The Archon Fall 2021

A M AGA Z I NE PUBLI S HED BY T H E GO VER N O R ’ S AC AD E M Y

THE GREAT MARSH IS OUR CLASSROOM Plans take shape for a new academic facility on the banks of the Parker River

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“We are blessed to support the Academy in multiple ways, including through a planned gift.”

—Jon ’93 and Jess Jett Jon ’93 and Jess Jett are committed to the Academy’s motto: not for self, but for others. By supporting Govs in meaningful ways, including a planned gift, Jon and Jess hope to help continue making academic, athletic, and artistic opportunities available for future generations of students.

Visit thegovernorsacademy.org/give to learn more about the Schoolhouse Society and other planned giving opportunities.

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Contents Message from the Head of School

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Celebrating 50 Years of Women at Govs

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In with the New School Govs Faculty Reinventing the Classroom

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DEI and the Work Ahead Q&A with Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby

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The Beginning of a New Era Year One of Women at The Governor’s Academy

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With True Courage, The Campaign for Governor’s 22

Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14 Head of School EDITORS

Lindsay McPherson Batastini Director of Marketing & Communications Ola Russell P’21,’23 Associate Director of Marketing & Communications Caley S. Lynch Assistant Director of Communications DESIGN

Back in Byfield

Graphic Details, Inc.

CLASS OF 2021 COMMENCEMENT & CLASS OF 2020 CELEBRATION

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NEW TRUSTEES

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RETIRING AND EMERITUS FACULTY & STAFF

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ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, AND ARTS

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CHAT: ALEEM OGUNSANYA ’22

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Alumni in Action

PUBLISHER

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ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR

EVENTS

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MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI COUNCIL PRESIDENT

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CLASS NOTES

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In Memoriam

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Faculty Profile

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ACADEMY ARCHIVIST

Sharon Slater P’16,’20,’22 PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kindra Clineff Alison Ebacher Porter Gifford Carly Gillis Jackson Hurd-Messom ’22 Leo Lin ’21 David Oxton P’03,’08 Paul Rutherford William Tangorra DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

Leslie Dickey

ABOUT THE COVER Students participate in field research with faculty member Jamie Brandt on the banks of the Parker River in the heart of the Great Marsh, directly across from the proposed site for the new Alfond Environmental Studies Center at the north end of campus.

The Archon is published two times a year by The Governor’s Academy Letters are welcome from alumni, parents, and friends of the Academy.

Photo by Kindra Clineff

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TRUSTEES OF THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY James M. Pierce ’72, P’08, President James L. Rudolph ’68, P’05,’12, Vice President Elizabeth Tuthill Farrell ’84, P’14,’17,’18,’22, Secretary Steven G. Shapiro ’74, P’09, Treasurer William L. Alfond ’67 William H. Brine, III ’80, P’09,’14 Byung Soo Baik P’18 Frank Cousins P’20 Colin Cross ’74 Rob DeLena ’87, P’21, Alumni Council President Jonathan J. Doyle P’08,’09,’19 Milan Gary ’12, Alumna Trustee Phillip S. Gillespie P’22 Stephanie Ginsberg ’85, P’20 Lucy Armstrong Henkes ’87, P’21,’23 Stephen G. Kasnet ’62, P’95 Mitzi Lawlor P’19,’21 Karen Ruth McAlmon, MD, FAAP P’13 Thomas M. Mercer, Jr. ’61 Jen Migliore ’10, Alumna Trustee Paul Nardone ’86, P’19 Brian Patrican P’21 Molly Scharfe Prinn ’95, P’23,’25 Spencer L. Purinton ’75, P’13,’14,’20 Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, ex officio Archie Seale ’93 Mark B. Whiston P’21

Alumni Council Rob DeLena ’87, P’21, President Laura Sullivan ’07, 1st Vice President Saundra Watson ’93, 2nd Vice President Jonathan Bird ’10 Naomi Fink ’99 Daria Grayer ’00 John Heald ’64 Jennifer Migloire ’10, Alumna Trustee Andy Ramirez ’98 Jason Rivera ’96 Pam Toner ’74 Alison Williams ’89 Jennifer Wong ’04 Scotch Wilson ’20, Collegiate Representative Abigail DeLena ’21, Collegiate Representative

Message from Head of School In the fall of 1970, Director of Admission John Witherspoon prepared a memorandum proposing that Governor Dummer Academy should begin accepting female day students. The idea was widely supported and after Headmaster Val Wilkie secured approval from the Board of Trustees, GDA welcomed twenty-four girls in the fall of 1971. Ten years later, John Witherspoon reflected, among other things, that girls were adding an important, positive new dimension to classroom discussions. And of course, this was just one of the ways in which the addition of women to the campus community changed the Academy for the better. Fast forward to today and fully 50 percent of our Academy students identify as female. They play leadership roles in all areas of campus life, and one of our most active student organizations is SWAGA (Strong Women at Governor’s Academy). Witherspoon began as a champion of coeducation at Governor’s, and remained an ardent supporter throughout his tenure, though I wonder if he and his colleagues could have imagined the impact of coeducation on the vibrancy and diversity of thought and talent that we celebrate today at Govs.

I recently enjoyed studying the pages of the 1973 Milestone, the yearbook for that first graduating class that included women, and I was impressed by the accomplishments of these twenty-four young women—not because they were female, but because the Academy must have been a challenging place for those pathbreaking students. Not everyone embraced coeducation at that time, but by taking full advantage of everything that was available to them, and by pushing for more, those young women left their mark on our school’s history. Because of their courage, and the courage of the many pathbreakers who followed them, Governor’s is a stronger, more accomplished, more inclusive community than the one they found when they first arrived in Byfield in 1971.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of co-education at The Governor’s Academy and I am looking forward to the many opportunities we will have over the next eighteen months to celebrate the achievements of our remarkable alumnae with you. I’m also honored to play a part in continuing to make Governor’s even more diverse and inclusive, because this value remains at the heart of our school’s mission.

In this issue of The Archon, you will also learn more about some exciting new developments for With True Courage, The Campaign for Governor’s. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, parents, past parents, employees, and friends, we have met the $75M goal announced when we launched the campaign in the fall of 2017. We have completed capital projects, including the expanded Peter Marshall French Student Center, new faculty housing, a new track and turf field, and raised nearly $12M for financial aid endowment. Last month, I announced a $15M pledge from Bob ’67 and Anne Bass, which includes a $10M challenge. Inspired by their generosity, we have decided to increase the campaign goal to $100M. If we are successful in meeting the challenge, this will be the largest gift in the history of the Academy. Read more about the campaign and the challenge on page 24.

Though we enter this year with caution and empathy for those among us who are still suffering through the pandemic, there is also a lot to celebrate as we look forward to resuming more familiar school days and meeting you “on the road” to share news and celebrate our extraordinary Govs community.

With True Courage,

Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14 Head of School

Mansion House, built by William Dummer around 1716 (and subsequently added onto), is the home of the Head of School, just as it was in 1763. Legend has it that William Dummer carried his new bride, Catherine Dummer, to the front steps, through the remarkably wide front door, and up the staircase— all the time on horseback.

— John W. Ragle, Governor Dummer Academy History, 1763–1963

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Left: The 1973 first girls field hockey team; Right Top: In 1986, Peter Bragdon awards the Morse Flag to Jennifer Grimes ’86; Right Bottom: 1983, dancers on the Thompson Auditorium stage

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The first girls tennis team, 1981

Fifty years ago...

1981

Fifty years ago, in the fall of 1971, Governor Dummer Academy decided to admit girls for the first time in over sixty years; these twenty-four intrepid pioneers permanently ended the school’s status as an all-male institution. Recognizing this milestone is as much about celebrating the pioneers as it is about honoring all the girls and women who have called Byfield home.

Over the next year and a half, we look forward to having you join us for a program of special events to celebrate the accomplishments of the remarkable women who have contributed to the excellence and vibrancy of Governor’s. We invite you to dive into the fascinating, and often controversial, history of women at the Academy, and examine the progress we’ve made and the opportunities ahead.

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2002 dance perfomance in the Chapel featuring Rachelle Dennis ’02, Francesca DeMeo ’02, and Heather Jameson ’02

2002

The very first group of girls (only six) were admitted to Governor Dummer Academy in 1872 for a short time under the headship of Ebenezer Greenleaf Parsons, (1872–1882), and again in 1897, a small number of female day students were permitted to study at the school. During their time at Governor Dummer, the girls largely excelled and several won academic prizes at the end of the school year. Despite key individuals who championed their cause, the trustees ended coeducation and dismissed the girls in 1904.

Whether or not the girls received diplomas at graduation has been a topic of debate. Carrie Knight Ambrose, class of 1876, and Carrie S. Dummer, class of 1879, received honorary diplomas as 70-year-old women during Commencement in 1939. However, Carrie Knight’s original diploma, which now hangs in the Academy archives, is dated 1876 and is signed by then Headmaster Parsons.

First female alumna, Carrie Knight Ambrose (also founder of the Allies)

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1992 Faculty Emerita Kathy Guy P’05 (1949–2017), and Faculty Emerita Laurel Abusamra P’93, (1947–2020)

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Shortly after the arrival of female students, GDA realized the importance of female faculty members to help mentor and support the academic, social, and co-curricular experiences of these young women. Within the first five years, they hired two women in the language department, Kathy Guy and Laurel Abusamra, who went on to be two of the longest-serving female faculty in the history of the school. Both women quickly became trusted teachers, role models, mentors, and friends to countless students during their tenure.

“Opportunities for girls to play ice hockey were not available until 1984 when several female students asked Lynda Fitzgerald if she would coach a new girls’ hockey club, which became a formalized team the following year. Despite having to wear old football uniforms, the team made the most of the situation and set Govs on the path to another highly successful girls’ athletics program.”

— The Governor’s Academy history teacher and archivist Sharon Slater P’16,’20,’24

Girls hockey club 1984, with faculty Lynda Fitzgerald P’93,’00

1979 1997

L to R: Emerita Faculty Coach Maud Havovit P’09,’13, Girls Varsity Lacrosse captains Piper Gore ’97 and Colleen Christopher ’97, and Coach Anna Hill ’85.

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IN WITH THE NEW SCHOOL In the spring of 2020, with a global pandemic demanding that teachers reinvent their classroom experience and pedagogy for hybrid and fully remote learning, Govs faculty took steps to reimagine their classroom experience, in most instances with the help of a new technology or two.

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With our transition back to fully in-person learning, Govs faculty reflect on some new tools and technologies that they plan to keep using because of the success they and their students experienced using them.

During the pandemic, my students did all their written work using Google Docs. Early in the year, I noticed that students’ work was being submitted with fewer errors and more accurate use of complex structures and verb tenses, many of which we had not yet covered

makes an error on verb conjugation, research suggests that incorrect form clutters up their mind. Even when they are taught the correct form, when they later go to retrieve that conjugation from their memory, they will often mistake which is the correct form. By avoiding

“... I will continue to find ways, like Google Docs suggestions, to help my students keep inaccurate language structures from interfering with the accurate ones.”

Jake Falconer P’19,’21 Spanish Teacher

in class. Initially, I was concerned that students were cheating, but I realized that Google Docs auto-detects the language and then makes suggestions as students are writing. They were simply paying attention to the suggestion feature of the app!

When I was a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire, I took a second language acquisition class.

One of the principles I learned was that it is better to avoid exposing second language learners to errors whenever possible. When, for example, a student

exposing learners to the incorrect form, that confusion is eliminated.

The traditional way in which a language has been taught, in many ways, encourages learners to make mistakes.

This year, I noticed an improvement in my students’ writing skills. Moving forward, I will continue to find ways, like Google Docs suggestions, to help my students keep inaccurate language structures from interfering with the accurate ones.

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In last year’s hybrid learning model, I wanted my Spanish classes to be engaging and fun for students as they developed the necessary skills in the language. I decided to create “escape rooms” to teach and review new vocabulary. Escape rooms made learning a competitive activity. Students could

through a number of virtual “rooms” to successfully “escape” as they learned along the way.

Escape rooms gave students, at all levels, agency on their learning and kept them engaged. As we transition back to inperson learning this year, I will continue to use this activity because it positively

“I decided to create ’escape rooms’ to teach and review new vocabulary. Escape rooms made learning a competitive activity. ” Michelle de la Guardia Spanish Teacher

work individually or in small groups to try to decipher the puzzles and respond correctly to progress through the room. Using Google Forms and Google Slides that incorporated virtual jigsaw puzzles, recorded conversations, and other digital activities, students worked

contributes to classroom dynamics and keep students on their toes as they develop their language skills.

When we first started teaching remotely, I had surprising success getting high-profile photographers Matt Eich and Pete Souza to present their work to my students. In the spring, I assembled a “dream team” of presenters, six highly regarded photographers who dazzled the students in the Persuasive

impossible, to get these photographers to travel to Govs in-person.

As a result of teaching remotely for over a year, I learned that photographers are very willing to participate in online discussions with students.

Every photographer I invited said

“As a result of teaching remotely for over a year, I learned that photographers are very willing to participate in online discussions with students.”

David Oxton P’03,’08 Photography Teacher

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Images Visiting Professional Seminar.

Students learned how much patience it took for Jessica Rinaldi to earn the trust of the family she photographed for her Pulitzer Prize-winning series about poverty and trauma. Students heard Harry Scales describe what it was like to be on the ground capturing the Black Lives Matter protests across the US. It would have been challenging, if not

yes. I plan to keep reaching out to top-level professional photographers who I feel will offer my students compelling images and viewpoints.

The convenience and cost-efficiency of a professional presenting to students over Zoom makes continuing this practice a no-brainer for me.

For years, when I assign reading, I often—not always—also have students think about a question that we will discuss in the next class: What is revealed about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship in the following

variety. Enter FlipGrid, a video discussion format. Not to worry, I still have the students write ... plenty! Rather than write a response every night, every third or fourth reading assignment I would have them record their responses on

“An unexpected bonus: Those students who are typically reluctant to speak in the traditional class discussion setting—their voices could be heard.”

Steve Ogden P’19 English Teacher

scene? What themes and/or techniques do Maya Angelou and Amanda Gorman employ in their inauguration poems?

In the spring of 2020, as we all were trying to figure out what techniques worked best when everyone was online, and ease of discussion was going to be tested, I had the students write their responses almost every night.

But that summer I looked for something that would fulfill the same goal—have students read and think about what they read—while allowing for a little

Going fully virtual in spring of 2020 required students to turn in all of their work electronically. When we returned to school in fall of 2020 in a hybrid format, it just made sense to have all students turn in all work in the same format—electronic. There are several other benefits to student work being turned in electronically: Electronic formats provide creative options for students. They can upload text, photo, video, and audio files for any assignment.

Bert McLain P’07,’09 Science Teacher

video. Even a Luddite like me could figure out the mechanics of it. The tried and true techniques of argumentation held firm—come up with a specific argument, support it with evidence, and analyze and explain that evidence. An unexpected bonus: Those students who are typically reluctant to speak in the traditional class discussion setting—their voices could be heard. I plan to continue to use FlipGrid so students can practice making verbal as well as written arguments.

Our Learning Management System timestamps assignments so it’s easy to know if students’ work was on time or late.

As a science teacher, I cannot help but think about the positive impact reducing students’ use of paper is having on our environment.

I was initially reluctant to have students turn in assignments online because of the lack of flexibility I perceived in correcting electronic

“As a science teacher, I cannot help but think about the positive impact reducing students’ use of paper is having on our environment.”

“Orphaned papers”—assignments that are turned in at a different time—are difficult to keep track of and present a challenge when it’s time to correct an assignment.

assignments. Now that I am confident that I can provide comprehensive, detailed feedback to electronic assignments, I plan to continue with the practice.

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Q&A WITH DR. PETER H. QUIMBY ’85, P’14

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DEI and the Work Ahead Over the past year, The Governor’s Academy has sharpened its focus on making the school a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. Leading this effort has been a top priority for Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, who has pledged to continue fostering an environment in which every student can thrive and benefit from all that a Governor’s education has to offer. In a candid interview, Dr. Quimby reflects on the past year and the plans for the year ahead.

Q:

You have written to the community about race and racism several times in the last year; how do you see that work continuing?

First of all, it is important to remember that our work as a school community in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) began well before this past year and will continue for as long as we have issues to address as a community. I appointed our DEI Steering Committee ten years ago in my first year as head of school, and sometimes I worry that people see our commitment to DEI work as a kneejerk reaction to recent social and political dynamics, or worse, the outright adoption of a particular partisan viewpoint. I would be naïve if I did not acknowledge that much of the conversation around equity and inclusion has become highly politicized in our country, but our commitment to the work transcends those issues and is focused on values that are grounded in our mission.

When we welcome students into the Governor’s community, we are making a promise that we will deliver on the Seven Essential Skills while ensuring that every student has full access to all of the benefits of a Governor’s education. In conversations with groups of students in recent years, and in the voices of those students and alumni who have posted their stories on social media, we have heard that too often Govs has been less welcoming, less accessible, and less

inclusive of those who have traditionally felt marginalized in institutions like ours—students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ students, and students of color.

We are taking these voices seriously and are committed to strengthening our community moving forward. We know how important it is for all of our students to see themselves reflected in our curriculum, and we know that the educational experience of all of our students is enhanced when they learn from role models who bring a variety of perspectives and life experiences to the classroom. It’s our job to ensure that students are prepared to collaborate and lead effectively in the diverse and globally interconnected world they will enter after Govs. That is why we must do this work—to ensure that we are delivering on our mission and our values.

Q:

Can you share examples of DEI-focused work happening at Govs?

I’m really energized by the level of commitment and dedication that I’ve witnessed from nearly all members of our extended Govs family. Academic departments, the library, and our College Counseling Office conducted department reviews and audits, and we are already adding more diverse courses and readings to our curriculum, along with inclusive pedagogical approaches in the classroom. We also have many opportunities in our co-curricular programming. A great example was Dean of Faculty Dr. Monica Palmer’s choice to

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produce Until the Flood last fall, which helped our community better understand the experiences of Black Americans in this country. And our newly initiated DEI Family Committee has partnered with our Dean of Multicultural Education, Eddie Carson, to provide our families with workshops and discussions.

All faculty and staff members have participated in mandatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training, and we hosted a series of DEI seminars for students, employees, and families, as well as discussions with alumni. I can’t think of a week during this past school year where there wasn’t at least one school-wide program or seminar designed to promote cultural understanding, empathy, awareness, and equity in our Govs community.

Q:

How has the Board of Trustees become involved in supporting this work?

The Board established a DEI Committee over a year ago. Chaired by Dr. Karen McAlmon P’13, this committee is working to guide the work we are doing as a senior leadership team, and to engage the full Board in workshops, readings, and discussions on this important topic. In consultation with this committee, we will be partnering with a DEI consultant to facilitate our DEI work school-wide starting this fall and identify key priorities for us as a school and to help us chart a path forward.

Q:

Why is this work so important to the school?

Conversations around issues of equity and inclusion have come to the fore in nearly all aspects of life in our country and our world. Our job as educators is to help our students understand these important issues, and then make decisions about how to put that knowledge to use in their own lives. Our job is to teach students how to think, not what to think—that will always be core to our mission.

Q:

How is Govs supporting students as we engage in this work?

It is critical that we create spaces for students to share their struggles and what it means to live through the racial realities that they experience. All students want to feel safe to use their voices and feel that they are being seen and heard.

We must do everything that we can to help students share their experiences within our community so that they feel that their fellow students and teachers better understand them. We have a number of student affinity groups, but we also recognize that we need more diverse faculty to mentor these groups.

Students need adults who understand their experiences and perspectives on a personal level; who can support them and affirm that they are not responsible for representing an entire group—it’s a heavy burden.

I’m excited to engage as a school community in discussions, initiatives, and events this year aimed at making Govs a school where every person feels valued, included, and heard. We all have an opportunity right now to do the work that will allow us to look back at this moment with pride.

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“Our job is to teach students how to think, not what to think— that will always be core to our mission.”

Students were happy to be back on campus for the first day of classes on September 13, 2021

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Archives “It was obviously the sense of the meeting that the time for enrolling girls was rapidly approaching.”

Trustee minutes, February 1970

The Beginning of a New Era Year One of Women at The Governor’s Academy

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THE ARCHIVES

For over 200 years, with only two ten-year exceptions, Governor Dummer Academy had been a boys’ school. Catalogs and fundraising efforts touted the Academy’s success in educating boys and leading them on the path to manhood. In 1971, that changed forever when the first girls arrived. Here is a look back at the decision and the words of those who lived through the era.

The story behind making this decision had both a public and a private side.

Publicly, the decision had almost unanimous support, with concerns primarily related to logistics rather than philosophy: creating bathrooms and locker rooms, developing athletic programs, and hiring female faculty, at an estimated cost of about $1,000,000.

Privately, this traditional school was concerned about the decision’s potential impact on the institution and its mission to create leaders among men.

The topic of admitting girls was initially brought up in earnest during the February 1970 Board of Trustees meeting. According to the minutes from that meeting, “Mr. Dietz asked if this might not be the time to consider co-education. The entire committee was in agreement that it should be considered favorably.” Perhaps not coincidentally, that spring, the trustees of both Exeter and St. Paul’s voted in favor of admitting girls. During the prior year, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale all announced plans to admit women.

The floodgates were opening, so it was no surprise that the Board of Trustees wanted to investigate this option as well. While the initial discussion took place in February of 1970, plans stalled over the next eight months.

Many assume the decision was financially motivated. Applications for admission at that time were declining, particularly among prospective boarding students. The school had mostly been able to fill its admissions quota, but much of this had been done by over-enrolling day students to compensate for vacancies in the boarding population. Coeducation brought a new pool of applicants for day admission, which didn’t solve the problem of filling dormitory beds, but did assist in maintaining tuition revenue.

While concern about tuition revenue may have motivated some supporters of coeducation, factors such as the changing educational and political landscape also influenced the Board of Trustees’ decision.

In January of 1971, a proposal for the admission of girls came to a vote. In the minutes of the January 23, 1971 Trustee Meeting, Carl A. Pescosolido, Jr. described the flip-flopping on the issue: “After the most heated exchange that this writer has witnessed since becoming part of this Board, and after at least a dozen

attempts at putting a motion into a form acceptable to all members present, and after Mr. Smith, Schumann, Goodhue had left, it was moved and seconded that the Trustees accept the recommendation of the Headmaster and to have girl day students admitted in the Fall of 1971.”

Although this seemed to be the end of the discussion, Pescosolido surprisingly followed this by writing, “After further heated discussion, the motion was defeated.” Why was the original motion defeated? Perhaps trustees feared the expense of creating adequate facilities for girls, or maybe they worried that their standing as “the finest” all-boys school in the area (according to one trustee) should be preserved.

While the rationale behind the original defeat is unclear, we know that the vote did not end the discussion. In fact, Pescosolido records that, “After considerable further discussion it was moved, and duly seconded that the Board direct the Headmaster to accept girl day students in the fall of 1971. It was unanimously voted.” What convinced the original naysayers was

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THE ARCHIVES

“On opening day, one could sense the added excitement”

not included in the notes from the meeting, but in a 2016 interview, Dick Phippen ’38, Trustee Emeritus, shared his memories from that day: “The board seemed to be the lynchpin that didn’t want to have it happen.

I think the faculty were more enthusiastic ... there was quite a lot of talk about it ... this shouldn’t happen, this is a boys’ school, and [some of] the alumni were quite upset about it ... But it finally came to a vote and it was a [unanimous] vote and it was probably the most exciting thing that we did.”

The back and forth represented the Trustees’ challenge of navigating their own feelings as well as those of other constituencies: students, faculty, and alumni. Ultimately, they sided with what was likely the majority opinion of all of these groups.

Voting to admit women was step one.

Now, the Academy needed to find girls that were both interested and qualified.

An interview with John Witherspoon published in The Governor in the spring of 1971, only five months prior to the opening of school, revealed the potential for an awkward climate in the fall. The student interviewer asked if Witherspoon was “giving girl applicants priority,” and if he would “give priority to the [girls] who were attractive.” These “priorities” may

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have shaped student attitudes towards future female students. Witherspoon, likely along with many of the male students, was “astonished at the number who seem to like to play basketball.”

Most male students and faculty couldn’t imagine how much these girls would resemble the boys in their skills and interests. The identity of the school had been so intertwined with its role as a boys’ school that many were unable to see beyond this role.

Despite its naivete regarding these incoming female students, the campus community was generally excited about the change. The 1972 Milestone explained that “On opening day one could sense the added excitement” and also remarked that the addition of girls “was for most a pleasant change.”

Students called the admission of girls a “welcomed change” that would create “a more realistic atmosphere.” Faculty seemed to share students’ positive outlook, with one writing: “The real question is: why not have girls at Governor Dummer?”

According to Faculty Emeritus Mike Moonves P’02, “Everyone was supportive of coeducation, but perhaps the planning wasn’t what it should have been.” Moonves’ comment was an understatement. While the estimated cost of preparing the campus for girls was $1,000,000, only a fraction of this was spent prior to the girls’ arrival. Few of the changes

to infrastructure used to calculate the cost were put in place by the fall of 1971. While the community may have been ready for the change mentally, logistically the campus fell short.

Instead of renovating the Alumni Gym to include new showers, toilets, and locker rooms for the girls, Boynton was repurposed, at a significant monetary savings. The school had taken Boynton “offline” as a dormitory during the previous year as it struggled to admit enough qualified boarding students. In the fall of 1971, Boynton took on a new role as the headquarters for the newly admitted females. Boynton was all purpose: locker room, showers, lounge, and all around safe haven for the girls during that school year.

