Portsmouth Abbey School Summer 2016 Alumni Bulletin

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

P ORT S M O U T H

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SAVE THE DATE! SEPT. 30 - OCT. 2, 2016 2016 Classes ending in 1 and 6 and members of the Diman Club (alumni from all classes prior to 1966) This is your reunion year!

Please join us for a fantastic weekend of fun and nostalgia with your classmates, friends and family.

SUMMER ALUMNI BULLETIN 2016

PORTSMOUTH ABBEY

PORTSMOUTH ABBE Y SCHOOL

19461951195619611966197119761981198619911996200120062011

A BB E Y S C HO OL

Please login to www.portsmouthabbey.org/reunion for helpful information and registration.

Questions? Contact Patty Gibbons at 401-643-1281 or pgibbons@portsmouthabbey.org.

SUMMER ALUMNI BULLETIN 2016

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 1,500-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 Matthew Stark, O.S.B. Chancellor, Abbot Emeritus and Prior Portsmouth, RI Mr. W. Christopher Behnke ’81 P ’12 ’15 ’19 Chairman Chicago, IL Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mr. Creighton O. Condon ’74 P ’07 ’10 Jamestown, RI Sr. Suzanne Cooke, R.S.C.J. Washington, D.C. Dom Francis Crowley, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mrs. Kathleen Cunningham P ’08,’09 ’11 ’14 Dedham, MA Mr. Peter Ferry ’75, P ’16, ‘17 Republic of Singapore Mrs. Frances Fisher P ’15 San Francisco, CA Dr. Timothy P. Flanigan ’75 P ’06 ’09 ’11 ’19 Tiverton, RI Mr. Peter S. Forker ’69 Chicago, IL

Mr. Patrick Gallagher ’81 P ’15 Providence, RI Mrs. Margaret S. Healey P ’91 New Vernon, NJ Mr. Denis Hector ’70 Miami, FL Dr. Gregory Hornig ’68 P’ 01 Prairie Village, KS Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ’45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Peter Kennedy ’64 P ’07 ’08 ’15 Big Horn, WY Mr. William Keogh ’78 P ’13 Litchfield, CT Dr. Mary Beth Klee P ’04 Hanover, NH Ms. Devin McShane P ’09 ’11 Providence, RI Rev. Dom Gregory Mohrman, O.S.B. St. Louis, MO Mr. Philip V. Moyles, Jr. ’82 Annual Fund Chair Rye, NY

Mr. and Mrs. Emmett O’Connell P ’16 ’17 Co-Chairs, Parents’ Association Stowe, VT Mr. Shane O’Neil ‘65 Bedford, MA Mr. John Perreira P ’05 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Peter J. Romatowski ’68 McLean, VA Mr. Rowan G.P. Taylor P ’13 ’17 ’18 New Canaan, CT Mr. William Winterer ’87 Boston, MA

Emeritus Flanigan R

Mr. Peter Purchase, NY

’41 P ’75 ’83 GP ’06 ’09 ’11

Thanks for keeping the faith!

Portsmouth Abbey School thanks the hundreds of generous alumni, parents, grandparents, parents of alumni, faculty, staff and friends who came together to philanthropically support the School through the 2015-16 Annual Fund and set a new record this year of $1.63 million.

Your gifts helped young men and women grow in knowledge and grace by supporting them in the classroom, on the playing fields and stage, and in our eight residential houses.

Each year, your support of the Annual Fund strengthens the School and demonstrates that a group of committed people can make a difference.

On behalf of every student, teacher and monk, thank you!

Mr. Thomas Healey ’60 P ’91 New Vernon, NJ Mr. William Howenstein R ’52 P ’87 GP ’10 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI Barnet Phillips, IV ’66

P O RT S M O U T H A BB E Y S C H O O l A N N UA L F U N D

Greenwich, CT

R

deceased

Front cover: Andrea Petronello Marone ’02 (left) and Cara Gontarz Hume ’99 have forged a lasting relationship, both in their demanding and successful careers at GE and in their busy family lives, since they were students at Portsmouth Abbey School. Read the story of an extraordinary mentorship on page 26.

Photo by Ashley Brown

Special thanks to all of our volunteers, including class agents, reunion committee members, members of the Alumni Leadership Council and Parents’ Association volunteers, whose dedication to the School made this achievement possible.

F R O M H E A D M A S T E R DA N M C D O N O U G H

"A few nights ago, you dedicated the stone in the Healey Plaza with your class quote: “We do not remember days. We remember moments.” Today is likely one of those moments, because as Sydney Welch noted on Thursday at the dedication, this could be the last time you are all together. But you have had many of these moments here. To help you have more such moments, I will offer two questions, a reminder, and a statement.

The following are Headmaster McDonough's remarks to the School community at Commencement 2016: "Abbot Matthew, Mr. Ferry, Mr. Bohan, monks, faculty and especially you, the Class of 2016 and your families and friends: welcome to your final mandatory assembly here at Portsmouth Abbey School.

"My words today are for the Class of 2016. When I accepted the appointment as Headmaster, I concluded my remarks to the School by saying: “I cannot think of a better work than walking with you in your journeys to adulthood.” Well, from this point on that walk will necessarily be metaphorical. You no longer have to worry that I will mysteriously materialize by your side as you do something silly. And for you, it mostly was silly stuff. That’s why you didn’t lose anyone this year, a legacy that very few classes have achieved and one that you can be proud to leave for your successors. But I do have a couple of things to say to you as you walk away.

"First question: what do so many of the successful young people in today’s business and tech world know that makes them intentionally limit their screen time at regular intervals even though they may be using it intensely and continuously the rest of the time? Second question: Is it possible the Benedictines have known something for the last 1500 years which is constantly being rediscovered? My reminder: could this have anything to do with the “chill time” that John Humphrey described to you on Thursday night, that two-hour block he takes once every weekend to just sit down and literally do nothing? Now, you may not yet be capable of spending two hours with just yourself, but take Ben Franklin’s advice that Ms. Behan passed to you yesterday: try starting a habit of a few minutes and grow it over time.

"Finally, my statement: While two hours of chill time once per week is great, talking to God in your own words for a few minutes every day is even better. So do both. You can be sure when you are talking to God that, unlike some people you meet, He will actually listen to you.

Thank you for our time together, God bless all of you, and I hope you come back often. "

Headmaster Dan McDonough congratulates Jon Campau '16 on Prize Day. Jon, who is headed to the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall, was the recipient of the Cross-Country Coach's Trophy, the Track Coach's Trophy and the Scholar-Athlete Award. Jon was also the School winner in Level IV Poetry on the National Latin Exam and received the Excellence in Scholarship award for maintaining the highest cumulative academic average in his Fifth and Sixth Form years. In addition, Jon received the Classical Studies Book Prize and was elected by the monastic faculty to receive the William Barry McCoy'67 Memorial Award, presented to a Sixth Form student for interest and growth in things of the spirit and for influence upon his or her classmates, through Christian attitude and constructive leadership as exemplified by William Barry McCoy '67. Jon was recognized for his service as an altar server and was inducted into the National Cum Laude Society and the Portsmouth Abbey School Athletic Association.

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Dear Portsmouth, David McCarthy. He was a teacher I was saddened to hear about the passing of act was not of your typical stuwho had a profound impact on me. This imp two specific things he said to me – dent-teacher variety. Rather, it stemmed from e thirty years later. one as a student and one as an alumnus, som you speak. Your writing should The first was this: “You should write the way conventions dampen or cloud the sound like you. Don’t let technical writing sound of your voice.” ged my views on my written exThis enormously liberating perspective chan om and confidence. Today, as an pression, empowering a renewed sense of freed – but I’m quite sure his words have insurance executive, I write technically at work influenced my hobby of short story writing. at a reunion up at the Abbey. I hadn’t Our last meeting must have been in 2009, instantly recognized me, and enthusiseen him in many years. To my surprise he astically said: e you been well? Have you had a good “Tony, my word, it’s good to see you! Hav life?” moned to mind the journey, triumphs, His question, while startling, instantly sum life. mishaps, and rewards that had comprised my “Have you had a good life?” er to his question, I do know one Whereas I’m not sure I will ever have the answ his question. I carry it around with thing for certain - I have been better off for spirituality, and awareness. me to this day – with more thoughtfulness, For this and everything else I shall always be

his grateful student.

Tony Galban ‘79

STAY CONNECTED! 2

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

IN THIS ISSUE

Stay Connected To keep up with general news 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 online Alumni Community. Check our listing of upcoming alumni events here on campus and around the country. There you can find out more about Reunion 2016, our Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament, share news, and search for fellow alumni around the world: www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/alumni. Also, be sure to visit our Portsmouth Abbey School Alumni page on Linked In!

From Headmaster Dan McDonough; Commencement Remarks

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Remembrance of Faculty Emeritus David McCarthy

by Tony Galban '79

2

Student Achievements

4

New Regents

10

Prize Day and Commencement 2016

12

The Invaluable Gift of an Education by Teddy O'Connor '17 19 Meet the Class of 2020

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From the Office of College Counseling

by Director of College Counseling Corie McDermott-Fazzino

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The Million-Dollar Thank You: Ellen and Bill Melvin Jr. ’55

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Leading a Global Movement for Men's Health: Mark Hedstrom '91

by Doug Norris

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Ties That Bind: Cara Gontarz Hume '99 and Andrea Petronello Marone '02 by Emily Atkinson

26

The Best-Known Monk in the Western World: Thomas Merton

by Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. '45

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The Portsmouth Abbey School Alumni Bulletin is published bi-annually for alumni, parents and friends by Portsmouth Abbey School, a Benedictine Catholic independent boarding school for young men and women in Forms III-VI (grades 9-12) in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Portsmouth Institute 2016: Christian Courage in a Secular Age

by Executive Director Christopher Fisher

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How a Benedictine Monk Saved Mary Force Stead Park From Becoming a Parking Lot by Neda Semnani, Washingtonian Magazine

39

Winter/Spring Athletics

40

The editors reserve the right to revise articles for content, length, grammar, magazine style, and suitability to the mission of the School. Comments and opinions may be sent to communications@portsmouthabbey.org. Please include your name and phone number.

The Long-Lost Letter: the Frank "Rocky" Barbato Story

45

If you would like to receive our monthly e-newsletter, Musings, please send your email address to: info@portsmouthabbey.org.

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

Headmaster: Daniel McDonough Director of Development: Matthew Walter

Milestones 47 In Memoriam Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. Eileen McGuire P '74 '78

50

Class Notes

58

Editors: Kathy Heydt, Katherine Giblin Stark

Correction: In our profile of Bill McCauley '79 in the Winter 2016

Art Director: Kathy Heydt Photography: Jez Coulson, Andrea Hansen, Kate Whitney Lucey, Marianne Lee, Louis Walker, Ashley Brown Individual photos found in alumni profiles and class notes have been supplied courtesy of our alumni.

Alumni Bulletin, on page 20, it reads: “McCauley entered in eighth grade, as a Second Former. His brothers, Peter ‘76 and Michael ‘81, also attended the Abbey.”

Bill’s brothers are Jack ’78, Michael ’81 and Rich ’84.

Our apologies to the McCauley family for this error.

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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS Emily “Max” Bogan ’16

(Three-time N.E. Javelin Champion) An accomplished stuEmily Bogan ’16 dent-athlete, Emily “Max” Bogan received numerous awards and distinctions at Portsmouth Abbey. She was named a Finalist in the 2016 National Merit® Scholarship Program, one of just 15,000 students nationwide to be so recognized from an initial 1.4 million students entered in the nationwide scholarship competition. At this year’s Prize Day, Max’s sustained academic excellence was recognized with induction into Portsmouth Abbey’s Cum Laude Society. She also received the School’s Scholar-Athlete Award, the Portsmouth Abbey Athletic Association Award, and the Rhode Island School of Design Award for her talents in visual arts.

Max’s most noteworthy athletics achievements were in track and field, where she won the New England Javelin Championship in three consecutive years. In the process, she set a new School record three times, breaking her own record twice. Her most recent record was a throw of 112-5.

Max, of Norman, Oklahoma, will attend Stanford University in the fall.

Jon Campau ’16

(“2016 Best of Class”) A perennial hard worker and stellar School citizen, Jon, of East Lansing, Michigan, earned the distinction of being the top student in the Class of 2016. He garnered nine awards and honors on Prize Day, for academic, athletics and service achievements, including the Excellence in Scholarship Award, for having the highest cumulative academic average in his Fifth and Sixth

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Form years, and the William Barry McCoy ’67 Memorial Award, for his influence upon his classmates through his Christian attitude and leadership.

An EIL All-League selection in boys’ cross-country, Jon also won the cross-country and track awards; was elected into the Portsmouth Abbey Cum Laude Society; received the Scholar-Athlete Award, for earning three varsity letters in his Sixth Form year while maintaining the highest academic levels, and the Portsmouth Abbey Athletic Association award, for ability, sportsmanship, leadership and effort; was the School’s Level III Prose and Level IV Poetry Winner in the National Latin Exam; won the Classical Studies Book Prize; and was recognized for his service as an altar server during his time at the Abbey.

Jon also was a member of Schola, the singing group that provides sacred music for church services, and was a volunteer on a School-sponsored pilgrimage to Lourdes, where he cared for the infirm. His leadership positions including being captain of the boys’ cross-country and track teams, and he was also selected as a prefect in one of the boys’ residential houses.

Jon was chosen this spring to be among Southeastern New England’s “2016 Best of Class,” which honors the top students from each high school in the region.

Jon Campau ’16

He received his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy and will matriculate there this summer.

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Claire Davidson ’16

(National and International Squash Competitor) Claire, of Newport, Claire Davidson’16 Rhode Island, was the School’s top female squash player during her career here. While at the Abbey, Claire played in 36 U.S. squash tournaments and three international tournaments (in New Zealand). Some of her standout performances include: first place at the Massachusetts state U19 regional finals; second place at the North Island Championship in New Zealand; place winner at the 2015 U.S. Open U19 (after seven matches in a draw of 128); undefeated at the High School Team Nationals during her Fourth and Sixth Form years; third place at the New England “B” Tournament, during her Fifth Form year; and fourth place at the N.E. “B” Tournament in her final year at the Abbey. Claire earned All-League status in the Eastern Independent League (EIL) all four years of her career and was a Providence Journal Independent All-Star for three years in a row. She was also named “Junior Player of the Year” by the R.I. Squash Association. Claire was nationally ranked as high as 36 during her career at the Abbey, and her overall record here was 64-15.

Claire was honored by her classmates by being selected the female Class of 2016 Speaker for this year’s commencement. She was also recognized at Prize Day for her leadership and service to others in the School community.

She will attend Tufts University in the fall and will play squash.

Kevin Ellicks ’16

Kevin Ellicks ’16

(All-New England Linebacker)

Kevin Ellicks earned several football distinctions last fall after helping to lead the Ravens’ football team to second place in the Evergreen League, a high school football league for independent schools in the six New England states. An offensive tackle and linebacker with 39 solo tackles and two interceptions to his credit in 2015, Kevin was named All-New England, Class C in the New England Prep School Athletics Council (NEPSAC) and was selected Lineman of the Year in the Evergreen League.

The six-foot, four-inch, 225-pounder from Acton, Mass., was the team’s leading blocker for Abbey running back Chris Weiss, himself named NEPSAC All-New England.

“Kevin was an important part of our team’s success,” said Al Brown, Ravens’ head football coach and athletics director. “He has been a true leader on and off the field.”

A four-year letter winner and three-year starter, Kevin was a 2015 team captain. He will attend Middlebury College in September and will play football there.

Katelyn Heuer ’17

(Carnegie Hall Pianist) Fifth Former Katelyn Heuer had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall in September 2015. Katelyn, an accomplished pianist, was one of 20 students from around the USA selected as finalists in the 2015 American Fine Arts Festival (AFAF), which showcases some of the country’s most talented young musicians.

She played a rarely heard solo piano composition, “Etude in E Flat Minor,” by Russian composer Silvansky and received a Certificate of Excellence from AFAF.

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Below: Jessica McJones ’16 (far right) and teammates after capturing the New England High School Women’s Sailing Championship

Katelyn Heuer ’17 at Carnegie Hall

“In the USA, we take our air quality for granted,” said Science Department Head Robert Sahms. “Pure air is not necessarily a given around the globe. I think Deon sees his project as something that will help people and will improve the quality of their lives. His motive for conducting these experiments was absolutely genuine.”

Deon received awards at this year’s Prize Day for his promising work in mathematics and science as well as for his scholarship and service to the School community.

Katelyn, of Middletown, RI, followed in her elder sister Keri’s ‘15 footsteps by appearing at Carnegie Hall.

Keri, a rising sophomore at Cornell University, was also a finalist in the prestigious competition two years ago.

Jessica McJones ’16

(National Singlehanded Sailing Competitor)

Diyang “Deon” Li ‘17

(R.I. Science and Engineering Fair Finalist)

Diyang Li '17

Fifth Former Diyang “Deon” Li was recognized this spring as one of the top students at the 2016 Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair (RISEF). The title of his winning project was, “Photocatalysis of Carbon Monoxide into Carbon Dioxide Using an LED Source.”

Of the 168 senior high school projects being presented at RISEF, Deon, of Shanghai, China, was awarded a First Grant and received a Gold Medal for this distinction. He was also recognized as one of the top ten projects of the fair and received a special monetary award from the Slater Technology Fund in Providence, RI. Carbon monoxide is a pollutant found in the air of some large cities. At high levels, it interferes with the transport of oxygen by hemoglobin in our blood and can cause death.

Deon’s device, with its catalyst, converts the toxic carbon monoxide into the less harmful carbon dioxide. In his city (Shanghai), carbon monoxide is a problem. “At home you can’t just open the window and let out the carbon monoxide.” Deon’s device rids the air of the poisonous gas.

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Jessica McJones, of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, distinguished herself this year as one of the Abbey’s top sailors. She was among the top 36 singlehanded high school sailors from around the country who competed for The Cressy Trophy, the National High School Singlehanded Championship, at the Old Dominion University, in late September. She earned a spot at the nationals by qualifying at the New England Schools Sailing Association (NESSA) regional championship regatta during the summer of 2015 and finished 10th out of 18 in a highly competitive Laser fleet, despite having little time while at school to practice.

This past spring, Jessica played a key role in helping the Ravens’ girls’ sailing team capture the Rebecca Herreshoff Trophy, also known as the New England High School Women’s Championship. The Abbey girls bested 15 other teams from around the region at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Jessica and her crew, Kelly

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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS Below: Teddy O’Connor’17 with U.S. Congressman (RI) David Cicilline

Shea ‘16, earned second place in the A fleet with three second-place finishes and two third places among their eight races. She was also at the helm when the Portsmouth Abbey Sailing Team won the New England Scholastic Sailing Association’s (NESSA) Terk Trophy in Team Racing in May at MIT, placing first among eight teams.

Jessica will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall, where she will be a member of its sailing team.

cess to Fifth Form students for a unique educational experience during the summer before their Sixth Form year. Teddy, who has had hearing loss since birth, will work at the Hearing Loss Association of America’s national convention this summer, in Washington D.C., and then will volunteer at the Center for Hearing and Communications in New York City.

Rosie Randolph ’16 (Jefferson Scholar)

Teddy O’Connor ’17

(U.S. Congressional Youth Cabinet) Politics have been in Teddy O’Connor’s blood since his childhood. The resident of Pelham Manor, New York, grew up watching his father engaged in local civic and political activities and became fascinated with the give-andtake of the political process. As a result, Teddy co-founded a Politics Club on campus for the 2016-17 year and then helped organize and moderate a mock presidential debate in April, which proved tremendously popular among the student body. Teddy is also the editor of The Beacon, the School newspaper.

