Times of Brunswick | Winter 2009

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Winter 2009

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W I N T E R

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8 BRUNSWICK SCHOOL 100 Maher Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Tel: 203.625.5800 BrunswickSchool.org

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Headmaster Thomas W. Philip Director of Advancement Terry M. Gumz Editor-in-Chief Bonni Brodnick bbrodnick@brunswickschool.org Class Notes Editor Libby Edwards ledwards@brunswickschool.org Sports Editor Diana Samponaro dsamponaro@brunswickschool.org Contributors Anne Adler, Betty Altman, Henry Baker ’13, Marianne Barnum, Brooke Barquin, Major Bob Benjamin, Monica Berisso, Monica Berisso, William Blumberg ’16, Rhonda Bonom, Joey Bracchitta, Suzy Breck, Krista Bruce, Libby Edwards, Anthony Fischetti, Beverly Floersheimer, Terry Gumz, Justin Lee ’17, Cat Martin, Tom Murray, Rob Profusek ’98 Contributing Writers Scott Matthews ’09, William Seaton ’09, Innocent Tswamuno ’10 Cover Photo Diane Briggs Contributing Photographers Diane Briggs, Audrey Esmond, James M. Farrell ’89, Getty Images, Terry Gumz, Ted Stolar, ChiChi Ubiña, Simon Williams, www.row2k.com Designer Good Design LLC www.gooddesignusa.com Printing Villanti & Sons, Printers, Inc. Milton, Vermont

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10 BOARD

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Garrett M. Moran, Chairman Richard A. Baker ’84 W. Preston Baldwin III Michael P. Castine Leslie A. Dahl B. Cort Delany ’73 Matthew S. DeSalvo William A. Durkin III ’72 Anne B. Farrell Richard M. Fuscone

TRUSTEES 2008-2009 Joseph D. Gatto Colvin W. Grannum Jeffrey R. Holzschuh Andrew Jacobson David B. MacFarlane Lisa G. Matthews Sanjeev K. Mehra Ian C. Murray ’93 Shepherd P. Murray ’89 Michael J. Odrich Thomas D. O’Malley, Jr. ’85 Charles Paternina

Clifton S. Robbins William A. Schneider ’72 Henry F. Skelsey Lucy C. Stitzer J. Edward Virtue Peter A. Weinberg Simon J. Williams Tracy R. Wolstencroft

Brunswick Parents’ Association

Susan M. Breck, President

BRUNSWICK SCHOOL, founded in 1902, is an independent college-preparatory day school for 895 boys in grades Pre-K through 12. The Upper School grades 9 through12 have a coordinate program with Greenwich Academy, a neighboring girls’ school. In a community of challenging academics; comprehensive arts, drama and music programs; and 33 varsity and sub-varsity sports teams, time for Brunswick School students is also reserved for both reflection and service to others. We believe in the potential of boys and have successfully developed an educational experience that emphasizes rigorous traditional learning, selfdiscipline, and character development. The School’s motto, “Courage, Honor, Truth,” is a phrase familiar to students who have graced our halls and one that is followed in both word and deed. For more information, please contact Jeffry Harris, Admission Director, at 203.625.5800 or go to BrunswickSchool.org.


CONTENTS

FEATURES 4

The Grace, Innovation & Devotion of Betty Altman By Bonni Brodnick

8

Henry Baker ’13 Celebrates his Bar Mitzvah With Adopted Ethiopian “Twins”

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Think You Have School Spirit? By Will Seaton ’09

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Q & A: Rob Profusek ’98, The Reel Deal By Bonni Brodnick

By Bonni Brodnick

DEPARTMENTS 2

Message from the Headmaster:

50

“Our Mission” 3

Letters to the Editor

41

’Wick Snippets

By Bonni Brodnick 42 And the Emmy Goes to… 43 44 45 46 47 47

Kevin Wassong ’86! Libby Edwards Takes the Reigns as Director of Alumni Reins Major Bob Benjamin and Change of Command Blumberg ’16 and Lee ’17 Make a Racquet in Croatia Seminars & Volcanoes: Monica Berisso Goes to Costa Rico Caps off to Tom Brayton, Middle School Teacher Taking the Midnight Run

Sports Round-up

By Diana Samponaro

62

Beyond the Classroom

66

Alumni

66 Phonathon 2008 67 Homecoming 2008 (The fifth rainy

one in a row!)

66 The 2008 Distinguished Alumni

Award to Bill Durkin ’72

By Cat Martin

66 “Class of ’58 Celebrates their 50th

’Wick Reunion”

By Scott Matthews ’09

68 Class Notes & In Memoriam Compiled by Libby Edwards & Leslie Lopez

By Innocent Tswamuno ’10

Winter 2009


“Our Mission”

Times of BRUNSWICK

Last spring, our parents completed a satisfaction survey that asked an extensive series of questions regarding their sons’ and their experiences at Brunswick School. Before sharing the results, I want to emphasize that it is almost unheard of for a school to survey its parents in the way we do.

The results of the Parent Satisfaction Survey are remarkable … THANK GOODNESS! Based on a 4.7 out of 5 point scale, Brunswick received an overall grade of “A”, which was up from “A-” in 2003, “B+” in 1997, and “B-” in 1992. As great as “A” sounds, I feel no differently about a good score on the survey than I do about our Seniors having strong SAT scores. Intuitively, I believe that it is impossible to accurately quantify the fundamentally unquantifiable nature of schooling. This is because of (as I recently read) “… the reality that children are, as learners, never really finished… they are always works in progress … At times that process is neatly quantifiable…” Frankly, as any parent or teacher knows, we must also admit that, at other times, it can be a messy experience at best …” Certainly I want to be sure that our parents are happy about their sons’ experiences here, but it is critically important that parents are happy not because they see their sons as being successful at the given moment when they filled out the survey, but also because we appreciate that at Brunswick our sons will (and should be) challenged (as they surely will be in life) to a degree that means, from time to time, they will also fall short of their goals. Hopefully, with our help, they will become stronger because of this. What was so reaffirming in the parents survey was that not one of the top 10 attributes assigned to an “ideal” school dealt with the quantitative elements normally associated with successful schools: top SAT scores, college placement results, and Admissions stats. Instead, the top 10 attributes that mattered most exclusively dealt with the qualitative attributes that serve to make Brunswick School the place that it is. The top five attributes that our parents overwhelming associate with an “ideal” school are: #5 motivates students to do their best #4 challenges students to fulfill their personal potential #3 employs teachers who are knowledgeable in their subject areas #2 employs faculty who are skilled at teaching #1 promotes honesty, integrity and character development in its students

By giving us an “A,” it appears that everyone in our community (teachers, Alumni and parents alike) is very much on the same page. Together we share the belief that as we prepare leaders of the next generation, our country needs more from these boys than just strong statistics, and the world needs more from America than just smart young men who might be measurably long on brains, but risk being short on character. As our alumni overwhelmingly appreciate, the overarching purpose of Brunswick School is—and always has been—much more than strong statistical results for our boys. WE ARE ABOUT THE BUILDING OF STRONG CHARACTER… and certainly, this world needs more men of strong character. In life, we often find that there are few things that can be taken for granted. At this school there is something you may always take for granted and that is Brunswick’s commitment and focus on the development of strong character. I reaffirm to you as Headmaster, and on behalf of our incredible faculty and deference to our invaluable alumni tradition, that what matters to us today and everyday is the same as what has always mattered to the Brunswick School community. In good times as well as tough times, we teach our boys to lead their lives as men marked always by the attributes of Courage, Honor and Truth.


Letters Letters Letters Letters Letters Letters

To the editor… g the Times of Brunswick I had lots of fun readin are so many sports, ere Winter 2009 issue. Th ildings. Our graduation bu l oo sch w ne d er homes an to 81 in 2008. No wond d are mp co , 17 class was s and campuses! tthere are more building ick, we had baseball, foo When I was at Brunsw ge ran e There was also a rifl ball, and basketball. only us played hockey, but under the gym. Some of “pick up” games. Regards, Richard B. Jenner (Dick) ’54

Sincerely, Barbara Kolesar Former Middle School English Teacher

We welcome your comments and letters to the editor. Please contact bbrodnick@brunswickschool.org.

Winter 2009

nswick of Times of Bru ster y p co y m g n vi I ended up gi e) to Eleanor Lindberg’s si . su ine) is 09 20 r neighbors of m that (Winte e ar o h (w aw -l e and brother-in lutely thrilled and told m was so e ab cl ti e ar er d w r an They n to the cove nd I thought it o ti ac re s r’ o “a Elean the effect of… lations on a visual u something to at gr n Belated co was all over!” elight. and literary d Best, Margee Melton l Middle Schoo ce ffi O n o Admissi

It was a pleasure to read Marcus Garfinkle’s “Viewpoint,” a wonderful, can did, and soulsearching piece in the last issue of Tim es of Brunswick. I was thrilled to “hear” the candor in his written voice about his wonderful family. A family, as the Garfinkle’s know, is made up of people who live together in a loving and cari ng env They support each other in good time ironment. s and bad; a biological connection is not necessa rily what makes a family at all. I, too, have been deeply change d by adoption in my own family. When I was five yea parents adopted a very sick little girl rs old, my from Ireland in 1952. Originally scheduled to com e to the U.S. by ocean liner, she was too sick and frail to make the long journey, so she ended up flying here with my aunt. Fortunately, she survived the journey, and I am happy to report, she is not only my sister, but also my best friend and confida nte. About two years later, my parents adopted a 2-year-old boy, again from Ireland. I remember wh en he arrived, he had flaming red hair and I wo ndered how he would ever fit into our brunette fam ily. But fit in he did—and his hair color change d, believe it or not, into a shade very much like our own. These two little people, whom I could not love more if we had been biologically connec ted, instantly transformed my childhood. Thank you for sharing Marcus’s unique story with the Brunswick family. I am sure that many who read it were as touched as I was about adoption and what lifelong effects it can have on “assembling” a family. Marcus and I have both been lucky. It does remind me onc e again, how so many of our life stories are inte rtwined. Who would have thought that a you ng man whom I taught a few years ago, could remind me so poignantly of my own family’s des tiny and luck. It is clear that Times of Brunswick does more than deliver the news; it connects people , and it doesn’t get any better than that!


The Grace,

Innovation & Devotion of Betty Altman

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By Bonni Brodnick

You have likely seen Betty Altman in the bookstore; although that’s

certainly not the only place you would have seen her during her 47 years at Brunswick School. Since 1961, in a tenure that includes four reigns of headmasters—Alfred Everett (1944-1969), Norm Pederson (1969-1987), Duncan Edwards (1988-2001), and Tom Philip (2001-present)—Betty has filled the roles of Brunswick mom; grandmother; class mother; rep for Lower, Middle and Upper Schools; BPA president; Development Office volunteer, and Bookstore founder and manager. She can recall bringing her three boys (Bob, Class of ’75; Tom, Class of ’78; and John, Class of ’85) to school every morning, volunteering during the day, and staying until the last son finished with

Times of BRUNSWICK

sports. As Betty states, “I took on a different job every year while the

boys were at Brunswick. I’ve spent a lot of hours here.” And as one alumnus recently remarked, “Mrs. Altman was always that pleasant southern drawl at the end of the hallway.”


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“I just loved seeing the boys when they came into the bookstore. They might tell me that they left their book at home and didn’t know what to do. ‘I’ll let you borrow this, but don’t write in it. And bring it back to me,’ I’d tell them. They’d bring it back every time.”

Winter 2009

All four Altman children, including daughter Beth (Altman Rosencrans), started Brunswick PreK at the age of four. In 1961, Bob, the eldest, attended a schoolhouse at Everett Field. First grade was in a small white building on Maher Avenue that is now the Upper School library. In 1963, Tom came to Brunswick, followed by Beth in 1968. She, along with two other girls in her class, headed to Greenwich Academy when Brunswick became allboys. Brother John was next in the Altman line to begin Brunswick in 1970. From the day Bob started school through John’s graduation, Betty was hands-on in nearly every capacity before retiring from the bookstore last August 2008. She moved right along with the boys as they progressed from PreK through Upper School, and always found roles in which to volunteer. We can even thank Betty for bringing Mayfair to Brunswick. This traditional dance school teaches 5th and 6th graders ballroom, rock n’ roll, country-western dancing and etiquette. “There was a group of mothers in Greenwich who wanted their boys to learn dancing,” Betty said. “We rented Greenwich Country Club and the classes became so popular that more and more people started coming. I thought it would be a nice fundraiser for the School, went to Norm Pederson, and told him that we could have it in the gym.” A new committee is organized every year and, thanks to Betty’s entrepreneurial flair, Mayfair is still going strong.


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“Brunswick is very special and I love everything about it,” Betty said on a recent visit to Maher Avenue. “I love the way the teachers try so hard to make the boys happy and learning at the same time. Everybody cares about other people here, and the teachers are very supportive of one another. When they come here, they usually stay. I like that.”

