2021 Winter/Spring Forman Letter

F O R M A N L E T T E R

PR EVAILING TO G ETH ER

WINTER/SPRING 2021

F O R M A N

L E T T E R

2 Head of School Letter

20 Commencement

6 Reopening Forman During a Pandemic

24 Athletics in the Time of COVID-19

12 Welcome to the Club

26 Standing Against Racism

14 Around the Green

28 Alumna Profile: Noel Robbins Congdon ’46

16 Campus News

30 Alumnus Profile: Nick Fuglestad ’89

18 Ingenuity Year

32 Giving

19 A True Friend of Forman

33 Class Notes

Head of School: Adam K. Man P’15 Associate Head of School: E. Michael Kowalchick Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement: Justin B. Solomon Director of the Annual Fund: Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23 Director of Database Management: Susan Reis P’07 Address corrections & Class Notes: alumni@formanschool.org

Editor: Kerry Conroy, Director of Communications Lead Writer: John Hassan Photo Editor: Kerry Conroy, Director of Communications Class Notes Editor: Liz Funk P’12, Director of Parent and Alumni Programs Designer: Julie Hammill, Hammill Design Photography: Ashli Langill, Julian Schnitt ’23, Richard Schultz, Zack Zampaglione, Austin Zimmer

Mission Statement Forman School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students with identified learning differences.

Forman develops the whole student, based on his or her unique learning profile, so that every graduate becomes an educated, confident, self-advocate throughout life.

Forman School Board of Trustees President of the Board Jon E. Zagrodzky P’18, P’19 Vice President Anne Q. Buckley P’13, P’20 Vice President David H. White ’71 Treasurer Thomas G. Sorell P’12 Secretary Michael L. Cook P’15 Barbara Chace ’87 Elizabeth Garber Daniels ’93 L. Laird Davis Eric R. Ebbert P’16 Elena A. Ford P’18 Michael C. Gluck ’06 Annette R. Jenner-Matthews, Ph.D. ’87 Preethi Krishna P’16 Gregory M. Loss P’22 Adam K. Man P’15, Head of School David A. Shaggy ’85 Timothy B. Wills ’85, P’21 Michael B. Yormark ’09

Trustees Emeriti Cecelia J. Johnson P’91 Diane F. Kessenich P’86, Chairman Emerita Kenneth R. Latham ’48 Frederick M. Lione Jr. P’91 This page: Merritt Seymour ’23 paints in art class.

Cover: The Forman Lion statue stands tall and strong with its mask on.

John A. Meyers P’84 Peter L. Phillips ’65 Scott M. Sutherland ’69, P’93

1

HEAD OF SCHOOL LETTER

Enduring Lessons of the Pandemic As I look out my window, snow is falling on the Forman campus. A big, wet, heavy snow that falls in clumps rather than flakes, quietly blanketing our campus in white. I look down across the fields to where our Outside Student Center once stood, but instead of the tents there is just a skeleton of poles, beams, and a few strings of light. Almost everything has been put away for the winter since the students departed for Thanksgiving.

Campus is mostly still, with just the occasional faculty member walking their dog. We will end the calendar year the way we ended the last school year, with students dispersed and learning occurring remotely.

Our full attention is now turned to the students’ return after Winter Break. This planning began almost as soon as the students returned to campus this fall. It has been a process of regular revision. As each week goes by, we learn more about the virus and how to function within the world it has created. We learn not just about the virus, but also about the ways we are able to cope; what our real priorities should be; what things we can reasonably ask of our students and faculty; what parts of the program that have surprising value; and what things we miss the most about the time before.

It would be an understatement to say that no one in the field of education was prepared for what we would need to change due to the pandemic. We like to pride ourselves on our expertise and our ability to teach that to others.

In that light, I would like to share some simple lessons learned from this experience.

2

Technology will not overturn schooling as we know it Since the very earliest times when students attended a school, we have heard adults complain that the quality of education, and the work ethic of young people, is not nearly as strong as when those adults were young. The writings of ancient Greek and Roman scholars are filled with these lamentations. Students are lazier, standards have fallen, teachers are not as good, and education has somehow lost its direction. Century after century these complaints have been aired. I do not think our educational system has been on one long decline since ancient times. It has changed and adapted over the years, perhaps too slowly and somewhat behind the times, but not in a measured devolution to a lowest common denominator. There are real issues we should address, but it helps to remember that the process of educating young people has always had its problems.

Over the past few decades, the pace of technological change has been astounding and we have seen many industries transformed by innovation. There has been a lot of eager anticipation for technology to upend the current educational paradigm. Zoom, LMS, Google Docs, and a range of other software applications have allowed us to keep our schools functioning in the face of this pandemic.

I am very grateful for this fact but I do not think anyone who has experienced it thinks this is the beginning of the end for education. Spend a couple of days teaching over Zoom and you will know what I am talking about.

At the same time, this experience has increased our

understanding of the value of many parts of the educational experience prior to the pandemic. Having my students all together in the same room with me cannot be easily replicated in a virtual world. As a teacher, I have also learned that worthwhile collaboration between students is hard to facilitate remotely, that most parents do not want to be teaching assistants, that bedrooms and kitchen tables are not the ideal venues for most types of learning, and that it is far easier to identify student misunderstandings, and correct them, when students are physically in front of me.

School is not just about reading, writing, and arithmetic Shortly into the pandemic, government and business leaders realized schools play an important, albeit hidden, role in society. They are places for children to go when parents need to work. It is an unpleasant realization. We like to think the sole value of schools is to teach students the three “Rs”: reading, writing, and arithmetic (plus some measure of science, history, literature, etc.). But schools have always filled many more roles than just the obvious academic function. Children gain a lot more from the experience of school than just a set of skills and content knowledge. Some of this learning is painful, ranging from dealing with a bully to coming to terms with the fact that large institutions can, at times, be cold and impersonal.

Much of the learning is much more positive, though.

Students benefit from countless moments inside and outside of the classroom that we do not automatically think of as the role for school. The value of learning to lose gracefully when your team faces defeat by a rival.

The value of running for class officer and winning the election. The value of gossiping with your friends about the upcoming school dance. The value of learning to seek out extra help when you are confused. Humility, leadership, fellowship, and interdependence are traits that are taught and reinforced daily in the school experience.

Perhaps even more important than these experiences is the experience of mentorship. An adult, outside of your family, who takes an interest in your growth and development leaves an indelible mark. So often when I talk with people about what I do for a living, they will share with me a story about a teacher that altered their life for the better. Not so much that their teacher taught

Head of School Adam K. Man P’15 greets Hannah Levy ’21 with a handshake before morning Assembly in the fall of 2019.

3

them to be a better reader, writer, or mathematician, but that they taught them to be a better person. Our new national remote learning experience can teach us a lot about the value of schools beyond just the intended.

Great teaching is a matter of context Over the past few decades, an incredible amount of time, energy, and money has been spent on identifying the most effective teaching practices. University-based researchers spend hours upon hours in classrooms identifying what seems to work well. They distill these experiences into routines and strategies that can be replicated in countless classrooms.

They test these practices in the most scientific ways possible to hopefully confirm the validity of using one approach over another. The objective of these researchers is to help provide alternatives and inform us about what will really make a difference in student lives and learning. The pandemic threw a wrench in these works, though.

As we all scrambled to move to remote learning, we attempted to repurpose these best practices for a new technological setting. We quickly identified that some worked better than others. In fact, some of these practices were a complete failure in this new setting. The reasons were obvious. The researchers assumed students would be physically in a classroom, that school operated in a synchronous fashion with all students in the same time

zone, that the teacher could move around the classroom to check understanding, facilitate students working in groups, monitor assessments for individual accountability, and craft an experience in real time and space. The research was based upon a conception of school that was very different from the one we are all currently experiencing.

The pandemic highlighted that teaching is equal parts art and science. Science helps us better understand the “how” of teaching while art gets at the “why” of teaching. With the change in context, good teachers knew they would need to rely more on the art of teaching. I do not think any teacher felt like an immediate success, but the more fruitful ones took what they knew from the science of teaching (how students learn best) and focused on the why of learning. They did not try to recreate the classroom setting in a virtual world. They critically examined many of the assumptions about schooling and out of this created something new, something that challenged many of these assumptions.

It is this challenging of assumptions I find most interesting. I do not want to just return to the way things were before. This pandemic has taught us a lot about what we value and miss from the time before the virus, but it has also allowed us to imagine ways that things might also be different. It has taught us that great teachers are not bound by assumptions and can learn to thrive in different contexts.

Ritual and routine are undervalued As I travelled around the campus this fall, I would often hear new students ask older students if an experience they were having was normal or just a “COVID-19 thing.”

More times than not, the student would reply that it was a “COVID-19 thing.” The response of “COVID-19 thing” tended to have negative connotations. It meant that things were better in the past, but that we needed to put up with this strange way of doing things to be back on campus.

We needed to abandon many of the things that were

“It would be an understatement to say that no one in the field of education was prepared for what would need Students gather for a photo outside the Science Center.

4

change due to the pandemic.”

“A community is not built just out of goodwill and a common purpose.

It is the often-overlooked rituals and routines that make communities work effectively and create bonds among the members.”

part of our common experience. Oftentimes these were things we took for granted. Some were obvious: no athletic competitions, no walks into town, no assemblies.

These changes were painful to the community. My heart broke watching teams practice day after day knowing they would never actually get to play a different team. I struggled to tell my advisees “No” when they pleaded to just be able to walk into town. They promised not to enter any stores or stop to talk with anyone; they just wanted to know there was life outside our campus.

We knew these changes would be hard and put a strain on our community. What we did not fully predict were how many little things would need to change and how big an impact this would have on our community. Things like all being able sit down together for community meals; cheering from the sidelines with a fellow group of students and teachers; having students be able to visit a friend in a different dormitory; taking your advisees for coffee in town; greeting all the students with a hello and a handshake in the morning; and so many other little rituals and routines that make up a typical day at Forman. Just to be able to bump into someone walking across the campus and talk without worrying if your mask is on properly and you are more than six feet apart took on real value.

A community is not built just out of goodwill and a common purpose. It is the often-overlooked rituals and routines that make communities work effectively and create bonds among the members. Take, for example, communal meals. I can hear the groans of students as they file in for Monday community lunch. Assigned to sit with a group of students they do not know, and with a faculty member that does not teach them, the conversation will likely be strained. It would be far easier for everyone to just sit with their friends and colleagues, but this small act builds connections across grades and social groups. It subtly develops a sense of comradery and breaks down barriers.

This is impossible to do with partitions on tables and half the student body taking their lunch for grab and go. On its own, this ritual is not that significant, but taken in total with all the other changes, it hinders the development of a strong community. This is true not just at Forman, but at schools across the country. I think this has been the hardest thing about the pandemic — our inability to connect in the ways to which we are accustomed.

Perseverance As I look back out the window and wonder how much snow will actually accumulate, I notice a dark shape along the perimeter of where the tents once stood. It is already turning dark but I can make out that it is a fox. I wonder, with its nose to the ground, if it is on the hunt or just looking for a discarded crust of pizza left behind when the Bistro stood there. The fox is probably happy for the quiet that has returned to campus, but I find I already miss the noise. I do not miss the worry that each day might be the day — the day when a COVID-19 case turns up on campus and turns this experiment in learning upside down. The day when the complaining about what has changed at Forman turns to real worry about illness and safety.

One final lesson learned is that people have a remarkable ability to persevere. That even though things were dramatically different, and not what we planned or hoped for, students and teachers came together and did the right things.

It has been, and will continue to be, a challenge, but one that is worth the struggle.

Adam K. Man P’15 Head of School

5

F O C U S

Reopening Forman During a Pandemic Students with learning differences are not ideal candidates for a fully remote educational experience. Therefore, in the late summer of 2020, the challenge for Forman was to open the School for in-person learning while maintaining a safe, virus-free community.

6

F O C U S

7

F O C U S

O

pening Forman School in the late summer of 2020 was an unprecedented undertaking. Everything about welcoming students back for another year had to be viewed through the lens of COVID-19 and keeping everyone healthy.

“Once we had figured out the move to remote learning in March, we immediately began to consider how we would open back up in August,” says Head of School Adam K. Man P’15. “Finishing one school year under unusual circumstances while preparing for opening the School in a brand new way was daunting. Many people worked extremely hard to make it happen.”

8

Due to the fast-paced nature of change regarding how to best manage the campus regarding COVID-19, Forman had to have strong plans in place but also be willing to make changes as new information and thinking developed.

“It helped that we had a big group in place,” says Ashley Banks, Director of Health Services. “We were meeting regularly and sharing the latest information from a variety

F O C U S

of sources, not just the CDC or the Department of Health.

Things were changing a lot regarding recommendations for testing and monitoring. It was a lot to keep track of but we were a real team.”

There were many revisions to the original opening plan and Banks was grateful that Man had an open mind and was willing to change course, based on the latest and best information available. The School was also vigilant about communicating plans, and changes to plans, to students, faculty, staff, and parents. Keeping everyone aware of expectations was instrumental in making sure everyone was pulling in the same direction, toward the healthiest campus possible.

An important part of Forman’s overall approach was its COVID-19 status flag system, which ranged from Red (campus lockdown) to Green (schoolwide restrictions lifted

A class in session on the Visual and Performing Arts Center Green

but masks still required). Early on, it became clear that Forman could likely keep the campus safe but could not really control what was going on in the outside world.

Traveling into Litchfield, a regular student activity, could not realistically happen without enormous effort.

Visitors to campus were very limited, sometimes to only a contactless drop off of items at tables in front of Henderson. These conditions were hard for some but were clearly in the best interest of the entire community.

“I felt for the kids,” says Man. “Their lives were very restricted. I sought to alleviate that whenever I safely could. We never went below Orange status but, on campus, we had elements of Yellow a few times. We merged some dorms regarding activities, we opened the gym and fitness center with group size limits in place, with masks of course. But we never got to the point where we could let them go home for the weekend. It wouldn’t have worked.”

Forman School made it to November 20, the day students departed for Thanksgiving, without a single COVID-19 case on campus since the day students returned. Banks says there were many factors but the most important was the School’s commitment to testing, specifically surveillance testing. Banks and her team were testing about 10% of the campus each week and the number went up to 20% by the third week of November.

“We contracted with a good lab and our team worked well with them,” says Banks. “We did the testing ourselves which allowed for quick turnaround as we didn’t have to book an outside firm each time I wanted to test a dorm. We always had a strong handle on the health of the campus because the School made the financial commitment to such regular testing. I don’t know of another school that tested as often as we did.”

Forman used PCR tests, the gold standard for COVID-19. The advantage of regular surveillance testing is that, without it, you don’t know if someone is infected until they display symptoms and they could have been spreading the disease between infection and the appearance of symptoms.

9

F O C U S

Alissa Picard ’24 solves math equations on a whiteboard.

Adjusting the curriculum Forman has had an academic block system in place for years. Students took eight classes (or blocks A B C D E F G H) per semester. Under that system, if a child took ill, the chance of contact with other people was quite large.

So Forman made the decision to go to a system based on four modules within four terms. Instead of semester long classes, students took four, three-week “mods” to constitute a term. The four terms replaced one semester.

This approach greatly reduced contact with other people for each student, going from eight classes to four mods.

The mod and term system also had several natural breaks and pauses. If Forman had needed to go fully remote for a term, a three-week term was easier to wrap up quickly than a three-and-a-half-month class would be.

“The ebb and flow is much more manageable, and much less disruptive, with mods as opposed to a long semester,” says Man. “We didn’t have to do it as it turns out but we were ready if we had to go remote briefly

10

and then bring kids back.” Only the World Languages and Math Departments did not go to a mod system as their curriculum builds on prior learning and continuity is important.

Another advantage of the mod system was in the variety of courses offered. In English, for example, instead of taking one semester-long class, students chose four mods. “Devising so many new classes over the summer was a great exercise for our faculty,” says Francey Fenton, Dean of Faculty. “I was proud of them as they stepped up and offered a tremendous variety for our students. They took chances and so did the students.

But with a three-week mod, you can do that. If you don’t like the class, it’s only three weeks. But if you like the class, you’ve found a new teacher you like and you’ll see what else he or she is teaching in the future.”

