Portsmouth Abbey School Winter 2013 Bulletin

285 Cory’s Lane Portsmouth, Rhode Island 02871 www.portsmouthabbey.org

P ORT S M O U T H

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ABBE Y SCHOOL PORTSMOUTH ABBE Y SCHOOL WINTER BULLETIN 2013 WINTER BULLETIN 2013

1938 m 1943 m 1948 m 1953 m 1958 m 1963 m 1968 m 1973 m 1978 m 1983 m 1988 m 1993 m 1998 m 2003 m 2008

SAVE THE DATE!

MISSION STATEMENT The aim of Portsmouth Abbey School is to help young men and women grow in knowledge and grace.

Grounded in the Catholic faith and 1500-year-old Benedictine intellectual tradition, the School fosters: Reverence for God and the human person Respect for learning and order Responsibility for the shared experience of community life

BOARD OF REGENTS Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. Abbot and Chancellor Portsmouth, RI Mr. John M. Regan, III ’68, P ’07 Chairman Watch Hill, RI Sr. M. Therese Antone, RSM, Ed. D. Newport, RI Mr. W. Christopher Behnke ‘81, P’12, ’15 Chicago, IL Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Creighton Condon ’74, P ’07, ’10 New York, NY

Patrick Gallagher ’81, P ’15 Westwood, MA

Ms. Deborah Winslow Nutter Westwood, MA

Meg S. Healey P ’91 New Vernon, NJ

Mr. Barnet Phillips IV ‘66 (on leave) Greenwich, CT

Dr. Gregory Hornig ’68, P ’01 Prairie Village, KS

Mr. Robert A. Savoie P ’10, ’11, ‘15 Jupiter, FL

Rev. F. Washington Jarvis Dorchester Center, MA

Rev. Dom Matthew Stark, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI

Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ‘45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Peter Kennedy ‘64, P ’07, ‘08, ‘15 Big Horn, WY William M. Keough ’78, P’13 Saddle River, NJ

Mr. Rowan G.P. Taylor P ’13, ’16 New Canaan, CT

Classes ending in 3 and 8, this is your reunion year!

Mr. Samuel G. White ’64 New York, NY

We especially welcome back

William G. Winterer ’87 Boston, MA

Mr. Edward G. Kirby ’83 Jamestown, RI

Very Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. Prior Portsmouth, RI

Mrs. Kathleen Cunningham P ‘08, ‘09, ‘11, ‘14 Mr. Tim Cunningham ‘74 Dedham, MA

Ms. Devin McShane P’09, ’11 Providence, RI

Yanling Xu P’13 Yantai, China

Mr. Peter Ferry ‘75 Fairfield, CT

Rev. Dom Gregory Mohrman, O.S.B. Creve Coeur, MO

Emeritus

Dr. Timothy Flanigan ’75, P ’06, ’09, ’11 Tiverton, RI

Mr. Ward Mooney ‘67 Boston, MA

Mr. Peter S. Forker ‘69 Chicago, IL

Mr. James S. Mulholland, III ’79 Vero Beach, FL

Dom Francis Crowley, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI

Reunite Reminisce Celebrate

Mr. Peter Flanigan ’41, P ’75, ’83, GP ’06, ’09, ’11 Purchase, NY

members of the Diman Club – alumni from all classes prior to 1963!

Visit www.portsmouthabbey.org/reunion for more information regarding the schedule, alumni golf, class dinners, accommodations, babysitting and more!

SEPT 20-22, 2013

Mr. Thomas Healey ’60, P ’91 New Vernon, NJ Mr. William Howenstein ’52, P ’87, GP ’10 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

Cover: Headmaster Jim DeVecchi and his wife, Deb, have spent 40 years at Portsmouth Abbey School. This issue of the Bulletin is dedicated to Jim and Deb’s many years of service to and leadership of the School.

Questions? Contact Fran Cook: 401-643-1281 or fcook@portsmouthabbey.org

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

Dear Portsmouth Abbey Community, Allow me to admit a bias. I am a big Jim DeVecchi fan.

As your Board of Regents continues the search for Jim’s successor, appreciation for both Jim’s record of achievement and of his personal qualities that have made him a success has only deepened. Indeed, as the Board developed a list of essential leadership competencies for our new Head of School, it became ever more clear how well Jim has modeled these things – commitment to mission, the ability to balance strategy and execution, to recruit and develop talent, and to work with a diverse group of constituents.

As an interim-appointed head in mid-2000, it was not at all clear that Jim would enjoy success. Certainly, Jim did not fit the mold of the prototypical head of a New England boarding school. He was neither the master orator nor the imperious presence where students fear to tread. Instead, Jim’s mathematics background, passion for the School, and empathy for people have combined in non-traditional ways to produce great results.

His constancy, thoughtful approach to issues, and logical decision-making have always been informed by systematic and logical analyses, pragmatic solutions, and a matter-of–fact reporting style that belied the steady advancement experienced by the School. Equally important, Jim has exhibited a caring and sensitive manner that has served even his critics in an even-handed manner. Jim has done the job his way with incredible enthusiasm and dedication.

And what a list of achievements! Many of these are obvious – examples include the McGuire Fine Arts Building, the Squash and Fitness Center, two spectacular new student residences, many new or renovated on-campus faculty homes, the renovation of the Church of St. Gregory and other essential campus facilities, new and improved athletic playing fields, and the beautification of the lower campus. Increases in enrollment, endowment, financial aid, faculty chairs, academic and extracurricular programs, and students admitted to highly selective colleges have been recurring themes at our quarterly Board meetings. Board members have become accustomed to Jim’s frequent preamble to his Head of School report, “the last quarter has been a very good one at Portsmouth Abbey School.” Less obvious, but in the long run even more important, have been the recruitment and development of a talented faculty and administrative

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team with diverse skills and views, the cultivation of unprecedented alumni support, and the enrollment of a talented student body from many states and countries.

Recently, we conducted two-day, on-campus visits with Head of School candidates. An important component of these visits were various interactions with our students. Despite their considerable experience in other school environments, each candidate immediately noticed and commented on the special nature of the Abbey community. “Friendly,” “supportive,” “collaborative,” and “nurturing” were all words used to describe our students. They all noted how unique and refreshing this was. Those of us who attended the Abbey in the 1960s – such as myself – know that while we received a great education, “the Priory,” as it was called in those days, was never mistaken for a warm and friendly place!

In my opinion, the transformation of the community to its current state represents Jim’s greatest achievement. I know he takes great pride in this legacy and feels that being the Head of Portsmouth Abbey School is “the best job in the world.” If so, it is because Jim, with Deb’s considerable support, has made it so.

With gratitude and admiration,

Stay Connected To keep up with general news and information about Portsmouth Abbey School, we encourage you to bookmark the www.portsmouthabbey.org website. If you are an alumnus/a, please visit and join our Alumni Community. Check our our listing of upcoming alumni events here on campus and around the country. And please remember to update your contact information on our Alumni Community pages where you can find out more about Reunion 2013, our Annual Golf Scholarship Tournament, and share news and search for fellow alumni around the world: www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/alumni.

If you would like to receive our e-newsletter, Monthly Musings, please make sure we have your email address (send to: info@portsmouthabbey.org).

To submit class notes and photos (1-5 MB), please email: alumni@portsmouthabbey.org or mail to Portsmouth Abbey Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, 285 Cory’s Lane, Portsmouth, RI 02871.

John M. Regan III ’68, P ’07 Chairman, Board of Regents Search Committee Co-Chairman

Office of Development and Alumni Affairs – Winter/Spring Calendar of Events - 2013 San Francisco Reception March 5, 2013 The Pacific-Union Club San Francisco, CA

Philadelphia Dinner April 17, 2013 Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Philadelphia, PA

83rd Commencement Exercises May 25-26, 2013 Holy Lawn, School Campus

Los Angeles Reception March 7, 2013 The London Hotel Rooftop West Hollywood, CA

Washington, D.C., Reception April 18, 2013 Metropolitan Club Washington, D.C.

12th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament June 3, 2013 Carnegie Abbey Club

Rhode Island Reception May 2, 2013 Portsmouth Abbey School

Portsmouth Institute: “Catholicism and the American Experience” June 7-9, 2013 Portsmouth Abbey School The Westport Reception June 30, 2013 The Acoaxet Club Westport, RI

The Portsmouth Abbey Alumni Bulletin is published bi-annually for alumni, parents and friends by Portsmouth Abbey School, a Catholic Benedictine preparatory school for young men and women in Forms III-VI (grades 9-12) in Portsmouth, RI. If you have opinions or comments on the articles contained in our Bulletin, please email: communications@portsmouthabbey.org or write to the Office of Communications, Portsmouth Abbey School, 285 Cory’s Lane, Portsmouth, RI 02871 Please include your name and phone number.

The editors reserve the right to edit articles for content, length, grammar, magazine style, and suitabilty to the mission of Portsmouth Abbey School.

Headmaster: Dr. James DeVecchi Assistant Headmaster for Development: Patrick J. Burke ‘86 Editors: Kathy Heydt, Katherine Giblin Stark Art Director: Kathy Heydt Photography: Jez Coulson, Louis Walker, Andrea Hansen, Kim Fuller, Julia Driscoll ’06, Dan McManus

CONTENTS

Reflections of Portsmouth Abbey by Headmaster James DeVecchi, Ph.D. 4 James DeVecchi, Third Headmaster of Portsmouth

by Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ‘45 7 The DeVecchi Years by Doug Norris

10

Growing Up Abbey by Matt ‘95 and Steve ‘97 DeVecchi 27 Finding a Home at Portsmouth Abbey by Allie ‘05 and Nick ‘04 Micheletti 29 Campus Improvements 2001-2013

30

A History of Porstmouth Abbey

32

From the Office of Admission by Meghan M. Fonts, Director of Admission, and Geri Zilian, Director of Admission (2001-2008)

40

Reunion 2012 by Julia Driscoll, Development Assistant 41 From the Director of Athletics by Al Brown

46

Fall Athletics

47

Celebrating the DeVecchi Years, An Enduring Devotion to Portsmouth

by Patrick J. Burke ’86, Assistant Headmaster for Development 50 Milestones 51 In Memoriam

54

Class Notes

59

Attention All Alumni !

Stay connected with classmates right from your Apple or Android device with the free Portsmouth Abbey Mobile App! The App is available for alumni, and is a great way to get in touch, keep up with news and events, and post class notes.

You can download the App in the Apple iTunes Store, or in Google Play.

To connect with the mobile app, type “Portsmouth Abbey Alumni Mobile App” into either iTunes or Google Play.

Individual photos found in alumni profiles have been supplied courtesy of the respective alumni.

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 reflections of portsmouth abbey

By Headmaster James DeVecchi

A

n important part of the story of Deb’s and my time at Portsmouth are the circumstances under which we happened to come to and stay at Portsmouth.

 I feel blessed to have been at Portsmouth and so grateful for the kindness and generosity that have been extended to me by so many people.

Growing up, and throughout my years in school, teaching in general—and certainly teaching at a Benedictine, Catholic boarding secondary school in Rhode Island—was not part of any version of a life’s plan I might have had. However, a value and respect for education was something I acquired from my parents, both of whom grew up during the Great Depression and believed that the best path to self-development and fulfillment was through the pursuit of educational opportunities. I was taught that I was no better or worse than anyone else, and that I was to do the best at whatever the task at hand might be. These core values, combined with a passion and some talent for mathematics, propelled me through undergraduate school and on a path in pursuit of a Ph.D. in mathematics. I had no particular “end game” other than to do my best at something for which I had a passion and to be confident that things would work out!

It is my belief that hard work and perseverance allow a person to take advantage of the opportunities that fate most surely would provide. There were three fortuitous occur-

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P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

rences that resulted in my having a life-long teaching career at Portsmouth: v Deb

and I intersected as mathematics graduate students at the University of New Hampshire in 1969;

v My

Ph.D. thesis advisor and personal mentor at UNH, Richard Balomenos, taught at Portsmouth in the 1950s and continued to cherish the spiritual, intellectual and community values the “Priory” provided for him and his family back then, and so encouraged Deb and me to explore teaching at the school; and

v The truly fortuitous, premature birth of our son, Matt, on

January 18, 1977, during a one-day visit (Deb and I were on leave from Portsmouth at UNH for the 1976-77 academic year) to campus to discuss our Portsmouth futures with then Headmaster Dom Gregory Floyd.

Meeting Deb has most certainly defined the core and essence of the last 44 years of my life. My going into prep-school teaching was really my following Deb’s lead—she first taught mathematics at Phillips Exeter while I continued my graduate work—and was the result of the example set by Deb’s parents, her dad a high school principal and English teacher, and her mom a high school mathematics teacher (the family business!). Seeing them devote their lives to secondary school education and finding it so rewarding had a profound influence on me.

Deb’s and my coming to Portsmouth was not part of any systematic job search; actually, I might well have joined her at Exeter if their policies back then had not prohibited spousal faculty pairs. Rather, it was my thesis advisor’s mentorship, his sense that Deb and I would fit into the Portsmouth community, and his continued strong relationship with Dom Andrew that prompted us to investigate two math jobs at the Abbey for the 1973-74 school year.

Deb and I were offered the jobs at Portsmouth and taught in the Mathematics Department here for three years before being granted a year’s leave of absence by Dom Gregory for the 1976-77 school year so that I could return to UNH to work full-time on my Ph.D. dissertation.

Regarding our fateful visit to Portsmouth in January of 1977, Deb and I had decided to tell Dom Gregory that we would be staying at UNH and not returning to Portsmouth at the end of our leave. My thesis work was going well,

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reflections on portsmouth abbey

 Deb was well situated as the head of the UNH graduate dorm, and we were both looking forward to the birth of our first child. However, Matt’s deciding to be born five weeks early, during our scheduled visit to Portsmouth to meet with D. Gregory, caused us to reconsider, and, well, here we are 36 years later!

There is no question that the qualities that have kept me at Portsmouth over these years are the strong sense of humility and community here, the nature of the spirituality that is particular to this campus, and the wonderful environment the Abbey campus has provided for the raising of our family. I often think of the comment one of my sons made when he first went off to college. Longingly, he stated, “I thought that it (living at the Abbey) would never end.” For Matt and Steve as young boys, there was nothing better than being an “Abbey boy.” Combine this with experiences like building a race car with Dom Bede to cruise down Cory’s Lane, and life could not have been much better for these two boys growing up at Portsmouth.

For me, the lines between the personal and the professional at the Abbey simply have not seemed to exist.

My experience surely has been influenced by the example of many of the monks with whom I have worked during my years at Portsmouth. I feel privileged to have worked with so many monastic and lay people who were Portsmouth’s heart and soul during the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s and for the opportunity I had to be formed professionally by these great men. To be part of Portsmouth’s most exciting present, and to be seen as part of the bridge between the best of Portsmouth’s past and its promising future as a strong Catholic, Benedictine top-tier independent boarding school, gives me great pride and satisfaction.

As I reflect back on what makes up 83 percent of my adult life and 100 percent of my professional life, I feel blessed to have been at Portsmouth and so grateful for

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the kindness and generosity that have been extended to me by so many people. From Deb’s and my “chance” arrival at Portsmouth in 1973; to the personal and professional suitability of Portsmouth for me; to the many new and challenging opportunities that became available to me here in the most timely and appropriate of ways; to the support and understanding I received from the Monastery each and every step of the way; to my good health and ability to almost always be positive; to the many talented and dedicated lay men and women with whom I have worked over the years; to the opportunity to serve as Portsmouth’s 13th headmaster; and to the wonderful patience and support I have received from Deb and our boys— I have been a most fortunate man to have been able to travel the road I have been on for the past 40 years.

Finishing the last 13 years of my career here as Portsmouth’s headmaster is a most gratifying way for Deb and me to conclude our time at the Abbey. In this capacity, we have had the joy of sharing in the lives of Portsmouth’s most valued constituents: our current students and parents, and in the formation of these wonderful young people, as well as the honor of representing our School and its mission throughout the world to alumni and many new and old friends of Portsmouth.

For the next phase of our lives, Deb and I will enjoy each other, our family, and our cherished memories of Portsmouth from our new home adjacent to the Abbey property—I can see the treetops in my future back yard as I look to the northeast from my office window. It is most fitting for Deb and me that we will not be far away in body or in spirit from the Abbey campus that has been our home and the center of our lives for so many years.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

James DeVecchi Th i r d L ay H e a d m a s t e r o f P o rt s m o u t h (2000 – 2013)

By Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ‘45

prologue

Dr. James DeVecchi is scheduled to retire as headmaster of Portsmouth Abbey School at the end of June 2013, having served in that office since the summer of 2000 (the longest tenure of a Portsmouth headmaster since Dom Leo van Winkle’s from 1957 to 1973.

Before that, Jim was dean of studies for a decade and a half; and he and his wife Deb have been with Portsmouth since the fall of 1973, when they came to teach mathematics.

Their sons, Matt and Steve, were born and grew up here.

What explains the success of Jim’s headmastership is not, I think, only his long previous experience and familiarity with us. It is evident that he embraces wholeheartedly the mission of the School, and believes in the value of what we do here. He is blessed with abundant energy and capacity for hard work (I often see the light on in the Headmaster’s Office when I come out of Church from Matins, before 6:30 in the morning). He exhibits a mathematician’s practical grasp of the budgetary intricacies of the School (the Board of Regents voted him a special citation at the June meeting in 2009 to recognize his skill and sensitivity in steering us through that year’s economic difficulties). Valuable though these characteristics are, most important of all is his ability to relate to colleagues, monks, Board members, students, parents, alumni, and staff, as well as to first-time visitors, in a genuinely kind and friendly way, which comes across not as a policy and method of handling people but as a natural expression of his outgoing and optimistic character.

I believe the atmosphere of friendly, unpretentious welcome that visitors often comment on among the students and the entire Portsmouth Abbey School community of today is, in large part, thanks to Jim DeVecchi’s leadership and example.

– Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. Abbot and Chancellor

B

enedictine monasteries, which have schools for their chief ministry, traditionally depend on a monk to fill the position of Headmaster. But at critical times in Portsmouth’s history it has been necessary to depart from this custom and obtain the right person from outside the house and among the laity. Nowadays, it is an accepted practice for most abbeys with schools, at least in the English Congregation, to engage laymen who possess the qualifications no longer readily found in the monastic communities owing to the dwindling numbers of vocations. The first headmaster, Dom Hugh Diman, was over 60 years old when he founded the School in 1926, and in 1931 felt the need of someone younger to relieve him of the demanding role of guiding the School, especially as he also had succeeded to the office of Prior when Dom Wulstan Knowles returned to Fort Augustus in 1929 to become Abbot.

Providentially, Father Hugh found an ideal man, albeit a layman, to fill this role in Dr. G.C. Bateman, an Englishman and currently on the faculty of an outstanding “public school,” who wished to come to the United States. Accordingly, Dr. Bateman was engaged and appointed assistant headmaster in 1931, with his being given full responsibility the following year. At once he began to introduce the reforms which were to provide the School with much of the character Portsmouth retains to this day: the house system, prefects to assist the housemaster, emphasis on athletics for building

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programs. But having two “headmasters,” even with carefully delineated areas of supervision, proved unworkable, so that after a year, Dom Mark took on complete responsibility, retaining the position of Abbot, and no longer requiring the services of a lay headmaster.

Portsmouth Abbey School in 1931. Dr. Bateman is seated in row two, fifth from left.

character, competitiveness and school spirit, a more demanding curriculum and a wide variety of activities, including music, art and drama with productions of Shakespeare and classical plays in Latin and French. He adapted the pond to provide a rink First lay headmaster, Dr. G.C. Bateman for hockey and even constructed an area suitable for swimming known as Bateman’s Beach, vestiges of which can still be seen. In his four years at Portsmouth he was able to enhance the academic reputation and improve the quality of life, which allowed Father Hugh to devote himself to the responsibilities of heading the monastery. After four productive years, Dr. Bateman returned to England in 1935, requiring Dom Hugh to resume the title of headmaster but allowing a gifted member of the faculty, Mr. Harry Hobbs, to take on the duties of assistant headmaster and act as Dom Hugh’s surrogate, at least until a qualified monk, Dom Gregory Borgstedt, was available to become associate headmaster and ultimately succeed him both as Prior and headmaster.

In his role, Mr. Hobbs was to provide the pattern for running the School for most of the School’s history right up to the time when, under similar circumstances, Dr. DeVecchi, on

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short notice, assumed office from Dom Mark Serna in 2000.

He became interim headmaster, until a search committee could find a replacement, in the end, not required.

Mr. John Wilkinson, headmaster of a Quaker day school in Philadelphia, was the second layman to head the School, and was appointed in 1992 by Abbot Mark to replace Dom Francis Davidson, a monk on loan from Portsmouth‘s mother house, Fort Augustus. Hearing news of the opening, John Wilkinson, former member of the Board of Consultants, applied for the job, considering it an opportunity to put his Catholic faith into action. A Yale graduate, he had been secretary of the University for eight years, and came highly qualified for the position, having had a career in education, affording him considerable executive experience. Like Dr. Bateman, he served during a time of crisis: enrollments were falling, the budget was not balanced, morale was low, and there was a definite need for drastic changes in the athletic department, in the curriculum and in the administration. These were challenges which were addressed and largely solved in the four-year tenure of Mr. Wilkinson. His final year in office was a year of shared responsibility with Dom Mark, who, as headmaster, assumed the duties of overseeing faculty, academic services, student life and discipline, while Mr. Wilkinson, as administrative headmaster, dealt with admissions, financial matters, development, grounds and summer

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

the market in Asia to include China, and oversaw successful capital campaigns which increased endowment for scholarships and faculty chairs. Little wonder that his long tenure in office has only been surpassed by that of Dom Leo van Winkle, who served for nearly 18 years.

Second lay headmaster, Mr. John Wilkinson

In this double role, however, Dom Mark found there was insufficient time to give to the primary responsibilities of being a religious superior, even though he delegated much of the daily duties to his associate, James DeVecchi, who increasingly presided over the School during the frequent absences of the abbot-headmaster. For this reason, after five years he found it necessary to give up the headmastership and devote himself primarily to the monastery. In August of 2000, therefore, with the approval of the Monastic Council, he appointed James DeVecchi as interim head of the School until a search committee identified a successor to the post.

When very soon it became evident that Dr. DeVecchi would prove just the right match, his appointment to the headmastership was ratified, with the approval of the monastery and the Board of Consultants. In this way he became the third lay headmaster, but he was now in the favorable position of leading a healthier school, with many of the former problems addressed, although he was confronted by a new set of challenges.