Rosie Randolph excelled in a number of endeavors during her four years at Portsmouth Abbey, beginning with the 2012-13 Diman Scholarship, a full, fouryear scholarship she was awarded as an incoming Third Former from a competitive field of applicants.

She capped off her Abbey career by being awarded one of the most highly selective college merit scholarships in the nation. The Jefferson Scholars Foundation at the University of Virginia selected Rosie as one of 34 recipients of the Jefferson Scholarship, from approximately 1,800 students who were initially nominated for the Scholarship, and 120 finalists who were invited to take part in a rigorous, highly competitive, multi-stage five-day selection process at U.Va. While at Portsmouth Abbey, Rosie demonstrated outstanding ability, academically and in a wide range of extracurricular activities, from being a Gold Medal Win-

Earlier in the spring, Teddy was chosen to represent Portsmouth Abbey School on the Congressional Youth Cabinet of David Cicilline, U.S. Congressman from Rhode Island. The Youth Cabinet, which consists of some two dozen representatives from high schools in Cicilline’s district, will meet quarterly to discuss issues affecting the students’ daily lives, such as college affordability, social justice, foreign affairs, and government policy. The representatives will gain hands-on experience researching public policy issues, working with a member of Congress and contributing to the democratic process.

Teddy was also the recipient of a 2016 Haney Fellowship, awarded after a rigorous application pro-

Above: Rosie Randolph’16 with her outstanding musicianship award from the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival

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ner in the Latin IV Poetry Section of the National Latin Exam and a “Commended Student” in 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program, to being a captain of the Varsity Softball Team and a member of Model UN. She received a national award for outstanding musicianship at the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival, and she took home several prestigious awards, for both her intellect and character, at the School’s 2015 and 2016 Prize Days, including her induction this year into the School’s Cum Laude Society and her selection to receive the William Griffin Kelley Memorial Trophy, which recognizes the graduating Sixth Former who, in the opinion of the Faculty, has made the most significant overall contribution to the life of the School.

“I am not surprised that our Diman Scholar is now a Jefferson Scholar,” said Portsmouth Abbey Headmaster Dan McDonough. “From the beginning of her career here, when Rosie earned a scholarship for a month-long summer literature and architecture program to Oxford University after her Third Form (ninth-grade) year, she has been an educational leader on campus and has always sought to obtain the very most from her education, in all its forms. We will look forward to hearing of Rosie’s successes in the future, of which, I am confident, there will be many.”

Rosie, a resident of Front Royal, Virginia, will join a community of 138 current Jefferson Scholars at the University of Virginia this fall.

Chris Weiss ’16

(Wrestling, Football Accomplishments) Chris distinguished himself at Portsmouth Abbey during his three years here – he joined the community as a Fourth Former in 2014 – as a talented, tough and fair competitor in athletics. He excelled in both football and wrestling, and also lettered in lacrosse.

Wrestling in the 132-lb. weight class, Chris, from Rockland, Maine, was the dominant force in the Eastern Independent League (EIL), a three-time league MVP, in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and the EIL Champion in his weight class in each of those years. Chris was selected All-New England in 2015 and 2016 and was a Prov-

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Chris Weiss ’16

idence Journal Independent All-Star for 2014, 2015 and 2016. He qualified for the Prep School Nationals at Lehigh University each of those three years as well.

Chris was selected captain of the wrestling team in 2014, 2015 and 2016, a testament to his outstanding leadership, sportsmanship, positive attitude and commitment to the team.

In football, Chris was a three-year starter at running back and captain of the 2015 squad. He tied the School record that season, with 27 touchdowns, and rushed for 1601 yards. Chris was named 2014 and 2015 Evergreen All-League in 2014 and 2015, was a 2015 Providence Journal Independent All-Star at running back, and was also selected Prep School AllNew England in 2015.

Chris’s attributes were not solely athletic in nature. He was honored with the distinguished Matthew Penney ’07 Perseverance Award at this year’s Prize Day, which recognized in him the same determined perseverance, excellent character and kindness throughout his Abbey career as seen in the late Matthew Penney. He also received the Portsmouth Abbey Athletics Association award, which recognized his ability, leadership, sportsmanship and dedication to his teams.

Chris will attend Mercyhurst University, where he plans to wrestle.

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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Jenny Yates ’16 in Africa

Sydney Welch ’16

(National Photography Awards) As the Head Girl for the 2015-16 school year, Sydney was a demonstrated leader of the student body, helping to create a number of creative and engaging all-school activities for this year’s students. One she helped orchestrate was a nationwide school spirit contest, sponsored by global clothing manufacturer Hollister Co. on Instagram, that won first place from among some 1,4000 entries from around the country.

Sydney’s talents extended to the visual arts, where she garnered several national and regional awards this year for her outstanding photography. Sydney, of Robesonia, Pennsylvania, was awarded a Silver Key in Photography in the 2016 National Scholastic Arts & Writing Competition. She had qualified for the national competition by winning a Gold Key in the Rhode Island Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards, held earlier in the school year. Sydney was the only photography entry from Rhode Island to be selected as a National Medalist in the Photography category and bested a talented Sydney Welch’16 group of dozens of other photography entries from around the country. Her winning entry was titled, “Diffusion of Light.” In the 2016 Rhode Island Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Sydney was awarded a second Gold Key for her photograph entitled, “Feet.”

Sydney was recognized at Prize Day for her exceptional photography, and she received The Dom Luke Childs '57 Memorial Medal, "awarded to that member of the graduating class who best exemplifies those qualities of citizenship which were so prized by Dom Luke: intelligence, virtue, and concern for others."

Sydney has been a photographer for the Gregorian, the School yearbook, and was an intern in the Office of Communication, where she assisted with photography and videography projects. She hopes to study photography while at Arcadia University, where she will matriculate in the fall.

Jenny Yates ’16

(Community Service Project in South Africa) Jenny excelled both in and outside of the classroom while at the Abbey. She was a co-captain of the girls’ varsity soccer and the track and field teams, where she was a four-year letter winner; was editor of Edifice, the School’s academic journal, and a staff writer for the School newspaper, The Beacon; was a peer tutor in several subjects; volunteered with two student-run organizations on campus, Teens Leading Children and Students Against Destructive Decisions; and was a Red Key tour guide for the admissions office. She was a Dean’s List student all fours years at the Abbey.

Of Jenny’s accomplishments, perhaps the most noteworthy is a project she undertook on behalf of an impoverished community in South Africa. A resident of Portsmouth, RI, Jenny researched and created a design for an outdoor classroom, community gardens and recreational space for elementary school children in a local township.

Through the non-profit organization Universal Promise, she raised funds for the project, and then spent 10 days in South Africa last summer directing and participating in the project, which was done manually. In June 2016, Jenny received the Rhode Island Veterans of Foreign Service Americanism Award for her work in South Africa.

In addition to the Girls’ Soccer Trophy, Jenny received an award on Prize Day for Excellence in French and another, the St. Gregory Award, for her service to others.

Called “…a wonderful example of the all-around Portsmouth Abbey student” by Headmaster Dan McDonough, Jenny will attend Georgetown University in the fall, where she will major in business.

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New Regents Sr. Suzanne Cooke,

Shane O’Neil ’65 is

RSCJ, holds a BA cum

the

laude from Manhat-

of WorldWide Antenna

tanville College and an

Systems, a growth-stage

interdisciplinary mas-

designer and builder of

ter’s of social sciences

specialized AM broad-

from

University

cast antennas. He began

of Chicago. A native

his career as a financial

New Yorker, she grew

analyst at RKO General,

up on the Jersey shore

a highly diversified con-

and attended Elmhurst

glomerate with divisions

Academy of the Sacred

and subsidiaries in radio, television, soft-drink bottling, motion

Heart in Portsmouth,

picture and television production, syndication and distribution

the

RI. Her brother, Christopher, is a 1976 graduate of Ports-

managing

partner

as well as cable television, hotels and airlines.

mouth Abbey. After graduating from Manhattanville, Sr. Cooke taught for one year at Carrollton School of the Sacred

While at RKO, Shane co-founded RKO Picture,s to capitalize

Heart, in Miami, FL. During that year, she decided to enter

on the remake, sequel and unproduced property rights in the

the Society of the Sacred Heart. She spent her candidate year

dormant RKO Radio Pictures library and as part of RKO Gener-

teaching English at Stone Ridge Country Day School of the

al’s plan to begin a transition from the hardware (i.e., cable TV

Sacred Heart, in Washington, D.C., and then went to New-

and broadcast TV stations) to the software (i.e., feature film and

ton, MA, for her noviceship training. Sr. Cooke returned to

television production and distribution) side of the entertain-

Carrollton as dean of students in 1980. In 1985 she continued

ment business. Shane managed RKO Pictures’ $100M film pro-

her studies at the University of Chicago, and then went to

duction joint venture with Universal Studios, and developed

Lima, Peru, where she taught English at El Instituto Nacional

and acted as executive producer of “Cat People” (a remake of

de Pedagogia.

the RKO Radio Pictures classic) and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” The joint venture also produced and distribut-

In January of 1987, Sr. Cooke went to Rome to complete her

ed “The Border,” “D.C. Cab” and “Streets of Fire.”

preparation for final vows. After she was professed in June 1987, Sr. Cooke returned to Princeton, NJ, where she became

After the liquidation of RKO General as the result of a hostile

head of the Middle School at Stuart Country Day School. In

takeover attempt against its parent company, GenCorp, Shane

1990, Sr. Cooke was named head of school of Forest Ridge

successfully rescued Odyssey Pictures, a NASDAQ-listed inter-

School of the Sacred Heart, in Bellevue, WA. In 1998, Sr.

national film and television distributor that was about to en-

Cooke left Forest Ridge to return to Carrollton, where she

ter bankruptcy. Following Odyssey, he joined investment bank

served as the headmistress until summer 2015.

Auerbach, Pollack & Richardson to head its media and entertainment division. Shane later started and ran APR’s startup

Recently, she has served on several boards, including: Co-

and turnaround division.

conut Grove Cares; St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School, in Miami; Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart; St. Philip’s

Shane received a B.A. in English literature from New York

Episcopal School; Duchesne School of the Sacred Heart, in

University and majored in finance at the Columbia Graduate

Texas; and the Florida Council of Independent Schools.

School of Business. He is married with four children. An avid sailor, he served in the U. S. Navy and is a licensed multi-engine

Since August 2015, Sr. Cooke has served as the first head

pilot. Shane is a former director of the Boy Scouts of Ameri-

of the Conference of Sacred Heart Education in the United

ca and Emerson College as well as a founding director of the

States and Canada.

American Museum of the Moving Image.

10

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

regent emeritus The Board of Regents has elected Barnet Phillips, IV ’66 as a Regent Emeritus. Barney retired in 2010 as a partner at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He is a nationally and internationally recognized tax expert with over 30 years’ experience providing tax and structuring advice to private and public clients in connection with corporate mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, spin offs, leveraged buy-outs, reorganizations and bankruptcies, real estate funds, joint ventures and partnerships, real estate invest ment trusts (REIT), and charitable organizations.

He was the

first head of Skadden’s REIT Practice Group.

Between 2013 and 2015, he served as a consultant to the Real Estate Tax Advisory Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in its New York office and is now a consultant to Silver Point Capital, L.P., a hedge fund headquartered in Greenwich, Conn.

Barney and his wife, Sharon, are residents of Greenwich, Conn., and are the parents of two grown daughters. A 1966 Portsmouth Priory graduate, Barney graduated from Yale (B.A.), Fordham (J.D. – associate editor, Fordham Law Review), and New York University (LL.M. – graduate editor, Tax Law Review). Barney’s father, Barnet Phillips III, was a 1935 graduate of Portsmouth Priory; his nephew, Jim O’Donnell ’86, and niece, Dr. Stephanie J. Muylaert ’00, are also Portsmouth graduates.

Among the charitable organizations with which Barney has been affiliated are the St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University, where he has served as president of the Board of Trustees and continues to serve as a Trustee; and Shepherds Inc., a nondenominational, nonprofit organization that provides disadvantaged inner-city Connecticut youth with a quality college preparatory education at a non-public high school and the introduction of a positive role model – a mentor – who fills a void in their lives. Barney is the co-founder and a board member of Shepherds Inc. He is also a former member of the Student Sponsor Partners Board (1989-1995), a charity similar to Shepherds that serves New York City. From 1990-2002, he was a member of the Portsmouth Abbey School Board of Consultants and served as its chairman from 1998-2002. He also served on the Board of Regents from 2011-13.

ALUMNI BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

11

P R I Z E DAY AND C OMMENCEMENT

the class of 2016 David Roger Allen, III

Nicole Dickinson

Joy Rosaleen Loftus

Ethan Alexander Richardson

Kiahna Marie Almeida

Claire Nicole Doire

Michael Frederick Ludwig

Austin Paul Duvall Rooney

Antonia Marie-Thérèse Ambrose

Kevin Jay Ellicks

Ziyuan Stephen Ma

Conor Curran Rooney

Jade Ann-Margaret Asiu

Theodore James Fenton

Amarachi Clare Madu

Frank John Rybicki, IV

Sara Elizabeth Bertuccio

Lucy Sarah Ferry

Rajahnah Imani Diana Matra

Cassandra Oshel Schuchert

Emily Mei-Lin Bogan

Ludovico G. Gallo

Andrew Brandt Matthews

Kelly Rose Shea

James William Briand

Nicholas Jacob Gartner

Madison Elizabeth McCann

Ayanna Tahira Sommers

David Michael Brower

Yuelin (Alex) Guo

Jessica Ann McJones

George Sturges

Emma Claire Butler

Zane Emmanuel Hamel-Smith

Jacob Henry Mercier

Rachel Tarjono

Zoe Ann Butler

Mary Rocio Hobbins

Christopher Anthony Motta

Nathaniel Tsung

Jon Robert Campau

Eric Christopher Holden

James Aloysius Murphy, III

Jocelyn Ann Varieur

Chloe Joy Canning

Joseph Flaherty Maximilian Jannotta

John Patrick Murphy

Madeline Ann Villareal

Bailey Lorne Carter

Oliver Flynn Jantz

Katrina Isabella Castillo Nueva

Stephen Blaine Vye

Katie Mei Chen

Mathew Da Cunha Johnson

Connolly Kathleen O’Brien

Yazhen Wang

Jun Young Choi

Carly Megan Johnston

Rory Mario O’Connor

Christopher P. Weiss

Seha Choi

Máimouna Kanté

Seamus Timothy O’Connor

Sydney Elizabeth Welch

Christopher Chow

Holly Ryan Kazama

Finnian David O’Farrell

Dante Malik Wentz

Anthony Joseph Alphonsus Christian

Liam Patrick Kelly

Ethan Shane O’Neill

Elisha James Wilson

Caellum Daniel Kerr

Madeleine Ward O’Shea

Thomas Franklin Winters

Siddharth Reuben D’Silva

Hansu Kim

Anjli Patel

Susan Wu

Claire Flowers Davidson

Yea Sum Kim

Joshua Alec Pichette

Shenghe Xue

Sean Michael DeMieri

Thomas Alberto Knoepffler

Paulina Harbison Power

Jennifer May Thorpe Yates

Eleanor Rose Deutermann

Min Ji Lee

Benjamin Joseph Quick

Yifan Yu

Avery Schuyler Dey

Shaokai Lin

Rose Marie Philomena Randolph

Wanling (Tiffany) Zhang

12

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

E

ncouraged to “…do something and be something in the world,” and to remember the importance of quality relationships in attaining a happy, successful life, the 95 members of the graduating Class of 2016 were feted Sunday, May 29, at Portsmouth Abbey’s 86th Commencement Exercises, held under the traditional sprawling white tent on the Holy Lawn.

Before nearly 1,000 members of the School and Monastic communities, along with families and friends, diplomas were conferred upon the outgoing members of the Sixth Form by Headmaster Daniel McDonough, Abbot Matthew Stark, Board of Regents member Peter Ferry ’75, P’16, ’17, and Commencement Speaker Conor Bohan ’86.

The graduates, from 20 states, one U.S. territory, and 11 countries, were commended by Mr. McDonough for their citizenship and dedication to each other over the course of their Abbey careers. He alluded to the close-knit nature of the Class of 2016 when he cited its choice of class quote, “We do not remember days. We remember moments.”

“This could be the last time you are all together,” he reflected. “But you have had many of these moments here.

I cannot think of a better work than walking with you in your journeys to adulthood. Thank you for our time together.”

Mr. Ferry, whose daughter, Lucy, was among the graduates, encouraged the students to form strong relationships in college with a friend or two, a faculty member, and, most importantly, with Christ. “Fame and fortune are not the way to happiness, whether in college or afterward,” he cautioned. “These are the three most important relationships you need to focus on over the next four years. Portsmouth has established a foundation for your spirituality; you now need to build on it, nurture it and grow it.”

Top: Conor Bohan ’86 addressing the Class of 2016, their families and the Portsmouth Abbey community.

Middle: Dean of Residential Life Paula Walter leads the procession into the tent.

Bottom: James Murphy III rejoices in receiving his diploma.

ALUMNI BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

13

Shenghe "Robin" Xue '16 and friends celebrate this graduation year.

Commencement Class Speaker Claire Davidson ’16

He also applauded the Class of 2016 for being exemplary role models for the rest of the School. “You have not only excelled academically, in sports and in the arts, but also in esprit de corps. You have set the bar high for yourselves and for future classes, and we all thank you for this.”

Dom Joseph Byron enjoys a celebratory moment with (from left) Rajahnah Matra '16, Maimouna Kante'16, Diane Greg-Uanseru'17 and Amarachi Madu'16.

Commencement Speaker Mr. Conor Bohan ’86, who founded Haiti’s largest university scholarship program, the Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP), thanked Mr. McDonough and the School community for having him return as Commencement Speaker. “Life is funny,” he kidded.

“One minute, you are doing work squad for missing assembly, and the next minute, you are being invited to give the graduation speech.”

Mr. Bohan spoke of his first 10 years after graduating from Brown University, which were spent traveling and working numerous jobs throughout the USA and Europe, all while in search of a meaningful career path that, as he quoted G. Stanley Hall, would allow him “…to do something and be something in the world.”

In spite of his parents’ reservations—they felt law school would be more suitable—Bohan set off for Haiti in 1996 to work as a high school teacher.

There, he found bright, eager students—but with no means to continue their education. He provided

Chris Motta '16 congratulates friends and classmates.

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

Recipients of the Dom Peter Sidler Awards for Excellence in Teaching: Kevin Calisto (junior) and Laureen Bonin (senior)

Commencement Class Speaker Brandt Matthews ’16

one of his female students $30 to register for the medical school entrance exam, and HELP was born.

Twenty years after loaning his student $30, HELP has 175, straight-A students in university and over 100 alumni. Bohan counseled, “The important thing is to find something that really excites you, because that is your single best chance of ‘doing something and being something in the world.’ You will know when you find that… but it won’t happen if you don’t follow your nose.”

Bohan finished by reminding the students, “We have the luxury of the best education that money can buy.

As you go through life, you will realize that this is one of the single greatest gifts anyone could give you…. and as you go on to college, you are all in a position to discover and fulfill your worldly dreams.