Fenton notes that 2020 was a remarkable year with the pandemic, social protests, and a presidential election.

Those current events affected some of the class offerings.

F O C U S

“Several students told me that picking classes this year was like looking at a college catalog. They were excited. I know we will be able to expand on these offerings, and what we’ve learned about ourselves, in the future.”

—FRANCEY FENTON, Dean of Faculty

Students chose from a wide range of classes, such as Perspectives on Protest, Coming Home: Stories about Vietnam Veterans, The Art of Conversation, You Are What You Wear: Fashion and Politics.

“We offered a very popular Personal Finance class, African Empires, Latin American Independence Movements, Queer Histories and Archives, Social Media and Ethics,” says Fenton. “And this spring, we will have 41 different mods in the Arts alone.”

“Several students told me that picking classes this year was like looking at a college catalog,” says Fenton. “They were excited. I know we will be able to expand on these offerings, and what we’ve learned about ourselves, in the future.”

Adam Man will tell you he’s never had a semester quite like the fall of 2020. But he is proud of how the entire Forman community came together and triumphed over a formidable pandemic and delivered the Forman experience to students in-person. That semester had many lessons and none more striking than the wisdom of valuing some things you may have overlooked a little in the past.

“I’m used to greeting our community personally before assemblies. I shake everyone’s hand as they walk in,” says Man. “It’s a small thing but it’s also a nice thing. That ritual had an impact on the community, just as important as all of us sitting together in one room, twice a week.

When we can gather together again in-person for an assembly, I certainly will not take it for granted.”

English Teacher Graham Paine with his dog, Indie

11

F A C U L T Y

P R O F I L E

Welcome to the Club “The story of how I came to Forman means a lot to me,” says Cognition and Learning Teacher Jane Benson ’76.

“My memories of that time are precious.”

Jane Benson ’76 grew up in the Boston area and was living in Brookline by the seventh grade. Her academic experience had been frustrating. Like many Forman students, Benson had strengths and weaknesses. “I was very good verbally,” she recalls. “I could hold my own when it came to delivering zingers and expressing myself. No problem.” But she wanted nothing to do with math, reading, or writing.

In the seventh grade, Benson was diagnosed with developmental dyslexia in reading, written language, and math. (It was later determined she had issues with attention deficit as well.) Her school wanted to put her into a self-contained class for students who were struggling academically. “Quite frankly, they said I was mentally retarded,” says Benson. “That’s what they called anyone with, in their term, developmental disabilities. There was no concept of having learning differences.”

Her stepmother, a special educator who worked with hearing-impaired students, was not happy with that course of action. The school was focusing on, and

12

defining her by, her problem areas. And ignoring her obvious verbal abilities. “She said that the phrase ‘mentally retarded’ was for students who fared poorly in all academic Jane Benson ’76 (lower right) areas,” says Benson. with her Forman classmates “That wasn’t me.”

Around this time, Benson, frustrated by her experiences in school, began to gravitate toward a bad crowd. With the dire situation in school, and the troubling social developments, her parents, unbeknownst to her, began to seek options for her. “They worried about me going down the wrong path,” says Benson. “With good reason.”

One day, in January of eighth grade, Benson’s parents took her on a mid-week road trip. As she watched the scenery roll by, Benson had no idea where they were going

or why. As they approached Litchfield, her parents opened up. “They said we are going to check out this school,” says Benson. “And we want you to have an open mind.”

But Benson had watched her older sister’s boarding school search and was fairly sure she wanted no part of that life.

Upon arriving at Carpenter, Benson and her parents sat and briefly talked with Forman’s Director of Admission, the inimitable Miss Avis Halsey. Then Jane went on a tour with a student named Mary Durham ’75 who went by “Dru.” “I will never forget that experience,” says Benson.

After the meeting with Miss Halsey, Benson knew that Forman was for students who learn differently. But Benson, as she walked and talked with Dru, and as she looked around, was quickly struck with a flash of insight.

“All the kids were like me.”

Her initial resistance to the idea of a boarding school began to ebb. Especially this boarding school, which was clearly a better environment than the one her home school system wanted to place her in. As she toured the campus with Dru, she began to see, “You could have these learning disabilities but still look and act normally and, maybe, have realistic plans for attending college. Wow!” “We visited classes and I was shocked to see that learning could be fun,” says Benson. “You have to remember, I hated everything about school. I had lots of interests but I could not stand that part of the day.”

When Jane and Dru returned to Carpenter, her parents were still with Miss Halsey.

Her father asked, “What did you think?”

She said, “I could come here tomorrow.”

Jane Benson ’76 makes strong connections with her students. They often leave her notes.

“How about next week?” he replied.

She did enroll that next week. Her roommate? Dru. Jane Benson thrived at Forman as a student. Her natural sense of drive and initiative, inherited from her father, was nurtured when she found a school that showed her that there was a community where she belonged and where she could achieve whatever she set her sights on.

After leaving Forman, Benson devoted her career and time to special education. For 15 years, she was Director of LD Services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Benson returned to Forman in 2009 to continue her passion of giving back to students in whom she can truly see a bit of herself. “I have always wanted to help students see that they can succeed academically,” says Benson. “Truly see it within themselves.”

“That feeling of belonging is so important in life when you have learning differences,” says Benson. “I use the phrase with students all the time — being a club member.

It is very valuable to know that you are not alone.”

13

A R O U N D

T H E

G R E E N

1

2

3

4

Things were admittedly different.

But wearing a mask and following a few other rules allowed Forman students to do many things in the fall of 2020 that they enjoy every year.

14

A R O U N D

5

T H E

G R E E N

6

7

1 During Orientation Week, students got back in the swing of things with various activities such as taking a run at the Climbing Wall. 2 In early November, students went off campus to Bunnell Farm in Litchfield for some outdoor activities and a welcome change of scenery. 3 For the fall semester in 2020, the Lion’s Den Bistro staff cooked outside with no loss of quality and just as much fun! 4 Enjoying the corn maze at Bunnell Farm 5 When weather allowed, students and faculty practiced yoga outside the Visual and Performing Arts Center. 6 English teacher Benjamin Bartlett oversees some campus clean-up activities with helpful students 7 In late October, three sets of student musicians played a concert outside the Malcolm G. Chace Student Center. 8 All in

8

all, students found many opportunities to enjoy the campus while remaining safe and healthy.

15

C A M P U S

N E W S

Forman on the BBC Wendy Welshans P’24, Forman’s Director of the Rainforest Project, has been taking Forman students to Costa Rica for 28 years to pursue various areas of study through hands-on research. Their work with spider silk has resulted in the School holding two patents, one for a silk extraction method and one for farming spiders by identifying characteristics of places spiders successfully colonize.

Forman’s work in the Costa Rican rainforest was featured in an October 2020 show from the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Natural History unit.

“Beast Kept Secrets” is on Animal Planet in the United States. Tim Warwood and Adam Gendle host the program, which takes a light-hearted but serious look at various claims of animal abilities and feats. The episode featuring Forman asks the question: “How strong is spider silk?”

“The show found us,” says Welshans. “The producers liked what they saw on our website, particularly work by Natalie Canterbury ’14 and Jason Epstein ’18. They particularly liked Natalie’s work comparing the tensile strength of spider silk to kevlar, hemp, cotton, and nylon monofilament, as well as seeing how spider silk could enhance those materials.”

As luck would have it, in July of 2019, Natalie and Jason were able to accompany Ms. Welshans and the BBC production crew down to Costa Rica and work once again with the amazing golden orb weaver spider.

Natalie studied pre-med biology and psychology at Southern Vermont College, and graduated in 2019. She is currently studying nursing at Utica College. “I must say that Logan Faucett ’17 and Parker Broadnax ’17 collaborated with me at Forman and in the rainforest,” she says. “I loved the trip back to Costa Rica for the show. The producers were so genuine in their approach. They asked a lot of questions, which I appreciate as a scientist.”

Jason is a junior at Penn State where he is studying marine sciences. He too enjoyed the trip for many reasons, but one in particular. “I’ve always looked up to Ms. Welshans,” he says. “She was my adviser and she meant a lot to me at Forman. I was humbled when she asked me to help out on the production of the show. It is great to see her work recognized in this way.”

Another alumnus, Will Dietrich ’16, did an independent study in support of Ms. Welshans’s preparation for the trip and the show. “Will spent about 100 hours redesigning the spider silk extractor,” says Welshans. “We call it ‘The Silkanator.’ Will made it more efficient and userfriendly for the cameras.” Dietrich received college credit at Marist College for his work.

“Ounce for ounce, this silk is stronger than steel,” says Welshans. “It was fun to share what we’ve learned on the show. The silk of the golden orb weaver is remarkable and it has many potential uses.

Among the things it can be used for are bulletproof vests, cable, and sutures for use on humans.”

From L-R: Tim Warwood, Director of the Rainforest Project Wendy Welshans P’24, and Adam Gendle

16

C A M P U S

N E W S

“Nature is how I recharge and reconnect, and sharing it with the students is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had during my tenure.”

—BETH MAN P’15 Health and English Teacher

Students help clear the Nature Walk trail on the Forman campus.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost The quote directly above from J.R.R. Tolkien is the sensibility that guides the efforts of Health and English Teacher Beth Man P’15 as she oversees the regular work being done on Forman’s many on-campus walking and hiking trails. Each weekend, she works with many students on the trails and the students receive community service hours for adding to our campus resources.

“Our goals are to teach students about land stewardship, trail maintenance, and how to map and blaze new trails to connect to the miles of trails already existing,” says Mrs. Man. “I love to bring students on the trails. This fall, Ben Wills ’21, participated in trail work and said, ‘I never even knew these trails were here!’ And he’s a four-year senior.

Nature is how I recharge and reconnect, and sharing it with the students is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had during my tenure. John and Julie Forman were nature advocates, spending summers at their cabin in Canada. I love knowing that this work is something they would have wanted for the School.”

17

Ingenuity Year Plans are in motion for Forman School to begin offering its first gap year program in the fall of 2021.

Forman Head of School Adam K. Man P’15 and a task force of faculty and administrators are presently at work on finalizing plans and hiring for the Forman Ingenuity Year, the School’s maiden foray into postgraduate or gap year studies.

For a look at what the program will be like, it is best to start with the Mission Statement: Ingenuity Year is a gap year program for non-conventional thinkers aged 18-22 to explore global problems on a local level while working on a set of skills for problem-solving that will lay a firm foundation for success in college.

Based in the Camden/Rockport area of coastal Maine, the Forman Ingenuity Year is a semester-long gap year program in which students examine complex global issues as they play out in local communities.

Students develop skills and habits to engage in higherorder thinking and problem solving. Through class work focusing on foundational concepts such as strategic learning, written and oral communication, and digital literacy, as well as expeditions that will embed students in the topics they are studying, Ingenuity

Year will analyze a complex system on a local level to examine promising solutions and possibly propose new ones. Subjects considered will include sustainability, innovation, economic diversity, and personal service.

Forman Ingenuity Year will accept 12-18 students and operate from mid-September to mid-December, 2021.

There will be two faculty members as well as local experts providing the instruction. Students will stay at inns and rented houses as well as in tents during the expedition phase of the program.

“The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated a real need for gap year programs for students with learning differences,” says Man. “Ingenuity Year will be a valuable addition to the educational offerings of our school.”

For more information on this extraordinary program, please contact the Office of Admission at admission@formanschool.org.

Based in the Camden/Rockport area of coastal Maine, Forman’s Ingenuity Year will provide valuable educational opportunities to students.

18

A True Friend of Forman Frederick Lione P’91 Retires From Forman Board of Trustees After more than 28 years of service, Frederick Lione P’91 stepped down from the Board of Trustees of Forman School on June 30, 2020. Lione’s distinguished record during his time on the Board reflects his successful professional career in the construction business.

staff, or to any trustee, “for outstanding, “Fred welcomed me to the School dedicated service to the School over a when I first joined the community,” period of years.” says Head of School Adam K. Man It is hard to find the exact words to P’15. “We worked on so many projects describe a man like Fred Lione but over the years, from the unglamorous, “Renaissance Man” comes close. His replacing roofs and boilers, to the knowledge of the construction industry spectacular, including a number of is second to none, but he also has a deep stunning new buildings. I have learned passion for the world of theater. When he a great deal from Fred over these years. I Frederick Lione P’91 with his wife, Nancy, was a student at Dartmouth, he and some will miss his regular counsel.” at the Visual and Performing Arts naming friends would send away for tickets to a Fred Lione P’91 was born in ceremony in 2019 show they read about and would drive Stamford, CT and graduated from down to New York City on a regular basis.

Dartmouth College in 1955. He then joined his family’s Fred often tells the story of a time he was at a play and construction firm, Vuono-Lione, and worked there for sent his personal calling card backstage to request a visit 25 years. In 1980, Vuono-Lione ceased operations and with an actress in the show. She agreed and Fred spent a few Fred became the vice-president of The Rockefeller Center minutes with Audrey Hepburn, whose charming presence Development Corporation. In 2001, Fred was named a and kindness to a college student stays with him to this day project manager for a large-scale renovation of the Museum as a cherished memory. of Modern Art in New York City.

Fred will continue to advise Forman on future building Fred joined Forman’s Board of Trustees in 1991, chairing projects, such as the long-planned renovation of Lewis the Buildings and Grounds Committee and serving on the dormitory, a favorite of Fred’s since joining the Board.

Finance Committee.

Beyond his focus on beauty, functionality, and cost when During his time on the Board, Fred has made countless working on Forman projects, Fred also has a keen interest contributions to Forman’s campus. Of particular note are in the plantings around each building and many other Forman’s Science Building and the Visual and Performing seemingly small details.

Arts Center which reflect his enduring legacy and aesthetic “When you look at the stone wall in front of Henderson, sensibilities. you should think of Fred Lione,” says Justin Solomon, On April 12, 2019, the Board of Trustees recognized Forman’s Assistant Head of School for Institutional Fred’s major contributions to the design of the Visual and Advancement. “Fred noticed that, in order to have the Performing Arts Center by naming the building’s west proper scale and perspective from a roadside view, it needed entrance in his honor. Further, upon Fred’s retirement to be raised about eight inches higher than it had ever been. from the Board, the Board awarded Fred the title of He also suggested widening it a bit, too. So, there’s a reason Trustee Emeritus and established the Frederick M. Lione that wall looks so striking, so perfect, today. Fred Lione.”

Distinguished Service Award, to be given every year to a deserving member of the Forman School’s administration or 19

Congratulations to THE CLASS OF

20 20

20

C O M M E N C E M E NT 2 02 0

Coming Through In The Clutch In a time of solemnity and lowered expectations, the Forman Class of 2020 got a well-deserved special gift when they gathered online to attend their graduation.

By the end of May, 2020, the Forman Class of 2020 deserved something special. The COVID-19 pandemic had closed the campus in Litchfield and students had been home since March. The class had accepted that their senior year would not play out as expected. They had not envisioned graduating from Forman on Zoom, but that was the plan.

So, imagine their delight when Head of School Adam K. Man P’15 introduced the speaker for their graduation ceremony: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.

Speaking from his home in Tampa, FL in a taped presentation, Brady offered congratulations to the students and faculty for all they accomplished during a year that ended with the challenges presented by precautionary measures regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Brady’s overall theme also touched on self-reliance as well as determination.

An animated and lively Brady shared several examples of how he has approached his life since his 1995 graduation from Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, CA. He related how he has tried to learn lessons whenever possible and carry them through each stage of his life.

He smiled as he told the stories of arriving on the campus of the University of Michigan as the seventh quarterback on the depth chart and how he threw an interception for a touchdown on the first pass of his college career. “I took the hard lesson that I learned that day and I continued on next page

Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback, addresses the Class of 2020 during a virtual Commencement ceremony.

“I want to challenge you guys to be the best you can be. Be a great representative of Forman, this great school that you are graduating from today.”

—TOM BRADY Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback

21

2 02 0

used it to improve myself,” said Brady. “I was going to be ready when I got my next opportunity.”

Brady also briefly recounted the well-known story of how he was not drafted until the sixth round, the 199th player selected in the 2000 NFL Draft. “When I was drafted by the New England Patriots, no one really thought I could be a high caliber player in pro football,” said Brady. “But, you know what? I believed I could.”

