The Bulletin of The Stony Brook School: Summer 2022 stony brook 100 YEARS OF CHARACTER BEFORE CAREER
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The Stony Brook Bulletin, USPS #522-440, is produced for all alumni, parents, and friends of The Stony Brook School. The Bulletin is published by The Stony Brook School, Inc., Stony Brook, New York, three times a year.
3 DEPARTMENTS4 From the Head of School 6 Christian Life 8 Athletics 12 Gravitas 14 Student Feature 16 Graduation 20 Gala 24 Alumni Spotlight 27 Alumni Log 28 In Memoriam 2016 16 8 stony brook The Bulletin of The Stony Brook School Vol. XCIII No. 2, Summer 2022 head of school Joshua Crane P’18, ’20, ’23, ’27 director of advancement Luke Layow communicationP’22 manager and bulletin editor Daniel Skaritka art theXiaoBrucephotographersJeaninedirector/designerDavisJeffreyP’21,’23,’26Lin’21stonybrookboard of trustees S. Michael Koh ’88, Chair Elaine M. Kanas P’09, Vice-Chair Ian Haynes P ’15, ’17, ’21, Treasurer Bradley R. Kirk ’82, Secretary Polly Berol, Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Treasurer Joshua Crane, P’18, ’20, ’23, ’27 Head of School Bruce D. Bohuny P’17 Sharon Bottomley P’06, ’16 Bryan Cho P’25 Christine Kang P’18 Christopher Levy ’84, P’18 Wendelyne Horst Murphy ’82 Jaime L. Turton
mission statement
The Stony Brook School is an independent college preparatory school (grades 7-12) that exists to challenge young men and women to know Jesus Christ as Lord, to love others as themselves, and to grow in knowledge and skill, in order that they may serve the world through their character and leadership. send address changes to: The Stony Brook School Advancement Office 1 Chapman Parkway Stony Brook, NY 11790 phone 631-941-1550 fax 631-941-1557 email websiteadvancement@sbs.orgsbs.org
Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students: The Stony Brook School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other schooladministered programs.
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Speaking of Brooker pride, this issue catalogues the many successes that we experi enced this year. Just to highlight a few, the Sailing team made its first appearance in Nationals and placed 13th in the entire country. Alumnus Johnny Everitt ’00, and an experienced team of coaches has led this program to new heights and the program is now garnering national attention. Continuing on our sports theme, Baseball competed for its first New York State Championship in program history finishing runner-up to Brooklyn Poly Prep reviving a storied rivalry from our old Ivy League days. Early odds makers have these two teams competing again in 2023. Robotics returned to the World Championships for the second time in their five-year history (COVID robbed them of another chance in 2020). Having established themselves as the strongest Robotics team in the NY Metro region, they competed against 150 other teams from across the globe. We are proud of our students and coaches who have demonstrated excellence in their respective fields.
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear friends of The Stony Brook School, Summer greetings from The Brook. How great it was to gather with Brookers young and old at our Centennial Gala in April, where we celebrated together God’s goodness and faithfulness to our School. At the Gala we debuted the Centennial video produced by current parents Mitchell and Catie Riggs P’23, ’26 which captured the essence of our School from its humble beginnings to its healthy present and ambitious future. If you have not had a chance to see it, I would encourage you to watch it here. It will make you proud to be a Brooker.
In my speech at the Gala, I referenced a theme that has run throughout our School’s history. Through its peaks and valleys, Stony Brook as an institution has demonstrated a deep dependence on God for its sustenance and sustainability. What a legacy of answered prayers we have! Our history should give us every confidence for our future. God has been faithful to us and has put us in a position to build mightily upon our first century. Therefore, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
The successes of the first half of the year coupled with the anticipation of a school environment free from the restrictions of the past two years, gives us cause to anticipate with joy the coming school year. We would be grateful for the opportunity to share our enthusiasm with you at our Centennial Homecoming October 7-9 here on campus. It promises to be a special event only made more special by your presence with us. Please be on the lookout for Homecoming details and please consider celebrating with us.
Best Joshuaregards,Crane, Head of School
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Driven Retreat
life by Chad Perney, Assistant Director of Student Life The Driven Retreat, normally the first weekend in January, was held at Camp Spofford in Spofford, NH from April 1st through 3rd. Over one hundred students participated in an “unplugged” weekend by giving up their cell phones and making the journey north to spend time learning about God and them selves. Assistant Head of School, Will Lingle ’02, and Campus Chaplain, Dr. Mark Tietjen, led the group in song with the help of former SBS employee, Tory Abrahamsen ’10, Camp Spofford's Director. This year’s speaker was Mr. Aswan Morris. Aswan serves as the Regional Director for Young Life in Manhattan and the Bronx. Aswan believes in “incarnational ministry”. This means he “meets students where they are” on their journey through
christian
life and faith. Why, you might ask? Because “that’s how Jesus went about his life and ministry”, meeting the needs of those he encountered along the way. The students responded to his style and charisma. At the start of each session, Aswan would open with a question from the classic hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest. He would say, “Can I kick it?” The stu dents would exclaim, “Yes, you can!” Mr. Morris con tinued with the theme for Driven this year which is “Driven by…”. The vision behind this theme is to fill in the blank with a distinct quality of God or an emotion unique to the human experience. Aswan emphasized God’s immense heart for his children in a talk titled Driven by Compassion. The next morning we learned of the mercy of God in Driven by Mercy. Saturday night we learned of God’s heart for all in Driven by Love. Lastly, on Sunday morning, we learned that
because of these qualities we can be Driven by Hope Outside of the large group sessions, the students had many opportunities to connect in small groups, in their free time, and at night in their cabins. One new aspect of the retreat was multiple opportuni ties for spiritual formation. Students had the chance for morning or evening prayers, Lectio Divina, Worship on a Canvas, and more. Saturday afternoon featured a non-optional hour of silence. Students were encouraged to think, pray, sleep, journal, read, or do whatever their soul may need as long as it is in silence. Many students have mentioned this being their favorite part of the retreat. In a world of hustle, noise, and so often chaos, what a gift silence can be! Saturday night offered an array of activities for our students to continue to build relationships.
The gymnasium was open for glow-in-the-dark dodgeball, a bonfire full of singing and laughter, and a NCAA March Madness basketball game watch of UNC vs Duke. It was refreshing to see students building relation ships through a multitude of avenues. Whether it was through small groups, dodgeball, cards, silence, worship, or other activities, they had many chances to be together. This, more than anything, was a highlight for so many. It has become evident that they have missed the closeness of the SBS commu nity for the past couple of years. It felt great to be worshiping and laughing TOGETHER on this annual retreat. It is my belief that the students left the camp full of hope for the future, faith in God, and newfound respect for one another. Many have said that they cannot wait until next year! n
Retreat
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The boys’ and girls’ track teams each finished runnerup in the PSAA Championship, with the boys falling by a narrow six-point margin to a strong Dalton squad. David Hickey ’08 earned his second Coach of the Year honor while David Song ’22 earned boys’ meet MVP honors with a trio of 1st place finishes in the 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles, and triple jump. Other individual champions included Niks Zemitis ’23 (high jump & long jump), Zach Mogambi ’23 (discus), Klod Berdica ’22 (shot put), Lilly Keegan ’23 (high jump), and Tony Ying ’24, Nick Candela ’23, Mogambi ’23, and Zemitis ’23 in the 4x100 relay. The following week, at the NYSAIS Championships, Keegan became the first Bear to win two individual titles at a State Championship when she claimed both the 100 hurdles and triple jump crowns, adding a runner-up in the high jump for good measure. Zemitis also added a state title for the Brook by taking top honors in the high jump.
