PALLIUM THE MAGAZINE OF
CANTERBURY SCHOOL VOL. 28, NO. 3
THE
CLASS OF 2012
PALLIUM Vol. 28, No. 3
1
2012
Reunion 2012 Photos capture the spirit of the weekend.
6 THE CLASS
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OF 2012 Doris Amoako Michael Allen Balcom Clara E. Barnett Buntu Biyana Brendan Casey Scott Fraser Casley Minhye Choi Joseph K. Crossen Joseph P. Cuccia Stacie Leigh DeGrazia Niall James Devaney Anthony Joseph DiRienzo Lindsay R. DiTullio Anthony Joseph Donato Laura Rose Drew Brooks James Dwyer Lee M.L. Edelman Christopher John Foley Lindsay Cashman Gersky Allyson Jean Good Devin Christopher Good Michael Francis Grady Jr. Erin Gulersen James Alexander Halkett Thomas Connor Harrison Ryan Alexander Healy Holly Eileen Heffernan Joseph R. Hochrein Nicholas Hough John T. Jednorowicz Jiang Jin Kan Tzu-Yu Meagan Elizabeth Kendrick Dong Hee Kim
DooA Kim HyeonMin Kim Sung Jib Kim Nattapol Kraisitudomsook Mackenzie Scott LaManna Brian Thomas LaMuraglia Edward Wycliff Lawrence Bosuk Lee Chung Il Lee Liu Shunnan Raheem Logan Kayla A. Lynch Lindsey Jeanne Marra Nicholas Frederick Martell Oliver Matthew Martinez Samuel Joseph Hall Maximin James P. McCann John R. McCarthy Luke Paul McDermott Sean Edward McKigney Murphy McRae Ryan K. Melvin Seth William Menghi Carter G. Moots Kenneth David Morrisino Jr. Kathleen Mary Mulvey Richard Joseph Naccarato Josef Philip G. Najm Ngan Hung Kwan Ngan Man Yee Andrew Michael Nolan Heather Ann Norris Benjamin Thierry Nurney Michael Donald Odenwaelder
John J. O’Gara IV Krista R. O’Gara Robert D. O’Gara Otis H. Osman Sean Christopher Owens Mason Douglas Page Logan Dane Pettinato Nicolas Bernard Edward Pierog Stephanie Kristin Powdar Victoria Francesca Pucci Mikaela Kerril Puth Qi Xinhe Nicholas Matthew Roberts Robert Cameron Roffe Brittany Marie Romagnoli John Anthony Sabbagh II Cory James Salatino Felipe Michael Siebrecht Michael Paul Simonson Michael Smyrski Connor Daniel Somers Sungho Son Lindsey A. Stewart Emma Lee Sylvester Briana Nicole Tom Justine Nicole Valentino Eliana Diamond Wasser Scott Garner Waters Olivia Hadley Watkins Christopher Ryan Weldon Troy S. Williams Edward Michael Woods Xiong Zhe Ye Feng
Ready to Take the World by Storm
Canterbury’s 95th Commencement Exercises 102 Sixth Formers graduate
John Thomas Smith By John Thomas Smith II ’60 Profile of an extraordinary Catholic layman, creative and productive lawyer, and generous Canterbury benefactor.
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Heeding the Call By Edward O’Neil, M.D., founder of Omni Med Radiologist John O’Brien, M.D. ’72 travels the world teaching health providers how to read CT scans and other radiographic studies. His powerful example shines like a beacon for all physicians.
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Private Enterprise in Cuba
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Planting SEEDS of Success
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A photo essay by Hilary Duffy ’87. By Wright Danenbarger, English Department Chair Profile of Marvin Centeno ’09, who came to Canterbury through the New Jersey SEEDS program.
Campus Life News of the School and photos.
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The Canterbury Observer: A Tribute to Don Gowan Headmaster Tom Sheehy remembers faculty member Don Gowan, who died suddenly on May 7.
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Mark Your Calendar Full Classes Begin September 10 Run for Joe October 14 Homecoming October 27 Parents’ Weekend Canterbury Today October 26-27 NYC Christmas Party December 19
Canterbury School, founded in 1915 by Roman Catholic laymen, is a coeducational, boarding and day school of approximately 355 students, grades 9-12. The Roman Catholic commitment of the School remains central. Canterbury School is a non-profit institution that seeks and admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, and does not discriminate in the administration of its programs and policies. The Canterbury Observer is a regular feature of the Pallium. It is a forum for any and all alumni, faculty, and friends of Canterbury to share their thoughts and interests. Views do not necessarily express the philosophy of Canterbury School.
Class Notes News, photos, and more
PALLIUM Editor, Photographer, Designer: Marc Vanasse ’73 On the cover: The offical portrait of the Class of 2012. Cover photo: Heidi Johnson
How to Reach Us The Pallium encourages its readers to communicate with the School. Mail: Pallium Editor, Canterbury School, 101 Aspetuck Avenue, New Milford, CT 06776 E-Mail: pallium@cbury.org • Fax: (available 24 hours a day): 860-350-4425 Call: 860-210-3800 (Switchboard), 1-800-526-1710 www.cbury.org
A circular band about two inches wide, a pallium is made of white wool and worn over the chasuble around the neck, breast, and shoulders. With its two pendants draping down in the back and front, respectively, a pallium is also marked by six black crosses of silk. The wearing of the pallium dates to the Fourth Century. It was first given to St. Augustine by Pope Gregory the Great, and each successive archbishop has worn one. A representation of the pallium appears in the center of the School seal, as well as in the School’s logotype.
’07ers Bridget Heaton, Will Finn, Katie Heidbreder.
’72ers Greg Hume, Steve Adams, Paul Gelinas, Mike Conniff.
Alli Trowbridge Scheckner ’97 with daughter Lily.
For three days in June, graduates refresh friendships, reconnect with former faculty members, and rejoice at Canterbury’s new facilities.
REUNION 2012 1
Dave Robert ’67 and classmate Chris Doyle.
Ed Leydon ’62.
Christine and Billy Meara ’97 and classmate Eliot Johnson.
Ed Hutchison ’62.
’97ers Kate Murphy DeCoff, Stephanie Goos Johnson, Justin Nash, Vanessa Heaton, Alli Trowbridge Scheckner, Erin Sussman Peschiera.
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Colin Hamilton ’62 reads the necrology.
Retired faculty members Jules Viau, Jim Shea, and John Coffin.
Landis Becker ’87.
’77ers and children of former faculty members: MaryKate Shea, Joanna Martiska, Bailey Breene Gendron.
’72ers Mike Seaman and Chip Berman.
’07ers Brittany Blackwell and Arvy Hill.
’82ers brother and sister Mark and Holly Morrow.
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’07ers Giovanna DeGennaro, Kyle Ekstrom, Jonathan Zheng, JC Routh, Chris Cocce.
Dave O’Shaughnessy ’87.
Mark Conklin ’82 and classmate Holly Morrow.
ANDREW CAMPION
Wendy Miller Claunch ’82, trustee Ted Hollander ’82 and wife Laurie.
Peter Shonk ’72 and classmate Tom Brennan head out to the softball game.
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Former sacristan Jack Mahoney ’07 with chaplain Fr. Sebastian Leonard.
’77ers Judy Flayderman, David Sullivan, Diane Bourdeau Barton.
NEIL DEDIER
The Class of 1972 celebrated their 40th Year Reunion at the 21 Club in New York City on Friday, June 8. Front row, l-r: Bob Werber, Greg Coleman, Steve Adams, Paul Gelinas, Chip Berman, Mike Seaman, Tom Brennan, Dave Henderson, Sam FitzGerald. Middle row, l-r: Peter Shonk, Rick Delpo, Curt Robb, Emmett Hume, Phil de Oliveira, Dirk Paterson, John Kiernan, Greg Rawson, Peter McGowan, Greg Hume. Back row, l-r: C.T. Fisher V (son of Larry Fisher ’77), Mark Pigott, Chris Hume, Larry Fisher ’77 (brother of C.T. Fisher ’72), Mike Kerrigan, Paul Fitzpatrick, Mike Steele ’75 (brother of Bob Steele ’72), John O’Brien, Dan Whalen, Mike Conniff, Chris Colvin.
ANDREW CAMPION
ALL PHOTOS BY MARC VANASSE ’73, EXCEPT WHERE NOTED
’92ers Tom Hammer, Eileen Cullen Langer, Patricia Sordoni Rasmussen, Shelia Mebus Fox, Frank Taubner.
Aria Simonelli, daughter of Mike Simonelli ’92, enjoys playing in the bubbles.
Mike Foley ’67.
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Ready to Take the Canterbury graduates 102 Sixth Formers at 95th Commencement Exercises
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“Classmates, our journey is just beginning. In our years at Canterbury, we have learned determination, character, compassion, and pride. We have attained the power to soar beyond expectations. And, most importantly, we have each other for company at anytime and anywhere. We are the Class of 2012 – strong and intelligent. Ready or not, here we come.” – from HyeonMin Kim’s valedictory address
HEIDI JOHNSON
World by Storm
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“Use your college for all it’s worth. then come back to Canterbury as a teacher, administrator, trustee, as a friend of the School. You will miss it, and believe it or not, your teachers here will miss you.” – from Jim Briggs’s
Commencement speaker and trustee Jim Briggs ’56 with HyeonMin “Mina” Kim and Logan Pettinato. Mina was valedictorian. She and Logan received the Dr. Nelson Hume Award for embodying the ideals of the founding headmaster.
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JOHN KANE
Commencement remarks
JOHN KANE
JOHN KANE
MARC VANASSE ’73
The Gr site of the 95th Commencement Exercises.
MARC VANASSE ’73
Chaplain Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B.
Doris Amoako ’12, center, is surrounded by friends Stephanie Hester ’13 and Kareen Thompson ’14.
Senior Master and Dean of the School JP Mandler leads the Class of 2012 to their seats.
JOHN KANE
HEIDI JOHNSON
Holly Heffernan, center, granddaughter of the late Paul Heffernan ’49.
Sacristans lead the academic procession from Sheehan House to the Chapel of Our Lady for the Baccalaureate Mass.
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MARC VANASSE ’73
JOHN KANE
Making Canterbury history: the O’Garas, John, Krista, and Robert, are the first triplets to graduate.
Mack LaManna receives the Robert Markey Steele ’72 Scholar-Athlete Award.
“Sixth Formers, when you leave today you will take with you many memories. Hold on to them, embrace them and, in time, reflect on how Canterbury has influenced your life. Through each memory, whether good, bad, or even tragic, realize that you have emerged stronger and with a personal ethos that mirrors Canterbury’s.”
Cam Roffe receives his diploma from his grandfather Jim Briggs ’56.
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– from Headmaster Tom Sheehy’s remarks
Science teacher Sandy Behan receives an honorary Canterbury diploma for her 30 years of service to the School.
HEIDI JOHNSON
HEIDI JOHNSON
E. Michael Woods receives his diploma from his grandfather Peter Carney ’49.
HEIDI JOHNSON
HEIDI JOHNSON
HEIDI JOHNSON
Lindsey Marra receives the Charles R. Huntington Scholar-Athlete Award.
Joe Hochrein receives the Philip H. Brodie Award for all-around service to the School.
JOHN KANE
MARC VANASSE ’73
President of the Board of Trustees Bob Steers ’71 and Headmaster Tom Sheehy.
Despite oppressive heat and humidity, Scott Casley, Nic Pierog, Felipe Siebrecht, and Brooks Dwyer remain cheerful while posing for the official class portrait.
