In Memoriam Alumni
Camilla Vivien Wanlass Perkins ’37, a resident of Long Beach, Calif., died on January 21, 2015, after a brief illness. A graduate of Cornell University where she was a champion athlete, Vivien joined the Navy WAVES in 1942 and was among the first group of WAVES to be trained at Harvard University. She is survived by her husband, Robert, two children, and two grandchildren. Anne Dennison de Jong ’38 died on September 13, 2015. Following her graduation from Bennington College and SUNY Brockport, Anne joined the US Navy and became an aviation machinist. Upon honorable discharge, she returned to New York and received her MA in Education from Colombia University. Anne is survived by her four children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Silas Keehn ’43 died on February 14, 2016, at his home in Evanston, Ill. Raised in Westchester County, Silas graduated from Deerfield Academy and Hamilton College and earned his MBA at Harvard Business School. After a career that included serving as vice chairman of Mellon Bank, Silas was named the seventh president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, where he served until his retirement in 1994. Following his retirement, Silas devoted his time to his family, sailing, and his many community activities. He is survived by his wife, Marcia, three children, eight grandchildren, and his sisters, Nora Keehn ’43 and Gretchen Keehn Thomas ’44. RCDS Alumni Hall of Fame member Allan Scott Woods ’47 died on April 24, 2015. A graduate of Lafayette College, Allan was a life-long supporter of amateur sports, specifically men’s field hockey. For the better part of six decades, he was involved with field hockey as a player and administrator, travelling to more than 30 countries across 6 continents, attending in a variety of official capacities. In addition to being a former national team player, Allan served as president of the Field Hockey Association of America, was a director of the Pan-American Hockey Federation, a council member and chairman of the Equipment Committee for the International Hockey Federation, and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. He was a past president of the New York Amateur Sports Alliance and a development organizer for the Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation. Allan is survived by his wife of 49 years, Pamela, his daughter Amanda, his grandsons, Will and Hugo, and his sister Ruth Woods Frothingham ’44. Stuart Todd Kagel ’62 of Brooklyn Heights, NY, died unexpectedly August 18, 2015, at his summer home on Skaneateles Lake. Stuart’s survivors include his partner of 27 years, Celeste Gudas, four children, and three grandchildren.
Former Faculty/Staff & Friends
John P. Cooney, Jr. passed away on November 2, 2015, surrounded by his family. A former Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, Jack spent his entire career in the field of white-collar crime, and devoted his free time to his family and outdoor sports. He is survived by his wife, Jane, his six children, including John P. Cooney III ’87, Brian Cooney ’91, Anne Cooney ’01, Luke Cooney ’12, Nathaniel Cooney ’14, and Emma Cooney, and two grandchildren. Maxwell Felton, MD, passed away on August 5, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Rhetta, four children, including RCDS current parent Gregg Felton and his wife, Marla, and eight grandchildren, including Andrew Felton ’21, and Nathalie Felton ’18. Irving Harper, father of Elizabeth Harper Williams ’71, died at his home in Rye on August 4, 2015. A revered Pop Art furniture designer, Mr. Harper is perhaps best known for creating the iconic “marshmallow sofa,” and for his work on the Chrysler Pavilion for the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens. In his later years, Mr. Harper became known for his remarkable paper sculptures that were the focus of an exhibition in 2014 at The Rye Arts Center. Gary Hirschberg died on January 4, 2016. He is survived by his daughters, Stacy Hirschberg ’89 and Amanda Hirschberg ’92, and their husbands; by his wife, Virginia; and by five grandchildren, Phoebe, Parker, Zachary, Brady, and Skylar. His first wife, Peggy, pre-deceased him. Ruth Moore passed away on August 17, 2015. She was a former RCDS faculty member, who, following her teaching career, devoted herself to teaching private piano lessons in Bergen County, NJ. Jack Nathanson, father of former RCDS parent Bruce Nathanson, passed away on October 10, 2015. Jack is survived by his wife, Florence, his three children, and his grandchildren, including Andrew Shuman Nathanson ’09. Dani Sonnenblick, mother of Micki Sonnenblick Hirsch ’69, died on October 11, 2015. Mrs. Sonnenblick is survived by her three children, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Richard Yaffa passed away on January 21, 2015. He is survived by his sons, Robert Yaffa ’86 and current RCDS parent Richard Yaffa ’84, as well as by his wife, Claire, and three grandchildren, including Jessica Yaffa ’19.
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Fall-Winter 2015-16