In Memoriam

Wendell G. Sykes ’46 died on September 5, 2022, at the age of 95. In 1945, Roxbury Latin’s 300th anniversary, Wendell starred in the school play The Clouds. After Roxbury Latin, Wendell went on to graduate from MIT and was published on numerous occasions throughout his career as an engineer. He served in the Navy and Army and is survived by his wife, Betsy.

John Connors ’57 died at the age of 90 on November 14, 2022. Son of James and Dorothy Connors, John was born in Newton and attended Mount Alvernia Academy before gaining admission to Roxbury Latin. He went on to attend Holy Cross College (NROTC) and Boston College Law School.

John was described by Headmaster Weed as an “exceptionally fine boy from all points of view.” As the student council president, John once petitioned Headmaster Weed that the members of the senior class not be required to take final exams, pointing out that “in some such schools as Belmont Hill and others the seniors are not required to take these tests.” John wrote to the Headmaster, “You may say that we of this school are supposed to give a little more. To my way of thinking we have given a little more and have been giving this ‘little more’ for six years. If we cannot be entirely excused from the tests, at least the boys with honor grades should be exempt from taking finals in those subjects.” (Though there is no record confirming or rebutting the success of John’s petition, we can only assume that his request was denied by Headmaster Weed.)

A true RL generalist at heart, John served in the U.S. Navy and then as co-owner, along with his brothers, of Federal National Linen and Bell Linen Supply. He served as clerk magistrate of the Brookline District Court and was a 61-year member of Charles River Country Club, where he served as president in addition to serving on numerous committees. John was also involved as president of the Linen Supply Association of America and of the Brookline Rotary Club; head of the Association of Magistrates and Assistant Clerks; board member of the Brookline Municipal Credit Union; member of the Black Rum Society; and rider in the Society in Dedham for the Apprehension of Horse Thieves. He volunteered as a driver for Angel Medflight medical transport and at funerals at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church.

Regardless of the size of the group, John regaled all those around him. His storytelling and humor were the signatures of his kindness, generosity of spirit, and goodwill. He was an avid sportsman, dabbling in a wide variety of athletic pursuits and playing multiple sports, but none he loved as well as his golf game. Golfing took him all over the country and to several international courses. His love of travel and culture brought him to many far-away lands where he entertained the locals with his wit and charm, and then gathered new material to weave into the recounting of his adventures, as he held court when he returned home.

John was the devoted husband of Ursula for 66 years; a loving father to John Jr. ’76, Kathleen, Kevin, Carol, Christa, William, Daniel, and Richard; and “Grampa JC” to many nieces and nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

Steve Astor ’59 died on October 27, 2022, at the age of 81. Steve was born in 1941 in Boston to Sadie and Rudolph Astor. He grew up in West Roxbury and attended the Patrick Lyndon school before gaining admission to Roxbury Latin. At Roxbury Latin, Steve was an impressive student admired by his peers. In the Yearbook, Steve’s classmates recount being unable to find something that he could not do well, and joking that his parents considered bringing a trailer to graduation to collect all of the prizes that Steve accumulated during his time at RL—including five John Eliot Scholarship awards. Among all of his accolades, Steve’s modesty was celebrated most. In Steve’s college recommendation letter, Headmaster Weed described him as “an excellent boy from all points of view who contributed to all areas of school life, bringing ability, enthusiasm, and leadership (all cloaked in simple modesty) to varied activities.”

Steve went on to attend Harvard where he competed on the wrestling team and graduated in 1962. However, he would never forget Roxbury Latin, being an active alumnus and supporting the Annual Fund for more than 40 years. After Harvard, Steve continued his education at Albert Einstein Medical School and graduated in 1966. He served as a pediatrician in the Air Force in North Carolina for two years, earning the rank of Captain.

Steve met his wife Merry as teenagers at Jewish summer camp, and they married in 1963. Steve and Merry moved to California in 1971, where Steve completed his residency at UCSF. He opened up his own allergy office in Mountain View, where he practiced for more than 30 years. Steve lived a rich and beautiful life pursuing his passions for writing, gardening, running, biking, waterskiing, kayaking, tennis, and photography. Traveling and exploring the world with Merry—including to Israel, Vietnam, Ecuador, and Europe— brought him immense joy.

Steve called himself a “hobby enthusiast”—he was constantly on the go, learning, creating, and doing. An inquisitive learner who loved sharing what he discovered, he self-published a few novels and a dozen or so books on allergy, Jewish studies, humor, and Israel. He enthusiastically learned to build benches, desks, and cabinets; create waterfalls; fix leaky roofs; and tend to many other home repairs and improvements. He had a unique and dry sense of humor which his family appreciated…mostly. His ability to ask deep, insightful questions thanks to a genuine desire to learn about people was one of the many qualities admired in him.

Philanthropy played an important role in Steve’s life. He gave mainly to Jewish organizations, either anonymously or in his son Jeff's memory. His love and caring for the state and people of Israel was a lifelong defining characteristic. Above all else, however, Steve loved and was devoted to his family. He was a true inspiration to everyone who knew him, and will be deeply missed by all who love him. Steve was predeceased by his son, Jeffrey Scott Astor. He is loved and remembered by his devoted wife of 59 years, Merry, his daughter, Beth Astor Freeman, and his four grandchildren, Jenna, Gabriel, Maya, and Ava.