Times of BRUNSWICK

“When Norm Pederson became headmaster, we really clicked,” Betty reminisced. “I enjoyed working on projects with him. One day he said, ‘We need a bookstore! I think Betty can do it.’” “I was president of the BPA that year, and we kept finding boxes of extra books that teachers had ordered and not used. We wanted to put them in one place and loaded the books into a hall closet with no windows. When we needed more room, the Upper School bookstore came about.” “We started off with the bare necessities, like books and pencils, and every year added more and more to the stock, like notebooks and binders,” Betty continued. “We even sold a simple gym uniform for the Lower School: brown gym shorts and brown T-shirts with white BRUNSWICK letters on the front. Not very pretty!” As the stock grew, so did space and shelf requirements. By 1975, the bookstore in the closet moved across the

hall to take over the maintenance staff and faculty rooms. When Betty left last August, this veritable “B. Altman & Company” had gone from selling books and pencils to binders, markers, sweatpants, sweatshirts, flannel pants, fleece vests, ties, car decals, cuddly Bruins bears, lamps, canvas bags, picture frames, Brunswick emblem blazer patches, and more. “I just loved seeing the boys when they came into the bookstore,” Betty said. “They might tell me that they left their book at home and didn’t know what to do. ‘I’ll let you borrow this, but don’t write in it. And bring it back to me,’ I’d tell them. They’d bring it back every time. “Before cell phones, I’d let the boys use the telephone to call their parents if they needed to talk with them during the day. Or if the boys needed a ride home after school, we’d find them a ride home. I just loved being a part of that.” This devotion to the School and our boys did not go unnoticed beyond the ’Wick community. In 1998, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) bestowed her with the “Independent Schools Support Staff Distinguished Service Award.” When family tragedy hit, Brunswick became even more of a home to Betty and her family. “Tommy passed in 1980 and John in 1997,” Betty said. “They loved Brunswick. It was their life. The boys never knew anything else since they started so young here.” She also recalled the special generosity of Mr. Cosby, the beloved and legendary Brunswick teacher, mentor, and coach. “Mr. Cosby was always my helper and he was always right there. He was incredible and so kind. After School graduation ceremonies there were flowerpots on-stage that people were invited to take home. Mr. Cosby would take four or five and bring them to me to put on my sons’ graves. After a few years, he took it upon himself to do this. And when we sold Christmas wreathes, he would take a few and place them on the boys’ graves. That had nothing to do with school. It was just the way he was.”


The Grace,

“Every time I came to Brunswick after the The Altman Room was built, and my mom wasn’t in the bookstore, she was up there polishing the table or pushing in the chairs. The School has always given my mother strength and comfort.” “Brunswick is very special and I love everything about it,” Betty told Times of Brunswick. “I love the way the teachers try so hard to make the boys happy and learning at the same time. Everybody cares about other people here, and the teachers are very supportive of one another. When they come here, they usually stay. I like that.” “Betty Altman is Brunswick… pure and simple,” said Headmaster Tom Philip. “She has dedicated her life to our School and our boys. Her sons and grandsons made us proud, her name is an integral part of Brunswick lore, her knowledge of our history is boundless, and her love of the School is unmatched. “Right through to the year she retired, Betty was always the first member of the faculty and staff to arrive each morning; she quite literally started our day,” Mr. Philip continued. “When the history of Brunswick School is written and re-written, Betty Altman and the Altman family will always, and deservedly, have a place of prominence for all that they have given and done so well.” For nearly five decades, Betty’s wholehearted allegiance to our School was unwavering. She has truly graced our Brunswick community.

Winter 2009

The Altman presence remains omnipresent at the Upper School. The John Altman Room, in the Headmaster’s hallway, is a lasting tribute to this family who has been so much a part of Brunswick. “Duncan (Edwards) was the one who thought we should do the Altman Room,” Betty said. “I loved the idea. Sally Edwards and I picked out the carpet, chairs and table. She was integral in helping me do things. John would have liked this beautiful room. I brought in cloisonné objects that he collected in China during family summer trips there. I also put a yearbook on the bookshelf for every year that my son was at Brunswick.” Allan Greenberg, the architect who worked with John in Greenwich, along with John Hilliard, a cabinetmaker, designed and built the room from generous funds raised amongst Brunswick alumni and families in John Altman’s memory. Established in 2005 by the Class of ’85 on their 20th reunion, the fund is in memory of their classmate and in honor of Betty, for her many years of service to the School. Another recognition to the family is The Betty Altman Endowment Fund, which provides support for the bookstore needs of financial aid students. “It was such an honor to have a room set aside in memory of her children,” said Beth, mother of Betty’s grandsons who are current Brunswick students, Jay (12th grade) and Billy (7th grade). (Bob Altman’s son, Justin, graduated in 2001.)

Innovation & Devotion of Betty Altman


Henry Baker ’13 Celebrates his Bar Mitzvah With 15 Adopted Ethiopian “Twins”

Times of BRUNSWICK

“It doesn’t seem like a lot when you think about it,” said Henry Baker, an 8th grader at Brunswick Middle School, “but achieving my bar mitzvah meant a lot to me. I’m now a young man and have more responsibility, especially in terms of helping others.”

In order to achieve this important rite of passage, every bar mitzvah boy (or bat mitzvah girl) is required to do a charitable project. Some boys do it in their own community. Others, like Henry, did it in the Ancient Near East. When Henry and his family heard about an organization called the The Forgotten People Fund (FPF.org.il), they were immediately inspired to help a community of Ethiopian Jews in Netanya, a coastal city north of Tel Aviv. With an overhead of only 1 percent, FPF raises funds to help pay for necessities such as school fees and books, summer camp, clothing, scholarships, dental and special medication costs, vitamins, bus cards, food vouchers, utility bills, and taxes. One of the organization’s most significant programs is providing bar and bat mitzvah experiences for Ethiopian families who would otherwise be unable to afford them. Through FPF, the Bakers connected with the principal of the Shapira Middle School, where 40 percent of the student body is Ethiopian. Fifteen soon-to-be bar mitzvah boys were identified, and the mitzvah (Hebrew term that means “to express any act of human kindness”) began.

The Bakers hired a rabbi who teaches at the school to help prepare each boy for his special coming of age ceremony. They also provided a dedicated computer so that Henry and the boys could talk (via Skype) every Sunday. David Niznazri, a computer teacher was the interpreter in facilitating the boys’ communication leading up to their mutual big day. “The boys were really shy at first,” Henry said. “They come from struggling families and sometimes have 17 people in one apartment. “At school, the boys needed supplies and didn’t even have desks. They spent two to three hours a day devoted to studying Hebrew, and that’s why it was such a shame that they wouldn’t be able to afford having a bar mitzvah. It made me want to reach out to them because it was like we were twin brothers.” Along with arranging a rabbi, and an interpreter, the Baker family gave each boy a prayer shawl and a prayer book, along with funds for a new white shirt, black pants, and shoes. “When I finally went to Israel to meet Avraham, Itzhak, Yossef, Shemon, Sheron, Avihai, Tomer, Izhak oriel, Itzhak baruch,


Nythan, Shlomo, Israel, Agomaz, Tedlo, and Iyaso in person, it was great,” Henry continued. “They had never seen anyone from the United States before, and even though we didn’t speak the same language, it turned out that we could communicate through their tiny bit of English and hand gestures. They would ask me things like, ‘Do you know Chris Brown?’ He’s a hip hop singer [Henry kindly leaned over to explain to this un-hip reporter.] And, ‘Does he live near you?’ “It also turned out that we like a lot of the same things— like soccer, skateboarding, and eating schawarma, a popular Middle Eastern fast-food made of shaved lamb, goat or chicken wrapped in pita, which is like boys here loving pizza.” After six months of planning, there was much anticipation the morning of June 12. On this auspicious day, so many things had come together for Henry and his family, his new “twin brothers,” their families, and the town of Natanya. “When we walked into the synagogue, there was a big banner, ‘Welcome Henry Baker Family’. Everyone was clapping and cheering. The expressions on everyone’s’ faces was something magical that I’ll always remember. We were all crying. Speeches were made by my dad, the bar mitzvah teacher, and even the mayor of Natanya, Miriam Feierberg, came out for the big town event.” “My mom brought gifts for people who work at Shapira School, and iPod shuffles engraved with each of the boys’ names. I brought them jerseys with their favorite soccer or basketball player’s name and number. It was great to see the families’ and kids reactions to the gifts.” “The most memorable part of the party was dancing the hora (a dance in which people hold hands and spin around in a circle) with the boys. There was no language barrier. We didn’t even have to speak. Dancing brought the boys completely out of their shells.” “Instead of just donating money, sometimes it’s more important to give your time and hands-on to helping people,” he continued. “Honestly, my bar mitzvah project gave us a lot more than it gave them.”

Henry and several of his Brunswick School friends, along with others at their home congregation—Greenwich Reform Synagogue—want to adopt more families so that the bar/bar mitzvah liaison program in Ethiopia continues to grow. “We were proud of the entire project and how Henry was so responsible,” said Lisa Baker, Henry’s mom. When we asked Henry himself how he felt about having new responsibilities, he responded, “Well, I can go out on Greenwich Avenue and get a slice of pizza if I want, and my parents won’t make a big deal about it.” While Henry Baker is now officially a young man, he’s still a boy at heart.

Winter 2009


By Will Seaton ’09 Brunswick is a place of community first. It is clear to all who look how close the boys are at this school. Each person is bonded together through a combination of shared intellectual curiosity, athletic commitment, and simple kindness. Some have been friends throughout the years and some are brand new students just starting to reach out. For these reasons, brown and white are my colors.

Times of BRUNSWICK

As a Senior, I am now in the precious time of my life where I get to look back on my time here and experience all the great things about our School. Jamie Biondi, the 2008 Valedictorian and Senior Class Speaker, pointed out that Brunswick boys high-five each other a lot. He was right; we do. In each of these high-fives, pats-on-the-backs, and chest bumps is an acknowledgement of respect and an offering of camaraderie. We care about each person at our School, whether it is our best friend or the person we are competing with. Brunswick students genuinely care about the welfare and success of others. In the classroom, students debate the topics of the day, flinging ideas at each other like stinging dodge balls in gym class. Debates become heated, voices get louder; but after class is over, opponents-in-thought walk out joking with each other. Many times I’ve overheard congratulations on good points passed back and forth between people who were arguing just

moments before. Students celebrate good ideas, simply and plainly. They appreciate a good point, a good idea, and they enjoy being listened to and heard by their peers. At the end of each day, Brunswick boys come together to compete in sports for their School and its reputation outside of the immediate community. Our athletes commit huge parts of themselves for their sport. They come together as a team in order to win, to gain recognition for the Brown and White, but mostly because they love playing with their friends. They enjoy the spirit of competition and, win or lose, they put their all into the game. From varsity level to intramural level, boys come out to play with those they care about and to revel in sport. Winning or losing with grace, competing with every fiber in their bodies, and enjoying the game, Brunswick athletes are hard to match. Brunswick students want to make a difference, and maybe that is why there are so many nonprofit charity clubs and organizations in our school. When there is someone in need, we don’t hesitate to rise to the occasion. Whether it’s biking, eating, or writing, the boys will do anything to help out. They support those brave enough to go out for the School plays or sing in front of a large audience. At Homecoming, several Bruins sang with the A Capella group, Men of Brunswick, as they performed “The National Anthem” on Cosby Field, and then returned to football to finish the game. While Homecoming is one of the best times of each year, it also deserves a moment of consideration. Pause and think about what Brunswick has meant to you and about how it has helped you change your life. Think about what values Brunswick has given to you. Then you can get back to throwing that effigy of our school rivals into the bonfire as you shout your barbaric yawp into the night sky. Just ask yourself: are brown and white your colors, too?


ROB PROFUSEK ’98:

THE REEL DEAL

Rob Profusek ’98, an independent film producer and co-founder of New York-based PS Pictures, lives in reel time. His film, television and cinematic marketing company, launched in 2007, recently wrapped its directorial debut with Push Button House (2008), a short documentary on artist/architect Adam Kalkin. Rob is also in development

content, including commercial-sponsored narrative/ documentary films and explore distribution through both traditional (including theatrical and broadcast) and emerging (including web and mobile) platforms. Step by step, frame-by-frame, PS Pictures is seeking to define the evolution of brand-integrated content. Although it appears that Rob is on a high-tech trajectory, his inspiration in theatrical arts and production humbly began at Brunswick School. Left to right: Rob Profusek ’98 and Ryan Silbert, business partners and co-founders of PS Pictures Film | Television | Cinematic Marketing

on five feature-length projects, is a co-producer on his first feature length film starting principal photography in early January and is packaging a feature length documentary set to start shooting next Spring.

Winter 2009

Adding more to the program, Rob is producer of eight short-films currently playing in the international film festival circuit, including Szmolinsky (2007), an official selection at the 58th Berlinale Film Festival, and The Boundary (2008), starring Alexander Siddig, who appeared in Syriana and the television program, 24. PS Pictures also had one of their shorts preview at MoMa (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City as part of the “Home Delivery” exhibit and has garnered over 25 festival nominations for their work. Seeking to bring alternatives to traditional advertising practices, Rob brings a sense of the cinematic into marketing programs for such notable international companies as Cisco, Clarins, illy, and PepsiCo. To extend branded clients into a new realm, Rob and his business partner, Ryan Silbert, develop and produce original


ROB PROFUSEK ’98:

On the set of “Tennessee” are (left to right) Lee Daniels (producer), Rob Profusek ’98, Mariah Carey (lead actress), and Russell Schaumburg (screenwriter).

BWK: Would you call this “Divine ’Wick Inspiration”? BWK: Now we’ve got the new Center for the Arts as ROB: Absolutely. When I first came to Brunswick, a venue for school assemblies, performances, concerts, I wasn’t the best student and much of my early time and guest lecture appearances, we can really strut our was spent in theater. Mrs. Ebbet, my English teacher stuff. What do you think of the new digs? and advisor, helped balance my focus on academics, ROB: It’s an amazing opportunity for the boys! The while also being supportive of my other interests. After 9th grade, my academics improved dramatically. Other teachers who were incredibly supportive were Mr. Kimball (music) and Mr. Moraske (drama and French), and my academic teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Withstandley (Upper and Middle School Spanish teachers) and Mr. and Mrs. Beattie (consecutively, Upper School history teacher and Mr. Philip’s former assistant.).

new facility will allow students to further explore their creative and artistic voices, while also showcasing their strengths and talents. I’m excited about upcoming musical, artistic, and performance programs that continue to support the Brunswick mission to ‘Prepare boys for life in all disciplines.’

BWK: Were you a student-slash-sports-slash-theatre guy? ROB: I had many lives at Brunswick. I played foot-

I graduated, I worked on Wall Street, as many do. It was sort of an understood option. But every day I walked in that office door, I knew this wasn’t for me. It was an illuminating thought that one day I might be able to blend a job with what was really me.