Over a period of 13 years Jim has steadily grown in stature as the School has increased in size, facilities, reputation abroad, and prestige at home. Because of the decadelong depression in the 1930s, Dr. Bateman was unable to continue the ambitious construction program planned in the earliest years of the School, but which ended abruptly with the completion of Saint Benet’s House in 1931.

Dr. DeVecchi was faced with no such obstacle, and commenced a series of buildings, which included housing for faculty, two massive dormitories, completion of the McGuire Fine Arts Center, the Squash & Fitness Building and important renovations to the Church and the Stillman Dining Hall. He supported energy initiatives, expanded

Throughout his long association with the monastery, Jim DeVecchi has earned the trust, respect and confidence of the community. Dom Andrew Jenks, as registrar and head of the Mathematics Department, was the monk who exerted the greatest impact on Jim’s academic career at Portsmouth. It was he who was the indirect cause of Jim’s coming to Portsmouth in 1971, through the recommendation of Richard Balomenos, Jim’s advisor at the University of New Hampshire, who also had begun his teaching career in math at Portsmouth in the 1950s, occupying the same cottage that Jim and his wife, Debbie, were to live in after their return from graduate studies at UNH. Much of Jim’s administrative and academic experience was due to his close association for many years with Dom Andrew. When Jim succeeded Abbot Mark as headmaster in August of 2000, he was the obvious choice, having served as assistant/associate headmaster for Dom Francis, John Wilkinson and Abbot Mark, a position which enabled him to become acquainted with the daily running of the School. The transition, therefore, proceeded smoothly without the need for familiarizing himself with a group of monks, faculty and student body, all of whom were predisposed in his favor. His living on the School grounds for almost thirty years provided him with a thorough understanding of the monastic character of the School, making his monthly meetings with the Abbot and his council mutually pleasant as well as an informative experience. When the governance of the School changed, giving place to a Board of Regents, which assumed legal control of the School, these monthly meetings came to an end and were replaced by a meeting of the Chairman of the Board in conjunction with the headmaster at the Annual Chapter of the monastic community.

During his many years of service at the School, but especially as headmaster, there has never been a time when Jim has not given his unstinting support, energy and devotion to the welfare of both the monastery and the School. And for this, the community, faculty, staff and the entire Portsmouth constituency remain deeply in his debt.

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The DeVecchi Years Jim DeVecchi smiles as light angles through his office windows in the Cortazzo Administration Building at Portsmouth Abbey

School.

Students

emerge from classes, moving in parallel and intersecting lines on the sidewalks that surround the Holy Lawn. The light sharpens and clarifies, dispelling the morning’s fog and illuminating the patchwork of copper and maroon leaves on campus. Not far away, Narragansett Bay glitters and thrashes, bringing a chill and a charge to the air.

“This is home,” says Jim. “It’s the only place I’ve ever worked…and it’s been quite a journey.”

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THE DEVECCHI YEARS

“I’d never really encountered a monk before,” he said. “That visit was my introduction to the world of boarding schools and Benedictines all at the same time, and Dom Andrew was the face of it all. It was quite an introduction indeed!” “It was a very rural setting at that moment in time,” Deb added. “At the top of Cory’s Lane there was a fully functioning dairy farm – with cows and everything. Sometimes we’d have to wait for the cows to cross the lane before we could leave campus.”

The DeVecchis quickly settled into the campus routine, and enjoyed the rigor and rhythm of its daily life.

“All schools have a routine but we’re more structured than most places,” Deb and Jim on campus as young math teachers in the 1970s.

Jim said. “A lot of that comes from the monks and the Monastery, which has its own 24 -7 every day/every week/every year routine. They do the

Jim with his Calculus students, 1979.

same thing each day, and I think the rhythm of the Monastery has both a direct and indirect effect on After 40 years of service to Portsmouth Abbey,

The DeVecchis had met at UNH as graduate students

the campus, even on the most lighthearted of our

including the last 13 as its headmaster, Dr. DeVecchi

in mathematics. Father Andrew Jenks interviewed

campus observers. It has an impact not only on what

will retire at the end of the 2012-13 academic year.

them at Portsmouth, a meeting Jim described with

we do, but, more significantly, it influences how we

He and his wife, Deborah, came to campus as math

fondness and humor in a speech he gave on the 10th

do things. There’s a humility to this place. There’s a

teachers in 1973 and raised their two sons, Matt ’95

anniversary of coeducation at Portsmouth Abbey and

sense of community. When promoting our School I

and Steve ’97, on the Abbey campus. Portsmouth is

his reflections on the School’s third quarter-century.

think sometimes, perhaps, that humility is a double-

where family, work, play and spiritual life intersected for the DeVecchis, but the first step in their four-decade journey started at the University of New Hampshire, with Jim’s thesis advisor, Richard Balomenos, who taught at Portsmouth (then the Priory) in the 1950s.

“He had taught here, so he was sort of our link,” Jim said. “And when we visited the Abbey, it fit.

We just felt comfortable here. I very much enjoyed the teaching and the freedom I had in the classroom.

I liked the athletics. I felt secure here. Then we started

“We spent three hours in a parlor of the Administration Building with the legendary Dom Andrew, discussing everything from the weather to the Newport Bridge, and very little about mathematics,” he recounted.

“Dom Andrew was sizing us up—Portsmouth is about people and getting the right people here. And when we left that day, with Dom Andrew chasing our car to offer a couple of danish for the road, the connection had been made.”

edged sword, sometimes the fundamental modesty that is a Benedictine characteristic limits our ability to fully boast about how great our School really is… but ‘intelligent humility’ fits my personality and my family’s personality. We like that. It’s the way we are.”

It is rare these days to find anyone who stays in the same place for an entire career, but Jim’s devotion to Portsmouth Abbey reflects the values of the Benedictine tradition, which emphasizes stability and stewardship in its philosophy. At Portsmouth, routines

our family, and the most important thing became how

Thinking back to the occasion, Jim and Deb recalled

become habits, structure creates balance, and students,

it worked for all of us.”

what struck them.

faculty and staff can find parallels in examples set by

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P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

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Jim and Deb prepare to head out onto Narragansett Bay with the sailing team, 1981.

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THE DEVECCHI YEARS

the monks. In the manner of the School’s founders, Jim begins every day with purpose, with tasks to accomplish and with a sense of engagement with the surrounding community.

Writing in his “From the Headmaster” column in the School’s 2011 Annual Report, Jim noted this connection between his daily routine, which starts at his office desk in the early hours of the morning, and Portsmouth’s lasting legacy: “I cherish this time for the opportunity these hours provide me to clear my desk, but more importantly it offers me the chance to watch the campus wake up and reflect on our daily efforts to help students to grow in knowledge and grace. Perspective is everything in life, and from my vantage point on the second floor of the Administration Building, looking north to the Church of St. Gregory the Great, or Burden Schoolhouse and St. Thomas More Library, I am reminded daily about all that we in the Portsmouth Abbey community have, and have accomplished together, over the years.”

THE TEACHING YEARS For someone who had limited awareness of boarding school life before he arrived, Jim embraced the culture quickly. He had always loved mathematics and discovered he had a passion for

“To do this, you have to

teaching it as well. He also enjoyed connecting with

like kids, and you have to

157-87 record over 18 years), and eventually directed

like being with them…

students beyond the classroom. He coached baseball, “middler” basketball (accumulating an impressive the School’s golf program. He was a fixture in the classroom and on the sidelines.

You must have a passion

“To do this, you have to like kids, and you have to like

for what you are doing.”

for what you’re doing. Part of the general philosophy

being with them,” he said. “You must have a passion of a boarding school is that we’re responsible for the students in virtually every respect – residential, athletic, extracurricular, academic. At its best – which

PAGE 14

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

it almost always is – ‘in loco parentis’ is a great concept, one that has been very rewarding for me to be a part of.”

Through those early years, Dom Andrew would become one of the most influential people in Jim’s career. Writing in a campus publication during the years when he was head of the Mathematics Department and academic dean, Jim credited Dom Andrew with the development of his philosophy of education. Because of Dom Andrew, he wrote, “…I was able to maintain and increase my appreciation for the beauty of mathematics as an intellectual activity…His approach to, and love of, mathematics had a profound influence on me.

D. Andrew also inspired me to base my dealings with students on care and respect for the individual.”

of college math beyond Calculus with him during her

Former students attest to Jim’s excellence as a teacher and his nurturing spirit in and outside of class.

knowing the sacrifices he must’ve made to teach those

Jim coached middler basketball for 18 years. Here, Jim (far left) is joined by sons Matt (far right) and Steve (in front of Jim) in the 1980s.

Fifth and Sixth Form years.

“We would have a few extra sessions on Saturday mornings,” she said. “He’d bring donuts. I don’t know if I realized it at the time but now, thinking back, extra classes, it was really nice of him, and I’ll always

Amara Murray Mulder ’99 said that Jim prepared her for Harvard, where she majored in biochemistry.

She took Calculus with him as a Fourth Former.

be grateful.”

“It was a wonderful course,” she said. “He just had a really good way of making Calculus fun. He had a

teachers but kind, compassionate and patient. They

dry sense of humor. He obviously enjoyed the subject and he enjoyed teaching it, and he was really pleased when we got it. He would get a twinkle in his eye when it was time to draw a proof on the board.”

Mulder, who grew up across Narragansett Bay in Jamestown, (with younger brother, Ethan ’01) is now beginning a career in internal medicine, completing her final year of residency at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston before going into primary care.

Looking back, she marvels at the extra time Jim dedicated to students who showed aptitude and enthusiasm, or simply needed help. She took two years

Rai Reyes ’80, who had Deb and Jim for math in different years, recalled, “Both were not only excellent took the time. As much time as it took. They truly cared that you were learning and performing to your potential. You could not ask more of any teacher.”

Looking back on his career, Jim loves teaching as much today as he did when he first stepped into the classroom.

“It’s really exciting being a teacher,” he said. “It’s a thrill for me that remains as strong as ever. Despite all of the other responsibilities I have had over the years, I still look at myself primarily as a teacher. That really is the most important thing that happens here.”

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THE DEVECCHI YEARS

FAMILY LIFE AND STUDENT SUCCESS

“I think the fact that Jim and Deb began their

Many colleagues believe that Jim and Deb helped to transform the campus culture by raising their family here. Their sons essentially grew up on the grounds, becoming a presence on the sidelines at baseball games and in the gym during basketball

season.

Both

attended

and

graduated from Portsmouth Abbey School.

“There were very few faculty families when we started here,” Jim said. “Now, we have an active community of families who really feel that this is their home. We had two boys born here, raised here. They got a lot of attention from the Abbey boys. For us, having them attend the Abbey was a great experience.”

Nancy Brzys, dean of faculty, has worked at the Abbey since 1982 and has known the DeVecchi family for 31 years. Brzys said Jim and Deb helped set a standard for the way the campus culture should be.

left for another school, is a very strong reason that the School has this atmosphere,” she said. “Jim speaks so fondly of all of the relationships he and his family have made over the many years, and he attributes his success to the School and its people.

I think he sees his sons’ successes as an extension of the Abbey’s key tenets – working hard, believing in yourself, working for a shared community and finding success along the way.”

During the 1980s, as he embarked on years of parenting, Jim also began serving the School in different capacities. In turn he worked as head of the Mathematics Department, registrar, academic dean, dean of faculty, assistant headmaster and associate headmaster before taking over as headmaster in 2000. Although the roles varied, Jim’s commitment to students never waned. as a student in 1974 and took Pre-calculus from Jim in his Fifth Form year. In the 1980s, Seeley taught at the School when Jim

she said. “Like many schools back then,

was dean of the faculty and head

boarding schools were rather bleak. But

of the Mathematics Department.

that changed as faculty families and their

Now,

children became part of the campus life. The

member and director of summer

warmth to the School, and that was critical for the students. They were modeling that,

serving

as

a

faculty

programs, Seeley said Jim hasn’t fundamentally changed from his days as a math teacher to his role

and I think that as headmaster Jim has

as headmaster.

worked hard to ensure the dorms are safe

“He has always put the students

and happy places.”

Her comments were echoed by Meghan Fonts, director of admission, who believes that the DeVecchis pioneered the notion of the Portsmouth Abbey School as an extension of family.

“He’s never been concerned about his public image,” Letvinchuk said. “When he makes a decision, whether it involves directional issues or discipline issues, he really labors over it and considers all of the consequences, but never from a personal standpoint. He worries about how a decision might be a disadvantage to a student, how it will affect that student’s life. And he’ll use it as a learning opportunity, a learning experience.

There’s always a way to find the positive in it.”

Tim Seeley ‘77 came to the School

“Their family just embraced this place,”

DeVecchis’ personality as a family brought

Matt ’95 and Steve ’97 were both born and raised at Portsmouth before becoming Abbey students themselves.

marriage and family here at the Abbey, and never

Jack Letvinchuk got to know Jim and his family in 1982, when he arrived at Portsmouth as an administrator. The families became close, and remain so, even after the Letvinchuks, with a son and daughter close in age to DeVecchi’s sons, moved to Florida in 1989. A former member of the Board of Regents and a former director of admissions and financial aid at Portsmouth Abbey, Letvinchuk described Jim as a modest man of high integrity, who cares about how decisions affect individuals.

first,” Seeley said. “He always thinks of the students positively and will take the time to get to know them as individuals. As an educator, I would say that’s a pretty key quality.”

Jim with friend and colleague Jack Letvinchuk.

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P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

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PAGE 17

THE DEVECCHI YEARS

Dom Gregory Havill, O.S.B. uses an iPad to demonstrate an art concept.

SHEPHERDING MAJOR TRANSITION Portsmouth Abbey was among the last group of boys’ boarding schools in New England to go coeducational, which it did in 1991. Many schools in the region had made the transition by the early 1970s.

The announcement took some by surprise at the time, but the majority of people involved with the School viewed it as an inevitable and positive step toward the

associate headmaster and, finally, headmaster, he

“It was clear for a lot of reasons the

was one of the guiding forces in coeducation at the

School

School from the very beginning. When Jim became

model,” he said, adding that the Board

headmaster in 2000, the enrollment was just about

of Regents came into being in 2002.

300 and today it is around 360. One person can’t do

“We reviewed and reaffirmed our mission

everything at a school, but Jim has played a role in just

statement and, on the basis of that statement,

about everything that has happened here since girls

we created a strategic plan. Then we were

arrived in 1991.”

reaccredited. And when we had that all in

“We went coed later than our peer schools, so the transition needed to take place so that we would

said. “For many of our faculty who were under 40, this is what they had grown up with, but for the School as a whole, it was an adjustment. But looking back, the transition was actually very smooth. When we went coed, the sentiment was, for most things, if what we do is good for the boys, it will be good for the girls, too. This philosophy helped us greatly in retaining the core of our culture and values while making the changes needed to move forward successfully.”

Daniel McDonough, who, as associate headmaster and newly appointed acting headmaster for 201314, works closely with DeVecchi, credits Jim with being instrumental in shaping and guiding that transformation. Dan has known Jim since 1984, when he first began teaching at Portsmouth Abbey.

He left for another job, then returned to the Abbey in 1990 at Jim’s request to succeed Robert Sahms as the housemaster of St. Aelred’s. A month after he got back, the faculty was informed that the School would

said. “When I returned in 1990 for our last year of all-boys’ education, we opened school with 207 boys.

As Jim was academic dean at that point and later

PAGE 18

coincided with an increased commitment

he took over as head of the School was to guide it through the remainder of one strategic plan, begun

to implementing technology throughout the The 2004 Capital Campaign, under Jim’s leadership, set out to:

in 1998, while helping to shape and develop the next

v

increase and improve student housing;

v

attract and retain outstanding faculty by increasing salaries;

was designed to build on the successes achieved

v

expand on-campus housing;

during the 1990s, when the School:

v

provide professional development opportunities;

v

renovate the Science Center and grow campus technology;

v

preserve the Church of St. Gregory the Great; and

one – a critical blueprint for campus progress that was launched in 2004. The 2004 Capital Campaign, with its motto “Growing in Knowledge and Grace,”

v

courses

in

Latin

and

Ancient History; created its Fourth Form Humanities Program ;

v

continue to build the endowment and Annual Fund.

v

built two major new facilities – the McGuire

Fine Arts Center and the Dom Bede Gorman

Jim said that when he took over as headmaster, among

Squash & Healey Fitness Center;

his priorities were to unite the various constituencies of

v

saw increases in inquiries and enrollment;

v

increased endowment and its Annual Fund; and

v

established the Board of Regents, a lay and

populations, and build a strong enrollment. He sought

monastic governance partnership that shared in a

input from the Monastery and campus groups to

enroll girls.

“When I left in 1987, the School had 270 boys,” Dan

at the cusp of the new millennium, also

One of the most important tasks that Jim faced when

required

commitment to the mission of the School

and a determination to move it forward.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

governance

Jim’s tenure as headmaster, having begun

GROWING THE INSTITUTION

reinstated

its

Capital Campaign.”

social and athletic fabric of the School.

v

adjust

raised more than 50 million dollars in the

and their presence has clearly enhanced the academic,

be able to compete immediately with the very wellestablished coed programs of those peer schools,” Jim

to

place, over the last eight years, we will have

Today, as many girls as boys attend Portsmouth Abbey,

School’s future success and vitality.

had

the School and to meet the goals of completing the 1998 strategic plan. He wanted to continue to grow a diverse student body, drawing from national and international

School.

He noted that some of the results included: v

v

dramatically increased band-width to provide wireless access around campus; having classrooms equipped with SmartBoards while funding training to help teachers use the technology;

laptops in specialized science classrooms and laptops for all faculty;

v

the renovated, high-technology Regan Lecture Hall;

v

upgrading to a system of reporting grades online to make it easier for teachers and more accessible for parents;

v

increasing technology support staff;

v

the appointment of a coordinator of academic technology; and more,

v

v

including grants from the Benedict and E.E. Ford foundations, which helped fund summer training institutes on campus.

reaffirm the School’s mission. He helped the School

All of the additional resources in technological

transition to a new governance system, and he led the

hardware, software and support are intended to help

School’s preparation for its reaccreditation.

teachers teach and students learn.

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PAGE 19

THE DEVECCHI YEARS

“It’s a way of honoring devoted service and providing the resources for the chair holders to advance their and their departments professional interests,” Jim said, emphasizing that resources from the 2004 Capital Campaign also have created opportunities to expand the sabbatical program and professional development opportunities for faculty.

“I think, fundamentally, that the School has viewed technology as a means to enhance the delivery of our institutional messages, rather than changing the fundamentals of what we deliver and value,” Jim said. “That said, we haven’t changed our priorities.”

Campus facilities, the arts and curricula also have seen significant upgrades since Jim took over as headmaster.

NEW SCHOOL, OLD SCHOOL On a practical level, Jim said one of the challenges of building on campus has been to integrate modern facilities into the aesthetic vision established

by Dom Peter, Dom Hilary and principal campus architect Pietro Belluschi.

The state-of-the-art Healey Family Fitness Center

“They’ve

increased

visibility

on

campus,” Jim said. “Music and drama are now something that is a core part of the fabric of the School, and that’s a very good thing. There are more students participating, and stronger programs,

“Fundamental to our architecture, and our culture, is the prominence of the Abbey Church, so it was important for the rest of the campus to have buildings that were low-slung, to complement the land and the Church, rather than dominate them,” Jim said. “Recently, we’ve taken a little bit of license on the edges

of campus, but we still respect all of the buildings here. I’ve been looking at them for 40 years, and can see in our newer buildings the elements of the Belluschi design that are so fundamental to our campus.”

Faculty and administrators have witnessed firsthand the physical plant improvements on campus during Jim’s tenure, including new academic buildings, athletic facilities, and student and faculty housing, all of which have enhanced the face of the campus without changing its character.

Seeley said that the kinder, gentler feeling of the place under Jim’s direction is physically reflected in the campus environment. “It was always beautiful, but they’ve opened it up, removed some of the obstructing trees, so that now you can see the bay from every part of campus,” he said. “The warmth, the academic quality, the prevailing sense of caring for the students, the spirituality of the place – that’s all the same. I feel like all the best of what was here when I was a student remains but what has changed (under Jim’s leadership) has universally been for the better.”

all building on the work over many years of Father Ambrose.”

The McGuire Fine Arts Center

Jim stated that Humanities was a pilot program when it started in 1999, and

The Church of St. Gregory the Great.

one of his early priorities was to ensure “We built an art building [the McGuire Fine Arts

full implementation of the Fourth Form Humanities

Center] that had a major impact on the quality, depth

Program.

and breadth of what we offer in the fine arts,” he said, adding that the performing arts has also been a focus during the last decade. Improvements have included increased staffing, a new sound system, and

“Certainly we have expanded our course offerings,” he said, noting courses such as Mandarin and the significant expansion of electives in the Arts while adding that the School has retained its fundamentally

a substantial facelift for the Auditorium and music

traditional approach to academics. Endowed chairs

rooms. Dance was introduced as part of the Performing

were established–the Jenks Chair in Mathematics,

Arts Program. A campus-wide commitment to

and the Kearney Chair in English – while endowed

scheduling times for rehearsal and performance has

chairs in History and Performing Arts are in the final

helped draw more students to the performing arts.

stages of completion.

PAGE 20

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

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PAGE 21

THE DEVECCHI YEARS

During his tenure as headmaster, Jim has over-

Brzys said that while DeVecchi was instrumen-

seen a number of projects that have been incor-

tal in moving the campus forward, he never lost

porated into the landscape. They include the

sight of what was important at Portsmouth.

Solar House and wind turbine (the turbine was

“The tradition of academic excellence here is

erected in 2006, while the Solar House opened in

something he has always taken to heart,” she

2008); St. Brigid’s House in 2007; the purchase

said. “The joy of teaching and learning, which

of several residential properties

is at the heart of the academic experience.

adjacent to campus; restoration of

He knew some of the men who were here

the Abbey Church of St. Gregory the Great in 2009; new Blu Homes faculty housing in 2011; and St. Martin’s House in 2012. Plans are underway for turf athletic fields on the northeast side of campus. Also in the works is the planning and completion of a new science center.

