PASSINGS

School Historian Denita Banks-Sims

Director of Development & Publications

KIT PASSINGS

It is with great sadness that we share news of the recent passing of seven Roeperians .

Each was a vibrant member of the Roeper School community, and we know that many of you will recall the wondrous impact they made on our lives .

JOHN BURDICK ’76

John Burdick passed away July 4 of cancer at the age of 61 . A professor at Syracuse University, John’s remarkable humanity and commitment to peace, justice, and social change were warmly acknowledged by the university: “As a professor of anthropology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences for nearly 30 years, Burdick deeply engaged his students in working toward the betterment of communities and neighborhoods, from the west side of Syracuse to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . In all of his work he led by example — listening deeply and living his values . ”

The full memorial from the university can be found at https://www.maxwell.syr. edu/news/stories/Professor_John_Burdick_remembered_for_his_teaching_and_advocacy/

BARCLAY PALMER

Former Upper School English teacher Barclay Palmer passed away on September 27 at the age of 88 in Brunswick, Maine . Barclay taught at Roeper in the early 1970s and left a lasting impression through his passion for literature, especially Shakespeare, poetry and myth; his style (handsome and dashing enough to be a model); and his wicked softball skills . Barclay was the advisor for the Dubious Muse, as the school’s literary magazine was called then, and an ardent advocate for the Roeper Philosophy and the challenges of living it . In online tributes from Roeper alumni, the most common remark was what “a huge presence” Barclay embodied while he was here .

A lifelong educator, Barclay taught at independent schools in New Jersey and Manhattan after leaving Roeper . He became active with the National Association of Independent Schools and helped propel a nationwide shift from memorization and testing toward critical and creative thinking, and moral, racial and social awareness . Barclay’s very full life is described at https://www.pressherald.com/2020/10/16/ obituarywilliam-barclay-livingstone-palmer/

PAUL REEKIE ’89

Paul Reekie passed away suddenly on October 2 as the result of an accident while he was working outside his home in Boca Raton, Florida . Paul was 48 and a beloved figure in the South Florida theatre community as the musical director and arranger for countless productions, cabaret performances and other musical shows . When he was at Roeper, Paul played Mozart in Amadeus and Seymour in A Little Shop of Horrors; as a junior he played piano for the appearance of Pope John Paul II at the Pontiac Silverdome . Paul earned a degree in computer programming at Michigan State University and worked for EDS in Florida, playing piano largely for himself . In 2004, he began to move full-time into the theatre world . He was particularly admired for his ability to reduce large orchestral arrangements to a few instruments while still maintaining the complex aural nature of the original score . Paul was a generous mentor and quiet philanthropist . http://www. floridatheateronstage.com/news/paul-reekie-beloved-musical-director-arranger-dies-at48/?fbclid=IwAR33Y9U_69J1sVmseF8Cl1_3QNcxAfzBsD1xwIZUA4nuYvvll-StLRTFRjE

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BOB EDGERTON

Bob Edgerton, who taught physics at Roeper from 1971 through 1982, passed away at the age of 85 on November 27 in Seattle . He had three children who attended Roeper, Eric ’80, Nina ’83 and Sylvia ’86 . In a message, Nina said, “My father passed away peacefully . This was the culmination of two years of declining health due to a lung condition (Bronchiectasis) . He brought his enthusiasm for life, curiosity, and kind heart to teaching as well as parenting . He was a musician, lover of nature, birder, cyclist, and all-around curious, thoughtful guy . As I write this, I hear his laughter and sense his big smile . ”

Dr . Bob was a gifted teacher . “He always answered questions with questions . It drove me crazy, but really made me think,” said Carolyn Graham Tsuneta ’78 . A long-time favorite story entailed the way he challenged physics students to solve the echo problem in the Big Dome . As recalled by Patrick O’Connor ’78, “It was the first year the Domes were open and the Big Dome had an echo in it because it was slightly off center . Dr . Bob brought his physics class into the dome, walked around stomping and clapping his hands . “Get it?” he says . “Now fix it .” An outdoors enthusiast, Bob and his wife, Elizabeth, also chaperoned school camping trips to the Smoky Mountains .

SANFORD COHEN ’66*

Sanford Cohen passed away on December 4 at the age of 71 . Sanford was an early student at Roeper, a member of the classes that graduated before the school extended to 12th grade . A successful Quiz Bowl contestant at Roeper, Sanford graduated from Wayne State with a BA and MA in History . He then taught Social Studies at Detroit’s Southeastern High School for more than 30 years and led the after-school Southeastern Chess Club to national levels many times .

Former Roeper history teacher Dick Halsey recalled that Sanford was a 7th grader in Dick’s first year at Roeper: “His father, Herb Cohen, owned and ran the Raven Gallery, a kind of art gallery, coffeehouse, and music venue in Detroit and later Southfield . Sanford was a brilliant student and funny kid . It pleases me no end that he was a social studies teacher in the Detroit Public Schools .” You can read more about Sanford’s life at https://www. legacy.com/obituaries/freep/obituary.aspx?n=sanford-allen-cohen&pid=197235816&f bclid=IwAR1kfSCUaXDeL2wztngjFafvkpOVW9ymdAMEExkuTKuv9_FSDN-xqhEywuk

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ANNA M. McNEIGHT

Anna M . McNeight, 75, a former Stage III and IV Teacher at Roeper from September 1979 through 1985, passed away Monday, December 21 at her home . Her sons, Neil and Mark attended Roeper and Roeper Camp for several years .

Born March 21, 1945 in Lincoln, Illinois, she was a daughter of Winfield Bates, Sr . and Julia (Blum) Bates . Anna spent many years as an educator . She taught biology in Richmond, Michigan, sat on the school board in East China, Michigan, and in 1995 she went to work for the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, as an engineer, retiring in 2008 .

She loved animals and was a powerful advocate for the environment . A celebration of her life will be held at a later date . In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Partners for Pets .

JOHN FREEMAN

Former Upper School English teacher John Freeman passed away unexpectedly on January 7, 2021 . John taught at Roeper from 1983 – 1987, and then taught at the University of Detroit Mercy for 33 years . His students at Roeper all remarked on John’s gentleness, quick humor, endless patience and kindness, and his dazzling and ever-growing array of passionate interests that ranged from Hamlet to Tupac .

“He was such a magical creature and a beautiful soul . He was a favorite teacher and mentor to so many — myself included,” said Deirdre Wade ’87 . Josh Silverstein ‘86 remembered how touched he was when John showed up unexpectedly at Josh’s mother’s funeral — and how typical that was of John’s thoughtfulness . “John is one of the gentlest souls I have ever been blessed to come to know . Pure love,” said Jeff Groulx ’84 .

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