Thayer Magazine 2022-23: Iss. 1

It has enhanced and made visible the amazing learning that’s taking place in this community that I already love.

- GALEN HAMANN, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

The Forum inside the Middle School (former location of the Courtyard)

Having a beautiful, open space that can easily hold the entire Middle School student body has been game-changing.

- DANNY SEYMOUR, MIDDLE SCHOOL HISTORY FACULTY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Thayer

MAGAZINE

2022-23: Issue 1

Chris M. Fortunato JD, MSW P ’26, ’28

CHIEF OF STRATEGIC MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Alison Terry

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / LAYOUT & DESIGN

Paul Kahn P ’27, ’30 CREATIVE DIRECTOR

PRINCIPAL EDITORS

Craig Salters ’86 P ’24 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 P ’25, ’28, ’29

DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT & ENGAGEMENT

PRINCIPAL WRITER

Craig Salters ’86 P ’24

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

Chris Bernstein, John F. Grant

ADDITIONAL WRITERS

Paul Kahn P ’27, ’30, Joe Pelletier

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & IMAGES

Maiya Imani Wright, Paul Kahn P ’27, ’30, Alison Terry, Adobe Stock

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Irvin Bailey, Julie Burke-Blanchard ’93, Tara Corcoran ’88 P ’19, Adam Feeney, Renee Forsythe, Wendi Happ P ’30, Kelly Hines P ’18, ’19, Marchelle JacquesYarde P ’29, Tiffany Macauley, John Murphy, Brad Peterson ’11, Lesley Leibowitz Snyder ’93 P ’23, ’25, ’28, Rachael Rouvales Vassalotti ’79 P ’07, ’11, ’12, Anni Zukauskas ’94 P ’28, ’29

THAYER ACADEMY 2022-2023

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

BOARD OFFICERS

Michael Joe P ’17, ’20, Chair

Leigh King P ’21, Secretary

Michael McNally P ’22, ’24, ’27, Treasurer

Julaine McInnis, Assistant Treasurer Thayer Academy CFOO

BOARD MEMBERS

Danya Abrams Sr. P ’20

Tavares Brewington P ’25

Donavan Brown ’01

James Coughlin P ’24, ’26

Guy Daniello P ’22, ’26

Elaine DeLuca P ’20, ’21

Rob DeMarco ’86 P ’19, ’21, ’26

Joseph L. Farmer P ’23

Jennifer Havlicek P ’18, ’21, ’21

Teresa Hsiao ’03

Greg Lally ’92 P ’22, ’25, ’26, ’28

Jeanine Murphy P ’24

Chris Sullivan ’95 P ’27

Kenny Carberry ’08

Ex officio as President of the Alumni Board

Chris M. Fortunato JD, MSW P ’26, ’28 Head of School

the Arts, see p. 50.

THAYER SNAPSHOTS

Clare LaMattina '24 & Shayna Hailey '25 during the Spring Dance Concert. For more on

Quarterback Grady Russo '23 throws a pass during Homecoming 2022. See more athletics photos on pp. 44-47.

Detail of one of Middle School Art Faculty Destiny Palmer's works on display at the Karen & Ted Koskores Gallery. See page 50.

Graduating 8th graders Lindsay Lashar, Maren Boyle, and Carolyn Downey reflect (literally and figuratively) during preparations leading up to Recognition Day. See p. 34 for more.

Senior Ryan Chiari's ubiquitous truck holds one last tribute to his classmates during Commencement 2022. See pp. 36-43 for more End-of-Year events.

THAYER SNAPSHOTS

Lauren Blake Mahoney ’02, Alex Andersen (husband of Nicole Greenstein Andersen ’02), Adam Tokarz ’02, Andrew Golabek ’02, and Billy O'Dwyer ’02 struggle mightily during an alumni version of Winter Wars during Reunion 2022. See page 60 for more on the largest reunion event in Thayer history!

THAYER SNAPSHOTS

THAYER SNAPSHOTS

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Thayer Community,

The opening of our completely transformed Middle School, the centerpiece of this issue of our magazine, is emblematic of Thayer’s mission and philosophy and who we are at our best — namely, an institution that honors and amplifies our history, accomplishments, and traditions while boldly charting a new path that meets the evolving needs and expectations of our students and families.

Standing as I often do in the Middle School’s multi-story, open Forum (in which all Middle School faculty, staff, and students regularly convene), surrounded by a series of glass-walled and stateof-the-art science, design, and media production labs as well as new classrooms and a new dining hall, one can feel the joyful and kinetic energy of this new space that invites collaboration, curiosity, and connection. These are all indeed hallmarks of true student engagement and achievement and the Thayer experience.

As the articles in this issue exemplify, across our campus and beyond, Thayer continues to set a new bar for meaningful engagement, which is the key to learning excellence. In our classrooms; across rinks, playing fields, and courts; on stage; on Zoom; and in the world beyond Braintree, our students (and alums!) are rising to honorable achievement and meeting the challenges and opportunities that the world in 2023 presents them. This is due in no small part to the talented adults at Thayer who are skillfully and authentically dedicated to ensuring our students are deeply known, meaningfully connected, and thoroughly prepared for all that lies ahead.

In many ways, student engagement has always been Thayer’s superpower, whether through time-tested offerings like the Middle School’s Declamation Celebration, premier performing arts and athletics programs in both divisions, and our faculty-student advising program or through an evolving array of forward-thinking new initiatives including our Scholars-in-Residence; the “Words that Change the World” and “sTAnds” public speaking competitions; and pilot programs in entrepreneurship, human rights, and leadership. In many ways, the Middle School facility is a physical manifestation of

a learning culture across our campus that blends the rich foundation of a nearly 150-year-old, storied institution with the dynamism of a start-up working to incubate new ideas and opportunities.

I am so proud to lead a school that is meeting a unique moment in history by empowering students to be agile and to thrive in the wake of uncertainty and disruption. That starts with building upon our campus infrastructure to support community and programs, not only in our transformed Middle School but also in the opening of the new health and wellness center, our DEIB student lounge, and the soonto-begin construction of an Upper School performing arts recording studio. It also entails leveraging leading-edge research, top minds, and best practices to create authentic, knowing relationships among teachers and students that dramatically improve student engagement and foster belonging, smart risk-taking, creativity, innovation, and growth. Our continuing partnerships with leading organizations like Challenge Success and Project Wayfinder (born at Stanford University) and our implementation of relationship-mapping and allschool student review practices have already enabled us to take major leaps forward in that regard.

I could not be more excited and grateful to partner with such an exceptional group of educators, students, trustees, families, alums, and more to usher Thayer into its next chapter, a chapter in which Thayer will lead the way among independent schools. We are a school defined by greatness and our goodness, by excellence and joy, by a rich legacy, and by a spirit of discovery. Those strengths are a testament not only to the diverse and talented people who form the current Thayer community but to all who came before (every alum, teacher, staff member, trustee, parent/guardian, friend to the school, and more). And I thank you all for the contributions you have made and continue to make as we forge Thayer’s bright future.

I invite you to return, to reconnect, and to engage in shaping and celebrating our next great steps. I look forward to seeing many of you on campus in the near future.

CHRIS M. FORTUNATO JD, MSW P ’26, ’28

AGENTS OF CHANGE

TThayer Academy’s inaugural Global Speaker Series event featured an intergenerational conversation between a distinguished Harvard professor known for his decades of social and political activism and a passionate college student charting his own bold course in that work. The instances where their stories mirrored one another — and the instances where they diverged — made for a fascinating and moving evening Oct. 17 in the CFA’s Hale Theater.

“Becoming Agents of Change: A Conversation with David Hogg and Dr. Richard Parker” offered compelling insights into each speaker’s “origin stories” as difference-makers among their respective generations and offered thoughts about how individuals and groups can identify, work for, and establish meaningful change in society.

The co-founder of March for Our Lives, one of the world’s largest youth-led movements and one dedicated to ending gun violence, Hogg is currently a student at Harvard College. He is a survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a lone gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members. Hogg is also the co-author (with his sister, Lauren Hogg) of #NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line. During the event, Hogg discussed his continuing journey to influence lawmakers to pass gun reform legislation while managing the ongoing and challenging realities of being a public figure devoted to this cause. He also offered advice to the 150 audience members regarding how to take effective steps toward growing movements or causes in the face of divisive times and resistance.

Hogg was joined on stage by Oxford-trained economist, author, and longtime lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Richard Parker, co-founder of Mother Jones and Investigative Reporters & Editors and current member of the editorial board of The Nation. Parker and Hogg spoke about the genesis of their mentor/student relationship at Harvard which has recently evolved into Parker joining the March for Our Lives board. They further delved into a range of topics from the guiding influences of their parents, particularly their fathers (Parker’s being a member of the clergy and Hogg’s serving as an FBI agent and Navy pilot), in developing their values systems and world views. Both speakers affirmed the need for successful activism to incorporate joy and fun with purpose to more effectively engage supporters.

The evening was moderated by Dr. Timothy Patrick McCarthy, resident scholar at Thayer focusing on leadership, communication, and human rights. McCarthy is an award-winning scholar with a joint faculty appointment at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and John F. Kennedy School of Government.

DAVID HOGG & DR. RICHARD PARKER OFFER INSIGHTS AS DIFFERENCE-MAKERS

SEPT

Thayer Cum Laude Society welcomes 22 new members

Dedication held for Karen and Ted Koskores Gallery (p. 68; see p. 50 for the first exhibit in the space)

Thayer Middle School honors 8th graders at Recognition Day (p. 34)

Thayer Commencement honors Class of ’22 (p. 36)

Thayer holds Upper School Convocation (p. 39)

Middle School Convocation begins new era at Thayer (p. 35)

Dr. Timothy McCarthy, a scholar-in-residence at Thayer, begins his Human Rights Seminar Sept. 20.

FACULTY NOTES

ALLYNN LODGE'S BOOK RELEASE

Upper School World Languages Faculty Allynn Lodge is grateful to those individuals who’ve helped her to become a better teacher, and she hopes her newly published book will pay that collegial support forward.

The book, “A Teacher's Guide to Our Story: Making the Move to Story-Based Teaching,” is a companion manual to Our Story, a story-based textbook series published by Voces Digital and used in all levels of the Academy’s French and Spanish classes. Lodge’s 292-page guide is described as “part ’how-to’ manual, part personal narrative, (and) part invitation,” addressing ideas related to teaching through the use of stories and the Our Story curriculum. The book includes a catalog of classroom activities, assessment ideas, and guidance for teaching about grammar and culture; it also offers ideas on how to teach world languages, build student proficiency, and connect with students.

“I’ve been so fortunate to benefit from the guidance of mentor teachers at various points in my career,” said Lodge.

And she hopes this book will have the same effect. “I want teachers who purchase it to feel like they've got a friend in their corner, helping them along and offering them a roadmap to follow.”

OCT

Thayer Sports Hall of Fame welcomes a new class Oct. 14 (p. 62)

Thayer celebrates Homecoming 2022

The Thayer Global Speaker Series holds its inaugural event Oct. 17. (p. 12)

But Lodge, who was recently selected by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) as a Teacher of the Future for her innovation and creativity in the classroom, is quick to point out that manuals, however helpful, don’t teach; teachers do.

Lodge has contributed stories and activities to the Our Story Spanish series and has even served as a presenter for the publisher’s signature online summer Teacher Bootcamp. She called the online format “dynamic and effective” but wants her book to be, as she put it, “a paper-based guide that would take the myriad ideas being presented and organize them into a chapter-based manual: something that teachers could read on their own time, highlight, dog-ear, and put on their desks as a trusty companion.”

Grade 8 students take their annual trip to West Point Nov. 9

The 25th annual General's Council Reception and New Middle School Dedication is held Nov. 16. (p. 58)

A veteran world languages teacher at the Academy who has taught at both the Upper School and Middle School, Lodge earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish languages and cultures from Princeton University before earning her Master of Education degree in art in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to Madrid, Spain, and is passionate about how both language and art can help to forge connections and mutual understanding between cultures.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

“So say it. Say I am 12 years old, and my joy is stainless.”

These words, from Dr. Joshua Bennett’s poem “Say It, Sing It If The Spirit Leads (After Vievee Francis),” are powerful enough, but when the author performed them onstage during an Oct. 27 Middle School Special Assembly in Thompson Hall, his audience sat transfixed.

Bennett, a Dartmouth professor and awardwinning poet who currently serves as a scholar-in-residence at Thayer, has made a point of showing, not telling when it comes to the power of his craft. That particular assembly saw him open with that poem — written in 2012 for a class of Bennett’s students in the wake of the Trayvon Martin killing — and then follow with

“Balaenoptera” and “Owed (a play on ’Ode’) to the 10th Grade English Teacher.” The first poem is ostensibly about the massive size of a whale’s heart, he told his young audience, but it’s really about love because, as a young poet, he wanted to give someone love as big as that. And the latter work, he told students, is a celebration of those special people who help us along the way. “In spite of it all, you dared to call us possible — and so we were,” the poem reads. Through his poetry, Bennett demonstrated to his young audience the power of language to connect at both an intellectual and an emotional level.

For his efforts, Bennett was deluged by questions from students eager to learn more about him and his life as a poet. In response, Bennett revealed how terrified he was teaching his first college course, how much he loves dinosaurs, and how he can’t remember not being in love with words.

“I always was a poet,” he told students. “I didn’t know I was going to stay one."

Asked his favorite poem, he said “Balaenoptera” is his favorite to perform but that his overall favorite is “Dad Poem X,” which was recently published in The New Yorker and is — on the surface level, at least — about apples.

“Before we moved here,” reads an excerpt from the poem, “I knew so little of apples, their untamed array of shapes & names: Ginger Gold, Honeycrisp, Crispin, Cortland, Cameo. Both Rome & Empire, somehow, which feels like it must be an inside joke between members of the committee.”

And now, Bennett told the audience, strangers are using social media to send him messages about their favorite variety of apples. He even struck up a conversation with someone from outonalimbapples.com, a Central Maine homestead farm devoted to tracking down and preserving rare apples. Bennett said he loves the unexpected connection with apple lovers via his poem, which, like his other “Dad” poems, is an imaginative meditation on fatherhood.

“Together, we unlearn shame. We dream silly. We sing what we cannot say to anyone else.

SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE SHOWS STUDENTS THE POWER OF SPOKEN WORD POETRY

Bennett shared that same power to connect through spoken word poetry with Upper School students earlier that month when he read several of his poems — including “America Will Be,” “Dad Poem (The New Temporality),” and the aforementioned “Dad Poem X” — to English classes in the CFA’s Hale Theater. That, too, was followed by a Q&A where Bennett wore his poetic heart on his sleeve for students.

“It makes me feel alive,” is how he explained his love for spoken word poetry, an art form he has worked in since he was a teenager. He then shared with students stories of his college years and of touring nationally as a spoken word performer; he even mentioned, albeit briefly, once doing a soundcheck with Beyoncé.

Bennett has also spent his time on campus working with Middle and Upper School classes on a variety of projects where students are penning their own poetry.

The recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, MIT, the Society of Fellows at Harvard University, and the Guggenheim Foundation, Bennett is the author of three books of poetry: The Sobbing School, Owed, and The Study of Human Life; a book of literary criticism entitled Being Property Once Myself: Blackness and the End of Man; and his newly released nonfiction work Spoken Word: A Cultural History

Thayer Academy’s Scholar-in-Residence Program was created to “bring the world to Thayer,” part of efforts to develop curricula and training around critical communication and leadership skills that students need to navigate a changing global landscape.

NEW FACULTY/STAFF 2022-23

SECOND

THIRD

BACK

(L-R):

NOT PICTURED:

FRONT ROW (L-R): Laryssa Feliciano, Kimberly Gilmore, Carla Dash, Jed Wartman P '30

ROW (L-R): Tara Hancock P '30, Suzanne Noone, Ariel Maleh, Kristina Macauley, Caroline Kautsire

ROW (L-R): Andrea Keohane, Jeanne Townsend, Zaidee Rose, Cicily Shaw, Lou Sabino

ROW

Robert (Bo) Cramer, Rich Sucher, Blair Bennett, Myles Walsh, DeVaughn Hauck

Adam Feeney, Kelly McLane, Jamal Middlebrooks, Gina Swanberg, Alison Terry

ONLY CONNECT

NEW ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL SEES A COMMUNITY WITH “AN ABUNDANCE OF CARE”

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

“I’m a real believer in community,” says Wartman, who took on the newly created role at Thayer this summer. As the Academy’s first assistant head of school, Wartman’s responsibilities include counseling, health and wellness, student health services, advising, leadership development, and service programs. But painting with a broader brush, he sees his role as making sure all students feel a sense of belonging in a supportive environment.

“I truly believe that our first commitment to kids is to care for them,” he says. “They need to feel safe and cared for; everything else grows from this foundation.”

Of course, Thayer’s commitment to students is now in its third century, and that commitment is one of the reasons Wartman and his family were drawn to the Academy; Wartman and his wife, Brynn Wartman P ’30, have two sons, Micah ’30 and Theo. Prior to Thayer, Wartman worked at Governor’s Academy as dean of students, a dorm parent, and boys varsity soccer coach. Before that, he worked in higher education for 15 years, including roles at Colby College and MIT.

“Thayer has a real community, and people here care deeply about students,” says Wartman. And anecdotally, he says, he sees what he calls “an abundance of care” every day, whether that’s faculty reaching out to students, coaches reaching out to players, or students reaching out in groups or individually to support one another.

So the task now, Wartman says, is to align the Academy’s systems, structures, and programs — “develop the framework” is how he puts it — so that Thayer’s abundance of care is intentional and spread throughout the entire community.

“Thayer has a great history,” he says,” and I think we can lean into the next chapter of the school in really interesting and meaningful ways.”

That “leaning in” is already taking place, and one of the most visible examples is Thayer’s recent partnership with Challenge Success. The program was developed at the Stanford Graduate School of Education with the goals of “embracing a broad definition of student success and implementing research-based strategies that promote student wellbeing, equity, and engagement with learning.” A major component of that partnership is the voluntary survey recently administered to Upper

Located on the first floor of Cahall Campus Center, Thayer’s Student Commons is a hub of student activity; it also includes the office of Assistant Head of School for Student Engagement and Well-being Jed Wartman P ’30. This is no coincidence.

School and Middle School students which sought student perspectives on homework, extracurricular activities and free time, sleep, physical health, school-related stress, parental expectation, academic engagement, academic integrity, and support and belonging at school. The results, say Wartman, will allow for data-driven decisions to improve student well-being, belonging, and engagement. What’s more, the survey is conducted annually, so Thayer will have a true metric as to how students feel about their education as a dayto-day, lived experience. In fact, according to Wartman, faculty members are already working to identify patterns from those survey results.

Another initiative is Thayer’s partnership with Project Wayfinder. This nonprofit organization, which was developed at the Stanford School of Design, develops grade-specific curricula, workshops, and activities that focus on students’ social-emotional learning in middle and high school. This curriculum, which Wartman notes is solely focused on belonging and engagement, is now the basis of Thayer’s advisory program.

Wartman points out that Thayer is now engaged in the process of relationship mapping each fall and spring. In a relationship mapping exercise, all student names are placed on a wall. Faculty members then place a blue sticker next to each student they feel they have a relationship with and a green sticker next to each student they feel would come to them in a moment of need. That information is then cross-referenced with answers provided by students.

If there’s a student with no blue or green stickers, adds Wartman, there’s immediate and specific outreach undertaken by faculty members who believe they can build a connection.

“It’s literally a measurement of how connected we are with students,” says Wartman. “It’s a way of saying, through our actions, that we believe community matters.”

And the Wartman family intends to take an even deeper dive into that community. At the Upper School, Wartman and Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 will co-teach “The Good Project,” which represents a partnership between Thayer and the Harvard School of Education. The class, which will hold roughly 15 students, places a focus on ethical leadership and thoughtful decision-making. In the spring, Wartman will also teach a Health Habits course at the Middle School.

