019. David’s ex-wife, Margery, died after many years with Alzheimer’s. She was a YMCA professional and first woman YMCA director in New England. Many of us may remember Margery; she attended reunions with David until they divorced in 2000. • Dede Kearney and Kendrick Heath, her mate of 57 years, celebrated their 80th birthdays in 2019 with a party including their two daughters and three grandchildren. Their other three grandchildren live in Oregon and attended virtually. Dede and Kendrick have lived in Bremen on Maine’s mid coast for 20 years. They traveled to St. John, Virgin Islands in February, and in March they made their annual trek to France, where they spent their first year of marriage in 1962. • Jon Staley has relocated to Tucson, where he’s maintaining his health and strength with a trainer and listening to his doctors. To stay out of the sun, he and Chitra take early morning walks amid the cacti and enjoy evening pool swims. Trips last year included Russia and Mexico, plus jaunts to Boston for Chitra’s work, Jon’s 80th birthday party, and early music. They bird; support and attend chamber music, symphony, and opera; and fly to San Jose to hear son Storm perform in the San Francisco Opera chorus. Son Brooks is a real estate consultant in Boston, married, and father to a little boy — Jon and Chitra’s first grandson. • John Parker retired in April 2019 after 50 years in the pharmaceutical industry. On the down side, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two months after he retired. Fortunately, it was identified early and did not require any chemo or radiation therapy. John moved to a retirement community in January of this year, about a mile from where he lived in Lansdale, Penn. • Estella Loomis Lauter won’t turn 80 until August 2020. Her husband turned 80 in 2018 and promptly developed a heart valve problem that

required repairs, so 2019 was a recovery year. They traveled to Morocco and resumed trips to Iowa and California to visit children and grandchildren. Estella published her fourth chapbook, You Never Said, We Didn’t Ask: A Legacy from WWI. The Lauters still live in Door County, Wis., where they sail and work on social justice issues. Estella hopes to be at our 65th reunion. • Joe Harrington sold his home in Westborough, Mass., in 2018 and moved to a comfortable apartment at The Willows at Westborough. “Gave Didi’s Subaru to a grandson and sold a vacant house lot we owned since 1977. So I’m down to one vehicle and no real estate!” Joe said. • Lloyd Mitchell’s 80th birthday was in September 2019; he celebrated with classmates at Fall Fling with two cakes. “At this ripe old age,” Lloyd reported, “I’m still happily married, the kids are grown and supporting themselves, the grandkids are doing well, and my wife, Sarah, and I still walk around without canes or walkers.” With his

Alums like you frequently say, “I wish I could do more.”

You can.

By including NMH in your will. With that simple act, you can have an impact on NMH students for generations to come. Call 413-498-3259 or go to nmhschool.org/plannedgiving

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

computer and software skills, Lloyd provides pro bono technical support for their U.S. congressman and friend. Through his interest in genealogy, Lloyd’s discovered, “like most African Americans, my ancestors include Africans, Europeans, Native Americans, slaves, slave owners, freedmen, academics, business owners, government workers, teachers, service workers. In other words, everybody.” Retired for 15 years and still busy, Lloyd said he continues to “contemplate new adventures to keep mind and body active and alert. I can’t remember the last time I was bored, and hope to keep it that way.” • Marianne Severance Parris had a great 80th. She celebrated with trips to Lac Megantic, Canada; Austria; Liechtenstein; Grindlewald, Switzerland; Winter Harbor, Maine; Marietta, Ohio; and horse country in Kentucky. For her actual birthday, Marianne and her husband dined with close friends in Plymouth, Mass., and Rangeley, Maine. For their 50th wedding anniversary in the fall of 2018, they went to New Zealand. They spend summers in Rangeley and winters in Pensacola Beach, Fla. • “Owing to a crepuscular romance and geriatric insanity,” Mike Doudoroff has taken up tango. He shared, “If you were immersed in this subculture, you might have glimpsed me dancing with any number of gorgeous ladies in Lawrence, Kansas City, Buenos Aires, Denver, Boulder, Chicago, Budapest, Monterey, Albuquerque, St. Louis, St. Charles, and Mount Shasta. For this long retired, not yet extinct University of Kansas professor of Spanish American literature, life is imitating fiction.” • Ralph Wadleigh is still going strong despite cutting back on some community responsibilities. He and his wife enjoy condo living on Cape Cod, not far from their two sons. Ralph is active in genealogical pursuits, which sometimes result in published articles. They always drive through NMH campus when in the area. • Ellie Gross Pendleton reported all is well at Sagewood, a total life care senior community in Phoenix, where she and husband Bill live. For her 80th birthday, they took 16 family members on a Princess Cruise from Seattle to Alaska. “The real joy was just hanging out with family in a relaxed setting,” Ellie said. • Marti Welsh Goldstone and Jeanne Schwartz Magmer hiked in Italy’s Dolomites in September 2019 with 23 other women. Another women’s Italian hiking trip is planned for September 2020. Joyce Moore Arthur is looking to travel, so we’re hoping

NMH Magazine

she’ll come too. • Steve Springer and Joyce Moore Arthur are our 65th reunion co-chairs, and they’re looking for ideas for our reunion in June 2022. Email suggestions to Steve or Joyce via class email on the NMH website.

Northfield Mount Hermon William Hawley hawleys@acsalaska.net • Helen Engelbrecht Ownby helen.ownby@gmail.com From Helen: Lynne Bodry Shuman authored another travel book, this time about her journeys in Scotland. Glasgow to Heathrow by B&B and Car: With the Untethered Tourist is available on Amazon. • Betsy-Gay Kraft is concerned about the isolation of Korea and disputes with Japan. Her daughter, Kristen, was a judge for the Asian Emmys and received tickets for the U.S. Emmys. Was able to fly to New York and attend with her sister, Jennifer, who lives there. • Debby Sollers Fialka now lives in Denver. She ran into former head of school, Richard Mueller, and his wife, Claire, at the Denver Botanical Garden where Debby volunteers. Richard invited her to join the Denver NMH Alumni Mountain Day hike in Boulder, where she met Martha Johnson, whom she had not seen since 1957. They discovered that they live 10 minutes away from each other! Debby hopes to come to the mini reunion. She has kept contact with Hattie Marple Plehn, Kitty Little King, and Rennie Heyde Wells. • Joan Millett Walker and Steve continue to spend summers in New England and winters in Florida. A two-year labor of love by Steve produced an 18-foot schooner named Walloping Window Blind, and it finally made it into the water last summer. They’ve decided that Papaya, their Sea Sprite, is too much to sail safely, so she is for sale. They’ve found a 34-foot trawler that will live in Maine where Joan’s daughter resides. Joan and Steve enjoy the usual visits with six kids and five grandkids (ages 12 to 27). Their first grandchild is now engaged to be married. • We now have a 28-foot Albin, which has been Dennis’s project over the past year. We’ve gone on overnights to Saint Augustine, Jekyll Island, and Brunswick. A more extensive trip to south Florida is in the near future. Meanwhile, we’ve gotten all our shots and are headed to Peru, then down the Amazon in February. Our NMH kids are well — David ’91 is professor of chemistry at Towson University, and Kathy ’94 is working on her Ph.D. in applied linguistics at the Uni-

versity of York, U.K. • From Bill: Bill Curtiss experiences both difficulties and pleasures in his retirement. He was scammed out of several thousand dollars, but he said that the scammer did not learn the first time and is doing two to four years in state prison. Bill and Marilyn recently purchased a Travel Trailer camper with attached conveniences, including a covered deck, near Lake Woodstock in East Berne, N.Y. Bill happily enjoys the trails in the area, and boating and fishing. He encourages classmates to visit him any time between May and October 1 (except during our June 5–7 reunion). Bill hasn’t sold any of his three classic Mustangs, clocks, or boats, and is still enjoying them, so there is fun to be had if you do visit. Contact me for Bill’s email address. • Dave Eberhardt continues to write his poetry and work on his peace movement memoir, For All the Saints: A Protest Primer (a great read, by the way). Dave recently added a chapter recounting the weeklong trial in Brunswick, Georgia, of seven friends — the Kings Bay Plowshares — who symbolically attacked the Trident nuclear submarine base in Brunswick. Dave remembers “Once to Every Man and Nation,” one of the great hymns we sang at school. • Evan Freund is blessed with good health, continues to serve as a professional volunteer, and says that he still makes waves. He is chair of the Board of Community Counseling Centers of Chicago and treasurer of Citizens for Global Solutions. He also serves as social justice chair of First Unitarian Church and chair of its Criminal Justice Task Force. Nan, his wife, is also in good health and works as an educational therapist, still with a full caseload. Her office is in their home, so the commute is great. According to Evan, Chicago is making good

John Randolph ’58 with the Kanketok King Salmon that he once caught in Alaska.

C L AS S NOTES

Bill Hawley ’58 and his wife, Betsy, enjoyed a trip to Mt. Alyeska, Alaska, in July 2019.

progress in reforming police practices and the criminal justice process as a whole. Evan and Nan’s church works with many groups engaged in the process of dismantling oppressive practices and laws that proliferate crime. Illinois is treating more addictions as an illness, with some hope of resolution rather than just putting people in jail. Evan and Nan were planning to travel to Santa Fe for the Christmas holiday with their two sons and grandchildren to celebrate their 51st wedding anniversary. • Steve Fuller was planning to finally retire in January after 50 years — more than 25 years on the faculty at George Mason University and 25 years at George Washington University. For the past three years, Steve has directed the Stephen S. Fuller Institute for Research on the Washington region’s economic future. The institute was established by George Mason to keep Steve from retiring. Fortunately, Steve has successfully mentored his successor and they have raised the funds to keep the lights on for three more years. Steve and Susan sold their condo in Arlington, Va., and will become full-time residents of Georgetown, Maine, where they have owned a house for eight years. (Steve has been sailing Maine waters since 1987.) Steve plans to keep some of his consulting assignments to get him through the dark and cold winter months, and the Fullers plan to increase their time traveling. In October, they spent three weeks in northern Italy combining art, history, food, and wine for a pleasurable circuit starting and ending in Milan, with stops in Venice, Florence, Tuscany, and Piedmont. Their next adventure will be circumnavigating

Iceland in July with National Geographic. • John Randolph and wife Mary graduated in 1997 from Arms Academy in Shelburne Falls, Mass. After Mount Hermon and Williams College, John was drafted and served two years as a rifle platoon commander in the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, N.C., battalion intelligence officer, and infantry training company commander. After brief stints in the corporate world and as a reporter, John became county editor at the Bennington Banner in Vermont. In 1969, John founded The Vermont Sportsman, a monthly tabloid on hunting and fishing. In 1978, John became managing editor of Fly Fisherman magazine in Dorset, Vt. He also edited the Country Journal and Backpacker magazine. His job took him across the U.S. and Canada in search of great waters to fish and writers to write about it. His magazine work brought him to the most unspoiled and beautiful places in the world. John wrote a book describing the special values and sacred beliefs of fly fishing, Becoming a Fly Fisher. Meanwhile, John and Mary, a career primary-school teacher, were sharing their growth with Kathy, their severely handicapped middle child. Kathy became their family mission, their hero, and their teacher. What she taught John and Mary “is within comprehension to those who have experienced it, but beyond explanation to those who have not,” said John. John remarked that he and Mary have become better people, as did Kathy’s older sister (Mary) and brother (John), on account of their life with Kathy. • Steve White’s kidney cancer has not returned (and possibly won’t) after the removal of a kidney. He had a knee replacement in July 2019, but he was running again in December and looking forward to the next Pie Race. Go, Steve! He visited John Stone and Trinka Craw Greger while John was recovering from back surgery, and later heard news that John is doing well. Steve and wife Bev thought the 60th reunion in 2018 was fabulous, and they plan to attend the next one in June 2020. • In July 2019, Betsy and your reporter (Bill Hawley) enjoyed a visit from our granddaughter, Emma. In August, we toured Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Helsinki. All three cities were steeped in history and extremely interesting. They were also clean and well administered, so we felt safe walking around at night. We are planning to tour Morocco this spring and hope to tell you about the tour at the June reunion.

Northfield Mount Hermon Nancy Bissell Goldcamp 2002 Chantilly Drive Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 ngoldcamp@cox.net • Ty Bair Fox tybfox@aol.com • Tom Baxter baxtg741@comcast.net From Tom: Tinker Greene sends his greetings and says he’s sorry he had to miss the 60th reunion. “I have moved away from San Francisco, to Chicago. If anyone wants to visit me, I can regale you with the full story of my relocation over a cup of herbal tea (have finally given up alcohol, some might say 50 years too late). . . . Last summer I bought a canoe to venture into the North Country wilderness once the snow clears. I think of the school and you all often; if it results in a poem, I will let you know.” • Peter Crumb wrote, “Jeanette and I are buckled down for the coming winter and continue our parttime jobs. Jeanette brightens the area by decorating cakes for the local Stop & Shop. She also won best in show for her apple pie at the Belchertown Fair … I’m continuing my work in addiction treatment and have added part-time work at the Living Room — a new program that provides support for homeless persons with substance use and emotional disorders. I am constantly inspired and humbled by the courage and caring for others I see in these folks. We welcomed our second great-grandchild, Christian, and granddaughter Crystal received a system-wide award in the Holyoke schools for ‘building a positive, joyful learning environment where our students benefit so much from your presence, instruction and love.’ She teaches kindergarten in an underserved district. As you can see, it’s very easy to count our blessings at day’s end. I’ll be hosting the ‘Friends of Bill and Lois’ meetings again at this year’s reunion.” • Fraser Wright wrote, “Late this summer, I contacted Bill Batty; we were going to Cape Cod for four nights during Labor Day week. Linda and Bill and my wife and I had a lovely visit for an evening near their home in Orleans. My college baseball coach, Bill Fitch, was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame … Bill [Batty] texted me about a terrific article about Coach Fitch in the Boston Globe. He was the best baseball coach I ever played for. He left my college after my junior year … He came back for our last game in my senior year, and offered to get me in the Dodgers system … I didn’t go the

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

pro ball route. For five years in my teens, I wore very thick glasses. Although I did well once, I had small contacts, [and] I felt I had lost too much development without depth perception … My college coach went on to several other colleges, then into the NBA. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame [during] Labor Day week.” • Robert Hoffman says that he very much enjoyed reunion. “Nice to see old friends,” he said. Robert was elected to be national executive vice president of Mended Hearts Inc. in Albany, Ga. It is the largest support group in the world for cardiac patients and their families. “I retired from job at Bed Bath & Beyond, where I was selling window treatments to healthcare institutions. Hope to be able to attend 65.” • Steve Cohen shared, “The only definite consequence of my retirement … has been a very sharp reduction in earned income. Currently, I’m board chair of a hydropower company that retrofits dams and other waterways with old (invented by Archimedes) and new technology to produce electricity. [I’m] also involved in a training initiative for foreign entrepreneurs interested in doing business in the U.S. as well as my regional community foundation and other philanthropies. We are appreciative of Paul White’s advice at reunion about traveling in Japan. Had a super trip there in October 2019. Keeping in touch with classmates by phone, visits, and other ways is consistently rewarding (you know who you are!) Looking forward to reunion 2021!” • Christian Rieger checked in with a history of his life since leaving the school 60 years ago. It is long and editing it just does not do it justice, so it will be sent to you in an email. • One of the great parts of my (Tom Baxter’s) job as class correspondent and as a member of the Alumni Council is that I get to recon-

Ginger McCann Giammattei ’59 and her husband, David

NMH Magazine

nect with many great NMH people. In 2019, I have reconnected with Bill Hawley ’58 through the council. We grew up together and played Little League baseball for Northfield. At Alumni Council weekend, I got acquainted with Steve Cohen’s daughter, Julia ’97. Bob Myers and his wife, Ruth, flew to Millville, and we had a great lunch on a beautiful day. Part of our time together was talking to Ernie Behr. Ernie and I sat next to each other at Mount Hermon assembly and chapel for four years. And the most special was spending time with Karen Forslund Falb. We arrived on campus as newborns separated by only nine days (Karen was first). Karen attended the Bemis-Forslund Pie Race with her family. The race is named for Karen’s mother, Gladys Hall Forslund— class of 1926.

Northfield Mount Hermon Phil Allen philhallen@gmail.com • Sheila Raymond Hazen sfernh@centurylink.net From Sheila: Thank you for sending in your news. If more of you could send me news for next fall’s issue, I’d be most grateful. I need to have your email submissions by early June. • Emily Clifford Jackson is grateful to be able to continue her bicontinental lifestyle. She spends spring, summer, and autumn in Vermont, and the winter months in Granada, Spain, where her son and his family live. Vermont holds her roots and heart, though, and she runs a small bed and breakfast in Mount Holly in her large family home, May through October. Granada in the winter is lovely, easy to get around, and senior-friendly. Emily encourages any NMH travelers to contact her and visit this amazing historic city. Reach out to me for Emily’s email address. • Ned (my stepson in Seattle) contacted me (Sheila Raymond Hazen) in January 2019 about planning a celebration for my husband Stan’s 90th birthday, which occurred in late July. Ned, Ellen (my stepdaughter in Boston), and I organized a gala weekend. In August, nine members of Stan’s family gathered for a weekend here in Charlottesville to celebrate his milestone year. We all had two dinners, on the Friday and Saturday, in nice local restaurants, and on the Saturday afternoon, everyone came to our home to look at Hazen family pictures. Stan’s niece had digitized 16,000 of them, and we spent an hour or so looking at a few. Two of the nicest ones were enlarged

and made into prints as gifts for Stan. One pictured him at age 25 with his mom walking on family property at Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H., and the other photo was of Stan leaning on his first car in front of the house where he grew up in Belmont, Mass. The second major event in our lives was my right hip replacement, which occurred at the University of Virginia Hospital last September. It went very well, and I was very diligent about doing the home exercises. I was allowed to resume driving after six weeks. By Christmas, our lives were back to what passes for normal. • From Phil: Doug Barrett is excited about our NMH 60th for ’60! Three more of his grandchildren have graduated high school. “It’s hard to believe that 10 of our 11 grandchildren are now driving,” said Doug, adding, “May life be kind and may we love more and worry less.” • Mike Healy plans on attending reunion and hopes there will be a good showing. “At age 13, I arrived at Mount Hermon completely unprepared for everything except the work program,” said Mike. “Today, at 76, I find that I am equally unprepared for old age. We are still living in Freeport, Maine, yearround and enjoying our first grandchild. Recent health problems have curtailed my squash, fishing, and hunting. Hopefully, this is temporary. I met Brian Hargrove [last] summer and was impressed.” • Gary Walters shared, “Peter, my partner of 45 years, succumbed to dementia about three years ago. A nearly unendurable illness. I left teaching in Montreal. We moved to the country in Ontario. I began a painterly career in addition to writing about various discoveries on our travels. Lots to Southeast Asia, Bali, and South America. In sporadic efforts to grasp where and how we are living … one physicist [stated] that we do not understand time at all. Easily disproved by all of us who know what 60 years is.” • “Since Jean is still in remission,” wrote Fred Black, “we decided to take our two sons, Paul and George, along with their wives, on a river cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest. They had a great time. Our current plans are to rent a cottage around Vero Beach, Fla., in March, so we can visit with friends RVing there.” Fred and Jean have rented a place near Rockland, Maine, for two weeks in August, and will visit Fred’s sisters who live in the area. “The progress on my 1950 Ford coupe continues,” continued Fred. “I just finished replacing the entire steering system. Not an easy task for someone without a lift, let alone my

C L AS S NOTES

age factor. But it was satisfying! As for the reunion, I’ll have to see.” • George Banziger wrote, “I’ve been involved in addressing climate change through two activities: Citizens’ Climate Lobby and giving presentations at local high school science classes on the science of climate change. I’m a volunteer for a local food-recovery program — driving the organization’s truck to pick up groceries past their sell-by date and writing grant applications for their fiscal support. [I am] still involved in a regional interfaith group working to make our region more welcoming to those of different faiths. The vegetable garden occupies a lot of my outdoor time ... I contribute to the development of a multiuse trail in our township. I’m able to keep up my exercise regimen, running three times a week (at a much slower pace than 30 years ago) and working out in a gravity-training class at the local YMCA. My involvement in service projects reflects a lifelong interest in those activities, including my time in the Peace Corps. I have a vivid memory of the chance meeting I had with classmate Perry Hanson in 1967 in Moshi, Tanzania. Not sure he remembers.” • Last November was Paul Sheldon’s third time at West Point’s biennial Ethics of War and Peace Conference, where he represented the pacifist position. “I appreciate that I have the academic credentials to merit an invitation to this conference,” said Paul, “and feel some credit for this is due to the rigor of NMH. There was mixed appreciation that I wore a shirt that read “Love Your Enemies” on the West Point campus. The cover of my recent NMH Magazine is headlined ‘How do we disrupt with purpose for the next 40 years?’ For details, see blog.peacefulways. com as I continue to disrupt with peaceful civil disobedience, and my arrest record keeps growing (do I hold an NMH record?). My family is wonderful. Taking a course at Villanova this semester as usual [and] don’t think I’ll ever be teaching one again … All in all, I am truly blessed and, at the same time, I am ready to ‘go’ whenever my time may be up (while in no hurry at the moment). I intend to be at the 60th.” • Jeff Fleming and wife Val are looking forward to attending the reunion. It will be doubly enjoyable as their grandson Brian will be graduating as a member of the NMH class of 2020. The last reunion they attended was the 50th and it was lots of fun!

Northfield Mount Hermon Alexandra Groome Scopteuolo sandis10992@yahoo.com • Craig Walley operacraig@aol.com From Sandy: If you want your news here, email or call me. Susie Boyle is still doing real estate sales. She has a son (56) and a daughter (53). She travels a lot with Louise Coyne Briggs Arsenio ’60 — they went to Yellowstone, Crazy Horse, and the Badlands. Susie’s brother, Tim ’59, lives in Pinehurst, N.C. • Judy Spurgat spends time in Smyrna, N.C., near Atlanta. • Susie Swartwood Berk said that Sally Johnson Ackerman’s husband died, and Betsey Stephenson’s husband also died. Susie retired from the Cleveland schools as a psychologist. She loves theater and belongs to the Cleveland Playhouse’s Broadway series. Susie and I went down “memory lane” and were amazed at the things we learned at Northfield and how it helped our lives. • Barbara Baldwin Joe went to Hawaii for the month of February. • My family all went to Europe for a Mediterranean cruise last summer. We found my father-in- law’s birthplace in Melito, Italy. My oldest grandson is in Clemson; his brother is in Virginia Tech, and my granddaughter is a senior in Union. My youngest grandson and his sister both go to school in Washingtonville. My husband is hoping to retire this year. We went to our apartment in Pompano Beach in January for a short stay. My older daughter is in charge of the Breast Clinic in Greenville Hospital (South Carolina). My younger daughter is running my husband’s development company. I still sales rep occasionally. • Please donate to Northfield Mount Hermon; the grants are based on percentage of alum donations, so even one dollar helps more than you think! • From Craig: Brew Harding wrote, “I have been living in Portland (Maine) since 1970 … Along with son Ryan, we operate three tourist gift shops — two in Portland and one in Bar Harbor. Every few years I travel to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast in support of an elementary school and after-school facilities near Hone’s Creek, a mountain jungle area. My son, David, is self-employed as a video marketing consultant near Winston-Salem. Our summer cottage in Lamoine, Maine, is open for guest use, on Frenchman Bay overlooking Acadia and Bar Harbor. Alumni welcome. I am still active collecting old postcards and ‘doo wop’ 45s.” • Dobbs Hartshorne continues his wonderful work

with his organization, Bach with Verse, performing Bach with his bass and telling stories for audiences in prisons, schools, and other forums all over the world. • Connie and I are continuing to travel … while we still can. Last year’s trips included Scotland and Spain.

Northfield Louise Cole Nicollet lnicollet@gmail.com Once again, it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of the passing of two of our classmates. I learned from Roz Rockwell Gianutsos of the death of Haven Logan after Roz saw the obituary in her own Barnard alum magazine. Haven passed away on 1/11/19 from breast cancer. She was born in New York City and grew up in Stamford, Conn. Her father’s job as editor-in-chief of Look Magazine and his frequent trips to Hollywood fueled her desire to be an actress. After two years at the Northwestern School of Speech, she decided that she didn’t have the determination to succeed as an actress and turned her attention to social causes, which became a lifelong focus. She graduated with a B.A. in sociology from Barnard College at Columbia University. She later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a longtime dream of being a therapist, earning an M.S.W. at the University of Southern California. It became her life’s work in a variety of settings. She also earned a doctorate in health psychology from the International College in Los Angeles. She was the founding director of the Serenity Eating Disorders Program and assistant vice-president of John Muir Hospital. Haven later worked as a child therapist at Trinity School and Consolidated Tribal Health; she also had a private practice. Haven published three books: Choosing to Be Well, The California Wine Country Diet, and Remembering Poppy Mountain — a novel. • I was informed of our classmate Lillian Foster Ketchum’s death by her son, Simeon, who kindly sent me her obituary: “Lillian Foster Ketchum died at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, Maine, on 6/29/18, due to complications related to metastatic brain cancer. A resident of Brunswick, Lillian and her husband, Bradford, resided in Cohasset, Mass., for 25 years before moving to Maine in 2002. Lillian was born in Plainfield, N.J., and spent her early years in Wilton, Conn. A graduate of Vassar College, Lillian earned a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journal-

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

ism. In addition to numerous professional achievements during a 30-year career in journalism, she was an ardent gardener, a bird lover, [and] an avid reader; [she also] had a deep appreciation for music. She enjoyed the outdoors, tennis, and golf, and relished time spent at her family’s home in Nantucket, Mass., where she had vacationed from early childhood.” You can find Lily’s full obituary on legacy.com. Simeon gave me permission to publish his email address if any of Lily’s friends wish write to him (simketchum@gmail.com). • Enid Freund Hayflick shared, “It’s been a momentous year for me. At the end of September, I packed up, folded my tent, sold my house, and relocated to Newport Beach, Calif., … at The Colony, a beautiful and diverse apartment community … within walking distance of the open-air Fashion Island mall. I enjoy the daily contact with neighbors and staff. There are regular community activities, a clubhouse, small gym, and gorgeous pool. Of course, the best part about being here in SoCal is

Did you know

that if you are 70 1/2 or older you can use your IRA to make a gift directly to NMH? It’s easy to do and it will: • count toward your RMD if you are 72 or older • be excluded from your gross income and federal taxes • support the NMH Fund or other interest • help fulfill a pledge Call 413-498-3259 or go to nmhschool.org/plannedgiving

NMH Magazine

being near my children and their families … The second-best part about living here is the weather. It is a completely new life. I’m learning new routines and adjusting to new conditions and situations … I’ve joined the local chapter of a Francophone organization, Orange County Accueil, and have attended a couple of their functions. Most members are expats who have been in the U.S. for varying lengths of time … I do miss my nephews and families, and all my dear friends on the East Coast, but I don’t feel homesick! I love where I live. I do look forward to coming for a visit in May.” • Carol Atwood-Lyon wrote, “For years, I have collected “quotable quotes” in a three-ring notebook. They have been used, predominantly, for sermon illustrations and occasional writings. The one that has taken on new life for me this year is: “In life, you cannot always choose what to keep. You can only choose how to let go.” Since returning from Florida last spring, I have been very intentionally searching for the right home or person to receive a vast number of home furnishings, knick-knacks, books, artworks, and anything else that emerged from the depths of the basement, closets, or drawers. As of early December, everything has found a new space, as have I. Having done an exhaustive search for alternative living arrangements, in early October, I sold the Dover house and moved to St. Andrews Village, a retirement community in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I am about 30 minutes from my sister, 40 [minutes] from our cottage in New Harbor, and five minutes from the harbor. Perfect location for me!” Contact your scribe for Carol’s email address if you’d like to reach her. • Ruth Panofsky Morgan-Jones wrote, “Our news is that now that my husband, Chris, has officially retired from parish ministry, [we] continue to enjoy life here in Whitstable, Kent, U.K. Chris helps out a local vicar while working on his book. Ruth offers therapy to a variety of challenging clients and is involved in training workshops on diversity. “We have spent more time with both our English/Dutch family, who live in Canterbury, and our English/Spanish family, who live in Mataro, outside of Barcelona. Our twin redheaded grandchildren, Nicky and Leo, are now eight. I am looking forward to coming to the U.S. to connect with my American family in June!” • “I continue to be blessed with challenging acting roles,” said Ellen Reiss Barry. “Most recently, Violet in Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winner, August Osage County, at

Southern Rep in New Orleans. Great artistic team, wonderful audiences ... Left me exhausted, but exhilarated. Personally, I’m a bit lonely in widowhood, but stay busy with yoga, trips to see the grandkids in Pennsylvania, and theater in New York City. My door in Morristown, N.J., continues to be open to classmates, and my thoughts wander back to those long-ago days with gratitude and love. Would love updates from fellow West Gould residents.” • Mary-Jean West Kledzik shared, “Last summer, my husband, Ron, and I had a glorious visit with Sandy Putnam Rockett and her husband, Ian, at their cottage in South Wellfleet, Mass. Sandy and I went swimming several times in a crystal-clear spring pond … Our fellows cooked lobsters for us. This fall, I was honored to be a presenter at the Old Dominion University Literary Festival. Sandy chimed in, “We did indeed have a wonderful visit last July at the Cape in glorious weather, with respective husbands sharing many interests in psychiatry, travel, philosophy, and the state of the world, and [Mary-Jean] and I rejoicing in catching up, swimming, and exchanging ideas and experiences. I think our classmates should know that Mary-Jean is an award-winning, published poet.”

