Thayer Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022

Thayer MAGAZINE

Spring / Summer 2022

T O

T H E

Y O U R

H E A L T H

&

H E A L T H

W E L L N E S S

I S S U E

CONVERSATIONS WITH ALUMNI, FACULT Y, AND STAFF F E A T U R I N G C I A R A D E S M O N D' 0 8 , D R . A L I C I A G E N I S C A ' 9 9 L O I S H I R S H B E R G '65

, A M A N D A G O U L S T O N S H I E L D S' 9 3

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& T R A C Y W O N G' 0 3

THE MISSION OFTHAYER ACADEMY IS TO INSPIRE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS TO MORAL, INTELLECTUAL, AESTHETIC, AND PHYSICAL EXC ELLENCE SO THAT EACH MAY RISE TO HONORAB L E ACHIEVEMENT AND CONTRIB U TE TO THE COMMON GOOD.

GETTING CLOSER Progress continues on the Middle School Transformation Project.

Note the brick facades and the installation of red-trimmed windows - echoing the windows at the CFA and Glover.

READ THAYER MAGAZINE ONLINE: Scan this QR code to view this issue online at ISSUU. Recent past magazines can be viewed at: ON THE COVER This issue highlights both the ongoing and future health and wellness initiatives at Thayer and features profiles of alumni working in various health fields.

T H AYE R ACADEMY

2021-2022 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

BOARD OFFICERS Michael Joe P ’17, ’20, Chair Brenda Lyons P ’12, ’14, ’18, Vice Chair Leigh King P ’21, Secretary

www.thayer.org/magazine Using QR Codes with your mobile device

BOARD MEMBERS Danya Abrams Sr. P '20 Donavan Brown '01 James Cashman '73 P '19, '21 James Coughlin P '24, '26

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

Guy Daniello P '22, '26

Julaine McInnis, Assistant Treasurer

Elaine DeLuca P '20, '21

Thayer Academy CFOO

Rob DeMarco '86 P '19, '21, '26 Joseph Farmer P '23

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

Open your mobile phone camera

Aim your phone at QR Code

Tap the link that appears

Kevin Gill P '11, '13, '22 Jennifer Havlicek P '18, '21, '21 Kathy Horgan P '20 Greg Lally '92 P '22, '25, '26, '28 Brendan McDonough '87 P ’18, '22 Kenny Carberry ’08

Ex officio as President of the Alumni Board

Chris M. Fortunato JD, MSW Head of School

P ’26, ’28

Send correspondence to: magazine@thayer.org

Thayer

MAGAZINE Spring / Summer 2022

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

TA Snapshots

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Letter from the Head of School Chris M. Fortunato P ’26, ’28

T O

Y O U R

H E A L T H

Exciting Updates & Initiatives for Fall 2022 & Beyond

Thayer's New Health & Wellness Center A Conversation on Health & Wellness at Thayer 11-13 Alumni Profile: Dr. Alicia Genisca ’99 18-19

CHIEF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Joanna Skoler Gilman ’86 P ’25, ’27

Alumni Profile: Lois Hirshberg ’65 20-21 Alumni Profile: Ciara Desmond ’08 22-23 & Amanda Goulston Shields ’93 Faculty Q&A: Allynn Lodge

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, LAYOUT & DESIGN Paul Kahn P ’27

Alumni Profile: Tracy Wong ’03

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Craig Salters ’86 P ’24 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Joanna Skoler Gilman ’86 P ’25, ’27 CHIEF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Tina Lim

INTERIM CHIEF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 P ’25, ’28, ’29 DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

PRINCIPAL WRITER Craig Salters ’86 P ’24 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris Bernstein, John F. Grant ADDITIONAL WRITERS Arthur Foulkes, Paul Kahn P ’27, Sarah E. Murphy ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & IMAGES Paul Kahn P ’27, Adobe Stock CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Irvin Bailey, Julie Burke-Blanchard ’93, Deb Budde P ’10, ’12, Tara Corcoran ’88 P ’19, Renee Forsythe, Kelly Hines P ’18, ’19, Marchelle Jacques-Yarde 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

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HEAD OF SCHOOL Chris M. Fortunato JD, MSW P ’26, ’28

PRINCIPAL EDITORS

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24 24-25

Around Campus

14-17

Thayer Arts

26-33

Thayer Athletics

34-35

- Wrestlers on the National Stage - Middle School Declamation Finalists - Thayer's New Athletics Director - Joshua Bennett at Bailey-King Author Series - Academy News & Highlights Timeline - Faculty Notes

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An Artistic Artificial Reef Middle School Visual Arts Middle School Music, Plays & Myths Upper School Music Concerts Newsies Noises Off! Upper School Visual Arts

- Fall 2021-22 Athletics - Winter 2021-22 Athletics

14 15 15 16 17 17

26 27 28 29 30-31 32 33

34 35

Southworth Society Giving - Nora & Chuck Bailey ’72

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Alumni House News & Notes

37-39

Class Notes

40-49

In Memoriam

50-59

- Founders Day - Thomas Healy '10 Roundtable - Teresa Hsiao '03 Roundtable

44 47

- Thayer Weddings - Thayer Babies

The Final Word(le)

37 38 39

- Coding & Collaboration for a Global Good

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TA SNAPSHOTS

FIRST-YEAR & FINAL-YEAR GREATS (TOP) Morgan McGathey '25 skates on the Valicenti Rink ice - she was a leader on the team and an ISL AllLeague player as a freshman.

(BOTTOM) Samuel

Okunlola '22 runs onto the field on Senior Day during the last home game as a team cocaptain and University of Pittsburghbound defensive end.

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TA SNAPSHOTS

GOING TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP! Thayer's varsity girls basketball team is all smiles following their 67-56 victory over Sacred Heart to reach the NEPSAC Class A Championship game.

ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE SENIORS (L-R, Clockwise) Upper School teacher Justin Maloney and Head of School Chris Fortunato P '26, '28 take part in the faculty Waiter Wars; the Class of 2022 celebrates their Winter Wars victory in Memorial Gym; Tommy Bi '23 participates in the Minute-to-Win-It portion of the interclass competition; and Anna Kenney '22 and Brooke McCloy '22 share a minion-themed photo op.

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TA SNAPSHOTS

Brian Pickel '26 & Genevieve Yarde '29

INTO THE WOODS, SELLING THEM PAPES, AND SPINNING SETS! The Hale Theater stage was busy in the fall, winter, and spring with the Middle School production of Into the Woods and Over the Rainbow and the Upper School productions of Newsies and Noises Off! (see pp. 28; 30-32)

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TA SNAPSHOTS

A TOWERING MOON SHOT Astrophotographer and Upper School Science Faculty Jamison Smith captured this photo of a full moon over the Thayer tower this spring.

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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

H E A D O F S C H O O L C H R I S M . F O R T U N AT O JD, MSW P ’26, ’28 Dear Thayer Community, As I complete my first year as head of school, I could not be more proud of the Academy’s demonstrations of courage and care, resilience, creativity, and honorable achievement that have enabled our students to thrive during the global challenges of the last several years. I am fortunate to work with students, families, educators, and alumni/ae who appreciate Thayer’s commitment to excellence. In a rapidly evolving landscape of technological, societal, institutional, and cultural changes, it is more important than ever for great schools to forge a path that enables students to be truly known, connected, and prepared for all that lies ahead.

Engagement and well-being lie at the heart of a new initiative to enhance learning excellence at Thayer. We have begun partnerships with leading organizations such as Challenge Success at Stanford University and are infusing the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and education into our curricula and our teaching practices. We’re expanding resources and creating a new home for health and wellness on our campus and creating new opportunities for students and faculty to build meaningful connections not only among one another on campus but also with experts and thought leaders from across the globe.

Thayer continues to lead in creating a school in which our students are not only accomplishing great things but are truly and meaningfully engaged learners. We continue to invest in their health and well-being, understanding that doing so creates a critical foundation for growth, success, and a sense of both purpose and identity. The Academy is taking bold steps to rise to one of the greatest challenges of our time: creating a learning environment that holistically supports the shifting social/emotional, physical, and mental health needs of adolescents so that they can become the young leaders our world very much needs.

The challenges our students face today require that we educate the whole child and create the conditions for students to explore and grow with open minds, whole hearts, and good health.

And the world has indeed changed. To be effective leaders, it is simply not enough to be smart or even to work hard. Students need to become effective communicators, collaborative problem-solvers, ethical decision-makers, and masterful relationship-builders across lines of difference and even divide. That’s a tall order, especially in these anxiety-producing times. Schools must not only challenge students with rigor but also empower them with skills, experiences, supports, and insights that create a foundation of well-being.

As you’ll read throughout this issue of Thayer Magazine, our students, families, alumni/ae, administrators, faculty, counselors, nurses, and staff are engaging in and modeling a variety of ways to be lifelong healthy learners. And with that commitment to wellness, Thayer will continue to demonstrate excellence in ways that honor our proud history and define our bright future.

I look forward to continuing to get to know you and wish you all the very best of health.

Warm regards,

Chris M. Fortunato JD, MSW

P ’26, ’28

HEAD OF SCHOOL, THAYER ACADEMY

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FOR FALL 2022 & BEYOND

To ensure our students are healthy, engaged, and centered learners focused on meaningful achievement, Thayer has begun an initiative focusing on a more robust array of programs, training, and supports aimed at: (1) fostering students’ feelings of connection, belonging, and well-being, and (2) building critical skills to empower them to more effectively cope with the challenges that interfere with their engagement in learning. In the wake of the global pandemic and other realities that impact student mental health, Thayer has begun to develop and implement a leading-edge model for student wellbeing that is comprehensive, holistic, and grounded in the latest research.

FOUR PILLARS OF THE PLAN 1. ASSESSMEN T / DATA COL L E CTION Thayer has begun implementing comprehensive survey instruments developed by leading researchers to best inform the work of our teachers, clinicians, and support staff, including the 2021 administration of the Independent School Health Check, a survey developed to evaluate middle and high school student behavior and attitudes around topics including sleep, hygiene, nutrition, school connection, academic pressure and motivation, parental engagement, substance use and other risk behaviors, internet use/ misuse, and identity.

2. E X P E RT PA RT N E R S H I PS Thayer has already begun partnering with leading organizations in the fields of adolescent mental health, social/emotional learning, neuroscience, public health, and leadership skills development to consider and implement a range of programs, services, resources, and structural considerations (such as school schedule and student workload).

These include partnerships with Challenge Success (an organization affiliated with the Stanford University Graduate School of Education which partners with schools to implement research-based strategies that promote student well-being, engagement, and deeper learning) and Project Wayfinder (an organization born at the Stanford d.school K-12 lab that provides and supports social/ emotional learning and life readiness curricula that has already served more than 100,000 students), among others.

3. TRAI N I N G A N D C U R R I C U LA Through this initiative, faculty/staff professional development and parent/ guardian education (critical in identifying and supporting the social/emotional and mental health needs of our students) will be enhanced. Utilizing both our internal talent and external experts including The Stanley King Institute and the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, Thayer will engage in a robust series of training sessions during a newly-created weekly professional time block throughout the course of the school year. Moreover, regular parent/guardian education forums, both via Zoom and in person, will complement this work.

TO YOUR HEALTH!

E XC I T I N G U P D AT E S & I N I T I AT I V E S

OVERVIEW

Building on our existing offerings, Thayer has begun a process to assess, revise, and implement a comprehensive and wellscaffolded, research-based health/wellness and leadership curriculum across all grades designed to build and amplify the following critical skills: } Emotional and mental health literacy } Empathy building } Deep listening } Conflict resolution } Self-advocacy and self-care } Cognitive-behavioral skills around managing anxiety } Refusing or reducing the harm of substance use/abuse } Effective accessing of adult and community resources } Understanding and exploring aspects of identity } Developing personal values systems and making values-based decisions } Forging safe and healthy relationships } Managing time } Navigating bullying and/or harassment, including as a bystander } Communicating effectively } Solving problems collaboratively } Making ethical decisions } Building relationships across lines of difference

4. I N C R E AS E D R E S O U R C E S Thayer is investing in resources to support students’ social, emotional, and mental health, including through the appointment of a new director of counseling across both divisions, the addition of a second full-time Upper School counselor, the expansion of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging office, and the appointment of Thayer’s inaugural assistant head of school for Student Engagement and Well-Being. Our health and wellness team (including teachers, nurses, and trainers) already complement the work of our counseling team and those teaching leadership development across various grades.

JED WARTMAN NAMED ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT & WELL-BEING Jed Wartman was recently named Thayer's first assistant head of school for Student Engagement and Well-Being. The creation of this new role is a critical step to strengthen and grow the Academy's commitment to students' health and well-being. Reporting directly to Head of School Chris Fortunato P '26, '28, Wartman's responsibilities wil include counseling, health/wellness education, student health services, advising, leadership development, and service programs.

Wartman has been Dean of Students at Governor's Academy and was also a dorm parent and boys varsity soccer coach. Prior to that, he worked in higher education for 15 years, including roles at Colby College and MIT. He has also served as an executive coach and consultant for schools and other nonprofit organizations. Wartman graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in Spanish and education and a focus on psychology. He then earned a graduate degree from the Harvard School of Education.

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NEW H&W CENTER

THAYER ACADEMY'S NEW

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S C E N T E R

O P E N I N G FA L L 2022

Over the summer, the former site of Thayer's business office on 19 Hobart Ave. will be transformed into the Academy's first Health & Wellness Center, which will bring physical health and mental health together under one roof.

The completely renovated interior will house the nursing staff on the first floor and Thayer's counselors on the second floor. The Business Office will move to 700 Washington St. The Class of 2022 and their families made this possible with their record-breaking Senior Legacy Gift, representing the highest amount raised and highest percentage participation to date.

Some highlights of the facility:

1 A Quiet/Relaxation Room for students to use during free periods to decompress 2 A dedicated telehealth space for students to engage in counseling with outside providers during the school day, as needed

3 Offices for nurses and counselors 4 A conference space for meeting and collaboration

Overview blueprints of the new Health & Wellness Center

“

For many years we have talked about how great it would be to have a space where counselors and nurses could be in close proximity and be able to collaborate more readily.

This new space will strengthen those connections to benefit students.

- Kathy Cunningham RN, MSN P '07, '10

”

DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SERVICES

First Floor:

Nursing Offices

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Second Floor:

Counseling Offices

TO YOUR HEALTH!

CONVERSATION

A CONVERSATION ON

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S AT T H E A C A D E MY W I T H T H AY E R C O U N S E L O R S A M A N D A A C U T T, M Y S H A K U H L M A N N , A N D S A R A H M I L L E R

In the 2021-22 school year, Thayer's three counselors — Amanda Acutt, Mysha Kuhlmann, and Sarah Miller — worked tirelessly to listen to and understand the varying needs of students, faculty, staff, and parents/ guardians during what were often trying times.

The three got together recently to share their thoughts. They reflected upon the progress made during the year as well as goals and hopes for the Academy moving forward.

ON HEALTH & WELLNESS BECOMING A "TRENDING" TOPIC: Mysha: I was happily surprised at first when health and wellness became such a trending topic. But I think what I really like about it now is that it helps shift the idea of mental health from being so isolated — and mental health being negative — to something different.

Before we'd often say, "Oh, they're having mental health issues," but really, we all have mental health. This is something that needs to be threaded throughout everything that we do.

Health and wellness needs to be infused in the way that we teach, really thinking about all aspects of wellness — the physical, the social, the emotional, and for some the spiritual.

Amanda: It's so important to have a holistic view of a child's development. I'm also glad it's a trending topic because it’s now much more of a priority in schools — not just with students but, like at Thayer this year, a lot of professional development has been focused on training faculty to be aware of warning signs, to look for ways to be a supportive adult, and to have conversations with students and develop meaningful relationships and hear what kids are saying. I'm glad that it is a rising priority.

Sarah: I'm excited that schools are looking at truly centering the student and all facets of the student, all parts of who they are — not just looking at their academics, not just looking at their sports performance, but looking at how they truly feel and how the different people they interact with on a daily basis affect and influence them.

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CONVERSATION

ON IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING STRESSORS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Mysha: There are high levels of expectations that are put on students by themselves, by faculty, by families; that's an area where health and wellness initiatives can help pull that back and help us identify healthy expectations, like healthy risk. Healthy stress is good, but there's a lot of unhealthy stress that we all face. At the Middle School, one thing we've focused on with student wellness concerns their digital lives: talking with parents and guardians about how to create boundaries for kids with their technology and their devices. We had a recent showing of the film Upstanders, which is a film about bullying. Some parents afterwards met us on the panel, and we had a conversation about what it looks like to monitor social media.

Amanda: Our kids are feeling pressure to look at that phone. We as adults feel those same pressures. I'm always checking my phone to see what emails I got or if a student has reached out to me that they need to meet first thing in the morning. Sometimes, of course, there's necessary checking, but it's about setting boundaries for yourself.

Sarah: Society is moving at such a fast pace that we’re doing all of these things. We're engaging in these behaviors in order to keep up with what’s being said is the norm.

But if you don't set those boundaries, you're going to get lost quickly — and it's hard to come back from that. It comes down to creating disciplines, daily self-care practices for yourself, knowing that you're not checking your phone. After waking up, in those first 15 minutes, try meditating, drinking some water, and mindfully setting an intention for the day. It's about how you can incorporate these small disciplines and habits into your day.

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Amanda: In (Upper School) Decisions classes, we create lessons that always make it relevant to a kid's life. We introduce the topic and then have an application component — how this can apply to your life or how you could approach this kind of topic or this issue. So it’s about helping them develop learning strategies for various things, tailored to each individual. I just try to stress that these are unique care plans rather than one-size-fits-all plans.

Often, kids don't even realize that certain things that they already do are self-care. So we help them understand what self-care means and where they can fit it into their lives. Because so many times they say, "I don't have time for that," and we help them understand that if you don't make time for that, all these other things that you do are going to suffer because of it.

Sarah: Again, it's about helping them find practical ways that they can incorporate self-care strategies into their everyday lives, which could be as simple as creating a morning routine that incorporates having three minutes of meditation or, after brushing their teeth, reading a chapter of a book that’s all about anxiety and how to manage it in your daily life. It's just helping them find those different tools that are not so often talked about in spaces and helping them find those skills and different tools that parents aren't aware of or don't feel comfortable talking to them about.

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VALUES AND ADDRESSING HEALTH & WELLNESS IN ALL KINDS OF SPACES: Mysha: I've been talking a lot with our kids about figuring out who they are and what their values are for themselves.

I believe that understanding our values is so tied to our wellness and our health because then you can make decisions based on those values. For example, if one of my values is kindness, then I can always ask myself, "How am I demonstrating that for others?" We ask our students to think about how they use their values to make decisions — any decision — around phone usage, around relationships with others, etc.

Sarah: In terms of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, we've been mindful of how health and wellness extends to everyone in our community. So, for example, I have a whole list of yoga practitioners and meditation guides that are all black- and brown-led. Because while it's important to have all these different buckets of ways to help kids, we also know that within that bucket, there needs to be representation.

There needs to be a yoga teacher or mindfulness guide who looks like how all our kids look, so that students can actually see themselves in those practices.

Wellness practices also extend to some unexpected areas. I helped coach swimming this year and introduced athletes to the Wim Hof Method of breathing as a regular practice that we would do during swim practices. So introducing different things that students maybe haven't thought about before — mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and breathwork. It’s been nice for them to consider what it actually means to incorporate different health and wellness strategies in daily life, even in athletics!

Be sure to check out the Wellness Cards in this issue.

ON THAYER'S NEW HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER (OPENING FALL 2022) & LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE: Amanda: We communicate with the nurses often, so to be in the same building with them will be so conducive to our work.

Another thing I'm excited about is the addition of a dedicated room for students to have telehealth. We see a handful of students who over the course of this year have needed space on campus to have telehealth appointments. These are key since it's almost impossible to find a therapist these days. So if you can meet during the school day, during a free period, that's even better, and this will allow for that!

Sarah: There will be a sensory room on the counseling floor, which is important. We oftentimes have students who just need to take time away from things because they're getting a little overwhelmed by social

anxiety or they just need to be alone or in a small group instead of a large one. So having that dedicated space will be nice.