“Explore all of your interests in college and after, even against the well-intentioned wishes of your parents.

Don’t be afraid to change what you are doing if you realize that there is something you are more interested in,” he advised. “Trust yourselves; enjoy exploring your options and acting on those aspirations; and spread the wealth: how can you help create the opportunities for others we are so fortunate to have, to help them fulfill their potential? Imagine if you were responsible in some way for creating that world?”

ALUMNI BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

Above: Peter Ferry’75, P’16 ’17, shares an amusing moment with Abbot Matthew Stark on the dais. Mr. Ferry addressed the Abbey community on behalf of the Board of Regents.

Left: Headmaster Dan McDonough encouraged students to talk “to God in your own words for a few minutes every day.”

15

Elected to membership in the Cum Laude Society were, from left, George Sturges '16, Antonia Ambrose'16, Seha Choi'16, Emily Bogan'16, David Brower'16, Katie Chen'16, Shaokai Lin'16, Jon Campau'16 and Rose Randolph'16 (not pictured).

Claire Davidson and Brandt Matthews, selected by their classmates to be the Class of 2016 speakers, each talked of the class’s collective journey over the past four years. Claire reflected, “We all remember how this story began…sitting through our first Third Form meeting with Mr. C…then juggling Humanities and hormones as Fourth Formers…PTSD and long-term sleep deprivation as Fifth Formers…and then, as Sixth Formers, being dealt a fate graver than death: the college process.” She likened completing the Common App to “…donating a kidney: you can only do it once, but you want to make sure you get it right…and you have to make sure it is a perfect match. The process is not fun, and the recovery is long, but in the end you feel pretty good about it.”

She added, “Today we leave the Abbey, but the Abbey will never leave us. We have spent our time here preparing for this moment. I am immensely lucky to have spent four years with all of you.”

Brandt closed by reminding his classmates to stop and appreciate “…this feeling right now.

The feeling of being your high school self– because we’re never going to be like this again, not exactly. Stop and remember what it feels like to exist as a Portsmouth Abbey student.”

On Prize Day, held Saturday, May 28, the School paid tribute to the students who had excelled during the 2015-16 school year. Those receiving special recognitions included Rosie Randolph, who was awarded The William Griffin Kelley Memorial Trophy, as voted on by the Faculty, for making the most significant contribution to the life of the School. The Excellence in Scholarship Award, for achieving the highest cumulative academic average in the class for Fifth and Sixth Form years, was awarded to Jon Campau.

Jon also received the The William Barry McCoy Award, awarded by the Monastery to the graduating senior who best represented Christian attitude and leadership.

Brandt reflected, “Our time at the Abbey has been like the perfect ice cream cone – delicious, but never meant to last. In these final days, we’ve been able to stop and look around… our steps grew slower, our perceptions more refined, and our memories of days and years passed returned to us as sweet as when they occurred.”

He kidded about adding up the passing time – five minutes –students are allotted between classes over four years, for a total of 320 hours of walking time. “These 320 hours translate to roughly 992 miles,” he calculated. “A 992-mile journey to where we are today. And as I look out on my classmates, I see that journey reflected in all of you. I don’t just see a bunch of tired faces. I see friends. I see accomplishments. I see a group of individuals who loved to complain but never once stopping working. And now we’re there.”

16

Johanna Appleton'17 with her family on Prize Day. Johanna received the Cross-Country Coach's Trophy; the Track Coach's Trophy; the University of Rochester Humanities/Social Sciences Award; the National Latin Exam Level III, Prose School Winner Prize; the Senator Claiborne Pell Medal; the Harvard-Radcliffe Club of R.I. Book Award; and the Faculty Form V Award.

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

Top left: Ayanna Sommers '16 on Prize Day with her family. Ayanna was selected for the Abbey Athletic Association, as were Jon Campau '16, Seamus O'Connor '16, Christopher Weiss '16, Teddy Fenton '16 and Emily "Max" Bogan '16.

Top right: Cousins Antonia Ambrose '16 and Seamus O'Connor '16 enjoy a festive family celebration.

Above: Emma '16 and Zoe '16 Butler join their parents and cousins, the Behans, in the day's festivities. The twins look forward to attending Brown University in the fall.

Above right: Graduates Carly Johnston '16 and Sydney Welch '16 celebrate the day. Carly was the recipient of The Headmaster's Award and Sydney was recognized for her many contributions as Head Girl during the 2015-16 school year.

Right: Emmett and Judy O’Connell P ’16, ’17, co-chairs of the Parents’ Association, are proud parents of new graduate Dante Wentz.

ALUMNI BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

17

Elected to membership in the Cum Laude Society were: Antonia Ambrose; Max Bogan; David Brower; Jon Campau; Katie Chen; Seha Choi; Shaokai Lin; Rosie Randolph; and George Sturges.

The Headmaster’s Award, given to a boy and a girl in the graduating class who, in the opinion of the Headmaster, have been a force for good in the School, was awarded to Carly Johnston and Brandt Matthews. The Dom Luke Childs ’57 Memorial Medal, which recognizes a member of the graduating class who best exemplifies qualities of citizenship– intelligence, virtue, and concern for others– was given to Sydney Welch.

The Scholar-Athlete Award, given to a girl and a boy in the Sixth Form who earned three varsity letters while demonstrating the highest academic achievement, went to Emily “Max” Bogan and Jon Campau. Portsmouth Abbey Athletics Association Awards were given to Max Bogan, Jon Campau, Theodore Fenton, Seamus O’Connor, Ayanna Sommers and Christopher Weiss, each of whom, in the eyes of the varsity coaching staff and the athletics director, exhibited outstanding ability, sportsmanship, effort and leadership in each of the three seasons of athletics.

The Dom Peter Sidler Awards for Excellence in Teaching were given to Mrs. Laureen Bonin as the senior faculty member and Mr. Kevin Calisto as the junior faculty member.

Transcripts of all Commencement speeches as well as a full listing of Prize Day awards can be found under “News & Announcements” on the front page of the Portsmouth Abbey School website.

Top: Graduate Paulina Power '16 is joined by her family, including dad, John, from the Class of 1980.

Middle: Seha "Sam" Choi '16 holds his awards on Prize Day. Sam received the Carlos Xavier Araujo '96 Memorial Squash Trophy, the American Mathematical Society Award, was the Senior Division School Winner in the American Mathematics Competition, and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society.

Left: Jon Campau '16, who is headed to the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall, with his family on Prize Day. Jon's awards are listed in the caption on page 1.

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

Conor Bohan ’86

The Invaluable Gift of An Education

by Teddy O’Connor ’17 As the Class of 2016 spent its final hours at Portsmouth Abbey on Memorial Day Weekend, 1986 alumnus Conor Bohan made sure to make it as special for them as the last 20 years have been for him since finding his life’s work. Conor attended the Abbey starting in his Third Form year as a day student from Newport. He now resides in Brooklyn, New York, where he runs the Haitian Education and Leadership Program, known as HELP. “The Abbey gave me a superb education and the desire to give that same gift to other people,” said Bohan, as he prepared to give the Commencement Address on Sunday, May 29. After graduating from the Abbey, Bohan went to Brown University, where he studied history. He likes to say this because although his “perfectly useless” history degree didn’t help him find a job, it helped him develop critical learning skills.

Today we hear a lot about the “one percent” – those who make over a certain dollar amount, or those who serve in our U.S. military. That same, minute percentage applies to those who are able go to college in Haiti.

HELP currently aids 175 students and admits a class of about 35-50 students each year. One hundred percent of HELP students go on to college. “We are essentially taking an entire family out of poverty, which will last several generations,” said Bohan. HELP is run by a staff of 30 in Haiti, and Bohan’s role consists of getting the word out and fundraising in New York, the capital of private philanthropy.

Bohan noted that the situation is similar in the United States to that of Haiti—in the USA, the unemployment rate is quite low (2.3 percent) for college graduates, while it is significantly higher (18 percent) for those with only a high school education. The main difference is that the gap between the two groups is far larger in Haiti.

Bohan started HELP on his own in 1997. Working in Haiti as a high school teacher, he had a revealing conversation with one student:

“I’m going home!”

“Ok!”

“…I need money for the bus.”

“Oh, how much is it?”

“Twelve cents.”

He later had another conversation with a former top student of his, who asked for his assistance:

“I need $30 to pay for secretarial school.”

“Do you really want to go to secretarial school?”

“Actually no; ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be a doctor.”

“Ok, I will give you $30 on the condition that you will use it to become a doctor.”

That woman, who used the $30 to take the medical school entrance exam, is now a physician in Haiti, where she is grateful to be able to contribute to the well-being of her country. She knows she never could have accomplished that without Bohan and HELP.

ALUMNI BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

19

Commencement speaker Conor Bohan ’86 with his sister, Niamh ’03, and his parents after the ceremony.

Bohan’s commencement message to the graduating Class of 2016 spoke to the benefits in not necessarily knowing what you’re going to do with your life as soon as you leave college. Speaking from his own personal experience—Bohan tried his hand at everything from carpentry, coaching and bartending to commercial fishing, hotel work and international development before he began teaching in Haiti in 1996—he made sure to let the graduates know that it is OK to take your time in finding your passion. The important thing, he said, is “to do something and be something in the world.”

Originally HELP was small, run from Bohan’s pocket; eventually Bohan’s parents began to contribute. As HELP began to grow, Bohan reached out to friends, and then friends of friends, until eventually he was devoting himself entirely to the operation of the organization.

Bohan lived in Haiti until 2008, developing HELP with his friend, Haitian resident Gary Délice. By 2008 it was evident that Bohan needed to devote his time and energy to the financial and long-term success of HELP, so he made the move to New York.

As he reflected upon his return to Portsmouth Abbey as the 2016 Commencement Speaker, three decades and many life experiences after receiving his own diploma on the Holy Lawn, Bohan said, “Over the years I have come to realize what a tremendous advantage a good education is in accomplishing anything. Portsmouth Abbey provided me that first-rate education and, equally importantly, the values that inspire me to now provide that same education to others. I am honored to return, 30 years later, to share my experience with the Class of 2016.”

When the catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti in January of 2010, Bohan had left just two days prior. He tried to reach staff at HELP’s headquarters, but since all phone lines were down the task proved impossible.

It was not until the next day that he could reach a staff member on Skype, when he learned that several students in the program were injured. Immediately Bohan booked a flight to the Dominican Republic, where he had a taxi take him to a town on the border with Haiti.

There, he stayed overnight with a local family arranged by the friend of a friend, before getting back into Haiti.

The earthquake had some positive effects on the HELP program. “It helped the students realize why they were doing these things; why they were learning English.

They all participated in the recovery process,” said Bohan. Each student at HELP aided the recovery through their roles as translators, among many other jobs they undertook at the time.

20

Teddy O’Connor ’17, author of this article and editor of the School newspaper, The Beacon, with Portsmouth Abbey's 2016 commencement speaker Conor Bohan ’86, founder of the Haitian and Education Leadership Program (HELP).

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

ALUMNI BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

21

FROM THE OFFICE OF COLLEGE COUNSELING

by Director of College Counseling Corie McDermott-Fazzino

“Is that a good college?” she shifts in her seat.

“Define ‘good college’,” I reply.

She looks puzzled and repeats her question in an

effort to clarify. Obviously, I misheard her, “But is that a good college?”

Now, other girls in the common room are listening. An

“almighty college counselor” is about to anoint some school, in some state as “good” or “bad.” “I went to a liberal arts college and it was good for me,” I suggest. “But, for my brother, an

attending a heavily managed visit weekend hardly tells the

engineer, it would’ve been horrible. So, there you have it. Define

whole story. And, of course, what about the cost? The col-

‘good college’”.

lege may feel like the right place, but can the family afford it?

And so, defining a “good college” or “college fit”

What she means, of course, is prestigious. Will peo-

ple in her social circle know the name? Can she be sure her

becomes fraught with problems, contradictions, and par-

parents will proudly display the sticker on the family car? Will

tial truths. And that is where we come in. All independent

the Abbey community have a strange sense of collective pride

schools have knowledgeable, professional college counsel-

when she gets into that “good college?” The idea of prestige

ing offices ready and willing to shepherd students through

has hijacked her brain, and I wonder if we will ever be able to

the process; but, here at the Abbey, we have three distinct

wrestle back the controls.

elements that set us apart: we are teachers; we are English

But, if we are being honest, even the term “prestigious college” is a flawed one. The metrics defining a college’s

teachers; and we are English teachers who are comfortable with unanswerable questions.

We are teachers: College is not the endgame, and

rank and rating are hardly definitive; rather, they’re a function of context and subject to manipulation. Sure, there are lists

we don’t treat it as such. Instead, it’s just one more step

dominating the public narrative and exhorting us about which

in the education process encouraging growth and matura-

schools are fancy. But data-driven metrics, like everything else,

tion. The key to any good classroom: ask questions, tough

can be tailored to tell a specific story, a story that might not be

questions. And we certainly ask our students many: Hamlet’s

an authentic one.

flaw? Define mitosis. Find the derivative. But we also teach

In the college admissions profession the buzzword

our students how to be critical of those very questions and

is “fit.” As in, “is this college a good fit for me?” But even this

push themselves to ask the trickier ones: What is Provi-

noble repackaging of the question focuses on the ideal and

dence? Did mitosis shape evolution? How do economics

not the messy reality. The question implies that the applicant

principles use calculus? The same process is true for figuring

comes to the process fully formed. She knows exactly what

out where to go to college. And, so, “Is that a good college?”

she wants, who she is, and what she is good at. She will know

quickly transforms into “define good.”

“fit” when it happens. But even our most self-possessed,

mature 17-year-old Abbey students struggle to define who they

an exercise in close reading. Just as one must scrutinize

are and what they want. Those are overwhelming questions.

Melville’s “meaning making” to understand the point of

And, just to compound the issue further (in a rather frustrating

Moby-Dick, so, too, must prospective students scrutinize

chicken-egg problem), how is one to know if a college is a

college flyers, websites, and publications to decipher what a

“good fit” before she even enrolls? Sitting in on one class and

college is all about. What of this leviathan tome? What of this

22

We are English teachers: Applying to college is

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

liberal arts college? Reading well requires a nimble, serious

We are English teachers who are comfortable with

mind, and, often, a sense of humor—and we cultivate that

unanswerable questions: Ever ask a 17-year-old what he wants

ability each day during seminar discussions.

to do with his life? It’s messy. At best, you will get a singular

Additionally, the best way to teach writing is one-

answer subject to change, of course, when you ask him next

on-one. Colleges these days want New Yorker-level articles

week. At worst, you will get a terrified look of panic, which

full of voice and self-reflection. (Move over David Sedaris!)

unravels into an empty shrug, “I dunno…but my mom wants

The drafting process is an arduous one, but we are patient

me to be a doctor, I think.” I’m not saying we will never get

and well versed in the skills required to help our counselees

there—our counselees do need to make a list, apply to specific

tell their own authentic stories. I assure you, it’s a process.

colleges, and then finally attend one particular college. But re-

But in the end, it leads to self-discovery and growth. College

ally, figuring out where to enroll kicks off a lifetime of answering

representatives continually compliment us, “Boy, can those

seemingly unanswerable questions: What is good? What do I

Abbey kids write!”

want? Who am I right now?

DESTINATIONS The Portsmouth Abbey School Class of 2016 will be matriculating at the following colleges and universities: American University

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

The Catholic University of America

Arcadia University

Iowa State University

The College of New Jersey

Arizona State University

Ithaca College

Tufts University

Birmingham-Southern College

Johns Hopkins University (3)

United States Naval Academy (3)

Boston College

Johnson & Wales University

University of Chicago

Boston University (3)

Lehigh University (2)

University of Colorado at Boulder

Bowdoin College

Mercyhurst University

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Brandeis University

Middlebury College

University of Massachusetts, Boston

Brown University (2)

New York University (2)

University of Miami

Bryant University (2)

Northeastern University

University of Michigan

Carnegie Mellon University

Pennsylvania State University

University of New England

Claremont McKenna College

Plymouth State University

University of Notre Dame (3)

Colby College

Pratt Institute

University of Pennsylvania

College of Charleston

Providence College (2)

University of Pittsburgh

College of the Holy Cross (3)

Purdue University

University of Rhode Island (3)

College of William and Mary

Rosemont College

University of St. Andrews

Drew University (2)

Sacred Heart University

University of Virginia

Drexel University (2)

Saint Michael’s College (3)

University of Washington, Bothell

Emory University

Salve Regina University (3)

Virginia Tech

Gateway Community College

Santa Clara University

Wake Forest University

Georgetown University (3)

Skidmore College

Wheaton College MA

Gettysburg College

Stanford University

High Point University (2)

Stonehill College

ALUMNI BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

23

The Million-Dollar Thank You Last September, Bill Melvin Jr. ’55

a very volatile, hard-to-price

and his wife, Ellen, returned to

security. These guys all had to

campus for 2015 Reunion Week-

use Hewlett-Packard calcula-

end to celebrate Bill’s 60th reunion.

tors that they would bang away

As they made their way to Rhode

at for five minutes, and I could

Island, Bill began to reflect on

do it my head in about 30 sec-

the education he received from

onds. Eventually, I took advan-

Portsmouth Abbey School and the

tage of that and started my own

people who helped him along the

company. I realized that what I

way. His mind kept drifting back to

had learned from Fr. Andrew

math class with Fr. Andrew Jenks.

was invaluable.”

“When I retired and started think-

Bill’s firm thrived over the

ing about how lucky I was to be

years and he eventually retired,

married to Ellen and have a wonderful family, how God has been so good to us, how life has been so wonderful, how successful I was able to be, and how important it was at the end of the day that I was able to start my own company, I traced it all back to Fr. Andrew,” Bill re-

selling it to his fellow partners.

“Without that experience (with Fr. Andrew), I would have never gotten to where I was. As time progressed, and Ellen and I developed a clearer picture of what we were going to be doing

counted.

with our future life and our kids, I decided I wanted to make a

The eldest of Bill and Eileen Melvin’s six children, Bill, Jr., ar-

Andrew was,” Melvin said.

donation to Portsmouth that recognized how great a teacher Fr.

rived at the Abbey in the fall of 1950 as a wide-eyed Second Former. His uncle had been a novice in the monastery prior to the outbreak of World War II and recommended Portsmouth to Bill’s mother for his secondary education. Bill eventually found himself sitting at a desk in Fr. Andrew’s Sixth Form math class, in awe of his genius.

the School in honor of Fr. Andrew. The gift was made without restriction, meaning the School can use it for any purpose. In this case, the Melvins’ gift will be used for a future capital project in which Fr. Andrew’s contributions to the School will be recognized.

“Let me tell you how Fr. Andrew taught, because that’s what really made the difference,” Bill continued. “The classroom had three blackboards around the room, and he’d start to do a math problem on one blackboard and move on to the next so that you’d have to keep turning your chair to keep up. In those days we had slide rules, but I learned to do a lot of this in my head because Fr. Andrew had it in his head and he was transferring it to me and the other students. By the time I arrived at Brown, I was bored to death because I had had all of this math already.”

After graduating from Brown and serving a stint in the National Guard, Bill started his professional life on Wall Street. It was during this time that he began to realize the full value of his Portsmouth education. “When I got to Wall Street, I found out I could use what I learned from Fr. Andrew to do things a lot quicker than the people around me who were trading options,

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Ultimately, Bill and Ellen decided to give one million dollars to

“We are so grateful to the Melvins for their generosity,” said Chris Behnke, chairman of the Board of Regents. “The gift is a marvelous sentiment in honor of Fr. Andrew and absolute proof that the Holy Spirit is alive and working because it is transformative for the School.”