“Ask yourself: what am I taking with me today? More than a diploma, a book, or public recognition for work well done, I hope. You take with you an experience in living, in forming friendships, in learning to get along with people, in learning to love God and others. – from Fr. Sebastian Leonard’s homily
HEIDI JOHNSON
The Diehards: 4-year students
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JOHN THOMAS
SMITH
Extraordinary Catholic layman, creative and productive lawyer, and generous Canterbury benefactor. 12
By John Thomas Smith II ’60
The name “John Thomas Smith” crops up at Canterbury. One of the Chapel windows is dedicated to him and his wife, Mary. At graduation, one Sixth Former each year receives the John Thomas Smith Award for Excellence in English, and a plaque on the wall of the Chapel records the names of his two sons, six grandsons and four great-grandchildren who have attended the School. The School’s institutional memory records that John Thomas Smith donated the funds for the original construction of the Chapel of Our Lady in 1928. His son, Gerard C. Smith ’31 (Trustee 1948-1971), was awarded the Canterbury Medal posthumously in 1995, and his grandson, Gerard L. Smith ’64, long served as a member of the School’s Board of Trustees (19741979; 1984-2010). Despite these substantial connections with Canterbury and the manifest contributions of his descendants, there is insufficient record at Canterbury regarding the life of this extraordinary Catholic layman, hugely creative and productive lawyer, and generous School benefactor. This short article aims to fill this gap. John Thomas Smith (“J.T.”) was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on January 17, 1879. After studying in public schools in New Haven, he attended Creighton College in Omaha, Nebraska. In Omaha he lived with an uncle, who was a Catholic priest, also named John Thomas Smith. From a young age, he demonstrated exceptional intelligence. The first record of John Thomas’s powerful mind at work is a bound volume of his college essays entitled, The Star of Castellar. This volume contains 40 essays and
two poems. All have been typed meticulously. It is probable that J.T. saved handwritten college submissions and later had them transcribed into this volume. One can only speculate how many students today take sufficient pride in their work to save, compile and print their college efforts. The topical and intellectual range of J.T.’s college output was wide. The collection contains biographical, philosophical, literary, political and scientific essays. All are quite sophisticated. For instance, the philosophical essays include an
Through J.T.’s unlikely friendship with William C. Durant, one of the most colorful entrepreneurs/ speculators of the first third of the 20th Century, J.T. became a principal officer and general counsel of General Motors, which would grow into the world’s largest automobile company.
exploration of “Buddhism and Brahmanism” and a critique of “The Effects of Cartesianism.” An intense and brilliant young man, J.T. graduated from Creighton in 1899 with honors in English, Philosophy, and Debating, shortly after his 20th birthday. He was offered a job as a reporter for a San Francisco newspaper and was on the verge of accepting it when his family directed him to return to New Haven and attend Yale Law School. There, he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal and graduated in two years, at the age of 22, summa cum laude. In order to complete his legal studies in two, rather than three years, a practice that the faculty was trying to discourage by imposing practical hurdles, young J.T. 13
took and excelled in 27 separate examinations in a three-day period. Recognizing an early drive to prosper, his classmates voted him “Most Likely to Succeed,” and succeed he did. After passing the New York Bar in 1902, J.T. joined the venerable Wall Street firm of Alexander & Green. Subsequently, he opened his own law office in Manhattan’s financial district. During his first decade after graduating from law school, J.T. was an active member of the New York Trial Bar, and he entered on two engagements of lasting significance. The first was important legal work on behalf of bondholders who had provided capital for the construction of a railway from Guayaquil to Quito, Ecuador. The second was representation of one of the most colorful entrepreneurs/speculators of the first third of the 20th Century, William C. Durant. Through J.T.’s unlikely friendship with Durant, he became a principal officer and general counsel of General Motors, which would grow into the world’s largest automobile company. Ecuadorian Adventure While still at Alexander & Green, J.T. did some work for a group of European and American bondholders who had invested in the construction and operation of a railroad in Ecuador extending from Guayaquil at sea level up to Quito at more than 9,000 feet in the Andes. This railroad, an extraordinary engineering feat at the time, attracted both the pride and interest of the government of Ecuador. In 1910, the government moved to nationalize the railroad. The result was a large claim for compensation on behalf of the investors. While J.T. was no longer at Alexander & Green, he was retained as a sole practitioner to travel to Ecuador and attend to the interests of the investors. The trip, before completion of the Panama Canal, was a relatively arduous one – by ship to Panama, by railroad across the Isthmus, and then again by ship to Ecuador. During this journey J.T., a gifted 14
John Thomas Smith’s graduation photo from Creighton College in 1899.
linguist, polished his ability in spoken Spanish – having studied Spanish in school. Impressed by his intelligence and command of Spanish, the clients directed J.T. to take over the matter entirely and to argue a case for compensation in Spanish in Ecuadorian courts. He and his clients prevailed. In the resulting settlement, the bondholders, in lieu of cash compensation, were awarded controlling interests in other Ecuadorian ventures, including the electric utility for the city of Quito, a brewery, and a cement plant. These assets were placed in a new corporation, The Ecuadorian Corporation, Ltd. The grateful bondholders reputedly remunerated J.T. with a million dollars worth of shares in the new corporation and made him a Director, a post in which he served for the balance of his life. General Counsel of General Motors At approximately the same point of his career, J.T. began legal work for William Crapo Durant, founder of General Motors. The available historical record does not make clear how the two men first met. Quite possibly they
met when J.T. was working at Alexander & Green in 1903, and Durant was on an initial foray into financial speculation in New York. In 1904, Durant apparently returned to his hometown of Flint, Michigan, and became the head of a nascent automobile company, Buick. Then, in 1908, he entered discussions with other automobile manufacturers about the creation of a holding company that would effectively merge Buick and two other companies, one of which was the Olds Motorworks, later Oldsmobile. By 1909, Durant had placed 30-year old J.T. on his Board of Directors and began reliance on his legal counsel. Durant was not a cautious man. He quickly brought other companies into the GM fold, including Pontiac and Cadillac. Within two years of incorporation, GM had acquired a total of 25 companies, of which 11 were automobile companies and the balance were manufacturers of auto parts and accessories. Durant, in what became a pattern, soon became overextended financially and, in November 1910, General Motors was taken over by its bankers. With the exception of Durant, all directors, including J.T., were forced out. Durant persevered and by 1911 he had met and befriended Louis Chevrolet and had formed Chevrolet Motor Company, a Michigan and later New York Corporation. In 1914, Pierre duPont, President of duPont, and John Raskob, Treasurer of duPont, personally invested in General Motors, which was still controlled by its bankers. In the summer of 1915, Durant, accompanied by J.T., met with duPont and Raskob in duPont’s offices in Wilmington to seek their collaboration in regaining control of GM from the bankers. To this end, in September of 1915, Durant incorporated the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware, taking over the assets of the former Chevrolet Motor companies of Michigan and New York. J.T. served as a director and secretary of this new Chevrolet Corporation, and
the organizational meeting of its directors took place in J.T.’s law office. Through this new Chevrolet Company of Delaware, in league with duPont and Raskob by May of 1916, Durant had been able to increase Chevrolet’s holdings of GM stock to more than half the shares outstanding. The bankers capitulated, leaving Durant in control. Durant was elected President of General Motors, and Pierre duPont became Chairman of the Board. A few months later, Durant formed a Delaware corporation, which became the modern GM, eventually acquiring all the assets of the original New Jersey company as well as those of the Chevrolet Motor Company. J.T. served as Durant’s personal advisor and legal counsel throughout these events, and the Minutes of the General Motors Corporation acknowledging his retirement in 1947 cite the fact that J.T. had been GM’s counsel from inception. Also in 1916, J.T. first made the acquaintance of Alfred P. Sloan. Under the rubric of United Motors Company, Durant acquired Hyatt Motor Company of Harrison, New Jersey, which was Sloan’s company. In the period 1918-1920, Sloan became Vice President, a Member
of the Executive Committee and a Director of General Motors, assuming an ever-increasing role in management of the new company. He also became a substantial individual stockholder in General Motors. At the same time, Durant, who disliked management, stayed busy in his primary vocation, which was playing the stock market, as well as organizing or acquiring new companies. In 1919 he organized General Motors Acceptance Corporation, acquired a controlling interest in the Fisher Body Company and purchased Frigidaire. In the fall of 1920, GM’s shares plummeted from $40 to a low of $13. Durant, who had been actively promoting GM shares and purchasing them on 10 percent margin, could not meet margin calls from his brokers. At this point, Durant was “under water” by an amount of $27 million – a vast amount in today’s currency. As a result, Durant was forced out of General Motors, with the duPont Company picking up Durant’s GM stock. By this time, at the urging of Sloan, J.T. had been formally appointed as General Motors General Counsel. He remained with General Motors for the next 27 years. While no longer attached to
Founding Headmaster Nelson Hume enjoys himself as Gregory B. Smith ’30, son of J.T., plays the piano at his own wedding in 1943.
J.T. contributed generously to Catholic education. Not only did he donate funds to enable construction of the Canterbury Chapel, he likewise contributed the funds to build the Thomas More Chapel at Yale University. Durant’s fallen star, J.T. remained a personal friend of Durant. As the first General Counsel of General Motors, J.T. enjoyed great independence of action, a close working relationship with other principal executives, and an immensely rewarding legal career. The office he ran bore small resemblance to the modern corporate counsel’s office. First, J.T. ran the office as an independent law office. He and his subordinates were free to take on non-General Motors matters as time permitted. Second, J.T. and his colleagues took direct and personal roles in litigation involving General Motors. (In the modern day, a general counsel of a large corporation and his or her staff typically manage the work of outside counsel and do not themselves appear in court.) Sagely, J.T. wanted his lawyers to have as much court experience as possible, both on GM and unrelated matters, reasoning that to give good counsel to clients a lawyer must understand what actually happens in courtrooms and how judges and juries behave. Third, and perhaps most importantly, J.T. reported on a direct line to the Chief Executive Officer of GM. He commanded sufficient respect among his business colleagues that he was placed on the GM Executive Committee in 1929. He enjoyed a reputation for insisting on honesty in corporate affairs and he counseled against any ethically questionable behavior, even if it was legally proper. In 15
his autobiography, Alfred P. Sloan characterized J.T.’s advice and influence as being of “a very high order in moral and public policy matters as well as in the law.” The full range of important legal matters addressed by J.T and his staff in the period 1929-1947 is well beyond the scope of this short profile. They included globalization (the acquisition of Opel in 1929, where J.T. took the lead, negotiating in German); major labor strife during the sit-down strikes in 1936-37, where J.T. dealt directly with the Governor of Michigan and President Roosevelt; and landmark litigation about the scale of corporate officers’ compensation. In addition, he personally argued several times before the United States Supreme Court. One such case, in which he prevailed, was Klaxon v. Stentor, still studied in law schools. J.T. reached GM’s mandatory retirement age (then 68) on June 30, 1947. He remained a director and a member of the Corporation’s Financial Policy Committee after his retirement. A corporate resolution upon his retirement noted that Alfred P. Sloan reminded the Board that “Mr. Smith was one of the Corporation’s real pioneers and was the oldest remaining official in terms of service.” The resolution stated that J.T. had participated in the “original organization” of the Corporation and that of equal importance to his service as general counsel had been “his sound judgment in dealing with the business affairs of the Corporation.” Personal Profile Doubtless, J.T. derived great personal satisfaction from his professional endeavor and his virtuosity as advocate and counselor. He was what we in the legal profession call a “lawyers’ lawyer.” Encompassed by this term are characteristics such as rigor of intellect, capacity for hard work, deep respect for the institutions and instrumentalities of the law, creativity grounded firmly in ethics and morality, fearlessness before adversaries and tribunals, capacity 16
Gerard C. Smith ’31, son of J.T. Smith, former Headmaster Rod Clarke ’46, and Sargent Shriver ’34 at the 1982 Canterbury symposium “Challenges to Leadership: Seeds which Produce Responsible Decision Makers.”
Grandsons of J.T. Smith and sons of Gerard ’31, l-r: J.T. ’60, Hugh ’72, Gerard ’64.
to speak and write clearly and persuasively and with deep respect for language, and unfailing civility to colleagues and opponents. Although, as remarked by Justice Joseph Story, the law is a “jealous mistress,” requiring “a long and constant courtship,” J.T. lived a rich and productive life beyond the boundaries of his law office. In June of 1910 at the relatively ripe age of 30, J.T. married Mary Agnes Smith, a second cousin whom he had known since childhood in New Haven. They produced
three children during the first four years of their marriage – Maureen, Gregory ’30, and Gerard Coad Smith ’31. The young couple’s social life in Manhattan focused on attendance at the opera and companionship with William Durant and his wife, Caroline. Beyond the Durant tie, consistent with the times in which Irish Catholics were the object of social discrimination, the J.T. Smiths’ social circle comprised other well-to-do Catholics. Mary Smith and the children spent summers on the Atlantic shore
Another of J.T.’s generous impulses (and rewarding investments) was paying the law school tuition for the son of a family friend, R. Sargent (“Sarge”) Shriver ’34, whose family had suffered financial reverses in the crash of ’29 and ensuing Depression. Shriver became a Kennedy in-law, founding Director of the Peace Corps, and in 1972, a candidate for Vice
The Chapel of Our Lady as it appeared in 1928. J.T. Smith provided the funds to build it. In 1959-60 the chapel was enlarged to its present size to accommodate a growing student body.