Times of BRUNSWICK

ball for four years as a defensive end and a center and briefly wrestled and played baseball. I also did anything and everything performance-based. This is what makes Brunswick so special. You can be a quarterback on the football team and the main lead in a play. Anywhere else, there are labels, like “The Theatre Kid,” or “The Football Guy.” Here it’s one in the same.

BWK: What were some of the arts facilities like in the 90s? ROB: Brunswick always had a big commitment to the

arts, but we didn’t have the facilities for it. Plays were at the Upper School in Durkin Auditorium, which was small and had no air conditioning. I remember praying that it wouldn’t be a warm spring evening during one of the performances so that the audience wouldn’t be too distracted by the stifling heat.

BWK: Where did you go from Brunswick? ROB: I went to Cornell to major in government. When

BWK: Thus PS Pictures? ROB: My business partner, Ryan, and I met at Cornell.

Coincidentally, we happened to be at the same place at the same time in our careers. We saw an opportunity not only to work in independent films but to help activate brands. Our skills balance one another. I’m good at business and marketing and Ryan is good at creative.


THE REEL DEAL

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BWK: Any inspiring words for our current ’Wick students? BWK: What kinds of projects are you currently ROB: Study everything. Get the core base in every working on? ROB: A balance between our own independent feature application both at Brunswick and at college. length film projects, which are part of our larger slate, and working with brands on our cinematic marketing side.

BWK: So you’re really filmmakers? ROB: We’ll always have our independent work in film, but it’s a fun time to chart a new area by mixing entertainment with technology and Madison Avenue. We find a lot of excitement within this undefined brand world.

There’s a lot of pressure to make that ‘right decision.’ Remember that that’s not the MAIN decision. Keep exploring. Actually, keep exploring your whole lifetime. And if you’re not 100% sure, go with your passion. Maybe you become a lawyer, but you love entertainment. Think about becoming an entertainment lawyer. You can build on your career by building upon your experiences.

BWK: Sounds like you’re living the dream. BWK: PS Pictures is like the meeting point for ROB: I love what I do. What I do is me. But I promise, if Madison Avenue and Hollywood. ROB: Exactly. Most of our pitches are to individual I had not gone to Brunswick—if I hadn’t been pushed— investors or production/distribution entities, like Sony and Miramax, or to commercial brands. PS Pictures helps clients find the balance between promoting their brand while also providing entertainment value.

BWK: What’s the next big thing? ROB: I think it will be better understanding

I would not have gone to Cornell, and I would not have opened my first company at the age of 27. The consistent encouragement of Brunswick and my parents gave me the self-confidence to always take things to the next level and go for it.

the web and the emerging mobile segment. There are so many more outlets, and I think about how people will be experiencing all the information that’s out there. It’s still the Wild West. Shaping the way people get information is a cool position to be in. Winter 2009


‘Wick Snippets The following news briefs are from Bruins past and present who are sharing what they’re doing, where they’ve been, how they’ve done it. What’s your story? We’d love to hear!

Times of BRUNSWICK

Contact: Bonni Brodnick, Brunswick News Room bbrodnick@brunswickschool.org Tel: 203.625.5864


Major Bob Benjamin and Change of Command In a ceremony held recently at Ft. Totten, New York, Major Bob Benjamin (Upper School English teacher) assumed command of the 354th Transportation Battalion. The ceremony, commonly practiced throughout the military, formally symbolizes a change in commanders by passing the control of the unit’s colors from the outgoing to the incoming commander. It is an old ceremony, steeped in traditions that have evolved over hundreds of years.

’WICK SNIPPETS Summer 2008

The 354th has a history that dates back to service in the Pacific Theater in World War II. More recently, the battalion was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for service in South West Asia in the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, the 354th is the command and control element for five subordinate units with an authorized strength of over 600 soldiers. Major Benjamin enlisted in the Army in 1988. He attended Basic Training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Lee, Virginia. Upon reaching the rank of Sergeant, he enrolled in Officer Candidate School, where he was the honor graduate, and was commissioned as an infantry 2nd Lieutenant in July 1991. His first assignment was as Executive Officer, Company D, 3/385th Infantry Regiment, 76th Division, Fairfield, Connecticut. His next assignment was as Platoon Leader/Executive Officer of 773rd Transportation Company, and in 1995, he took command of the 773rd for the next several years. Following this command, Major Benjamin was assigned as Battalion Maintenance Officer of the 354th Transportation Battalion. In 2000, he was assigned as an Expert Transportation Officer to the 1179th Deployment Support Brigade (DSB), and was deployed with this unit from January 2003 until July, 2004, both in the US and overseas. Upon return from South West Asia, Bob subsequently served as the Plans Officer/ Asst. S-3, 1179th DSB. He assumed his next assignment as Executive Officer of the

354th Motor Transportation Battalion in May 2006, his most recent assignment prior to taking command. In addition to Basic and Advanced Training, Major Benjamin’s military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Transportation Officer Advanced Course, US Army Master Fitness Trainer Course, Mobilization and Deployment Planner Course, Air Load Planner Course, Cargo Security Manager Course, TC-AIMS II Functional User Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Intermediate Level Education, and the Port and Terminal Operations Course. His military awards and decorations include the Combat Action Badge, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters), National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass and M device), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Army Service Ribbon. Brunswick School salutes Major Benjamin for his honorable service to our great country.


Libby Edwards Takes the Director of Alumni Relations Reins It’s likely you’ve seen Libby Edwards, former Director of Major Gifts, at Homecoming, the golf outing (keeping watchful eye at the hole-in-one), and various ’Wick events. When Cat Scott Martin, Director of Alumni Relations, told us she was sadly leaving her post of five years (the daily commute from New Jersey was horrendous), we looked no further than Libby. Before coming to Brunswick, Libby was at First Boston in New York City for fifteen years, and at Heidrick & Struggles in Greenwich for five years. She decided to make a career change from finance to academics, and it’s been a great seven years at Brunswick. “I’ve enjoyed my long-time collaboration with Cat, and am excited about my transition as the new Director of Alumni Relations,” Libby said. “Cat developed many deep connections with our loyal alumni base. I look forward to taking her reins, meeting more alums, and continuing to build upon the groundwork that Cat has established.” Libby and her husband, Jon, hail from Bedford, New York. Their two sons, Reed and Charlie, are at Lafayette and Gettysburg colleges. Please send your news to Libby (ledwards@ brunswickschool.org or 800.546.9425 to keep her in the loop!

Libby waiting for the flight of a fore at the 2007 Homecoming Golf Outing hole-in-one.

Times of BRUNSWICK

Cat Scott Martin, former Director of Alumni Relations, with Libby Edwards, our new Director of Alumni Relations.


L L A M TOO S William Blumberg ’16 and Justin Lee ’17 Make a Racquet in Croatia was definitely a “remember forever” experience. William Blumberg (5th grade) and Justin Lee (4th grade) were invited last summer to play in the 7th annual “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl in Pula, Croatia. The Smrikva Bowl—in which William and Justin were selected for their winning results in “Little Mo” competitions at the sectional, regional, and national levels—included players from 24 countries and 4 continents. Two of the top players representing the United States, coincidentally, turned out to be Brunswick boys.

to play my best because it was a once in a lifetime experience and I’m glad that I was able to help the team have the best result ever.” After the tournament, U.S.A. Team Captain Brian Christensen commended the boys as wonderful ambassadors for the United States and for “their outstanding sportsmanship and friendship to other players and organizers.”

Summer 2008

History: The Smrikva Tennis Club joined forces with the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation in Dallas, Texas and created the first-ever international competition between the United States and Europe for boys and girls under 10. The “Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl has become a unique, and already traditional, meeting of the youngest and most talented tennis players in the world. Net result? William and Justin had the best score for the U.S. team since the inception of the “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl. “The especially cool thing is that I represented the United States and we actually tied for the first time in seven years,” said William. “I felt honored and proud to be in the competition because they only chose two players from the United States.,” added Justin. “I knew I had

L L A M S O TO

’WICK SNIPPETS

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H H

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The Midnight Run H

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By Innocent Tswamuno ’10

The

Times of BRUNSWICK

mission of Brunswick School’s “Midnight Run”, organized by Sasha Lyapin, Upper School mathematics teacher and Community Service director, is to distribute clothes and food in New York City to the homeless who are bracing for winter. As an exchange student from Zimbabwe, I had no idea that this community service experience that started off so casually—packing lunches, sorting clothing and loading the van—would so deeply move my heart, and give me an introduction to poverty in the United States.

At 7:00 in the evening, our crew of ten students and two teachers (Mr. Lyapin and Mr. Martin, Upper School English teacher) met the ’Wick minivan. We soon arrived in the city, and began distributing items to the needy. I was touched by how much the people appreciated our help and how they loved talking to us. At one point, a homeless man handed us his jacket to give away because he knew that there was someone with a fate worse than his. This display of love and generosity amazed me. He taught me that, even

if you have so little, there is no reason to be greedy. There are always those who have less. I have an especially vivid recollection of two good men whom we came across during the Run. The first was an elderly man who decided to sing beautiful opera songs to us. We were all moved and I ended up singing for him. I almost cried, and believe my friends felt equally as emotional. I felt so badly that there was nothing more I could do for this gentle man. His friend confided in us all of the challenges he faces and how “his heart longs to find a home.” Back in Zimbabwe (and in most of Africa), the media instills the image of the United States as a land without want. Though this country has helped several foreign nations fight poverty, there are many important issues at home that need to be addressed. Our efforts with “Midnight Run” surely made a difference in many needy people’s lives. I would like to thank all those who participated on behalf of Mr. Lyapin and Mr. Martin. They devoted their Friday night and Saturday morning (we returned at 2:30 a.m.) to serve others. To me, these teachers and students are champions and men of valor. In the eyes of others, what we did on Midnight Run may seem ordinary, but for some, we fought a small battle and we conquered. May the love and generosity that we expressed through this community service be incorporated into our daily lives so that we can all help those in need around us.


And the Emmy Goes to… Kevin G. Wassong ’86,

President of Minyanville Media, Inc., received an Emmy Award from The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as Executive Producer of "Minyanville's World In Review with Hoofy and Boo,"the world’s first (and only) animated business news show. The much sought after winged-award was in the Financial & Business Reporting category for "New Approaches to Business & Financial Reporting."

’WICK SNIPPETS

Hoofy the Bull and Boo the Bear lead the cast of animated "Critters" and use a delightful combination of smart analysis and entertainment to highlight the need for better financial understanding. Targeting all ages—from kids to sophisticated professional investors—Minyanville reaches its audiences through its flagship Minyanville.com and their "Buzz and Banter" subscription product. The show runs on Minyanville's fast growing web site, as well as weekly on Yahoo! Finance, AOL, MSN and Fox Business. When Times of Brunswick called to get a quote, Hoofy and Boo could not be reached for comment as they were taking a meeting with their new agents. Kevin, however, took a moment away from the flashing bulbs and hoo-hah to tell us, ""It was quite an honor for Minyanville to win this Emmy. Hopefully it's the first of many!"

Summer 2008


Seminars & Volcanoes: Monica Berisso Goes to Costa RicA

Times of BRUNSWICK

“What I learned and bring back to Brunswick is two-fold,” said Monica Berisso, Middle School Spanish teacher, who received a summer grant to attend a Foreign Language conference hosted by The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (ASP) in San José, Costa Rica.

“I met textbook authors, and went from one seminar to the next to the next,” said Mrs. Berisso, who caught a marathon 20 sessions in four days. “I’m passionate about the topics so it was a pleasure for me.” Some of the seminars included: Música en la clase de Español: Using songs for listening comprehension, culture appreciation, vocabulary, and pronunciation National Spanish Examination: Content and administration of this standardized test that Brunswick started using last year. Talking up a Storm: strategies and activities to get students to speak Spanish in the classroom Vertical Alignment: Setting up a successful program that starts in the lower levels and builds up to AP Spanish After the conference, Monica’s husband, Alfredo, joined her to tour Costa Rico. Their visit to the rainforest a conservatory for butterflies, hummingbirds, parakeets, and monkeys, and two active volcanoes provides you, kind reader, with a splendor of photographs. “Costa Rica is renowned for protecting their environment,” she said. “Their army was abolished in 1949 because their president didn’t think they needed it. Those savings have been allocated to education. Therefore, Costa Rica is one of the most literate countries in Latin America. Their primary concerns are for their own people, their country, and their beautiful tropical land.” “I am grateful to Brunswick School for giving me this wonderful opportunity to attend the language conference,” Monica concluded. “It was a fantastic trip! I learned many things that I’m excited to share with my colleagues. What I bring back to the classroom will help my students to achieve the ultimate goal: learning to speak Spanish, read it, write it well, and listen.”


Atten-hut! Off Caps to Tom Brayton, Middle School Teacher! Our own Tom Brayton, Middle School Latin and History teacher, is featured on the cover of the September 2008 issue of Toy Soldier & Model Figure magazine, which is touted as “The World’s No. 1 Magazine For Collectors of All Stripes”.