Brady also said that values like dedication, teamwork, commitment, and discipline that he has honed through sports have served him well in his personal and family life. He noted how being on a team, part of a family, and part of a school community are based on those same values.

“You have a lot of life ahead. You have a lot of great things to achieve,” said Brady. “As you move forward, you will be part of teams, families, and communities. I want to challenge you guys to be the best you can be.

Be a great representative of Forman, this great school that you are graduating from today.”

“Understand that you are going to continue to learn. I will be 43 this year and I feel like I learn something every day. I learn from people younger than me and older than me. Be humble about that.

Wake up each morning with your eyes, ears, and mind open to learning.”

In conclusion Brady said, “The greatest lesson I can impart to all of you is that your future is going to be what you make of it. You’re not going to be able to rely on people to do things for you. That’s not the way life is. If you want to be great at something, you are going to have to put all of your commitment, effort, and discipline into doing just that. Things aren’t handed to you as you get older. I’ve learned that the things I worked the hardest to achieve are the things I value the most.”

22

AWA R D R E C I P I E NTS The John N. Forman Award Holden Asher Phipps ’20

The World Languages Award Benjamin Charles Reilly ’20

The Julie Ripley Forman Award Anna Olivia Kennedy ’20

The Ingenuity Program Award Oliver Scott La Du ’20

The Richard G. Peirce Award Forrest Russell Smyth ’20

The Arts Award Visual: Sophie Caprise Fairchild ’20 Music: Olivia Squiers Minor ’20 Theatre: Mary Claire Reinhardt ’20

The Petrek-Halloran Science Award Byungwoo Seo ’20

The Jay W. Gilmore ’61 Award Holden Asher Phipps ’20 The Seniors’ Choice Award Florence Louise Colantino ’21 Joshua Orio ’21

The Avis Halsey Award Thomas Francis Cahill, VI ’23 Lark Anne Aresty ’21 The Peirce Merit Scholarship Award Amy Elizabeth I. A. Dicks ’23 Stephania Nassira Bendek ’22 Ryan Richard Capozucca ’21

The Headmaster’s Award Camille Elise Anderson ’20 Olivia Hayes Glick ’20 The John Rogers Reinicke ’86 Award Benjamin Charles Reilly ’20 The E.D. Hale Award Benjamin Charles Reilly ’20

The History and Social Sciences Award Robert Bryd Goodwin ’20 The Anne R. Talcott Book Award Helen Grace Cirimele ’21 The Mark B. Perkins Mathematics Award Byungwoo Seo ’20 The English Award Olivia Squiers Minor ’20

The Athletic Award Brady Anne Garrity ’20 Oliver Scott La Du ’20 The John N. Forman Award for Excellence in Education Jane Benson Brittany Bloom

C L A S S O F 2 02 0 C O L L E G E AC C E PTA N C E S Albertus Magnus College AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts American University Anna Maria College Arizona State University Bard College Berklee College of Music Birmingham-Southern College Boise State University Bryant University Bucknell University CA State Polytechnic University, Pomona CA State University, Chico Castleton University Central Washington University Centre College Champlain College City University of London Colby-Sawyer College College of Charleston Colorado State University Columbia College Chicago Connecticut College Curry College Dean College Denison University DePaul University Dickinson College Drew University Drexel University Duquesne University Eastern Conn State University Eastern Washington University Eckerd College Emerson College Emmanuel College Endicott College Fairfield University Fairleigh Dickinson University Fashion Institute of Technology Florida Southern College Franklin and Marshall College Franklin Pierce University Full Sail University Furman University George Mason University George Washington University Gettysburg College Guilford College Hampton University Hartwick College High Point University Hobart and William Smith College

Hofstra University Humboldt State University Iona College Ithaca College Jacksonville University James Madison University Johnson & Wales University Keene State College Keystone College Lake Forest College Lasell University Lehigh University Lesley University Long Island University, Post Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Maryland Loyola University of New Orleans Lynn University Manhattanville College Marist College Marymount Manhattan College Marymount University Mass College of Art and Design Mass College of Liberal Arts Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Science Menlo College Merrimack College Mitchell College Muhlenberg College Northeastern University Northern Vermont University Penn State University Plymouth State University Queen Mary University of London Quinnipiac University Radford University Randolph-Macon College Regis College Rhodes College Roanoke College Roger Williams University Rollins College Royal Holloway University of London Sacred Heart University Saint Louis University Salve Regina University Savannah College of Art & Design Simmons University Skidmore College Springfield College St. Lawrence University Suffolk University SUNY College at Potsdam

Susquehanna University The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina The New School-All Divisions The University of Arizona The University of Scranton The University of the South The University of Tampa Trinity College Union College Unity College University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego University of Cincinnati University of Colorado Boulder University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Denver University of Exeter University of Hartford University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Idaho University of Kansas University of Maine University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Boston University of Massachusetts, Lowell University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of New Hampshire University of New Haven University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of Northern Colorado University of the Pacific University of Redlands University of Rhode Island University of Rochester University of San Francisco University of South Carolina University of Sussex University of Vermont University of Westminster Washington State University Wentworth Institute of Technology Western Connecticut State University Western New England University Wheaton College, Massachusetts Whittier College Wilkes University Wofford College

23

L I O N ’ S

P R I D E

Athletics in the Time Athletic Director Scott McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05 reports that the challenges of keeping the Forman community safe did not prevent Forman athletes from enjoying a worthwhile fall season in 2020.

I couldn’t be more pleased with how our coaches and students reacted to the way COVID-19 changed sports at Forman this fall. The very important bubble we were in altered the School’s entire sports program. We didn’t have the regular rhythm of practice, home game, practice, away game, practice. Our coaches were very creative in devising things that kept the kids interested. The cross country team organized the campus Fun Run on November 7 that involved the entire school community. I made sure my boys’ varsity soccer team ran that day. The rock climbing group took the opportunity to build a new wall for others to use down the road.

24

As Athletic Director, I was very proud of the tenacity of our coaches. They fought through the limits of the situation, and the monotony, and made it work. The students made me happy, too. Most of them looked forward to athletics each day because it was a chance to get some exercise outside, enjoy time with friends, and forget about life with COVID-19 for a few hours.

Varsity Girls’ Volleyball Coach Kiana Hernandez had modest goals for the fall season and was grateful for the support of the Athletic Department.

I thought it would be great if we could find a way to

L I O N ’ S

P R I D E

of COVID-19 maintain the players’ skills while keeping them in shape and practicing. Still, I wasn’t fully comfortable with extended periods of time in the gym, even with the doors open. But Athletics was really great about moving our sport outside. They got us outdoor nets and volleyballs.

They painted lines for us. It was a change for a lot of the players, of course. But in the midst of all the disruption, I think it helped them to say, “Well, at least I get to play volleyball today.” It ended up working very well for us.

Coach of Girls’ Varsity Soccer Jon Davis saw a very clear silver lining in the limits placed on sports by COVID-19 last fall.

Our season had different phases based on the campus flag status. At the beginning, it was a lot of individual drill work because the students had to be spaced out and couldn’t be doing things together. That set-up was fine

for a while but eventually the girls wanted to do more.

I thought it was good for our team, however. Based on where we are as a program, it was great to be able to focus on individualized skill work without the disruption and pressure of a game being around the corner. It was nice to be able to concentrate on teaching them how to improve their fundamental dribbling, passing, and shooting skills.

Once some of the restrictions were relaxed and we were able to start playing some small-sided games, it was clear that many of the girls had improved even more than they would have during a normal season.

McCarty sums up the fall 2020 season this way: “From my perspective, my kids never stopped playing and, so, got better. All the teams did things this fall that they can build on when we start playing games again. I couldn’t be more proud of my coaching staff for their creativity and hard work this fall.”

25

Standing Against Racism Forman’s recent commitment to stand against racism is rooted in current events and underscores the School’s core values of truth, respect, and kindness.

Several years ago, Forman School decided to formalize its core values and sought to promote and support the basic governing principles that underscore every good community.

These values were not in scarce supply on campus, of course, but a renewed emphasis on them, and how we treat each other, was considered a valuable and worthwhile effort.

There were meetings and break-out groups gathered to discuss the best way forward with this initiative. Those deliberations resulted in a message on the School’s website: Inclusion Statement Forman School was founded on the principle that there is great value in differences. With that in mind, we are committed to sustaining an inclusive community environment that fosters understanding and awareness of variances in race, gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, geographical origin, physical ability, and family structure. Forman fundamentally believes that we become better people when we learn from and embrace others who have different experiences and perspectives from our own.

Our community welcomes those whose hearts and minds are open to differences and value truth, respect, and kindness.

26

The words “Truth, Respect, Kindness” are often posted in dorms and in hallways in academic buildings. They are strong reminders of how to behave, and apply to any situation where leaders wish to correct or comment upon social behaviors.

These values are also in play when rules are broken and discipline is required. It is hard to think of a transgression that does not relate to these vital, human ideals.

In the spring of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread and gather a lot of attention, there were several news stories that captured the nation’s attention and shined a light on examples of how black people are still not treated equitably in this country, often by law enforcement officers. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery in 2020 reminded everyone of the stories of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Philando Castile. The Black Lives Matter movement, which started in 2013, regained momentum and the summer saw protests all over the country, most of which were peaceful, but some led to vandalism and looting.

Discussions of systemic racism and white privilege, and reactions to them, were taking place every day, on television, on radio, in podcasts, and in person.

And at Forman. Students, faculty, and staff agreed that something had to be done to ensure that the Forman community was sensitive to these issues and had things in place to combat any form of social injustice. Nothing could be taken for granted and everything was fair game for scrutiny, with an eye toward positive change.

“We formed a faculty anti-racism group over the summer that generated good discussions,” says Allie Maxwell, Director of Student Life. “Some of us read White Fragility and Stamped. We continued with our Diversity Club and formed an Alliance/Pride Club for students. We are forming a task force to evaluate the status of LGBTQ+ inclusion on campus. We are also making more of an effort to highlight Cultural Heritage Months at the suggestion of students.”

With Forman adjusting its class schedule into terms last fall, Intersessions were held after the first two terms, and the initial topic was race. Students and faculty engaged seriously in the subject with discussions about racism and anti-racism, intersectionality, and a viewing of an episode of “Little Fires Everywhere,” among other programming.

“The first Intersession was built around themes of race in our country,” says Maxwell. “But we also looked at culture and identity more broadly.”

Another byproduct of going to the term schedule was the need for more class choices, as there would be four distinct terms in a semester. The faculty had an opportunity to include more social justice themes and topics across the curriculum.

“We are also trying to figure out what an anti-racist school would look like,” says Maxwell. “We want to approach that goal in a way that is non-political because we see it as a non-political issue. Our charge is also to monitor this process and make sure we are evolving along with the world around us.”

“The conversation about social equality has to be ongoing,” says Mike Kowalchick, Associate Head of School.

“It is important to note progress but also to not let a sense of progress lead to complacency. These wounds are deep and some offensive behaviors are quite unintentional. We can hurt each other without meaning to or even knowing it happened. Those moments also unfortunately reinforce the very system or structure we are trying to change.”

So, in the summer of 2020, Forman began to encourage a transparent, ongoing discussion of race and social equality on campus. The Anti-Racist Task Force was formed and is guided by this mission statement:

The ARTF seeks to be a practical and supportive guide for students, staff, and faculty that upholds Forman’s commitment to being an anti-racist, multicultural institution. This group is not a governing body and expects that everyone in this community will participate actively in this work to create real and meaningful change.

The idea has taken many forms on campus, from the task force to informal, unplanned conversations about how to make progress and sustain awareness of any systemic biases at Forman or in the simple, everyday ways that people interact. Kowalchick says that the goal, ultimately, is to find ways to organically become more aware as a community of unfair situations, and to speak out against instances of social injustice, privilege, or unfair treatment of any member.

“This process involves calling people out to call them in,” says Kowalchick. “It is important to attack the idea, not the person. We also hope people will call themselves out in an effort to acknowledge, and break down, a racist system. Walking down the street is not the same experience for everyone. It’s about acknowledging that fact and moving forward while staying aware of it.”

In looking to the future, Forman will continue to focus on the many issues that are within the idea of inclusion, such as race, gender, life experience, age, identity, and ethnic background. These topics will be part of daily campus life through activities, future Intersessions, athletics, and academics. Forman will seek outside input and, for example, will make sure to adhere to the National Association of Independent Schools Guidelines for Inclusion.

“Forman takes a progressive approach to education so this effort is right in step with how we teach,” says Math Teacher Arlis Astudillo. “We acknowledge and embrace differences at Forman and we build students up based on those differences, whatever they may be.”

Students made it clear in the Intersessions that they felt Forman would do well to have more of these conversations around social justice. Yet, some students are reluctant to engage for a variety of reasons.

“During the first Intersession, I saw several students who were initially reluctant to participate, despite caring about the subject deeply,” says Maxwell. “But they put their nerves aside and spoke and afterwards were very happy they did. They appreciated that they had the experience and opportunity. Those moments of growth are at the heart of this effort.”

27

A L U M N A

P R O F I L E

A Marvelous Vacation Noel Robbins Congdon ’46 “In addition to helping you with your education, they were also teaching you to grow up,” says Noel Robbins Congdon ’46. “John and Julie Forman liked and understood young people.”

Noel Robbins Congdon ’46 had seen a lot of the world by the time she came to Forman School in the fall of 1942.

Her parents, Hilda and James Stanton (Stan) Robbins, were in the travel business and moved around a lot. Born in New York City in 1928, Noel had seen London and Paris before she turned 10. “They were entrepreneurs and were always on an adventure,” says Noel. “My sister and I just went along for the ride. We went to Europe at least once a year.”

In 1938, while living in Bronxville, NY, her parents convinced the Holland America Line to fit empty steerage space with three-bunk cabins. Cunard soon followed suit.

Their idea was the beginning of what became known as student third-class travel.

The family enjoyed some stability until Stan was called to Washington D.C. to work for the United States government because of his potentially useful international resources and contacts.

While in Washington, the family met General Harold Harris, who was looking into Forman for his children, Harold Jr. and Alta Mae, who eventually did attend. The Robbins did their own research and Noel and sister Chelsea, born in 1927, headed for Litchfield in the fall of 1942.

“I was quite seriously dyslexic and had been my whole life. My family thought I was very cute and funny. But just kind of dumb,” says Noel. “I only read backwards and did mirror reading. I was pretty seriously off.”

Chelsea, on the other hand, did very well in school. As they grew up together in Bronxville, which had a well-

28

Noel Robbins Congdon ’46

known public school system, Noel didn’t really earn passing grades but continued to advance.

“Every time grades came in, my parents would give Chelsea a little present,” says Noel. “Of course, I didn’t get one because my grades weren’t any good. It didn’t feel like punishment, though. It was just the way things go.”

Noel had a lot of catching up to do when she arrived at Forman. Over time, Noel saw wonderful improvement in her reading skills and also did well in math, music, and languages. Noel remembers her time at Forman with

A L U M N A

Noel and her husband, Tom

Chelsea very fondly. They both made many friends and considered it all a “marvelous vacation.”

“When I attended Forman, I never knew it was a school for children with learning differences. No one told me,” says Noel. “I don’t remember that they did anything different or special with me. But the School helped me a great deal.“ Noel recalls Forman being run with great discipline and respect. She recalls a “lovely and high-spirited” campus with school chores followed by outdoor activities such as hiking, skating, and skiing. Noel also remembers a sympathetic and empathetic faculty that sought to instill good habits.

“One time, Mr. Forman came to me with something on his mind,” says Noel. “He said that he had watched me ice skating a few times and that, when I fell, I seemed to lay there on the ice waiting for someone to come over and help me up. He said I seemed to like that kind of attention more than just getting up on my own. He suggested I think about that. He was right, of course.”

Chelsea graduated from Forman in 1945, but the family moved to New Orleans, and that’s where Noel finished her high school education. “We were certainly coming from a happy family, but also a distracted one,” says Noel. “Busy, busy all the time. Being together in one place for those three years was good for us. We both loved it.”