President of the United States. of New Jersey in Asbury Park, near where Durant maintained a palatial summer house in Deal. J.T. would commute on weekends. In 1932, as the value of his General Motors shares increased, at the urging of his wife and children, J.T. purchased a substantial estate in Southampton, Long Island, where representatives of successive generations have resided. Notwithstanding his love of reading and the life of the mind, J.T. apparently was an active tennis player and golfer. A silver flask retained by the family shows J.T. as the winner of a golf tournament at Deal in the summer of 1920 – although the trophy may reflect victory at one of the unofficial and informal “tournaments” organized by William Durant, a keen but not terribly expert golfer. J.T. contributed generously to Catholic education. Not only did he donate funds to enable construction of the Canterbury Chapel, he likewise contributed the funds to build the Thomas More Chapel at Yale University. Further, he helped fund a fellowship to allow a prominent French Catholic philosopher, Jacques Maritain, to reside at Princeton 17
The Smith window in Canterbury’s Chapel of Our Lady. The iconography testifies to J.T.’s California connection.
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during World War II. Another of J.T.’s generous impulses (and rewarding investments) was paying the law school tuition for the son of a family friend, R. Sargent (“Sarge”) Shriver ’34, whose family had suffered financial reverses in the crash of ’29 and ensuing Depression. Shriver became a Kennedy in-law, founding Director of the Peace Corps, and in 1972, a candidate for Vice President of the United States. In 1984, he was elected President of Special Olympics. Six years later, in 1990, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Special Olympics. J.T. took a broad interest in international affairs. As already noted, he was a gifted linguist, with working command of German, French, Spanish, and Italian. His scholarship had included years of study of both Latin and Greek. He would occasionally spend a quiet Sunday afternoon exercising his gray matter by translating Greek poetry directly into German (a pursuit somewhat more demanding than watching NFL football). For all his intellect and probity, J.T. had a keen sense of humor – exercised with a degree of learning. In 1938, the Vatican honored another individual named John Thomas Smith by making him a “Knight of Saint Gregory,” a type of honorary chamberlain to the Pope. The redoubtable parish priest in Southampton, Father Killeen, wrote J.T. to congratulate him. The true honoree, a candy manufacturer from Brooklyn, had the misfortune to die several days after receiving the Pope’s honor. J.T. wrote Father Killeen to apprise him of the mistaken identity and to note the other John Thomas’s sudden demise. A copy of my grandfather’s letter saved by Killeen and furnished by him to my father 30 years later begins in Ciceronian Latin – “Odi Persico et honoris,” apparently a saying originally in Greek (Thucydides) meaning “Hate Persians and honors.” J.T. goes on to say, “It was bad enough to be mistaken for the real Chamberlain, tragically sad for him notified on Monday and mortified on Saturday.”
William George Maguire A plaque at the entrance to Canterbury’s auditorium honors the memory of William Maguire with the legend, “Strength, Persistence, Courage.” Known as “Mac” to business associates and as “Grandpa Maguire” to his grandchildren, three of whom attended Canterbury, William G. Maguire was a visionary natural gas pipeline pioneer. Beginning in the early 1930s, he spearheaded acquisition of natural gas reserves in Texas and Oklahoma and the construction of pipelines to bring this fuel to the industrial Midwest. He helped form the Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company, which he headed from 1943 until his death in 1965. At the time of his death, Panhandle and its subsidiaries owned or controlled natural gas resources totaling 14 trillion cubic feet and operated 11,000 miles of pipelines. Will Maguire never attended college but had a deep respect for knowledge and history. He was an avid scholar of both European history and of the American Civil War. His son-in-law, Gerard C. Smith (Canterbury, 1931) raised the funds to enable construction of the Maguire Auditorium.
J.T. would occasionally spend a quiet Sunday afternoon, exercising his gray matter by translating Greek poetry directly into German (a pursuit somewhat more demanding than watching NFL football).
J. Dana Smith ’65, grandson of J.T. and son of Gregory ’30, with son Simon ’97.
Hugh Smith ’72, grandson of J.T., with his children, l-r: Margaret ’06, Courty ’01, and Gerard “Chopper” Smith ’04.
While a lifelong resident of the East Coast (with the exception of four years in Omaha), J.T. had an abiding affection for California. Part of the attraction was, doubtless, the fact that in 1917 he became the majority stockholder in a California gold mine, the Argonaut Mine. Family lore has it that one of his clients could not pay a bill for services and, in lieu of payment, gave J.T. shares in the mine. J.T. placed his brother Joseph in charge of the mine, but remained as the principal shareholder and an officer of Argonaut for the 30-year balance of his life. It was probably Argonaut business that first took J.T. to California in 1910, a path that he pursued regularly, delighting in the atmosphere and climate. The gift of J.T. and his brother Gregory, a stained glass window in Canterbury’s Chapel of Our Lady, testifies to J.T.’s California connection. It carries a representation of a Franciscan monk, Fray Junipero Serra, an important figure in establishing missions in 18th Century California. The glass panel contains a map of California, the names of early missions, and JT’s motto, Carpe Diem. Three months after his mandatory retirement from General Motors in 1947, J.T. was again visiting California. After attending a Stanford football game on September 22, he died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.
J.T. Smith II ’60, grandson of the subject of this story and a former law partner at Covington & Burling, drew heavily upon the text of his family memoir entitled Generational Reflections, scheduled for publication by Madison Books, Lanham, MD, in September 2012.
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HEEDING THE CALL Radiologist John O’Brien, M.D. ’72 travels the world teaching health providers how to read CT scans and other radiographic studies. His powerful example shines like a beacon for all physicians. Text by Dr. Ed O’Neil, Founder of Omni Med Photos by John O’Brien ’72
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I
first met John O’Brien in 1994 in Belize City, the day Omni Med launched its first overseas program. I had been working on a book about global health service when I was invited by a group of Rotarians to advise them on their program in Belize. After three planning trips, we developed a program design with local providers in which U.S. health providers would come in and present a series of lectures throughout the country, a sort of traveling medical “grand rounds.” We developed the template, set up coordinators in eight hospitals and clinics around the country, and worked out the timing. After I returned home, I had a major challenge. What physician would be willing to come to a developing country to be the first teacher in a new, untested program? Where would I possibly find this person? About a week later, the phone rang. It was John O’Brien. A mutual friend had told him about my work, and he had called to inquire about getting involved. I detected divine intervention at the time and started a lifelong friendship and working partnership with Dr. John O’Brien. John is a radiologist, hardly the type of physician likely to volunteer time overseas in untested programs. Yet, even over the phone, his passion, curiosity and humor came across clearly. We agreed that he would be the first to teach in this program and, a few months later, we met in Belize City for the formal dedication of the program. John and I traveled throughout the country, with John teaching over 150 health providers in eight hospitals and clinics how to interpret all types of X-Rays, CT scans and other radiographic studies. A gifted teacher and a warm and very funny man, John put everyone at ease. The sessions became fun and very educational, and the barriers that initially divided us – cultural, clinical, hierarchical – (many Belizeans feel inferior to U.S. physicians), all came crashing down, quickly and irrevocably. We ran the Belize program for ten years, and I think those first few weeks were critical to getting us well established and sought-after. John was a big part of that, setting the initial tone just right. John returned to Belize four additional
times in the coming years, helping to coordinate the program sites, and filling in (often last minute) when one of our volunteers failed to show. John and I traveled throughout Belize many times and had quite a few adventures together. Our conversations often stretched well into the dark nights. I came to rely on John’s highly honed sense of reading people. John never had a brief conversation with anyone. He got to know them; he cared about them. When one of the program’s drivers was critically injured in a crash that killed his physician passenger, John spent hours at his bedside in the hospital. When another woman had a baby, John naturally went to visit. When I came back through the program sites once or twice yearly without John, I often heard the same question, “How’s John?” Often followed by a story or two about something John had said or done; a thousand small kindnesses that were never forgotten. There are many in medicine who master the difficult science involved and employ it to improve the lives of their patients; such is the essence of medicine. However, there is a smaller swath of the medical profession who do all of this and genuinely care about the people they meet. John is one of those physicians. He is a radiologist who goes into the CT scan area to talk with and examine patients.
John teaches a classroom of health care providers in Uganda.
“I came to rely on John’s highly honed sense of reading people. John never had a brief conversation with anyone. He got to know them; he cared about them. When one of the program’s drivers was critically injured in a crash that killed his physician passenger, John spent hours at his bedside in the hospital.” 21
He talks to them; he soothes them; he makes them laugh. Working as a doctor in the developing world challenges one’s presuppositions. Why are people here so poor? Why is there so much death and suffering despite an outside world abounding in the resources and the technologies to forever change things? Why don’t more physicians find their way to those places where they are most needed? Fortunately, John continues to find his way back. John has become an ambassador for the Omni Med program, always finding his way back to where he feels the most fulfilled. The more desolate the place, the greater the need, the greater his comfort. In 1997, the Minister of Health in Guyana invited Omni Med to develop a program similar to our Belize model in his country. Two Omni Med physicians, Drs. John Varallo and James Eadie, decided to take it on. John O’Brien and I joined them in setting up the program. John returned to Guyana five times in the next few years with John and James and became one of the key people in making the program work. Dr Varallo, an obstetrician from Washington, D.C., developed a cervical cancer screening, prevention, and treatment program in the jungle for the poorest of the Amerindian populations, who had some of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world. Conditions were difficult. Access was primarily through long canoes reaching deep into heavily forested jungles. Sleep, when not disturbed by swarms of bugs, was fitful, and the food was described by locals as “fish mush,” a real life variation of the SNL “Bass-o-Matic,” in which whole fish are blended into an edible slushy mix, bones included. Work was hard, and the weeks were challenging physically and mentally for the teams involved. Dr. Varallo’s program became a national model for Guyana, and John O’Brien’s help was a crucial part of getting it off the ground. John later traveled to Panama, Kenya, and several other sites. John 22
John receives a chicken as pay for his services.
“John is blessed with an insatiable curiosity for all things. Working in a developing country puts that curiosity into hyper-drive. As he once said, “A day in Belize, Guyana, or Kenya is like a month back home. You are simply overwhelmed by the differences and the opportunities to learn. The sights, the sounds, the culture, the beliefs, the clinical practices; it all provides such a unique window into the world as it really is.” has served in every site that Omni Med has worked. He has made over 15 trips overseas in the past decade. He recently took a two year hiatus from his international work to complete a trauma radiology fellowship in Seattle. I’d like to paint a portrait of the man. John is blessed with an insatiable curiosity for all things. Working in a developing country puts that curiosity into hyperdrive. As he once said, “A day in Belize, Guyana, or Kenya is like a month back home. You are simply overwhelmed by the differences and the opportunities to learn. The sights, the sounds, the culture, the beliefs, the clinical practices; it all provides such a
unique window into the world as it really is.” John has taken advantage of these opportunities more than anyone I have ever known. After one teaching tour in Belize, John stayed and participated in a triathlon, earning a newfound respect from his friends throughout the country. While working in our program in Georgetown, Guyana, John and Omni Med colleague James Eadie were attacked while walking home in a tough part of the city. Despite being beaten and robbed, with their lives threatened, John still got up and taught the next day. When asked about the various bruises clearly visible on his face and arms, John reluctantly explained the source, earning the
fledgling program considerable street credibility among the Georgetown medical students and staff. Physicians made of lesser stuff might have found their way back to the first departing flight. I have been doing this work long enough to have found a number of landmines in the work. Wherever John goes, he asks questions. He turns security guards, caretakers, janitors, and all types of people into educators, people of considerable value in teaching to him that which they know so well. The reality is that people in developing countries are experts in the language, culture, history, sports, geography, and things that improve one’s quality of life while there. John O’Brien is the rare physician who taps this knowledge fully, and by so doing accomplishes two things. First, he learns much more about the people, the country, and the factors that create illness– mostly poverty – than anyone else does. Secondly, he elevates them, making them more human, and more valuable in their own eyes. The great Brazilian educator Paolo Friere once wrote about the “cultural imperialism” by which visiting doctors, engineers, and others reinforced the poor’s horrible self-image by always lecturing them. Imagine the power of the experience – from their perspective – when they become the teachers; when they are sought out for that which even the visiting doctor does not know, but they know in abundance. I only wish more of the physicians we send abroad could capture just a little of John’s instincts and the value he places on all people, no matter their place in any real or imagined hierarchy. Rudolph Virchow once said that physicians are the “natural attorneys of the poor.” Who else knows them as we do and cares for them as we can. But the long and noble medical profession has an Achilles’ heel, that its knowledge and talents remain concentrated among those who can afford them. In a world in
John teaches two health care providers in Uganda.
which over 22,000 children under age five die every day of treatable disease: 10,000 Africans die daily from three illnesses – AIDS, TB, and malaria – for which we have treatments and cures; and 500,000 women die in childbirth every year at rates 10 to 100 times that of those in the rich world, our times continue to call for those who will respond to the call. John O’Brien has long heeded that call. His powerful example shines like a beacon for all physicians. Gustavo Gutierrez, the founder of liberation theology, once said, “If I am hungry, it is a material problem. If someone else is hungry, it is a spiritual problem.” I hope John’s powerful legacy can serve as an inspirational example to the entire Canterbury community. We need many more people, in all walks of life, to recognize the true dimensions of the spiritual problems facing us and to respond as John O’Brien always has.