Top: St. Brigid’s House, our environmentally friendly girls’ residence, opened in 2007.

in the early days of the School and ap-

Left: The wind turbine and solar house are just two of the sustainable projects that were developed during Headmaster DeVecchi’s tenure.

educational rigor. That expectation of excel-

Below: St. Martin’s House mirrors St. Brigid’s in architectural flavor and its abundance of “green features.” The dorm opened in 2012, houses 30 boarding boys and accommodates 14 day students.

time, he has really supported the faculty.” Brzys not-

has

also

been

promoting

new

faculty

ed that this year, eight faculty members are working toward master’s degrees.

faculty members. In this, we regard Jim as an unquali-

housing

development opportunities.

increases and professional development

Regan said that the Board doesn’t tend to get involved

ney ‘45, monk, longtime faculty member and the

chi’s leadership.

accomplish this over the years through salary

Pennsylvanian period.

is faculty housing. If people can see having a career

ly important to faculty, and having on-campus faculty

experience. Jim has been instrumental in establishing

here, moving from dorm housing to detached hous-

whose lives and families are integrated with the stu-

the pre-conditions to attracting these folks; housing,

ing, and eventually to off-campus housing late in

dents is critical to our sense of community,” Jim con-

compensation, opportunities for continued education

their careers, then they feel supported and valued.

tinued. “An awful lot is asked of a boarding school

Having two sons born here gave Deb and me a special

teacher, and quality housing makes a huge difference in

to raise a family. It was a healthy and wholesome environment. My sons never wondered what we did for a living; they lived it with us. It was a part of everything

butions to the School. We have lost some very good faculty members over the years because of a lack of good faculty residences, and I am proud that this situation

Portsmouth Abbey by referencing the shale deposplant fossils in the rocks can be discovered from the

of very good teachers with excellent credentials and

their lives and, ultimately, in the quality of their contri-

School’s de facto historian, opens his remarks about

“As a result of Jim’s work, we are blessed with a team “So having an inventory of quality housing is extreme-

ulty homes. I don’t think there’s a better place on Earth

stability and permanence. Father Damian Kear-

its on the banks of the bay below the campus, where

opportunities, but probably the most significant piece

appreciation for the significance of having quality fac-

Walking onto the campus of Portsmouth Abbey School, even first-time visitors can feel a sense of

demic side. But he is effusive in his praise of DeVec-

retain top faculty,” he said. “We have tried to

STABILITY AND STEWARDSHIP

fied success.” in day-to-day decision-making, especially on the aca-

“It is of great importance that we attract and

PAGE 22

extend these comments to the fine administrative team that Jim has put in place.”

of School does is to hire, develop and retain top-flight

and paving the way for professional

we did as a family.

Dr. Haibo Qu teaches Chinese 1, 2, 3 and 4, new offerings within the curriculum since 2009.

to work toward in the classroom. At the same

Regents, said that “the most important thing a Head

influential

in improving faculty life on campus, by

lence, and understanding what we’re meant

John “Mac” Regan ’68, P ’07, chairman of the Board of

A FRIEND TO FACULTY DeVecchi

preciates the importance they placed on

and development, and a beautiful campus environment. In addition, the faculty seems to have enough independence and ability to speak up that is so important to any educational environment. So, while we certainly have SmartBoards, better computers, Chinese language courses and other tactical improvements, it is

“I like to say we started here 300 million years ago, but we’re going to skip the first 300 million,” quips Fr. Damian. (or, more precisely, Jim adds with a grin, 299,999,913 years).” Reflecting on the stewardship role of the monks and the lay people at Portsmouth, Dom Damian concluded, “In 1638 the town of Portsmouth was founded. It has a long history, and we are a part of that history.”

the continuous improvement in teaching, coaching and

The natural setting has always had an impact

has been greatly remedied in recent years through the

mentoring that is the bedrock of success. Jim has really

on the people who live and work at Portsmouth

generosity and hard work of many.”

moved the dial on this in the last ten years. I would also

Abbey. Letvinchuk remembers taking walks with Jim

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

WINTER BULLETIN 2013

PAGE 23

THE DEVECCHI YEARS

Andrea ’99, has shared experiences with Jim as a colleague and as a parent. He said that Jim’s tenure reflects the School’s core Benedictine values.

“From my point of view one of the things that Jim did for the School was that he established some constancy in the position of headmaster,” Sahms said. “In my 33 years here, he is the longest-serving head of school. He helped establish that kind of stability in the office of the headmaster, and that really is a very Benedictine idea.”

The installation of one of the School’s new modular faculty houses, designed and produced by Bill Haney III’s (Class of 1980) company, BluHomes.

Addressing Friends of Portsmouth Abbey School and Monastery in a brochure announcing Jim’s retirement, Abbot Caedmon

around campus, watching his friend stop to look out at the bay and say, “It’s just beautiful.” DeVecchi likes to repeat a story about an alumnus who got off the bus at the top of Cory’s Lane and started walking toward the School.

Holmes wrote that Jim’s tenure “has been a remarkable period of stability and growth for the School…Moreover, it is important that there is a monastic/lay partnership at the heart of the culture of the School: ever since they founded it in 1926, the monks have been assisted by lay teachers, administrators and staff. The

“He spontaneously broke into a run,” Jim recalled. “He

Monastic Community has found Jim’s leadership of

was so overwhelmed with such strong emotions of be-

the School to be in smooth continuity with the more-

ing back in this place that he just couldn’t help himself.”

than seven decades that preceded it.”

That sense of place translates into a tradition of reverence for the campus and the landscape.

LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK

“The Holy Lawn is one of the few spots on campus

While rooted in its past, part of the challenge for the Abbey as it faces Jim’s impending retirement, is how to move forward. According to Dom Damian, Jim’s tenure as headmaster has helped the School position itself for future success. The next headmaster will be responsible for guiding the School’s next strategic plan. Even as he transitions out of office, Jim is helping to build the bridge to future generations at Portsmouth Abbey. The latest arena in which DeVecchi has served the School is in actively working to recruit students from international markets, especially Asia.

that nobody walks on,” Jim said, motioning toward his office window. “Nowhere in the handbooks does it say, ‘Don’t walk on the Holy Lawn.’ But it’s part of the culture. It’s our tradition of respect. And that respect translates to all areas of the School.”

Robert Sahms, a longtime member of the Abbey science faculty, has known Jim for more than three decades. Sahms, whose family includes a son, Jacob ’95 (and a classmate of Matt DeVecchi), and a daughter,

PAGE 24

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

“He was willing to go there, to places like China and Korea, and represent us,” Fr. Damian said.

“And, I would add, his wife, Deb, has been wonderful in helping to facilitate that. She is a tremendous asset to him and to us.”

As a couple, and as a family, the DeVecchis have left their mark on Portsmouth.

“Deb is a great ambassador for the School,” Letvinchuk said. “She’s a big part of Jim’s success.”

There are some things that people might be surprised to discover about Jim DeVecchi, Letvinchuk added. “A favorite movie of his is ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’” he said with a laugh. “And he used to have this old reel-to-reel tape player that he’d bring to social gatherings. We’d listen to The Beatles, Young Rascals, Isley Brothers, drink glasses of wine, and there was a great camaraderie among faculty and staff. There are just some people that, when you think of Portsmouth Abbey School, you think of them. Jim is one of them. He has worked his entire career at the end of Cory’s Lane.”

When Sahms thinks of DeVecchi, he describes an indefatigable worker.

“I guess my memory of Jim is that he is almost tireless in his efforts for the good of the School,” Sahms said.

“You would find him in the office before everyone else got there in the morning and he would probably be the last one to leave in the afternoon and the evening.

That really to me shows his love for those kids and his love for the School.”

For his part, when he wanted a moment’s respite, he didn’t go very far, choosing “to disappear” in his garden or the neighboring Carnegie Abbey golf course. Speaking about his two favorite avocations, Jim, perhaps unintentionally, finds metaphors for his career.

The way he plays golf, for example, illustrates the course a life can take.

“What I love about Carnegie is that every shot presents risks and opportunity,” he said. “You know that it’s

Jim and Deb, guided by Esther Yao P ’10, at the Puning Temple in the city of Chengde during their first trip to China in 2008.

designed so that, say, there’s a slope over here or the ball is going to bounce a certain way over there. On every hole, if you think about every shot, there’s risk; but the golf course is giving you something, too, if you want to take advantage of it.”

And his time in the garden is just a microcosm of campus life.

“I like to grow things,” he said. “My grandparents on my father’s side come from Italy, so they were big on growing things. A lot of what they ate, they grew. I find it’s very rewarding planting things and watching them grow. I know when we first started at Portsmouth Abbey, we had these small perennial gardens in our yard. They are no longer small at all!

But there’s just something really special about having a perennial garden. The plants have to work so hard to produce a flower; just helping them and watching them work to mature and bloom is so rewarding. Then you see the bud and you see it start to open. I like just watching that and the cycle of it all, because it’s like a school cycle. You know, there are a lot of things we do perennially here at the School. It’s a process.”

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THE DEVECCHI YEARS

Growing up Abbey B y Mat t ’ 95 a nd S t eve ’ 97 De Ve cc hi

Deb and Jim with Akunna Onyiuke ’12 at Prize Day 2012.

(from left) Jim, Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B., ’45, Chairman of the Board of Regents John “Mac” Regan III ’68, and Abbot Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B., following Commencement.

Dom Julian Stead, O.S.B., ’43 in his Orioles jersey, joins Jim for a School event.

Reflecting on Jim’s service to Portsmouth Abbey, colleagues collectively emphasized his commitment to excellence in teaching and promoting a positive campus environment, his efforts on behalf of the faculty, his effective guidance of facility improvement, his fiscal responsibility, and his embodiment of the Benedictine ideals of stewardship and stability, among other achievements. His longtime colleague McDonough, when asked how he will remember Jim, said simply, “I have never met someone with as steady and calm and humble and forgiving a personality as he has.”

Looking back on his own career, Jim described how his opportunities and relationships with people expanded but his view of Portsmouth Abbey School remained the same as it was when he was a young teacher walking into a classroom 40 years ago.

“I would say although I’ve changed my internal roles from teacher to dean to assistant headmaster and so on,

PAGE 26

my perspective on the School hasn’t really changed,” he said. “I think by becoming headmaster, I’ve had a window into the greater Portsmouth community because I have a much stronger and more consistent relationship with our alumni and our parents, so the external side of things has become much more a part of my life. It is really gratifying, as Deb and I reflect on things, to have had the honor and privilege of visiting with alumni from our time at Portsmouth to talk about our School, or just to reminisce.”

Like his perspective, Jim’s dedication to the School has never changed. The job – the only one he’s ever had – “is never really done,” he reflects, “so at the end of the day, it’s about the journey. And it’s been a wonderful one, indeed.”

Former longtime features editor and award-winning freelance writer Doug Norris spent considerable time with Jim DeVecchi and many members of the Portsmouth Abbey community in preparing this profile. We thank Doug for his time and efforts.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

Jim with his son, Steve, in 1980.

It is pretty incredible to me that my parents have spent 40 years at Portsmouth Abbey. That length of tenure alone is a real rarity in today’s world. They have given four decades to the betterment of the School and Monastery and its students, faculty, alumni, and monks. Along the way the Abbey has been a central force in our family life.

Matt DeVecchi ‘95:

As kids, my brother and I spent our time at pizza parties in St. Benet’s with the “Abbey Boys,” serving as the official ball boys for middler basketball as the coach’s sons, and hanging out in Father Bede’s woodshop to build a go-cart to ride down Cory’s Lane. When I was a student at the Abbey I saw first-hand my parents’ love of teaching, and I began to understand why they were drawn to the Abbey’s Benedictine tradition and values. As an adult, the School has remained an important part of my life and has provided many meaningful

moments, the most recent being last summer when my son James was baptized by Father Damian at the Church of St. Gregory the Great. Without a doubt, the people of the Abbey community are like family to all of us as well.

Because he knows the School so well, I think my father was uniquely able to understand how his decisions as headmaster impacted each of the Abbey’s constituencies. He also made changes to move the School forward but insured that they were in keeping with its traditions.

I think, initially, retirement might be difficult for my father. No more working on Saturday and Sunday (in addition to the five other days of the week) or standing out in the cold and rain of a New England April day watching a Ravens’ baseball game. But he deserves the time off, and his legacy at Portsmouth Abbey – from coach to headmaster – is something that my brother and I are very proud of.

WINTER BULLETIN 2013

PAGE 27

Matt and Steve (in front) in the 1980s.

Steve DeVecchi ‘97:

Steve shared his thoughts with us – in the same format as his senior class yearbook page – about growing up on the Portsmouth Abbey campus and what it was like having his father be a senior administrator at the school he had attended.

AT P O RTS M O U T H A B B EY

by Allie ‘05 and Nick ‘04 Micheletti Allie DeSisto Micheletti: People often say that high school is the formative period of your life. I can say with authority that the Abbey left its mark on me when I was a student, and continues every day now that I am a teacher here. I began my Third-Form year in the fall of 2001, shortly after Dr. DeVecchi began his tenure as Headmaster. The only Abbey that I have ever known has been under the guidance of Jim and Deb DeVecchi, and I don’t think my experience would have been quite the same without them. In fact, in their characteristically subtle and comforting way the DeVecchis have been a part of almost every major milestone in my life to date.

The “senior page” for my childhood: Aquidneck Island = God’s country, and the Abbey campus its slice of heaven. Endless dirt roads and corn mazes on which to ride bikes.

Amazing hide-and-go-seek spots. “Freeze Tag” in Stillman. Mickey and Big George Hogan.

Sledding by the football field. Narragansett Bay. The athletic fields, gyms, and my favorite, the rink.

St. Benet’s haunted houses with Uncle Cliff. Building massive pillow forts in Benet’s during Summer School.

Father Bede’s go-cart (not his golf cart). Father Andrew’s confections.

Here, Matt and I grew up.

I saw no fundamental change when my father became head.

Yes, my parents have traveled more. But, if measured by involvement and devotion to Portsmouth’s mission, dad has always been head.

Current students and alums from recent years may not be aware of his devotion to athletics back in the day. In particular, he loved to coach “middler” basketball. Ending an 18-year run with Matt’s team, he had a 157-87 record. In the winter, Matt and I ran to the old gym after school. We traveled to away games on the bus, and anxiously awaited each end-of-the-season break-up party. We were part of these teams. The old gym and the teams that played there are sacred to the DeVecchi boys, and to my father.

What brought my parents to Portsmouth Priory: a passion for the art of mathematics, and the desire to share. They have a palpable intellectual curiosity, appreciation, excitement and sense of humor for math’s paradoxes and completeness.

Steve (left) and Matt as Portsmouth Abbey students.

PAGE 28

Finding a Home

Nick ’04 and Allie ’05 are back living, teaching and coaching at Portsmouth. Their daughter, Betty, was born last year and has joined the Portsmouth Abbey School family.

What kept them here: the School is the people. Both of my parents have a great intellectual curiosity and appreciation for Portsmouth’s variegated constituency. It’s been exciting and humorous. It is complete.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

Jim was there to reassure our nervous horde of third formers on our very first day of high school, and he was there the following day, September 11, 2001, to reassure the entire School. Deb taught me Geometry and Jim taught me the following year in Algebra II. Their enthusiasm for math was infectious, and they fooled me into thinking I had a future in the discipline until Calculus proved otherwise.

Both avid track and field fans, or at least kind enough to brave the often cold and rainy spring weather, Jim and Deb were there to cheer us on as we won a New England Championship. Jim handed me my high school diploma and offered me my first real job after college. Jim and Deb celebrated my marriage to fellow teacher and alum Nick Micheletti ’04, and provided us with our first newlywed home. Though living with 40 adolescent boys wasn’t what I had always imagined married life to be, Jim met with me often to make sure I was surviving and happy. Jim was very supportive when we had our daughter, Betty, last spring, and as Jim and Deb are new grandparents themselves, I’ve appreciated their stories and advice.

I am only one of hundreds of students who have graduated under the leadership of Jim, and I am certainly not the only one to call the Abbey home. With all of the time and energy Jim and Deb have put into being present and nurturing to current students and alums alike, they certainly deserve some time to relax and play with their grandson. Thank you Jim and Deb for always being there to make sure things work out!

Nick Micheletti: Imagine that there is a yearly convention for all the headmasters, principals, or presidents of the nation’s independent schools and at this convention they have a contest. The game is simple: pictures of the graduates of each head’s school from the previous decade or so are shown, and whoever can properly name the most students wins. I would bet on Jim to win every year.

I would sometimes come to visit the Abbey during my college years and I would see Dr. DeVecchi. I was always surprised that he remembered my name and conversed with me as if he knew more about me than my face. He never taught or coached me, and luckily I never ended up in his office for any kind of disciplinary matter. But I was even more impressed to find out that his memory lasts more than a few years. Now that I work here, I am visited often by some of my fellow graduates from 2004. If we happen to encounter Jim at a sporting event or elsewhere, I am prepared to re-introduce him to my friend. After all, it has been almost ten years since we attended the School. But I never have to because apparently Jim can recognize old faces as well.

This happened often enough that I thought maybe it was easy, that you just don’t forget your students. Nope. In my fifth year as a member of the faculty, I can say with some sadness that I would not recognize a good number of the graduates from 2009. So, I have come to two conclusions. One, reading all the names during the graduation ceremony each year magically cements each student into Jim’s brain. Two, Jim cares deeply about the School and its students. Maybe it sounds like a small thing to remember all the names, but when you think about all the responsibilities of his office that actually take him away from the School, I think it’s something quite special.

I arrived at the Abbey in 2000, so I have only experienced the School under Jim’s leadership. It was an amazing four years as a student and at the time I don’t think I paused for a moment to think he had anything to do with it. Only now that I have returned as a teacher, and the Abbey is essentially my whole life, can I fully appreciate the ludicrous complexity of the place. Yet it has been a stable and nurturing environment for me for over a decade. I do not believe for a moment that it could be this way if it weren’t for Jim’s dedication and wise decisions.

I thank Jim for all his hard work and for providing me and so many others with such a good place to live and learn. And I am positive that we will not forget his name for a long time to come.

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PAGE 29

AHistory of

1931

1938

1944

June 11: First Prize Day. Diplomas awarded to Eugene Reid and Richard Tobin.

Sept. 18: Hurricane causes severe damage to grounds and loss of boats.

Oct. 15: Death of Dom Leonard Sargent, founder of the Monastery.

1932

1940

Dr. Bateman from England appointed first lay headmaster.

Aug. 1: Dom Gregory Borgstedt is appointed Prior, succeeding Dom Hugh Diman as Superior of the Monastery.

1933

Nov. 5: Mock student presidential election: Wendell Wilkie easily defeats Franklin Roosevelt.

Sept. 16: Enrollment: 85 boys, 11 lay faculty, 3 monks.

July 5: Resignation of Dr. Bateman; Dom Hugh Diman resumes headmastership.

May 21: Death of John Bitzer from an infection, two weeks before his graduation.

PORTSMOUTH ABBE Y SCHOOL 1926

1929

Nov. 9: Purchase of Amos Smith Manor House from Mrs. George Gardner Hall of Boston by Dom Leonard Sargent to establish a monastery of the English Benedictine Congregation.

March 21: Transfer of Priory from Downside to Fort Augustus Abbey in Scotland.

June 1: Purchase of 50 acres for additional playing fields, fishing and pheasant hunting.

Sept. 26: Opening of school with 16 boys under Prior Wulstan Knowles and Headmaster Dom Hugh Diman, founder of Saint George’s Episcopal School. Tuition that year: $1,200.

Sept. 16: Enrollment: 71 boys. Due to the Depression, one third of the student body is unable to pay the full tuition.

Nov. 5: Prior Wulstan Knowles elected Abbot of Fort Augustus and Dom Hugh Diman appointed Superior of Portsmouth Priory.

1919

1930

June 25: Priory formally established under the sponsorship of Downside Abbey, England, and named after the patron of Downside, St. Gregory the Great.

Plans by architectural firm of Maginnis and Walsh Associates for permanent monastery and school. $110,000 given by Mr. Basil Harris for construction of St. Benet’s House.

1928 August 28: Ice Skating Rink completed east of playing fields and construction of Red Dormitory and Schoolhouse.

1947

Dr. Brady named assistant headmaster.

April 9: Benefit Concert of Gregorian Chant given by monks at The Cloisters Museum in New York for the Capital Fund Drive.

1942

1935

1936

1918

1939

Sept. 19: Miss Ade Bethune of Newport becomes first woman on faculty, taking over Art Department from John Benson.

Jan. 5: Dom Lawrene McGann, School treasurer, enlists as Naval pilot and chaplain. In a letter to Father Gregory he writes: “Christmas Day was strange out here in the tropical heat, without any mail from home and with a goodly crowd of homesick chaps.

The average age of those Marines who took Guadalcanal was under 20 years. I celebrated Midnight Mass in a coconut grove; then after hearing hundreds of confessions, I said mass again aboard the carrier....”

1949 March 17: Death of Dom Hugh Diman, founder of School.

1937 Boxing and soccer introduced.

Oct. 2: Lecture by Thornton Wilder on “The Craft of Writing.”

Aug. 7: Dom Hugh resigns as headmaster and appointment of Dom Gregory Borgstedt to succeed him.

Nov. 21: Priory given independent status as a Conventual Priory with Dom Gregory Borgstedt appointed Superior.

1943

1950

Feb. 4: Miss Charlton Fortune, founder of Monterey Guild, arrives as artist-in-residence.

March 22: Dormitories occupied during school vacation by Trappists from Cumberland, Rhode Island, whose monastery was destroyed by fire.

June 21: First summer school opens with 28 students.

1918

1928

1937

1939

1941

1944

1945

1948

Nov. 11: Armistice Day – End of World War I.

June 18: Amelia Earhart flies non-stop across Atlantic.

May 6: Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst, N.J.

Sept. 1: Germany attacks Poland, beginning World War II.

June 22: Germany invades Russia.

Feb. l5: Abbey of Monte Cassino, founded by St. Benedict and called “Cradle of Western Civilization,” destroyed by Allies.

April 12: Death of President Roosevelt.

Jan. 30: Mahatma Gandhi assassinated.

PAGE 32

1932

1940

Nov. 9: Roosevelt elected President and begins the New Deal.

June 28: France falls.

Dec. 7: Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, bringing United States into the war.

May 6: D-Day – Allied invasion of Normandy.

Aug. 14: Surrender of Japan, ending World War II.

May 15: State of Israel proclaimed.

PAGE 33

1954

1960

1972

April 10: Options on acreage adjacent to Priory land secured by Pan American Refining Corporation, subsidiary of Standard Oil Company. Eventually withdrawn after objections from Priory.

June 1: Dedication of new church by Dom Ansgar Nelson, Bishop of Stockholm, and attended by Governor Del Sesto as well as by church and state officials.

Oct. 2: Student mock presidential election: Nixon 62% – McGovern 2l%.

Sept. 17: Appointment of C.J. Acheson of Ampleforth as associate headmaster.

1951 Jan. 15: Dom Gregory resigns as Prior in order to help in founding a contemplative monastery in Elmira, New York.

Aug. 8: The Abbot President, Herbert Byrne, appoints Dom Aelred Graham, a monk of Ampleforth Abbey, to be Prior.