Mount Hermon Please send news to: John Bethune (bethune2@flash.net)

Northfield Mount Hermon Diane Sewall Chaisson diane@meadowlarks-farm.net • Willard Thomen wthomen@stfrancis.edu From Diane: As of 6/30/19, the 1963 50th Reunion Scholarship Fund’s book value was $271,467.40, with a market value of $327,894.07. Questions concerning the fund can be directed to NMH’s director of financial operations, Lynne Raymer. If we all make a gift yearly to the fund, in whatever amount is comfortable for each of us, we can reach our goal. • Nancy Browning Freiheit wrote, “Did you know that if you leave money to NMH in your will it will not go to our class fund unless it is specifically listed to do that? We have filled out the required form, but you have to ask for it.” • Lydia Adams Davis shared, “Elise Elderkin visited … for an overnight of music, good food, and lovely long talks! She enjoyed the Towne Crier Cafe, where I sang two new songs, and great food and chatting with my housemate,

C L AS S NOTES

Ben Seibert! Super fulfilling gabfests with beloved same-age NMH friends are rare and nourishing, aren’t they? We picked up our friendship where we left off in 1963!” • Felice Merritt Gelman had a lovely visit with Kathy Shordt, who was in the U.S. from the Netherlands. Felice said, “We were able to squeeze in a few beautiful fall days together in the midst of her other travels. Yoram and I moved upstate this year, to Red Hook, N.Y. … We disposed of a boatload of stuff before we moved, unpacked, and found another boatload we don’t really need. The work of unpacking was pleasantly interrupted by a trip along the Norwegian coast on a ferry and a visit to some friends in Sweden.” • Carol Waaser took a non-cycling vacation: an adventure cruise in Alaska on a small ship that included hiking, bushwhacking, and kayaking. April turned out to be a great time to experience Alaska, even though it was chilly – no mosquitos, no big cruise ships, and less-than-full undergrowth in the forests, so bushwhacking wasn’t quite as difficult for Carol. She even enjoyed a beautiful display of Northern Lights on the last night of her trip. “I’ll be cycling in July [2020] from Strasbourg to Baden-Baden, Germany,” said Carol. “Meanwhile, I continue to enjoy theatre, museums, lectures, and concerts here in New York City … I coach beginner cyclists every spring, and I’m one of two ride librarians for the New York Cycle Club … I enjoy creating and scouting new routes, although my range is more limited than it used to be – no more 80 to 100-mile days … Fortunately, we can bring bikes on our commuter rail lines, so we’re able to get farther afield. I still do selfcontained tours here in the Northeast in addition to supported tours in Europe. Last summer, I cycled through Alsace and the Black Forest for 12 days — really lovely … I had some back surgery in September, but it was outpatient and required no rehab … I

was back on the bike in five days with no more pain down my right leg. Wish there were a similar simple surgery to deal with the rest of my back pain. Fortunately, it doesn’t hurt when I ride.” • Joan Erlanger’s apple crop last year reaped over 300 lbs. — all from mini-dwarf trees in her little backyard. “Lots of cider for the winter,” wrote Joan. She sent one of her granddaughters to graduate school in January. “We are fortunate to be able to do so.” • Leslie Henchey Kehoe ’62 wrote to report on the death of Susan Curry Barnett on 10/25/19 following the removal of a benign brain tumor in June 2019. Rehab was problematic. Leslie said she was Sue’s roommate at Northfield and a longtime camp friend. Sue built a career at the Northampton School for Girls and the Williston Northampton School between 1968 and 2011, and held varying positions as an educator: coach, dorm parent, teacher, and administrator. • Liz Martin O’Toole and her husband continue to enjoy snowless living in Pasadena, Calif., although they did feel the July 2019 earthquake. “When the chair I was sitting in began to vibrate,” said Liz, “I thought it was a rather pleasant sensation albeit rather unexpected.” Also this year, she had both hips replaced, one in March and one in November. She recovered from the second surgery in time to enjoy a visit from her cousin Margaret Martin Marcus, who was in the area visiting her son and his family. “Emails are good for keeping in touch, but in-person visits are far better,” said Liz. “I suppose that’s why class reunions are such fun.” • Last August, Candy Kent got together with Jeanne Hoffman Berger and her husband, Tom, while they were staying at a time share at Treasure Lake in Pennsylvania. Candy made a presentation to the Patton Township Board of Supervisors in September 2018, requesting they pass a resolution encouraging local businesses to reduce or

Margaret Martin Marcus ’63 (left) with Liz Martin O’Toole ’63

Lydia Adams Davis ’63 (left) and Elise Elderkin ’63

eliminate the use of single-use plastic drinking straws. And the town indeed passed the resolution in March 2019. “I urge all my classmates to ‘decline the straw’ when they go out to eat,” said Candy. • Bill and I planned a cruise and land tour in Alaska. His surgery went well and, thanks to good planning by AAA, we had excellent assistance in all areas of transportation. It was a wonderful trip; weather was warm except for one raw day in Denali. Wildlife was plentiful — from Dahl sheep to grizzlies and everything in between. Next plan is a Rhine River cruise in June with time to see Karen Eldred-Stephan in Koblenz, Germany, and Kathy Shordt in The Hague, Netherlands. • From Will: Bob Dakin shared his fond memories of Hermon faculty (Tom Donovan, Judd Stent, Ruddy Weber), with Tom Lyons topping the list for his fantastic history classes, football coaching, and wit. Tom was Bob’s role model for coaching. He will always cherish Lyons’ halftime walking stare and head shaking in our junior year JV football game against Deerfield. Although disappointed with the first-half performance, Lyons never said a word. He just walked the sidelines on his crutches, stopped, shook his head, and repeated the walk. For Bob, it was the best motivational “speech” he had ever seen. The team was embarrassed at having let this man down. Their response was to put their heads down and sock it to Deerfield, and they won the game. In contrast, the coach the following year failed as a role model and the team lost. In December of 1972, as Bob was doing faculty job interviews, he had a great interview and meal with Lyons at Phillips Andover. Lyons was not that happy at Andover and missed Mount Hermon. Ironically, Bob’s best job interview was at Deerfield. Both of his children are teachers. His granddaughter, Hollis, is in the Atlanta Olympic development soccer program. Bob and his wife, Mary, celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. • D. Lloyd Jones wrote from Maine that 2019 was an unsettling year. He was hospitalized with a stage four ulcer that did not heal, and osteomyelitis reappeared, confining him to a hospital bed and wheelchair. His wife, Anne, has become a pro at using a Hoyer lift so he can sit in his wheelchair several hours a day. She is a great nurse, but Lloyd is often frustrated. Thanks to Anne’s gardening, he enjoys a bounty of fresh Maine fruits and vegetables, as well as fruit pies. • Bruce Riedel remarked that

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

teacher Al Raymond was truly special. He taught Bruce to read music. Every year Bruce plays his 1962 Christmas Vespers. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without it.” • In Keene, N.H., David Robinson devotes his time to volunteering and freelance editorial work for book authors. Following his trip with Tim Sullivan to Prague to visit Eric Erlandsen in July 2018, David spent three weeks traveling in England and Wales. He sings with the Keene Chorale and performed in Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ in December. • George “Chip” Whitehead and wife Barbara spent several weeks at the beach last summer with their granddaughter. They then took a cruise with friends on the Rhine River — a second post-retirement trip — and enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and a visit to an Alsace winery. • Ricker Winsor enjoys permanent residence in Surabaya, Indonesia, in his wife’s hometown. He teaches English to teachers in Cita Hati Christian School once a week, and online in China and Japan four days a week. “It’s the best experience teaching I have ever had over a long career as a teacher,” he said. Ricker and Jovita get away every month to a great local hotel, or to Bali or Singapore. They go to a gym three times a week, and Ricker plays chess online every day, playing with people from all over the world. Rick has published Everything in Its Season: Lyme, New Hampshire 1970–1985, a tribute to the people in the hills of New Hampshire and for a better understanding about how to live life. It is a return to the land, to live a simple, honest life close to nature, and to the real things we can rely on. In addition to photographs, the book includes poetry by David Kherdian, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Dylan Thomas, and e.e. cummings. • Will Thomen made his first visit to Ireland last summer. Traveling with his niece and her Irish husband, he spent time in Tralee, County Kerry. Will toured both the Dingle and Kerry peninsulas and enjoyed the sights at Killarney National Park. He also made an eight-day tour of the Midlands and Cotswolds in England. Much Wenlock, Wightwick Manor, Ludlow Castle, Sudeley Castle, Snowshill, and Lichfield were the highlights of this visit. He is now in his 50th year teaching, conducting, and singing in the greater Chicago area. • I extend my thanks to all of you who respond to my requests for news items.

NMH Magazine

Northfield Mount Hermon Pamela Street Walton pawalton4@gmail.com • Dave Mensel dmensel@gmail.com From Pam: Elizabeth Saunders Dutertre enjoyed the wedding of her son in Japan and the arrival of a third grandchild. She visited our class website and noticed that the first paragraph in the 2013 class notes is still appropriate today, six years later. I’m asking you to venture to northfieldandmountdhermon1964.com and check out both the paragraph to which Elizabeth referred (about marriages, grandchildren, awards to boost our hopes and dreams), and then locate our class profiles. Our website needs a rebooting as we look forward to our 60th reunion. It has been 12 years since Bob Eastman created the initial format! A committee is tackling this project, but your help with the profiles is essential. Each classmate needs to update his or her own profile information. When you pull up your profile, the tab for editing will be next to your name. Once you have completed your edits, scroll down to the “items to check” near the bottom. One item is “Profile Visibility.” For security, designate who can view your content by checking this item (only classmates will be able to view your info). I’ve updated mine! • Karen Singer Baker is so busy with her new counseling practice, Coastal Counseling and Recovery in Westerly, Conn., that she is way behind on emails. She retired from her 10-year agency counseling job in June 2019 and opened her private practice in early August (business is flourishing with over 30 clients). Her daughter, Robin, and son, Justin, helped set up her office for a celebratory open house last July. While this is great for her, it is also an indication of the ongoing need for addiction recovery and mental health therapy services. She receives referrals from other therapists whose schedules are fully booked, as well as from probation officers, lawyers, and family court judges. • Mary Howard Callaway and husband Jamie enjoyed Christmas with their son, Daniel, and his family, including grandchildren Sam (6) and Charlotte (3). Mary continues to teach the Old Testament to Fordham undergraduates. Her book, Jeremiah through the Centuries, should be out in 2020. It’s part of the Blackwell Bible Commentary Series, which focuses on reception history. Mary wrote, “This didn’t exist as a discipline when

we were studying Bible at Northfield, but in this postmodern world, it’s become a significant field. In a nutshell, reception history asks how that biblical text has influenced history and culture after it became scripture. One example is the way the persona of Jeremiah contributed to the development of interiority and the idea of the self in early modernity. Rembrandt’s famous painting of Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem shows this effect.” • Over April (2019) vacation, Joan Latchis Amory, husband Dan, son Jon, and granddaughters Agatha (8) and Elise (6), traveled in the Peloponnese, Greece, for 10 days. Dan described the watchtowers atop mountains stretching from Mycenae to Troy. He pointed to the hilltop where Clytemnestra saw, at last, the watchtower signal fire announcing victory. How wonderful! • After a truly fascinating year in Memphis, Dana Hastings Murphy moved back to Virginia to be closer to her son in D.C. She loved the people of Memphis, took a brilliant Egyptian history course while there, and became a certified expert in the many varieties of barbecue. • After our 50th reunion, Lynne Schneider and her husband, Dick Fusch, spent a week in Maine. They ate lobster and clams, saw the Wyeth paintings at the Farnsworth Museum, sailed on a schooner, climbed Mount Battie, and enjoyed the early summer flowers. They also had a mini reunion lunch with Barb Hamilton Martin, Cindy Livingston, Kit Andrews, and Wynne Greenlaw Keller at Barb’s house in Brooklin, Maine. These ladies keep in touch through Facebook. Lynne wrote, “None of us are regular posters, but Wynne and Barb’s children and grandchildren often post pictures of their grandmas.” Though Lynne and Dick reside in Hawaii, they have relatives on the East Coast and plan to be

Nancy Jackson Moncure ’64, Brian Farrell ’64, and Annette Albano Riposo ’64

C L AS S NOTES

back in New England before our 60th. • Faye Lavrakas is totally in love with Scotland. She took two solo trips in 2019 using bus, trains, and car hires to see the Highlands and Isle of Skye. Next trip will include time in England and a visit with Catherine “Toushy” Bliss Squires. Toushy continues to run her B&B, Pepper Cottage (peppercottage.org). “I never managed to have a ‘proper’ job while being married and mothering,” she said, “which I loved, by the way. But I always longed to have one … I now have a tiny business in my nearly mid-70s and am enjoying it immensely. Lovely people come to stay … I had a short visit in the spring from a Japanese travel agent and her photographer. Today I received a travel magazine in Japanese with a four-page spread of my funny little place! I can’t imagine my small village welcoming coaches full of people! There is barely room for our own cars. Life is full of surprises!” • After 14 years of searching for a reason for the persistent daily migraines that caused Jeanne Kamman Burling to retire in 2008 from her Superior Court judicial appointment, she has found relief in a new medication on the market. “I can [horse] ride again,” wrote Jeanne, “and because I feel back to myself, I bought two new horses. My regular horse is now 25 and his age is showing, so these new horses will be his substitutes, exploring the forests and fields on our farm in New Hampshire!” Jeanne and her husband, Pete, spend their summers in Cornish, N.H., but when the snow falls, they migrate to the warmth of Ocean Ridge, Fla., for several months. They have been involved in the presidential primary events in N.H., and have hosted receptions for several candidates, including Castro, Klobuchar, and Buttigieg. Jeanne is proud to have been part of the four-year effort leading to the successful abolition of the death penalty in New Hampshire. • Last October, Kathy Childs Jones traveled with a friend to the Hudson River Valley. They toured the homes of Edith Wharton, Thomas Cole, and Frederick Church, and explored the sculpture at Art Omi and Storm King. In November, she saw Becky Elwell Axelrod perform the role of Jack’s mother in the musical Into the Woods at the Community House in Hamilton-Wenham, and later had dinner together. Becky wrote, “My Jack was great, but 50 years younger than me. I’m truly grateful to still be acting and singing, but it certainly takes more time and effort to

learn all those lyrics! I’m also grateful to classmates Gayle Landgraf Leaversuch and Kathy Childs Jones for being supportive audience members over the years.” • Virginia “Weegee” Look Brooks is enjoying her retired life in rural northern Vermont. Her move from Cambridge, Mass., brings her nearer to many members of her family and dear friends from our high school years. She welcomes contact from any other NMH classmates in the area. • Nancy Jackson Moncure and her husband, John, are still working in Harpswell, Maine, and celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. Their children and grandchildren (12, 8, and 6) are all doing well and also live in Maine. You may remember that Brian Farrell and Nancy left our 50th reunion early because of Brian’s concert with Berkshire Lyric in the Great Barrington area. There they met Annette Albano Riposo, our class song leader, and her husband, Michael, at the performance. Annette and Michael are retired and spend a lot of time in Italy. Brian is working as a realtor in western Massachusetts. • Remember to send some of your “required minimum distribution” to our 1964 funds, and to forward any updated contact information to addressupdates@nmhschool. org. • From Dave: Members of the combined NMH class of ‘64 have already begun considering our 60th class reunion in 2024. This will be the last reunion “officially sanctioned” by the school (although class members may attend any future reunion gatherings they wish), so plan to attend. • Also, the class website is being updated, so be on the lookout for changes. For instance, class notes going back several years have been added, and the latest notes will be posted after they are published in the alumni magazine. • On the subject of money, Esty has been paying the cost of maintaining our class website. We need more of our classmates to help defray this cost. If you can contribute, please send a check payable to: Gail Pare, 27 Sierra Hill Drive, Dover, NH 03820. • Dana Murphy moved from Memphis back to Fredericksburg, Va., in December. “I’m finally retiring and wondering what exactly I will do … One excellent possibility: Oxford University is offering a course titled Dancing on the Streets, Dancing on Cars: How to Write a Musical. And thanks to Brexit, airfares are at an all-time low.” • Dan Snodderly reported, “Hot off the press! Arabic, French, and Spanish translations of my book, Peace Terms: Glossary of Terms for

Left to right: Karl Neuse ’59, Linda Seiffert Reynolds ’64, Margaret Neuse ’64, Peter Marsh ’64, and Judith Bryant ’64 shared Thanksgiving (2019) dinner at Margaret’s cottage.

Conflict Management and Peacebuilding (2nd ed.). Available from USIP Press. • Greg “Bill” Holden contributed, “I thought reunion was great … I was impressed with the new head of school. I am confident that NMH will do great things under his leadership. I appreciate the leadership our classmate, Peter Guild, has provided as a trustee.” • Richard Ball and his wife are making decisions that one is confronted with as aging progresses. “We have decided to stay put in Ridgefield versus a warm weather residence or relocating to the Cape,” said Richard. “We have our house just so, and it is convenient to the local airport for basing and flying my airplane. Retirement from UBS is looming larger, and I will be taking steps in the coming year to begin our ‘legacy’ withdrawal from the business. Health has been good and staying very active with work, home, flying, friends, and visiting with son and grandchildren. Have seen Bruce Bethune a few times and helped with his son Jimmy’s change of career from accountant to professional pilot.” • James Ault continues to work in “semi-retirement”, completing two documentary films, one on Zimbabwe’s gospel music legend, Machanic Manyeruke, and another on Esperanza, an impressive Latino community-strengthening enterprise in North Philadelphia. He was taking work with him for a month’s stay outside Cape Town to enjoy the holidays with his wife’s family there. He noted enjoying NMH’s Christmas Vespers in December. • Jim Vincent noted, “It’s been 50 years this month (December 2019) that I married Robin, the love of my life, the mother of our children (Mike and Jeff ), and the real rock in our relationship. How lucky am I that she has put up with me for so long!” Well done, Jim. The last statistic I saw on the subject said less than 5 percent of American marriages

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

last for 50 years or more. • Bob Sparks shared, “When I retired from my academic position at the University of British Columbia in September 2017, Kathy and I decided to take a three-month road trip east to see the New England foliage for the first time in 37 years (we moved to Vancouver, Canada, for work in 1980). This was a great adventure. In addition to visiting family in Minnesota, D.C., Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Florida, we were able once again to witness the spectacular colors of fall ... I am still getting used to retirement and the opportunities it affords to learn new things and spend time with friends and family. At this point, we have three grandnieces and nephews … I wasn’t able to attend the 55th reunion, but I am looking forward to our 60th.” • From lawyer, to parachute equipment company owner, to professional skydiver, to multilevel marketing (MLM) owner, to charter and airline pilot, to more sales, to census field rep, David Singer is now a project manager at Thunderbird Bowling Lanes, Warminster, Penn. “My significant other, Elaine, bought out her late husband’s partner two years ago and has wanted me [at the bowling lane] full-time since. The time was right to leave the Census Bureau … and I was offered a position that has some flexibility, so we can travel together. The first trip was supposed to be to Japan in October, but a super typhoon hit Tokyo as we were trying to get on the airplane. All flights cancelled, so we took a driving trip to the Adirondacks, where my family lived; then to Montreal to visit my sister; then to Quebec City … and finally to Mirror Lake next to Lake Placid, where we enjoyed the Olympic Museum and I got a chance to fish, although nary a bite … Anyone in the Bucks County, Penn., area, come visit us!” • Kris Pueschel noted, “I am finally retiring from the workforce permanently … Tried three times before, but this time, Barbara, my spouse and partner for 51 years, is also retiring, so we’re sure it’s for good. Next year, instead of settling into whatever retirement is really like, we’re going to travel … In the fall, we’ll head to Maui to visit my niece and her family. Then we’ll figure out what retirement is like and settle down to enjoy our three kids and four grandkids. It has been great to hear from all those who have responded. I think often and fondly of all of you.”

NMH Magazine

Northfield Mount Hermon Wendy Swanson-Avirgan wsavirgan@aol.com • Henri Rauschenbach henri.rauschenbach@gmail.com www.northfieldmounthermon65.com From Wendy: Commenting on her photo published in the fall magazine issue, Ellen Anthony wrote, “Correction of caption: Newlyweds Ellen Anthony ’65 and Marty Hassell (she’s a girl!).” • From Sally Atwood Hamilton, “In addition to my travels throughout 2019, I’ve become more deeply involved in my church. One of the most meaningful pieces was serving on a small team that reviewed grant proposals and awarded funds to local nonprofits that help the homeless and low-income residents with housing needs. I’ve also joined the steering committee of a larger group of nonprofits that is working to support the flood of asylum seekers from Africa who arrived in Portland this summer. Winter 2020 promises lots of bike riding in Florida. Last winter I bought a new bike to leave down there so I didn’t have to manage a bike along with four cats on the trip.” • Robin Burroughs writes, “I am pleased to say that after 18 months of virtually zero activity, I finally had enough healing of my leg fracture to be allowed to start physical therapy in July. I am back to volunteering at two knitting groups and serve at the town’s community dinner each week. I so enjoy honoring the Northfield Mount Hermon traditions of service and sharing, especially after all the kind and loving assistance I have received from friends and family since my accident 21 months ago. It’s a joy to be able to give back even a little.” • Liz Eber emailed a selfie she took in August 2019, showing “the first day I drove my brand-new car. It’s an Audi A3 sedan, in Arctic White — most appropriate for my Elizabeth Eber ’65 snowy Vail environment! I plan to attend our 55th reunion in June.” • From Midge Harrison Fleming, “Dick and I had a wonderful year of traveling. We were in Asia (fall 2018), took the whole family skiing at Christmas and spent most of February 2019 in Israel and Jordan … I felt like I was back in Miss King’s Bible class in

the Holy Land! In the summer, we went to Scotland with a group to play golf … We are both very busy with the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic in John’s Island, where Dick volunteers weekly as an orthopedic doctor and I serve on the board. Our grandchildren are growing (ages 16 to 2).” • While listening to the livestream of Christmas Vespers, Candace Lindsay was reminded of our 1962 Vespers featuring the Scottish carol, “What Strangers Are These?” followed by our “Miracle of ’62” — the flash of lightning, clap of thunder and, after the service, the loveliest snowfall you can imagine as we filed out of Sage Chapel. • Judy Preble Miller had hoped to attend NMH Vespers at St. George’s Episcopal Church in New York City. She wrote, “I have a soft spot for that church, since it is where Ed and I got married, after I fortuitously discovered, by walking past that church on my way from my job to Ed’s apartment, that the rector then was someone I knew because his sons had attended Choate, where my father taught, and my parents and I had visited him and his family in Maine. He was very welcoming.” • Linda Ames Nicolosi shared, “I’m continuing as a ‘culture warrior’ in semi-retirement and widowhood … but am very disturbed about the direction our country is taking. Perhaps all this is inevitable, especially when we jettison our Christian origins. But I am thankful to be pretty much healthy and still enjoying the beauty of nature.” • Susan Brunnckow Oke wrote, “I swam a few times in Italy, and I’ve now added the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Seas to my list of large bodies of water I’ve swam in. Unfortunately, dog sledding on the ice of Hudson Bay does not count. The ukulele I’ve been learning with is one that came into our house when we got our piano from an old relative in 1955 … turns out it is valuable — a Martin from the early 1920s, worth about $600. Made at their plant in Bethlehem, Penn.” Susan may attend reunion. • In December, Beth Zelnick Palubinsky, husband Al, their son Ben ’00, and Ben’s friend Ariele Yaffee ’00 traveled from Philadelphia to NMH to visit friends and hear the 2019 Vespers at Memorial Chapel. “We made a side trip to the Northfield campus and managed to slip into Gould Hall, where Ben and I both had lived in our years at school, and Sage Chapel,” said Beth. “The campus felt eerily quiet … a kind of solemnity hovered everywhere. Sage is now chapel of Our Mother of Perpetual