Boynton’s role may have contributed to the bond described by Anne MacKaySmith ’75 in her 1991 The Archon article. “What strikes me, in retrospect, is that there was an unusual fellowship among the girls in the first days of coeducation: freshmen hobnobbing with juniors, smokers with non-, girls who were decidedly cool with those who in a later era have been known as nerds or tweeds.” Other girls from that first year spoke of gathering in Boynton and using the opportunity to both vent and connect. During a 2001 panel discussion, one alumna from this first year spoke of girls devising a plan in the Boynton lounge for a “walk-out,” which never came to fruition.

The school also needed to address the need for programming. Girls’

THE ARCHIVES

“The school had not yet hired a coach for girls’ teams; neither uniforms nor opponents from other schools were part of their experience.” sports were not yet up and running.

Headmaster Wilkie and the Trustees had discussed the need to provide athletic opportunities for the girls, yet provisions for an interscholastic athletic program had not been put in place. The girls that fall were expected to participate in either recreational soccer or modern dance. Yearbook photos show girls playing soccer in shorts and t-shirts. The school had not yet hired a coach for girls’ teams; neither uniforms nor opponents from other schools were part of their experience.

Hiring for academic subjects was an issue as well. Despite discussions regarding the importance of role models for the girls, the school had only a few female faculty members and leaned heavily on the unpaid (and often unrecognized) faculty wives to

assist in this area. The male faculty, despite their theoretical support for coeducation, did not have the experience with girls to guide them in all areas. Today we can laugh at former faculty member Marshall Clunie’s directive to students regarding dress for a formal event. Clunie announced, “Boys will wear jackets and ties and girls will wear—whatever it is that girls wear when boys wear jackets and ties.”

Whether it was athletic opportunities, bathrooms, advising, or dress code, Governor Dummer, despite good intentions, was decidedly unprepared for its new female arrivals.

the student body. Current girls’ athletic teams often dominate the league, and multiple departments have female teachers outnumbering male. While The Governor’s Academy continues to evolve into a more inclusive institution, 1971 marked a dramatic move towards this goal.

The transition to coeducation did not end in 1971, but evolved over many years. Girls went from being a significant minority of the student population to being a large portion of

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WITH TRUE COURAGE

THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

WELCOME TO OUR NEXT BOLD MOMENT The most successful campaign in the school’s history is poised to reach its goal—and is ready to go further On October 14, we announced a historic $15 million gift from Bob ’67 and Anne Bass. The gift—the largest in the school’s history—has transformative power. It establishes the Bass Institute, an incubator for innovative curricula at Governor’s and beyond. And it launches The Bass Challenge, a visionary grant that allows us to catapult beyond our original campaign goal of $75 million and set a bold new goal: $100 million by the end of 2023.

The announcement was a moment of pride for our school. It was also a moment of profound gratitude to the more than 4,000 members of the Govs community who have supported the campaign with gifts of all sizes.

Our new goal is reflective of a deeper investment needed to realize all of the priorities set forth in the campaign: bringing the Alfond Center and the Bass Institute to life, expanding our commitment to student aid and faculty excellence, and cultivating greater support for The Governor’s Fund, the school’s engine of opportunity.

“ The Govs community continually inspires me with its energy, its imagination, and its dedication. I’m proud of how far we’ve come in this campaign—and I know that together we can redefine what is possible for the future of the Academy.”

PETER H. QUIMBY, PH.D. ’85, P’14 HEAD OF SCHOOL 22

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Our Next Bold Goal

$75 million

$100 million $11.1 million

Raised to Date

20% Friends

4,368 23%

57% Alumni

Total Donors

Parents

$14 million raised for The Governor’s Fund

$17 million given in support of financial aid and faculty excellence

committed by donors who included Govs in their estate plans

$17 million invested in capital projects

donors made a gift of

$3 MM

$22 million

140 $50,000 or more

1,913

201

First time donors

Members of the Schoolhouse Society

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Raised in FY14

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Raised in FY21

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THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

CUTTING EDGE LEARNING Bold gifts lead the way for innovation on the banks of the Parker River For over a decade, the Governor’s science department has been bringing its classes to the Great Salt Marsh to learn in one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world. Now, thanks to two forward-thinking gifts from members of the Class of 1967, we’ll go further. We’ll bring the Great Salt Marsh to our students and faculty members—and send them into the field to work with new partners and conduct new research.

On the northern edge of campus, on the banks of the Parker River, Governor’s plans to construct a state-of-the-art research facility, the Alfond Environmental Studies Center. The Bill ’67 and Joan Alfond Foundation led the way for this important project with a lead gift of $5 million. Designed in partnership with scientists from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, the facility will include a wet lab fed by water drawn from the river, a workshop, classrooms, and accommodations for a scientist in residence.

“Governor’s has always had a strong sense of place. This is a unique opportunity for the school to learn—and lead—where we live,” said Alfond.

Bob ’67 and Anne Bass share Bill and Joan’s vision for the impact of this unique facility on teaching and learning at the Academy. They made a $5 million leadership gift to establish the Bass Institute, which will serve as the intellectual center of environmental science teaching and research initiatives at the Academy, as well as a base for partnerships with research institutes and local agencies. “Our support for the campaign is motivated by my appreciation for what the Academy did for me, and for the difference, the school can make in the lives of others," said Bass.

Together, the Alfond Center and the Bass Institute will serve as an example for innovative science education at the secondary school level. “This is truly a leadership moment for Govs,” said Emily Allen, Science Department Chair. “We can develop new classes and programs that allow students to get high-level, hands-on experience in the field. And we can apply what we’ve learned to other areas of the curriculum. In many ways, we can be a model for the future of education. I can’t wait to get to work.”

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To be constructed on the northern edge of campus, the Alfond Environmental Studies Center will have premier access to the Parker River and the Great Salt Marsh.

In addition to the Center’s wet lab that will draw salt water directly from the Parker River, the facility will also include essential classroom and workshop spaces for collaborative learning.

The Bass Challenge

BOB ’67 AND ANNE BASS have supported the Academy for decades. They believe in creating transformative change with their philanthropy.

Their latest innovation: The Bass Challenge, a $10 million matching grant, invites all of us to go further, faster.

The Challenge is designed to inspire donors to deepen their support in a way that reflects their passions and priorities. It also allows donors to invest in a shared vision for the future of the Academy.

By investing in our highest priorities, alumni, parents, and friends play a crucial role in building a transformative program to continue to set Governor’s apart among top independent schools.

Through the Challenge, which will match one dollar for every two dollars contributed (a 1:2 match) in all endowment and current-use gifts from $50,000 and up, donors can increase the impact of their giving dramatically.

The Bass Challenge is happening now and will run through December 31, 2023. This is our moment to meet a new challenge—and make new history for Govs.

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THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

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THE ELAINE WHITE P’16,’21 ENDOWED FUND FOR FACULTY INNOVATION Last December, Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14, announced that Assistant Head of School and Academic Dean Elaine White P’16,’21 would be leaving her position at the Academy at the end of the 2020–2021 school year to become the ninth head of school at Westminster School in Connecticut. Shortly after this announcement, a movement began within our alumni and family community to honor Elaine and her extraordinary thirty-three years of service at the Academy with the establishment of an endowed fund in her name.

Thanks to generous donations from alumni and family donors who stepped forward, we have established The Elaine White Endowed Fund for Faculty Innovation, which will begin to provide financial support this school year. The fund honors Elaine’s dedication to building the Seven Essential Skills and her enduring motivation to support faculty members who seek to inspire students through critical thinking, collaboration, and the incubation of new ideas—ultimately bringing discovery, joy, and enthusiasm to student learning.

"Elaine’s commitment to high standards, her deep concern for the

well-being of her colleagues, and above all, her devotion to her students have made her an incredible asset to the Academy for decades," said Peter Quimby. This endowed fund is a lasting gift that will continue Elaine’s legacy of supporting faculty professional development, new programs and courses, guest speakers on campus, and off-campus discovery trips for many decades to come. "My favorite moments with faculty are when they ask about trying something new. I love to say yes and fund it, even if we aren’t so certain about how it will work out. I want to fuel their desire to inspire," said Elaine.

We are pleased to acknowledge the donors who have chosen to honor Elaine White and her legacy at the Academy: Anonymous Ariel Shapiro Aggarwal ’09 and Raghav Aggarwal William ’67, Trustee, and Joni Alfond William and Nina Binnie P’10,’11,’15 William ’80, Trustee, and Joanne Brine P’09,’14 Kathryn Burns, Trustee Emerita, and Michael Greeley P’15 Margo L. ’90 and Sunil Dhaliwal William and Christine Dwyer P’15 Betsy ’84, Trustee, and Tom Farrell P’14,’17,’18,’22 Shirley French, P’76, GP’09, Trustee Emerita

Phillip Gillespie, Trustee, and Daniel Randall P’22 Stephanie Gardner Ginsberg ’85, Trustee, and Scott Ginsberg P’20 Robert and Judith Gore P’95,’97 Eric and Deanna MacDonald P’14,’16 Joshua L. Miner IV ’69, P’96,’98 Nathaniel and Elizabeth P. Stevens Foundation Daniel M.’67, Trustee Emeritus, and Mayo Morgan P’97,’02 Thomas and Ann Murtagh P’16,’18,’18 Nicole Nadeau and Michael Guldenstern P’21,’21 James ’72, Trustee, and Polly Pierce P’08

Spencer ’75, Trustee, and Lisa Purinton P’13,’14,’20 Kim Rondeau P’16 James ’68, Trustee, and Susan Rudolph P’05,’12 George, Trustee Emeritus, and Coreen Scharfe P’95,’95,’00, GP’23, ’25 Ivan and Martha Schlager P’17 Steven ’74, Trustee, and Eileen Shapiro P’09 Melissa McDonnell Strobel ’04 and Aaron Stobel Ralph and Valerie Vitale P’18 Chris White P’16,’21

Please note that this honor roll of donors was considered complete on August 1, 2021.

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THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

PRIORITIZING THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY Alumni gifts to financial aid endowment make a Govs education more accessible for bright, talented students There’s no doubt that 2020 was a year fraught with valuable lessons, among them the power of courage and collaboration to bring about positive change. But at Govs, those values had been embraced much earlier with the launch of With True Courage, The Campaign for Governor’s—particularly the goal of raising $15 million in financial aid endowment.

Of that campaign priority, Head of School Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14, a financial aid recipient himself, says "We look to enroll students who are committed to academic excellence, engaged in their community, and interested in a variety of extracurricular activities, regardless of their ability to afford a Governor’s education.

Students like these make our campus an extraordinary place! No priority is more important than making a Govs education possible for exceptionally talented and deserving students."

“The beautiful thing about an endowed fund in support of financial aid is its permanence, so this initiative demonstrates a true commitment by Govs to establish a lasting funding source for financial aid,” says Director of Advancement Leslie Dickey. “The continued investment allows us to attract and enroll exceptionally gifted and deserving students from everywhere,

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from all backgrounds, and at all levels of need.”

Though the magnitude of the initiative is new to Govs, it’s necessary. Roughly one-third of Governor’s students rely on financial aid, and the Academy distributes more than $5 million in aid each year, despite having a significantly smaller endowment than peer schools.

Economic and demographic forecasts suggest that both numbers will continue to rise. Between 2012 and 2020, the cost of supporting need-based financial aid at Govs, for example, nearly doubled.

The challenge of boosting the financial aid endowment inspired trustee Paul Nardone ’86, P’19 to establish an endowed fund. In fact, it played into his entrepreneurial mindset to invest in and develop ideas for long-term success. Throughout his career in the natural food and beverage industry, Nardone has led a number of successful food and beverage companies, including PopCorners, which was bought by PepsiCo in 2019.

“I came to GDA thanks to financial aid, and found Govs to be a challenging environment that stretched me to try new things and take risks. My Govs experience built my foundation and, importantly, my confidence, which helped me succeed in college and beyond,” says Nardone, who grew up in Revere, Massachusetts. “Now I’m

Paul ’86, Trustee, and Laura Nardone P’19

thrilled to be in a position to give back; it’s truly a gift. I feel fortunate to be in a position to help the next generation of Governor’s students experience the true meaning of the school’s motto—not for self, but for others. Thanks to my Govs experience, that motto is something that I truly believe in and try to live by." In addition to establishing The Paul ’86 and Laura Nardone P’19 Scholarship Fund, the Nardones made a significant gift to renovate the Alumni Gym.

“Now I’m thrilled to be in a position to give back; it’s truly a gift.

Rob DeLena ’87, P’21, who shares the same hometown as Nardone, also shares the sentiment of paying it forward, establishing The Robert ’87, Abigail ’21, and Mary Beth DeLena P’21 Scholarship Fund.

“I never thought I would be able to attend Govs until we received my

Abby DeLena ’21 and her father, Rob DeLena ’87, P’21

acceptance and financial aid package,” he recalls of receiving a total of $100,000 over five years. “My life was forever altered by my time in Byfield; I matured socially and went from being terrified to speak in class to serving as Academy President in my senior year. Most importantly, I graduated with great friends who ranged in socioeconomic class and came to Govs with varying life experiences; but each taught me so much. I owed a debt to Govs.”

"My life was forever altered by my time in Byfield; I matured socially and went from being terrified to speak in class to serving as Academy President in my senior year."

And that is something he has not forgotten, even after he went on to found what has become one of the most successful legal placement consultant firms in the country. “It might sound silly, but I am a goal-oriented person

Bug Carper ’14 in jersey #18 from his days on Govs varsity lacrosse team

and needed a target to shoot for, so the scholarship that my wife and I recently funded is my way of settling that debt, repaying every dollar of financial aid that I received from 1983 to 1987.”

Andrew “Bug” Carper ’14 and his father Don Carper P’14 also established an endowed financial aid scholarship that reflects personal experience.

The 8 Scholarship Fund is targeted at supporting athletes.

“I always loved sports, and my goal was to play lacrosse in college,” says Carper, who played lacrosse and football at Govs. “Being able to surround myself with teammates who were achieving that helped me not only develop as a player but get exposure to college recruiters. I had no choice but to get better.”

Carper went on to play lacrosse at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earn a degree in economics.

“Being at Govs opened up doors for me, and I want to give others that same opportunity,” he says. The Carper family has a history of supporting the Govs athletics program, but decided to establish a scholarship in 2021. “It’s

not just about how great a player you are, it’s about who can see how great a player you are. Getting that kind of exposure can be life-changing.”

DeLena agrees. “I still owe tons of interest to Govs,” he jokes of paying back the financial aid he received as a student. But he is serious about that commitment. “I will work to pay that off next because by doing so, I will change the life trajectory of future students.”

“Being at Govs opened up doors for me, and I want to give others that same opportunity” "Each endowed scholarship fund creates a new, permanent resource for financial aid awards. It’s a powerful act of philanthropy that renews itself annually,” says Quimby. “I am personally grateful for the generosity of those in our community who, through their gifts to endowment for financial aid, are giving exemplary students access to a Governor’s education and helping to shape our school’s future."

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Back in Byfield

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

Rain and clouds did not dampen spirits during Commencement weekend for the Class of 2021, the Academy’s 258th graduating class. After a very unconventional year that saw members of the Class of 2021 living and learning in Byfield and across the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 114 seniors received their diplomas on Sunday, May 30. Due to the rainy weather, Saturday’s Baccalaureate service and Senior Awards Ceremony and Sunday’s Commencement exercises were held

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indoors in the Pescosolido Field House.

Seniors and their guests donned raincoats as they gathered around the flagpole for the Morse Flag ceremony, which was awarded to Maria “Bimba” Carpenter of Wenham, MA. For those graduates, families, and friends who were not able to attend Commencement in person, the Academy livestreamed all Commencement weekend events.

Over a dozen seniors attended Commencement via Zoom, proudly

waving to the crowd in the Field House as Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14 read their names.

After receiving their diplomas in the Field House, graduates followed the faculty to Mansion House and ceremoniously jumped the wall. While there were COVID-19 precautions in place, such as mask-wearing and distance between chairs, members of the Class of 2021 and their families were thrilled to be together to celebrate their accomplishments.

B A C K I N BY F I E L D

COLLEGE DESTINATIONS FOR THE CLASS OF 2021 Adelphi University American University Bates College Bentley University Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Bryant University Bucknell University California Institute of the Arts Carleton University Carnegie Mellon University Champlain College Clemson University Colgate University College of the Holy Cross Colorado College Connecticut College Cornell University Denison University Dickinson College

Elon University Emerson College Florida Institute of Technology Fordham University George Washington University Hamilton College Hartwick College Harvard University Indiana University, Bloomington Kenyon College Lehigh University Macalester College Middlebury College Monmouth University Morehouse College New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Providence College Purdue University Rollins College

Sacred Heart University Smith College Southeastern Louisiana University St. Lawrence University Swarthmore College Syracuse University Tufts University University of California, Irvine University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of Connecticut University of Denver University of Florida University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts, Lowell

University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Miami University of Michigan University of Oregon University of Richmond University of Rochester University of South Florida University of Southern California University of Southern Maine University of St. Andrews, UK University of Tampa University of Toronto, Canada University of Utah University of Vermont University of Washington Vanderbilt University Virginia Polytechnic Institute Wake Forest University Wesleyan University Williams College

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Bucknall

Carlson

Marcus Bucknall ’21 and father Steve Bucknall ’85, P’21

Wyatt Carlson ’21 and father David Carlson ’84, P’21

DeLena

Fallon

Abby DeLena ’21 and father Rob DeLena ’87, P’21, Trustee

Bejunior Fallon ’21 and mother Maria Fallon ’96, P’21

Governor’s Legacies Governor’s alumni and their children who became alumni in 2021.

Nadeau

D'Souza/McKenna Ainsley McKenna ’21 and mother Cheryl D’Souza McKenna ’85, P’21

Bailey Nadeau ’21 and Bella Nadeau ’21 and father Dan Nadeau ’89, P’21,’21

Studley Grace Studley ’21 and Noah Studley ’21 and father Rob Studley ’86, P’21,’21

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B A C K I N BY F I E L D

Jumping for Joy: Congratulations, Class of 2020

Soon after March Break in 2020, it became clear that the situation with COVID-19 was getting worse on a daily basis, and by early April, the prospect of returning to campus to finish out the school year, and holding Commencement in person, vanished.

While we did our best to bring a rich, virtual Commencement experience to our students and families, everyone longed to see each other again, in person, and reclaim at least some part of our beloved graduation traditions.

On June 5, 2021, the Academy hosted a celebration for the Class of 2020 and their families. It was a beautiful spring day for students (now alumni!) to sit together as a class on the Mansion House lawn and celebrate a few

symbolic events of graduation, including jumping the wall together. The joy and energy of this long-awaited celebration were contagious; classmates smiled, laughed, and hugged, happy to reunite after their abrupt departure from campus in March of 2020.

We are proud of this talented and resilient class who navigated the pandemic year with grit, perseverance, and creativity. We will never forget your grace and courage. Here’s to you, Class of 2020!

View photo galleries of the Class of 2021 Commencement and Class of 2020 celebration.

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New Board Members Molly Scharfe Prinn ’95, P’23,’25 Molly Prinn graduated from The Governor’s Academy in 1995 and received her undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in 1999, where she majored in history, minored in education, and played lacrosse and field hockey.

She began her professional career as the assistant athletic director at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT, but a desire to be closer to Boston led her to take a job at Milton Academy, where she taught in the PE department, coached varsity field hockey and lacrosse, and lived in the dorm. In 2003, she left Milton to return to Governor’s to teach history and coach varsity lacrosse and field hockey. Molly also worked in admissions, lived in the Peter Marshall French Student Center, and worked in the dorms while at Govs. During that time, she married her husband, Stephen Prinn, who she met at Bowdoin College. They were married on The Governor’s Academy campus in the chapel. Molly left Governors in the fall of 2009 before the birth of her third daughter, Annie.

Since leaving Govs, Molly has continued to coach and she served as the director of the girls program for Cape Ann Youth Lacrosse, and was also the director of community outreach for the Boston Storm in the inaugural season of the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League. She has volunteered at her children’s schools and served as chair of Junior Activities and head of women’s golf at the Essex County Club.

Molly has recently returned to campus for the third time—this time as a parent to her daughters Katie ’23 and Emily ’25.

Molly’s family ties to the Academy run deep, as her father, George S. Scharfe, served on the Board of The Governor’s Academy for 20 years (1993–2013). Her sisters Gretchen Forsyth ’95 and K.K. Richardson ’00 also graduated from the Academy.

Lucy Armstrong Henkes ’87, P’21,’23

Lucy Armstrong Henkes ’87, P’21,’23 Lucy Armstrong Henkes was born and raised in Byfield and is a graduate of The Governor’s Academy Class of 1987. She received her BA from Tufts University in 1991, with majors in history and English. After Tufts, she moved to Boston and joined Massachusetts Financial Services, eventually working on the municipal bond trading desk. Lucy attended the Yale School of Management and received her MBA in 1999. After that, she joined the strategy consulting firm Stax Inc. in Cambridge and worked there as consultant/ managing director until starting her family in 2003.

Lucy and her husband Thilo have three sons, two of whom attend(ed) Governor’s, Willem ’21 and Colin ’23. Their youngest son, Rowan, attends Landmark School and is a member of the class of ’24. Thilo is currently Landmark’s board chair.

Molly Scharfe Prinn ’95, P’23,’25

Lucy has always put her volunteer energy into her sons’ schools. As a Govs parent, Lucy has recently taken on roles as admission greeter and allies ambassador. As an enthusiastic alumna of Govs, Lucy stays involved in various volunteer capacities at the Academy, including class agent and development office outreach. She is honored to continue to serve Governor’s as a member of the Board.

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Goodbye, Governor’s Tried and True It’s a long-standing Govs tradition to celebrate the contributions of our dedicated faculty and staff, some of whom have been granted emeritus status, at the close of each academic year and also bid farewell to those who are retiring or moving on to new opportunities and adventures.

Headmaster Ted Eames coined the term "Old Guard" for faculty and staff who dedicated twentyfive or more years of service to the school. We are pleased to recognize new members to this ever-evolving group of Old Guard in perpetuity through the conferral of emeritus status. Thank you—and here’s wishing you all the best on your journies!

Emeritus Faculty and Staff Mark Bernier Staff Emeritus Mark Bernier came to The Governor’s Academy in the Fall of 1977 as a cook working in the dining hall. Throughout his forty-two-year career at Govs, he filled many roles in dining services and brought his trademark enthusiasm and dedication to every task. His friendly personality made him a welcome mainstay in the dining hall, greeting everyone with warmth, good cheer, and humor, and he was always ready to pitch in wherever needed. Mark retired in the fall of 2020, and we wish him well in his next chapter.

Maud Hamovit P’09,’13 Faculty Emerita For twenty-five years, Maud brought her signature joy and a passion for teaching English to her students, all of whom hold her in the highest regard. She created a classroom rich with learning and laughter, empowering her students to ask, "Why?" She encouraged a love for literature and writing in even the most reluctant student, and she was instrumental in developing generations of readers, writers, and critical thinkers. During her tenure, Maud served as a dorm head, English department chair, lacrosse coach, senior class advisor, and the liaison for the Scholastic Writing Awards. Passionate about social justice, Maud modeled inquiry and action. Since its inception, she served as the SWAGA (Strong Women at Governor’s Academy) advisor and the faculty advisor to the Special Olympics. In addition, Maud served on numerous committees, including the Diversity Committee. Maud will be missed in the classroom and on our campus, but we are grateful that she is retiring to her home just down the road.

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Anita Ceven-Leonard P’05 Staff Emerita Anita joined the Academy in 1990, when she was hired as support staff for the capital campaign and transitioned to various roles, including working in the business office and then as assistant to the athletic director. Anita also worked as a night and weekend receptionist in the main office, and in 1994, she became the administrative assistant to Health Center Director Nancy Bailey. She has served in this role ever since, supporting three subsequent directors and the director of counseling.

Anita has dedicated thirty years of her life to the Academy. Her commitment to her work and her colleagues was evident when she delayed her retirement last fall to support the extraordinary needs of caring for our school community amid the pandemic. Anita is looking forward to spending time with family, including her two grandsons, and more time at her home on Cape Cod and traveling abroad.

She also hopes to schedule a cross-country trip to see more of the United States!

Elaine White P’16,’21 Faculty Emerita Congratulations to Elaine, a beloved teacher, coach, advisor, and dorm parent, and a dedicated member who has served the Academy for thirty-four years in a variety of significant leadership positions, including chair of the English Department, academic dean, interim director of advancement, and assistant head of school.

Known for her dynamic, warm leadership style and strong moral compass, Elaine has worked with the head of school on daily operations and has been at the heart of the school’s strategic planning for the past decade, both at the board and faculty level. Elaine was the first female department chair in the school’s history.

She cultivated and stewarded donors for the school’s capital campaign, With True Courage, led a task force to design and implement a hybrid learning platform for this past hybrid learning year, helped establish the Academy’s Learning Center, managed development and operation of the school’s advisory program, and helped design a summer internship program for rising seniors. Also, she played an instrumental role in creating the school’s Seven Essential Skills and Visiting Professional Seminar Series. Throughout her time at Govs, relationships have remained central to Elaine’s work. She is that rare combination of intelligence, integrity, and kindness. We wish Elaine our best as she takes on her next role as the incoming ninth head of school at Westminster School in Simsbury, CT.

DID YOU KNOW?

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Headmaster Ted Eames coined the term “Old Guard” for faculty and staff who dedicated 25 or more years of service to the school.