Sept. 18: Opening of St Bede’s House, a dormitory for 28 boys, using money donated by Mr. Siragusa, originally intended for a swimming pool.

Oct. 4: Lecture on “The Menace of Communism” by Louis Budenz, a convert to Catholicism and former editor of The Communist Daily Worker.

Oct. 27: Opening of campaign for $l,000,000 for construction of the Priory Church and Monastery.

1955 April 20: A second threat to build a refinery in the Arnold Point area by Commerce Oil Company, which secures options on 500 acres.

1957 Proposed refinery defeated after two years of litigation.

1952 Aug.: Graduates Thomas Hubbard ‘48 and Thomas Price ‘47 reported killed in action in Korean Conflict.

Oct. 22: Mock student presidential vote: an Eisenhower landslide over Adlai Stevenson, 99 to 49.

Dec. 8: Visit by Pietro Belluschi, dean of Architectural School at M.I.T., to propose a new direction in architecture for future buildings.

Aug. 1: Acquisition of 75 acres near Arnold Point to prevent further industrial development harmful to the Priory.

Sept 15: Dom Leo van Winkle ‘37 appointed headmaster to replace Dom Aelred Wall ‘36.

Oct. 16: First Broadcast of FM Radio Station WJHD under the management of Dom Geoffrey Chase.

Oct 22: Mock student election of U. S. President: Nixon defeats Kennedy by an overwhelming margin.

Nov. 17: Opening of Indoor Hockey Rink.

1962 April: Creation of Zen Garden beside Church.

June 10: First meeting of newly formed Board of Consultants.

1963

Sept. 23: Committee formed to consider coeducation.

Jan. 10: Priory is named recipient of estate of Renee Cortazzo of Newport, providing funds for construction of Administration Building and the creation of a student scholarship fund.

Jim and Deb celebrate the birth of their first son, Matthew.

1967 June 4: Graduation address by Senator John Chafee.

(His son, Lincoln, now Governor of Rhode Island, was the wrestling coach of Peter Fitzgerald ‘78, elected senator from Illinois in 1998.)

1978

June 7: Retirement of Dom Aelred Graham as Prior and election of Dom Matthew Stark.

May 1: First Elizabeth Seton Lecture by Senator Eugene McCarthy.

Feb. 4: Blizzard delays School’s winter recess for three days.

Nov. 23: Memorial Requiem Mass in Priory Church for President John F. Kennedy, assassinated the day before in Texas. Mrs. Hugh Auchincloss, his mother-in-law, attends.

Aug. 28: Reenactment of The Battle of Rhode Island on the school grounds to commemorate its bicentennial.

1965 Aug. 14: Sale of Arnold Point property to the Kaiser Aluminum Company.

Dec. 3: CBS-TV broadcast of 25 minute documentary on The Portsmouth Abbey School.

1973 1958 Jan. 6: Dom David Hurst awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for research on St. Bede the Venerable.

Opening of three dormitories, St. Aelred’s, St. Hugh’s, and St. Leonard’s.

1969 Oct. 23: Elevation of monastery to abbatial status and appointment of Dom Matthew as first abbot.

1970

1959 Dom Aelred Graham, author, lecturer, and retreat master, is elected Prior for a further eight years.

1977

1966 Sept. 31: Dedication of Auditorium and Science Building. Among the speakers is Dr. Edward Teller, father of the hydrogen bomb.

Jim and Deb welcome their second son, Stephen.

Feb. 10: E.J. Dionne ‘69 becomes Portsmouth’s first Rhodes Scholar.

April 15: Lecture by Walter Kerr, theatre critic of The New York Times.

June 8: Retirement of Dom Leo after l6 years as Headmaster and appointment of Dom Gregory Floyd as his successor.

1971

Sept. 18: Jim and Deb DeVecchi arrive at Portsmouth to begin their teaching careers.

March 23: Introduction of first Digital Equipment Corporation computer on campus.

1979

1976 June 5: Portsmouth Abbey’s Fiftieth Anniversary celebration at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport.

1959

1960

1968

1969

1973

1974

1976

March 12: Hawaii becomes 50th state in the Union.

Nov. 9: John F. Kennedy elected President.

April 4: Assassination of Martin Luther King in Memphis.

July 21: Neil Armstrong walks on the moon.

Aug. 8: Nixon resigns in wake of Watergate scandal.

July 4: Celebration of United States Bicentennial.

1962

June 6: Robert Kennedy shot in Los Angeles.

Aug. 15: Woodstock Music Festival held in Bethel, N.Y., attracting over 500,000 spectators.

Jan. 27: Vietnam Peace Pact signed in Paris, ending America’s longest war.

Oct. 22: Cuban Missile Crisis.

PAGE 34

July 20: Viking robot lands on Mars.

Sept. 9: Death of Mao TseTung, leader of Communist Chinese Revolution.

PAGE 35

1990

1998

June 23: Coeducation begun with introduction of day girls into summer school.

Oct. 30: Dedication of St. Thomas More Library, given anonymously by an alumnus.

1991 May: Norman Marcoux, faculty emeritus, retires after 39 years at Portsmouth Abbey.

June 12: Dom Mark Serna elected second abbot of Portsmouth.

1980 Oct. 25: Dedication of Schoolhouse, given in memory of Mrs. Flobelle Fairbanks Burden by her family.

Sept. 12: Decision by Monastery for School to become coeducational.

1981 April 6: Lecture by Iranian hostage William Keough, uncle of Jack Hogan ‘54. Introduced by Peyman Pakzaban ’81, one of two Iranian students at Portsmouth.

Strategic Planning Initiative – School reaffirms its Mission Statement.

Dec. 1: 350 acres of Abbey property (formerly used for farm) leased for 99 years to English entrepreneur, Peter De Savary, to establish a world-class golf course and club.

Jim DeVecchi leads Portsmouth Abbey School’s 75th Anniversary celebrations.

Fall: First Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament takes place at Carnegie Abbey Club.

Fall: Jim Garman achieves 400th cross-country victory in the last of his 38 years of coaching.

Nov.: Jim establishes the first Headmaster’s Run.

Sept. Three-year pilot development initiative aimed at producing a humanities core to the Fourth Form curriculum.

2004 May: Dom Bede Gorman Squash Courts & Healey Family Fitness Center opens.

Oct. 24: Dedication of the Carlos X. Araujo ‘96 Memorial Outdoor Track given by his parents and friends from San Salvador.

May: Lt. General Josiah Bunting delivers Commencement Address; Kim Taylor ’04 named Presidential Scholar.

Jan 10: Opening of new Student Center, adapted from the former art studio.

2000

Oct. 31: Dedication of new gym complex.

June 13: First Elderhostel Program held at the Abbey.

School celebrates 10 years of coeducation.

2001

June 8: Commencement Address by General Alexander Haig. Retirement of Dom Gregory Floyd as Headmaster after a 10-year term.

May: Jaques Pages, faculty emeritus, retires after 25 years at Portsmouth Abbey.

2002

1999

1983

1984

September 17: School opens with record enrollment of 315 students.

1992 May 31: Abby Benson and Elizabeth Hammen become the first girls to graduate from Portsmouth.

July 1: Appointment of John Wilkinson, Portsmouth’s second lay headmaster.

Oct. 20: Clinton favored over Bush, 43% to 33%, in student presidential poll.

1993 St. Mary’s House opens for residential girls.

1995

May 1: Acquisition of 21 acres of Briggs property on north side of Cory’s Lane, completing the monastery’s policy of protection of the environment through creation of open space.

Girls Track and Field becomes the first Abbey team of any sport or gender to complete an undefeated New England Championship season.

July 1: Opening of the Carnegie Abbey Club golf and equestrian center.

Aug. 10: Retirement of Dom Abbot Mark Serna as headmaster and appointment of Jim DeVecchi as 13th headmaster and as third lay head.

May: Golf team coached by Jim DeVecchi wins SENE League Championship during Carnegie’s inaugural season.

May 18: Dedication of the Donald McGuire Fine Arts Center.

May 31: Commencement Exercises for 75th Graduating Class.

Sept.: Humanities program was implemented across the Fourth Form.

Oct. 26: McGuire Fine Arts Center opens.

History teacher James Garman, faculty emeritus, retires after 40 years at Portsmouth Abbey.

Board of Regents’ first year of governance. School’s Mission Statement reviewed and re-articulated.

Strategic Planning Process initiated.

May: President of El Salvador Francisco Flores delivers the Commencement Address to the Class of 2002.

English Master David McCarthy, faculty emeritus, retires after 30 years at Portsmouth Abbey.

2003 Feb. 28: Stillman Dining Hall closes for major renovation.

May 17: Construction starts on new Squash & Fitness Center.

May: Harvard University Professor Richard Light delivers Commencement Address.

Dom Mark becomes headmaster, retaining position as Abbot.

Sept.: School opens with 339 students.

1988

1997

April 30: On the death of Dom Leo van Winkle, Dom Francis Davidson, a monk of Fort Augustus, becomes Headmaster.

Classics requirement is reinstituted for the Third Form.

Stillman Dining Hall re-opens, following renovation. Faculty laptop program launched.

Manuel Kreisler, faculty emeritus, retires after 22 years at Portsmouth Abbey.

Dec.: Strategic Plan is approved by Board of Regents.

Jim takes on coaching for middler basketball.

1981

1986

March 3l: Reagan critically Jan. 26: Space Shuttle Challenger wounded in an assassination explodes as millions watch. attempt.

May l4: Pope John Paul shot in St. Peter’s Square.

PAGE 36

Sept.: School opens with 350 students.

Sept. 30: School celebrates the achievements of the 1998 Strategic Plan.

School receives re-accreditation by NEASC; committee chaired by Holderness Head Phil Peck.

2005 May: Dom Damian Kearney ’45 retires from teaching after 52 years of service.

Portsmouth celebrates 75th Commencement Exercises. E.J. Dionne ’69 delivers Commencement Address.

June: Summer Humanities Rome trip launched as part of Humanities program.

July: Jim makes his first trip to Asia to meet with alumni, current parents and prospective families.

1989

1991

1993

1994

1997

1998

June 4: Chinese troops suppress student uprising in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

Jan. 17: Persian Gulf War declared on Iraq.

Jan. 22: Maya Angelou reads her poem, “On the Pulse of Many,” at President Clinton’s inauguration.

May 10: Nelson Mandela is first black leader to be elected President of South Africa.

May 11: Gary Kasparov, world chess champion, is defeated by computer, I.B.M. Deep Blue, in a six-game match.

Sept. 24: Google, Inc. is founded in Menlo Park, CA.

Nov. 10: Berlin Wall crumbles.

Dec. 26: Collapse of Soviet Union after 74 years.

July 4: Pathfinder robot lands on Mars.

PAGE 37

SmartBoards installed in classrooms across campus.

Head Girl/Boy model of student leadership inaugurated.

May: Three longtime faculty members retire: John Fulweiler (1986-2007); Tom Kennedy (1975-2007); and Susan Wells (1990-2007).

May: Former Ambassador to the Vatican Raymond Flynn, delivers the Commencement Address at the 79th Commencement Exercises.

Dom Edmund Adams ’57 receives Portsmouth diploma from Jim DeVecchi at Schools’ 77th Commencement.

Sept.: St. Brigid’s, girls’ new residential house, opens.

The School enjoys record enrollment of 358, with boarding enrollment of 224.

April 30: Groundbreaking for Solar House donated

by Rhode Island School of Design.

McBean Foundation grants funds planning for restoration of St. Gregory the Great church.

May: Classics teachers Henry Stevens retires after 37 years of service.

2006

John Pepper ’56, Chairman of the Board of the Walt Disney Co., is the 78th Commencement speaker.

March 30: Rhode Island’s first large-scale wind turbine installed on west side of campus.

Aug.: Sr. Mary Collins, O.S.B., of Mt. St. Scholastica Abbey gives faculty workshop on “10 Hallmarks of a Benedictine Institution.”

Aug.: Abbey group attends its first World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain.

Sept.: Monastic Renewal effort launched under the direction of former BOR Chair David Moran ‘71.

Dr. Fred Zilian is named School’s first Dean of Faculty.

Curriculum review is undertaken by dean of faculty and Academic Council. Chinese is introduced to the curriculum; dance program is instituted as co-curricular activity.

Oct.: School and Monastery celebrate the Abbatial Blessing of Abbot Caedmon, in a Mass presided over by the Most Reverend Thomas J. Tobin, D.D., Bishop of Providence.

Summer: Hockey rink undergoes major renovations.

Sept. 27: High-ranking Vatican official, Cardinal Arinze, visits School.

Sept. 13-14: Two energy-efficient Blu Homes are “unfolded” on campus for new faculty residences.

June: Phase I of Growing in Knowledge and Grace: The Campaign for Portsmouth Abbey concludes with $22.5 million raised.

2012 Jan.: Jim DeVecchi announces plans to retire.

Jan.: Students travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in March for Life.

March: Governor Chafee Addresses Portsmouth Abbey as 2012 Saint Elizabeth Seton Lecturer.

Sept.: School opens with 375 students.

2010

2009 Feb.: Second Parents’ Committee Auction held.

Proceeds used to install outdoor recreation area, including a basketball court.

Jan.: Office of Admission admits record 117 students from 22 states, 12 countries; Parents’ Committee Gala and Auction raises more than $100,000 for Performing Arts programs.

March 25: Groundbreaking for St. Martin’s boys’ residential house.

Jan.: Portsmouth Abbey joins the Eastern Independent League for athletics; takes effect with 2007-08 school year.

April 17: Monastery featured in The New York Times Business Section for its use of technology to attract new vocations.

2007 Feb.: Parents’ Committee holds first Biennial Parent Auction, “Around the World at Portsmouth Abbey,” raising $95,000 that is used to renovate the Student Center and Tuck Shop.

PAGE 38

Fall: In an effort to be environmentally responsible, no Annual Report is printed. A digital version is made available on the School Web site.

Dec.: School community, led by members of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), raise $12,500 to clothe 460 children in need. Since the program began in 1990, more than $105,000 has been raised by Abbey students to purchase winter clothing for more than 3,200 children.

2011

2008

Oct. 23: The iPod was first introduced by Apple.

May 29: Award-winning actor, political commentator, author and economist Ben Stein is Commencement Speaker for the School’s 81st graduation exercises; largest class ever, with 107 students, graduates.

John M. Regan III ‘68, P’07 becomes Chairman of the Board of Regents.

May: Janet Lavin Rapelye, Princeton University dean of admission, delivers Commencement Address.

Sept. 11: 2,996 people are killed in the attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, PA.

June: Inaugural Portsmouth Institute takes place celebrating the life of William F. Buckley, Jr., P ‘70.

Dec.: Student publications, The Beacon and The Raven, win national journalism awards.

Nov.: Jim and Deb DeVecchi travel to China for first time

May: Rosemary Fagan retires after 21 years.

2001

May: Mathematics teacher and Associate Head Dan McDonough named first holder of Jenks Chair in Mathematics.

Easter: Church re-opens for Easter Mass following year-long closure for renovations.

2003

2004

June 23: Grutter v. Bollinger: The Supreme Court of the United States upholds affirmative action in university admissions.

Feb. 4: Facebook launches.

July 1: The Vatican City gains full non-voting membership rights in the United Nations.

2005

The International Year of the Eucharist in Catholicism.

April 2: Pope John Paul II dies; over 4 million people mourn him at the Vatican.

April 19: Pope Benedict XVI becomes the 265th pope.

Group from Portsmouth makes inaugural visit to the Manquehue Apostolic Movement in Santiago, Chile.

Oct. 30: Global health and human rights champion, Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, addresses School community.

Nov.: Boys’ Varsity Soccer caps a stellar season by making first-ever appearance in the New England Prep School Championships. The Ravens advanced to the semifinals of the tournament and finished with a 15-2-3 record.

May: Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Dedicated on Campus.

General Lord Charles Guthrie, Former Head of British Army, speaks at Commencement.

2007

2008

2010

2012

Jan. 9: Apple Inc. CEO and founder Steve Jobs announces the first generation iPhone 2G.

July 15: World Youth Day takes place in Sydney, Australia. Pope Benedict XVI appears at the event.

Jan. 12: One of the deadliest earthquakes on record occurs in Haiti, killing more than 300,000 people.

July 21: The final book of the Harry Potter series sells over 11 million copies in 24 hours, becoming the fastest-selling book in history.

Nov. 4: Barack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States, and becomes the first African-American President-elect.

2011

March 13: After 244 years since its first publication, the Encyclopedia Britannica discontinues its print edition.

May 1: President Obama announces that Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden has been killed.

PAGE 39

from the OFFICE of ADMISSION

by Julia Driscoll, Development Assistant

by Meghan M. Fonts, director of admission (2008 – present), and Geri Zilian, former director of admission (2001 – 2008)

When members of the Portsmouth Abbey School community look back on the past decade they, undoubtedly, will reflect on the significant advancement of the School. The growth of programs, faculty recruitment, scholarship funds, and new facilities have strengthened the School and its enrollment. In the fall of 2002, there began a collaboration between our headmaster, Dr. James DeVecchi, and the newly-formed Board of Regents. They developed a plan, setting objectives whereby the administration would ensure a healthy and sustainable future for all segments of the school and community. In 2003, the approval of this Strategic Plan created the foundation for the forthcoming growth of Portsmouth.

Goals that were set gave priority to key departments on campus and, specifically, to the Office of Admission. These goals were to define the composition and size of the student body, identify specific recruitment markets, and enhance promotion of the School in relation to its mission.

The plan became the blueprint for Portsmouth’s growth over the last ten years, and it was Jim DeVecchi’s headship that led the School to achieve the goals that were set.

As I (Meghan) began my career at Portsmouth in the summer of 2001, the School was strategizing about how we would modify the composition of the student body, specifically by increasing the percentage of boarding students. I recall Jim’s address at a fall admission Open House describing the ideal boarding school experience – one with a strong presence of residential faculty and students. At that time, the percentage of boarding students at Portsmouth was 58%, fewer than that of many other schools of similar size in the New England region. It was clear that to remain competitive we needed to increase the boarding population. The directive was set, and today 70% of the student body lives within the eight houses on campus as boarding students. Today, representation from 22 states, the District of Columbia and 11 countries reflects an environment where students live and learn among peers who share an experience that is at the foundation of American boarding schools. Jim’s vision of a strong residential community has been accomplished.

The growth of the boarding population was facilitated by the Admission officers’ increased domestic and international travel. In the summer of 2006, Jim and Deb traveled to Asia to begin Portsmouth’s commitment to creating a relationship with our Asian constituency. Since that summer, Portsmouth has visited numerous countries annually throughout the Asian-Pacific area and beyond – attracting bright, enthusiastic and motivated students. Today, enrollment of students from around the world creates a strong culture that embraces a diverse experience.

As the composition of the student body began to take shape, so did a newly - focused branding of the School, as well as many new marketing concepts. Portsmouth’s Strategic Plan, with Jim’s support, encouraged the admission and communication offices to take full advantage of its unique position in the marketplace as the premier New England boarding school in the Catholic Benedictine tradition.

The headmaster and the Board of Regents supported the resources needed to conduct a major marketing analysis, thereby allowing the creation of new recruitment materials, advertisements, and direct mail campaigns. Today the distinct mission of the School is represented in an awardwinning view book, a vibrant website, and active social media venues. In addition to marketing the regular School program, Jim’s commitment to create a full-time position to direct and enhance the Summer Program was met in the summer of 2011. The decision to appoint a full-time director affords the School another tool with which to draw prospective students for our regular School program.

Portsmouth Abbey School welcomed over 250 alumni, families and guests back to campus on September 28-30 to celebrate Reunion Weekend 2012. This was the final Reunion Weekend under the direction of Dr. Jim DeVecchi as headmaster of the School, and attendance was at an all-time high. In addition to the weekend’s annual schedule, this year’s reunioners were treated to a few special events that made Reunion 2012 one to remember.

Headmaster Jim DeVecchi receives a standing ovation after addressing alumni at the Reunion Celebration Dinner on Saturday evening. The reunion marked Jim’s last as Headmaster of Portsmouth Abbey.

The weekend opened on Friday morning with 24 golfers taking to the greens at the Carnegie Abbey Club. Though the weather was not ideal, all who golfed were in good spirits. Others attended the all-School lecture, “Up Close: A Writer’s Eye on a Montage of Misfits and Implausible Icons,” by Chris Ogden ’62. Many of Chris’s classmates were in the audience as they, like Chris, were back on campus to celebrate their 50th reunion. After the lecture, alumni attended classes or watched The Abbey Players rehearse for the fall production of Jane Eyre.

Mary Eleanor and Clinton ’41 Macsherry share a laugh outside the Clambake Tent on Saturday afternoon.

Before departing for their Friday night class dinners, about two dozen alumni (especially those from the class of 1972) enjoyed the opening of the Michael ’72 and Rose Bartlett photography exhibit, “Gardens of the World,” in the McEvoy Gallery of the MacGuire Fine Arts Center. Michael would have celebrated his 40th reunion in 2012, but sadly passed away in 2008. Classmates reminisced about the “good old days,” and the opening was a perfect way to pay tribute to Michael.

Classmates Robert Conway ’82, Jonathan Hill ’82 and William Keene ’82 are ready to share some memories as they dig in to their lobsters and steamers on Saturday afternoon.

After lunch, many members of the Class of 2007 gathered at the varsity baseball field to say a prayer in memory of their late classmate, Matthew Penney. A class picture was taken near a tree that was planted in his memory in 2010. The five-year reunion class had the biggest turnout of the weekend with over 50 members back on campus! The rest of the afternoon was spent cheering on Ravens on the athletics fields, a well-attended art tour led by Father Damian Kearney ’45, and a Raven’s children’s carnival with hayrides.

Jim has left an imprint on the institution that will be remembered as transformative of the Office of Admission as well as of the School as a whole. Jim has wholeheartedly supported and upheld the goals of the Strategic Plan, which has placed us in a good position to ensure a vital and dynamic future for Portsmouth Abbey School.

The Class of 2007 gathered near the tree planted in 2010 in memory of their classmate, Matthew Penney ’07.

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Saturday morning, as the masses rolled in, alumni were able to sit in on some favorite teachers’ classes followed by “Portsmouth Abbey Today,” featuring an address from Headmaster DeVecchi, members of the College Counseling Office, and students Xijia Yuan ’13 and Joe Yates ’13. After the assembly, guests headed down to a New England Clambake, complete with lobster, and enjoyed music by the North Shore Jazz Trio, headed by Jim Coyle ’79.