Meanwhile, wife Brynn has begun coaching as well as teaching yoga at the Academy. In June, she will be one of the leaders of Thayer's student trip to Italy. And youngest son Theo is eager to become a Tiger after hearing good things from his big brother.

“It’s been amazing,” Wartman says of his own Thayer experience so far. “I’ve felt incredibly welcomed.”

"IN A TIME OF INCREASED COMPLEXITY, THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER IS A TERRIFIC RESOURCE FOR OUR STUDENTS. THE SPACE PROVIDES A CALM AND QUIET ENVIRONMENT, AND THE NURSES AND COUNSELORS PROVIDE REMARKABLE CARE AND SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS."

JED WARTMAN P '30 ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT & WELL-BEING

"WE ARE GRATEFUL TO READILY COLLABORATE WITH OUR COUNSELOR COLLEAGUES AT THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER TO ADDRESS THE INTERWOVEN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF STUDENTS."

KATHY CUNNINGHAM RN, MSN P '07, '10 DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SERVICES

"I WOULD SAY, STUDENTS (AND PARENTS!) ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING A DEDICATED SPACE ON CAMPUS TO TELEHEALTH WITH OUTSIDE PROVIDERS. OUR BUZZIBOOTH ALLOWS STUDENTS TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, WHICH IS NOT ONLY CONVENIENT BUT ALSO, IN SOME CASES, THE ONLY WAY TO FIT THOSE NECESSARY SELF-CARE PRACTICES INTO THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES."

AMANDA ACUTT UPPER SCHOOL COUNSELOR

READY FOR THE CONVERSATION

NEW DEIB DIRECTOR BELIEVES TACKLING THE BIG QUESTIONS HELPS EVERYONE

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

Ghiden began his Thayer career in 2014 and found a home at the Middle School, teaching English, social studies, and math while also serving as a diversity coordinator there. After taking a leave of absence two years ago to earn a master’s degree in Education and School Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he returned to the Middle School and served as a 5th and 6th grade team leader. He also found time to be an advisor to the Middle School’s Black male student affinity group. At various times during his years at Thayer, he has coached Middle School lacrosse as well as football at both the Middle School and Upper School levels.

Put another way: Ghiden knows Thayer, Thayer knows him, and he and his team have hit the ground running to make Thayer an even stronger, more inclusive school.

“I love Thayer,” says Ghiden. “There are so many great things happening in our community, and I recognize areas where we can continue to grow.”

Ghiden is grateful for the support he’s received from colleagues and from Thayer’s administration.

“I’ve found a recognition, especially among senior leadership, that DEIB work touches every facet of the school,” he says, “and an intentionality to partner in that work.”

According to Ghiden, there are many such partnerships. In early fall, the DEIB team and the athletics department worked together to ensure representation at a recent Leadership Luncheon, which sought to continue to build a more positive school culture. The luncheon was moderated by Thayer's two current resident scholars and included student leaders from a number of extracurricular areas: varsity captains, Student Government officials, club members, and affinity group members. In November, a cohort of Thayer students were able to attend the ISL Changemakers Conference at Milton Academy. And the DEIB Office is partnering with the Office of Engagement and Well-being to integrate that department’s social emotional learning (SEL)

Matt Ghiden, Thayer’s director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, is new to the role but not new to the Academy.

work, via Project Wayfinder, with the DEIB Office’s ongoing efforts regarding identity development. Again working with school leadership, the DEIB Office recently opened the DEIB Student Lounge, which is just off the Student Commons area in Cahall Campus Center. The lounge offers a comfortable space where students can have some quiet time, do homework, or just relax with friends. Alliance and affinity groups also meet there on a rotating basis during club period.

But to Ghiden, the most concrete example of support is the addition of members to the DEIB team. Sarah Miller serves as the Academy's first assistant DEIB director, and she and Ghiden now coordinate efforts with two Upper School diversity coordinators, Upper School Science Faculty Kiley Horne ’08 and Upper School Performing Arts Faculty John Crampton, and one Middle School diversity coordinator, Middle School Arts Faculty Destiny Palmer.

Ghiden says he understands the wariness of some regarding DEIB work but feels ideally suited to ask those deep questions and have those tough conversations. “Of course, there are some skeptics,” he says. “Part of the work is raising awareness, engaging the whole community in an ongoing conversation, and developing a shared vocabulary to discuss it.”

And the results, he says, are worth the effort.

“The benefits of DEIB work are manifold,” Ghiden explains. “It helps affirm the identities of all students, faculty, staff, and alumni so that they feel a greater sense of belonging within the community. It also helps develop leaders with the skills to recognize, understand, and work across lines of difference.”

And those 21st century leadership skills, he adds, is what Thayer should be teaching to all its students.

“As our country becomes more diverse,” he says, “leaders will need to develop the cultural competencies necessary to communicate and collaborate with people who are different than they are, so everyone in the community benefits in this work.”

AT A RECENT CELEBRATION OF THE DIVERSE CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS THAT ARE WOVEN INTO THE IDENTITIES OF THAYER MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF, EIGHTH GRADER KRISTIANNA MASIELLO SHARED HER ESSAY, “I BELIEVE IN MYSELF, I BELIEVE IN RAMEN.”

IN THE FLOWING NARRATIVE EXPLORING HER LIVED EXPERIENCE IN A MULTI-ETHNIC FAMILY, MASIELLO USED RAMEN AS A METAPHOR FOR THE MANY INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE UP HER SELF-IDENTITY.

THE CLASS PROJECT WAS MODELED AFTER AN INITIATIVE BY THIS I BELIEVE, AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT ENGAGES PEOPLE IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE IN WRITING, SHARING, AND DISCUSSING THE CORE VALUES AND BELIEFS THAT GUIDE THEIR DAILY LIVES.

TEXT

BY KRISTIANNA MASIELLO '27 VIDEO CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS TEACHER DESTINY PALMER, WITH STOCK FOOTAGE AND SOUNDS FROM VEED.IO.

“I Believe in Myself, I Believe in Ramen.”

KRISTIANNA MASIELLO '27

DIVING RIGHT IN

THAYER PARTNERS WITH BENEATH THE WAVES ON VITAL MARINE RESEARCH

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

World-class science is taking place on Thayer's campus.

In Glover 301, to be exact.

Beneath The Waves, a nonprofit dedicated to marine science research, is a partner with Thayer, and several of its researchers serve as Academy scholars-in-residence. Recently, the organization published a paper in the journal Nature detailing the discovery of the world’s largest seagrass meadow. The seagrass habitat measures roughly 92,000 square kilometers (35,521 square miles) and is found across the banks of the Bahamas. The discovery is crucially important because these grasslike meadows combat climate change due to their ability to capture large amounts of carbon through photosynthesis and safely store it in their deep root systems within the seafloor.

“What this discovery shows us is that ocean exploration and research are essential for a healthy future,” said Austin Gallagher ’04, PhD, the nonprofit’s chief executive and lead scientist. “The untapped potential of the ocean is limitless.”

And, said Upper School Science Department Head Don Donovan P ’10, ’13, core samples of these seagrass beds are being shipped to the Beneath The Waves Laboratory in Thayer's Glover Building where researchers will analyze the samples to determine the amount of carbon they sequester.

“This is a major worldwide scientific discovery,” said Donovan, explaining further that seagrass meadows act as a “carbon sink,” locking up the carbon so that it is no longer part of the carbon cycle in any way.

Donovan quoted Carlos M. Duarte, PhD, a world-renowned marine scientist and one of the researchers involved in the project, when he said that “the decarbonization of the atmosphere must begin with the recarbonization of the biosphere.”

And, while not on the same scale as the Bahamas find, the Beneath The Waves/Thayer partnership is yielding tangible scientific scholarship closer to home. Donovan, who also runs the Academy’s Independent Science Research (ISR) program — a junior elective which introduces students to primary research opportunities in scientific laboratories in the Boston area the summer before their senior year — pointed to Madi Richman ’23 and Charlie Denomme ’23, whose ISR project involved working with Beneath The Waves to search for and then study seagrass meadows in Duxbury Bay. Donovan added that Sam Taylor ’23 worked hand in hand with Richman and Denomme and wasn’t even in the class.

“They did a fantastic job,” said Donovan. “They were ready, willing, and able to do whatever was needed.” And sometimes, he added, what was needed involved heading into the frigid waters of Duxbury Bay in early June.

The end result: a small but discernible addition to the climate change discussion via the discovery of five seagrass meadows in Duxbury Bay and the sampling of several of them. The students processed the samples by first drying them out, grinding them into a powder, and measuring their mass. They then burned the samples and measured them again, with the difference in mass being the total amount of carbon.

Donovan praised the partnership between Beneath The Waves and the Academy.

“Our students have the opportunity to do real scientific research with real scientists,” said Donovan, “and those scientists, in turn, are conducting essential research for the betterment of our world.”

ALL TOGETHER NOW

NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDS CONNECTION RIGHT IN

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

Middle School Director Galen Hamann always knew first-class education was taking place amid the lengthy corridors, zig-zagging staircases, and cul-de-sac classrooms of the former Thayer Academy Middle School. Trouble was, though, walking down those corridors and popping her head into a classroom often hit pause on the very student-teacher interaction she was hoping to see.

But the new Middle School building — the result of a multimillion dollar, yearlong construction project — has solved Hamann’s Heisenbergian headache.

“It has made visible the amazing learning that’s taking place in this community that I already love,” Hamann told attendees of the 25th annual General’s Council Reception — an annual event recognizing leadership donors to Thayer — which was held November 16 on the recently transformed campus (see page 58).

And it’s done so much more.

The completely transformed facility adds more than 12,000 square feet of learning spaces to the Middle School campus. There’s more breathing room, more opportunities to collaborate and connect, and more shared spaces, both indoors and outdoors, which reinforce a greater sense of community; examples include: a new 5th grade classroom; a 6th grade wing; a performing arts suite complete with Ensemble space, Chorus space, and an audio lab; a visual arts suite; a marine science lab; an innovation lab; a science lab; and a digital media lab next to the existing collaborative design lab. There’s dedicated office space for the school counselor as well as a faculty room. A large bank of windows offers views of the Upper School and the Academy’s playing fields.

The Middle School's spacious new art room

Students during an assembly in the Forum

The Middle School now has its own dining hall, a first, and the Forum — a large, multistory, light-filled gathering space where the open-air courtyard once stood — connects the campus in ways that would shock most Middle School alumni.

“The Forum is amazing,” said Middle School History Faculty Danny Seymour. “Having a beautiful, open space that can easily hold the entire Middle School student body has been game-changing.”

Seymour also loves his new classroom with its large windows that fill the room with natural light and look out onto the Academy’s playing fields. “Every time the kids now step into my classroom,” he said, “they are reminded about what else Thayer has to offer them.”

For Middle School World Languages Faculty Angela Toussaint, one major improvement is the sheer amount of space.

“The size of my new classroom enables me to have different ‘stations’ based on the tasks the students are working on each day,” she said. “Also, when the class plays interactive games, the students are able to collaborate with plenty of room to circulate.”

A serene corner of the Middle School

At long last - a dining hall for the Middle School.

Upper School and Middle School

Performing Arts Faculty Dan Alosa expressed approval of the new Ensemble room — “It’s much better in terms of acoustics and aesthetics,” he said — while Middle School Math Faculty Emmett Knox ’04, who is also the Middle School’s digital media coordinator, is exploring the new resources to be found in the digital media lab.

“One of the most fun moments this year,” recalled Knox, “occurred when Luke Wallace, a new 5th grader, donned a turkey costume and stepped in front of the green screen to ‘launch into space.'” Wallace’s short film, said Knox, is called The Flying Turkey.

The new marine science lab – which also serves as the second-floor classroom of Middle School Science Faculty Jon Butler P ’25, ’28 — features its own special attraction: a fish tank weighing more than one ton, holding 240 gallons of water, and containing a variety of fish, shrimp, and sea stars as well as a fully functioning coral reef.

“The interactions between the different animals in the tank spark many questions and help bring the curriculum to life for the 6th graders,” said Butler.

Middle School Tiles

Music making in the Audio Lab

Podcasting in the Audio Lab

And, said Butler, having his own dedicated classroom (as opposed to moving materials from class to class) is already paying dividends for both him and his students. “Now that I can stay put,” he said, “it gives me the opportunity to connect with students before and after class. In the first few months, it’s already made a difference in the connections I’ve been able to make.”

Individually, the renovations and additions are welcome and exciting, but the goal is much larger than capital improvement. The driving force behind the project is connection: among students, among faculty and staff, and between two campuses, the Middle School and Upper School. And behind that goal is Thayer’s commitment to student excellence grounded in meaningful connection, genuine purpose, and comprehensive wellness.

“This new space is bright and inviting,” said Director of Counseling Mysha Kuhlmann, who also serves as Health and Wellness department head at the Middle School. “I feel that our students are happier and more connected. When I’m walking the main hallways, I can see so many students as well as my colleagues. The students are waving at one another, being silly, and building more relationships across grade levels.”

Eck MacNeely Architects of Boston designed the new Middle School building, which was built by Bowdoin Construction of Needham Heights.

One of the many outdoor patios

MAKE YOUR MARK

TWO NEW NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

The Campaign for Thayer Academy is the largest comprehensive campaign in Thayer history. As we near the completion of the campaign, we would like to offer you two opportunities to make a meaningful mark on the Thayer campus to forever link your Thayer memories with the school that has made an impact on so many lives.

See your family name live on at Thayer, memorialize a loved one, or honor a faculty or staff member who made a difference in your or your student’s life – and in the process, help Thayer reach our campaign goals!

Naming a classroom at Thayer typically requires a donation of $100,000. Through the generosity of Melissa and Gary Tearney P ’14, we are pleased to offer the first 20 donors who take advantage of this opportunity a 1:1 match towards naming a classroom. For each $50,000 donation, the Tearneys will match with a $50,000 donation - up to $1,000,000!

As the donor, you will decide the name that goes on the available Upper or Middle School classroom of your choice. Perhaps you’d like to name it after yourself or your family, in memory of a loved one, or in honor of a faculty or staff member who made an impact. It is up to you!

Classroom donations can be paid out over five years

For a $2,500 donation, you can name one of the 238 lockers at Thayer Academy Middle School to honor a family member, loved one, or faculty/staff member who has special significance to you. Inspire our youngest students with these highly visible markers of the generosity of the Thayer community.

Locker donations can be paid out over two years

INTERESTED? QUESTIONS?

Contact Campaign Director Julie Burke-Blanchard ’93 jblanchard@thayer.org

 781.664.2511

Show your love of Thayer Academy and play a role in Thayer’s permanent history

Name a Classroom

Name a Middle School Locker

A view of Mr. Butler's science class from the second floor

Looking into the class through the saltwater aquarium

Skylights above the staircase leading to the Forum

MOVING PICTURES

TALENT, EXPERIENCE, AND PASSION LEAD MATTHEW SALLOWAY ’96 TO A CAREER AS A PRODUCER

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

TThe adage “If you want something done, ask a busy person” seems tailor-made for one Matthew Salloway ’96, who has carved out a career — several, actually — where his talents and passions combine to make one day a little different from the next.

Case in point: Salloway is currently a producer for two Broadway-bound stage shows, The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation and A Beautiful Noise (a musical about Neil Diamond which premiered in Boston this summer). He is also a lead producer of the movie I Wanna Dance with Somebody, the eagerly awaited biopic of Whitney Houston, starring Naomi Ackie and Stanley Tucci, which landed in theaters just before Christmas.

That is, of course, when he’s not running his investment office or his venture capital firm.

“You only have one life, so live it fully,” says Salloway, a Braintree native who entered Thayer in the sixth grade and lives by the principle “Do it by the book, but be the author” and by his philosophy that “Multiple projects lead to multiple successes.”

During the day Salloway essentially wears three hats. An experienced attorney, he is the CEO of GSI Ventures, which is a family office, where he handles investments for an international family. However, he is also the co-founder and manager of SIP Global Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in technology with a particular focus on expansion into Asian markets.

“We invest in disruptive tech companies,” explains Salloway. Asked for an example, he mentions the firm’s investments in Kodiak Robotics, which is pioneering autonomous

driving technology for the trucking industry.

At Thayer, Salloway was keenly interested in government and politics and thought that was where his future might lie. “I wanted to make a difference,” he says. “I wanted to have an impact.”

He worked on the yearbook, played tennis, and performed in one play under the direction of Donna Luther, the Academy’s former director of fine and performing arts.

Outside of Thayer, Salloway performed in a number of local theater productions; he fondly remembers former Middle School English Faculty Michael Shea helping with a number of tricky audition monologues. “The teachers [at Thayer] were incredible,” says Salloway, recalling former Upper School English Faculty

With fiancee Kimberly on the red carpet

With director Lee Daniels, former President George H.W. Bush, and former first lady Barbara Bush

With Jerry Seinfeld

Betty Bailey ’63 and former Upper School French Faculty Jim Pickel P ’91, ’95 GP ’22, ’26 as particular mentors. “It’s a small school, so we all received a lot of attention in the classroom and were able to form meaningful connections with the faculty and make great friends. This allowed me to really explore at a young age a vision for my future and develop myself intellectually, affording me the chance to consider the kind of person I thought I could become.”

Salloway continued his bent for politics as an undergrad at Brandeis University, where he served as vice president of the student body. He was accepted into the law school of the University of Pennsylvania but delayed matriculation for one year, opting to spend that time working with a professor from Harvard Business School as well as a professor from the university’s Kennedy School of Government.

His law degree, coupled with internships with several prominent Massachusetts politicians, still had him convinced that a career in government might one day beckon. But he soon began work as a corporate attorney for O’Melveny & Myers, one of the nation’s preeminent law firms. He gained experience in mergers & acquisitions, private equity, and corporate law while advising clients such as corporations and investors.

An entrepreneur at heart and wanting more autonomy and more personal fulfillment in his professional career, Salloway started his own law firm, Salloway Law Group PC, an international law firm based in Manhattan. He gained even more specialized experience in corporate, media and entertainment, private equity, and venture capital law and transactions. After a while, his childhood passion for film and the arts returned, and he started representing celebrities and other high-profile clients; soon these overlapping areas of expertise led to his role as a motion picture producer.

Since his time at Thayer, Salloway had a passion for the arts and entertainment. He says, “There’s something about telling a compelling story and really connecting with the audience.”

Salloway seeks projects that are both impactful and commercial — he has produced 10 films thus far, including: Rebel in the Rye, a biopic of J.D. Salinger which tackles the author’s experiences during World War II; Worth, a movie for Netflix about Brockton native and renowned attorney Kenneth Feinberg who, as special master for the government’s Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund, literally had to determine the value of a human life; and The Ides of March, a political drama written by, directed by, and starring George Clooney. On Broadway, Salloway also produced Long Story Short, starring Colin Quinn and directed by Jerry Seinfeld, and A Life in the Theatre, written by David Mamet.

But Salloway says he still has a special place in his heart for Lee Daniels’ The Butler, starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, which Salloway also produced. Loosely based on true events, the 2013 film tells the story of a butler who serves in the White House for decades under numerous presidents. Salloway loves the movie’s political aspects and its focus on growth of the characters in the film, the United States, and our humanity as a nation. He is proud to have screened the movie for both the Bush and Kennedy families, and he connects the theme behind the movie with his parents, Richard and Josephine, who support numerous causes to this day and instilled a sense of giving back in their son.

“It kind of brought a lot home,” he says.

Despite the long hours, Salloway sees a balanced life as important and spends as much time as he can with his family and friends. A foodie, he also loves travel, the Cape, the Pats, and all Boston sports. His favorite pastime is spending time with his folks in Braintree and watching the Patriots game with his dad. Recently, Salloway got engaged to his girlfriend Kimberly, who also attended law school before working in corporate finance.

The secret to life, Salloway says, is that patience is a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing. He recalls his own Thayer graduation in 1996 when the guest speaker, the Rev. Terry Martinson P

’96, ’01 (husband of Marcia Martinson ’70 P ’96, ’01; father of Andy Martinson ’96 and Eric Martinson ’01), told seniors that the three most important words in life are “... and then some,” meaning that you do the very best you can on a task and then find a way to do a little more.