“Bill has always felt that Fr. Andrew gave him the tools to become the success he has been, as a husband, as a father, as a member of his community, and as a businessman,” added Ellen.

“So, if everybody gave back a little bit (in honor of his or her favorite teacher), it would be a good thing.”

For information about how you can make a transformative gift to the Abbey, please contact Director of Development Matt Walter in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at mwalter@portsmouthabbey.org or 401-643-1291.

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Leading a Global Movement for Men’s Health

Mark Hedstrom ’91 Senior Vice President, Global Operations Movember Foundation

The coasts are different, and 25 years have passed, but for Mark Hedstrom ’91, the bonds to his former school and home on the shores of Narragansett Bay have only grown stronger.

“The Abbey was a defining experience in my life,” Hedstrom said, speaking by phone from California, where he lives and works as the Senior VP, Global Operations of the Movember Foundation, a global nonprofit men’s health organization.

“The conversations and connections that started at the Abbey

“At the time, fewer than 50 percent of fishermen in New En-

carried through my university years and the professional

gland had insurance,” he said.

world. Going away to that environment was really my first experience with an engaging sense of community and sense of place.”

Hedstrom eventually moved from the East Coast and switched gears in his career, relying on his operations and finance background to become the CFO for Arbor Snowboards, a socially

At Portsmouth, Hedstrom played soccer, swam and ran track.

conscious snowboard/skateboard and sports fashion company.

With his peers, he interacted with teachers and monks while

After that, he took a job at Oakley, one of the world’s leading

attending communal dinners, Mass on Sunday, and on week-

sports gear and eyewear companies. When one of the co-found-

end community service excursions off campus. He also worked

ers for the Movember Foundation approached him about

at the radio station, WJHD, on the cusp of the grunge music

becoming the U.S. director for the organization, Hedstrom’s

era, playing “anything that came into the radio station,” and

career took another turn. Having originated in Australia in 2003

hearing from listeners as far away as New Hampshire. Hed-

to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancers, Movember

strom said that the Abbey’s commitment to intellectual rigor,

has grown into a global force, representing 21 countries and

critical thinking and community engagement helped prepare

raising millions of dollars for a variety of men’s health issues. It

him for a variety of challenges when he graduated.

has funded over 1,000 year-round programs around the world

After leaving the Abbey, Hedstrom attended the University of

and has a well-publicized partnership with the National Hockey

Chicago, graduating as an anthropology major. “I had dreams

League.

of being Indiana Jones as a boy,” he said. After college, his

What brings Hedstrom to work every day is the knowledge that

passion for health care led him to a dual focus on legislative

he is making an impact. “I’m part of a community of people that

work and consulting for the industry, serving in Massachusetts

is changing the conversation about men’s health, how we talk

and Washington, D.C. Among his proudest accomplishments

about it and what we do about it,” he said. “In many ways it’s

was his role in helping a variety of agencies craft and deliver

an extension of those conversations and that sense of commu-

The Fishing Partnership health plan, a Massachusetts-based

nity and connection and social engagement that I had at the

initiative that became a national model, providing subsidized

Abbey. I just got lucky that it became part of my life.”

coverage to uninsured commercial fishermen.

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– Doug Norris

25

TIES THAT

BIND Cara Gontarz Hume ’99 and Andrea Petronello Marone ‘02 26

ALUMNI PROFILE

CARA GONTARZ AND ANDREA PETRONELLO shared only one year at Portsmouth Abbey – Cara was in the Sixth Form when Andrea was in the Third – but they established a bond that grew stronger as their careers progressed in parallel. As Human Resources (HR) leaders at General Electric, they are helping to establish a contemporary culture for corporate America in the post-industrial age and making the balance of work and family a reality. Their passion for people, leadership, training, and mentorship can be traced to the core values of the Abbey: “Reverence for God and the human person; Respect for learning and order; Responsibility for the shared experience of community life. We strive to nurture the talents of each individual for service and leadership in our own community and in the larger world.”

Cara began at the Abbey in its fifth year of coeducation, and earned a place on the varsity rosters in soccer, basketball and softball as a freshman. Sports had always been her passion: she’d played on the boys’ soccer team before there was a girls’ team. In those days, the girls’ teams wore the boys’ old uniforms. “We were Coach Clarence Chenoweth’s first girls’ team, which was as enlightening for him as it was for us!” she laughs. In her Sixth-Form year she was captain of all three of her varsity teams. Upon graduation, Cara was inducted into both the Cum Laude Society and the Athletic Association.

“We were Coach Clarence Chenoweth’s first girls’ team, which was as enlightening for him as it was for us!”

Cara was a leader off the field, as well. As a Fifth Form member of Red Key, Cara gave a tour to an eighthgrade prospect she’d known at the St. Philomena School, Andrea Petronello, and her parents. Cara was so upbeat

and articulate about the school that Andrea’s father whispered to his wife, when the girls were out of earshot, “I hope Andrea comes to the Abbey and is just as happy … maybe she’ll turn out just like Cara!”

At the College of the Holy Cross, Cara “walked on” to the soccer team and started on varsity as a freshman, but the dream ended abruptly sophomore year with an ACL tear and cracked femur. Despite five surgeries, competitive sports were over for Cara. “To fill the hole,” she says, she spent a semester at the University of Melbourne on the other side of the globe. When she returned, Cara shifted her direction. Setting aside her pre-med plans, she focused on business and completed an internship in New York City. As senior year approached, she had her sights set on the premier company and graduate opportunity on campus, General Electric’s Financial Management Program.

GE’s Financial Management Program (FMP) is a prestigious, global program for entry-level finance and accounting professionals. Recruited from 30 partner colleges, 600 global trainees complete four six-month international assignments in GE’s subdivisions.

In an interview to mark FMP’s centennial, GE CFO Jeffrey Bornstein pointed to collaborative, positive competition. “We’re very clear about how we expect them to behave. This is both an individual sport and a team sport.

If we’re not all winning, then no one is winning … It’s much easier as an individual contributor to deliver results. But as you get more senior there’s only so much you can do as an individual. GE is arguably the most complex industrial company in the world. That means getting groups of people focused on what success looks like, understanding exactly how to get there from where we are today, and doing it in a way that everybody feels good about.”

This philosophy fit Cara like a glove. “Corporate America reminds me a lot of my sports days: strategy, competition, shared success. We win and lose as a team.”

During her two years on FMP, her encounters with HR

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leaders sparked her interest. “HR seemed to align with my passion and instincts,” she says. HR was an untraditional choice for an FMP graduate, but Cara showed potential, and “they took a chance on me.” She became the global leader for the FMP Program, managing recruitment, curriculum, and placement of graduates. Next, she moved to an HR manager role supporting multiple GE Corporate organizations overseeing recruitment, compensation, and succession planning. She was then promoted to HR leader for the Global Tax organization, supporting 1,000 employees in 40 countries. This role positioned Cara to move to the executive level in GE Capital where she became the HR leader for the Finance, Business Development, and Internal Audit functions supporting over 3,500 employees worldwide.

In 2014, Cara moved from the financial side of GE to one of the industrial divisions, GE Power. “It was like learning another language,” she says, recalling her early encounters with the Global Supply Chain function. “The essential skills and instincts translate to any assignment,” she says, “but when you’re not an expert, you have to be humble.” She credits the educational approach of both the Abbey and Holy Cross: “We learned how to think.

You don’t have to know all the facts, but how to find them and use them. You need to be able to work with a team and communicate effectively.”

A career highlight began with a conversation with the head of HR at GE, Susan Peters. Cara had recently returned from maternity leave and was in transit to her role with GE Power.

Throughout the course of the conversation, the two compared notes about their maternity leaves. While the leaves were taken nearly three decades apart, the benefits had not changed in all that time. From there,

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Cara as an Abbey student with Dom Paschal Scotti, O.S.B..

“Students, take advantage of everything the Abbey offers, more than academics; you’d be remiss not to,” advises Cara.

Susan sponsored a project, co-led by Cara, focused on contemporizing GE’s culture and policies in support of working parents.

The project was successful, and GE implemented several new policies last year, extending parental leave, making flexible work arrangements available, and offering discounts for childcare. Another big shift: professional employees can take unlimited vacation time, as long as they plan it with their managers. “We’re supporting our employees so they can bring their best selves to work every day.” Notably, many new policies are gender-neutral, including parental leave. “Dads want in, too,” Cara says, and she really gets it: “I’m in a dual-career family with two young kids – it’s crazy sometimes!” she laughs, “but I feel completely supported to find the right balance for our

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Cara, front row, second from left, with her early coed soccer team; In her Sixth-Form year, Cara was captain of all three of her varsity teams.

ALUMNI PROFILE

family.” Cara’s initiative is designed to give all GE employees this same sense of support.

Andrea, front row, second from left, was an avid sailor throughout her years at the Abbey.

Ten years ago, when Cara was running FMP, a familiar name in the pile of applicant resumes caught her eye.

“I’ll never forget it,” she says. “There couldn’t be another Andrea Petronello!” They’d been out of touch for several years, but Cara sent her an email. “I didn’t have a voice in whether she’d be accepted, but I let her know I was here, if she had any questions.”

With a passion for sailing, Andrea spent hours on the water, and she remembers her teachers fondly: Jonathan Ingram’s help with writing; Cliff Hobbins’ introduction to economics and the stock market; Nancy Brzys' encouragement before every test: “Bonne chance et bon courage.”

Last time they’d shared a campus, Andrea had been a nervous freshman J.V. soccer goalie. Cara was a senior varsity soccer captain. With a passion for sailing, Andrea spent hours on the water, and she remembers her teachers fondly: Jonathan Ingram’s help with writing; Cliff Hobbins’ introduction to economics and the stock market; Nancy Brzys' encouragement before every test: “Bonne chance et bon courage.” She learned resilience in Dan McDonough’s calculus class. “I didn’t do well on my first test. He said, ‘You’re better than this. You can do this.’ I learned I could succeed in something that doesn’t come naturally, through hard work.” Father Paschal invited high-achieving seniors to Benedictine tutorials: “I talked my way into one that turned out to be me and four boys. He told me, ‘If anyone can hold her ground with this group, you can!’ There’s no question in my mind

Andrea and her parents, Paul and Sue, at the Portsmouth Abbey hockey rink.

that the Abbey gave me the foundation for who I am. Even as a student, I never took it for granted.”

Andrea planned to work on Wall Street after the University of Vermont; a business major, she ran the student investment club and spent summers on the American Stock Exchange trading floor and at NASDAQ. As graduation approached, however, the culture clashed with her values. Stepping off that path was a big decision. “I thought I’d take a year off, maybe work with a beer distributor,” she laughs. Career Services encouraged her to join GE’s FMP campus presentation. “I went in thinking

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The next Raven generation (l-r): Andrea's son, Finn, and Cara's daughters, Caroline and Andrea, grow and play together in upstate New York.

team. I took the job,” she smiles. “Cara threw me right into the fire, day one – Within four hours of starting, I was sitting at a table with her and all of the CFOs from GE Capital’s P&Ls. We just got to work.”

that GE wasn’t for me,” she says, but the pitch piqued her interest, especially the opportunity to work globally. “I decided to apply to FMP. If I didn’t get in, I’d head out to Jackson Hole,” she laughs. “My parents prayed!” She survived the campus interviews, got that email from her old Abbey friend, and earned a spot on FMP at GE Transportation.

Andrea’s FMP home base was Erie, Pennsylvania. “Have you been to Erie?” she jokes. “Not exactly Portsmouth, Rhode Island.” She moved on to Corporate Audit Staff (CAS), the career accelerator program with four-month rotations. Her pilot assignment began with the 2008 market crash. GE held some mortgages in the UK, and her team scrambled to determine GE’s exposure. “It was all-consuming, the perfect storm,” she says, “I lost 15 pounds in a month.” After that rotation, she wanted out. “I called Cara. She’d just pivoted from running FMP to HR. She told me there was no wrong decision, and I should take the path where I’d ask ‘what if?’ the least.” Andrea decided to give CAS a try. She won assignments in six different countries outside the US, and enjoyed the work.

She kept in touch with Cara during the next few years, checking in on career strategy. One call was important.

“I remember it vividly,” Andrea says, “I was in the middle of my third year on CAS and working in Cincinnati, Ohio, at our Aviation business. Cara had been promoted to executive – already! – and she said ‘I want you to run FMP for GE Capital.’” Not sure what the right next step was, Andrea did some soul searching. “It was a big step to transition from finance to HR, especially from CAS to HR. But I trusted Cara, and it was the right opportunity with the right timing, supporting an awesome

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In Andrea, Cara recognized the skills and affinity for HR that she’d felt herself. Andrea was inspired by Cara’s success, saying, “Cara earned high-level responsibility at an early age, and gained the respect of senior management. She believed in me and put me on the big stage.” Andrea covered a maternity leave for an HR executive who supported the General Counsel of GE Capital and his 600-plus person global organization. “I was pretty green, with less than two years of HR experience at that point where ten was typical,” Andrea recalls. “I had to learn on the job, quickly and confidently, troubleshoot, find answers fast. I’d call Cara daily with a list. She steered me in the right direction.”

After rising through several positions, Andrea is now the HR leader for the nearly 700- person global HR team in GE Power. She continues to be my role model,” Andrea says. “Professionally, I learn so much watching her in action; especially seeing how she handles difficult discussions, brings incredible perspective to meetings and is able to balance work and life in a way that seems natural vs. forced. Personally, now that I’m a mom, I appreciate her so much more.” Like many, Andrea had a crisis of confidence about returning to work. "I thought, what can I possibly do at the office that’s more important than raising my little guy?” she says, “but Cara helped me see it from the other side – what will I gain at work that will

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

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help me become a better mom? It’s true, I’m a better me when I challenge myself and grow professionally.” The secret is working smarter. “I use my time in the office as efficiently as I can.”

Cara and Andrea are among the first generation of Abbey alumnae to reach high points in corporate careers. “We worked hard with what the Abbey gave us – a great education and a strong foundation,” Cara says.

She traces a consistent set of values from the Abbey to GE. “I am always true to myself, working with good people to change the world for the better.” Cara believes her Abbey mentors shaped her for good, even to her career choice. “Geri Zilian, Dan McDonough, Nancy Brzys, and every coach and teacher I had invested his or her time in me – not just academically or athletically, but in my whole self. Thanks to them, and to other mentors who believed in me along the way, I developed personally and professionally into the person who I am today.

One of my goals as an HR leader is to help foster that environment of trust. When employees are their best selves, we build a stronger company.”

“Cara is the friend who’s not only stayed with me but transformed with me, in different parts of life.”

As a mentor herself, Cara looks for opportunities to do the same. “You have to invest time, listen and look deeply, see what someone may not see in him- or herself, and open a door,” she says. “I didn’t fit the profile when I moved from finance to HR, but someone saw potential in me and gave me a shot. When someone sticks his neck out for you, you don’t let him down. It was like being the only girl on the team, years ago – I worked harder. Andrea was on the same unusual path, five years later, and she deserved the shot. I opened the door for her, and she thrived.”

“Cara is my toughest critic, in a super-constructive way,” Andrea says. “She’ll balance the smile with the truth: ‘here’s what you need to work on.’ She pushes me out of my comfort zone, and I take her feedback to heart. I try to take the same approach as a mentor.”

It’s rare for successful professionals in their mid-thirties to have just one company on their resumes. Yet GE’s size, scope and commitment to training allowed Cara and Andrea to build careers there, with no need for business school or headhunters. “It’s amazing to change jobs and careers within one company,” Andrea says. “That’s part of what drew me to GE.” Cara agrees: “I’ve changed jobs – I’ve changed careers here. GE is a true meritocracy. As you prove yourself, you earn more responsibility. They give you the biggest job you can handle and really stretch you.”

“I’m lucky to have a great job with a great company, a great spouse and great friends,” Cara says. “I have the support of people who know exactly what I’m going through. Andrea and I have so many parallels in our lives,” Cara says. “Our shared history counts for so much, as much as what we share now." Andrea agrees: “Cara is the friend who’s not only stayed with me but transformed with me, in different parts of life.”

What advice do they have for Abbey students and alumni? “Students, take advantage of everything the Abbey offers, more than academics; you’d be remiss not to,” Cara says. “After you graduate, use the alumni network.

It’s easy to connect through LinkedIn and Facebook.” Andrea agrees: “Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call, make connections. We’ll all take a call from someone from the Abbey. And finally, give back. Be a mentor. Pay it forward.”

– Emily Atkinson Emily Atkinson is a Rhode Island-based writer and consultant to nonprofit arts groups. She graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and Princeton University.

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THE BEST-KNOWN MONK IN THE WESTERN WORLD

Thomas Merton, Trappist Monk of Gethsemani (1915 – 1968)

by Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ’45 When Pope Francis addressed the U.S. Congress on September 24, 2015, he mentioned four Americans whose lives were outstanding examples of Christian belief and practice: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.

The latter two had important connections with Portsmouth Priory in the l930s through the 1960s.

Dorothy Day came frequently to oblate meetings in the ‘30s and ‘40s before joining the monastery of Saint Procopius near Chicago, more accessible to overseeing her social work than her House of Hospitality

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in Manhattan. But the Pope’s remarks centered on Thomas Merton as “a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.” Eventually, late in his monastic career, Merton would justify Pope Francis’ high esteem for Merton’s two-fold concern for the poor and for the environment, issues that the Pope shares and has made paramount priorities: “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself. There can be no ecology without an adequate anthropology.”

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Below: Dom Aelred Graham, O.S.B. in his study

Merton began his university studies at Cambridge, which he recollected as “dark and sinister,” quite the reverse of what most people admire for its serene atmosphere and the picturesque “backs” of the individual colleges abutting the River Cam. For Merton there was only “the sweet stench of corruption… the keen, thin scent of decay that pervades everything and accuses with a terrible accusation the superficial youthfulness, the abounding undergraduate noise that fills those ancient buildings. But for me, with my blind appetites, it was impossible that I should not rush in and take a huge bite of this rotten fruit. The bitter taste is still with me after not a few years.”

What might have colored his attitude was the irresponsible life he led during the year he spent there, which was censored from his autobiography by his Trappist superiors.

At that time, Merton was involved in an affair with a young woman that resulted in her becoming pregnant with his son.

During the bombing raids of the war that was to break out a few years later, both the woman and their son were killed, this undoubtedly causing feelings of guilt in the more mature man who profited from his years as a student at Columbia University in New York under the tutelage of the charismatic literary professor, Mark Van Doren. This prepared him for a brief teaching post at the Franciscan College of Saint Bonaventure – brief, because it was there that he made up his mind to become a priest and join the Trappist monastery of Gethsemani, in Kentucky, where he had made several retreats.

He had already rejected the Benedictines, as he believed that this Order would probably involve his “being nailed down to a desk in an expensive prep school for the rest of my life,” with the focus on educating the young, rather than on the “liturgical and the claustral center,” which were the main attractions for him. This was a guarded allusion to Portsmouth, even though he deliberately locates it in New Hampshire.

of “Letters to The Times of London,” on the subject entitled “Catholicism Today,” was highly critical of the Church’s insularity and narrow-minded concept of fidelity to the Christian message, especially of any kind of ecumenical approach: “For Catholics to show even the appearance of being reluctant to work together with our fellow Christians in supporting ‘all that rings true, all that commands reverence, and all that makes for right; all that is pure, all that is lovely, all that is gracious in the telling; virtue and merit, wherever virtue and merit are found. . . .’ (Philippians 4:8) would today be a major calamity” if those who acknowledge Christ as Lord’ cannot say the Our Father together, then co-operation in other directions feels in experience to be frozen at the start.’”