Christopher T. Walsh ’61 died on January 10, 2023, at the age of 79. Chris grew up in West Roxbury and attended the Charles Sumner School before gaining admission to Roxbury Latin. During his time at RL, Chris was an impressive student. In the Yearbook, Chris’s classmates recount the most impressive facet of his academic career being that he seemed never to take home a book, and yet completed an entire year’s homework by midterms. Chris played on the football and basketball teams, and was a contributor to the Jr. Red Cross. Throughout his life, Chris would never forget Roxbury Latin, participating fully in the community as an alumnus, donating to the school for over 40 years, and faithfully serving as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1997.

After Roxbury Latin, Chris earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard and his PhD from The Rockefeller University. He completed postdoctoral research at Brandeis before beginning his independent research. At MIT, as a jointly appointed faculty member in the departments of Chemistry and Biology, he focused his research on enzymes and enzyme inhibitors, with specialization in antibiotics and the biosynthesis of other biologically and medicinally active natural products.

At the time of his death, Chris was the Hamilton Kuhn Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Emeritus, at Harvard Medical School. He began his career in 1972 and would go on to spend 15 years at MIT, and he served as Head of the Department of Chemistry from 1982 to 1987.

“Chris was a titan of Chemical Biology, who made groundbreaking contributions to antibiotic resistance, enzyme reaction mechanisms, and the biosynthesis of natural products,” said Chemistry Department Head Troy Van Voorhis. “He was a leader at MIT during his years on the faculty here, and a treasured member of the chemistry community in the greater Boston area. He will be sorely missed.”

Chris’s leadership, expertise, and unparalleled contributions to his field would land him memberships in the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, and the American Philosophical Society. Over his career he earned a number of prestigious awards and honors, including the Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, and the Welch Award, which he shared with longtime friend and collaborator, Novartis Professor Emerita JoAnne Stubbe.

Chris’s impact on the field of Chemical Biology is surpassed only by his invaluable devotion to his students and mentees, including Associate Department Head and Professor of Immunology, Elizabeth M. Nolan, who says, “Chris was an extraordinary scientist, educator, mentor, and person. His intellect, wisdom, and ability to see the big picture were remarkable, and he was a source of invaluable guidance. His multitude of contributions to chemistry, biology and beyond are simply uncountable. He will be terribly missed.”

Chris is survived by his wife of 57 years, Diana Chapman Walsh, Life Member Emerita of the MIT Corporation and President Emerita of Wellesley College; his daughter, Allison Kurian, Professor of Oncology at Stanford Medical School; and his beloved grandson, Sean.

David Murphy ’70 died on Cape Cod on November 11, 2022, at the age of 70 after a three-year battle with lung and brain cancer. His obituary below was submitted by his older brother, Larry Murphy ’65:

Dave’s time at Roxbury Latin was during the Mayo-Smith years. Dave loved sports at RL, especially playing lacrosse for his teacher/coach Warden Dilworth, who supported his application to Boston University. Dave majored in Classics, largely because of the influence of his wonderful Latin teacher, John Davey, who helped him appreciate the subtleties of the great classical writers. Years later, armed with his degree in the Classics, Dave naturally became… a carpenter.

There was one other RL master whom most of us feared but David adored: Gerhard Rehder. One of my fondest memories of David and Gerhard in his later years was listening to them “conversing” in high German. Of course, Dave didn’t speak German, but he had a knack for creating neologisms that sounded German. It was all nonsense, but Gus would laugh uproariously at David’s linguistic antics.

It would be an understatement to say that Dave had a tendency to exaggerate things. In fact, he exaggerated everything in life, usually in quirky, funny ways, ways that made us all laugh—ways that were so ridiculous that Dave would even crack himself up in mid-fable. We would all laugh so hard until we cried, as he regaled us with preposterous stories and imagined adventures. Especially the kids. They would howl with delight at his funny stories and hilarious neologisms. Dave loved kids, and he loved to make them laugh. Because he was always a kid at heart.

The following words are excerpted from the touching eulogy delivered by his son, David Jr., at the memorial service on Cape Cod:

“My father was overflowing with life. Contemporary psychologists (whom he considered next to useless) may have characterized him as somewhat ‘maladjusted’ to the modern world and attempted to whittle him down to size. Thankfully for us, he sought and often found much of the spiritual medicine he needed from bees, homeopathic quacks, and long bike rides.

“Fittingly, he worked a physical job as a carpenter, where his friends nicknamed him ‘Herc’ (short for Hercules) in honor of his superhuman ability to sling great quantities of lumber across his back day in and day out. These Herculean labors were matched by a legendary appetite:

‘Never too early to start thinking about lunch’ as he would say.

“Another great passion of his was music, and his tastes ranged from Gregorian chant to contemporary folk. He was a decent guitarist, an acceptable pianist, and could actually produce a pretty good sound from the didgeridoo.

“His biggest lesson that he repeated often to his children over the years was on the importance of being kind. For example, to drown out the cacophony of whining and fighting on long family road trips, he would repeat ‘Remember kids: participate, cooperate, share, and care.’ He would discourage materialism and excessive wants by saying (with a dismissive, aristocratic air): ‘I’m sorry you have needs.’”

We miss Dave for his endless optimism, his gusto for life, and his simple work ethic. A random voice message Dave left to my son, who was in medical school, is a fitting remembrance of his fondness for classical wisdom:

“Ah, hey Lar, this is your uncle David. Hope you’re well. Just wanted to remind you… Ah, Heraclitus, fifth century B.C.: ‘The way up and the way down are…the same way.’ That’s good.”

Dave is survived by his wife, Barbara, and three children, David Jr., Lizzie, and Tom. Dave also leaves his sisters, Susan and Jane. //