C L AS S NOTES

Help, and to me it felt cold and stark, organ gone, carpets gone, chilly and blank; Gould much the same, alas. Al and I stayed on campus with Lydia Perry Weis ’80 and Peter Weis ’78 … we four attended a pre-Vespers reception at Bolger House and had a chance to talk with Brian Hargrove, the new head of school. Exciting to hear about plans coming together for new campus buildings … At the reception, we caught up with Kristin Kellom ’80, another long-time friend who has a leadership position in the NMH Advancement Office. The best part was meeting and talking at length with Gilbert Aliber ’51, who had been the only Jewish boy at Mount Hermon back then, and meeting his son, Jeff ’77. We compared notes about life at [Northfield and Mount Hermon] in the days when Jews were a rarity; he even asked if anyone back then had asked to see my horns, and I almost fell off my chair, as that had happened to me on my very first night at [Northfield] back in 1962. A few years ago, Gil and his wife, Phyllis, donated to NMH a Holocaust Torah rescued from a synagogue in Europe during WWII, with the aim of educating and enhancing the spiritual and intellectual life of the school. You can see the beautiful Torah near the entrance of the library, where it stands in a niche.” • Pris Prutzman wrote, “I hope to attend the reunion, and I hope we will have a rehearsal and performance of Ethel and the Ethnics!” (Pris is referring to the famous and talented East Hall jug band.) • “Three weeks after our 50th college reunion, Dan and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary,” said Elinor Livingston Redmond. “A highlight was taking the cog railway to the top of Mount Washington with our son and his family as part of the celebration. In the fall, we had a wonderful two-week trip to Italy. For the past few years, I have been putting together concerts at my church, featuring nationally known performers.” • Pam LeClair-Rogers wrote, “Gardner and I have had a challenging 2019: restructuring and expanding our business; helping our daughter repair and sell a 1930s cottage, then restoring a home for her near Fort Lauderdale while she worked two jobs as a psychiatric hospital nurse; and lots of medical surprises that remind us of our mortality … By the time the spring issue comes out, we will have merged 80 percent of our business with a wonderful young man who is still energetically planting flags on mountains. We’ll clap for him from the

sidelines and take our naps in the Florida sun, travel, and spend more time at the Rhode Island farm. Hopefully, I’ll finally have time to work on a ballet/chorale project that I’ve wanted to do for years. Enjoyed a dinner in Spofford, N.H., with Pam Street Walton ’64 and her husband, Ken, in October 2019 and hope to see them again next summer. I correspond with Brad Fitzgerald, Alison Marshall Zanetos, and Jonathan Cole, and am frequently reminded how NMH has positively touched us all.” • Jan Finney Schilling spent Christmas in Munich with her son Rick and his family, where Rick works with the State Department. After Munich, Jan traveled to the Bahamas for a short cruise, the Holy Land in February, missions to Sager-Brown in Louisiana at end of March, and the Arctic Circle in June. “So no reunion this year,” said Jan. “Our cruise sails June 7 from Copenhagen.” • Lina Payne Tighe wrote, “I am a maybe [going to] ‘Reunion 55.’ Thanks for the reminder to get on it and see who is going.” • Nan Waite didn’t clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade for the first time in 18 years, but she clowned instead with a clown colleague at the local hospital, entertaining patients, staff, and visitors. • Alison Marshall Zanetos and her husband, Dean, celebrated their 50th anniversary spending a week in East Falmouth with their son, daughter, spouses, and four grandkids. “We rented a wonderful house on Bournes Pond, which has been in my cousin’s family since the 1940s. A year ago last October, my sister, Debby Peck, and I had a mini reunion at the same house. I’m still working for Neil Diamond (43 years). None of us have retired yet!” • Speaking of our 1962 Vespers, your scribe, Wendy Swanson Avirgan, was thrilled to sing the Gustav Holst arrangement of “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” with her church choir on the first Sunday of Advent. I listen to the Vespers recording every Christmas season. Also enjoyed having dinner and catching up with Abby Ayres Bruce in Stamford in November. Thank you to all who keep in touch. I’m hoping to attend at least part of reunion and would love to see many of our classmates there! • From Henri: Tony Cantore traveled to Hawaii to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary, where he also he visited his son, Matt, and his wife, Laura, as well as their three grandchildren. Matt actually lives in Colorado Springs and Tony’s other son lives in Santa Barbara, Calif., so Tony travels a lot. In his professional life, he

has been developing a course in legislative drafting that can be available to the students and attorneys in Albany. • David Stone is definitely into our 55th reunion. If anyone wants to be involved, just touch base with David (contact me for his email address). • Tim Schiavoni has been in touch with Dave Zimmerman, who is looking forward to retiring this year. Tim was planning to spend a week in March 2020 in Sarasota, Fla., with Matt Couzens and Dave. Tim suggested that Dave could retire because “his children indulge him.” • The Good Neighbor Award that Elias Thomas received from the National Association of Realtors, and the $10,000 grant that came with it, afforded him the opportunity to construct the 10th Water Catchment Dam in India that he has been sponsoring through Rotary International. By the time we all read this, he will also have driven his grandson to visit the campus of Thomas Aquinas College for an interview (the College is the former Northfield campus). • Now retired from Georgia Tech, Peter Ticconi keeps his fingers in the fundraising world by doing consulting. He and his wife, Janet, spend time catching up with their 10 grandkids in Honolulu, Atlanta, and Williamstown, Mass. Peter resides in Atlanta and spends his summers in Williamsburg. He looks forward to John Clark’s fishing trips each summer. • Don Emerson had dinner with Dave Sibley in Austin, Texas. They reminisced about the highs and lows of the Mount Hermon band, as well as living on the third floor of Crossley. Don and I have also touched base about getting together if he visits Cape Cod in the summer. • Bob Kowal spent last summer walking the Camino de Santiago in Portugal — beautiful scenery and an awesome cultural experience. Bob partici-

Gilbet Aliber ’51 (left) and Beth Zelnick Palubinsky ’65 attended the 2019 NMH Vespers weekend.

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

pates in men’s Elder retreats that focus on aging. If anyone is interested in understanding more about this, contact me for Bob’s email address. • Ellsworth McMeen is continuing on with his American Guitar Masters Touring Concert Series. Visit americanguitarmasters.com to find out more about Elsworth’s music and where to catch upcoming concerts. • I had dinner the other night in Providence, R.I., with Brian Ackerman, who is now working in the Ocean State. He is also writing a book about the mind and newly understood perspectives on how best to utilize its potential to enhance your life. • Writing from Wolfboro, N.H., Mark Boeing stays in touch with John “Flash” Clark, Peter Barber, John Stinchfield, Peter Ticconi, Matt Couzens, Chris Parker, Bob Van Wyck, Tom McLaughlin, Dave Zimmerman, Tom Lemire, and occasionally Peter Goelz ’66. Mark’s oldest two children are living near Salt Lake, Utah (Jenna), and in Watertown, Mass. (Greg). The youngest (Parker) is a substantive rock climber. Perhaps Mark will take this up? • Charlie Washburn went on an 18-day trip, driving more than 3,000 miles on scenic roads. He survived a bout with colon cancer and has survived 35 years at H&R Block. On one of his stops, he met classmate Judd Jessup at Knox College in Illinois. And Charlie was guided by Linda Wyman through the D.C. area’s monuments and museums. • Gary Bartman has “graduated” (a nuanced reference to retirement) and has three grandchildren. His family has a lot of exposure to football since his son-in-law is an assistant coach with the Buffalo Bills and

nmhschoolstore.com

4”x 6” GLASS PHOTO FRAME

Facebook

Instagram Follow us!

Northfield Mount Hermon Summer Session

NMH Magazine June 27 to August 1, 2020

has played for the Patriots and the Panthers. And Gary’s daughter was a cheerleader for the Niners and Chargers before marrying the now-coach at the Bills. Gary’s son is a successful writer about outdoorsy topics. Gary is restoring a Shelby Mustang and also plays in a band.

Northfield Mount Hermon Jean Penney Borntraeger Wheeler theinn@ferrylanding.com • Frank Sapienza sapienzafc@cdm.com From Jean: I’m looking forward with anticipation to our 55th reunion. It may not be the grand event of our 50th, but still — a good reason to celebrate the years travelling together. More will be sent to you directly. • Marilyn Atwater Grant was in our area last August. We tried to meet up, didn’t due to car and grandchildren complications, but will the next time she’s here in Maine to visit relatives. • Lois Lake Church still teaches several first-year writing courses per semester at three universities, along with a couple of courses each summer. She loves interacting with students, though grading essays feels onerous at times. For fun, she sings with her husband, conducts the youth choir at church, studies Italian, stays in shape with morning swims and workouts, devours books, nurtures her pets, spends time with classmates and friends, and visits her far-flung children and grandchildren. It has been her privilege to have visited Italy twice in the past five years, each time communicating a little better with the denizens. Lois tries to maintain a spark of optimism in this frightening era of climate crisis and continuous political calamities; she hopes for continued health and strength to study further and visit more. • Ginger Allen Taylor spent the year opening, and then closing, a migrant shelter for people crossing the border at Nogales, Mexico. “In Tucson, we started five pop-up shelters in October 2018 in response to migrants being dumped at the bus station with no food, no transportation, no English,” shared Ginger. “Our shelter at Rincon United Church of Christ opened for 35 people, half of them children. At a day’s notice, I served as volunteer coordinator. Within two days, our pantry and refrigerator were full. Within two weeks, we had 200 volunteers, enough to provide three nourishing meals a day, clean linens for 35 cots, and transportation to get our guests off to destinations all over the nation. We

had sufficient funding to put ten dollars in the pockets of departing guests, along with well-supplied travel bags. Our guests were largely from Guatemala, but also Honduras and El Salvador — even a few from Russia and India. Most were literate in their own language. All were brave, resilient, personable, and highly motivated. Most stayed with us for three days and then were bused to their sponsors’ homes, where they will receive their hearings. You may have heard that a small percentage will receive asylum status, but that percentage reaches almost 70 percent when applicants have an immigration lawyer. So, contrary to certain proclamations, these folk do deserve asylum, they just do not have the advantage of a lawyer. Besides recruiting and training volunteers, I worked in our bodega, full of donated shoes, clothing, backpacks, and played with the children, who tolerated my pathetic Spanish … Churches provided space but individuals of all persuasions and flavors stepped up to make it happen ... Now, because of federal interference, most asylum seekers are stopped in Mexico and living in dangerous, very unhealthy conditions with their children. Volunteers are crossing the border from the U.S. to bring emergency supplies, but the migrants are living in wretched misery. In Tucson we have far fewer asylum seekers, so our Rincon Shelter has closed. But the work is not done. Yes, my Northfield education prepared me for work such as this, and I am grateful.” • Wil and Lynn Gilligan Everhart’s son, Michael, died on 7/30/19 at age 39 after a 20-month struggle with stage IV glioblastoma. “Michael stayed with us and was treated in Philadelphia at Penn,” said the Everharts. “We are blessed to have had all that time with him. His service included the Northfield Benediction and the Postlude was ‘Jerusalem.’ Our St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral choir and congregation sang the most robust ‘For All the Saints’ we had ever heard. It was to acknowledge the devotion of his St. Andrew’s School friends and his time there. The anthem was the Hamilton College hymn with many alumni in attendance. We were thrilled to have Suzie Steenburg Hill and Jennifer Stevens Dunmire attend as well. And so we move forward belonging to a club we never wished to join. Loving friends who have also lost their children surround us as well as family and friends … Our older son, Wilson, and his wife, Sarah, live in St. Michaels, Md., which we visit

C L AS S NOTES

often to see them and our two grandchildren (ages 7 and 4). They are a true gift and joy. We are now retired and involved in a variety of boards, volunteer work, book clubs, and bridge club, and are starting to plan more travel.” Our hearts ache for Lynn and Wil; their profound loss can be understood only by those who have suffered the same. • Your class secretary is still running an inn/ bed and breakfast in summer and teaching children’s downhill skiing at Sugarloaf for more than 100 days of winter. We don’t take vacations! Visiting Maine grandchildren fill our lives. Gerald continues to play organ, piano, and harpsichord, and conduct choirs, but less vigorously at 90. Classmates reading this whom I haven’t mentioned, and there are many of you, please write me so that other classmates can catch up with you! • From Frank: Hello, classmates! I’ve been in Iowa for the last several months assessing flood damages along the Missouri River. It’s been interesting, but I’m anxious to get back home. • Boston’s North Shore guys — Steve Ollove, Peter Swartz, and Peter Fulton — got together for dinner in December. Judging from the email banter, they had quite a memorable time. Steve and wife Phyllis headed west to Arizona to escape the arduous Maine winter. He’ll have to tell us who wins the annual Steve O-Chris Taylor Golf Classic. • Dean Alexander, Dave Del Dotto, David Greenburg, and Peter Fulton got together for dinner last year. Some great stories and life experiences were shared. So, Dean, why were you nicknamed the “Beast” on our lacrosse team? • Dave Edsall wrote in December, “I am wintering in my 10-year plan in Apache Junction, Ariz., which worked out great because the national master swim championship was 10 miles away in Mesa this year. My times (ninth in 2018 to 47th in 2019) were not so good due to some medical treatments I had to undergo, but I am now on the mend and expect a full recovery. Reunions ahead: 50th college, then 55th NMH, then 50th for med school.” • Hugh Bache and wife, Rosy, moved to Chantry Lodge, Andover, Hampshire, England in November because the facilities in Halesworth, Suffolk, were diminishing. Chantry Lodge is a much more robust retirement community. Andover is a big enough town at present and they are in the center of the beehive. • Energetic Alan Coulter continues to be active with a little help from health professionals! He still instructs for North Carolina Outward Bound, leads sea

kayaking/canoeing courses, and spent time in the Everglades earlier this year. He’s also involved in community engagement, such as Extinction Rebellion and Migrant Justice. • I’ve got to thank Peter Fulton for his birthday greetings that go out to classmates on both sides of the river. Peter, you’re the best.

Northfield Mount Hermon Donna Eaton-Mahoney dmeato@outlook.com • Dana L. Gordon mounthermon1967@comcast.net When emails to Jeff Hooker started being returned as undeliverable, we made the sad discovery that Jeff passed away in 1/15/19. His obituary can be found on the website legacy.com. • Will Melton continues to perform with two groups: L’Esperance Mandolin Ensemble in Providence and Sweet Mandolins in the Connecticut valley. Vermont’s Lake Raponda Association elected Will to lead them in transforming the property-owners group into a watershed protection organization, an endeavor that has proven more time-consuming than expected. Will credits wife Eliza Childs ’67 with being their art guide during a two-week autumn trip to Venice and Padua. Eliza edits an occasional book, is an active gardener, and remains a devoted correspondent. Will and Eliza had a delightful dinner last summer with cousins Jean McBean Koenig and Jim McBean at the McBean family farm in Dummerston, Vt. Will’s 70th birthday present was a Red Sox game at Fenway attended by all their children and Mount Hermon roommate Tom Hanna. • Steve Billias’s latest book, A Book of Fields: Tales from the Pioneer Valley, was reviewed in the Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Billias has written seven science-fiction/fantasy novels as well as a number of screenplays. He knows how to keep his reader involved. His book juxtaposes humorous stories against tragic tales. And he winds up the collection with a field of fireflies. These glowing creatures symbolize nature and hope and friendship.” • The latest book by Bill Hicks, “Discipleship and Discipline: Second Edition,” has been published by Westbow Press. And Debby Buhrman Topliff has published Rescue: A Visual Memoir, which includes 32 paintings of experiences in her life with accompanying narratives. Debby’s website, debbytopliff. com, includes these personal paintings along with her biblical paintings. Besides publishing her book, Debby has been doing a

lot of studying, painting, and teaching. • Besides attending baseball games with Will Melton and Eliza Childs, Tom Hanna merged his law firm with a boutique northern New England environmental and land-use law firm last June. The new entity is BCM Environmental & Land Law. • Tina Dobsevage celebrated her birthday babysitting her toddler grandson, Oscar, commonly known as Ozzie. Tina still works full-time as an internist in Manhattan, sharing an office with her husband, Dr. Jonathan House, a psychoanalyst, and editor, translator, and publisher of the English translations of the works of famous French psychoanalyst, Jean Laplanche. Jonathan’s position as a member of the Conseil Scientifique of the Fondation Laplanche provides an excuse to go to Paris every few years. After this year’s visit, they plan to take a longer vacation in northern Europe in July. Their daughter is an immigration lawyer at TakeRoot Justice, an immigrant rights organization in lower Manhattan. Their son is a lab manager at Rockefeller University. Sadly, Tina’s mother died in November 2019, following a decade of dealing with several chronic illnesses. • Bill Johnson was excited to return to his collegiate alma mater, Colby, for the alumni swim meet. It was slated to be the last splash in the pool that was new in Bill’s freshman year, but scheduled for demolition with a new athletic center set to open. During his senior year, Bill received Colby’s first letter in swimming, so it is appropriate that he will be one of the last to compete in that pool. • Wendy Alderman Cohen has a healthy new granddaughter, Olivia, who arrived just before Thanksgiving! Wendy and husband Jeff have been enjoying their year-old rescue dog, Lucy, adopted last summer. They also enjoy visits from any classmates visiting Cape Cod. Bonnie Parmenter Fleming stopped by the Cohens’ last summer en route to music camp from her home in Ocala, Fla. A highlight for the Cohens last fall was lunch with Donna Eaton Mahoney and Vin and Becky Parfitt Kennedy. The Kennedys also welcomed a second grandchild. They visit their family in Berkley, Calif., as often as they can. • Donna Eaton Mahoney spent a week in the Orlando area, and Dana Gordon drove up from his snowbird outpost in Boynton Beach for an enjoyable afternoon catch-up. • After a full year of recovery from a broken shoulder, Maddi Lenagh was happy to get back into her photography. She traveled to India,

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

photographing wildlife at Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks. Then it was back home to the Netherlands, where she finished work on a long-term project photographing the Biesbosch Wetlands for a feature in On Landscape, a U.K.-based photography publication. That was followed by a second big trip of the year to South Africa, where she photographed wildlife in Witwater Wildlife Reserve, Kruger National Park, Milwane Wildlife Sanctuary (Swaziland), and iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Her work can be seen on her website, www.lenagh.nl. A few months later, Jean Walker and Mollie Lininger Alkan also visited Kruger National Park for what Jean described as the trip of a lifetime. • Trish Watson Bartlett and husband John continue their trips back and forth to Moshi, Tanzania, and despite some difficult times are delighted to see their Tanzanian friends and colleagues and Mount Kilimanjaro. They took a two-week trip to Namibia last fall and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the completely different landscape of the country, which is primarily desert. They climbed one of the big dunes in Sossusvlei, but their success was tempered by injury when Trish fell after running on the rock floor of a dry river bed and broke her wrist. Trish is grateful that the group of MooreDaly classmates has remained in touch since their get-together in Bermuda at Kathy Cole Gibbons’ beautiful house. They’re already talking about doing it again. • We may be getting older, but certainly not less active. Sheila Morse completed her term as chair of the Board of Selectmen in Guilford, Vt., and she and husband Dick Smith then began touring the country in their RV. • Will Ackerman continues his whirlwind schedule. His quartet, FLOW, released their second album and did a short tour, ending with their annual concert at Carnegie Hall in September. He then toured Colorado and New Mexico with The Four Guitars (Will, Trevor Gordon Hall, Todd Mosby, and Vin Downes). In December, Will wrapped up a countrywide tour with Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice. • John Cartledge’s lifelong interest in flags is why he is a regular attendee and lecturer at the biennial International Congress of Vexillology, held last summer in San Antonio, Texas. The event brought him to the U.S. for the first time in almost two decades, and provided him and his wife, Bronwen, an opportunity to take up invitations to visit various U.S.-based friends and relations, from California to Connecti-

NMH Magazine

cut. They traveled nearly 4,000 miles on Amtrak, viewing the variegated scenery and enjoying the company of fellow travelers. Back in England, one of John’s current projects is running a competition to design and select a flag to represent his hometown of Elstree and Borehamwood. • Tom Myers has been sobered by a late-in-life divorce — one more cliché of work winning out over home life. He is still working full throttle in the manual therapy field, having taught in Russia, Germany, and Japan, and with further plans to head for Australia, Thailand, U.K., Iceland, and Italy, as well as the U.S. and Canada. Tom was pleasantly surprised to see his book, Anatomy Trains, translated into its 14th language: Turkish. • Alex Ives was visiting his daughter and grandson in Illinois when, by chance, he encountered Linda Hoff-Irwin at Chicago Botanic Garden. They recognized each other despite not having been in the same place for more than 50 years. Linda had another reunion when her old roommate, Carol Coleman, visited while in Chicago for her son’s engagement party. They had not seen each other for 40 years, but have promised to get together much sooner next time. • Another mini reunion occurred at the wedding of Lissa Perrin, which was attended by Gillian Hirth Belnap and Carol Ball. • Deborah Wiggin Neff took advantage of layoffs and reorganization to retire from her analyst position at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children in the Health and Prevention Services division. While she hadn’t planned to stop working, she enjoyed her first summer off since college, completing yard work and planting; she’s thinking of turning to part-time work to maintain flexibility to travel. • Bill Hall is also enjoying retirement. He studied sculpture at Franconia College in New Hampshire, but spent most of his career as a contractor. After living in Michigan and the Adirondacks for short periods, he lived in a loft in Tribeca for 30 years. For 20 years, he was the co-chair of the Lower Manhattan Loft Tenants, which involved lobbying in Albany and New York City. He and wife Stephanie, a painter, retired three years ago and now live in Jersey City. Bill sculpts six days a week in an industrial space in Newark. His work can be seen on Instagram under @williamhallsculpture. • In her retirement, Carol Bullard-Bates has become a local Washington, D.C., chaplain organizer of the United Covenant Union, which forms auxiliary congregations of disenfranchised people

who work, pray, and act together for justice. She’s working with the Empowerment Faith Center, focused on people who use the local church soup kitchen, and is gathering neighbors living on the street into a new auxiliary congregation. The center envisions yet another auxiliary congregation for returning citizens to support each other after getting out of prison. • Since retiring from the California Department of Health Services in 2018, Jonathan Prince has indulged his passion for travel. Last year, he journeyed to Mexico with 20 friends from his church to assist a community in Baja. They did construction work for several families, and shared in food and fellowship with community gatherings. Later in 2019, Jonathan went to Mississippi where his daughter was completing an Air Force training course. He had a chance to attend her graduation ceremony prior to her next assignment. While there, Jonathan and his daughter took a three-day trip through the Delta region, visiting sites significant in the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement, and blues history. Besides visiting blues legends’ gravesites, they went to a number of music museums, clubs, and the Jim Henson Museum in Mississippi. Jonathan also traveled to San Diego and Seattle to visit friends and family. Besides spending time with his girlfriend and playing guitar in Sacramento, Jonathan does volunteer work at a juvenile hall and a mental health facility. • The Traveling Jean Skirt continues its odyssey. So far, it has visited with Mary Briggs, Donna Eaton Mahoney, Janice Martin, Helen Fowler, Wendy Alderman Cohen, Lois Robinson Eddy, LaMarian Hayes-Wallace, and Melinde Hatheway Kantor. Let’s try to get it to as many classmates as possible before the 55th reunion. Stay up on comings and goings of the Jean Skirt, as well as mini reunions, celebrations, and other happenings by visiting our class Facebook page. If you are on Facebook and don’t already belong to the group, you can join by going to facebook. com/groups/nmh1967 and requesting membership. Also, stay connected by visiting nmh1967.com. If you have stopped receiving or have never received emails from Donna or Dana about class notes, please send us your preferred email address.

Northfield Mount Hermon Mark G. Auerbach mgauerbach@gmail.com • Rebecca Bright Freeland

C L AS S NOTES

rbfreela@gmail.com Bill Newman and wife Karen hosted the annual Washington, D.C., ’68 dinner in November. In attendance were Deborah Sliz, Pam Beam, Steve Cone, Ed Cook, Fred Cook, Alison Ely Barschdorf, Eric Jankel, Gary Hopson, Rafe Sagalyn, Nancy Dunbar Stevens, and Buzz Tuttle. • Nancy Alexander Randall wrote, “My (new!) husband, Bill Luth, and I completed our transition to Georgetown, Maine, in late March [2019]. We love living here on the water, boating, and paddleboarding right from our own dock. Judy Molesworth Darnell was our first houseguest! She was all about braving the early May elements, and we had fun getting out on the frigid Maine water in our little skiff. Peter and Kris Alexander Eschauzier came for a visit … it’s great to have them nearby. We also got over to Heron Island in our slightly larger boat for a perfect summer visit with Kris and Pete on their idyllic porch. Classmates traveling to Maine, let me know if you’re going to be in the area and have time for a visit or need a place to lay your head. We’d be happy to see you!” • Steve Cone has joined Capital Caring as chief of communications, marketing, and philanthropy. A nationally recognized leader in marketing and brand management, Steve has authored three books and lectured at leading universities

Many from the class of ’68 attended the Washington, D.C., dinner at the home of Karen and Bill Newman ’68.

and business groups worldwide on proven marketing principles. • Deborah Sliz, Alison Ely Barschdorf, and Ruth Stevens were in the opening night audience of Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera. Deborah, husband Alan, her brother Jeff Sliz and his wife Maria, and Bill Newman and wife Karen had an Independence Day meetup in Daytona Beach, Fla. • Peter Burnett was inducted into the 2019 Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame. The Leesburg Town Council issued a proclamation honoring him for his milestone work in Loudon County, Va. • Don Stanton was appointed as a volunteer Colorado State Transportation Commissioner. On Veteran’s Day, he gave the keynote speech to the student body at Arvada West High School. • Mark G. Auerbach shared, “My recovery from my April accident has been slower than expected. During this time, my dad, my aunt, and a close friend died within days of each other. However, my NMH ’68 family has been there with support. Ruth Stevens and her partner, Len, came to visit me in rehab. When I got home, Jon Ives, his wife Tempe, and later, Nancy Dunbar Stevens and her husband, Dave, met me at Starbucks to make sure I was caffeinated. Over Thanksgiving weekend, I spent time with Peter Weis ’78 and Lydia Perry Weis ’80, who brought me up to speed on the many changes at NMH — all positive steps forward. As NMH’s Advancement Office reconfigures itself with the arrival of the new head of school, Brian Hargrove, Kristin Kellom ’80 is now director of alumni and donor relations, and Lydia Perry Weis ’80 is our contact in Advancement. • Returning to work last October, I interviewed Lucinda Kidder ’62, co-founder of Silverthorne Theater in Greenfield, for an ArtsBeat Radio/TV feature, which prominently mentioned NMH. Search for “Community Radio 11 08 19 Arts Beat Radio Lucinda Kidder” on YouTube to see the interview. • Carol Harman Barre’s stepson, Gabriel, directed Goodspeed Musical’s critically acclaimed production of Billy Elliot: The Musical. Nancy Dunbar Stevens’ daughter, Lindsey Warren Baker, co-wrote the musical, Austen’s Pride, which had its pre-Broadway tryout in Seattle. • Ruth Stevens and Frederico Bussinger got together in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ruth wrote that Frederico, an excellent tour guide, was head of the Sao Paulo transportation system. She added, “I am just back from a two-month trip, centering on a five-week teaching stint at Indian Institute of Marketing Bangalore …

Deborah Sliz ’68, Alison Ely Barschdorf ’68, and Ruth Stevens ’68 attended a performance of Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera.

my second visit to that school to teach marketing.” • Janet Gardner Gemignani wrote, “Joe and I traveled to the Billings [Montana] area recently, and Sara Young from our class acted as tour guide. Her friend, Conrad, a Cheyenne scholar and expert on American Indian relics, showed us around the Little Big Horn National Park. The quartet also got together in New York City.” • Gary Hopson said, “I spent an evening with Carol Bolton Dane and [her] husband, Edward, in Berkeley last night. I am afraid I told too many stories, but Edward is a railroad enthusiast, and Carol was curious about the reunions and classmates, so I went on and on. I spent an hour or so with Jim Baldwin ’67. We hiked through a eucalyptus tree-lined state park trail and caught up on the last 50-odd years.” • Jay Haberland’s son, Mark ’06, is an aspiring singer, songwriter, and lyricist who goes by the musical moniker Mark and the Tiger. He released a new single called “Come to Mexico,” following an August release of “My Magic.” You can hear Mark’s music via his website MarkandtheTiger.com. • Judy Eldredge and Andrea Fisher Blodgett had a great time at their August “micro reunion” in Rhode Island. Judy wrote, “We had hoped that a few more people would join to make it into a mini reunion. We’ll try again in 2020!” • Judy Molesworth Darnell wins the prize for the busiest post-retirement news I’ve seen. She retired after 20 years with United Way, and after the last 10 years as vice president of public policy for United Ways of California. Judy said, “I spent the first couple months decompressing, reading several novels, including the entire Massie Dobbs series on recommendation of Carol Bolton Dane, and getting outdoors! My dog and I got reacquainted and probably went to the beach more than I have in 20 years! I’m sure many of you know that the two most common questions asked of recent retirees are: Where are you going to travel and are you going to move? Short answers: I retired

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

Andrea Fisher Blodgett ’68 and Judy Eldredge ’68 enjoyed a meal together.

