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HONORING AVON’S NINTH CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD:
Martin I. Cole H’16, P’04, Retires M BY JACQUELINE KELLER
arty and Terri Cole have been integral parts of the Avon Old Farms School community since 1999, when their youngest son, Sam, became an Avonian. More than two decades later, they are ready to embrace the next stage in their lives and step away from formal titles tying them to Avon but with assurances that the school will always remain in their hearts. “We knew from the very beginning that Avon was a special place,” Marty Cole recalls. “Certainly Mrs. Riddle’s campus had physical beauty, but as we toured campus for the first time with Sam, we learned how special it was through the community and family-friendly environment, the caring and nurturing faculty, the great staff, and, really, the brotherhood.” When Sam decided to join the Avon Old Farms community, Marty and Terri did too. Residents of Farmington, Conn., at the time, they were regulars at school functions. They watched as their son matured in the Avon environment, academically and athletically, and grew to be a team player and leader. Welcomed by the Avon Old Farms community, Terri joined the Avon Parents Association and served as the group’s president for two years. She recalls how wonderful it felt to bond with fellow Avon parents and to be a part of something that was doing such good for her son—and for the sons of so many others. “Avon was a wonderful place for Sam,” she recalls. “It is a place where boys can be
boys. We knew that Sam was safe, looked after, and being mentored by the best. Avon is a warm and cozy village for a boy to grow up in, a place where someone always has your back.” Born and raised in Chicago, Marty was the product of the city’s public school system all the way until he attended Dartmouth College with scholarship support. Though he did well in the public school system, he knows there were things he did not have access to. Reflecting on that, he was driven to offer opportunities to those who would welcome the chance to earn a private secondary school education but could not afford one. Over the years, the Coles have been extremely generous to and supportive of Avon Old Farms, both with their time and their donations. They’ve contributed to various fund-raising initiatives to create the Cole Family Scholarship and support the building of Cole Court. Inspired by the impact of an Avon education, Terri put her heart and soul into the Parents of Avon’s Blue Blazer Ball, which raised thousands of dollars through its live and silent auctions. She did such a wonderful job as part of the association that Avon honored her in 2004 with the Paul and Louise Adams Medal for extraordinary contributions to Avon Old Farms School by a parent. After Sam graduated in 2004, she was invited to continue her work through a role in the Office of Alumni & Development leading the Parents Annual Fund.