To learn more about Omni Med, visit www.omnimed.org.
“There are many in medicine who master the difficult science involved and employ it to improve the lives of their patients; such is the essence of medicine. However, there is a smaller swath of the medical profession who do all of this and genuinely care about the people they meet. John is one of those physicians.” 23
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE IN CUBA
Photo Essay by Hilary Duffy ’87
Mother and son mobile produce vendors in Old Havana.
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Hilary Duffy ’87 traveled to Cuba in December 2011 to work on a photographic project about emerging private enterprise. Recently, she worked as a tour manager with National Geographic Expeditions and Smithsonian Journeys in Cuba. The U.S. re-opened licensed travel to Cuba in the past year, allowing groups to experience people-to-people cultural exchanges.
Retired man sells car parts and shoes on a sidewalk to make ends meet.
At a cell phone repair desk, used phones from abroad are unlocked and cell accounts are rented out.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Free-market Reforms in Cuba
Under Raúl Castro’s leader-
ship, Cuba has sanctioned private business since 2010 when the state announced layoffs of 500,000 workers. With the objective of raising productivity and reviving the economy, the reforms have opened the path to an extensive and emerging small private business sector. Hustling salespeople no longer need to dodge the authorities in an underground economy. Small business owners openly and proudly display and sell their skills, crafts, produce, or home-cooked meals. They drive freely as hired drivers or repair and fix broken items. The self-employed pay a monthly tax and social security and they wear laminated ID licenses clipped to their shirts. More than 357,000 Cubans now have licenses across the island. No longer stopped and fined by the police, taxi drivers, bici taxis (pedicabs), and “collective” taxis are now allowed to carry tourists. Private taxi drivers have been granted state licenses and private farmers have been granted state land. In 2011, state barber shops and beauty salons were handed over to their employees. Handmade signs at windows, rented doorways, porches, and street-side living rooms advertise the new businesses. The new economic freedom has great potential to transform. The entrepreneurs portray a new mentality, with incentive, topquality service, pride, and a new energy. In November 2011, personal property ownership was approved in a new law. Buyers and sellers are now allowed to set home prices and move.
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Miguel Angel has worked for 13 years in shoe repair and is now licensed. In previous years it was an unreported small business.
Arte Corte, an exemplary private hair salon co-owned by Ivette and her husband, is in Old Havana. Their business of 10 years sponsors a training program for local youth.
Yoel is a trained sports psychologist, but the state salary was low. As a photo hobbyist, he decided to invest in equipment and rented a porch space to run a profitable photo studio and small gallery.
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In 2011, state barber shops and beauty salons were handed over to their employees.
Vangely and Yunier have been in pet sales for several months. They enjoy being their own bosses and make more money than they did under the former state law.
Tairo, a pork vendor, once an illegal businessman, is now legal and very profitable.
27
Planting SEEDS of Success By Wright Danenbarger, English Department Chair
A
s I am the faculty member in charge of running the Nelson Hume Speech Competition at Canterbury, it may come as no surprise that my lasting memory of Marvin Centeno ’09 is the award-winning speech he delivered to the school community in Maguire Auditorium in May of 2008. Marvin had the room laughing with recognition as he comically described his career as a three-year veteran of the Thirds Boys’ Basketball team. Much of the wry humor stemmed from Marvin’s ability to recount the experiences not only with deft delivery and language but also with a touching humility and comic self-effacement. As I talked to him recently about that speech and his time at Canterbury, I arrived at the impression that our good fortune at matriculating a young man who was at once so intelligent and yet humble was a result of the School’s connection with the program that helped bring him here: New Jersey SEEDS. A visitor to their website will discover that “New Jersey SEEDS (Scholars, Education, Excellence Dedication, Success) is a nonprofit organization that prepares motivated, high-achieving, lowincome students for admission to private schools and colleges across the country.” Canterbury uses agencies like these in the admissions process but SEEDS has a special connection to the school as it owes its incipience to trustee 28
As I talked to MARVIN CENTENO ’09 recently about his award winning speech and his time at Canterbury, I arrived at the impression that our good fortune at matriculating a young man who was at once so intelligent and yet humble was a result of the School’s connection with the program that helped bring him here: New Jersey SEEDS, founded by JOHN DUFFY ’59 and four other do-gooders around a kitchen table. emeritus John Duffy ’59. As he wrote to me in an e-mail, “I was one of the founders of SEEDS. John Hanly, then head of Pingree School, and four other do-gooders like me sat around a kitchen table and decided New Jersey should have an organization like ABC (A Better Chance) or Prep for Prep. SEEDS was the result.” That was in 1992, and the program is now celebrating its 20th year and can boast having more than 300 students in its three programs and more than 1630 alumni. The three programs are divided by age group, with a Young Scholars Program, which begins in the summer after 5th or 6th grade; the Scholars Program, beginning after 7th grade; and a College Preparatory Program, which begins in the summer before 10th grade. As John Duffy notes, “It is not very often that an idea shared over coffee can grow into a success such as SEEDS.” Marvin first heard about SEEDS from his cousin Juan who was then attending Avon Old Farms as a result of the program. Marvin applied and was accepted into the Scholars Program, for which he had to submit recommendations, essays, and solid report cards. Once accepted, he went to classes in the summer after his seventh-grade year and then attended classes on Saturdays during his 8th year. When I asked him how he landed at Canterbury, he told me, “Of course, I looked at Avon because of my cousin, but the Placement Director, Andy Hoge, gave me a list with schools he thought would be right for me, a list which also included Millbrook, Governor’s, and Canterbury.” Marvin had a good experience on his visit to Canterbury and chose it over the others.
Marvin grew up and, when not in college at Villanova University, still lives in a low-income Hispanic neighborhood in New Jersey. Spanish is the primary language spoken in his home. This led me to ask him if he experienced any culture shock arriving at Canterbury, and he responded, “Yes, but SEEDS had prepared me for much of it with their own boarding program,” says Marvin. He also noted, however, that nothing can fully prepare an individual for the real thing, and that he was homesick at the very outset. He recounted, “I was a bit unsure of myself until soccer practice began. Soccer was something I did know, and on my way to the first practice it was really great that Tom Nailor, who was a year older than me in the Fourth Form, came up to me and asked me where I was going.” Tom brought Marvin to the field, engaged him in conversation, and it turned out to be a really memorable first step in his eventual full acclimation to Canterbury. Marvin went on to a successful Canterbury career, routinely making the Honor Roll and the Headmaster’s List. Mrs. Omaña recalls him as an avid participant in the service trip to Nicaragua, and Mr. Chandler, his advisor, adds that “Marvin also went to France on a French trip with me and stayed outside of Toulouse with a French family. The family loved him.” Mr. Chandler also speaks fondly of Marvin’s own family. “It was always a pleasure to meet his parents, who would do anything for him, but had high expectations for him to do his best and to do so with good moral character.” It should come as little surprise, then, that Marvin won as many awards as he did while
Marvin in London.
at Canterbury, taking home the History Research Award in his Third Form year and The Holy Cross Book Award in his Fifth Form year. He also notched two Mack awards, one for his work as a dorm proctor and one for being an outstanding Sacristan, and a Brodie Award for exceptional achievement and all-around service to the School. Marvin’s trips abroad and hard work clearly prepared him for what is now the third year of a double major in International Business and Marketing at Villanova. In fact, he is just home from a Junior year abroad studying the Spanish economy at the University of Seville in Spain, and while his prize speech credited his Thirds Basketball experience with many useful lessons, he has no doubt that New Jersey SEEDS set in motion and enabled the richness of his life today. To learn more about NJ SEEDS, visit www.njseeds.org. 29
CAMPUSLIFE
School Appoints New Sacristans
Front row, l-r: Brody Pfeifer, Audrey Duquette, Christian Procaccino, Kacey Marra, Sara Carioscia, Lisa Parrino. Back row, l-r: Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B., Jake Sheehy, Andrew Tullo, Eleanor Haines, Greg Liautaud, Taylor Jendras, Stephen Pollock, Tom Sheehy.
Chaplain Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B, and Headmaster Tom Sheehy installed 12 new sacristans at Mass in the Chapel of Our Lady on Sunday morning, May 27. “A sacristan is a Sixth Former who strives to strengthen Canterbury as a Christian community by being a responsible leader and participant in the major experiences of school life,” said Tom Sheehy in his remarks. “From Canterbury’s earliest years – long before we were large enough to provide students with a variety of options for leadership and service to the community – a select few who were recognized for their potential ability and outstanding record of citizenship were appointed sacristans. Today, we affirm and continue that tradition initiated by our founding Headmaster, Dr. Nelson Hume, 97 years ago.”
MARC VANASSE ’73 (3)
Honor Society Dinner Fetes 23 Scholars
Members of the 2011-2012 Canterbury Honor Society. Front row, l-r: Eugene O’Friel ’13, Stephanie Powdar ’12, Hyun Woo Joo ’13, Morgan Peterson ’13, Seth Menghi ’12, Bosuk Lee ’12, Sean Owens ’12, Christina Cotte ’13. Middle row, l-r: Minhye Choi ’12, Tom Harrison ’12, Sara Carioscia ’13, Jake Sheehy ’13, HyeonMin Kim ’12, Hsin-Yi Ho ’13. Back row, l-r: Zhe Xiong ’12, Sung Jib Kim ’12, Audrey Duquette ’13, Mack LaManna ’12, Eliana Wasser ’12, Logan Pettinato ’12, Lindsey Marra ’12, Sung Ho Son ’12. (Not pictured: Joseph Hochrein ’12.)
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Trustee and former President of the Board William O’Connor ’57 addresses members of the 2011-2012 Honor Society. “The common element of the Canterbury experience 50 years ago and today is, of course, the emphasis on the highest quality education,” said Mr. O’Connor. “You are acquiring scientific and technical knowledge, but you are also exploring pathways in literature, history, theology, art and music that will enrich your life.” The annual Honor Society Dinner took place on May 14 in The David C. Copley ’70 Library. The Society was founded during the 1989-1990 academic year to advance scholarship and foster the love of learning at Canterbury.
Academic Awards Bestowed
Canterbury held its annual Academic Awards Assembly on May 24 in Maguire Auditorium. Above are the Fifth Form College Book Award recipients. Front row, l-r: Sara Carioscia (The Dartmouth College Book Award), Jack Kuenzle (The Middlebury College Book Award), Audrey Duquette (The Harvard University Book Award), Christina Cotte (The University of Pennsylvania Book Award). Back row, l-r: Amy Bortey (The College of the Holy Cross Book Award), Eugene O’Friel (The Cornell University Book Award), Jake Sheehy (The Rensselaer Award), Morgan Peterson (The Smith College Book Award), Hyun Woo Joo (The Fairfield University Book Award).
College Fair Gives Students, Parents Valuable Information
Nick Hochrein ’13 takes advantage of a mock college interview.
John Anthony Sabbagh ’12 receives his U.S. Merchant Marine Academy appointment from Lieutenant Kelly Ann Gualtieri.
Robert Knapp ’13 reviews a mock application.
Corey Chandler presents Jack Kuenzle ’13 the Middlebury College Book Award.
Tom Sheehy presents Audrey Duquette ’13 with the James D. Higgins ’44 History Thesis Award.
Jay Kuenzle ’75, father of Jack ’13, particiates in a mock application review.
MARC VANASSE ’73 (8)
English Dept. Chair Wright Danenbarger presents to Hayley Pettinato ’14 the Dr. Nelson Hume Speech Competition Award for outstanding speaker.
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CAMPUSLIFE
Joelle Wyser-Pratte ’87 Addresses Women of Canterbury Women of Canterbury held its annual dinner on April 20 in Steele Hall Dining Room. Joelle Wyser-Pratte ’87, Managing Partner of Ounavarra Capital LLC and co-chair of Educate Girls Globally, an organization which focuses on enrolling impoverished girls in schools in India, spoke about the journey which led her to EGG and the great success the program is having. During the event, dormparent and coach EJ Soifersmith received the Women of Canterbury’s Woman of the Year Award, which is presented to a Canterbury woman who has influenced the lives of the School’s young women.
Joelle Wyser-Pratte ’87 believes that educating girls in Third World countries is a great way to change the planet.