Katie Marshall Greenman ’69 (left), and Sue Pineo Stowbridge ’69 enjoyed the autumn leaves in South Tamworth, N.H., in October 2019.

because I wanted to stay put, and we aren’t planning to move anywhere soon.” Judy helped a cousin close their New Hampshire home, and visited Nancy Randall and her husband at their new home in Maine. “Highlights were touring Georgetown island, a visit from Kris and Pete Eschauzier, and of course, a fresh-off-the-boat lobster dinner,” Judy continued. “End of May and most of June, I spent considerable time in Oakland with Betsy Brunner Lathrop and her husband, Art, as he rapidly declined from what was later diagnosed as ALS. He passed in late June, and we celebrated his life in style in July. He was a terrific guy who will be missed. August and September included a family weeklong reunion and quick trip to Yosemite. In October, we spent two weeks with our grandsons while their parents were in Europe for work and pleasure … Now looking forward to calm holidays with family and friends! Who knows what 2020 may hold?” • Carol Harman Barre reported, “On 5/6/19, I was honored to receive one of 20 North Carolina Governor’s Medallions for Volunteer Service. Each year, 10 people are nominated from each of North Carolina’s 100 counties.” Carol’s citation reads, “Carol has organized and led a local Team First Book for 12 years. She was the driving force in the organization, ultimately providing 51,000 new books to 23,000 children in need, especially those in New Hanover County Title I schools.”

Sometimes I glimpsed at a vaguely familiar face and didn’t follow up; but found that Dottie Bauer was just as articulate, Madeline Baum just as intelligent and witty, Wendy Rosan Costa just as bubbly, and Tom Jones just as musical and more so after decades playing piano on Mississippi riverboats. My first roommate, Katie Holland Lynch, was even more humorous than I remembered in her stand-up comedy show based on old rulebooks at Northfield and Mount Hermon, and the accompanying skits featuring several classmates selected because they fit into a dummy smock, white dress, or varsity jacket. More than ever before, I realized how music was such an overriding feature of our NMH life, from the hymn sing the first night through numbers from Carousel, to the Sunday service. What a treat to have some of the original voices with us again. As I dearly miss the Northfield campus, it was doubly significant to follow our bagpiper over the grass to Round Top for an emotionally charged memorial service for those of us who have gone on. Certainly, I wasn’t the only one overwhelmed that so many have done so, even at our relatively young age. I also learned details about our school experience. Uma Anand Segal, speaking on the phenomenon of immigration, shared how great her culture shock was upon arriving at campus, where she was the only international student whose very color made her stand out, and who could barely understand American English for the first few weeks. In a personal conversation, I believe it was Virginia Tyson who explained how the Afro American Society broke up after a majority vote proclaimed that only black students could join. That went against school rules at the time. Now the discoveries continue, as I read our 50th reunion yearbook to learn more about what paths our lives have taken over the years.” • Katie Marshall Greenman headed out from Orland, Maine, in late October on a solo road trip, having missed the

Northfield Sue Pineo Stowbridge sue.stowbridge@gmail.com Margie Hord Mendez had this reflection on our reunion: “After 50 years, I had only been back to NMH on two occasions, but never for reunion. Finances and distance were no excuses. Although it meant travelling overseas from Mexico, I knew that Christy Adams ventured even further, from France. Reunion was like déjà vu dozens of times.

NMH Magazine

50th. Her first stop was in South Tamworth, N.H., where she visited Sue Pineo Stowbridge and husband Marc. There were great conversations on old and new topics during a late afternoon walk, dinner, and breakfast before Katie departed on the next leg of her journey. She stopped in Winchester, Mass., where she visited retired math teacher, Mary Johnson, with whom she’s kept in touch all these years. She then saw Joanna Brown in South Hadley, Mass., and Cricket Ward in Falmouth, Maine, where Katie had a delightful exchange with Becky Ward, Cricket’s mom. Becky is in her late 90s and was Katie’s tennis instructor at Northfield. In December, Katie headed for El Salvador on an eco-migration delegation, but otherwise looked forward to a long, cold winter with husband John, lightened by friends and family. When she wrote in November, the newest grandchild, Finn, was seven months old and crawling. Katie added, “Thanks to my classmates who generously hosted and inspired me during my adventure.” • After our reunion, Sue Pineo Stowbridge and Marc celebrated the July wedding of daughter Jen Stowbridge ’05 to Alex Klein. Daughter Susie Stowbridge Simmons ’02 and husband Alan, who are part-time wedding photographers, captured the event at Stone Mountain Art Center in Browfield, Maine. Susie and Alan’s daughter, Brianna (7), was one very excited flower girl. The girls now live close to each other in Maine, Jen in Buxton and Susie in Standish, which puts them only an hour or so from Sue and Marc. • When you read this, winter will have passed, the snowbirds among us will be back “up north,” and it will soon be summer. As Joni Mitchell wrote, “The seasons, they go round and round.” Keep in touch!

Mount Hermon Roland Leong dmdmba2k@icloud.com Al Gilbert, who is now our NMH Fund class chairman, has been doing a great job as one of our many class ambassadors, by reaching out and visiting many of our classmates throughout the world. He visited his junior year roommate, Barry Rogers, and his wife, Mary Margaret, in Albuquerque, N.M., in spring 2019 and caught up on 50 years of history. • The Mount Hermon ’69 San Francisco group got together for George Chaltas’s 68th birthday and Steven Shapiro’s 45th wedding anniversary, welcoming visiting classmate David Young. • Allen Keniston lives in Eau

C L AS S NOTES

Claire, Wis., and has retired from teaching psychology at a university. Allen said, “Inspired by Bruce Burnside’s (’67) band out of Bayfield, Wis., friends and I formed a klezmer band a number of years ago and continue to enjoy playing the odd gig in town (I play the clarinet).” • Dana Barrows wrote, “Still reveling in the warmth and friendships of our 50th reunion. A wonderful, classy, meaningful time together for all. I grieved, with my four daughters, three sons-in-law, and three granddaughters, the loss of Karen, their mom and grandmom, in March [2019], my Dad in May and, [last] summer, I was honored to do a triple eulogy for John Mustone and his dad and mom, who all died within a few weeks of each other. Everything else is pretty stable, family and health good, friendships strong and nurtured.… Still reading with inner city third graders and active with seven nonprofits. I intend to work with closely held family business owners on their business continuity and estate tax planning.” • Ray Rose wrote, “I taught high school English for 40 years in New York and North Carolina, retiring from that great experience to rehab houses. I’ve lived in Manhattan and Mexico City, as well as upstate New York. I now live with my wonderful wife, Julia, who is a personal and group fitness trainer. We have seven kids and eight grandkids. We visit the Northeast every summer for a month or so. We have camped in Acadia, and we spend a week in Damariscotta [Maine] as well as visiting Julia’s parents in Mirror Lake, N.H., my sister, Rachael ’71, and our oldest son and his family in Astoria.… Two years ago, we spent a day at Mount Hermon and Northfield. We were both dismayed by the condition of the old Northfield campus.” • Ed Isaacs accompanies choirs in church and schools. “I don’t see, sing, or step like I used to,” wrote Ed, “but I think I play the piano better than ever. It’s a blessing.” • Rick Stone is finishing his book, titled The Seven Powers of Story, and hopes to have it published

Al Gilbert ’69 (left) and Barry Rogers ’69

Patient Walter Lowe ’69 celebrated his successful hip replacement, Hermon style, with his surgeon Dr. Kirk Johnson ’69.

sometime this year. The Maggid—an adaptation of Rick’s screenplay—was performed in the Berkshires last summer. His wife, Elizabeth, was trained as a spiritual director in the Jewish tradition. One of Rick’s latest paintings was included in a juried exhibition in Atlanta in fall 2019. • We missed seeing Steve Pollock at reunion, but we can see why: “I suffered an ischemic stroke on my 68th birthday! After six weeks of rehab to correct my gait and balance, as well as hours on end of acting vocalization and tongue twisters, my speech is regained. And a year of fogginess and processing confusion as a result of last summer’s event has been miraculously corrected by constant play of Word Finder on my iPhone.” • Tom Jones was the headliner at the 50th reunion, with the evening entertainment mostly his work. “It was a great time at our 50th reunion meeting old friends again … it was a real nice clambake! I hope we’ll carry through with our vow of having mini reunions between now and our 55th. Still planning on a Mississippi River steamboat trip, so watch for details!” • Gordon Ellis and his brother, Mark Ellis ’72, released their second CD, Love Heals, by The Ellis Brothers. The CD contains 19 original songs of faith. Gordon wrote, “Sadly, I am currently being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital for stage IV pancreatic cancer, which is why I missed our 50th reunion.” • Michael Grigsby played throughout the evenings at our reunion. He is playing a lot of music with a wide variety of combos, such as a trio with piano, guitar, and double bass, among many other combinations. He’s learning quite a lot of music. Michael is retired, but busy with an ongoing

Neflix project as an independent contractor, and serving on the board of directors for the nonprofit, Independent Film in Arizona. • Brian Robie shared, “I retired two years ago but am currently working on a parttime public health contract with partners in Uzbekistan. My wife and I have four children and three grandchildren between us. I enjoyed seeing Bill Porter, Reg Babcock, Ed Craine, Dennis Harrod, and Howard Hope at the reunion.” • Bill Ward wrote, “Reunion was great seeing old friends; wish I had more time to visit! Stayed overnight in Keene, and I would recommend dining at Luca’s Mediterranean Cafe on the village square if ever passing through. Another year in Florida, and another hurricane evacuation at home, but all’s well.” • George Chaltas took a cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon with a brief stop in Gibraltar. • Walter Lowe reported, “Two months after our glorious 50th reunion celebration, I went under the knife of Dr. Kirk Johnson to have a hip replaced. Patient, surgeon, and hip are all doing well, and anxiously awaiting our next mini-reunion!” • Steven Shapiro wrote from Florida, “It’s status quo with the Shapiros. We live in Wellington, a highly equestrian community, [and] several of the grandchildren have taken up riding.… So, in addition to baseball, basketball, soccer, and gymnastics, we get to watch the little critters riding around on big animals. Something wrong with tetherball? I joined a group from the Wild Salmon Center to explore and fish a remote river in Siberia. The center is an environmental nonprofit that protects and conserves wild salmon and steelhead rivers and ecosystems across the Pacific Rim. One of the unique and rarer species that exists in some of these rivers in Russia and Mongolia is the taimen, a salmonid that can reach over 150 pounds.… I prepared for the trip for many months and was fully packed and ready three months early. Alas, after three days of traveling on planes, buses, and helicopters to get to this isolated river, the fish had vanished due to flooding the prior month. I could almost hear the remaining fish laughing at us. We did catch a handful of smaller fish, experienced the vastness of Siberia, and enjoyed the camaraderie, fish biology lessons, and the local vodka.” • I was in the San Francisco area around Labor Day 2019 and stayed with George Chaltas a couple of nights. We walked a bit around Stanford University, had a few meals in Palo Alto, and enjoyed our time together. If I didn’t personally thank

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

George Chaltas ’69 (left) and Roland Leong ’69

all my classmates and spouses who were involved with 50th reunion, let me do so here. Thank you for your time, effort, and money you spent putting together a terrific reunion. To those who couldn’t make it, we understand that you may be having issues that prevent you from travelling, and we send our very best wishes to you.

Northfield Katherine Truax katetruax@aol.com

Mount Hermon Neil Kiely neil@marketinginmotion.com There will be many classmates returning to campus for our reunion for the first time in 50 years, and we can’t wait to see you again! • Last week I shared a wonderful dinner with John Hirsch and Rajan Batra. Rajan was on the East Coast for a business meeting. He spends over 150 nights per year on the road and is always on the lookout for Hoggers! He met with the Minister of Tourism for Bermuda, and told him about honeymooning on the island and that he went to school with someone who he thought worked on the island. And that is how he caught up with Bruce Barker. Bruce wrote, “It is difficult to believe that it has been 49 years since our days at Mount Hermon … I have been living between the U.K., Bermuda, and southern Spain for around nine years now. I have been married to Fay, who is Welsh, for 22 years … I have one son, Daniel (38) from my first marriage and he lives in Bermuda. I also have two stepsons, Matthew (34) and Andrew (31), who live in the U.K. I am an architect and had a professional practice in Bermuda for 15 years before I came to the U.K. in 1995.” • Bruce Ledewitz shared, “I am the host of a new podcast series titled, “Bends Toward Justice,” which asks a simple but fundamental question: Do we agree with Dr. King that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice? The guests in the

NMH Magazine

series provide a variety of perspectives on that question. The goal of the podcast is for the listener to understand what is at stake in this question and to come to a decision. The second project I am working on is a biweekly column in a new online newspaper, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. The column is about finding common ground in this hyper-partisan era. Anyone interested can google the newspaper and my name. As most of you probably know by now, Jake Duvall died unexpectedly last fall [10/26/19] while scuba diving off the coast of Massachusetts. It was going to be his last cold-water dive of the season. His hobby was as an international diver and underwater photographer. Jake showed up for his first reunion at our 40th and immediately became a force in our class … he threw himself into reconnecting with long-lost classmates. He attended most of the Gene “Geno” Ward mini reunions every summer where he shared his wine expertise (and many sample bottles!) as well as his gourmet cooking skills and genuine zest for life. He was a great guy who you couldn’t help but love …” Steve Kempe added, “Obviously, Jake was quite a guy with an interesting life. As an avid diver and underwater photographer, I wonder if we ever crossed paths without knowing it!” The first reunion Jake attended was our 40th, and I remember him telling me at our Saturday night dinner, “I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get back here with all of you.” From then on, he made up for lost time. It was rare for him to miss one of our adventures, where he exhibited a passion for life like few others. He was a gourmet cook and extremely well versed in wines from around the world — he sold them for a living. He had a somewhat mischievous gleam in his eye, just as he did when he arrived on campus from Virginia more than 50 years ago. He was also an incredible musician; Collins Lein wrote a song about him for his memorial that he will share at reunion. • It looks like our 50th reunion will include a first-time appearance by Tom Kastner, who said that he’s resisting his retirement as an architect “like the plague.” He splits his time between Washington State and Palm Beach, Fla. He added that he’s “trying to convince my fingers to re-learn the guitar. I am so looking forward to our 50th. Thank you for all your hard work in keeping us informed and energized.” Classmates continue to come out of the woodwork, and I love it! • Basil Hostage wrote from the other side of

the pond, “Saddest thing, my younger brother, Eric, died suddenly in June [2019]. [Wife] Vic dislocated her hip and fractured her pelvis in September [2019] while we were on a walking holiday in the Dolomites. Hoping to have a chance to get to reunion; still hard to plan that far in advance.” • John Gordon reported that he’s working half-time now and playing more golf, and added that his granddaughter turned 2 years old in January. He’s looking forward to our 50th reunion. • Dave Ericson is still selling real estate on the shores of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vt., with the hope of scaling back by mid-2021. He still plays nationally competitive tennis with his wife, Karin. They have five grandchildren. • Steve Johnson bought a second home in the Burlington, Mass., area. He said he is “slogging away in the salt mines” of the nonprofit world, serving on various NGO and foundation boards. He became a Massachusetts Supreme Court Access to Justice Fellow, promoting justice for society’s disenfranchised. He ran into Mark Polebaum, a 2019 Fellow who spent his career in the stratosphere of corporate law in Boston and beyond. They hadn’t seen each other since graduation in 1970. • Proving that he is in much better shape than many of us, Gene “Geno” Ward completed a 100-mile hike on the Haute Route in Switzerland, traveling from Chamonix to Zermatt. The route took him over eight 9,000-foot passes and 60,000 feet of elevation change on the 10-day trip. That was not something on my bucket list … and still isn’t! • Mike Pontius has officially moved to Mexico on a full-time basis. • Cornell Hills is so excited for reunion that he made hotel reservations last September. What’s the matter? A single bed in Crossley Cornell doesn’t appeal to you? He offered the following, which he calls You Know You’re Headed for Your 50th Reunion When: “You bring your 1970 reunion hat on vacation to Virginia Beach to take a picture in front of Neptune with your family and remember to do it as you’re driving back home! Immediately after your youngest’s wedding in New Jersey last spring, you finally complete downsizing and moving to a place where neither you nor your wife know anyone, and your wife wonders why life is punishing her. In a few short months, your wife falls in love with your new ‘empty nester’ home on the edge of the harbor in Baltimore’s Federal Hill with a full eighth-floor view of the

C L AS S NOTES

downtown skyline and the harbor, and you’re a hero again. You’re psyched up to offer a DABS (dance and exercise class) at the NMH class of 1970 reunion—with a $1,000 donation on the line—and remember: ‘Oh yeah, gotta replace that left hip soon.’ You schedule the left hip replacement just before Christmas because it’s no big deal. You’ve already been through this with your right hip and were DABing again in a couple of months. You must get off your butt and invite Ted Swett and Ann to dinner, but then rationalize that they won’t have to drive all the way down to Virginia, so you put it off. You feel Neil’s pain for class notes and finally submit something.” Thanks for the submission, Cornell, and to all of you who ‘answer the call’ a couple times a year. • Before signing off for the last time before reunion, I must acknowledge the passing of three classmates, two of whom I was fortunate to have become closer with in the years since graduation. John “J.D.” Martin died on 7/11/19 after a valiant fight against mesothelioma. An ordained minister, J.D. spent most of his career in academia. We knew each other at Mount Hermon, but not that well. When I saw that a Rev. J.D. Martin had been chosen to lead the St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, R.I., where we lived, I knew it had to be him … and it was! John did a phenomenal job at St. Andrew’s, which greatly increased in quality during his tenure there. We were fortunate to send our youngest son to St. Andrew’s for two years, and the experience was life changing for him. J.D. was never able to attend NMH reunions as they always fell on the same weekend as his commencements. But he was determined to attend our 50th even as he fought his illness. In the meantime, he was able to reconnect with many classmates by attending a couple of our Hogger mini reunion adventures in northern New England. His wife, Sheila, told me that J.D. was thrilled to reconnect with so many old friends and make new ones, while spending time in the great outdoors that he loved. He even instituted a Mountain Day at St. Andrew’s. • Also gone much too early is George “Bush-man of Hog” Turner, who died last 10/13/19. He lived an incredible and accomplished life as an architect, spending much of it in Vermont. He was a true renaissance man who pursued his love of music, snow skiing, sailing, and mountain biking internationally. George’s senior-year roommate, Bruce Berk, thought he had

finally tracked him down and was trying to verify his contact information when he learned that George had died. Bruce then looked at his yearbook and remembered a funny story. George couldn’t find his tie the day that class pictures were being taken, so he borrowed Bruce’s. I checked and, yes, they are both wearing the same tie in their senior portraits! • Look forward to seeing you in June!

Northfield Cathy Shufro cathy.shufro@yale.edu Leigh Hansen retired from IBM Watson Health and now has time to devote to the arts, travel, and gardening. She is the 50th reunion chair for Northfield ’71, and by the time you read this, planning will be in full swing. If you haven’t received emails from Leigh catching you up on plans (or if you don’t receive Cathy Shufro’s requests for class notes), please send your email address to Cathy. To maintain your privacy, we won’t give your address to NMH unless you explicitly ask us to. We hope you’ll celebrate with us, fellow members of the last Northfield class, in June 2021! • Trina Brown Fagan, who lives in Clinton, Mass., and West Palm Beach, Fla., shared, “Well, I got a fabulous new sewing machine that does everything! I think it even dispenses wine but I can’t find that button! I love quilting.” • In March 2017, Lauren Jarvi was elected as the first-ever cemetery commissioner for the three town-owned cemeteries in the Town of St. Johnsbury, Vt. She won reelection in March 2019. • Tinker Elmer (Sister Monica) began playing the French horn in her 50s

and still plays “very imperfectly,” so she says. Tinker will visit Poland with a sister in her religious community who wants to get in touch with her roots. • Becky Drew Guerra wrote with news of the death of our classmate, Joann Thomas (known to us as Jo Willie). She died on 11/27/19 in Atlanta. Becky got to know Joann in ways we may not have while at Northfield. Joann landed at Northfield after a teacher in her New York City public school noticed her academic potential and convinced her to apply to the ABC program (A Better Chance). She and Becky met in East Hall during sophomore year. Becky visited Joann in Bedford Stuyvesant, where she lived in a beautiful three-story brick apartment house with her mother and her sister, Bernadine ’75. Their mother was a receptionist in a doctor’s office. “Similar to the family in A Raisin in the Sun,” Becky notes, “Joann’s family shared a bathroom with other tenants in their building.” After graduation, Becky visited Joann at Trinity College in Hartford, but they lost touch until around 2000, when Jo phoned out of the blue. She’d nearly died after a grand mal seizure and was subsequently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She’d changed her name: “Northfield students knew her as Jo Willie, but in later years, Joann discovered that ‘Willie’ was a slave name given to many members of her family. She dropped the name and became Joann,” Becky wrote. “As the years passed and our friendship developed, Joann shared stories with me that she’d mostly kept hidden while we were in high school.” For example, Joann had lived in Oklahoma as a child. “One night, her uncle ‘disappeared,’

In September 2019, classmates from ’71 began planning the 50th reunion. Front, from left: Sally Atwater, Lauren Jarvi, Janet Bruggemeyer Wilson. Back, from left: Jinny Fitzgerald, Sara Anderson, Leigh Hansen, Nan Close Browne, and Claudia Istel.

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

and she and her family packed quickly and left for New York in the middle of the night. There, Jo’s brother, Junior, was shot and killed. The official assumption was that the killing was connected to a drug exchange, but Joann doubted that was the case. Joann’s mother was never able to find out what had happened. The police made no arrests.” Joann left Trinity during her senior year; she would have been the first college graduate in her family, but did not finish because of a relationship with a man. They had a son, Dennis Thomas. Joann enlisted in the Army and scored so high on the entrance test that the administrators insisted that she repeat it alone in a room. She scored just as high. Joann was given high security clearance, but declined a job in the nuclear program, instead becoming a cook. She served in Germany and the Middle East and retired as a sergeant. She later earned a B.A. in education and worked in a school, living in Providence with her sister, Bernadine. She got her health care at a VA hospital near Becky’s home and spent a lot of time with Becky’s family. Becky said, “She told me that there was a note in her medical chart stating that she was ‘a difficult patient.’ I believe it! She thought it was funny!” According to Becky, Joann never knew if the multiple sclerosis was inherited or had resulted from chemicals she came in contact with in the Middle East. She recalled that some of her family had died of “the wasting disease,” but due to lack of medical care, no one in the family knew what that meant. Eventually, Joann moved to Atlanta for its VA hospital and lack of snow; during her first winter there, a snowstorm crippled the city. Even as the MS became more and more debilitating, Joann continued to drive to Boston and to

Texas, where a couple of her grandchildren lived. When Obama won the election, Joann phoned Becky. “She told me that she danced with her little grandbabies, blasting Aretha Franklin’s Respect,” shared Becky. At the same time, Joann was frustrated because she didn’t think those grandchildren would ever understand what it meant that the nation had elected a black man. Joann is survived by her son and three grandchildren. Becky added, “I am going to miss our frequent, lengthy phone conversations.”

Mount Hermon David C. Eldredge d.eldredge@verizon.net Having recently learned that one of my local happy hour regulars’ favorite aunt was a Northfield graduate (where he has fond childhood memories of roaming her dormitory halls), sure enough I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Shepard Leuschner and husband Alfred at a most happy hour in spring 2019. She looks great, is enjoying retirement, and vows to be at our 50th reunion — hopeful of being joined by some of her Marquand gang as well. To which I can only add, the more the merrier! • In September 2019, we had the pleasure of having dinner with Steve Michaels, who was in town for a family wedding. He continues to enjoy his retirement, now in its sixth year, filling it with a mix of activities near his home in Cambridge, Mass., and traveling. During the spring, summer, and fall, he volunteers twice a week as a greeter and ticket-seller for the Lexington Historical Society’s Hancock-Clarke House, where Paul Revere warned John Hancock and Sam Adams that “the regulars are out” around 11 pm on April 18, 1775, leading up to the famous

A robust New Hampshire mini reunion included (left to right) Cameron Heiser ’02 (Stetson’s daughter) and ’71ers Cindy Kitchen Hogan, Stetson Heiser, Dennis Phillips, Dave Kjeldsen, Dave Eldredge, Jon Whitehouse, and Joe Mingolla.