Noel’s work at Forman, and her academic improvements, helped her gain admission to Mount Holyoke College in 1946, where she studied comparative religion and psychology.

After graduation from Mount Holyoke in 1950, she joined her peripatetic parents in Puerto Rico for a few

P R O F I L E

years, working in army intelligence. Then she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency in New York City until 1958 when she married Thomas Congdon. The Congdons moved to Denver and had three daughters. Her husband worked in the mining, gas, and oil industries and had a notable career. Noel and Tom’s philanthropy and volunteer work are well-known in Colorado.

“Denver was just a baby town when we moved there in 1958,” says Noel. “There was very little going on culturally back then and we were glad to help turn Denver into a growing city.” Over the years, they have supported the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Opera Colorado, and the Aspen Music Festival, which Noel chaired for several years. In education, the Congdons have worked with the Colorado Rocky Mountain School, which Noel also chaired, Aspen Music School, and the Denver Scholarship Foundation.

Chelsea and Noel returned to campus in 1990 when Noel was inducted into the Forman School Hall of Fame.

After Forman, Chelsea went to Stanford and met her husband, Donn Kesselheim. They had three children and taught in the U.S., Turkey, and India. After a full life that included activism involving civil rights, women’s issues, and prisoner reform, sister Chelsea passed away in 2013 at age 86. Tom died in 2019 at 92.

Today, at 92, Noel has a lot to look back on in her rich life and many accomplishments. She fully credits Forman for helping her find her way. “By the time I got going at Forman, I felt such a difference. By then, I could do it well enough. My grades never earned me a present, but I got better. And better means happier.”

Noel Congdon ’46 with her late sister, Chelsea Robbins Kesselheim ’45

29

A L U M N U S

P R O F I L E

Taking the Right Direction Nick Fuglestad ’89 “My education was a very difficult, painful process,” says Nick Fuglestad ’89. “I might have dropped out of high school if I had not found Forman.”

Growing up in Norwalk, CT, was nice for Nick Fuglestad. Except when he was in school.

Fuglestad struggled mightily with dyslexia, a condition his two sisters, who did well in school, did not have.

In elementary school, Fuglestad’s learning difference led to frustration, which led to anger. He so dreaded the moment a teacher might call on him to come to the board that, when the moment came, he would hit the kid next to him, preferring to be thrown out of class than to have his inability to read be on display. “I knew how that went from personal experience,” says Fuglestad. “Kids can be brutal.”

“I had come to expect Ds and Fs. I just couldn’t do it.

I was in elementary school in the 1970s. There wasn’t a lot of understanding. Teachers called me dumb.”

Before learning the proper skills to overcome the dyslexia and unlock his potential, Fuglestad recalls trying his very best. To get through a paragraph, he would intensely focus on each word. But at the end of the reading, he would have little-to-no comprehension, likely because he had poured so much energy into each word on its own. So little to show for such high effort was deflating, and stirred up all of the wrong emotions.

“Before Forman, my educational experiences were pretty rough,” says Fuglestad. “Forman was my fifth school in five consecutive years. I was having major problems due to dyslexia and acting out.”

His parents’ patience, understandably, was running out.

30

Nick oversees a tabletop shoot.

It got to the point of boarding school or military school.

“So I went to Forman. It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” says Fuglestad. “I was going down a terrible path. The School totally turned me around.”

Entering Forman as a sophomore, Fuglestad had some adjusting to do. He was still acting out a bit and had yet to learn positive coping methods. He got some demerits and had a review board. “You don’t change immediately,” says Fuglestad. “You still do things to get attention and play the oddball. But it didn’t faze anyone at Forman. Things didn’t work that way.”

The turnaround began in the classroom. Fuglestad had a one-on-one reading class. He began to see some success, which instilled some academic self-confidence, a brand new feeling. He made friends, and like so many Forman students, he saw that he was not alone with his

A L U M N U S

P R O F I L E

“Solving problems on a shoot is like taking an exam.You’re reading along, you don’t quite understand it, but you have to figure it out.”

learning differences. There were even students with tougher obstacles than his own. “I gained some perspective,” says Fuglestad. “It’s a battle for everybody.”

Fuglestad evolved in other ways, too. Arriving as a Black Sabbath metalhead, he left with an appreciation for the Grateful Dead. “I ended up being able to tolerate them,” says Fuglestad. “But I did appreciate that the other students were exposing me to new things.” Fuglestad was also part of a new thing at Forman: playing on the School’s first hockey team.

After Forman, Fuglestad went on to Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, using what he learned at Forman in earning a Bachelor of Science degree. After college, he went to California, but didn’t stay long. “Fires, earthquakes? Too dangerous!”

After arriving back east, Fuglestad reached out to a liveaction commercial director, the father of a friend, who gave him a start in the business. He’s still doing commercial work today.

Live-action directors shoot car commercials or spots with big sets and dialogue. They do advertising for all kinds of products and usually have people in their ads.

But Fuglestad is a “tabletop” director who designs and shoots things, well, on a tabletop. It’s very detailed work that is often inserted into other commercials.

“In a beer commercial, a live-action director will shoot the actors standing around the barbecue, talking and laughing,” says Fuglestad. “When they cut to the beer being poured into a glass, and it swirls around in slow motion, that part is done by a tabletop director.”

Fuglestad is on the roster of directors at MacGuffin Films, which has offices in New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA. He lives in downtown New York with his

Nick and his family in Italy

Nick, right, with his Forman roommate Michael Graves ’89

wife, Jennifer, and their three daughters, Emerson, 8; Lucia, 11; and Isabella, 23.

Fuglestad sees a connection between his work today and the skills he picked up at Forman. Commercial shoots come with pressure and deadlines. If it’s due today, you can’t get close and come in tomorrow to finish it.

You might want a strawberry to spin on top of some cereal before it falls into the milk. Someone has to build a contraption for that specific action to take place. “There are a lot of special effects involved and I love working with the riggers,” says Fuglestad. “It’s my favorite part. I learned to collaborate at Forman once I gained some confidence.”

“Solving problems on a shoot is like taking an exam.

You’re reading along, you don’t quite understand it, but you have to figure it out. It’s the same question in both situations: ‘How do I get through this?’ The gift of my time at Forman is that I don’t have the anxiety of my younger years. I’m not afraid that I won’t get it done on time. I don’t stress about it.

That’s why it was so important for me to find Forman. You learn tricks and you figure out how to compensate. You stay on guard. You learn how to work with it and compensating becomes second-nature. You’re leading a normal life. The fear, anger, and frustration are things of the past.”

31

G I V I N G

Giving is Believing What do we need to combat the “new normal” and to ensure Forman is able to support students’ full range of needs in these challenging times?

This question has occupied all offices at our School since the pandemic started in March of 2020.

For the Advancement team, the answer has been to keep finding ways to supply the School with financial resources despite the obstacles and limitations presented by a COVID-19 world. We quickly came to appreciate our foundations and routines in life when many of them no longer applied in the midst of quarantines, lockdowns, and spending the day on Zoom. There is a lot of peace of mind and productivity in reliable methods and familiar approaches, but a lot of them were simply not possible with everyone staying safe at home.

At Forman, we anchor ourselves with our daily classes and activities as we have done for decades. Things are different for now, but we have pulled together as a community while adapting to carry forward all of the attention to detail that has made a Forman education indispensable to our students and families.

We spent a very long spring and summer preparing for our students to return to campus under a cloud of uncertainty. We devised a plan for remote learning, but, more importantly, we did our best to protect and preserve the Forman model of education in a protective bubble with in-person classes. At the time I am writing this letter, all of our students have remained healthy and engaged in their school work on campus. We have adjusted to the sense of isolation and have found new ways of enjoying and enriching the teaching day. These adaptations have come in a variety of forms, from outdoor classes on 100 new Adirondack chairs to a small cluster of wedding tents that form an outdoor student center, game room, movie theater, and even a student bistro for snacks.

32

We have not only made sure we can remain open, we have also done our best to meet the financial needs of enrolled Forman families, both new and old. We have achieved all of this with teamwork, creativity, and your support. Many things have changed since we published our last Forman Letter, but one thing that has not changed is your support. We set a new record, for the second straight year, of almost $1.1 million in the Annual Fund and we also continued to add Capital dollars.

Still, the School needs your interest, care, and support more than ever for this school year. From our growing COVID-19-related expenses to the increasing demands on financial aid, we are facing more financial demands than ever before and your support makes that merely a challenge and not an insurmountable obstacle! When you finish this letter, please add to our success by making a gift.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for Forman. Please reach out to me with questions, ideas, and support. I look forward to seeing and thanking as many of you as I can in person and on Zoom.

Every year, this Forman Letter updates and thanks you, our community, for all we have achieved as a school through your support. This year, the thanks is for believing in the importance of not letting COVID-19 slow the growth of our Forman students and partnering with us to guarantee Forman is still offering its unique brand of excellence to those students that need it.

We are a school born in the Great Depression. We’ve been through rough patches. And I know we have what it takes to thrive, now and always!

Justin Solomon Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement 860.567.1896 justin.solomon@formanschool.org

CLASS NOTES

50

S. Sherman Clark Jr. _______________________________

Mary and Henry Holt both graduated from Forman in 1950 and were married the year after. This year, they will have been married for 70 years! Henry says that his relationship with John Forman was like that of a father and son. Forman was one of the most important people in Henry’s life, and their close relationship has had a profound effect on how he has lived his life. Henry and Mary settled down in Lee, MA, about 25 years ago and love it. The Berkshires is an area where Henry’s ancestors lived in the 1770s.

Mary and Henry Holt, both Class of 1950

STAY CON N ECTED

54

Michael N. Cohen is still working part time with no sign of slowing down!

56

65

th reunion

Charles Phil Allen says he is indebted to John Forman for his guidance and for starting him on a career. He enjoyed his experience at Forman and said it was like a big family with lots of brothers and sisters.

Many of his teachers at Forman have had a lasting impression on him to this day. Phil and his wife, Sally, are retired and living in Port Charlotte, FL, and they love it. Phil is Senior Warden of their church. They love to go kayaking in tributaries of the Peace River or Myakka River, exploring new places every week. They also enjoy hiking in the numerous parks and preserves close by. Phil has many fond memories of his years at Forman and hopes to come visit when the pandemic passes.

60

Edward T. Marks ted@atwatervineyards.com _______________________________

When Art Cecil, John Greenwald, Ted Marks, Judy Ackley Whitbeck, Sandra White, and Jim Wilmot began meeting in April of 2020 on this new media called Zoom, these

classmates had no idea it would become a once-every-three-weeks social event.

After going without regular contact with one another for almost 60 years, there they were, all in their late 70s, sheltering in place and enjoying the virtual imagery of one another.

Interestingly, the classmates appear a bit older, grayer, but not unrecognizable. Their conversations with one another are easy and unconfined, open and sometimes hilarious. They catch up on families, professions, retirement, likes and dislikes, COVID-19, and acknowledge, now and then, how much they appreciate that Zoom has given them a sense of togetherness again.

61 63

60

th reunion

Alfred C. Body Jr. skibumal43@gmail.com _______________________________

Al Body is retired and lives about 25 miles southwest of Cleveland. A die-hard Indians, Browns, Cavaliers, and Blue Jackets fan, Al “attends” most games by watching on his TV. Al says you can see more that way. Al skied until 2017 when he broke his shoulder.

He is now involved in Silver Sneakers, the fitness program aimed at people over the age of 65, and he rides his bike 16 to 25 miles once or twice a week.

He reads a lot and he and his girlfriend,

33

C L A S S

N O T E S

Babs, like to go out. Al continues to enjoy his retirement.

Dawn Royston Cole is 75 years old and had slowed down to the point where she was sitting, reading, hand stitching, watching the birds and TV, and sleeping, until a trip to the doctor determined her hemoglobin was at a rather low level and needed to be addressed. After a high dose of iron, she is coming back to life. Her daughter had been doing a lot of the running around for Dawn, and both are happier now. She is not all the way back yet, but she’s off to a good start!

Dawn loved her time at Forman and would love to hear from old friends and classmates. Blessings to all of Forman!

64

Eric D. Murray ericdmu@netzero.com

65

Sara L. Fliess sally@amsystemsllc.net Jeffrey T. Whipple jtwhip55@gmail.com _______________________________

Peter Phillips and his wife, Leigh, continue to enjoy life while spending a good deal of time on their 1997 Legacy 40 Hermita boat. They have completed the challenge of the Down East Loop which is a round trip on the water that circles from a starting point on the Maine coast, down the New England coast, up the Hudson River, through either the Thousand Islands or Lake Champlain to the St. Lawrence Seaway, out and around

34

Trustee Emeriti Peter Phillips ’65 and his wife, Leigh, on their 1997 Legacy 40, Hermita

the Gaspe Peninsula, through the Canadian Maritimes, down the Nova Scotia coast, and back to the starting point in Maine. After 45 days, 30 locks, and 2,025 nautical miles, they completed the Loop, which exceeded their expectations.

66

55

th reunion

Bartow S. Curtis bart_curtis65@yahoo.com

Duncan Marshall ’67, Arlene Wild, and their dog, Max

to visit and families can be reunited.

Until then, he encourages everyone to stay safe, healthy, and Forman strong!

68

Debora Gould Petersen

Nancy Walton Marikar rakiram@aol.com

67

69

Duncan L. Marshall dlmarshall@optonine.net _______________________________

Earlier this fall, Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement Justin Solomon had an opportunity to have a quick visit with Duncan Marshall, his life partner Arlene Wild, and, of course, their dog Max, in their home in Stony Brook on Long Island.

They are doing well and enjoying retirement. Duncan sends greetings to all his classmates and hopes that everyone is in good health. Like so many in the Forman community, he looks forward to the time in the notso-distant future when people are free

Davis A. Dewey davisdeweysr@gmail.com Scott M. Sutherland jms208@aol.com _______________________________

Trustee Emeriti Scott Sutherland P’93 says he and his family are doing well, although a bit bored during COVID-19. He spoke to his classmate, Davis Dewey ’69, in the beginning of November. They hope to plan a future golf trip but will wait to see how things turn out with the COVID-19 vaccine.

Since Seth Morton Vose III’s retirement in 2014, he sold his Boston area condo and moved to

C L A S S

New Hampshire in 2016. Seth began volunteering at a dog rescue organization and in August of 2018, he adopted a senior dog with multiple health issues. He was able to give her a good life for a few months, but alas, her arthritis became so severe that, after ten months, putting her down was the kindest thing he could do. Then five weeks to the day later, Tessa, a black lab mix, came into his life and his heart was whole again. It was love at first sight for both of them. Seth cannot believe how fortunate they both are to have found each other.

70

Susan Spadone Holmes

_______________________________

Nancy Miller Ballen speaks weekly to Sally Dunham Taylor ’66, as well as Emily Vernlund DelConte ’68, Bill ’65 and Pembie ’67 Mallory, Nancy Walton Marikar ’68, and Debbie Gould Peterson ’66. She lives in Delray Beach, FL, and is active in the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach. She travels all over the county going to assisted living facilities, colleges, high schools, and hospitals, promoting the importance of voter registration. She finds the work rewarding, and has met so many interesting people and listened to their stories with great interest. Nancy says, “Life is good as a senior citizen.”

Debra St. Jacques waited until her Australian Shepherd, Finn, was nine years old to get a new Aussie pup, who goes back to the first female Aussie that Debra had in 1975. Vega is busy and a lot of fun, and Finn

N O T E S

Debra St. Jacques ’70 and her daughter, Renee

loves her. Debra and her daughter, Renee, attend herding clinics with their pups, Kindred and Vega. She loves getting the Alumni e-Newsletters and says that it is so nice to see what the Forman students are doing and to get news about wonderful teachers from her time at Forman, like Gil Yule.

Debra says, “For me, COVID-19 has been a quieter time of competing and training in agility, obedience, and rally with my Australian Shepherds, Finn and Vega, but unfortunately no flying to judge, which I love doing. My daughter, Renee, and her Aussie, Kindred, come over and Vega and Kindred get to work the ducks and we’re able to take them to a clinic working sheep. I still work at Sutherland’s PetWorks where we are very busy. My husband, Mark, retired from our Washington County Fair after 23 years as the Fair Manager. He took the job of Highway Superintendent for our town of Argyle, NY, and it is really nice to have him around more.”