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Retiring Faculty

Susan Chase P’89,’00

Christopher Wejchert

After twenty-four years of sharing her love of reading , culture, and education with the Govs community, Susan is retiring. She has been a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America for thirty-seven years and received her BSS in English and history, with a concentration in special studies, from Cornell College and her M.Ed. in school library media from Salem State College.

Susan joined Governor’s in 1997 as the evening reference librarian and three years later became a full-time teaching librarian. After her promotion to director of library services in 2008, she spearheaded transitioning the library into a resource center, which allowed our library to integrate with the circulation and catalog system of MassCAT. In addition, Susan and her team leveraged technology to create a robust tool kit of resources to support students, including helping juniors research their required US History thesis papers to meet different learning styles.

For eight years, Chris has served as our chief financial officer overseeing the business office and academy operations. His leadership includes chairing the Finance, Safety, Enrollment, and Off-Campus Trips committees and other committees on the board of trustees. Chris received his BA from the University of Maine at Orono, and his MA from Yale University in international relations, focused on finance. After college, Chris worked at Brewster Academy, where he taught history, was a dorm head, and coached. After graduate school, Chris worked at the Bank of New England for seven years before returning to boarding schools, this time in business and administration.

Chris worked at the Williston Northampton School, the Loomis Chaffee School (from which his two sons graduated), and Phillips Exeter Academy before coming to The Governor’s Academy. Chris oversaw the business office, facilities, dining, and summer programs, information technology, and human resources at Governor’s. An avid outdoor adventurer, we wish Chris many happy trails and climbs around the world.

Susan is looking forward to living without a computer screen, enlarging her chicken flock, tending to her vegetable garden, adopting a dog , and volunteering at the Emma Andrews Library and Community Center. We are thrilled for her as she plans to spend more time with her family and continues to pursue her lifelong passion for all things Jane Austen.

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Spring Arts

L to R: Alex Russell ’21, Brendan Riley ’24, Katie Riley ’22, Lizzy DelMonico ’22, Morgan Proops ’24, Emmett McKinnon ’24, Faculty Joe Repczynski P’25, and Sean Borque ’24

Oh, What a Byfieldian Night Two-Thousand and Twenty One: Byfieldian Nights is an original play written by the four-student cast of Selena Liu ’21, Lily Zhao ’21, Ericson Kuo ’22, and Malia Kelley ’24. The students dreamed up the idea of using different legends and myths as the basis of a storyline and each wrote a piece themselves. “The cast and I stitched together a winding storyline that wrapped everything up with some liberal use of Monty Python humor,” said film and 3D arts teacher Geoff Brace, also the play’s director. “The cast and the tech crew seemed to have a great deal of fun coming up with all of the sets for the play,” he added. “It was really creative— the set was playful and flat as if the cast was a traveling troupe who had to move all the props and sets from town to town as they performed.”

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Music from around the World The spring concert was a technical and artistic tour de force, livestreamed with both in-person and pre-recorded performances from around the world. Performers included: Evan Gerdes ’23 (piano), Rosie Mejia ’21 (singing), Ivy Le ’21 (piano), Simon Krasnow ’23 (oboe), Acappella Club, Cecelia Rhodes ’22 (singing), Joey DiNanno ’24 (guitar), Selina Liu ’21 (singing), Bill Chan ’23 (violin & piano), Minh Nguyen ’21 (piano), and Lemuel L’Oiseau ’21 (singing). Musical selections included an eclectic mix of composers, including Mendelssohn, Handel, Bach, Elvis Presley, Anson Seabra, Debussy, Rachmaninov, Juan Gabriel, and others.

B A C K I N BY F I E L D

Dance Me through the Pandemic Dance teachers Pam Smith, Fontaine Dubus, and Erin Staffiere, along with the Academy’s dancers, have done amazing work during a time when dancing together seemed all but impossible. Throughout each season this past year, dance students focused their creativity on the exploration of their own movement and its formal structuring to produce and learn choreography. Beyond demonstrating creativity, the dancers showed incredible tenacity and flexibility as they produced, shared, learned, and rehearsed these works virtually. We applaud them for their determination, spirit, and terrific dancing!

shot and choreographed by Dubus, followed the company from the Black Box to places around campus for a playful interpretation of All Night, by Parov Stelar. Sophia Bochert ’23 choreographed precise and original interpretations of This is Heaven by Nick Jonas, and All for Us by Labrinth and Zendaya, which she also danced in a duet with Judy Wang ’23.

The final performance, La Taranta by Ludovico Einaudi, was choreographed by Staffiere and performed by the full dance company, including Bochert, Wang, Natalix Colon ’24, Aby Joyner ’24, and Fiona Xu ’24. View the performance:

—Currie Joya Huntington, Arts Department Chair The spring dance performance, directed by Pam Smith and co-directed by Fontaine Dubus P’11,’13,’15 and Erin Staffiere, expanded the possibilities of a virtual performance by allowing both producers and dancers to take turns filming, performing, and choreographing the show. The first piece,

Art Attack!

No amount of social distancing could stop the Arts Department from putting on the annual spring art show—with a creative twist. Art Attack was a display of student artwork across campus in unexpected places for the Govs community to enjoy.

Students demonstrated their talents and creativity in a variety of media including photography, sculpture, and painting.

“Environmental Collaborative Installation” by incoming ninth graders and Ceramics I and Ceramics II students

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B A C K I N BY F I E L D

Superior Scholarship The Governor’s Academy Chapter of the Cum Laude Society was established in 1934 under the leadership of Headmaster Edward Eames. During the Society’s 115-year existence, there has been no deviation from its original objective: the recognition of superior scholarship. To become eligible for membership, a student’s academic record must be of the highest quality. In addition, the student’s record of conduct within the Academy must be worthy of the honor of Cum Laude membership and reflect credit upon the chapter.

Listed here are the members of the ninetyfirst delegation to the Cum Laude Society from the Class of 2021: Ava Boghosian Molly Bolland Colin Bourque Bimba Carpenter Lauren Fraser Alexander Hallstrom Juneseek Kim Hollen Knoell Ava Kutner Uyen (Ivy) Le Rui (Leo) Lin Grace MacDonald Averill McCorkle Bailey Nadeau Caridad Nugent Trevor Nugent Emily Palmer Jessica Quirk Madison Quirk Zhijian ( Jack) Sun Dani White Jingchen (Lily) Zhao

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B A C K I N BY F I E L D

Game on, Govs!

The fields, rink, courts, tracks, and mats looked different last year as athletics followed the required state guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fall, teams practiced and most varsity teams competed in at least one scrimmage, though without fans. Bleachers and sidelines remained empty throughout most of the winter season, but families and peers were able to watch varsity scrimmages via livestream. By the spring, all varsity and many JV teams were engaged in interscholastic competition, with parents cheering on the sidelines at home games.

It was wonderful for teams to feel the energy from parents and classmates again. We look forward to athletes at all levels returning to interscholastic competition this fall.

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B A C K I N BY F I E L D

B A C K I N BY F I E L D

A Chat with Academy President Aleem Ogunsanya ’22 Where are you from? How did you learn about Govs?

What do you think you want to study in college?

I’m from Sicklerville, New Jersey (the greatest state). I found out about Govs through a program called A Better Chance, which helped connect me with Govs.

I’m not exactly sure but I’m leaning towards some field in engineering.

What will you miss about Govs when you graduate in the spring?

I’m definitely going to miss the friends that I’ve made. I don’t know when or if I’ll see anyone from Govs, so I want to make it a priority to enjoy the time I have left with these amazing people.

What activities/programs/sports are you involved with at Govs?

Through my time at Govs, I have played soccer, basketball, track and field, the winter drama play, Ozzie’s Kids head (a program founded by Officer Ozzie Hardy to provide a holiday experience and gifts for children at risk), Bee Club, and more!

What was a favorite class at Govs?

My favorite hangout spot is in the library study rooms because it’s a great environment to get work done and to catch up with friends while sharing some laughs.

Choosing my favorite class at Govs is extremely hard, mostly because what makes a class great is the relationship between the students and teachers. So if I had to choose my favorite class, it would be junior year American Studies.

The teaching style and my peers always made that class enjoyable.

What advice would you give to yourself as a new student?

How did Govs encourage you to explore new interests?

If I could give one piece of advice to myself as a new student, it would be to use the extensive resources at Govs.

Whether you need help with academics or personal issues, there is someone to talk to.

Govs had a lot of opportunities and clubs for me to try new things, such as Chess Club, Chorus, and Bee Club.

By joining these clubs and more, I was able to learn new things that I always found interesting.

Can you describe a faculty member or coach who you look up to?

What was a moment of courage you had during your time at Govs?

As much as I may annoy Mr. Satow, I have always looked up to him. He has always been a parental figure to me since ninth grade. Always pushing me to do my best and always believing in me. Also, he was able to tolerate me for all these years!

I think my most memorable moment of courage at Govs was when I decided to run for Academy president. I have so much respect for this position I was elected for and I had to really make sure with myself that I would be able to

What is your favorite hangout spot on campus and why?

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serve the Govs community to my full potential. I am so excited for what this year will bring and the new challenges that we will face and defeat together.

"I don’t know when I will next see my friends, teachers, and coaches from Govs, so I want to make it a priority to enjoy the time I have left with these amazing people."

— Aleem Ogunsanya ’22

B A C K I N BY F I E L D

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Alumni in Action John T. Heald, Jr. ’64 Alumnus of the Year 2020–2021 The Alumnus/a of the Year award is presented annually to a graduate who has been steadfastly loyal to Governor’s and has shown unwavering commitment to the place that meant so much to them. The inscription on the award reads: For Loyalty, Dedication, and Service to The Governor’s Academy.

John T. Heald, Jr. ’64 has become a powerful ally of the Academy. His deep curiosity about Academy operations led him to seek volunteer opportunities and share his time and talent to best support the Academy this past year. As a new member of the Alumni Council, John immediately stepped into a leadership role as the newly formed Annual Giving and Philanthropy Committee chair. John championed our work and partnered with the Academy’s advancement team to help ensure a successful Giving Day and Week of Honor.

To gain a strong understanding of the school’s financial needs, he initiated meetings with Academy partners such as the Board of Directors Development Committee chair, the Academy’s chief financial officer, and our Annual Giving directors, to name a few. He shared what he learned with the Alumni Council, classmates, and friends, and took the extra step to create a special video message for his classmates to encourage their support for The Governor’s Fund. In addition to his Alumni Council responsibilities as a committee chair, he took on a second volunteer position as a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee.

John also became an ally for the Academy’s GovsPlus (Powerful Learners Unlocking Success) program. This tuition-free academic enrichment program partners The Governor’s Academy with motivated middle school students from Lawrence, Massachusetts. Last winter, he authored a letter supporting GovsPLUS sent to previous donors, and he made an immediate impact with his efforts. We are grateful for John’s passionate commitment to Governor’s. His positivity this year has been contagious, and his leadership and partnership with Academy faculty and staff have set the bar high for volunteers moving forward.

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ALUMNI IN ACTION

Reunion reimagined 2021 Reunion 2021, celebrating classes ending in 0, 1, 5, and 6, took on a whole new look and feel this year with our Reunion reimagined program. After postponing Reunion 2020 due to the pandemic, we doubled up our class celebrations this year and offered five days of engaging and educational virtual programming. Classmates were able to gather together via Zoom, learn about the Academy’s apiary and partnership with the USDA, attend a drawing class, enjoy the stunning photography of Morocco Flowers ’70, hear from our legacy faculty members, and celebrate the accomplishments of our 2020–21 Alumnus of the Year John Heald ’64, and our 2021 Non Sibi Sed Aliis Award recipient Leslie Lacy ’91 during our Alumni Awards Ceremony— and much more—all virtually! Due to an unexpected change in Massachusetts COVID-19 guidelines, we were able to conclude our celebration with an oncampus “lawn party” on Philips Quad, complete with live music, True North Ales, light refreshments, lawn games, and good conversation—the perfect ending to a challenging year.

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ALUMNI IN ACTION

WITH TRUE COURAGE

THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

OUR NEXT BOLD MOMENT

A Message from the Alumni Council President Dear Governor’s/GDA Alumni, This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the initial class of female students admitted to Governor Dummer Academy. That decision forever altered the landscape in Byfield, and for five decades, female students have excelled in the classroom, dominated on the athletic fields, and impressed in the arts. In my capacity as Alumni Council President, I am privileged to work alongside Maria Polcari ’73, who was a member of the inaugural class arriving on campus in 1971, through to members of our most recent graduating class, including my own daughter, Abigail ’21. Graduates who brought fresh ideas, perspective, and vision to campus, and who represent the Academy proudly in industry, law, medicine, finance, and as grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. Women who not only embody the original mission of the Academy, but who ensure the excellence of The Governor’s Academy for future generations.

Please join me in commemorating five decades of women within our coeducational community with special events on campus, off campus, and via video, and please contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement at 978.499.3185 with suggestions for recognizing alumni who played a significant role in the success of female students at the Academy.

Robert DeLena ’87, P’21, Trustee President of the Alumni Council

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On October 14, the Academy presented Our Next Bold Moment event to celebrate the With True Courage campaign and the extraordinary generosity that is shaping the future of the Academy and driving us to dream bigger.

View the recording here:

Class Notes CLASS OF 1946

CLASS OF 1950

used to build a schoolhouse and for the maintenance of the schoolmaster.

Bill Silver billsilver@comcast.net

classnotes@govsacademy.org

Today, the Little Red Schoolhouse resides prominently at the entrance to the Academy.

It contains two rooms and a vestibule and occupies an area of only 20'x30'. An inauspicious beginning to the flourishing Academy we know today enrolling 406 students receiving a first-rate education from 85 faculty on a beautiful 456 acre campus with an approximately $80 million endowment and boarding tuition of $67,000 (day tuition of $53,300).

IT HAS BEEN ONLY 75 YEARS SINCE GRADUATION AND IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY. Some memories are extremely vivid like the day that classmate Johnny Lautz came back from the rifle range and shot himself in the biology lab.

And the night that Lyndy Watkins and I took off to New York for a few days without telling anybody! Then there was a nice Jewish boy (me) walking to church every Sunday morning. Also fond memories of the old cider mill down the road and even varsity wrestling which lasted through college. Now, suddenly, I have been blessed with our fourth great-grandchild!

Life goes on, but not for the hundred-plus people who we lost in the sudden collapse of a high-rise condominium here in Miami. It has been my task, along with so many others at the Miami Dade Medical Examiner office, to gather the evidence and to identify these most unfortunate people. As so many of us may do, I pray for peace at home, in our country and in the world—and for my classmates who may still be with us today!

CLASS OF 1948 classnotes@govsacademy.org Richard Palais: Still enjoying the afterglow from a month back when my three kids flew to Irvine to spend the weekend with me and my wife celebrating my 90th birthday.

Richard Palais ’48, his wife, and three children celebrating his 90th birthday

Charlie Bowen writes: We could not go to our summer cottage on Ontario last summer but hope the border will open for us to go later this year! Going East in July for one of our granddaughters’ wedding in Newport, RI and while there we get to see our four great-grandchildren plus their parents!! Due to the COVID pandemic we haven’t traveled in two years. What fun this will be!! Am in good health and still playing tennis several times a week.

Haven’t seen any classmates recently but if anyone is in the Chicago area do give us a call at 847-234-2850!! I did run into Peter Stonebraker ’60 who just recently moved here to Lake Forest Place, a retirement community where we live.

CLASS OF 1951 classnotes@govsacademy.org George McGregor, your Class Secretary, shares the following: There is one family who made all the difference in the twelve score and 18 year history of the Academy— the Dummer Family. Jack Ragle wrote the history of the Academy, and provided the information for this class note.

Richard Dummer and his wife Mary sailed aboard the Whale with 30 other passengers and 70 head of cattle from Southampton to America. In 1635, he settled in Newbury on the Parker River where he became a cattle farmer and built a sawmill. Richard had a son, Jeremiah, who had nine children, one of whom he named Jeremiah and another of whom he named William. Jeremiah became the colonial agent for the MA and CT colonies while living in London. William became the Lieutenant Governor of the royal province of Massachusetts.

In 1712, Jeremiah presented to his son, William, the Mansion House, lands, and farms covering 330 acres. William died childless on November 1, 1761. His will provided for the establishment of and support for a free grammar school. In 1763, the three trustees, including Nathaniel Dummer of Newbury, created the school.

The rental income from Mansion House and the sales of the farm produce were

We are grateful to William Dummer and thank Jack Ragle.

CLASS OF 1953 classnotes@govsacademy.org Harvey Towvim writes that he is very much looking forward to his 70th GDA reunion in 2023!

CLASS OF 1955 George Gardner george.gardner3@gmail.com Peter Scott writes: I missed a proper 65th reunion and hope there will be a make-up next June. Off to France 30 June with seven other residents from Falcons Landing. Fast train from Charles de Gaulle to Strasbourg where we have chartered a canal barge with crew for a week. Then three days in Normandy touring the battlefields with a guide. On to Paris for three days and then home. Should be fun. My best to one and all.

I (George Gardner) attended the Zoom virtual reunion. Our host was Daryl McGregor Robicsek of the Advancement Office. She grew up near the Academy. Her father is George McGregor class of ’51 and trustee emeriti. She and I had a wonderful time talking about the old GDA and the new Governor’s. It is still the great school we all remember. I wish you all had joined in.

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CLASS OF 1957 Lyman Cousens lymancousens@comcast.net As a renowned “Master” at Governor Dummer once said, “A little news is better than no news.” Maybe, maybe not. First, I really enjoyed the experience of presenting Head of School Peter Quimby a beautiful lithograph by John Bissell, a renowned artist from Dubuque, Iowa. It took a while for the school to let me in due to the pandemic, but John’s work and I were graciously received by Peter and his staff.

Nice note from old (aren’t we all?) friend Johnny Wichers of Chichester, England.

While suffering through a miserable winter on the South Coast, Johnny said nothing could compare to his one winter in South Byfield. He did learn to play hockey, borrowing an old pair of skates from Bill George. When Johnny wrote me, it was mid-winter and he was looking forward to getting out on his boat on the English Channel. As I write this he is undoubtedly there. When you read this he will be again sheltered. Such as it is!

Had a very nice chat with Don Morse, one of our classmates who had to deal with the stigma of being a “Day Boy.” I compare that with what our grandchildren are going through with “remote learning.”

It just ain’t the same! Don nevertheless participated in soccer, lacrosse, even dabbled in glee club. After UVM, Don went in the service, then worked a few years for UPS. As a North Shore native,

Lyman Cousens ’57 presenting a lithograph by John Bissell ’57 to Head of School Peter Quimby ’85

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it was only natural he spent his business career with Gorton Seafoods for 20+ years, retiring in his late 50s. Don and Judith live in Grafton, NH during the winter to satisfy their love of skiing, and on the shore in Beverly, MA during the summer. Sort of a reverse snowbird who never strayed far from the roost!

No news is always better than bad news, the Master said. RIP to our good friends and classmates Mel Blake, Frank Gleason and Dick Field. You guys will surely be missed by family and friends.

CLASS OF 1959 Randy Light clight@twcny.rr.com Chip Mason attended, by internet, parts of the most recent GDA reunion festivities.

He apparently enjoyed the segments that he attended, but he did offer that a “real reunion is so much better.” With that thought in mind, remember that our next class reunion is our 65th in 2024. The date feels somewhat far off; but the way time flies by these days, 2024 will be here before we know it.

Ferg Jansen reported in, as he was sitting on a park bench in Torrence, CA. No, it is not whatever you are thinking. Ferg and his wife were in California, awaiting the birth of their eighth grandchild.

Ferg mentioned that while in California, they were staying with Ray Ferris’ wife, Jan. Ferg also mentioned that he is “[s] till consulting and spending lot of time on Simsbury Performing Arts Center operations in addition to cutting and splitting a lot of firewood.” He suggested to Brian Marsh that Brian should “buy a new British yacht to regain prowess on the oceans of the world.” Brian responded that a loan “(Dollars would do)” from Ferg would assist in the purchase. Not sure where the negotiations stand at the time of this writing.

Fred Huntress is giving Ferg a run for his money. Fred reports that he has six grandchildren, but in addition a greatgrandchild. Fred has retired from his “gig” as a guide at Squam Lake in New Hampshire. With his one great and six grandchildren and his continuing involvement in a local sculpture program,

Fred says that “there are not too many dull moments around here.” His golf game, if it is like mine, may also add to the excitement. Fred says that his and his wife’s heath are fine, and he wishes “[m]uch peace and good health to... [his] GDA classmates.”

Bob Pouch and his wife are “alternating... [their] time between Florida and New York ... [and] will be taking ... [their] grandson on a trip by sailboat to Block Island in September.” Bob had previously reported on his “fantastic” 77-day circumnavigation of South America on board a cruise ship, but he has subsequently learned that while his ship avoided the COVID virus, those that followed were not as fortunate.

Peter Sherin says that he presently “feel[s] a bit like an uprooted plant.” He has “moved up one block” on Boston’s Back Bay Street from where he had lived for 45 years. In addition to his personal “’new normal,’” in these times of evolving new normals with the hopeful decline of the COVID virus, Peter has taken on a one-year position on the current GDA Alumni Council. I believe that Peter’s present tenure may be at least the second time since our graduation that he has served on the Council, if not on other school affiliated groups. Peter speaks highly of the work, commitment and leadership of this year’s Council and the related “meaningful guidance and resources” from the school. Thanks to Peter for his devotion to the school, and particularly for doing so as a member of the Class of 1959. — and Peter: Enjoy your new digs!

Walter Cannon: Randy, thanks as always for your efforts of recording member activities over the past year. This has been a bad year. Although I was very careful during my pre-vaccine period there was always a lingering threat that I would be exposed to the virus. My wife and I were quite isolated during that period. No usual activities. We are now post-vaccine and back to nearly normal activities.

Thankfully no virus infections in all of our extended relatives. Hopefully our GDA friends are also doing well. Greetings to our GDA classmates.

Ken Wolf: After retirement two years ago from the practice of eye surgery, I have been more active and successful with flying and golf. Recently set a record for long distance nonstop flying for single

engine piston aircraft of 2,400 miles diagonally from northwest corner of USA to southeast corner (had a relief tube on board)." After many frustrating years on the golf course, I am now shooting frequently in the 70s. Not sure why. Maybe God has taken pity on me. Overall, health and life for wife, kids, grandkids, and two great grandkids (how did we get this old?) is both good and enjoyable. Wish the same for all my classmates.

CLASS OF 1960 John Elwell johnelwell@verizon.net It was special to hear from some of our classmates. Hope all are well and active.

Norm Kalat shared his experience with COVID. (Norm…four years ago, I was on a Rte. 66 Convoy through New Mexico.

Wish I had followed up on your connection with Santa Fe). Hello John. Greetings from Santa Fe. The pandemic has been rough, being housebound. I could still play golf, but my ability has gone south. The kids and grandkids arrived after New Mexico opened up. That is what I missed the most, and it was great to see them after one and a half years. My wife and I are still loving Santa Fe and if anyone wants to stop by on a trip down Rt. 66, we are here.

Don Alexander sure is keeping active and involved in several important activities.

As always, thanks for your work. Hope you have a safe and enjoyable Convoy. As you are heading out on that, I will be visiting my daughter and her family in Montana.

Pretty busy of late. I am completing a book

Denise “Niece” Axtell, new dance partner to Peter Stonebraker ’60

on the history of the Maine Courts and the Maine Justice System to be presented as part of a COVID-19-delayed recognition of the 200th Anniversary of the separation of Maine from Massachusetts in 1820. Also, I have been appointed Chair of the Maine Apportionment Commission to reapportion the Legislative, County Commissioner, and Congressional Districts once we get the Census data, promised in August. That will require a lot of work in the late Summer and Fall. In addition, I am a member of the Maine Commission that oversees court appointment of counsel for people who cannot afford counsel in criminal and child protective cases, and the Uniform Law Commission that advises Maine's Legislature and Executive on uniform laws proposed by the national Uniform Law Commission. People keep asking: Aren't you supposed to be retired? But I am glad to stay involved where I can help. Best wishes to you and all of the Class of '60.

And best wishes to you Don…you are making a difference in so many ways.

Dick Henry, whose main residence is 30 Spring Island Drive, Callawassie Island, SC 29909 shares some positive news…

Hi John, Greetings from a cold and rainy Camden, Maine, where we will be with our daughters for a month while their daughters are at overnight camp. And today's weather is a sharp change from the three days in the 90s which were warmer than it was at home in South Carolina!

Enjoyed seeing Chris and Jill Prewitt on our Class Zoom, but sure wish there had been more attendees! What a time this has been during the pandemic. But we were lucky enough to batten down the hatches for six months with our daughter and family in Tucson, Arizona, and to see our son, our daughter and her daughter who came to Tucson over Christmas.

Thanks to Nate Greene, for sharing the very special and moving news about the memorial service for Geoff. I wish I had known about the service as I would have tried to attend. Geoff Nichols took a nap at his Florida house farm last November and never woke up. Recently on June 19, 2021, a memorial service was held on the hillside near his Vermont farm (now sold) where a large group gathered to share thoughts and stories. I told tales of times at GDA and after. We met at Moody House at age 15

and soon became like brothers. For me it has been a huge loss, but good to get closer than ever to his three children.

Arnie Wood reports that he is still active with golf, his kids, and the investment world. Time flies. 80 is in sight. Golf is deteriorating. Just back from 4 days with my two "boys." Humiliated but loved every shot—good or pathetic, their analysis.