NMH Magazine

battle that started the American Revolution. Travel-wise, Steve visited his 50th state (Arkansas) last fall with a driving trip to St. Louis, Memphis, and the Ozarks. He also keeps busy attending lectures, concerts, and theater performances around Boston, and took a conversational Spanish course last summer, hoping to travel to Portugal and the Atlantic provinces of Spain this year. Other travels have included several trips to Los Angeles to visit his mother, Janet Glotzer Michaels ’47. • In a communication to Steve, Tim Halverson shared, “I am planning to attend our 50th reunion as long as some unforeseen event doesn’t thwart my intentions … I am, by default, retired after five years as a conservation biologist, 20 years as a statistician and business improvement professional in big pharma, eight years as an independent business improvement and lean Six Sigma consultant. I finished my last consulting gig in 2017 and haven’t looked for another one. Instead, I am helping to promote my wife’s short film (African Animals’ Lullaby) and her business (Nature Tales and Trails), as well as gather new adventures for her storytelling and conservation education programs. For example, earlier this year we revisited friends and gorillas in Uganda that we hadn’t seen in nine years, and friends and locations in Kenya we hadn’t seen in over 25 years. Also visited Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Madagascar.… Between that, our passion for Argentine Tango, and training two new puppies we keep quite busy. • Jim Cohen reported, “For about 45 of the past 50 years I’ve lived in France, and my working schedule — I teach in the public university system — has never once allowed me to attend a reunion. That will still be the case in 2021, but I’m going to declare an exception and my colleagues will just have to live with it! My contact with [NMH] has been rather sporadic. I don’t make enough money to be a donor of any consequence. I’ve visited the campus a few times now and then for the scenery.… I’ve heard from time to time from Dave [Eldredge] about some of the old familiar names: Dave Kjeldsen, Joe Mingolla, Jon Whitehouse, Tommy Thomson. About 30 years ago, I fell out of my chair after receiving … a fundraising phone call from Austin Duvernoy. I had breakfast one morning with Lindley DeGarmo in Towson, Md., while visiting there … eight years ago. Also visited a Northfield friend, Marilynn Acker, in her New Hampshire home about six to seven years back. Facebook, whatever

C L AS S NOTES

its outrageous flaws, has helped put me back in touch a shade more.” • In November, Jill and I traveled up to New Hampshire to attend our annual “Canadian Thanksgiving” of classmates—this year hosted by Stetson Heiser, wife Ammy, and daughter Cam ’02—with the usual suspects on hand: Deb and Dave Kjeldsen, Miriam and John Whitehouse, Joe Mingolla and wife Lia, Cindy Kitchen Hogan and Dennis Phillips. You know the saying, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”? Well ditto Pembroke, N.H., and that’s my story and I’m sticking with it. • But one of the usual suspects missing this year was Lindley DeGarmo, who, ever the contrarian, left retirement to take on interim pastor duties at Union Church in Tarrytown, N.Y., while it searches for a new full-time shepherd. So while being “back in the saddle” for Sunday services kept him away from the gathering this year, it has aided and abetted the inevitable downsizing and (along with daughter Ellie being in New York City) somewhat easier to close the door on his home in Baltimore and ponder resettlement over the next year. In the meantime, now that he’s back in the neighborhood, we’ll be getting together over the holidays and talking about the 50th reunion next year. • In December, Jill and I had the chance to meet up with old friend Sarah Hollman Jennings ’72 for a memorable evening catching up in the decade-plus since our paths last crossed. Sarah was in town for meetings and the annual Jim Valvano basketball tournament benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research, for which she serves as lead West Coast fundraiser from her longtime Los Angeles home. She considers it a “dream job,” having lost her sister to the disease some years back. But she’s perhaps proudest to report that, after his numerous athletic injury setbacks, her son, Foster, graduated from the University of Kansas. • A few days later found me reveling with another ’72er — I caught up with Jim Keller and his stellar band at another one of his bimonthly “messes” (as he refers to them) down the block. A few days after that found me meeting with fellow ’71ers and Chuck Kirk for the biennial NMH Vespers in New York City. Sadly, Chuck lost his wife, Karen, last August due to unanticipated consequences of an otherwise routine medical procedure. Chuck said that the outpouring of support and love from his NMH “family” — along with that of his New Orleans Mardi Gras crew — had done much to help ease his transition to a

new life phase. He’s moving forward with the long-planned downsizing of his house in the Tampa area and traveling more, including meet-ups with 50th reunion committee chairs Marshall Horwitz and Marj Charles. • Connie Fisher Jensen completed her first full year in Danbury, Conn., which puts her within easy commute to daughters and grandchildren in the New York City suburbs. Connie continues her amazing photographic journeys here and abroad, most recently chasing tornados in the southern Midwest and capturing the glaciers of Greenland, with plans for the Antarctic in the future. We’re hopeful to get her photos on display as part of the 50th reunion; they will undoubtedly be a highlight not to be missed! • Don’t you miss out! It’s not too early to start making plans to meet up on “the hill in Gill” in 2021! In the meantime, keep your news flowing for the next column!

Northfield Mount Hermon Tom Sisson 1972NMH@gmail.com Cyndie Spencer and husband Denny Lund are living in California. Denny has taken the job as chief medical officer at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Cyndie’s golf game has improved with a new knee that works so much better than the original model. The highlight of their year was a trip to Peru — a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Their eldest son, Andrew, lives nearby and works for a microbrewery in San Francisco. Their other two, Paul and Julia, live most of the year in Wellfleet, Mass. Cyndie is looking forward to our 50th reunion and seeing all of the changes on campus. • Christina Lee has enjoyed a varied career in early childhood education, customer service management, and the ministry. She was ordained in 2001, has served two churches, and has worked as a chaplain in health care and hospice. She married a wonderful woman, Carol Bolt, in May 2019, and they live north of Seattle. Christina tells us that retired life is sweet with traveling, volunteering, and taking care of her baby grandnephew. “Classmates, feel free to be in touch; we would love to connect with you,” she said. • Since NMH, Aimee Philpott received her B.F.A. in theatre and film, was a country western singer in New York City for 10 years, earned a master’s in music therapy and a second master’s in social work, and is currently an adjunct teacher with the Columbia School of Social Work. Her field of practice was hospice/

palliative care and aging. She is very much involved with narrative medicine and still sings and plays piano. Aimee wrote, “Thank you, NMH, for being a home when I very much needed one.” • Many in our class will remember Craig Ward’s mom, now age 98 and living with Craig’s sister, Carol Ward ’69, in Falmouth, Maine. Mrs. Ward was in both the physical education and music departments at Northfield. Craig and wife Becky are still plugging along in Aspen, Colo. Becky is a 24-year veteran of the Aspen Institute, and Craig a 30-year senior broker in real estate. Son Michael (26) graduated from the University of Utah. Craig and Becky plan to travel and play more in the next 10 years. • Robin Smith-Johnson is still teaching part time in the English department at Cape Cod Community College, and currently teaches a memoir writing class at Snow Library in Orleans. Robin is co-editing an anthology of Cape Cod poetry, to be published this year in time for the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims’ landing. • Daniel Haslam retired as vice president of Walkabout International and has relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He is also a golf course ranger in Cape Cod from May to October. • After 27 years working and living in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, Sarah Mills Sands is now executive director of Oysterponds Historical Society in Orient, N.Y. Following graduation from the Hill School and Washington and Lee University, Sarah’s daughter, Kathleen, lives in Alexandria, Va., and works at a law firm two blocks from the White House. Sarah’s younger daughter, Emily, in is her senior year at Penn. • Rick Stobaeus and Carol tell us that Elizabeth Raby Mears and Wayne King ’73 visited them in February. Rick’s mother, Jeanne Longley Niederlitz ’50, is recovering from hip replacement surgery at her home in Manzanillo, Mexico. Rick’s son, Nobuki ’04, is supervising four veterinary practices in the Tampa and Orlando area. Rick’s second son, Kenji, is working for a Freight Company and is living with Nobuki in Tampa. Keiko ’07 is working in a medical practice in Augusta, Ga., and youngest son, Akira, is at Georgia State University. • Charlie Bristol and wife Sam are both retired. They fill their time with travel, exercise, and entertaining four border collies. The extra time lets Charlie bicycle and play hockey on a regular basis. He has been involved in a local food charity for 25 years. Their oldest daughter, Annah, is a product manager at Cambridge

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

Isotope Labs and their youngest, Tessa, is a sous chef at Fox & The Knife, Boston’s 2019 best new restaurant. • Bonnie Schwarcz Kurtz works with one preschooler as a special education itinerant teacher three times a week in Nyack, N.Y. The rest of the time, she travels to Easton, Conn., to play with her baby grandson! Bonnie’s husband, Steven, continues to work as a child psychologist with specialties in selective mutism and ADHD. Bonnie looks forward to our upcoming reunion! • David Skinner had his first season as chairman of the Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts (January to March). In May, David and wife Dianne took a trip on the river Danube from Linz, Austria, to Budapest. They then travelled to the U.K. to visit daughter Michelle and her family in Yorkshire. She, husband Paul, and their two girls, Molly (3) and Bethany (1), made a return visit to Bermuda last October for Bethany’s christening in the same church Michelle and Paul (and Dianne and David) were married in. • Gwyn Jones Radloff enjoyed the festivities of the holiday season in Baltimore: tall ships, Santa’s arrival by tugboat, 100 Elvises, Krampus sightings, an amazing Handel’s Messiah by the peerless Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Dancing Santas, a German Christmas market, ice skating on the harbor, and lighted boat parade. Gwyn is enjoying retirement and waiting for a new octopus at the National Aquarium. Husband Scott thinks he’ll work full-time another year at Johns Hopkins and later may ease into a light teaching load. • Jeff Kessler is busy with work, and local and regional boards and committees, while wife Laura devotes her time to the national nonprofit she supports. Before everybody went their own ways, “We had a great family vacation in London,” wrote Jeff. “While Laura and I visited friends for a week in the English countryside, including Peggy Stone and her husband, Ted, the kids went off to explore the continent.” Last year, Peggy swore an oath to the Queen and became a British citizen while not having to give up her American citizenship. Peggy and Ted will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary in August. • Channing Harris is busy with work and extracurriculars. His daughter is a full-time assistant nurse in rehab and long-term care facility. • Dee Dee Higgins Nuanes and husband John are volunteer correspondents for Stanford University’s classes of 1932 through 1946. They enjoyed a wonderful trip that included

NMH Magazine

a cruise in search of the Aurora Borealis along Norway’s coast into the Arctic Circle, followed by two weeks in France. They visited Toulouse, Carcassonne, Sarlat, and Bordeaux, and spent the last two nights in Paris where they enjoyed a fun dinner with Kate Krum! Dee Dee gives a shout-out to Jeff Kessler, who years ago started our NMH 1972 Facebook page, where she has connected and reconnected with NMH friends far and wide! She has enjoyed fun visits with Steve Hyland in Dublin, Claudia Costanzo in Madrid, Rick Stobaeus in Dominica, and even a serendipitous meeting on a rooftop in Rome with Bisa Williams. • Hope Kaltenthaler Belanger is thankful for the education she received at NMH. She is counting down the days to retirement even though it will not be until May 2021. However, it is good to have a plan, and that is what she is doing — planning for the future. • Ann Carey was a Foreign Service child who traveled a lot overseas, but she credits Northfield for helping to shape her. Ann’s first “triple” room in West Marquand in 1969 was quite an adjustment, and probably the first time she had been in one place for more than a couple of years. She remembers Mrs. Crone, Mrs. DeWolfe, and Dr. Meany. “I remember my wonderful roommates, good friends, and the beauty of the Northfield campus,” she said. “And the wonderful education I received.” Ann is retired and juggles between her two homes in Lubec, Maine, and Leesburg, Va. She enjoys travel and volunteering at a local animal rescue. She loves hearing from classmates and West Marquand friends. • Thomas Riegelman sends greetings from the Smoky Mountains. • Deidra Dain has occasional visits with Donna Babbitt Reinman and Ellen Patton ’73. Their laughter and story-filled times take them back and forward with gratitude for their long friendships. Deidra attended the Alumni Council meeting last September and enjoyed visiting with Tom Sisson and Celia Popper Carboni while getting to know many other wonderful NMHers from a wide range of classes. Deidra serves on the Strategic Advisory Committee; this year’s project is to revive local NMH gatherings. Tom and Deidra also discussed our 50th reunion and agreed that it’s not too early to start a planning team. Who’s up for it? If several of us work on it together, we’ll spread the wealth, generate great ideas, and enjoy the process. • Stephanie Bennett Vogt is pleased to announce the arrival of her third book in

her “Spacious Way” clearing series, called A Year for You: Release the Clutter, Reduce the Stress, Reclaim Your Life. When Stephanie quit a 20-year career as a high school Spanish teacher in 1996, she had no idea that the next chapter in her professional life would last another 20 years, and counting. • Dwight Bowler manages a private equity group that specializes in acquiring small hydroelectric plants, with the view that promoting green energy and a return on investment need not be mutually exclusive. He currently owns and operates five plants in Wisconsin and was in the process of acquiring three more in Michigan during December, and plans to acquire as many as a dozen this year.

Northfield Mount Hermon Heather Blanchard Tower smtower@comcast.net • Bill Stewart billstewartnmh73@gmail.com From Heather: I didn’t hear from anyone last summer or fall, so please send me your news. • I spent an amazing two weeks in Nepal last summer with the new adult programs from Where There Be Dragons. They have been doing three-month gap year programs for young adults, but have started short adult programs in the last couple of years. If you like adventure, a chance to live in a country, and experience the people (including living with a family), the culture, and the awe, I highly recommend these programs. Check them out at wheretherebedragons.com. Visit the Yak Yak board for firsthand comments. If you want to hear more, I’ll be happy to share! • Vespers was a wonderful evening of beautiful music and happy faces. If you haven’t been for a while, come back; meet your friends, the new school headmaster, and be amazed that these are only high school kids making this extraordinary music. This always starts the Christmas season for me. It’s not just Christian music — NMH’s director of choral music, Sheila Heffernon, weaves in other seasonal offerings, and the readings are from many religions represented in the student body. • From Bill: I spent time with Erik Andersen attending several concerts at the Boston Early Music Festival in June 2019. We also toured the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my grandson, Jackson, in North Carolina. • David Torrey wrote, “I’ve continued being a live-in grandpa in our two-family

C L AS S NOTES

Cambridge, Mass., ‘homestead’ — now with solar panels on the roof and a second granddaughter downstairs! … Torrey Architecture, Inc. is busy creating and transforming places for living, working, and gathering, where my new website now includes recent projects, travel sketches, and watercolors. Google me.” David has been active with Revels, Inc., and sang and danced in the 49th Christmas Revels production at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre last December. Thanks to a thoughtful Alumni Association change in Pie Race qualification times and course length, David is back in pie-winning shape. “We old-timers over 60 can now win pies just for finishing,” said David, “so I could stop and listen to birdsong in the woods if I wanted to. My 3-year-old granddaughter also ‘pied’ in the tart race, actually a more impressive feat. I reconnected with Russ Brag at this year’s race. See you all next year for a leisurely jog; we can discuss how our 50th reunion in 2023 will be the Keep on Truckin’ event not to be missed! My brother, Will ’76, and I sponsored the restoration of that interesting black steel sculpture near the gym by the former Mount Hermon art teacher, Mac Coleman. ‘Western Totem: Associative Law’ will honor our former faculty parents, Fred and Margot Torrey. While crashing the ’74 reunion this past June, I located our senior rock numerals. Does anyone know who scratched these in during our senioryear spring?” • Bradford Morgan reported, “Though I was only at NMH for freshman year, it was a pleasure to attend the last two reunions.... Since my time at NMH, I have continued [playing] rock and jazz music in the Killington, Vt., area with several bands and [also] playing solo piano/vocal. My wife, Kathy, is in the hotel business, currently at the Hilton Meadowlands, N.J. Our son, Nick, plays music with graduate Chazz Canney

Bill Stewart ’73 with grandson Jackson Elias

’07 and others in Vermont, and son Alex and his wife, Gillian, live in Burlington, Vt. My daughter, Lisa Lesko, is an elementary school principal in Allentown, Penn., and she and her husband, Chad, are raising sons Owen (8) and Wyatt (6), and daughter Julia (2). Looking back at 1969, I have especially appreciated the ethic espoused by the school and how graduates have applied that in their lives. See you all in 2023!” • Betsy Bruce wrote from Thailand, where she’s serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small fishing and rice-growing village on a gulf coast southwest of Bangkok. “My days are full of teaching English to 225 primary school students, two co-teachers, 18 young police officer candidates, and anyone else that wants to speak my native tongue. The Thai language is tricky and my brain wants to lapse into French! I am scheduled to be here through mid-March 2021.” • Reginald Lilly wrote, “I’m a professor of philosophy at Skidmore College and looking forward to a sabbatical next year to finish a book on trauma theory. I would enjoy hearing from ‘suspect’ others, from class of 1973 or 1972 (remember, I repeated my senior year).” • Karl Schmidtmann retired in July 2019 and moved to Mazatlan on the Pacific coast of Mexico. “If any of my friends find their way down here, drop me a line and I will buy you a cup of tea or a beer, and we can take a walk on the beach,” said Karl. • Betsy Bullard Morse shared, “Our daughter, Rachel, married Sam Robinson 6/15/19 in Lyme, N.H., in a beautiful ceremony beside a lovely lake. Richard’s 95-year-old mother and my 94-year-old father both attended and spoke during the Quaker part of the ceremony.… Our daughter, Ainsley, husband Carl, and 4-year-old daughter, Ruth, moved to Norwich, Vt., from Riverside, Calif., in August 2019. Ainsley is teaching Russian at Dartmouth, and we have Ruth for a day most weeks; so delightful to have them so close.… Our son, Alex, and his wife, Dunia, just had their second set of twins, Ayla and Idris, joining their brother and sister, twins Gabriel and Naima (3).… We had a great visit to Portland, Maine, to help [them] out for a few days, including a 1 am feeding assistance shift. This couple doesn’t know anything else and are doing beautifully.… Finally, son Omar (23) finished college last year and works as a paralegal for an immigration lawyer in Boston, with plans to attend law school. Omar joined our family after coming to spend a year with us as an exchange

student [in] his junior year in high school, and [he] attended NHM summer school the following summer, the only one of our children who has been there. The talk at our house seems to focus a lot on caring for our aging parents (still both living somewhat independently with lots of support) and retirement. While still working, we feel stretched by and sandwiched between the needs of our parents and those of our children’s burgeoning families. We are looking forward to retirement with mixed feelings, as it will mean giving up rewarding careers as medical caregivers.... We also spend a fair amount of time discussing how we live, our privilege, racism, climate disruption. We continue to enjoy our community of spiritual seekers in the Hanover Friends Meeting, working together on the same issues of our time.” • Urch Aldeborgh St. John wrote, “I am now a grandmother! My youngest son, Peter, and his wife, Katie, had a son 10/8/19! They live in Golden, Colo., so I have been visiting often. My older son got married 9/1/19 to his Katie. We went on their honeymoon (an Odyssey Unlimited tour) to Africa for a safari tour! What an experience. Should be on everyone’s bucket list! I have retired from my part-time job at Wild Birds Unlimited, so that I have more time to visit my mom on Martha’s Vineyard and my grandson in Colorado. My husband, Rob, hopes to retire soon so we can travel together! Still riding my motorcycle! Hope to make [it to] the next reunion!” • Skip Weaver reported, “I am back in central Florida for the winter after working for a boat store repairing outboard motors [last] summer, near Keene, N.H. Ended a four-year relationship in September, and lost my little Min Pin, Trixie, [in] December. Looking to purchase land in New Hampshire to build a simple summer cottage.”

Northfield Mount Hermon Stephanie Lynn Gerson stephanie.l.gerson@gmail.com Dave Twombly attended two hours of the 40th reunion, missing the 45th for Belgium and France. Dave wrote, “Visited our 1987 Belgium exchange student, Paris, then [went on] a Normandy river cruise.… Classmates visiting NMH [or] Brattleboro: Do call, let’s attend NMH sporting events, share a beer, will suggest where to stay or eat. The February Harris Hill Ski Jump in Brattleboro is 15 minutes from NMH. If you enjoy cross-country skiing, Brattleboro Outing

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

Club has groomed cross-country trails!” • BonnieSue Boswell Claypoole missed reunion while moving closer to Texas Medical Center, Houston. She is continuing work at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center’s heart and lung transplant unit. • Nancy Doonan Coppelman and husband Jon sold their Holliston, Mass., home after 25 years and moved to Brookline in spring 2019. Nancy walks to work at Mass General Brigham where she’s the co-director of outreach at the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment. Jon continues consulting in Wellesley. Daughter Julia is in her final year at Yale Law School, and daughter Anna lives and works in Cambridge. • Doug Creed described his academic travels, which, “commenced by attending doctoral qualifying exams in Hungary, working with co-authors in Vienna, attending an Edinburgh conference. Numerous meanderings meant that by summer’s end, I’d put in miles on running trails along the shores of the Danube, Ráab, Rábca, Rhine, Seine, and Cam. I’m going to race-walk along the Charles to round out the year! August [2019] began a semester of far-flung travel, working with colleagues. A planned highlight, facilitating American University of Beirut conference sessions, with private tour of Northern-mountain cedar trees, was cancelled by political unrest, extending our Jordan stay. Ricardo and I loved it, notwithstanding the camel ride in Wadi Rum desert (literally a pain in the butt). Although our plan to go to Umm Qais, far north, to view Lebanon and Syria and see Mount Hermon, was interrupted by poor visibility, we did see the Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo.” • Kerry Rosenthal, Mike Price, and Richard Morse ’75 met up in Fort Lauderdale in October 2019. Richard’s band from Haiti, RAM, was playing at a South Florida Haitian festival. Previous mini reunions were in Haiti and Florida. • Over the summer, the school changed the date and course of the 2019 Pie Race, and some of the old-timers weren’t too happy about the changes. On race day, Ned Craun drove up to NMH to check it out. The new course still runs through parts of campus as before, but also veers into wooded cross-country trails. The race course is shorter (three miles), but challenging, particularly on the uphill trails. There is an upside to change! We’ve now reached the age (over 60) where we earn a pie just for finishing. Might want to check out the Pie Race next year! • Lyn Tranfield

NMH Magazine

Bennett shared, “Managing the Kronos

practice continues, I’m starting my first book, and I travel the country, working with clergy, congregations, strategic reorganizations, and training coaches. I’m on the faculty of Coaching4Clergy and Coaching4Today’sLeaders.” • Chris Matthews continues lecturing and examining ancient texts. Last July, he attended a weeklong academic conference at Maná Museum of the Sacred Scriptures, Mexico City. In August, he traveled to Xoxochitlain, Oaxaca, to guest lecture at Lacey Seminary. Anthropological lecturers taught Chris the variety, cultural strength, charm, and beauty of Mexican people. Peter Weis ’78 welcomed Chris to research the NMH library’s special collection concerning 19th-century British missionary efforts in Spain. NMH has the U.S.’s only complete collection of these volumes, gifted to D.L. Moody in the 1870s. In September, Chris was in Spain, lecturing on three monks who escaped the Sevilla Old Monastery, with local and regional government officials attending. Chris and Beth’s Sevilla Seminary graduated 13 students with certificates, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. • Chris Boyd caught us up on his career. “I’ve come to my final career, my true calling … on a trajectory begun summers in the ’70s, in the NMH mail room, packing boxes, learning the meaning of a strong work ethic in the kitchens. My dad and I sold books to libraries: books published in Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, before the internet. We traveled to these parts of the world to buy them.… University libraries bought them from us.… I ran this company for 25 years, visiting Africa 24 times.… A wife and three children later, this began to seem a bit reckless. I became an academic textbook store manager at Bowdoin, then Duke. But in my heart, the libraries still called to me… I worked in library acquisitions at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill… [was]

Kerry Rosenthal ’74, Richard Morse ’75, and Mike Price ’74 had a mini reunion at the South Florida Haitian Festival, Fort Lauderdale, in October 2019.

Artist Jill Nichols ’74 with her “Phi” painting at the Nasty Women’s exhibit in Connecticut, March 2017

training-subscription program is challenging, engaging … Husband David fills the heads of his Cushing Academy students with science and engineering … Very lucky that Holly Hazen Allen and David Allen ’77 live nearby again.” • Josie Hart wrote of NMH’s Vespers, “Road closed driving to NMH for December Christmas Vespers. Arrived, enjoyed the reception, caught up with Jeff Kessler ’72 and Speer fellow/former trustees Cathy DiMiceli Masie ’81 and Will Melton ’67. My first Vespers since graduation! The chapel was beautifully decorated; the music splendid, joyful, soulful, and varied … Salutations is my favorite. Let’s organize a Vespers class trip 2020! Proof that we are a mighty group when we set our minds to it: We exceeded our annual fund class goal and stretch goals for 2019; our gifts and pledges help support the school’s mission and this year allowed more kids to access financial support.” • “As new trustee,” said Monie Thomas Hardwick, “I’ve gotten to know Brian Hargrove, head of school, and report he has tremendous energy and passion for the NMH mission … I believe he’ll be a dynamic leader and that we’ll see a true renaissance on the NMH campus by our 50th reunion. After 24 years working at Blair Academy (N.J.), we now live in South Carolina’s Low Country. We have three daughters, and three grandsons ranging from 4 months to 2 years.” • Last October, Claire Bamberg became a grandmother. In the same month, she married Lynda B. Howells on 10/12/19. John Burnham officiated, and Dawn Dayton King, Peter King, Judy Armbruster, Kevin Cunningham and Sylvie Batsele attended. “We are renovating two 1840s farmhouses with a four-inch gap between [them],” wrote Claire. “Building a second house on our 15 acres to welcome guests: minsters on sabbatical, writers on retreat, to the sanctuary we call home. My mental health

C L AS S NOTES

required the master’s in library science to move up further. And now I am that: a librarian and faculty member at a university library in southwest Florida. I love it.” • Peter Allenby shared, “During school days, I discovered that any artistic bones in my body were found in photography, occasionally Facebooking an image cache. Relevance? I now photograph dance recitals. Balancing light and moving form is challenging, fun. I wonder at the physical, creative, mental demands of this most amazing art. Ballet is awe-inspiring. My 16-year-old, Cole, is a dancer, discovering his art at 7, and instructors agreeing he has professional promise. A high school junior, he’s applying to various professional dance schools. Son Theo is a 12-year-old seventh grader, equally passionate for soccer. He’d rather attend the Barcelona Football Club Academy… He is a first-year Spanish student (taught by my sister, Deborah Allenby Albert ’78). We’ve supported each other since Dad died (November 2018), then Deb’s husband Mark (early 2019) and mother-in-law. Partner Saramaria, my rock and anchor, is an ordained UCC minister, guiding those through the arduous journey to sobriety to find spiritual succor and centeredness.” • Jill Harrington Nichols met the Pope’s astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory and Museum, Brother Guy Consolmagno, while delivering her artwork, “Phi,” to the museum for the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing. “Phi” is oil on canvas, copper, hand-mixed paints formulated with mica, copper, and other earthbound stardust. The work is named after the Greek letter Phi, signifying the mathematical golden ratio, 1.618/unity, that Jill employed in her painting design. Nebula gases and light/ energy took on shapes under her brush, suggesting light and energy generated millions of years ago, breaking through the shadows and darkness of outer and inner space. Find out more about Jill’s compelling work at her website, jillnichols.com. • Jack Zelis wrote, “These 10 months, I’ve traveled to Everest Base Camp, Tibet (18,600 feet) and Orlando; taken a Caribbean cruise; gone to a Thailand full-moon rave; lived part-time in Hawaii with husband of 27 years, Archie; been to Xian, China; visited Pennsylvania and Maryland family; was in Washington, D.C., for the New Year and in California, caregiving my mother-in-law. On the cusp of leaving with her for Paris, Lourdes, and Rome, I was diagnosed with aggressive

malignant masses on both adrenal glands … Stanford misdiagnosis, then Mayo Clinic revealed rare lymphoma, treatable, beatable with aggressive chemotherapy … R-CHOP chemo regime, then high-dose methotrexate hospital stays felt like being run over by a Mack truck… I shaved my hair on my terms, like Marine boot camp! Between treatments, post-reunion, we perused NMH yearbook over Ruan Thai, Silver Spring, Md.” • Scott Johnson reported, “August 2018, wife Margaret and I sold CHIEF, our D.C. creative agency … Thirty-two successful co-working years later, [we are] fortuitously retiring simultaneously.… We headed to Portugal for long-delayed downtime. We love traveling together. I fish on the Chesapeake Bay. I love backpacking. I felt restless without the agency business. Adjusting to retirement, backpacking buddy Keith and I decided to hike the Camino de Santiago from France, traversing 500 miles across Spain to the small city of Santiago de Compostela.... We walked to breathe fresh air, reflect, bookmarking a new chapter in our lives. Our backpacks harbored basic clothing changes and necessities. We slept in sparse pilgrim hostels.… Had we bitten off more than we could chew? Our whim adventure became harsh reality: backpacking 18 to 25 miles daily for over a month! The arduous first day was 10 exhausting hours straight up and over the Pyrenees, little dispelling unease about the journey ahead. Soon the beautiful lands walked, the mysterious, ancient, nearly vacant medieval villages enchanted us, interesting global pilgrims inspired.... We were on the Camino for 34 days, 31 walking. Including our four-day recovery, we didn’t set foot in a car, bus, or any modern transport besides our shoes for nearly 40 days. Arriving at the cathedral at San Juan de Compostela, we were surrounded by crying, hugging,

Ruth Lapin ’75 (left) and Ilene Steele ’75

photo-taking pilgrims! Most were in shock for having walked 500 miles for our once-in-a-lifetime challenge, sad at its sudden end.”

