c Obi l a s tsu
an ri o te es s
including his attainment of the North Pole in 1908.
J o n at ha n Wa i te
Artist, Teacher and Chairman Emeritus of Visual Arts
J
onathan Waite, a New York City painter whose work is in the collections of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Robert Rauschenberg, among many others, died on November 18, 2010 at his home in Manhattan. He was 68 years old. The cause of death was cancer. Chairman Emeritus of the Visual Arts Department at Poly Prep Country Day School, Waite was also a beloved mentor and teacher to generations of students. Educated at the University of Iowa (B.F.A. 1964, M.A. 1966), Yale University, London’s Slade School of Art (P.G.C.F.A. 1968-69), and the Cranbrook Academy of Art (M.F.A., 1972), Waite taught painting and drawing at Poly Prep for 32 years. He also maintained art studios in Manhattan and Southampton. An allegorical landscape artist in an era when conceptual art and photography seem dominant, Waite’s originality was always apparent in his witty, magical narratives. Recent paintings were entitled “Art Handlers Delivering the DeKooning Gouaches” and “Miro Confronts The Dreaded Strawberry Sundae Hoo-Doo.” But Waite’s paintings were never merely surreal or of 79. After graduating from Poly, Mr. Cook attended Hobart College and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He worked
said when he retired from Poly in 2009. “We took art and culture very seriously,” he added.
whimsical. One of his final works, “Self Portrait X 4,” is powerfully imbued with a sense of mortality and retrospection. In this piece, Waite depicts four versions of himself, each younger than the last, in a desert landscape under a gorgeous blue sky. Purchased by Poly Prep parents, Waite’s moving valediction now hangs in Alumni House on the school’s Dyker Heights campus. As a teacher, Waite was both caring and rigorous. Samantha DiGenarro, one of Waite’s former Poly Prep students, commented, “Mr. Waite always found a way to “keep it real,” but he did so in a loving and fatherly way.“ Waite grew up in Minnesota and he maintained a fondness for the Midwest, even after 34 years of living in New York City. “I was lucky enough to grow up in Fergus Falls, Minnesota,” he for the Continental Insurance Companies before establishing his insurance agency, Cook Insurance Associates Inc. of Ridgewood, New Jersey. Mr.
At Poly, Waite was a constant and persuasive advocate for the visual arts. He taught painting, art history, and sculpture during his long tenure, and many of his students have gone on to study at prestigious art schools, such as the Rhode Island School of Design, and become successful visual artists. David B. Harman, Poly’s Headmaster, spoke for the entire Poly community when he said that: “We truly mourn Jon’s passing. He was a wonderful artist and an inspiring teacher. I’m so grateful that several Poly families generously donated one of Jon’s last works to the school. It will serve as a reminder of his achievement here for generations to come.” Waite is survived by his wife Dr. Sandra Kraskin, Director of the Mishkin Gallery at CUNY’s Baruch College and daughter, Genevieve Waite ’01, a Poly alumna who is currently working on her masters in French literature at New York University. Poly Prep will hold a memorial gathering in Waite’s memory during its annual alumni reunion at its Dyker Heights campus on Saturday, April 30, 2011. Cook was also president of the Frederick A. Cook Society, which recognizes the polar exploration accomplishments of his great-uncle, Dr. Cook,
Ellis R. Mottur ’48 died on September 3 at the age of 79. An authority on science and technology policy, Mottur was a top aid to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and served as a senior official in the Commerce Department. A true rennaissance man, Mottur was the author of A Poetic Journey: From Fear—Through Love—To Faith and Felicity, a book of poetry recently published by the Dorrance Publishing Company. Dr. John Ippolito father of John ’75, Raymond ’80, Loretta ’81, Barbara ’85, and Paul ’86, passed away in
October 2009. Dr. Ippolito and his wife Vivian’s involvement as Poly parents spanned two decades, during which time he formed many close friendships. Stephen
Vella ’93 passed away on January 30 after a courageous battle with cancer. A recipient of the Poly Cup at his graduation, Poly was a very important place to Stephen, and he kept in touch with teachers and staff over the years. An historian specializing in the British Empire, Stephen was a graduate of Princeton and Yale, and was an assistant professor of history at Wake Forest University. He is survived by his parents, Ann and James, and his sister, Susan Vantuyn.
Peter Gelles ’94 passed away in August 2010. A successful filmmaker, Peter was a graduate of the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles. His film “Crenshaw Nights,” of which Peter was both director and a writer, was released in 2008. Peter is survived by his mother, Mary June Bayuk, his father and step-mother, Jeremiah and Laurie Gelles, and his brothers, Jacob and Sean Gelles.
P o ly P r e p M a g a z i n e : w i n t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1
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