The badminton team, after going 1,000 days between matches due to COVID-19, successfully defended their 2019 undefeated PSAA season with another perfect record and an 8-3 victory over the Knox School in the tournament championship. Glen Choi ’23 was named the regular season MVP, Aidan Riley ’24 was the tournament’s most valuable player, Josh Dietrichson earned Coach of the Year honors, and Katrina Deng ’22, Daniel Kim ’24, Rebecca Pan ’22, and Irene Qin ’24 secured All-League honors.
After a century of athletic competition that witnessed Stony Brook teams and individuals reach the pinnacle of their sport at the County, State, and National levels, the Blue & White still managed to garner historic milestones in their 100th spring season.
athletics by Dan Hickey ’04, Director of Athletics Century of Blue
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The girls’ lacrosse team treated us to the finest cam paign in their history by winning the program’s first title. The team charged through the league with an undefeated record that earned them the #2 seed in their first ever State Tournament berth. Alexis Savage ’24 was the PSAA MVP after leading all Long Island private school players in goals (59) while finishing second in points (89). Natalia Pagano ’26 (56 points), Morgan Ruggieri ’22 (55), and Mia Trama ’26 (43) were also top 10 on the points list. Emily Berger ’23 proved herself as one of the best goalies on the island as the anchor of a stingy defense that shackled teams all season long. The baseball team became only the second team in school history to earn a berth in a State Champion ship game after an exciting regular season that saw them earn wins over Phillips Andover, Deerfield, Collegiate, West Islip, and Ward Melville. After defeating Long Island Lutheran and Fieldston in the first two rounds of the state playoffs, they faced off with #1 Poly Prep and lost in a spirited battle. Even before Poly Prep’s celebratory cheers had died down, the pervading feeling around the team was their resolve to return with their youthful core that will bid adieu to only two seniors. The growth of the team over the season could not have happened without the skill, dedication, and care from coaches Jon Brewer, Dustin Mones, Noah Bakker, and Tony Passalacqua. As if those milestones were not enough, the dinghy sail team capped a memorable Centennial spring by earning the first National Championship berth in school history. The final month of the season was furious and frenetic as seemingly every weekend saw the Bears in a key regatta. In April, Steven Hardee ’22,
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Blue White
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Sean Beaver ’23, Gavin Hudson ’24, and Mairead Reitzel ’24 claimed the NYISA-SE League Fleet Championship. 24 hours later they finished runners-up as exhibition participants in the Connecticut State Championship. In May, they went where no Stony Brook sail team had gone before by finishing 3rd at the MASSA Fleet Championship in Virginia to earn a berth at Nationals. Still basking in the afterglow of that achievement, the Bears had to refocus just days later for the New York State Championship without the help of Hardee and Hudson, who were down with an illness. Beaver and Reitzel were buoyed by the outstanding efforts of Jeremy Lunati ’23 and Harry Fredericks ’22 who gave the Brook a one-point victory over Rye Country Day to retain the Empire State crown. Then in June, Hardee, Beaver, Hudson, and Reitzel traveled to San Diego, CA for Nationals and came away with a 13th place finish out of the 20 finest teams in the country. The achieve ment of the team was reflected not only in their execution in the season’s biggest races, but in the hours spent in the weight room over the winter, the cold afternoons in Port Jeff Harbor when they were the only team practicing, and in the support and belief of every athlete and coach in the program. Special thanks must go out to coaches Johnny Everitt ’00, Wally Henry ’82, Dave Tampellini, Brian Elliot, Caswell Nilsen, Sabina Slade, Brad Brummeler, and Rob Taylor ’82 for leading the team this season. With another year down, we set our gaze for the fall season where five teams will seek to defend titles as we witness Stony Brook Athletics begin a new century of competition.
A NormalNew
Full-time and part-time Gravitas students will gain access to exciting self-paced courses, project-based and compe tition-based courses, and live elective courses in the fields of entrepreneurship, ethical technology and engineering, advanced sciences, global leadership, and the arts. Through Gravitas Passion Academies, students will start their own businesses, create ethical AI and blockchain programs, launch experiments to the International Space Station, design solutions to pressing global problems, and run their own digital art galleries and performances. Additionally, to promote more social engagement, Gravitas will launch a “house system,” whereby full-time students across grade levels will be organized into houses to compete for points through various competitions throughout the year. Bible studies, game nights, visual and performing arts shows, and other events will bring students together virtually outside of class as well. Finally, Gravitas will organize in-person events on campus, in New York City, and in other locations where clusters of Gravitas students and faculty reside.
The focus of the first year of the program was on devel oping the core 8-10th grade curriculum and launching the character formation program. Our focus now turns to expanding the core program to serve students in grades 7-12, adding year two to the daily character formation program, and building out our Passion Academies.
While campus returned to normal, Gravitas was busy establishing a new normal by welcoming online Brookers from around the world into the Stony Brook experience. We have shared details about the program in earlier issues of The Bulletin, and there have been many exciting developments since our last communication, but we thought it would be helpful to begin with the perspec tive of a Gravitas student by sharing an excerpt from the first issue of the Gravitas student newspaper: This school year, students learned the true meaning of ‘Gravitas.’ Students have been interactive in classes and challenged themselves to be creative and intelligent think ers. The intensive courses have helped students with their time management skills and the ability to retain knowledge in a short amount of time. In the live classes, students were put into breakout rooms to enhance their communication skills and learn the value of teamwork. Teachers continued to incorporate debates into their teaching to help students understand the depth of a unit, get creative with their communication skills, and learn to argue with respect. Oral Assessments are a great way to help students with on-thespot thinking and let their teachers know whether each student comprehends every unit in-depth and if the student has a clear understanding of the topic at hand. Teachers have been hard at work making sure each student can fathom the topics in each subject. At Gravitas, students ask questions that make teachers and other students wonder and ponder their thoughts. Gravitas has lived up to the theme of “from Wonder to Wisdom.”
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Gravitas and its students are excited to continue on this educational voyage of a new normal. n by Sean A. Riley, PhD, Executive Director P’24, P’27, P’28
— Ifra Ishaq, Gravitas 10th Grader from Hyderabad, India
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To delve deeper into Chick-fil-A’s systems, Mr. Stan Abrahamsen’s P ’10, ’13, ’15 Chick-fil-A, located in Port Jefferson Station, was carefully examined for reference. In addition to Chick-fil-A’s distinguishing char acteristics, Mr. Abrahamsen has developed his own creative system to bring success to his local Chick-fil-A business. The 100 in-store team members serve customers mainly from the age of 18 to 35 and seniors older than 65 years of age through in-person store purchases. Because of their customer service emphasis, the local Chick-fil-A faces serious issues in labor costs and productivity. To minimize potential losses, Mr. Abrahamsen developed his distinctive local strategies to maintain its profit.