“Life isn’t easy, and there’s no magic to it,” Salloway says. “Do your best and then go beyond. You need a strong work ethic, an open heart and mind, and a good sense of perspective, because there will be times you’ll need to adapt.”

Asked what films he enjoys watching, he acknowledges a penchant for 80s and 90s movies — Fletch, Back to School, Coming to America — but says there’s really too many to mention. “We’d be here all day!” he says.

“I love so many types of movies and music, art, theater, and good comedy,” he adds. “I just hope that my family, my parents, Kim, and one day our children can be proud of all the work that I’ve done. I’m excited for each chapter of this incredible journey — whether in film, business, or public policy,” Salloway says with a smile. “We shall see.”

But Salloway closes the discussion with one piece of advice to the students at Thayer: “Always be humble and continue to be grateful for all your blessings — no matter what the world may hand you.” The most important thing for Salloway is the love and respect of his family and friends.

“I am thankful for the privilege of attending Thayer,” he says, “because for me, the education I received was the beginning to what I hope is a purposeful and lasting legacy.”

Salloway's senior photo from the Black & Orange

ON HOME COURT

THAYER HOOPS LEGEND SUITS UP IN A NEW ROLE

BY CRAIG SALTERS ’86 P ’24

MMike Jones ’03, the new head coach of the boys varsity basketball team at Thayer, knows full well the power of that position to change young men’s lives.

After all, it changed his.

“He’s my hero,” the soft-spoken Jones says of current Upper School History Faculty Robin Dixon ’79 P ’03, ’16, the Academy’s longtime basketball coach whose name now graces the court in Memorial Gym. “He’s a great mentor and a great leader. He’s helped so many people, and he saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself, both on and off the court.”

Born and raised in Dorchester, Jones first got a feel for the Academy through Project RISE, an academic enrichment program for students in the Boston and Greater Boston area founded by Dixon. Jones attended two summers of

Project RISE, the second as a counselor, before entering Thayer in the ninth grade. Still, he admits, the shift from attending a predominantly black public school to being one of the few black students at Thayer was a jarring one.

“I was terrified that first day I stepped on campus,” says Jones.

Asked to assess his ninth-grade self as a hoops player, Jones the coach is up to the challenge: an extremely talented, explosive player with “can-jump-out-the-gym” athleticism, great shooting ability, and a very coachable attitude; drawbacks include “terrible ball handling skills,” especially with the left hand, and a penchant for letting outside distractions interfere with an already established goal of becoming a great ball player.

“I was fully committed,” says Jones, who hails from a large, loving blended family. His stepdad introduced him to the game of basketball, and Jones remembers “finding joy” when he played his first game at age 7.

Asked to describe his ninth-grade self as a person, Jones is again straightforward: a painfully shy, incredibly quiet city kid very much in need of a mentor. Luckily, he found three of them in the persons of Dixon; Upper School Math & Computer Science Head Kevin Cedrone P ’22, ’27, who taught math at Project RISE during the summers; and Upper School Performing Arts Department Head Jeff Browne P ’04, ’05, Thayer’s storied track & field coach.

Ironically, Jones broke Academy records in the high jump, high hurdle, and 4x100m relay but didn’t meet Browne on the track. “I first met him through Jazz Combo,” says Jones, who is now married to Health & Wellness Faculty Sophie Jones ’04, Browne’s daughter. His basketball teammates, Jones says, helped him to adjust to and eventually thrive at his new school, especially current Upper School Math Faculty Billy O’Dwyer ’02, now the head coach of the girls varsity basketball team. Jones credits O’Dwyer for being an intense leader who always guarded him in practice and pushed him to be the best player possible.

Despite his trepidations, Jones put in the hard work and began to feel a real part of Thayer around his sophomore year. “I realized that

the situation wasn’t going to change,” he recalls, “so it was up to me to change while still being myself.”

When it comes to basketball, Jones’ résumé is pure platinum: a total of 2,021 points scored as a Tiger; senior-year averages of 24.8 points, 14.2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 44.3% from three-point range; 2003 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year; third-team Parade All-American; and an invitation to the 2003 McDonald’s All-American Game, where he scored 13 points in the game itself and won the three-point shooting competition.

Jones then attended the University of Maryland, where his Terrapin teams twice qualified for the NCAA Tournament and won the ACC Tournament in the spring of 2004. Jones played professionally overseas until a knee injury precipitated his retirement from the game in 2011.

If you think Jones is proud of going toe-totoe with a young LeBron James, knocking off a Steph Curry-led Davidson squad in the NCAA tourney, or setting UMD’s all-time record with nine three-pointers in one game, you’d be right. If you think that roundball pedigree makes him any less excited to be Thayer’s new head coach, you’d be wrong.

“It’s very humbling,” says Jones. “It’s a blessing and an honor to be able to give back what I’ve learned and help to mold

these players to become better young men. I see a lot of myself in this group of players.”

Jones defines success as helping his players reach their dreams, be that a college scholarship, playing at the next level, or simply improving their game. More importantly, he wants his players to use basketball — its ups and downs, its challenges, its team focus — to learn life lessons applicable to the real world. “I know it’s bigger than basketball,” he says.

So Jones is ready for the challenge and ready for the season. He says he wants nothing less than for this younger generation of studentathletes to see him as their mentor, their Coach Dixon.

Jones leans back in his chair and pauses.

“With a splash of Mike Jones,” he adds with a smile.

Jones's senior photo from the Black & Orange

(L-R) Maurice Jones, Barbara Browne P '04, '05, Lisa Jones, Sophie (Browne) Jones '04, Mike Jones '03, Monroe Jones, Leeyah Jones, and Jeff Browne P '04, '05.

From the Black & Orange: Mike Jones '03 with teammate and current Upper School Math Faculty Billy O'Dwyer '02

TELLING THE STORY

CURATOR ALUM HELPS TO SHOWCASE

JACKIE ROBINSON’S LIFE AND LEGACY

BY PAUL KAHN P ’2 7, ’ 30

IIn early 2018, while working as a freelance curator in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jennifer Jensen ’92 received a phone call. On the other line was a representative of the soonto-be established Jackie Robinson Museum, calling to see if she was interested in being its curator. “I immediately recognized that this was something that matters,” she recalls.

Jensen relocated to New York City to begin the difficult task of planning the new museum. Shortly thereafter, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe. Then George Floyd was murdered.

And everything changed.

“We all realized that there’s a need to have really critical conversations about race, and here’s a person whose life is exemplary and who lived that conversation,” she explains. “How we told Jackie’s story through this museum as your typical ‘great man narrative’ suddenly felt, to some degree, wrong.”

By mid-2020, Jensen and her team collectively decided it was necessary to reframe and rewrite the entire content of the museum from scratch. She first asked the question: “How do you tell a story through somebody else’s voice?”

Fortunately, her lived experience as a curator and material culture historian for many decades had completely prepared her for this moment. Indeed, Jensen’s career can best be viewed as one woman constantly facing curveballs thrown her way … and carefully, measuredly, and thoughtfully hitting them out of the park.

*

The home plate of Jensen’s career path is Thayer. She looks back on her four years (1988-92) with both appreciation and fondness. “The teachers who I would say made the strongest impact on me and certainly how I framed my future were [retired Upper School History Faculty] Norma Atkinson GP ‘07, ‘11, ‘16 and [retired Upper School History and English Faculty] Dan Levinson. I absolutely adored Ms. Atkinson and her class, The United States Between the Wars. That was my favorite class at Thayer. Dan Levinson, between his Modern European History class and his journalism class, was one of those people who really taught me how to write.”

Atkinson and Levinson gave Jensen new eyes to see the world a certain way. “They impacted how I thought about U.S. history, our place in the world, and in particular, material culture, because both of them encouraged me to think about using artifacts of human existence, whether that be literature or art, that would have stood the test of time in terms of how we think about the world.”

“Ultimately, I really wanted to be a storyteller,” Jensen notes, “but I didn’t want to go about it in a traditional way, being someone who is more focused on the research aspect. That's sort of where my passions lie, in the uncovering of stories.”

Post Thayer, and after getting an art history degree at Barnard College, she began uncovering stories first at the Boston MFA’s collection and then with the New York Historical Society. She told stories of Colonial Boston and then New York City using artifacts — from chromo-lithographed board games to wedding gifts to the work of silversmiths.

However, when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred, the work shifted. There was an emphasis on the “history of the present,” on telling the story of New York City in the weeks, months, and years following that traumatic day. As important as the work was, Jensen — who lost friends and colleagues that tragic day — found herself needing to move on, literally and figuratively. Her Jersey City apartment’s view had been of the Twin Towers, and she recognized that reliving it through work was not the best for her or her mental health. And so she transitioned positions, ultimately moving back to Boston.

It was there, as the curator of the Boston Children’s Museum, that a dramatic change in her approach occurred: her

focus shifted from general exhibitions to more specific matters of social justice and telling untold stories. In particular, an exhibit she worked on, “Native Voices: New England Tribal Families,” served as a catalyst. Working closely with various tribal communities, she was herself transformed; rather than curating from the point of view of an authority, she gave the voices of the people center stage via firstperson narratives and interpretation. This POV shift was novel at the time, and the project ended up becoming a traveling exhibit and one eventually hosted by the National Museum of the American Indian. Moreover, it became so well received that museum exhibitions moving forward began shifting towards that approach.

“That’s been the guiding force for the rest of my career,” Jensen explains. “I’m not here to be an authority but rather a guide to create authority for the people whose voices are being featured in exhibitions and in museums. That attitude and that direction have been critical to doing the work I've done since.”

in public libraries to full-scale mammoth skeletons inside the airport. It was a novel but risky idea at the time, but it was one that paid off with a Best Practice Award and acclaim in the wider community.

“We were able to get across the message that the museum was a critical component of the city and that the storytelling needed to — and could — continue even when the physical doors were closed,” she says. “It was one of my prouder moments because it was such a huge risk.”

* * *

The next curveball thrown Jensen’s way took place at the Cincinnati Museum Center, a mile away from Crosley Field, the former home of the Cincinnati Reds and the location of the (likely apocryphal) story of how Dodger teammate and southerner Pee Wee Reese disarmed racist fans by walking over and putting his arm around Jackie Robinson one month into Jackie’s career.

Soon after her arrival as its Director of Collections, the Cincinnati Museum Center underwent a $220 million renovation of the space, meaning that for three years it was to be closed down. Nonplussed, Jensen and her team created an “out-of-the-museum” experience which placed museum artifacts at over 70 locations around the city — from artifacts

Returning to the pandemic summer of 2020, Jensen drew upon her past experiences to tell the story differently. “We kept many of the same stories, but now we were telling it through a different narrative arc — one that centered the idea of the Black Voice and how Jackie's experience and his voice exemplified speaking out around issues of race. We decided to have, and not shy away from, critical conversations.”

Jackie’s remaining children worked closely with Jensen and the museum during the process, but it was Rachel Robinson — the 100-year-old widow of the American icon — who was the driving force behind it all. The more archives and artifacts

Jensen uncovered and studied, the more she recognized the incredible support system undergirding the entire endeavor because it was Rachel Robinson who keenly understood the import of her husband’s place in history and the need to collect and document as much as possible for posterity. It was she who navigated their celebrity (infamous and famous as it was then and is to this day) in a way that demonstrated her husband’s cultural significance.

“I always like to say that while Jackie may have been doing all these things, it was the two of them that were really doing them together,” says Jensen. “She was the one who was ensuring that these things were preserved and considered and thought about. She preserved his legacy so well, allowing us to take this tremendous trove of a family collection to create this museum and allow [these items] to tell his story.”

That story not only includes the bats and baseballs and uniforms and documents, but it also includes a classroom component and a collections facility for those who schedule research appointments — in other words, a place to discover and learn and engage with a wealth of American history.

* * *

The central question that dogged Jensen throughout the reimagining and restructuring of the museum prior to its opening was this: “Did we do him justice?”

And though there was always input from immediate family, that question wasn’t conclusively answered until a week before the official opening. For it was then, on a late summer evening on 75 Varick St. in Lower Manhattan, that Rachel Robinson walked slowly through the finished museum space, taking her time to admire and reflect upon the many artifacts and exhibits honoring her husband. Jensen recalls soaking in the moment, watching as Rachel’s grandchildren and great grandchildren excitedly explored the space alongside her.

Watching her, Jensen recalls, “I knew then that they felt strongly that we had done justice to Jackie’s legacy. It was a profound experience.” Indeed, after that evening, Jensen remembers going home and crying.

Thirty years after Thayer, Jensen continues to make her mark in the world of museums to encourage questions while reflecting upon and effecting change.

Jensen's senior photo from the Black & Orange

Jensen in one of the expansive museum spaces

Jensen by a replica of Ebbets Field, the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers

RECOGNITION DAY 2022

Recognition Day saw 68 eighth graders receive certificates as they bid farewell to the Middle School but not the memories made there.

Eighth graders all, Cassidy Mullin offered the invocation, Nate Shatzkamer led the Pledge of Allegiance, Shaanveer Gupta gave the day’s welcome address, and Ella Aiello offered the benediction. As top scholar, Tessa Harper delivered the farewell address and received a standing ovation. Middle School History Faculty Dan Liebsch P ’27 was faculty speaker for the ceremony, which was held June 9 in the CFA’s Hale Theater.

Recognized were Karen Bosworth, assistant to the Middle School Director, who departed Thayer after 11 years of service; Middle School Faculty Jeff Toussaint ’82, who completed 25 years of service; and Middle School Faculty Sarah Corey P ’15, ’18, who retired after 18 years of teaching at Thayer.

(L-R): Charlotte Richter, Samaria Theodore, Gabriella Monteiro, & Mary Keleher

Faculty speaker Dan Liebsch P '27 with 8th grade boys

(L-R): Paige Johnson, Ciara Holland, Alaina Millian, Cassidy Mullin, Summer Warren, Kaitlyn Butkuss, Ashley Foss & Ella Aiello

The Middle School Chorus performs.

Sarah Corey P ’15, ’18 was honored upon her retirement after 18 years of teaching at the Middle School.

Tessa Harper delivers the farewell address.

Shaanveer Gupta offers remarks.

Cassidy Mullin and Nate Shatzkamer

LAST CHAPEL 2022

“Seniors, it’s your turn,” said MacVarish after noting that, pandemic or not, every generation of Americans has faced its share of challenges. “Class of 2022, it’s your turn to step up and make a difference.” His remarks earned a standing ovation.

Held June 10 in Alumni Gym, the traditional event saw the distribution of student awards and the recognition of Upper School faculty and staff who had achieved service milestones. Among them was departing Upper School Science Faculty Karen Jodoin P ’22, who was thanked for her 30 years of dedication to the Academy.

The Class of 2022 selected Upper School Science Faculty Jim MacVarish P ’11 to serve as its Last Chapel faculty speaker, and the longtime teacher and Marine Corps veteran did not disappoint.

Departing faculty member Karen Jodoin P ’22 was recognized for her 30 years of teaching at Thayer.

A Last Chapel tradition - Archivist and Upper School History Faculty Larry Carlson P ’02, ’05, ’10 sings “Thayer, Thayer Forever.”

Seniors Caroline Lally, Gavin Toland, and Shane Weber Ross Tejeda ’22 receives the inaugural Kisha Watts Memorial Award from Robert & Karen Watts.

Max Hughes ’23 receives the University of Rochester Xerox Award for Innovation & Information Technology.

(L-R) Paolo Egasti ’25, Jesus Sanchez Peguero ’25, Jake DeVries ’25, Michael Scully ’25, Townshend Elwin ’25, Eric Knight ’25 & Trevor Smith ’25

Teri Homicile ’24 receives the William J. Holbrook Prize

Jim MacVarish P ’11 gives the Last Chapel faculty speech

COMMENCEMENT 2022

Kevin Want ’22 and Shourya Gupta ’22 shake hands during the recessional

A stage selfie for Liz Pham ’22

Valedictorian Charlie Solari ’22 and Sophia Garber ’22 give each other a celebratory fist bump

(L-R) Madelyn Melone ’22, Gianna Quatromoni ’22, and Claire McCarthy ’22

Annie Middleton ’22 can't contain her excitement alongside Stella Chiari ’22 leading up to Commencement.

Eloise Daniello ’22 and Samuel Okunlola ’22 march during the opening processional.

THE NANCY DINATALE TAYLOR AWARD Brooke McLoy.

THE THAYER ACADEMY OUTSTANDING MALE ATHLETE AWARD Ted Wilson.

THE MAUREEN E. BUCKEN GIRLS ATHLETIC AWARD: Gianna Quatromoni.

THE THOMAS J. BERRY III AWARD: Ryan Chiari.

THE GILBERT A. BOOTH AWARDS:

Arjun Sohur & Elizabeth Gill.

THE WARD S. DONNER AWARDS: Caitlin Fitzgerald & Ross Tejeda

THE PHOEBE LEE HOSMER WORLD LANGUAGE PRIZES:

Arjun Sohur (French)

Jake Sannella (Latin)

Anna Kester (Hispanic language and culture)

Gianna Quatromoni (Chinese language and culture)

THE LEIGHTON S. TOWER HISTORY PRIZE: Stella Chiari

THE LOUISE E. SAUL AWARD FOR ENGLISH: Jake Brini (literature) & Julia Pickel (writing)

THE MAURICE R. SEYMOUR PRIZE FOR MATHEMATICS: Charlie Solari.

THE CHARLES R. MANGATRAI PRIZE FOR COMPUTER PROGRAMMING: Jake Brini & Meg Dugan

THE HELEN ALDEN BREEN DRAMATICS AWARDS: Ryker Gibson & Gavin Pevarnek.

THE E. IONE LOCKWOOD MUSIC AWARD: Chloe Clifford & Charlie Solari.

THE JOHN M. RODOCANACHI ART PRIZE: Julia Pickel

THE NATHANIEL AUGUSTINE THAYER SCHOLARSHIP: Yaochen “Nicole” Li.

THE JOTHAM B. SEWALL PRIZE: Charlie Solari.

THE WALTER AND PRUDENCE ABELL DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS: Kyle Cedrone & Anne Middleton.

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARD: Stella Chiari & Zach Gondelman.

’26, ’28

Head of School Chris Fortunato P

Commencement Speaker Dr. Timothy McCarthy.

COMMENCEMENT 2022

Thayer held its 144th Commencement exercises June 11 on the lawn of Main Campus, sending forth 119 graduates into a world that had already tested their resilience.

“We made it,” valedictorian Charlie Solari ’22 told classmates, expressing not only a justified sense of accomplishment but a sense of relief on behalf of a class that weathered the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 welcomed those in attendance and dispelled for graduates the “golden ticket theory” that some external force held the key to a graduate’s success. “It’s you,” he said. “You are the golden ticket. It has always been you.”

Dr. Timothy McCarthy, a Harvard professor and the inaugural scholar-in-residence at Thayer, served as Commencement speaker. At one point McCarthy told graduates to stand and applaud those friends and family in the audience whose love and sacrifice had made such a special day possible.

“Stand up for your people — the people who stand up for you,” he said.

In brief remarks, Upper School Director Highley Thompson P ’20, ’23 congratulated the 119 graduates but noted their everlasting bonds of friendship with Michael McHugh ’22, a classmate who died of cancer in 2017 at age 13.

Leo Breen ’22 gives the invocation.