Northfield Mount Hermon Veronica Froelich Adams veronicafadams@gmail.com • Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett kbmhartnett@gmail.com Ned Perry is looking forward to retiring at the end of the year after 35 years of commercial litigation work with his Portland, Ore., law firm. He’ll have more time for traveling and projects at his lakefront cabin on the Olympic Peninsula. He said, “I suppose it also means no excuse for not attending reunion next spring, where I hope to see my old comrades Peter Crimmin, Bill Gladstone, and Stu Patterson!” • Ruth Lapin spent a magical week celebrating her husband Brent’s 60th birthday with Ilene Feldman Steele and her husband, Mike. Twenty friends joined them on the Aqua Mekong cruise ship. • John Lozada has taken an exciting new opportunity as equity and inclusion director for the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services. His role utilizes a number of skills he has built in the decades since NMH, and provides him with new challenges in the judiciary context. “The words to ‘Jerusalem’ greet me every morning as I enter my office,” said John. • Clearly a proud papa, John Robinson wrote that one of his two sons finished his master’s in music, while his twin will finish his master’s in music this spring. One daughter recently started veterinary school, and the other is now a junior at Boston University. As for John’s non-human brood, his Clumber Spaniels finished their championships and a total of 24 Springer Spaniels have been born and placed. As for himself, John added, “I’m in Erickson’s ‘Stage 7’ and adjuncting around in psychology.” • Reunion 45: all hands on deck! Please join in the fun, even before our reunion, as part of the “Outreach Posse.” Reunion Committee members will provide outreach volunteers with emails and phone numbers of those classmates they would especially like to reconnect with. In addition to catching up, your mission would be to encourage these friends to join their classmates and help make this a really special celebration. As of class notes submission date, reunion and outreach team members include: Veronica “Ronni” Froelich Adams, Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett, Gail Majdalany

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

Heaslip, Ned Perry, John Robinson, Chris Thompson, and Karen Cunningham Van Adzin.

Northfield Mount Hermon Susan Loring-Wells susanloring@me.com • Joe Mcveigh joe@joemcveigh.org From Susan: I’m back on the East Coast after spending last year in California with my husband as he recovered from a stroke. Feeling blessed that he is able to get himself around independently and is cognitively in amazing shape! Happily back in the house he built in 1987 in Shutesbury, Mass., and grateful to be back in my community of friends and closer to my 90-year-old parents. I lost my only biological aunt this summer at age 95, and two days after her memorial, my brother died suddenly of a cardiac event. So, I’ve been deep in family this year and am looking forward to being back in my weaving studio in Leverett! • For the past few years, I’ve been participating in a Postal Collage Project with other class of ’76 alums that Anne Wenniger encouraged us to join. This year’s group also includes Elaine Monchak, Donna Lazerwitz Roggenthien, and Phebe Gregson. Last year’s group included Nadine Moll’s work. It’s been fun to reconnect through this collaborative project. Our pieces are shown every spring in Berkeley and other Bay Area venues. • Mark Anair spends a lot of time at Newington Arena in Connecticut and sees a number of NMH hockey players in the off season. His son, Vic, captained the hockey teams and led in scoring first at South Kent Academy. He is a senior at Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, R.I. Vic will play for one year in the U.S. Hockey League in Nebraska before entering Quinnipiac University. • John Muggeridge “graduated from full-time employment” in 2017 and is now an executive-in-residence at Providence College, co-teaching a class on public affairs. He serves on five nonprofit boards and facilitates their retreats. He also works with a start-up that is involved in hyper-local communications. John asked the eternal question, “Has anyone heard from Nat Krieger in the last 20 years?” • Bill Bodie returned from the Middle East in 2018 and now works at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a defense-related think tank in Washington, D.C. Bill’s most recent acting ventures are productions of Shakespeare. His son, Jules, is a lawyer in

NMH Magazine

Washington, and daughter Clio teaches in New York City public schools. Bill stays in touch with Matt Kennedy, Addison Cook ’77, Chuck Knirsch, and Tom Schiller. • Dave Perry has four grandchildren and stays in touch with the families of Rich Lennon and Adam Saffer. • From Joe: I am once again serving on the board of directors of the TESOL International Association, a professional association for ESL (English as a second language) teachers. I spent much of the past year revising a couple of coauthored ESL textbooks for their third edition for Oxford University Press. Last summer my wife, Leila, and I were attending a concert at a music camp. My son, Nat, was there playing the saxophone. Imagine my surprise to see Chuck Knirsch there with his wife, Rebeca. They were visiting their daughter, Ines ’21, who was also attending the camp. Ines is the first chair cellist in the NMH string orchestra. Chuck is an infectious disease specialist. He is co-author of a medical text on dealing with parasitic diseases, now in its seventh edition. It is not only available as a published book; through a nonprofit organization, a PDF version in either English or Spanish can be downloaded for free. So far it has been used in nearly 100 countries! You can get your own copy at parasiteswithoutborders.com • In another fortuitous encounter, I looked out my window one day to find someone leaving a note on my car. It turned out to be Sarah Williams Goldhagen ’77, who was walking around our neighborhood one day and spotted the NMH sticker on the back of my car. Sarah and husband Daniel were in town visiting their son, Gideon, a sophomore at Middlebury College. Sarah is a noted author, lecturer, and architecture critic. • Sheila Farley Hagen and husband Duaine own Fiddle Back Ranch in the Upper Greybull River Valley near Meeteetse, Wyo. It is a fully functioning horse ranch that offers vacations, hosts weddings, and houses hunting parties. Sheila and Duaine have also been donating summer and hunting trips for critically ill children through the Outdoor Dream Foundation since 2003. Sheila reported, “Both of our children are now married, and we have six grandchildren. They are all exceptional humans; we are blessed beyond measure.” • Elaine Monchak spent a few fun-filled days in California with junior-year roommate Nadine Moll. Nadine lives in sunny Santa Cruz and is an interior designer. Elaine also visited Brett Laurent

who lives in Santa Barbara with wife Monica and two daughters. On the East Coast, Elaine regularly gets together with Anne Wenniger and Maureen Miller Hallock. Maureen lives in Connecticut and is grandmother to a gorgeous boy named Pierce. • Tom Schiller caught up with Dongsok Shin after Dongsok performed with the Washington Bach Consort in November 2019. Also in November, Travis Hudelson and Mike Loewenberg helped Eric Sternbach celebrate his 61st birthday in New York City. Travis caught up via phone with former bandmates Bob Burns, Jim Steinwedell, and Thom Gimbel ’77. Jim is a psychotherapist and still very involved in music. Bob has an international business and also still plays. Thom has been a member of the rock group, Foreigner, for over 20 years. • Lisa Mosczynski lives in Douglas, Mass., where she is a strategic communications consultant and president of the board of the nonprofit, Metacomet Land Trust. In June 2019, Lisa and fellow activists successfully defeated a plan to install a large gas and diesel oil-burning power plant on the shores of a nearby lake. • Jessica Treat is an English professor at Northwestern Connecticut Community College. In October 2019, she read from her creative writing at an event at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. • An Hinds reported that she is healthy, still working, and spends her free time traveling. An, her partner, Emily, and An’s daughter, Rachel (34), spent Christmas in Ireland. An is thriving at the helm of the family business, Catherine Hinds Institute — a training program for skin care specialists in Boston. Daughter Rachel operates Glowbar, a spa specializing in facials in Tribeca, so An is celebrating three generations of female entrepreneurial Hinds, empowering women in business for more than 50 years. An reflected on time spent at NMH with gratitude: “I can still feel the warmth of the sun, sitting in front of Cottage V with best friends in September. What a beautiful setting!” • Carter Mario is president of his own law firm in Connecticut, which has 20 attorneys working on personal injury representation in six different offices in the state. Carter and fellow wrestler Chuck Funderburk speak regularly and reminisce about their days as roommates at NMH. • Phil Mead and wife Carolyn Fox Mead ’75 live in the Philadelphia area where Phil is an emergency medicine physician. Son Loren graduated from med school at the University of Pennsylvania. Following the broad

C L AS S NOTES

shoulders of both Phil and Carolyn, son Nick has had a distinguished rowing career and rows in the men’s eight on the U.S. national rowing team. • Kathy Ballou Sanford lives in Rowayton, Conn., where she has been running her women’s shoe and clothing boutique, Chou Chou, for the past 20 years. Kathy has four grown daughters scattered around the country, and one lovely granddaughter. She keeps in touch with Susan Loring-Wells and would love to hear from Pawler Garrahan and Valerie Malter. • Terry Allen wrote, “I am still alive, sober, Catholic …” Terry encourages prayer for classmates, living and departed. • The financial advice of Mari Baumgarten Adam was featured in the October 2019 issue of Consumer Reports. You can benefit from Mari’s experience and acumen by following her Facebook page: search for “Adam Financial Associates, Inc.” or read the blog on her website, chartingyourfinancialfuture. com. Mari, who is based in Boca Raton, Fla., is thinking of gradually easing out of professional life. Her daughter is an engineer in San Francisco and her son is in flight school in Orlando. • Beth Brown Madsen is in her fifth year working as an administrative assistant, substitute coordinator, and chair of the Diversity Steering Committee of the Lower School at Buckingham Brown and Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass. She and husband Brian have been blissfully married for 23 years. Son Frederick (17) is a junior at Lawrence Academy, heavily focused on soccer. Son Henry is a freshman at the White Mountain School, where he is also a soccer player and a skier. The family has recently been augmented with a 17-year-old friend of Frederick’s who is living with them in Waltham. Beth is in touch with Laura Stookey Johnson, Susan Sunday, and Peter Macdonald ’75. Susan and Peter are godparents to Beth’s son, Frederick. • Lynn Stobaeus Mayo wrote from the Netherlands where she was on an extended “R and R” trip after some intense years of family caregiving. Lynn lost her father at age 96, but recalled how much he always honored and appreciated what NMH did for his children and grandchildren. Lynn had a chance to host current NMH faculty members Steve and Megan Bathory-Peeler ’92 in New York. Lynn returned to sing in Sacred Concert in spring 2019. In December, she wrote, “It was a joy to be able to hear Christmas Vespers last week over the live stream and allow my memories to flow in of Amahl and the Night

Visitors, with dancers coming down the center aisle of the chapel.… There is truly a sense of constancy that brings comfort, gratefully with the help of the Internet!” Lynn also had a chance to reconnect with members of the Pilobolus dance company and recalled that NMH dance teacher, Diana Cowles, brought the company to campus for a master class. Lynn’s grandson, Theo, enjoyed the dancing, too! • Melissa Totten and her dog, Natty Bumpo, spent some time out in their old haunts in New Mexico, contemplating the glories of the West. Those glories had such an effect that they have moved back to New Mexico after nine years in eastern Massachusetts. “I missed the high desert climate, the special skies over the Sangre de Cristo [mountains], and the community of folks and friends still there,” said Melissa. • Debbie Rooney deHaas lives and works in Newburyport, Mass. Her company, deHaas Creative, is a small advertising agency (dehaascreative.com). Her two children are freshmen in college. Debbie enjoys sailing in the summer and skiing in the winter. She would love to reconnect with NMH classmates. • Rich Davis reported driving through Greenfield, Mass., in the spring of 2019 and boring his son with reminiscences of the Northfield campus of the 1970s. Rich’s recent adventures included a submarine dive 18 fathoms under the sea. He finds it amazing to live in California, where he was able to travel from the beach to the mountains and go from surfing to snow with just a one-hour drive. He is the proud grandfather of Lucas. • Karen Underhill lives in Orleans, Mass., with her husband, Jeffrey. Since graduating from NMH, Karen has managed motels, bartended in Boston, worked at Filene’s department store in downtown Boston, and managed (and then owned) an athletic club on Cape Cod. Karen now has a thriving real estate law practice in Eastham, Mass. She welcomes classmates visiting the Cape to stop in and say hi. • Lennie Candace Cotton Bloom has spent the last 10 years loving the expat life in Amsterdam, where she carries on a varied existence. As an artist, she creates artist trading cards, kachina dolls, specially painted ukuleles, and wonderful felt caricatures. You can see her creations at Crazy Orphelia’s Boutique (website: crazyorphelia.nl). In addition, she operates the Uke Boutique, the one-stop-shop for all things ukulele in Amsterdam. Find out more at ukeboutique.nl. • Some of you will recall

Miles Maiden, who was with us on the

Mount Hermon campus during freshman and sophomore years before moving on to the Moses Brown School. Miles died of cancer on 2/5/19. He had moved to Maine to attend the College of the Atlantic, graduating in 1986, and fell in love with the location. He founded several businesses, including Hydro-Photon, a company he built with friends and co-workers who helped him develop the SteriPEN, a hand-held water purifier. This product earned many patents and accolades, including Time Magazine’s Best Invention of the Year in 2001. By 2011, Time had named the SteriPEN one of its Top 100 All-Time Gadgets. Our condolences to his wife of 33 years, Meg Davis Maiden, and their daughters, Haley and Hannah. • Thanks to everyone who sent news for this edition. Your classmates would love to know what you are up to — especially those of you

Dig Deeply.

at NMH

Virtual Learning Program For Grades 9–12 June 29–July 31

Benefit from the “head, heart, and hand” approach to learning at NMH. Get ahead, fill in gaps, repair academic disruptions, further academic skills and knowledge, and excel for the upcoming school year.

nmhschool.org/summer 413-498-3290

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

who’ve been silent for years. Don’t be shy. Send us a news update today! Make sure we have your current contact information, especially email addresses. Send the school your up-to-date contact info by emailing addressupdates@nmhschool.org, and join the NMH Class of 1976 Facebook page. We are always happy to help you connect with old friends — just send us an email, and if we’ve got their contact info, we’ll be glad to pass it along. Of course, we can’t connect you with old friends if your contact info is out of date. • Please help make a difference to NMH by responding generously to those letters, emails, and phone calls to help us meet our financial goals for dollars and participation. Today’s students thank you!

Northfield Mount Hermon Anne Howson ahowson@rics.bwh.harvard.edu Jon Rubin and Deb Housen-Couriel met for a short but adventure-packed afternoon last August at Laurel Lake near Northfield. The adventures began with Jon’s amazing chocolate chip cookies, which kept appearing miraculously throughout the afternoon, to be feasted upon by Jon, Deb, and Deb’s family. They hiked, swam, and paddleboarded — all the while catching up on many years. The visit ended as a spectacular New England thunder and lightning storm geared up. • James E. Gullickson wrote, “I retired from my gig at KMSU-FM, the noncommercial public educational radio station licensed to Minnesota State University, Mankato. It was eminently rewarding working with students, volunteers, and staff. I do not miss the responsibility, though … I don’t know about the rest of you fossils, but when I hit a certain age, my sleep patterns changed. I wake up at 5 am every day, whether I want to or not. So, in order to keep the marital peace, I get out of the house, let my wife

Newlyweds Jeff Aliber ’77 and wife Carmen married in September 2019.

NMH Magazine

sleep, and hang with a couple of commercial station morning shows. I get paid McDonald’s wages, but who cares? I’m having fun. And if they fire me? Psssht, whatev. Here’s to working when you don’t have to.” • Jeff Aliber shared his happy news: “Got married in a civil ceremony with a justice of the peace at Newton City Hall, in Massachusetts, on 9/23/19. My wife is Carmen Aliber. Between Carmen and I, we have five biological children (three boys and two girls), one daughter-in-law, and one son-in-law (ages 29, 27, 26, 23, and 18).… Carmen is head of human resources and strategic management functions at the Dexter-Southfield School in Brookline, Mass. I now feel blessed to be welcomed in two amazing independent school communities. I continue to work in cybersecurity, with a focus on products that protect the ‘industrial Internet of things.’ My company is based in Silicon Valley, but I work from home in the metro Boston area. Earlier this year, my parents moved into assisted living in Needham, Mass. — less than a mile from my home. I attended Vespers at NMH [in December] with Carmen and [my] father, Gil Aliber ’51. Saw [my] former dormmate, Victor Nuovo, Lydia Perry Weiss ’80 and Peter Weis ’78, Kristin Kellom ’80, and had a chance to talk oneto-one with Linda and Bryan Hargrove. In November, I visited with former roommate Adam Handler; I am in regular communication with him, as well as classmates Sophia Severino, Grace Mauzy, and others.” • Tina Neal is wrapping up her five-year stint in Hawaii as director of the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). “My partner, Gail, and I will be returning to Alaska mid-year after an eventful and challenging time with our active volcanoes here on the Island of Hawaii. Based on the observatory’s work during the eruption, I was honored to

Jon Rubin ’77 and Deb Housen-Couriel ’77 had an adventure-packed afternoon in August 2019 at Laurel Lake near Northfield.

represent the USGS and HVO as a finalist for the Sammie award this year.” Tina added, “Turning the big 6-0 recently, like many of my classmates, I was joined by dear friend Caroline Niederman ’78 for a week of adventure on the Kohala coast. Best wishes to all in the NMH family, the world needs the school — with humanity and purpose — and each of us more than ever.” • Megan Wonnacott Sutton noted that “while some of you may be making retirement plans, we find ourselves back in the midst of busy family life. All three of our children have returned to the Middlebury (Vermont) area. At this point, they’ve all moved out of this nest and are making their way. It’s pretty neat to have your adult children over for breakfast or dinner every week or so and catch up on the latest. I highly recommend it! On the work front, I am still a school librarian at two local elementary schools.” • Anne Howson said, “Megan came to a summer conference in Boston this summer for her work, and we were able to spend a few evenings together touring the dark yards of Simmons College and the offices of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), our activity interspersed by meals in the Fenway. It was great! I continue to work as a senior research administrator at BWH and, in tandem, at Harvard Medical School, getting international visitors situated for productive greatness in the effort of conquering diseases that beset our immune systems. [The work is] by turns interesting, challenging, defeating, and rewarding. Best wishes to all!”

Northfield Mount Hermon Donna Grinold Hawley djghawley@aol.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Paige Relyea Lehman Paigerelyea@yahoo.com • Caryn Liebowitz Bonosevich Bonosevich@hotmail.com Ralph Bledsoe shared, “I enjoyed my 40th reunion in June [2019] as a 1979 ‘Most School Spirit’ yearbook superlative! To be clear, I love our school. So, as I arrived at Alumni Hall and was told I had won the NMH automatic Swiss watch. I felt that love [had] strengthened ... My NMH watch is clearly the most beautiful watch I have ever owned and it is bespoke with ‘Ralph Bledsoe ’79, ’95’ (graduate and class parent) engraved inside. It is an heirloom I will enjoy the rest of my life, then [passed on to] my daughter …”

C L AS S NOTES

Northfield Mount Hermon Jack Farrell jack@jackfarrell.org • Antony Pang aa1105@yahoo.com • Lynelle Kucharski lynelle@lynellekucharski.com • Kristin Kellom kkellom@nmhschool.org From Kristin: As you read this, we will be just weeks away from our 40th NMH reunion! Those of us on the planning committee can hardly grasp that it has been 40 years since we were all on campus together. Our goal is to plan a weekend that provides opportunity for reconnection with the school but, most importantly, with each other. We appreciate that the “down time” in the dorm lounge with friends and classmates can be the most compelling reason to return. The catching up, reminiscences, laughter, and tears define the weekend. We sincerely hope you will be back for reunion. • Lydia Perry Weis and Anne Shepard are leading the charge as reunion chairs. Amelia Maloney has been bringing her creative flair to the lounge setup (our class won the dorm-decorating contest at our 35th, thanks to Amelia’s design ideas, and we were clearly the envy of other classes!). We may be tapping into the photographic expertise of the NMH Gallery director, Sam Pettengill, for some fun with archival photos. Paul Caliandro and Dan Martin, accompanied by Dan’s wife, Susan, were on campus for Vespers and immediately recruited to help with planning and outreach. • Also among those attending Vespers were Charity Smith Gray ’81 with husband Charlie, Mike Wise ’79, Mary Ann and Rob Werner ’79, and Carmen and Jeff Aliber ’77. • But back to ’80 gatherings: classmates continually offer to find fun ways to keep us connected. Lee Coykendall and husband Russ hosted a D.C. gathering that included Chris Lindstrom Schaeffer, Catherine “Cab” Dempsey and her husband Fritz, Peter Coan ’79, and Lydia Perry Weis. Mitzi Fennel has expressed interest in co-hosting something in the Boston area and Stephanie Ackler, who returned to NMH for a celebratory rowing program event and dedication of new boats in May 2019, is willing, as she has done before, to host us in New York City. The challenge in our still-busy lives, even as more and more of us are becoming parttimers or empty nesters, is finding time for such activities. How is it that days, weeks, and months only get busier? For a number

of us, careers remain in full-throttle mode. A number of us are volunteering or going back to school or traveling — either for pleasure or for work — as we pursue new and exciting opportunities. • Sarah Browning wrote, “After 35 years, I’m back in school! Moved to Philly and getting my MFA in poetry and creative nonfiction.” • Mark Sheinkman recently had an exhibition of his artwork in New York City. • Our former ’80 classmate, Anita Nordal ’79, along with Anne Shepard, is active with the NMH Alumni Council and was on campus for a busy September 2019 weekend, which also featured the Pie Race. Viva Hardigg traveled from Hanover, N.H., to run the Pie and proudly represented our class that afternoon. Felicia Bianchi traveled from Georgia last year to run the Pie; this past fall, however, she and Chris Lindstrom Schaeffer went to Tennessee to participate in an overnight relay run from Chattanooga to Nashville. Felicia noted, “The team of 12 completed 195 miles. It was Chris’s first and my 26th. Super fun getting the roommates back together!” • Another fellow runner from our student days, Dave Ehrenthal ’79, has spent many Saturdays on campus with wife Florence (a former NMH Summer Session teacher) cheering on son Alex ’20, a record-setting runner during this past cross-country season. • David Steinberg ’79 also travels to campus frequently from San Francisco, both as an NMH trustee and as dad to Eric ’21. • Helen “Missy” Bemis spent six months on assignment in Laos last year serving “as a technical adviser in Vientiane, Laos, with the Clinton Health Access Initiative. This was part of (my employer) GlaxoSmithKline’s PULSE Volunteer Partnership, which matches employees to skills-based opportunities at NGOs for up to six months full-time. An amazing experience: run, don’t walk, to visit Laos if you have the opportunity.” • For some, as we see via Facebook and Instagram posts, we may be traveling to visit children or planning our children’s weddings (Susan and Jim Mulholland seem to have had a particularly busy year in this regard). Phil Schoenfeld was at the Head of the Charles in October 2019 while visiting his daughter in Boston. He and Lydia Perry Weis caught up as she was there cheering on husband Peter Weis ’78, who was racing. Among many projects and activities, and a busy medical practice, Phil has also been engaged with NMH and agreed to be interviewed as part of a student’s class assignment. So, an invitation to you all: Come on

back in June and meet some terrific NMH students! • Living in Vancouver, Jet Joseph Sieh has been planning to return for his first-ever reunion. We encourage all of you to consider returning — whether for the first time or the eighth! And, finally, we hope you will be part of the collective strength of our class by participating in the NMH Fund. Together, our gifts make a difference for today’s students. Please make your best gift and know that you are helping to provide a transformative experience at NMH. Thank you, and be well, all.