Summer 2008

Courtesy of Toy Soldier & Model Figure magazine Website: www.toy-soldier.com

’WICK SNIPPETS

The cover story, “All in the Family,” examines how this full-on aficionado shares his passion with his grandsons with hopes of making a smooth transition to keep his fine collection of toy soldiers in the family. “There are too many collectors who have spent years and much money on building toy armies, but who have not made plans for the necessary continuity required to prevent their efforts from going for naught,” said Tom Brayton, who has a vast collection of soldiers from the Anglo-Zulu War, the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War, the American Civil War, and the British-Dervish Sudan War. At home, he has meticulously assembled numerous toy soldier dioramas with various military and civilian themes. At ’Wick, Tom, along with Joe Falco (Middle School athletics director), is the faculty moderator of our Toy Soldier Club, which boasts the most members of any Middle School club. (See Times of Brunswick summer 2008 issue, “Toy Soldier Club Gets Full Attention”) “I was in the faculty room when Tom received his September issue of Toy Soldier & Model Figures in the mail,” said Anthony Fischetti, Middle School history coordinator and eighth grade Class Dean. “He was so excited (dancing even) and that was before he had any idea that he was on the cover of the magazine, which just added to his unbridled joy and abject jubilation!” “Thank you for joining me in shining the spotlight on Tom, his hobby, and his efforts to interest youngsters in history,” wrote Stuart A. Hessney, editor of Toy Soldier & Model Figure. “Collecting toy soldiers has the potential to be a life-long hobby that exposes youngsters to both history and education,” said Mr. Brayton. “It’s a pleasure to share this passion with my grandsons and the Middle School boys at Brunswick.”


PHOTO CREDIT: Connor Fitzpatrick/CBFphotos.com

BRUINS

BRUNSWICK

Times of BRUNSWICK

The Brunswick Bruins Varsity Hockey team, along with a joyous crowd, celebrate the recent overtime win against St. George’s.


By Diana Samponaro

CROSS COUNTRY

The 2008 Brunswick XC Team exceeded all expectations. With new assistant coaches, Dwight Jackson and Vanessa Thorne, and so much experience and talent lost to graduation, it was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Instead, however, it became arguably one of the most successful campaigns in team history! It began in unprecedented fashion: by three points—and about as many seconds— we beat Hopkins on the road, and followed that with a 1 point victory over GFA on their turf. More victories ensued: an impressive 14 of them in a row. By season’s end, we had recorded 17 wins against 3 losses, posted a 2nd place finish in both the FAA regular season and the FAA tournament, and placed 5th in NEPSTA Division II Championships. Each of these represented an accomplishment, and improvement over the previous season. Most of this year’s 41 runners—the largest team on record—had achieved personal milestones, with top individual honors presented to Brian DeAngelo and Ryan Hagerbrant. Hidden in the numbers are the 5-1 record against Hopkins, a program we had defeated only twice-ever previously; the win over an otherwise unblemished GFA; a third consecutive defeat of Trinity Pawling; and a total of 5 wins by a combined margin of fewer than 25 seconds, the sort of uncommon finish which happens every season or two. In 2008, ’Wick XC was charged with the responsibility of not letting the tradition of excellence end on our watch, and indeed, has added another chapter to an already impressive story. 2009 Captains Brian DeAngelo, Gus Ruchman, and Charlie Southwick look forward to an even greater season next fall.

FALL CREW

Summer 2008

With a strong group of Seniors, the rowing team’s expectations for 2008-2009 were high. The fall varsity boat of Christian Stanco (coxswain), Captain Taylor Black (stroke), Peter Haley, Bridges King, Rob King (bow), Lawrence Lopez, Chan Mahaney, Captain Turner Smith, and Ed Williams have met these high expectations with top finishes at each of their five major fall competitions. These nine boys captured gold medals in the Varsity Eight category at the Head of the Riverfront (defeating all 17 competitors), the Head of the Housatonic (46 boats), and the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta (16 competitors). The highlight of the fall rowing season is always the classic Head of the Charles Regatta. The Varsity Eight finished in 8th place out of 66 of the best crews from around the world— this performance, tops in New England, was Brunswick’s highest ever finish in Boston. This spring, the boys will compete for many more trophies and medals, including the Founder’s Cup, the Connecticut Championships, the Stotesbury Cup, and the New England Championships. An elite group will also travel to England after the end of spring term to race for the prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta.


BRUINS

FAA ALL-LEAGUE & SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS FALL 2008 CROSS COUNTRY All-League Selections Honorable Mention All New England MVP Winners Most Improved Sportsmanship Award Rookies of the Year Award Senior Citizen Award Coaches’ Award

FOOTBALL All-League

All New England Honorable Mention Pedersen Award Joe Reimer Award Bruin of the Year Climb the Ladder Award Comeback Player of the Year Lineman of the Year Most Improved Senior Rookie of the Year

SOCCER

BRUNSWICK

Times of BRUNSWICK

NEPSAC Senior All-Star Game WNEPSSA All-Star Game WNEPSSA Select Team CSCA Class L Prep Team James Brown Award Coaches’ Awards

Brian DeAngelo, Ryan Hagerbrant Ian Johnson, Michael Pucci, Andrew Grasso Ryan Hagerbrant (8th Place), Brian DeAngelo (11th Place) Brian DeAngelo, Ryan Hagerbrant Andrew Grasso, Nick Tonckens Gus Ruchman Peter Geithner, Will Peisch Michael Pucci Corey Kupersmith, Sam Waters Michael Byrnes, Milo Ceci, Billy Chapman, Kevin Royal, Joe Scalzo Billy Chapman, Kevin Royal Jimmy Craft, Will Holmes, Sammy MacFarlane Billy Chapman Joe Scalzo K.C. Clark Kevin Royal Jonny Duennebier Peter Castine Michael Byrnes Sammy MacFarlane Jordan Grannum, Kristian Schott, Ben Tabah Taggie Martin, Kristian Schott Jordan Grannum, Kristian Schott Jordan Grannum Taggie Martin Jordan Grannum, Øivind Lorentzen, Ben Tabah


FOOTBALL The 2008 Bruin football season had its ups and downs, but on the whole the players worked very hard against some tough opponents. The FAA has become a stronger league, and we may play the toughest out-of-league schedule out there. After a strong win in the opening game against Hackley School, we underestimated our league rival, Hopkins School, in our home opener, and the result was a win for the Hilltoppers. Kingswood-Oxford came to town for Homecoming the following week, and we did a great job (after a slow start), getting back to our winning ways. In week four, we had to get psyched for a big league game against much improved King Low Heywood Thomas School. While we played our best game of the year with many exciting plays for both teams, we came up short in overtime, losing 33-27. Unfortunately, we also lost UVA-bound Kevin Royal in that game to a season-ending injury. The other guys certainly stepped it up the following week against Rye Country Day in a 51-31 victory and followed that up with a win at St. Luke’s homecoming. Sitting at 4-2 on the year, we travelled up to Salisbury School for a night game, and after taking an 18-17 lead at halftime, the Knights proved too much for us in the second half, and they came away with the victory. In our last league game on Halloween, we found ourselves with our backs to the wall in a 13-13 tie late in the 4th quarter. With a last second goal line stand in regulation, and another in the first half of overtime, Alex Marcus won the game in our half of overtime with a 20-yard field goal. Our last game of the season saw us come up short against Trinity-Pawling, but the Seniors showed a great deal of determination in going up against a much bigger team. Our captains—Milo Ceci, Billy Chapman, Will Holmes, and Kevin Royal—led us well this year, and many players who had not had significant Varsity playing time stepped up to take on the challenge. 2009 Captains, Jimmy Craft, Brett Moscati, Phil Pierce, and the Varsity coaches expect our younger guys to do the same when they return next fall.

SOCCER

Summer 2008

Despite a 3-10-3 record, Brunswick Varsity soccer found much to be encouraged by in their 2008 campaign. Led by co-captains Taggie Martin and Øivind Lorentzen, the Bruins finished the year playing some of their best soccer. Seniors Jordan Grannum, Brendan Seaver, and Ben Tabah contributed both points and sound play, while Seniors James Baker, Jack Carter, Bill Hoch, Adam Holzschuh, Daniel O’Neill, Owen Scannell, and Cole Stangler played valuable minutes and led by example. Perhaps the biggest variable coming into the season was goal tending and the team could not have been happier with the performance of Senior Kristian Schott who, though relatively new to the position, found many a moment to showcase his talent. Highlights of the season included wins over Millbrook and Trinity-Pawling, and a thrilling 3-2 victory over Salisbury (after having fallen behind 2-0 at halftime). Led by Jordan Grannum, the Bruins scored three goals in five minutes to erase the deficit. Tying Taft and earning a draw in the last minute against Williston reinforced to the boys how competitive the league is and how we could play with any team on a given day. Looking back at the final four of the New England tournament, we can proudly say we had strong results against Avon, Loomis and Champion Hotchkiss. Lorentzen and Martin were critical in maintaining an upbeat locker room, one in which the boys, despite their record, took great satisfaction in competing in every contest. Next year the team will be led by Captains-elect Ross Collins and Ben Weisburger.


THE

BEYOND CLASS Front Row (left to right): CJ Murphy, Grant Mc Faddin, Alexander Hickey, Kevin Griffith, Conor Kupersmith, Conrad Graf, Jamie MacFarlane, Peter Gish, David Darling, , Andrew Floersheimer, Graham Hazlett, Hartel Smith (in the back), Spencer McDonough. Back Row (left to right): Ali Coopersmith, William Bass, Hartel Spencer McDonough

Times of BRUNSWICK

Friday Afternoons with Dogs & Fauna

Brunswick Middle School boys had a full fall agenda of community service activities. Along with visits to Greenwich Audubon to help create a 50-foot path on a major trail with broken tree branches, the boys visited Yearlings, an after-school Pre and Lower School program run by Brunswick. The team of big guys and little guys made Halloween crafts, played kickball, and read stories together. Fifteen boys also volunteered their Friday afternoon to give a helping hand at Adopt-a-Dog, a Greenwich organization that places hundreds of abandoned animals in loving homes each year. “We introduced groups of four boys to interact with the dogs outside,” said Allyson Halm, president of Adopta-Dog. “Some of the boys went inside to play with the kittens, and others raked pine needles that accumulate around the outside of the kennel building and pose a fire hazard. The boys filled 20 large garbage bags of pine needles! We were grateful for all of their help and are happy to have the opportunity to nurture these young minds about the importance of animal welfare.”

2__V 2]]h``U FaaVc DTY``] 2A 4R]Tf]fd 34 EVRTYVc ?`^Z_ReVU W`c 9Vc ?f^VcZTR] 6iTV]]V_TV Anne Allwood, who crunches numbers at the highest level, has been nominated for her excellence in teaching AP math by the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement. This annual award recognizes one teacher in every state for their success in the classroom and for their dedication to students. The nomination was made on the basis of Brunswick’s (and Anne’s) exceptional results in AP Calculus BC. This level of math, the very highest in the AP program, is one of 11 designated math and science subject areas that are eligible for the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement. Only 15 schools in Connecticut were chosen for nominations, and this ranks Brunswick at possibly the highest success rate for BC Calculus in the state. Outstanding!


RO Three Men of Brunswick Meet in OXFORD “Oxford Tradition” and “Oxford Prep” participants Alexei Bulazel ’10 and Caleb Moran ’12 join Oxford Prep director, John Pendergast, Upper School chairman of the Religion and Philosophy Department, in the courtyard of Corpus Christi College at Oxford University. The three men of Brunswick spent last July (2008) (as Mr. P. has for the last four years) participating in "Oxbridge International," an academic enrichment program for high school students from around the world. The program offers the opportunity to live and study in the historic and scholarly centers of learning that are Oxford and Cambridge in England, Barcelona in Spain, and Paris and Montpellier in France.

M Joey Bracchitta Makes the Grade Reaching for high heights has never intimidated Joey Bracchitta, Middle School music teacher and avid cyclist. Last summer, he was able to complete a series of six hill climb races throughout New England, taking time off at every race. The trick? “Losing 10 pounds really helped,” he said. Mr. B raced up Mt. Washington for the 11th time. Here he is near the finish, which is the steepest part of the race… 22% grade!

(Left to right) Pam Woodruff, Beba Errichetti, Tami Berczuk, Anne Castine (Vice President of BPA), Suzy Breck (President of BPA), and Christine Costello sit amidst more than 90 baskets of mums to dress up Upper School for Homecoming 2008. (Valerie Gattinella missing from photo)

Moms & Mums Winter 2009

Mums were the word for Brunswick School Parents’ Association moms who swathed and ribboned baskets of fall chrysantheums in preparation for Homecoming last October. Their fine touch added seasonal flair to the debut of our beautiful new Upper School campus during the festive weekend celebration.


Abantu Mu Bantu Visits ’Wick Abantu Mu Bantu, a Ugandan music troupe of 14 spirited and vibrant young people between the ages of 13 to 18, dazzled school assemblies from Maher Avenue to King Street with their performances of tribal dances, music, and folk tales from their home in East Africa. Many thanks to Brunswick families—Kelly and Peter Albano, Elrita South (Boothe), Karen and Chuck Chaplin, Betsy and Richard Coons, Nick and Vicki Kyriakos, Annesley and David MacFarlane, Susy and Ernie Rosato, Martha and Krishen Sud, and Claire and Tom Whelan—for generously hosting members of Abantu Mu Bantu during their tour of schools in Connecticut and New York.

Back row (left to right): Sally Lam and her husband, Chau Cheng , Mavis Osemobor and Audrey Esmond. Front row (left to right): Justin ’20 and his sister, Natalie Cheng and Else Esmond.

B

Left to right: Nicole Heath, John Harvey ’84, Beena and Rama Ramachandran

M

Left to right: Leslie Lopez, Marianne ho Barnum and Karen Harvey

Times of BRUNSWICK

What’s your ZIP?

In an effort to introduce families from the same ZIP codes, Brunswick hosted 30 guests for its first ’Wick Family Networking Open House in the Lower School dining hall. “Three new families were delighted to meet current Brunswick families,� said Marianne Barnum, Brunswick Diversity Coordinator. “It gives an opportunity for parents and children to meet a neighbor they never knew lived right around the corner. They can also connect on carpooling and transportation options, which are always helpful within a neighborhood. ’Wick Family Networking Open House was a terrific way to bring everyone together as we start the new School year.�


Brunswick Boys as News 12 Connecticut “WeatherKids” Paul Piorek, News 12 Connecticut weather anchor, has a passion for weather that he loves sharing with students. His presentation, “WeatherKids”, was a real education in precipitation for the first graders, who learned a little weather magic in almost a variety show format. Along with performing various experiments, the boys sang weather-related songs, like “Here comes the sun” (I say!) and recited poetry:

Whether it’s cold or weather it’s hot I’d rather have weather whether or not. Summer or spring, Winter or fall, Any weather is better than no weather at all.