14 by Joonglok (Jadon) Sung ’23 First founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A was based on Truett’s original chicken business. Since then, the brand has rapidly spread, rivaling its giant competitors for top spot among fast food restaurants.
Chick-fil-A’s primary advertisement method is separated into nationwide and local. Each store contributes a percentage fee to the main corporation for a national advertise ment to use in extensive commercials on platforms like traditional TV and Youtube. The unique local marketing that the store used during their first two years in business was sponsoring SUNY Stony Brook Football. For each competition, the store provides meals before or after the game for free. In return, their sponsorship is announced
The SBS Business Club published its inaugural newsletter The SBS Business Journal. The publication featured multiple editorials from SBS Business Club members on economics, finance, cryptocurrency, business, and much more. We are pleased to highlight one of the articles featured in the publication.
The Distinctive System behind Mr. Abrahamsen’s Chick-fil-A
Countering this trend, Chick-fil-A is highly engaged in its service model, hiring many well-trained employees. With this system, Chick-fil-A provides a substantially more hospitable atmosphere and attentive services that are unattainable with technology alone. In the end, Chick-fil-A maintains a stable bond with customers by establishing emotional comfort and trust.
student feature SBS BUSINESS CLUB ISSUE 1
The main competitive advantage of Chick-fil-A is the well-structured service model. In the Quick Service industry, most employers from each brand do not prefer to hire many employees due to their high variable costs. Instead, the owners of such companies primarily focus on hiring the minimum number of employees to maximize “returns.”
15 verbally or through the scoreboard in between games so that the store can strengthen its connection with local Thisresidents.store's most notable distinctive marketing strategy is its passionate involvement with the local community.
There are numerous activities that the store is currently developing and offering to expand its influence on the community. Firstly, the local store sponsors Paint the Port Pink, a cam paign working against breast cancer and for mental health, by providing regular meals to hospitals. Secondly, the store also offers regular meals to Hope Day, where a group of churches supplies medical advice and job opportunities to the community. Lastly, they have regularly shared 15,000 meals with impoverished areas of New York to fight against starvation and enhance communal welfare. A commonality between these three marketing strategies and the advertisement is that it relieves the community while raising awareness of the brand. The strategies of the local store accurately reflect Mr. Abrahamsen’s remark that “the happiness that comes from helping others is much greater than getting help.” Despite these innovative strategies, the impact of many recent global crises was inevitable. Along with Covid-19, there were a lot of events that spurred a rise in supply costs, such as the war between UkraineRussia and the spread of avian pox. In addition to these events, recent U.S. eco-friendly business policies brought another significant increase in the cost of supplies. However, unlike these unavoidable costs, revenue has not shown a considerable change despite many of the crises, the store’s business was stable and in constant demand. As shown in the graph below, the leading cause of the ultimate decrease in profit comes from an increase in cost, not the decrease in revenue. This represents how its distinctive systems were able to keep customers’ satisfaction and maintain its business while improving human Overall,flourishing.Chick-fil-A in Port Jefferson Station fully embraces and further extends Chick-fil-A’s fundamental notion of a strong connection with customers. Through not only a wellstructured service model but its assistance to the community, Mr. Abrahamsen’s business successfully establishes its altruistic bond and brings stable growth to his business.
But, despite my years, you should know that what has endured throughout is the Stony Brook education that I received and the grounding that accompanied it, inspiring me after leaving to go forward and be the best that I could be.
Awesome...because
When it came time to choose what I would do after college I was fearful of taking the leap into entertainment. After all, my degree was in political science. So, what did I do? I chose to enter law school. I made a faustian bargain with my parents that if I didn’t like it after one semester, that I could leave, go to New York or Los Angeles and try my hand in communications. Well, they knew me better than I did because I not only completed my first semester as a law student but graduated fifth in my class. However, when it came time to take the bar exam, I burned the midnight oil, studied valianty, took the test and to my surprise failed. I thought I’ll never recover…my life is over…, but, there is always tomorrow — so, once again, I picked myself up, studied even harder, took the test a second time and I passed with flying colors. You see, persistence pays off…if at first, you don’t succeed, try again, try again! I just shared a long-unspoken secret with you. In fact, you are the first individuals to whom I’ve ever admitted my bar exam failure; but I fessed up because I wanted to emphasize the point that failure can be, and often is, part and parcel of the learning process. In fact, I’ve come to learn that ’success’ is never final….and ‘failure’ is never Indeed,fatal. the important take-away from such disappoint ment is to realize that the courage to continue is what counts. Put another way, do not fear failure but rather fear not Aftertrying.acouple of years as an attorney-advisor for the US copyright office and later working in Europe, I still had this nagging feeling that my destiny lay elsewhere. But fear paralyzed me and I wasn’t sure what I should do with this dream I couldn’t forget. Then, one day, I did what you too might find yourself doing, under similar circumstances, tucked away my fear and decided to start over. I thought I could either try my hand at work in New York or Los Angeles. I chose Los Angeles because I reasoned that if I ended up homeless, I, at least, might survive better in warm sunny California.
16 graduation Commencement
Take a walk with me back to 1956 when I first found my way up Chapman Parkway. The school was a very different place then. It was not the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic student body of today, and there were no young women among the student population. Surely, one of the best decisions the school ever made was to make Stony Brook Whatco-educational.wasmost significant about that time was the support and the guidance we received from the headmaster and the faculty as the school sought to expand its student base, providing us with welcoming Christian fellowship. Our educational guidance was fostered by such legendary teachers as Pierson Curtis, Marvin Goldberg, O. Floyd Johnson, and D. Bruce Lockerbie.
AsCongratulations.Ilookoutatyour bright, cheerful, and hope-filled faces, I can’t help but remember my graduation over six decades ago. Well, it was a long time ago and I’m certainly happy to be here and upright.
As I contemplated how I would frame my talk with you today, two salient thoughts kept recurring as I tried to devise the best way to craft something meaningful. The first was to explore how you can and should make a difference in life and the second was how you should deal with fear and failure when you encounter them. In thinking more about these two ideas, I realized I wanted to approach both in the most positive light. I have no doubt that all of you will be successful. But what you may not be prepared for are the disappointments that might follow on the heels of that success. They will come, just as night follows day…and when they occur, remem ber, it is how well you meet those challenges that will determine your future.
The good news for all of you is that as you leave Stony Brook you won’t immediately be encountering the harsh reality of our world; a broken world, as you have seen, which has become increasingly difficult to traverse. For now, you will get somewhat of a four-year reprieve by attending college, where you will continue preparing yourself for a place in an uncertain job market, but when you finish you will be armed with the best knowledge that your college or university training, and your time at Stony Brook, will have given you.
Opposing Fear and Embracing FACING YOUR FUTURE:
I was an active student here, a class officer, a member of the King’s men, the Christian activities club, the student advisory council, a yearbook editor, a member of the JV football and basketball teams, a track team athlete, and a cross country runner.
