Class Notes

1940s

John Long ’42 says, “I am now 97 years old. Following my service in World War II and graduation from Duke, my wife and I raised five children while I worked in the insurance field. After my retirement and my first wife’s death, my second wife and I were able to enjoy almost 25 years of traveling and timeshare exchanges. We are now living in a senior independent living community and although we have a few limitations I feel very lucky to have had such a good life.”

1950s

John Cunningham ’51 is a survivor of COVID-19, living in California and dealing with statewide fires.

Bill Mitchell ’54 had the best round of golf this year on his 84th birthday, where he shot his age.

Gerald “Jerry” Rothstein ’55 felt bad the 2020 class reunion was cancelled. He was looking forward to returning to campus for his 65th reunion. He says, “I am retired now, and spend most of my days boating, or just sitting around. Because of the coronavirus lockdown, things to do are very limited. My health is good, and my children and grandchildren are all well. During the summer months I help new boaters with navigation, safety, and the proper piloting of their boat. Wish there was more to say, but 2020 has slowed me, and I supposed many others, down. Look forward to the 2021 reunion.”

Jacob Pohn ’59 recently looked back at his time at CA, stating he had a great four years.

1960s

“Searching for Amylu Danzer,” the memoir written by John Rosenthal ’60 about a friend who committed suicide in 1965, will be published in March 2021 by the Waywiser Press of Great Britain. ’60

Stephen Soreff ’60 released his book, “Life’s Dueling Dualities: A Grandfather’s Legacy of Wisdom” in October, which covers his observations on six dueling ideologies, including the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese; following your head versus following your heart; following the rules verus challenging them, and others.

Mike Sapol ’61 writes, “After graduating from Cheshire, I lived 45 years in Massachusetts. Many enjoyable years in West Peabody, Plymouth. Three years ago, my wife Carol and I moved out to Denver to be with one of our sons (Robert Murch). We are enjoying our life here in Denver, but we do miss New England. I would love to hear from my classmates from Cheshire. I am of course retired and have ample time to keep in touch with any who respond. I can be reached on Facebook. Anyone out in the Denver area I would love to get in touch with.”

Albert Sweeney ’61 is enjoying his retirement after working as an OMS surgeon.

Arthur Cirkus ’62 is retired, living “the good life” in Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Terry McManus ’64 was inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame, while also receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Forest City London of Music (FCLM). The FCLM recognizes outstanding contributions to music, business, education, as well as leadership within the music community. During a virtual ceremony earlier this year, the FCLM recognized McManus for being an iconic artist manager, musician, songwriter, and educator.

Cary Palulis ’64 and Robert Burg ’64 christened Palulis’ 18-foot Sea Ray power boat at the Congamond Lakes in Southwick, Massachusetts, in May. The two caught eatable rainbow trout, resulting in a successful trip.

Harold Crossley ’67 says, “Finally really retired and captained our boat home from Ventura, California, to Sequim, Washington. My wife Teresa and I plan to spend a few years cruising the waters of the Pacific Northwest. And after that...who knows!”

One Love Tennis, a nonprofit organization founded five years ago by Lenny Simpson ’68, held several events in the past year of which Simpson is most proud. Events included a food distribution event, where over 4,000 pounds of food was given to over 80 families in need; One Love went worldwide on Sept. 6 as part of CBS’s special program “Portraits in Black”; and a weekly Friday night movie night, free of charge. At 1406 Orange St. In Wilmington, North Carolina—where many of the events take place—a Wilmington Historic Society plaque will adorn the front of the house, which was called home by civil rights activist, medical doctor, and tennis advocate Dr. Hubert Eaton and his wife, Celeste Eaton, as well as world champion barrierbreaking tennis player Althea Gibson.

1970s

Richard “Rick” Morris ’73 has been working in broadcast television and films since 1978. Starting in 2007, he spent 3 years as the documentary producer/videographer for the Census of Marine Life and the Encyclopedia of Life projects. Rick has shot and produced programming for many of the major networks and cable channels as well as for nonprofits and NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, The International Fund for Animal Welfare, the New England Aquarium, Oceana, and the Conservation Law Foundation. Rick was the primary cameraman for the political commentary television show “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.“ During his tenure with the Census of Marine Life, Rick produced and contributed to more than a dozen films and productions for National Geographic, PBS, BBC, and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Rick’s footage has been seen on programs from “Nightline” to “Late Night with David Letterman“ and most recently on the network show “Sunday Morning” on CBS with Jane Pauley. In 2015, Rick was chosen as Scuba Diving Magazine’s Hero of the Sea for September/October.