Dom Aelred wrote a dissenting view of Merton for his runaway best-selling account of his conversion to Catholicism followed by his entry into the Trappist monastery of Gethsemani. At a dinner at which Father Aelred found himself sitting next to the well-known Catholic convert, Clare Booth Luce, she upbraided him for his stance, faulting him for being critical of, and consequently disloyal to, the Catholic Church in what seemed to be an attack in the public forum on one who had done so much for making monasticism a by-word in religious circles.

Merton was the object of a controversial article by Dom Aelred Graham, then Prior of Portsmouth Priory, in The Atlantic Monthly, a prestigious literary magazine boasting, in the January 1953 issue, contributors at the very top of their diverse professions: Arnold Toynbee, the leading English historian; Agnes de Mille, the first name in American ballet; Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann; Dylan Thomas, Wales’ most gifted poet; and Frank O’Connor, noted for his outstanding short stories set in the contemporary United States. In the Book Review section, Dom Aelred, a well-known author and theologian and the anonymous writer of the then-recent series The Trappist monastery of Gethsemani, in Kentucky ALUMNI BULLETIN SUMMER 2016

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The Abbey church at Gethsemani

Merton was considered to be a popular apologist for a way of life that responded to the malaise that gripped those disillusioned by the moral vacuum of the post-war world of the 1940s. By 1953, monastic vocations were undergoing a tremendous revival, not only in Trappist abbeys but for the more numerous and less ascetic Benedictine monasteries, and this was largely due to the unexpected success of his 1948 book, The Seven Storey Mountain. Hence, the indignation that many Catholics like Mrs. Luce felt at such a betrayal, as they regarded it, especially as Time magazine (of which her husband was editor) had featured an account of Father Aelred’s article in its religious section.

The gist of what Dom Aelred said in 1949, and had to say anonymously, would not have caused a ripple once the Vatican Council had taken place and its program of renewal or aggiornamento implemented.

What exactly were Dom Aelred’s objections to the tone and substance of The Seven Storey Mountain? The charge of elitism seemed to dominate Merton’s espousal of the extreme form of the Benedictine way, which stressed severe ascetical practices in community living, perpetual silence, a meatless diet, truncated hours of sleep, frequent fasts, long hours of prayer and reading restricted to lectio divina (spiritual reading to nurture the contemplative prayer expected of all – a mystical approach encouraged for everyone and not limited to those specially favored). The role of learning was not primarily on philosophy and theology, which were useful and necessary for studying for the priesthood, but books on Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, prayer, and the ways of living the religious and liturgical life of the church. These, for the Cistercians of the Strict Observance, or Trappists, so named after the monastery of La Trappe in France, were the most appropriate objects of intellectual endeavor.

“Bonum est contemplare; melius est contemplata tradere.” is the oft-quoted adage of Saint Thomas Aquinas: “Contemplation is virtuous; but it is more virtuous to hand over to others that which is contemplated.”

In his article in the Atlantic, Dom Aelred found fault with Merton for a number of reasons, some, or even most, of which were the result of inadequate experience of monasticism and insufficient knowledge of the Catholic faith, of being “a young man in a hurry,” and “of being unable to keep separate the notions of world and worldliness. Jesus’ mission was ‘to save the world, not to condemn what the Father created and found to be good.’” Instead, Merton’s advice was “to do everything you can to avoid the amusements and the noise and the business of men. Keep as far away as you can from the places where they gather to cheat and insult one another, to exploit one another, to laugh at one another, or to mock one another with their false gestures of friendship. Do not read their newspapers if you can help it. Be glad if you can keep beyond the reach of their radios… Do not smoke their cigarettes or share their preoccupation with different kinds of food or complicate your life by looking at the pictures in their magazines.” Dom Aelred’s reaction to this is similar to what most people would feel: “In short, become a Trappist-Cistercian monk while living in the world.”

What Dom Aelred rightly pointed out is the true message of the Rule that “Benedict wished to organize, not a house of contemplative mystics, but what he called a school of the Lord’s service; to some of the more faithful members – since they were required to pray constantly – the gift of contemplation would not be denied.”

For Merton, contemplation was the highest good, and it could best be taught to others through the power of example, a way of interpreting the “Dominican” approach to the contemplative life in its practical implementation. As Merton phrased it in the closing pages of his spiritual autobiography, “All men, not just a few privileged monks, but all those who are truly spiritual, are drawn to the perfection of contemplation, which Monks reading during their meal, Aiguebelle

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Thomas Merton at work

is nothing else but the perfection of love. This means in practice that there is only one vocation. Whether you live in the cloister or nurse the sick, whether you are in religion or out of it, married or single, no matter who you are or what you are, you are called to the summit of perfection… even to mystical prayer, and to pass your contemplation on to others, if not by word, then by example.”

Merton seemed, perhaps unintentionally, to be advocating or allowing for the mystical approach to Divinity by the masses. The more serious objection to Merton’s brand of monasticism, however, came from an apparent rejection of the world, a place from which one needs to escape if one is to avoid succumbing to the temptations that everywhere abound, forgetting that one can be in the world and not be of it and that “God so loved the world that he came to save it in the form of his incarnate Son, not to judge but to save

The Zen Garden at Portsmouth Priory in 1962; photo by Shirley Burden

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and redeem it in a supreme act of mercy.” Merton’s decision to enter the most austere religious order was a personal one and was, at least partially, psychologically explained by his year of undergraduate “studies” at Cambridge.

“Then are they truly monks when they work by the labor of their hands.” This was understood as applicable to choir monks as well as to lay brothers, and constituted much of the waking day. The white habit was simple, of coarse material, and used at night for sleeping as well as in church and at work in the fields, during the bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of summer. All of this seems at odds with the moderation advocated by Saint Benedict in his “little Rule for beginners” in the spiritual life, even though Cistercians and Benedictines follow this same guide to their very different interpretations of how the Rule should be observed. The Trappist reform of the Cistercian Order, for which Saint Bernard of Clairvaux can be considered the founder, came about because of the laxity that had crept into monastic observance over the centuries, necessitating a stricter practice, which resulted in the austere program listed above and formulated by the Abbe de Rance, the 17th-Century founder of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO). Gethsemani was a throwback to this lifestyle and the one which appealed most to Merton, the recent convert to Catholicism, as he sought to implement the advice a friend had given him “to become a saint,” not sufficiently aware that both vocation and sanctity are gifts of God, depending on one’s cooperation with grace rather than on one’s own effort and initiative.

With the passage of time and the growth in tolerance and spirituality of the two men, Dom Aelred, the Benedictine, and Father Louis (Thomas) Merton, the Trappist, there was a complete and welcome turnabout in their monastic appraisals, each developing a more informed and less narrow interpretation of the Holy Rule and in the process finding in each other similar interests and mutual acquaintances. Each became more appreciative of the other’s talents and practices, finding that they were not in conflict after all. Dom Aelred developed a liking for Buddhism, discovering in the teachings of the Master much that can be harmonized with Christianity.

This he set forth in what became his most popular book, Zen Catholicism, a copy of which he sent to Father Louis in 1963,

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who had mailed him a copy of his book on reflections on the Psalms, Bread in the Wilderness, published in 1960, with this quotation: “And his disciples answered Him: from whence can anyone fill them here with bread in the wilderness?”

Attached to this quotation from Mark’s Gospel, Merton penned this inscription: “To A.G. (as Dom Aelred was always known to his friends), with fond best wishes and hopes that your priory will prosper!

– Adveniat Nirvana Louis Merton, OCSO”

By this time, however, Merton had evolved into a very different kind of Cistercian from the intolerant, impatient and immature monk of his earliest years. With his worldwide contacts and a huge correspondence resulting from the popularity of his books, his interests in the world changed his outlook dramatically. An increasing preoccupation with events occurring outside the insulated life of the cloister involved him with racial concerns, the civil rights movement, radical youth protests, peace movements, the women’s “lib” emergence and what was going on in literary circles, all constituting a departure from his world view, which he had thought to be an obstacle to wholehearted devotion to God – the sole preoccupation of the true monk. Like Mary

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

Dom Aelred Graham, O.S.B., with the Dalai Lama

Baker Eddy, he now “accepted the universe,” so much so that he asked for and received permission to live outside the strict enclosure of the monastery in a simply constructed “hermitage” on the extensive grounds of Gethsemani Abbey, providing him with the kind of solitude he desired, which, it must be noted, was not at all like the Carthusian version of a solitary existence.

This hermitage permitted Merton the freedom that he now found he required, in order to welcome his many visitors, friends and correspondents. The arrangement, with the consent of his now-more-lenient Abbot, also permitted him to make occasional forays into nearby Bardstown and paved the way for his accepting the invitation to participate in the Congress of Monks of the Eastern and Western traditions to be held in Bangkok. Father Aelred had given him introductions to a number of Buddhists in India and Thailand whom he had met on his journey to the Far East, following the end of his term of office as Prior of Portsmouth. Among them was the Dalai Lama, who was later to make a special trip to Ampleforth Abbey (Dom Aelred’s mother house) to continue his dialogue with Dom Aelred on some of the ideas contained in his book, Zen Catholicism.

Below: The garden entrance at Gethsemani

It was at the Bangkok meeting that Father Louis met his sudden accidental death from electrocution. The date of his death on December 10, l967, was 27 years to the day since his entry into Gethsemani. So ended the life, abruptly, of one who was recognized as “the best-known monk of the Western world,” of one who had exerted a profound impact on committed Christians. His extraordinary appeal also extended to thousands outside the Catholic faith, whose knowledge in the monastic way of life derived from his writings and through the ways, sometimes unconventional, in which he sought to be united with his God. It was appropriate that he should die when he did, in promoting a better understanding of the Eastern and Western monastic traditions through his participation in the Bangkok congress.

The epitaph of Thomas Merton, the author of so many books concerned with the journey to God, and of Father Louis the Trappist monk, might well be summed up in his words, which we, too, in our own spiritual journeys can echo: “Our destiny is to go on beyond everything, to leave everything, to press forward to the End and find in the End our Beginning, the ever-new Beginning that has no end.”

Left: Merton in the Kentucky woods near the Abbey of our Lady of Gethsemani, which he joined in 1944.

Right: The bronze plaque in the middle of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, commemorates the spot where Thomas Merton experienced an epiphany on March 18, 1958.

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PORTSMOUTH INSTITUTE FOR FAITH AND CULTURE

CHRISTIAN COURAGE IN A S E CULAR AGE

On Saturday evening, Sister Constance Veit, communications director for the Little Sisters of the Poor, offered a spiritual and historical reflection on the persecutions faced by the Little Sisters of the Poor. In May 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Little Sisters of the Poor in a case which had enormous ramifications for religious liberty in America.

THE PORTSMOUTH INSTITUTE FOR FAITH AND CULTURE

hosted its 7th Summer Conference on the topic “Christian Courage in a Secular Age” at Portsmouth Abbey and School on June 10-12.

The inspiration for the conference topic comes from Romano Guardini, who in the 1950s wrote that “the virtue of gravity, or courage, will be spiritual, a personal courage devoid of the pathetic, a courage opposed to the looming chaos. This…courage must be purer and stronger even than the courage man needs to face either atom bombs or bacteriological warfare, because it must restrain the chaos rising out of the very works of man. Finally it will find itself–as true courage always does–opposed by an enemy, the mass, ranged against it in public organizations clotted with catchwords.”

The Institute is a collaborative intellectual apostolate of Portsmouth Abbey and Saint Louis Abbey. Both Abbeys are American houses of the English Benedictine Congregation. The Institute’s mission is to explore the intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church guided by Benedictine tradition and in service to the new evangelization. The Institute accomplishes this mission by offering interdisciplinary encounters with contemporary scholarship and the wisdom of the ages.

Its program and publications reach thousands of students, teachers, clergy, religious, and lifelong learners.

Indeed, much of modern public discourse is clotted with catchwords. In such an atmosphere the truth is easily obscured. It will take the virtue of courage, then, to pursue the truth, believe in truth, and to speak the truth.

Highlights of the weekend included: Keynote speaker Robert P. George delivered a rousing address, “Are We Ashamed of the Gospel?” in which he called on Christians to proudly proclaim the Gospel, not as an intellectual conversation of private eccentricity, but as the Truth of Christ.

Above: Professor Robert George speaks with conference attendees following his keynote address.

Above right: Sister Constance, LSP, speaks with an attendee at the Friday evening Speaker Reception.

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The conference brought together Abbey faculty, alumni, parents and board members, including (from left) Andres Valenzuela ‘04, teacher John Huynh, and Deacon Dr. Timothy P. Flanigan ’75.

For more information on the Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture, call Executive Director Christopher Fisher at 401.643.1255, email institute@portsmouthabbey.org, or visit www.portsmouthinstitute.org.

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Last summer, an elderly Benedictine monk traveled from Rhode Island to take in the changes recently made to a mid-block park on P Street near Dupont Circle. “I thought, ‘This is very nice,’” Father Julian Stead said in a phone call. “I could see people would bring their children there and scoot about.” Children, Father Julian added, “that I think of as my grandchildren.”

The 62-year history of Mary Force Stead Park begins with the early death of Father Julian’s grandmother, Mary Force Stead, in 1895.

The granddaughter of DC’s 12th mayor, Peter Force, she was the first wife of Robert Stead, an architect whose buildings include the Lovejoy School on Capitol Hill. Her death is said to have dimmed her widower’s once-sunny personality through his two subsequent marriages. In his will, read in 1943, Stead left land in Southeast DC to be turned into a park, with funds entrusted to its upkeep. A judge denied his heirs’ attempt to reverse the bequest but, finding the location unsuitable, ordered the park relocated.

In 2004, Charles Carroll Carter, a retired Washington publisher who had grown up blocks from Stead Park, was having afternoon tea at the Portsmouth Abbey School, his alma mater near Newport, Rhode Island. He was joined by a former schoolmate, Peter Stead, at the time a teacher at the school, who’d been ordained after graduation and taken the name Julian.

Father Julian explained to Carter that Stead Park had turned into an eyesore. Half of it was a vacant lot, and the homeless used the park as a latrine. “It was looking like a town dump,” Father Julian recalls. A proposal was circulating to replace his grandfather’s park with a community center and a 540-space parking garage.

Carter promised to help. On his first visit, he says, “I was disappointed at how it had deteriorated.” For a decade, he has worked with the city to restore the park, enlisting a local developer, Christopher Dorment, to chair the Friends of Stead Park and real-estate lawyer Whayne Quin, who untangled the trust to free up cash for the renovation.

Today, the park’s bright-red-and-blue equipment and grassy oval have a postmodern edge. Tucked between Foundry United Methodist Church and Duke’s Grocery, the airy space is insulated from the roar of the city, allowing for film screenings and yoga sessions for kids, plus concerts in warm months. The empty lot is a freshly AstroTurfed field. “I’m not an expert,” says Father Julian with Benedictine moderation, “but it was more pleasing to the eye than I had expected.”

This article appears in the January 2016 issue of Washingtonian.

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Girls’ Squash Coach’s Award: Claire Davidson ’16 MIP: Lucy Ferry ’16 Captain-Elect: Grace Fink ’17 Record: Overall 8-9; EIL 3-3 Swimming Coach’s Award: Liam Kelly ’16 MIP: Minghao (David) Sun ’19 Captain-Elect: Byungwook (David) Oh ’17 Record: Overall 4-5; EIL: 2nd Place

ANDREW FONTS ’17

WINTER 2015-16 ATHLETICS AWARDS

Coach’s Award: Holly Kazama ’16 MIP: Johanna (Hanna) Hausladen ’18 Captains-Elect: Annie O’Donnell ‘17, Johanna Appleton ’17 Record: Overall 3-7-1; EIL 4th of 7th CLAIRE DAVIDSON ’16

Boys’ Basketball Dom Bede Gorman Memorial Basketball Award: Andrew Fonts ’17 MIP: Chris Motta ‘16 Captains-Elect: Kel Eleje ‘17, Andrew Fonts, George Humphreys ’17 Record: Overall 6-16; EIL 5-6; 5th place EIL Girls’ Basketball The Pfeffer Cup: Ayanna Sommers ’16 MIP: Rory O’Neill ’19 Captains-Elect: Jane Jannotta ’17, Jillian McRoy ’17 Record: Overall 10-10; EIL 7-6; 5th place EIL, *EIL “B” Tournament Champions Boys’ Ice Hockey The Andrew M. Hunt and Carol Meehan Hunt Boys’ Hockey Award: Jack Murphy ’16 MIP: James Briand ’16 Captains-Elect: Dom Cappadona ’17, Matt Plumb ’17, Bailey Strangis ’17 Ass’t. Captain: Dan Sliney ’18 Record: Overall 3-16-1; Holt: 2-5 Girls’ Ice Hockey The Andrew M. Hunt and Carol Meehan Hunt Girls’ Hockey Award: Kaitlyn Doherty ’17 MIP: Emily Bredin ’17 Captains-Elect: Remy Chester ’17, Kaitlyn Doherty ’17 Record: Overall 13-5; EIL Championship Game, 2nd Place Boys’ Squash Carlos Xavier Araujo ‘96 Memorial Squash Award: Seha (Sam) Choi ’16 MIP: Connor Baughan ’17 Captains-Elect: Connor Baughan, Oliver Ferry ’17 Record: 10-6; New England Class C Championship, 3rd Place tie

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Wrestling Coach’s Award: Chris Weiss ’16 MIP: Eli Wilson ‘16 Captains-Elect: William Ensign ’17, Henry Wilson ’18 Record: Overall 12-6-1; EIL 5-3, 4th place Junior Varsity Awards Boys’ JVA Basketball: John Patrick Walter ’18 Boys’ JVB Basketball: Preston Kelleher ’18 Girls’ JV Basketball: Mary Beth Falvey ’18 Girls’ JV Squash: Faith Cournoyer ’19 Boys’ JV Squash: Jaehyuk (Jason) Lim ’19 Co-ed Boys’ JVB Squash: Nicholas Nadalin ’17 Co-ed Girls’ JVB Squash: Jihye (Jessica) Yang ’18 Girls’ JV Ice Hockey: Juistine DelMastro ’19 Boys’ JV Ice Hockey: Brendan Kelly ’19 Boys’ JV Swimming: Riccardo Fornaro ’17 Girls’ JV Swimming: Elise Banderob ’19

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Winter 2015-16 All-League and Post-Season Honors Boys’ Basketball (EIL) All-League: Andrew Fonts ’17 Honorable Mention: Chris Motta ’16, Seamus O’Connor ’16 Providence Journal Independent All-State: Andrew Fonts Girls’ Basketball (EIL) All-League: Ayanna Sommers ’16 Honorable Mention: Maddie Burt ’19 NEPSAC Class B All-Star: Ayanna Sommers Providence Journal Independent All-State: Ayanna Sommers