Departed Martingale Asset Management five years ago. Still enjoy kibitzing with them and clients. Still doing my stitch at HKS. Over 20-plus years. I got hooked on what is now referred to as Behavioral Finance. Governor’s is 45 minutes from Swampscott, so I visit occasionally for a drive-by. Peter Quimby, the Head of School, is someone we are very fortunate to have guiding the Academy. It is a thrill to visit.

The memories are indelible.

Peter Stonebraker shares some very special happenings in his world. My life has stabilized notably since the last Archon. I have moved to a new home (852 Pembridge Dr. Lake Forest, IL, 60045, phone # 847-6046795) which is about 15 minutes away from my prior home, but, unlike the Deerfield Home, there is only one stair, which I do not have to use on a daily basis. I have also met a wonderful dance partner. I have copied her bio below: Permit me to introduce Ms. Denise “Niece” Axtell. Denise is the former (from 1968 to 1971) executive secretary to the President of Twentieth Century Press (a financial printing company in Chicago), and, with a minor interlude, former (from 1971 to 1993) executive assistant to the Chairman of the Board, Herbert W. Kochs, of Diversey Corporation (a multinational industrial chemical company), She still works for the Kochs family as co-trustee of the youngest son's family trust. Additionally, Denise was, with her now-deceased husband, the cofounder and owner of D'Kei, Incorporated, a designer and importer of candles and other sundries. The company was founded in 1979 and was sold in 2003. The company had 26 employees as it grew from a line of candles to a broad range of decorative trim.

Denise is also a past President (from 2010 to 2013) of the West Suburban Ballroom Dance Club, and the Club Historian in 2018. She is a current member (2020 to present) of the Board of the DuPage Symphony Orchestra.

Denise is also a fervent ballroom dancer and enjoys designing and making jewelry.

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Carl Youngman called me recently and we chatted for a while. Carl has some strong views on the economy and its/our future.

It would be special to have a Zoom meeting sometime with Carl leading the discussion.

Well, that is news for this time. Yours truly has been very busy on the Farm…so much for retirement. Only been to our cabins in Maine a total of five days for the past six months.

But we are keeping active and get to see the kids frequently as they all live in MA. Maybe in the fall we can have get-together under the pavilion at the Farm in West Newbury. In the meantime, be safe! John Elwell

CLASS OF 1963 classnotes@govsacademy.org Bob Taylor shares: The First Robot President, my debut novel published last year, won the gold prize for humor in the 2021 Readers View Reviewer's Choice Awards and a silver prize in the 2020 Nautilus Awards. It was also a finalist in the 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards. Many thanks to Frank Gummey and any other classmates who may have purchased a copy. To anyone who missed my original announcement, my website is robertcarlyletaylor-author.com.

Cover of the debut novel written by Robert Taylor ’63

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CLASS OF 1964 Don Balser d.balser1970@gmail.com Jay Cooke III Jay was a wonderful classmate at GDA, and also a good friend to many during his years in Byfield.

Throughout the years after GDA, Jay stayed in close contact with many alums, including Terry Golden, Bill Poole, Bruce Fraser, Jeff Karelis, Brian Hamric, and Don Balser. What follows are some tributes honoring Jay: Don Balser: Jay was really an extraordinary person. He was clearly very successful in the careers he chose to follow, and he was very generous in many ways, especially in his support of Governor Dummer Academy, and particularly in the area of womens’ athletics. Jay faced many challenges in his life, and especially in the last three decades. Nonetheless, he always managed to maintain a calm, upbeat, determined, and resolute attitude and demeanor.

He certainly displayed grit, drive, and commitment in all aspects of his life. A

TOP: The “KUJO” in Marion, MA, Jay Cooke’s powerboat; BOTTOM: Class of ’64 day trip in Marion, MA

number of ’64 alums enjoyed seeing and being with Jay over the years. A few were fortunate enough to be invited to sail with Jay on his Bermuda 40, and he was certainly a consummate and fantastic sailor and yachtsman, with “eyes in the back of his head” and knowing everything that was happening out on the water! On several occasions, a number of classmates were invited to a day out on the water, in Jay’s powerboat, the KUJO, with Jay controlling the boat, in the captain’s chair! They were special days. Also, a few classmates visited Jay at his home in Milton. In particular, Terry would visit Jay, and they would spend the afternoon talking and watching a football game. Jay was certainly a very good and special person!

John Heald: Jeff Karelis' shared memories sent yesterday made me think back about my recent brief times with Jay. My visits with him were all at his home in Pacific Grove. During one of our first get-togethers, in a very low-key way, he told me about his support of girls’ sports at GDA. Jay also suggested that I visit with Claudia Balcomb, Govs Athletic Director.

After I got back, I went to Byfield and visited with her. We spent time walking

TOP: Jay Cooke ’64 sailing off Gloucester coast; BOTTOM: Jay Cooke ’64 in the captain’s chair aboard “KUJO”

and riding in a golf cart around GDA's athletic plant, appreciating the enormous changes Jay's gifts had made to girls' sports. Jay's goal was to ensure that girls’ sports were in every way on par with boys’ sports. His substantial gifts absolutely accomplished his wish. During our Pacific Grove visits we also had running arguments about two issues: who finished lower in class standing at graduation and who was the better soccer player. In my mind, I won the first honor and Jay absolutely won the second. Jay's 75 years and the abundance of friendship, humor, generosity and determination that it contained will always be among the most rich memories I have in my life.

Terry Golden: Jay called me before his last operation to tell me of John’s visit. It is no surprise that he did not tell me that the doctor questioned his ability to survive the operation; - until I called him a few days later, and he seemed "on the mend". When I called a couple of days later, Jay did not answer. Jay was one of my lifetime heroes.

It is one thing to "recover" from something; it’s another, to be constantly "recovering", "adjusting", "addressing", "recovering", and "adjusting", etc. again. As we age, we all get a "taste" of this. On the occasion of our calls over the last few years; at the end, Jay and I had come to express our affection for one another. Whether I have seen you since ’63 or not; call it love or fondness, I just want you to know I appreciate you all.

LEFT: Jay Cooke’s Hinckley Bermuda 40 moored at Rocky Neck in Gloucester; RIGHT TOP: Terry Golden ’64 and Jay Cooke ’64 off Gloucester coast; RIGHT BOTTOM: Jay Cooke ’64 and Brian Hamric ’64 during 20th class reunion at the Beach Knoll Inn in Rockport, MA

Rob Sherman: One of the things I remember about Jay was that for every soccer practice he would get his bad knee taped up in what was known as a “Duke Simpson.” When you looked at him, you wondered how he could walk, never mind run. But he played every day. I hurt my knee in college, so I know about the pain and discomfort when trying to play on it.

His cheerful perseverance made a real impression on me. A really good guy. He will be missed.

Jeff Karelis: So sad. Jay was one of my favorite classmates. I got to know him even better after we graduated as we used to have long, long lunches many times in the 80s and 90s before his accident. Jay never ever complained about the results of his accident. We talked on the phone several times a year, and we last talked about the possibility of his coming to Milton this summer. We lost a great guy. So sad.

In other news, Larry Henchey shared: We're in Maryland; won't be able to make it to the planned gathering in August.

We're usually in VT in July, NH in Sept, rest up from travels in Aug, so maybe in the future....I see you received quite a lot of positive responses, plus a few

declines. Let me tell you my (true) Zoom story: In March 2020, at the start of COVID pandemic/shutdown/quarantine, I decided to contact my college classmates, see if there was any interest in a Zoom get-together. (At that time, most people weren't even aware of Zoom!) The response was similarly positive. Keep in mind I went to a very small college (Webb Institute, total 70 students, my class started with 20, so, << GDA). In March of last year, I started out with an email list with about 10 names on it. Quickly expanded to 17. We have been having regular monthly Zoom meetings ever since (next one is tomorrow). We usually have about 12 of the 17, we go on solving all the world's problems for about two hours. At that point 75-year old bodies and brains start to peter out (we all need a potty break, etc.) In between monthly meetings, various emails fly back and forth, often providing topics for the next month. So, might I suggest this would work for GDA '64 too? I see your email list is about the same length as my Webb '68 email list, maybe somewhat longer. I have been hosting my class Zooms, and would be willing to do it for GDA '64. I have signed up for a (paid) Zoom account, so limitations of free Zoom (30 min max etc.) go away. This might be a way for those too far from Ipswich to participate. And you have options with Zoom, like sharing screen contents from your computer with participants. BTW I note some names on your address list are hard to decipher— do you have a cheat sheet for this? (My Webb '68 list has the same issues.) I usually schedule for much more time than needed, and admit participants from the Zoom "waiting room" as they appear (for security). Most of the time, you just have to click on a link contained in the email invite (then wait for me to notice you are in the waiting room). I would guess that many/most of GDA '64 have gotten used to Zooming by now. Even today, I have one or two that forget to "unmute" at the beginning! Or forget to mute when their dog starts yapping. And of course, does the Fox Creek Tavern have a good, fast internet connection?

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CLASS OF 1966

Hopefully by next year the pandemic will be behind us and we can meet in person again.

Chuck Davis. “The folks at Hershey are the classiest people I have ever worked with.”

Jim Connelly jim@connelly.legal

Jim

Rusty Bolles filed this report from the Granite State in August: “I’m staying healthy, vaccinated but still being cautious.

More golfing and less boating because the lake is crazy this year. There is hardly a boat for sale in the whole Lakes region.

Last year we totally remodeled the Bottle Shop inside and out. I still hope to do some snowmobiling this winter and continue to as long as I can. Still working two-and-ahalf days a week.”

Warm weather has finally arrived, the restaurants are open and trying to find workers, and the mighty Merrimack River is full of boats. I spent a long weekend with my daughters in LA, but much of my free time is spent walking my wife’s enormous Bouvier, which she hopes to take along on treks in the White Mountains.

Jack Howard has also been traveling. He writes that “ten days in the Boston area and two trips to the beach in S Cal. Working about three days a week with a friend which keeps my mind active. On the dating cycle again which I didn’t expect.”

Jay Keeler sent along the following note: After twenty-three years of living in Michigan, my wife Regina and I have moved to Naples, FL. I am hoping that my son and daughter, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren will be able to find their way down to visit us in Florida easier than they did to come out to Michigan. We still plan on returning to Massachusetts every August for our annual family clambake, and to visit friends and family in beautiful New England. Travel restrictions due to COVID-19 caused us to miss meeting up with Johnny (Len Johnson) and Teenie (Christine) Molitor in Anna Maria Island, FL the past two years like we had in April, 2019. Let us know if you will be traveling to the Naples area, as we would be happy to meet up. Jim “Jay” Keeler 248-318-1879 jkeeler1987@gmail.com

CLASS OF 1967 Ben Beach benhbeach@gmail.com Wil Poon, who has been running his printing business in Glendale, California, for 36 years, said, “All I can say is that the one thing I learned from the pandemic is that I never want to retire. For the brief period when we had to shut down and stay at home, I was miserable.”

The August service honoring John Ogden brought back JBO memories for a number of us. While dealing with a peak temperature of 119 degrees and heavy smoke from wildfires, British Columbia’s Anne-Marie Laverty wrote: “John and Dorothy Ogden were primarily responsible, at a time when my father and stepfather were having a battle royal over whether I was worth continuing to spend money on, for smoothing things over enough for me to return to GDA for my final year. And that was one of the turning points of my life, for just about everything I gained in my time at GDA, which was a hell of a lot, came to me in my senior year. Credit Mac Murphy, Ben Stone, and Manny Sargent for finally straightening me out, but it wouldn't have happened without that powerful assist from John and Dorothy.”

“I just retired from a wonderful 14 years on the Hershey Company board of directors, including a stint as the chairman,” wrote

Roy Hope writes: All is well in the Hope household. We are fully vaccinated. Wish more people would get on board. Listen to Science, not politics.

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“Since the Maritime Museums reopened in September 2020, we have welcomed more than 170,000 visitors,” Joe Schwarzer reported. “We love living in Chapel Hill, but Melanie and I spend most of our time on the North Carolina coast. I continue to do my research on the 11th-century weapons from the Serce Limani shipwreck, thanks to the wonderful libraries at UNC and Duke.

I don't plan on retiring for a few years, but everything is flexible.”

Like many of us, Phil Congdon has been going through old stuff to figure out what to get rid of before he moves, “whenever that happens.” He came upon a number of items from our GDA days. “I found my report cards from grade school and GDA. I also found the letter Val sent to parents about cancelling the spring dance because of the House in the Pines drinking. I'm getting rid of the report cards and keeping Val's letter.”

During the summer, Jeff Wood was overseeing preparations for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ annual meeting in November. It was expected to draw 5,000 people to Boston. “It will be our first in-person event since COVID started,” Jeff said. “Wish us luck.”

Finally, our class seems to be showing its age and discomfort with modern technology as Jeff Webber notes: My wife Linda walked into the room while I was on Zoom for our virtual 55th reunion in June.

She asked, “why are you talking to yourself?” This time it wasn’t early onset dementia. Turns out I was the only member of our class that showed up! It was a stimulating conversation however.

All else well here in Guilford, CT and hope with you too.

Cap Purinton is a devoted tai chi practitioner, but he’s even more enthusiastic about his six-year-old granddaughter, Cordelia Rose, who lives only a 35-minute drive from his home in Salisbury.

Plein air painting by David Marsh ’67 includes his wife Christie fishing in the Grand Canyon in May

Another Maine native, Bill Alfond, reported in July: “Joni and I were finally able to visit my daughter and family in France. We are now getting settled into our Maine summer once again and enjoying all the grandchildren, and especially looking forward to a family northern Maine whitewater rafting trip in August. I’m continuing

to be outdoor-active, skiing over the winter and playing golf and tennis, and bike riding and swimming this summer.”

Harper Follansbee is still tutoring remotely and writing a great deal. He had a piece of creative nonfiction entitled “Metacom” published in The Adirondack Review last spring.

“I had a great time in San Diego in June with my wonderful grandchildren,” Scott Cameron reported from Cordillera, CO. “It is so nice moving around without so many COVID restrictions. Since I never get sick and have never had a flu shot, take no prescription anything, exercise daily, don't drink and watch my diet very closely........ the Vid probably won't kill me! I'm looking forward to paying my respects in August to a great guy, Rem Clark!!”

That August 14 memorial service in Manchester-by-the-Sea also drew Reid Pugh, Stanley Greenberg, Dan Morgan, Paul Hemmerich, and Jeff Harris.

Checking in from Bristow, Oklahoma, Rick Jensen wrote: “Our senior senator pointed to the fact it was only 84 degrees in July (last week) as another indicator of the climate change hoax. Marilyn and I are feeling well today, but steadily ‘slip sliding away.’ We have both been in the hospital again for heart-related problems.

Growing old sucks!”

Anne and Mac Barnes look like shoe-ins for the Grandparents Hall of Fame. On the Fourth of July, Mac wrote from Locust, NJ: “Our three grandchildren, ages two to six and a half, have just arrived for the month

Rem Clark's August 14 memorial service in Manchester-by-the-Sea drew eight of his Class of '67 friends, left to right: Stanley Greenberg, Win Burt, Paul Hemmerich, Jeff Harris, Gardner Sisk, Scott Cameron, Dan Morgan, and Reid Pugh.

of July. Their parents are going away for a week today. Then this weekend we get another grandchild and family coming to visit the first. We are digging it.”

Speaking of pony football stalwarts, Mick Doolittle said in July that he is “enjoying quasi-retirement and looking forward to seeing the extended family at Fripp Island, SC, later in the summer.”

Jay Marsh submitted a request: “Remind me to never volunteer for an unpaid job as president of a homeowners association in a year when a hurricane hits. In September 2020, the eyewall of Hurricane Sally passed over Perdido Key, and dealing with owners, contractors and insurance companies is more work than I anticipated. We left the island just before the hurricane struck, but it chased us east. In DeFuniak Springs we spent three nights without electricity in a 1920’s Mason lodge converted into a hotel, whose staff left when the storm struck.

Then, in St. Augustine, we encountered gale force winds that flooded the downtown with three feet of water. Our hurricane plan now includes evacuating to Ellijay in the north Georgia mountains, where we own a vacation rental cabin. Global warming sure eliminates the boredom.”

“We are all fine here in sunny California, although a bit less sun and a bit more water would be much appreciated,” Rich Brayton wrote. “I continue to fight Parkinson’s disease but seem to have it under control for now. The good news is centered around our two-year-old grandkids, who are thriving and breaking cute records left and right.”

Athletic Hall of Fame member and Morse Flag recipient Ray Huard '67 walking onto the Field of Dreams in Iowa

From Austin, Ted Dix reported: “As COVID-19 moves on, I continue to stay close to home. I've been doing a lot of reading, songwriting, struggling through an intense physical therapy regimen and, from afar, helping my daughter settle into her new position at Saint Anselm College as an assistant professor of psychology. (I have a lot of experience in this realm.) Now that she's in Manchester, I may get back to New England more than usual, which would be nice.”

Our California professor, Alan Rothfeld, has ended his 42-year USC career and is now educating future generations at Claremont and two community colleges: Santa Monica and Los Angeles Valley. “All are just a few hours per week,” Alan said, “but it keeps me young(er). Ruth and I just completed a tour de Iowa and Nebraska.

Two weeks of two-lane roads. We made many friends and were suspect celebrities when they found out we were Californians.”

“I was expecting life’s excitements to diminish as I got older,” Gene Romero mused, “but they just keep coming. I planted new grass three weeks ago, and I’m watching it grow. The excitement is overwhelming!”

Cynthia and Bill Dougherty celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 5, and their four children treated them to a surprise weekend party at one of the Finger Lakes. Three of their offspring joined the party, but William couldn't escape Singapore due to COVID restrictions.

Anthony Gerard understands the need for such restrictions, as reflected in this dispatch: “March 15, 2020, Vail Mountain closed, so I went snowshoeing. After about half a mile of climbing, I was so fatigued I had to sit down. Even more fatigued after a few minutes, I lay down and took a nap. About an hour later, I woke up and walked down. The next day I felt fine, and the following day I flew back to New York and drove straight to East Hampton. I got into bed and had the greatest fatigue and the worst cough I've ever had, and both stayed with me for several weeks. Then I started to recover.

“Fortunately, I had the antibodies and continued to get stronger in May and June.

And then in July had a full physical with lots of ancillary tests and was pronounced

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fit as a fiddle. Two Moderna vaccinations in early 2021 made it possible for me to go to my son John's wedding in Jackson Hole—a COVID wedding with 14 in person and another 300 on Zoom. It wasn't what I had always imagined, but it was very beautiful and I'm delighted for him.

“As of July 2021, I have been working remotely for 16 months and have had enough of that. I miss contact with other people and the catalytic experience of dealing with others in person. I don't think we've seen the end of this thing, and I think the pain and suffering is definitely going to continue, perhaps in new ways. I once heard it said that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Let's hope so.”

Don Gay continues to sing in the church choir and enjoy his four granddaughters. He and Emily plan to make the trip from Detroit to South Byfield June 10 for their 55th.

Gardner Sisk wrote, “Just when I thought I could walk away, they just sucked me back in… Gardner Mattress is very busy, and sourcing materials is tough. Suze and I have moved back to Manchester, Mass., and are now living with a great group of neighbors. Nice to have everything new in our townhouse and not have to maintain anything!”

“With COVID isolation hopefully behind us,” said Lew Rumford, “I have headed back to old pursuits like fishing, shooting, bridge, and photography—although, in retrospect, all of these activities could have been done with adequate social distance.

Nonetheless, it feels good to be more engaged and mobile. I recently bought a long lens largely for bird photography, a new pursuit. Like other outdoor activities, it requires patience and close attention, but no creatures suffer from my efforts. Soon I will employ this new toy in pursuit of my two adorable grandchildren. All is good.”

“I'm hoping that the worst of 2020 is behind us,” Joe Story said as the All-Star Break approached. “Arthritis has taken a bit of the spring from me. The Red Sox are getting ready to break my heart. But, maybe not!!”

“This past year Mary and I took our motor home to Phoenix for a month,” Sid Bird reported from Lee, NH. “We brought our UTV, our mountain bikes, and my trail motorcycle—thoroughly enjoying the warm weather. I have always wanted to

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play the drums, so I bought a drum kit and am taking lessons. Based on my limited practicing time, it's going to take four or five years to reach the level I want, darn it! Our grandson is now five, and we love the visits with him and our son. Mary and I are competing again this year in the NH State Senior Games to qualify for the nationals in Ft. Lauderdale next spring, she in biking and me in racquetball. All of the family are healthy and thriving — retirement is great!!!”

Mike Rogers, who curates for the Thumb Butte Distillery in Prescott, Arizona, reported that David Marsh shared the limelight with another plein air painter at the distillery’s Way Out West art show.

“David is painting all around Arizona; and I joined him for a two-day jaunt to the Grand Canyon to paint on the South Rim. He has come down to Prescott to paint on our magnificent trails, often staying over. I am busy painting landscapes, drawing in black and white, curating shows, and hiking all around the Central Highlands.”

“We welcomed our fifth grandchild, Pierce, on Cinco de Mayo,” wrote Dan Morgan. “He is the second son of Robb (Class of 2002) and Fionah, out in Alameda, CA. We were happy to have our three children and all grandchildren join us in Marion over the 4th of July timeframe.”

Paul Hemmerich spent the middle of July with three grandchildren in Baxter State Park in Maine and hiked Mt. Katahdin with its famous Knife Edge, among other things. “Stanley, you've got a great state,” Paul said. “Mid-summer activities also included meetings with NH state officials to revive the A/E Emergency Response team I am (supposed to be) in charge of.

Let's be thankful that NH has not had any floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes.” Next: a bike tour in Bavaria and another ending in Slovenia. “Fortunately, there was no language barrier because even the Slovenians cannot speak their language,” Paul said. “They have not yet discovered vowels.”

“Now into my fourth year in Albuquerque, I’m really feeling at home,” wrote Edwin Beatty. “I love the desert and continue to find more interesting aspects of this city.

Forbes has touted Albuquerque as ‘the most exotic American big city.’ One thing I miss is the ocean, so in May, I took a short trip to the closest real beach, San Felipe in Baja.

Beautiful! I found a little casita through AirBnB right on the beach, just a few hundred yards from the Sea of Cortez, and most of the time I had the whole beach to myself.”

You may recall that Edwin rode his motorcycle from Seattle to South Byfield for our 50th. Another guy who likes to hit the open road on two wheels is Barry Davidson.

From his home in Williamsburg, VA, he and two friends set out in the summer of 2020 for the Grand Canyon, Montana, Navajo lands, and more. Barry, who had just retired and then weathered a heart attack, racked up 6,800 miles on that three-week trip.

Ray Huard made it to the Iowa cornfields in August for the MLB Field of Dreams game between the White Sox and Yankees. In addition, he played his fourth year of senior baseball, appearing in tournaments in Phoenix and Ft. Myers in October and November.

Some readers may have stocked up on light fiction last summer. Not Stanley Greenberg. On the Fourth of July, he reported, “These days I am reading Thomas Sowell’s Discrimination and Disparities (a counterargument to critical race theory), Addy Pross’ What is Life?: How Chemistry Becomes Biology (theory of how life overcame the Second Law of Thermodynamics), and the opinions and dissents of Justice Clarence Thomas in this year’s cases.”

Doug Curtis was “very nervous about the low order level” his company, Guidewire Technologies, was experiencing, but in July “the floodgates finally opened.” On the home front, Doug remains an avid gardener. Daughter Lindsay '97 visited from London in early June, and they made it to Fenway for a game that the Red Sox won via a walk-off. He enjoys our Zoom sessions, especially the chance to hear from classmates who have not been at reunions.

“I stay busy and active by biking, swimming, and going to the beach and continue to avoid people as much as possible,” wrote Reid Pugh. “As far as I can tell, I am reasonably healthy, with the usual list of body parts that are wearing out. My sphere of existence pretty much revolves around my grandchildren (ages 10, 7, and 3), and I am always somewhere in the triangle formed by Charleston (WV), St. Augustine, and Richmond, which I drive regularly. I have not yet warmed up

to the idea of adventurous travel or flying, though I hope to get back to that one of these days. I do plan to make it to Byfield one of these days.”

Reflecting on summer in Hillsborough, NH, Andy Creed said, “Eighteen inches of rain in July. Glad I'm hilltop. Production from my solar array down 30 percent over last July. It’s going to be an interesting winter.”

“The Olympics are still cool—even with no fans,” Jeff Harris wrote in late July. “Have been enjoying watching a pair of Cooper's Hawks hatch and raise three chicks in a large nest on the top of a pine near my deck.

They have grown out their feathers and are now flying all around the forest, calling constantly. It appears the parents have packed it in and are vacationing somewhere, having completed their job — interesting approach that, the folks moving out. Nice to have the resurgence of the live music scene with pandemic backing off somewhat; Green Day and Rival Sons are on my radar. The two middle grandsons graduated high school this year; three more to go.”

class suffered two losses this past year. We lost Cam Smith on the 8th of October last year. Chris Page, Peter Barkin and Rick Kaye-Schiess all pointed out “…he will be missed. So sad.” Marc Tucker: “We have many fond memories of our time spent with him.” Dave Mitchell: “[He] exemplified everything about the Class itself.” Winsor White: “Cam always had a smile on his face. Great guy. Good times.” CF Spang and Rob Lord reminded us of his incredible lacrosse skills while Tuck and Dan Look remembered his accomplishments as a running back, too. Other comments and memories came in from Bill Degen, Simon McCulloch, Harold Levine, Jay Worthen, Jon Williams, Winsor White, Ross Raymond, Art Veasey, Charles Johnson, and Elliott O’Reilly. He left a lasting impression on a lot of us, without a doubt.