Senior Speaker Ryan "Cooper" Mullen ’22

Rosbald Tejeda ’22 gives the benediction

Thayer Academy Class of 2022 College Matriculation

Babson College (2)

Bates College (2)

Belmont University

Boston College (6)

Boston University (3)

Brandeis University (2)

Brown University

Bryant University (2)

Bucknell University (3)

Chapman University

Claremont McKenna College

Clark University

Clarkson University

Clemson University (3)

Coastal Carolina University

Colgate University

College of the Holy Cross (7)

Colorado College (2)

Connecticut College (3)

Cornell University (2)

Dartmouth College

Denison University (2)

Fairfield University (2)

Florida Institute of Technology

Franklin & Marshall College

Gap Year

Hamilton College (2)

High Point University

Johns Hopkins University

Junior Hockey (2)

Keiser University

Merrimack College (2)

Miami University (Oxford)

Michigan State University

Middlebury College

Mount Holyoke College

New York University

Nova Southeastern University

Oglethorpe University

Paul Smith's College

Pennsylvania State University (2)

Providence College (5)

Regis College

Rochester Institute of Technology

Roger Williams University

Santa Clara University (3)

Sarah Lawrence College (2)

Savannah College of Art & Design

Southern Methodist University

St. Lawrence University (3)

Stonehill College

Suffolk University

Syracuse University (2)

Texas Christian University

The University of Tampa

Trinity College (2)

Union College

University of Central Florida

University of Chicago

University of Denver (3)

University of Massachusetts - Amherst (2)

University of Miami

University of Notre Dame

University of Pittsburgh

University of San Diego

University of San Francisco

University of Southern California

University of Wisconsin

Villanova University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

Wellesley College (2)

Wentworth Institute of Technology

West Virginia University

Jake Brini ’22

Lacrosse (Varsity, Captain), Basketball (Varsity), Benelli Writing Center Fellow, Lead Tour Guide, Jazz Combo, Model UN, Sustainability Club (Vice President), Disciplinary Committee, Mathletes

Hometown: Hingham

Attending: Brown University

Thayer is a school of “and,” not “or.” At Thayer, you can be a STEM student and a humanities student and an athlete and a musician and be involved on campus. Its people, scheduling, and culture make it possible for students to take advantage of every opportunity available to them.

Caroline Kendall ’22

Soccer (Varsity), Basketball (Varsity), Lacrosse (Varsity), Disciplinary Committee

Hometown: Westwood

Attending: Dartmouth College

Thayer taught me that two of the biggest keys to success are time management and hard work. Playing a competitive sport each season alongside challenging academic classes may seem difficult to accomplish, but as long as you put the work in, it’s very possible.

Stella Chiari ’22

Volleyball (Varsity, Captain), Stage Manager, Peer Advisor, Peer Tutor, Voice Magazine, Global Scholar, Mock Trial (Captain), Benelli Writing Center Fellow, OMEGA, Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder, Disciplinary Committee, Lead Tour Guide

Hometown: Braintree

Attending: Wellesley College

Thayer’s hallmark is the connection between students and teachers. There is a vast network of teachers who have supported me, prepared me for college, and will continue to stay invested in me and my future.

Rosbald Tejeda ’22

Cross Country (Varsity, Captain), Basketball (Varsity, Captain), Track & Field (Varsity, Captain), OMEGA Board Member, Peer Advisor

Hometown: Milton

Attending: Bates College

Having transferred to Thayer my junior year, I can easily say that It has felt like I’ve been here for four years after only having been here for two. The Thayer community has an inclusive nature.

ATHLETICS

EVA CHOUINARD

NCAA Student-Athletes

FROM THE CLASS OF 2022

These 23 Thayer student-athletes are playing NCAA sports around the country this year.

CAITLIN FITZGERALD

ELIZABETH

CAROLINE KENDALL

DECLAN LOUGHNANE

CAROLINE

TRINITY COLLEGE

MCCARTHY

Track & Field TRINITY COLLEGE

Lacrosse BOSTON UNIVERSITY

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

UNIV. OF NOTRE DAME

Basketball BABSON COLLEGE

Hockey

STONEHILL COLLEGE

AIDAN DOYLE

ANNA KENNEY

CHLOE CLIFFORD

MARGARET DUGAN

Track & Field WELLESLEY COLLEGE

Lacrosse

BABSON COLLEGE Cross Country

CONNECTICUT COLLEGE

Lacrosse

BELLA MILANO

Track & Field CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE

BROOKE MCLOY

BOSTON COLLEGE

SAMUEL OKUNLOLA

Football UNIV. OF PITTSBURGH

BROOKE MULRONEY

UNIV. OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

BOWMAN SCHNEIDER

Swimming ST. LAWRENCE UNIV.

MARGARET SULLIVAN

HAMILTON COLLEGE

MORRISON

Lacrosse BRYANT UNIVERSITY

JACKSON PALLADINO

Soccer MERRIMACK COLLEGE

ROSBALD TEJEDA

Track & Field BATES COLLEGE

COLLIN WHITMORE TED WILSON

Lacrosse COLORADO COLLEGE

Lacrosse UNIV. OF DENVER

Lacrosse ST. LAWRENCE UNIV.

Griff Gibbs ’22

Alena Mulhern ’23

Charlie Gavin ’24

Bethany Sanon ’24

Collin Whitmore ’22

Anthony Frank ’22, George Ubertalli ’22, John Cronin ’23, and Conor Mannion ’23

Henry Fan ’24

The girls varsity track & field team went undefeated ... again. The team featured many all-league athletes, broke two school records, and captured the ISL Championship for the 21st year in a row. In addition, after winning the NEPSTA DII Championship for 22 consecutive years, the squad moved up and beat the odds, winning the NEPSTA D1 Championship.

Eli Kream ’23

Brooke McLoy ’22

The girls varsity soccer team posted a 12-3 regular-season record and earned the opportunity to compete in the NEPSAC Class A playoffs. Team MVP honors went to Emily Pimentel ’24 while Shea O’Neill ’23 and Taryn Madsen ’24 each received the Coaches Award. This year’s squad was led by head coach Nick Rugnetta ’07 and assistant coaches Kiley Horne ’08 and Heidi Brown.

The 2022 Girls Varsity Soccer Team

Nina Mathelus ’27

(L-R): Tess Meyers ’23, Christine Oar ’23, Millie Smith ’23

Brady Monturio ’23

On October 31, 2022, Samson Okunlola ’23 accepted an invitation to play in the All-American Bowl - the first Thayer Tiger to receive the honor. Scan the QR code to see a short video of the occasion. Congratulations, Samson!

(L-R) Mariella Richards ’24, Annabel McNamara ’25, Alexa Adams ’25, Rileigh Murphy-Morris ’25, Lillian Heaton ’25, Megan Corry ’24, Kylie Bogar ’23, Catelyn Devaney ’24, Assistant Coach Laura Wilson

(L-R) Luke Driscoll ’25, Peter Chen ’23, Evan Schneider ’25, Ryan Noreke ’24, John Brice ’25

Olivia Walker ’23

Samson Okunlola ’23

NEW NARRATIVES IN THE GALLERY

“Interpret, engage, reminisce, critique my work. Access and question what has been presented, allow yourself to be a part of the painting. Dissect it until you have nothing but questions and selffulfilling answers. Allow yourself to find comfort in not knowing and maybe not understanding.”

- DESTINY PALMER

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Message to the viewer: My work generates a conversation of confusion or acceptance. I paint because it is sometimes the only thing that makes sense. It describes both a mental and physical space. Layers of space and lines represented by forms of color that are geometric and organic are represented on one surface. These layers create a space that becomes unlimited regardless of physical scale. The intention of my work serves two purposes. The paintings become the vehicle for my own personal experiences, through the exploration and understanding of my visual language. They strive to become an access point for an audience less likely to engage with “fine art” yet inclined to respond and engage through an invitation of color.

MIDDLE SCHOOL ARTS FACULTY DESTINY PALMER HELD THE FIRST EXHIBIT SINCE THE DEDICATION OF THE KAREN & TED KOSKORES GALLERY

Artist Destiny Palmer is trained as a painter, but her work explores the intersections of painting, history, and color, allowing it to blur the lines of painting, sculpture, and installation. Her work investigates Colonial American history as it relates to her own identity as a Black woman. Her paintings respond gesturally, and the fabric works rely on materials to navigate conceptual ideas. While Palmer’s studio work is generated from personal histories, her public art is a reclamation of space.

In the past few years, hands have shown up in her work. They are literal and symbolic references to labor. Hands have been at the center of decisionmaking, wealth, slavery, motherhood, etc. Hands nurture and hands harm. “When I started using hands, I wanted to talk about greed. When reading about America’s beginning, so much of it was around greed. Claiming land, people, goods, and for no other purpose but to have it. That resonated with me because nothing has changed. All of the hands used are genderless, ageless, and not grabbing any particular thing.”

Yuyang (Tony) Yin ’25

Katelyn Sentnor ’24

Katie Holmes ’24

Jaden Smith ’24

Simone Tempel ’25

Charlie Gavin ’24

Alenka Cetkovic ’23

COLLAGE PROJECT

STUDIES IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Lauren Donovan ’27

Isabella Kahn ’27

Sidney Schneider ’27

Katie Cedrone ’27

William Bunn ’27

Lucy Hisenberg ’26

Tessa Harper ’26

Ciara Holland ’26

Connor Keleher ’28 and Genevieve Yarde ’29

The full cast and crew of the Middle School plays

Austin Archabal ’27

William Bunn ’27 and Aashrita Joga ’27

Hannah Currie ’28

Brian Pickel ’26 and Jack McDonough ’27

William Bunn ’27

Jess Case ’26, Ella Aiello ’26, and Paige Johnson ’26

Johnny Cronin ’23 and Ryker Gibson ’22

First Last ’23

(L-R) Annabel McNamara ’25, Isabella Rivera ’23 (seated), Demi Kroumpouzos ’22, and Amanda Fogel ’23

(L-R) Aarya Vaghela ’25, Mia Matos ’23, Virginia Thompson ’23, and Sabrina Zeoli ’24

Demi Kroumpouzos ’22

Clare LaMattina ’24

Special alumna guest Olivia Noreke ’21

Jane Richard ’24

Ryan Noreke ’24

Kevin Wu ’22

Catherine Sheehan ’24

Backstage (L-R): Meg Dugan ’22, Chloe Clifford ’22, Anna Kester ’22, Eloise Daniello ’22, Julia Pickel ’22, Ryan Noreke ’24, Leo Eschauzier ’23, Arjun Sohur ’22, Tatiana Allen ’23 & Jeff Browne P ’04, ’05

Julia Pickel ’22

Chloe Clifford ’22 & Ryan Chiari ’22

2022 THAYER LEGACY PHOTO

FRONT ROW (L-R): Judith Bryant Hale ’56 GP ’22, Caroline Kendall ’22, Michael Mignosa ’89 P ’22, ’25

SECOND ROW (L-R): Julia Pickel ’22, Amy Ryder Pickel ’94 P ’22, ’26, Caroline Lally ’22, Greg Lally ’92 P ’22, ’25, ’26, ’28, Kevin Mignosa ’22

THIRD ROW (L-R): Jeffrey Pickel ’95 P ’22, ’26, Dylan McDonough ’22, Will Rooney ’22

FOURTH ROW (L-R): Brendan McDonough ’87 P ’18, ’22, Lisa Forger Rooney ’88 P ’17, ’22, Brett Collins ’22, Matthew Collins ’89 P ’22

NOT PICTURED: Lori Pasqualucci Gaffey ’79 P ’20, ’22, Jack Gaffey ’22, Michelle Dickinson Goldthwaite ’83 P ’13, ’16, ’19, ’22, Noah Goldthwaite ’22

THE GENERAL'S COUNCIL RECEPTION AND DEDICATION OF THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDING - NOVEMBER 16, 2022

This year the 25th annual General’s Council Reception also served as dedication ceremonies for Thayer’s new Middle School building, allowing guests to see the state-of-the-art facility firsthand. Board of Trustees Chair Michael Joe P ’17, ’20 offered welcoming remarks as did Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 and Middle School Director Galen Hamann.

Dr. Joshua Bennett, a Dartmouth professor who currently serves as a scholar-in-residence at Thayer and has been working with both Middle School and Upper School students on their poetry, introduced five eighth graders — Quentin Brown, Katie Cedrone, Compton Jones, Sage Rudnick, and Zoe Rudolph — who read their original works in the Forum, the Middle School’s new gathering space (see page 61 for photos and the text of one of the poems).

The already memorable event ended with a sublime performance by famed violinist Charlie Castleman ’57, whose rendition of Recitative and Scherzo (for unaccompanied violin) by Fritz Kreisler capped off a night of celebration and gratitude.

The General’s Council Reception is an annual event recognizing leadership donors to Thayer Academy.

Board of Trustees Chair Michael Joe P ’17, ’20 gives welcoming remarks

Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 offers his remarks during the ceremony.

Cutting the ceremonial ribbon to open the new Thayer Academy Middle School are, from left: Trustee Rob DeMarco '86 P '19, '21, '26; Board of Trustees Chair Michael Joe P '17, '20; Head of School Chris Fortunato P '26, '28; Middle School Director Galen Hamann; and Chief Financial and Operations Officer Julaine McInnis.

From left: Anne McCusker Peirce ’55 GP ’25, ’28, Michelle Peirce P ’25, ’28, Nicole Arnold P ’24, ’25, and Caroline Kuhlman P ’25, ’28

Deb Budde P ’10, ’12 at left, and Jane McCarthy, executive assistant to the head of school, engage in conversation.

From left: Gordon Pulsifer P ’15, Annellen Pulsifer P ’15, Whitney Pulsifer, Middle School Director Galen Hamann, Michael Pulsifer ’15, and Brenton Pulsifer

From left: TAPA President Martha McNally P ’22, ’24, ’27, with Heidi & Coleman Barry P ’26, ’28

Dr. Joshua Bennett, a Dartmouth professor and a scholar-in-residence at Thayer, reads one of his poems.

Violinist Charlie Castleman ’57 performs.

As part of the evening, five eighth graders were invited to share their own “Owed” poems. Read one of these poems (by Compton Jones

on the right.

Owed to that Park Behind the Library

BY COMPTON JONES ’27

Hidden, traveled upon by many but only for necessity. Ripples gracing the pond like silk, the geese who turn a quiet path into Times Square, archaic, mossy bridges begging to have their history told but no one notices these things. Hurried by the hectic, dull, wonderfully dissonant chaos we call life, worried by the world resting on their aching shoulders, No one breathes. What if there was a place where everything pauses just for a moment.

Quentin Brown ’27

Katie Cedrone ’27

Compton Jones ’27

Sage Rudnick ’27

’27)

Zoe Rudolph ’27

50th Reunion - Class of 1970 - Front Row (L-R): Sioux Earle, Laura Shea, Laurajean Yurkstas McDonald, John Hickey, Karen Starr, David McCormack, Michael Huller, and Frances Wentworth; Back Row (L-R): Craig Sanderson, Mary-Ann Hennessey Bailey, Ted Koskores, Marcia Brandenburg Martinson, and Donald Smith

(L-R) Erin Lyall ’97, Erica Cashman Shevlin ’96, Elizabeth Shevlin Seita ’96, Neala Lee Martin ’97

(L-R) Emily Humphrey Noble ’07, Taylor Trudeau Koch ’07, and Kristen Vassalotti Slusarz ’07

Lori Watson ’90 and Jim Fitzpatrick ’72 P ’04, ’12 on the dance floor

50th Reunion - Class of 1971 - Front Row (L-R): Kevin Harrington, Kurt Shulte, Bruce Minevitz, Linda Belton, Michael Shea, Linda Sorkin, Kathy Fiorini DiGiusto, Bruce Wood, John McCluskey; Back Row (L-R): Jay Cashman, Mark Barry, Doug Briggs, Charles Cavanagh, Dan Sullivan, Stephen Cohen, and Stephan Coan

50th Reunion - Class of 1972 - (L-R) Charlie Paris, Philip Field, Chuck Bailey, Diane Ciaccio, Candace Ford ’73, Arthur George, Jim Fitzpatrick, Michael Cappellano

(L-R) Alexandre Mouchati ’05, Kristin Gabriel Cronin ’05, Patrick Maloney ’05, Sarah Niles Gadbois ’05, Christopher Howard ’06, Tim Roche ’05, Sandra McCurdy ’05, Yusef Khan ’05, Kevin Sirois ’05

Watch a short recap video of Reunion 2022

Friday & Saturday | May 6-7, 2022

Held this past May, Reunion 2022 was the first of its kind, bringing together classes ending in 0,5,1,6, 2, and 7 to celebrate their Thayer connections. While initially spurred on by delayed reunions caused by the pandemic, the celebration was a huge success, with a record number of nearly 600 alumni in attendance.

The tradition of recognizing the special accomplishments of alumni from the year’s reunion classes continued. Given the combined nature of the 2022 reunion, the Thayer Academy Alumni Association honored several alumni at their luncheon. Receiving the Alumni Achievement Award were Lis Tarlow ’66 and Erin Lyall ’97. Receiving the Alumni Humanitarian Award were

Beatrice Ruth (Aldrich) Nelson ’62 (posthumously) and Tanisha Sullivan ’92. Seana Kelley ’80 P ’07, ’09 received the association’s Alumni Loyalty Award.

The alumni association also recognized Grade 6 Faculty Member Sarah Corey P ’15, ’18, who retired that spring after 18 years of teaching at the Middle School.

Michael Tesauro ’17, Tommy Zhen ’17, Will Englander ’17, Matt Gilbert ’17, and Braden Joe ’17

Former Thayer History Faculty Norma Atkinson GP ’07, ’11, ’16 shares a smile with Rob Lally ’86.

Arthur George ’72 and Soteria George

Tanisha Sullivan ’92

Lis Tarlow ’66

Erin Lyall ’97

Seana Kelley ’80 P ’07, ’09

Read the program with bios of all award winners

2022 INDUCTEES TO THE THAYER SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Tiger pride was front and center Oct. 14 as the Thayer Sports Hall of Fame inducted four individuals and three teams as its Class of 2022.

The ceremonies, which were held on the eve of Homecoming in Cahall Dining Hall, featured good friends and great stories as classmates, teammates, and family members gathered to recognize the Hall’s latest inductees. The individuals honored that night were Greg Apostol ’81 (Soccer, Ice Hockey, Track & Field); Jed Sheehan ’96 (Soccer, Ice Hockey); Lauren Medici ’00 (Field Hockey, Track & Field, Gymnastics); and Mike Jones ’03 (Basketball, Track & Field). The teams recognized were the 1968 varsity football team, the 1970-71 varsity wrestling team, and the 1971-72 varsity wrestling team.

“Tonight, we celebrate the best of the best,” said Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28, who welcomed guests that evening. He congratulated the Hall of Fame members for reinforcing “an identity and culture which puts character first.”

Athletic Director Bobbi Moran echoed those comments, telling the audience that talent doesn’t go very far without teamwork. “We are incredibly grateful to be celebrating this class of inductees,” she said.

Apostol, who played varsity hockey all four years at Thayer and earned ISL

All-League honors in his last three, thanked his parents, his coaches, and his teammates.

“You don’t land here without the support of so many people,” Apostol said.

Sheehan, who was both a standout soccer and hockey player at the Academy, earned the prestigious ISL MVP Award in soccer during his senior year. He called Thayer “a special place” and noted that, as a freshman hockey player, the older players took him under their wing.

“They showed me how to play, how to practice, how to compete,” he said. “Without great teammates, you don’t go far.”

A three-sport athlete at Thayer, Medici served as a captain of the field hockey, gymnastics, and track teams before competing in both cross country and track & field at Dartmouth College.

“I would have never become who I am without this school,” said Medici of her Thayer experience.

Jones, who scored more than 2,000 points in his Thayer basketball career and broke records as a member of the Academy’s track and field teams, went on to play basketball at the University of Maryland and then professionally overseas. He now serves as head coach of Thayer’s varsity boys basketball team and varsity boys track & field squad.

“I’m so grateful for my journey,” said Jones, who told those gathered that he fell in love with basketball at the age of 7. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Jeff Bone ’69 spoke on behalf of the 1968 football team.

“It was a fun season,” said Bone, displaying a gift of understatement, before explaining that the 1968 team boasted a 7-0 record, scoring a total of 304 points and allowing just 22.

Jim Fitzpatrick ’72 and Mike Latessa ’73 spoke about the wrestling teams, with much of the praise reserved for their beloved head coach, the late Bill Smith.

“He was such a nice guy and he made the sport fun,” said Fitzpatrick of Smith. “We loved our coach.”