Amanda: Sometimes they just want to or need to be by themselves and/or just be somewhere else or do some solitary mindfulness activities.

some students who are struggling, who feel like they don't have time in the day because they're so busy with school — they have long commutes or they have sports. So one of those things that I encourage them to do is to set that quick early morning practice or before-bed practice. So that way you always know you're gonna start your day in a mindful space. It's something we all can do.

TO YOUR HEALTH!

CONVERSATION

Amanda:

SOME FINAL SUGGESTIONS: Mysha: I started using a five-year journal to record my thoughts both first thing in the morning and again at night — about what I'm grateful for. It's so easy, and it's so helpful to have something like that. It’s been huge for me to not have my phone be the first thing I look at in the morning!

Sarah:

Yeah, the time component is something I think about a lot. For us in counseling, helping kids realize they have time is key.

It's hard, though, especially for those kids who are overwhelmed and are having a really hard time thinking positively. For them, we are daily reminders of the benefits of counseling. We tell kids that we're not in their head space and can help them organize and figure out, objectively, where their blocks are.

We're here for them.

I just want to reiterate it's the smallest things that you can start with: the little fiveminute things you can do at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day. I feel like I've been bringing that up more with

For Upper School Counselor Amanda Acutt, it was her high school counselor who was an early influence, helping guide her future and career plans. She has been an invaluable voice and presence for students, parents/guardians, and faculty at Thayer since 2019.

For Middle School Counselor Mysha Kuhlmann, counseling came later in her career (she was a special education teacher for 10 years). She has been a counselor for many years and came to Thayer in the fall of 2021. Mysha will be the Academy's Director of Counseling starting this fall.

Upper School Counselor [and 2022-23 Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)] Sarah Miller grew up in a household where health and wellness were emphasized from an early age (practicing yoga since she was eight!). She has dedicated her life and career to the field. She will start her second year at Thayer this fall.

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AROUND CAMPUS

WRESTLERS ON THE N AT I O N A L S TAG E OKUNLOLA & AKOH EXCEL AT THE NATIONAL PREP WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS O K U N LO L A

'22

BY CRAIG SALTERS '86 P '24

Thayer Academy wrestlers Gibson Akoh ’23 and Samson Okunlola ’23 both placed in the top 15 at the 86th annual National Prep Wrestling Championships, an impressive feat but one that comes as no surprise to anyone who has watched the two student-athletes compete.

Akoh finished fourteenth in the prep championships, which were held in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, in late February. The junior wrestled in the 170-pound weight class.

Okunlola wrestled in the 285-pound weight class and finished ninth. Before that, he won both the New Englands and the ISL’s GravesKelsey Wrestling Tournament (hosted by Thayer) and was not scored upon throughout the entire tournament.

“That’s impressive,” said Coed Varsity Wrestling Assistant Coach Marc Rando P ‘18, ‘20.

Akoh finished second in the Graves-Kelsey, losing to a talented Belmont Hill wrestler, and then finished sixth in the New Englands. However, that tournament saw Akoh avenge his loss by soundly defeating that same wrestler in one of the earlier rounds.

“That was one of his best victories of the year,” said Rando.

The talent, technique, and tenacity of Akoh and Okunlola drew praise from head coach Steven Keith during the Winter Sports Recognition Assembly held just before Spring Recess. Rando echoed Keith’s comments, paying special attention to the leadership qualities of the two.

“The fact that they never missed a single practice is important,” said Rando. “They lead by example.”

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

According to Rando, Akoh has been wrestling longer than Okunlola and is a true student of the sport. “You can teach him something on Wednesday, and you’ll see him use it on Saturday.”

The coach continued: “He’s just that classic softspoken guy — very respectful and very coachable — but when the whistle blows, he just flips a switch. Then it’s all business.”

As for Okunlola — without hyperbole one of the top college football prospects in the nation — the learning curve was steeper, having taken up wrestling to develop the kind of strength, conditioning, balance, and body mechanics that can’t be simulated in a weight room.

“He’s been tested (on the wrestling mat),” said Rando. “He’s been challenged, and he rose to that challenge.”

While Akoh and Okunlola were driving forces in the Academy’s successful wrestling season, the team also had great contributions from Drew St. Pierre ’26, an eighth grader who wrestled varsity; Clement Scott ’24, a sophomore who earned this year’s Coaches Award; and Anthony Frank ’22, a senior who wrestled all four years (with his junior season robbed by the pandemic) and capped his Tiger career by finishing third in the GravesKelsey. The team finished 7th in the ISL this year after finishing 13th two years ago; for their efforts, the squad earned the David Coe Award for most improved team in the ISL. “This accomplishment took a full team effort, and for that, I am incredibly proud of everyone who participated this season,” Keith told the March 8 recognition assembly.

A KO H

'23

The head coach noted that, in addition to Akoh, Okunlola, Frank, and St. Pierre, Tucker Chanenchuk ’23 also earned all-league honors.

Keith added his gratitude for the hard work and competitive spirit of Scott and fellow grapplers Arjun Sohur ’22, Will Kourafas ’23, Thomas Stapleton ’23, Nate Martin ’27, and Brody Martin ’28.

Looking forward, Rando hopes more athletes from football, lacrosse, cross country, and other sports will see how the rigors of wrestling — both physical and mental — can help them in what they consider their primary sports. In the football world alone, such crossover athletes include Stephen Neal (California State University, Bakersfield / New England Patriots), Fred Smerlas (Boston College / Buffalo Bills, etc.), and Jim Nance (Syracuse University / Boston Patriots).

And off the gridiron, Rando points out, wrestling proved instrumental in the lives of former presidents Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt as well as U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, a varsity wrestler at West Point long before leading coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm.

“Wrestling gave them the fortitude to push beyond their limits,” said Rando. “They were able to overcome obstacles which they didn’t think could be overcome.”

With the wrestling mats rolled up until next year, Akoh and Okunlola are no doubt preparing for football in the fall; the two serve as Thayer varsity captains along with Grady Russo ’23.

AROUND CAMPUS

M I D D L E S C H O O L D E C L A M AT I O N F I N A L I S T S (BACK ROW L-R): Luke Shahied '26, Kaden Taylor '27, Mary Keleher '26, Matthias Roy '27, Aashrita Joga '27, Kate O'Donnell '28, Compton Jones '27, Tess Harper '26 (FRONT ROW L-R): Brian Pickel '26, Josephine Skye Chrispin '27, Cavan Finnerty '27, Rory Brosnan '28, Tighe Carter '28, Dominic Borges '29, Lexi Donovan '29

S C A N T H I S Q R C O D E TO WATC H T H E F U L L 2 0 2 2 D E C L A M AT I O N F I N A L S T H AY E R . O R G / D E C L A M AT I O N 2 0 2 2

THAYER'S NEW ATHLETICS DIRECTOR BOBBI MORAN BEGINS A NEW ERA AT THE ACADEMY Roberta “Bobbi” Moran is Thayer Academy's new athletics director.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Moran to our community,” said Head of School Chris Fortunato P ‘26, ‘28.

“She brings to Thayer a wealth of experience and excellence as an athletic administrator, a coach, and an educator. Throughout the search process, she demonstrated a commitment to the highest levels of integrity, sportsmanship, and competition in independent school athletics and, most importantly, an unwavering focus on the student experience.”

Moran, who had served as AD for the past six years at Kent Place School (KPS) in Summit, New Jersey, began at Thayer this summer. Moran also spent 15 years at the Loomis Chaffee School.

Moran said she is excited to build upon the strong foundation laid by Rick Foresteire P ‘19, ‘21, who in February shared his decision to step down as athletics director at the end of the year.

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

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AROUND CAMPUS

P O E T & P R O F E S S O R J O S H UA B E N N E T T AT B A I L E Y- K I N G A U T H O R S E R I E S

BY CRAIG SALTERS '86 P '24

“God bless the lightning bolt in my little brother’s hair.”

This line (three lines, actually) begins “Benediction,” a poem by Joshua Bennett, who read from his work Feb. 10 during an Upper School assembly as the visiting author of the sixth annual BaileyKing Author Series. The words, the image conveyed by those words, and the idea behind that image offered some of the first clues that Bennett’s visit would be a one-of-a-kind experience for the Thayer community.

The award-winning poet and Dartmouth College professor kept students, staff, and faculty spellbound for roughly an hour that morning. Poems like “Say It, Sing It As The Spirit Leads” and “America Will Be” squarely addressed a Black experience in America marked by dehumanization and destruction at the hands of external forces — the latter poem lauds a father born “in the throat of Jim Crow Alabama” — but emphasized the resilience, grace, and sheer joy of a culture that can withstand such forces.

“God bless everything that survives the fire,” is how the last line of “Benediction” reads.

Other poems, such as “Balaenoptera” and “Dad Poem (Ultrasound #2),” evoked the simple but powerful joys of love and newfound fatherhood.

Throughout it all, Bennett displayed warmth, empathy, and a magnetic personality. He told students some poems take 20 minutes to write while others take 10 years. He discussed poetic influences such as Gwendolyn Brooks but also favorite hip-hop artists such as Biggie Smalls and André 3000. Topics ranged from the size of a blue whale’s heart to Bennett’s time performing at the White House to his love for the city of Yonkers, his Bronxadjacent hometown.

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“Confidence is a muscle,” he told students, who in turn led a standing ovation that only ended when they needed to return to class.

As visiting author, Bennett also spent the school day with Upper School English and theater classes before meeting after school with members of Thayer’s ISOKAN, OMEGA, and Creative Writing clubs.

Later that night, Bennett addressed a more intimate gathering in Southworth Library. The poem “Barber Song” served as an ode to barbers and barbershops everywhere and featured the line “a cut so close you could see the shimmering of a man’s thinking.”

Another poem lauded the plastic covering on his grandmother’s couch while another, “Owed to the Durag,” praised the sometimes controversial headwear as billowing “like a sham poltergeist.”

Bennett’s books of poetry and literary criticism include The Sobbing School, Being Property Once Myself, and Owed. His narrative nonfiction book, Spoken Word: A Cultural History, will be published next year.

Established in 2016 through the generous support of Amelia & Todd Slawsby '88, the Bailey-King Author Series endeavors to celebrate the written word through annual author events at Thayer Academy. Named in honor of the retired English faculty members Betty Bailey '63 and Jim King P '01, '04, '06, the series hosts highly regarded authors on campus to educate budding student writers about careers in writing and inspire them to seek new depths in their own voices. Past BaileyKing authors include: Derek Green (2017), Dominic Tierney (2018), Kirsten Greenidge (2019), Mira T. Lee (2020), and Brit Bennett (2021).

Joshua Bennett will be a Scholar-in-Residence at Thayer Academy for the 2022-23 School Year.

WINTER / SPRING 2022

TA TIMELINE

NOV

Thayer juniors spearhead a Thanksgiving food drive to benefit Quincy Community Action Programs Head Start Upper School Newsies production draws rave reviews (See pp. 30-31)

DEC

Eighth graders organize a local food drive for Braintree's Crispin Center Senior Samuel Okunlola '22 commits to Pitt football

JAN

Alumna Teresa Hsiao '03 holds a Zoom roundtable to discuss comedy writing (See p. 39)

The girls varsity hockey team captures the Valicenti Cup for Thayer with a 4-3 victory over Middlesex (See p. 35) Alum Thomas Healy '10 holds a Zoom roundtable on start-ups and entrepreuneurship (See p. 38)

FEB

AROUND CAMPUS

F A C U LT Y N O T E S Middle School Arts faculty member and artist Destiny Palmer held an art exhibition of her work - called “Love Letter to a Black Woman” - at Boston's Spoke Gallery in April.

The exhibition was a site-specific installation of paintings, collages, and drawings and was an autobiographical response to the last year. In one piece (see photo below), books that Palmer read or that have impacted her life help to prop up her art.

Palmer's exhibition is part of a larger body of work that she created called “F U Shine.” According to Palmer, “Fuchsine is the original name for colors described as purplish red, reddish purple, purplish pink, or mauvish crimson, often referred to magenta or fuchsia. It is an extra-spectral color, meaning that it is not found in the visible spectrum of light. Rather, it is physiologically and psychologically perceived as the mixture of red and violet/blue light, with the absence of green. Fuchsine is a space that acts as a placeholder for an identifiable space by women of color bound by institutions. F U Shine is a play on the word ‘fuchsine.’ F U Shine is a reclamation of space using the power of healing through art and making.”

Palmer explores and investigates what it means to be an artist, educator, and advocate for the arts. She has worked with various communities to create public art projects ranging from traditional murals to communityled art to digitally created murals.

Poet Joshua Bennett speaks at the BaileyKing Author Series at Southworth Library (See p. 16)

Sally Goldman P '99, '00, '03 named girls varsity tennis coach

MAR

Mass Audubon's Kathleen Regan joins the Middle School for its Science Cafe with a special visitor - a great horned owl Peyton Knightly '24 breaks the Thayer record in both the 200m and 500m freestyle swimming events (See p. 35)

Bobbi Moran hired as Thayer's next Athletics Director (See p. 15)

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

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ALUMNI PROFILE

CONNECTING TO JOY

D R . A L I C I A G E N I S C A '99 E M B R A C E S T H E O P P O R T U N I T Y T O M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E

DR. GENISCA CARING FOR A FAMILY IN ETHIOPIA

BY CRAIG SALTERS '86 P '24

Dr. Alicia Genisca '99 graduated from Thayer Academy more than two decades ago, but connections to her alma mater still seem to percolate into her everyday life.

In medical school, for instance, she was visiting a friend in southern Spain when, qué sorpresa, the song “Las Tres Joyas de Andalucía” just popped into her head as if she were still back in 7th grade Spanish class with teacher Fran Parsons P '82, '87.

And those language lessons come in handy today as Genisca and her husband, Leonardo, a Chilean native, raise their newborn son Émile.

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“We speak Spanish in the house all day,” she says. “I’m fluent, and it all started with Señora Parsons.”

Then there are fond memories of chorus and theater productions, working with Upper School Arts Department Head Jeff Browne P '04, '05 and former Middle School Music Faculty Charlotte Browne. Those memories, she says, usually come back as she’s putting Émile to bed.

“I think about them all the time when I’m singing songs to my son and also when I wonder why I know so much trivia about the Beatles,” she says.

That’s not to say Genisca hasn’t moved on from high school … and then some. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in 2003, she earned her MD from Cornell University. She then completed her residency at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and her fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

In 2012, she began work with the Global Health Corps (GHC), an initiative of Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. That work, in turn, brought her to places like Gondar, Ethiopia — “It’s a beautiful place to live,” she says — where

she worked on such issues as malnutrition, heart disease, and cancer. In Riohacha, Colombia, still as a member of the GHC, she focused on pediatric care and maternal health care — improving child mortality rates, specifically among the Wayúu indigenous people. There, Genisca was the first physician to evaluate the high rates of malnutrition and started a program to deal with it; there is now a nutritional recuperation center at that location.

“Without borrowing too much from Whitney Houston, children really are the future,” she says. “They’re the global citizens of tomorrow, and their health — both physical and mental — matters.”

Currently, Genisca is a pediatric emergency physician at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence. She’s also an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University.

“I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor,” says Genisca, joking that her mother must have whispered it in her ear when she was a baby.

The first U.S.-born citizen of her immigrant family, Genisca started Thayer in seventh grade, taking the MBTA from Boston before her family moved to Randolph the following year. She is a proud Steppingstone Scholar, Class of 1993, and lauds the Boston nonprofit, which provides free private school- and college-access programs to families who dream of better education for their children but face serious obstacles. In fact, she said the organization prepared her for meeting people who could afford a prep school tuition or used the phrase “summer home” or could find Nantucket on a map.

Children are the global citizens of tomorrow, and their health - both physical and mental matters.

Genisca says that Eric Swain, the Academy’s former head of school, had a profound effect on her life. Because Genisca’s mother worked long hours and had to drop her daughter off at school around 6:30 a.m., Genisca had the opportunity to chat with Swain during those early-morning hours.

“I would have these wonderful talks with Mr. Swain,” she says. “It’s something I’ll never forget."

While the lion’s share of Genisca’s international work is now through her role as a Brown professor, she points out that the United States is, indeed, a part of the globe; she still engages in advocacy to make sure Americans here at home get the healthcare they need.

Asked why she chose to work in such a world of chaos and potential tragedy in her role as a pediatric emergency physician, Genisca — whose senior project at Thayer involved volunteering at a small daycare in a Boston neighborhood for children who were HIV-positive — points out that all children’s hospitals, despite their serious purpose, are brightly lit and filled with color.

“Children always represent what’s good in the world,” she says. “They always see things with a fresh set of eyes, and they want to play even when they’re patients. That’s why when you walk into a children’s hospital, it’s meant to evoke joy.

“I learned what lacrosse and field hockey were (at Steppingstone) the summer before I arrived at Thayer,” she recalls.

Let’s cut to the chase: Genisca loves Thayer Academy. She says she’s still amazed by the amount of support she received and continues to receive from faculty. She recites a veritable laundry list of teachers who mean the world to her — from World Languages Faculty Aidan Rooney P '07, '15 to former Upper School English Faculty Jim King P '01, '04, '06 to former Upper School French Faculty Claudy Boy to the late Shelley Tyre, the Academy’s former Middle School director — and remembers former Upper School Arts Faculty William Ross Searle P '85, '87, years before his passing, sending her a Facebook message just to let her know how proud he was of her, especially for her work in global healthcare.

TO YOUR HEALTH!

ALUMNI PROFILE

“Why wouldn’t I want that in my life?”

WORKING IN R.I. DURING COVID-19

From the 1999 Black & Orange Yearbook: Honor Roll, High Honor Roll, Voice, Drama (officer), OMEGA (secretary & co-president), Chorus, Women's Choir, Cheerleading (co-captain)

DR. GENISCA IN COLOMBIA WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

“It’s amazing to still have that faculty connection decades later,” she says.

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

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WELLNESS & WONDER

F O R L O I S H I R S H B E R G '65, P O T T E R Y I S M O R E T H A N J U S T A N A R T F O R M

BY CRAIG SALTERS '86 P '24

As a guidance counselor at the K.C. Coombs Elementary School in Mashpee, Lois Hirshberg would sit among the fourth graders on the first day of school.

’65

At 4’ 11”, she would let her feet dangle along with those of 99 percent of the students.

She’d return on the last day of school to find 99 percent of the fourth graders with their feet planted firmly on the ground while hers, alas, still dangled.

“I was a short adult, so all the students were almost my height. I was literally close to their eye level,” says Hirshberg, adding that her diminutive stature only helped to build connections during her 17 years working with elementary school students.

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Hirshberg has spent the better part of her 74 years connecting with students trying to navigate the vagaries of school or home, connecting with her own thoughts and emotions as she strives to be true to herself, and connecting with an art form, pottery, which allows her both freedom and peace of mind.

And for Hirshberg, it’s that connection that truly matters.

A Quincy native, Hirshberg describes herself as “school-phobic” during her elementary school years and says she most likely had an undiagnosed learning disability. Although she said she found the academics challenging, she enjoyed the social aspects of Thayer — especially sports and the friendships she made that are still strong today — and possessed what’s now referred to as a keen emotional intelligence. She left the academic accomplishments to her older brother, Dr. Gary Hirshberg ‘64, who went on to Princeton and then careers in both medicine and teaching.

She struggled academically both at Thayer and her first college, but things changed dramatically when she transferred to New York University midway through her sophomore year.

“I just thrived,” she says. “It was the perfect fit. It was New York City. It was the Village (Greenwich Village). It was the 60s, and I was involved in social justice and civil rights as well as the art scene. It was everything.”

Hirshberg graduated NYU with a degree in sociology and, shortly thereafter, earned a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Northeastern University. In 1987 she earned another master’s degree, this time in art therapy, from Lesley University.

She started at K.C. Coombs when it opened in 1987 and worked there for almost two decades. She is quite proud that while she most certainly did deal with atrisk students or those in crisis, it’s because they were part of the entire student body.

“I knew every one of the 500+ kids in that school, and I took care of every one of them,” she says. And that care could come in the form of conflict resolution programs, emotional programs, or discussion groups dealing with such issues as divorce, a sibling with special needs, or loss (including the loss of pets).