Address by Charles Johnson ’58 To the Headmaster, the Stony Brook faculty and staff, the Board of Trustees, distinguished guests, alumni, parents, family and last, but certainly not least, the awesome class of 2022. you have the distinction of being Stony Brook’s centennial graduates — an unforgettable milestone for both you and the School. So, class of 2022, I proclaim your position in the queue of Stony Brook seniors to be forever special and, uniquely noteworthy.
In Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 1, we are told that: faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And in Matthew 21, verse 22, we learn that: whatever you ask for in prayer, you will receive if you have faith. When I arrived in Los Angeles, knowing no one and having no contacts, I survived by embracing my faith as I beseeched God for help through daily prayer. I just kept reminding myself that He is our protector who guides, nourishes and cherishes us always.
Faith
at 28 years of age, in a field wildly foreign from the career in which I’d previously trained, was not a walk in the park. Doing so took courage, determination, fortitude, and a good bit of fearlessness, a character trait I have not always amply possessed. But one of the things you learn when venturing into the unknown is you must do so by embracing your faith.
FUTURE:
Martin Luther King, Jr. had a particularly memorable quote about faith that is instructive. Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the entire staircase! Life has a way of serving up serendipitous surprises and I’ve had my fair share of those. My business affairs prepartion eventually led to an offer to work in production…and the rest, as they say, is history. What you should know, is that when the door to being a pro ducer opened, I walked through it…fearful, but fully embracing a faith nurtured by God;
When I informed my parents of my decision, they were apoplectic. Why, on earth, had they sent me to Stony Brook, to Howard and then to law school for me to choose a lifestyle they were sure at which I was destined to fail? To add insult to injury, not knowing what I might do in the entertainment industry, I announced to them that I was going to go to California to be an actor. That didn’t go over very well! My parents, who had indulged my acting fantasy, and even supported it by attending some of my performances, were not amused. As I left them to travel across the country, my mother’s parting words were ’I love you darling, but Sidney Poitier, you’re not!!’ Suffice it to say, our parting was not the most warm and fuzzy exchange in what, otherwise, was a very loving Startingrelationship.over
In Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6, we are advised to trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. The verse goes on to say, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your path. Advice I have followed, and, without fail, it has served me well. I share it with all of you as I know it can forever be both a guiding principle and a beacon of light in your decision-making process.
I’ve experienced both ’highs and lows’ in my long career, but I’ve always fallen back on the faith I first learned here and relied on it to successfully come through, as they say, on the other side. With regard to disappointments, I want to make sure you remember the following axiom: Every setback is a set-up for a comeback.
Before I leave the podium today — and have the honor of watching you receive your diplomas — I want to highlight just a few important things you should keep in mind:
Bottom row, l-r: Amy Jeffrey - Bachelors in Nursing; Alicia Brummeler - Masters of Arts in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership; Jazmin Valle - Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
First, Character Before Career has been the School’s motto for a century. Each of us who has left here has taken its truth to heart and made it the centerpiece of our lives. You live in an amazing world where technology has transformed your lives — but you are also experiencing a world that is severely broken and full of complexities and untruths. So, as you combat the difficulties and the conundrum of daily living, keep the Stony Brook motto at the forefront of your thinking and, whenever needed, reflect upon it as the moral compass its meaning was designed to Additionally,be.Iurge you to work hard; to be prepared for whatever you choose to do in order that you can seize opportunities when they arise. But as you move forward, also remember to do your best to be kind, generous, and willing to give back. The Bible teaches us that it is better to give than to receive; but what we discover when we are benevolent and thoughtful toward our fellow travelers is that kindness defines us in ways more meaningful than we could ever have imagined. Giving, truly makes us happy; giving, unconditionally, puts us all on the path of righteousness that God has set forth for us.
Top row, l-r: Jacob Morley - Doctorate in Theology, Imagina tion, and the Arts; Luke Trouwborst - Master of Arts in Teaching; Debbie Abrahamsen - Masters in Mental Health Counseling; Tonja Detwiler ’88 - Doctorate of Education in Adminstration and Instructional Leadership; Jon BrewerMasters of Education in Instructional Technology.
Valedictorian– Anne-Sarah Nichitiu SBS is more than just a place, it is more than just a school, it is us. We are a people placed in a school united by friendship. Together we smile. Together we laugh. Together we cry. Together we fall down, and most impor tantly, together we rise. Yes, we make errors. Yes, we may hurt each other, and yes, sometimes we may even be angry with one another. We are human after all, but together we can heal those wounds and realize that the hatred and indifference with which the world is faced can be overcome.
18 graduation grateful, but convinced that the prayers I offered, he answered; and, thankful, for the knowledge that when opportunity did come knocking, I was prepared to accept it and work hard toward that goal of being the best I could be.
Congratulations to our faculty and staff on completing their degrees!
Salutatorian– Wenzheng ‘Jimmy’ Hu I stand before you today with gratitude, as the centennial year of the School comes to a close, it is my sincere wish that our graduates will continue to explore their interests and talents that they nurtured and cultivated throughout their years at Stony Brook. What we have accomplished as a class, academically, artistically, and in sports are the insignia of honor that we will wear with pride. When we look back at this moment, when we live out our best versions of ourselves, we can always thank this moment of encouragement and recognition of our efforts that are immortalized on this very day.
So, I end where I began. Remind yourself that fear is a dark room where negativity develops. Don’t enter that unlit space. Instead, oppose your fears every step of the way because being fearful can only have two outcomes: (1) forget everything…and run, or (2) face everything… and rise. The choice is yours. I’m certain that you will opt for the latter choice…and when you ultimately rise it will be because you have done so with an abiding faith — a faith that constitutes your unflinching trust in God. I wish you godspeed and His many bountiful blessings upon you…throughout your journey. Thank you for letting me share this joyous day with all of you.
’18, Mary Esser ’22, Peter Esser ’57, Michael Esser ’86, and Joy Carlson Esser ’88 Emmanuel Lamptey ’22 and Shannuel Lamptey ’21
Tiger and Esser
Caleb Spreckels and Spreckels Leung ’22 and Francine Leung Maeba ’22 and Leka Lee-Maeba
’20
’22 Clement
’19 Lee
Hannah Detwiler Brownworth Detwiler Horst Helmer Helmer
’22 and Wendelyne Horst Murphy ’82
Natalia Oben ’22 and Armstrong
Lael Kutame ’19 Lara Caraiani ’22 and Anya Caraiani ’20 Elizabeth
’20
Detwiler ’88, Joshua
’98
Jessica
’85
’19
’22, Lars Brownworth ’93, Nils Brownworth ’93 Davonne
19 100 Years of Legacy The Stony Brook School is proud to highlight the generational legacy of this year’s centennial graduating class.
’18, Tonja
Joseph
Sarah Stortz ’22 and Hannah Stortz
Ben Whitney ’22 and Chris Whitney
’85, Caroline
Winston ’22, Dani Winston Gift ’19, Chelsea Winston ’16, Gabe Winston ’14, Jessica Winston ’11 and Kayla Winston Babut ’10 Alexandra Birgeles ’19 and Elizabeth Birgeles ’22 Chris Carey ’87 and Laura Carey ’22 Lemuel Kutame ’22
centennial gala
SBS Heads of Schools, standing l-r, Thad Gaebelein ’75, Joshua Crane, seated l-r, Karl Soderstrom, Richard Riesen; Students: Anthony Cacciato ’22, Laura Carey ’22, Lemuel Kutame ’22, Lilly Keegan ’23, Nathan Kodua ’22; SBS Board: Bruce Bohuny, Elaine Kanas, Sharon Bottomley, Ian Haynes, Christine Kang, Brad Kirk ’82, Henry Ho ’78, Wendy Horst Murphy ’82, Chris Levy ’84, Bryan Cho; Thad Gaebelein ’75, showing remarks from Donn Gaebelein ’45.