And Latessa noted that, given the demanding nature of the sport, it’s not really a sport for those without passion and commitment.

“Wrestling is not a fun sport if you don’t love it,” said Latessa.

Established in 1991, the Thayer Academy Sports Hall of Fame recognizes Thayer alumni who have left their marks on the school through their spirit of athletic determination and their qualities of perseverance, cooperation, sportsmanship, and courage.

Greg Apostol ’81 Jed Sheehan ’96

Lauren Medici ’00 flanked by Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 and Athletic Director Bobbi Moran

Mike Jones ’03 flanked by Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 and Athletic Director Bobbi Moran

Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 and Athletic Director Bobbi Moran with members of the 1968 varsity football team

Head of School Chris Fortunato P ’26, ’28 and Athletic Director Bobbi Moran with members of the 1970-71 and 1971-72 varsity wrestling teams

Class Notes

Anne McCusker Peirce ‘55 GP ’25, ’28

Anne and classmates enjoyed a wonderful luncheon this summer on Cape Cod.

From left: Judy Tower Doe, Judy Scott Stolp, Dot Connell Stephenson, Anne McCusker Peirce, and Ginny Keith Marr.

(See photo above)

CLASS OF

1956

Judith Bryant Hale ’56

Judy's granddaughter, Caroline, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at Dartmouth College this fall.

CLASS OF

1959

Joyce DiBona ’59

Joyce writes, "Some of us were able to meet for our summer luncheon on the Cape this past July and shared some fun stories and

had a few laughs. Attending were: Ken Commoss, Bill Delahunt, Sue Rose and Dan Spurling, Art and Diane Rochelle, Sally Donner and Ken Briers, Linda Claff Bailit, Judy Grossman Molinsky, Mary Burke Terpak, George Nightingale, Ann Driscoll and Dick Beaumont, Margaret Porteus and Bill Heuss, and me. Ann Driscoll and Dick Beaumont traveled the farthest (California) and summer on the South Shore where Dick grew up. Mary Burke Terpak came up from Lovettsville, Virginia, while Sally Donner and Ken Briers were vacationing on the Cape.

Ken and Patty Commoss and I attended the dedication of the Norfolk Superior Courthouse as the William D. Delahunt Courthouse in Dedham. The event drew a group from the legislative and political Hall of Fame. Speakers included former Governor Michael Dukakis, former Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry, Senator Edward Markey, and several state judicial officials. The speakers’ tributes were many and described Bill as a visionary and a transformative public servant. Elected to Congress in 1996, Bill served seven terms on the House Judiciary Committee, becoming “one of the nation’s most

respected leaders for his combination of experience, intelligence, and willingness to work in a bipartisan fashion.”

William Delahunt ’59

Former Norfolk County District Attorney and United States Congressman William D. Delahunt was recognized by the naming of the Norfolk County Superior Courthouse in his honor. The William D. Delahunt Courthouse dedication celebration was held at the First Church and Parish in Dedham on Oct. 16, 2022. The William D. Delahunt Courthouse is a National Historic Landmark at 670 High St. in Dedham.

Delahunt ’59

WEARING HIS HEART ON HIS SLEEVE

Hurricane Ian tore through Florida this past September and left a wake of destruction, and unfortunately, the Sanibel Island home of John MacLennan ’62 was not spared. The house took seven inches of water for several hours and was deemed a total loss.

But MacLennan, a perennial school supporter known to wear his letterman sweater both on and off campus along with three of his best friends and fellow classmates, was able to retrieve some “important and emotional mementos” from the wreckage, including said letterman sweater.

“The house may be gone, but Thayer lives on in my heart … and on my shoulders,” wrote MacLennan.

Thayer’s Alumni House sent a care package to the loyal alum with a variety of items, including a new letterman’s sweater. File under: Thayer, Thayer, Forever.

Thomas Reardon ’64

During the 2022 Harvard Alumni Meeting in Harvard Yard, Tom was presented The Harvard Medal by Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow and HAA Executive Director Philip Lovejoy. President Bacow read the following citation: “With a clear vision, a collaborative mindset, and a sense of duty to your fellow Veterans, you have volunteered tirelessly to strengthen Harvard's military community, building an extraordinary network that supports thousands of Veterans on and off campus, eases their transition into civilian life, and honors their proud history of service and sacrifice.”

Congratulations to the 1968 varsity football team on its induction into Thayer Academy’s Sports Hall of Fame.

The 1960s were a time of amazing football teams at Thayer, and the 1968 varsity football team was one of its best. The team went undefeated and untied with a record of 7-0 while scoring 304 total points, averaging over 43 points per game, and allowing only 22 total points. Powerhouse programs like St. Sebastian’s, Avon Old Farms, and Tilton School were no match against the Tigers. The team was led by captains John Anthony ’69, James Shea ’69, and Barry Malinowski ’69. This team was yet another undefeated football team under Head Coach Arthur Valicenti ’51 P ’75, ’75, ’77 GP ’10, ’14 with his assistant coaches: Marshall Litchfield P ’78, Ted Lane, Bill Smith, and Louis Volpe P ’69 GP ’98 and the occasional Peter Benelli P ’75, ’80, ’81, GP ’09 who would assist sometimes after he took over as the headmaster in 1967. The team was a tight-knit group, and everyone supported each other. The team consisted of many individuals who are in the Thayer Sports Hall of Fame including Jeff Bone ’69, Barry Malinowski ’69, and Jay Cashman ’71 (See page 64-65).

Lisbeth Tarlow ’66

Lis received the Alumni Achievement Award at Thayer's Reunion Recognition Luncheon on Saturday, May 7, 2022 (See pp. 62-63)

Congratulations, Lis!

E. Warren Pierce III ’66 P ’03

Homecoming 2022! From left: Paula Lamson Brown ’66, Warren Pierce ’66 P '03, Bill McGrath ’66 P ’14, and Paul Samuelian ’66 P ’99. (See photo on the right)

Reardon ’64

MacLennan's Thayer sweater recovered from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Ted Koskores ’70 P ’10, ’13 Dedication ceremonies were held this past May during Reunion 2022 to officially name Thayer’s art gallery in honor of Karen & Ted Koskores ’70 P ’10, ’13.

And the newly retired couple — the former head of school and the former arts faculty and gallery director, respectively — accepted the honor much like they do everything else: as a team.

“This is wonderful for us because it is for both of us,” said Ted, who praised his wife’s commitment to making the space a center of excellence during her tenure as gallery director. “We could not be more appreciative.”

More than 50 donors gave in honor of Karen and Ted so that the gallery would forever bear their name.

Ted’s official portrait also now hangs with other heads of school on the wall of Southworth

Congratulations to the 1970-71 and 1971-72 varsity wrestling teams on their induction into Thayer Academy’s Sports Hall of Fame. The 1970-71 and 1971-72 varsity wrestling teams were two monumental teams that built the foundation for Thayer wrestling. In 1968, the wrestling program was reinstated by then Athletic Director Arthur Valicenti ’51

P ’75, ’75, ’77 GP ’10, ’14 and head coach Bill Smith. These two teams were a part of a successful six-year run of both individual and team championships. From 1970 to 1975, these teams all had individual New England Champions: the 1970-71 team had four student-athletes who were or would go on to be individual New England Champions while the 1971-72 team had five. In 1971, Thayer saw its first New England Champion crowned in Jay Cashman ’71. In 1972, Jay Silva ’74 earned the same title and kicked off a string of multiple New England champions throughout the following seasons. The 1970-71 team was led by captains Paul Pape ’71, Bill Tobin ’71, and Jay Cashman ’71, and the 1971-72 team was led by captains Jim Fitzpatrick ’72 and Dave Rega ’72. Head Coach Bill Smith, a graduate of Harvard who passed away during the pandemic, was beloved by many of his former wrestlers. “Coach” was a highly regarded figure as a teacher and a coach at Thayer, and his name lives on with the naming of the William Smith Wrestling Center, which is located in the Tiger’s Den on campus (See page 64-65).

Seana Kelley ’80 P ’07, ’09

Seana received the Alumni Loyalty Award at Thayer's Reunion Recognition Luncheon on Saturday, May 7, 2022 (See pp. 62-63) Congratulations, Seana, and thank you for your years of dedication to the Alumni Association Board!

Gregory Apostol ’81

Congratulations to Greg on his induction into Thayer Academy's Sports Hall of Fame for his outstanding history of balancing academics with high athletic achievement in ice hockey, soccer, and track & field. (See page 64).

1983 CLASS

Michelle Dickinson Goldthwaite ‘83

P ’13, ’16, ’19, ’22 Michelle's son, Noah, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at Connecticut College this fall.

Lori Pasqualucci Gaffey ’79 P ’20, ’22 Lori's son, Jack, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at Fairfield University this fall.

Koskores ’70

CLASS OF

1986

Andrea Smithson Dargie ’86 P ’24

Andrea's son, Kyle, joined Thayer's Upper School this fall as an 11th grader.

CLASS OF

1987

Brendan McDonough ’87 P ’18, ’22

Brendan's son, Dylan, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at the College of the Holy Cross this fall.

CLASS OF

1988

Kelley Doyle ’88 & Kelley Tuthill ’88

Kelley enjoyed catching up with Kelley Tuthill ’88 and former faculty members Dan Levinson and Peter Lindsay. See photo below.

Lisa Forger Rooney ’88 P ’17, ’22 Lisa's son, Will, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at Providence College this fall.

CLASS OF

1989

Anthony Amonte ’89

After 12 seasons at Thayer, Tony is returning to the NHL. In September 2022 he stepped down as head coach of the Tigers to become a scout for the Florida Panthers. Tony's teams played to a record of 155-117-15-13 in his time at Thayer while going to two NEPSAC finals and winning in 2015-16. That finalswinning team went 20-8-1-2 during the season.

Michael Mignosa ’89 P ’22, ’25

Michael's son, Kevin, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at Bryant University this fall.

Matthew Collins ’89 P ’22 Matt's son, Brett, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at the University of Denver this fall.

CLASS OF

1991

Joshua Cohen ’91 P ’24, ’27

Josh was recently named a Top Financial Security Professional by Forbes for 2022. He started Legacy Financial Group, a branch of Northwestern Mutual, in 2020. He believes creating a successful, powerful legacy comes down to making the right strategic decisions around your vision, your wealth, and your business. His mission is to help businesses and individuals create financial security for generations to come. Legacy Financial Group thrives on building meaningful relationships that last a lifetime.

Kelley Masella Beck ’91 P ’27

Kellee's daughter, Olivia, joined Thayer's Middle School this fall as an 8th grader.

CLASS OF

1992

Dave Hymovitz ’92

Congratulations to Dave on his new role at Thayer as head coach of the boys varsity hockey team. See photo below.

Michael Piscitelli ’92

Michael worked as Line Producer on the TV series People Magazine Investigates, which was credited by police for solving a cold case murder. The show premiered on Monday, June 6, 2022, on Investigation Discovery.

Greg Lally ’92 P ’22, ’25, ’26, ’28 Greg's daughter, Caroline, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at Trinity College this fall.

Tanisha Sullivan ’92

Congratulations to Tanisha on receiving the Alumni Humanitarian Award at Thayer's Reunion Recognition Luncheon on Saturday, May 7, 2022 (see pp. 62-63), and the Freedom Award from

Hymovitz ’92

Kevin Koch & Taylor Hamilton-Trudeau ’07 (05.21.22)

David Prendergast ’11 & Casey Mathews (06.24.22)

Nadia Byrnes & Paul Monahan ’10 (07.30.22)

Pat Noble & Emily Humphrey ’07 (07.16.22)

Mike Reardon & Madison Chambers ’12 (06.11.22)

Roberto Cordero ’08 & Emely Cordero (07.05.22)

John Kavolius & Julia Daly ’00 (10.14.22)

Carrie Bertelson & Eric Crawley ’99 (08.27.22)

Freedom House, which serves as a haven for communities of color by providing education, technological, and capacitybuilding programs and services in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan. See photo below.

David Rudnick ’93 P ’27 Dave's daughter, Sage, joined Thayer's Middle School as an 8th grader this fall.

1997

Sara Conahan ’97

CLASS OF

1994

Amy Ryder Pickel ’94 P ’22, ’26 Amy's daughter, Julia, graduated from Thayer as part of the Class of 2022 and started at Mount Holyoke College this fall.

1995

Jeffrey Pickel ’95 P ’22, ’26 See Amy Ryder Pickel ’94, above.

Kelly Amonte Hiller ’92

Kelly received an exceptional honor at the 2022 Tewaaraton Award Ceremony. She received the Tewaaraton Legends Award at an event held at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, on June 2, 2022. Kelly, head coach of the Northwestern women's lacrosse team, is the winningest coach in NCAA Tournament history.

Jennifer Jensen ’92

See the profile of Jennifer on p. 30.

CLASS OF

1993

Julianne Ward Mahoney ’93 & Michael Mahoney ’93 P ’26, ’28

This fall, Julianne and Mike's daughter, Mikaela, started in Thayer's Upper School as a 9th grader, and their son, Connor, started in the Middle School as a 7th grader.

Christine Rizzo ’95 P ’29 Christie's daughter, Maisie, started at Thayer's Middle School as a 6th grader this fall.

Sara was married to Kevin McGee on May 28, 2022, at St. Cecilia's Parish followed by a beautiful reception at The Newbury Boston. Her sister, Jess Conahan Leaver ’00, stood as the maid of honor.

Erin Lyall ’97

Erin received the Alumni Achievement Award at Thayer's Reunion Recognition Luncheon on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Congratulations, Erin! See pp. 62-63 for Reunion 2022 coverage.

Julie Lammers ’97

Julie joined Interplay Learning's “Better Careers, Better Lives” podcast to discuss how we get students on track for career success starting with career exploration in K-12.

Matthew Thayer ’97

Matt and Meredith’s Milton home was featured in the Boston Globe’s Your Home Small Spaces section titled “A designer creates more storage space in her family’s Colonial without an addition.” “I believe that you can live comfortably, even wonderfully, if you’re a little bit thoughtful and organized,” says Meredith.

CLASS OF

1996

Jed Sheehan ’96

Congratulations to Jed on his induction into Thayer Academy's Sports Hall of Fame for his outstanding history of balancing academics with high athletic achievement in soccer and ice hockey (See page 64).

Matthew Salloway ’96

See the profile of Matthew on p. 26.

CLASS OF

1999

Meredith Scarlata Thayer ’99

See Matthew Thayer ’97, above.

Kathryn Lambert Conover ’99 P ’28

Kathryn's son, Justin, joined Thayer's Middle School this fall as a 7th grader.

Lynn McConnell Kealty ’99 P ’28

Lynn's daughter, Lydia, joined Thayer's Middle School this fall as a 7th grader.

Sullivan ’92

Eric Crawley ’99

Eric (fourth from right in photo below) married Carrie Bertelson on August 27, 2022, in Des Moines, Iowa. The groomsmen included best man and brother Jonathan Kilmer ’06 (third from right); and Richard Shay ’99 (far left). See p. 70 for a photo of the bride and groom.

2002

Kendra King ’02

2004

Brandon Odom ’04

2000 Crawley

’99

Lauren Medici ’00

Congratulations to Lauren on her induction into Thayer Academy's Sports Hall of Fame for her outstanding history of balancing academics with high athletic achievement in field hockey, track & field, and gymnastics (See p. 64).

Allison Kent Trumbull ’00

Congratulations to Allison on starting a new job as Counsel in the Financial Services Group at Dechert LLP.

Ashley Porter Walsh ’00 P ’29

Kendra was selected as the 2022 Last Hurrah! alumni speaker. She welcomed the seniors into the Thayer Academy Alumni Association and gave words of encouragement as they embarked on the next chapter of their lives. See photo above

2003

Mike Jones ’03

Congratulations to Mike on his induction into Thayer Academy's Sports Hall of Fame for his outstanding history of balancing academics with high athletic achievement in basketball and track & field.

Mike was also named this year's head coach for boys varsity basketball (See page 28 for the alumni profile on Mike as well as p. 64 for Hall of Fame coverage).

Congratulations to Brandon on becoming the Head of the Middle School at The Fessenden School, a boarding and day school for boys, Pre-K - 9, in West Newton.

2005

Michaela Healey Robbins ’05

Marigold Joy Robbins was born on August 12 to Michaela Healey ’05 and Dave Robbins. Big brother Noah has reported for duty and is taking his new job very seriously.

Joseph Rosano ’06

Joe started a new position as Vice President at Ares Wealth Management Solutions of Boston.

Ashley Jaundoo Oguadimma ’06

Congratulations to Ashley on becoming the President and COO at Quality Interactions, Inc.

Elizabeth Tillotson ’07

Liz was married to Matthew Lynch on September 3, 2022, in Milton at the Tillotson Barn. Close friend and classmate Shanaz Kerr Krygier ’07 was in her bridal party.

Julia Daly ’10

Congratulations to Julia on her wedding to John Kavolius on Friday, October 14, 2022, on Nantucket. (See wedding photo on p. 70)

Paul Monahan ’10

Paul married Nadia Byrnes July 30, 2022, in Portland, Maine. (See wedding photo on p. 70) In attendance were James Whatley '10, Jared Nash '10, Sean Monahan '07 (Best Man), Kathy Cunningham RN, MSN P '07, '10 (Mother of the Groom and Thayer's Director of Health Services), Thayer Arts Faculty Steven Branfman P '00, '02, and Nic Taylor '10. (See photo below.)

Emily Humphrey ’07

Emily married Pat Noble on July 16, 2022, at the Connemara House Farm in Topsfield. Among her bridesmaids were Kristen Vassalotti Slusarz ’07, Taylor Trudeau Koch ’07, and her sisters, Sarah ’01 and Jenny ’03

Malin King ’07

Malin was married to Rebecca Rowe on September 4, 2022, in Hood River, Oregon.

Taylor Trudeau Koch ’07

Taylor married Kevin Koch on May 21, 2022, in New Seabury on Cape Cod. (See wedding photo below and on p. 70)

Roberto Cordero ’08

Congratulations to Roberto on his marriage to Emely Cordero on July 5 in Lake Como, Italy. (See photo on p. 70)

Matthew Evans ’08

Congratulations to Matt on his promotion to National Scout for the New England Patriots’ college scouting department.

Rachael Prendergast ’09

Congratulations to Rachael on her engagement to Pat Hitschler.

Kelsey Johnson ’09

Kelsey married Mike Abrahams on September 9, 2022, on Nantucket. (See wedding photo on p. 70)

Abimbola Cole ’11

Congratulations to Abimbola for starting a new position as Adjunct Professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in addition to her role as Scientific Director, Safety Evaluation & Risk Management (SERM) at GSK.

Brad Peterson ’11

Congratulations to Brad on his promotion to Associate Athletic Director at Thayer Academy.

Trudeau Koch ’07

Christopher Tasiopoulos ’11

Congratulations to Chris on his promotion to Vice President of Business Development at Treya Partners of Boston.

Bridget Darling ’11

Bridget married Jack Henson on September 17, 2022, at their family home on Cape Cod. They were joined walking down the aisle by friends and family, including Bridget's brother Tom ’09 and sisters Janine ’03 and Rosie ’14 along with Rachael Walker ’11, Maeve Sussek ’11, and Melissa Piacentini ’12

David Prendergast ’11

Congratulations to David on his marriage to Casey Mathews on June 24, 2022, at the Wychmere Beach Club. (See wedding photo on p. 70)

OF

2012 CLASS

Madison Chambers ’12

Madison was married to Mike Reardon on June 11, 2022, on Nantucket with a ceremony at St. Mary's followed by a reception at Great Harbor Yacht Club.

Joseph Argus ’12

Congratulations to Joe on his engagement to Taylor Morley.