71

50

th reunion

Andrew Krens Jr. drew_krens@yahoo.com _______________________________

David White has increased his role on the Board of Trustees as the chairman of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

David White ’71 and Trustee Emeriti Fred Lione P’91 have lunch with Head of School Adam K. Man P’15.

73

Joan G. Bielizna joanrealtor@snet.net

74

Paula Nichols-Dille

75

Diana Curtis Price dcprice2000@aol.com

76

45

th reunion

Peter G. M. Roberts pgmroberts@hotmail.com Kendra R. Van Pelt sassyk105@gmail.com

80

_______________________________

Nicole Detra is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and works as a private chef. She took some time off from the kitchen and 35

C L A S S

N O T E S

worked as an EMT as well as in education for Alzheimer’s patients, but she has ended up back in cooking, which she loves. Most importantly, Nicole’s son, Conagher, is at Forman in the Class of 2024!

81

40

th reunion

Hilary L. Taylor hilzo@aol.com _______________________________

William King Jr. retired on May 10, 2019, from the Seymour, CT, police department after a total of 35 years of service. In the fall of 2019, he began taking classes to be a certified fire investigator and fire code inspector in Seymour. This November marked his 40th year as a volunteer in the fire department.

Hilary Taylor’s business, Merlin’s Silver Star, is a bit slower with a lack of shows this season at which to sell her handcrafted silver jewelry. She found new ways to market her work and has acted briskly to set up an e-commerce website selling her wares.

She is always happy to talk with customers about special requests and is thrilled to see sales coming through.

Pendants, earrings, and sterling silver items are featured on the site. There is something for everyone including the dog lover in your life. The website

is MerlinsSilverStar.com and alumni will get a 15% discount when they put FORMAN81 in the coupon area. She hopes that everyone is doing alright during this difficult time and sends greetings to Forman friends. Hilary hopes to get to celebrate her class’ 40th reunion.

82

Matthew L. LaFlamme matt_laflamme@msn.com _______________________________

Deborah Ronder Pugliese is living in Glendale, AZ, and is retired from work as an upstate New York building and fire inspector. She would love to reconnect with old friends.

Her email is astoldbyme63@yahoo. com. Deborah sends best wishes to the Forman family and hopes that everyone will stay safe and healthy.

83

Andrew Y. Covert andrewycovert@gmail.com

84

Peter M. Ahlfeld pahlfeld@gmail.com Scott A. Brady skbrady1117@gmail.com

Chris Gaynor ’84, Lawrence Ingolia ’86, and Michael Weinman ’85 got together on the Eastern end of Long Island for lunch.

85

Jennie Alexandre Bono William L. Freeman freeman.will@gmail.com _______________________________

Calder McCall has been retired for 20-plus years. He is a full-time dad to his 15-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. He teaches qigong dharma, a meditation practice. Calder says Forman was not always an easy experience for him, but he believes it made him the man he is today. He says he has never been happier in his life than he is right now.

86

35

th reunion

Lisa Palmer Richardson larfal@aol.com

Christopher D. Gaynor cdgaynor@gmail.com Nancy Robinson Swift nancysunnyswift@yahoo.com _______________________________

A Hilary Taylor ’81 stunning sterling pendant

36

Chris Gaynor continues to enhance the beauty of the eastern end of Long Island with his fine carpentry work and serves as a leader and a staple in the local fire department.

Henry Harris ’86, P’24 with son Ellis ’24 on Ellis’s first day at Forman (left) and Henry holding Ellis when he was just a baby

C L A S S

N O T E S

87

Holly Jones Weisenburger holly@theweisenburgers.com _______________________________

Paul Dowd is living in Avon, CT, with his wife, Alexis, and two children, Allie (15), and Will (11).

He and his wife recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, 20 years living in Avon, and the sale of a company (Managed Air Systems) he started 20 years ago. Now he’s setting his sights on college, a new business opportunity, and an exciting future.

Rob Finlay ’87 and his family

estate business and has seen many small businesses struggle during the pandemic.

He looks forward to things getting back to normal so he can visit family in Ireland and visit Forman in 2022 for the Class of 1987’s 35th reunion.

Abbey Goldstein and Chris Lippert have reunited after 35+ years! Lion Love!

Neesha Nicks Allen _______________________________ Abbey Goldstein ’87 and Chris Lippert ’87 together again in Litchfield

Rob Finlay has been married to Stephanie Morgan now for 17 years.

Their son, Ryan, is 13 and their daughter, Lauren, is about to turn sweet 16. Luckily, they were able to visit the Beaches resort in Turks and Caicos just prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns in March. Rob is in the commercial real

In these crazy times, Holly Jones Weisenberger was still able to spend time at Old Orchard Beach in Maine with her family. Holly lives in Southern New Hampshire with her husband of 20 years and two boys, Joseph (15) and Andrew (13). Holly, like all of us, is looking forward to some normalcy soon.

88

Paul Dowd ’87 and his family enjoy a hike at Mount Kearsarge, NH.

Dara Cerritelli Varano ’88, Paul Dowd ’87, and Anand Dhawan ’87 enjoy catching up at Dara’s establishment Black Eyed Sally’s in early March with Director of Annual Fund Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23 and Scott McCarty ’76, P’02, P’05 before the COVID-19 shutdown.

Holly Jones Weisenburger ’87 and her family enjoy a dinner together.

Joel Himelhoch and his wife, Gabbrielle, have left Hawaii for the mainland. They are now living in San Diego and Joel has moved into corporate America.

Penny Thompson Mitchell and her husband love to travel but COVID-19 has changed much of that. They plan on road tripping to Baja and travel safely until everything opens up again.

Scott Moynihan and Jeff Nielsen spent some time together this summer in upstate New York.

Scott Moynihan ’87 and Jeff Nielsen ’87 enjoy a boat day.

Penny Thompson Mitchell ’88 and Joel Griffith ’89 in McAllister, MT

37

C L A S S

N O T E S

Aubrey’s private yoga instruction has been more in demand than ever as so many people are exercising at home.

90

Jennifer WInkler Balzi jenrwink@gmail.com Karine Opdyke Lawrence karinelawrence@yahoo.com _______________________________ Director of Annual Fund Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23 visits with Paul Dowd ’87.

89

Sean P. Maguire P’22, P’23 sean.maguire@formanschool.org Curt Pfannenstiehl curtpfann@gmail.com W. David Thorn Jr. dthorn30@yahoo.com _______________________________

Rob P. Tarantino rob_tarantino@ML.com Jenny Virgopia jennyvirgopia@aol.com _______________________________

Annual Fund Director Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23 caught up with Ben Fine on the North Shore of Boston where Ben lives with his wife and two children. Among other things they reflected on their years at Forman.

The take away — although Forman has undergone changes over the decades, its impact on students is lasting.

Director of Annual Fund Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23 and Ben Fine ’91 catch up near Boston.

92

Brian A. Eisenberg brianadam11@comcast.net _______________________________ Director of Annual Fund Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23 and Michael Kernan ’90 enjoyed a physically distanced lunch.

38

Amy Owen Stettner aostett@hotmail.com

Director of Annual Fund Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23 paid Jim Gray ’90 a visit.

Nick Kraus continues to navigate the impact of the coronavirus from his home in East Hampton on Long Island. He says Stephen Talkhouse, a restaurant and nightclub in Amagansett, has been pushed to the limit to stay open, but Nick has some great new ideas for the coming year.

He has spent a lot of time as a stayat-home dad for daughter Veronica, a bit more than he expected as his wife

Nick Kraus ’89 and his daughter, Veronica, hit the playground.

91

30

th reunion

Kevin Murray has had some positive results with the theater organization he developed, known as the “Theater of the Possible.” It consists of adults with physical and intellectual disabilities acting in skits that he wrote. Kevin still lives with his wife and daughter in Queens, NY.

Laura Baldini is living in Boston and is the cofounder of the “chainlette” Mother Juice, with three brick-and-mortar shops. The stores were closed for almost three months due to COVID-19 and in that time they donated juice to hospitals and frontline workers. When they reopened, Laura and her team created super prudent ways to keep customers

C L A S S

95

Christina E. Bodine-Asseh christinabodine@msn.com Allison Herron Gsell allison_herron@hotmail.com

Laura Baldini ’92 and Director of Annual Fund Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23 in Palm Beach before the pandemic

and employees safe and healthy. She also expanded her delivery network and created “Mother Juice At Home” meal kits, cleanses, and smoothie kits all available on their website, motherjuice.com. Laura also launched a new line of stadium-approved, clear handbags called, “The Flie” (theflie. com). She keeps very much in touch with Jason Regalbuto ’91, P’20, and Rich Couto ’90 (“Because we all love him so much!”) and is godmother to Nicholas Clarke’s ’93 twins.

93

Kenneth I. Deane kenneth.deane@gmail.com Kimberly B. Ertag Gilah E. Gersten gilahg@gmail.com Amy E. Love alove0410@comcast.net

94

Meredith McClean Fontaine mmfontaine12@gmail.com Christopher D. Kellogg christopher.kellogg@icloud.com Brooke Labriola Shepard brooke@monogrammary.com

Elizabeth G. Thomas lizgthomas@yahoo.com

96

25

th reunion

25th Reunion Marikay Geib marikaygeib212@msn.com Lauren Cuticelli Patton lauren@cuticelli.com Tyler Renn tylerrenn@rennwealth.com

97

Abbie Graham Durkin abbiedurkin@gmail.com

98

Susan A. Schonfeld suzy195954@aol.com

99

Elizabth Hanway Johnson ehjohnson100@gmail.com Jessica Davis Raitz jessica.raitz@gmail.com _______________________________

Brian Hastings and his brother, Jon, came back to Forman to play in the 2020 Forman Alumni Basketball Game last January. Brian says that both he and Jon enjoyed their time at Forman immensely and much of their success is due to the support from faculty and staff. Brian lives in Kent, CT, with his wife, Heather,

N O T E S

and 4-year-old son, Becket. His older children, Tyler (25) and Kori (23), have launched. Both live locally, giving them opportunities to see their little brother grow up and to get home-cooked meals and laundry done, on occasion. Brian has been an administrator at Wooster School for nine years. He is currently the Director of Athletics and Student Activities but has served the community in a variety of capacities since his arrival.

Heather is the Dean of Students at Marvelwood School where she has worked the last 15 years.

Betsy Hanway Johnson’s days are spent chasing her 5-year-old daughter, Eloise, and almost 2-year-old son, Thomas. It keeps her busy and she loves every minute!

00

Jesse J. E. Resnick jesse.res@gmail.com

01

20

th reunion

Matthew A. Bonzagni mattbonzagni232@charter.net Leith T. Sharp leithal29@gmail.com

02

Mark M. Roscio gradywhaler@gmail.com _______________________________

Brian Palma was married on May 20, 2017, to his longtime girlfriend, Laura. They met in 2002, the summer Brian graduated from Forman. Brian is employed by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office in Newark, NJ, as a patrol sergeant.

39

C L A S S

N O T E S

03

04

Elizabeth A. Monroe

Laura J. Goodkind ljgoodkind@msn.com

Chelsea E. Kinsella squidmail@aol.com

Kevin T. Smallwood smallwkt@gmail.com _______________________________

Adam Grabish is a strength engineer with Boeing in St. Louis, MO. His group is responsible for the center and aft fuselage sections of the F-15, and they support new production aircraft with some fleet sustainment, as well. Adam is also a member of the Boeing Veteran Engagement Team (BVET) leadership group, where he started a volunteer effort to support Honor Flight welcome home ceremonies and also volunteers and mentors through the Boeing REACH organization, as well as K-12 engagement teams. Adam enjoys relaxing at home with his wife, Jen, and their 14-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, Henry. Outside of Boeing, Adam was recently elected chair of the Colorado State University Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board. In his first year as board chair, he is helping to create Aerospace Engineering concentrations within the department, as well as working with the heads of Mechanical Engineering and Graduate Student Coordination to expand research capabilities with private industry. In this role, he has also found himself guest lecturing in engineering classes at CSU, where he will be in March to lecture in three classes.

Kathryn John Blume john.katie@gmail.com

James J. Hamilton jhamilton8492@yahoo.com _______________________________

Jacob Ringer and his wife, Dana, just had their third child, Sarah “Sunny” Collette Ringer, born August 28, 2020. Her older brothers are Leo (5), and Henry (3), and they live in Chicago. Jacob started as the Deputy Director at The Institute for Political Innovation at the beginning of the year. It is a non-profit working on non-partisan changes to elections, such as the changes that recently passed in Alaska.

05

Pearse P. Matthews Cyril P. Thornton thorntcp@gmail.com _______________________________

Kyle Halloran is in his third year at Indian Mountain School as the Director of Residential Life. His oldest child, Keelyn, is officially enrolled at IMS, which is exciting as well. He is a certified endurance coach with Tristar Athletes and is enjoying the opportunity to work with athletes from all over the country. Kyle came back to Forman for the 2020 Alumni Basketball Game last January.

Danny McCarty married Amber on September 5, 2020 at Topsmead State Park in Litchfield, CT.

40

06

15

th reunion

Luke Bornheimer lukebornheimer@gmail.com

07

Parker W. S. Beard pwsb87@sbcglobal.net Shannon W. Hallenbeck shannon.hallenbeck@gmail.com Audrey Stout Micca micca.audrey@gmail.com Kenneth P. Reid _______________________________

Three years ago, Parker Beard and his dad decided to work on their bucket list item of following the New York Rangers on the road. So far they have attended games in 11 out of 31 team arenas! This kind of road trip has also given him the opportunity to reconnect with fellow alumni who live near these various teams. He writes, “Everyone whom I know at Forman, if you live near an NHL team, let me know! So when I come to visit your city, we can reconnect.”

Katherine Halloran Gacek and her husband live in Stamford, CT, with their one-year-old, Oliver. She hopes to begin helping the organization that supported her family when Oliver was

Danny McCarty ’05 got married in September 2020.

C L A S S

10

in the neonatal intensive care unit so she can help other parents of preemie babies. Tiny Miracles assured that Ollie is doing very well today.

Cameron S. Billik csbillik@gmail.com

08

Gretchen G. Conyers gretch23@gmail.com Dayne J. Price dayneprice@gmail.com _______________________________

Hannah Dodd Morton hmorton1008@gmail.com _______________________________

Slater Lawrence is a real estate investor and, after living abroad in South Africa and London, Slater has settled down with his fiancée, Molly, in New York and Washington, D.C. They have a puppy named Roo.

09

Justin W. DeCausey justindecausey@gmail.com Candace R. Earlington wacky_candy@hotmail.com Kelly Solk ksolk90@gmail.com _______________________________

Earlier this year, after three-and-ahalf years traveling as a digital nomad, Amanda McCullough Wilkinson settled down in Bristol, UK, with her husband. They continue to run their digital marketing and web development agency Go Digital (www.wearego. digital) and work with clients around the world. When they aren’t busy working, they can be found walking along the harbor and indulging in one of the many fantastic places to eat in Bristol. COVID-19 took a toll on them as they specialized in working with those in the hospitality and tourism sector. She also runs a start-up called, While Fat (whilefat.com), which aims to be the go-to resource for plus-sized

N O T E S

Brittany Monteith married fellow classmate, Kyle Kadlec, on October 17, 2020 in a Zoom wedding from Dallas, TX! They plan on having a celebration in Connecticut at a later date.

Assistant to the Associate Head of School Amanda Bender, Amanda McCullough Wilkinson ’09, and English Department Chair Matthew Bender in Bath, England on WInterim 2019

and fat travelers, but the pandemic has also curtailed this enterprise for the time being. They then created a plan for other small businesses that needed help getting a presence online quickly by offering a “pay-what-you-can” scenario. They helped over a dozen small businesses get websites created so they could adapt to a COVID19 world. During this time, they had moved into an apartment where they run their business so the travel restrictions were not a big problem for them. If they had still been actively traveling, it would have been a lot worse. They are staying healthy and alert during these strange times.

In October of 2019, Michael Yormack joined Tsū, Inc. as Vice President. Tsū is a social media ecosystem that empowers all its users to get paid for doing what they already do on other social platforms.