AYANNA SOMMERS ’16

Boys’ Ice Hockey (Holt League) All-League: Bailey Strangis ’17 Providence Journal Independent All-State: Bailey Strangis Girls’ Ice Hockey (EIL) All-League: Remy Chester ’17, Kaitlyn Doherty ’17, Abbey Luth ’18 Honorable Mention: Diana Oakes ’17, Amanda Saliba ’17 2nd Place, EIL Championship Kate Reardon, EIL Coach of the Year Providence Journal Independent All-State: Abbey Luth Boys’ Squash (Indepndent) New England Class C Tournament: Sam Choi ’16, 2nd Place/3rd Flight Team Tied for 3rd Place, Class “C” New England Championship Girls’ Squash (EIL) All-League: Claire Davidson ’16 New England Class B Tournament: Claire Davidson, 4th Place/1st Flight Swimming (EIL) All-League: Adam Suh ’18, 50 Free, 100 Breast Stroke All-League: Sheila Joyce ’19, 100 Breast Stroke School Records: Sheila Joyce, 100 Breast Stroke and 500 Free 200 Medley: Sheila Joyce, Mikaela Nueva ’17 Annie O’Donnell ’17, Holly Kazama ‘16 200 Free Relay: Annie O’Donnell, Sheila Joyce, Holly Kazama, Megan Madden ’18 Boys: 2nd Place, EIL Championship

BAILEY STRANGIS ’17

Wrestling (EIL) All-League: Chris Weiss ’16, Henry Wilson ’18/EIL Champions Honorable Mention: Eli Wilson ’16/2nd Place EIL All-New England: Chris Weiss (2nd place), Eli Wilson (8th place) Prep School National Tournament Qualifier (Lehigh Univ.): Chris Weiss

Photos by Louis Walker (www.louiswalkerphotography.com/Sports), Jez Coulson (www.insight-visual.com/jez-bio.html ) and Bill Rakip (www.billrakipphoto.com/)

SHEILA JOYCE ’19, MIKAELA NUEVA ‘17, ANNIE O’DONNELL ‘17, AND HOLLY KAZAMA ‘16 41

MAX BOGAN ’16

ABBEY

1926

SPRING 2016 ATHLETICS AWARDS

Spring 2016 Athletics Awards Baseball The Baseball Coach’s Trophy: Frank Rybicki ’16 MIP: Matt McKenna ’18 Captains-Elect: Dom Cappadona ’17, Matt McKenna, Ben Varieur ’18 Record: 8-10 Overall; 6-3 EIL; tied for 2nd in EIL Girls’ Golf The Dorment Family Golf Trophy: Lucy Ferry ’16 MIP: Amber Liao ’17 Captains-Elect: Christine Gu ’17, Amber Liao Record: 5-3-1 Overall Boys’ Lacrosse The Frost Family Trophy: Teddy Fenton ’16 MIP: Michael Ludwig ’16 Captains-Elect: Connor Baughan ’17, Dan Locke ’17, Matt Plumb ’17 Record: 12-3 Overall; 6-1 EIL Girls’ Lacrosse The Girls’ Lacrosse Trophy: Maddie Villareal ’16 MIP: Diana Oakes ’17 Captains-Elect: Kaitlyn Doherty ’17, Lena Kerno ’17, Caroline Villareal ’17 Record: 8-7 Overall; 5-3 EIL; tied for 3rd in EIL

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Sailing The Robert Price Sailing Trophy: Emily Bredin ’17 MIP: Alberto Ponce ’18 Captains-Elect: Grace Benzal ’17, Emily Bredin, David Ingraham ’17 Record: 13-7 Overall; 1st Place, Herreshoff Trophy (NE High School Women’s); 1st Place, Terk Trophy (NESSA Team Racing); 4th place, R.I. State High School Championships Softball The Softball Coach’s Trophy: Jocelyn Varieur ’16 MIP: Molly Joyce ’17 Captains-Elect: Lucia Billings ’18, Ali Vergara ’17, Tyler White ’18 Record: 12-4 Overall; 8-3 EIL; 2nd in EIL Boys’ Tennis The Boys’ Tennis Coach’s Trophy: Jerry Lin ’16 MIP: Jason Xiang ’18 Captains-Elect: Oliver Ferry ’17, Raimundo Riojas ’17, Matias Wawro ’17 Record: 8-4 Overall; 5-0 EIL; EIL Champions Girls’ Tennis The Girls’ Tennis Coach’s Trophy: Emma Butler ’16 MIP: Nicole Dickinson ’16 Captains-Elect: Grace Fink ’17, Kitty Zhao ’18 Record: 5-6 Overall; 4-4 EIL

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Boys’ and Girls’ Track The Track Coach’s Trophy: Jon Campau ’16 Boys’ MIP: James Briand ’16 Boys’ Captains-Elect: John Billings ’17, Ryan Madden ’17, Scott Powell ’17 Boys’ Record: 5-3-1 Overall; 2-2 EIL; 3rd in EIL Girls’ Track Coach’s Trophy: Johanna Appleton ’17 Girls’ MIP: Abbey Luth ’18 Captains-Elect: Johanna Appleton, Amanda Saliba '17 Girls’ Record: 9-1 Overall; 4-1 EIL; 2nd in EIL; tied for 5th in Div. 3 New Englands

CO-ED SAILING - TERK TROPHY WINNERS

FRANK RYBICKI ’16 AND CHRIS MOTTA ’16

Junior Varsity Awards Baseball: JP Walter ’18 Boys’ Lacrosse: Lance Spears ’18 Girls’ Lacrosse: Nicolette Kirscht ’19 Sailing: Evan Boyd ’19, Faith Cournoyer ’19 Boys’ Tennis: Jacob Humphrey ’18 Girls’ Tennis: Kitty Zhao ’18

MADDIE VILLAREAL ’16

Boys’ Track: David Sun ’19 Girls’ Track: Isabella Hannigan ’19

Photos by Louis Walker (www.louiswalkerphotography.com/Sports)

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Spring 2016 Post-Season Individual Athletics Awards Baseball (EIL) All-League: Frank Rybicki ’16, Dom Cappadona ’17, Nick Vallone ’18 Honorable Mention: Chris Motta ’16, Cam Andersen ’18 Boys’ Lacrosse (EIL) US Lacrosse All-American: Teddy Fenton ’16 All-League: Teddy Fenton, Joe Jannotta ’16, Seamus O’Connor ’16, George Sturges ’16 Honorable Mention: Dan Locke ’17, Matt Plumb ’17 Girls’ Lacrosse (EIL) All-League: Kate Hughes ’18, Lena Kerno ’17, Maddie Villareal ’16 Honorable Mention: Kaity Doherty ’17, Jane Jannotta ’18

BOYS’ VARSITY TENNIS - EIL CHAMPIONS

Softball (EIL) All-League: Lucia Billings ’18, Jocelyn Varieur ’16, Tyler White ’18 Honorable Mention: Ayanna Sommers ’16, Ali Vergara ’17 Coach of the Year: Elliott Moffie Boys’ Tennis (EIL) All-League: Raimundo Riojas ’17, 1st singles; League MVP; Oliver Ferry ’17, 2nd Singles; Cristobal Carranza ’18, 3rd Singles; Teddy O’Connor ’17, Ludovico Gallo ’16, 1st doubles Girls Tennis (EIL) Honorable Mention: Emma Butler ’16, Katie Ritchie ’19, 2nd Doubles

JOCELYN VARIEUR ’16

Boys’ Track (EIL) All-League: Marcel Smith ’17 – 110 meter Hurdles John Billings ’17 – 400 meters Ryan Madden ’17 – 800 meters and Javelin Adam Suh ’18, James Briand ’16, Ryan Madden, Scott Powell ’17 – 400 meter relay James Briand, Ryan Madden, Scott Powell, John Billings – 1600 meter relay Girls’ Track (EIL) All-League: Max Bogan ’16 , New England (NEPSAC) Division 3 Champion – Javelin 3rd consecutive year School record holder – Javelin, 112.5 feet Malia Mantz ’19 – 100 meters Johanna Appleton ’17 – 1500 meters Amanda Saliba ’17 – Pole Vault

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ALL-AMERICAN TEDDY FENTON ’16

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

The Long-Lost Frank ‘Rocky’ Barbato receives his varsity letter more than six decades after playing football at Portsmouth Abbey School

L

etter

By Steve Rogers, Newport Daily News Staff Writer (reprinted from the Wednesday, March 16, 2016 issue)

Sixty-six years after leaving Portsmouth Abbey School, known as the Portsmouth Priory at the time, Newport resident Frank “Rocky” Barbato received his varsity letter and accompanying traditional varsity blanket from current athletic director and football coach Al Brown.

“Frank has provided us with a wonderful peek back into our school’s history,” Brown said. “It is wonderful to see how he not only valued his time on Portsmouth’s football team, but also his overall experience here.

“He has fond memories of his teammates and classmates, and after many years, we are pleased to recognize his contributions and welcome him back into the fold.”

Barbato attended De La Salle Academy for four years and was a member of the football and tennis teams. He was trying to determine whether to play baseball or tennis when he talked to one of his football teammates.

Portsmouth Abbey School athletic director Al Brown, left, stands next to Frank ‘Rocky’ Barbato, who played football for the school, then known as the Portsmouth Priory, during the 1950 season. Because Barbato left school to serve in the Korean War, he never received his varsity letter — until now.

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“John Toppa and I were trying to decide if we were going to play baseball,” Barbato said of the legendary coach at

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Press clipping from The Newport Daily News featuring Frank Barbato.

Rogers High School. “Then tennis came, so we played tennis and won the state championship the first year we played.

“I played with a kid named John Burns, who had polio as a kid. I’d take the front, and he’d take the back. We won every match we played.”

When tennis ended, so too did Barbato’s stay at the all-boys Catholic school in Newport. He graduated in the summer of 1950 with the idea of playing college football for Brown University. But Barbato had to meet specific requirements to do so.

“At that time, you had to put two years in at a prep school,” Barbato said. “I was going to play football and learn how to study (at the Priory). I didn’t know how to study.

I got half a scholarship and paid the other half. I was a day hopper.”

Barbato balanced his classes with football, all while serving as a member of the Marine reserves.

“I was in the active Marine reserves on weekends,” Barbato said. “My dad wanted me to do the toughest job, so I was a cannon-cocker and I carried the ammunition and dealt with guns.”

Barbato was unsure his Priory football career would begin when the Korean War erupted.

“In June of 1950, the Korean War broke out,” Barbato said. “All reserves were pulled in in August, and they were federalized. I was held back. I got a six-month deferment.”

The deferment allowed Barbato, a 5-foot6 running back, to showcase his skills on the gridiron. He was a member of a Priory team that lost its first two games of the season before winning its final three.

Barbato rushed for five touchdowns and threw for three more.

“I had a side bet with somebody who used to work with my dad,” Barbato said. “He said I wouldn’t score five touchdowns, and I won the bet.”

Barbato’s speed and elusiveness earned him a spot on the 1950 All-Newport County and All-State Prep School teams.

In a Daily News press clipping from 1950, Frank ‘Rocky’ Barbato talks with the Portsmouth Priory — now known as Portsmouth Abbey School — football coach Ralph Hewitt. Barbato, who left school to serve in the Korean War, didn’t receive his varsity letter until this month.

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“My legs always got me out of trouble,” Barbato said. “I always took pride in these legs. I moved laterally so I wouldn’t be caught — zip and zang.”

Shortly after the banquet honoring the all-county and all-prep school teams, Barbato’s six-month deferment expired.

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“I was called in in December after the all-county dinner,” Barbato said. “I had to go to Parris Island and start all over again as a private.”

Barbato never returned to Portsmouth Priory, but he was a member of the championship 1951 All-Marines football team as a punt returner. After being discharged from the Marines, Barbato attended URI and played football for the Rams before graduating in 1956.

He was a coach at Portsmouth Abbey in 1960 and attended Sunday Mass there periodically. “(Barbato) was called into active service in the Marines (Korean War) halfway through the school year, so he was unable to finish the year at the Abbey,” Brown said. “But he has very fond memories of his time here and wanted to reconnect with the school, so he contacted us late last fall.”

Thus, the extended wait to receive his varsity letter and blanket came to a close.

“I had a wonderful six months at Portsmouth — I’m sorry it wasn’t for longer — and it means the world to me that the school has recognized me all these years later with my varsity football letter and certificate,” Barbato said. “I am grateful to coach Al Brown for honoring me in this way, 66 years after I played for the Portsmouth Priory team.

“It means a lot. It’s very emotional as far as I’m concerned. I’m an 86-year-old man. It might not mean a lot to some people, but it does to me. I put in a lot of sweat there. It means something to me.”

MILESTONES BIRTHS

WEDDINGS Victoria Helen, daughter of Mike and Kiki (Glover) Knickerbocker ’02

FACULTY AND STAFF A boy, Joseph Douglas, to Douglas and Stephanie Duquette February 9, 2016

1998 Tristan Mouligné to Kaitlyn Rose May 7, 2016 2007 Caroline Gralton to Grady McCune May 28, 2016 2010 Lauren Brodeur to Brad Steinbach June 10, 2016 Austin Lannon to Taylor Marina Martz March 11, 2016

1995 A boy, Robert "Trebor"Sherman, to Derek and Annie Sherman Luke May 10, 2016 2001 A girl, Clare Louise, to Marjorie and Sean Flynn April 19, 2016 2002 A girl, Victoria Helen, to Mike and Kiki (Glover) Knickerbocker April 4, 2016 2006 A boy, Graham Lewis, to Wesley and Abigail DiPalma Isom April 23, 2016 2007

A boy, Paul Christoph, to Lavinia and Maximilian Klietmann July 1, 2016

Tristan Mouligné ’98 was married on May 7th at the Glen Manor House in Portsmouth. Abbey alumni in attendance were: (from left) Ashley Hart '98, John Edenbach'96, Griffin Flynn '98, Nate Singsen'98, Beck Bennett'00, Michael Rose, Matt Kavanagh'98, John Jay Mouligné '01 (Best Man), Michael McCarthy '98, Tristan and his bride, Kaitlyn Rose, Alexandra Hart Mouligné '00, Kate Rooney-Sams '98, Kathleen Mannix Grandin '98, Cristina Craig Wurster '98, Tara Tavares Winston '98, Ashley Jones Griswold' 97, Nat Spencer '98, and Janine Graebe '98.

Paul Christoph Klietmann, son of Lavinia and Maximilian Klietmann '07

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MILESTONES

NECROLOGY Jose A. Bacardi Father of Juan Pablo ’94, Graziella (Christoffel) ’96, Peter ’97 and Mariana Bacardi ’00 Brother-in-law of Toten D. Bacardi ’69 Father-in-law of Daniel Christoffel ’95 Grandfather of Annie ’13, Caroline ’15 and Nicolette Kirscht ’19 Great Uncle of Ramon Uria’19 June 4, 2016 Celeste M. Bonin Mother of faculty member Michael Bonin Grandmother of Drake ’11, Fletcher ’13 and Sydell ’18 Bonin May 19, 2016 Joel Bonner Father-in-law of Peter Romatowski ’68 January 13, 2016 Sofia Brown ’03 Sister of Suzanne Brown ’01 April 19, 2016

Iris Fisher Goodwin Mother of former member of the Board of Consultants (1998-2002) and Board of Regents (2002-2005) Iris Goodwin Mother-in-law of Kevin Kresock ’68 R Richard “Bart” Gorman ’46 January 18, 2016 Helen Harper Grandmother of Lauryn Harper ’18 February 13, 2016 Anthony J. Integlia ’47 June 30, 2015 Hyung Sung Kim Father of Ejoon (EJ) Kim ’18 June 2, 2016 John “Tim” Lanigan ’60 April 28, 2016 Russell Lanihan ’53 May 5, 2015

Trevor Cusack ’10 Brother of Alex Cusack ’07 June 25, 2016

Clinton K. MacSherry ’41 Brother of Charles O. ’52 and Bernard S. MacSherry ’44 R Brother-in-law of Edward Belt ’51 June 22, 2016

Kathy DeSisto Mother of Antonius DeSisto ’02 and Allasandra D. Micheletti ’05 Mother-in-law of Nicholas Micheletti ’04

Richard Madden ’47 Father of John Madden ’77 June 25, 2016

Joseph Dray Father of Dr. Gregory Dray ’65 August 24, 2015

Theresa Meehan Mother of James ’03 and Patrick Meehan ’07 April 20, 2016

Michael J. Egan ’44 January 7, 2016

Elizabeth A. Mercer Grandmother of Samantha Mercer ’04 June 6, 2015

Dorothy Filocoma Grandmother of Mary Beth Falvey ’18 March 11, 2016

Charles Drew Morten ’70 March 16, 2016

William J. Galbraith, Jr. ’55 January 22, 2016

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John Gallagher ’53 March 12, 2016

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Joan Mooney Wife of James Mooney ’48 July 8, 2016

MILESTONES

Nancy Mullen Mother of J. Christopher Mullen ’66 March 26, 2016

William G. Winterer Father of William Winterer ’87 February 19, 2016

Marjorie M. Nugent Mother-in-law of George Carter ’85 June 7, 2016

Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. March 6, 2016

Walter O’Hearn ’52 July 5, 2016 Margaret Casey Power Mother of John Power ’80 Grandmother of Paulina Power ’16 June 20, 2016 Charles W. Rudasill Father of faculty member Kent Rudasill ’86 March 3, 2016 Edward “Tad” Sanchez Husband of former faculty member Colleen Dolan-Sanchez June 2, 2016 Rose B. Scotti Mother of Rev. Dom Paschal Scotti, O.S.B. June 11, 2016 Bernard “Mike” Shanley ’42 April 5, 2016 CAPT Eric Shaw, USCG, Ph.D. Father of Erin Shaw ’13 March 29, 2016 Ann Elizabeth Hickey Sollas Mother of Thomas Sollas ’85 February 21, 2016 Virginia Stier Wife of James Stier ’46 Mother of Kenneth Stier ’74 June 19, 2016 Robert R. Thornton Father of Matthew ’86 and Nicholas ’90 Thornton March 11, 2016 Vincent “Deke” Welch ’46 January 7, 2015 Ma Yun Wei Grandfather of Stephen Ma ’16 January 30, 2016

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IN MEMORIAM

Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B.

“An amazing man. He will be missed immensely.”

“The heart that gives, gathers.”

– Ancient Chinese proverb

“He made the Abbey a better place.”

“A light that guided me throughout my life.”

“Little did I know how much he would contribute to my formative years and far beyond.”

“A warm and gentle soul whose love of music enriched the lives of every student at the Abbey.”

“He gave me, and many others, a lifelong gift.”

“He had a profound impact on my life.”

When Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton passed into eternal life March 6, 2016, following a brief illness at the age of 85, such tributes, reflections and expressions of gratitude poured in from all corners of the globe.

A cherished member of the Portsmouth community for more than 58 years, Dom Ambrose was a steady, statuesque and gentle presence among the community with a deep love for his students, a man who never sought the spotlight and yet received more mail on a regular basis from alumni than anyone else at the School or Monastery.

Born Robert Wolverton in Mason City, Iowa, on May 4, 1930, Dom Ambrose first left the Midwest to attend Phillips Exeter Academy in 1947. In 1949, he entered Harvard College, from which he earned his A.B., magna cum laude, in music. He attended the Juilliard Music School in NYC in the summer of 1950 and took piano lessons at the Chicago Conservatory of Music.

Fr. Ambrose as a young priest

“One of a kind.”

“A great teacher and a better person. He made a mark on my life.”

“One of the cornerstones of Portsmouth Abbey.”

“I can’t hear Leonard Cohen without thinking of him.”

“A true gentleman. The ideal monk.”

“Will forever hold a special place in my heart.”