The members of the Finance Club toured the manufacturing facilities of Electric Motion Company (EMC) in Winsted, CT. Club advisors Bryan Kiefer and Marc Vanasse ’73 accompanied the students. This is the third manufacturing plant the Club has visited in the past year. Stephen Pollock, vice president of EMC and parent of Stephen ’13, toured the students through the company’s two manufacturing facilities. EMC specializes primarily in producing parts for the telecommunications industry. Its customers include Verizon, Cox Cable, and Charter Communications. The company has 225 employees and is Winsted’s largest employer. It sells more than 10,000 products.
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MARC VANASSE ’73 (2)
Finance Club Visits EMC
L-r: Stephen Pollock, parent of Stephen ’13 and vice president of EMC, Kingsley Amoako ’13, Mike Miller ’13, Christian Procaccino ’13, Sullivan Healy ’13, Bryan Kiefer, Director of Development.
Students Serve Others, Locally and Globally
David Kang ’14 and Ben Grinnell organized Kick to the World Soccer and raised more than $500 for the not-forprofit charity in Africa.
MARC VANASSE ’73 (3)
For the second consecutive year, students assisted Special Olympians in the Northwest CT Regional Games in Canterbury’s William W. Higgins ’53 Aquatic Center. Above, Sixth Formers Clara Barnett and Stacie DeGrazia encourage a swimmer. The event took place on May 6.
Tyler DeJesus ’14 poses with Buzz Dolan, son of faculty members Paul and Emily Dolan, at the annual Nursing Home Fashion Show, which took place on May 14. The event helped celebrate National Nursing Home Week.
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CAMPUSLIFE
Canterbury Theater presents How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Lydia Haynes ’14 (Hedy).
Michael Balcom ’12 (Twimble) and Tom Harrison ’12 (Finch).
Logan Pettinato ’12 (Bud).
MARC VANASSE ’73 (4)
Allyson LaVigne ’14 (Smitty) and Stacie DeGrazia ’12 (Rosemary).
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May 11 & 12, 2012 Maguire Auditorium
Hayley Pettinato ’14 (Miss Jones) and KJ Ebner ’13 (Biggley).
Peter Bergner ’14 (Tackaberry), Sean Owens ’12 (Bratt), Michael Balcom ’12, Ryan Healy ’12 (Womper), Joe Najm ’12 (Gatch), Harry McDowell ’13 (Ovington), Brian Lopez ’15 (Peterson), Logan Pettinato ’12.
MARC VANASSE ’73 (4)
Directed by Madeline Dreeke Production managed by Robin Dreeke
Alanis Perez ’15 (Secretary), Christina Jenkins ’14 (Secretary), Skylar LaManna ’15 (Secretary), Allyson LaVigne ’14, Stacie DeGrazia ’12, Nicole Lee ’13 (Secretary), Courtney Greene ’15 (Secretary), Kacey Marra ’13 (Secretary) .
Loren Winters ’15 (Miss Krumholtz).
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CAMPUSLIFE
Capstone Speakers Share Their Expertise
Trustee John Donovan ’59 presented information about astronomy.
Keith Choate ’92, M.D., Ph.D, currently an assistant professor, Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, addressed genetic approaches to human diseases.
Alex Prud’Homme, author of “The Ripple Effect” and the second Fay Vincent Jr. Speaker of the year, spoke to the community about global water scarcity issues on April 13 in Maguire Auditorium.
MARC VANASSE ’73 (7)
Crystal Holick ’94 explained to students issues related to epidemiology.
Ben Venter, a NOLS rep, spoke about his mountain climbing career.
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Mark Ruby educated students about the bear population in Montana.
Larry Marsicano, Executive Director of the Candlewood Lake Authority in Sherman, CT, discussed the cultural history, water quality, and current issues about the Lake.
Archbishop Henry Mansell Confirms Students
Archbishop Henry Mansell congratulates Ken Hansen ’15 upon his being confirmed on May 3 in the Chapel of Our Lady. Tad ’09 served as his brother’s sponsor.
The Most Rev. Henry Mansell, D.D., Archbishop of Hartford, confirmed 21 students and one faculty member, Dale Reinhardt, in the Chapel of Our Lady on Thursday, May 3. The confirmati and their sponsors and families gathered for dinner in Steele Hall Dining Room prior to the 7:30 ceremony. During the school year, Canterbury’s Chaplain, Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B, prepared the Confirmation candidates. May 3 also marked Fr. Sebastian’s 55th Anniversary of his Ordination. “You are called to be leaders in the Church and in society,” said the Archbishop. “Focus on the fundamentals of your faith in your lives.” After the service, the Sheehys hosted a reception at their home.
MARC VANASSE ’73 (3)
Faculty & Sixth Form Dinner, a Night for Honors
After opening remarks by Headmaster Tom Sheehy, faculty and students sat down for dinner. While students and faculty enjoyed coffee and dessert, Tom Sheehy announced the recipient of this year’s Class of 1987 Citizenship Award, Seth Menghi. Next, Math Department Chair Sue Roberts spoke to Sixth Formers about their limitless futures and what they can expect in the coming years. “As Sixth Formers, you are going through a very normal and natural rite of passage that no one may have warned you about,” said Sue. “Allow life to have meaning with a combination of skill and chance, life is full of surprises. It’s a very exciting journey.” To conclude the evening, Emily Dolan and yearbook staff editors Briana Tom and Stephanie Powdar read this year’s yearbook dedication. The honor went to Director of Guidance and AP History Teacher Jonathan Diamond.
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CAMPUSLIFE
Spring Concerts Showcase Students’ Talents
Paul von Uffel ’13, a member of the Rock Band, at the “Rock & Roll to Motown” concert on April 17.
Bamboo Kanyuck ’15 on violin at the orchestra concert on May 14.
Stacie DeGrazia ’12, a member of the Canterbury Chorale, at the “Songs of Spring” concert on May 17.
MARC VANASSE ’73 (5)
Art, in Many Forms, Flourishes in Duffy Gallery
AP Art show students at the opening of their show on May 17. L-r: Art teacher Marsha Doran, Minhye Choi ’12, Tzu-Yu “Alice” Kan ’12, Ryan Melvin ’12, Fine Arts Chair Kim Tester, Murphy McRae ’12, Kayla Lynch ’12, Feng “Blake” Ye ’12.
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Artist Dana Filibert discusses her work with Hamza Debbagh ’13 during a closing reception on April 26.
Grandparents’ Day Attracts 111 “Seniors”
E. Michael Woods ’12 poses with his grandparents, Peter ’49 and Marina Carney, at the 17th Annual Grandparents’ Day on May 2.
Judith Sheindlin, grandmother of Sarah Levy ’15, sits in on a Spanish I class.
MARC VANASSE ’73 (4)
Prom Sunday Marks a Rite of Passage
Brooks Dwyer ’12 and his date Christina Loya ’13 .
Among the 100 prom-goers were Seth Menghi ’12, Allyson Good ’12, Sean Owens ’12, and Allyson LaVigne ’14. The Amber Room in Danbury served as the venue on Sunday, May 20.
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CAMPUSLIFE
Don K. Gowan III Basketball Award Established
MARC VANASSE ’73 (3)
Athletic Awards Bestowed
Sixth Form Award Recipients. Front row, l-r: Stacie DeGrazia (Best Leadership), Victoria Pucci (Best Sportsmanship), Laura Drew (Best AllAround Athlete), Lindsey Stewart (Most Improved Athlete), Lindsey Marra (Charles R. Huntington Scholar-Athlete). Back row, l-r: Brian LaMuraglia (Best Sportsmanship), E. Michael Woods (Most Improved Athlete), Krista O’Gara (Best All-Around Athlete), Michael Odenwaelder (Best All-Around Athlete), Nic Pierog (Best Leadership) Mack LaManna (Robert M. Steele ’72 Scholar-Athlete).
GeorgeAnn Gowan, mother of Don K. Gowan III, an Associate Director of Admission and Head Boys’ Basketball coach who died suddenly on May 7, poses with Krista O’Gara and Carter Moots, the recipients of the inaugural award presented to a boy and girl on Varsity Basketball who best embody what Don expected of all players who represent the Canterbury basketball program: integrity, respect, and sportsmanship.
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK Peter Berry ’13 Varsity Crew
Andrew Nolan ’12 Varsity Track & Field
Kinsey Chandler ’13 Girls’ J.V. Tennis
Jordan Nolan ’15 Novice Crew
Niall Devaney ’12 Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse
Michael Odenwaelder ’12 Varsity Baseball
Brooks Dwyer ’12 Varsity Baseball
Alumni Awards. Front row, l-r: Joe Hochrein (C.T. Fisher ’72 Boys’ Soccer Award), Carter Moots (Don K. Gowan III Basketball Award), Krista O’Gara (Don K. Gowan III Basketball Award), Doris Amoako ( Horace E. Tennes Girls’ Tennis Award), Mack LaManna (Giuseppe “Joe” Leto ’97 Wrestling Award). Back row, l-r: Corey Pfeifer (Nicholas DiTullio Award), Tom Harrison (Giuseppe “Joe” Leto ’97 Wrestling Award), Sung Ho Son (William Stephanak ’78 Boys’ Tennis Award), James Lord (John Confort ’70 Football Award), Richard Naccarato (John Confort ’70 Football Award).
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Krista O’Gara ’12 Varsity Softball
Nick Ekholm ’13 Varsity Crew
Claire O’Keeffe ’13 Varsity Crew
Devan Embelton ’13 Varsity Softball
Samantha Ostreicher ’14 Novice Crew
Eric Fernandes ’13 Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse
Morgan Peterson ’13 Girls’ J.V. Tennis
Casey Fuller ’14 Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse
Sung Ho Son ’12 Boys’ Varsity Tennis
Ryan Healy ’12 Varsity Crew
Sabrina Saint-Marc ’13 Varsity Track & Field
Nicole Jodan ’15 Novice Crew
Olivia Steiner ’13 Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse
Skylar LaManna ’15 Novice Crew
Caroline Stolfi ’15 Novice Crew
Samantha McDermott ’13 Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse
Justine Valentino ’12 Varsity Softball
Joe Najm ’12 Varsity Crew
Scott Waters ’12 Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse
Students Honored at Spring Awards GIRLS’ VARSITY TRACK & FIELD
VARSITY BASEBALL
Coach’s Award: Shannon Lenihan-Burke ’13 M.V.P.: Sabrina Saint-Marc ’13, Christina Cotte ’13
Coach’s Award: Jake Sheehy ’13 M.V.P.: Michael Odenwaelder ’12
BOYS’ VARSITY TRACK & FIELD
J.V. BASEBALL
Coach’s Award: Eurgene O’Friel ’13, John O’Gara ’12 M.V.P.: Temar Hermelijn ’15, Andrew Nolan ’12
Coach’s Award: James Cafran ’13, Luke Hoeniger ’14
BOYS’ VARSITY LACROSSE
Coach’s Award: Luke McDermott ’12 M.V.P.: Niall Devaney ’12 BOYS’ J.V. LACROSSE
Coach’s Award: Joseph Crossen ’12
GIRLS’ VARSITY TENNIS
Coach’s Award: Man Yee “Ada” Ngan ’12 M.V.P.:Doris Amoako ’12, Feng “Blake” Ye ’12 GIRLS’ J.V. TENNIS
Coach’s Award: Tzu-Yu “Alice” Kan ’12 BOYS’ VARSITY TENNIS
Coach’s Award: Gregory Liautaud ’13
Coach’s Award: Sean Owens ’12 M.V.P.: E. Michael Woods ’12
GIRLS’ VARSITY LACROSSE
BOYS’ J.V. TENNIS
BOYS’ THIRDS LACROSSE
Coach’s Award: Laura Drew ’12 M.V.P.: Samantha McDermott ’13
Coach’s Award: Justin Jaeger ’14, Tsu-Chang “Hugo” Yu ’13
GIRLS’ J.V. LACROSSE
BOYS’ VARSITY CREW
VARSITY GOLF
Coach’s Award: Ryan Healy ’12, Seth Menghi ’12 M.V.P.: Nicholas Ekholm ’13
Coach’s Award: Jin Jiang ’12 M.V.P.: Joseph Hochrein ’12
BOYS’ NOVICE CREW
Coach’s Award: Caitlyn Everett ’13
Coach’s Award: Tristan Kane ’15
VARSITY SOFTBALL
Coach’s Award: Jennifer Yu ’13 M.V.P.: Devan Embelton ’13, Justine Valentino ’12
GIRLS’ VARSITY CREW
J.V. SOFTBALL
GIRLS’ NOVICE CREW
Coach’s Award: Samantha Ostreicher ’14
MARC VANASSE ’73
Coach’s Award: Xin “Jilllian” Wang ’15
Coach’s Award: Meagan Kendrick ’12 M.V.P.: Heather Norris ’12
39 41
The Canterbury Observer
A Tribute to Don Gowan Headmaster Tom Sheehy remembers faculty member Don Gowan, who passed away suddenly on May 7.