“Every kid is different, so every need is different,” says Hirshberg, who believes her aforementioned school-phobia gave her a much-needed empathy with students and credits her parents, Dr. Sumner and Molly Hirshberg P '64, '65, for instilling in her a sense of community. “What do all kids need? It could be just a smile or to be recognized.”

Later, she adds: “Emotional health is a large part of a child’s well-being.”

What do all kids need?

It could be just a smile or to be recognized.

Emotional health is a large part of a child's well-being.

Hirshberg’s degree in expressive therapy, which incorporates art, dance, and drama in the counseling process, proved invaluable during those school years.

“Most elementary school students literally don’t have the vocabulary, the actual words, to express how they feel,” she explains, “so expressive art is just so important.”

Art is also important for Hirshberg, who stumbled upon pottery when a friend’s husband was attending classes at Mudflat Studios (now in Somerville but then in Cambridge) and she wanted to make some dinnerware. “I just fell in love with the studio and spent all my time there, day and night,” she says.

A little later, for her brother’s wedding, Hirshberg made leather belts for the groomsmen but made the word “Shalom” in Hebrew as a sculpture for the rabbi. She did this by handbuilding with slabs of clay (Hirshberg does not use a potter’s wheel; handbuilding is her métier), and

her instructor told her she had found her niche. She still makes “Shalom” sculptures, big and small, and one adorns the Falmouth Jewish Congregation in East Falmouth.

TO YOUR HEALTH!

ALUMNI PROFILE

“Pottery was really for my personal well-being, and it has been ever since,” says Hirshberg. “It’s not only fun to play with mud, but it can also be very meditative and centering.”

In addition to Mudflat Studios, Hirshberg’s art training includes one year of formal training in Israel at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem as well as one summer of study in Japan with Parsons School of Design.

She specializes in alternative firing techniques such as Obvara firing (a technique from Middle Ages Eastern Europe), Saggar firing, and Western Raku. She teaches pottery at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, Featherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, and the Truro Center for the Arts. In fact, she recently taught a workshop in alternative firing techniques at the Cotuit Center.

“I love alternative firing techniques because I’m impatient and don’t like to wait for the pieces to cool in the kiln,” she says. “They offer a quicker process. They go in and out of a very hot kiln, the results are immediate, and no piece is ever alike.”

Hirshberg lives with her wife, Janice, on Cape Cod. She and her wife are involved in various nonprofits on the Cape, including: Cape Cod PATH (People Against Trafficking Humans), Amplify POC (People of Color) Cape Cod, and Barnstable No Place for Hate. Her pottery is on exhibit at several galleries on Cape Cod, including: Jobi Pottery & Gallery and Creative Hands Gallery.

Hirshberg not only trusts the process in the expression of her art but also in the expression of herself; the results speak for themselves.

“It’s about being your authentic self,” she says.

From the 1965 Black & Orange Yearbook: Dance Committee; Theta Alpha; G.A.A.; Basketball; Field Hockey; Softball

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

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ALUMNI PROFILE

DESMOND '08

P R E S E N T, N OT T E N S E

T H AY E R A L U M S P R A C T I C E Y O G A T O S TAY I N T H E M O M E N T & P R O M O T E I N T E N T I O N A L S E L F- C A R E BYE.SARAH E. MURPHY BYSTORY SARAH MURPHY

For Ciara Desmond ’08 and Amanda Goulston Shields ’93, yoga isn’t so much a profession as a passion. And it’s a passion they’re willing to share.

Ciara Desmond’s first introduction to yoga was a beginner class she took the summer before her freshman year at the University of Maryland. However, it was a P90X yoga DVD on a summer day that made more of an impact. She didn’t have air-conditioning, so without meaning to, she essentially curated her own hot yoga class.

She enrolled in a yoga class to fulfill an elective for her kinesiology degree, earning her first teacher certification during her junior year. And, as she says, the rest is history.

Upon graduating from college in 2014, Desmond worked as an assistant manager for a large yoga studio chain and helped to open three studios in Baltimore. After her first daughter was born, Desmond and her husband moved back to Massachusetts to be

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closer to family; she knew then that she was ready to be her own boss.

“I didn’t want a desk job,” she says, “and I didn’t want to be tied to someone else’s schedule. I had the experience, and I was good at it, so I knew it was time to do my own thing.”

Shortly after, Desmond launched Wicked Om Yoga, which is based in Marshfield. What began as an in-person yoga school has blossomed and now offers women’s health workshops and outdoor courses such as paddleboard yoga.

Like many who were forced to pivot during the pandemic, Desmond conducts most of her business online. She offers courses and programs on Ayurveda, a sister science to yoga, focusing on the mind-body connection of nutrition and self-care.

“Ayurveda is a philosophy for how you digest things, from the food you eat to what you read to how you talk to yourself,” she says.

Desmond believes yoga is beneficial because it serves different purposes for everyone, from physical to mental, and what people want to bring to and take from yoga is constantly evolving.

“It depends on the individual,” she says, “and what they need at any given moment. For many, the movement is the gateway, but it’s also about mantra, meditation, and breathwork. It can be the act of rolling out my mat.”

According to Desmond, some of the myths surrounding yoga are due to preconceived notions.

“Yoga doesn’t need to look a certain way. It doesn’t matter what you wear or how athletic you are. It’s about tapping into your own intuitive needs and just getting started,” she says.

Desmond offers two quick mindfulness tips to incorporate some of the benefits of yoga for those who don’t envision themselves ever entering a studio.

“When you wake up in the morning, take a pause before you jump out of bed or reach for your phone,” she says. “Whether it’s three breaths or a full body stretch, take that moment for yourself.”

To end the day, Desmond recommends keeping a gratitude journal, which can be as simple as jotting down one or two things before bed; it’s advice she follows herself.

DEFINING YOGA Yoga and the practice of yoga are difficult terms to define, so we went to the experts: Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Yoga with an uppercase “Y” is “a Hindu theistic philosophy,” but yoga with a lowercase “y” is defined as “a system of physical postures, breathing techniques, and sometimes meditation derived from Yoga but often practiced independently, especially in Western cultures, to promote physical and emotional well-being.”

TO YOUR HEALTH!

ALUMNI PROFILE

G O U L S TO N S H I E L D S ' 9 3

“For me, yoga goes beyond the movement,” she says. “It keeps me in balance and allows me to live in harmony with myself.”

r After the birth of her third child in 2012, Amanda Goulston Shields found herself searching for purpose.

She attended a yoga class dressed in her husband’s baggy shorts and a T-shirt. As she recalls, it was a mental and physical battle, and she felt like a proverbial fish out of water.

But it also sparked a flame.

Eager to share the tools she learned to help navigate life challenges, Goulston Shields founded Krigsman Yoga in 2017. Inspired by her Swedish heritage, the name translates to “warrior” or “soldier,” intended as symbolic on many levels. Goulston Shields underscores the profound role yoga has played in recent years, particularly regarding her mental health. Living with ADHD and having recovered from a binge eating

disorder stemming from childhood trauma, yoga has become a pillar of stability in her life.

Yoga doesn't need to look a certain way. It's about tapping into your own intuitive needs and just getting started.

“I don’t know where I’d be today if I hadn’t found yoga,” she says. “It saved my life. It helps me be a better mother, a better wife, and a better person.”

Because of her own initial hesitation, Goulston Shields founded Krigsman on the belief that anyone can practice yoga, and whether the motivation is physical or mental, the benefits of both aspects are inevitable.

“You don’t have to live a certain lifestyle or have a certain body type,” she says. “The more you show up on your mat, the more you get out of it. Yoga is for everyone.”

From the 2008 Black & Orange Yearbook:

DESMOND '08

Cross Country; Track; Special Olympics; TA Wish Club; Tour Guide; Honor Roll

From the 1993 Black & Orange Yearbook:

Goulston Shields emphasizes the importance of pausing before reacting, one of the most fundamental lessons she has gleaned from yoga.

“Yoga broadly helps us remove the physical and emotional baggage life has piled on us,” she says.

G O U L S TO N S H I E L D S ' 9 3

Disciplinary Committee; SADD; TAPS; Tour Guide; Big Sister; Community Service; JV & Varsity Field Hockey (Capt); Skiing (Capt); JV & Varsity Tennis; JV & Varsity Lacrosse

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

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FACULTY Q&A WITH UPPER SCHOOL FACULTY ALLYNN LODGE ON YOGA AT THAYER

POWER MOVE

ALUMNA USES INNER STRENGTH (AND

A H E C K U VA L O T O F O U T E R S T R E N G T H ) TO ACHIEVE LIFE BAL ANCE

BY CRAIG SALTERS '86 P '24

If caring were a competition, Tracy Wong ’03, LICSW, C-ASWCM, CCM, would be on the podium.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU PRACTICED YOGA? I've been practicing yoga for over 10 years. The type of yoga that I practice and teach would probably fall under the category of Hatha in that it incorporates meditation and breathwork and has a slower flow to it.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? I got started with yoga due to a running injury. In my first class, the teacher saw me restless and squirming, unable to sit still. She was a hippie and came up to me with a rock and whispered, "Hold onto this. It will ground you." I thought it was the weirdest thing ever and wasn't sure I'd return, but obviously, yoga has grown on me! Though many people associate yoga with the physical practice, there is a beautiful history and a set of moral and ethical guidelines that encompass it as well. Yoga has taught me so much about myself and has helped me become a more patient, disciplined, and thoughtful person.

WHEN DID YOGA AT THAYER START? Yoga officially became a part of the Upper School athletics program when I came over from the Middle School in 2017. Students can practice yoga twice per week in the Environmental House, which has been converted into a yoga studio. Coaches can also have their teams participate twice weekly — I've really enjoyed working with the crew, ski, and field hockey teams this year. Finally, there's a group of Thayer teachers who practice once a week after school. It's a great way to end the day.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BENEFITS AND IMPACT OF YOGA? I think the biggest benefit for students is that yoga is a place where they can slow down.

The Thayer schedule is jam-packed, and students' lives are increasingly fast-paced. I have some students who don't get home until 9 or 10 p.m. from dance or sports practice ... and then they're supposed to do homework! It's important that students have a counterbalance to the whirlwind pace of their day. I see yoga as a sacred hour that's free of technology and high-pressure demands. It's a time for students to turn off their phones, close their eyes, breathe, and move. They get to check in on how they're feeling — physically, emotionally, energetically, mentally — and then move through a sequence that helps them relax and learn skills for self-regulation. And if they can learn to do a funky arm balance or a handstand in the process, then that's icing on the cake!

S O ME STUDEN T QUOTE S ON YOGA @ THAY E R: Ms. Lodge is a kind and patient teacher who creates a calming atmosphere during yoga sessions. We worked on synching breathing with body movements, as well as body control and form, so I learned a lot! I gained a therapeutic experience from this program — between all the positive energy in the room and calming vibe I was able to leave my stresses of the day at the door and focus on myself and my energy.

ANDREIA SOARES '23

I love doing yoga after school because it's such a peaceful way to end the busy school day; it lets me meditate on how my day is going and get in touch with how my body and mind are feeling. ABBY GOLDEN '22 I have enjoyed having a peaceful time to look forward to after school while still being on campus. JESSICA FISHER '23

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But it’s not, so she contents herself with the next best thing: Olympic weightlifting.

“I like to compete,” says Wong, who recently returned from Salt Lake City and the USA Weightlifting Masters National Championships. There, in the W35 (Women age 35-39) 71kg weight class, she placed 18th out of 33 and came away with three competitive PRs (personal records) for her effort: 54kg in the snatch; 70kg in the clean & jerk; and a total score (a combination of both lifts) of 124kg.

A quick primer on Olympic weightlifting: the two separate events are the snatch, where competitors seek to bring a barbell from the floor to an overhead position in one swift motion, and the clean & jerk, where those same competitors seek to raise a barbell from the floor to shoulder level (the clean) and then overhead (the jerk).

“I do weightlifting for me,” says Wong, explaining that the sport has both physical and mental benefits. “It’s what keeps me grounded.”

While Wong came to competitive sports relatively late — at Thayer, she played JV field hockey and lacrosse but “just for fun” — she loves physical exercise for the confidence and sense of well-being it gives her. And for years, that peace of mind helped to leaven the stress of her role as a clinical social worker engaging with the most at-risk populations to find those individuals the care they needed. Sometimes, she says, that care was crisis intervention, and sometimes that care was as simple as helping them with laundry.

“I was so honored and privileged (to work in that role) because they are the most vulnerable,” she says. “These are the people going in and out of emergency care with no primary physician. They’re the least able to take advantage of the services available to them.”

After years as a case manager, however, she’s currently a nursing student at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston. At the encouragement of fellow case managers, most of whom are already nurses, she entered a 16-month program and will earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing from MCPHS in May of 2023.

air, to remind myself that there’s more to the world than just work, that there’s still good in the world.”

TO YOUR HEALTH!

ALUMNI PROFILE

Wong fully admits that she loves activity — “I love the chaos. I love drama,” she says, only half-kidding — and speculates that her family’s restaurant, Chinatown in Stoughton, likely provided a great training program for her future profession.

“It (working at her family’s restaurant) allowed me to remain calm amidst the chaos, to see the bigger picture,” she says. She then recalls her 16-year-old self dealing with the craziness of a Chinese food restaurant on New Year’s Eve. “Baptism by fire,” is how Wong puts it, smiling.

“I feel I can be a strong leader,” says Wong, who already boasts a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston University and an MSW (Master of Social Work) from Boston College School of Social Work. “I have a skill set for leadership, but you need to do so with compassion and empathy.”

But by then, Wong had discovered a new passion: CrossFit, a high-intensity fitness routine which focuses on functional strength and motion.

For all her education and experience, Wong keeps it simple when discussing the need for nurses and healthcare professionals in general.

“The great thing about CrossFit is that every day is different,” she says.

She adds: “There’s a huge need for case management. Many people are healthilliterate. People need someone who can advocate for them and find them the right healthcare.”

While Crossfit improved her endurance, the weightlifting aspects of certain programs brought her into the world of Olympic weightlifting she inhabits today. Wong purchased equipment for her garage in Stoughton and works out three times per week with Providence Barbell in Rhode Island.

“It’s about respecting people and who they are,” she says. “It’s about respect and dignity for people; they each have their own story.”

JV lax and field hockey aside, Wong’s journey in competitive sports began while rowing in college (at Bates, where she started her collegiate career before transferring). Later in life, she tried rowing again and soon fell in love with it. In 2016 she was a member of Community Rowing Inc., a nonprofit organization of rowers based in Brighton, and she competed in meets from 2017 until 2019; she even rowed in the Head of the Charles Regatta in 2019.

Wong also loves running and has competed in 24 half marathons. She recalls her time working with students with behavioral health issues — She uses the term “CBAT” for “Community-Based Acute Treatment” — where she witnessed the horrific effects of sexual and physical abuse of children.

“It was eye-opening,” she says now. “Those children just needed love and support, but I also realized that I had to take care of myself. I would run just to smell the fresh

And the pandemic, she adds, has revealed that society at large could use a little more of such compassion.

“We really need to be kinder to one another,” says Wong.

From the 2003 Black & Orange Yearbook: Honor Roll; Drama; OMEGA; Chorus; SADD; TA PAWS; Community Service; SALSA; Ensemble; Women's Choir; Japanese Club; Musicals; CEC; JV Field Hockey; JV Lacrosse

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

25

Arts MIDDLE SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS

AN ARTISTIC ARTIFICIAL REEF

BY PAUL KAHN P '27

Always thinking outside the box, Middle School Arts Faculty Destiny Palmer decided that for the 3D unit for her sixth grade art classes, she would work with Middle School Science Faculty Jon Butler P ’25, ’28 while also experimenting with creating art using some not-so-typical art materials. The result: a stunning coral reef display brightening the first-floor hallway of the Middle School.

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

“I asked Jon if he was interested in

shapes on plastic, after which Palmer

exploring some sort of collaboration with

would spray with the foam. Once the foam

his class - knowing that they were studying

hardened, students would begin painting.

coral reefs at the time,” Palmer recalls. And so, her idea began with research, seeing

“I was a bit nervous, never having done

what types of materials might work for this

anything like this before,” notes Palmer,

particular art project. Meanwhile, working

who also guided students in using materials

with Butler also gave her insights on coral

to create patterns on clay that mimicked

reefs and their varied growth patterns.

those in nature. With research, and from knowledge gained in their science classes,

Each group of students was given a basket

the students recreated with a fair degree

of materials, and based on which materials

of accuracy what a typical ocean coral reef

appealed to them, they investigated and

might look like - branching coral, brain

then created different growth patterns.

coral, fan coral, and more.

Materials included coffee filters, straws, plastic cups, egg cartons, pipe cleaners,

Once all the coral was finished, additional

toilet paper rolls, and floral foam blocks

details completed the project: starfish, a sea

- many items patiently sourced by Palmer

turtle, and a base layer of sand. Of course,

months in advance.

you might spot some less-than-accurate but wholly-sixth-grade specific details in

The larger coral pieces were created with

the artificial reef — namely, Spongebob

spray foam - with students drawing coral

Squarepants.

Arts MIDDLE SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS

Tessa Harper ’26

Lucy Stearns ’26

Lucia Hisenberg ’26

Nate Shatzkamer ’26

Lexi Donovan ’29

Emily Crowley ’28

Charlie Cox ’28

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

27

Arts MIDDLE SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS

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1

2

3

2

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G R E E K

M Y T H O L O G Y ATHENA

THE

P L AYS

&

CAST

LETO

Narrator: Ann Marie Zukauskas Narrator: John McKinnon Narrator: Courtney Barry Narrator: Jack Aiello Zeus: Vaibhav Sathish Metis: Hadley Butler Hephaestus: Abby Concannon Arachne: Claire Kelly Athena: Kate O’ Donnell Poseidon: Sid Rajagopalan

Narrator: Andrew Hernandez Narrator: Jayden Gibson Narrator: Riley Habchy Narrator: Aaron Baker Hera: Cathy Macharia Ilithyia: McKayla Murphy Iris: Hannah Currie Leto: Aditi Moharir Poseidon: Anderson Keswick

Narrator: Ben Snyder Narrator: Dresden Tempel Narrator: Anderson Keswick Narrator: Aaron Baker Ariadne: Aditi Moharir Dionysus: Brayden Buckley Dodona: Mckayla Murphy Zeus: Jayden Gibson Hermes: Riley Habchy Semele: Hannah Currie Hera: Cathy Macharia Pirate: Charlie Cox Pirate: Brody Martin Pirate: Finn Forger

Narrator: Vaibhav Sathish Narrator: Sid Rajagopalan Narrator: Emily Crowley Narrator: Kate O’ Donnell Hades: Deniz Unal Triptolemus: Courtney Barry Persephone: Ann Marie Zukauskas Metaneirus: Hadley Butler Zeus: Jack Aiello Demeter: Katie Fortunato Iris: Abby Concannon

MR. GHIDEN

Andrew Hernandez '28 & Jayden Gibson '28

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MR. TOUSSAINT

The Middle School Ensemble - (L-to-R) John Pompilio ’26, Rose Najarian ’27, Aashrita Joga ’27, Ryan Sloan ’27, and Connor Keleher ’28 performs "Route 66" during the concert Charlie Vernazza ’29, Liv Talabi-Oates ’29, Atlas Card ’29, Brendan Curran ’29, Sloane Laur ’29, Genevieve Yarde ’29, Graham Zakian ’29, T.J. Zukauskas ’29, Christian Caldroney ’29, and Dominic Borges ’29 perform during one of the two performances of The Final Dress Rehearsal

4

Cast photo from the second performance of The Final Dress Rehearsal (L-to-R): Owen Haskell ’29, Charlie Bennett ’29, Hank Najarian ’29, Vanessa Horne ’29, Lexi Donovan ’29, Reese Haskell ’29, Taylor Currie ’29 (holding laptop), Ben Wainwright ’29 (on Zoom via the laptop), Ava Newhall ’29, Cam Forger ’29, Avery Lukowski ’29, Weston Purtell ’29, and Anne Suwastawan ’27

P L A Y S

The full cast of Greek Myths 2021

Narrator: Jack Manning Narrator: Finn Wrixon Narrator: Lily Fallon Narrator: Eli Papadakis Zeus: Connor Bragg Epimetheus: Tommy Lally Prometheus: Connor Kelleher Pandora: Adeline Kelley Hephaestus: Rory Brosnan Hercules: Braden Johnson

ARIAD NE

D EMETER & PERSEPHONE

3

PROMETHEUS & PANDORA

HERMES

Narrator: Abby Concannon Narrator: Claire Kelly Narrator: Hadley Butler Narrator: Katie Fortunato Daedalus: John McKinnon Theseus: Sid Rajagopalan King Minos: Vaibhav Sathish Ariadne: Emily Crowley Dionysus: Deniz Unal Athenian: Jack Aiello

D IONYSUS

(L-to-R) Anne Suwastawan ’29, Reese Haskell ’29, Isabella Kahn ’27, Charlie Bennett ’29, and Ryleigh Flaherty-Clapham ’27 sing and clap to "Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie" during the Fall Music I Concert

Narrator: Emersyn Fisher-Bailey Narrator: Rory Brosnan Narrator: Braden Johnson Narrator: Brody Karis Maia: Lily Fallon Zeus: Mason Pevarnek Apollo: Lincoln Johnson Hera: Rory Dowden Hermes: Tighe Carter

ARTEMIS & NIOB E Narrator: Connor Keleher Narrator: Tighe Carter Narrator: Emersyn Fisher-Bailey Narrator: Mason Pevarnek Artemis: Adeline Kelley Zeus: Braden Johnson Leto: Rory Dowden Actaeon: Tommy Lally Apollo: Lincoln Johnson Niobe: Lily Fallon

NOVEMBER 18 2021 HALE THEATER CFA D I R E C TO R TARA CORCORAN '88 P '19 SOUND D ESIGN GERRY DWYER LIGHTI NG D ESIGN TORY COLEMAN

SPECIAL THANKS NAMES HERE?