“The man who influenced me the most.”

“A brilliant pianist and one of the finest persons I have ever encountered.”

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Having served in the ROTC at Harvard, he joined the U.S. Navy to become a communications officer on the aircraft carrier USS Leyte, with the rank of LTJG. After his service, he taught Latin and music at the Choate School from 1956-58.

Feeling drawn to the monastic life – he had converted to Catholicism in college – he entered Portsmouth Priory in 1958 as a novice and received the religious name Ambrose, being solemnly professed a monk on September 29, 1962. He was ordained a priest in 1965 and served for a period of years as the Prior of the monastery as well as its director of vocations.

He devotedly taught music, English and Latin and chaired the music department from 1961 until his retirement in 2012. He also served as housemaster of St. Bede’s from 1973-91.

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

IN MEMORIAM

Fr. Ambrose enjoyed nothing more than helping students

Gene Renz ’62 called him “my supportive friend, the presider at my wedding some 48 years ago, baptizer of all of my children, and the priest who flew to San Antonio, Texas, on three hours’ sleep to marry his namesake, my son... I miss him always.”

“I am one of the many lucky Portsmouth Abbey graduates who were heavily influenced by Father Ambrose,” said Kunwoo Kim ’08. “I wanted to perform like him – I wanted to take others’ breath away, just as he took mine. My many performances at the Abbey during my four years became the basis for my dream as an acoustic engineer; such a foundation could never have been constructed without Fr. Ambrose. Thanks to him, I am studying something that satisfies me the most.”

Dom Ambrose called his teaching years “a treasured experience,” and he was a perennial favorite among decades of students. “It is important to me that I help my students find their own voices,” he explained in The Beacon in 2012.

As a spiritual guide and advisor, Dom Ambrose was sought out by hundreds of those who, over the years, would come or write to him for counseling and healing. When asked about his philosophy of life, he would simply quote an ancient proverb: “The heart that gives, gathers.”

An exceptional classical pianist who began playing at the age of three, Dom Ambrose gave much-anticipated annual concerts for the School community and guests. He forsook what might have been a successful career as a concert pianist, quoting St. Benedict’s philosophy that “the arts are to be practiced for all humility.” He served as the Abbey’s choirmaster, organist and cantor, leading the Gregorian chant until the day before he died. As music director at the School, he guided the various singing groups, including one he allowed to call themselves “The Wolvertones,” and accompanied and/or directed the Pro Deo Ensemble, the Abbey Singers, and School musicals. He also gave piano lessons to numerous students.

Known to practice the piano for hours at a time in one of the music rooms located in the basement of the Administration Building, thinking no one could hear him, Dom Ambrose at one point had reflected on the tranquility playing music produced in him: “Music articulates one’s inner life.”

Over Reunion Weekend in 2015, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of his ordination, 15 of Dom Ambrose’s former glee club students returned to give a surprise reunion performance during Sunday brunch in honor of and dedicated to Dom Ambrose. From classes spanning 28 years, the group serenaded the benevolent man who eschewed attention but, on that poignant occasion, was clearly the beloved guest of honor.

Fr. Ambrose chats with a parent on campus in the 1980s

Dom Ambrose leaves a sister, Silvia Schmidt, of Madison, WI, to whom he was a beloved and devoted brother, as well as a saddened and grateful School and Monastic community.

He left an indelible mark on the Portsmouth Abbey campus, as a patient, humble and kind mentor who guided students, promoted their talents, helped them find their voices and saw the good in each of them. And he was greatly loved in return.

Contributions in memory of Dom Ambrose may be made to Portsmouth Abbey School with a notation of “Dom Ambrose Wolverton Chair in Performing Arts” in the memo line.

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On the eve of our beloved Father Ambrose's funeral, Shane O'Neil '65 wrote the following letter to Headmaster Dan McDonough:

Dear Dan: It seems almost like a few days since we made a valiant attempt to sing a few songs for Fr. Ambrose on that wonderful weekend. Without Jeff Kerr’s help, I’d probably still be stuck on the second bar. Thank goodness Los Bandaleros stepped in to cover for us.

The first thing I tend to think about when somebody I know dies is how many things I didn’t get to say to him.

Lori keeps telling me I talk too much, so I practice being reserved, hoping I’ll fool someone into misinterpreting my silence for deep thought. It’s easy to say that Ambrose taught me how to sing, although I’ve probably used that skill not as much for hymns as for rugby songs.

There was one story I didn’t get to tell Ambrose. He knew the first part because we talked about it a lot while I was at Portsmouth - the meaning of music. But there was a second part, so I hope you don’t mind, in his absence, if I tell you and a few others in our crew.

Sometime around 1962 I was at a weekend event in the chapel that wasn’t a regularly-scheduled Mass. Dom Ambrose was at the organ and had been playing through the service. There was a recessional at the end and he started playing a piece that was unlike anything I had ever heard before, anywhere. It was stunning, transformative; like suddenly discovering there were other dimensions beyond the known ones. I sat in the chapel for thirty minutes after the organ stopped and walked around in a daze afterwards. I had heard the organ played in many churches but nothing like this. Of course the piece was Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. It changed forever the way I thought about music.

A little over thirty years later, my wife and I were driving down to North Carolina with our kids to visit friends and we stopped at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. I had never been there, since Airedales (Air Navy) and Squids (Surface Navy) don’t interact much, even though we’re part of the same service branch. It was during the summer and the Academy was closed, except for visitors and the maintenance crews. We wandered into the chapel, which our map told us had one of the five largest organs in the state of Maryland.

A girl was practicing on the main organ. She played a few bars, stopped and started again, then repeated the process.

It took me a minute or two to realize that what she was practicing was the Toccata. She was young and petite; slight enough that she had to struggle to be able to reach the pedals and the keyboards at the same time. It almost looked like she was unsuccessfully attempting to mount a horse but she was clearly determined to get through as much of the piece as she could. I had never heard the Toccata disassembled and deconstructed this way.

Lori and the kids had gone on and I was the only person left in the chapel, which the organist noticed, then turned and smiled at me. She walked over and said that it was about time for a break. Tough stuff, after all. I asked why she was trying to learn this magnificent but difficult piece of music. She told me it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. When she was a kid, at one point she went to visit her grandparents in New England, who took her to Mass at a monastery in a small town. It had a wonderful chapel and the organ music was so overwhelmingly beautiful, she almost started crying. “I was a lot younger then, of course,” she told me. Her grandmother told her it was Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.

I asked her where this chapel was. She didn’t remember the name of the town but she did remember that it was about a fifteen-minute drive north of Newport.

The good that this man did lives after him.

See you tomorrow.

Shane

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

Eileen on a walk with Dom Hilary Martin

Eileen McGuire P '74 '78 Longtime, beloved member of the Portsmouth Abbey community Eileen (Farrell) McGuire P’74, ’78 died January 21, 2016, at home in Portsmouth. She was 95 and had been in failing health for several months.

“Eileen was a generous, caring colleague who served Portsmouth Abbey for nearly 40 years in a variety of roles,” said Headmaster Daniel McDonough. “For generations of students and faculty, she was a reassuring and helpful presence in the School. Her warm personality will be truly missed.”

Born in Providence, Eileen attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she met her husband, the late Donald T. McGuire, former Portsmouth Abbey Art Department head after whom the School’s McGuire Fine Arts Center is named.

She began her career at Portsmouth in the 1970s in the alumni office and went on to serve as assistant to headmaster Dom Leo Van Winkle, and, subsequently, six more headmasters, ending with Dr. James DeVecchi, after which she “retired” and became secretary to the Abbot—while in her early 90s.

“Eileen truly was an institution within the institution, both with the School and the Monastery,” said DeVecchi. “Institutional history, both cultural and factual, is so important to a community like Portsmouth’s, and over the years Eileen was one of the few who were at the heart of our institutional memory.

“One of the many sad things about her passing is the loss of what was in her heart and mind about the School and Monastery. She could always turn a phrase with a feel and style that were consistent with our Benedictine school and mission. Her strong connection to and deep love of this community were reflected in everything she said and did.

She leaves a void that will not be filled.”

Eileen’s well-known generous spirit and hospitality extended to every visitor to campus, as well as to alumni, parents, monks, guests and students. McGuire family gatherings throughout the years invariably included many members of the monastic community: “We were always made to feel completely at home,” said Dom Damian Kearney ’45.

Steve Cotta ’83, P ’12, ’15 spoke of that welcoming nature: “When I first came to the Abbey as a student in the fall of 1980, I recognized Eileen McGuire as one of the ladies

who had frequented my mother’s herb shop. Although I didn’t really know her at the time, she represented the only familiar thing in what was a strange new place for me. She quickly transformed from a friendly face into a true friend. I am grateful to have known her as a friend, and every member of my family can say the same.”

Elizabeth “Liz” Cotta, herself a longtime member of the School’s administration, added, “Eileen was always doing wonderful things for others. She had the gift of making people feel so special and loved.” Liz shared that Eileen had presented a watercolor to Steve and her upon their engagement of the exact scene at Sachuest Beach, in Middletown, where Steve had proposed to Liz. “Eileen cared about everyone,” said Nancy Brzys, Modern Language Department head and a friend and colleague of many years to Eileen. “It did not matter who you were; if you crossed her path, she welcomed you. If you were a new member of the School community, she took you under her wing. If you spent any time here, she followed up with you. Her concern about things both great and small reminded you of how lucky you were to know her.

“Eileen’s wealth of knowledge about the Monastery and the School was legendary,” added Brzys. “But she knew and remembered past parents and students, board members and faculty. Any alumnus could stop in, and she remembered something about them.”

Dom Damian, who, like many of the monks, developed a

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Eileen and her family at the dedication of the McGuire Fine Arts Center

close friendship with Eileen, spoke of her many artistic contributions to the School and Monastery: “Our campus offered both Eileen and Donald many opportunities to draw or paint landscapes and buildings, some of which can be seen in the Thomas More Library, the Monastery, and the Cortazzo Administration Building. Most recently, Eileen provided the monastic Christmas card in a watercolor version of the Grotto of our Lady. Her artistic background also benefitted the Monastery through the selection and choice of settings for art objects acquired over the years."

“Eileen and Donald, until his death in 1986, were a part of the fabric of Portsmouth,” said DeVecchi. Her unceasing devotion to him continued after his death, as she assisted in the planning of the McGuire Fine Arts Center. Dom Damian added, “The fine arts building is a lasting legacy of their visible impact on Portsmouth, a tribute to their combined love of the Monastery and School to which they had given a substantial portion of their lives.”

The School’s 2003 yearbook was dedicated to Eileen. It read,

reflected Liz Cotta, “but, really, she was mother to so many more. She had an infinite capacity to love others.”

Eileen is survived by her children, Joyce McGuire, Ann McGuire, Ellen Nannig, Margaret McCafferty, Donald, Jr. ’74 and James “Jas” ’78 McGuire; her sister, Nancy Griffin; 12 grandchildren, including Rose Normann ’04 and Willa ’05 and Philippa “Pippa” ’09 McCafferty; and two great-grandchildren. Her Funeral Mass was held in the Church of St. Gregory the Great, on campus; interment was in the Abbey Cemetery.

Memorial contributions In Eileen’s honor may be made to the Donald T. McGuire Memorial Scholarship Fund at Portsmouth Abbey School.

“Eileen McGuire’s contributions to Portsmouth Abbey are immeasurable. In her quiet and unassuming manner, she has affected everyone who has been associated with the Abbey since her first arrival on campus.”

Eileen’s greatest joy and source of abiding love was her family, who affectionately referred to her as “Muzz.” She joyfully watched as two of her children, and three grandchildren, received their Portsmouth Abbey diplomas over the years.

The Portsmouth Abbey School and Monastery mourns the passing of this selfless, devoted and gracious member of our community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire McGuire family and to Eileen’s many friends.

One of Eileen's last sketches of the campus she loved was of the new Grotto, 2016.

“She was the biological mother to six wonderful children,”

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

IN MEMORIAM

Sofia Anna Brown ’03 William G. Winterer P ’87 William George Winterer, Sr., father of Portsmouth alumnus and Board of Regents member William “Bill” Winterer, Jr. ’87, died February 16, 2016. He was 81.

Bill was known as a fierce defender of free enterprise and personal liberty, a raconteur and philanthropist, and a devout Roman Catholic. Born in St. Louis, MO, he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, after which he served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard on board the USCGC Sagebrush and USCGC Tall Ship Eagle. He also ran the mess hall at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Bill earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and became an investment banker, first with Goodbody & Company and later Florida Capital Corporation, of which he was CEO. In 1972, Bill purchased the venerable Griswold Inn and began a second successful career as a restauranteur and innkeeper. For 25 years he made the business flourish and grow; he was the ultimate host and entertainer.

Bill and his wife, Victoria, were active contributors to the communities in which they lived, in both Connecticut and Florida. Bill was also an avid yachtsman, having competed in numerous Bermuda races and cruised the waters off of New England and Florida.

In addition to Victoria and Bill, Jr., and his wife, Bill is survived by sons Andrew, Britton and Mark, and their respective spouses, two sisters, and five grandchildren.

The School and Monastic communities extend their condolences to Bill, Jr., and the entire Winterer family.

Sofia Anna Brown ’03 died April 19, 2016, after falling ill in March while working in Mexico.

Sofia was originally from Jackson, Wyoming. She took part in several drama productions at the Abbey, where she discovered a passion for acting that never waned. She graduated from Fordham University with a degree in economics and, after working in Manhattan for two years, attended the William Esper School of Drama and launched her acting career.

In 2011, Sofia adopted the professional surname of Regan for her stage career. She appeared in theatrical and film productions, including “Laid Off” (2010), “Casting Room” (2012) and “The Walking Tedd” (2013). She had recently formed a production company and was working on her first production contract in Cancun, Mexico, when she became ill.

“Sofia was an incredible friend to me,” said Alena Marajh ’03. “She was the quintessential best friend: loyal, forgiving and inspiring. Sofia’s gift to me was the time we spent together.”

“She had a zest and energy for life that was contagious,” said Maria, Sofia’s mother. “She was very devoted to her friends and family, who knew her to be generous and joyful.

She was a happy optimist and an enthusiastic supporter of projects. She will be greatly missed.”

In addition to Maria, Sofia is survived by her sister, Suzy ’01.

The Portsmouth Abbey community extends its heartfelt condolences to the Brown family and Sofia’s many friends.

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Michael Joseph Egan ‘44 Michael Joseph Egan, of the Class of 1944, died January 7, 2016, at his home in Atlanta, GA, at the age of 89.

Born in Savannah, GA, Mike’s personal life and his career in law and politics were evidence of his lifelong desire to serve others. A longtime distinguished and highly regarded attorney, lawmaker and public servant, Mike served many years in the Georgia legislature and was regarded by house members on both sides of the aisle as the “Conscience of the Senate.”

Mike was an Eagle Scout in his youth, and after his graduation from Portsmouth, which he later called “some of the best years of my life,” he matriculated at Yale University but was soon drafted into the Army. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduating from Officer’s Candidate School and served in the 86th Infantry Division until the end of World War II; he was later inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. Mike returned to Yale and graduated in 1950. He received his law degree with honors in 1955 from Harvard Law School after being recalled to the Army to serve in the Korean War as a first lieutenant in the Second Infantry Division. He returned to Atlanta to practice at the law firm of Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan and was a partner there until retiring in 2000. A member of many law associations, Mike also received various awards throughout his law career.

As Associate Attorney General in the Carter Administration, Mike was responsible for civil rights, tax, environmental issues and the selection of U.S. Attorneys and federal judges nationwide. He was remembered by former President Carter as “…a fine man, an admirable public servant, and a valued personal friend.” Before being appointed to that post in 1971, he had become a leading Georgia lawmaker, elected to the state House of Representatives as a Republican in 1965. He was re-elected seven times. In 1971 he was elected House Minority Leader, at a time when Democrats dominated the General Assembly. As a rare Republican, Mike’s first vote was to seat Julian Bond, a controversial Atlanta Democrat who had vociferously opposed the Vietnam War. That early and courageous vote was emblematic of a career that was marked by independent thinking and principled stances.

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Mike returned to the General Assembly in 1989 as a state senator.

A strong leader on behalf of legislation to protect the environment, he was also an early and consistent proponent of gun control legislation, another position upon which he never wavered. He was respected by, and forged alliances with, Republicans and Democrats alike.

Mike retired from the Senate in 2000, never having lost an election for public office.

Mike was actively and extensively involved in community and church activities. In his spare time, he enjoyed reading, savoring a good gin martini, and loyally following the Atlanta Braves.

His son, Mike Egan, III, remembers his father as someone who was always thinking of others, even when he was away from law and politics.

“He was an active public servant and all about faith and family," Mike said. “His favorite place in the world was on the front porch at the beach in the early evenings, surrounded by family.”

In addition to his namesake, Mike is survived by his wife, Donna; his children, Moira, Donna, Cole, Roby and John; and his 16 beloved grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, William, a member of the Portsmouth Class of 1949.

The Portsmouth Abbey community extends its sincere condolences to the Egan family.

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

James S. Mulholland, II, P ’79 James S. Mulholland, II, former Portsmouth Abbey Board of Consultants member, and father of Portsmouth Abbey alumnus and former Board of Regents member James S. Mulholland, III, ’79, died in June of 2015, in Vero Beach, FL, at the age of 91.

A pioneer in computer magazine publishing and a co-founder of Hayden Publishing Company, Jim grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology until he was drafted into the Navy during World War II. Following the war, he returned to MIT and graduated with a degree in general engineering. He began his career with Reinhold Publishing as an advertising salesman while attending NYU Graduate School of Business at night.

Jim co-founded Hayden Publishing Company in 1952 as the electronics industry began burgeoning. The company’s first publication was Electronic Design magazine; it was followed by many more. In the ensuing years, Hayden Publishing acquired other publishers, ultimately publishing more than 600 books under the Hayden, Rider and Ahrens imprints.

Jim was an early proponent of personal computers and founded the Hayden Software Company in 1978, which specialized in personal computing software programs for the first generation of PCs, including Radio Shack, Atari, IBM and Apple computers. He sold Hayden Publishing Co., Hayden Book Co. and Hayden Software Co. in 1986. He served on numerous boards and was a member of many professional, trade, civic and religious organizations and associations.

Jim’s Catholic faith was of paramount importance to him.

In 1986, he organized a World Day of Prayer on the 40th anniversary of the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, and he created a Catholic Information Center on the Internet.

He was a Knight Commander of St. Gregory, the highest honor granted to a layman by the Vatican, a Knight of the Equestrian

Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and a Knight of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

A longtime summer resident of Southampton, NY, where he was active in community affairs, including the Southampton Fresh Air Home, Jim was a longtime, avid swimmer, sailor, skier and tennis player. He was known to many for his business acumen, fairness, generosity and wonderful sense of humor.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Claire; son Jim and his wife, Susan, of Vero Beach; a daughter, Marie, of Colorado; and nine grandchildren.

The Portsmouth Abbey School and Monastic communities offer their sympathies to the Mulholland family and Jim’s many friends.

Jim with Pope John Paul II in 1995 in NYC (explaining the Internet!)

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d! e v o M e v We’

CLASS NOTES

The Portsmouth Abbey School Office of Development & Alumni Affairs is now housed, along with the Office of Communications and the Portsmouth Institute, at 252 Cory’s Lane, directly across the street from the main entrance to the School.

Please be sure to stop by when you are in the area to see our beautiful new home!