As I write this it’s been almost a full year since we’ve done any Archon notes. And what a year it’s been! We’ve sheltered in place, covered our face and did what we could to stop the spread of the pandemic and keep us and our families safe. We are starting to see a return to some kind of normalcy, but there are still many new cases every day, reminding us that we are a long way from being over this virus. Our

The other loss we suffered came with the passing of John Boyd Ogden Jr. in late December. In late October we learned from his son Steve that he had made the decision to begin receiving hospice care.

Several of us including CF, Chris Page and yours truly sent emails to Steve to relay to JBO. Others like Tuck, Rob Lord, Veas, Jay Worthen and Grande called him directly.

His passing was a sad day for all of us who knew him. By the time you read this it will be public knowledge that our class set up and executed two events to honor his memory. The first was a dedication in the fall of an engraved stone bench located at the west entrance to the Frost Library, facing the French Student Center.

The inscription is located on the backrest and prominent to foot traffic entering and exiting the building from that side. It reads: “A tribute of affection from the class

2015 memory on Jim Rudolph’s boat, L to R: '68ers C.F. Spang, Jay Worthen, Marc Tucker

Kittery Point Lunch, L to R: '68ers Rob Lord, John Sowles, Rick Kaye-Schiess, Chris Page

CLASS OF 1968 Ted Nahil tednahil@gmail.com

of 1968 to John B. Ogden, whose life was wholeheartedly devoted to the welfare and intellectual improvement of young men and women.” The second event was raising a significant amount of money to better underwrite the John and Dorothy Ogden Scholarship Fund. Tuck, CF, Veas and Grande, with assistance from me and Jim Rudolph, drove this effort. Contributors included Tuck, CF, Grande, Veas, Jay Worthen, Jay Shay, Bob Parsons, Chris Page, Ross Raymond, Chuck Johnson, John Wannop, Harry Kangis, Dave Mitchell, Bill Degen, Jon Schafer, Jim Rudolph, Winsor White, Peter Barkin, Rob Lord and me.

Many of us were happy to see 2020 come to a close and welcomed the new year.

New Year wishes came in from Charles Johnson, Winsor White, Tuck, Veas, Elliott, Jay Worthen, Bill Degen, Paul Gares, Simon McCulloch, CF, Dave Mitchell, Don Hayes and Roger Smith among others. In early January, Jim Rudolph was recognized

by Lawyers Weekly as a Massachusetts 2020 “Go-To Lawyer” for business law.

Among the many congratulatory emails to Jim, Steve Robinson wrote, “While so many of our classmates are in semi or full retirement, you continue to add to your laurels. Congratulations, Jim!” Elliott wrote, “Must be one of them there work-a-holics! Congratulations Jim!” And Veas added, “Given that I was Jimsy's suite mate in EEU, his roommate at DU, and shared a house when we were young professionals in Boston—I feel somehow worthy of saying how proud we are of your accomplishments—you are the man JLR.” As our “new normal” life continued, Chuck Johnson checked in in late January with a post-holiday update: “I survived the holidays well, spending Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s alone in much

Simon ’68 and Cathy McCulloch at the Grand Canyon

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quiet although I did video chat with the kids in Seattle and shared a couple of glasses of wine with my neighbors each time. Unfortunately, social distancing precluded the clinking of glasses. And, despite California having a significantly bad COVID situation with lots of infections and very limited vaccine supplies, I have thus far managed to stay healthy and avoid cabin fever.” A good number of us participated in Govs Giving Day in February. A number of us were among the early ones to get our COVID shots. Terry and I got our first shot in January and our second on February 1. Rob Lord shared a message: “My memories of easier days are comforting. For example, there were a few days in Marblehead a couple Julys ago. I recall we arranged to meet—three times—in the bar before the gang showed up. Fun.” And Veas sent the included picture, a memory from August 2015, and this message: “Just a blast from the past photo (Aug 2015) that needs to be shared in this time of pandemic and quarantine.

Shots are happening and we will be back.”

We celebrated birthdays and shared wellwishes on many occasions. So far this year, Peter Barkin, then Josh Burns, Bill Degen, Ted Brooks, Winsor White, me, and Paul Gares have ticked off another year. Charles Johnson commented after Bill’s birthday.

"Happy Birthday to both Josh and Bill, you’re joining an elite subgroup known as the Red Dog Survivors. We mourn those Red Dogs who have passed and celebrate those who’re still hanging in there.” And Dan Ogg was always present, gracing us with his artwork, too. A sample is included, entitled “The Fiddler.” The breadth of talent in our class never ceases to amaze me!

'68ers at Veasey House gathering, L to R standing: Wayne Barbaro, Steve Robinson, Jim Rudolph, Chris Page; L to R crouched: Rob Lord, Jay Worthen (behind the camera: Art Veasey)

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By April, there was light at the end of the tunnel it seemed. Winsor wrote, “Got my second shot three weeks ago and went into a grocery store yesterday for the first time since the “geezer” pic you showed in the Archon from over a year ago. (We’ve been doing contactless delivery since.) A great feeling being in Whole Foods again, cruising well stocked aisles and just shopping, picking up stuff on the spur of the moment. Strange how what used to be completely normal is now a cause for celebration.” My birthday came and went and I again thank you all for the compliments you heap on me as your class secretary. As I continue to say, I enjoy doing this and the job is made a lot easier by the fact that you continue to supply me with the material to do it. Jay Worthen wrote to me and sent along a picture of his latest shop project: “Hi Ted. Another year bites the dust, eh? I hope that you had a good celebration.

All is well up here in the finally-thawed North. Cindy and I are fully vaccinated and doing well. I am getting in as much flying as I can. Lord knows when the FAA will wake up to the fact that I am up there with the real pilots, and put a stop to my aerial escapades.

My flying pal and I are planning to make our periodic pilgrimage to the airshow in Oshkosh at the end of July. Needless to say, it was cancelled last year. I’m still trying to get my managing partner to let me retire.

Currently, some weeks are full time, and some are light on work (I really like those weeks). What I want is lots more time in my

shop. Attached is a copy of my most recent effort — a chessboard made of padauk and holly. Now I am trying to make matching chess pieces out of the same two woods. Stay well, and keep up the great work. Our ’68 community would be so much smaller but for all the heartfelt effort that you put into it.”

The Fiddler by Dan Ogg ’68

Chess board crafted by Jay Worthen ’68

Other updates from the past year follow, in a semi-chronological order. Last October, Veas hosted an outdoor get-together on his front yard that included Jay Worthen, Steve Robinson, Jim Rudolph, Chris Page, Rob Lord and Wayne Barbaro — picture included. Veas wrote: “It's hard for me to remember where we left off in our last class contributions, but I think since that time I had my October COVID-safe lawn party at my home in West Newbury. Most of the usual suspects from our frequent lunches at the Grog in more normal times, gathered on my front lawn for chowder, sandwich wraps and beverages and for much needed camaraderie of local '68ers. Page, Rudolph, Bubba, Worthen, the two Robbies—Steve and Lord—all made it a great afternoon on a gorgeous October day. Tuck and Billy D were not able to make it but we dialed in Ted for a FaceTime call with Chris, Bubba and Robbie Lord. A memorable respite from the pandemic of 2020.” He mentions that they “dialed in Ted” and indeed they did! What a pleasant surprise to get a FaceTime call and find the group of them at the other end. Thanks for thinking of me!

Veas continued with a later update in June: “Virginia Veasey Murphy is approaching her first birthday as I write this and we are thrilled to be first-time grandparents.

I have a regular Monday morning babysitting gig which I look forward to and so far am able to keep up with the demands of a pre-toddler. To be continued... Susan and I bought a house on Squirrel that will require much TLC. Never thought I'd be doing this at age 71 but we will now be

secure in knowing we have our own cottage for the next generations to enjoy.”

Jon Williams wrote: “Mary and I came out of the COVID blocks with a March road trip to Santa Fe, a long April weekend in Naples, FL, where I had coffee with Henry Eaton ’70, and a Phoenix weekend mostly watching the grandkids go around the lazy river pool. We're heading to Aspen this weekend (June 25) to say farewell to a lately departed ski buddy, and are contemplating a Connecticut and a Utah visit between now and this fall. I know it sounds like retirement, but it's not! The gallery (Mary Williams Fine Arts) is steaming along with the America the Beautiful sale, and I have enough construction work to at least pretend I'm still viable 52 years out of the Academy. Thanks, Ted, for keeping the dialogue going. It's been great reconnecting with such a distinguished group of classmates.” Jon added that he took a bad tumble on some hard ice at Vail that resulted in lots of bruises and a broken nose. He’ll stick to the green and blue runs with the grandkids from now on!

Harry Kangis sent in this update: “Julia and I survived the serial togetherness of 15 months of COVID house arrest—we offer our upcoming 44th anniversary this August as proof of that. We certainly are enjoying the relative euphoria of our post-vaccination existence since late February. We immediately celebrated with a quick golf trip to visit friends in Boca Raton, and being on an airplane for the first time in a year went smoothly—at least no fistfights broke out! Dinners

David Mitchell ’68 featured in Woodcraft Magazine

with our local grandkids without masks, gatherings with friends where we could hear each other (well our ears are still 71 years old), and being back at the gym are new simple pleasures. We even endured our third round of the 17-year cicadas since we lived in Cincinnati, and it did have that Hitchcock movie air about it once again, but survive we did. We got to attend our grandson’s HS graduation, which was unexpected but a treat for everyone involved. I am back to being as busy as I want to be with my strategic planning consulting, and most clients are returning to in-person meetings even if their offices are not fully open yet. Zooms instead of old fashion conference calls seem to be here to stay. I am once again neck deep in 50th reunion planning, this time for my Williams College class. Brings back great memories of our Byfield gathering in 2018.”

Dave Mitchell has lots going on, even with COVID! He writes: “Grandchild #1 graduated with a masters from George Washington’s Elliot School for International Relations. Now working at the DOD in DC (it’s all acronyms there).

Didn’t go up for the event since there was no real graduation and we had been up at Thanksgiving. Grandchild #3, after moving to Colorado last year with her boyfriend, announced her engagement with the wedding to be held next January, outdoors, in Estes Park, CO, on a Monday (apparently the venue is a good bit cheaper on the Monday in January), so that’s a trip we’ll be taking.

All other children and grandchildren, by all accounts, are doing well. Much work around the house, as always. We have a small out building, which serves as my shop, that has needed some TLC for many years which it’s finally getting in the way of paint, new trim boards and lattice skirt around the foundation (it’s a raised building). Speaking of my shop, it turns out that the woodworking magazines are always hungry for content, so all one has to do is let them know what one has recently completed, send them some pics, and they are likely to show it. Thus, the attached from Woodcraft Magazine which came out in June. Only took about eight years to finish, with various other projects inserted in between. I’m the piece next to the napkin holder. This fall marks the reopening of Columbus State

to a full complement of students going to class in person, etc. Now if we can just convince them to get the vaccine! When did vaccines become so poorly thought of by some folks? Especially after 70 years of successful prevention and neareradication of some diseases. All the best, and thanks again for goosing us geezers from time to time to write in. I know it’s a lot of work on your part, and I appreciate it (we all do, in fact).”

In May, Chris Page, Rob Lord, John Sowles and Rick Kaye-Schiess met for lunch at Kittery Point. Chris wrote, “It was great seeing them looking well and catching up.” Jim Rudolph writes, “We recently bought a home in Lincoln, NH near Loon Mountain. Looking forward to skiing again with C.F Spang, Chris Page and any other classmates skiing at Loon.” Elliott O’Reilly sent in a short update, too: “All is well here in St. Louis. Nothing special is happening with us. I spend my days tending my vegetable garden and tending to our backyard as a sanitary engineer for our seven Papillons which include one AKC Grand Champion Bronze and three AKC Champions. I am definitely looking forward until we meet again!” Chuck Johnson says, “The past few months have been quiet in Sacramento just working on mitigating the impacts of the pandemic on the activities that get me through the day: Scout summer camp, local Swedish lodge, Odyssey of the Mind tournaments, running errands for housebound friends and neighbors and the like. Yes, I’ve been broiling a bit of late while monitoring my water usage but so far the air quality from the wildfires has been tolerable. Currently the only real stress in my life is watching from afar as my son and family work at finding a bigger home in the Seattle housing market, OY!!”

A surprise arrived from Ned Bennett! It was wonderful to hear from him. He wrote: “Ted, I always read your appeal for Archon notes, feel guilty then fail to act. Not this time. I'm repenting. So I'm still married to a skinny blonde girl I met the summer of ’68.

49 years this month. We have three middleaged children, two near the Rappahannock River in VA, oldest son still on Cape Cod. We sold our house and business and moved to SW Florida in 2012. It took a while to find ourselves but I really have as much

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fun working as anything else. And my wife is never not busy organizing one group or another. So I work for a company that provides transportation and services to North Captiva Island. My job is to keep the construction equipment and boats in good repair. It's an absolute hoot! Better than any reality show. In the process we're realizing that God's Providence is much greater than anything we individually bring to the game. Truly blessed.” Ross Raymond has survived two acquisitions in three years at PRA. He says, “I really am enjoying the weather and being close to my boys in RTP NC and starting to reconnect post-COVID with friends and colleagues I hadn't seen in 10 years.” Don Hayes writes as only he can: “Still alive and kicking. Now providing full-time childcare as a grandparent (well, at least supporting grandma as we progress from eat-and-poop to crawl-and-grab). We are now familiar with the clean reststops on the road from LA to Albuquerque. Hope the pandemic will be over in time for him to return the favor.”

Ted Brooks is well, writing that his family is in good health. He spends winters in Tucson “…tending to his parents’ old house and playing tennis for health. Anyone from ’68 in the area from December to April is welcome to visit.” And Simon McCulloch writes: “We are staying well and trust you and your family are all enjoying good health? We did our little bit for America’s tourist industry by visiting the Grand Canyon on April 8th.

A photo is attached of my wife and I boarding the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, AZ, for a day at the Canyon’s South Rim. We were fortunate to be there before the heatwave and enjoy perfect conditions plus the sunshine. Since then we visited New York City for four days over the Memorial Day Weekend. My wife, Cathy, and our daughter are currently in the mountains of North Carolina, near Asheville, to briefly escape the heat in Florida. After the year of COVID hell working in the hospital they earned it.

Stay well and safe. Warm regards to you and all GDA '68ers.”

in the Newmarket/Portsmouth, NH area.

More to come, but this seems to be a worthwhile endeavor and I will pass along more information as this pans out.

CLASS OF 1969

Our news is that we managed to move not once but twice during this whole mess. We sold our house and were prepared to rent a new one for a couple of years while we figured out our next move—two condos, one in Florida, one in Denver perhaps, or just buy a new home in Florida and rent when we visit our Denver family. The woman who had committed to a twoyear rental suddenly had a change of heart when her sister passed away, and she decided to sell her house. Although it was new, it was not what we were looking for, so on Valentine’s Day, we went house shopping and bought a new home. We’re settled now and frankly, that’s it! No more moves! We did manage to get to Denver to visit our son and granddaughters over Easter, and that was wonderful. Otherwise, like the rest of the world, we’re waiting for this nightmare to go away and for life to get back to whatever the new normal will be.

These most recent class notes reflect the fact that folks are enjoying their “postpandemic” freedom. You can almost hear the collective exhale as life returns to our new normal. That, and the sound of hand washing. Doug Bradshaw is staying busy at his home on the Cape. He is involved with a documentary by Nick Ut, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who, in 1972, gave the world the iconic photo of the “Vietnam Girl.” You may remember her as a nine year old running toward you, a victim of napalm bombing. This is quite an honor and a testament to the skills and respect that Doug has in the photography community. Congrats, Doug.

Brian Pfeiffer writes that retirement for him will simply be doing more of what he WANTS to do...which is to continue to examine and research historic buildings of interest. The best part is leaving behind the red tape and the multiple government reviews. His passion for his work has taken him all around the world. Brian loves to spend time in Paris and looks forward to having the opportunity to go back there soon. Many thanks to Jeff Gordon for sharing an insightful video of “The Four Headmasters,” along with an article on Heb Evans. We are reminded how fortunate we were to be mentored by these gentlemen and others. Each of us, I am certain, has a story to tell regarding their leadership.

GDA has been blessed throughout the years with outstanding examples of dedicated

I would like to add a small bit in closing.

This has been a rough 16 or so months for all of us. I have seen the best in a lot of folks emerge as we all adjusted to one “new normal” after another. As we work our way back it’s comforting to know that we as a class share a bond that continues to survive.

There are not a lot of groups—graduating classes, businesses, teams, whatever—that can say they have that bond and I am honored and humbled to be part of what I consider to be the best group of then boys, now men, I’ve ever known. Keep those updates coming! Take care and stay safe!

Billy Clyde coachbclyde@gmail.com

Rick Kaye-Schiess, CF, Rob Lord and John Sowles are embarking on a task to recognize Wentworth Cheswell, a Black man and 1763 attendee of The Academy, who went on to achieve some notable civic accomplishments Peter Borneman ’69 enjoying the view

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educators. Ned Lattime adds to the Evans legacy, noting that Heb revealed insight into the Native American populations that he interacted with during his summer camps and trips. Heb had also questioned “modernization” and its negative impact on child development. Prescient, yes? Tim Tenney adds an enthusiastic confirmation to the above article and video. Tim spends time in Malibu and runs into "Powder" Pete Borneman. They both report that life is good. Wil Durham has proudly welcomed his first grandchild. Family visits, real Wyoming barbecues, and turning seventy have made this a great year. Jon Williams writes from Denver that he will be making better decisions on the slopes after a particularly hard fall. Having two grandchildren nearby will make transition toward retirement a bit easier.

Peter Dorsey is staying busy with work and volunteering locally. He and I had a great phone conversation. Peter remarked that GDA allowed and encouraged students to strive for goals while retaining their individuality. This helps explain the vast variety of vocations and avocations that this class has pursued. Well said, Peter. I received a nice surprise email from Phelps Holloway! He is glad to be back in touch and relished the Reunion Archon. He has had a few body parts replaced and is happily residing in the Champlain Islands.

Great to hear from you, Phelps. My wife and I welcomed Jack Connelly and part of his family to our home here in Ohio for a short visit as they traveled to the Connecticut shore. Jack is enjoying an active retirement.

Billy Clyde ’69 and Jack Connelly ’69

(Do you see a pattern here?!) I had a quick chat with Doug Macdonald who is doing fine and is happy to be back working. We are happily busy on our 21 acres in the midst of an Amish community. Being a newly-minted septuagenarian, I intend to drink more coffee, smell more roses, and generally be more spontaneous. “How terribly strange to be seventy....” ~ Paul Simon One final note...please feel free to visit campus any time, but especially during reunions in early June. Our next big one will be 2024! Make new friends all over again! "Preserve your memories. They're all that's left you." ~ Paul Simon

TOP: Class of 71ers Ward Rinehart, Richard Guenther and Tom McMeekin got together for lunch in March in Sarasota, Florida. At the time, all had received their COVID vaccine. As far as anyone could remember it had been 10 years since they had last seen each other; BOTTOM: Dave Shove ’71 sitting at the Shove Hastings Harkness table in the Murphy Seminar Room in the Frost Building

CLASS OF 1971 James Fleming jamesfleming817@gmail.com Dave Shove: I thought I'd send a note about my visit to GDA on the Reunion Saturday June 12. It was particularly fun for me since I haven't been on campus since Commencement 1971. Anyhow, (thanks to Tom Trafton) I had arranged a campus tour including my old haunts as well as the Mac Murphy seminar room where my namesake's Harkness table is (see photo).

The tour was really fun—seeing all the old places and the new ones—so much has changed but so much is the same. Where I lived (Perkins, Farmhouse, and Ingham) looks much nicer than I remember even though without the Butt Club the campus lacks a certain delinquent flavor that I loved (and fostered). It was especially great to see that most of the old buildings have been preserved and that the Shove Hastings table is EXACTLY where it was 50 years ago! They also showed me where the new developments along the Parker River will be built for marine related programs.

I don't think I ever went down to the river that way before. That program looks to be

Steve Connelly ’71, Will Phippen ’71 with their significant others, Sandy and Katya, reunite in San Francisco.

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a great idea. Anyhow...well done GDA! I missed all you guys while I was there—but these are strange times....

Steve Connelly and Will Phippen recently got together in San Francisco with their significant others Sandy and Katya. They visited the Japanese hardware store in SF then the Wave Organ down on the waterfront, before retiring to the hills of San Bruno for supper. The reunion was considered most excellent. Way to go amigos.

CLASS OF 1972 George Freimarck gfreimarck@gmail.com Dear Classmates: June of 2022 will soon be upon us. Our 50th reunion. Who was thinking that far ahead in June of 1972?

Not I! But I do remember Geoff Durham, back then (third floor of Pierce dorm?) expressing some wistfulness that this might be the last time we would see one another, we who had been together for some of the most formative years of our lives. Can we turn back time? Of course not, and who really wants to? But we can gain a measure of ourselves, and regain

a certain joy, in reconnecting next June.

If the child is father to the man, then let’s see what happened. I’ll bet you will be very pleasantly surprised to meet up with some of our classmates, even if, especially if, you weren’t that close in the day at GDA. A lot of interesting and good changes have come about. And a lot of fun can be had in the sharing. Your reunion committee (P. Conway, P. Commito, R. Hackel, C. Swenson, P.Franklin, H.Curtis, J. Tikellis, G.F.) has already put in way more time and thought than some of us ever did for our final English paper to help shape a meaningful, thoughtful, fun experience in Byfield come June 10–12, 2022. Please put it on your calendar. Start thinking of ways to make this a part of next summer’s fun and activities. Your classmates want to see you.

Your school wants to see you. You want to see your friends. You will be glad you came.

Back to those selfsame classmates, we did hear from two of our medicine men, Charles Bouchard and Harrison Smith (yes! Oakie!): Charles Bouchard: I continue to serve as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Loyola University Medical Center outside

of Chicago where I still enjoy medical and surgical care of patients, teaching students and residents, mentorship, collaborative research and publishing, all the exciting activities that come with a position at an academic medical center. The question of course is for how much longer...I also enjoy spending many hours tending to our vegetable garden and weeding the many flower beds around our house. I recently discovered on FB Peter Follansbee who shares this same passion for gardens, flowers, and nature photography. His work is truly worth following! Tim Traver, Dicken Crane, and Tunk Hosmer are also unable to live without getting their hands dirty...I really look forward to next year's special event.

Harrison Smith: George, this is Harrison Smith (aka Oak), hoping I can make it. Life was going very well until recently. My wife of 42 years (Joanne) and I were enjoying our three grown kids, and their four (our grandchildren). Joanne had retired from nursing, while I continued my practice as a clinical psychologist. In April, one of our grandchildren was diagnosed with a rare cancer, and our world was turned upside down. We have been traveling to Cincinnati to help our daughter and family through the grueling treatment, so I am making no longterm plans as long as this is going on. Best to all, but 50 years since GDA? Say it ain't so!

Thank you, Oak, so great to hear from you after all these years. We wish your family the best, and hope you will be able to make it to Byfield. As to 50 years, well, to paraphrase John Belushi, it ain’t 50 till we say it is!

Tom McDougal: Tom, who spent his career in national level law enforcement, and retired as Acting Chief, Damage Assessments Branch at National Counterintelligence Executive, wrote to say he felt inspired to send in a couple of photos in honor of our upcoming 50th, and some good friends of his.

LEFT TOP & BOTTOM: Views of the backyard raised gardens and berry bounty of Charles Bouchard ’72; RIGHT TOP: Cam “Tunk” Hosmer ’72 showing his school spirit; RIGHT BOTTOM: Jack Halloran and Tom McDougal suited up at Belmont Hill in 1971

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“George, you've inspired me to submit a couple of photos from our past. The first is a photo my Dad took of Jack Halloran and me at the Belmont Hill game in November 1971.

Jack unfortunately passed away in 2018 from a major heart attack. The second photo was taken while Tunk was trying to get in on the act. Living in Piperton, TN (near Memphis). Retired from US Government in 2011 (find me on LinkedIn). My health may

prevent me from the 50th but will make an effort. Jack was my best friend and his loss took a lot out of me. Besides Jack my other close friend at GDA was Eric Covner who committed suicide in 2004. Unfortunately I am sure we will all be departing at some time! (Interestingly, Jack, Tom and Eric all did government service, which Tom elaborates on:) Jack served 20 plus years as a Navy helicopter pilot. I served 20 plus as a Naval Reserve Intelligence officer and 25 years with the CIA and the last five years of my career as a counterintelligence specialist. My good friend Eric was with the 101st airborne division for five plus years. I know Jud Crook was also a Naval officer and Jabo (Bob Jablonski) spent many years in the Military reserves. I wish all who served a sincere thank you”.

Tom, we share in the thanks to those of our class who served. We certainly hope you can make it to the 50th. Thank you for these and your thoughts on Jack and Eric.

To all of us: Come back to Byfield on June 10–12. You will be glad you did.

Non sibi sed aliis George

CLASS OF 1973 Glen Winkel drwink@me.com Greetings to the Class of 1973! Despite a slow start for this episode of class notes, I became inundated with over 17 responses! Wow, that’s got to be a record and with the 50th class reunion on the horizon, it’s good to get reconnected with members of our class. Some exciting stuff

Chris Baker ’73 pictured with Meredith's two younger sisters Jessica and Emily

is happening in our class, so let’s kick it off with recognition.