Jaclyn Flaherty Baglini ’12

Elizabeth Johnson ’13

Lizzy married fellow Gettysburg College alum Kevin Olson this summer in Cohasset. Several Thayer alumni were in attendance, including: Stephanie Van Fleet ’13, Abby Hogan ’13, Rob Johnson ’08, Kevin Olson, Liv Baker ’13, and Shane Gallagher ’13. Bottom row: Alyssa Creager ’13, Amy MacDonald ’13, Olivia Lau ’13, Emily Weinberg ’13, Lizzy Johnson ’13, Emily Thoi ’13, Meg Riley ’13, Michelle Blanken ’13, and Kenny Carberry ’08.

Committee (SAAC) President, she served as the student speaker at a special ceremony for student-athletes who missed their school graduations due to competition. She completed her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a double-minor in psychology and archaeology.

Grace O'Hare ’18

Congratulations to Grace on pursuing her Juris Doctor at Suffolk University Law School.

CLASS OF

Brittany Raphino ’19

Congratulations to Brittany on being named to Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week multiple times this season!

Neil Conway ’14

Congratulations to Neil on being awarded the “Next Big Thing” bronze after winning the 2022 John Hancock Investment Management Fast Start award.

Felicia Craffey ’14

Congratulations to Felicia, who received her Doctor of Dental Medicine Degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine on May 22, 2022.

CLASS OF

2018

Lauren Bennett ’18

Congratulations to Lauren as she received the Student-Athlete Leadership Award from George Washington University Athletics. As the Student-Athlete Advisory

CLASS OF

2021

Ally Sentnor ’21

Congratulations to Ally on being a member of the United States U-20 Women’s Youth National Team and scoring a goal against Ghana.

In Memoriam

Martha Bewick ’58

Former Trustee

Martha Reardon Bewick, age 81, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 20, 2022, at the Pat Roche Hospice Home in Hingham, MA. Martha led a joyous, vibrantly full life in constant connection with her family and many treasured friends from across the world. She embraced any opportunity to celebrate her loved ones, showering them with poetry and song, thoughtful gifts, and chocolate delicacies. She reveled in her Irish and German heritage, organizing Reardon, Cashman, and Leich family reunions at home and abroad, and singing Irish ballads and German Christmas carols with equal enthusiasm. She was known by all for her intellect, humanity, and sincere care for others. Friends and family often sought her out for her sound and wise advice or, if she was unavailable, pondered WWMD: “What would Martha do?”

Martha was the eldest child of the Hon. Paul Cashman and Ann Leich Reardon. She grew up in Quincy, MA, near to her grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Martha attended Thayer Academy and was very involved on

campus, having participated in chorus, art, and publications while playing field hockey and basketball. She graduated cum laude in 1958 and then later returned years later to serve as a Trustee. She was also awarded the Alumni Achievement Award in 1993, and then inducted into the Thayer Academy Sports Hall of Fame for her role on the 1957-58 girls varsity basketball team. After graduating from Thayer, Martha went on to earn a degree from Wellesley College.

Martha lived for several years in Cambridge before buying a wonderful bungalow on Otis Hill overlooking Hingham Harbor. She loved her home and happily shared it for 15 years with her late husband John A. Bewick. After college, following five years as a textbook editor at Houghton Mifflin, Martha became the Manager of Business and Transportation at the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. She managed the start-up of the Hinghamto-Boston commuter ferry and personally pursued its enhancement and viability until her death. That success resulted in Martha being appointed Associate Commissioner of the Massachusetts DPW by Governor Ed King. Simultaneously she was named Board Secretary of the International Marine Transit Association,

a position she held for more than 20 years, traveling the world on behalf of increased ferry service. In 1987, she founded Harbor Consultancy International, focusing on ferry system planning and design. Martha's firm belief in Hingham's vigorous ferry service prompted her and husband John to lead the fight against the development of the MBTA Greenbush train service to the South Shore as an over-expensive, unnecessary burden to the ferry system. They lost the battle but won the concession that the trains pass through Hingham Square in a tunnel. This past year, Martha was also asked to represent the Town of Hingham on the MBTA Advisory Board, to which she enthusiastically agreed in hopes of continuing to protect and champion the Boston Harbor ferry system she so believed in.

Along with her ferry transportation work, another of Martha's lifelong passions was music, and she found many venues through which to share her musical talents. She was a performer in the Cambridge Revels for many years and a cantor at St Paul's Church in Hingham for more than four decades. She was also a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Tanglewood Festival Chorus from 2006 to

Former Faculty & Staff

2022, and greatly enjoyed summers in the Berkshires while performing at Tanglewood. In her later years, Martha turned her focus to history, researching and writing a book for the Hingham Historical Commission. Tranquility Grove, The Great Abolitionist Picnic of 1844, published in 2018, detailed an extraordinary Hingham event at which an estimated 10,000 visitors gathered to hear the speeches of Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Wendell Phillips, all ardent abolitionists. Martha's book also suggested how the town could better maintain and interpret the land of Tranquility Grove in the future. At the time of her death, Martha was actively collaborating with landscape, history, and fundraising professionals on a plan to turn the grove into a significant historic site and park. Martha was a fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society and served on multiple nonprofit boards, including that of the Cambridge Revels, South Shore Conservatory, Thayer Academy, Pilgrim Society, and Plimoth Plantation.

She also remained very active within the alumnae organization of Wellesley College, maintaining regular contact with her many Wellesley peers as secretary of the Class of 1962. Just this past May, she helped to organize her class's 60th reunion. Her final words in her Wellesley class reunion book provide an apt summary of her active and empathetic approach to life: “my wish for us all is that we may enjoy blessed lives, and good health, and continue to contribute to shaping the good world.”

Martha was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Ann Reardon; siblings Bobby Reardon and Jane Reardon Labys ’62; and beloved husband, John A. Bewick. Martha is survived by her brothers Dave ’60 and Ginny Reardon of Culpeper, VA; Tom ’64 and Calder Reardon of Plymouth, MA; nieces Lottie Labys of Durban, South Africa; Polly Reardon of Culpeper, VA; Kate Reardon and Carley Massey of Malden, MA; Sarah Reardon of Washington, DC; and nephew Paul Labys and Jen Ritterhouse of Fairfax, VA. She is also survived by three stepchildren: John W. Bewick of Tewksbury, MA; Sarah Bewick of Lexington, MA; and Ben Bewick of Berkeley, CA.

Robert Horne Former Faculty Member

Robert Wesley Horne, 90, died peacefully on Sunday, May 8, at Pine Point Center in his beloved state of Maine. Bobby was born in Somerville, on Jan. 8, 1932. He was the son of Frank William Horne Sr. and Sadie (Roberts) and lived his childhood years at 6 Reservoir St. in Winchester. Bobby was predeceased by his elder brother, Frank (Bill) William Horne Jr., who died as a result of injury while serving his country in Germany during WWII.

Bobby graduated from Winchester High School in 1949 and Boston University in 1953. He then earned a master's in education at Tufts University. While at BU he was a coxswain for the BU Rowing Team. He began his career as an English teacher at Thayer Academy in Braintree. He then taught at Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord for 30 years. In the classroom, Bobby was that teacher who brought the learning to life with his quick wit and a syllabus that included life stories, as well as subscriptions to the Christian Science Monitor, the Boston Globe, and the New York Times. Bobby saw his role as teacher to be a supporter and champion of students, never demeaning, always eager to hear the stories of their lives. While at CCHS he helped start the Cross-Country Ski Club, the school radio and school newspaper, and his enthusiasm and innate gift for tennis made him a devoted tennis coach. Always a competitive player, Bobby was a familiar figure at the Town of Winchester Public Tennis Courts. On his day off from being a summer counselor at Camp Chewonki in Wiscasset, ME, he played tennis on Squirrel Island, ME, and that day was offered the job of tennis pro on the summer colony. He was the island's first tennis pro. It was during this time on Squirrel that Bobby bought the beloved “Parson's Cottage” which is now the Horne family cottage.

Bobby demonstrated his great love of theater, music, and writing in a multitude of venues - acting with the Concord Players and the Winchester Unitarian Players, singing with the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, and writing enough stories and poetry that he self-published two books, Solo Folio and I'm the Luckiest Guy: The Puckerbrush Poet of Boothbay Harbor, ME. In retirement, athletics remained a big part of Bobby's life. In the 1980s he took up cycling, riding for over 10 consecutive years in the epic RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. In addition,

he rode throughout California, Montana, and Maine with his biking buddies.

Later in life, Bobby moved from Massachusetts to Maine. First to “the puckerbrush farm” in Wiscasset and then to live on the water at the Carousel Apartments in Boothbay Harbor. Bobby loved living in Maine. He loved the seasons and people in the three seasons that are not summer. Whether on his moped or in his jaunty, red Fiat, Bobby was well known throughout both towns. He joyfully participated in the annual New Year's Eve Day Penguin Plunge, he wrote spirited letters to the Boothbay Register, took hundreds of sunset photos, and expounded on the beauty and the perfection that is the state of Maine to many friends and travelers alike. Bobby's biggest love and his true joy was always saved for his family.

Bobby was very proud of his three children, his grandchildren, and great grandchildren. They were always perfect: smart, accomplished, and could do no wrong. He took an active role as coach, spectator, driver, and supporter of all of their activities. He loved children, swimming in the ocean, and all dogs. Bobby is survived by his ex-wife, Prudence Goodrich (Morton) Horne; daughter, Sarah Horne and her husband, Alan Wilken of Stockbridge, MA; his son, Robert and his wife Nancy (McCormick) of Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA; his daughter, Prudence of San Diego, CA; and his grandchildren Meredith and Mathew Amann; Hannah and Harrison Wilken; great grandchildren Clayton and Cali Amann.

Sylvia Toussaint

Former Staff Member

Toussaint, Sylvia B. (Brassard), longtime resident of Weymouth, passed peacefully on Saturday, September 3, 2022, surrounded during her final days by her loving family. Born in 1936 in Berlin, NH, to the late George S. and Irene L. Brassard, Sylvia's entire life was centered on her family, faith, and friendships.

After losing her husband in 1975, Sylvia embarked on a 32-year career at Thayer Academy. She set a great example of strength, reliability, perseverance, and patience as she raised her young family while working full-time. As a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, she was constantly present for her family at every sporting event, recital, celebration, and

gathering. She was a weekly communicant at Sacred Heart Church in Weymouth and passed her faith on to her children. Her friendships were varied and numerous as she lived a very active lifestyle. In addition to her many friends from Thayer, Sylvia enjoyed being a member of the Weymouth Club, and she treasured her connection to the Friends of the Tufts Library; she understood the value of reading and education and volunteered for years. Indeed, she wielded a shovel at the groundbreaking of the new library.

Sylvia will be remembered for her grace, strength, convictions, as well as her adventurous spirit, accountability, and pride in family. She truly lived a wonderful life. Wife of the late John E. Toussaint, and loving mother of Janet Toussaint and her husband Scott Campbell of Plymouth, Jeffrey Toussaint ’82 and his wife Angela of Dedham, and Suzanne Landry ’85 and her husband John of Plymouth. Sister of the late Robert, Leon, Cecile Saucier, Regis and Anita, she was also proudest Mimi to Lindsay, John Paul, Brianna, Joseph, Meaghan, David, Julianne ’14, Catherine, and Christine and Great Mimi to Roman, Rocco, Siena, Isla, and Vivian. Her survivors include many nieces and nephews.

After graduation, Dick was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in 1946, which he had talked about attending since the fourth grade. Due a medical diagnosis, he was placed on inactive reserves and then proceeded to graduate from Boston University in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. He was recalled to active duty in late 1951 as part of an integrated Army/Navy/Marines ship-to-shore communication team in a destroyer/ cruiser convoy which deployed to the 38th Parallel, Korea, and then Japan. Dick was honorably discharged in late 1953 and then proceeded to travel to many countries in Europe and the Middle East for a year.

Beginning in 1955 and over a span of 37 years, he worked for General Electric and Black & Decker companies as an East Coast regional sales manager/salesman for their small appliance division. Dick loved getting to know other people and valued their life stories. Over the years, the joy of the Lord became his strength and song, his anchor and lighthouse. Dick, a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, did his very best in living out his life after God's loving character. He always marveled at God's goodness, His creation, the sunsets, and the breathtaking view of Penobscot Bay from his home.

While working for GE, he met and married the love of his life, Janice Meridith Pomfret of Woonsocket, R.I.

grandchild); son Andrew Christian Clapp (his four children); and daughter-in-law Sarah Clapp (her one child).

Lois Hatch ’45

Lois (Leggett) Hatch died on July 25th, 2022, at Equinox Terrace in Manchester, VT, after a long illness. Lois was born in Quincy, MA, to Robert and Constance (Stoner) Leggett on August 31, 1928. She grew up in Braintree, MA, and graduated cum laude from Thayer Academy where she was actively involved in the performing arts, publications, and was a member of the basketball team.

In 1949 she received her bachelor's degree from Smith College with a major in German. She was proficient in Spanish and French from youth and added Irish later in life. Lois got her master's degree from The Teacher's College of Columbia University and was credentialed in Early Childhood Education.

Charles Clapp ’44

Charles Richard (“Dick”) Clapp, 96, a resident of Stockton Springs since 1993, passed away peacefully on Sept. 10, 2022, at his home. Born June 21, 1926, in Weymouth, Mass., he was the middle son of the late Augustus Warren ’15 and Dorothy (Bower) Clapp ’17. He was preceded in death by his son, Charles Richard Clapp Jr., and two brothers, James Henry Clapp ’42 and Augustus Warren Clapp Jr. '49. There have been 12 generations of Clapps born in America, which began with the emigration of Thomas Clapp from England in 1634.

Dick grew up in Weymouth, Mass. He attended Thayer Academy in Braintree, Mass., where he was a three-sport athlete playing football, baseball, and basketball, and involved in student government and the performing arts.

Dick and Janice raised their family in Duxbury, Mass., where he loved the ocean, scuba diving, boating, spending time at the beach, and coaching youth hockey. He also actively served at St. John's Episcopal Church as senior warden. After retiring, he and Janice moved to Stockton Springs where he served on the Stockton Springs Shellfish Committee and with the Penobscot Bay Stewards. He had been involved with Promise Keepers International and a Christian Men's Breakfast Fellowship. He loved spending time with his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The world has lost a great, godly man, but heaven has gained one.

Dick is survived by Janice, his wife of 59 wonderful years; his daughter, Meridith (Clapp) Fessenden (son-in-law Tom, their five children, and six grandchildren); son Jonathan Warren Clapp (daughterin-law Fiona, his four children, and one

She taught at The Weekday School of Riverside Church in New York City, later was the director of Gardens Nursery School-Kindergarten on LaSalle Street, and finished her career consulting at the Bloomingdale Family Program on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

She met Christopher Hatch while they were graduate students at Columbia, and they were married in 1953. They maintained a home in NYC until 2002 when they moved entirely to their house in Dorset, VT. In Dorset, Lois volunteered at SVAC, at American Red Cross blood drives, and for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

Surviving Lois are her children Carol C. Hatch and James C. Hatch, her niece Stephanie Leggett Rando ’88 P ’18, ’20, and great nieces Samantha Rando ’18 and Eva Rando ’20. She is predeceased by her husband as well as her brother, Alan Leggett ’48

Martha Svenson

Shafer ’46

Martha Elizabeth Svenson

Kelly Shafer, age 94, of Arkport, New York, and Duxbury, passed peacefully at Updyke's Willow Ridge in Hornell on Nov. 16, 2022. She was born on March 6, 1928, to Carl L. and Dorothy M. (Slader) Svenson in Milton. Martha was raised in Milton and Duxbury. She spent 90 wonderful summers at her beloved family beach home in Duxbury with family and friends. In 1976, she married Herbert H. Shafer, who predeceased her. Besides her husband, Martha was predeceased by her parents.

Martha was educated in Milton public schools and was a proud high school graduate of Thayer Academy. She graduated from Simmons College and furthered her education at Pennsylvania State University before receiving a master's degree from Alfred University. Beginning her teaching career in Rhode Island, she taught home economics at Arkport Central School after moving to Western New York. She ended her teaching career at the Wildwood Campus of Steuben-Allegany BOCES in Hornell.

Martha enjoyed teaching her students the arts of cooking, sewing, and other handcrafts. Many remember her guidance and constructive criticism regarding their cooking and sewing projects and her advice on childcare and household management. Active in school, including Yorkers Club and community events, she was involved in the Arkport Presbyterian Church, especially after her retirement.

A talented seamstress, knitter, and crocheter, Martha loved to decorate her homes, to garden, and to entertain family and friends, especially at her beach house. Favorite pastimes included shopping, antiquing, and dining out. Always a bargain hunter and serious shopper, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and HomeGoods were favorite stops in her later years. She was always beautifully dressed and accessorized even in her 90s. At Updyke's, Martha was one of the best dressed women with her seasonal wardrobe changes.

Martha and her caregivers appreciated the excellent care she received at Updyke's Willow Ridge for several years. The staff was wonderful to Martha, and many became her friends, as did many of the residents.

She is survived by close friends and caregivers Beverly Crowell and Maribeth Crowell, cousins, and friends, including former students.

Richard Cole ’47

Richard F. Cole of Plymouth, Massachusetts, passed away on October 10, 2022, of old age. He was 92 at the time of his death. Born on January 27, 1930, Dick grew up in South Weymouth. He attended public school in South Weymouth up to 10th grade, and thereafter was sent by his long-suffering parents to Thayer Academy in Braintree for grades 11 and 12.

While at Thayer, both he and his best friend Bob Webster ’47 were avid football and baseball players, where they still hold records. In 1997, Dick and the ’47 Boys Varsity Baseball Team were inducted into Thayer Academy’s Sports Hall of Fame.

He attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, in 1947, but his restlessness and curiosity quickly led him to quit college and go to work at Harvard University followed by several years in the Air Force, stationed in Germany during the Korean War.

On April 26,1952, Dick married his childhood sweetheart Priscilla Webster ’46 who also happened to be the sister of his best friend, the aforementioned Bob (Web) Webster ’47. Priscilla and Dick had five children, eventually moving to North Marshfield on New Year's Eve 1959 where they raised their children.

Dick was a self-employed builder, mainly working in Duxbury where he built and renovated many beautiful homes. In the summers he would take jobs on the Cape, and the whole family would camp at Peter's Pond Park for the duration. When his children were young he worked seven

days a week to support his growing brood and Fred B Cole, the beagle, and Jennifer, the cat. They remember, however, that when he pulled in the driveway at the end of a long day, he would always come down to the field and join in whatever game they were playing - usually baseball or football. His sons remember being dragged to work at a young age so they could “learn the trade” -- even though college was in their future -- because he wanted them to have “something they could always do and earn money at.” Interestingly, all of his children are in some aspect of the building trades and three are self-employed, despite the college degrees. Dick was that way. He made an impression on young minds, especially Steve.

All of his life, Dick's passion was hockey. He followed the Bruins, never missing a game. His sons started playing hockey at age four, and he coached youth hockey for years and high school hockey when his sons Bob and Bill were at Marshfield High. Bob went on to play hockey for Norwich University and Bill received a full hockey athletic scholarship to Cornell University. He and Pris could always be found cheering them on in the stands. Right up to the end Dick was an avid follower of the Boston Bruins and the New England Patriots.

In 2002 they sold their home in North Marshfield to their middle son, Bill, and moved to Harwich following their dream of living on the Cape. In 2007, they moved into a comfortable apartment in their daughter Lynn's home on Priscilla's family's ancestral property belonging to the Basset family on Herring Way in Plymouth on Long Pond.

He is survived by his five children, Laura, Lynn, Bob, Bill, and Steve as well as his beloved grandchildren Elise, Brenna, Bradford, Anna, Will, and Victoria. Dad was a lover of life and a curious, friendly fellow. A special thanks to his caregiver Marie, who was with him until the end of a long and happy life.

John O'Brien ’48

John F. “Jack" O'Brien of Scituate died on the afternoon of September 6 surrounded by his family. He would have turned 95 on December 5 of this year.

Jack grew up in Quincy and was a skillful sailor, winning numerous awards racing small, two-man sailboats. He was a graduate of Thayer Academy and Boston University.