It was curtains up for Brunswick’s new Center for the Arts! Following refreshments, gallery exhibitions, and studio visits to student artists at work, our maestro music teachers and BWK/GA cast put on the first really big show in Baker Theater. “History of Rock & Roll,” an original Brunswick production, featured a talented cast of Mahertians, M.O.B. (Men of Brunswick), Music Improv, Advanced Jazz Trio, Blue Notes, the Jazz Band, and a guitar ensemble. Songs from the beep-bop 50s (how could we forget “Mr. Sandman” and “Heartbreak Hotel”?), the groovy 60s (“It’s My Party” and “Leader of the Pack”), the disco 70s (“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and “Shaft,”) and the awesome 80s (“Ghost Busters” and “We are the World”) all gave reason for the audience to clap and sing along. Good, good, good vibrations.

Winter 2009

By stuffing a paper towel into a paper cup and submerging it under water, the boys learned that heavy air is dry and light air is humid and moist. “The paper didn’t get wet because of the weight of the air (air pressure),” explained Mr. Piorek to this reporter. He quickly added, “Incidentally, Brunswick is a GREAT SCHOOL!” TheyoungBruinsaretrue“WeatherKids” and can tell you tomorrow’s weather, whether or not you asked.

A Bomdigity, Neato-Keeno, Groovy, Awesomely Tubular Premiere at Baker Theater for “History of Rock & Roll” Night


Class of ’58 Celebrates Their MCMLVIII was an eventful year. The United States launched the Vanguard 1 satellite, The

Times of BRUNSWICK

Bridge on the River Kwai won an Academy Award as Best Picture, President Dwight D. Eisenhower

signed the Alaska Statehood Act into United States law, and 14-year-old Bobby Fischer won the United States Chess Championship. Jump to 2008, and one of the red-letter moments for Brunswick’s class of ’58 was reuniting to celebrate their 50th Homecoming. So what was Brunswick like in the late 1950s? Many spoke about popular teachers, some reminisced about the mandatory ballroom dance classes for the 4th grade, and others were nostalgic about taking girls to Manhattan for the spring formal. The most striking part of these remembrances, though, is that so little has truly changed between the Brunswick of 1958 and the Brunswick of 2008. “In Lower School, our favorite period was recess,” Byron S. Miller ’58 recalled in an email. “And we shot spitballs at each other with rubber bands. As we advanced, so did our weaponry: we moved on to shooting broken paper clips (very dangerous and hotly suppressed by teachers), and pea shooters (less dangerous but still very much banned). Every spring, water pistols were very ‘in’ and were just as frequently confiscated—some to be returned the last day of school by ‘cool,’ not ‘mean’, teachers.”


50th ’Wick Reunion

whom we now remember because he has a science award named after him. Dr. Robert Goodman, another 1958 alumnus, provided his reflections in an e-mail: Joe Koszalka: “My first exposure to a Brunswick legend, Joe Koszalka, had nothing to do with sports. He was my 7th grade shop teacher who kept trying to make sure that I never went into any field that required manual dexterity.” Bill Richardson: “Bill Richardson was a wonderful and supportive athletic coach who died very prematurely; I remember going to his funeral service a few years after graduation.” Ken Merritt: “In the higher school years, it’s impossible to forget Mr. Merritt, 9th grade algebra teacher and baseball coach. Many of us learned to sharpen our reflexes by dodging his thrown erasers and chalk while making an error or not being fast enough at the blackboard.” Alfred E. Everett: “It’s impossible to end without some reflective thoughts about Alfred Everett, who was ‘Brunswick’ to many, including me. My first exposure to Mr. Everett was in 9th grade Bible class. Early in the year he told me in his soft spoken way that because I was Jewish (the only one in the class for the next two years) I did not have to memorize any of the portions of the New Testament. Being an obstinate person

Winter 2009

This writer can’t help but to notice how similar our behavior is today. While the pictures of Seniors hanging on the walls at the Upper School may look old-fashioned (and certainly the boys all seem to have the same haircut), we could probably line up the classes of 1958 and 2008 and see very little difference. Much may have happened in the world since then (we walked on the moon, the Internet and cell phones debuted), but our core values and dreams remain similar. Class of ’58 Seniors’ nicknames were used in much the same way that we do today. There was Tex’n, Bobo, Donkey, LeGrand, Daddy-o, Denthead, Feuch, Javo, Von key, Quiet Man, Shuffles, Yo-Yo, Mouth, Wild Man, and Muscles. We can’t help but compare that to other nicknames from this year’s Senior class… names like Farva, Prez, Hawk-Eye, G-Baby, Chappy, Sea Bass, Byrnsey, Kevo, Jonny D, Kones, Chandler, Pooch, and many more. We also found similar their list of ambitions, which includes hopes for wonderful jobs, titles, and of course, women. A few examples of other aspirations (not all understandable) include: counterfeiter, fiction writer, Pam, sleeping beauty, rich wife, secret agent, Honor Roll, profootball, spaceman, mattress tester, playboy, soul-saver, and our favorite, 18 years old. Class of 1958 alumni reflected on their favorite teachers. They threw out names of Brunswick legends such as Joe Koszalka, the former baseball coach and shop teacher for whom the old baseball field was named; and Ken Merritt,

By Scott Matthews ’09


then, and now, I did not follow his offer and can still recite most of the Beatitudes (St. Matthew, ch. V). I don’t think he knew what to make of me but he took a lasting interest, always urging me to do better. Mr. Everett had a quiet dignity and sense of humor. He wrote a personal set of comments on every student’s report card. The most classic was my last one just prior to graduation in which he stated that I had compiled an academic record placing me first in the class, as well as in the demerit category, where he dryly noted that I was also first.”

Times of BRUNSWICK

Back in 1958, sports seemed to be just as established as they are today. According to George Guy ’58, hockey was very important. Mr. Paul Thomson ’58 notes, “… there are a couple of differences. Today with the increased enrollment of upper classmen, Brunswick has added many more sporting opportunities. There were only 24 in the graduating class of ’58 and the sports were football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, raillery, hockey, and track. “When participating in a sport, the player went out and purchased his own equipment, with the exception of game-day jerseys,” Mr. Thomson writes. “Occasionally graduated players would donate, or just leave, their old equipment but you can

imagine the shape they were in. Hockey was only added at the request of several students in the winter of 1956–57. It was a rag-tag looking group, and the practices were generally held on the frozen lake in Millbrook. The coach, Mr. Robinson, did not have a hockey background and was assisted by two student players who had played organized hockey before Brunswick. This upstart team, with only a hand full of players, went up against public high schools and more than held their own, beating bigger and tougher schools like Greenwich High School and New Canaan High School.” Overall, it’s clear to anyone familiar with Brunswick of the past and Brunswick of today that, while the buildings and facilities have morphed into that of a small college campus, the students and culture have remained the same. Current students and faculty can only imagine someone writing a similar article for Times of Brunswick 50 years from today speaking about teachers like Messieurs Duennebier, Weber, Philip, Brennan, Burdett, Van Belle, and Withstandley, as well as recollections of classroom antics, football games, and dances. These may all be long gone, but they will be forever treasured as Brunswick lifetime memories.


Many thanks for towing the line! A big shout out to all of our dedicated Brunswick fathers who volunteered at the 2008-2009 ’Wick Annual Fund Phonathon. Because tuition only covers 85% of the school’s operating expenses (and income from endowment goes directly to service our debt), we rely on Annual Giving to cover a full 15% of Brunswick’s annual operating budget. Without those funds, faculty and programs will need to be cut. Your generosity at any level is an invaluable service to our School. To make your pledge or gift to this year’s ’Wick Annual Fund, call Krista Bruce in the Development Office at 203.625.5864 or kbruce@brunswickschool.org. You can also give online at BrunswickSchool.org/giving. Please ask whether your company has a matching gift program. This year, more than ever, every dollar will serve to protect the programs and people that educate young Brunswick men for life.

Thank you!

Winter 2009

Phonathon 2008


Times of BRUNSWICK

Phonathon 2008


The

2008

Distinguished Alumni Award

By Cat Martin

The Distinguished Alumni Award is given annually to that alumnus who has displayed a lifetime commitment to his profession, to community service or to a combination of volunteer and professional activities and accomplishments. Recipients must also have a continued commitment to our School and must embody the traditions of Courage, Honor, Truth.

Brunswick School is proud to present The 2008 Annual Distinguished Alumni Award to William A. Durkin III, Class of 1972. Bill is being honored for his commitment to his community, family and alma mater. Bill started Brunswick in 10th grade and jumped right in. He played soccer and hockey all three years, played baseball before switching to golf (he continues to play every year in the Alumni Golf Outing!) and took part in the ski club. During his Senior year, Bill had a starring role in the production of “The Odd Couple.” He was truly an “all around” student. He also started the Durkin family tradition of driving to School in a Ford Model A which, between Bill and his four brothers (Patrick ’75, Tim ’75, Tom ’78 and Dan ’83), became a fixture on campus for almost two decades. After Brunswick, Bill went on to receive his Bachelor’s Degree from St. Lawrence University and, after a year of working, headed to Syracuse Law School. After law school, he returned to Greenwich and began practicing. Twenty-five years ago, he helped launch Diserio Martin O’Connor and Castiglioni LLP in Stamford, CT where he is now a managing partner focusing on corporate law and commercial real estate. Bill has been a member of the executive committee of the Fairfield County Bar Association since 1997, and is a past president of the

Caption

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Association. He also served as vice president, secretary and treasurer of the Association and as co-chair of its Business Law Committee. Bill extends his philanthropic work beyond law as an active member of his community. He coaches various youth sports teams, and served as a trustee of Stamford Symphony Orchestra and Darien Library. In addition, his dedication to Brunswick School goes above and beyond the call. Bill has served as a class agent, reunion agent, president of the Alumni Association, and is currently serving his 12th year on the Board of Trustees. For the 2008-2008 year, Bill was named vice-chairman and will serve as Board Chair for the 2009-2010 school year. Through all of his success, Bill remains a committed family man. He enjoys spending time with his wife of 25 years, Martha (who now manages Brunswick bookstore), and their four children, Will (’04), Ian (’06), Lizzie (11th grade, GA) and Alec (8th grade, BWK). “There is, quite literally, no one I know of who is linked to Brunswick in so many ways, and who has given so much time and energy to help make it the school it has become,” said Headmaster Tom Philip. “As son of a former Board Chair, Bill is a proud alumnus (along with his brothers), current parent and father to two young men who have graduated from ’Wick, and longest standing current member of the Board of Trustees. Bill’s perspective on our School is unmatched. He knows and remembers, always, the core attributes that serve to make us unique, while also managing to help guide the School in the 21st century. Literally speaking, much of the Brunswick School we know is thanks to Bill’s dedication and spirit. For all those reasons and many more, we are proud to present Bill with The 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award.”


By Scott Matthews ’09 & Bonni Brodnick

Times of BRUNSWICK

“It’s raining, so it must be Homecoming!” announced Headmaster Tom Philip at the Friday morning Upper School meeting. After a rainy start that necessitated cancellation of the 8th Annual Alumni Golf Outing at the Griff, followed by continued rain and cancellation of the bonfire at night, the outlook for ’Wick, Walk, Run and other Homecoming plans on Saturday looked like they, too, might get soaked out. (Editor’s note: It has rained on Brunswick School Homecoming Weekend since 2003!)


Along with the usual festivities that surround the much-anticipated weekend, this year Brunswick was proud to unveil the new Center for the Arts and Upper School renovations. Alumni, parents and friends enjoyed exhibitions in the lobby art gallery by alumni artists; Michael Szeto ’06 playing violin; Billy Hartong ’92 and his band, “Breaking Laces,” in Baker Theater; and Matt Heineman ’01 and Matt Wiggins ’02 preview screening their film, “The Young Americans Project.” Homecoming events went on as planned and Brunswick teams were elated with success at the crosscountry race and Varsity football games, and tying the

soccer game 1-1. Forgetting the rain, Alumni turnout was above expected numbers and, of course, Bear Fair was in full swing in the Field House with games, prizes and glee. Along with a “Wheel of Fortune,” “Dance, Dance Revolution,” “Guitar Hero,” Bingo, guessing games and an old-fashioned photo booth, there was the forever fairway fave, cotton candy. If you’re wondering what the trick is to making cotton candy cones, here’s the official word from Brunswick dad Frank Acello: “Be nimble-fingered and rotate the cone in the opposite direction of the spinner,” he said through a haze of pink goo.

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Times of BRUNSWICK

Another dad on a later cotton candy shift said, “With the way Wall Street is going, I better start learning a new trade.” Homecoming 2008 was particularly meaningful for reunion classes of 1958, ’63, ’68, ’73, ’78, ’83, ’88, ’93, ’98, and ’03. We had the chance to catch up with several ’Wick alumni to talk about changes at Brunswick in recent years. Peter von Keyserling (from Charlottesville, VA) and Jerry Anderson (from Greenwich), Class of 1958 reunion agents, were on campus to celebrate their 50th reunion. “Brunswick as it is today didn’t even exist in our dreams! It’s an amazing facility,” said Mr. von Keyserling. “When I was here, lunch was carried on like it was a class,” he added. “A teacher was assigned to each table.