Brittany Montieth ’10 and Kyle Kadlec ’10 were married in October 2020.

11

10

th reunion

Rachel C. Hafer rcatharinee@gmail.com Nicholas V. Manzella nv.manzella@gmail.com Michael D. Satalic msatalic@saic.edu

12

James C. Clancy james.clancy17@gmail.com Lauren A. Morrow lauren.morrow1993@gmail.com Shelby L. Pierce shelby.pierce93@gmail.com

41

C L A S S

N O T E S

13

15

Francis R. Fiore fffiore27@gmail.com _______________________________

Emily C. Cross emilycross9@gmail.com

David R. Buckley davidb21@gmail.com

Sarah E. Auch sarahauch@aol.com

David N. Shaw davidshaw1213@gmail.com Dominic L. Weir domweir@gmail.com _______________________________ David Buckley ’13 is enjoying life in NYC.

14

Natalie R. Canterbury nataliecanterbury386@yahoo.com Zach Bitan ’13 is in his first year of medical school.

Zach Bitan is a first-year medical student at Technion American Medical School in Haifa, Israel and studying remotely. Zach also got engaged to Ayelet Rosenberg, who is doing clinical research at Columbia University Medical Center prior to attending graduate school.

After David Buckley was laid off from his last job due to the economic impact of COVID-19, he began working freelance positions, specializing in marketing and social media. He is hoping to find a role in a start-up or e-commence company based in New York City.

BECOME A CLASS AG E NT! Contact Liz Funk P’12 in the Alumni Office at liz.funk@formanschool.org

42

Grant A. Oslan grant.oslan@comcast.net Logan C. Rice logan.rice96@yahoo.com Jacob H. Sussman jacob.sussman33@gmail.com Coleman C. Walker cole.walker1995@gmail.com _______________________________

Amanda Berger is now a graduate student at Boston University.

Jake Sussman continues his work advocating within the educational system for students with learning differences. Jake seeks to build bridges between parents, teachers, policymakers, and students to ensure students with learning differences are given every chance to succeed. His company, Superpower Consulting (superpowerconsulting.com), offers one-on-one consultation calls for students from 8 to 23 years old. Jake lives in Westport, CT and recently got engaged to Alexis Sokol.

Miranda Hanson is excited to be graduating from Texas State University with a Master of Special Education and a concentration in autism/applied behavior analysis. She started a new job working as a behavior therapist in an applied behavior analysis clinic and is happy to be doing what she loves. She is also working with a company that provides services to residents in a lowincome community by helping with organizing food banks, school drives, and lots of other services. Miranda says, “It has been a rewarding experience and so much fun!” Her undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Arts in Teacher Education, Core Subjects, Early Childhood through 6th grade, from Schreiner University, and she is a certified teacher in Texas.

Rayna, her sister, who attended Forman her freshman year of high school, is also attending Texas State and they are now roommates in San Marcos. Both are looking forward to what the future holds!

Augustine McCann graduated from Guilford College with a major in business administration and a double minor in criminal justice and money and finance last May. During the summer, he had the opportunity to do an internship with the Greensboro,

C L A S S

NC, police department. Throughout the summer, he worked closely with the Family Victims Unit and became interested in becoming a sheriff’s deputy. He is currently enrolled in the 2020 Alamance Community College Basic Law Enforcement Training program. He is excited to see where this new chapter in his life takes him.

David Shaw was in the middle of an internship at the Massachusetts State House and living in Boston when the COVID-19 pandemic began. While he was saddened that the pandemic cost him the internship as well as caused him to leave the city, it ultimately gave him time to refocus his efforts on applying to graduate school. As a result, he is pleased to have begun work this past fall in Georgetown University’s Applied Intelligence Masters program, and is working at a new internship with Representative Seth Moulton. He has moved to Washington, D.C. and, while public health guidelines will prevent him from getting back to the full city experience, he can hardly wait to begin this new chapter of his life. Through all of this, he still talks to his friends from Forman daily. He misses the School dearly and looks forward to reuniting with everyone on campus once we’ve emerged on the other side of this.

16

5

th reunion

Davis W. Ebbert davisebbert@yahoo.com Allison C. Herdje aherdje@gmail.com Lacey O. McCaw lmccaw03@gmail.com _______________________________

Benjamin “Benny” Berger is now a junior at SUNY Alfred.

Caroline Herdje has been working at Yale New Haven on the Medical Stepdown Unit since August. She says things are going well so far; it’s challenging and always very busy, but she likes the patient population in her care. She is almost off orientation and will be switching to nights soon. Caroline says, “It can be overwhelming at times, to be honest, especially with COVID-19. It’s hard to see families not being able to be with their loved ones in the hospital when they are so sick.” But she always tries to have a positive attitude and make her patients feel loved.

17

Parker D. Broadnax parkerbroadnax@gmail.com Mee Mee B. Filan filanmeemee@gmail.com Emma M. Forrester emma.forrester@me.com _______________________________

David Shaw ’15 in Washington, D.C.

Taylor McNair came back to Forman last January to play in the Alumni Basketball Game. She enjoyed herself and said it brought back so many of the great memories she shared with her friends at

N O T E S

Forman. Taylor is at Post University in Waterbury, CT, where she is majoring in criminal justice and minoring in sociology. She is working on transferring to play basketball for another university.

Joshua “JT” Papa completed a month working at a dive shop down in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. He received his Diving Certification, Advanced Certification, and Rescue Certification.

JT says that he loves to visit that part of Mexico after going there during Winterim in his senior year at Forman with former Arts Teacher Ms. Garcia.

18

Annabelle Ford-Rippolone afordrip@highpoint.edu Sophia H. Gadsden sophiahgadsden@gmail.com Samantha J. Novick samchop1031@me.com Brendan A. Wilson brendan.wilson.a@gmail.com _______________________________

Mae Sharpless is a junior at Sarah Lawrence College and says she found the transition to college easy. Last summer, Mae interned remotely for a public relations firm, CLUSTER, Inc., and loved it. “CLUSTER provides services and programs that assist residents in Yonkers, as well as Westchester and Rockland County to build a better future for themselves and their communities. The focus of all our programs is the empowerment of individuals, families, and communities to fulfill their dreams and potential.” Mae lives off campus with Meredith Sherburne ’19.

43

C L A S S

N O T E S

19

Jackson G. Beers jacksonbeers99@gmail.com Garret N. Grier garretgrier@icloud.com Caitlin C. Lorenz caitlincathrynlorenz@gmail.com Odessa M. Slauson omslau@stlawu.edu _______________________________

Online school has kept Jackson Beers even busier than ever.

Fortunately, he is safe at home with his family and although this situation is not ideal for anyone, he is extremely grateful for the extra time he is getting to spend with his siblings and parents.

This is the longest period of time they have all been together in years! Another positive aspect of being at home is the opportunity to reconnect with Forman friends, both current students and alumni. Jackson has been talking on the phone with Forman students more often than he ever was at college and it’s been really great to catch up with them. He has even reached out to a couple of teachers to see how their transition to online school is going.

Jackson says he can sense that the Forman community is stronger than ever, even through these trying times.

He had an excellent year at Syracuse but misses being at Forman very much.

He was disappointed that he was not able to visit last May as originally planned, but will surely stop by at some point. He is still in close contact with many current juniors who are the leaders of the School this year. Jackson says it will be crazy to see them as seniors when he remembers some of them arriving as freshman so vividly.

44

Alumni pose for a photo at the 2020 January Alumni Basketball Game.

Jackson says, “I am truly thankful to have graduated from a school that cares so deeply for its alumni.”

Garret Grier is a sophomore at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. As a freshman, Garret had some adjusting to do but made the dean’s list for second semester. This year, he is attending school remotely from home in Connecticut. Garret has strong and powerful bonds to Forman and is very grateful for the teachers and friends he made at the School. He has plans to come back to school when the time is right and looks forward to seeing so many friends when he does.

Owen Sheinberg is at Marist College and just started his sophomore year. He lives with seven friends in an on-campus townhouse. Classes this year are blended synchronous, so he goes into class one day and has classes on Zoom the next. Marist has done a great job with following the COVID19 protocols and they do weekly testing. Owen came back to Forman last January to play in the 2020 Alumni Basketball Game.

Odessa Slauson is enjoying St. Lawrence University and everything it has to offer. Last semester, she became a trained sexual assault advocate for students on campus, as well as an active member of the club lacrosse team. Academically, she has been focusing many of her classes on English and government as she plans to pursue her passion for legal studies. She has made some amazing connections with her professors. Due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, St. Lawrence has offered students the option of three semesters for the 2020-2021 year.

Odessa will be attending SLU for the spring and summer semesters and she looks forward to expanding her connections in Greek life. As many know, the pandemic has not been easy, but Odessa dealt with her stress by picking up new hobbies like rollerblading and hiking.

20

Olivia Minor osquiersminor@gmail.com Ben Reilly benreillyumich@gmail.com Celia Tucker cltucker09@gmail.com _______________________________

William Anderson is attending the University of Oregon and is on campus with most of his classes being remote. He loves it!

Brian Blum is attending the University of Arizona in Tucson and is loving college life. He lives in the dorms. Brian was accepted to his first juried art show and had two pieces of his work displayed at the

C L A S S

Palm Beach Photographic Centre for the past few months.

Peter Bonczek is enjoying his first semester as an online student at Ithaca College and still deciding whether he will go on campus or remain online for the spring semester. It is a very different college experience from the one he thought he would have, but he is enjoying it nonetheless.

Will Brooks is learning remotely at Dean College and doing very well academically.

Daniel Buckley is currently enrolled at Loyola Marymount located in sunny Los Angeles, CA. However, due to the pandemic, Daniel has become a remote student working from his home in New York City. During his school day, Daniel has been learning about East Asian cinema, economics, and statistics, in hopes to find a major. In his free time, Daniel has been spending quality time with his family who are also stationed at home. Looking forward, Daniel is hoping to get an internship in the video game industry.

Zack Bugbee decided to take a gap year and will start at Washington State University in the fall of 2021.

Kai Burridge entered as a Freshman at Northern Vermont University, Lyndon campus in August. Vermont had a very low COVID-19 rate, so they were able to open the campus with many safety-related limitations including giving Kai a double room with no roommate! It was challenging

adapting to life as a college student given all the restrictions, but he has made friends and is enjoying classes in his major, exercise science. Kai practiced with the cross-country team (he started cross-country at Forman). Best of all, he is on the basketball team and is part of the close-knit team community. So far, they are not playing other schools but they scrimmage within the team and the games are available for his parents to watch remotely. NVU campus is closed from November 20–January 19, with finals taken at home. Kai hopes the school will reopen as planned so that he can return to campus and finish up the basketball season.

Haven Cody spent the first term at Savannah College of Art and Design, on the Savannah campus. Haven was awarded an annual scholarship based on her art portfolio review. She is enjoying her classes very much (even though they are online). She is currently taking drawing and design and looks forward to the next term beginning in January.

Pedro Farach is in the American Collegiate Program at American University online.

Olivia Glick is living in Charleston and attending classes at College of Charleston remotely. She is super busy but doing well.

Robert Goodwin is at the Citadel and doing well. He is in the midst of “knob” year, the term for freshman year. It is a bit rough with all the COVID-19 protocols, but he loves it!

Robert says, “One day at a time. One step at a time. That’s the mantra every

N O T E S

Robert Goodwin ’20 is in his knob year at the Citadel.

knob should adopt as they embark on their Citadel experience.”

Julia Graef is currently home and attending classes remotely at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She says it is definitely a challenge but it has allowed her to get a feel for college academics while still getting support from her family at home. As of now, FIT has not decided if winter semester will be in person or remote but, either way, Julia is moving to New York in January. She is super-excited to meet new people and hopefully get the real college experience. Julia says she misses everyone at Forman very much and cannot wait to come visit at some point when this virus is more under control. She sends her love to all!

Emory Jhonson is doing great on campus at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His roommate is a drummer so they spend time strumming and drumming. He is enjoying his classes in Chinese, music appreciation, and ecology as he looks for a major. Classes have fluctuated between remote and in-person depending on COVID-19,

45

C L A S S

N O T E S

Joseph Podolsky is on campus at Hofstra University and loves it!

Walker Regalbuto has been doing well, living in Winter Park, FL, with his brother and doing classes remotely at Full Sail University.

Forrest Smyth ’20

Emory Jhonson ’20 moving into his dorm at the University of Colorado

but he is very grateful to be at his dream school and loves it! This photo was taken as Emory moved into his dorm.

Even then Forman had his back.

Oliver La Du had an action-packed summer with his dad in Colorado and is currently living on campus at Wheaton College where he is majoring in business.

In addition, even though it’s the offseason, he has been practicing three times a week and doing strength and conditioning sessions twice a week for the men’s lacrosse team. Time management has been his main focus thus far. Just making sure that he is planning out his time between school and athletics so he knows what’s expected and what’s to come is crucial.

Olivia Minor is doing really well and is glad to hear things are going well at Forman. She is on campus at Skidmore, which is a great experience so far. She loves all of her classes and the town is beautiful, too. Activities on campus are limited right now, but there’s always things to do. Olivia says, “I keep in touch with a lot of my close friends from Forman and it’s always fun to hear what’s up with them!”

46

Ben Reilly deferred going to the University of Michigan this year and has decided to do a gap year at AmeriCorps NCCC. He is in Kalispell, MT, working full-time at a food bank. He will also be moving around the West Coast doing various community service programs. He will be back home in July and next year will head to Michigan.

Forrest Smyth is in Newport, RI, at Salve Regina, majoring in administrative justice and has been on campus with in-person classes. He is proudly wearing number 38 on the defensive line of the Seahawk lacrosse team and they have been lucky enough to be able to workout and practice in the fall preseason. He is looking forward to a winter season of snowboarding while he prepares for the spring lacrosse season and the next semester of classes at Salve.

Patrick Taiwo is enrolled at Savannah College of Art and Design located in Savannah, GA. Currently, Patrick is learning about design, drawing, and English. Since being enrolled, Patrick has

Ben Reilly ’20 spends his time helping those less fortunate at Americorps.

Molly Reinhardt says her year has been great! She moved to New York City a block or so away from Naomi Bates ’20, so they get to see each other a lot. Molly started school in November on campus at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and says, “It’s so amazing!”

The teachers are fantastic and she already sees herself improving as a performer. New York City is fantastic and even though starting school was pushed back due to COVID-19, she thinks it all worked out perfectly.

Patrick Taiwo ’20

C L A S S

hung out with fellow classmate Haven Cody ’20, who also attends SCAD. Looking forward, Patrick is hoping to get an internship with a shoe company in New York City and see his friends: Zack Bugbee ’20, Celia Tucker ’20, Peter Bonczeck ’20, and Emme Woolley ’20.

Celia Tucker is currently attending the University of Connecticut, located in Storrs, CT. Due to the pandemic, Celia has been a remote student stationed in Manchester, CT. Since becoming enrolled, Celia has made all As and has been taking classes in American Sign Language, communication disorders, English, and language and environment.

During her free time, Celia has been playing with her new cat named Lola.

her grades are good and she feels she is learning a lot. She moved to Boston from New York City in late November and is enjoying the change in scenery.

Emme Woolley is at University of Denver and cannot wait to get out on the slopes! She is studying jazz vocals and hoping to double major in psychology.

She says, “I am so excited and thankful to be studying what I love.” She joined a sorority to broaden her circle of friends as COVID-19 has made it a bit difficult since they cannot socialize outside of their dorms. Emme also joined the honors women’s chorus. While she imagined her freshman year of college quite differently, she has been using these unfortunate circumstances to focus on her education and finding her priorities. Emme says that she hopes Forman is safe and happy.

N O T E S

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES ---------------------------

Director of Communications Kerry Conroy and her husband, Ryan, welcomed their son, Quinn Phillip Conroy, on November 1, 2019.

Celia Tucker ’20 and her cat, Lola

Nia Walwyn is currently at High Point University and has settled in very nicely. Nia said that High Point has been helpful in guiding her to finding her major. She looks forward to getting back to Forman and visiting everyone on campus after COVID-19.