Northfield Mount Hermon Frank Chandler frank@thechandlers.com • Marina Colman marinacolman727@yahoo.com • Lilian Blacken Hannapel lilhannapel@gmail.com • Class of ’81 website: www.nmh81.us Drawing on years of interviews and observations, Karla Slocum published her book, Black Towns, Black Futures: The Enduring Allure of a Black Place in the American West. Slocum’s book examines Oklahoma’s historic black towns, from their marginality to sacred places, that affirm self-determination and community empowerment. • Sue Burnham has redefined her next decade. After many years, she and husband Mark have downsized to a home on the Saco River in Maine. Unexpectedly faced with a career change, she started a new position as a program manager for a fintech company in Portland, Maine. Her daughter is graduating from Georgia Southern this spring, and her son is apprenticing to become an electrician. • As empty nesters, Paul Meeks and his wife, Mary, relocated from the West Coast back to Charleston, S.C., with his investment company, Investments Amplify LLC. • Several NMHers got together in Washington, D.C., for a weekend in August 2019: Gretchen Miller Crowley, Christa Skerry White ’82, Marion “Mickey” Gill ’82, Sally Willis ’82, and Lil Blacken Hannapel. They walked and ate their way through the weekend. The best part for them was randomly running into Lee Coykendall ’80 at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market. • Kristin Cole-Sposato visits Charleston often. Her son will be graduating from The Citadel in the spring. It is fantastic to spend time enjoying her company. It always feels like we pick up exactly where we left off from the last time. I guess fourth-floor Crossley is forever embedded in our DNA. •

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

For anyone who wants to connect, join our Facebook page: NMH - Class of 1981.

Northfield Mount Hermon Martha Holbrow Sandler martha.sandler@gmail.com • Michael Rickard mrickard330@cox.net

Northfield Mount Hermon Angela Lambert drangela@mac.com Still enjoying teaching middle-school Spanish, Gretchen Bowder also plays in a bluegrass band, the Bagboys, and a Steely Dan tribute band — the Boston Rag. Her son graduated from UMass Amherst last year and is working at McLean Hospital as a teaching assistant. Her daughter is in her junior year at Harvard and is “super politically active, currently working for the movement to unionize the graduate students to divest from fossil fuels,” says proud mom Gretchen. • Jennifer Goller Letourneau celebrated Christmas by doing activities with her grandchildren, Brixton (5) and Nora (4), and traveling to Vermont to go on the Polar Express. She is still making the world more beautiful one head at a time in her lovely salon in Turners Falls called Kharma. • Georgia Dunn wrote, “I was recently at the British High Commissioner’s home in Bridgetown, Barbados, with the Prince Charles’ Trust to support the Island’s youth. Also spending time at the archives to shed light on the remarkable women who were pioneers in the New World and whose story has not yet been told.” • Roger Lerrick moved to Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles. Before he moved to Southern California, he met up with his former roommate from Tron, John Chen ’82. He would like to connect with NMH alumni in the area. • Megan Gray Paterson-Brown wrote from Geneva, Switzerland, where she lives with her son, Finlay (12) and Scottish husband of 25

Megan Day Gray Paterson-Brown ’83, husband Will, and son Finlay live in Geneva, Switzerland

NMH Magazine

years, Will. “I’m still teaching psychology undergrad and in a master’s in counseling program at Webster University (a branch of an American University in Geneva). I also work part-time with homeless immigrants and refugees on an old steamship that’s permanently docked in Lake Geneva, doing community and art therapy … I’m constantly astounded by the capacity of the human spirit to overcome incredible obstacles. I heard Gautam Gujral was out in California with wife Sheila and met up with Laura Albright Boat at some Dead cover band gig. Can’t believe how old we are, it’s surreal! I’m looking for classmate Helena Caballero as I’ve met Colombians from Bogota who know her. I also heard from Harriet McCann Lamont that her life is good in Tiverton, R.I. Hope we don’t hear of many obituaries in our alumni year, as that seems to be a recent trend in statistics.” • Claire Johnson-Hurry shared, “My husband, Doug, and I moved from New York City to Hampstead, N.C. Our local beach is lovely! Our son, Mac, is a sophomore at St. Lawrence University.” • Daniel Bellow is still making pottery in his lovely studio in the Berkshires. He had a fire recently, but was fortunate to catch it in time with his local fire department’s help. He is now open for business as usual. • Kirsta Schmidt Davey is enjoying success as an accomplished photographer with a specialty in dogs. Her photos were recently featured in a Massachusetts Audubon Instagram post and took third place in the December 2019 Down East Magazine’s photo contest. • This is Allyson Goodwin’s last column as our co-class secretary, a volunteer role she has enjoyed since 1983. She writes, “After a total of working 19 years at NMH (from 1987 to 1992 and then again from 2006 to 2019), I have decided it is time for a new adventure. My beloved, Mark Short, and I are on a brief sabbatical from work in order to travel around the country, something we have

always wanted to do. We will decide our next steps along the way. In the meantime, it has been an honor to serve our school and our class. Any takers out there to help our wonderful classmate, Angela Lambert, with this column, published just twice a year?

From left: Chris Nagle ’84, Eleanor Hager Temelini ’84, Caitlin Dyk Palacios ’84, and Rich Gross ’84.

From left: Gillian Ferguson and partner Heidi Kronenberg ’84 met up with David Cain ’84 and wife Nancy Turner in Ireland in September 2019.

Northfield Mount Hermon Heidi Kronenberg heidi@esme.com • Kara Driscoll-Hazlett kara.hazlett@gmail.com I hope that everyone had a great winter and is settling down for the spring. My partner and I went to Ireland in September 2019 and met up with David Cain and his wife, Nancy. It was incredible spontaneously having dinner with him, and really fun to catch up. Nancy’s birth name is Turner. Her father, Lou Turner, was an NMH faculty member in the 1960s, and Nancy lived in Oak Knoll when she was little. • I also see Caitlin Dyk Palacios and Kerry Doyle frequently. Kerry went on a trip to Iceland with a group of friends and realized that a woman in her group is related to Rebecca Rundquist ’85. • Bill Pusey wrote, “We are under contract to close on a house in Barrington, N.H. We’ve loved living in Maine, but are looking forward to tax-free New Hampshire! We will be keeping our house in Rangeley and are hopeful for a reopening of Saddleback Mountain ski area in 2020!” • Sarah Prescott said that if anyone finds themselves in Concord, N.H., please get in touch. She can be found on Facebook. • Dave Shepp and his wife, Nancy, celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary last year. Nancy is a glass sculptor, and they still live in James Island, S.C. Dave is a sales manager at Cintas Corporation. Their daughter is a junior at Colorado State University, and is also a great glass artist, having recently finished an opening at her gallery in Charleston. “Surfing is our passion,” said Dave. “Nothing better than

C L AS S NOTES

being married to your best surf mate. We have super fun waves here during hurricane season, and we travel all over in search of the perfect wave.” • Sending love, peace, and hope for a 2020 full of change!

Northfield Mount Hermon Jennifer Buell Horschman jenhorschman@yahoo.com Our reunion committee members — Steffani Bartlett Bennett, Jack Foster, Randy Gravitz, Jennifer Buell Horschman, David Sears, David Skeeter, David Tait, James Tolo, Norm Schneeberger, with help from Christina Wright Defranceaux ’87 and Dane Fletcher ’90 — are joyously expecting everyone to be at NMH in June. We are having virtual meetings and making plans. Don’t be surprised if we give you a call! • Also, reunion includes the Pie Race! Ellen McCurtin, Josh Lee, Dave Cain ’84, Sally Willis ’84, Steve Green ’87, and Tracy Korman ’81 continue to coordinate the Pie Race for everyone! • Abigail Trask Abbott is now living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Having sold their house in fairly freezing Vermont, Abigail is happy to be away from the cold. Their son is in college and their daughter is studying to be an aesthetician. • Randy Gravitz is working for a new Farmers Insurance agency in Mahopac, N.Y. In April 2018, when he was living in Milwaukie, Ore., his home suffered extensive water and asbestos damage from a fire. He left Oregon and returned to White Plains, N.Y., to be near his family, driving across the country with his 6-year-old pure bred Blue Point Siamese, Sky Blue. He does not recommend spending 3,000 miles cooped up with an angry cat. He’s slowly replacing what he lost and is settling into a life in Westchester and Putnam. • Chris Pastuszak loves visiting his daughter, who lives in Florida with her two dogs. He is enjoying the house he bought this year in Greenfield, Mass., and works in IT at University of Massachusetts. Chris is

Faith McClure ’85 and Stella Shackelford ’85 had their own mini reunion last year in New Orleans.

psyched about all the music and arts in his neck of the woods! • David Skeeter is helping teach math at City College of San Francisco, recently started Sacred Harp Shape Note singing, and occasionally meets up with Chris Carlisle in the Bay Area. • Martha Oncken Underwood has finally decided to admit she is addicted to video games and has started her own Twitch channel (twitch.tv/ ddancer85). She is still living with three cats and one boyfriend in Pittsburgh. • Steffani Bartlett Bennett continues to coordinate fun alumni visits in New York City, notably Vespers! • Scott Fullam wrote, “After college (MIT) and a short stint working in New York City, I moved to Northern California (Palo Alto) and have been here since 1992. My wife and I built a home here in 2009. I work for Microsoft on their Augmented Reality project, where I have a team that develops prototype and production hardware. I keep up with Ted Tudor, Charles Trefethen, and Joe Hatcher ’86. I have a 17-year-old daughter who will be off to college soon. We did a New England college tour last summer … stopped by the Mount Hermon campus for walk down memory lane (North Crossley is not as tall as I remember!).”

Northfield Mount Hermon Geoffrey Locke gwlocke@gmail.com James Fisher and I visited in London, and had drinks at the Duke of Wellington and dinner at Rules in Covent Garden, the oldest restaurant in the city. James lives about four miles south of Charing Cross in Herne Hill with his partner, John. They enjoy hiking in the Kent countryside, and James seriously dabbles in photography. • Bruce Mendelsohn started a new job with the City of Worcester as a resource development coordinator for the MassHire Central Region Workforce Board. Prior to that, he had a part-time gig as a “seasonal shelving associate” at the Milford Amazon warehouse. “It was a learning, humbling, and physically demanding job that I enjoyed,” said Bruce. “Not everything written about working at Amazon is accurate!” Bruce and his wife, Heather, traveled to the Scottish Highlands last year. • Holly Bachman Bennett met up with Kendel Leet in Johannesburg. They visited Cape Town and the surrounding wine country and then went on a safari in Kruger National Park. Afterward, they traveled to Barcelona, and then Kendel spent her Christmas holidays in France • Deirdre Anderson Detjens’s son, Elliot, is an NMH

Geoffrey Locke ’86 (left) with James Fisher ’86 in London

sophomore. He plays lacrosse and finished fourth in the Pie Race. Deirdre lives on Cape Cod and is the librarian for a K-3 school. She also guides kayaking trips in the summer. • Jean Farone Jones lives outside Seattle with her husband, Rick, and their 15-year-old son, Charlie. Jean works at UnitedHealthcare in a sales department related to group Medicare retiree health programs. • Aliina Laine has had two sad losses this year. Her sister, Song Waterwood, died in June 2019 and then her brother, Gary Laine ’84, died in July 2019. Aliina donated to the NMH library to add books related to Song and Gary’s interests. • Donna Kadis continues teaching preschoolers in Atlanta. She spent Thanksgiving with her brother, Danny Kadis ’88, in North Carolina.

Northfield Mount Hermon Kit Gattis kitnmh@gmail.com www.facebook.com/nmh1987 website: nmh1987.org I work for a college and think of time in divisions of semesters, this last one being more chaotic than usual because I bit off a little more than I could chew and was more under the weather than usual. After we turned the clocks back and Boston weather finally got cold, I felt I was coming down with something and fell into a comfortable routine of going to bed around 10 pm. and waking up around 8 am. Let’s call it self-swaddling. Although I wonder if it’s better to just get sick and get it over with rather than postponing sickness, doing so allowed me to miss no days at work and perform in eight paid dancing gigs. The only real casualty was my Russian class whose homework I was conspicuously not keeping up with. Which brings us to today, Solstice Eve. You’ll be reading this in May as we head toward that other solstice, but tonight I’m looking forward to returning home on Sunday for some peace and repose, far away

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

from the demands of college students. Now is the time to let go of past hurts, regrets, and things that didn’t work, and think about what we want to bring into the next year ... nay, the next decade as well. The beginnings of cycles are wonderful times to take stock, let things go, and invoke what is needed. The New Year and the return of the light are the most obvious of these, but don’t forget that every new month, new moon, new week, even new day is filled with the same possibilities. • John Bete continues … and misses you. • Marci Clarke Crowley is going on four years working for United Healthcare in New Hampshire. She loves her job! Her oldest son is a sophomore at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., where he is majoring in psychology and minoring in sports management. Anyone need an intern? Her youngest son is a high school senior and spends his summers competing with the Spartans Drum Corps International as a bass drummer. With her oldest at college and doing his thing in the summer, and her youngest doing his thing and traveling to compete in the summers, Marci is getting a real dose of what empty nesting is like. She is grateful, however, that her boys enjoy hanging with her when they are around. • Christina Wright Defranceaux and family are happy and healthy! Severin started at Thayer Academy this year and loves it! “We went to Kenya on safari and fell in love with the country,” said Christina. “London was also fun! Looking forward to more travel in 2020 with trips to Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Denmark! When we go to Jazz Fest 2020 in New Orleans, we will be with Kathrine Clark, Sandy Bergland, and Jennifer Gessner; we met as all new sophomores in Wallace! • Drew Dimmick’s living in Concord, Mass., with his wife, Joanna, and stepchildren, Jason and Claire. Jason ’21 is in his third year and thriving at the school. Over the summer, Drew caught up with several NMH alumni, including Darcy Jameson, Geoff Weed, and Geoff’s sister, Janet Weed Breen ’80, at Drew’s vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard. Drew is also a regular visitor to Kristen Beaumont Reimann’s home on the Vineyard, which Drew refers to as “West Hall” because he eats there so much. Drew can’t wait for the next reunion and is preparing to be in shape for the next “parade.” • Joshua Friedlander’s family has been growing — the newest addition, Isaac, arrived August 2019. Appears Joshua won’t be retiring any time soon, but he hopes to make it to our

NMH Magazine

next reunion. • Chuck Linton is doing well in Texas. His children, Nicole and Sydney, are 13 and 11 years old. His dog, Trevor, is eight years old. His entire family will go snow skiing while visiting his sister in Colorado in the spring. • Imran Qamar lives in Katy, Texas, with his wife and three daughters; the twins are high school seniors and the youngest is in seventh grade. His eldest is a junior at Texas A&M. Imran runs into Chuck Linton once in a while. Last summer, Imran visited Steve Green while on a road trip and they FaceTimed Chuck. Quite a mini reunion. Imran has recently reconnected with Ricky Aparicio ’86 — they had last communicated with each other in 1987! • Brett Morrison lives in Manchester, Vt., where his youngest son is a sophomore at the local school, and where his daughter and older son graduated in 2019 and 2017, respectively. Brett took a break from skiing last winter to focus on his imperfect hockey skills. That resulted in serious injury. This spring, he’s hoping his son’s lacrosse team will again make it to the Vermont State Championship. Brett now works with the Connecticut River Conservancy based in Greenfield, which focuses on the health and restoration of the entire watershed, including our stretch through Northfield and Gill. • Enjoying life in Kittery, Maine, Jenn Seavey got together with Lisa Wise Slade, Meg Clews, and Merritt Carey last fall. Jenn reported that her buddies are doing great and embracing the challenge/love of teenagers! Lisa is back on the East Coast after a West Coast adventure. • Will Sheats has tired of the flat Midwest. His wife, Gooch, made a full recovery and is feeling better from her lymphoma. Will is coming back east to land in D.C. for a bit. He and his wife are looking forward to getting back up to Vermont. • Chris Slayton has made a few changes in his life in the past couple years. While completing his 50th trip around the sun, he has relocated to country living in Canterbury, N.H., to be closer to his brother, Jeremy ’89, and his family. He still pursues his love of cooking as the chef at Ciao Pasta, a family-run Italian restaurant in Northfield, N.H. His current hobbies, aside from the food-related ones, involve home brewing, gardening, and setting up his woodshop. Chris currently shares his home with his wife of 11 years, Cindy, and their two cats, Quinn and Fiona. If you are in the area, feel free to stop by — they will even give you a tour of the 18th-century cemetery on a corner of their land!

Northfield Mount Hermon Anne Stemshorn George anastasia.s.george@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Chris Roof roofsound@comcast.net • John Carroll jcarroll@nmhschool.org • Caryn Crotty Eldridge slickcke7@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Robbianne Mackin robbianne.mackin@gmail.com • Travis Lea travislea@gmail.com • Kristin Steele kaste@conncoll.edu • Toryn Kimberley Stewart torynk@yahoo.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Dairo Moreno demoreno@post.harvard.edu • Blythe Asher asherblythe777@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Jennifer Sadula deVore devorejr@msn.com • Cate Steele Hartzell cate.hartzell@gmail.com • Leah Clarkson leah.clarkson@gmail.com • Gene Ehrbar geneehrbar@icloud.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Susannah Sprong Cahillane coloradocahillanes@mac.com Finishing Line Press has published Maya Ribault‘s chapbook of poems, Hôtel de la Providence. “Ribault gives us mansions that gloat and t-shirts that scream, while machines polish seashells and a cloud looks for a place to hide. These are poems of shimmer and movement. The words spark off the page,” wrote author Rena J. Mosteirin.

Northfield Mount Hermon Carol Koldis Foote carol.foote@gmail.com • Dan Furlong furlongtime@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Caroline Leonard

C L AS S NOTES

carolinecleonard@gmail.com Hello, ’95ers! We have a big reunion coming up June 5–7. I have heard from many folks who are coming, and we want to see you! I’ll be in attendance along with Tolanda Henderson, Win Walker, Alexis Hurley, Tom Feely, Klaas Tempelman, Cristy Stoddard Beram, Jill Hriniak Stevenson, Melissa Guerrera Constable, Jocelyn Leary Lavallo, Judy Tong, Laura Astor Maudlin, Spencer Wise, Claire Bosch-Griffiths ’96, Ben Schuman, Meg Colgan ’97, Jeanne Cloutier, Erin Sprong Murrell, Cam Murrell, Sally Walker, Thea Oculato Silva de Souza, and Matt Hogan, among others. I’m hoping to see some of my international friends — Scott Marion from Lithuania, Daniel Dror from Japan, and Jonathan “Duckie” Le ’94 from Vietnam. The campus has many new buildings and improvements — you’ll be amazed to see how our school has grown. Come join us! • I heard from John Bickford, who lives in San Francisco and is happily married with a 1-year-old son. He founded a real estate investment firm named Local Capital Group. • After 10 years in the Bay Area, Jeanne Cloutier, husband Justin, and boys Quinn (2) and Miles (5) made the move down the coast to San Luis Obispo. Jeanne said, “We are settling into a pretty sweet life. Gone is way too much traffic and a baffling cost of living, replaced by hiking, biking, and tree climbing. I’m still loving my career in sustainable packaging, helping food brands transition into better and obvious packaging choices. Anyone on the central coast please reach out! Hope to see you all at reunion!” • Also in California, Nick Vada and his wife had a baby boy, Niles, last year. • Win Walker was surfing in Bolinas, Calif., when he ran into Will Slocum. Win happened to have his NMH towel from a past reunion with him. He has been spending time with Matt Hogan

Will Slocum ’95 and Win Walker ’95 in Bolinas, Calif., with an NMH towel from a past reunion

and wrote, “My son, Hugo, is fascinated with Matt’s motorcycle. I’m looking forward to the reunion and want our classmates to talk to their NMH friends about coming back to celebrate 25 years.” • Jacob L’Etoile and his wife, Robin Hoffman L’Etoile ’96, had an excellent hop harvest this year at their Four Star Farms in Northfield, Mass. If you come for reunion, look for their hops in local breweries. You can drink their hops at The People’s Pint, Hermit Thrush, Lamplighter, Wormtown, and Buzzards Bay. The farm where the hops are grown is often noted, or you can ask if you are at the brewery. Robin said, “We plan to open a brewery at the farm in late July! Unfortunately, The Brewery at Four Star Farms probably won’t be open in time for Jake’s class reunion, but please try to visit us at the end of the summer or early fall, when the hops are ripe and our doors are open.”

Northfield Mount Hermon Patrick Davis patrickdavisknows@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Julia Cohen jmacleodcohen@gmail.com Hello, Hoggers! David Allen-Hughes sold his multi-location day and overnight camps and, after traveling around the world with his wife, Lily, came back and bought a local ice cream store and preschool. David and Lily have a 2-year-old daughter and live in the San Francisco Bay Area. • Luke Williams said that life is good at Qualtrics, where he is the head of CX Strategy. He and his wife, Anya, welcomed their son, Duncan, in April 2019. • Liz Bond is happily practicing law and living in Boston. Robinson Hill and his wife also live in Boston, and he encourages folks to reach out if they’d like to go sailing! • L’Oreal Dunn attended the late George Tiggle’s (’94) “homegoing ceremony” in November 2019. George’s service at his alma mater, Union College, was packed. L’Oreal, like so many of us, feels blessed to have had the opportunity to share a close bond with George since meeting him when she first came to NMH 26 years ago. George will be missed by many, and we send out love and thoughts to those in other class years who are mourning his loss. • Gianna Scorsone, Kim Kubie Harrison, and I (Julia Cohen) had a great time on campus in September 2019 for the Alumni Council weekend. Highlights included hitting the Northfield Creamie and

running in the Pie Race, but it isn’t the same being on campus without all of you. Start planning your travels to our 25th reunion in 2022. We hope that we’ll have tons of 1997 friends there!

Northfield Mount Hermon Brian Pressman brainjpressman@gmail.com • Rachel Carfora rachelcarfora@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Audrey Korte aekorte@cox.net • Melia Knowles-Coursin meliakc@gmail.com • Molly Loveday chefmollyloveday@gmail.com Audrey Korte shared, “I’ll be traveling to Sierra Leone from Wichita, Kansas, in June to lead a Women’s Communication and Leadership conference … This is huge for me — not only because it means doing really cool international work, but I’ve battled chronic Lyme [disease] since long before my diagnosis in 2005. It basically kept me from getting a degree or launching a career for 13 years, so I consider this part of my comeback. I’m not all better, but I’m back to life and able to travel overseas for the first time in two decades. I’m currently working as a graduate teaching assistant at Wichita State University’s Elliott School of Communication … I teach public speaking and am researching international representation in U.S. newsrooms. I plan to graduate in 2021.”

Northfield Mount Hermon Rose Jackman Spurgin rosespurgin@gmail.com From Yessy Salcedo Malave, “My husband, Jared, and I welcomed a new addition to our family: Daniel Enrique, born on 9/20/18. We now have two boys—our older son’s name is Gabriel Maximo, and he is 19 months old.” • Anastasia Olynyk Pecora and husband Anthony welcomed their daughter, Stella, on the same day. They are living in New Jersey. • I have been in touch with several classmates regarding our 20th reunion. Elizabeth Fitzpatrick is leading monthly calls and is a member of NMH’s Reunion Advisory Committee. We welcome anyone who has ideas and energy. Looking forward to June!

Northfield Mount Hermon Josh Grubman

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

The wedding of Kathryn Dziurzynski Fragomeni ’07 was not complete without NMH compatriots and family members (from left) Kristan Dziurzynski ’10, Elise Lubanko McKinney ’07, Pauline Stevens ’07, bride Kathryn Dziurzynski Fragomeni ’07, Hanna Madrigan ’07, Anya Dziurzynski ’06, and Lukasz Dziurzynski ’05.

Wedding Celebrations Jennifer Stowbridge Klein ’05 married Alexander Klein in the summer of 2019.

From left: Kacy Cox ’08, Kyle Cerutti DeForest ’08, and Karissa Scano ’08 in Lake George at Kyle’s bridal shower in July 2019

From left: Lynda B. Howells and her wife Claire Bamberg ’74 at their wedding ceremony, officiated by John Balaban ’74 and his wife Rachel in October 2019

Abby Zelenka ’08 (left), her brother and groom Adam Zelenka ’07 (center) and his bride, Jamie Cataldo (right).

From left: Mother-of-the-bride Jessica Mix Barrington (retired faculty), Max Mazzone ’08, Sarah-Anne Tanner ’08, Will Porter (groom), Julia Mix-Barrington Porter ’08, Eliza Holmes ’08 (who officiated!), David Rome ’08, Brooke Evans ‘08, and Brooke’s boyfriend Ricky Sharma at Julia’s wedding in Waltham, Mass., October 2019

NMH Magazine

Hannah Marshall Normandeau ’05 and Joey Normandeau on their wedding day

C L AS S NOTES

and let me know if you are ever in Portland, Ore.! • Kayla DeVincentis Tremblay married Kevin Tremblay on 8/3/18 in Narragansett, R.I. • Adam D. Zelenka married Jamie Cataldo on 7/21/19 in Harwich Port, Mass.

joshuagrubman@gmail.com • Christopher A. Zissi christopher.zissi@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Danielle Henry Beale dhbeale@gmail.com Justin Eli and his wife moved to Los Angeles in spring 2018. Justin recently joined Boston Consulting Group as head of North America Operations for BCG Digital. And as a passion project, Justin started a food company inspired by his mom’s cooking (momsmala. com). They have endorsements from James Beard award winners and food columnists at both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. In July 2019, their main product was the number one best seller for sauces on Amazon for three weeks in a row. • Jonathan Muehlke lives in Arlington, Va., and is a private tutor. He tries to keep up with all the latest developments in Washington, D.C., and the world (there is always something going on). He still has a passion for integrating business and government at the highest levels and continues to place students at various institutions in the U.S. In his free time, Jonathan tries to be a solution to one or two of the world’s problems (but no more than three). • Sad news to report. Our classmate Derin Uras passed away in January 2019. He was originally from Istanbul, Turkey, but lived with his wife and 18-month-old son in London. If you’d like more information on how to reach out to his family, please contact the alumni office.

Northfield Mount Hermon Dee Guo deedith@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Jamieson Baker jamieson.baker@gmail.com • Jane Lilly Warren janelillywarren@gmail.com • Daniela Frias daniela8_5@hotmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Donnie Blackwell ptowndon@gmail.com • Arjun Pant arjunpant@gmail.com • Jingping Zhang jingping.ellen.zhang@gmail.com Jennifer Stowbridge Klein married Alexander Klein in summer 2019 at Stone Mountain

Northfield Mount Hermon

Emily Jacke ejacke@middlebury.edu • Sarah-Anne Tanner tanner.sarahanne@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon

Rachel Disbrow ’05 (left) and Jingping Zhang ’05

Arts Center in Maine. Her sister, Suzanne Stowbridge Simmons ’02, and their mother, Susan Pineo Stowbridge ’69, were also in attendance. • Hannah Marshall Normandeau married Joey Normandeau on 6/9/18 in her hometown of Stowe, Vt. She is managing editor of three weekly newspapers and a yearly wedding magazine for the Vermont Community Newspaper Group. Kyler Chávez attended the celebration and brought some delicious beer from Colorado. • Jingping Zhang continues to live in New York. She recently joined the strategic fundraising consulting firm CCS as an executive director and has been enjoying working with her client, Texas Children’s Hospital, on a campaign to improve the children’s cancer survival rate in Sub-Saharan Africa. Jingping caught up with Arjun Pant and Rachel Disbrow last the summer. Rachel, who had been living in Guatemala for several years, recently moved to Antigua to continue her work in education. • Peter Evans married Christina Cahill on 6/1/18 in Andover, Mass. Peter and Christina met at medical school at the University of Vermont and are currently resident physicians in Philadelphia. • Arjun Pant and Jingping will try to be more proactive about compiling class notes for the next issue. Look for a reminder to contribute in May 2020!