We were taught how to sit, the proper use of utensils, and how to make polite conversation at the dining table. If someone was quiet, he was encouraged to converse. The teacher would ask everyone to stop talking, and direct a question to the quiet person so that he had to respond. The dining hall was just an extension of the classroom. And our playing fields were a little less sophisticated… just grass… with a lot of bare spots.” At Homecoming, Bill Durkin, Class of 1972, and a current member of the Board of Trustees, was honored with The 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award. “All of the changes at Brunswick have been physical only,” he said. “What is more important is what


hasn’t changed at Brunswick School. We have the same School spirit and relationships between faculty and students, and there is the same commitment to instilling character in the boys. At the end of the day, that’s more important than all of the buildings that we can build.” “My class had 35 students, and the entire school— including Pre K—was on Maher Avenue,” Mr. Durkin continued. “A few of my favorite teachers were Gene Cummiskey, head of the English department, who influenced my becoming an English major in college; Dave Murray, my physics teacher and coach; Rodney Dashnaw, my hockey coach; and Jacques Bouffier,

who was new to the School, was my French teacher. Other memorable teachers were George Boynton, my soccer coach and art teacher, and finally, Joe Koszalka, my baseball coach.” Hank Korth, Class of 1973 and celebrating his 35th reunion, reminded us that the current student center on Maher Avenue used to be the “new” gym. “And like today, Ted Stolar was always draped in cameras and taking pictures,” he said. Brunswick is proud of another successful Homecoming Weekend. Many thanks to alumni, parents and friends for returning “home” to see how Brunswick has changed, but still remains true to the old Brown and White.

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Winter 2009


CLASS NOTES Compiled by Libby Edwards

1955 It was a busy year for Bill Krauter! In January, he and his wife, Lennie, were at their home in the Philippines. This was followed by a two-week Hawaiian cruise in March, a trip to Colorado in June, and Ontario to visit relatives in August [see photo]. Bill and Lennie returned to her native country, the Philippines, for September and October. “At our 50th Brunswick reunion a couple years back I was the only one not enjoying retirement,� writes innkeeper Bill Putman. “With the Inn, I couldn’t retire if I wanted to!� Bill owns and operates both a B&B and the Toad Hall Sports Car Museum (where

Bill Krauter on the tropical island of Boracay, Philippines, with his friend Ron and Ron’s daughter.

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all the cars are red!) on Cape Cod. “With economy being yuck, tourism is off, and real estate is down so I couldn’t sell the joint if I wanted to. Without the museum, I’d still be stuck with 60 some odd sports cars and 30 some odd orange cats. Guess I’ll still be ‘working’ when our 60th and 70th reunion come up.� You can visit Bill’s website at billputnam.com

While visiting cousins in Ontario, Canada, Bill Krauter was ready for action on a 4-wheeled all-terrain Polaris 500.


CLASS NOTES

M Bill

Putnam ’55, at Toad Hall Sports Car Museum out back of the inn.

1962

While some of you are still trying to preserve your anonymity, or at least conceal your doings of the past 45+ years, your names or pictures occasionally pop up in the news. The Reverend Father Brendan (Joseph) McAnerney, O.P., was photographed recently leading a Palm Sunday procession in his role as a Melkite-Greek Catholic priest. Brendan writes that he serves principally Arab-Americans in Sacramento, California. He also teaches iconography both at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and around the country through a program entitled Art & Spirituality of the Icon. For more info, contact Fr.Brendan@bmcanerney@dspt.edu.

REUNION 2009 ALERT!

Rick Lee returned briefly to Greenwich for Bill Wearin’s memorial service in January and promised to bring us up to date on his activities. He writes, “I moved to the Bahamas in June of 1986, after 20 years in the interior furnishings business in New York. I started my Bahamian career as Special Project Director for a hardware and building materials company and Chief Financial Officer for a shipping company. In 1996, when the building materials company was sold, I remained CFO of the shipping company, and went to school to get a real estate license. I started the Abaco Islands branch of H. G. Christie, Ltd., the largest, oldest and most extensive real estate service in the Bahamas. In 2006, a partner and I opened our own real estate company. In 2006 and 2007, I had some serious health challenges: a quadruple by-pass surgery in the fall of 2006, and throat cancer in the fall of 2007. I seem to have dodged the bullet and feel better than I have in years.” Rick reports that he is living on the small island of Man-O-War Cay in Abaco, the northeastern Bahamas, the same island on which he and his father vacationed during the Brunswick years. He is now the President of the largest freight carrier into Abaco, but still manages to spend time in Virginia with his wife, Margot, who is working as an RN at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in stroke and MS research. Rick reports, “Our three children are married. Our daughter, Caren, is working for Geico Insurance in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Our oldest son, Davis (Class of 1993), having earned a PhD from MIT, is working in the Boston area designing machines to make smaller and smaller computer chips. He has just produced our first grandson, Oliver Winston Lee, born July 2, 2008. After seven years with Merrill Lynch, our youngest son Timothy (Class of 1996) saw the writing on the wall, and with three partners started his own financial management firm in Alexandria, Virginia.” In addition to the real estate business, Rick is still involved in community service, as he has been all of his life. He serves on several Bahamian government advisory groups, on the board of directors of the Abaco Chamber of Commerce, and he is the founder and chairman emeritus of the Abaco

Celebrate the years since graduation at Homecoming Weekend! Please send your most up-to-date information to Libby Edwards (ledwards@brunswickschool.org/800.546.9425) to stay informed of all the events.

Summer 2008

Denny Kernochan, another classmate in California, was last seen by most of us in June 1962 at our post-graduation beach party in Riverside. A recent news article announced that Denny won a Fulbright grant to teach economics in Vietnam in 2009. He writes, “I don’t spend much time in the northeast, even though all of my siblings live there (two sisters in New York City and two brothers in Boston).” Denny took five years to graduate from Dartmouth, then spent six months living in Paris learning French, throwing rocks in the 1968 Paris riots, and returning to the States to do an Outward Bound program in the Colorado mountains “…where I learned to love hiking in the wilderness.” After two years pursuing a PhD in English from UCLA, he received an MA “…and decided to move on. During the height of the Vietnam War, I was ineligible for the draft due to congenital deafness in one ear. If I had gotten in, I would probably be a Canadian citizen today.” Denny moved to Paris and married his LA girlfriend, Barbara. “…Little did we know that, except for brief visits, we wouldn’t return to the U.S. for 11 years. We lived in Paris from 1970–72 while I experimented with being a photographer. It didn’t work very well, so we decided to drive a VW bus to Nepal to do some trekking. On the way, we fell in love with Turkey and wound up wintering in Tehran. Come spring, both of us had jobs, so we stayed. I was in advertising; Barbara was a travel agent, and both of us were illegal workers. The advertising job had no future, but I became interested in overseas business, so I attended the MBA program at the Iran

Center for Management Studies in Tehran, an 11-month MBA program supported by Harvard Business School.” After receiving an MBA in 1975, Denny was hired by Citibank and sent first to Greece for training, then to Istanbul as a banking officer. “Our first daughter, Julia, was born in Athens in 1976. We lived in Istanbul until 1979, and had a second daughter, Lauren, in 1978.” After a tour of duty in Casablanca, Citibank shipped Denny back to Los Angeles where his third daughter, Lesley, was born in 1981. “Like our other two girls, she had red hair and blue eyes. I resigned from Citibank in 1983, and became Mr. Mom. With the help of my wife and mother-in-law, I became an enthusiastic cook, although I never did really cotton to ironing shirts. Eventually, I started teaching business in various local community colleges as a ‘freeway faculty.’ It became clear that it would be hard to make a living without a PhD, so I went back to school in 1987 to get one in business. I got through the coursework and the qualifying exams without too much trouble and then got bogged down, like so many others, in the dissertation stage. Ultimately I finished in 1997 and was hired by California State University Northridge (CSUN) in 1999. I still work there, now as an Associate Professor, having received tenure in 2007. The tenure process involved writing for publication. After many fruitless struggles, I was ultimately diagnosed with ADD and was able to develop coping mechanisms that enabled me to get the necessary writing finished. (The ADD could explain a lot of my inattentive Brunswick behavior!) I teach strategic management, international business, and business internships to undergraduates, and am advisor and seminar leader to the Business Honors Program.” About Denny’s Fulbright semester teaching at the Hue University of Economics in Hue, Vietnam, he wrote, “Since I have been a Zen Buddhist since 1994, I’m looking forward to living and working in a Buddhist country. I plan to retire as soon as I’m bored or can no longer remember what I’m talking about.” Denny’s wife, Barbara, is a now “drop-out recovery teacher” and administrator for the Los Angeles Unified School District and will be taking leave of absence while they are in Vietnam in 2009. “Our oldest daughter, Julia, works as a counsel for Senator Schumer on the Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., and was recently married

in our backyard. Her husband is finishing his dissertation in Public Policy at Princeton, where they met. Our second daughter, Lauren, is doing her residency in pathology at the University of Washington, and recently announced her engagement to a fellow resident. And our youngest daughter, Lesley, is a musician living in Portland, Oregon where she plays many instruments, including serious saxophone, but prefers her voice as her primary instrument. She is a member of multiple musical groups there, the best known of which was Vagabond Opera. Her first selfpublished CD is called Undulating and can be found on cdbaby.com under Kernochan.”


CLASS NOTES Chapter of the Bahamas Real Estate Association, the governing and regulatory organization for Bahamian real estate. “All is well and, although we are getting close to retirement age, I can’t bear to think about not working,â€? Rick wrote. “This is my third career and I’m having more fun than ever. I work at home most days, and when I do go to an office, I commute by boat. Sure beats the 7:30 out of Greenwich.â€? Another former classmate who has been in hiding since leaving Brunswick in 1958 is Peter Chapin. He sends greetings to all and comments, “I was inspired by Lanny BoltÊ’s notes in the summer Times of Brunswick. We share a love of fast cars and did a few insane things with them in our youth. While I recognize many in the Class of ’62 never knew me, and many others have forgotten me, I write this update (actually my first ‘date’) in hopes that someone may care. My academic decline began in 8th grade (an interesting year!) and continued through Loomis and Hamilton. The latter school finally recognized my mind was not on studying and suggested ‘a couple years to mature.’ Good idea. A couple years turned into four with the U.S. Air Force, after which I returned to Hamilton, graduated, got an MBA from Wharton, and went to work for Kidder, Peabody in Boston. Twenty some wonderful years later, I was managing the Boston Institutional Sales operation when Kidder folded. I then started a Boston office for CJ Lawrence, an institutional boutique, which soon became Deutsche Bank Securities’ office, which I ran. In 1998, I was able to retire and move to Charlottesville, Virginia, with my wife of 31 years (now 41 years). Along the way we had a son, Geoffrey, who just left management consulting in San Francisco to start up a green company in Boston. Our daughter, Sarah, just left a job with Promises Treatment Centers, a rehabilitation group, to start an MBA at USC. That means that, at age 64, I have two 30-something yearolds, neither of whom gets a paycheck! While I, like Lanny and Hawley, have loved fast cars, my next move is a year-long cruise around the eastern U.S. at 6 knots. We’re building a trawler and next spring will take off on ‘The Great Loop’. We will leave Virginia, head up the Hudson to the Erie Canal, through the Great Lakes, down the various rivers in the middle of the country to Mobile, go around Florida to the Bahamas and then—if we’re still married—home. It’s a dream for me, and a brave move for my cautious wife.â€?

Times of BRUNSWICK

Speaking of grandkids, two accompanied Charlie Tusa at Homecoming this year. Both are children of Steve Tusa ’93.

Postcards received from Lanny BoltĂŠ indicate that recent motor racing adventures have taken him to Switzerland, Bermuda, and New Brunswick. With a little help, we’d like to continue the roll call for Class of 1962. Please send your updates to Ross Ogden at OgdenR@optonline.net. “Remember, if we don’t hear from you, we’ll be forced to make something up, so in self-defense, write!â€?

TOO M Eric Holch ’66, an internationally recognized artist and printmaker, is celebrating three decades on Old South Wharf, Nantucket. Visit ericholch.com

1972 Scott E. McClelland is keeping busy while his three children attend Williams College, St. Lawrence University, and Middlebury College. Ouch!

1993 LeGrand S. Redfield, Jr., CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, has been involved in the financial industry for the past 30 years, assisting clients in the development and implementation of strategies with which to achieve their financial goals. Having received a Bachelor’s Degree from Lake Forest College, Lee immediately began to commit himself to establishing a successful financial planning practice. Recognizing that clients would be better served with a wider variety of services, he founded Asset Management Group, Inc. in 1983 (located in Stamford, Connecticut) to provide independent comprehensive financial planning. In 2001, Mr. Redfield became a Life and Qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table. Asset Management Group, Inc. [AMGplanning.com] was included in Wealth Manager Magazine’s 2008 Top Dogs Rankings.

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M F. “Rick� Ford, IV ’75 is in his second season for the TonyŽ Award-Winning Utah Shakespearean Festival. As a successful actor in both film and on stage, some of Rick’s roles include starring as the character “Biondello� in the production of “The Taming of the Shrew� and as Alain [above] in “The School for Wives.� To see other projects in which Rick is appearing, check out RickFordActor.com.

1986 Kevin G. Wassong President of Minyanville Media, Inc., received an Emmy Award From The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as Executive Producer of “Minyanville’s World In Review with Hoofy and Boo.� (Please go to Times of Brunswick “’Wick Snippets� section for the up-to-the- minute dish.) Congrats, Kevin!

1990 Matson F. Schwalm ’90 and his wife, Samantha, are the proud parents of a baby boy, Thomas Forrest Schwalm, born on July 13, 2008. Major David D. Haight, M.D. spent the past year at the Army Command General Staff College (CGSC) in Kansas, where he also

Class of ’67 having a great time on Cape Cod at their 40th Reunion. Left to right: Ronald P. Bruninghaus, Michael C. Wheeler, Eugene M. Hornsby and Robert H. Meiklijohn.