MS. COREY

Hannah Currie '28

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

Mason Pevarnek '28

Lily Fallon '28

Katie Fortunato '28

John McKinnon '28 & Anne Marie Zukauskas '28

Arts UPPER SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS 2

1

3

4

5

6

1

Ryan Noreke ’24 on the electric guitar in "Sweet Child of Mine"

2

Meghan Sloan ’25 plays a flute interlude (during a break from rhythm guitar)

3

Chloe Clifford ’22 on the electric bass

4

Singing "Use Somebody"- Eliza Farley ’23, Tess Meyers ’23, and Josette Chenaur ’24

5

Performing "Under Pressure" - Martin Nyagilo ’24 and Sofia Skop ’23 on vocals, with Andreia Soares ’23 on the drums

6

Singing "Heat Waves" - Abby DiGregorio ’22, Isabella Rivera ’23, and Ella McGillivray ’23 on vocals; Ava Thomas ’25 on keyboard; and Leo Eschauzier ’23 on the drums

7

Julia Pickel ’22 sings "Itch" with her powerful voice

8

On the electric bass - Tatiana Allen ’23

7

8

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

29

Arts UPPER SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS

1

he Upper School fall musical performance of Newsies was T a return to some sort of normalcy, as the cast was able to perform without masks. The brilliant and vibrant costumes and set design were matched with incredible songs, acting, and dancing on the Hale Theater stage.

2

3

4

7

8

5

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

6

1

Gavin Pevarnek '22 (center, as Jack Kelly) dreams of better days for his band of newspaper carriers as they await the morning papers

2

Summer Perry '24 as Medda Larkin sings "That's Rich"

3

Larry Carlson P '02, '05, '10 in an incredible cameo as NY Governor Teddy Roosevelt

4

Jane Richard '24 behind the box office with her mother, Denise Richard P '20, '24, in the CFA Lobby, transformed to look like - what else? - a newspaper stand!

5

Tommy Bi '23 (center) and his fellow Bowery Boys react to the ever-changing drama

6

Sofia Skop '23, Josette Chenaur '24, Catherine George '24, and Alexa Hartman '24 dance to "Don't Come A-Knocking"

7

Isabella Rivera '23 as Katherine Plummer sings "Watch What Happens"

8

Harry Salters '24 scowls menacingly as Snyder

9

Zac Gondelman '22, Charlie Solari '22 and other Newsies leap for joy during "Seize the Day"

10

Cast members open the second act with an incredible tap dancing number, "King of New York"

9

10

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

31

Arts UPPER SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS

I n February, the Upper School staged a hilarious production of Michael Frayn's Noises Off! - complete with an ingeniously designed two-story, multi-door, rotating set (see p. 6 to see it in action).

Ryker Gibson ’22

Zac Gondelman ’22

Virginia Thompson ’23, Chloe Clifford ’22 & Gavin Pevarnek ’22

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

Cat Sheehan ’24

Charlie Solari ’22 & Marguerite Greene ’23

The cast of nine takes a bow

Jiajun "Peter" Chen ’23

Arts UPPER SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS

Alenka Cetkovic ’23

Julia Pickel ’22

Charlie Gavin ’24

Clare Hayes ’24

Katie Holmes ’24

Stella Chiari ’22

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

33

Athletics FA L L 2 0 2 1 S P O R T S

1

3

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

1

Teagan Rich ’22 hustles during a soccer match.

2

Celebrating a goal are varsity players Emily Pimentel ’24, Shea O'Neill ’23, Lindsay Burgess ’22, Daisy Sullivan ’22, Caroline Gelina ’23, Brooke Mulroney ’22, Lauren Grattan ’24, Nadia Cassamajor ’24, and Izzy Reidy ’25.

4

5

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2

3

Emma Dahl ’23 tosses up a serve on Thayer's Memorial Gym home court.

4

Shayna Hailey ’25 and Caroline Kendall ’22.

5

The girls varsity field hockey team celebrates a goal during Homecoming.

6

Jason Ortega ’23, Samson Okunlola ’23, Harry Salters ’24, Ben Chaskes ’22, Hugh Geraghty ’23, and John Kuropatkin Jr. ’23 on the gridiron.

7

The girls varsity cross country team on the course during Homecoming.

8

The undefeated Middle School boys A soccer team.

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7

8

Athletics WINTER 2021 SPORTS

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2

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4

1

Payton Van Meter ’23 practices on the balance beam.

2

William Counselman ’22, Sophie Garber ’22, and Lauren Reffue ’22 at a Thayer ski meet.

3

Another brilliant season for the Thayer swimming & diving Team.

4

Ross Tejeda ’22 drives for a layup in Memorial Gym.

5

Aoibhe Gormley ’23 drives during a game.

6

The girls varsity hockey team celebrates after winning the 2022 Valicenti Cup.

5

RECORD BREAKER!

6

Congratulations to Peyton Knightly '24, who broke four Thayer Academy swimming records. She did so in the 50, 200, and 500 freestyle events and as a relay member in the 200 IM.

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

35

NORA AND CHUCK BAILEY '72 ESTABLISH PLANNED GIFT TO CONTINUE THAYER'S TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

By Arthur Foulkes

Chuck Bailey ’72 gained important life skills by attending Thayer

He and Nora now live in Florida where Chuck continues to work part-

Academy, which is why he has designated a bequest in his will to support

time when he’s not helping at a local oyster farm.

future Tigers.

“Don’t just think about it,” Chuck says in urging fellow Thayer alumni The proud alumnus credits Thayer’s sense of community and myriad ac-

to support the Academy.

ademic and extracurricular offerings for providing him a firm foundation for future success.

“If you had a great experience and you value Thayer’s values, call the development people and say you’d like to include Thayer

“I like to say it was a launching pad,” he says, adding that at Thayer he

in your will.”

participated in varsity sports, glee club, and drama club and served as senior class president.

Attending Thayer became a family tradition for Chuck, his older brother William ‘69, and his younger sister Pam ‘78. “My parents wanted the best education they could provide for us,” explains Chuck, a Milton na-

THE

SOUTHWORTH SOCIETY

P LA NNED

G I V I NG

AT

T H AY E R

ACA D EM Y

tive. “Thayer opened my eyes to what can be done if you apply yourself.”

Chuck and his wife Nora want future Thayer students to enjoy those same opportunities. Their bequest will ensure that the Academy experience remains a transformative one for new generations of students who walk onto the Thayer campus.

After Thayer, Chuck attended Lake Forest College in Illinois before returning to the Northeast where he entered the commercial construction trade. His work includes national landmarks such as One World Trade Center and 432 Park Avenue as well as projects at Harvard University, Columbia University, and JFK International Airport.

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

We invite you to consider planned giving as a means to supporting Thayer while creating a personal and meaningful legacy.

Planned gifts can often provide valuable tax benefits and, in some cases, income for life to the donor. Whether you use cash or other assets, such as real estate, artwork, or stock, the benefits of funding a planned gift can be significant. By including Thayer in your estate plans, you can help strengthen Thayer while preserving your existing assets. Individuals who make a planned gift to Thayer are welcomed as members of The Southworth Society. Planned gifts can be tailored to the unique circumstances of each donor, and some typical options include bequests, charitable trusts, annuities, or a life insurance policy with Thayer as the beneficiary.

To find out more about how you can benefit from including a planned gift to Thayer in your financial planning, contact Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 P ’25, ’28, ’29, Director of Development, at 781.664.2501 or mforger@thayer. org or Rachael Rouvales Vassalotti ’79 P ’07, ’11, ’12, Associate Director of Development, at 781.664.2504 or rvassalotti@thayer.org.

Alumni N E W S & N OT E S

Alumni House News & Notes

Founders Day Wrap-Up A day of virtual community yields big results

In March, Thayer's seventh annual Founders Day: A Day of

The 2022 T.I.G.E.R. Game

Giving was an unprecedented success! Thanks to over 1,080 Thayer alumni, parents/guardians, faculty, staff, and friends, the day raised $466,834! Those numbers reflect both the highest number of donors and total dollars raised (by nearly $100,000!). Thanks to everyone for making 2022 the most successful Founders Day to date!

The day was punctuated by videos that showcased Thayer student and faculty talent, as well as the second T.I.G.E.R. game between Thayer alumni and faculty members Billy O'Dwyer ’02 and Brandon Odom ’04 - this year, joined by varsity basketball players Ross Tejeda ’22 and Claire McCarthy ’22. To

see the results from that game - and all the videos

from Founders Day - go online and view the Thayer Academy YouTube playlist at:

F Period Ensemble Performances

www.thayer.org/foundersdayplaylist

Stay tuned for photos, highlights, and alumni award winners from Thayer's largest Reunion in the fall issue of Thayer Magazine!

Friday & Saturday | May 6-7, 2022

If you're interested in hosting an alumni event (even a virtual one), please contact Rachael Rouvales Vassalotti ’79 P ’07, ’11, ’12, Associate Director of Development, at 781.664.2504 or rvassalotti@thayer.org.

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

37

Alumni R O U N DTA B L E S

AN ONGOING SERIES, ROUNDTABLES BRING ALUMNI FROM ALL FIELDS BACK TO CAMPUS (IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY) TO SPEAK WITH CURRENT STUDENTS.

ENTREPRENEUR A L U M TA L K S P R O S & C O N S O F S TA R T- U P S THOMAS HEALY '10 CEO/FOUNDER, HYLIION

Thayer Academy’s Jan. 27 Roundtable saw Hyliion Founder and CEO Thomas Healy ‘10 explain the world of start-up companies to students eager to make their own marks in business. The Easton native encouraged them to find their passion, gain experience in as many areas as possible, and build a network of support to help them along their respective journeys.

But he never said that journey would be easy.

“A start-up is not for everyone. To be honest, it’s extremely difficult,” said Healy, who created two such businesses while an undergrad studying engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and a third, Hyliion, while a graduate student at CMU. Healy described the long hours, the uncertainty, and the “roller coaster” of good times and bad. But he also said that pursuing one’s passion can be incredibly rewarding, like taking the idea of Hyliion “from a dorm room to a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.”

Founded in 2015, Hyliion builds electrified powertrains for use in the commercial trucking industry. Onboard generators fueled by natural gas or hydrogen produce electricity, so there is

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

no need to carry an overly large battery pack or plug into the grid. The end result is both reduced fuel costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The company went public in October of 2020.

build long-standing relationships with people and “keep a strong and vibrant Rolodex,” a reference which might have caused a few students to Google the term for more information.

“Our goal and mission is to make the world a cleaner place by revolutionizing the trucking industry,” Healy told three dozen participants in what was a virtual event.

Healy, who played both football and lacrosse at Thayer, said getting involved in activities like sports or the arts develops skill sets that might prove useful later in life. “Get involved, spread your wings, and don’t get siloed in the things that you enjoy the most,” he said.

Those truly driven to create start-up companies, Healy said, should consider doing so in their college years when they can take calculated risks with a strong safety net of support. That said, he advised against doing so as a freshman when there is already the challenge of adjusting to a new school.

In terms of networking, Healy spoke of the valuable seed money and connections Hyliion obtained by entering events for collegiate entrepreneurs like the Rice Business Plan Competition. He told students to

Both news stories by Craig Salters '86 P '24. Visit

As part of an extensive Q&A session with students, Healy also acknowledged an element of luck to all success but added: “Luck tends to follow you if you’re working really hard on something.”

Healy then wished the students well on their own journeys. “Good luck, work hard, and have fun doing it,” he said.

Afterwards, Head of School Chris Fortunato P '26, '28 thanked Healy for taking time out of his busy schedule to share his experiences.

“These are really wonderful lessons for our students,” said Fortunato.

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Read the Fall 2021 issue for a profile of Thomas at: thayer.org/magazine

thayer.org/news for all the latest in alumni news

R O U N DTA B L E S

THE LIFE OF A C O M E DY W R I T E R

ALUMNI GIVING BACK AT THAYER ROUNDTABLES

Alumni

TERESA HSIAO '03 CO-CREATOR, WRITER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF AWKWAFINA IS NORA FROM QUEENS

Teresa Hsiao ‘03 encouraged attendees of the Academy’s Jan. 6 Upper School Roundtable to consider a career in comedy writing even though — or, more aptly put, because — she had never done so during her time at Thayer.

“That was never on my radar,” said Hsiao, the co-creator, writer, and executive producer of Awkwafina is Nora from Queens on Comedy Central, referring to a career in comedy writing or even writing, for that matter. “I was interested in writing, but I didn’t know what to do about it.”

So, after graduating Harvard University with a degree in Economics, she told roundtable attendees via Zoom, she took “the safe route” and got a job working for Lehman Brothers, then one of the world’s largest and most respected investment banks.

“It is no longer an entity,” said Hsiao, displaying a comedy writer’s keen sense of understatement.

She explained that Lehman Brothers soon declared bankruptcy (in 2008) and sparked a worldwide economic collapse that eventually resulted in the U.S. government’s $700 billion bailout known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

“If you take the safe path and it triggers a $700 billion economic crisis, then maybe you should try something else,” offered Hsiao. “Maybe there is no safe path.”

Armed with a love of both television and writing, Hsiao pretty much started from scratch. She bought a book about how to write scripts and, well, began writing scripts. Her career started when she answered a classified ad to write for a Canadian children’s show; she recalls writing in the attic of an old church.

But things moved quickly — “Zero to 60,” is how the Abington native described it — and she soon became a writer for Family Guy and then American Dad, both animated series and both hits.

“It was like going from Single A ball to the major leagues,” Hsiao told roundtable attendees.

Hsiao encouraged students to take an “AMA” (Ask Me Anything) approach because she wanted to give an accurate impression of her career choice. She discussed the high level of collaboration in comedy writers rooms, the frustration of making certain concessions during what is a lengthy timeline from idea to finished product, and the need to remain grounded throughout the chaotic process.

“You’re kept sane by the other people in the room,” she said.

While adding that there’s still room for more, Hsiao said she has seen improvement over the years in terms of diversity, both in front of and behind the camera. She said she likes seeing people of different backgrounds represented on screen and not just as the butt of someone else’s joke.

Hsiao, who co-wrote a feature film that just wrapped up shooting, told students that “there are so many types of funny” — from “stand-up funny” to “on-paper funny,” from “loud funny” to “quiet funny,” and everything in between.

“You can be any sort of person and do this job,” said Hsiao. “You can have your own thing and still be a comedy writer.”

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Read the Winter/Spring 2020 issue for a profile of Teresa at: thayer.org/magazine

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

39

Class Notes A GATHERING FROM THE CLASS OF 1966!

(L-to-R): Paul '66 and Donna Samuelian, Ann Hoffman Scott '66, Warren Pierce '66 P '03, Lorraine and Bill McGrath '66, Polly Lamson Brown '66, and Lis Tarlow '66.

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

1949 David Turner '49 David writes, "Sally and I still live in the same house, with a good kitchen and an easterly view down the field.

Friends from Thayer visit every now and then and usually stay for lunch. If you are in or about to visit the South Shore (the Norwell, Scituate, Marshfield, Hanover, and Hingham area) call us (781.659.4646), and plan a visit, 47 Bridge St. (off Route 123), Norwell."

CLASS OF

1960 David Hobson '60 David writes, "After many years on Cape Cod and a career of international travel, I have moved to a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Exeter, New Hampshire. I still spend some time at our house in Orleans, enjoying the water on Pleasant Bay. I had an opportunity to visit the grounds of Thayer recently and was very impressed with the growth of the school while maintaining some of the original atmosphere. The new ice arena is especially exciting since I remember being a co-captain of the Thayer hockey team, sharing that honor with Bruce

40

ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE THAYER COMMUNITY

Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

1965

Valicenti '61 and Dick Levin '60 in the

goal. We practiced and played our games on outdoor rinks in all kinds of weather.

I even watched a few current games on TV this season. Go, Tigers!"

Lois Hirshberg '65 Read the profile of Lois on pp. 20-21 of this issue!

CLASS OF

1962 John MacLennan '62 Ellen Todd Reynolds '62 visited me in

Sanibel Island with her husband, Lou, over Christmas week.

See photo below right Jonathan Verdun '62 P '84 Jon writes, "Mary and I are happily retired and celebrating five years in Plymouth and 40 years of marriage in June, and our 60th Thayer reunion in May. Mary celebrates five years being cancer-free and continues to do yoga and weight training online. I look forward to the upcoming golf and tennis season and continuing 54 years of performing folk music with my trio, PB&J. The pandemic curtailed our plans for more travel, but we hope to do more at least domestically for the time being. We look forward to seeing our friends and classmates at the Reunion! Wishing everyone good health and joy."

MacLennan '62

THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

1966 Myra Schultz Biblowit '66 Congratulations to Myra! After over 20 dedicated years to BCRF (Breast Cancer Research Foundation), Myra has announced that she will be retiring at the end of June 2022. Myra will remain deeply involved with the Foundation as she will continue in her new role as president emeritus. BCRF is the nation's highest-rated breast cancer organization, with a mission focused exclusively on funding the world's most promising research.

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Read the Winter/Spring 2016 cover story all about Myra and her work at the BCRF online at: thayer.org/magazine

Kristin Herzog '66 Kristin continued working on her painting career and had her first museum show in the spring of 2021 at the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, Florida. The museum has since acquired two of her pieces for their permanent collection. This year, her painting The Shape of Things II was selected as a finalist for AcrylicWorks 9: The Best of Acrylic competition, to be published by Artists Magazine in August of 2022. Herzog frequently travels to artist residencies around the world and just returned from a month at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. She is currently planning a summer painting trip to Santa Fe. Her gallery is MAC Fine Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida see kherzogart.com. See photo below

E. Warren Pierce III '66 P '03 Warren writes, "A (totally) surprise birthday dinner party for my 39th birthday at Tosca in Hingham last December. The fete involved numerous members of the Class of '66 and included written remarks by Mr. Litchfield, a WhatsApp face call from Kevin Tedeschi '66 in St. Barths, prerecord-

ed videos from out-of-town and out-ofthe-country classmates (and from my son, Warren Pierce IV '03, from Houston), and

many cards, emails, and letters. While all of this was really amazing — dinner was excellent and there was Sancerre! — I was speechless when it was announced that a named endowed fund had been established and funded by dozens of my classmates "... to provide financial assistance to a deserving student who demonstrates a similar commitment to supporting their classmates and the Thayer community." I truly appreciate that it is my classmates, who over the years have taken their time and made the effort to come to the Ad Hoc Bored gatherings and worked to make reunions fun! I just sent out the invitations; if you don't show up, there is no party. Saying “thank you” does not come close to fully expressing my feelings for the bestowed honor. My wish is that whoever receives assistance from this fund will be as fortunate as I have been to be part of one of the best classes in Thayer history!" See photo on p 40.