I
wonder why a Kent graduate and the son of a longtime and well respected Kent faculty member would have anything to do with Canterbury. So I asked him. His answer revealed a great deal about his character. He said that his desire to work with kids in a boarding school setting was paramount in his thinking. He also hinted that he had a tremendous desire to coach, especially basketball. I don’t recall specifically the remainder of the interview, but I do know that he was a young man I wanted in our community. Though Don spent ten years working on Wall Street, I believe he found his true calling and home during his past two years at Canterbury, working as a coach, dormparent, and admission officer. Whether nurture or nature, or a combination of the two, like his father and namesake, Don was a School Man, born and bred. Don found his passion and pursued it and since then never worked another day. I understand that he told his mom that he couldn’t believe that he was being paid to do what he was doing. I wish I had known that! 42
MARC VANASSE ’73
remember the first day I met Don. Of course I remembered seeing his dad when he coached basketball against Canterbury and as an assistant lacrosse coach I remember coaching against him in that sport. I had to
Don, doing what he loved most, coaching his players.
“School Man” is not a term you can find in the dictionary, but those of us who have spent our lives working at boarding schools know one when we meet one. First of all, a School Man connects deeply with his students and players. Don’s basketball players and advisees, here today, are testimony to the influence he had on students. He guided them as basketball players and students, but especially as young men. He instinctively knew what to say to his players, the boys in the dorm or even the students he was interviewing. More importantly, he realized that his actions would speak louder than any words, and
Don’s actions and behavior were louder than his voice, which says a lot. A School Man is excellent at the performance of his job. In two short years he took a program that was 1-18 to a whole new level, leading them to a berth in the New England tournament for only the second time in our school’s history. I recall Don coming to me in his first year as head coach proudly announcing that his team had exceeded the previous year’s record when they won their second game. He promised there would be more to follow. For a program that had few spectators in previous years, more and more home games were
Though Don spent ten years working on Wall Street, I believe he found his true calling during his past two years at Canterbury, working as a coach, dormparent and admissions officer. Whether nurture or nature, or a combination of the two, like his father
standing room only. It was at these games that I came to know GeorgeAnn and see the deep love and commitment Don and Mom had for each other. Don’s passion for basketball was only exceeded by his passion to help all of his players reach their full potential as players and team members. I must add that often times I was more captivated watching Don on the sidelines than I was watching the players on the court. I always looked forward to visiting Don in his office to debrief the previous day’s game. Those visits clearly indicated to me the depth of love for his players and his unceasing desire for them to become a better team, but more importantly, better student-athletes. In the dormitory, he was our dorm head’s “go-to-guy” for all those challenging situations that can and do arise in a boys’ dormitory. In the Admission Office, he was a tireless and indefatigable recruiter, increasingly comfortable with the daily rigors of admission work, and a stalwart supporter of his fellow admission associates. There wasn’t a day that went by that one of Don’s comments didn’t elicit laughter and smiles. He was just a great guy to work with and have around, even if I had to keep after him to wear his blazer! And two months ago he made a point of sitting in the front row at Friday faculty meetings modeling his blazer for me! Finally, a School Man is loyal to his school. As we all know, Don
MARC VANASSE ’73
and namesake, Don was a School Man, born and bred.
Don gives his team a halftime strategy talk.
was born, raised and educated at Kent, son of a legendary teacher, administrator and coach, and Don always made it clear that his heart belonged to Kent. But Don worked at Canterbury, and from day one was totally committed to our mission and community. He worked to make us a better school every day. Indeed with age, experience, and a little wisdom, I have come to realize that the true “School Man” transcends school rivalries and understands and revels in our common traits and goals. In many ways, Don has fostered the building of a stronger bridge
between our two schools. We miss Don. We miss his sense of humor, his intelligence, and his passion. We miss his commitment, his intensity, and his competitive personality. We miss his desire to make Canterbury a better school, to improve the basketball program, to recruit the next class of Canterbury students. Don modeled Canterbury’s Five Values and lived every day for the love of his family and friends, and for the care and growth of our students. In two short years, he left a great legacy. To Don’s mom GeorgeAnn, and his sister Anna, and brother Andrew, to you go all our love and support. We cannot lighten your grief, only share it. We must acknowledge together that this grief could not have been had Don not been the man he was. Let’s remember and honor that and believe that we never lose those we send to God. On May 7, 2012, faculty member Don Gowan was found dead in his Sheehan apartment. During his two years at Canterbury, Don served as Associate Director of Admission, Head Boys’ Varsity Basketball coach, and Sheehan House dormparent. He is survived by his mother, GeorgeAnn, sister Anna, and brother Andrew. His father predeceased him. As of this writing, cause of death has not been determined. Tom Sheehy’s remarks, delivered on May 14, 2012, at the memorial service for Don at the Kent School Chapel, have been excerpted for print.
43
COURTESY ALEX VETTER ’89
COURTESY CARLTON TUCKER ’73
CLASSNOTES
44
Alex Vetter ’89, left, ran into John O’Neill ’57 and his son Eric ’89 at the Masters.
Williams College graduates gathered at the College’s reunion and posed for this picture. L-r: Paul Tucker ’68, Monica Sheehan Bennett ’73, Jim Briggs ’56, Carlton Tucker ’73.
1964 On April 19, in Washington, D.C., Arturo Brillembourg’s wife Hilda received the Congressional Medal of Merit Award for her distinguished contributions to our country. April 19 commemorates the beginning of Venezuela’s struggle for independence from Spain, and the date offers a fitting opportunity to recognize the great contributions that Hispanics of Venezuelan descent, like Arturo and Hilda, have made to the U.S. She also received the Certificate of Congressional Recognition for her outstanding and invaluable service to the U.S. 1967 John Birdsall is an SVP and head of the EM Sales team at Hapoalim Securities, U.S.A., in New York City. Hapoalim is the largest bank in Israel. John has been with the same EM sales and trading team for more than 12 years, including previous employment at Standard Bank and Prudential/Wachovia. Before that John worked eleven
of the Smithsonian Museum. The award honors individuals and organizations whose imaginative use of information technology provides remarkable and significant contributions to society. Christopher also passed the intense Foreign Service Economics exam, which qualifies him as a global economics advisor to the U.S. Department of State. In addition, he has been a frequent speaker at investment conferences and a technology advisor to the University of California. He is listed in Who’s Who Worldwide and the Small Business Association Hall of Fame with Ruiz Foods. Christopher and his family reside in the U.S. and Brazil, where he grew up. Cofer Black appeared briefly in a 60 Minutes segment about his CIA colleague, Hank Crumpton, who was launching his new book about his career in the CIA. Says Cofer, “They asked me some questions about the U.S. launch into Afghanistan after 9/11. In those dark days, thoughts
years at Morgan Stanley and three years at Lehman Brothers. He missed the recent reunion because he was traveling in Europe with his wife and two “young adult” children, Emilia, 22, a recent graduate of Kenyon College, and Jesse, 20, a rising sophomore at Middlebury College. 1968 Christopher Raborg received his degree from the Wharton School and started his 35-year career as an information systems analyst and progressed to Fortune 100 CFO and CEO positions across several industries and countries. He was a founding venture capital partner for a Latin American emerging markets fund. In addition, he is licensed in the U.S. and internationally with Man Investments in London, Switzerland, and Isle of Man. Christopher developed a project, which was awarded the prestigious ComputerWorld Smithsonian Awards in 1993 and became part of the permanent collection
of what Canterbury taught me were never far from my mind. What you all do up there is really important.” 1973 Carmine Bonomo and wife Ingrid welcomed their second child, Isabella Catherine, on April 12, 2012. She joins big brother Ryan, who will be turning three years old in November and big sister, Emily, who turned 19 in January. John Tobin writes that he has appeared in roles in True Blood, Gangster Squad, Argo, and Looking for Love. He has also been working as a Bogart impersonator at Casablanca dinners and attended the Dick Clarke memorial service. 1981 When not doing his radio traffic reports for Connecticut’s travelers, Tommy Keegan (aka Tommy Edison) is reviewing movies. While that may not seem interesting, his jobs take on a whole new meaning when you know that Tommy has been blind since birth. The video reviews are shot and edited by his buddy Ben
L-r: Doug Cushnie ’08, Alan Chamorro ’80, Amy Omaña ’86, Jose Alvarez ’76. Alan hosted the Canterbury Nicaragua volunteers at his home in Managua.
Churchill, a documentary filmmaker, and share a website with a series called Blind Film Critic. The point of the “experience” videos, he says, is “to show sighted people how I live and how I do things, and have some fun and educate a bit.” 1984 Holly Lucas Murphy was recently named Director of Human Resources at The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a public economic development agency that fosters a more favorable environment for the formation, retention, and expansion of technology-related enterprises in Massachusetts. The agency brings together leaders from industry, government, and academia to advance technology-based solutions that improve the health care system, expand highspeed Internet access, and strengthen regional economies. 1985 Peter Farrell has joined the senior management team at Royall & Company in Richmond, VA. Royall
& Company provides direct marketing services to more than 200 colleges and universities and was a key partner in the success Peter helped engineer as an admission office leader for NYU, Hofstra, and, most recently, Fordham University. 1998 Corinne Kopcik Rhyner graduated with a PhD in English from Georgia State University on May 5. Her dissertation was on 19th and 20th Century American women’s literature and the language of flowers. “I might never have gotten to this point without JP Mandler’s AP Literature class,” says Corinne. “I plan on publishing chapters of the dissertation in several literary journals.” Currently, Corinne and husband Matthew reside in Coconut Grove, FL. She teaches English at Ransom Everglades School, a private school. 1999 Mike Hume, who is a writer for ESPN.com recently had a major piece published called “NFL Future Ranking: Methodology.”
COURTESY Gina Finn
COURTESY Amy Omaña ’86
CLASSNOTES
While recruiting for students in Madrid, Pat Finn, left, met with Diego Freire ’90 in Madrid, Spain.
2000 Emily Kloeblen received an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School. Students who place in the top 10% of their first and second year classes are eligible for an MBA with Distinction. She works for CVS/Caremark as a manager of operations effectiveness. Renata Gagnon and John Kennedy were married in the School’s Chapel of Our Lady on June 2, 2012. Chaplain Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B., officiated. Alessia Gagnon ’07, Renata’s sister, was maid of honor, Rosemarie CruzHerrera ’00, Emily Kloeblen, and Alice McGrail were bridesmaids, and Josh Fine was a groomsman. Matthew Lutjen married Madeline Kraemer on June 16, 2012, in Canterbury Chapel of Our Lady. Craig Mealmaker served as best man. 2005 Matt Goodrich recently graduated from The California Institute of the Arts with an MFA in acting. He is moving to New York City
this summer to pursue an acting career after playing Horatio at the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival. 2006 Morgan Hopkins recently started as the Coordinator of Leadership Programs in the Centennial Center for Leadership at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, her alma mater. 2007 Matt Gardner led RIT-48, a student competition at Rochester Institute of Technology. Students had 48 hours to plan, pitch, and launch a website or mobile app. “There was not a lot of time, the students were still in school and they had to work as hard as they could,” says Matt. “The advantage of doing this is that they can find out if something is going to work before they go out into the real world.” 2008 Mike Diaz has been accepted to the University of Buffalo School of Medicine to pursue an M.D. degree. Caroline Bell was recently recognized for academic
45
COURTESY THe Falcones
COURTESY TChris Orlando ’04
CLASSNOTES
excellence and graduated magna cum laude from Norwich University. She was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Adam Bessel was named to the fall semester dean’s list at Bentley University. He was head resident assistant at the university and a member of the judicial board. He was also an intern for St. Croix Systems. Doug Cushnie is working on a film project that will begin production in late summer in Nicaragua. Says Doug, “Twenty percent of what we raised is going to Fabretto, a program for children in Nicaragua that Canterbury has supported for many years.” To learn more about the film project, visit https:// www.facebook.com/ TheNinthOctaveFilms.
Chris Orlando ’04 married Megan Ritter on April 14, 2012 at St. Bede The Venerable Church in Holland, PA. Macy Steers ’04 and Vinny Ciardullo ’05 attended.
COURTESY Diana PIZZOLORUSSO WHITTEN ’98
Lauren Michael ’01 married classmate Marco Falcone on October 15, 2011. Guests included, front row, l-r: Katie Egan ’01, Alyssa Michael ’00, Christina Harris Genoveze ’01, Gary Michael ’97. Back row, l-r: Therese Servas, Vanessa Chaber ’00, Leila Stepankiw, bride and groom, Steve Mitacek ’01, Jeremy Snyder ’01, Ryan Mason ’01.