In celebration of their 15th reunion, members from the Class of 1997 teamed up with Brother Joseph on Saturday afternoon to launch a Herreshoff-style wooden boat, named Collette, which

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Photo by Geza Serenyi ‘62 The Class of 1962 enjoyed reconnecting at their class dinner on Friday night at the Carnegie Abbey Club.

they built during their Abbey days. The boat made its first appearance at the Class’s commencement in 1997, and was launched that summer. This time, Collette was launched from the Carnegie Abbey Marina, and the group enjoyed time in the boat that afternoon.

Kneeling, left to right: Vincent Buonanno, John Reid, John Griffin, Gene Renz, Conn Hickey.

Middle Row: Frederick Doherty, Birch Mullins, Michael Veysey, Geza Serenyi.

Back Row: Peter Leonard, David Panciera, Russell MacMullen, John Newlin, Malcolm O’Malley, George Pendergast, Michael Stuckart, James Blute.

The North Shore Jazz Trio, led by Jim Coyle ’79 on guitar, entertains reunion guests with lively music for the clambake on Saturday afternoon.

Michael Reilly ‘07 receives a BIG hug from Betty Barreto who has worked in the Stillman Dining Hall for 24 years. Betty has been a “surrogate grandmother” to many students during her tenure.

Christopher Ogden ’62, who returned to celebrate his 50th reunion, delivered the 2012-13 Saint Elizabeth Seton lecture to the School community and alumni. Entitled, "Up Close: A Writer's Eye on a Montage of Misfits and Implausible Icons,"

Chris spoke about five international, iconic figures he had met and written about, all of whom had been misfits or outcasts in their respective countries before becoming some of the world's most influential leaders.

Saturday evening kicked off with a cocktail party in the Winter Garden, followed by a dinner of a seared filet of beef with merlot demi-glace and a marinated shrimp skewer, double-stuffed baked potato and steamed asparagus. Alumni and their guests were seated by class, joined by familiar faculty members, and enjoyed live music by the Bonnie Strickman quartet. Welcoming the crowd, Abbot Caedmon introduced Jim DeVecchi to say a few words. A heartfelt speech followed, as Jim reminisced about his 40-year tenure by sharing some memories that shaped his time at Portsmouth Abbey. As he finished, he received a thunderous applause and standing ovation from those in the room; there were friends he had made, students he had taught, players he had coached, friends of his son, Steve ’97, who had spent time in his home, and those for whom he was headmaster.

When dessert was served, Patrick Burke ’86, assistant headmaster for development, thanked everyone for making their way back to campus for the weekend, especially Tsz Guan ’07, who traveled the farthest from Hong Kong, and Clinton MacSherry ’41, the most senior of the alumni in attendance. Patrick also touched on the projects that had been completed since these classes had last been on campus, and highlighted the many achievements that had transpired during Jim DeVecchi’s tenure. The evening wound down after class photos.

The Diman Club

Left, front row (from left): Father Christopher Davis ’48, Clinton Macsherry ’41 Standing (from left): Father Damian Kearney ’45, David Kearney ’50, Roger Moriarty’50

Class of 1962

Right, front row (from left): Lucius Evans, Michael Veysey, John Reid, John Griffin, Peter Stuckart, Birch Mullins Middle row (from left): George Pendergast Geza Serenyi, Michael Stuckart, Edward Giegengack, Frederick Doherty, Malcolm O’Malley Back row (from left): James Blute, Christopher Ogden, Russell MacMullen, Peter Leonard

Although every Reunion Weekend ends with a Farewell Brunch, this year was particularly special as Sunday, September 30, marked the 60th anniversary of priestly ordination for Dom Julian Stead ’43.

Alumni and their guests joined the Portsmouth Abbey community for a Jubilee Mass, followed by a southern-style brunch (the Jubilarian’s choice) with Father Julian and other members of the monastic community. After grace by Abbot Caedmon, the dining room gave a toast to Father Julian to honor the celebratory occasion.

Class of 1967

It was another successful and well-attended Reunion Weekend at the Abbey. Planning has begun for Reunion 2013, and a date has been set for September 20-22. The classes of 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, and all members of the Diman Club (those having graduated more than 50 years ago), are welcomed back to campus for this event. If you are interested in becoming involved in planning this year’s reunion, please call Fran Cook at 401-643-1281.

Left (from left): J. Lee Johnson, William Rives, Henry Elliot, Gregory Tovar

(From left) Jessica Fuller, Gino Tonetti-Tieppo ’97, Ann Marie Forbes ’96, Alexandra Krol ’97 and Lori Goodrich ’97 catch up over cocktails in the Winter Garden before the Reunion Celebration Dinner.

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Class of 1972

Right, front row (from left): Michael Long, Stephen Hines, Charles Crowley, Paul Stancioff

Class of 1992

Left, front row (from left): Ricardo Borromeo, James Dwyer, Patrick Leger, William McMahon

Middle row (from left): Peter Tovar, John Dooner

Back row (from left): Gregory Gilman, Stephen Farinelli, Bernardo Bichara, Andrew Wallace

Back row (from left): James Wilson, Christopher Banks, Frederick Marra, Mark Mesinger

Class of 1977

Below, front row (from left): Peter D’Amario, Robert Johnson Back row (from left): Ignatius MacLellan, Timothy Seeley, Blake Billings

Class of 1997

Right, front row (from left): M. Daniel Hughes, Gino Tonetti-Tieppo, Christopher Marcogliese, Janessa LeComte-DeQuay, Lori Goodrich, Angela Chen Middle row (from left): Ryan Grabert, Andrew Gontarz, Stephen DeVecchi, Louis Tavares, William Sherman, Anne Erhard, Ashley Jones, Benjamin Butterfield, Brennan Koch, Katherine Maltarp Back row (from left): Michael Anselmi, Andrew Urbanetti, Matthew Forbes, Kenneth Tambaschi, Matthew Reeber, Alexandra Krol, Marika Kamimura

Class of 2007

From front left, Jonny White, Elizabeth McCarthy, Michelle LeMeur, Cornelia Vaillancourt, Alex Reinman, Jennifer Gerlach, Joanna Stevens, Laura Dobbs, Caroline Greene, Brendan Kinnane, Stephen Garner, Efstathios Kyriakides, Matthew Kennedy, Augustus Gleason, Caroline Regan, Priscilla Benkhart, Glenn Shorey, Francesca Wladyka, Page Fournier, Adaobi Ibida, Michael Reilly, Margaret Moran, Jesse Estok, Lucas Zipp, Patrick Meehan, Leah Cole, Ryan DaPonte, Caitlin Silvia, Anna Buckley, Laura Rich, Samuel Simone, Jeffrey Popham, Christopher O’Reilly, Cedric Craig, Alexander Cusack, Ryana Barbosa, Kaitlyn Soares, Christopher Libby, Chantra Pimolwatana, Maximilian Klietmann, Michael Gorman, Grey McCune, Tsz Guan, Ross White.

Class of 1982

Above, front row (from left): Michael Scanlan, Charles Carter, William Keene, Jonathan Hill Back row (from left): Anthony Rondeau, Matthew Lane, William Gearty, Robert Conway

Class of 1982

Left (from left): Philip Porter, Michael Lehmann

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FALL 2012 ATHLETICS AWARDS Jim and Deb enjoy a girls’ varsity soccer game.

Girls’ Soccer Girls’ Soccer Trophy: Callie Hall ‘13 MIP: Annette Monheim ‘13 Captains-Elect: Ari Lowney ‘14, Amberlee Majewski ‘14 Overall Record: 2-12-1; EIL: 1-12-1 Boys’ Golf Boys’ Golf Trophy: Garin Tracy ‘13 MIP: Steve Vye ‘16 Captain-Elect: Will Hall ‘15 EIL Record: 9-5

Sean McDonough ’14 (right foreground) with the Boys’ Varsity Cross-Country team finished the season with EIL All-League honors; Sean also received the coaches award and was elected captain of the team for the 2013 season.

from the DIRECTOR of ATHLETICS Jim DeVecchi and I have worked together for 12 years.

During that time, he and Deb have been big supporters of our athletics program and Abbey student-athletes. They are frequently on the sidelines, cheering on the Ravens.

Under Jim’s overall direction, we have accomplished a lot in the Athletics Department. v We have significantly increased the number of Abbey

faculty and administrative coaches. Every Abbey team now has at least one Abbey administrator with the team, and we have increased the overall number of female coaches and head coaches of female teams.

v For the 2007-08 school year we transitioned from the

SENE to the Eastern Independent League (EIL), which was a great move for us. Presently, 21 of our 26 varsity sports compete for an EIL championship, and membership in the EIL affords Portsmouth Abbey the opportunity to play like-minded schools, academically and athletically, that will offer us equitable competition and will suit our institutional goals. In addition, football moved from being an independent to the

Evergreen Football League, which has helped us build our football program. v We have increased our sports offerings, including

girls’ squash, girls’ golf, girls’ tennis, and, just this season, boys’ wrestling. All of these additions have had a positive impact on our athletics program and have helped attract more quality student-athletes to Portsmouth Abbey.

v Our athletics facilities have been greatly improved;

most notably, the Dom Bede Gorman Squash Courts/ Healey Family Fitness Center was constructed, which has greatly enhanced our fitness and conditioning capabilities and allowed our squash program to expand and improve. In addition, the girls’ softball field and the lower soccer field were constructed, the ice hockey rink and Father Bede’s fields have been renovated, and the gazebo and scoreboards were added to the lower soccer fields. Jim has also been a big proponent of the turf field project and will oversee much of the planning of the fields before he retires.

The crowd goes wild as Nick Medley ’13 pins his Lexington Christian Academy opponent in the first Abbey home wrestling match in 19 years.

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— Al Brown

Boys’ Cross-Country Coaches Award: Sean McDonough ‘14 Most Improved Player: Nick Medley ‘13 Captain-Elect: Sean McDonough ‘14 Overall Record: 10-9 Eastern Independent League: 4-3

Girls’ Cross-Country Coaches Award: Hadley Matthews ‘13 MIP: Claire Davidson ‘16 Captain-Elect: Claire Ritch ‘14 Overall Record: 9-11; EIL: 5-5 Field Hockey Hannaford Field Hockey Trophy: Allyson Tessier ‘13 MIP: Keri Heuer ‘15 Captains-Elect: Dani Banky ‘14, Brooke Kazama ‘14 Overall Record: 9-5-1; EIL: 7-4 Football John M. Hogan Football Trophy: Austin Kreinz ‘13 Coen Cup (MIP): Rhoads MacGuire ‘13 Captains-Elect: Gabe Carter ‘15, Keith Edwards ‘14, William Locke ‘14, Carlin Page ‘14 Overall Record: 5-3; Evergreen Division Record: 4-1 Boys’ Soccer Williams Franklin Sands Memorial Soccer Trophy: Coleman Clark ‘13 MIP: Patrick Carlson ‘15 Captains-Elect: Jason Mercier ‘14, Julian Minondo ‘14 Overall Record: 4-9-4; EIL: 3-9-2

Portsmouth Abbey Fall Junior Varsity Awards The Portsmouth Abbey Junior Varsity Award is given to the athlete on each team who best demonstrates the spirit of Abbey athletics. The award recognizes hard work, individual improvement, sportsmanship and a willingness to do what is best for the team.

JV Boys’ Cross-Country: Patrick Wilks ‘15 JV Girls’ Cross-Country: Emma Butler ‘16 JV Field Hockey: Susana Marino-Johnson ‘14 JV Football: Thomas Winters ‘16 Boys’ JVA Soccer: Tommy Biagetti ‘14 Boys’ JVB Soccer: Shaokai “Jerry” Lin ‘16 Girls’ JV Soccer: Sally Hoerr ‘15

Goalkeeper Callie Hall ’13 was the recipient of the Girls’ Soccer Trophy, honored for her consistent efforts and solid play; she received the EIL Honorable Mention award for the season.

FALL 2012 POST-SEASON HONORS Boys’ Cross-Country

Providence Journal R.I. Independent School All-Star: Austin Kreinz New England Prep School Class C Co-Player of the Year: Austin Kreinz

EIL All-League: Sean McDonough ’14 EIL Honorable Mention: Joe Yates ‘13

Boys’ Golf

Girls’ Cross-Country

EIL All-League: Will Hall ‘15, Garin Tracy ‘13

EIL Honorable Mention: Claire Gralton ‘13

Boys’ Soccer

Field Hockey EIL All-League: Ally Tessier ‘13, Callie Taylor ‘13 EIL Honorable Mention: Sarah Sienkiewicz ‘13, Taylor Lough ‘15 Providence Journal R.I. Independent School All-Star: Ally Tessier

EIL All-League: Coleman Clark ‘13, Robert Sucsy ‘13 EIL Honorable Mention: Andrew Lowis ‘13, Antonio Minondo ‘13, Charlie Ramsden ‘13 Providence Journal R.I. Independent School All-Star: Coleman Clark ‘13 Girls’ Soccer

Football Evergreen All-League: Steve Foster ‘13, Austin Kreinz, Zach Pray ‘13, Severin St. Claire ‘13 Evergreen Honorable Mention: Hunter Harries ‘13, Will Locke, Carlin Page ‘14 All-New England: Austin Kreinz, Severin St. Claire Evergreen Player of the Year: Austin Kreinz

EIL Honorable Mention: Callie Hall ‘13

Visit our athletics photo galleries online at: www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/athletics/photo_ gallery

clockwise from above:

Taylor Lough ’15, Sarah Sienkiewicz ’13 and Rachael Powers ’13 working with goalkeeper Ally Tessier ’13, recipient of the Hannaford Field Hockey Trophy, to defend Raven territory against St. George’s School.

Austin Kreinz ’13 anchored the Ravens’ offense as running back, helping his team to achieve a 4-1 record in the Evergreen Division. Austin finished his high school football career as Evergreen All-League, All-New England, Evergreen Player of the Year, Providence Journal R.I. Independent School All-Star, and New England Prep School Class C Co-Player of the Year.

PORTSM OUTH A BBEY SUM M ER PRO G RAM

The School mascot strikes up a conversation while cheering from the bleachers.

Captain Coleman Clark ’13 was the recipient of the Williams Franklin Sands Memorial Soccer Trophy and finished the season as an EIL All-League and a Providence Journal Independent School All-Star.

Enrichment, Academics and Excitement DATES: SUNDAY, JUNE 30 – SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013 FOR RISING 7TH THROUGH 10TH GRADERS

Join us this summer on Narragansett Bay for a month full of fun experiences and new friends, academic skills and character development, sailing, sports, robotics, painting, marine science, forensics, and more...

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOUIS WALKER III

www.louiswalkerphotography.com/Sports

For program details, as well as scholarship information, contact Tim Seeley, Director of Summer Programs at: 401.643.1225 or email: summer@portsmouthabbey.org Visit: www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/summerprogram

Visit our Facebook Fan page!

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Call to find ou t abou Alumn t our i Tuitio n Disc ount.

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MILESTONES Jack Bernard, son of Marjorie and Sean Flynn ‘01

Thomas Martin, son of Raina and Matthew Leahy ‘96

BIRTHS 1991 A girl, Amelia Hayley, to Tracy and Ezra ‘91 Smith July 18, 2012

Abbot Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. and Board of Regents’ Chairman John M. Regan III ’68, P ’07 are pleased to announce the establishment of The DeVecchi Faculty Fund in honor of Jim and Deb DeVecchi. Through the creation of this fund the Portsmouth Abbey community celebrates a lifetime of commitment to the School. For decades to come, men and women will be aided by The DeVecchi Fund to become even better teachers and, in so doing, the DeVecchi’s legacy will carry forward at Portsmouth. Annual distributions from The Fund will enhance opportunities for professional development and ongoing enrichment that are available to Portsmouth’s teachers.

If we were to ask Jim DeVecchi about his greatest contributions to the School he would likely cite his years as academic dean and classroom interactions with students. Furthermore, he draws satisfaction from the knowledge that while head of school, and in partnership with many people, he has been able to continually improve faculty life through significant enhancements to faculty housing, salaries, and professional development opportunities.

Current members of the Board of Regents launched this effort early in the School year, and quickly asked former members of the Boards of Regents and Consultants as well as other friends of Jim and Deb to join the effort. To date, a broad spectrum of alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, former colleagues, and friends have responded to this historic appeal.

This generosity has created momentum that paves the way for The DeVecchi Fund to be impactful from its first year onward.

Now we turn to the Portsmouth Abbey community around the world and ask for your participation. Over the decades you (or your children) may have been one of Jim’s students, played a round of golf together, shared the faculty room as colleagues, been coached by him, enjoyed an evening at a Portsmouth Abbey event, or been the beneficiary of his counsel and the DeVecchi family’s friendship. We hope you will honor the connection with a gift to The DeVecchi Faculty Fund before Jim’s retirement in June.

To add your name to the roster of those wishing to celebrate The DeVecchi Years and Jim & Deb’s enduring devotion to Portsmouth, please contact Assistant Head for Development Patrick Burke ’86, P ’15 at 401.643.1291 or pburke@portsmouthabbey.org. Additionally, checks may be made out to Portsmouth Abbey School, noting The DeVecchi Fund, and directed to: Portsmouth Abbey School, Development Office, 285 Cory’s Lane, Portsmouth, RI, 02871.

– Patrick J. Burke ’86 Assistant Headmaster for Development

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1993 A boy, John Francis, to Erin and Sean ‘93 Berry November 7, 2012 1995 Two girls, Caitlin and Erin, and a boy, Jonathan, to Joe and Kathleen Boland Stevens January 19, 2012

Right: Owen Andrew Rich, son of Brooke and Todd ‘96 Rich

1996 A boy, Thomas Martin, to Raina and Matthew ‘96 Leahy July 24, 2012

Far Right: John Francis, son of Erin and Sean Berry ‘93

A boy, Owen, to Brooke and Todd ‘96 Rich August 24, 2012 1998 A boy, Jai Louis, to Kartini and Dan ‘98 Tortorice October 9, 2012

Right: Gavin, son of Dave and Kate (Magee) Varela ‘00

2000 A girl, Hannah Delia, to Maura and Pat ‘00 Hewett September 15, 2012

Far Right: Lucy Grace, daughter of Harper and Kate (Ferrara) Homes ‘00

A girl, Lucy Grace, to Harper and Kate ‘00 (Ferrara) Homes September 11, 2012 A boy, John, to Ryan and Eleanor ‘00 (Sheehan) Lynch November 25, 2012

Right: Caitlin, Erin and Jonathan Boland, triplets born to Joe and Kathleen Stevens Boland ‘95

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MILESTONES John, son of Ryan and Eleanor (Sheehan) Lynch ‘00

Carter Hope, daughter of Polly and Nick Antol

Hannah Delia, daughter of Maura and Pat Hewett ‘00

1998 Talia Resendes ‘98 to Jon Mario Richards September 1, 2012 1999 Cara Gontarz ‘99 to Jordan Hume October 6, 2012 2002 Mary Block ‘02 to Sean Herman November 17, 2012 2003 Neal Biddick ‘03 to Pamela Silvia ‘03 June 1, 2012 Andrew Crawford ‘03 to Maia Fedyszyn ‘03 September 2012

A boy, Gavin, to Dave and Kate ‘00 (Magee) Varela August 25, 2012 A boy, Edward John, to Molly McCarthy ‘00 and Stephen Comerford September 1, 2012

WEDDINGS 1970 Christopher Buckley ‘70 to Katy Close September 29, 2012 1992 Mark Resendes ‘92 to Christie McGowin September 20, 2012

2001 A boy, Jack Bernard, to Marjorie and Sean ‘01 Flynn November 16, 2012

1996 Stephen Allen ‘96 to Amy Scardilli May 27, 2012 John Edenbach ‘96 to Adrian Hunman September 29, 2012

Kellie DiPalma ‘03 to Alexander Simeone August 4, 2012 2005 Rachel Wigton ‘05 to Brian Jastrebsky October 6, 2012

Sean Howley ‘96 to Mindy Propen August 11, 2012 Mary Block ‘02 was married to Sean Herman on November 17, 2012, in New York City’s Church of St. Vincent Ferrer. Pictured, from left to right: Genevieve Block ’04, Dr. Jennie Block P’96, ’02, ’04, Mary Block ’02, Sean Herman, Catherine Block, Annabelle Block, Jon Block, and Christopher Block ’96.

2002 A boy, Thaddeus Duffy, to Courtney (Hardiman) ‘02 and Tony DeSisto ‘02 December 15, 2012 2006 A boy, Jamal Daric, to Delayna Browning and Jamal ‘03 Burk July 10, 2012

Faculty and Staff A girl, Carter Hope, to Polly and Nick Antol August 29, 2012

Sean Berry ’93 married Erin Carney on December 17, 2011. Left to right in the rear are Ian Macpherson ‘93, Brian Burke ‘93, Patrick Parsons ‘93 and Alec Robinson ‘93. Other alumni in attendance, but not pictured, were Greg Lesnik ‘93 and John Berry ‘55 (father of the groom).

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Neal Biddick ’03 married Pam Silvia ’03 on June 1, 2012. Pictured, from left to right: Kyle Biddick ’06, Sean Biddick ’02, Pam (Silvia) Biddick ’03, Neal Biddick ’03, and Kyle O’Neil ‘03.

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Talia Resendes ’98 married Jon Mario Richards on September 1, 2012.