CLASS NOTES

M Edward S. Vittoria ’89 at a Yankee game with Charlie Weis, University of Notre Dame Head Football Coach. Photo sent by James M. Farrell ’89.

trained (in his free time!) for the Ironman distance triathlon (140.6-mile). His first full-length Ironman race was in October 2007. Two days after graduating from CGSC in June, David qualified to participate in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, held in Clearwater, Florida in October 2008. He is currently in Washington, D.C. on a year-long Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship. Dan Walsh and David McLain, of Stamford, have started “The Frankie Fund” to honor Dan’s late brother, Frank Walsh, who died of neck cancer last March. The Frankie Fund is a charitable organization aimed at improving the lives of young people through sports, music, and other interests that were important to Frank. “The fund is an attempt to channel my brother’s spirit of determination and reflect his many diverse charitable causes,” writes Dan. For more information visit frankiefund.org Dan, a former Brunswick faculty member, taught music at the Middle School from 1996 to 2002.

M Billy Hartong ’92, (center) guitarist, singer and songwriter for the Brooklyn-based trio, Breaking Laces, earned a B.A. in Latin and Greek at Colgate University. In 2007, Breaking Laces won the Starbuck’s Music Makers Competition after being selected from over 4,000 bands. Way to Go! For a schedule of shows, visit BreakingLaces.com

cluding Alexandra Siminar (Miron), Catherine Arsala (Babcock), and Tatiana Papanicoloau, along with Tatiana Ahlers (Miron), Peter is currently the Managing Executive, Emerging Businesses for Interval Leisure Group in Miami. Best wishes Peter and Danielle! William Robert McDonald was born on Friday, June 20, 2008 at 12:07 p.m. to the proud parents of Scott R. McDonald and his wife, Aimee. Baby Will weighed in at 7lbs 7oz and measured 20 1/2 inches long. Siblings Samantha, Sean, and Thomas are exited to have another

M The Kouri Wedding! Janne P. Kouri ’93 and his sweetheart, Susan, were married last April 2008. Shown here fêting the celebration are Class of 1993 friends: (front row, left to right): Francis Carr, Jr., Fabien Pichler, Janne, and Kareem Raymond. Back row (left to right): Manech Ibar, Ian Murray, John Monsif, and Ryan Faherty.

(and final) baby in the house. Congratulations to the McDonald family!

1995 Ted Adler and his brother Jon Adler of Union Street Media in Burlington, Vermont, were honored with the “A. Wayne Roberts Entrepreneurial Spirit Award” at the 98th Annual Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala in November. The award is presented annually to a Vermont business that exemplifies entrepreneurship, leadership, creativity, and business expertise. The brothers posed with their (proud) parents Anne and Richard Adler of Greenwich.

1992 Sarah and Billy Hartong welcomed (with unending adoration and fascination) their new daughter, Amelia Landre Hartong, born on October 19, 2007. The new baby girl Hartong weighed in at 5lbs 15 oz. O! She doth teach the torches to burn bright. ~Shakespeare

1994 M Major

David D. Haight, M.D. ’90 transitioning from swim course to bike race last June at the 2008 Ironman Kansas.

REUNION 2009 ALERT!

Peter Zimmerman ’94 and Danielle Renee Slewett on their May wedding day.

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Celebrate the years since graduation at Homecoming Weekend! Please send your most up-to-date information to Libby Edwards (ledwards@brunswickschool.org/800.546.9425) to stay informed of all the events.

Summer 2008

Peter Zimmerman married Danielle Renee Slewett on May 31, 2008 at the The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. The bride and groom currently live in Miami Beach. A few 1994 GA alumnae witnessed the special occasion, in-


CLASS NOTES TOO

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Justin D. Smith ’95 and his fiancé, Dolores J. Farrell, are happily planning a Spring 2009 wedding. The couple met at Trinity College where Justin received his BA in history and Dolores received her BA in Sociology. Justin works in television production. Congratulations to the married couple-to-be!

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Ted Adler ’95, Founder and President (far left) and brother Jon Adler ’97 (far right), of Union Street Media, with their parents Anne and Richard Adler at the “A. Wayne Roberts Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.”

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(FYI: Anne is in our Development Office as Web Site Director). “We would like to thank our parents,” said Ted as he accepted the award. “From the lemonade stand at the corner of Lake Avenue and Burying Hill Road to Union Street Media and the Skinny Pancake [located on Burlington, Vermont’s waterfront], you have always encouraged our entrepreneurial endeavors. Our success is a reflection of the two of you. Thank you so much!” Since 1999, Union Street Media has developed a portfolio of websites for realtors (and is positioned as a nationally recognized pioneer in the development of realtor websites!), non-profit organizations, hotels and B&B’, schools, summer camps, State of Vermont, artists, and professional associations. Ted founded Union Street Media while still a student at Middlebury College. Congratulations to Ted and the Adler family! Visit unionstreetmedia.com for more info, and while you’re cruising the Web, check out another successful Adler enterprise. Benjy Adler ’99 founded the Burlington crêperie, The Skinny Pancake. See skinnypancake.com…and note interesting fact “…in keeping with our commitment to sustainability, our primary vehicles all run off of biodiesel and waste vegetable oil.” INFO FORTHCOMING

Times of BRUNSWICK

1998

David Brenninkmeyer and Rob Profusek said it was a great turnout for this year’s homecoming. Cheering along with Dave and Rob were fellow 1998 classmates Grant Gyesky, Shahryar Oveissi, Justin McClellan, William Josephson, Chris Larson, Mike Geller, Greg Merle, Bandar Shawwaf, Shaun Wallace, Petar Filipovic, John McLane III, and Scott Caffrey. Joining the cheers were GA ’98-ers were Lauren Malan, Amanda Bates and Alex Webb.

2000 Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, known to the world as the “Winklevoss Twins,” represented the U.S. Olympic rowing team in the men’s pair event at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. They finished 6th in the sixteam pairs final. The 27-year old, 6-foot 5-inch twins have been rowing for the U.S. team for two years, winning gold in the men’s eights at the 2007 Pan American Games. At Harvard, they won the varsity eights at the 2003 Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships and the varsity eights at the 2004 Eastern Sprints. Cameron and Tyler were instrumental in bringing the sport of rowing to Brunswick. Brunswick Crew became a varsity team after one season and the sport’s popularity has risen each year. During their junior year at Brunswick, the twins were named to the U.S. Junior National Team, and in 1999 competed in the Junior World championships. After Brunswick, the Winklevoss’ found more success while competing at Harvard. Congratulations on a magnificent accomplishment! Nicholas K. Wimbush is a second year associate in the Litigation Practice at Sidley Austin LLP in Washington, D.C. Prior to this, Nick had a successful academic career at Princeton University and Cornell Law School, where he was editor of The Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy. Upon graduation from Cornell, Nick served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert L. Carter at the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. Way to go, Nick!

2003 Shane D. Heller recently became engaged to Lauren Straus, of whom Shane writes, “Laura has been a pseudo family friend my whole life,” because her father was best friends with Shane’s best friend’s father. [It’s a small world.] Shane

M Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss ’00 rowing at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

and Lauren are planning a 2009 Labor Day weekend wedding. Shane completed his primary flight school training in Corpus Christi, TX. His first choice was helicopters, but unfortunately the Navy had other ideas, and Shane was granted his second choice: P-3s. “Primary training was definitely difficult,” writes Shane. “I got to solo a few times, and even had some aerobatic solos where I was alone in my aircraft doing barrel rolls, loops, and other moves (and getting paid to do it…not a bad gig).” “I’ll do my advanced training in Corpus and should get my wings by early February. After that, I’ll head to Jacksonville, Florida for a few months to train on the actual P-3, and then head off to my first-duty station (either Jacksonville, Whidbey Island, Washington, or Hawaii). Lauren and I think three years in Hawaii could be a pretty nice way to go.”

2005 Matthew R. Collins spent last year in Cairo, and is now in Jordan participating in a workstudy program. He will return to Princeton University in January 2009. Middlebury College men’s lacrosse player, Matthew M. Ferrer was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week in March 2008. Sam C. Payton was named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week in March 2008. Payton has been successful in 32-of-44 face-off attempts on the season for a .727 percentage, also a team-best. Way to go, Sam! After a great academic career at George Washington University, where he made the Dean’s List numerous times, co-founded GW Discourse (a political quarterly), and was appointed Chief Judge of the Student Court, Christopher K. Wimbush was admitted early to the University of Virginia School of Law.

2006 Matthew D. Sargent was named to the Merit List at Kenyon College for the second semester of the 2007-2008 academic year. To be eligible for the Merit recognition, a student must earn a GPA of at least 3.45. Congratulations, Matthew! Keep up the good work!


CLASS NOTES 2nd Lieutenant Samuel Kies ’04 (left) and Staff Sergeant Daniel Maloney ’04 renewed their friendship after marching with fellow servicemen and veterans in the 2008 Memorial Day Parade in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

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John F. Sorbella ’05 was strong on the par three holes at the 2008 Yale Spring Opener, where he was +1 overall for the tournament. Sorbella led his Rutgers men’s golf team to place 14th , in a two round 607 (304-303).

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2008 To most teens, summer vacation is all about kicking back and taking it easy. This past July was anything but for Brian Platter and Alex Jamar. The two recent ’Wick grads spent their time biking more than 600 miles and raising $10,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut. The biking adventure took the pair about seven days from start to finish as they traveled from Boston to Tadoussac, a small town in Canada. During the journey, they faced grueling hills, a tornado warning, an overnight stay in an event trailer and more—but said it was all worth it in the end. “We are very proud to see students taking such a proactive approach to giving back in

their local community. Brian and Alex set the bar extremely high as an example to their peers of what hard work, motivation and selflessness can accomplish,” said Tim Friar, president and chief executive officer of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut. “On behalf of the entire foundation, we thank them for helping to make Connecticut wishes come true.” Brian and Alex are freshmen at Davidson College and Vanderbilt University, respectively.

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We love pictures, and we like you to look good. Here are some tips for sending us digital photos that will look fantastic in print: t 4FU UIF QIPUP TJ[F UP Y JODIFT PS MBSHFS JO %1* t 4FU ZPVS EJHJUBM DBNFSB UP UIF CFTU QIPUP TFUUJOH t 4BWF mMFT BT 5*'' PS +1( t 1MFBTF JEFOUJGZ FWFSZPOF MFGU UP SJHIU JO UIF QIPUP BOE QSPWJEF B DBQUJPO t &NBJM QIPUPT BT BUUBDINFOUT UP Cat Scott Martin, cmartin@brunswickschool.org If you’d rather send a traditional print (made from a negative), we love them, too, but please send them on GLOSSY paper whenever possible. Matte prints and prints from digital photos do NOT scan well. We cannot reproduce photos from photocopies or magazines or newsprint. Mail prints to: Cat Scott Martin Brunswick School Alumni Office .BIFS "WFOVF t (SFFOXJDI $5

Platter ’08 and Alex Jamar ’08, spent part of their summer vacation biking more than 600 miles and raising $10,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut.

Faculty Notes Robert R. Peterson, former Head of Brunswick Lower School, Varsity football coach, and a history and English teacher, came to Brunswick in 1973 and left in 1986. Rob is now serving as head of the Oakwood School in Greenville, North Carolina. His wife, Gini,” former Brunswick history teacher in the Lower and Middle Schools, is serving as the Oakwood School’s director of admissions. Oakwood, beautifully situated on 41 acres, is an independent day school for students Pre-K to Grade 12. William Frick, former Brunswick faculty member, of Riverside, Connecticut, and a World War II veteran of the liberation of France, was honored for his historic military service during the Greenwich Bastille Day Celebration in July 2008. Sixty-four years ago, on June 15, 1944, Mr. Frick landed at Utah Beach. He served during the entire European campaign as a forward observer and liaison officer between the infantry and the artillery of the 79th infantry division. Mr. Frick was awarded the Purple Heart when wounded during the battle of La Haye du Puits (in Normandy), and the Bronze Star for meritorious service at Ramen-court (in Lorraine) in 1944. He participated in the liberation of Luneville and the heavy battle of Forest of Parroy. Mr. Frick was awarded a second Bronze Star for manning an observation post against German attacks in Alsace. The French Legion of Honor was established to reward outstanding services rendered to France on the basis of person-

Celebrate the years since graduation at Homecoming Weekend! Please send your most up-to-date information to Libby Edwards (ledwards@brunswickschool.org/800.546.9425) to stay informed of all the events.

Summer 2008

REUNION 2009 ALERT!

M Brian


CLASS NOTES al merit. Congratulations, Mr. Frick, for this honorable commendation! Dan Walsh ’90 and David McLain, of Stamford, have started “The Frankie Fund” to honor Dan’s late brother, Frank Walsh, who died of neck cancer last March. The Frankie Fund is a charitable organization aimed at improving the lives of young people through sports, music, and other interests that were important to Frank. “The fund is an attempt to channel my brother’s spirit of determination and reflect his many diverse charitable causes,” writes Dan. For more information visit frankiefund.org Dan, a former Brunswick faculty member, taught music at the Middle School from 1996 to 2002.

STAFF NOTES Michael P. Connolly, formerly on the Upper School Maintenance crew, passed away peacefully in December at the age of 55. He was surrounded by his loving family. Mike was a lifelong resident of Cos Cob, Connecticut and worked for Brunswick School for 14 years. He loved his job and valued the friendship and support he received from the Brunswick School community. Mowing right along are Mike Connolly and Harrison, grandson of Steve Dudley, Assistant Headmaster/Director of Finance.

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In Memoriam

Times of BRUNSWICK

Drew Marc Jenkins, the youngest son of the late, William R. Jenkins ’36 and Helen Agnes Jenkins of Greenwich, passed away peacefully on September 15, 2008 at the age of 52, due to complications from cancer. Mr. Jenkins attended Brunswick School, Greenwich High School, and the University of Connecticut. He worked in advertising sales and publishing for many years before becoming the Northeast and West Coast Sales Manager for University Business of Norwalk. Throughout his life, Mr. Jenkins had a tremendous love of the water and was an avid golfer. His greatest joy was spending time with his family. Mr. Jenkins is survived by his loving wife, Carole Pauyo Jenkins; his son, Tyler; and his brother, William R. Jenkins, III ’62 of Bartlett, Tennessee.