The centennial celebration continued after the Gala. The next day, the Centennial Luncheon welcomed guests back on campus for food and fellowship. Attendees were able to take student-led tours of the campus to look back on the dorms and classrooms where memories were made.
he Centennial Gala was a celebration of 100 years of God’s faithfulness towards The Stony Brook School. As Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This school’s purpose is one that has been unchanged for a century, educating the next generation of leaders while instilling Christ-like character.
Throughout the night, guests heard from current and former faculty and Heads of School about the impact Stony Brook has had, not just on themselves, but also on the students and fellow colleagues during their tenure. Additional guest speakers read various anecdotes from An Enduring Vision: 100 Years of Character Before Career. During the night, the premiere of the Centennial Video was shown. This 20-minute video looked back on the 100-year history of The Stony Brook School, featuring inter views with students, faculty, and Heads of School. The night concluded with current students and guests singing the school song. The Centennial Gala was a night one hundred years in the making and will be remembered as we look towards the Next Century with anticipation for what God has in store for The Stony Brook School.
Over 300 guests of faculty, staff, students, parents, donors, and friends from all over the world joined together in celebration and reminisced about the past, and looked toward the future of The Stony Brook School.
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Helayne Damianos; Elaine Kanas; Jane Taylor, Elaine Cromwell and Jean Linzee; Chris Carey ’87, Karen Carey, Laura Carey ’22, Clement Leung ’22, Angela Yuen Chui Leung, Wayne Leung; Lars Brownworth ’93; John Casey ’80, Linda Evans ’80, Bob Gaffney ’80, Cheryl Soderstrom ’80, Tyler Hathaway ’80, and Mike Hostetter ’80.
GIVING CHALLENGE SEPTEMBER 12TH-16TH Thanks to your generous support, Last year we raised more than $130,000 during our Founders’ Day Giving Challenge. This year, we will celebrate our School’s Centennial and challenge our alumni, parents, and supporters to partner with us again in this challenge. Stay tuned for more details! — Est. September 13, 1922
Wally Henry ’82 is a current SBS sailing
HENRY ’82
Sometimes things happen which seem bad at the time, or you make a decision you think was wrong, but in time you realize it was a blessing. That seemed to be a theme with me as I worked my way up. The route I actually took was nothing like the route I had planned. I ended up on a team I never thought I would be on, and it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I was on that team for over two years for that America’s Cup. We trained for a year-and-a-half solid before we went down to Australia to race. By the time it was done I could race with anyone. That was the first of my 5 America’s Cups. I was lucky enough to win the next one in San Diego and to make it to the finals twice. It was all I did for over 20 years.
Tell us about your time at Stony Brook.
Were there any faculty or staff members who impacted your life?
WALLY
coach whose accomplishments include: • 5-time America’s Cup starter • Competed in the America’s Cup Finals twice • Won the 1992 America’s Cup • Congressional Cup Winner • Admirals Cup Winner • 5-time World Championship Winner
I spent six years at The Stony Brook School, graduating in ’82. I basically majored in sports while here; I loved sports and wanted to be an athlete. I played football, basketball, and baseball. There was no sailing program, and people say that’s too bad, but it wasn’t; it was a blessing because playing all those other sports was extremely valuable. It taught me how to handle pressure and still perform at my best. It also taught me the value of being on a team and how important it is to never let your teammates down.
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40 years after graduating from The Stony Brook School, Wally sits down for an interview to discuss his life after SBS and his current role as one of the Sailing coaches.
Just before graduating from Stony Brook, I had the chance to try out with Dennis Conner’s America’s Cup team. It really wasn’t a tryout, I was too young and small and had no chance, but after getting back from that trip I had no doubt I would do whatever it took to race at that level. I went to Hobart College for one year in Upstate New York, where it’s about -10 degrees for most of the wintertime. They had a sailing program, but it wasn’t very competitive. I played some baseball too, but I always had my eye on what was happening in the America’s Cup. It’s all I wanted to do. After that year, the America’s Cup was held in Newport and Dennis Conner and the Liberty team lost to Australia. It was the first time the US had ever lost and I was devastated. No one knew what the future of the Cup would be and I didn’t know what this meant for my future. It soon became obvious that the Cup wasn’t going to die. The next event would be held in Perth, Australia and it would be the biggest one ever. I knew I needed to be 100% committed in order to make one of the teams and that’s when I started sailing as a professional. It wasn’t easy, I was the low man on the totem pole, but I kept my head down and worked hard and was lucky to make some good decisions that really paid off for me.
There were some fantastic teachers at the school when I was here who let you know they were your teacher, but also your friend. They taught you outside of the classroom and always let you know they had your back. That was important to me and as a coach now dealing with young adults on our team, I want them to know that not only me but the entire coaching staff are here for them. We are more than just their coaches.
I had two teachers that I think of a lot; one of them was Dick Treichler, my math teacher. Mr. Treichler was there from day one in 7th grade till the last day of my senior year. Another teacher who had a big impression on me was Bruce Boyce, who was a biology teacher and coach. The way that he lived his life, and the toughness he had physically and mentally; I admired that a lot, and I would say he had an impact on the way that I live my life as well. I’m sure most of my teachers got tired of me talking about the America’s Cup all the time. I had no doubt I would race in it one day, but I might have been the only one who thought I would make it at the time. What did you do after your time at Stony Brook?
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“Igraduatewesailors,tellthem,onceyou’reaBear,you’realwaysaBear.
When
What brought you back to coach?
What is it about sailing/racing you enjoy?
"
At the America’s Cup, you’re working harder than you ever have, but you're also having fun. It’s still a lot more work than fun though. That’s how we manage the sailing team at SBS. We push the sailors hard because we’re a small team with limited practice time, and we have to make every minute count. Our sailors must arrive for every practice with a full tank and are prepared to empty that tank by the end of practice. A great thing about our team is it’s like a family; we’re together for nine months out of the year. We race in the fall and spring and have a winter program with a couple of days a week in the gym and a classroom day as well. We also did a training session in St. Croix at the beginning of our spring season. We put in four 10-hour days of training, basically a month’s worth of sailing in four days. This gave us a huge advantage for the season, and it’s something we’re going to try to do every year.
One of the strong points about our program, which might not seem like a strong point, is that our team is very small. We have 12 to 14 sailors on the Varsity squad. That’s a very small team compared to other teams we’re racing against. Another strength is our four Varsity coaches. All the coaches are incredibly competent. We’re all very different, we have different ways of sailing, competing, and coaching, and that’s a good thing. John Everitt ’00, Dave Tampellini, and Brian Elliott are the backbone of the program, and we’re all committed to keeping our foot on the gas and making the program even stronger.