CLASS OF

1968 Christopher Tingus '68 Chris writes, "Spring is finally here! After the long challenge of COVID-19 and hearing such tragedy from Ukraine, every day is certainly a blessing! Cherished years at Thayer forging 50 years in friendships!"

CLASS OF

1969 Steven Slomka '69 Steve writes, "I just bought a house on the Southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. We went there in January and fell in love with the place. Tropical vegetation, wildlife, and weather."

CLASS OF

1970 Theodore Bosen '70 Ted writes, "Never enough notes from my class (and no priors from me), so here's one: Through the years, it has always been my greatest pleasure to reconnect with Thayer alumni, as in finding Billy Enright '70 in the Barnstable County courtrooms, Diane Garrity Callahan '70 and Dan Sullivan '71 at Plymouth Town Meeting, John Barker '70 at my favorite Cape breakfast nook, Christine Bogosian Rattey '70 at church fairs, Nora McCormick '71 in her office catching me up on the Thayer community, Steve Slomka '69 paying me a recent visit all the way from Half Moon Bay, and other encounters too numerous to mention.

CLASS NOTES: 1940s-70s

Alumni

“In each case, and I'm sure I speak for them as well, it's more than mere familiarity that makes it rewarding. It's the deeper, shared understanding of our special experience at Thayer that we continue to draw from and treasure."

Harry Klane '70 Harry's project, Not Dead Yet Preservations (NDY Preservations), seeks to keep pre-1800 gravestones alive for future generations through high-resolution digital photography. "Each one tells a story — a monument to the person and their perseverance." His work was featured in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

See photos on p. 42.

CLASS OF

1974 Cynthia Brandenburg Galligan '74 Cynthia writes, "We moved to North Texas three years ago to be close to our young grandchildren (1 and 3). Staying active with pickleball, water aerobics, and a busy community social life. Enjoying every day!"

Herzog '66

Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

41

CLASS OF

1977

Klane '70

Peter Larrington '74 Skip writes, "Joseph Davenport '75 and his dad came to Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia to visit Vickie and me. Besides catching up, eating, swimming, and boating, we got to visit the alpacas from the 2022 movie Princess Cut 3: Beauty from Ashes. Looking forward to their visit again this summer! Always love catching up with former classmates."

See photo below

Larrington '74

CLASS OF

1975 Robert Latessa '75 Robert was awarded the Lifetime Service Award for all of his contributions to wrestling and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (NWHOF), Ohio chapter. He started his coaching career at Blair Academy in New Jersey where he led the Blair team to 10 straight national prep team championships and produced 32 individual national prep champions in his 10 years as the head coach of Blair. Later he coached

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

at Lehigh University from 1990-1995 and was head coach in 1995. After many accolades for great achievements there, he returned to high school coaching in Ohio. He also was the head coach of the Ohio Junior National Freestyle Team for many years.

Mark McLaughlin '75 P '11 Mark writes, "A highlight of the past year for Daphne Northrop P '11 and me was the marriage of our daughter Amelia McLaughlin '11 to Andrew Mazzuchelli.

The wedding took place in Boston in October, and it was attended by a number of Thayer alumni. They included Amelia's aunt Ruth McLaughlin Doyle '70 and uncle Neil McLaughlin '77. The school was well represented by maid of honor Elizabeth Merrigan '11 and classmates Raisa Hoffman '11, Tricia O'Hurley '11, Sean Barbary '11, and Falon Sweeney '11 along with Jordan Walsh '10 and Julia Budde Hilton '12 (See photo on p. 44).

After many years in journalism, Mark enjoys teaching middle school English at Dexter Southfield School. He and Daphne make their home in Barnstable."

Douglas Anderson '77 Doug writes, "Hi to all, it's been awhile. A bit of an update, hope all are OK with it: After my first 14 years after college as an electrical engineer, I found my calling as a life/safety engineer. From 1995-2001, I worked for the City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD) in the building department. Since then, I've worked as a life safety engineer/building and accessibility code consultant in the private sector. Fifteen years ago I started the practice at my current employer: www.C3boston.com. A sample of projects include Filene’s and Millennium Tower and the Green Line Extension. What's been fun are the Thayer projects: Glover expansion; the Middle School rebuild with the temp classrooms; and the new wellness center. It's been interesting watching the school evolve and being a part of it. Personal news: My older son Nathan attended Inly School in Scituate and then Tabor Academy; he is now a freshman at WPI. My younger son Elijah, adopted from China in 2007, is a junior at Landmark School in Beverly."

CLASS OF

1981 Holly Borden '81 Holly writes, "I was notified during the pandemic that I was selected as the North Carolina Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year. I have been living and teaching in Southeast North Carolina for over 20 years."

Jay Goulart '75 Jay writes, "I hope everyone from the Class of 1975 is doing well! Recently I hosted a Zoom call for a bunch of alumni with 95-year-old George Butler, our music teacher from those days. It was great to hear and see so many familiar faces. Life is wonderful in Tampa. We recently welcomed Piper, a mini-bernedoodle, to the family. If you are ever in the neighborhood, let me know."

See photo to right Goulart '75

THAYER CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

1982 Vincent Sica Jr. '82 P '24 Vin's son, Vinny, joined Thayer's Upper School this fall as a sophomore.

Kenneth Strathie '82 Ken completed Captain Training and became a Captain on The Airbus A321 for American Airlines in February 2022. During his years at Thayer Academy, Ken took the final semester of his senior year (senior project) to get his private pilot's license at the Marshfield Airport.

lina and #3 Syracuse in the final four.

BC went 18-3 on the season and 8-2 in conference play to earn the fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament. Praised by head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein, "Jen Kent has single-handedly separated our team above all others slowly for the last eight years. Her steady work ethic and determination as the defensive coordinator has lifted us every year as we inched towards a national championship. Our defense has stabilized the team year after year and finally was perfectly showcased in our national championship season in 2021."

CLASS OF

Strathie '82

1989 CLASS OF

1985 Anne-Marie Roundtree Faul '85 Congratulations to Anne-Marie on earning her master's degree in Teacher Leadership from Lamar University.

Tony Amonte ’89 P ’16, ’18, ’19, ’23 & Laurie Pfeffer Amonte ’89 P ’16, ’18, ’19, ’23 Hockey runs deep in the Amonte family, and Tony & Laurie had the rare opportunity to see both Ty '16 and Tristan '18 play as teammates for Boston University, where Tony himself once played. Ty has since transferred to UConn.

See photo below.

1990 John Gallagher III '90 John, pen name John Cader, led the TAPA Book Club on Jan. 12 in a most captivating discussion of his debut novel, Crime Fraud. Over 18 members attended and had extraordinary and lively discussions and questions at the end of his talk about his characters, the many aspects of his writing process, and the teachers from Thayer who inspired him. All praised the book and showed so much enthusiasm.

CLASS NOTES: 1970s-90s

Alumni

CLASS OF

1992 Kelly Amonte Hiller '92 Kelly spends time with fellow alumnae Anni McDonough Zukauskas '94 P '28, '29 and niece Dylan Amonte '19 at the North-

western University Ryan Walter Athletic Center. See photo below.

CLASS OF

1986 Hiller '92

Joanna Skoler Gilman '86 P '25, '27 After establishing the communications team at Thayer in 2015 and serving for seven years as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Joanna leaves Thayer this summer to join Boston-based .406 Ventures as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer. She looks forward to remaining a member of the Thayer community both as a parent and an alum.

Jennifer Lally Kent '86 P '13 Jen has been given the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) DI Outstanding Coach Award for her role as the Boston College assistant lacrosse coach.

She helped lead BC to its first national championship, defeating #1 North Caro-

CLASS OF

1993

Amonte '89

Daryl DeValerio Andrews ’93 Daryl writes, "I began conducting Title IX investigations and other discrimination or misconduct allegations for employers and educational institutions with Kurker Paget LLC. I also continue to manage Andrews DeValerio, LLP, the law firm that I started with my dad." Daryl has also been elected as the new Chair of the Board for Raising A Reader Massachusetts (RAR-MA), an organization that seeks to close the literacy opportunity gap among young children in under-resourced communities by helping families develop and practice shared home reading habits.

Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

43

Alumni THAYER WEDDINGS

Thayer Weddings (L-TO -R)

1

Paul Badger '01, Michael Montani '01, Steve Pratt '01, Maleena Lee, Jonathan Earle '01, Brian Mahoney '01, Rob O'Leary '01,

Nicole Carter ’07 & Chad Cremer (1.2.22)

and former Thayer faculty members Stan Shimkus and Bill Earle P '01.

5

(NOT PICTURED BUT PRESENT):

Jonathan Earle ’01 & Maleena Lee (11.05.21)

Greg Wilson '80 P '06, '21

(L-R):

2

Erin Carberry Hall ’12 & Robert Hall (9.10.21)

3

Derek Keough ’12 & Noelle MacDonald (1.8.22)

4

Rich Lyons ’10 & Sophia Carryl (9.2020)

Elizabeth Merrigan '11, Mark McLaughlin '75, Neil McLaughlin '77, Raisa Hoffman '11, Tricia O'Hurley '11, Sean Barbary '11, Falon Sweeney '11, Julia Budde Hilton '12, Amelia McLaughlin '11, Jordan Walsh '10, and Ruth McLaughlin Doyle '70

7

Abigail Sullivan ’11 & Michael Pandolfo ’11 (12.17.21)

Amelia McLaughlin ’11 & Andrew Mazzucheli (10.2.21)

Samuel Friedman ’09 & Julie Siegel (10.30.21)

(L-R - HOLDING BANNER):

(L-R - SECOND ROW):

(L-R - THIRD ROW):

Evan Metzold '09, Hannah Mulvey Ferrara '10, Tommy Darling '09,

AJ Ferrera '09, Tom Finneran '09, Jim Fitzpatrick '72, Nancy

Chris Lerner '09, Megan Flaherty Lerner '09, Mike Desmond '09,

Julie Siegel, Sam Friedman '09,

Fitzpatrick Friedman '79, Peter Fitzpatrick Sr. '80, Audrey Fitzpatrick '12, Polly Fitzpatrick Fish '70, Amanda Fish '03, Joan Fitzpatrick '77.

Kassy Sullivan Desmond '09, Kyle McKenzie '09, Peter Fitzpatrick Jr. '12, Caroline Fitzpatrick '13, Alex Fish '01, and Jack Turgeon '10.

Kiely Turgeon '06, Anna Friedman Silva '11, Charlotte Fitzpatrick '16, Lucy Fitzpatrick '04.

4

6

(NOT PICTURED BUT PRESENT):

Mary McAllister Turgeon '10.

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

Newlywed? Please email your high-resolution photo to:

magazine@thayer.org

THAYER CLASS NOTES

Jennifer Jaye Cheifetz ’93 Jenny is the proud owner of Jentle Coaching, which provides life coaching services through a compassionate lens and body-led techniques.

Deborah Jones Melkonian ’93 Deb writes, "Unlike where I grew up... which had an open town meeting where everyone just showed up at the annual town meeting and spoke about whatever they were concerned about, Winchester has a representative town meeting.

Twenty-four people elected from each of the eight precincts speak on behalf of the citizens, vote on budgets, and address issues that come up in town. They meet in the fall and spring, and the meetings run late into the night a few nights a week during those times until all of the town's business has been handled.

I served a few years ago, and am very grateful to my neighbors in my precinct for re-electing me to serve our town. It has become so clear (especially during the pandemic) that too-busy moms still need to get involved in the schools, in the town government, in the businesses they work for - anywhere where the decisions are being made about schools, kids, taxes, budgets... It's more juggling, but our kids totally understand, and I'm grateful for that!"

Amanda Goulston Shields ’93 Read the profile of Amanda on pp. 22-23 of this issue!

CLASS OF

1995 Mark Shalhoub ’95 Congratulations to Mark on joining 11:11 Systems as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he will be responsible for leading the company's finance function, including driving growth through accretive M&A.

Dale Taylor ’98 Dale independently published his motivational memoir, Adversity is a Privilege, last October. His inspirational story is available for purchase on Amazon now.

CLASS NOTES: WEDDINGS & 1990s

Alumni

CLASS OF

1997 Erin Lyall ’97 Erin met with Thayer Academy students live from Kharkiv on February 24, the very day Russia invaded Ukraine. Reporting from her hotel, Erin discussed real-time happenings and graciously answered student questions.

Erin’s work as a CBS Evening News Producer brought her to Ukraine to cover the tension building between the two countries.

CLASS OF

1998 Donald Badger III ’98 Donny and Lauren welcomed Blake Jeffrey Badger to their family on January 2, 2022, at 6:04 p.m. See photo on page 47.

Molly Gallagher Lewis ’98 Molly writes, "My husband Scott and I welcomed our second son, George Dugan Lewis, on February 23, 2021. George is now one and his brother Owen is three. We live in Milton, and I am an assistant at Jones Kelleher LLP in Boston where I have worked since 1999 when I was hired as a college intern!

I hope all of my TA friends are happy and healthy and that our paths will cross soon."

See photo below.

CLASS OF

1999 Kathryn Lambert Conover ’99 Congratulations to Katie, head coach of of the women's lacrosse team at Stonehill College, on picking up career win #200 with her victory at AIC! She has posted a 155-84 (.649) record in 15 seasons at her alma mater to go with 45 wins in four years.

Alicia Genisca ’99 Alicia Genisca, MD, was a recipient of the 2021 Brown Physicians Incorporated (BPI) Minority Faculty Career Development Award for her project: Point of Care Ultrasound. The award supports junior faculty from underrepresented minorities in medicine who are committed to the pursuit of a career in academic medicine. Read the profile of Alicia on pp. 18-19 of this issue!

CLASS OF

1994 Anni McDonough Zukauskas ’94 P ’28, ’29 See Hiller '92 class note & photo on p. 43 Lewis '98

Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

45

Lindsey Kasabian ’99 Lindsey has been named Senior Vice President of Casting for Freeform, the younger-skewing basic cable network.

Lindsey is the former VP of Casting at Touchstone TV/Fox 21 and will continue to oversee some of those projects in her transition. She is fresh off working with Tara Duncan on casting Freeform’s Single Drunk Female. She has also helped cast series including Homeland, Genius, The Hot Zone, Fosse/Verdon, Pose, The Old Man, and Dopesick. She started her career at 20th Television in 2006 as an assistant in the casting department.

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

2004

2002 Joel Grant ’02 Joel and Kalene welcomed their son, Taylor Irwin Grant, on October 11, 2021.

See photo on p. 47.

William O'Dwyer Jr. ’02 Congratulations to Billy on being named the NEPSAC Class A Coach of the Year for girls varsity basketball! Billy led the team to the NEPSAC championship game this past season.

Jillian Rockoff Sykes ’99 Jill welcomed her third child, Eden Ruby, on August 14, 2020. See photo on pg. 47.

Brandon Odom ’04 Brandon will join Fessenden School as their new Head of Middle School beginning July 1.

Brandon has served at Thayer in so many roles since coming back in 2007.

This past year, he served as Upper School Assistant Dean of Students, Associate Director of Admissions, head varsity boys basketball coach, and an anti-racism faculty instructor.

Prior to that, he taught middle school history at Thayer and worked as the Interim Executive Director of Project RISE (Respect, Integrity, and Success through Education).

CLASS OF

Michael Tucker ’99 Michael is now the VP of Engineering, Pricing and Data for Opendoor.

CLASS OF

2001 Jonathan Earle ’01 Jonathan and Maleena Lee were married on November 5, 2021, at Lake Tahoe. All the groomsmen were members of the Class of 2001. See photo on pg. 44.

Samantha Goodman Huffenus ’01 Samantha writes, "Since graduating Thayer I have gone on to get my master's degree in elementary education from Lesley University. Scott and I married in 2010; a veterinarian, he shares my love of animals.

I worked for several years in the Abington school system before taking an eight-year hiatus to have our two children, Caleb (now 10) and Eva (now 7). Just before the pandemic hit, I decided to go back to work — this time in the Easton school system in the same position. Today, I work part-time in Easton and live in Mansfield with my husband, two children, and six pets!"

2006 Shauna Porter '02 P '24 Congratulations to Shauna on her new role as Property Manager of Cedarwood Development.

CLASS OF

2003 Teresa Hsiao ’03 Teresa took part in an Alumni Roundtable on January 6, meeting with students and faculty over Zoom to talk about her career in television comedy writing. See p. 39.

Tracy Wong ’03 Read the profile of Tracy on pp. 24-25 of this issue!

Franci & Marty Courage ’06 Franci & Marty welcomed their son, William Ryan Courage, on August 7, 2021.

See photo on p. 47.

Jude David ’06 Jude writes, "I have been promoted to Statewide Program Manager for the Massachusetts Probation Service. The promotion came after being selected to represent the state's probation department on a national platform. Since delivering that first presentation months ago, I have not only received this very big promotion where I now sit on committees with elected state officials and the state commissioner, but I have been personally sought out and presented at national and regional conferences and have many speaking engagements in the pipeline. I am also working on my first book about being a person of color working the criminal justice system during today's societal divide within race and criminal justice."

See photo below.

Jessica Courtney Reilly ’01 Jessica welcomed their son Casey James Reilly on January 6, 2021.

See photo on pg. 47.

David '06

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

Thayer Babies

THAYER BABIES

Welcoming the newest members of the Thayer community!

Blake Jeffrey Badger

Emma Gene Brownstein

William Ryan Courage

BORN: January 2, 2022

BORN: October 25, 2021 Danielle Walsh ’07 & Greg Brownstein

BORN: August 7, 2021 Franci Ryan Courage ’06 & Marty Courage ’06

Robert Colm Desmond

Taylor Irwin Grant

BORN: January 2022 Genevieve (Olson) ’08 & Karl Desmond ’06

BORN: October 11, 2021 Kalen ’99 & Joel Grant ’02

Lauren & Donald Badger ’98

Merrin Mildred Eileen Desmond

BORN: August 18, 2021 Kassandra (Sullivan) ’09 & Michael Desmond ’09

Robert Ford McFall

Casey James Reilly

Eden Ruby Sykes

BORN: February 23, 2022 Allison Smith McFall ’09 & Brendan McFall

BORN: January 6, 2021 Jessica Courtney Reilly ’01

BORN: August 14, 2020 Jill Rockoff Sykes ’99 & Ezra Sykes

CLASS NOTES: 1990s-2000s & THAYER BABIES

Alumni

New Parent?

Share the good news with your fellow Thayer alums!

Email details & include a high-res (300 dpi+) pic to: magazine@thayer.org

Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

47

Karl Desmond ’06 Karl and Genevieve (Olson) celebrated the birth of their son, Robert, in January.

See photo on p. 47.

CLASS OF

2007 Nicole Carter ’07 Nicole married Chad Cremer on January 2, 2022. See photo on p. 44.

John Lerner ’07 John has been included in a 2022 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America List by the peer review publication.

Danielle Walsh ’07 Danielle and her husband Greg Brownstein welcomed their first child, Emma Gene Brownstein, on October 25, 2021.

She is named after Danielle's late grandfather, Eugene. See photo on p. 47.

CLASS OF

2008 Kenneth Carberry ’08 Congratulations to Kenny on being promoted to the Director of Clinical Development at Alira Health.

Ciara Desmond ’08 Read the profile of Ciara on pp. 22-23 of this issue!

CLASS OF

2009

Rich Lyons ’10 Rich Lyons married Sophia Carryl in September 2020. See photo on p. 44.

Kassandra & Michael Desmond ’09 Kassandra (Sullivan) and Michael welcomed their child Merrin last August.

See photo on p. 47.

Samuel Friedman ’09 Sam was married to Julie Siegel in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 30, 2021. See Thayer alum group photo from the wedding on page 44.

Allison Smith McFall ’09 Allison and her husband, Brendan McFall, welcomed their first child, Robert Ford McFall, on February 23, 2022.

See photo on p. 47.