Thomas O. Woolf, Jr. ’44, a longtime Ridgefield, Connecticut resident and member of the Ridgefield Veterans of Foreign Wars, died of complications to cancer at Danbury Hospital on September 1, 2008. Mr. Woolf, born July 17, 1925, was raised in Greenwich and attended Brunswick School. He served in the U.S. Army at the close of World War II and was stationed in Germany before returning home to continue his education at Bowdoin College, from which he graduated in 1949. Mr. Woolf married the late Mary Morrill in 1954. The couple moved to Manhattan, and then to Cos Cob. They moved to Ridgefield in 1956, where they raised their two sons. Mr. Woolf spent most of his life selling advertising for government and trade publications, first working for his father at the family firm on Park Avenue in New York, and then started his own firm in the 1960s. In his later years, he sold industrial light bulbs, and, after retirement, continued to work as a truck escort, escorting high

and wide load trucks throughout the northeast. Mr. Woolf was an enthusiastic sailor and spent much of his youth sailing and teaching sailing on Long Island Sound. He also was a great reader and crossword puzzle enthusiast. He is survived by two sons and two daughtersin-law; Lawrence Woolf and his wife Patty of Stamford, Connecticut, and Thomas Woolf and his wife Lisa of Marin County, California; and by his sister, Elizabeth Avery of Oneonta, New York. Mary Louise DeLuca, beloved wife of Francis M. DeLuca ’52, died ten days shy of her 72nd birthday at the Stamford Hospital on June 2, 2008, following a six-month battle with lung cancer. Mrs. DeLuca was born Mary Louise Tobin in New Haven, Connecticut to Margaret Stokes Tobin and George A. Tobin on June 12, 1936. She was the youngest of four children, raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Coral Gables, Florida, and finally Greenwich, Connecticut, where she graduated from Greenwich Academy in 1953. Mrs. DeLuca attended Marymount College in both Tarrytown and Manhattan and graduated in 1958 with a degree in English. While living in Manhattan, Mrs. DeLuca began dating Francis M. (“Brud”) DeLuca of Stamford. They had known each other from high school, and after a whirlwind romance of only three months, they were engaged in December 1958 and married six months later at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church on Greenwich Avenue. Mr. DeLuca worked at the DeLuca Construction Company in Stamford, a family business—started, owned and operated by his father, Patrick A. DeLuca. In addition to being a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother, Mrs. DeLuca was active in the community. She was a nursery school teacher for 25 years at the first United Methodist Church Nursery School in Stamford. An avid painter,

the walls of her home and the homes of her children display her talent and the characteristically humorous subject matter of her work. She was also a devoted golfer and played in the Ladies 18-holers at Sterling Farms in Stamford and Innis Arden Golf Club in Old Greenwich. Mrs. DeLuca is survived by her husband, Francis, three daughters and one son: Amy Louise Connington and husband Richard of Fairfield, Connecticut; Margaret Anne DeLuca and husband Kurt Koehler of Darien, Connecticut; Cara Marie O’Neill and husband Daniel of Wilton; Patrick Francis DeLuca and wife Melanie of Wilton, and her 12 wonderful grandchildren who brought Mary Louise great joy. William Howard Gengarelly, the father of William ‘Tony’ Gengarelly ’59, died September 10, 2008, at Pleasant Bay Nursing Home in Brewster, New York. Mr. Gengarelly was 98. He was the husband of the late Dorothea (Loebmann) Gengarelly. Mr. Gengarelly was born on April 1, 1910, in the Bronx, New York He was a graduate of Glen Cove High School in Glen Cove and St. Paul’s School in Garden City, (both in New York), and Yale University, Class of 1934. He was a resident of Greenwich for 39 years and of Brewster for the past 16 years. From 1954 until retirement in 1979, Mr. Gengarelly owned a women’s specialty store in Greenwich, Gengarelly, where he and his wife, Dorothea, built a thriving business putting customer-needs first and valuing service more than the marketing of merchandise. He was a member of Christ Church, Greenwich, St. Christopher’s Church in Chatham, Massachusetts and Brewster (New York) Men’s Club, The Captains Golf Course in Brewster, Millbrook Club in Greenwich, and Westchester Seniors’ Golf Association.


CLASS NOTES Mr. Gengarelly was an active agent of his Yale Class of 1934. He was awarded the Chester Harding Plimpton Prize from the Sheffield Scientific School of Engineering at Yale, was a member of Aurelian Honor Society, a member of St. Elmo’s Society; and received three Major “Y” letters for his baseball career at Yale University. In addition to his shining football career, Mr. Gengarelly enjoyed playing golf and following major sports, as well as the Yale football and baseball programs. He is survived by his two sons and their spouses: Tony Gengarelly and wife Ann of Marlboro, Vermont; and Dave Gengarelly and wife Laurie of Orleans, Massachusetts; one brother, Morgan Gengarelly of Wilmington, North Carolina; three grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Known to his closest friends as “Ginger,” Mr. Gengarelly lived his life with calm dignity and an open heart toward everyone he knew. His popularity in high school and college was no accident, and his work in several managerial positions in the clothing industry was marked by his desire to listen and be fair to all those who looked to him for guidance. Tony Gengarelly ’59, son of Mr. Gengarelly, was the quarterback of the Brunswick Bruins football team and went on to earn his varsity letter in football at Yale University

Carroll Crawford “Tres” Mills, III ’79, a former Riverside, Connecticut resident, died unexpectedly on October 6, 2008, at the age of 47. He was born on February 23, 1961. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University, Crawford enjoyed a long career of acting in theater, television, and films. He was the owner of Language Services International, a company that provided spontaneous interpretation services to international and governmental entities. Tres is survived by his parents, Crawford and Mary (Wilson) Mills; a sister, Amy Mills Cunningham of Durham, New Hampshire; and a brother, Andrew Mills of Los Angeles, California. Nieces and nephews, James and Cecilia Cunningham of Durham, and Frank and Bridget Mills of Los Angeles also survive him. Ann Kies Arnold, mother of William A. Arnold IV ’81 passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer on November 5, 2008 at Greenwich Hospital. She was 68 years old. Her son, William, and her daughter, Lorraine Arnold Sullivan, survive Mrs. Arnold. She was a sister to Barbara Nevone, Janice Rigney, William S. Kies III ’66, Verne Foster and Audrey Paight. She was predeceased by her parents, William S. Kies, Jr. and Janet Mitchell Jacobsen, and her loving stepmother, Lorraine Kies. Mrs. Arnold was a life-long resident of Greenwich, a community she loved and served in many capacities. She graduated from Greenwich High School, Class of 1958, and then attended Marjorie Webster Jr. College in Washington, D.C., where she earned a degree in merchandising. Prior to her marriage, Mrs. Arnold was an employee of the Greenwich Trust Bank and State National Bank. More recently, she worked for 15 years at Irresistibles of Greenwich. Mrs. Arnold served as President of the Oaklawn Foundation, a non-profit, educational and social service fund founded in 1948 by her grandfather, William S. Kies. During her 16 years as President, the Foundation supported several educational institutions and local charities, including Brunswick School, Family Center, Kids in Crisis, and the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich. In addition to her work with the Oaklawn Foundation, Mrs. Arnold dedicated her life to supporting many other non-profit organizations. She spent over 20 years volunteering at the Greenwich Hospital and donated many hours of service to the Greenwich Association of Retarded Citizens and Brunswick School. She was a faithful supporter of the Breast Cancer Alliance in Greenwich. Mrs. Arnold also served on the Board of the Susan Fund in Westport, Connecticut and the Summer on the Hill Program in New York City. In her free time, she loved to travel and yearned for her regular trips to Barbuda, Anguilla, and Florida, with her life long friend and companion, Bill (William A. Arnold, III).

Reynolds. He attended St. Lawrence University and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He proudly served in the U.S. Army as a B-26 pilot during World War II. Mr. Kingery loved family, cars, horses, scuba diving, boating, and tennis. His passion for automobiles started with Russell Motors in White Plains, New York. In 1957, in partnership with Lyman Russell, he purchased Rye Ford, Inc., located in Rye, New York. He later became full owner of the dealership. In 1974, John started Rye Subaru and was actively involved in the business for over 50 years until his death. The multigenerational business continues to be managed by his son, James. Mr. Kingery loved horses. His favorite horse, Mr. Bar Do Too, won the AQHA National Jumping Championship in 1975. He and his family spent much of their leisure time riding together on the beautiful trails in Greenwich. Mr. Kingery is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Audrey; five children, Sue Kingery of Atlanta, Georgia; Jay Kingery and wife Mary of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Michael Kingery of Stuart, Florida; James Kingery and wife Fiona of Old Greenwich, Connecticut; and Jody Womsley and husband Mark of Rhode Island; along with four grandchildren. His oldest son, Jack, predeceased him.

Summer 2008

Russell H. Herman, father of Douglas R. Herman ’93, died on September 13 at Greenwich Otto Fuerbringer, father of distinguished Hospital, a month short of his 78th birthday. journalist Jonathan Fuerbringer ’63, died July Mr. Herman grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. 28, 2008 in Fullerton, California. He was 97. He graduated as head of his chemical engineerHe was born in St. Louis, Missouri on Sept. ing class in 1951 at Pennsylvania State University 27, 1910, the son of Ludwig Fuerbringer, the and was a member of the Alpha Chi Sigma frapresident of Concordia Seminary, and Anna ternity. In 1981, he was chosen by Pennsylvania Zucker Fuerbringer. He graduated from Harvard State as an Honor Engineering Alumnus and College in 1932, where he was president of the was named an Alumni Fellow in 1996. Harvard Crimson and began his journalistic caShortly after college graduation, Russell began reer writing the Boy Scout news at the St. Louis his memorable career with Exxon Corporation. Post Dispatch. He became a National Affairs writHis various positions included President and er at Time Magazine in 1942, assistant managing CEO of Esso Eastern and overseeing Exxon’s editor in 1951 and managing editor in 1960. Asia-Pacific area. He retired as Executive Vice Mr. Fuerbringer served as managing editor of President of Esso Europe based in London. Time magazine from 1960 to 1968. After he left After retirement, along with two Exxon colas managing editor, Mr. Fuerbringer was named leagues, he formed an energy consulting company. head of the Magazine Development Group. It Russell also, served on the Board of the Ultramar was in this job that he started Money magazine, Diamond Shamrock Corporation. which had its first issue in September of 1972. In His work for local non-profits included the the spring of 1973, Andrew Heiskell, Chairman Greenwich Land Trust and the United Way of of the Board of Time Inc., saw Mr. Fuerbringer Greenwich. He was a Stephen Minister at the in the Time-Life Building in New York City and First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich. said, “Hey, Otto, why don’t we start a magazine Mr. Herman had a huge passion for football. called People.” That led to a page-and-a-half memo Friends knew to never bother him when a Penn from Fuerbringer outlining the concept of People State football was being televised. Magazine. The first issue appeared in 1974. He is survived by his wife, Sandra R. Herman, After his retirement from Time Inc. in 1975, and six children. The oldest of the six by his Mr. Fuerbringer worked on several other magafirst wife, Linda Hillman, are Cynthia Nolte of zine projects. He moved to Greenwich in 1953, Charleston, South Carolina; Melissa Novalis living on Round Hill Road and then Sabine Farm of Morristown, New Jersey; Christina Stagich Road. Mr. Fuerbringer moved to Fullerton, of Easton, Pennsylvania; R. H. Herman III of California in l999. John Marston Kingery, father of James M. Mendham, New Jersey, and Tammy Martone of He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Winona,, and their four children; Peter, of Costa Mesa, California; Kingery ’83 and grandfather of Dayton and Pompton Plains, New Jersey. The youngest, Douglas Alexis Selwood of Los Angeles, California; Jonathan McLain Kingery, died on September 24, 2008 Herman of Stamford, Connecticut, is the son of REUNION 2009 was ALERT! of 85. Mr. Kingery born in 1923 Sandra Herman. Mr. Herman is also survived by 17 of Civitella inVal di Chiana, Italy; and Juliana at the age and a stepbrother, Charles Plains, NewWeekend! York, and was the send son ofyourgrandchildren Fuerbringer of Burlingame, six grandchilCelebrate the California, years since graduationinatWhite Homecoming Please most up-to-date information to Story, of Barnstable, of Massachusetts. the late Dr. Lisle Byron Kingery and Margaret dren and seven greatLibby grandchildren. Edwards (ledwards@brunswickschool.org/800.546.9425) to stay informed all the events.


Courage

Times of BRUNSWICK

2008-2009 ’Wick Annual Fund

We are sensitive about asking for your support of our 2008-2009 Annual Fund in this challenging economic environment. Yet, in an ironic twist of fate, the worse the economy is, the more important our Annual Fund becomes to the health of Brunswick and its programs. Tuition only covers about 85% of the cost of running the School. The Annual Fund makes up the yearly shortfall. To say that the Annual Fund is critical to what we do—year-in and year-out— is an understatement. Without a successful Annual Fund, programs and faculty would have to be cut in order to make ends meet. For 107 years, Brunswick School has been entrusted to ably and generously prepare boys for life. These core values, along with our shared and unwavering belief in our motto of Courage, Honor, Truth, have never faltered. These guiding words have allowed us to survive even during trying times. Thank you, from all of us at Brunswick, for your unwavering support, in every way, every day. Your generosity at any level helps us carry forth our mission to support the incomparable and always enduring spirit of Brunswick. If you have already done so, please accept our heartfelt gratitude!

2008-2009 ’Wick Annual Fund …every dollar counts!


Honor Truth Winter 2009


Save The Date! “Connecting With Our Community” —Brunswick School Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon— Thursday, April 16, 2008 Burke Field House

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