Louise Weidner is taking classes at American University online as campus is closed for the fall and spring terms.

She is running and studying a ton.

She says the work is challenging but

Emme Woolley ’20

Travis Zuckerman is at the College of Charleston and doing a hybrid schedule with some classes online and some inperson. He sees Livy Glick ’20 as she goes there as well. He’s majoring in historic preservation and community planning. He’s hoping to use that as a springboard into architecture.

Health, Wellness, and Leadership Teacher Cecilia Gallo and her husband, Rocky, welcomed their second child, Neve Cecilia Gallo, on October 24, 2020.

47

F A C U L T Y

&

S T A F F

N O T E S

/

I N

M E M O R I A M

IN MEMORIAM ------------------------------------------------------

Director of the Forman Diagnostic Center Dr. Maryellen Ruth and her husband, Brian, welcomed their second child, Jack Edward Ruth, on October 2, 2020.

Assistant Director of College Counseling and Perspectives in Learning Teacher Josh Sands along with his wife, former Cognition and Learning Teacher Amy, welcomed their baby girl, Hadley Grace Ciafrei Sands, on December 18, 2019.

48

Victor Salvatore Jr. ’40, of Sarasota, FL, a Marine during World War II, and a newspaperman and executive who helped establish Abner Doubleday’s founding of baseball locally as a myth, died peacefully at home on October 6, 2020. He was born on December 6, 1921, to Victor Salvatore and Ellen Ashfordbye Ryerson Salvatore. His father was a sculptor who was born in Italy and came to New York as a child.

His works are represented in The Metropolitan Museum of Art; “the Sandlot Kid” and “James Fennimore Cooper” are Cooperstown landmarks.

Victor’s maternal grandfather, Arthur Larned Ryerson, an American businessman, perished on the Titanic in 1912. His grandmother, Emily Borie Ryerson, was a Titanic survivor.

Victor attended Forman School, Deerfield Academy, The University of Virginia, and Princeton. He was a veteran of the Marine Corps in WW2, serving on Iwo Jima and in China. His career in journalism as a newspaper reporter spanned the Washington Post, the Hartford Courant, Wesleyan University, and the Westchester Patent Trader. He was a frequent contributor to The Freeman’s Journal and authored an American Heritage article, which marshaled the argument, now universally accepted, that the story of Abner Doubleday founding baseball in Cooperstown was a myth. A voracious reader, he amassed a large collection of books and an encyclopedic range of knowledge. Although he lived in many places (New York City, Washington D.C., Golden’s Bridge in Westchester

County, Middletown, CT, and most recently Sarasota), he returned to Swanswick, the family’s historic home on Otsego Lake, virtually every summer all his life. Located adjacent to the Otsego Golf Club (with which his family was associated since its founding in 1894; he served on its board for many years), this was a perfect place for such an avid golfer.

He was very generous and enabled his daughters to ski, horseback ride, golf, and play tennis. In his later years, he was one fine backgammon player. He was predeceased by his two sisters, Vittoria Salvatore Demarest and Elena Salvatore Raymond. He is survived by his beloved wife, Martha McGowan; his daughters, Ellen Salvatore Cunningham, Andrea Salvatore Hook, and Joy Salvatore; as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Monroe Bernard Scharff ’42 peacefully sailed from this earth on November 20, 2019. “Monty” was born on September 8, 1923, in Boston, MA, the son of Bernard Wertheimer Scharff and Minette Switzer Scharff.

Monty was a proud veteran of the Greatest Generation and served in the 8th Army Air Force in World War II and in the Korean War. A graduate of Bard College and Columbia University, Monty pioneered the field of financial public and investor relations with the establishment of Monroe B. Scharff & Co. in 1958.

Monty loved sailing, skiing, cars, and, most of all, people. He built his life on integrity, a generous attitude toward others, and an ability to charm those

I N

around him. Monty was survived by his wife, Edwina K. Scharff, whom he adored for more than 70 years. He was a devoted and loving father to his two children, Peter B. (Janet R.) Scharff ’69 and Stuart M. (Jodi B.) Scharff; four grandchildren, Rachel, Christopher, Emily, and Jennifer; and two greatgrandchildren, Annabel and Caleb.

Allen “Al” Hoyt Pease ’43, 94, died on February 11, 2020. He was surrounded by his family and faithful wife, Deborah Pease. Al was born on June 15, 1925, in New Britain, CT, the son of the late Maurice Henry Pease and Barbara Moore Pease. Al grew up in New Britain and attended Mooreland Hill School and Forman, where he founded the Fig Newton Four, a quartet in which he played the drums. After graduating from Forman, Al enlisted in the army in 1943, fighting in World War II and in the Battle of the Bulge. He married Beverly Knight in 1947 and attended the University of Chicago. Al and Beverly moved to Charlottesville, VA, where Al attended the University of Virginia School of Law and was on the Virginia Law Review. Following graduation, Al and Beverly moved their family to Kensington, CT, where Al established his tax and estate law practice and was active in church and community service. After his marriage to Michelle Revenaugh in 1985, Al spent his time renovating and sailing his Herreshoff NY 50 sloop. After Michelle died, Al met Deborah Carey in 1994; they married in 2003. When they weren’t traveling, Al and Debby split their time between Leverett, MA, and Martha’s Vineyard. Generosity

was second nature to the couple, who loved entertaining. Al is survived by his wife, Deborah Pease; his children, Allen Hoyt Pease Jr., Marion Pease Berman, and Carol Lewis Pease, his stepdaughter, Merritt Carey, and their spouses; his twelve grandchildren; and his three great-grandchildren.

Paul Revere Jr. ’48, the third greatgrandson of the patriot Paul Revere, passed away peacefully on October 15, 2019. Paul was born on May 13, 1931, in Boston, MA, to Dorothy Brown Revere and Paul Revere Sr. Paul graduated from Milton Academy in 1949 and Bowdoin College in 1953. Following college, he served his country, receiving honorable discharges from both the Navy and the Army. He also received an MBA from Northeastern University in 1969. In 1955, Paul began a 40-year career as a sales manager with Revere Copper Products Inc., a company that traces its roots to Paul’s famous ancestor. Paul served for 53 years as President of the Paul Revere Memorial Association, the nonprofit that operates the Paul Revere House in Boston, which he guided from a small museum into a renowned research and educational institution. He also served for many years on the board of the Freedom Trail Foundation and was active in the process that created the Boston National Historical Park. Paul was a past commodore of the Barnstable Yacht Club, former president of the Massachusetts Charitable Fire Society, and a member of the Hyannisport Club and the Massachusetts Charitable Society.

M E M O R I A M

He was predeceased by his wife, Cary Revere, and is survived by his daughter, Avery Revere, his son, Paul (Stasia Anne Orr) Revere III, and his two grandchildren, Kira Anne Revere and Paul Revere IV. His warmth and humor will be missed by many.

J. Seward Johnson ’49, P’91, a sculptor who may be responsible for more double takes than anyone in history, thanks to his countless lifelike creations in public places — a businessman in downtown Manhattan, a surfer at a Florida beach, a student eating a sandwich on a curb in Princeton, NJ — died on March 10, 2020 at his home in Key West, FL. He was 89. His family said through a spokesman that the cause was cancer.

Mr. Johnson had another distinction besides his art. As a member of the family that founded Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical and consumer products giant, he was one of six siblings who, in a high-profile court case in the 1980s, sought to overturn his father’s will, which left his vast fortune to a former maid, Barbara Piasecka Johnson, whom the senior Mr. Johnson had married late in life. A settlement was reached just before the case went to the jury, giving the children a share of the estate but leaving most of it to Mrs. Johnson. But more enduring were the sculptures, which often caught passers-by unawares; many would pause for a closer look and, in the cell phone age, a picture. One sculpture in particular became something more than a curiosity. It was a work Mr. Johnson called “Double Check”: a seated businessman reviewing the contents

49

I N

M E M O R I A M

of his briefcase. The sculpture was in Liberty Park near the World Trade Center when the attacks of September 11, 2001, left the area in ruins. Many other artworks in the buildings and outside were destroyed that day, but the man with the briefcase, though knocked off his perch, survived, covered in debris. The sculpture is so lifelike that firefighters are said to have tried to rescue it. It became a makeshift memorial — a symbol of endurance to some, a reminder of the bodies never recovered to others. In 2006, it was installed in the newly named Zuccotti Park, not far from its original spot. “I thought of him as a businessman Everyman — with his briefcase — getting ready for his next appointment, and people identified with him,” Mr. Johnson told The New York Times in 2005. “So when he survived, it was as if he was one of them — surviving as well.”

—Obituary from The New York Times Richard “Dick” Barker ’56 passed away on September 20, 2019, in Newport, RI, at age 82. Born in Providence, RI, Richard was the son of Harold S. Barker of Newport, RI, and Helen Polk. Richard leaves his wife of 56 years, Ruth Sylla Barker of Middletown, RI, his son, Michael Sherman Barker of Middletown, and his daughter, Joanna Polk Bowman of Portsmouth, RI. He also leaves two granddaughters, Lyndsey Lucille Bowman and MacKenzie Polk Bowman of Portsmouth, RI. Dick’s kindhearted spirit and sense of humor throughout his life drew many friends, and he was humble about his artistic talent in drawing. He loved spending

50

time with his family and was proud of his granddaughter’s service in the Naval Sea Cadets. After Forman, he attended Rollins College. He served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1965 as Specialist E5 in Ft. Holabird, MD, where he met his wife, Ruth.

In the 1980s, he worked as a graphic illustrator at the U.S. Naval Station in Newport, where he was known for his knowledge and dedication in creating training aids. He eventually retired to Winter Park, FL, where he mentored at-risk elementary children. After returning to Newport in 2005, Dick volunteered with Meals on Wheels and was a member of the Newport Rotary Club. His passions were the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), NASCAR, and antique car shows, which inspired his drawings.

James “Jim” MacCormack’s ’61 wife, Carol, also a graduate of Forman School Class of 1961, called to say Jim had passed on October 15, 2019.

Jim was 77 years old. Jim and Carol were reunited almost 41 years after graduating when they connected in grief over the loss of fellow classmate Lindsay “Dinny” Herkness, who passed in the tragic events of September 11th. Jim and Carol were married on January 26, 2002.

Blair Burwell Stringfellow III ’61, 79, passed away suddenly November 11, 2020, in Jacksonville, FL. He was born in Richmond, VA, the son of Blair Burwell Stringfellow Jr. and Dorothy Brown Stringfellow, both of whom predeceased him.

After attending Eaglebrook School, Deerfield, and Forman School, Blair

received his undergraduate degree from Marietta College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami. He was a member of the Florida Bar. Blair received his MBA from Jacksonville University. He was president of the Atlantic Credit Corporation. Blair had a keen mind and an appetite for learning, with interests in many areas. He loved outdoor activities, trips to the Northeast, and managing his business interests.

Woodworking was a favorite hobby.

Blair was a devoted and loving husband and is survived by his loving wife, Verna Wagner Stringfellow. Their busy life took them to Virginia, Connecticut, and Florida, and they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

William Thomson “Tom” Taylor ’61, age 78, a resident of Arlington, VA, passed away on October 4, 2019, following a brief illness. He was surrounded by family. Tom was born in Washington, D.C., on March 23, 1941, and grew up in New Jersey. Following high school, he entered the U.S. Air Force. He later served in the Vermont Army National Guard for 20 years. Tom was best known for his stories and often entertained passengers when he worked as a driver for the Equinox Resort. He was also actively involved with Arlington Park and Recreation Committee. A New York Giants season ticket holder for 47 years, he would often make the trip down to New Jersey with his wife and kids for game days. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, and friend to all who knew him. He leaves his wife of 38 years, Carolyn Joanna Taylor; his son, Jason O’Neal (Michelle) Adams; his daughter, Suzanne (Kenneth) Basque; and two granddaughters, Meghan and

I N

Lauren Basque. He was predeceased by his grandson, Daniel Basque, and his parents, George Lansing and Barbara Taylor.

Timothy C. Young ’65 was born on November 27, 1946, in Cambridge, MA, and spent his early years in Andover, MA. He attended the Bement School in Deerfield, MA, as a young boarder and then went on to Forman School and to Culver-Stockton College in Missouri.

In 1969, he returned to Bement as a dorm parent and math teacher and, later, dean of students. His gentle, firm, and consistent manner served him well in this role. When he retired from teaching, he was formally hired as the school photographer, a pastime he had long pursued on his own, producing a slideshow each year that was looked forward to by the community. In 2019, he was honored for his 50 years of devotion to the school. A longtime resident of Gill, MA, in a home overlooking the Connecticut River, he was active in developing and maintaining the Town Forest. He enjoyed skiing, kayaking, birding, and traveling. He loved going for walks with his dog, Minji, and had a notoriously green thumb. He is survived by his wife, Amy Gordon; his two step-sons, Nicholas (Samantha) and Hugh Lawson; and older brother, Joshua (Hollis) Young; as well as numerous beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews.

David Buckingham Connor ’67, 72, passed away at the Golden View Healthcare Center in Meredith, NH, on Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

David was born on July 21, 1947, in New York, NY, the son of John David Connor and Ruth B. (Bower) Connor. David worked as a U.S. Postal Serviceman for 20 years. Dave had a gift for conversation and a sense of humor that helped him connect with people. He worked as a window clerk for the USPS and served for a time in the busy Laconia Lakeport location which had both drive-up and walk-in service. He was a member of the Harvest Church of the Lakes Region and Center Harbor. David loved the Lord Jesus Christ and had many passages of scripture committed to memory. David was an avid hiker and backpacker. If you have ever hiked Red Hill in Moultonborough, you have probably seen Dave on the trail. He hiked there frequently, yearround, in preparation for backpacking trips every summer. He authored the book Backpacking with God: In Our National Parks. Dave never lacked for something to do in retirement. He enjoyed the New Hampshire outdoors, kayaking, and snowshoeing. He loved to work and beautify his property. He was known to go on walks along the local roadsides picking up trash and recyclable containers. He called them “ATP” walks — “after the pigs.” He liked to drive up to a place where the Appalachian Trail crossed the road and set up a stand with fresh fruit or other snacks to give to hikers — a trail “angel.” A good game of “Settlers of Catan” was a regular thing with his sister, Diane. Dave and his good friend, Chuck Watson, loved to have friends over for dinner on the deck, watch a movie, or cheer the Patriots or Red Sox to victory. In recent years,

M E M O R I A M

he reached out to neighbors with an annual “Reach the Beach” support party. Dave was recognized with the Holm Award by the National Weather Service for his dependable 25 years of volunteer meteorology record keeping. David is survived by his brother, Robert A. (Carla) Connor, of Burnsville, MN; sister, Diane C. Beaman, of Laconia, NH; aunt, Jean L. Connor, of Shelburne, VT; three nephews, Nathaniel J. Beaman, of Troy, OH, Randall D. Beaman, of Warminster, PA, and Daniel Connor, of Brooklyn, NY; and three greatnephews and three great-nieces. In addition to his parents, David is predeceased by his brother-in-law, David Beaman.

Parker Waite Turner ’68 was the best storyteller, because he made every day an adventure. Born February 9, 1950, in Bennington, VT, to Fidelia Waite Turner and Kenneth William Turner, Parker grew up in Tomkins Cove, NY, and Dennis, MA. Parker loved the outdoors, antiques, animals, trucks, sports, the Sunday New York Times, and too many other things to mention, but most of all he loved people. He lived in an historic windmill that he moved from Nantucket Sound and crafted into his home. Reading by the wood stove in the winter, grilling with friends in the summer, and traveling to antique truck shows with friends gave him endless pleasure.

Time was elastic to Parker; a trip to the corner store for milk could stretch into an all-day adventure of catching up with friends and making new acquaintances. He called frequently,

51

I N

M E M O R I A M

sent cards often, and just dropped by to say, “Hello, I’m thinking of you.”

Parker attended Forman School, Peekskill Military Academy in upstate NY, and the University of Miami.

He is remembered fondly by his hometown of Dennis as the driver of many refurbished antique vehicles bearing his landscaping insignia, “trees: limbed, trimmed, topped, dropped.”