The Littlest Saints. L-r: Charlie Rice (son of Caroline Foley Rice ’99), Liza and Teddy Montagano (daughter and son of Sarah Foley Montagano ’95), Abigail Reilly (daughter of Molly Sheehy Reilly ’98 and John Reilly ’96), Sheperd Whitten (son of Diana Pizzolorusso Whitten ’98).
COURTESY EMILY KLOEBLEN ’00
n
Emily Kloeblen ’00 with legendary investor Warren Buffett.
46
COURTESY Katie Heidbreder ’07
COURTESY TSue Moffitt Delegan ’96
Sue Moffitt Delegan ’96 and husband John announce the arrival of Evania (Eva) Grace, born on February 11, 2012. She joins big brother Christian, 2 1/2. The Delegans live in Alexandria, VA.
Katie Heidbreder ’07 appears in “Hairspray” at Toby’s Dinner Theater in Baltimore.
Paul Tucker ’68 Brings Giverny to the Bronx If you are unable to travel to Giverny, France, to tour Monet’s gardens, then a trip to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx will satisfy your desire. Monet scholar Paul Tucker ’68, organized “Monet’s Garden” at the famed NY Botanical Garden. According to The New York Times, “The main attraction is a living abbreviated approximation of the two major gardens that Monet created, one in traditional, orderly French style, the other a Japanese-inspired fantasia of water, blooming lily pads, and weeping willows.” “Monet’s Gardens” runs through October 21. Visit www. nybg.org for more information.
MARC VANASSE ’73
Mark Shriver Pens Book about his Dad
Bill O’Connor ’57 recently bought this used golf cart for Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B., the School’s chaplain, to make it easier for him to cruise around the campus. The sign, created by the Development Office, reads: “This golf cart belongs to Father Sebastian. If you steal it, you are going to hell.”
Mark Shriver, son of Sargent Shriver ’34, recently wrote a book, A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, about his famous father. After a lifetime searching for the path to his father’s success in the public arena, Mark instead turns to a search for the secret of his father's joy, his devotion to others, and his sense of purpose. 47
CLASSNOTES
Down Memory Lane
48
Tom Murray ’70 recently donated this letter to Canterbury's archives. Sent to his father, Tom ’44, it was mailed by Headmaster Nelson Hume in December 1944 to all the alumni, scattered by their service in World War II around the world. By December 1944, Dr. Hume and the other Canterbury masters had already mourned at daily Mass the deaths of 7 former students, killed in action during the war. These young men were Jack Miller ’31, James Quinn ’32, Raymond Bengert ’36, James Corroon ’37, John Bagley ’39, William Koch ’39, and Ed Scanlon ’42. Before the war ended in mid-1945, five more would die in battle: Thomas Skelly ’33, Ned Grace ’35, Ed Bagley ’38, George Merganthaler ’39, and Neil Laprese ’43, who never received this letter – he was just 19 when he was killed in December 1944 in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. Nelson Hume’s letter to the graduates, “wherever you are and under whatever conditions,” contains news of the football teams and life on campus, including the need for students, given wartime rationing, to roll their own cigarettes (then allowed on campus!). His epistle ends on a note of hope: “Gaudate, gaudete! Christus natus hodie!” Rejoice, rejoice, Christ is born today.
CANTERBURY PROUD
Catholic Values Shape a Life
Callie Cagney ’03.
Callie Cagney ’03.
“The experiences I had and lessons I learned at Canterbury helped me get to where I am today,” says Callie. “Mrs. Omaña ’86 taught me to be open minded to new ideas and certainly helped to pave the way for my career.”
COURTESY Callie cagney ’03
CALLIE CAGNEY ’03 is grateful that her dad,
Bill ’59, wanted his first child to attend his alma mater. “We toured a number of boarding schools and concluded that Canterbury was the right school for me because of its Catholic roots,” says Callie. Her Canterbury career was quite impressive. She was a sacristan, proctor, editor of the Cantuarian, co-captain of the squash team, captain of Girls’ Varsity Tennis in her Fifth and Sixth Form years, and president of SN@C (Smart Nutrition at Canterbury); and received the University of Pennsylvania Book Award in her Fifth Form year and the Horace E. Tennes Girls’ Varsity Tennis Award in her Fifth and Sixth Form years. In addition, she played the tenor and baritone sax in the Jazz Band all four years and was a member of the Canterbury Honor Society. On graduation day, Callie received the James K. Breene Jr. Latin Award, the Edward F. Mack Award for outstanding service as a sacristan and for outstanding contributions to the Cantuarian, the Roderick Clarke ’46 Distinguished Academic Achievement Award (for highest GPA in the class), and the Philip H. Brodie Award for exceptional achievement and all-around service to the School. After graduating from Canterbury, she graduated from Georgetown University, another Catholic institution, in 2007. As an undergraduate in Georgetown’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Callie majored in Healthcare Management and Policy. She stayed at Georgetown to earn a Masters of Science Health Systems Administration. Today, Callie works at the American College of Cardiology in the Science and Quality Division for the National Cardiovascular Data Registry. Her primary responsibility focuses on quality improvement measures as they pertain to Data Registry’s payer clients. Although Callie enjoys her current job, she admits that she is open to new opportunities. “I see myself staying in healthcare, but with the Affordable Care Act underway, I could certainly see my occupation evolving.” “The experiences I had and lessons I learned at Canterbury helped me get to where I am today,” says Callie. “Mrs. Omaña ’86 taught me to be open minded to new ideas and certainly helped to pave the way for my career. Just as important, Mrs. Behan exposed me to various aspects of the healthcare industry in her Biotechnology, Advanced Biology of the Brain, and AP Biology classes. In addition, Fr. Sebastian instilled the ‘servant’s heart’ mentality and the importance of giving back.” Callie also cites the structure of dorm life with teaching her independence and self-sufficiency at an early age. “Participating in so many extracurricular activities forced me to learn effective time management,” says Callie. “Canterbury’s Catholic values inspired me to get involved in the community. I have been a member of the Junior League of Washington, D.C. since graduate school, and I have enjoyed contributing to their platform of improving literacy in D.C.” Callie and her fiancé recently adopted an English bulldog named Dolly and plan to be married in late summer of 2013. 49
CLASSNOTES OBITUARIES In Memoriam
James O’Sullivan ’34 Edgar V. Treacy Jr. ’44 William I. McCloskey ’46 Edmund D. Mooney ’49 Terence C. Canavan ’51
L. Sidney Charbonnet III ’59 Barry Walker ’63 James R. Laidlaw Jr. ’64 Isabelle C. Reilly
James O’Sullivan ’34 James L. O’Sullivan, 95, retired Foreign Service officer, and retired Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Louisville, KY, died at the Connecticut Hospice Center in Branford, CT on Tuesday, April 10, 2012. Jim was born on October 23, 1916. He attended Orange Center School (Orange, CT) and Hillhouse High School (New Haven) and Canterbury School before attending Williams College (AB 1938) studying economics and receiving a letter in golf. In addition, one of the things Jim was most proud of was his receiving the Eagle Scout medal in 1933 as a member of Derby's Troop 3. He served in the U.S. Foreign Service from 1942 until 1971. In 1945 he served in the American Embassy in Chungking, China after an adventuresome ride over the Hump in a C-140. He met Chang Kai-Shek and Chou-en-Lai and other important figures while there. He then continued on to Hanoi where he served from spring of 1946 until December 1947, observing Ho Chi Minh and the conflict with the French colonial forces as the only American official in northern Indochina. Following those early years he served in Rome, Tunisia, Brazzaville (Congo), Kinshasa (Congo/Zaire), Djakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Sydney. Jim joined the faculty at the University of Louisville in 1967 as a visiting Diplomat in Residence. Following his final posting to Australia as the Consul General in Sydney (1968-1971) he returned to Louisville and joined the Political Science Department. He served as head of the department from 1974-1977. He was an active member of the faculty senate and served on the Athletics Committee and as the faculty representative to the NCAA committee. Jim was the 1st recipient of the Minerva Award for the University of Louisville. Jim was an avid and excellent golfer, playing nearly to the last day of his life. He was a life member of the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur and won championships in Italy and Tunisia as well as being a renowned player in Louisville and on courses across Connecticut. He was also a life member of the Oronoque Country Club. Jim was very active at the Oronoque Village Condominium and served as an officer on the board of OVCA. Jim is survived by step-son Robert Hilgendorff of Fairfield, CT and step-daughters Katherine Blanchard of Oxford, NH and Jane Huggins of Altamont, NY as well as step-grandchildren Steven, Emily, Jeffrey and Andrew. Additional survivors are his brother Robert and family (Lakewood CO), and sister Patricia (Orange, CT), Jeff, John, Kathy, Patrick and David, children of his brother Thomas and his friends and acquaintances in Oronoque Village, especially his friend Myrtie Hall. 50
He was predeceased by his first wife, Eleanor Goode (d. 1977) and his second wife, Jean Fraser Hilgendorff (d. 2008). Edgar V. Treacy, Jr. ’44 Edgar Vincent “Bud” Treacy Jr., 86, retired Chairman of TM&P, Inc., veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Catholic philanthropist and active member of St. Pius X Church, devoted husband, father and grandfather of Scarsdale, NY died unexpectedly in Hillsboro Beach, FL, on April 25, 2012. Born in Manhattan, Bud was the only child of Edgar Treacy Sr. and Marie Treacy (Kilgore). He graduated from Williams College. Upon his return from the war, he began his career as a minor league baseball player for the Philadelphia A’s. His career continued at CBS Broadcasting and J.P. Stevens, before he founded TM&P, a premiere sports marketing and media training firm in 1972. He retired from the company in 1995. He was the longest tenured member of Westchester Hills Golf Club and served several times as president and board governor. Bud and his father were pillars of the club and there is a tournament in the Treacy name. He had an extraordinary life filled with numerous professional and personal accomplishments, but he will be best remembered for his 55 year marriage to Lois Treacy (Hickey) and for his devotion to his two daughters and five grandchildren. William I. McCloskey ’46 William Ignatius McCloskey, 83, a builder and stockbroker, died Wednesday, June 6, of a heart attack at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, FL. Bill grew up with five siblings in Overbrook, PA. His father, Matthew H. McCloskey Jr., owned McCloskey Construction Co. and was ambassador to Ireland during the Kennedy administration. During World War II, as a young teen, Bill worked one summer at the shipyard his father owned in Tampa, FL., where he helped build concrete ships used in the invasion of Normandy. After graduating from Canterbury, Bill attended Princeton and Villanova Universities. He then joined his father’s firm and was construction supervisor for numerous buildings, including facilities for General Electric, Bethlehem Steel, and the U.S. Postal Service. Later, he switched careers and became a stockbroker. He was vice president of Prudential-Bache Securities in Bryn Mawr when he retired in 2005 and moved full-time to Florida. He is survived by his wife, Marge. Edmund D. Mooney ’49 Ed passed away Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at the age of 79. Father of Laura (Ken) Peterson. Grandfather of Stephanie and Christina Peterson. The PALLIUM invites members of the Canterbury family to submit copies of obituaries, which we will edit for publication. If you wish to share memories of a deceased classmate for possible inclusion in this publication, please send them to the editor.