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NECROLOGY

NECROLOGY Nora Q. Bird Mother of John J. Bird ‘90 August 14, 2012 John L. Cavanagh ‘58 Brother of Lawrence D. ’61 and Michael G. ’64 † Cavanagh Cousin of Carroll J. Cavanagh ’60, Jose Juan ‘90, and C. Brady ‘94 Cebrian Nephew of Carroll N. Cavanagh ’32 † September 8, 2012 Maria Scotti Chapin Sister of Nino ’60 †, Ciro ‘64, Francesco ‘66 and Joseph ’72 Scotti Sister-in-law of Thomas Shevlin ‘64 December 9, 2012 Ernest Christensen Husband of Jane Christensen October 24, 2012 Helen B. Coen Wife of Philip E. Coen †, Former Board of Consultants October 15, 2012 James S. Costello ‘08 December 27, 2012 Lorraine Couto Great-Grandmother of Arianna ’14 and Ashton ’15 Lowney October 14, 2012 Michael J. Doran Father of Courtney Doran Birchall ‘06 January 4, 2013 Noreen S. Drexel Grandmother of William ’11, Fergus ’12, Aidan ’14, and Finnian ’16 O’Farrell Aunt of George D. Drexel ‘70 November 6, 2012

Cornelius Gallagher, Jr. ‘79 Son of Cornelius Gallagher ’45 † Brother of Joseph ’77 and Paul ’84 Gallagher Uncle of Joseph V. Gallagher IV ‘10 Nephew of Reverend Joseph Gallagher ‘40 † July 10, 2012 Joseph F. M. Gatins ‘64 September 11, 2012 Thomas H. Gleason Grandfather of Thomas ’05, Augustus ’07, and Luke ’10 Gleason August 30, 2012 Charles M. Grace ‘47 Father of Charles ’74 and James ’77 Grace Brother-in-law of Jerry Vanderpool ’53 † January 1, 2013 Thomas J. Hunt Father of Matthew ’05, Brittany ’08, and Nicholas ’10 Hunt September 11, 2012 Pierce M. Kearney ‘44 Father of Nicholas A. Kearney ‘86 Brother of Damian ’45, Edward T. ’45 †, Gerald A. ’48 †, and David Q. ‘50 Kearney Great Uncle of Margaret-Theresa K. Ingraham ‘15 January 11, 2013 Ann “Nancy” Keefe Wife of Roger Keefe † Former Chairman Board of Consultants Mother of Christopher ’69 and Matthew ’70 Keefe August 9, 2012 Carmen Leal Mother of Antonio Leal ‘04 September 2012 Christopher McCarthy ‘05 Brother of Elena R. McCarthy ‘09 August 26, 2012

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IN MEMORIAM

Neil McGinness ‘58 Former Board of Consultants and Board of Regents Father of Henry J. “Mac” McGinness ‘90 Brother of James H. McGinness ’50 † Cousin of Michael O. Garvey ‘70 September 2, 2012 Thomas A. Moore Father of Joseph ’85 and Paul ’88 Moore January 27, 2012 Peter F. Morse ‘64 August 19, 2011 Joseph Murray Grandfather of Amara Murray Mulder ’99 and Ethan L. Murray ‘01 November 26, 2012 James F. Norton ‘51 October, 17 2012 Edgar L. Ostendorf ‘52 August 21, 2012 Ruth Carter Stevenson Mother of J. Lee Johnson ‘67 January 6, 2013 John W. Susen Father of Anthony L. Susen ‘74 December 1, 2012 Mary W. Susen Mother of Anthony L. Susen ‘74 October 19, 2012 Robert L. Walsh, Jr. ‘46 July 18, 2012 Nell P. Waring Mother of Benjamin ’74 and Antonio ’75 Waring Grandmother of Elizabeth D. Waring ‘09 October 20, 2012 Margaret S. Wooters Wife of Charles R. Wooters ’40 † Grandmother of Kevin D. Wooters ‘09 January 29, 2012

CHRISTOPHER R. MCCARTHY ‘05 Christopher R. McCarthy, member of the Class of 2005, died unexpectedly of natural causes on August 25, 2012, in Quincy, Mass., where he was living.

Following graduation from Portsmouth, Chris attended Wentworth Institute and was a member of the Babson University Class of 2014, where he was pursuing a M.B.A. at the time of his death.

Chris joined Portsmouth Abbey in the Fourth Form and became an immensely popular member of the School community.

He was elected captain of the varsity cross-country, hockey and track teams during his Sixth Form year, and was selected by his classmates to give the valedictory address at 2005 Commencement Exercises, an honor for which he questioned the better judgment of his fellow classmates by kidding to their parents that their children “…have yet to learn one crucial life lesson…how to make good decisions…because I am their valedictory speaker.”

Elena McCarthy ’09, Chris’s younger sister, recalled of her brother’s speech: “He was remarkable. He was hilarious and goofy but also thoughtful and charismatic. It was evident how much this School meant to Chris and how much he cherished the relationships he made here.”

Chris went on that day to talk of his pride in being a member of the Class of 2005, stating that “after coming here, my life has significantly changed for the better. Everyone here is a standout in one way or another – on the fields, on the stage, or in the classroom. Tests, papers, grades and scores are all important, but the friendships and bonds I have made here are invaluable and will last a lifetime.”

By all accounts, Chris was the epitome of a good person and great friend. Emma Greenman ’05, said, “He had a magnetic personality and an enormous heart. The team you played on, the dorm you lived in, the class you were a member of, were all irrelevant. If you liked to have fun and were up for an adventure, you would be an accomplice in whatever Chris was scheming.

Chris’s zest for life, love of laughter and strange sense of humor were contagious. I am eternally grateful to have known such an extraordinary person.”

Chris spent hours looking for the owner of a purse he had found on the sidewalk. After reuniting purse with owner, someone asked why he had gone to such trouble, to which Chris simply replied, “It’s the right thing to do.” In recent years, Chris was a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

Classmate Liz Bergman ’05 reiterated Chris’s affinity for others and constant positive outlook: “He was the type of person you wanted to be around all of the time; he made the best of every situation. Some of the happiest memories I have are those of Chris. I am honored to have been able to call him my friend.”

His family has heard from many of those friends in the months since his untimely passing. “Now it is evident to me how much Chris meant to the Abbey and to all of his beloved friends,” said Elena. “Chris was an amazing person, a devoted friend, a loving son, and the best big brother/best friend I could have ever hoped for. He loved the Abbey wholeheartedly, and I am so thankful for all the wonderful faculty members and friends in this supportive, loving community who are praying for him and remembering him every day and who continuously reach out to my family to offer condolences and happy memories of him.”

That unbridled enthusiasm made Chris a spirited and dedicated member of St. Hugh’s, his beloved residential house. Conor McMahon ’05 described a scene from a study hall break one night orchestrated by Chris: “He organized a full dorm dance party in St. Hugh’s hallway. He made it his mission that everyone in the dorm would partake, and he made sure everyone had fun. Chris always included everyone in whatever it was he was doing.”

“Chris may not have had enough years in his life,” summed up McMahon, “but he definitely had so much life in those years.”

Although fun-loving, he was a young man of principle. McMahon said, “I always admired Chris for doing the right thing when no one was looking.” He recounted a trip to New York City when

The Portsmouth Abbey Community mourns Chris’s passing and extends our heartfelt condolences to the McCarthy family and Chris’s many friends.

In addition to Elena, Chris is survived by his father, Richard, and his mother, Sally; his brother, John; his grandmother, Rita McCarthy; several aunts, uncles and cousins; a niece and nephew; and many, many friends.

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IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM

NEIL MCGINNESS ’58

community, and Neil, as the Board member leading the initiative to brand the School, asked me to join in the effort. We talked and met often, and, with the help of Fr. Damian, returned to using the crest Portsmouth Abbey now uses. Neil’s strong, beneficent voice was heard in this and so many other issues.

Neil McGinness ’58, longtime staunch supporter of the School, passed away September 2, 2012, at the age of 73.

A resident of Pepper Pike, Ohio, and Palm Beach, Florida, Neil grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. In 1955 he entered Portsmouth Priory, where, according to the 1958 Yearbook, he “swung a mean tennis racquet and managed to have a hand in every type of activity around Portsmouth.” Neil earned an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in 1962 and a law degree from Case Western Reserve University. He served in the U.S. Army as a captain in the Military District Office of the Commanding Officer in Washington, D.C., and a custodian of the District of Columbia Welfare Fund. Neil then served as the director of community development for the City of Cleveland under Mayor Ralph J. Perk.

He later entered private law practice as a partner in his father’s firm, McGinness, Painter & McGinness, where he worked for the next 40 years. During that time he also served as a special counsel to the Attorney General of the State of Ohio.

A proud and dedicated Abbey alumnus, Neil served for many years as a member of the Board of Consultants, from 1989-95, and the Board of Regents, from 2006-09. He was a regular host of Portsmouth receptions held in Palm Beach. He was also a member of the Board of Regents of Georgetown University, and was a Knight of Malta.

Portsmouth classmate Philip Heide shared his thoughts about Neil: “I first met Neil McGinness in the fall of 1955. I lived in the ‘New’ and he lived in the ‘Red.’ There was a bond among those students who lived in the ‘temporary dorms.’ Neil lived with (John) Hayes, (John) Kent and (Ed) Carey.

“Neil was tall and showed leadership skills even then. We were all allied with discussions about Fr. Andrew, Fr. Bede, Fr. Damian, ‘The Bear,’ and The ‘Shepard.’ Athletics, Manor House food, and required Mass needed Neil’s twist on survival methods until we could cross campus to the Tuck shop in the evening.

“The bond of Portsmouth alumni is an incredible force. While Neil went to Georgetown and I to Penn, we saw little of each other. Then in the early ‘90s Neil and I served on the Portsmouth Board. It was as if we had been seeing each other frequently — though 30 years had passed. Board discussions then centered on broadening the reach of the Portsmouth

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“Turn the clock ahead 15 years and join me at lunch in a seacoast village on Buzzards Bay. As I sat with my back to the table behind me, my wife said, “Why do you keep looking at that table?”

I responded, “I recognize that voice.” Yes, it was my friend, Neil, his wife and his son, who was there with his fiancé.

“My Portsmouth classmate of 52 years was the same warm, charming guy I had met years earlier. We picked up where we left off from our last phone call.

The proud husband and father made the introductions over lobster rolls and iced tea under the large umbrella shading the sun.

“When I heard of Neil’s passing, I could hear his voice and gentle laugh and offered a prayer to his family. I was lucky to know him, as were those who met him.”

Neil is survived by his wife, Mary Anne, with whom he cherished 47 years of marriage; his children, Neil, Jr., Margot, and Mac ’90; his sister, Mary; and seven beloved grandchildren. Neil was preceded in death by his brother, Henry, Jr. ’50.

Headmaster Jim DeVecchi said of Neil: “He was the epitome of love of and dedication to Portsmouth. As with most who have remained loyal to and supportive of Portsmouth, there was great affection for, and nostalgia about, his time here; but with Neil, it went much, much further than fond memories. He was a leader in supporting Portsmouth, guiding and pushing the School, and in his generosity and determination to get others to join him in providing for the School. I am especially grateful that Neil agreed to come back on the Board – for the third time! – in 2006 for one more term to lead us into and through an important marketing initiative.

“Neil’s commitment to leading the School as it worked to promote its Benedictine, Catholic mission and culture was exceptional.

He also brought the valuable perspective of institutional history to all discussions.

“As a friend, supporter and real good guy, Neil will be sorely missed.”

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

MARTIN ERNEST PIERRE LION Martin E.P. Lion, longtime friend of Portsmouth Abbey School and nephew of Dom Hilary Martin, O.S.B., died on July 13, 2012, at his home in Greenbrae, Calif., after a brief illness.

Born and raised in San Jose, Martin attended St. Leo grammar school, Bellarmine College Preparatory and Menlo College.

After serving his country in Korea as a member of the U.S. Air Force, Martin worked for the family furniture business, Paul Lion & Sons, before working for Bank of America in various capacities domestically and internationally, with overseas postings in Rotterdam, London, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Hong Kong. An avid golfer, Martin played some of the finest courses all over the world.

DR. JOSEPH E. MURRAY

A member of St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church, Martin supported many charities and volunteered his time to the Service Corps of Retired Executives and the international Executive Service Corps.

A beloved husband and father, Martin is survived by his wife of 50 years, Elizabeth; his children, Victoria and Martin, Jr.; and two grandchildren.

The Paul and Margaret Lion Memorial Scholarship has been established in Martin’s memory by his family. Contributions may be made at www.portsmouthabbey.org/makeagift or sent to the attention of Patrick Burke, Portsmouth Abbey School, 285 Cory’s Lane, Portsmouth, RI, 02871.

The School community mourns Martin’s passing, and we extend our sympathies to his family.

As director of the Surgical Research Laboratory at Harvard Medical School and at Brigham, Dr. Murray was a leader in the study of transplant techniques, the mechanisms of organ rejection and the use of drugs to thwart it. And he trained doctors who became leaders in transplantation around the world.

Dr. Joseph E. Murray, grandfather of Amara Murray Mulder ’99 and Ethan Murray ’01, died on November 26, 2012 at the age of 93.

Dr. Murray died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he opened a new era of medicine with the first successful human organ transplant in 1954.

In 1971, Dr. Murray began to concentrate on reconstructive plastic surgery. In this country and abroad, he treated hundreds of children and adults with congenital facial deformities, survivors of drastic surgery for head and neck cancers, and patients with injuries or other problems.

He attended the College of the Holy Cross and Harvard Medical School, from which he graduated in 1943. He entered the Army Medical Corps in 1944, and in 1945, married Virginia Link, an aspiring singer he had met at a Boston Symphony Orchestra concert while he was in medical school.

It was his experience as an Army doctor, especially using cadaver skin to treat burned soldiers, that led him to both transplantation and facial reconstruction. Though the transplanted skin would survive for only 8 or 10 days before it would “begin to melt around the edges,” as he recalled, the experience taught him that tissue from one person might survive for a time in another and that it might be possible to use “tissue from a dead person to save a human life.

At Brigham, he joined colleagues in investigating the possibilities of organ transplants; the work “was considered a fringe project,” he wrote in his autobiography, Surgery of the Soul, published in 2001 by Science History Publications/USA. Dr. Murray went on to pioneer techniques that over the years changed the lives of tens of thousands of patients who received new kidneys, hearts, lungs, livers or other organs after their own had failed. In 1990, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Dr. Murray was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine.

A Roman Catholic, he was also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which advises the Vatican on science issues. He donated his share of the Nobel award to Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital, where he had also treated plastic surgery patients.

After he retired, he remained in high demand as a speaker, mostly addressing medical students and telling them to “keep your eye on helping the patient,” as he said in 2001.

“It’s the best time ever to be a doctor,” he would tell them, “because you can heal and treat conditions that were untreatable even a few years ago.”

In addition to Mrs. Murray, known as Bobby, his survivors include three sons, Richard, J. Link and Thomas; three daughters, Virginia Murray, Margaret Murray Dupont and Dr. Katherine Murray Leisure; and 18 grandchildren.

– Michael Schwirtz contributed reporting.

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CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM NOREEN STONOR DREXEL

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An era ended when Noreen Drexel, grandmother of Liam ’11, Fergus ’12, Aidan ’14, and Finnian ’16, died peacefully on November 6 in Newport, R.I., after suffering a stroke, just ten days after celebrating her 90th birthday in good health, surrounded by family and friends.

Born The Honorable Noreen Stonor in Henley-on-Thames in England, Mrs. Drexel was the youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Camoys of Stonor Park in Oxfordshire, the Stonors being one of the most ancient and staunchly Catholic families in the peerage. She was privately educated and came to Newport as a teenager with her mother (née Mildred Sherman, daughter of William Watts Sherman), on the eve of the Second World War. Through her mother, Mrs. Drexel was a descendent of Rhode Island’s founder, Roger Williams, and of Nicholas Brown, the founder of Brown University.

None of this background prevented Noreen, as she preferred to be called, from undertaking a lifetime of good works. She was a volunteer in three wars—World War II, Korea and Vietnam—and a tireless advocate, mainly through the Red Cross, of maternal and child well-being and mental health. She was hands on—a nurse’s aide at the Newport Naval Hospital, working on blood drives, helping in the emergency room and on the hospital wards, even driving an ambulance! And all of this was done with the utmost loving, personal kindness. It has been said that the definition of a gentleman is one who always strives to put others at their ease.

If that is so, Noreen Drexel was the ultimate lady. She opened her charming Victorian house on Bellevue Avenue to the great and not-so-great. Every year, after presiding over the summer season, she had a reception for the charities she supported, and they were many. In the 1970s she was appointed to be the Representative of the League of Red Cross Societies at the United Nations. She was the 2011 honoree of the Newport Hospital Gala. The hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center welcomes children to Newport, a city that Mrs. Drexel, through her chairmanship of the Aletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust and other philanthropies, did so much to improve. Indeed, Portsmouth Abbey was the beneficiary of the McBean Trust, and Noreen’s generosity, when it stepped forward in 2004 to fund the initial engineering study, and later some of the renovation costs, for the Pietro Belluschidesigned Church of St. Gregory the Great.

Noreen married John R. Drexel III, a kinsman of Mother Katherine Drexel and a descendant of the founder of Philadelphia’s Drexel University, in 1941. They had three children, Pamela, Nick, and Nonie O’Farrell, and seven grandsons.

Fergus, one of those grandsons, shared special thoughts about the woman his family called “Maman”: “She was an amazing woman; she loved to laugh, dance, give and share. She devoted her life to charity and her love for new life, and in her 90 incredible years had an immense impact on innumerable people.

My favorite memory is of her playing a game with Aidan and me called ‘cat and mouse,’ a variation of hide n’ seek, when I was 9 or 10 years old. She would chase us all around the garden at her

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Daniel Kelly published his memoir, The Buffalo Tail, in October 2012. The book covers everything from his Portsmouth Priory days to his liquidation of his family’s mercantile trading company to his adventures as an insurance company owner in Santa Fe for uranium mines, ranches, apple orchards, and Santa Fe artists. You can find the book on Amazon.

46 I Noreen Drexel with three of her grandchildren, from left, Fergus ’12, Liam ’11 and Aidan ’14, celebrating Liam’s 1,000-point mark in basketball.

house, pretending to be a cat, and Aidan and I would run away like mice. Those were the days.”

In more recent years, Noreen was her grandsons’ biggest booster at Abbey games and other School functions.

Aidan spoke for his entire family when he said, “In regards to my grandmother’s involvement with the Abbey, she truly did enjoy coming to the Sunday Mass here. These services were deeply meaningful to her. Second, and much more important, she gave my brothers and me the opportunity to go to school here, and, for that, I am eternally grateful. The Abbey is a place I love and cherish. It provides education, goals, and answers as well as questions. Being given the chance to attend school here is the greatest gift my grandmother ever gave me.”

Noreen’s funeral at St. John the Evangelist Church in Newport on November 10th was presided over by the Bishop of Rhode Island and attended by many dignitaries, including the Hon. Lincoln Chafee P ‘11, Governor of Rhode Island, former R.I. Governor, Donald Carcieri, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

The next day Noreen’s body was taken to England for burial beside her mother in the Pishill village cemetery high in the Chilterns, with a beautiful view of her birthplace, Stonor Park.

“I’m a frustrated nurse!” Noreen liked to exclaim. No one ever gave more, more kindly, or more lovingly, than Noreen Drexel, and her example will be her greatest legacy.

“She truly was an extraordinary person,” reflected Fergus.

“The most important lesson she taught me: that family, sharing stories, and service to others are the most powerful keys to building peace.

“She will forever have a special place in my heart and in the hearts of many others.”

The Portsmouth Abbey School and Monastic communities mourn the passing of Mrs. Drexel, and we offer our sincere sympathies to the O’Farrell family as well as to Mrs. Drexel’s extended family and many friends.

– By James MacGuire ‘70

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

John Lyons wrote in December: “Generally good health for my age. Retired from teaching at Dartmouth six months ago.”

William K. Howenstein (Class of 1952) I enjoyed a wonderful time with Jim in Detroit earlier in November. It was not exceptional because every time we have been together over the past forty years has been a positive and fun one for us and for Portsmouth Priory and then Abbey School.

58 I Lawrence Cavanagh ’61 writes, “My brother, John Ludlow Cavanagh, died at his home on September 8th. After a year at Georgetown, John spent six years with the

Trappists (in Berryville, VA) and then earned degrees from New York University (BA, Psychology) and University of Wisconsin (MA, Sociology). For the past 20 years, John lived in Plymouth, New Hampshire. He is survived by his daughter Katherine, who lives in New York City.” John Tepper Marlin was published in the Huffington Post in October.

His article “shows a connection between the Stars and Stripes, the George Washington coat of arms, and the Benedictine abbeys of Durham and Selby in England, and the Durham College chapel before it was demolished with the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.” John is now the chief economist at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

50 I Until his recent retirement, Michael Putnam had been the W. Duncan MacMillan II Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature at Brown University for nearly 50 years. He was recently the recipient of The American Philological Association’s Medal for Distinguished Service. The award is occasional, not annual, and is presented to those who have devoted themselves to the profession of classics and the American Philological Association.

MAke a gift to Portsmouth Abbey and receive more than just gratitude in return

Creighton McShane (Class of 1950) Jim arrived more than 20 years after I left. However, he has visited our house in Vero Beach several times. I have always enjoyed Deb and Jim’s visits since they kept us up to date with the school’s changes. We also played golf and I always enjoyed their company.

56 I Joe Healey, “I have written a new book: Building the Church as Family of God: Evaluation of Small Christian Communities in Eastern Africa. The updated version is available as a free Ebook on the Small Christian Communities Global Collaborative Website.”

A Charitable Gift Annuity is a way you can make a gift to Portsmouth Abbey and get something back!

CallCall us today totoexplore CGAoptions: options: us today explore the the CGA Development&&Alumni Alumni Affairs Development Affairs Patrick J. Burke ’86Jones Anna Eustis Longstaff Assistant for Development SeniorHeadmaster Development Officer 401.643.1291 401-643-1280 ajones@portsmouthabbey.org pburke @ portsmouthabbey.org portsmouthabbey.plannedgiving.org portsmouthabbey.plannedgiving.org

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Christopher Ogden (Class of 1962) Talk about a two-fer. Deb and Jim DeVecchi have been an extraordinary team for Portsmouth Abbey School.

For not just a few years but for decades, they have been a remarkable example– the epitome – of intelligent, caring, pragmatic, determined and visionary leadership for a complex institution.

Together, in an admirable, balanced relationship built on the strengths of each, they defied the basic math in which they also excel to demonstrate that when it comes to DeVecchis, one plus one adds up to much more than two. As a result, the Portsmouth community has been a most fortunate beneficiary. The school has tended to its roots and mission while moving ahead with confidence to secure its future in the 21st century. That’s no small accomplishment – in fact, it’s a big one – and all of us who care about PAS know how important Deb and Jim have been in pursuing that goal. Well done.

Thank you.

John Fisher ’65 had this view of Dom Ambrose in the Haines, Oregon, 4th of July Parade.

65 I John Fisher writes, “4th of July marked a special day for John (‘65) & Didi Fisher.

This was the first day we had an entry in the Haines, Oregon, 4th of July parade.

See photo and note the esteemed mechanic sitting next to the driver is none other than D. Ambrose.”

Malcolm O’Malley (Class of 1962)

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As an alumnus, I often visited the School, and on one of those visits in the early 70s, I met an Irish Terrier romping with his family, a newer faculty member, Jim DeVecchi and his wife, Deb. Jim was teaching mathematics full-time and working on his Ph.D. at UNH – full-time in the summers. He was enthusiastic about being at Portsmouth and welcoming and hospitable.

Barney Phillips has been honored with the Centisimus Annus Pro Pontifice Business Leadership Award for his work in co-founding Shepards Inc. in 1997.