Parker passed away of a heart attack on Leap Day, February 29, 2016. He was fortunate to have already given so much of his heart to so many others that he can’t truly be gone or forgotten. He is survived by his sister, Gail Turner; brother-in-law, Peter Spier; and niece, Jessica Turner Spier.

David Douglas Walter ’69, age 71, of Seattle and Mazama, WA, died in Seattle of cancer on June 23, 2020, with his sons at his side.

Born in Wilmington, DE, he was the oldest of four sons of William I. and Jessica (Allen) Walter. His family moved to Needham, MA, when Dave was a young child and he attended Needham schools, finishing high school at Forman School. He attended Cornell University and managed the language lab there for several years prior to moving to Seattle in 1981.

Dave spent the summer of that year city-shopping, looking for a place to settle with a good climate and with less snow than central New York state.

In Seattle, Dave began his career in the computer industry. After starting in hardware design, Dave moved into software, where he made significant contributions to the industry. He was one of the founders (in 1984) of Aldus Corporation, a software company that

52

in 1985 invented the first desktop publishing program, PageMaker. In 1990, Dave became a co-founder of what became Visio Corporation and he was the technical architect of the Visio software. Its success owes much to Dave’s contributions. After leaving Visio, Dave participated in several other software ventures. While in high school, Dave worked as an engineer at a local radio station and developed an interest in electronics and ham radio.

After retirement, he rekindled his ham radio operation (K1ZSA). Dave loved to “tinker” in his electronics workshop, use his telescope, mountain bike, hike, and cross-country ski, and was widely read in areas ranging from ancient history to astronomy and physics. He enjoyed opera, had an outstanding mind, and was teaching himself Latin and Ancient Greek.

Dave loved watching the birds and wildlife outside his Mazama home.

In his final weeks, he was glad to witness the first SpaceX launch that successfully delivered astronauts to the Space Station. Dave is survived by his two sons, Doug and Brendon; and three brothers, Glenn (Dale), Graham (Lois), and Scott (Sabine); along with nieces and a nephew, Carolyn, Lauren, Julia, and Christopher.

—Obituary from The Seattle Times Mr. David Elmer Swift ’72, age 67, passed away on February 21, 2020.

He was born on October 16, 1952, in Abington, PA, to Elmer and Dorothy Villo Swift. David was a resident of Miramar Beach, FL. He served in the U.S. Air Force in crash fire rescue from 1972 to 1976. He was also a firefighter in Florida from 1978 to 2010, before

retiring as an emergency dispatcher in 2017. He loved his family, friends, and firefighting. David is survived by his son, Kyle (Kristin) Swift; daughter Amber (Kyle) Hagemann; brothers, Mark Swift and Bruce Swift; sister, Sharon Johnston; and three grandchildren.

Jose Antonio (Tony) Rangel-Eman ’74 October 14, 1956 – April 17, 2019 James “Jim” Stackpole Abeel ’75 died peacefully on October 27, 2018, from the effects of Alzheimer’s. He was 75. He was Jim to his friends, Jimmy to his family. A longtime resident of Plum Island, Jim came to Newburyport and was a cub reporter for the Daily News, manager of The Grog, private detective, and finally a therapist in the Massachusetts prison system. Jim came to Forman in the fall of 1951 as a 9-yearold. His father had passed away from an instant cerebral hemorrhage in October of 1949. John Forman was his father’s roommate at Princeton for three years, the best man in his parents’ wedding, and Jimmy’s godfather. Forman was Jimmy’s home for the next nine years.

Forman transformed him, and after a postgraduate year at MorristownBeard School, he went off to Hillsdale College in Michigan, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1965. He later went to Antioch University in New Hampshire and earned a master’s degree in psychology. It was then that he was employed in Massachusetts prisons as a therapist for addicted prisoners until his retirement in 2002. He retired to Ajijic, Mexico, but spent each August back in Newburyport, renewing the bonds of small-town life. His last years in assisted living and nursing facilities were eased by

I N

his friends without whose friendship and support his life would have been far less comfortable. Gone too soon, but never forgotten.

David Ellis Porter’s ’80 wife, Wendy, reached out to us to let Forman know of David’s passing on November 18, 2019. She said David always spoke very highly of his time at Forman and the importance of the friendships he made there. His memory will live on forever in his family and friends.

After a difficult year of multiple medical issues and complications, Lawrence “Larry” J. Weinberg ’81 passed on December 22, 2019.

David Scott Albert ’87 passed away on October 1, 2019, in Princeton, NJ, at the home he shared with his mother, Linda Powell, and stepfather, Don Powell. He was 50 years old.

Despite many health challenges, he remained upbeat and savored life, touching everyone who knew him with his gentle spirit and infectious smile. David attended Princeton Day School, Forman School, Worcester College, and the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, where he earned an MSW. He loved to cook — and eat. He was an avid wine collector who loved the art and science of wine, and an accomplished gardener. A fishing enthusiast, Dave learned how to catch during excursions with his Grandpa Dan. His love of fishing took him from the Delaware Raritan Canal to Canada, Florida, and Deer Isle. Music was also an important force in Dave’s life. Over

the years, he attended dozens of Grateful Dead concerts across the country, collecting memorabilia, and never lost his enthusiasm for the band. Another constant in Dave’s life was the camaraderie he found at Worcester College in Ohio among his Beta fraternity brothers who loved him dearly, laughed with him, and cheered him on. David is survived by his mother, Linda Powell; stepfather, Don Powell; sister, Lauren Albert; father, Stephen (Sheila) Albert; and step-siblings, Don Powell Jr., Sharon Powell, Ira Goldstine, and Cindi Goldstine Finley.

Scott Spangler ’90, of Grand Blanc, MI, age 49, died Saturday, September 21, 2019, at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Scott was born in Akron, OH, on April 21, 1970, the son of James R. and Patricia L. (Dailey) Spangler.

Scott was the operations director for Helping Hand Nursing Service, where he worked for 20 years. He was a talented woodworker. Scott loved the outdoors and animals and was an avid pheasant hunter, along with his dog, Murphy. He was a very loving father and a devoted family man who enjoyed family functions. Scott was a very kind and giving person to the rest of his community. Surviving are his son, Alex Spangler; parents, Patt and Jim Spangler; sister, Kelli (Timothy) Schaheen; niece and nephew, Berkeley and Spencer Schaheen; aunt, Linda Leckrone; cousins, Julie Mitchell and Jeff Frasher; and beloved chocolate Lab, Murphy. A special thank-you to the doctors and nurses in the Henry Ford ICU.

M E M O R I A M

Sarah Rachel Caldwell ’96 of Memphis, TN, age 42, died December 14, 2019, at Baptist Memorial Hospital East. Sarah was born in 1977 to Kathleen Laird Caldwell and Dale Caldwell in Jonesboro, AR. Her grandparents were Knight and Virginia Kiech Laird and Dorothy Caldwell of Jonesboro, AR. She received a BA from Christian Brothers University and a Master of Science in counseling from Liberty University. She worked as a counselor for Youth Villages in Memphis and was truly committed to her work. Sarah loved baking, horror movies, animals, and, most of all, her son, Benjamin Lappin. She cherished her time at Christian Brothers University and was devoted to her many friends. She is survived by her parents; her son, Benjamin; her family, Lyle, Dyanne, and Knight Caldwell; and a large, loving, extended family.

Marshall Ian Shouse ’97, 39, of Hudson, died on July 5, 2018, in Hudson. Ian was a beloved dad to Matt, son to Diane and LeRoy, brother to Amy Shouse (Ron) Barlin, and uncle to Edie and Vera. He was incredibly devoted to his family and friends and believed passionately in helping others. He loved computers and popular culture. He was always laughing. Ian worked as an independent route switch engineer.

He was born in Kentucky, was a graduate of Forman School, and held an associate in science degree from Heartland Community College.

Ian Shober Stokes ’09 was born on March 3, 1991, in WinstonSalem, NC and passed away in

53

I N

M E M O R I A M

Springville, UT, on March 9, 2020, at the age of 29. Ian proudly earned Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts of America in September 2005. He held an active Wilderness Emergency Medical Responder Certificate. Ian attended Forman School, followed

by Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. To know Ian was to love Ian. He was a lover of all things outdoors — snowboarding, hiking, fishing, and surfing, to name a few. He was happiest when outside in nature, particularly in the mountains out west or on the coast of North Carolina. Ian cared for his family and friends with a deep love and fierce loyalty that is hard to come by. Whether you knew him for only a period of time or for the entirety of his all-too-short life, you knew he had an incredibly warm heart.

Upon meeting, you became a part of Ian’s world because to Ian, everyone was a friend. He never spoke ill of anyone and saw the best in every single person, sometimes to a fault. Ian’s dry wit and sense of humor was a force to be reckoned with. Ian is survived by his parents, Dan and Carita Stokes; his sister, Lara-Anne Stokes (Chad) Bradley; and his niece, Wells Bradley, with whom he had a particularly special bond. He is also survived by aunts, uncles, and cousins who all played a very meaningful role in his life. He leaves behind a multitude of lifelong friends and their families. Ian was truly one of a kind and will be greatly missed by many.

54

Shea Cohn ’21, age 16, a beloved son, brother, grandson, family member, and friend, passed away on March 29, 2020. Shea was born October 16, 2003. Those who knew him, even just a little, lost a shining light in their lives. Shea will be missed every day by his parents, Doug and Denise Cohn; his sisters, Emma and Grace Cohn; his grandparents, Robert and Marie Hewins; as well as his loving aunts, uncles, and many cousins; and his dog, Sophie; along with his hundreds of close friends and the young woman he adored, Neve. Shea was an avid sports fan and participant, an excellent student, an aspiring musician whose nickname was the “Piano Man.” He loved the outdoors, hiking, fishing, and traveling the country and abroad with his friends and family. Shea was a student at Forman School and Housatonic Valley Regional High School. He had plans to attend University of Tampa in the fall of 2021. His kindness can be seen through the overwhelming love we have received from all the lives he has touched. Someday, we’ll all be listening to his beautiful music again.

I N

M E M O R I A M

Remembering J. Seward Johnson ’49, P’91 Forman School lost one of its best friends when artist J. Seward Johnson ’49, P’91 passed away on March 10, 2020 at his home in Key West, FL. An heir to the Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical business, Johnson was world-renowned for his remarkably life-like sculptures which are on display around the world.

Seward, who served in the United States Navy during the Korean War, is survived by his wife, Cecelia, his treasured companion, stalwart supporter, and life partner of more than 50 years. Seward was always grateful to Cecelia for helping him find his artistic path. Both Seward and Cecelia served on Forman’s Board of Trustees (Emeriti) and contributed to the School’s ongoing success for decades. He also leaves his daughter, India Blake ’91, a noted author and photographer as well as a valued member of the Forman family; and his son, John Seward Johnson III, a filmmaker, philanthropist, and entrepreneur who co-founded Buzzfeed.

The New York Times called Johnson’s work “hyper-real” in its obituary and noted that, after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, his work “Double Check,” a man seated on a bench reviewing the contents of his briefcase, was so lifelike that several firefighters were said to have tried to rescue the man.

The statue, which stands today not

J. Seward Johnson ’49, P’91 speaking at the 2014 Forman School Commencement

far from its original spot, became an impromptu memorial in the days following the attack, and today serves as a powerful reminder of who we lost that day and of those who survived.

Seward had many passions but he never forgot the essential value of Forman’s educational mission. He was a steadfast friend of the School especially in times of transition.

Seward hosted many not-to-bemissed Forman events at the New York Yacht Club. In 2015, the School gave Seward a boat made

by Forman students as a tribute to his enduring legacy and as proof of what young people can do with the proper support.

Friends and family close to Seward recall with fondness the singalongs he conducted on Wednesday afternoons at the Grounds for

Sculpture, a 42-acre sculpture park in Hamilton, NJ. Seward believed in the power of song and believed the singalongs, which his grandfather led at family gatherings, injected some fun into the sometimes-too-serious business of life.

Justin Solomon, Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement, had a long relationship with Seward and remembers him very fondly.

“Seward could be mischievous, a rascal, but in the nicest way,” says Solomon. “He believed that art should make people think. And talk. He also believed that if you thought or spoke about art differently than he did, all the better.”

Seward was also a consummate storyteller and was wonderful company. “He never complained if he was recognized by fans,” says Solomon. “He loved interacting with people who wanted to talk about his art. He was always touched to hear what people thought of his work.

A core belief of Seward’s was in the essential goodness of people.

I was with him a few times when he had misplaced his wallet, something he did a lot, from the day he got out of the Navy and all through his life. He often told me of various times when people went to great lengths to return his wallet to him, with all of the cards and cash accounted for. These stories reinforced his belief in people and helped him to see the bright side of life.”

55

I N

M E M O R I A M

A Tribute to David Douglas Walter ’69 Software engineer David made any big decision.

Douglas Walter ’69 died on Dave did not see his June 23, 2020 in Seattle, role on the Board in the WA, with his sons by his same way that so many side. Born in Wilmington, do. Whenever he came to DE, he was the oldest of four campus on Board business, sons of William I. and Jessica he always included an extra (Allen) Walter. He grew up day or two so he could meet in Needham, MA, and began with current students and his schooling there. After faculty. That was unusual graduating from Forman but says a lot about how President of the Board Jon Zagrodzky P’18, P’19, Head of School Adam School, Dave attended the Dave approached that role.”

K. Man P’15, David Walter ’69, Trustee Emeriti Scott Sutherland ’69, P’93 Cornell University School of What Dave was about, Engineering. an outstanding mind, and was teaching and how he approached life, can After moving to Seattle in the early himself Latin and Ancient Greek. Dave be gleaned from this quote from 1980s, Dave began his career in the loved watching the birds and wildlife his Commencement Address to the computer business. After starting in outside his Mazama, WA, home.

Forman Class of 2013: hardware design, Dave moved into Dave is survived by his two sons, My own success went far beyond software where he made significant Doug and Brendon; and three brothers, what I ever considered possible contributions to the industry. He Glenn (Dale), Graham (Lois), and Scott when I was a student. One wit was one of the founders (in 1984) (Sabine); along with nieces and a nephew, commented that I was uninformed, of Aldus Corporation, a software Carolyn, Lauren, Julia, and Christopher. that PageMaker could not be done, so company that in 1985 invented the Education was important to Dave.

I went ahead and did it anyway. That first desktop publishing program, He took great care and interest in is the Forman way: to know what you PageMaker. In 1990, Dave became his sons’ education, often serving or can do, first you must try. a co-founder of what became Visio consulting at the institutions they Dave was always looking ahead. He Corporation and he was the technical attended, and that was reflected in his had an open mind to the possibilities architect of the Visio software. lifetime relationship with Forman. of what the future could be. Given Its success owes much to Dave’s “Dave was a thoughtful and caring how important Forman always was contributions. After leaving Visio, man, very progressive and accepting,” to Dave, and how the needs of the Dave participated in several other says Justin Solomon, Assistant Head of students mattered so much to him, software ventures.

School for Institutional Advancement.

Dave’s will included the largest Dave loved to “tinker” in his “He viewed his role on Forman’s Board legacy gift in the history of the electronics workshop, use his of Trustees as an advocate of the needs of School. “Dave’s generosity speaks telescope, mountain bike, hike, and students. He was a very circumspect man for itself,” says Solomon. “He was cross-country ski, and was widely who was very patient and deliberate in always interested in strengthening the read in areas ranging from ancient his actions. He was quite brilliant and he foundation of the School so it can history to astronomy and physics. He preferred to have all the information laid continue to serve its students.” enjoyed classical music, opera, had out about a particular situation before he

56

JULY 5 – JULY 30, 202 1 Coed • Boarding & Day • Grades 7–11 The Forman Summer Program is a four-week, coed boarding and day camp that takes place on the Forman School campus during the month of July. Open to any students entering grades 7-11 who would benefit from our individualized approach to learning, this program provides students insight into our innovative teaching techniques. During the Forman Summer Program, students learn independence, self-advocacy, and academic strategies that they can apply in the classroom and beyond.

For more information, please visit formanschool.org/summer or email admission@formanschool.org.

57

Forman School 12 Norfolk Road P.O. Box 80 Litchfield, CT 06759-0080 Change Service Requested

FSC logo here

Printed on recycled paper.