I was doing a lot of coaching on big boats with big teams because that’s really what I spent most of my career doing, racing in big programs, but I never thought for a minute I would be coaching kids and never thought for a minute I would be coaching at The Stony Brook School. One day I got a call from my friend who runs a sailing center in Oyster Bay. She said Stony Brook was looking for a coach and that I should do it; I said, “no way, I’m not doing it.” I knew they had boats and George Linzee had built a program, but that’s about it. She convinced me to do it for one season, and if I didn’t like it, just walk away. What did I have to lose, right? I came down, met John Everitt ’00, and met the kids on the team. After a few weeks, I realized that this was something I wanted to do. I wanted the challenge and I loved the kids on the team. This was back in 2016. I knew we could become a competitive team locally, but when Brian Elliot came on board in 2017 that’s when I realized there really wasn’t a limit to how far we could go. Brian has done two Olympic campaigns in Lasers, a single-person boat—very different from my career—so we coach a little different than each other and it’s worked out great. I haven’t seen another school with a coaching staff as strong as ours. What does the future look like after having a historic season? I don’t isolate this season and look at it as our most successful season; I look at it as a continuing process, and this season was another link in the chain. We made a big step this year, winning another State Championship, placing 13th in the National Championship (we were hoping to do better, but being the 13th best team in the country is a heck of an accomplishment) and placing fourth in the Atlantic Coast Championship. We’re taking steps now to make it a consistently competitive racing program, but every kid who has ever competed for the team is a part of this success too. When we graduate sailors, I tell them, “once you’re a Bear, you’re always a Bear. You are always welcome because you’re a part of the family.”
I have a passion for the racing part, from the starting gun to the finish line. I’m over all the traveling, the politics, and the logistics but I still love trying to figure out how to beat people on the water. I also love the people I’ve raced with for so many years. Some of my best friends in the world are from racing, so that’s incredibly valuable to me to be able to do what we’re good at and have a passion for together. It’s what I have enjoyed most about sailing for over 30 years.
HOMECOMING October 7-9, 2022 50th Reunion Lunch / Block Party / Alumni Parade Athletic Competitions / Sailing on the Sound and much more Contact Caprielle D’Ulisse at caprielle.dulisse@sbs.org with any questions sbs.org/homecoming
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A note from Walt Gale ’54 I want you to know how badly it hurts me to miss [the Centennial Gala] this important milestone in the School’s history. I owe much to the School and to those who taught
1 & 2 X. Cristofer Damianos ’77 was appointed to the board of directors of the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency in June. Henry Ho ’78 met with fellow alumni in Tampa, FL in January.
alumni log
Luke Layow, Director of Advancement, visited Alan Ruf ’56 and EJ Kunmann ’77 (and dog Jackie) in Florida in February. EJ also visited campus over the summer.
Anaelle Roc ’20 received the Patti Grace Smith Memorial Fund aerospace industry scholarship. In partnership with the Commer cial Spaceflight Federation and the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship program, Anaelle was invited to attend the Commercial Space Transportation Conference in Washington, D.C.
Feifan Zhao ’21 performed in Our Town, a theatre production presented by College of the Holy Cross’ Department of Theatre and Dance.
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Ayan Mandal ’14 wrote A Stethoscope for the Brain, which tells the stories of people affected by brain diseases, while describing research towards new tools for protecting brain health.A successful pre-sale campaign was launched and will be published in late September.
Ching Chuang-Chow ’89 was a contributor for Pandemic Blessings—Stories of Thanksgiving in an Unusual Time by Jennifer Formoso, which was published November 2021.
I attached a picture of myself taken 68 years ago in front of Hegeman Hall on the day of my graduation just to remind all that no matter how old one gets, there is always youth in their mind.
andMr.Fromadministeredandthere.Dr.Gaebelein,Goldberg,P.C.,FloydJohnsonas well as others, I don’t know how my life would have turned out without their mentorship. The School also was, in a large part, responsible for my being born again into the Christian faith; although my grandparents and parents had much to do with that. I want to thank the School for surviving difficult times and for not losing faith in the purpose for a school like Stony Brook. I wish the School the very best! May God continue to bless it and all those who attend and work there.
Jack Fiol ’75, Alex Fiol ’78, Maurice Fiol ’81, Henry Ho ’78
Kevin Howley ’07 and his wife Staci welcomed George Howley on March 30, 2022. 3 Amanda Louro ’09 and Kevin Cox ’10 were married on February 19 at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL.
Jack Adams ’18 will be starting his JD program at St. John’s University School of Law this August.
Alex Fiol ’78, Debbie (Erickson) Pate ’77, Henry Ho ’78 Tonja Detwiler ’88 received her Doctorate in Education (EdD) in Administration and Instructional Leadership from St. John’s University.
Charles B. Fischer ’57 on February 27, 2019 (Media, PA). Charles attended Stony Brook for six years, and his yearbook notes that he helped out with many class parties, dorm contests, and managed many athletic teams. During the summers his family vacationed in Margate NJ, which is where he met Susan, his wife of 58 years.