On the front lines of COVID-19 is our own Michael McDowell who writes, “I work as a general contractor and have been a volunteer firefighter for 35 years. I have spent four of the last 12 months, working for the State of California Cal-MAT, staffing a COVID Surge Hospital, 13 hours days, seven days a week. The most challenging was this past winter when the medical system came off the rails due to the overwhelming numbers of patients. We worked at a shuttered state hospital. The buildings were 70 years old and had not been in use for 15 years. As a logistics officer, my primary responsibilities were to keep the four buildings operational, keep on top of our inventory, find N95 masks unavailable to the State and provide our staff with other items not available through the State or FEMA. Every day had its challenges but I woke up every morning and couldn’t wait to get to work. I took two days off during the entire deployment. Despite the long hours and the risk of transmission, morale was high. People bought sports equipment and there was play. As a result of our training program, we had a forklift rodeo one evening. In a few days, we built a community that provided a support system for us all.

One year ago, the medical staff was treating the patients with moderate success. By last winter, the medical team understood the virus and progress of the disease and how the body reacted to it. As a result, hospital stays were far shorter and few people returned to an acute care setting. Together with an understanding of the progress of the disease from the viral stage to the inflammatory phase and the phenomenal drugs that

L to R: Joanne Aja (wife of Ian Chisholm ’73), Diane Fitzgerald (Kevin’s wife), and Kevin McKenna ’73 on Sebago Lake in Maine.

Photography by Ian Chisholm.

were available, it really was a difference in outcomes from last summer that was night and day. I never would have gone to Vietnam.

Lucky that I missed the draft by a year. I feel like I finally did my service to our country, and happy to have helped. Sorry to see so much hard work going to waste because so many people are not vaccinated.” Michael, thanks for all the long hours and hard work, know your fellow classmates take great pride that you were able to accomplish so much during this historic pandemic.

On the other side of the country in Sebago Lake, ME, Ian Chisholm and Kevin McKenna were “hanging out in Kevin and Diane’s back yard, cruising Sebago Lake, and watching the Red Sox. Oh! And the food was simply outstanding! Diane and Kevin should open a restaurant!” Kevin chimes in with “No real news here in Hiram, ME. Spending as much time as possible outdoors with family and friends and away from crowds (Trying to be compassionate to the anti-vaxxers even though their incredible stupidity threatens us all!). All the best!

Hope to see you at the 50th!”

From the proud grandparents’ category is Bruce Sheldon. “My daughter had a baby girl, Joanna Lane Walker, last year and by coincidence she was born on March 5th, which happens to be my birthday too.

We are 65 years apart and what a great birthday present! She is now 18 months old and we see her quite often. My daughter and her husband live in Annapolis, MD since he is an Officer in the Coast Guard in Washington, DC. He being a military person, has the benefits of all amenities/ services of the Naval Academy, so I have enjoyed playing golf at the Naval base course and use of a slip for his boat. Been

Joanne and Ian Chisholm ’73 with their gracious host, Kevin McKenna ’73. Photography by Diane Fitzgerald.

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busy with my commercial and residential business in Stamford, CT. Take care.” Great news, Bruce and thanks for sharing.

Also, in the grandparents’ category is Larry Coles. “Greetings from Atlanta! I made it through 2020 and 2021 thus far in good health. Since I have not retired as yet, I continue to work safely from home.

Blessed with a new granddaughter, Iman, born July 10th. Back and forth between GA and VA to assist with care for my aging 93year old father. God is good! I look forward to our 50th reunion! In the meantime, if anyone is in the Atlanta area please contact me (678-372-5311).”

Speaking of retirement, Geoff Peters “reports that retirement, at least a version of it, is officially in place as he now spends his days working as an Elite Guest Services Ambassador (Usher) at Wrigley Field supporting his Chicago Cubs (and maybe an occasional concert on the weekends).

He is looking forward to spending some downtime in the next phase of life!! If anyone is in Chicago, he still has season tickets to the Cubs available!” Hey, Geoff, I’m up for a Cubs game? Anyone want to plan a road trip to Chicago for a GDA mini-reunion at a Cubs game?

And yet another retirement to note, as Chris Baker writes “a perfect storm of health issues and the pandemic gently encouraged me to slide with some trepidation into retirement and sell my veterinary practice. Of course, it allows more time to spend with my grandson, son of our daughter Meredith ’05. My wife Robin ’74 also retired and we are approaching our 40th wedding anniversary. We enjoy staying in touch with other GDA grads like Wyatt Garfield, Adolph Haffenreffer, Chip Connelly, Jaike Williams, Billy Staff, E Scott Williams ’74, Gordon Thompson, Carol Salloway, and of course Merrill Marsh. Look forward to our fiftieth. Party on Glen.”

A brief update from Douglas Doty, who is looking to retire both his computer and himself, “My computer is ready for the bin... does not type y's and t's, so my note will be brief: will retire in Sep. '21, will sell home, move elsewhere, though not sure where, COVID makes retirement in Portugal risky, we plan to keep traveling, playing music and translating. Best to everyone!”

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Jeffrey Grush is also moving and writes “Debra and I are in the process of sorting thru 40 years of accumulated “stuff” as we prepare for our new adventure of moving to our lake home near Laconia, NH. We originally thought we would be downsizing, but ended up adding an addition/garage to the existing structure. I promised my bride that she would definitely have a space to park her car, but maybe I over committed :-). Still have our golden retrievers. Have recently found my birth mother’s, and birth father’s, families and getting to know my three half-brothers and three half-sisters.

Looking forward to the 50th.”

Our honored and esteemed Judge, Walter Rivera “participated in a few virtual meetings within the past year regarding diversity and inclusion at The Governor's Academy and was happy to engage with the students and to provide a historical perspective. I am still working as a judge in New York and as an adjunct law professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. I was recently elected as President of the statewide Latino Judges Association and co-founded the Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Association. Looking forward to our 50th in 2023.”

Mark Manuelian finally resolved some legal challenges and became proud foster parents, “We have been kinship foster parents of our three boys, Kolbey, and his twin brothers Konley and Kinley for most of the last eight years. After languishing in the appellate court process for several years, their case finally resolved this spring and the adoption is tomorrow, July 27th. Young children with early childhood trauma backgrounds require a lot of support from family and community.

Our adult children, Ara, Ami, Ana and Asa, and my mother-in-law, have given so much every day. Our family is surely a line item in the public-school budget. Thank goodness for Mass Health, but even with that, there just aren’t enough mental health professionals. We have inherited the family summer home on Bow Lake in Strafford NH. Trinity Church had a boys’ summer camp on the lake which my dad and I attended. Most weekends we pack up the family van–three young kids, two big kids (for parental backup) and a dog or two. It’s so hard to go back home each Sunday night, I don’t know how my dad did it for forty

years. We welcome visitors–the sunsets across the lake are awesome…I make great margaritas. I have been working at WGBH and WCRB for the last three years. WCRB was my first job in the summer of 1973. It’s more fun today than I remember it back then. Working from home has been helpful for Debbie and me. It’s made it easier to manage COVID and the kids. Fortunately, the boys qualified for full-time school most of this past year.”

While many folks are starting to get outside in the fresh air, Christian Steinway is hard at work getting ready for our 50th reunion. “My tidbit is that I'm working on digitizing all the negatives I have from 1969–1973—most of which were taken at GDA. I plan to have them available online before our 50th reunion. The process is a grind, but one I enjoy.” That’s a lot of photographs!! I remember the many long hours in the dark room! And on that front, I am sure there will be many, many memories of those days of long ago. Stay tuned, cause we are gonna have a great recreation contest coming up for our 50th!

From the New Hampshire ski slopes, Doug Pope adds, “I feel very fortunate that I am still skiing with my father, David A. Pope class of 1951, who is 89 years old and skis like he is 50. We have four-generations of skiers on the slopes. Four of our eight grandchildren, ages 8, 6, 4 and 3, are skiing on their own with another two grandkids on harnesses. Four generations have learned to ski at Mt. Cranmore in North Conway, NH with my father starting around 1940. When we are not skiing or with family, I am still very active as a larger-scale solar developer on behalf of investors. Carla and I still live in Boston.

Best to All!” And the newest member of our class, Tony Hall writes in, “Working on a new house, spent the past two weekends shopping for plumbing supplies (that should tell you something), scratching away at a novel that is like trying to outrun a giant spider in a dream, waiting for my three sons to each pop the question to their respective dreams come true, learning to play the lap steel guitar, still perfecting my five alarm jambalaya, trying to outrun that giant spider every day on my StairMaster.

Hope everyone is well, well-loved, and vaccinated. GDA really is on my mind these

days; I can’t remember breakfast, but Jake, Scott, Andy, Chris, Rich, Bottles and Nick Danger are always on my mind.”

Speaking of music, do you all remember Guy and the Greasers?? Well, from two of the original members of the band are Mark Hoffman and Geoffrey White. How many of you are interested in having a Guy and the Greasers play at our 50th Reunion??

From Mark Hoffman,” I have been recently working as an engineer for Abbott Labs on the next generation of artificial hearts.

It’s a very interesting project that will someday benefit many people. I also have been talking to Geoff White about getting the Greasers back together again! He is living in Australia and I’m hoping to get him to the States to sing some great rock-nroll! He is also an expert banjo player and teaches as well (maybe on Zoom?). Spoke with Craig Dowley a while back and hope to see him this summer, maybe for a sail.”

And from the other side of the globe, Geoffrey White writes, “I am well and teaching banjo as well as enjoying a semiretirement. I have three daughters all grown up. Brittany has a successful legal practice, Kiera runs a wedding planning business and Taysa runs a bookstore. I have two grandsons from Kiera: Aiden and Flynn. Aiden is 10 and Flynn is 3. I am enjoying life in Australia as I have for over half my life now. Send all greetings to Geoffrey.read4life@gmail.com! I am hoping to attend the 1973 50th anniversary to perform with Guy and the Greasers for the reunion in 2023. All the best!”

Can you feel the excitement from our class members? It will soon be 50 years since 1973 when we jumped over that wall (well at least two of us haven’t yet) and moved on into that great adventure called life!

If you are reading this now, think back to those days of old and all the good times we had as young kids. Let’s make a plan to catch up back on the common in June of 2023. Start making your plans to return to our humble school. If Geoffrey can make it back from Australia and I will be flying in from South Korea, no matter where you are on this little planet, you are not far from Byfield. South Korea you ask? Yes, I too am moving…I’m selling the house, car and getting rid of all the accumulated stuff, (I feel your pain Jeffrey) and even though I’ll be in a small town in the South Korean

countryside (Chuncheon), I will still be in touch via email and taking good care of the class notes as we plan our 50th. I hope to see many of you in Byfield in about two years. Let me end this novel of class notes with a poem from our very own poet, Tony Hall called “Anonymous”

we have known each other for 50 years!

Yikes! Courtney is still living in Dallas running his online business. He is getting into the Ethereum world. You will have to have him explain it—the music was too loud for me to grasp it. We liked the photo of us laughing but I included the serious one too.

What can I do but love you To the end, until time turns into music, Beyond the reach of my pen.

Tom Huffsmith: We were finally able to hold Ann’s Memorial Service in Brunswick, Maine in June without any COVID restrictions. Jeannie (Bethel) and her husband were able to join us. I’m back in the UK developing a large mixed-use real estate development in Nottingham, and looking at some projects in the US and France. Heading home to Steamboat Springs, CO in August to spend time with my three children and daughters-in-law. Hope we can put together a Zoom group in the future—I thought that is quite a good idea.

Wild ferns in splashing display, Anonymous in green octaves, Unfurl their feathered blades Like a ship in a bottle. Love Is thus only true, like wine, wishes Or rain, when you are falling through.

Thank you Tony Blessings and Greetings to all our GDA classmates of 1973.

See you in Byfield, June 2023 Your humble Class Secretary Glen Winkel, ’73 drwink@me.com

CLASS OF 1974 Pam Toner ptoner@optonline.net Pam writes: Well, here it is, 65 years old and getting close to our 50th reunion.

Signing up for Medicare is a major milestone. Please keep sending your stories of mini-reunions, children's weddings, grandchildren, retirement hobbies, travels.

Courtney Wang and I met up recently at his niece’s (Allison O'Connor Wang) wedding at Sugarbush, Vermont, on July 3rd. It was great to catch up and meet his daughter, An Rhiel, who has started her own bathing suit line. We figured it out that

Rick Atwood: Life has been good, keeping healthy and stress free. No big rides this year other than the Smokies, but planning on taking a run up to Alaska next year.

That should be fun. Never thought I'd be around for Medicare and retirement, but here we are. What a wild ride it has been.

Thank you to Rob Spaulding for your note on your 66th birthday on July 9th!

He is still living in and loving Kennebunk, ME, and it looks like you are President of Spaulding Associates, Recruiting Services for Power Engineering and Big Data. Please send more details.

Kim Potter Navarre checked in and she is still enjoying retirement.

Pam Toner ’74 and Courtney Wang ’74 enjoying each other’s company at Courtney’s niece’s wedding

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CLASS OF 1975 Pam Pandapas pamrobfine@ms.com Pam Pandapas: All is well in my household. I celebrated my 65th birthday in July. Yikes! I have, as usual in spring and summer, been busy in my yard and garden.

Thanks to a very rainy July, I got a reprieve from watering our rather large lawn every other day. At the time of this writing I am looking forward to seeing Billy Joel, The Dead and Company, and the Eagles in August and September (Elton John is on tap for next summer!). And on the schedule for January is a ski trip to Sun Valley with my brothers and their wives. Hopefully, the surge in the COVID virus won’t require another spate of cancellations. Rob is well but busier than a one-armed paper hanger.

He’s still working from home so at least I still know what he looks like! Every day is a contest of wills with our two cats who think they should be fed every hour. We also still have a resilient and persistent feral cat that still comes around for meals even now, after almost six years! I hope everyone has survived the summer and fall and you all are safe and healthy.

Greg Pope: The Greg Pope Family and Greater Pope Family (now at 44 from GDA graduates) survived COVID with only Scott ’77 getting it. I can say with conviction my wife and I know each other very well now after 18 months together and we plan to still stay married. Actually, it was a great time to be stranded together and it provided prospective to what is really

LEFT AND MIDDLE: Beautiful family of Mike Ponce ’75

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important in life: laughter and family. I hope all is well with all my classmates and that you have been as lucky as I during this time. And I hope to see you all at Reunion whenever that is rescheduled.

Mike Ponce: Currently we are up on MDI for two weeks’ vacation. It has been a big year as we come out of our houses and try to be normal again! Lindsay graduated high school and is on her way to Temple University Tyler School of Art. Annie is going back to Savannah School of Art after COVID time off. She worked all year helping and building out an antique dealer’s inventory on line. Gerry was thrilled, as he is 92 years old! His sales are up and a great friendship has evolved.

Annie also took classes at Montgomery County Community College to make up for her down time at SCAD. Jennifer has launched her new LLC, La Metairie.

She is working with her partner staging, moving, designing, and inventorying estate valuables. While we Boomers down-size into smaller places, her services seem to be in boundless demand. I am entering my 3rd year with Homestead Smart Health Plans, a health benefits company for companies that self-insure. We provide 20% to 30% savings on health benefit spending using Referenced Based Pricing. We are one of the 10 fastest growing companies in Philadelphia and have just been acquired

by Private Equity. I have helped build out sales, branding, and organize our message as we expand nationwide. I also turned 65 this past December. Happy to say no retirement in sight as I have two girls still

in college. My Mom passed last November in New Mexico so the family will gather together to spread Mom’s and Dad’s ashes in the Snake River as we celebrate their lives in Jackson Hole next spring. This will be the first time all the cousins have been together in a long time so that should be fun. Cheers for now! The Ponces Lisa Johnson: The pandemic certainly created an interesting year. I had the opportunity to be more creative and more thoughtful than I have been in a long time. More time to be with family and to think. Also, more time to be worried and thoughtful about bigger things than just my everyday life. The resounding piece I kept coming back to was gratitude for all the people and joys I have in my life. All the people in my immediate world are well.

We were able to be in school in person all year—no small feat. We stood in a doorway teaching two rooms of children all wearing masks and constantly staying six feet apart.

A whole new way to learn! I'm looking forward to connecting with people outside of Zoom. However, Zoom has allowed me to connect with many I might not have. I am happy to have both ways of being in the world. I hope everyone is well and that your lives bring purpose and possibilities.

Dave Bohman: I am still working in TV news in South Florida and ready to transition from covering a condo collapse to covering an approaching hurricane.

But I am loving life here in Jupiter, and reliving my Governor’s days (athletically) by running in 5K road races. Rob Squire recently came over from the west coast for

Mike Sapuppo ’75 and his daughter

a get together. It has also been too many months since I got together with Barry Miller, who is practically a neighbor.

Thank you to all classmates and others from school who checked in with me after the death of my wife, Linda, whom many of you knew for her bravery in coming to our reunions. She considered all members of the class of ’75 her friend. Your concern and kind words meant the world to me. I hope to run into a few of you on Cape Cod in August.

Peter Richardson: Some news: Our beautiful granddaughter, Parker Virginia Richardson, was born on April 2! She joins her big brother Andon, now three and a half, in bringing continuous joy to our lives.

We moved to Kennebunkport in June, into a lovely post and beam home on 11 wooded acres. Among the many attractions: I can move my beehives to my own backyard.

Rich O’Leary: Like many, I stopped commuting for work a year ago in March, except from one room to another at home.

Our daughter, Sarah, who lives in NYC, came home and also worked from here for a lot of the pandemic. That was very much a plus. Our son, Tim, was ordained an Episcopal Priest and got engaged to Phoenix Gonzalez, whom he met in college.

So he had an eventful year despite the pandemic paralysis. We are very excited for their wedding in Miami next February as we are very fond of Phoenix. Working from home was natural for my start-up as we are a distributed team. We were able to make good progress making software using

LEFT AND RIGHT: Starr Gilmartin’s bald eagle and Denali, Alaska

the various platforms and applications that, despite our isolation from each other, provide connection. But that’s hardly to be celebrated as the pandemic did so much damage to so many lives, families, and communities. So, like all of us in the Gov’s community, I’m encouraged that we seem to be returning to some semblance of normality. I can’t wait to see classmates again and eagerly await the next time we are together back in our beloved Byfield.

Keith Esthimer: Our daughter, Katelyn, and her husband, Gerry, just closed on a house in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

Hopefully, grandkids come next! We'll see.

Brit Babcock: My sister, Hannah, and I started a pie company in Maine last summer and everyone says the pies are the best they've ever had! It seems there are people from all over New England that are coming up here just to get our pies. We were in the Portland Old Port last winter where we did relatively well. But due to COVID, we decided not to stay. We will end up back there soon. “Maine Life” on the NBC Affiliates in Maine did a feature on Mount Desert Island which included the Balance Rock Inn, Abel’s Lobster Pound, and us, the Mount Desserts Pie Company.

Following is the link to the YouTube version of the show. Check this out: https://youtu. be/eb2EHAGAKbQ I hope everyone we all know from GDA is having a nice summer.

I’d love to see everyone sometime in the near future.

Craig McConnell: Life in northeast Ohio remains the same. I finished my fifth

retirement in April, that is I retired in 2016 but have been asked to come back for the outages as a contractor. Since they offer some ridiculous ‘numbers’, I have felt obligated to take their money!! Then I spent two months moving my mother up here from Maryland. Be aware that moving a ninety-four-year-old lady and most of her junk is not for the faint of heart. That and trying to get rid of the other junk that can't make the move. We continue to have dogs, cats and fish. We volunteer at the local arboretum twice a week for a couple of hours and in general, try to stay out of trouble. We are going to be in New Hampshire in late July for a week in the Lincoln area where we have access to a time share. I hope everyone had a great summer and fall.

Mike Sapuppo: Soon after getting vaccinated in early March, I started booking travel plans for the Spring.

My daughter and I flew to Nassau in the Bahamas for a week at the Atlantis Resort. The water slides are worth the price of admission! (As advertised in the TV commercial.) We made two fast boat excursions to Exuma and Eleuthera, where we swam with dolphins, nurse sharks, sea turtles and rays.

Starr Gilmartin: What a long, strange trip it’s been. I don’t think Jerry Garcia could have envisioned how prophetic his words would become during the time of COVID, lockdowns, political mayhem, etc., but here we all are. Hopefully, we are all still here and bracing for a 4th wave? Well, I hope you are all healthy and your family and friends are as well. With my ability to work per diem, I am fortunate to be able to take time off to travel, but that was also put on hold for almost two years until June. One of the few states I had not traveled to was Alaska when an old, and I mean old, friend of ours asked us to meet in Alaska for a family reunion. Feeling liberated with the vaccine, and just fresh from a long winter of hibernation, I jumped at the opportunity to spend my 65th birthday there and explore the wilds of Alaska. The saying that everything is bigger in Texas should really be applied to Alaska. It is bigger than California, Texas, and Montana combined.

The upside of traveling after lockdown restrictions were lifted is that the crowds were practically nonexistent. This is mainly

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because, like everywhere else, there was a massive workers shortage. We started with a train trip from Fairbanks to Denali.

The National Park of Denali is larger than New Hampshire. On our two days there we were fortunate to see Denali, which is the highest mountain summit in North America, on both days making us official 30%ers, as only 30% of visitors have clear enough skies to view the mountain. We saw grizzlies, moose, caribou, and wolf!!!

Our next train excursion landed us in Seward on Resurrection Bay where we saw Humpbacks, Orcas, Dall porpoises, Dall sea lions, and much more. Bald Eagles are as ubiquitous as crows in the east. Amazing!

Our final leg was to Juneau Island where our friends live, one of whom works for helicopter tourism. So, we were able to see and land on the massive ice sheet north of Juneau, which continues north through the border with British Columbia. We spent about an hour on one of the 38 glaciers. I cannot convey in words the grandeur and magnificence of Alaska but trust me, it’s well worth putting it on your bucket list.

Rob Kaplan: Truthfully there’s no news here from just north of Byfield. Though, I wish all the ’75’ers a restful and safe summer.

CLASS OF 1977 classnotes@govsacademy.org Virginia Hundley: This is by far the longest we have stayed in one place—10 years in Kennebunk with no plans to leave.

Our three boys are all grown, (youngest is in college). I work as a book buyer at an independent bookstore in Portsmouth. We are planning a family reunion in July at Sebasco Harbor Resort for a much-needed getaway after the last year. Been married 32 years today. I hope everyone is starting to get out and enjoy life again!

Joseph Pietrafesa ’77 and family

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Joseph Pietrafesa: Are we all vaccinated yet? 2021 started off with travel for biz and pleasure in full swing! Spent 6 weeks at our home in Beaver Creek CO, then off to NJ, PA, Vegas and Louisville. Our 10 year old (yes, I have a 10 year old!) is walking again in NY Fashion Week in September...

Ugh, the garment business! Spent lots of time with all my '30 somethings' in the mountains in June. We were wiped out!

Best to all and please contact me if you are in South Florida. Seems like the whole world moved here.

CLASS OF 1978 M. Philip Graham gaham175@comcast.net Tom Driscoll drisclaw@yahoo.com Tom Mathews: All is well down here in NC! Our twins graduated from college in May (Wake Forest & Elon) and are now back home thanks to virtual work environments.

They are both contemplating graduate school so it doesn't look like they will be off the payroll anytime soon. My retirement gig at the wine shop has gone through a few changes with COVID. We haven’t done wine classes in-person for almost 18 months.

Hopefully we can start doing them again in the Fall as I love the teaching aspect.

Fortunately, we opened up our “Tasting Bar” months ago with all the typical COVID precautions. That said, the wine/ beer biz was booming during COVID so we had a VERY busy year! Hope all our ’78 colleagues are safe, healthy and getting back to some normalcy! ONWARD!!!!

Peter Hey: A lot has happened since the last time I posted in The Archon. After a 13-year tenure at Wesley United Methodist Church, Concord, NH, I was appointed to the Wilmington UMC, Wilmington, MA, in June 2019. We love New Hampshire, but Cathy and I are finding many positives being in Massachusetts. I enjoy being closer to Govs and can more easily return to the school. COVID has impacted ministry very significantly. Virtual worship is quite different from in-person gatherings. The blessing gleaned from the experience is that I will do both for the rest of my career.

In-person gatherings are smaller and more intimate. If you like your religion to the left of center, check it out on YouTube. A

high point of the year was a confirmation class with brilliant young people. One of whom will be attending Govs in the fall.

It was meaningful to spend time with her in spiritual formation while writing her recommendation and celebrating her acceptance. On the day of confirmation, I did wear Gov's apparel.

Rick Neville: Family, friends, and business all stayed healthy during the pandemic and it feels like things are getting back to normal for us. Just returned home from traveling to the states of Washington and Oregon. Beautiful country out there. Four more states and Amy and I will have visited all 50. Daughter, Courtney, was recently engaged to be married and has booked a venue for November, 2022. Prices are crazy out there for that stuff but we’re looking forward to a fabulous lifetime event for her.

Stay well everyone and enjoy the rest of your summer!

M Phil Graham: M Phil here. It's been a year like no other for sure. Our department of IQVIA located in Bedford, NH still has no return to office timetable. Working from home and confessing still loving it! Hope things are working out ok for all of you. Definitely have firmed up my ongoing reading list: history and classic novels mostly (sounds soooo fascinating, ha). Going forward, I intend to do more with social media posts and generally stay more in touch with a wider range of people in my life. At the top of the list are my GDA classmates from '78. We've all been through a lot for sure since early 2020.

