In MeMoRIaM… FRIENDS M. BRooKe Halsey II cdeP 2000
MacDonalD Halsey
Brooke halsey died unexpectedly on Nov. 17, 2009, at his childhood home in Macdonald halsey–long-time teacher, haverhill, Mass., after a long struggle with severe recurrent depression. a coach, and dorm head at Thacher–died brilliant linguist, Brooke spent his junior year at School Year abroad in Beijing March 23, 2010, following a brief illness; perfecting the Mandarin chinese he had studied at Thacher. after graduathe was 91. Mac was predeceased by his ing from CdeP in 2000, he took a PG year at SYA France, where he rediscovwife of 65 years, anne ingram; their son, ered French, a language he had spoken fluently as a child. in the fall of 2001, Macdonald Brooke halsey cdeP 1962; and Brooke enrolled at Princeton Univergrandson, Macdonald Brooke halsey ii sity and subsequently transferred to cdeP 2000. he is survived by son, Woodharvard college, from which he gradruff cdeP 1965, and daughter, comfort; uated in 2006 with a Ba in biology. five granddaughters, one grandson, two complementing his time at university, great-grandsons, and a great-granddaughBrooke worked on an organic farm in ter. For a longer obituary and photos, see abruzzo, italy, where he became prowww.thacher.org/thacher magazine. ficient in Italian; spent a semester at Sterling College’s Center for northern Studies, where his courses included VIRGInIa lIVeRMoRe field work on the northern Isles of virginia Pennoyer livermore, widow of Scotland; and took a term off to work former Thacher trustee Norman “ike” livin Steven Pinker’s lab on a project ermore cdeP 1928, died on april 2, 2010. that explored language development “Dina” grew up in New York and long in twins. island, and knew ike only two months beBoundlessly curious, ingenious, fore they married. She traded her genteel, compassionate, and kind, Brooke lived Eastern refinement for the open spaces of in constant pursuit of new knowledge california, where she loved to hike, ride about any and all things that piqued horses, spend summers at lake tahoe, and his interest, making a broad range of friends as he went. Physics, climbing, explore the Sierra with her family. She math, languages, linguistics, crew, literature, biology, organic chemistry, armodeled her own values of patience, kindboriculture, bread-baking, cheese-making, farming, fire-fighting, music, and ness, modesty, and stoicism to their five more; nothing proved too humble for Brooke’s rapt attention. After a short children: two daughters (Penny livermore stint working with Dartmouth professor lee lynd in his lab developing viable and Pauline Jeffers) and three sons (Nortechniques for producing cellulosic ethanol, Brooke decided against a career in man cdeP 1966, Sam cdeP 1969, and Dave scientific research and went to work for timberhomes in Vershire, Vt., where cdeP 1973). he learned the art of timber framing. Deeply influenced by a course on Thoreau at Princeton, Brooke looked to emulate some of the values he admired in the author: the importance of simlee RoMaGnano plicity, labor, and, above all, nature. increasingly, he sought the experience of lew romagnano, math teacher at Thacher his strong hands to verify the knowledge of his powerful mind. he ultimately from 1981 through 1985, died in January settled on a career in arboriculture, taking profound pleasure in climbing and 2010, following a five-month battle with working with trees as he mastered the art and science of caring for them. cancer. Known for a charisma and intensity Brooke’s disease turned out to be a powerful adversary. he likened his that blended with his unique brand of hulong struggle to a civil war within, one which he had fought hard to win, but mor, lew demanded a lot from his students, one which he had ultimately lost. On November 17, believing not only that he which they appreciated. he developed the would release himself from the unimaginable torment he lived with daily, but aP computer Science program at Thacher, also release his family and everyone who loves him from a lifetime of bearing as well as the winter sports offering—Pat witness to his recurring, deepening descent into madness, Brooke took his (Pain, agony, and torture)—which helped kids develop an interest in life-long physiown life. his decision, as he understood it, was a gesture of courageous love, cal fitness. Following Thacher, he worked to both for himself, and for us. improve the mathematics education in colorado; he served as president of the colorado council of teachers of Mathematics until his death.
44 spring 2010