The nonprofit program provides funding for disadvantaged inner-city youth in Connecticut to attend Catholic high schools. Since its founding, the program has helped over 240 students to complete high school and attend college. In an article by the Fairfield County Catholic, Barney was quoted saying, “These are kids who come from neighborhoods with 55% graduation rate and are at risk of falling through the cracks. In the last six years, we’ve had 100% of our students go on to high education. Public Schools can’t say that.” Paul Florian has been teaching architecture studio classes at the University of Illinois and Illinois Institute of Technology.

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According to the September 16, 2012, New York Times, Charles Russell Lowell Putnam Finnerty finished second in the striper division of the Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby on Martha’s Vineyard in September. Charlie, who once did painting restoration for the Italian government and lives in a house that has been in his family for five generations, operates a charter boat and sells real estate on the Vineyard.

Charlie’s daughter, Annie, finished third in the striper division.

An exhibition of photographs by Rose and Michael Bartlett from their upcoming book, Bartlett’s Encyclopedia of Garden Ornament, premiered at the McEvoy Art Gallery in the McGuire Fine Arts Building on campus during the 2012 Reunion festivities.

Bartlett was a fifth-generation landscape gardener, and, together with his wife, spent a decade documenting some of the world’s most extraordinary gardens. He died in 2008, but the book he and Rose painstakingly compiled will be published by David R. Godine in the spring of 2013. Stephen Hines celebrated the marriage of his daughter, Alexandra, in December at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City. He is currently a managing director at First Avenue Partners.

Jim Pfeffer (Class of 1969, P’01,’01) As a graduate, two-time parent and former board member I would like to congratulate Jim for his extended service to Portsmouth Abbey School.

In particular, Jim’s 13 years as headmaster brought both stability and growth at a very important time in the School’s history. Today it takes only a cursory visit to the campus or even just to the website to see the many additions and improvements to the School buildings and facilities. Even more importantly, it is evident that the student body is a most impressive group of talented young men and women who are there because of the excellence brought to the School by the monastery, the administration and faculty.

73 I The Reverand Dr. Wm. “Beau” Wagner celebrated in August his 5th year as Rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Lisbon, ME.

74 I Andrew Denison writes, “After participating in a quixotic political effort to elect a candidate for citywide office in Philadelphia, (Just google “the last sheriff philadelphia” –

Gregory Tovar ’67 and Ward Mooney ’67 gathered on Reunion weekend to watch the Ravens varsity football team defeat Hebron Academy.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

Tom Fitzgerald sends in a note about bird shooting with Joe Tobin in November. “Joe and I teamed up with Joe’s brother, my son, and others for the better part of a week in La Mancha, Spain, to pursue the red-legged partridge. Nothing could have been more fun! Lots of reminiscing about our days in Saint Bede’s… God willing, there will be more pictures like this one in the years ahead!”

I can remember when the DeVecchis arrived at Portsmouth. It was during my 5th-Form year, and Jim taught me math. I think it may have been Trig. He did a fine job, and he managed to help me get through the subject matter. I had no idea, at the time, that I was being touched by greatness, and that this fine couple would go on to lead the scholastic component of the Portsmouth campus for years to come.

Congratulations and thank you both for your many years of service.

75 I

71 I

When I was just back for my 50th Reunion in October 2012, Jim and Deb joined our class dinner with the same enthusiasm and hospitality as I remember from long ago. In all of this, Jim and Deb demonstrate the strength of Benedictine education.

you’ll see what I mean.) I got the bug to stay involved in civic affairs. Despite my ‘outsider’ political past, I’ve been appointed by the Mayor to the Parks and Recreation Commission. The nine citizen members advise and guide the Parks and Recreation Department, which includes one of the largest urban parks in the United States.” On August 17, 2012, Jan Schwarzenberg retired from his position as Captain in the U.S. Navy after more than two decades of service. His naval awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service, Navy Commendation, Naval Expeditionary Force, Letter of Commendation from the Director of the FBI, a Joint Meritorious Civilian Service award from the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the U.S. Army Order of St. Maurice.

David Lackner (Class of 1975)

Jim leaves an organization primed for continued success and with an impressive short-list of prospective leaders for the next administration. All who care about the School should be pleased with Jim’s legacy at PAS.

Later I had the opportunity to appreciate his administrative and leadership skills as the headmaster over thirteen years when so much educational innovation and physical plant improvement occurred.

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Tom Fitzgerald and Joe Tobin from the Class of 1971 take a rest from bird shooting in La Mancha, Spain.

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James Kenney writes, “Greetings from the Pacific Northwest. A busy few years developing employment and housing programs for individuals with mental health issues in the Seattle area and working with Washington State DSHS on these issues. Also working from time to time with the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in these areas as well.

Just wrapping up another year of mountain rescue work on Mount Rainier National Park. Luckily a couple of fun climbing adventures in Alaska (Mt. McKinley) as well.

Looking forward to seeing folks at the Abbey when my wife and I visit next spring.”

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Jeffrey Calnan (Class of 1976)

Though it was not a milestone reunion year, Ben Howe, Kip Boardman, Mike McGinn, Chris Sullivan, Jaime Ortiz, Charles Zahringer, Tim Walsh, Alex Mikulich, Dan McCormick, Nick Ferrone, Jim Coyle, Stephen McKenna, and Jack Read all gathered over Reunion Weekend this fall in memoriam of two late classmates, Paul “Dems” Dembinski and Cornelius “Keats” Gallagher.

Although I didn’t graduate with my class back in 1976 due to some wardrobe malfunction, PAS has been a part of me ever since. And I would like to thank Jim D. for the consideration of awarding me my PAS diploma this fall after 36 years, for which I am very grateful.

Christopher Harty (Class of 1976) I started at the Abbey within days of the DeVecchis’ own arrival. And that is mainly what we share—those first days, weeks, and years.

Three years and scattered returns were all my time, and, in honesty, a part of me deeply envies their decades there above the Bay. Memories of the place, the landscape, have become for me a kind of dreamscape to which I return time and again, sometimes purposely but often by chance, to rekindle an essential fire that warms and illuminates a great part of who I am – perhaps the greater part, if foundation is the most important part of structure.

I was fortunate to live in Rhode Island for many years, and I took every occasion to revisit the Abbey. Name your places: graveyard, Gazebo, Winter Garden, Zen Garden, the Bay. Each of us has a List, and the DeVecchis have together been stewards of these Lists. More importantly, they were stewards of the list-makers, of the students and the School. In tandem with the Abbey and monks (for who can say where one ends and the other starts ?), they have both preserved and cultivated the school so that it has grown into a finer, stronger place, at once modern and traditional, open to change and dedicated to core values. My hat’s off to them, as should be yours, since you’re probably wearing one to cover your growing forehead.

Well played, DVs, as fine a round as anyone might hope to see. Thank you for your service (not all hearts and flowers, to be sure) to both the present and past Abbeys, and to the future as well. Know that you are always welcome here in Miami, as are most of the rest of you.

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James Kenney ’75 climbing Mt. McKinley in Alaska, the highest peak in the United States.

Justin Timothy Green ran the Philadelphia Marathon on November 18, placing 35th in his age division at 3:17:59.

76 I Fr. Ben Reese writes: “Presently assigned at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and St. Therese Parish in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

They are both great parishes. Please pray for vocations to the Priesthood.”

77 I After having their formal 35th Reunion in September, members of the Class of 1977 had a mini-reunion in early November in Newport, RI. In attendance were Ignatius MacLellan, Joe Gallagher, Tim Seeley, Paul Koehler, Blake Billings, Mike Moriarity and Carroll Carter. Michael Hampton writes, “Greetings to all of my dear classmates, friends, and everyone at PAS whom I cherish and love…I am still living in China and enjoying working and being in the Pacific Rim. Much love & happiness to everyone!” Richard Romatowski comments on Reunion 2012, “Had expected to attend this year, but discovered that my wife and I are expecting at the end of September... I’m sorry to be missing you all, but delighted to be a dad...”

78 I In August, Allen Chatterton III hosted the Providence Children’s Museum’s 29th Annual Allen H. Chatterton Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament at Carnegie Abbey Club. The tournament netted $32,500 to benefit the Museum’s educational programs. Allen has chaired the event for 23 consecutive years in memory of his father, who was an early supporter and board member of the museum. More than 100 golfers were in attendance this year.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

Members of the Class of 1979 getting together. From left Ben Howe, Kip Boardman, Mike McGinn, Chris Sullivan, Jaime Ortiz, Charles Zahringer, Tim Walsh, Alex Mikulich, Dan McCormick, Nick Ferrone, Jim Coyle, Stephen McKenna, Jack Read.

Thomas Keogh (Class of 1976) Congratulations to Jim and Deb for their outstanding careers and their immeasurable contributions to Portsmouth. For me, they represent a tangible link from the school I knew as a student to the modern school it is today. I was reminded of this at a recent dinner when I asked Jim his thoughts about how some of the instructors from the early ‘70s would fit in as members of today’s faculty. Not so easily, it seems.

Jim was quite appalled at a story I told of one teacher who was well known for his accuracy with a felt blackboard eraser when aimed at an inattentive student.

He rarely missed and would usually score a direct hit on the foreheads of unsuspecting daydreamers. Jim was emphatic when he said that nothing like that could be tolerated today. He wanted the name of the offender. Mr. Pelletier? No. Mr. Harris? No. Mr. Newell? No. Not one of the monks? No. Deb was sitting nearby and began to grin and shake her head.

Peter Lynch (Class of 1981) Peter D’Amario (Class of 1977)

William Haney (Class of 1980)

Jim, Deb and I arrived contemporaneously at Portsmouth nearly 40 years ago, and the DeVecchis have been a constant presence through my years as a student, alumnus and parent. The notion of the school without their presence seems slightly foreign and rather sad, though I am happy to see the school in good health, thanks in no small measure to Jim’s stewardship over the past several years.

Jim DeVecchi is a good man, a man of rare integrity, effervescent humor and a gentle, gracious wisdom. I am grateful to know him now, and to have known him for so long.

I wish Jim and Deb the best for the future, and hope that they return to Portsmouth often.

As a student who studied calculus with Jim, his native humor and humanity was what struck me.

Rai Reyes (Class of 1980) It is hard to believe all these years have gone by so fast, enough that Jim and Deb DeVecchi have been there 40 years! I want to thank them both for all they have done for the school; their contributions over 40 years are immeasurable. For me personally, Deb was the first teacher I had when I enrolled into what was then 2nd Form. I had Jim for a teacher a couple of years later. Both were not only excellent teachers but kind, compassionate and patient. They took the time. As much time as it took. They truly cared that you were learning and performing to your potential. You could not ask more of any teacher.

As a faculty child myself, whose irreverence was of occasional challenge to Jim, I remember Deb providing context for the behavior of ten-year-old boys, even as I recall delighting in the young DeVecchis, Steve and Matt.

As a Board member, Jim’s gift for connecting with both the school’s mission, and all its constituencies – student, parent, alumni, monastery and faculty – struck me.

Jim treated each person he met with integrity, and lead constructively, with a sense of purpose and kindness always at hand.

Together Jim and I launched the Abbey’s Haney Fellows program in honor of my dad.

Dozens and dozens of Abbey students have had adventures that tested and trained and inspired them because of Jim’s vision. He has touched thousands in a deep and transcendent way. I know of no finer man than Jim DeVecchi.

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My dad passed away my Sixth Form year.

Dr. DeVecchi was my Calculus teacher during that period and I remember the kindness he extended to me and the Mass he requested be said for my Dad’s memory. I’ll always appreciate that.

Best of luck in your retirement, Dr. DeVecchi!

81 I As of December 1, Jim Farley has been named the executive vice president of global marketing, Sales and Service for Ford Motor Co. and is the senior global leader for the Lincoln luxury car brand.

84 I Samuel Casey Carter has been named CEO of the Faith in the Future Foundation, which runs high schools and specialeducation schools for the Archdiocese of Samuel Casey Carter ’84, Philadelphia. Casey was CEO of the Faith in the one of ten national candiFuture Foundation. dates that were identified by a search firm for the position. He was profiled in the Philadelphia Inquirer on October 9 for his work with the foundation, which was established this year.

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85 I In the summer of 2012, John McCormick completed a 100-mile ultra-marathon in the Gobi desert of Mongolia, titled, “The Gobi Challenge.”

86 I Joe Bardenheier is going on his third annual trip to Khammam, India, in January for the two-week Free Surgical Camp that is run out of St. Mary’s Hospital. They perform operations including surgery for hernias, benign and cancerous thyroid conditions, skin tumors, cysts, hysterectomies, fused fingers and breast tumors. This year they have been able to open a third operating room with support of generous donors. Last year, with two operating rooms, they were able to perform 300 operations in 10 days. Joe and the other doctors are looking forward to helping even more patients. Robert Castellini writes, “[I] am currently senior vice president at Morgan Stanley and living in Cincinnati, OH, with my wife, Deanna and sons Luke (9) and Alex (7).” Leo Villareal was commissioned by Madison Square Art 2012 to construct a site-specific sculpture for this winter. Madison Square Art is a free contemporary art program of the Madison Square Park Conservancy, presenting exhibitions of newly commissioned work each year. Leo’s towering 30-foot-tall, illuminated sculpture entitled BUCKYBALL is largely inspired by the work of Buckminster Fuller and applies concepts of geometry and mathematical relationships featuring two nested, geodesic sculptural spheres comprised of 180 LED tubes. The piece will be on display in Madison Square Park through February 1, 2013.

Marc Indeglia (Class of 1988) I wish to extend a sincere thank you and heartfelt congratulation to Dr. & Mrs. DeVecchi for their lifetime of service to Portsmouth Abbey.

Their contributions to the school, to the community, and to the students is immeasurable. When I was a student, Dr. DeVecchi was not only an incredible teacher but also my advisor and a mentor for me, and the DeVecchi family treated me as one of their own. He gave me tremendous guidance and opportunity as a student, showing me how to reach my potential and achieve new heights. Dr. DeVecchi has been one of those people in life who has made a tremendous and lasting impact on me, my education, my development, and my character. As an alumni, the DeVecchis have become good friends, and I have looked forward to and appreciated Dr. DeVecchi’s visits to California and his extra efforts to see me whenever he is here.

the Republican National Committee, recently made the headlines for shaving his head after losing a bet made with DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse on the results of the presidential election. The two decided to shave their heads together on ABC’s This Week to raise money for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a childhood cancer research charity. Sean and Brad’s efforts have raised over $15,000 for the cause.

92 I

My story and recollections of the Abbey and of Dr. DeVecchi are very different from the rest of the alumni and students. I was an inner-city kid who arrived at the Abbey naïve, full of anger, with a chip on my shoulder, and scared. Prior to arriving at the Abbey, I had lost my mother, and I was devastated, but with the support of friends and family, I had enough courage to start a new chapter in my life.

Charles Burton, CDR, USN, is currently stationed at the U.S. Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterey, CA. He is enrolled in a master’s degree program in operations research. He anticipates receiving his degree in May 2013.

Once I arrived on campus, Dr. DeVecchi was one of the first teachers and staff members to reach out both physically and mentally. I think I was one of the first boys from the Third Form that year to receive work squad; I know I had, and may still hold, the record for being the fastest third former to receive work squad. Since that encounter, Dr.DeVecchi has been a positive role model in my life.

It seemed that every time that I was misbehaving, I could hear his voice say, “Young Jimmy McField, what are you up to?” I would always try to find ways to explain myself out of the situation, but because of Dr. DeVecchi I found myself spending a lot of time in the kitchen washing big pots and pans, logging in the hours.

Sean Spicer ’89 (left) with ABC News’ Jon Karl and DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse, after shaving their heads to support St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

I wish Jim and Deb nothing but enjoyment for the future, and I sincerely thank them for everything they have done for Portsmouth Abbey.

87 I Jim Knight, Bob Hoy, Paul Baisley and friend Chris Nay got together on the links at Carnegie Abbey in June 2012.

89 I John Fulweiler was appointed chairman of the American Salvage Association’s membership committee in November. John is also a maritime attorney at Fulweiler LLC in Quonset Point, RI, and maintains practices in New York and Florida. Sean Spicer, spokesperson for

On course at Carnegie Abbey, Jim Knight, Bob Hoy, Paul Baisley, Class of 1987, and friend Chris Nay.

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James McField (Class of 1989)

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Jorge Guajardo (Class of 1989) I was surprised how well Dr. DeVecchi remembered each and every alumnus when, on a trip to China where he was promoting the Abbey with a video that featured, among other things, my classmate Alex Cristiani playing squash, I jokingly asked why I was not on the video like Alex. Without missing a beat he answered, “And what should we put?

A picture of you smokng in the common room?” Which was exactly how I imagine my classmates would remember me, but was surprised that he did since I have not smoked for over 15 years and he would have no way of knowing other than through clear memory of each and every alumnus. Dr. DeVecchi was my math teacher and a great one at that. He will be missed at the Abbey.

Our relationship grew stronger because he was the freshman basketball coach.

He was always very generous to me. I was often doing additional laps and/or extra sprints because of something I said or because I was too stubborn to listen to his coaching and guidance. Despite my thousands of laps and sprints, I seized every opportunity to talk trash and/or make fun of that weird jump shot that he possessed. For the next four years, that funny- looking jump shot made me a stronger young man because every time those push-ups were on the line, the awkwardlooking shot went in.

Over the course of my Abbey career, Dr. DeVecchi was a positive male role model, who taught me how to be a man by learning how to be accountable for my own actions, how to think before you make decisions, and, most importantly, he taught me to be respectful and have integrity when people are not watching and when people are watching. He provided me with the great mix of love and discipline that was needed to get me through the very important Abbey years. It is because of his love of making me run, his dedication to get rid of me, and the commitment to making me the best work-squad record-holder ever, that I am a successful role model, father, mentor, and overall a great human being.

Dr. DeVecchi will always be remembered as the only man in the world to call me “Jimmy McField” and get away with it. Actually, just hearing that voice utter those words makes me pause in fear of being sent to the cafeteria to wash pots. I was thinking the other day of what would make Dr. DeVecchi retire. Then it came to me. After recently getting rid of my older son, James McField ’12, he heard that my younger son, Jalen, who is much like me, wants to come to the Abbey as well, and he said to himself, “I can’t deal with another McField and I am getting out while I can.”

94 I Bob O’Reilly and his family moved down to Raleigh, NC, late this fall. Bob, Alyssa, and the kids are getting into the swing of living and working in North Carolina again after a few years in Connecticut. Let him know if you are in the area!

John Plummer (Class of 1995) Thank you for all your support and guidance! Congratulations and God bless!

97 I Katherine Maltarp writes, “Had a great time at the 15-year reunion. It was nice to see everyone again. All is well up here in the Great White North. Still keeping myself physically fit by teaching indoor cycling, boot camp and yoga while maintaining my emotional and mental wellness working with seniors in longterm care. I am so grateful to love my jobs!”

Dr. DeVecchi, you took in and molded an inner-city NYC kid and put him on the right path to succeed. For that you will always have a place in my heart. If I could have one wish granted, it would be for me to place my hand on the top of your head and shake all your gray hair out of place and say, “Thank you, and you did good, kid.”

My family and I cannot express our gratitude enough because you have been a great inspiration not only to my family and me but to many other Abbey alumni and students over the years, years, years, and years. Good luck and best wishes with all your future endeavors.

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Katherine Maltarp, Angela Chen, and Marika Kamimura class of 1997 get together over Reunion Weekend last September.

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Alexandra (Hart) Mouligne ran in the 2nd Annual Pell Bridge Run on November 11th.

Stephanie Muylaert is a glaucoma fellow at New York Eye & Ear and staying very busy.

Ann Spears Stevens recently moved to the UAE, and she is using her Johnson & Wales hotel management education at the Rotana Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Matty Waine has been on active Coast Guard duty this fall and will return to Massachusetts in February.

Matt Sluter has been named co-chair of the International Council of Shopping Centers Rhode Island Next Generation Committee. Matt currently serves as cient advocate at New England Construction and is responsible for business development, client relations and account management.

From 1995 to 1997, a group of students came together with Brother Joseph and Warren Barker, a local master boat builder, to build a Herreshoff-style wooden boat.

The boat, Collette, made her first appearance at the Class of 1997 graduation and was later launched for the first time in the summer of 1997. As part of Reunion Weekend 2012, the boat building team reunited to re-launch Colette from the Carnegie Abbey Marina.

Members of the Class of ’97, Andrew Urbanetti, Michael Anselmi, Lou Tavares, Christopher Marcogliese and Matt Reeber, hung out at the football game on Reunion weekend.

Patrick Leger ’97 with his wife, Theresa, and son, Jean-Bertin, attended Reunion 2012 this past fall.

Katherine Maltarp (Class of 1997)

Colin O’Higgins (Class of 1997)

Amara Mulder (Class of 1999)

When I think of Dr. DeVecchi, ThirdForm math class comes to mind. I was never the greatest person at math, but he always made me feel like I could do it, as long as I put effort into it. I think this was the cornerstone of my learning ability, both at the Abbey, and in life!

Thank you for that, Dr. D. Best wishes to you and Deb for your future. You will be missed!

My brother, Sean ‘99, and I have a funny story that involves Dr. DeVecchi and Mr. Chenoweth. We (I’m trying to spread culpability here with, oh say, Simmy Stancioff) used to write funny messages on the TI-82 that was used for display purposes in math classes and one day wrote “The Love Doctor is in the house,” referring to Mr. Chenoweth.

Well, much to the dismay of the class, he never turned on the calculator that day and we didn’t hear anything of it until Sean came up to me and related how during his math class, Dr. DeVecchi turned on the TI-82 to find the message and read it out loud and chuckled, presumably because, quite understandably, he figured the moniker referred to him. You know, being a “Dr.” and all. The entire mischievous O’Higgins family wishes Dr. DeVecchi a restful retirement and thanks him for his many, many, many years of service to our dear school.

As I near the completion of my medical training, I want to take a moment to remember how much I owe to the Abbey for giving me such a strong foundation across all subjects, and particularly in science and math. I had the fortune of having Dr. DeVecchi as my math teacher for several years, and I truly appreciate the time he took to tutor me outside the regular curriculum. His love for math and teaching was evident; he taught me to love Calculus and to truly understand and internalize it by emphasizing proofs and the reasoning behind integrals and derivatives.

98 I Tye Nielsen is working at the CAA Talent Agency in Los Angeles, specializing in film, television and voiceover. Nellie Rainwater is the founder and choreographer of Rainwater Dances, a modern dance company based in New York City. Jason Weida, his wife Kyley, their ten-month-old son, Bowen, and their black lab, Baylor, live in Marblehead, MA. Jason works at Jones Day as a lawyer in the firm’s litigation department.