CLASS OF

2011 Abimbola Cole ’11 Abimbola is now the Director of Safety Evaluation & Risk Management (SERM) at GSK in Boston.

Amelia McLaughlin ’11 Amelia married Andrew Mazzuchelli in Boston on October 2, 2021.

See photo on p. 44.

Michael Pandolfo ’11

CLASS OF

2010 Thomas Healy ’10 Thomas took part in an Alumni Roundtable in January, meeting with students and faculty over Zoom to discuss entrepreuneurship. See p. 38.

Kirsten King ’10 Kirsten Zoomed into her mother's

Michael married Abigail Sullivan ’11 on December 17, 2021, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. The ceremony was given by Brenden Sullivan ’13.

See photo on p. 44.

Abigail Sullivan ’11 Abigail married Michael Pandolfo ’11 on December 17, 2021 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fl. The ceremony was given by her brother Brenden Sullivan ’13.

See photo on p. 44.

English class (Denise King P ’08, ’10) to discuss screenwriting and the film industry with seniors. This spring, the movie she co-wrote, Crush, debuted on Hulu.

CLASS OF

2012

King '10

Genevieve (Olson) Desmond ’08 See Desmond '06 note and photo on p. 47.

Caroline Maroney ’08 Congratulations to Caroline! She shared a 2021 Emmy for her role as a Producer of Saturday Night Live in the category of “Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.”

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

Joseph Ferrera ’12 Congratulations to Joe on his engagement to Catherine Noone in December 2021.

Erin Carberry Hall ’12 Erin married Robert Hall on September 10, 2021 at Aldrich Mansion in Warwick, Rhode Island. The newlyweds currently reside in Providence, Rhode Island. See photo on p. 44.

THAYER CLASS NOTES

Derek Keough ’12 Derek Keough married Noelle MacDonald on January 8, 2022 in Kingston, MA. See photo on p. 44.

CLASS OF

2016 Ty Amonte ’16 See Amonte '89 class note & photo on pg. 43.

CLASS OF

CLASS OF

2018

2020

Tristan Amonte ’18 See Amonte '89 class note & photo on pg. 43.

Aimee Matos ’20 Aimee writes, "I am thrilled to announce that I have accepted my first full-time co-op position in the labor and delivery unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. I am excited to gain more hands-on nursing experience caring for mothers and their newborns at such a great hospital starting in July."

Cassidy Kearney ’18 Congratulations to Cassie who was named a Cross Country Coaches Association All-American after finishing 7th at cross country nationals for Division III!

CLASS NOTES: 2000s - 2020s

Alumni

Patrick Lawler ’16 Captain Brendan Lawler ’12 pinning the bars on his "little" brother, Second Lieutenant Patrick Lawler ’16 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. See photo below.

Stephanie Lyons ’18 Stephanie will represent Springfield College at the New England Women's Basketball Association Senior All Star Classic.

Sam Rando ’18 As a junior at the Naval Academy, Sam was accepted to apply to early select subs. She went through six weeks of preparation with two mentors assigned to her. After a two-hour interview in Washington D.C. answering physics and calculus questions and meeting with an admiral, Sam passed and has signed on to become a submarine officer!

Lawler '16

CLASS OF

2021 Leonie Kuehberger ’21 Congratulations to Leonie and the Elmira College hockey team for recently winning the NEHC Championship!

Leonie posted three consecutive shutouts and was named all-tournament goalie. She was named the 2021-22 EC Female Rookie of the Year.

Ethan Wilson ’21 Ethan, Thayer wrestling and track & field team captain, recently garnered his first collegiate win, by pin, as a freshman for Worcester Polytechnic Institute's wrestling team at the Ursinus wrestling tournament on Nov. 13, 2021. During the first term Ethan earned a 3.5 GPA at WPI. See photo below.

CLASS OF

2017 Jordan Mello-Klein ’17 Congratulations to Jordan for cracking the 1,000-point milestone for Bentley University's men's basketball and being named the East Regional's Most Outstanding Player. See photo to the right.

Wilson '21

Mello-Klein '17

Thayer Magazine /// Spring 2022

49

In Memoriam Former Faculty & Staff Charles Stewart "Stew" Curran Ill FORMER THAYER LACROSSE COACH

Charles Stewart “Stew” Curran III, a beloved lacrosse coach who developed and mentored generations of young men on and off the field, joined his Father in Heaven on Nov. 2, 2021; he died surrounded by his family after a yearlong battle with glioblastoma.

While he was a Hall of Fame player and coach, Stew will be remembered for the quality of his character, a unique ability to be a fierce competitor determined to do everything possible to win yet leave it all on the field and be a friend, brother, father, husband, or father figure the moment the game was done. His propensity for accepting everyone as they are and for taking complete strangers and treating them like family created a respect held by players, teammates, and opponents alike; when he watched a game — and he went to a lot of them — Stew was everyone's biggest fan and best friend.

Stew grew up in Framingham, which he and the other "Ham Boys" turned into "the mecca of lacrosse" in Massachusetts. Upon graduation from Framingham South High School, Stew attended Bridgton Academy and earned high school All-American honors there. Then it was off to Plymouth State University, and while his play there earned all-conference and All-American honors as both a goalie and an attackman — and was deemed worthy of the school's athletics Hall of Fame — his biggest score came as a student in the cafeteria, where he saw Marianne Buckley and told himself, "That's the one." It took some convincing to make her feel that he was the guy, but

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

Stew got the job done, and the couple married in 1980, settling in Canton but eventually finding their dream home in Hull, living out their dream life in the process.

Along the way, Stew — who earned a master’s degree from Boston University — worked first in the criminal justice system and then moved to the sales side of the waste management industry, but his real passions were his family and lacrosse. Stew worked as a referee and a coach and never turned down a chance to volunteer to help the game and its players. His record includes three state championships earned coaching Cohasset High School, leading Thayer Academy in 2014 to its first title in the hypercompetitive Independent School League (along with the #26 ranking in LaxPower's national poll), and being named South Shore Coach of the Year three times (2006, 2007, 2008), plus the Boston Globe Coach of the Year in 2009.

He was a founding member and director of Hull's youth lacrosse program from 2001 until2006. As a player, he was a part of Team USA box lacrosse in 1979-80.

Away from the field. Stew was devoted to his wife, children, and church — he was an active parishioner at St. Mary's Church in Hull — and was a voracious reader, particularly enjoying books about ancient and military history. Stew is survived by his wife, Marianne Buckley Curran; and his sons, Charles Stewart Curran IV, Garrett Curran and his wife Molly Malone and their daughter Cora, and Vin Curran. He is also survived by his sisters, Ann Marie Wheeler and Janet McCann; his brothers, Tom and Jim Curran; his brother-inlaw, Carle Buckley; and his sister-in-law, Deborah Lambert, along with their spouses

and a bevy of nieces and nephews. He is also survived by the legion of players he coached in lacrosse and life. He was predeceased by his parents, Charles Stewart Curran II and Mildred Mary Curran.

1936 Mary Ellen Crawford Ames ’36

Mary Ellen, of Natick, passed away at her home Aug. 17, 2021, in her 103rd year. Daughter of the late Lawrence Pears Crawford and Ruby Dorothea (Bergeson). Beloved wife of the late George Henry Ames. Devoted mother of Lawrence Ames and his wife Jay Hale of Francestown, New Hampshire; Robert C. Ames and his wife Pamela Nation of Missoula, Montana; and Mark Ames, late of Wilson, Wyoming. Sister of the late Jack Crawford ’37, and Bill and Eugene Crawford. Proud grandmother of Ellery Ames of California, Mason Ames of Quebec, Jesse Nation-Ames of Montana, and Adam Nation-Ames, late of Francestown, New Hampshire. Greatgrandmother of Billie Rose, Adalin, and Julianna Ames. Mrs. Ames graduated from Thayer Academy cum laude and participated in Theta Alpha, glee club, dramatics committee, reading club, Greek club, French club, basketball, volleyball, and hockey. In 1986 she received the Alumni Achievement Award from Thayer Academy for her outstanding contributions as a longtime director of Admissions at Wellesley College. Mrs. Ames was a 1940 graduate of Wellesley College, served in the American Red Cross Overseas Service

1942 Jean Whalen ’42

Jean, 97, passed away Feb. 27, 2022 while in the caring hands of the Newfield House in Plymouth. She was a longtime congregant of First Parish Duxbury.

Jean was born in 1924 in Savin Hill, Dorchester. Her dad, Ray Presbrey, was chief engineer of Boston Edison and her mom, Josephine Presbrey Barrie, was a physical education instructor. She attended Thayer Academy where she participated in yearbook, dramatics, riding club, glee club, tennis, and golf. She graduated cum laude in 1942. She attended Swarthmore College where she studied psychology. Jean enjoyed playing tennis and sailing at the family's Mattapoisett cottage with her father in his Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 25 and racing Beetle Cats with her friends. While these activities took a backseat to raising four children, she returned to tennis in her 50s and played competitively until she was 85.

Jean was married to two great men: Dick Leverich Sr., who passed away at the age of 31; and Jim Whalen, who passed away in 1990. Jean is the mother of Cynthia and Dick Leverich Jr. and Jay and Tom Whalen.

She was always hopeful, funny, smart, and sometimes painfully truthful. She was famously fond of rearranging furniture and pictures when visiting the houses of family members — much to the chagrin of her daughter and daughters-in-law, who would scold her and then laugh about it. Even in the face of adversity — such as what came to the family with the loss of both Dick Jr. and Jim during one fateful Christmas week in 1990 — she rallied herself in the following years and kept herself active, traveling to faraway places until she was physically unable to do so. And all this time, she never gave up on educating herself and enjoying cultures of all types. She steadfastly supported her favorite causes, even delivering Meals on Wheels until she was in

her early 80s, and often to much younger people. She was very aware that in many ways she was lucky to have such a loving family, including not just her kids and their wives and husbands but grandkids and great grandkids, and to have had the opportunity to be wedded to the two great loves of her life. She is predeceased by her two husbands, Dick Leverich and James Whalen, and her son Dick Leverich. She is survived by her daughter Cynthia Glynn and her husband Larry Glynn of Topsfield; Jay Whalen and his wife Melinda Whalen of Mattapoisett; Tom Whalen and his wife Carolyn Whalen of Sandpoint, Idaho; nine grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. It was a life well lived with "no day without a deed to crown it."

Marjorie Larson ’42

Marjorie, 95, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Oct. 26, 2020. She was the wife of the late Robert E. Larson. Marjorie was born in South Weymouth and was a resident of Tiverton since 1966. She attended Thayer Academy where she was the secretary of her class and participated in many extracurricular activities including dramatics club, glee club, scribblers club, hockey, and basketball. She was a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College and Simmons College and was employed as a social worker with Boston Children's Services for many years. Marjorie was dedicated to the mission of open space and nature preservation both locally and nationally. She was a member of the Tiverton Open Space Commission, the Tiverton Garden Club, and the Tiverton Conservation Commission. She is survived by her stepchildren, Christopher B. Larson and his longtime companion Jean Letendre of New Hampshire and Lissa Waring and her husband John of South Carolina ; and her grandchildren, Nancy and Andrew Waring. She was the stepmother of the late Peter E. Larson and is also survived by his wife, Carol Larson of North Carolina.

Barbara Fullington

’42

Barbara, of Boston, passed away Mar. 10, 2017.

Beloved wife of the late Norbert Fullington and the late George Michaels.

Devoted mother of Faith Michaels of Brookline and Julia Michaels of Rio de Janeiro. Cherished grandmother of Alexander, Nicholas, Olivia, Nicole, Elliot, and Gabriel. Sister of the late Richard

Etelman ’48 and aunt of Sarah Etelman,

Carla Schine Dener, and Paula Anne Webb.

Barbara attended Thayer Academy where she participated in yearbook, glee club, band, orchestra, dramatics committee, library, newspaper, archery, and hockey.

Beloved teacher of Newton schools students, admired founder of Friends of the Newton Free Library, Tufts University graduate and Alumni Council chairperson, and neighborhood legend of the Islington Road area in Auburndale.

1946

IN MEMORIAM: FACULTY/STAFF | 1930s-1940s

during WWII, and then went on to serve many years working at Wellesley College as personnel director and later as director of Admissions during a transformative era in college admissions. She was a champion of women's education and affirmative action, served on the College Entrance Examination Board for many years, and was an active member of the PEO. She was an avid reader and a mentor to many.

Lois Bates Green ’46

Lois, 92, of Quincy, passed away Aug. 10, 2020. Loving wife of the late Dennis Green and the late William Horton. Daughter of the late Russell Thomas Bates and Gretchen Vining (Walker) Bates. She was born and lived in Quincy the majority of her life, spending about 15 years in Nobleboro, Maine, before returning to her childhood home in Quincy two years ago to be closer to and spend more time with her ever-growing family. She attended Thayer Academy and was a three-sport athlete playing soccer, basketball, and field hockey. Lois was a retired assistant treasurer for the architectural firm Ganteaume and McMullen, where she loved being in the city, taking daily walks at lunch to enjoy the many sights in Boston. For many years Lois was an active member of Bethany Congregational Church and enjoyed traveling with her church friends and sisterin-law, Midge Harris. Lois was a devoted and loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Lois leaves behind her children Steve and Sally Green of Pembroke, Sue and Jerry Reardon of Virginia, Chris and Debbie Green of Kingston, Jon and Kerry Green of Quincy, Lisa and Brett Rowe of Plymouth, and Eric and Donna Green of Whitman. Grandmother of Melissa and Steve Cooper, Tom and Brian Green, Katy Reardon and Henry Ashton, Derek Reardon, Michael and Jill Green, Sarah and Paul O'Malley, Kay Green, Zack and Lucina Rowe, Kyle Rowe, Rebecca Rowe, Jonathan and Emma Green, Joshua Green, Jessica Green and Dylan Green. Great-grandmother of Atticus and Charlie Grace Cooper, Olivia and Mila Ashton, Mary O'Malley, Teddy and Henry Rowe and Abigail Green. Dear sister of Mary Bristol ’50 of Weymouth and Betty McCord ’48 of Colorado.

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1947 Norman Hubbard Lee ’47

Norman, age 88, of Mount Vernon, Ohio, passed away Sep. 28, 2017, at the Knox Community Hospital in Mount Vernon, Ohio. He was born in Boston Jul. 1, 1929, to the late Phillip and Edith (Mitnik) Lee. He was a member of the Class of 1947 and played on Thayer’s 1947 Undefeated Eastern Massachusetts Championship Basketball Team, which was inducted into the Academy's Hall of Fame in 2002. Norman married the love of his life in April 1956 and they were married for 61 years. He loved woodworking, sailing, and gardening;most of all, he loved his family. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane (Munson) Lee; children, Jennifer (Stephen) Freshwater of Forest, Ohio; Christian (Robin) Lee of Wheeling, West Virginia; and Gretchen (Timothy) Hearne of Lisbon, Portugal; seven grandchildren; a sister, Barbara Litzen ’55 of Estero, Florida; and a brother, Donald Lee ’52 from Baltimore, Maryland.

Gifford "Giffy" Dean ’47

Gifford, 94, of North Palm Beach, Florida, died at his home on Oct. 6, 2021. Born Jun. 20,1927, in Boston to Russell and Dorothy Dean, he grew up spending most of his time on the harbor in Cohasset where he developed a lifelong love of boating. He was a longtime member of Cohasset Yacht Club. He attended Cohasset public schools, Derby Academy in Hingham, and Lenox School in Lenox; he graduated from Thayer Academy in Braintree. He served in the Navy and attended Brown University in Rhode Island. In 1952 he married his first wife, Dorothy Hooper of Hingham, and they had two children.

After moving to Florida, he married Gwen Germaine and later in life connected with his partner, Jaci Sullivan. He worked in the paper industry until a passion for real estate led to the establishment of Dean and Hamilton Real Estate in Cohasset. After moving to Florida in 1976, he continued in real estate. His giving nature blossomed when, for over 50 years, he helped hundreds of recovering alcoholics. He developed a model for senior citizens recovering from alcoholism that is used around the country in treatment centers. He will be missed and remembered fondly by many people

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and especially his family. Predeceased by his partner Jaci M. Sullivan, Palm Beach, Florida, and leaving his two children, John H. "Jack" Dean, Hingham, and Julianna Dean ’76, Asheville, North Carolina; their mother, Dorothy H. Dean, Hingham; his sister, Marjorie Burgard, Duxbury; his former wife, Gwen Germaine of North Palm Beach, Florida; a step-grandson, Joshua A. Hassan (Julie); grandchildren Elizabeth N. Berrio (John), Sarah M. Belz (Erik), Emily A. Dean, Allison M. Dean, and Jackson C. Dean; and two great-grandsons, Nathaniel G. Belz and Rory P. Belz.

1948 John Ramsay Maslen ’48

We are saddened by the passing of John Ramsay Maslen at age 90 on Nov. 5, 2021. John was a person with a great capacity for fun and joy in life. His charm and humor engaged all who knew him so that caregivers, employees, and servers became part of his multitude of friends. He was always ready with a silly joke or quip.

He was a good-hearted guy that people enjoyed spending time with. He was also a man who could share his heart. More than once, he said he had lived a good life, done all that he wanted, and was content. Born Apr. 17, 1931, John spent his youth in various towns in Massachusetts. He lost his mother to an accident in late 1932 but later became a brother to half-siblings David and Nancy Maslen. To pursue a career in art, John matriculated at Rhode Island School of Design, where he graduated in clothing design. He did a stint in Japan during the Korean war and then returned to RISD for a master’s degree in Architecture and to continue his courtship of a charming southern belle. He married the love of his life, Bobby Lynn Hartness, on Jan. 22, 1955.

In 1959, with one babe in arms and another on the way, John and Bobby drove their VW Bug across the country and moved to Tigard, Oregon, where John found work as an architect. Bobby stayed home and raised a growing family of four: Lynn, David, Sylvia, and Paul. John was soon a partner at the Portland architectural firm of Barnes, Hilgers, and Maslen (jokingly referred to as Barns, Houses, and Mansions). John made friends and built a community wherever he went. His RISD buddies in Portland were the nucleus of a lifelong circle of friends.

He built a literal community, as he was a founding member and architect of Sunlight

Holding Community, the first co-housing community in Oregon. He is remembered for leading bagpipe parades for his children.

He piped at friends' weddings, for the Catlin Gabel Rummage Sale and Grandparents' Day, in parades with the Clan McClay Pipe Band, and as solo piper in neighborhood events. He was an important member of the beginning reading community. His illustrations for Bob Books have helped millions of children learn to read. John was a talented watercolor painter. A few of his memberships and awards included: Transparent Watercolor Society of AmericaAmerican Master Award, Signature Member, Master Status, Watercolor Society of Oregon-Diamond Award, American Society of Marine Artists-signature member. His Watercolor Critique Group met monthly for over 40 years, only stopping in-person meetings due to COVID-19. He also took his turn as host of the Old Guys Group who for over 40 years met monthly and helped solve the world's problems. Age is sadly thinning their ranks. John was known for his goofy wit and sense of humor. One long-standing joke started on a trip with daughter Sylvia. Upon arrival in Northern Scotland, the two were confounded to discover they could not understand a word of the local language. This was problematic as they hunted for a tavern to quench their thirst. When they finally found a hostelry, they saw a sister and brother playing at a video arcade. Climbing a step to see the game, the brother's jostling prompted his sister's exclamation, "Do nae boudge me, git doon. (Do not budge me, get down.)" These were words the Americans could understand, and permanently entered Dad's lexicon. His caregivers heard it often, as there is a lot of "boudging" to put up with as you get older.

A few more examples of his humor: With son David, he stopped at a bank he had designed in the 1960s. He looked at it and said, "It hasn't fallen down yet!" When he missed something in conversation, he would often say, "What's that? I can't hear you, I've got a banana in my ear!" (a punch line to one of his favorite jokes). Advice: "Golf is like marriage. When it's going well, don't ask why. Just enjoy it." John lived for several years at the senior community, Willamette View, in Milwaukie, Oregon. To visit was an exercise in being greeted in the hall — "hi, John," "hey, John," "John, how you doin'?"