There's no better time to remember we're all part of GDA/Govs and lifelong friends with each of our classmates. Wishing everyone happiness and health. Be well. Be safe. Be happy!

Andy Robinson: Hello, All! Andrew Robinson here. Yup. It’s been nuts…I hope we’re all doing well. My family seems to be doing so. Matthew, now 28 (ugh) is on the mend after being crushed on his bicycle by a hit-and-run driver. We’ll get him. Haley, now 25 (double-ugh) is living in Berlin and loves it. I’m busier than a one-armed paper hanger, still doing the environmental thing in New Jersey. I’m enjoying driving my little car on the track whenever I can; so, that’s fun. I have to say, not a day goes by that I don’t pass loving thoughts to GDA and all of you who enriched my life during that time

in my life. I am forever grateful. And, if anyone’s passing through North Jersey, feel free to stop by, call, stay over, whatever! I’m pretty much here. Looking eagerly forward to seeing you in 2023!

CLASS OF 1979 Troy Dagres troydagres@aol.com Hello great Class of ’79. So, this is 60. As we reach this Milestone, hopefully we look back on our days in Byfield with blissful thoughts of friendships forged, educators who helped shape our lives and an environment that revolved around learning how to learn. I’m happy to say that my job as Class Secretary is no longer in jeopardy, as I did receive some very thoughtful updates from our classmates.

Evidently, I was placed on Double Secret Probation for non-production. Kinda reminisces of Senior English class…

Gretchen Roorbach is mistaken when she jokingly says: Our class has a long record of never having anything in class notes — do you really want to disrupt this streak? Because I got some stuff, right here… Jim Ronan says greetings ’79ers from Marblehead. Another year goes by, I am pleased to report that life is well on the North Shore. The pandemic taught me to hate my commute to Boston more than ever, and I have enjoyed working from home. Two of my kids have graduated college, and one is entering her senior year. Not sure how the time goes by so quickly. Speaking of which, had the pleasure of driving through Govs campus

Troy Dagres ’79 with his son Andrew Dagres ’10 on Father’s Day

recently and it looks spectacular. There were definitely more mosquitoes when we were there. However, no one swims in the Parker River anymore, which is a shame.

Next time I go by I’m going to jump off the bridge for old time’s sake. Hope everyone is doing well, and if you are in the neighborhood, drop by and see me. Andy Linn adds 2021 has been far from boring.

We helped our daughter Olivia find, close and move into her first home. Worked to remodel and decorate just in time for her to start graduate school of medicine as a Doctor of Nurse Practitioner. Meanwhile my wife Sandy luckily discovered she had a brain aneurism. I say luckily because it was close to rupture. We caught it in time and she underwent her surgery at Emory.

Long road recovering but she is doing so very well and so blessed she got to help with our daughter’s move and to see our son Landon graduate from high school.

He is entering the U. of North Carolina Charlotte as an engineering major in August. We celebrated Mom’s Day, and Sandy’s b-day. We made our annual trek to Hilton Head in July. We are enjoying our Lake House on Lake Lanier before fully becoming empty nesters. Our next plan is to sell our two properties in the fall and build our dream home on the Lake. And speaking of building, I am still with The Home Depot which continues to rock on during this construction boom.

Many thanks to this fine company for supporting me the first half of this year while I worked to hold down the fort. All smelling like roses for now...stay tuned.

All my best to the class! Henry Rosen

Amir Forsat ’79 and wife, Guity

sends greetings from hot and humid Boca Raton, FL! We are in hurricane season now but all is well here. I think the biggest news to report is that our family is now a “Party of 5.” Not another kid. Not a pet.

But my dad. He moved out of Boston this past November and moved in with us. He’s doing well, and we are very happy to have him. He and my 4 year old son Ben are best friends. Ben just calls him Mike, not Papa Mike. They really are inseparable, and not just because Ben has figured out that my dad is an easy mark for toys and treats!

Can’t believe that our nine-year-old Atalia starts fourth grade this year. Thankfully she still enjoys watching games with me and rooting for all Boston teams. And yes, I did have a milestone birthday earlier this year—like most of you did or will have—and Vanessa and I got away for a few days and went to Scottsdale, AZ. Being 60 truly isn’t bad, and now being able to shop at Costco an hour early is beyond awesome. Best, H. Lisa Law writes that she continues to work out and be a personal trainer. I am also a Clinical Manager of an Outpatient Psychiatric Practice. We have moved to a new home with a gorgeous house and pool and we are just thrilled about all of this. We spend all of our weekends by the pool and entertaining... it’s amazing. Amir Forsat writing from Esfahan, Iran. Have two children Nadia and Daniel. My wife Guity is half German and we have been together for 29 years.

My daughter Nadia is in London and works at Mandarin Oriental hotel. My son Daniel just finished high school and he doesn’t know what to do. I have an IT company which develops software and am also chairman of the board at Esfahan’s public warehouse which works very closely with customs. I also have an online business which my company developed and operates and is called www.persianflora. com. I tried to make it as short as possible and YES we do celebrate Christmas. Holly Spoerl checks in from the Caribbean with an update. Chris and I moved to St. Croix in the USVI in the beginning of the year with our dog Tosh and cat Purcy. We are loving island life! Chris is a sous chef at a great beach bar and restaurant. I am a pastry chef for several gourmet shops and catering. When I’m not baking I am snorkeling. Between you and me, I am soaking up the vitamin D. Peace!

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CLASS OF 1981 Kathryn O’Leary Shilale kathryn@shilale.net Keller Laros: Aloha kakou, We're back in business in Kona, Hawaii. Dan Cook came for a visit in February and I took him out for a manta ray night dive. It was mantastic!!

Sorry I wasn't able to make it to the 40th reunion in June but I will be there in August and look forward to visiting campus and seeing everybody. A hui hou, Kal Kathryn Shilale: Hi All - hoping everyone had a great summer. We had a fun time at our little reunion in June. We had beer and whoopie pies on a gorgeous day on the quad. Clarissa came with her family all the way from Florida in an RV! (I'm sure there is a photo of us in here somewhere.)

CLASS OF 1982 Nancy Wickwire anwick@comcast.net

Nancy Wickwire, Class Secretary Sent out this email to my classmates in late June: Hello My Peeps, One year from now we will all be back from our weekend at GDA, where we will have celebrated at our 40th Reunion! I was just reading my email sent to all of you in February of 2020, wherein I asked after all of your families, major life events such as graduations etc and ha ha, travel plans. I then described my upcoming trip to PARIS for March 4–11, 2020. I can now report that my girlfriends and I DID, in fact, go to Paris and that we spent a fantastic week, ate very, very well, found everything to be uncrowded and all shopkeepers and restaurant staff VERY happy to see us. Our flights over were rather lightly populated, but boy oh boy was the flight back packed! And that was the onset of the COVID pandemic for me. Layla graduated from BU School of Communications, magna cum laude, and by “graduated” I mean: completed all requirements and received her diploma in the mail and had a sparsely attended (Layla, me, Andy and brother Eddie) celebration around the dining room table (which, coincidentally is also the location where she took her final exams, since campus shut down on March 20).

We have a saying at my church, kind of a call-and-response. Pastor says “God is good!” and we respond “All the time!” which reminds me to be thankful for what I have, even when some things are not great. My family are all healthy and safe. We were quite cozy here at 78 Smith Road from

Dan Cook ’81 and Keller Laros ’81 night diving with manta rays in Hawaii

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Attendees of the Reunion reimagined Lawn Party, L to R: Clarissa Dane Hughes, Tracey MacCormack, Mike & Diane Reilly, Lisa Louden, Kathryn Shilale, Larry Schwartz, Jennifer Graf, Richard Aranosian, and Doug Brown

March thru August, with four adults living here full time, and two to three of them either attending school, a day program or working at Fidelity also at home during that spell (I have NEVER been so thankful about getting up in the morning and LEAVING FOR WORK FOR THE DAY). Layla then moved to an apartment in Boston with three friends and worked there at Pavement Coffee House (now a certified Barista, so that college education is already paying off big time). Eddie is just now ramping up to return to independent living again in Portland, ME, as his home support services were not available until recently.

Fortunately, he could and did attend his day program via Zoom two to three days per week, and had a dog-walking gig in the neighborhood. That, combined with having dear old Mom to do all the meals and laundry, and he’s had a perfectly good year.

Just anxious to get back to his apartment and be on his own again! Believe me, that is something that I also long for. Andy works tomorrow (6/25/21) at Fidelity and that will be his last day as he is officially RETIRED after that. Yup. After tomorrow, I will be married to a retired guy! I’ll be keeping an eye out to make sure he doesn’t try to leave the house wearing socks with sandals to yell at the neighbor kids to get off the lawn. Will also be encouraging him to expand his meal-making abilities. That’s some of my news, the highlights anyway.

Fully vaccinated and now happy to hug friends (and, honestly, complete strangers too. No one in a 6-foot radius of me is fully safe from being hugged if the mood strikes me now). What are your highlights? Any Zoom weddings? Delayed graduations?

Weird Thanksgiving dinners celebrated in September outside under a tent so that Nana & Papa could be there? Anyone become a grandparent? Adopt a rescue dog? Learn a new skill? Have any organs transplanted into your body? And what are your plans for summer? My deadline isn’t until July 23 but please answer right away, or else you’ll forget. Yes, we are at that point in life. For example, I came over to my laptop to look something up and now I’ve emailed all of you and COMPLETELY forgotten what I needed to search for. Hope to see lots and lots of you in June 2022 and also to see lots and lots of email replies from you in June 2021. Cheers! Nancy Bobby Low (First to respond!): Absolutely

hilarious email, Nancy! Thank you for continuing to shepherd us so well! I’ll be sure to respond! Bobby (after which, Bobby did not further respond…)

Trina Chiara Manganello: Hello Nancy and fellow alums!! Wait a minute. Did you say 40th reunion because I couldn’t possibly have graduated 40 years ago. I can’t recall exactly but I think it was like 10 years ago. Maybe 11 but NOT 40. It’s funny. I distinctly remember sitting in front of Phillips with friends during alumni weekend—we were “working” the event.

I recall thinking HOW OLD and DORKY the 25th year alums looked. Life has a way of playing practical jokes on those with attitudes. Fortunately, my family weathered the COVID year+ and I am more than grateful we did. Update on my world: Husband Richard—still a working ophthalmologist and wannabe pro golfer.

Life is good. 20-year-old Isabella—took the full year off from NYU Tisch and spent it at home with us. She decided to transfer to Berkeley School of Music for the fall. It was a great year. A difficult year and a soul-searching year. But still the musical dreamer she’s been since she was little. Onward and upward!! 14-year-old Olivia—Waaaay too practical to ever pursue something as irrational as songwriting. Liv was able to attend in-person school all year.

She will be in 8th grade next year and soon a high schooler! She’s more mature than me but that bar isn’t so high as we all know.

Me—Still working. Still mothering. Still grateful. Stay well everyone and looking forward to hearing from all. —Trina.

David Trayers: I prefer to think of it as doing the 10th reunion for the 4th time. After departing New Hampshire 35 years ago, we’re moving back. I have one daughter married and living in Austin, TX, and the other in grad school in Tampa. Since there isn’t much keeping us here in MN, we’ve decided to build our “retirement” home in Wolfeboro to be closer to my family. Liz is starting her new job at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital next week and I’m here in MN packing the house up. We sold it in two weeks! Crazy market. We’ll be renting in Rochester, NH for the better part of a year while the house is being built in Wolfeboro and hope to be in by next April. Looking forward to the reunion next summer! =Dave=

John Nye: Trina, Mos' Def' 11 years, not 40, but you nailed it by observing the dorkiness of the '25's. I think of it slightly differently in that our class has moved scarily close to the front of the reunion parade. It won't be long before we're the folks in the golf carts whilst the youngsters follow along on foot, not understanding how quickly they will replace us in the front row, as Bob Ucker would say. I can't take credit for this observation, but it's particularly germane and speaks volumes at this moment, "The days are long, but the years are short."

Go figure. The auction business rolls on and with folks locked indoors turning garages and guest rooms into home offices/ classrooms, we had an unexpectedly good year. Kids are scattered...Tupper, 29, lives in Eugene, OR and the self-proclaimed slow starter has decided to finish his UVM undergraduate degree remotely.

PHEW! Hannah's, 24, desire to "make it" on Broadway was thoroughly derailed last March, so she's been working in Sun Valley, ID, doing something completely different, making the most out of lemons and resumes auditions in the fall. Avery, 20, finished Proctor and went off to College of Charleston where she is a rising sophomore and loving the warmer weather after four years in snowy Andover, NH. Kathy and John, happy, healthy, in a word GRATEFUL. Thanks, Nance, for firing up the thread again. BTW, if anyone wants to reach out directly or is on the Garden State Parkway (What exit?!!) near Bloomfield, please stop in. John

this spring, and Cooper’s select LAX team played Beverly. I suggested to parents to hit up Nick’s Roast Beef postgame…

David Schwartz: Love hearing the updates! I had to count the years to double check Trina’s and John’s math.

Simply shocking. My kids, Josie (25) and Jake (almost 23) live in NYC. Jake works at Blackrock and Josie is getting her doctorate in psychology at Yeshiva. The pandemic allowed me to spend lots of time with them here in Maryland, which was a wonderful silver lining for me. Completely changed my relationship with them (for the better).

I just took my son Jake to visit my parents in Beverly. It was great to see family again after many months. I am still at a law firm after 32 years. The other day on a Zoom call, one of my clients who lives in Groton told me he knows Bob Low. Small world!

Heather Vickers Ryan: Thanks for encouraging us to share what's new in our lives and I'm glad to hear your family is well. Congrats to Andy on his retirement. After reading the distributed emails, I've noticed a pattern of gratitude after a really tough year for many. I too share in being extremely grateful for surviving pandemic life and for having had the opportunity to volunteer at a local vaccination clinic to help expedite the herd immunity process. I've never seen people more excited about getting a shot in the arm! As a Nursing student my daughter Ashley was actually the one giving people the shot. Afterwards, many would then take a selfie with her. I don't know that she'll ever see that jubilation again when administering vaccines.

Other highlights: Husband Joe continues to work from home for Dell-Secureworks and is our town's Boy Scouts' Scoutmaster working on graduating his 18th Eagle Scout. Daughter Ashley completed her coursework in a very intense 15-month Accelerated Nursing program (BSN/RN) at neighboring Salem State. She's now working in a preceptorship at Boston Children's Hospital. Daughter Katie will be finishing up her 5th year at Northeastern with a teaching co-op in the Fall followed by her last academic semester in the Spring. She's looking forward to singing again in person with her acapella group after a year of creative videotaping. Son Connor really enjoyed his freshman year at Tufts even though he had to be tested for COVID every other day. He's working at a Mechanical Engineering start-up for the summer and is looking forward to seeing what his unmasked classmates look like from the eyes down, in the Fall. This past weekend I had a great time visiting Trina and her beautiful family in Avon, CT. We had fun driving around in a golf cart at her daughter's tournament and we didn't crash. Although we may have aged physically, mentally I think we're still GDA freshmen. I'm looking forward to reunion next year and hope you all can make it!

Stay healthy. —Heather

Bobby Low did then respond to Dave, thusly: Schwartzie, I got vaxed in Beverly

NEWS FROM CLASSMATES WHO DIDN’T RESPOND directly (but I do have my

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sources…) (ok it’s Facebook, alright??) Will Friend: Happy and healthy at home in Hamilton. Jenny Hayes: In July, Jenny Hiked 70 miles (!!) Southbound on the Appalachian Trail, starting up in Maine. Ted Larned: Took a Father’s Day road trip with his daughter (and let her drive so she got in lots of practice miles!) from home in Michigan for a visit to extended family in Yarmouth, ME and back again. Claire Danaher: Has developed mad skills in woodworking.

Spent what looked like an idyllic week on Nantucket with the family in June, and celebrated her 31st anniversary!

CLASS OF 1983 Danielle Jacobs dljacobs@aol.com I hope everyone is having a nice summer.

It’s been rainy in New England but at least things have improved since last summer.

I was able to work remotely in Florida, Maine and Massachusetts this past year and felt very fortunate. I hope everyone is staying healthy and enjoying time with friends and family.

I received an email from John Stahl who lives in Rhode Island. I think he would appreciate hearing from classmates as he is having some health issues. He writes…Getting a wonderful stay at the Briarbarn Inn a few miles from GDA was a real treat. The place is gorgeous and does hospitality better than cookiecutter hotels and behemoth corporations posing as innkeepers. The less good news

Sweet Camryn Eva Anderson, granddaughter of Kevin Cryts ’83

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is that the inevitable has occurred in that I soon will start a rough year-long treatment for my chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Already losing weight (and a little height) is a mixed blessing; I must be careful to not sun near a nuclear test site. The treatment also will exacerbate already frequently being tired and not feeling well. The puking will be new fun. The last year already has involved FAR too many ’60scoms on DVD and YouTube. “McHale’s Navy” is criminally repetitive. The next 12 months will involve bargain basement fare. I do not know how close I am to a dirt nap but ask that any thoughts of me be to remember the importance of curbing animosity and of being excellent to each other. Nothing about our world is moderate, and it is lousy when our “family” does not offer peace, love, or understanding. Conflict and disappointment definitely have contributed to my illness. No one will keep calm, but please do your best to carry on while both sides of the aisle refuse to work or play well with others. Talking to and petting dogs you see on the street is mutually therapeutic.

And from newly grandfathered Kevin Cryts…Hey Danni Ta Boot hope all is well with you and the family! 2021 has been an amazing year. I started a new job at Ball Corp and my son Collan who is 25 now also works there as a Production Technician.

I am an Integrated Business Planner for the North and Central American Beverage Packaging Division. The most amazing thing to happen this year is the birth of my granddaughter, Camryn Eva Anderson. My daughter Abigail and her boyfriend Caleb welcomed her into the world April 3, 2021 (4321). I can usually be found at CrossFit 4 times a week or hanging out with my wife Jennifer (30 years next year) and our family enjoying our new addition. I hope everyone from the class of '83 is as lucky as I am!

CLASS OF 1984 classnotes@govsacademy.org William Temple: Los Angeles was dicey to say the least during the worst of COVID but things are slowly reaching a new normal.

I am still trying to recover from the TBI I incurred almost 10 years ago now... every day is a gift. Thanks for the support through what has been an obviously life changing event, still hope to get back on a set soon! Miss it badly. I hope everyone enjoys the summer!

William Temple, class of 1984

Jeneanne Graham ’86, Ben Armstrong ’85, Jeff Kelly ’85, and Chris Goddard ’85 at the Reunion reimagined Lawn Party

CLASS OF 1987

CLASS OF 1992

Carla English carla_english@yahoo.com

classnotes@govsacademy.org

Hello class of 1987! We have cause for celebration. Rob DeLena writes, “I am excited to report that WITHOUT RESTRAINT, a memoir written with my son Ryan, was sold to Globe Pequot and is expected to hit the market in January of 2023. As many of my fellow 87’s know, Ryan’s story is about perseverance.

Despite the misperceptions of the medical and educational communities when he was young, and the many missteps by me in parenting him, he never surrendered.

He never asked for special treatment or sympathy, and only asked for the opportunity to be like everyone else. It took me years to understand him, and I may never have, if not for the heroic people we encountered along the way.

Although it took a thousand drafts and several helpful editors, I should mention our very own Carla English, and Beth Benoit-Brown (wife of Kip Brown) for their edits, insightful notes, and enthusiasm about the project.”

A GIANT CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR SON ROB for having the courage and perseverance to write your memoir. I was lucky to have the chance to read a few early drafts and knew without a doubt your book would be published. I also predicted there will be a feature film.

(Ponder this…which actor will play Rob in the movie?) Rob, I hope we all have a chance to raise a glass in celebration of your phenomenal accomplishment at our 35th reunion next June!

Amy Daniels: The past few months have been soul-restoring as I've been able to see Danielle Dupre and Candice Denby in-person in Austin, TX and Tara Ryan and Saundra Watson '93 in Gloucester, MA. Looking forward to Saundra's upcoming wedding to a great guy (named Guy!) this fall, and to seeing the Class of 1992 at next summer's 30th (gasp!) reunion! Mark your calendars!

CLASS OF 1995 Michael Noon Michaelcnoon@aol.com The Class of ’95 is back! In the Archon, that is. In all other respects, we never left.

We’re just sneaky. And maybe a little shy sometimes. This past June we had our pandemic rain date reunion on the lawn of the quad. This correspondent was only in attendance pre-lunch, at which time we had a pretty poor showing of ’95ers: KC Bzdak (née Casey Barbaro), Damon Jesperson, and this correspondent. That was it. No one else. The Class of ’96 put us to shame. Alas. You should all feel terrible about yourselves. It was good to see Damon and KC, though!

Savina Sasserath is joining the front lines: In Germany we are pretty okay with the pandemic and are dealing well with it. By now I am working in a hospital and in my own office because I started my medical degree this year. It will take me a while to finish but it’s the one thing I really wanna do.”

While Dave Wilkins has…other plans: Mike, if anything I would not describe your needling as oppressive. Not nearly as oppressive as being asked to wear a mask by a well-meaning grocery store clerk. JK [crying laughing emoji] I am still living the dream on a goat farm in the northern paradise of Vermont, planning the Crimean-like takeover of Vermont by Canada. We are all ethnic Canadians.

A boy can dream. Otherwise, the class of ’95 remains as remote and alienated as ever, drifting in solitary anguish, doubtful of the promise or value of anything, all sure only of our impending return to the primordial sludge from whence we wrested ourselves all those years ago, for purposes unknown. Stay safe, everybody!

CLASS OF 1996 scotty.coulon@gmail.com Hello everyone, it's Scotty Coulon, and I have recently taken over as Class Secretary for the great class of ’96. I'm really excited to be taking on this role, and hope that moving forward we will be able to get more participation, so that we can all keep up with the ongoings of our fellow class members and friends.

CLASS OF 1991 classnotes@govsacademy.org Leslie Lacey shares: What a joy it was to be reunited for a Girls Lunch Out with my high school roommate and her beautiful family in Old Towne Alexandria, VA. Mia Kerns and Leslie Lacy catching up on old times as our proud mothers whisper amongst themselves and our daughters collaborate about their college search. Of course, Mia did not allow me (or my mother) to go home without a generous helping of her homemade cookies from her bakery, which she knows I love. Aahhhh Cara Mia!

But our collective inferiority is not to say we don’t have news! From a year ago!

The correspondent has been…remiss.

C’est la guerre. (Maybe the correspondent should take it easy on his classmates’ epistolary negligence and physical absence.

My apologies.) The pandemic was very much front of mind, naturally, for both respondents.

Leslie Lacey ’91 with Mia Kerns ’91 and her family in Old Towne Alexandria, VA

Brian Rybicki is living in Topsfield with his wife Kim, and his two lads, Cameron-11, and Alex-9. He reports that it has been a very busy spring and summer, as he is coaching youth hockey and lacrosse, which is a year-round affair. The family has spent a lot of time this summer relaxing at their place in Wellfleet on Cape Cod.

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Michael Silverio resides in Alpharetta, GA. He recently started playing cornhole in a local league. He says he's not great, but it gets him out of the house.

Jason Greenberg writes in: Family has expanded in the past few years. I am officially a #girldad. My wife…Kimberly and I have 3 girls ages five, three, and one.

Still traveling the globe covering sporting events for ESPN in remote production.

Really hope we can do a make good on the 25th reunion next June in Byfield!!!

Kate Manzella Mayhook writes that the summer has gone by so fast! Her kids are now 15 and 10, and they spent a lot of time on the soccer fields as well as a trip to the Adirondacks with lots of fishing and hiking. She is still working in the athletic department and coaching lacrosse in Buffalo at D'Youville College, which recently has been accepted into Division 2.

Jason Greenberg ’96 and his family #girldad

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As for me (Scotty), I am still loving life in San Diego, CA. In my spare time I find myself hiking and volunteering a lot. I had a great time reuniting with members of the classes of '95 and '96 back in Byfield this past June, but I'm greatly looking forward to seeing more of you next summer as we take part in a traditional 25th Reunion.

I hope to see many of you so that we can share some good times and hearty laughter...till then!

CLASS OF 2001 Caitlin Haire caitlin.haire@outlook.com It’s crazy to believe that we graduated 20 years ago—time really has flown by! I was on campus this past June to celebrate the milestone and was able to catch up with Nate Effinger and Courtney Wade (Craft). While it wasn’t the reunion we had all hoped for, it was still a wonderful afternoon. Thinking of all of you and hoping we get a chance to come back together sooner rather than later and celebrate like we deserve.

TOP: Caitlin Haire ’01 & sons Jonas and Theo, Jess Stratton ’01 & her husband Chris and daughters Abigail (in hiding) and Emilia; BOTTOM: Class of 2001 - Courtney Wade, Nate Effinger, Caitlin Haire

Things have been busy as of late on my end.

I welcomed my second son, Jonas, in April and we’re absolutely smitten – he’s a super chill little guy who loves smiling and his big brother. My brother Allen Cooper ’03 visited us from NYC earlier this summer, and I was also lucky enough to spend a day with Jess Stratton (Ross) and her family on their recent trip to Massachusetts. …and we’re not the only ones reuniting.

Joe Fannon shared that he was able to get together with Larry Lyons and Derek Falvey and their families at Larry’s house this summer, “Falveys & Fannons & Lyons, oh my!”

Take care and keep in touch!