John Tepper Marlin ’58’s article on heraldry was featured in Oxford Today magazine.

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The late John McDonald ’53’s wife, Kathryn, with their grandson, Miles.

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William Denney and his wife, Sheila, were blessed with a great-granddaughter, Adilyn Claire Denney, and will soon welcome two additional great-grandchildren over the summer and fall!

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Miles, grandson of Kathryn and the late John McDonaldR, received his First Holy Communion in May 2016. Miles wore John’s cross moline in honor of his late grandfather.

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John Tepper Marlin has followed in Dom Wilfred Bayne’s footsteps as a heraldry enthusiast. John authored an article about the coat of arms of the Oxford Colleges, which was featured in Oxford Today magazine. Find John’s article at www. oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk.

Peter Maclellan and his wife, Ann, are doing well and enjoying their 13 great-grandchildren.

William Pimentel is happy to report that he is spending his time training dogs and playing pool. Bill is now looking to fill the rest of his life with thinking and feeling.

He recalls the Abbey as a very special

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

CLASS NOTES

Paul Schofield ’66 and Jon Gilloon ’66 in Chicago place where Dom Andrew and Dom Peter adopted him – “a challenge and a joy,” Bill recounts....On May 4, Jim Robinson, Pete Smith and Geza Serenyi ’62 attended a wake for classmate Tim LaniganR. Tim was remembered for his deep laugh and dry wit along with his care for others.

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55TH REUNION v SEPT 30

Lawrence Cavanagh retired five years ago from Value Line, where he ran the online options service. He misses work (sometimes) but also loves traveling. He and his wife, Eleanor, spend a good part of each winter in Ecuador; in addition, they have managed to visit France, Greece, Estonia, Finland, Spain, Austria, Turkey and Portugal in recent years. Lawrence enjoyed seeing Schuyler MacGuire, Spencer Jones and Sam Kilbourne at their 50th Reunion, and has read with great interest emails from Bill Ewing and Peter Thieriot. Lawrence would love to hear from other classmates as well.

62 I Peter Leonard is now farming in Blue Hill, ME. He welcomes visits from friends to his farm at 53 Falls Bridge Road when in the vicinity.... John Griffin is celebrating his 50th college reunion and also his retirement.

63 I A recent launch of Red Cummings’ new book, Lobstah Tales, was cause for celebration as Red and a number of his longtime Abbey friends gathered at the Back Eddy in Westport, MA.

64 I Alex Walsh won the National Senior’s Court Tennis Singles & Doubles Championships in March 2016.

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50TH REUNION v SEPT 30

Paul Schofield and Jon Gilloon met in Chicago, IL, in May, where they found time to catch up on family and Abbey news...Claude Rives, Chip Burke, and Jon Gilloon attended the first Portsmouth Abbey Shreveport Alumni Dinner in Shreveport, LA. All three are looking forward to their upcoming 50th reunion in September....

Juan Kellogg and his wife, Joyce, were married in 2012 and are enjoying life.

Red Cummings ’63 and Abbey friends gathered at the Back Eddy in Westport, MA, to celebrate the launch of Red’s new book.

Claude Rives, Chip Burke, and Jon Gilloon, from the Class of 1966, in front of Jon’s restored VW Microbus

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CLASS NOTES

Antoine Maloney ’64 shared a write-up from the U.S. Court Tennis Association about classmate Alex Walsh ’64, who captured the USCTA 70s National Championship in April: “The 2016 ‘Over-70 Nationals’ was held in Chicago in April. The doubles match was Delray Beach/Chicago vs. Newport. Although the final score was 6/0, 6/0 Newport, it doesn’t indicate how competitive the Chicago pair was, playing well in spurts, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the fine team from Newport.

“Alex Walsh and his partner, Jonathan Pardee, showed why they are one of the best teams in the land. Both used a variety of serves and a balanced attack to keep their opponents on the defense the entire match, and in the end, age prevailed. The singles final was played the next day…and Alex defeated Jonathan in the singles competition.”

From Alex: “Jonathan and I have competed against and with each other in tennis for 54 years. I have played only court tennis for the last 28 years, having been introduced to this fascinating and very difficult game at Newport’s Tennis Hall of Fame.

“There are only 12 courts in the USA, (one is in the works), about 30 courts left in England, and three in France. There are also five in Australia.

“Jonathan and I have traveled to all of these countries, competing in team and international competitions. I will say that we have had a lot of success over the years. The victories this year were very satisfying—first time I became a national champion in an age group. It helps if you outlive much of your competition!

“While at my home court, the National Tennis Club, in Newport, I used to regularly win one or two club championships; now they only give me an annual award for wearing the most rubber support bandages (up to six). Terrible game on your body. Jon and I won the National 60s Doubles a few years ago and on court were seven artificial hips (me not having had one yet). The best of all the sports I have played.”

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Paul Florian is delighted to have recently received his Italian citizenship. Paul’s firm, Florian Architects, is continuing to work on landmark buildings and contemporary houses as well as projects for the Art Institute of Chicago.... John ‘Mac’ Regan recently completed his online book, Global Citizen Patriots. The project is the culmination of more than three years of research, an undertaking driven by Mac’s frustration with the dysfunction of America’s system of constitutional values, democracy and capitalism. Mac's book can be found at http:// globalcitizenpatriots.com/.

70 I Nion McEvoy was honored at the 2016 spring benefit dinner of the Grabhorn Institute at Arion Press, where he was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the cultural life of the Bay Area and beyond.

To learn more, visit www.arionpress.com/ grabhornbenefit/honorees.html.

Chris Cooke ’76 and his sister, Sr. Suzanne Cooke, R.S.C.J., a new member of the Portsmouth Abbey School Board of Regents, are pictured alongside the harpsichord that he created just before his graduation in May 1976.

74 I Michael Dasovich and his wife, Marie, welcomed their fifth grandchild, Maura Grace, born on February 15, 2016.

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40TH REUNION v SEPT 30 Christopher Cooke still enjoys the harpsichord that he created, with the help of Dom Ambrose and several classmates, just before his graduation in May 1976. Chris recounts, “I have reversed the colors on the case of the harpsichord so that the exterior is now black and the interior is red; but you will see, if you look closely, the name board, which was carved by Father Bede in May of 1976 – just in time for graduation.

One thing you may not know is that before we sealed the soundboard to the body of the harpsichord, I asked all the people who helped me on the project to sign the inside of its case, so it is also a time capsule; when opened in the future, the restorer will find

Joe Flatley ’79 piloted Jaime Ortiz ’79’s flight to Barranquilla, Colombia

CLASS NOTES

notes from Father Ambrose, Chris Tovar, Chris Ferrone and many others.” The harpsichord now lives in Chris’s home in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire.

79 I

On an American Airlines flight to Barranquilla, Colombia, Jaime Ortiz was surprised to find that his pilot was no other than classmate Joe Flatley. Jaime enjoyed catching up with Joe, and he is happy to report that Joe nailed the landing!

80 I Tim Green is a lawyer representing aviation disaster victims at Kreindler & Kreindler LLP.

83 I David Fisher is working as chair of the History Department at St. Mark’s School of Texas, in Dallas.

86 I

30TH REUNION v SEPT 30

Fox News.com published a piece co-written

by Bill Brazell and Newt Gingrich, titled “Why Doubling the NIH Budget Would Benefit All of Us.”

88 I Joseph Cassar and his wife, Kathleen, are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in June. They have seven children. Five years ago, Joe opened his own real estate firm and is now a broker focusing on residential properties.

93 I

Sean Coulter’s growing family is thriving, with son Liam (14), daughter Lilly (10), son Aidan (7) and new addition, Alec (8 months). Sean has recently completed his fifth tour of the Middle East; his family is now headed to St. Bonaventure University in western New York state, where he will head the Army ROTC department and work as a professor of military science.

Sean is looking forward to mentoring a new generation of Army officers and taking advantage of the next several years at home with his family. In addition, he’s looking forward to living almost next door to Kurt Rudolph (an hour-and-a-half away, but closer than being in Hawaii or Europe).

Ricardo Borromeo ’92 and his sons visited the Abbey where they caught up with Ricardo’s swimming coach, Robert Sahms

95 I In anticipation of the musical, “Queen of Mean: The Rise and Fall of Leona Helmsley,” New Yorker magazine featured a review of the musical’s first public reading.

The music was written by Ron Passaro, an award-winning composer based in New York City, along with collaborators David Lee and Alex Lippard.... James Zilian and his wife, Zoe, were featured in the May 2016 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine in an article highlighting their company, Farmhouse Pottery. The couple’s interest in heirloom pieces has culminated in the creation of beautiful handmade

James Zilian ’95 and his wife, Zoe, were featured in the May 2016 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine

92 I

Ricardo Borromeo is thrilled to report that his son, Rafael, will be attending Portsmouth Abbey in the fall as a member of the Class of 2020. Rafael plans to swim for the Abbey and will be coached by Robert Sahms, who was also Ricardo’s coach.

Robert notes that these will be the first father-son swimmers he has coached.

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61

CLASS NOTES

pottery and home accessories to enjoy and pass on from one generation to the next.

James and Zoe’s philosophy states, “We believe the farmers, craftsmen, and makers are the core of our communities, and that farm-to-table isn’t a foodie trend, but rather the rediscovery of a more sustainable lifestyle and value system. Through our craft and in our daily lives, we’re reconnecting others to this lifestyle and defining its place in the modern day.”

Brendan Hewett ’03 assumes command of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines

96 I

20TH REUNION v SEPT 30

Angus Davis was numbered 44 on a list of “The Greatest Living Rhode Islanders”

by GoLocalProv online news in May 2016.

Angus is recognized for his entrepreneurial drive, which has helped him raise upwards of 50 million dollars for his company, Upserve, formerly known as Swipely. “Davis is a leading American business thinker -- all before the age of 40.”... Jaymes Dec joined the faculty at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. He is teaching the Digital Fundamentals course in a new teacher certification in creative technologies. In addition, his new book, Make: Kid Crafts: Easy Electronics Project for Young Makers, introduces younger children to the magic of electronics through sewing Kaitlyn Soares ’07 is now social media and digital marketing manager at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

Colin O’Higgins ’97’s son, Colin Matias, dressed in Abbey gear!

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

and craft projects. In May he presented his work at the FabLearn Australia conference and served as Tinkerer-in-Residence at the Lauriston Girls’ School in Melbourne. Jaymes is looking forward to catching up with classmates at their reunion in the fall!

03 I Captain Brendan Hewett, USMC, assumed command of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines on February 4, 2016, in Camp Pendleton, CA...Evan Piekara is living in Washington, DC, and working as a management consultant. He recently attended the Portsmouth Abbey DC Alumni Reception and enjoyed catching up with fellow alumni in the DC area.

Please look him up if you happen to be in the city.

07 I Maggie Moran began working as an art consultant at Soho Contemporary Art in New York City. Previously, she had been living in York, PA, where she was gallery director at a local non-profit arts organization. In addition, Maggie runs her own small business, Maggie Moran Fine Art, through which she creates and sells her own work and where she works as an independently contracted curator…For the past year, Matthew Kennedy has been involved in a startup company that has launched its own application, called Matador Trading. As the only app of its kind, Matador is a non-commission social trading platform, similar to Venmo in that it lends a social media aspect to buying and selling stocks and fits within the comfort zone of millennials. With Matador, there is no brokerage fee, and purchases are posted on followers’ news feeds. Check out their website at http://matadorapp. com.... Kaitlyn Soares is still living happily in Brooklyn; she has moved on from her digital strategy position at Carnegie Hall to a new role as social media and digital marketing manager at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Her passions for aviation and space science are thriving there!

CLASS NOTES

08 I Mary Kathryn "Katie" Collins graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in June with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. Katie plans to pursue post-graduate training in obstetrics and gynecology at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.

09 I Sun Choi works for American Airlines as a revenue management analyst; his job entails pricing tickets for domestic markets based on the demand and competing carriers. This past year Sun has visited six different countries in Europe and South America and still has plenty more on his bucket list. He reports that his life consists primarily of working on weekdays and traveling on weekends.

10 I Lauren Brodeur Steinbach graduated in May from Butler University with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree and an MBA, after six years of study. She was married in June and is currently preparing for the national board exams.

11 I 5TH REUNION

SEPT 30 Nicole Beede graduated from Northeastern University in May. She now works as a victim advocate for the Office of the Attorney General in Rhode Island and is thrilled to be back in the Ocean State!...

Huijia “Rebecca” Shi just graduated with her master’s degree in accounting this past May from the University of Illinois, and she will work at Ernst & Young, a public accounting firm, in the firm’s San Francisco office doing Global Trade Service. Currently, Rebecca is preparing for her Certified Public Accountant exams.... v

Edward Kielb graduated from the University of Notre Dame in the spring of 2015 and is now in the Applied Physics Ph.D. program at Northwestern University.

12 I

Joanna Grabert and Stephanie Waterman both graduated cum laude from the College of Charleston in May. Joanna has been traveling the country as a training and support specialist for Hawkes Learning since June.

Stephanie will be moving to Paris, France, in the fall to earn her master’s degree in French through Middlebury College... In May, Taryn Murphy graduated from Drew University with a degree in sociology. She has accepted a full-time position as marketing coordinator with the New England Patriots and is based at the Hall (Patriots Hall of Fame)… Daniel Vela is working at the Boston Brewery Company; he welcomes a visit from anyone who is in town! ... As a senior on the Beloit College Men’s Lacrosse Team this past spring, Liam O’Connor helped the team clinch the No. 4 seed in the MLC Tournament with a 17-8 win over Cornell College. Liam was also named the Midwest Lacrosse Conference Player of the Week.... Toni Ramos, a senior at George Washington University, joined Katherine Rodrock, a senior at the United States Naval Academy, for a visit in Annapolis, MD, to catch up on old times and to celebrate Katherine’s recent engagement to another cadet from the academy!

13 I

Francesca Kielb is planning to study abroad this winter in Florence, Italy, as part of her art major at the University of Michigan....

Robert Sucsy is a junior at Tufts University, majoring in biochemistry. He enjoyed playing for Tufts' Rugby Club last fall.

Toni Ramos '12 (right), a senior at George Washington University visited Katherine Rodrock '12, a senior at the United States Naval Academy,

Joanna Grabert ’12 and Stephanie Waterman ’12 both graduated cum laude from the College of Charleston in May.

15 I

Ellie Kielb is majoring in Nursing at Purdue University and just pledged Sigma Kappa.

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THANK YOU! The Portsmouth Abbey School 15th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament was a SUCCESS!

On Monday, June 13th, Portsmouth Abbey School welcomed over 50 alumni, parents, parents of alumni and friends of the School to the 15th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament at Carnegie Abbey Club. Thanks to their generosity, the event raised over $35,000 toward scholarships that help provide a Catholic Benedictine education to students for whom this opportunity would otherwise be out of reach.

Please mark your calendar for next year’s tournament, Friday, June 9, 2017.

Save the Date!!!

Ravens on the Road…

Boston Reception Thursday, September 22, 2016 Top of the Hub at the Prudential Building

Chicago Reception Thursday, October 13, 2016 The Union League Club

Abbot’s Reception Tuesday, December 6, 2016 The New York Yacht Club

To register, please visit www.portsmouthabbey.org and click the alumni tab

or for more information contact Patty Gibbons at 401.643.1281 64

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 1,500-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 Matthew Stark, O.S.B. Chancellor, Abbot Emeritus and Prior Portsmouth, RI Mr. W. Christopher Behnke ’81 P ’12 ’15 ’19 Chairman Chicago, IL Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mr. Creighton O. Condon ’74 P ’07 ’10 Jamestown, RI Sr. Suzanne Cooke, R.S.C.J. Washington, D.C. Dom Francis Crowley, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mrs. Kathleen Cunningham P ’08,’09 ’11 ’14 Dedham, MA Mr. Peter Ferry ’75, P ’16, ‘17 Republic of Singapore Mrs. Frances Fisher P ’15 San Francisco, CA Dr. Timothy P. Flanigan ’75 P ’06 ’09 ’11 ’19 Tiverton, RI Mr. Peter S. Forker ’69 Chicago, IL

Mr. Patrick Gallagher ’81 P ’15 Providence, RI Mrs. Margaret S. Healey P ’91 New Vernon, NJ Mr. Denis Hector ’70 Miami, FL Dr. Gregory Hornig ’68 P’ 01 Prairie Village, KS Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ’45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Peter Kennedy ’64 P ’07 ’08 ’15 Big Horn, WY Mr. William Keogh ’78 P ’13 Litchfield, CT Dr. Mary Beth Klee P ’04 Hanover, NH Ms. Devin McShane P ’09 ’11 Providence, RI Rev. Dom Gregory Mohrman, O.S.B. St. Louis, MO Mr. Philip V. Moyles, Jr. ’82 Annual Fund Chair Rye, NY

Mr. and Mrs. Emmett O’Connell P ’16 ’17 Co-Chairs, Parents’ Association Stowe, VT Mr. Shane O’Neil ‘65 Bedford, MA Mr. John Perreira P ’05 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Peter J. Romatowski ’68 McLean, VA Mr. Rowan G.P. Taylor P ’13 ’17 ’18 New Canaan, CT Mr. William Winterer ’87 Boston, MA

Emeritus Flanigan R

Mr. Peter Purchase, NY

’41 P ’75 ’83 GP ’06 ’09 ’11

Thanks for keeping the faith!

Portsmouth Abbey School thanks the hundreds of generous alumni, parents, grandparents, parents of alumni, faculty, staff and friends who came together to philanthropically support the School through the 2015-16 Annual Fund and set a new record this year of $1.63 million.

Your gifts helped young men and women grow in knowledge and grace by supporting them in the classroom, on the playing fields and stage, and in our eight residential houses.

Each year, your support of the Annual Fund strengthens the School and demonstrates that a group of committed people can make a difference.

On behalf of every student, teacher and monk, thank you!

Mr. Thomas Healey ’60 P ’91 New Vernon, NJ Mr. William Howenstein R ’52 P ’87 GP ’10 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI Barnet Phillips, IV ’66

P O RT S M O U T H A BB E Y S C H O O l A N N UA L F U N D

Greenwich, CT

R

deceased

Front cover: Andrea Petronello Marone ’02 (left) and Cara Gontarz Hume ’99 have forged a lasting relationship, both in their demanding and successful careers at GE and in their busy family lives, since they were students at Portsmouth Abbey School. Read the story of an extraordinary mentorship on page 26.

Photo by Ashley Brown

Special thanks to all of our volunteers, including class agents, reunion committee members, members of the Alumni Leadership Council and Parents’ Association volunteers, whose dedication to the School made this achievement possible.

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

P ORT S M O U T H

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID

Address Service Requested

SAVE THE DATE! SEPT. 30 - OCT. 2, 2016 2016 Classes ending in 1 and 6 and members of the Diman Club (alumni from all classes prior to 1966) This is your reunion year!

Please join us for a fantastic weekend of fun and nostalgia with your classmates, friends and family.

SUMMER ALUMNI BULLETIN 2016

PORTSMOUTH ABBEY

PORTSMOUTH ABBE Y SCHOOL

19461951195619611966197119761981198619911996200120062011

A BB E Y S C HO OL

Please login to www.portsmouthabbey.org/reunion for helpful information and registration.

Questions? Contact Patty Gibbons at 401-643-1281 or pgibbons@portsmouthabbey.org.

SUMMER ALUMNI BULLETIN 2016