He had a way of making everyone feel that they were the most important person in his life. John was preceded in death by his wife, Bobby, who we hope is sharing a joyful dance with him today. He is survived by children, Lynn Maslen Kertell, David Maslen, Sylvia Maslen Davids, and Paul

1949 Elise (Holm) Coyne ’49

Elise, 90, of Rochester, passed away Nov. 7, 2021, at Autumn Glenn in Dartmouth, where she spent the last 14 months of her life. She was the wife of the late Howard F. Coyne. She was also predeceased by her first husband, Allen Cameron, and although he passed in 1966, she still thought of him every day. Born in Waltham, daughter of the late Thure and Helga (Benson) Holm, she was raised in Milton with her brother, Harold ’45. After her marriage to Allen, she lived in Illinois and Connecticut but spent most of her adult life living in Wareham, Mattapoisett, and Rochester.

Elise attended Thayer Academy and was a multisport athlete, playing field hockey, badminton, softball, basketball, and archery. She went on to attend New England Baptist School for Nursing, where she became a registered nurse. She began her career as a nurse in Boston working at NEBH and Lahey Clinic. She later worked in doctors’ offices and at Tobey Hospital before settling into the infirmary at Tabor Academy, where she worked for over 20 years until her retirement. In retirement, she would spend part of the winter months in Naples, Florida, where she enjoyed extending her tennis and golf season and made many great new friends. Elise was a big believer in family and tradition and took great pride in her Swedish heritage.

She got her love of gardening from her mother and father, and no matter where she lived, her yard was always full of different colors throughout the year. She also inherited her mother's love of cooking and sweets, which she then passed on to her children and grandchildren, with Christmas cookie baking becoming an annual family event. She was a very social person with lots of friends, both young and old, in many places. Elise loved old houses; sailing; playing bridge, golf, and tennis; and traveling to Europe and Kansas.

She was very artistic and had a great sense of design and color. Elise is survived by her four children, Lisen Cameron, Allen Cameron and his wife Karin Bonesteel, Douglas Cameron and his wife Carol,

and James Cameron; four grandchildren, Hannah, Jonathan, Genevieve, and Abigail; two stepchildren, Ann (Coyne) Payne and her family of Kansas and Linda (Coyne) MacKenzie and her family of Wareham; and her grand dogs Sadie Jane, OB, and Poohbear.

Charles Wade ’49

Charles, 89, of Wayland, died peacefully with his daughters at his side on Oct. 30, 2021, at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston following a brief illness. He was born in FORMER Weymouth on Dec. 15, 1931, TRUSTEE the son of the late Robert G. Wade and Nelly K. (Milliken) Wade.

Charles was the beloved husband for 47 years of the late Frances McLeish Wade, who died on Jan. 25, 2013. He was the loving father of Jennifer W. Sabot and her husband Gary of Weston and Elizabeth W. Meister and her husband Glenn of Wellesley. Devoted grandfather of Andrew and David Sabot and Katherine and Paul Meister. He was the brother of the late Robert G. Wade Jr. ’45. Also survived by seven nieces and five nephews. Charles had been a resident of Wayland for nearly 25 years and previously resided in Montvale, New Jersey. Charles attended Thayer Academy where he served as class president, yearbook editor, and student council member; he graduated in 1949 cum laude. He was also a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball. After graduation, he went on to serve as a class agent, a Hall of Fame committee member and honoree, and later as a trustee from 1983-84 and 2000-05.

Charles was a 1953 graduate of Harvard College in Cambridge, where he played catcher on the baseball team. He loved baseball and said, "I would've been a cinch for the majors, but I couldn't spit!" After college, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1956. He had a long and distinguished career as a broker in the field of reinsurance in New York City before retiring to Massachusetts. He will be fondly remembered for his quick wit and sense of humor. Charles was a devoted and caring husband, father, and grandfather to his family and always enjoyed time spent together, particularly during family trips to Scotland and the coast of Maine.

1950 Sumner Beal ’50

Sumner, of Hingham and Winchester, passed away peacefully on Nov. 17, 2021, in the company of his daughter, Marilyn Center.

Everything was a celebration with Max, from gathering with the “Old Goats" to a football tailgate. It wasn't a party unless there was shrimp cocktail or lobster (only the knuckle meat!). Always the best-dressed, he will be remembered by his perfectly placed boutonniere and bow ties. His affinity for American history was rivaled only by his love of family history and tradition; anyone who has ever sat alongside him understands this.

He attended Thayer Academy where he participated in art club, orchestra, glee club, football, and fencing. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Max went on to lead an eventful career in commercial real estate where he served on the Downtown Crossing Association (Treasurer), Massachusetts Association of Realtors (Vice President), and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board(President, and the youngest on record). He eventually retired as president of the family business, A.W. Perry, after almost 40 years, but he stayed involved in the business until his death. An avid sailor and always the man about town, he found comfort and pride behind the helm of his 38' Bristol and his Cadillac, or playing Mayor of Crow Point on his daily walks around the neighborhood with his late dog, Lance. His enthusiasm for life and love of all things family is his legacy. The son of S. Maxwell Sr. and Eleanor (Perry), he is predeceased by his sons, Francis J. Johnson and Richard P. Beal. In addition to his daughter, Max leaves behind his daughter-in-law, Erica Beal; sisters, Nancy Beal Allen ’49 and Cyndy Beal Hurley and her husband Bob; brother, David Beal and his wife Emily; seventeen grandchildren; and great-grandchildren along with countless grandnieces and nephews.

IN MEMORIAM: 1940s-1950s

Maslen; his sister, Nancy Burkeholder; as well as eight grandchildren; and many other friends and relatives.

1952 John “Jack” Clark Wheatley ’52

Jack passed away Dec. 25, 2021, at the age of 87 surrounded by his family. He was born May 23, 1934, in Boston, the son of the late John Reginald and the late Alma (Clark) Wheatley. He

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graduated from Thayer Academy in 1952 where he participated in football, basketball, and tennis and was the president of his senior class. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1956 as a music major. While there, he sang in the Glee Club, once performing for President Eisenhower at the White House. He also earned a varsity letter in track and field. He received his Juris Doctor in 1959 from Northwestern University Law School and passed the Massachusetts Bar in 1960. After passing the bar, he joined his father at the law firm of Keith, Reed & Wheatley in Brockton.

While there he also served as an assistant district attorney in Plymouth County, serving under his father from 1961 to 1969.

He served as chairman of the planning board in East Bridgewater for many years, was past president of the Brockton Kiwanis Club, and was also active in the Brockton YMCA and Brockton Hospital. He was a past chairman of the Fee Arbitration Board of the Massachusetts Bar. In 1994, he was appointed by Governor William Weld as an associate district court judge and served until 2004. He frequently sat in the Fall River and New Bedford district courts and other district courts in Southeastern Massachusetts. He also served as the chief of the District Court Appellate Division for the Southeastern Region. He was a skilled and prolific artist and had many art exhibits at the Providence Art Club. He also enjoyed beekeeping and gardening, was a member of several barbershop groups, and was once a professional magician. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Priscilla (Lincoln) of Marion,; a daughter, Dawn S. Wheatley ’74 and her husband Bruce Schaller of Brooklyn, New York; a daughter, Elizabeth Wheatley Reynolds ’81 and her husband Peter Reynolds of New York City, New York, and New Marlboro; sons, William L. Wheatley ’83 of North Attleboro and Nathaniel D. Wheatley ’87* of Plymouth; as well as eight grandchildren who live in Massachusetts, New York, and Colorado. He is also survived by sisters, Betsey Woolf ’49 of Peabody and Susan Carr ’57 and her husband Elliot of Brewster. * Sadly, Nathaniel D. Wheatley '87 passed away as this issue was going to press. His full obituary will be included in the next issue.

Edward Hall II ’52

Edward Childs Hall II — aka Grampa Ed — passed away peacefully in his sleep on Feb. 12, 2022, at the age of 86. He spent his last days surrounded by his loving family sharing stories, laughs, tears, and his final wish — take care of each other or I'll haunt you. Ed started his life

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in a triple decker in Quincy before moving to Milton with his parents Marshall and Katherine, sister Noreen Papatheodorou '51, and brother Marshall Hall '62, whom he is predeceased by. He is survived by his girlfriend of 63 years, Janet Duggan Hall, who he married in 1958 and bought a house together in Hingham where they raised four children and continue to live.

He is survived by his favorite oldest son, Edward Childs Hall III (Ned) and his wife Annie of Wellesley; his favorite daughter, Sheila O'Neil of Hingham; his favorite blue-eyed son, Mark Hall of Boston; and his favorite youngest son, Gregory Hall '86 and wife Alex of Wrentham. His favorite pastime was telling you all about his amazing grandchildren Ted Hall and wife Ashley, Jack Hall and wife Abby, Kate Hall, Kieman O'Neil and wife Corinne, Liam O'Neil, Alannah O'Neil and fiance Brian Alexander, Rory Hall, Quentin Hall, and two great-grandchildren Hayden and Piper Hall. A graduate of Thayer Academy and Babson College, he spent 41 years at The New England moving up the ranks to senior officer. He is always a reminder that all that matters is family.

Robert "Bob" Wells Burnham ’52

Bob, 87, of Plymouth, passed away peacefully on Sep. 6, 2021, at home with his family.

Bob was born on Sep. 1, 1934, in Braintree to Kathleen (Harris) and Philip Wells Burnham. He attended Thayer Academy and was heavily involved in student council, play committee, dance committee while participating in fencing, acting as the baseball manager and playing football. He then graduated from Dartmouth College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and economics. Shortly thereafter, Bob launched his long career in the emerging semiconductor and microprocessor industry.

Bob met his first wife, Diana Keith, while attending Dartmouth College. They married in 1956 and had five children: Jeffrey Wells, Julie Hogan, Gail Deborah Drake, Gregory Scott, and Laurie Bossert. Bob's career moved the family to Fairport, New York, a thriving suburb of Rochester. After the two divorced in 1978, Bob met and married his second wife, Susan Joyce Winger Wabnitz, in 1980. In 1983, Bob and Sue relocated back to his roots in Duxbury. Bob spent most of his summers on Standish Shore in Duxbury, where his parents lived. He enjoyed spending time with his children, often going to the beach, skiing, and taking canoeing trips in rural parts of New York and New England. In retirement, Bob

remained very active in the community by being involved in the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society, the Pilgrim Church, the Beach Preservation Society, and the Dartmouth College Alumni Association.

Bob is survived by his five children and their spouses; grandchildren Jennifer Ames, Tim Hogan, David Bossert, Ian Drake, Jim Bossert, Kaylyn Drake, Stephen Bossert, and ErinGrace Drake; great-grandchildren Micah Ames and Mykala Ames; and stepdaughters Melissa Wabnitz and Jessica Wabnitz Fotter. He is predeceased by his beloved wife Susan and his brother Peter Harris Burnham '56.

1953 James Aldrich ’53

James, 78, of Derby, Vermont, passed away on Jul. 27, 2014, surrounded by friends and family. He was born on the family farm in Derby on Aug. 25, 1935, to Ira and Beatrice (Coutts) Aldrich. He attended Thayer Academy where he played football and baseball. Jim married a local girl, Joyce French of Rock Island, Quebec, in 1964, and for the past 50 years they have lived on the family farm. Jim was one of Jehovah's Witnesses and was very active in the local congregation as well as in their building construction program. He enjoyed sharing his beliefs with others and especially liked talking about the future. He was a "jack of all trades" and had a wide variety of interests such as farming, operating his sawmill, woodworking, gardening, and sitting on the front porch with family and friends. He kept up with the "neighborhood news" and enjoyed having visitors and meeting new people. Jim was the oldest of five children and leaves behind his daughter Leah and his siblings: Bob Aldrich '56 and his wife Betty of Derby; Dean '68 and his wife Chris of Orleans; and Beatrice Nelson '62 and her husband Roger of Derby. He also leaves behind several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, younger brother Bill, grand-dog Dakota, and his wife.

Adrienne Coughlin ’53

Adrienne, 86, of Seminole, Florida, died Jan. 25, 2021.

Adrienne attended Thayer Academy where she spent her time playing field hockey, basketball, and cheerleading.

She was also class officer.

Survived by loving family.

Robert Everett Jacobson ’54

Robert, 85, of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, husband of the late Muriel Jorgenson, passed away peacefully on Jan. 17, 2022 at Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta, Maine. He was born on Jun. 29, 1936, in Boston, son of Oscar F. and Alice (Oakdale) Jacobson. Bob, or Jake as he was known, spent his early years in Milton and Melrose. In 1954, he graduated from Thayer Academy where he was involved in the newspaper, yearbook, glee club, and played baseball, basketball, and football.

He then attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester and earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the University of Nebraska Omaha in 1966.

Lt. Colonel Robert "Bob" Jacobson was a veteran of the United States Air Force and the Rhode Island Air National Guard.

He was commissioned a second lieutenant and graduated from Connally Air Force Base, Texas, as a U.S Air Force navigator in 1960. He attended Electronic Warfare School and was assigned as an electronic warfare officer on B-52s. Bob left the Air Force in 1968 to pursue a career at IBM in Hamden, Connecticut, where he spent the next 20 years as a highly successful sales executive. In 1971, Bob joined the Rhode Island Air National Guard as a squadron navigator. As a navigator, Bob flew HU-16, C-119, and C-130 aircraft. In 1978 Bob was promoted to flight commander, 143rd Tactical Airlift Squadron. The worldwide mission of the 143rd took Bob to numerous foreign and domestic places as both a C-130 navigator and mission commander. In 1988, he retired from the service and soon after took an early retirement from IBM. As an Air Force veteran, Bob continued to serve his country and community in many ways. As a member of the American Legion, he fully supported the Legion's focus on national security, veterans affairs, children and youth, and Americanism.

He was proud of his service, the men and women he served with, and all who wore and wear the uniform. In 1992, Bob joined the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club.

He served as director of International Service, secretary, Foundation Committee chairman, and, in 1999-2000, president.

That year, his club won the Significant Achievement Award, Governor's Award for Foundation Support, Special Membership Award, and the Presidential Citation. He was a Paul Harris fellow and a Foundation

benefactor. Bob was deeply honored to serve as district governor in 2004-2005, the first of only two from the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club to do so. He served on the Boothbay Harbor Board of Appeals from 1996 to 2001, the Boothbay Harbor Board of Selectman from 2001 to 2004, and as chairman of the Boothbay Harbor Board of Selectmen in 2004. In 1941, Bob's family purchased a small cottage on Wall Point and later bought property on adjacent Harris Point and built several log cabins.

After Bob graduated high school, the family moved to Boothbay Harbor where he spent summers working alongside his father at Sample's Shipyard. He loved Maine and came back as often as time would allow. He spent several years winterizing the family cabin where he retired in 1989. In June of 1999, he married Muriel Jorgenson. They spent the following years enjoying their home and numerous activities within the community until her passing in 2012.

Bob's interests and hobbies were many.

He was a commercial lobsterman, fishing solo into his early eighties. He enjoyed golf, skiing, and collecting cars and could always be found cruising the town in his lovingly restored 1963 baby blue Cadillac convertible, whether it be in a parade escorting the American Gold Star Mothers or to Hannaford with his beloved Shih Tzu, SeeSee. Bob was a jack of all trades, and there was nothing that he couldn't fix. He was the personification of real Yankee ingenuity. He regularly attended the Christian Science Society in Boothbay Harbor. He loved his family and cherished the time spent together whether it be a holiday, teaching his grandchildren to lobster, or catching up on family news.

He was proud of each and every one of us. In addition to his parents, Bob was predeceased by his longtime companion and beloved wife of 13 years, Muriel Jorgenson; sister Ruth (Jacobson) Hedberg and brother-in-law Carl Hedberg; son Robert T. Jacobson; former wife Judith Jacobson of East Boothbay, with whom he remained good friends; and beloved pup SeeSee. He will be greatly missed by his daughter Dawne Young (Clark) of Boothbay Harbor and Clinton, Connecticut; daughter-in-law Joanne Jacobson of Foxboro; granddaughters Christina and Phoebe Young of Boothbay Harbor and Annabel Jacobson of Foxboro; nephew Brett Hedberg of Boothbay Harbor; niece Catherine Hedberg of Bronx, New York; niece Jayne Gordon and daughter Abby Gordon of Damariscotta, Maine; nephew Richard Gillespie (Tracy) of Lovettsville, Virginia; and cousin Roger Cederlund of Middleborough.

Barbara Field ’54

Barbara, born July 29, 1936, passed peacefully at a local healthcare facility Aug. 23, 2020. She grew up in Braintree, MA and graduated from Thayer Academy cum laude. She was incredibly involved as a student and participated in chapel choir, glee club, french club, honor roll, and played badminton, field hockey, softball, and archery. She was drawn to music at an early age and attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and took classes at Julliard in New York City. She graduated from Katherine Gibbs and worked at the Boston Symphony, combining her secretarial skills with her love of music. She also performed with many choirs. Later she pursued a career in nursing, graduating in 1973 and shortly thereafter moving to Bradenton, Florida, where she has lived ever since. She is survived by her sister, Marjorie Trusler; her brother, John Field; and cousins Pam Clausen, Mimi Montague, Jane Gorman, Rick Turner, Bruce Turner, and Wendy Paquette.

IN MEMORIAM: 1950s

1954

1956 Judith Ann Dunbar Cameron ’56

Born Feb. 21, 1938, to Donald and Hazel (Brown) Dunbar of Whitman, Judith died peacefully at the age of 83 on Dec. 28, 2021, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Judith married John Wilson Cameron on June 7,1958, with a reception at the original Toll House in Whitman.

Judith is survived by her sister, Joy Dunbar of Fredericksburg, Virginia; son Christopher Cameron (Kirste Johnson) of Seattle; and daughter Heather Cameron Ploen (Sean) of Saint Paul; along with grandchildren Peter and Miles Cameron and Poppy Ploen.

Judith graduated from Thayer Academy and received her associate degree from Lasell University. John and Judith lived in Hanover before moving to New Hampshire in 1964, where she was a librarian at the Holderness School. In 1976, Judith and John returned to Massachusetts, going to the Dana Hall School in Wellesley. Judith worked at Provident Bank in Boston and Brookline Bank in Brookline. John and Judith retired to Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where they spent happy years taking classes, attending music events and theater in New York,

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entertaining, and traveling to warm vacation spots and the Maine coast.

Judith was an ambitious cook and entertainer; she loved to read, always keeping a good mystery on her bedside table. Friends enjoyed her bawdy sense of humor and irreverent opinions. She will be missed by family and friends who know she now is enjoying having her hearing restored while sitting with John listening to Bobby Short, sipping a bourbon and soda, and nibbling a few Spanish peanuts.

1957 Edyth “Edye” Fay McGlone ’57

Edyth passed away Jan. 30, 2022, at Golden View Health Care Center in Meredith, New Hampshire. Edye was born and raised in Quincy, the daughter of Robert and Helen (Colpitts) Fay. She attended Thayer Academy and was very involved in glee club and played field hockey and tennis. She later became a registered nurse spending most of her career at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, MA. Edye retired to Thornton, NH, where she enjoyed gardening and hiking. Edye is survived by her daughters, Lisa Black and her partner Michael and Suzanne Davis and her husband Scott; her son, David McGlone; her sister, Char-Lou Benedict '63; and three grandchildren, Abigail McGlone, Davis Stuart, and Em McGlone. She is also survived by her former husband Dave McGlone. In addition to her parents, Edye is predeceased by her husband John Cullen and her brother Robert Fay '55.

David Shapiro ’57

Devoted husband, father, and grandfather, David died Aug. 29, 2021 in Lincoln, with his wife of 59 years by his side, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Born in 1939 in Quincy to Irving and Sarah (Fleischman) Shapiro, he was a lifelong Bay Stater who attended Thayer Academy where he graduated cum laude and participated in student government, yearbook, play committee, and played basketball and baseball. He then went on to graduate from Harvard College and Boston College Law School. He moved from Cambridge to Newton in 1969 to raise his family. After passing the Mass Bar exam and becoming a real estate lawyer, David spent his entire 30+-year career at Hale & Dorr

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in Boston. He was also a longtime resident of the South Shore beach community of Hull, where he spent summers as a child and brought his family in the early 1970s to live on K Street. He was a fixture every summer, exploring on his motor scooter, chatting with neighbors and friends on the beach and on the porch, hunched over cards at a poker game oftentimes on the commuter boat back from Boston, and playing tennis at the L Street courts. An avid tennis player, David played nearly daily after his retirement. He also became an actively engaged participant at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement. With a razor-sharp wit, David also greatly enjoyed a good joke (and some bad ones), creating his own unique form of expression, and bestowing quirky nicknames on friends and family. He was constantly entertained and surprised by the absurdities of people and life, never hesitating to share that sense of wonderment to everyone's amusement and occasional bewilderment.