Around the time Jack was getting out of college, he met the love of his life, Barbara Drake, also from Quincy. They married in May of 1954, built a house on Cavanagh Road in Scituate, and moved in that same year. It was a home they loved, raised their children in, and lived their entire lives. Jack also completed Officer Candidate School with the Army National Guard and was appointed as a Reserve Commissioned Officer at the grade of Second Lieutenant from 1954 through 1961.

After graduating from BU and having majored in journalism, Jack joined his dad's publishing business, writing news stories and selling advertising space in a weekly business publication titled Paper Mill News. He then joined a large publishing firm in the early 1960s, and in 1971 became publisher of PaperAge magazine - a business-to-business trade magazine that continues to be published today by sons John and Michael. Jack's business served the paper industry on a global scale and provided him the opportunity to travel to many countries including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Italy, and one trip to St. Petersburg, Russia.

Closer to home, he visited many businesses located throughout the U.S. and in nearly every province in Canada. Barbara was his true traveling companion and accompanied him on many of his trips to Europe. Jack developed a love for hockey and volunteered as coach of a number of youth hockey teams in the mid-70s and early 80s. He also played golf and tennis and was a longtime member of Hatherly Golf Club and former member of the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club. One of his favorite summertime spots was “Chuck's” Seaside Motor Inn, situated on the beach in Truro. He and Barbara spent many years with the entire family enjoying a week each summer at Chuck's. Jack lived a long, full

and interesting life. We will always carry his memory in our hearts.

Jack was predeceased by his beloved wife Barbara and his beloved daughter Susan. He will be lovingly remembered by his sons John and his wife Carol, Michael and his wife Janice, Steven, and daughter Kathy and her husband Erik. “Papa” will also be greatly missed by his grandchildren: Brendan, Elizabeth, Michael, Jenna, Kyle, Hayley, and Jake. Jack was the son of John and Lottie O'Brien of Quincy and brother of the late Florence Bender and her husband Vincent. He was also uncle, or “Unk," to Jack Bender of Florida.

19

Joseph, of Winchester and Humarock, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on May 7, 2022. Beloved husband of the late Barbara A. (DiLorenzo) Gately. Loving father of Joseph M. Gately and his wife Debbie, Kelly Gately, and Michael Gately. Cherished grandfather of Sarah and Amy Gately. Dear cousin of Suzanne Gately. Joseph was a graduate of Thayer Academy where he participated in publications, student government, and chorus. He then graduated from Harvard University and Suffolk University Law School. He was a Federal Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration and retired as a Colonel in the Office of Special Investigations for the United States Air Force Reserves. He is survived by a nephew, Nicholas Taylor ’10, and nieces Emma Taylor ’12 and Olivia DiLorenzo ’08

Jerome Kramer ’50

Jerome H. Kramer, known to the countless people who loved him as “Jerry” or “D-Dad,” passed away peacefully at home on July 1, 2022.

Jerry was born in Cambridge and was a lifelong lover of the Bay State, having lived most of his later life on Cape Cod. He was a proud graduate of Thayer Academy, where he played football and baseball, and went on to serve as a class agent for many years. He was a graduate of Georgetown University, a veteran of the United States Army, and an alumnus of the Georgetown Chimes (#48), one of the nation's preeminent a cappella

groups. Jerry loved the Boston Red Sox (he saw Ted Williams hit his last home run!), Jeopardy, crossword puzzles, and, most of all, his family and friends.

In addition to extended family members and friends too numerous to list, Jerry's legacy lives on through the love of his life, Gracemarie (Lucason) Kramer; his three children: Luke Kramer (Maureen Meehan) of Norwell, Pamela Kramer of Brewster, and Daniel Kramer ’90 (Madean Weaver) of Pepak, NJ; his sisters: Cathy Falcone ’67 and Evie Michon ’57; his five grandchildren: Rebecca Seeley, Ryan Kramer (Erica Weiss), Ali Kramer, Emma Kramer, and Molly Kramer; and his darling greatgranddaughter, Lilith Seeley. Also survived by his nephews Paul Kramer ’86 and Alfred Michon ’83. Jerome is predeceased by his brother, Thomas Kramer ’55, and sister, Susan Watson ’61

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Sarah Lincoln ’51 Sarah Colman Lincoln, of East Greenwich, RI, died on July 14, 2022, in Greenville, NC. Born on October 14, 1933, she was the second daughter of Herbert and Mariam (Ford) Lincoln.

A graduate of Thayer Academy and Westbrook College, she lived a full and active life. She was an avid reader, loved a road trip, collecting sea glass, and enjoyed volunteering her time and talents with many organizations. Raised in Norwell, MA, Sarah was a lifelong generational Unitarian Church member, notably First Parish Unitarian in Norwell and Westminster Unitarian in East Greenwich, RI. She loved her WOW friends and enjoyed her time with the Sharing Locker.

Sarah is predeceased by her devoted husband, William E. Shea, and sister, Harriet Lincoln Meyer. She was a loving mother and grandmother and is survived by daughters, Katherine Birchmore of Clearwater, FL, Susan Kasper (Paul) of Scituate, MA, Laura McKenna (Sean) of Greenville, NC, Laurel Gallivan of Stuart, FL, and Diana Crane of Narragansett, RI. She also leaves behind three grandchildren who she adored, Matthew Dwyer of Scituate, MA, John Kasper of Boulder, CO., and Sarah Mayo of Washington, NC, and a great-grandson, Emmett Ford, who she had the pleasure of getting to know.

Joseph Gately ’50

Cynthia Bryant

McCue ’52

Cynthia Hyde Bryant McCue died peacefully on Nov. 14, 2022, while in care at the Masconomet Healthcare Center, at age 88. Cynthia was born in Braintree and daughter to Gordon Bryant '24 and Marjorie Bryant. She grew up in Braintree with her sister, Judy Bryant Hale '56 GP '22, and brother, Gordon "Butch" Bryant.

Cynthia graduated Cum Laude from Thayer Academy in Braintree where she was involved in performing arts, cheerleading, and field hockey. She then went on to receive her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College in 1956. During her senior year she met the Rev. Allan Homer McCue, and they were married in September 1956. They began their married life in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they started a family and their two sons, Allan and Steve, were born. While in Ohio, Cynthia worked for Procter & Gamble in their advertising group. In 1966, the family returned to Massachusetts, living in Beverly for a short time before settling in Wenham where their daughter, Mara, was born.

Cynthia enjoyed her time living in Wenham and was very active in the community, serving as Director of the Wenham Library for 17 years as well as a volunteer at the Wenham Tea House. Her love for reading books was fostered by her family's business, Lauriat's Bookstores in Boston. She also enjoyed spending time with friends playing bridge. She continued her volunteer work on Cape Cod at the Atwood Museum and enjoyed spending much of her retirement at her home in Chatham.

In Cynthia's younger years, she and her mother entered and won a national contest for the "Most Charming Mother and Daughter" sponsored by MGM in promotion of the movie Nancy Goes to Rio. The prize was a monthlong cruise to Rio de Janeiro which was documented in Senior Prom magazine. Cynthia also modeled for Towle Sterling, whose advertisements were published in Seventeen magazine.

She is survived by her husband, the Rev. Allan Homer McCue of Wenham; her son, Allan B. McCue of Wenham; her

son, Stephen McCue and his wife Cheryl of Franklin; her daughter, Marjorie "Mara" Harres of Wenham; as well as four grandchildren: Taylor McCue, Dayna McCue, Benjamin Harres, and Grace Harres; and her sister, Judith Bryant Hale '56 GP '22 of Westport and Naples, Florida.

Ronald Cheney ’54

On Monday, September 5, 2022, Ronald L. Cheney passed away in his home surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer. Ronald was the son of Lewis and Anne (Dillon) Cheney. He was raised in Duxbury, Massachusetts. The oldest of six, he prided himself in being his mother's best friend and leading his sibling group by example.

He attended Thayer Academy where he played football and baseball, and was a member of the chorus group. He then continued his education with a bachelor’s of arts degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Ronald met Terry, his wife, his junior year in college at a Yale University football game. Ronald and Terry continued their romance through college graduation. Ronald was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force and after their September 30, 1958 nuptials, relocated to Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas.

Ronald and Terry had an adventurous marriage, including the birth of two children, Linsley and David, while traveling to and setting up life at multiple duty stations in Okinawa, Washington, California, Nevada, New York, and Maine.

Ronald was a flight navigator on multiple air frames including the C130, EC46, and B47 and served in Vietnam with 566 combat missions flown. He was shot down in combat, captured, and spent six days in the Laos jungle; overcoming all odds and returning home. With the completion of the Vietnam war, Ronald received many honors as a navigator and air traffic controller. He was a decorated service member with the highest honor being the Distinguished Flying Cross. Ronald retired from the U.S. Air force as a major after 20 years of dedicated service.

Ronald and Terry purchased property on Big Machias Lake (while stationed at Loring Air force Base), a camp that would allow for many memories made and the desire to become part of the Northern Maine community. Ronald secured employment in the North Maine woods as a Kenworth truck salesman and talked Terry into leaving Upstate New York, where the family resided. After a winter at Camp, Ronald and Terry found a home located in Castle Hill where they would soon embark on their next endeavor. Ronald was the lucky purchaser of a pig who, unbeknownst to him, would produce a litter of eight. From this, Hog Haven Enterprises was born. Ronald was the local Pig Man for many years, turning a hobby into a business venture that would develop into many lessons and learning experiences for the grandchildren that joined the picture as time progressed. After pig farming he became heavily involved in his son's potato farming operation which led to a greater love for his home and property, known now as “Cheney Family Farms.” Ronald had an immense amount of pride in his family and looked for every opportunity to share his experience - from pig roasts to digging potatoes, soccer and basketball to the ever-present Fox News. He was kind and loving and always looked out for the underdog. He shared with anyone that would listen and offered a hand to anyone that needed it. He is a soul that will be greatly missed.

He is predeceased by his parents, his brother, David Cheney; his sister, Anne (Cheney) Scott ’57; his brother, Richard (Rip) Cheney ’65; and his beloved companion, Samson the dog. He is survived by his wife, Terry Cheney; his children, Linsley (Cheney) Hews and her husband, Lewis, David Cheney and his wife, Shari, his grandchildren, Jordan Wildeman and her companion, Shawn Rich, Lauren Fotter and husband, Kenny, John Wildeman and his companion, Michael Brewer, Joshua Cheney and his wife, Alex, Gabriel Cheney and his wife, Chelsea, Hannah Pickens and her husband, Jake, and Claire Cheney and her fiance, Evan Flewelling; a sister, Louise DeLew ’61 and her husband, Bruce; a brother, Philip Cheney and his wife, Elizabeth; and a brother-in-law, Peter Scott. Ronald was blessed with 12 wonderful greatgrandchildren who brought him the most joy.

Robert Gianferante ’54

Robert Luigi Gianferante, a longtime beloved member of the Sandwich, MA, community, died peacefully early Monday morning, September 19th, 2022, at the age of 85.

He was born in Boston on May 12th,1937, to the late Nicholas Norman Gianferante and Italia Mary (Marone) Gianferante and grew up in Hingham, MA. He graduated from Thayer Academy where he played football and tennis, and then went on to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he studied Restaurant and Hotel Management. After working at Sheraton International Hotels for a few years, in 1964 he and his family relocated to Sandwich. There, he bought the Yankee Clipper restaurant and worked as owner/operator and chef for over 20 years. As the restaurant was closed in the winter, Bob took on various jobs in the off-season including running a youth center, commercial fishing, and carpentry. He loved living on Cape Cod. He loved the people and the place and was an avid fisherman and outdoorsman. But above all he was a devoted family man who was affectionately known to his grandchildren as Nonnie.

Robert (Bob) is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Rose Marie (DiMaria) Gianferante; his younger brothers, Richard and David; his baby sister, Sandra; his beloved sons, Nicholas and Allan; his devoted daughters-in-law, Elizabeth and Gail; three grandsons, Robert, Mark, and Nicholas; and his granddaughter, Danielle; along with five great-grandchildren and many adored nieces, nephews, and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Mark John Gianferante.

Philip Baroni ’57

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Philip Joseph Baroni, 83, of Dennis, MA. Philip passed away peacefully on June 16, 2022, surrounded by his loving family.

Philip exuded enthusiasm and a love of life. He adored his wife, Rachel, whom he called “Bride,” and was incredibly proud of his six children and 16 grandchildren. He inspired others in his generosity of spirit and giving nature. He showed his undying love for family through his enormous heart and ways of bringing everyone together. Phil was a man of abundance: abundant love, abundant energy, abundant family gatherings.

Philip was born in Brockton, MA, on May 31, 1939, and grew up in Bridgewater, MA. He was hard working, strong-minded, and an entrepreneur through and through. He enthusiastically recounted his adventures as a nine-year-old, filling his red wagon full of Coca Cola, pulling it to local baseball games, and selling for a profit. And that was just the beginning. Before he could drive, he started scrap metal and trucking businesses. Business was a lifelong passion. Phil was a proud member of the Boy Scouts, participating in nationwide jamborees, and eventually completed his Eagle Scout project. After graduating from Thayer Academy, he studied at Bentley University. At nineteen-years-old, he opened The Lobster Dory restaurant on Cape Cod and soon after Holiday Hill drive-in ice cream and burger bar and miniature golf course.

While operating his restaurants on the Cape, Phil met the love of his life, Rachel. Rachel was so special Phil broke his own rule of no dating employees. Phil and Rachel were married on October 10, 1964, and were blessed with six wonderful children. In addition to the restaurants, Phil founded Baroni Motor Transportation, Drive-ORama, and Mill Stores. At the height of his career, he operated 14 stores across five states. Notably, it wasn't just about business. Phil cared about his employees and their families. Full of energy, Phil did not limit himself to work and family. Until his passing, he was an active member of the Harwich-Dennis Rotary Club and the Boy Scouts, just two of the many clubs, organizations, and committees he gladly served. He gave his time and donated generously to Saint Pius X Church, the

Cape Playhouse, and Tony Kent Ice Arena. As a devout Catholic, one of his most heartfelt accomplishments was being an organizational and fundraising force enabling the founding of the Saint Pius X School, where some of his grandchildren spent their formative years. Phil rarely missed a Mass and once drove through a blizzard, at the age of 80, to attend — one of the only two parishioners present.

Beyond work and community, Phil cherished his dogs, trips to St. Croix, vacationing with his wife, children, and grandchildren, and enjoying the company of his many friends on the island. And the Ice Cream Smuggler. He gave his dogs equal parts love and ice cream. It would be fair to conclude that he saw them as one and the same.

Phil was predeceased by his parents, Hugo and Mary Baroni, as well as his brother, John Baroni, and sister Barbara Fritz. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Rachel; sister Carol Williams; daughter Ann Fox and husband Jon; daughter Sarah Phaneuf and husband Eric; son Joseph Baroni and wife Sonja; son Anthony Baroni and wife Kim; son Michael Baroni and wife Allyson; daughter Elizabeth Lops and husband Chris; and his beloved grandchildren. He is also survived by a multitude of loving cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Edward Collagan ’57

Edward “Ted” Collagan passed away on September 3, 2022, in Stuart, FL. He was 84. Born in Quincy, MA, living in Weymouth, Plymouth, and Carver, he had been a resident of Stuart for 22 years.

Ted graduated from Thayer Academy as a three-sport athlete playing football, basketball, and tennis. He then attended Northeastern University in Boston, receiving a degree in civil engineering. He worked for the DPW of Massachusetts for 20 years, ending his career there as Director of Transportation Planning. He went on to start a small engineering company, CCR Associates in Weymouth, with two partners until retiring and moving to Florida. Ted and his wife were active as volunteers in Prison Fellowship. He was also a member of the Vineyard Church in Kingston, MA, more recently of Christ Fellowship in Stuart.

He is survived by his wife, Joanne Pearl Collagen ’57 of 36 years. He also leaves behind daughters, Susan Marx and her husband Bob of Winchester, Sharon Collagan of Weymouth, Sheila Barry and her husband Jim of Palm City, FL; three grandchildren, Madeline and Brett Marx of Winchester, Alexandra Cafferella of N.H.; as well as stepdaughter Paula Nickologianes of Stuart, FL, stepson Stephen Nickologianes and his wife Lisa of N.H. and stepson Bill Nickologianes of Maine.

Winslow Tweed ’58

Winslow “Win” Johnson Tweed, 81, of Schnecksville passed away peacefully on April 8, 2022, at Cedarbrook Senior Care in Allentown after a lengthy illness. He was the husband of Marie (Jerpi) Tweed for more than 53 years. Born in Boston on May 23, 1940, and raised in Randolph, MA, Win was the son of the late Revillo and Blanche (Johnson) Tweed.

He attended Thayer Academy where he participated in chorus, the performing arts, publications, and played baseball. After Thayer, he left Massachusetts to pursue a bachelor’s degree in art from Brown University and a PhD in sociology from Temple University. After earning his doctorate, Win taught sociology and social psychology at Penn State's Allentown campus in the 1970s and early 1980s.

In his spare time, Win enjoyed bird watching (with a penchant for bluebirds), following his beloved Boston Red Sox, racking up visits to major and minor league baseball stadiums, viewing classic films, and come summertime, growing butternut squash in the garden. Daily walks afforded him time and space for reflection and made him a known fixture in the neighborhood. An active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley for 36 years, Win served on the Board of Trustees and as chair of the Social Action Committee.

In addition to his wife, Marie, Win is survived by his daughter Amanda Tweed of Cambridge, MA; his daughter Sarah Tweed and her husband Oleh Vretsona of Herndon, VA; his sister Lois Stone of Cape Coral, FL; his grandsons, Andriy and

Teodor Vretsona, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Cynthia Anderson. His family would like to thank the staff of Heather Glen Senior Living, South Mountain Memory Care, and the D-5 unit at Cedarbrook Senior Care Allentown for the outstanding care they provided for Win over the last few years.

laughter, joy, and a deep abiding love. Born in 1944 in Waltham, MA, Caroline spent her early years in Lexington and Duxbury, MA. She graduated from Thayer Academy and Connecticut College. Her early work was as a laboratory technician, specializing in cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Cincinnati.

Caroline Murray ’62

Caroline Davis Murray of Ashfield, MA, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, July 1, 2022, at the age of 77. Caroline was a vibrant, compassionate woman of integrity who cared deeply about her family and friends, her church, her neighbors, and the wider community. She was a loving and supportive wife and mother, and through letters, events, and visits was at the center of her extended family, holding everyone together. She also held her community together. Known for her strength, generosity, respect, and practical wisdom, she constantly looked for opportunities to work with and help others. She generously contributed both her time and resources to worthy causes and those organizations working to make the world a better place. Whether it was distributing warm clothing, helping secure fuel in winter, or overseeing the preparation of meals for many, Caroline was at the center, on task and serving others. She loved people, being with people, hearing stories, learning from people, laughing with people. She cherished engagement with others in all its forms. No doubt this grew out of her love for music, gardening, reading, and travel, and her deep gratitude for her long, healthy, and fortunate life. She enjoyed quiet, peaceful times in her beautiful gardens where she could listen to birds, work the soil, and feel fulfilled as new shoots of life came up. She loved the songs of the wood thrush and other birds from the woods, as well as the barred and great horned owls at dusk. The soft baas and nickering of goats and sheep from nearby fields soothed her, and brought her closer to all that she loved about nature and rural life.

Above all, she loved her home and family, and she cherished her 54-year marriage to her husband Ted. She did this by fussing over him, gently scolding him, and trying to improve him ... her wifely way of loving him. Their life together was filled with

She and Ted married in 1968, and later had two children, Ben and Sarah. Soon after Sarah was born, Caroline moved with her family to Evanston, IL, and then a few years later they moved again to Needham, MA. Imbued with the idea that self-governance and local politics were important, she became a member of the League of Women Voters and served as a representative Needham Town Meeting member. She was elected to the Needham School Committee and served for several years. Concerned for others who were not as fortunate as she, she became director of the Needham Community Council's Food Pantry, and she served as Treasurer of the Needham Congregational Church's Outreach Committee. She strongly supported, and advocated for, the church's decision to become a partner with the village of Santa Maria Tzeja of Guatemala. Similarly, she was an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community as her church's congregation struggled with and then voted almost unanimously to become a welcoming “Open and Affirming” church for all.

