O B I T UA R I E S A watershed moment for Mr. Williams came in 1967, when the Academy granted him a two-year sabbatical to teach and study in Japan and Taiwan. On June 19, 1954 Mr. Williams married his childhood sweetheart, Constance Mary Michael of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania — and she was instrumental in launching later move to Asia, where Mr. Williams was to prepare himself for developing an Asian History program upon his return to Governor Dummer. The two years there had life-changing impacts upon all of the Williams family, including son David Barnitz Williams, daughter Terry Hunt Williams, and son Jeffrey Michael Williams. And certainly for youngest son Dana Bennett Williams, who was born in Japan. For Williams, himself, the experience of teaching a more culturally and socially diverse student body — including young women — at Canadian Academy, as well as his own studies of, travels through, and encounters with Asian cultures and peoples, allowed him to see the world, and his own country’s place in it, in new ways. In Buddhism especially, he found a path to greater inner peace and outward gentleness. He returned from Japan and a summer of study in Taipei a changed person — no longer God’s angry young man, he gave up the basketball and became a more thoughtful and nuanced teacher in the classroom, and a more socially conscious leader within the school community. He chaired the school’s history department, and hired new faculty he thought could broaden and deepen the Academy’s intellectual offerings in history and social studies. A demanding teacher right up until his retirement, his courses were both intimidating as well as much sought after. David’s official retirement from Governor Dummer left him looking for alternative ways to teach in his newly adopted home state of New Hampshire. There, for a few years, he found community groups, a private school, and community colleges eager for his classroom contributions. He relished his role as an historical guide at the Strawberry Banke Museum of Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, where for several years he eagerly lay in constant wait for the next unsuspecting busload of local students. As his energy waned, however, Mr. Williams found the increased time on his hands more suited to his passion for reading. Mr. Williams leaves his immediate family, including former wife Connie Williams of Kittery, Maine; son David Barnitz Williams, his wife Laurel S. Meyer, and their daughter Gweneth Tate Major-Williams of Wellesley, Massachusetts; daughter Terry Hunt Williams of Lowell, Massachusetts; son Jeffrey Michael Williams and his wife Lin Lin Chen, and their sons Tripp Chen Williams, Taylor Zhai Williams and Miles Jing Williams of Hong Kong; and son Dana Bennett Williams and his wife Jamie Hudson Williams of Bluffton, South Carolina.
Richard D. Phippen ’38 Richard Dane Phippen, a lifelong resident of Wenham, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, died peacefully at his home on October 7, 2016 surrounded by loved ones. He was 98 years old. Dick was born at his family home on Walnut Road in Wenham in 1918 to Henry O. and Edith (Dane) Phippen. He attended Wenham public schools before graduating from Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield in 1938. Shortly thereafter he enlisted in the US Coast Guard, was stationed out of Boston, and served along the New England coast and in Greenland during World War II. Dick married Susanne Snooky LaCroix, of Chestnut Hill, MA, in October 1951. They moved to Wenham and built their home at Hurdle Hill Farm where they lived together for over 60 years, raising seven children. He spent his business career at Thorpe & Martin Inc., a downtown Boston business equipment and supply company, serving as President. Later he served for many years as Private Trustee at Woodstock Corporation, an investment management firm in
Boston. During the 1960s and 70s, he served as a long-term member and Chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Wenham. Throughout his life, he was passionately involved with many non-profit organizations. He served as both trustee and Chairman at Brookwood School and at his beloved alma mater, Governor Dummer Academy. A devout Christian all his life, he was lifelong parishioner at Christ Church of Hamilton-Wenham, as well as a Vestry member. His religious convictions led him to also support Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, as trustee and Chairman of the Board. Continuing a long history of Phippen family involvement, he joined the Board and served as Chairman at Salem Hospital for many years, where he was also a dedicated volunteer family counselor in the ICU. Dick and Snooky supported a number of environmental and land conservation organizations: Essex County Greenbelt, The Trustees of Reservations and The Center for Plant Conservation among them. Seven children didn’t keep him busy enough at home, so he filled his farm over the years with a variety of animals: from fainting goats to peacocks, sheep to turkeys, and almost everything in between. He was most proud of his collection of Rarest of the Rare chickens. A bountiful vegetable garden and yearround flowers from his greenhouse and flowerbeds were also passions for him. He had a profound love of the outdoors and spent many happy weeks in the woods of Quebec and Northern Maine and on the salt marshes of Essex. His home at Hurdle Hill Farm and his family were most important to him, and he had strong ties with his close and extended family throughout his life. He was predeceased by his loving wife, Snooky, and his older siblings, Henry O. Phippen and Joanne P. Marsh. He is survived by his sister, Geraldine P. Brown, of Lexington, sister-in-law Edith LaCroix Dabney, of Chestnut Hill, and brotherin-law, Nelson J. Darling, Jr., of Swampscott. He is also survived by his seven children: Will (and Sandy) of Wenham, Peter (and April) of Essex, Morey (and Brian) of Northampton, David (and Michelle)
of Beverly, Anne (and Panagiotis) of Wenham, Hank (and Julie) of Beverly Farms, and Jojo of Boston; and in addition, 17 grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
Donald Stockwell ’39 Donald White “Don” Stockwell, age 94, passed away peacefully at Vernon Green Nursing Home in Vernon on May 14, 2016 where he had been a resident since November 2007. Donald was born in Brattleboro on September 13, 1921 to Hazen E. Stockwell and Marguerite White Stockwell. Donald was a direct descendent of Peregrine White who was the first child born on the Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor in 1620. His ancestors served in the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the Civil War and World War I. A lifelong resident of Brattleboro, Mr. Stockwell attended Brattleboro High School and graduated from Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield, MA, in 1939. Following graduation he attended Bryant & Stratton Business School in Boston, MA, where he received a B.A. degree in 1942. Mr. Stockwell served in World War II in the medical field with the North American Division of the Air Transport Command of the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942–1946 and served eighteen months in the European, Middle East, and North African Theatre of Operations (Azores). He received the Good Conduct medal, the European North African Theatre Campaign and American Theatre Campaign Ribbons, and the Victory Medal. He received an Honorable Discharge in February 1946. Following his service discharge Mr. Stockwell was employed by Hooker, Corser & Mitchell Co. in Brattleboro and was manager of their plant in Springfield, VT. In 1948 Mr. Stockwell joined Dunham Brothers as a Sales Development Manager in the shoe manufacturing
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