Paul William Danielsen ’77 has retired to the barrier island on the east coast of Florida after working for 30 years as a trial lawyer, representing catastrophically injured military veterans from around the United States. He credits Ernie Beaulac for propelling him on his legal journey.

Mark Murnane ’77 says, “Hard to believe it’s been 43 years. Hello to everyone from that great class. A very special hello to my favorite life changing teacher Karen Smith.”

1980s

Mark Segal ’83 is the owner of a new restaurant called Gravy in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

James Elliman ’85 and Adriene Denker ’86 were married on March 11, 2020 in Boston.

Thomas Ness ’86 is currently living in New York City.

1990s

Jun Shiina ’93 and his mother, Dr. Kikuko Shiina, visited Cheshire Academy in February. Dr. Shiina is visiting schools worldwide for a study on bringing creative thinking into Japanese schools. Dr. Shiina and Jun visited classes and had lunch with some of his former teachers including Bevan Dupre ’69, Laura Longacre, and Barbara Vestergaard.

Condolences to Kristin Dupre Flore ’96 and her son, Charlie, on the passing of her husband, Ricky Flores, on October 11, 2020, from a brain tumor.

Ben and Rebekah Ohlsen Lyas ’97 welcomed a second daughter, Ruby EmmaJane “Emmie,” on Oct. 10, 2020.

Shari Liu ’92 and Frederick Lawrence Fellows were married on Sept. 25, 2020, in Aspen, Colorado.

2000s

Anouk and PJ Yesawich ’01 welcomed a baby boy, Oliver Henry Yesawich, on July 7, 2020.

Katie and Isaac Warshaw ’02 welcomed a baby girl, Sloane Evelyn Warshaw, on March 5, 2020.

Jenny Dupre ’02 began pursuing her MS in Interactive Media & Communications in August at Quinnipiac University. She says, “It is both challenging and exciting and I am pushing myself harder than I ever have to be the best student possible. We also adopted an Australian Cattle Dog mix puppy and learning to navigate the world of high energy, high intelligence dogs has been a test of strength of will and character. He has been an excellent hiking and work-from-home companion throughout the pandemic. I look forward to trying agility and dock diving with him.”

David Brim ’03 was selected one of 2020’s 40 Under 40 by the Orlando Business Journal. In its writeup of Brim, OBJ said, “David Brim truly reflects the vision of Central Florida as an inclusive and diverse business community with innovative young leadership working to make a positive, sustainable impact. As a visionary, Brim has been involved in many early-stage ventures across a variety of industries and has special interest and expertise in online lead generation, Software as a Service (SaaS), e-commerce, private lending, and real estate investment.”

Tess Arntsen ’05, executive chef at Small Kitchen Big Taste (North Haven, Connecticut), was highlighted in the November 2020 issue of Connecticut Magazine. In the article, Arntsen answered questions on how she got into cooking, her favorite holiday memories, and a recipe for roasted barbecue cauliflower perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

Amy Barlag Ciba ’00 was promoted to manager, customer success management for the emerging enterprise segment of WeWork in February. Her daughter, Roxanne, turned one in August. Roxanne is a happy, spunky little lady and, this month, she and her husband are celebrating nine years of marriage.

Congratulations to Matthew and Abigail Danziger Kelley ’06 on the birth of their baby boy, Theodore Clifford Kelley, born on Sept. 2, 2020.

Phil Quist ’07 started a new role as investor of Connect Ventures, an investment partnership between leading entertainment and sports agency creative Artists Agency (CAA) and global venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA), which identifies and accelerates the growth of early-stage consumer-focused businesses. Connect Ventures plans to invest up to $400 million, and launched with $100 million in committed capital.

Milo Abbagnaro was born to Gianna and Steven Abbagnaro ’08. Proud grandparents, Ana and Pete Abbagnaro, and proud aunt, Amanda Abbagnaro Gratton ’06.

Cara and Cal Smith ’09 welcomed their daughter, Layla Cherrymae, on Oct. 6, 2020.

Tyler Hundley ’09, head coach of Worcester State University men’s basketball, was named Champion’s Choice Coach of the Year in only his second year as head coach, while three Lancers took home All-Conference honors at the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Isabel de Majo ’05 returned to Venezuela after graduating from CA, attending university in Caracas and receiving her architecture degree.

Avery Renee Hayunga was born to Robert and Cori Kubat Hayunga ’08 on May 18, 2020.