After Ted's retirement, he and Caroline moved to Ashfield, MA. There, she characteristically plunged into serving others. She became a member and Trustee of the First Congregational Church of Ashfield. She served as Trustee and Treasurer of the town's Milo Belding Memorial Library, and she helped establish the Share the Warmth Committee that provided fuel assistance, home insulation repairs, and distributions of warm clothing in winter. For several years at her church's Fall Festival fundraiser, she skillfully recruited, organized, and worked with volunteers to staff her church's Soup Cafe. And as if Fall Festival corn chowder and soups were not enough, she organized, staffed, and oversaw preparation of elegant dinners for over 100 people at Red Gate Farm Education Center's annual Fall Dinner. Caroline loved life, and enjoyed every minute of whatever came her way.

It is likely that she would be pleased that she died after having lunch with Ted and spending most of her last day in her gardens. Caroline is survived by her husband, Ted,

their children Ben and Sarah, and four grandchildren, Ainsley, Charlie, Abby, and Elliott, as well as extended family.

Harris Sloane ’62

Harris Richard Sloane, 78, a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, and East Falmouth, Massachusetts (formerly of Virginia Beach, Virginia), died peacefully in Delray Beach, Florida, on July 4, 2022, surrounded by his family. He was born in Randolph, Massachusetts, on May 16, 1944 to the late Doris Kapstein Sloane and the late Dr. William Sloane, MD; they loved him so. He was also the adored son-in-law of the late Alan and Esther Fleder.

Harris was a loving, bright, talented, kind, caring, gentle soul with the biggest heart. He was beyond selfless, with a devotion to the needs of the community around him and a love for his family like no other. The consensus among friends was that Harris was the most wonderful man in every respect. He was sincere, always thought of others first, treated everyone well, and did not have a mean bone in his body. A true mensch, he was respected and loved by all. A graduate of Thayer Academy, Brown University, and Columbia Business School, he worked in insurance, was an analyst at Chemical Bank in New York City, and for the past 40+ years worked as an independent real estate professional and business mediator.

A firm proponent of supporting his Tidewater and Woodfield communities, Harris served many organizations. He fulfilled multiple roles with the Beth Shalom Village culminating in his serving as President, active roles with Temple Israel leading up to Vice President, Chair of the tennis tournament for Norfolk Academy Field Day, Chair of Super Sunday for the United Jewish Federation, board member for Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, and a committee member at Woodfield Country Club, to name a few.

Harris was athletic and loved sports, especially skiing, tennis, and golf. He was an incredible pianist and enjoyed being on the water in any type of boat. Some of his happiest days were on the slopes or on Cape Cod with his family around him.

Harris is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Cheryl, and their adoring children, David and Debra. They were his entire world, and he was theirs. Everything he did

in life was for them. Cheryl was the love of his life, and Harris is and will always remain hers. David and Debra were the stars in his eyes.

Harris is also survived by his brother, Robert Sloane ’59 (Brenda), his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Gail Fleder, Eileen Kahn (Stewart), Lawrence Fleder (Anne), in addition to his nieces and nephews: Michele Sloane, Andrew, Steven (Jaime), and Laura Kahn, Emily, Kendall and Audrey Fleder, his great nieces, Sloane Schulze and Vera Kahn, and many cousins and friends. He cherished his family and friends so much, and he will be greatly missed by them all.

William Bailey ’69

Bill grew up in Milton and attended Thayer Academy for three years beginning in 1966. He played on the varsity football team on both sides of the ball, offense and defense, as a sophomore and was part of the Un-UnUn team (untied, unbeaten, and unscored upon). He also was very active in the glee club and drama club.

After spending one year at Roanoke College in VA he transferred back to Boston to attend Emerson College, concentrating in the dramatic arts. After graduation he moved to London, England, and enrolled at the London School of Dramatic Arts for a year. He then moved to Los Angeles and joined the Pasadena Playhouse for several years.

He latered had a higher calling to answer and became an ordained minister along with his wife Alicia Bailey. They devoted both their lives to the service of the Lord both at their parish and on a weekly radio show with studio equipment set up in their home (today Alicia carries on their work). Bill was a devoted Boston sports teams fan, and he will be dearly missed by his LA family and friends as well as his Boston family and friends.

Written by William's brother Chuck Bailey ’72

James Shea ’69

James Dennis “Jimmy” Shea Jr., a lifelong resident of Quincy, died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, July 3, 2022, at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He was 72.

Born in Quincy on June 16, 1950, he was the son of the late James D. Sr. and Mary M. (Cull) Shea. Jimmy graduated from Thayer Academy as a great athlete, having played baseball, football, hockey, and wrestling. He later continued his education at Wentworth Institute.

Jimmy's career was in explosives and demolition as a blasting contractor. He was the owner and operator of James D. Shea Company, Inc., in Quincy, as well as the co-owner and operator of Hamilton-Shea Drilling and Blasting, Inc., in Bow, NH. During his career he worked throughout the New England area on numerous highway, quarry, and tunnel projects including the Big Dig and Deer Island. Through the years, he also worked as a pyrotechnic consultant, even for a few major motion pictures filmed in the Boston area.

Jimmy was a hardworking and dedicated person, and proudly worked up until his passing. He enjoyed his career and all the relationships he built throughout the years. In his spare time, Jimmy enjoyed tinkering with trucks, watching football, reading, and spending time with his family. Family was the most important part of his life, and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for those he cared for. Jimmy valued education and was always reading about history, especially WWII. All his travels were built around seeing historical places. Jimmy looked forward to visiting museums, and his favorites included the Imperial War Museums in London and Duxford, England. Through all his work experience, studies, and traveling, Jimmy had a profound sense of direction and geography. He'd even be able to draw you a map, freehand, of how you should go from one point to the other.

Jimmy was known for always having a smile on his face. People were drawn to him for his kind, loving, and caring demeanor. Jimmy's life lessons and example are part of his legacy that continues through his family. He will be missed by all the lives he touched.

Jimmy was the beloved husband of Barbara M. (Ronayne) Shea. The two married on March 24, 1973, in St. Agatha's Church in Milton. Together they shared 49 loving

years. He was the devoted father of Kristin M. Conley and her husband Russell of Quincy, Susan R. Shea Connor and her husband Paul of Quincy, and James D. Shea III and his wife Mary of Quincy. Jimmy was the loving grandfather of Will and Sam Conley, Maeve and Jack Connor, and James D. Shea IV, all of Quincy. He was the dear brother of Mary Snyder ’61 and her husband Max of Boston and Freeport, Maine, Ellen Feeney ’65 and her husband Michael of Hayward, California, and Michael Shea ’71 and his wife Lorraine of Quincy. James is also survived by his niece, Rachel Shea Robinson ’96, and many loving cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

19 76

Anne Graham ’76

Anne Campbell Graham, 64, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 18, 2022 in her beloved hometown of Sandwich, Massachusetts. Anne was born on December 28,1957, in Quincy to Stanley Campbell and Anne Campbell.

Anne was a graduate of Thayer Academy and attended The Forsyth Institute, where she earned an associate degree in dental hygiene. Anne is survived by her husband Peter Graham; her daughter Laura Withrow; her son Stephen Withrow; her mother Anne Campbell; stepmother Kathy Campbell; siblings John Campbell, Mary Leahy, Stanley Campbell ’77, nephew Hunter Campbell ’15, niece Ashley Campbell ’17, and several other nieces and nephews, who made up the entirety of her world. She raised her children with love and devotion and was a loving wife.

19 80

Justin White ’80

Justin Thomas White died peacefully at the age of 61 on May 6, 2022, with his father and six siblings at his side after a valiant battle with ALS. Justin was born

on February 19, 1961, to Nancy Grueby White and Terrence H. White. He grew up in Cohasset, the sixth of seven children.

He attended Cohasset schools, Milton Academy, and graduated from Thayer Academy in 1980. From his earliest years, Justin established close friends who journeyed with him throughout his life and meant the world to him. Justin attended Tulane University where he developed a love of the outdoors and travel which influenced much of his professional career and extensive adventures.

After college he worked in the family business, Safety Lines, a highway line marking company, alongside his father, two brothers, cousins, uncle, and many family friends. He later joined the highway safety company his brother founded, Brite-Line of Denver, CO, where he remained a consultant throughout his career. Seeking a new challenge, Justin became a licensed securities broker for The Bankhouse Boston and then a management consultant for George S. May International.

His work brought him to the West Coast where he took the opportunity to spend a year commercial fishing, eventually piloting a vessel to the farthest reaches of the Aleutian Islands. He then made California his new home, settling into the pristine mountain community of Lake Arrowhead. He began learning a new industry of tree preservation and forest management, becoming an elite technical climber and logger. Justin spoke often of the beauty and thrill of working high in the forest canopy. As the dual disasters of wildfires and insect infestation increasingly impacted the health of California's forests, Justin joined ArborWorks, Inc., to manage forestry contracts in the Sierra Nevadas.

He went on to work on large-scale disaster projects for FEMA in Florida, the Carolinas, and Puerto Rico. Justin became a lead project consultant for the national disaster management firm Forgen, LLC, working with state agencies, the federal government, and the major California utilities to battle the impacts of wildfires, establishing himself as a recognized and respected expert in this field.

Justin was an avid reader with a keen interest in history, culture, and politics. He enjoyed discussing current events and debating issues with friends of all ages. His easy sociability belied the breadth of his intellect, and both were equally important

in his approach to life. His friends remember him as charismatic, generous, and kind with a wonderful sense of humor and contagious laugh.

In March of 2021, Justin was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He lived his last year to the fullest, working and traveling with his kindred soul and beautiful partner, Jintana Thongmee, throughout Europe and her native Thailand. Together, they shared a loving companionship that sustained him through the challenges of ALS, which he faced with remarkable courage and grace. No matter where his work and adventures took him, Justin adored his hometown of Cohasset with its unique beauty and countless special places that held memories of his childhood to which he returned to spend his last weeks.

Justin was a devoted son, brother, and cousin who leaves many behind to cherish his memory. They include his father Terrence H. White of Cohasset, MA; his brothers, Kevin H. White of Denver, CO, and Terrence H. White of S. Yarmouth, MA; his sisters, Constance Arnold and husband Greg of Marshfield, MA, Martha Jackson of Boston, MA, Ira Jackson of Boston, MA, Kristin Allison and husband Stephen of Center Sandwich, NH, and Nan Theberge and husband John of Sherborn, MA; his 15 nieces and nephews, and dozens of beloved cousins, affectionately known as the Kevin Whites, Brendan Whites, Merciers, and Thibaults. He was predeceased by his loving mother Nancy Grueby White. His family would like to thank those who gave an outpouring of love and kindness during his illness.

Nathaniel Wheatley ’87

Nathaniel Davis “Nat” Wheatley passed away on June 25, 2022, at the age of 53. He was born on January 21, 1969 in Boston, MA, the son of the late John Clark Wheatley and Priscilla Lincoln Wheatley of Marion, MA.

Nat graduated from Thayer Academy in 1987 and played football as well as being

captain of both the wrestling and track teams. He graduated from Bates College in 1991 as an economics major. He loved playing football at Bates. He competed nationally in track and field as a discus athlete and held the discus throwing record at Bates for over 20 years.

Nat was a master carpenter and woodworking artisan and crafted many unique items. He owned his own business in Plympton for many years. He also worked in the construction trade and helped build and improve many residential and commercial buildings in the Plymouth area and beyond. He had his own successful wooden toy company, Well-Built Toys, as well.

When he wasn't working, Nat loved spending time with his eight-year-old daughter, Alannah, taking walks on Plymouth beach and Ogunquit, ME, with his fiancée, Jill, and attending family gatherings. He had a wry sense of humor. He is survived by his daughter, Alannah, of Kingston, MA; his fiancée, Jill Plourde of Plymouth, MA; his mother, Priscilla Wheatley of Marion, MA; a sister, Dawn Wheatley ’74 of Brooklyn, NY; a sister, Elizabeth Wheatley Reynolds ’81 of NY, NY and Southfield, MA; and a brother, William Lincoln Wheatley ’83 of Mattapoisett, MA; aunts Betsey Wheatley Wolf ’49 and Susan Wheatley Carr ’57; and a large extended family.

Mike was a loving son to Richard and Patricia, supportive brother to Christopher ’94 and his wife, Jurgita, lifelong companion and partner in crime to his beloved grandmother Elizabeth “Bee" McGuigan, proud, playful uncle to Nora and Thomas, and devoted, adoring boyfriend to Maddi Porter. Mike loved his dogs like friends and family, and I hope he is reunited with Jessica, Sammy, and Manny.

Mike was a talented, accomplished athlete and passionate golfer. He was a respected caddy at Nantucket Golf Club and Augusta National. He attended Thayer Academy where he was an honor roll student and played varsity soccer and baseball. After Thayer, he attended Gettysburg College and then Suffolk University to earn his JD and MBA. He would beat you in Jeopardy. Mike will be missed by many.

In the years between his education Greg worked in prestigious settings including Wall Street in NYC, the Financial District in Boston, and even tried to use his talent for writing to write movie scripts in Hollywood. Movies were one of Greg’s top passions in life; he was Adam Sandler and Chris Farley's biggest fan which was reflected in his top-notch sense of humor. If you were in the same room as he was, there was never a doubt that he would make you laugh, even with just a small phrase or one word.

Making people laugh brought him joy and happiness. Greg absolutely loved traveling the US. As stated before, he has lived in different parts of the country due to work or education. Greg never made a life decision without doing a tremendous amount of research prior. He knew everything about the town/city before he even got there. He knew exactly what foods he wanted to try, what bars he wanted to socialize at, and the town's history. He was always so proud of where he lived and immersed himself in each location. After receiving his PhD at KU, his plan was to move back to his favorite part of the country, the East Coast.

Gregory Arthur Goldman, after a brief illness, July 21, 2022. Beloved son of Denise (Sikalis) Goldman and Arthur Goldman and his wife Lisa Moore. Devoted brother of Brett and his wife Allyson and Danielle Goldman. Cherished uncle of Wyatt, Adalyn, and Nova. Also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Greg is predeceased by his grandparents Max and Gloria Goldman and Peter and Mary Sikalis.

Michael Connolly ’99

Michael Ryan Connolly of Marshfield & Nantucket passed too soon on October 16, 2022. Mike was a kind soul who touched the lives of many. Family and friends were everything to him. As Mike traveled around the country for school, then work, he forged lasting new friendships while cherishing the very oldest. He was always there to lend a helping hand, whether to an old friend or a stranger in need. Mike was as genuine as they come and never failed to express equal respect and love for all walks of life.

Greg graduated in 2003 from Thayer Academy in Braintree, MA; his love and passion for hockey brought him to Salisbury Preparatory School in Salisbury, CT. After graduating with his bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Wesleyan University, he continued his education at the University of Wisconsin, obtaining his master's degree in sociology. He then went on to pursue a doctorate's degree at the University of Kansas where in just the matter of months from now he would have received his PhD in sociology, that he literally put his heart, soul, and body into for the last several years.

Greg was very fortunate to have lifetime connections to both Cape Cod, where his grandparents owned two homes which allowed him to enjoy the ocean and great seafood, and North Conway, NH, where his family owns a home. He excelled in skiing the White Mountains. His ideal day would be to ski and then enjoy some comforting food with an ice-cold beer; both of these locations granted him time to spend with his family.

Greg was always an outstanding athlete, whether it was hockey or skiing, and was very enthusiastic about golf, where he never let anyone forget he made a hole in one and has the trophy to prove it. While attending KU, Greg became a huge and very passionate Jayhawks fan which culminated with the Jayhawks winning the men's national championship this year, which he was very proud of. His unprecedented intellect, determination, and exceptional sense of humor will forever be unmatched. It's what made him so special.

Gregory Goldman ’03

REMEMBERING JAMES

BY JOE PELLETIER

Last summer, when news of the loss of rising senior James Pener in a tragic car accident reached Thayer, James’ cross country teammates gathered at school and made a promise: to dedicate the upcoming season to James, whom they had previously chosen as one of their captains.

The Athletics Department ordered commemorative T-shirts for the boys’ and girls’ teams to wear while training. Soon, runners could be seen completing their workouts in shirts bearing the name “Pener” and the number “46,” chosen to reflect James’ ascent of each of the 46 Adirondack peaks above 4000 feet and his love for the great outdoors.

At September’s Convocation, Thayer runners met briefly with James’ parents, our invited guests for the day. James’ father offered the team two words of encouragement: “Run hard.” In this phrase, James’ teammates recognized his all-out, all-heart approach to racing. “Run hard” quickly became the team’s motto, a cheer heard rising from the huddle before races and after practices.

As a junior, James was chosen for the All-ISL cross country team and was also named All-NEPSAC. He ran passionately, always with a distinctive arm swing that seemed to be his way of willing himself forward. Just as importantly, though, he knew when to cherish the lighter moments at practice — bantering with teammates, enjoying the easy pace of a long training run, laughing about the day’s academic battles lost and won.

At Thayer, he proved to be a history buff — even choosing the rare option of taking two history courses during the same semester, Ms. Jersild’s Modern European History and Mr. Carlson’s World War II elective. James developed wide-ranging interests within and well beyond the curriculum: politics, photography, sports, travel, popular culture, the environment. In a sense, he was a Renaissance man in training.

In his classes, James was known as a thinker and a serious debater, but also as a studied practical joker. His Precalculus classmates will always remember James’ tag-team antics with Mr. Maloney on April Fool’s Day last spring. Transfer students have noted that James — himself new to Thayer in tenth grade — warmly welcomed them and eased their newschool transition. Simply put, James loved people; he enjoyed hearing their stories and connecting deeply with others through his many interests.

As the recent cross country season ended, Thayer runners again spoke with James’ parents at the ISL Championship. In a display of kindness and good sportsmanship, many teams in the league wore orange ribbons in honor of James and in support of his sister, Elizabeth, a member of the Milton Academy team.

The league championship course in Wrentham, which James had impressively covered in 17:03, is flat and fast, perfect for harriers ready for a peak performance. Moments before this year’s race, Thayer’s runners huddled as a team and again exclaimed, in unison, “Run hard!” Seconds later, with James’ family looking on, the race was underway. Runners competing for different schools but unified by the orange ribbons pinned to their singlets began their most intense, joy-filled 20 minutes of the autumn, the perfect way to honor James.

Upper School English Faculty Joe Pelletier serves as head coach of the boys cross country team.

TOGETHER FOREVER

Thayer-46, the named star which honors the life and legacy of James Pener ’23, is in fact a binary star, meaning that it’s actually two stars orbiting together with a common center of gravity.

And that detail is a fitting tribute to Pener, who is forever connected to family, friends, and teammates, bound to them by a kindness, compassion, and enthusiasm they will always cherish.

A rising senior, Pener died in July of 2022 in a car accident in Maine. When school resumed that fall, Pener was remembered as a gifted athlete on Thayer’s lacrosse and cross country teams whose keen sense of humor often forced teammates to bite their lips to keep from laughing. Most importantly, however, he was remembered as a loyal friend with a smile for everyone he met.

The “46” in the star’s name refers to the Adirondack 46ers, of which Pener was a proud member, having climbed all 46 major peaks of New York’s Adirondack Mountains by the age of 14. The symbolic gesture of the star naming honors both Pener’s connection to Thayer and the young man’s passion for the outdoors.

Thayer recently honored Pener’s love of the environment — and the young man’s belief that we can all be agents of change — by creating the James Tufts Pener Conference, a program of presentations on environmental stewardship. The inaugural conference, which will be held May 19 at Thayer, will focus on environmental sustainability; the forum will include Pener’s family as well as students and faculty from Brookline High School, which James attended before enrolling at the Academy.

Upper School Faculty and astrophotographer Jamison Smith captured this photo of the binary star Thayer-46 from the telescope in Cahall Observatory.

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