As a young man, after a year at Allegheny College, Charlie moved to Margate where he juggled a variety of shore jobs, such as teaching water skiing, renting chairs on the beach, and delivering flowers, all the while courting Susan. When an opportunity opened with Allegheny Airlines, loading luggage at the Atlantic City Airport, Charlie landed the job. He was quickly promoted from luggage handler to ticket agent to systems analyst, each with moves from Atlantic City to Philadelphia, and then Pittsburgh. Along the way, he won Susan's heart and her hand in marriage. Chuck was born in 1964, then Doug in 1967. In 1968, Charlie took a job in Washington, D.C. at the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) as the Director of the Air Travel Card. It was then that the family moved to Springfield, VA. For the next 30 years, he worked at ATA, where the Air Travel Card, now Universal Air Travel Plan, Inc. (UATP) set the industry standard for managing corporate air travel expendi Histures.work took him all over the world, where he established a global network of professional and personal friends. Whenever he could, he kept his family by his side, sharing the world with his wife and their two boys. He fulfilled his dream of a career in aviation. After retiring in the late 1990’s Charlie kept busy with the kind of work that would connect him to others. He sold real estate,
Gilbert attended Stony Brook for seven years, the youngest of four Watt brothers to come through Chapman Parkway. During his time at The Brook, Gilbert played football, wrestling, track, basketball and baseball; was a sports editor for the school newspaper; and a member of the Hegeman Morning Watch group. Gilbert was a veteran of World War II when he served in the Army Air Corps. Following his ordination by the Rt. Rev. Austin Pardue in 1949, Gilbert served the Lord through his long years of ministry as the Rector of the former Episcopal church in Barnesboro, PA; Rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Peters Township, PA; Priest Associate of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Crystal River, FL; Priest Associate of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Oakmont, PA; and various interim assignments throughout Western Pennsyl vania, Western New York, and Western Florida. His heart and mind were always serving his Lord and Savior right up through the hour before his death, when he led the Sunday Chapel Service at HeLongwood.waspredeceased by his brothers Douglas ’34, Donald ’35, and David ’37. He was the loving husband of the late Jeannette Elizabeth Watt, and the late Dorothy M. Watt. The father to Robert F. Watt (the late Ellen) of Bloomington, IL. and Carolyn Watt Johnson of Fresno, CA., Gail Muller Altenburger (the late Larry) of Oakmont, PA, and the late Carole Muller Switala (Joseph) of Pittsburgh. He is survived by grandchildren, Peter (Laura) Watt of Detroit, MI, Nathan Johnson of Los Angeles, CA, and Carley Altenburger of Oakmont, PA; and, by his great-grand children, Aaron and Jonathan Watt. Rev. David E. Hamilton ’46 on July 4, 2021 (Lake Elmo, MN). David attended Stony Brook for three years, and during that time was active in athletics, choir, student publications like Res Gestae and the Blue & White, and the Christian Association. In addition to The Stony Brook School, he was a graduate of Gordon College (MA), Gordon-Conwell Seminary (MA), Columbia Theological Seminary (GA), and Ph.D. candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary (CA).Over the years, as a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, ordained minister, missionary, seminary professor, shepherd/pastor he touched and impacted the lives of countless people in Pensacola (FL); Mexico City, Teloloapan, and Acapulco, Mexico; Burlington (NC); Quito, Ecuador; Escondido (CA); Memphis (TN); St. Cloud (FL); and Peachtree City (GA). His passion was to know Jesus Christ and to make Him Davidknown.is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Robert and wife Helen; brother, Richard (Margorie); sister, Mary and husband Warren West; and the love of his life, his wife, Marilyn Lucille Long Hamilton, of Jamestown (NY). He is survived by his sister, Ruth Hamilton Batchelder; and sister-in-law, Marjorie Dodds Hamilton; his four daughters, Beth Stanton (Dal), Becky Vierling (Philip), Sarah Goeglein (Greg), and Jill Martin (John ); grandchildren, Jonathon Stanton (Maureen), Jocelyn Stanton McCaslin (Jordan), James Stanton (Jessica), Josiah Stanton (Katie), Johanna Stanton Knetchel (Niko), Andrew Vierling (Erica), Sarah Vierling Veloz (Gabe), Rebecca Vierling Huelsmann (Greg), Lydia Goeglein, Josh Goeglein (Emily), Anna Goeglein McNeese (Will), Joe Goeglein, Johnny Martin (Jackie), Ashley Martin Hamrick (Jeremy), Keri Martin Sevcik (Caleb), Sam Martin (Desi); great-grandchildren, Sandler, Eli, Abel, Grace, Cole, Kai, Cal, Jack, Jaedon, Justin, Emma, Xander, Ezra, Juni, Annie, Charlie, Zoeas, and Lucy; and many treasured nephews, nieces, and their children.
28 Alumni Rev. Gilbert M. Watt ’38 on January 20, 2019 (Longwood at Oakmont, Plum, PA).
Rev. Charles E. Dates ’56 on December 1, 2021 (Silver City, NM). During his year at the Brook, Charles was an active member of the cross country and track teams, in the Christian Activities Club and served on the Res Gestae staff. He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University and his Masters from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. While in college he sensed a calling to serve the Lord in missions. He completed Bible and Anthropology courses at Nyack College where he met his wife, Nada. Together they served as missionaries in Indonesia for 37 years and celebrated life together for 60 years. Charles is survived by his wife, Nada Sigmon Dates; his 3 “Charlies Angels” Carol, Kathy, and Lorie; and 10 grandchildren.
inOBITUARIESmemoriam
29 drove a limousine, and volunteered extensively for the Shriners and Free Masons. He went to clown school and entertained hospitalized children as Fishy the Clown. Charlie loved boating, fishing, camping, scuba diving, and volunteering for the Shriners and Free Masons. He was an active and dedicated member of the Belcher Lodge, Linwood, NJ and the Amara Shrine, Palm Beach, FL. Late in life he became a skilled photographer. His family was always first and foremost in his life. He helped repair everything, and loved spending time with his grandchildren. He taught his sons to waterski and fish and his granddaughters to scuba dive. He cheered them on at sporting events, and document ed their lives with beautiful photography, leaving them with everlasting memories. He is survived by Susan, and his children Chuck (Penny) and Doug (Maureen Reilly). He adored his grandchildren Tayler, Benjamin, Cameron, and Madeline. Kenneth T. Cascone ’58 on March 18, 2022 (Summerville, SC). Kenneth was a six-year day student at Stony Brook, and was active on the Blue & White newspaper in addition to his high honors and athletics Aftercontribution.StonyBrook, Kenneth graduated from Yale University. He spent 6 years in the Army Reserves and later went to Columbia Law School where he graduated with a doctorate. In college, Kenneth was sponsored by Yale to go to Ghana to write a paper on the apartheid, which turned into a small book. He ended up representing the Ghanian government as a lawyer. In New York City, he formed a law firm Cascone, Cole, and Collier. Kenneth specialized in securities law with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, a part of corporate law, and later went on to help small businesses to get funding. Kenneth was a student of history and was very well versed in the American Revolution. He published a historical fiction book entitled The River of Triumph, a story about a Native American who attended Yale University in the 1700s who became a physician and spy for the American government in the Revolution.
Bruce Marganoff ’59 on January 19, 2022 (Millstone, NJ). Bruce was a four-year student at The Brook, and contributed to the Blue & White, and the football, wrestling and track teams. After gradua tion, Bruce earned his B.S. in Secondary Science Education from SUNY Cortland in 1964. The same year he met his future wife “ The Lord is close to the areandbrokenheartedsavesthosewhocrushedinspirit.”
Kenneth retired from law in 2012 after spending a couple of years working locally in his hometown of Newburgh, NY where he lived with his wife, Charlotte, in close proximity to the Hudson River. In 2020, he bought a home in Summerville, SC with his family to be closer to his son. He is survived by his wife Charlotte Cascone, his son Colton Cascone and daughter-in-law Jenny Upayacu Cascone. William R. McMillen ’58 on April 11, 2022. Bill was a boarder in Hegeman, ran track and contributed to the Daily Grind of the yearbook. In his senior entry, the editors wrote, “Bill is really a great guy and added lots of life to our good times.” He worked in video production and lived in Florida and Vermont. He was predeceased by David Hammon. Tom C. Gillan ’59 on January 27, 2022 (Aliso Viejo, CA). The 1959 Res Gestae reads that “Tom, who has been with us for two years, has contributed much to our school. Besides being the football team’s quarterback and a standout on the track team, he is also an important member of the Chapel Choir and vice-president of the Student Organization. He is also the yearbook business manager. With these duties he finds time to maintain a high average. Stony Brook will lose a fine young man when Tom leaves for college”. He grew up in Houston, Texas and moved to Southern California in 1979. In addition to Stony Brook, Tom was educated at Washington and Lee University and Saddleback College. He was a long-time contributor in his community where he served his church for many years. He also had a 45+ year relationship with Friends of Bill W. He is survived by his wife Kathleen; sons Greg, Chris (Karla) and Stuart (Amanda); Grandchildren, Emerson, Jacob, Charles, Miles, Zane, Seth, Brynlee and Cora; Sister, Greta (Ray); Brother, Lex (Cathy Nunnally).