Alexandra Cavaliere ’09 and Joseph Gasser were married on Sept. 26, 2020, at the Chatfield Hollow Inn in Killingworth, Connecticut. ’09

Robert Ryan ’14 is currently living in downtown Boston, working as an account manager at RxSense. He tested positive for COVID-19 in March, and also completed his first marathon—the 2020 Boston Marathon—with zero training. He ran as part of Team Zrike, a BikeMS team organized in honor of his uncle, Stephen Zrike. Classmate Jon Bergamo ’13 is also a member of the team.

2010s

Chelsy and Jaimie Fry ’11 had a son, Jayden Mikail Fry, born on Oct. 2, 2019.

Tom Cavaliere ’15 is moving back to Connecticut after living in Washington, D.C., for over five years. While in D.C., Tom was a foreign policy student at American University, and works (now virtually) as an advisory and advocacy communications consultant at APCO Worldwide. He looks forward to being closer to his family, reconnecting with the local CA community, and taking on some new challenges.

Aliya Catanzarita ’19, CA’s first D1 softball player, was named to the Dean’s List at Hofstra University and to the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.

A graduate of the University of Saint Joseph, Ashley Iadarola ’16 recently received her real estate license and is currently working as an agent for Berkshire Hathaway in Cheshire, Connecticut

Send YOUR Class Note today! Share your news and photos via email to alumni@cheshireacademy.org.

IN MEMORIAM Alumni

1940s

Crandon Clark ’40 died on March 29, 2019 at the age of 98 in Washington, D.C.

Sanford “Sandy” Levine ’44 died on April 17, 2019, in Marlton, New Jersey. Sandy grew up in Brooklyn and Forest Hills, New York. He graduated from Kent State University in 1949. He served in World War II aboard the U.S.S. Portland and U.S.S. Sangamon. He worked in the paper industry for 45 years before he and Honi retired to Florida.

Joel Goodman ’45 passed peacefully on June 20, 2019. Joel started his law career in Houston, Texas, before returning to New Bedford, Massachusetts, to become a partner at Goodman & Goodman, retiring in 2009. Joel was a Korean Conflict Coast Guard veteran, serving stateside.

Malcolm Nichols ’46 of Southington, Connecticut, passed away on June 28, 2019, after a long battle with cancer. He was a commissioned second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and saw action in the Korean War. He was an avid model airplane enthusiast, both building and flying them. He was a life member of the Central Connecticut Radio Control Club of Farmington.

Richard “Dick” Tindall ’47 passed away March 7, 2019. Dick was a member of the California Air National Guard and retired after 46 years of distinguished service.

Henry “Fred” Fredenburgh ’47 passed away at home on April 1, 2019. Fred was a World War II U.S. Army veteran, having served as a medic in Japan during the occupation. Fred loved classical music, art, literature, history, and fine wine. His lifelong passion was photography, and he was rarely seen without at least one camera around his neck and his signature large camera bag. A favorite activity of his was exploring the back roads and ghost towns of his beloved New Mexico, often camping with at least one of his dogs.

Frank “Frankie” Russo ’48 died on February 10, 2020. Best known for his generous heart, his ability to communicate with everyone that he met, and pushing agendas forward that benefited the youth, while challenging others "to do the right thing."

Richard Goeben ’48 died on April 19, 2019.

1950s

William “Bill” Cushing ’50 of Madison and Southington, Connecticut, died March 22, 2019. His unique military service (Army 1955-1956) included over a year in a hotel off Avenue George V in Paris, defending the Madams of the Boi de Boulogne and Mademoiselles of Crazy Horse, touring Europe from Stockholm to the walls of Rome, skiing over Germany’s highest peak, the Zugspitze, and visiting the Allens in Salthill Galway. For many years he led The Cushing Company, an independent insurance agency started by his father.

James Kenney ’53 died on April 11, 2020.

Michael Kahn ’53 died peacefully on July 1, 2020, in Palm Coast, Florida, after a valiant battle with a rare disease called amyloidosis. His devotion to his family and his faith in Judaism supported him in his struggle and ultimately gave him peace. From 1957 to 1959, Michael served in the U.S. Army as a cryptologist, delivering top secret messages that he deciphered for military leaders around the world. He was mathematically inclined, with a lifelong passion for technology and working with people. Michael had a keen business sense and built multiple profitable enterprises and, when they failed, he reinvented himself for success. He traveled around the world and made friends with sultans and dignitaries, and people from all walks of life. Mike had many fond memories of his time at Cheshire Academy. He maintained lifelong friendships with his classmates and was a charitable supporter of the school. Michael’s lifelong passions included classical music, opera, and ballet.