An avowed homebody who fundamentally believed that there was never a good reason to leave Massachusetts, he nonetheless went on numerous trips to exotic places to be with his family. He is survived by his wife, Linda; his three children, Ted (Laurence), Jeremy, and Ellen (Todd); his grandchildren, Ben, Daniel, Zoe, and Noa; his brother, Kenneth ’61, and his wife Ann; many cousins and their families; and Silvia Naluawkago, his devoted caregiver.

Jane Westfall ’57

Jane Westfall, 81, died Nov. 29, 2021, at Concord Hospital after a brief illness. She was born in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, the daughter of C. Willard and H. Louise (Starr) Dahlbom. She attended Thayerlands and Thayer academy where she participated in chorus and played field hockey. She then went on to Framingham College and Plymouth State College. She was involved in equestrian activities and was a member of the Pony Club in Dover.

The family purchased a farm in Bridgewater to spend time in the area, and it was here that Jane met her husband, Mason Westfall.

After marrying, she became a permanent resident and an active community member.

Jane enjoyed nature, birds, and gardening.

She worked for Kelly’s Flowers in Plymouth as a floral designer for many years. She shared her knowledge with the community, annually doing wreath-making workshops with her church, the Bristol United Church of Christ, and their Altar Guild. She served the community for many years as a library

trustee, working at the polls in Bristol and keeping records for the Homeland Cemetery.

She was active in Audubon and her birdwatching took her to Round Top where she watched and counted migrating hawks for many years. In the mid-1980s she became a wildlife rehabilitator, taking classes and regular rabies shots in order to save orphaned and injured wildlife at her home in Bristol.

She successfully rehabilitated a fox, a fisher, a mink, an opossum, raccoons, and many other birds and animals. She enjoyed the company of standard poodles. Her latest poodle, Meadow, kept her great company after the death of her husband. They were often seen in the late afternoon on their daily drives about the back roads of the Newfound Area.

She leaves two sons and daughters-in-law: Glenn and Denise Westfall of Bridgewater, New Hampshire, and Todd and Cindy Westfall of Alexandria, New Hampshire; a daughter and son-in-law, Kara Westfall and David Nolan of Rochester, New Hampshire; three grandchildren, Duncan Westfall, Janelle Westfall, and Donovan Nolan; twin great-grandsons, Ayer and Lane Simpson; a sister, Janice Moeller-Limbert '51 of New Hampton; and nieces and nephews.

1959 Charles Pratt ’59

Obituary written collaboratively

by Joyce DiBona ‘59 & Kenmore Commoss '59 Charles passed away in San Diego, California, in August of 2020.

Charlie's life stretched across many broad areas, and he approached every aspect of it as he did with all of the challenges life offered him — with passion, vigor, competitiveness, and much human kindness.

At Thayer, he was a halfback on the football team and ran for the track team. Track and football coach Dick Sawyer P '68, '71 was a close and admired friend during Charlie's time at Thayer and later. Upon graduation, Charlie attended Williams College where he received the seven-year Tyng Scholarship, which included three years of graduate study.

He graduated from Williams College magna cum laude in 1963 and later received a master’s degree and PhD in psychology in 1969.

His family activities included backpacking, kayaking, scuba diving, and many trips.

Charlie's career took a turn from the psychology department at the University of Vermont to the computer world when he took a computer study course. This led to a career at Miter Corporation where he was a manager of computer security until his back issues limited his ability to travel.

During this time he and Debby and their family enjoyed living in San Diego. While there he remained a devoted Patriots fan and watched all their games on TV. Never one to sit still even though his mobility was limited, Charlie pursued his interest in the law and attended California Western Law School. He graduated second in his class at age 65, having spent most of his class time lying on his back due to his physical limitations. His law practice was primarily pro bono work. He became active in the movement for marriage equality, which was ignited in California by the 2008 passage of a highly contested statewide proposition banning marriage equality.

Charlie’s yearbook quote “Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?” seems so appropriate for him.

1961 Allen Bradbury Flanders ’61

Allen, of Milton and Chilmark, peacefully passed away on Jan. 3, 2022. Born on Mar. 9, 1942, Allen was the first of three sons of Florence (Bradbury) and Leslie M. Flanders of Vineyard Haven. Allen’s childhood was spent on the Vineyard, where he became an accomplished pianist. He graduated from Thayer Academy, where he accompanied school choral groups. Summers he also substituted as an organist for several Island churches. Living near Boston, he was able to continue to enjoy symphonies and organ concerts throughout his life.

After graduating from Brown University (and a short banking stint in New York City), Allen joined the National Shawmut Bank in Boston. While there he received a master’s degree from Boston University with concentrations in trusts and asset management. Allen stayed with Shawmut’s successor, Fleet Bank, where he was a vice president and trust officer for many years before his retirement. Although Allen lived in the Boston area, he returned to the Vineyard almost every weekend from May through November. You could find him working on his rental properties on Flanders Lane or swimming at Lucy Vincent Beach. Allen is survived by his brothers Graeme (Judie) and Brian (Noreen); his niece, Amy Harris (Jed); and three nephews, Matthew (Carole Lee), Ned (Melissa), and Christopher (Brianna). He also leaves nine great-nieces and one great-nephew. Allen’s first cousin and “other brother,” Jeffrey Bezanson, predeceased him. However, Jeff’s wife, Amelia, son Carl, and daughter Aleta survive him. Aleta was Allen’s nurse and guardian angel for the past five years.

1962 Beatrice 'Bea' (Aldrich) Nelson ’62

Beatrice, of Derby, Vermont, passed peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family on Oct. 22, 2021, one week shy of her 77th birthday.

Born up the hill from her own home on the Aldrich family farm, Bea was raised at a young age after her parents passed by a group of beloved aunts. Being the only girl, she was nicknamed "sister." During this time she attended various schools including Thayer Academy where she spent time playing field hockey, badminton, and softball, and participating in newspaper club, glee club, chapel choir, and dance committee. She went on to college to achieve a degree that led to a life-long passion of teaching. She gained a wealth of knowledge in family history and lore, knowing not only of rural living in VT, but also of their family heritage.

Bea was fascinated by nature, gardening, and wild things and loved feeding her birds and her “chippees.” She started her own studio called “Bea's Hive,” producing custom paintings for clients and signage for individuals and businesses alike. She taught art lessons and started “Derby Dabblers,”

teaching others to paint. Bea's love of family ties led her to become the family genealogist and researcher of local histories on both sides of the American and Canadian border.

Bea found herself working as a consultant for many projects across Northern Vermont.

Her willingness to share her knowledge won over many people and opened as many doors. She was an accepted Abenaki tribal member in Western Vermont. She was an active member of the Holland Historical Society, Lake Memphremagog Steering Committee, and the Derby Chamber of Commerce. She organized, with the help of a few other people, many nonprofit projects: The “Intertribal Women's Hoop” which promoted Abenaki awareness and family traditions and strengthened the ties that held a community together. They developed a craft co-op that traveled to various powwows and events; plus, they had the first Abenaki and Intertribal library for adults and children. Bea developed, wrote, edited, and produced a newsletter (pre-computer) that she mailed out to subscribers eager for what she was producing. Later, as more people wanted to become involved and the Abenaki community were willing to be more visible, the nonprofit became the “Alnobak Nebesakiak ( or Nebesak).” She continued to host gatherings, travel with several Drums to events and universities in both Canada and New England, and produce community newsletters, calendars with original artwork, and a newsletter specifically for children called N'agizi. With Bea’s stories and craft projects, the newsletters became a much relied upon resource for many people of all ages and schoolteachers, who at that time were just starting to teach about the Abenaki who were (and are) in Vermont. She was invited to present at various historical societies, colleges, elementary schools, Coutts Camps and Boy Scouts events; she was interviewed many times for various projects. She co-authored several books: Around Lake Memphremagog and Holland Vermont and its Neighbors. Bea also authored articles for the Northland Journal.

Gregory Sharrow, folklorist of the Vermont Folklife Center, discussed a possibility of whether a film could be produced featuring the Abenaki people of Vermont. Bea, along with a close Abenaki friend, developed and implemented a plan to involve as many volunteer Abenaki as possible on a panel to do the interviewing and reviewing.

This became a five-year volunteer project, with both a film and teacher guide being produced and available to purchase at the Vermont Folklife Center called he Abenaki in Vermont, a Living Culture.

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

IN MEMORIAM: 1950s-1960s

He married Mary Louise Andrews ’61 and they had two children, Adrian and Beth.

After a divorce, he married Deborah Knight.

Their children are Jesse and Jody Knight.

Charlie's passion for running led him to participate in the Boston Marathon and many other races until his back injury in 1999.

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Bea was welcomed at many reserves in New England and in Canada including Odanak, maintaining her contacts to this day. A few years later the Nebesak evolved into the Alnobak Heritage Preservation Center. She worked with the focus on bringing more awareness and a deeper level of research and commitment towards the Abenaki people.

She became a consultant on such things as state highway, dam, and watershed projects including the Clyde River/Barton Village Project and the Connecticut River Project.

She worked with Vermont state archeologists to prevent destruction of potential Abenaki burial sites and camping areas on various state projects. She was a consultant, author, and contributing artist for the Abenaki timeline in Vermont on permanent display at the Emery Hebbard Federal Building, the first plaque of the Lake Memphremagog walkway as artist and author, and The Northern Forest and Canoe Trail project: supplying them with artwork, maps, and plans recreating the historical canoe waterways. Land trusts: Bea believed in saving Vermont's land for future generations and for the wildlife to thrive with care.

After becoming a member of NulheganCoos Band of Abenaki, Bea was thrilled to see the changes that were occurring within the community and the state towards Abenaki culture. Nulhegan-Coos Band of Abenaki became one of four Vermont state-recognized Abenaki bands. As a person who was respected for her knowledge, she was honored to have become a ceremonied Elder for Nulhegan, a lifetime position.

This was a high honor and her greatest pride. Bea also continued her passions of painting, gardening, researching, writing, and consulting. Two of her latest projects were her involvement partnering with the Vermont Land Trust at Bluffside Farms in Newport on both a Three Sisters Garden and their new entry bike trail wetlands project and working with the Northwoods Stewardship Center. Her greatest passion was her family. She would drop everything if anyone stopped by, always had the coffee pot on, cookies in the cookie jar, and loved talking out on her porch or at her kitchen table. Bea was predeceased by her husband, Roger Nelson, in 2019; brothers Bill and Jim '53 (Joyce) Aldrich of Derby; in-laws George (Janet) Nelson of Irasburg, Tom Nelson of Albany, and Ruth Nelson of Washington State. Bea is survived by her children, Bill Nelson of Lyndon and Rebecca (John) Hardy of Derby; grandchildren Thomas (Kathleen) Hardy of Derby, John Curtis Hardy( Morgan Blanchard) of Barton, and Tessa and Cooper Nelson of Lyndon; great grandson Colton Hardy of Derby; brothers

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Robert '56 (Betty) Aldrich of Derby and Dean '68 (Christie) Aldrich of Derby; and

several nieces, nephews, and great nieces and great nephews plus many cousins.

1966 Wayne Bennett Greenfield ’66

Wayne was born Apr. 3, 1947, and passed away May 3, 2013, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Noted classmate Warren Pierce '66: "Wayne had a wry smile, a ready ear, and a fine grasp of the absurd.

That and a seemingly inexhaustible stable of interesting cars from his father's used car lot in Abington." He was predeceased by his mother, Hope Greenfield '39

Gerald “Gerry” Hurst Stanney Jr. ’66

Gerry, of Mashpee, formerly of Plymouth, passed away peacefully at his home on Sep. 13, 2021. He was the beloved husband of Susan (Files) Stanney, with whom he shared 51 wonderful years of marriage.

Gerry was born Oct. 2, 1948, in Boston to the late Gerald H. Stanney Sr. and Barbara (Titus) Stanney. Gerry attended Thayer Academy and participated in art club, library services, play reading, and soccer. He went on to receive his bachelor's degree from UMass. He worked as the chief compliance officer for a mutual fund company. Always a compassionate man, Gerry was a longtime supporter of the Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC). He was also a man of faith and was a committed parishioner of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Osterville. Gerry was sociable and enjoyed friendship and camaraderie as a member of the Osterville Men's Club. He was an avid reader, appreciated architecture, and enjoyed cooking. More than anything, Gerry enjoyed spending time with his friends and family and will be greatly missed by all who loved him. Gerry is survived by his wife, Susan Stanney, of Mashpee; his son, Jonathan Stanney '91, and his wife, Jessica, of Osterville; his son, Scott, and his wife, Lori, of Ashland; his son, Geoff Stanney, and his fiancé, Oshetisi, of Bourne; his grandchildren Lydia, Vivian, Weston, Lillian, and Benjamin; his sister, Sherrill Burkard, of Mashpee; as well as many dear friends and extended family members.

1968 Ann Marie (DiBona) Reed ’68

Ann Marie, of Paupack, Pennsylvania, and Punta Gorda, Florida. Formerly of Rehoboth. Passed away peacefully Sep. 19, 2021 at the age of 71 after suffering traumatic brain injury resulting from a fall. Born in Quincy, she was the youngest child of the late Dr. Astro and Virginia DiBona. Loving wife of Randy Reed for 40 years; dear sister to Dr. Gerald DiBona '56 and his wife Ulla of Castine, Maine, Joyce DiBona '59 and her husband, the late Bob Weiss of Westport, and Claire Graves '62 and her husband Robert of Nantucket. She also leaves her brother-in-law, Robert Reed; her nieces, Elizabeth Graves Kuchynka and her husband Gerry, Vicky DiBona, and Chrissy DiBona; and her nephew, Robert Graves III and his wife, Laura. Ann attended Thayer Academy and was very involved spending her time as class president, a member of glee club, art club, Latin club, play reading while playing field hockey and tennis. She then went on to Wagner College. She received her master’s degree in Media Production at Boston University. As a communications specialist, she held positions at Ogden Food Services and later at State Street Bank. After she retired, Ann enjoyed many years teaching yoga classes at the YMCA. She was a talented artist with a special eye towards crafts and sewing and enjoyed gardening, but most of all, she loved her time with her "doggies."

Ann was the life of most parties and brought joy to all who knew and loved her for her quick wit and feisty spirit. She will be missed but not forgotten by her friends wherever she lived. A memory of her life service was held in Punta Gorda, Florida.

1971 John Myers Jr. ’71

John, of Belmont, age 69, passed away peacefully Jan. 5, 2022, in his home. John, Bear, or Papabear, formerly of Milton, son of the late D. David and Frances K. Berig, is survived by his wife of 40 years, Susan "Kelley;" their three children, Burke M. Sherman and her Husband Kevin of Walpole, Sarah E. Myers of Woburn, and John "Jake" Francis Myers III of Boston; brother-in-law Chip Kelley and his wife

1973 Robert “Bob” Quinn ’73

Bob, of Waltham, passed away Mar. 8, 2022, peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family. Bob was born Dec. 20, 1954 in Quincy, the son of Harold Quinn, MD, and Ruth Quinn, PhD. He is survived by his beloved children, Sean Quinn of Waltham, Melanie Quinn of New York City, and Annie Quinn of Burlington, Vermont; as well as his sister, Barbara Quinn '74 of Quincy, brother Rick Quinn and Chako (wife); Karina (niece) of Alameda, California; and his former spouse of 22 years, Rosemary Quinn (Vero Beach, Florida). Bob grew up in Braintree, attended Thayer Academy where he participated in chess club, photography, wrestling and track and field. He went on to graduate from Georgetown University in 1977, and earned his Network Programming Certificate from Harvard University Extension 1986. Bob was a software developer and worked for FTP Software, Celox, and Stardust. He was

IN MEMORIAM: 1960s-1970s

Anne of Cape Elizabeth, Maine; and his sister-in-law Joanna Eastman and her husband Steven of Winchester. He is also survived by his granddaughter Charlotte.

He attended Thayer Academy where he participated in chess club, photography, baseball, football, and ice hockey. He then went on to graduate from Saint Michael's College. John spent a majority of his career in banking starting at Bay Bank.

More importantly, John was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. What he cherished most in this world was his family and dogs.

He ensured to attend as many recitals, games, and milestones as he possibly could, understanding the impact that he had on the lives of those around him. John was there to coach for his children's soccer games and used that time to teach them life lessons through the game. He instilled in his children the importance of lending a helping hand and supporting others, having strong morals, and never being afraid to crack a good joke. John left his bear claw on the slopes of Loon Mountain where he taught friends and family how to ski, he didn't miss a summer in Chatham surrounded by loved ones, and hockey rinks up and down the East Coast were his home away from home. John was a compassionate, loving, funny, and sarcastic man; his legacy will live on through his family.

also a published author (Windows Sockets Network Programming), and a freelance web developer. A very active person, Bob loved the outdoors and spent his Cape Cod summers biking, hiking, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, and rollerblading. In 2001, Bob suffered a ski accident that left him a quadriplegic. Despite the hardships that come with such adversity, Bob's optimism, enthusiasm, and passion for life never dimmed. He faced every challenge head-on, learning to drive and live independently, and finding joy in going to movies and concerts with his kids, riding his adaptive bike, and even going camping and sailing.

Known as "Fitch" by his lifelong friends from Megansett (a section of North Falmouth), he is fondly remembered as an incredibly inspiring, funny, and resilient person. Bob's favorite mottos were "Life is hard, but that's not what matters — it's how fun it is!" and "Attitude is everything."

1977 Lisa McIntosh Sampson ’77

Lisa, 62, of Pompano Beach, Florida, passed away Oct. 5, 2021. She was born Mar. 17, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana. Her family moved to Duxbury in 1961 where she spent most of her life. She attended elementary school in Duxbury before attending Dana Hall in Wellesley. She was a graduate of Thayer Academy in Braintree and Dean College in Franklin. She is survived by her loving husband, Stephen Sampson; three children, Jon Chrisriano of Colorado, Amber Driscoll of Duxbury, and Ryan Driscoll of Duxbury; and her parents, Myra and Davis McIntosh of Pompano Beach, Florida, and Onset. Lisa was the loving sister of Jane McIntosh Hyland '81 of Pompano Beach, Amy McIntosh Shoulla of Carver, and the late Theresa McIntosh '78 of Kingston.

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

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The Final Word(le)

C O D I N G & C O L L A B O R AT I O N F O R A G L O BA L G O O D

BY PAUL KAHN P '27

Coding Club members Peter Chen '23, Max Hughes '23, and Tommy Bi '23 turned a small side project into a "world's first." In the spring, an idea to create a "Thayer Wordle" for Founders Day reached the Computer Science wing on the second floor of Glover, and the three juniors collectively decided, why not? www.thayer-wordle.com

Said Hughes, "We decided to split the project in three: Peter did most of the coding, Tommy did a lot of the testing and word selection, and I did the art and design of the Wordle." In three weeks, the Thayer Wordle (www.thayer-wordle.com) was created - with about 100 words (all related to the Academy).

After seeing the Wordle, World Languages Faculty Aidan Rooney P '07, '15 reached out to the trio to create a Haitian Creole version of Wordle since one did not yet exist. And so, after getting a set of some 70 words from Rooney, kreyolwordle.com was born - the world's first! kreyolwordle.com

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Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

Check out what's happening today on Thayer Academy's own networking community!

ThayerNetwork allows you to connect with fellow alumni who have similar interests, careers, and locations; promote your business; search for job opportunities; and join a mentoring program.

Sign up today at ThayerNetwork.com

Thayer Magazine /// Spring / Summer 2022

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@thayeracademy THE MISSION OF THAYER ACADEMY IS TO INSPIRE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS TO MORAL, INTELLECTUAL, AESTHETIC, AND PHYSICAL EXCELLENCE SO THAT EACH MAY RISE TO HONORABLE ACHIEVEMENT AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMON GOOD.