Terence C. Canavan ’51 Terence Canavan, of Savannah, Georgia, passed away peacefully at home on March 22, 2012. He was 78 years old. Terry was born in Brooklyn, NY, and attended Williams College, from which he graduated in 1955. After college he simultaneously signed up for Chemical Bank’s training program and enlisted in the United States Air Force. After completing the bank’s credit training program, he spent four years as a fighter pilot and flight instructor in Laredo, Texas, and he continued to fly for the Air National Guard in New York after he left the Air Force. After his military service he returned to Chemical Bank and worked there until his retirement as Executive Vice President in 1994. Although he and his wife, Mary, knew only a few words of Spanish, he decided early on to move into the bank's Latin America business. Terry opened Chemical Bank's office in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1964, moved to Mexico City in 1969 to head the bank's office there, ran Chemical Bank's finance company in Spain for a couple of years and returned to Caracas in 1973 to run a large part of the bank’s Latin America business. In 1976, Terry and his family moved to Chatham Township, New Jersey, and lived there for two decades – eventually running Chemical Bank's businesses in emerging markets – before retiring to Savannah. More than anything else, Terry loved the company of his family and friends. He was an avid golfer. He was a longstanding member of the Inter-American Dialogue, an organization dedicated to confronting the most pressing issues facing the Western Hemisphere. He volunteered as a mentor for students of Savannah’s public schools. No day was complete without an assault, almost always successful, on The New York Times crossword puzzle. He was a champion of Accion International, one of the most successful micro-credit organizations in the world; he served as its chairman for many years. Terry is survived by his wife Mary, two sons, a daughter, and four grandchildren. L. Sidney Charbonnet III ’59 L. Sidney Charbonnet III, age 70, of Pass Christian, MS, died peacefully Monday, February 13, 2012 after a lengthy illness. Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 44 years, Millicent Donovan Charbonnet, and their children: Mona Musser (John) of New Orleans, Sid Charbonnet (Boo Christy) of Pass Christian, Elizabeth Talmadge (Dan) of Dothan, AL, and Millicent Charbonnet of Bay St Louis. He is also survived by his grandchildren: John, Byrne, and Donovan Musser; Christy, Sidney and Mary Lucy Charbonnet; Harper, Elizabeth, Helen, Millicent, and Joseph Talmadge who all affectionately called him Pére. Sid was a native of New Orleans, LA. He graduated from Canterbury and Spring Hill College. He received his juris doctorate from Loyola University School of Law, and practiced for many years in New Orleans until retiring and becoming a permanent resident of Pass Christian. He was an avid
boater and cherished the lifestyle of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, especially day and overnight trips to Cat Island. He spent most weekends with family and friends in Pass Christian. He was a member of the Pass Christian Yacht Club, Southern Yacht Club, the Lotus Club, the Stratford Club, the Crescent Club and many other carnival and social organizations. His favorite membership was with his good friends, “The Twelve Apostles.” Recalling his classmate, Michael von Mandel says, “I knew Sid very well and visited him at his home in Pass Christian, MS, during June 2005. At that time he was in good spirits and took us out in his boat. It was a wonderful time with Sid and his wife Millicent. He was a compassionate and conscientious person who cared about people. He will be sorely missed by all of his family and friends at Canterbury.” Barry Walker ’63 Barry passed away unexpectedly on April 17, 2012, from injuries related to a fall. Barry had recently retired from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. “Barry Walker was one of my roommates at Canterbury,” recalls Frank Clifford ’63. “We couldn’t have been more different. I was a clueless kid from the Midwest. Barry, on the other hand, was born knowing which fork to use. He saw me as a homework project. He suggested books I should read and led me to the wider world of New York City where he knew the editors of literary magazines and the daughters of famous actors. He insisted I wear the winter hat I had brought with me from Minnesota, one of those furry helmets with flaps that fold down over the ears and forehead that were on display in the movie Fargo. Not that I would have been mistaken for a young Scott Fitzgerald with it. I came to enjoy embarrassing Barry as much as he enjoyed introducing me as a farm hand to the delightfully grown up girls he knew at the Brearley School. As genial and gentle as Barry was, he had the skill and tenacity to succeed in a highly competitive field, first at the Brooklyn Museum and later at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, where he was an acclaimed curator of modern art. There, Barry was the guiding force behind the most important acquisition of 20th Century prints in the history of the museum. Although we were in touch, I wasn’t fully aware of his accomplishments, maybe because he was still the wry, self-effacing fellow who’d befriended me long ago. Except for the bright memories, there is no consolation for losing the friends of our youth. Barry was one of the best of mine. He was as original as the art he loved.” Says Jay A. Clarke ’84, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawing and Photographs at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institues and a Canterbury trustee, “Barry Walker, known to his Canterbury classmates as ‘Red,’ went on to become an internationally-respected curator. A native of Yonkers, Barry received his art history degree from Hamilton College and went on to become 51
CLASSNOTES OBITUARIES Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Brooklyn Museum. In 1991, he was appointed the first Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and, in 2002, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. After 25 years in Texas, Barry retired to Los Angeles. Distinguished for his many exhibitions and publications, Barry’s interest in writing was fostered at Canterbury where he served as Literary Editor for the Cantuarian. He will be remembered for his intelligence, charm, and wonderfully wry sense of humor by classmates and colleagues alike.” James R. Laidlaw Jr. ’64 James Robert Laidlaw, 66, died on April 18, 2012, with family by his side at Somerset Medical Center. He was born on August 21, 1945, in San Antonio, TX, to J. Robert and Ofelia Onderdonk Laidlaw. Jim earned his Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Maine, Orono, in 1973. He met and married his wife, Judy, during his time in Maine. He moved his family to the Gulf Coast of Florida shortly after, but Somerset County, NJ, was his home for the past two decades. Jim worked at the Barnes & Noble in Bridgewater for more than ten years. He was an active member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Bridgewater, serving on the vestry and as a Eucharistic Minister. A former member of the Log Cabin Gun Club, Jim was an exceptional marksman who enjoyed skeet shooting. He was a card shark par excellence and an avid reader, with science fiction being a particular passion. Music of all genres narrated every aspect of his life. He also loved the outdoors and spent much time with his family at their cabin in the Adirondacks. Lastly, no one will ever be able to match his cheeseburgers on the grill. Jim, or “Jan,” as only his granddaughter, Elizabeth Taber, called him, is also survived by his wife, Judy Laidlaw, his mother, his children, and his brothers. Isabelle C. Reilly, former Trustee Isabelle C. Reilly, 86, died peacefully at her Norwalk home on Friday, April 13, 2012, of natural causes, surrounded by family. Widow of Canterbury faculty member Eugene L. Reilly III, Mrs. Reilly was a resident of Norwalk for 55 years. She was born in New York City on July 31, 1925, matriculated at the Ursuline School, and graduated from the College of New Rochelle in 1947. Following the death of her husband, she assumed his position as president of the Gene Reilly Group, a market research concern headquartered in Darien, CT. After retirement, Mrs. Reilly was a full-time volunteer at AmeriCares in New Canaan, CT. She believed strongly in hands-on volunteering; with her family, she traveled many times to Appalachia and with AmeriCares, to Haiti and Albania, on charitable missions. She served as the first president of the Winifred Arms Society of Amherst College, which is a liaison between the College and 52
widows/widowers of its alumni. She was also a founding board member of the Bank of Darien, and served on the board of trustees at Canterbury School. Isabelle enjoyed basketball in her youth, was an avid paddle tennis player in her later years and was an accomplished artist. But her focus was raising her large and loving family. Mrs. Reilly’s family of survivors includes: Kathleen Reilly of Rowayton, CT and husband Dr. Rainer Maas; Kevin Reilly ’68 of Charlottesville, VA and wife Nancy; Megan Reilly of Norwalk, CT and husband Joel Perez; Sheila Reilly of Jamestown, RI and partner Peter Cosel; Carey Reilly of Redding, CT and husband John Jessep; Eugene Reilly ’78 of Washington Crossing, PA and wife Melissa; and Ellen Reilly ’84 of New York City.
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REUNION CLASS PHOTOS
The 50th Reunion Class (1962) and company. Front row, l-r: Ed Hutchison, Alex Wallau, Kevin Sheehan. Back row, L-r: Michael Beecher ’57, Ed Leydon, Jim Vollbrecht, Bob Cusack, Charley Coudert ’49.
The 45th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Chris Doyle. Gary Sheehan, Mike Foley. Back row, l-r: Dave Robert, Phil Torchio, Dena Daly (Chip’s daughter), Chip Daly, Ed Wallace.
HEIDI JOHNSON (3)
The 40th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Peter Shonk, Greg Hume, Paul Gelinas, Mike Seaman, Chip Berman, Sam FitzGerald, Dave Henderson, Tom Brennan. Middle row, l-r: Steve Adams, Bob Werber, Jed Coffin, Mike Conniff, John O’Brien, John Kiernan, Mark Pigott, Dan Whelan, Paul Fitzpatrick, Chris Colvin. Back row: Dirk Patterson.
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CLASSNOTES REUNION CLASS PHOTOS
The 35th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Bailey Breene Gendron, MaryKate Shea, Frank Bice, Judy Flayderman, Joanna Martiska. Back row, l-r: Terry Regan, Vin Flynn, Diane Bourdeau Barton, Chris O’Brien, Larry Fisher.
The 30th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Jennifer George D’Andrea, Rich Owens, Wendy Miller Claunch, Mark Conklin, Holly Morrow. Back row, l-r: Mark Morrow, Joe Kovacs, Ben Bristol, Curt Cannata, Matt Tormey.
HEIDI JOHNSON (3)
The 25th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Abby Mabasa, Mark Johnson, Desmond FitzGerald, Dave O’Shaughnessy, Ed Film, Hilary Duffy. Back row, l-r: Tom Taylor, Susan Allingham Tanamli, Landis Becker, Patrick Hardy, Shelly Hettwer Arrix, Susan Burke-O’Neal, Tricia Lawlor Jorden.
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REUNION CLASS PHOTOS
The 20th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Steve Rescigno, Lisa Staudt Squadron, Mike Simonelli, Jen O’Dowd Douglas, Scott Tullo, Sarah Nahom Reardon. Middle row, l-r: Danielle Cohen, Steve Kelly, Frank Taubner, Jen Geignetter Cannatelli, Jenn Hacker Gattie, Sheila Mebus Fox, Eileen Cullen Langer, Tom Hammer, Joanna Schindhelm Coe. Back row, l-r: Mike Ulich, Patricia Sordoni Rasmussen.
The 15th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Kate Murphy Decoff, Paige SpenceBerthiaume, Stephanie Goos Johnson, Erin Sussman Peschiera, Alli Trowbridge Scheckner, Meg McElligott, Andrea Thomas DeRizzio. Back row, l-r: Vanessa Heaton, Bill Meara, Simon Smith, Michael Torrant, Eliot Johnson, Justin Nash, Chris Crucitti, Tommy Gilligan, Jaclyn Hacker Gaddy.
HEIDI JOHNSON (3)
The 10th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Austin Farmer, Joanna Wozniak, Douglas Paul, Melaine Barclay, Sarah Sexton.
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HEIDI JOHNSON
CLASSNOTES REUNION CLASS PHOTOS
The 5th Reunion Class. Front row. l-r: Ian Bolster, Chris Aldrich, Mason Lord, Julia Haller, Kayle Schnell, Alessia Gagnon, Eamon Doonan, Heather Muirhead, Arvy Hill, Brittany Blackwell, Christa Rotolo. Middle row, l-r: Joe Lapke, Ben Koehler, Caleb Luther, Paul Doran, Matt Gardner, Tim Aldrich, Sam Storch, Jean Russell, Bridget Heaton, Katie Heidbreder, Giovanna DiGennaro, Kyle Ekstrom, Jonathan Zheng, JC Routh, Chris Cocce, Will Finn. Back row, L-r: Ryan Dunn, Phil Petrosky, Jack Mahoney, Pasha Kozhokin, Matt Chisick, Max Amster, Adam Kobayashi, Alex Krizan, James Ferguson, Louis Lestorti.
Mark Your Calendar Reunion 2013 • June 7 - 9 Classes ending in 3 and 8. Join us for a great weekend! 56
Faculty Member Marc Vanasse ’73 Leaves Faculty House to Canterbury
“Housing faculty on campus is one of Canterbury’s top priorities. Marc’s gift directly addresses this critical need.” Marco Bovero
– Headmaster Tom Sheehy
Marc Vanasse ’73, recipient of the 2009 Duffy Family Travel Award, in Palermo, Sicily.
My family has been associated with Canterbury since 1960, when Walter Sheehan hired my Dad to teach French and German, coach golf, I bequeathed my house on Elkington Farm Road
and serve as School organist and Choral Club accompanist. As a fiveyear old, I never envisioned making Canterbury my career. After 35
(formerly the Coffin house) to
years of teaching English, Film, and Photography and serving in several
the School and provided for a
administrative roles, I am grateful for the great and varied opportunities –
fixed cash gift to support the
traveling the world and editing this magazine – the School has
The Gerald A. and Therese
afforded me.
J. Vanasse Endowment for
When I recently created my estate plan, I included Canterbury in my
Choral Music. Making these
will. I bequeathed my house on Elkington Farm Road (formerly the Coffin
provisions in my will is the
house) to the School and provided for a fixed cash gift to support the The
best way to thank Canterbury
Gerald A. and Therese J. Vanasse Endowment for Choral Music. Making
for offering me such a rich
these provisions in my will is the best way to thank Canterbury for
and varied career and life.
offering me such a rich and varied career and life. To learn how you can benefit from including Canterbury in your estate plans, please contact: Jim Sweeney Director of Gift Planning 800-526-1710 • JSweeney@cbury.org
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The lining of the walk from Sheehan House to the Chapel of Our Lady on Graduation Day, May 29, 2012. (Photo by John Kane)