Benedicto Haryono (Class of 2000) A dedicated and fun teacher, Dr. DeVecchi actually managed to keep us awake the whole time in our Calculus AP class of 2 students. Cheers, and hopefully I can still meet you during the next class reunion.

Members from classes 1997 and 1998 on their boat “Collette” during Reunion weekend. From left to right: Leslie Heller ’98, Alexandra (Krol) Riordan ’97, Lori Goodrich ’97, Bill Sherman ’97 Stephen DeVecchi ’97 and Warren Barker.

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99 I Amara (Murray) Mulder writes, “I loved seeing and catching up with Abbey friends at Cara Gontarz’s wedding last month in Newport! Life is wonderful and busy; Eliza, age 1, is full of spunk, and Micah at age 3 is growing into a caring older brother.”

Before Christmas, Jennifer Sawyer got engaged to Andrew Wignall.

00 I Andre DeRussy is working in Oakland, CA, as the director of mid-market and app development sales for Pandora. Kate (Ferrara) Homes and her husband, Harper, welcomed a baby girl on September 11, 2012, Lucy Grace Homes. Kate, Harper, and Lucy live in the Chelsea area of Manhattan, where Kate is in her second year as the owner of a personal chef service, Carried Away Chefs. In August, Kate was featured in Loyola Magazine for her personal chef service. The service offers customized meals ordered by families in New York City, and Kate and her business partner go to their homes and cook exactly what was ordered.

Kate also offers cooking classes, including one at Newport’s 41 North, as well as at-home cooking demonstrations.

Molly McCarthy had a very busy fall with son Teddy, born on September 1st.

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Kate (Ferrara) Homes ’00, founder of Carried Away Chefs.

Ethan Murray (Class of 2001) In his first years as headmaster, Jim still found time to give me a 1:1 math class, which was a lot of fun and positioned me well for college and beyond – a great testament to his commitment to the school’s excellence in education.

Knowing him in that unusual context, I also appreciated his gentle coaching and guidance, the respect with which he treated us students, and his focus on good character above other things.

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02 I Mary Block was married to Sean Herman on November 17, 2012, at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in New York City.

Her sister, Genevieve Block ’04, was her maid of honor and brother, Christopher Block ’96, was a groomsman. Ali Macdonald, Lisa (Hoffmann) Walker, Rebecca Rapoport, Whitney Connell ‘04, and Abbey Math Teacher Elliott Moffie were all in attendance. Lore Macdonald P’02, ’06, ’08, Mary Ann Camacho P’13, and Juanita Pesant P’96 helped celebrate Mary and Sean’s big day with Mary and her family.

Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, who spoke at the Abbey in the fall of 2011 as a Dom Luke Childs speaker, escorted Mary down the aisle.

03 I Brendan Rok received orders from the Navy to report to Pensacola, FL, in January to be a flight school instructor. Kellie (DiPalma) Simeone was married on August 5, 2012, to Alexander Simeone.

Kellie has served on the Middletown School Committee since 2008, and in November, she was elected vice chairwoman.

04 I Whitney Connell, Kate Lyons, Paul Petronello, and Julia (McGlynn) Reinalda got together in Providence to go to a concert and catch up before Christmas. Kate is working as the Deputy Director of Capital Good Fund, a non-profit microfinance organization that targets root causes of poverty through innovative microloans and personal financial coaching in Providence. Caitlin Rushworth has switched jobs and is now working as an account manager at Visa.

Jeffrey Willis (Class of 2004) Jim DeVecchi was a great man who didn’t know the meaning of a closed door. It’s selfish, but to me, his greatest service was forcing me to graduate. I’m glad he is moving on, but sorry to see him leave.

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Michael Queno (Class of 2004) I would like to express appreciation for the DeVecchis on behalf of the Queno family. My entire family developed a relationship with the DeVecchis during my time at the Abbey in addition to my brother Joe’s. My father was specifically appreciative that both Jim and Deb would frequently attend our hockey games. Anyone who knew our father would know that hockey was and remains his passion, so their support of hockey did not go unnoticed.

They were perfect representatives of the Community that is the Abbey, and what they provided with their presence and work only enhanced the feeling of community. There are several folks that deserve recognition for a community like the Abbey, but we are taking this opportunity to commend the DeVecchis for their contribution as they plan for their next endeavor.

05 I After getting married the weekend before, Rachel (Wigton) Jastrebsky competed in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI, in October. Rachel finished the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and the 26.2-mile run in 10:36:59 and placed 13th in her age division. Next year will be her first season racing as a pro triathlete. Patrick Tobin got engaged to Jessica Strock in December. He is currently a mortgage consultant at EverBank in Boston.

06 I Hae Joon Jun is graduating from Columbia in May and starting at McKinsey & Company in New Jersey in July. Charlie Klemmer received a master’s degree in secondary education from Providence College. Now, he writes, “I am a little over two weeks from completing pre-service training and swearing into the Peace Corps in Mozambique. I will be teaching 11th- and 12th-grade English at a secondary school in the district of Mabalane in Mozambique´s Gaza Province.“ Graham Sparks won the grand prize for the Jack Daniels Independent Project for his home-made

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Graham Sparks ’06 in his workshop where he makes skis for Grizzly Boards, the ski company he founded.

ski company, Grizzly Boards. The contest awarded Graham $25,000, allowing him to make quality skis and to establish a singular and professional workshop of his own while continuing to purchase only the best materials. Graham lives in Aspen, CO, in the winter working as a ski- and snowboard-tuning technician.

07 I Katie Coaty, graduated from Fordham University in May 2011, and is currently a U.S. Navy ensign on the USS San Jacinto. Katie oversees 17 enlisted sailors and runs the combat gunnery division on the ship.

The homeport of the USS San Jacinto is Rhode Island, Katie’s home state. After finishing in 7th place sailing for Guatemala in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Juan Maegli clinched the national title for the College of Charleston in the Men’s Intercollegiate Sailing Championships at the Belmont Pier in Long Beach, CA, in early November. Mary McDonough writes, “Having completed my first year at Mother of God Monastery in W. Springfield, MA, I was clothed in the habit of the Dominican Order on 10/7/12 and received the name Sister Mary of the Word Incarnate, O.P. Blessed be God! Love and prayers to all from one very happy Novice!”

Francesca Wladyka received a bachelor of arts degree in art history from the University of Rhode Island.

08 I Mike Behan sent an update on Njabini, Inc. and his work in Kenya: “As our operations are located in rural Kenya, agriculture

and sub-industries are the backbone of the local economy and define the social and economic cultures of our region. For the past eight months we have continued to scale projects to help women earn higher incomes within the local economy and agriculture sector. Recently we have developed a program, called Kilimo Biashara, which organizes pods of poor small-holder farmer groups, known as Self-Help Groups, under umbrella organizations which provide market, financial, and training services to each group. This enables farmers to enter higher-value crop industries, access credit for inputs, and sell their crops collectively to wholesalers at a higher price, rather than selling individually to brokers. In fact, this past week, our team was busy preparing a demonstration plot for commercial summer flowers with markets mainly in Holland.

Njabini, Inc. partnered with a local flower cooperative, and in addition to providing technical training to women farmers, we are beginning to support women to enter the cut- flower industry, which, while the industry has greater barriers to entry, generates far greater income than local crops. In the coming 2013 calendar year, we will test more projects and plan to help 120 more women increase their incomes!”

Naseemah Mohamed writes, “I am learning Bharatnatyam, an Indian classical dance form in the South of India, Kerala, for a year as a Harvard Michael C. Rockefeller fellowship recipient. I live in an idyllic village surrounded by coconut and mango trees, and I am enrolled at Kalamandalam Arts University.” Naseemah was named a 2013 Rhodes Scholar in December; she joins her sister, who was a Rhodes Scholar in 2004.

Katherine Pereirra writes: “I’ve been working for Libboo, a publishing startup based in Boston, since July of last year, and we’ve come such a long way since then. I had been working for Libboo from Puerto Rico after having to move back home in 2009 to receive treatment for a brain tumor (it wasn’t cancerous, but my body is still very much affected by it and the treatment I had to go through). Joining Libboo (even if I was just a volunteer at first) was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

In February, I took a semester off from college in Puerto Rico to come to Boston.

Libboo had been accepted into TechStars, an awesome and super selective startup accelerator. I was supposed to only stay for

the duration of the program and then go back home to finish school. However, near the end of the program, I was offered a full-time job at Libboo. I took it, moved to Somerville, and am now taking classes at the Harvard Extension School to finish my bachelor’s. Needless to say, it’s been a wild and intense ride. It’s a lot of work, but it is incredibly satisfying, today more than most days. We just launched our new pilot today, which connects authors with their greatest fans (what we call “buzzers”) to help them become successful and reach the audience they deserve, and announced our partnership with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. On top of that, The Wall Street Journal picked up our press release so you could say that it’s been a day full of wins for us.” Brianne Rok was named to the dean’s list for the 2012 spring semester at Villanova University. She majored in political science.

09 I Ryan Andrews will be graduating from Babson in May 2013 with a BS in Business Management. He is a member of the Babson Varsity Golf Team. Ryan has accepted a job offer in the Sales Management Trainee Program with Anhesuer Busch upon graduation. Brendan Buckley has been playing lacrosse for the Army Black Knights, and

has recently been named Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 201112. He was also named a first team Capital One Academic All-America selection and the Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse ScholarAthlete of the Year. As a junior defenseman, Brendan started all 15 games for Army last season. Off the lacrosse field, Brendan was a Battalion Sergeant Major last fall, the highest position possible for a junior cadet. Dan Flanigan set the record for the inaugural Around Jamestown race with a time of 1:47:24. The race course has competitors sailing the 18-mile distance around Conanicut Island, and the race occurs at a time of the sailor’s choosing between May 28 and October 31. The winner receives a trophy and the skipper’s weight in Mount Gay Rum, which for Dan meant 196 pounds of rum! Kasey Geremia graduated from Rollins in May 2012 and was honored by the college with the “Fiat Lux” award as well as by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership with the “Wurzelbacher Unsung Hero” Award. She was inducted into the International Economic Honor Society, Omicron Delta Epsilon, and finished her undergraduate career on the Dean’s List. Kasey is currently working towards her MBA from the Crummer School of Business and is busy with her graduate assistantship through the Bornstein Student Leadership Grant. Sam Shore was part of the Newport Reading

Kasey Geremia (Class of 2009) During my first month or two at the Abbey I had a very difficult time adjusting to life as a boarder. I think Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Bonin, and Ms. McDermott (my first-year houseparents in St. Mary’s) as well as most of my classmates can remember and verify that. What most people wouldn’t know is that it was a meeting with Dr. DeVecchi that convinced me that I needed to stick it out and that the Abbey was the place for me. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of people made my time at the Abbey extremely memorable and life changing, but I couldn’t believe as a first-year student that the Headmaster would care enough to meet with a homesick student. Right from that meeting I found out just how much of a family I had supporting me at Portsmouth Abbey. Then during my last year, I was extremely fortunate to get the chance to work with Dr. DeVecchi more closely. When I was elected as Head Girl, I didn’t realize how much I would work with the Headmaster. I quickly found out that Dr. DeVecchi is an extremely kind and caring person who is deeply invested in the success of Portsmouth Abbey. I enjoyed our weekly lunches where he would ask about whatever was buzzing around campus and then share his stories and life lessons with Ryan and me. I couldn’t be more proud to sit on stage at our weekly assemblies next to such a great person. I wish Dr. and Mrs. DeVecchi the best and I hope to continue to see their smiling faces around campus!

Thank you for everything!

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Room foursome that clinched The Newport Polo Cup in September after defeating the Buck’s Club of London. This was the team’s first win in a decade against their rival opponent.

10 I Lauren Brodeur was accepted to the MBA program at Butler University and is officially a PharmD/MBA dual-degree student.

She is loving life in Indianapolis. Caroline D’Amario sent in an update from London: “I just spent my fall semester in beautiful Montpellier, France, with the Mount Holyoke program. While I originally was only going to stay for the semester. I was having so much fun that I decided to stay for the rest of the year! I had the opportunity to travel to Amsterdam and Copenhagen, which was amazing, and I am greatly looking forward to next semester.”

Casey Hogan spent the summer studying emerging markets in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She returned to Boston and took on the role of

vice president of Northeastern’s Entrepreneurs Club in addition to running the club’s Entrepreneurship Immersion Program. In January she will begin her second co-op working at the New England Venture Capital Association in Cambridge, then in June will set out for South Africa to participate in NU’s Social Entrepreneurship field study.

Pierce MacGuire writes: “I spent this semester studying in Barcelona, Spain. The city itself provided endless adventure but it also afforded me the opportunity to explore Europe in a way I never thought possible. I visited Dublin, Paris, Stockholm and Lisbon.

I hope everyone gets the opportunity to study abroad at some point!” Cat Malkemus writes “I’ll be back at the Abbey for the Summer Program again and I’m really looking forward to it. And I love that Ellie (Cat’s sister) is there now and having such a good experience –reminds me of how much I loved it there.” Bobby Savoie and his Eckerd College teammates placed 2nd in the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association Conference Championship Regatta in October. The class had a busy fall,

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with many other members spending the semester abroad, including: Caroline Kelley in Buenos Aires and Quent Dickmann in Ireland. Charlotte Papp will be making the long trip to Australia from February to August!

11 I Jasmin Amaral has transferred to Fitchburg State University and is a member of the basketball team; she has played in all of the games so far this season as a Falcon.

Liz Dubovik and Grace Medley had a fabulous fall on the Connecticut College sailing team, sailing up and down the East Coast; the team finished second at the Atlantic Coast Tournament at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where classmate Catherine Shanahan is at school.

Thomas Hammatt transferred to the University of New Hampshire.

Meghan Harrington transferred to McGill University this fall and has loved living in Montreal. Kara Lessels was named to the

2013

Friday, June 7 - Sunday, June 9

dean’s list for the 2012 spring semester at Assumption College. Catherine Shanahan placed 9th for St. Mary’s College of Maryland in the Women’s Intercollegiate Sailing Championships at the Belmont Pier in Long Beach, CA. Lucas Adams placed 12th for Brown University in the Men’s division. Lucas is also a member of Team Winged Victory, a sailing team formed with the purpose of competing for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. Lucas’ team will compete in the Selection Series Trials in San Francisco in February 2013, after recently qualifying in the first round trials in November. Tara Tischio is having another stellar season on the Colby College squash team after 15 wins in her first season on the team last year.

Tara is playing in the fourth spot. Phil Youngberg and Devin Laviano ’09 had another fabulous season on the water for the United States Naval Academy Intercollegiate Sailing Team. Both Phil and Devin moved Navy toward the team’s thirdplace finish at the War Memorial Regatta, which serves as the MAISA Fall Dinghy Championships. It also plays a major role in determining the strength of the team’s schedules for the coming year, and at the Top 9 Regatta at NY Maritime College during the last weekend of October.

and Greta are loving CMU and being roommates. Taryn Murphy had a wonderful first semester at Drew University as a sociology major and forward/mid-fielder on the field hockey team. She played in all but one game this season and started the last seven! The team went to the semifinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship. Stephanie Waterman writes, “After going to visit Joanna Grabert at College of Charleston in the beginning of November, I realized why so many Abbey students choose to go there. It’s like an Abbey of the south! I can’t wait to start there this January!”

Darren Colbourne and Emmett Conway from the Class of 2012 meet up in New York City.

12 I Darren Colbourne is enjoying Columbia University and recently took time to grab dinner with Emmett Conway on the Upper West Side before going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Trevor Kenahan and Liam O’Connor are busy at Beloit College keeping up with school work and as members of the varsity men’s lacrosse team, which is in its second year of play in the Midwest Conference. Their first scrimmage this spring will be against Kenyon College and their old teammate Justin Coleman ’11. Nahyung Kim and Greta Behnke hung out at orientation at Carnegie Mellon University. Nahyung

Featuring speakers: George Weigel“Catholics in an Unfamiliar America” His Excellency, The Most Reverend Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of Providence “Evangelization in a Secular Age” Peter Steinfels“Catholic Identity vs. Catholic Leadership in a Secular America” The Portsmouth Institute is a summer conference, study, recreation and retreat center for those interested in questions pertaining to Catholic life, leadership and service in the 21st Century.

www.portsmouthinstitute.org

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P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

Left: Stephanie Waterman ’12 visiting Joanna Grabert ’12 at the College of Charleston in November.

Right: Nahyung Kim and Greta Behnke are roommates at Carnegie Mellon University after graduating with the Class of 2012.

WINTER BULLETIN 2013

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Yidan Cong (Class of 2012) I was so lucky to have Dr. DeVecchi as a math teacher for senior year. It was one of my best decisions to take his class and I am so thankful for the fact of having him as a teacher. I learned so many interesting things in his class and I still recall them in college; they are very useful! I also had great experience with Dr. DeVecchi outside class. I remember going through all math courses available in my college with Dr. DeVecchi and he giving me advice about my future in math.

I want to say, thank you for everything Dr. DeVecchi: for the invaluable knowledge, help in college application, and advice and help outside class; you made my senior year at the Abbey as great as it could be.

PORT SMO U TH ABBE Y SCHOOL 12 TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT

Monday, June 3, 2013

SAVE THE DATE! Join us for some fun on the links As we raise money for scholarships and celebrate Jim DeVecchi’s final year playing in the tournament as Headmaster!

Prizes and Silent Auction For more information contact Fran Cook at 401-643-1281 or fcook@portsmouthabbey.org or go to our website and look under alumni/events/golf tournament.

Sponsorship opportunities available.

Kian Kenahan (Class of 2012) Dr. DeVecchi has been at the core of the Portsmouth Abbey community for a long time. My father, Charles Kenahan ‘77, my brothers, Sean and Trevor ‘12, and I have all been lucky enough to attend the Abbey and get to know the DeVecchi family. It was a pleasure having Dr. DeVecchi as my headmaster while at the Abbey and I wish him and his family the best of luck.

Caleb Chafee (Class of 2012) Dr. DeVecchi was a fabulous headmaster at Portsmouth Abbey.

He started in the math department and worked his way to the top through dedication to teaching and kindred spirit. When I was a student, Dr. DeVecchi was known around campus as a math-wiz and Abbey athletics enthusiast. He was the focal point of our campus and make me feel at home. All of us can remember his quick remarks at the beginning of assembly, or his sophisticated introductions that would capture our attention.

Dr. DeVecchi was also a fair man, and did his job when he needed to. His integrity and humble nature were a great example for all the students and teachers. Portsmouth Abbey is saying goodbye to a very important member of the community.

I wish you the very best, Dr. DeVecchi and Mrs. DeVecchi, on the next chapter of your lives.

Remember to stay in touch by visitng the front page of the School website for news and event info, and to connect to our social media pages.

Coach DeVecchi (second from right) with the Abbey varsity golf team in 1997 at Newport Country Club.

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You can download our mobile app in the Apple iTunes Store or in Google Play. To connect, type “Portsmouth

Abbey Alumni Mobile App” into either iTunes or Google Play.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

1938 m 1943 m 1948 m 1953 m 1958 m 1963 m 1968 m 1973 m 1978 m 1983 m 1988 m 1993 m 1998 m 2003 m 2008

SAVE THE DATE!

MISSION STATEMENT The aim of Portsmouth Abbey School is to help young men and women grow in knowledge and grace.

Grounded in the Catholic faith and 1500-year-old Benedictine intellectual tradition, the School fosters: Reverence for God and the human person Respect for learning and order Responsibility for the shared experience of community life

BOARD OF REGENTS Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. Abbot and Chancellor Portsmouth, RI Mr. John M. Regan, III ’68, P ’07 Chairman Watch Hill, RI Sr. M. Therese Antone, RSM, Ed. D. Newport, RI Mr. W. Christopher Behnke ‘81, P’12, ’15 Chicago, IL Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Creighton Condon ’74, P ’07, ’10 New York, NY

Patrick Gallagher ’81, P ’15 Westwood, MA

Ms. Deborah Winslow Nutter Westwood, MA

Meg S. Healey P ’91 New Vernon, NJ

Mr. Barnet Phillips IV ‘66 (on leave) Greenwich, CT

Dr. Gregory Hornig ’68, P ’01 Prairie Village, KS

Mr. Robert A. Savoie P ’10, ’11, ‘15 Jupiter, FL

Rev. F. Washington Jarvis Dorchester Center, MA

Rev. Dom Matthew Stark, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI

Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ‘45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Peter Kennedy ‘64, P ’07, ‘08, ‘15 Big Horn, WY William M. Keough ’78, P’13 Saddle River, NJ

Mr. Rowan G.P. Taylor P ’13, ’16 New Canaan, CT

Classes ending in 3 and 8, this is your reunion year!

Mr. Samuel G. White ’64 New York, NY

We especially welcome back

William G. Winterer ’87 Boston, MA

Mr. Edward G. Kirby ’83 Jamestown, RI

Very Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. Prior Portsmouth, RI

Mrs. Kathleen Cunningham P ‘08, ‘09, ‘11, ‘14 Mr. Tim Cunningham ‘74 Dedham, MA

Ms. Devin McShane P’09, ’11 Providence, RI

Yanling Xu P’13 Yantai, China

Mr. Peter Ferry ‘75 Fairfield, CT

Rev. Dom Gregory Mohrman, O.S.B. Creve Coeur, MO

Emeritus

Dr. Timothy Flanigan ’75, P ’06, ’09, ’11 Tiverton, RI

Mr. Ward Mooney ‘67 Boston, MA

Mr. Peter S. Forker ‘69 Chicago, IL

Mr. James S. Mulholland, III ’79 Vero Beach, FL

Dom Francis Crowley, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI

Reunite Reminisce Celebrate

Mr. Peter Flanigan ’41, P ’75, ’83, GP ’06, ’09, ’11 Purchase, NY

members of the Diman Club – alumni from all classes prior to 1963!

Visit www.portsmouthabbey.org/reunion for more information regarding the schedule, alumni golf, class dinners, accommodations, babysitting and more!

SEPT 20-22, 2013

Mr. Thomas Healey ’60, P ’91 New Vernon, NJ Mr. William Howenstein ’52, P ’87, GP ’10 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

Cover: Headmaster Jim DeVecchi and his wife, Deb, have spent 40 years at Portsmouth Abbey School. This issue of the Bulletin is dedicated to Jim and Deb’s many years of service to and leadership of the School.

Questions? Contact Fran Cook: 401-643-1281 or fcook@portsmouthabbey.org

285 Cory’s Lane Portsmouth, Rhode Island 02871 www.portsmouthabbey.org

P ORT S M O U T H

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ABBE Y SCHOOL PORTSMOUTH ABBE Y SCHOOL WINTER BULLETIN 2013 WINTER BULLETIN 2013