Daisy Letendre daisycletendre@gmail.com • Eshalla Merriam eshallamerriam@gmail.com • Pamela Chen pamchen13@gmail.com • Fayette Phillips fayettephillips@gmail.com • Anna Stevens annagstevens@gmail.com • Galen Anderson gjande01@syr.edu Moe Eldib and Dina Eldib ’07 celebrated the opening of a new law office in early 2020 in Shanghai, China. • Delia Flanagan and Galen Anderson met up at the Emerald Cup, a sun-grown cannabis festival in Santa Rosa, Calif. • Chris Nardone married Erin, his girlfriend of five years; they live in Chicago, Ill. Chris started working at Digitas, an advertising agency headquartered in Boston. He hopes to make his way back east soon! • Allison Hartman continues to enjoy living in Durham, N.C. Catlin Curtis visited her there, and last fall, Allison and Shelby De La Mora ’08 flew to San Francisco, Calif., to visit Caitlin. Allison and Shelby had a great time being tourists in Caitlin’s city. • Kiano Moju is celebrating the opening of Jikoni, her Los Angeles-based culinary creative studio. Kiano previously worked as a food video producer for Buzzfeed’s Tasty. This is

Northfield Mount Hermon Ramon Guadalupe ramon.g2975@gmail.com • Collin Lever collinlever@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Dith Pamp dith.pamp@gmail.com Hello, 2007. Please continue to send updates

From left: Caitlin Curtis ’09, Shelby De La Mora ’08, and Allison Hartman ’09 at Alcatraz in San Francisco.

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

Kiano Moju ’09 Do you need a recipe developed? A fully stocked kitchen where you can film a cooking video? A hands-on class that highlights foods of the African Diaspora? Kiano Moju ’09 — a chef and video producer — can help. Last fall, she opened Jikoni (“kitchen” in Swahili), a new culinary studio in the arts district of Los Angeles. Since then, she’s hosted cooking classes (Swahili tacos, vegan soul food), panel discussions (the business and art of food styling, women in the food and cookbook industry), and even celebrities (Bobby Berk of “Queer Eye” filming a video with fan favorites from past episodes of the show). Before opening Jikoni, Moju was no stranger to food or media. She started a food blog while still an undergrad at Syracuse University; co-wrote a cookbook, Livin’ for the Weekend, during graduate school at the University of the Arts London; and worked as a video producer for Buzzfeed’s food-based spin-off, Tasty. She had taken film classes at NMH, but still had a lot to learn on the job. She recalls her first day shooting at Buzzfeed: “Everything was set up. The table looked beautiful. And then I had to ask someone, ‘Where’s the record button on this camera?’” Moju grew up in Northern California and learned how to make traditional Maasai cuisine at her grandparents’ ranch in Kenya. She’s often asked about her culinary identity, and she didn’t have the words until recently, when she heard “AfriCali,” a musical genre, in a song. “What I cook is a reflection of the mixed cultures of my parents and growing up in both California and Kenya.” Even though mixing different ideas and aspirations around food is what Jikoni is all about, Moju has been surprised by seeing the breadth of people and businesses involved in the industry. She says, “It really shows me how people are in so many ways using food as a way to connect.”

her first solo venture. • In June 2019, Charley Dickey visited Katy Stetson in San Francisco, where she’s lived for the past 6 years. She welcomes classmates and alums to reach out to her if they’re ever in the Bay Area. • Daisy Letendre continues to reside in Washington, D.C., and began a new job as a lobbyist for FirstEnergy Corp—an Ohio-based investorowned electric company. She welcomes fellow classmates to reach out if they find themselves in the D.C. area.

Northfield Mount Hermon Eli Spector elishsp@gmail.com • Jed Kundl kundlj@gmail.com Becca Daen is attending business school in Austin, Texas. In December, she was enjoying the beautiful winter weather of 80 degrees. It’s a big shift from working in education and policy, but Becca is up for the challenge. Her primary areas of focus are

clean technology, and business and government. Becca is also interested in anything that pushes her outside of her comfort zone, including exploring her new part of the country and Texas history. • Amelie Au is living her best life as a senior graphic designer in San Francisco. She started a new job in January, moving on from the studio she had been with for the past five years. Both nervous and excited, Amelie hopes that her new colleagues will sit with her at lunch. Amelie also has been decluttering extraneous items from her life. She’s learned the importance of giving yourself time and space for moments of reflection. • Jacob Aduama has been playing professional soccer in Sweden. • Looking forward to seeing everyone at our 10-year reunion!

Northfield Mount Hermon John Foley johnalbertfoley@gmail.com

Northfield Mount Hermon

The class of 2009 enjoyed fantastic weather at their reunion in 2019.

NMH Magazine

Parker Peltzer ppeltzer@gmx.com

C L AS S NOTES

• Wilson Josephson josephsonw@carleton.edu

Northfield Mount Hermon

Rachel Francklyn rachel.francklyn@gmail.com From Rachel: Are we getting old or is that just me? Hopefully, not just me. In the true spirit of the class of 2013, very few people felt like telling the entire alumni magazine what they’ve been up to. This is, as the kids say, very on brand. But by the looks of our social media profiles, it seems like we’re doing okay. • Sarah Hechtman lives in Washington, D.C., and is a federal consultant

for Deloitte. For the past three years, she has been living with fellow Hogger Ryan Seltz ’12 and his black lab, Callie. They have traveled to Montreal and Thailand together and would like to stress that they are not, in fact, dating. • Cody Sloan is currently in the second year of his M.F.A. at University of California San Diego (UCSD), after working as an actor in Boston. He is proud to have closed his third show at UCSD and is in Selah and the Spades, which is coming soon to Amazon. • Tavon Bookman asked, “What’s up, Hoggers?” and welcomed a daughter, Olivia Anne-Marie, with his wife, Jenna. He can’t wait to introduce her at our 10-year reunion (future Hogger?). In addition to the very cute baby, he’s currently managing a kickboxing gym and training to play professional basketball overseas. • As for your secretary (Rachel Francklyn), I watch a lot of hockey (go, Caps, go) and am looking for a date to my cousin’s wedding.

preneur by night,” said Kendra, “creating personalized items.” You can see her wares on her website, kpcraftdesigns.com, or find her on Etsy.

15 – 18

Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

Northfield Mount Hermon

Warren Dunton ’09, Liz Savas ’10, Andrew Taylor ’09, and Pam Chen ’09 in New York City in October 2018

Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org Kendra Davis Perna, married to Luke Perna, lives and works in Brattleboro, Vt., as an optometric technician by day and “an entre-

Moonrise over Overtoun.

S PR I NG 2 02 0

CL ASS NOTES

Faculty&Staff

Noel Stookey’s concerts take him all over the U.S. He and Betty have been keeping their

Josie Rigby rigbyjosie48@gmail.com Noelle Anson’s husband, Walt, is in Buckley Health Care Center in Greenfield suffering from an almost total lack of mobility. He can still walk a few steps but can only come home when there are two people to assist him from his wheelchair to a chair. The good news is that daughter Tina Anson Mine ’90 travels from Toronto every six or so weeks for a few days to bring Walt home for a few hours to enjoy his favorite lunch of Alaskan King Crab. Tina works for an ad agency and her husband, Alex Mine ’90, works from home in his sound studio. Noelle so far is holding up and her health is good. She is adjusting to living alone and is beginning to enjoy the solitude. She visits Walt every day. • Jerry Reneau has been busy with four concerts with the Monadnock Chorus, three church services a month playing the organ, another concert with Music on Norway Pond, and he still takes the occasional lesson at Harvard with Thomas Jones. Last October, Jerry sang in his first opera, Die Fledermaus, with the Raylynmor Opera Company in Keene, N.H. Last summer, the Dowdys, Flecks, Schwingels, and Weises were all guests on his front porch for al fresco picnics. Jerry is returning to his long term writing project, chapters of which have been curated by his favorite archivist (Peter Weis ’78)! Jerry is continually playing piano, seeking out new pieces. • Jeanne and John Rees still keep busy in Franklin County, Massachusetts. Jeanne works in the math studio at Greenfield Community College (GCC), tutors students at NMH, and volunteers at the courthouse in Greenfield. John volunteers at LifePath, is commissioner of the long-lived football pool, and is on the board of the GCC Senior Symposium. Both continue to enjoy watching lots of NMH sports, dance, and theater. Being grandparents has taken on a new twist with the arrival of Laila Marie who was born in July 2019 and is daughter of Sam and Jill Rees. • Peter Snedecor is the proud grandfather of two grandchildren — both boys and one with red hair! Peter and his wife, Annie, spent two weeks in Venice last year, and have plans to visit Ethiopia. Peter also spent two weeks in France in July 2019 singing with a men’s glee club. He finally retired from competitive swimming after more than 60 years of coaching and officiating. •

NMH faculty, current and retired, gathered for the 2019 NMH Christmas party: (standing, from left) John Rees (retired), Craig Hefner, Jim Vollinger, Sam Richardson (retired), Mace Hemphill, Jeanne Rees (retired); and (seated, from left) Nate Hemphill, Atta Kurzmann, and Carol and Nelson Lebo (retired).

NMH Magazine

presentations, such as “One Light, Many Candles,” to a minimum and have plans to put the whole program, music included, into a book. They also have plans to visit France in October. High on their list is visiting children and grandchildren. They spend five months each winter in Ojai, Calif. One grandson (20) is a sophomore at Haverford College in Pennsylvania; his brother (15) is a high school student in Vermont. Oliver (13) and Zoe (16) go to school in Arlington, Mass. Betty continues her work with hospice and volunteering at Tree of Life Food Pantry. She is currently planning a life skills course for high school girls that will include topics such as gardening, food shopping and prep, job opportunities, banking, money management, and positive imagery. Betty still officiates at weddings and memorial services. Noel is rehearsing, writing, and planning a new album. He was recently on the cover of the Maine Seniors magazine. • Patter Field and Ted Thornton traveled through the Canadian Rockies to Vancouver last summer and enjoyed some great hiking and birding along the way. Ted serves on the Northfield Council on Aging and on the board of Northfield Neighbors at Home, whose mission is to help seniors remain in their homes as long as possible. He also maintains three websites, sings in Sheila Heffernon’s adult chorus in Amherst, plays rock and roll bass and folk guitar with local musicians, and goes birding with Nick Fleck. • Almost four years ago, Joan Vander Vliet ’48 moved from the western part of Massachusetts to Bedford, where she now lives in a retirement community. A good move and quite a change! She lives near two of her daughters. Life there is full

of a wide variety of interests and activities for Joan. • Gloria Varno enjoys retirement and keeps busy doing fun things. She goes to a weekly senior lunch, exercise class, senior bowling league, and senior movies. Once a month she attends a book club at the Warwick Library in Massachusetts. Gloria also attends Warwick Women’s Guild, where she is chair of the programs committee — that keeps her busy organizing an event each month. She also helps with events at her church and has season tickets to the Theatre at the Mount in Gardner. • Josie Rigby still believes that retirement is the best job she’s ever had! And sometimes, like Betty Stookey, she has a hard time keeping up with herself! Josie volunteers at LifePath on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. LifePath has many NMH connections, including Barbara Watson, John Rees, Marv Kelley ’60, Carol Koldis Foote ’94, and Holly Holloway. Their paths cross frequently. Josie also helps out once a month with the food bank in Turners Falls organized by Kim Malcolm (more NMH connections.) Josie and her husband, Robert, are longtime ten-pin bowling enthusiasts — they bowl three times a week, and competed in the Vermont State seniors’ tournament, and they both won in their age groups! Next is Louisville, Ky. in July to represent Vermont at the national seniors’ tournament. Debbie Kolpa is also an avid bowler and participates in two of Jose’s leagues, and occasionally Gayle Potter subs in the Wednesday ladies’ league. Josie also still enjoys being a swimming official … you may catch up with her at a high school, prep school, or college swim meet. • Josie is also the scribe of this column and she would love to receive your news for the next issue. Stay well, fellow retirees, and may the road rise to meet you.

C L AS S NOTES

IN MEMORIAM Nancy Bartram Beecher ’44 Nancy Bartram Beecher, the first woman to serve as chair of the Northfield Mount Hermon Board of Trustees, died on Oct. 17, 2019, in Fort Myers, Florida, at the age of 92. A devoted alumna of Northfield School for Girls, she lived an intrepid life from a young age. She was born in 1927 in Charleston, West Virginia, the youngest child of Thomas and Mildred Bartram. She left home at 13, going with her brother to western Massachusetts, where he was a student at Mount Hermon. She graduated from Northfield as class valedictorian and went on to Wellesley College, where, as president of the student body, she was featured on the cover of LOOK magazine. Nancy was a scholarship student at both NMH and Wellesley. In 1983, she received a certificate of advanced study in feminist studies from Harvard University. But as soon as she graduated college in 1948, she married Norman Beecher, who was an engineer and a U.S. Army officer during World War II. The couple traveled to Turkey to teach in Istanbul; upon their return to the U.S. three years later, they settled in Concord, Massachusetts, where they started a family, and made their home for five decades. Nancy immersed herself in community service and local government, serving on the Concord Select Board and helping lead numerous other local organizations. Beyond her hometown, she served as a trustee not only for Northfield Mount Hermon but also Wellesley College, Massachusetts Legal Aid, the Social Policy Research Group in Boston, and Episcopal Divinity School. Nancy considered herself a politician; she saw the work as an exercise in diplomacy and building consensus. She was a lobbyist for and president of both the Concord and Massachusetts chapters of the League of Women Voters, and, as a Democrat, was appointed by a Republican governor to chair the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission during the 1970s. She made it her goal to diversify the state civil service. She triumphed in her most notable case — Castro v. Beecher — when the state appellate court ordered the Boston Police Department to better reflect the gender, racial, and ethnic diversity of the city’s population. Nancy’s 30 years as an NMH trustee took place in two separate cycles; she served from 1961 to 1982 and again from 1987 to 1997. Her tenure as chair took place from 1976 to 1982. She was honored for her commitment to NMH, as well as her deep support of financial aid, with the Centennial Award in 1980, an Alumni Citation in 1994, and the Lamplighter Award — the school’s highest form of recognition — in 2004.

In Fortunate Journey, a 1993 autobiography that Nancy wrote with her husband Norman, she remembered her days as a Northfield student, and described her “dummy” (domestic) work experience while living in Gould Hall: “I learned every nook and cranny from cleaning corridors, bathrooms, and the living room. When I close my eyes, I can still see the pattern of the living room’s large blue Chinese carpet that I vacuumed daily one term. In the kitchen, I was at one time the lunchtime salad maker, so I became skilled at salads for 50 people, and fed many a wood chip into the coleslaw as I pressed the cabbage into the shredding machine with a mallet.” Nancy was predeceased by her parents; her brother Tom; and Norman, her husband of 67 years. She is survived by children Catharine, Carolyn, Norman, Ned, and her Italian AFS daughter, Carla. She is also survived by grandchildren Jesse Beecher ’02 and Juliana Beecher ’08 and Gordon, Wilson, and Steve Nitka; great-granddaughters Elsa and Faye Beecher; grandniece Jessie Homans ’11; and sister-in-law Barbara Beecher Carl.

S PR I NG 2 02 0

VITAL STATISTICS BIR T HS 1987 Isaac to Joshua Friedlander August 2019 1997 Duncan to Luke Williams and wife Anya April 2019 2000 Daniel Enrique to Yessy Salcedo Malave and husband Jared September 20, 2018 Stella to Anastasia Olynyk Pecora and husband Anthony September 20, 2018 MARRIAGES 1972 Christina Lee to Carol Bolt May 2019 1974 Claire Bamberg to Lynda B. Howells October 12, 2019 2005 Jennifer Stowbridge Klein to Alexander Klein Summer 2019 Hannah Marshall Normandeau to Joey Normandeau June 9, 2019 Peter Evans to Christina Cahill June 1, 2018 2007 Kayla DeVincentis Tremblay to Kevin Tremblay August 3, 2018 Adam Zelenka to Jamie Cataldo July 21, 2019 DEATHS 1937 Dorothy Inglis February 9, 2019 Survived by Jerry Inglis ’40 Barbara Winne Wadsworth October 14, 2019

NMH Magazine

1938 Jean Thompson Bowman April 2, 2001 Margaret Dayton Davis August 27, 2012 Alice Crane Hoen April 28, 2010 Audrey Pritchard Koerner May 22, 2010 Survived by Elaine Tetreault Smith ’56, Stephen Smith ’90 Seddon Legg February 6, 2019 Arthur Long June 3, 2012 Ann Riford McWethy May 1, 2019 Survived by Andrea McWethy ’01 Jean Campbell Paulding November 16, 2010 Harriet Ann Parker Quarnstrom May 30, 2018 Margaret Wiltsie Potter September 12, 2019 Janet Woodward Shonnard January 20, 2015

Barbara Sowersby King November 4, 2011

Anne Wilson Vanderhoof November 26, 2017

Sybil Severance O’Keefe July 31, 2019 Survived by June Bolton Generous ’41, Beverly Bolton Leyden ’53, Arolyn Bolton Lake ’54, Judith Holbrook Hurlbut ’59, Donna Holbrook ’61, Polly Severance Gray ’76, Julie Severance ’79

Gillian Johnson Wagner December 12, 2017

Robert Paddock April 14, 2019

1940 William Bartlett October 1, 2019 Survived by Sheppard Bartlett ’41, William Bartlett ’66, James Bartlett ’69, Abbe Bartlett Lynch ’86, Cass Bartlett ’00

Jane Diehl Mowen Ryder March 7, 2010

Ann Ladd Skinner April 9, 2013 Survived by Rachel Ladd Finale ’57

Robert Birdsall June 5, 2016 Survived by Hugh Birdsall ’71 Frederick Bradford July 14, 2019 Melvin Butler January 27, 2015 Patricia Girdwood Cyphers April 15, 2013 Priscilla Nelson Estes August 12, 2018

Henry Young June 14, 2012

Andrew Goheen July 30, 2013

1939 Carol Jackson Benedetto August 28, 2004

George Hindmarsh August 9, 2014 Survived by Alexander Hindmarsh ’46, Richard Gray ’54

Margery Smith Bethard February 20, 2013 Lena Bosworth November 10, 2009 Alice Franzen Burt May 9, 2014 Alice Mays Gray September 25, 2012 Survived by Marion McCollom Hampton ’68 Edward Harrison November 10, 2012 Survived by Rachael Frank ’98 Elizabeth Ring Hennefrund October 19, 2019

Evelyn Bassett Horton September 7, 2013 Lester Hull July 24, 2017 Doris Bidwell Johnson November 16, 2011 Elizabeth Smith Johnson October 12, 2019 Survived by Alice Smith May ’45, Nancy Johnson Harris ’61, Emily Johnson ’65, David Johnson ’68, Priscilla Johnson ’70

Mary-Jane Ladd Stewart July 26, 2011 Survived by Rachel Ladd Finale ’57 1941 Eloise Brewster Knapp Fuller November 13, 2019 Jessie Beecher White Young May 3, 2006 1942 Almary Cox Bazur January 12, 2018 Nancy Smith Creger August 17, 2017 Survived by Nancy Johnson Harris ’61, Emily Johnson ’65, David Johnson ’68, Priscilla Johnson ’70 Austin Mattson October 23, 2014 Gordon Pyper December 23, 2019 Survived by Joanna Pyper ’66, Kent Buker ’69, Robert Sargent ’95, Martin Shedd ’07 Howard Spaulding December 3, 2019 Survived by Robert Helbig ’58, Lance Jillson ’58, Gail Livernoise Noland ’60, James Smolen ’67 Joanne Smolen Freeman ’70, Nancy Smolen Chase ’71, Elizabeth Maddern Brandenburg ’82, Linda Maddern Leduc ’85, Thomas Maddern ’88 1943 Elizabeth Abt Hardy May 27, 2009 Survived by Richard Hardy ’67

Eliot Gordon September 1, 2019 John Hickok May 18, 2014 Hiram Hoelzer February 9, 2018 Survived by Virginia Peters Tegtmeyer ’59, Charles Ehrgott ’73 Natalie Colwell Zercie February 19, 2014 1944 John Baker January 10, 2019 Nancy Bartram Beecher October 17, 2019 Survived by Jesse Beecher ’02, Juliana Beecher ’08, Jessie Homans ’11 Harriet Farris Carroll June 7, 2019 Eleanor Bassett Dorman May 4, 2019 Bruce Goodale December 8, 2019 Survived by Andrew Goodale ’80 Barbara Fink Renfrew December 30, 2019 Charlotte McCorkindale Smith May 11, 2019 Survived by Rosamond McCorkindale Blizard ’43, Virginia Smith Alexander ’52 1945 John Deveneau November 26, 2019 Survived by Emily Jacke ’08 Barbara Walker Fitzgerald February 19, 2016 Ruth Taber Gates July 23, 2019 Survived by Alice Taber Dole ’48 Eleanor Cox Lawrie January 18, 2019 Edwin Pinkham April 15, 2019 Barbara Miller Smachetti December 28, 2019 Survived by Arthur Miller ’42, Alison Elliott ’71, Brig Elliott ’72, Victoria Elliott ’80

VI TA L STATISTICS

Carolyn Cheney Wolfe December 19, 2019 1946 Jean Comstock MacNeil August 7, 2019 Robert Murtha September 25, 2019 Survived by Rosa SundtBusch ’46, Paul Murtha ’69 Lloyd Wheeler November 5, 2019 1947 Everett Clement November 6, 2019 Harrington Manville February 18, 2015 Margaret McInnes Schlotterbeck November 28, 2018 1948 Richard Bonesteel November 7, 2017 Leonard Libbey February 17, 2019 Margaret Bailey Mertz September 4, 2019 1949 Ray Cragin September 5, 2019 Genevieve Otto Kreider November 1, 2018 Alexander “Sandy” MacIntyre October 18, 2019 Survived by Robert MacIntyre ’38, Lillias MacIntyre Allward ’43, Mary MacIntyre ’46, Nancy McEwen ’71, Alexander C. MacIntyre ’82, Mark MacIntyre ’93, Sheffield MacIntyre Besselieu ’95, Lillias MacIntrye ’95, Sylver Penney ’12 Marjorie King Williams February 10, 2019 1950 Cynthia Palmer Ryder August 30, 2019 Survived by Ann Ryder ’76, Phyllis Ryder ’81 Frans Van Der Wielen August 16, 2013

1951 John Roberts August 5, 2019 Survived by Ruth Roberts Krauss ’49 1952 Nancy Wilson Cleveland January 16, 2020 Survived by Bruce Cleveland ’75, Caroline Cleveland ’76 Barbara Daggett Merriam December 10, 2019 1953 James Appleton January 13, 2020 Richard Burt August 1, 2019 Survived by Robert Burt ’53

Joel Sturtz November 26, 2019 1957 John Chaffee October 25, 2019 Constance Ackerman Jamison December 28, 2017 Survived by Peter Ackerman ’64, Caroline Jamison Branch ’82, Jennifer Ackerman Bannon ’85, Katherine Ackerman Hyland ’88 1959 Lynn Mirtl Fahy May 15, 2013 Douglas Johnston December 5, 2019

Louise McGregor Griggs November 26, 2019 Survived by Margaret Solmssen Lin ’74, Elizabeth Solmssen Browning ’76, Jennifer Solmssen ’79

John Kaufmann August 10, 2019 Survived by Blake Hansen ’01

Roger Litman November 1, 2019

Charles Mann September 23, 2019

Mary VanDine Whitehead November 16, 2019

William Walcott December 8, 2018 Survived by Jean Walcott Wilson ’68, Breese Maxwell ’84

1954 Robert Beavins October 7, 2019 Gretchen Kimball Jamieson December 14, 2019 1955 Sally Weston Hawie November 27, 2019 Kristin Swanson Woodger October 18, 2019 Survived by Carol Swanson Amazeen ’60, Bradford Woodger ’82 1956 Philip Cook December 23, 2019 Judith Ward Freeman October 10, 2019 Richard Harland October 16, 2018 Anne Maxcy Newbury August 5, 2019

1960 Thomas Chapman December 1, 2015

1961 Christopher Wolcott September 28, 2019 Survived by Andrea Wolcott ’92 1962 Haven Logan January 11, 2019 Survived by Sofi Baumgardner ’16 Eric Riedel January 16, 2020 Survived by Karen Anne Smith Zee Riedel ’62 David Voorhis October 15, 2019 1963 Susan Curry Barnett October 25, 2019 Survived by Christopher Cartwright ’69 Mardi Coyle Kildebeck November 11, 2019

1964 William Blanchard May 10, 2019 Michael de Martelly August 26, 2018 1965 Theodore Affleck December 7, 2019 1966 Richard Smith August 26, 2019 1967 Tobey Crane January 20, 2020 Jeffrey Hooker January 15, 2019 1969 Constance Griffin Bartovics September 20, 2019 Survived by Michelle Vallerand-Castell ’88 Carol Van Etten October 7, 2019 Survived by Sara Walbridge ’62 1970 Ridgely Duvall October 26, 2019 Karen Kreuzer Kotzmann September 27, 2017 Kathy Liu February 18, 2018 George Turner October 13, 2019 1971 Joann Thomas November 27, 2019 1977 Robert Lovett September 23, 2019 Melissa Brown July 9, 2019

1986 Rebecca Rineer O’Connor August 12, 2019 Survived by Robert Rineer ’64, Shawn Litourneau ’89 1989 David Brewster November 3, 2019 Survived by Martha Klippert Brewster ’54, Sarah Brewster ’91 1994 George Tiggle October 26, 2019 Survived by Tina Hall ’94, Khamari Culcleasure ’20 2000 Vivian Johnson December 15, 2011 2002 Derin Uras January 2019 RETIRED FACULTY & STAFF Beryl Holloway December 25, 2019 Survived by Joy Holloway Hanrahan ’65, Peter Holloway ’67, Jessie Hanrahan ’93, Jenifer Hanrahan ’94 Jane Leavitt October 16, 2019 Survived by Deborah Leavitt Longman ’79 Barbara Resnick August 5, 2019 Janet Stinchfield January 26, 2020 Survived by Barbara Beattie Cogswell ’38, Cynthia Stinchfield Ryan ’70, Beth Stinchfield ’72, Miriam Stinchfield ’74, Matthew Stinchfield ’79

1979 Nancy Goodale Krewson August 2, 2019 Tracy Wray Markle Taylor August 29, 2019 1984 Gary Laine July 29, 2019 Survived by Aliina Laine ’86

S PR I NG 2 02 0

NMH

Magazine

One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354