Robert Lingblom ’54 died on September 19, 2019, in Roanoke, Virginia.

Herman Lefkowitz ’54 died on December 4, 2019, in Pensacola, Florida. Herman graduated from Tulane University and spent his career in the jewelry industry. Herman volunteered his time feeding the homeless at Loaves and Fishes, and working on the Veterans Dinner at B’Nai Israel Synagogue.

James “Jim” Frontero ’55 passed away on May 7, 2020. Jim worked as an adjustment counselor, an English teacher and, for the last 20 years of his career, as the assistant principal at Melrose High School. Jim loved to cook and spent many hours cooking Italian meals for his family while listening to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. He could sing the first line of any song.

William “Bill” Banister ’55 died on January 17, 2019. Bill was an executive in the marine industry for his entire career. He was active in antique and classic boating circles his whole life.

Laurence Rappaport ’58 died on February 22, 2020. He attended the University of Rochester and New York University earning degrees in electrical engineering and economics. He served with honor during the Vietnam War. Larry started a career in software development and worked as a software developer around the world before retiring. He was a HAM radio enthusiast and operator, known far and wide by his call sign of "W1HJF."

Robert “Bob” Adorno ’58 died on May 22, 2019. Bob was a dedicated real estate and securities broker who valued each opportunity to help families plan for and achieve their dreams. He had a wonderful sense of humor, was an amazing home cook, and always spoke the truth in love.

1960s

Charles Kaufman ’60 passed away on March 25, 2019, after a long battle with an autoimmune disease. Chuck’s knowledge of construction made him very skilled in creating innovative designs for modular buildings that could better meet the needs for cities and parks across the country.

Stephen Palmer ’61 died on March 6, 2019. His classmate Bill Kiger ’62 shared that Steve had a special bond with the members of football team, especially with Frank Motter ’61 and Pete Stanton ’61.

Thomas Taber ’62 of Gates Mills, Ohio, died on October 7, 2019.

David Johnson ’62 passed away on January 9, 2020. He had a passion for reading military history and antique cars.

Patrick Danaher ’64 died on August 8, 2019.

William Bush ’64 passed away on December 6, 2019.

Terence “Terry” Glaser ’65 passed away on October 19, 2017, in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.

Jeffrey Davis ’69 died on April 20, 2020.

1970s

Martha Gelles Garrity ’76 died on December 14, 2019, after a long illness.

1980s

Richard “Rich” Mayo ’86 died on May 17, 2020.

1990s

Mikko Ishikawa ’90 died on March 12, 2020 from breast cancer.

Arthur “Lee” Green ’90 died from the coronavirus on March 23, 2020, after a very short illness.

Former Faculty

Duff Chambers, long time counselor for Cheshire Academy, died in Tombstone, Arizona, on May 20, 2020. After retiring from the Academy in 2005, Duff and his wife Bobbie went on the adventure of their lives. They sold their home in East Lyme and purchased a 40-foot diesel engine Winnebago, and spent the following 12 years traveling all over the United States, including Alaska, finding themselves in Happy Valley every fall in time for Penn State Football. After years on the road, they decided to hang up the motorhome keys and settle in Tombstone, Arizona, where Duff came out of retirement to become the school counselor at Tombstone High School until his passing.

Now Accepting Applications for Four Scholarships

Every year, Cheshire Academy enrolls a diverse and promising student body from countless states and over 30 countries, resulting in a truly global experience for all students, as well as faculty and staff. Many students interested in attending CA could be eligible to apply for a variety of merit-based scholarships.

The Fairfield County Boarding Student Scholarship is available for students entering grades 9-11 who will be participating in the 5- or 7-day boarding program. If awarded, families receive an amount totaling half off the cost of a boarding tuition.

Upcoming 9th-grade students residing in New Haven County may apply for the New Haven County Day Student Scholarship which, if awarded, halves the cost of a day tuition.

Applications are also being accepted for the Town Scholarship. Originating in 1938, the Town Scholarship awards one Cheshire 9th-grade student with a full four-year scholarship to attend CA.

Cheshire Academy continues to offer merit-based legacy scholarships in the amount of $15,000 for children, grandchildren, and relatives of CA alumni. This scholarship, for boarding students, is also available for siblings of currently enrolled students entering grades 9-12 and postgraduate.