—Psalm 34:18
Phyllis Perry while teaching biology at Patchogue High School. They married in 1967. With her support he went on to earn a M.S. in Marine Biology at C.W. Post College of Long Island University (1970), and both a M.S. in Science Education and Supervision (1971) and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Science Education (1974) at Syracuse University.
Passionate about scuba diving, sunken treasure, and pirate lore, David was a scuba instructor for many years. He enjoyed trips to the Caribbean, and was involved in underwater exploration businesses and Davidadventures.lefthis mark on the Horsham Soccer Association in the 1990s, serving as its President and overseeing construction and field acquisition projects. He also coached and refereed for many years. David stayed active playing tennis regularly his entire adult life. A strong commitment to faith defined David, and he had deep devotion to church communities. He served as Elder and Deacon over the span of many years at Memorial Baptist Church (New Life Community Church) in Huntingdon Valley, PA, and Chelten Church in Dresher, PA. He was committed to charity and helping missionary families both here in the United States and abroad.
David is survived by his loving wife Beryl, to whom he was married for 49 years, and their two children, Andrew Grau (Megan) and Denise Brown (Justin). David was the proud grandfather of three young grandchildren, Andy, Caden and Rita, and treasured the opportunity to be part of their lives. David is also survived by his siblings, Lois, Thomas ’65 and William ’70.
David has been an attorney in Montgomery County, PA, since 1973. Admired for combining his Christian faith with a strong work ethic and tenacity, David spent most of his legal career as a sole practitioner in Willow Grove, PA. David was a member of the Montgomery Bar Association and the Christian Legal Society.
Bruce embarked on a second career in the Department of Homeland Security as a Coordinator for the Medical Reserve Corps, which identified and trained volunteers in emergency preparedness for disasters. Over the next several years he traveled to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in this role. Upon his second retirement, Bruce joined in partnership with Matthew Schorr to purchase and operate Mailbox Business Center in the Nelson's Corner Shopping Center. Over the next 15 years, Bruce was an invariably colorful presence in the store, a place he came to consider a second home. A lover of antiques, history and the historic borough of Millstone, he served his community as chair of the Millstone Historic District Commission, member of the Borough Council, and trustee of the Millstone Forge Association. He coauthored the definitive (only) book of Millstone history, Portrait of a Village, a History of Millstone, New Jersey (1976). Bruce was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting, fishing and spending time on the water, particularly the Great South Bay of Long Island and Deal Island, MD. He was an active member of the Olde Barn Hunting Club and spent many early mornings stocking and hunting birds. Bruce was an expert skier and member of the National Ski Patrol for many years. Bruce loved animals, especially his German Shorthaired Pointer, Iris, who survives him. In addition, he is survived by wife, Phyllis, daughter, Danielle (Steve Gadom ski), sister Patti Burris (Donald) and several nieces and nephews. George H. Schoenbaum ’59 on February 16, 2021 (Ocala, FL). George attended The Stony Brook School for five years. Besides maintaining an honor roll average, he was the sports editor for Res Gestae and was the guard on the varsity football squad for two years. George was also active in the Christian Activities Club, the Judo Club, and the Debating Club. After Stony Brook, George graduated in 1966 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and went on to work for IBM and its World Trade Division, retiring in 2006.
George is survived by his wife, Janie Schoenbaum, a very active member of the Band, playing the Washtub Bass and booking manager for the hundreds of performances. He is also survived by his children; Julie Ann Murray, Jennifer Lynn Milano and G. Alexander, who is also a playing member of the Band on the washboard. Janie lives in Clifton Park with her son Alex, his wife Iliana, and their son Cameron. David P. Grau ’66 on December 17, 2021 (Horsham, PA). David was a faithful supporter of the School for many years, and served as class representative since 2010. After graduation in 1966, he attended Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA, and Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, PA. At Ursinus, David captained the soccer team, and was twice named its most valuable player. Ursinus is where he met Beryl, and made other life-long friends including his Sigma Rho Lambda fraternity brothers.
John A. Vaughn, Jr. ’72 on September 22, 2021 (Williamsburg, VA). After graduating from The Stony Brook School in 1972, he went on to study Civil Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and graduated in 1976. He later obtained his Masters of Business Administration from Old Dominion University. After graduation from RPI, he moved to Virginia and began working in Commer cial Real Estate Development. John later founded Monarch Development and beginning in the 80’s managed several large projects in the Hampton Roads Area as well as the Moorefield Park Development in Richmond Virginia. In 1999, John founded a business specializing in Website Development and Digital Brand Optimiza
in memoriam
George was the founding director, banjo, washboard and rub board player of the Riverbank Banjo Band established in Poughkeepsie, NY back in 1979. The Band, which was a not-for-profit corporation of 28 members, donated thousands of dollars to disabled children's organizations, in the different counties where the membership lived, as well as in the Poughkeepsie and Dutchess county areas.The Schoenbaums moved for a short time to Hadley, NY along the Hudson River and then to Ocala, Florida where they both continued playing in various restaurants and festivals with a number of groups.
Bruce and Phyllis moved to New Jersey in 1972 where he served as a science educator and school administrator in various school districts across the state. Undeterred by hard work, and not one to miss a business opportunity, he purchased Sparkle Plenty Car Wash in Manville, NJ which he maintained and operated for the next 25 years. In 1984 Bruce began his career as the State Science Coordinator for the New Jersey Department of Education. There he developed the state science curricula, interfaced with science-based industries, and participated in the establishment of the marine sciences laboratory at Sandy Hook, NJ. He held this position until his first “retirement” in 1999. In 2003
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tion based in Williamsburg which served small to medium businesses in Eastern Virginia. He was active in this business up until his passing. John was predeceased by his parents Marion & John Vaughan Sr. He is survived by his son, Ryan Leggett, Ryan’s wife Amber Leggett and their 3 children, Charlotte, Olivia, & Eleanor; and his sisters and their families, Valerie Sunden, Sylvia Vaughan, and Susan & Michael Scheld. Richard Pevey, Jr. ’95 on November 24, 2021 (Houston, TX) During his time at SBS, Richard played football and was a resident of Johnston. After Stony Brook, he obtained his B.S. from St. Edward’s University and his MBA from St. Thomas University. He assisted in establishing the Cath Lab at University General Hospital and founded Shallow Water Expeditions out of Matagorda, a fishing guide service that led to his starting the very popular and successful inshore saltwater fishing tournament. He also served as the CFO for several start up companies based out of RichardArkansas.issurvived by his parents Richard and Marcia Pevey, brother Corbin Pevey ’88 and his beloved golden retriever, Hunter. Faculty and Friends Barbara Hostetter on May 21, 2022 (New Holland, PA). Barbara and her husband Milton arrived at Stony Brook in 1961 and served the campus faithfully for 38 years. In addition to her kind presence with students, she served during that time as part-time nurse in the Health Center and later as the administrative assistant to Heads of School. Barbara was predeceased by her son Douglas. She will be greatly missed by her husband, Milton; son Michael ’80 and his wife, Jan, of Roswell, Georgia, among family and friends.
Save the Date Founders’ Day Gathering September 16th, 6:00-9:30pm The Waterview at the Port Jefferson Country Club