TOP: Jonas Haire, son of Caitlin Haire ’01; BOTTOM: Class of 2001 – Larry Lyons, Joe Fannon, Derek Falvey and their kids

CLASS OF 2004

CLASS OF 2006

Lesley Clunie lesley.clunie@gmail.com

Emme Hughes m.esther.hughes@gmail.com

Jackie Meinhardt: Hi everyone! I hope you’re all staying healthy and safe. This year we added another little boy to our family. Bennett Dean arrived on June 7 and officially completed our squad. His older brother Camden is handling the addition well and can’t get enough of “Baby B.” Sometimes his love is a little too intense for the baby, but we’re working on it. We’re finally returning to the East Coast for a visit in the fall after almost two years without one and can’t wait to show our boys what a real autumn is like. Cheers to you all!

Lizzy Guyton shares: I married Tim Johnson '03 at the Lenox Hotel in Boston this summer. We are living in Southie and recently got a chocolate lab, named Lady. I'm working as the Communications Director for Governor Charlie Baker, who actually served as the officiant at our wedding. Tim recently opened the doors on a new, boutique hotel called 907 Main in Cambridge. He and his family own the hotel, located in Central Square, that's also home to two restaurants and Toscanini's Ice Cream. We hope everyone will come check it out next time they're in the area.

Cam Archibald is happy to announce her marriage to Michael Kinnally. Cam is an event planner with the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and Michael is a financial software consultant with Ernst & Young.

CLASS OF 2008 Abby Shaffo abigail.shaffo@gmail.com Hey Team ’08! 2021 is flying by and it’s already time to hear from our classmates again. Our favorite yogi, Sarah Quinttus, reports, “On March 1, 2021 I opened my own private practice, Quinttusential Yoga Therapy, and am serving my clients in the Burlington, VT area! I work with

TOP: Camden proudly holding Bennett (children of Jackie Meinhardt ’04); MIDDLE: Newlyweds Lizzy Guyton ’06 and Tim Johnson ’03; BOTTOM: Cam Archibald Kinnally ’06 and husband Michael

L to R: Jack Harris ’10, Lily Harris ’17 and Abby Shaffo ’08 after Lily’s U.S. Navy commissioning ceremony at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA

individuals and with couples and support my clients through a process of befriending their body to heal from past trauma and pain, live a more fulfilled life and connect more deeply to themselves. It’s been quite a journey building a private practice during a pandemic, but so many people need help these days! I am honored to be offering this powerful work." Nice work Sarah!

Paige Valchuis would like to share that, “on June 5, 2021, we celebrated our wedding at The Omni Mt. Washington Hotel in NH. Herbie Kent officiated our wedding and we couldn't have asked for a better person to share our love story. We had beautiful weather and couldn't have asked for a better reunion of our friends and family, coming together to celebrate with us.” Paige and Jamie, your Govs classmates wish you a very happy marriage!

The craziness of 2020 resulted in lots of new babies too: Whitney (Ocko) Langmaid reports, “Tim ’07 and I welcomed baby Elle to our family in April and are so in love! We are super fortunate to be spending a lot of time with Walshs (Annie Clayman Walsh and Patrick Walsh), who welcomed baby Calvin in May. These two are already best buds!” Trevor Jones shares, “my wife Taylor and I had a baby boy, Cody Jones, on June 11, 2021.”

TOP: Paige Valchuis ’08 and Jamie Mroz on their wedding day; BOTTOM: Paige Valchuis ’08, Herbie Kent ’08, Becky Roche ’06 at Paige and Jamie’s wedding at The Omni Mt. Washington Hotel

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Zac Burke reports, “my wife Barbara, our son Charles (now two and a half years old) and I moved from San Francisco to New York just before the pandemic kicked off and have been hunkered down in the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn for the last two years. We welcomed our

second child, Shepard, in February 2021 and now are doing our best to manage two kids in our NY condo. Shepard is the happiest, most relaxed baby you have ever met while Charles is smart and funny but terrorizes his parents with his mischievous streak. Work-wise I am a Director at KKR, a large private equity firm where I have been for the last 6 years.

As part of our move I transferred from the credit investing team to our balance sheet team and help lead our investing and asset allocation strategy now. My wife worked in consulting and health tech on the west coast and has since been staying home with the kids following our move.

If anyone is ever in the NYC / Brooklyn area, please reach out!” Congrats to our classmates on their new additions! I know a few other ’08 friends recently welcomed babies, and I hope they’ll share the news and photos in future Archon editions :).

I, Abby (Harris) Shaffo recently got to travel back to my alma mater, Tulane University, to commission my sister Lily Harris ’17 as an ensign in the U.S. Navy.

She joined me and our brother, Jack Harris ’10, in San Diego this July for her first Navy assignment and we plan to soak up lots of west coast activities while we’re all stationed together! Another fun development of 2021: Charlotte DiMaggio took a travel nursing assignment in San Diego and moved in with me during my husband’s deployment. When she’s not taking care of kids with cancer, she’s surfing, paddle boarding, rock climbing,

Elle Langmaid and Calvin Walsh, kiddos of Whitney Langmaid ’08 and Annie Walsh ’08

Zac Burke ’08 and family

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and living it up west coast-style! My husband John and I will move to Newport, Rhode Island in early 2022 to attend the Naval War College and I’m excited to reconnect with my east coast Govs friends.

Cheers to a wonderful rest of 2021, friends!

CLASS OF 2009 Hannah Hines hannah.b.fitzpatrick@gmail.com Amanda Correnti a.corrents@gmail.com Jimmy King jamesmking41@gmail.com Carlota Caicedo and John Diamond ’08 are pleased to announce their marriage April 5, 2021 in St. Patrick Church in Miami Beach, FL. The newlyweds currently reside in New York City, NY where they enjoy indoor plants and outdoor dining. They are hoping to honeymoon in the fall! Will Kavanaugh got engaged, adopted a dog (Louie), and bought a house in Raleigh with his fiancée, Jocelyn. They are getting married in November on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Anna O’Neal states this

TOP: Newlyweds Carlota Caicedo ’09 and John Diamond ’08; BOTTOM John Diamond ’08 with parents Jon and Missy Doyle P’08,’09,10, grandparents, and siblings Patrick Diamond ’09 and Olivia Doyle ’19

past year has been a wild ride for her.

She quit her nurse practitioner job in the (COVID) ICU after working there for five years, 15 months of which were pandemic.

She got a job in wellness and medical weight loss and moved to Tampa, FL with her fiancé. She continued to compete in bodybuilding competitions (has been for five years) and finally achieved a longterm goal this July by becoming an IFBB professional figure competitor. A goal, she states, that would never have happened if she was still working those ICU hours. She took a huge leap and risk and it paid off big time, and they are so happy in Florida.

Katharine (Brine) Nason says 2020 was a whirlwind filled with new parenthood, career changes, and ended by spending the holidays in the PICU at Mass General with her one-year-old daughter. While it wasn't the first year of parenthood her husband and Katherine expected, they are enjoying their time with their happy and healthy daughter Adeline, who will be turning 2 in December. Kevin Sullivan expresses

that life is great living out in Steamboat Springs, CO practicing dentistry, skiing in the winter, and mountain biking in the summer. He sees Matt Kotzen ’08 every so often since Matt lives in town; he convinced Kevin to start playing beer league hockey again so he hopes Rokous would be proud. Bryant Wilkinson’10 and Connor MacLennan live down near Denver and have visited to snowmobile and hike. Kevin is getting married in September out in Colorado and trying to work less and play as much as possible. Dan Hines & Hannah (Fitzpatrick) Hines welcomed their baby boy to the world on January 14, 2021.

Oliver Daniel Hines was born at 8 lbs 11 oz and they couldn’t be more in love! Demi (Leone) Wittman had a baby girl in May 2021! Her name is Mackenzie. Demi now has two children with her husband Ryan and they live in North Andover, MA. Blake Riley got married in Vail, CO this July 2021.

Many Govs alumni were in attendance and his best men, Brian Durkin and Dan Hines gave quite the speech in honor of Blake!

CLASS OF 2011 Nora Kline nora.k.kline@vanderbilt.edu Katie Reilly katiemacreilly@gmail.com Michelle Gallipeau and Mike DiFrancesco ’10 are officially engaged! The couple will get married next August. Chrissy Toomey is working as a nurse at Lowell General Hospital. Hannah Rochman passed her boards and is officially an RN! She is currently in the nurse practitioner program at Regis College. Haley Gould recently got a job promotion and moved to New York City — congrats Haley! Claire Lilly and Ali Grenier are roommates once more. The two are living in San Francisco together with Ali’s dog, Pickle. We wonder how their apartment compares to their old dorm room in Peirce. In June, Ashley Blanks Vollaro married her husband, Doug, who she met in 2014 while attending Lehigh University, where she played soccer and he wrestled. She's now moving back to Massachusetts to teach biology at Newton South High School.

As for us, Nora Kline is starting her fourth year in the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at Clark University. She will begin a clinical practicum at Brigham and Women’s Hospital this fall. Katie Reilly is a reporter for TIME in New York City. Her story about how the pandemic disrupted the pathway to college for many high school seniors was featured on the magazine's cover in April.

TOP: Will Kavanaugh ’09 and fiancée, Jocelyn; BOTTOM: Adeline, daughter of Katharine (Brine) Nason ’09

TOP: Anna O’Neal ’09 and fiancé, Dennis; BOTTOM: Dan and Hannah Hines ’09 with their son, Oliver

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CLASS OF 2012

CLASS OF 2014

John Damianos john.damianos94@gmail.com

Emilie MacDonald emiliemac95@gmail.com

Audrey Rey audreypcheney@gmail.com

Lucy Purinton lcpurinton@gmail.com

Congratulations to Katie McKay who graduated this semester from Harvard Law School. She is starting her career back in New York City working for a law firm. She will be living on the upper west side near her fellow classmate Emily Shea. On September 13th, 2020 I (Audrey Rey) got married to my husband, Austin Rey, in Newport RI. We have moved back from California. I am working in the East Providence Eaton plant as their Supply Chain Manager. We bought a house and are living in Bristol, RI. We are excited to be expecting a baby girl in November.

Cat Wolf started a band in Conway called "Cat Wolf" and is now playing in gigs all along the Seacoast. Colby King, Maria Krull, and Emilie MacDonald supported Cat at her recent gigs at the Surf Club in Rye, NH. Tori Mulvey took the bar exam and is moving to LA next week to get an LL.M in sports and entertainment law.

Emilie MacDonald moved to Portsmouth, NH where she is working as an assistant project manager at Chinburg Builders.

classnotes@govsacademy.org Corie Grewal: I just moved back to MA after completing my Masters in Environmental Management at Duke University, where I concentrated in coastal management. After two years in the south, I’m enjoying living with my boyfriend Michael DuCharme ’14 in Charlestown and my new job at the National Marine Fisheries Service, where I work on North Atlantic right whale conservation and recovery planning.

From Carli Citrano: This fall I’ll be starting my second year of law school at Suffolk University! This summer I will be the Law Clerk for the Hinton Lab Initiative working directly under Donna Patalano, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office General Counsel. I’ve also been working for the Suffolk county DA’s Integrity Review Bureau which helps restore integrity in criminal convictions!

Katie Maina notes: I have spent the past year working in neuroscience labs researching a potential diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease and on a drug trial for a rare but fatal brain disorder as well as developing an assay to help test the effectiveness of this drug. I will wrap these projects up in August and move from Los Angeles back to Boston where I will be working as the Clinical Project Manager for an international Alzheimer's Disease study at Mass General Hospital. I am looking forward to driving cross country with my new puppy and to reconnecting with Govs friends!

CLASS OF 2019 classnotes@govsacademy.org

Audrey Cheney Rey ’12 and her husband Austin Rey

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In each issue of The Archon we honor those community members who have passed since the previous publication (or for whom we have received notification of passing). The death date of those alumni, faculty, and staff who have passed are listed here. Full obituaries are posted on our website at thegovernorsacademy.org/inmemoriam.

1939 Charles E. Hewitt III

CLASS OF 2015 Katie Maina katherine.n.maina@gmail.com

CLASS OF 2013

In Memoriam

Wes D’Alelio shares: I’m studying musical theatre and training to be a professional music director at Northwestern! I’m also writing a musical.

December 9, 2020

1941: Neal Cox December 4, 2020

1942: Seward “Stu” Pomeroy December 16, 2020

1943: Richard Urie August 24, 2014

1944: George “Skipper” Kingsley September 8, 2020

1947: Josiah H. Welch, Trustee Emeritus October 8, 2020

1948:

1956:

1960:

1984:

Robert C. Hill

Arthur E. Balser, Jr.

Geoffrey H. Nichols

Kathleen Sullivan

November 17, 2020

January 6, 2021

November 25, 2020

May 5, 2020

Anthony D. Miller

1949:

2021

Allan Littlefield Davis

1964:

Peter Renkert

November 3, 2020

1988: Jay Cooke III

Martin Wallem

July 7, 2021

October 9, 2020

May 21, 2021

1965:

1950:

1957: William Dennis Engs

Melvyn Blake

Frank Gleason

1951:

February 9, 2021

Gerald Palmer

Stephen W. Houghton

June 22, 2019

December 26, 2020

December 14, 2020 Clifford J. Gillespie, Jr., Trustee Emeritus

1970: William Murray

February 21, 2021

November 2020

Rev. Peter Winston Mercer

January 21, 2021

Peter Whitney

January 4, 2021

John B. Ogden, Jr. Richard G. Whitten

Russell T. Tornrose

October 13, 2019

Pierre Baratelli, Faculty Emeritus

1969:

August 1, 2021

Willard E. Stockwell

FORMER FACULTY & TRUSTEES:

March 8, 2021

2019

Howard Quimby

October 12, 2020

September 2020 Arthur Michael Honer

1952:

April 29, 2021

Crawford “Cam” Smith

1958:

Charles McLatchy

September 23, 2020

Beau Guyott

1968:

October 2020

January 13, 2021

Russell Thomas May 23, 2021

July 2, 2021

Edward M. Hay

1993:

1981: 1959:

April 25, 2021 Terrence Talley

Stephen Bradley Hesse

January 1, 2021

November 8, 2020

Stephen Wood May 11, 2021

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Tributes Josiah H. Welch ’47, Trustee Emeritus (1930–2020) Josiah Hale Welch, 90, died peacefully on a beautiful, sunny day at his beloved cottage on Plum Island. One of Newburyport's business and institutional leaders during the second half of the 20th century, Josiah was a proud native of Newburyport. Born at the Anna Jaques Hospital on January 16, 1930, he was the son of Richard Edwin and Helen Pauline (Hale) Welch. He was the brother of the late Professor Richard E. Welch, Jr. and leaves his beloved sister Pauline Helen Lemmon of Corona del Mar, CA. He was lovingly married for 58 years to the late Donna M. (Oberlin) Welch. Together the couple raised their children Jonathan Hale and Amy Susan at the family's home on High Street. Josiah married Deirdre Mary Farrell of Newburyport in June 2018 and found love a second time. He graduated from Governor Dummer Academy in 1947 and Dartmouth College in 1951. He remained devoted to both schools for the rest of his life. During the Korean War he served in the U.S. Army Adjunct General Corps. Throughout most of his life, Josiah loved tennis.

He ranked second in the New England Junior Singles and first in New England Junior Doubles in 1948, followed by his election as captain of the Dartmouth College varsity tennis team and captain of the New England Junior Davis Cup team in 1951. Josiah served as a Governor's Academy trustee and proud alumnus of Dartmouth. He was honored as Governor’s "Alumnus of the Year" and was presented the "Spirit of '51" award by his Dartmouth classmates and the Dartmouth class president award.

Josiah, the long-time owner of the Chase & Lunt Insurance Agency, was equally devoted to his hometown. He made major community contributions over a lifetime and continually gave back to his community by serving in leadership roles in many of Newburyport’s clubs, foundations, and philanthropic organizations. In 2016 he received the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce Ed Molin Community Leadership Award. He was a devoted parishioner of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and served on its vestry for many years. He brought his blend of enthusiasm, warmth, and grace to his profession.

He was also a devoted and loving husband, father, uncle, and great uncle. Often the life of a party, he greatly enjoyed his membership in the Tuesday Night Club and other clubs. He is survived by his wife Deirdre Farrell Welch; his children, Jonathan Hale Welch, Amy Susan Welch and her husband Barry Jacobson; his nephews Richard E. Welch III and his wife Judith, Richard Lemmon, Jr. and his wife Ann; nieces Cathy

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Strauss, Christina Welch Matthews and her husband, John, Beth Welch and her husband Chuck Christensen, Margaret Welch, and Helen Lemmon Alarcon and her husband Gregory, along with many great nieces and great-nephews and a greatgreat-niece; and by his beloved City of Newburyport. He will be missed by his many dear and close friends and colleagues.

Pierre Baratelli, Faculty Emeritus (1935–2021) Pierre Nino Baratelli, born in 1935 to Swiss and Italian immigrant parents in New York City, taught at Governor’s as a French teacher and language Department Chair for 30 years (1967–1997) and was the husband of retired faculty member Elizabeth Cates Baratelli, who died on January 22, 2014. Growing up following WWII, Pierre's family relocated from New York to Colorado Springs, CO, where he attended Cheyenne Mountain high school and went on to attend college at Colorado University (CU) Boulder as a French major. While there, he worked as a leader of a volunteer firefighting squad, and did a six-year stint in an Army Reserve Intelligence Unit. Graduating in 1956 with a B.A., he stayed on at CU as a teaching assistant and began work on his M.A. This was interrupted by his receiving a Fulbright Scholarship to study for a year in France at the Universite de Dijon. He returned to CU in Boulder and received his M.A. in 1959. He spent four years (1959–1963) at North Texas State University (now U of NT). He was an active advisor for students in the civil rights group, organizing and participating in sit-ins to break racial barriers in restaurants and in local movie theaters. After a year at University of Texas, Austin, he taught for three years at Colorado State University (CSU) before moving to Massachusetts to join the GDA faculty. He also served as a visiting professor (17th and 20th century drama) in the summer graduate program at Assumption College (now Assumption University), in Worcester, MA. With the encouragement of GDA Headmaster Val Wilkie, he created and ran the Humanities Program, which consisted of weekly trips to Boston in order to take advantage of its many cultural offerings. He was a board member of the Theater of Newburyport, and was a founding member of the Committee Against Racism in Newburyport. Upon retirement in 1997 as a Faculty Emeritus, he and Elizabeth moved to Florida, where both were docents at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. In 2010, there was a final relocation back to Colorado, where he volunteered at the Denver Art Museum.

He found happiness being surrounded by his books, art works, large collection of American Indian pottery, and

music—he did so love his divas, from Maria Callas to Billie Holiday! Pierre died on March 8, 2021 in Denver, CO. He is survived by his children LaDonna, Norman, LaTonda, and Ben; one grandchild, and two great-grandchildren.

Clifford J. Gillespie, Jr., Trustee Emeritus (1932–2021) A lifelong educator and coach, Clifford J. Gillespie, Jr. died peacefully at home on Sunday, February 21, 2021, at 88 years of age, surrounded by his loving family and caregivers after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Born in Revere, MA on December 7, 1932, to Clifford J. Gillespie, Sr. and Viola (Sylvester) Gillespie, Cliff was the second of five children. He graduated from Weymouth High School in 1950, where he was a star right guard in football and won Division I State Championships with his team. The first of his family to attend college, Cliff went to Tufts University, where he was co-captain of the freshman football team before enlisting in the Air Force in 1951. He completed jet school in Las Vegas and was the youngest to achieve the rank of staff sergeant. Under the G.I. Bill, he enrolled at the University of New Hampshire and majored in chemistry, graduating cum laude in 1959, and completed his Master's degree in science teaching in 1964. While at UNH, Cliff played varsity football, and also two years of semi-pro football before being introduced to the game of lacrosse by the legendary coach A. Barr "Whoops"' Snively. Whoops was Cliff's greatest mentor and role model and instilled in him a true love of the game.

Cliff received honorable mention for the All-American Intercollegiate Lacrosse Team while playing at UNH. In 1959, he moved to Proctor Academy in Andover, NH with his new bride Alina where he taught math and science, coached, and was dormitory head. He led the varsity football and junior varsity hockey teams at the school before starting the lacrosse program, at first scrounging for sticks, helmets and other equipment, before the sport became officially recognized there. Following his five years at Proctor, Cliff joined the faculty at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH with his young family where he served as a science teacher, then chair of the Science Department, later dean of students, and ultimately interim headmaster before retiring from the school. During his tenure at SPS, Cliff gained a reputation as a dedicated and disciplined teacher and mentor. He was instrumental in launching a new science curriculum at the school, and also taught organic chemistry as part of the Advanced Studies Program for high school students during summers. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics from the National Science

Foundation, as well as the Certificate of Excellence from the Whitehouse Commission of Presidential Scholars for his teaching and contribution to the field of education. In 1973, Cliff assumed the reins of the SPS lacrosse team and crafted his unique brand of coaching, which led to five consecutive league championships. He inspired his team to three straight undefeated seasons in 1980–1982, with a string of forty consecutive wins. Among other honors, he was named the Independent School League's Coach of the Year four times; voted the Independent School Lacrosse Association's Man of the Year in 1993; and, in 1994, became the first ever recipient of the Carroll Jr. Exemplary Coach of Year Award from the US Lacrosse Association. Later, he was inducted into the New England Hall of Fame for lacrosse, where there is a bronze statue bearing his name. Affectionately nicknamed "The Rock," Cliff had a commanding presence but compassionate core and always led by example, never expecting more from his players than he asked of himself. In addition to his vocational passions, he served on the Board of Trustees of The Governor's Academy. Throughout his life, Cliff believed in striving for excellence; giving freely and willingly of one's time to others; playing tough but with fairness and compassion; and remaining true to oneself.

He leaves his beloved wife, Alina, of 63 years, of Rumford, RI; his cherished daughters: Dede Moubayed, her husband, Peter, and their son and Cliff's treasured grandson, Zander, of Rumford, RI; and Susie Gillespie, of Providence, RI; his brother, Robert Gillespie, and his wife, Debbie Wheeler, of Northfield, NH; his sister-in-law, Donna Gillespie, of Mount Dora, FL; his brother-in-law, Malcolm Wiley, of Biddeford, ME; and his many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his eldest brother, Wesley Gillespie, and his wife, Edna; his brother, John Gillespie; his sister, Wilma Wiley; and his dear friend, Bruce Van Ness.

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Students, alumni, and parents showing Govs spirit during Cardinal & White Day 2021

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Faculty Profile

Years at the Academy 7 years

Responsibilities/Duties Director of the Duncan Health Center

Favorite Books I look forward to the day when I have time to read for myself again, but for now my children asked me to share their favorite books, ha! Grace (12): The Diary of Anne Frank, Teddy (10): The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, and Emme (5): The Day the Crayons Came Home.

Favorite Music or Artist I loved “the oldies” growing up, and still enjoy motown or classic rock tunes with my parents. I can enjoy the metal sound clips my brother will send and I love country music and ‘90s hits.

Activities and Interests

Kacie Fyrberg Kacie is a kind, trusted, compassionate, devoted, and supportive leader who has put together a winning team of professionals dedicated to the care and comfort of Govs students. Under her leadership, staff are willing and happy to support her in every way, with every task, and jump right in when new projects present themselves. Perhaps the greatest challenge was overcoming the millions of obstacles presented this past year due to COVID-19. Yet, no matter what we faced, Kacie met each hurdle with dedication, professionalism, ingenuity, and a whole lot of laughter. She guided the health center team and the school through a global pandemic with a calm and steady grace. Not a day went by when she wasn’t thinking about the health and safety of our community—almost 600 of us!

time I saw Kacie was weeks later at a drugstore when she told me she had just accepted the position at Governor’s.

Without thinking, I reached out to her, and we hugged in celebration. Thankfully, she’s a hugger, too. It’s a small world.

I remember caring for a student who came into the health center daily after sustaining an injury. His name is Deke Fyrberg ’97—Kacie’s husband.

I remember when my colleague Danielle Kingsbury P’20, ’24 and I interviewed Kacie for the position of health center director, and we agreed that Kacie would be an awesome new director. The next

In the words of a colleague, "Kacie is our rock."

Kacie plays a direct role in the emotional and physical well-being of the students both in the health center and in the classroom. She does it all with finesse, and she never seems to get rattled; she is always professional and her sense of humor shines through. The students reach out to her and trust her care and judgment, as do our parents/guardians and her colleagues.

— Anita Ceven-Leonard P’05, Staff Emerita, Duncan Health Center

Family time that brings us all together — boating, hiking, skiing, cooking, board games.

Passions Caring for others, supporting healthy bodies and minds at home and beyond, and instilling humility and kindness, right alongside a fierce competitive spirit and drive for personal growth within my children.

The privilege of being allowed into the vulnerable space of adolescence with my patients and students over the years is not lost on me, and so I’m passionate about encouraging them as they make their way through these exciting yet challenging years.

Also date nights with my husband (Deke ‘97), spicy tuna rolls, Boston sports, anything pumpkin spice, and a cold glass of rose with a view.

Education Degrees Connecticut College ‘02, BA in Psychology-Based Human Relations; Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions ‘06, Master’s of Science in Nursing

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T HE GOVERNOR’S ACA D EM Y BYF IELD, MA 01922

Reunion Weekend 2022 Friday, June 10−Sunday, June 12

Celebrating classes ending in 2s and 7s, with special celebrations for the classes of 1970, 1971, 1995, and 1996.

Questions? Please contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement at 978.499.3185 or visit the Reunion page on our website:

Join us back in Byfield to celebrate your reunion milestone with classmates, faculty, and friends. We look forward to seeing you in June!